Luna Lioria, A Shroud of Light in a City of Darkness Options

[gamer10]

Luna Lioria is a story written from the perspective of a rebellious, and somewhat foolish, young Imperial girl named Luna who decides that she can no longer live with her "controlling" parents, and decides to run off on her own. To where, she doesn't know, and reality ultimately takes her by surprise. This first chapter encompasses her time spent in and around the Imperial City.

Morndas, 6th of Evening Star, Late Evening


I looked about me, the soft glow of the candle on the bedside table comforting as my gaze drifted towards the window, the panes of glass seemed barely able to hold out against the chilling winds that struck it so cruelly.

Glad I'm not a window.

I shook my head, what a silly thought, my exhaustion was getting the better of me and I felt as if I was only vaguely aware of my surroundings.

Not good, not good.

I had to stay awake, but I knew that I couldn't resist the tempting lure of a good nights sleep, and I would eventually have to give up the struggle, the enemy so relentless.

Why not leave in the morning?

My mother and father would never let me leave, let me go. I had to strike out when they were deep in their dreams. To them I was yet a child, but I knew myself to be different. I was fifteen, no longer a child, but not yet an adult. I was in between, the best stage of life for learning and experience.

I picked up my small bag containing some food, and a quill and paper, which I had taken from my mother’s desk. She would not mind I knew, because she would be nearly dead with worry over where I had gone. I felt guilty for this, but I couldn't help but wonder what awaited me as I stepped out the door into the slushy streets of Cyrodiil. Sleep could wait out the night.

The lantern I held in one hand lit the darkness that descended upon me, and it let me see my way around the familiar city.

The great houses, built solid and high, surrounded me, but provided little comfort. I could hardly see them anyway, night had set hours ago.

I had left my parents softly snoring in their bed, as I strode into a new era for myself, an era in my life of adventure. This era, I hoped, would be filled with mystifying times and tribulations for me to explore. Yet I felt wary as well, of what exactly I did not know, but I suppose it was the whole idea of leaving the Imperial Province, and journeying to a foreign land.

The night air was crisp and dry, I stood for a moment just a block or so by my judgment from my home. Gazing excitedly about me, I pondered deeply.

What if I am never to come back?

Brushing the ominous thought aside, I took a step further into the dark.

My hand took the brunt of a brick building and the lantern fell to the ground breaking open upon the icy street as the light I had been so grateful to have faded. I was thrust into the dark city of Cyrodiil, alone and without guidance. This was it, I knew, this was adventure, or at least the start of one. My stomach lurched, I was fearful, for all I had learned, all the knowledge I had gathered to this point, could not prepare me for survival on my own without others. I had no one now, I was really truly alone. The familiarity of the city drifted, and I found that I no longer knew what I thought I had.

Am I alone?

I froze, realizing that there may yet be someone who would see to it that I was not alone, and for the first time as well, I hoped to the gods that I was. The spell of fear I felt quickly left me, in a mere matter of seconds, and I regained most of the confident mental stability I had been overtaken by just a minute ago. The deepening fear had only subsided temporarily, I recognized, and it lingered with me in the back of my mind. It was the kind of fear someone got when they were about to get caught doing something they shouldn't be doing.

Without thinking, and hardly a second passed, my hand flew to my belt and my sword slashed through the air. Someone grabbed my hand, placing their own hand over my mouth. My sword however, contacted someone. I heard a shout of pain, and the collapse of a body. My hand was wet, but from what I could not see in the dark, though I guessed it to be blood.

My heart pounded as I dashed through the streets, desperate to find refuge and hide myself from the terrors that wandered here in the Imperial city.

I was barely aware of myself as I ran, panic had taken over. My sword still swung loosely from my hand as I slowed myself. I contemplated turning around and finding my way home, but I couldn't, I couldn't make myself now.

Eventually I managed to come to a complete halt, but now I was in a foreign part of the city. I had never wandered here before, and I wish I hadn't now.

There was nobody out, but I still felt my skin crawl as a shiver ran from my head to my toes. I stood there trembling, my eyes darting wildly back and forth.

