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Nilah, greatest hero of all the lands, was currently taking up residence in my humble home. Recently, she'd slain a terrifying beast that had plagued our small port town for centuries, and we had celebrated her. Despite the offer of other gorgeous hostels in the area, she settled for a humble room I had for rent in my small shophouse whilst she waited on the preparation of a boat headed towards Bilgewater. It was an honor, to say the least.
My heart would pound every morning when I awoke to her cheerful greetings, my face would flush every time she complimented me, my steps became just that little bit lighter when she walked past me on the way out for her day. Something was odd about her though. I couldn't put my finger on it. Was it the absurd hours of the morning she woke up at? Perhaps the way she rambled on to herself late at night? Maybe it was her smile. She had a beautiful smile, perfect teeth and a wide grin that would never fade. Even whilst she was eating, she would still hold that exhaustingly bright grin to her face. Not that I disliked it! Heavens, I thought it brightened her look, made her look all the more beautiful. I chastised myself for even thinking such things about Nilah. Great Nilah, who'd saved our village from another 100 years of hell inflicted by that creature. I chopped away at the fresh vegetables that I had been gifted. Nilah was a big eater, and I swore to fulfill her appetite with my best dishes. Humming to myself, I cooked into the evening, awaiting her return.
Nilah returned earlier than usual, a bright smile plastered on her face.
"Amelia! I could smell dinner from outside!"
I nearly jumped at her loud voice, eliciting another cheery laugh from Nilah. She pulled back a chair and sat down, focused on the meal. "It smells- and looks- delicious!" She pushed the bangs out of her face. I realized I was staring, and quickly snapped my head to the side, pulling out a chair for myself. "Thank you, Nilah." My voice was a whisper compared to hers, and I only blushed redder when she hummed.
"Aye, Amelia, speak up!"
"Uh- Tha-Thank you. Nilah."
I repeated myself, still unused to the attention as Nilah gorged herself on the meal in front of her. It warmed my heart, knowing she enjoyed my cooking so much. She sighed as she tried more of my curry. "Amelia, I should thank you! This is amazing!" I fumbled on my words, simply nodding in the end. I didn't know how to respond to such attention, but Nilah's genuine grin was infectious, and I soon began to smile too. Dinner carried on, mostly in silence. Nilah made the occasional comment on my food, the off-handed brag about a past monster she defeated, and I would nod, still horridly awkward in the conversation. I cursed myself when she left the table to clear her plates. What good was I as a host? I couldn't even keep up with conversation. I got up and brought my remaining plates to the kitchen sink. Nilah moved aside, watching silently as I meticulously scrubbed the dishes.
"Amelia."
I nodded, glancing up at Nilah. My hands stopped their work on cleaning the dishes. With a smile on her face, she went on. "A friend of mine died trying to keep up with me during my fight with the demon." The plate between my fingers nearly slipped. I stared at her, mouth agape. What should I say? Where did this come from? My mind raced as Nilah continued, her grin only widening. "He didn't have to come. I could've protected him too, were I not caught up in the joy of fighting." She shrugged and played with the tassels of rope holding that strange blue orb to her waist. "Ah, such is life no? No point in lingering on the negative, he lived an amazing life I'm sure!" I swallowed, heart pounding. The warm feelings that Nilah usually inflicted upon me slowly dried up and withered into something cold. Something dark. Something terrifying. She didn't stop there. "It's funny, isn't it? Do you wanna know how he died? He slipped and got his head cut off!" She snickered. "It looked like something out of a comedy-!" "What was his name?" I interrupted, a sick horror now strangling me.
The plate in my hands clattered into the sink. Nilah paused, and seemed to think about it. "Ah, he was my cousin, Angelo." Angelo. The name clicked. He was the towns' barber. I visited him every two months. A strangled weep escaped my lips. "He had a family..." I sobbed to myself. "oh, his wife and kids.... oh..." Trembling, I could barely stop myself from collapsing inwards as I fell onto my knees, soapy hands covering my face. "Aye, Amelia." A strong, calloused hand held my arm. I was too afraid to move. "He never told me about his kids... I see why you grieve, but he's in a better place now, yes?" When I looked up, she was smiling. No matter how hard she was biting her lip to stop herself, the corners of her mouth still twitched up into a smile. It sickened me. Was this... our hero? There was something in her eyes, a confusion, a lack of understanding, perhaps. It only scared me more, but I nodded. She let herself grin, and ran a hand through my hair.
"You are a strong one, yes?"
A slow nod.
"Then you understand why we must celebrate his life."
Those beautiful purple eyes stared straight into my soul. She was begging me to do so, I realized, more horrified than surprised.
She was begging me to let her celebrate the life of a man who did not need to die.