[saint.EXE]

Name;;

Luciernaga
[ loo - chee - ehr - nah - gah ]
Gender;;

Female
Story;;

The trees were quiet today, weren't they?
Standing on the shore, looking out into the ocean, a beautiful creature sat. Her hair shimmered in afternoon light, the sun starting to make its way down the sky for it's reappearance on the other side of the world. Golden eyes watched the orange light on the ocean reflect off of it's clear surface. Underneath the shining waves was not sand, but dirt. The island she lived on, mostly on her own with the exception of the birds and small animals, was isolated from the rest of the world, only miles and miles of ocean around her. An old manor, much like a castle was built at the far end, and Luciernaga lived alone. Her solitude was nice, seeing as she had control over the whole island and no one could tell her otherwise. Once in a while, ships would float past and stop by, curious by the strange make up of the land. Large, deciduous trees grew over each inch, covering the island in a rich, crisp atmosphere.

These trees however, and the land, were in a constant autumn. Never had snow fallen, or the sun beat down in the midst of summer. No bright flowers of spring, and the island was only covered in rich hues of red, orange, yellow, and brown. Fall growing berries lived endlessly, growing, rotting, dying, and then growing once more as if nothing had changed. It stood out against the blue sea, a sharp contrast between the two worlds. It was a mystery how the island was created, maybe a lost continent reemerged millions of years past, but it didn't really matter to Luci. What mattered to her, is that it was all hers, and no one elses.

The manor was large, enormous, but only she was the only resident. Parts had burnt down in years past, so only a fraction was actually livable. At night, cool breezes would blow through, and blankets stored away would be brought out. A small fire in the study would be lit, and Luci would rest there, comforted by the warmth of the blaze.

On occasion, sailors would float past, coming in to speak with her and ask her about the island. She usually shrugs, and sends them back on their way, not wanting to speak with them for too long, or let them explore the island that is hers. But, one boat in particular was allowed to rest on the old, sinking pier, and there was only one sailor aboard.

There had been a storm the night before, quite heavy and definitely enough to cause a large ship to capsize, dragging its crew down to the depths. There was one survivor, a young man who'd been able to escape the ship in the earlier gusts of the storm, and made his way to the closest island. Evige Efterar, as the Danish sailors would always call it. It was mostly a myth to them, a tall tale about a mysterious island eternally in autumn. There were stories of a woman who lived upon it, one that was so beautiful that the harvest moon itself could not compare. A jet black body, with markings like the burnt branches of trees. Shimmering orange decorated her as well. The sailor could not believe it when he had landed, and was shocked to find that the island was in fact, truth.

Tired, injured, and definitely hungry, he'd searched through the woods and weaved through the trees. The large, burnt castle loomed above, and it was worth a try to see if anyone inhabited it. He'd approached it cautiously, but at the sight of her, the sailor swore his heart had stopped.

Like a ghost in the skin of the night, the lady that fairy tales did no justice sat on the steps, humming a short song. A long, black dress lay over her frame, not too fancy, but not too casual. She seemed like a mirage, black, charred and hardened branches like antlers placed on her head like a crown, and fireflies fitting on and off around them. He was frozen, unable to move, unable to breath in fear of being seen. She had a air about her, something that yelled into the heavens that she was the calm ruler of the land, and she must not be defied. He felt his heart begin to beat once more, and stepped out from the bushes cautiously, making sure not to surprise her, but was not prepared for the intense glare she gave him once he'd walked into the open. Two amber eyes stared at him, not a word spoken from her lips. They asked a question which demanded an answer, Who are you, and what do you need? Her eyebrows were furrowed and the humming had stopped abruptly. The sailor was left with no choice but to speak, but when he opened his mouth, no words came out.

She stood up, obviously apprehensive at this new visitor. How had she not noticed his arrival? The ships were quite large, and it was always easy to hear the loud barges digging into the mud of the island.
"I-Uh... Do you have any wood, or, uh, oars? I-I lost mine during the storm." The sailor was nervous, not sure how he should talk to the lady. He was afraid of being disrespectful, or accidentally causing her to become mad at him. Luci nodded, still not saying anything until a sound came out of her mouth, a sweet, smooth voice, like coffee being poured slowly into a porcelain cup. "Come with me."

