【47 - The Pilgrimage of Sacred Mountain! Searching for a Hero's Epiphany!?】
YouTube: Incredible Jungle Sounds 8K - Exotic Birds Singing in Tropical Rainforest 8 HOURS - Part #1
"Dominic!" Heidi yelled furiously while trudging as quick as she could through sand. "Dominic!"
He looked up from under the shade of a tree. None of the Islander girls were with him now. As expected the bearded teen was being all aloof and by himself. He stood and turned to her, dark eyes surprised but wary as always.
Heidi came to a seething stop. Kanoa was jogging after her, concerned.
"You told me your father was hosting the cruise ship tournament my parents died on! Is that true?" She watched his eyes darken and he didn't speak. "It's not true, is it? You're a pirate and so was your Dad! He attacked the ship! He's part of the reason they're dead! Why I had no parents growing up!"
"Heidi… I was going to tell you. Really."
"Save it!" Heidi yelled, throwing her hand up and storming away.
Dominic and Kanoa looked at each other. Kanoa frowned then walked after her. A few other tribesmen were looking over at the commotion. Dominic slipped his hands in his pockets and walked down a trail into the jungle.
Great. Dominic wasn't one to talk to himself aloud but he began an inner monologue, chastising himself and the situation.
He swept aside branches and leaves as he went. Sure, it was his Dad's fault that Heidi's parents and all those people sank. But Dominic lost his Dad too that day. And when he started jumping on other ships at the docks as a young lad, hoping to find him, he'd still only been a deckhand. He hadn't picked up a sword or a gun and joined in the raids. He learnt how to cook instead. It was his only feminine trait but he was good at it enough, or perhaps young enough, to not have to take part in the violent stuff.
Dominic had saved Heidi's life hadn't he? After the hurricane trashed their ship. He supposed that, right afterwards Heidi had then saved his life and that probably cancelled it out. Still, she and him were the only Caucasians on the island. Even if the village people weren't murderous savages, it still made him nervous to feel like a minority. Also, he'd spent his whole life at sea. Now he was stuck on an island and hated it. You could only go so far until…
Beach. The waves washed gently up a white sandbank. Dominic sighed. The green water of the tropics was pretty, he guessed. And he liked not being cold. They were so much closer to the sun that its direct rays were staggering. The true size of this island was several kilometres so he must've taken a bad turn.
He walked along the bank, passed some rocks. He walked for an hour until someone headed out of the nature toward him.
"I wouldn't wander off so far on your own, you know?" It was Meilani.
"I thought the island was safe?"
"For us. But you visitors don't know enough about the fauna here."
"Still, the beaches should be safe."
Conflict crossed Meilani's face. She looked at Dominic's typically dark, withholding eyes.
"I believed so before my love told me about the murderous jungle deity. A cold and pale man that looks like a woman. There is another tribe a few islands away, and they are very much still in their old ways. They're secretive and hostile, and only communicate with the outside very little. But there's been rumours they found this deity… and that some members of this other tribe, and the deity, were somehow spotted on this island too."
"Has anyone on this island disappeared?"
"No."
"Then I'm not worried."
"Kanoa saw the deity with his own eyes. It had inhuman power."
Dominic didn't respond. He didn't believe in magic, or mysticism. But wasn't Kaijudo dueling proof of something more out there?
After a moment Meilani asked "is it true your father was responsible for the death of Heidi's parents?"
"Yes."
"You knew this and didn't tell her?"
"There's no easy way to tell someone 'my Daddy killed yours'."
The girl clenched her fists "I've seen you keeping to yourself most of the time. You're far more reclusive than Heidi. We're not like that here. Our tribe is a community, a family. We love and care for each other. Your family was lost when your ship sank, right? So I think it's best we have a duel!"
"You want to duel me?"
"In our culture, dueling isn't about settling disputes. It's about two people wanting to understand each other. In a better way than words could." She raised her deck, a white flame covering her hand.
"I haven't Kaijudo dueled in over a year."
