Legend of Lu Chao

By C. A. E. Jones

Chapter 4

A cloaked figure walked into the room.

"I am Ti Shee Kin," He said. "Well," Lu said, "You will be dust in a minute." He

created a shock wave that merely burned the man's cloak. Ti Shee Kin reached into his robes and pulled out a purple stone.

"Do you know what this is?" he asked, "This is ametha Shio Ken, the first stone created. Can you handle the power of a Shio Ken stone?"

"We'll find out," Lu said. He didn't care about the stone. He just knew that Ti Shee Kin needed an attitude adjustment, and he was going to give it to him.

Lu ran toward Ti Shee, but the stone produced a dome shaped purple wave that threw Lu back. He got up and began to spin. While doing so he excreted ging. He became the center of a tornado of pure energy. He leapt and hit Ti Shee. The energy erupted and Ti Shee still stood firm. But where was the stone?

"You are a fool," he said, "I will leave you here amidst the ruins of a dungeon. You shall not escape."

The stone was visible now. It was on the floor across the room. Ti Shee

projected a chi blast at the stone. There was a purple flash and the castle began to collapse.       "Fare well!" Ti Shee cackled as he ran out the door. The door collapsed and Lu was trapped.

Chapter 5

With every second the castle came closer to finishing Lu off. He scrambled to avoid debri. He finally reached the Shio Ken, which was entombed in rubble. He slashed with the Shio Ken sword and finally broke the stone free, just as the roof came down upon him.

With no alternative Lu held up the stone. Its amethyst glow brightened and small purple waves emitted. The roof rose back into place. "blast that Ti Shee Kin!" Lu spat, "He got away."

Lu walked through the ruins of the castle and finally found an exit. It wasn't exactly the, best place to take him. He ended up in a strange forest.

"Something isn't right," Lu Pondered, "I sense something strange. "

He went further and further with no interference."Hmm," he said to himself, "If they are going to spring a trap, they’d do it right about---“

CRASH!! 

The ground collapsed, and Lu Chao fell into a deep, oblivious pit. With only the ametha Shio Ken to slow him he had to flip. He launched off the wall and to the other. He finally saw the, bottom. It was a pit of five-foot spikes. He created a shock wave that merely warmed the spikes. With less than five seconds to the bottom he threw the ametha Shio Ken at the pit. A purple pool of light replaced the spikes and when Lu landed he was unharmed. 

He Picked up the Shio Ken stone and examined the pit. There were four tunnels leading away, but they were all identical. Which would lead to a trap? Which would lead to the next fortress? There was no way to tell.

By the light of the Shio Ken stone, Lu could see the tunnels more clearly. Each had a sturdy looking floor and a long corridor . Then he had an idea. He walked to the tunnel that had been behind him. He reached out and held the Shio Ken stone over the floor in the tunnel. He made the stone produce a small gravitational repel. The floor shattered revealing an endless pool of liquid. The shards of the floor sizzled within it.

Lu went to the tunnel to his right. He did the same. The floor once again crumbled and revealed another spiked pit, but shallow enough that the ametha Shio Ken would have trouble, escaping. He turned and went to the next tunnel.

Lu held the stone out but nothing happened. He leaned forward. he threw the stone in the tunnel. The roof came down in an instant. The stone splattered it. This left one more tunnel. Lu collected the Shio ken stone and entered the fourth tunnel.  He tested it, and found no traps. He walked on with the repelling shioken now hovering in front of him. Lu finally came to a fork the tunnel. Again he tested the paths.

The right path revealed a touch sensitive fire spray, somehow could fire with the slightest stimulus. Lu went to the left tunnel.

He found no disturbance. When he found the end of the tunnel, he found a room lit with a green light.

"Welcome," A green robed man said, "Welcome to the emerald chamber Lu Chao."