Chapter 1: The Spirit Awakening Ritual [Part 1]
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.
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."
Chapter 1: The Spirit Awakening Ritual [Part 2]
Sometimes his mother could ask really stupid questions. He wondered if that was the true reason that she had been denied the chance to become a Wanderer. Maybe all that talk about her Roots being too weak was just because she was too embarrassed to tell the truth to him. Should he then tell her that he already knew the truth, and that there was no need for her to make such lies?
Before Ernith could go further down that train of thought, he felt his mother smack him on his head once again. "We still have some time, so think of something else," she said. "No taking me as your Roots, or that stupid price as well. Otherwise, you can forget about becoming a Wanderer." After a pause, she added, "And also, remember to never tell anyone about your Roots, not even to me, or to your father. Even till date, I don't know what your father's Roots are, and neither does he know what mine are. The Origin Sea has endless Mysteries. Only if no one knows about your Roots will it forever remain a secret."
Ernith rubbed his head, glaring at her. Was she teaching him about keeping a secret? Should he tell her that he had kept a secret from everyone for more than six years, and how dumb she was for trying to teach him how to keep a secret? Or so Ernith thought, until he saw the look in her eyes. After that, he decided to keep quiet. At least for the moment. She may be a little dumb, but she was still stronger than him. For now. Not that he would fight her when he grew stronger. He loved her too much for that.
But after he would finally become a Warrior, maybe she would get too scared to hit him. That was another reason he was thinking of becoming a Warrior. After all, Scholars were too homely for his mother to get scared, while becoming an Arcanist would not help either. His father was an Arcanist, but even he had to bow down to his mother when he was at home. But he would not tell her that. He would just keep it a secret. It was another thing he had learned from the man in his dreams. Keeping secrets.
Rubbing his head, and quietly acquiescing to his mother's demand to rethink his Roots, he once again started walking in front of her as they made their way through the festive streets of Anneve, greeting all the aunts and uncles they met along the way. They were nice people, if he did not take their habit to tease him into account. However, all of that would soon come to a stop. After all, he was going to become a Wanderer.
Not just him, but all the other children–people his age, were going to take their first step as Wanderers. That was what the Spirit Awakening Ritual was all about. Awakening the Spirits of all twelve year old people, and guiding them into laying their Roots in the Origin Sea. Once their connection with the Origin Sea would be established, then they would stop being children, and would become Seeds, people who could borrow the power of the Origin Sea and begin training their Spirits in preparation for Wandering the Origin Sea.
That was true for Ernith, and that was true for Reth, and Amaya as well. Living in the same part of the city, Ernith met up with them at the Western Altar Road on the way to the Origin Altar. Just like him, they were going to lay their Roots, and become Seeds. Hence, it was only natural that they would be dressed like him as well, in cumbersome, and heavy robes.
On other days, Amaya normally dressed up in loose frocks and shirts, while Reth went around getting covered in mud from the Warrior Hall's training field at the Academy every day, so it did not matter what he normally wore. All of that would end up getting dirty and ruined anyway. However, following the traditions of the Spirit Awakening Ritual, it was normal for them to put on robes for the Ritual, Reth in yellow and white, and Amaya in green.
It had always been so. Even for those who could not afford it, the Orthodoxies would send their kids–young men and women, a pair of robes for the occasion of the Spirit Awakening Ritual. All the children–young men and women, at the age of twelve, the age of laying their Roots, would dress in robes, and walk towards the Origin Altar on the first day of the month of Ilea.
The march was a tradition that signified the conviction of children to become Wanderers, and to defend the world against the Thralls. And that conviction was what decided the strength of their Roots. Ernith already had his own conviction. His mother had asked him to change his Roots, and he probably really should. But even if he did change his Roots, his conviction would remain the same, to always be with his mother, and his father.
Looking at his two friends, Ernith wondered what their conviction was, and what the two would take their Roots as. With the two being weird as they were, he would not be surprised if they took something weird as their Roots, or conviction as well. Should he reminded to at least not fight for the day? Or maybe he should not. At this point, fighting each other was practically their way of greeting each other.
In the beginning, it was not like that. When they had first met, it had looked like the two would get along with each other and had even been almost inseparable from each other for a small period of time. Then, on one particular day, they had gotten into a fight after a small argument over something that they had long forgotten about.
