Wayrift Origins: Under the ship… (Leona)
-Originally posted Jan 29, 2001, Written by Syntyche –
Yes, we’ve seen Leona stuck under a ship before, most notably in Chapter 31. This is probably the inspiration for that bit. I believe that there have also been occasions when Ben gets grouchy with Leona in Wayrift where he’ll tell her that he should have just left her under the ship! lol
………………..
~Chalk. Salt. Tastes like Dad’s cooking.~
Leona awoke in darkness, coughing and gasping, her mouth full of the mud and grass that had buffeted her wild descent from above. Instinctively, she tried to roll over from the position flat on her back, but found her leg mangled in the harness that had once held her secure while aloft. Not to help the situation, it was completely dark, and she was imprisoned underneath the fallen ship.
The girl was desperate, and begun to wiggle. But the ship would not move. She kicked the backside of ship hoping to get free. The frame groaned.
She kicked again, letting a faint sob of frustration free from her lips. The frame once again growled and slid deeper into the mud, giving her another mouthful of the moist earth.
Leona begun to panic, clawing at the mud, hoping somehow to pull herself free of the now sinking ship. But the harness held at her, like a constricting snake.
~What would father do?~
Leona began to wish she hadn’t ran away from home, that if she had to do it all over again, she would have been a good little lady, wearing dresses and not beating the lunch money from the page boys. She looked up to the small glimmer of light poking through the side of the now darkening sky.
“Mom.. please… if you let me live, I promise…”
[Leona hears Ben calling out to her.]
Just as she was about ready to promise her soul away in return for escape, a miracle happened. The voice was indistinct at first, but soon, within her dizzied mind came recognition. It was none other than “Creepy Ben,” nicknamed Master Wizard who had nearly caught her this very morning in her clandestine activities.
It didn’t matter who it was. She was just happy to see *anyone* this point. Even the Creepy “Spinerat” beat seeing a real hungry monster at this time.
She forgot about the promise of not swearing. “For all of Ifrit’s Flame! C-c.. Ben! Get me the heck out of here!”
In excitement, she almost called him “Creepy Ben” out loud, but caught her tongue. She waved her hand from under the ship frantically, slapping her fingers against the mud.
As he peeked down to observe the underside of the ship, she looked into his eyes gave him the most soulful, long face she could muster. With the mud covering her face, she thought that she must look awfully pathetic anyhow.
“You aren’t going to tell dad… are ya?” She mumbled softly in defeat from the underside of the ship.