by Ino Lee
After disappearing from view behind smoke and flame, the zhuk violently spread its arms and stretched out from its protective stance, roaring at the top of its lungs. Flames blew out around it. The zhuk loomed large with a long, shiny sword-axe brandished in its hand.
Wong was taken back by the ineffectiveness of his attack. Though he had wiped out a portion of the soldiers, the zhuk fared much better. Either his chi levels had sunk lower than expected after his recent bout with death or the lo-shur was incredibly strong. Whatever the case, his energy levels were now even more depleted than before and he wondered if the attack was worth the drain on his chi.
As more troops entered through the broken doorway, he knew there was one last hope for them. He made a final dash toward the radiance pool, ignoring everything else.
Tae rose after taking cover from Wong’s fiery assault. She examined the carnage. Most of the ninjas were dead, while the thick hides of the dagwais enabled them to endure longer. While she was still incredulous that Wong had just shot a fireball out of his staff, she did not have time to dwell on it. The zhuk appeared unharmed and soldiers still moved about.
A still-smoldering dagwai approached. Unafraid, she looked past it and let it stumble within reach before stabbing it through the chest, ending its misery. This was just a precursor as more of the enemy, ones uninjured by fire, rushed in. She prepared to fight them all, being the closest one.
The first to approach was a dark ninja, which she disposed of with a simple block and follow through with her blade. A second dark ninja came, followed by a dagwai, but all were cut down will relative ease, or so it seemed after surviving multiple spars with the lo-shur.
She was careful not to become overconfident and complacent; a barrage of dark ninjas helped temper her. Unlike the ones that came before, these ninjas carried long halberds that extended their reach and posed more of a threat. Attacking in unison, they pushed her back, forming a line of three so she could not move in close. They did not attack her outright, but jabbed in her direction as if they were trying to direct her.
Growing suspicious, she looked back in time to see the crippled zhuk’s mace coming down at her. She jumped and rolled to the side, barely avoiding the strike. The zhuk had moved in behind her while she was distracted, using its mace as a crutch, but fell to the ground after delivering its blow. Because it was unable to put pressure on its axe-damaged kneecap, Tae shrugged off the threat and concentrated on the dark ninjas.
She rushed to her feet and moved toward them from the side, skirting around their unified front and attacking the leftmost link. The ninja thrust its halberd at her, but she knocked it aside and ran her blade up along its length, drawing close before slashing across its chest. She ducked around her victim’s body before it fell, using it as a shield to protect her from the next ninja’s attack, and moved in close to impale it. The third ninja came at her with its spear, but she grabbed the shaft of the weapon and pulled the ninja forward. She spun and sliced the ninja across the neck with a backhand stroke.
Behind her, the zhuk stirred and tried to rise to its feet again. It leaned onto its mace and limped forward. Tae eyed one of the felled ninja’s spears and switched sword hands. She slid her foot underneath the weapon and flipped it up, catching it with her free hand before hurling it at the beast. Unable to move, the zhuk watched as the spear pierced its chest. It winced, dropping to the ground again.
Next to the zhuk came a dagwai, and as soon as the lo-shur spirit realized it could do no more with its vessel, it released it, shadow-jumping through the air from one body to the next.
The dagwai’s eyes turned black, its body grew in size and its muscles bulged; even its fangs intensified by lengthening and sharpening. It waved a spiked mace in the air and screeched. More Koon Gee soldiers poured in through the doorway and Tae wondered if the battle was ever going to end.
Wong flashed quickly across the room toward Han. He hunched low in an attempt to veil his approach behind Li, who was still busy battling the sumo. At the last moment, he showed and emerged to the right, trying to squeeze past them without confrontation, but Han’s girth did well to close off the path to the doorway. Wong adjusted with a flying kick, hoping to knock him aside, but the sumo simply lifted a hand to absorb the contact and remained unmoved.
“I tried that already,” Li said.
Wong felt time running out. “Attack together, no holding back.”
They rushed forward and hacked away but Han hammered back with the heft of his maul. Still the brothers pressed on, trying to overwhelm him with their numbers when they felt the sudden pressure of an oncoming lo-shur zhuk.
The singed beast barreled into them. Wong was knocked to the ground and before he could get up, a sword-axe came down at him. He rolled to the side to avoid the strike, but then came another, and another, with each miss slicing deep into the rock.
“Wong!” his brother screamed.
Li tried to help but Han intercepted and cracked him across the torso, smacking him to the ground.
After rolling away from a third slice, Wong looked up, disoriented, and saw the zhuk lift its blade high overhead. He froze as the weapon descended, knowing he would not be able to dodge in time.
Above the action and away from the chaos, Kai watched. He stood on the platform above the main room that housed the radiance pool, after having crept unnoticed onto the staircase before.
From his vantage point he eyed the far doorway, which he successfully barred earlier and was intact still, only to watch a mutated zhuk crash through another. He stood in awe as Wong shot a dragon out of his staff and became frightened when the room filled with demons. Guilt crept into his consciousness as he watched his protectors battle on his behalf below while he hid safely above the danger. But now, the zhuk was directly beneath him after crashing into Wong and was currently trying to chop him in half; up and down went the zhuk’s blade, barely missing each time.