He followed her at a distance as she walked around the manor. The house was covered in ivy and vines, and the ground in its entirety was like a huge garden. Pumpkins in their infancy lay in the dirt, and the smell of various herbs filled the air. Sunflowers, zinnias, petunias, and cosmos were planted around the house, growing in groups and making it almost impossible to see where the bricks touched the ground. Luci kept her speed, but stopped when she noticed the sailor had slowed down to admire the plants. "Keep moving. I don't want to waste too much of my time with this." She seemed unhappy, but the sailor chalked this up to her living on the island. There was probably a reason for it, wasn't there? She was probably the loner type.

Soon, they reached a large brick storage shed, and through the windows he could see planks and tools and rope. This was perfect, all the materials he needed to fix the small rowboat he'd taken to the island, and he could make the oars himself.
"Uh.. How much of this stuff can I use?"
His usage of the word stuff made her twitch, and she sighed. "As much as you need to.... How did you manage to get on this island in the first place?"
The sailor thought for a second, and then shrugged, "I-I'm not entirely sure. I floated here during the storm on a emergency lifeboat, but how I managed to get here is kind of weird... I'm not saying you're weird! Or the island's weird! It's actually kind of pretty."
Luci just rolled her eyes and opened up the shed, motioning to the insides. "Don't bother me again unless you need anything else. You can stay in one of the guest rooms for the night, and you can take what you need from the kitchen to eat, but as soon as that boat is fixed, you have to leave."
The sailor was disappointed at her coldness, and nodded slowly. "I understand."
Luciernaga nodded as well, and brushed a few strands of her hair behind her ear. "Good."
With that, she turned around and returned to the manor, a loud thud of the old doors shutting resounding through the trees.
-
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Two days had passed, and the boat was taking longer and longer to fix. As the sailor went on, he kept finding more and more problems that would cause his boat to sink if out for too long. Working in the sun and the muddy salt water was starting to get to him, so he'd dragged the thing out to the shed itself, finding it much easier to work from there. Strangely though, he'd only get glimpses of the lady who lived in the manor, usually as he was coming in to eat, or going to sleep, otherwise she was basically not there. Splinters and bandages covered the sailors hands, and his fur was salty from the sweat and sea. It was only when he was taking a break, sitting in the cool moss beside a large oak when he heard someone coming in from the distance. Now wearing a light, white dress, Luciernaga had brought a tray with her. A lemon, sliced in half and glistening in the noon sun sat on a plate beside a pitcher of ice water and a tall glass was set beside the sailor, and Luci sat on a nearby rock.

"How close are you to finishing the boat? The deer are scared by your unfamiliarity."
"Ah, I can't really say. It might take a few more days, they really didn't care about these boats, so half of it needs to be redone. Also.. Deer? There are deer here?"
Luci nodded, "What kind of meat did you think was in the fridge? They're hard to catch when they hide away."

The sailor thought for a second. It made sense. The island was about the size of Hawaii's Lanai, so there was a lot of room for animals and creatures. Nearly no predators, so the animals were only cautious of the manor. He'd explored some of the island earlier, and had found there were ruins of houses, small ones, but still there.

"Oh. Well, I haven't seen any."
"That's because they're afraid of you. I already have to go out pretty far."
"How do you get around the island? It's pretty large on foot, and I don't think you can drag a deer back and forth." The fact that she hunted the deer herself was a little strange on its own, mostly because he didn't expect such a lady to be one for hunting.
"Oh, I have reindeer. You don't see them because the stable is pretty far out, and once I walk out there, it's quite easy to get around. They're fenced up in a certain spot on the island. I'll show you later."

"Don't they freak out when you kill the actual deer? And how did they get here?"
The sailor started to pour himself a glass. A lot of this wasn't really making sense, but there was a reason for it, right?
"Well. A long time ago this place was inhabited by merchants, and they brought all their animals and supplies here. A lot of the plants here are invasive, and the deer and reindeer were brought with them. The deer thrived, but most of the reindeer are dead. There's only a few of them left, and I take care of them. I usually cover the deer in a thick blanket and bring it to the wagon so they can't see it, and it doesn't bug them too much."

This was interesting. He'd never heard of merchants living on the island? What had happened? He was about to ask something else, but Luci had already hopped off the rock, looking obviously peeved. He'd asked too much already. "Bring back the tray when you return to the manor." She turned around and brushed off her dress, starting her trek back.
"Wait! Sorry, but what's your name?" The sailor wanted to at least know, just so he had something to remember or to call her by.

