THE BEGINNING OF THE END
The excitement was a lot. The presence of wolves had given courage and hope in the most sceptical. If before, impatience was only a few and therefore manageable problem, it had now become a good complication.
In an attempt to appease the spirits Shen, after stealing old iron objects from the cellars, had started making weapons of all kinds for all those who still had nothing. Ashes, swords, spears and any other kind of weapon he could think of!
Rose stole some of his father and he didn't notice because the only room they were kept was locked. Too bad a door with locks couldn't stop ghosts!
Some whips, a whip, a whip, an alabard, a morning star and some kinds of raided bat was what humans had unconsciously and kindly offered. Moreover, they were very first-class items stolen from their homeland. They couldn't hope for better!
"Is it me who understood wrong or are we not allowed to hurt humans?" Lei asked you to practice morning training with her new whip.
"Things have changed apparently." Xu said that he seemed to be born with his sharp weapon with a chain and ring, as he handled it with mastery despite it for so little time.
"We can hurt them but not kill them! Their death would draw too much attention." Mei said as he tried to get along with his steel whip.
Shen had done a wonderful job, only that weapon was more dangerous to the cat than to others.
"Right! The fight that will begin, but will not be seen." Sarcastic Xu said.
Tai-Yang and Xia burst into their midst too distracted by the fight to worry about where they were and who overturned with their impetus.
The Master had done a good job in four years. But not everyone was so... the most recent weapons had just two months and in such a short time it was hard to get familiar enough to become professionals.
Mei tried to join the fight, but a stick came between her and her goal. She turned her head and saw the Master. "I just wanted to see if they could block my deadly whip." she justified herself. Like she's gonna find a loophole from his father's lectures...
"The brute force not ruled by reason ruins under its own weight," said the Master, "This new weapon of yours gives you infinite possibilities to attack and confuse the enemy, you only have to see them!" He explained the ant before he followed the two cats who seemed to want to kill each other.
"I would have preferred a sword by far." screamed Mei by throwing the whip on the ground and expressing his frustration.
"Hong and Yong think differently!" Said Lang Min, just arrived and close to the murder of Mei's weapon.
Those two hurricanes were thrilled when they had received their swords at first! As soon as they realized the huge variety of weapons their interest had vanished, going to less common objects, than cutting weapons, such as the bat whips or the two-sections stick.
But Kang was irremovable, or the sword or nothing! The two peacocks were still too young to handle such complicated weapons and his wife had agreed that it was better they risk hurting others instead of themselves.
Shen arrived shortly after his girlfriend. He held his new weapon: the sword of the sun and the moon! It looked a lot like an original guan dao, only that it had the blade sharp on both ends and the blade had the sharp shape of the guan dao. He would have kept using that old one, modified to be launch and sword at the same time, but his use would have decreased when this new weapon had not become a part of himself.
It was some kind of rebirth! Now that was his family that changed it and accepted it as it was! The sword of the sun and the moon would have used it to protect them!
"Hello, everyone!" Rose's voice preceded her appearance from behind a big bush. Sam behind her looked like a violin rope. The boy was aware that his presence was only tolerated because of his friend and since he saw how much maestry, some animals, handled their weapons, decided to be noticed and feel as little as possible, to avoid further trouble.
"My father has noticed something strange, but it appears the wolves are good at hiding!" Said the girl by putting a roll of scroll to the white peacock.
"Lord Shen, We searched the territory. To reach the mountain caves there is only one road through the woods that can be avoided meeting humans. It's dangerous for us to be too close to the walls of the place where they keep you locked up, the humans doubled their guard and hunt us in the woods. I'm waiting for orders.
Zhan."
"Will you do that in August only?" asked the peacock to destroy what they called the "hydroelectric power plant" and that it would allow them to go unnoticed.
"Yes, many go on holiday at that time and a friend's father will allow us to visit you, and that will make it easier to sneak inside," Rose said annoyed. Time never passed!
