Chapter 6: A Hero's Battle
"Humph, you are so foolish foolish foolish you are. You are nothing but a traitor --- Wiseman shouldn't even be your title. Taste my blades!!" Screams Machairi.
Machairi has three blades in each clinched fist as he utters his taunts to the Wiseman. He proceeds to throw his blades quickly towards the Wiseman, yet with ease the Wiseman dodges the blades. Machairi flicks his wrist in a circular motion and produces three more blades in each hand.
The Wiseman thinks to himself, how is he making these blades? The Wiseman thinks either the blades are hidden or Machairi must be using chi to produce the blades. Suddenly the Wiseman notices that Machairi has the high ground and this fight puts the Wiseman at a disadvantage. He wasn't sure how long he could dodge Machairi's blades or even how many blades Machairi could throw at a time. The Wiseman had the sense that he was being toyed with. Just as he thought that six more blades were coming his way. The Wiseman leaps to a tree trunk above him.
"Ha, unlike your late Elder Master you are good at dodging my attacks. Ha, ha, ha. You were a stupid kid back then," boasts Machairi as he produces three more blades in each hand.
The Wiseman's frown on his face turns into a smile, "man, you talk too much." Just as the Wiseman speaks, he kicked a wind gust that formed into a small tornado towards Machairi. Machairi jumped backward towards the back of a tree to allow it to absorb the wind blast. The Wiseman proceeded to punch in front of him and closes his eyes, and suddenly, many gusts of wind which form into many tornados are seen.
While throwing tornados the Wiseman says, "I learned my tornado technique because I knew I would face you one day Machairi. Earlier when I sensed my pupils and I were being tracked I didn't imagine it would be you. Today I avenge my late Elder Master's murder from forty years ago. You're going to regret taunting him and his legacy."
"You're a two bit loser just like your second rate master," Machairi leaps in the air to dodge the Wiseman's attacks and he counters by forming a bow with his chi and fires a arrow made of chi towards the Wiseman. As the arrow dashes towards the Wiseman, Machairi suddenly shouts, "That is the exact technic I used to murder your worthless master. Today you will fall to your knees, today you fall to your death just as he did!"
The Wiseman catches the arrow and snaps it in half and suddenly he sees a swarm of blades coming his way. Machairi throws a set of blades, forms a set of blades in his hands, and throws a set of blades over and over. The Wiseman leaps and hops around continuously. Intermediately the Wiseman uses wind to shake trees and leaves around Machairi to try to impede his view.
With heavy breath both man land on the ground level of the forest. Both proceed to taunt each other to bide time. A grin is still on the Wiseman's wrinkled fifty year old face.
"You know you age like shit Machairi, you old bastard you look like shit too. How do you move so well for being such an old man?" the Wiseman asks.
"I could say the same about you," says Machairi with a haggard look on his face. "You know its not often I even reveal my face or self, how did you know my name Wiseman?"
"I asked around about my Elder Master's assassin. My personal contacts told me you assassinated Elder Master as your first mission. I know much about you. Spirit arrow was your original ability, but I didn't know about this blade gimmick you have. Are those spirit blades, or you eat a whole lot of knives for breakfast?"
Both men stare at each other as the Wiseman's words settle in and start laughing. Although on opposing sides, In another time or context they probably would be friends or allies.
"I like you Wiseman, your reputation proceeds you. I like you so I will tell you about my abilities before I kill you. Yes these are my spirit blades. I learned this technique a few years ago. I can make spirt arrows with my spirit bow and it's a powerful technique as you and your Elder Master know…. But it's a bit slow. These blades," as Machairi speaks he pauses and forms three more blades in both clinched fists, "are very fast and effective. I am going to infuse these with poison and guide them with my mind now…. Enjoy." Machairi smiles as he flings his latest barrage towards the Wiseman.
The Wiseman's eyes roll to the back of his head and he shuts his eye lids. He has a sudden vision of his pupils being killed by Machairi. He formulates a plan quickly as Machairi's latest attack approaches him.
The Wiseman telepathically shouts to his pupils, "Mirkos and Sai I need you! Sense me and come to my location immediately!"
Meanwhile, Sai and Mirkos are at a river bank eating fish and resting from training all afternoon.
"Shrimp you're getting better, you caught on to what master taught us today as fast as I do!" boasts Sai.
Rolling his eyes and letting out a loud sigh Mirkos responds, "Seriously??? You gotta reign in your ego a bit Sai! We are a team you know."
