Ernith Tresting had a secret. One that he could not share with anyone. And even if he could, who would believe him? His parents had not. And his friends would not either. They would only end up making fun of him. It was better that he kept the secret to himself. That way, no one would mock him, and only he would know what the secret was, making him feel a little special. Not that he was not special as he was. After all, he had never known of anyone, besides himself, who had memories that were not their own. Memories of someone else. Memories of a man living in a world completely different than his own.
Only Ernith himself had something as special as that. Though, in a strict sense, he did not have those memories either. What he had were just memories of memories, coming to him in his dreams. It was understandable then, that his parents did not believe him. However, Ernith was sure that what he experienced were not just mere dreams, but something special. Something different. Something like… memories. Unfortunately, they only came to him in his dreams. As such, he could view them only when he slept. And even then, he had no control over which memory would come to him. The only thing he was sure of that be it night, or day, they would come to him whenever he slept.
If he recalled correctly, the first time that the memory of the man from the other world had come to him was somewhere around the time he had turned six years old. It was the memory of a boy, a little younger than even how old he was back then, surrounded by a lot of grown people, undergoing some kind of ritual. In essence, the ritual was somewhat similar to the ritual that Ernith himself was getting ready for, except that he turned twelve years old around six months ago, while when the little boy in his memories had been undergoing the ritual, he had just turned four years old.
Of course, there were other differences in the rituals as well. After all, the little boy, or rather, the man whose memories came to him in his dreams, lived in a different world. But considering how rushed Ernith was, those things did not carry much importance at the moment. Setting his hair in front of the small mirror in the bathroom, he made sure that he looked his best. It was one of the most important days of his life for him. And he had to make sure that he looked like the man he wished to become. The man from his dreams.
Ernith himself had never thought that he would come to see the man in such high regards, that he would even wish to become like that man. After all, when the dreams had first begun, they were only of a boy, younger than even himself. Moreover, back then, he had not even known that those dreams were special. For him, they were just dreams that would come to him when he would sleep and go away when he would wake up. If not for the fact that the dreams of the little boy were more vivid than the other dreams he had had until then, he might have even forgotten about them.
However, as time passed, Ernith started noticing the peculiarities of his dreams. Ever since he had first dreamt of the boy, he had never dreamt of anything else. Only the snippets of the boy’s life would come to him in his dreams, and they would come to him whenever he slept. Furthermore, as the days passed, with each night bringing him new dreams, the dreams brought him new snippets of the boy’s life, showing him his growth into a man, while revealing more and more details about the world that he lived in, making him certain that they were not just any normal dreams.
Scared, and confused, Ernith had told his parents all about his special dreams, hoping that they would help him, that they would drive away all his worries, and fears. Instead, they had just laughed his worries off, treating the man from his dreams as his imaginary friend. In the end, he was left with choice, but to let his dreams be. And so, his days passed as usual, with his dreams bringing new memories to him every time he slept. However, with each memory that he saw, Ernith grew more, and more familiar with the man, as his fear soon transformed into curiosity, while his reluctance transformed into anticipation.
A few months later, he started attending the Western Anneve Academy to learn his words, and other common things that everyone should. There, he had met quite a few people of his age, and made friends with many of them. Of them, Reth, and Amaya were his two best friends. And since they were his best friends, he should not have any secrets with them. Or so he had thought.
Yet when he had tried telling the two of them about his dreams, they had laughed it off, just like his parents. Rather, they had laughed even harder than them. Thankfully, he had only discussed about the possibility of the dreams, and memories, and that too, in a rather implicit manner, managing to keep his dreams, and the memories of the boy to himself. A secret, which he had kept since then, and intended to keep it like that for a long, long time.
“Come on, Ernith, let’s go!” his mother said, with impatience tainting her voice. “If we don’t leave now, then it will get too crowded to find a good spot. Don’t you want to be done with your Ritual, and lay your Roots as soon as possible?”
“Coming!” Ernith said, as he looked in the mirror one last time, making sure that he looked like the man from his dreams, even if only a little bit, before rushing out of the bathroom, and finding his mother standing near the door. There was a slight hint of impatience on her face as well, matching perfectly with her voice. However, as she saw him hurrying out of the bathroom, struggling with his robe, she inadvertently let out a light, and affectionate smile.
The smile was probably from seeing him struggle with his robe. That was why did not like wearing robes… They were just too uncomfortable, and hard to handle. If it was not for the tradition that required him to wear a robe for the ritual that was going to happen later, he would never have bothered to wear it.
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His mother, on the other hand, rarely missed any chance that she could get to wear a robe. They just came naturally to her. Even at the moment, when it was his day, not hers, she had still put on her favourite robe, the one she took out to wear only on her anniversaries. A red robe with golden borders. Apparently, his father had given it to her when he had asked her to marry him. That, with the red ornamental pouch in her hands, and the wooden sandals with the golden straps, formed her complete dress.
