Tall quiet mountains skirted with mist set the back drop. In the midst of the budding trees a temple stood, modest and honorable. Plain stone, against plain wood, each piece assembled with such loving care as if that alone would make it withstand a hundred lifetimes. It was a serene place in which the highest commitment would yield the reward of being one with the whole of the universe. Only those with complete dedication of mind, body and spirit dwelt in this little known structure of deepest reverence. Along with peaceful studies of the scribe, healer, gardener and monk, there was the another endeavor of knowledge of oneself through the mastery of combat.
Deep in the surrounding forest, in a clearing of bamboo, two warriors bowed to each other. One was a young man, brown hair cut short, naked to the waist, wearing free moving blue-violet trousers. He face was completely serious as he brought the nimble, polished wooden rod to its ready position.
The other was a young woman. Cascading black hair tied back into a high ponytail, her legs were bare, save for the cropped pants ending mid-thigh. Her chest was wrapped tightly with a length of cloth covered by a tunic which was loose and free flowing, sleeves tied back to her elbows. She maneuvered a rod also, displaying flowering movements with little effort. She was smiling.
He ran towards her, bringing the rod with cracking force on the ground where she had stood. Yes, she had dodged barely, a smile still teasing his effort. Another sweep of his rod was blocked and reflected back at him. On the rebound he returned, swing the rod out wide in a horizontal sweep that would have made contact with her ribs, but again, she was a hair faster than he jumping over the swing, over him, landing a hand on his shoulder to spring off of and land behind him unscathed.
She went for the attack this time, it took ever bit of agility he had to side step her rod's path. She got a good hit in, thrusting the end of the pole into the center of his chest. It knocked his breath away. His efforts redoubled as he played defense, putting in whatever counter-attacks he could. She began a vertical attack, he moved to block, but she changed in mid-swing! Instead of catching the attack above his head, he felt her heel kick at his ankles. He fell flat on his back. The rod came cutting through the air again, spearing the ground, landing no more than an inch from his head. He breathed hard looking up at the victor. The trail breeze of the rod finally caught up, momentarily cooling his face.
He broke into a wry grin, "Five out of five. No wonder they call you 'The Undefeatable'."
"Just because I wear this," she pulled at a chain under her tunic, revealing a small turquoise crystal, "Doesn't mean I'm undefeatable, Kilik." She gave him a hand up and reclaimed her rod. It had marked her victory with a small hole in the ground. "I just happened to win the tournament and gain the title of Dvapara-Yuga Guardian." She began to walk home towards the temple. "Who knows, one day you might be the one to win it and guard Dvapara-Yuga, and all its powers to absorb evil forces." Kilik took his rod in hand and followed her out of the bamboo forest.
"The only way that would happen is if... if something bad happened to you," he stopped and looked at her, his eyes shining with that sorrowful thought. "I would not want that for anything in the world, Xianglian." She laughed and playfully wrapped her arm around Kilik's sweaty shoulders hugging his neck.
"Always so serious, little brother!" she rubbed her knuckles lightly into his brow, "Lighten up! Come on, I'll race you to the bath house!" She started running.
"Wait! Xianglian! You're taking a head start! That's not fair!" he shouted as he tried to catch up. By the time they reached the temple, they were breathing hard and caught up in fits of laughter.
"I win!" Kilik shouted as Xianglian's fingers touched the pillar a split second after his. The Master of the Temple saw them and smiled at their exuberance for life. He cleared his throat to make his presence known.
"Master!" Kilik gulped and at once was stiff and formal, bowing deeply to elderly man. Xianglian was not so stiff, still suppressing a smile as she did the same.
Master nodded his head and released them from their ridged stances, though Kilik was still standing as straight as his rod. The old monk smiled with all his years of wrinkles moving over his face.
"Ahh, another hard lesson for our Foundling?" the old Master mused. "How is he coming?"
"He nearly triumphed over me today," Xianglian said proudly, "My heart never had a chance to beat twice in one spot."
"Good, very good. His training has progressed so rapidly since you began taking his training into your own hands, Xianglian."
"Thank you Master."
"Off to the bath house with you both," he smiled, gesturing them away. The two of them bowed again to the Master and walked around the temple to the back. The bath house was small, near the mountain's stream. It had two rooms, separated by a stone wall a small opening at the top to release excess steam. They filled their respective tubs with the cold water, then added hot stones from the fire to heat it to a desirable temperature. As they often did, Kilik and Xianglian continued their conversations despite the nearly solid wall that separated them.
"You weren't lying were you? When you told Master I nearly beat you?" he asked.
"I wouldn't lie to Master! He always finds out anyway," she added. "You're a strong warrior, Kilik. You don't need me to tell you that. You've been exceeding your peers for years, it would have been needless to hold you to the normal regiment. But I think I was far happier than you were when Master first announced he would allow me to train you."
"I was a little embarrassed at the time," Kilik confessed, "I couldn't help but think maybe I was getting undeserved special treatment."
"Special treatment? Whatever for?" Xianglian's voice was mixed with her splashing tub water.
