"Taro, quit it." Ishva glared at the earth spirit.
"Later. Will pry later. Obviously." She laughed nervously, then stepped behind Ishva. "All yours, sister."
"We need to teach and train you, Sugriva. You need to be able to shift into your janaav form. Does this sound agreeable?"
Sugriva nodded. "Just tell me what to do." The life was sapped out of his voice, as his thoughts went to that infernal water spirit. He would kill her when his training was done. He swore in his heart over his parents and Prisha, he would end Pankatav's life. And Ravasha's.
"Wait, we're teaching him the janaav form," Taro Taro broke in. "That's my specialty. I get to play with him?" Her smile was unsettling, like she wanted to eat him.
"I will supervise to make sure nothing happens." Ishva glared, fire replacing her eyes.
Taro Taro simply laughed, then said, "To the courtyard, Sugriva. You will be shifty in no time!"
SUGRIVA FINALLY SHIFTED into his janaav form: a monkey with the height of a man, more or less. He had a tail, the ability of human and monkey speech, opposable thumbs, and hair covering his entire body, except immediately around his eyes. When he finally did shift, he looked up to Taro Taro, and asked, "What's next? I want more." Adrenaline coursed through him, and he could do anything in that moment.
"You have a broken leg," she said, chuckling. "You can't train on a broken leg. Let it heal." The earth absorbed Taro Taro up until only her torso and head were above it. "And tell me about this kid of yours. About your fear of the spirits. I know you fear me." She bore her teeth, jagged crystals like the earth spirits at the temple. "You whisper it in your sleep, then scream like a little girl coming face to face with a monster. What degrades you, monkey? What—"
"Enough," Ishva roared. Flames whooshed and whirled up her body, replacing her humanoid form with a pillar of fire. "Back away from him and do not pry. His story is his. If he is ever ready, he will share it. Until then, you will stop demanding his story or that he mates with you. Now go back to the temple and tend to your duties."
Taro Taro sighed heftily, and said, "Fine, mom." She rolled her eyes, then sulked off to the temple.
"Congratulations, Sugriva. I am proud of how far you have come, and that you are keeping the corruption at bay."
He thought of the treatment every morning. Ishva walked into his room, conjured fire, and burned him so the corruption escaped as smoke. It came out of his mouth, eyes, nose. After a few seconds she stopped, but he felt sore and disoriented.
"You burn me every morning to keep me in check. I do nothing.” He smirked. “I do look forward to not having singed hair."
Ishva chuckled like a mother watching her child make a big deal out of a small issue. "Your positive attitude is why healing is happening. My flame only helps nudge you in the right direction."
Stairs led below the temple and Ishva flared her hair so they could see down the path. Several murals made of gems and different rocks lined the path. There were creatures of shadow. Numerous rubies symbolized blood spilled.
"The war was long ago," Ishva said. "I wasn't an Ashtadash yet. I wasn't even born yet."
"Born?" he asked.
"Most people assume that refers to when I was created, thrust into this reality by a fire that got out of control. But you believe it means something else. Most janaav do think something else." She put her hands on the mural, on a fire spirit who was tall and handsome with white skin and red hair. His eyes blazed blue. "But yes, born. I was human, and this man was my father. My mother was human. Vayner was a kind spirit, though passionate. He was always loud." She giggled like a girl. "He would come into the room and roar as he told us about his day. Mother would chastise him, telling him to keep his voice down. It only made him louder.
"Then mother got sick. Vayner was one of the few fire spirits to heal through burning, and he tried healing mom. I begged him to wait until we could get a water healer. It was less traumatic, and it was less likely to kill." Her hand dragged down the mural, taking a layer of thick dust with it. "Mother did not make it. I was the eldest and showed the best potential with fire, so father took me with him. I trained, and, one day, I made the choice to become a spirit."
"I've heard rumors but didn't know it was true. Is it difficult? Does it hurt? Do you miss being mortal?" The questions tumbled out of his mouth one after the other as if all one word.