Kai acted instinctively. He bent his knees and jumped. His hand caught fire midair and his eyes burned with the same radiance that had graced him before. He landed on top of the zhuk’s head, saddled between the horns, one hand grabbing the creature’s hide for leverage and the other slamming down on its scalp, emitting fiery waves of chi.
The beast wailed and dropped to its knees, struggling briefly before flattening on the ground as though a bolt of lightening had run through it. Kai could feel the zhuk’s energy coursing through its veins. He could smell its burning fur.
His command over the beast was masterful until something went inexplicably wrong—his strength began to fade while the zhuk’s recovered. When he had performed the same exorcism on Wong, his chi erupted like a dam had broken, with no end to the amount of available energy. But now he grew tired and his light weakened. At any moment the zhuk would break free.
Wong was shocked to see Kai take down another lo-shur, but when he saw the boy’s chi fading he knew he had to act swiftly. Leaping to his feet, he ran toward the zhuk and jumped on its head, sweeping up Kai with an arm. Running down the length of its body, he made straight for the radiance pool doorway.
Han realized the danger and looked to intercept, but was too far away. The zhuk, too, realized what was happening and shot for the doorway. They reached the room at about the same time only to see the door slam shut in their faces.
A look of dread came over their faces—they knew it was already too late. Almost immediately, shadowy forms exploded from their bodies and their eyes began to clear. Tae’s dagwai also returned to normal, just as it was about to attack her. She hacked it down and watched the lo-shur hover above.
The spirits lingered, then floated away helplessly, scared off by Li’s sword and unable to materialize or cause any more harm.
Han shook his head to clear his thoughts when he noticed the zhuk standing in front of him. He grasped his mace with both hands and batted its head with a brutal swing, taking o
ut his aggression on the beast.
The door opened and Wong popped his head out. He looked down at the fallen zhuk and sighed with relief.
“Good to have you back, Han.”
“Glad to be back.”
The two smiled and patted each other on the shoulder.
Kai emerged from the room with the needle gauntlet back on his arm, happier to have recovered his lost weapon than to have destroyed the radiance pool. Li walked over and lightheartedly made a face at Han, then grimaced and rubbed his chest from the last hit.
Han apologized. “Sorry. I was not myself.”
The sound of metal rang in the distance and interrupted their reunion as Tae fought with more Koon Gee that had stepped through the doorway. Wong looked over inquisitively. Li had a more concerned look on his face.
“We should help her,” Li said anxiously as he started moving.
Han noticed Wong’s laid-back attitude and gave him a reprimanding look.
“What? I gave her my sword!” he shot back.
Wong moved in closer but stayed near Kai when the second doorway, the one Kai had barred shut, broke open. Heavy doors flew off their hinges in a flash of white light. A tall, muscular monk with a bald head carrying a scepter stepped in the doorway. A bright chi spark radiated from the tip of his staff.
“Jaguan!” Li shouted.
Wong appeared indignant. “Now he shows up.”
44
THE MORNING SUNLIGHT that bathed Tae’s face was much sweeter than anything she could have imagined. She lay in a comfortable bed, with four walls around her and a roof overhead, soft matting underneath, and fell back asleep. When she woke again, she had the distinct craving for some tea; it would make her feel civilized again.
She got up and dressed, almost instinctively reaching for her sword. She realized what she was doing and pulled her hand back. To break from routine was strange. Up until now there had always been danger spurring them on. They were always in such a rush while fighting for their lives that things had become automatic. She would wake up and reach for her weapon, but now, there was no danger and no reason to arm herself.
It was in that moment, when she had time to stop and think, that she felt oddly out of place. The room, while comfortable, was unfamiliar, and those she traveled with she only just knew. Only a week had passed since that night in the Stone Forest when she stumbled upon Wong and Kai. And while the ordeal had brought them a great deal closer than a week would suggest, she did not have the life long ties that Wong, Li, and Han seemed to have. Her thoughts turned to Kai, who was also in the same predicament, and she worried that he felt the same. She rushed off to see him.
The hallway outside her room ended in a small eating space with two benched tables and plenty of windows. They were guests in the manor of the town lord, a longtime acquaintance of Li’s. She could smell breakfast wafting down the corridor and detected the scent of jasmine tea, which brought a smile to her face. When she entered the room, she saw Han and Kai sitting together at a table with food in front of them.
“Good morning,” Han belted.
“Hello,” Kai chirped.
The awkwardness she felt that morning suddenly melted away. Morning breakfast with the boys had become a pleasant routine.
“Morning, gentlemen,” she replied.
Han shoveled the contents of a bowl in his mouth. Kai’s face was covered with pastry.
“You let him eat that for breakfast?” she said in a testy tone.
Han looked over and shrugged. “That’s what I ate. I already finished mine.”
Tae frowned. She wiped Kai’s face clean with a damp cloth.
“Where are Wong and Li?” she asked.
“Li is attending to some business with Jaguan. Wong is still asleep, I think. I have not seen him.”
