Divine Madness

by Harmon Cooper

  I nodded.

  “Is there something you would like to tell us?” Jigme asked after I didn’t say anything.

  “I was able to will my power to activate through meditation last night,” I nearly blurted out.

  “You what?” Lhandon asked.

  “I don’t want to rely on it yet, and I’m still early in the process, but it seems promising. Dohna thinks it will be the way to utilize my power in the future.”

  I felt Saruul’s tail graze against me.

  While it was nice being here at the temple, the fact that we were leaving was on my mind, and a big part of me wanted to spend the rest of my time here with her. I felt a spark between us at that moment, and part of me knew that she was thinking the same thing too.

  “That’s absolutely wonderful, Nick,” Lhandon said. “It seems like the training is doing you good.”

  “Yeah, when he’s not having his ass handed to him, his training is doing him fine,” Roger commented.

  “What did he say?”

  “He was agreeing with you,” I told Lhandon, ignoring Saruul as she brought her hand to her mouth to cover a laugh.

  “The snow lion people, while actively trying to avoid the Great Plateau, are accustomed to crossing it from time to time. Your packs are filled with items to aid you in your journey. But unfortunately, food provisions and extra clothing and blankets may not suffice. It is very rough terrain out there. It can be excruciatingly hot during the day, and colder than the crest of the highest mountain in Lhasa during the night,” Jigme explained. “You will likely run out of water, so you will need to think of ways to find more. You do have the advantage of having a bird and a fire spirit with you, which will give you eyes in the sky, and an ability to stay warm. There is no telling who you will encounter out there. Just remember that a caravan that looks seemingly innocuous can actually be a band of treasure hunters and thieves. Or worse…” He shook his head. “But it is the fastest way to get to Sarpang, that fact can’t be denied.”

  “What about when we get there?” I asked, trying to stay positive about the journey.

  “We will find passage to the Island Kingdom,” Lhandon told me. “The home of the Druk people is essentially a merchant outpost with ships going in and out at all times. We will have to be cautious when we get there, though.”

  I recalled the Druk people, with their reptilian faces and the way they blinked vertically. I didn’t want to assume snakelike qualities about them, but apparently, it was par for the course, especially considering the powerful monk Sona had fighting for her back at the monastery.

  “You may be weak by the time you arrive,” Jigme said, “and the Druk people are predatory in nature.”

  “As long as I don’t get eaten by anything, and I have access to my knife, I think I will be fine,” Roger said, puffing his chest out with confidence.

  “Yes, you can always fly away,” Tashi added.

  “No, that’s not what I meant. I will fight if I have to, I’m just saying that…” Roger hopped around for a moment. “I don’t know what I’m saying. We’ve been talking about this journey for so long now that I’m just ready to do it. We could set off tonight, if you want.”

  “No,” Jigme said firmly. “You will set off tomorrow. Tonight is the eve of the final day of the Winter Moon festival. Most of the people of Dornod will be out, and it isn’t safe for you to leave during that time. It’s safer to wait until tomorrow morning to leave. Besides, it is more auspicious that way.”

  “So I shouldn’t go out tonight?” Roger asked.

  Saruul smirked. “Why? Do you miss a particular white bird?”

  “No, like I said, they are too crazy for my taste. Sure, it’s fun for a night or two, but these birds up here…” Roger whistled. “Real freaks. I was just thinking about, you know, one more night out on the town.”

  “If you are willing to take the risk, then sure, do what you want, Roger.”

  “He’s not saying anything important,” I told Lhandon before he could ask me.

  “Let’s have some tea,” Jigme said. “Afterwards, we can finish the Broken Sword meditation series. I am assuming by the time that the four of you return to Dornod that you will all have done enough prostrations to become advanced students. I will endeavor to reach that level as well. Then, all we’ll need to do is go through the meditations and improve upon the stages if necessary.”

  “How many prostrations is that again?” Roger asked the lion monk.

  “Eleven thousand. One thousand for the novice stage, and ten thousand for the cultivator stage.”

  He whistled again. “I just want to reach the cultivator stage.”

  Jigme smiled at Roger. “It is good for you to set goals, and perhaps they will inspire you to climb even higher. Now, I believe it is time for us to have some tea, to stretch our legs, and prepare for our meditation. It is the last one we will do together for some time.”

  “There are more things we will need to discuss,” Lhandon said, “including what Bobby revealed to us this morning.”

  “In due time. He will be here while you are away, and I will be sure to have Altan keep detailed notes on his revelations. Now, let’s enjoy some tea.”

  The rest of the day flew by.

  I wanted to cherish my last hours in Dornod, especially knowing what lay ahead, but with the meditation, then another snack, and then more instruction from Jigme and Lhandon, the sun was setting by the time we arrived back at Saruul’s place.

  Her mother had already started working on dinner, and as soon as we entered, Saruul went to the kitchen to help her.

  “What about you?” I asked Roger. “Are you staying in for the night?”

  “I guess,” he said, dragging his feet across the stone floor. “It’s probably best that I get some rest, especially if I’m going to be doing most of the scouting tomorrow.”

