(Fantasy)

The old Centurion blinked slowly as he stared at his charge. The leaves bristled slightly as he breathed a sigh. His joints protested against his movement to get closer. Carefully he reached out but paused just a breath away from the soft bark of the tree. He closed his eyes and let a tear fall as he struggled to smile.

"Goodbye, old friend. May the next man serve you better than I."

He kept his eyes closed as the tips of his fingers grazed the trunk of the tree. His past lives and years of memories filled his mind, body, and soul before he collapsed to the ground with a sigh. The room fell deathly quiet save for three green leaves falling gracefully onto the old Centurion's stilled form, the only form of farewell the ancient tree could perform.

~~~~~~

"I swear to you, Tufftan Glade, if I see you in my gardens again I'm going to skin you alive!" A shrill voice called as a window slammed open.

Using my staff, I vaulted myself over a hedge of bushes and onto the gravel road. I raised the crudely plucked bundle of flowers in my other hand in salute as I call over my shoulder, "Thanks, Mrs. Rosemary! You're the best!"

A searing pain in my head made me lose my step for a moment but it quickly left.

I couldn't help but chuckle to myself as I bounded out of the garden district and into the main center circle of the village, my cheeks hurting from smiling so much and my heart beating wildly. I don't usually get caught but I was asking for it this time trying to grab some of her flowers while she was home. I guess I was getting bored.

I slid to a stop at the Center Circle of the village, my thin-soled shoes making me wince against the pebbles on the road. I scanned my eyes across the outlet roads leading to the other districts until I found the one I was looking for; the Music District.

I smiled and took off running again, my small cloak billowing out behind me. People say I dress funny, that there were more colors in the world than green, brown, and black. But it was easier to hide my day-to-day messes. A mother would clean them, maybe even tell me to do it myself, I'm practically a man at the ripe age of fifteen. Well, that is if I had a mother.

It didn't take long for the music of the district to travel down the road and reach my ears. I smiled wider as I pushed harder, knowing who was waiting for me there. Lydian would roll her eyes at me and what I did, but I didn't care. I got the flowers, didn't I?

The pain in my head throbbed loudly but disappeared as soon as it came.

Musicians passed me by giving me odd looks but kind nods as I walked as nonchalantly as I could, knowing full well they could clearly see the flowers I was holding behind my back. Sadly, that also meant they all knew who I was here to see.

"Good luck Tufftan, you're going to need it."

"Yeah Tufftan, the seventh time's the charm, right?"

"She must be worth it."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Any girl of mine is worth it."

And with that I jumped in-between two instrument shops, moving the flowers' stems between my teeth and my staff in a slot between my shoulder blades. This made leaping up crates, wagons, and the wall of one of the shops to the second story and into a small studio room, sneaking up behind a sitting figure, easy.

Her dark hair fell in large curls down her back, shining in the sunlight. She hunched slightly over an unknown small object, but I could hear the tinkling of a music box. I smirked, as well as I could with eight flowers in my mouth, at the tune it played.

Keeping my staff on my back, I grabbed the flowers and brought them forward, letting the tips of one of the petals tickle the back of the sitting girl's ear. She jumped but made no sound as she turned around on her stool, her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed.

Her dark green eyes bore into mine, dread rippling through me. I masked my slight fear with a wide smile.

"Aren't these beautiful?"

Lydian rolled her eyes and turned back to her little music box in her lap. I let the flowers drop to my side as I let out a small defeated breath of air.

"What? Do you not think she'll like them?" I gave the sad looking bundle a quizzical once over.

She shrugged a shoulder. Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. I knew what she was doing. I walked to her front, looking around for somewhere to place them.

"Well," I move around a few paint brushes used for decorating, "I hope she does."

Lydian didn't look up as she signed with her hands, "She was by the messaging center last I saw her."

I shrugged my shoulder, placing the slowly wilting flowers in what looked to be a large spool of bass strings. "Huh, funny you should say that. I'm looking right at her."

Lydian stopped what she was doing, placed the small music box on a side table. She looked up at me, her eyes not amused.

I lifted my hands. "What? I thought you said you wanted some flowers to press into your journal."

She let out a sigh as her hands moved fast. "That was a private conversation."

"How am I supposed to know that when you talk so openly. I keep telling you, you need to practice on your whispering voice."

She smirked but tried to hide it with a fake scowl. Her hands moved.

"If anything, you got those for Melody."

I felt heat creep up the back of my neck. My headache pounded.

"What makes you think that?"