"Luciernaga. Don't forget about the tray."
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Another few days passed, and the sailor had given up on rebuilding the boat, and broke it into usable and unusable pieces, and decided to make a completely new boat. What a sailor he was, incapable of fixing a small rowboat. This was ridiculous.
But, he almost regretted fixing the boat. It was nice on the island, with the fresh air and the sweet berries and the mysterious Luciernaga. She'd come every day at noon to bring him water, and sometimes a sandwich. They would chat about small things, about the sailors life back home, and about what was going on in the world. She was always so interested in the world far away, but not once did she ever mention wanting to leave. The sailor told stories about his trips on the sea while he slowly built, piece by piece, the rowboat he'd take to the seas. She'd usually leave after an hour or two, but her stays with him were longer and longer until they'd talk under the stars, unable to see where he was hitting nails in. From there, they'd part ways, and Luci would return to the manor on her own.

One day though, Luci had walked over to the sailor with a small smile.
"I'd like to show you the stables. I'm sure it's worth a break."
He wiped sweat off his forehead and nodded, "Alright. Sounds like a good idea." She started to walk to the other side of the manor, where an old path, cobbles overgrown with moss and grass, led into the woods. "Follow me."

The sailor nodded, walking beside her along the path, watching as the leaves fell to the soft ground. He wondered if the trees just grew their leaves yellow, letting them fall after a couple of days. Luci seemed to know the place by heart, avoiding small cracks and bumps in the road that the sailor wouldn't have noticed otherwise. Birds tweeted in the trees, picking berries and singing the tunes of their lives. They walked for what seemed to be an hour, and soon a large barn was visible. It looked old, but well kept, and a large field outside it kept four large reindeer, and two foals.

The reindeer saw Luci and started a slow trot to the fence, letting out a snort in hello. "They're quite docile. I've only been bitten a couple of times, and that was when it was my fault. The foals and two of the adults were born here, and the older two were brought here."
The sailor looked at the creatures in awe, having never seen them in his life. Luci handed him a carrot from a bag he didn't notice she was carrying. "Hold it out like this."

Luci held out the carrot by the grass, and the reindeer slowly grabbed it with his mouth, eating it whole in a matter in moments. The sailor gulped, a little worried for his hands, and did the same. Another reindeer came up and took it, eating it with a satisfied look on its face. Luci smiled, and the sailor chuckled nervously, nodding. "That's pretty cool!" Luci nodded, happy that he had liked her reindeer, and glad that she could show them off. "Thanks, I don't get that very often." A flicker of something in her eyes, something the sailor couldn't exactly put a name to, and he smiled. "What else is here?"

Luci looked over at the foals and then held up her bag. "Would you like to feed the others?"
With a grin, the sailor nodded and climbed through the fence, Luci following behind him with a wide smile on her face.
--
They'd stayed at the stable till the sun set, and on their way back, the two of them laughed and chatted like old friends. The sailor had a bruised chest from scaring one of the foals on accident, and Luci's hair was sticking out in all places from trying to calm the thing down. They recalled the day with joy and happiness, and their voices filled the air till they got back to the manor and went to their beds.
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But, as we all know, trips had to come to an end. Soon, the rowboat was complete, about two weeks into the sailor's stay. He almost didn't want to believe it, to destroy the ship and stay here with Luci, but he had no choice. He had a family back home, his mother and father, his two brothers and a sister, people who worried about him, or thought he was dead. He couldn't leave them forever without knowing his true fate.

He dragged the new boat through the grass and into the dirt once more, remembering his walk to the shed to begin with. His heart was heavy, heavier than anything he'd ever carried in his life, and once he pushed the boat into the murky water and tied it to the half-sunk pier, he sat down. What was he going to do? He didn't know his way to the island, so he wasn't sure if he could return to it, and he didn't want to leave Luci behind. She showed no desire to leave either, having all her belongings and her things in the manor.

The sailor placed his head in his hands, and took a long breath. Opening his eyes, he looked up at the sky. The sun was shining bright in the height of day. Noon.
He looked to the path, seeing Luci carrying a tray, ice water, a sandwich, and an empty smile. So she was affected by this as well. He rested his hands on his lap, and waited for Luciernaga to sit beside him. She wore the same black dress as she did on the day they met, and her hair was up in a tight bun, looking a little too tight. She sat down on the pier, looking into the water, watching the anchovies swim in the shallows.

"I guess you have to go now, is that right?"
The sailor nodded.
"Do you think you can come back some day? It was quite fun to have you here. I don't get many visitors."
The leaves fell into the sea, swirling and landing like feathers from a bird.
"I'm not sure. I'll try to."
The sailor pulled a silver chain from his pocket, and on the end, a pocketwatch, engraved with an anchor and faded out from being taken out and put away. He placed it in Luci's hand.
"Keep this. Don't forget about me, alright? I won't forget you, I promise."

