A Moment For Dona

Dona liked to mix drinks. She had become a better mixer than ever. It seems she had a natural talent. Helga had praised her drink, and when Jakob comes home, she would give him a stiff one that would ease his muscles. They had not done it for a long time, though she did not mind it. He was always full of thoughts and his mind would wander.

Not that it matters to her as long as he comes home safe from his missions. He had become one of the terrifying people that Haven knew after his recent works, which made him quite an important person. Just by association, they treated her with respect. Dona knows she was riding on his coattails. It did not bother her that there are those who would call her hurtful words.

Jakob was not someone who was a restricting person. For someone who started the relationship with cash, he was someone who did not bother too much about it. He was not a wasteful man. He was thrifty, and he liked to eat nutritional food with fondness. He acts like an old man in some regards that it sometimes would bother her. Dona was confuse why he would not or act like a lifeless statue when he is home. Dona had understood that he was a man of action. It was not in his bone to just lie around doing nothing. He had changed from what she remembered of him. No, he was so pallid back then that there was not much that she remembered other than seeing him do the usual things boys do.

But the past is the past. She couldn't care about it. She had learned how to grow numb when there was a need to do it. There are days where not even she could stand it. Where she just wants to block the noises coming from everywhere. Maybe that's why she couldn't get out of that profession, even though she had many chances. It was only because someone stubborn as Jakob had recommended that she took the chance. It was not a wishy-washy feeling either. She had thought about it and with her prospects in Sanctum getting lesser; she took this chance.

She was not as brainless to believe anyone if they didn't have enough to prove that it can work. Still, she respected those who are strong, and it was easy to believe someone who can do much in little time. It was easy to believe someone who had the abilities to stay afloat in this world. He was not bad looking either, which made it pleasurable for Dona to be with him.

Which made it hard for Dona to keep the girls away sometimes. They had offered her some rather interesting things just so they can ride him. Some even proposed for three of them in the bed. She had even wondered if they were right in the head, but then again, she wasn't new to these kinds of requests.

The bar of Haven was empty at the moment. The music playing on the bar was rather tame compared to the usual ones. The smell of alcohol did not permeate the air, and there were only a few who stayed to drink. Helga was on her workstation, chatting with customers and bounty hunters who are eager to get their hands on the Ghosts of Haven.

Miss Helga was the second boss of Haven. Her sister was the gatekeeper who manages the technology and finance of the organization while Miss Helga was the person trusted by the Boss of Haven. The Boss was a person no one but Miss Helga could see. Dona had suspected that Jakob had already seen the boss, but she was not sure.

Helga was someone she could respect. She was strong. She had the abilities. From what she learned, she and her sister had been one of the first employees of Haven, and their record was one of the best in the Haven, second only to her Jakob. Jakob was a monster, but Helga and Olga were second only to what Jakob could achieve. That was no contest, not when Jakob had slain a beluaman that had reached the six-layer of ether. Beluaman are monsters, mythical monsters capable of destroying locations on a whim. To kill someone like that means one is a monster. To kill a beluaman, they must also have the capability of matching the ether the beluaman possesses. Now what about a human that can do that?

Dona had been acting as Helga's assistant for a while now. Dona had learned a few things, and some extra benefits had come her way. She could leave Jakob, but she could not find the heart to do it. She hated seeing someone try to get near. Her eyes would tunnel, and she would tap the pistol she hid around her waist. Yes, it's like someone was stealing from her. She couldn't put her mind into it, and it irritates her when someone tries that in front of her. She could tolerate Miss Helga, Miss Olga, but for someone reason when others do it she had a feeling of wanting to draw her sidearm and stab it inside their mouths. Dona was sure it was not jealously. No, how could she be a jealous woman when she had affairs before she met Jakob again in Sanctum?

As she ponders about this, she saw someone walk inside the bar. Jakob with his well-armed figure appeared, carrying his rifle, pistol, and even his vibrant blade on his waist. A smile blooms on her face. She slid her hands on the counter and welcomed him. Jakob smiled. He sat on the stool in front of the counter, leaning his elbows on it.

Dona inspected Jakob. He had no injuries. There was not even a trace of exhaustion on his face. Seeing this, Dona felt glad that was safe and sound. They might think of Jakob as a monster, but to Dona, he was the most human of them all. That's why she couldn't leave him, she wanted to make sure that he wouldn't be alone when he's injured and beaten. Before all of this, she had seen how he fought in Sanctum as an Outrider. She didn't want to see that Jakob again.