Volume Two: Eyes of Hate
Chapter XXI
The Bird and the Giant
Gasps over galleries of the Arena intensified. The Nine's Leader widened his stone eyes, his spine soaking in deep shrouds of ice. The Mightiest Warrior, standing from the platform side with the Nine, snickered. "If that's how the Jade Slayer hears the challenger, then I accept."
Mantis gasped on top of the avian's hat. "Po. He's ready to spar!"
The Dragon Warrior tapped his lime green pole next to Shifu and Ming. "Beast of Vengeance is up to the task!" he publicly declared.
The Nine's Leader proceeded to the platform stairs as half of the cheers muffled. "May we have a word for a moment?"
As his panda colleague did, gathering with Shifu and Xing's grandmother on the top floor of the Arena, the tiger muttered. "I don't think it's a good idea, Po."
"Aw, come on. Whatever happened to your student not been fighting at any of the Furious Five?"
"Regarding my student still has an indignant posture," the Masters eavesdropped the Nine's Leader elucidate them, "he's not ready to combat your students."
Shifu stroked his fu manchu beard. "Hmm. Has Kai ever educated on meditation?"
"Only physical training, Master Shifu. The Nine's Dancer is still educating our student Kai with mental attributes," Xing said.
"It appears the Mightiest Warrior shall have to escape the necessity from not entering the Arena or opposing any student but training," Ming clarified to the three and now to her grandson. "Shen and Tai Lung fought last month. Give Kai some potential to face one of the Furious Five. Perhaps it is time to bring him in the Arena, Master Xing?"
Xing held his tongue ahead, wanted to reject this idea, but his panda colleague gestured his pointy finger. "How about this, buddy. If Kai breaks the rules during the fighting, Shifu, your Nana, and I can call it off. He will not wield any lethal weapons."
The tiger briefly looked at Ming, whose wrinkled eyes blinked with a short nod. "Okay. General Kai is ready," Xing gave in after a respectful glance. "Announce the fight, Po."
The Arena now filled quite some spirits as many individuals esteemed Crane's presence entering the square. Mantis leaped off his avian friend's hat after showing some supportive shouts, same to Viper and Monkey. Tigress was the only warrior who crossed her limbs in regard. She sought her nephew walking downstairs and met his enormous pupil.
The Mighty rolled his neck twice, which popped more than once, stretching his armpits. He removed his lime kimono, folded it, and handed his top to his feline teacher. "Kai," he peeped down to his right where his feline teacher called him. "Remember what I taught you about patience? The opponent goes in first. Advance your persistence without any weapon. No insults."
Instead, Kai adjusted his flowing mane, untying his amber-red necklace. He wrapped it, handing his accessory to his wolf teacher next to Xing. "I will have his chi. See if little birdie fears me."
I hope not. Xing defied.
Crane ambled with his thin limbs across the square, which rustling leaves billowed away. At least, there was no turning back now, considering either one of the worse warriors who committed violent paths could step up and face him. Ironic enough, the bird bravely chose one that mocked him and Masters of Jade Palace for following Kung Fu's legacy, which the Jade Slayer wanted to destroy Oogway's creation. Galleries began observing the two warriors facing each other.
Kai gave his wicked grin at his opponent, whose hat tapped, and expressed his elegant feathers bow to the bovine. Look at him so brave, but he is stupid to face me. Wanting to banter as his teacher made a strict rule, Kai only bent his body. The avian performed his deflection and wide stance of his style.
"Ready," Crane stated.
"Little Birdie," Kai mocked calmly.
At the Nine's side of the Arena, the Nine's Dancer dawdled close to her feline brother, stroking Kai's amulet necklace. Its material was genuine enough to touch the gloss and trim edges of the she-ox figure. "Cookie, are you sure about this?"
Xing bridged his main arm under his chin to stroke his silky Manchu beard. "We'll see how this round will go."
Both geese in midnight robes with Jade Palace emblems waved their red flags. The fight commenced.
The avian remained still with his bird style of Kung Fu, squinting his glare at the bovine, whose lofty arms linked his Chi Sao guard. Kai swooshed his feet ahead, approaching his opponent with an aggressive snout. Crane twisted his body after he flipped his wings at once, spinning his talon. The bull warded the bird's foot and punched the other at Crane.
The reach from Kai's fist almost struck Crane's chest as if the bird swung back to his left, extended his wings beyond the lower level close to Kai's stance. He swept the bull's ankle, but Kai raised his hoof, stomping the bird's front. Crane yelped but flipped back from the giant getting close to him. Kai's foot triggered its staggering tense, his snout sharply huffed.
