The monastery grounds were beautiful. They put my little temple back in Kitayashi to shame. The place was deeply familiar but I couldn’t quite place my finger on it, almost as if I’d been there before. Leading up to the entrance at the mountaintop were large stone steps with ancient characters carved into them. I recognized a few Kanji but others made no sense to me. At the end of the steps was a massive wooden archway. I bowed as we entered and Kira and Hana mimicked me. Beyond it we purified our hands and surveyed the long rows of bodhisattvas that sat, ringing the large courtyard, frozen in stone.
There appeared to be no-one there. I surveyed the bell in the center of the open space and I walked over and ran my hand over its old scarred surface. It was a relic. I felt a tickling sensation. Kira was beside me, her tail flicking across my arm. “Can I ring it, master?” she asked, and reached out towards the bell with a fist as if to knock upon it.
Hana was faster than me, materializing behind the catgirl and gripping her arm from behind, wrestling it back. I chuckled. Was there ever gonna be a scenario where Kira could sit still and keep from trouble? I hadn’t found one yet. “Ok, looks like they are all somewhere… perhaps meeting or performing some duty. Let’s wander around and see what clues we can gather. But be respectful!” I cautioned.
“Clues, huh?” a deep voice spoke from behind us.I turned in unison with my two girls to see a tall brown-robed monk with a shiny bald head and a patient smile. He stood a good foot and a half taller than myself, making him nearly double the height of Kira who immediately hissed and assumed a defensive stance.
The monk’s eyes flicked to her tail and ears and I dry swallowed. I had forgotten to hide her features today, so lost in the mission. But the monk did not comment on her appearance further. “You are travelers, yes? You must be hungry. Now the monks are all taking lunch, but I can help you get a plate and show you around. Travelers are usually welcome here… but the monastery is actually closed now. After you take your meal I will have to ask you to leave. It is…surprising you made it up here at all.” He focused his gaze on me. “Most get lost along the way.”
What is that supposed to mean?
We followed him to the kitchens, going through a series of backdoors in the old wooden temple complex. We passed one or two scurrying monks who only bowed at our taller companion, ignoring us completely. We were all given ladlefuls of rice porridge topped with green onion and a few other root vegetables. We snuck out a back door of the kitchen and were greeted with one of the most beautiful views I'd ever seen.
We sat together with our guide on a rocky outcrop overlooking the whole valley below. The mists and clouds had cleared and the sky was blue, it was even warm and the girls took off their jackets. We ate in silence for a moment. It was tranquil and did not feel awkward.
Kira was slurping away happily, her legs dangling off the edge of a large rock. Hana sat beside her, keeping an eye on her. I saw below and beside them with the tall monk. I put down my bowl. It was time to ask him the hard questions. “I appreciate your hospitality, mister… I’m sorry, wow, I didn't even get your name.”
He smiled at that. “My name is Amin, and do not worry. The mountain has that effect on people. Like I said, it is more than a small wonder you arrived here. There are certain… tricks the palace can play on first-timers. It is not easily found by those who have no connection to it.”
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I nodded at that, remembering the strange sense of memory that had taken hold of me as I’d ascended. As if I’d been there before. “Amin,” I continued after a pause. “It is a beautiful place, and I thank you for the food. But you must know that I did not come here to take in the views. We are here because something bad happened here, something we can hope we can help with. Do you know anything about that?”
Amin looked off into the distance. I heard Kira meow and turned to see her stretched out upon the rock, beside Hana who was also sun tanning, both of them headed towards a nap. I chuckled and turned to Amin who also had a grin and a finger to his lips. “Let them sleep then, you are blessed with those too. And blessed now with some quiet.”
“Yea, I could use a bit,” I said.
“Then let us rest in our own way. Sit with me, guardian, for that is what you are… is it not? I see it in the way you walk. You are no monk, that is clear, yet your spiritual power is strong. You know the sutras? I would have us sit together. So that I could know if I can trust you.”
I assumed the full lotus position, focused on my breathing, and soon the world swirled and disappeared.
***
I felt a sharp whack upon my head. I reached up to rub the spot and felt something strange. My hair, it was gone! I opened my eyes. Everything about the place was the same, the cliff face. But my companion had changed. He looked similarly tall but his features were pudgier, more youthful. Another thwack sounded and he yelped, opening his eyes and rubbing his own bald head. We both turned to find our tormentor, a short glowering monk with his arms crossed above his pot belly.
“Have you two spent some time thinking about what you did out here? Huh? You are lucky you weren’t kicked out! Playing a prank like that on Master Shun-Li after he came all the way from Chongqing!? Shame! Now get up, the two of you! There are a whole load of pots to scrub, neither of you sleep or eat till you’ve finished each and every one!”
With that the fat man turned on his heel and left. I noticed, only as he walked away, that he was brandishing a ladle. No wonder that hurt so much! My companion was already chuckling and rising to his feet, dusting off his robes. I noted that they were black. Black robes! It hit me like a flash, my vision from the train. The monastery. It was the same one. So this must be the place back in time, but it seemed far longer ago. This couldn’t be the monk I met today. Perhaps his grandfather? Great grandfather?
“Kimura? Coming? Man it’s going to take us all night to do those dishes! But it was worth it, the look on that stuck-up old scholar’s face. As if he knows anything! Hah! If he spent more time in the mountains and less cozying up with the local government maybe he’d have some decent advice… Kimura? You alright?”
I blinked as it all registered with me. Kimura, my grandfather's name, this place, the connection. In this vision I was my grandfather! I burst out laughing and my companion cocked his head. “This is all just so crazy, I thought grandfather was a serious guy. But I guess he was a troublemaker, just like me. Unbelievable!”
“I think elder Ramis hit you a little too hard on the head,” my companion said and offered an arm. I took it, happy that my outburst was mistaken for a mild concussion. Together we walked to the kitchens. The place looked much the same, although the stones were free and clear of moss and the walkways were tidier. We got to scrubbing dishes and laughing and joking, and soon I forgot who I was or where I had come from. I just enjoyed his company, the simple task at hand.
Then blackness crept in. It began at the sides of my vision, seeping oozing dark portals. Hissing voices. A red robed figure with gleaming eyes flashed before me.. My companion fell, dropping a pot with a loud clang. The world became dark.
We were alone. Me and the summoner.
“You don’t belong here, Kimura!” he hissed.
I awoke.