Chapter 25

Shi Hou and Evening Rabbit had been recalled from their training and their various tasks with two weeks to go until Calibration. Neither was quite sure why. Shi Hou had just completed his training in Ruthless Avalanche Style and was expecting to be sent out to assault one of the remaining Holdout Independent Plains People Towns, likely Kowalski's Forge, with its stone castle and many forges.

Meanwhile, Evening Rabbit had just returned from defending a few of the southernmost villages from a raiding band of Barbarian Marauders of the Lake Serpent Jungle Tribe. She had only recently returned and had yet to even deposit the looted Tribal Equipment with the Armory so that Armorer Maczek could break them down, reforge them, and send them to Ludmila and her Czarownica Apprentices for enchanting.

It was a break from the normal routine they had settled into ever since they had arrived back in Puyo. That likely meant only one thing. That something was about to change, and drastically. Something that required the breaking of their routines and the pulling of them from the expansion and defense of their growing realm on the southern plains. Shi Hou had no idea what that something could possibly be, but he figured that whatever it was it wasn't going to be particularly easily handled.

He would be proven correct when he and Evening Rabbit entered the Kremlin of Puyo and suddenly found themselves hustled by Captain Wladyslaw into a meeting with Marilka the Red and Lord Yaromir behind closed, locked, warded, and guarded doors. Yaromir and Marilka looked concerned, and while Yaromir being concerned was one thing, Marilka the Red being concerned was quite another.

"Good, you're here. We need to talk." Grunted Lord Yaromir.

"Indeed, the portents have been dire. My Astrological Divinations have predicted great calamities will happen in three places beginning on Calibration, something happens on the Blessed Isle to throw the Realm into Chaos." Frowned Marilka the Red.

"Forgive me, but is that not a good thing? The Realm will only ever oppose us." Questioned Shi Hou.

"Normally, you would be correct, however, for all its faults, the Realm is a stabilizing influence on large portions of Creation, one whose absence will be felt elsewhere." Pointed out Lord Yaromir.

"I'm assuming it's this absence that will cause other calamities?" Queried Evening Rabbit.

"At least in part. I have divined the coming of a Great Golden Bull in the far North, one who even now wars with Realm allies and tributaries. That war has drawn the eyes of the Tepet Legions, however, my Astrological Divinations have revealed that the Tepet Legions will die in the Far North. Perhaps one man in ten will survive the bloodshed to come, and be forced to retreat back to the Realm. Less will survive the journey back into safe territory." Nodded Marilka the Red.

"With one of the three primary Military Houses decimated, and the Confusion on the Blessed Isle, other actors will take advantage." Concurred Lord Yaromir.

"How does this affect us?" Asked Shi Hou.

"Thorns. That is where the last Domino of the Coming Year will fall. I am unsure what will happen to Thorns, though I have my suspicions. The Perpetrators being outside of Fate points to only a select few possibilities. Given the proximity of the Bayou of Endless Regret, I suspect Deathlords, though there is a chance it could be Akuma or other minions of the Yozi. It is too far from the Wyld to be the Fae. Whoever the perpetrators are, they bring destruction, death, and domination to Thorns. That, in turn, does affect us. Very much so." Explained Marilka the Red.

"What would you have us do?" Questioned Evening Rabbit.

"You will need to step your training up further. Thus far, we have largely focused on expanding your capabilities with Emerald Sorcery, Thaumaturgy, and getting your skills with a blade up to snuff. For what is coming, however, you will need more than that. As you favor daggers, I shall begin teaching you one of the styles I innovated in my youth. The Celestial Wind Style of Martial Arts is based around light armor and throwing weapons. I believe you would be perfect for it. At the same time, you will also be learning Sapphire Circle Sorcery." Informed Marilka the Red.

"Meanwhile, I will lead our forces toward Kowalski's Forge, Waclaw's Stand, and Janosek Town, the last three major independent holdouts. Taking them will consolidate our position on the Southern Plains between the Varsiayag Emirates to the East, the Confederation of Rivers to the North, Thorns to the West, and the Jungle Tribes and Harborhead to the South." Added Lord Yaromir.

