Chapter 4: Journey to Heaven
The storm lasted through that night, the next day, and part of the next night. Then, in the early morning, the wind abated quite suddenly, but when Ashura scrambled up to look, the snow had all but sealed them in.
Ashura dropped down by Yasha. "Give me Yamato."
Yasha, his eye covered by a bandage fashioned from the hem of his robe, handed over the sword. "Do not make too large an opening yet, Ashura. We do not need a draft."
"Hm!" Ashura hefted Yamato with great respect as well as great effort. The blade was very heavy compared to Shurato's translucent fire; but since the reappearance of Black Ashura, Shurato was better left dormant for awhile.
Ashura touched Yamato mentally, calling the sword, and almost dropped it on Yasha's head at its ready reply. Gently Ashura thrust it straight up. Its white light struck the snow and ice and vaporized a small hole. Ashura peered through. "Yasha. The stars are shining!"
"Is the air steady, Ashura?"
"I cannot tell the air like you can. The stars do not twinkle, if that's what you are asking."
Yasha reached wordlessly for Yamato and Ashura handed it back, then slid down to rest at Yasha's side. "How is your eye now?"
"I must wear this bandage for a few days, and whenever the sun shines brightly on the snow, or it will happen again." Yasha sniffed the faint cold current drifting down to them. "The air is good. We should be able to travel on in the morning."
They sat together quietly.
"Yasha? I dreamed of Tenou again."
"I know you did, love. You talked in your sleep."
Ashura sighed heavily. "I cannot rest until I know if... if my brother forgives... I am so tired of running away from that, Yasha."
"Ashura! If he did not forgive, he would have left us to die out here!"
"Maybe. But... That witch was with him again. The one who hates me. I don't understand it."
"Ashura, can she truly hate someone she has never known?"
"Can Tenou love someone who killed his mother before his eyes? She was good enough to him, Yasha."
Yasha was silent again after that.
"Yasha. When I go to meet my brother, I think you should not come with me. In case he really is still angry."
"I cannot promise you that. We keep together."
"But I don't want you in danger!"
"Danger comes when we are separated. I will bring you to Tenou, if that is your wish. I know the ways of the Emporer's court. I served Taishakuten for many years."
* * *
The sun was shining brilliantly, needles of its light piercing the frozen lake, when Ashura woke up again. Yasha was already awake. Perhaps he had not slept. He did not say, but turned his head as he felt Ashura stirring in his arms. "It will be a fine day," he said softly.
"The sun is shining so brightly, Yasha!" Ashura dug a dried root from a belt pouch and began eating ravenously.
Yasha lifted Ashura from his lap and arose, feeling his way to the opening of the ice shelter. He climbed up, knocking more snow loose with both arms. It rained down in a shower of glitter as he bulled his way out. Ashura followed on his heels, blinking.
The drifts above their shelter were six feet high. Ashura guided Yasha to the snowbound sled and they cleaned it off together. Yasha paused to tear another strip from the hem of his brown robe. "Ashura. You must not go snowblind too, or we will be helpless. Use my dagger to cut slits in this to see through, and tie it over your eyes."
Ashura did as bidden, sighing with relief as the piercing brightness of the snowscape was blunted a little.
They hauled the sled out at last, still laden with all its contents safe, but Ashura's white reindeer lay frozen nearby under a second drift. Yasha took the shafts of the sled and began to haul it along without a word. Ashura led him.
* * *
The mountainous Northlands were very rocky, and once they had left the luxury of the lake, they struggled through deep drifts, navigating by the sun and Yasha's descriptions of the landmarks. The going got even more difficult as the day went on, and Yasha had to often rest, taking off one layer of pelts to prevent from breaking into a potentially fatal sweat. Ashura, too, was having problems, with the deerhide footwear Yasha had made the previous fall as a practical gift. Unused to travelling shod, Ashura had sore and chilled feet and began to limp. At last they made camp in the lee side of a magnificent, straight-sided boulder, setting up their crude shelter of hides and sticks and anchoring it to the rocks.
The next day was no easier as they neared the pass that would bring them down from the realm of Alaka into warmer climes. But that night the moon was full, and after they had a small fire going at the door of their shelter, Ashura carefully removed the bandage on Yasha's eye. His eyelashes were crusted shut, and he instructed Ashura to moisten a clean piece of linen, salvaged from a worn out tunic. He held it over his eye for awhile, feeling Ashura hovering around him in anxious suspense. "Patience," he said calmly. "Do not be worried."
At last he removed the cloth and opened his eye, facing away from the fire. For a time it stung so that tears blinded him, and Ashura hovered even more closely, dabbing them from his face. But at last he smiled, and looked up at his companion. "Ashura. You do not look very strong right now!"
It was true, but Ashura did not care. Long white arms flung themselves around Yasha's broad shoulders. "Yasha...!"
