Chasing The Sun - Act 24
"And so we live in lives of fantasy
And dream of dreams that hold the key,
And we follow like sheep.
We thread the path that leads to thee.
We seek the soul that is not ours to keep."
- The Alan Parsons Project, "There But For The Grace Of God"
Iyawama Temple, May 23-24
On the morning of May's last quarter moon, the cramping in my uterus began. The good news was the birth control pills I was taking were both regulating my moon cycle and keeping me from getting pregnant. The bad news was the cramps hurt more than usual. So when we came across a rock slide blocking the road a few days east of Wuwei, I was less than thrilled about getting out and walking until the road leveled out again.
"I'm afraid there's no way Hakuryu can drive through that," Hakkai explained.
"So what do we do now?" Goku asked.
"We walk," Genjyo told him.
"Aww. What about our stuff?" Goku whined.
"We'll have to carry it ourselves," Gojyo said and began unpacking the jeep. "So who gets to carry the bags?"
The guys eyed each other warily.
"How about 'rock-paper-scizzors'?" Hakkai suggested.
"All right. Count of three," Gojyo said.
"One, two, three," the guys all counted in unison. Goku threw down "scizzors" and lost.
"Rats! Let's do that again. Best two out of three," Goku complained. So they repeated the game again. And again. And again. Goku threw down "scizzors" and lost every time. Each time Goku lost, he tried to increase the number of games in a futile effort to win. Hakkai called a stop to the game at Goku's seventh loss.
"Dumdums," I muttered and put Grimmy's harness on him. Then I stuffed what I could into his dogpack's pockets and put that on him - keeping in mind that the big dog should probably only carry 10-15 pounds of stuff on his back because I was going to have him pull the rest of the stuff, which probably weighed around 100-150 pounds total. When I was done fastening the pack over Grimmy's back, I lashed the plastic poles together at the top with bungee cords - forming a V with the poles. I lashed the top of the poles to Grimmy's harness. Then I used bungee cords to fasten the tarp to the poles - leaving a couple of feet at the bottom of the poles uncovered to keep the tarp from dragging on the ground.
"What are you doing?" Goku asked me. He now had his own backpack strapped to his back and carried Genjyo's dufflebag.
"Building a travois," I told him.
"What's a trav...trav...wah?" Goku asked - stumbling over the unfamiliar word.
"You'll see," I said as I piled most of our stuff on the tarp between the poles. I covered the stuff with the loose sides of the tarp and wrapped the whole bundle with rope to keep anything from falling out.
"There," I said and strapped my own backpack onto my back. "Give it a go, Grimmy." The other guys turned around to watch what we were doing.
The dog planted his front paws deep into the rocky sand of the road and threw his chest into the breastband of his harness. Then he lurched forward - dragging the travois easily for several yards.
"Lady ODD, you are a genius," Hakkai said with surprise.
"How did you know he could do that?" Gojyo asked.
"His kind of dog is used to pull heavy sleds over snow," I explained. "Also, hundreds of years ago, the natives of my country used big dogs to pull travois like this one to carry all of their stuff from camp to camp.
"Wow!" Goku exclaimed.
"Good. Problem solved. Let's go," Genjyo said as he put on his veil and crown and started walking toward the rockslide.
We followed him up the rocky road. Grimmy gamely pulled the travois until we reached piles of boulders we had to climb over. I took the travois off Grimmy, and Hakkai, Gojyo, and Goku lifted the travois over the boulders. On the other side, I put the travois back on Grimmy, and he pulled it until we we reached another pile of boulders we had to climb over. We repeated the same process until dusk. As we walked the cramps in my gut got worse. A particularly painful cramp doubled me over, and I fell to my knees.
"Are you all right?" Genjyo asked as he kneeled beside me. I just nodded and tried to stand up. The pain was too much, and I collapsed again.
"What's wrong?" Genjyo asked. Worry furrowed his brow.
"Uuuunnngh," I groaned. "Fucking cramps. Gods damn it!"
"No. Don't try to walk," Genjyo said and pulled my backpack off of me. "Gojyo take her backpack. I'm going to carry her." Genjyo put one arm under my knees and the other under my back and lifted me up. Vertigo hit me hard and I clung to his neck - burying my face in his shoulder.
"Sorry," I muttered.
