Chapter 11:Growing tyranny
The gates to the palace grounds opened, giving way for General Yu to enter the fortified royal house. As he entered the wolf noticed his troops pacing along the wall tops, equipped with bows and arrows to keep a look out. Yu ran on all fours passing Shen's cannon as well as the debris where master Rhino was gunned down. There was still some of his blood on the cement ground. He entered the palace tower and climbed up its many stairs. It was a real pain to have to go up and down those steps so often. In hindsight Yu couldn't understand how Lord Baijoa and Lady Fen tolerated this mess of a building. Yu pondered on these things as he ran up the tower to report to his master.
After a few minutes the one eyed wolf finally reached the top throne room. When he entered he noticed his lord, Shen, was with a familiar old goat. The wolf recognized her as the soothsayer, the foreteller who served the peacock lords for many years. It seemed that the prince was in the middle of a discussion with the elder, so Yu stayed quiet and stood with the gorilla guards before answering to Shen.
"Now soothsayer, gaze into your bowl and tell me what you see." Shen asked mildly.
The elder goat had laid out her trinkets and incent. All that was left was to start the divination. She dropped some dust and a feather in the bowl, and suddenly a puff of smoke burst up in front of the white peacock's face.
The soothsayer concentrated and she relayed her message. "I see, I see a, a peacock. That will be defeated by a warrior of black and white. Same as before." Said the elder.
With a cross face, Shen dashed his long tail feathers and brushed away the smoke, unhappy with that outcome. The soothsayer looked up and took note of his unsatisfied demeanor. She already knew what his reaction would be.
"What? Unhappy with the truth?" She said in a relaxed manor.
Shen didn't take her words well and replied in a cross tone. "The only truth here , is what has happened right no-"
"Right now." The old goat cut him off. "Shen, if you wish to change your future, you must stop this lust for power now. It's the only way." The elderly woman pleaded the peacock.
A few minutes of silence passed, no one in the room spoke a word creating an awkward essence in the air. Shen didn't change the look on his face on the old goat. He then looked to his left and noticed his second in command standing with the gorillas.
"Guard!" Shen shouted.
One of the gorillas walked over to his master's side. "Yes master?"
The avian lord looked again to the soothsayer and ordered. "Take her to a room and make sure she stays there. I'll be wanting to talk to her later."
The gorilla approached her but she smacked the muscled goon's hand again. "I may be old but I can still walk!" She yelled to the ape. The goat took her things and strolled over to the stairs. But she gave a light gaze to the general. There was something about him the she could feel, but didn't quite understand. The gorilla pushed her and she continued down the stairs with the large ape escorting her.
With her gone, General Yu was now able to report to his lord. "I guess some people are born stubborn, right pal?" Yu said in an at ease tone.
The peacock slowly turned to the wolf and coldly said. "In the future you will address me as 'Master' or 'Lord'. Am I understood?"
The wolf paused a moment. "Uh, I was just kidding Shen." Yu said making his intentions clear.
"Am I understood!?" Shen loudly said to his general.
"Y-yes master." Yu answered with a hint of sadness.
"Good, now I want you to take half of your men, and bring every piece of metal in this city. Raid the homes, shops, wherever you can find the stuff." Shen ordered.
"Sh- I mean, master. Why do we need more metal?" The general asked.
"If we are to keep control, we need all the strength we can get. After you've found the metal take it to the fire work factory and build more cannons." The peacock gave his orders and General Yu started to leave the room. But just before he reached the stairs, four of his men came up with a goose in the grip. The small bird had a bag with holes covering his head.
"What is this?" Shen asked his troops.
"My lord, we tracked this mail carrier who escaped the city yesterday. He had this in his bag." One of the wolves handed the peacock a letter that was addressed to the Jade Palace. Shen then ordered his men to pull the bag off the goose. Who after getting his sight back, was just three feet away from Shen.
Shen looked at the mail man and asked "Who gave you this letter?". The goose stayed silent until Shen pointed a blade at his throat.
"Uh no one just a, a… a merchant." The goose had a fear in his eyes, and Shen knew that he knew more then one would think.
"Fine then, we'll keep you around here until you tell us who gave this to you. In a vary, painful manor" Shen said before the wolf soldiers took the carrier away. Yu was then given the letter and asked to burn it. When he went back down to the ground level he did as he was ordered. After burning the letter in a fire he took his men and ravaged the city.
Wolves tore apart people's homes, stealing pots, pans, and other objects made of metal. But this didn't feel the same in the general. Like he no longer felt any satisfaction anymore. Although he did his best to put such feelings aside. After the wolves took all the metal they could carry for now, they went to the fireworks factory, and started to melt it all down. And Yu and his men began to build more weapons of war. While the other half of Shen's army continued the search for Masters Ox and Croc.