MTG Salvation

There was once a young man, who lived by the sea in a small cottage. It was a very humble little home, with lavender flower beds. The cottage itself was made out of stone and mortar, the mortar slowly decaying away from between the rock. There was a small white fence around it. Ivy trailed all along the fence, and up the walls. He would go into town and attempt to find work from time to time. Making enough money to get by so that he could peruse his true passions, which were painting and writing. The young man spent his days wondering about taking in the scenes from his life. Exploring the mountains, watching the sunset from the tallest peaks. Sometimes stopping for a while to paint, or if he was inspired perhaps to write for a while. He loved the ocean, always coming back to it. Watching as the waves would crash into the shoreline, and then gently go back out to sea. Feeling the warm breeze glide over his face, the sand wafting around him, it gave him a feeling of peace he could find no where else. Some nights he would just lie under the moon and let the sound of the ocean quietly put him to sleep.

As he slept he sometimes felt like he could see the silhouette of a beautiful woman, but he could never be quite sure. For he only saw this figure when he woke up, and as quickly as he thought he saw her, she would disappear again. The young man chalked it up to merely dreams, for he was a sick young man. His dreams crashed with his reality to a point of being unable to distinguish the two at times. He spent several years going through the same routine for he knew he was missing something in his life, but he was unable to find it.

One evening, as he lay on the beach, he was overcome with drowsiness. He rested his head on his hands and let the sound of the ocean put him to sleep. However, he was too close and the ocean drew him in, and started to carry him away. He awoke to a start, for he had merely thought he was dreaming again. He found himself adrift in the ocean, with no land in sight. Panic started to set in. His life was not very eventful, but it did not mean he wanted it to end.

He gathered himself together, and managed to float about. It was no good however, for he started to go under the water again. His breath was leaving him, his strength was gone. The world around him was starting to fade away, and he knew death must not be far away. He closed his eyes and thought of that beautiful silhouette again, putting her in his mind one last time.
Waking up, he found himself in his own bed again. He was very confused, because surly he thought he should have died. However, looking over him was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, yet there was something oddly familiar about her. He tried to reach for her, but he did not have the strength to do so. She kissed him on the forehead, and covered him with a blanket, letting him fall back asleep.

He awoke to a start the next morning. Running his hand through his long auburn hair, he couldn't figure out if it had all been a dream or not. He tried to remember every detail of that beautiful woman. However, she was already starting to fade away. All he could remember was the faint whisper of her voice, as she told him her name. “Airihanna.” He went to his desk and wrote down everything, just as he remembered it. He pondered for a while what to do; he knew he had to see her again, but how? Twirling with one of his curls, he decided he would go down to the ocean and wait. Surly she would show herself again.

As he walked towards the shoreline, all he could do was think of her. He stared out into the ocean, hoping, wishing, and dreaming to see her again. She did not come though. The young man waited every night for weeks. Finally, he gave up, figuring the entire thing had been a dream. The most realistic dream he had ever had, but a dream none the less.

Slowly he returned back to his normal routine, and the woman started to slip away, just as the sand does into the ocean. One evening he was walking along the beach. Looking up at the sky he could see that rain was approaching fast, but he liked to walk in the rain so he did not mind. He happened a sideways glance towards the sea, and as he did, he saw that silhouette that haunted his dreams. He ran towards her, his body crashing horribly with the waves. The closer he got, the further away she seemed to get. He started to swim, but as he did the storm came ever closer. Wind swept around him, making it harder and harder to swim. He cried out to her in desperation. As he did, her head slowly turned to him, and she started to come to him. But it was odd, for she was not swimming, but gliding. “Finally, my dear!” he exclaimed. “I have found you, you that have haunted my dreams for so long now.” It was dark so he could barely see her, but she merely smiled at him. There was something so graceful about the way she was standing over him. She offered him her hand, which he took. She lifted him out of the water with ease, which astonished him. For she was so very petite compared to him.

He found himself standing next to her, on top of the water. Looking deep into her eyes, he couldn’t find any words to say. For her eyes were too beautiful, a light blue, just as a midsummer sky. However, there looked to be something behind her eyes. There seemed to be sadness, eyes that had seen too many things. He wondered how long he could gaze into them, without her thinking him to be strange. His face was ever so close to hers. Gently brushing his nose upon hers. He did the only thing he could think to do, he kissed her. His hand reached to her long blonde hair, and he gently stroked it. It was soft as silk. He was wrapped in an embrace he wished would never end. But end it must, for nothing can last forever.

As they broke apart, she looked deep into his eyes, as he had done to her. There was a handsome spark about them, hazel in color. She whispered to him that he had done something terrible and he must leave.

The young man was quite confused, for surly she would have pushed him away if she did not want him? She lead him to the shore, promising to see him again. “When?” he asked. “Soon”, “I promise, I will explain then.” With that she drifted away back into the sea. He ran as fast as he could back to his cottage. Frantically he looked for a pen to write down everything that had just happened. This time he knew it was not a dream, he knew she was real.

He waited by the sea for what seemed like weeks, although it was only a few days, for her to return. Finally, one evening, he could see her beautiful silhouette cross the water towards him. She came to him, and he scrambled to his feet to greet her. They hugged, and laid down together on the blanket he had been sitting on. Holding her close to him, he could not find anything to say. For his infatuation with her was too great. He wanted nothing more than to just lay there with for the rest of his days. She stroked his arm, and looked up into his eyes. “I am a married to a sea god.” “He has a terrible temper, and if he finds out you will never be safe.” “I have ran away from him, but he will surly find me again if I am gone for too long.” Tears were slowly trickling down her face. The young man did not know what to do; he was at a loss for words. All he knew to do was to gently rub her shoulder and whisper to her that it would be ok.

