NEVER GIVE UP
"So humans are now six?" Lim asked, nervously moving his tail, "I think we should call them allies since they intend to help us escape!" Lei said.
"Are you brats, our allies? Will they help us escape? So let's stay cool!" Chong said that like many, he had lost hope for a life outside the reserve and did not trust humans in the slightest.
Meanwhile, underground, hidden from prying eyes, Shen, Mei, Shu and Hua worked tirelessly in the lab. The peacock had invented new fireworks that could be used as weapons against the guards and anyone who tried to obstruct them.
They only served to knock out the enemy, they were designed to cause bruises and minor burns without risking, even remotely, to kill those who were hit. Mei, Shu and Hua helped him in production, having each learned a precise passage.
Xu, Guo, Hao, Kuen and Syaoran were busy stocking the crates in the large storage facility next to the lab, while Kun, Zhong, Tai-Yang and Jie were busy working in the forge, completing the production of the new weapons.
Those of the peacocks had been entirely designed and built by Shen, while the last ones intended for others had been built by Kun, who, together with Pei, had shown himself very adept at working iron.
The various field tests had been carried out by Sam and other of the new boys who had the opportunity to get away enough for prying eyes not to see the new fireworks.
Thanks to a magic mirror Shen and the others had been able to see and study the behavior of the new fires, in order to improve them. And now, after several trials, they were finally ready!
The favorites of most animals were two in particular: the first, once exploded, took the shape of a dragon's head and moving horizontally went straight towards the goal to end up exploding on it with numerous whistles and colors; the second became a huge phoenix of fire and there were two types, one that went straight to the target, as if it had been a flying bird and the second that served to leave a trail of fire as it passed, dropping fragments of coal , which burned to create flames that hindered the advance of the enemies!
There was a simple reason why the phoenix and the dragon were so appreciated...
The depictions of the Chinese phoenix dated back to about seven thousand years ago, often as jade amulets, being a lucky charm for the tribes of eastern China.
Named Fenghuang it was used as a symbol of the South, represented by the male Feng, and the female Huang, facing each other. She was also a symbol of the empress in the imperial pair, while the dragon represented the emperor. For this reason the two animals were depicted in the wedding celebrations as a good omen for the marital relationship, another metaphor of yin and yang.
Moreover, as if that were not enough, they were in the decorations of the houses, to signify that the people who lived in that building were loyal and honest since the phoenix lives in places where there is no corruption.
Reflecting hard, Derek had only explored China! Who knows how many other unique and rare animals were hiding in the rest of the other countries!
"I can't wait to burn some wormy heads that the humans find!" Hua said as he placed a finished bamboo casing on the table, so that others would fill it with the explosive mixture of black powder and other chemical compounds.
"We will only use them out of necessity!" Mei reminded her. The owl snorted,"Do you really believe that..." "... otherwise you will have to see it with the Master!" Shu interrupted her, breaking the debate about the birth.
Fortune never to have the collars with sapphire did not mean having full freedom on its own agitate!
Shen thought of her as Hua. A small punishment for humans was there, but Jingjing would never allow it since he was firmly convinced that revenge was not a solution even remotely calculating...
The Kung Fu Masters were very irritable! For them, an opponent was defeated, though perfectly capable of counter-attacking. Death was not contemplated, as was the wounding... It made him nauseous to think of all those headaches that arose from the sense of honor... If an enemy tries to kill you you repay it with the same coin, it was right!
Although, when you think about it, the Master's ideas, even if absurd, must have had some effect on him as he kept thinking about it!
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It had been almost a year since the failure, and even though there was a huge hatred for her and others in the reserve, she could clearly sense that the spirit of many was broken down.
Rose had helped them produce adequate weapons to allow them to defend themselves and also with the production of fireworks. As far as he knew, Shen and the others were, at the time, busy producing as much as they could!
Were... different from those she knew, although Beatrice and Caleb had called them figs, she had never felt thrilled to see the progress during such creation...
The moment was approaching! As soon as they had had enough weapons they would have moved, not forgetting the duty to be able to motivate the majority that for now was not inclined to cooperate!
But Rose, before proceeding with the plan, burned with a desire to shed light on her past!
Her father's email account had shown her a shocking truth, and although it could be dangerous for their escape intentions, she wanted to confront him before proceeding!
