Chapter Three: Guiding Spirit

As told by Long Shing

A slight grimace crossed my face as the plane began its decent. I did not like flying. Moving without being under my own power was an unpleasant feeling. I must take control of myself, I thought taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly.

"Nervous?" the voice of the young man next to me broke my out of my meditation before it had really begun. I looked over to him. He was an American, and an agreeable one at that. He had seemed to understand my lack of knowledge of the English language, and spoke simply.

"Some," I replied, struggling to phrase my response in the strange tongue, "Flying, agrees with me it doesn't." The young man gave me a knowing nod and started reading his book again. Once again I started my meditation. As I did, the pulling sensation that had led me away from the monastery and onto this wretched plane returned. It was stronger now. I could feel the source of it somewhere within the vast city below.

I had been feeling its pull strongly for the last four moons. It was as if something had awoken and was calling me to it. Strangely, this happened around the same time my visions of my past lives changed into visions of strange beasts that I did not know existed. I still felt the familiar sense of recognition from these beasts as I did when I saw myself in past lives, but the things I saw could not have existed, nor could I have been them. This wavering of faith led me to question many of my masters' teachings. I followed this calling hoping to find something to restore my faith. And the calling had led me to this city: London.

When I was finally able to get off the wretched plane around mid-afternoon, I found myself in strange surroundings. All around me, hundreds of people moved in ordered chaos through the airport terminal. Somehow, I managed to find my bag and get my money changed. The task was not easy with my minimal knowledge of English. While I understood the basics if I was spoken to, I could not read it, nor did I understand the cultural phrases unique to the area.

I finally left the airport and found a local inn. I did not have much money, which limited my choices to a less desirable part of the city. I paid for what, the inn keeper said was a week, and headed up to the room I was given. I carefully put away what few belongings I had brought. When everything was put away, I sat down in the middle of the floor and once again meditated. The calling came again, from the west. I opened my eyes and looked around. Night was beginning to set in.

I decided to go ahead and seek out the calling. I locked my room and began following the calling across town. I passed old buildings and got strange looks, probably because I was still dressed in my robes, as I walked with my eyes half closed. As the night wore on, I encounter less and less people. My wanderings led me between to buildings. A young man stepped out from behind a dumpster as I passed.

"Aight now," he stated in a thick accent, "Yer be 'andin over all your bread and then yer be buggering off." He moved in front of my path of movement. I regarded him curiously. He was dirty and wearing clothes that were of very low quality. I didn't quite understand what he had said, but I thought he was asking for food.

"Apologies," I replied courteously, "Food I have none for you." I gave him a small bow and then tried to move past him.

"Oh a smart arse ay?" he said with a fair amount of contempt that I didn't understand, "Then yer be feeling me blade and I be taking what I want." He reached into a pocket and pulled out a knife. I reacted, drawing upon my training almost unconsciously. Three quick strikes and the man was on the ground. My first had struck his wrist producing a cracking sound, but forcing him to drop the blade. My foot caught him in the stomach for the second, bending him over. A sharp blow to the back knocked the man flat.

I stepped over his whimpering form and refocused on the calling. It was close now, less then a mile away. Tonight is the night I will have some answers, I thought as I continued towards the source.