Requiem IV: Death's Door the Final Hour
by Bonnie Eagan & Alisa Joaquin
Part 12: A Vision Becomes a Warning
Kwai Chang Caine sat in meditation, trying to calm his raging spirit and the grief that threatened to overwhelm him. He may be a Shambhala Master, but he was first and foremost a man, subject to the same emotions as any other man. His father had been more than just killed trying to defend his life, but murdered, and brutally so. There just had not been enough time together. Caine remembered the man he knew from his childhood, but the man that he was starting to know again as an adult had grown older and had scars from the ordeal that he faced on that fateful day when Kwai Chang was told that his father had disappeared. Peter also grieved for the grandfather whom he was just getting to know. The loss was hitting his son hard. There was no more time, for either of them, and now their grief had been more than doubled, it had been expanded to include their Shaolin brethren and a village that few knew about. Peter told him what he found at the temple in the north and the village that surrounded it, and the sole survivor of that village.
The only remaining Shaolin in the world, were himself, Peter, Master Kahn, Lo Si, the Shambhala Masters, and a few others scattered across the globe. At least Shambhala was protected, having been sent a long time ago to a place out of time. Only the book and the crystal medallions gave access to that sacred and holy place, but for how long. Caine knew only two elements that could place Shambhala in danger and take it out of time, the Gateway Crystal and the Da Chon. The Gateway Crystal was hidden in a place no one suspected ever since Selentine tried to have Peter steal the crystal to enter Shambhala. The chance of someone finding the crystal let alone recognizing it for what it is, was very slim. The Gateway Crystal opened the Gateway not only to another dimension, but to time. It was the Gateway Crystal that was used to send Shambhala to another dimension to protect it and other holy relics from being destroyed.
Luckily, Peter had destroyed the other, the Da Chon before a rogue Shaolin disciple could bring its powers into play. Brother Ko knew some of the crystal's powers, the fact that when one wore the stone's smaller companion, it would enhance a person's abilities, giving them powers not unlike a Shambhala Master. Those powers however were designed to deceive. And the death stone itself, one of its main functions was to drain the powers of a Shambhala Master. It's true function though was shrouded in mystery. It was said to have been created by the Jade Warrior after having been defeated by the Monkey King. The Jade Warrior created the death stone to not only destroy the powers of the Monkey King and his staff, but to trap him within the stone for his acts of rebellion. The Monkey King was said to be the great immortal who led the monks to discover kung fu, especially in the art of using the staff. From the staff came all other weapons, but the staff was the first.
Kwai Chang Caine thought about the legend of the Monkey King, known to others as Sun Wukong, a mischievous monkey born from a rock who wanted to be more than just a monkey. He was ambitious and rebellious, tricky, and wise, a thief, and a warrior, who later became revered for being one of four companions to bring the Sutra, the sacred Buddhist text to China. The legend of Sun Wukang was taught in all temples and schools before the revolution. He was a great warrior of kung fu and quite magical in all things. It was said that he was the one who hid Shambhala from the rest of the world by way of a magic crystal, because Shambhala was the place where the sacred Sutra text was placed.
Kwai Chang Caine puzzled on why his thoughts were drifting toward this legend when he should be dealing with his father's death. Then an image, strong and overpowering appeared. Two hands holding a saffron cloth. The hands open the cloth, and a sudden weakness came over Kwai Chang Caine. Laying within the cloth were the shards of what remained of the Da Chon. The shards were placed in a bubbling cauldron. Other elements were added. Weakness continued to come over the Shambhala Master, then horror as the crystal was raised from the cauldron, whole once more. The vision grew dark, and blackness came over Kwai Chang Caine and he collapsed onto the mat.
"POP! POP!" Peter rushed to his father's side, calling his name.
In a weakened voice, Caine whispered, "Da Chon. The Da Chon. Must find Wu-k'ung Sun." And with those last words, Kwai Chang Caine slipped into unconsciousness and knew no more.
Continues with Part 13