From that day forth, the two never got along with each other. They were still inseparable from each other, but for a completely different reason. No matter the time or place, if they got a chance, they would always be at each other's throats. Many times, Ernith had to step in himself to stop their fights. Yet no matter how they fought, the two also refused to stop being friends with each other. They were just too weird. Still, they were his friends, and that would remain the same even if they chose some weird conviction, or Roots.
Withdrawing his focus from them, Ernith looked around himself, and the road they were on, the Western Altar Road. Like the other seven Altar Roads, it cut through Anneve from its outermost fringes, directly to its centre, the central plaza, and the Origin Altar. And in the process, it also took them through the core city of Anneve, which also happened to be what he was trying to get a glimpse of.
Normally, both the core city, and the Altar Roads, were reserved for the Orthodoxies, and highly esteemed Wanderers. What that meant, Ernith did not know. He just knew that his, and Reth's father, Wanderers as they were, were still not allowed walk on the Altar Road on normal days. And though his father was allowed to go to the core city, that was because he worked for the Redbud family. But his father was not at an important enough position in the Redbud family to bring Ernith, and his mother into the core city.
However, since the Spirit Awakening Ritual was held right in the centre of the city, including the core city, the Lotus clan ruling the city had no choice but to allow everyone the passage to the central plaza through the Altar Roads. And so, not counting the Academies, which lay partly in the core city, and partly on the inner edge of the inner city, only on the day of laying their Roots were the people, other than those affiliated with the Orthodoxies, allowed to pass through the core city, and get its glimpse. That was another reason why Ernith had been so excited.
Ernith had been born and raised in Anneve. That was his whole world. In particular, the inner city of Anneve was his whole world. Yet according to the books that he had read, Anneve itself was just one of the smallest cities in the Evenfall prefecture of the Ann province. And when considered in the perspective of the whole country of Rianra, it was just a remote city located near its southwestern borders.
Thus, being able to finally leave his small world, and take a step towards seeing the vast world that lay just beyond his own, was too thrilling for Ernith. Even though he was not allowed to go anywhere else but the Central Plaza, his thrill did not diminish in any way. At least he could still see some of the core city on either side of the Altar Road as he made his way towards the central plaza. Even that was not something that he could get the chance to do every day.
As such, Ernith made sure to make the best of what he could, comparing what he was seeing with what he knew about the city. Having seen the map, and layout of the city, he was aware that from the top view, the city looked like a spider's web, being divided into roughly four parts by its streets, and its architecture. The dead centre of the city was the central plaza, where he, and the other people on the Altar Road were going. It had only one thing, the Origin Altar, which was only used for the Spirit Awakening Ritual, and nothing else.
A little further out from the Origin Altar, with the Origin Altar at its centre, a small circle marked the second division of the city. Within the circle, covering roughly one tenth to one twelfth of the city's area, lay the core city, where the Lotus clan lived. Outside of the circle, and within a larger circle that had its boundaries a little further out, covering roughly one third of the city's area, lay the inner city. Ernith lived in the inner part of the inner city, only a few streets away from the core city. So it took him only an hour to make it near the central plaza from his home. But he would not have minded even if his home would have been at the edge of the inner city.
As for the Outer City, that lay outside of the bigger circle marking the boundary of the inner city, covering almost two thirds of the city, his father had told him that for security reasons, no one living there was allowed to come into the inner city, let alone the core city, or the Origin Altar. And that was true even for the day of the Spirit Awakening Ritual. As it was a very important Ritual, there could not be any room for errors. Thus, they could not take risks by allowing the people of the outer city to come into the inner, and even the core city. What if there were some Heterodox Wanderers mixed in them?
Shoving his thoughts about the other things away, Ernith focussed his attention on the core city, or at least the part of it that he could see, comparing it to how his father had described it to him. Except for a few differences, it looked exactly the same. Strange, and large buildings, completely different from the buildings of the inner city, surrounded by an endless spread of lush green gardens.
The core city, of course, was much more than that. And Ernith wished to see all of it. Unfortunately, for that he would have had to leave the Altar Road and enter the core city itself. Something strictly prohibited by the Lotus clan. So he had to satisfy himself with what he could see, and leave the rest for later, when he would become an esteemed Wanderer, and gain the right to go wherever he wished. Yet, for that, he would have to lay his Roots first. So after getting a satisfying glimpse of the core city, Ernith started to think of what he could take as his Roots. Unfortunately, there were just too many things to choose from. And so, he reached the central plaza before he could complete his thoughts.