By forgetting to thank, Shen started to Shu's house. They had to discuss and make decisions together if they wanted the packs not to destroy each other. In those five months, she's wolves had stolen food supplies that would serve during the shipbuilding period to leave the damn world, while her hers, who arrived later, had found a cave large enough for them to contain them all and with direct access to the sea for the vessels once they were completed.
He put his new weapon on wooden support specially designed to hide and keep the large number of new resources. From what Rose learned, humans could see outside their homes and until Kung Fu was practiced, there was no problem. The guards thought they were some kind of trivial arguments without any logical reason... but if they saw the weapons, they would have taken a huge risk! So, weapons, they could never leave a large enough clearing away from the walls, from the houses and from the castle! It was a good thing they didn't find the forge because they had "almost" eyes everywhere!
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Lunch time came and Shen came back to his house where he knew Lang Min was making a delicious meal. Lucky her father had taught her cooking lessons to make her the perfect consort... for almost eight months they were together and the peacock realized how time flew. Soon it would have been five years since he was captured!
His life had changed and he didn't feel the same. He would have destroyed the enemy without thinking twice, and now he listened with interest to the Master's words, even though he tried to hide it as much as possible! His pride was still! A little torn because of jokes and daily living, but something had survived!
If some things had changed, others had remained the same! Meditating was out. Patience was never his strong suit, and maybe it never would have been! He tried every way to stop commanding and feeling obeyed, but it wasn't for him. Even if he said otherwise Shen knew he was born to rule!
At least this would have set a bright future for all animals once they return to China. With his political experience Shen would have found a place to call home and made it prosperous. In the past, he had not done much for Gong Men but was careful at the many meetings during which the father requested his presence and listened to many of his lessons.
"Are you all right?" Mei's voice turned him around. She was standing at the door and apparently he would have had lunch with them, nothing else could have justified her presence. He was taking his thoughts at risk of pulling right...!
The peacock didn't answer, I didn't say, it wasn't good at all!
Once at the table, Shen realized it wouldn't be the quiet, intimate lunch you expected. Sheng and Xian were fighting hard, as always, Mei and she were arguing about some combat techniques, Lang Min and Xing were talking about cooking and he was fighting with Shu.
"I do not trust them! They're mercenaries! They'd sell to anyone if the deal was beneficial! They are a risk to our lives and the plan!" Said the wolf growling.
"They will obey" cut short Xu "Are you a fortune teller?" asked Shu to lower his angry ears, "I trust my instincts!" The cat answered. "Then we are in a bad way, since your prodigious instinct has never even won you a bet." Said the wolf walking out and leaving the house without even finishing eating! I can tell you she was really annoyed!
Shen didn't waste time and followed her by a wheel, "Is this the time to have second thoughts?" He yelled at the wolf "You will be a coward, but I will not waste years of planning because of your fears!" Said the peacock. He turned around and went back to where he came from, but he was on the ground even before he took a step.
"I am a coward only because you are a incapable! I will not be surprised if we are to face another failure." screamed the wolf holding him on the ground. They stayed with Shu for a few minutes that he didn't want to let go of the peacock.
"Is this a good thing to you? Are you dogs not really able to have a civil conversation?" asked Shen that he was starting to feel pain in the wing that she had blocked so that she wouldn't let him go.
"I will only be happy when my pack destroys those few wolves who are faithful to you." answered Shu whispering in his ear, "My brothers risked a lot! My parents ….died trying to bring me home and I will not let others risk their lives just because you, sold by your family to humans, are desperate enough to place their trust in filthy mercenaries."
Unveiled the mystery! Until a few days before the wolf was still the one he always had, but since Rose brought news from the outside, things had changed. Shen felt her hostility, growing up as the minutes passed, and now she knew why! Apparently, whoever was controlling the pack of white wolves had chosen a bad time to unveil certain details!
