by Snake
As Ying began to swing faster and faster, Seh felt the pit of his stomach tingle. He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw Malao running full speed across the top of the table toward them. Malao's upper lip was curled back.
“No, Malao!” Seh yelled. “Don't—”
But Malao didn't stop. One step from the edge of the table, Malao lunged forward in a powerful front handspring. He flipped through the air as Ying lashed out at Seh with the chain whip. Malao scissor-kicked his legs, attempting to kick the sharp, weighted end of Ying's chain whip before it slammed into Seh's skull.
Malao's timing was off. He screamed as the tip of the whip sliced a deep gash across his inner thigh, then fell silent as he hit the wall and his head slammed against the floor.
Seh hissed and lunged forward with a snake-fang fist, aiming for Ying's left eye. Ying tilted his head and Seh's fingers dug into one of the deep grooves in Ying's face. Seh raked his hand downward and Ying's cheek tore open.
At the same time, Seh struck at Ying's neck with his other hand. Ying dropped his chain whip and latched on to Seh's wrist. Then he grabbed Seh's other wrist and began to pull Seh toward him.
Seh unleashed a powerful front kick. Ying blocked it by raising one knee. Seh kicked again. Ying blocked it again.
Ying pulled Seh closer. He opened his mouth wide and hissed, his sharpened teeth glowing in the light of the banquet hall lamps. Ying lowered his face toward Seh's left hand.
The snake beneath Seh's robe sleeve suddenly shot forward and clamped onto Ying's eyebrow. Ying shrieked and swatted at the snake, releasing Seh's hands—but the snake had already let go of Ying and was retreating beneath Seh's sleeve.
Seh heard Hung roar behind him.
Ying shrieked again and spun sideways, narrowly avoiding one of Hung's enormous war hammers. Ying snatched up his chain whip and launched himself out of Hung's reach, disappearing into the fray.
Seh watched Fu pick up Malao's limp body. Fu's eyes were moist.
“Take Malao out the back,” Seh said to Fu. “I'll be right there.”
Fu nodded and headed for the door.
“You go, too,” a voice said beside Seh. It was Mong.
Hung growled. “Where did all these soldiers come from?”
“The shipyard, I suppose,” Mong said.
“HaMo—” Hung said.
“Toad?” Seh asked. “Another Cangzhen monk?”
“Yes,” Mong replied. “HaMo was in charge of guarding the shipyard.”
“Do you suppose he's… dead?” Seh said.
“Not yet,” Hung replied. “But he will be if I catch him. We've wondered about his allegiance.
Mong looked at Seh. “Why are you still standing here?”
“I don't have a plan—”
“You want a plan?” Mong said. “These soldiers probably docked on the back of the island and climbed up with ropes. You should head in the opposite direction—through the main gate. Take the stairs down and get the boatman who brought you here to take you across. Do what you can for Malao and meet me in the capital city of Kaifeng on the first day of their Dragon Boat Festival at an inn called the Jade Phoenix. There's your plan. Go!”
“What if the boatman won't take us?” Seh asked.
“Then kill him,” Mong said. “Kill him and take the boat.”
Seh's eyes widened. “Kill him?”
“Listen to me,” Mong hissed. “The boatman is HaMo's friend. If the boatman doesn't help you, that means he may harm you. If he doesn't cooperate or if he seems the least bit suspicious, kill him.”
“But—”
“Kill him anyway!” Mong roared as Hung shoved Seh toward the door. “Now go! That's an order!”
Seh stumbled out of the banquet hall into the night. Fallen soldiers and bandits now dotted the grounds of the stronghold. Fu and Malao were not among them.
Seh glanced down and saw a trail of blood glistening in the moonlight. It led to the storage shed. He followed it and burst through the door.
Fu was kneeling over Malao, next to the two soldiers AnGangseh had finished off.
“Help me,” Fu said, his voice hoarse. Tears fell from his face like rain.
Seh knelt down and saw that Fu had torn several strips from the bottom of his white silk robe. Seh and Fu bound Malao's leg as best they could.
