Warriors of the Way-Pentalogy

by Orlando A. Sanchez

  Maelstrom, I need you to manifest now.

  Vessel, I have been manifested since those infernal bands came off. How do you think you are walking around? Do you think your liquid diet was sufficient? I am keeping you upright.

  That was a revelation. I need a weapon.

  Vessel, you are a weapon.

  I am a weapon? I was answered with silence. The cryptic answer Maelstrom gave me resonated with something Owl had said. The weapon does not make the warrior, the warrior makes the weapon. I am the weapon. It was starting to make sense. I sent chi in to my hand. Focusing it, channeling and directing it. A staff formed. It wasn’t Maelstrom, but it would be enough.

  The swordsman came at me, lunging. I could see a black aura surrounding his sword and knew it was covered in poison. I created more orbs and sent them. I knew he would deflect them. In fact I counted on it. I followed the orbs in and closed the distance. He would either deflect the orbs and get hit by me or parry my attack and let the orbs hit. I didn’t think he could do both. I was right. He chose to let the orbs hit and deal with my attack.

  I hadn’t put much energy into the orbs because I had the staff in my hand. They were strong enough to knock him off balance, which I used to my advantage. I rotated my body sideways, avoiding a slash as I struck with the staff, shattering a collarbone. His sword arm was useless. He switched hands but I could see the awkward hold on the sword. He wasn’t used to fighting with his off-hand. He attempted a horizontal slash. I stepped in before he began and struck him twice with a spear hand in the throat, crushing his trachea. He fell to the ground grabbing his throat and gasping for breath. He would be gone in a few seconds. I heard footsteps approaching and headed down another corridor. I didn’t have time to move the body. I could hear the commotion behind me as I headed down the corridor.

  “Sound the alarm. Keep him contained to this section of the dojo grounds. Do not let him get to the main area. Is that understood? Goddammit, how did he get out? Go find him before she gets back and I have to explain how he got loose,” said a gruff-sounding voice.

  That confirmed that this area was restricted. It could be it was only for Black Lotus. Who was giving the orders? I didn’t have time to consider that for long. I needed to get out. At least now I was armed. This presented its own set of problems. How many monitors walked around with weapons in their hands? I could hear footsteps coming my way and prepared myself for a fight when I was grabbed from behind and pulled backward.

  THIRTY-SIX

  RAEL STOOD BEFORE the dojo on Mott Street. Everything looked quiet from the outside. He had sent the Gyrevex to another location to find a nearby ascendant. They would report back when they found him. Really it was a ploy to be alone. He knew what they were, besides being nearly indestructible weapons of mayhem and chaos. They were Lucius’s eyes and ears. Watching him and insuring that he fulfilled his mission. He was tired of being watched.

  Long ago he had trained at this dojo, back when he was free and life had meaning. He knew there were ascendants here. He could feel the concentration of power and something else. Hesitating at the door, he cocked his head to one side, homing in on the sensation.

  Could I be that lucky? A core ascendant is in there?

  He pushed in the door and entered. The fact that the door was open at this hour didn’t surprise him. It was a challenge just to find the entrance. The nexus dojo existed partially in the mirror, which made it hard to pinpoint its exact location. If you did manage to find the door by accident there were enough safeguards inside to convince you to leave. Unless you were there to kill ascendants. He had no illusions about completing his mission.The alternative was unthinkable. He passed the reception area. The large wall behind the desk obscured the dojo floor. Walking around the wall and down the narrow hallway, memories flooded back. He remembered the first time he had heard about the Warriors of the Way. He recalled his excitement at being asked to join.

  Entering the dojo proper, he could sense something was off. There was an undercurrent of activity. He saw several students running down one of the hallways that led away from the dojo. One of them hung back and Rael caught up to him.

  “What’s going on?” said Rael.

  “Where have you been? There’s been a general alarm. Everyone must stay in their areas. Monitors are being summoned to the west wing of the complex,” said the student. The student looked at Rael and noticed the swords and the rest of the clothing. “Wait, who are you, again?”

