by Ino Lee
The zhuk firmly grasped its weapon and plowed into the earth with a two-handed swing that sent a blast of rock and dirt in Tae’s direction. The debris sprayed across the room, hitting her and knocking her back. Kai, too, fell from the cloud of rubble.
The zhuk charged and plucked the arrow from its flesh. It was about to toss the weapon away when it changed its mind and held on—it would use the very same arrow to impale Tae.
Wong recognized the danger but was not fast enough to catch up, so he reached for a cutting disc and let it fly. The disc wrapped around one of the beast’s legs and caused it to stumble headfirst, but the momentum pulled Wong off his feet too, as the other end of the cable was still attached to his side. He slammed into the ground and lost the Dragon Arm. Frantically, he tried to detach the cable, but when he looked up he already knew it was too late.
“That’s not good,” he said.
The zhuk took hold of the cable and yanked, dragging him for several yards. Rising to its feet, it pulled again, dragging him even closer as he struggled to regain his balance. He tried to resist by pressing back with both feet, but the zhuk was too strong. The beast elevated its mace and prepared to pound him over the head as it reeled him within reach.
On the final heave, Wong switched gears—instead of pulling back on the cable, he darted forward, overtaking the creature before it could get its weapon down.
He leapt onto the zhuk’s shoulder and scampered across its back, wrapping the cable around its neck like a noose. The beast shifted and tried to shake him off, but he tightened the cable to hold on. He pulled on the line and cut into its skin while trying to strangle it, but the beast thrashed about and managed to slip a hand underneath the cable. Sensing his loosening grip, Wong desperately reached over and punched it repeatedly in the head.
The zhuk tore Wong off its back by pulling onto the cable that was still attached to his side, hanging him midair. With a single arm overhead, it whirled him around by the cable over and over again, until it finally let go and sent him flying into a wall across the room. Wong grunted and collapsed to the floor.
“Wong!” Li called out.
He wanted to run over and help, but the ninja’s sword approached his head and forced him to defend. Han added several swings that caused him to tumble back in retreat.
“There is more than enough for you here,” Han taunted.
Tae recovered from her hit and brushed the rubble off her face. She first looked at Kai, who had risen to his feet, and then over at Wong, who had just crumpled to the ground. Not far away, the zhuk moved in his direction. He needed help.
Rising to her feet too, she called out to Kai. “Stay here.”
She charged and thought to divert the beast from Wong. Reaching into her quiver, she grabbed an arrow.
“Aye!” she yelled.
After firing a head shot, she swerved away. The zhuk raised its club and the arrow glanced off harmlessly, but she got its attention. The beast turned and followed, running parallel to her.
She aimed high again and tricked the creature into raising its mace defensively, but then shifted low and shot its leg. The arrow stuck and the beast groaned and stumbled to a halt, though it did not go down.
The zhuk grimaced.
If she wanted to fire projectiles, then so be it.
Lifting its mace high overhead, it hammered down on the stone floor repeatedly, causing it to break apart and shatter. It reached into its newly created pile of rubble and chose a fractured segment, launching it with a mighty heave.
Tae ducked the projectile and watched it explode to dust when it hit the wall behind her. Her eyes widened at the prospect of a direct hit. Another large piece followed and she dove out of the way.
Han and the ninja attacked Li relentlessly. They kept him busy by alternating their attacks, allowing the other to constantly remain in position to block off his path to the radiance pool.
At a pause in the action, Li glanced toward his brother and saw that Tae had come to his aid. He thought to go over and help, but doing so would only free Han to join the battle, making things arguably worse. His best chance to help them was to destroy the pool.
The fight continued. The ninja wanted to do more than just keep him at bay, so it tried to get around him from the weak side for a killing stroke. Li felt the pressure coming and moved where the pressure dictated, threatening to skirt around Han. The sumo backed off to guard against this, and the ninja’s weak side attack unraveled.
