by A. H. Shinn
“He’s just then going to lead you into the forest and point you in the right direction,” she said. Sarna forced a smile and touched Kellie’s shoulder. “Please be careful, and tell Lia I’ll see her soon.”
“I will.”
As Kellie followed the man into the forest, she glanced back at the villagers still grouped together, watching her go. Then she looked forward as her stomach churned. Kellie couldn’t believe she was returning to Druk Monastery.
Kellie expected to make it to the monastery before sundown. She didn’t anticipate getting lost; Sarna had mentioned that almost any route up the mountain would eventually lead to where the nuns lived. They occupied a majority of the upper part of the mountainous region, and as Kellie recalled, their land was quite expansive.
If luck was on her side, Kellie would end up in the woods near the living quarters. Her plan was to hide and watch from behind the trees. Once she figured out which room Lia was in, Kellie would make her move to retrieve her. The next challenge would be finding their way back to the village quickly and safely. She couldn’t let Lia experience what she had when she’d gotten lost in the forest.
Soon after the village man had shown her which direction to go, Kellie walked through the lush greenery and recognized the area. Acorns were still scattered all over the ground.
“Desta?” Kellie called.
There was no answer.
Why couldn’t she ever find a mystical animal when she needed one? “Oh yeah,” she said out loud. “They don’t get directly involved!”
Going past the spot where the mongoose had trained her, Kellie followed the first path she saw that inclined upward. She zigzagged between the trees and brambles, letting her instinct and senses serve as her guide.
She stopped for a moment to survey the route. As soon as she stood still, she heard a disturbance behind her. It sounded like footsteps halting in the debris on the ground.
Kellie turned around, but saw no one. A person could not hide behind the thin tree trunks that surrounded her. And she did not spot any wild animals, thankfully. Then as she turned back around, a furry creature jumped out in front of her.
Kellie leapt back.
“No, we don’t,” said Desta.
“You startled me!” yelled Kellie.
“So sorry,” he said.
Her hand was over her racing heart. “What? No, you don’t what?”
“No, we do not get directly involved.”
“How long have you been following me?”
“Since you left the village.”
Kellie threw her hands in the air. “Why didn’t you show yourself earlier?”
“I wanted to observe you.”
“Why? It doesn’t matter. Can you help me get to Druk Monastery? I know you have an oath not to get involved, but this is important. The nuns took Lia, and I have to get her back. Can you show me the way to the area near their private rooms?”
“Not an oath,” he said. “It’s just an unspoken rule that we speak about…sometimes.”
“Well,” said Kellie, remembering when Desta had fought the cobra, “weren’t you breaking the unspoken rule when you saved me from the snake?”
Desta rubbed his nose. “Excellent point, but consider that a demonstration.”
Kellie knew she would never win an argument with the mystical animal—and had a more urgent matter to deal with. “Anyway, can you please take me to the monastery?”
“Yes.”
Kellie couldn’t believe her ears. “Did I hear you say ‘yes’?”
“On one condition…”
“Anything! I’ll do anything!”
“We train.”
“What?” cried Kellie. “I don’t have time. Why do the mystical animals want to train at the worst possible times?”
“Did it hurt your mission in the past?”
“Not exactly. But—”
“So why do you question us?” The mongoose cocked his head, waiting for Kellie’s answer.
“I think it’s more important to get to Lia.”
“By the time you find your way to her, we could have learned much. You have been going in the precise direction, but taking an imprecise route. The hour it took you to travel to this spot would have taken me fifteen minutes.”
“Fifteen minutes? And you couldn’t have said something?”
Desta shrugged his shoulders.
Kellie felt the same frustration with Desta that she had with Mulin and Zurich when she needed their help.
“Did you know that Lia was taken by the nuns before I told you?” Kellie asked.
“I did not.”
“And if you did, would you have done something about it?”
“No,” he said flatly.
“I thought so…” she said. “Why wouldn’t you help a little girl who is vulnerable and needs saving? Isn’t kidnapping a child a serious enough crime to break your rule of not getting involved?”
“Do you not think that I or any of the other mystical animals could not simply save a little girl? Humans do not have a chance against us. If I saved Lia, why stop there? What about all the other little girls who need help in the world?”
Kellie thought about it for a moment, then asked, “Why don’t you help them all?”
Desta rolled his eyes. “That is not the purpose of our existence. And how do you think humans would react to talking animals?”
“Not very well,” said Kellie.
“Not well, indeed,” he said. “It is the responsibility of people to respond to the actions of their fellow brothers and sisters in the appropriate manner. If physical force cannot be avoided, then we hope good will prevail. That is why we are here. To teach.”
This speech was a familiar one. And he was right.
“I understand,” she said. It wasn’t their duty to right every human wrong. Lia was taken because the nuns wanted Kellie. It was now her responsibility to save the girl.
“I’m ready to train.”
“Finally,” he said as he lunged at her with a snarl.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Balance
Desta’s sharp teeth were exposed.
