Knights of Alcea

by Richard S. Tuttle

  "I should have known," spat Wei-ra. "You showed too much promise to be genuine. Now you will pay for your deception."

  Wei-ra tried for quick kill with a flying kick, but Bin-lu dropped to the floor and rolled away. Both men rose warily and waited for the other to make a move.

  "Had I tried that opening move," smiled Bin-lu, "my instructor would have called it impetuous. What is my next lesson, instructor?"

  "You will now learn how to die," snarled Wei-ra as he launched a furious series of jabs at Bin-lu.

  Bin-lu slapped the jabs away defensively as he studied his opponent. "Perhaps my instructor would be willing to demonstrate this lesson of how to die?" he taunted.

  Wei-ra glared at Bin-lu as he feinted with a jab. His left leg suddenly rose to strike, but Bin-lu was ready for the move. He sidestepped the leg thrust and slammed the palm of his hand into Wei-ra's chest. Wei-ra flew backwards, and Bin-lu swiftly followed to take advantage of Wei-ra's imbalance. Wei-ra defensively struck out with his right leg, his foot catching Bin-lu in the gut. Bin-lu grunted with pain as he staggered backwards. Wei-ra leaped to his feet and moved warily forward.

  "You show more skill than you did in class," Wei-ra said as he looked for an opening, "but you are still not good enough."

  Bin-lu took two quick steps towards Wei-ra and pivoted, his left leg rising as he turned. Wei-ra smiled confidently as he executed a maneuver that would snap Bin-lu's leg in two. Half way through the pivot, Bin-lu pulled his leg back and slammed it to the floor, his right leg rising for a delayed attack. Wei-ra followed through with his attack, but his arm merely sliced through the air. Bin-lu's right leg sailed over Wei-ra's outstretched arm and smashed into Wei-ra's head with a sickening thud. The crack of Wei-ra's neck reverberated off the walls of the corridor as his body slammed into the wall. Bin-lu completed his pivot and gazed down at the corpse.

  Bin-lu jumped over Wei-ra's body and raced towards the front of the temple. He jumped over the bodies of the two guards he had killed and then the two that Rut-ki had attacked. He had to jump over two more bodies before he reached the entrance to the public chamber. The sounds of fighting reached his ears before he saw the conflict. Rut-ki stood in the center of the large room. Half a dozen bodies littered the floor, but six other guards with staffs surrounded Rut-ki. The instructor's head moved constantly as she tried to keep track of all of her opponents.

  One of the guards suddenly jabbed his staff towards Rut-ki from behind her, but she was ready for the attack. She sidestepped the thrust and grabbed the man's staff. She shoved the staff further forward and then quickly pulled it back. The guard lost his balance, and Rut-ki tore the staff from his hands. She instantly whirled in a circle with the staff stretched out before her. The other guards, who had started to move inward, jumped away from the sweep.

  Bin-lu raced across the room and scooped up a staff near one of the bodies. As he rushed to Rut-ki's side, a fireball sizzled across the room. Bin-lu saw the flash out of the corner of his eye and dove to the floor. The fireball passed over him and struck the wall of the room. As Bin-lu slid along the floor, he turned his head towards the altar. Standing calmly behind the altar was K'san and a black-cloak. K'san stood motionless as if he were enjoying the demonstration of martial arts, but the black-cloak was already preparing to cast another spell.

  Bin-lu dashed behind the circle of guards and dove to the floor again. A man's scream filled the air, and Bin-lu knew that the mage had struck one of his own. Bin-lu didn't bother to look towards the scream. Instead, he kept his eyes on the black-cloak as he pulled a Lanoirian Star from his pouch. Another fireball sizzled towards Bin-lu as he got to his feet. He leaped to one side and slammed into the wall. Bouncing off the wall, Bin-lu hurled the Lanoirian Star at the black-cloak and charged towards the altar.

  "K'san is also a mage," Rut-ki shouted.

  Bin-lu saw the Lanoirian Star strike the black-cloak, and K'san suddenly came to life. No longer was he merely a spectator enjoying the show. The Priest of Balmak stretched his hand towards Bin-lu and spread his fingers. Bin-lu did not know what type of spell to expect, but he watched K'san's face as he charged. When he saw the priest grimace with effort, Bin-lu dove for the floor. Bin-lu rolled his body into a ball as tiny streaks of lightning shot over his body.

