I - The Only Easy Day
"Let's go, let's go! More water up the hill! Keep moving!"
Po had been directing the villagers nearly all day as they came with full buckets and bowls and returned with them being empty. He had nearly fifty people in his rotation, all of whom were exhausted and covered in sweat. However, they continued to follow his orders with determination, hoping desperately to clear this one part of the fire. There were no shortages of volunteers; men, women, children and even tourists that just happen to be in the area when the fires broke out were all doing their part. The amount of help he received was near endless, but it wasn't people they needed. They needed water.
"Get some more on those oak trees over there! Go!" Po ordered as five villagers rushed over to the burning trees, dumping their water onto the blazing inferno. It did little at all to put out the fire, but it was a start.
Po wiped his sweating forehead as he took a sip from his small canteen. They had divided the village's water into a seventy-five and twenty-five split, the twenty-five being their drinking water. The rest was to go straight to the fires, for no resource could be spared. They even began to take water from the Jade Palace's moon pool in the Hall of Warriors. He continued to direct the villagers one by one, trying to make sure that they stayed safe. Some had already been burned trying to put out the fires, and it was horrific sight for Po to witness. He wondered if this fire could even be tamed. It scared him to think the opposite.
"Po!" The panda swiveled his head around to see that it was Crane, landing cautiously next to him. He had looked just as fatigued as Po, only he was probably even worse.
Crane had been put in charge of gaining reconnaissance on the fires' progress. His job had to have been one of the most difficult. He was tasked with flying over the gargantuan fires and reporting how much had been extinguished. Crane had breathing issues as he stood, but with all the smoke coming from the smoldering ashes and blowing up into his face only made it even more unbearable for him. Also, the amount of humidity above them was probably scarce, if even existent. Po felt sorrowful for his friend being assigned with the job, but he was one of the only avians in the entire village. He had to take the job.
"Po! There you are." Crane got close to the panda as he pointed in various directions for the water to be distributed.
"How's it going so far? How much is gone?" Po asked hopefully, wishing that at least a decent portion had been dealt with. Crane only shook his head.
"Barely even ten percent is gone, and the fire keeps spreading."
"Darn it!" Po gritted with anger. "Are the others okay? Tigress? Shifu? Monkey?"
"They're fine. They're waiting for us back at the village. Shifu said to call it a day for now. Working in the dark will only cause accidents, and we can't afford that now."
Po nodded in compliance. He turned to the long line of villagers with water and cupped his hands over his mouth. "Okay everyone! We're done for today! Save your water for tomorrow and get to the village safely." With that the villagers began to disperse back. Po noticed a few of them being held up by a friend or loved one, clearly collapsed from heat stroke.
"We'd better get back to the town square," Crane informed. "They're all there right now, trying to work out a plan for tomorrow." Crane then took off down the hill, gliding past the rest of the returning villagers.
"We're gonna need more than just a plan for tomorrow," Po murmured to himself as he began to jog down hill in an effort to try and catch up Crane.
All of the masters of the Jade Palace, with the exclusion of Crane and Po, had gathered in the town square in front of Mr. Ping's shop. Some of the villagers had stayed around the masters waiting for more orders, even though most of them had already returned to their homes. They were exasperated with their fatigue and the intense heat that not only the summer sun had placed on them, but the roaring blazes around them as well. All except for Shifu had been panting heavily, trying to gain as much air as possible. Their lungs has survived the smoke, yet they were still breathless from lack of humid atmosphere. They all exchanged tired, but relieved glances as they gathered enough composition to speak.
"How did your group do, Tigress?" Mantis asked tiredly.
"We all made it back in one piece, no burns or accidents," she confirmed firmly, trying to keep her demeanor up, even though she was probably more tired than all of them.
"My group had an accident with Mr. Yen," Monkey admitted, beginning to feel ashamed. "He tried lifting a larger water bucket by himself and ended up falling on the fire. We managed to pull him out, but his right side was burned pretty bad."
"It wasn't your fault, Monkey," Viper tried to ease him.
"Maybe not, but we can't have accidents like that happening anymore. We need all the help we can get," Tigress stated firmly. "Speaking of, where are Po and Crane?"
"Right here!"