It was a while ago that the pack of Shu was in those lands and perhaps it had become impossible for them to hide that truth!
The peacock decided to think carefully about his next words. The wolf was destroyed by pain and he couldn't understand it because both his parents were still alive! He decided to ignore the pronounced anger that he was snuggling under his feathers because of the last statement, let us say more insult to him, from Shu and spoke as calmly as possible, "They are and will always be loyal!" Said the peacock trying not to swallow some of the leaves he was crushed on.
"Shut up! You..." " You know nothing!" Shen stopped it, "I am the Prince of Gong Men and they are the royal guards who have been looking for me for so long just because I represent the future of my city!" He confessed.
"You are a liar!" She accused him: "Why would I lie?" asked the peacock, "Why should you tell me now?" asked Shu. "Thus you will stop suspicious and trust you. A small indecision is enough to bring down what we have built over these months." Shen said he was almost able to clear the blocked wing.
"Are you aware that you are kicking a Prince in the butt?" A voice bounced the wolf and the peacock was finally free.
Xu was comfortably leaning on the trunk of a tree with his arms crossed, "How long have you been there?" asked Shu to forget everything because of the surprise that he hadn't noticed until then. "Always have been!" He answered.
"I do not need a bodyguard!" screamed Shen bruised of shame as he massaged the injured wing once he was standing again.
"The situation she has put you in suggests otherwise!" The cat answered.
Shen hated him on one side, but on the other, he felt a new feeling to grow in his chest day by day, and more and more: gratitude!
Since Shan threatened him, Xu had become his shadow. At first he noticed and he had not overlooked it, believing that as time passed, he would stop, but with his great surprise, Xu had started to keep an eye on Lang Min, and perhaps fearing that the eagle might use it to get to him!
"Did you know that?" asked Shu shocked, "You told him and I didn't!" She screamed offended.
"It was one of the last arrivals to expose him. I was right there and I heard everything! So he did not tell me!" Xu defended him.
"That is dangerous information! Derek could use her and hurt her to get her if she only suspects anything! Those who know about it are only Xu, Mei, Fa, Shan and Rose!" Said Shen.
"Only…. half China knows…and he says, "Only"!" The wolf complained and then turned down his ears, "I won't say anything! But I do not trust your wolves, nor the success of this plan..." said by pointing a finger at the peacock "but strangely I trust you! Despite the past!" she said she was referring to the first failure.
Shen looked at her confused. Of course she was weird.
"Now, if you will excuse me..." began to say Shu, "but I must finish my good lunch!" She ended on the way back to Shen's house.
"Will you stop following me?" asked the peacock to the cat: "I actually came this time for another reason!" answered calm Xu "The traps are complete! We await your supervision so that we can make them suitable and delimit the area so that no one accidentally encloses us!" explained the cat.
Shen smiled. Even if you were standing near the walls, it wasn't very complicated to finish them. Humans seemed to be just that mustelids and other animals were looking for food while they were digging underground. And to set networks and ropes, the animals had waited for the night's darkness when the visibility of humans was reduced to a palm of nose or the shift change, when they were distracted and absent for a few minutes.
Mistakes that would pay cheap!
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August, hot roast and hot sun! Yet the temperature was acceptable on the first morning.
All the animals gathered in the plaza. It was time!
Rose had made sure that humans could never look at them again, and that's why everyone was armed. The girl had pointed to them two different roads through which they would go unnoticed until they arrived near the walls, one to the west side and the other to the east side.
Shen had to give up on the idea of not fighting but withdrawing with everyone else.
The peacocks were too visible, unable to fly and unsuited for the second part of the plan that the boys had developed for those who would stand back and fight.
The task of distracting guards on the east side was entrusted to six pairs of animals: Dewei and Meng, Manchu and Shan, Wan and Hu, Niu and Huo, Xue and Piao and Mayleen and Nuwa.
For each quadruped there was a bird strong enough to take it safely away from humans, when it was necessary.
