Shafts of sunlight irradiated the green roof and the red pillars of the Jade Palace´s main building on top of the huge mountain surrounded by a large forest. The entrance to the aggregate were the long stairs, leading to the first entrance:
A little fighting place for shows or special events.
Yonder place was surrounded by walls and houses with ocean blue roof and grey walls with two holes. The houses had normal size with two floors and the gate to enter this place was half big as the houses but big enough to admit six goose´s at once and large enough for an elephant.
It´s top had red rims leading to every corner of the roof.
Wind was blowing around this place which took the smell of forest with it. Apart from this the place was quiet. No workers running around, no guards were patrolling. Nobody went in or out.
This was unlikely but not unwell. In fact it was better to be quiet than to be loud. It showed the order of this place which the chaos of war did not reach yet.
Shifu opened the big gate and went to the fighting place. Fer meters near by the buildings laid dark stones, building a square to signal the rim of the place to battle which was decorated with a green circle in it´s middle. It was filled with art.
On the other side of the field stairs started again on two sides, leaded to one upper platform and continued as one to the rest of the palace.
The doors were closed. Inside laid some instruments like some drums for the musicians, special training dummies and other stuff which was needed for shows.
Nobody was here, Shifu realized as he took a look around while the gate was creaking back until it was closed again. Shifu entered the green circle in the middle of the field and stopped as he hear something. His lips were growing to a smirk and he whispered: "Let the lesion begin."
Short after that he turned to the right and punched a snake´s head which was going to attack him.
Than he dodged a tiger´s attack with a spinning jump, punched a crane away, parried attacks from a monkey and a mantis and went back to the tiger.
The tiger tried to hit him but he dodged and parried every hit. He swung her over him to the other side and the five stopped attacking. The ambush was over.
Shifu rose and looked at the Furious Five, not gasping or something. He nodded and begun to say: "Same strategy as usual? And I thought Po would train you in a different way than I did."
Monkey answered: "Well, of course he had not much time the last week since we defeated Kai."
"You mean, he defeated Kai.", Mantis mentioned: "Remember what we did back then? We were the opposite of help."
Tigress turned to Mantis and than back to Shifu: "It´s okay, Mentis. Master Shifu, you did not tell us you would go away."
They continued the conversation while walking up the stairs: "Well," Shifu answered that statement: "It was nothing really important. But… it turned out to grow very important. Let´s say… I had a conversation with a young solder from the alliance today in Hépíng. Nah, it was not a solder, rather a Kung Fu warrior."
"Master Shifu, what was that important with that conversation?", Viper asked: "What did you spoke about?"
Shifu looked up to the palace and breathed: "I know how far the army of the alliance is gone until now. Also I know we got some time before they will continue their attack. The rest is less important for now. Where is Po? I´m surprised he was not around with you."
Monkey grinned: "Tigress made him doing his work."
"Do you need him?", Tigress asked.
"No, I just wanted to know."
"Master, what are we doing now?", Crane begun to worry: "I mean, Mantis now heal my wing and we are all together now again. Shouldn´t we do something?"
Shifu looked up at him and his worried face. As he arrived here, Shifu remembered he was hurt and Mantis was healing him up short time after their arrival.
He wasn´t sure who did that but since someone was able to hurt Crane the enemy must had someone strong in it´s ranks.
Shifu wasn´t comfortable saying that but he answered: "You will stay here. We must protect the Jade-Palace."
Tigress contradicted that: "No master. We already only secured side paths and fought some tiny troops. There are people outside this palace. They´re counting on us! They need us! Why wouldn´t you let us go?"
Shifu stopped as they passed the last step of the stairs and looked at Tigress: "Do you remember how that strategy worked out last times? Like, as you faced an army? A one man army? Tay Lung to be accurate. What happened back then?"
The Five silenced and looked at Shifu shamefaced.
"You came back to me. Crane flew the whole way here. But just because he wanted you to retreat and sprat fear. This solders there don´t let people go that easy! They will hunt you, just like they did with Mantis and Crane! And I don´t go mention the Wigs of Justice which did came back barely. Many are still missing. And I won´t anyone of you getting missed. I need all of you if they will come to this place. Reinforcements from Gongmen City are already on their way. I know it´s hard for you but please listen to me. As you went to take out Shen Po needed to free you as I remember."
"I don´t like this.", Tigress answered and laid to a pillar: "So what are we doing here? Starring at the sky, having a great day and wait until the army nocks on our door? That can´t be the answer. Master Shifu… you are hiding something, aren´t you?"
Shifu waited for an answer and looked to faces with high expectations.
"Well, I..."
But he was interrupted as he wanted to begin answering.
A loud voice coming from downstairs: "Honey! I got what you asked for!"
Mei came up and carried someone with her heigh. It was a solder from the alliance.
Shifu turned to her: "Mei. That´s good. Than we got no time to waste."
"Master Shifu!", Tigress called to him and he stopped.
"… Do whatever you think is right. But please do not engage the main army.", he said and went away with Mei.
The Furious Five discussed: "Honey?", Viper wondered confusedly.
"They are a couple, why do you ask?", Tigress answered: "But seriously: What are we gonna do now? Whatever we do, we do it together."
"What are you gonna say?", Crane asked the others.
"We should go to Tai Lung´s training facility near by the Wudang mountains. If some of those Kung Fu warriors are getting there they could use it.", Monkey contemplated.