"Just do it!" Meilani pushed.
Dominic fished out his new deck from a back pocket. He concentrated and then a small green flame flickered. He focused and it grew larger. Two tables rose from the ground and they took their marks. Meilani was satisfied and eager for the challenge. Dominic stayed detached and unreadable as she took the first turn.
+ Inner universe : ghost in the shell (instrumental) cover
"I'll charge with light-water mana!" Meilani's table shone different colours. "Done."
"Then I charge with fire-nature mana." Dominic countered as a pair of colours flashed over him. This was his first time playing properly with his new deck, but he knew it well enough. Taiga, the Warrior Savage was a speed attacker that only cost 2. Even if it was multi-civ he still reckoned he'd be able to give Heidi's rush a run for her money. "...turn end."
"I charge nature-light! Go, Dominic."
"I summon Taiga, the Warrior Savage! Break her shield!" A tiger-striped soldier with a laser cannon arm sped forth. What seemed like an early lead quickly turned against him. Meilani's hair billowed and she lost a Frangipani. She reached out as the card reformed.
"Shield trigger, Dragon's Sign! I get to bring out Kirazeus Savark from my hand, and its effect sends Taiga on top of one of your shields!" The gold metallica dragon emerged in light, huge and with 11,000 power. Taiga blew back and became a gold hieroglyphic version of itself, imprinted on Dominic's right shield. "That turned on you quick," Meilani grinned.
Dominic's eyes narrowed but he kept his cool "Turn end."
"I'll charge with Lionel. Now Kirazeus attacks and revolution change! I can swap it for the Puchohenza, Mia Moja in my hand! A triple breaker!" The new beast was bigger, a light-nature Jurassic Command Dragon not quite as big as Kanoa's ultimate dragheart. It still had 12,500 power and aimed a crossbow sizzling with blue energy. The arrow was released and Dominic stumbled back as three shields of glass burst at once. He thanked his lucky stars that one of them was a trigger.
"Father Earth!" He raised the glowing green card with a muscled arm "I send Puchohenza to your mana zone and replace it with… your Aegis Boost." An earthen fist raised up and seized her monster, dragging it down into a fissure and spitting out a smaller creature.
"Aegis Boost lets me add the top card of my deck to my mana zone." Meilani said and flipped it over: another Lionel.
The bearded teen narrowed his eyes at the serpentine creature. Aegis Boost, Matchless Dragon Saint may only have 3500 power, but it was also a blocker. Her deck against his may have been an unfortunate match-up.
Dominic drew "I cast Faerie Life and add Ochappi to my mana. I summon another Taiga, the Warrior Savage and end my turn." His new soldier aimed his arm-cannon across the field.
"I cast Faerie Shower!" Meilani began, the spell shine alternating between blue and green. "I look at my next two cards… I put Owen the Road into my mana and take the other to my hand. Now Aegis Boost breaks your shield!" Her creature reared up and slithered forth. Glass burst and scratched against Dominic's crossed forearms.
"Finally, I can use my strike back! I discard Kodamanma and my last shield…" Dominic's final panel with his first Taiga stuck to it dissolved and went to the graveyard. "Now I can bring out Dual Shock Dragon!" A big armored dragon on 8000 emerged. On both arms it had long blades, one coated with orange and the other blue energy. "Can I use it now?"
"I'm done." Meilani allowed with a small grimace.
He charged another Father Earth then "I cast Hyperspatial Shooting Hole to destroy Aegis Boost!" Red energy blazed, burning through Meilani's creature and making the sand swirl in a tornado. "I bring out the psychic creature, Gaial Kaiser!" Blue lightning opened hyperspace and out came a red dragonoid with twin flaming swords. "A speed attacker on 6000! And since he's also a double breaker and I have three creatures, this duel is over!"
Meilani's eyes widened before she focused "go ahead."
Dominic paused but knew he had no other choice "Dual Shock Dragon, ike!" Its roar seemed to shake the island, it flew forth and swept an arm-blade, shattering two shields into tiny pieces.
