The Mark (Chi Warriors Book 1) Read online

  “Wong!” she said. “Sorry!”

  “That’s a strange way to say hello.”

  She kicked again at the face of a dagwai climbing next to him and made it fall. Wong grimaced and slung the sword-axe over the top and pulled himself up.

  “Aiya! What are you doing with that?”

  “My friend the zhuk gave it to me.”

  He surveyed the area at the top and touched Kai on the head as a greeting when he came over.

  Tae could tell he was coming up with a plan. His casual and overconfident approach that she once found unsettling now seemed comforting. She was glad he was still alive and she no longer had to protect Kai alone.

  “What do we do now?” she asked.

  “Guilin is just beyond that ridge,” he said, pointing to a depression in the forest.

  Tae judged the distance. “We’ll never make it.”

  “Nonsense. Did you see the size of my sword?”

  “Seriously, Wong. This is no time to joke.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. I had no idea it was going to be this bad. But we have no choice. We can’t stay here much longer. This rock won’t protect us forever.”

  “You can say that again.” She turned and fired a ninja star at a dagwai that was about to climb over.

  “Don’t worry. I have a plan. I think.”

  “You think?”

  “Watch Fierce Monkey—”

  Wong jumped over to a ridge in the boulder where several trees managed to sprout. From a small container, he poured a flammable liquid onto their trunks and ignited them. The accelerant flared and quickly gained strength. Using his chi energy, he manipulated the flames to shoot up into the leaves, and within moments, thick plumes of smoke shot up into the air.

  Satisfied, he shouted to Tae and Kai and waved them over. “Come on. I’ll clear a path.”

  They abandoned their lookout posts and approached Wong with curiosity. He hoisted the sword-axe high overhead and chopped it against a trunk. The flaming tree broke and tumbled down the mountain, crashing into dagwais and causing others to jump out of its way.

  Wong immediately grabbed Kai and followed in the wake of the destruction. When they reached the bottom, Wong released Kai and charged the remaining dagwais. He broke through the crowd and made for the forest.

  A line of ninjas waited for him. He raised his shiny zhuk blade in the air and quickly flashed sunlight in the ninjas’ eyes. Blinded, they winced in pain. He spun around and attacked them with a single stroke, using the full length of the sword-axe to hit them all at once.

  Tae burst through and took out a second line of ninjas. She attacked with a gracefulness that made it seem like she was dancing rather than fighting.

  Onward they rushed.

  Wong worried that Kai would fall behind again and have to be carried, but the little boy managed to keep pace. In fact, except for a brief spurt, Kai had pretty much been able to keep up the entire trip, a task that was difficult for most adults.

  “Keeping up, Kai?”

  “Yeah.”

  More Koon Gee poured in through the forests ahead.

  “Good. Stay near Tae. Watch out for my sword. Don’t come close.”

  He curled the handle of the sword-axe in his hands and leaned the heavy blade against his shoulder for support. When multiple enemies came within reach, he unleashed it, throwing the full weight of his body against each swing. Its momentum caused him to spin around with every attack, the blade making a curiously deep sound as it wafted through the air. He kept the blade constantly moving while enemies were within range, twisting and swirling it through the air, not wanting to stop lest he have to overcome the inertia of a stationary weapon. Although he exhausted a great deal of energy wielding it, he felt he was able to cut through the Koon Gee onslaught faster than with a more conventional weapon.

  During a pause in the assault, he knelt on one knee to catch his breath.

  “Why don’t you get rid of that ridiculous thing?” Tae said.

  Wong grimaced. “It was a gift.”

  Although his insistence on using the weapon appeared foolish, there was real strategy behind his actions. The situation called for them to be constantly on the move. If they got bogged down at any one point, more of the enemy would arrive to compound the situation, further stalling their progress. The best way to prevent that was to eliminate the obstacles as quickly as possible. And the best weapon for that was the one he held in his hands. The fact that new weapons were fun for him to use was just a bonus.

  A sizable crowd of opposition thickened behind them. Tae looked back and saw the shadow of a much larger figure.

  “Zhuk kwai. Another!” she yelled.

  The monstrosity stampeded behind the lizards and ninjas with a giant tree limb held in its hand like a club. Wong recognized it. It was angry.

  “I think it wants its sword back.”

  “I thought you said it was a gift.”

  He sprinted to Kai and swept him up with an arm.

  “Guilin’s not far. Run for it.”

  He dodged and avoided his enemies instead of attacking, but they were too numerous and the zhuk kwai was too fast. It roared behind them and drew close.

  “I’ll hold it off,” Tae said.

  She loaded her bow and shot a couple of arrows in its direction, but the zhuk used its tree limb like a shield. She shot again and was finally able to get one past its defenses, piercing it in the shoulder, but the wound did not slow it down. It moved in close before she could fire again and tried to pound her with its club.

  Tae jumped away and rolled to the ground. The zhuk pursued her with several more swings, but she was quick to her feet and sprang up again with a handful of ninja stars. She flung them in its direction to create a spray of projectiles, forcing it to back off. Seeing that the beast’s concentration was focused solely on her, she veered away from Wong and Kai in an effort to draw it away.

