Serpent tango
Chapter One
Changes
Tsung Wan Rei went through the many poomses to calm her raging emotions. She had been summoned to the temple center by the Masters of her order, those who commanded the powers of the deadly Tien-Huseh, the Chinese art of "Touching Vital Points". A deadly art that would allow one to kill with just a touch. What made the art even more deadly was that the victim wouldn't have to die instantly, it could be hours or even days from the receipt of the injury before they passed on. The ancient knowledge that was contained within the walls of the temple would bring death should the secret be given to one not of the order. Rei gave thanks for having survived her training of 20 years to become proficient. Not many made it this far. The price of such knowledge often came with a high price. Most ended up dying by the fifth year. The sound of slippered feet on stone barely whispered to her.
After all these years, everytime she heard her Master approach, she trembled inside with fear. For her death could come at any time, and she may not even be aware that she violated one of the many strict rules of her order. She knelt on the cold stone floor with head bowed as the footsteps drew closer. She kept her head bowed, she dared not look upon her Master for fear of reprisal. She fought down her fear, so she betrayed nothing of the turmoil within her. The footsteps came to a halt in front of her. "Master," she said softly and with deep respect.
"Rise," a strong voice, an elderly voice commanded. "Look at me, Rei."
Rei rose to her feet, and as she did so, raised dark eyes to look upon her mentor, her instructor, Master Tsung Shang Lao. No one was sure how old he was. It was rumored that he was the oldest Master of the Order still alive. His mane of once jet silken strands had long ago turned to gray, but his dark eyes still held power. Though he looked like a frail old man, just about to give up the ghost, he could still easily take those younger and stronger than himself. As Rei rested her gaze upon the Master, she did feel pride and honor. The man before her was not only her Master, but also her grandfather as well. Only being born into the family of a Master could one even hope to attain membership in their ranks.
Lao took in his granddaughter. She had come to him when only five years of age, and what once was a spoiled child stood a woman with strength and humility. He sighed with pleasure inwardly. How so much she looked like her mother. Eyes were as dark as his, and the raven sheen of cascading silk framed a very delicate face. So tiny she was, yet, he knew that inside beat the heart and desire of a dragon. "'Rei," he began again. "You are to leave this temple, my child. Your contract has been bought."
Rei looked shocked. She knew she would be sent out on assignments that the Order would take in now and then. But, to have her contract bought, that she wouldn't be answerable to the Order anymore, unless she violated the Sacred Rule about letting others know the secret of the art. She learned and trained with Death as a companion, but this revelation truly scared her to the point of almost sheer terror. A flash of fear simmered in her darkend gaze, but then it was as quickly gone. "May I ask why, Master?" There a few other members that were a tad bit better than her.
"You were asked for specifically," Lao replied with a bit of sadness in his voice. For Rei was his last remaining link to the physical world. "This is a great honor that is bestowed upon you. Your contract was richly paid for." He had tried to argue with the other elders of their order but to no avail.
"Yes, Master," she responded. "I understand. When am I to leave?" She hated to ask the question, but she had to know.
"You will leave for Mars tomorrow night." Lao couldn't keep the sadness out of his voice. Though they were taught to kill, that wasn't to say that they didn't love each other. He then held out his arms to her and she moved into his embrace. "I will miss you daughter," he said softly. He had had only sons, and so his granddaughter he thought more of as a daughter.
"I will miss you as well, grandfather. You are the only family I have. I have ever had." She rested her head on his shoulder and breathed in deeply of his scent. Forever imprinting it on her mind. For she feared this would be the last time she would see her grandfather alive. "Am I to know who I will next serve?"
"That I do not know. You will be picked up when you land at Mars. Now, you must go and prepare yourself. You have one more test to pass before you leave us."
Rei stepped back from her grandfather and bowed. "I will not shame you or the Order."