"It's all right, beloved. I told you snow blindness is not permanent. I saw much of it in the North when I was young." Yasha stroked Ashura's hair. "Young hunters would go out on a bright day and forget, and at the noon they were already feeling the sun burning their eyes. But I will not be able to travel without my bandage until we are out of the snowfields-- so you must still be my guide, and be careful of your own beautiful eyes!"
* * *
They crossed the pass in two days' time, and began the long downhill trek into warmer lands. Ashura quickly wished they were back in the snow, for a bone-chilling rain poured relentlessly down on them as they forced their way along a dangerously deserted road through pine forests. At least Yasha was able to discard the bandage, and his eye completed its healing quickly. But the sled was no longer an option, and they had to stop and fashion packs, discarding some of their goods.
Ashura found cedar trees, and peeled the surface bark to get at the edible layer beneath. It was not so good this time of year, but it was something. Fern roots were soon boiling along with cattail roots in their cooking-pot each night, and the beautiful form of Heaven's last fire demon began to regain a little more of its old strength, if not any more mass. Yasha was happy to cook for his companion and Ashura was insatiable. When they came to the first small town, Yasha traded a precious white fox fur for lodging and a large pot of vegetable stew, which Ashura thought was ambrosia itself. It was enough to feed five men and it lasted the two of them less than twenty four hours. Yasha frowned. "You were starving, there in the North! I neglected you!"
"No," said Ashura, after draining the last of the broth and wiping those irresistible lips with the back of one hand. "Not starving. Just hungry. Ahh... When we get to the jungle lands, Yasha, let us find mangoes and jackfruits and spinach and buy a whole sack of rice! And get prasad from the temples, of modakas with the best jaggery and sugar cane too! Then we will have a feast indeed!"
Yasha laughed out loud at this stream of suggestions, and indeed the nearer the jungle they came, the happier both were, despite it being the rainy season and the roads being little more than a sea of mud. They found a Shiva temple on the edge of the great river and worshipped there in disguise, and were given their prasad.
When they had first emerged from the shell of the old Zenmijou, two thousand years since they had last been in the real world, Yasha had been amazed at the way in which Ashura had changed the landscape of the temples. In the time of Yasha's youth, Indra had been the King of Heaven and His worship, the state religion. Taishakuten was His avatar, the God of Thunder. But as Taishakuten's reign had become one of terror, and rumours that the last Ashura could be a savior had made the rounds, rebellion had caused the private worship of the form of Shiva Mahadeva, God of Destruction, instead. Now Indra was merely a memory, and there were two main sects in the land: Mahadeva's, which was not as widespread as it had been, and Vishnu's. Vishnu was the Preserver aspect of the God, well suited to the new Emporer Tenou and, for those who did not look too deeply, the opposite of Mahadeva.
Ashura and Yasha went as deep into the forest as they could. But as soon as they had found a place to settle comfortably, the nightmares began again.
Two nights in a row brought Ashura a vivid dream of the familiar woman who was so full of hatred. Yasha asked Ashura to describe her in full detail, and it sounded far too much like the woman he had met in the forest more than a year earlier. He had not told Ashura of the encounter, or the bargain struck; but as the realization of what he had done began to sink in fully, he found himself quietly horrified. He kept his feelings to himself, though Ashura was perceptive.
"Yasha... My brother... he is in all these dreams as well. They are always together. He is kind, and she is cruel. I have to meet him again. I have to have an answer!"
"I think..." Yasha said slowly, "I think that they are sending this particular thought to you, Ashura. I think they do want us to come to them, and do not want us stopping here like this."
* * *
Yasha and Ashura took a fast, straight path across the land, cutting their way through the jungle with Yamato, following the golden star that they knew to be the capital of Emporer Tenou. High in the heavens it drifted, shining by day and night as they drew ever closer. As the land became more settled, they were forced to take to a main road, Ashura leading the way. It took them almost a week of travel to reach the great human-inhabited city of Lower Zenmijou, and when they passed in disguise through the tall arch of the North Gate it was like entering another kind of forest. It had been many years since either Yasha or Ashura had been in such a crowd and it almost took away their breaths. Yasha led, pushing forward through busy streets with relentless determination as Ashura's eyes were caught now by this, now by that. Pausing at midday to eat a steaming vegetarian pasty that was indeed fit for gods, they let themselves wander through a bazaar.
The city was very fair, at least for a human habitation, and dotted with many tree-filled parks. Dhoti-clad yogins sat here and there; white cattle grazed and wandered where they would. There were large tanks to bathe in and fresh springs to drink from. Once Ashura stepped into cow dung. After washing both feet in a nearby pool, Ashura set out again for the center of the city, brisk and embarrassed, dragging Yasha behind.
At last they found themselves directly beneath the floating city of the gods. Golden vimanas flew to and from it like bees to some magical hive. Ashura gazed upward, awestricken. "Yasha...! How are we ever...?"