Once again, they were at a stalemate. Li knew he could always use the radiance pool to his advantage by positioning himself correctly, but what he needed was a way to break through.
Kai kept away from the battle just as he was directed. He took a step back and watched Tae dodge rocks while Li exchanged strikes with multiple adversaries. He wanted to help and wished he could do something more, but without the needle gauntlet, he was powerless. His eye wandered helplessly toward the various weapons hanging on the walls, knowing they would be of little use in his hands. Perhaps he could summon the inner fire that allowed him to vanquish the lo-shur earlier, but it had happened spontaneously and he was unsure of how he could evoke it again.
He looked around and spotted Wong stirring. He wanted to run to him, but something closer caused him to stop. It was difficult to hear, but it sounded as if a shrill voice echoed from afar—a high note carried on a waft of air.
He concentrated on finding its source and settled in on the doorway closest to him. Nothing could be seen through the opening or into the space beyond. The sound grew stronger. It was then that he realized that what he was listening to was not a single voice, but a chorus of voices.
Air brushed past his face. The once light and eerie note now turned raw and disharmonious; a cacophony of dagwais headed their way. He recognized the sound from being chased through the forest and turned to call for help, but no one was free. The shrieks grew louder and his heartbeat accelerated.
He examined the massive doorframe in front of him and knew what must be done.
Tae dived and rolled on the ground, evading one stone slab that landed next to her and another that sailed over her head. She came up from her roll with an arrow in hand and quickly fired. The zhuk smacked it away with the back of its fist and reached down for more ammunition, never dropping its gaze from its wily target.
It grabbed a handful of smaller fragments and fired them together, creating a spray of pellets that were harder to dodge. Tae stood her ground and kept her eyes locked on the projectiles. She batted one aside with her bow, and then a second, arching her body to avoid the rest. Pellets crackled against the walls and floor when a stray pellet ricocheted into her abdomen, knocking the air out of her. She gasped and crouched on the floor for a moment to regain her breath.
She stood, slinging the bow over her shoulder and unsheathing her sword, preferring to save the arrows for when they could be used more effectively; the zhuk, after all, had more ammunition than she did. The beast took this as a challenge for hand-to-hand combat and charged, growing weary of rock flinging.
Wong stumbled to his feet, dizzy and bruised. He gathered his senses and took note of the battle in front of him. The Dragon Arm lay on the floor where Tae and the zhuk fought. He quickly glanced at the wall behind him.
His eyes brightened when he spotted a giant shuriken hanging nearby. It was star shaped with blades that made it almost twice the width of his body. He retrieved the weapon from the wall and grabbed it by the blunt throwing end, readying it for flight. His target was the zhuk, which was angled toward him in the distance, its sights set on pulverizing Tae. He leveled it off, ran forward, and spun around to launch the giant blade.
It whistled deeply through the air on a collision course with the beast’s neck. With its senses heightened by the lo-shur, however, the zhuk detected the sound of the blade in time to duck. But while the beast was able to spare its neck, it did not escape
completely unscathed as one of its horns was clipped in the process. The severed end clattered to the ground.
The zhuk reached up and rubbed the nub of its once proud horn, casting an icy glare at Wong. It was time to focus on a new enemy.
“I think that got its attention,” Wong muttered.
He raced back to the wall and removed a long spear, a lightweight option that would add length to his attack without sacrificing speed. The zhuk noted his selection and approached.
The heavy metal door creaked as Kai leaned into it with the full weight of his body. Years of neglect caused its hinges to dry up and rust, making it difficult to move. After finally managing to close the first half of the gates, he frantically moved onto the second half. He could hear the rampaging army growing closer and worried he wouldn’t make it in time. When the door finally stopped shut, the clamor of the enemy was instantly muffled, providing him a brief moment of relief.
It was then that he realized he had another problem—the gates had to be locked. He looked to the right and saw a thick metal bar leaning against the wall that could be used to secure the doors. Too heavy to lift up at once, he dragged the bar in place and lifted one edge at a time, fitting them into their respective slots on the doors.
