by Ino Lee
“Kai,” Shian said.
Li and Xiong looked up from a watering hole where their horses drank. Earlier in the day, Shian and Li lit a signal fire, drawing the attention of Shaolin scouts. It was not long before Xiong caught up to them with additional horses.
“Still too far, but worth a try,” Shian whispered.
She ran forward and kneeled in the grass, arms spread, and focused in the direction of the flash.
“Kai, can you hear me? It’s Shian . . . Kai, please answer.”
Kai felt like he was trapped in an intense dream, unable to feel his limbs or move his body. When the poison first took hold, he knew he must retreat within, protecting his mind by entering a meditative state. He had achieved such a state of mind before, inadvertently losing the better part of an afternoon by the Emerald Pool, and once while being held captive by the lo-shur, fortifying his mind against them.
The mysterious powder had knocked out all his physical senses. He could not feel the cloth against his skin, smell the scent of potato which had permeated the lining of his captive sack, or hear the opposing voices of the unan—but he was conscious, free to use his mental energies as he pleased.
He stretched out his mind and heard a voice.
“Shian?”
“Kai! Is that you? Are you okay?”
“I am . . . I’m captured. Where are you?”
“We are not far. We’re trying to rescue you. Tell me everything you can. Who has you?”
“Lafay and Lau Gong.”
“Anyone else?”
“No.” Kai tried to remember anything useful. “They’re going to Black Mountain.”
“What else can you tell me?”
“Lau Gong is tired. Lafay threw powder in my face.”
“What kind of powder? Are you hurt?”
“I think I’m unconscious . . . but my mind works.”
“Unconscious? How?”
“I don’ t know.”
“We are coming for you.”
“They are giving me to the lo-shur, but Lafay wants to make me into a mask.”
“Don’t lose hope, Kai. We are with you.”
“When are you coming? . . . Shian? Did you hear? Shian?”
“I reached him,” Shian said, standing. “I was able to connect with Kai.”
Li and Xiong were stunned.
“What did he say? Is he well?” Li asked.
“He said he thought he was unconscious. Lafay blew powder into his face.”
“Sleeping powder?” Xiong said. “Paralysis?”
“Unclear. I lost contact. They may have pulled out of range. In fact, I am not sure how I was able to connect in the first place, the light orb was too far for a psychic connection.”
“Kai’s abilities are always a surprise,” Li said. “Let’s catch up.”
They readied their horses.
“He said they were going to Black Mountain.”
“They would dare face the dragons?” Xiong said.
“It’s the most direct route, but you’re right, something doesn’t make sense,” Li said. “Did Kai say anything else?”
“No, just that Lafay and Lau Gong have him. They are going to hand him over to the lo-shur, though Lafay threatened to turn him into a mask.”
“That does not bode well.”
They galloped off.
“What’s the plan?” Xiong asked.
“We must reconnect with Kai. We need to find the right time to set up an ambush.”
“If Kai is in a state of partial unconsciousness, he may not be able to help much,” Shian said.
“The powder can’t last forever. We’ll stay within range until the time is right.”
“If all else fails, we can ambush at Black Mountain. Should I send Shaolin warriors ahead?” Xiong said.
“Not yet—keep them behind us for now. We have time. We need better intelligence.”
Twilight turned to night. Li sparked a light orb and flashed it low to the ground, illuminating long thin tracks. Shian called forward with her mind, but concentrating atop a horse was difficult.
They closed in on the location of Kai’s flare.
A grinning mask was suddenly illuminated by the light orb, startling them, and causing them to pull back on their horses. Lafay sat quietly in the grass as they slowed to a stop, its white face and red cheeks a stark contrast to the night.
It rose. “Oh, horses! Isn’t that nice?”
Li unsheathed his sword and Xiong grabbed a throwing ax. Shian already had her staff out and brightened the vicinity, casting more light in case Lau Gong lurked about.
“Where is Kai, demon?” Li said.
“In a sack. Sleeping.” It held a finger to its mouth. “Shhh. Don’t wake him.”
“What games do you play?” Xiong said.
“Games?” It clapped and tilted its head. “Will you play with me, Shaolin warrior Xiong?”
Xiong eyed the demon suspiciously, confused and slightly unnerved.
“This is a distraction,” Li said. “Stop wasting our time.”
“No, not a distraction. We don’t need to distract.”
“Then what are you here for?”
It’s voice changed. “For threatening.”
An uncomfortable silence followed. Xiong was tempted to hurl his ax at its face.
“I hear no threats,” Li said.
“Oh, not me. I want to play games, but Lau Gong has quite a temper.”
“You are stalling us.”
“So impatient. Your impatience will be the death of Kai.”
“What do you want?”
“To pass a message. If we see you again, we will make sure Kai sleeps forever. Do not follow. Do not approach. If we see you in the distance, we will leave behind the sack with only the poor boy’s head. I would not do such a thing . . . but Lau Gong has quite a temper.”
“If any harm comes to him, we will hunt you down and crack your mask off one chip at a time.”
