26 May 1987
To the one they call The True Noir,
I'm not sure if it is wise to write to you, when I don't know who you are or where you are. They say that those who cross paths with the True Noir will not live to see the next day, but of course my family has been engaging in the protection of our village, the Mystic, and the Holy Books for thousands of years, so in a sense we have something in common. Still, I hope my letter reaches you, for milady has contacted someone in the city who knows where you live.
This is not an open invitation to a challenge, nor do I bear any premeditated ill will towards you. I am merely writing to you for advice and to solicit you for your friendly correspondence.
I am from a village inside a country that has been engaged in a civil war, to which the true cause many know about. Our people our neutral, but have been observing the events from the beginning. Our young Mystic knows the true cause, but I cannot tell you due to the scope of the danger. I know about your legendary reputation, but I don't really expect you get involved with our affairs.
My mother has just passed away, and though I am a very young girl, the Mystic have designated as her protector and the guardian of the books. I am to undergo rigorous training to sharpen my skills in hand-to-hand combat and acrobatic agility. I am a little scared though, by the Mystic has comforted me and said that my new duty is very important for the order of the world.
It will be very rigorous. I will receive my own tree hut and will have very little to eat--less so since our village is poor and with the civil war going on. It is all part of my fast before as part of my mental training. After a couple of days of fasting, I am to be sent alone deep into the jungle to survive for many weeks. I am told that my mother, the previous protector, had to fight off various spirits that were all too real to him, so I suppose that is part of the training as well. After that, I will undergo formal training, which will be short since all my abilities would have been gathered from just surviving.
But with the civil war going on, I'm sure it would be a lot more dangerous with all the stray bullets, mortar shells, mines, and plastic explosives. Even though mother had to deal with these things during the previous civil war, at the very least I would not succumb onto the atrocious "Agent Orange" gases that destroyed many forests and made a lot of people ill. Yet my Mystic comforted me and cheered me on, and she says that such terrible chaos will only advance my skills higher than that of my mother's and my ancestors. I could be the greatest protector my village has ever produced.
I must leave now. Thank goodness I learned how to read and write from those international aid workers. I know it will take a while for this letter to reach you, but by the time I have received your response, I will have completed my training. I look forward to hearing you, whoever you may be, wherever you may be.
Sincerely,
The Village Girl
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