"Beware the Eastern Sun"
Chapter 11
"L'état, c'est moi." "I am the state."
-King Louis XIV of France
As they approached the gloomy castle,
Kari shivered from a sudden breeze. She looked up at the shadowy ramparts,
where dark colored flags, frayed with time, whipped against the early autumn
winds. A lone raven perched upon the highest tower took flight at the sight of
them and circled above silently. The molded drawbridge creaked down slowly as a
hunting horn cried out into the predawn darkness.
"Where are they?" Kari asked
eagerly.
Matt smiled back at her. "Be
patient."
They rode through the gate and along
the path to the center of the courtyard, where Garurumon stopped and they
dismounted. Attendants came to offer their services, taking items and giving
others. Matt then led Kari to the Great Hall, accompanied by a few guards. When
they entered the massive chamber, it was devoid of all life, save a shadow on
the dais. The room was dimly lit, leaving entire regions covered by dark,
swaying shadows. The glow from the torches formed small yellow spheres spaced
at distances along the wall.
Walking along the dim red carpet
leading up to the throne was like a trip through time. Along the walls were the
portraits of strange and not-so-strange others, who had each had their turn at
the crown. The infamous, the great, and the unknown stood side by side, lining the
ominous path. As she passed each one, their eyes seemed to follow her, sending
the scorn of thousand years into her small figure.
Time froze and space warped in upon
itself. A feeling of vertigo crept upon Kari, though she somehow found the
strength to continue forward. It seemed like years later when she finally
reached the throne. The shadow stood still.
Matt signaled for her to wait where
she was, as he walked up the throne and spoke a few words to the shadow. He
returned to Kari and spoke a few words of comfort. "I have to go somewhere
on business, but I'll be nearby. This is a friend of mine." He pointed to
the anonymous shadow. "I'm sure you'll find him very familiar." Matt
made his way down the long hall, Kari watching him all the way. When he exited,
Kari returned her eyes upon the shadow.
She did not see Matt double back and
head towards a secret side entrance to an observation chamber hidden high in
the walls of the hall.
The shadow descended the stairs, but
the ill lighting provided no hint of identity. Kari felt her muscles tighten as
the figure loomed closer. Finally, she was eye-level with him. When his face
rose and the light caught, she gasped.
"T.K.!"
Gatomon followed Kari into the hall.
Something was terribly odd. The hackles stood up on the back of her neck as she
glanced quickly around the room. She stopped to look at the imposing figure of
an imperial lord when a shadow loomed from behind her. She never saw her
assailant.
"OK," Izzy began, his breath
quickening slightly. "Here we go."
He entered the "website"
that he had found earlier. Tai, Joe, Mimi, and Sora watched on silently. As
Izzy navigated this way and that through the digital domain, he kept an eye on
security. If the digital world was such a wreck, there was most likely some
evil being watching and waiting to strike at any time. He did not want to alert
anyone or anything of his presence.
The "website" was very
cryptic. At times he would arrive at a screen of text that did not make sense,
like "big purple. I go this do; he job jump swing for eat" and on and
on. Then he would navigate through links only to arrive back at the main page
or at a dead end. Often, he would arrive at a page that was written in some
sort of strange language, which he had to attempt to decipher. There was only
one thing he knew for sure-one wrong step, and there was likely to be trouble.
Izzy frowned. The organization was
confusing and chaotic, if there was any at all. Everything seemed so random.
Pieces didn't fit together. There was so much data, but almost no sense in it,
and what did make sense was useless. No, there was definitely a pattern or code
of some sort. If only he could figure it out...
"Izzy?"
He looked up at Sora hovering above
him. "Hmmm?"
"You look tired. You know, you've
been at it for a few hours."
"I have?"
"Yep. Look. You keep working.
Here's something to eat if you're hungry." She placed a plate of fish,
meat, and fruits, and left a cup of cool water. "We're counting on you,
you know. Keep at it. We know you'll get it soon." She gave a smile of
reassurance before turning and leaving to other duties.
Izzy sighed. If it were only that
easy. He yawned, feeling the stiffness in his muscles. Perhaps I do need
a break, he though, eyeing the plate of food.
"T.K.?" Kari called again.
T.K. smiled nervously at her. He
looked worn. His garb was a finely woven silk tunic with comfortably loose
pants. Strapped to his chest was a plate of light armor, which had the coat of
arms that Matt had designed-a blue wolf upon chevrons of red and orange. He
wore a belt with a scabbard attached to it; the sword was in his gloved hands.
A helm rested on a small table nearby, which was the final element to his
attire.
"How has it been?" Kari
asked, unsure of how to start.
T.K. glanced around nervously. He
seemed like he was waiting for something, but he finally answered.
"I'm...I'm OK."
"And the others?" Kari
continued.
He remained silent, staring at the
stone wall.
"What happened to the
others?" Kari persisted with genuine concern.
T.K. suddenly turned to Kari.
"I'm sorry."
Kari looked bewildered. 'What do you
mean? Is Tai hurt? How are they?"
"No, no." T.K. said quickly
and fiercely. He paced a little. "I'm sorry. I have to."
"Have to what?"
T.K. did not answer. His sword was
raised above his head.
Izzy was silent, depressingly munching
on an apple. He was walking along the lakeside alone. It was the late evening.
Even from his position he could still make out the faint glow of his laptop. He
tried to forget about his findings, but his mind kept wandering back to the
symbols he saw. He copied a few of them down onto a paper which now lay tucked
away in his pocket, crumpled up with frustration. Finishing the apple, he
sighed and looked out across the lake. The light of waxing moon reflected off
of the water in a scene Monet could only dream of. Feeling the weight in his
hand, he threw the core out into the water with all of his might and
frustration. After watching it disappear beneath the surface, leaving a ring of
concentric circles upon the water, he sat and stared across the lake.