"Shut up," Genjyo hissed. "Stop apologizing for what is not your fault."
"...998, 999, 1,000," Goku panted as he dragged Genjyo's dufflebag. At the 1000th step he dropped the dufflebag and shouted, "All right, it's time for one of you to carry this bag for a while!"
Gojyo, and Hakkai eyed him then each other. "Hmmm?" they said together and repeated the "rock-paper-scizzors" game one more time. Goku threw down "scizzors" and lost again.
"Dammit! I can't believe I lost eight times in a row," Goku ranted.
"Moron. He always throws down 'scizzors'," Gojyo laughed.
"How far are we walking, anyway?!" Goku complained.
"Until we get out of this rocky terrain to a place where Hakuryu can drive again," Hakkai informed him as he poured some water from the bottle he was carrying in his cupped hand for Grimmy to drink
"Hey you! Can't you transform into something besides a jeep, Hakuryu?" Goku railed at the little wyvern.
"Teacher - the animal is abusing the animal," Gojyo said to Genjyo.
"At this rate, the sun will set before we make it through this canyon," Genjyo muttered.
Well, perhaps we could stay here tonight," Hakkai said and pointed at a huge building tucked away in the cliff wall in front of us. It looked like one of the grotto shrines I had seen photos of.
"Geh. Looks like some kind of shrine," Gojyo said with displeasure.
"Whoah!" Goku said - awestruck.
"Excuse me!" Hakkai shouted up at the building.
"Our luck, nobody's home," I muttered.
A monk came out and stood on the balcony of one of the upper storeys.
"What do you want?" the monk shouted.
"We are travelers. We seek shelter for the night," Hakkai answered him.
"Hmph! These are sacred grounds," the monk said arrogantly. "People of unknown lineage are not welcome in these halls."
"What?!" Goku squawked.
"Hngh! "Pretentious asshole...I friggin' hate priests!" Gojyo ranted.
"You don't say," Genjyo sarcastically responded to Gojyo's rant.
"Oh dear. This is a problem," Hakkai pondered aloud.
"Aww man, but I'm starving," Goku whined. "Do something, Sanzo. Talk to 'em."
"D-did you say sanzo?!" the monk stammered. A second monk joined him. Apparently we were creating quite a spectacle. "It can't be. Priest Genjyo Sanzo?!"
"What?!" the second monk cried.
"Please forgive our impertinence, Your Holiness!" the first monk shouted obsequiously. "You may enter immediately!"
"Huh?" Goku asked - confused.
"Uhhh...Genjyo, I can't go in there," I whispered in Genjyo's ear.
"The hell you can't," he barked.
"But, the rules. Women are forbidden from entering Buddhist Temples...," I insisted. "Maybe you guys haven't notice I have tits, but they will."
"Bugger the rules," Genjyo snapped. "I'm not leaving you out here." He tightened his grip on me as if to emphasize his point.
"OK. If you say so," I relented.
"And you have nice tits," Genjyo added wickedly.
"Whatever," I muttered.
The heavy doors of the shrine swung open. The first monk came out to invite Genjyo inside. "Welcome to Iyawama Temple, Master Sanzo," he said - kowtowing as he lead the way into the main hall. Hakkai unfastened the travois, took the dogpack off Grimmy and set them near the main entrance where they could be retrieved later.
"This place is huge," Hakkai said with awe. He was right. The place was enormous. I wondered how many centuries it took to carve the whole thing into the cliff.
"Hmph!" Gojyo snorted.
"Phew! It reeks of incense," Goku complained. I didn't blame him. The heady smell of the incense was giving me a headache.
"This way, please," the monk said as he lead us to a door at the end of another hallway. The monk opened the door and lead us into a large audience chamber. It looked like the entire population of Iyawama Temple was gathered there. Most of the monks were standing at attention in a double column with the father abbot and a pair of senior monks sitting on a dais at the end of the long chamber. I felt like we were running a gauntlet.
"Wonderful. It's a three ring circus, and we're the main attraction," I muttered. "We should charge admission."
"Hush," Genjyo whispered although there was a hint of amusement in his voice. Genjyo kneeled and gently deposited me on the floor. I spread my skirt out demurly and sat with my arms around my knees. The cramps still hurt like a bitch, and I was fighting hard to keep from rolling up in a ball like an armadillo. Hakkai, Gojyo, Goku, and Grimmy gathered around me. Genjyo stood about a yard in front of me and faced the father abbot of Iyawama Temple.