"Two shield triggers!" Meilani cried. "Faerie Life. From my deck I add… Saizoumist Dolge to my mana zone. Also, Hogan Blaster! I shuffle my deck then reveal the top card," she said while doing it "so I get to play for free… Dragon's Sign! But this time I won't use it to summon Kirazeus Savark. I'll play a blocker! Kernel, Blue Stagnation Dragon Elemental!" A water-light being appeared with angel wings, sitting on a bell. 3500 power. "With its ability I freeze Gaial Kaiser until the start of my next turn!" Even the flames of the psychic creature's sword stopped in time. "So… I have two shields left. Still want to attack with Taiga?"
"No. I end."
Meilani drew and Gaial Kaiser returned to normal. She charged with her D2 field "I have seven mana! I summon Kirazeus Savark! I can't use its effect as you have no shields but Kernel can still attack, so this is my game."
"Not yet it's not." Dominic revealed a card in his hand.
"I see… Kernel, todomeda!"
"Ninja Strike. I bring out Falconer, Lightfang Ninja and block the attack." The trusty gold ship appeared and took the brunt of the attack. Even as the only light creature he had, its free Ninja Strike ability made it a good addition to his fire-nature deck.
"Go, Dominic."
"I summon Come On Pippi!" The electric fire bird was weak but nothing like Dominic had ever seen before he found the island. "It works just like a Hyperspatial spell! So I bring out Ryusei Kaiser, the Victorious!" Another gap ripped open to hyperspace and out came another variation of his first psychic creature. The triple-civilization one Heidi had fought. "Dual Shock Dragon, ike!" Once more the armored dragon flew forward and devastated her last two shields with a slash.
"Haha, this is what duels are all about!" Meilani shouted gleefully.
"No triggers?"
"None, but…" she turned over a card to him as well.
"Alright. Gaial Kaiser, todomeda!"
"Ninja Strike, Saizoumist Dolge!" The blue giant crashed down, one foot in the sand and the other in the ocean. "I shuffle my graveyard into my deck, then regain a shield for the turn!"
"Then Gaial Kaiser breaks it. You done?"
"No…" Glass flew before reforming. Meilani plucked it from the air "because the shield you broke was Kernel, Blue Stagnation Dragon Elemental! I freeze Taiga, the Warrior Savage until my next turn so you have no monsters to attack with!"
Dominic hesitated. He had no cards left in his hand. He looked at his field. Come On Pippi and Victorious Ryusei Kaiser weren't speed attackers. Dual Shock Dragon and Gaial Kaiser had attacked for the turn. His remaining Taiga was now frozen.
Meilani grinned broadly, standing beneath Kirazeus Savark, two Kernels and the giant Saizoumist who would retreat at the end of the turn. Neither player had any shields and she had enough to win.
"It's your game." Dominic had no choice but to concede.
"For someone new to as you call it… 'future cards', you did very well." She pulled her cards together and Dominic did the same. Their tables vanished.
"I hope that satisfied your curiosity." Dominic's usual cold tone was somewhat marred by the excitement he tried to hide. That had been a fun duel.
"I am. I believe Heidi will come to forgive you in time. She's undergoing a process of healing, helped by Grandma Kaleo. Perhaps you also have wounds to heal?"
"I'm fine." Dominic turned away from her. "But thanks for the warning. I'll keep my eyes out for any jungle deities…" He turned and put his hands in his pockets, walking further along the beach.
Meilani watched him go before turning to head back.
Meanwhile Heidi was sitting in an angry ball, glaring out at the ocean. Kanoa came by to sit near her, but he said nothing. Time passed and he wasn't going to break the silence.
"You don't say much, do you?" Heidi gave in first.
"There isn't much to say."
"There's plenty to say!"
"If you believe so. In my culture silence and just being with people is valuable. We don't talk just to talk. I found out about small-talk on my trips around the touristy islands. We don't do that here."