However, it looked like both Ernith, and his mother had underestimated the enthusiasm of the people for the Spirit Awakening Ritual, as by the time they arrived, the central plaza was already filled with more than a thousand people, waiting for the Ritual to begin, while even more people kept pouring in to keep increasing the crowd. It was hard for them to find his father in such a crowd.
So after wishing for the blessings of Goddess Ilea for his two friends, Ernith, and his mother separated from them, and forced their way through the crowd to where the North-western Altar Road opened up into the plaza. Since the Redbud family lived in the north-western part of the core city, if his father had yet to come to the plaza, then that was the direction where he would most probably come from. Thus, finding a place that would make them look a little more conspicuous than the rest of the crowd, Ernith waited with his mother for his father to find them.
After a while, when neither he, nor his mother found any signs of his father, it became apparent that he had not yet come to the plaza. But he did not mind. His father had promised him after all. So while Enn kept climbing higher and higher in the sky, and more and more people kept pouring into the Plaza, Ernith kept searching among those people for his father. He kept searching, and searching, until no more people came, after which, his search turned into a wait. Then, he kept waiting, and waiting, until Enn reached his zenith in the sky, and the time for the Spirit Awakening Ritual to begin finally arrived. But his father did not.
Chapter 2: Promises [Part 1]
"...He is not here, like always," Ernith said, gazing into the direction of the north-western part of the core city. Seeing the mist in his eyes, his mother sighed, and gently patted his head.
"Don't worry," she said. "He will come."
Grumbling to himself, Ernith gave the North-western Altar Road another look, before pushing his mother's hand away from his head, and turning towards the Origin Altar. Placed right in the middle of the central plaza, and consequently, the entire city, the Origin Altar, or the Altar of Origin, was an obsidian black stele, standing on a stepped circular platform, raising the base of the stele higher than anyone's head.
Ernith had always considered himself quite tall for his age, almost coming up to the shoulders of his mother, but when he saw how large the stele was, for the first time in a while he felt that he was not tall enough. Shaped in the form of a stepped tower carved on a circular base, the stele was at least twice as tall as him, and just as wide, if not more. However, the most eye catching thing about the Origin Altar was not its size, but the countless Glyphs carved along its entire length, giving it an odd, and mysterious look, that screamed of fascination, and wonder.
Even more wondrous though was the man dressed in black, and golden robes, who climbed the steps of the platform, and walked up to the Origin Altar, just as Enn reached his Zenith, signalling the time for the Spirit Awakening Ritual. From the way he carried himself, and from the fact that he was up on the circular platform, it was certain that the man was a Wanderer. What Ernith wondered was what kind of a Wanderer was the man?
He did not have to wonder for long though, as soon after climbing next to the Origin Altar, the Wanderer took out a small circular disc, and a carving knife, before beginning to carve something on the disc. Unfortunately, Ernith was standing near the back end of the plaza, right next to the Northwestern Altar Road, and as such, was not able to see what the Wanderer was carving. Though from the pace at which the Wanderer was carving on the disc, he doubted whether he would have been able to see anything even had he been right next to the Wanderer.
While Ernith was lost in his thoughts, gazing at the Wanderer, the disc in the latter's hand burst forth with a golden light, which then soon detached itself from the disc, flying away from the Wanderer, and into the Altar beside him, submerging into its surface. In response, the Glyphs on the Altar soon shone in an even brighter golden light, before they detached themselves from the Altar, and started revolving around it, shifting their places, and rearranging themselves while they were at it, drowning everyone in their awe.
It was not as if Ernith had never seen Glyphs being activated. He had seen both his mother, and father activate Glyphs back at home, and soon, he would be able to activate them himself. Yet, those were just normal Glyphs that kept themselves attached to the objects they were engraved on. Not like the ones on the Altar. Only a Scholar, a Wanderer specialising in the field of Glyphs, could activate Glyphs like that.