A hand landed on my shoulder.

I spun around and kicked, ferociously attacking my stalker.

"Hold, hold!"

I stopped suddenly as the man kneeled, holding a hand to his stomach, his face a grimace.

"Quite a kick you've got there, is that how you greet everyone?"

I frowned, nearly sick "Do you often sneak up on young girls at night?" I asked accusingly, my hand resting on the hilt of my sword.

"Calm down miss, I didn't mean you any harm." The man looked up and grinned maliciously, I noticed, though his face was hardly visible, "You can stop shaking."

I took a few steps back.

The man's smile disappeared, "Now hold on a second, you wait right there!"

I turned in a hurry, and dashed off, only to get several feet before backing up again, as a man passed out of the shadows.

"You heard him," the strange man said, he held a sword in hand, "Stay right there."

I unsheathed my sword and lunged, luckily taking the stranger by surprise. The man didn't have time to dodge as the blade passed through him. I drew it out, and the body collapsed to the ground. Once again I found myself scurrying through the city.

It was sick; I knew what they would do to a young lady such as me, the pervasive nature of the drunks out this time of night.

I was freezing; the snow was coming down fast, wetting my clothes.

I must find somewhere to wait out the night.

Where?

I collapsed on the street, the ice and slush viciously biting at me as I pulled my knees to me and placed my head on them, noticeably shaking and shivering as my breath came in short gasps.

What am I, a child? Giving up so easily.

Yes, a child .

The world seemed so cold, both literally and metaphorically, and I had to struggle to hold my tears back.

The grim cruelty of reality took me, and I can't recall when or even how I managed to drift off into sleep as the freezing cold continued to assault me.

[gamer10]

This is perhaps the biggest update ever, since the first post, and it was written in a time span of forty minutes or so without any previous planning as I’d done up till then. I know where I’m going with this story, and it should only continue to develop and grow from here on out. Enjoy, and beware the many typos that probably still exist, as I haven’t taken the time to edit it.

-Gamer10

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It was getting worse, I could tell. It may not yet have been apparent to Edward, or, if Windswept was capable of realizing such things, him as well. The crew seemed to me to have taken on an intimidating air. It didn’t do to calm my nerves, nor the captain, who noticed something, thought not quite sure what, was out of place, and approached me about it as I was preparing to approach her.

The usually bright and relaxed face of Captain Ponius was filled with obvious worry as she advanced toward where I was laying in my hammock, staring impassively up at the damp wooden ceiling, and listening to the sound of Windswept breathing.

“Where’s Edward?” She asked suddenly, a hint of concern flowing out with her words as she stood above me.

I didn’t answer, because I hadn’t heard her, but she repeated herself, this time in a firm, demanding manner, which immediately secured my attention. She’d spoken as never before, her voice a mixture of anxiety, ferocity, and a surprising uncertainty.

“Luna, damn it, pay attention. Where the hell is Edward?”

I raised my head, supporting myself with my elbow as I sat up. “I don’t know, on deck I suppose, fooling around,” I told her, then shrugged.

She yanked me up by my shoulders, and I winced and pushed her off. To my surprise she grabbed hold of me tighter.

“Luna you have to find Edward now, there’s trouble, I know it. Bring Edward and yourself to my cabin, and make haste.” She hurried off, her hand drifting regularly past the hilt of her sword, which was tucked in its sheath.

I stood up and hurried to the deck, where I saw Edward leaning against a mast and talking to one of the shipmen. I quickly made my way over to him, and he stopped talking and glanced hesitantly at me, and I met his gaze and realized for a moment there that he did realize there was something happening.

“Luna,” he told me once we were alone by the mast as the other man chuckled and sauntered off, “Something terrible is happening, I heard them.”

I shot him an apprehensive glare, “Whatever, hurry up we need to get to the Captain’s cabin, then you can tell me whatever you feel like.”

He flinched at my stare, but followed after me as I made my way to the Captain’s cabin.