And as he looked at her, he could understand why she liked to wear it so much. The dress made her look so elegant, and mesmerising, that his father often went into a daze when he saw her dressed like this. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Or maybe second, if he included the woman that sometimes appeared in the memories that came to him in his dreams. But in his own world, he had never seen anyone more beautiful than his mother. And none so elegant as well.
Ernith, on the other hand, was as far from elegance as he could be. He wondered why what she could do so effortlessly, he could not do even with all his efforts. Maybe it was because he inherited all of her other good qualities, like her black hair, and her dark brown eyes. Not that his father’s hair, golden, like Enn, the God of Day, shining up in the sky, was bad. He just liked the his mother’s hair than his father’s. Besides, it was not like he had inherited nothing from his father. His height, for example, was quickly catching up with his mother’s. Perhaps in a couple of years, or maybe three, he would be able to surpass her in height. Maybe even catch up with his father.
“We have to wait for dad,” Ernith said. “He said that he would come today, no matter what.”
It was his father’s promise to him, and a promise should never be broken. That was what he had learnt from his dreams, and those memories. From the man whom he desired to be like. No matter what, one should never break their promises. Though it would not be the first time if his father really broke his promise with him. Still, Ernith hoped.
“A guard from the Redbud family came by earlier, while you were still sleeping. The Redbud family gave him a new commission at the last moment, and he got a little tangled up with it. But he promised to meet us directly at the Altar after completing it.”
“Really? Did he really say that? Is he really coming?”
“Of course, he is,” his mother said with a smile, as she ruffled his hair. “Today is the day our son is going to lay his Roots and take his first step as a Wanderer. He wouldn’t miss it for the world. He might even already be there right now, waiting for us. So, hurry up.”
“Don’t mess my hair,” Ernith said, pushing her hand away. “It took me so long to set it.”
Pouting at his mother’s smile, he ran back into the bathroom, and looked at himself in the mirror to check his hair. However, the mirror revealed much more than his hair, including the white, and blue robe that he was wearing, and the wooden sandal that he had put on, just like his mother, in the old traditional Wanderer Style. It looked stupid and was too cumbersome to wear. Shirts, and trousers on the other hand, were not only easier to wear, and carry, they looked much better on him as well. Unfortunately, as per the traditions, he could only wear the robe for the Ritual.
“I look like an old man,” Ernith mumbled to himself, stretching his hands and watching his sleeves fall loosely from his wrists. After making sure that his hair was still parted in the way he had set, he walked back out, looking at his mother with a self-satisfied smile. “I already knew that he was coming.”
“Of course, you did,” his mother said with a chuckle, which soon turned into a laughter when she saw him run his hands through his hair again, and again, making sure that his hair remained as he had set it. Squeezing his cheeks with both her hands, she added, “My son looks so handsome. Just don’t break too many hearts.”
Pushing her hands away, Ernith ran towards the door, shouting and urging his mother to follow. She laughed and caught up with him, trying to take his hands in her, but met with his firm resistance. He was going to be a Wanderer, and as such, refused to be treated like a child. Making sure that he was the one walking in front, as if he was the one leading her, and not the other way around, was also because of that reason. The same went for why he did not complain about the blue straps of his sandals chafing his feet. He was not a child anymore. Though, much to his chagrin, his mother still kept treating him like one, asking him all sorts of questions.
“Have you decided on what you want as your Root?” his mother asked. She herself was not a Wanderer. Her Roots were not strong enough, she had said. And so had repeatedly emphasised on him getting stronger Roots. Roots capable of allowing him to become a Wanderer, like his father. Her efforts had not been in vain though, as after her repeated reminders, and constant nagging, Ernith had found the perfect Roots for himself.
“Of course,” Ernith answered, puffing up his chest. “I want to be a Warrior. That way, I can be at home with you whenever I want. So, I am going to take you as my Roots.”
“Do you think that the Warriors get to stay at home all the time?”
“At least I would stay home longer than dad…”
“And what about its price? What will you give to the Origin Sea in return for allowing you to lay your Roots in it?”
“My ability to love anyone else other than you,” Ernith said, as he turned around to face his mother, and spread his arms, feeling proud of himself. A feeling that soon disappeared when his mother smacked him on his head.
“Don’t do stupid things. You have to think about your conviction, Roots, and its price carefully, or you will regret them later on.”
“I won’t regret my decision!” Ernith replied, rubbing his head.
“What about your father then?”
“...Maybe I will include him as well.”
“And what if there is someone in the future?”
“I don’t need anyone else!”
“You are not allowed to use that as the price for your Roots, and that is final. And while we are at it, you shouldn’t take me as your Root as well. Not only does a Wanderer’s Root connects their Spirit to the Origin Sea, but it is also their greatest weakness. What if someone learns of your Roots, and then tries to take advantage of it?”
“Easy, I will just have to protect you.”