by Ino Lee
He motioned to a terrace, where they faced the dusking eastern skyline. Nightfall made Gao suddenly conscious of the danger Jaguan and Wong were in. With all the work of restoring the temple, he hadn’t much time to worry about them. He worried now.
Gao pointed at the horizon and explained that Jaguan and Wong were in the Koon Kagi, describing all that happened at the meeting of the Minds. When he finished his debrief, Li was in shock.
“The mask snapped to his face?”
“Yes. It troubles me. It was not my choice, but we might as well use it against the enemy.”
“When you said you neglected some detail, I must admit I was not expecting this.”
The Shoukui paced back and forth, agitated.
“He is in good company,” Gao said. “He is with Jaguan.”
“That is what I am afraid of.”
16
“THEY’RE EVERYWHERE,” WONG said.
They heard little movements all around them. Wong suspiciously examined the leaves as they shifted with the wind.
“It will be impossible to avoid every life form in the forest,” Jaguan said. “Not every sound is a monkey, and not every monkey is working with the magaus.”
“Any one of those little howlers could set the demon horde loose on us. We have to take them out quickly if we see one.”
“They are elusive. I can try to knock one out with an orb.”
“More arrows would be nice too. At least I have shuriken. Our only hope is to move beyond their range quickly, though I have no idea where that is. They seem territorial.”
A bird with brown and black feathers took flight from a nearby tree. Wong eyed it suspiciously too.
“Three more days of this.”
“Have you ever fought one?” Jaguan said.
“A magau?”
“Yes. It surprises me we know so little about them. In fact, I am beginning to see your wisdom in this. There is much we don’t know about this land.”
“I do have much wisdom.”
Jaguan sighed. “I cannot fathom how your brother put up with you all this time.”
Wong laughed. “Yes, I have fought them. Or were chased by them, at least. They’re fast. They move through the trees as easily as I do. Perhaps better. I barely escaped.”
“What were you doing?”
“This was when I lived near the Dragon Pass. I crossed over to the Koon Kagi and explored alone, somewhere northeast of here, looking for food and Zhigau.”
“What happened?”
“They spotted me. I fought off a couple with a piece of petrified Zhigau that I found. They had weapons made out of the stuff and for some reason I found it amusing to fight them off with it. I mostly ran though.”
“You found it amusing?”
“It gets boring sitting in a cave in the middle of a dragon-infested wasteland sometimes.”
“The more I come to know you, the more I realize your mind borders on insanity.”
“That’s right where I like to be. On the border.”
He put on his mask and cackled like a monkey.
Jaguan refused to react.
“Their bark makes them sound worse than they are,” Wong continued, speaking through the mask. “Smarter than dagwais, stronger but less skilled than ninjas, at least on the ground. They’re tough, but it’s not like fighting unan or lo-shur. That’s my feeling. Not that I have much experience.”
“They have a sense about them. The blue-faced magau that looked our way . . . it was brooding, thinking. Almost human.”
“I think they are more like humans than dark ninjas, if that makes sense. Savage ones, but less ghostly and demonic.”
“And they travel in complementary packs. Some big and strong, others nimble and fast. You cannot adapt to one style of attack.”
“The Koon Kagi is some place, huh? I don’t even want to tell you about the lion creature that stalked me. And I still haven’t figured out what they’re all hunting.”
“They are hunting us.”
A breeze swept through the forest, rustling leaves and stirring up the sounds of birds. Wong wasn’t sure what was worse: the haunted lifelessness of the forest closer to the swamp, or the activity here and the feeling of being caught at any moment.
An alarm bell rang in the distance. The repeated clang of metal froze them in their tracks.
Wong decided that he liked the haunted forest better.
“What madness is this?” Jaguan said.
“Another net. It’s close.”
“What has it caught?”
“Only one way to find out.”
Jaguan shook his head. “Hunters will come. So will magaus. It is not our mission.”
“I won’t lie—if you weren’t here, I would go. Something strange is happening. I think they are hunting some creature for unan masks.”
Jaguan looked at him questioningly.
“Not because I want more masks,” Wong said. “Because there is a mystery and we need to know if we are to survive in this land. We don’t know enough. You said so yourself. Deep down inside it is why you are here. The hunting party won’t notice us, they’ll be concentrated on the net. We have to make a decision.”
The monk hesitated. Wong jumped on him.
“Let’s go.”
They rushed toward the sound.
“Fool,” Jaguan whispered.
They could hear monkeys struggling. Had the magaus already gotten there? They stopped at a safe distance and crept closer. The suspended net gently swayed with two figures inside of it, both magaus. Nothing else seemed to be approaching.
“Have the magaus stumbled into their own trap?” Jaguan said.
Wong looked closer. “They are just . . . magau children.”
“Children? We should let them be and leave this place. Before others arrive. It won’t be long.”
They turned away.
Wong thought about recent events—the hunting parties, their nets, and the crow vulture; then the troop of magaus, their warning monkey, and the trapped adolescents. Things suddenly became clear.
He stopped. “The hunting parties—I know what they’re hunting. They’re hunting magaus.”
“What? Why would they do that?”
