Walking Into Darkness
Heaven's late afternoon sun was burning gold in the sky, the same shade as Kanzeon Bosatsu's girdle and jewellery as se waded among hir lotuses. The water swirled around hir legs, soaking hir silken robe and turning it transparent. Beneath it, hir flesh was as white as the silk itself.
"Anh -- am I disturbing you?" Konzen asked uncertainly. He hesitated at one edge of the courtyard, and the band of shadow from the arch under which he stood fell across him smoothly and completely. Gokuu was sitting in one of the inner rooms, preoccupied with a pile of buns. Good. Let him stay out of this conversation.
Kanzeon looked across at him and shrugged. Hir breasts swung under their thin covering of gauze; large-nippled, full, a woman's breasts, just as se had a male organ below, between hir legs. Bodhisattvas were perfect in both genders, though the other four did not flaunt it as Kanzeon Bosatsu did.
Old hag.
"I have a problem," Konzen said, dropping the attempt at courtesy.
"I know," Kanzeon answered.
The air was heavy with the scent of lotus flowers and the particular smell of pond water under hot sunlight; fleshly, earthly, unnecessary. He had already sent five messengers to enquire whether Tenpou Gensui or even Kenren Taishou had returned yet. The messengers had all returned, which was good. The response had been universally negative, which was not.
"I would like you to protect Gokuu," Konzen said. He made the request as bald as possible, trying to avoid ambiguity. He was too used to his aunt's fondness for shades of meaning and the opportunity to insert a knife.
Kanzeon tilted hir head. "Interesting choice of name you made for him."
"You have the authority," Konzen went on doggedly. "Litouten can't overrule you. Take care of him in your precincts, or have him sent down to Earth, but either way, keep him safe."
"Why don't you stay here with him?" Kanzeon suggested. "If anything would keep him here where it's safe, it would be you. You are quite right. Litouten won't trespass on my precincts."
"I have to ask some questions." It had been growing on him like a migraine for the last few hours. He couldn't just hide in here. If Tenpou and Kenren weren't around, then he had to make sure that Homura was staying out of trouble, and find out what the fallout from Nataku's wound was, and half a dozen other things. He quite simply couldn't afford the luxury of remaining in hiding. But equally, he wasn't going to take Gokuu out into it. "I want you to look after Gokuu."
"And does he want to be looked after?" Hips swinging, se walked across to the edge of the pool, and sat on it. Hir ankles dangled in the water, pale against the green stems and leaves of the lotuses. "Why are you asking me, Konzen?"
"Because," he said through gritted teeth, "I am not taking him out there."
"Does he know you're leaving him with me?"
"Not yet."
"He can stay if he wants," Kanzeon said, after a moment. Hir voice was male-female, like hir face, neither one nor the other.
"But --" But then he'll follow me. "No. You have to keep him here."
"Konzen." Hir voice was gently chiding. "I don't do that."
"He's a child. He doesn't understand. You can't let him walk out into danger." He could hear the rising tone of anger in his own voice, and tried to bridle it, tried to keep his hands at his side and not gesture in annoyance.
"He's old enough to decide what he wants." Nothing seemed to disturb Kanzeon Bosatsu's surface, as calm and unmoved as the lotuses in hir pool. "I will not keep him here if he chooses to go."
Konzen's hands tightened. "You are one of the five rulers of the universe and you will do nothing?"
"I cannot save those who will not be saved."
He had to make hir see. "Gokuu is a child."
"A little animal that they brought up from Down Below." Se shrugged again. "Tell him to stay behind. Tell him to wait for you. If he stays here, he will be safe."
Konzen's nails cut into his hands. Afternoon sun, bright garden, dazzling goddess, all of it as beautiful as Heaven was and always would be, all of it no help at all. He could claw at it and it would be as much use as trying to scrape away marble with his bare hands. "You know," he said, very carefully, very distinctly, "that he won't do that. You bitch."
"I know that you won't do that either."
