New KFP Story

I want to make it clear that it has no connection with the one I have in class. I'm going to talk about the inquisition theme so don't be surprised if I'm going to (a little bit a lot) shake up religion by mentioning some ruthless actions committed (inquisition, burning, torture, life is good...)

For those of you who don't know me yet, my native language is not English so if you see any grammatical or spelling abominations I'll be happy to correct them.

Coincidentally, the Catholic Church has decided to apologize for 'some' crimes committed against the natives of Canada. An apology that I hope will appease some people even if what was committed is very serious and that I personally consider unworthy of a religion that claims to 'Love one another'. I know that religion is a very sensitive subject and I am not here to insult, criticize or blame anyone. I want to write a story inspired by real facts that I discovered during my research for my story KFP: Between Worlds (even if all will be greatly modified because I have to invent a story). Love and respect for each other is the most important thing.

Kung Fu Panda: The Scorned Book

Chapter 1

The shadows of night had long hovered over the city, the sky filled with dark clouds obscuring the simple light of the moon. Only the flames of the torches that the king's soldiers had brought with them lit the muddy cobblestone streets that roamed through London. The plates of armor and coats of mail clashing and rubbing against each other, clanked in the night that was no longer so silent. Their metallic din woke up the few drunks who had collapsed on the sidewalk, surrounded by dead bottles, emptied of their intoxicating substance. The intense green eyes of the chief of the guard crossed the few glances of the drunken souls that he met. His stomach let out a scornful noise at the mere sight of them, as he walked away from them as if they were infected by a dangerous disease. He wanted only one thing, to send them to the pillory for their debauchery and violation of morality, that these animals indulged in.

However, he had a much more important and noble objective than dealing with petty criminals. An objective that had been entrusted to him by the Archbishop of London himself and that had required months of careful investigation. Tonight was going to be his big blow, and it was going to lead to the arrest of this criminal who had dared to perpetrate the worst crime that could be committed against the holy book.

They continued their way passing from street to street and from dark alley to dark alley, to finally reach a small dingy warehouse lost in the outskirts of the city. It was a wooden building, surrounded by a few bricks and cracked plaster dwellings and other small buildings used by local carpenters or blacksmiths.

The troop of soldiers stopped and massed in a motley group of animal races. They waited patiently for their leader's orders, while a palpable tension filled the atmosphere. The wolf walked calmly and pragmatically toward the building. His coat was caught in a light gust of wind, making it float slightly in the air. This almost immaculate white garment covered his entire torso and legs, concealing much of his armor. A huge blood-red cross ran across the entire suit, a proud symbol of his belonging to the kingdom of England, especially since the war against the kingdom of France had begun almost a hundred years ago. A war that was still raging today and one day may be called the Hundred Years War.

He approached the wooden door and began to strike violently with the metal part of his glove.

"By order of the King of England and the Archbishop of London, we are looking for Eladnit! Open up!" He waited for a moment for an answer from the owner. But nothing came, so he began knocking again with much greater intensity.

"I am Sir Alica Caddwallon, knight of the king of England! If you do not open, you will be accused of participating in apostate activities and punished as such!" He threatened vehemently, as the silence of the night soon resumed its place. The door remained steadfast to any movement.

Annoyed, he turned angrily toward the other soldiers and pointed at the door with his claw.

"Break down this door!" Not wasting a second, one of the soldiers, who was a particularly imposing bear, stepped forward to lead the group. He started to break down the door with his shoulder and used his heavy armor as an improvised battering ram. The others did not dare to assist him, too afraid to be between him and the door. They watched the scene carefully, as Alica's paw stood on the pommel of his sword, ready to swing it at the slightest opportunity. His claws slid over the metal ball, creating a discreet metallic clank. The wolf pondered, studying all the possibilities. A quick connection was made in his brain, he turned to his soldiers and randomly pointed to five of them.

"You! Go explore the back! Don't let anyone escape!" he ordered

The group, consisting of a wolf, various dogs, and a fox, nodded and began to circle the building in search of a hypothetical exit door. As they did so, the wood creaked and the door bent under the repeated shocks. Seeing that the door was about to give way, the bear took a much bigger leap and charged headlong into the wooded opening, which finally gave way under the weight of the monster of muscle and steel. Alica and his guard wasted no moment and ran back inside the building sword raised, ready to serve.