"Because... I was found by Master when I was an infant. The poor little orphan boy that needed something to give him an edge on life. Better training than the others who came here away from their families by choice. Maybe I was getting special treatment because, because... they already had so much more than I did."
"You've got family!" Xianglian protested splashing loudly, "Me! Remember the ceremony?"
Kilik thought back to when his years on this earth had only totaled five. Even though the students of Ling-Sheng Su addressed one another as 'brother' and 'sister' in the temple, Xianglian had prepared a "secret ceremony" to bind herself and Kilik as true siblings. The ceremony had been little more than drawing all over his face with bits of cool ash and chanting some incantation Xianglian made up as they both touched a small pond frog she had caught only an hour before. It was nothing more then silly child's play, but Kilik had believed it with all his heart.
"You touched the Magic Family Frog!" Xianglian insisted, dumping a small bucket of water on her soaped hair. "If you're thinking of being an only child again, you'll have that frog to reckon with." He suddenly felt calmer knowing Xianglian still honored what that ceremony had started so many years ago.
Once dry and dressed, Kilik and Xianglian tended to their other studies, writing out the foundational principles of the secret Ling-Sheng Su Rod Techniques. The ink and brush glided over the rice paper. On Kilik's rice paper at any rate. Xianglian wasn't the calligrapher that Kilik was, she hesitated too long and a drop of ink dripped on her paper as she nearly finished.
"That's all I need!" she whispered fiercly as she started again on a fresh length of paper.
"Wrist," Kilik whispered when the Calligraphy master, Brother Lubai, had his back turned. "You're too tight in your wrist. Keep your shoulder strong and the wrist fluid."
"Silence is golden, Brother Kilik," an irritated voice anounced to the room. His one warning, next would be punishment. One by one the others finished and left until it was only Kilik, Xianglian and Sister Xiu. Kilik's work became increasingly slower as Xianglian struggled to finish before the dinner gong rang. It rang just as Sister Xiu finished.
Lubai looked over Xianglian's shoulder, seeing she had several kanji characters to go. Kilik had only one left to write. "It seems you two will be missing the evening meal," he stated as he left. "You will not leave until you are finished. And Brother Kilik, if I should suspect two brushes on Sister Xianglian's scroll, I shall have to tell the Master."
"Yes, Brother Lubai," Kilik said evenly.
When Lubai's footsteps had faded, Xianglian risked speaking at a normal level.
"You don't have to do that, you know."
"Do what?"
"Purposfully not finish until I do. No point in both of us going hungry."
"What kind of brother would I be to leave my sister as the only one to miss eveing meal? Plus it's the one thing I can beat you at. I rather enjoy seeing you suffer occasionally. Don't overload your brush" he gestured to her thick stroke spreading ink too far. She made a move to paint ink on his face. "Hey! Watch it! I'm just kidding you know!" They laughed until Kilik's stomach grumbled. Kilik cleared his throat to try to mask the sound, but he wasn't fooling anyone.
"Thanks, Kilik," Xianglian said with feeling.
After their scrolls were completed, Kilik and Xianglian walked crossed the courtyard to the dormitory. The night sky was deep blue and soft with stars carelessly twinkiling. Kilik looked up at the half moon lighting the courtyard in silvery light.
No, not silver... green light?
"Look Xianglian, what is that?" A strange light covered the sky. A sickly green, garish color. Everyone in the temple was waking up to see such an odd sight. The courtyard quickly filled.
"What is all this?" the Master came out as well, "What could this mean for the world?" As Brother Lubai came and stood to view this abnormality for himself, he suddenly drew a dagger from his sleeve.
Master fell to the ground bleeding over the courtyard stones.
"Master!" Xianglian ran to him, then she saw the blade in Lubai's hand. Lubai made a frenzied slash at her. "Stop this Lubai! It's me! Xianglian! I'm your temple sister!" There was a scream from the other side of the courtyard, then another and another.
What was going on?
Sister Xiu attacked Brother Yang, severing his windpipe. Lubai was struck down by Brother Li's swift kicks. Knives, shurikens, rods, bar fists, scratching fingernails, it was a senseless all out killing spree. Xianglian fought off the attacks as gently as she could, immobilizing her former comrades without taking their lives. Where was Kilik? Surely he wasn't apart of this madness!
She caught a glimpse of him, being forced to roof by five crazed brothers. She ran towards them, dodging assaults. She gained access to the adjoingin roof and saw the stand off between Kilik and the five brothers. She began to move to offer her aid to him, and then she saw him kill them all.
It was so fast, so decisive, lethal attacks took them down before they had a chance to touch Kilik.
"Kilik!" She screamed, "What are you doing?!" He turned to her, his head lolling to one side. He stared at her as if he were trying to read a foreign language. A roar sounded in the sky. Something resembling a shooting star came towards them; towards Kilik!
"Kilik! Move!" Xianglian ordered. He looked at her strangely and took a step towards her, dagger in hand. He stepped right into the path of that meteor. The impact blasted him off the roof into the pack of fighting monks. She could see the burning hole it had made in his flesh to enter his body.
