by Ino Lee
Kai tugged at her arm and pointed. “It’s that way.”
Tae had almost forgotten that he would know. She stooped down to his level.
“Do you remember exactly where?”
“No. Not sure.”
Wong started moving in the direction Kai indicated.
“That’s good enough for me,” he said with a smile. “I won’t doubt you.”
Just then a patrol of dark ninjas rounded the corner.
Wong calmly looked at Kai. “Want to get this?”
40
LI FLASHED HIS sword back and forth, using it as a threat to ward off his enemies, though deep down inside he knew how useless a gesture it was. His enemies outnumbered him and were too powerful to take on at once. He likened himself to a cornered animal that flared its claws out of desperation and shook his head at the thought. He could not let the latest setback discourage him.
He examined his enemies one by one. Han stood at the forefront, holding his mace out with one hand and using it to pound the other as a form of intimidation. His throwing knife still stuck out of the weapon, giving it a hackneyed and barbaric look. A smirk remained stretched across the sumo’s face. Li smirked back, knowing that he might be able to reconnect with Han’s true spirit now that the nearest radiance pool lay in tatters.
Behind Han lumbered the zhuk, which his spiritual powers could do nothing against. The zhuk’s anger had diminished. Either its injuries from fire began to affect it or its adrenaline rush was wearing thin. Still, he could not become complacent toward the beast; the memory of being flung over the treetops by a similar monstrosity was still fresh in his mind.
The dark ninja trailed behind. In contrast to the others, the ninja seemed small and inconsequential, but alone it was enough of a match for him, and its quickness was the perfect compliment to the strength of Han and the zhuk.
Scanning the crater, he formulated a plan of attack. Open ground did not suit him well so he looked for a way out. He could scale the walls and bring the fight to the mountainside, but that would lead him further away from the other radiance pool, which was probably hidden somewhere inside. His best option was to head back down the stairs that brought him out. The long winding staircase would make for a favorable fighting platform.
He glanced at the opening and calculated his approach. Because the zhuk and ninja were in the perfect position to cut him off, he would have to disguise his intentions by rolling away from them initially while waiting for a path to the staircase to open up. He hesitated for a second and then made his move.
As soon as he took his first step, he noticed something wrong and stopped—Han’s head abruptly shifted to his right. He was clearly distracted, as if something was happening from afar. Li’s thoughts immediately focused on his brother. Had Wong found Kai? Whatever was happening seemed to weigh heavily on Han’s mind, and finding Kai would certainly be of great concern.
Han motioned to his comrades and then took off toward the stairwell, abandoning the fight. The zhuk followed, leaving the mutated ninja behind. It stood in his path and waited.
The Shoukui charged. If Han and the zhuk were headed to his brother, then he would follow them there. He exchanged sword blows briefly with the ninja and lunged for a killing stroke, but the ninja adeptly parried the blow and countered with a sidekick to his chest and a roundhouse to his head. The attack knocked him back a couple steps and the ninja pounced with several more slashes, but he was able to regain his composure in time to defend.
He was pressing too hard and the mistake almost cost him. The ninja was still a lo-shur after all; killing it would not be easy. Han and the zhuk were getting away, so he decided to cut his losses.
Rushing toward the ninja, he pressured it to the right, then broke left for the stairwell without engaging it further. The ninja pursued.
He reached the stairwell and dropped onto the secondary platform, bypassing the first set of stairs. Peering over the side, he could see Han and the zhuk winding down below. He skipped another set of stairs, hoping to catch up, but the ninja dropped in front of him. The demon scowled and charged, but Li evaded it by hopping over the railing and dropping down another level. The ninja adjusted and altered course, forcing Li to engage.
Now having the advantage of higher ground, the ninja backed the Shoukui downwards. Feeling vulnerable, Li retaliated by striking where his lower position dictated—its feet. He defensively parried a couple strikes and then slashed offensively, hoping to sever it at the ankles. The ninja jumped frantically away, tumbling over the side of the stairs to a lower landing, happy to still have its feet.
Li glanced down again and saw Han and the zhuk exiting the stairwell. He hurried after them, pressing back the ninja and then jumping to another landing. Soon he was on the same floor with the supply rooms and barracks, and guessed he should still be going down. He took the adjacent staircase and reached the bottom. There was only one path out, so he took it.
He flew down the hallway and never looked back. He could hear Han and the zhuk ahead of him and the footsteps of the ninja behind him. He did not fully understand what was happening or know where he was going, but he had little choice in the matter. And while he felt he should have had a better plan in place than being sandwiched between lo-shur demons, he was partially relieved there was no decision to make. He would just let the natural course of events unfold.
He traversed deeper into the mountain, seemingly in the direction of where Wong left in search of Kai. He couldn’t tell for sure after having navigated through so many passageways, but it made sense to him and reaffirmed his suspicions. Nothing else but Kai would have caused them to abandon their fight so suddenly. He was the only thing more important to them then being able to rid themselves of a cornered and outmatched Shoukui.
