Author's notes: Hello! This is my 2nd ever story (chapters 1 to 3 so far) and I would love some feedback on it. I hope you enjoy it and if you have anything to say, please do! :D
The Light's Saviour
Chapter 1
In the heart of Demacia's capital city, there stood a grand palace. Made of brilliant white marble, the walls glistened in the faintest of lights and this particular night was no exception. In a smaller, yet still grand, manor house to the side of the palace resided the Crownguard siblings, Garen and Luxanna. Garen was the eldest of the two and was the right-hand advisor, bodyguard and best friend to the prince of Demacia, Jarvan IV. His tall stature, broad physique and muscular body made him an exemplary knight in the king's service and made him an obvious choice to be the prince's personal bodyguard. The younger sibling, Luxanna Crownguard, was much to the opposite of Garen, her physique much more slender and petite, appearing almost fragile. She was no match for her brother with a sword, or any other member of the Demacian army for that matter, but she was an extremely talented mage... deadly with a wand. Luxanna, or Lux as she was preferred to be known, was often seen as the epitome of beauty in Demacia, her soft, silky skin gave her a radiant glow, her luscious blonde locks flowed effortlessly over her shoulders and her eyes were a sharp blue, brighter than the brightest summer's day over the Shuriman desert, and a more deep blue than that of the true ice found in the Freljord, a true spectacle to behold. However, by the age of 18, Lux had had very few opportunities for romance... this often became the focus of her thoughts as she grew older. Night after night, Lux would stand on the balcony outside of her bedroom, looking over the neat palace gardens, elbows rested on the waist-high railing with her head in her hands, losing herself in her own thoughts. It was summertime in Valoran and the weather was always beautiful in Demacia during this season. Long days of warm sun with crisp, clear evenings where all the stars in the sky would shine and light up the white marble of the Demacian buildings. From up on that balcony, she could feel the cool breeze flowing in land from the sea, the salty air tingling her lips. Somewhere off in the distance she could hear the commotion of the bars, inns and taverns closing up and kicking their remaining patrons out so they can be on their way home. Those patrons are usually sailors and other working members of the society who were finishing their evenings drinking down by the harbour after a tiring day of hard labour, necessary to keep Demacia running smoothly. "They earn a relaxing drink, they do a great job and I don't envy them in the slightest," She thought to herself before looking back to the tranquil gardens in front of her. She found that standing on her balcony, waiting for the city to fall quiet, was the perfect opportunity to reflect and have some time alone with her thoughts. Thoughts of the previous day's events, how to improve her magical abilities and personal thoughts such as romance passed through the young mage's mind. Eventually, her inquisitive mind became tired and she retired to the comfort of her bed for the night as she had done every summer's night.
The warm summer sun peeked through the translucent cotton covering the window, waking Lux gently. She slowly rose to sitting and swung her legs out over the side of the bed and sliding her feet in to her slippers before letting out an adorable little yawn, accompanied with stretching her arms upwards. She stood and wandered to the other side of the room and paused in front of the floor to ceiling mirror. Her summer nightgown was thin white linen with golden silky straps, making it appear more like a long strappy vest than a nightgown. The gown flitted out at mid-thigh with a golden silk trim, the same material as the straps which gave it an elegant look as well as it being comfortable in the summer heat. Lux's outfit was completed by her very fluffy slippers, designed to mimic rabbits, complete with floppy ears and a button nose on each. Looking her reflection in the eyes, she said the same as she says every morning, "Today is a brand new day. Smile, be positive, it's going to be a great day," and with that, she turned on her heel and headed to the bathroom for her morning shower.
