Kung Fu Kellie and Sonam's Prophecy

by A. H. Shinn

  Kellie saw that they were in the woody area surrounding the living quarters.

  “This is a good place to watch. Good luck,” he said as he turned to leave.

  “Wait! You’re leaving me?”

  “I have a meeting to attend with the others.”

  “The others? You mean Zurich and Mulin?”

  “They will be there as well to discuss Hagos.” Desta’s tone dropped when he said the monkey’s name.

  “What about Hagos?” asked Kellie, also noting a shift in her voice.

  “Do not worry. He is under our supervision. You have your own matters to deal with.”

  Kellie looked down. She was going to have to take on the task of saving Lia by herself. What if she failed?

  “You have the tools you need,” Desta said confidently, moving near her feet and looking up at her. “Hone in on your instincts. You are undoubtedly brave…a bit rash, but full of heart. This is your quest. Have faith in yourself.”

  “But—” Kellie croaked.

  Desta turned and disappeared between two bushes. His tail was the last thing Kellie saw, and she realized that she had caught sight of it several times before.

  He had been at this very place. The furry tail she had seen when she sat in front of her room in the middle of the night was his. Kellie had noticed it twice in the forest when she was lost. She also had the feeling he was the one watching her when she was in the field after the clash with her fake mother. Desta had always been there, and it was comforting to know that she was never alone. Now she had to be there for Lia.

  Kellie waited in the shadows as the sun set behind the mountain. It was dinnertime for the nuns, and she expected Lia to be sent to her room after her meal.

  Don’t worry Lia, I’ll get you home soon.

  Kellie was leaning against some peeling bark when she heard voices. Careful not to be seen, she tiptoed closer to get a good visual of who was approaching. Lin and Simi emerged from the pathway that led from the dining hall, and Lia walked between them.

  The plan was falling into place accordingly.

  Then another group of people appeared, and Kellie stumbled back in shock. She stepped on a twig, snapping it loudly. All heads turned in her direction, and a nun quickly drew near.

  Kellie didn’t have time to climb a tree, so she squatted behind a bush. She watched as the nun crept around, moving closer to where she was hiding. A croaking sound above startled the woman, and leaves drifted onto her bald head. A couple of ravens rattled a few branches before they flew up into the sky. The nun stared up with her hand over her eyes, then, satisfied, turned back for the path.

  Kellie quietly rose from her hiding place, and her mouth went dry as she watched the captives enter their prisons.

  The Druk nuns had Master Chen, Jake, and Jory.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Surprise

  Kellie couldn’t believe her eyes!

  She knew very well that Master Chen, Jake, and Jory would be searching for her, but how did they get here? Had the nuns captured them, too?

  Regardless, now she had four people to rescue.

  Lia was the first to enter a room. It was the one Kellie had been housed in. Master Chen went into another, and Jake and Jory went inside an adjacent one.

  Although Kellie was afraid of what the nuns would do to Master Chen and her friends, she was glad to see them, even though it was just a brief glimpse. She had to get them free.

  The plan would still be the same. She would wait until the nuns were asleep and then break everyone out, starting with Master Chen. With his help, she would get the others and take the same route back from which she came. With Jory’s nature skills, the five of them shouldn’t get lost.

  The doors to the three rooms were locked, and the group of women who’d accompanied Master Chen, Jake, and Jory stood guard. Simi and Lin eventually left, but the other nuns stayed put. They made themselves comfortable, either leaning against a wall or sitting on the ground.

  “And they will probably stay there all night…” Kellie said to herself, crestfallen.

  What was she going to do now? A couple of ideas popped into her head. When the guards were at their most defenseless state, she could surprise them. In the middle of the night, when they were tired, she would have the upper hand. Or, if they fell asleep, she could quietly free everyone and sneak away without being noticed.

  For now, the only thing she could do was be patient. Kellie sat on a tree root and watched the six women. There were two in front of each dwelling, and all of them were alert. As the night passed, the nuns showed no signs of fatigue. They occasionally chatted and, intermittently, one would leave, probably to use the outhouse. But that still left five attentive guards.

  Kellie was the one feeling tired and vulnerable. It was a fairly warm summer night, so she wasn’t cold, but she was hungry.

  She picked up her satchel and moved far enough away so she wouldn’t be heard. Although there was no light under the clump of trees, she was able to see clearly. Somehow her eyes adjusted in the dark and her night vision was superb.

  While sinking her teeth into a crisp apple from her bag, Kellie noticed a building a distance away from where she sat. She had never seen this part of the monastery. There stood a lone structure, vastly different than the other buildings with simple, plain architecture. This one was ornate and colorful. It was as cheerful as the temple Simi and she had visited on the side of the mountain.

  Kellie left the apple core on a fallen tree trunk and moved closer to the edifice. After scouting the area and ensuring there was no one around, she darted out of the woods and straight to the door. She grabbed the handle and quietly pushed open the door. It was dark inside, but she was able to make out what the large room held.

  It was a shrine, much like Grand Master Jing’s, but grander. Exotic swords of all sizes hung on the walls. There were numerous other weapons, including throwing stars, a variety of bows, fans with spiked tips, intricately carved staffs, very long whips, and sharp, handheld weapons. All of them looked centuries old.