Observing the whole building, Alica noticed that his men began to violently rummage through the place. Some of them overturned the objects that were placed on a table, seizing the papers and the documents spread on it. Other soldiers opened cabinets with a bang, knocking over tools and books whose pages were torn out and flew in the air. Orders and instructions were barked in all directions, creating a particularly cacophonous environment. The wolf sighed slightly in annoyance at the completely disproportionate behavior of his soldiers.

The end justifies the means! But I hope by the holy virgin that they won't damage anything precious!

His eyes finally landed on some sort of machinery set up in the center of the warehouse. It looked like a kind of giant metal press, with metal letters in the center of the machine, forming words, sentences written upside down and illegible. Alica put his sword in its sheath and approached the strange machinery. He put his paw on the letters and felt a viscous liquid on his paw. He brought his paw to his eyes and after a quick check, he found that it was black ink.

So this is what you used to desecrate and apostatize the holy book? How dare you profane such a scripture!

A fox in armor approached him, disconcerting him at his reflection. He stood at attention, snapping his armor plates together.

" Sir! We haven't found anyone!"

May the lord condemn me for failing!

Alica growled in frustration at the thought of returning without a prisoner. He also struck his chest in shame with the back of his metal glove. Turning to glare at his subaltern, the sound of his footsteps on the floor echoed a soft rumble. He looked down at his feet, tapping the floor to hear that woody echo again.

"Is there a basement?"

The fox looked confusedly at the floor.

"Not on the plans we had, Sir Alica!"

The wolf straightened his head and torso.

"There's a basement! Find the entrance!" He declared authoritatively to all his soldiers. But before they could begin their search, a sound of a heavy wooden object creaked mysteriously. Alica's ears turned to its origin. He looked to his right and noticed that one of the cabinets had strangely moved by itself. He put his paw on his sword and made some silent gestures to his soldiers. Moving quietly and discreetly, they slowly approached the cabinet in question. A boar violently jumped out armed with a simple torch, this aggressive action brought out the swords of the soldiers who brandished them in the direction of the threat.

"King's Knight! Don't move!" he shouted in warning.

Fear swept through the boar's eyes, his erratic, irregular breathing was mere proof. He held his wooden torch as if it could protect him from a weapon forged to kill. Alica observed for a moment the dirty and worn clothes of the stranger, analyzing his heavy and thick work coat made in part of the most resistant and rigid vegetable fibers. His earth-colored pants made of the same material had a slight rip in the right leg.

A worker or the owner of this place. He didn't look like Eladnit's description.

Alica raised his sword in the direction of the boar, his soldiers surrounded the target to lend him a hand. He was very soon unable to run away, accentuating his state of stress.

"We are looking for Eladnit and you will come with us."

The boar did not move, seemingly resigned to its fate. Alica put away his sword and approached him with his paws now clutching a heavy set of handcuffs. As Alica approached him to apprehend him, the boar's gaze suddenly straightened on the Knight.

"You fail!" He declared as he threw his flaming torch through the doorway from which he had emerged. He immediately lunged at the cupboard, sealing the entrance with a heavy slam. Alica threw itself on him, assailing a powerful blow punch on his face. Its leg sank into the cheek of the boar, propelling it violently backward. The blow was so powerful that it knocked the poor animal out of the fight and its unconscious body fell heavily at Alica's feet. The knight was desperately trying to open the secret door and didn't care about his new prisoner. His claws dug into the wood as he pulled with all his might with a grunt of pain and anger. Several soldiers joined in, pulling and trying to force the opening. But without success. Realizing that this would lead nowhere, he turned to the bear and pointed with an angry gesture. The soldier approached the door and began to try to break it down, a smell of wood and burnt paper began to fill the air around him.

Faster! We'll lose evidence!

Although naturally strong, the bear had great difficulty in forcing his way in. Even though he had completely ripped out the wooden furniture in the hope of easily unlocking the entrance. He had stumbled upon a pure steel door that was hidden in the formwork. An armored door that not even the strongest of animals could break through. The smell and the heat we're getting more and more intense and smoke was coming from the floor. The situation was becoming dangerous and Alica knew it. He gritted his teeth reluctantly at what he was about to do.

"We need to get out of here! Take the prisoner away! And take what you can!" he ordered.

The bear stopped, grabbing the unconscious body of the boar by the back of its pants in a scornful and offhanded gesture. All the soldiers left the building with haste, taking with them the maximum of documents and evidence they could take. Alica was the last to leave having verified that none of his men had remained inside. Going out in a night that had suddenly blazed in a red glare, he came across a group of curious and worried civilians of the fire which was in progress. A small crowd had formed and was being contained by his soldiers who were also trying to keep the fire from spreading further through the streets of London. Alica walked over to his second in command who was trying hard to kick the civilians away from the danger.

