Azura

"Guns? How many?"

"I hate it here"

Azura is a minor character within the **Gray Zone.**

Azura is a genius logistician known for creating supply line miracles in many parts of the world.

As far as clothes go. No matter the ocassions, Azura will always be prepared accordingly

## History

### **Childhood**

Azura was born in Eritrea to a rather poor family, fortunately his dad used to be a teacher in the past. Giving the child all the necessary skills such as reading, writing and of course **planning**. Even at young age Azura was an excellent logistician, each stroke of the pencil was done with great care. When he was about nine years old, he already helped the local store optimize their supplies to stay as fast while avoiding bandit armies in he south.
His parents didn't like the prospect of the future their child was about to experience, a war torn hell on earth where all that will decide their fate was probably mere luck. Kindness of fate or whatnot. This couldn't continue.

On his tenth birthday, his parents have given him their ultimate gift. He was forced out of the country, on a one trip to Europe. He was a clever child, he already figured out what was going on moments after the boat left the shore with his parents nowhere in sight. Only people he could talk to now being an Italian sailor and his son, **Cosimo**.

After about a week, the boat arrived at the shore in Europe. Azura said his goodbyes and was given new clothes, faked documents and a wallet stacked with money. At this point, suspicions started to arrive in his head. How were his parents able to afford all of this? No point dwindling on that now, a new life is ahead of him.

### **Teenage years**

Azura studied both English and German in the middle school, managing his own finances by renting a one room apartment and working a part time job wasn't a big of an issue to him as he already worked back in Eritrea.
He made his first real friend in High School, a troublemaker girl called Nadja Müller. Though he only wanted to help her with studies out of kindness, soon enough the complex politics of the school caught up to him as the gang known as "green club" approached him over his friendship. Fortunately he wasn't harmed, that Nadja person from before stood in defense of him and beat the students up without breaking a sweat. Their bond became very strong.

For the next couple of years, they would regularly meet up. He gave the girl everything from the bottom of his heart, and she did give back. They lived through many hardships. Him learning about the razing of his home village, she about her the truth behind her troubled past.

Boy meets a girl. They fall in love.

They both rolled into different universities, Nadja wished to become an electrician while Azura pursued his talent for planning. However, he wasn't satisfied with the school's program. He'd rather study on his own, practice in a real world scenario. Apprenticeships were boring, even if his supply "magic" worked there.

It was then when his old friend, Cosimo sent him an offer to do some optimization for a certain Asian company. Again, in the Africa. At first reluctant to leave the city where his now girlfriend lived, he decided to go for it after learning how much money was on line. Only proven by one third of it being paid upfront if he takes the deal.

### **Core of Darkness**

Nothing changed at all, the south was still full of bandits and wannabe warlords. Azura did his work diligently, he was tasked with optimizing supply lines and assigning key locations for his employer based on his knowledge of the terrain. Just another pawn in the southern wars, benefitting only the companies behind the production of arms.

There was only one "mistake" he ever made on his work, it was when he assigned a key location to a base supposedly next to his home village. Several days later, he could let a sigh of relief after learning that all the bandit pests were exterminated. It felt so good, revenge by a writing on a piece of paper. His mind was becoming hazy from all the work he was doing. He needed to rest more often than back in Europe. Sometimes he wasn't even able to make his own breakfast or remember when meetings were held, but it was fine. He was assigned a butler to help him with managing time.

In just two months the mercenary operations were done, and he could return home. He had all the money he would ever need and plenty of favours in the company for the future, just in case.

### **Back Home**

But as he came back home, Azura realized he forgot some things. He forgot his apartment's number, he forgot where were the spare keys. He couldn't recall any of his friends, though their vague features appeared in his head. It was like a nightmare. At first he thought it's just a fatigue and headed to bed, however following the next morning it was crystal clear. He forgot his past, he forgot absolutely everything. The reason why he kept working despite having fortune, the fate of his family, the reason why he felt butterflies in stomach when looking at his old smartphone.

He grabbed the older model unconsciously instead of the new one he got in the south, he felt a deja vu when he opened the IM application. He saw someone called Nadja and a bunch of other people. He clicked on the profile. It said "*Protective, birthday at 11 December*". He felt something in his gut, as if he got punched and then butterflies again.

What in the world happened? Why did I forget **her**?
*Next thing he heard was a notification sound, the girl wanted to meet by tomorrow.*

They talked about pretty much everything, Azura confirmed his suspicions. Some events missed from his head while others missed from the girl. It was quite frightening to him. How could he be sure that there isn't something fundamental to his being that just vanished in both of their minds? Fortunately, it seemed that no new memories were give to either of them in place of the old ones. That much he was certain of.

At this point there was only one thing that could be his anchor in this world, and that was their relationship.

Suddenly, Nadja mentioned that she found a clue in some hellhole called Gray Zone, something that could lead them to the reason why their memories started being full of holes. Azura questioned the origin of this information, Gray Zone was the only place in this world forsaken enough to even make him doubtful. The girl gave him the letter she found at her doorstep earlier, it wasn't a reliable clue but it was the best lead they had. At first he doubted the idea, there was no way it'd be safe for either of them. But the girl reassured him.

She promised to protect him.

Azura exhaled, somehow that felt very comforting to him.

## Personality

Although Azura usually acts rather aloof, he does not lack empathy or generosity. He always makes sure to think everything through, maybe even for too long, before saying something that could put another person on edge. Careful planning is a philosophy of both his work and private life. He can get quite shy in private if pressured too much by someone he is comfortable with.

## Abilities

### **Mastery of Logistics**

Azura's plans are world class. His vast knowledge of theory and practical approach combines with experience, creating a very capable man often said to make miracles come to life. He likes to hear praises of his skills.

### **Lion Characteristics**

For some reason Azura seems to have characteristics of a lion, such as a tail and ears on top of the head instead of on sides like a human would. As such he has better hearing and can move his tail freely.

## Trivia

* His name literally means "Loveable blue sky"
* Azura was born in southern part of the world, in our world that would be somewhere around Eritrea.
* Although he is the one with a gun, it's often Mädel that protects him from harm.
* His ears are particularly fluffy.
* For some reason he is scared of witches.