"Ah, Exalted Priest Sanzo. We are honored to welcome you to our temple," the abbot said grandly.
"It is we who are honored," Genjyo feigned.
"Hey. Why's pretty-boy so important all of the sudden?" Gojyo asked Hakkai in a low voice.
"It must be the power of his sanzo title," Hakkai explained. "Supposedly, there are five sacred scriptures in this world - called the Tenchi Kaigen Sutras - the scriptures used to create Heaven and Earth. The priests chosen to keep those scriptures are given the name Sanzo and revered as the highest priests of all Buddhism."
"So how did our smoking, drinking, killing buddy here get to be a sanzo?" Gojyo asked low enough that only Hakkai, Goku, and I could hear him.
"You got me," Hakkai told him. "I don't understand either."
"Actually, Priest Koumyou Sanzo graced us with his presence ten years ago," the father abbot went on. "Even now the noble figure of Priest Koumyou is burned in my eyes. You truly resemble him, Priest Genjyo."
"Eh?" I murmured - doing mental gymnastics to figure out how Koumyou could have been at Iyawama ten years ago when he was murdered the same number of years ago. I also failed to see the resemblance between Genjyo and his late master.
"I heard that after priest Koumyou passed away, he chose you to succeed him," the abbot continued. "It is said that you were his favorite pupil."
"You mean before Koumyou passed away...unless ghosts can..." I muttered under my breath. I hugged Grimmy and buried my face in his fur to keep from whimpering aloud. The damn cramps were killing me, and I wished we could hurry the political bullshit up.
"I did not come here to discuss those matters," Genjyo cut in. Apparently, he was also losing patience with the chitchat. "My companions and I have had a long and difficult journey. We request a night's reprieve here."
"Yes! Of course! We'd be honored!" one of the senior monks was quick to say. "Except..."
"Yes?" Hakkai asked.
"This is a holy temple. We don't usually admit outsiders," the monk explained. "Especially those who aren't followers of Buddha. And those four..."
"Grrrrrrrrr," I growled.
"So priests can stay, but not normal people?" Gojyo ranted. "What is this? A frickin' country club? Gimme a break."
"Now, now...," Hakkai tried to calm him down.
"I don't care," Genjyo said.
"Eugh?" I grunted.
"Wha! That's what I thought he'd say," Goku whined.
"Don't take it personally, Gojyo. These are very religious people," Hakkai said.
"Well they can bow down and kiss my ass," Gojyo snapped. "I wouldn't stay here if you paid me. I'd rather sleep out on the rocks than hang out with a buncha stuffy monks."
"But, I don't wanna sleep on the rocks," Goku complained.
"Shut up, Gojyo, they're putting us up for the night," Hakkai ordered.
"Or are these men your disiples, Priest Genjyo?" the senior monk asked.
"Them? No." Genjyo informed him. "They're my servants."
"Excuse me?" I snapped. "I am not your..."
"I'm gonna kill him," Gojyo shrieked as he and Goku started to lunge for Genjyo. Hakkai grabbed them both.
"Yes. Yes. Just play along," Hakkai told them.
"Of course. I see. The three men may stay," the monk said. "But women are forbidden from entering this temple. The woman must..."
"What about me?" I barked.
"The lady is my wife. She stays with me no matter what," Genjyo commanded - stressing the words "lady" and "wife". The monks boggled at his statement.
"Ah. Ummm. Well then please make yourself at home, Priest Sanzo," the senior monk said when he recovered his composure. "We'll prepare our best room for you and your company."
"Uhuh," I muttered. "Oooooooooooh!"
The senior monk lead the way to the room assigned to us. Genjyo lifted me up again and carried me again. Hakkai, Gojyo, Goku, and Grimmy followed us.
"We'll need something to ease my wife's pain," Genjyo told the monk.
"Of course," the monk said. "Our healer will see to her shortly."
"Rrrrrrrrr, a hundred milligrams of Ibuprofen would be good," I muttered as Genjyo put me on the bed he and I would share.
