^^ the Silver Grove ^^
— James —
I watched disinterestedly though half-lidded eyes as the Miko's followed the first one inside, and helped her up. They bowed in front of me, and saluted in what I supposed was their tradition, placing one fist and one flat palm in front of their (I couldn't help but notice how full and... healthy,) chests.
I recognized the way I meditated when I was not writing the Mantra, and hummed. "So... you are the people who call yourselves Holy Shrine Maiden Miko's... what god do you pray to, I wonder, that you call yourselves so?" I asked calmly.
Ameran, the visibly eldest of them, cleared her throat. "We tend the Shrine of the Sage, Master. The Gods have blessed you, and then us, with long life and power, in return for service."
"Which gods? And what power?" I frowned.
"Well... the Gods? All of them? Maybe only one of them had a hand in your appearance, but they never came forward... and the power of Ur, of course, Master." She closed her eyes, and a thin film of purple energy surrounded her body, then grew into a wreath of flames, close to her skin. The grass around her began to grow longer, the tatami mat thickening in that spot, in response to this energy.
"Ahhh... I see. My Ur gifted you with the ability to manipulate the same power, and you thanked the Gods... or rather, your ancestors, I suppose, seeing as I was in the Spirit World for 100,000 years. How long has my physical body, which I was reincarnated into, been sitting on this mountain?" I asked, looking at her directly as she opened her eyes, breathing heavily.
She looked drained, just from that one action, and I nodded, letting her recover before answering. The act of manipulating the world around you was an incredibly difficult thing to master, and most didn't even believe it possible; still, I'd seen Mika create a pillar of rock with her own Ur, and that was clearly more difficult than growing some grass.
"Master, the truth is, no one really knows how long you have been on this mountain. Underneath you, that Shrine was built on a stone that was cut by mortal hands, so we know that you lived in a castle, and that that stone in particular was saved from the sands of time by your presence, as with our youth; but the '1,000 years' myth has been around since I started apprenticing here, 972 suns ago. My mistress told me that she had been your caretaker for 100 Suns, and then she became a Holy Miko, and then the Head Miko; she served that role for 900 Suns, until she retired, and I became her successor. There are nine statues of nine Head Shrine Maidens who served a total of 1,000 Suns, the position of the very highest honor; therefore it has been, at the very least, 9,972 Suns, plus however much was watched by Shrine Maidens who didn't reach 1,000 suns." She spoke and gestures to nine statues in a U, behind where I'd been sitting in the pavilion, carved from a type of black crystal.
I hummed. "I see... so it's 10,000, and then the Spirit World has <Ten Day:One> Rules... or maybe that's just when I was found, and I was on the mountain for the full 100,000 years?" I nodded. "And you have 28 Suns until your statue is added to that collection?"
She smiled proudly, sitting up straight. "That is Correct, Master!"
"I see... and these other Miko?" I looked at them, and controlled my gaze from slipping down to the very generous exposed cleavage of the form-fitting white robes.
"They are in their second century, having served one century as simple Shrine Maidens, such as that one who was speaking to you without my permission, and then one more as Holy Maidens." She smiled proudly.
"Without your permission? Since when does a being require your permission to speak to another?" I raised an eyebrow.
"I-I only meant that surely you would prefer a more enlightened person to speak to than-"
"While I dislike your tone and meaning, I do indeed prefer intelligent and enlightened conversation. Still, she is far more enlightened than you, who still has a Power Complex. You think yourself superior, but her soul is more kind than yours; more pure. She is a good person, and regardless of age or merit, she is worthy of speaking to me because she wishes to do so not for selfish reasons, -such as yourself, who only cares if I stay so you can have your statue placed in the Shrine, a vain and pathetic attempt at immortalization,- but simply out of respect and care. To think, nearly a thousand years of life did nothing to cure your selfishness or elitism, only bolstering these Evil Traits. It disappoints me ever so much to know that, like all religions, those in charge are the least pious of them all." I snorted softly, and shook my head as she stared at me, her face stricken with shock.
I looked at the others, and hummed. "Take this lesson to heart, please; as the next generation of Miko, you must be better than the last, not just believe you are. There is always improvement to be had in your Spirit, Mind, and Body. Stagnation is the Enemy." I nodded and laid down on an area of the tatami, facing the east, so the sunrise would wake me.
They all bowed, taking it for the dismissal it was, gently pulling the Head Miko out as she still stared forward in confusion and shock. The branches moved out of their way, and then a permanent opening was created, facing north, as well as a little bridge over the stream. A curtain of moss grew over the opening, as a doorway.
I realized I'd forgotten to ask them about the 'Ogre' Thing, and sighed. They'd almost all had those little horns, with the horns of the Head Miko being much bigger than any of the others', but all of them were bigger than Mika's, and of a darker black... one of them, the smallest, hadn't had any horns, but rather two red spots on her temples and cheeks, like blushing birth marks.
I shrugged and laid back down, letting sleep take me.
