~The Edenian Tigress and the Shaolin Dragon~ [Chapter 3]
As Kung Lao closely monitored the young children that were gathered before him; the atmosphere ambient and the sun gently radiating warmth, after student and teacher alike exchanged a customary greeting in Mandarin, he briefly explained a short synopsis of the lesson that he was going to be teaching to them, and ten pairs of faces; all bright and eager to learn, clung on to their teacher's every word with the intensity of a sponge.
"All right, everyone. For today's lesson, I am going to teach you all how to effectively utilize your chi to enhance your breathing," Kung Lao replied gently. "A much more tranquil lesson compared to last week, no?"
"Hao, Sifu," the shaolin warrior's pupils gently replied in unison; mentally wincing about the grueling lesson that their teacher taught them last week, which involved tearing a ligament in their legs if they did not properly stretch before they were paired for sparring in a practice match.
As Kung Lao closed his eyes, he gently inhaled air into his lungs before he exhaled through his nose gently, and as he asked his students to repeat his actions, they did so without complaint; the pleasant afternoon filled with quiet chanting before he continued "Not only does meditation help to soothe the body and calm the mind, it also aids in heightening your sense of awareness, and you can perceive things that you normally couldn't in the normal spectrum. Like for example, if you listen closely, you can hear the flapping of a bird's wings or the chirping of a grasshopper."
As the children strained their ears while they listened to the wise and calming voice of their teacher, they could soon hear the gentle flapping of a bird's wings as it took off into flight and the soft chirping of a grasshopper that was firmly perched on a blade of grass as it communicated with its friends in the fields outside of the Academy.
After thirty minutes had passed, when the shaolin dragon rose to his feet, he commanded his students to do so as well; several sighs of relief sounding in his ears as the blood in their somewhat stiff legs continued to flow again when they stood, and once he dismissed them for the day, he gently reminded them "Remember, we will meet in the same place next week for your lesson on hand-to-hand combat. Do not forget, young ones."
As the monks in training nodded in understanding, as they bowed to him out of respect, they bid him farewell before they ran off towards the wide, grassy fields to play.
"Such well behaved children they are," Kung Lao replied quietly as a small smile graced his lips. "They are going to become such wise and noble monks once they grow older. I can tell."
As the shaolin dragon disappeared into the Academy, he figured that he would take a much needed nap in his bedchamber for a couple of hours before the gongs that sounded for supper rung.
The sun began to sink beyond the cover of the northern mountains just as Jade and her faithful steed arrived in the outskirts of the city.
Once the verdant eyed seductress received directions to the local tavern from the stable-hand on duty when she found the stables, he lead Arabella to an empty stall that was filled with fresh hay and clean water, and just as she was about to depart, a soft whinny of protest sounded from the majestic beast, as if to say that she didn't want to be separated from her master.
"Don't worry, girl. It will only be for one night," Jade gently reassured her mount as caramel fingers that were outfitted in finger-less onyx riding gloves reached out to stroke her onyx diamond-tipped muzzle in an affectionate manner. "You can stand to be away from me for that long, can't you?"
With dark brown eyes that were filled with a quiet kind of intelligence, Arabella nickered softly.
"Good girl. Now, remember. If you are on your best behavior when I return in the morning, I will reward you with those apples that I promised you. You did not already forget, did you?" Jade asked quietly.
As her trustworthy steed shook her head vehemently, a soothing laugh bubbled up from deep within the emerald eyed goddess's throat before the stable-hand calmly chimed in "Miss, a word of warning before you leave for the tavern. Some of the local troublemakers are lurking around the establishment around this time. You should be most cautious."
"Thank you for the warning," Jade coolly responded when her gentle laughter died down. "I will keep it in mind."
As heeled boots crunched loudly in the dry grass, as Jade gave Arabella one, last longing look before she left the stables, the stable-hand whispered softly in prayer after her "May Lord Argus keep you safe."
The moment she set foot into the seemingly quiet tavern, the air burned thickly with sweat, smoke and hard liquor and the overwhelming scent irritated her sensitive nose as it suffocated her like a misty fog.
As the verdant eyed seductress quietly approached the bar and sat down in one of the many unoccupied bar-stools, the barkeeper, who did not look a day over seven-thousand, turned to face her as he was wiping the rim of a drinking glass with a towel, and he asked with a polite smile "What will it be for you, miss?"
"A half loaf of bread, a small block of aged Earthrealm cheddar, red grapes and a glass of your finest wine, if you please," Jade replied softly as she placed a Gold Koin on the recently polished hardwood counter.