"The evening meal is ready," a monk said from the open doorway. Goku dropped his backpack next to his bed and tossed Genjyo's dufflebag onto the floor beside ours. Gojyo set my backpack on the floor next to Genjyo's dufflebag.
"Hurray! I'm so hungry I could eat a whale," he crowed.
"Do you even know what a whale is?" Gojyo taunted him as he, Goku, and Hakkai followed the second monk to the dining room.
"I'll wait here until the healer comes," Genjyo informed the senior monk.
"As you wish. I will have your meals sent here," the monk said and departed.
I rolled over and faced the wall - curling up into a ball. Genjyo sat on the bed and massaged my lower back.
A few minutes later a monk arrived with a small dinner cart. He set the dishes on the table and left. As he was leaving, another monk arrived with a teapot. He had a packet of herbs in his free hand.
"I am the healer," he told Genjyo and bowed. "Brew these herbs in the tea. The pain should lessen in a few hours." Then, he bowed again and left the room.
"A few hours?!" I cried. "Arrrrrrrrgh!"
"Mmm hmm," Genjyo said as he stirred the herbs in the teapot then poured some in a cup. "Here. Drink this."
I sat up and took the cup. I took a sip and almost choked."
"Damn. This stuff is aweful," I complained. "Oh well, Grandma Scoggin always said, 'If medicine tasted good, it wouldn't work'." I forced myself to drink the rest and handed the empty cup to Genjyo.
"Are you hungry?" Genjyo asked.
"A little," I told him. Genjyo handed a plate to me.
We ate our supper in silence. When I was done, Genjyo took my empty plate and put it on the dinner cart with his.
"Feel better yet?" he asked and sat on the bed.
"No," I told him. He kissed me on the cheek and held me.
The other guys came back to the room. Goku plopped down on his bed - bouncing up and down.
"Phew! Now that's what I'm talking about!" he said. "Man, those monks kick ass in the kitchen."
"This room is quite impressive," Hakkai remarked.
"I guess all thanks go to His Worshipfulness, The Mighty Lord Prissy Boy," Gojyo sneered. "Thanks for including us, Your Highness."
"I'm going to kill you." Genjyo informed him.
A young boy wearing apprentice robes brought a tray with tea cups into the room. "Please, make yourselves at home," he said as he set the cups on the table. "My name is Yo. I have the honor of serving you this evening. I'm pleased to meet you!"
"Damn good for nothing monks. I asked for a chick and they send this little runt," Gojyo complained.
"How vile! Women are forbidden inside this temple," the boy ranted. "Isn't that right, Priest Sanzo?"
"Ahem," I coughed. Genjyo patted me on the back then sat at the table.
"Why are you asking me?" he asked the boy.
"I've always dreamed of meeting a sanzo. But I never imagined I'd actually get to serve one!" the boy exclaimed ecstatically. "You are my inspiration. Being a sanzo means you've been selected by Buddha himself. Yours is the highest existence in all of Buddhism! Higher even than the Dali Lama himself!"
Genjyo stuck his pinky in his ear as a guesture of boredom. The rest of us boggled at the boy's enthusiasm. Gojyo and Goku sniggered.
Grimmy hopped up on the bed beside me and cocked his head at the boy.
"Oh really?" Genjyo asked sarcastically.
"So, please relax! If you need anything at all, please don't hesitate to call. Good night!" the boy said as he left.
Hakkai, Gojyo, and Goku burst out laughing after the boy was gone.
"You know what this means?" Hakkai asked with amusement.
"He doesn't know you very well," Goku and Gojyo giggled together.
"I'd love to see that kid's face if he knew that Sanzo is packin' a gun," Gojyo snorted with laughter.
"Oh my. A prime example of the old adage, 'Ignorance is bliss," Hakkai chuckled.
Genjyo sat and read a newspaper - ignoring them.
"Leave the boy alone," I said. "He'll be disillusioned soon enough." I curled up on the bed with my arm around Grimmy and tried to sleep.
