The Destiny Of Solaris(Book 2 of "The Planets In Exile")

Trust Is Fatal

Klaus: Well your story was long enough that we travelled a lot. Do you want to get back and take some rest?

Ash: No. Let's finish this monster and then take a rest.

Ahead of them was a mountain so in order to proceed further, they have to walk. They got off their horses. Klaus felt that tying off their horses was not a good idea as they should have a chance to escape in case they stumble upon any monster. Klaus said Alpha to wait here at the foot of the mountain and if they spot any monster, he asked him to leave.

Klaus and Ash only carried weapons, food rations, and drinking water with them. If they carry more stuff then it would be difficult for them to ascend the mountain. The mountain was steep at some points and was gradual at other points. Ash could still sense the presence of the monster, but couldn't see anything around.

Klaus: Earlier you said that you have experience in climbing the mountains. It is my first time. SoI want you to lead the way.

Ash: I should confess something to you, Klaus. I had never climbed a mountain before. To be honest, I never even climbed a tree. This is my first time. I had to lie to you because I felt inferior to you.

Klaus: We should stop comparing ourselves with other people, Ash. Instead, if you focus on what you are good at. You can achieve excellence. A few days ago, you weren't chasing off monsters and killing them or ascending mountains, but now you are. Tomorrow you might do something that you never did before. Life has so much to offer you. Never think that you are useless. Your time hasn't come yet. But now you have a chance to prove yourself, to show everyone that you are not an ordinary person and would not stop until you achieve something remarkable.

Ash: As long as you are with me. I will stop at nothing. Together we will save Solaris and all the people in it and put an end to this cycle of violence.

Ascending the cliff was harder than travelling through the forests. As they reached higher altitudes, it was difficult for them to breathe. Ash got tired easily and they had to take frequent breaks. They found a small cave where they rested for a while. The cave protected them from the cold and with the help of rocks and wooden sticks, they created a fire. Ash didn't want to get out of the cave anytime soon.

While they were resting there, Klaus didn't want to feel like they were wasting their time so he decided to know about the creatures of Yokai.

Klaus: Do you know what creatures can be referenced to mountains?

Ash: Well, there might be many. But there are some famous creatures that are related to mountains and one of them is Daidarabotchi.

Klaus: Tell me about it while we wait here.

Ash: Daidarabotchi are colossal humanoids that resemble bald-headed priests. They have big, rolling eyes, long, lolling tongues, and pitch-black skin. Daidarabotchi are so large that their movements shape the world. They build mountains by piling up rocks and dirt. They even pick up and move mountains to other places. When they walk, they leave lakes and valleys behind in their footprints. Because of this, many places across Japan are believed to have been made by Daidarabotchi. Some are even named after them.

Klaus: Whenever you speak of these monsters, you say Japan. Are all these monsters belong to Japan?

Ash: It is not like they belong to Japan, but all these monsters occur in Japanese Mythology. Every religion has its own mythology which consists of unique deities and demons. And the demons of Yolkai occur in Japanese folklore. Coming to Daidarabotchi, Mount Fuji is sometimes said to have been made by a Daidarabotchi. The giant scooped and dug up all of the dirt in Kai Province (Yamanashi Prefecture) to make the mountain, and that is why the area around Mount Fuji is a large basin. He gathered more dirt for the mountain by digging in Omi Province (Shiga Prefecture), and the area he dug became Lake Biwa.

Daidarabotchi are sometimes said to pose as a mountain range when sleeping. He is responsible for Japanese geography since he is able to move mountains and leave them wherever he wants.

Klaus: You can sense the monster, but we can not see anything. Does it mean this mountain itself is Daidarabotchi?

Ash: That is a very good point. We cannot know for sure until the mountain moves.

Klaus: If we assume the worst, then how can we kill or stop a mountain. It seems impossible.

Ash: We cannot kill him. Daidarabotchi is a neutral creature. They don't cause you to harm intentionally. Some even consider them to be celestial beings. In ancient times, there are some stories in which the protagonist had got a chance to talk to Daidarabotchi and reason with it. It is highly unlikely, but not impossible.

Klaus: We cannot waste our tie thinking that we could get a chance to talk to it. Instead, we should cross this mountain and try to stop other creatures.

Ash: We don't even know if this is Daidarabotchi. Let us not make decisions in haste.

As Ash was looking around the cave, he felt like someone was staring at them from the dark. As soon as he felt like they were being stalked, the feeling disappeared. The cave didn't felt safe to him anymore. So, Ash decided to resume their journey.

