The Price of Blood: Part Three

Standing on a stone balcony, Tsai Jingkai sighs as he closes and pockets his cell phone. As the three warrior-monks remaining in his party edge closer to him with expectant expressions, he curses.

“Another murder. We do not know how he reaches the monastery, but we must enter that stronghold and stop him.”

Together they look out from the balcony across the vast expanse for they are at the headquarters of the Warhammer Corporation outside of Hong Kong, China. The ancient citadel is built on and into a vast cliff overlooking the South China Sea. Off in the horizon, sits another citadel. Midoral Ithiak. The Citadel of the Left Hand.

“I have stood on this balcony in years past,” Jingkai breathes. “And yet, I have never beheld such a sight. To think that it only shows itself now that we seek it...such magics...”

“Such magics have protected the most foul sorcerer the world has ever known from destruction for few have seen his citadel and left unbound or alive.”

Tsai Jingkai and his men wheel around to face the source of the new voice. Jingkai's eyes go wide in recognition of the older man. He has a blue business suit with a white shirt and a dark tie. His hair is black with gray at the temple.

Tsai Jingkai relaxes a bit. “Victor Greystone. Why would the Director of External Security be sight seeing? And...what do you mean? Who would destroy Sikarin?”

Victor chuckles as he walks past Jingkai to lean on the balcony railing. “From the tension in the air? You do. Long have many people desired to destroy him. Obviously, none have succeeded.”

“How is this so?” Jingkai demands. “If all you have to do to pierce the veil of illusion is to seek him, then he would have been found and destroyed long ago!”

Victor motions to the Citadel of the Left Hand. “Can you see the fortress that has haunted the dreams of untold thousands?”

Jingkai nods. “Yes. I seek it and so it appears.”

“Wrong.”

Jingkai frowns and points to the citadel. “But it is there! How does it appear f not because I seek it! Tsang Sha'lin has said so!”

Now Victor grins with sudden understanding. “He lied to you. You see Sikarin's home because he wishes to reveal himself to you. I would wager that you thought to approach him unawares, break in, and slay him before he can prepare himself.”

Victor is greeted by a sullen silence. He continues. “Every attack has always failed. However, they did not know of Sikarin's own method of traveling between here and there. That may allow you to ambush him for he will expect you to travel through normal means.”

Jingkai grins eagerly, but it is quickly replaced by suspicion.

“Sikarin Tsooth is part of the Warhammer Corporation and your command. Why help me destroy him?”

“Because Sikarin has harmed more Warhammer operations than any other one person or organization in the entire history of the corporation. If I could but fire him or even convince the Board to have him destroyed, I would. He has a contract built into the very foundation of the corporation.”

At this Jingkai raise an eyebrow. “At the foundation? Warhammer was founded hundreds of years ago! How?”

Victor shakes his head. “I can only assume that this Sikarin Tsooth bears the same name in direct lineage of the one at Warhammer's founding. To think otherwise...”

A silence falls as everyone contemplates and tries not to think about how powerful and inhuman one would have to be to be hundreds of years old.

As Victor clears his throat, such thoughts are scattered.

“Anyways. I will lead you to this place so that you might confront him. You must not let it be known that I have done this for he has many who follow him willingly and I cannot support a civil war within Warhammer on a grand scale. The lives of millions would be at stake.”

Tsai Jingkai nods and places his hand over his heart. “I will not reveal your part in this task that we undertake to cleanse the world of it's darkest cancer. Cui Zong? Zha Beng? Liu Kuei?”

The warrior-monks with Jingkai repeat oaths to not reveal Victor Greystone for his part in the battle to come. Victor grins, satisfied.

“Good! If you are prepared, I will lead you into the catacombs where Sikarin travels from.”

Tsai Jingkai and the warrior-monks follow Victor Greystone down through tunnels and stairs into the deep catacombs of the corporate headquarters. They go so far into the depths that technology no longer reigns, but torches light the corridors and bring flickering shadows to life.

They come to a small wooden door. Victor presses it and it swings inward to reveal a small room lit by a large mirror that's eight feet tall and five feet wide. Runic symbols decorate the framework of the mirror, glowing a dull silver.

Through the mirror, they see a man in long flowing sorcerer's robes with red trim. A long staff with a dragon claw holding a blue glowing stone that seems to hold a human skull. He is standing in front of a wall holding prisoners chained in the form of an “X”. At least a dozen can be seen on the wall. Victor motions them into the room, his voice a hushed whisper.