She rolled her eyes again. "I'm mute, not deaf and blind. The whole district knows you are sweet on her."

I shake my head and swallowed. "You know she doesn't want to be seen with someone who can't hold a note." I laughed nervously.

Lydian turned back to her work, picking up the small music box as she didn't look at me and quickly signed.

"But if you could..."

She knew me all too well. I watched as her fingers moved slowly over the gears, a sparkling glow emanating out of the tips of her manicured nails. Music drifted off the spoil of bumpy metal though nothing was powering it. A little boy and his dog projected up off a coil, the song building as the two played together. I always found her ability to make cute stories to go along with her father's songs so fascinating.

She should really be in the Art District but no one wants to learn how she speaks over there. No one has the patience to understand here. Sadly, not many do even here. After her accident with her voice, people shunned her and pretended she didn't exist. Only a handful of people know her signs and decided to stay around. Melody wasn't one of them. They were best friends and Melody was kind. I liked her then too. But that feeling quickly faded when I overheard her talking with some of the other older kids about putting together a musical number for the evening of the Center Circles Celebration and purposefully inviting everyone to come sing, effectively leaving Lydian out. But I haven't told Lydian that yet.

I shook my head slightly as I tried to keep the pain away.

I watched as the song started again and she finished the projection before placing my hands on her shoulders, my touch making her look up at me.

"Lydian, you are my best friend and I got those flowers just for you. I didn't get threatened to be skinned alive all for Melody to turn her nose up at them."

She raised her left eyebrow and narrowed her right eye. Her infamous 'fine I believe you but don't think I don't see what you are doing' face and I loved it. I gave her a pleading smile.

Finally, her features softened and she motioned for me to give her the flowers. A few pedals fell as I handed them to her, but she caught them with her hand. I took the music box off her lap as she stood, then followed her to her room. We passed her father's office and I nodded to him.

"Good afternoon Mr. Cardone."

He didn't look up from his order forms but waved a hand. "Hello, Tufftan."

Lydian opened her door and I couldn't help but sign. I always liked her room, so warm and cozy. Her mother's necklace hung in the window, the crystal casting a soft purple light around the room. I smirked to myself as I remembered the day I met Lydian, the day I tried to steal that from her. Since then we have been close, she's put up with my unconventional ways and I have never regretted them. The headache thumped again.

Lydian placed them in an unused vase, scooping water out of the home stream out her window. She set it on her window sill and stood back, crossing her arms. Giving me a glance she signed in such a way I read it in a whisper.

"There, another way to let me know when you decide to barge in my room again."

I chuckled, nodding my head. "Yeah, I like how you just keep adding to it." Along with the necklace and the flowers she had other trinkets and gifts scattered along the sill. Most of them I had given her. I smirked. "I think I prefer to come through your studio window."

She gave me a sideways look, a small smile pulled at her lips. "Noted."

I spied one of the rocks sitting near the corner of the window, the shape and color very familiar. It sparked the original reason I wanted to see her today. I turned to her, placing a hand on her shoulder, my voice quiet so her father couldn't hear in the other room.

"You still up for the hike to the glowing stones tonight?

She didn't give any indication she heard me. My heart dropped. No wonder I was able to sneak up on her so easily. She still doesn't trust me enough to tell me. My head pounded again, but I ignored them.

I reached over to turn her by her shoulders gently to face me. My eyes searched hers as I watched the realization that I said something wash over her face. She blanched, looking anywhere but at him.

"Lydian," I whispered, but a bit louder for her sake, "you need to tell me about your hearing."

She tried to pull away, shaking her head. But I kept my hands where they were, my eyes looking up in her face.

"Really. I want to help you."

She looked up, her eyes hard. "There is nothing you can do."

I gave her a pointed look. "You know that's not true."

She just stared up at me, her shoulders sagging as she nodded.

I reached up and cupped my hand over her right ear, closing my eyes in concentration as I felt what little power I had flow through me and into her ear. I opened my eyes and gave her a small smile.

"That better?"

She mimicked me, smiling and nodding. She mouthed a thank you.

I nodded, dropping my hands from her shoulders. "Welcome! Now get ready for the hike, I need to go grab a few things before we head out."

I turned to leave but another wave of pain hit my head. Blinking, I stumbled slightly but recovered quickly. Unfortunately, Lydian saw and reached out, grasping my hand.

I turned to her, smiling softly, talking before she could sign anything. "I'm fine. I'll see you on the path." I then rushed out of the room, shaking my head as I tried not to think too much into the sudden pain.

