Pilgrim 2, p.38
Pilgrim 2, page 38
“I will examine them in human form,” Abbot Monpo said with a firm nod. “I also want you to tell me more about what you are planning to do about your brother. What did you say his name was?”
“Nomtoi.”
“Nomtoi Gantulga then, demon son of the ruler of Diyu,” said the seven-tailed fox. “Come, let’s begin the test and go from there. There is much to discuss.”
****
As they had before, Danzen and Kudzu took the right path through the tunnel of vines, Jelmay heading toward the left path with the two fox monks so he could eat.
“I’ll be sure to save some for you,” he called to them.
“That bakeneko,” Kudzu said under her breath as they came to the fox-human statues, the large remnant beyond that. Abbot Monpo led the two of them into the room near the remnant, the crumbles of clay on the floor freshly swept, slabs stacked in one corner, the pedestal and the rock across from them.
“Have you been bending your echo?”
“I have,” Danzen told him. “I’ve been going through the routine you taught me, and I’ve noticed something that seems to work for me.”
“What’s that?”
“I don’t know if it is correct or not, but holding my weapons while I bend my echo allows me to feel the effects. I have learned numerous leg stances for combat, which I used as well.”
“Good, this is all good. You are finding your own way. That is one of the most important things when it comes to bending your echo. If you can find your own way, find a way to make the practice yours, you will excel beyond others who are less creative. At least from what I’ve seen. Please, take one of the slabs.”
Danzen selected one of the clay slabs, and as he held it with both hands, it began to tremble and glow white.
It shattered, the pieces falling to his feet.
“I moved down?” Danzen asked, confused.
He recalled that if it glowed green, it meant he was at the Stone subranking; white would be Crystal; blue would be Diamond; yellow would be Golden; and finally purple would be Soul. Last time he had taken the test, he was a Golden Adept. Did this mean that consuming the remnant had negatively affected him?
“I see, I see,” said Abbot Monpo. “Do not worry just yet. Please, to the stone.”
They stepped over to the pedestal, where Danzen had seen Kudzu momentarily float the stone.
“Reach out to it with your echo, communicate with it, lift it in the air. If you are able to do that, try to shatter it,” said the Abbot as he took a few steps back, Kudzu joining them.
Danzen remembered that things like hand gestures had no effect on this power. He simply was able to do it, or he wasn’t. Staring at the stone, Danzen felt a strange pull from it, as if it were attracted to him, as if he were a magnet.
The stone began to shake.
Eventually, its left side started to lift, its right side slowly joining. The stone floated two inches above the pedestal for a few seconds before Danzen was no longer able to hold it, the strain too much.
“The combination of bending your echo and consuming the remnant have moved you up to the next tier,” Abbot Monpo said. “Remarkable. I can now declare that you are a Crystal Mancer.”
“I am?” Danzen asked.
“But I’m afraid this won’t be enough for you to defend yourself and those you care about from a demon like your brother. How long do you have to grow stronger? Three days left, was it?”
Danzen nodded.
“In that case, there may be a solution, or at the very least, something that will aid in what you plan to do. There’s an abandoned shrine in the Asura Forest, not far from a lake where an orochi lives. You would have to leave tomorrow to reach it, but there is a remnant inside that could help us. It’s too late to go today, unless you plan to stay in the Asura Forest overnight.”
“We can leave tomorrow morning,” Kudzu said. “We have time.”
“If you leave in the morning, you should have time to return here by night, then you can stay here again and go from there.”
Danzen trusted Abbot Monpo. If the leader of the fox shrine thought something would give him a boost, it was certainly worth an attempt. He would need all the help he could get with his brother.
“In the meantime, we can bend our echoes together over the afternoon, and then have a fine meal. Unless…” Abbot Monpo tilted his head as he looked at Danzen. “Ah, yes, that’s right, your gauntlets. Let’s examine them now. Please, wait here a moment.”
The Abbot left the room with the clay slabs.
“How does it feel when you float the stone?” Danzen asked Kudzu.
“It’s not easy, and for me, it makes my head pound. You?”
“Similar.”
“But at least you’ve grown stronger, that’s worth something.” She hesitated for a moment. “You should be careful before ingesting another remnant.”
“I don’t plan to ingest another one,” Danzen said. “I want this process to be natural, I want to be in control.”
“It’s probably better that way. Speaking of ingesting things… how much do you think Jelmay has eaten by now?” she asked with a smirk.
“There’s no telling.”
Abbot Monpo stepped back into the room wearing glowing blue robes, his long hair in several braids. There was something magical about his human form, his ears slightly pointed, his skin radiant. “Let me examine the gauntlets.”
Danzen handed him one of the gauntlets and Abbot Monpo placed his arm inside. It was a bit large for him, but once he had the straps on, he stretched his arm out in front of him and loosened his fingers.
Schnikt!
The blade popped out, the piece as long as the gauntlet itself and razor-sharp. There were dark etchings at the base of the fuller, and it was clear that the weapon was the work of an expert craftsman.
“How did you do that?” Danzen asked.