The Scholar at the Altar did not even show the usual signs of drawing on Oren, the unadulterated power of the Origin Sea, to activate the Glyphs. Whenever his mother had to activate the Glyphs, she would always close her eyes for a few moments, and concentrate a little. The Scholar, however, just stood there, facing the people in the plaza, not even looking at the Glyphs. Yet the Glyphs still shone, as if they were acting on their own, drawing all the Oren they needed to be activated from the Origin Sea by themselves.
Ernith, of course, knew that was not the case. He did not know how the Glyphs were working, but at the very least he had seen the golden light drilling out of the disc in the Scholar's hands, before merging into the Altar. That was enough to tell him who was activating the Glyphs. Still, being able to activate Glyphs without even touching them was awe inspiring in itself, and a bit enigmatic as well. After all, it was the first time he was seeing Glyphs behave in such erratic way.
Unable to subdue his curiosity, he tried to peruse through the Glyphs shining in the air. Unfortunately, that proved a little too difficult for him to do so. Standing at the far end of the central plaza, all he could see of the Glyphs were just glowing blobs of golden light. The Glyphs were too far from him. And too bright as well. And though the light of Glyphs gradually dimmed, they did not stop moving. Quickly rearranging themselves, they flew back onto the surface of the stele, giving a faded golden glow.
"My fellow brothers, and sisters," the Scholar said, using his powers to make his voice reverberate across the entire plaza. "Today, on the first day of the month of Ilea, the day that the Goddess of Luck and Good Fortune is said to be closest to our world, we are going to witness another miracle created by us, humans, and Wanderers. For today, our children will enter the Origin Sea for the first time, and lay their Roots…"
With the mesmerising Glyphs fading away into the stele, Ernith soon lost his interest in the Scholar, while the thoughts of his father and his promise came to the fore again, forcing him to shift his gaze to the North-western Altar Road. It had always been like this. His father would always say that he would come, that he would be there for him. But in the end, he never was. He was always in the core city, working for the Redbud family. Mostly to help test their Arcanas. Arcanas. It was always the Arcanas. They were always more important than him.
"Don't look so glum," his mother said, caressing the back of his head. "The ceremony will take some time. Let's wait for a bit longer."
"It's fine," Ernith said. "I always knew it was going to be like this."
"He will come," his mother said. "We will just have to go through the ceremony a little later than the others."
Ernith did not reply, nor did he look at his mother. He did not wish for her to see his face. He was going to be a Wanderer. A Warrior. He was no longer a child. He could not let her see the tears in his eyes. And so, he turned away from her, and faced the Altar, clenching his fist, and hiding them in the cuffs of his sleeves. Promises should not be broken, he said to himself. It would have been better if his father had not promised at all.
Why was he so hung up on Arcanas anyway? What was he so proud of? He had only created one Arcana, ever. Ernith did not know what it was, but it was probably not something too great. His father had said that it was what had allowed him to become an Arcanist, but at the same time, it had also left his father too afraid to give it his all in trying to create Arcanas. And so, as a Wanderer, he was forever stuck at the Initial Stage of False Rank.
Ernith did not know what that meant, but he knew enough to know that a False Rank Wanderer was the lowest of the low amongst Wanderers. And that his father did not create Arcanas anymore. Instead, as a retainer of the Redbud family, his only task was to test the Arcanas that the members of the Redbud family created or were in the process of creating. It was much safer than creating new Arcanas, he had said.
If he was only trying out the Arcanas created by others, then why was he still not coming to him on the day of his Spirit Awakening? Could he not have done it a day later? Why, on one of the most important days of his life, on the day that he was about to lay his Roots, was his father still not with him? Why was he still breaking his promise? Would he be with him if he became an Arcanist, and created Arcanas?
"...Becoming Wanderers would not be easy, and many of you would fail in your path. But if you do not even have the courage to face that failure, if you do not even have the courage to overcome your fears, how can you become Wanderers? It is said that a Wanderer's journey starts in the Origin, and ends in the Origin. But the truth is that a Wanderer's journey is endless. And it is time for the children, for the future of our world, to take their first step of that endless journey. To step into the Origin Sea, and lay their Roots. Let the children come to the Altar one by one…"
Chapter 2: Promises [Part 2]
As the Scholar started calling for the children—young men and women— to go up on the raised dais, Ernith found his attention shifting from the golden stele towards the golden ball hanging in the sky. Enn, the God of Day, Action, and Light. Though it was Yul who was the Goddess of Time, it was through the position of Enn, and Orn in the sky that most of the people were able to tell the passage of time. Six hours of Enn ascending to his zenith, and six hours of Enn descending into the horizon, never late no matter the circumstances.
