by Ino Lee
Finally, Kai spoke. “How far is the temple?”
Wong was relieved to hear his voice. “Pretty far. We’re many days away.”
“How long will I be there?”
“I’m not sure . . . probably a long time.”
“When can I go home?”
“The Shaolin Temple will be your home.”
Kai thought about this for a while and wasn’t sure what to make of it.
“What is it like?” he asked apprehensively.
“It is . . . safe. The greatest monks and warriors train there. You won’t have to worry about the Koon Gee.”
Kai looked sad and worried. It wasn’t being hunted by demons that troubled him—it was the disturbance to his way of life. The thought of leaving Dailan and traveling to a foreboding place with monks and warriors was unsettling.
Wong picked up on his worry and tried to think of something helpful to say, but drew a blank. He must not be very good with children, he thought. Too much time had probably been spent training alone and traveling in the forest rather than socializing with human beings.
He imagined himself as a child in Kai’s predicament and a thought emerged.
“There are other children there too.”
Kai’s attention piqued. “Really?”
“Yes. Children who show promise are brought to the temple. They are taught discipline and balance by the temple masters.”
His look soured.
Wong knew his description was stale, but he wanted to be realistic. On second thought, he decided he sounded too much like a monk. Leaning in Kai’s direction, he spoke with a little more emphasis.
“They learn how to fight like me.”
Success. Kai’s attention flared again.
“You might learn how to spin glowing discs in your hands to fight demons, or you might learn how to manipulate fire, create light with your mind . . . even talk to animals. It depends on you.”
A glossy look appeared in Kai’s eyes. Wong could tell he had him captivated. He could not let up.
“You’ll get to travel all over the world to help people. And when you do, you usually get to eat the finest foods.”
Kai picked up a piece of fish and took a large bite out of his bread as he contemplated the possibilities. Wong smiled. The kid was not unlike himself.
“You know I was once marked, too. I had to leave my home. I know what it’s like.”
Kai looked at him inquisitively. “For real?”
“I was a bit older than you but still very scared. There was a part of me, though, that embraced it, thought it was exciting, maybe even a little fun.”
“Why did you think it was fun?”
“Because it was an adventure.”
Kai didn’t respond, but took Wong’s words to heart. He had been so worried and afraid in recent days that it didn’t seem possible anything good could come out of it. That was, of course, until now. He reached for another piece of fish in reflection.
“How come you were marked?”
“Because they were afraid I was you.”
It was the kind of answer that seemed to confuse things for Kai more than it clarified them. Wong partially regretted saying it, but needed to make him understand that he was not just an ordinary boy from a small farming village. He was much more.
“Don’t worry about it for now,” Wong said. “One day you’ll be able to beat me up, though.”
Kai smiled. “Noooo!”
After finishing their meals, they cleaned up, repacked their bags, and prepared to take off again. Wong helped Kai back up on the horse.
“Do you live in the temple?” Kai asked.
“I left the temple many years ago,” he said in a reflective voice.
“Why?”
“It was time to move on.”
Wong whistled, gave the horse a light kick, and took off down the road again.
They continued with good progress until just after sunset when they decided to hole up in a small village for the night. They had considered stopping at several other points along the way, but there was always something about them that Wong didn’t like—the lay of the land, the size of the village, the proximity of the town to the main road, and even the density of the trees that surrounded the buildings.
When Wong had finally settled on a town, he immediately inquired about a place to stay. Because they traveled along a main trading road, villages along its path often housed lodges that would accommodate travelers, so it was not long before they were directed to one. They made arrangements with the innkeeper and were shown a room; it was the only room in the entire inn, in fact, as they were still in a relatively remote area of the region that did not require more.
They unloaded their gear and sought out the kitchen on the other side of the building for an evening meal. There, their choice of meal was simple as the inn offered just one dish: pickled fish over rice with cabbage. Wong was happy enough with the choice as it meant one more night without having to delve into their supply of dried rations.
The innkeepers struck up a casual conversation, which they often did with the many travelers that frequented their lodge. To begin, they talked about themselves and their lives at the inn. They were an elderly couple that had been running the inn for the past eleven years, after they sold their farm in favor of a less laborious profession. Although they admittedly didn’t need the income anymore, they kept the inn open because they enjoyed meeting new people. In turn, they asked Wong about himself. He told them Kai was his nephew, and the two were traveling to the province of Guilin to visit family. He didn’t like lying, but it was easier than explaining that he was the Weapons Master and Kai was being hunted by hordes of demons.
After helping themselves to more of the pickled fish, they discussed the latest news and gossip. Wong learned that word of a mark in Dailan had spread to all of the surrounding villages and beyond. There was no mention of Kai, however, as the rumors only indicated a territorial mark found in one of the homes there. Nerves were on edge and an increasing number of people panicked as creatures flooded into once peaceful lands. Wong kept the story of Kai’s mark to himself, knowing nothing good would come of sharing it. He paid the innkeepers and wished them a good night.