“Hurry for Sikarin Tsooth's attention is being lavished on his prisoners. Enter through the mirror and do what must be done.”

Jingkai pauses to clasp elbows with Victor. “Many thanks. Without your help, we may have been lost.”

Victor grins. “Without you, many of my security missions over the years would have been failures.”

As Victor leaves, Jingkai leads his party to the mirror and silently closes the door. He breathes in deep as he reaches the mirror and lets out a long sigh.

“Vengeance is ours...”

Without another word, Jingkai enters the mirror.

*****************

Outside of the Order of the Black Diamond monastery, Ishan Goldenfire walks along a road that leads to nowhere. He strides out onto a stone bridge that leads halfway out to the next mountain peak in the distance.

The bridge looks as if t had been broken many years ago and the winds of time had eroded it's edge. Ishan finds Mis Shatis seated near the edge of this bridge. Ishan kneels next to her, placing his hand on her shoulder.

Shatis sighs, her voice coming out thick with emotion. “You have found me. Have you come to question me about my wound?”

Ishan sits down next to her. “I came to see if you were well. If that is something that you wish to share? I will listen.”

Mis Shatis looks at Ishan for a long time as if to determine what his motives are. Finally, she speaks. “Mentor gave the bandage to me to help heal the wound in my heart. He saw the emotional damage that He inflicted on me in my years of servitude.”

Ishan looks at the ground in silence as he sits next to Shatis, guilt raging through his mind. He should have known. He should have suspected.

“I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should have minded my business, but you said that you were wounded and when the doctors found no wound...I feared that you had covered for Mentor and that he was the killer for Sikarin. The strength of the killer must be great, and Mentor is as strong as the legends. It all fit.”

Mis Shatis winces as Ishan mentions the name of her former master out loud. Instead of responding to the apology, she points across the way from the bridge where mists have parted to reveal the ruins of another monastery.

“What was that place?” She inquires, her voice gaining strength. “Did this bridge once travel to there?” She gives him a reassuring smile.

Ishan returns the smile, glade for the unspoken forgiveness and the change of subject. “There once lived our brother order, the White Rose. Our main tenant for both orders was 'Perfection through Adversity'. They looked inward for adversity. We looked to others. We raided other monasteries in search of glorious battles that would bring us closer to perfection. The White Rose stood as our fiercest rivals. We were set to strike the House of the Red Palm and change the course of martial arts in China forever, but a battle with the White Rose became bloody. We lost six masters that day. In our anger, we went over and in the course of a month long battle, destroyed the White Rose.”

Ishan picks up a small stone and crushes it in one hand, his expression grim.

“We discovered too late that Red Palm assassins had killed our masters to set us upon the White Rose for then our strength was not enough to contend with them. We fled the White Rose monastery and destroyed the bridge behind us in our shame. We stopped raiding other places in search of battle and instead competed with ourselves or went out as individuals. Thus the Order of the Black Diamond faded from the history of China.”

Shatis peers across the distance as if trying to see into the depths of the past. “You keep saying as if you were there. How long ago was this?”

Ishan chuckles. “I speak this way for they are my brothers in this, but this happened over a century ago. So while I personally did not do this, I feel for my brothers' error.”

Mis Shatis leans on Ishan's shoulder and softly sighs. “I do not think you could do such a thing. To kill so many without knowing the truth. I feel safe with you at my side, Ishan.”

Ishan turns to face Shatis, and lifts her chin to look into her eyes. “I vow that no harm will come to you here. What Mentor does not provide for you. I will.”

Ishan leans dangerously close to Shatis, his lips nearly touching hers. His heart beats furiously in anticipation for the next step to be taken when a warrior-monk rushes onto the bridge, shouting for him.

“Ishan! Shatis! Mentor has found the killer and is engaged in battle with him!”

Shatis falls backwards as if struck, a strangled cry escaping her lips. “Mentor! No!”

Ishan leaps to his feet. “Lead us to him!”

Ishan bolts after the man, not looking back to see if Shatis were following him. Ishan follows the man into the depths of the monastery, leaping down sets of stairs in single bounds in their haste. They arrive in a wide corridor that has become a scene of carnage. Two men lie on the floor, torn open as if by beasts. Against one wall is Mentor with deep wounds in his chest, arms, and legs as if a bear had slashed him with claws.

