The Price of Blood: Part Two

In a darkened cavern, lit only by sunlight streaming through a hole in the roof, a rope is dropped through the hole to the floor. Tsai Jingkai, otherwise known as “the Wolf”, lowers himself to the floor and looks up. He catches several unlit torches along with one that is lit. He is followed by several members from the Order of the Black Diamond. As each one comes down and lights a torch, Jingkai thinks back to just days before at the monastery.

An argument had begun over what to do about Sikarin Tsooth's latest trespass against the Black Diamond. While a few had been adamant about going through the system to enact a corporate punishment against him, many more favored a more direct approach. Tsai Jingkai had won a lotto and hand picked a team to go and find Sikarin Tsooth in order to deliver a final justice against him. To find his lair, they have come here to the home of one of his servants. Tsang Sha'lin the Lash. He will know where to look.

Tsai Jingkai and five warrior-monks are down on the ground with lit torches. They start down long, dark tunnels while seeking any sign of their quarry. They come to a quick stop as light reveals a great chamber. A lonely rope bridge crosses a chasm. The source of the light flickers across distant cavern walls as though the light were coming below the bridge. Tsai Jingkai takes a few halting steps onto the bridge and peers down. What he sees nearly sends him into the depths himself.

Spirits. Bodiless spirits. Heads flying around like comets, flying without direction or purpose. Jingkai's eyes go wide as he guesses the number of lost souls to be in the thousands if not more. Another warrior-monk joins Jingkai on the bridge. Jingkai speaks without looking, entranced in the swirl of light below.

“Gao Long?”

Gao Long looks down into the chasm, his face a mixture of fear and wonder. “What? What is this place?”

Tsai Jingkai shakes his head to break the spell the lost souls have upon him. “I do not know, and I feel as if we were to find out that it would bring us so much closer to madness. Let us t our target before we become a part of this site forever.”

Gao Long nods and motions for the others to follow as they slowly cross the rope bridge into the chamber beyond. It is a wide open chamber dimly lit by torches and the soft glow of the lost souls behind them. Chains are hanging everywhere from the darkness above. Each chain ends in a pair of barbed hooks. A low noise gently fills the room as the chains seem to slowly writhe with a life of their own.

When the last warrior-monk enters the forest of chains, four chains whip towards him and sink their hooks into his flesh, lifting him up into the darkness where all that can be heard is his painful screams. A shout goes out as the rest of the chains spring to life and attack, forcing the warrior-monks to deflect the deadly hooks as best as they are able.

In a short time, Tsai Jingkai is left alone as everyone is dragged upwards into the darkness where not even their screams are heard. A man steps out of the shadows, a coiled whip at his side comprised of the same chains as those hanging above. Tsang Sha'lin laughs harshly.

“To enter the domain of the4 Lash is to invite death itself. Why have you come here? I'd like to know the reason that you perish at my chains.”

Jingkai glances up into the darkness and gives Sha'lin a hard look. “We have come seeking the location of your master.”

Sha'lin laughs. “You seek my master? Have you come to serve? To sup at his wisdom?”

Sha'lin's expression darkens as he regards Jingkai. “No. Yo have death in your eyes.”

A green gemstone on a circlet on Sha'lin's forehead flickers and he grins. “Death is all you will find here.”

Sha'lin has his whip out and flicks the barbed hooks at Jingkai in a flash. Jingkai twists to the side to dodge the hooks and ducks as they rebound to be back by Sha'lin's side. Pain erupts in his back as two chains bury their hooks under his shoulder blades and two more in his thighs, ripping him off of the ground. Jingkai cries out in pain as he is pulled up so high that sight of the ground quickly vanishes. Everything is enshrouded in darkness until a large emerald stone casts a weak light over the area, revealing the roof of the cavern and silhouettes of his comrades. Details can't be seen on most, but Jingkai can see Bao Long a few feet up and n front of him. The two hooks in his neck and skull reveal that he didn't suffer for long.

From down below, the cruel laughter of Tsang Sha'lin carries, coming from below and the emerald stone.

“Relax! Relax and let your life blood quench the thirst of the porous stone far beneath your feet. Death comes. It won't be long now.”