We entered and I let Edward enter first, shutting the door behind me and turning the lock. Captain Ponius was seated at a table and she beckoned for us to come. I took the remaining seat, and Edward sat on the ground, which was probably more comfortable anyway.

“Now I’m gonna cut to the point real quick here, I fear that we might not have much time.” I nodded, and Edward just went about looking even more frightened.

“Some of you might have noticed it, but then again you might not have, but the crew has been acting rather rowdy lately, even to the point of disobeying direct commands from myself.” She paused and lifted a goblet to her lips, then continued. “I was listening at the door of my cabin last night, and I overheard the crew, judging by what I heard that night I take it their planning to mutiny.”

I shook my head, and mouthed “no.”

“I’m afraid so Luna, there’s no possible way they were discussing anything else, I mean what else-“ she stopped, and I stopped listening. Turning our heads, we looked directly at Edward, his head was buried in his hands and he was sobbing, near silently.

“Edward,” I asked calmly, suspecting it to be a fit of fear, “What’s the matter?”

He said nothing for a long while, and as I sat there I began to get nervous, then all of a sudden he spoke up, but it was quiet and he sounded sick through his sobbing.

“I’m –sorr-rry,” he muttered, looking up at me with teary eyes and then burying his face in his hands again.

“Edward?” I asked, “Sorry for what?”

“I’m sorry.” He repeated, and he stopped crying, but his head was still protected by his hands.

“Edward, what was it you were going to tell me on deck, what were you going to say?”

He didn’t answer and I quickly grew impatient, the situation did not require this complication. I knelt in front of him, leaving my chair, and pulled his hands away from his face. “Edward, look at me and tell what this is about.”

He used his hands to push himself away from me, as if he was fleeing from danger, “I knew, Luna, I knew.”

The first question that came to mind was, “For how long?”

“Ever since – before – before you kissed me, I knew,” and he broke down sobbing again.

I was up in a moment, and I approached him rapidly, my mind racing with spite. “You knew,” I spat angrily, “You knew and you couldn’t tell me. I’d of thought that you loved me, I thought I mattered to you Edward, the same way you mattered to me.”

“You do matter to me Luna, please don’t-“ he cowered as I kicked out at him.
“Shut up!” I yelled, “Just shut up. You know what’s going to happen to us now; we’re probably going to be killed. We’re going to die because of you, because you didn’t tell us, we couldn’t escape. I hate you!”

I was on him in a fury, my hand in a fist as I pounded his face and all the rest of him I could find. All I heard was the revolting sobs of a traitor who deserved no more than death. I barely realized that I wasn’t hitting anything moments later, that I’d been pulled away by someone much stronger than myself, that I’d been thrown to the ground away from Edward. I only came to my senses when the tip of a blade was at my throat, at first I though Edward had managed to throw me off him and draw his sword, but I knew that this wasn’t his sword. It belonged to the Captain.

“Enough you stupid girl! This is not the time for such irrational behavior as you have displayed. He has admitted to his guilt, and needs sympathy, not pain. There is more than what he’s told us, I’m sure.” She sheathed her sword and offered her hand, “Indeed, Edward is not a traitor, but more of an honest, yet fearful young man caught between dire circumstances, and unsure of which path to take.”

I was breathing heavily, and I took her hand as I struggled to regain my breath. As I stood I realized my hands were wet, and I glanced down at them. At this point I nearly bent over sick, they were smeared with blood, and I glanced over at Edward, who was staring up at me in such a manner of shock that I immediately pitied him.

I started to speak “Edward-“, knowing that what I’d done was far beyond my power to repair. He’d have to forgive me of his own free will, and I mustn’t beg for forgiveness. So I said no more but felt uncomfortable as he sat there wiping his various cuts with the back of his hand and looking at the blood that’d smeared there.

“Luna,” the Captain said firmly, and my attention shifted to her. “We have a lot to do, or we will certainly face death, come now sit and let us speak. Edward will be okay, he’s not as bad as he looks, and seeing as how the ships doctor is probably involved in the mutiny, we must not call for him.”

I retook my seat, and the plotting began.

This post has been edited by gamer10: Mar 29 2006, 10:08 PM