"...It's about time he came out of hiding." The figure said before raising his head and letting out a haunting howl that could pierce the heavens.
Yuè woke with a gasp and began to look around the room. 'Just a dream.' he thought to himself as he caught his breath. The wolf began to look around the pitch-black room, though his natural night vision allowed him to see as if it were illuminated. A dresser sat just beyond the edge of the end of his bed, and beside the dresser stood a mirror. To the left wall of the room, near the door, was a closet he used to store his combat gear and weapons. To the right of the bed was a closed window, but the canine could still feel cool air flowing through the shutters. Beneath his paws he felt soft silk sheets that covered his bed and offered warmth on particularly cold nights. But he was used to more frigid environments, so the threat of cold never bothered him as much.
The wolf decided to get out of bed, clad in only his light brown sleeping pants, and occupy his attention with something else to clear his mind. He padded over to the closed window and opened the shutters, allowing the cool, autumn night air into the room. He took a deep breath to fill his lungs with the fresh mountain air that smelled of mountain flowers and the passing of autumn. Yuè had always loved being near mountainous regions. It may have had something to do with what the air feels like, or because he'd always been in such areas when he was a pup, or maybe just his wolf instincts telling him that it just felt right. Whatever the case, he allowed himself to relax and bathe in the soft breezes that blew through his fur. He looked to the sky, and saw the full moon casting its rays of light on his and illuminating the room. The moon, the satellite for which he was named 'Yuè' by his father. He'd always liked the name and wouldn't wish for any other. A certain honor was carried with the title and he felt a bit of pride to be named after the moon. But pride was not something that Yuè often felt. Most of his emotions revolved around nonchalance and overall carefreeness. He never let things bother him as much as he used to, but even he had his limits on what he could tolerate.
As sudden groan from behind had broken Yuè from his thoughts and he turned to face the source as a voice spoke to him, "Yuè? What're you doing up so late?" the voice asked. "Sorry for waking you, Yang. Had a bit of trouble sleeping." he answered before climbing back in bed with the she-wolf. "Bad dream?" she asked before curling up beside the wolf, placing a paw on his chest. Yuè touched her paw and looked into her dark blue eyes, "Yeah. But nothing to really worry about." he said with a small smile, dismissing the minor issue. Yang sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, "Good. Because you're gonna need your rest if you wanna get to work in the morning." she said with a grin as well. Yuè chuckled, "Right. Almost forgot about that job I found. Thanks for reminding me." Yang sighed again before turning over and resting her head on her pillow, "Don't mention it. Just get some sleep. We wouldn't want you to be all grumpy in the morning." she said before dozing off and returning to her dreams. Yuè smiled and placed a kiss on her cheek before doing the same. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, suffering no more nightmares nor having any dreams for the rest of that night.
The Next Morning In the Valley of Peace...
Morning had arrived in the Valley of Peace, and with it, the morning gong. A signal to let the valley's residents know that the day has begun and it's time to prepare for the work necessary to keep the village functioning. In the Jade Palace, the morning gong meant that it was time to awaken and greet Master Shifu so he can instruct his students on what to do that day. Po and the Furious Five quickly rose from their sleep and opened the doors to their rooms. "Good morning, Master Shifu." they all greeted the red panda as he stood in the corridor. "Morning, students. As you are already aware, tomorrow is the annual Peace Jubilee. Today, I need you all to start preparations." he said before turning to each of his students as he called their names. "Tigress and Crane, I need the two of you to arrange the matches for the children's kung fu tournament. Monkey, Mantis, and Viper, I want you three to assist the villagers in setting up decorations, entertainment, and vending stalls." he ordered the warriors. They all said 'Yes, Master Shifu.' and went about their duties. "What about me, Master Shifu? Anything important I need to do to help prepare for the jubilee?" he asked feeling left out. "Of course. You must practice your tai chi for the closing ceremony, like every year." Shifu said. "Oh. I was sorta hoping I could do something else this year." Po said in a disappointed tone. Shifu arched his eyebrow, "Oh? What did you have in mind?" he asked curiously. "I was thinking that I could go into town and help out with setting things up too. Jo wanted me to help him and his parents set up their souvenir stall for the celebration." Po said hopefully. "You do realize how important the Peace Jubilee is? We're having the Qidan attend as well as several other very important guests." Shifu said. Po sighed, "I understand, but I've practiced the tai chi enough to know it by heart. C'mon, Shifu." the bear pleaded. Shifu sighed heavily, "Fine. You can help out in the village, but as soon as you finish, see to it that you practice your tai chi for the closing ceremony. I received word that Master Chao would be attending, and I would like for the jubilee to go smoothly. Not like when Peng was here." Shifu conceded somewhat begrudgingly. "Thank you so much, Master Shifu. I promise I'll practice the tai chi when I get back." Po said thankfully before rushing to leave the Jade Palace.