I ran to my little hut in the trees on the edge of the Music District and gathered my things for the hike. It was for times like this that I was thankful I was never given a district assignment at birth. Means I can live anywhere and go anywhere I want. And that includes the hill of glowing stones.

Lydian and I found it a few weeks back and go visit at least twice a week. Or whenever she was free. It was a place we liked to call our own and it was a place I knew she felt completely at peace. I liked it because I could see the stars. And my headaches would stop. I got them after visiting the hill for the first time weeks ago. They get progressively worse the longer I'm away. Therefore, I have more of a reason than to spend time with Lydian on that hill.

I told her about it the last time we were there and she keeps telling me to go to the Health District about it, but no one really likes me there. Especially when I broke one of my legs and they told me to stop climbing rocks. I came back a week later to get the other leg casted for the same reason.

I don't mind it though, I feel alright just going to the hill every now and then. I liked those moments with her. But for some reason, the headaches were bad this week. And my Energy wasn't working right. Almost like a large rock in a stream, it only trickles out every now and then, never in full force. I noticed that too after visiting the hill all those weeks ago. But I didn't tell her that.

I walked down the path and smiled when I saw Lydian, her hair tied up and her pack ready, her work dress changed for her favorite green one, it matched her eyes. She smiled back and we started our walk. We never talked, just enjoyed each other's company. It was slowly getting dark and the stars were coming out. Soon the pebbles under our feet started to glow, growing brighter as more stars came out and the sun fell. Before long we came to the top, overlooking the vast expanse of unexplored forest. I sighed with relief as a coming headache soon vanished along with the last dying rays of the sun.

Lydian reached for my hand and nodded to the little cluster of rocks we made our sitting area since the first day. I nodded, taking her pack and setting it down next to it. We sit down, leaning back on the glowing teal rocks, looking out over the hill top. The ground was littered with glowing rocks, all varying in size.

Lydian let out a content sigh of her own as she leaned over, resting her head on my shoulder. She lifted her hands and signed.

"Is your head feeling better?"

I smiled, nodding. "Yeah. I had hoped you'd forgotten about them."

She snorted. "You aren't that good at hiding anything." She sat up, turning to me. "You need to tell me about those."

I have her a look then chuckled. "Touche."

She smiled, pleased with herself, leaning back on my shoulder. Finally, all the rocks were glowing and the moon was high in the sky. I wasn't sure how long we didn't talk for but I had a nagging question in the back of my mind. I reached my hand out to take one of her hands in mine.

"Lydian, are you still upset with me for what you saw last week."

I could feel her go still. I knew it.

I let out a sigh. "Look, I didn't mean to run into her, Melody was following me and I turned around and she ran into me. And being the gentleman I am," she shoved me and I chuckled, "I caught her before she fell. Then she pulled herself up by my tunic-" Lydian shoved me again and I ignored it, thinking she was just being funny, "and tried to kiss me. I truly didn't-"

Suddenly she pushed off of me, took my face and turned it to me. Her eyes were wide and full of fear. My stomach dropped.

"What? What is it?"

She dropped one hand from my cheek and pointed behind us. Her hands made the movement of shaking. Shaking? But before I could ask her what she meant the ground shook. Lydian stumbled into me and I held her close and away from any falling rocks and trees as the ground shook. The Village Districts behind us didn't seem to be affected, but that didn't stop me from freaking out.

Soon the ground started to buckle like a piece of parchment, crumbling in on itself. Lydian buried her face in my chest as her hands grasped onto my body. I held her close, our bodies shaking.

"I got you. Hold on."

Just like I thought the ground caved in. I didn't move as I tried to make sense of what just happened. Dirt and dust moved about, the glowing rocks making it easy to see. I sat up, ignoring the pain in my arm and foot, searching for Lydian. Somehow she had been ripped from my arms. It didn't take me long to find her, her slight frame draped over the edge of a fountain lip, her hair covering her face, blood trickling from a wound on her head.

I ran over, kneeling down, running my hands over her to get her moving, to get her awake. I called for her, tears streaming down my face as she refused to move. I sniffed, looking around for something, anything that might help me. Then I noticed it. The tree. It looked fairly small, sitting in the fountain-like basin, its branches reaching out. Where water would be there was dirt and a few protruding roots. Still sitting by Lydian, my hand on her side, I wiped the tears from my face then reached out for it. But before I touched it I heard a voice, soft, sweet, and raspy from lack of use.

"Tufftan, don't, " Lydian croaked.