Divine Madness

by Harmon Cooper

  I stood outside the entrance of the cave, Lhandon not far from me, the monk with his hands behind his back, his head bowed slightly.

  Gansukh was somewhere around, but rather than try to locate it, I wrapped my hands to my mouth again, cupping the sides of my cheeks as I called her name again, louder this time, repeating it three times.

  I waited for another minute, and then I did it again, even louder this time.

  “Once more,” I told Lhandon over my shoulder, waiting for two minutes before starting again.

  I called her a final time and turned back to Lhandon.

  “It may take her a while,” he said, shivering.

  “Until then, I guess it is best for us to stay here. I can try calling her again in the morning.”

  He nodded. “Good plan. The Eternal Hermit left a copy of the Book of the Immortals at the Temple of Eternal Sky run by a monk named Jigme, and only Saruul will be able to lead us to Dornod.”

  “Do you know if this Jigme guy is one of the snow lion people?” I asked out of curiosity.

  “I really don’t know why he wouldn’t be, especially as Dornod is the snow lion village. Remember the bag of crystals that Baatar left us?”

  I nodded.

  “Those are for Jigme as well.”

  “Technically we were already heading in that direction anyway, right?”

  “Sort of, but I’m glad I read the letter when I did. Dornod isn’t accessible by those who don’t know the path.”

  I smiled at him. “Imagine if we had searched the mountains for the next five days while you withheld reading the letter…”

  “I certainly hope I wouldn’t put you through something like that!”

  “Are there nunneries in Lhasa?” I asked once we started making our way back to the cave. “I haven’t heard you mention them.”

  “There used to be, but they were all disbanded. Perhaps I will start one in the future. What do you think?”

  “I don’t see why you shouldn’t. It never sat right with me that most of the religions in my world gave so much power to men, and not to women. Why can’t a woman be a priest, an imam, a lama? You know, that sort of thing.”

  “And those are religious titles specifically given to men?”

  “They are. Like I said, it never sat right with me. So sure, once you’re able to get your monastery up and running, I think it would be a good thing to do. If you want me to put this in terms of karma…”

  Lhandon chuckled. “It is a very good idea. Let me get my own monastery started first, considering the one that I was supposed to run is now a pile of rubble.”

  “I’m sure you will get it sorted out,” I said as we came to Altan and Roger, who were both gathered around the fire. Bobby was off in the corner sleeping, covered by the hide of the goat we’d had for dinner.

  “So where is she?” Roger asked.

  “She can’t teleport here,” I started to tell him.

  “I figured she would come running. Maybe not. To be honest with all of you, even though only two of you can understand me,” the bird said, looking from me to Tashi, “I’m not so keen on going to Dornod. Someone needs to say it.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Do cats eat birds in your world?”

  I nodded.

  “Is Dornod basically on the top of the world, a village that no tropical bird has ever visited before?”

  “Yes,” Tashi said.

  “Need I elaborate?”

  I took a seat next to Roger, who was still on his back, drumming his feathers on his distended belly.

  “What’s he saying? He sure is talkative.”

  “He’s not very excited about going to Dornod considering he’s a bird, and cats eat birds,” I told Lhandon.

  “But these are lions.”

  “What the hell kind of answer is that?” Roger asked me.

  Lhandon took a seat before the fire. “I suppose the sooner we get to sleep, the faster we will find out if Saruul has heard your call or not. If anyone is interested in meditating, I am planning on doing some before I go to sleep. I was very inspired by the Eternal Hermit’s words, both in his transmission and the letter he wrote to me practically on his deathbed. Once we get to Dornod, I will have more time to develop the idea that he has implanted in my soul. I hope everyone here will be patient while I do this.”

  “It seems as if we are planning to stay there for a while,” Altan said.

  “I believe it is important, especially before we journey to the Island Kingdom of Jonang. No one should be able to reach us in Dornod; it will give us time to regroup, to get refreshed.”

  “I don’t know about you, but hanging out with a bunch of lions for a couple weeks is not my idea of a good time,” Roger grumbled.

  “Let’s just see how it goes,” I told the bird. “I’m sure there will be plenty for us to do there. Think of it this way, you can watch me get my ass kicked once I find a trainer.”

  Roger considered that. “That could be entertaining…”

  Lhandon nodded at me. “Your mindfulness and your control over the Power will improve with training. I think this is an excellent time to train.”

  “Be careful not to get distracted by your lioness, training your groins.” Roger started to cackle, but was too full to really put effort into it.

  “Dornod would be a wonderful place for your friend to recover,” Altan added. “There won’t be lotus there, I’m sure of it, and being so high in the mountains will keep the air crisp and thin, which will keep him sleepy. It’s best if he sleeps this off.”

  “I wish there was a rune that I could use to help him…” I started to say. I glanced over to Bobby, feeling a sinking sensation in my chest.

  It pained me to see him in that state.

  “Perhaps there is a rune…” Lhandon said. “But I will have to go see what the temple in Dornod has in their library. It is going to be fascinating, really, to actually be able to peruse the books that the snow lion people read. I will try to make it quick, though; I’m aware that we have bigger plans, and while I don’t think that we will be followed all the way up to the village, I would prefer to keep our worldly concerns closer to sea level.”

