My Love, My Sweet Burden (Text Only): Chapter 4 – The Cross that is Another Person

Chapter 4 – The Cross that is Another Person

I’m finally back home. Thanks be to God because Persephone has been sleeping on my shoulder while drooling and snoring.

When we get out of the carriage, Persephone can’t help but stare up at the large buildings in the city. “Wow! Are these the futuristic buildings from the past that I hear so much about? They seem like they reach past the clouds!”

“There were ones that actually did, but since we don’t have enough materials to repair them, we just keep them maintained as best we can.”

“Oh! What about that church-like tower in the center?”

“It’s the primary church and military base and where we’re headed next.”

“Wow! I can’t wait to get a closer look at it and see what’s inside.”

An idea hits me as get closer to the base. “Hey, I have friends here who will give you a tour of the building and show you a trick or two in how to be a better archer. It’ll really help you for next time so we don’t repeat what happened last time.”

“Um, okay, I guess. Will you be coming with me?”

“No, I have a friend I want to meet and talk to. She’s a best friend of mine that I haven’t seen since I left here.”

“I’ll go with you to meet your friend.”

“Why do you have to come with me everywhere I go?”

“Be…Because I love you!”

“I get it, but we can be apart from time to time. We don’t have to be together all the time, okay? Now, leave me alone.”

“What’s wrong? Did I upset you somehow?”

“You could say that. Just let me talk to my friend for a bit, I’ll come back down to you, and I’ll be fine.”

“Dominic, I’m sorry! I really do love you, so tell me what I have to do to make up for whatever I did to you.”

I block Persephone’s kiss with the back of my hand and push her away as I snap. “Stop it! Just stop it already! You can start making it up to me by leaving me alone! You’re such an idiot who is always getting on my nerves because of the stupid things you say and do, and you never seem to stop to the point where I’m beginning to think that we’re not meant to be together.”

“You don’t actually mean that, Dominic! What about the things we’ve been through, managed to survive and your victory at the stronghold? Weren’t they proof of the legitimacy of our relationship?”

“All flukes for all I know or God’s mercy sparing my life from my stupid mistake. That’s probably all this was. I’m sorry for making you think I was your husband-to-be. I must’ve been tempted by some demon to make me think I was important enough to have God directly talk to me. Now, leave me alone!”

I turn around and begin to walk away, but Persephone grabs my arm. She looks like she’s on the verge of tears and is struggling to talk. “Dom…Dominic. Please…I…love you…”

“What don’t you get about leaving me alone?! Can you stop being such a moron for once?!” I push away Persephone and run into the crowd to lose her. Thankfully, I’m able to make it past the gates of the base and the guards don’t know Persephone so they won’t let her in. Even as I make it to the entrance of the base, I can hear her calling out for me so I quickly head inside the building. Part of me wants to go back to her for whatever reason, but I won’t. My place is with Priscilla. Heading up the many stairs and to where she should be. I storm into her office where she’s sitting at her desk doing paperwork.

“Woah there, Dominic! Is everything okay? I’m sorry that I didn’t send any messages back to the towns you were in since I assumed you’d be here in no time. Where’s that wife-to-be of yours?”

After catching my breath, I muster up all the courage I have, and say, “That was a mistake on my part. A delusion or a temptation from a demon. You don’t have to worry about that woman because you’re the only one I love! I want you to be my wife!”

“Huh? Do you mean it?”

“Of course I do! What I went through with that other woman made me realize it even more! I’m sorry that I was such a coward to not have told you earlier.”

“I…I must admit that I’ve been a coward too because I feel the same way. I’ve been in love with you too ever since we first met, Dominic, and I’m overjoyed to hear you return my feelings so we can officially be together.” Priscilla and I embrace and look into each other’s eyes. Before I can kiss her, she lets go. “We should spend a day together and kiss after that. There’s something important happening today that I was hoping you’d be a part of.”

I clear my throat and follow Priscilla as she leads me out of her office. “Yes, of course. I’m sorry. So, what’s happening today?”

“That elf boy I’ve been helping has revealed his true powers that could help the city and maybe even the Church as a whole. He’s told me that he’s actually a dark elf and can use magic that can manipulate minds through his dark fog.”

“Go on. What are we planning to make him use this magic? It seems like a strange power to use that could cause serious trouble.”

“Don’t you see? He can make dreams come true. We can make Earth a paradise and convert hearts without fighting or having to argue back and forth. I know it sounds too good to be true, so let me show you.”

While walking to the elf’s room, I can’t help but feel relieved at Priscilla’s admission of love for me. I know she’s the right choice for me because she’s a faithful and beautiful servant of God who is more well-accomplished than I am and who can lead me on the right path. It’s at this moment that I also feel bad for Persephone. I hope she finds someone who can make her a better person because that person certainly isn’t me. She’ll probably never talk to or even see me again because of what I said to her, which is fine with me.

Once Priscilla leads me to the room where the dark elf is, she tells him to show me his power. The boy looks deeply into me for a minute before nodding. A dark fog spews from his mouth that covers everything and everyone in the room. When it lifts, I see that I’m now in a church in a suit. In front of me is a crowd of people and at the altar is a priest and Priscilla dressed in a wedding dress. Before I can make it up to her, the dark fog covers everything again. “No,” I hear a deep voice say, “She’s my princess, my bride.”

Out of the fog, I see a gray creature composed of many heads and on top of the center head, I see a pair of pointy ears. Is this the same dark elf boy? “No one will take away my princess from me. She’s integral to my plan for my paradise that will override this nightmarish world.”