The avian soared in the air, which combed with a rustling swoosh from his wings. To his advantage, as part of thinking twice before engaging, he searched for every opportunity to each individual's one mistake: wobble and make the subject's strength exhaust. Down on the concrete, the bull glared his ocean eyes, demanding his adversary to come down. Crane dove and swirled his thin body.
Kai swung his body upward, bridging his main hand on the ground, back kicking his left foot; the avian, at a slow pace, leaned back, extended his flexible wing over his head, dodging Kai's hoof about an inch of his crotch. The bull spun again as the bird broke right before Kai guarded his bulky arms. "HaaaYAH!"
Crane's webbed foot smacked Kai's right cheek, toppling him to the left. Grunting, Kai rolled and quickly rose as if the avian embarked soaring sideways back and forth across the Arena, while cheers thundered for Crane, thus the back of his wings shrieking its wind. The Mighty quivered his dizziness, his cheek stinging with pale flashes. You little shit. . .
Concentrate, Kai. His feline teacher reflected.
The avian continued looping his flight above Kai, farther enough to inspect Kai's face, whose teeth clenched. That's for Mantis. Crane banked downward near the entrance and rushed with greater speed. Kai snouted his harsh breath, and his opponent spread his wings in defiance. The bird jabbed his talons on Kai's straight limbs, parrying one and the other. The Mighty's clawed hoof grasped one of the avian's feet, but the bird curved away with a lightning dodge. Flown back behind the giant, and Crane clobbered Kai's ribcage.
Kai roared by the snapping flesh of his ribcage but did not shatter his bones. A simple strategy during the fighting was not to expose your pain in front of those who seek an even better advantage. While Kai was wobbling while pressing his side that flared with bits of strains, Crane lightly smirked. That's for me being jombied from you! I'll hit that spot—
Just as the avian began sidestepping halfway before lurching his talon at the bull's weak point that staggered his opponent, Kai growled, clobbered Crane's back of his body, cracking the bird's whole spine. Excitements over the wind silenced.
Crane toppled against the platform's structure and bounced back to the square. The impact struck only the bird's back, but his chest flared with tiny scrapes. The Furious Five's bird companion gagged his feeble breaths, panting in anxiety. "Try again, Little Birdie. That blow of yours is nothing. Now face me. On the floor," Kai intimidated him.
You don't tell me what to do. Crane forced his panting breath, harsh enough to defy his opponent, rather not defying with foul words to antagonize. He unfurled his wings apart, flipping the shrieks of a gale at Kai. The wind gushed his sight, wobbling him backward. Blinded for a short time from the bull, Crane planted his talon against his left foot. A little late to dodge the opening attack, the avian revolved his wings under Kai's ankles, falling him off.
Kai slammed on the ground and faced his adversary, intensely gazing at him. "Now I'm facing you on the floor," he addressed a sarcastic word. "Maybe your jade power is full of regrets?"
"Crane!" Tigress called out to her partner at the Masters of Jade Palace side. "Enough making fun of Kai!"
As Crane squirmed from her, Kai swept his good foot under Crane's thin limbs. "WHOA!" the avian bowled his feet in the air. Suddenly, the red sash of his purple trouser once gripped, and Kai darkly chuckled, throwing him at the sky. The bull launched his whole head upward; Crane screamed as he flew and hit the platform structure again, springing him back to the square; his conical hat fell off, the soft wind carrying it near Shen's feet. Panting in heavy shrills, Crane backed his wings and talons. Kai dared not to stop as he approached him in full force, snarling his throat.
The avian rolled to his right; Kai bounded and smashed where he missed the bird's back. The bull swiveled at him, gaining his brute force toward Crane, who stammered with gasps. Kai jabbed his long arms. Right, left, right. Crane deflected the Mighty's punches away with his wings once sidestepping. Kai propelled a kick under his belly. The bull's kick did not launch the bird back; Crane's stomach swelled with intense pain, staggering again, and the bull clamped his hoof against the bird's chest—
On the ground. Kai mouthed.
The avian's body pinned down from Kai's tight grip made Crane squint in disgust. "HaaaaYAH!" Crane spun with his talon, swayed the bull's firm grasp off guard, and the other clouted Kai's muzzle, spinning him to the Mighty's right. Kai's back landed hard after he rolled, snouting his hoarse breath. He did it again. That same kick from my war junk ship in the desert. The bull stroked his harmed muzzle.
"You can try jombie us anytime now, but you won't ever thrash my friends how you treated me as a jombie for scathing them!"
"CRANE!" Viper grimaced in between the Five.
"Stand down!" Shifu snapped with the two masters on the platform.