"What about me?" Queried Shi Hou.

"You need to head to Yu-Shan. Speak with Lytek and receive your Exaltation Properly. The Celestial Lions will have to let you in, given who your father is. Even under House Arrest, the Monkey King is not a God to be trifled with lightly. Unfortunately, Yu-Shan is vast and the dangers are many. You may require help to make it to Lytek." Answered Marilka the Red.

"What kind of help?" Asked Shi Hou.

"There is a God in the Slums where the Gate will let you out. Inbō, the God of Thrilling Tales. He works as a Chuzei under Aki-Aki, the Headmistress of Stories under the leadership of Sarasvathi, the God and Sub-Director of Human Communication and Conversation in the Department of Universal Human Affairs. Inbō is an ally of the Gold Faction and will help you travel to Lytek swiftly and undercover. You may need to do him a favor first, however, as Gods do not trade in Jade or Silver like Mortals do, and I doubt you have much to offer Inbō in either Ambrosia or Quintessence." Explained Marilka the Red.

"Why would I need to move undercover?" Questioned Shi Hou.

"That's a good question. Surely the Gods can see that we are ultimately working to prevent the fall of Thorns to either the Yozi or Deathlords?" Queried Evening Rabbit.

"It's not that simple, I'm afraid." Sighed Marilka the Red.

"These sorts of things never are." Shrugged Lord Yaromir.

"How so?" Asked Shi Hou.

"Many of the Gods simply wish to collect their daily ration of Quintessence and spend it on various pleasures. Even the Unconquered Sun is not immune, as addicted as he is to the Games of Divinity. Those like Lytek who simply wish to do their jobs to the best of their ability are quite rare. That isn't all, the Bronze Faction has eyes and ears even in Yu-Shan. Chejop Kajak and his adepts will seek to stop you by lethal force if necessary if they know you are seeking to permanently affix the Solar Exaltation that is struggling with your divine blood in place." Warned Marilka the Red.

"It sounds like you'll need the help. I wouldn't spurn it if I were you." Remarked Lord Yaromir.

"Fair enough." Agreed Shi Hou.

"When do we send him on his way?" Questioned Evening Rabbit.

"What makes you think that we will be doing anything of the sort? There are free-standing Yu-Shan Gateways, you know?" Queried Marilka the Red.

"Because you know how to cast a spell to Summon the Heavenly Portal and make the Calibration Gate appear. If this is as urgent as you say it is, we can't afford to waste time having Monkey comb through the wilderness looking for a Yu-Shan Gate." Pointed out Evening Rabbit.

"Smart girl. I knew there was a reason I chose you as an apprentice. We will be sending him out tonight, after dark." Informed Marilka the Red.

"I'd make whatever preparations you need now, Lad. In the meantime, I need to ready the troops." Mused Lord Yaromir.

"I'll be ready by nightfall." Promised Shi Hou.

"See to it that you are." Nodded Marilka the Red.

With that, the meeting broke up. Marilka the Red dragged Evening Rabbit with her to begin preparations for their Sorcerous Ritual to call forth the Calibration Gate, while Lord Yaromir headed to brief the assembled troops on their upcoming mission to take control of Kowalski's Forge. Shi Hou moved to requisition what supplies he might need for the trip to Yu-Shan. He had his Armor, Perfection, Hearthstones, and other Artefacts, of course, but he also requisitioned a Thaumaturgically Enchanted bag that was bigger on the inside and could hold up to a ton and a half of goods inside its form. He also requisitioned Alchemical Supplies to heal himself, food, drink, and other sundries.

