Pilgrim 2, p.4
Pilgrim 2, page 4
“Maybe you’re right about that.”
“Maybe? You know I’m right. And by the sound of it, you’re staying, right? Here in the Valley?”
Danzen didn’t say anything.
“I’m so glad you’re staying,” Kudzu said softly, her gaze on the horizon, the moon casting a pale light onto the canopy of the Asura Forest.
“I am…” Danzen offered a sigh of relief. “I am, too.”
.Chapter Three.
Danzen and Kudzu both slept outside the monastery that night, the two resting on the hill while Yama kept guard. Danzen awoke before the white fox, the former assassin sitting up and listening to the early morning sounds, a rabbit rustling through the grass, insects, fleeting birdsong, nature coming alive.
He checked on Basan and retrieved the egg she had laid, the chicken quiet for once, offering him just a few fiery clucks. He returned to the front of the monastery to see Jelmay already making his way up the hill, the chubby cat in his little vest as always, his big eyes bloodshot once he reached him.
“Who gets to wake the fox?” Jelmay asked. The bakeneko held a plate stacked high with meat, which he offered to Danzen. “I went ahead and fried up some meat.”
“I have an egg.”
“Well, have some meat too. Kudzu will eat the rest, I’m sure of it.” Jelmay placed the plate on the ground and yawned as he plopped down next to the white fox. “The sooner we get to Osul, the sooner we can get back to the village and heal your people. I’m sorry about that, by the way. I know you are upset that it didn’t work.”
“I’m fine. I just don’t want them hurt.”
“They won’t be hurt, they’ll be snakes. Which means they will hurt other people, and you definitely don’t want that, especially if you have to kill them. But hey, at least it was an interesting science experiment, right? I mean, now we know, if someone ever has their soul sucked out of them, sure, journey to the Tavern at the Edge of the World, but don’t use a nozuchi tooth to house their soul on the way back. It’s now a known variable. That’s why we have to go to this guy in Osul. He’ll know what to do. And if he doesn’t, you can just kill him and we’ll figure something else out.”
“Why would I do that?” Danzen asked as he took a bite of the meat Jelmay had prepared. It was lukewarm, but well-marinated, filling.
“You remember that rare yokai that Selden wanted? The jade rabbit? That’s who we’re going to, one of those rabbits. A gyokuto, as they were once known.”
“Why didn’t you say something about this yesterday?”
“First of all, I’ve already told you how I feel about this Selden guy trading in yokai body parts. Secondly, if you recall, we didn’t know at that time that Khamdo and Oktai were going to need rescuing. Anyway, this particular jade rabbit I know goes by the name Usagi. He’s a wily little fellow, but he’ll know what to do. You can kill him after.”
“Again, why would I do that?”
“Because it’s what you’re good at,” Jelmay said. “You’re a professional! I’m teasing. No need to scowl at me. Me and this rabbit, let’s just say we’ve had our differences.”
“Why does that not surprise me?” Kudzu said, stirring.
“There’s everyone’s favorite white fox! I brought you some meat, Kudzu. Eat, eat.” He returned his focus to the former assassin. “What I’m trying to say is this: Usagi may or may not be willing to help us. If he’s not, you know what to do.”
“I’m not going to kill a rabbit for you, Jelmay.”
“Why not? You did last night. Or was that you, Kudzu?”
“It was me,” the fox told him.
“Think of it like this, Pilgrim: if you do, you’ll get your yokai books, and if you get the information on how to deal with these two before they turn into nozuchi, you’ll get your books and you’ll get to keep your friends. It really sounds like a win-win.”
“Are you suggesting he kill him regardless of if he can help or not?”
“Of course I am,” Jelmay told Kudzu. “He’s a little rabbit. Have you seen this rabbit before? You must know Usagi. Everyone knows him.”
“I can’t say that I do.” Kudzu slowly made her way over to the meat. She sniffed it once, judging it before starting to pick up the food.
“You know you like it,” Jelmay said. “Between the two of you, I’ve got a former assassin who is dark and brooding all the time, and a white fox who hates me, or at least pretends to do so. Personally, I think you secretly like me.”