Tsai Jingkai grits his teeth and grabs the chains that are hooked to his shoulders. He growls as he pulls himself upwards a hand space at a time. Once he gets above where Gao Long is, he looks to the emerald stone. Still out of reach.

Jingkai inhales sharply as he begins swinging back and forth, the barbed hooks digging deeper into his flesh. Still, he cannot reach the stone. From below and from the stone, Sha'lin's voice resounds.

“What are you doing?”

Tsai Jingkai sighs and utters a soft apology to the spirit of Bao Long and lets himself plummet down to him. He springboards off of Long's corpse and flips into the air to strike the emerald stone with a kick. When the stone shatters, the chains do as well. Tsai Jingkai scream as he aims both feet for Tsang Sha'lin.

“No!” Sha'lin attempts to his Jingkai with his whip, but the warrior-monk twists in mid-air to grab the hook. He drives his feet into both shoulders of Tsang Sha'lin, riding him down to the ground to absorb the impact. Sha'lin screams in pain as both his shoulders and his collar bone shatter. Jingkai twists and plunges the barbed hook into Sha'lin's belly, twisting it into his entrails.

“Now tell me...where is Sikarin Tsooth?”

Tsang Sha'lin's face is pale as he bleeds out through his belly, and yet he manages a cruel grin.

“You really don't know? Thousands of those employed by Warhammer know where to find Sikarin. You do not know? You must not have been special enough to be selected for his training. To be allowed into his influence. To gain the strength that he lends his students.”

Jingkai kneels by Sha'lin and wrenches the hook in his belly. “Your strength didn't save you. Tell me.”

Blood starts trickling from Sha'lin's mouth, but he nods as his strength is fading.

“He lives in Midoral Ithiak, the Citadel of the Left Hand. It is within sight of Warhammer's stronghold near Hong Kong.”

Jingkai frowns. “I have never seen such a place.”

Sha'lin coughs painfully, blood pouring from his belly. “Now that you seek it, you will. Once found, never again will you look upon us who serve the same.”

Tsang Sha'lin's head lolls to the side, dead. As the emerald stone on his forehead fades away, so do the chain links and hooks. Jingkai feels a relief of pressure as the hooks in his flesh vanish. He gets up and begins to look for survivors amongst his team.

“Now we know where to look,” he mutters. “This will soon be finished forever.”

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

At the Black Diamond monastery, Ishan Goldenfire stands with Mis Shatis as Mentor stands next to a practice dummy of carven stone.

“What is he doing?” Ishan questions. “We use these to develop strikes to break armor.”

Mis Shatis only grins. “Mentor's strength exceeds all others, but there are times that he can exceed even this level of power.”

Mentor shouts something arcane and strikes the torso of the practice dummy with a closed fist. The torso explodes into dust, sending the climbs and head flying away in different directions. Ishan looks on in awe of the display.

“I've only been able to split the torso in half,” he breathes. His expression changes to mild confusion. “Was there a flash of red light on impact?”

Mentor stares at Ishan, but says nothing. Still looking for answers, he turns to Shatis.

“It has been said that Mentor's power is such that he can bring flame from rock without the need for wood. Next he will do a demonstration of strength that can even defeat opponents without striking them.”

Mentor nods and about two dozen warrior-monks surround him, ready to strike. Mentor gets into a fighting stance. He flexes his muscles and shouts something in an arcane tongue. Ishan nearly falls over as the ground shakes, throwing all of the warrior-monks to the ground.

Ishan watches the scene in open amazement. “Sorcery! How can strength alone bring about such a feat?”

Mis Shatis shakes her head. “No. There is no magic involved. Mentor has learned to use an arcane tongue to sound as if he were. It unlocks the depths of his strength.”

Ishan watches as the warrior-monks around Mentor are slow to get up and leave.

“Amazing. To be able to retain such strength.”

As they watch, Mentor clutches at his chest and drops to one knee. Shatis lays a restraining hand as Ishan move to help. Her expression is one of concern, despite her next words.

“While he has the strength of legends, it takes a toll on him to use it near it's full potential. A curse upon him by...Him...ensures that.”