Ignored all these shouts elsewhere to let Crane submit, the avian's opponent darkly chuckled, sweeping his muzzle. "I would enjoy ending you with my chi if I had one. There's one of my lethal combat experiences you have never felt before — something excruciating than wings of regret," Kai pinched his hoof gesture.
"I'm counting on it."
Viper inhaled her horrifying gasp. She launched her body toward her companion, but the other one went to him first. Kai rammed his crown at the bird, spinning Crane in the air, whose long bawl thundered. Next to Viper, Tigress sprinted after her nephew's student. But the Mighty snatched one ax from the weapon stand and dashed, bounded with his feet. He aimed where the bird crashed at the heart of the Arena.
Crane held wings on his face together, and the ground was eminently cracked.
Lotus brought her breath in her throat when Kai stomped the Arena with a metal ax near Crane's crotch. Glaring at the beast whose eyes steamed into gray eclipses, the avian stuttered his breath, and Lotus peeped at the bull's eyes, matching her partner's. The Nine's Leader, prevailing the Mind of Metal's glare, including high-pitched vibrations of his eyes and ears, controlled Kai's grasp, dropping the weapon next to him.
Once wrestled the bovine's main arm from Tigress's grip and Viper clenching his hooves under, they gaped at Kai with pale stone eyes and the tiger who dawdled like a deadman. "Tigress, move!" Viper feared, and they released. Unhinged, Xing shoved his head forward, straightening Kai's back with a snap. Three masters Shifu, Ming, and Po went over toward the other three amidst the square, but the Mind in Xing's eyes darted them back. Vibrations echoed as the tiger could not hear their shouts.
"Supreme Warlord of all China takes his walk," Kai mimicked the Mind of Metal's female voice from Xing's sword that drew sharp, sending the Mightiest Warrior toward the Arena's gate. Many swam their perplexing heads and sought their tiger colleague tower among Monkey and Viper; they hastened toward their anxious avian brother. The Furious Five rushed in, requiring to aid him as Crane stammered in a frightful glare. The Dragon Warrior beside Shifu widened his mouth. Shen lay back against the gallery wall.
"Wait for your teacher there," the Mind commanded Kai, and he barged out of the entrance. The gate slammed, pivoting the tiger's vibrant shrieks to fully awake him, daze, and collapse his one knee.
Masters and the Nine caught up to Crane and Xing. The avian stammered first; his body and back reacted with severe sores. "Crane, I'm right here! Calm down!" Viper hushed.
"Cookie!" Lotus cried, nudging her crown on his cheek.
The Dragon Warrior, inspecting Crane's mentality that sparked with babble stammers, bent his knee to press his paw on the avian's messy chest. "Can somebody check Kai? Tell me what's he doing."
Wolf Boss, who aided Xing with his daughter Lotus next to them, headed for the gate and opened a small gap, squinting his good eye. The flow of his heart raced more to beware of his classmate once drawn near after Zhong could only stand farther enough, rather than getting close to the bull. General Kai towered alone beside the lion stone, yielding his head toward the misty mountains, unharmed but still.
Wolf Boss closed the gate. "He's daydreaming alone," he uttered every soul.
The tiger's strength was quite bearing to maintain the subjective illusion of his Mind, sometimes feared to adapt his control. Lotus armed his limb over her neck behind; Xing shook his dizziness, blinking his eyes at Po and Masters. "Keep everyone remain their seats until I escort Kai as far away from here as I can, and then you send them home. Fanshe and Bao will help. There will be no bloodshed here and everywhere."
"I'm sorry, Xing," the panda pardoned his tiger colleague. As he viewed both galleries, the Dragon Warrior tapped his green pole in front of uneasy villagers murmur to each other. "Okay, guys! My colleague and I decide to end this contest. Stay where you are. You'll head home safely to the village with Monkey and two of the Nine after my colleague will take his student away."
"BANISH KAI!" one of the crowds in the gallery ahead of Po hollered, and what followed more, shouts were intense. Outnumbered with hordes of people to banish Kai from Jade Palace and the Valley of Peace and nevermore to be seen in front of stern eyes, Po beckoned his paws to silence their clamors. But that wouldn't solve it anyway. Shen, inspecting this madness in disappointment next to the group assisting Crane to recover, lowered his crests. He reminisced these aspects ever since he and Wolf Boss escorted themselves out of his parents' Tower, left Gongmen City after his father Lord Feng accused him and wolves of butchering pandas in Thriving Village. Nevertheless, their expressions haunted him on many moons, forevermore. Emperor Huangdi's father was the one who requested Shen's parents to expel him.