  At least twenty different robes and outfits were displayed in glass cases. They ranged from simple everyday wear in neutral tones to brightly colored robes in red, yellow, and orange. There was even an outfit in all white that Kellie recognized. It was the uniform that only a chosen one would receive.

  There was a life-size mural of a bald woman carrying a staff. Underneath the picture was an abundance of fresh flowers and plants on a wooden table. Between two potted blue poppies was a book on a display stand.

  This was Sonam’s shrine. The portrait was a painting of Druk Monastery’s founder and all the contents inside must have belonged to her. The old book on exhibition had to be the journal Choden spoke of.

  Carefully picking up the delicate piece of Druk history, Kellie flipped through the pages. It wasn’t just an art book, it was a journal. There were entries in a language she could not read. Kellie assumed it was a Bhutanese dialect.

  There were drawings of four animals. Kellie knew them to be the mystical animals. Kellie recognized Mulin, Zurich, and Desta. The fourth was a snake.

  “When will I meet you?” she said out loud, admiring the mysterious reptile.

  After the sketches of the animals, the book appeared to be a kung fu manual. There were figures of stances and both hand and foot strikes. Words in the same language as in the beginning of the book were written on the sides and bottoms of the pages; Kellie thought they were probably the descriptions of the movements. Diagrams of where to use these attacks on the body were also illustrated. This was a way for Sonam to pass on her knowledge to her sisters.

  Toward the end of the black, leather-bound book, the content changed drastically. After the fighting techniques came drawings of nature. First, dark shadows of caves and withering plants filled the pages. Then, stars encircling the moon, sunrays peering
between trees, blooming flowers, and a waterfall splashing down into a flowing river left no white background exposed.

  “So beautiful,” said Kellie. Then she turned to the last pages. Two hands were held together. She had seen this before. The same sketch was also in Grand Master Jing’s artwork. Had they known each other?

  On the next page was a picture of a baby lying in a cradle in a forest; she was smiling with her hands raised. Images of human figures surrounded the child, as if they honored her. Many drawings of the baby alone covered the next couple of pages, almost as if Sonam obsessively envisioned her.

  The last illustration was the picture of the tattoo the nuns wore on their backs. They interpreted the image as power emerging from a hand. This depiction was the cause of Kellie’s plight.

  Could Kellie possibly be the One? She held the picture out in front of her and turned her head. Moonlight coming through a window from behind her hit the artwork perfectly, lighting up the energy ball in the art. Actually, from a different angle, it also looked like…A noise came from the outside! Someone was there! Kellie put the book on its holder and dashed into a dark corner. She wedged herself behind a mannequin and a tall, glass case.

  Watching from the side of the mannequin’s shoulder, Kellie saw a hand holding a lantern at the door. The person entered, set down the light, and immediately went over to the mural.

  The nun adjusted the plants and froze briefly when she noticed the crookedly placed journal.

  When she turned her head to scan the room, Kellie sucked in her breath and pulled back against the case. She didn’t move from her position and was careful not to make a peep.

  Deciding that it may be necessary to fight, she slowly let out her breath and readied herself for combat. Her shoulders tensed as she listened for the nun’s approach, but she heard only silence.

  Then Kellie made out a muffled sound. The noise grew louder.

  It was weeping. The woman was sobbing in between her sniffles.

  Kellie got on her toes and stuck up her chin to get a view of what was happening. The nun sat on the ground with her head in her arms, which were sprawled on the table underneath the life-size painting of their founder. Her shoulders bounced up and down as she cried. Her left fingers barely clung to Sonam’s book as she shed her tears.

  Who was this person and why was she crying? From behind, all the nuns looked alike with their bald heads and identical garments.

  All Kellie could do was wait. She began to feel sorry for this person and even had the urge to console her.

  Maybe these nuns do have feelings…

  Kellie’s back started to ache as she maintained the rigid position. How long was this woman going to stay here?

  The nun sniffled a few more times and was heard fiddling around. Kellie poked her nose out and watched the woman prop the journal onto its display. She stood and gathered herself, wiping her face with her sleeves. When she picked up the lantern, the light illuminated the stranger’s face. It was Choden.

  Kellie didn’t think this bhikkhunı− was capable of being emotional, and couldn’t imagine what broke her down. One thing was for sure, though, she wasn’t going to stick around Druk Monastery long enough to find out.

  Back in the woods, Kellie got her bag out from under a pile of leaves and drank some water. While chewing on some dried meat, she put thoughts of Choden in the back of her mind and planned her strategy.

  She crept back to the living quarters. Being cautious not to be heard, she peeked out from the darkness and found that the guards had deserted their posts. All the doors had a wood plank across them. The nuns must have allowed themselves a few hours of sleep before sunup.

  Kellie double-checked that no one was around or hiding in the shadows. Then she made her move.

  As she treaded lightly toward Master Chen’s room, she was aware of the smile on her face. She was going to see him for the first time in over a week and couldn’t wait to see his reaction.

  Kellie lifted the heavy block of wood and set it quietly aside. She slowly pulled on the door handle. Her eyes first went to the bed, but it was empty.

