by Gene Curtis
LeOmi said, “Great. We will wait for everyone to return so we can go as a group.”
Everyone returned moments later. Samantha, looking at something on the surface of the water said, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
LeOmi turned to see what it was: a shark fin. It wasn’t Jaws, but it was heading straight for them. She ducked under. The fish was about ten feet long, small by shark standards, but nonetheless, it was an aquatic life support system for teeth. She pulled her sword and surfaced. “I’m going to engage it. Get away while you can.”
Ray said, “If it got in, there must be a hole.”
The female officer said as she was moving toward the exit, “Shark fin soup is traditional. This must be an aquarium.”
LeOmi said, “Great, where is my fish whisperer when I need him?” She ducked back under realizing that there was probably more than one down there. She looked around. There were no smaller fish for the shark to feed on and she didn’t remember seeing any the whole time they’d been in the water. It made sense for the smaller fish to stay as far away from the predator as they could.
The shark kept swimming side to side, slowly moving toward her and sizing her up. She prepared to strike and the major swam past her with something in his hand, right up to the shark. The creature’s attention turned aggressively toward the major. It went straight for his hand. He slammed the brown glob into the shark’s nose, poked its eye with a knife he had in his other hand and backed away quickly.
The shark turned away, started thrashing its head back and forth, totally losing interest in its attack. The major motioned that they should go up.
When their heads broke the surface, LeOmi asked, “What was that?”
“Shark sugar, my first diving instructor said that if you see a shark, you’re going to have plenty of it readily available. Just shove it in a nostril and that will distract the creature long enough for you to get away. It overwhelms their sense of smell and makes them unable to find you except by sight, which will also be a bit of a problem for it. We’re all wearing dark clothes, so we’re relatively safe for a few minutes. If any other sharks are in the area, they’ll head for the shark sugar, not us.” He pointed to the exit. “Shall we?”
They swam to the exit, dove down and went through the door. Just inside this room, a ladder was attached to the wall. The others were already climbing, so they followed. The officers were the first up the ladder. As they passed through the hatch, they stepped aside. A moment later, she heard a voice telling them to be quiet. She pulled out her sword, swiped it to the side and heard objects hit the floor. A moment later, she heard the sounds of scuffling. Naomi passed through the hatch and drew her sword from her belt. She started yelling. A burst of machine gun fire erupted and she quit shouting.
The major looked back down at LeOmi. She moved her sword and heard weapons fall to the floor again. The scuffle resumed.
Samantha and Rudy scrambled through the hatch and quickly joined the squabble. She moved her sword again. The altercation continued.
The major and Ray hurried up the ladder. She followed right behind them.
She was relieved to see Naomi and the officers had not been shot. There were more than a couple dozen crewmen battling with her team, none of them armed at this point. The room was small enough that the crewmen couldn’t get behind her team. She stepped to the front and began poking the ones she could reach.
Someone in the back yelled, “She is here! She is here!”
An object with a burning fuse sailed over their heads and landed behind them. Just before it hit, it began smoking profusely. As the smoke began filling the room, the crewmen began falling in groups. LeOmi’s team remained standing due to the oxy-caps providing oxygen to breathe.
Three men in the back, chewing something, looked frightened and then ran away.
She ran after them. The rest of the team followed her, Naomi bringing up the rear.
She followed them through the corridor, around several corners until they passed an elevator.
Samantha stopped, pushed the button and the doors opened. She said, “Hold up. I’m pretty sure I can rewire the panel to only go up. Watch my back.”
They all stopped. Samantha produced her utility tool and went to work on the panel. After a few minutes, she said, “Done, let’s go.”
They all stepped in. The button panel hung free on a rat’s nest of wires. When they were all in, she twisted a pair of stripped wires together and they began moving up. The doors did not close.
They reached the top floor without incident and stepped into the hall. There wasn’t a ladder or set of stairs in this section of the hall. LeOmi said, “Split up, find a ladder going up.”
Naomi headed to the right and said, “This way, if it is like below.”
“No telling, but this isn’t the elevator that goes to the top deck. We need to find it or a ladder. I’ll go this way.” She turned left and the guards followed her. The officers followed Naomi.
LeOmi found the ladder after the hall made two turns. She called, “Found it.”
Moments later, the officers came trotting up.
“Where is Naomi?”
The second officer turned around and said, “What? She was right behind me.”
“I’ll find her. You go ahead and get out.” She pointed to the guards. “They’ll get you to shore.”
Samantha said, “I’m going with you.”
LeOmi didn’t say anything. She just trotted off in the direction that Naomi had gone, sword at the ready. Samantha followed her.
They rounded five corners before coming to another elevator and not seeing Naomi. Samantha pushed the button for the elevator. The doors didn’t open. They waited, five minutes passed. The doors still didn’t open.
Samantha said, “I don’t think she got this far; the girls didn’t mention an elevator and said she was right behind them.”
They turned back, checking doors as they went. The rooms were all small, unoccupied bunk rooms. They found no signs of what could have happened to Naomi.
