by Ino Lee
“How are you doing?” Wong asked.
“I knew you were there,” Kai said.
A cryptic answer, Wong thought. Perhaps he was rubbing off on his young pupil after all.
They packed their belongings and started off once again. Now traveling with a greater sense of urgency than before, they hoped to make it to the Stone Forest before nightfall.
The terrain grew less steady with large pitches in the land and the trees looked fuller and thicker. Wong rarely climbed trees now, but stopped and looked behind them more often, especially when they came across good vantage points. He became increasingly quiet and pensive, reacting to every sound that was made in the forest. When Kai looked up to talk to him, he would often see him with his eyes closed. So Kai, too, decided to try closing his eyes while walking.
He stumbled awkwardly at first and kept opening his eyes each time he felt like falling. He held out his hands in front of him instinctively, afraid of walking into trees. Wong looked down at his awkward friend and thought something was wrong with him, but when he realized what he was doing, he smiled and held onto his shoulder for support. His shadow had become quite entertaining.
After a while, Kai began to walk for longer periods of time without reopening his eyes or reaching for support. He tried opening his mind again, like he did earlier that morning. He heard the crunching of the earth beneath his feet, monkeys scampering from tree to tree, and the leaves shifting with the wind. When he re-opened his eyes, everything seemed fresher and more vivid, though he couldn’t tell exactly what was different.
Late in the afternoon, Kai detected something unusual. He thought he had sensed movement in the forest behind them, but it was too far and brief a moment to make out. The forest tended to play tricks with one’s mind after long periods of time and Kai thought he just imagined it, but as he closed his eyes and walked, he was sure he could feel a presence.
He tugged onto Wong’s sleeve.
“Something’s following us.”
“Yes,” Wong replied in a calm voice.
“What is it?”
“I think it’s just a lone dagwai scout. There are movements all around us. They come here and go there—all random, light movements. This movement is heavy and persistent. It hunts us.”
“What do we do?”
“Nothing for now. It keeps its distance. It won’t attack us now. It’ll wait for reinforcements when it’s dark. When we reach the Stone Forest, we’ll make a stand.”
Kai thought about this and worried. Even though it was a lone dagwai, it concerned him. Up until now, the creatures had always come by surprise and attacked them. There was nothing they could do about it. But now, one followed them deliberately, and he did not like the feeling of being hunted. Why was Wong so calm? And what did he mean by reinforcements? How many more were out there?
“How long did you know it was there?” Kai asked.
“Not too long.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want to worry you. It was just one dagwai and we have been stalked by worse since we left your village. I didn’t think you would notice it. Yet you do?”
Wong raised an eyebrow.
Kai evaded his question. “Just tell me next time. I won’t be scared.”
“In that case, it is the lighter movements that worry me. At first I thought they were birds or squirrels, then monkeys. But the movements aren’t right. Ninjas, perhaps. They don’t seem to follow us as the dagwai does, so maybe there is nothing to worry about . . .”
Wong looked at Kai to see if he was worried.
Kai looked back, unmoved.
10
“THE GREAT STONE Forest of Shunnan,” Wong announced.
It appeared ahead of them now, great stone pillars that jutted out of the earth and through the trees. They were raw and jagged; the limestone structures were split, eroded, and sharpened into peaks by centuries of wind and rainwater. Gray rock carved up the earth and created a maze of stone and forest that spanned as far as the eye could see.
Kai could hardly believe what he saw. “We’re going through there?”
Wong nodded. “It’ll slow us down, but we’ll be harder to follow. Even if the Koon Gee sense which direction we’re in, they’ll have a hard time finding us through all that rock. It’s like a maze.”
“How far does the rock go?”
“Very far. Almost all the way to Guilin.”
Kai was impressed, even though he didn’t know how far Guilin was.
“Come on, let’s take a closer look,” Wong said.
They walked through the forest and slowly approached the first rock pillar. Wong realized that Kai had not seen much of the world outside of Dailan, so he stopped for a moment so they could admire it.
“Oooh,” Kai said in amazement.
The giant boulder was at least thirty feet wide and towered over them. A white flowering lily grew in one of its crevices. It took root on the ragged surface and added an aesthetically pleasing punch to the dull gray background.
“Rock lily,” Wong identified.
They admired this and then walked around the boulder to continue on.
“Wait till you see what lies ahead.”
Before long, fragments of rock could be seen jutting out of the earth in all directions. The stone pillars were of various shapes and sizes, taking on the form of animals, buildings, and almost anything one could imagine. Kai soon understood what Wong meant when he described it as a maze; they could not walk in a straight line and were forced to zigzag across the landscape according to its will.
After picking their way for a while longer, Kai heard running water in the distance. He could not see it because his view was obstructed by a wall of stone, but could tell they were getting closer by the sound. When an opening finally appeared, they exited to find a bubbling stream.
“Water!” Kai said.
“This must run from the lake,” Wong said. “It’s as good a place as any to find some dinner, too. Let’s take a break.”