—
'Sh-should we wake him?'
'Of course not!!! Clean quietly!!!'
'Stop whispering, you're just being louder than talking normally!!!'
'If you wake the Sage, I will personally rip off your horn and sell you to a brothel!!! He's meditated for 100,000 years and only eaten one apple in that entire time, he needs to rest!!!'
I sighed, sitting up and glancing at the false-dawn, meaning it was only about 4:30 in the morning. I had slept a full eight hours, but I felt no different... not more sleepy or more awake, at all. Perhaps I didn't require sleep, like the old stories of sages? Was I really a Sage? What were the requirements of being a Sage?
I hummed and knelt in front of the suns direction, waiting for it to rise, thinking on the subject.
'Well, 1: Sages are Wise People, who give wisdom to others... I am a student of someone like that, but I don't know how to teach very well... 2: Sages mediate on the meaning of life, and come up with an answer... Did I have an answer? Was my answer 'Progress'? 3: Sages live for a very long time... I've been alive for at the very least 10,000 years, and 100,000 in the Spirit World. Definitely I qualify for that one. 4: Sages are Masters of Manipulating their Chi, or 'Ur', I suppose they call it here. I'm pretty decent at it, I suppose, but nowhere close to the Guru; she could levitate, and even shatter massive steel beams with just her Chi-Palm... but I guess growing this forest-house was pretty cool... ah, I don't know. 5: Sages are teachers and companions to Hero's, in Myths... I don't know any Hero's. So, 2/5? Nope, I guess I'm not a True Sage, though I did survive all that temptation in the Spirit World... meh, I'll say I'm a Young Sage, still learning.' I nodded, and looked up as the sun peaked over the horizon.
Immediately, I began a Sun Salutation with a Vīravidyā form, moving through the motions slowly, with no rush. Again, my sonorous voice shivered the air, but this time it was on purpose. I was testing my limits, pushing and pulling at the universe around me, until it seemed a tempest had descended on the mountaintop, shaking the apple groves nearby and sending the wind through the trees; this created an ethereal chanting sound, as the trees seemed to move their leaves in a way to create words, echoing my Salutation and amplifying it, sending it rolling like thunder, all the way down the mountain.
When I finished and knelt, the wind halted instantly, being replaced by the normal summer breeze of this mountaintop. "It's a start." I nodded, and began stretching my body, performing Yoga until I could feel every muscle in my body screaming for rest, and then switching to Vīravidyā, ignoring the pain in my body, and focusing on my mind and spirit. I needed my body to grow to match them, or I would never find balance again.
As such, I continued my forms, pushing as much energy as I could into the muscles to heal them as I moved, which would promote their growth. At noon, I halted, looked up at the branches above me. 'There's no chance one of you will give me an apple, is there?' I asked mentally.
A Silver Apple landed in my palm, and I grinned. 'Thank you very much!!!' I glanced at the Apple, and hummed as a similar screen appeared over it.
<Item: Apple of The Sage, Unique Item.
Type: Food, Medicine.
Effect: Legendary Healing Buff.
Effect: Legendary Increased Muscle Growth.
Effect: Legendary Increased Durability.
Effect: Legendary Increased Virility/Fertility.
Effect: Instantly Lethal to <Lvl 50
Effect: If Class isn't Present, Gain Sage Seed.
Item cannot be Crafted; Tree yields one fruit, once every 10 years, unless fed continuous Ur to Grow Faster. One Exists: Unique Item.>
'Well... this'll answer if I'm a Sage, I suppose.' I hummed and nodded, biting into the Apple. It tasted like mint, to my surprise, but not overpoweringly or unpleasantly so. Like a mint-flavored candy apple, almost.
I didn't eat any more, but dug out the seeds, all five of them. "Hmm... Alright." I planted them in the center of my pavilion, and stepped back, focusing on my Astral Form, and reaching out to touch the seeds, this time on purpose, unlike when I'd grown the Silver Grove.
A set of five sprouts appeared, and then a small group of saplings, but even though I could see it growing, it was nowhere near the same as the Grove's birth. This tree was far, far more powerful, and therefore required more time. I settled the Apple I'd taken a bit out of on the saplings, and turned away.
I looked around, and raised an Eyebrow at Mika, who was kowtowing again, with two of the Holy Miko's next to her, bowing at the waist. "Can you relax a little? Peace of mind cannot be obtained whilst you are constantly lowering yourself below others." I sighed, and sat down on the mat in front of them.
"It-it is out of deference to you that we must refuse!!! To disrespect the Sage..." one of the Miko girls, the small one with no horns, bowed even deeper.
"Mm. The greatest respect you can give me is to attain your enlightenment, or become a Sage; you cannot do that whilst focused on being servile." I shook my head.
She flinched, looking torn between obeying me and sticking to her training, which also told her to obey me, but to do so respectfully.