They laid together and watched as the sun set over the ocean. Her head was resting upon his chest, his arm still around her shoulder, his other hand clasped in her hand. Father time started to make his way across the sky, covering them in them in a black blanket. Slowly the moon rose above them, showering them with soft light. The warm breeze surrounded them and in low tones it moaned out to them, telling them to find sleep. The young man was trying his best to fight off the overwhelming drowsiness that was overcoming him. However, he was fighting a losing battle, because before he knew it they were sound asleep.

He awoke to a cool morning sun. Airihanna was still fast asleep upon his chest. He laid there until she awoke. She told him she must go, for she had already been away for too long. Brushing her bangs away from her face, he looked at her one last time before she slipped away back into the ocean.

Every day the young man would go out to the sea and write a message in a bottle, hoping it would get to her. He would wait for her by the edge of the sea, only getting to see her for mere moments before she would have to leave again. Slowly he found himself falling in love with her. This continued on for two months, before the young man knew he needed to tell her how he truly felt. But how to do so? For the young man had never quite had feelings like these for any other woman. He wrote her a message telling her that he had something important to tell her. Praying to the gods that she would receive it, he waited patiently by the sea for many days. Unable to eat from nervousness, he slowly started to lose his strength. Sleep also seemed to be out of arms reach for him, for he merely tossed and turned in anticipation.

Finally, the day came when he was walking along the beach, and found a small bottle. He reached down and picked it up, fishing out the scroll from inside. It had but one word on it, “Tonight”. Surly this was from Airihanna, the young man was ecstatic. The hours crept by as slowly as a new pine grows in the forest. As the night started to creep in, the young man went back out to the sea. He saw her gliding across the ocean, and he stood rooted in his spot. She came to him, embracing him as she came out of the sea.

He was trying to find the words he longed to tell her, but all he could do was look into her breath takingly beautiful eyes in silence. He knew he didn’t have long, for he never did and he needed to make it quick, so he placed one of his hands on her check. Continuing to look into her eyes, he said the only three words he longed to say. “I love you”. She looked at him in shock, for that was not what she was expecting him to say. “It’s too soon.” she stammered. “I know that it is soon, but I could not go on anymore without letting you know how I truly felt my dear.” said the young man. It was obvious to the young man that he had made her feel very nervous. He reached over to her and hugged her. “I know you have to go soon, but perhaps you can stay for a spell and just watch the ocean with me?” She agreed, and they sat down together, watching as the waves crashed into the shore, and then rushed back out to sea. After a while, they stood up, hugging, and she drifted back out to sea.

Their relationship continued in this way for many months. The young man seeing her every chance that he had. Sometimes for a while, sometimes for only a moment or two. As they spent more and more time together, they became closer and closer. The young man knew that he was getting himself into a mess, but he could not help it. His love for her was too great.

There came an afternoon where the two of them were high upon a mountain top. They were overlooking the entire town; the sun was high above them, bathing them in its warmth. The young man picked her up and spun her about in his arms until they were both very dizzy. Crashing to the ground together, he looked into her eyes and kissed her. As they broke apart she whispered to him that she loved him. It was his turn to be in shock, for he was not quite sure if he was ever going to hear those words from her.

She looked up at him and told him that although she was deeply in love with him she did not know what to do about her husband. For she had no love for him anymore, but she still feared his wrath. “I will wait” I will wait for as long as it takes you to figure it all out” “Because I am in love with you, and I will never love another as I love you.” said the young man.

Days turned into nights, nights into months, months into years, and their relationship continued on in secret. The young man always struggling to keep both of his lives afloat. The young man was not so young now, and sicker than he had ever been. The only thing that mattered to him was the love he had for Airihanna. He could no longer go out and wait by the sea for her as he once had. He could tell that his life was nearing its end, and he decided he must go out to the sea in hopes of seeing her one last time. Picking up his cane, he started down the beach to the sea. He was in pain, his bones felt as if they were giving way. Falling to the ground he could not muster the strength to get back up. He put all of his remaining strength into crawling to the edge of the sea. As the sun started to set over him, he saw her, gliding across the water. Smiling, he looked up at her. She propped him up in her lap, resting his head against her bosom. “I am free of him at last.” she said with a sad smile. “My dearest love you do not know how long I have waited to hear those words.” Tears were streaming down his face.

Finally, they could truly be together. He could feel her body shaking, and he knew she must be in tears as well. “Do not be sad my love, you have made me the happiest man on Earth.” “Let us watch the sun go down together, one last time, but as a couple, as it always should have been.” She laid down, resting her head upon his chest. The sun was a ruby red, the sky around them draped in orange. The waves gently lapped at their feet. Slowly the sun became fainter and fainter, until father time started to come out. He started to drape the sky in his dark blanket, pausing as he reached them. Looking down at the two lovers, knowing that no love was truer, he shed many tears for them. His tears transformed into a meteor shower, dazzling them with its beauty. The wind embraced them with its warmth, singing out to them in joy.

He could smell the salt in the wind, coupled with Airihanna beautiful fragrance. He looked down into her eyes one last time. Those beautiful eyes, a midsummer sky blue, how he would miss those the most. With his last breath, in a low whisper, he told her he loved her one last time. His remaining strength leaving him, he died. Wrapped in the arms of the woman he loved so dearly.