  Bin-lu came out of the roll and launched himself at the priest. K'san smirked as Bin-lu's body slammed into him. Bin-lu bounced back from K'san's body as if he had hit a stone wall. As Bin-lu picked himself off the floor, he heard Tedi shouting instructions to Natia. Relieved that his friends had arrived, Bin-lu pivoted to bring his feet sweeping into K'san's legs. The priest tumbled to the ground, but pain seared through Bin-lu's legs.

  In the center of the room, Tedi and Natia raced to help Rut-ki. Natia's knives flew from both hands and Tedi's staff connected with one of the guards. Rut-ki used the attack to turn on the two opponents behind her. She whirled around and slapped the staff hard against the head of one guard. The man flew into the other guard and both bodies hit the floor. Tedi stepped over and used his staff on the men, and Rut-ki immediately turned and raced to Bin-lu's aid.

  As Rut-ki ran across the room she saw Bin-lu deliver a flying kick to the priest's chest. The priest grunted in pain, but Rut-ki was surprised to see the man still standing. She leaped with her own flying kick to distract the priest while Bin-lu recovered. Her foot slammed into the priest's temple, and his head lolled back, but he seemed otherwise unaffected.

  "It is like kicking a wall," Bin-lu grunted as he delivered a kick to the priest's side.

  K'san snarled as he backhanded Rut-ki. The woman flew backwards and hit the floor hard. As she slid away from the priest, Bin-lu kicked at the back of K'san's knees. The priest was forced to his knees, but he managed to reach out and grab Bin-lu's ankle. With a mere grip on the ankle, K'san tossed Bin-lu across the room. Tedi ran up to the black priest with his staff held firmly. K'san ignored Tedi's threat as insignificant and raised his arm to send a spell towards Bin-lu. Tedi struck K'san with all his might. The priest's face showed a moment of surprise as the staff cleaved its way through K'san's body. Blood flew through the air and both halves of K'san's body toppled to the floor.

  "What did you hit him with?" gasped Rut-ki as she picked herself off the floor. "Whenever I hit him, I think it hurt me more than him."

  "Tedi swings a mean staff," commented Bin-lu as he got up. "If there are no more foes between us and the door, let's get out of here."

  "I have the horses tied in the alley across the street from the rear door," announced Natia. "I suspect we have less than an hour before dawn. We should make use of the darkness while it lasts."

  "I don't have a horse," Rut-ki said.

  "You do now," grinned Natia. "I borrowed one for you."

  "Go with them, Rut-ki," ordered Bin-lu. "I will be along in a moment."

  Rut-ki looked quizzically at Bin-lu, but Natia grabbed her arm and guided her to the rear of the temple. Bin-lu took a torch off the wall and ignited the draperies at the rear of the room. He dashed along the corridor until he found a large office. He assumed that it was the priest's office and started a fire burning before running out the rear door. The others were sitting on their horses waiting for him. Bin-lu noticed that the bodies of the guards had been dragged inside and nodded in satisfaction. As the group started to ride away, Rut-ki noticed the smoke coming out a window.

  "What did you do?" asked Rut-ki.

  "I set it on fire," answered Bin-lu. "If anyone sees the massacre that occurred inside, hundreds of soldiers will fan out looking for us. The burning of the temple will slow down that response. By the time they discover the bodies we will be far away.

  The group rode calmly to the city gates and then galloped when they were out of sight of the city. When the sun rose, Bin-lu looked for a safe place to rest the animals. Natia understood what Bin-lu was looking for, and she took the lead. Several minutes later they entered a large cave.

  "Gypsies have their uses," Natia gri
nned as she dismounted. "There are many hiding places between here and Ongchi."

  Tedi and Natia calmed the horses and brushed them while Rut-ki sat quietly on the floor of the cave and watched everyone. Bin-lu knew that something was bothering the instructor. He slid down next to her and said nothing for a moment.

  "Was it necessary to burn the temple?" asked Rut-ki. "While I am not a fan of Balmak, it still is a place of worship."

  "It used to be a place of worship," corrected Bin-lu. "The Temples of Balmak are nests of rebellion. Besides, they had my letters to you in there somewhere. Would you care for them to be found?"

  "What difference does that make?" she asked. "I have already been branded as a spy. The letters mean nothing."

  "I think you are wrong," retorted Bin-lu. "I do not think the authorities in Chi-Chan ever heard your name mentioned. In fact, I don't think they had even heard of Wei-ra."