The moment Po stepped outside he was hit by the brisk late autumn air. Fall was in its final stages and in no more than a few weeks, winter will have come to the Valley of Peace. The temperature was just cold enough for a scarf or hat to keep warm, but Po's fur was thick enough to keep his body temperature up. The ursine quickly ran down the stairs that led into the village below the Jade Palace and rushed to meet up with Jo, a young badger that lived in the valley and befriended Po during a kung fu camp in the summer. His fur was grey with white running from his chin down his front, and he had two vertical black streaks, one running down each of his turquoise eyes. He wore a pair of black silk pants with a red sash around his waist, that Po got him that summer for his birthday. After several minutes of running, Po finally reached the village market. The entire market place was decorated with paper lanterns and vibrantly colored streamers.
The panda moved through the market until he came across a pair of foxes and a young badger putting jewels in display cases on the counter of their stall. "Hey Jo!" Po called out to the badger. Jo quickly turned around at the sound of his name being called, "Po! You came!" he said cheerfully as he ran up to the panda. "Of course I did. Had to get Shifu's permission though." Po held out his hand and the two did a secret handshake Po came up with. They slapped hands together, wiggled their fingers, and made a fist and popped a fake gun with their fingers. During the gesture, both said, "Slap it, feel the thunda, skadoosh!" Po and Jo laughed it off before going to the stall and assisting Jo's parents. Though Jo was a badger, he lived with his adopted parents Kaleb and Kalida Crevan, two foxes who had adopted him when he was three and brought him to live with them in the Valley of Peace. "Hey Mr. and Mrs. Crevan. How's it goin'?" Po asked as he approached the stall. "We're fine. We're so glad that you decided to help us set up the stall. I hope it's not much trouble for you." Kalida answered as she strung a paper lantern up at the front of the stall. "No trouble at all Mrs. C. I'm just glad to help out." Po said as he hung a line of streamers across the front counter. "So what's new, J.C.?" Po asked Jo, calling him by a nickname he made. "I made a new friend a few weeks ago." he said as he placed an emerald trinket in a box under the counter. Po arched an eyebrow, "Really? Who?" he asked curiously. "This girl that just moved to the valley with her dad. She's fun to be around." Jo said as he closed and locked the cupboard under the counter. "A girl, huh?" Po asked mischievously with his arms crossed. Jo rolled his eyes, "It's not like that. We're just friends. Besides, she's like seven." he said walking from around the counter. "Oh. Well, what's her name?" Po asked, avoiding the awkward assumption he made. Jo looked up in thought for a moment, "I don't think she told me her name. We met maybe twice, but she hasn't told me yet." he said with a tinge of confusion. "That's strange. Have you asked her?" Po asked. Jo shrugged, "Never really thought to." he said before turning to his parents, "Are we done? Can Po and I go hang out?" Jo asked. Kaleb chuckled, "Sure. We're pretty much finished. Make sure you come back before sunset, okay?" Jo nodded, "Sure thing, dad." he said before he and Po walked off.