Hua would have wanted to be part of the rear-guard, but eventually it had decided not to put more people in danger than it had to be.
While animals said goodbye by exchanging encouragement phrases, Cheung stuffed into a medium-sized suitcase with wheels so that the kids could carry it without problems.
"This is my school chart!" Rose said, "Huge because the material to be brought increases to be unstable over the years."
Shen couldn't care less! The important thing was that the first part of the plan could be successful and Cheung would return unharmed.
As soon as human came out of the reserve, the tension went up to the roof!
"This is a crazy plan!" A whisper increased Shen's concern and saw that trust and hope came from Lang Min. "If Cheung makes it, we could implement the second part of the plan and if those in the rear-guard do good work, we will leave without too much trouble!" Shen answered his question, trying to stay calm. It was not the time to fight or show your fears!
Not everyone would have tasted freedom, and even if someone seemed to have reached that awareness, it was better to make them believe otherwise!
"The "if" casts shadows over too many crucial points! There's too many holes in this plan! As all those who are made by your mad mind!" Said the female peacock trying to be lonely and only by him.
"Your warmth is admirable." Said Shen watching his partner satisfied. The shy, insecure girl had disappeared under a strength and courage she had seen in a few!
"I am a disgrace, and you say to me by flattering me?" She asked shocked. "I have nothing more to say in the face of such tenacity! If you think someone's in danger during the escape, act accordingly! Your help and cooperation of all will be crucial." Said Shen hugging her.
Whatever way the peacock would have ended, no one would have hurt her!
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Lucky it was their first time in that power plant, otherwise someone would have suspected something in seeing six guys in the group who seemed to have smoked themselves who knows what drugs! Lucky for them they wouldn't have gone inside the station, but they would only see it from outside, with a guide that explained in detail how it worked.
To find yourself in August on a school trip, because most of the classmates were there, it could be called that... it was something awful and convenient for only six of the participants. Some parents' idea!
This would have allowed their little spy to act unspoken outside the structure, and it was definitely full of surveillance video.
Although it was disappointing to not see the rooms and machinery that were inside the station.
Once within the perimeter of the enormous construction Rose had headed towards the bushes, and accused themselves behind them. That's where Cheung was going to implement the plan: destroy the pilons that supported the electrical wires!
And just before the squirrel disappeared to his destination, she said, "Try not to be seen!"
"It is for days, but months that you have told me. I understand!" knocked poor Cheung who kept feeling stupid for offering! He was there on the goddamn curiosity pushing him. He had unconsciously thought that he would see the human world, but with his great disappointment he had crossed it in a small, unshaken space and then be released next to a building that was years old, surrounded by trees that he could well admire in China too!
"Place these..." The girl continued to hand grenades made by Shen "….on the feet." "And on the top of the great iron construction, without touching or touching the ropes! I know!" ended up with the squirrel, sick of being treated like a fool.
"You are an extra large animal with your clothes on! If they see you, my dad won't be long to realize that I'm involved, and the whole plan will go up! That's why I'm telling you things a hundred times! Perhaps they will be able to enter that mind that you find!" screamed the girl who was exasperated by the other man's behavior. No way! She preferred peacocks! Only with them would always have gotten along with... except Shen... he was a separate case. But think about it...
"There is no need to scream! Your father can never know that you're coming with me to the party, so he'll never suspect me even if he sees me! And I am smarter than what I seem to be so not calling me an animal!" Adam's response was so pronounced and unexpected that the two fighters were disrupted immediately.
"If you scream like a rag, not only can they hear you, but also attract too much attention!" I'll scold you the boy staring at you standing and with his arms open. Rose stood up immediately from the crowded position she was in and after giving the friend a push back to the school group that were staring at them.
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"Have you thought about what you will do when we return to China?" asked Mei to sit next to Shen on a big cable log.