They all turned their heads to the two masters, Crane gliding down quickly with Po shortly behind. Crane had been covered in a minor layer of soot that made him appear dark as a shadow, and Po had small bits of ash scattered across his fur, clinging to him like ticks. As they arrived, Crane quickly addressed their progress on the fires.
"Only ten percent?!" Mantis exclaimed with shock. "We've been dumping water none stop for two weeks now! How could only a small part of it be gone?"
"Then the fires truly are that massive," Shifu buzzed with a thoughtful glance at the walls of smoke that had surrounded the valley. "The sparks and embers must have been pushed by the wind into the trees and bushes, causing it to spread rapidly."
"Makes enough sense," Po huffed as he straightened himself to his master. "But how could they spread to nine different areas overnight? How did they light the damper parts of the valley as well? And where in the heck is our support from the emperor?! Why haven't we gotten more water and supplies?!" Shifu stood quietly as he absorbed the pandas viable questions, only able to answer one of them.
"That is our most unfortunate news," he said grimly as he exchanged looks with his students and a few villagers that had stayed. He knew that saying the next part wouldn't be easy. "The emperor has informed me that there is no...money in the budget to send us water."
Suddenly, an explosion of confused and angered moods came from almost everyone there. Tigress turned towards her master with a irritated furrow.
"What does he mean that we don't have enough money, master? There's specifically an emergency fund for outbreaks just like this!"
"He has not informed me of any explanation as to why. He only mentioned that he would be sending another form of aide our way."
"This is ridiculous!" Monkey spat as he looked around at the surrounding smoke. "We won't last another two weeks if we don't get help."
"What are we to do? Question the word of the emperor?" Viper inquired mellow dramatically. "That's suicide."
"So is staying here!" Tigress retorted, dropping her callous barrier for a moment. "We can't leave, not yet."
"She's right," Po agreed as he gazed at the villagers around him. "Peoples lives are here. Everything they have is here in the valley, and so is ours! We can't abandon it."
Shifu gave admirable stare at the panda for a long moment. He had always known Po for his big heart, but it still shocked him to see it's presence every now and again.
Suddenly, a dark shadow began to emerge from the main road that lead out of the village. It appeared to a massive chariot, one of that had the design of a royal ensemble. There were two goats that were dressed in exquisitely designed uniforms, easily recognizable as royal servants. The inside was conceal by a curtain that was made of a velvet cloth, a material rarely found in rural areas like the Valley of Peace. The chariot kept its pace as it moved towards the center of the village. Everyone stared with questionable awe.
"Who's that?" Crane asked hoarsely.
"Our aide," Shifu replied softly, letting the vehicle approach steadily. It came to a complete halt in front of the masters with them not removing their line of vision from it. A silent moment passed before one of the goats that had pulled the glorified cart stood stiffly towards the spectators. His jaw stretched slightly before he spoke with a loud authority.
"Presenting the honorable Detective Constable Chengnuo."
With that hearty announcement, the chariot began to wobble and shift with movement. The side gate opened up and let way for a tall, feline figure to make his entrance. He stepped off the chariot lightly, standing firmly with his arms hanging at his sides. He wore an orange vest that had the imperial emblem stitched in black. He also had a black undershirt with black pants to match. He also wore a fitted sun hat that had been specially constructed for him with his ears poking out of small incisions on the top. The amber in his eyes seemed to glow through the shadow the hat cascaded over his face.
The cheetah pulled his hat off his head and gazed obtusely at the scene before him. He showed a little empathy on his exterior, but he mostly kept his disbelief hidden. It truly was worse than he could have imagined. The smoke, the villagers, and even the masters themselves all made the scene look harsh and gloomy, and it made Chengnuo even more spiteful of the emperor's ignorance to his people. He turned to the two servants and gave them a quick nod.
"You're dismissed." The two goats nodded respectfully and prepared the cart for departure. The one that had announced the constable's arrival had peered into the chariot and noticed that a thick grey robe had been left on the cushioned seat.
"Um, sir? You appear to have forgotten your imperial robe inside."
Chengnuo glanced over at him for a short second, but then quickly shifted gaze back to the rising smoke. "Just keep it. I don't think I'll be needing it for this weather," he replied rather bored expression.
