[BL] Trick or Treat!

The Sacred Tree of Fall

by oofcat

 

 

Premise Tags: Fantasy,

Festival, Reminiscences,

Flashbacks,

Elves, Wizards, War,

Promises, Tsundere Protagonist.

Content Warnings: N/A.

 

 

It was a day in fall.

The condition of the weather was rather beautiful that day. The cloudless sky, unfiltered sunlight and cool temperature made it the perfect day for the Town of Eravadale to hold their festivities.

Arthanea the elf mage, breezily walked past the crowd with no one noticing him. He supposed that they were so much into the joyful mood that they failed to notice him. In other circumstances, a long white-haired, golden-eyed elf walking past a crowd of humans would’ve turned heads.

As always during that particular day, the normally quaint and quiet town center had been transformed. As he walked, he could see the colorful decorations that were strung across the lamp posts and the stalls selling food and little trinkets. He also felt the overall excited and joyful mood of everyone there.

“Master, you’re going too fast!”

It was the voice of his student, Mahi. Though he pitied the young elven mage, Artha didn’t turn around nor slow down. In his mind, he could see Mahi’s exhausted face begging for his master to let him catch up.

“I won’t be responsible if you lose your only student!” That made him stop. Artha sighed and stopped to let his disciple catch up. 

What a low blow, Artha thought to himself. How dare he weaponize Artha’s inability to keep his other students. He needed to give his only student a good lesson once they were finished with their errand in Eravadale. 

Out of breath, Mahi stopped in front of his teacher with sweat already running down his face, his usually puffy black hair stuck to the sides of his face and forehead. When he finally looked up, his blue eyes looked almost bloodshot as he glared at his master.

He ignored the scathing look. He turned and continued walking. They didn’t have all day.

Behind him, Mahi sighed “Why are you so eager to come here?”

“It's a festival,” Artha answered curtly.

“Yeah but, you’re not exactly the outgoing type.” Mahi snorted.

Artha felt his left eye tick at the remark. He really didn’t need to be reminded that he lived like a hermit back in the Elven Kingdom. He was a mage not a diplomat, he didn’t need to be outgoing.

“It’s an important festival.”

Mahi narrowed his eyes in suspicion again but ultimately dropped the subject.

The two of them trudged further. Mahi was a sheltered elf not used to the festive mood of a human town so his eyes were glittering with curiosity and wonder as they walked past food stalls, street performances, and the happy crowd.

“You, young man!” A voice shouted from one of the stalls. “Try out our specialty drink! The Great Hero’s favorite!”

Artha stopped. His eyes slowly turned towards the source of the voice.

It was a small orange-colored stall that didn’t particularly stand out amongst the rest. A woman was standing behind the counter, waving towards them enthusiastically.

The Great Hero’s favorite drink…

Subconsciously, Artha’s slender fingers gently stroked the intricate patterns etched onto the bottle hanging by his waist. Mahi’s eyes noticed his master’s gentle movement and figured that he wanted a drink. Master and disciple slowly walked closer to the drink stall.

The vendor gave them a welcoming smile. “Welcome customers! How about two glasses of the Great Hero’s favorite drink? Made from the finest of ingredients that were shipped straight from the Hero’s hometown!”

“Two glasses, please,” Mahi said, sticking out two of his fingers in case the vendor couldn’t hear him over the crowd.

Artha said nothing as he watched the vendor excitedly pour two cups of a fruity drink that looked incredibly sweet. Mahi pulled a single silver coin as payment then chugged the entire liquid down without hesitation. He let out a satisfied sigh and looked over to his master only to find that Artha hadn’t touched the drink yet. Instead, his calm golden eyes stared at the cup blankly before putting the glass under his nose and giving the liquid a sniff.

“This is...” He muttered in dismay. Sighing, he pushed the glass towards Mahi then turned around without saying another word. 

“Master! Wait!” Mahi drank the contents of the glass given to him and chased after his master in a hurry.

He found his master in front of a giant statue at the very center of the town. Artha was gazing at the statue’s face with an indecipherable emotion. It was calm as it always was, but there was a touch of emotion that Mahi didn’t understand. Though Mahi had been learning magic under Artha’s teachings for a few years now, sometimes he just couldn’t quite read his master’s emotions.

Slowly, he too gazed at the statue in front of them.

It was a statue of a young man. Longish hair, chiseled body, and his face were forever frozen into a debonair expression that reminded Mahi of those beautiful men that wooed and swept girls off their feet. The statue held an intricately designed sword in one hand and a shield in the other. 

Mahi examined the statue a couple of times, but couldn’t understand why his master was preoccupied by it.