"I know you will not my daughter." With that said he turned to leave. It was not to be his doing that he administer the final test. A test that could turn out in one of three ways. She could survive and be even stronger that she was now, become a raving lunatic or even die. He was confident she would succeed.
Rei watched her grandfather leave the room. The final test. She had heard about the test, not the full details, but she knew this would test her knowledge and her skill. She knelt once again and began to mediate. The final test was always given in the heart of the temple.
It seemed like days, but was in fact only hours till she heard footsteps coming towards her. They were cautious, and from what she could tell, there were two of them. They didn't belong to any of the Masters, so she rose and turned to face the oncoming footsteps. Her eyes widened a bit when she saw the two men enter. They joined the order a full three years before her. So they were facing their final test as well.
She moved back as the two men entered. They each looked at each other and began to circle till they each found a position to observe the others. It was then that it dawned upon them that to pass the test was to be the last one standing. Rei allowed a small smile to touch the corner of her lips as she easily moved into the fighting stance. She tried to focus on what she could of the men she faced. She had watched them, hell, they had watched each other. They knew each others strengths and weakenesses. This would not be an easy battle to win. She remembered the one lesson her grandfather kept telling her when in a situation such as this..."Do not act but react".
They each began to circle the other. The men had seemed to work together to defeat her, which Rei thought funny. Scared of little ol' her. They feigned attacks, trying to get her to open up, but she didn't fall for it. She kept repeating in the back of her mind. "Do not act, react." One of them began to get a bit frustrated. Yes, Ling was always the anxious one and the one to make the first mistake. Mao, though, she realized would truly be the dangerous one. She needed to get rid of Ling first.
When Ling made another feigned attack towards her, she stepped almost within reach of his defenses, and then danced back when she saw Mao quickly approach with the intent to kill. She then used Mao's movment forward to carry him into Ling's attack. Her grandfather had made sure she also studied another art form for situations just like this. Before Ling realized what was happening, he had cut off the flow of blood to the heart. Mao didn't have much longer to live. She then turned her attention to Ling, though part of her was aware of where Mao was as well.
Ling and Rei circled each other. With Ling, she just bidded her time. When he started to become frustrated he began making mistakes. With a final mental force, she ended his life quickly. Then turned back to Mao. He had died as well. She then turned to look up to a darkened area of the inner temple to where the Masters had watched. She bowed to them and then turned to leave the chamber and begin to pack for her trip.
She found her small backpack and put those few items she owned inside. Having known the temple all her life, she had little need for anything more. She wondered what fate held in store for her once she left the safety of the only life she had ever known. She just had faded images of her past before taken in by her grandfather, but those were growing dimmer with each passing year. She sat down on her small cot, and for the first time she could remember, she began to cry. She was still crying when her grandfather found her.
"Daughter," he said softly as he sat down next to her, and in a moment of family love, placed an arm around her shoulders. "You knew this day would come."
"I know grandfather," she fought to keep more tears from coming. "But I always thought my service would be to the Order and that I could return. "
"You may always return, Rei," he began softly. "You will just have to answer to another beside, that of the Order. The burden will be heavy now. For you cannot betray that who holds your contract nor can you betray the Order."
"And if I am assigned a task that comes into conflict with the Order, what do I do then? Do I betray the Order and be sentenced to death? Or do I betray the one who holds my contract and then answer to them, perhaps with my life?"
"You will make the right decision, my daughter. But you shall also remember this. Should you be held accountable for not carrying out a task that would conflict with the law of the Order, the Order will seek to avenge your disgrace. The Order shall always come first." He then smiled a bit and wiped the tears from her cheek. "I know you will do what is right. Now, lie down. It is time to bear the mark of the Order."
'The Mark of the Order', Rei thought to herself. One only obtained the mark, a tiny tattoo of a black lotus on the shoulder blade, when one was considered a true member of the Order. With deft movements and with years of practice, Lao bared her shoulder and placed the mark upon her. He, too, was already feeling the emptiness that her absence was going to bring.
