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]

WARNING: This section of the story contains several relatively gruesome scenes, and probably would be considered unsuitable for the most sensitive of minds. Take heed in reading this next portion.

-Gamer10

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A knock on the cabin door quite a while later broke the seamless discussion by which the captain and I were hastily making decisions in order to save our lives, and perhaps Edward’s as well.

Edward, though in bad shape after the substantially brutal beating, was up in a moment, but I pushed him away from the door, ignoring the fervent anger that lit up in his eyes.

Captain Ponius was up beside me, and out of the corner of my eye I saw her give Edward a sympathetic glance, “Luna, really, must you be so heartless?” she whispered as I peered through a small hole in the door to see who was knocking.

“After what he did, yes.”

She sighed, and I heard Edward amble off, muttering fervidly to himself, catching the words “teach her a lesson,” but nothing else.

“It looks to be the first mate,” I whispered in an anxious manner to the Captain, “He doesn’t look – very friendly to say the least.”

She took me securely by the shoulder and pulled me several feet away from the door. “Stand back Luna,” she whispered breathlessly, “And draw your sword, we must face them now, be it for the better, or the worse.”

She swung the door open, and there stood the first mate, his eyes wide when he spotted our drawn swords. His hand unsheathed his in a moment, “So, I guess its time to part, my loyalty no longer belongs to you, Ponius.”

He threw himself at her, wildly bringing his sword down upon her head, and I noted his unfair height advantage. Just as fiercely, and what seemed unbelievably swift, Captain Ponius brought her sword to parry his, as her feet danced her away from him.

“I guess you’ll die here,” she spat, “It’s a pity really, the wood will be stained red.”

He lunged at her again, thrusting at her midsection with his iron blade. She dodged around him as he threw his weight forward in what he thought a deadly strike, but she was already taking advantage of his awkward position.

“Damn you woman, hold still.”

Captain Ponius grinned malevolently, her body moving provokingly around the first mate as she sprung forward using her feet as a base for her leap, and drove her sword through the mans abdomen as he turned to face her.

“Good god!” I gasped as she twisted her blade, her face bright red with excitement. “Captain, stop!”

She turned and glanced at me, “Shut up Luna, I’m giving him what he deserves.”
I closed my mouth but watched as the man grunted in pain as Ponius continued to manipulate her blade. Finally I could bear it no longer, and I pulled on her arm. “Stop it, now!”

She complied with my demand, removing her blade from the first mate, entrails lingering on it, and then smugly wiping it on his back after he crumpled face forward onto the floor. “He thought he would come in here, in my cabin, aboard my ship, and take me prisoner.” She scoffed, “Well, he certainly didn’t get what he came for.”

I ignored her, bending over as I fought to control the contents of my breakfast. It didn’t suit me well that all I’d eaten was fish.

She gave me an enthusiastic pat on the back, “Get used to it Luna, or you won’t survive. There’s plenty more of that scum waiting for us, ready your sword.” She glanced at Edward, who was staring wide eyed at the lifeless body of the first mate.

“You too, boy, stand up.”

And he stood up.