“The Great Hero, Merith.” Artha explained without taking his eyes off the statue. “He was the hero who banished the Great Calamity.”

The elf traced the smooth edges of the statue’s shoes. “This festival is held every five years, in this town, to commemorate the Great Hero’s deeds.”

His master sounded calm as ever but there was something wrong. When the old elf turned around and left, Mahi did not follow.

 

Artha stared at the statue once more before turning around and leaving. As he walked, he looked around at the crowds having fun and celebrating the life of a man they revered. 

He scoffed.

Humans were odd. This much festivity for a man they didn’t even know. They didn’t take a single second to think about what was true and what was false.

Artha sighed to himself but continued walking until the only thing he felt was the cool autumn wind. His legs eventually carried him to a hill overlooking the town, not too far away. 

The top of the hill was the reason for his journey.

A single tree standing still, its golden brown autumn colored leaves swaying in the quiet wind. Artha pulled back his hood, revealing his long-pointed ears and white hair, then reached up. His fingers gently brushed his fingers over the low hanging leaves. He smiled softly to himself as he did so.

Without worrying about what his pure white robes would look like after, he took a seat just under the tree and leaned back against its trunk. 

“I’m here, Merith.” He whispered. “I brought your favorite drink. Kept it warm with magic, hope you don’t mind.”

A gentle breeze brushed over him and he laughed softly.

“I’ve missed you too.”

The Great Hero Merith. The great hero who banished the Great Calamity that was about to destroy the world. Yet to Arthanea, the elf mage, the hero was simply Merith, a simple man whose face that no one but him remembered anymore. Every time he came to the village, Artha would witness in dismay as the statue changed and changed until the gentle and sweet face of the man he loved was erased from existence, morphing into a lifeless fake that was the same in name only.

“Some hero you were, they don’t even know what you looked like.” Artha snickered.

The gentle breeze once again blew over him, this time knocking some hair away from his face.

“Hmm? Of course, I remember you.” Artha laughed. “Even though it’s been a long time since I saw you, I still see your face.”

“I still see your face.” A whisper, quiet, barely audible.

Artha closed his eyes and just let the wind caress the side of his face. He relaxed further and let the memories wash over him.

 

 

 

🍂🍁🍂

 

 

“I’m Merith.”

A certain cloudy day in fall, the first day. 

Arthanea, the elf mage, glanced at the human’s outstretched hand and then at his stupid expression. His blue eyes were twinkling with mischief underneath his black fringe.

What was he even trying to do?

Arthanea was on an errand that required him to travel to the south. It was tiresome but he was doing his utmost best to complete it with little to no delay. Eventually, after days of non-stop traveling, he had found this comfortable spot just outside a small village called Era and decided to camp for the day. 

If he knew that he would get pestered by a shameless human he would’ve continued with his journey, physical exhaustion be damned.

Seeing the elf’s unwillingness, the human dropped his hand and laughed loudly, his bright expression contrasting the grey clouds drifting above their heads.

“Come on now, why are you so stingy with your name?”

Arthanea glared at the human and ignored him. This time, he would not even look at the human’s face!

“Just your name!” The human insisted, following the elf’s gaze wherever it turned.

“I’m not going to give my identity to some human!” Arthanea snapped, seconds away from blasting the annoying man with a gust of his wind magic.

Although he probably sensed the elf’s growing anger, the human continued to laugh. He even plopped himself right next to the elf without any fear of the consequences.

“Winds of the high lords, hear my -”

“Hey, did you know that the tree above us is a sacred tree?”

The high-grade wind spell that Arthanea was chanting came to a halt. 

A sacred tree?

He glanced at the tree behind them. It looked like any other tree. It was a young but sturdy tree. Its normally vibrant green leaves had turned golden brown from the season, giving a warm and delightful feeling to those who looked at it. He didn’t sense anything from the tree that let him know of its sacred property….was this human just lying?

“Curious, aren't you?” The human wore a grin that annoyed Arthanea to no end. “Tell me your name and I’ll tell you why this tree is so sacred.”

Arthanea wanted to smack the annoying expression the human had on. He subtly glanced at the tree again, temptation seeping into his heart. As a mage, he needed to gather as much knowledge as he could about various magical and mystical things. If this tree was indeed sacred as the human said, he needed to know why it gave off no such energy.

“Arthanea.” He finally muttered.

The human had to lean close as the words were spoken hesitantly and quietly. 

“Arthanea...Arthanea…” he muttered, rolling the name around his tongue. “Such a mouthful. I’ll call you Artha.”

It was then that the human got blasted with a medium-grade wind magic that sent him tumbling down the hill, unfortunately unscathed. It was also only a few years later that Arthanea learned that the human had indeed been lying about the tree.