"We send a message to a vimana," Yasha said.
It was easier said than done. The humans told Yasha the flying cars rarely landed but went on to other celestial destinations. The closest anyone could come to the Emporer was on the traditional birthday festival, when Tentei Tenou would speak personally with the human elders, addressing their needs and concerns.
They took modest shelter for the night in the house of a respectful Saivite brahmana of excellent repute, taking the terrible chance of revealing their identities. The brahmana and his wife showered them with worship, food and gifts, and Ashura removed an old ear cuff-- plain, but beautifully made of hammered gold-- and gave it to them kindly. Yasha thought the pair would faint on the spot. Finally Yasha and Ashura retired to their small room. Their hosts were so overwhelmed and excited Yasha felt the news of their arrival would soon leak out. He also knew Ashura was very worried, and cradeled his loved one in his arms like a little child. "Do not fret," he whispered, slowly stroking the glossy dark head. "The way will be made clear for us."
"Yasha... What if... What if this is some kind of trap? We cannot escape this place without hurting, without killing..."
"This is no trap. That may come later, but I do not think Tenou will hurt his people the way his father did."
"How... How do you know?"
"I just know. That is all." And gently, gently, he rocked Ashura to sleep.
* * *
The way materialized very unexpectedly the next morning. It was not a welcome one. Gazing out of the room where they had spent the night, Yasha saw a woman waiting outside some distance away. She was looking fixedly at him, and after a moment he realized with a terrible shock that it was the miko, Shukidevi, who had retrieved Shurato.
He wanted nothing more than to fade from her sight, but Ashura, bunched-up tunic hanging loosely around slender neck, was already tugging on his arm. "Come on, Yasha! We must find a vimana somehow today!"
Yasha turned back with a smile and a sick heart. "Ashuraa!" He tugged Ashura's clothes down over the graceful white body, pulling first one arm through its loose sleeve, then the other. "You cannot go naked here just because it is warm! Silly!" Quickly gathering their items they entered the main house, Yasha's mind racing as he thanked their host for a breakfast wrapped in banana leaves. The miko was still waiting. Yasha caught her attention from a window, gesturing for her to move away. She retired just behind a mud-brick wall.
Fortunately, Ashura was easily distracted, especially after all these years in the forest. After they left their host's dwelling with many thanks and repeated goodbyes, Yasha pointed out a pair of elephants being prodded through the crowded streets by their mahouts. Though Ashura had seen wild elephants before, at a distance, this was something new. "Look! It is Ganesh up close, Ashura! This is indeed auspicious!" As Ashura turned to him like an excited child, Yasha put what little money they had left in his companion's hand. "Go make an offering for us! Wish us luck and success on our quest, Ashura!"
"Hai!" And Ashura was off and running, remembering to hold the hood of the disguising cloak up over those pointed ears, shadowing those golden eyes.
Yasha strode quickly out to where Shukidevi waited. No one else was around, and he silently blessed the common sense of the brahmana and his wife, who despite their emotions had somehow kept a rein on their mouths. "Has Tenou sent you?" he demanded. "Are you the one responsible for Ashura's nightmares?"
"Tenou has sent me, and, yes, we are responsible for Ashura's dreams, but not the nightmares. Those are only what Ashura's mind makes of the dreams. You want to go to the new Zenmijou, to meet the Emporer, yes?"
"Yes," Yasha said, both cautious and startled.
"I will make arrangements with my driver."
"Miko--"
"Please call me by my name. Wait here."
He blinked, scanning the space where she'd been. Perhaps it was only his faulty vision, but suddenly he could not see her anywhere.
A low roar, like an ocean wave muffled on rocks, distracted him. He turned quickly to see the crowd surging around the elephants.
Ashura! What was going on? Yasha trotted, then ran toward the scene. As he drew nearer he was nearly knocked down by men fleeing the other direction.
If the situation hadn't had been so dangerous, Yasha would have smiled fondly. Ashura stood, mortified, before a curious she-elephant whose trunk had delicately pulled away the cloak which covered Ashura's ears. The crowd, recognizing the legendary "Demon of Zenmijou" come back to life, was in a state of complete confusion. Some were fleeing; some staring; a few were advancing with weapons in their hands. The elephant, sensing her mahout's dismay, was backing up, shaking her head from side to side.
Yasha drew Yamato and strode quickly to Ashura's side. Ashura, he knew, would not fight even in self-defense.
Things could have quickly gone from bad to worse had not a shadow above suddenly blocked out the sun. A wind from nowhere roared over them so that Ashura clung to Yasha and their black hair streamed together in a wild tangle behind them. "Yasha!" cried Ashura. "Vimana!" Yasha did not reply, only holding tightly to both Ashura and Yamato. If Shukidevi were somehow aboard that aerial car, Ashura would surely recognize her from those dreams, and Yasha could not predict what might happen then.