"I don´t think it´s a good Idea. It´s a very open area. The army could get there fast.". Mantis disagreed while scrubbing his claws.
"Yes.", Viper nodded and proposed: "What about the foot of the mountain on the Lava rivers? It´s a good place to fight and hard to enter for a big army. A perfect place for an ambush if someone wants to go this way."
"Are you crazy?", Tigress asked with perplexed reaction: "Not the lava sea. I would say we must protect the sacred pool of tears. Less dangerous and better to defend. We also got the opportunity to cut the bridges if we need to."
"Noo. Nothing get me up there again.", Viper hissed disgustedly.
"Yeah, that Idea is terrible.", Crane agreed while frowning.
"What do you know? I would go to the forest and got a good angle to attack!", Mantis mentioned.
Few minutes later an exhausted Panda walked around the palace to find the others.
Luckily for him they weren´t hard to find since their discussion grew very loud and salty.
"Don´t just bleat on Tigress! After all she did not want us to run into a dangerous place!", Viper spoke cranky.
"I don´t need your help, Sunshine!", Tigress answered.
"You guys make me sick! No of course you won´t listen!", Crane spoke angrily.
Po stood near by them and quietly walked to them. "Eh… hey, guys?", he asked but no one was realizing him.
"Oh, I see. If something doesn´t go like Crane wants Crane got easily offended!", Mantis nauseated Crane.
The conversation grew in chaos where nobody was hearing to anybody and everyone talked that no sentence was understandable.
Po looked at it for few moments, trying to figure a way out to break into this conversation. After he tried it often times he groaned and spoke up very loud: "Hey, guys!"
Collectively they turned to Po and answered: "Hey, Po!"
Then they looked at each other again and went independently on their own ways.
Tigress went pass Po but did not give any reaction to him. After she passed him he tried to speak up again.
"Not now, Po!", she answered with a high testy tone without looking at him.
Then Po sighed and looked her way. "I just wanted to know where you put the hammers!"
"They prepared for a battle.", the red fox in a red uniform with yellow rims, Panggui , guessed: "Now we are going to need an army to get in there."
Shuilian, the female eagle never leaving Lao´s side, replied: "Not even an army will bring you in there. It won´t be worth it."
Huyuan, the white fox in the black-yellow armour affirmed: "That girl is right. When we mobilized the alliance´s forces we won´t be able to save any kind of cake. They would be gone as far as we arrive."
"We need to try.", Quántóu decided: "We can´t afford to loose those cats. This assassins are very dangerous if we don´t see them. If anybody have a doubt on a frontal attack shall speak now."
Chang, frowning, was answering: "Our situation maybe? As Panggui already said: We would need an army if we want to engage that in an open battle."
"We better split up and engage from different angles! Those buildings won´t allow big pushes anyway.", Lao suggested.
Quántóu gave a cause for serious concern and crossed his arms: "And how do you think should few little groups engage a fortress better than one united force?"
"Easy. We won´t fight at all.", Lao answered smilingly: "I mean, yes, one will fight but few other groups come in from different angles, most likely unscouted, and search for their capital."
"That sounds way too dangerous. Specially for those who fight.", Panggui mentioned. Lao thought.
Yong proposed: "What about two groups infiltrate this, go to the capital and give a sign so the fighters can go back. I mean as you can see there up the hill, the capital is saved by two gates. Those are likely designed to close them from the inside. Those two groups go in, close them, meet each other and give the signal."
"And what shall this signal be?", Chang asked: "I mean in battle it´s hard to watch for something. Specially if it´s raining like this."
"Hey there,", Huyuan grabbed something out of his bag: "I got this little rocket here. I was planning to use it when I´m stuck anywhere or something and hope for someone to see this and help me out. Well, I mean, it´s surely useful for this kind of scenario. But it shouldn´t get wet so we need to watch out.", he said and put it back again.
Lao continued planning: "If this firework is finished everybody will know we are there. Our moment of being concealed is over then. Also we need to take out the few guards out there as well. I hardly doubt they would simply send all their troops to that little attack we can afford. And this Peng is kinda strong as well. We need good fighters out there."
"I got an idea!", Ku Zhan said as right as Lao finished speaking: "All who trained in a barrack, in other words, can call himself a solder, fights on the rim of this city. We need an ordered attack. Also those who fight should be able to retread as neat as they fight. The others will do the dangerous mission. What do you say? Sounds good?"
"Man those people getting to my nerves!", Xing moaned as she, Shiren and Huyuan reached one other very small entry of the city on the left side. "They are talking way to much and wasting time. I hope we don´t need to carry those guys all the way to the palace with us."
"Now calm yourself, princess. We can´t afford to get spotted right now.", Huyuan remembered her carefully and then turned to the viper: "So, you were Shiren, right? I saw you fighting against their leader. And since you are very flexible I propose you get the lead. We will cover your back if something happened, right princess?"
"Why are you always calling her princess?", Shiren wondered quietly: "She got a name, you know."
Huyuan smiled and winked casually: "Log story, sir. I´ll maybe tell you later. Now you should open that door. Yong on the other side surely is trough their door already. You are here the lock breaker."
"Hey, Yong is waaay better than me.", Shiren whispered back and turned to the lock.
Xing whispered to that white fox: "I hope you can silence for few moments when we are inside the city, Huyu."