Lost Pages of PMS (2) -- Stable Girl & The Cultist

[Bella Pious]

(1)
At a corner of the quiet Nujelm town, there a small tower with a warm fire,
as well as some milk and freshly baked breads on the table. A woman in her cloud-giant outfit was brushing
and talking to her horse downstairs in the stable. Suddenly a strong wind busted through the door and a
huge shadow covered the light. Her horse became uneasy and she quickly gabbed her skirt and ran upstairs.
The guards below the tower were all shouting and running around in haste. She rushed to the west window,
only in time to see the dragon flying away. With a tiny sound of joy, she picked up a letter from the ground
-- a worn note with a familiar but long-missed handwriting.


"War is raging. I will contact you when it ends.
-- Talerco"

[Bella Pious]

(2)
The reflection of sun on the white snow was so bright that she had to narrow her
eyes in order to see the tracks. Finally she waved at Alraia with an excited grin and hand-signalled her
the directions and distance of the wolf pack. Alraia nodded and went on ahead, while Bella urged her
steed and took another route around ...

The reflection of fire in his cold-blue eyes echoed with his burning spirit, as he looked around through
the helm. A town in chaos and fire with its people running and screaming for shelter ... An white owl
swirled above the scene, as Talerco shouted and signalled at his most trusted cultists. Together they
waved their mauls through their way and headed toward a building .....

... The druid lured part of the pack, while the tamer lured the rest. Under the blazing
sun, Alraia played her magic feather to calm the beasts and waited patiently, while Bella ran around her
pack at the other side and peacemade them with her harp. One by one, they finally tamed the wild pack
of around 15 frost wolves. "Well done!" Alraia shouted as they finished counting. Sweats were coming
down the girls' faces, but both were beaming happily ... "Wouldn't you just hate seeing this beautiful
pack slaughtered by some hunters?" one of them asked while the other nodded in agreement.

"You all did very well!" he looked at the row of well-trained solider and complimented. With a few of them,
they managed to take the town out with a surprise. Smiling ever so slightly, Talerco dismissed the people
and looked at today's victory -- a town in blood and fire. It was death everywhere -- guards, townsfolk,
and animals. Then he glanced at where the owl was, but it was gone. He stared at the sky for a while
as a figure came into his mind. But then quickly he put the image behind as he stood up to join his
victorious group.

The tamer smiled as she returned to her garden after she checked all the pets in stables.
Life grows everywhere. Flowers were blooming and birds were chirping. The sun was about to set and a deer
walked in and out of her garden freely as she came back from her bath. Then an owl landed on the ruin wall,
bringing her a fresh branch with blood stain. "So ... he lives, but there was death ...." she whispered as she
watched the owl tearing and enjoying its feed. Bella stood up and slowly walked toward the ocean, and her
brown eyes softened as she played her harp whole-heartedly, searching for a pair of blue eyes in her memory.

The sun was setting. Talerco put away the spiritual book and closed his eyes for meditation. After his duty,
he changed into a light robe and stayed up in his Study. It looked like a peaceful night, but he was nevertheless
prepared for any sudden calls. Inside, people were shouting and celebrating downstairs, while outside the
calm ocean waves caressed the shore. His concentration filtered out all the noises and, from far beyond the
ocean, he heard something faint but familiar -- the soft whisper of her harp.

[Bella Pious]

(3)
He came. Early in the morning, when the air was still foggy and the grass damp, a black figure on a strong steed came into view.
She waited. In her secret garden, together with all the quiet trees and a silent harp, she looked up from her idling and smiled.

"I start to think that your love for your God has swallowed you." she said with a faint smile.
"Duty called." he replied shortly as he got off his horse, looking at the garden with surprise.
"Who made this?" he asked.
"Me."

He nodded and sat down at the bench beside her. There was a long pause before she spoke again.
"Talerco .... have you ever ..... spare a thought for me ...?"
He looked at her rather seriously.
"You are always on my mind." he replied, paused a little.
"Dennac is a demanding god, but the reward is faithful."
She sighed, "It is just hard for me..."

"You are strong enough to take that."