But Shukidevi was nowhere to be seen, though Yasha somehow still sensed her presence nearby and wondered at it. Ashura seemed oblivious to all but the chariot. As the shining, bell-shaped craft descended in a rush of heat and fire, the two elephants trumpeted and fled with their cursing mahouts. The crowd fell back as the aircraft landed; a silence came over them as the door opened and the pilot appeared. She was clad in golden armor and wore curious white goggles. On one shoulder she bore the emblem of a winged serpent. "Yasha-ou!" she said. "Emporer Tenou bids you come to Upper Zenmijou!"
Yasha and Ashura found themselves glancing at each other for permission. Then Ashura stepped forward bravely. "We wish to come! Please, take us there!"
The woman gestured them up a small ramp into the surprisingly spacious vehicle. Ashura found a comfortable couch next to a small window, and Yasha settled close beside, bending down to watch as the the door closed and they were sealed in. He whispered in Ashura's ear. "Now, if there is a trap, it will come soon. Stay close to me, and watch carefully!"
There was a sudden roar and Ashura flinched. Yasha's hand closed tightly on the thin shoulder. But it was only the vimana rising again from the ground. Fascinated despite themselves, both travellers watched through the window as they climbed into the sky with surprising rapidity. In only moments, the city below looked like an anthill. Yasha, who had always had both feet firmly on the ground, felt himself go unexpectedly faint. He kept his grip on Ashura tight, reminding himself of the sole reason for his existence. Then Ashura suddenly brought him back with a sharp tug on his hair and a kiss to his cheek. "It's all right, Yasha! This thing can fly like a bird!"
Yasha tried to shake off his vertigo. The new city of Zenmijou was coming rapidly closer. Only as they came nearer did he appreciate the size of it, and he wondered what strange magics kept it floating so in the sky. A transparent honeycomb of some wondrous glass half-surrounded it, and he was reminded of the tip of some strange plant, a horsetail perhaps, rising above the mist. The sun struck the glass even sharper than snow, and splinters of light lodged in his now photosensitive eye, but he could not bring himself to look away. It was said that Tenou had utilized the construction talents of Maya to build his city; but Maya had been an Ashura, the architect of Heaven long, long ago, so that story had to be impossible.
Blue, and gold, and the brilliant white of clouds. These were the colors of the Emporer's city. It was the size of a small mountain. The other vimanas flying to and fro began to come close enough to appreciate. They were of varying shapes. Most were bell-shaped, such as the one they were riding in; but a very few were long and cylindrical, looking a bit, he thought humorously, like flying Shiva lingas. Those aircraft moved more slowly. Then there were a few, a very few, fancy ones made like birds, with stationary wings. At first he mistook them for the birds of the Karura clan, for some were white; then he wondered if perhaps the Karura clan was now using vimanas instead of the real thing. Even the painful thought of Karura-ou could not induce him to close his eye as the wondrous vehicles flew past, never too close.
They took an easy turn leftward. Ashura's nose pressed to the window. Yasha took this opportunity to shake off the rest of his stupor and look all around them, before, behind, above. There were several other couches with window seats in their vimana. All were empty. Below his feet, the floor vibrated fiercely, but the noise of the fire was well below what he would have expected. The pilot was in another room, he thought; above them. He could hear snatches of her talking, and wondered how many others might be up there. That, he decided, was where any immediate trouble would most likely come from.
"Ahh..." said Ashura. "This vimana reminds me of the Kendappa city. That was so long ago!"
"Yes, Ashura... Except that city was so large, one did not know that one was flying!"
"Are you all right now, Yasha? I wish this could go on forever!"
"Yes, love, I am all right... But I wish my feet were back on the ground!"
"Hmf!" said Ashura, and went back to watching out the window. In the brief moments of their exchange, the city had come close enough to see in detail. There were several places where various vimanas were landing or taking off, but they were not headed toward any of these. Rather, they were going toward what appeared to be a narrow opening two or three tiers above the rest of the traffic. They passed the glittering glasslike barrier and began to slow. The narrow opening revealed itself as a huge dark cavern; they passed inside, and suddenly began getting brief glimpses of people, as tiny as insects. Then the fire below their feet subsided; the noise was reduced to a hum, and there was the softest of bumps as they were set down very gently on a scarred and polished floor.
Ashura, eyes huge, turned quickly to Yasha. "We are here already! We are going to meet my brother! I did not dream it could be so soon!" The joy of the flight had turned into terror at what might come next.
"Ashura. No matter what happens, you must stay steady and strong. Remember our promise!"
They had no time to talk further. The pilot had joined them. She was speaking into a small box she held in her hand, but it was a language they could not understand. It must be a mantra, thought Yasha. She nodded and beckoned to them, then walked forward and unbolted the door.
Yasha and Ashura had come back to Zenmijou after thousands of years of waiting and wandering through war and fire and death-- back to their origins, their hopes, and their fears.