A few hours later, a clatter woke me up. Hakkai had dumped the ivory tiles from Genjyo's mahjong set on the table, and the guys were mixing them up in preparation of building the wall - setting aside the flowers and seasons because they were not going to use them. After the wall was built, Goku drew the east wind position. He broke the wall and dealt the tiles to the others. Goku threw out the first discard. Genjyo, as the north wind, sat on Goku's left and picked up Goku's discarded tile. Gojyo, as the west wind, played next. He drew a tile from the wall because Genjyo had not discarded a tile Gojyo could use. Hakkai, as the south wind, played last. Play continued counterclockwise around the table until Genjyo declared mahjong - winning the first hand by going out. Hakkai became the east wind and dealer next. Hakkai won the next hand so he remained the dealer until Gojyo won the third hand and became the dealer of the fourth hand. Genjyo won the next three hands so he remained the dealer until the sixth hand, and the next round began with Goku dealing again.
"Ah, man! I'm already hungry again!" Goku complained during the second round. "All they gave us was beans and veggies."
"The monks' diet is very strict. While we're here here, we must abide by their customs," Hakkai told Goku as he threw out his discard.
"Well, it still sucks. And now I reek of incense," Gojyo ranted. Goku picked up Hakkai's discard and threw out his own.
"It's just one night. So deal with it," Genjyo snapped as he picked up Goku's discarded tile. Genjyo laid down a meld of four five-of-wan tiles and added it to his other melds. "Kong! Mahjong! I win again."
"Damn! He is so sexy when he wears his glasses," I thought as I watched Genjyo flick the ash from his cigarette into the ashtray on the table between himself and Gojyo.
The door flew open and slammed against the wall - startling Grimmy. I hugged the dog as Yo charged into the room.
"Good heavens, what are you doing?!" the boy shrieked.
"Mahjong!" the guys said in unison.
"So you were waiting for the five-of-wan," Hakkai said to Genjyo. Genjyo lit another cigarette and shrugged.
"No! You mustn't smoke tobacco, Priest Sanzo!" Yo wailed.
"Huh?" Genjyo asked quizzically as Yo grabbed the cigarette and stubbed it out in the ashtray.
"Yo. Another cold one," Gojyo said and handed Yo an empty beer can. "Be a friend, baldy?"
"How's that for an ironic name? Poor kid." I thought.
"Alcohol?! Here?!" Yo squawked. "You must dispose of it at once!" Yo went ballistic. He ransacked the guys' bags and deposited all of the contraband on the dinner cart. Soon, there was a pile of beer cans, porn videos, girlie magazines, cigarette packs, and Genjyo's mahjong set on the cart. Two more monks showed up and took the cart away. One of the senior monks came to supervise them. Apparently, Yo's shouting could be heard all over the temple.
"No drinking. No smoking. No sex!" Yo ranted. "We're confiscating all of this stuff until you leave."
"Feh!" Gojyo groaned.
"Indeed," the senior monk remarked. "How could a sanzo priest surround himself with such low-class people?"
That remark pissed Genjyo off. He backed the senior monk up against the wall. Genjyo trapped him there with one arm shot straight out and the palm of his hand slammed flat against the wall.
"Listen, Buddha boy! I'm thirsty. Fetch!" Genjyo barked.
"Y-yes, sir! I'll bring you some tea right away!" The monk stammered and rushed out of the room to obey.
"What just happened?" Goku asked.
"Damned if I know," Gojyo shrugged. Gojyo picked up Genjyo's discarded newspaper and started reading it for lack of anything better to do.
"Toss me the comics when you're done," Goku said and plopped down on the bed beside Gojyo.
"Sure, man. No problem," Gojyo said and gave Goku the comics.
"By the way, this shrine hasn't been attacked by youkai, has it?" Hakkai asked Yo.
"Of course it hasn't!" Yo beamed. "Our strong faith protects it from the dangers of the outside world." I wondered if that included the sands of the Gobi Desert.
"So you guys don't have weapons or anything?" Goku asked Yo.
"Of course not. Buddha forbids killing," Yo informed him.
"My gods! You're killing me," Gojyo sighed.
"Would you really let a tiger eat you instead of harming it to save yourself if you had no other choice?" I asked Yo. "What if the tiger wanted to eat a baby? Or your best friend? Listen, kiddo. Out there are ten million ways to die, and all of them are permanent. Everything kills to survive. Tigers, trees, you name it. And if you don't want to win a Darwin Award, you'd better learn to deal with the harsh realities of life."
Yo boggled at me. Apparently, the thought of such difficult decisions had never crossed his mind.
"In any case, we shouldn't stay here long," Hakkai said.
Yo left the room with a puzzled expression on his face.
