by Ino Lee
“Civilization has its complications. But it’s not so jarring as being hunted in the Koon Kagi with the weight of an entire species on your shoulders.”
Riyon glanced at him and let out a muffled laugh. “Conversation with you may not always be agreeable, but it is never dull. Now tell me, what do you think of this situation? It is a lot to take in. Speak your mind.”
“Panyin arrived just minutes before you, so I haven’t had time to fully process it. We need to raid every inch of Biyan, but we have to get to this girl out first. The Blood will kill her if a raid begins just to keep her quiet, make no mistake about that.”
“Can you attempt a covert rescue alone? I know you are good at these things.”
Wong grimaced. “If I must. But there is only one approachable window, likely a bad entry point, and I have no idea where they’re keeping her inside. I could put the whole building on alert before the raid begins and get her killed anyway. Maybe if I had some help. A diversion.”
Riyon looked at him suspiciously. “What kind of diversion?”
“Kai and Hojin are eager to make their mark. They have a clear path into the tower.”
“Did you not tell them yourself it was too dangerous?”
“By myself. Sure. But perhaps not with a seasoned Shaolin warrior, one whose years of experience is unparalleled. An elder fighter. Now that would be something.”
Riyon shook his head. “Reckless. I knew you would have an unconventional plan, but this is too much.”
“Think about it. You wouldn’t even have to sneak in. They’d open the doors right up for you. You’d have an immediate play from the inside, while I sneak in from the top.”
“You are right. They’ll open the doors up. Because they want to kill us!”
“But they’ll want to question you first, see what you know and who you’ve talked to, maybe torture you a little. Then they’ll kill you.”
Wong smiled.
Riyon postured. “I doubt you even think this is a good idea.”
“They’ll be expecting street kids, perhaps accompanied by their helpless old grandfather to clear things up. They won’t expect elite Shaolin warriors. They won’t flee, lock doors, burn secrets, or kill prisoners. At most, they’ll be distracted by a handful of internal intruders while our forces take Biyan.”
“It will still be a building of ninjas and demons against this old man and some children.”
“Kai and Hojin are capable if given the chance. I have been watching them ever since I got here. They react well and know what to do. Kai has taken down lo-shur before and you would never have brought Hojin to Hanai if you didn’t think he was capable.”
“Operating in Hanai is one thing; charging into the mouth of the enemy is another.”
“Li and I tackled worse when we were their age. And Kai and Hojin are arguably stronger.”
“I am not so sure. I was there, too, remember? In any case, it’s true I let Hojin come here, but we cannot risk Kai. We cannot risk the chosen one.”
“He can hear echoes. Not even Grandmaster Tienkow could hear echoes until he was an old man. If he is meant to destroy the Koon Gee, how will he do so by hiding from danger at every turn? If there’s one lesson I’ve learned, it’s not to let prophecies rule your life. If you stifle him, he will run away and find challenges on his own, this I know.”
“Bah.” Riyon stood and paced. “I don’t know how you always manage to get us to do your bidding. First you get Jaguan to execute this plan with the magaus, and now you want me to risk bringing Kai into a tower full of Koon Gee and Poisoned Blood.”
“I’ll be there. And you have not seen what I can do yet.”
“That is another issue. You were not in such great shape when you left Shaolin.”
“My chi has ascended since then. I’ve become wo-shur.”
“What?”
“Wong, with lo-shur powers. Wo-shur.”
Riyon rolled his eyes. “This is what I’m talking about. Your behavior does not inspire confidence.”
Wong concentrated and summoned energy, his eyes turning fully black and his voice deepening. “I will be as effective as I’ve ever been, elder.”
Riyon paused, unnerved. He tried not to look rattled. He believed Wong’s power and conviction, but had to maintain a level head.
“Grandmaster would never allow it.”
Wong dropped from his demon state. “I know. You can’t go to the Shaolin Temple with this. It has to be a battlefield decision. There isn’t enough time for debate.”
“You are asking much.”
“Tell me, then—do you have a better idea? It’s our best chance of saving this girl and you know it. If you thought Kai and Hojin were difficult before, wait until you turn your back on this girl. You have the chance to shape their futures, Riyon. What choice would you make?”
31
AIYING SQUINTED AND flexed her arm muscles, snapping the bow string and sending an arrow through the heart of a pear atop a fallen tree. It was almost the end of the day before the planned attack on Tanjin, where they camped in a hidden base across the river from Jini. The trees there were abundant, a stark contrast from the plains taken to get there, which put the magaus more at ease and provided Aiying with ample material to set up target practice.
She took aim at a second pear on the same log. The weight of the bow and tautness of string all felt good, as natural and familiar as her own arm. It was the only thing left that seemed normal, standing among foreign Koon Kagi creatures, and even Jaguan, whose humanness seemed like a long lost memory.
