We crossed over into Mag Mell. Nate and I agreed that the easiest way to traverse the terrain was by jumping across the landscape with mighty leaps. We would get there faster than by my flying alone.
I tried out some of my Japanese with Nate, and he humored me a bit.
"You watched a lot of Anime, didn't you?"
"Yeah; It was really cool. After about an hour, I didn't need the subtitles anymore."
"Yeah, uh, don't take this the wrong way, but you're speaking like a teenage Japanese schoolgirl, dude. Way WAY too much cheeky slang. Please keep your yap shut around my Dad until you learn a bit more about Japanese culture and rules of etiquette...for both our sakes."
After an uncomfortable pause, Nate asked: "However, you're functionally illiterate in Japanese, though, right?"
Hai, I said, looking away with shame.
On the way to Hachiman's forward base, we encountered a detachment of Fianna knights, who, like Derrick, asked if we had caught sight of Cordelia anywhere...she was missing, having seemingly abandoned her post. We had to admit, we had no idea where she might be. They thanked and bid us continue our mission.
Before long we reached the forward base being used by Hachiman and guarded by the noble Tengu, who recognized Nate and waved us on through. We approached a large-ish Pagoda and to my delight I noticed the cherry blossom trees in full bloom all around this area.
Nate knocked respectfully on the door; when Hachiman opened, Nate and I both bowed deeply, our Katanas sheathed and on the ground in front of us in our grip, as we bowed forward with sincere respect.
Nate was commanded in Japanese to rise and enter. Hachiman did not address me so I remained prostrated before the great Japanese War and Fertility god. I heard the door close behind them and snuck a peak to confirm I was alone. I was. I rose from the ground and hooked my sword back on my belt, then propped my back up against the exterior wall of the Pagoda and thumbed through a paperback lesson book I'd bought on basic Japanese writing systems. I was definitely going to need to spend some quality time studying the complex orthography of this language if it was really going to be all that useful to me.
Out of curiosity, I pressed my ear against the door of the Pagoda; I definitely could hear a muffled Japanese conversation on the other side but couldn't make out any words or phrases.
About a half-hour later, Nate re-emerged and said that we had to move quickly; The henchmen of Hades were about to dig up something from their excavation pit in Mag Mell and it was vitally important that we find out what it is as soon as possible.
We reached the excavation pit and I hoisted Nate aloft, grabbing him underneath both arms and hoisting him into the air. We lowered our way into the pit slowly as I glided downward. We could make out workmen in Graeco-Roman togas and it seemed they were unearthing what looked to be a coffin.
The workmen stopped us from getting any closer, but Nate somehow managed to convince them that he was supposed to be there, acting as Hachiman's lieutenant, and he needed to see this to be able to report back. They agreed and parted ranks to let us through.
The workmen cracked open the lid and what was inside caused both our jaws to drop...
There, tied up securely with a fine golden thread that looked divinely crafted, thus bound and gagged, we beheld the figure of none other than what looked very much like the Norse god named Loki. Calling upon the powers of Enech, I gazed upon him with the power of The Brehon's Eye and sure enough, what it revealed to me confirmed everything true I knew about Loki's nature from my university study of world myths...this was the real Loki, I was sure of it, which probably meant the "Loki" we'd seen outside Wolfsheim was a faker somehow...
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