“Are you okay?” Seh asked Fu.
Fu grunted and wiped his face. “I am going to kill Ying.”
“Not right now,” Seh said. “We need to get out of here.” He checked the scroll tucked away in the small of his back and the snake wrapped around his arm. Both were fine. Seh reached into the folds of Malao's robe and removed the carved monkey stick. “You carry Malao. I'll clear the way.”
Fu grunted again and lifted Malao. Seh stood and slipped out the door, the monkey stick in his hand.
As they crossed the compound, Seh kept his senses finely tuned for signs of danger. Soldiers were everywhere, but they posed no threat. They lay broken and bleeding in the middle of the main through-way and alongside burning buildings. Bandits were sprinkled about as well, gaping holes ripped through their bodies.
Seh and Fu found the main gate wide open.
“Look down the stairs with those cat eyes of yours,” Seh said. “Do you see anything?”
Fu shifted Malao in his arms and peered into the darkness, down toward the lake. “Nope. Do you sense something?”
“No,” Seh replied. “But the beach is a long way down. Somebody might be hiding there.”
“There's only one way to find out,” Fu said. He began to descend the steep stone stairs.
Seh quickly followed, watching Fu's back.
Seh still felt nothing when they reached the small patch of sand that sloped into the lake. He checked the only patch of reeds in sight and found no one.
“At least the boat is still here,” Fu said as he climbed in with Malao. “I wish the boatman was, too.”
“No, you don't,” Seh said, slipping Malao's monkey stick into the folds of his own robe. “Mong ordered me to … Never mind. Let's just go.”
“Where are we going?” Fu asked.
“To Kaifeng,” Seh said. “We're supposed to meet Mong at an inn called the Jade Phoenix on the first day of their Dragon Boat Festival.”
“In a month?” Fu asked.
“Yes,” Seh replied. He pushed the boat into the water and climbed aboard, taking hold of the long oar. Seh worked the oar back and forth like he had seen the boatman do. The boat moved forward, but steering proved to be far more difficult than he thought it would. Eventually, he found that if he used smooth, steady strokes that traveled the same distance left to right, the boat moved more or less in a straight line.
Seh scanned the lake for other boats. He saw none. Halfway across the lake, he looked over at Fu. Fu was curled around Malao on the floor of the boat.
“What's wrong?” Seh asked.
“Malao won't stop shaking.”
“Oh, no,” Seh said.
Fu didn't respond.
Seh choked back the sadness welling up inside him. “Are those bandages working?” he asked.
Fu ran his hand over Malao's leg. “I think so. The blood that soaked through is drying.”
“That's good,” Seh said. “And as long as he's shaking, he's alive. When we get to the beach, we'll take him into the forest and figure out what to do next.”
Fu nodded.
“I wish I could make this thing go faster,” Seh said. “Do you see any sign of the twins? I haven't sensed them.”
Fu lifted his head and scanned the water. “No.”
Seh banged his foot on the bottom of the boat three times.
Nothing.
Frustrated, Seh returned his attention to working the large oar. He remained focused on moving the boat forward as quickly as possible. He didn't look back.
Perhaps Seh should have. He might have noticed the small, hollow reed that surfaced in the boat's wake.
He might have also
caught a glimpse of the long, thick ponytail braid drifting next to it.
Ying stood inside the banquet hall, flanked by several of his men. He grinned as he listened to the bandit leader's shouts from outside.
“Evacuate! We are no match for the soldiers’ qiangs! Abandon the stronghold!”
Commander Woo approached Ying. “What should we do?”
“Leave five good men here in the hall with me,” Ying replied. “Lead the rest down to the boats. If the bandits escape with the boats, we will be stranded.”
“What if they have other boats hidden somewhere and use those to escape?” Commander Woo asked.
“Then let them go,” Ying snapped. “We can't spread ourselves too thin. Our men are no match for the bandits individually.”
