Silent Wish

A lone hooded ranger wandered through the street aimlessly, bumping into citizens celebrating the Harvest Moon Festival. They happily embraced him, as it was lucky for someone to be embraced suddenly on this glorious party. It came once a year and was a celebration to thank Dwayna, the Goddess of Life and Light and Melandru, the Goddess of the Earth for the season's fruitful harvest.

The Shing Jade Monastery was located on the scenic Jade Island and was a special school for the heroes of tomorrow. It was surrounded by the green rolling hills and protected by the sea. The Monastery itself was located by the coast next to one of the biggest shipping and trading outposts in the Imperial nation. It stood for centuries weathered by the elements, but never faltered. The archaic walls took the testimony of time, weathered, but nothing would harm the heroes.

During the festival, the Monastery and its town were draped in gold and red banners signifying the wonderful celebration. It was like walking under Dwayna's domain protected by her grace from the antics of Grenth, God of Death. Children ran wildly through the streets laughing and waving sparklers. The avenues were alive and bristling with patrons paying homage to both goddesses by indulging in their bounties. The normally dark and silent night sky was filled with elemental dragons dueling and flying around, pre-maturely fired fireworks, and other loud assortments. The elementalists by the fairground outside of the monastery controlled the dragons.

He took off his hood revealing brown hair combed back and dark brown eyes. Ty thought absent-mindedly, as his friend Mai was among those chosen to help orchestrate the dragons in the sky. The tall ranger passed through the lighted avenues where vendors had set off little game shops. He watched little children accompanied with their parents playing nine rings and other games for dragon orbs to be traded in for elaborately decorated dragon masks made by the emperor's own personal crafters. The orange glow from the lanterns that hung above the crowd bathed the streets vanquishing all thought of the dark night. The warmth of each lantern was drowned in the depths of Ty's eyes, as they reflected loneliness and above all disappointment. Nothing could be said of what had happened only moments ago, when he confessed his heart and soul to "her" at the marble imperial lions.

Although her response wasn't completely unexpected, but left him vulnerable as he spilt out his feelings. The moment passed as he gradually gained control over himself. At first everything came out too fast, but as soon as he looked in her eyes, he stopped and regained his posture. The beast inside of him roared for her. The grip on the chain restraining the beast loosens in his sweaty palms. He restrained the beast and trudged onward to tell her everything…. But then, when he finally asked – and nothing. No return of the same feelings.
'Did he know of the consequences beforehand?'
'Was it written in stone, as friends around him said not to do it?'
The sudden fear of rejection rushed over him as she looked away explaining that she was needed elsewhere. She disappeared into the crowd with the use of the shadow-step teleportation leaving him alone at the lions. He sat down at the feet of the statues and ran his fingers through his hair roughly. Looking around, the scene of couples drifted by holding hands, wrapped in each other's warmth. The world was mocking him for trying. His eyes watered up as he struggled to regain control of the beast. The beast howled inside of him. He brushed them away as a wave of depression surged through him, sweeping away the fear with disappointment. Recalling all the nightmares that haunted him so for keeping the feelings bottled up inside of him for all those weeks, Ty looked onward. Those guilty feelings had devoured his insides for weeks, itching to get out. But now….What now? Ty searched desperately for the answer.

He lamented over the loss, but was he ready to let out so easily? After all, everyone had helped him and supported him in any way to try to get to the moment. He recalled his friend, Andre's advice, "Don't wait for opportunity, but seize the moment and make it happen!" Ty had seized the opportunity, but it was never enough for him. Falling short of expectation, his sister had been wrong. "She" said "no" after all.