The passageway ahead split. He slowed his pace, unsure of which direction to take, and listened for the zhuk to point him in the right direction. Sure enough, he could hear rumbling coming down from one of the corridors. The drop in his velocity, however, enabled the lo-shur ninja to close the distance. It lunged but Li sidestepped it, its momentum carrying it past him so it was now in front. Li raced ahead and attacked, but the ninja back-flipped away.
When it reached a safe distance, it turned and screamed a warning down the hallway. Though Li was disappointed at the lost element of surprise, he did not think much else of it. If Han and the zhuk were truly pursuing Kai, they would not stop now even if they knew he was coming.
He charged and swiped at the ninja, but instead of engaging it, he ran past it. He too knew what was at stake.
41
THE CORRIDORS BEGAN to look like one another. Kai was certain they were headed in the right direction, but was presently staring at a dead end.
“Sorry,” he said with frustration in his voice.
Tae held out a calming hand. “Don’t worry, Kai. I think we’re going the right way. Just try your best.”
They doubled back and looked for a new path.
Wong gave little thought to where they were going and left the navigation to Tae and Kai. After all, he had not seen the radiance pool and could offer little help finding it. Instead, he focused his attention on detecting the enemy, having come across a patrol just before. Although the ninjas offered little resistance, he knew more lurked around each corner.
Kai clung close to his side, just as he had done so often throughout their journey. He also reached out for Tae’s hand, longing for a feeling of security after being separated and trapped with the lo-shur. The thought of returning to the room where he was once held captive made him uneasy. He could still hear the gurgling of the radiance pool and feel the presence of the spirits in his mind. He squeezed Tae’s hand.
Tae looked down at Kai and wondered what he was thinking. She then glanced over to Wong and noted his pensiveness.
“So you’re still alive.”
W
ong grinned. “For now.”
“You can be happy about it, you know.”
“I am. It’s just that—” He held up a hand to halt their progress. He thought he heard something in the distance, but lost track of it. They continued again.
“That’s one way to change the subject,” she whispered.
Wong relented. “I know. I guess it’s been too long since I didn’t have to worry.” A shriek echoed in the distance. “Well, you know what I mean.”
They turned a corner and proceeded down another hall. The area began to look familiar to Kai. He could tell they were close.
Tae spoke again more thoughtfully. “You scared me back there. I thought you were dead.”
“I thought so too.”
She smiled. “Try to be more careful next time.”
“Try not to shoot poison darts at me.”
“It’s here,” Kai interrupted. “We’re almost here.”
“Where?” Wong asked.
“Down there,” he said, pointing. “There’s a small room inside a big one. It’s inside the small room.”
“Good. Nice work.”
He looked ahead and adjusted his grip on the Dragon Arm.
“Get ready. I doubt it’ll be left unguarded. I’m surprised there’s no one now.”
Tae spoke up. “There was nobody left when I took Kai. They left it unguarded.”
Wong was puzzled by her comment. “Describe the room. What do you remember of it?”
“It was small and enclosed, maybe just the width of this corridor. There was a door on it and it was connected to a much larger area with several different passages.”
“How big was the pool?”
“It took up maybe a quarter of the room.”
Wong frowned. “That’s much too small.”
“Too small for what?”
“For the lo-shur to reach us all the way in the forest. It would have to be much larger. No wonder it wasn’t guarded. There must be another.”
Tae’s eyes widened. “Another pool?”
“Yes.”
“The room seemed like a meeting place for the lo-shur. The pool could have been put there just for Kai. To turn him.”
“Makes sense.”
“What do we do, then?”
“We take care of this pool since we’re here and then I’m not sure.” He paused. “We find a way out.”
“And Han and Li?”
“We have to get Kai away first. It’s too dangerous to be here.”
“So we leave them?”
“I don’t know. You do.”
“And you?”
“Maybe I come back for them when it’s safe for us. I don’t know yet.”
Tae grew silent.
He placed a consoling hand on her shoulder. “We’ll worry about it when the time comes.”
She nodded.
They reached the room and entered cautiously. Everything was quiet.
Wong guessed the room served as a central command post in days past. Plenty of floor space allowed for unrestricted troop movement and two doorways other than the one they had just entered through could be seen—one on the right, and the other to the left. The passages tunneled away from the main room in different directions, enabling commanders to relay messages to all parts of the complex. Heavy seize doors could be used to seal the passageways in case of infiltration, inhibiting the spread of enemy troops throughout the compound.
“There it is,” Tae said.
She pointed at a tiny building housed inside of the massive room. A single door on it could be seen that opened to the room where Kai had been held captive. On either side of the building curved stairs that wound up behind it, to the top of the structure where a platform could be used to address troops.