He turned to walk away.
"Konzen Douji," se said.
He wouldn't give hir the satisfaction of watching him turn around, but he paused.
"If you are with him, then you can protect him to some degree. From his enemies. From his friends, even. But nobody can protect him from himself."
Konzen walked away, and left the sunlit courtyard for the shadowy marble passage.
---
Goujun was irritated; it ran in his veins under his white skin in a slow current of annoyance, not yet full anger but certainly more than mild disquiet. Neither the Marshal nor the General was available. Neither of the two men could be found. This was irresponsible behaviour of a new and surprising nature. He could have believed it of Kenren Taishou, but had thought better of Tenpou Gensui.
Doubtless the General's fault. They had gone drinking. They had not yet returned. Kenren Taishou should perhaps find out that he had not so irreplaceable and irreproachable a record as to survive continued behaviour of this sort.
There had been some minor disturbance earlier in the morning, but the ripples of it had not yet reached him. Kami and their everlasting squabbles for precedence; undisciplined, untaught, inelegant. For a brief moment, he allowed himself to think of his brothers. His kingdom. His world. Outside, the sun set in the west, the only thing that moved in this calcified Heaven. Even then, nothing changed.
There was a quick, polite rap at his door.
"Yes?" he called.
One of his adjutants opened the door, but didn't try to enter the room. The man looked nervous. "Goujun-sama, Konzen Douji requests a few minutes speech with you."
What would Konzen Douji want with him? Wait. Konzen Douji was a friend of Tenpou's, or at least, an acquaintance. He might know something. "Show him in," Goujun directed.
The adjutant retreated, then returned a moment later, holding the door for the yellow-haired kami. An unnatural colour, with that white skin; better the shadings of gold throughout that the golden dragons have, where they are all metal, fluid and shining and proud, rather than this kami mottling and shading, this jerky ungainliness of movement. There was a child with him. Goujun remembered having seen the boy -- the itan, he remembered now -- before now, tagging behind the kami, or occasionally playing with Tenpou or Kenren. The child clung to Konzen's trousers, hands twined into the fine silk, eyes wide and yellow and scared.
Konzen waited for the adjutant to close the door, then gave a jerky, neat bow, which Goujun returned, rising. "I apologise for the short notice of this visit, Goujun-sama, and thank you for agreeing to see me."
"Us," came a faint mutter from knee level.
Konzen quite visibly set his jaw. "I apologise for Gokuu's behaviour. Children. You know."
It would have been improper to comment on the license apparently allowed to children here. Doubtless it was all of a piece with the eventual adult kami. Goujun nodded, and let the matter drop. "Please, be seated. Might I ask what you wish to discuss?"
Konzen folded himself down into the chair, resting balled fists on his knees. The child curled up against his leg, apparently unwilling to break the physical contact. "I came to ask about Tenpou Gensui. And Kenren Taishou," he added, after a moment's hesitation. "I am aware that you are their commanding officer, and . . ."
But Goujun was already shaking his head. "I regret that I am unaware of their whereabouts. I understand that they went out drinking, and have not yet returned."
Konzen's face tightened. "I see. Thank you for your kindness."
Goujun disliked the politics of Heaven. However, matters were apparently proceeding apace without him, and Konzen Douji must have some reason for needing Tenpou's assistance. And Goujun had never heard anything particular to Konzen's discredit. Indeed, what he had heard was all about the kami's reluctance to involve himself with things, and his distaste for the rest of Heaven. Perhaps not all kami are born as complex as the others. "I believe there was some sort of disturbance this morning," he began, fishing for signs of emotion or comprehension in that pale face, those angry purple eyes.
The child winced, lowered his head, and cuddled closer against his protector's knee. Konzen Douji himself snapped straight in his chair, hunching his shoulders defensively. "Gokuu is under Kanzeon Bosatsu's protection," he ground out through his teeth. "What happened was hardly his fault."
"What did happen?" Goujun asked. Some childish mischief, no doubt.
