Grandma's Temple

Leading the way with a joyful skip in her step, Saki twirled around as she pointed to the colossal mountain that lay ahead of them, adorned with lush vegetation and trees.

“We’re almost there, Minoru!” She excitedly stated as Minoru trailed behind her. His feet dragged wearily along the dry dirt path accompanied by a tired sigh.

The journey to his grandmother's home had been slightly challenging due to an uphill incline. The floodwaters had neared their peak with the cobblestone path ending, leaving only a dry dirt trail ahead of them. And while Minoru was glad they were almost there, he was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the mountain and the steep winding travertine staircase that led up its slope. He could feel his legs giving up already from just imagining the journey.

“I-Is her home all the way up there?” The tired boy inquired, a bit scared to hear the answer.

“Of course not, silly,” Saki replied with an amused giggle, momentarily easing Minoru’s tension as he let out a relieved sigh.

“That’s good—”

“It’s halfway up the mountain,” Saki interrupted with an unwavering grin. Minoru’s relief quickly turned into mild dismay as his jaw dropped.

“There are approximately five thousand one hundred and forty steps in total,” Azurillia relayed information to his head. “Fortunately, your grandmother’s home is closer to the bottom than exactly halfway, so you’re looking at approximately two thousand five hundred and seventy steps, Master!”

“Only two thousand five hundred and seventy steps?!” Minoru shook his head, not willing to take on such a task. “Azurillia, is there any way you could make this trip easier?”

“Sorry Master, but I can’t do that,” she replied. “I don’t have enough power to do so. Maybe if you have fed me enough—”

“I get it, I get it…” Minoru sighed as the dragon fish smiled smugly. “Let’s get going then, Saki…”

“Let’s go!” Saki energetically bolted forward. She shot a glance back at Minoru, urging him to hurry up and stay close behind. Taking a deep breath, Minoru started to run forward, matching Saki’s pace as the two of them began their ascent up the towering mountain.

As they reached a clearing, Minoru was breathing heavily, each step slow and burdensome as he struggled to keep up with Saki. Despite the fatigue, the beaming girl seemed unfazed by the journey.

She reached her hand out to Minoru who gratefully accepted it. With her assistance, he was pulled up to the final step, arriving at their destination. As Minoru tried to catch his breath, he glanced up to observe their surroundings.

Standing tall before them, a wooden torii gate loomed, its pillars adorned with lush moss. Attracted by its ancient atmosphere, Minoru stepped forward. But as he crossed through the threshold of the gate, a large wooden building materialized seemingly out of thin air, leaving his eyes wide in astonishment.

The structure boasted dark red pillars and bamboo engawa balconies encircling its square base, exuding a fusion of elements reminiscent of a pagoda and a ryokan. Yet, amidst its traditional charm, modern touches were evident like the soft glow of bioluminescence rod lights beside each paper sliding door, neatly framed in wooden grid frames.

A hunched-over woman wearing a flowery purple shirt wandered out from the front door, gracefully holding a blue curved cane in one hand. Minoru’s eyes welled up with tears as he saw the familiar figure with permed gray hair.

It was his grandmother.

Saki observed with joy as Minoru rushed forward down the gravel path toward the building, sprinting past the small ponds that contained small reptilian beings with black eyes and dainty tails.

“Grandma!” Minoru exclaimed, wrapping his arms around his grandmother for support as he felt himself collapsing against her.

“Oh my, you’re so energetic today, Minoru,” his grandmother chuckled, running her hand through his hair. “Have you grown a bit taller?”

“Of course I have!” Minoru replied, straightening himself up. However, even though he stood upright, he realized that he was still shorter than his grandmother. Oddly, she wasn’t very tall herself but something seemed different.

“Saki, welcome!” Minoru’s grandmother warmly greeted the young girl as she approached and stood beside Minoru. When Minoru turned his gaze toward Saki, he was surprised to see that she no longer appeared like a mature lady. Instead, a small girl, looking no older than seven years old, now stood next to him.

“S-Saki?” He stammered, taken aback. “Why are you so small?”

“You’re small too, Minoru,” she giggled, pointing at him. Minoru finally glanced down and noticed that his hands and body seemed more childish than before.

Peering his reflection in one of the small ponds, Minoru noticed that he had shrunk down not only in size but seemingly in age as well. Surprisingly, his clothes matched his size rather than remaining the same.

“Your grandmother’s no ordinary person,” Azurillia’s thought echoed in his mind. “Either that or there must be a passive effect graced upon this temple.”

“You two must be tired after such a long trip,” his grandmother stated. “Would you like some snacks?”

“Yes, please!” Saki’s eyes beamed. She closely followed Minoru’s grandmother inside with a skip in her step. Minoru stared at them before they disappeared while still kneeling by the pond. He was knocked out of his daze when he felt a light squirt of water splash upon his face.

“Boy,” “Boy,” “Orb,” “Likes,” “Reflect,” “Boy,” a bunch of small voices chanted. Minoru glanced down to see the tiny reptilian creature staring up at him from the pond with constantly blinking yellow eyes.

“Hey, little Mawdiles, don’t do that to my master!” Azurilla spoke up with a scolding tone, catching the attention of the small pond pets.

“Fairy,” “Dragon,” “Hide,” “Hide,” “Dragon,” the crocodilian creatures quickly darted away in the water, leaving only a silver trace as Azurillia pouted.

“Chatty little gremlins,” she muttered to Minoru. “Don’t let them captivate you. They’re known for exposing people’s weaknesses and secrets.”

“Minoru, here,” Saki called out from behind him. She held out a chocolate chip cookie in her hands, offering it to the small boy. He accepted it and took a bite before Saki grasped his free hand. She tugged him inside while the Mawdiles poked their heads out of the water, staring at them as they went.