"Kilik? Kilik!" She dropped herself down off the roof clumsily with her one healthy arm. He was breathing! "Kilik!" He stood up, head lowered, his bangs covering his eyes. The blood lustful monks stepped closer to him, challenging him.
Xianglian was horror-struck, paralyzed by the sight of blood and dismembered body parts flying across the courtyard at Kilik's doing. He had killed the remaining brothers and sisters. He and Xianglian were the only living things in this temple. Xianglian had a feeling that would not be the case for long.
Kilik's line of sight zeroed in on Xianglian. He took a spear from one of the fallen and started towards her. Xianglian couldn't bring herself to hurt him; she ran.
Why?... Why? Why? Why? Why?! The thought was synchronized with every foot fall echoing in the halls. Why was this strange light here? Why was everyone killing friends and comrades? Why didn't that burning rock kill Kilik? Why was she not affected by this madness? The small turquoise crystal slipped under her tunic as she ran, its cold edges meeting her sweaty flesh. Dvapara-Yuga?
Was that why she was spared? It must be, it was the only thing different from her temple brothers and sisters and herself. It had powers, absorbing qualities. It absorbed evil forces. This was indeed a work of evil. The blood spilt across these peaceful grounds lingered in her nostrils.
The main hall was full of bodies and tainted weapons. It was there that Kilik cut her off, whirling his spear with all deft lethal intentions. He advanced, striking at her head, shoulder, stomach and ankles. She was dodging, but only just. His eyes were strange, far away, nothing like they were supposed to be.
Dvapara-Yuga swayed on its leather cord as she moved with all speed that she could muster. Tears spilled over her cheeks as she looked at Kilik, that little boy she had grown up with and truly loved as a brother. Looked at what he had become, a mindless mass murderer enforced by unholy influences. Who knows if he would stop his killing spree with her? He may leave the mountain and attack all manner of innocent life in his path. She had no other choice but to fight him to the death.
He thrust the spear forward.
She forced herself to remain in one place.
The head of sharpened metal pierced her torso, spilling blood across the belly of her tunic. With a scream embodying all her determination she shoved her body down the spear's shaft. He's too good, I would never get close enough otherwise... was her last conscious thought as she removed Dvapara-Yuga and slipped it over his head. Slowly Kilik's eyes became human again, with tears forming as he focused on the spear piercing through Xianglian and her blood on his hands. He knelt by her and supported her upper body in the most comfortable way she could be given the situation.
"Did I do this?" Kilik whispered to her.
"You didn't, brother. That did." Kilik examined his torso, there was something in it. With a grimacing face, he stuck his fingers in the bloodied hole to remove the rock and suddenly felt as it he were burning all over.
"Don't... it's useless to remove it. Even the light it put across the sky drove our temple brothers and sister to madness. They're all dead Kilik. You are the only one to protect the Sacred Three."
"What about you?"
"It's too late for me. I will go crazy as they all did. There is only one Dvapara-Yuga. You must wear it always and live on."
"Only one..." Kilik repeated, realizing that Xianglian had worn it first. She let him kill her so that he could live! Kilik shut his eyes , squeezing the tears onto her head.
"You can't leave me. I need you with me Xianglian, I'll save you. I promise I'll save you."
Xianglian's eyes turned to little more than green marbles, devoid of any love, or pain or hate. A mindless killing machine. Her blood was still trickling down the spear shaft, she had lost so much, but that didn't matter to her anymore. Her hand sought out an abandoned dagger. Kilik saw her and continued to hold her as if she were still his loving sister, still comforting her with words that she could no longer hear.
Her arm shaking, she lifted the blade close enough to slit his cheek. Even as she cut his skin, he held onto her and did not flinch or try to stop her. Her time had come. Too much of her blood was on the floor now. Her hand slipped, the dagger flicked up ending the wound on Kilik's face, and clattered on the floor.
***
"I set fire to the temple after I had collected Kali-Yuga and the Mirrored Sash," he finished as he untied Maxi's sash from his coat. "I the only one left on this earth who knows the arts of Ling-Sheng Su Temple."
Xianghua and Maxi had been completely silent while Kilik told shared such painful memories. He was the most composed of them all, giving them a wry smile.
"I'm sorry. I've depressed you both." He stood up, brushing dried mud off his arms and upper body. He gave them a wry smile. "Come, let us get out of here and find a bath shall we?"
"I'm all for that!" Maxi shouted, though not quite to his vigorous standards. He followed Kilik, with Xianghua bringing up the rear. Tears were tracing paths down her muddied face.
~*~*~*~
Ooooh, longer chapter this time! Everybody still awake? In case some are thinking "Hey wait, didn't Kilik go unconscious and wake up in a hermit's house and not ever know he had killed Xianglian until he found the crystal around his neck?"
Well.... yeah. If you want to be technical. =p
My explanation for this crime? Well I was afraid of taking too much time with Kilik's past since this is supposed to be about the present with Xianghua and Maxi. So, some things got tweaked... hope you keep reading! ^_^;;
~Xiantau