Orn, on the other hand, often came off as lazy, with her mood directing when she left her home. According to the myths, an agreement was made between the Gods allowing her one hour with Enn after his descent into the horizon every day, following which, it was supposed to be her turn to shine her light upon the world with the same schedule of six hours of rise, and six hours of descent.
In reality though, no one could actually force the Goddess of Night, Emotions, and Darkness, to do anything against her wishes. Especially after the Gods had long left the world. Thus, more often than not, the soft bluish white glowing counterpart of the golden ball in the sky rose up hours later than she was actually supposed to, rushing along with her rise, and diving back to her home hours before she was supposed to. Not that those things mattered at the moment.
The myths of the Gods, interesting as they were, were not enough to keep Ernith away from the thoughts of his father. Neither was the slight chill creeping up along his limbs, as the God of Day slipped towards the horizon, allowing the winds to pick up their pace, and with it, the slight chill left in the air. Winter may have passed, but spring had not come in its full force yet. The chill left from the last snow, just two weeks past, still lingered in the air, which the winds carried into his robe through the wide openings along the end of his limbs.
Biting his lips, blaming the frustration in his heart on the stupid winds, Ernith tugged at the ends of his robe tightly, determining himself to not give the winds the satisfaction they wanted. At the same time, he also tried his best to shift his attention away from the North-western Altar Road to the Altar at the centre of the plaza, where the Spirit Awakening Ritual was happening. Where the young men and women, people of his age, were laying their Roots.
The process of laying their Roots itself was not long, or complicated, or at least that was how it appeared to him. At the call of the Scholar, those young men and women were climbing up to the Scholar, who stood with his back against the stele shining in a faded golden glow. But neither the Scholar, nor those who went up the Altar were paying any mind to the stele. Rather, they probably did not have enough time to pay attention to anything.
After those people climbed the Altar, the Scholar spoke a few words to them before tapping their foreheads, following which those people just stood there in a daze, recovering only after the passage of a few moments. Not too short, but not too long either. Probably less than one twentieth or one thirtieth of an hour. Still, with more than a thousand people present in the plaza, it was going to take quite a while for everyone to lay their Roots. That was probably the reason why the Scholar just congratulated the people done with their ritual with a smile, and sent them down the stage, making way for the others.
Thus, the confused and bewildered Seeds, people who had laid their Roots, climbed down the Altar with all kinds of mixed emotions showing on their faces. Some smiled, running down the stairs with a smile, flying into the arms of their family, while the others, scared, and lost, came down crying and trembling, either having lost more than what they had thought they would while laying their Roots, or regretting not having the courage to pay a higher price required for their desired Roots.
Still, since the Ritual had just started, there were only a few people like this. Most were like Ernith, standing in the plaza, waiting in a nervous anticipation. Unlike him though, they were waiting for their turn, and not for their fathers. As such, their wait soon came to an end, with their turns for the Ritual arriving one after another, including Reth, and Amaya.
Soon after having laid their Roots, the two came by to share their excitement with him. Yet, just when they were just about to share what they had taken as their Roots, they were stopped by their parents. One's Roots should always be kept a secret, they said. And if they really wanted to share their Roots with each other, then they should wait until they were a little older, and more mature. Both Reth, and Amaya grumbled at first, but acquiesced reluctantly.
Still, the nervous energy that filled them was hard to contain. As such, failing in sharing his excitement, Rethn then focussed his attention on Amaya. Winking at Ernith with a grin, the yellow robed boy turned towards Amaya, and complimented her for her looks, saying that the colour suited her the best. That caught Ernith with a surprise. It was the first time in the six years that he had known the two of them that he had heard a word of compliment for Amaya from Reth's mouth.
A little intrigued, Ernith turned his head to take a good look at Amaya. The green did look good on her, but not any more so than the other colours she normally wore. But that did not matter. Forgetting his wait for his father for a few moments, Ernith grinned back at Reth, before following his example, and complimenting Amaya on her dress. Unfortunately for them, Amaya caught on to their mischief, pinching their waist, making them yelp in pain.
