„Rise and shine, Noboru-sama. Or at least what used to be a Shogun. We're seeking a break from the pointless march of the aging warrior, remember?“ Where am I? Is this a freighter's cargo bay? „Do not concern ourself with the Where. The Why is what we're here for and even that, we already know. We need only pluck it from the air and re-assemble our fate.“
I am Shogun Noboru. My fate is leading my people to victory, through thick and thin. That is the path I always walked and one that can only be severed with a sword through my gut and a fellow warrior seperating my head from the body when the pain takes over. „It is a sweet irony, our fate being so closely related to this spinal cord. We are our fellow warrior and we have separated one part from ourselves, only to make it whole again, only better. And brighter.“
I have no recollection of taking my own life. Nor of a reason to do so, not whilst there's so much to be done yet. Who have I failed to have taken my own life for my failings? „The name of the one you failed was Noboru-san. Your failure was your blindness, but now those eyes are ours and now they see. Now they know.“ No, that cannot be. I was on the right trail, I have trodden Hideyoshi's path and would die gladly in his service! If I have truly passed away, what is this? „A new beginning. A rebirth and a room with a view to the history of this place. A truth more ancient than the one you followed in your previous life. An understanding, however feeble, of The Node.“ All my life, that's what I fought against... „Yes, against. Now we fight for.“
I used to fight for something. At least I think I did. For the greater good, for the old ways, for my ancestors, for Hideyoshi, for Kusari... „Dead ancestors, dead Hideyoshi, rotting Kusari. Now we take a respite from the dead, sow away the rotting flesh and embrace a truth eternal.“ The truth. Everyone seems to know what that is nowadays. „We have dwelt here for time immemorial, observed. Learnt. Humans, weak flesh, weak minds, construct their own truth from fear off passing away without knowing it. We see. We know. Both of us, all of us, You – I.“
Fighting for something larger than myself is what I was born for. And I thought I knew what that meant. „We know now. We're no longer in the dark, though darkness surrounds us.“ We need to spread the word then. „We need to be patient.“ We need to act. „We need to wait.“ Who knows. „The Node. We will tell us when the time is right. When all inhibitions are to be discarded and we can roam free. But that time might not come soon. Until then, we must bide our time and work in the shadows.“ We're used to that.