 

 

 

🍂🍁🍂

 

 

“You’re late.”

A certain breezy day in fall, the third year. 

Merith scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously. He plopped down and picked up the fruit laid out on the picnic basket without an ounce of regret, despite how much he knew how Artha felt about tardiness.

Artha took breaths to let go of his annoyance and sighed as he watched Merith happily munch down on a piece of fruit, the juices dripping down his hands. He looked away to partially hide his face when Merith started licking the juices off his fingers.

Three years they’ve known each other and the man had never changed. He was a rule breaking free spirit, always getting into trouble one way or another. 

Sighing, Artha leaned back against the tree and let Merith do as he pleased. He glanced at the beat-up wooden sword the man seemed to carry everywhere now.

A year ago, Merith had been selected by the village’s church to join a special training program. The program’s goal was to train the young, able men of the village and prepare them for war. When Artha heard about him joining the program, he had been against it but didn’t really put up much of a fight. The idea of it being intended to prepare one for war left a bad taste in his mouth.

Unlike the ever peaceful elves, humans were always so volatile. War was a never-ending part of their civilization and every time, the lives of the innocent would be lost. Imagining the bright human next to him lying somewhere in a deserted land wracked with war had Artha frowning and clenching his fist.

“What’s wrong?” Merith asked, still munching on the food.

Artha stared at him. He looked as cheerful as always, yet Artha noticed that his eye bags were getting worse, and there were scratches on his hands that were not there before. There was a cloud of exhaustion that hung over his figure.

To his question, Artha shook his head. He pulled another plate of food from the picnic blanket and pushed it toward the human.

Merith took the food that was given to him but he didn’t gulp it down. Instead, he lowered the plate to his lap and stared at Artha with a fiery look that he had never seen on the man before. He was a spirit unburdened by duty and responsibility. It made him wild, sometimes rude, and insensitive but it was also what made him shine.

Merith moved closer and laid a hand on top of Artha’s. Normally he would’ve smacked the hand away but the seriousness in Merith’s expression made him unable to.

“I’ll be fine,” he emphasized. It seemed that even if Artha didn’t say anything, his thoughts were out in the open. “I need to do this, I want to get stronger. I’ll join the war even if I have to. I can’t stay like this forever.”

Like this...Artha knew what he meant, though he didn’t agree. Merith was a labor worker in the village. To Artha, there was nothing wrong with it, but Merith had talked about how it made him feel unfulfilled, as if his life didn’t hold any worth. He wanted to do something that had an impact, that had more value.

“Aren’t you strong enough already?” Artha frowned. Labor work was work that needed muscle power, surely he gained strength from doing it, why did he need to join a war?

Merith shook his head. “Simple labor muscles can’t protect them.”

Them? Artha frowned, a rotten feeling sprouting in his heart. “Did you manage to find someone you like or something? Are they so weak that you must go to war for them?”

Merith suddenly laughed so hard that he had to wipe a single tear. Artha snapped and smacked him on his back. 

“Okay, okay, stop hitting me,” Merith said, holding his hands up. “I just thought it was funny that you called yourself weak.”

“I called myself weak? What do you-”

The meaning behind Merith’s words suddenly dawned on him. Artha felt his face getting hotter and he knew that his face had turned red completely. 

What on earth was this man saying?!

When he looked up to confront him, a soft touch on his lips made him freeze. Merith’s lips felt cold against his because of the chilly wind. Artha found himself unable to push him away or break free. When Merith realized that he wasn’t going to get pushed away, he kissed Artha deeper and Artha felt himself responding.

This wasn’t his first kiss, he was over three hundred years old after all but this kiss…it felt nice and heartwarming. It was an odd feeling because Merith had only ever made him feel anger, annoyance, and exhaustion. 

When Merith pulled away, he wore a gentle smile that did things to Artha’s heart. Unfortunately, soon it was replaced by another one of his cocky smiles. That was when the human ran down the hill while being chased by an angry elf.

 

 

 

🍂🍁🍂

 

 

“How does it taste?”

A certain rainy day in fall, the fifth year. 

Artha watched as his lover, Merith took off the gloves he had on and took a sip out of the drink Artha brought. His face remained blank for a bit but then it brightened. 

“It’s so good!” Merith exclaimed, the smile on his face wide. “Tastes like the fall wind, breezy and refreshing. It’s so much better than the fruity drink they sell in town!”

“That’s good,” Artha sighed in relief, though he wasn’t sure what the fall winds tasted like exactly. “It’s brewed from a special plant special to the Elven Region. It’s supposed to give you strength and keep you from getting sick.”

