Where
Treads The Panther
“Who are you...”
Li Wu Han closed his eyes and pondered the old question, the
very first question his Master had ever asked him. “Who are you?” he had never
been able to answer to the old man’s satisfaction, not his name, not who he
wanted to be or who he was at the time. Maybe he would never be able to answer
that question until his deathbed...but that day would be some day in the far
future if he had anything to say about it...but the wizened old men sitting in
judgment before him would not wait so long.
“Who are you to think you know better than us, your elders
and your superiors?” asked the head of the Order of Dancing Tigers, scowling at
Wu Han’s expression of serenity and calm. He slowly opened his eyes to look at
the five old men, one corner of his mouth quivering as he suppressed the urge
to smirk, “My elders...yes I suppose I can grant you that, you certainly are
old...but my Superiors? Well that’s just a matter of perspective and time now
isn’t it?”
“You dare mock us?” demanded another.
“Do I dare? Is it really ‘daring’ when you make yourselves
such easy targets of ridicule?” The collective gasp of the old men overcame his
self-control and he let the smirk slip into view before he continued, “You
claim to have the wisdom of the ages and possess the deepest secrets of
life...but what have you DONE with that wisdom and those secrets? Nothing, you
sit on this mountain hoarding them for yourselves, sitting on them as the
dragon guards its gold...or perhaps as the hen protects its eggs. And yet YOU
dare to Judge ME? And for what? Wanting to learn what you would not teach?
Sicne when is seeking knowledge a crime? I thought that was the whole point of
the Order?”
“WE are not the ones on trial here; YOU are the one who
broke our laws, the one who studied the Forbidden texts and sought to use them
on the innocent!”
“And YOU are the ones who hid the texts away to begin with,
you are the ones who claimed they were Forbidden...forbidden only because YOU
didn’t like what they had to say, because you were afraid of them! And don’t
talk to me about ‘Innocents’, even the Enlightened Master said it; we are born
guilty! Guilty of our pasts and for our futures. We are born guilty, we die
guilty and we continue until we can finally cleanse our kharma and step outside
the kharmic wheel...”
“Don’t you dare quote the Master to us! Not when you have
violated his most sacred teachings!”
“I only followed the teachings of my Master...who was YOUR
master until you murdered him!”
The eldest of the five shot to his feet and slammed his
palms down on the table hard enough to shatter the heavily-engraved stonework
and collapse the table into itself. He stood there glaring at Wu Han through
the cloud of dust that arose form the shattered table. Wu Han merely smiled
back in satisfaction...he had finally roused the old man’s ire sufficiently.
“Li Wu Han, you are in violation of this Order’s most sacred laws. You are in
contempt of this court and we see no choice but to banish you form this
Temple!”
Wu Han rose
smoothly to his feet and gazed stonily at the five men.
“Of course I am in contempt of this Court, you are
contemptible in your greed, your pride and your selfishness. I have nothing but
contempt for any of you. But you cannot banish one who has already chosen to
leave. I only sat through your ceaseless chattering for my amusement and so I
could finally tell you to your faces what I think of you. As of today Li Wu Han
is going to seek his path elsewhere...” with that he turned on his heel and
strode out of the room still smirking as he reveled in the memory of their
chocked expressions.
Wu Han
smiled as he opened his eyes and looked past the prow of the old Dhow at the
golden city of Julikal that lay ahead. That memory had kept him warm through
many a long, cold night and would for many more to come. He idly tapped his
chest to insure his late Masters secret manuscript, the only treasure he had
carried away from the Order, was still in its place against his chest. He had
many long lessons yet to learn from the oilcloth-wrapped scroll and in time he
intended to master them all. Until then he would seek a new place to hone his
art without interruption, or consequence. Here on the edge of the Great Red
Desert he would surely find many challenges to test himself on, and to
overcome.