They took seats by the creek, drank deeply, refilled their empty canteens, and washed their faces. The water was a cool and refreshing treat after days of weary travel. They relaxed for a time by the stream and enjoyed the scenery, letting their muscles rest.
Kai looked behind them nervously, as the sound of running water hampered his ability to listen for pursuers.
“What about the monster? It still might be following us.”
“The dagwai? Don’t worry. If it was going to do something, it would have done it by now. Maybe I’ll get it later. For now rest up so you have enough strength to keep on going.”
Kai frowned. He did not like Wong’s answer, nor did he like the casual manner in which he said it. How could he be so calm knowing they could be attacked at any moment? They should be fleeing the area as quickly as possible, not settling down.
Wong carefully selected a branch and tied a piece of string to it with a hook. He noted Kai’s pensive look.
“What?”
Kai frowned but did not answer.
“These walls will protect us,” Wong explained, pointing at the rock. “They’ll have to fumble around before they can find us. I’ll know they’re coming. Plus, we need the rest.”
“I’m not tired.”
“I am. And hungry too.” He raised his brows. “There’s fresh fish here. Come help me find some bait.”
Wong quickly found bait, attached it to his hook, and dipped it in the water. He leaned back without a care in the world. Kai remained grumpy for a minute longer, but soon warmed up to Wong’s idea. He was, after all, exceptionally good at fishing and did like the idea of eating something besides dried fruit.
Moments later Wong heard splashing in the water, though nothing tugged at his makeshift fishing pole. He got up and looked around.
Kai appeared with a large fish squirming in his hands.
“Fresh fish!”
Wong stood speechless. When he finally spoke again he said, “You are an odd little boy.”
Kai smiled.
Wong gutted the fish and selected a branch to use as a skewer. But before he was done securing the catch, Kai reached down into the stream and caught another. Wong was amazed once again and asked if he could pull out a chicken.
Since there was still a little light left, Wong decided to take them deeper into Shunnan before settling down and cooking their catch. They followed the path along the stream since it was the easiest trail to hike. On the way, Wong managed to pick out some wild mushrooms and herbs to cook with their meal. He carefully pointed out each new ingredient to Kai, eager to demonstrate his knowledge of cooking on the fly. His prize finding was the bulbous root of a grassy plant, which he claimed would yield a peppery taste when grated.
When dusk hit, they settled down and lit a fire by the water, stuffing their catch with the wild ingredients they gathered. Wong handed Kai a separate skewer and together, they roasted their meals over the campfire. Kai’s mouth began to water at the smell, though he conceded it wasn’t nearly as tantalizing as his mother’s cooking—fish was best prepared over hot oil with soy sauce, ginger, and scallion—but after eating dried fruit and squid for two consecutive days, it was a welcome meal.
When the fish were nearly done, Wong handed Kai his skewer and asked him to finish cooking it. He got up and left without explanation, making Kai worry that the Koon Gee were around, but he returned shortly with two flat slates of limestone and several smooth sticks.
“Since we’ve made such a nice meal, I thought we’d eat it a little more civilly,” Wong said.
He held up the thin rock slates and said, “Plates.” He then showed him the wooden sticks and said, “Chopsticks. Wooden stems of the Chuhuri plant.”
“Whoa,” Kai said, impressed. He eagerly placed a fish on each plate and grabbed the makeshift chopsticks. He fidgeted with them in his fingers and decided they would do nicely.
They ate their feast happily. Their utensils made the occasion a much less sloppy affair than it could have been.
“This is fun,” Kai declared.
Wong thought about it for a moment and agreed, finding it reminiscent of camping trips he would often take with his brother when they were young. In fact, his discovery of Chuhuri stems as a viable chopstick alternative occurred on one such outing.
He wanted to warn Kai not to take their situation lightly as they were still in great danger, but decided not to say anything and let him enjoy the moment. It was probably his fault anyway for playing off the danger earlier.
“It’s still early in the evening,” Wong said. “How about another chi lesson?”
Kai, who had been picking at the skeleton of his fish, put down his chopsticks and nodded.
“What can I teach you? How about chi energy manipulation?”
He held his hand out toward the fire and concentrated. A bright patch of flame flared.
“Oooh,” Kai said excitedly. “I want to learn that! I want to learn that!”
He dropped his plate and scurried closer.
“Good. Fire has life energy in it too. Hold out your hand.”
Wong demonstrated by reaching toward the fire. Kai did the same.
“Can you feel it?” Wong said. “Not just the heat, but the energy inside it. Reach out with your senses like you did before.”
Kai concentrated, closed his eyes, and used both hands.
“I think so.”
“Once you have a good sense of the energy and can feel it with your mind and your chi, stretch out to it. Feed your chi into it and make it stronger.”
Kai tried hard for a time but nothing happened.
