by Ino Lee
After several routines had been performed, the festivities drew to a close. The finale took place and fireworks were lit. The performers bowed to an appreciative audience and then dispersed into it, embracing their family members as they came across them. They lingered at the refreshment table for tea and pastries immediately after. It became a loud and boisterous event, full of laughter and merriment.
As the night drew on, the number of villagers began to dwindle as they retreated to the comfort of their homes. While Ben and Mae chattered with their friends, Kai wandered alone along the edges of the clearing. His mind was consumed with thoughts of the festival, with visions of fireworks still in his head. He walked around picking up the stubs of burnt out firecrackers and examined their insides, wondering how they worked.
In one of the darker parts of the clearing, he heard a rustle in the grass. Startled, he looked up and peered into the trees. Nothing could be seen except for shadows. He was about to turn away when something in his gut warned him of danger and told him not to turn his back. He stared a little longer and found it—a pair of eyes behind a thicket of bush. At first he thought it was a forest animal that had been attracted by the smell of food, but this pair of eyes looked far more sinister.
He took several steps back and reached for a torch burning dimly behind him. He yanked it out of the ground, never removing his gaze from the pair of eyes that followed, and tossed it into the shadows. The torch landed a couple of feet in front of a threatening form, illuminating a face with lizard-like features.
Kai stumbled. The creature let out a terrible cry, but did not charge as expected. Instead, it shifted its head upward and let out several more shrieks. Kai began to back away and noticed movement in the trees further away. It then occurred to him that the creature wasn’t crying out because the torch had startled it; it was warning others that it had been discovered.
He turned and ran.
The dagwai leapt from the thicket in pursuit. Kai ran toward his father, who heard the cries and came to his aid with a torch pulled out of the ground. Seconds before the dagwai caught up to him, Ben stepped in and swung wildly. The beast stopped in its tracks and jumped back. It stared at Ben, drew its sword, and hissed. Sizing him up for a fight, it slowly reapproached.
On the other side of the clearing, two more dagwais appeared with drawn weapons. Ben stepped back and nervously waved his torch, dismayed by the show of force. Fortunately for him, Seng, Yi, and elder Chi were all close at hand, already armed for a patrol that was to take place later that night. They had numbers on the foremost Dagwai.
“Attack!” Chi-Yun screamed, wanting to press the action while they had the advantage.
Seng rushed and stabbed at the dagwai with his halberd, but the beast parried the blow and stepped away. Yi followed with another strike, but the creature eluded until its comrades could reach them. The lizards dived into the fray and caused the battle to temporarily degenerate into a muddled melee. The villagers and creatures parted, selected a foe, and re-engaged. One dagwai advanced on Yi, the other at Seng, and the third took on both Chi-Yun and Ben.
Chi-Yun held his hand out. “Take this.”
Ben gladly accepted a long knife, which he balanced in his grip along with his torch.
The dagwai tried to break up their teamwork by advancing on Chi-Yun, but Ben rushed with his flame and thrust it in its face, blinding it. Chi-Yun took advantage by flicking his sword and gashing it on the side. He shook his head. If he were young again, he thought, he would have been able to kill the beast with that stroke, but at least he had injured it, and if they could finish it off quickly, they’d have numbers on the remaining dagwais.
Mae ran to the town bell and started ringing it furiously for help. Kai stood by his mother’s side and watched in horror as the fight unfolded before them. Ben and Yi were still adorned in their festival costumes with white face paint, making for an eerie scene as they squared off against the lizard-faced men. It was as if the festival had started all over again and the actors were out performing one final, terrifying act.
Kai’s attention quickly shifted to the top of the town hall, where he noticed movement along its roof. Two dark figures could be seen moving silently into view. Sensing danger, he yelled out to his mother who was still tugging at the bell rope.
Three flashes of light came from the hand of one of the rooftop figures and the sound of blades cutting through the air could be heard. The first ninja star cut through the rope that Mae held and a second pierced her right shoulder. A third wedged itself harmlessly into the bell post. Kai screamed and attempted to cover her, but the ninjas refocused their attention elsewhere now, satisfied that the bell had stopped ringing.
More stars flew, one of them landing near the center of Yi’s chest—back he fell, and in charged his dagwai with a wicked swing. He managed to roll away from the deathblow in time but was wounded and unable to fight. Seng moved over to help, but was now outnumbered as his own dagwai followed. He slashed wildly to keep them away.
Two ninjas jumped from the rooftops onto the fighting ground at the edge of the clearing. They were quick and agile, and made little noise as their feet touched the earth. In unison, they reached behind their backs and unsheathed two long, thin, shiny swords. They were completely dressed in black, with their faces partially covered by cloth—and from what could be seen, they did not look completely human. The features on their faces were sharp and skewed, with pale white skin and bright red eyes that took in the battle.
The village fighters were now fully aware of the ninjas closing in on them. Yi was injured on the ground and they were outmatched. The situation had gone from hopeful to hopeless in a matter of seconds.