  Rut-ki's eyes widened and she turned to stare at Bin-lu. "That is what I have been missing," she exclaimed. "I had discovered that Mu-chen was the head of the Intelligence Section in the Chi-Chan province. His agents tried to infiltrate the Temple of Balmak. Many of them died, but not all of them. One of them had discovered a secret and had delivered it to Mu-chen. According to my source, Mu-chen immediately left Chi-Chan to report to his superior in Ongchi. I had assumed that Wei-ra was Mu-chen's superior, but if so, Wei-ra's name would have been known to those in Chi-Chan. Now I understand what the secret was. Mu-chen's man had discovered that Wei-ra was in league with the rebels."

  "That is what I suspect as well," agreed Bin-lu. "Mu-chen's superior was Wu-kang. I do not think Mu-chen had ever met Wei-ra."

  "But that means that Wu-kang is involved," frowned Rut-ki. "He is the Head of Intelligence Section."

  "Yes," sighed Bin-lu. "It appears that the rot in the Imperial Palace reaches high places. That is something that we must deal with when we get back to Ongchi."

  "We?" questioned Rut-ki. "What do you mean?"

  "Just what I said," grinned Bin-lu. "You have performed admirably in your first mission. I want you to continue to help me."

  "You are going to confront Wu-kang?" asked Rut-ki. "And you want me to help you?"

  "That is correct," smiled Bin-lu. "There are few who are capable of fighting alongside Knights of Alcea, but you are surely one of them."

  "Knights?" echoed Rut-ki as she glanced at Tedi and Natia. "Do you mean the gypsies?"

  Bin-lu jumped to his feet and extended his hand to Rut-ki. He helped her to her feet and led her over to Tedi and Natia.

  "Rut-ki," introduced Bin-lu, "meet Natia, Princess of the Gypsies and a Knight of Alcea."

  Rut-ki's eyes grew large as she bowed in respect to Natia.

  "And her husband, Tedi," Bin-lu continued. "He is also a Knight of Alcea and the Prince of the Gypsies. He is also the boyhood friend of King Arik."

  "I am honored," Rut-ki said reverently as she bowed to Tedi.

  "We are pleased to know you, Rut-ki," smiled Natia. "You fight like a demon. I am pleased to have you on our side."

  "I think that sentiment goes for all in this cave," grinned Tedi as he winked at Bin-lu. "May your future be blessed with eternal happiness."

  Rut-ki blushed profusely, but her eyes landed on Tedi's staff.

  "Tell me, Knight of Alcea," Rut-ki asked softly, "how is your staff so powerful."

  "It is magical," replied Tedi. "It was a gift from an eternal being."

  "Magical indeed," replied Rut-ki. "It had to be magical to kill K'san. I have never battled such an opponent. His body was like stone, not flesh."

  Chapter 13

  The Fisherman

  Bin-lu entered his quarters in the diplomatic section of the Imperial Palace in Ongchi. He closed the door quickly and found his friends poised to attack should the visitor have been an enemy. He smiled and waved dismissingly at them.

  "You don't need to be so tense," greeted Bin-lu. "Everything is going well."

  "Wu-kang does not know you were in Chi-Chan?" asked Rut-ki.

  "He thinks I was in Barouk visiting a cousin," Bin-lu grinned at Rut-ki. "I acted quite shocked to hear of Wei-ra's death. Even better, Wei-ra kept his suspicions about you to himself. I was able to check the Special Records Section today. There is no record of you in there."

  "Then I can begin giving lessons again?" asked Rut-ki.

  "Is that what you really want to do?" asked Bin-lu.

  Rut-ki did not respond right away. She gazed at Tedi and Natia and her eyes eventually ended up staring at Bin-lu.

  "It is the task I have been assigned," she shrugged, "but after my trip to Chi-Chan, it seems rather pointless. If the rebels have infiltrated Za-chan's staff, I want to help rout them out."

  "I was hoping you would feel that way," chuckled Bin-lu. "You have too much to offer Alcea to be teaching martial arts."

  "What can I do?" asked Rut-ki.

  "Wu-kang's assistant is leaving," answered Bin-lu. "I have spoken to Za-hong, and he has agreed to recommend you as the replacement. I am hoping that you will be able to glean enough information to help identify the other members of the Intelligence Section that have changed their allegiance to the rebellion."

  "Will this really work?" asked Tedi. "I would think that Wu-kang would want to choose his own assistant."

