Pilgrim 3, p.43
Pilgrim 3, page 43
“Yes,” she said with a sigh. “I hope you don’t mind.”
Abbot Monpo laughed. “Bakenekos will be bakenekos,” he said as he nodded for them to follow him inside.
Danzen ducked a little as they made their way through the opening to the shrine, where they came across a statue of who he assumed was an important figure in the fox community. Rather than go to the room of remnants, they headed to a different antechamber, one a bit higher up in the structure that provided a red view of Diyu through one window, and the blue sky that sat over the Asura Forest from the other.
“Welcome,” Abbot Monpo said as he turned his focus to Yato. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”
Yato introduced herself, and after a few probing questions, Kudzu quickly caught Abbot Monpo up on everything that had happened since the last time they had gathered together, which Danzen found incredibly helpful. While he could have updated the abbot himself, Kudzu framed things in a way that put the pertinent information out front, building on her explanation from that point, and saving Danzen from having to speak more than he would have liked.
Once she finished, Abbot Monpo looked from the red of Diyu, to the blue sky in the west. “So, you would like to, or should I say, you have already started, collecting remnants. And the ones you have found thus far are at the nunnery outside of Odval, a good start. We have discussed this before, but it was briefly, and now that you have actually started the process, I believe it is important for us to move this to a deeper discussion. You do have the option of what your mother has suggested,” he told Danzen. “As you are well aware, your father seems bent on bequeathing his throne to you, and testing you in the meantime. But, as Kudzu said, there’s no telling when this will happen in regards to Tengir Gantulga, and there is the issue of your brother as well, who would try to thwart you every way that he could. In all honesty, it is surprising to me that he hasn’t tried harder. But maybe that has something to do with his nature. I understand to some degree what it must feel like to be torn between your mother and your father, and the odd fact that they both have a similar wish for you, to take the throne.”
“A throne I don’t want,” Danzen repeated for what felt like the hundredth time. Even if there had been a time where he had thought about what he could do with the power that his father possessed, he knew in the end it wasn’t a role for him. And he meant it when he said that he didn’t want the throne.
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean the throne doesn’t want you,” Abbot Monpo reminded him. “But we are here to talk about a viable alternative to taking the throne and rebuilding Sunyata using the power of Diyu, and that is collecting remnants, and specifically the large ones. Sunyata talismans, such as the one you wear,” Abbot Monpo said, his focus shifting to Yato, “won’t help us in this regard. They need to be larger, the kind that are protected in shrines and hidden across the kingdom, forgotten. We also need a place to keep these remnants while you and your party collect them.”
“The nunnery in Odval could be an ideal location,” Kudzu said.
“Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. It is too prone to attacks, too easy to raid. The best place to keep these remnants safe would be here, where they can be protected.”
“But how would we do that?” Kudzu asked him. “Aside from getting the remnant to Genshin Valley, how would we get them across the bridge?”
“The bridge is stronger than you think, and it could be reinforced,” Abbot Monpo assured her. “We have more patrons than we let on, and there are various yokai that live here in the mountains, and in the forest that would help us.”
“If that were the case,” Danzen said, “how would we actually get the remnants here without drawing attention to what we are doing? I can imagine that transporting them over land would put us at risk.”
“Using common human routes, yes, it would,” Abbot Monpo said. “But there are other ways. Regarding remnants in the outer regions, and the ones currently held at the nunnery, there is the northwestern passage, which continues through the mountains outside of the Asura Forest. It is the land where Jimmu was from, before he founded the Kishu Kingdom.”
“Are there people out there?” Kudzu asked. “I’ve honestly never even thought about the northwestern passage.”
One of Abbot Monpo’s attendants came into the room to quickly let them know that Jelmay had arrived, and that he was currently being fed, which caused Kudzu to shake her head, the white fox not able to hide a reluctant grin.