Ishan spits on the ground, cursing. “Even now, Jingkai is on the hunt. Soon, he will never bother another soul again. The name Sikarin Tsooth will fade from memory.”

At the mention of the name, Mis Shatis begins to quake in fear. Tears begin rolling down her cheeks in earnest. Ishan looks at her, uncertain of what to say. He puts an arm around her to comfort her. Shatis turns and holds him tight, burying her face in his shoulder.

“He's powerful! I don't know if anyone can destroy him! He's been gathering his strength and influence for so long...”

Ishan pats her on the back, trying to comfort her. “I'll be alright, Shatis. Jingkai has won out against Sikarin before. He can do it again.”

“Please!” Shatis begs. “Stop saying his name!”

“Of course.” Ishan soothes. “Relax.”

Just then he notices that Mentor has gone. He frowns and motions to the empty space. “Where has-”

Mis Shatis puts a finger to his lips. “He has retreated to his room and meditate as to restore himself.”

Ishan nods in silence. A light rumbling noise breaks through his thoughts. He looks around to see that Shatis has stepped back, blushing with her hand on her belly.

“Sorry.” She grins bashfully. “I seem to have missed some meals.”

“Well!” Ishan laughs, motioning to the doorway. “That is something that we can fix now.”

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

An hour later, Ishan Goldenfire and Mis Shatis are walking down a hallway to Mentor's room to check on him. Mis Shatis stops at a junction, trembling and looking down the cross-section. Ishan turns to look and gasps.

“How? We have guards at every entrance!”

A warrior-monk lays dead in the hallway, blood and gore are splattered everywhere. It looks as if his chest had been ripped open and his heart ripped out, with the attacker taking the organ with him. Shatis sobs and turns to Ishan for comfort, looking pale as a ghost.

“He is more than you realize. Far more. He has dark powers that I think only a few have ever witnesses and lived. I-aahh!”

Suddenly, Shatis slips from Ishan's side and falls onto the body. She seems to curl up after impacting. It takes some time for Ishan to calm her down enough to help her stand. When she rises, she is covered from head to toe in blood. Tears rinse streaks on her face. She holds up a bloody bandage that Ishan realizes belongs to Mentor.

Mis Shatis looks at the bandage in shame. “I...I...dropped this when I fell. Mentor had given me an extra bandage to cover a wound of mine. When...when I fell? It came off.”

Ishan frowns, not recalling a bandaged wound. As he opens his mouth to ask, he catches Mis Shatis as she collapses. He notices that she is pale white and cold as if she had lost a lot of blood herself. He lays her down gently and calls out an alarm. He slowly runs his fingers across her blood-covered body in search of wounds.

He traces all exposed areas of her flesh, finding no wounds. As he debates looking under her clothing, help arrives in the form of four warrior-monks. He gestures to Shatis.

“Get her to the infirmary. Have the doctor look for wounds as I fear she has lost a lot of blood.”

Two monks take Shatis away. Ishan points to the corpse. “See if there are any bandages on the body. I will see to our guest. I have questions that only he can answer.”

Ishan strides purposefully to Mentor's room and knocks on the door. When no one answers within seconds, he strikes the door and splits it in half. Pausing to marvel at his increased strength from training with Mentor, he walks in to question the man. He looks around, not finding him.

“Mentor!” Ishan shouts, striding through the room. He sees Mentor on the balcony. He is

doing a Pilang-ta kata. Ishan watches, impressed that Mentor seems even faster and stronger than his recent demonstration. He notes no blood on bandages that would take a long time to change. More than the freshness of the body would suggest anyways. As Ishan tiredly sighs, Mentor stops his kata and turns to face him.

“What is it?” Mentor asks. “Is something wrong?”

It amazes Ishan that as strong and healthy that Mentor seems, his voice is raspy and strained as if coming from a far older man on his death bed. Ishan sighs again. “There's been another murder. Mis Shatis has fallen ill over the incident and is with the medics.”

Mentor nods. “I must see to her then. You should contact your friends.”

Mentor brushes past Ishan without another word and is out of the room, leaving Ishan alone on the balcony. Ishan frowns, but gets out a cell phone and dials.

“Jingkai. There's been another murder. Yes, I'll go over the details...”