SNOWDRIFT DOJO

RORONOA ZORO

No sooner had Snowdrift left the building than the snake underneath the bell he'd kicked had coiled up furiously and snapped angrily at the closest Pandaren. The snake was enormous; its head was easily the size of Zoro's waist, and the rest of its body was considerable in size and length... The bellow the Pandaren loosed as the snake's fangs tore into their fur and the skin below was one of pure agony…and with good reason. The fangs were gigantic, and the puncture wounds they left behind would have been a sure way to deliver trauma.

How did they manage to get a snake of that size into something like that bell? Without the snake snapping at them?

Perhaps it had something to do with the magic of the bells that Snowdrift had mentioned. In any case…the other students backed away in groups of twos and threes from the snake. The prospect the snake had wounded was cowering against the closest wall. If the others did nothing, the Pandaren would very likely die.

"That…that's a…great bamboo python…" Zoro made out one of the prospects stammering. "That thing…gets a hold of you…"

Zoro's mind filled in the rest. He looked for Tai Chiang, only to see that the young Pandaren stood rigidly, even the dark parts of his fur seeming pale. Snakes must be one of his worst nightmares, and here he is having to face one bigger than he is. The human swordsman did not hesitate, however. Whether he had a weapon in his hands or not, he could contend with a snake...no matter how great its size. At least this one wasn't as massive as the snake in Skypeia…

He danced in from the side. Before the python could strike the prospect that it had wounded, Zoro filled its vision, bouncing on his heels. It reared…and Zoro lashed out with a quick one-two punch, feeling more confident in himself than he had since arriving here. I've fought against the best in the world. You do not compare to him, serpent.

The snake reeled backwards and coiled itself up into a ball, hissing balefully and backing away from the sudden attacker. The Pandaren it had injured grunted once and rolled to the side, attempting to put some distance between themselves and the snake. "There might be weapons in one of the other bells!" One of the other prospects shouted. The hissing snake's head swayed.

Years of fighting with a blade (or three) had taught Zoro to read the slightest motions of his opponents. This snake was very different from most conventional opponents, and Zoro didn't have the benefit of his blades. But he knew he could fight such a thing and win.

The snake's great head swayed back and forth. Yellow eyes with touches of crimson locked with Zoro, attempting to hypnotize him…except that wouldn't work. Zoro moved his weight about his feet in a rhythm to upset whatever the snake was trying to do.

For a moment, a yellow eye appeared in his vision…a yellow eye that guided a green slash of utter power, aimed for a young man with a head of tangled black hair. A young man with a straw hat and bearing many injuries already.

Luffy.

How Zoro saw what was happening to his captain in the snake's eye, he had no idea. All he knew…was that his captain was in mortal danger.

Taka no Me!

Then pain flashed through his right side, and the image literally exploded. He reeled hard, away from the snake, the impact sending him flying to his left. The snapping snake had only just missed him, as it had aimed high. But someone had tackled him and recognized the danger he faced…a young Pandaren woman with steel eyes. And she'd done so to knock him down, underneath the snapping snake's attack.

"Kai-Mei!" He grunted out. "Get up, fast!"

She might have fallen on top of him, but she didn't waste any time getting herself upright. "Thank me later." She managed, rolling to the right just as the snake threw itself forward.

Zoro hastily got up…just as the snake coiled upwards again, the long forked tongue tasting the air.

That must be it. I couldn't see it because I was so intent on the image, but…that's what this snake must do before it strikes. It flits out the tongue, senses the movement of its prey…then strikes without mercy. Zoro instinctively whirled to the right, back the way he had come, just as his inner alarm rang furiously. The snake aimed far lower this time, and Zoro felt the whoosh of air as the great head of the snake swept past him. He managed little more than a single punch before he went back the way he had come.

"Use the bells for cover!" A voice he did not recognize suggested.

"I have a better idea." One of the other prospects snapped by way of response, throwing themselves against the other bell. They managed to tip it up slightly. A second prospect added their weight to it with another tackle…

Then the bell toppled to the side. A great cat's roar filled the Dojo…and there was an earsplitting scream. And the crunching sound of sharp, sharp claws smashing hard against skin and bone. Zoro kept his focus on the snake, but he had a very grim feeling that those two prospects had just found the Death that Hid. They'd likely just passed from this life…

Have the Shado-Pan no sense? How are young ones without the benefit of their training supposed to survive on instinct alone?! Zoro was more frustrated by anything, Kai-Mei's tackle hadn't drawn the snake's attention away from him…which was not good. He had to keep backing away, looking for that tell, that pivotal moment when the world stood still and allowed him to attack without penalty.

Except now he likely had two major foes to deal with right now. The one he could see…and the one he could not see.

"The other bell has weapons!" Tai Chiang stammered out for the first time since the ordeal had begun.

"How do you know that?" The voice that answered the Pandaren was that of a young man paralyzed by fear.

"They wouldn't pit us against something this dangerous without them!"

Zoro's mind raced, but he agreed mentally. The Death that Saves is the last that remains…the Death that Hides and Death that Steals are already loose. Now then…let us see what this Death that Saves truly is!

