Chapter 47 : Spirit Combat

The cup in Jack's hand drooped and slowly melted like hot tar to the floor.

Jack stared at the gooey mess, then looked up at the Mountain Monk for an

explanation.

The skinny monk smiled serenely as if nothing unusual was

happening, his saffron robes now an intense orange and his head like a

round citrus fruit ripened under the Mediterranean sun. His eyes sparkled as

if sprinkled with stardust and his grin was as wide as a crescent moon.

'What's happening?' exclaimed Jack in panic.

'What's happening?' repeated the monk, his words slow and slurred

like they were molasses in Jack's ears. 'A very good question and one you

must ask when you meet your maker.'

Jack's head swirled. At some point during their conversation, the

cavern had expanded to the size of a cathedral and its rock walls now

breathed in and out in steady contractions. The circle of candles around the

shrine had become a multicoloured rainbow that left tracer lines of light like

fireworks exploding inside his eyeballs. The fire between Jack and the

monk suddenly roared, flaring into a white-hot furnace too bright to look at.

Jack rubbed his eyes, trying to clear the crazy visions.

When he dared open them again, the fire had died down to glowing

embers and the monk had disappeared. Only the teapot remained, lying on

its side.

What had just happened? Was his mind playing tricks on him? Was it

an after-effect of Dragon Eye's Death Touch?

Jack looked around for the monk, but the cavern was deserted.

Akiko had been right. He had pushed himself too far by taking on this

final challenge. He was too drained to cope and now he was seeing things.

Jack picked up the teapot.

It squealed at him and Jack dropped it in shock. The pot suddenly grew

hundreds of little black legs like a millipede and scuttled away in a mad

panic. Before he could comprehend what he had just seen, he was distracted

by a harsh cracking sound behind him.

Jack forced himself to turn his head.

His scream caught in his throat, unable to escape alongside the rush of

terror and panic that tried to claw its way out at the same time.

A giant black scorpion, big enough to devour a horse, skittered over

the cavern floor towards him. Jack couldn't move for fear. The creature

scuttled closer and examined its prey.

'It's not real, it's not real, it's not real…' Jack feverishly repeated to

himself.

Then the scorpion raised one of its powerful pincers and swiped at

Jack. It struck him in the chest and Jack went flying against the cavern wall.

'It's real, it's real, it's real…' stammered Jack, struggling to his feet.

The scorpion attacked, its stinger swishing through the air straight at

Jack's heart.

Jack dived to the right and the barb ricocheted off the rock face behind.

It struck again as he rolled across the floor, just managing to avoid its

poisoned tip.

Scrambling to his feet, he ran for the gap in the wall, but the scorpion

was too quick and blocked his path. The creature, aware it had him trapped,

slowly advanced, its pincers crackling and its stinger flicking like a

poisoned spear.

Backed up against the rear wall, Jack had nowhere left to hide. He bent

down to pick up a rock to defend himself with and there, lying discarded on

the floor, was the little paper crane Yori had made for him.

Origami.

Nothing is as it appears.

All of a sudden, he understood that he was in the midst of the Spirit

challenge. The High Priest had instructed them to 'be the master of your

mind, rather than being mastered by your mind'.

Whether the scorpion was real or not didn't matter.

His mind believed it was. And…

Just like a piece of paper can be more than a piece of paper in

origami, becoming a crane, a fish or a flower; so a samurai should never

underestimate their own potential to bend and fold to life.

Yori's answer to the origami koan flashed bright and clear like a

beacon in Jack's head. He had to strive to become more than he appeared,

to go beyond his natural limits.

Jack roared at the scorpion in defiance.

The creature hesitated a moment.

Then it went for the kill.

Jack roared louder as if he was a lion and struck out with his fist. But it

was a fist now armed with the claws of a lion. It batted the scorpion's tail

away and Jack pounced cat-like on to the creature's back.

The scorpion bucked and reared, but Jack rode it out, driving his claws

deep into the creature's exoskeleton. The scorpion struck wildly with its

stinger, Jack dodging from side to side to avoid its poisoned tip.

