by Ino Lee
“Don’t get distracted. Focus on Kai,” Li yelled.
Lafay turned straight for him, chased by a blast of bright flame.
“Hot! Hot! Hot!”
Xiong fired an arrow, but Lafay sidestepped the shot with its awkward gait and dodged another by flipping off the side of the wall. Li rushed in with with a slash, but Lafay knocked the blow aside with an unseen blade and flipped over the top of his head, never stopping from its frenzied rush. The Shoukui jumped back and tumbled head over heels as dragon fire rained down on them, twisting and bracing against rock, nearly rolling down the side of the mountain. Shian saw the flame coming and hunched against jagged rock, turning her face from the rush of heat, using her staff to suck in collateral flame.
In other parts of the mountain, dragons and light orbs mingled. A third dragon entered the fray.
“What is this? Begone from our mountain—we accept no trespass,” a voice thundered.
“Forget Lafay!” Li yelled.
He rushed down the mountain.
“Where is Lau Gong? Shian?”
Shian caught up to him. “I hear him. He’s still moving.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
A squadron of warriors stood below.
“Where’s Kai?” Li yelled.
A warrior raised her hands. “Gone.”
The Shoukui frantically looked around but all he saw was darkness, flame, and white chi. A form came at him from the sky.
He waved his arms. “Stop! We are not your enemies.”
“Begone!”
A ball of fire grew—a burst of yellow and orange with streaks of blue. Li darted across the mountain and dove as the projectile burst behind him.
“Begone!” the voice yelled again.
Xiong helped Li up.
“This is not working,” Li said. He turned to Shian. “Tell teams seven, eight, and nine to draw the dragons away. Do not fight back. We need time—not an all out war.”
He ran to the other Shaolin warriors.
“Where did you last see Lao Gong?”
A warrior spoke. “The panther raced toward the mountain but then disappeared.”
“Did they get around?”
“No. The other warriors did not see them.”
“How could they just disappear?” Xiong said.
Light orbs flashed next to the dragons from teams seven through nine, drawing their attention. Explosions of flame chased them along the hillside. Lafay was nowhere to be seen.
“Can anyone make contact with Kai?” Li asked.
“He is gone,” Shian said. “I cannot reach him.”
“They just disappeared into the mountain,” someone said.
He paused and looked around.
“Search the mountain.”
The warriors scrambled. They fished around, but a black mountain at night was a difficult thing to navigate. Finally, a warrior shouted.
“Here! An opening.”
He pulled aside charred branches blocking the entrance and looked inside.
“How deep is it?”
“Deep. A tunnel.”
“Everybody in!” Li shouted. “Take cover from the dragons. Pursue Kai!”
They crowded into the tunnel one by one and ran down the narrow corridor.
“A tunnel? I can’t believe they tunneled through Black Mountain,” Shian said.
“It all makes sense,” Li said. “I suspect it goes all the way to the Koon Kagi.”
“To avoid the dragons. That would be a quite a feat.”
The cramped quarters made Li feel vulnerable. Warriors marched ahead and behind, leaving little room to do much else. The walls looked cracked and brittle, the rock full of mineral deposits which made it fragile and gave it a black hue, though he was not afraid of collapse since the corridor was so narrow.
“Kai is here,” Shian said. “He says they are moving fast.”
“Do they know we are following?”
“Hold.”
Shian focused and sent the psychic message down the tunnel, the rock walls helping funnel the energy forward. She received an answer shortly after.
“He doesn’t think so, but he heard Lafay calling behind them.”
“We have to catch up.”
Ahead, the light orb of the lead monk went dead. There was commotion and the line slowed. At first Li thought Lafay might have lurked behind to ambush them, but then he heard coughing.
“Powder,” Li said. “Halt! Don’t breathe it in!”
The warriors stopped abruptly, some tripping and falling, knocking over the person next to them. Li maneuvered his way to the front.
Monk Zedong stood in front and peered helplessly at his toppled comrades, an orb illuminating their lifeless bodies.
“Are they dead?” he asked.
“No, unconscious. Lafay has some kind of powder.”
“What should we do?”
Li rubbed his face in frustration.
“This is not working.”
“Shoukui?”
“Pull them back if you can. I do not know how long it will take, but they will awaken. Shian, Xiong, and I will go on ahead. We cannot lose the unan. Wait for the dust to settle, then have the rest of the soldiers follow our trail. Send a few to the Wall and mobilize our troops. The soldiers there have been readied. Is that clear?”
Zedong nodded. “You want the troops at the Great Wall to infiltrate?”
“Yes, bring them this way. The Koon Gee will converge on Kai and we will need all the help or distraction we can get.”
“Yes, Master.”
Tofu stood nearby. “You will need more help too. We will come with you.”
“No Chandu, you stay here. We need speed and stealth more than force now. But be ready when we need it.”
“Is it safe to cross?” Shian said.
“We’ll find out.” He shook his canteen. “We can cover our faces and try to hold our breath, but there’s chi water if we fail.”