Upon hearing that, she smiled and wrapped her arms around him, not going to ask for more. And he held her closer unnoticed.
After spending a short quiet time in her garden, he got back to his steed and went on training, leaving her in her garden -- thinking.
A spirit wolf appeared beside her, looking rather amused. "And that is enough to keep you waiting?" it tilted its head and wondered at the girl's facial expression
as the girl smiled and said, "Aye."The wolf nodded.
"Then, we have works to do."

[Bella Pious]

(4)
"Dear Journal,

Today I have done a lot of thinking, and finally my heart and my head met. *chuckled and drew a smiling face here*
I love nature and all the living things because life is wonderful and nature works in an amazing way. I love all my pets,
but my love for them does not stop my heart for him. I often asked myself why..... until today. Today he asked me one question.
I was surprised that I answered him without much thinking. Then I realized the truth has always been in front of my eyes.

Among the animals, the stronger hunts the weak and the mother protects the babies. All living things prey and fight for a cause :
to be stronger, to survive, to be happier, to fulfil some desire .... I could not list them all. There are always battles and there are
death, and I, as a tamer, am not meant to interfere with the course of life. People slaughter the beautiful unicorns for lust, they
kill the magnificent nightmares for fun, they hunt the phoniex for their bones, and they kill dragons for power. Those we tamed may
survive for some time, but eventually death is upon us all.

So, what should I think of killing? Funny he should ask me that question. *Thinks* I will not judge nor justify it. If I can choose,
I choose life for the ones I love. But it is not in my hand, is it? Mother Nature has her own agenda for every lives.
*hears some whispers in the wind*
The Spirit is calling me ..... I think I am getting closer and closer to the Truth.

Bella Dandy"

[Bella Pious]

Great Aunt Mustilla unfolded her blind.

"This be the place." She said proudly.
Bella Dandy blinked a few times and found herself standing in the middle of a blood pattern. She looked around the huge platform, and she could see lava behind it. She then looked back at Mustilla with surprised. "It is..?" She asked, unsure about the scattered body parts and blood around. Mustilla nodded firmly, "Of course. He will like it. This is the Old temple of the Cult. It be suitable for him. "

The thought of him made her happy. She smiled. Mustilla ensured her the Spirits will guide them in how to set up this place. Then Mustilla turned to her and looked into her eyes, "What be your wedding dress?" she asked. "Hmm, I would probably just wear my guild dress." Bella pointed at her robe. Mustilla shook her head in disbelief and turned toward a metal chest, shining in dark red. With a cold but mysterious smile, Mustilla opened it and took out a folded silky dress in the same kind of dark red -- the colour of Blood. "NO, you shall wear this for him, my darling."

[Bella Pious]

(6)
Today is the day. She has never been so nervous in her entire life. And the latest news did not help her calm down even a little. How could it ease her mind, knowing the man she was about to give her life to is at war right at this very moment? She looked up at the sun -- the ceremony shall take place soon . She looked around her garden, all her friends have arrived and the servants are busy setting up the food. She hopes this is just some crazy "last-minute-idea-of-a-bachelor-party" his friends thought.

Finally, a magic gate opens in the middle of the garden, and wolves come to announce the commencing of the ceremony. After the guests are seated, Zukkubus finds Bella ready by the entrance. She pushes up a nervous smile, as her Papa takes her arm and leads her way through the red carpet. Her mind goes blank ...... there are many faces but she sees none, and there are many voices but she understands none ...... Nothing seems real until she is led to a man, and he holds her hand...


"Flame Still Burns

And all the dreams I've ever felt
Failing to reach or comprehend
The essence of you
...And all the times I've feared for you
I've shut the door and passed right through
The flame burns for you

The emptiness in me
Was filled with you within
All the hope you sowed in us
I've crushed and turned to dust
My Flame still burns
Hurting you, I'm bleeding too

With every breath I breathe
With every sight I see
Yet whence I am falling down
You've put your arms around
My flame still burns
Hurting you, I'm bleeding too

Beneath the hollow skies
Your gentle, sunken smile
Slow sway of your white breast
Slumbering breath upon my chest
I've shattered, ripped and torn
But still you came for more
All the pain I've put you through
My flame still burns for you

My flame still burns
Hurting you, I'm bleeding too."

As the ceremony goes on with families and friends around, at a quiet corner of Nujelm Island, a candle shines on a open page of her journal.