" John! Have you notified the fire brigade?" The brown-coated wolf turned to his superior.

"Yes Sir! I sent a soldier to warn them. In the meantime, we are trying to prevent the fire from spreading." He gave a sad look to his men throwing simple buckets of water on the fiery fury that was gaining ground.

"But with simple buckets and a simple pit, it's like fighting the hells without being blessed by the Lord! He lamented. Alica placed his paw on the shoulder of his second.

"We will do the best we can! We will punish this criminal for his sins!" Alica looked in horror at the blaze enveloping one of the nearby houses.

"We must evacuate more people! I charge you to take in the firefighters and guard our prisoners. I'll take some soldiers and help the residents get out of there!"

"Yes, sir!"

Alica left John to his duty and appointed a handful of soldiers to accompany him. They left very quickly and went into the streets on a run knocking from house to house and door to door shouting and warning every inhabitant of the impending danger.

The night was long and difficult. The fire had managed to spread over a dozen houses and had destroyed most of them. The fire in a miserable gesture had even managed to jump onto one of the neighboring streets, which without the quick reaction of the firemen could have turned into a much more terrible disaster. Unfortunately, even with all the willpower of the firemen and the soldiers of the king, many people were not lucky enough to survive. Some of the homeless had been caught in the burning debris and an entire family had been trapped in the attic of their home. After such a trying night, Alica had ordered his soldiers to return to the barracks with the prisoner. He had asked them not to say anything to the archbishop, preferring to do it himself.

Now, the knight was sitting on one of the firemen's wagons where a simple tank filled with water was installed. This allowed the firefighters to come and draw water from it regularly without the need for a well nearby. Firemen continued to fight against the remains of the fire even after all these hours of hard fighting. Alica was stuck there, having to wait for the firemen to finish their work so she could see if any evidence had survived. His claws were manipulating his wooden rosary, sliding and scrolling the beads on the thin hemp cord. He murmured various prayers in a low voice to soothe his mind. His lips vibrated as an intense emotion began to take hold of him. He remembered the charred bodies of the five children and three adults trapped in the attic. He stopped all movement and thought as he was performing the fourth Hail Mary.

A horse with a beige coat in a blue outfit close to the body and beige pants typical of firemen approached him. Alica refocused his spirits and stood up to walk towards him, still holding his wooden rosary in his paw."Sir, the place is safe, you can go. But I will ask you to be careful, the floor can still collapse."

"All right."

He tucked his rosary around his neck and walked toward the warehouse that had become a pile of smoking ruins. His paws reached the charred floor as a heavy rumble of wood creaked loudly. With cautious steps, he walked deeper into the remains of the building, looking around with bitterness and regret. Approaching a gaping hole, he peered down into the famous basement without really believing it. His eyes traveled over a floor strewn with ashes, objects, and various tools completely burned by the fire.

Nothing! Only ashes and debris! And useless tools that will not help me in my investigation!

He kicked an angry piece of burned wood that spun in the air and finally crashed into the basement, emitting a metallic echo on impact. Unsettled by the noise, he looked at the blackened mound of garbage in bewilderment.

Would it be?

Curious, he jumped into the basement, landing with a metallic clang and the sound of wood choking on ash. He walked carefully to the rubble. He grabbed the wooden beams that were in the way, throwing them back. Soon his claws began to scrape the ground, removing the ashes and live embers. He could feel the intense heat coming off the mound. With a turn of his paw, he came upon a piece of metal still glowing. He withdrew his paw in the heat and realized what he was standing in front of.

Thank God! The printer was not destroyed in the fire. This is the proof I needed!

He turned his gaze upward, watching the cloudy sky begin to be illuminated by the dawning light. He approached the wall and climbed with difficulty to the top level, the weight of the armor impeding his movements. As he tried to climb back up, two Samaritan paws came to help him. Surprised by this friendly gesture, Alica raised his head and noticed the presence of an otter and a wolf that he knew very well.

"Sir, I am glad to see you." The otter shouted happily.

"Aethelstan, John, what are you doing here?" Aethelstan was dressed in a loose ochre tunic, wide brown breeches as pants, a green unhooded chaperone, and a brown beaked hat. He pulled towards him the knight in difficulty with the help of John. This gesture caused a fine cloud of dust to fly and stain the clothes of Alica and Aethelstan. Not having answered his question, Alica turned to the otter.