“Still? He went to sleep hours before any of us. I wonder if he’s all right.”
“I’m fine,” Wong said as he entered the room. “Just a little groggy.”
“You look like hell,” Tae said.
He glanced at her.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s okay,” he said with a smile. “I didn’t sleep well.”
“Why not? I thought you would have slept well after all this. I slept like a baby.”
“I don’t know. I think I had a nightmare or something.”
“He’s nervous about going back to the temple,” Han said.
Tae looked over inquisitively.
“Anxiety to see Grandmaster Tienkow,” Han clarified. “He feels guilty about leaving the temple. He always does.”
Wong wrapped his hands around a warm glass of tea and sipped it. “I don’t feel guilty. I’m just still tired from, you know, dying.”
“It was only for a second,” Han said.
“Yeah. Han and I were possessed. You don’t hear us complaining,” Tae said.
She pushed over a bowl of food.
“Tough crowd,” Wong said, gratefully accepting.
Jaguan entered through a doorway.
Li followed behind and caught his brother’s eye. “You’re awake.”
Wong grunted. “So what’s the plan, Shaolin-man?”
“To the temple, now that you’re awake.”
“What of the Shaolin warriors?” Han asked. “What’s their status?”
“The warriors have the situation well in hand. They secured the fortress and will now sweep the forests of Koon Gee, all the way to Guilin.”
“To Guilin?”
“Yes. As discussed, we sent advanced scouts last night to check on them. We sent our swiftest riders, but I believe the danger is over. I think they’ll be fine, Han—”
“The warriors will report back to us through Yaje Piau,” Jaguan added. “They can reach us through the Monk Staff.”
Han nodded. “Very well.”
“So the army’s not coming with us then?” Tae asked.
“No,” Li said. “But we sent scouts ahead of us, too. I doubt they find anything of consequence. The Koon Gee won’t come near the temple and will likely return home now that they’ve lost their opportunity to take Kai. Also, Jaguan will make the journey north with us.”
Jaguan nodded.
Tae glanced up and wondered if he would make much of a difference, and then remembered the siege doors blowing off their hinges the night before.
“Nice to have you,” she said.
Wong saluted Jaguan with chopsticks.
“Okay,” Li said. “When you finish your meals and pack your belongings, we’ll be outside. We still have a long ride ahead of us.”
“Sure,” Wong said.
Li and Jaguan left.
Tae furrowed her brows. “What was that about?” she said to Wong.
“What was what about?”
“You know. The attitude. The chopstick salute.”
“It was an acknowledgement of Jaguan’s majesty.”
“I detect sarcasm.”
“Not really. If I had to storm the heart of the Koon Gee, I’d go with Jaguan. His skills are the perfect complement to mine.”
Tae looked at him suspiciously and then glanced at Han.
Han cleared his throat. “Wong and Jaguan do not get along.”
“Ha! I knew it.”
“It started when they were young. Wong drank a vial of sacred temple water and Jaguan reported it to the monks. He was punished for his irreverence.”
“Why’d he drink the temple water?”
“He was convinced it would give him spiritual powers. He also thought it would be cool and refreshing.”
The two laughed and looked at Wong.
He smiled. “Sacred water is tasty stuff.”
They prepared to ride out once again. They had spent the night in the town of Lomai, no
rth of the cavern they fought the night before. They packed lightly and planned to stop at various towns and villages along the way for more food and shelter. Li thanked the town lord for his hospitality and bid him well before leaving.
Most of the day was spent in travel. The path was easy and the weather was fair, allowing them to make excellent progress. They followed a dirt road that passed various farms and rice paddies, occasionally coming across intersections that connected the larger cities in the region. Stray travelers greeted them warmly and looked at them curiously.
At times, the countryside reminded Kai of his village and made him feel homesick. Part of him yearned for things to go back to the way they used to be, back home and safe with family and friends, but another part of him had seen too much. There was training to be had, places to visit, and things to do. This was just the beginning. He even wondered if he would make it back to his hometown of Dailan ever again; his home there had burnt down, after all. He wondered if his parents made it to the temple and would be there to greet him when he arrived.
They stopped a couple times along the way to rest the horses before finally settling in for the night in another small village. They departed early the next morning and prepared for the final leg of their trip, packing more supplies than they did the previous day. By mid afternoon, they crossed the last village on their way to the temple, with the path growing increasingly desolate thereafter. Trees and grasslands that once flourished became sparse and barren, giving way to rock and canyon. The air was still and the earth quiet.
“You guys can sure pick a place for a temple,” Tae said.
“Can you see why I left?” Wong said.
“The temple was meant to be away from man,” Jaguan explained. “Its solitary nature lends itself as a place of spiritual enlightenment.”
“Can you see why I left?” Wong repeated.
At dusk they made camp in a shallow ravine. Light from the campfire cast shadows that danced upon the walls, spooking Kai. He constantly glanced over his shoulder for signs of danger. His mind conjured imaginary ninjas that crept up on them in the darkness. Tae, who had become accustomed to living in such an environment while in the Stone Forest, noticed Kai’s anxiety and moved over to comfort him. She extended an arm around his shoulder.