He handed them the canteen for a drink and did likewise. Xiong tore up a blanket and emptied his own canteen on it, then restocked his supplies from another and made sure his quiver was full. They wrapped their faces in the wet cloth.
“Are you ready?” Li said. “We are back to our original plan: catch the demons and take them by surprise.”
They nodded and were off.
30
THE TORENS GLIDED gracefully, kept aloft by the abundant sea winds.
“Are you sure we’re going the right way, monk?” Takeo said. “I have traveled to Shaolin a number of times but never on the back of Kasumi.”
“Yes. Even though the Infinity Pool is diminished, I can still detect its location.”
“I am counting on it. I see nothing but a vast emptiness. The torens are anxious and unaccustomed to travel at night.”
“The torens or you?”
“Ha! I did not know Shaolin monks had a sense of humor.”
Tengfei snickered. Before long, tiny specks of light appeared on the coastline.
“There!” Tengfei said. “The lights of Shaolin.”
Nothing else surrounded Shaolin, so the lights could not be mistaken for any other place.
Takeo sharply whistled. Youta understood and whistled back.
“Tae, are you present? We are here.”
Tae stared bleary-eyed at the approaching mountain. They approached and circled the temple, looking for a good place to land.
“The courtyard should do,” Tengfei said.
The birds quickly descended on the southern courtyard, within the temple gates. Kasumi touched down first, then Ryuu. A horn blew, light orbs flared, and the Shaolin warriors scrambled.
“They seem a little edgy,” Takeo said. “Something tells me th
ey were not expecting torens.”
“I’ll handle this,” Tengfei said.
He waved his arms. “We are back from Yomai.”
A guard squinted. “Tengfei! Sorry, we are on high alert. It’s good to see you, though we were not expecting giant birds.”
Tengfei dismounted.
“You are on high alert still?”
“We’ve had problems from birds of another kind. There have been some developments. You should speak with the grandmaster.”
“What kind of birds?”
“The four-eyed black crow variety.”
Tengfei looked concerned and protectively touched the chi shard hanging from his neck.
“Where is Grandmaster Gao?”
“In his chambers, but the horns have probably woken him. I’ll send word.”
“The Shogun is here. Have the grandmaster meet us in the Infinity Room.”
“Right away.”
Takeo, Youta, and Tae were helped down by the guards. Takeo asked for water and crates of squash for the torens.
“Where is the lavish welcome?” Takeo joked. “The samurai are here.”
Tae made a face. “I seem to remember Naruki trying to throw us out when we got to Yomai.”
“You attacked him and ate his fish. Plus, we brought a chi shard. You do still have it, don’t you, Tengfei?”
The monk was lost in thought.
“Tengfei,” Youta said. “Is something wrong?”
Tengfei came back to his senses. “Sorry, Shogun. We shall soon find out.”
“Welcome. Welcome,” Grandmaster Gao said. “It is an honor to have the Shogun in the Infinity Room.”
Elder Woo was there too. “Welcome samurai.”
Youta bowed. “We have heard your troubles and cannot turn our backs. The samurai are eager to help. We are indebted to Shaolin for the Sun Pool and have brought its chi shard.”
“Yes,” Gao said. “We are very grateful. That should help—”
He waved his hands at the work being done. Seven large casks were full of water, and a final eighth was being constructed. One cask was completely full of chi energy, with three more being filled.
“—but it seems there is a more pressing need.”
Gao’s face contorted.
“What happened?” Tengfei asked.
“The unan struck again. Kai has been captured.”
“What? How?” Tae blurted.
“The devious creatures kidnapped Kai in the middle of the night. They took him by guile and escaped by trickery. The actions of just a few.”
“How is that possible?” Tengfei said.
“There was an unan, never seen before, which controlled the black crows. It put up a diversion, a great storm of feathers. They escaped. Li and the Shaolin warriors are pursuing toward the Forbidden Mountains.”
“Li has returned from Tanjin?”
“Yes, he brought with him the sumos of Guilin. Han has been dispatched to the Great Wall.”
The travelers stood in shock.
“How long ago?” Tae asked.
“Two nights. We eagerly await news. I cannot sleep for worry. I was already awake when you arrived.”
“The demons would have reached the mountains by now,” Tengfei said. “They may already be in the Koon Kagi.”
“It’s not too late. We can take the torens,” Tae said. She faced the Shogun. “It will take a few hours to get there, but we might be able to help. I know it is a lot to ask.”
Youta glanced at Takeo and stepped away in thought.
Takeo shook his head. “The torens need rest. They have flown the entire day and it will be difficult to get them to take off at night. How will we navigate to the mountains anyway?”
“There is flat land between here and the Forbidden Range,” Tae said.
“And then we must search and find these demons within the Forbidden Range? In the dark? With the dragons? We may be able to outrun them but I don’t want to end up dinner.”
“I admit it was not well-thought, but we can’t just stand here. We can go in the morning. I can go in the morning. I can’t just stay here,” Tae said.
“I agree with Tae,” Tengfei said. “I too must go. If we can’t take the torens, I have a mahzing.”
He nodded to her.