After about an hour of walking and talking, Po and Jo decided to head to Mr. Ping's shop for lunch. After being seated and ordering their food, Po decided to strike up another conversation, "So, are you looking forward to the tournament tomorrow? Your kung fu is pretty awesome if I do say so myself." Po asked. Jo chuckled, "You're just sayin' that because you taught me. And yes, I am looking forward to it. My friend, Cash, is coming to the valley for a vacation. He attends this kung fu academy in the Black Mountains. When I told him about the tournament, he said that he wants to compete too." he said. "Sounds awesome. I can't wait to see you kick butt in the tournament." Po said excitedly. Jo chuckled somewhat nervously, "Thanks Po. Glad to know I'll have a fan in the crowd to cheer me on." he said.
A moment later, Mr. Ping brought them their order of noodles and the two began digging in eagerly. Just as Po was about to finish off his bowl of soup, an alert bell rang throughout the village, alerting the Dragon Warrior to someone causing trouble in the valley. "Aaww man. I was almost done." he whined before getting up and running to the entrance. "Wait here Jo. It could be dangerous." he warned the badger. Jo nodded and Po ran out to confront whoever decided to cause trouble that day. After running for several minutes, Po made his way to the source of the disturbance, or rather where it used to be. The Furious Five made it to the scene before him and were talking to Constable Hu, a large elephant that organizes laws and procedures in the Valley of Peace. When Po approached the group, Constable Hu was holding an arrow with his trunk and had someone tied up next to him, "What's going on? I heard the alarm." Po said. "Oh, hello Dragon Warrior. Your assistance will not be required. Someone else has already taken care of the issue, as you can see." Hu said, gesturing to the bound goat. "So who handled it?" Po asked, looking at the Five. "That's what we're trying to figure out. Constable Hu said he didn't get a clear look at the man's face." Monkey said. "But, I did give him payment for the task." Constable Hu chimed in. Po arched an eyebrow, "Payment? Why?" he asked curiously. "For the bounty of course. This is Yee Da, a thief and pickpocket that's wanted in three other villages. The man who took the bounty collected it in record time, though Yee Da did put up a fight." Hu said gesturing to a broken cart. "He did that?" Mantis asked dubiously, pointing to the shattered cart. "No, the bounty hunter did. He happened to toss Yee Da into the cart. Quite the unfortunate casualty." Hu said. "Okay. So what's with the arrow?" Tigress asked. "Ah, yes. The arrow. The bounty hunter fired it at the goat and pinned him to a wall. I guess he forgot to retrieve it." the elephant said handing the arrow to Tigress.
She carefully inspected the projectile, hoping to find any sort of clue as to who may have fired it. It was a rather ordinary arrow with no real defining features. In other words, a dead end. "Do you remember what sort of clothes he was wearing?" Viper asked. "Unfortunately not. He left rather quickly after receiving payment, though he has taken two other bounties. Perhaps you may have better luck if you track them as well." Constable Hu said. "Thank you, Constable Hu. Could we get a copy of the bounty papers he took?" Tigress asked. Hu nodded and pulled two sheets of parchment from his sash, one detailing information on a sheep wanted for racketeering with a reward of two hundred yuan for his capture, the other a poster detailing a reward of five hundred yuan for the capture of Fung and his gang of croc bandits. "Thanks, Constable Hu." Po said. Hu nodded and went on his way, possibly to handle some form of official business. "Is it just me, or does this guy sound familiar?" Crane asked rhetorically. "But what would he be doing in the valley?" Viper asked. "I'm not sure. But before we start jumping to conclusions, I think we should at least find out who this bounty hunter is and see if he's a threat. We do have our own bounties after all, and the last thing we need is someone hunting us during the Peace Jubilee. Or at all for that matter. If he is dangerous then we all should watch our backs, but make it seem like we're unaware of what he's doing." Tigress said. Everyone nodded in agreement and went back to their tasks, but stayed vigilant in the case that they were being watched.
Elsewhere In The Valley of Peace...