As Kellie’s hands came up, he maneuvered around her, and his tail whipped her face. Just as she blinked, she felt a blow behind her knees. She dropped to the ground, and her upper body flung forward. She reached out to catch her fall, but Desta whacked her arms from underneath, which stretched her body across the fallen leaves.
Facedown in the dirt, Kellie knew she was vulnerable. As soon as she pushed her head up, Desta, inches from her nose, hissed at her.
Kellie cringed, unsure if he was going to strike.
He stepped away and smiled.
“I’m glad you enjoyed that,” Kellie said as she got to her feet.
“It was a demonstration.”
“Clearly. A demonstration that you’re much more skilled and powerful than I am.”
“Yes,” he said, nodding his head, “and no. I am no doubt more skilled than you.” He laughed as if the contrary was absurd. “But not more powerful. I may harbor the Balance Chi, but you have the Emotive Chi.”
Kellie shook her head. “I don’t have—”
Desta spoke over her. “You are much bigger than I am, but yet I defeated you with ease. It was as if I was playing with an earthworm.”
“Well, I didn’t expect—”
“Excuses, excuses,” he said, obviously annoyed. “If you continue to interrupt, the longer it will take for you to get to the girl.”
“Sorry,” said Kellie, and she pressed her lips together.
“Let’s carry on. Do you know what a mongoose is known for?”
Kellie shrugged.
“We are known for our agility, speed, and strategy. I have the ability to evade and attack in any position I a
m in.”
Kellie had many questions, but she was afraid to speak. She raised her hand, but dropped it when Desta shook his head.
“Balance. That is where we will begin.”
Yes, thought Kellie. I’m good at that.
“Now stand on one leg,” he ordered.
With her back straight and head level, Kellie stood on her right leg. She tightened every muscle fiber as she firmly gripped the ground with her toes through the soles of her shoes. Her body was as solid as the trees around her.
Desta jumped at Kellie, and she put down her left foot to catch herself as she stepped back.
“That’s all you had?” he asked, landing in front of her.
“I didn’t know you were going to attack.”
He glared at her.
Oh yeah, I’m not supposed to speak.
“What is the purpose of balance when you cannot fight in an awkward stance?”
Don’t answer, don’t answer, she repeated to herself.
“Just to become a statue? Your first problem was that you were too stiff. You must balance your body and be fluid at the same time.”
Kellie wasn’t quite sure how to do that.
“When you are in combat with another, are you always firmly standing on the ground?” He paused as if waiting for an answer, but Kellie didn’t fall for the trick.
He smiled. “No. You are not. You are moving in unpredictable directions. You will be off balance, falling even. Now stand on one foot again.”
Kellie lifted her left leg, slightly bent the right knee, and tried to keep her muscles loose.
Desta grabbed a few rocks and threw them at her forehead. Kellie crooked her head to the left and tilted over, landing on the other foot.
“Again,” he said.
After about eight rocks had been thrown at her, Kellie was able to dodge one and regain her balance.
“Well, that’s a start,” said Desta.
After about twenty more rocks, Kellie was beginning to get the hang of it. Her right leg was becoming tired, but her loose body posture allowed her to naturally twist out of the way.
A stone spun toward her face, and she maneuvered right, allowing it to pass her by, but then a second one smacked her on the cheek. Kellie flailed her arms and fell on her rump. She didn’t expect the second incoming rock.
“It wasn’t difficult to learn to evade one attack, but is there always only a single strike?” Desta asked. “Often not. There are usually many to follow. Now, please, climb that tree,” he said, pointing to one of the thin trunks surrounding them.
Does he want to see my climbing ability?
Kellie gripped the bark and climbed up, moving one foot and hand at a time. When she had reached the middle of the tree, Desta darted up the other side of the trunk and leapt toward her head.
Startled, Kellie let out a yelp. She lost hold of the tree and fell to the ground with a thud. “Are you trying to kill me?” she cried as she carefully rolled off her back; the scrapes she got from sliding down the muddy hill still stung.
“Not kill…teach,” he said, annoyed again. “Have you not learned a thing? Bal-ance.” Desta circled around Kellie. “My ability to fight when I am not completely upright is my advantage. The twists and turns my body makes may appear awkward, but that skill assists me in two ways. First, it allows me to be comfortable in any position. Second, it gives me power for the counterattack.”
“Counterattack? How do you—”
“I do not like questions during my teachings,” said the mongoose, looking more irritated than ever. “It wastes precious time. Kung fu is not only about doing, but it is also about thinking. As you do, you will process. As you process, you will comprehend. Now, please, climb back onto the tree.”
As Kellie reached for the bark, she decided that Desta was the strictest teacher she had ever had. None of her other kung fu instructors denied her asking questions. As soon as both sets of toes were pressed against the tree, Desta came at her, and Kellie jumped off.
He looked at her with disappointment, and she climbed back up without hesitation. After a few more failed attempts, she wanted to tell him that this was a pointless exercise. She also had a few splinters she needed to pluck out, but knew better than to interrupt the mystical animal with a trivial problem.
