Memori: Tower Shadow Sword - Volume 1

Chapter 2: Flight To Machus Ina Part 1

Ves woke up early on the morning his trip to the Tower. He got out of bed, picked up his backpack, and pulled out his scrapbook—a thick, black, leather-bound notebook with a small belt and buckle to keep it closed. That's how any ordinary person would have described it; but to Ves it was, in essence, his very memory. Inside the book were drawings, diagrams, illustrations of many things and scribblings in symbols that made sense only to Ves. He had also stuck some photographs and clippings from newspapers and magazines stuck onto its pages. The scrapbook was a gift from Doctor Elrick, who had bought him one every year since they had met.

Everything Ves recorded in his scrapbook helped him keep track of the many things he wanted to remember, and also to keep a sense of his own personality. What he valued most in his scrapbook were his sketches. Having sketched in it every day, Ves had become an excellent artist with an acute eye for minute details. His illustrations of people were strikingly lifelike. By carefully studying various art books that Doctor Elrick had bought him, especially those on anatomy, he had developed a great understanding of the human figure; its structure, features, expressions and poses.

The scrapbook had sketches of just about everyone Ves came into contact with on a daily basis. From Miss Twisty, Wender, Doctor Elrick himself, Milly and the other orphans as well as the caretakers, the mailman, the milkman and the barber.Below each sketch of a person were symbols that denoted Ves' impression of them. These 5 symbols where a star, a zigzag, a spiral, a dash, and a zero.

The star was for people who were 'important' to Ves, like Miss Twisty and a few of the orphanage caretakers he related to quite easily. A zigzag was for 'fiends' or people Ves disliked, like Brian and his friends. The spiral was for people whose intentions Ves did not understand clearly and usually stood on the thin line between friend and fiend, like Milly. She was the only child at the orphanage that had, with much difficulty, somewhat befriended Ves over the years.

A dash was for people Ves knew nothing about, or 'aliens' as he thought of them, like the mailman, the milkman, Doctor Elrick's secretary and other ordinary people and strangers, most of whom he'd see on his way to see the doctor. A zero was for people Ves knew but thought very little of, like most of the other children at the orphanage.

There were a few people that Ves had labelled with two symbols, like Doctor Elrick who had a star and a spiral. The barber, who Ves saw once a month, had a dash and a zigzag. The priest who came to preach at orphanage on Sundays had a star and a zero under his sketch. A plumber Ves had seen once got his lowest impression rating: a dash and a zero.

The only person with three symbols was Wender Mistry. All her sketches had a star, a zigzag, and a spiral.

Sometimes Ves would draw comic strips in the scrapbook to remind himself of more detailed memories, and sometimes these comic strips would be instructions for doing certain routine but easily forgettable tasks that he could not master through habit.

Ves yawned and rubbed his eyes. He closed his scrapbook and placed it back inside his backpack. He got up from bed, left the boys' dormitories, and headed for the showers. After he'd bathed, he returned to the dormitories and changed out of his pajamas and into some of his clothes.

He left the room again, heading for breakfast in the dining hall. It was as noisy as it was every morning. Wender and two other caretakers were busy serving the children. He took his usual seat at the tables and Milly sat down next to him with a smile on her face. Ves didn't greet her nor acknowledge her presence in any way.

"Well, today's the day. I'll bet you're excited," she said placing her feet at the tip of her chair.

Ves didn't say anything.

"I almost regret putting your name in the cauldron. I mean, what if I'd won? Then it would be me flying across the ocean to the country of Machus Ina, to the Tower Parlen Min."

After Wender had served the both of them, Ves ate silently as always. Milly didn't touch her food; she just watched Ves with a big grin on her face.

"You know, I don't care if you don't show it, but I can tell that you're really excited about the trip," she said to him.

Just then, Miss Twisty walked into the dining hall and approached Ves.

"Good morning, Ves," she said geeting him.

"Morning ma'am," Ves replied bowing his head slightly.

"I'll be expecting you in my office after you're done with your breakfast so that I can brief you on the full details of your trip to the Tower of Parlen Min."

"Yes ma'am."

"Good."

Miss Twisty walked off and Ves continued with his breakfast.

"Please Ves ... say it just once. Tell me that you're excited. You must be," Milly said breathlessly.

Ves took the last sip of his hot chocolate and stood up from the table.

"I'm excited," he said indifferently.

Milly laughed merrily and began to eat her breakfast at last. Ves didn't feel an ounce of excitement, but he was certainly curious to find out how all of this would turn out. At the very least, he was going to prove that he was just capable as the other children at the orphanage of coping in such a situation.