  “And the day after that, and the day after that,” I reminded him.

  “I can’t wait,” he said, winking at me.

  He flew to the kitchen and landed on the island countertop, watching Saruul and her mother finish preparing dinner.

  “I hope they don’t mind that I came too,” Lhandon said quietly, the portly monk the last to enter the home. Tashi was with us as well, the fire spirit about a foot tall at the moment.

  “Nonsense, she said to invite you. Altan too.”

  “He wanted to catch up on the meditation that we did earlier,” Lhandon explained. “He really is dedicated, you know?”

  I nodded. “He was a slave all of his life who wanted nothing more than to practice the Path of the Divine. I can believe that he’s dedicated, and I’ve seen it in not only his work ethic, but his actions since joining you.”

  “He may reach a level that even I can’t obtain,” Lhandon said as he turned to the kitchen.

  Dinner was served about thirty minutes later, tray after tray of cured meats and peculiar mountain fruits, yak cheese as well. This was followed by a very pungent tea that Dohna said was brewed especially for Winter Moon Eve.

  As we sipped the tea, Roger told us more of the escapades he had gotten into down at sea level.

  I knew some of his tales were hyperbolic, like the story about him fighting off a baby sea dragon, or the story of him rescuing a young maiden from a well in Nagchu, but I let him tell them anyway, glad to see Saruul and her mother amused. Once it started to grow late, Tashi offered to escort Lhandon back to the monastery.

  “I can go as well,” Saruul said. “It is best if there is a snow lion with him, especially tonight. Do you want to come too, Nick?”

  “If you think it’s safe…”

  “Better bring your sword,” she said, and for a moment I thought she was kidding, until I noticed that the tone of her voice hadn’t actually changed.

  She was being serious.

  I retrieved my Flaming Thunderbolt of Wisdom, leaving Roger and Dohna behind as I joined Lhandon, Saruul, and Tashi at the door.

  It was cool outside, the t
emperature dropping rapidly.

  The smell of booze was heavy in the air as we passed a local pub, men and women outside clinking their drinks together and speaking loudly. A few of them were in their lion forms, lapping up chung from metal saucers.

  I could hear chatter in the distance, in the direction of the festival grounds from a few days ago. There was something electric in the air, the excitement in the village almost tangible. I only wished it were safer for us to partake.

  We made it to the Temple of Eternal Sky and bid farewell to Lhandon.

  “Please tell your mother that dinner was excellent,” he said to Saruul for the third time. “And that I wished I had eaten there more than once over the last couple days. Maybe don’t tell her that last part. I don’t want to sound gluttonous.”

  Saruul smiled at Lhandon. “You are fine. And it was wonderful having you over. When you return to Dornod…” she swallowed hard, dropping her hand into mine. “We will have you over again.”

  With that, we turned away from the temple, Tashi even smaller than he had been before, at about three inches tall, floating directly over my shoulder.

  We made our way up the street that led to Saruul’s home, careful to avoid anyone who looked drunk. We were just about to reach her home when we heard someone call out to us.

  “I thought you would be here.” Champa stepped out of the shadow with a couple of his lion friends, all of them wasted. Tashi shifted behind me, hiding himself from the three men.

  “We’re leaving tomorrow,” I told him.

  I could see Saruul’s house, just a few doors down, and I was starting to step around Champa when he moved to block me.

  “Where are you going?” he asked, baring his teeth, his eyes narrowing on me, his breath reeking.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I told him, placing a hand on the hilt of my sword.

  “Or what?”

  “You really don’t know who he is, do you?” Saruul asked.

  “You brought someone from sea level up here,” Champa said, his friends growling now, their faces starting to morph. “You know better than to do something like that. But you always were always a stupid—”

  I unsheathed my blade, the flames lifting into the air. Tashi grew in size, so it looked as if I had giant fiery wings behind me.

  Champa’s face went white, the fire from my weapon and Tashi’s flames dancing across the surface of his eyes. One of his friends morphed and took off; the other cowardly lion hid behind Champa.

  “Care to call it a night?” I asked him, staring down at the man now, ready to engage. I felt Saruul’s hand on my arm, but I didn’t lower my weapon. “I’m leaving tomorrow,” I told him. “So either you let us pass, or…”

  I shrugged.

  It really was pointless threatening him when I had a flaming sword and a fire spirit behind me.

  He either got that we meant business, or he didn’t.

  The light from my weapon and from Tashi’s form illuminated the area; I knew it would draw attention soon, if we hadn’t already.

  “You think you can just come here and…”

  “Last chance,” I told him.

  Champa said something under his breath before morphing into a lion. He roared, veins appearing on the side of his neck as his mane stood on its ends. But rather than engage me, he took off running, his friend following behind him.

  I sheathed my blade; Tashi maintained his form behind me until we reached Saruul’s home.

  “Sorry about that,” I told her, registering the concern on her face.

  “No, it’s fine, but…”

  “Seriously, I’m sorry.”

