Memories of a golden flower

A part of a larger story that I'll write later. Until then...enjoy!

Memories of a golden flower

 

There was once a plum blossom tree. It was called Moongold because, every spring when new life was born, its snowy-white blossoms were lush and each petal seemed to radiate a shining gold, celebrating the coming of warmth. And it was under that golden-leafed tree a beautiful but sickly girl once slept and died under its branches.

Even though the chilling winter was nearing the end of its yearly cycle and spring was swiftly waking from its deep slumber with a long warm yawn to take its place, the night air was still too cold for Briar’s liking. He pulled his thick scarf closer to his neck, silently thanking his mother’s wise forethought.

He was on the way home from his nightly art classes and his shoulder bag thumped against his side with every step, heavy with the many art supplies. He walked home alone, but he didn’t mind the solitude. It gave him some much-needed silence in his chaotic life. It was calming, listening to the quiet of the night and his own footsteps. Crickets chirped merrily and owls hooted in quiet crescendo and decrescendo. A stream nearby trickled by. The moon, rising towards its zenith, beamed down upon the quiet world below her. All other sounds of the night melted together to create a melodic tune. And, every night, he passed by a special tree.

His footsteps stopped against the pavement right before the stones became grass. His dark brown eyes raised and gazed somewhat lovingly at the tree. It was powerfully made, its branches and trunk the deepest of browns. It seemed to reach the heavens, grazing sky’s cheek with its fingers.

But, he noticed with a sad thump in his heart, its leaves and blossoms hadn’t appeared yet. All of the surrounding trees were budding; some were already in full bloom. Without warning, the tree started glowing a blinding gold.

The tree at night shines with golden light…

A large gust of wind whistled by and he threw his arm up instinctively. When it died down as swiftly as it started, he cautiously brought it back down. While he gazed around for the cause, a barely audible but unearthly singing filled his senses. It seemed to come from behind him. Then slowly he turned towards the tree and his eyes widened.

Not long after, apparitions of her started to appear.

Silver orbs of light started to form from out of nowhere, gathering towards one place. Then, unhurriedly, a silver girl not much younger than him materialized from the formless mass. Long hair that danced fell into closed eyes. She wore a flowing dress that fell to her ankles that rippled in an unfelt wind. From what he could see, she was beautiful, heavenly and Briar wondered briefly if he was seeing an angel.

Her eyes opened. They were a sharp but endlessly wise green and Briar felt his existence unconsciously drawn to this girl. An adoring smile graced her lips as she turned and her gaze fell upon the tree. She raised a hand and placed it tenderly against the tree trunk. He half-expected it to pass right through, but it didn’t. Something in the back of his mind started to click into place when her lips opened and whispered wordlessly.

She says something gently in her soft voice.

He couldn’t understand what she said and he took a hesitant step forward to hear. As he got closer, it suddenly occurred to him. That straight nose…those piercing emerald eyes…and that small petal birthmark where the jaw met the neck. How had he not recognized her? It was a perfect silver apparition of… “Chryssa?” he whispered hoarsely.

But she didn’t hear him. She just continued to whisper lovingly to the tree, a smile on her shining features. And Briar could only just watch, letting his heart drown in a pool of turbulent feelings.

Just like the way she always did when she was alive…

 

The next day, all he could think about was the appearance of the silvery Chryssa. People’s voices around him became a dull drone and were filtered and blocked out by his mind. If he had fallen any deeper into his thoughts, he wouldn’t have heard the boy next to him was saying.

“That Akain guy? Yeah, he’s a miracle worker. He got rid of it. My sister had this sickness since forever and he said it was because of a vengeful spirit that wanted revenge on my dad. He banished the spirit. She’s perfectly fine now.”

Clatter. The surrounding people jumped up to see Briar standing and staring at the boy. His chair had fallen over in his haste. “D-Did you say he banished…a spirit?” he asked hoarsely.

The boy nodded slightly dazed. “Y-yeah.”

“Where can I find him?”

“He’s all over,” he replied “He’s a wanderer, see…”

“Where can I find him?” this time the urgency couldn’t be ignored.

The boy didn’t answer immediately. “Well, he just sort of…comes to you,” he finally replied, combing his hand through his hair. “He has red-black hair and slightly pointed ears. He looks kind of intimidating when he’s not smiling, but he’s amazing.”

But Briar had already stopped listening. He nodded a little absent-mindedly and, picking up his fallen chair, resumed his deep pondering.

 

The rest of the day went by unnoticed until the shrill ringing of the bell briefly woke Briar from his musings. As he threw his bag over his shoulder, he waved a small good-bye his friends and nodded absently to others. He tried hard not to think about Chryssa, but, inevitably, his mind escaped his will and he dove back into his ocean of thoughts.

