Please enjoy this new chapter.
Sins of the Past
Chapter Three
Walking on what seemed a never-ending road was not what Sin had planned. He had left behind Port Sarim days ago, but nevertheless he felt no closer to Lumbridge. It almost felt like he'd been walking on a repeating path, destined never to move at all.
If it weren't for the various travelers he had met along the way, he surely would have believe he was walking endlessly.
At this rate he would never reach the city or find his malevolent father. Luckily his monk training helped pass the time or else he'd have long gone crazy days ago.
The technique was known to the monks as spirit-walking. One could project their mind elsewhere, and continue what they were doing in the mortal realm.
He willed his spirit to travel to the realm of specters. Here he could engage in intellectual pursuits to easily pass the time. Sin would need to be extremely careful, for spirits were tricky. There were some who, in a moment's notice, would take the opportunity to possess your earthly body, thus trapping you in the spirit world.
The monks had taught him the ways of tenhaigo or spirit building. With the right amount of concentration, an individual could spiritually lock their mortal bodies and prevent roaming spirits from possessing it.
He entered the spirit world, or as the monks called it: spirigo.
Being dead and lost to the mortal realm, there was not much variety among scenery in the spirit world. And there need not be; spirits had left behind earthly goods.
Drifting along as light as a cloud, Sin happened upon a distinctly purple piece of ethereal material, or a spirit.
"I give you my greetings, saigu," Sin said reverently. A saigu was the most honorable of spirits. On earth they would have been clergyman, monks, teachers, and scholars. The monks had taught him that one should always respect the saigu. Thus did he offer his greeting, instead of thrusting himself upon the spirit.
He anchored himself and waited. Oftentimes a saigu would test visitors' patience. The longest recorded time was two months. It was his master monk Geshu who had completed the test. How proud was he to learn that piece of trivia.
The saigu eventually honored Sin with responding, after one week's time. "I accept thy greeting, humago."
Sin smiled to himself, knowing that a humago was what spirits called humans. He also knew that it was an honorable thing to be called so. It was dishonorable to be referred to as nohumago, or unworthy human.
"I am traveling far on a journey most dear to my heart, and have come to you, most admirable saigu, to pass the hours through scholarly thought."
The spirit quivered in acceptance. "That is a most worthy goal, young humago. It pleases me to grant your request."
Sin bowed. "Thank you, most wonderful saigu."
"Let me offer up a topic."
"Of course, saigu," Sin replied. He had had several discussions with various saigu, but none as formal as this. He hoped he would not disgrace himself or his monk brothers.
"Let us think on earthly politics," the saigu ventured. "For it is a morally complicated subject."
"I confess I do not know much on this topic," Sin embarrassingly admitted.
The spirit paid no heed. "It matters not. Perhaps you would like to suggest an alternative topic?"
An idea for a topic occurred to him. "I suggest the topic of women, dear saigu."
The saigu pondered this for quite some time. It eventually agreed, though. "Please begin."
"I have failed in the Mandarin monks' teachings, wise one. I have known a woman intimately."
"Ah, I remember the Mandarin monks; such a morally upright group of individuals," the spirit exclaimed. "What was the name of this female?"
"Devyn."
"I see, 'tis a beautiful name, indeed. I could better give you advice if I were to know the circumstances that haunt you, poor humago."
So Sin put forth the actions that had transpired the previous evening. The words flowed from his mouth like a river bursting from a dam that plugged it no longer. With each syllable spoken, Sin felt the weight of his sin lift from his shoulders.
The saigu made no attempts to interrupt or ask questions, for disrupting was dishonorable and could set back Sin's progress by weeks. The spirit had, too, led a life of pure goals and nobility. It knew what the stakes were if such high virtues were lost.
When Sin had finished, he felt reborn. He would have danced for joy, if his body was not back in the mortal plane. He thanked the saigu profusely and acquitted the spirigo.
He traveled back to earth, but when he tried to reenter his body, he was rejected. Puzzled at first, he merely tried again. A second time he was rejected from entering his body. By the third time, he began to panic.
Something had gone terribly wrong, but what? His eyes roved over the landscape, but he spotted nothing out of place.
Wait, what was that?
Sin had spotted something on his body's head. It was too tiny to make out. Shrinking down to tiny proportions, he flew over what appeared to be a dark, black blob.
Peering closer seemed to alert the blob to Sin's presence, for it quivered and jerked around until an eye appeared. Shocked, Sin could only gaze in awe as the tiny blob began to grow and expand to towering heights.
"It would seem the owner of this fine body has returned," the blob said.
Sin was speechless. What malignant spirit was this? It obviously was not a saigu. Sin went through the types of spirits: saigu, caolgu, kaogu, and mano. He supposed that this thing could be a kaogu, a parasite spirit that preyed upon spirit travelers who had not locked their bodies.
"Explain yourself, vile kaogu!" he exclaimed. "How did you possess my body?"
"Dear boy, I find it amusing that you presume to know me," it chastised him.
"Then reveal your nature foul one!"
"I shall not, for to do so would be like educating a toddler on the intricacies of political science; it would fall on deaf ears."
The scornful laugh of the kaogu only furthered to infuriate Sin. The giant glob would be an eyesore to any passing traveler, though there was none in sight. Sin helplessly tried to think of some plan to rid himself of this leech, however, in his spirit form he could do nothing.
"What's wrong, little one?" the blob inquired.
Failing to illicit a response, it resolved to irritate Sin even more so.
Sin inhaled and exhaled, following the guidelines his monk brothers had bestowed upon him. To cleanse yourself of anger, one must purge all thoughts from one's mind, leaving nothing behind.
The evil spirit watched in mock concern. Sin sent a warning alert to his friend, the saigu. Help would come soon.
Sin focused his attention on the parasitic spirit once again and asked, "What kind of kaogu are you?"
Growing bored of the conversation, it answered him lazily, "An evolved kaogu."
"Kaogu can evolve?" Sin asked, surprised. He had not known of this. The monks of Mandar has never spoken of such a creature. When he got his body back, he would be sure to ask the saigu about this.
It blinked its eye. "Not naturally. However, with some assistance, one could evolve. Kaogu that do evolve are kaogukai."
'Changing parasites?' If Sin had been in his body, he was sure that he would have felt a chill climb down his spine.
Sin hurried the conversation up; he could sense the saigu coming to aid him. "And what causes this evolution?"
"My master, of course." The kaogukai, becoming even more bored, had started to drift around Sin's mortal head like a satanic halo.
Impossible! Kaogu have never had masters; they were a selfish group of spirits who heeded no mortal man. The saigu was almost upon them, but Sin had yet to learn the name of this mysterious master.
"Tell me the name of your master, kaogukai," Sin said imploringly.
The spirit paused.
"Quickly!" It was too late, though. The saigu had descended in a blinding flash of light, utterly destroying the kaogukai.
The evil creature did manage to scream one letter of his master's name: K.