Dorje Druk

8.Ghosts

"Wake up. Hey wake up." Panzer stirred to Rangwang tapping his shoulder. The sun was up and it was really cold in the room. Panzer shivered and pulled the blanket up over his head. He groaned and turned on his side. "Come on I don't want to chant. Just let me sleep some more monk man. I'm not one of you just let me sleep". Rangwang rolled his eyes and replied "Oh come now. You missed chanting for one and second we have a lead on where to get the things. Wake up, get your food and meet me by the gate. Panzer got up and drug himself to breakfast. He quickly ate the porridge and sausage mixture they served and ran to meet Rangwang. 

"Ok what gives waking me up at 10? I was having a good night's sleep you know" Panzer whined to Ranwang, who calmly sipped his butter tea. He chuckled and pulled out what looked like a map. "Ok so I wrote down all what was needed. The Chaksing scepter, Phurba knife, Dorje, Conch, Kangling trumpet and Bumpa vase. Well after conducting hours of reading I found where we need to go and it looks like one of them is close". Panzer yawned and asked "Ok so where is it and what do we have to get?". Rangwang replied "Our first item is the Bumpa vase. This particular vase was used by a master that was able to tame ghosts. He locked them in the vase and stowed it in a cave. If I can recall much like your King Solomon with his use of spirits to build the temple". Panzer looked confused and frightened "So we need to find a vase with ghosts in it? Ummm this sounds evil. Can you maybe count me out so I can uhhh meditate the day away? You know get all Buddha like". Rangwang sighed "Ok ok I know you are not a Buddhist and hate meditation so I know you are scared of something. What is it?" Panzer laughed "What me?  Scared of demons? No not me a large dragon..."Rangwang shook his head and sipped more of his tea. "Ok look let me explain some things to you. Ghost is not a demon, demons will eat you. Ghosts will only spook you. Demons are only in hell while Ghosts can cross realms. Also might I add you are important to this as well you are kind of the last Dorje Druk in existence and can probably better work these tools than me? Or did I leave that out somewhere that you are kind of important?". 

Panzer sighed and kept his mouth shut as Rangwang finished his drink. He grabbed his boots and started walking out of the temple with a nervous Panzer in tow. "I thought you were scared" Rangwang taunted as they made their way to the caves outside the monastery. Panzer ignored him and took to staring ahead. After climbing up a hill they ducked into a dark cave that stretched long into the black abyss. After blindly walking ahead for a few feet Panzer remembered he could breathe fire. He puffed out a small flame that was bright enough for them to see the end of the cave. At the end of the cave was a makeshift shrine that had a golden Buddha statue with a skull underneath the wooden altar. Panzer shivered at the sight "Umm skull means bad and I should I mean we should turn back now. Come on we tried and failed." Panzer said as he turned to leave the horrific cave. Rangwang stopped him "No, this is it. Do you see that hole in front of the altar? Down there is the vase protected by the ghosts". Rangwang started to descend down the hole as Panzer just stood there with his mouth agape in shock and fear. "Are you dumb? Skull and hole in cave is evil. Do you not get that this can be dangerous or are you just dumb? No way in hell am I getting a Satanic vase protected by ghosts. Nope no way. Have fun puppy." Panzer said as he turned away. Rangwang shrugged and descended down the dark passageway as Panzer just stood off to the side not looking at him.

He reached the bottom of the cave and felt around the  darkness until his paws felt something metallic. Immediately he felt a shot of ice cold energy shoot up his arm and spread across his body. Out of the darkness he could faintly see moving forms that he swore were humanoid with eyes as yellow as fire. He heard low moans come from their direction and shuffling as they slowly moved towards him. Rangwang tried to run but he was frozen in place. He could not even scream if he wanted to. He just stood and stared in complete fear as the ghosts shuffled towards him. He suddenly remembered his training and that they could not hurt him. He started to focus on his deity and the ghosts started to fade in and out of the darkness. What had to have been thirty seconds of concentration was broken by an icy grip on his shoulder and a sharp whisper in his ear  by one of the ghosts "You are dying little monk. You are a disgrace to your parents. Here, do you want to meet them?". Suddenly he saw two young wolves like him step out of the darkness. "Mother? Father? What...What happened?" Rangwang said trembling. "We died just like you did." they said turning into the shadowy ghosts. Rangwang suddenly blacked out.