Konzen Douji swallowed jerkily. "Litouten ordered his son to kill Gokuu. For no reason. With no charge. Nataku refused and turned the blade on himself. He was unconscious when we left."
Goujun's hand stilled on the surface of his desk. The edges of his short-cut nails scraped against the smooth marble. Those few words, dragged out and minimal as they were, could shake the whole of Heaven. He had no interest in the kami as such, but he had observed the Great Minister's rise, and knew how much of it depended on his son the toushin taishi. And all of that in jeopardy, because of the actions of two children? No wonder Konzen Douji carried himself so tensely. He knew, even if the itan child failed to understand. No wonder he was looking for his allies. "What you are saying . . ." he began.
The door banged open, throwing a sudden slice of lamplight into the darkening room. Goujun looked across, annoyed at this uncharacteristic behaviour from his adjutant.
"Goujun-sama," the kami stammered, shock showing on his face, "we've just had word. They're -- they're having a trial in the Great Hall, Tenpou Gensui and Kenren Taishou have been brought in to be tried for treason, and the other toushin is there, the Emperor's nephew . . ."
Goujun cut him off with a gesture, rising to his feet in a coiling surge of energy. Anger ran in him now, anger and blinding outrage. How dare he. How DARE he. So simple a sentiment to express such utter fury. Litouten had trespassed on his prerogatives, was preparing to condemn his men, his subordinates. It was time to take this up with Litouten, before the Throne if necessary, and in the strongest terms. This was an offence against the good order of Heaven, an offence that went to the marrow of his bones and insulted his very nature as both Dragon King and commander.
Konzen Douji was attempting to say something. He ignored the kami, and stormed out through the door and down the corridor that led towards the main complex and the Great Hall, a crackling fury white as marble, with eyes as crimson as rubies.
This was intolerable.
Somewhere behind him there might have been a child's running feet, and an adult's voice calling in desperation. He did not listen.
This was intolerable and he would put an end to it.
---
Heaven's late afternoon sun was burning gold in the sky, the same shade as Kanzeon Bosatsu's girdle and jewellery as se waded among hir lotuses. The water swirled around hir legs, soaking hir silken robe and turning it transparent. Beneath it, hir flesh was as white as the silk itself.
"Anh -- am I disturbing you?" Konzen asked uncertainly. He hesitated at one edge of the courtyard, and the band of shadow from the arch under which he stood fell across him smoothly and completely. Gokuu was sitting in one of the inner rooms, preoccupied with a pile of buns. Good. Let him stay out of this conversation.
Kanzeon looked across at him and shrugged. Hir breasts swung under their thin covering of gauze; large-nippled, full, a woman's breasts, just as se had a male organ below, between hir legs. Bodhisattvas were perfect in both genders, though the other four did not flaunt it as Kanzeon Bosatsu did.
Old hag.
"I have a problem," Konzen said, dropping the attempt at courtesy.
"I know," Kanzeon answered.
The air was heavy with the scent of lotus flowers and the particular smell of pond water under hot sunlight; fleshly, earthly, unnecessary. He had already sent five messengers to enquire whether Tenpou Gensui or even Kenren Taishou had returned yet. The messengers had all returned, which was good. The response had been universally negative, which was not.
"I would like you to protect Gokuu," Konzen said. He made the request as bald as possible, trying to avoid ambiguity. He was too used to his aunt's fondness for shades of meaning and the opportunity to insert a knife.
Kanzeon tilted hir head. "Interesting choice of name you made for him."
"You have the authority," Konzen went on doggedly. "Litouten can't overrule you. Take care of him in your precincts, or have him sent down to Earth, but either way, keep him safe."
"Why don't you stay here with him?" Kanzeon suggested. "If anything would keep him here where it's safe, it would be you. You are quite right. Litouten won't trespass on my precincts."