A shadow snuck up on him as he stood still contemplatingover the moment and hugged him. Caught by surprise, Ty jumped and immediately unsheathed his blade.
"Where have you been?" asked Mai worriedly.
"Nowher –"
"We've been looking all over for you! Quit sulking and come on. You'll miss the concert and the finale!" interjected Mai eyeing the blade warily. "Did I startle you?"
"Yea, I was lost in thought when you snuck on me like that." answered Ty as he re-sheathed the blade. " I need some time alone…"

He finally turned out of her grip of him. She wore a red chemise cut just above her midriff revealing her white milky skin and a long matching skirt reaching her ankles. Her chemise revealed her chest outlining her curves of her breasts. He retreated back into his mind as she led him away towards the fairgrounds. He stared absent-mindedly at her back.
Moments later at the decorated fairgrounds, Ty broke off from Mai as she was needed at the fireworks area. Waving good-bye, he headed for a decorated cherry tree by the edge of the fairgrounds, but still maintained a good view of the central stage. He perched himself in the lower branches surveying the fair. The concert hall was situated in the middle with 360 degrees of viewing pleasure for the audience. Aeromancers controlled lighting on stage as illusionists ran to and fro preparing minor illusions for the crowd. The concert itself was draped in the colors of the monastery. Statues of Melandru and Dwayna lined the fairgrounds in various. Dwayna had her wings spread out to the heavens and Melandru offered her branches as shelter to those sitting by her basking in her earthy sanctuary.

Like a perched hawk, Ty saw everything from the mesmer sporting the red dragon mask who was hitting on his sister…to the Canthian snow doves nesting in the trees. Still slightly haunted by what he felt, he continuously scanned the area as if trying to clear his mind.

Elsewhere the winds blew through the autumn night, bringing the descendent of three goddesses, invisible to all. Lyssa, Twin Goddess of Love and Beauty appeared out from a whirlwind of rose petals. Both goddesses giggled at the scene of festivities. Melandru stepped out of her carriage pulling the earth shroud tighter around her body. The scene swirled again, bringing Dwayna into her domain. The winds spread her presence throughout the avenues. The chimes hanging at the monastery chimed along with her beginning presence on Earth. Dwayna motioned to the others, pointing to the fairgrounds and beckoned them to follow along. Lyssa stood looking at the full moon with Melandru entranced. The Earth goddess broke away and followed Dwayna slowly, leaving Lyssa alone in staring at the moon.
"Lyssa, the humans beckon. Let's not keep them waiting," said Dwayna fluttering gracefully around the twin goddesses.
Lyssa kept staring at the moon unaware of the Goddess of Air's antics.
"My presence is needed elsewhere, Dwayna. I feel someone is losing faith in love after one rejection. His soul calls particularly strong to my divinity," said Lyssa in union. She disappeared in a whirlwind of roses once more leaving a faded purple streak through the night sky. The citizens stared at the streak as it passed overhead in the sky marveling at its movement.
Dwayna looked over at Melandru on the ground mediating.
"Is something wrong?" asked Dwayna.
After a moment, Melandru opened up her eyes revealing green spheres. They shined an eerie green of emeralds.
"I feel it, too…one of my disciples beckons for my presence. His symbolic bond with nature falters as we speak. Excuse my presence," said the Earth Goddess calmly and with that final comment, she, too disappeared after Lyssa, leaving emerald leaves blowing through the alleyways.

At the fairgrounds, a trio filed onto the center stage wearing jet-black robes with free flowing snow-white overcoats. Ty could make out the middle one, his hair pulled back with clips and the silk scarp wrapped around his neck. The other guy on the left with his white hair crossed his arms, waiting for the signal. And finally the guy on the right wearing glasses and smiled to the crowd. The guy with the hair clips held up his hand and motioned for the music to begin. The crowd settled down. Ty sneaked a peek at his friends and saw the mesmer sprawled on the grass knocked out cold, and smiled.

Silent Wish

Their lofty voices carried over the crowd and to Ty personally. The twinkling music calmed the beast inside him. Each roar was lessened as they sang each verse.

Pretending to be cold, you are passionate above all others,

He lost himself slowly, submerging himself in the memories of the last couple of weeks of thinking about "her." Going back to the first meeting, bumping into her in the crowd and introducing him only to be pushed away by the surging crowd. Ty felt like shit for the rest of the night and wondered what her name was. He met her the next day doing his detention…

You're not someone that I can hate.

He smiled throughout that encounter afterwards. Usually his cold demeanor left him with few encounters with females, but there was "something" about her. She was able to draw him out of his shell to perhaps break the first couple of layers of his emotions.