“I don’t know, but it explains everything.”
“Demons fighting demons in the Koon Kagi?”
“Think about it. The nets. The frantic movement of the magau troops. A crow vulture is the perfect weapon to hunt those warning monkeys.”
Jaguan contemplated the possibility.
His eyes widened. “The young ones.”
He sensed multiple parties converging and made a quick decision.
“We must free them.”
He darted back through the forest to the net.
Wong followed. “What happened to the mission?”
The magaus barked nervously with fear at their arrival and shook the net in vain.
“Houzon,” they said.
Jaguan raised his arms. “We are not here to hurt you.”
Wong unsheathed his red blade, causing a wave of monkey panic. He slashed the trap line and grabbed it to prevent the magaus from falling, then let them down safely. The alarm bell rang again from a high branch, cleverly designed to activate as rope from the lowering net passed through it. When the trap hit the ground, its occupants took off running.
The demon hunters stared at the fleeing creatures and then at the bell above their heads, which still vibrated with residual energy. Fast approaching movement closed in on them.
“There’s no way that was worth it,” Wong said.
They ran as a horn blast sounded.
“This seems familiar,” Wong said.
“What hunts us this time?”
Shadows flickered in pursuit. Wong st
udied their form and motion.
“Ninjas. Let’s take them out before more arrive.”
Jaguan pointed. “It’s too late.”
To the left, a storm of magaus brewed.
“This should be interesting,” Wong said.
He jumped into the lower branches of the trees, cackling hysterically like a monkey and letting out several deep howls. Jaguan was surprised by how closely Wong’s calls mimicked the magaus’, and wondered if his mask had something to do with it.
“What are you doing?” he yelled.
“New ninjas on your right. Bank left. Keep going.”
“Into the magaus?”
“Yes. It’s going to get messy.”
Jaguan wondered about their strategy. Conflict was inevitable. There was little chance they could slip through unseen with so many parties chasing them, so it was logical to bring the warring parties together and try to escape in the disarray. Was that Wong’s plan? Or did he just want to test his theory and see them fight? What if they were wrong and the magaus and Koon Gee were not really at odds? They would be compounding their problems and hastening their own demise. He supposed it was his fault anyway for freeing the magau children.
“Ahead,” Wong yelled from above as he flicked his wrist.
A dark ninja popped out of the forest and flinched when a shuriken stung its upper torso. Jaguan slammed it across the face with his staff.
Suddenly, the blurred image of a bird streaked toward Wong’s face. He lifted his shield just in time to deflect the blow, which came heavier than expected, causing the crow vulture to wobble away unsteadily, unprepared for its contact with metal. Wong was glad it did not hit his face, though he supposed his mask would have provided some protection.
Jaguan looked back at a ninja and thought to engage, but a large hand reached out from behind a tree and grabbed it by the neck. The ninja’s legs flailed about as it was slammed to the ground and an oversized magau stepped into view. The beast lifted both fists and roared thunderously before pounding down and beating its victim repeatedly. Jaguan looked away and was glad he was not the recipient of such violence.
Smaller magaus invaded through the treetops and joined the fight, engaging the ninjas behind them. Chaos took the form of monkey screams and flickering light and shadows.
Wong flipped down to Jaguan’s level, laughing. Jaguan couldn’t tell if it sounded more human or monkey.
“We’re not out of this yet,” Jaguan said.
Ahead, more magaus could be heard. The entire troop was upon them.
A beastly gorilla-man barreled at them with two war hammers. Wong sped toward it, sidestepped a strike, then jump-kicked it with both feet, flipping in the air. The gorilla-man jolted back, but did not fall. It came at him again. Wong sidestepped another hack and moved close, leaning in and lifting the big magau over his head. He could feel the warmth and raw power of the overturned beast, realizing if it got its hands on him it could tear him apart. The gorilla-man landed on its back and quickly sprang up again, growling with anger and frustration. A ball of light sparked in its eyes and burned its cornea.
“Keep moving,” Jaguan urged. “We must convince them we are not their enemies.”
“Somehow I don’t think they’ll listen.”
Spears flew in from above. Jaguan thwacked it with the Phoenix Staff. Bolas whirled through the air. Jaguan caught one with his staff and let the weighted ends wrap around his weapon before clacking together, falling harmlessly to the ground. Wong caught another by the hand and held on.
“I’m moving to high ground,” he said.
He spun a weighted end of the bola and jumped back into the forest canopy, thumping a couple of magaus in his way. Ahead, he saw the magau with the blue face. Its staff was made of petrified Zhigau, a light wood that was strong as steel, with a hooked and sharpened end on one side, and a straight pointed end on the other. Many of the magaus carried such a weapon.
The creature examined him intensely. “Houzon.”
“What is Houzon?”
“Houzon is you.”
It barked loudly and charged. Wong swung the bola, but the monkey flipped and struck overhead against his shield. It followed with another strike, and another aimed low, but Wong matched its movement to block. On a final thrust of its spear, Wong dodged while simultaneously back swinging his bola, but when he turned around, the monkey was gone. He looked around frantically.