“Let’s not analyze each other this early in the morning,” Kudzu said.
“Agreed. Back to this rabbit, Usagi. We may have to kill him. I can do it; I have a sword as you may recall… Speaking of which, I will need to pick it up on the way back down the hill. I didn’t bring it with me. I should grab my shield too. Maybe I could just bash Usagi with my shield. He’s not very large.”
“I thought we were going to talk to him to get a cure,” Kudzu said, growing annoyed with the bakeneko.
“Go to talk, go to kill, is there really a difference? Eat your breakfast, let’s get on our way. I’ll tell you more about him once you have some food in your bellies. Hopefully, everything will be fine. If it’s not, well, you know what to do.” Jelmay brought a claw to his neck and gestured as if he were slitting his throat.
Danzen and Kudzu exchanged glances, the fox’s eyes narrowing on him, letting him know of her disapproval.
Danzen nodded.
****
After their meal, an idea came to Danzen, a way to accomplish several things in one trip.
“Do you know, or does this friend of yours perhaps know, where to find the sugawara that keeps attacking me?”
Jelmay, who was still sitting on the hillside, considered this question for a moment. “He probably does. Usagi is able to communicate with certain yokai that give him a pretty far reach across the valley, plus he fancies himself a know-it-all. We could ask. I mean, why not? There’s really nothing to lose.”
“I have all this discarded armor, as you know. If we’re going to go after this sugawara as well…”
Jelmay snorted. “Normally, I would say ‘save the vengeance trip for another time.’ But I’m in a gracious mood, and I don’t want you to get electrocuted. I’m pretty sure that Usagi is already going to want to exchange a favor for a favor, that’s if he grants the favor, so what’s one more ask?”
“Can you just be clear about this rabbit?” Kudzu asked.
Jelmay shrugged. “What’s there to be clear about? We had a falling out. Is that what you want to hear? Let’s just keep it at that. If Usagi does try anything, we have Pilgrim over here ready to get the answer that we want. I can’t wait to see the look on that rabbit’s stupid face when you draw your sword.”
Danzen didn’t take the bait. “Then I will get started on the clothing.”
“It’s going to take more than a single pair of hands to get you outfitted in that armor,” Jelmay said. He stood, and began to morph into the same blonde-haired man Danzen had seen him shift into the previous day. “Don’t worry about my appearance; just a neutral role I have played in the past, Kudzu. You need to change too. You’re not going to be too helpful as a fox seamstress.”
“I can help in this form.”
“What’s wrong with being human? Do we need to get you some clothing? Is that it? I’m sure Pilgrim here has some extra robes. Before we head west, I’ll make sure we get you some custom-made pieces over in Chutham, just so you know.”
“For some reason, I think you just like to see me as a human.”
“What can I say?” Jelmay said with a shrug. “It’s something different.”
“Fine.” Kudzu stepped into the monastery, returning a few minutes later as a human, wearing Danzen’s clothing. She still had white hair, and her ears were pointed, but other than that, and aside from her oversized clothing, she was passable as a human.
The next hour flew by, the three working on pieces of armor Danzen had stripped from the sugawara’s foot soldiers.
Working with the fabric was similar to working with thin leather, which made it just a bit harder to manage. It had a similar feel as well. Eventually, Danzen had to remove the tops of his robes so they could fit the armor over his skin and see where adjustments were needed. He was a little hesitant that it would even work, but if it gave him even a small buffer against the sugawara’s attacks, it would be worth it.
In the end they had enough of the material to make an overcoat of sorts, Danzen using the excess fabric to put together a hood. He fashioned a crude buttoning system at the front of the overcoat and tried it on a final time, the dark material cool against his skin.
The material was a bit thick, but he managed to fit the folded overcoat into his satchel. This meant he wouldn’t be able to bring much else with him, which was fine, considering he was traveling with companions. He did, however, make room for his field diary.