The storm lasted through that night, the next day, and part of the next night. Then, in the early morning, the wind abated quite suddenly, but when Ashura scrambled up to look, the snow had all but sealed them in.
Ashura dropped down by Yasha. "Give me Yamato."
Yasha, his eye covered by a bandage fashioned from the hem of his robe, handed over the sword. "Do not make too large an opening yet, Ashura. We do not need a draft."
"Hm!" Ashura hefted Yamato with great respect as well as great effort. The blade was very heavy compared to Shurato's translucent fire; but since the reappearance of Black Ashura, Shurato was better left dormant for awhile.
Ashura touched Yamato mentally, calling the sword, and almost dropped it on Yasha's head at its ready reply. Gently Ashura thrust it straight up. Its white light struck the snow and ice and vaporized a small hole. Ashura peered through. "Yasha. The stars are shining!"
"Is the air steady, Ashura?"
"I cannot tell the air like you can. The stars do not twinkle, if that's what you are asking."
Yasha reached wordlessly for Yamato and Ashura handed it back, then slid down to rest at Yasha's side. "How is your eye now?"
"I must wear this bandage for a few days, and whenever the sun shines brightly on the snow, or it will happen again." Yasha sniffed the faint cold current drifting down to them. "The air is good. We should be able to travel on in the morning."
They sat together quietly.
"Yasha? I dreamed of Tenou again."
"I know you did, love. You talked in your sleep."
Ashura sighed heavily. "I cannot rest until I know if... if my brother forgives... I am so tired of running away from that, Yasha."
"Ashura! If he did not forgive, he would have left us to die out here!"
"Maybe. But... That witch was with him again. The one who hates me. I don't understand it."
"Ashura, can she truly hate someone she has never known?"
"Can Tenou love someone who killed his mother before his eyes? She was good enough to him, Yasha."
Yasha was silent again after that.
"Yasha. When I go to meet my brother, I think you should not come with me. In case he really is still angry."
"I cannot promise you that. We keep together."
"But I don't want you in danger!"
"Danger comes when we are separated. I will bring you to Tenou, if that is your wish. I know the ways of the Emporer's court. I served Taishakuten for many years."
* * *
The sun was shining brilliantly, needles of its light piercing the frozen lake, when Ashura woke up again. Yasha was already awake. Perhaps he had not slept. He did not say, but turned his head as he felt Ashura stirring in his arms. "It will be a fine day," he said softly.
"The sun is shining so brightly, Yasha!" Ashura dug a dried root from a belt pouch and began eating ravenously.
Yasha lifted Ashura from his lap and arose, feeling his way to the opening of the ice shelter. He climbed up, knocking more snow loose with both arms. It rained down in a shower of glitter as he bulled his way out. Ashura followed on his heels, blinking.
The drifts above their shelter were six feet high. Ashura guided Yasha to the snowbound sled and they cleaned it off together. Yasha paused to tear another strip from the hem of his brown robe. "Ashura. You must not go snowblind too, or we will be helpless. Use my dagger to cut slits in this to see through, and tie it over your eyes."
Ashura did as bidden, sighing with relief as the piercing brightness of the snowscape was blunted a little.
They hauled the sled out at last, still laden with all its contents safe, but Ashura's white reindeer lay frozen nearby under a second drift. Yasha took the shafts of the sled and began to haul it along without a word. Ashura led him.
* * *
The mountainous Northlands were very rocky, and once they had left the luxury of the lake, they struggled through deep drifts, navigating by the sun and Yasha's descriptions of the landmarks. The going got even more difficult as the day went on, and Yasha had to often rest, taking off one layer of pelts to prevent from breaking into a potentially fatal sweat. Ashura, too, was having problems, with the deerhide footwear Yasha had made the previous fall as a practical gift. Unused to travelling shod, Ashura had sore and chilled feet and began to limp. At last they made camp in the lee side of a magnificent, straight-sided boulder, setting up their crude shelter of hides and sticks and anchoring it to the rocks.
The next day was no easier as they neared the pass that would bring them down from the realm of Alaka into warmer climes. But that night the moon was full, and after they had a small fire going at the door of their shelter, Ashura carefully removed the bandage on Yasha's eye. His eyelashes were crusted shut, and he instructed Ashura to moisten a clean piece of linen, salvaged from a worn out tunic. He held it over his eye for awhile, feeling Ashura hovering around him in anxious suspense. "Patience," he said calmly. "Do not be worried."
At last he removed the cloth and opened his eye, facing away from the fire. For a time it stung so that tears blinded him, and Ashura hovered even more closely, dabbing them from his face. But at last he smiled, and looked up at his companion. "Ashura. You do not look very strong right now!"
It was true, but Ashura did not care. Long white arms flung themselves around Yasha's broad shoulders. "Yasha...!"