As he did so, he noted that there were more Enlightened Mortals around than he'd ever seen in one place before. There had only been one scale at the start of his tenure in Puyo, but that had doubled to two scales after Marilka the Red did some geomantic working from before the First Age. Supposedly, it was a ritual that had been created to Enlighten Mortals in batches during the Primordial War that very few people knew about. Supposedly, the knowledge died with the First Age Solars, but Marilka knew it, and so did Chejop Kajak, though he would never use it as it flew in the face of everything that the Immaculate Order Stood for. Instead, the Immaculates privately practiced an adaptation that enlightened single mortals at a time, and only used that during the initiation of Mortals as Abbots of an Immaculate Shrine or Temple.

The Ritual of Twenty-Five Heroes could enlighten a Scale of Mortals at a time, but the drawback was that the mortals had to sacrifice something for the power, five years off the end of their natural lifespan, their ability to have children, or things of that nature. Marilka enlightened a scale of troops who had already had children and instructed them to choose their fertility for the sacrifice. Now, Puyo had two scales of Enlightened Mortals, with a third on the way via the normal, less dangerous, Alchemical Way to enlighten mortals. The reason for only using that working once was simple. One attempt every so often could be camouflaged as a different, slower, form of enlightenment. It wouldn't quite be so problematic as the knowledge the Ritual of Twenty-Five Heroes was still around and in the hands of an enemy of the Realm.

Regardless, the plan was, hopefully, to have a full Talon of Enlightened Mortals by the time they had to march to take Thorns at the end of the next year. Shi Hou idly wondered who would be put in charge of that Talon, before ultimately figuring it would either be him or Evening Rabbit. He doubted Marilka would take command herself, and Lord Yaromir would likely be leading the full muster of one-thousand-five-hundred troops and not have time to micromanage individual Taizei, even if their Talon was entirely comprised of Enlightened Mortals equipped with Thaumaturgically Enchanted Gear.

Eventually, however, the time for thinking about what-ifs and theoretical situations had passed, along with the time to make preparations for the trip to Yu-Shan. The stars had come out, and the sun had set, leaving it time for the ritual. Marilka the Red and Evening Rabbit stood ready, setting up a small altar with incense for whatever ritual they needed to perform to cast their spell and call forth the Calibration Gate.

"Are you prepared?" Asked Marilka the Red.

"I am." Confirmed Shi Hou.

"Then we should begin. Evening Rabbit, if you would please light the incense?" Queried Marilka the Red.

"Of course." Nodded Evening Rabbit.

A flick of flint and tinder later and a stick of rich incense was lit in the burner, wafting a small, fragrant, cloud around the altar. Evening Rabbit and Marilka the Red dropped to their knees before the Altar, beginning repetitive, meditative, chanting, prayers. Shi Hou had been forced to learn Old Realm while working for Marilka the Red and he understood the prayers to be those to Ryzala, Goddess of Bureaucracy and Paperwork and Director of the Department of Celestial Concerns, and Haderack, the Guardian of the Sixty-One Gates and Sub-Director of Celestial Travel and Transport to allow the use of the Calibration Gate.

As they prayed, both Marilka the Red and Evening Rabbit let off regular pulses of essence, which only fanned the incense that was burning on the altar, and made the cloud larger and larger. Shi Hou caught a hint of spice and peaches from the cloud, which had eventually become large enough to cover an area four meters in height by three meters wide. At the five-minute mark, one final pulse of essence as the prayers reached a crescendo brought a flashing light the same color as Shi Hou's aura that came from within the cloud. As that happened, the smell of peaches overpowered the smell of spice, before a wind blew the incense cloud away to reveal the result of the Ritual.

It was a massive gate, elaborately built with shifting images carved into Orichalcum, Jade, Starmetal, Moonsilver, and Soulsteel, the Calibration Gate's appearance was constantly changing. One moment, it was carved with images of twisting dragons around a circular gateway, the next it had shifted into the image of two stone Guardian Lions flanking a rectangular gate. When Shi Hou looked at it more carefully, it suddenly shifted to an image of a Staff-Wielding Monkey perched atop an archway and Shi Hou could have sworn the Monkey winked at him, a visage of his Godly Father.