Taking a few deep breaths, she silently repeated the words Desta had said. Twists. Turns. Awkward. Comfortable. Counterattack.
She stepped back onto the tree and pulled herself up. This time, she kept her eyes on the mongoose. As he trod on the ground below her and disappeared from sight, she knew he was on the other side of the trunk.
He always goes for my head, she warned herself. Just as she locked her knees around the wood, the mongoose soared in the air toward her nose. Letting her hands off the tree, her upper body fell back as her legs held her firmly in place. Desta’s fur brushed past her chin, as did his astonished gape. He landed on a pile of leaves as she pulled herself up.
Thankfully she was limber. She grabbed onto a branch as she turned to Desta.
He didn’t have to say anything to let know her know that he was pleased. The corners of his mouth rose slightly.
Kellie began to understand what Desta was trying to tell her. She had to permit her body to go with the motion of her opponent, but remain in control.
Still clinging to the tree, she adapted to the form she was in. The vertical structure became her ground. She needed to become comfortable in any unusual position she was in. Whether her legs were around the tree or she dangled from a branch, she had to evade Desta’s pointy teeth.
As they continued the training, the more aggressive Desta became, and the higher Kellie had to climb. Barely holding on with her fingers and toes, she worried he would attack without warning again, and he did. The only thing she could do was push off. She flung her body off the tree trunk and flipped backward. She landed on the forest floor on her two feet.
I’ve never done that before, she thought, her heart fluttering.
“I was wondering when you would jump off,” said Desta. “That backward somersault was impressive. Excellent work. Now, think what you can do on solid ground.”
Standing upright never felt so powerful. Kellie had a fresh understanding of kung fu—mongoose kung fu. No longer would imbalance and awkward positioning be a hindrance.
Without another second wasted, Desta picked up as many rocks as he could hold. Kellie predicted what the next training session was going to consist of without him explaining. He was right again. Words were a waste of time.
He chucked the stones at her, first one at a time and then two and three at a time. She allowed the rocks to pass her with finesse, imagining them to be a fist, foot, and even an arrow. As soon as one flew by, she was ready for the other with a quick turn of the waist. If she stumbled and was going to fall, she let her body move with gravity and tucked and rolled. It felt so easy having two feet on the ground compared to hanging off a tree or standing on one foot.
“Now attack!” said Desta. “The stones are your opponents. Strike back!”
He continued to assail her with rocks. She dodged with ease, but she missed each time she tried to flick them.
“Leverage and positioning,” the mongoose hinted.
Kellie kept missing the little targets and sweat dripped down her temple.
“Perhaps this will help,” Desta said as he put down his ammunition. He darted up a tree and across a branch, and then leapt at her head with his sharp claws.
Kellie bent her upper half backward and was about to fall. The mongoose’s belly came into view. She threw out a fist punch, which struck his underside. She twisted over and safely landed on her palms. When she sprang up, she saw that Desta was also ready on all fours.
“Perhaps that was luck,” he said, “…or you are feeling the mongoose inside of you. Now use your we
ight for power.” Desta came at her again, exposing his teeth.
Kellie avoided being bitten by twisting at the waist and parrying his head away. Imbalanced, her body came forward. Desta yelled, “Strike!” as he was still in midair.
Kellie shot out her fist, which landed on his side. Her shifting weight provided power in the punch, throwing him several yards away.
Leverage and positioning, she thought, exhilarated. These tactics were perfect for a person of her size. She needed this new technique to increase her power, especially since she didn’t have the energy from the Emotive Chi.
Now stable on her feet, she waited for her teacher’s next move.
Desta attacked and didn’t seem to be holding back. His lightning-fast moves came from all angles. Kellie twisted and turned to evade, and struck back as her body fell. She rolled on the ground to regain control, and it was as if awkward positions no longer existed.
After a blow to his snout, Desta shook his head and smiled. “Balance Chi. You have discovered its wonders. And remember, being smaller is not a disadvantage. Use your opponent’s power against her.”
Desta’s words echoed through her ears. Mulin had also told her to use her small size to her advantage when they’d trained in the Bamboo Forest.
“This will do for now,” said Desta, actually smiling. “It was an honor teaching you. You may speak if you’d like.”
“Thank you, Desta. Mongoose kung fu is amazing!”
“It is, isn’t it?” he said as he turned to lead her to Druk Monastery.
“Are we almost there?” asked Kellie.
“Almost,” said Desta.
There was no trail to follow, and the trees became more densely packed the closer they got to the monastery. A person—or animal—would have to know exactly where they were going to find the place from this route.
“I hope Lia is all right,” Kellie said as she trekked. “I can’t believe the nuns would take a child from her mother.”
“They are acting in desperation,” said Desta. “They believe what they are doing is the right path. It takes great strength and courage to change what has been held as truth for so many years.” He stopped and peered around a tree. “We are here.”