Her parents Isabella and John had run away when they found out her mother was pregnant with her. Fearing reprisals from Derek once he found out his son was not his, it seemed like the best solution.
Unfortunately, some of her followers had found them and during a brutal assault on their hideout they had seriously wounded her mother when they were still two weeks away from giving birth. Despite everything, this had not prevented her from completing the pregnancy and giving birth to her in their new hiding place.
But since having contact with the outside world, at that time, would have been equivalent to a suicide, Isabella had not been able to receive adequate care and had contracted a terrible infection!
As if things could not have gone worse, after only a few days of childbirth he had found them! His mother had died soon after, while John had been sent away... in the letters it was only written "He will go to the place where he is to be!".
The various messages suggested that it was Derek who ordered the murder of Isabella and her partner, although in the end he seemed to have rethought it for crueler purposes: to lock his father away, with the knowledge that his daughter would grow up with him ! Now Rose wondered what happened to her maternal grandparents!
Although he did not go mad from happiness to the idea of knowing them, since they had forced his mother to marry a man he did not like, curiosity could not block those questions of his.
He went into the study, aware that that day would be the worst of his life. Fortunately the anguish did not last long, because after a short time his father came in with some documents in his hand.
"Why did you lie to me?" She asked as soon as she saw him, "On what?" He asked him with not so much interest "I know everything! I read everything on your computer!" The girl accused him. "You may have read everything, but that's not mine!" He answered by pointing the object at the desk.
"Isn't it your computer?" Rose Churches.
"No!" Derek said, "But how?" She asked. She had recently received permission to enter the father's room and believed that all the material inside was Derek's!
"The room is mine, I keep a lot of documents, but To organize the business, Mrs. Carmela thinks about it and the computer is her property." He finished explaining to the collector as he arranged the cards "Know, whatever you found out about your mother, it's false! For years, absurd stories have been circulating to say the least. "... and my father?" Rose asked, interrupting Derek for the first time in his life, "I am the collector and also your father!" He yelled, whose anger grew more and more, "Are you faking, or is it the truth? Because my mother in a letter written just before she died revealed the name of my real father and it's not you!" Rose was more and more confused, the more she sought the truth, the more she was looking for the truth, the more she was trying to get even more complicated!
"That was her lover!" He yelled Derek bruised with rage.
"Let's do this:..." began to tell the girl before sitting on the couch "... I'm sitting here while you tell my mother's story!" It was the best idea given how eager he was to find out if someone hadn't acted behind Derek's back just to take advantage of it. It would not have been new, but at least it would have allayed his doubts!
Derek snorted, but eventually agreed with a "Now I'll clear your ideas!" sitting on a chair in front of his daughter.
"The first I knew were Isabella's parents, they proposed a marriage between the two of us. I accepted knowing that his family was very rich and powerful. Joining my name to theirs would allow me to realize my dreams, that is to build the reserve. I had a place where I kept a few animals, but that would change everything! Making me powerful and famous!
But a few yers after the wedding, while the construction of the reserve was almost completed, I learned of the terrible truth: your mother had a lover!
Before I could act, they ran away. Her parents threatened to cancel the marriage if I didn't bring her back, and I decided to go along with them. You know how much You hate being under someone's orders, but back then I was still inexperienced and desperately needed their money, so I agreed. Also Isabella was pregnant when she escaped and having an heir was important to my inheritance.
After almost a year I found them, you had a few days and yet your mother had treated you well. I threatened to report her to the authorities when I saw how they lived, but she didn't give up, even though she was sick! So I decided to take you with me and raise you in a less sweaty place, sure no one would hurt you. Many wish to inherit what I have created and get you out of the way has always been the best solution for them..."
"Thank you I know! You make me spin like I'm the president of the United States!" Rose thought.
"... your mother was segregated in her rooms, but soon died of an infection contracted during childbirth. Her lover... rots for fifteen years in a prison in Alaska!" He finished telling Derek.
"But how can you be sure that I am your daughter?" Rose asked.
"I told you: your mother was pregnant when she ran away!" Derek responded by jerking from his chair and bringing his attention back to the various documents placed on the studio desk.