"You came here without my orders, Aethelstan. Or is it John who made you come?" Unperturbed by his master's icy welcome, Athelstan flashed a smile.

"Sir! I heard that you were staying alone, so I thought it best to come and help you. Sir John also made a point of being present." He removed his hat from his skull.

"If you judge that I have done wrong, Sir. I am prepared to endure the whip in retaliation." Alica nodded at the otter's reply.

"No need! Know that your dedication is greatly appreciated." He turned to John who was standing right next to his squire.

" John! I need you here!" The red-coated wolf approached his superior and bowed slightly when he was close enough. Alica turned and pointed to the pile of debris at the bottom of the basement.

"There's one piece of evidence that survived. We need to get it out of there. But, I doubt the three of us can pull it off." The red wolf turned to Alica, nodding his head in understanding.

"Certainly! If you wish, my lord. I can stand guard while you send men." John offered.

"Thank you. I will return to the barracks and warn our soldiers to come. I will return shortly."

"Sir, I do not believe that is possible, you are requested by Archbishop Wolsey." Alica tilted his head slightly and let his eyes cloud over.

Wolsey? Surely he wants to hear my report. The news of the fire has surely already traveled through London. Surely he expects an explanation of my abject failure.

"All right! Aethelstan, I charge you to go and warn my men. They know you, you shouldn't need to prove anything. But just in case," Alica dipped his paw under his coat, to pull out a silver pendant with the coat of arms of England. Three lions posed in profile, one above the other.

"Here is the proof that will allow you to prove that I sent you." He placed the jewel in the paws of his squire, who looked with admiration and honor at the gesture his master had just granted him.

"Thank you, sir. Thank you for the trust you place in me." He said, bowing out of respect.

"I will not disappoint you." He added

"I know." Alica's voice showed a form of affection

"Now go!"

"I'll run, sir." Aethelstan started to run, quickly moving away from the two wolves. Alica never lost sight of his squire until he turned left and ran into the narrow streets of the city. Alica couldn't help but smile at the sight of Aethelstan's cheerfulness.

Good kid! I'll give him a quarter when he comes back.

The knight turned to John, who had been watching the scene and had been content to remain silent.

"Aren't you afraid that this beggar will sell your pendant to make money?"

The knight's ears immediately cringed, he curled his lips showing his sharp teeth. An angry growl sounded in his throat.

"I have known Aethelstan since he was a child. I advise you not to insult my squire with such talk!" The knight's rebuke silenced any form of desire in John to continue the debate.

"I must retire to perform my duty, do you need assistance, John?"

"By no means, sir. You must go to see Monsignor Wolsey, that is the most important thing. I will wait for reinforcements."

"So be it." Alica left the warehouse and headed outside. But John's eyes were distraught with bitterness. He looked away from Alica and threw his gaze to the floor, expressing a frustrated grunt. Turning his attention back to his superior, he realized that he had completely disappeared.

Alica walked through the busy streets of London. Merchants came to sell their products and the streets were filled with the smell of vegetables, fruits, and freshly baked bread. Alica's presence drew the attention of civilians and merchants alike, who welcomed the presence of an authority in the marketplace. This put to flight the thieves and swindlers of all kinds who feared their rightful retribution.

The closer Alica got to the center of London, the richer and more massive the buildings became. Buildings made of imposing stone, dominate the street and its pedestrians. But one structure, in particular, ruled the entire city with its size and architectural power. A colossal stone and wooden ship were raised in the center of the city, towering dozens of meters above it. And all those who saw this powerful masterpiece could only be overwhelmed by the grandiloquent majesty of the cathedral. The archbishop's palace, which stood nearby, was the second largest building in the city. The first is the cathedral of old St. Paul and the third is the famous Tower of London, the palace of the king of England.

Members of the clergy arrived and left the palace, in a mixture of diverse and varied animal races, most of which wore Catholic garb, even the simplest mouse. Alica passed two guards who were watching the entrance, horses of an impressive size that oppressed under their inquisitive gaze every person who entered the palace. Alica presented himself in front of them, and with a silent gesture, they allowed the wolf to pass always equipped with his weapons.

The hall of the palace was grandiose, it was more than ten meters high and the stained glass windows with the colors of the rainbow filled the whole room with a multicolored atmosphere. The ceiling, painted by one of the greatest artists in Great Britain, depicted the scene of Christ walking on water. The extremely detailed painting strongly conveyed the power of the elements. While in the distance appeared a sheep, the Christ. Innumerable inscriptions written in Latin were inscribed around the periphery of the work. Incomprehensible for most people, even Alica could not read it. But he knew that they were texts of the holy word and that was what mattered. There were even some symbols that Alica did not even know the origin like the one that looked like an N accompanied by an I and then again by an N followed by a quotation mark. Neither Latin nor any language is known by the knight. However, despite these mysteries, every time his eyes touched the ceiling, he fell in admiration before so much beauty and finesse of execution of the artist.

