It was another cool evening in Arni village. Stars in the distance, and waves lapping at the docks. Faint sounds of laugher and play from within the numerous small houses, clustered in a circle. It was the eve of the summer festival, and everyone was inside preparing. Not so for one young man.
His name was Serge, and he was but a simple fisherman. At least, that's what was expected of him. And he did know the seas. Their quiet depths, their raging waves. But... He had dreams. Not dreams of what to do with his life, but dreams of what seemed like another time, another place. Dreams that seemed as memories, but ever fleeting. He sighed, and stared out at the waves.
"Another night off by yourself, I see," came a wizened voice. Serge turned, and saw the village chieftan standing not a meter away. The man's name was Radius. Formerly of the Arcacian Dragoons, though that had been a long time ago.
"It's quiet out here. Easier to think..." Serge offered. Radius nodded in assent.
"That it is, my boy. And nights like these... We don't see them that often," Radius replied. He walked over to the edge of the dock, then sat and hung his legs off the edge of it. "I remember... At least, I think I remember, though these days it might merely be a dream... I remember another night like this. Quiet, heavy with unspoken emotion. You were here then, too. You and that thief lass of yours."
Serge's mouth opened, then closed. He swallowed, then spoke.
"I'm sorry, but I don't know any theives. The only girl I've been with on these docks is... Leene. and-" He fell silent. Something is his mind was reacting to that statement. A feeling of wrongness was associated with it.
"Well, mayhap it but a dream. Still, there is a feeling of something important to these dreams... If that is truly what they are..." Radius whispered, then quieted as well. For several minutes, the two of them merely listened to the waves, and watched the stars. Radius spoke again.
"There's something I wanted to say... I don't know. Maybe I'm just a crazy old man,"
Serge sighed, then stood.
"Well, I guess I should head in. Mom'll be worried. Thanks for the talk, Radius," he finished, then turned and began walking away. He could here Radius muttering to himself, before that too faded into the night.
Serge arrived at home to find his mother in a chair, staring out at the waters of the ocean. She had a book, and a strange, almost frightened look on her face.
"Mom?" he spoke softly, as not to startle her. She looked up at him, then sighed. She held a book bound with red leather in her hands.
"My son. Please, sit down with me," she said, motioning to an empty seat. "This book is a diary. I found it on Opassa Beach, during my afternoon walk. Its contents are... Troubling. But you need to see it. Maybe I was meant to bring it to you."
She handed him the book. It old, and covered with dust. He wondered what could possible affect his mother so. Maybe it was his father's. Neither of them talked about him much. He opened the first page, and began reading.
/Do you still remember...? How we first met, and all of our adventures since... It all seems like such a dream nowadays... You were a piece of a star that fell from the sky. Whenever I want to return to those days long gone, I close my eyes and whisper your name into the evening sky.../
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Closing the book, Serge set it down in almost reverence. The book had been written in his hand, about a man with his name, on a journey with people who seemed so real. As he set it down, the wind blew, and a photograph slid from between the pages. He looked at it. On it was what had to be the woman in the book. Beside her stood a tallish man, in a set of clothes similar to hers. He gasped, then wiped his eyes. looking at the photograph again, he concluded that either he had a brother out there somewhere, or that... The man in the photo... and therefore in the book... was him. But he had no memory of any of this, and the photograph and those in it were very much old. far older then time he had been alive. It made no sense.
His mother laid a comforting arm on his shoulder.
"Serge... Look at me. I've read through this a few times, now, and the way it's written, the way it sounds.. It feels real, and it scares me. But I also know that whatever happens, you'll always be my boy," she said, hugging him. He smiled a bit, and hugged her back.
"Thanks mom," he said. He then flipped the picture over. On the back it said a few words. But the last of those words etched themselves into his mind forever.
Your friend, Schala 'Kid' Zeal
Serge dropped the picture. Infact, he nearly fell out of his seat. His mother stood and grabbed hold of him, but he had merely fainted. She sighed, then lifted him and pulled him over to his bed and put him in it.
He awoke the next morning with a blinding headache. Attempting to recall what he had dreamed in the night, pain lanced across his mind and he fell to one knee. And then they came. Memories. Memories of times gone by, but that had not yet happened. Memories of people, of a journey that ended with the begining, and of someone he had shared his heart with. He gasped, and folded in on himself. Later, he had calmed enough to stand, and walk down to the living room. His mother wasn't there, though she had left him a note.
Gone to the Festival. Love, Mom.
Serge smiled lightly, then gathered his things. Each object he had brought up another memory from that forgotten life, and caused him to pause. It was then that he spotted something. Something that shouldn't have been in there, yet nevertheless was. It was a necklace of blue beads, with the centerpiece being a teardrop shaped stone.
The Astral Amulet. More memories assaulted him, and he reached out and steadied himself against a wall. The memory subsided, and he put it on. A half familiar feeling of warmth spread within him, and brought forth more memories. These, however, did not pain him. And when they were passed, Serge had a look of hope and joy on his face. Taking his elements, he gathered his swallow and walked out the door. He headed down to the festival, by way of the docks. And then? he heard screams.
Serge rushed to the festival grounds to find the area surrounded by.. by...
(Posted Sat, 17 Feb 2007 21:00)
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