  We meditated together, Lhandon instructing us at first, and then letting each of us take over when we wanted. Roger was the only one who didn’t meditate, the bird falling asleep on his back, occasionally mumbling something, turning to his side, and turning back.

  After we finished, I cleaned off one of the large flat rocks and lay down on it, Saruul on my mind.

  I didn’t know her so well, but I was fine with that.

  A large part of me was really excited to see her, to share with her what I had learned, for her to see how I had grown since our time in the cave together. I was also keen to learn more about the woman herself, to peel back the mystery of her sudden arrival and disappearance from my life.

  The flames danced on the cave wall as I drifted off to sleep, the shadows eventually overcoming them.

  Chapter Eight: Dornod

  No dreams, but in the early morning twilight I could have sworn I saw Dema sitting outside the cave, her eyes filled with light as she braided her long white hair. Slowly rolling over, I pressed my way to my feet and went out to see if it was really her.

  Of course it wasn’t.

  After a stretch, I continued forward, noticing a light sprinkle of snow on the crooked bushes that surrounded the caves. I placed my hand on the snow, feeling a coldness between my fingers.

  Something in my peripheral vision caught my attention; I looked back to see that Gansukh was meditating, the ice spirit concentrating deeply.

  Trying to make as little sound as possible, I moved away from the cave, eventually taking a seat on a large stone, still a bit upset that Dema hadn’t actually come.

  I needed to confirm some things with my dakini, especially in regards to the spirit that had attacked us after we left Nagchu.

  It made sense that someone from the Underworld was tryi
ng to stop our progress, but we still didn’t know who. Perhaps more answers would be available to us in the Book of the Immortals, but I knew our best option for answers would be for us to go straight to the source by speaking with someone from the Overworld.

  “Come on, Dema,” I said under my breath, watching a dusting of snow fall from an overhanging branch.

  But she never came, and eventually, I got the urge to answer nature’s call.

  I walked a little deeper into a patch of trees, where I parted the front of my robes, relieving myself.

  I turned away, and as I took a step forward my eyes fell upon a snow lion.

  The beast paused; its ears flickered as it slowly began to crouch down as if I couldn’t see it.

  “Easy…” I said out of the corner of my mouth, and as the words left my lips, the lion charged forward.

  It jumped into the air; my natural reaction was to protect myself with my arms, but rather than feel its claws sink into my flesh, the lion morphed, wrapping her arms around me, her legs around my waist.

  “Don’t sneak up on me like that,” I told Saruul, who smiled at me with all the joy in the world.

  She was just as I remembered her, white hair with tufts of black in it, powerful hips, and a muscular form. She wore a black leotard that reminded me of a one-piece bathing suit, which shouldn’t have kept her warm yet seemed to do the trick. Her cheeks were red; she was adorable in this form.

  “I was going to jump on you when you were pissing, but I figured I would let you finish first.”

  “Thanks,” I told her, Saruul still with her legs wrapped around me. One of her ears was erect, the other bent forward, her tail hooked in the air.

  “There’s something different about you,” she said, a glimmer of concern in her eyes.

  “Some things have changed, yes, but I believe I’m better because of it.”

  I set her down, her hand naturally falling into mine as I gave her the briefing on what had happened since we last met, from getting the Flaming Thunderbolt of Wisdom, to ruining Madame Mabel’s lotus.

  I didn’t touch on everything, but I at least give her the highlights, the lioness nodding excitedly as I spoke.

  “So you have been through a lot,” she said once I finished.

  “Yes, and this is just the start of the journey, to be honest with you.”

  She glanced around at a few of the frozen limbs above us. A cloud was partially covering the sun, yet enough light came through some of the icicles to give a glittery sheen to everything. “Is that why you are in these mountains?”

  “Originally we came here looking for a book, but then I was told to contact you.”

  “Excuse me?” she asked, cocking her head to the left just a little.

  “I guess it’s going to take a little bit more explaining than that,” I said as I told her about the book we were looking for, how that related to the attack on the monastery, and how the hermit whose cave we first hooked up in gave us instructions in the letter for me to contact her.

  Saruul turned away from me before I could finish my explanation.

  “What is it?” I asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

  “Dornod is my home, and it is a beautiful village, but it is also a village that has not been visited by people from Lhasa for hundreds and hundreds of years. They are a bit…”

  “Isolationistic?”

  “Protective of the village they have so well hidden. If we are being honest, I have thought about what it would be like if you came, and while I may have made it seem before like you are welcome, I don’t know how you would be received.”

  “Have you ever heard of a man named Jigme?”

  She nodded slowly. “He is the head monk at the Temple of Eternal Sky, a very kind, educated man.”

  “That’s who we were told to meet. The hermit who left us his notes said that Jigme had a copy of the book that we need to jot down. Our copy got burned in the monastery fire. Everything got burned…”

  “You should have called me if you needed help,” she said, concern flitting across her face.