She let go again and skewered her target. At least her skill had not left her, though she could not say as much for her chi strength. Jaguan did not know how long it would take for her to recover from being possessed or if she would ever become whole again. The thought of being a merely good shot was unappealing since she had been capable of so much more; Aiying of Shaolin was a truly elite warrior, and the Weeping Arrow stronger still. Strength was needed for the battle ahead and she hated being handicapped, desperate to make a difference, whether driven by the need to make amends for her sins against the magaus or her desire to exact revenge.
A third pear fell prey to her wrath as memories of the Koon Kagi and death flashed through her mind, but she held her breath even and her arm steady. She would not let rage rule her. Shaolin clarity was needed if she were to recover her yang chi.
Renshu walked by one of her fallen targets and picked it off the ground curiously, then continued off with it like a snack on a skewer.
“Curious creatures,” Jaguan said, standing nearby. “They have an air of joviality and youth about them despite the gravity of their circumstances.”
“Reminds me of Wong. No wonder he got along with them. I suppose we could all use a little joviality.”
“How are you recovering? I see your aim is not lacking.”
She noticed the string around his neck carrying vials of Infinity water.
“Do you think chi water would help me?”
Jaguan reached for one of his vials and grasped it, feeling for its radiant energy.
“It’s odd how one possessed of lo-shur can go from light to dark in an instant. The spirits can take one’s capacity for chi and use it for their own, but as soon as they leave, the body must adjust. The longer the possession, the more difficult the adjustment.”
“That seems like a roundabout way of saying no.”
“It could kill you if ingested too soon. I still sense the glimmer of a dark aura around you. Your body is not ready for yang chi. In time your own internal chi will grow and you will be receptive again, but that is what it will take—time.”
“Time is not something I have. I don’t want to be a liability.”
“It would not be my choice to have you fight so soon, but I know I cannot dissuade you.” He pulled a vial off h
is collection. “Take it, but don’t ingest it. Perhaps having it close by will help your body adjust faster. And it will be there if by some miracle you find you can use it. Sometimes battle can awaken one’s chi.”
Aiying received it and held it close to her chest. “Thank you. I know this will help.”
Renshu appeared next to them, a skewered pear now in each hand.
“Will that make you strong Painted Lady? Good. I need you now that Wong is not here.”
“That is the hope,” Aiying said.
Renshu grumbled. “Hope. Do not say hope. I see your shot. Tomorrow we will be victorious.”
“Your confidence is infectious. But do not underestimate the challenge of retaking Tanjin. It will be as difficult as any faced in the Koon Kagi.”
“Bah. Your battle talk is worse than Wong’s. We will be victorious. We will conquer a new home.”
Aiying laughed. “It seems your fondness for this land has grown.”
“My scout was acceptable. Will the trees be the same as here?”
“Older. Taller,” Jaguan said.
Renshu bit from an arrow and tried to picture it in his mind. “Not Tangled Root. Not for all magaus, but acceptable. There is wisdom—a presence in the trees. It speaks to me.”
“What does it say?” Aiying said.
“It is an expression. Trees cannot talk.”
“I know. I thought you might share your feelings.”
“It says do not waste food.”
Aiying sighed. “They really are like Wong.”
Jaguan’s hawk, Zhanzu, dropped from the sky and let out a shrill cry. Renshu’s mood soured. The monk held out his staff and the bird promptly landed. A moment transpired as their minds connected and Jaguan received the most recent images.
“Is it danger?” Renshu said.
“No. Quite the opposite.”
Commotion could be heard through the woods, a couple of rangers entering the camp, followed by the Shoukui.
“Xiong!” Aiying said.
She ran over and embraced him.
“I cannot believe my eyes,” Xiong said. “I never imagined I would see you again. When I heard of your return, I was overjoyed.”
They talked a little longer before Xiong took notice of the others, exchanging bows with Jaguan as he came over.
“Has something happened?” Jaguan asked. “What brings you here?”
“Tengfei has recovered well enough. Your sembu slime did wonders.”
“You plan to join us?”
“Yes. Let’s regroup in private.”
Jaguan stepped aside. “First let me introduce you to the magau king.”
Xiong bowed.
Renshu was caught off-guard and flipped his skewers behind his back. “Nice to meet you.”
They gathered in a hut around a table, which took up most of the room. Xiong laid a map across the top.
“This is Tiger Nest.” He put a finger down and circled it. “A web of defensible treetop towers, large and small, built to withstand any number of Koon Gee daring to cross the Yangtzhu from the northeast.”
Renshu examined the many dots on the map.
“Not so well,” he quipped.
Xiong supposed he was right. It would take a while to get used to the magau’s directness.
“So it appears.” He picked a new spot on the map. “Fortunately, the defenses were larger and more numerous nearer the Yangtzhu, some destroyed in the initial attack, and away from where our forces are now.” He dragged his finger. “Fox Nest lies south, less advanced, but able to withstand the soft underbelly of Tiger Nest. Forces have dug in along the ground between them. We were able to divert some of the entrenched forces this way with a secondary front.” He moved his finger again. “Before noon tomorrow, Fox Nest will make a push, drawing attention for us to sneak behind the defense.”
“Tengfei is able to lead this initial push?” Jaguan asked.