Youta finally spoke. “It is dark and these creatures are craftier than ninja. If the unan reach the Koon Kagi, what then is your plan?”
“We cannot fail,” Grandmaster Gao said. “The Shoukui has full command of our forces. We will invade if need be.”
“War is on the precipice,” Elder Woo said. “There will be much bloodshed.”
The gravity of the situation weighed on them.
Youta reflected and then asked, “And you Tae, you Tengfei, what then is your plan?”
“We will follow them into the Koon Kagi. We will not give up until we have Kai,” Tae said.
“I share Tae’s conviction,” Tengfei added.
Youta grunted then looked at Takeo again.
Takeo already knew what was on his mind. “No Shogun, of all places, not the Koon Kagi. If we must, I will go, but you must stay.”
“Aight. Why did we come here then? What purpose is the shard when there is no chosen one to protect? Shin’ichi was traded for use of the shard. There must be recompense, and the services of the Shogun is fair value.”
Takeo shook his head. “But this no mere service. This is not fair value. This is the Koon Kagi. What will I tell Yomai if its leader does not return?”
“Tell them he died fighting a great evil. Tell them he was not afraid of death—he was afraid of cowardice.”
“Youta,” Tae interrupted. “I did not mean to bring you into this much danger. I did not mean for you to come to the Koon Kagi. All I meant to ask for is use of the torens.”
“I cannot just drop you off any more than you can just stand here. You don’t know me well just yet, but this you know.”
“Are you sure?” Takeo said.
“Yes. Shin’ichi agrees.”
Takeo relented. “Morning it is then. I don’t mean to argue. Forgive my misgivings.”
“No, Takeo. You are right to worry. Going to the Koon Kagi is to challenge death itself. This is a grave task for the samurai. More is needed. We must be prepared.”
“What do you mean?”
“I will make use of the Sun shard. It is to be joined with Shin’ichi.”
“Are you sure?” Elder Woo said. “There will be no turning back.”
“Yes, it is time. Shin’ichi has returned and spoken. The time for the samurai to wield such a weapon has come.”
“Shogun,” Takeo said. “There is one problem. Naruki is at sea. He will not arrive until tomorrow.”
“We have fine swordsmiths here,” Gao said. “They are at your disposal. And the monks, too, they will have expertise in the shard.”
“I accept your offer,” Youta said. “But Naruki must have a hand. The winds are favorable. He should not be far off. Perhaps Takeo can fetch him with Kasumi in the morning?”
Takeo nodded.
“As fortune would have it, the greatest weaponsmith in the land is helping restore the pool,” Elder Woo said. “He can make preparations and help join the two. He has experience with the sword.”
Youta perked up. “Is it Wong’s smith? Ko Hang?”
“Yes.”
“Then it is destined. Rest well tonight. Tomorrow will be a momentous day. Shin’ichi will be reborn, and will forge into battle.”
31
LI BREATHED IN. “Fresh air. The end is near.”
He dimmed his orb and slowed.
“This choke point is ripe for ambush,” Xiong said as he strung an arrow. He aimed it at the sliver of daylight glimpsed down the passage.
They moved steadily out the tunnel and into the open, careful of their surroundings.
Nothing stirred.
“I was expecting something,” Xiong said. “We were vulnerable coming out of the tunnel.”
“We are in the Koon Kagi now,” Li said. “The terms have changed. Kai’s mark will draw evil so they no longer fear us.”
“Then it will be to their detriment.”
They carefully looked for tracks and found a print, clearly pointing them in one direction.
“Can you hear him?” Li asked Shian.
“No, I’ll keep trying,” she said.
Li opened his canteen and offered everyone a drink before running off again.
“They can’t be far. The unan must be exhausted. They have not had the benefit of horses.” He looked at the sky. “Morning is not far. We can catch them.”
“I believe it,” Shian said.
She dragged her staff on the ground, drawing a line and creating an easy trail for the Shaolin warriors to follow. Li took out his crescent moon knife, Xiong a hand ax, and together scored supplementary marks on the rock walls as they passed them.
Daylight grew behind overcast skies; a storm might be in the forecast. The terrain of the Forbidden Mountains extended beyond the tunnel, creating rocky outcrops and canyons that interfered with their line of sight, making it difficult to spot Kai or see where they were going. Plant life became more abundant, and they began to find signs of older tracks formed by other Koon Gee. A few times they lost Lafay and Lau Gong’s tracks and had to circle back to find them again. If they did not catch up to Kai soon, they feared losing him for good.
As the day wore on, they grew more desperate, tiring from the search. An air of failure clung to them as they were forced to rest and eat whatever rations were on them; chi water could not sustain them forever. Since they banked on stopping the unan at Black Mountain, they traveled light and would have little left to eat for dinner. The land looked mostly barren and would not offer much except for rodents and an occasional wild mushroom.
Xiong found a flat rock nearby and tossed a similar one to Li. They began scraping their weapons against the surface to hone their blades after scoring so many trails and dulling the edges. The sound annoyed Shian, who was meditating and trying to reach Kai, though most of her testiness was due to the fact that her calls went unanswered.