“It’s rather ingenious. The blades are triggered by a person’s echo,” he said. “The same force you used to float the stone will trigger this blade. Actually, it will take less force to trigger the blade. Did you try that yet?”
Danzen shook his head.
“Then let’s try.”
Danzen placed the second gauntlet on his left hand, and once it was secure, he held it out in front of them. He imagined a pulse inside his body, and it was only when he brought his left leg back into a sword stance that the blade popped out.
Schnikt!
It was much more stable than it looked like it should have been, the blade practically an extension of his own skeleton.
“I believe…” Abbot Monpo’s blade retracted into the slot on the outer surface of the gauntlet, moving just as quickly as it had when he had brandished the weapon. “Yes, your echo also triggers its return. I know we have spoken of what happens if you draw blood,” the man started to say.
Danzen recalled in that moment his fight with Soko, and how he had almost controlled his hellspawns. He then remembered his brother easily taking control over the demons. He would need to mention this to the Abbot later.
“Wearing these gauntlets would offer you some protection, and they would also give you a secret weapon to use. Are they comfortable?” the Abbot asked as he began removing his gauntlet, which he handed to Danzen.
Using his leg for support, Danzen strapped the gauntlet on and then extended both his arms out in front of him.
Schnikt! Schnikt!
Both blades popped out, Danzen getting the hang of triggering them. “I would need to practice a little to make sure I’m comfortable with them, but yes, I believe this could help me.”
“We have a rooftop that may be suitable for your practice. Kudzu, perhaps you could take him up there while I see to Jelmay. We will have our evening meal in three hours or so; that should give you plenty of time to acclimate to your new weapon, or should I say, weapons.”
.Chapter Two.
Danzen was greeted with a view of Diyu once he reached the rooftop of the shrine. He was far enough away that he didn’t feel a pull at his core as he had several times in the past, but it was certainly there, always present this deep into the Panchen Mountains. He felt something else in that moment, a longing for justice that was almost foreign to him.
Nomtoi had done something that was unforgivable, and unless Danzen addressed what he’d done, the villagers who had been taken would never see their loved ones again. If he was able to save them, he would have to use his Demon Speak ability to rewire their minds, Danzen assuming that their trip to Diyu was harrowing.
Justice had to be served. Rather than focus on what they could possibly be experiencing, Danzen focused on this very simple, yet often abused statement.
It was only a matter of time now.
Kudzu took a seat and cocked her head as she took in the former assassin. “You keep getting more weapons.”
“It appears that way, yes,” he told her, Danzen now with two swords sheathed at his waist, his Blade of Darkness on his back, and the two gauntlets on his arm. He placed his leather satchel near Kudzu and then took a few steps away from her. Danzen withdrew Astra and went through a few practice strokes. He then freestyled a bit, coming in with Astra, only to summon a gauntlet blade instead.
Schnikt!
It wasn’t that fluid at first, but eventually he got the hang of it, Danzen able to activate Thane’s gauntlet blades at will, and quickly too.
It would make a most wonderful surprise attack when the time came.
Their weight wasn’t so bad either, Danzen quickly adjusting to having them strapped to his arms. If anything, it would make his strikes just a bit stronger, plus, as Abbot Monpo had suggested, there was the added protection they provided.
He trained for well over an hour, Kudzu eventually resting with her head on her two front paws, her eyes darting left and right as Danzen practiced his stances.
At some point he began focusing on bending his echo, which only made him feel more energy, Danzen feeling a surge of power. The combination of wielding Astra and commanding his gauntleted blades truly augmented his practice.
It came time for them to head downstairs, Danzen noticing now that the sun was starting to set, that several hours had passed. Maintaining this kind of focus was something he had learned at the Brotherhood, through his myriad training scenarios. Even now, as he followed Kudzu downstairs, Danzen felt like he could go for more, the former assassin coming to the realization that the remnant he had swallowed was having an effect.
They had dinner, which consisted of various mushrooms and wild onions that grew in the mountains, Jelmay smacking his lips as he had his second or third meal since they arrived at the shrine.
After supper, they were led into a room away from the dining hall, where Abbot Monpo and Jelmay had a discussion about the history of yokai, Danzen learning that there truly was a time when they were integrated with humans all across the kingdom, that the fall of Sunyata had a souring effect on human-yokai relations.
It was an interesting conversation, one that Danzen would have gladly heard more of.
But he was also a bit tired, both from what had happened yesterday, and from his hours of training on the rooftop.
Abbot Monpo led the three of them to a long hallway of monks’ quarters, the leader of the shrine back in his fox form, his seven tails bouncing in the air as he trotted along.
“We will bend our echoes early in the morning in front of the remnant,” he told them as he came to the first room. “You are welcome to join us as well, Jelmay.”
“I don’t know,” said the bakeneko. “Bending my echo isn’t really my thing. You must be thinking about another bakeneko you’re familiar with.”
“And what is your ‘thing,’ as you call it?”
Jelmay laughed at the Abbot’s question. “Well, for one, hanging out with humans seems to be one of my things, but I also like eating, as you can tell, so while the three of you bend your echoes, maybe I will have myself a little meal.”
