The walk was exhausting. He'd been at it for hours, so many that he'd lost track of them. The horse he'd travelled with had needed to be changed, but the stable where he'd left him hadn't had any others. Shang, ever the soldier, decided to go forward on foot. Now, with the pinprick of needles in his calves, he was slightly regretting the decision. As a trained soldier, a captain even, he was used to such conditions. But the journey seemed harder, lonelier without a battalion of troops following. It also didn't help that he had no idea where he was going.
He was in pursuit of some 'great treasure', though he wasn't too pleased about it. He had work to do, an army to train. As an army captain, he couldn't be expected to go on these frivolous and useless quests. But his mother had prayed to the ancestors, wondering what was best for her only son. And they had somehow conveyed to her that the only way to secure his happiness and success was to send him to Europe after a great treasure. It would have been dishonourable to say what a load of crap he thought that was, so he'd appointed his next in command to current captain and set off. And now what? He was travelling to unknown places for unknown reasons, when important things were happening at home.
His body was aching from the heat and weight of his armour, but as he moved further he noticed that the scene was really quite beautiful. It was a deep ravine, with patches of green grass and moss along the rocky limits of the expanse. Slim trees, with full, green leaves were scattered about, and a thin stream of cornflower blue water poured down the cliff-side and into a small river. But what struck him most was the tower; sleek and tapered, covered in moss, and completely on its own. Maybe the desolate turret was where his supposed 'great treasure' awaited him. After all, with the way the sun hit the purple tiles of the roof, it seemed as if the place was calling out to him.
As he approached it, Shang circled the base of the tall stone structure looking for a door or opening. To his surprise, there wasn't one; only the window that was several feet higher than the ground. He called out, wondering if there could possibly be someone in there. A moment later, a long, yellow waterfall fell out, nearly touching the ground. It seemed to be made of a strange, hair-like material. With a shrug, Shang gripped it and began to climb…
Rapunzel had just said goodbye to her mother, a few hours ago. She had once more expressed her desire to see the floating lights that often filled the night sky around the time of her birthday. And once more, Mother Gothel had tossed the idea out like day-old milk. She'd insisted that the world was far too dangerous for a girl as sweet and delicate as Rapunzel, especially with her good nature and unwavering innocence. Even though Rapunzel was eager to examine the world, the way her mother described the unwashed citizens that would be creeping about, attempting to swindle her gold away from her, or trick her into awful situations, well…it did make her quite nervous. Still, she couldn't help but being more than a little upset over the situation.
It wasn't that she didn't trust her mother's guidance. She'd have been a fool not to. After all, who had spent more time out in the world—her or her mother? No, she knew she was right…but Rapunzel had a burning desire to see those floating lights up close, to take them in. No book had been able to explain to her what they meant, and her mother wouldn't tell her since she had no cue either. The only way to get the answers she sought was to leave the tower on her birthday and go deep into the kingdom.
Rapunzel brushed her long, golden hair as she sulked, pouting a little. Yet her mother had forbidden it; her utmost wish turned away without a second thought. Completely and utterly forbidden it with a flat out 'No'. It was too dangerous for a girl to be wandering on her own on her own in the kingdom. Especially a girl like Rapunzel who didn't know the first thing about street smarts. But singing and painting and brushing her hair over and over and over again was starting to get old. How much longer could she go on like this?
She tugged a thick rope of blonde hair in towards her, so she could get to the ends, noticing a fleck of green in all that yellow. She giggled as the chameleon lost its grip on her silky tresses, righting itself again by another blonde strand.
"Sorry Pascal," she apologized with a laugh, eyeing her only friend with a mixture of joy and sorrow. Sighing, she continued to brush at her hair when she heard a sound from down below. It was strange, since her mother had left only moments before. Perhaps she'd forgotten something, Rapunzel wondered, feeding her hair through the large silver hoop. Absentmindedly, she worked her hair like a pulley as she'd done countless times before, knowing that no one else would think to visit this strange tower. With a grunt, Rapunzel began to pull her hair back up…
Shang was pleasantly surprised to find that the silky rope he had gripped retracted itself. That meant that he wouldn't have to over- exhaust his already tired boy. He decided that he'd examine the area, maybe ask whoever was in for a bowl of soup or some other form of nourishment, and then head off again. Unless, of course, this first stop proved to be whatever his ancestors were trying to get him to accomplish. But things never happened that easily, did they?
Rapunzel was noticing how much heavier her mother was compared to usual. She found her arms growing tired when only half of the journey had been made, her forehead perspiring a little, as well. Of course, she wouldn't make a comment on the woman's weight. It would be unnecessary, uncalled for, especially if she'd come back to get something for the long trip she had ahead of her. With one final tug, she pulled the person through the window. Shock and confusion filled Rapunzel when she finally saw the face of the individual who she had pulled into her home.
It was not her mother, but a tall, burly gentleman. His skin had a rich, warm bronze look, one that reminded Rapunzel of just how long she'd been inside this tower and out of the sun's reach. He wore a brigandine that consisted of black metal plates along his chest, shoulders, and skirted around his waist, with matching gauntlets and leg guards. Black, leather shoes protected his feet, and a magnificent royal red cape was secured around his shoulders. The man's jet black hair was knotted atop his head with a matching red strip of cloth, and he looked serious and intimidating. Rapunzel screamed in terror, plucking up her trust black frying pan and holding it above her head like a weapon.