He still needed to look up this jade rabbit, this gyokuto. Skimming briefly through the pages handwritten by Abbot Mergen, Danzen located the jade rabbit, glad to see that there was actually information on the yokai:
The gyokuto, or jade rabbit, is named after the myth of the rabbit in the moon. According to the myth, a snow monkey, a fox, and a rabbit were traveling in the Panchen Mountains when they came across an old hermit dying from exhaustion. The three animals felt sorry for the old man, and tried to save him. The snow monkey was able to grab some roots and other plants by scavenging around the mountains. The fox caught a few fish for the old hermit. The rabbit wasn’t able to find anything to help the man, so he asked the fox and the monkey to help him build a fire to keep the man warm. The rabbit then jumped into the fire, offering his own meat for the hermit.
Danzen turned the page to finish the myth.
Upon seeing the rabbit’s compassion and selflessness, the hermit revealed himself to be a saint of Sunyata. He lifted the rabbit and placed him in the moon, so future generations lost in the mountains would have their path lit, and all could be inspired by the rabbit’s magnanimity.
“Are you going to stand here all day and read, or are we heading to Osul?” Jelmay said as he came back in from outside.
Danzen closed his field diary and placed it in a satchel. He grabbed Astra, his Blade of Darkness, and stepped out of the monastery. After locking up, he headed down the hill with the two of them, Kudzu now back in her fox form.
They made their way past Jelmay’s home, the cat stopping by to grab his sword and his shield. After Jelmay had a second helping of meat, the three moved deeper into the Asura Forest, where they came to a small brook, Kudzu suggesting they go one way, Jelmay the other.
“Trust me, my way is faster,” he told her, pointing a claw toward the west.
“But your way cuts through an area that most yokai try to avoid, near the Dark Springs.”
“The Dark Springs?” Jelmay waved her concern away. “There’s nothing that can get you out there, not with two sword-wielding warriors accompanying you.”
She rolled her gray eyes. “Now you are a warrior?”
“Sure.” He puffed his chest out and started walking in the direction he had just gestured toward.
“I guess we’re going this way,” Kudzu said under her breath as Danzen turned to Jelmay.
“If it’s faster, that’s all that matters.” Danzen recalled Jelmay telling him they had a few days to save Khamdo and Oktai; even still, the former assassin was having second thoughts about going after the sugawara. It would only make sense if the yokai’s location was close to Osul. Otherwise, they would have to save that little quest for another time.
Jelmay called for a break after an hour of walking, the bakeneko crouching to drink from a stream. Kudzu did the same, Danzen the last to take a sip.
This area was different from the other parts of the Asura Forest he had been before, many of the trees covered in thick black vines, several streams as well with yellow water lilies floating on their surfaces.
He could smell the yellow lilies, which had a musky scent, and he was just about to reach for one when he noticed something in the water’s reflection.
Thwonk!
Danzen moved aside as an arrow came in his direction, passing just over his shoulder.
“See?” the white fox hissed to Jelmay. “I told you coming through here was a bad idea.”
“Arrows?”
Thwonk!
Another arrow flew in the cat’s direction, Jelmay lucky to be turned around at the moment, the arrow striking the shield that he wore on his back.
“Get down!” Danzen told both of them as he reached for his famed blade.
He could have sworn the arrow had come from the left, from a location just above a knot on an enormous tree. He loosed his blade toward it, Danzen just barely able to knock the next arrow out of the air.
Ready to rely completely on his enhanced power, he sent energy into his legs and leaped into the trees, pressing past the canopy. Another arrow whistled past him, Danzen turning just in time to avoid it.
He knew that he was going to run out of luck soon.
Coming back down, he drew his Blade of Darkness, which summoned the shadows all around him, of which there were plenty because of the large trees and their foliage. He swung his glaive toward where the last arrow had come from, an incredible swath of darkness ripping through the forest, powerful enough to cut through the trees and the vines.
The resulting collapse tore up the roots of a mangled old tree and brought down several others, some vines holding strong as branches ripped at them, as the ground quaked.
Danzen got down low, his glaive at his side as he gathered more shadows to send forward again.