"Okay, fine!"
"If you want to say something to me, you can."
Heidi clenched her fists but couldn't restrain herself "I know that Dominic isn't to blame for what his father did. I know that… but I don't care. I'm still angry. I still hate him right now."
Kanoa nodded "he kept a secret from you."
"And I get that it's difficult to say. And honestly, I probably would've hated him more if he'd told me straight up. And all the events up to here, it all would've been harder. Or maybe I wouldn't have been able to save him at all!"
Kanoa said nothing and just listened.
"I… don't know where all this anger is coming from… maybe it has something to do with the healing I'm going through…"
"Should we go back to Kaleo then?"
"Sure." Heidi sighed.
Kanoa stood and offered his hand. He was so much bigger than her, it made her feel like a child and she hated it. How easily she was pulled up and to her feet. They walked deeper into the island, to the village camp and walked between tribesman and hutts. They had to go all the way to the other side and then the hutts grew more sparse. Following the grassy trail to Kaleo's hutt and luckily they found her along the way, heading home after storytime with the children.
Heidi found her mouth running with the situation before they even made it inside. Kaleo was silent as she opened her thin door and closed it after them.
"You've been on a journey of self-forgiveness. Perhaps you should learn to forgive others as well?"
"I… don't…" Heidi battled with it but took a deep breath and forced herself to let go. She started to feel a little better.
Kaleo looked between the two youths "there is a mountain on the island. The Sacred Mountain of Spirits. When people of our tribe are fully grown and go through life-changing circumstances, they can take a pilgrimage to get close to the spirits. It helps them rediscover and recreate themselves. They return to the village changed, with a better idea of who they now are."
Kanoa was shocked then intrigued.
"A pilgrimage?" Heidi repeated.
"You take nothing but the clothes you wear and your deck. It takes the pilgrims a week."
"And what is this… supposed to do?"
"It will change you. Heidi, it will help you move on from your past and allow you to become the hero you wish to be. Kanoa, it will provide you with answers and a better understanding of yourself. This journey is typically done alone but your destinies intertwine, and Heidi won't be able to make the journey by herself. I will need to speak to Chief Tenakoto and have his approval first. But this is the spiritual healing I recommend."
Heidi and Kanoa looked at each other. She was game for whatever was going to help her feel like her old self again. Kanoa wanted to regain his standing as hero of the islands.
He turned to her "we'll do it."
Kaleo nodded "I will talk to the Chief."
After that it was decided pretty quickly. Heidi and Kanoa left while Kaleo decided to ask the Chief by herself. She was unloading an armful of crafts and little tools into her drawers when the teens walked out.
Despite the unusual request their hero statuses granted them approval. Heidi wanted to leave right away. Now that she'd finally been able to unravel herself she couldn't stop. This is what I needed: direction. I'm undoing all the knots and kinks inside me, and all the weight and pain is spilling out. I've never felt so light. Heidi was pacing while Kanoa went to tell a few people where he was going.
Meilani wrapped him in a close and longing hug. Affection radiated from them and it reminded Heidi of her ex. She looked away.
"I wish it could've been me by your side." Meilani moaned. "I wanted to be there with you. A strong enough duelist to help you in your duels against the enemies you must overcome…"
Kanoa said comforting words back to her while Heidi itched under her sock, worming the finger into her sneaker. She was restless and wanted to go.
Kanoa turned to her "Are you sure you don't want to wait until sunrise?"
"I'm sure. You said there's outposts all the way up the mountain right? We can stop at the first one."
"Very well, Heidi."
Meilani was still attached to him as she peered at Heidi "do you wish to talk with Dominic before you leave?"
"No."
"I understand. What about Malo?"
"Someone else will tell him. I just want to go as soon as possible." Heidi responded.
It didn't take much longer. By late afternoon the two chosens took a trail away from camp and into the jungle. Heidi scanned the skies. Of the mountains in view she could see a big one, then of the smaller ones was a crooked-shaped one.
