☁ fragments of gold // contest entry . this is supposed to be a part of a larger series! i had a lot of fun writing this . i can provide background info, since its not finished not all of the pieces are there yet. . cw for light blood, brief arrow through chest mention . words: 1447 . music from bensound.com Venus blinks awake, beams of sunlight gently shining down on her, reflecting off her deep brown skin. It takes her a moment to collect herself, laying in the damp grass, growing familiar with the song of her own breathing, the movement of her chest rising and falling. She gazes up above, and the sky appears a medium blue, a tinge of pinks and oranges and reds seeping into the late afternoon sky. Besides the rhythm of her own breath, she can easily hear the rustle of people and unfamiliar sounds making their way toward her ear. “You okay there?” A tender, inquisitive voice asks. Venus rises from her position on the grass. Slowly, not to nurse the nagging headache she feels, that will no doubt manifest into a throbbing, aching pain eventually. She shuffles to her feet, locking eyes with the speaker. Their soft, simple features and warm beige skin are dotted with freckles. They have a head of wavy dark brown hair, barely scraping below their chin, and honey-colored eyes dancing with a spark of subtle, but fierce humanity. Humanity? It had been five years since Venus looked into eyes like those. Eyes with a sense of cunning, blazing with boldness. Human eyes. Her brows furrow in confusion. What's something like a human doing in the fallen city of Bethael? They must be a Moon Bandit! /Here to take everything we have, just like they did five years ago./ On instinct, Venus stretches out her angel wings, prepared to fight. She expects to hear the familiar whoosh of her large wings outstretched, and feel the breeze that comes with it. But nothing happens. She jerks her head around, peering over her shoulders. Her wings were gone. Her breath hitches, headache bubbling into something more powerful. If her wings were gone, that could only mean one thing. She turns back to face the human. Her eyes desperately search for answers, the attempt in vain. She finds none in their concerned expression. They frantically dart around in a frenzy, and her stomach sinks as she realizes it. This isn't Bethael. Venus curses herself for not noticing sooner. Everywhere, there were humans wandering every which way going about their lives. This seemed to be some sort of park, and it looked like she was in a modern human city. She suddenly understood what was happening. Though before she could utter another word or take a step toward the human, everything is dark again. … She is sitting on the human's couch, in their cozy apartment room, holding a glass of cold water. After her short fainting spell, the human insisted on bringing Venus to their home. She was reluctant, not willing to trust them. But she relented, having no other place to stay. Her memory came back in violent, broken pieces. It started when she saw her reflection for the first time since she got there. Rich dark skin, black braids entwined with bronze accessories, dark eyes with specks of gold. The throbbing in her head suddenly climaxed, leaving her on the floor writhing in pain. A bright light flashed and a vision came to her. It was brief and hectic, but she knew what it meant. A half hour later, another blinding vision came. The human had guided her to the couch and urged her to take a pill, though human medicine did nothing for the angel. “My name is Eve. Short for Evening, ” the human had said, handing her a glass of water. She leans her head back on the couch and closes her eyes, wallowing in her memories. She knows who she is now. She remembers what happened to her, why, and how she ended up in the human realm. (cont)
She is the Day Kingdom princess. Daughter to the Queen Rae. She is the younger, more fiery sister to Prince Mars, who was the heir to the throne. She lived, was raised, and trained in the castle-- not to be the next queen, but to be a warrior. Everything changed when her brother married Prince November five years ago, who was next in line to be the ruler of Night Kingdom. After a series of assassinations in both kingdoms long ago, the atmosphere between the lands was uneasy, neither one being brave enough to threaten war but not entirely at peace, either. It stayed this way for decades. Everyone knew they secretly blamed the other for the killings, despite the severe lack of evidence. Venus blamed the Night Kingdom too. After all, she lost her father in one of the killings. King Jophiel, ruler of the Day Kingdom alongside Queen Rae. Her mother, while still overcome with grief, single-handedly brought the nation out of its recession, with a sort of strength, elegance, and resilience Venus only dreams she could possess. Even though she hated the Night Kingdom along with most everyone in her kingdom, Mars went and married the prince anyway. They were truly smitten; Venus remembers the knowing smiles and gentle kisses they shared. So she supported Mars, regardless of his lovers' status. She remembers the wedding. The intimate details and elegant adornments. It was decorated with a Sunset and Sunrise theme, when Day relented to Night and vice versa, a graceful dance they shared for eternity. Mars was wearing traditional Sun Kingdom garments, while November wore a wardrobe of clothes from his own nation. She was sitting in the front row, watching them hand in hand, reciting their vows. They looked so at peace, so… at home. Then in a blur, everything was shattered. A flash. A dark shadow. Shrieking, muted noises. Shards of glass. Creatures without wings. Before she could react, before anyone in the room could even breathe, Mars had cried out in pure despair like something cracked and was ripped out from deep in his soul. He dropped down to his knees and reached trembling hands towards his husband. November, on the floor, deathly still. His eyes were half closed as if he was on the verge of falling asleep. An ivory arrow through his chest stained his black and silver suit with blood that was bright like moonlight. Venus's own hand trembles as she recalls the memories, dropping the glass she holds, flinching as it broke into a million pieces. In a flicker, he was gone. Disappeared like he was never there, like the universe never held him in the first place. She heard screams. Sobs. But Mars was frozen, tears streaming down his face. Five years later, Venus was at the fallen city of Bethael, a makeshift city that rose from the literal rubble after wars had left it in pieces. It was a refuge for the homeless, the needy. Venus went there whenever she could, helping them get back on their feet. Mars, however, had locked himself in his room at the palace. No one had seen his face since the wedding, besides for Venus and Queen Rae. She was handing out food to the needy when chaos suddenly erupted. She rushed to the scene, clenching her fists. Ready to fight. In the midst, standing in shimmering glory, was a masked faery with a feminine figure and opaque, black wings. Standing next to them, knives unsheathed, two Moon Bandits: Humans clad in silky, black, face concealing garments. They must've been tormenting some poor villagers. Her grip on her fist loosened as she recalled. They were the ones at the wedding! The ones who... killed November. She dove at the mistress in the center, but she ducked aside and Venus crashed to the floor. She looked up from the ground, ready to get up, though she could see a smirk forming on the faery's face. Venus's eyes widened. She fell right into her trap. The faery breathed enchanted words, her pupils shining bright like moonlight, and everything was dark. Venus lays down on the couch, worn and weary. That's how she ended up here. The human returned, eyeing the broken glass and puddle of water on the floor. "You're not okay, are you?" Eve asks, mostly to themselves. They leave, though return shortly with a broom and dustpan. Venus snaps out of her trance. Now is not the time to be wallowing in her own self-pity. She sits up, facing Eve. "I'm sorry." Eve's eyes face towards Venus now. The first words she'd said to them this whole time. They heave a sigh. "It's okay." They clean up the mess as thorough and swift as possible. When they finish, they pause and look to Venus. "I never did get your name." She stands up. She's taller than the human by only a few inches. "My name is Venus." [ to be continued... ]