“Wait,” Jelmay said as he peeked his head up.
Danzen noticed a flash of sparkling white charge forward.
“Relax, Pilgrim. You got it,” the bakeneko told him.
Kudzu returned seconds later with what looked like a quiver of arrows, if a quiver of arrows could be a living thing, with large, lip-like flaps, its form writhing. The quiver even had a pair of eyes, both of which were now shut.
Kudzu dropped it on the ground at Danzen’s feet.
“It’s a furuutsubo,” she said.
“A what?”
“A possessed quiver,” Jelmay said as he came forward. He stomped at it; the quiver opened its eyes a final time before expiring. “A dead, possessed quiver.”
****
Danzen didn’t know what to make of it. The quiver looked like any other quiver now, even made of leather, and clearly not alive. Yet it had just opened its eyes and looked at him; he could have sworn he even heard it wheeze.
“What’s it called again?” he asked as he sheathed his Blade of Darkness.
“A furuutsubo,” said Jelmay, the bakeneko examining Danzen’s destruction, several of the trees either knocked over or cut in half. “Remind us to call on you next time we need to clear some wood.”
Danzen reached into his satchel and found his field diary. He flipped through it once, looking for the name.
“I doubt you’ll find it in there,” said Jelmay. “It’s another one of the rarer yokai, similar to the sugawara. It wasn’t born on its own; it was something that was possessed and later became sentient.”
“Not true,” said Kudzu. “The sugawara is, or was, a demon. It just got stuck here and it now creates spawn. If you recall, the sugawara appeared in Genshin Valley long before the fall of Sunyata. A poet made a deal with a heavenly being who had come to take his wife. What he didn’t know at the time was that there was a demon inside of her.”
“I remember now,” Danzen said, recalling that the poet met with the heavenly being and the demon tried to ambush them, the demon struck down by a bolt of lightning and subsequently getting stuck in the Valley.
“The furuutsubo is the spirit of a warrior,” said Kudzu. “You may also recall some of our encounters in the forest; there are plenty of dead soldiers that have lost their lives here. Some feed into beings like the jubokko tree. Others simply die, but their weapons, which perhaps were forged in Sunyata, or with remnants from the heavens, live on. In this case, this quiver likely belonged to an archer who took very good care of it. The archer died, and the quiver developed a life force, which you have officially taken.”
“Fascinating,” Danzen said, his hand naturally going to the hilt of his sword. Would his weapon one day carry a similar fate?
Danzen let the conversation end at that point. They were safe for now; they needed to move on.
The three had only walked for a few minutes before Kudzu looked over her shoulder at Jelmay, who was already lagging behind as he stuffed a piece of the meat left over from last night in his face.
“We’re almost there,” he told her. “Stop your worrying.”
Danzen couldn’t remember how long it had taken them to get from his monastery to Osul on their previous visit, but this path seemed faster, the three coming to the yokai village in the time it took Kudzu and Jelmay to finish bickering.
The mysterious yokai village started off with a rocky outcrop, homes built into the yellow and red bedrock but hidden enough that if someone stumbled upon the place, a human wouldn’t recognize it as an actual village. The village spread out into a wooded area with enormous trees, homes cut directly into their trunks. This was where Kikikaki and her son lived, Danzen wondering if they would pay the two a visit. They had failed to catch a fish for Kikikaki to cook along the way, and he didn’t want to impose.
Rather than head into the wooded section of the village, Jelmay turned left, Kudzu muttering something under her breath about how people didn’t want him here.
“I’m aware; I’m also aware that all eyes are on me right now,” the bakeneko said as he took a set of stairs cut into the sediment, a few weeds sticking out of their crevices. “Tell you what, fox, let’s just go ahead and clear the air.”
“Do what?”
Jelmay cleared his throat. “Attention, Osul villagers: if anyone has anything to say, anything at all, and they really want to see what I’m capable of, or bring up something that has happened in the past, come on out and let me know,” he said loudly. “Get your sword ready,” Jelmay whispered to Danzen.