“Don’t worry,” Wong said. “I didn’t expect you to do anything. It will take practice. Just try to understand it first. Sensing movement and energy is one thing, but projecting chi is another. You’ll get better at it with training. Usually you start with a candle in a quiet room.”
Kai opened his eyes and thought he might have caused it to flicker.
Wong continued. “Fire is good to start with as far as manipulating chi. The energy in it is already moving. Some things the monks taught me I was not so good at, but fire came naturally to me.”
He clawed his hand and a ball of fire formed above their campfire. When he extended his fingers, the flame also extended fingers, taking the shape of his hand.
“Whoooaa,” Kai exclaimed.
Wong made the shape of a fiery bird with one hand with wings that flapped. With the other, he formed the head of a dragon that opened its mouth to devour the bird. Kai laughed and shouted, forcing Wong to do more.
After dinner, they washed up by the stream and put out their campfire. It was night now, so Wong ignited a torch made from wood splinters full of tree resin. Although he didn’t need it, he figured Kai could use the extra light.
They angled away from the stream and continued into denser forest. The shadows cast by the torch danced across the stone pillars and played tricks with Kai’s imagination, making him jumpy. Still, he appreciated the light, as it was certainly better than the previous night when he stumbled around in darkness.
The further in they walked, the more concentrated the rock became. At several points, Wong handed Kai the torch and had to carry him across as they were forced to climb trees and rocks that were in their way. Kai could see how difficult it was for the enemy to follow.
When the last torch from their supply began to falter, they decided to hole up for the night. They made camp in the middle of a series of stone structures with walls that offered some degree of protection. Hopefully, Wong thought, they gained enough distance during the day to sleep undisturbed through the night, though he would not take any chances. In the gaps between the stone and trees, he laid his silken trap. Nothing was getting through without him knowing.
11
IT WAS THE middle of the night when the trinket began to ring again. The Weapons Master pulled his staff to his side and listened quietly, doubtful he would come across another animal. Light footsteps could be heard on the ground cautiously approaching—too light and delicate to belong to a dagwai. They were most likely those of a dark ninja.
Wong propped himself up quietly on one knee, drew the staff behind him, and pounced.
He was on the intruder in a matter of seconds, the glint of the ninja’s sword in the moonlight giving away its location. Leaping into the air, he swung the Dragon Arm down in the direction of his ill-fated victim, but the ninja detected his movement, sidestepped the blow, and counterattacked.
Metal clashed upon metal—the sound of it echoing in the enclosure. This woke up Kai, who had not heard the earlier ringing of the trinket.
The ninja advanced on Wong with a barrage of skilled attacks from its sword. Wong parried and flipped back to gain some distance, but the ninja darted forward and jump-kicked him in the face, snapping back his head. The impact stunned him and he barely recovered in time to block the ensuing sword strokes.
He regrouped and took the offensive. Each swing of his staff was dodged and responded to by a quick slice of the ninja sword. The enemy was clever, using the quickness of its lighter weapon to prod at the defenses of Wong’s heavier staff. But Wong was clever too, constantly changing the nature of his attacks to keep his enemy off-balance.
After an even exchange, they separated. They moved to the center of the enclosure and faced off, encircling one another.
Kai gathered his stuff at the outbreak of the fight and moved into the shadow of a tree; his first instinct was to get out of the way and hide as Wong had often instructed him to do. He clung to the side of the tree for support, his heart pounding, and focused on the battle not only with his eyes, but his mind.
The Weap
ons Master twirled the staff in one hand behind his back and arched his other in a fighting stance before him. The ninja clutched its sword with both hands firmly, thinking its enemy arrogant for spinning the staff behind his back.
Wong studied the creature and noted something off about the dark ninja—its eyes weren’t red but the skin around it was. This was no dark ninja. This was something different. It was also far better than any he faced before and it moved much differently.
Before he had a chance to complete his thought, the enemy attacked. The Weapons Master brought his staff forward and spun off several quick parries. The ninja broke its assault, but as soon as there was a pause in his weapon’s revolution, it pounced. Wong anticipated and blocked four additional sword strokes while purposely letting the ninja draw close. He then crouched, spun, and swept its legs with his staff.
The ninja fell back and shrieked. Wong thrust the butt of his staff at its neck but stopped just short. His suspicions were confirmed—the cry he heard from the ninja as it fell on its back was not that of a dark ninja.
It was human.
“Who are you?” Wong said.
The ninja looked up but did not say anything.
“Answer me,” he demanded as he threatened with his staff.
The ninja reached up and pulled off its mask to reveal long flowing hair. Shocked, Wong retracted his staff and marveled at the ninja, who was not a man, but a woman. She wore dark red face paint around her eyes, which explained the color of her skin.
She backed away and lifted her sword in a defensive stance. Kai emerged from his hiding place, drawn out by curiosity, and approached the two. The ninja, seeing the young boy, relaxed her sword from its rigid defensive stance.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?” Wong said in a softer tone.
“It was you who attacked me,” she replied.