He stepped back uncertainly to examine his handiwork. A moment later, a loud thud hit the door. It was followed by another, and then another, until it became a constant reign of blows.
Kai backed away, afraid, worried that the barrier might give way. He looked for a safer place to hide and spotted the staircase above the main structure.
Wong moved within striking distance of the zhuk. Tae stood off to the side with her sword out.
“Help Li,” Wong urged.
They exchanged brief glances and Tae understood—destroying the radiance pool was more important than fighting the zhuk. She moved away, leaving Wong and the zhuk alone.
The Weapons Master moved in quickly with his spear, repeatedly probing and stabbing at the zhuk’s defenses. The zhuk backed away, annoyed, and finding it difficult to keep pace. Every time it swung or blocked with its heavy mace, the spear offered little resistance and came back stinging.
Frustrated, it charged and swung away, deciding to overpower the Weapons Master with its superior strength. Wong stuck out his spear to halt its progress, but the zhuk batted it aside. The spear ricocheted violently, allowing Wong to use its momentum to step back and jump, spinning in the air, following through with the spear’s motion in his backhand. The blade caught the advancing zhuk’s shoulder and sliced it.
Fighting through the pain, the beast moved in with its mace and hammered. Wong leapt back and rolled to avoid the blow. Still it advanced, but Wong was able to scramble to his feet and lunge with his spear, piercing it in the abdomen. The zhuk grabbed onto the shaft of the weapon as it stabbed its body and did not let go. It slammed down on the remaining portion of the spear and snapped it in half, then followed with a backhand swing that sent Wong flying back twenty feet.
Wong lifted his head when he landed to see if the zhuk pursued, but it held its ground and removed the spear fragment that was stuck in its flesh; it appeared that the zhuk was even less eager to fight than he was, needing a moment to lick its wounds. Unable to get to his feet, Wong crawled back on the floor to put some distance between them, still reeling from the hit.
He glanced over at the Dragon Arm, still too far away for him to reach, and wished it was in his hands. He had Tae’s sword on his back, the cutting chain, and a few small projectiles. Something more was needed. He looked up at the wall for a new weapon, knowing the next encounter would not end until one of them was dead.
Han followed every move that Li made with a counter move that blocked his path to the radiance pool. They locked eyes, daring each other to react while searching for a hint of movement that would give away their next step.
The ninja rushed. Li brought his weapon up to meet it, parried twice, and stepped away, having to turn slightly to fend off a new round of attacks by Han. Once again, the action was fierce, making Li wonder if he was strong enough to beat them. Perhaps it was that shred of doubt that caused him to stumble back, losing his balance after clashing weapons with Han.
The ninja jumped at the opportunity and moved in for the kill, but abruptly stopped and raised its sword in defense. The unexpected twang of metal clinked as ninja stars bounced off its weapon.
“Two against one is a little unfair,” Tae said.
She moved in and sliced at the ninja to create some distance while Li returned to his feet.
“Impeccable timing,” Li said. He looked up at his enemies with renewed enthusiasm. “Space them apart. If you take out the ninja go for the pool.”
She nodded and advanced, striking swords with the ninja and then veering to pull it away.
Li was glad to finally fight Han alone. He took a deep breath and advanced, while Han backpedaled toward the door to protect it. When the sumo reached a safe distance, he planted his feet and held his ground, keeping Li back with several powerful swings. Using a single arm, he manipulated the hefty weapon with ease.
Li found it difficult to fight against. He could not effectively block the weapon and he had already tried to cut through it. Fighting him was pointless—he just had to get around him. If he could knock the sumo off balance, he would be able to get to the pool.
He lunged toward the sumo and backed away, drawing him into an attack. Dodging one swing and then another, he saw an opening and leapt forward with both feet, drop kicking him squarely in the chest. Han was jarred back a couple of steps, but did not fall. He quickly regained his balance and postured at Li on the ground, laughing at his futility.