  “I’m a visiting instructor, and I’m a little lost,” said Rael.

  “Yeah, that happens. This place is huge. Lost instructors happen all the time.”

  He looked around the corridor as if confused. “Can you point me in the right direction? I need to get to my quarters,” said Rael.

  The student looked at him and sighed.

  Rael nodded. I see not much has changed since my time here.

  “Could you show me where the west wing is so I can avoid it? I don’t want to get in anyone’s way my first week here,” said Rael in a pleasant voice.

  The student stopped and showed him the area to avoid.

  “If you go down those doors make sure you stay on your right--that will take you to the instructor quarters. Don’t head down the left side,” said the student and headed off at a brisk pace. “Good luck, I’d better go.”

  “Thank you again,” said Rael. My luck has been good, indeed.

  He headed down the corridor past the doors and turned left. The activity died down and the corridor was empty for the most part. Rael could sense the increase in chi. It permeated the air. He reached a junction in the corridor where there seemed to be some activity. Two men were standing over a body.

  “What happened here?” said Rael. Using an air of authority worked with those lower in the order of the monitors. As long as neither of the men were ranking monitors, Rael could get answers without raising suspicion.

  The men answered without turning around. Rael could see they were some kind of forensic team. One took samples of the victim’s robe. The other made a point of not touching the sword that lay by his side. Rael could see the Black Lotus poison along its edges.

  “Traitor came through here and killed” —he flipped some papers on a clipboard—”it says here ‘Geoff’ and I can’t pronounce this last name,” said the first as he pointed at the body. “Where do they find these guys?”

  “Usually the bottom of the warrior barrel,” said the second.

  “Was he skilled?” said Rael.

  “He was Black Lotus,” said the second. “Those guys are part of the elite team. Yes, he was skilled.”

  Rael noticed the difference in clothing from the forensic team and the dead man on the ground. The Black Lotus had not changed much since his time. Still wearing black and using poorly trained thugs. The Lotus actually took the dregs from the warrior and guardian groups. They weren’t superior fighters but there were enough of them to overwhelm any enemy.

  “Obviously not skilled enough. Who is leading the retraction team?” said Rael.

  “It’s all Black Lotus now. Started with the monitors, but after this…” said the first as he put his samples in a small case. The second put on some gloves and was going to reach for the sword. Rael stopped him.

  “I wouldn’t touch that if I were you,” said Rael.

  “I have gloves on, it should be fine,” said the second.

  “It won’t be fine, not unless you prefer going blind right before you die,” said Rael. “The entire weapon is covered in poison, even the hilt.” He pointed to the Black Lotus on the ground. “They are made immune to it over a long and painful process. It will eat right through those gloves and get in your skin in seconds.”

  The second forensic team member went back to his pack and grabbed a pair of tongs.

  “A much wiser decision. Can you tell me who is heading the Lotus team?”

  The first team member answered. “Monique.” They both shook their heads. “She gives me the creeps, e
ver since Diana she’s been on a rampage.”

  “Is this Monique dangerous?”

  The two forensic members looked at each other.

  “You don’t know her?” said the second member. He placed the sword in a metal case.

  “It’s my first week here…visiting instructor,” said Rael.

  “If you can help it, steer clear of her,” said the first member.

  “I’ll do that, thanks,” said Rael as he left them in the junction.

  In moments the Gyrevex would join him. They never stayed away from him for too long. He moved down the corridors looking for more activity. If I dispatch a core ascendant, it will have an excellent ripple effect that should bring the weapon bearer out of hiding.

  The area was less populated but he managed to see a group of the Lotus gathered ahead. It was another junction. The group was getting orders from a woman. Rael approached as several of the Lotus turned to face him. He didn’t need to sense the Gyrevex getting closer, he could hear the screams of those who encountered them.

  “Search these halls again. This was his last known position. I don’t need to tell you what will happen if he isn’t found,” said Monique. “And someone go find out what all that screaming is about.”