She turned back to where Samantha was and she was gone. She took two steps toward the second elevator and a hand from behind her with a rag in it quickly covered her face. It smelled like cleaning fluid. She started to position her sword for a rearward strike and lost consciousness.
* * *
Mark’s guards remanifested themselves and the two female officers to a vacant area between two warehouses. They were completely unfazed by the incident, indicating they most likely knew Lo Shon was a Magi, and what that meant.
Immediately, the two officers stripped out of their uniforms revealing the still wet jeans and tee shirts they were wearing underneath their ruse. The three guards did the same.
The first officer asked, “Where will the others reappear?”
The major said, “Most likely, back at Lo Shon’s shop.”
She gestured, “Lo Shon’s magic wagon is this way.” She turned and started running. The second officer followed her and the three guards followed her.
The wagon was parked just outside the warehouse district. The officers donned green headbands and hopped up onto the front seat, engaged the lever while the guards hopped on the back and the vehicle began moving.
They arrived at the herb shop, went inside and found that LeOmi, Samantha and Naomi weren’t there. Lo Shon was in the back room brewing something in something that looked like an ancient chemistry set.
The major said, “We have to go back for the others.”
“Patience, major. Xi Gong commands powerful magic, much more than I suspected. His magic must be countered, and we will need many reinforcements. They should be here at any time. I will need your help to get them onto the ship.”
The major moved to the table and watched. “Is there anything I can do to help you here?”
“This potion is almost complete. It will give Tactical Sight for a couple of hours, something that will be needed on the ship. There are many minor demons there. Though not powerful, they ca
n pose many problems.” He poured a thick, golden liquid from a jar into the simmering pot. “A little honey helps the medicine go down.” He grinned at the major.
* * *
LeOmi awoke strapped to a gurney, again. A crewman was standing beside her bed, holding up what looked like her vial of healing oil. She rolled her right foot and couldn’t feel it in her sock.
“What is this?” he asked.
“If you took it from my sock, it is healing oil. One drop on your forehead will heal all of your wounds.”
“So, Rainbow Dragon is a sorcerer.” He produced a knife and cut her forearm. Next, he removed the stopper from the tiny bottle and let a drop of the oil fall to her forehead. She fell asleep.
* * *
Lo Shon collected a couple dozen small bottles from a shelf and set them on the table. He proceeded to ladle the concoction into the bottles. “Major, do you have any of Mark’s bug bombs?”
“I don’t leave home without them.”
“May I equip my people with some?”
The major motioned for Ray and Rudy to put some on the table as he placed a handful there himself. He also placed a handful of oxy-caps on the table. “These provide oxygen for about an hour.”
“Ah, oxy-caps, excellent, excellent.”
He finished filling the last of the little bottles, went to a cupboard and returned with a purse-size cloth bag. He removed a little paper ball that looked like some type of firework. “Sleeping gas, throw it down hard to activate it. The oxy-caps will prevent the effects. That gives us a big advantage. Good idea.”
One of the workers from the front of the shop opened the door and said, “They are here, boss.”
“Great, send them in.”
* * *
LeOmi opened her eyes. She looked over at Samantha’s and Naomi’s beds. They were just waking up too.
Her guard was still there. When he noticed her awake, he came over and rubbed the spot where he had cut her.
“Healing oil is a good thing to have. Now, about your sword. It no longer works.”
“It only works in my hand. I will show you if you like.”
“Ha ha, you are very funny.”
He walked over to the phone on the wall, picked it up and said. “They are awake.” He listened a moment and said, “Yes, boss.”
Moments later, two more crewmen entered and they began wheeling the three beds out. They were taken down several corridors and ended up in a large room. Xi Gong was there, still looking young, waiting for them. The first mate stood beside him.
When the gurneys stopped, he rolled his Segway to their bedsides, examining each girl in turn. He moved away and asked, “Which of you can defeat me.”
Naomi said, “I can defeat you easily.”
Samantha said, “Not a problem.”
LeOmi asked, “Why would I want to defeat you? You have already defeated yourself.”
“Spunk, I like spunk. Now, how have I defeated myself?”
“You are trapped on this ship. You are neither flesh nor spirit and, as such, cannot enjoy the aspects of either. Your life is a misery that will last forever.”
“Ah, that is where you are wrong. To break the curse of this dark magic, I need only consume the flesh of the female warrior that can defeat me. You all will be tested and I will consume the flesh of the winner and become flesh again. I will marry the losers and once again enjoy those pleasures. You see, my plan is foolproof.”
The first mate, Storm of Energies, walked over and placed his hand on Naomi’s stomach. She convulsed and passed out. He moved to Samantha and did the same.
LeOmi said, “I think maybe you underestimate your opponents.”
He smiled as the first mate put his hand on her stomach.
She heard him say, “We will see,” just before she lost consciousness.
* * *
Lo Shon sat cross-legged on the flat roof of the warehouse peering over the short wall on the building’s perimeter. The ship was still in the harbor and it looked like the number of guards on the upper deck had been doubled, two dozen men now.
He said to Mark’s three guards sitting behind him, “I will engage one group in a long fight. The other guards will come to help. When it is clear, remanifest my army to the elevator door, one group at a time. Wait five minutes between each group to give the elevator enough time to return.”