Luci looked up at him with sad eyes, refusing to let any tears fall. Not now.
Waves lapped at the shore, and the oars floated in the water, attached to the rowboat carefully. It truly was a beautiful boat, although simple. Luciernaga nodded, closing her hands over the pocketwatch.
"I don't think I could forget even if I tried, but I will keep it. Don't worry."
The sailor hopped into his boat and took another long, shuddered breath. Goodbyes were always hard. Even though it was only a couple of weeks, he'd seen more and learned more than he'd ever thought. He knew the stories, and the fables of a place in eternal fall were real. He could say he met the mysterious lady, he'd spoken with her and kept her company.
"Can you tell me though, what happened to the merchants?" The sailor was curious, but if she refused to tell him, he would be alright, it would just be a mystery.

Luci smiled slightly, voice shaky. "I'll tell you that story when you come back."
She brought her hands to her neck, unhooking the pendant that lay on her collarbone. A glimmering piece of amber, with fragments of something shining inside attached to a golden chain. She leaned over the pier and handed him the pendant. "Keep it, too. I think you'll need proof when you tell your crazy stories again to someone else."
The sailor nodded, and gulped, beginning to row. "Goodbye then, Luci."
"Goodbye."

She watched as he rowed off, until he was a speck in the golden sea, floating toward the sun. She watched for a long time, until it became night and the crickets began to chirp through the night. She watched, and watched, and watched, until the sun rose back up into the sky. As she stood up, holding the pocketwatch in her hand, and looking out into the sea, she wondered why it never came to her to ask for his name.

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Years passed. No longer did Luci yearn for the return of the sailor, no ships had broken on the shores. The eldest reindeer had died, but a couple more were born. Life went on, whether she wanted to believe it or not. The only thing that stayed the same though, was the autumn breeze. The sweet berries and the bright flowers grew endlessly, and the pumpkins grew ripe. Luci kept the pocketwatch on her nightstand, a memento of the two weeks she wasn't on her own.

Back on land though, word of a new captain began to sprout. The boy was young, but dedicated. They say he searches for the island of eternal autumn on his ship, a grand thing said to be built with his own hands. The Firefly, was what he named it.


Art to go with story;;

x

History of island;;

In the early years of sailing and trading, merchants happened upon the island. They charted it in secret maps and trade routes, due to the abundance of hard to grow fall crops. They settled on the island, building homes and starting their families. One rich merchant family in particular was able to build a large mansion on the island, and Luci was born into that manor. They lived peacefully for many years until a storm on the seas swept over the island, and with the unholy power of thunder and lightning, the dry leaves and earth burned bright when hit. Half the mansion burned down, and a large majority of the residents died in the flames. With her home being made of stone, Luciernaga was able to escape to the basement with her parents. After the flames died down, what was left of the merchants sailed off at dawn, and along with it went her father. Her mother stayed until she had gotten ill and died, buried on the far end of the island. Luci was left alone, and by that time, she had no wish to leave the island, so she stayed, raising the last of the reindeer and taking care of herself.

Personality;;

Luciernaga is a mysterious lady. She lives on an island hidden away from maps, but alive in stories told by the light of the moon in the taverns of sailors and seafarers. The island is named "Evige Efterar", or eternal autumn, as it translates. The island is indeed in a constant state of fall, leaves growing orange and red, and falling to the ground endlessly. She lives alone on this island, her only company the animals that live on it. Luci is hard to know, since she lacks a little in the hospitality area. The few sailors who land on the island are lucky to not be kicked off immediately, but her cold attitude toward them makes them wish they had. It takes days, maybe even weeks to gain her trust, and to hear her out. She's very touchy, and at the wrong words, will storm off in the other direction. When you get to know her better though, Luci is not really that bad. She's a great cook, a smart hunter, and has quite a few stories to tell. She longs to know what goes on in the world away from her island, but can never really gather the courage to leave. She loves her island dearly, feeling almost like a tree in the earth. Luciernaga can be quite fun once you get to know her, and does enjoy chasing around birds, and deer, or reading the half burned books in the library of her manor. She is pretty curious, and is always up for exploring the ruins of the settlement to the east on the island, where interesting treasures can be found.

Map of island;;


Art or animated eyes depending on time;;