And then he saw it.
It was just a brief moment. Something
familiar crossed his eyes. Something he had seen many times before. He stared
across the water again and scanned the horizon. There were just the same
mountains and fields in the distance. He continued to look for a few more
moments, but then just buried his hands in his face. What's wrong with me? I
should be able to do this. Why is it taking so long? It seems so simple...
As his vision drifted he caught it
again. The sight. This time, he froze in his position. It was clear before him.
From the exact position he was in, in that particular time of day, he could see
it. The mountains formed a jagged "M" formation, with the moon hovering
above it, a glowing sphere of white. The multicolored fields formed a pattern,
the darker greens almost tracing out a design.
He followed the
sight with his eyes, and then he knew where he had seen it. He quickly got out
the paper in his pocket and uncrumpled it. Standing up, he placed in front of
him at a distance. On the paper was the same "M" formation with the
same white sphere, and the pattern of green below.
Without waiting a moment longer, he
rushed up the hill to his laptop.
T.K. sat on the steps
in the sputtering light on the torch. Near him, slightly hidden in the shadows,
was an unmoving figure. He was breathing heavily. Dark red stains covered his
garb, tainting the sigil of the wolf. Quietly, he gasped for air, squinting to
keep the tears from his eyes. Finally, he dropped the sword to the floor with a
metallic clatter, threw off his gloves to one side, and covered his face in his
hands.
The echo of footsteps sounded from
afar. Sniffing hastily, T.K. replaced his gloves, picked up his sword, and
stood at full height. He tried to don an impassive face, but his breathing was
too ragged and he could not hold back all of his tears. Slowly, Matt's figure
grew in size as he came closer. The recognizable hulk of Garurumon followed
close behind, and farther back was Angemon, who kept his eyes on the ground
directly in front of him.
The thoughts that went through T.K.'s
head were jumbled and incoherent. Should I have done it? I have to obey Matt
or suffer a punishment worse than death, but is that enough justification?
Should I have sent her away and fled with her? How much am I willing to
sacrifice? Is it time to stand up to him? A cold feeling on his shoulder
interrupted his thoughts. It was Matt's hand.
"I know this was hard for you,
but I'm proud of you, T.K." He patted him on the shoulder. "You were
brave and did what was right. You may not understand now, but someday, you will
see why things like this have to be done." He snapped his fingers and
pointed to the unmoving figure. Two servants appeared and bowed before carrying
the body away. "Now come, T.K. There are more important issues to attend
to."
T.K. looked up with deep, tired eyes
at Matt. For a brief second, there was a spark, some hint of a fire, but then
it was gone. He dropped his head and nodded, dragging his body alongside Matt
out of the Great Hall.
It was the middle of the night. Matt
paced restlessly in the darkness of his chamber. Finally, he stopped and
quietly exited. The guards shifted to attention, but Matt signaled them to be
at ease. He continued down the dark hallway, following its twists and turns.
The light of the torches passed by like the drumbeats of a rhapsody on a windy
night. His thoughts were unclear; his intentions were unknown. Almost by
instinct, he navigated his way down the hall.
When he came upon a large, steel door
with two guards posted, he stopped. The guards saluted, and he saluted back. He
approached the door and looked at both of the guards. One of them shifted
uncomfortably, but the other remained silent. Wearing a look of authority, he
ordered them to unlock the door. The guard hesitated for a brief moment before
fumbling for the keys.
"Let no one in," he ordered.
"I am not to be disturbed."
The guards nodded, opening the door to
allow him in.
When Matt entered, the door silently
closed behind him. Heat blazed from a fireplace on the left wall, which
provided the only light in the room. The silk screen on the canopy bed near the
fireplace was open, revealing a small, worn body. Nearby, lying on a small cot,
was the ever-loyal Guard of the Light, her fur stained a deep red. He could
only watch in silent admiration of her courage and devotion, virtues which he
deeply respected. Yet like her charge, there was that youthful foolishness and
naiveté which led her astray.
The room itself was
comparatively small, but snug. Its furnishings were nearly bare, but it served
its purpose. Matt went through a doorway which led to an adjacent washroom. He
filled a bowl with warm water and selected a soft towel. Moving to a large
cabinet, he opened it and chose a few labeled jars. He then gathered all these
together and placed them on a small table by the bed. Searching with his eyes,
he found a candle and retrieved it. He lit it in the holder and held it close to
Kari's face.
She was almost unrecognizable because
of the injuries, but Matt could still see her distinctive features. Her small
round face was there, as was her silent, passive facial features. Even in her
current state, she seemed filled with an inner peace. But the purity was
tarnished by the black eye and the lacerations covered with dried blood. Moving
the candle along her body, he could see the places where she had been hit.
There was a large bruise on her arm, a few broken ribs, various swellings of
red here and there, and many scrapes and bruises on her legs.
Bringing the candle back up to her
face, he looked into it deeply.
"Oh, Kari," he whispered
quietly. "Why do you have to be so foolish?" He shook his head.
"So sweet and innocent. I wish this did not have to be, but the stars are
calling, my friend. I have heard them calling, and I will answer." He
paused, watching the flickering of the candle play across her face. "But
perhaps you can impound some reason upon the others. They are so stubborn at
times. Yes. You will show them. I know you will. You must. For I should hate to
think what would come to pass if this were not so."
Setting down the candle, he dipped the
towel in the bowl of water. Looking once more into her torn face, he squeezed
the towel. As he cleansed her wounds, his thoughts drifted. As if an angel
had fallen from heaven itself...