"As you wish, sire." With that the duo had speedily pulled the royal vehicle away, disappearing from view quickly.
The constable placed the hat on his brow once again and slowly waltzed to the awaiting masters. He noticed the looks of confusion and worry being displayed by the villagers as he passed them. He knew that they wouldn't want him there, and they probably wouldn't have let chariot in had they known who was coming out and why. Chengnuo simply tried to ignore it for the moment and continued on to the red panda facing him with arms crossed behind his back.
"Detective Constable Chengnuo. It is an honor to have you here." The man's voice was rather hoarse and deep, but Chengnuo respectfully bowed as he did.
"Likewise, Grand Master Shifu."
The master looked up at the noble and took quick notice of his young age. "I hate to be blunt and rude, but exactly how old are you, Constable?"
"Twenty-eight."
"Ah, I apologize for that. I was not informed of your youth."
"'Tis nothing, Master Shifu. However, I can assure you that age is no guarantee of efficiency," the cheetah respectfully replied. Shifu nodded.
"Yes of course. Then perhaps you are aware that youth is also no guarantee of innovation." Chengnuo lifted his head with intrigue.
"Touche, master."
The other masters had silently appeared behind Shifu, standing with an irritated fatigue. Chengnuo felt a slight awkwardness as he bowed to the six students.
"I'm Detective Constable Chengnuo. A pleasure to meet you all." They all still remained silent.
"These are Furious Five, and the Dragon Warrior's name is Po," Shifu introduced them as they gave Chengnuo the cold shoulder. The tiger however approached the cheetah with a hard glare fixed on him. He stood there callously in return, trying to keep his composure cool. It was almost like she was sniffing him out, attempting to reveal some hidden appearance. She leaned on her back leg with arms crossed, still staring him down.
"No offense, Constable, but why exactly are you here?" she asked coldly. Chengnuo knew that he should tread lightly around these folk and try to be as sympathetic as possible. One wrong gesture could bury him.
"Master Tigress, if I've assumed correctly? I have arrived here by authority of the emperor. He has sent me here to do a thorough investigation of the wildfires."
"Investigation?" she responded harshly, almost not believing a word of it. "What's there to investigate? They're wildfires. Nothing more, nothing less."
Chengnuo glanced at the rising smoke still coming all around them. "In this case, it appears to be more. Rest assured, I'm simply here to confirm so."
"Well, rest assured, they're definitely fires. Just look around you."
"It takes more than just looking at things to tell them apart, Master Tigress." Chengnuo began pacing himself slowly with his words. He wanted to tell them all that he was just a ploy by the emperor to delay their worries and hopefully keep the peace. However, that would have only ended in a disaster. It would have thrown the village into even further chaos and havoc. "That's just what I'll do. I will treat this exactly like I would any other investigation."
"So the emperor, instead of sending us water to help relieve us of this disaster, sent you to look around and confirm that this clearly is an act of nature?" Tigress' sarcastic tone hadn't moved the constable in any way - he knew she had a reason to be vexed about his arrival.
"Unfortunately, yes." The stiffness he manage to keep of himself impressed Tigress, but it did not earn her full respect. "I know it's unbearable to understand, but the emperor is simply preoccupied at the moment and cannot direct his full attention to your circumstances."
"So what is the thing that's keeping the emperor's attention away from us?" Tigress inquired, still refusing to let him escape from her gaze.
"There is one simple reason he can't help," Chengnuo stated dryly, his disposition beginning to wear thin. "He demands that all funding and support be directed to the feud between us and our Mongolian neighbors. A wall is being erected to halt their offenses."
The masters all now had a look of sourness that would not easily be wiped off. Even Viper and Po, who were the most understandingly benevolent of all of them couldn't keep themselves from feeling spiteful about the emperor's choice. Shifu now nodded his head in with an introverted resolve, now coming to understand why the emperor had neglected them. Still, it provoked a rare insolence within him, like he wanted approach the high noble himself. He felt just like the other six masters, only he wasn't prepared to shove a preoccupied anger onto an undeserving soul.
"Well," Tigress continued, "I guess you're just here for show, right? Just here to do the emperor's bidding and then leave. That's what it seems like to me."