He and Kai went back to the lodge, a small room with two beds and a window. It wasn’t the nicest place he ever stayed, but it wasn’t the worst and certainly better than sleeping out in the open. He chose the bed closest to the window—not for the view, but to put himself between Kai and anything that might crawl through. He emptied his pockets on a table in between their beds and placed a knife beside his pillow. Belts of weapons were dropped on the floor and his sword and his staff were placed within reach.
“Try to sleep if you can,” Wong said.
It was their first night out on the road and he wondered if they would make it through peacefully. He leaned back in his bed, closed his eyes, and told Kai to do the same. Several minutes later, he reopened his eyes and noticed Kai still sitting up in the opposite bed.
“Do you need anything?”
“No,” Kai replied sheepishly.
“Try to sleep. We have a long day ahead of us.”
“I can’t.”
“Are you scared?”
“It’s too early.”
“I know, but try. I need to. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Blow out the candle when you’re ready to sleep.” He closed his eyes again. “And wake me if you see or hear anything.”
“Okay.”
“And try to get some sleep.”
“Okay.”
Kai stared around the room for a while longer and then walked over to the window. He thought it weird that Wong would want to sleep so early in the evening, so he looked out the window instead and thought about home.
After some time had
passed it appeared Wong was fast asleep. Kai was bored and restless, so he snooped over to Wong’s weapons cache.
Careful not to make any noise, he cautiously examined the items. Next to Wong’s bed were daggers, a sheathed sword, and a long black staff. Closer to him were sharp objects of various shapes and sizes, all tucked into belts and sashes lying on the floor. Looking at the sheer quantity of weapons that were spread out before him, he wondered how Wong managed to camouflage it all on him. Only half of the weapons he now saw were noticeable before.
Kai picked up the belt closest to him and examined its contents. A shiny silver metal disc caught his eye and he removed it from the belt. In the center of the disc was a large button that he had difficulty pressing, so he placed it on the floor and pressed down with both hands. The button sank into the disc and slowly rose to the surface. When it finally hit the top, metal blades popped out from its sides.
Startled, Kai looked up to see if he had accidentally woken up Wong, but Wong did not move. He looked back at the razor-sharp object on the floor, relieved that he hadn’t been holding it when it opened. He picked up the disc and examined it again, deciding it was some kind of throwing weapon. He waved it in the air to assess its balance. Though he wanted to fling it against a wall to test it, he put it back down on the floor and depressed the button once again. The blades retracted. Marvelous.
Next, he moved onto another belt but grew hesitant when he came across several other curious looking items. Better leave them alone lest they chop off his fingers, he thought, so he looked around to see what else there was to play with.
He remembered being fascinated back in Dailan by Wong’s cutting chain and recalled how he kept it moving through the air. But looking down at the items, he could see no chain. He searched a little more thoroughly and finally found something noteworthy, but it was not what he expected: a yard-long piece of chain hung from a metal disc. He remembered the cutting chain being a great deal longer, so he continued looking, but only found an identical disc without the chain. There was something more to these items, he decided, so he examined them in greater detail.
On the side of the disc was a clutch wider than the width of his fist. He grabbed this and found he could squeeze it like a trigger. When he did, metal blades protruded from the sides much like the object he found earlier, except these blades were much larger. He recognized it—it was the shuriken ends of the cutting chain. He let go of the clutch and the blades retracted. Curious, he pulled onto the chain to see what would happen, but it remained stuck in place. After some toying with, he found that by squeezing the clutch again he could pull the chain longer, which meant that the chains were wrapped up inside of the discs. This was how Wong managed to store the chains on his sides. He let go of the clutch and felt the chain tug back and recoil, so he squeezed again to stop its progress; it was spring-loaded.
An experiment must be performed. He pulled out several more lengths of chain and let go of the clutch. The chain rolled up back into the disc and when it finally stopped, the blades retracted with a snap. Fascinating. He looked up at Wong to make sure he was still asleep. He played with the weapon a little longer and noticed that the hanging end of the cutting chain was rough and ragged. This must have been the end cut by the ninja’s sword back in Dailan. When undamaged, Kai guessed that the two discs were actually attached.
He finally got bored of the weapon and eyed Wong’s sword, which was leaning against the wall next to him. He tiptoed over to it.
With a wary eye on his sleeping guardian, he reached over and grabbed it, then slowly pulled away to a safe distance, like an accomplished thief. He pulled on the hilt of the sword to expose part of the blade from beneath the sheath and admired the shiny metal that sparkled in the candlelight. It was like looking into a mirror. His arms were too short to extend the sword fully, so he did not play with it long before putting it back in its place.
As he did, his eyes fell on the plain black staff leaning next to it. He ignored it at first since it appeared quite ordinary, but something about it seemed to call out to him now. He picked it up.
