3. Thank You, Luxist Monk #2
“It’s Nuwa.” He poked me in the center of the chest. “The goddess of life. The divinity your Journeymen Gui have been searching for. You look surprised. Bhate Xera filled me in on what you’re doing and the spirits that follow you.”
I nodded, trying to look calm while the gravity of his revelation filled me.
Holy zeg. Naoma was accompanied by a goddess. Was it that? Or something bigger?
Everyone passed me as the Monk led them into a chamber lit with indigo and false white light.
Everyone except for Naoma, who stopped at my side with a face that mirrored mine. A silent conversation passed between us. What did this entail? Was the being connected to her a literal ghost from her forgotten past? Was the Neon Idol a goddess herself?
I tapped her shoulder, forced confidence into my grin, and nodded forward.
“Welcome!” The monk waved for us to sit around a table in the center of the room.
Like those in Arabasia, this was meant to be sat at without a chair.
The decor and style matched the Arabaian monasteries, though it lacked the authenticity.
The table was worn and the flowered designs on the teacups at its center had faded, but it was enough to fill me with confidence that we were in the right place.
He left and returned a moment later with a steaming teapot, then proceeded to fill our cups. “So, how’s your day been?”
“Do we really need to start with small talk?” Boyband groaned. “We’ve been–”
Ralia smacked his shoulder with a smile on her face, instilling me with confidence that her personality perpetuated despite her modifications.
“Treat the good monk with some decency, Babyband.” She sipped her tea and smiled through her initial grimace.
“What is this? I like the… sterile, no… refreshing taste.”
“What did you call him?” the monk asked.
“Nothing worth repeating,” Boyband said.
The monk laughed. “I’m not gonna lie, I gotta hear it now.”
“Boyband isn’t much better,” Akna said.
“It’s a long story,” Boyband said.
“Not really,” I added.
“Wait.” The monk fought back laugher. “You actually go by Boyband?”
“I bet it’s better than your name.”
“What he means is, can you please introduce yourself?” Abbas asked.
“Says the most civil among us!” Boyband bit back.
“He’s changed, babe,” Ralia added.
“So you’re dating?” the monk pointed at Ralia and Boyband.
“Of course!” Ralia said, reaching for Boyband.
He fought back, slapping her arms and wincing as his hand hit her metallic skin. “No! No! No! Nothing like that! I’m–zeg!” He shouted at Kuni’s electric touch.
“Shut up everyone!” Naoma shouted. Her breathing was rapid and her hands shook. I could see the fear in her eyes. The chaos had exacerbated the fear of her spiritual half not only being the Luxist symbol, but their goddess.
“Thank you,” I said, hoping that my feigned confidence and forced stillness would rub off on her. If she knew me as well as I thought–though we still had so much to learn about each other–she had seen right through it.
“I get it,” the monk said. “After everything I heard, it makes sense that you’re all flustered.
Drink your tea, take a second to calm down, and let’s just start from the beginning.
My name is Bhate Denji. I’m the head of the Zingang Luxist chapter and I’m here to help you start on the track towards finding the Correction, right? ”
“And answering our questions,” Boyband added.
“I’ll try my best, especially noting that the best place to begin is with your parents. Yes, I knew them. Not as well as you might hope, but I knew what they were doing and where we might want to start.”
Seeing how calm everyone had become, I admired Denji’s friendly demeanor.
His lack of decorum did not entail a lack of experience.
Recalling my memories in Arabasia, I remembered how Tenma and Xera differed.
Denji was a larger step away, but he was also a Republic-born man.
I still had a lot to learn about him, and even with time, I would never grasp his character.
I would never let myself do that again after Cut.
But I had forgiven Abbas.
Naoma was a different person outside of Reef’s control.
Trust was beyond convolution. It would never be concrete. Hope was the only factor I could rely on.
Denji continued. “When Bhate Xera told me you were coming, I did my due diligence and went to check out your parents place, or what remained of it.”
“We already tried that,” Boyband said.
“Before we knew about this Dokkaebi thing and the Correction,” Ralia added.
Boyband shrugged. “I doubt it would have made a difference. Did you find anything?”
Denji shrugged, then shook his head. “If you went there before me, you probably saw more than I did. They’re already cleaning up your parents estate, but I’m sorry to say that I doubt there was anything they had anyways.
Dokkaebi and the Correction are more elusive than any Beacon we know about so far.
Sure, some hide their intentions like Nichley, but Dokkaebi is a different kind of enemy. ”
“And that is?” Boyband asked.
