Kitsune at last answers my question about the distance to her village, all thoughts of singing vanish from my mind.
“It is a day’s walk to the Toho village taking the deep labyrinth,” she says.
I swallow hard. Deep labyrinth? I definitely don’t like the sound of that! Kitsune quickly validates my apprehension.
“You crossed over into the outer labyrinth the moment your plane crashed here. But the deep labyrinth lies beneath the island. It is where all times and places converge, and the god-dragon Ryuu’s presence is strongest.
“We will have to move with haste and extreme caution.
“It is said there are kaiju who dwell there in the deep, dark passages,” she continues, “creatures unlike any other on the island.”
Uh-oh! I think. This only gets better and better!
“Their ways are different. Mysterious.
“Frightful.
“That is why the philosopher who came to our shores through the labyrinth ages ago called these beings Xenomians, for the inner workings of their hearts and minds are foreign to all.”
Xenomians? I think. Sounds like something out of a bad science fiction movie!
“What do they look like?” I make quotation marks in the air with my fingers. “These Xenomians?”
“I do not know. Nor do any of the Toho. As a rule, it is only the shobijin who journey into the deep labyrinth, though not even they have walked Ryuu’s lair of late, as sick as they have been.”
“Shobijin?” I ask, almost dizzy with the influx of new information.
“They are the dragon Gryphina’s priestesses. Always twins. Always females. The shobijin have been the Toho’s bridge to Gryphina since before time began.
“In turn, Gryphina is Ryuu’s link to the Toho. The relationship is what you would call symbiotic.”
“So let me get this straight,” I say. “These priestesses—these shobijin—they serve as your village’s religious go-between?”
Kitsune sighs. “That is a gross simplification, but yes.
“But, as I said, the shobijin are in ill health. Their bond to Gryphina holds, but it is less than secure at present.”
I nod. “You keep talking about Gryphina. And this Ryuu. Who are they? Really, I mean.”
“I told you before, Gryphina is a daikaiju. And the daikaiju are—”
“Yes, the great dragons. I know! And I told you, I think I’ve seen one—looked it right in the eye. Twice.
“It could’ve been your Gryphina, or Ryuu itself for all I know.”
Kitsune throws back her head and laughs.
“What’s so funny?” I ask. I’m unable to keep the aggravation out of my voice.
After a moment, Kitsune regains enough control over herself to speak. “I am sorry, Raymond-sai. I do not mean to laugh at you.
“Let me explain.”
Kitsune stops walking and I follow suit. She turns so that we are face-to-face.
“We have all seen King Ryuu—or at least, evidence of his passage.”
Kitsune gestures to the sunlight trickling in through the forest canopy above. “His fiery breath keeps us warm.”
Her arms drop to point at the ground. “His great back provides the ground for us to walk upon.”
Kitsune’s gaze moves skyward. “And at night, his long tail stretches across the sky for all to see and marvel.”
I think about the Draco-like constellation of stars that stretches across the island’s sky at night and begin to glean where Kitsune is coming from.
“So what you are saying is, Ryuu is anything and everything?”
“Yes!” Kitsune answers excitedly. “Ryuu is the king of daikaiju and kaiju alike. He is the king of the Toho! The king of all!”
It’s textbook nature worship, I think. The Toho have anthropomorphized and deified the universe.
Big words. I know. What can I say? I read.
I sigh.
But I guess such a religious system is only natural. Judging from Kitsune’s clothing, I should have guessed the Toho are a primitive, tribal people with all the usual customs and beliefs associated therein.
This Gryphina they worship probably isn’t alive at all, but
“It is a day’s walk to the Toho village taking the deep labyrinth,” she says.
I swallow hard. Deep labyrinth? I definitely don’t like the sound of that! Kitsune quickly validates my apprehension.
“You crossed over into the outer labyrinth the moment your plane crashed here. But the deep labyrinth lies beneath the island. It is where all times and places converge, and the god-dragon Ryuu’s presence is strongest.
“We will have to move with haste and extreme caution.
“It is said there are kaiju who dwell there in the deep, dark passages,” she continues, “creatures unlike any other on the island.”
Uh-oh! I think. This only gets better and better!
“Their ways are different. Mysterious.
“Frightful.
“That is why the philosopher who came to our shores through the labyrinth ages ago called these beings Xenomians, for the inner workings of their hearts and minds are foreign to all.”
Xenomians? I think. Sounds like something out of a bad science fiction movie!
“What do they look like?” I make quotation marks in the air with my fingers. “These Xenomians?”
“I do not know. Nor do any of the Toho. As a rule, it is only the shobijin who journey into the deep labyrinth, though not even they have walked Ryuu’s lair of late, as sick as they have been.”
“Shobijin?” I ask, almost dizzy with the influx of new information.
“They are the dragon Gryphina’s priestesses. Always twins. Always females. The shobijin have been the Toho’s bridge to Gryphina since before time began.
“In turn, Gryphina is Ryuu’s link to the Toho. The relationship is what you would call symbiotic.”
“So let me get this straight,” I say. “These priestesses—these shobijin—they serve as your village’s religious go-between?”
Kitsune sighs. “That is a gross simplification, but yes.
“But, as I said, the shobijin are in ill health. Their bond to Gryphina holds, but it is less than secure at present.”
I nod. “You keep talking about Gryphina. And this Ryuu. Who are they? Really, I mean.”
“I told you before, Gryphina is a daikaiju. And the daikaiju are—”
“Yes, the great dragons. I know! And I told you, I think I’ve seen one—looked it right in the eye. Twice.
“It could’ve been your Gryphina, or Ryuu itself for all I know.”
Kitsune throws back her head and laughs.
“What’s so funny?” I ask. I’m unable to keep the aggravation out of my voice.
After a moment, Kitsune regains enough control over herself to speak. “I am sorry, Raymond-sai. I do not mean to laugh at you.
“Let me explain.”
Kitsune stops walking and I follow suit. She turns so that we are face-to-face.
“We have all seen King Ryuu—or at least, evidence of his passage.”
Kitsune gestures to the sunlight trickling in through the forest canopy above. “His fiery breath keeps us warm.”
Her arms drop to point at the ground. “His great back provides the ground for us to walk upon.”
Kitsune’s gaze moves skyward. “And at night, his long tail stretches across the sky for all to see and marvel.”
I think about the Draco-like constellation of stars that stretches across the island’s sky at night and begin to glean where Kitsune is coming from.
“So what you are saying is, Ryuu is anything and everything?”
“Yes!” Kitsune answers excitedly. “Ryuu is the king of daikaiju and kaiju alike. He is the king of the Toho! The king of all!”
It’s textbook nature worship, I think. The Toho have anthropomorphized and deified the universe.
Big words. I know. What can I say? I read.
I sigh.
But I guess such a religious system is only natural. Judging from Kitsune’s clothing, I should have guessed the Toho are a primitive, tribal people with all the usual customs and beliefs associated therein.
This Gryphina they worship probably isn’t alive at all, but
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