Chengnuo ground his teeth together, holding back any further retort. It aggravated him because he knew she was right. He was simply a nuisance sent to delay their cries for help, and it pained him to admit that to himself. He held a stare with the fierce female for a moment, hoping she would dispose of this conversation and liberate him of the verbal chains that had been restricted to him. Shifu decided that it was now the perfect time to intervene.
"Detective Constable Chengnuo," the red panda stepped in. "We are more than honored to have you at least take the time to put an effort into our struggle."
"Thank you, Master." The feline could see the sympathy in the elder's eyes, telling that he was the only one that understood his current situation. "I do hope to accomplish my goal quickly and efficiently."
"Pfft, goal..." Tigress muttered with a sarcastic and spiteful taste.
"Tigress!" Shifu snapped around to glare at her, causing her to only exhale with irritation and turn back to her fellow peers. Shifu turned back to the young noble and straightened himself. "I apologize. We have been rather...short-tempered with all the present matters at hand."
"I completely understand," Chengnuo held his hand up.
"Well, as is customary with any new nobleman to visit our once peaceful home, I would like to extend an invitation to stay at the Jade Palace whilst your investigation is active."
Chengnuo stole a quick glance from the masters who had been eyeballing him harshly from a distance. He could see the blistered expression etched in on their faces, and they were all meant for him. It didn't take long for him to make a decision.
"Thank you Master Shifu, but I will have to respectfully decline your offer. I wish to not stay in an environment that does not desire my presence." Chengnuo's truthful reply caused Shifu to turn and glance at his students and could immediately tell why the constable had not wanted to stay in the palace. His students were still gazing at him with vexed spectacles. The grand master knew he could simply tell his students to show respect and politeness to Chengnuo, but it would more than likely prove fruitless. He sighed internally as he nodded lightly.
"That's perfectly fine, Constable. However, I would like to know where you would be staying alternatively? In case anything happens that we must inform you of."
Chengnuo gazed around once more. He remembered seeing an inn on his way through the main road and thought that it looked friendly enough. "I'll be staying at an inn near the edge of town, but I'm afraid that I've forgotten it's name."
"Blue Moon Inn," Shifu quickly answered. "It's the only one we have here in the village."
"Right, that will be my location of rest. I best begin my walk there and settle in so that I may begin my investigation soon."
"Of course. It was once again an honor, Detective Constable Chengnuo."
"Likewise, Grand Master Shifu. I hope this travesty comes to an end sooner than expected." Shifu nodded solemnly before exchanging bows with the noble.
Chengnuo turned around and began his jaunt to the Blue Moon Inn. He dared to not turn around and look at the faces of any of the villagers or masters - he could still feel the heat of their stares tearing into the back of his skull. He began to hear the villagers disperse once he left. "What a waste" and "He should just leave" were some of the insults he managed to catch on his ear as he pressed on. He was sure that there were other hateful comments, but he didn't want to waste the time trying to imagine them. He just wanted to get to the inn and get started on a fruitless investigation with no hopes of reaching a successful terminus.
It had been a long day for Ming Yue. The leopardess had been confined behind the front desk all day, as well as the day before that and the day before that. In fact, she had hardly even left the inn at all since the fires erupted around the valley. She had only left once or twice to get food or check up on how her neighbors were holding up. Still, she had an obligated duty to watch over the hostel and make sure no thieves had gotten any funny ideas.
Yet, she yearned to at least have some form of company. The fires had warded off any travelers and only a few villagers had rented rooms due to the destruction of their homes, and they were too mournful about their losses to even come out of their confinements. All of her employees had left to assist in the efforts to extinguish the fires, so the silence had left her with a vast feeling of emptiness. She wished she could help. She wanted to be of some use and help the valley prevail somehow, but she had restricted herself to the inn to make sure it was safe from harm. Ming Yue groaned with boredom.
Suddenly, a creaking of the front door opening caught her undivided attention. It slowly swiveled open as a figure stepped in. The leopardess observed his appearance vaguely as he approached. He appeared to be a cheetah that was only about inch taller than Ming Yue herself and had worn something of the high class sort. However, what caught her attention the most was the patch he wore on his left breast. It was the imperial emblem. She noted it as he stepped in front of her. He removed his hat to reveal amber spectacles. She felt a tad wary of him, but she still acted ecstatic to see a new face.