“Unknowable. Nobody knows what it is. Your parents knew it changed the world’s narrative to fit the Gongtide’s design–”
“What about the moon? Tenma seemed confident that we could find them there.”
“Sure, but how are you going to get to the moon?”
Boyband shrugged.
“I’m not trying to diminish your hope, but we need to start somewhere realistic.
We’re fighting the world’s education system.
This is beyond your old master Deleon and Nichley.
It’s not going to be easy, but I’m sure you all understand that by now.
Nothing has been easy, but that hasn’t stopped you. ”
“You act like you know us.”
“I’ve done my research.”
“How?”
“I gave the Luxists unrestricted access to the records of our recent work,” Ralia said. “Yes, I chose to make the decision myself so no whining.”
Boyband rolled his eyes. “So where do we go from here?”
“Where Bhate Tenma recommended, your old school.”
“Water Hills?”
Denji nodded.
“So… what’s your purpose here if you’re not going to tell me anything new?”
“I’m here to facilitate and provide guidance from a knowledgeable standpoint. I might not have the answers now, but I hope I can clarify some things you might discover.”
“I’m not looking for clarification,” Boyband said. “I want answers.”
“Kind of the same thing,” Abbas said.
“Piss off,” Boyband scoffed.
“We have to be patient with this one,” Ralia covered Boyband’s mouth. He fought, but her strength proved superior. “Real hands or not, I can still feel your tongue. I told you before that I like it. You’re staying like this until you learn to behave.”
I eyed Naoma. Both of us laughed. Relieved from the anxiety that racked us both, though temporary the reprieve would be.
“Go on,” Ralia told Denji.
He took a second to focus. Perhaps we were too much even for him. He might possess knowledge of Gong and the spirits of light, but that did not mean he had experience with them. If he was unnerved now, it would only get worse when I chose to explain Naoma’s therapist’s apparent gui-adjacent spirit.
“Right,” he said.
Ralia nodded, forcing Boyband to as well. “Go on.”
Denji smiled. “So, we need you to go to Water Hills and do as you do. Work your way up, figure out who owns whom, and so forth.”
“Zeg, you really have nothing new to offer?” Ralia said, letting go of Boyband.
Boyband spat on the ground.
Ralia kicked his shin. “Don’t make me grab you.”
“Why did we come here again?” Boyband asked. “We have what we need, unless you’re offering a place to stay.”
“Where have you been sleeping?” Abbas asked.
Boyband and Kuni looked at each other and shrugged. Boyband spoke. “Where we could.”
Naoma glared at me as if I were responsible.
“We’ve been crashing at one of Naoma’s old studios.” I said, then was quick to add, “In separate rooms.”
“Akna and I have been siphoning some lumens from one of Deleon’s old accounts to stay in a hotel.”
“I’m still in league with Haven,” Abbas said. “I’ve still got my old apartment.”
“And you didn’t at least offer your couch?” Boyband whined. He pointed at Kuni. “Look at how desperate this kid is!”
“I had no idea you were living like fixed-out bums!” Abbas defended.
“Wait.” Naoma pulled Abbas’s shoulder. “Haven’s still intact?”
Abbas tilted his head from side to side.
“They’re scrambling for a foundation. After Delighty Liu’s death, now Cuttrin’s, they’re figuring out how to best proceed without public upheaval.
I’m doing my best to keep things intact while keeping the blame of Cut’s death far from me.
The only other witness was Nichley, and he hasn’t said anything.
Then again, to do so would compromise his secretive undead state. ”
“Don’t we want them to fail?“ Boyband asked.
Abbas shook his head. “Not while I have a hand in their work. If they fall, we’d have to fight to get our hand in a politically influential sphere.”
Denji was quick to work his way back into the conversation.
“Which would be more difficult, noting that Entertainment is fighting for the next spot in the upcoming election. Rumors of issues with Haven Heath are arising, the public just needs enough evidence to push them into complete failure. You better figure out a way to patch up Cuttrin’s death or figure out a good excuse for it. ”
“I’m working on making it some medical accident,” Ralia said.
“Wait,” Akna asked. “Entertainment? Techbone is still a problem, right?”
“Oh, it is,” said Denji, “but no one has a solution right now to keep the public hopeful. The last person to threaten Haven’s success on that front was Osteolyte, and hearing how they were connected to your little cadre, it looks like they pose no threat.”
“Then who is the new Entertainment titan?” Akna asked.
“It’s Reef, isn’t it?.” Naoma said.