Burning Bodies

[Bellesta]

Moonglade was a mess.

Bellesta stalked quietly past the infected wardens and motionless corpses. The plague spared few, and the normally quiet atmosphere of the glade was abuzz with cries of horror. One could only defend from the undead for so long, before they consumed you. Despite this, Bellesta continued unphased away from Nighthaven. The undead had not breached the Barrow dens, nor the lake.

Omen would not have allowed either to happen.

Her white eyes flicked back, catching the glimmer of the shovel hanging on her shoulder. In her hand was a torch, the end reduced to but small coals. She had to travel quiet and not attract the attention of the scourge. Twisted paths stretched out before here, most trampled down by animals or forest-walkers, and hidden to all but the trained eye. Moonglade seemed quiet and eerie, there was no wind nor noise. Perhaps the whole forest was infected, awaiting its inevitable death. The thought was one Bellesta didn’t want to entertain, the task ahead was grim enough.

Past the dens, beyond hanging ivy and thick trees, a small clearing stretched out before her.

“Hello, Selecia, Mother, Pathis.”

Three graves, one fresh, lay at her feet.

[Bellesta]

The shovel bit into the dirt and tossed it aside. It felt so slow and frail compared to paws, but it was a more careful tool for the job. The first two graves had come up with ease, a pile of animal bones and a bundle the size of a child. The smell of rotting corpses was growing strong, but Bellesta hoped she was far enough out to not attract the scourge before it was too late.

Bending down, she began to pull dirt away with her fingers, brushing off a plate chest piece. A tight smile spread across her face as she murmured; “Hello love. Sleep well?”

The mangled elven body was lifted from the dirt, maggots and rot falling from frail bones. Bellesta propped it up upon the edge of the grave and began to unwrap the head.

“I wish you understand how lucky you were.” She whispered to the dead man. “Those bodies behind you? They died for you. She died because of you.” Bellesta flicked her eyes onto the child-sized bundle. “I suppose she wasn’t good enough, was she? You wanted your own child from a barren woman? What an eternal tease.”

Lifting the rotted body onto her shoulder, Bellesta heaved it into the pile of bones, looking back at the three ditches left behind.

“I wonder if you expected this when you walked away. I wonder if you ever considered those around you. You were always selfish and prideful, perhaps it was a trait about you I loved. I never expected it to be your downfall.”
Beginning to pace around the pile of corpses, Bellesta continued.
“I loved you, once. You promised me everything.”

But he gave you nothing, my child.

Bellesta narrowed her eyes, picking her torch up from its hook. “You left me. You walked away after taking everything.”

You don’t need him anymore. You only need me.

Kneeling down, Bell took the head within one hand, nails caressing the sunken skin and exposed bone. “But I continued on. I didn’t die for you. And now you are alone.” Her nails began to dig in past the skin, into the eyesocket. She purred, a dark, angry noise. “Justice.”

Let them fall to cinders, let me feed on their ashes.

“This, Pathis, is goodbye.”

The torch touched the pile and the corpses lit aflame.