The Mark (Chi Warriors Book 1)

by Ino Lee

  She refocused on the immediate threat and slashed at the mutated ninja. The lo-shur turned and blocked, then stepped away as Li pressed. It parried his attack, as well as several more from Tae, and retreated to a safe distance. It then lowered its sword and stood still with both palms up, grinning unnervingly and daring them to attack.

  Numerous dark ninjas swarmed in from behind it and pounced.

  “It’s getting a little crowded in here,” Tae snapped as she held off a ninja.

  They fell back. The lo-shur ninja jumped to the forefront of the wave. More dark ninjas joined the fray to crowd them, and soon they were no longer falling back, but running in full retreat.

  “We need to find a smaller passage . . . so they can’t get around us,” Tae said.

  Li knocked back the lo-shur that was chasing him. He then motioned his hand forward and shifted the orb in front of them, looking for a narrower passageway to help contain the flow of ninjas. He saw none and kept on running, remembering that they had passed a thinner cavern artery earlier.

  Feeling the pressure of the ninjas build behind them, Tae flicked back a handful of cutting stars, causing several of their pursuers to stumble. Li followed by leaping off his feet and powering his Shaolin blade through the ceiling substructure, causing bits of debris to rain down behind him. More dark ninjas fell, but the tide kept advancing.

  Up ahead, Li saw what he was looking for—a break in the wall to an adjoining passageway.

  Tae saw it too and headed straight for it. She turned the corner and looked back for Li, who was trailing behind her. As he began to enter, the lo-shur ninja barreled into him and knocked him past the entrance. She called after him and tried to follow, but the bodies of dark ninjas filled the gap. She tried to hack past them, but every time she cut one down, another appeared. She was driven deeper into the passage.

  Li sprang to his feet after the lo-shur crashed into him. Upward he slashed—the Shaolin Sword ringing in the air and catching the demon’s blade. The demon’s sword glanced up and Li followed horizontally with a flash, slicing it in half. The lo-shur looked down at the broken shard and back-flipped safely away into the shelter of the ninja crowd.

  The entrance of the adjacent path was being flooded with bodies. Li desperately tried to fight his way back to Tae, but multiple dark ninjas impeded his path long enough for the lo-shur to return, this time with a naginata in hand. The demon burst from the crowd and swung hard with its polearm, forcing him back.

  The dark spirit’s naginata was as tall as the demon itself, with a long curved blade about half the length of the wooden staff to which it was attached. The weapon’s length gave the demon extra reach, forcing Li to alter his strategy. He needed to isolate himself with the lo-shur and move in close with his sword so that the naginata was a liability. Since he could not do this in a hallway filled with dark ninjas, he had to move on.

  “Run, Tae!” he yelled. “Separate!”

  He did not hear a response.

  Taking one last look at the adjacent path, he retreated down the corridor and hoped that Tae would make it on her own. He hated the idea of splitting up, but there was nothing he could do as long as the lo-shur was there. He would try to make his way back to her if he could, but first he had to focus on taking out the demon.

  The lo-shur followed closely behind. Li could feel the blade of the naginata barely missing his neck with each swipe. He would have to turn and fight soon, lest the demon slice him from behind.

  He came across the first adjoining passageway and risked it, knowing a dead end would cost him his life.

  The corridor was narrower than the one before it, so Li tested out the new battlefield by turning sharply into the lo-shur. He slipped in past the naginata and slashed at the demon’s body, but it stepped away without harm. They clashed weapons a few more times before the steel of the other ninjas joined the foray. Instead of engaging them in combat, however, he took off down the corridor again, encouraged by the improved battle conditions, though not enough to make a stand. He would pick and choose his fight, when the moment was just right.

