Fools Paradise

Another day in the training hall and Wittorf is meditating next to a standing Master Coda. The day seems to be pretty average to Wittorf except for the fact that he has been given permission to delve into his center once more. Excited and nervous as to what he might find there he decides to take precautions this time.

He knew that what he thought would interfere with where he showed up in his mind. So he was prepared. He was going to make sure the location was on his terms and by his hands. He closed his eyes and began to meditate. Coda could see the determination in his eyes and was proud to see the development he had made in just a couple weeks.

"My center, the Rorschach that defines me as a mage."

"Let's continue with where we left off."

Delving into his core he returned to the giant constantly changing doors that was his being. He thought of the best place he could possibly be at. Lana's Orphanage, the place he grew up in, the place where he felt safest at. He thought long and hard about Lana, her hair and her gentle voice. The way she would welcome him home after a long day of exploring the wilderness outside the orphanage. The way the kids would always play with him and even the time he got really ill just after meeting with the strange man in the woods.

"No I can't think about him right now I need to focus on Lana."

What happened that night when he returned to the orphanage? He got a cold and had to be bed ridden for a week. That's right and Lana was there to take care of him the entire time. The Rorschach pulled him in closer and closer until it engulfed him completely.

When he awoke he was lying in a bed with a sweat soaked rag on his forehead. He felt deathly ill and could barely focus on anything else.

"Wittorf, how are you feeling?"

Her voice was unmistakable, It was Lana. Wittorf cranked his head to the side with all his strength and saw her. As beautiful as she had always been. It might have been the fact that he was a little delusional but she looked more beautiful than before. Like an angel almost. Codas voice echoes in to the dream.

"Where are you now?"

"I'm with Lana at the orphanage. The time in the woods caused me to catch a fever."

Her voice is gentle as the wind but sprinkled with worry. She knew how bad a fever could get for someone so young and she was doing everything in her power to keep it down. She could tell he was not fighting it well and wondered if perhaps he was not feeling well emotionally as well.

"Wittorf, you really shouldn't wander so far off into the woods."

"Am I useless?"

"Why would you say something so ridiculous?"

"No one wants me, even the man who saved me said it was pointless."

Her scowl was hotter than his fever. She gathered some soup in her spoon and lifted Wittorfs head to feed him.

"Don't you ever think that you are not wanted. If I didn't want you do you think I would be feeding you soup right now?"

"I'm sorry."

Her scowl softens and she puts the soup on the table next to her. She then stands up and walks over to the bookshelf. Looking through a couple books she pulled out a rather large book and dusted it off.

"Let me tell you the story about of a young man who thought he was useless."

She sits down and opens the book while giving Wittorf a bright smile. She takes a deep breath in exaggerating her motions as she starts up. Wittorf laughs a little and then coughs a bit before settling down.

"It began with a young boy named Quin."

She pulled the book over to show Wittorf the pictures. A young peasant and his friend are sitting in a bedroom. The friend is jumping up and down with hearts in his eyes and the young peasant is smacking his face.

"Quin was a young boy who lived in a big city." The page turns and reveals the two boys in light plate armor with a blond captain leading them. "One day he was given a heavy burden." Flips the page to show the boy protecting a small child from a giant monster. "A young boy who was abandoned by everyone except his friend."

The next page shows a young girl glowing white extending her hand out to the fallen hero. "The girl offered him power beyond his wildest dreams. A power that would save him and his friend from this monster." Another page turn and it reveals the boy is much stronger now and stepping on the monster while lifting his arm in the air victorious.

"He took that power and with it the burden of being a hero. You see the boy was special." She looks at Wittorf and pokes his snot covered nose. "Just like you are." She goes to the next page. It shows five friends including the hero and his first friend sitting in a bar laughing to each other. One of them was a strong woman with fiery red hair the other was a beautiful elven woman with a bow then a strong man and the hero and first friend. "Not because of the power bestowed upon him but because of the friends he acquired along his journey."

The next page turns to reveal the 5 heroes fighting off more monsters. "It was because of these strong bonds that he was able to grow into the hero he was meant to be." The boy is by himself surrounded in darkness and lurking eyes. "He felt alone at times., consumed by the dark power that was given to him." The next page has the boy in a sphere of white with his friends surrounding him. "But for as long as he had friends he would never succumb to the loneliness."

It was a fun story but it made the sick Wittorf just feel sadder. He had no one like that. He felt even more alone. He looked at Lana with tears in his eyes.

"But I don't have anyone like that."

"What am I swiss cheese?"

"Do you think I could ever make friends like that one day?"

"You can do anything you put your mind to because you are Wittorf!"

A smile crept across his face slowly as his mood seemed to of lightened up. He knew she was trying her best for him and he had to do the same for her. He remembered that it was from this moment forward he would do anything he could to support this woman. He would dedicate his life to make her happy.

"Keep smiling like that and you will win over anyone's heart."

Time pauses and Coda appears behind Lana smiling.

"It would seem this is a fond memory of yours."

"Lana was always there for me and I wanted to be there for her."

"Perhaps you will find your vessel there."

Vessel? That word had been brought up a couple times but what did he mean by that. Is that what he was searching for this whole time?

"What do you mean by vessel?"

Waving towards Lana Coda smiles "For your last few weeks I would like you to return to the orphanage and spend time with Lana."

"It's been almost a month since I've seen her!"

"When you return tell me what precious thing you find."