Ishva smiled, a matron indulging her child. "Do you miss being just a monkey? I was a passionate girl in life, but not nearly as passionate as I am now. I understood why Vayner could only shout when he spoke. Everything I do is either fully committed or not at all, just as the fire either burns with all its might, or not at all. Water is compassionate. Earth is defensive and often reserved."
Sugriva said, "Taro Taro did not get that message."
"This is very true. Taro still loves and defends, but she does it in a unique way. She was also human, but brought a little more of that humanity with her than most of us. It is what makes her the warrior and caretaker she is." They continued down the hall. A swarm of demons splashed across the mural, ugly and disfigured beyond even what Sugriva had seen in his short time fighting them. They overran the walls of a castle. Vayner was depicted as surrounded in a castle.
Ishva continued, "I was at this war. I was there when the demons pushed against the first kingdom. I don't remember its name; I was only there briefly. But I remember its fall—the bloodshed and screaming. Vayner told me to protect the citizens fleeing, and I did, until finally we came to Jaya. By then, Vayner taught me nearly everything." She paused, her hand caressing the cheek of his image. "He sacrificed himself in the city with several other spirits and men, so that we could escape." She looked to the floor, kicking at the dirt, the brilliance of her hair dimming. "So I could escape."
Sugriva fidgeted. He hated grief. Should he stand and wait until she recovers from a centuries-old wound? Or should he embrace this woman he barely knows—a woman who could burn him to a crisp? Finally he resigned himself to awkwardly standing around.
He said, "These memories are old. Why let them plague you?"
"Long ago is relative. Do you remember moments long ago as if they were yesterday? You replay them over and over again?" He nodded. "Like that. The feeling of his loss will linger with me the rest of my life, which is rather long."
There was a sound coming from down the hall, like a mudslide rolling over the stones. It reminded him of the demons slithering, but far slower. Ishva heard it too. She conjured a small light, then sent it down the hallway, but it revealed nothing.
"I will go check what that sound is. It is likely nothing." Ishva smiled, went to Sugriva, and grabbed his hand gently. Then she let go and went down the hallway.
Sugriva, concerned that he could barely see in the dark without her, followed. Then the light went out with a hiss.
"Ishva," he called, nearly blind. "Ishva, what is it?" No response. Monkey's heart sped up until it felt like it would burst out of his chest. Then he breathed and spoke to himself. "Sugriva, you are a warrior, and warriors don't have fear. You faced demons when they were the unknown. You will face this." He muttered to himself, "But I could see the demons, and they did not extinguish an Ashtadash in front of me."
The stone floor was uneven and difficult to navigate, but he did his best. There was a torch, which he picked up. With flint and iron, he was able to create a spark to light his path. The hallway was empty, but he could still hear that sound. He walked down, the murals extending, showing the history of the demon war. Fangs were included, though he was sure at some point General Humbari preached about that. Rooms jutted off the corridor, but he remained focused on what was in front of him. Exploring could happen when he found Ishva.
A blob sat in front of Sugriva. It was gelatinous, with a variety of bones inside. The blue body rippled when he was close, as if someone tossed a pebble at it—or like it trembled in anticipation.
"Ishva, I don't see you in its body. Where are you?" He stepped ba
ck. At least it moved slow.
Then, to taunt Sugriva, the blob pointed up. He looked up to see another on the ceiling. "This is how I go? I die—" and the blob fell from the ceiling to the ground, absorbing Sugriva before he could act. The water was definitely sentient to some level, he thought as it poked and prodded, instantly ripping his staff away from him. The fire went out, and he was immersed in darkness and water. He struggled a little, but any time he got a hand out of the thing's body, it pulled him back in.
Then there was a light. Ishva stood there, laughing so hard she doubled over and held her sides. "You should have seen the look on your face."
The blob burst, then formed into something loosely humanoid. She did not take on any human flesh, but instead remained as liquid, having no discernible features. It sounded like she gurgled as she spoke. "That was great. Ishva, I'm glad you talked me into that." Then she went up to Sugriva, hugged him with wet arms, and kissed him, making her lips flesh for just a moment. "Are we starting his training in earnest now?"