Once the
small ship had docked he stepped confidentially onto the rickety dock, holding
a lightly-scented silk kerchief to over his nose and mouth as a ward against
the foul air that permeated the harbor. In short order he made his way out of
the docks and into the bustling city streets, deftly ignoring the many beggars
and street urchins offering to be the ‘Foreign Gentleman’s’ guide to the
wonders of Julikal. He paused to break the thumb of a small hand that was
trying to grab for his money pouch, then left the child howling after him in
anger and pain. After several attempts to ‘acquire’ his meager sums of coin met
with similar fates he was finally approached by a quartet of heavily armed and
armored swarthy-looking men who scowled at him fiercely from under their
blood-red turbans.
He stopped
when he realized they were going to persist in blocking his way and put away
the silk cloth to gaze back at them coolly. “Can I help you gentlemen, and I
use the term loosely...in case you don’t understand sarcasm.”
The obvious leader, who wore shinier and better-cared-for
gear, somehow managed to glare with even greater anger at Wu Han as he spoke,
“You dare come to our city, maim our children then insult us, the Sultan’s
Own?”
“I get asked that question too many times. If I’ve already
done that which you accuse me of then obviously I ‘Dared’ alright...do I need
to interpret anything else for you? I may have difficulty explaining things in
your barbaric and savage tongue.”
“Savage and barbaric? Julikal is the height of civilization
in the Red Desert! Does your kingdom, whatever backwater you hail from, prone
to maiming children?”
“Noble Qin is fare more advanced than your civilization
could ever hope to be. We don’t need to maim our children because instead of
teaching them to be criminals we give them an education that will set them on
the Path to being upstanding citizens.”
“Apparently they don’t teach manners...” the leader replied.
“Oh yes we do, you just don’t have the intellectual capacity
to realize when you’re outmatch on every level. Now. This conversation has
bored me since it started. Now stand aside or I’ll move you if I have to.”
“Ha! You wear no armor and carry no weapons, how do you
expect to get by us?”
“True, I have no armor or weapons, yet hear I stand unafraid
while you have yet to take action that I can clearly see you so badly desire to
take...what are you afraid of?”
With an
inarticulate roar of anger they charged him, drawing their scimitars as they
moved. What happened next was almost too fast for any normal eyes to follow. Wu
Han stepped past the first man and in a graceful spin kicked him in the side of
the head hard enough to fling him into a nearby stall. After that he continued
to move, smoothly lashing out with a foot here, an elbow there a knee to the
groin or a palm to the nose. Not a one of the four came even close to laying a
hand on him, much less a blade. Nor did their four friends who had caught up
behind them. When all was said and done Wu Han stood at the end of a trail of
carnage on the opposite side of the mall, resolutely ignoring the angry cries
of the merchants whose stalls had been turned into kindling in the process.
“Put the damages on their tabs...I only defended myself.” he replied over his
shoulder as he walked away.
“And
defended yourself very well indeed.” said a voice from the crowd.
Wu Han stopped to look and saw a tall, thin man dressed in
richly embroidered clothing step out of the crowd and stopped just outside of
striking distance. He observed that this mans only weapon was an ornate and
jewel-encrusted curved dagger stuck through his crimson sash and his arms were
folded comfortably across his chest as if he had not a worry in the world.
Despite not looking dangerous to the untrained eye, Wu Han could feel an air of
strength about the man that immediately put him on guard as he shifted into a
waiting stance. The stranger observed the shift and smiled broadly through his
immaculately-groomed goatee. “Oh you have nothing to fear from me, I am merely
an...interested observer shall we say?”
“I have the feeling you are a bit more than what you say,
and I have hear tale of many a citizen of the Red Sand being outwardly humble
while hiding a knife behind their backs...in fact the more humble they are, the
more dangerous.”
The stranger laughed, “Yes I have heard as much myself, but
perhaps it is a bit of exaggeration...or is it? Perhaps it is an act of
deception and confusion...perhaps the stories were merely told to make us feel
better about ourselves. Who truly knows how these things begin?”
Wu Han smiled wryly, “Behind every legend there is a kernel
of truth...the same can be said for many a lie...at least the good ones.”
