Requiem II: Soul's Honor Lost
by Alisa Joaquin
Part 4: Tanya's Past
Screams came from the room. Not from fright, but from rage. A rage so strong that if the door had not been made of iron, it would have splintered long ago.
"Aaaaauuuuugh! WHO PUT ME IN HERE!? I AM MY ONLY MASTER! YOU CANNOT HOLD ME! Aaaaaauuugh!"
The sound of furniture breaking could be heard behind the walls.
"I thought you said you removed all of the breakables," Tanya said as she listened to the stricken man's ravings and the splintering of wood.
"There was only the furniture."
"He cannot go on like this much longer," Tanya said with concern.
"I do not understand. I thought a Shaolin was above such things."
"A normal Shaolin, yes," Tanya stated. "This is not normal."
"Tanya, how do you know so much about the Shaolin and why did this man call you Laura?"
"I was raised in a Shaolin temple in China, one of the larger ones. There are a few who accept women in their order. I was orphaned when my parents were killed in an avalanche in the mountains. They were doing some research. I had no other family to return to, so the temple accepted me. And I do not know. Perhaps he knew someone by that name."
"What is wrong with the Shaolin?" Tanya's companion finally asked.
"As far as I can tell, he had undergone some major change, but that change did not completely heal. Each side wars for dominance. If he is not integrated, he will destroy himself."
"Have you seen this before?"
Tanya closed her eyes against the memories that came. "No, but I have heard of such a thing happening."
"What happened?"
"A monk had undergone the final ritual to becoming a Shambhala Master by splitting himself in two and doing battle. Though he went through the ritual and successfully merged his two halves, the two halves were not completely integrated. The darker side proved stronger and the battle continued. The man could not control his darker side. He became totally evil. Though his body had been nearly destroyed from the stress and the pain, his spirit was strong. The monk tried to take over the temple in Shambhala, but another monk, also a Shaolin, was able to encase the man's spirit in an urn."
"Who was that Shaolin? He must have been very powerful, and how long ago was this?"
"The battle took place over 1000 years ago. And the monk was said to be from the line of Kwai Chang."
"Shambhala? Isn't that place a myth?"
"No, it exists."
"Can we not take this Shaolin there? Maybe they can help him." her companion asked.
"The way to Shambhala has been lost," Tanya said. "Besides, I fear what this particular Shaolin will do if he goes there."
Both grew silent, but the Shaolin continued to rage out of control.
Continues with Part 5