Harbinger Of Doom: The Attainer

4. The Wanderer

The posterior view of an aged man with a staff welcomed him. A long wooden box was fastened diagonally on his back.

"Every nook and cranny of the earth is likely to be discovered. The world is truly colossal and meant for wandering." The man spoke as he turned to face Lores. Lores steadied his eyes on the stranger for some time before speaking. He understood who the stranger was and asked.

"Some wander to be swallowed by the earth while some wander to swallow the earth. Which one are you?" It seemed that the man was just arriving and so Lores took him to the usual spot he sat. The man unfastened the long wooden box that was on his back and kept it on top of a big quartz that was beside him. He sat down and gave a croaked chuckle following Lores' question.

"Those who wander to be swallowed by the earth will definitely meet a dead end. Those who wonder to swallow the earth won't have the opportunity to do that in their lifetime. I am neither of them." Lores conveyed a quizzical impression as he sat in front of his visitor.

"Then why do you wander?" He asked.

"I wander because it is what I want to do. I enjoy the moments, fantasies and realities this course brings." He paused to observe the young boy to see if he was confused. Lores was listening with his fists glued to his cheeks. His face showed no sign of perplexity which made him to continue.

"They say knowledge comes from studying books. That's true. But from my perspective, wandering widens your scope about nature, people and places."
Lores was slightly confused. He adjusted his posture before seeking for clarity.

"Explorers also go around, meeting people and seeing places. Why go through the trouble of wandering when you can be an explorer and still experience all these things?" The wanderer laughed on hearing this. On the other hand, Lores didn't find his question funny. The man seemed to be weird but he was also sensible.

"You are simply confused as to the difference between an explorer and a wanderer. Fine, I'll tell you. An explorer travels with an aim which implies that exploration is limited while a wanderer travels with no aim which implies that wandering is boundless. When I have no aim and no map to guide me, it means that I can go wherever I like." Lores nodded in assimilation. He started to imagine what it would look like to travel the world as against staying in an small unrecognized village. If not for fate, he could have been in the palace where the freedom to move about would be fully sufficient.

"You're living a carefree life and I envy you for that. Is it possible for someone like you who live with an unrestrained heart not to have any worries?" He said to the wanderer who gestured to disagree.

"It's not possible. All humans have their own worries. It's the ability to dispel them and look up to the future that matters."

"Determination." Lores suddenly called. "Without determination you can't expect from the future. Some things cannot just be dispelled because they have to be dealt with. I'm determined to have my way no matter what the future holds. This so called fate have bereaved me of so many things including the ones I'm not aware of. It has ruled for quite a long time. It is my turn to rule now." He closed his eyes and breathed a sigh. The thought of what condition his father could be in now made a chill engulf him.

"They keep saying that we are humans, we can't always have it our way. Then why say if there's a will, there's a way? I see that some people are not willful enough and I'm not like them." He further affirmed, leaving his visitor in a state of wonder. He detected that the boy might be going through emotional stress.

"You have such a firm resolve." He commended him.
"But then we live in a world where the powerful ones have their way over those who cannot defend themselves. I don't wish to interfere with the matters of this world. I can only wander and appreciate the pulchritude of nature." He said. Lores saw that being a wanderer was the best thing that happened to his visitor, and that he enjoyed the course of wandering.