In these days that go by at such a fast pace and I come close to losing your smile and kindness.

Ty woke up each day thinking about her, only to push it aside for the rest of day and for weeks at times. He locked it inside as he trained his mind and heart to close while he followed his new secondary profession of the secretive ways of the assassin. Days and weeks would go by without noticing her aura.

The soft look of your eyes embraced this clumsy me.

He lost control of himself at times when he felt her aura was particularly strong; the beast inside would raise its head. Ty remembered a particular time when he chased after her through the crowd after her faint aura. He finally was catching up to her when he miscalculated the final leap of faith jumping from the roof of a second story warehouse to the hay below in the cart by the shipping channel. Needless to say, he landed with a loud splash as he hit the water's surface. When he re-surfaced, she was leaning on the railing of the bridge over the channel smiling at him. He blew bubbles underneath the surface, feeling embarrassed and sore.

I really appreciate the miracle that I was able to meet in this corner of the world.

On the last day of autumn when the last bit of leaves fell from the trees, he remembered trekking through the strong gales of wind. Under his arm was a hastily wrapped parcel. He felt her aura faintly and wrapped his winter cloak tighter around him. The gales picked up a little masking his presence from her. He finally saw her silhouette by the fledging winter cypress by Sunqua Vale. He approached her stealthy, sneaking up behind her.
"Happy Birthday…" whispered Ty.
She immediately jumped and pulled out both of her daggers.
"How –?"
"Easy, your tracks were simple to follow. Besides, don't sound so confident of your skills" said Ty. "I always thought that assassins were always stoic…the Assassin's Creed?"
"Why –?"
"In Tyria, we give presents to someone when it's their birthday…" teased Ty.
"No, not that…"
Ty pulled out the little box and pressed it into her palm. He took a step back and smiled. "Happy Birthday!"
With that final comment, he shadow-stepped with a purple cloud leaving her alone.

Words can't describe my feelings.

"I was never really great with words," said Ty as he looked up at the clouds, watching their movements. "I hope she likes the set of jade earrings." He added in an undertone.

Silent Wish. It's sent flying by the wind.

He jolted out his memories as a breeze whirled around him.

I collect the pieces of this memory in this palm and discover myself, unshaken that one night we talked and revealed our feelings.

'Too true,' he thought. ' Only the feeling wasn't returned…'He headed towards the exit. The song still carried through to him, only he ignored it. The purple and emerald streaks headed towards, around him, time had stopped. The emerald light materialized into a wolf and headed to cut Ty off. While the purple streak encircled him, distracting him. He waved off the purple unconcernedly as he continued. The wolf stalked him until it finally stopped him by biting his hand. Her fangs held him tightly, but did not pierce his skin. Lyssa materialized in her twin form and grabbed his shoulder. Ty turned around.
"Don't walk away on her," warned Lyssa.
"Wh – what do you mean?" asked Ty puzzled by the wolf at his hand and the little girls by his side.
"Tiberius, you know what we mean. You can't hide it from her; you can't hide it from yourself, either," said Melandru as she shape-shifted from the wolf to her usual form.
Ty stared at the Goddess, unsure of what he saw before him…
"Ty, listen to your heart during the times you were around her and listen to it again now. You've changed un-noticing," said Lyssa.
"I've only reverted back to my regular self, I've never changed why start now?"
"Tiberius, listen to yourself. Don't reject the love of another. You may have been crushed this time, but the other times will be different…" said calmly.
"H – How do you know?"
"Doubting the gods, Tiberius" said Dwayna as she descended down to where the others were standing.
Ty immediately kneeled, showing showing his respect.
"The gods can only do some much, Tiberius. The rest is up to you" added Dwayna, brushing her azure hair aside.
She looked over to Melandru and Lyssa and smiled. They nodded in return.
"Dwayna, thank you," whispered Ty as the goddesses ascended into the clouds. "And you two as well, Melandru and Lyssa. Thank you," he added as he watched the emerald and purple lights streak through the sky.

Elsewhere, the two doves flew out of the nearby tree into the night.

It won't fade away. Everything is disappearing. But that second that we vanish, I want to look at the same sky…

Silent Wish.