The other one, an ogre like Mika, grinned happily. "I'm sorry, Master, but I am aiming to be a Fury, not a Sage!!! Still, I suppose enlightenment is not opposite of battle prowess!!!" She shouted while cupping her right fist in front of her chest, and bowed in a militant way; board-straight instead of the priestesses smooth tilt.
"Oh? A Fury? Is that a type of General?" I asked, confused.
"Almost!!! The Furies are Elite Guard's for the Shrines of the Gods in the Holy City!!! There is no position more honorable for a Shrine Warrior!!!" She nodded seriously, her volume and gusto remaining stable... and ear-breaking.
I nodded. "I see... and this Holy City, is it a Theocracy?" I asked, cautious.
She tilted her head, blinking slowly. "A what?"
The small hornless Miko cleared her throat. "He means is it ruled by a Religious Sect; the answer is no. I am from there, you see, that is why I am the only non-ogre on this mountain... Well, besides the Sage. The city is ruled by a council with a representative of each race and/or clan in the Land of Monsters, and it has a set limit of two terms of five suns before a new representative must be chosen; this is, of course, to make sure that none of the longer-lived species' or the richer clans try to create an oligarchy or an Eternal Senate. Those whose clans are too small to keep up with that change, and those who are too beast-minded to Rule, are brought under a willing Sponsor, such as the Clan of Ogres and Kijin that operates this shrine did by taking in my people, the Water Spirits, in the village below. As for Religion, the city is called Holy City because of its proximity to a Battle of the Gods, in mythical times. The god Ganesha is said to have stomped on that ground, creating a crater or caldera of sorts, and his faithful built a city in it. Over time, it became a metropolis of sorts. Also, several hundred Shrines and temples exist there, each guarded by the Furies, an impartial Peace-keeping force." She lectured long-windedly, and smiled.
I hummed, digesting all that information. "I see... Ganesha, Hmm? I'll have to apologize to him for disbelieving him... well, either way. What about other Sages, or Heroes?" I asked, smiling at the idea of adventure.
They all flinched, and then the small Water-Spirit cleared her throat again. "Well, Master... as an Elf, and a Sage, the Hero would likely be your Ally, but to us Monsters... He is Death Incarnate. The Hero and Maou both, they always drag us into their battles, even if we don't want to take sides, and our people's are slaughtered until some races are even extinct... we do not wish for the Advent of a Human Hero, Master." She explained softly.
I nodded. "I suppose that makes- Wait, Elf?" I placed a hand on my ears, and frowned at their long points. "Huh... well that's irritating, that I didn't notice that... anyway, where are all the Men in this place? Surely you're not an All-Female Race?" I asked, looking at Mika.
She blushed, and laughed softly. "No, not quite. Male Ogres are indeed very rare, and Kijin even more so, and so they are often... well, they have what is called 'Harems'. They must, after all, in order to produce many babies, and hopefully even a Son of Pure Blood. We are blessed with one such, a true Kijin Warrior who bested the Hero Seed who came here to hunt Ogres twenty years ago, and has even reached the Seventh Form of Ur-Manipulation, even more Forms than the Head Miko. Many of the Miko and Shrine Maidens are his daughters." She nodded proudly.
"Oh? I'd like to meet him, then, he sounds like a proper opponent to spar with." I nodded, and then stood, my resting period over, going back to my forms.
A piece of the silver trees shaped itself into a bokken, at my request, and I practiced my sword forms as well, though they were a different Martial Art.
Mika gasped as she watched me, and spoke excitedly. "I have seen those movements before!!! My Father- that is, the Honorable Kijin, He does those forms with a heavy iron club, to train his body!!! He said he learned them from a Sword Saint!!!"
I paused, and looked at her, then the Buff ogre next to her, who was nodding. "He has been training the Shrine Warriors in this as well; it is called 'Kem-do'." She announced proudly.
"Kendo, my dear, but yes, I am happy that someone here knows it." I nodded, and returned to my forms.
My muscles flexed and pulled at my tendons, and my tendons were already being pulled by my bones, and my bones were being resisted by my Chi, along with each step; thus, making it harder to move, I trained twice as heard. When this ceased being a challenge, I changed it to Five Times. For a few hours, I could barely move as slow as a snail, but I got used to it. By that time, the sun had begun to set, so I and the trees saluted it, and then I returned to training.
The night passed with a variety of different forms and martial arts; I had studied several of them half-assedly, before meeting the Guru, and she'd demanded that I continue learning them all, without fail. From Tai-Chi to Qi-Gong, Brazilian JiuJutsu to Judo, Karate to Kendo, and obviously Vīravidyā, I'd learned them all, until she was satisfied. My body wasn't suited for some of them, like Judo, -not enough body mass to really throw anybody with, no matter how strong I was,- or the various Dances that held Martial Forms, -no rhythm to speak of,- but I still learned the forms and skills, even if I couldn't properly execute them.
Around Dawn, while I was finishing my Salutations, the Male Kijin Arrived.