“Hey, Briar.” The voice was deep and manly, but had a light tone to it. Briar, surprised, almost tripped and looked up to see a boy slightly younger than him sitting on the wall. Against the light, it was hard to make out any features on this stranger and yet there was something bizarrely familiar about him though Briar was sure he never met him before. One long leg dangled over the edge and a bare and muscled arm rested on the other.

“Who? What…? How do…?” Briar couldn’t seem to string is phrases together properly anymore.

The boy stretched a little then jumped lithely down and landed in front of him with much more grace than Briar could’ve pulled off. Briar now saw that his hair in the sunlight was a deep blood-red black and his ears were slightly pointed.

He ruffled his long hair and sighed. “Man, it’s so boring without Reima.”

Briar struggled to speak. “A-Akain…?”

“The one and only.” His face was serious and even though he was slightly shorter than Briar, he seemed so much taller. Briar noticed that his eyes were such a deep and endless black that Akain seemed much wiser beyond his years. “And don’t call me sir.”

Briar gaped. He had just been considering to say that. “Can you read my mind?”

The other grinned, baring his teeth in a wolfish kind of way. “Nope.” The serious aura that was there a moment ago vanished with his smile.

(“And he says it so truthfully,” Briar thought privately.)

Akain’s sharp eyes scanned him head to toe and Briar had the bizarre feeling that he was being x-rayed. “You seem pretty restless. It’s about the apparition from last night, right?”

“I-I thought you said you couldn’t read my mind!”

Akain winked, dark eyes glinting mischievously in the late afternoon light. “Nah,” he chuckled in his rough-velvet voice, “I just cheat a little. I’m just a simple wanderer…” In a way that Briar could only describe as drifting, Akain turned towards the busy street. Briar could only just follow him.

“Sit down,” Akain directed, plopping down and leaning back in a chair at Starbucks. Briar hesitated then pulled the chair out and slid in. “So, tell me more about these apparitions…”

Briar needed no further bidding. Everything just spilled out of his mouth as if Akain opened the dam and the river of words just flowed from his lips. Briar wondered briefly if he was making any sense, but, from Akain’s expression, he seemed to be following him pretty easily. It was only when a waitress came to take their order that he stopped for a breath. He noticed the waitress eyed Akain with a mixture of curiosity and wonder. But Akain wasn’t paying attention to her. He just gave nod in her direction and continued his attentive gaze.

Finally, Briar stopped and took a sip of water. Akain leaned forward and Briar found that he couldn’t look away from those dark eyes. “Are you sure it’s her?”

Briar nodded. Akain’s wavered a little as if looking into each of Briar’s eyes before nodding. He then leaned back in his hair and, running his hand through his hair, his expression thoughtful. “I’ve heard a lot about her. She was very beautiful and got a lot of confessions and proposals. But she was always very sickly until…”

There was an awkward silence as Briar thought of her. “She was always a very caring girl. Kind as she was beautiful. And I always saw her smiling under that tree, caring for it…she never once said a word of hate.” Then an unintentional and unconscious blush darkened his face. He covered his face with his hands in hopes to control this sudden uncontrollable stream of emotions. “What should I do? I only wish for her to pass on peacefully and not for her to remain a wandering spirit…”

Akain watched Briar for a moment then he stood up in his supple way. In a quiet voice that still rung with power, Akain stared into Briar’s eyes and said, “Take me there.”

 

“This is the place,” Briar said, indicating the tree. It had been a while since Briar saw the tree in daylight and he noticed that it looked no different from the other trees that surrounded except that it was bigger, older, and stood a little apart from the others. Somehow, at night, it seemed much more majestic and had its own special magic aura to it.

Akain’s eyes scanned the tree. “Wow, this tree is older than I expected…”

Briar nodded. “She loved this tree very much.” He gazed into its bare branches. “But, because it is so old, it’s time is almost up…” His eyes glazed over. “She was my childhood friend…” he said more to himself. He didn’t notice that his voice wavered a little. Akain stood beside him with a quiet expression of surprised curiosity. “We were always together…”

After Briar’s voice trailed off into nothingness, Akain turned his attention back to the tree. Then he, slowly placed his hand against the rough and cold bark of the trunk and closed his eyes. In his mind’s eye, he saw darkness then there was a flash. He fleetingly saw an image of a beautiful girl, smiling so serenely. Her long and unbound hair was midnight and rippled around her face as restlessly as the sea. Her kind eyes were a piercing emerald. His heart stopped for an instant.

For a moment, she reminded him of Celestina. Both were beautiful through not only their looks but through their unconditional and almost child-like love. A smile slid across his lips. He opened his eyes to see Briar looking at him expectantly.