  Ahead he saw a makeshift doorway to a larger room. The entrance was simply composed of a horizontal beam held up by two vertical pieces of lumber. His eyes widened. He lifted his sword firmly with both hands and jumped. The sword and its runes shimmered just before he cut through the beam with a rapid slice. The doorway buckled and part of the roof collapsed, filling the air with dirt and rock. Li slowed to a stop and shifted the light orb behind him, casting light on his handiwork.

  As the debris slowly settled, the outline of a single ninja began to materialize. It was the lo-shur ninja alone, with the others unable to make it through the collapsed entrance in time.

  Li glared at the demon, pleased by the turn of events. His look conveyed a message that could not be mistaken.

  He was no longer running.

  32

  WONG FLEW THROUGH the forest with his senses locked in on the mark. He breathed deeply and took in the scent of the forest; there was something about the night air that exhilarated him, something that warned him of the imminent danger around. He anticipated it, and almost found himself eager for it. The exhaustion from his previous tangle with the lo-shur melted away, and the only thing left now was his desire to reach Kai.

  The stillness of the forest gave way to movement and activity. Campfires appeared and the shadows of dagwais flickered about. Wong reached the outskirts of the Koon Gee encampment and approached with caution. This was bad news, he thought, for somewhere within all that activity lay Kai, with the fate of his other companions becoming even more precarious. He crept closer.

  There was commotion in the area. Soldiers rushed to and fro, and there was audible communication between them. Wong wasn’t sure what was happening, but one thing was certain—something agitated them. Were they looking for him? He had let a couple of lo-shur escape in spirit form and they had probably come back to warn the others. He pondered it for a moment longer and then was unsure. The soldiers didn’t appear to be looking for him.

  He snuck further inside the camp and stopped just short of a tunnel gateway. Some of the Koon Gee soldiers remained in front of the entrance while others ran inside it. This was an odd thing to do if they were guarding against him. There was a frantic nature in the way they carried themselves that made him believe something else was happening. Getting into the camp had been much too easy if they were really concerned about him and he had a feeling it had something to do with his friends.

  He emerged from hiding and swept openly toward the entrance. Trying to sneak in would take too long. If they didn’t know he was coming before, they would know now.

  Mixing in with the shadows, he attacked as a blur unto his enemies. Several dagwais collapsed as he ran through them. Shouts of warning erupted and when the soldiers finally realized what was happening, he had already reached the cavern opening.

  Just inside the entryway, Wong noticed heavy iron gates on both sides of the wall. Hurriedly, he swung them shut and latched them just as the dagwais outside pounced. Howling mad, they clawed at the gates and tried to force their way through, but the gates had been built to withstand powerful sieges.

  He turned, shifting his attention to the dagwais already inside the tunnel. A handful of them heard the commotion and came to investigate, only to see the gates being closed and their comrades locked out.

  They charged.

  Out flicked the Dragon Arm. Soon the Koon Gee lay motionless on the floor, while the Weapons Master surged deeper into the rocky complex.

  Li knocked aside a thrust of the naginata. He rushed in close with several quick slices and the demon reeled back, distancing itself briefly before pouncing again with the length of its weapon. Li circled and looked for a new point of attack.

  The demon provided an opening by thrusting its weapon, and Li took it. He moved in close and jumped into
it with a flying knee and elbow, knocking the demon off its feet. The demon rolled away, sprung up again, and raised its weapon defensively. Li pressed on, cracking his weapon against the ninja’s polearm. Unbalanced, the lo-shur gave up ground and was unable to take the offensive. It rethought its strategy and took off down the hall.

  Li pursued. The ninja ran slow enough for him to understand that it wasn’t trying to escape. Either it was leading him toward reinforcements or it was looking for a better place to make a stand, a tactic he himself employed just moments before.

  They navigated through a series of short twists and turns and emerged into a great chamber. Lit torches lined the walls, providing sufficient light to fight by, so Li let his light orb dissipate. The lo-shur ninja stopped and waited for him to advance. It postured, and then let out a terrifying shriek that echoed through the chamber and down its halls. Li wondered whether it was meant to frighten him or call for help. He decided it was meant to do both, but did not matter. He charged.