"But if he had the lover I might as well be..." "... that worm could only touch it once i ran away because before, I, I didn't allow anyone to get close to my wife!" Derek yelled Derek bruised with rage, "Don't let absurd stories divide us! You are my daughter and in the future you will send the reserve forward as your children and grandchildren will! My name will remain in history, as will yours!" He said before leaving the room slamming the door with all the force he possessed.
Was he really so blind or didn't he want to see the truth behind a silk loave? Maybe the second chance was the right one! Amazing, given his affection, that he cared so much to an heir, even if for not sentimental purposes...
But after that conversation a new question had arisen!
Could doubts increase with every word?
Then the email account bore her father's name, but until then it was Mrs. Carmela who used it! She passed out to him! And she set it all up! Rose realized at that moment that perhaps, she could be even more dangerous than her father!
What else had she done? He was manipulating her…. that is Derek... for years? The collector wasn't so dumb as to fall for it! Or maybe he is?
Apparently she had a new job for ghosts!
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Mei had to shake her head several times. It almost looked like he saw us twice!
It was amazing how the hard work had paid off: Shen and Sheng looked like the same person as they performed simple moves with the caliph next to each other! They had identical weapons, as well as clothes and colors, more or less! But the difference was minimal, allowing them to mess up anyone!
Looking around, he could say that all the peacocks, including females, had made remarkable strides with their new weapons. They were all short or long swords, knives, or modified spears, unique in their kind... apart from Sheng's!
He also knew how to handle his guan dao, a spitting copy of Shen's to not allow anyone to distinguish them, but he preferred particular sticks. They had a 30-degree angle that gave them the aerodynamic properties that affected its trajectory and movement in the air, allowing it, once launched, to rotate on itself, so that the ends were able to strike with violence the goal. Surprising was the fact that, apart from the fact that they were able to travel considerable distances, the trajectory was curved. Finally, if launched correctly, they could make an elliptical trajectory back to the person who launched it. Shen had spent a whole month designing them and in the end many were amazed at his inventiveness by requiring him to take a look at the production of their weapons, which proved impossible given the enormous work that was to be done with fireworks. Lucky the dragon and the phoenix solved his lack!
"I appear every morning to lie at your feet. I follow you all day, no matter how much you run, though I almost die in the midday sun!" Sheng said as soon as they finished the exercise. Shen rolled his eyes, you never get used to certain things! "Have mercy, please!" He said, impatient with his brother's constant riddles.
"If you had it now I wouldn't be able to handle this thing decently!" Sheng responded annoyed that the other did not appreciate his puzzles.
"It's called guan dao!" Xian said as he approached the two.
Shen, realizing that an argument was imminent, headed toward Mei who, sitting on a large trunk, had witnessed the whole exercise.
"The hard work has paid off! We are one step away from the finish line even if the last obstacle seems insurmountable!" She said the leopard as soon as the peacock sat next to her.
Shen sighed. Confidence was hard to conquer, but easy to lose!
After its failure all hope of escape had faded, like a candle due to a slight breeze.
"News!" Rose screamed as she appeared from a bush behind them suddenly.
"If you don't let me take these shots it may as well be that I'll be listening to you!" Mei said that, yes, she had improved in her relationship with humans, but there was still some acidity!
"Derek is not the enemy!" He said the girl had both turned towards her.
"Didn't he lock us up in here? Seriously?" Mei asked in shock.
"No! No! It was him!" Run Rose "Damn!" commented on the leopard.
"But there is another person who would do anything to get what he wants! It's very dangerous and if we don't find out what she's up to and who she's allied with, we'll never be able to escape! That is you ... you will never be able to escape!" the girl explained.
What is this? Mei asked for mixed.
'Explain!" Shen ordered to be frightened by the presence of another human being threatening their safety. Was there Derek with his army, was it enough to worry about... or maybe not?
'All right!" Rose said insecure, "but I have to tell you my story because you can understand..."
Humans instead of helping each other, very often they put themselves in competition!
It's something I ve noticed in everyday life and it's given me a new idea!
The escape won't be easy, it ll be a hard test!
It'll take a little longer for the final getaway. I have in mind to put up a twist, unforeseen, and many other new things that can unite animals to allow them to succeed in enterprise!
I thank everyone for the many views!
See you soon
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