"I will seek a new place to call home, along with Lang Min! Anyone who wants to join is welcome!" answered the peacock apparently observing the nature surrounding them but probably with his mind crowded by other thoughts.
"Have you decided?" asked Mei surprise. Shen looked at her not to understand what she meant, "Will you not return?" asked her to look at the peacock like she said to him, "You know who I am talking to" He swayed, "No! I do not wish to spend the rest of my life confined between four walls to receive merchants and politicians!" "Indeed, that is what you say, it seems like a boring life!" Mei remembered happy. Since her family died, she knew she'd stay with the people she now considered as brothers.
"Are the others ready?" asked the peacock to take down her morale "Yes!" She answered.
For more security the group composed of most of the present, who would have fled first, had to follow a specific order.
It would be mustelids, and most small animals to make the first attack on the wall on the east side. The cats and some peacocks would have used the diversion to take out the guards while Ning and others were very large would open the door.
During the entire journey that would have divided them from the reserve to a safe place would have been the job of cats and birds, to make sure everything was okay. They were the strongest, agile and intimidating, and so the most suitable!
"Shen..." Lang Min approached the two and Mei decided to change the air to make room for the two lovebirds. Thinking all this so that Shen doesn't embarrass and unleash his wrath.
"Do you wish to tear me with your doubts for long?" He asked him suspicious of what he was transporting into her eyes. Did you not know what to call it... fear, love, anger? Maybe there was a little bit of everything!
"I wanted to give you this! For good luck!" She said she gave him a little flower-shaped pendant.
"This is my favorite flower! I first saw him in a market. A foreigner was growing them and selling wonderful legends about this plant! I fell in love with her, and Jong, who was almost a father to me, gave me one. Through his deed, in the following years, seeds falling from the dead plant of the previous year, made new stalks springs spring!" Shen smiled, infected by her enthusiasm.
Lang Min loved nature very much, among those walls he created a wonderful garden growing and treating many plants and flowers. Even though Shen didn't believe in luck, he decided to accept it. He could make an effort for her!
"What story is related to this flower?" He asked curious.
"His legend says that the god of the Sun fell madly in love with a young woman, and he stopped turning his attention to the other young people who dabbled with. One of them, jealous crazy, revealed the rival's father.
He, wrathful, killed his daughter, causing a great pain to the Sun God who permanently gave up the sweet company of all others. The jealous maiden lost what she wanted most, depressed slowly. She let herself die on the ground following the movements of her beloved that every day leads the Sun, and so, in the process, she turned into a flower that 'follows' the sun, the sunflower,' she ended telling her.
"A love story!" said disappointed Shen. He expected something more glorious, and he hoped for it. "Even if we're separated, this will remind you that it's just a lie! I love you and desire myself to return with you to China!" Said Lang Min hugging him. "Nothing will separate me from you! And once we get home, we will be married." Said Shen as he gently caressed her cheek. She missed her breath. Would she have become his wife? Lang Min smiled with joy.
"What do you say?" He asked him not sure that proposing it that way was a good idea "Yes! Yes, I look forward to it!' She answered before she kissed him.
They were interrupted by a huge boat that even made the air shake.
"I hope they are still alive!" I will see Dishi quickly learning that behind that loud and powerful sound was Cheung.
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Let's say it was scarier and scary than you could imagine! She thought it cool and heroic, but it wasn't like that! The explosion had taken a blow to everyone and the collapse of the huge cross-link steel thral had been the coup of grace! He had not fallen near them near them, but the fear that someone would hurt them made the boys run in all directions!
The most idiots scattered into the ground of the plant, the smartest ones ran to the bus and the terrorized ones pointed to the surrounding woods.
You could have said that the teachers had lost control of the situation!
Sam, Rose, Adam, Teo, Caleb and Beatrice ran to the trees, but only to recover Cheung and head for the reserve. Once the wrecker took the disaster, they ran to a large car that was standing next to the bus.