"It's all right, beloved. I told you snow blindness is not permanent. I saw much of it in the North when I was young." Yasha stroked Ashura's hair. "Young hunters would go out on a bright day and forget, and at the noon they were already feeling the sun burning their eyes. But I will not be able to travel without my bandage until we are out of the snowfields-- so you must still be my guide, and be careful of your own beautiful eyes!"
* * *
They crossed the pass in two days' time, and began the long downhill trek into warmer lands. Ashura quickly wished they were back in the snow, for a bone-chilling rain poured relentlessly down on them as they forced their way along a dangerously deserted road through pine forests. At least Yasha was able to discard the bandage, and his eye completed its healing quickly. But the sled was no longer an option, and they had to stop and fashion packs, discarding some of their goods.
Ashura found cedar trees, and peeled the surface bark to get at the edible layer beneath. It was not so good this time of year, but it was something. Fern roots were soon boiling along with cattail roots in their cooking-pot each night, and the beautiful form of Heaven's last fire demon began to regain a little more of its old strength, if not any more mass. Yasha was happy to cook for his companion and Ashura was insatiable. When they came to the first small town, Yasha traded a precious white fox fur for lodging and a large pot of vegetable stew, which Ashura thought was ambrosia itself. It was enough to feed five men and it lasted the two of them less than twenty four hours. Yasha frowned. "You were starving, there in the North! I neglected you!"
"No," said Ashura, after draining the last of the broth and wiping those irresistible lips with the back of one hand. "Not starving. Just hungry. Ahh... When we get to the jungle lands, Yasha, let us find mangoes and jackfruits and spinach and buy a whole sack of rice! And get prasad from the temples, of modakas with the best jaggery and sugar cane too! Then we will have a feast indeed!"
Yasha laughed out loud at this stream of suggestions, and indeed the nearer the jungle they came, the happier both were, despite it being the rainy season and the roads being little more than a sea of mud. They found a Shiva temple on the edge of the great river and worshipped there in disguise, and were given their prasad.
When they had first emerged from the shell of the old Zenmijou, two thousand years since they had last been in the real world, Yasha had been amazed at the way in which Ashura had changed the landscape of the temples. In the time of Yasha's youth, Indra had been the King of Heaven and His worship, the state religion. Taishakuten was His avatar, the God of Thunder. But as Taishakuten's reign had become one of terror, and rumours that the last Ashura could be a savior had made the rounds, rebellion had caused the private worship of the form of Shiva Mahadeva, God of Destruction, instead. Now Indra was merely a memory, and there were two main sects in the land: Mahadeva's, which was not as widespread as it had been, and Vishnu's. Vishnu was the Preserver aspect of the God, well suited to the new Emporer Tenou and, for those who did not look too deeply, the opposite of Mahadeva.
Ashura and Yasha went as deep into the forest as they could. But as soon as they had found a place to settle comfortably, the nightmares began again.
Two nights in a row brought Ashura a vivid dream of the familiar woman who was so full of hatred. Yasha asked Ashura to describe her in full detail, and it sounded far too much like the woman he had met in the forest more than a year earlier. He had not told Ashura of the encounter, or the bargain struck; but as the realization of what he had done began to sink in fully, he found himself quietly horrified. He kept his feelings to himself, though Ashura was perceptive.
"Yasha... My brother... he is in all these dreams as well. They are always together. He is kind, and she is cruel. I have to meet him again. I have to have an answer!"
"I think..." Yasha said slowly, "I think that they are sending this particular thought to you, Ashura. I think they do want us to come to them, and do not want us stopping here like this."
* * *
Yasha and Ashura took a fast, straight path across the land, cutting their way through the jungle with Yamato, following the golden star that they knew to be the capital of Emporer Tenou. High in the heavens it drifted, shining by day and night as they drew ever closer. As the land became more settled, they were forced to take to a main road, Ashura leading the way. It took them almost a week of travel to reach the great human-inhabited city of Lower Zenmijou, and when they passed in disguise through the tall arch of the North Gate it was like entering another kind of forest. It had been many years since either Yasha or Ashura had been in such a crowd and it almost took away their breaths. Yasha led, pushing forward through busy streets with relentless determination as Ashura's eyes were caught now by this, now by that. Pausing at midday to eat a steaming vegetarian pasty that was indeed fit for gods, they let themselves wander through a bazaar.
The city was very fair, at least for a human habitation, and dotted with many tree-filled parks. Dhoti-clad yogins sat here and there; white cattle grazed and wandered where they would. There were large tanks to bathe in and fresh springs to drink from. Once Ashura stepped into cow dung. After washing both feet in a nearby pool, Ashura set out again for the center of the city, brisk and embarrassed, dragging Yasha behind.
At last they found themselves directly beneath the floating city of the gods. Golden vimanas flew to and from it like bees to some magical hive. Ashura gazed upward, awestricken. "Yasha...! How are we ever...?"
