by Ino Lee
“I see.” Riyon pondered, then turned to Guotin. “Have there been any developments tracing the source of the buildings used by the Koon Gee?”
“We found the owner of the building by the eastern gate, but he claims it has been empty for months. The neighbors have confirmed this to be true.”
“And what about the hideout near Mae-yin’s restaurant?” Shian said.
“Nothing. No records. The local government building was destroyed on the first night of the attack.”
“Calculated or coincidental?” Riyon said.
Guotin shrugged. “We may never know.”
Shian turned away. The lack of information frustrated her. She scanned the city landscape once again and focused on a mother and child hanging clothes on a line, seemingly carefree and unaware of all the dangers that surrounded them.
“Who would do this? Who would betray humanity?”
“I can only offer guesses,” Riyon said. “A few ninja clans. Perhaps some of the warring tribes up north. Or maybe something new altogether.”
“For what purpose?”
“Chaos. Those who thrive in disorder. Not all have the means and resources to operate in Hanai, though, so we can narrow our list of suspects.”
“Who?”
“The Poisoned Blood,” Guotin interjected. “Other ninja clans are capable, but the Blood are the most maniacal. The suspect that died in captivity the other day—he was poisoned. That is their way.”
“How can we move against them?” Shian said.
Guotin shook his head. “That is the problem. We know little about them. They are secretive. Cultish.”
“There must be something. We must follow every lead. Knock on every door.”
Guotin continued to shake his head. “Believe me—there is nothing. They have plagued the city long before the Koon Gee, and it’s not like their secrets will suddenly be handed to us.”
A Shaolin warrior approached. “Excuse me, elder.” He bowed to Riyon, then repeated to each at the table. “Shian. Guotin.” He handed Riyon a note. “This arrived for you this morning.”
“What is it?”
“Someone claims to have secret information about the Koon Gee.”
Riyon, Shian, and Guotin all gawked at each other, dumbfounded.
“Elder?” the messenger said.
“Nothing. Thank you. That is all.”
The warrior scurried away while Riyon quickly read the note, a concentrated look coming over his face.
“What does it say?” Guotin asked.
Riyon folded the note thoughtfully. “It simply says I must come alone at noon to the farmers’ market near South Gate.”
“From who? What happens if it’s a trap? The Poisoned Blood are known for such things.”
Riyon shook his head. “Maybe. But I don’t think so.”
“Guotin’s right,” Shian said. “You should not go alone.”
“I’m not sure how seriously we can take this. Something tells me it’s not from the Poisoned Blood.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s signed The Flying Dragon Monsoon Brothers.”
The market was full of activity, almost as if it were a normal day, though the shoppers seemed angrier than usual. The attack on the eastern gate interrupted the morning supplies, leaving some of the produce less desirable than in previous days. Chong walked up and down the aisles, arguing with customers.
Riyon calmly stepped through the chaos, observant, and eager to see what would happen next. He made it past the eggplant and potato stands, when a couple of crates with eyeholes shifted behind him and followed. A few more steps later, he stopped and turned.
“All right, boys. I know you’re in there.”
The crates tipped over, revealing Hojin and Kai.
“We were just making sure you came alone,” Hojin said.
“Why?”
“Just because.”
“You’re in a lot of trouble, young man.” His voice toughened. “I vouched for you in Shaolin and this is how you repay me.”
“We were right to come,” Kai said. “My echo was right. Ting was in trouble.”
The elder’s face softened. “What happened?”
“She was all alone,” Hojin said angrily. He knew it wasn’t Riyon’s fault, but yelled anyway. “My parents were killed in the raid!”
“I’m so sorry, Hojin. Are you okay? Where is your sister? Is she safe?”
“She is now.”
Riyon sighed and remained sympathetic. “I’m sorry about your parents. Really I am. But the decision to keep Kai in Shaolin was made for the greater good. You know this. If your sister was not involved, you would say the same.” He turned to Kai. “You should not be here. Especially now. The danger in Hanai is greater than anyone realized.”
“We know,” Kai said.
An argument erupted nearby about wilted pea shoots, temporarily distracting them.
“What do you know about the Koon Gee?” Riyon asked. “Why did you have me come here?”
“We want to make a deal.”
“For what? What are you up to?”
“If we tell you, you can’t send us back to Shaolin.”
“I can’t promise you that. No matter how good your bargaining chip is.”
“We found out about the Koon Gee and Poisoned Blood,” Hojin said.
“Found out what?”
“You have to promise not to send us back.”
“I said I can’t do that.”
“Then no deal.”
“Do you think this is a game? You will tell me what you know, regardless, because you are Shaolin warriors and would not dare endanger the lives of the innocent in Hanai. Your consciences will not allow it, no matter how much you say otherwise. This I know. You have no bargaining chip. You will tell me what you know or people will die.”
Hojin and Kai felt defeated. The elder knew he had them.
“Speak up. Don’t get into any more trouble than you already are.”
He leaned in and shot them a stern look.