The day was the same as ever, she and Garen would report in to the king at the start of the day and be briefed on any missions or goings-on, Garen would then go off with prince Jarvan to spar, train or whatever else the boys do and Lux would head to the library to read up on her magic and the history of Valoran. Come the afternoon, after lunch, Lux would take a stroll around the town. People in Demacia know Lux, so she's always welcomed with smiles and polite greetings from the citizens. She often stops by the docks to see if there is anything she can help with, as well as places like the orphanage and the schools so she can read to the children and give the teachers a well-deserved break. Lux was a kind-hearted soul who was always trying her best to make things easier for others, brightening up their day as she went. She enjoyed meeting the people of Demacia that she served; it brought happiness in to her day-to-day life. Come the evening, if Garen wasn't away on a mission, they would meet for dinner in their house, served by the house staff provided by the king. Despite being only a few years older than Lux, Garen had himself a girlfriend an ex-Noxian assassin named Katarina Du Couteau. It took Lux a while to get to grips with Garen dating a Noxian, but she now welcomed Katarina in to the family with open arms and was actually quite excited to have such a beautiful older sister. This particular evening, Katarina was around for dinner as her and Garen were off to a birthday party at the harbour for one of Garen's vanguard friends. Of course all the conversation at dinner was about this, and Lux was happy to lend her advice to Katarina regarding what to wear and was very happy to see Garen and Katarina getting on so well. Usually in the evening, Lux and Garen would sit and tell each other stories or play cards together, but as he was out, Lux was left on her own. Out of boredom, she decided to take a stroll around some of Demacia's gardens as the sun began to fall out of the sky. Although not as neatly kept as the palace gardens, Demacia's public parks looked beautiful in the orange glow of the summer sunset. Lux took a moment to sit on the grass and admire the beauty in the sunset, watching the birds fly across the sky, gliding effortlessly in the still air, tasting the salt on the fresh sea air, and hearing the soft tweeting of the hummingbirds and mocking jays high up in the trees. Towards the other side of the park, Lux could hear the giggling of children as they played with their Father who appeared to have not long come home from a mission, she made a mental note to ask Garen how the patrols had been going. She sat quietly in the park, watching life pass her by until the sun had almost completely set and she thought it time to walk home. The trees in the park had long stretching shadows in the failing light, making the shadows look like the size of a giant compared to the tree that cast them. As she walked, she noticed she could not hear the laughter of children, or the tweeting of the small birds in the trees any more. Gazing over her shoulder, back the way she came, she noticed the bush rustle and the glimpse of something moving in the shadows. She gasped slightly and began to quicken her pace, making sure she was home, in the safety of her house, before dark. Lux was pretty sure that with her magic, she could eliminate any foe that may be hiding there, but not in public. Magic was outlawed in Demacia. She was only able to practice hers outside of the walls, for otherwise she would be exiled. Very few people knew about her abilities, the inner circle of Demacia's religious order, the illuminators, King Jarvan III, Prince Jarvan IV and Katarina (After Lux threatened her at the start of Katarina and Garen's relationship) but that was it. Not even her brother knew of her abilities, just that she was invaluable to the kingdom and that she liked to read about history a lot. With this in mind, she knew rushing home would be the best option. After a brisk 5 minute walk, Lux was home. She closed the wooden door and slid the lock over with a sigh. At this hour, she knew the house staff would have returned home for the evening, and her brother wouldn't be home until the early hours, so she left the door locked for now, and went to read in the house's sitting room.
As the night grew on and Lux became tired, she found a reasonable place to stop reading and proceeded to slide the bolt off the door so that it was unlocked for Garen to get back in later on. With the panic of before over and the reassurance of her own home, she retired to her chambers on the top floor. As usual, she headed out to her balcony before changing in to her nightwear and began to look out over the gardens once more. She thought of Garen and Katarina dancing the night away down by the harbour, romantically waltzing to a brass band and began to dream of the future, when she herself would have someone to whisk her off her feet. Lux was very engrossed in her little daydream, to the point where she was oblivious to her surroundings. Before she knew it, there was a peculiar smelling cloth across her mouth and nose and a deep voice threatened from behind her. "You're coming with me," the voice said as Lux's vision began to become blurry and she began to feel weak. She tried to use her magic, but she couldn't and she tried to scream, but with the cloth and attackers hand over her mouth, no sound could escape. Her legs collapsed and she fell backwards on to the floor, catching a glimpse of a tall masculine silhouette before her vision went completely blank and she passed out…