“If it suits you, then I support it,” the Abbot said. “This first room is for you, Pilgrim. You can take the room next to him, Kudzu, and Jelmay, there is a room for you down the hall. It is important that you rest.”
****
Danzen slept well that night, and he enjoyed bending his echo the following morning alongside Abbot Monpo and Kudzu, as well as the two fox monks. He imagined it would have looked a little strange, a human and four white foxes performing a variety of gestures in front of a stone, but he felt better afterward, rejuvenated, stronger.
Ready for the next task.
Throughout the morning cultivation practice, Danzen wore his new bladed gauntlets, and as he did, memories of Thane came to him. He once again found himself on the steps of the Brotherhood, when he had first released his demons.
It brought him great sadness to think that Thane had tried to kill him in the end; Danzen had respect for the man. But he also knew that this was the way of the assassin, and that loyalty to a person and loyalty to the cause were different.
They ate breakfast with Jelmay, the bakeneko garrulous and shifty as always.
“I thought they would play a game of rocks with me,” he said, once the two monks that aided Abbot Monpo stepped out of the room. “I found them up last night and figured they’d be up for a little gambling. But no. No one gambles around here.”
“You were trying to gamble with the monks?” Kudzu asked him, disgusted by the suggestion.
“I sure was.”
“What did you even expect to get from them? They don’t have money.”
“I’m sure they have something of value around here. How long has this shrine been here? Eons? Bah, you are too worried about protocol. Everyone gambles, some better than others.”
Kudzu mumbled something about how they had to drag Jelmay out of a gambler’s den in the outpost of Tudan. Before he could offer his rebuttal, Abbot Monpo came into the dining area, now in his human form. He ducked under the stone archway, as Danzen had to do because it was low to the ground, a smile on his face as he saw the three of them.
“You are familiar with the location in the forest, right?” he asked Kudzu, referring to a conversation they’d had earlier, after bending their echoes together.
“Yes.”
“I assumed you were. The forest is large, and I didn’t want the two of you to get lost.”
“Lost?” Jelmay snickered. “I know the Asura Forest like I know the back of my own paw.” The bakeneko would have been more convincing had his face not been covered in porridge, a bit of it dripping off his furry chin.
“That’s good,” Abbot Monpo said. “I will see the three of you out.”
“I’m not finished with breakfast yet,” Jelmay protested.
“Yes, you are,” said Kudzu. “What is that? Your third bowl of porridge?”
“I don’t know what we’re getting into today, I want to make sure I have food in my belly.”
“I will meet you at the entrance,” Abbot Monpo said as he stepped out of the room.
“Do you all think he likes me?” Jelmay asked Kudzu once the man was gone. Danzen couldn’t tell by his tone if he was joking or not.
“I think he tolerates you, just like I do. Wipe your mouth, Jelmay, we’re going.”
The three met Abbot Monpo outside, the sky partially blotted out by the vines that were tangled together overhead, a few with budding white flowers on them. The vines opened up as he led them forward, allowing plenty of space for them to pass through.
After bidding farewell to the Abbot, they crossed the bridge in front of the shrine, and headed north, back through the mountains.
“That bridge,” Jelmay said as Kudzu led the way. “I swear, they need to fix that thing.”
“It keeps people that aren’t supposed to be there away,” she told him.
“That’s why there are only three foxes there; no one wants to make the journey all the way out here to eat porridge and cross a rickety bridge.”
“Speaking of porridge, you still have some on your face.”
Laughing to herself, Kudzu sped off, Danzen having to call upon his speed to reach her. This left Jelmay behind, the bakeneko running and huffing, his sheathed sword beating against his leg.
A light drizzle started up, Kudzu slowing just a hair. Danzen recalled what had happened last time it had rained while they were in the mountains, how dangerous the mudslide had been. The mud and rocks seemed like they would hold here, but he was still wary, vigilant of his surroundings.
It wasn’t too much longer until the terrain started to slope downward, trees appearing along some of the hills, the Asura Forest spread out before them in all its glory. A flock of birds lifted from a tree in the distance and swirled in a ring-like pattern, Danzen wondering if they were yokai.
The rocks gave way to roots and foliage, many of the flowers on the trees now dead, another hanging from their branches or rotting on the forest floor. The smell was overwhelmingly pungent, nature vibrant as always, Danzen pausing for a moment to appreciate its life cycles.
“Come on, Pilgrim, we have a remnant to steal,” Jelmay said.
“We’re not stealing a remnant,” Kudzu told him. “It was abandoned.”
“Call it what you want, but going to an abandoned shrine to fetch a remnant at the request of a seven-tailed fox is certainly an act of thievery. Sure, there may be some piety to your theft, but…”
“So you believe that if you find treasure, and take the treasure, you are stealing?”
“Sure,” Jelmay said, simply arguing for argument’s sake, the white fox not picking up on this as she continued to question him.
They bickered, Kudzu never realizing that Jelmay was just trying to get a rise out of her.
The three came to a part of the forest that Danzen was unfamiliar with, the trees taller here, the bark on their trunks almost cut like shingles. He ripped one of the shingles off and examined it, feeling its roughness.
