The Good Spirit's Music {Short Story}

[Tessar]

I'm afraid that this is rather a sad one, or at least a bit depressing as I was writing it to some music from Final Fantasy 10 . It isn't one of my 'good' pieces as I just sat down and slapped it out as it came, but if you wouldn't mind R&Ring anyways I would appreciate that to help me keep some things in mind next time I write a story.



The Good Spirit's Music
By Anthony G.
July 7th, 2003

Asaar spread his arms and closed his eyes, the haunting melodies of the spirit world ringing in his ears and piercing his mind.

Ever since he was five Asaar had heard the melodies. It had started faintly, the sort of sound that you turned your head in all directions to locate and yet still remains annoyingly faint, untraceable and yet so sweet that it tempts you to hear more. Slowly the music had grown a little louder, until now it was plain and easy to hear.

The elders had told him the music was a gift, a gift of the Good Spirits. The music never gave Asaar a moments peace though, it was there as he drifted to sleep every night and there as he woke before the last stars had faded from the sky.

With a quick indrawn breath, Asaar threw himself off the cliff face and plummeted towards the ground far below. The sudden pounding of his heart echoed in Asaar’s ears and seemed to blend with the spirit melodies, a drum pounding the beat for a thousand other instruments, all intensified by the hollow rushing of the air. Life coursed through his veins and a burst of fear and energy surged against his chest, making breathing hard even as air rushed with increasing speed past him.

A word. A single word would stop this fall, and Asaar knew he would say it, knew he had another second or two.

“Good spirits protect me.” Asaar whispered, his voice lost in the rushing winds and haunting melody. They heard him though, and Asaar knew his life was safe. Perhaps that was even a good thing.

A gentle tickle of grass against the souls of his feet made Asaar curl his toes and open his eyes, light and color flooding in to fill the blackness created by his eyelids. Wild flowers swayed in the light breeze that blew and supported Asaar inches off the ground. The ankle-high grass seemed to roll like the waves of the ocean. Not that Asaar had ever seen the ocean when he was awake, but he knew it all the same.

A sigh barely escaped his lips and Asaar took a step forward, allowing himself to be lowered down into the green grass.

“Thank you.” Asaar murmured softly, unsure of why he was thanking them. Oh yes, for saving what would be called his ‘life’.

People wandered why he was so often sad. Had he not been blessed two-fold by the spirits? Were his parents not caring and kind?

Slowly lowering himself into a sitting position, Asaar reached out a hand and cradled a golden blossom that leaned towards him, gently fingering the petals and feeling the life energy that seemed to surge at his probe.

So much of Asaar’s life had been guided by the Village Elder’s wishes and whims because he had special gifts. The spirits were, in a sense, at his command; and the music was another gift. If he could, Asaar would have given it all up in a blink. For those that are blessed… Are hunted. Evil is drawn to good, and many evils hunted after Asaar. Also the Elders had little respect for him, and many were openly jealous.

“Asaar… You must run. Go to the elders.” ethereal, the voice was a warning. Something was coming, and whatever it was wouldn’t go near the elders, or at least wouldn’t openly attack in front of the Elders.

With another sigh, Asaar pushed himself up and let the flower return to its former place, waving gently in the wind. Asaar envied the flower for a moment, wishing he too could be let go. But no, it was not to be.

With a last look back over his shoulder at the peaceful meadow, Asaar turned and ran back towards the village a good mile or two away. Towards those who tried to control him, all so he could be safe. As Asaar ran away, the golden blossom waved a last time in the wind, and was gently lifted off the ground to be blown far away.