Slowly the ninjas approached.
From the trees came a rustle, which only Kai happened to notice, and from it sprang another dark figure. It too was quick and agile, and made virtually no sound as it landed in the clearing between the combatants and the approaching ninjas. For a moment, Kai’s heart sank again, as it appeared another ninja had joined the battle. But this ninja’s head was not covered like the rest, nor was its face white, or its eyes red.
This ninja was completely human.
Leaping from the trees, the Weapons Master had already studied the situation—three dagwais, two dark ninjas, and four villagers. Upon touching down, he quickly scanned for more details. One of the villagers was on the ground, injured by a throwing star, while another was probably too old to be fighting. The other two had their faces painted white and looked to be in fair condition, though he could tell by their stances they were not experienced fighters. Of the enemy, one dagwai was bleeding from its side while the others were untouched. The lizards carried jagged Jinto blades that had heft to them while the dark ninjas carried light cutting swords. Concealed within the ninjas’ garbs were probably more throwing stars.
By his estimation, the villagers were in serious trouble. They would have to be protected, especially against the dark ninjas. These demons were quick and skilled, and their intelligence made them more dangerous than the dagwais. Though their red eyes were sensitive to sunlight, it allowed them to see well in the dark and the current field of battle.
He noted this and frowned, unhappy with the players involved. With his hand itching for something concealed at his side, he stood motionless between the creatures, keeping them at bay with a stare. One hand was held out in front of him while the other clutched his weapon.
The dagwai that had been fighting Seng turned to charge him, but before it had taken a step, a steel weapon flew from Wong’s hand into its leathery hide. The battle seemed to come to a halt as the lizard looked down to examine a large multi-bladed shuriken stuck in its chest. It followed the blade with its eye to a long thin chain that was attached, all the way to Wong, who was holding onto the other end.
Without making a sound, it glared at him, and then toppled over dead. Seeing this, the dark ninjas r
ushed as though a signal had been given to attack.
With a flick of his wrist, Wong dislodged the shuriken end of the chain and sent it flying back over his head toward the ninjas. The ninjas dodged but were pushed back by the steel blade as it whizzed past their faces. He pulled out a second shuriken attached to the other end and set it in motion. By whirling the center of the chain over his head repeatedly, he had both blades moving through the air and whistling loudly. The chain and the blades caught the light of the moon lanterns above and glimmered in the night. It looked as though he wielded a large glowing disc in his hands.
His choice of weapon was simple: he needed a weapon that would strike the dagwais at a distance while keeping the ninjas at bay since they were on opposite sides of the field.
Wong directed his metal and sliced at his enemies. The dark ninjas cautiously advanced and parried the blows, but at each step, they encountered countless new waves of attacks as the shuriken blades spun round. With a slight shift of his wrists, Wong was able to vary the angle of his attack to keep his enemies off-balance. The chain buzzed over their heads, at their necks, and sliced across the ground, sparking against the stone floor in a flurry of unpredictable activity.
Ben, seeing the dagwais distracted, charged his enemy and stabbed it with his long knife. The lizard spun in turn and pierced him in the upper chest and shoulder, causing him to cry aloud.
Wong noted the danger and cursed under his breath, wishing instead that the villagers left him alone to fight. He swung one end of his chain around the neck of the dagwai to prevent it from advancing on Ben and yanked it, tugging the lizard backward to the ground. Chi-Yun jumped on the vulnerable creature and killed it.
The chain stopped spinning once it wrapped around the dagwai’s neck and was no longer able to hold the dark ninjas at bay, so they too charged.
Wong recoiled and flicked the free end of the chain at the closest ninja. The ninja managed to get its sword up to deflect the death blow away from its chest, but it ricocheted awkwardly and gashed its arm. At the same time, a second ninja leapt through the air with an overhead slash. It missed Wong as he stepped aside, but managed to clip his chain and cut it in half.
Angered by his damaged weapon, the Weapons Master punched the ninja on its side and followed with a hard open-palm strike to its face. He reached down and yanked on the severed end of his chain to send the shuriken end, which had just sliced the other ninja’s arm, flying back toward them and into the closest ninja’s back. The demon jerked its hands back from the shock and froze, then collapsed.
Wong dropped the chain and reached for his sword. The sound of the metal blade against its scabbard rang in the air, revealing a sword that was simple, light, and sturdy, with clean lines that caught the light of the moon lanterns. Chi-Yun recognized it as a weapon of impeccable quality.
The remaining ninja charged and the two clashed. Wong parried the first two blows and in a dazzling array of strokes, sliced through the ninja three times to kill it. The last dagwai pounced while his attention was focused on the ninja, but he effortlessly flipped out of reach. When he finally lifted his sword, he killed his opponent with a single efficient thrust.
Kai looked at the stranger in awe.
4
“I AM WONG.”
Seng stepped forward. “Then we are in much debt to you, Wong.”