Shang was perplexed. The stranger before him could have nothing to do with his quest. She was tall but thin, just a wisp of a girl. Her skin was a tannish peach colour, her eyes bright green, lashes fluttering as she blinked at him in confusion. She wore a purple gown with pink accents, a firm corseted bodice, and a white petticoat beneath. The tops of her sleeves were puffed and striped purple and pink, though it tapered into a softer, lighter colour and a sheer fabric. Her feet were bare, and she looked positively delicate. But what struck Shang most was the miles and miles of golden hair that filled the room and flowed directly from her scalp. Before he could even comment on the phenomenon, the girl had lifted up a frying pan and had flung it up above her head.
Shang was an army captain, and so it was with great ease that he dodged her attack, hearing her startled cry as the black skillet struck with all its force onto the ground. She turned around to face him again, terrified by his physical agility. Perhaps this was the reason her mother had always warned her not to go outside. This strange man in the cape could very easily have been one of the monstrous miscreants that she'd been told about all her life. With speed, Rapunzel threw the frying pan at him, aiming for his head. She screamed again as she did so, and was extremely worried when he ducked so that the weapon missed him. Instead, it hit a bookshelf behind him where an array of her favourite novels had been stacked in alphabetical order.
" I just organized that!" Rapunzel exclaimed in rage, giving the stranger a look of contempt. With unbridled anger, she flew towards him, hands balled into fists. There was no way she was going to let this stranger kill her. She'd fight him tooth and nail before she let that happen.
The oncoming assault wasn't entirely unexpected, but even so Shang didn't really think she'd attack him. Anyone could see from their size difference alone who the champion would be. As she launched at him, Shang ducked a little so that her body landed over his shoulder. He held her firmly there, ignoring her kicking and screaming and the rivulets of movement in her long hair. He placed her onto a chair with confidence, doubting that she'd try anything again.
" My apologies, Miss—" Shang was beginning, when he felt a tiny fist hit him in the face.
He stumbled backwards, mostly in shock, even as a rope of blonde looped its way around him and prevented movement. Triumphantly, Rapunzel, pulled him into the chair with her hair, ignoring the throbbing in her wrist from the impact of the hit. She'd never hit someone before.
"Alright, Mister," she began, drawing her brows together as she gave him an intimidating glare. " Just what do you think you're doing?"
"My ancestors have sent me on a quest," Shang answered, keeping his eyes trained on the plucky blonde.
" Oh…" Rapunzel hadn't really expected him to respond so easily. In fact, she was counting on him being the silent warrior type, protecting his secrets and scaring young girls. Shaking off her confusion, she fired another question at him, " Why are you in my house?"
" I didn't know anyone was home," he admitted, his tone sober and serious. " I've been travelling for a while without food or water. I only intended to stop here for a quick rest and refuelling before heading back on my way."
" AHA!" Rapunzel pointed a finger at him, her eyes gleaming with righteous integrity. At this point, Pascal had crawled up her hair and onto her shoulder, appearing to also give the foreigner a look of distrust. " You were pillaging the village, and you were going to pillage this tower too!"
" No, I was going to leave gold coins as payment," Shang insisted, unable to show her the proof since his hands were not nearly as useful to him under the current situation.
" Right," Rapunzel scoffed, rolling her eyes. " Likely story."
" I swear," Shang told her fiercely. If there was one thing he was not, it was a liar. " I wouldn't risk causing my ancestors or family the shame that would come from stealing."
Rapunzel stopped for a minute, biting her bottom lip as she thought about it. He sure was convincing. But, then again, he could just be a world class performer. Weren't most thieves? " Just a minute," she said politely, scurrying to the other end of the room with her green friend.
She whispered a bunch of possible ideas to the chameleon, hoping beyond hope for Pascal to guide her. Instead, he only stared blankly at her, unable, she supposed, to formulate a good plan for her to enact. Rapunzel decided that the only way to figure out what to do was to ask the intruder more questions. But she wasn't evil. If he was truly as hungry as he said, she couldn't go on letting him starve. She scurried down the stairs and into the kitchen, her long hair trailing behind her. Heating up a bowl of the vegetable and meatball soup that was on the stove, she placed it on a tray along with a spoon, two bread rolls, and a tall glass of water. She brought it all upstairs, setting it on the table directly beside the chair that she'd secured him to.
"What's your 'quest' about?" she asked him, waiting to see if his behaviour would change.
Shang eyed the food longingly, but then brought his eyes back to her. In the same tone as before, he said, " Before I can regain my position in the Chinese Army, I must follow my ancestors' advice and travel until I find a great treasure." Knowing that this could sound like larceny, he hastily added, " The treasure can come in the form of an object, an event, or some great enlightenment. Either way, I haven't come across it yet." His words about 'great enlightenment' struck her, and Rapunzel unwound her hair from his person. Shang nodded gratefully, saying, " Thank you." With a glance in the direction of the food, he asked, " May I?" When she agreed, he withdrew three gold coins and pressed them into her palm, bowing a little with respect.
As he began to eat, Rapunzel once more consulted the green chameleon. He seemed adamantly against her plan, but what did he know? He was just a lizard, after all. And based on the way the past few moments had gone, Rapunzel felt as though the stranger had more reason to fear her than she did him. She held the shiny coins in her hand, holding them up to the sunlight and watching the light dance across them. Never before had she held money; she'd never have reason to. This could have just been the beginning. It could be the first in a long line of new experiences that the stranger could provide her with.
" I'm Rapunzel," she told him, smiling brightly and holding a hand out to him. " What's your name?"
"Captain Li Shang of the Chinese Militia," he replied, shaking her hand somewhat too firmly.
" Ow…" Rapunzel said, pulling her hand back and holding it to her chest. With another bright smile she said, " Cool." After a moment's pause, she nervously said, " Hey, 'Captain Li Shang of the Chinese Militia'?" When he looked at her in response, still biting into a piece of bread, she asked, " Can you take me with you?"