A Jar Of Love

The Golden Jar

"YOU'RE in love with a human?" Fyre asked his friend Garem in disbelief.

His friend visited him one midnight at his favorite Kalachuche tree. He was seated on the ground with his back resting on the tree trunk.

A smile graced his friend's face after confessing to him. Like any other Kinari or Kinara, Garem had long light blue hair, silver eyes, red lips and almost transient-colored skin. Just that, his face was slightly angular. For Kinaras and Kinaris, they only had slight differences on how their faces look but their features were almost all the same—they were all beautiful, men and women alike.

"Yes! Her name's Josie. She has no family, though. She's very beautiful, kind and gentle. And... she also loves my harp and the way I sing."

Fyre swallowed. He was afraid for his friend. There were already stories that he heard about the fate of their kind when the human they loved dies. Although he hadn't met any of those winged monsters called "Mandurugo" in the pre-colonial era, he didn't want his best friend to turn into that kind of monster in the end.

"Garem, you surely heard those stories of our ancestors. Our fate might—" he started.

His friend's hand came to touch his shoulder. He stopped spouting words as his friend looked at him in the eye, shaking his head.

 "Fyre, I definitely won't end up as a winged monster!"

"How can you be so sure?" he asked with a doubtful voice. He was really still having doubts about it. For more than a thousand years of their being good friends, although this was the first time his friend has fallen for a human being, he instinctively had this kind of fear for him. He might end up as a winged monster.

His friend couldn't say anything. Garem just stared at him, unable to formulate words to convince him.

He stood up, and his friend did the same. He looked up instead at the starry sky that night. He crossed his arms while still looking up at the twinkling gems in the dark skies.

"Well, if you really do love this woman named Josie, I wish you happiness by her side. I wish you'll never turn into a winged monster. And I wish that our friendship will never end." He looked at his friend's face. Garem was also looking up at the stars. "Garem, whatever happens, I'm here for you. I'll support you. I'll root for your love for this woman. That is, if she's truly your happiness."

Garem happily looked at him. His friend playfully bumped his shoulder.

However, a few years passed by. Garem brought him the bad news. Josie became ill. Human beings called it cancer. His friend said it was some kind of a blood cancer—leukemia—he said.

"She's a mortal being, Garem," he gently said to his friend.

"I don't want her to die, Fyre!" his friend shed tears in sorrow. "I don't know if I can go on with my life without her!"

He swallowed hard. He could empathize. Their kind had this capability because of their nature. So he held his friend's shoulder and gently squeezed it.

"I'm just here, Garem. I'm just here."

Months passed. He was there for his friend when Josie died in Garem's arms. He mourned for her. Later, after a few days, she was cremated. With Garem's life force, he created a golden jar where he placed Josie's ashes inside. He carried it with him wherever he goes.

Fyre's heart was burdened because of what happened. His friend slowly alienated himself from him, the only one who stood by him. But Fyre understood his friend and gave him space to mourn. However, deep inside him, he was afraid that fate would somehow take a hold of his friend.