Ascension of Ren Yuto

Ch1 pt 2

It’s a new day. Ren has breakfast with Chiyo and does not say a word. Awkwardly they eat in silence. Ren finishes his breakfast and goes outside. He heads to the fields to continue harvest. Ren cuts the rice stalks in sets of 3 then 3 again and crosses the two at the base and ties them together and hangs them on the drying rack. As the day rolls on and the harvest winds down, a strange-looking man walks into town and heads to Rens's house. Chiyo invites him in and shuts the door. Ren continues harvesting for a while.

Ren hangs the last bundle on the rack. As he walks up to the house, Chiyo and the stranger walk out the door.

‘Hello Ren.” She says. ‘This is Itsuki. He will take you the temple in the morning.”

‘Hello, Itsuki. It’s nice to meet you.”

Itsuki responds “And you as well. I’ve heard so much about you. I understand that you have discovered something about yourself.”

Ren mumbles under his breath “Yeah…..I guess…”

“Come inside for dinner Ren. I’m sure you’re hungry.”

Ren steps inside. His meshi sits on the table. While he eats, Itsuki clears his throat.

“So REN, what do you know about temple Tōdai-ji?”

“Nothing Itsuki San.”

“It is a beautiful place at the base of Mount Wakakusa in Nara. It is about half a day's walk. Bring some food and water for the journey. We leave first thing in the morning.”

‘What will I be doing there?”

“That is a good question, Ren. You will first learn to conquer yourself so that you can later learn to use your powers effectively.”

Rens's eyes widen. “How long is this going to take to learn these things?”

“That depends on you. We don’t get to teach people like you often. So this is as much us learning about you as it is for you learning about your abilities.”

Ren looks to Chiyo and says “I want to know more about my parents. What was my mother like? My father? Where did they come from?”

“Woa woa woa, ok hold on Ren. Hold on. Your mother is an amazing goddess. Aya lives in the cradle, between two rivers. She is worshipped at dawn. Just before her husband Shamash takes over the day as the sun god. Your father is Ishkur, the god of rain and storms, and carries a lightning staff.”

‘So what are my powers going to be?” Ren says.

“That is all in your journey of discovery. You will find your powers in time.” Says Itsuki calmly.

“So what is this toodagee?’

“Tōdai-ji is a temple to the north where people learn about themselves and grow spiritually to a heightened state of consciousness.”

“People like me?”

“No one as talented as you. We are all on our own path of discovery.”

“When will I come back/“

“It is unclear if you will return here or not. The path is different for everyone. In your case, there may be other places you will go after you finish your training.”

“How long will my training take?”

“You must not rush the process. Enlightenment takes time. Your first years are going to focus on calming and controlling yourself.”

‘YEARS!?!?’ Ren yelled. “How many years?”

“That is not known Ren-San. Everyone learns at their own pace. Some short time and some long time. It is up to you and your ability to understand the lessons.”

Ren looks down at his lap. Chiyo reaches out to grab his hand on the table. ‘Ren. It’s going to be alright. I love you and I have enjoyed what little time I have had with you. But it’s time for you to go learn what you can do, who you are, and who you are meant to be.”

‘But I don’t want to be special Chiyo. I’m scared. The rice paddies are all I’ve known.”

“The temple is not far away. It’s just a half-day walk. Maybe you can come see me one day to take a break from your training.”

“What if I just don’t like it there?”

“You can come back to visit but you must complete your training.” Says Itsuki.

Ren looks down in sadness.

“There are other people there around your age learning the ways as well. We have group meditation and meals. We are all relaxed and willing to talk about anything. Everyone is experiencing different things. It helps to talk about things that bother you. We learn to work through those feelings and find peace and harmony in the present. Centered in the moment.”

“What if no one likes me?”

“We have no hate at Tōdai-ji. No judgment. We accept each other as we are.”

Chiyo jumps in. “You are tired Ren. Let’s get you washed up and in bed. You have a big day tomorrow.”

“Yes, you will need your strength for the journey.”

“Oooo Kay,” Ren says right before he yawns. Then goes to wash up and change clothes.

Chiyo tucks him into bed and says “You are going to do so well. I think you are going to like it there.” Ren looks away. She kisses his head and rubs the hair out of his face.

Ren just lays there, wide-eyed, and hears Chiyo and Itsuki chatting but can’t make out what they are saying. So he gets up quietly and sneaks over to the door.

“He is just a little boy. He just turned 11. I mean, how much are you going to teach him?”

“He has shown the ability. Now we just need to expand on it and teach him control of himself.”

“Do you think he will make friends?”

“We are more like family in the sense that we take care of each other in different ways.”

“I wish that I could come with him for the first day. You know, to see him off.”

“I understand your concern but that won’t be necessary. The journey alone will test him.”

“But it’s not that far. Surely I can get someone to watch over the others for a couple of days.”

“He will be fine. A bag with some food and water will do nicely.”

“What about you? I see no food with you. And you don’t carry a bag.”

Itsuki chuckles. “I am fasting at the moment so I don’t need anything.”

“Will he be fasting? Seems unfair to deprive a young boy of food.”

“Fasting has many benefits. He will learn them in time.”

“You promise me you will take care of him. He is important to me. I have cared for him this whole time.”

“I assure you that he is in very good hands Chiyo. His path will be tough enough. We will make the transition as smooth as we can.”

Ren steps back and jumps into bed. Worried and scared he closes his eyes slowly and drifts off to sleep.

The next morning Ren wakes of his own accord and wanders into the kitchen to see Chiyo but she is not there. Shortly, Chiyo and Itsuki come in the door and greet Ren with a bow. Ren, confused, returns the bow with a bow of his head. They have breakfast and a cup of green tea. Chiyo gathers him a bag of dried food and a full waterskin.

They head outside and Ren bids farewell to his friends as he and Itsuki head through and out of town. Ren is crying the whole time and gives hugs all around. This is the first time that he has left the village. And now it seems that he may never return. It is a hard goodbye for Ren. He looks back one last time as he steps across the border of town, the furthest that he has ever gone. A wave to the town as a tear rolls down his cheek. The path ahead is unknown. Unaware of his full destiny. They journey through the countryside through the day and arrive right at dusk. Coming up to the building Itsuki says “Here we are.”

Ren, carrying the bag on his back. Feet tired from walking and mouth a little dry, he lifts his head to see the temple. As the evening sun shines is slight orange hue glistens off of the windows. Truly a sight to behold. A sense of belonging rushes to him and a sense of home rests a sigh of relief on his shoulders. Oddly he feels a smile growing on his face. His future remains unclear but he feels deep in his heart that this is where he is supposed to be in this moment. Curiosity plants his next step forward.