Nightmare Of The Cursed

”What do you see? ” She asked Meghan and her gaze slowly narrowed to the sky. She felt it peaceful, she felt it quiet. She felt home, there, in the sky.

[ Continues ] ”From a distance far and wide, a moon and star reckes up high

Looking peaceful and… [ Low pitched ] flawless ”

[ Pauses ] ”What troubles you? ” A tear fell off her cheek and she pursed her lips. Her eyes shut for a moment trying keep her emotions mentally stable.

”Can I… Can I ask you a question? ” Meghan forced the words out.

Zephyr nodded. ”Sure my lady. Anything that could put a smile on your face once more. ” She said and Meghans lips curled up a little.

”What will you do if…if you are in someone elses shoe, and you are forced to get married. Maybe for political reasons. ” She asked and Zephyr mouth hung open for awhile.

She looked at her. ”Forgive me my lady but when I was little, my mother back then… ” Her voice turned wary. She cleared her throat and looked aside. ”She always say back then that, marriage don begin with love but time does, thats if you are lucky. You don always have a say in matters that concerns you, you just have to do it… for the sake of your people. ” She responded honestly.

”People that turns their back on you? or is it people that plans to get rid of you. ” She asked with a frown. Zephyr faced her but said nothing.

”Have you ever fallen in love before, Zephyr? ” Meghan asked her. Zephyr expression saddened but she tried to force a smile on her lips.

”Yes my lady. And believe me when I say it is the greatest thing you will ever wish for. ” Her voice sounded raw.

”And who is he? ” She prompted.

She looked down and said nothing. ”Its okay of you won tell me, I… ”

”Hes name is Eunoia. ” Her voice came out raw again.

She arched her left brow. ”And where is he? ”

”He left me a year before my mothers death. ” She replied, her eyes turned teary.

Meghan gasped. ”Am so sorry… I didn mean to recall back your past. I-I… ” She struggled for words but instead she stuttered.

”Its okay my lady. ” She reassured. ”Am glad I shared. ” She then smiled but her smile was not as bright as before.

”My lady I think its getting late already. Permit me to go to my room. ” She said and stood up with a bow.

”Am sorry of my words hurt you. I apologize again. ”

Zephyr nodded. ”It is nothing my lady. If you will permit… ”

”Oh yes, you can go. ” She dismissed, and Zephyr walked out. Her steps paused when Meghan called her back.

With a bow, she answered, ”Yes my lady. ”

”Is your off days during the weekends? ” She asked.

”No my lady. I normally do morning and afternoon shifts. ” She answered.

Meghan stood up and walked towards her. ”Then, are your duties suspended till tomorrow evening? ” Meghan asked.

She nodded. ”Yes, but if my lady needs me in the morning, it will be my honor to be present first thing by sunrise. ”

Meghan shook her head. ”Never mind. You need time to yourself anyways. Have a good sleep. ” She said and retreated back to the bench.

”May I know why my lady asks such? ” Zephyr quipped.

Meghan looked at her and smiled. ”You are aware tomorrow is the festival of reunion, I just wanted you there. ” She answered.

”Ohhh!… ” Was here reply. ”My greeting to your husband-to-be, the generals son. ” She said. It skipped her mind that the princess will be getting married and it feared her a bit.

”The generals son?… Wait, which of them? ”

Zephyr raised her brow in surprise. ”You… I mean, lady Meghan, don you know who you are getting married too? ” She asked confused.

Why would she care anyways, not that she will be there to see his face. She thought.

”You are getting married to his lost but found son of the general, his highness, Devin Peiskos. ” She emphasized.

”Devin Peiskos, Devin Peiskos… ” She pronounced his name, it sounded quite familiar.

”You don know him? ” Zephyr asked and Meghan shook her head. ”Am trying to remember that name. ” Meghan said.

”He is a warrior that killed approximately twenty people with just a pencil… ” She reminded. ”… He is the savior that destroyed our enemies, thousands of them, without his sword unsheathed. He used his bare fist, you don still remember? ” She asked in disbelief.

”I don think I have heard that name before, but nonetheless, how did you find out? ”

”Rumors my lady. It is the trending talk of the town. ” She said.

”Ohh! ” Meghan stressed.

”I will resign here, my lady. ” Zephyr said and with a bow, she left.

”Devin… Devin… ” she pronounced.

***

Late at midnight, Meghan found herself walking into the library. She stopped when she saw the tons of books arranged orderly and accordingly. ”Waw! ” She awed, and walked inside. She has never been here before, or has seen what the structure looked like. Her father forbids such.

Placing her hands at the edges of each books, she stopped when she felt something big under her feet. Squatting, she gently pulled off the rug at the side and saw a big book and it caught her interest.

She dusted it with her palm, and blew off the sand. ”Aftermath Of Legendaries. ” She read, ”Humph ” and opened the book.

At the first page, it was darkness and emptiness that filled the room without being in it at all. It had no shape but it had a great black colorless wings and blind, all-seeing eyes. For an instant Meghan saw it, saw the utter all consuming nothingness of it, like an endless hole in the universe, there above the body.

She could make a guess. It stood perhaps seven feet tall, glossy black skin and huge pointed ears, and it had four arms, rather than the customary two. Meghan could see no sign of hair anywhere, but it did have fangs and horns.

Meghan could bet five to one odds that this thing was a demon, right from the pit of hell but somehow there was a brooding sense of evil and revenge beneath the surface, a hint of sulfur from hell, the ungodly castle itself.

Its eyes were beady and black, like that of Beelzebub and conveyed almost no expression. Its face seemed arrayed in an intent to kill, no warmth lingering from its expression.

It unfurled its wings, bat like, and then…

Meghan flipped the next page.

It released great amount fire from it mouth, that is wide enough to see its fangs amd jagged teeth, in such a way it could kill amd destroy almost a thousand city. Down the page, a lady emerged from the darkness but not like any lady she had ever seen. She was barely clothed, her hair long and ragged, and her hands where very white, like that of a snow. Her eyes gave out green eyeballs, like that of a serpent. With her mouth opened and her arms spreaded wide, she chanted some words and those words where enough to keep the demon calm.

She walked forward and caressed its head. It growled, not in pain, not with evil but it seemed to enjoy her touch. But before she could chant another words, a long of slime-covered chitin arm extended into her belly and scrapped it. So hard that she she bleed and fell on her knees, still the arm didn leave her. When Meghan trailed her finger to the arm of what killed her, she gasped when she realized it was that same demon that murdered her.

”Oh lord! ” Her eyes were dreaded with horror and disbelief.