Lao had been waiting in the dark alley with his bodyguards for almost an hour and was becoming impatient. He was relaxing at the bar after traveling for several days. Running a lucrative business revolving around theft, laundering, and extortion took a lot out of someone, even if they never lifted a finger. He was approached by someone in a dark cloak offering money in exchange for information. How could the rabbit deny any amount of yuans. He agreed and the stranger told him to meet in the alley behind the tavern. There he waited in the brisk autumn air with the promise of money being the only thing keeping him there. Just as he was about to leave the stranger walked into the alley. "Took you long enough." Lao scoffed, crossing his arms. "I apologize for the delay. I have the amount we agreed on, but I require the information before we can proceed with the deal." the stranger said. Lao chuckled, "I'm sorry but that's not how I handle business. I prefer to have payment before we can complete this transaction. So I'm gonna need to see the two hundred yuan we agreed on." The hooded stranger shook his head, "I will have to decline those conditions. I need some insurance that you'll hold up your end of the deal." Lao began to get agitated, "Well, we seem to be at an impasse. Unless you're wasting my time. And I hate it when people waste my time." he said in a serious tone before snapping his fingers. His bodyguards moved toward the stranger, cracking their knuckles with a snort. The stranger grinned beneath his hood, "Are they supposed to be intimidating? I'm sorry, but dead men don't frighten me." he said confidently. Lao laughed, "Dead men? Well, I was gonna let you limp outta here, but since you're tossin' out threats, I change my mind. Yi, Lee, get his legs." he commanded his henchmen as they flanked the sides of the stranger.
Before the boars could throw a punch, two other hooded figures dropped into the alley. Lao was confused by the appearance of more hooded people, but before he could tell his bodyguards about them, he was stopped cold by what happened next. The second figure snapped Yi's neck and the third figure grabbed Lee by the back of the head and swung him against the wall, smashing his face into the stone and leaving his body to slide down with a bloody trail. Lao was stunned by what he saw but before he had a chance to speak or run, the hooded stranger rushed toward him and grabbed the rabbit by the throat. Lao was lifted into the air and panted nervously as he struggled to breathe as well as register what had just happened. "It seems that I may have found a compromise. Don't you think so, Lao?" the stranger asked, squeezing the rabbit's throat tighter. "What *ack* what do you want?" he asked, choking out the question. Lao could see under the black hood and saw a dark grin creep across scraggly gray fur. "As I said when we spoke in the tavern, I want information. I'm looking for someone that I tracked to this valley. I'm told that you may have crossed his path recently." Lao squirmed as he gasped for air, "If you made it this far couldn't you find him yourself?" he asked. The stranger squeezed harder, causing Lao to squeak in pain. "Watch it bunny. I'm barely using any of my strength. One squeeze and I separate your spine from the rest of your body." the stranger threatened, squeezing a bit tighter to emphasize his point. "Okay, okay! *ack* Who are you looking for?" Lao asked. "That's better. I'm lookin' for a wolf. Grey fur, mismatch eyes. Ring any bells?" the stranger asked. The rabbit's eyes widened, "Yuè? I-I'm lookin' for that bastard too. *cough* He owes me money." he choked out. The stranger arched an eyebrow with intrigue, "So you do know him. Is he in this valley?" he asked. "I don't know. But when I find him, I'm gonna gut that mutt." Lao said with disdain. "Hard to see how you'd do that." the stranger said. Lao continued to struggle as he tried to pry the paw for around his throat, "Why do you say that?" he struggled to ask. A moment later, the sound of bone snapping filled the alley, and the stranger dropped the limp body of the rabbit from his grip, leaving it to fall to the ground with a soft thump.
The hooded stranger turned to his compatriots, the one he regarded as brother growling. "How many dead ends must we go through before we find him? I refuse to waste the clan's time with this search." he said. "This was is only a minor setback. If Yuè is in the Valley of Peace, I know of someone else who may know where he is." the stranger said. His brother crossed his arms, "And who would that be?" The stranger grinned sinisterly, "Master Shifu of the Jade Palace."
The sequel is here! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter because there's more to come.
As you may have noticed, I'm trying a slightly different style to the story. I now have perspective switches, as well as, have some description changes. Mainly, replacing 'hand' with 'paw' and the same will be done with 'foot', the change being either 'hind paw' or 'foot paw'. Let me know what you guys think of these changes.
Also, for those wondering, the reference I made in the last story was the line, '...he wasn't a hero. Never was, never would be'.