Panzer was growing impatient with him. "What's taking that guy? For a vase too." he said out loud. He inched over to the hole and looked down. He only heard the wind blowing across the cave. He shouted down "Hey are you alright down there?". Nothing but the wind that almost sounded like a moan. Like a wounded animal trying to survive. Panzer stepped back and looked back at the shrine with the bones. Not a good sign at all, especially that weird moan from the pit. "Screw it, hang on buddy" Panzer said as he made his way down the dark hole. He puffed out a small flame when he reached the bottom and saw the skeletons on the wall. He gagged and started dry heaving from the sight. He puffed another flame and thought he saw a shadow move out of the corner of his eye. He looked down and saw Rangwang against the wall clutching the vase to his chest, his eyes wide and fearful. He was muttering in Tibetan to one of the skeletons. Panzer thought he heard a raspy voice replying to Rangwang. He slowly approached Rangwang and tried to help him up but he was shoved away by an invisible force. 

He fell face first into a grinning skull and he immediately backed away and was pushed down by the same invisible force. Panzer heard a whisper in his ear "Fresh meat". He started saying The Lord's Prayer only to be met with laughter from around him. Frustrated he said the Apostles Creed and was met with a slap across the face by a ghost. "You do not scare me for the grace of God though Jesus protects me and he will save you from hell fire". A chorus of laughter was his response along with a raspy voice from a hulking shadow with red eyes "Your prayers mean nothing to us. Your Jesus Christ means nothing to us nor your Satan. Just delusions of western mad men too scared of the dark. Your friend here is too scared of the dead" it hissed into his ear. Panzer shook his head blocking out their taunts as he scooped up Ranwang and the vase. He turned to the ghosts and spat fire at them. He set a pile if bones on fire and clearly saw these ghosts. They were at least six to seven feet tall, blacker than oil and had yellow or red eyes like flames. They moved back when they saw what he was. One of the shadows hissed "It's the Dorje Druk of the prophecies passed down by Guru Rinpoche". Some of the ghosts knelt and the rest just backed away in fear. Panzer ignored them and carried Rangwang, who had fainted, out of the cave along with the vase.

After they were at the bottom Panzer put Rangwang down and tried to wake him. He woke in a panic and started shaking until he realized where he was. "Oh..you got the vase..Well thank you and good job" Rangwang said standing up. He picked up the cold vase and shook it a little bit. He heard the voices of the beneficent ghosts inside the vase. They were uttering blessings and praises to him, Panzer and all sentient beings in existence. "So..what now?" Paner asked. "We go back to the monastery and gather our things for tomorrow. We are going to be out of the country for the remaining items. Next up is Bodh Gaya where the Buddha was enlightened." Rangwang replied. The two made their way back when lunch was being served. After a long day of study the two went to bed.

Around two in the morning Rangwang woke up trembling and gasping from a nightmare where he was torn apart by the ghosts. Panzer was also woken up by his gasping and though he was having a panic attack. "Hey, its's ok. It's only a dream my guy". Rangwang said through gasps "No..I saw my dead parents in the cave and...they said I disappointed them and they ripped me apart in the dream..It was horrible". He sounded like he was on the verge of tears as he recounted the dream and everything he saw in the cave to Panzer. Panzer sighed "Look, I'm not the best at giving moral support but that part is over now and we're safe. No ghosts here...I guess just calm down because I don't think they were your parents and here's why. They would be proud of you for giving up everything to serve your God. That takes a level of devotion I don't have and you clearly have it. So some demons taunted you but you won because you have the vase". Rangwang sighed "I guess so..Thank you". Panzer nodded and went back to sleep.