Ray asked, “Why not remanifest everyone over and just take them out?”
“Ah, they would lose face if they could not defeat one old man. If an army attacks, they will sound an alarm. It is best to be sneaky.”
The major asked, “What exactly happened to Xi Gong?”
“A thousand years ago, Xi Gong was a prince. This was the time when the world was inside out, the burning times in the west. Demons roamed the Earth and considered men a plague that must be eradicated. Monks and Magi did battle with them and learned many ways to defeat them. They shared this knowledge among themselves in scrolls. Xi Gong sought glory; he wished his name to be remembered forever. His fifth column stole some scrolls and presented them to him. He studied and learned what he could, but he had little understanding. He led his army against a fire demon that was ravaging his lands. His army cornered the demon where two rivers meet. It offered to grant one wish if it was spared. Xi Gong made it known he wished to live forever. The demon granted his wish and humiliated him by telling him he would be defeated by a female warrior. His army thought that was very funny and abandoned him because that would cause them to lose face when it happened.”
* * *
LeOmi awoke to the clang of steel on steel. She was still strapped to the gurney, but now outside of a large metal cage. It looked like a prison cell, only much larger. The bars were flat, crisscrossed and riveted together at the intersections. Two men were engaged in a sword fight inside. One of the men was Storm of Energies. This was an arena.
The second man charged Storm of Energies. Storm sidestepped and touched the man on the head as he passed. The man fell to the floor.
Xi Gong, sitting in a wheelchair on the other side, clapped gleefully. “They are awake. I will do battle with the first one now.”
A crewman opened the gate and Storm of Energies exited. The downed man’s body was dragged out and Naomi’s gurney wheeled in. Her bonds were cut as a rack of various traditional martial arts weapons was rolled in and placed against the bars nearest to her. Xi Gong stood and walked through the bars.
Wait, is that even possible? Did I just see what I thought I saw?
Xi Gong motioned toward the weapons. “You are free to use any of these.”
Naomi stood and examined them. A crewman rolled the gurney out and closed the gate.
She chose a spear type weapon with a dagger blade perpendicular to the spear point.
“Ah, dagger-axe is a formidable weapon. You chose well.”
“I may have chosen differently had I known what weapon you will use.”
“I have no need of any weapon.”
Naomi lunged and he turned, allowing the blade to miss his body. She twisted the shaft so the sideways dagger would strike him as she brought the weapon back. The blade passed through his body like passing through air. He was undamaged.
“I am not flesh. No weapon can damage my body.” He moved toward her.
She jumped and levitated to the ceiling.
He levitated as well.
She jabbed at him.
He caught the spear in his hand, pulled, grabbed it with his other hand and then snapped the shaft in half. “You are defeated.”
She moved and he followed. He was faster than she was and caught her before she had gone halfway around the cage. With his hand on her neck, he lowered her to the floor. When he removed his hand, she collapsed to the floor.
A crewman wheeled Samantha in, cut her bonds and dragged Naomi out.
When she stood, another crewman rolled the gurney out and closed the gate.
“You may choose any weapon you like.”
&n
bsp; “What weapon can defeat you? Choosing a weapon is foolish.”
“Such wisdom in one so beautiful. How will you defeat me then?”
She produced a bug bomb and threw it down. It popped and burnt fish fumes filled the air. Nothing happened.
“Ah, a sorceress. Your potions have no effect on me.” He produced a small paper covered ball and threw it down. Red smoke began issuing from the device. “Perhaps mine work on you.”
She popped an oxy-cap in her mouth and executed a one step side kick. Her foot caught him in the stomach before he could react.
He was forced back a step and when he recovered, he assumed a kung fu stance: right leg raised slightly, back leg bent slightly, forearms raised defensively with his wrists extended downward. It was a stance she knew well, the praying mantis.
She took the snake stance, back leg extended as far as it could go, which put her into a low crouch, both arms extended toward her opponent, one high, one low, hands knife-hand. “Snake defeats praying mantis,” she said.
Xi Gong transformed to eagle stance, standing on his left leg, right leg crossed his knee, arm outstretched, hands held as they were gripping some invisible object. “Eagle beats snake,” he grinned.
She transformed to the dragon stance, legs spread as if she is about to kick her opponent, right fist extended forward, left knife hand extended up next to her right elbow. “Dragon beats eagle.”
He moved to the tiger stance, legs spread wide, hands held forward like claws. “Tiger and dragon are equal. You have not defeated me.”
“I like dancing,” she said, “but let’s get this over with.”
“I am waiting for you to defeat me. I have no need to defeat you.”
“So, it is my choice how I will challenge you.”
He nodded once, “Indeed.”
“Then I choose rock, paper, scissors.”
“I am not familiar with this.”
She demonstrated, “Rock,” she held up a fist, “paper,” she showed a knife hand, “scissors,” she showed two fingers. “On the count of three, show one of the signs. Paper beats rock, scissors beats paper, rock beats scissors. Regardless how many times we do this, I will defeat you at least once.”