  The zhuk did not follow. It swerved back toward the mark, its primary target.

  Tae lined up another arrow to shoot it from behind, but dagwais confronted her and stepped into her line of sight. She refocused her aim and fired at close range into the chest of a lunging dagwai, then used her momentum to rise up in the air with a flying kick into the neck of another.

  Short of breath, Wong whispered to Kai. “When I put you down, run as fast as you can. Run past this ridge and down the hill all the way to Guilin.”

  Kai nodded. “Okay.”

  “Ready? Go.”

  He dropped Kai, who took off running. It was finally time to take out the zhuk.

  He turned to face it, but the zhuk was already there. He jumped to the side to avoid a swing and rolled backward to avoid a second, but a third swing caught him squarely in the chest and sent him flying.

  He groaned, finally landing on the downward slope of a hill. With his back to the ground, he slid down the slippery surface toward the bottom.

  When he finally stopped, he rolled over, only to observe a large pair of feet before him.

  A deep voice addressed him. “Why does a small man carry such a large sword?”

  Wong looked up to see an enormous sumo warrior standing above him.

  “Hello Han. Good to see you,” he said in an exhausted voice.

  The zhuk approached the top of the slope and halted in its tracks. Tae arrived off to the side. When she looked down, she saw Wong on the floor with Kai standing nearby. But more importantly, she saw a battalion full of proud sumo warriors, armed and uniformed, tipped-off to their location by the plume of smoke created earlier by Wong.

  The zhuk paused for a moment, then charged. Several sumos rushed to meet it but were knocked aside.

  “The creature is mine,” Han said.

  He stepped up to confront it.

  The beast swung its club against his spi
ked war mace, but its makeshift weapon split in half. Han powered through, clubbing the mountain demon several times before it fell back. A crowd of Guilin warriors converged upon it.

  Surprised by the forces that rushed over the hilltop, the foremost Koon Gee forces were batted down with ease. The Koon Gee ranks, which now consisted of random pockets of dagwais and dark ninjas, were no match for an organized contingent of sumo warriors.

  They turned and ran.

  15

  “WELCOME TO MY house. Eat.”

  Han, Wong, Tae, and Kai took places around a large banquet table. Enough food to feed an army was spread out before them. There were soups of different colors and consistencies; dumplings packed with a multitude of fillings; noodles of varying thicknesses; savory meats that were fried, steamed, and roasted; fresh seafood platters; and for dessert, a spread of fluffy pastries and gelatinous sweets.

  Han looked over at Wong, who stared in bewilderment at a whole suckling pig that was placed before him.

  “Where is your appetite?” the sumo said. “Eat! You look like you are getting smaller. How will you fight the Koon Gee with the body of a dancing girl?”

  Wong looked over at him, dumbfounded. He ignored his taunt, understanding that it would be the first of many verbal jabs to come.

  He looked back at the pig and then over at Tae. “This pig is why I fight.”

  Tae chuckled and said, “It is a bit much. Thank you, Han.”

  “Nonsense,” Han said. “What else would you expect from a sumo? This is a special occasion. It is not everyday that I am blessed with such company.”

  “Do you two know each other well?”

  “Very well. We have been fighting the Koon Gee for as long as I can remember.”

  Wong shook his head reminiscently. “I suppose we have.”

  “Much changes in life, but some things are constant.”

  “Like Koon Gee? This time I brought the whole forest with me.”

  “And then some.” Han thought to say something more but held back.

  “What?” Wong prodded.

  Han shook his head. “Nothing.”

  Wong stared him into submission.

  “It’s more than that,” Han said, referring to the Koon Gee. “You have just seen a small part.”

  “So I keep hearing. Define small part.”

  “Already so many questions. Eat. Enjoy. There will be time for serious talk later. Now is the time for eating and drinking. Look at Kai.”

  Kai loaded a giant mound of food on his plate, much more than he could eat, some of it spilling off the sides.

  Impressed, Han laughed. “So this is the boy.”

  “It is,” Wong replied, letting the subject matter drop. He turned his attention back to the meal. “Okay then. Let’s have at it, pig.”

  He dug in. Taking his lead, Tae started picking at the food and putting choice pieces on her plate, too.

  When Wong took his first bite of the crispy pork, he was overcome with a sense of elation. He washed it down with a sip of fine sake and his worries melted away.

  “Food seems to be the only thing there is to look forward to these days.”

  “Has it been tough?” Han asked.

  “Eh. We fight. We eat. We fight, then we eat again. Right Kai?”

  “Sleep.”

  Wong laughed. “Maybe you do.”

  Han chuckled and then said in a more serious voice, “I am sorry I could not be there sooner.”

  “That’s okay,” Wong replied, quickly glancing at Tae. “It hasn’t been all bad.”

  They continued eating at a leisurely pace, slowly emptying their plates, except for Han who ate as much as the rest of them combined. Time passed by pleasantly.