“Sometimes there are people that far out, demonic yokai as well. But nothing like the civilizations here, nothing…” Abbot Monpo considered how he should phrase this. “I would say organized, but there is much more of that here than there would be there. Regardless, it is certainly one way you could go. For other remnants, there is always the option of shipping them with a guard detail, and there are ways to come in from the south as well, once again through the mountains, but to do so you will end up skirting close to Diyu. All options, I’d say. But my point remains: these remnants would be the safest here.”
“And would you know what to do once we had enough?” Danzen asked, which was the key question on his mind.
“There are some texts, yes, and I would need to review them, but I believe it is entirely possible. I may need to come with you on one of these trips and look through the library at the nunnery. I’ve heard it is quite extensive. In the meantime, you will need more help and guidance, especially if you plan to use the northwestern passage. While you may escort the first remnants, you will need trusted partners to transport others as you search for others across the kingdom. I know you are familiar with Usagi, but…”
Kudzu groaned.
“He is a necessary evil, and he knows, or at least can get in communication with, most of the yokai in this area. You need his help, and perhaps…” Abbot Monpo considered this for a moment. “Are you familiar with the hainu?”
“We are,” Danzen said. “We have already spoken with one of their leaders, Galzo.”
“Yes, Galzo, he would be a good yokai to know to accomplish this endeavor. Come, let’s have a meal with the bakeneko, and then you can go to Usagi. If Galzo has already agreed to assist you in some way, then Usagi would be your next step.”
****
Kudzu wasn’t the only one who was disappointed at the mention of Usagi’s name. Seated in the shrine’s dining hall, two plates in front of him piled high with food, Jelmay threw his paws up in the air once he had heard the semblance of a plan.
“Of course, we need Usagi. Of course. I knew it, you knew it, everyone knew it, and yet I’m still surprised. Why? I don’t know; wait, I do know, but I don’t like it. Everyone stop standing around me while I eat. Why did you have to lead with this?” he asked Kudzu, who had yet to take one of the cushions on the ground meant for foxes to sit on.
“I figured I would give you the bad news first,” Kudzu said, slightly proud of herself. She took her seat, and Yato sat onto a cushion next to her, followed by Danzen. Abbot Monpo was the last to sit.
“Is there any good news?”
“Not that I can think of at the moment.”
“And let me guess, we are going there right now?” Jelmay asked. “Talk about turning a nice day-trip into something that could sour at any moment. Even though he helped us with the yamachichi, he is still not happy with us, Usagi isn’t. I’m just lucky I’m not wearing my onikuma hide. Ugh, I would never hear the end of it.” Jelmay spread some honey on a piece of bread and stuffed it into his mouth. “You have me stress-eating over here; I want you to know that.”
“We already talked about the fact that he probably wanted us to kill the demon bear,” Kudzu said. “Let’s just use that against him. Bawa…”
“Who?” Jelmay asked.
“A yokai fox that lives in the mountains outside of the nunnery.”
“Do those mountains have a name? I can’t keep up with all the mountains around the kingdom.”
“They, in fact, do not,” Abbot Monpo said. “Would you like to name them?”
Jelmay considered this as he finished chewing his piece of honey bread. “It’s not really within my wheelhouse. I’m great at giving people nicknames, which is why we have Lady Pilgrim over here, but geographical locations? Nope, nope, not really my wheelhouse. Sadly. You would think by now that I’d be better at naming places considering all the amazing places I’ve been that most humans could never imagine. Sorry if I’m bragging.”
“We eat, and then we go to Usagi,” Kudzu said. “I don’t want to draw this out, and I would like to be back to the monastery before sunset.”
“So you can just run away?” Jelmay asked her, which caused Yato to glance between the two of them, reminding Danzen of how a child would watch their parents argue, almost anticipating how the other would reply.
“Watch it…”
“Mother Pilgrim—See? I’m good at nicknames—shouldn’t be there much longer, at least from what I sensed this morning, so you shouldn’t have to disappear in the future. She was definitely packing her bags. What did you say to her exactly?” he asked Danzen. “Bah, I guess it doesn’t matter, and it was probably warranted.”
