18.ii Walking Crane, Barbecued Duck

~ Sun Ritsu ~

Something in the way Bodhi was positioned protectively over Ham Song stirred Ritsu somewhere deep at his core. He couldn’t explain what he felt in that moment, only that it did not feel new at all. But rather like something he had felt many times before.

Even though they were aloft, Ritsu and Anari were close enough that it was possible to see the unyielding expression on Bodhi’s face. Usually, the monk seemed so nonchalant and sometimes even bored, but that wasn’t the case now.

In fact, Bodhi looked prepared to defend Ham Song with everything they had if necessary. Ritsu could see why Bodhi had chosen to take on a defensive stance. There were guards cautiously closing in around that end of the table, their straight, broad swords drawn. That would explain why the few guards at the other end of the garden could not hold back the sun clones from charging in. And then there were the nobles in the middle, astonished by all the ruckus, terrified by the overzealous monkey spirits, and enraged that one of their main courses was about to be stolen from them.

Ritsu wanted to help Bodhi, but without a sweet immortal peach, what could he possibly do? Though that familiar sensation lingered in his chest, he knew absolutely nothing about fighting outside of the Immortal State. In essence, he was bloody useless.

To Sun Ritsu’s relief, it appeared that Bodhi did not require much assistance. Even as the guards descended on them and the eager sun clones fought each other to challenge them, the monk held their ground.

Now it is time that I, Sun Duza, give you this poem that chronicles this battle between the monk’s unique crane style kung fu and the sun clones infused with the immortal peaches taken from the Jade Pool:

The Monkey and the Spider watched rapt from the trees

While the nobles, sandwiched between a thieving monk and a horde of clones, screamed

The guards advanced on the Monk, who closed their eyes and became…

A crane.

Their fists shot forward, breaking the air like strong, white wings

They ducked and fluttered around the guards

As if those spirits were nothing more than stones in a pond

Meant only for skipping across and perching upon

The nobles wailed indignantly

The sun clones roared indecently

Hyped up on immortal juice, the monkeys could barely contain their strength

They shoved the guards to the side and into the laps of the astonished nobles

That was when the Monk truly took flight

Their body shifted, changed in some ways that were subtle and others that were not

The Pig, confused, strained to comprehend

For how could the Monk become Man

Then Woman

Then Man again?

How unique, thought Sun Ritsu

To battle this way,

But the crane was a bird that required long legs and hard, sleek strength

While to avoid a sun clone dogpile,

One needed to be smaller, slippery

Almost like a fish

The Monk could travel this spectrum swiftly

They could walk like a crane

And dart like minnow

They could also reek like a muddy river,

Thought the Spider

Yet she too watched with eyes wide

The Monk kept landing graceful blows to the immortal guts of the immortal clones,

Bloated with immortal juice

Until the clones showered the nobles with fresh, wet gifts

And then profuse apologies

Many a fair noble fainted

While others bawled like whelped babes

The guards had given up

Folding their feathers, the Monk bowed to the prostrating clones, who in their defeat,

Had already forgotten about the crane

The Monk scooped up the Pig, along with a warm plate of roasted duck

Then easily walked away