“Understood,” Commander Woo said. “Have you heard about Captain Yue, sir?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” Ying growled. “I knew he shouldn't have come along. I understand his head is missing. We need to find it. If one of the bandits delivers that head to the Emperor without me there to explain myself, there could be trouble.”
“Right, sir. I'll do my best. What about the young monks?”
Ying adjusted his robe, and the scroll Tonglong had taken from Seh pressed against his chest. “Tonglong is following the boys to determine their next move. We'll catch up with those three troublemakers soon enough.” Ying glanced over at the large pool of blood where Malao had lain, and smirked.
“Make that two troublemakers.”
Seh stood on the moonlit beach, staring at Malao in Fu's arms. Malao's dark-skinned face was unnaturally pale, and his whole body continued to tremble.
“Now what?” Fu asked in a hushed tone.
“First we need to get clear of the soldiers,” Seh whispered. “Then we need to see if there's anything we can do for Malao. Follow me.”
Seh walked along the shore until he found the trail Gao had followed to get to the beach.
“This way,” Seh said. “It's risky following a trail, but it will be easier for you to carry Malao.” Seh pulled the monkey stick from the folds of his robe. “You go first. I'll watch your back.”
About half a li into the forest, the pit of Seh's stomach began to tingle, and the snake on his wrist tightened its grip. Seh stopped to listen.
“What is it?” Fu whispered.
“I don't know,” Seh said. “I think someone is following us.”
“What should we do?”
“Keep going,” Seh said. “Let me know if you see or hear anything.”
Two hours later, they were still walking. Seh had stopped often to scan the area, but each time he failed to identify the source of the chi he thought he detected. He was beginning to think stress was getting the best of him. Maybe they weren't being followed after all.
Fu finally stopped. “I need to rest,” he panted.
Seh shook his head. “I don't know, Fu. We should probably keep moving.”
“Then you'll have to carry Malao. I can't take any more of this.”
Seh looked at Malao's tiny, unconscious body in Fu's arms. Malao was shaking from head to toe.
“Is that you shaking or Malao?” Seh asked.
“A little of both,” Fu said. “My arms are killing me. Let's stop here for the night.”
“Here?” Seh said. “We might get caught.”
“We're pretty far from the stronghold,” Fu said. “I think we'll be okay.”
“I don't know—”
“Those soldiers are not going to come this far looking for us tonight,” Fu interrupted with a feisty snarl. “And I really don't think anyone is following us. They would have attacked by now.”
“Not necessarily,” Seh said.
“How many people do you sense?”
“One,” Seh replied.
Fu rolled his eyes. “I could beat one person with both hands tied behind my back. That's how angry I am.” Fu raised his voice. “Does somebody out there want to cross hands with me? Show your face!”
“Shhh!” Seh said.
But it was too late. High in a nearby tree, leaves rustled.
Fu growled and they both looked up. A large, white one-eyed monkey leaped from its perch into an adjoining tree, then scurried down the trunk. It looked like the same monkey Seh had seen leading the troop that raided the bandits’ gold carts.
“Uh-oh,” Fu said as the monkey began to approach them.
“What are you worried about?” Seh asked. He breathed a sigh of relief. It was the monkey he'd been sensing all along. “That's Malao's friend. Malao mentioned it back at the stronghold.”
“Did Malao tell you what that monkey did to Hung's hand?” Fu said. “I saw the scars during our food fight. I'm not taking any chances.” Fu took several steps back.
Seh had forgotten about Hung's hand.
The white monkey looked at Malao in Fu's arms, then at the carved monkey stick Seh carried. It locked eyes with Seh and bared an impressive set of four razor-sharp fangs, each as long as Seh's little finger.
“I'm not going to hurt you,” Seh said in a soft voice.
The monkey's upper lip curled back and he looked at the stick again.
“Maybe I should put this down,” Seh said. He laid the carved stick on the ground and stepped back.
The white monkey rushed over and picked up the stick, then spun around to face Fu. It bared its teeth again.
“Great,” Fu said. “Now it's going to beat me with it. Help me out—I've got my hands full with Malao.”
