The maiden saw Xerxez's companions waiting ahead, so she knew Xerxez was returning to Thallerion. Her eyes grew heavy, and the cold wind embraced her, signifying the truth that the man she admired would soon leave. However, Xerxez sat on a rock near the maiden, tenderly watching the ripe leaves drift away with the water.

"This seems to be the right time," Xerxez whispered to himself. It was as if his question came from the drifting leaves, hoping that if his heart fell, it wouldn't be into the water but onto the woman before him now.

"King Xerxez, do you know you're the first man to sit beside me?" Perlend said shyly, her cheeks burning but she tried to keep it from showing like smoke. Perlend's heart felt sad thinking that Xerxez and his company were leaving for Thallerion, while she would just wait for Xerxez to visit Peronica again.

"But how long will I wait?" Perlend's mind cried, visible in the heavy loss of vigor in her shoulders.

"Really, is it okay if I sit close to you?" Xerxez felt a bit awkward but couldn't control himself. Even from the first time he saw the maiden, his heart had pounded, and there wasn't a day or night he didn't think of her.

"Can you, from this day forward, call me by my name, Xerxez?"

"My name is Perlend, Xerxez." Xerxez liked the maiden's name—Perlend. At that moment, Xerxez fully got to know the maiden; he learned that she was unmarried.

"Do you know I had you searched for throughout Peronica because—" Xerxez bit his tongue, his cheeks blushing like plums. Xerxez wanted to confess but was too shy, especially since it was his first time confessing his feelings to a woman.

"Do you also know I came back here because—I like you, Xerxez." Perlend bravely confessed, not letting the opportunity pass to admit her feelings, unlike Xerxez, a hero of Thallerion, whose tongue faltered in expressing his true feelings for the maiden.

Xerxez breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Perlend's words. "Perlend, I love you... will you agree to be the partner of my heart?" Xerxez immediately confessed his feelings without hesitation. He no longer cared about the woman's status in life, whether she was rich or an ordinary citizen of Peronica—he would love her—the purpose of his heart would prevail. Xerxez held Perlend's hand and moved a little closer.

In truth, he had hoped to meet Queen Pyramia's daughter but failed to see her. Xerxez had planned to court her for a stronger alliance, but the queen was too protective. So, he poured his true feelings into Perlend instead. There was no politics involved, and certainly no family agreement to unite their feelings.

"Xerxez, I am ready to leave my home because I love you too." Xerxez embraced Perlend, and suddenly red leaves rained down. There was no denying for a maiden to accept the king's courtship because she knew Xerxez was a kind man. When Xerxez embraced Perlend, he smelled a sweet flower like an orchid. Xerxez promised himself that he would never make his future wife shed tears.

That stream was connected to the Cirtax River, which had a route to the port of ships that Xerxez frequently passed. The woman's return to that stream meant only one thing—she was in love!

"I will go with you, Xerxez, because I have no parents to care for me anymore. We are both alone in life," Perlend said. "But you are a king, while I am just a humble woman." Xerxez saw that Perlend's clothes were not wealthy, but even if Xerxez didn't admit it, the woman's body was truly clean, as if bathed in milk, due to Perlend's excellent self-care. Peronica might be a vast country, but love connected their paths to bring them together. Xerxez confessed his love to the maiden, and the maiden, like a hooked fish, refused to deny Xerxez's true love. The king felt like the luckiest man in the world, about to marry a beautiful woman.

"In that case, I will take you to Thallerion, and we will get married." Xerxez said and helped Perlend onto his horse. It was springtime then. A reddish breeze leaves gently touched their feet, freshly crisped. The fallen leaves were like flowers at the feet of the two lovers, bloomed like a fallen phoenix feather, caressing the hooves pathway.

Xerxez understood Perlend's situation as an orphan, so he didn't ask further about Perlend's family because an orphan's life, like his own as an orphan from the war against Moonatoria, was difficult and painful. Matheros and his companions didn't object; instead, they were happy that Xerxez would finally have a wife, and he wouldn't be alone forever.

When they returned home in the palace of Thallerion, he immediately commanded all the maiden slaves to prepare for their wedding celebration. He gave invitations to all the constituents in Thallerion. On the next day, the musical bands begins,in that moment; the wedding has started. All invited guests, citizens, and acquaintances celebrated for the newlyweds.