“If he said anything, it was the truth. She has been misleading him.”
“Everyone is misleading everyone,” Jelmay told Kudzu, a bit of food falling out of his mouth. “Haven’t you figured that out yet? Even the most pious people have an ulterior motive.”
“Getting Usagi behind our cause is ideal,” Abbot Monpo said in a diplomatic way, “and as for Shodren, while you may feel as if she could have been clearer at the start, she is a powerful nun in her own right. You would be good to continue to accept her guidance. Let’s eat in relative silence. It’s good for the digestive process. We can discuss strategy with Usagi on our way to Osul.”
“You’re coming with us?” Yato asked.
“It appears that I am.”
****
True to his word, Abbot Monpo accompanied them after their meal, the white fox and his seven tails treading lightly along a path Danzen hadn’t traveled before. Were there a finite number of paths in the Panchen Mountains? It seemed as if there was always another way, some trail here yet to discover.
Surprisingly, it was Yato who brought up a strategy in dealing with Usagi that Danzen hadn’t considered before.
“Remind me of what happened with the demon bear,” she told Kudzu as they continued along the side of a mountain stream, Danzen starting to smell the Asura Forest, and hear the wind rustling through the leaves.
“He wanted us to ‘handle a demon bear,’ as he put it. By ‘handle,’ he meant simply run her off or get her to stop attacking yokai, not kill her. We were misled. Then, as you may recall, our conversation with Bawa got me thinking that perhaps Usagi did want her to be killed, but he was just saving face in front of a different yokai, who, hopefully you won’t have the pleasure of meeting, named Monobake.”
“That’s what I thought. So, this may sound a bit crazy, but what if you put pressure on him using this information? Didn’t Galzo mention some issue with demon bears as well? What if you said something that would force Usagi to admit that he was trying to take advantage of your goodwill so he could save face? Maybe even a lie…”
Jelmay started to nod, his mind firing into overdrive as he came up with schemes. “Yes, what if we made up a rumor or something that we heard, and that was later confirmed by Galzo? We then use this as a way to threaten Usagi with being attacked by a herd of hainu. Herd? That’s not the right word. Pack, pack of hainu. That’s the right word. We make up a rumor, we threaten him with violence, and we get him to admit the truth. You’re a genius, Lady Pilgrim, a genius! This will totally work.”
As they continued on their way, the bakeneko grew even more excited as he kept trying to come up with angles to add to their lie, only to be reminded that it was best to keep it basic, at least according to Kudzu.
For their part, neither Abbot Monpo nor Danzen ever made any indication that they agreed with the strategy or not. It wasn’t beneath Danzen to manipulate someone in this way. After all, he’d spent years learning the art of subtle manipulations. He just wanted to settle things quickly and without having to deal with Usagi for too long, or perform any side tasks for him that could later be misinterpreted.
It took them two more hours to reach Osul, Yato just as impressed as Danzen had been when he first visited the yokai village. She also quickly noted that it seemed like all the yokai were hiding from them at the moment, the place eerily quiet.
“They never have come out when I visit,” Danzen told the young assassin.
“One day they will,” said Kudzu, “in fact…”
A few heads started to peek out of some of the holes. Yokai the likes of which Danzen had never seen before ranging in size from lapdogs to larger mammals began appearing.
At first he thought it was because they had finally accepted him, Danzen feeling a sense of elation in his heart. But then it became clear that it was because Abbot Monpo was visiting, the white fox greeting several of them in a kind way.
“Are we supposed to do this right here?” Yato asked, slightly alarmed as the yokai continued to gather.
“What better way to call Usagi out than in front of other yokai?” asked the abbot.
“What?” Jelmay nearly fell over laughing. “You’re dirtier than I thought you were, fox!”
“Have some respect,” Kudzu hissed. “Abbot Monpo is well-regarded in this community.”