"We send a message to a vimana," Yasha said.
It was easier said than done. The humans told Yasha the flying cars rarely landed but went on to other celestial destinations. The closest anyone could come to the Emporer was on the traditional birthday festival, when Tentei Tenou would speak personally with the human elders, addressing their needs and concerns.
They took modest shelter for the night in the house of a respectful Saivite brahmana of excellent repute, taking the terrible chance of revealing their identities. The brahmana and his wife showered them with worship, food and gifts, and Ashura removed an old ear cuff-- plain, but beautifully made of hammered gold-- and gave it to them kindly. Yasha thought the pair would faint on the spot. Finally Yasha and Ashura retired to their small room. Their hosts were so overwhelmed and excited Yasha felt the news of their arrival would soon leak out. He also knew Ashura was very worried, and cradeled his loved one in his arms like a little child. "Do not fret," he whispered, slowly stroking the glossy dark head. "The way will be made clear for us."
"Yasha... What if... What if this is some kind of trap? We cannot escape this place without hurting, without killing..."
"This is no trap. That may come later, but I do not think Tenou will hurt his people the way his father did."
"How... How do you know?"
"I just know. That is all." And gently, gently, he rocked Ashura to sleep.
* * *
The way materialized very unexpectedly the next morning. It was not a welcome one. Gazing out of the room where they had spent the night, Yasha saw a woman waiting outside some distance away. She was looking fixedly at him, and after a moment he realized with a terrible shock that it was the miko, Shukidevi, who had retrieved Shurato.
He wanted nothing more than to fade from her sight, but Ashura, bunched-up tunic hanging loosely around slender neck, was already tugging on his arm. "Come on, Yasha! We must find a vimana somehow today!"
Yasha turned back with a smile and a sick heart. "Ashuraa!" He tugged Ashura's clothes down over the graceful white body, pulling first one arm through its loose sleeve, then the other. "You cannot go naked here just because it is warm! Silly!" Quickly gathering their items they entered the main house, Yasha's mind racing as he thanked their host for a breakfast wrapped in banana leaves. The miko was still waiting. Yasha caught her attention from a window, gesturing for her to move away. She retired just behind a mud-brick wall.
Fortunately, Ashura was easily distracted, especially after all these years in the forest. After they left their host's dwelling with many thanks and repeated goodbyes, Yasha pointed out a pair of elephants being prodded through the crowded streets by their mahouts. Though Ashura had seen wild elephants before, at a distance, this was something new. "Look! It is Ganesh up close, Ashura! This is indeed auspicious!" As Ashura turned to him like an excited child, Yasha put what little money they had left in his companion's hand. "Go make an offering for us! Wish us luck and success on our quest, Ashura!"
"Hai!" And Ashura was off and running, remembering to hold the hood of the disguising cloak up over those pointed ears, shadowing those golden eyes.
Yasha strode quickly out to where Shukidevi waited. No one else was around, and he silently blessed the common sense of the brahmana and his wife, who despite their emotions had somehow kept a rein on their mouths. "Has Tenou sent you?" he demanded. "Are you the one responsible for Ashura's nightmares?"
"Tenou has sent me, and, yes, we are responsible for Ashura's dreams, but not the nightmares. Those are only what Ashura's mind makes of the dreams. You want to go to the new Zenmijou, to meet the Emporer, yes?"
"Yes," Yasha said, both cautious and startled.
"I will make arrangements with my driver."
"Miko--"
"Please call me by my name. Wait here."
He blinked, scanning the space where she'd been. Perhaps it was only his faulty vision, but suddenly he could not see her anywhere.
A low roar, like an ocean wave muffled on rocks, distracted him. He turned quickly to see the crowd surging around the elephants.
Ashura! What was going on? Yasha trotted, then ran toward the scene. As he drew nearer he was nearly knocked down by men fleeing the other direction.
If the situation hadn't had been so dangerous, Yasha would have smiled fondly. Ashura stood, mortified, before a curious she-elephant whose trunk had delicately pulled away the cloak which covered Ashura's ears. The crowd, recognizing the legendary "Demon of Zenmijou" come back to life, was in a state of complete confusion. Some were fleeing; some staring; a few were advancing with weapons in their hands. The elephant, sensing her mahout's dismay, was backing up, shaking her head from side to side.
Yasha drew Yamato and strode quickly to Ashura's side. Ashura, he knew, would not fight even in self-defense.
Things could have quickly gone from bad to worse had not a shadow above suddenly blocked out the sun. A wind from nowhere roared over them so that Ashura clung to Yasha and their black hair streamed together in a wild tangle behind them. "Yasha!" cried Ashura. "Vimana!" Yasha did not reply, only holding tightly to both Ashura and Yamato. If Shukidevi were somehow aboard that aerial car, Ashura would surely recognize her from those dreams, and Yasha could not predict what might happen then.
