Diary, I woke up in a bed, my clothes clung to my sweaty skin and my stomach declared its hunger with angry borborygmus. I laid for a while to contemplate my difficult decision, food or shower? Shower wins and I headed down the corridor where I remembered seeing a washroom.
When I returned there was a soldier waiting at my door. He tells me that I have been asleep for a day and a half and that my companions still sleep apart from the oni Fane who is away on some mission. He also tells me that Cordelia collapsed on the pattern after we’d walked it and is in the infirmary right now, he doesn't know what happened to her. I sincerely hope she will be ok.
The soldier left and returned with a tray of the best food I've had in a hell of a long time: rice, crispy seaweed and sushi with a pot of fresh green tea. I’ve decided that this solider, private Malcovich, is my new best friend.
As I ate I pondered last night’s events. I had successfully walked the pattern, I had even transported to my room like a magic user. I didn't feel any different though, not physically. But colours seemed brighter, lines sharper, my hearing and smell seemed heightened as well. I felt like I had more energy, I was more alive. Oh, and I could talk to that soldier as if I spoke his tongue, and I didn't even notice I had done that until now.
After my food I decided that I should find out more about this pattern and learn to shadow walk. With no idea where to start, I went to the pattern.
I could saw
princess Fiona, still standing in the pattern's centre, and many
solider types wallowing around. I asked one passing by about the
pattern and he suggested asking either Luke or Fiona. I decided to try
Luke first but he was asleep so I was forced to go to Fiona.
I was concerned about walking the pattern again, will it be easy as
I've done it already? Or will it be as hard as it was before? Could it
make me ill like some kind of pattern magic overdose? After all,
Cordelia had collapsed on it. I also thought about just hanging around
until the others woke up but who knew how long that would be, or if
Cordelia will ever wake up... Anyway, sitting around when Japan needed
me felt very wrong indeed. So I rewalked the pattern, and was
pleasantly surprised to see that I didn't die instantly. Or at all! It
was an easy walk, Fiona hadn't responded to my wave outside the pattern
but she was bound to see me when I reached the middle, then she might
teach me how to shadow walk.
I was only a few steps into the pattern when the air near Fiona shimmered and the figure of a man appeared, he walked towards me with an agitated look on his face, his feet did not quite touch the ground. He asked me if his daughter was ok, I told him that she was alive but unwell and asked if he might be prince Corwin, I faintly remembered Cordelia mentioning him in the bunker. He told me that he was Corwin, but a Corwin from the last time he walked the pattern, I assume it's something like a pattern spirit made of an echo of Corwin.
Over the rest of the walk I bombarded the spirit with my questions. He revealed to me a lot of information on what happened to Cordelia, about some of his family, and about these patterns. He also hints that I should forget about my shadow, which is “meaningless in the greater scheme of things”. I can see why he would think so, being so well travelled and experienced but I cannot even think of giving up on Japan. Why else would I be here if I didn't think I could save my world? I don't have anything else. And I still need four more gym badges to be considered an elite mogwai trainer.
Corwin's words gave me an idea for a plan, and I desperately needed a plan. So I got to the middle of the pattern and transported myself to my room once more, this time I managed to stay awake easily.
A quick trip to the weapon store finds my good friend Malcovich who gave me a suitable sword. It's been a while since I've practiced with my tachi but it feels good in my hand. I put my mogwai safely in their waistars and headed back to rewalk the pattern.
I stood before the pattern for a good time, wondering if this plan is a very sensible one. I cannot shadow walk yet, what if I get trapped? What if I ask the wrong questions and make a powerful enemy? What if I can't transport out of a shadow this way and make myself into a splatter of pinky mess somewhere? But at the end of the day, a foolish plan is better than no plan at all.
I rewalked the pattern, telling prince Corwin's ghost of my plan. This time when I reach the middle I close my eyes, cross my fingers and think of that room inside the black tower..
| Back | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hero of the Hour - Kohaku | The Keep of the Thirteenth Hour |