“He won’t lead the charge, but is well enough to take battle command. He should be able to handle it with Hui.”
“I see.”
“And the magaus?” Renshu said. “What is planned?”
Xiong traced a path. “Tomorrow we will break camp and head to the river, where rafts will float us down the Yangtzhu. We will make landfall on the island here.”
Renshu tapped the map on the same space. “How are the trees?”
“Good on the outskirts of the island, thin around the fortifications. We built Tanjin to withstand invasion from the canopy. Obstructions have been cleared away.”
Renshu looked concerned. “That is how we fight.” He pointed up. “In the trees.”
“The trees will still be there,” Jaguan said. “We made it defensible from ninjas, not magaus.”
Xiong grimaced. “I will be straightforward with you, magau king. The resistance will be formidable, even with Tengfei drawing away pressure. My hope is that the skill and speed of your people in the trees will help us overcome the odds and take them by surprise.”
“I will be at the forefront of this punch with you,” Jaguan said.
“As will I,” Xiong said. “I could not let the burden of this operation fall solely on the magaus. Fifty of our most skilled rangers will come as well. Any more would slow us down. The Sword and Monk Staff will be united in this.”
“You may not be familiar with Shaolin,” Aiying said. “But having the Sword and Staff together is significant. At the very least, it’s like being given two extra Dragon Arms.”
Renshu nodded thoughtfully.
Xiong continued. “From the river, we’ll carve a path to the center of the defense, where we will find Tiger Lair, a five-story fortress spanning numerous trees. Our mission will be to overtake it. It will give us both high ground and positional advantage from within the heart of the Koon Gee defense, creating a communication and logistics breakdown that will ripple throughout the entire web of fortifications. If we overtake Tiger Lair, we retake the Nest. And if we retake the Nest, we regain the island.”
“Simple,” Renshu said.
“The difficulty with Tiger Lair is that it is isolated and nearly impossible to reach by other trees,” Jaguan said. “Even for the magaus. They’ve been cut away for defense further than the rest.”
“We’ll have to get creative,” Aiying said.
“Never mind the fact that the base is filled with Koon Gee,” Xiong added. “And most likely a radiance pool by now.”
“Can we win?” Renshu asked.
“The saving grace of Tiger Lair is that it isn’t a normal fortress. It’s more open, like a giant treehouse. If we can get there, I can’t imagine a better target for magaus to storm.”
“And I can’t imagine a better home,” Aiying said.
Renshu smiled. “Simple.”
32
WONG PULLED OUT a large chest from underneath a table and opened it.
“What is all this?” Riyon asked.
Wong tried to contain his excitement. “It’s my indoor gear.” A smile stretched across his face. “I’ve been waiting a long, long time to use this again.”
Riyon examined the contents inquisitively and tried to understand his enthusiasm. There were belts, hooks, straps, a multitude of satchels, strange tools and gadgets, darts, ropes, bottles, and things he couldn’t even comprehend. Wong rummaged through the items and piled up a choice assortment, the most curious being a set of round metal balls.
“What are those?” Riyon asked.
“I call them havoc balls.”
“Why?”
“Because they cause havoc. Can you do me a favor and get the other trunk?” he said, pointing.
Riyon looked under the table and saw a second trunk, which he dragged out and opened. A completely different collection of objects was found inside, stranger than the first. He sa
w clothes, uniforms, hats, face paint, fake hair and mustaches, and an assortment of everyday things, including toys, umbrellas, and even a baby sling.
“And what’s all this for?” he asked.
“Disguises.”
“You lived an odd life in Hanai, didn’t you?”
Wong reached into the trunk and pulled out a fake beard, then held it up against Riyon’s face. The elder did not look pleased.
“Hmm, almost,” Wong said.
Kai ran over from his sparring session with Hojin. “Oh, wow, is that his disguise?”
“What do you think?”
“He doesn’t look old and helpless enough.”
“Maybe if he hunched over a little.”
“Yeah and made helpless noises, like, Oh no, my back.”
Riyon sneered.
“Good idea,” Wong said. “At least he has the sour, crotchety thing going on.”
Wong pulled out some face paint and a funny-looking stuffed doll with one eye.
“What’s the doll for?” Kai asked.
“Ting.”
Ting’s attention perked up. She was practicing throwing a new set of bolts against a target on the wall. She ran over.
“Oh yeah, she’s so pretty.”
She grabbed the doll and hugged it.
“Why does she need a disguise?” Riyon said. “They already know she is a little girl. She doesn’t need a doll to convince them.”
“Every little thing to paint the picture is worthwhile. Every distraction has a purpose. They’ll see the girl and focus on the oddity of the doll, not think further that there might be danger.”
“But she is a little girl and no danger.”
“Hey,” Ting whined. “I’m very dangerous.”
“Have faith, Riyon. I’m good at this,” Wong said. “Plus, she likes it.”
He handed the elder a bottle. “Drink before you enter the tower. Before you leave this house, in fact.” He made sure everyone heard and acknowledged him.
“What’s it for?” Riyon asked.
“It counteracts certain poisons.”