Lotus massaged Xing's back while the Masters (but a few staying close to the avian) held their paws, quieting the people's boisterous chatter as possible with the Dragon Warrior. "Cookie. We have our right to expel Kai. If you wish to banish him now, let us end with this madness."
Xing met her gold ring eyes. "You know two of us can't break Oogway's Vow, Lotus," he told her with sensibility. "Kai's our responsibility, and our student almost killed Crane. Punishment will not stop him."
"What are you going to do?"
Tigress suppressed her composure that nearly snapped her amber eyes and saw most of the people in both galleries storming their voices. Xing strode on; people's clamor slightly deafened, and some stared at the feline nearly reaching for the gate's door. The Dragon Warrior caught up with his striped feline colleague, who banged the entrance.
Simultaneously, the gate smashed hard to a thunderous clap and left it opened, quivering Kai's consciousness to a normal view. His eyes were no longer stone. "You disappoint me, Kai. You almost murdered Master Crane with that ax you aren't supposed to wield any weapon," the Nine's Leader uttered his student, bitter enough to flap Kai's ears.
Swimming his head elsewhere and to his teacher, the mighty sharpened his eye pupils. "How did I walk from here?"
"I guided you here."
"Well then, that beast of yours never finished my—"
Kai stepped in, but his feline teacher intervened forward, unveiling two spark eyes of white, stopping his student. "No, you won't. You will finish this here and now, in front of your teacher."
Kai once pulled back, baffling while Xing hardly shut his snow eclipses. His stone eyes returned normally. "What was that fighting all about, Kai?" Xing raised his bitter tongue. "Instead of you both acted like children bullying each other, has Master Crane ever done something to you last time before this absurd match?"
The last thing before the Mighty could reply was that Crane hurled the wooden barrel and struck to Kai's head, lent him to a soft smirk before he made his bold move from the avian soaring away. "Nonsense. My Kung Fu is so substantial than Little Birdie's cowardice moves."
"Your Kung Fu?!"
The tiger's demanding question was sharp. Crowds on the gallery and a whole Arena deafened their whispers, no longer as the storm would have come to regret; the Five, Po and the Nine viewed the tiger and the bull. "To me, personally, it is not," Xing quarreled.
"The bird and I had a good match. There's nothing wrong," Kai rebuked.
"Bullshit. That might be my last time to spit my forbidden curse for seeing your nonsense fighting."
Oh, my. . . Was I not the only warlord who swears? This boy sure has a bitter taste than someone I knew before. I like that.
"What you did to Master Crane is not how you achieve by killing him off at the Arena. Kung Fu has the purpose of having self-defense against opponents. Yes, every student and master has their characteristics, but we the students and masters do not slay opponents," the tiger reminded the martial arts code to his student.
"Tell that to for those who were slain by my hooves, Little Kitten."
When will my student ever learn?
The tiger shook in rebuke. "We're not in the Great War or Huoju's Battle, and that's final. Stop reflecting on terrible losses. I told you to ignore contemplating the past."
Kai snouted, glancing away from his teacher. "Aside from this past that haunts me for centuries, I have no control of my disciplinary demeanor. My type is as stubborn to be furious instead of being soft-hearted."
"Discipline is a virtue to learn persistence and council attitudes, General Kai," Xing stated. The mighty rotated to him as if starting to open his tongue, but his teacher continued without a single interruption. "Every warrior's size does not matter to their heights and resilience. Respect is a key to pursue various students' occasions and have common treaties. Caring is crucial that each warrior maintains their understandings of one another."
"Quit being philosophical about amity. I'm beyond doubt that this word 'discipline -'" Kai clutched his leading fingers, slightly grinning in vexation, "- can change my attitude. Not able to infuriate with my attitude as I deserve to ask you. Have you ever anticipated your opponents, only for those who dared not to surrender? Even with their stupidities killed them off?"
"Rarely."
The tiger's head nearly squirmed to steam as if wanting to end this bold lesson that could not only cease his student to stop the killing in unnatural ways but to prevent Kai unleash his fury. A sky blue velvet paw patted the tiger's back, repressing his temper. Lotus soothed her partner while Kai motioned his closed jaw to contemplation. "Nephew!" Xing's aunt Tigress uttered.
"Excuse me," Xing pardoned Kai and Lotus and walked toward Po, who was gesturing to him as well. "Lotus, take point. I'm going to assist Master Crane."
Partaking the tiger's answer, however, Kai could foresee most of his sparring moments as he was the warlord during his time. "Rarely. . ." the bull repeated a singular word, which immediately struck his head on purpose.
"You asked him. So," Lotus drifted her golden ring eyes at her student, "what did Xing say?"
Kai adjusted his forearm bands. "A student made a terrible mistake. His teacher counseled him not to put his effort against the opponent."
