Chapter 32: Found in Translation

~ "I just...I don't know where to start..." Takyle said in a tone dangerously close to a whine.

"Takyle, my sweet," said Andrew. "You probably are aware that we don't have a whole heck of a ton of time here..." She gave him a whithering glare and turned back to the monument.

"This is the Latin "to touch", this may be the Norse "to feel"." Jaden sat down and prepared for another wait.

"This is Germanic..."to know"...to employ, utilize, take advantage of maybe..." She stopped and rubbed her cheek thoughtfully.

"This may or may not be a conjugation of "to posses". This is "they" I believe. Does anyone have a piece of paper? This is the "heart" or "soul". Perhaps the "essence" if you will. This is similar to the Spanish "success", and this is probably a pronoun. This, I think might be loosely translated as "power" or "might"."

Andrew leaned over towards Jaden.

"See, I knew she'd be able to do it," he said in a smug stage whisper.

"Thanks for the V o' C there Andrew," Takyle called over her shoulder. She scratched vigorously at her pad, scribbling out and revising previous notations. After a good while more she cleared her throat.

"Ok, this is pretty sketchy, but I think it goes something like this:

"To touch, to know, to feel the heart (or essence). The one road (or path) to success is open only to those that -something- its power."

"That something its power? That's...vague. Any ideas there?" Andrew asked.

"Umm, maybe something along the lines of possess or own?"

"Claim?" offered Jaden.

"Yeah, that kinda works..." Takyle murmured.

"Sure, but what in the hell does it mean?" Andrew demanded.

"I have no idea..." Takyle mused.

Jaden stared at the carved monument face for a few moments, then got up and walked around it, just to make sure that he hadn't missed anything the first few times he'd done that.

"To touch, to know, to feel..."

That was...familiar. Jaden closed his eyes, feeling a bit silly. Let's see now, all he had to do was reach out....Yes, reach out. It was so simple before...

"You had a guide then."

"Yes I suppose I did," he murmured to himself. He closed his eyes and tried again. And again. On the fifth try he felt a spark. Not like before, a warm constant glow, this was a flash in the distance, quickly dead. Uncontrolled. Jaden reached out again, but this time exploring upwards. Again the flash. Almost like far off lightning.

"Jaden!" A harsh voice pulled him down from his vantage point. He opened his eyes and noticed that Andrew had him by the arms, shaking him.

"Jaden! What's wrong? You were in some kind of trance or something." Jaden blinked at him. Why was he so upset?

"I'm fine...Just trying out something." Andrew eyed him askance.

"What? Creepy, comatose, meditation methods?"

"It's says to touch with your essence. It's something Väinämöinen taught me how to do while we were walking here."

"Oh it is, is it?" Andrew sounded as if Jaden had been contaminated.

"Yes, and I definitely felt something, and we should probably go towards it." For the first time Jaden noticed Takyle standing behind Andrew. She thought he was crazy too.

"Look I know what I'm talking about here!" Jaden protested loudly. He felt that the volume made up for his own slipping confidence. Andrew eyed him for a minute more. He turned to Takyle, raising a had to rub the side of his mouth and speaking too low for Jaden to hear. Very subtle. Takyle nodded and Andrew turned back to Jaden.

"How do we know Väinämöinen hasn't possessed you or something like that?"

"Possessed me Andrew? Don't be a moron." Andrew looked at Takyle.

"Well it sounds like him," he deadpanned. Jaden rolled his eyes.

"I know that it sounds insane, but I think it's the key. On the way here he told me about a kind of...sixth sense, possibly only applicable in this particular sim. Anyway, it doesn't matter. He described it as the spirit reaching out, which I'm pretty sure is what that monument is talking about. Translating it was part of the task, and now this is a test to see if I can use what he taught me. And I did, and I felt something...I think it's something that we should go towards." Jaden tapered off and studied both of his companions in turn. Andrew finally spoke.

"Are you going to have to go back into your Freaky Trance to do that then?"

"Yes..." said Jaden, cautiously. Andrew sighed noisily.

"Ok, let's go then. But I swear, if that's really V in there possessing you..." Andrew left the threat open ended, either for effect, or lack of good material.

"Yeah, sure Andy."

Jaden closed his eyes, and reached out, yet again. ~