Wong stepped in closer to investigate and noted more details. An expansive ceiling arched high above their heads. And while the rest of the room was empty, the walls were not; lanterns and ornate tapestries adorned them, along with a multitude of weapons that hung on racks. Though the weapons appeared in fair condition, they seemed placed there for decorative purposes rather than use as a functional weapons cache. It was the most elaborate room he had seen since he got there.
Just as he was about to head toward the radiance pool, he abruptly stopped.
“Something’s coming. It’s big,” he warned.
Tae could feel the earth rumbling beneath her feet. “Not again,” she said, the image of the lo-shur zhuk flashing through her mind.
Wong thought to close the siege doors but it was too late. A giant demonic beast burst through the doorway.
It rampaged toward them and blocked their path to the pool, looking as though it would attack at first, but then stopped short. It howled madly and held its ground with a threatening stance. Tae wondered if it was the same spirit they had first encountered in the forest.
Wong stepped out in front and waved them back. There was a tinge of uneasiness in his voice.
“Stay back. Let me handle this.”
He moved forward with his weapon ready. He crouched while approaching, looking for an angle of attack.
Tae sheathed her sword and pulled out her bow. From somewhere within, she summoned courage. She would not let such an adversary defeat her again. This time, they weren’t on the run or being chased by an army. They were on equal ground.
More footsteps could be heard from the same passageway as before.
“Han!” Kai warned.
Han appeared through the same doorway as the zhuk. He slowly approached, stopping well short of his beastly comrade. Wong noticed two things about his eyes: they were still black and they glanced at the structure with the radiance pool.
Something was wrong. Wong could read it in their actions. There was apprehension and hesitancy in their approach, caution he did not expect while he was in possession of Kai. Then, Li stepped through the doorway. Wong’s spirits instantly rose.
“Li!” he yelled.
The Shoukui glanced around the room and caught his eyes, elated.
“Brother, it is good to see you,” Li said.
He moved toward Wong and stopped, with the zhuk in between them, Han to the side. A smile stretched across Li’s face. Looking over, he nodded at Tae and grinned even further when he saw Kai standing nearby. They were both alive and Wong had found them after all.
The lo-shur ninja pursing Li finally entered the room and paused at the doorway.
“This will make for an interesting game,” Wong quipped.
The zhuk growled excitedly and shifted its attention back and forth.
Li spoke. “The radiance pool—I destroyed it, but there is another.”
Suddenly, everything made sense to Wong. His face brightened. “It’s in there,” he said, pointing to the central room with his staff.
Li’s face brightened as well. “How fortunate.”
Han took several steps closer to the radiance pool doorway to protect it.
“You will still have to go through this body. We are still more than a match for you.”
“Perhaps, but not when we get to that pool,” Li said. “And something in your voice tells me there isn’t another.”
“You shall not reach the pool. You cannot move me.”
“Figures out of all of us, it had to possess the fattest one,” Wong grumbled.
Han’s voice heightened with annoyance. “Patience, outcast. Your time will come.”
They eyed each other for several more awkward moments, neither party willing to make the first move.
Wong finally spoke. “Okay then. Let’s get to it.”
42
THE WEAPONS MASTER ran straight at the zhuk. The beast chopped downward with its mace and slammed the earth where he once stood. Instantly, Wong reappeared to the right and moved in wi
th his weapon flaring. The zhuk jumped high in the air to gain distance from the dual blades and prevent its legs from getting hacked out from underneath it. Once it landed, it attacked wildly with its weapon—powerful two-handed assaults that cracked the earth and turned Wong away.
Humbled by the gusts of air that rushed past his face with every swing, Wong backed off of his direct assault. He underestimated the strength and agility of the zhuk and felt foolish for attacking it head-on.
Li charged toward the radiance pool the second his brother moved, while Han stood in his path and waited. He attacked the sumo but then tried to sidestep and get around him—his goal was to destroy the radiance pool, not get into a lengthy battle. Han was wise to his tactic, however, and used his girth to block off his path. Li swiped and picked at his defenses, trying to knock him off balance to get past, but the sumo backed up toward the door, making it difficult to find an angle around.
Being restricted to the vicinity of the doorway put Han at a disadvantage since he could not move freely, but whatever advantage Li had disappeared when the lo-shur ninja joined the battle.
Tae’s hand quivered with the force she exerted on her bow. She took aim at the zhuk’s skull and released, letting Yaje silk snap between her fingers. The arrow felt good as it left her hand and appeared on target. It was about to hit when the zhuk jerked its head sideways and snapped with its jaw, splintering the arrow to pieces.
The beast fixed its eyes on her. It patiently watched as she fired off another round and simply lifted its mace to deflect the attack. It scowled, exposing long incisors, and began advancing in her direction. The sight of it was unnerving, but Tae calmly held her ground and reached for another arrow. The zhuk picked up its step.
Wong tried to intercept and divert the beast, but it swiped to keep him back.
Suddenly, the zhuk howled in pain. Weapons hanging on the walls rattled. When the beast shifted back toward Tae, Wong noted the source of its pain—an arrow lodged in the back of its shoulder.