  "I am sure that he does want to," replied Bin-lu, "but things work differently in Lanoir than most places. It will be hard for him to refuse a recommendation from the Supreme General. To refuse would be to slight Za-hong's abilities. If Wu-kang is indeed a part of the rebellion, he would be a fool to do so. It would cause Za-hong to monitor Wu-kang closely, and that is the last thing a spy would want."

  "But won't he be suspicious of Rut-ki?" asked Natia.

  "I do not think he will be suspicious," answered Bin-lu, "but he will be wary. For him to be suspicious would mean that he believes that Za-hong suspects him of wrongdoing and is planting someone in the office to spy on him. If Wu-kang was that suspicious, he would already be planning to assassinate Za-hong, or flee. There is no indication of either."

  "He will be wary, though," interjected Rut-ki.

  "That is correct," nodded Bin-lu. "He will be careful not to slip up in front of a stranger, but that clearly defines your task. You need to put Wu-kang at ease and show him that you are loyal to your new superior. Do not get caught doing anything suspicious. I guarantee that Wu-kang will test you by divulging some information that would cause you to react. The information is likely to be false, but alarming. Wu-kang will have people in place to see if anyone responds to the information."

  "How will I know if the information is bait?" asked Rut-ki.

  Bin-lu grinned and opened his breast pocket. He stuck a finger in and a small green man climbed out and perched on his shoulder.

  Rut-ki gasped and stepped back until she was against the wall. She stared uncomprehendingly at the small man.

  "Shrimp!" smiled Tedi. "Where did you come from?"

  "The Bringer has called the fairies back into service," chirped the fairy. "I found Bin-lu when he was walking through the city today. He did not tell me that you were here. I must alert Button. She is searching for you farther north."

  "Go," Bin-lu pointed to the window, "but return as soon as you find her. I have news that I need to send to King Arik, and I have a task that requires a fairy. Either you or Button must be available to me."

  "I also have a message to send," added Tedi. "Perhaps we can send Button to Tagaret with both messages."

  "You are not continuing onward to Tagaret?" asked Bin-lu as the fairy leaped into the air and disappeared out the window.

  "I don't think so," replied Tedi. "If Button can deliver my message, Natia and I would like to stay here and help you crack the rebellion. We will journey to Tagaret when we are no longer needed."

  "Excellent," grinned Bin-lu. "I can use the help."

  "What was that creature?" asked Rut-ki.

  "Shrimp and Button are fairies," Bin-lu explain
ed. "The Knights of Alcea enlist them for communicating over long distances."

  "They also have other uses," interjected Tedi. "They are invaluable allies."

  "So true," nodded Bin-lu. "We will use Shrimp to check out any information that Wu-kang lets slip. The fairy can easily do so without being noticed. If it is a trap, Wu-kang will think no one responded, and your status will be elevated. If it is a true danger, Shrimp will report back to me, and we can take whatever measures we need to."

  "That is amazing," remarked Rut-ki. "Are you sure of their loyalties?"

  "Without question," answered Tedi. "They are sworn to King Arik and proud of it. They call him the Bringer, as his coming was prophesized to their race."

  "Such a creature could spy easily on Wu-kang," noted Rut-ki. "With his help, we can unravel all the clandestine contacts Wu-kang makes."

  "Exactly," nodded Bin-lu. "That is why I urged Za-hong not to take action against Wu-kang. We need to catch all of the rebels in the palace."

  "Natia and I should see Za-hong about getting quarters of our own," Tedi said after a short lull in the conversation. "Do you think he will accommodate us?"

  "Without question," answered Bin-lu, "but I wonder if your help might be more useful out in the city. We have destroyed the Balmak leaders in Chi-Chan, but there is an even greater following right here in Ongchi."

  "But you said that K'san was the priest from here," frowned Natia. "Will the temple here still have a following?"

  "I am confused about this," frowned Bin-lu. "I thought K'san looked slightly different when we fought him in Chi-Chan, but I had never been that close to K'san here in Ongchi. Today I went to the Temple of Balmak here in the city. K'san was speaking."

  "How can that be?" asked Natia.

  "There are two of them," shrugged Bin-lu. "I got close enough today to see K'san's face. He was not the man we fought in Chi-Chan."

  "The man we fought was K'san, though," retorted Rut-ki. "I am sure of it. I saw him often enough during my stay in Chi-Chan."

  "That is what is confusing me," admitted Bin-lu. "The two priests looked close enough to each other that they could have been brothers, but they were not identical. I do not understand why they would both use the same name."