Hear, feel, think.
It was a quiet summer night in the residential district of Ala Mhigo. The scents of spice and meat wafted forth from the market in the square.
Luka sat looking up at the stars from the rooftop of her neighbors' house. She was bored. Bored of the scents, bored of the streets, bored of the small window of stars before her. The massive walls of Ala Mhigo kept the people safe from harm - but to Luka, it was a giant prison. A month ago, the Mad King was dethroned, and the whole of Ala Mhigo celebrated for days. It was fun for a time, but it quickly returned to the monotonous hum drum she was used to. She leapt down from her perch and dusted off her clothes. The smell of mother's homemade cake tickled her nose,
"Well, at least that's one thing to look forward to..." She mumbled to herself and headed towards her house's open door.
Tomorrow was to be her 8th name-day, and though her family wasn't the richest, they spared no expense when it came to Luka.
Just as she was about to enter the humble abode a streak of light caught the corner of her eye. It looked like a shooting star... but it was far brighter than any she had seen. And then suddenly, there was another, and another, and another. The streaks looked to be headed straight for her.
"M-mother...?" She stammered, not daring to take her eyes off the lights.
"Yes, dear?" Her mother spoke from the kitchen.
Before Luka could reply, the streak of light slammed into a nearby building, scattering searing debris across the streets. Luka screamed in terror and covered her head as the streaks impacted the district one after another. Luka's mother leapt from the kitchen and grabbed Luka, pulling her inside to safety. Without a word, she rushed them both to the bedrooms in the back and then shoved the armoire within with all her might. Behind the armoire was a small door with a keyhole, a secret exit, in case of emergencies such as this. Luka's mother revealed her necklace to be the key to the door, showing practiced movements, and then flung open the unlocked door.
"Quickly now." She spoke with deadly seriousness, motioning into the darkness beyond.
The sounds of gunshots and metal upon metal rang out behind them as they both made their escape.
After the initial shock and confusion wore off, Luka spoke in a panic,
"What of father? Wasn't he on watch tonight?!"
"He was, but worry not, we'll see him soon." her mother replied, keeping close watch of the dark tunnels ahead.
After a long walk they reached the end of the tunnels, and the sounds of battle were distant. They stood before a dilapidated watchtower overseeing a massive cliff.
"Now we just have to wait in here, and everything will be fine." she said as she stroked Luka's cheek.
They climbed the stairs approaching the broken doorway quietly and her mother peeked inside. The inside was pitch black, save for a small shaft of moonlight piercing through a small window. Luka's mother unhooked a nearby lantern and opened it - the metal hinges creaking from neglect. Suddenly, a black metal gauntlet thrust itself from the darkness within and seized her mother's hair, pulling her inside the building.
"RUN! RUN, LUKA!" Her mother screamed and Luka fell backwards down the small flight of stairs as a man donned in Garlean armor stepped from the threshold and reached towards her.
She scrambled to her feet and ran around the building hoping to find a hiding place among the rocks. Her vision blurred with tears and her lungs short of breath, her foot rolled on a small rock and she stumbled forward, right off the nearby cliff...
(Hi all, thanks for reading! This is just the first chapter of my character's backstory and I plan on writing more. I'd appreciate any feedback in the comments! Thanks again!)
A great beginning.
This is a great start Luka.