"Hey there!" she greeted with a bright tone and attitude. "Welcome to the Blue Moon Inn. What can I do you for?" She had said that phrase at least a thousand other times in her life, but this was probably the first time she treated it with as bright a mood as this.
"Hello," the cheetah greeted politely, seeming to refrain from smiling. "I would like rent a room for a few days."
"Well okay then, great! Would you like one of our more extravagant suites?"
"No, thank you. A casual room would be just fine."
"Okay, just give me a moment to fetch your key." With that, Ming Yue had disappeared to the backroom where all of the keys had been kept.
Chengnuo breathed a sigh of relief. It was good to see a face that hadn't want to dispose of him. Then again, she probably didn't know why he was there. He only hoped she didn't press to ask such a thing. The girl reappeared from the key room with a black key in her hand.
"Here ya go, sir! It's on the second floor, third door to your right. Room two-zero-six," she said with a lively tone. Chengnuo couldn't help but grin at her upbeat attitude. He reached around into his back pocket to retrieve his money pouch. He set the appropriate amount of yuan on the counter top.
"You seem rather uplifting compared to everyone else in this village," he couldn't stop himself from saying. "I'm surprised the fires don't bother you at all."
"Well they do," she admitted, "but it's just nice to see a fresh face around here. In fact, I don't think I've ever see you around the village before. I'm Ming Yue, what's your name?"
"I am Detective Constable Chengnuo."
"Constable?!" Ming Yue suddenly felt like a fool for treating him like he was a commoner - she should have known that he was a nobleman by the patch on his attire! She quickly bowed, almost slamming her head on the mahogany desk. "Forgive me! I had no clue that your were of the Imperial Counsel!" Her pleads almost made Chengnuo roll his eyes in annoyance. He almost despised being treated like that, but it wasn't her fault. She was only being respectful.
"Get up miss, please." He kindly waved her up, allowing her breathe easily. "I appreciate your kindness, but I'd much rather you treat me as you once did a moment ago. I'm no one special." Ming Yue nearly scoffed.
"If you say so, sir." It suddenly came to her mind that he was not the ordinary constable that paid visits to the Valley of Peace, Constable Hu. She felt compelled to ask. "By the way, you're not the usual constable we get around here. Why are you here in the most turmoil induced place in the country right now, if you don't mind me asking?"
Normally, Chengnuo had the right to keep that sort of information undisclosed and only for himself and those involved to know. That's what he should have done, and that's what he usually would have done. But due to the arrogant nature and absurdity of this assignment, he felt there was no point to keep basic info to himself. Also, something about this girl gave him a sense of security that he couldn't feel with others he had met before. So he explained everything, minus the emperor's true intentions, in thorough detail. Ming Yue took a moment once he was finished to process and speculate.
"So, your basically investigating something that has no point to investigate?" she asked rather bluntly. Chengnuo nodded his head in confirmation. He then expected a rather harsh follow up from the leopardess, but he instead received a sympathetic grimace. "That stinks, really."
Chengnuo took a second to notice that she wasn't vexed or irritated in any way. "Ha, yeah. You're actually the first person in this village to not give me stale glance of hatred."
"Well, it's not your fault that this is happening," Ming Yue stated with some viscosity about it. "There's no reason to be frustrated with you just for doing your job. You're about as guilty as the next person here."
The cheetah felt a smile tugging at him. "Thanks...that really does mean a lot." A moment of silence slipped by before Ming Yue handed the key to Chengnuo.
"Well, I won't hold you up," she said. "Remember, third door on the right, second floor."
"Room two-zero-six. Got it." With that, Chengnuo began to walk to the staircase on to far most right and climb up its steps. He halted at the seventh step, leaning over the railing. "Ming Yue, right?"
"Yes, Ming Yue," she said with a polite smile, her forest green eyes gazing at him. "Constable Chengnuo, correct?"
"It's just Chengnuo to you now," he replied with a sly grin. The girl smiled back in return. "It was nice chatting with you."
"Likewise to you too."
Chengnuo then continued up the stairs, smiling happily. At least some joy would come out of this pointless rouse.