Both are laughing and suddenly their laughter is interrupted by the Wiseman's telepathic message.
"Hey shrimp you hear our master calling out to us in your mind?"
"Yup I sure did, I think I should get on your back and you should run us there." Shouts Mirkos.
Mirkos gets on Sai's back and she proceeds to run at her top speed. Beneath her feet the dirt and rocks are tossed about everywhere as she runs with all her might. "
"Do you sense it Mirkos?"
"No I don't sense anything Sai"
"The master's chi is strong but there is another man with him. The man's chi is even stronger. The master is in danger…." And just as Sai says that Mirkos leaps off her back and Sai stops running and is in a battle stance. "Who are you and why do you battle my master?" Shouts Sai.
The Wiseman was able to dodge five of the six poison blades but one blade grazes his left pant leg and leaves a wound. Mirkos notices the wound and proceeds to heal his master's wounds just as Machairi responds.
Cackling and in a taunting manner Machairi says, "The prophecy….. the chosen one speaks. Why the emperor is concerned with an inferior Kaian woman I don't know. Tracking you three is quite boring and a waste of my time." He throws six blades towards Sai and she jumps into the air and throws her sai towards Machairi. "Yeah predictable response, Sai you really are an amateur at best" Machairi suddenly twists his fist quickly and flings smaller blades towards Sai and forms more and more blades and tosses more and more towards her. Many shinny blades are seen coming her way.
Sai reaches out with her feelings and senses each blade and the trees around her. She does several back flips to avoid Machairi's blades and creates a wind gust to break a tree branch above Machairi's head and shatters it. And the wood thumps Machairi's head stunning him momentarily.
"Sai my girl how did you figure that one out in a day! That took me years to master shattering objects!" Shouts the Wiseman with renewed vigor from Mirkos healing. "You will leave my pupil alone now Machairi!"
The Wiseman waves his hands in front of him and pulls a tree out of the ground with wind. He swings his hands around and the tree shatters and the pieces rain towards Machairi. Machairi regains composure long enough to leap away from the wood pieces.
"This battle bores me and I have the information I need for my mission. Mirkos I have my eye on you," Shouts Machairi as he suddenly vanishes in the thick foliage of the forest.
"Master who is that man? Does he know you and Mirkos? I sense evil in him and his murderous intent. Who is Elder Master? Why does he have deep hate in his heart for Elder Master?" Shouts Sai with a heavy pant.
"My pupils the battle left me weary. Let me explain everything over diner, you both made fish right?" Says the Wiseman.
The trio walk back to the riverbank where they made camp and settle in. The Wiseman tells them the story of his former master and of how Machairi murdered his master. The Wiseman explains that Machairi is a fallen monk who is an assassin for the order and the empire. He further explains that based on the information he acquired from the battle with Machairi that the emperor is aware of their movements. The pupils listen carefully with confusion and amazement that their master was powerful enough to fend off the attacker and to protect them.
"We are near the badlands, we must travel there and find refuge and allies, " Says the Wiseman. "Don't worry we will be safe there because the empire's reach is low there. I have a few contacts there that can get us provisions and a place to stay while we train"
In unison with sleepy voices Sai and Mirkos say, "Train?"
With conviction on his face and sincerity the Wiseman looks his pupil's in their eyes, "Yes, we are going to train even faster and harder, for we must defeat and end this empire. The three of us can do it."
The Wiseman watches his pupils as they hunch over and fall asleep for the night. He closes his eyes to meditate and reaches out to detect any threats.
After traveling on foot for two days Machairi returns to Notos, the Monk lands. He has his notes concerning the Wiseman's movements and an orb recording to submit to the Emperor. He goes over to meet his spy contact. With cloaked faces the two each a brief greeting and Machairi hands over his notes and the orb recording.
"Machairi his majesty will be pleased with this valuable information on the Kaian and the Wiseman," says the faceless spymaster. "Does the Wiseman suspect your battle was a charade?"
With a mischievous grin Machairi says, "No the fool bought it. I allowed him to sense me and to battle with me. He even telepathically called his pupils for help. He suspects nothing of our plan. He was distracted with my taunts about his Elder Master"
"Good Good Goodddd…. Just as we planned," says the spymaster. Both men laughed for a moment, "So he thinks he won?"
"Yes, he does think he won that little "battle" but there is one concern I have," says Machairi.
The spymasters grin turned into a flat lined frown, "Concern?"
Mariachi's tone turns serious, "Unfortunately Mirkos is no longer an asset, he has abandoned his mission."
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
-- Power
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