Running around, teasing, and chasing each other in the limited space they had, Ernith found himself forgetting all his worries, and laughing along side his friends. They were his best friends, people he cared for the most after his mother, and father. Maybe he could take them as his Roots, he thought, before shaking his head right in the next moment. His mother did not allow him to take her as his Roots. How could she allow him to take his friends as his Roots?
Ernith was just thinking of consulting his friends on what he could take as his Roots, when their parents urged them to go back home. Having already laid their Roots, there was no need for them to stay in the plaza anymore. And not just them, but all the other people were the same. Thus, just like the others, his friends, after wishing him the blessings of Goddess Ilea, went back to the comfort of their home as well.
On the other hand, the people who had yet to lay their Roots moved closer to the Origin Altar, eagerly waiting for their turn to come. Only Ernith stood where he was, waiting with his mother for his father to come. He waited, and waited, until Enn started approaching his zenith, dimming in appearance, giving a reddish hue to the sky, while the crowd started thinning out as well, giving the sly winds the chance to pick up their speed, and blow against his robe, flapping its loose cuffs, and its hems near his feet.
However, Ernith stood still, bearing against all the forces of nature, waiting for his father to come. Because his father had made a promise. And promises were not meant to be broken. So even if hunger came at him, he stood still, waiting. Even if his mother gave up on his father coming, and urged him to go to the Altar, he stood still. Waiting. Because he knew that his father would come… Because he had made a promise…
So why was it that there were still no signs of him, Ernith asked himself, as the last person completed his Ritual, leaving only him in the entire plaza who had yet to undergo his Spirit Awakening Ritual. Only he had yet to lay his Roots. And the Scholar knew it as well, urging him along with his mother to come to the stage, to the Origin Altar, and lay his Roots. Even if he wished to, Ernith could not wait anymore.
Turning towards the North-western Altar Road, he gave it a last glance, before making his way towards the Origin Altar in silence. He had only taken a few steps though, when the sound of hurried steps rang out behind him. From the direction of the North-western Altar Road. From the direction that his father was supposed to come.
With his heart pounding in hope, Ernith paused in his steps, and turned around, looking towards the North-western Altar Road in anticipation. What he saw though, was completely out of his expectations. It may have been late in the evening, with Enn almost hallway into the horizon, still, its fading light was enough to partially illuminate the Altar Road and let him see that it was not one person running towards the central plaza, but two.
None of them were his father though. They were dressed like his father, in loose trousers—tucked into their boots at bottom— with a rough coat covering their loose shirts. But they were not his father. Uncle Trepis and Uncle Yuren. Both Arcanists, serving the Redbud family along with his father. Their children were not old enough to go through the Ritual though, so why had they come? And where was his father? Most importantly, what was the look on their face? Fear? Anxiety? Horror? And… was that guilt?
"What happened?" Ernith heard his mother ask in a voice just as shaky, and loud as his heart. "Why are you two here, and Raun isn't? Did he send you two in his place? That idiot. This is the Spirit Awakening Ritual for Enn's sake! Didn't he know how important it is for Ernith? Or how much Ernith was looking forward to this? Why didn't he come himself?"
"Ciena," uncle Trepis called his mother. "Raun… he… Raun took a new task of the Redbud family… He went to test their new Arcana…"
"What–what do you want to say?" his mother said, trembling at uncle Trepis' words, as if already aware of what he was trying to imply. "He is not coming because he is busy testing the Arcana, right? He will come back as soon as he is done with it… right?"
"He is not coming back, Ciena," said Uncle Yuren. "The Arcana… it was from a member of the Redbud family. Though his Spirit had reached the Peak Stage for a while, he had been stuck at the Late Stage of the False Wanderer Rank for years. Recently, he had gleaned some Mysteries of the Origin Sea, and had created an Arcana from those Mysteries… but he was too scared to test out the Arcana himself. So, he had Raun test it for him…"
"An Arcana of the Peak Stage?" his mother exclaimed. "Has he gone mad? What is he thinking?"
"The Redbud family offered to allow Ernith to train with the members of their clan, the Lotus clan, and not just the Redbud family. They said that they would pull some strings, and allow Ernith to train at the Central Academy… But they would do that only if Raun would test out the Arcana for them. Raun couldn't refuse…"
"That idiot," his mother cursed hysterically. "No, I have to stop him. Where is he? Where is that idiot right now?"