"I have to ask some questions." It had been growing on him like a migraine for the last few hours. He couldn't just hide in here. If Tenpou and Kenren weren't around, then he had to make sure that Homura was staying out of trouble, and find out what the fallout from Nataku's wound was, and half a dozen other things. He quite simply couldn't afford the luxury of remaining in hiding. But equally, he wasn't going to take Gokuu out into it. "I want you to look after Gokuu."
"And does he want to be looked after?" Hips swinging, se walked across to the edge of the pool, and sat on it. Hir ankles dangled in the water, pale against the green stems and leaves of the lotuses. "Why are you asking me, Konzen?"
"Because," he said through gritted teeth, "I am not taking him out there."
"Does he know you're leaving him with me?"
"Not yet."
"He can stay if he wants," Kanzeon said, after a moment. Hir voice was male-female, like hir face, neither one nor the other.
"But --" But then he'll follow me. "No. You have to keep him here."
"Konzen." Hir voice was gently chiding. "I don't do that."
"He's a child. He doesn't understand. You can't let him walk out into danger." He could hear the rising tone of anger in his own voice, and tried to bridle it, tried to keep his hands at his side and not gesture in annoyance.
"He's old enough to decide what he wants." Nothing seemed to disturb Kanzeon Bosatsu's surface, as calm and unmoved as the lotuses in hir pool. "I will not keep him here if he chooses to go."
Konzen's hands tightened. "You are one of the five rulers of the universe and you will do nothing?"
"I cannot save those who will not be saved."
He had to make hir see. "Gokuu is a child."
"A little animal that they brought up from Down Below." Se shrugged again. "Tell him to stay behind. Tell him to wait for you. If he stays here, he will be safe."
Konzen's nails cut into his hands. Afternoon sun, bright garden, dazzling goddess, all of it as beautiful as Heaven was and always would be, all of it no help at all. He could claw at it and it would be as much use as trying to scrape away marble with his bare hands. "You know," he said, very carefully, very distinctly, "that he won't do that. You bitch."
"I know that you won't do that either."
He turned to walk away.
"Konzen Douji," se said.
He wouldn't give hir the satisfaction of watching him turn around, but he paused.
"If you are with him, then you can protect him to some degree. From his enemies. From his friends, even. But nobody can protect him from himself."
Konzen walked away, and left the sunlit courtyard for the shadowy marble passage.
---
Goujun was irritated; it ran in his veins under his white skin in a slow current of annoyance, not yet full anger but certainly more than mild disquiet. Neither the Marshal nor the General was available. Neither of the two men could be found. This was irresponsible behaviour of a new and surprising nature. He could have believed it of Kenren Taishou, but had thought better of Tenpou Gensui.
Doubtless the General's fault. They had gone drinking. They had not yet returned. Kenren Taishou should perhaps find out that he had not so irreplaceable and irreproachable a record as to survive continued behaviour of this sort.
There had been some minor disturbance earlier in the morning, but the ripples of it had not yet reached him. Kami and their everlasting squabbles for precedence; undisciplined, untaught, inelegant. For a brief moment, he allowed himself to think of his brothers. His kingdom. His world. Outside, the sun set in the west, the only thing that moved in this calcified Heaven. Even then, nothing changed.
There was a quick, polite rap at his door.
"Yes?" he called.
One of his adjutants opened the door, but didn't try to enter the room. The man looked nervous. "Goujun-sama, Konzen Douji requests a few minutes speech with you."
What would Konzen Douji want with him? Wait. Konzen Douji was a friend of Tenpou's, or at least, an acquaintance. He might know something. "Show him in," Goujun directed.
The adjutant retreated, then returned a moment later, holding the door for the yellow-haired kami. An unnatural colour, with that white skin; better the shadings of gold throughout that the golden dragons have, where they are all metal, fluid and shining and proud, rather than this kami mottling and shading, this jerky ungainliness of movement. There was a child with him. Goujun remembered having seen the boy -- the itan, he remembered now -- before now, tagging behind the kami, or occasionally playing with Tenpou or Kenren. The child clung to Konzen's trousers, hands twined into the fine silk, eyes wide and yellow and scared.