Seh took a step toward Fu, and the white monkey shrieked. It jumped up and down, slamming the stick on the ground each time it landed.
Seh stopped. “I don't think it likes me very much.”
“You think?” Fu said, rolling his eyes.
Seh took two steps back, and the white monkey took a step toward Fu. Seh took several more steps back, and the monkey took several more steps toward Fu.
“What are you doing?” Fu said. “Get over here!”
“No, wait,” Seh said. “I think it wants to see Malao, but it's wary of me. I'm going to take a few more steps back. If it attacks you, I'll be there before you can scream my name.”
“Great,” Fu said.
Seh took several more steps back, and the white monkey walked all the way up to Fu, its eyes fixed on Malao's shaking body. Fu held Malao out in front of him and the white monkey slipped the carved stick into the folds of Malao's robe. Then the monkey lowered its nose to Malao's nose and inhaled deeply. It ran a finger across Malao's shaky forehead and scurried away.
Fu looked at Malao, and Seh thought he saw tears welling up in Fu's eyes again. “Ying is going to pay for this,” Fu snarled.
“Let's stop here for the night,” Seh said. “I think we could both use some rest. I don't sense anyone now that the monkey is gone. Does Malao still have the pouch with the fire stone and metal strike bar?”
Fu glanced at Malao's sash and nodded.
“Maybe Malao will stop shaking if we can warm him up,” Seh said. “Step off the trail and stay with him. I'll go find some firewood and a place to spend the night, then I'll come back for you two.”
Fu grunted and carried Malao into the underbrush.
“Don't go too far,” Seh said. “You'll want to keep your eyes on the trail while I'm gone, just in case someone comes along. We don't want any surprises.”
Fu growled, low and deep. “A visit from Ying tonight would be one of the best surprises of my life.”
Tonglong raced through the moonlight atop his pitch-black stallion. His wet silk robe and pants clung to his body, his long, heavy ponytail braid slapping his back in rhythm with the horse's powerful strides. He had to hurry.
Tonglong needed to get to the Emperor's summer palace and back to the bandit stronghold in a reasonable amount of time. He didn't want Ying to get suspicious, especially since he'd already accomplished his objective as far as Ying was concerned—find out where the young monks were headed. They were headed to Kaifeng, and that
was all Ying needed to know. For now, at least.
Tonglong gripped the sack in front of him, and a crooked smile rose to his thin lips. He wondered who would be more surprised in the coming days, the Emperor when he was handed his nephew's head or Ying when he found out who had delivered it— and why.
Seh awoke with a jerk, the pit of his stomach tingling. He hadn't even realized he'd fallen asleep. In the bright morning sunshine, he saw the white monkey sitting in a nearby tree, staring at Malao. Fu lay next to Malao, snoring.
Seh decided he must have fallen asleep soon after building a small fire to warm Malao. That was several hours ago. A pile of coals in front of Fu and Malao was all that was left. Seh scanned the area, trying to pick up signs of Ying or his troops. He sensed nothing.
The monkey climbed down, and Seh saw that it carried four long sticks with numerous round objects skewered along each. They were mushroom caps. The monkey dropped the mushroom skewers next to the campfire remains, then sat down beside Malao.
Seh watched, ready to intervene, as the white monkey gently shook Malao like it was trying to wake him. Malao didn't respond.
Seh glanced at the ground around Malao's injured leg. It was dry. At least Malao was no longer bleeding.
The white monkey reached out and began to rub the back of Malao's head. It appeared as though the monkey was mimicking a pressure point massage used to revive an unconscious person. It was the same technique Gao had used to revive the bandit swordsman outside the stronghold.
I wonder where it learned that, Seh thought. I should have thought to try it. He sat up, and the white monkey lifted its paw off Malao's short black hair. The monkey bared its teeth. Seh noticed it was staring at his left wrist.
Seh looked down and saw the beauty snake's head poking out of his sleeve. He covered it. He wasn't sure if the monkey was having trouble with him or the snake. Either way, Seh didn't want to take any chances.
“Hey, Fu,” Seh said. “Wake up.”
