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hermitszine · 7 days

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here comes the sun (Empires SMP)

Written for the GeminiTay focused zine. If you're interested in the other writing and art created for it, you can find it here: @hermitszine!

Summary: A young Gem has lived in the Goblands ever since she was left outside their gates as a baby. She doesn't quite fit in with the goblins, but it is her home. Then, she sees the sun.

AO3 Link

Word Count: 3940

~~~

Gem remembered the first time she saw the sun.

It was right after a particularly bad rainstorm, the earth above them shifting and groaning all through the night. Even though she knew the roof of the cave over the Goblands was particularly safe, she still feared her family’s house being crushed by rocks and debris.

The next morning, she, fWhip, and the other children were told to stay indoors while the older goblins completed a safety inspection to make sure the nearby caves wouldn’t fracture and break while someone was walking beneath them.

But Gem could smell something that enthralled her. Fresh and clear, so unlike the moist dampness of the Goblands that fWhip insisted was warmth.

“Gem,” fWhip hissed, following her hastily as she stepped outside, although he didn’t go farther than the doorway. His eyes shifted back and forth through the empty streets before floating upwards to the roof of the cave. “You know it’s dangerous out here. Remember what happened to kNock last storm?”

“kNock didn’t know the caves well and got himself trapped in a dead end,” Gem said, fluttering her eyes closed, breathing in the crispness off in the distance. “You can stay here if you want.” She started towards one of the caves where the scent was strongest.

She heard fWhip’s feet pitter-patter as he rushed to follow her. “You might need me.”

“I can navigate these caves perfectly fine, as good as any goblin,” Gem said, bristling, some sharpness in her voice. Even on regular days, when the caves were stable, her parents insisted fWhip accompany her when she went out.

Gem knew she wasn’t a goblin. She didn’t have the tough skin of them, didn’t have the enhanced hearing as they did, couldn’t eat through rocks as goblins could. She was a creature from the above world with bright orange and black wings, left at the mouth of a cave as a baby, and taken in by a goblin family. Still, she had grown up in these caves, like the other young goblins, and knew which ones were older and more prone to falling to pieces.

fWhip didn’t reply, but Gem could still hear him following her. Even if she were half-asleep and barely paying attention, she would be able to recognize her brother’s footsteps a mile away. They were quick, like he was always in a rush, and light, favouring his right foot.

They walked in silence, their echoing footsteps the only thing keeping them company.

Gem remembered being frightened of the caves when she was young. Shadowy areas were commonplace, despite the glow lichen creeping up the walls, and her overactive imagination went wild. Not only that, but the walls felt constricting and tight like, at any moment, they would move closer and closer together until they squeezed her flat. The older she got, and the more she grew, the smaller and smaller the caves seemed.

They arrived at a junction, where multiple caves converged. The ceiling was lofty, as caves solely dedicated to mining were higher up and connected by goblin-made bridges with rails along them. Lone minecarts chugged on their way to one of the many warehouses, rattling with ores and stone.

fWhip’s footsteps came to a halt, and Gem glanced behind her to see his ears twitching. “Two goblins are coming towards us,” fWhip said, pointing at the cave mouth to their left. He glanced around at the other openings, looking for a place to hide.

Gem couldn’t hear anything, only the dripping of water running down stalactites. Nonetheless, she unfurled her wings from her back and squatted down. fWhip, still getting over his fear of heights, took a moment before gently climbing on her back.

Then, as silently as she could, she shot herself upwards onto one of the many bridges above them. The usually dead air whipped around her face, rustling her hair and, for a split second, the squeeze of the cave fell away. Her wings stretched out as far as they could go after being crinkled up since the last time she had used them a couple days away while giving aChoo a little ride around the Goblands.

fWhip kept an ear out for any minecarts that might run them over while Gem waited with bated breath.

Then, two goblins entered the junction, walking leisurely across the floor and into the cave she and fWhip had just exited, likely going back to town to give the caves they had walked through the all clear.

Once fWhip nodded at her, Gem brought them both back down to the floor.

fWhip let out a puff of nervous air as soon as his feet touched the ground.

And then they were off again, into the cave next to the one the two goblins had been in.

They took a few more bends, the freshness growing stronger, and Gem’s inner compass urged her closer. As they took another right turn, fWhip’s hand immediately went to shield his eyes. “Ow,” he groaned, squinting and turning his head away. “Why is it so bright in here?”

Gem didn’t notice a difference, but knew goblins’ eyes were much more sensitive than her own. Here, the floor was at a slight incline and, up ahead, she saw a massive pile of loose rocks. The ceiling had caved in. She glanced back at fWhip, still squinting. “Stay here. I want to check this out.”

As Gem got near the pile, she was momentarily stunned by the view above her. Where the roof of the cave had collapsed, there was now a large hole. Tall birch trees reached upwards, and she heard a bird whistling nearby.

And the sky.

The bright, blue sky seemed endless. And there, amidst its beauty, sat a bright, yellow orb.

The sun.

Gem had never seen the sun before, only ever heard of it. She didn’t want to look away. It was like the ultimate chunk of gold, polished to perfection and placed in the goblin vault, only a million times better. As if in a trance, Gem climbed the large pile of rocks, fWhip’s voice sounding miles away.

She’d been above ground before with the other goblins, but only ever on cloudy nights where the moon was hidden. And she never liked it either; the darkness put her on edge. She flinched at every sound, not liking that she couldn’t see very far. After a couple of trips to the above world, she stopped asking to tag along.

Being here during the day, on a cloudless afternoon, was utterly magical. Her body thrummed, her wings fluttered, her eyes felt like they were seeing colour for the first time.

Wet grass tickled her ankles as she walked farther away from the hole in the ground. It was chilly up here, and she was reminded that it was springtime and that the above world felt physical changes during the seasons. Down in the caves, in the Goblands, she only knew them apart from the yearly celebrations.

Still looking skywards, Gem gently flapped her wings, then faster and faster until they were beating rhythmically like a heart. She surged upwards, blood rushing in her ears. She forced herself to stop once she was high above the tallest oak trees. She could see an empire a little ways down the mountain with colourful roofs.

The above world looked breathtaking from this perspective, the sun’s rays warming her body from the spring chill. She could’ve stayed up there forever, drinking in the way the lakes ripped like silk, how the trees’ spindly branches bristled in the light wind, the golden acres upon acres of wheat.

Something caught her eye, a brown mass of fur moving near the edge of the forest. She slowly drew nearer, descending closer to the ground, and the mass only got larger and larger until she saw his ears flick, and Gem was feet away from a brown bear still sleepy from hibernation.

His eyes were black as coal, and his fur looked so soft. Gem wanted to reach out and pet him, despite knowing the dangers. Goblins were taught from a young age to not just go about in any random caves as, during the winter months, it might be home to a bear or a family of them.

Gem kept her distance though, and watched as the bear pawed at some sweet berries on the ground. They crunched under his large jaw and then, when he lifted his head, he gazed straight into Gem’s eyes.

Some kind of energy coursed between them. An understanding, maybe. Inexplicable. Like kismet. Like her life had been leading up to this point ever since she was left at the Goblands’ gates. The world seemed larger, now. Infinite. So much more than the caves she grew up in.

Her feet carefully touched the ground, her dress fluttering in the breeze. She slowly lifted a hand, and the bear’s nose inched towards her open palm.

The soil beneath her vibrated and fell inwards, and Gem was swallowed by earth. A goblin caught her, shielding her from the falling debris. fWhip stood a little away, fidgeting with his hands.

Frantically, Gem glanced upwards, making sure the bear was safe.

All she saw was the sun nestled in the sky.

