Alnea finally tore through the endless blanket of trees, reaching another clearing in the forest. It was much bigger in size, at least five times as big as the clearing where he had been Forging his Spirit. And it had no stumps or rocks either. Just a wooden cabin at the centre of the clearing. It was a large cabin, made in a simple style, with logs of wood piled over each other, stuck together by some miraculous means—Arcanas of the lineage of Day— of his master. Its roof, however, had planks of wood, perfectly arranged in the shape of a pyramid.
Furthermore, the reddish brown hue of the wood was forming a perfect contrast with the white snow piled all around it, and on its roof as well. Just like how it was the perfect place to use as shelter against the forces of nature, and also, as a place for him, and the girls to rest. A perfect place to end his journey… A perfect place to complete his Oath… A perfect place… where everyone was waiting for him…
Seeing his destination, and so near to completing his Oath, Alnea finally let go of his tensed nerves, letting out a low roar of pain, as all the tears that he had been holding back came rushing out of his control, completely blurring his vision. But he did not need that for the last part anyway. Stumbling, and tumbling the last bit of his way through the doors of the cabin, he finally completed his Oath. Unfortunately, the relief that the broken chains of his Oaths might bring him would be too little, too late.
He had long lost all his strength, making the last stretch of his run with the sheer power of his will. And with his Oath completed, even that will finally lost the fuel that it had been burning on. In the end, the pain broke through the fragile barriers of his Heart, overtaking his body. And in the next moment, Alnea felt the world around him spinning, as he found himself falling headfirst towards the ground… Or maybe not…
The world stopped spinning, just as he felt warm and firm hands grabbing him by his shoulders, making sure to not to touch upon his wounds, as they laid him on the ground… or was it on her lap? The warmth… the peace… the security… it was her lap. His tears, blurring out his vision, had made it hard for him to see who had caught him, but he did not need to see to know who it was that had saved him.
“It’s alright,” his master said, gently patting his head. “You made it. Now, get some rest. Everything will be fine when you wake up.”
The broken fragments of his chains finally began merging into his Spirit, and the thread connecting his Spirit to the Origin Sea, sending refreshing cool waves into his Spirit, as the Mysteries of the lineages of Day, and Night, worked their best to soothe his Spirit from the pain it was suffering, while also recovering enough Spirit Power to make his headache recede a little. His body, on the other hand, was under the care of his master. Glittering golden, and white blobs of lights floated out from her, and into his body; more specifically, his wound, relieving him of his pain, as they silently healed him, while his master—his mother, gently held him, and caressed his cheeks, whispering words of comfort into his ears.
Going from the pits of pure agony of fire, to the refreshing and warm embrace of his mother, he felt his body, Spirit, and Heart, relax, and let go. Even the tears streaking down his cheeks had stopped flowing, as a smile took its place, mirroring the feeling of comfort in his Heart. There was no place for pain, or danger in the warm and gentle light of his mother’s love and care, that he was bathing in. Only peace and security existed here. Only his mother’s love existed here… Only…
Bit by bit, except for his mother, Alnea forgot everything else, and drifted off to sleep. To his dreams. To the memories of Alnea Oathkeeper.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Alnea Oathkeeper’s practice of his Oathkeeper Arts was interrupted by his mother barging in on his courtyard. He did not wish to stop, for only by practising the Oathkeeper Arts could he keep his mind calm, and away from the self doubts that he had recently began having because of his inability to get his Enlightenment. And he knew that his mother was here only to berate him. He had stopped receiving the last shreds of love that she had for him, when his younger brother, three years his junior, had gained his Enlightenment the year before. Still, she was his mother. And etiquette dictated for him to pay his respects. No matter the circumstances.
“What brings you here, mother?” Alnea Oathkeeper asked, bowing slightly to his mother.
“Stop this farce,” she replied, in a cold and apathetic tone.
“I do not understand what you mean, mother.”
“You cannot attain your Enlightenment. It is a fact. No matter what you do, you cannot inherit your father’s position. So, why are you making things difficult for your brother?”
“When did I ever do that, mother?”
“Do you want me to spell it out to you? Do you know how much shame your brother has to bear because his talent in the Oathkeeper Arts is not even half that of yours? Do you know how people mock him? Why are you still persevering in your practice? What do you want to achieve?”
“If his talent is not enough, then he should practise even more, mother, rather than complaining about it to you. That is how I have held myself. And that is what you once appreciated about me.”
“Will you not stop until you bring shame upon all of us? Do you want me to lose all that I have built up until now?”
“I am just doing my best, mother. This is the only thing I can do, until I gain my Enlightenment.”
“Do you still not get it? You are not gaining your Enlightenment. You have been abandoned by the Origin Sea. Do you want to be abandoned by your family as well?”
“We do not know that for sure, mother.”
“Fine. Then so be it. I did not wish to do this, but you have left me no choice. Know that I am doing this for your own good. And your brother’s as well. As your mother, I am ordering you according to the precepts of the clan to stop practising the Oathkeeper Arts till you have gained your Enlightenment.”
Alnea Oathkeeper looked at his mother in dumbfound astonishment, as he felt his heart being torn into shreds. Although his mother had grown distant from him over the years, he had never expected her to do something like this. He had longed for her love, and her care. Instead, he had gotten her scorn, and her derision. Once again, he was reminded that besides his Oaths, he did not have anyone. In this world, he was all alone.
There was nothing that Alnea Oathkeeper feared more than being alone. He knew that it was all but just a dream. That too, of a memory that he had seen many times. It was not even his own memory. It was a memory of the other Alnea, and it was not being etched into his mind, which might have caused him a dissociation of identities. Yet, even then, as the memory of his namesake faded away with his dream, the longing, and the fear in his Heart forced him to wake up with a start, and frantically look around himself for his mother… for his master…
There she was, right by his side. It looked like he had been using her lap as his pillow while he slept. That was not a first though, so he was not shy about it anymore. Instead, he looked at his master, at his mother, trying to engrave her figure into his Heart. Not that it was not already. She was already the core of his Heart, of his Serenity. Without her, he would be lost. Without her, he—
There was no need to think of that possibility. It would better if he used his time, and mind, to look at her more carefully, and reengrave her figure into his Heart. Dressed in the same pristine white robe that she always wore, with patterns of thorns around its borders, she looked almost like a personification of calmness, and serenity. Was she tempering her Heart? Or was she Wandering the Origin Sea? He could not tell with a glance. And neither did he care. As long as she was by his side, everything was fine.
“The sleeping beauty is finally awake.”