Hojin relented and waved him closer, hesitant to talk too loudly. “The Poisoned Blood and Koon Gee are secretly working together.”
Riyon straightened up and deadpanned. “I know that already.”
“What? How?”
“I discovered a human dressed up as a tonkaija. It was not long before the connection was made to the Poisoned Blood clan.”
“The Poisoned Blood are dressing up like tonkaijas?” Kai said, surprised.
“Did you not know? So much for a bargaining chip—not that it would have done you any good.”
“How did you know they were Poisoned Blood?”
“I am an elder of Shaolin, with resources. Do you think you are more clever than me?”
“Did you also know they’re hiding in the Biyan District?” Hojin said.
Riyon froze for a moment. “That is a pretty good bargaining chip.”
“Oh,” Kai and Hojin yelled simultaneously. They bounced in place, excited to have stunned the elder.
“Enough,” Riyon said. “How do you know?”
“The Flying Dragon Monsoon Brothers are full of clever,” Hojin said.
Riyon grabbed his arm. “Come on. This is serious. You’re coming back with me and will tell me everything you know.”
“Will you still send us back to Shaolin?”
“You know the answer to that, Hojin.”
“Then, I’m sorry,” Kai said.
Riyon looked confused.
Kai continued. “There was a reason we wanted you to come alone.”
“You knew that I would send you back?”
“We knew there was a chance,” Hojin said, apologetically.
Riyon sensed something was about to happen and trie
d to grip Hojin tighter, but Kai threw down a couple of smoke bombs to let Hojin slip away. The market became filled with panicked activity. Riyon coughed and tried to brush away the smoke, but it seemed to stick to him. He stumbled away to escape it, and when the cloud cleared, there was no sign of the boys.
“Clever,” he said.
24
XIONG ASCENDED A ladder to reach the highest station in Fox Nest. He stopped halfway up the climb to peer into the forest, serenaded by a chorus of chirping birds and rustling leaves. The activity of life made him feel secure, though he knew at any moment something darker could be lurking in the shadows. He listened carefully and judged that the forest’s harmony was in tune; if a dark ninja or zhuk kwai was nearby the sounds would heighten, and if a lo-shur spirit haunted the premises, the sounds would go quiet.
He climbed again, hand-over-hand, gripping wooden rungs tied securely to the trunk. When he finally reached the top, he stood tall and greeted the rangers in the watchtower, a squadron of lean archers with bows. A hawk was perched on a stand near the window.
Hui, the head ranger, came over and held out a note. “Arrived just recently.” He nodded at the messenger hawk.
“Was that all?” Xiong said.
“No. It came with a small bottle.” He motioned to a clay bottle on a table.
Xiong hastily grabbed the note as if it were candy, and retreated to a private corner. Hui passed him a cup of ranger tea, a cold-brewed concoction of various leaves found only on Jini, which was said to increase alertness. Xiong took a sip of the particularly bitter brew and unrolled the parchment greedily, reading it with great anticipation. Another such note had been received the previous night and informed him of the magaus’ pilgrimage, the human tonkaijas in Hanai, and the Koon Gee’s plan to send fifty unan through Tanjin to Hanai. It was the latter bit of news that was of most immediate concern. There was little chance they could repel a force bolstered by fifty additional masked demons, especially since Tanjin was compromised and they did not have full control of the island.
The reigning Shoukui rolled the note back up and stared into space.
“Is everything all right?” Hui asked.
Xiong nodded. “As planned. Jaguan and the magaus are on board with the plan and headed here now. How are things on this end?”
“It’s been quiet, Shoukui. Nothing for days.”
“Nothing is good.”
“Nothing makes me edgy.”
Xiong shook his cup. “Perhaps you should brew a little less strongly, then?”
A horn sounded in the distance. The rangers snapped to attention.
“Fox Nest Two,” Hui said. “The southern extension.” He snapped his fingers up high at the rangers. “Make sure it is not a diversion.”
The rangers shot out of the windows to separate posts stationed around the watchtower, making sure Koon Gee weren’t headed their way. Xiong looked on proudly, satisfied at the rangers’ first-rate execution. Perhaps there was something to the ranger tea, or more likely, experience gained from years of battle.
When the rangers signaled the all-clear, Hui looked for instruction. “Can I come?”
Xiong nodded. “Join me.”
Hui instructed the others. “Maintain your stations.”
Xiong grabbed a bow and quiver from the station’s supplies and rushed out the tower, but instead of climbing down the ladder, he approached the end of the platform where a line connected to a distant tree. He latched on with a hook, something all the rangers in Tanjin kept handy, and zipped down the line. Hui followed.
They flew through leaves and branches, landed on a lower platform, and took off through the forest at top speed. Another horn blast sounded.
Fox Nest Two was a mile-and-a-half away. They had just begun construction on the outpost that morning and didn’t expect the Koon Gee to react to it until nightfall, but here they were. It was no matter. They were prepared. Xiong anticipated it would be hard to establish the secondary base without interference and stocked it full of soldiers in advance. Doing so left their primary base weakened, but Xiong knew a direct attack on Fox Nest One was unlikely since the Koon Gee were most likely waiting for their unan horde to amass before storming through. If they couldn’t establish their secondary base, then at least they would have drawn out Koon Gee troops from Tiger Nest and inflicted some loss. And if they were able to hold it, then they would have extra coverage in case the horde actually came through.