As it struck yet again, he flung himself on to the creature's head. At

the last possible moment he leapt away. It was too late, though, for the

creature to pull back its strike. Its barbed tail sunk deep into its own solitary

eye, a single green lidless orb that glowed in the dark.

Blinded, the scorpion whirled in frenzied agony, emitting an unholy

high-pitched screech that echoed around the cavern. The scream was then

drowned out by the sound of a thunderclap and the fire flared again, as

bright as the sun.

The scorpion was gone and Jack was sitting opposite the Mountain

Monk, who was throwing incense powder on to his fire, each handful

turning the flames a bright purple and sending out heady waves of lavenderscented smoke.

'Would you like some?' he asked, handing Jack a cup of lemony

liquid.

Jack refused to take it, afraid of what horrors it might unleash.

'I would advise drinking it,' the monk insisted. 'Together with the

incense, it counters the effects of the tea.'

Jack did as he was told and within moments he felt his world returning

to its normal dimensions.

'Well?' asked Jack as the monk began to prepare another pot of water

for a brew.

'Well, what?' replied the Mountain Monk, bemused.

Jack was becoming irritated with the man's obtuse attitude. 'Have I

passed?'

'I don't know. Did you?'

'But you set the Spirit challenge, surely you decide.'

'No. You decided your opponent. To know your fears is to know

yourself.' He put the teapot down and looked Jack in the eye. 'The key to

being a great samurai in peace and war is freedom from fear. If you defeat

your nemesis, then you become the master of your fears.'

With a wave of his hand, the monk indicated the way out to Jack.

'Please, I have to prepare for the next guest.'

Jack gave the monk a bewildered bow then headed for the crack in the

wall.

'Jack-kun,' called the Mountain Monk just as he reached the hole.

Jack stopped in his tracks, trying to recall when he had told the monk

his name.

'Understand that those who successfully complete the Spirit challenge

are not free of fear, but are simply no longer afraid to fear.'

* * *

Jack stood in the centre of the grassy plateau alongside Akiko and Kazuki.

The sun beat down with a glorious warmth and the three highest peaks of

the Iga mountain range towered majestically over them in the bright blue

sky.

The students, sensei and temple monks formed three concentric circles

around the three of them. On the command of the High Priest, the three

circles clapped three times then cheered at the tops of their voices three

times, their shouts echoing across the valley.

Jack's heart swelled with pride. He had done it. Against all the odds,

he had conquered the Circle. He had survived.

Turning to face Akiko, he saw that she was trying to hold back her

own tears, a mixture of relief and delight sparkling in her eyes. When she

had come down off the mountain after him, Jack had rejoiced as she

recounted how she'd defeated her inner demon, a host of vampire bats, with

the aid of her protecting spirit, a pure white falcon. Jack had thought how

appropriate that a bird of swift beauty and sharp instinct was her guardian.

Akiko had been equally delighted to hear that his spirit had taken the form

of a lion.

Then there had been a tense wait, while Kazuki scaled the peak and

entered the Spirit cave himself. For a long while, he failed to emerge and

Jack, going against the spirit of bushido, secretly hoped that Kazuki had

failed in his final challenge. But no sooner had this thought occurred than

his arch-rival had returned triumphant. Jack didn't discover what Kazuki's

protective spirit was, though he assumed it was a snake or something

equally venomous.

'Young samurai, the Circle is complete,' announced the High Priest,

stepping up to join them in the centre of the Circle of Three. 'Your mind,

body and spirit will forever form a never-ending circle.'

He indicated for the three of them to link hands to form a fourth and

final inner circle. Jack and Kazuki reluctantly grasped one another's hand

and Akiko couldn't help but laugh at their discomfort.

'But while your body and mind have been strengthened by these

challenges,' continued the High Priest, 'always remember that the most

important thing for a samurai is not the sword you hold in your hand or the

knowledge between your ears; it is what is in your heart. Your spirit is your

true shield. If your spirit is strong, you can accomplish anything.'