But Shukidevi was nowhere to be seen, though Yasha somehow still sensed her presence nearby and wondered at it. Ashura seemed oblivious to all but the chariot. As the shining, bell-shaped craft descended in a rush of heat and fire, the two elephants trumpeted and fled with their cursing mahouts. The crowd fell back as the aircraft landed; a silence came over them as the door opened and the pilot appeared. She was clad in golden armor and wore curious white goggles. On one shoulder she bore the emblem of a winged serpent. "Yasha-ou!" she said. "Emporer Tenou bids you come to Upper Zenmijou!"
Yasha and Ashura found themselves glancing at each other for permission. Then Ashura stepped forward bravely. "We wish to come! Please, take us there!"
The woman gestured them up a small ramp into the surprisingly spacious vehicle. Ashura found a comfortable couch next to a small window, and Yasha settled close beside, bending down to watch as the the door closed and they were sealed in. He whispered in Ashura's ear. "Now, if there is a trap, it will come soon. Stay close to me, and watch carefully!"
There was a sudden roar and Ashura flinched. Yasha's hand closed tightly on the thin shoulder. But it was only the vimana rising again from the ground. Fascinated despite themselves, both travellers watched through the window as they climbed into the sky with surprising rapidity. In only moments, the city below looked like an anthill. Yasha, who had always had both feet firmly on the ground, felt himself go unexpectedly faint. He kept his grip on Ashura tight, reminding himself of the sole reason for his existence. Then Ashura suddenly brought him back with a sharp tug on his hair and a kiss to his cheek. "It's all right, Yasha! This thing can fly like a bird!"
Yasha tried to shake off his vertigo. The new city of Zenmijou was coming rapidly closer. Only as they came nearer did he appreciate the size of it, and he wondered what strange magics kept it floating so in the sky. A transparent honeycomb of some wondrous glass half-surrounded it, and he was reminded of the tip of some strange plant, a horsetail perhaps, rising above the mist. The sun struck the glass even sharper than snow, and splinters of light lodged in his now photosensitive eye, but he could not bring himself to look away. It was said that Tenou had utilized the construction talents of Maya to build his city; but Maya had been an Ashura, the architect of Heaven long, long ago, so that story had to be impossible.
Blue, and gold, and the brilliant white of clouds. These were the colors of the Emporer's city. It was the size of a small mountain. The other vimanas flying to and fro began to come close enough to appreciate. They were of varying shapes. Most were bell-shaped, such as the one they were riding in; but a very few were long and cylindrical, looking a bit, he thought humorously, like flying Shiva lingas. Those aircraft moved more slowly. Then there were a few, a very few, fancy ones made like birds, with stationary wings. At first he mistook them for the birds of the Karura clan, for some were white; then he wondered if perhaps the Karura clan was now using vimanas instead of the real thing. Even the painful thought of Karura-ou could not induce him to close his eye as the wondrous vehicles flew past, never too close.
They took an easy turn leftward. Ashura's nose pressed to the window. Yasha took this opportunity to shake off the rest of his stupor and look all around them, before, behind, above. There were several other couches with window seats in their vimana. All were empty. Below his feet, the floor vibrated fiercely, but the noise of the fire was well below what he would have expected. The pilot was in another room, he thought; above them. He could hear snatches of her talking, and wondered how many others might be up there. That, he decided, was where any immediate trouble would most likely come from.
"Ahh..." said Ashura. "This vimana reminds me of the Kendappa city. That was so long ago!"
"Yes, Ashura... Except that city was so large, one did not know that one was flying!"
"Are you all right now, Yasha? I wish this could go on forever!"
"Yes, love, I am all right... But I wish my feet were back on the ground!"
"Hmf!" said Ashura, and went back to watching out the window. In the brief moments of their exchange, the city had come close enough to see in detail. There were several places where various vimanas were landing or taking off, but they were not headed toward any of these. Rather, they were going toward what appeared to be a narrow opening two or three tiers above the rest of the traffic. They passed the glittering glasslike barrier and began to slow. The narrow opening revealed itself as a huge dark cavern; they passed inside, and suddenly began getting brief glimpses of people, as tiny as insects. Then the fire below their feet subsided; the noise was reduced to a hum, and there was the softest of bumps as they were set down very gently on a scarred and polished floor.
Ashura, eyes huge, turned quickly to Yasha. "We are here already! We are going to meet my brother! I did not dream it could be so soon!" The joy of the flight had turned into terror at what might come next.
"Ashura. No matter what happens, you must stay steady and strong. Remember our promise!"
They had no time to talk further. The pilot had joined them. She was speaking into a small box she held in her hand, but it was a language they could not understand. It must be a mantra, thought Yasha. She nodded and beckoned to them, then walked forward and unbolted the door.
Yasha and Ashura had come back to Zenmijou after thousands of years of waiting and wandering through war and fire and death-- back to their origins, their hopes, and their fears.