~~~

Once she had a taste of the above world, the caves of the Goblands felt even more dismal and small. It was home and would therefore always have a place in her heart, but she wanted more. She needed it. Needed to feel the expansiveness of the sky, the way the sun kissed her skin.

“I’m not one of you,” Gem told her parents as soon as fWhip, and the other goblins who had dug the ground out from beneath her, took her back to their house. “I can’t stay down here forever.”

Her parents looked tired, like they expected that this day would eventually come. Dreaded it, even. But they had to have known she would need to leave at some point, right? She wasn’t a goblin; she couldn’t stay in the caves forever. She couldn’t thrive down here like fWhip did.

After a long pause, her mom nodded. “Let me contact a friend who lives above.” She went to the kitchen where the ink and paper were.

“You’ll visit?” her dad asked after a sigh, taking off his glasses to polish them with the end of his shirt. “We’re still your parents, after all.”

“Of course!” Gem exclaimed, surprised at how defeated he sounded. She had never known her dad to be anything but boisterous and confident, even in the direst of situations. He was a beacon in the Goblands, a constant; you knew to go to him when you needed brightening up. She couldn’t have asked for a better dad. “I wouldn’t even think to not come back. You’re my family.”

Her dad nodded as he slipped his glasses back onto his nose. He made a ‘get out of here’ motion with his hands. “Alright then, that’s enough soppiness from your old dad. Your mom has a friend from Lore Village. She’ll get in contact with her and see if you can stay over there. It’s not that far away, really, only a bit down the mountain.”

“Is that the place with the colourful roofs?” Gem asked. She wouldn’t mind living over there; it had seemed cozy and cheerful, the houses looking like they were hugging.

“Must have been Animalia, you saw.” Gem’s dad gave a shiver. “I was near there one night gathering food, and the whole place gave me the creeps.”

