i heard the demon was spawned by dakkru, and he lost her favor. the monk, vey, bunched his face, relaxed, and attempted to clear his mind. i heard every soul he sent to her, was a failed attempt to return her eye to him. vey took a slow deep breath. my mother said he was strong and gentle, but also seemed weary and sad. the monk sighed and stood up, surrendering on the day's meditation.
he walked over to the door and slid it back. the cold breeze from outside stirred a brief flame from the coals in the brazier. he stepped out closing the door behind him. his sandals crushed fresh foot prints in the snow as he crossed the courtyard.
the master sat watching the carp pond. the occasional ripple indicated movement beneath the surface of the water. "still having trouble vey?" he said without looking from the pond.
"yes, master." vey walked over to the pond. "the same thoughts, i can't let them go."
"ever since the stranger left."
"yes master, soon after."
"he didn't say anything that would have created such thoughts?"
vey sat on one of the stones by the pond. he shook his head. "no master. he barely said anything. he just worked." he shook his head again. "he said he came for rest."
"rest comes in many forms. he left the world at the door. he picked it up again when he left." he looked at the gate. "i fear he didn't rest long enough though." he looked up from the pond. "come it is time to eat; and the carp are still warm enough despite the chill i feel."
they walked toward the kitchen. vey matched his pace to the slower steps of his master.
"perhaps it was something he didn't say." the master said.
"he just told me it was a black locust," vey gestured toward a tree crowning over the rest of the forest. "and that there must have been much."
"must have been much?" the master looked at vey.
vey nodded. "i told him the story that had been passed to me. that many years ago a single warrior had protected the temple from a band of thieves. after they had been defeated he planted a seed in the earthen mound raised over their bodies. before leaving the mound the warrior said, 'may what was taken in life, be returned in death.'"
the master nodded. "yes those were the words.” the master paused and looked towards the tree. his eyes took on a far way look. "he stood there, in front of us. he paid the price that we couldn't or wouldn't pay." he shook his head, and began to walk again. "i used to know which. do you know the name of the warrior?"
vey shook his head. "no master."
"it was the demon"
"the demon? but..." vey trailed off. stories about the demon came to him.
"do you know the full name that was given to him by the survivors, and by those he stood in front of?"
vey again shook his head. "no master. i've always known it as the demon."
"it was the quiet demon."
the master continued on leaving vey standing in the snow.