Out of the dark fog, a monstrous version of Priscilla appears. “I’m sorry but if getting rid of you means a better life for everyone, then so be it.” Priscilla starts swiping at me with her claws that can cut the stone walls around us. I do my best to dodge and find the dark elf to put an end to this, but I can’t manage to find him.

“Stop it, Priscilla! Get a hold of yourself! I thought you said you loved me?”

“I am in control of myself and I do still love you so just make this easier for the both of us and let me kill you. It’s either you or the world’s happiness and salvation and I choose the world.”

What she says breaks my heart and takes me off my guard allowing her to get a couple of cuts on my legs and my arms. Because of the black fog and the strange sensation in my head, I’m unable to properly defend myself against her and think about allowing her to kill me. There’s no point in continuing on because the love of my life has turned on me and my mistake in leaving Persephone behind has put me in this predicament where no one can save me. I really am an idiot and I pray that you forgive me, God.

Before Priscilla strikes me down, a goatman with wings on his back runs through a nearby wall and tackles her. “You shall no longer do any harm to anyone’s mind!”

“What? Who are you?”

“I am nothing but filth that God has chosen to spare and enlighten. Get away from here while I take care of these two!” Seeing that he’s able to fight against Priscilla and make the dark elf appear, I do as he says and run out of the room and make my way out of the building. As I run out, I see that the dark fog is beginning to spread through the building and infect the minds of many who start attacking me. I dodge my way past them and am surprised to find Persephone on one of the mid-tier floors.

She’s firing explosive arrows at the possessed, however, these arrows explode with a white smoke that knocks them out. “Get out my way! My husband needs me.” I can’t believe how relieved I am to see her. Her words also give me relief and a profound sense of guilt and shame that makes me unable to hold back my tears as I approach her. “Dominic! Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“Persephone!” I say as I embrace her. “I’m so sorry for what I said to you earlier! I lost my patience and didn’t want to believe that God set us up together and wanted to be with a different woman instead who I thought would be better for me.”

“I’m so relieved to hear you say that! I thought that was the case that you just lost your patience with me so that’s why I’m here. The guards were easy to get past probably because of this black fog. So, this woman you’re talking about, is she okay? Does she have anything to do with this fog?”

“She does and she almost killed me because of it.”

“That’s horrible! Did she kiss you before she tried to kill you? On the lips specifically?” Huh? What’s this sudden change in topic for?

“Uh, no. Why?”

Persephone kisses me on the lips and keeps her lips on mine for a few seconds before stepping away. “Because I realized that I hadn’t kissed you there and didn’t want anyone else other than me taking your first kiss on the lips.”

You and your silly concerns, Persephone. I miss you so much despite only having been away from you for a while.

“Anyways, we’d better help her if she’s under this dark fog’s mind control. It’s making me feel loppy too.”

“I don’t think there’s anything we can do. I’m alive because a goatman saved me. He’s handling my friend and the elf that’s causing this fog.”

“A goatman? He didn’t happen to have black wings on his back, did he?”

“Yes, he did.”

“Then that’s the same goatman who led the beastmen that took over the stronghold I was in. We better get up there before he causes any trouble!”

“Really? He seemed to be a repentant man to me because he saved me and called himself filth that God has enlightened.”

“Huh? That doesn’t sound like something he would say. Let’s go up there and see if there’s anything we can do anyway.” When Persephone and I go to the upper floors, we find roughly twenty knocked-out guards and see that the dark fog is receding.

Going to the source, we find the goatman standing above Priscilla and the dark elf boy who are back to their normal appearance and knocked out on the floor. He kneels down on the floor and then says, “All praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ! Thank You for Your mercy and unending forgiveness!” Turning to us, the goatman bows his head down in Persephone’s particular direction. “Thank you two as well for giving me the defeat that placed me here! In solitary confinement, God spoke to me and brought me back from the brink of damnation and into the light of His love! I’m sorry and thankful to you as well, Persephone. I hope you can forgive me for forcing you to serve me.”

“Uh, I forgive you?”

“Thank you, thank you so much! You won’t believe how overjoyed I am to hear that!” Once we get the goatman up after all his praising and thanking, we explain what happened to the guards outside and get them to help bring those who were knocked out to a hospital. The dark elf boy is locked up with priests who can counter his magic while the goatman willingly goes back to his cell with a willing and thankful heart and a lessened jail sentence.

Once Priscilla wakes up and is better, she tells us how remorseful she is and that, “I’ll make it up to everyone by taking the dark elf boy back home. What I did was inexcusable and I let my sympathy for the boy get to me. I don’t blame you for choosing to stay with Persephone instead of me, Dominic.”

I can’t believe I had to break the hearts of two girls in the same week. “I’m sure you’ll find someone someday, Priscilla, and don’t worry about what happened. I forgive you.”

“Thank you,” Priscilla says before hugging me.

“Uh, you two are hugging for a bit too long. Are you sure she’s okay?”

“Woah, woah, woah! Calm down, Persephone! Put away the bow, she’s fine.”

“Haha! I’m sure you two will live happily together. God really did bring you two together to be married.” After Priscilla leaves with the dark elf boy and a squad of elite troops and diplomates, Persephone pulls me aside.

I ask her what’s going on and she says, “So, now that everything is sorted out, can we officially get married?”

“Okay, okay! We’ll start to arrange the marriage today.”

“Yay!” Persephone says before showering my face with kisses. She doesn’t stop until I kiss her back.

“Ah! You actually kissed me! I think this is the first time you did.”

“Yeah, sorry about not doing so before.”

“Well…can I have some more? To make up for all the times you didn’t, of course.”

 “Of course.”

The End