A second roar echoed through the Dojo. Zoro focused on his situation; he was backing away from the python far more tactically, his hands spread wide, his legs apart…his back drawing ever closer to the last of the great bells. Swaying back and forth, the snake arched its great neck. Then the tongue flicked out, and Zoro jumped up as high as he could, rather than attempt to feint to the side. The huge python's head slammed hard against the bell…but it had aimed low, going for Zoro's feet. The bell rang hard…then rolled back. There was a clatter of metal and wood against the stone floor…

So…this is the Death that Saves.

Zoro's eyes made out a black hilt belonging to a simple blade among the other weapons that had fallen free. As he landed, he hefted the weapon upright, unsheathing the sword. Now, snake…you are truly facing your last moments. The blade fit in Zoro's grip as though it belonged there. He hastily whipped the green band around his arm about his forehead, tightening it as quickly as he could.

"You will never get a better chance to kill me than the one that you missed." Roronoa Zoro grimaced, pointing the blade at the snake's head…and for the first time, the snake backed away, recognizing the lethal gleam within the blade and the swordsman's eye.

The tongue sensed once more…and then the moment came. The one that Zoro had been waiting for, the chance to land the killing blow. The rushing plunge he executed in that moment answered any doubts as to whether he was at full strength or not.

Then the python's head split in two as Zoro's slashing strike landed.

MASTER SNOWDRIFT

The first bell containing the snake had been the first to ring. Followed by the clank of the second…and now the last. The distance between Snowdrift and the Dojo was enough to keep him from hearing what else went on inside. Several Shado-Pan wearing white scarves stood nearby, some of them murmuring, others remaining content in utter silence as the rain returned and wreathed the Monastery in shifting shadows and dampness once again.

Before Wan could begin his walk back to the Dojo doors, however, the three bells rang almost in unison. That meant at least three prospects had endured the Test of Strength. But given just how large the group had been at the outset…he had no idea how many others had.

He lifted up the great locks on the Snowdrift Dojo's doors. With a rattling creak, the great doors opened to illuminate a scene that Snowdrift did not expect in the slightest.

Eleven prospects stood before him; six Pandaren women, four Pandaren men, and one human man. They stood in a rough line, all facing him.

He met their eyes. Some were resolute, another seemed disgusted, and another set of eyes that met his were clouded by tears. Emotion was here, yes…but it was emotion that needed to be here. This was what the Trial of the Red Blossoms exacted on those who endured it. In some form or another, the prospects had been marked by what they had done and what they had seen.

"You have succeeded in the Test of Strength." Snowdrift proclaimed, his voice booming throughout the lower floor of the Dojo. "Two tests have proven your caliber of resolve and your raw strength…and only one remains before you."

There was the sound of footsteps from behind him. "The last test is the Test of Spirit. You will be given one day to recover from these first two." He held up a hand. "Use what remains of this day and the one after it to prepare yourselves, prospects. The day when you are fit to declare yourselves as Shado-Pan approaches swiftly."

All eleven prospects bowed, almost in unison. Snowdrift returned the bow, as courtesy dictated.

This was the next generation of his order, taking the steps towards a brighter future. And the human who had agreed to undergo this ritual in the hopes of learning from them…

"For now…please follow after me." Snowdrift gestured out the doors. The white-scarfed initiates that had filed after him stood alongside those who had survived the Test of Strength. They seemed quite proud of the initiates. Snowdrift himself felt relief. Ten Pandaren and one Human had made it this far…and considering how groups of twenty prospects could often be whittled down to numbers that a single hand could count, this was a good thing. He had no doubt as to their resolve, or their strength.

Their strength of spirit would be proven soon enough. For now…they could rest, recover, and prepare themselves.

EVENING OF THE FOURTH DAY

RORONOA ZORO

The band about his forehead had been wrapped about one of the deep cuts that the tiger's claws had inflicted on him. The great beast had given Zoro quite a fight, but the swordsman had, much like with the snake, sought to draw its focus away from the Pandaren. When Kai-Mei Dusk Blossom flew in for the finishing blow, the tiger was trying to slash Zoro…as it had the other two that it had killed. Kai-Mei and Zoro had made a lethal combination. The spear she'd hefted had gored the tiger in the side and his sword strike cut the tiger's throat.

Several Shado-Pan medics came by to inspect the prospects. None of them had gotten out of that mess unscathed, especially any who had faced the tiger.

One of the medics recognized Zoro and began making small talk. They sat down on a nearby chair, and after a while, the burly Pandaren male gently lifted his bandana from the wound it had been wrapped about. They produced a flask, and then poured a blue, frothing liquid over the injury. "This is to help with that." The Pandaren assured him.

Zoro tensed up, but the liquid didn't hurt him at all. In fact, it felt like touching the clouds of Skypeia once again… The cold liquid soothed the inflamed skin and allowed the redness to fade away. The Pandaren beamed, their broad face in a full grin.