They had a car with so much a driver that Derek thought he was a god and wouldn't let his daughter be with ordinary mortals. But this time, this one played to their advantage. Rose and the others managed to get away very quickly, knowing they didn't have much time to implement the plan! Everything had to be quick and every stage perfectly concatened with the next one!
"Adam, Teo, you go to the walls, the firecrackers I gave you have a special fuse that explodes after 30 seconds, you must distract them." "And take time! Yes, yes, we know!" Adam answered. There was a divider between them and the driver, but it was better to observe a lot of caution!
"Sam and I will travel with the others. These will help us keep in touch!" Said Rose delivering small radios to everyone many years earlier to her birthday. Finally, they would have been useful for something really important and not just for play!
"Bea, Caleb, you know what to do! Here are the keys to the garage and the van! There are no bars or walls between the garage and the main road, so you shouldn't be meeting much resistance if the guards have been neutralized by the others. But drive safely! As if he was going to the lake or friends!" said the girl by finishing distributing the last things she stole from her father in the morning to make sure she noticed as soon as possible.
"You say that as if not showing emotions were easy." protested Caleb whispering with a voice so acute it looked like a girl.
"I hope you will not crash us into some trees!" I complain Beatrice who didn't trust the "driving lessons" that the friend's older brother had given him and that they would be able to get those who would be behind to save time!
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Syaoran was tired of waiting! Everyone else could have conversations to loosen the tension while he was just standing by the gate waiting for Cheung to come back. The pack of Shu, which apparently would soon become his pack, as he would become a member, was ready to act with the black wolves. Enough far from the walls to be escorted from the watchmen, but close enough to come immediately in the event of danger!
Some concited, amplified voices with which the building was built, preceded the arrival of the children. "That was awesome!" "We must do it again!" "But it will have to be a whole building to collapse." "You should be a demolitor!" Enthusiasm as a child! The wolf knew what they had done and did not share their joy at all! Every mission, easy or difficult, should have been thought of as dangerous as it is. It wouldn't have been surprising if Derek had now come to the plan because of their enthusiasm!
Rose was the only one who walked through the gate and after she hid in a bush, let Cheung go and got books that were previously left there. The weight of the backpack should have remained unchanged, otherwise, the cameras placed on the entrance would not have escaped the detail that his file suddenly became light!
"Sam and I will be waiting for you at the agreed point. Good luck!" Said the girl before she disappeared down the hall up the stairs.
"How did it go?" Syaoran asked as they ran to the main floor where everyone had gathered. "I will tell you." said the squirrel, "Humans are more cowards than I thought! They have no reaction to the explosion except screaming and running everywhere!" observed Cheung seemingly disappointed.
"Let us hope it is the same with the guards, then!" Sarcastically the wolf. Between well-trained men and children there was a great difference, unfortunately!
"Here they are!" Hua's voice welcomed them with gaze full of expectations from everyone else.
"It is done!" Cheung answered with few words to ease the tension as quickly as possible. "Then you will have to tell us what happened because there has been so much confusion that even us, in this area, have realized that something big has happened." Guo said smiling satisfied with the commotion they created in the human world. "No! He has simply fallen." Cheung answered with one arm the thralych crashed into the ground. Laughter followed his comment.
"We can proceed with the second part of the plan!" Shen said and the rest of them responded by shouting with enthusiasm!
I have to admit it was fun to write this chapter!
For the wisdom of the Master, the small clashes between animals and secrets finally revealed, even if not at all! The Greek story to which I refer is that of Ovid's Metamorphosis, fourth book. Talk about the love of the nymph Clizia for the sun god.
We are not there with the times, since animals live in ancient China, but I wanted to put it anyway since sunflower is my favorite flower! Besides ... it's a fantasy tale, so ... away with the imagination!
The war has started and I hope to be able to make it well since it will be the first that I will describe a conflict of this magnitude!
See you soon,
X-98