The staff was much heavier than expected when he lifted it, but when held in the air with both hands, it seemed suddenly light. He balanced it horizontally and played with its weight. The weapon felt sturdy and unbreakable. He clenched his hands around it as if to bend and test it, but something unexpected happened. White markings on the staff near his hands lit up and pulsed down the length of the weapon, exposing similar markings to its ends. He heard a slight buzz and the weapon felt as if it came to life. His eyes brightened with fascination and then the runes disappeared again. He shook the staff in an attempt to reawaken it, but nothing happened. He shook it again to no avail.
He thought to wake up Wong to ask him about it, but just then, Wong shifted, startling Kai. At that, he quickly put the staff back in its place, feeling he was doing something wrong and about to get in trouble.
He blew out the candle and climbed into bed, but could not take his mind off the weapons. He was more awake now than he was when he first tried to sleep. The weapons were more interesting than any toy he had ever been given. A feeling of excitement overcame him for the first time since pondering his future. Perhaps Wong was right after all, and the change in his life could be fun and exciting. Would he own weapons like Wong’s someday, and be trained to use them? His mind raced through the different kinds of weapons he wanted to own, with his thoughts always returning to the objects stockpiled within Wong’s stash. His gadgets were unlike anything he had ever seen and he wanted them badly.
As the evening wore on, Kai eventually fell asleep. Oddly enough, it was the first time in many nights that he slept without fear and worry. His snooping turned out to be a pleasant distraction. It allowed him to sleep well into the night, though at one point he was woken by a noise.
A shriek could be heard in the distance, followed by a low, guttural howl. The cries were not immediately threatening as they seemed to come from miles away, but they unnerved him nonetheless.
He looked up at the window and saw Wong wide-awake and sitting there, staring into the distance. Noticing that Kai was awake too, he whispered over to him not to worry. The creatures were far away and weren’t looking to attack. Kai lay back down and closed his eyes again.
When morning came, Wong was fast asleep in his bed with his face toward the window. Kai wondered how long he stayed awake keeping watch. Unknown to him, Wong slept twice that night: once early in the evening when they first entered the cabin, and then again just before sunrise. It was during the darkest hours of the night that he needed to keep guard, when the danger was at its greatest.
An hour later, the two were up and getting ready to travel again. Kai watched hesitantly as Wong picked up his weapons, afraid that he would notice they had been disturbed, but he fastened them on without saying a word. Soon they were all on him, many disappearing underneath his clothing.
They restocked their supply of water, readied their horse, and were off. The innkeepers waved goodbye and asked them to stop by again if they were ever in town.
They sped through the morning and stopped at a village for lunch and another for dinner. The next several days went on like this with little incident; each day was a blueprint for the next with minor variation. The roads blended together, consisting of well-traveled paths with trees on either side and villages popping up every couple of miles. The villages all contained similar styles of homes, and as always, an inn for the weary traveler.
Every night they would go to sleep early in the evening and each time Kai would wake up in the middle of the night to find Wong missing or climbing back through the window. Wong, of course, would always tell Kai to go back to sleep and not to worry. But Kai wasn’t naive; he understood that there were things out there hunting them and Wong wasn’t simply going out for midnight strolls.
Everywhere they went they heard the same stories being exchanged:
a mark found in the village of Dailan, livestock found slaughtered, and—of growing concern—confrontations with dark ninjas. The enemy was flooding in from every direction and it seemed as if no path was being left untouched. Yet for the time being, Kai and Wong still journeyed north unimpeded.
They settled into an inn once again.
6
“KAI. WAKE UP,” whispered a voice.
Kai’s head popped up.
“Quiet now. Get ready to move.”
Wong held Kai’s arm and helped him out of bed, partly to reassure him, and partly to get him moving. They crouched along the floor and slowly crawled towards a window. Kai could hear Wong’s sword scratching against the floor as he dragged it along with a hand. They came to a halt and crouched silently in the darkness, away from the dim moonlight that came through the windows.
Kai rubbed his eyes. Perhaps it was the reflection of the moonlight or the side effects of being woken up so suddenly, but for a second, he thought he could see the Weapons Master glowing again.
Wong held his sword to his side and listened.
Heavy footsteps approached the window to the left. Several thumps signified movement on the right.
One dagwai left, and two, maybe three to the right.
There was patter on the rooftops.
Too light to be dagwai or zhuk . . . ninjas. Ninjas atop for sure, but how many?
In popped the head of a screaming dagwai. Out flew a knife into its head.
“Follow me.”
Kai’s heart raced.
They ran across the room toward the window on the right. Loud thumping noises could be heard on the door as fiends attempted their entry. The latch on the door began to give way, but Wong had propped up a chair against it earlier.
Another head peeped through the closest window. Wong had his sword out in front of him and leapt, removing the head of the thing that made the mistake of peering inside in the first place. His momentum carried him through the window and outside the building, where he stopped and disposed of a second threat identified earlier by ear.