  The temple master approached with his sword angled upward, the balance of the weapon kept toward the hilt. He produced several short, quick strokes, never fully extending his blade. His attacks were more defensive in nature as he sought to move inside the reach of the naginata; keeping his strokes tight to the body allowed him greater strength for each block and quicker recovery from each swing.

  The backpedaling ninja thrust its spear out defensively. Li blocked and ran his blade up along the spear’s length, attempting to lock it in place. Midway through, he spun and grabbed onto the wooden handle, using it as leverage for a jumping back-kick into the ninja’s chest.

  The demon fell and lost its grip of the spear, freeing Li to spin again and hurl the weapon into its gut. The blow did not instantly kill it, giving the lo-shur time to separate from its body.

  Li would not let it get away.

  His sword flashed hot white as he leapt and cut straight through the midsection of the spirit, whose spectral flesh sizzled against the sword as if it had touched a hot wok. After following up with a couple more slashes, the spirit dissipated with a gasp.

  At that moment, a draft of air swept through the room and blew out the torches, stranding Li in complete darkness. He could sense movement all around him and grew uneasy. Ninjas flooded into the chamber from every entrance to block his escape. The lo-shur’s earlier call had been answered.

  Li tightened his grip on the Sword of Shaolin, causing its blade to buzz again with a dim light. By its glow, he could see the outlines of ninjas advancing. He shifted back and forth nervously, holding out a hand in one direction and his sword in the opposite, trying to get a handle on what he was facing and making sure he wasn’t taken from the blindside. The creatures moved in slowly, step by step, until he could almost feel them upon him.

  In the center of the chamber sparked a bright ball of light, instantly halting the ninjas’ approach and sending them back a few steps. The ensuing vision, however, shocked Li. Worry draped across his face. He was completely surrounded by a wall of ninjas.

  Swords and cutting weapons of every size and shape shimmered in the light of the orb. The ninjas shielded their blood-red eyes from the light, hissing and cursing at the Shoukui of Shaolin. He stood as a pillar of light, alone in a sea of darkness. There were many more enemies than he could count, as bodies filled every corner of the massive hall. With little room to maneuver in, he would have difficulty evading them all. There was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. His only option was to fight.

  He advanced a step and the crowd shifted in response: a step to the left, and the circle of ninjas shifted to the left; a step to the right, and the ninjas shifted right. With every movement, the ninjas followed in tune and kept just out of reach of his sword. They waited for the right moment to attack, drawing out the confrontation as if to savor every moment of the kill.

  Growing weary of their game, Li remained still and waited for them to make a move instead. Silence canvassed the area. He closed his eyes and raised his sword, ready to pounce at the first sound of movement. He heard the shuffle of footsteps, the clatter of metal, and even the sound of nervous breathing. Suddenly, heavy footsteps.

  A ninja lunged at him, but he immediately turned to cut it down. The action triggered a collapse of the circle as the ninjas moved in for attack, but Li killed two more with several swift movements. They backed away and encircled him once again.

  Their brief skirmish had been just that—the first few drops fallen from a heavy thundercloud. They stood silently again, Li alone in the center of a terrible horde, neither party willing to make a move. Soon lightening would strike, the thunderclouds would break, and a hostile downpour would engulf them in a flood of violence.

  Finally lightening struck—though neither party budged.

  Toward a darkened corner of the great chamber, untouched by Li’s light, sprang to life two balls of fire. The dual flames floated parallel to each other, suspended midair. They approached, moving closer, and then danced in a circular orbit. Ninjas began to catch fire and drop around them.

  Li took heart, for he knew what it was that he saw. Between the dual flames glowed the runes of the Dragon Arm, both of its ends ablaze with dragon fire.

  He took the cue and rushed forward, engaging the distracted ninjas. He would cut a path to his brother, and together they would fight their way out.