“Die!” he shouted, advancing and slamming his mace downward.
Li rolled away, feeling like he had just drop kicked the side of a mountain. Rising back to his feet, he decided on a new strategy. He would not be able to take Han alone.
As Han swung at him, Li focused on the dagger still sticking out of his mace, something he had thrown at the sumo on top of the mountain. He dodged a couple of swings and never took his eyes off it. Finally, on a well-timed pass, he reached out and dislodged the dagger, cocking it in his hand. But instead of throwing it at him, he flipped it back toward the ninja fighting Tae—if he could take out the ninja, Tae would be free to join him against Han.
The dagger sliced across the air and landed in back of the ninja’s leg, causing it to buckle. Tae lashed out with her sword. Though the ninja managed to block, it was thrown off balance. Sensing weakness, she moved in and repeatedly cracked her sword against the ninja’s, keeping it busy until she found an opening.
Its injured leg moved lazily.
She pressed forward and sliced downwards when it failed to move away in time. The ninja hissed and flailed wildly, falling back to its knees.
From somewhere down the hallway they heard a deep groan. The ninja grinned. Shadow lifted from its body just as Tae’s sword plunged into its chest, and the freed spirit immediately exited toward the sound.
Tae ran to the doorway to investigate and peered into the blackened corridors. She listened for a moment longer and then backed up, anxiety blanketing her face. Quickly, she slammed the siege doors shut and frantically secured them in place with a metal bar. She moved away cautiously, her sword held at the ready.
“It’s going to get crowded in here,” she yelled.
43
WONG ROSE FROM the floor and winced in pain. He hobbled toward the nearest wall and spotted two double-bladed hand axes. He grabbed one in each hand and smacked them together, using the ring to gauge the quality of the steel. The sound invigorated him. The dusty metal relics were small but well-balanced and in good condition. Satisfied, he squared off against the zhuk and kept light on his feet.
The zhuk approached cautiously at first—in part because of its wounds, in part because it was unsure
of what Wong would do with those axes. It swiped at him repeatedly, being careful not to let him come in close. Since Wong’s axes did not have the same reach as the spear, keeping him at a distance seemed the best course of action.
The siege doors nearest Tae burst open and a second lo-shur-mutated zhuk crashed headfirst through it, popping the doors off their hinges. The tide of the battle turned in an instant.
Wong’s heart instantly sank at the sight. A pang of hopelessness shot through his body, but as soon as it came, it left, and a new sense of urgency took its place. He saw the zhuk, the danger to Tae, and his Dragon Arm on the floor.
A glimmer of fire sparked in his eyes.
As soon as the zhuk nearest him turned back from the distraction, he whipped an axe toward its face with a left underhand. The blade spun deliberately in the air and sliced upward, but the zhuk was able to lean back in time to avoid it. Wong’s intention, however, was not to hit it, but to distract it. Immediately after releasing the first axe with his left hand, he recoiled with the second in his right. The zhuk, having turned its head up, did not see the blade coming and the axe head hit just above its kneecap. The beast howled in pain and dropped to the floor.
The Weapons Master dashed past his crippled foe and made straight for the Dragon Arm, diving on the floor for it and rolling up to confront a new wave of attackers. Koon Gee troops flooded in behind the zhuk.
“Take cover,” Wong yelled to Tae.
The runes on the Dragon Arm glowed hot white and then turned ominously red. Wong whirled the staff in his hands and leapt upward, spinning in the air with flames of chi smoking from his eyes. The ends of his weapon caught fire and encircled him. At the pinnacle of his leap, he lashed out his weapon and sent a giant fireball forward. The flame seemed to grow midair, and once again took on the form of the dragon from which the weapon was forged.
Tae dove to the ground while the zhuk braced itself by hunching over and crossing its arms over its head. The fireball plunged into the beast, engulfing it in flames and setting the nearby Koon Gee soldiers on fire.