"You should hurry. The Calibration Gate never stays in one place for long." Advised Marilka the Red.

"Right." Nodded Shi Hou.

"Good Luck, Monkey." Offered Evening Rabbit, rushing to give Shi Hou a hug. The Hardened Mercenary enfolded his former charge in a hug and she leaned up to give him a peck on the cheek as he did so.

"For luck." Insisted Evening Rabbit, blushing and looking away.

"I'll come back with my Exaltation, count on it." Promised Shi Hou.

"You'd better." Huffed Evening Rabbit.

"Time is a factor here." Interrupted Marilka the Red.

Shi Hou and Evening Rabbit broke off their hug and She Hou steadied himself. Dusting off his armor free of any imaginary dirt, Shi Hou strode forward toward the gate. The Jade, Moonsilver, Starmetal, and Orichalcum gates swung open on their Soulsteel Hinges, and Shi Hou walked through with a nod. As soon as he was through, the doors closed behind him and Shi Hou found himself in a hallway of Opaque Adamant, well-lit with various mystical lights. At the end of the Hallway, a massive Adamant Gate was set into the walls.

Of course, Shi Hou wasn't alone in the hallway. At the end of the Hallway, guarding the exit into Yu-Shan, stood three Celestial Lions, Guardian Spirits made of Pure Orichalcum whose job it was to ensure that none who were not supposed to enter Yu-Shan got through the gates. Shi Hou would have to speak to them in order to gain passage. Squaring his shoulders, he strode forward as the three Celestial Lions' eyes locked onto him.

Hopefully, Marilka was correct about his father's blood allowing him to pass. If not, he was likely about to die. There was no sense worrying about that now, however, as he was already committed to this course of action.

"Who are you who dares to enter the City of the Gods?" Questioned the Trio of Celestial Lions as one.

"I am Shi Hou, son of Sun Wukong, the Eastern God of Martial Arts. I seek entry to the City of the Gods." Declared Shi Hou.

"Do you have identification?" Queried one of the Celestial Lions.

In response, Shi Hou let his aura flare, the divine white glow bathing the chamber and reflecting off the Adamant Facets of the walls and gateway, even as the Celestial Lions seemed to recognize the power spilling forth from Shi Hou's Essence. As swiftly as he flared his aura, Shi Hou let the flare subside and fixed the Celestial Lions with a look.

"Will that suffice?" Asked Shi Hou.

"It is irregular, but none can doubt that you are who you say when you bare your spirit so openly." Rumbled one of the Celestial Lions.

"We will have to do paperwork, but you are cleared for entry." Added the Second Celestial Lion.

"Be warned, however, any attempt to Emulate your Father at the expense of the Celestial Bureaucracy will not be tolerated." Cautioned the Last Celestial Lion.

"Very well." Nodded Shi Hou.

And with that, the Adamant Gates rumbled open as the Celestial Lions roared out, their essence pushing the massive adamant gates open. Shi Hou nodded at the trio of Guardians as he stepped forward.

Then he stepped through into Yu-Shan, hoping to find Inbō before the Bronze Faction managed to track him down. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, here's the next chapter. We're into a completely new arc now, as Shi Hou attempts to get his Exaltation Fixed so he can gain in Essence without automatically being Voluntold by the Celestial Bureaucracy to come to Yu-Shan and take up a job there.

Of course, doing so is going to be a lot easier said than done. Most of the Gods don't like actually doing their jobs, they're too addicted to the Games of Divinity or other idle pleasures. Meanwhile, the Bronze Faction runs a lot of Heaven while the Gods are mostly dicking around doing whatever.

He needs to be able to get to Inbō, do him the favor he needs to smuggle him to Lytek, have Lytek fix his exaltation permanently to him, and get out of Yu-Shan all while remaining largely untouched by the Bronze Faction or their Lackeys. That's not something that's going to be easy.

At any rate, the next chapter will involve our first look at Yu-Shan.

Stay tuned. . .