Chronicles of the Sun and Moon

Our story begins in a distant world on the island continent of Priya which has been ravaged by a war between two kingdoms, Lusitania and Cyranon, that has lasted for thousands of years with no one truly knowing how it began. The forest atop the cliffs makes up the borders Kingdom of Lusitania which is home to all manner and mixes of demon descendants. Everything beyond the cliffs to the East belongs to the human Kingdom of Cyranon, now beneath the canopy of the Forest, our tale begins to unfold.

Picture: "Capital City Lunetion of Lusitania in the Morning" - (https://www.deviantart.com/quirimemi/art/City-in-the-morning-872140574?ga_submit_new=10%3A1614812114)

The massive red oak trees stood ever strong and sturdy, as the gentle breeze rose from the lake below, creating the beloved rustling of leaves. Below the canopy, not a light glowed in the homes built into the trunks as all the occupants had left to the lake before dawn's light, had shone through the morning fog. The suspension bridges gently sway in the breeze producing a soft creaking which echos, in the silent city, until at last, they hear the long-awaited thundering bellow through the trees and over the water of the Conch shell horns, signaling the warriors return as the anxiety becomes palpable.

Even more so for those permitted to wait on the docks where the kingdoms longships rested in between battles. All the teenagers anxiously awaited their parent's return but for these four the anticipation was heightened because should their parents not be among those returning, the duties of leadership would be theirs. Things barely noticed by the leopard demon heiress as she ran through the noble district of the city and the town square on her way from the palace, where she had spent the night with her friends, to the docks.

“Oh, man! I am so excited to see my parents it feels like a hundred years since they left.” Rose exclaimed as she came to a screeching halt to start bouncing around jostling her ponytail of vibrant beige hair, with her leopard tail swishing in the air, while her sunset orange eyes glinted with joy. She wore a pale green knee-length tabard tightened at the waist by a belt that is lined with bags and a loop for her brass branch, over a hip-length gray-blue tunic. Her green pants have a gold-laced feature on the side of her leg. Her footwear begins with a leaf green shin wrap ending with a pair of buckle fastened ankle height boots, the standard apparel for a member of the Enforcers who specializes in magic given support.

Picture: "Communal Area View of the Lake" - (https://www.deviantart.com/quirimemi/art/Before-Arrival-872140728?ga_submit_new=10%3A1614812248)

Lunara teased “The feline is finally awake! Hey, watch that tail of yours Rose your likely to poke someone in the eye.” her name is symbolized in the appearance of her silver hair, wolf ears, and twin tails. Lunara’s armor is a light-weight silver half chest plate with matching fur-lined teal shoulder, elbow, and knee pads. In addition, she wears a fitted light blue tabard over a beige tunic and dark gray-blue fitted suit. On her waist sat a pair of scimitars whose handles were wrapped by black stripes of leather that curve around them. Her leather boots had fur lining. Her hair is adorned with a symbol of welcome which is a gold, blue, and green circlet with gold strings decorated with orange and red feathers tied to them.

“Oh come on Lunara, you know that it’s much more likely Rose would get it stuck on a low hanging branch before she poked someone in the face.” Carmenita teased as her forked tongue poked in and out of her mouth. Her face perfectly framed by her loose black bangs and long side pieces, with the length of her hair being rolled up in a bun surrounded by a braid. Her clothes emulated her ancestry and profession of the Death-scale assassin clan, she wore a fitted black suit under a wrap style tunic that was fastened by her dagger’s scabbard. In addition, her left thigh featured a golden snake wrap. She has a pair of gold shin wraps and black tri-scaled boots.

“Carmenita, you both make good points, but I think that’s enough teasing for the moment. I can hear the splashing of the ores.” Tyrell remarked. He wore a simple ensemble of a tan tunic, dark leather pants, and mid-shin length boots, and a belt lined with pouches, clothes befitting a member of the Avian Healers. The simplicity of his clothes only enhanced the natural charm of his midnight black hair and forest green eyes coupled with his brown wings and free feathers in his hair. “Oh come on Tyrell with you and those owl ears of yours that means the boats are at the mouth to the river.” Lunara pointed out as her sleek tails twitched with annoyance.