  Where did he go? Did they move him when she was gone?

  Imagining Tashi aiming her bow at Master Chen, Kellie panicked. She stumbled inside, and someone grabbed her arm and yanked her toward the ground. Kellie flew forward and was falling facedown. With her palms flat out, she stopped her head from hitting the floor, but knocked over a plant, shattering its clay pot. Although she was still in motion, she kept her body in control. She flipped around sideways and kicked her foot out at the same time that she threw her arm in an upward block.

  The bottom of her assailant’s shoe stopped short of reaching her forearm while her heel grazed his thigh.

  “Kellie?”

  Kellie lowered her arm and saw Master Chen’s shocked expression.

  “Master Chen!” She soared into his arms and hugged him as tightly as she could.

  When she finally let go and looked at him, she saw his eyes swell with tears.

  “I am so happy to finally find you,” he muttered. He sat down on the thin mattress, unable to hold himself up.

  Taking a seat next to him, she said as she smiled, “I think I found you.”

  He let out a weak chuckle. “I thought you were bhikkhunı−.”

  Staring down at her apparel, she said, “I didn’t have many choices in outfits.”

  “Nice move,” he said after he dried his cheeks with the back of his hand.

  “You won’t believe it! I trained with Desta!”

  “Mongoose kung fu!” he proclaimed. “Does he still throw things at you?”

  Kellie giggled. “Yup.”

  “Not sure if he liked me,” he said.

  “I don’t think he likes anyone.”

  They laughed together, but then Master Chen’s smile was gone, and his face became solemn.

  “Past week was worst days of my life,” he said. “I did not know what happened to you. At first, I thought you left to be with mother. But I know you would not do that without telling me.”

  Kellie noticed he looked more aged than when she’d seen him last.

  He examined her face as well. “You don’t look so good. They hurt you?” His voice cracked with the last words.

  “What? You doubt my skills? Do I always have to remind you that I’m trained by one of the greatest Taiping masters?” Kellie didn’t want to worry him. She didn’t think it was the best time to divulge the details of her kidnapping and captivity.

  “Jake and Jory!” she said remembering her friends. She jumped up. “And Lia. We need to get them out and leave. I know a way, and we should get going before the nuns wake up.”

  Master Chen took a deep breath and stared at Kellie as if he couldn’t believe she was standing in front of him. “Right. Let’s go.”

  They silently opened the door, ready to tiptoe out…but found about twenty nuns with spears surrounding the entrance.

  Metal tips pointed at them, but the one that caught Kellie’s eye was at the end of an arrow. The archer had an arm extended as she pulled on the string.

  Is she going to shoot at me again? But then she realized where the arrow was aimed.

  Kellie got in front of Master Chen. “You have me now. Happy?” She waited for them, but they didn’t budge. She took one step forward, and each nun reinforced her grip on her weapon.

  “Is this a way to treat your Teacher?” asked Kellie.

  Choden stepped forward. “Relax,” she said as she waved her arm. All the spears and the bow shifted downward.

  “I’m surprised to see you here,” she said to Kellie.

  “Well, I couldn’t let another girl be kidnapped.”

  Choden’s bloodshot eyes looked away momentarily. “I will get to the point. If you stay here, the young girl and your friends will be escorted ba
ck first thing tomorrow.”

  “Agreed,” said Kellie.

  “No!” Master Chen shouted as he sprang forward.

  The sharp points immediately rose.

  Kellie touched his arm. She knew the nuns wouldn’t hesitate to hurt him, so she stepped in front of him again. With her arms behind her, she crossed her fingers so only Master Chen could see. “I’ll do what you want. Just don’t harm them. Let them go, and I’ll stay.”

  “As was my initial idea,” said Choden. “You stay in there,” she ordered Master Chen, instructing him back into his room, “and you can stay—”

  “With Lia,” said Kellie. “I want to see her. I want to make sure she’s okay…and not scared or crying.” She glared at Choden.

  Choden responded with a raised eyebrow. “Fine.”

  Kellie turned to Master Chen. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  He was guided into his room with the tip of a spear. Kellie heard the drop of the wood board as she shuffled to a room two buildings away. She opened the door and saw Lia lying in a fetal position on the bed.

  Startled, Lia popped up her head. “Kellie!” The little girl hurried out of bed and threw her tiny arms around her.

  “I’m here,” said Kellie. “And you’re going to be safe. I won’t let them hurt you. You’re going to go home tomorrow.”

  The door slammed shut.

  Lia’s innocent face looked up at her. “They won’t hurt me.”

  She didn’t appear traumatized, and the gentleness in her eyes calmed Kellie’s nerves.

  “They treated you all right?” asked Kellie.

  “Well, they shouldn’t have taken me away from my mommy, but I understand.”

  “What do you mean? What did they say to you?”

  “They didn’t say much to me, but I know why they act so mean.” Lia let out a wide yawn.

  “It’s really late, Lia. You should go back to bed.” Kellie pulled up the blanket for her to climb under. After she tucked her in, Kellie took a seat on the ground.

  “Will you sleep next to me? My mommy always sleeps next to me.”