Heidi knew "that's the one we're going to, isn't it?"
"Yes. The Sacred Mountain of the Spirits."
"You look nervous." Heidi observed.
"I am. If I truly am unworthy of Jupiter, it will become apparent. Then Luano will be the next hero. I'm sure of it."
"Which one's he?"
"The Chief's son. He will be Chief one day. He's our fastest hunter. Arrogant and talented. I didn't much associate with him before, or the other boasting young men. Ever since I was chosen by Jupiter he's been my rival."
"Oh…"
"I'm surprised the Chief allowed us on this quest. I think he'd rather me fail so the hero status can go to his son."
Heidi pondered for a moment "if Luano wants your Phoenix why doesn't he duel you? Is he scared?"
"He would not. Not publicly. In our culture, to duel someone means you want to understand them. It means you consider them an equal. You always show respect and you never harm your fellow duelist."
"So the two of you dueling would be like… shaking hands. So neither of you wants to?"
"Very much, yes." Kano agreed. "To duel someone with aggressive or bad intentions would be a disgrace. Luano doesn't want to acknowledge me, so he won't duel me. He'll have to wait for me to fail and lose control of Jupiter against someone else… like what happened with you at the marae."
"Oh…" Heidi felt guilt and lowered her head. To her dueling was fun and a competition, she hadn't thought of the connotations losing would have for Kanoa. His tribe probably lost a great deal of faith in him after Jupiter retreated. "No wonder you ran off after… well it's not so bad cause I'm also another chosen right?"
"At the highpoint of the mountain we will see what my destiny is…"
Kanoa led them off-trail and they passed thick jungle. Big, leafy ferns that looked like they came from the Jurassic era. Hanging vines. The sounds of birds and cicadas ringing. Heidi thought she heard the snuff and scrambling of a distant hog. They heard a waterfall. At one point Heidi looked up with glee and pointed: Monkeys! It was evening when they reached the base of the mountain. Sitting at the edge was a scarecrow of sorts, wearing a spiritual sash and Heidi could even see… human bones.
"The children aren't allowed in this part of the jungle." Kanoa told her. "This is highly sacred ground we're about to walk on. Always be respectful. A thousand generations ago village priests and chiefs were buried in parts of this mountain."
Heidi saw a big, colourful jungle spider, lowering itself on string as it started working on its web.
"This island is also pretty dangerous. How do you go around barefoot?"
"I've lived here my whole life." Kanoa answered. "By the way, there's 63 venomous species on this island."
"What!?"
"But most of them reside deeper in the jungle."
"I don't get how your tribe can live here…"
"We have antidotes to all 63 of them. The hardest part is figuring out which dose is needed. But nobody dies here from poison."
Heidi looked up and decided she was ready. She started up the mountain, keeping the idea of being respectful in mind. Kanoa followed her.
"When you say antidotes…"
"I mean scientific antivenoms in syringes, locked in a metal suitcase. We may have our traditions and old ways, but we're not completely without modern things. Some tribes in the islands still are, they keep to themselves and a certain number of their population continues to die from preventable diseases. Thankfully not us. You'll see up ahead, more modern things."
Heidi could hear leaves and twigs snapping under their feet as they climbed in silence for a few minutes.
"Do you think there's ghosts on this mountain?"
"Absolutely. The spirits of our ancestors." Kanoa told her.
"I never believed in ghosts. But this place… feels different."
"It's the most sacred part of the island. We have island gods: a sky god, an earth goddess, volcano god and ocean goddess. It's believed they convene at the top of this mountain at times."
"Kaleo said that people usually only take this journey when something major happens and they don't know what to do with their life?"
"Yes. Like a spouse or firstborn dying early."
"So it's a midlife crisis pilgrimage."
"I don't know what that is."
"Nevermind."
It was getting dark when they reached their first outpost. Heidi knew what Kanoa meant by them seeing something modern. It was a wood and straw covering over a metal box. The metal box was one of those button-activated barbecues you get at random caravan stops. In a drawer beside it was a kettle. Dangling above was a gas lamp and Kanoa used matches to light it.