"I think we spooked him," I remarked after he was gone. "Reality check, how do you feel?."
"Yeah. And how are you feeling? Genjyo asked as he lay down on the bed with me. Grimmy scooted off the bed and went to play with Goku.
"Better I guess. That horrible herbal tea seems to be working, but the cramps still hurt a little," I told Genjyo. "At least I don't feel like I'm in labor anymore." Genjyo nodded and cuddled me - massaging my lower back.
A little while later, Yo returned and told Genjyo that the father abbot wanted to see him.
"Will you be OK while I'm gone?" Genjyo asked me.
"Yeah. I'll be fine," I said. Genjyo kissed me on the cheek then warned Gojyo to behave himself as he followed Yo out of the room.
The rest of us sat around bored while Genjyo was gone. I wished I had something to read besides the newspaper.
"Note to self: look for a bookstore that sells books in English when we get to Wuwei," I muttered.
"Beeeef, poooork, chickeeeeeeen, fiiiiiiish," Goku mumbled.
"Chiiiiiicks, smooooooookes, boooooze," Gojyo echoed.
"You two are just clumps of carnality, aren't you?" Hakkai remarked.
"Sanzo's been gone a long time," Goku complained. "Why did the head priest summon him so late?"
"Search me. Maybe they think they can guilt trip him into ditching us and staying here forever," I quipped. I sat up and dug around in my backpack for my cigarettes. "Ah ha! Sweet smokes from America. How I love thee. You want one Gojyo?"
"Damn straight, I do," Gojyo said enthusiastically as he plopped down on the bed beside me and took the offered Turkish Jade.
"They're menthols," I told him.
"Right now, I'll smoke anything," Gojyo said and lit the one I gave him.
"How come they didn't take your stuff," Goku asked hungrily.
"Dude, I'm a nonentity. Technically, I don't exist to the monks here," I told him. "And Genjyo would probably skin them alive if they bothered me. Sorry. I don't have any snacks."
Right then, Grimmy and Hakuryu stared at the window.
"Kyu!?" Hakuryu cheeped.
"What is it, Hakuryu?" Hakkai asked the little wyvern.
Grimmy growled and flattened his ears.
We rushed to look out the window. Outside, the air swirled, and there was a boom like a jet breaking the sound barrier.
"Gah!" Goku exclaimed. "What was that?"
"That aura. It's a youkai!" Hakkai said. "We've got company."
"Don't tell me it's another assassin," Goku complained.
"I'm sorry, Goku. It would seem that it is," Hakkai told him.
"We'd better go check it out," Gojyo said.
"Ah. You'd better stay here," Hakkai told me.
"Yeah. Sanzo would skin us alive if something happened to you," Gojyo added.
The guys hurried out of the room - leaving me alone with Grimmy. Outside the room, I could hear screaming and insane laughter. I paced the room and fretted. I felt utterly useless. Then, I heard a child's cry for help. My mother's instincts kicked in. I grabbed my bow and checked to make sure my switchblade was still in my pocket.
"Come on, Grimmy," I called the dog and went to find Yo. "We can't let Yo get hurt." Grimmy lead the way to the audience chamber. There was blood and body parts everywhere. Dead and dying monks littered the floor. Hakkai, Gojyo, and Goku were already beating the stuffing out of the hulking youkai who had slaughtered the monks. I found Yo crouched in a corner with his hands over his ears. He was sobbing fit to choke.
"Hey, Yo. Are you OK?" I asked as I kneeled on the floor in front of him. Grimmy stood guard and watched the fight.
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Yo wailed and glomped me. I put the bow down and hugged him. Grimmy woofed. I turned to watch the fight. Genjyo had just arrived. He grinned and slugged the youkai. The youkai plowed face first into the floor.
"Falls down like an idiot," Genjyo said. "Minus 40 points."
"Way to snatch the prime hit, you greedy bastard," Gojyo ranted - propping an elbow on Genjyo's shoulder. "I was doing fine without ya."
"I could tell," Genjyo snapped and brushed Gojyo's arm off.
"Sanzo!" Goku crowed.
"He's lost a total of 80 points," Hakkai chuckled.
Genjyo turned to the youkai and lifted his chin with a thong-sandaled foot. "They really underestimate us if they think a moron like you could bring us down," Genjyo snarled. "You work for Kougaiji? Why revive Gyumaoh? Who's behind it?"