  Rael walked up to the group. He could sense the core ascendant was close.

  “You have a core ascendant here,” said Rael as he drew his swords. Dark energy crackled around him. Some of the Black Lotus that were close to him were hit and sent flung back. Monique’s daggers appeared in her hand.

  “And you are?” she said as she took a fighting stance.

  “My name is Rael, but all my enemies call me the Harbinger.”

  THIRTY-SEVEN

  A HAND KEPT my mouth closed as I was pulled back into a tunnel. I ducked down and threw the person over my hip, holding my staff in front of me. The figure landed gracefully and rolled. He turned to face me, hands up in front of him.

  “Dante, it’s me,” said the figure.

  I recognized the voice. It was Devin.

  “How do I know you are the real Devin? You could be a trick,” I said as I kept the staff in a defensive position.

  “I gave you the prism, remember? Think, why would I do that and attack you now? You can’t believe the things they told you about us. The box, it wears away at you. They give you manar so you are weak mentally and physically. Everything is true, Dante. Right now Rael is here somewhere looking for you. I can feel him,” said Devin.

  “How the hell did you survive Roman? I saw you die.”

  “You saw me get hit repeatedly. I still had enough energy to deflect his hammer. I knew he couldn’t unleash its full force in such a closed space, so I only had to deal with the raw impact of the weapon. It was no picnic, trust me,” said Devin. “Took me weeks to recover from that fight. He is definitely stronger.”

  “How did you get away from that place? I don’t even know where it was,” I said.

  “The hall of Sherfym, it’s one of the in-between planes. I used retrievers. I had to let him think he had me. It was the only way to get you out of there. Once I saw you were gone I used one of the retrievers on your bed to get myself back here.”

  It was Devin.

  “Senpai,” I said and sagged against the wall.

  He grabbed me and held me up.

  “No time for that now. Rael is here and he is looking for you.”

  I caught my breath as I leaned against the wall. I realized that even Maelstrom had its limits. I shook my head and focused.

  “The others, Meja—”

  “Are off-plane and you need to get out of here. I don’t think you are ready to face the Harbinger yet. Here, take this.”

  He handed me a small metallic rectangle the size of a business card.

  “That is keyed to Meja. Wherever she is it will take you to her,” he said.

  “They aren’t dead?” I said as relief and disbelief overwhelmed me.

  “I would know if she were— she isn’t, at least. I don’t know about the others. You need to get to her.”

  I nodded. They were alive? I thought I had lost them all. I thought I was alone again.

  “That is an area wide retriever. It works within a fifty-foot circle. Do you know what that means?”

  “I should be alone when I use it?”

  “Unless you need to move a group, yes you need to be alone to use it,” said Devin.

  I fingered the small rectangle. It had a small depression in the center just the right size for a fingertip.

  “You can’t use it in here, too many energies dampening it. Need to get you out of the dojo. Once you are clear you put your thumb in the space and don’t remove it, understand? Don’t take your finger off of it once in transit.”

  I heard the words but they didn’t register right away. He shook me once.

  “Yeah, yes, I got it, finger in depression once I’m out of dojo,” I said.

  “We need to get out of here. Monique and Rael are about to get at it and I don’t think this area of the complex is going to survive that confrontation,” said Devin.

  He headed down the tunnel and I followed.

  “Can she take him?” I said.

  “She’s strong. He’s stronger. He also has Lucius giving him power and an unlimited supply of Gyrevex and those things are impossible to get rid of, you kill one and he gets two more. There must be ten in the complex and they are all heading for Rael now,” said Devin as he took several turns and the tunnel dipped and then rose. We came to a dead end.

  “I’ve seen them,” I said as the memory of the giants flashed in my mind.

  “If you ever have to fight them, remember the neck, throat and eyes are their only weak points. It won’t kill them outright but it should make it easier to take them out,” he said. “Oh and don’t get hit by the bells they carry. It’s not pretty.”