"The Nine are against the killing. Often than that, Kai, the way you said enemies do not surrender, sometimes they choose what they deserve," Lotus explained matter of factly, fiddling her paws. "My cookie sometimes gets on edge, so he's trying to achieve."
Instead of considering greatness, Kai reflected on the horizon and gave suppression of his low chuckle. Lotus widened her glare. "Was that amusing you?"
"Oh no, if I offended you for chuckling, perhaps the word 'trying' reminded me of someone, like this one," Kai pointed to the tortoise statue, "said to his sagacious philosophy. It's either do or do not while you are delivering success, even for a 'master.'"
"Xing's doing his best. Does that satisfy you?"
This is it. I've pissed everyone.
Kai expressed his lupine teacher's earnest tone, but she relieved her sharp sigh. "Maybe I've been too harsh. I'm honest. Well, if I would have been used to be, but I am not the type of sympathetic being," Kai stated.
"You aren't changed yet. On day one, I assure you, Kai."
And maybe I won't, but Little Puppy might be right.
General Kai brushed his chest on what's left with bits from the square ground and glimpsed at Wolf Boss and Lord Shen, partaking to notice how one wolf and the bull could get along once the discussion from Masters might conclude soon. "What was Little Kitten meant 'Rarely?'"
The wolf knew that she caught one word from her partner, which haunted her for a while. Once mentioned that she owed answers from Kai and even her father Zhong, her thoughts could not seal. She gave time to seeking her tiger partner conversing with the panda and the Five, and both masters joining the conversation. She stepped ahead of the bull closer. "Listen to me well, and I urge you not to spread the word to anyone but the Nine and me."
Creaking his view into puzzlement, Kai bent half of his lips. "Okay?"
"Someone from Lu Academy was too bold to fight my cookie, and Xing defended himself from his old competitor," Lotus spoke.
"Who?" Kai bent his left eye.
"Remember that guy who came in front of the Shui Palace? The day I forced you in the Corridor from the deer?"
For a moment, Kai squinted at first, then nodded once as the Nine's Dancer continued. "The Nine need to keep words confidential to handle Master Le and his class. We have a history of their—"
The bell rang against the sky, letting both Lotus and Kai look at the intense chimes. "It's the Valley. They're under attack!" They heard Tigress announce the group.
"Great! Masters, Nine, assemble!" Po gathered in the circle. "Our team will scout where bandits are leading! The Nine will support us!"
"Let me—" Crane started, but on his chest, the Dragon Warrior healed the bird with his chi, flared some sores, and grunted him. His insect companion pressed him away.
"No. Stay here with Shifu, Bao, and Lei Lei, buddy. We'll take care of the attack," Mantis sprang on Monkey's shoulder. "Let's go!"
The volley of masters raced down the stairway of ten thousand steps toward the Valley, only Po and Xing jogged behind as the panda checked with his feline colleague.
"Are you cool with your student, Xing?"
"Lead on, Dragon Warrior."
The tiger's answer was not naive, but the panda read his weary expression. Po nodded and hurtled behind the Furious Five, halfway in time to reach the village at no time. The Nine's Leader pointed his finger at his student, essentially proposed to open his lips. "Save it after this fight. Let's move."
The whole group raced down to the Valley as the bell continued to ring its fading chimes once more. A single gong indicated bandits entering the village. Two gongs would be a whole army of gangs invading. At this time, only one of the two sang its warning sound. The group passed by the bridge of the Valley near Mr. Ping's Restaurant, and luckily neither villagers were there. Still, pandivas and travelers lurked behind stands, in the wagons full of fruits and vegetables, and behind doors, they shut. The Dragon Warrior crossed ahead of the Furious Five once Tigress ceased her beckon and observed what lied ahead of the cobblestone road.
About more than thirty Boar Clan members roared at many, and their leader in front, Jiangfeng, snapped the goose's wing apart.
Author's Note:
— My apologies if I made our companion Master Crane go off a character, which supposedly always soft, but always generous to be a supportive avian. Either one of the Five had to spill some beans to lift a finger at one who did hurt him. So for this chapter, when I originally wanted to bring Po to fighting my OC, I preferred to bring Master Crane into play, by partaking a brief vengeance ever since I thought of them both in the abandoned junk ship in the desert. While as a student or a master, despising any subject while bullying is a big no-no. No bueno. Sorry, Crane!
— Volume Three is mapping in progress, which is classified to give any specific sneak peeks. So far, y'all are close to finishing Volume Two (which I already wrote all V2 chapters), five more to go.
— How do you like this chapter so far? Review if you wish to share!