They reached the camp and heard scattered commotion. Xiong knew by the frequency of the alarm blasts that a major offensive wasn’t taking place, but was still wary whenever Koon Gee turned up. He surveyed the area and noticed rubbish scattered across the grounds, wood planks and ropes dangling from the trees. Not far away, a group of zhuks stood in a circular defensive position, carrying massive shields that were camouflaged like the forest.
Hui studied the formation, needing a moment to understand what was happening because the oversized shields made it difficult to see.
“Zhuks,” he said. “It looks like they’re tearing apart a fortification on the inside. The shields give them an instant perimeter.”
Xiong counted at least eight of the giant beasts and guessed the camouflage had helped them sneak close to the encampment before attacking. They each carried a body-length shield and spiked mace, using them to defend against bowmen in the trees and anything that dared to venture close. More activity could be seen inside the perimeter, as well as in the forest beyond.
“Looks like dagwais inside,” Xiong said.
Hui nodded. “And more dagwai support archers in the forest.”
Xiong’s mind raced to formulate a plan of attack. He dropped his bow and quiver.
“The zhuk wall is most vulnerable from the center. See the exit line on the tower?”
Hui understood. As part of their strategy in constructing defensive treetop towers, neighboring trees were often cut away to prevent attack from dark ninjas in the canopy. The zhuks and dagwais circled around one such structure, making it difficult to find a way around them from above, except for one point of vulnerability—the exit line, similar to the one they had just slid down from on their watchtower in Fox Nest One.
“All we have to do is take out a few zhuks from the inside and the defense will collapse,” Xiong said. “Follow me.”
They ran and jumped onto the exit line, delicately balanced atop the cable. They ascended in height and soon passed above the zhuks, who were too occupied with the other rangers to notice them.
Several of the lizards were in the trees tearing down the partially built watchtower. Xiong unsheathed the Sword of Shaolin.
“I’ll clear the way. You take out the zhuks.”
His sword flashed as he tore into the startled dagwais. Three were dead in no time before he dropped to the ground, looking to cause more havoc below. Hui kneeled on the platform and took aim, but realized that the zhuks wore body armor behind the shields. He followed Xiong down for a better look.
Xiong landed on a pile of wooden construction planks just as a dagwai ignited them. He jumped from the fire and cut down the dagwai, then moved on to another wielding a spiked mace—good for smashing fortifications, but too clumsy for his sword.
Hui landed in the fire and quickly hopped to the safety of the ground, planting his feet firmly as wood crackled at his back. He could see pockets of unprotected flesh through the zhuks’ metal plates and knew missing at such close range was unlikely. He lined up a careful shot and fired into a zhuk’s neck, immediately dropping it, then followed with two quick arrows at a couple of neighboring beasts, hitting one in the calf and another in the thigh. The zhuks tightened formation to account for their fallen comrade, but the two with leg injuries had trouble moving and were besieged by the rangers. Hui proceeded to unload his quiver, some arrows bouncing off shields and armor, but others sticking. The zhuks’ defensive wall
began to fail, and it was not long before the beasts were fallen or scattered.
Hui looked around for Xiong, but the Shoukui had already stormed into the forest after the support archers. The forest settled into an uncomfortable peace, though the silence was calming after the frenzied activity.
Xiong soon returned.
Hui raised a brow. “How did it go?”
“We did what we could. Some ran into the forest.”
“They could come back.”
“Hopefully.”
“Hopefully?”
“If they come back, that means fewer troops at Tiger Nest. And the fewer troops there, the better. At least we have their attention.”
“So what now?”
Xiong looked around at the disarray. “Rebuild.”
Xiong held up a small clay bottle and jingled it. “Have something for you. It will help get you back on your feet again.”
Tengfei looked interested. “Infinity water?”
“No. A present from Wong and the magaus. Fresh sembu slime.”
The monk made a face. “What am I supposed to do with that?”
“Drink it.”
“It is the bodily secretion of a slug.”
“The magaus swear by it.”
Tengfei leaned back in his bed again. “I’ll do without it. I feel like the unan toxins are already working their way out of my system.”
“Drink it. I need you functional again. Tanjin needs you.” He handed over the bottle, then smirked. “By order of the Shoukui.”
Tengfei shot him a defiant look, then removed the cork. “If I ever become Shoukoo, you’ll regret this.”
“Don’t joke. You never know with the way things are these days.”
Tengfei sensed worry. “The alarm that sounded earlier—was it serious?”
Xiong shook his head. “Just a raid. Zhuks with massive shields moving in coordination, like a mobile fortress.”
“That sounds serious.”
“An exploratory force just to delay construction, but they are getting more crafty in their approach. They must not like us trying to net them in.”