"This is the milk of Four Sacred Blooms," the Pandaren proclaimed once they had tied a white pad of gauze about the injury, "and these are mixed with divine mists and an arcane spell. The mists bind the skin together. The merest touch of arcane magic seals the wound so no further damage can take place. Lastly…the Sacred Blooms reach within the veins and muscle tissue, to heal the deeper wounds."

Zoro tapped the gauze pad experimentally. He felt no further pain. "How long should I keep this in place?"

"A week." The Pandaren stated. Then they met Zoro's eyes and sighed. "At least two days. You will be ready for the Test of Spirit."

"Good." Zoro nodded once. "Did I…get your name?"

"Moshu." The Pandaren bowed. "Snow Blossom spoke well of you. Said you were stubborn…"

"Yes." Zoro admitted at once.

"Tended to get yourself lost…" Moshu continued.

"Yes." Zoro rolled his eyes.

"Could hold the liquor that Lao-Chin provided…"

"Also yes." Roronoa chuckled at that.

Moshu laughed aloud. "You left quite an impression on us. Have any of your fellow prospects tried talking to you since Snowdrift brought you here?"

This gave Zoro pause. "Only one." This was true; Kai-Mei Dusk Blossom had spoken with him quite a bit since that test had ended…

"That Test is the most brutal of the bunch." Moshu proclaimed. "Still…if you don't engage with them, they might remain in their shells. You might remain in yours." Moshu shrugged his heavy shoulders. "Is it not better to have friends than adversaries?"

Roronoa nodded once. "Thank you. For the bandage, and for the advice."

"You've got a lot to learn. As do they. Do not lose sight of that...Roronoa Zoro." Moshu stood from the chair, bowed, and left Zoro. The other medics had finished…but they led the young Pandaren man that had been slashed by the snake's fangs to another room. Likely because he needs more treatment than we do… Zoro mused, standing to his feet and shaking his shoulders.

He walked over to Tai Chiang. The young Pandaren's eyes were closed as tightly as possible, his body posture indicating just how tightly he had closed himself off from everyone else. Of course…some of the stares directed at Tai were scornful. They'd seen him paralyzed by fear and inaction.

Did they hate him for that? Zoro hoped not. "You all right?" Zoro asked, sitting down at the foot of the Pandaren's bed.

Tai shook his head. "I was…useless. Useless, useless, useless, useless." His teeth gritted into a harsh grimace.

"That snake had you pretty well messed up, yeah." Zoro sighed, holding a hand out. "But…you're alive."

"I shouldn't be." Tai answered coldly. "This isn't my damn test. He…he should be here. Not me."

"Who is 'he'?" Zoro asked, his eyes narrowing.

"My brother." Tai wrapped both arms about his chest and hugged his shoulders. "His name was…Gao Chiang."

Zoro's blood ran cold. "A snake took him?"

"Yes." Tai's breaths were ragged, shaky. "A Great Bamboo Python, just like that one."

Zoro got closer. "Seeing that snake was beyond a nightmare for you, then. It was…something worse."

"It was like watching him die again. And wanting to die with him." Tai's orange-brown eyes opened wide and met Zoro's. "Look…I know it's ridiculous…"

"It's not." Zoro asserted, holding a hand to Tai's shoulder. The Pandaren didn't shrink away. "Fear exists for a reason. You fear snakes…I fear losing."

Tai nodded once, tears welling in his eyes. "None of them want to look at me." He sighed. "Except for you." The burly Pandaren youth wiped at his face.

"I've been dragged lower than most people could ever go. I know…what you're going through. Somewhat." Zoro assured him. "I had a magnificent goal that I had an opportunity to reach. And instead of winning, I received this." He opened the simple robes he had to show the jagged scar across his chest. "I lost to the greatest swordsman in the world. From the point after that defeat…do you know what I did?"

Tai shook his head. "What did you do, Roronoa?"

"I resolved never to lose again. Not until I had surpassed him. And this? This is how I can do that." Zoro's grip about Tai's arm tightened. "Your brother isn't here, but you are. You earned the right to be here, Tai."

Tai Chiang looked down at his feet, nodded once, and then he met Zoro's eyes. There was a fierce light emerging from the orange-brown depths of his own. "Thanks…for indulging my sentiment."

"Sentiment is important." Zoro smiled. "It may not stay a blade aimed at your throat, though, so you'd better be strong enough to make sure such a day and such a moment never comes."

"Snakeslayer." Tai murmured. "That's what I should call you instead of Greenhair." He looked for the closest window, then his breaths became far more peaceful. "Look…I saw you freeze for a moment when you took on that python. What did you see?"

Now it was Zoro's turn to clam up. Now he remembered what had happened. "My captain. He was…facing the man who defeated me."

"I see." Tai placed one hand on Zoro's. "You put your faith in him, don't you?"

Zoro nodded. "I…do."

"Then believe that he will overcome whatever he faces…even if it is the greatest swordsman in the world." Tai suggested. Zoro nodded…and then Tai shifted closer and hugged him. The young Pandaren sighed against Zoro's shoulder. "Thank you, Zoro."