Merith took another sip then gave Artha a playful nudge. “Oh does it? Is this your way of taking care of me?”

“Yes.” 

Merith’s eyes widened. He had been fully expecting to hear a rebuttal coming from Artha, he was so used to it. Though his lover had a bit of a cold and mean streak, he was a gentle person at heart and always did his best to support him. 

Still, he hadn’t expected to receive such an honest answer.

“I’ll be fine! Today’s the last day of the training program too,” Merith said, gently pulling the elf into his arms.

Artha placed his ear over Merith’s heart and listened to its steady beat. “Yes, and you’re going to war.”

He felt Merith’s now calloused hand gently brushing over his long hair. It felt nice and calming, but it didn’t distract him from the fact that his lover was going to war. Artha wrapped his arm around Merith’s back and kept a tight grip. 

“Artha,” Merith whispered. “It’ll be fine. Just you wait, soon you’ll be hearing stories about me and my deeds. I’ll make you proud.”

 

 

 

🍂🍁🍂

 

 

“The tea you brought is always so good!” Merith gasped and wiped his lips. “Definitely my favorite drink.”

A certain gloomy day in fall, the seventh year. 

He sounded so cheerful but Artha couldn’t bring himself to respond in turn. The gloomy grey clouds in the sky reflected his feelings perfectly.

The war the humans fought had awoken a great danger known as the Great Calamity. It took the form of a giant dark cloud that consumed everything in its path. Destroying it would take countless lives and magic power, something no race can use freely. 

Since the human war was the thing that ultimately woke the Great Calamity, the humans had to be the ones to take responsibility for it.

“I heard they want you to join the front army against the Great Calamity,” Artha said, darkness settling in his chest.

After a year of fighting in the war, Merith had proven himself to be a capable soldier and fighter. Every so often, Artha would catch wind about a warrior who displayed skills that were beyond the capabilities of a normal soldier. Thus, it was obvious that he would be the first person the human rulers wanted.

Merith sighed and put his cup of tea down. 

“Artha-”

“Don’t tell me that it’s going to be fine!” He snapped, fingers clenching against his tunic and his anguish boiling over. “It’s not fine! You’re fighting the Great Calamity, do you know how dangerous it is? How impossible it is for you to come back alive! Do you?!”

Merith fell silent. His mouth opened and closed, lost for words. Slowly, his fingers reached up and brushed against his lover’s face, wiping angry tears that flowed from his eyes.

“I do know.” His voice was the most serious it had ever been. “But I have to go. I’m also partly responsible, I fought in that war too.”

“But you weren’t the one who started the war,” Artha said, his voice catching. “You were just a soldier following orders.”

Merith took Artha’s hand and placed it against his heart. “What if the Great Calamity reaches you if I don’t do anything?”

Artha couldn’t help but hit Merith’s shoulder with his free hand. “Are you calling elves weak? We can deal with the calamity faster than humans.”

Despite the words being a jab, Merith didn’t express any hurt. “I know, but you can’t. The other races have decided that this is the humans’ problem.”

The human slowly pulled the elf into his warm embrace and laid a soft kiss on top of his white hair. The gentle gesture did nothing to calm Artha down, it just made him even more emotional. He felt more tears coming out and landing on Merith’s tunic.

“I promise you.” The usual light, cocky voice now turned into a serious whisper that was tinged with sadness. “When the entire thing is over, I’ll be coming back to see you with my heartbeat intact. No matter what.”

 

 

 

🍂🍁🍂

 

 

“It’s colder than usual today.”

A certain freezing day in fall, the ninth year. 

Artha placed a blanket on his lap and leaned back against the tree. He took a sip out of the warm tea and sighed, seeing his breath puff up in the air.

After feeling warmer, Artha took a nervous breath then slowly opened the letter sent to him.

It had been two years since Merith went ahead to fight the Great Calamity. He had turned out to be an extremely valuable soldier. He managed to lead the fight with grace and skill, taking out countless of the Great Calamity’s monsters with ease. 

Some people were even calling him a Hero. 

Duty came with fame, thus Merith was busier than before. For the past two years, Merith had only been able to send letters, but they never once failed to arrive.

Slowly, Artha unfolded the letter in his hand and read the chicken scratch writing on it.

 

My dear Arthanea,

Heya! That felt odd to write, but at least it made your heart beat faster….right? 

…

I don’t know how many letters I’ve sent you but I realize that it’s been two years since I saw your face or touched your hand. I finally understand why sometimes things just feel like “forever”. 

How are you? Is everything well at home? If you’re feeling lonely, maybe you should take a student or something to keep you company. As long as they don’t replace me.