As the barkeep accepted her payment and disappeared into the kitchen to prepare her meal, one of the customers, the leader of the local band of ruffians, casually observed the emerald eyed woman from his place at a table in the back of the tavern with a few of his friends; his stormy gray eyes hungrily roving over her voluptuous figure as a predatory smirk tugged upon the corners of his oily lips.
"Damn. Hey, Thanatos. Who is that sexy goddess sitting all by her lonesome at the bar?" one of the man's friends asked curiously as a wolf whistle lowly sounded from his cracked lips as he nudged his leader in the ribs.
"I don't know. But, I'm sure as hell about to find out," the man, Thanatos, confidently replied as he boldly approached the bar; his table-mates lightly snickering behind his back as he did so.
Long, toned legs that traveled for miles. Round, childbearing hips that swayed in a seductive manner when she walked. Large breasts that lightly bounced without much effort. And a firm, well-sculpted backside that those black pants deliciously hugged.
It honestly threw his hormones into overdrive.
Once Thanatos occupied the stool that stood next to Jade's; his voice relaying nothing except obvious arrogance, he replied "Well, hello there. I don't believe that I've seen you around these parts before. So, won't you please indulge me? Why is a drop-dead gorgeous woman such as yourself sitting by herself at the bar?"
As the verdant eyed vixen blatantly ignored her uninvited guest's statement, he replied cockily "The name's Thanatos. I thought that I would be a gentleman and offer you my company."
"Well, Thanatos. I do not know if you have noticed. But, you are beginning to annoy me with your incessant chattering," Jade growled lowly as she decided to acknowledge his presence. "So, if you are smart, you will stop talking to me and return to your table like an obedient puppy."
"Oh, come on, sweetheart. Don't be like that," Thanatos responded as he forcefully squeezed the emerald eyed goddess's backside with rough fingers; the foul stench of Tarkatan liquor strong upon his breath. "I just want to have a little fun, that's all. That's not a crime, is it?"
"I will not ask again," Jade boldly warned; authority thick in her soft and sultry voice as she looked her impolite bar-mate in the eye. "Take your hand off of my backside and remove yourself from my presence before I snap it in two like an frail twig."
At the thought of the emerald eyed rattlesnake making good on her promise, a loud, rumbling laugh bubbled up deep in Thanatos's throat as he called out to his friends "Hey, boys. Are you hearing this? This bitch thinks that she's a bad-ass and she can best me. What a load of bullshit!"
And then, it didn't dawn upon him until he found himself writhing pathetically on the floor, that he understood what was happening; squeals of agony sounding through oily, cracked lips as he clutched at his manhood and Jade proudly towering over him as the heel of her boot that pinned him against the recently polished hardwood roughly dug into his back as she forced his arm behind him.
"Oh, a bitch, am I?" the "Shadow Lioness" laughed coldly as mesmerizing emerald eyes narrowed dangerously; a frigid chill silently snaking down the spine of every occupant in the tavern. "Raiza, you do not know what a bitch truly looks like."
And then, as warm air gently tickled against his ear, she growled "Now, then. Unless you would prefer to hear the shattering of your spine, I would suggest that you try to not struggle too much."
And like clockwork, as hardened jade eyes made contact with the table near the back of the tavern, Jade fiercely barked "I believe that this sniveling dog belongs to you."
When she released Thanatos's arm from behind his back, she kicked him in his rib-cage for good measure before she bared her teeth as she snarled "If any of you no-good lowlifes have even the smallest iota of common sense, you will never again set foot anywhere near this establishment. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, m-ma'am," one of the men that had been conversing with Thanatos earlier stuttered as he visibly quivered from terror when he rose from his chair; fear clearly alight in his oceanic gaze as his comrades followed suit. "W...we're terribly sorry for disturbing this place. Y-you'll never hear from us again. P-please excuse us."
And with speed that Jade didn't even think was remotely possible for even pathetic, whimpering mongrels, as the ruffians swiftly collected their leader and left the tavern as quickly as their adrenaline fueled legs would allow them, when she returned to her seat at the bar, a generous round of applause from the other patrons rewarded her for her act of bravery.
"My apologies for the commotion that has arisen in here, sir," the verdant eyed goddess apologized gently when the barkeeper returned from the kitchen. "I hope that I have not disrupted your fine establishment too much."
"Oh, not at all, miss," he replied softly as he breathed a sigh of relief; soft hazel eyes lighting up with gratitude as he set down his savior's meal in front of her. "In fact, you have provided a great boon for my business this day. Why, if you had not come along when you did, they would have continued to sexually harass my regular female customers. I even lost a small percentage of my usual clientele to that rowdy bunch. Good riddance, that is what I say."
As Jade humbly accepted her praise, when she gently bit into warm, oven-baked bread, she quietly savored the soft, flaky layers as she hummed appreciatively.