“I have heard of this name before,” the elder said. He narrowed his brow and touched his beard in thought. His eyes widened. “Ah yes, the Weapons Master . . . I can hardly believe such a young man could earn for himself such a name, but watching you fight as so, I cannot argue it. I am Chi-Yun, the village elder.” He brought his hand up from his side and bowed shortly. “I served at the temple for a small time, much as yourself.”
Wong nodded back. He examined the scraggly old man who spoke excitedly, and instantly liked him.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Tell me, how is it you were able to come this way, on a night that we were most in need? I sent word to Shaolin, but that was just a few days ago. It could not have reached the temple so soon.”
“Word? To Shaolin?”
“Yes. A mark had been made here in the village. The mark of a lo-shur. We found it in the home of Ben and Mae. Mae saw the spirit demon.”
He nodded toward the couple across the clearing, sitting together on a mat in the town hall. They were brought there with Yi after the fight so their wounds could be tended to; fresh water, bandages, and medicinal herbs were available in the supply room. Although Ben’s and Yi’s injuries were serious, they did not appear life-threatening. Mae’s injury was more superficial, though she did have trouble raising her arm.
“I didn’t come from Shaolin so I received no word,” Wong explained. “Tell me about this mark. Where exactly is it?”
“We burned the house down. The marks were destroyed.”
Wong stood quietly for a moment and looked off to the side, deep in thought. Something in his mannerism made Chi-Yun feel unsafe again.
“The mark is still here,” he finally said.
“Here? But how? How can you know? There was nothing left of the house.”
“I can feel it. That’s why I came to the village. I followed the mark. And it brought me here.”
The elder was stunned and confused. “Such a thing is impossible! How can it be that you feel a mark? You are not Koon Gee.”
“No,” Wong said with a smile, “but that’s another story. What is important is that there’s still a mark in this village. Here. Now. It’s close, in the town hall, I think.”
“Here! In the town hall?” Chi-Yun was somewhat taken aback by Wong’s even tone, but mindful of what he said nonetheless. “We must find and destroy it, then. That explains why the creatures are still being drawn here. That explains why they attacked us at the festival!”
The thought of more marks in the village was shocking. The possibility had not crossed his mind. And while it caused him great concern, it also left him partially relieved; a mark still present in the village explained why the danger seemed to grow even after the house was destroyed. At least now something could be done about it.
“Let’s get a better look,” Wong said.
They walked toward the hall from the clearing.
Chi-Yun shook his head. “I am glad you are here.”
With Wong’s appearance, the elder received the counsel he had not expected to get for weeks. Although Wong was a bit young for someone he would ordinarily seek advice from, he seemed confident and authoritative. Having felt the burden of the entire village on his shoulders, Chi-Yun was glad that the answers did not rest in him alone.
They stepped through the doorway.
“Tell me—can you see the mark?” Chi-Yun asked.
“No, I can only sense it. But it is here.”
“I can help. I have the tools necessary to uncover it.”
“Where?”
“In my house, not far from here. I can get them.”
Wong nodded in approval. “Get them.”
“Not alone,” Seng interrupted. “It’s not safe out there.”
“But . . . ” the elder protested, glancing at the injured inside the building.
Wong read his concern over leaving them unprotected in the hall that contained the mark.
“Go with him. I can handle it,” he said.
The elder hesitantly agreed and scurried off with Seng. Wong watched them leave, then paused and closed his eyes in meditation.
He could tell the elder looked at him for direction. He saw it in his eyes. But he had no real answers at the moment, only questions. Why would lo-shur place a mark in such a remote farming village? The location was of no strategic importance. He had followed lo-shur marks before and found them placed in the camps of men, but they were always along key battlefronts. This made no sense.
His brea
thing steadied and he held out his hands in front of him, attempting to focus in on his sense of the mark. It was definitely in the building, somewhere to the right. He opened his eyes and looked over to where the injured sat. Perhaps the mark was on the wall behind them.
He scanned the walls with his eyes until they finally settled upon Kai, who was staring wide-eyed back at him. His expression softened in response.
“Hello. Who’s this?”
“This is my son, Kai,” Mae answered.
“Hello, Kai.”
Kai continued staring but said nothing.
“You don’t have to worry,” Wong added. “I can handle the Koon Gee.”
“How do you glow?”
“How do I . . . glow?”
Wong thought it an odd question and was caught off-guard. What did he mean by this? Was he referring to his chi aura? When a warrior elevated his chi energy past a certain point, it could manifest itself as visible licks of fire. But he had not come close to building up that kind of energy during the last battle . . . at least so that it would have been visible to a boy.
“He must mean because of the chain,” Mae said. “Your cutting weapon. When you spun it in the air, it caught the light of the moon lanterns. It was as if a bright ray of light was being swung around your head.”
“Oh, yes,” Wong said, the confusion lifting from his expression. He turned to Kai. “The cutting chain took me years to master, but if you train hard enough, you can do anything.”
Kai looked back at him blankly. Wong could not tell if he understood what he said.
“Ouch,” said Ben, distracting them. His face was full of pain as Mae applied a poultice to his wounds.