“Briar, your friend is no longer here.”

Confusion washed over Briar like a waterfall, suddenly but powerfully. “What?” he stuttered, at a loss of words. “But is she…?”

“It’s alright, she isn’t a wandering spirit.” He smiled encouragingly.

“If she’s not here anymore…then what’s going on? Who was that girl I saw?”

Akain just stood there smiling. Briar had the sudden and irrational need to shake the smile off of Akain’s face and tell him what was going on. “Patience, Briar.” Akain said, resting a hand on his shoulder. “You’ll understand when night falls.” He raised his hand gently over his eyes. Without warning, Briar felt his eyelids get heavy. He was still fighting the need to sleep when he heard Akain’s voice, smooth and calm as water. “Because most creatures fall asleep at night…”

 

A soft sigh of wind whispered comfortingly his ear. Something was lightly tickling his nose. With a  soft sneeze, Briar opened his eyes and sat up. He was alone in the park and night had fallen. But it was much quieter than usual. Tonight, no owls hooted, no crickets chirped, and even the bubble of the stream not far away was too quiet to hear. Was everything that happened today a just dream?

“Did you sleep well?” Briar looked up and saw Akain leaning against another tree. His dark eyes glinted in the low light.

Briar nodded stiffly. “Did you sleep too?”

He let out a low chuckle that would’ve been lost in the usual night music but, in the silence, seemed loud. “Not a wink.” Then he directed his gaze away. Briar followed his gaze and it fell upon the old tree.

As if on cue, the tree started glowing. Now that they were closer, it was easier to see the magic that was happening. Faint outlines of golden leaves and white flowers were barely distinguishable against the purple of the night. Silver veins seemed to pulse under the bark of the tree, crisscrossing. Then small orbs of light bubbled forth and, rising slowly, almost evaporated from the tree. Briar glanced at Akain, but the other was staring at the tree with fiery intensity.

When Briar turned back again, he saw that the orbs had started to gather together. Unearthly music weaved in and out as the flickering orbs formed the familiar figure of Chryssa. Since he was closer, he could see the familiar features much more clearly. Like the moon, her skin was pale silver and seemed to emit her own glow against the night. The sleeves of her dress fell past her shoulders to reveal a strong collarbone. A thin ribbon-cord wrapped around her forehead and a necklace donned her neck.

Briar didn’t notice his body starting to move towards the silvery illusion. He was only aware of his overwhelming feelings for her. “Chryssa…?” He whispered. Then his voice rose as he strode towards it and tried to reach out towards her. “Chryssa!”

A strong hand grabbed his sleeve and yanked him back a few steps. “Ssh!” Akain hissed into his ear.  Then his voice smoothed over and became gentle. “It’s a just dream of the tree.”

“A dream?” Briar repeated numbly, unable to tear his eyes from her.

“Here. Touch this gently,” Akain said, indicating the trunk. Briar reached out and hesitantly grazed the bark before pressing his hand against it. Earlier that afternoon, it had been chillingly cold. Now it burned with an inner fire. Briar wanted to pull away instinctively, but found that he could not. “Can you hear it?” Akain’s comforting voice made him relax.

Faintly, Briar heard a voice. He wasn’t sure if he was hearing with his ears, his soul or his heart. It said, “…ght.” He closed his eyes and opened himself.

Suddenly, a melodic voice filled his senses, wiping away all other thoughts. He knew this voice�"he knew it anywhere. Even when it no longer traveled the land’s edges of this world. How could he not when it still spoke to him in his dreams? He saw Chryssa just like the last time he saw her. Her face was still youthful and rosy. Deep down, he knew she would eternally stay young for, in death, she would no longer age. Death had taken her when she was the most beautiful.

Her deep green eyes gazed upon the old tree and her delicate hand pressed gently against its trunk. “It’s alright,” she said comfortingly. “There will be beautiful flowers blooming next year too.” Briar shivered unconsciously. “Cheer up. I’ll share with you some of my power. There are people who share their power with me too. Like Father… Mother…and my childhood friend Briar. He’s always there, encouraging me. So you will surely” the voice faltered and started fading a little. Briar clenched his fist and he managed to catch the last part. “So you will surely…bloom beautiful flowers again…”

After a moment, her deep emerald eyes turned towards him. Her long hair danced with an unfelt wind and she was so unearthly lovely that Briar, for a moment, forgot to breathe. Then, delicately, she reached a hand in his direction. Briar didn’t feel Akain’s hand loosen around his sleeve. He only knew that he was reaching towards her, getting closer and closer.

He couldn’t help noticing how perfect this silvery replica was. Though her hair was really midnight and skin was really rosy, it didn’t matter. If anything, it made her even more perfect. This dream-illusion even had her special scent and her eyes still were as deep-reaching as when they still danced with life.