When Gem climbed up the stairs, fWhip was sitting on her bed and immediately began speaking quickly, not looking her in the eye. “That bear scared me. I didn’t know what to do, so I ran back into the cave and bumped into other goblins who helped me create the hole.”

Gem understood where fWhip was coming from. A bear was not usually a creature you tried to go near; how should he know that this one was different from the others?

But before she could say anything, fWhip continued. “Why do you have to leave?” he asked with a short sniff.

Gem sighed, sitting down next to him. “fWhip, I’m not a goblin. I’m not meant to be underground. But that doesn’t make us any less siblings. We’re brother and sister, and I’ll visit plenty. I just need to…” a wry smile took over her face, and she unfurled her wings so that they brushed up against the ceiling, “spread my wings.”

~~~

Lore Village wasn’t nearly the most exciting part of Stratos. Stratos itself was. The quartz reflected the sun's rays in such a way that made the floating city glow. It was ethereal. There were so many chunks of polished and raw gold embedded in the architecture that she wished fWhip was with her to see it all.

When she’d arrived, Jazza gave her a quick tour before having to go to work at the library, leaving Gem free to explore the village on her own.

She spared no time in flying up to Stratos and peering into all the buildings and shrines for godly beings she didn’t know. The floors were slippery, and the buildings were created to let the air flow through. It was a glorious feeling, running and jumping from island to island.

She was mostly left alone, too, allowed to roam on her own. No one seemed to question her or her wings that she hadn’t folded up since she left the Goblands that morning. Or maybe the people of Stratos were quietly wondering who she was, too nice to say anything.

That evening, while Jazza was making supper, she gestured to a thin book she had brought home from work. It sat on the dining table amidst a bowl of grapes. “You might find that interesting. It’s about people like you. With wings.”

Gem blinked, unsure if she heard correctly. She had never heard of others like her, although she supposed it made sense. “Like me?” she repeated, leaning forward to grab the book, laying it on her lap.

“Don’t know how accurate it is,” Jazza continued, as she continued chopping fruit for their salad. “It’s from an outside perspective; some guy did some field research on them and didn’t seem to get super close to the community. At least, that’s what I gathered from what I read when I skimmed it.”

Gem flipped to the very short introduction, which seemed to summarize most of the book.

Dawnlings have many similarities with humans, including their vast diversity. Their only physical difference appears to be their large, orange, black-lined wings. They have a penchant for the sun and daylight, while conversely disliking the night. Is it an inherent characteristic, or a learned one? This must be researched more. For more information on Dawnling characteristics, see Chapter 1.

Dawnlings are migratory people, unable to fly long distances in the cold of winter due to the fragility of their wings. It is interesting to note when Dawnlings migrate. During the winter, they travel southwest in the evening to warmer temperatures, when the sun sets. Then, in the spring, they make their way back home to the coast in the morning, just as the sun rises. This way, Dawnlings keep the sun in their vision each time they travel. For more on Dawnlings’ migratory practices, see Chapter 2.

Dawnlings do not seem to have a ruler, instead making decisions as a collective. They have some sort of religion, seemingly only understandable amongst themselves. This must also be studied more. To learn more about Dawnling society, see Chapter 3.

Gem wrinkled her nose. “What’s the point of writing a book on people you know next to nothing about? Why not wait until you learn more, or gain the trust of an inside perspective?”

Jazza shrugged. “Maybe the author was on a deadline? Or was just planning to make a quick couple of diamonds? Anything’s possible.”

~~~

The next night, Gem awoke for seemingly no particular reason. Maybe it was because she was still unused to the bed, still getting comfortable in Jazza’s guest room. It was a nice space, although larger than her room in the Goblands.

Suddenly, there was a scratching sound at her window to the right. She had decided to keep the curtains open, allowing for the glow of the village lamp posts to break up the darkness in her bedroom. Now she wished she hadn’t.

Gem sat up straight in her bed, gripping the sheets. Maybe it was the wind jostling stuff around outside? She still wasn’t used to these noises. Back in the Goblands, the only sounds she would hear as she tried to sleep were the dripping of water, the soft voices of her parents, and occasionally the snort of a boar.

The scratching sound came again.

Gem slid off the bed and crept to the window, keeping herself low to the ground. Maybe it was nothing; maybe she was just being paranoid. Still, she had to be sure. Once she knew there was nothing there, she’d go back to bed. Taking in a quick breath, she peered up over the windowsill.

Coal-black eyes greeted her, the bear’s nose pressed up to the glass.

Gem stifled a laugh, her previous fear now evaporated, and she pushed the window up. “What are you doing here?” she whispered, a smile on her face. How had he found her?

Of course, the bear didn’t respond.

Maybe she’d been right when they first met: something else was at play here. It couldn’t be a coincidence that this bear had found her, on the complete other side of the mountain that the Goblands was under. It was destiny; their paths were bound to cross.