Picture: "The Gang" - (https://www.deviantart.com/quirimemi/art/On-the-Docks-872140863?ga_submit_new=10%3A1614812332)

The teenagers fell silent as they realized just how close their families were. Lunara turned from Tyrell to the lake intensely watching the fog for any breaks marking a ship was near the dock. As she gazed out to the water she clutched the blades on her hips as a glint of concern flickered in her golden eyes, a single drop of sweat fell from her honey-colored skin and firm jaw as the worry for her parents spiked. Tyrell being the guy he was, knew better than to make a comment to Lunara about her sudden show of emotion, just the thought of her reaction made him shudder with fear to which the feathers in his hair responded by standing up. The gaze of his green eyes then shifted to Rose and Carmenita who stood clutching each other's hands as their hair flowed in the breeze that rose from the lake, with the sunlight barely hitting their pale skin and the wood of the docked creaking under the waves the tension seemed to be eased somewhat.

‘Sixteen months already, it’s hard to believe that it’s been that long since we bid farewell to our friends and family as the tension between our kingdoms once again came to a head. I just pray my parents are okay.’ Lunara thought just as the first Long ship’s figurehead, an Owl, pierced the veil of fog and a guard shouted “Our Warriors have Returned be ready to receive them!” at that moment a roar of joy rang out through the city and the medics came rushing out with stretchers for the injured and the guards got the longships tethered allowing the weary warriors to run to their families. More figureheads continued to come through the fog wolves, snakes, leopards, eagles, and others. Lunara watched as her friends greeted their family and other friends but her thoughts remained with her parents.

Whose arrival would be marked by a Figurehead resembling a human sorceress and a horned man holding a staff against the wind, Lusitania’s first rulers. Suddenly a girl cried out from the north end of the dock “Lunara!” She quickly ran to the one who called her it was Carmenita, before she could ask Lunara saw why she had screamed, Lunara’s parents lying still on cushions of skins and moss, their once vibrant skin now pale like the belly of a fish. And their bodies cold and stiff from the fate that all those who fight in war are destined to meet. Lunara fell to her knees followed by her hand rising slowly to remove the circlet from her brow to place it on her mother's chest, her jaw clenched Lunara asked “What happened to them? The last messenger said that the King and Queen were fine.” she ground out as calmly and quietly as she could.

Picture: "Dire News" - (https://www.deviantart.com/quirimemi/art/Dire-News-872141369?ga_submit_new=10%3A1614812653)

A young warrior then stepped forward clearly sadden and wary of Lunara’s anger and grief. Lunara recognized him as Lucas one of Carmenita’s cousins he had just barely become old enough to enter battle when they had left, the shock of war was still fresh in his silver eyes, and his near blood red hair was tasseled and unkempt a clear sign that the battles left them little time to recuperate in the months past. His once dark sage and ever-green clothes were now torn and stained showing his involvement in the battles themselves. Lunara calmed seeing the tension in his features and said “Lucas, it’s okay your not at fault but please, tell me who attacked the boats as you returned to the city?”

“It was a large band of freshwater Murlocks milady and they fought with human weapons. However-” “Murlocks you say.” Lunara cut him off but he nodded in response to her statement. ‘Murlocks those slimy amphibians who had gained the ability to walk on two legs with poisonous spines covering their backs, and sharp teeth filling their mouths they can barely croak let alone talk and the humans made an alliance with them to kill my parents.’ Lunara thought once again igniting her rage.

In a matter of moments, her thirst for blood and vengeance grew to the point where she raced to where the royal family’s boat had docked, meanwhile a count named Carlyle called for her to stop but she ignored him. Lunara reached the boat and was about to untie it when another warrior pulled off the ropes as he jumped and grabbed the boat's railing with one hand and held out his other hand to her, she gladly took it and they climbed onto the deck. Other warriors followed suit as all who had come home with the King and Queen and had seen them fatally injured, wanted to avenge them. Without so much as a word Lunara and her friends had lead four of the thirty-five longs ships holding over a hundred warriors in total, set out to avenge their fallen leaders.

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Two days out of the city and Lunara remains surprised that none of the nobility has sent their air teams to ‘retrieve’ her, nevertheless she was grateful that they weren’t trying to stop her as she intended to avenge her parent's deaths by dealing a critical blow to the human kingdom who would go to such lengths as to hire Murlocks to do their dirty work. Then the distant sound of clashing swords pulled her out of her thoughts, “Hold fast and be on guard we might have to fight our way through to our vengeance!” Lunara shouted over the oars splashing in the river.

Not long after they came upon a bewildering scene, the same Murlocks who were believed to have allied with the humans and taken the lives of the King and Queen were attacking a small boat manned by humans and the Murlocks were wielding daemon weapons. ‘The Murlocks have our weapons? No, I don’t have time to analyze.’ “Mage’s fire into the water, drive the Murlocks away!” Lunara shouted as she scanned the battle only to have her gaze halt on one young man’s countenance as her memory of another young boy came to mind.