A young sheep approached Alica. The wolf turned to her and bowed to her in respect.

"Sister?"

She bowed as well and made a gesture inviting him to follow her.

"Monsignor awaits you, brother."

He nodded and followed the nun through the palace, he knew the palace well and he did not need a guide to lead him to the archbishop. He lowered his gaze to watch the sheep lead him to his destination.

If the monsignor has sent her, it's because he is waiting for me. He must be impatient to get my report.

The knight's ears flattened back in shame at the thought of disappointing the archbishop. Added to this was the fear that he had committed a great sin by having lost so much evidence. The ewe knocked on the wooden door leading to the archbishop's office.

"Come in."

They went inside the office. Numerous bookcases all filled with books and parchment made the entire periphery of the office. There was a lot of sundry furniture. Like a small living room with armchairs and a coffee table to welcome guests or the archbishop's oak desk that was opposite the small living room. The room had a dozen windows inlaid with simple lead decoration.

The ewe moved forward attracting the attention of a goat richly dressed in crimson liturgical clothing. He was busy writing a letter with a bird feather.

"Hello, sister Abigail. Thank you for accompanying Sir Alica." She bowed in thanks and left the office. Now alone, it was Alica's turn to step forward and he bowed to the archbishop.

"Monsignor! I have come to make my report."

"Good morning, my son. Have you arrested Eladnit?"

Alica's head sank to the ground as if shame had come crashing down on him.

"Unfortunately not, monsignor." The negative answer seemed to affect the archbishop. He placed his pen on his desk, careful not to stain it with ink.

"I see... Did he run away during the arrest?"

"No, Eladnit is nowhere to be found. But we have arrested an individual who was at the scene of the crime," Alica paused as he saw the burned corpses of the children again in his mind. The intense emotion of anger and disgust worked its way down his throat.

"He furthermore destroyed numerous pieces of evidence, having led to the death of innocent people."

The voice filled with repugnance of Alica destabilized the archbishop. He raised an eyebrow in surprise, at this sudden departure although he understood what Alica was referring to.

"I have heard about this fire. I understand your anger, my son, and know that it is noble and natural. I would ask that a mass in memory of the victims of that night be performed." The goat rose from his richly carved throne-like chair.

"Furthermore, I notice that this incident grieves you greatly. Would you like me to take you to a confession?"

Alica hesitated, it was a great honor to be taken to confession by the archbishop. However, the proposal, although very tempting. Was half-heartedly refused by the knight, he raised his head expressing a grateful smile.

"I thank you for the attention you are giving me. And I would have gladly accepted it, but I must still find Eladnit."

"So be it, my son. Then let us begin your report. Has he spoken?"

"I have not yet questioned him. I wanted your permission to conduct a thorough interrogation."

"And you have it. If you need assistance, you can count on the more pragmatic members of the court."

Alica bowed to the archbishop's favorable response.

"Thank you, Monsignor. Who should I approach?"

"It so happens that the bishop of Canterbury is present in London. I will send him a message. But, guess you'll have to wait until at least tomorrow afternoon or later, to get started." Alica gritted her teeth slightly.

After tomorrow? That might be too late. I'll have to interview him sooner!

"If it doesn't bother the monsignor, I'd like to start the interrogation before he arrives."

"He will not mind at all, my son. But I will make it clear in the letter that the interrogation has begun. That way you won't have to justify yourself to him."

"Thank you, monsignor. I will begin the interrogation in a few hours."

"Good day my son and may the Lord protect you."

Alica took his leave and left the office leaving the archbishop alone as he began to write the letter to the bishop. His pen glided over the paper and words began to form. After a brief moment, he rolled the letter, took some melted wax, and poured some of the red liquid onto the bottom of the letter before quickly applying the back of his ring to the still warm wax and placing his bucket on it. A cross with Latin text appeared on the wax that was already solidifying. He turned to his left and held out the rolled-up paper.

"To be sent to the Bishop of Canterbury as soon as possible."

A pigeon wearing only a simple black hat emerged from the shadows.

"At once, monsignor."

The pigeon flapped its wings, its legs took the letter and it flew through the open window into the gray London sky.

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