"What's all this?"
"We have to boil our own water from the nearby stream. Or we'll get dysentery."
Now it was already too dark to continue walking. Kanoa pulled thin sleeping bags from the cabinet, thankfully there were three in there. It was a warm night and Heidi was all-too-familiar with sleeping with nothing outdoors, but she was grateful they had some comfort.
"I'm hungry. Is there food in there?" Heidi asked, already slipping into her sleeping bag.
"No. The mountain will provide our food. Fruits and nuts, but we will be eating fairly scarce. No dinner tonight."
"I'm thirsty."
"Me too. I'm sure I heard a stream down that way so I'm gonna take the lamp and the kettle. You can stay here. I won't be long."
"'Kay."
She rested her tired legs and self in the dark. There was no moon but the stars above were breathtaking. She'd never seen so many. Without any city or town lights down here she could see the Milky Way in its entirety. It almost didn't look real, like she was looking at a space textbook of another world. Heidi massaged her lower leg muscles, which were strong. Even after spending a month on a boat, she'd done plenty of marathon-like walks beforehand. The cicadas ringing fell into a unified crescendo. She blinked and ignored the growl of her stomach hollowing out.
The island… was peaceful. And yet Heidi's emotions felt anything but - under her skin she was roiling. It was the pause and silence that allowed her to finally access and process everything she couldn't feel when her life was still hectic. The coal province had been a warzone. And people who went to war got trauma. But now that she was safe and working to fix herself, everything could be alright. Even if she still didn't have any answers for the future. Everything right now could be okay. Good, even.
Maybe she really didn't want to leave the island.
She saw the gas lantern and then Kanoa returned. He went to work wordlessly, heating the barbecue and setting the kettle atop its smooth metal surface. It took time but they heard the long whine of the kettle boiling.
"The gaslight is attracting too many insects. I'm going to turn it off." Kanoa said.
"Mm." Heidi was still propped up in her sleeping bag, thinking to herself.
After the water cooled down they drank from the kettle. This area was like Kaleo's hutt. Mystical. Heidi wondered if there really were ghosts around them, or if it was something else. She was very comfortable here with Kanoa. When she was ready she wiggled down flat and puffed the hood part of her sleeping bag. That night she tossed and turned a bit, as it was still fairly early, but soon enough the warmth helped pull her into sleep.
Kanoa sat up at the crack of dawn. Nature was still mostly quiet. He looked at the small girl beside him, bunched up and facing away. He looked up at a wood carving that hung from the corner of the shelter roof. Its eyes were cut from seashells. He idly wondered how old it was. Kanoa was hungry. He got up and watched Heidi stir but not wake. He drank the last of their water then left to get more from the stream.
As he crept through forestry he could feel the spirituality of this place easily. All his tribal ancestors were around and watching with curious, invisible eyes. He felt it. Despite the reassurances he gave Heidi before, they probably wouldn't make it back to the village in time if one of them was unlucky enough to disturb something venomous during their pilgrimage. He took extra care. Crouching by rocks he filled the kettle with the running water from the stream. His mind played tricks on him: what looked like a watching ancestor was just a pattern of moss against a boulder.
Kanoa carried the water back and at his return Heidi stretched and sat up.
"Alright, the first day of our journey begins," he said.
『AN: I am home. Settling back into the swing of things. My work and uni breaks haven't ended and since we're in a Covid-19 lockdown there isn't much to do but write another chapter. Thanks a lot to Acuma, my most fervent reader and reviewer. His writing continued while I had my exam period and now I'm able to upload installments as well. I'm still itching to get to that halfway point. This duel was fun. It was probably between me and Acuma, or perhaps it was against Sergiu... Anyway I'll finish this note off with a conciliatory arigatou ~ Which reminds me I'm studying Japanese again as one of my electives this year! Exciting desu!』
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