Veiled Night

She was clothed in black when she was to kill a god. They all were. 

They were all from an old civilisation that had lived deep under the earth where people wandered, traveled, and fought on the surface. Once, their cities also basked under the rays of the sun, moon, and stars. 

Then the gods banished their cities to the depths of the earth. For what? The gods simply could not tolerate their peoples’ unwillingness to abandon their faith and beliefs.

They managed, even as they now lived in the depths, away from the beautiful skies. They rebuilt their lives, and even created a night sky of their own in remembrance of what they could once gaze at with great abandon. 

They had taken for granted that immense freedom. And just like many before and after them, they only realised what incredible blessings they had after it was taken away from them. 

Then they were given a chance to avenge themselves, a chance to strike at the gods that banished them. Most were sceptical of this opportunity, her daughter amongst them. But she wanted revenge!They were given assurances, promises, and tools to assuage their doubts. Barely was it enough for the sceptics. However, the chance was too good to let it slip away. They—she wanted revenge! 

Then the night came where they were to kill a god, the beloved heir to the chief god of the lands. They were armoured in silver, veiled in black, and armed with jagged ebony daggers. 

It was easy enough to enter the city of the gods under the shade of night. Their armour silenced their footsteps, their cloaks covered them under night’s darkness and they made their way to the gods’ palace. 

Five stabs were what brought the golden child of the gods to his death. He was already dead by the third one. Then all the promises and assurances of their benefactors turned to ash. Their easy night was over. 

The mother, the chief god of the lands, found them and unleashed a shriek that awakened the entire city. They tried to escape. They were pursued. 

Some of them survived, many others died to buy them time. Her daughter had been amongst the sacrificed. 

The survivors tried to find their benefactors but there was nothing to find. They were abandoned, similar to a knife disposed of after a murder. It was a fitting description for fools such as them, to be so desperate to drink the poisoned promises. 

Eventually, they realised there was nothing left for them. They were banished, they were used, they were abandoned.

There was no other path for them; they would be pursued until their deaths or the gods’. 

But even if this was all that was left for them, they wouldn’t make it easy for their pursuers. They wouldn’t roll over and die. They would be difficult, they would be stubborn, and they would struggle. 

They would continue to live until they were stopped. To try to live the life that was given to them by those who sacrificed themselves.

At the very least, that was what she owed to her daughter.

They split off after that, each of the women that conspired against the gods would continue to struggle and live in the lands that their enemies ruled over. 

And one day, she would find a way to strike against those who used them as simple tools to be discarded. Her daughter would be avenged! 

Her daughter was owed that too.

But… at the very least, she would try to enjoy the view of the night sky that they were finally able to bask in. 

Her daughter wouldn’t mind giving her that at the very least, right?

by William Luo