They were still getting closer. Time seemed to slow as the distance between their fingers became inches then centimeters then millimeters. Just a little further…just…a little…further… Suddenly, she burst in a storm of silver orbs like a popped bubble. A soft wind swept past his face but he barely felt it. For a moment, he was stood there, dazed. He had just felt the warmth almost touching his skin, seen the glow on his hand just before they met with hers.

He wanted to laugh; he had seen her again and it wasn’t in his dreams nor his nightmares or living fantasies. But he also wanted to cry; he was just about to touch her and talk to her again. To tell her the things he never got to…

There was a rustle and Briar saw Akain gazing into the strong arms of the tree, hand still against the trunk. His smile had such a diverse mixture of emotions that Briar couldn’t identify any. And yet he knew and felt all of them because they were the same as his.

“I guess it’s still holding some mysterious power. It’s a very old tree, after all,” Akain said after a few moments. His eyes wavered like they did when he was searching Briar’s eyes. “Always believing, hoping to see her again. It still sees her in its dreams…”

Briar chuckled a little humorlessly. “Just like me,” he murmured. When Akain turned to look at him, he said with a little more confidence, “It’s just like me. Having lost her, I will never fall in love again.” He glanced away from Akain, knowing that, if he looked into those deep depths, there would be sorrow, worry, or even anger for what he just said. But it was the truth.

Striding back over, Briar put his hand back onto the trunk. It still was warm, but not the hot from before. He saw the fading traces of Chryssa’s smiling face in his mind’s eye. “You are probably just like me,” he murmured to the tree. “Just like me…”

 

After that night, Briar decided to take care of the old tree in her place. Chryssa still visited him in his dreams, but they were kinder, happier dreams. A month later, while Briar unzipped his supplies from his backpack in front of the old tree, Akain stood not far away, cloaked in the shadows of the surrounding trees, and watched him with faintly pleased eyes.

It was his last day with Briar. After all, the gap in his heart had been filled, so his time with Briar had come to an end and he would forget Akain. He was used to it, being forgotten, but what bothered him was the thought of this kind man walking the years of his brief life alone.

There was a gust of wind and Reima appeared beside Akain who only glanced in his direction with a small smile. “Welcome back,” Akain murmured. A powerfully-built gray-blue wolf, Reima unconsciously radiated power and the air seemed to waver in his presence like heat waves.

Reima glanced up at him and, with something like a smile on his muzzle, said in a deep voice, “Akain, I pray you’ve been well…” he trailed off when Akain nodded his head in Briar’s direction. Reima’s sharp golden eyes scanned the scene. “He seems well. Did you grant him a wish…?”

Shaking his head in a silent gesture to say “Not now,” Akain turned back to watch Briar. Reima’s molten gold eyes slid back to the birch-haired youth who was busy caring for the elderly tree.

Gently, just like she did, ever so gently.

After a few quiet moments filled with warm spring wind, Akain glanced down upon his companion. His smile was playfully mischievous. “Oh, about the wish, I didn’t need it. He got it himself.”

“Huh,” Reima replied. He shook his head at Akain in mock disappointment while he tried to hide his grin. “You make my job so boring…”

Akain chuckled. “Because I’m just too good at it,” he teased. There was a large gust of wind and the two disappeared in a flurry of leaves and flower petals.

 

To Briar, the time flowed slowly. Every day, he came to faithfully take care of the tree, making sure that it had enough care and love. And, this spring, though it was late, the tree had bloomed ample white flowers for all to see and enjoy.

When he finished that day’s work, he sighed and wiped his forehead, pushing back his brown hair. He gazed into the blooming branches. In the yellow sunlight, gold dripped and dappled the white blossoms and painted the leaves.

“How is it, Chryssa?” he murmured. “I wonder if you can see this, wherever you are.”

There was a sudden rush of warm spring wind that sent shivers through his skin. A glint of gold caught his eye and he reached up, curling his fingers around the dislodged and descending leaf. It was the first golden leaf of this year.

Then he heard a clear and gentle laugh, almost child-like in its happiness. He gazed up and saw the mirage of Chryssa again. Her beautiful face broke in a dazzling smile. “Yes, Briar, it’s beautiful…it’s beautiful…” Another gust of wind that smelled like an exotic flower, and she was gone. Though it still wasn’t warm enough for his taste, he didn’t care. Somewhere, he knew that that was the last time he’ll see her. Sadness and happiness welled up together.

Briar stood there for a moment then a serene and peaceful smile appeared on his face as well. It was easy and flowed out from inside him. “I can hear it,” he murmured aloud to no one in particular. “I can hear her saying those words…”

Author's Note

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