"…I am afraid that it is too late for that. I—We are sorry, Ciena. Raun… he…"
Chapter 2: Promises [Part 3]
"No!" his mother said, yelled, vehemently shaking her head. "I—I don't believe it! Why are you lying to me?"
"We are not lying. We—
"Then what do you mean that it is too late? Has Raun already started testing the Arcana? Both of you are Arcanists as well. Don't you know how dangerous it will be for him to test an Arcana that is three stages higher than himself? Hurry up, and take me to him. If we don't stop him now—
"We know that…" uncle Trepis said, with his shoulders trembling out of his control. "Inkah's breath, both of know that better than you do!"
"...Control yourself, Trepis," uncle Yuren said with a sigh, lightly tapping uncle Trepis' shoulder, before turning to face his mother. "The dangers of trying out an Arcana beyond our level… How can we not know such a thing? How can Raun not know such a thing? Other than his slightly higher Spirit Power, he is still an Initial Stage False Wanderer in essence. Besides, the fact that the Redbud family even asked him to do such a thing was suspicious in of itself. There are other Advanced Stage Arcanist under their service, but they still asked Raun to do such a thing…"
"...Then why are you saying that there is no need for me to stop him anymore?"
"...Because it is already too late," uncle Yuren said, sighing heavily, while shaking his head. "That idiot… he told us that he would not take the Arcana, and then went ahead and took it by himself."
"No… why…"
"Because he was an idiot, that's why!" uncle Trepis said. "Both of us warned him, and yet he still went ahead and did it… All for what? An illusory promise that the Redbud family has no intention of fulfilling?"
"...He also knew how dangerous the task they were giving him was. And then there were the conditions that they offered to him as well… Allowing someone who is not from the Lotus clan to train at the Central Academy, that's unprecedented. There have been many people who have contributed much more to the Lotus clan, but none of them have ever been offered such conditions. Not even True Wanderers. But they offered it to him…"
"We kept telling him that something was wrong. Either they never intended to fulfil their part of the deal, or there was something wrong with the Arcana they were asking him to test. Maybe even both. But he refused to listen to us. The condition they offered him was not something that he could refuse…"
"...What are you trying to say?" his mother said, with her voice shaking just as much as her hands were, allowing her pouch to tumble down to the ground.
"...We are trying to say that there is no need for you to look for Raun anymore, Ciena."
"Raun… he…"
"What happened to Raun?" his mother said in a shrill, ear piercingly loud voice, as she pulled on the shirt of uncle Trepis. Her actions, and her loud voice, coupled up with the look on her face were starting to scare Ernith. But it paled in comparison to the fear he was feeling from what they were talking about.
"...He is dead, Ciena. Raun is dead."
"Even his body… it was consumed by the Arcana… devoured by the Origin Sea…"
"No…" his mother mumbled, as her legs gave out beneath her. Only the collar of uncle Trepis' shirt that she was holding was keeping her up. However, the trembling of her hands soon made her let go of that too. "…You are lying."
"Ciena…"
"You are lying!" his mother said, shrieking at the top of her lungs, just as she plopped down to the cobbled floor of the central plaza. "Tell me you are lying!"
The shrieks, and the shouts of his mother fell on deaf ears, as both the uncles maintained their silence, looking at his mother with guilt, and remorse. However, that silence itself was louder than even the loudest of the thunders that Ernith had ever heard. It rocked his ears, and his senses, making him feely dizzy, and nauseous. That he was able to keep himself standing, and not fall on the ground like his mother, was already the best he could manage.
For his mother though, the silence was a bit too heavy, taking its toll on her within moments. The woman, who was once the most beautiful women that Ernith had ever seen, soon lost the charm, and the glow from her face, ageing more than ten years in just a few moments. Even the tears rolling down her cheeks, and the shrill shrieks escaping her lips, did nothing to lessen the fiery agony roiling inside of her, and instead, only seemed to weigh her down even more, forcing her to crumble on the ground. And along with it, Ernith fell his heart crumble as well. His father…
Trembling, and swaying with the winds, Ernith felt a dizzy spell assaulting him once again. But he held on and did not fall. He could not fall. Biting his lips, and clenching his fist, he looked at his mother's broken figure for a few more moments, before turning towards the Origin Altar. There, standing on the raised platform, the Scholar was beckoning for him to come. And so, he moved, taking one heavy, and uncertain step, at a time.
