by Ino Lee
The unan backed away and grabbed its severed flesh with both hands. It flinched from the pain, hunched over for a second, then let go and spread its arms, whooping loudly. Its skin was whole again.
Wong sneered at its resiliency. He pulled its spear out of the tree; the weapon was longer than his sword and would do a better job of reaching the unan’s mask. Instead of running away, the demon reached into its flesh once more and retrieved a knife. It would face him.
Wong sheathed his sword and balanced the spear in his grip. The monkey came at him, prodding his defenses, but he slashed to keep it away. It waved its knife tauntingly, making sure that he saw the stain of black tar.
The demon jumped into the trees again, leading him to more difficult terrain where it had a better chance of stabbing him. Wong knew its tactic but had no choice except to follow.
They danced in the treetops. Wong stabbed it several times to no avail, missing its mask at every turn. The demon slinked around trunks, hung from branches, and lashed out from shadows with tremendous speed. Wong, normally skillful in the trees, felt slow and clumsy. A slash caught his arm and he backed away. The demon cackled and grunted. Then it stopped and looked in the distance before turning and running.
Wong listened. Jaguan was on his way. Although the demon had struck a blow, it was no match for the both of them. It could retrieve reinforcements—other unan—to hunt them down, knowing the poison would slow him. He clutched his wounded limb and cursed. Jaguan would not arrive in time to catch it.
He had one last option.
He put on the mask of the fire god.
The unan glided through the forest. It would head to the swamp where its companions had returned from the raid on Shaolin. There, it would find plenty of reinforcements. Perhaps it could howl to attract other hunting parties, but its voice did not have the same reach as a horn, and it might attract unwanted attention. It was vulnerable now that its companions were dead and its chi levels were low from fighting. Plus, what good would another hunting party do when the Shaolin warriors tore through the dark ninjas with such ease? Unan were needed.
It sensed for pursuers and more of its kind to join the fight, and was startled when it felt both.
The unan stopped and looked back—a god mask neared. But what was this thing that approached? What kind of abomination was this?
It raised its knife nervously. Wong landed on a branch across from it.
“What are you?” it asked.
Wong unsheathed his red sword, which pulsed black when filled with his chi energy. He could not let the demon escape now that it knew his secret.
“Your doom,” he answered in a raw voice.
The demon panicked and ran. Wong bounded after it, crashing through the foliage as a vengeful demonic force.
He slashed the unan across the back with a vicious hack and knocked it from the canopy. When they landed, his sword was impaled straight through its chest, buried deep in the soil. He grabbed the monkey mask with both hands and pulled, tearing it from its face. A shrill cry rang out and then there was nothing.
The cries sent shivers up Jaguan’s spine as he made his way through the trees, arriving just in time to witness the savagery. He saw the dark aura spilling from their beings as great flames of shadow.
The fire god looked his way.
13
THE WALK THROUGH the Koon Kagi forest was eerily silent—not because of the lack of activity, but because Wong and Jaguan had not spoken since the attack. And the longer they went without talking, the more awkward it became. Wong held onto his newly acquired monkey mask in the hand furthest from Jaguan, hiding it from view, the tar remains of the deceased still clinging to the insides. He supposed that he felt ashamed from the viciousness of the attack and losing himself in the battle, but the god mask’s effects were strong. Jaguan would certainly not approve of another.
“We are far enough now,” Wong finally said. “I need to stop.”
They rested in a cove with fallen trees.
“Destroy the mask, Wong.”
“I knew that was coming.”
“One mask may be a necessary evil to accomplish our task, but two is indulgence. There is no reason for it.”
“I need to understand them. The nature of them. Destroying it now is wasteful.”
“Wasteful? You collect them as if they are trophies. They are talismans of evil! You speak of taking risks and being proactive, but there is a line. You have gone too far.”
“I wouldn’t have been able to stop the unan without it.”
“At what cost?”
“The god mask is strong, I admit.”
“You should not indulge it. Use it only when necessary to track the mark—that is all. You were covered in dark chi energy.”
“I can handle it. I am in control.”
“The anger? The screaming? Not from my perception.”
“Pulling off a mask is no different than breaking it or setting it on fire. The unan went quickly with a gasp.”
“I was not referring to the unan. I was talking about you. You were screaming.”
Wong look surprised.
“You don’t remember? Do you?” Jaguan said.
Wong averted his eyes.
“The mask is dangerous. It makes you demon, Wong. You are not in control. I cannot allow it.”
“I am not demon because of the mask. Where have you been? I have been like this for a while.”
“Not like this.”
“Yes. Like this. My energy was dark not because I was wearing a mask. It is dark because that is what I am!”
“Foolish and corrupt.”
“And nothing you can do about it.”
Jaguan looked stern. “What would Tienkow say?”
“Tienkow is dead.”
Jaguan lunged at him, which was startling. Wong fell back over a log, dropping the monkey mask. Jaguan moved over in an instant with his staff held high, ready to smash it.
“No!” Wong shouted. “I need it.”