On the other wall is a warrior-monk. He looks as if he's grown three feet with much hair across his body and face, and claws and fangs. Still, despite these changes, Ishan recognizes a comrade, “Xan Feng? Why?”

Xan Feng looks at Ishan with a snarl that changes to recognition with a note of panic? A bestial mask clouds his features again as he lunges for Ishan with claws splayed out, but Mentor catches him with an arm and slams him to the stone floor. A yelp of pain escapes his throat along with the air in his chest. Mentor raises one hand with an air of finality. Ishan leaps to reach him.

“Mentor no!!!”

Mentor palm strikes Xan Feng in the face. The floor shakes from the impact as gore splatters all around. A shard of skull lands on Ishan's cheek. He fights away revulsion, wiping it away. He numbly stares at the scene, barely reacting as Mis Shatis rushes past to help Mentor stand up.

Ishan regains his senses as Shatis attempts to help Mentor away.

“Stop!”

He rushes over to stand in their path, angry now that they did not listen right away.

“Mentor! If you had only subdued him, we could have discovered what had happened to him! Maybe even saved him!”

Mentor slowly shakes his head and points to a small metal vial on the floor that's missing a stopper. “Potion...” He wheezes. That small effort seemingly costing him more than the fighting had. Shatis goes pale at the sight.

“No...Mentor.”

After a brief silence, Shatis speaks. “It is a potion that Sik – that He created. To drink it brings power, speed, and vitality. It has a side effect that sometimes the imbiber transforms into a monstrous aspect and has an unquenchable thirst for blood. It starts with the occasional death, but it is like using drugs. More and more deaths are required until the imbiber dies in battle. Going without the potion brings only blood lust while weakening the imbiber. So after drinking one potion, there is no return. I'm sorry for your friends loss.”

Ishan's shoulders slump, defeated. As Shatis begins leading Mentor away, he raises his hand once again. “Does Mentor not need to see the healers? His wounds appear grievous...”

Shatis shakes her head with a sad smile. “No. I will attend to him myself. Meet me at the bridge once again at dusk so we can continue our conversation.”

Ishan watches Mis Shatis and Mentor leave, wondering who could ave given such a potion to Xan Feng and how long ago as he had not betrayed any additional prowess in recent days to be the killer. He turns his attention back to the three corpses, noticing another metal vial on the floor.

This one has a stopper in it. He picks it up and unstops it, intending to smell the fluid within. A fine black mist rises out of the vial, leaving nothing behind. Outside of an odd smell, Ishan feels nothing different. Shrugging to himself, Ishan pockets the vial with the other one and moves to allow people to deal with the bodies and the mess.

**************

Off of the main hallway, Ishan is met by two warrior-monks. A giant of a man and a man his polar opposite. Ishan greets them with warm smiles.

“Hiroshima. Muta. It's good to see the two of you returned. Did you training go well?”

The larger man shrugs. “As well as can be expected. Warhammer tailored our programs for advanced training in our specialties. I did strength training and focused on the high impact aspect of my martial art skills. Muta worked on his reflexes, agility, and quickness aspect of his martial arts skills.”

Muta grins. “In the progress of our training, we took out a wet work assignment for Victor Greystone in Columbia. Seems some local drug lord wanted a bigger piece of the pie than he really ought to have. How goes it here?”

Ishan looks at the ground, his expression grim. “Things are dire here. Sikarin Tsooth is attempting to destroy us for harboring Mis Shatis and a man named Mentor. He is using these potions to transform our own warrior-monks into killers. Tsai Jingkai is leading a team to finish the foul sorcerer. One infected monk has been destroyed. We must find these potions and destroy them so that no more of our brothers become infected for there is no known cure beyond a merciful death.”

Hiroshima and Muta examine the metal vials as Ishan shows them. Hiroshima curses, handing the vial back to Ishan.

“There will be no more blood spilled here. We will discover the source of these damned elixirs and destroy it. You have our word.”

Ishan nods. “Good. Be very careful and report back to me on what you find. Trust no one, for they may be enjoying the power this potion grants...at least before transforming into a mindless monster.”

“Oh we won't.” Muta grins. “That's why we're checking out your room first!”

Ishan only shrugs. “Do what you must. I only hope that Jingkai succeeds at his mission.”