Konzen waited for the adjutant to close the door, then gave a jerky, neat bow, which Goujun returned, rising. "I apologise for the short notice of this visit, Goujun-sama, and thank you for agreeing to see me."
"Us," came a faint mutter from knee level.
Konzen quite visibly set his jaw. "I apologise for Gokuu's behaviour. Children. You know."
It would have been improper to comment on the license apparently allowed to children here. Doubtless it was all of a piece with the eventual adult kami. Goujun nodded, and let the matter drop. "Please, be seated. Might I ask what you wish to discuss?"
Konzen folded himself down into the chair, resting balled fists on his knees. The child curled up against his leg, apparently unwilling to break the physical contact. "I came to ask about Tenpou Gensui. And Kenren Taishou," he added, after a moment's hesitation. "I am aware that you are their commanding officer, and . . ."
But Goujun was already shaking his head. "I regret that I am unaware of their whereabouts. I understand that they went out drinking, and have not yet returned."
Konzen's face tightened. "I see. Thank you for your kindness."
Goujun disliked the politics of Heaven. However, matters were apparently proceeding apace without him, and Konzen Douji must have some reason for needing Tenpou's assistance. And Goujun had never heard anything particular to Konzen's discredit. Indeed, what he had heard was all about the kami's reluctance to involve himself with things, and his distaste for the rest of Heaven. Perhaps not all kami are born as complex as the others. "I believe there was some sort of disturbance this morning," he began, fishing for signs of emotion or comprehension in that pale face, those angry purple eyes.
The child winced, lowered his head, and cuddled closer against his protector's knee. Konzen Douji himself snapped straight in his chair, hunching his shoulders defensively. "Gokuu is under Kanzeon Bosatsu's protection," he ground out through his teeth. "What happened was hardly his fault."
"What did happen?" Goujun asked. Some childish mischief, no doubt.
Konzen Douji swallowed jerkily. "Litouten ordered his son to kill Gokuu. For no reason. With no charge. Nataku refused and turned the blade on himself. He was unconscious when we left."
Goujun's hand stilled on the surface of his desk. The edges of his short-cut nails scraped against the smooth marble. Those few words, dragged out and minimal as they were, could shake the whole of Heaven. He had no interest in the kami as such, but he had observed the Great Minister's rise, and knew how much of it depended on his son the toushin taishi. And all of that in jeopardy, because of the actions of two children? No wonder Konzen Douji carried himself so tensely. He knew, even if the itan child failed to understand. No wonder he was looking for his allies. "What you are saying . . ." he began.
The door banged open, throwing a sudden slice of lamplight into the darkening room. Goujun looked across, annoyed at this uncharacteristic behaviour from his adjutant.
"Goujun-sama," the kami stammered, shock showing on his face, "we've just had word. They're -- they're having a trial in the Great Hall, Tenpou Gensui and Kenren Taishou have been brought in to be tried for treason, and the other toushin is there, the Emperor's nephew . . ."
Goujun cut him off with a gesture, rising to his feet in a coiling surge of energy. Anger ran in him now, anger and blinding outrage. How dare he. How DARE he. So simple a sentiment to express such utter fury. Litouten had trespassed on his prerogatives, was preparing to condemn his men, his subordinates. It was time to take this up with Litouten, before the Throne if necessary, and in the strongest terms. This was an offence against the good order of Heaven, an offence that went to the marrow of his bones and insulted his very nature as both Dragon King and commander.
Konzen Douji was attempting to say something. He ignored the kami, and stormed out through the door and down the corridor that led towards the main complex and the Great Hall, a crackling fury white as marble, with eyes as crimson as rubies.
This was intolerable.
Somewhere behind him there might have been a child's running feet, and an adult's voice calling in desperation. He did not listen.
This was intolerable and he would put an end to it.
---
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