“Yeah, yeah, relax, Kudzu.”
Danzen wished that he could identify all the yokai around him, but the only one that he recognized was Kikikaki and her son, that and whatever yokai species Monobake hailed from. Another species he recognized landed, a hainu, who Danzen had the feeling would get the word to Galzo.
Sensing some commotion, Usagi came out of his hovel and looked down at all of them, his ears flattening, whiskers suddenly tense.
“That’s right,” Jelmay said as he pointed a hooked claw at the jade rabbit. “We have a bone to pick with you.”
Usagi grunted and disappeared, the jade rabbit quickly making his way down a stone pathway and pushing his way through the crowd of yokai, the scowl on his face changing once he saw that Abbot Monpo was with them.
“Why, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?” he asked, his two front teeth on display as he offered Danzen and his group a painful smile. He followed this up with a slight groveling bow directed at the abbot. “And what has happened to your tail?” he asked Jelmay, his head still bowed.
“Never mind my tail. We know that you are lying to us about the—”
Abbot Monpo cut Jelmay off. “We have a proposition for you, for all yokai, one that may seem a bit far-fetched at first, but I assure you that it is something that is indeed possible. As you all know, especially with our proximity to Diyu, Sunyata is no longer an option for the afterlife.”
Jelmay tried to butt in, but Abbot Monpo continued before he could finish his sentence.
“You may have all seen the man standing behind me. His name is Danzen Ravja, and he is the son of a nun named Shodren Ravja, and Tengir Gantulga, the ruler of Diyu. Yes, demon blood courses through his veins,” he said after some of the yokai either gasped, took a step back, or at least widened their eyes to some degree. “I tell you this because he has come to me with a proposition, one that I believe now is a true possibility. It will, by no means, be easy, and the hardship that a few of us may endure could very well take our lives, but Danzen, who also goes by the name Pilgrim here in Genshin Valley, has made it clear to me that he would like to attempt something impossible.”
“You really stole my thunder there,” Jelmay said under his breath. “And here I thought…”
“Our world is without balance. In Sunyata’s absence, there is only one afterlife for us to go to, Diyu, to hell itself. Danzen Ravja, Pilgrim, would like to see a change to that. He, and I, and his companions who have joined us here, would like to take the steps necessary to rebuild Sunyata.”
“Is that even possible?” Usagi asked.
“Yes, I believe it is possible, but it will take coordination between the yokai of Genshin Valley, and likely some of the yokai of the Outer Regions. We are proposing moving remnants along the northwestern passage to keep them safe from human intervention, but as some of you know, it can be challenging that far out. We came here today to speak to you,” he said, shifting his focus to Usagi. “We have already spoken to Galzo, and he has agreed to help us. You are an important member of the community here,” Abbot Monpo said, Jelmay wrinkling his nose at this statement, “and as such, you would be an integral part of transportation of remnants to the shrine. What do you say, Usagi? Is this something that you would be able to use your influence to help us with?”
.Chapter Three.
Jelmay couldn’t get over the fact that Usagi had acquiesced so easily. He had been prepared to threaten him, to lie, to do whatever he needed to do, and for Abbot Monpo to simply step in right when Jelmay was about to deliver his spiel irked him to no end.
“If he was simply going to use his power of religious influence over yokai to convince, or should I say, coerce Usagi to join the cause, it would have saved me a lot of wasted oxygen.”
“You would have wasted oxygen anyway,” Kudzu told him. “Never forget that.” Danzen and his companions were now heading back in the direction of his monastery, Abbot Monpo staying behind to see to a few things in Osul now that he had made his dramatic appearance. It was getting later, but the sun still had a few hours before it would start to set, which saw them moving at a leisurely pace, Kudzu in the lead as always. “You always have something to say.”
“No, I don’t.”
Yato laughed. “Are you really going to argue about how talkative you are? It’s not a bad thing; at least half the time, what you’re saying is either clever or somewhat relevant to whatever situation we have found ourselves in.”