 

Artha scoffed internally at those words but nonetheless kept reading.

 

I know what you’re thinking and I’ll just answer it right now.

Yes. Everything’s fine. We’ve managed to push against more of the Great Calamity’s hordes and are closer than ever to finally fighting the real thing face to face.

So don’t worry. I did make a promise, didn’t I?

Soon, we’ll both be sitting on top of that hill overlooking the city like we always do. We’ll lean against each other and drink my favorite tea. I just know it.

So wait for me a little bit more, okay. You can hit me as much as you want once I’m back.

I love you.

 

 

 

🍂🍁🍂

 

A certain grey day in fall, the tenth year.

.

.

.

 

 

🍂🍁🍂

 

 

“Time to see if you’re a liar.”

A certain drizzly day in fall, the eleventh year. 

Artha stood by the tree with nothing but anxiety and impatience broiling in his chest. Usually, he would pack a lunch bag and a roll of picnic blanket, but not this time. This time he wasted no time in rushing to this beloved spot. 

Yesterday, there had been an announcement that the Great Calamity had been successfully driven away. A great human hero by the name of Merith had charged in with the utmost bravery and successfully destroyed the Great Calamity.

Hearing that news, Artha couldn’t control himself. He had rushed here almost immediately, trusting that Merith would come home with his heart beating.

Soon, he saw it. A familiar silhouette walking up the hill, one hand holding a tattered bag and another hand holding a broken sword.

Artha almost broke down into tears. He took off running down the hill and jumped into the arms of the man he loved, his slender hands gripping the back of the man’s shirt. He heard a shocked gasp followed by a gentle laugh.

“I’m not a liar.” Merith said, placing Artha’s hand above his beating heart. “Fully beating.”

Artha couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, yes you’re not a liar.”

He pushed his ear above the man’s heart as he always did and tightened his hold once more. The tears he held back now freely fell down his cheeks. Merith was home, he was right here, he was right. here. Yet the tears continued, unstoppable. Like an overflowing river without a dam during a thunderstorm. The silent tears turned into breathy and broken sobs.

Merith laid a warm hand over his lover’s head and pressed his face against his neck. He too was silently crying. He thought he could hide it, but he guessed Artha wasn’t one to be fooled. Gradually, he felt his legs losing strength, and his body slowly crumbled onto the soft ground. 

Artha wiped at his tears and held Merith in his arms. Pressing their foreheads together, Artha tried to whisper words, however, nothing but gasps could come out.

He felt it. The Great Calamity might have been gone, but its poisonous influence did not. As someone who got the closest to it, it was inevitable. He felt the dark poison inside Merith’s heart and it wasn’t going anywhere.

He felt Merith reaching and touching his cheek.

“Ah, I want to drink that tea again. It’s been so long.”

Artha laughed. “Idiot, didn’t I send some?”

“Yeah, but I wasn’t drinking it with you.” Merith gasped, his words turning quieter as he spoke.

Both of them fell silent, their eyes glued to the setting sun while their hands clasped together.

“Thankfully you only made one promise. You barely managed to keep this one, how on earth would you even keep more.” Artha joked.

Merith laughed soundlessly.

In the morning, an elf casted a spell and watched quietly as a human warrior turned into countless golden brown leaves that sparkled beautifully. He watched as the winds that had accompanied them every year blew the leaves away gently, while carrying the eleven years of feelings that bloomed on top of that hill and underneath that sacred tree.

 

 

 

🍂🍁🍂

 

 

“Mind if I join you?”

A certain sunny day in fall, one hundred years after the parting. 

Artha opened his eyes and watched as a young man with messy clothes smiled at him. For a while, Artha didn’t say a word and stared at the man. Dark hair, mischievous blue eyes, and a warm smile.

Those eyes remind me of his,  Artha thought melancholically. 

“Of course.” Artha replied, gesturing towards the empty spot next to him.

The young man grinned and plopped down. He gave a relaxed sigh and watched the festivities happening below.

“You’re not joining the festival?” The young man asked. Artha shook his head but didn’t elaborate. 

After a few moments of silence between them, the young man looked towards him once more with a wide grin and asked, “What’s your name? I’ve never met an elf before.”

Stunned at the question, Artha gaped and couldn’t answer, the memories of that first meeting ever fresh in his mind. Seeing his hesitation, the man pouted. His eyes then drifted behind them and with a grin, he pointed at the tree. 

Gestures that were oh so familiar.

“If you tell me your name, I’ll tell you why this tree is so sacred.”

 

 

🍂

 

 

 

 

Author's Account:

oofcat (SH).