Requiem III: The Search for The Truth
by Bonnie Eagan & Alisa Joaquin
Part 41: Hatred Comes to Bear
Kwai Chang Caine approached his father, concern registered on his face. What could have caused his father to suddenly go exceedingly pale?
"Father?" Kwai Chang questioned. "Father, what is wrong?"
Matthew did not say a word at first, but then turned and faced his son. Tears streamed down his face. "Can you not feel it, my son?"
"Feel what, my father?"
"Open your senses, my son. Feel the essence of this place."
Kwai Chang did as his father asked. His eyes became wide as what he felt invaded his mind and senses. "How can this be?" he questioned.
"It is very real, my son. Perhaps you can tell me how the souls of our brethren can be here?"
Kwai Chang sat down on the steps and felt their coldness beneath his hands. His eyes traversed their lines and then fell upon a site that he had not seen since his childhood. Carved in one of the stones was a set of initials, ones that his father had placed there when they arrived to mark the time of their passing, to remember each day to honor those who came before. It was the very same stone.
"I cannot believe he would have done such a thing," Kwai Chang stated. "To build this profane place out of the walls of our very temple, our home. I fought Tan in this sacred place and yet I did not know."
"We must cleanse this place of the evil that has been done here," Matthew stated.
"How is that possible? Too much evil has been done here. I can also sense other souls, ones malevolent and evil."
"Yes, but do you not feel their anguish as well, my son? The souls of this place cry out for our aid. They must be free so they may go on, to the source of all things to be reborn again."
"Your father is right," Lo Si stated. "We must light the candles, clear away the evil with cleansing herbs, and lead the souls to their final rest."
'You will do nothing!"
A voice not heard for 20 years spoke from the shadows.
"You will not stop us Kim Luc," Lo Si stated. "It is our duty . . ."
"Your duty. Do not speak to me of duty and your Shaolin platitudes. Kim Luc is dead. I am the Master, and I am also master of this place."
As Kim Luc stepped out of the shadows, energy crackled around him. "It is I who commands the spirits of this place. You cannot stop me. I will succeed where others have failed." With that proclamation, Kim Luc raised his hands and sent a blast of energy toward the three Shaolin. Without warning, the energy slammed into the three priests bringing them to their knees.
Kwai Chang lost his footing and tumbled down the stairs. He had not felt such power before, not even when he fought the Dark Warrior. Struggling to regain his energy, he pleaded with his father and the Ancient. "We must link our chis."
Kim Luc continued to bring his energy to bear, driving it into the youngest of the three Shaolin, driving it into Matthew Caine's son and draining what remained of his chi.
Lo Si struggled to maintain his balance, stunned by the force of Kim Kuc's energy blast. He pulled a small vial from his pouch and tossed it. It fell on the ground between Kwai Chang and the Master, bursting and emitting a blinding flash, just enough to temporarily blind Kim Luc and stop his attack on Kwai Chang. Lo Si managed to reach the younger priest to act as a shield from the Master's assault. He pulled from his pouch another small vial. "Drink this, it will renew your chi."
"Your Shaolin potions will have little effect. I will continue to drain his energy dry. You will not be able to stop me. How does it feel to see your son die before your eyes Matthew Caine?"
Matthew Caine stood at the top of the stairs. The power that Kim Luc threw at them was more than the elder Caine had ever faced in his life, but his son was in sheer agony, and he had no choice but to act. Matthew focused his chi and sent a column of air slamming into Kim Luc. The force of Matthew's blow was enough to cause the Master to fall back, away from his son by several feet. Matthew then reached his son as quickly as he could. He helped the ancient lift Kwai Chang and they retreated to a place of safety back up to the top of the stairs.
"You cannot stop me, Matthew Caine. I will see you and your family destroyed. One way or another." Shaken by Matthew's sudden attack, the Master also retreated to his sanctuary to rebuild whatever energy he had lost.
"We must make preparations, call upon the spirits of this place to defend it," the Ancient stated.
"I do not know if that is possible," Matthew replied, his eyes fixed on his son. "He controls them in some way. They are bound to him."
"Then you must find the answer."
"How?"
"You must seek the answer through the stones."
"But my son has been weakened," Matthew stated. "He may not survive such a journey."
The Ancient was about to reply to Matthew that Kwai Chang was not needed for this journey, that it was Matthew who needed to find the answers on what bound the spirits to this place when the last of the Caine line entered the arena.
"Maybe I can help." Peter said, not knowing the full extent of what he was offering to help.
"You were supposed to leave this place," Matthew stated, his brow furrowed in a frown.
"Well, I have a tendency not to listen. I'm stubborn, another Caine family trait from what I hear." Peter helped his grandfather lower his father to the floor and to examine his injuries. "His chi has been drained. Lo Si, do you have anything you can give him?"
"I have given him what I could. He needs rest."
"But we don't have time for that."
"We have time," Matthew stated. "The Master has also been weakened. We have a few hours. We need what weapons we can find to fight against his evil and to free the souls he has imprisoned in this place."
"I'll go back to the apartment," Peter stated. "If I can catch Kermit before he leaves, I can have him drive me back. It will be quicker."
"I haven't left yet kid."
"Kermit, you followed me."
"Had a feeling you still might need my help. Mia's with Li Pei. They're waiting for me in the Kermit-mobile."
Peter quickly explained what was required.
"Anything else you might need?"
"Peter, bring me more of this," the Ancient handed Peter a small blue and white ceramic bottle.
Sensing the bottle's contents, Peter knew immediately what the Ancient required. It was the very same potion that his father had given him on two other occasions, one at the temple and the other when they went after Tan. "Okay, we won't be long. Just don't do anything without me."
Matthew and the Ancient both silently looked at each other, as if Peter's words were going to stop them. Too much was at stake. They were going to need all the help they were going to get.
Continues with Part 42