  When they had eaten their fill, Han’s mind turned to more important matters. He analyzed Wong as he picked at the remaining scraps of food on his plate, looking for a clue to his inner temperament. There was now a vacant gaze in his eyes that did not do well to mask his inner turmoil, at least to Han. He grew sad and reflective.

  “Are you sure it’s him?” Han asked.

  “Pretty sure.”

  Tae noted Han’s worried look and wondered what it meant.

  Wong continued. “So you know what’s at stake. I need to know what the situation is. Full report, Han.”

  Han looked over at Kai. “Little one, are you tired? Would you like to rest and wash up?”

  Kai looked up at him plainly. “No, I’m fine,” he said sheepishly.

  “It’s all right,” Wong said. “He can hear this. He can handle it.”

  Han’s look hardened. “Very well then.”

  He cracked his knuckles and took a deep breath before speaking.

  “There is trouble all around. An army gathers in the forests, east and north. I do not know the exact number, but there are many. Several times we tried pushing east and driving them out, but each time their numbers grew and we were turned back. They do not attack except for minor skirmishes on our borders now. They just sit and wait—”

  “For us to make a move . . . to cut off our path to Shaolin.”

  Han nodded. “Yes.”

  “What else?”

  “The eastern war cities are besieged. Seeing the Koon Gee pour in through the forests, one would have guessed the strength of their frontline was weakened. But instead, the enemy attacks and we struggle to push them away.”

  “The Koon Gee must have grown in power. I don’t know how we’ve missed this.”

  “Tanjin has fallen. You’ve probably heard.”

  “Yes, that’s where my journey began. What about Shaolin? Have you heard from them?”

  “I received a brief message. They are busy defending the Great Wall and will send help our way. I do not know much more detail . . . the message was mostly about how you found the mark. I have been expecting you for some time now. When there were reports of smoke, I knew it was you.”

  “Where did the message come from?”

  “Yaje Piau.”

  “Good. I sent a message back in Dailan. It must have reached them. Perhaps help will come sooner than expected.”

  “Hopefully. But for now we should not count on their help. We must plan accordingly.”

  “Agreed.”

  “To Shaolin then?” Han said.

  Wong nodded. “To Shaolin.”

  “It will be tough.”

  This time Wong didn’t respond, but just stared off into space.

  Han sighed. “Okay, enough of this talk for now. Get some rest. Get some sleep. We will talk again later when you are well rested and your mind is clear. You are alive for now and that is all that matters. We will come up with a plan this evening.”

  “Sounds good. Thank you, Han. It’s good to be here.”

  “It’s good to have you.”

  “Before I forget, do you know if Ko Hang is around? I need to see him.”

  “He should be. I’ll let him know. He’ll be glad to see you.”

  “He’s a weaponsmith,” Wong explained to Tae. “The best around.”

  They finished off the remainder of their meals and the maid staff began cleaning off the table. Although it was still early in the day, they decided to rest for a while; spending a night half-asleep on a boat left them exhausted. In his tired state, and especially after eating such a large meal, Wong found he couldn’t think straight. A couple hours of sleep would cure that.

  Han summoned an attendant to bring them to their guest rooms. Tae retired to her own luxurious accommodations while Wong and Kai were shown another.

  Wong normally had a favorite room that he preferred to stay in, but this time, he settled on one equipped for double-occupancy. Evidently, being hunted made Kai too afraid to be alone and Wong was afraid to let him. From experience, he knew no place was safe once you we
re marked by the lo-shur—not even within the protected walls of a sumo.

  16

  HAN’S ESTATE WAS more of a compound than a house. It was composed of many elements: the manor in which they slept; a courtyard with ornate statues and well-manicured gardens; offices and training halls; and a professional kitchen, which of course, was located next to the manor. Wong and Kai walked past them and down a gentle slope.

  Wong had managed to sleep a couple hours that afternoon. When he awoke, he tried to leave the room unnoticed, but Kai popped up from his bunk and followed. Wong let him tag along anyway, deciding the trip worthwhile for a Weapons Master-in-training.

  As he walked, he drew the odd gaze of several of Han’s staff; this was most likely caused by the giant sword-axe carried on his shoulder. He nodded to them and smiled.

  “Good afternoon,” he said to one perplexed individual. “Nice day,” he said to another.

  They exited the compound and proceeded through the village. Well-kept cottages dotted the roadways, but what interested Kai the most were the large, portly inhabitants that waved to them. He had never seen a sumo before reaching Guilin. Some were very tall, others short, but all were similarly round in appearance and exceptionally friendly. He liked them.

  “Why is everyone here so big?” he asked.

  “Because they are sumos. The House of Han is also known as The Land of Sumos.”

  “Is everyone big?”

  “Not everyone. In other parts of Guilin, the people are regular size, like you and me. But here, they are mostly sumo.”

  “Oh. I like them. They look so happy.”

  Wong smiled. “Sumos are an interesting kind. The chi they have is stored within their body—in their muscles, in their fat, blood, and bones. They can’t focus it well but it helps them move with tremendous strength. Their chi doesn’t fluctuate like ours during battle. It’s more constant, so they are always dangerous.” He looked at Kai to see if he was still paying attention. “You’ll learn that at the temple.”