"Heh heh. You stink of human blood, priest. How many people have died at your hands?" The youkai said sarcastically. "And to think that such a filthy wretch could be given the title 'sanzo'."
"Bad manners," Genjyo remarked. "Minus 20 points."
"You son of a bitch. You dare mock me?" the youkai sneered. "You don't get to tell me when to die." The youkai pushed a button on some sort of device.
"Sanzo! Get back," Hakkai shouted. Genjyo jumped backwards just as the youkai blew himself up.
"He self-destructed?!," Goku asked - horrified.
"What the hell?!" Gojyo squawked.
"Damn." I muttered as I sheltered Yo with my arms.
"Are you all right, Sanzo?!" Goku shouted as he ran to Genjyo.
"Yeah. It's nothing serious. Just a flash burn." Genjyo told him. Hakkai spotted Yo, Grimmy, and me and squatted beside us.
"Are you hurt?" he asked Yo.
"You! Who are you people?!" Yo cried as he looked at Genjyo. "He said you've spilled blood. You dare take refuge in our temple with such unclean souls?!"
"Excuuuuuuse me!" Goku ranted. "He would have eaten your happy ass too if we hadn't stopped him. It's kill or be killed. We didn't have a choice!"
"We understand that killing is wrong, but..." Hakkai tried to explain.
"Of course it's wrong!" Yo interrupted him. "Regardless of the reason, the act of taking a life is a blasphemy against, Buddha!"
"Hey," Genjyo snapped. "Do you really believe what you're saying? How can you say that after watching so many of your friends be slaughtered? If you're looking for a shortcut to the gods, you're welcome to join them. Anyone can be a martyr. Dying's easy. Just look at your friends there."
Yo looked up at me with big puppy dog eyes. "I didn't...,"
"I tried to tell you, sugar." I told him. "It's you or the tiger. You're a good kid, but you've got a lot to learn." I hugged Yo and stood up. I went to Genjyo and told him to show me the burn on his arm. "Mmmm. Good thing I've got that green goop for sunburns."
"I hate to disappoint you, kid...," Gojyo said. "But, we're still alive. You're still alive. Think about that."
The next morning, we gathered up our stuff and prepared to leave Iyawama Temple. The father abbot and several other monks came outside to see us off. I hoped Yo would come out to say goodbye.
"If you head northwest from here, you should reach level ground by evening," the abbot told Genjyo. "Traveling by jeep, it shouldn't be long until you reach the next town."
"Sorry for the trouble," Hakkai apologized.
"Please don't apologize," the abbot reassured him. "This shock has awakened us to our weaknesses. The deaths of our brethren will not be in vain."
"Oh yeah?" Genjyo asked - not quite believing in the abbot's honesty.
"Forgive our rudeness," One of the other monks said to Hakkai and bowed.
"Please don't worry about it," Hakkai said placatingly. "A little purity is good for them. Really."
"Are you saying I'm corrupt?" Genjyo growled.
"Wait!" Yo shouted as he ran out to catch us. "Great Sanzo. When your journey is completed, could you visit this temple again? I'd like it...if you could teach me how to play mahjong."
Genjyo smiled down at him and said, "I'll see what I can do."
"Yeah. Better to learn frmo Sanzo than Gojyo," Goku giggled. "Priest or not, Gojyo wouldn't hesitate to clean you out."
"Hey! Like you're a little angel!" Gojyo squawked. "I'm not going to be told off by some whiny monkey."
"Here we go again," Hakkai groaned.
"Some things never change," I remarked.
"Well, it's true, you cheating kappa!" Goku railed.
"Aaaaaaaaaah. Shut up!" Genjyo barked and whacked them with the harisen.
"Thank you, Priest Sanzo," Yo said as we walked away from Iyawama Temple. "For everything."
As we walked up the path, I nudged Genjyo. "You guys still haven't showed me how to play riichi mahjong," I teased him. "Just out of curiosity, were you taught to be a Shaolin monk?"
"Yep," Genjyo admitted as we walked to the level road that lead to Tianzhu and Wuwei.
"I thought so," I said smugly and kissed him on the mouth.
Notes and Comments Section
Act 23
Table of Contents
Act 25