Picture: "A Familiar Face" - (https://www.deviantart.com/quirimemi/art/A-Familiar-Face-872141514?ga_submit_new=10%3A1614812719)

Picture: "Glade Memories" - (https://www.deviantart.com/quirimemi/art/Glade-Memories-872141561?ga_submit_new=10%3A1614812765)

Lunara shook her head to bring her focus back to the present just as the Mage’s let out a second wave of fireballs which lead to the Murlocks complete retreat. “Pull up alongside the Humans boat! Get out a line and tether them to us! Lower the gangplank, let them, board!” Came Lunara’s order from behind the figurehead. “What are you crazy?! Let them board?” came a screech from her black-haired friend “Tyrell, that boat of theirs isn’t gonna last long, plus they came all this way only to get attacked by the exact same beings we thought were their allies, something isn’t adding up. At the very least let's find out what kind of business they have here.”

Begrudgingly Tyrell obeyed her orders and helped to get the surviving humans onto the ship. Those who appeared to be knights stood at attention in a line behind the young man whom Lunara had recognized, but considering the circumstances, she couldn’t let her people know that. “What is your name and why are you here?” Lunara asked from her position on the raised section of the deck behind the figurehead.

“My name is Solien Hari Augustine, the second prince of the Cyranon Kingdom. I come with a proposal of peace from his majesty Dominic Elio Augustine. And what is your name milady, if I may ask?” came his response as he bowed with his sunshine gold hair falling down to cover his features only to be revealed once more when he straightened again.

Picture: "Introductions" - (https://www.deviantart.com/quirimemi/art/Introductions-872141637?ga_submit_new=10%3A1614812826)

His sky blue eyes showing only sincerity and admiration, he wore an ashen gray toga with three layers of dark toughened leather around his waist and legs that were connected to his chest piece although the red sash around his waist was hiding that fact. His leather chest armor had the royal crest- a blazing star of, white, yellow, blue, orange, and red -however, it was obscured by straps for his fur and metal pauldrons, the bracers on his forearms were even lined with fur.

“I am Lunara Sasi Altalune, Crown princess of the Lusitania Kingdom. This is not the proper place to have a discussion of great importance. Therefore I invite you and your escort to the palace, once we have landed in the Capital I will have you lead to the palace as I will have another matter to deal with when we arrive.” Lunara stated as she motioned to Rose and Carmenita who would be their guides. “I thank you for your hospitality but if I may ask why were you out here? And why did those creatures who attacked us have your weapons?” Solien asked not a shred of suspicion in his voice.

“You have sharp eyes, we had been lead to believe that those creatures were allies of yours that were hired to kill our rulers but as they attacked you as well that signifies that it was part of an attempted coupe in Lusitania, and I will deal with the traitor once we arrive in the Capital. Now turn the ships around we’re returning home!” the men of the boats followed Lunara’s order with haste and everyone was grateful that the boats had stopped in a large section of the river making it easier to maneuver. Once the boats were turned around it was all hands on deck as the boats now had to fight their way upriver however thanks to the mage's wind magic the fight was not as hard as it would be once they got tired.

The knights watched in awe at the utilitarian use of magic as it was a rarity for a human to do much more than a soft breeze that could barely cause the grass to move let alone move a boat. Lunara saw the human's amazement and couldn’t help but ask “Is there something strange about our use of wind magic?” Solien came back to reality with the sound of her voice “No not at all. We’ve just never seen such practical use of magic before. After all, humans don’t have much magic power to speak of generally, thankfully though we can build up our strength to make up for magic power.”

“I see. Well while magic power is plentiful for us in Lusitania we don’t usually have significant strength because we can become too reliant on our powers. But that aside I suggest you remain alert, even if you are traveling with us there are plenty of magical beasts that will attempt to capture and eat you if given the chance. And as most of my warriors are occupied with rowing for the time being they might not be able to save you should you be targeted.” Lunara said in a serious yet somewhat threatening tone in order to gain the other knight's attention. “I appreciate the warning Lady Lunara,” Solien said with a slight bow of his head.

Leaving Solien and his soldiers to their ‘entertainment’, Lunara then returned to her duties of making sure her people weren’t overworking themselves and assisting where she could. Much to her surprise though, and with now orders from Solien or so he said, the humans decided to help however they could even switching off with some of the rowers to help keep the boat moving upriver. However, her mind remained with thoughts of the not too distant future and the vengeance she sought for her parent’s deaths.

Credits to my Family

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