He grabbed a loose branch and swatted it, just as Jaguan struck. The mask rattled away safely. Wong scurried over and scooped it up. He could feel Jaguan close behind, so he jumped into the trees, landing high on a branch.
“You need it?” Jaguan yelled. “Listen to yourself. See what you’ve become.”
“Yes. I need it because I can’t keep wearing the same old mask every night you are asleep.”
Jaguan roared. He leapt with a bright chi spark on the Phoenix Staff and smashed the tree bough in half.
Wong dropped. He dodged a swing and blocked another, then grabbed the staff and spun Jaguan to the ground. Jaguan got back to his feet and thrust his weapon, sending out a pulse of energy.
Wong was knocked off his feet and landed against a trunk. He grabbed his arm in pain—the one sliced earlier by the unan knife.
Jaguan approached and stopped. “You are injured.”
“Yes.”
“Unan blade?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you say so?”
“That’s why I needed to stop. I didn’t know you would go crazy.”
Jaguan’s voice calmed. “It must be cleansed. Unan blood is poisonous. I don’t know if I can help you the way you are.”
“Maybe not, but maybe I don’t need you to.” He sat up. “So much for two demon hunters, huh?”
“I am sorry for attacking, but I am still right.”
Wong grimaced and started to treat his wound as their tempers settled. He washed it out with water from his canteen.
“I can’t just drink a vial of chi water to heal anymore. I have to do it on my own. I will need the monkey mask. When we come across a pond, I’ll clean the tar out. Wearing it will make me stronger. If I take on the likeness of the demon that poisoned me, perhaps it will have no effect on me
.”
Jaguan stooped nearby. “It would not be my choice, but I don’t know that we have one. I won’t argue.”
He helped Wong dress his wound. They sprinkled on a white powder and applied a bandage.
“I shouldn’t have said that about Tienkow.”
Jaguan looked away. “Night is almost upon us. Let’s find a place to camp.”
Wong felt feverish. He stared at the monkey mask, admiring its eyes, which seemed silly, psychotic, and dangerous all at the same time. This new mask was lighter than the other. When snapped to his face, it relieved his pain and filled him with an unexplainable energy and giddiness. The essence of the monkey demon was less intense, angry, and powerful than the fire god, but more nimble. He wondered if it would make him crazier too. Perhaps a little. A nagging urge to wake Jaguan and scare him for no reason took hold.
He slept that night with the mask on, reasoning it would adapt his body to the poison, though he may have secretly hoped his power levels would continue to grow despite the fact that they were dark. Wild, vivid dreams haunted him, though he could not remember them fully. He recalled images of monkey men and dark places inhabited by the Koon Gee that almost seemed like memories, perhaps of the unan or something more.
The final dream was his own. He was in a glade being pushed around by dagwais, helpless as they laughed and bullied him. Finally his anger grew and he raised a fist, but the dagwais asked why he would fight them—he was one of them. He looked into water and saw that his eyes were fully black.
When he woke, Jaguan was staring at him.
“Everything all right?” Wong asked.
“It seems so.”
“Were you staring at me all morning?”
“No. But it is disconcerting to watch an unan mask rise from sleep. Especially one that looks as such.”
“Oh.”
He took off the mask. “Better or worse?”
“You tossed and spoke. What were you dreaming?”
“I don’t know. I think I saw images of the unan’s life. I saw swamps and monkeys. I might have . . . do you know how some unan masks are made from the remains of living things? White Hairs have human or ninja hair, bones, or ashes? I think I saw images from the magau the mask was made from too.”
“What makes you think that?”
“I was around a lot of magaus.”
“How do you know the unan was not just around magaus? It could have been ninjas or dagwais all the same.”
“I don’t know. It just didn’t seem like it.”
“How do you feel? Are you well?”
Wong had almost forgotten about the poison. “Oh. Better. I feel better.”
“No side effects?”
“Nothing except for dreams. This mask is much different from Shenren. Everything is clearer. The god mask is more intense, though we have yet to see with this one.”
Jaguan was relieved. “It is good you are not poisoned then. Can you still detect the mark with this mask?”
“Yes, I checked before. Same place.”
“Let’s go then.”
Wong was careful not to step into any traps. More hunting parties could be lurking. He wondered if he had killed them all, and if not, how long it would take before the others realized two groups of hunters were missing.
Five to a party. What kind of prey could they be hunting? A crow vulture seemed out of place since it was used for small game, while the hunting hound, spears, and nets all indicated large game. Plenty of wild creatures would fit the bill for large prey in the Koon Kagi: giant boars with razor tusks, various reptiles and creatures with sharp teeth and claw. Should they be worried? There was more animal diversity here than on the other side of the Wall and it was a shame they did not know more. He remembered being stalked once by something that resembled a foo dog, except leaner and stealthier. A chill went up his spine. Could the Koon Gee be hunting such a creature for sport? Perhaps they would harvest its hair and bones for a mask and that’s why the unan hunted with them.