  He was feeling around the surface of the wall as he spoke, until he found the notch he was looking for.

  “I haven’t used these tunnels in years,” he said as he opened a door that led to the dojo complex.

  “You go out this door and keep right. It will take you to an exit from the dojo,” he said.

  He took off a small backpack he was carrying and handed it to me.

  “Here you go. Some clothes, money and something you might need,” he said.

  I changed into my clothes and felt around the backpack until I found the rectangular object at the bottom, Mariko’s fan. I tucked it into one of my side pockets.

  “I would suggest heading to an open area to use that,” he said, pointing at the retriever. “Central Park would be good. Should be far enough from here to avoid any interference and mostly empty at this hour.”

  “You aren’t coming with me?” I said.

  “I have to go back. Monique is outclassed. She may be deluded and twisted, but I can’t let Rael kill her.”

  “Why not?” I had no problem with letting Monique get erased by Rael. “She attacked us, poisoned Meja and the rest of us,” I said. I could sense the anger surfacing.

  “She’s been tricked and lied to just like you were. She thought she was hunting and stopping traitors who want to destroy the Warriors of the Way and take over the plane. Can you blame her?”

  “Yes I can,” I said.

  “Moments ago you weren’t sure if you could trust me, would you have attacked?”

  I thought about it and he was right. I would have attacked him if he hadn’t spoken and convinced me.

  “I thought so,” he said and smiled. “There is one more reason I can’t let her die,” he said as he pushed me out of the doorway and into the dojo complex.

  “What?”

  “I’m a Warrior of the Way,” he said. “And she’s my wife.”

  “She’s your what? Are you insane?” I said, incredulous.

  “It’s complicated. No time to explain now. Get to the others, I’ll see you soon,” he said as he closed the door.

  I could hear him running back
. I was in the hallway wearing a reader’s robes. I stayed to the right and saw the corridor that would lead to the exit. There was only one small problem. Not all of the Gyrevex were heading toward Rael. The door was blocked by three of them.

  THIRTY-EIGHT

  THE HEALER LED Sylk to the clearing. It was a large stone circle surrounded by trees. In the center of the circle was the mark of the Rah Ven. It looked similar to Grawl’s mark, a fang ending in the head of a Rah Ven. With this mark being more intricate. Upon closer inspection Sylk noticed two concentric circles inside the larger stone circle. This is a tré. Is it still active? It looks intact. He examined the tré to make sure that each of the circles remained unbroken. How did a tré get here?

  One of the older Rah Ven stood in the center of the circle. He called both Sylk and Cane to the center of it. His arms and face were covered in scars.

  “My name is Arnas and I will be the center of the circle for this ritual,” said the old warrior.

  He turned to face Cane. “What are the conditions? First blood, concession or death? As challenger it is your choice.”

  Cane took a moment to assess Sylk. His eyes shone with malice as he spoke. He turned to the assembled Rah Ven.

  “I did not wish this outcome, but Grawl, our leader, has left us no choice,” said Cane. “He dared to insult us by sending a two-legged as his proxy.”

  Many in the crowd growled their agreement.

  “He has a blood scar, and yes, he bears our mark, but he is not Rah Ven!”

  The voices in the crowd were growing louder, agreeing with Cane.

  Cane turned to Arnas.

  “To uphold my family’s honor and the honor of this pack, I choose death,” said Cane.

  “Death it is,” said Arnas. “Let it be noted that this ritual will be to the death. Only one can exit this circle alive,” said Arnas.

  Arnas turned to Sylk. “What say you, what shall be the weapon?”

  Sylk turned to the crowd. Most looked at him with hatred or disgust, some however seemed sympathetic.

  “I was sent here by Grawl.” The crafty old dog. “Because my companions suffered from a poison only the wise Rah Ven had the cure to. He made me give him my word that I would bring the sword to those who hunt Rah Ven young and bind them against their will across the planes. Even if it costs me my life I am sworn to hunt the night shadows,” said Sylk.