A Dreamer's Knight

Chapter 8 - Seven Months

Mikaen watched in silence as the twin suns slowly descended toward the distant horizon. The smooth bark of the tree that was now his home felt comforting against his back.

"Home ..." he whispered, his eyes on the glow of the distant horizon.

It had been seven months since Mikaen's arrival on Vinta, and yet he couldn't help but wonder: had so little time truly passed? It felt to Mikaen as though he'd lived in Homestead for years. He even had a home of his own, not a shared barracks room or some dingy cot in a rundown safe house but a place he could truly call his own.

His gaze fell to the surface of the lake, the water looking like molten gold beneath the light of the fading suns. Mikaen made a point to choose a tree near Rinoa Lake. Aside from the convenience of having a natural swimming pool close to his house, the sound of flowing water helped Mikaen sleep at night, especially during his first troubled weeks on Vinta. He hadn't found a way home yet or even figured out how he arrived on Vinta in the first place, but Mikaen wasn't terribly disappointed. Between the Revs, the monsters, and the Rips spewing lifestream, Earth was, as One so eloquently put it, a crap hole.

Mikaen smiled at the memory of the mysterious fellow who had helped him all those months ago. While Elduran had been looking for a way to send the wayward knight home, Mikaen took the time to do a little research on his enigmatic benefactor. Mikaen had been surprised to find many children's stories and fables in Elduran's collection, included because Elduran believed that Dreamers played significant roles in each: the wise old man with advice, the peasant in disguise, the salesman who seemed to have just the right thing at just the right time. From those tales it was clear that Dreamers rarely took on the roles of heroes or heroines themselves, seemingly preferring to act as the whispered voice in a hero or heroine's ear.

Unfortunately, the children's stories never went into much detail on the Dreamers themselves and those that did often contradicted other accounts. Some reports claimed that Dreamers were all powerful while others claimed that Dreamers relied on lifestream energy much as any mage. Still others claimed that Dreamers were not real at all, but manifestations of magical energy created when a person suffers a great trauma or emotional stress.

Even the most detailed sources often contradicted equally detailed reports, creating a web of misinformation and rumor that made spotting any actual truths nearly impossible. Mikaen wondered if that was by coincidence or design.

In the end, the only information Mikaen garnered from his studies was that there might be supernatural beings known as Dreamers, and that one of them might appear somewhat similar to the young man Mikaen nearly flattened.

According to the stories, One was known for his compassion, his kindness, his green and gray-striped shirt (this never failed to make Mikaen laugh), and for keeping his word without exception. When Mikaen encountered One, the Dreamer had not seemed particularly kind or compassionate about Mikaen's situation. In the end, however, One helped him a great deal. Whatever One was, Mikaen knew he owed him a debt of thanks.

"Beautiful, ain't it?"

It took Mikaen a few moments to figure out One was sitting beside him, his hands cushioning his head as he stared out at the horizon.

"Something about having two suns makes sunsets that much more impressive." One flashed Mikaen a grin. "How ya been, Mikaen?"

Mikaen continued to stare at the Dreamer in disbelief, momentarily unable to speak.

Chuckling, One stood up and brushed the bits of grass off his clothes. "I'm guessing you didn't expect to see me again."

The Dreamer walked to the edge of the lake, a smile on his face as he stared down at the tranquil waters. "Ah, Rinoa Lake. Y'know, this is where I arrived the first time I came to Homestead."