Everyone was happy on that wedding occasion, especially for Xerxez. Xerxez feels like the heavens opened to grant him happiness and a good fortune. The visitors brought grand gifts for the newlyweds.

After one month, Perlend, the wife of Xerxez, was pregnant. Xerxez joyfully announced the Perlend's pregnancy in the entire land of Thallerion and to all of his acquaintances.

And when the fleeting time arrived, a tormented night covered Thallerion, for his Perlend is about to give birth.

Perlend knew that it is not easy for her to suffer pain labor like the normal women. And her pregnancy is a proof of her weak body, yet, she proved herself that her love will birth the mixed blood of Thallerion and Peronica.

And on that moment, while Xerxez's wife gasping breath, an astonishing pass by of light object struck behind the clouds, the people heard a different kind of squeak from a bird, and what followed — the baby was born.

Perlend was successfully give birth to a healthy baby, which agile feet kicks impressed the father. The child of Perlend was indeed a boy, so the king was very happy when he found out. He then name him as 'Pyramus' that symbolized his blazing valor and prowess in the battle combat.

"Yes, Pyramus! The great fire in the war." Xerxez' said that tearfully hugged the baby.

Pyramus' hair was like a phoenix-red inherited in the blood of the Peronican, especially the shape of the eyes, and even the skin tone and smoothness. But, his agile, rounded body and handsomeness molded in the Thallerion's nation. It was a miracle that Perlend survive after her labor.

…

The boy wake up, leaning in the moss coated tree, he sat on the green grass carpeted by dried leaves. Soaked in sweat, his heart hammering against his ribs like a desperate drummer. He gasps.

'It ate me! Like... like a perfectly poached egg!

He scrambled up, still half-convinced, he was being swallowed. He ran to the stream, while the monster's face still echoed in his mind. The water was like a mirror before him, and then he carefully examined his reflection. He mumbled.

'Wait a minute,' tickling his stomach. 'I don't feel like, I was eaten by a cosmic horror. I actually feel... a little hungry. You know, for a monster horror-sized breakfast.

'Maybe some eggs, but definitely not poached. Scrambled. Yeah, scrambled would be good. Less chance of triggering my terrifying dream memories. Or steaming boiled eggs.'

He pause, then whispering to his reflection, 'Though, I have to admit, that monster had good taste. Hehehe, It feels like I'm a delicious kid.'A blinding light suddenly struck Xerxez vision, then, on his mind it feels like he was teleported into the different dimension, but this time, the surrounding become louder. The visual swept him from a blinding light space into a terrifying scene. Though it is fragmenting.

"Woah, what was that light?"

He saw the light violently crashing down from the sky. He saw a wide, glowing shield affixed to the heavens like an ultimate, unbreakable barrier, and a creature trying to destroy it with a powerful mechanism. The boy was too young to understand, ignorantly watching the face of nightmare.

GRAWRR!!!!!

"Ah, is that a monster?"

"If this is still real, then, I saw a real monster, a long-tailed creature breathing fire...His is fighting...and fighting... against magic and powerful weapons? and then he become a— boy? Who is that boy? Oh, it disappear!"

Then, a vertical line rise in the sky. There is a black. An open field in the sky. Suddenly, there are giant tentacles appear too! It resembling claws, and trying to widen the hole in the sky.

"Whoah, there is a monster face, made of thorny evil energy, a halo of dark purple monster, peeked out from it. Its eyes, like... like the galaxies with malicious intent? Ehh, he stared at me!"

One tentacle, it coil at him, like an octopus!

"No, I have nothing to do with this, the man just brought me here." The boy felt like peeing himself in fear at the sight of the lashing monster as he was gripped. "Let me go!!! Please, no, don't eat me!!!"

It lunged, not just grabbing, but enveloping the boy in its crushing grip, the air squeezed from his lungs, his bones groaning in protest. He felt himself being pulled towards its mouth, not just swallowed like an egg, but pulverized, created, absorbed into its very essence, his consciousness dissolving into a painful, eternal scream as he became one with the terrifying creature.

"If this is what he say, life and death? Then, this is not funny!"

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