"Please, taste the wine. I think that it will be to your refined tastes," the barkeeper gently requested.
Deciding to give her host the benefit of the doubt, when the emerald eyed woman gently brought the wine glass to her lips, a distinct taste of raspberries with a minuet hint of apple danced upon her tongue as the alcoholic beverage slid smoothly down her throat; her long legs crossing over themselves as she complimented before she elegantly sipped at her glass again "Well, it seems that you were right. The wine is incredibly smooth and I can easily taste fruit upon my tongue. Which is a bonus, if I may say so."
"Thank you. I am glad to hear that you enjoy it. I made this particular blend in honor of my late wife. She enjoyed fruit as well." the barkeeper casually replied.
"Oh? You were married?" the emerald eyed vixen asked curiously as she set her wine glass down to place a red grape into her mouth; gently chewing and swallowing the plump piece of fruit before she returned her attention to her gracious host.
"Yes. For the last seven centuries. May Lord Argus rest her soul," the bartender responded quietly as he became sorrowful for only a moment.
"Oh. Well, then. You have my condolences, for what it's worth," Jade replied sympathetically.
"Thank you. Ah, my beautiful Shianni," the barkeeper sighed wearily. "If she were still here with me, I would have loved for you to meet her. She was the most kindhearted woman that I have ever known. Well, aside from my own mother, whom has also dearly departed from this world."
As Jade finished the last of her wine in a elegant manner, her host asked "Would you like me to wrap up your leftovers, miss?"
"Yes, please," the "Shadow Lioness" softly replied as a small yawn escaped her notice.
As he noticed the emerald eyed seductress's weariness, as he wrapped her leftovers in special brown wrapping paper that would prevent them from spoiling for a week, as he filled a satchel with the aforementioned food items, the bartender commented offhandedly "Miss, if you are a looking for a room to rent for the night, there is an available one upstairs. And for you, it is free of charge."
"Thank you for the generous offer. But, I can not accept without at least paying for the room in advance. It would just not sit well with me if I expect to just get something for free," Jade openly protested.
"Nonsense. You scared those hoodlums off, did you not? Please, I insist. It is the least that I can offer you," the barkeeper stubbornly replied before a warm and genuine smile played upon his lips.
"Well, if you are certain that I will not be taking advantage of your hospitality, then, I humbly accept. Thank you," Jade spoke with soothing warmth in her voice, and when her host handed her the satchel that was filled with her leftover supper, when she rose from her stool to head upstairs for the evening; caramel eyelids growing heavy with sleeping dust, as the wooden staircase lightly creaked underneath her weight as she ascended up the steps at a brisk pace, the last words that he spoke were "Good night, miss. May Lord Argus bring you pleasant dreams."
TMoSD: *happily munching on a Snickers bar while watching MKX X-Rays on Youtube*
Kung Lao: *hobbles into the room with a crutch; his arm in a sling and his leg in a cast with a pissed off expression on his face as he literally beats the fangirls from the last chapter off with a stick with his good arm* Back, you vile harpies! Back! Back!
TMoSD: Wow, I never thought I would actually see the day when the saying "Beating the girls off with a stick" would become literal.
Kung Lao: *gives her a look that could melt steel once he slams the door shut* Not. One. Word.
TMoSD: *rolls her eyes* Oh, here we go...
Kung Lao: You are the problem! You deliberately sent me to my death by throwing me into the lion's den!
TMoSD: I know. And I shouldn't have. So for that, I'm sorry. I apologize.
Kung Lao: All right. Who are you and what have you done with the real Mistress of Shadow Dragons? She would never apologize to me like this.
TMoSD: What are you talking about? I am The Mistress of Shadow Dragons.
Kung Lao: No, you're not. Because if you were, you would have hit me over the head with a 2x4 and leave me in some random forest where I would have to fend for myself in the harsh, unforgiving wilderness!
TMoSD: Oh, come on. What do you want from me? I can't admit that I'm actually sorry for a change?
Kung Lao: No, you can not. Because, we fictional video game characters all know that it is not physically possible for you fanfiction authors to ever apologize to us after what wrongdoing you have committed. It just cannot be done!
TMoSD: Stop breaking the 4th wall, damn it! That's my job!
TMoSD: *temples throbs angrily* I knew it. I fucking knew it! I should've never let Kitana rope me into this guilt trip. Oh, do I so have a few choice words for her when I go back to Edenia to visit.
Kung Lao: Well, it would seem that you've returned to your rude and aggressive self.
TMoSD: *gives him "the middle-finger salute"*
Kung Lao: *sighs wearily* I rest my case.
Kitana: Please review so that the Mistress of Shadow Dragons will not murder me!