Ishva responded, "Yes. He's moving onto the cauldron."
The water woman said, "My name is Wuzi. I am the water Ashtadash residing in Ramaswam. I look forward to drowning you."
SUGRIVA NEVER REALLY looked at the cauldron. It was made of iron, he assumed. It was thick, at least six feet around, with a lip that curled over. There were four legs, each one as large as a man's torso. The word for each element was engraved on the cauldron, along with a face of a spirit under each word. East was earth. South was fire. West, toward the pond, was water. North said air.
The spirits worked to create conditions for their element, except Wuzi. She hovered in the water as if standing. A bonfire was built and lit by Ishva. A small mound was created where Taro Taro sat. Once the elements were in place, they sat lotus style.
Sugriva asked, "Should there be an air spirit?"
Ishva, eyes drooping with sorrow, replied, "There should be a great many things which are not. There should be eighteen of us, yet there are only three. The others are, fate be good, scattered across Sankive." She sniffled, with a tear sizzling across her cheek. The other two looked away from Ishva and Sugriva.
"Now, get in the cauldron. You will suffer each of us for seven days. We will give you water but no food. This awakens the chakra through an ancient ceremony called the Four-Budded Lotus. The kingdoms forgot it, but they use forms of it."
"What will it do?" Sugriva hopped into the cauldron. He couldn't see the spirits over the edge of it, the vessel seemingly deeper than he thought it could be.
"Torture you. Earth will bolster you with its endurance, as it was the first element. Water will fill you with its compassion, for it was the keeper of the first element. Air would have graced you with wisdom, but we will have to suffice. And finally I will kindle passion in your heart with fire. Once you accept us into your chakra, we will train you in the use of our three elements—a three-budded lotus, if you would. It will take years."
"I have nowhere to go. Let's get started." Sugriva laid on his back in his janaav form, hands behind his head.
The ground rumbled, and it sounded as if a mountain was crashing down. Then earth cascaded over the lip of the cauldron and filled it, until Sugriva was buried to his head. He struggled, but the earth turned to rock, and he couldn't move. "I recant. I'm not sure I like this after all."
Taro Taro laughed. "Big talk a minute ago. The moment you're under something solid, you're a little girl? That's too bad. If you don't have the stones for this, just let me know and I'll release you."
"Did you just make a joke?" he grumbled. "Are you going to make a lot of those?"
"We have you for 21 days. I am making a lot of jokes."
For seven days, Sugriva was buried in rock to his neck. When the sun rose, he heard the spirits pray. He closed his eyes and joined in, wishing he had taken the lotus form before the earth hardened around him. Then Taro Taro would say something along the lines of, "Are you still rock hard for this abuse?" She laughed deep and obnoxious with every pun. Sugriva could hear the other two Ashtadash sigh. Then Wazi would give him some water to drink. This happened again as the sun was setting.
On the final day, the rock turned to dirt and Sugriva scrambled out of the cauldron. A small feast of berries, vegetables, and fruits waited for him. Ishva said, "You can eat as soon as you get the dirt out of the cauldron."
"But—" He scowled, then screamed, "It's been seven days! Taro can remove it with a gesture. You can't be serious."
Taro handed him a stone shovel. "Get digging."
The sun rose when Sugriva started, and it was at its zenith by the time he finished. Then he feasted the rest of the day.
"Tomorrow morning we start the water ceremony. Until then, rest. I doubt you slept much." Ishva gave a small smile to Sugriva, as he devoured food. It was the look of a proud teacher.
The following day he sat lotus style in the cauldron, hands on his knees, fingers touching. He closed his eyes and prayed along with the spirits. Water sloshed up and over the cauldron, filling it until Sugriva's neck was barely above water level. "The next seven days you will sit in water until it seeps into you and opens you up to Paanee's blessing."
Wazi was no Taro. She did not make puns. She no longer gave water; Sugriva was expected to drink out of the cauldron. Golden hairs floated and glistening ebbs swirled where his grease interacted with the water. Even bits of charcoal, stripped from the corrupted parts of his body, stewed in his drink. The seven days went significantly faster. The ability to fidget and move was a great boon. Seven days passed, and on the final day Wazi said, "Sugriva, you must empty the cauldron. Then you can feast."