Ash: Many creatures also live in mountains. So we might encounter one on the way. One of which is Kijo. Kijo are female demons. They resemble human women in most ways, although they are hideously ugly to behold. Some have red or yellow eyes, blue skin, sharp horns, long claws, or other supernatural features. They usually dress in rags and wear their hair long and unkempt. They live like savages far from civilization. Kijo refers chiefly to women who have been transformed from humans into horrible monsters—either out of intense jealousy, wicked crimes, or a terrible grudge that twists the soul into pure hatred. These transformed women retreat from common society into more secluded places where they continue to perpetuate their wicked deeds. They can be found living in remote mountain caves, abandoned houses, or along mountain roads where they receive a steady supply of victims.

These demonesses excel in magic; they accumulate powerful spells over their long lives. Kijo are capable of bestowing hexes and curses, brewing poisons and potions, and weaving complex illusions. A few kijo dedicate themselves to personal vengeance. But most just keep to themselves and go unnoticed by humankind for centuries.

Klaus: How to kill it?

Ash: Well, there is no specific way. You can just fight it. If it realizes that it is on the brink of defeat, it will run away. Kijo cannot be reasoned with. It is a fight or flight situation.

Klaus: Any other monsters I should be aware of?

Ash: Well, there is another one which is very much famous, and it is called Oni. Oni are one of the greatest icons of Japanese folklore. They are large and scary, which are taller than the tallest man, and sometimes taller than trees. They come in many varieties but are most commonly depicted with a red or blue skin, wild hair, two or more horns, and fang-like tusks. Other variations exist in different colors and with different numbers of horns, eyes, or fingers and toes. They wear loincloths made of the pelts of great beasts. All oni possess extreme strength and constitution, and many of them are accomplished sorcerers. They are ferocious demons, bringers of disaster, spreaders of disease, and punishers of the damned in hell.

Oni are born when truly wicked humans die and end up in one of the many Buddhist hells. Transformed into an oni, they become ogreish and brutal servants of Great Lord Enma, ruler of hell. Wielding great iron clubs, they crush and destroy humans solely for enjoyment. An oni’s job is to mete out horrible punishments such as peeling off skins, crushing bones, and rendering other torments too horrible to describe. All these tortures are for wicked sinners—but only those not quite wicked enough to be reborn as oni themselves. Hell is full of oni. They make up the armies of the great generals of the underworld.

Klaus: I think we are safe from it. We are not as wicked as the people they punish.

Ash: Yeah, but I don't know if whatever I had said is true.

Klaus: So far, whatever you said turned out to be correct. I trust you. 

As they progressed, they couldn't carry the supplies along with them. So they had to leave them behind. Soon after that, they started to feel hungry again, but they couldn't see anything around them that they could eat. At that moment, they found a beautiful woman who was coming in their direction. Klaus and Ash hurried towards her.

Woman: Are you lost?

Ash: Uh, no. We want to cross this mountain. Do you know any short routes?

The woman laughed and said, ' You both will not last out here. It is difficult to travel at night. Rest at my house for today and travel early in the morning. You don't want to become food for the beasts. '

Ash wasn't sure to continue the journey after hearing from the lady. Ash and Klaus exchanged glances, and Ash could infer from his face that he wasn't sure too. Since Ash knew more about these creatures, Klaus decided to follow Ash's decisions. And Ash wanted to follow the woman to her home.

The woman was so polite and gave them both enough time to make decisions and didn't appear to be harmful. Although there exist many shapeshifting Yokai, none of them lived in the mountains. They travelled for a while, and because of the heavy snowfall, they couldn't see the path in which they were travelling. But as promised, she brought them to her home, which was warm. As soon as they got inside, she gave them warm blankets and went to cook something for the guests. The smell was so delicious, and Ash was very eager to taste it, but Klaus denied eating the food. The woman suggested Klaus to eat but in vain.

Since Ash did not eat a proper meal in the past few days, he ate a lot. Soon after eating, he drifted into sleep. Klaus should keep his guard high as they don't what would happen even if they let their guard down a second. So he remained awake. The woman went into another room and closed the door. Klaus decided to take a walk and check the surroundings. He didn't want to go too far as he could easily get lost. 

For some reason, the area around her house was free from snowfall. It was raising new suspicions for Klaus. Klaus kept going forward and marked his way as he progressed, and after travelling for a few minutes, he stumbled across something. When he looked at it, he could understand that something was buried there recently. He looked around, and he could find a shovel, and with its help, he started to dig. Shockingly, he found a dead body. And when he looked around, he could see many spots where something was buried.

' Ash. ' Klaus said and started running towards the house.