The magau hooked onto the underside of the bough they were standing on and popped up to sweep his feet. Wong cackled like a monkey as he fell, delighted at the beast’s craftiness. Landing gracefully on a lower bough, he raised his arm against the falling magau, which had dropped down after him. The beast landed on his shield and propelled itself away while Wong assisted by pushing off, then flung the bola to wrap around its legs midair. The beast fell from the treetops, handicapped by the restraint, but managed to hook a branch to break its fall below. Wong watched with amusement as it fell, then moved on.
Jaguan kept running. A new gang of magaus and monkeys targeted him from above. He ducked a bola, swatted aside another, but a third tripped him up. He flopped to the ground.
Magaus closed in on him. A half dozen small monkeys screeched wildly and flew from the treetops with sharp, light knives. Jaguan rose to his feet, saw the danger, then stooped back down again, slamming the butt of the Phoenix Staff and summoning a burst of repulsive energy—a dome of bright chi that plumed outward and knocked the monkeys and magaus asunder.
A fresh magau struck at him with a staff. Fortunately, the Shoukui was a master of staffs. They parried a few blows before Jaguan swept its feet and touched the gemstone to its head, knocking it out. Another appeared and met the same fate, but another monkey slashed his back from the blindside. Jaguan screamed and pulsed his weapon, shocking the creature, but more magaus appeared. There were too many. He flashed a light orb to create a distraction and ran.
Wong noticed the flash from the heights and tried to connect with Jaguan again. He pounded one magau, and jump-kicked another, when an unseen hook grabbed his foot and tripped him up. He twisted flat on his back as he fell, not wanting to crack the mask, and landed with a thud, bouncing several yards. Jaguan saw him crash and moved over to help, but a gorilla-man grabbed Wong by the leg and swung him against a tree. His body contorted and buckled. It back-swung and launched him into another, twenty feet away.
“No!” Jaguan shouted.
His eyes grew bright with chi as he struck the beast with a chi spark, instantly knocking it unconscious.
A gray magau barreled into him, its momentum carried from a high branch.
Jaguan tumbled and lost his staff as the magau advanced. He managed to gather his wits and block a strike with the Dragon Arm. He rolled to avoid another blow, and got to his feet, still dizzy. The Dragon Arm felt heavy and his back stung. He flailed to back the magau away. It launched forward with rapid blows, all of which Jaguan managed to deflect, except for one which cracked against his kneecap. The Shoukoo roared and reached forward with a hand, grabbing its forehead. His eyes pulsed and the magau lost control of its limbs and bladder, soiling itself and crumpling to the ground.
Jaguan dropped to catch his breath, then touched his back and felt blood. Wong rolled over and groaned, checking for broken ribs. They were in bad shape.
“Wong, are you all right?”
“Why did we come here again?”
The monk leaned against the Dragon Arm to lift himself. He retrieved the Phoenix Staff and limped over to Wong, holding out the Dragon Arm. Wong grabbed onto it and was hoisted up, after which Jaguan let go, leaving the weapon to Wong.
More noises closed in.
“This is bad,” Jaguan said. “Let’s go.”
They hobbled through the trees again. Jaguan opened a vial of chi water and drank it. His posture straightened and his limp disappeared as c
ooling energy shot through his body and soothed his pain. Wong took off his monkey mask and put on the face of Shenren, transitioning from human magau to fire god.
“I miss drinking Infinity water.”
His voice sounded deeper.
“I will back you,” Jaguan said. “But you must recover quickly. There are many and we are few.”
They picked up their pace.
“We were too soft on them because of children,” Wong said. “Fight to kill or we will be killed.”
Jaguan noted his change in demeanor and wondered if it was Wong who was talking.
“It is too bad they do not see reason.”
“We showed them mercy but they showed us none. The mission is all that matters and they are in our way as much as the Koon Gee.”
Jaguan felt conflicted. “Isn’t it funny how we always argue opposite sides of the same argument?”
The sky was getting dark. Magau howls dogged them from all sides. They would not be able to rest well that night, if at all.
“Can magaus see in the dark?” Jaguan asked.
“I don’t think so, but I’m not sure. Maybe we have a chance of slipping through.”
Jaguan stopped. “Or perhaps not.”
Ahead of them, an open space appeared. Magaus crowded the surrounding trees. A whole troop stood tall and howled, exposing sharp incisors, too numerous to count. More moved in behind them and left no escape.
Jaguan walked to the center, seeing no other recourse. The magaus filled the space with their voices and knocked on the boughs with their staffs. Monkeys jumped up and down in hysteria. He wondered if they had gone from prey to entertainment.
He raised his staff. “We fight the Koon Gee. We freed your children from their trap. We are not your enemies.”
Wong stood at his back. A magau threw a rock, which clanged off his shield.
“That’s it,” Wong said.
He dropped the Dragon Arm and unsheathed his sword.
“Come at me.”
The monkeys grew more hysterical.
“Come at me,” he screamed.
The blue-faced magau came to the forefront and yelled, “Powder!”
It took out a satchel and twirled it overhead by a string, then let it fly. The satchel hit the ground and a puff of powder filled the air. Another satchel hit close by, and then another, hurled by the numerous magaus overhead.