Lafay laughed. “How wonderfully morbid! Now we are playing games.” The demon took a step forward and approached them. “This not a negotiation, Shoukui. We do not bargain for our lives.”
The horses stirred.
“Do not approach,” Li said. “Or we will just end you now.”
“Oh? Poor Kai then. Lau Gong is already so eager to kill him, and I will not be there to stop it.”
Lafay stopped directly in front of Li’s agitated horse. It placed a hand on its nose to calm it down and whispered.
“If we see you again, we will kill Kai on the spot, and I will harvest his flesh and bones for a mask. That is the simple truth.”
It turned and walked away, saying no more.
Li’s horse snorted. It stumbled awkwardly for a few moments and then its legs buckled, throwing off the Shoukui. Lafay’s high-pitched giggle could be heard in the distance.
“Those demons and their cursed tricks,” Li said as he rose from the ground.
He felt the pulse on his horse. Shian and Xiong dismounted and approached.
“Is it dead?” Xiong said.
“No.” Li looked up. “Unconscious.”
“Now we know what was used on Kai.”
Li looked into the darkness, in the direction of Lafay. He took a deep breath.
“We can’t follow. The risk is too great. We must use the one advantage given to us—Black Mountain.”
“There will be no margin for error,” Xiong warned. “If they get past us, they will have the Koon Kagi.”
“It is a risk we must take. We won’t be able to ambush them in open ground.”
“Do you believe Lafay?” Shian said. “They’ll kill Kai?”
“They could be trying to throw us off,” Xiong added.
“If they feel threa
tened, they’ll claim victory however they can. That I believe,” Li said. “Perhaps closer to Black Mountain, they will be more apt to keep Kai alive, being so close to the finish.”
Shian nodded. “They will look for ambush behind, not ahead. At least we have that.”
“More places to hide too, instead of this flat earth,” Xiong said. “But Black Mountain is large and we don’t know where they are crossing. We need more eyes.”
“We’ll circle around with the others and give the demons a wide berth,” Li said. “The unan cannot know we are coming. A small force will go on foot through the Forbidden Mountains and set up watch at Black Mountain. We cannot attract attention. The dragons are a worry.”
Xiong thought on it. “What if the demons get through? A small force can only do so much.”
“Send word to the Great Wall. Our forces must be prepared for incursion into the Koon Kagi if the situation calls for it. Make no mistake: we cannot fail.”
“It is a good plan, but the unan will not expect us to stand still. They will be suspicious.”
“We might be able to use Kai still,” Shian said. “Perhaps he will awaken. I will call to him in the mountains.”
“Good,” Li said. “This plan is all we have.”
He looked back down at his horse.
“One of you will have to give me a ride.”
27
TAE EMERGED FROM her bunk and climbed the boat’s solid wooden steps, catching the fresh scent of seawater as she reached the top. Her second morning waking on the rocky vessel was more difficult than the first, though infinitely better than any on Du Lai. Travel on water would take some getting used to, but at least she had slept through the entire night. Her quarters was small, but neat and well-thought; her bed was built into the wall with handy drawers and shelves to keep her belongings, including a convenient mount for her samurai sword.
She walked onto the deck, wondering what Naruki had caught for breakfast and if she was being too presumptuous expecting him to do so in the first place; the quirky elder always seemed to cling to routine, and catching the morning meal had just become a part of it. She scanned the deck and spotted him with the torens, Kasumi and Ryuu, at the vessel’s stern. The master swordsmith held the tail of an impressive catch while Ryuu excitedly hopped about, making tentative attempts to snatch the fish from his grip.
“Aight. Back,” he said. “Patience Ryuu.”
He rapped the toren on the beak with a cane. The bird looked confused and then stood still.
“Excellent.”
He tossed the meal at his feet.
“Good morning, Naruki,” Tae said. “Busy already?”
“Always so much to do. Kasumi and Ryuu need nourishment for the long ride. Their bellies must be full. So must yours—go eat with Youta.”
She caught a whiff of grilled fish and coals. Youta hunched over a hibachi away from the chaos and poked at something cooking before an attendant chased him away.
Tae laughed. Youta looked embarrassed when he saw her.
“Good morning. It is not often I get to partake in such tasks.”
“Must be difficult,” she said with friendly sarcasm.
He nodded. “A blessing and a curse.”
“That’s okay.” She whispered, “I can’t cook much except for noodles.”
“I enjoy noodles very much.”
“Why don’t you cook then?”
“The samurai deem it too trivial a task for the Shogun. Why don’t you?”
“I deem it too trivial a task for me.”
Youta laughed. “Breakfast should be ready soon. I hope you are not tired of fish?”
“No, never.”
They moved to the side of the boat where they could lean up against the railing.
“We will fly today,” Youta said.
“When?”
“This morning, after the torens have had time to eat and digest.”
“How long will it take to get to Shaolin?”
“We will touch down this evening.”
“I can’t believe my trip here will involve travel by boat, turtle, and bird.”
“I can’t speak for a turtle ride, but flight on a toren is a wondrous thing.”
“Do you think I can take it home afterward?”
“A worthwhile side trip perhaps? Tell me more about this home—Shunnan, is it?”
