daddy didn’t love you, gotta burn it all down
She returned home without fanfare, which was fine. That was how she liked things nowadays. Simple, quiet, relaxing, and without any fucking trouble. Maybe she was getting old. Maybe she was just tired. Maybe the two were one in the same.
The twins, Ard and Erd, had begged her to sequester them away for a little while. They needed time to themselves apparently, and in need of a bit of a getaway herself, the Sun Daughter had escorted them to their destination of choice. It took some time but eventually they arrived, and Israfel took a few selfish days to relax and rest up before making the trek home. They could find their own way back.
She returned with the ending of the equinox, which… In a way, it seemed strangely ironic. Why not return when the celebration of equilibrium was upon them? To understand and know balance, and fairness, and justice?
… Fuck, Israfel was too damn tired to partake in philosophical debate right now. Her shoulders ached, and her wings would definitely be sore for a couple of days. Tucking the feathered limbs close to her sides, both to relax them and help ward off the chill, she pressed on through the quiet, empty streets. It was hours past dusk and most of Terrastella were surely tucked away in their warm beds, but despite her fatigue and desire for a stiff drink and a warm bed, Israfel found herself drawn to the court square. Overhead the skies were clear, the stars twinkling and glittering like gemstones amidst a dark sea. It almost felt as though she could reach out and pluck one from the very canopy, that’s how close they appeared.
The Regent stepped into the city square with a leisurely stride, vermilion eyes searching the area. A few late-night citizens passed, nodding to her before disappearing to presumably return to their homes, but her eyes were locked upon the gleaming statue centered in the square proper.
“... Well, that’s fucking new.”
Brows furrowed, the Sun Daughter pressed closer, gilded hooves scraping upon the cobblestone with every step. She did not have to fully examine the elegantly crafted visage to know who it was of, for the colors gave it away. The mixed opals of red, purple, and pink created a likeness of Vespera of which she had seen only once before, in a time of rain and flooding, but not even her previous anger to the Goddess could dampen the awe of beauty and splendor before her now.
Frowning a little in thought, Israfel glanced sidelong, catching the stares of two soldiers in waiting nearby. They were playing sentry, she could tell, and the Regent gave each of them a single nod in understanding before looking back to the statue.
She was not one to pray. Not anymore. Those days had come and gone and honestly, Israfel had begun to believe that ‘prayer’ did very little. Oh, but once upon a time she had prayed constantly, young and foolish and unchristened to the harsh realities of life. Why wouldn’t she pray? The product of a God herself, it would be foolish to not believe, to not have faith… But gods could be cruel. They would take and take and take and return very little to their loyal disciples, and for what?
Perhaps this mortal life had steeled her more than she thought. Letting out a long, drawn out breath, she lowered her head. At the feet of the statue were trinkets of various importance; some precious stones, a few haphazardly tossed signos, some necklaces, crude creations, even sketched pictures… Payments of fealty? Signs of devotion? Gifts made in fear of retribution?
Was there even a difference?
Another exhale, another plume of mist rising into the sky only to disappear. “... You and I haven’t always gotten along,” Israfel began, not bothering to hide her tones or her choice of words. If Vespera truly was ‘all seeing, all knowing’ like the Gods claimed, she would already be familiar with the Sun Daughter’s foul tongue. “I don’t agree with the things you allowed to happen. I don’t think I ever will.” She paused, chewing her tongue for a second, mulling her words. “... But I guess that was a different time. We can’t move forward when only staring at the past, or whatever the fuck that saying is.”
Again, silence. A faint breeze picked up, toying with the mare’s tresses. It was far too cold and the full grasp of winter would be upon them soon. She briefly thought of the twins, warm in their tropical getaway, and envied them just a little.
“I guess you aren’t too bad. I mean, I’m still here. Somehow. And I’m a pretty damn good judge of character.” A lie, but whatever. “But I’m also not here for you. I’m here for this land, first and foremost. It’s my home. Even that stinking, disgusting swamp that I always seem to end up patrolling.”
Rolling her shoulders, the joints still terribly sore and aching from her flight, Israfel sighed once more. “I guess what I’m trying to say is despite everything, we’re still here. And I guess that’s all that matters. Mari’s a good Queen, but I can’t say you deserve her.” Honestly, none of them did, so it wasn’t like she was being unkind.
The Sun Daughter’s glittering vermilion eyes focused down upon the offered gifts and tributes once more and she bit her lip, pondering. There was nothing fancy on her person that she could hand over. Was she supposed to leave something? Glancing over at one of the soldiers once more, she arched a questioning brow. He returned her look with a bit of confusion before shrugging a shoulder, and the Regent shook her head.
“... Okay. Sure. Um. Here.” Pulling something out of the borrowed traveling satchel, Israfel set the glass item down at the hooves of the opal statue. The nearly empty liquid sloshed around at the disturbance, it’s rich amber color darker in the sparse lighting. “I was going to finish it, but… I guess you can have it. I don’t know if it’s your thing, but maybe you need it more than I do.” There was a hesitant pause before Israfel stifled a yawn, barely resisting the urge to stretch as well. “I need sleep. Goodnight.”
And with that, the Sun Daughter turned on her haunches to amble towards the citadel with her room in mind. In her wake lay the various types of offerings, and now among them, a mostly-empty bottle of amber colored whiskey.
Open for anyone if they would like, I suppose~