The bear turned around, his fur ruffling in the night breeze. His tiny tail flicked a little. Then, he glanced back at Gem, tilting his head to the side. As if he were saying, well, are you coming or not?

“Where are we going?” Gem asked, although she was already in motion. She pulled on her dress and grabbed a coat. Then, glancing around, she bit her lip. “One second,” Gem said, rushing out of her room as quietly as she could.

Her shoes were by the front door, and she quickly slipped them on before digging around the drawers for some paper and a quill to write a note to Jazza.

Jazza,

Don’t worry about me. I’ll be back soon.

Gem

Then, she slipped out the front door and snuck around to the side where her bedroom was. The bear was pawing at the ground and looked so out of place amongst Lore Village’s wooden paths and sandstone buildings. He turned to face Gem when she got near and, suddenly, the night didn’t feel so scary.

When they stared at one another, Gem felt it again. A sense of rightness. The bear’s eyes seemed wise and all-seeing. She trusted him, and he trusted her.

“Okay, let’s go,” Gem said.

The bear bent down and then turned to look at her, tipping his head towards his back.

“Are you sure?” she asked him and, when the bear made no movement, Gem carefully crawled onto his back and sat atop him like he was a horse. His fur was thick, and he radiated warmth.

In one swift movement, the bear rose and started up a quick pace, navigating through Lore Village’s winding sheets until they were out, headed in an easterly direction. The mountain that the Goblands was under slowly and steadily grew smaller and smaller.

Gem constantly glanced back until it was nothing more but a speck.

“We’ll be back soon, right?” Gem asked the bear, worrying her bottom lip. While she trusted him fully, and knew she’d be safe as long as they were together, she didn’t want to be gone too long, or Jazza might get distressed and then contact Gem’s parents. How could she ever explain all this to them?

They travelled for a long while, and Gem dozed off, waking up every so often. Each time she awoke, the night was a little brighter.

It was nearly daybreak when Gem re-awoke and noticed they were surrounded by tall mountains. The bear was following a little, rocky path, walking slower than they had in the empty field a couple hours earlier. The mountains were snow-capped, and there was something in the air.

Was that salt? Were they near an ocean?

Gem sat a little straighter. She’d never seen an ocean before. The bear seemed to pick up on her interest, for he sped up just slightly. And then, around the last bend, sat a tall gatehouse that had a glass window in the shape of a sun.

The barricade was lifted, which Gem wasn’t sure was strange or not. Weren’t gatehouses supposed to keep outsiders away? It was early in the morning—the sun wasn’t up yet. Maybe the building was from a different time, a remnant of a violent past.

There was a sudden ringing that had Gem pressing her hands against her ears. Still, she heard someone’s voice bellow from the gatehouse. “Apollo has returned! He has brought the princess! The prophecy has been fulfilled!”

The bear’s stride didn’t falter, and they passed through the gate, the bell still ringing.

And there, sprawled on the coastline was a quaint little town with red, orange, and yellow roofs. Then, beyond was the soft roll of waves in the dark blue ocean. A little sliver of golden yellow was beginning to peek out on the horizon.

Doors started banging open and, suddenly, winged people glided out of their houses. People with orange and black wings. People like her. A flutter of bodies surrounded her.

The words “prophecy” and “Apollo” were repeatedly thrown about. What was that about a princess?

Childrens’ hands reached out to pet the now stationary bear, who Gem assumed was named Apollo. She liked the name Apollo; it suited him.

“A prophecy?” Gem repeated, climbing off Apollo who was likely exhausted from carrying her all the way here.

A girl about twelve looked up at her, mouth slightly agape. Her wings were flapping excitedly behind her. “Welcome to Dawn. Your arrival is a part of a prophecy.” She grinned proudly before saying, “I can recite it for you.”

For three bleak years, Apollo will disappear,

On the third day of the third spring, he’ll bring the princess here.

She who has spent her life underground,

Apollo will retrieve her; she will be found.

They will travel together, haste they will make,

And arrive in Dawn at first day break.

Gem blinked, the words settling around her.

The girl floated a couple inches off the ground, her eyes sparkling, and the people around her gave her a wide breadth of space for her beating wings. “We haven’t had a ruler in ages. Prophecies don’t come around all that often, and that’s how rulers are always selected.”

A princess. Gem didn’t know what to think. The title in reference to her felt like a dress that didn’t quite fit. It wasn’t uncomfortable in a tight or constricting way, just far too big and daunting. But, really, all that meant was that she just had to grow into it.

Her thoughts flitted to her family. She couldn’t wait to tell fWhip and her parents about all this. Maybe she could convince the Goblands to create a tunnel to Dawn. It could be her first degree, the Goblin Empire her first ally.

Gem smiled and, on the horizon, the sun rose.

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