  The Dragon Arm spun wildly around the Weapons Master, its trailing flames encompassing him in a ring of fire. Wong leapt and swung the staff, thrusting its flames forward as a ball of fire that took on the form of a lunging dragon. The fire burst into a group of ninjas and instantly ignited them. He knocked his way past them.

  Li moved swiftly on the other end, his cool white light a contrast from the fiery blaze surrounding Wong. He wasted little time getting to him and they soon stood face to face.

  They exchanged a quick glance, grinned, and then stood with their backs to each other, guarding against attack. The ninjas backed off slightly, after seeing their opportunity to strike from behind squandered.

  “Am I late?” Wong quipped.

  “It is good to see you,” Li said meaningfully.

  He exchanged quick parries with a pair of ninjas and pushed them back.

  “Quite a mess you’ve gotten yourself into,” Wong said.

  “I suggest we make for an exit.”

  “Follow me. We make for Kai.”

  Li’s spirits lifted at Wong’s words. His search for Kai up to this point had been aimless and haphazard, and his main focus had been reduced to mere survival. But now, with Wong’s sense of the mark, they had a real chance of finding Kai.

  Wong whipped the Dragon Arm and slammed one end to the ground. Flames exploded on impact and a trail of fire shot forward, igniting the ground ahead of them and scattering the ninjas. Wong and Li followed in its destructive wake and made for an exit.

  Ninjas moved in to block them. Resistance grew thick and their forward progress was in danger of being stalled.

  “Switch,” Wong yelled.

  Immediately Wong reversed directions and swept toward the ninjas trailing behind. Li lunged forward, past Wong, extending his brilliant white orb ahead of him. He cut into the line of ninjas that were taken aback by the sudden change of pace, and broke through. Their forward progress was restored, with Li now leading the charge.

  They tried to slip past their enemies whenever possible, but were forced to hack and slash their way at points. As soon as they became bogged down again, they switched places like before, a tactic they had perfected over the years. When they finally reached the exit, they rushed down the hallway, but not before Wong sent another plume of fire into the doorway to buy them some time.

  A few seconds later, ninjas funneled into the corridor after them.

  The fire extinguished on the Dragon Arm and two blades sprouted to take its place. Li kept up his light orb and moved it
ahead to reveal several adjoining passageways.

  “Which way?” Li asked.

  “Left. Let’s lose the ninjas first. Cut your light.”

  Li snuffed the light orb but the hallways were still lit with wall lanterns. He sheathed his sword and held out both arms, extinguishing a set of lanterns with chi, but more could be seen ahead.

  “Don’t worry about that,” Wong blurted. “I have smoke.”

  He reached into his pockets and threw several ninja pellets to the ground. They exploded on impact and smoke filled the passageway, shielding them from the ninjas’ view. They cut sharply into a passageway after passing up another and ran at length before Wong stopped and looked back again.

  “No one’s following, though they’re probably not far. I wish I had my indoor gear.”

  Li nodded. They took a moment to regain their breath.

  Wong spoke again. “I was tracking Kai when I heard a lo-shur ninja’s battle cry. That’s how I found you, but where’s everyone else?”

  “After you left us in the forest, two lo-shur zhuks caught up to us. Zhozang did not survive. We were scattered and lost Han and Kai. Tae and I tracked them here but we were attacked.”

  “Tae? Where is she?”

  “We were separated. There were too many ninjas,” he said in a downcast voice.

  Wong’s shoulders dropped and he did not respond. He had already thought his friends dead, but after finding Li, his hopes had renewed. He wanted more now—to find them all alive. Perhaps that was too much to hope for.

  The tunnels resonated with activity.

  Li cast a wary eye behind them. “We have to find Kai and get him out of here. That is all we can do.”

  Wong nodded sadly. “This way,” he said. He started walking again.

  Li stared at his brother, happy to have his company despite the circumstances.

  “Chin up, brother. The night is turning in our favor. We will find them.”