  “He’s going to try again.” Saruul turned to me, and reached for my hand. “Lions like that don’t give up. Now that you have challenged him, you should be ready for him when you return.”

  “You could just come with us,” I said suddenly, misreading the way she was looking at me. “Please, I really wish you would.”

  “I can’t do that, Nick. It’s better if I stay here.”

  “Okay, how about this? Make me a promise.”

  “A promise?”

  “Promise me that if I leave and return to Dornod, the next time we go out, you’ll come with us. Promise me that.”

  “I don’t know…” she said, glancing away.

  “Please, I know that you prefer it up here, but from what I’ve already seen of this world, it’s an incredible place. I would like to experience some of it with you.”

  She hesitated, finally nodding her head. “Okay, I promise.”

  It was inevitable.

  Eventually, the time came for Saruul to blindfold me, to lead me outside, where I was told to wait for the signal.

  The wait was longer this time, the cold cutting deep, but the grunt eventually came.

  I removed my blindfold, ready for anything.

  I threw my arm back, hoping to counter one of their attacks.

  Nothing.

  I thought I saw a shadow move to my left, so I kicked my heel out.

  Again, nothing.

  I was on edge, swiveling left and right, throwing punches and preparing blocks, waiting for my opponents to come out of nowhere.

  It went on like this for a few minutes, every sound and every indication that someone was there triggering a reaction.

  I felt an energy moving through me that I hadn’t noticed before, a feeling of power, and even though I was tense, I also felt a sense of ease.

  No one was coming for me.

  And once I was sure of this, when I was sure that someone wasn’t going to jump out from behind the boulder that was nearby, or come running across the rocky soil, I took a deep breath in and sat down with my legs crossed beneath me.

  It was then that I saw the masked lion monk standing there, a shadow partially obscuring his form.

  But rather than engage him, I brought my hands down to my legs, and closed my eyes, breathing all the way to the back of my skull, visualizing the switch that activated my power.

  It took me a few breaths but I eventually saw it, and rather than reach out for it right away, I simply observed it, aware that my opponents would always be circling me like vultures, no matter what I did, that my only real strategy was to stay balanced and focus on my breath.

  I flicked the switch that activated my power, blinking my eyes open to find the masked lion man seated before me, also in a meditative posture.

  I couldn’t tell if time was frozen or not, and I didn’t care.

  Rather than say anything I simply closed my eyes again, hitting the switch again, focusing on my breath.

  I don’t know how long I sat like that, but my legs were numb by the time I finally came out of my trance.

  The masked lion monk was gone.

  Saruul waited for me, candles lit in the four corners of the bedroom.

  “Are you okay?” she asked as I slipped inside, quietly shutting the door behind me.

  “Fine, better than ever.”

  “You won?”

  “No, but I didn’t lose,” I told her, loosening my robes. “I simply started meditating, and he did the same. And that was it. It was a strange experience, that’s for sure.”

  Saruul came into my arms. She wore a black silk robe, nude underneath. “You know you have more training to do, right?”

  I placed my hands on her hips, instantly feeling aroused. “You mean when I return?”

  She nodded.

  “I’m aware.”

  Saruul was ravenous from that point forward, our bodies locked in union, our shadows etched onto the wall. We went at it as quietly as possible, the experience deeply satisfying and incredibly real.

  I truly felt at ease with her, completely myself.

  Once we were finished, Saruul walked to the other side of her bedroom and looked at me over her shoulder. “Do you want to see me?”

  “I can already see you.”

  “As a true snow lion, the way that we are supposed to look when we don’t
wear magical black clothing,” she said.

  Rather than wait for me to answer, she began to morph into a beautiful white lioness.

  She leaped back onto the bed, nudging my face with her head, her whiskers poking me. She licked the side of my cheek; I couldn’t help but scratch her behind her ears.

  Saruul growled at me and morphed back to her human form, not able to stop from laughing.

  “What is this tendency you have to pet me when I am a lion?” she asked once she finished laughing.

  “What else am I supposed to do?”

  “Not pet me!”

  “I’ll keep that in mind next time.”

  Saruul got comfortable and placed her head in the nook of my arm.

  “I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” I said, still staring at the ceiling.

  “Yes?”

  “When we first met you said something about having my child. You haven’t mentioned anything since. Should I… be worried about this?”

  “Worried?” Saruul started laughing again. “Trust me, Nick, there’s nothing to be worried about, I’m not pregnant.”

  “Then what was all that about?”

  “Lions in heat can be somewhat aggressive,” she said. “I suppose that’s what was happening at the time, but it didn’t work out. Not that I would mind having your child.”

  “It would be cute, I think. I’ve seen a few cubs running around here.”

  “That’s if it could morph,” she said. “There’s really no telling. And I agree, it would be cute. Maybe a little tuft of brown hair…”

  We both laughed at that, Saruul pressing even closer to me.

  The candles slowly started to fizzle out, her room changing to a light shade of blue, morning coming soon.

  I didn’t want our time together to end, but eventually, both of us fell asleep, only to be woken up hours later by Roger tapping his beak on the door.