05: crown of rotwood

05: CROWN OF ROTWOOD
The rain was a light drizzle, warm with summer. It slicked the stone steps that lead through the mountain passes of the Jukan’s territory. Trees taller than any in the human world formed a canopy that kept most of the shower at bay, but drops still fell through and Touga embraced them just as he did the incense burning in his hand and the sounds of the frog and insects in the forest. Out here in the deeps of the Rukongai, where no soul uninvited or uninitiated was allowed, there was a sudden peace birthed by the nature; a peace that Touga was sad to know was at fleeting as everything else in the cosmos.

In his left hand was a lamp, and within it was a light born of green kidou fire. Every seven steps, a sacred number to the Jukan, the light changed to another of the rainbow. When the journey started it had been violet. That was a dark sign, Touga knew. Violet represented not only royalty and divinity, but also treason and betrayal. But he was the Eimeihappa, the Brightleaf. His family had served the main Jukan household for millennia now, and their job was only to bring the lantern, not to read it.

Eventually the winding stairs came to an end and Touga stepped out into the summer shower. He stood at the peak of the tallest mountain, from where a massive tree grew. Its roots were seven hundred feet in diameter, and the trunk rose a mile into the air. The millions of branches were big enough to hold houses, and hold houses they did. Smaller temples and living quarters for the monks of the Jukan and the seven hundred and seventy-seven lesser nobles sworn to them sat here. They were interconnected by bridges of kidou-enforced vine and moss. And at the base of this tree, nestled within the roots themselves, was the Grand Temple. Its doors, as befit the day, were open.

Touga entered, placed his incense on an altar by the door, removed his wet cloak, and rose his lamp. There was no one in the antechamber, but the door to the left was open. That was the door that lead to the stairs that circled the tree, he knew. And so he began the long voyage upwards, stopping every now and again to bow to another monk or to say a short prayer with an acolyte. Most simply stepped to the side, knowing better than to stand in the way of the Eimeihappa. His mission was sacred, and the light of his lamp needed to reach the top at all costs.

By the time the entire journey from the entrance to the territory to the top of the forest had ended, the sun had set. The clouds had become a dark black, hiding the stars and still drizzling. The only light this far up into the stratosphere was from the lamp itself. Given the nature of the Rukongai and the mystical land the Jukan had claimed, it was not frigid or hard to breathe this hard up. That did not mean it was easy to live at the Grand Temple’s crown, after all. The reiatsu was incredibly thick here, the pressure so immense that even the average shinigami could not move a muscle. But the Eimeihappa, along with all the inner circle of the Jukan, were brought here to train as children. Touga moved as easily down here as he might below.

The final temple was a thing forged solely of leaves, moss, and vine. It was a spike, with no door and no rooms inside. When Touga entered, there was but a single altar. The light of the seven-colored lantern joined with the other kidou lamps in this temple, illuminating all that were here. Amongst the sitting Jukan, there was Irie and Okutou as well. Standing at the altar was the Jukan council--four greybeards wearing the blood red and forest green of the household. One beckoned for Touga to approach, and without a word he did. The lantern was passed to them, and he took his place at the side of the altar, eyes turned to the ground and hands folded behind his back.

“Today we gather here to acknowledge a new member of the family, as per the late Hinaai’s will.” Jukan Arakawa began. His voice was as old as his beard, and raspy as well. “This soul will be adopted into the Jukan and proclaimed the daughter of Hinaai. She will join the council along with Hinaai’s first-born daughter, Irie, as well as the noble Okutou. Would the three of you please approach the altar.”