“Yes.”
“What are the people like? And tell me about this forest that you protect.”
“The Hunters of Shunnan are actually a ninja clan.”
“Ninjas?”
“A good kind of ninja. Protectors.”
“Like Wong?”
Tae hesitated. “In a way. And the forest is actually a forest of stone.”
“I have heard. What is it like?”
“There are giant rock formations as plentiful as the trees. It’s like a giant maze.”
“This tale of ninjas and stone forests sounds as intriguing as travel by boat, turtle, and bird. I should like to visit this place.”
“I can show you around, but I don’t know if it will hold up to the Sun Temple.”
“It will if you are there, though I wonder if these Hunters would welcome a samurai. The nature of samurai is much different than that of ninjas.”
“I wonder what that makes me.”
“You are most assuredly samurai.”
Tae gave him a questioning glance. “Am I not a Shunnan ninja then?”
“You may wear a mask, but you are samurai in spirit.”
“How do you know?”
“A samurai reads things.”
“I am a complex person.”
“No, not in your spirit. Your sword sings. The Hunters may be ninjas—good ninjas like Wong—but that does not mean they are samurai.”
“Wong is not samurai?”
Youta smiled. “Wong is most assuredly not samurai.”
“That is true.” She looked out at sea, pensive. “I hope they are okay.”
“We will help soon.”
Tengfei and Takeo soon joined them for breakfast. Naruki swooped in late but still had time to civilly sit on a mat while eating, with proper chopstick etiquette. He ate at a furious pace without speaking or making eye contact with anyone, and when he was done, popped up, bowed, and left as quickly as he came. Tae had never seen chopsticks move so fast.
Samurai lessons came next. First, Naruki returned and had Tae meditate for nearly an hour with her sheathed katana pressed to her forehead. Youta followed with blindfolded sparring, the goal of which was to read her sword correctly and react to oncoming threats without actually seeing them. This was very similar to the training performed at Shaolin, except for the addition of the samurai sword, which was supposed to act as an additional sense. She didn’t think it was going well, but Youta assured her it was; at first she thought he might be flattering her, but then realized it was not the samurai way. The final lesson with Takeo was a regular spar—a strong hitting, fast-paced duel.
It had only been three days since she received her Sun sword, but she could feel the bond growing, already stronger than her link with Shin’ichi. Before long, she would give it a name.
By the time the lessons were done, the torens were set to go, with double saddles secured and their supplies and belongings neatly packed. Tae thought back to what Youta said about not having to perform trivial tasks, and decided it was definitely more a blessing than a curse.
Takeo called to Kasumi and the bird hopped to his side.
“Care to hitch a ride with me again?” he said to Tengfei. “Kasumi can take more weight than Ryuu and you are heavier than Tae.”
“It would be my honor.”
Youta summoned Ryuu. Tae admired the white crest on his head and wondered how it was kept so clean.
&n
bsp; “Do you mind flying with me?” Youta asked.
“If you drop me off in Shunnan afterwards.”
“I only ask for a bowl of noodles in return.”
“Deal.”
The travelers boarded and settled in. Youta’s bird was the first to leave, hopping a couple of steps on the portside stern before taking off, followed by Kasumi.
“Good luck,” Naruki yelled, waving. “See you in Shaolin.”
The torens flapped powerfully into the heights before leveling off, gliding peacefully on air currents. The sky was partly cloudy, allowing for pockets of bright sun rays and shade, a canvas of swirly white mountains.
“What do you think?” Youta said.
“Beautiful. It’s like riding the air trolley at Yaje Piau, but so much better.”
“I often get lost in my thoughts while on Ryuu. The infiniteness of sky opens up all possibilities.”
“Well said.”
28
“THIS WEAPON IS curious,” Renshu said, holding the thickened mace end of the Dragon Arm out to Wong. “I broke it?”
“I told you it was special.”
“You said it was dear.”
“Because it is special. Better than that old wood cane of yours, no?”
“Ah. Monkey staff is natural, pure. Makes us one with the trees.”
“But not as good.”
Renshu grudgingly conceded. “Not as good. You can fix it?”
Wong took it for a moment, then handed it back.
“How about I teach you to turn it back to normal later? You’re going to need it.”
Renshu nodded. “You don’t need it?”
“Hang onto it.”
They moved through more dark forest. Toutoumo spoke lightly as he guided them, warning them about the upcoming dangers surrounding the Template of Masks, as well as the dangers within. Some advice was helpful, while some was not helpful at all; for example, he complained about how tall and easy to spot they were, especially Jaguan, and suggested they somehow become smaller.
The peculiar magau was careful with their pace, moving quick enough to take advantage of the daytime hours, yet slow enough to be able to detect the enemy. They stopped and hid a few times throughout the day, some based on actual queues, others seemingly based on suspicion. Wong and Jaguan were unsure if Toutoumo was just being overly cautious—Wong’s ability to detect movement and Jaguan’s ability to read energies were second to none—but it was possible the magau had developed a sense they could not understand. A few times he zigzagged them in a roundabout fashion that did not make sense, but they could only trust his direction.