The morning passed without much talk. Wong wondered if Jaguan was still mad and planning to destroy his mask. They angled away from the swamp and the forest became less gloomy, the chatter of life growing the further they went. They could still detect random movement, but nothing that seemed to be coming for them.
Jaguan had not spent much time in the Koon Kagi. The monks often stayed on their side of the Wall and basked in the light in their quest to reach harmony with the universe. Here, his chi felt unbalanced and constantly attacked. There was much else to dislike about the land: the swamp and gloom, the haunted barrenness of the forest, and the eerie hunting parties of the Koon Gee. They had not even seen the true disorder and chaos nearer the temples. It did not help that Wong was his sole companion from Shaolin, who he couldn’t completely trust and who seemed too much at home in the dark land.
As the forest grew bright and the morning wore on, his mood changed. The forest began to resemble something that could be found back home, perhaps in the Jengzhi. He listened to the croak of a bird that sounded something like a frog. Or perhaps it was a frog. What kind of life forms had he not known about? Being a profound naturalist—something common to many monks—his curiosity grew. He wondered what it would have been like to have lived on the edge of disorder, in the Forbidden Mountains, like Wong once had. How often had he forayed into the Koon Kagi?
He glanced at Wong, who was wearing the monkey mask again. Its crazed look was unsettling and his mood soured.
“What are you doing?”
“My arm is throbbing. This helps. I need to double-check the mark anyway.”
Jaguan held his tongue.
“I’ll worry about the consequences later,” Wong said. “I need the mask now to accomplish our mission.”
“Have you really been wearing them all night? While I sleep?”
“Yep. I would have been done without them—the unan blade, my spear wound back in Shaolin. I wouldn’t have made it this far.”
Jaguan frowned. “How much longer to the mark?”
“Avoiding the swamp will cost us a little. Two days, maybe more.”
“Two more days? We’ve hardly been here two days and have already been hunted.”
“We probably still are.”
They continued through the early afternoon and stopped by a tree to rest. Wong climbed it to meditate and hone in on the mark’s location. He noticed a strange etching in the tree trunk and wondered who put it there and what it meant. Perhaps it was a territorial marking made by the magaus and meant they were trespassing. He studied the canopy suspiciously.
Jaguan pulled a giant mushroom he’d collected along the way out of his pack. The mushroom was the size of his forearm. He pressed the burning gemstone of his staff against it, and Wong could smell it toasting.
“Is it worth the chi?” Wong asked, descending.
“It is,” Jaguan replied.
He broke it in half and passed it to Wong.
Wong took a bite. “Hmm. Not bad.” The mushroom was especially meaty. “Are these the same kind from the Jengzhi? I can never tell.”
“Yes. The poisonous ones smell sour when burned.”
“Really? How did I not know that? You’re a handy man to have around.” He took another bite. “I was going to thwack a lizard over the head for lunch, but this is much better.”
“I am vegetarian.”
“I suppose if the mushroom were poisonous, I could just wear the mask again.”
“I don’t think the mask makes you invulnerable to all toxins—just unan blood.”
“It’s rumored unan are invulnerable to all toxins. Do you think I’ll be able to grow a tail?”
Jaguan stared at him blankly.
“Too early to joke?” Wong said.
“Do you have a plan of what we’ll do when we get to the temple?�
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“Sneak in and kill the kaigun-shur.”
“We’ll work on a plan.”
“I’m hoping to catch the demon off-guard in the temple when it’s not expecting me. I’ll drive my sword through its chest. At least it will be solid, not spirit.”
“And that is a good thing?”
“I can’t kill a spirit.”
“You probably can’t kill a kaigun-shur either.”
Not without my masks, Wong thought. “That’s why I have you here,” he said.
They traveled again with good progress. Late in the afternoon, they came across a skittish monkey with a surprisingly loud howl. It lifted its head and called out repeatedly when it saw them. Wong threw a rock to scare it away, but the monkey kept on.
Jaguan lifted his staff and connected with its mind.
“Calm friend. We are not here to hurt you.”
“I probably should not have thrown a rock at it then,” Wong said.
The monkey stared at the Shoukoo, then climbed higher.
“Something’s not right,” Jaguan said. “It isn’t a stray wild monkey. It is here with purpose.”
In the distance, they heard another howl, followed by another. It was reminiscent of the hunters’ horn blasts.
“That can’t possibly be good for us,” Wong said.
“We should move.”
They hiked away from the monkey calls. Above them, high in the treetops, a shadow followed. They picked up their pace.
“That stupid monkey is following,” Wong said.
A rumble of dissonance started—cackles, howls, and grunts. It was difficult to tell the number, but there were many.
“Magaus,” Jaguan said.
“It’s a whole troop of monkey-men.”
They ran. The monkey above them cackled.
“The monkey is working with the magaus,” Jaguan said. “Calling them here.”
He jumped into the trees. Wong followed.
The monkey scampered into the uppermost branches, making it difficult to follow because the thin limbs couldn’t support their weight. Jaguan thumped the trunk with his staff and caused the tree to quake, making the monkey lose its balance and fall.