A bucket was tossed over the side of the cauldron, and Sugriva filled it and tossed it out, while drinking as he felt the need. By noon he was finished, and he joined the three spirits to eat. Ishva said, "Tomorrow you will have off. We will pray from sun up to sun down. This is to honor the air which could not be with us. Perhaps in your travels you will find a spirit who can open you up to the wisdom the air holds."
So the next day they meditated and prayed all day and feasted that night. Ishva grinned when they were going to sleep. "Tomorrow you are mine, and I will open you up to the passion found within fire. Then you will complete the ritual and you can learn the elements in earnest."
It was like something struck Sugriva. "Wait, I’ll be an elementalist, open to all the magic except air?"
Ishva laughed. "Your eyes are filled with wonder. You didn't know what we were doing? Magic takes years to obtain, and most die on the path. You need the will to survive."
"Corruption would have twisted me long ago if I didn't have the will." He scratched at a sore caused by chaos. They were becoming easier to ignore, but when brought up, they itched as if crying out for attention.
The following morning, before the sun was up, Ishva woke him. "Get in the cauldron. The sun will be up soon, and if you are not in the cauldron before the sun rises, all is for nothing and we will have to start the ritual over."
He bounded into the cauldron, and as he landed in it, thinking back to how he was opened to earth and water, his heart sped up. "Wait," he said, and, as if in response, a lid slammed over the top. He tried pushing against it, tried opening it, but he couldn't. It was too heavy, and he didn't have his staff. Monkey cursed, then said, "Ishva, what happens—" and then, as if to answer, the lid turned, a hole was revealed, and the sun was let in. It shot straight into Sugriva's eyes, blinding him temporarily and giving everything a shadow.
He sat down, rubbing his eyes furiously. "Is it just the sun? That's what opens me up?"
"No," Ishva said, and she said no more. Within a few minutes, the cauldron was hot enough that Sugriva was uncomfortable. Combined with the humidity of the jungle, he was a sticky mess. He remained in his janaav form, though it was immensely uncomfortable with the fur. However, he feared as a man he would succumb to the heat and die.
As evening approached, he prayed for relief from the su
ffering but found no comfort. The sun heated the cauldron, and the jungle was hot enough that the heat retained through the night. Sugriva could not sleep. He endured and the corruption grew and waned. By the third day, Sugriva begged, "I am not strong enough for fire. Ishva, give me mercy."
"We made an agreement, Sugriva. Death or awakening. You are halfway to being awakened, or just a short moment from death. Make your decision, but know there is an entire world which will rely on your desire to live."
He suffered the next several days, sweating in a ball at the bottom of the cauldron, moaning every now and then to let the Ashtadash know he wasn't dead yet. And on the final day, the lid was lifted, and he crawled out, collapsing on the stones. Wazi called on the water to embrace the monkey, and currents sizzled against his body.
TARO TARO THREW ROCKS at Sugriva. Throw wasn't exactly the right word, as they exuded from her body and were shot at him.
Thump. Right in the shoulder. The monkey flinched.
Thump. Right in the gut. He doubled over.
Thump. Right in the leg. He fell to his knees.
This was the training for earth.
Taro said, "You won't become truly immune, but it will take more force for the earth to hurt you. When you fall from heights, while air is preferable, the earth will give way. The spirits will recognize you as one of them, and they will cradle you in gentle arms. I mean, those arms are made of stone, but they'll try to be gentle, little monkey."
Thump. She struck his forehead and he blacked out.
BRACING WATER WOKE Sugriva. He inhaled as if brought back from the dead.
"Thought I killed you." Taro helped Sugriva up. "Back to training."
He wanted to curse the Ashtadash. Who would ever think these spirits good? They were brutal at best. Taro was straight up sadistic.
Before Sugriva could continue the thought, a barrage of projectiles struck him. Taro laughed maniacally, as she continued the assault. Sugriva curled up into a ball and took it.
Ghost Monkey Page 17