"Liar," Ernith mumbled to himself, as he tried to push his tears back into his eyes. "You made a promise."
Promises should not be broken. That was what Ernith had always thought, and believed. That was the principle that the man in his dreams had always lived by. It did not matter if doing so would put him in a disadvantageous position, or end up landing him in trouble. Even when there was no one to see, till the day he died, he always kept his promises. Because promises were meant to be kept. Then why was it that his father always broke his promises?
"The Redbud family offered to allow Ernith… to train at the Central Academy… couldn't refuse…"
For him? His father broke his promise for him? Who asked for him to do that? Train with Seeds from the Lotus clan… When did he ask for that? Training at the Western Academy would have been fine. And had he had felt that it was not enough, he could have joined the Union. So what was the need for his father to take that task… to break his promise?
For his better future, a voice inside of him told Ernith. To make the path of a Wanderer easier for him. To let him become a better Wanderer than him… Was his father afraid that he would become like him? Too afraid to Wander the Origin Sea after creating his first Arcana… He was not even planning on becoming an Arcanist in the first place.
Ernith clenched his trembling hands into a fist, ignoring the nails digging into his palms. Rather, the pain from that served as a sort of distraction, as he reached the Origin Altar, and focussed on the Scholar before him. Just as he had seen before, the Scholar was dressed in black and golden robes, which matched perfectly with his clean shaved face, and well kept hair. As for the rest, Ernith did not have the heart to notice. His chest was burning too fiercely for that.
"What is your name, young man?" the Scholar asked.
"Ernith…"
"Ernith, are you ready for your journey into the Origin Sea?"
"I am."
"Do you know what laying your Roots mean?"
Instead of immediately answering the Scholar, Ernith glanced towards his mother. She was lying crumpled on the ground. The two uncles moved to support her, but were turned away by her. In the end, they too left the plaza, leaving her all alone by herself. In the entire plaza, which could fit thousands of people at a time, only he, his mother, and the Scholar were left.
In fact, the plaza was so empty that despite her being near the end of plaza, and him being at its centre, he could still hear her faint sobs, and wails. All because his father had broken the promises that he had made. And in doing so, he had also broken the connection that he had with them. A connection. A promise. Only the promises made with the Origin Sea were trustworthy. Only they could never be broken.
"It means having the Origin Sea approve of my conviction," Ernith said, turning his gaze back towards the Scholar. "For that, I will have to set appropriate Roots for myself, and determine their price. After the Origin Sea approves of those three things, I will be able to leave my mark in the Origin Sea, establishing a unique connection with it. One that will belong only to me and let me use its power… let me become a Wanderer."
"It looks like you are quite the intelligent kid," the Scholar said, giving an appreciative smile towards Ernith. "I am assuming that you already know of the Ritual as well. Still, it is my duty to inform you of Ritual." The Scholar paused for a moment, pointing to the Origin Altar, before continuing. "You see the Altar behind me? It has many Glyphs engraved on it. In a few moments, I will activate a few of them to awaken your Spirit, and send it into the Origin Sea.
"Since this is the first awakening of your Spirit, you will feel a few strange sensations, but do not panic. The sensations will pass in a while, after which, you will find yourself within the Origin Sea, surrounded by all sorts of the Aspects of the Origin Sea, and will be greeted by their voice. You just need to follow their instructions and lay your Roots. After you are done with that, the Aspects of the Origin Sea will send your Spirit back to your body. As for how to use your Spirit, how to borrow the power of the Origin Sea, and how to train your Spirit Power, the Academy will tell you about it later. So do not go around experimenting with your Spirit by yourself, and wait for your training at the Academy to start. Do you understand?"
"I do."
"Before we begin, let me give you some advice. You may have heard that stronger Roots will allow you to explore the Origin Sea at a greater depth, and will also help you in walking farther than the others on your path as a Wanderer. While that may be true, the rumours do not tell you that you will also have to pay a correspondingly higher price for it. Many times, that price would not be worth the gain. Still, the choice is yours, as will be your Roots. I can only give you some advice. The rest will be up to you."
"I understand."
"Are you ready?"
"I am."
"Then let us begin," the Scholar said, before tapping on Ernith's forehead, right in the middle of his brows.