  “You usually don’t go that far down the mountain, at least according to what you told me. And I’m glad you weren’t there. You could have gotten hurt. I just don’t know. We barely got out alive, and that was with a fire and an ice spirit.”

  “So spirits have joined you, eh?”

  “Two spirits and a former slave,” I told her. “Altan was one of the guys that helped me back when I was a slave in Nagchu. We actually had the ice spirit when we met you, but we hadn’t let it out of the bottle yet. The fire spirit came to us when I went to ring the Hermit Bell.”

  Her ears twitched ever so slightly. “I recall hearing that bell.”

  “I suppose I have a pretty strange crew: a bird, two spirits, a monk, and a former slave training to be a monk. I suppose I should just call him a monk, now, but I don’t know if he has been ordained, however that is done here. One of my friends is with us as well, a guy from my world…”

  “A world that isn’t reachable from here, correct?”

  I nodded.

  “I remember what you told me in the cave,” she said softly.

  “At the moment, Bobby is not well, but we are hoping he will be able to rest in Dornod.”

  Saruul crouched down and brought her hand to her chin as she thought this through. “I don’t think it is a good idea for you to go to Dornod, not now,” she said, looking up at me. “The Winter Moon festival is upon us, and while it is a wonderful time, it is also a time of inebriation. Many of the men and women will be intoxicated, which could prove dangerous for you and your friends.”

  I shrugged. “It sounds like a risk we will have to take.”

  She gave me a harsh look, the woman’s canines suddenly visible. “I don’t believe that is a decision that you are able to make. You called me here so I could take you there, did you not?”

  I nodded.

  Saruul’s eyes darted left watching something move through the frozen underbrush. Her nostrils flared open. “A rabbit,” she said turning her attention back to me.

  “Let’s just talk this over with Lhandon,” I said. “I think he’ll be able to explain better than I can. He hasn’t really told me everything that was in this letter, just some of the basic details.”

  “I see.”

  Once she was back on her feet, Saruul walked with me to the cave. Before we reached the opening I took her hand again.

  “I’ve missed you.”

  “And I you, Nick.”

  “I’m sorry to put you on the spot like this.”

  “Let’s just see what the monk has to say.” A thin smile ran across her face. “Sometimes they can be quite convincing.”

  Lhandon was more convincing than I thought he would be, especially after he showed Saruul the letter, the lioness nodding as she finished reading it. And even though she seemed reluctant to do so, she eventually agreed to lead us to her village.

  We ate the rest of the meat from the previous night, and once we were done, Altan saw to Bobby, applying the salve under his nostrils and against the inside of his lips. After Tashi melted down a little ice, Altan used a rock to guide some of the water into Bobby’s mouth.

  It was around this point that Lhandon walked over to Gansukh, a firm look on his face.

  “I told you that I would relieve you of your duties once we found the book…” he began.

  “Yes?” the ice spirit asked, its face becoming more tangible.

  “And I am a man of my word. Once we reach Dornod, and we are able to confirm that the book is indeed there, your freedom shall be returned to you.”

  “I see,” Gansukh finally said. “Thank you.”

  “It has been my pleasure,” Lhandon said with a quick bow.

  We left the cave once Bobby’s sled was ready, Saruul and I at the front of the group.

  “It’s strange to travel with such a large pack,” the snow lioness said, her tail lightly bouncing as she walked.

/>   “Our numbers only seem to grow.”

  “Let’s hope it remains manageable.”

  “Maybe we’ll add a snow lion to the group.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I was serious earlier when I said my village could be dangerous at this time of year. Well, any time of year can be dangerous in Dornod, but this is a time of year in which chung flows freely through the streets, and as you probably can imagine, drunken lions can be quite aggressive.”

  “We will keep our heads down then,” I told her.

  “I’m sure you will. That is, until they come looking for you. But I guess that’s why you have your fire sword.”

  “I suppose so.” I placed my hand on the hilt of my blade, remembering that there was something I wanted to ask her. “You don’t think there would be someone who I could train with in Dornod, do you? I would like to get better with my weapon, especially if we are going to spend some time in the village while Lhandon works out some things at the monastery.”

  “You want to train?” Saruul looked to me, the smile on her face revealing her sharp canines.

  I nodded. “I have this power that allows me to slow down time, but I don’t yet have control over it. Before Baatar was killed, he instructed me to get better control over my mind and body. I would like to be able to activate it on command, and I would like to be more useful in a battle.”

  “Nick has a pretty awesome power,” Roger said as he landed on my shoulder. “Believe me. I’ve seen it in action. Also, no one will try to eat me there, right?” he asked Saruul. “I probably should have asked that earlier.”

  She laughed. “We prefer different birds, not thin, tropical ones from sea level.”

  “Are there even birds there?”

  “Beautiful white birds with blood-red beaks,” she told Roger, “ones that you will instantly fall in love with. I’m sure you will be quite popular in Dornod, considering the color of your feathers.”

  Roger looked at his tail feathers and back to her. “The birds in Dornod are impressed by yellow? Every tropical bird in lower Lhasa has yellow tail feathers.”

  “It sounds like you’re going to be the talk of the town,” I told him.