“Ah an educated man, truly a refreshing thing in this
glorious city! Oh my apologies, I have
been unforgivably rude and not introduced myself; I am Yussef Bin Fuad
Al-Samara. A humble Vizier to his Highness the Sultan, Lord of Julikal, Jewel
of the Desert, long may he reign! And to whom do I have the Honor of
addressing?”
“I am called Li Wu Han, formerly of the Order of the Dancing
Tiger, of the Shenzhou Province of Great Qin across the Sea.”
“Formerly? I am sure there is quite the story behind
that..but you look like you have just recently steppe doff the ship and Qin is
so very far away. Come, allow me to be your host, at least for today. My home
is not far, there is a hot bath waitign for you and at least one of my servants
can prepare a meal you should not find too distasteful...”
“I am honored by your invitation, but is it common for a man
of your station to invite strangers into ones home?”
“Not in the least...unless they are potentially a danger to
the people and the city...or perhaps if they are merely interesting...or in
your case, both.”
“I see so this is merely a case of keeping your friends
close and your potential enemies closer?” Wu Han replied.
Yussef laughed again, “You understand me exactly. But if
that concerns you let me explain in brieg the laws of hospitality here in
Julikal, and elsewhere in the Red Desert. Once a man has accepted you into his
home he is under your protection for all the time you are his guest and no harm
will befall you. Only the basest of villains would violate such law...and I am
no such a man.”
“Oh I would not take such a one as you as a base villain...perhaps
an honorable villain at worst.”
Yussef laughed again, “Honorable villain, I like that! Now
keep in mind that law also applies to the guests; while you are a guest you
shall do no harm to your hosts, his family or his other guests...except in
self-defense.”
“And what if they feel provoked into committing such a base
act?”
“Well then, one would could possibly make a clear case of
self-defense...an attack against ones character is just as surely an attack as
a knife in the back...and often more effective.”
Wu Han nodded, “Then we have an understanding and I will
accept your kind offer.”
“Of course you will! None have ever refused my
hospitality...” Yussef said as he motioned for Wu Han to follow him further
into the city.
“...whether they liked it or not?” Wu Han replied.
“Ah my friend, sometimes a position of honor can be such a
terrible burden...you understand surely?”
“I understand what you mean...though I hope I will never
have to bear such a burden, I find politics so tiresome.”
“THAT is something I can agree with...though it does have
its share of entertaining challenges.”
“Not the sort of challenge I came here for, but I supposed I
can see the entertainment value in it.”
“Indeed, I will have to introduce you to the Sultan and his
Court at a later time...you will see more closely what I mean. But if you are
not here for political challenges, what kind of challenges do you seek?”
Wu Han frowned inwardly, idly wondering how much he should
tell his newfound friend, but dismissed his doubts as he replied, “I seek
worthy challenges to hone my skills on, to continue and expand on my studies.”
“Ah well I am sure we can find many a worthy challenge for
you here and in the Sands. Some that may pay very well, the Sultan is no miser
with his purse-strings when it comes to worthy and loyal servants.”
“I have little to no interests in the trappings of wealth
beyond what I need to feed myself and have a roof over my head. Nor will I be a
servant to any man, never again.”
“Do not all men have masters? Even if just themselves and
their desires? You mentioned your former Order. If you no longer have a
connection to them do you then intend to train your own students?”
“I may be my own Master, but I am not a slave to myself or
my desires. Perhaps someday...I must first Master my own lessons before I may
share them with others.”
“Ah then eventually you will need resources and in Julikal
you will need the approval of the Sultan if you wish to establish residence
here.”
“Ah I see, so one way or the other I am going to be forced
to serve your Sultan?”
“You should not think of it as forcing, you are of course
free to leave our city and our land at any time...but I do not think you will
find such accommodating hosting elsewhere my friend.”
Wu Han sighed inwardly, “Have I mentioned my distaste for
politics?”
Yussef laughed and clapped him on the back as they continued
to walk, “Come now, don’t be so gloomy! It’s a beautiful day and you’re still
alive to enjoy it!”
Wu Han did not reply, only continued observing the crowds
and marking their course as they wound through the dizzying streets.
