Author's note: Hey everyone! Back with another chapter! One that reveals quite a lot for our new villains but still leaves out plenty for me to explore later on. I have to say, writing this was a lot of fun cause I always prefer villains character wise. Anyways, lets get to it.
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN KUNG FU PANDA! (*sigh*)
Enjoy.
An Enemy Within
Meanwhile, far away from the humility of the dragon warrior's home, a tremendous palace towers over the already affluent buildings contained within the forbidden city. Its red and gold colours radiate its majesty across the entire city, the phoenix statue on top of the building raising its height towards the heavens and gracing the people inside the palace with the Gods' blessing. This magnificent structure is made for no ordinary animal. No regular person could ever reach such a level of grandeur. This crowning jewel of the forbidden city was made in honour of China's illustrious emperor.
In spite of its beauty, a serious air invades the interior of the glorious palace, more specifically its throne room. The room's walls are paved with the strongest wood, painted a deep red to compliment the white marble pillars holding up the ceiling and its accented golden patterns. All around the large, circular space are large white banners with the emperor's symbol in the centre. Within this massive room, four figures are seated on four golden thrones, discussing a matter of utmost urgency. Three of these golden thrones are relatively simple in their design, though their quality is beyond outstanding, their shining splendour the result of the hard work of the emperor's most loyal servants.
Sitting on these somewhat more basically designed thrones are the emperor's advisors, making up a crucial part of his royal council. On the left sits Piqi*, a female moon bear with yellow eyes, adorned in orange imperial robes. "So not only is our transport ship missing, but three of our convoys have been attacked!? What is going on!?" Her disbelieving shouts echo off the room's illustrious walls, absolutely furious at what has happened to the now missing transport ship. Though in most cases her temper would be seen as childish and unbefitting of someone in her position, the other council members find her rage fully justified. After all, it was her job to manage the judicial aspects within the forbidden city and so far, it has been completely undermined by these unexpected events.
"Yes, I could barely believe the news when I heard it myself, but it's true. The ship was meant to arrive yesterday, but nothing has been seen at the docks and their messenger hasn't arrived to inform us of anything. As for the caravans… *sigh* They were torched to the ground last night." A much calmer, almost sleepy sounding voice emanates from counsellor sitting on the throne on the right. A brown owl with orange eyes sits upon the throne, dressed in yellow imperial robes. Unlike her bear colleague, Zhoudao* has managed to keep a clear head regardless of the almost maddening events that she had been informed of mere hours ago, though she'd be lying if she said the news from her messengers hadn't made her concerned.
In the middle of the two advisors sits Qipian*, a dark green Komodo dragon wearing white imperial robes. His pale white eyes stare at the floor in contemplation, though his thoughts and feelings are unreadable. "Was there anything that could be found from the wreckage? Any traces or evidence to lead us anywhere?" His deep and whispery voice accentuated by his reptilian tongue, the military advisor's eyes finally looking up to the owl in interest.
She shakes her head in response to his query, "Nothing but burnt remains and ashes. Whoever did this made sure to cover their tracks." Her eyes narrow in contempt of the heartless individual responsible for these raids.
With one more pondering glance at the floor, Qipian comments, "Whoever did this had an idea these convoys were even happening, both Piqi and I have made sure to keep this from going public." His suspicion rings clear through his tone as his judicial associate looks to the owl next to them for an answer.
A deep sigh escapes the owl's beak as she regretfully informs the two men with a sorrowful timbre, "The messengers that were sent back out to the caravans were found dead this morning, though the coroners have confirmed that they had died days before." She concludes, this fact alone providing enough answers to Qipian's question.
As white eyes look back to the floor for further rumination, both calmer counsellors hear a rage filled growl exit from the moon bear, "Unbelievable… We were so close to imprisoning Shen's men. We were so damn close!" She snarls through gritted teeth, completely unaware of the epiphany lighting up in Qipian's eyes.
"Hold on… All of these convoys contained former members of Shen's army, right?" Piqi nods at the Komodo dragon's question, unable to see the fairly obvious connection. Though the ship that had gone missing contained a massive number of these men, there were still a few that had stayed within China's borders, hoping to be able to hide out for the rest of their days. For the past year and six months, their men had gone out into the farther regions of China to contain them and bring them back to the imperial prison. It had only been recently that they were struck by any raids and only now that they had managed to lose three of them all in one night, these caravans in particular having increased security. "Perhaps someone is trying to rebuild it… To create an army of their own." Yellow orbs widen in horror as realisation finally kicks in with the moon bear.
It is now Zhoudao's turn to exchange a thoughtful glance with Qipian before replying, "Though it is a possibility, several imperial scouts have found wolf remains within the wreckage. All of them had Shen's insignia printed onto their armour." A look of shock consumes the faces of her colleagues as she continues, "Perhaps they are not here for recruitment, but for revenge… Maybe Shen had wronged them in the past and they want to destroy everything that is left of his army."
"Either way, they're going against the law! I will not have some deranged vigilante keep these soldiers from facing justice!" Piqi's unyielding lawfulness gains a nod from her fellow advisors, however they are at a loss on what to do. Clearly increasing the security of these convoys has accomplished nothing and with the lack of evidence or clarity on a motive, they have little idea on where to even begin. All three pairs of eyes look forward in search for some solution, towards their almighty ruler.
A lion with golden eyes and extravagant, red imperial robes sits atop the most elegant throne out of all four of them. A flowing pattern of the phoenix and its flame is etched into his throne's golden frame as the heavens shine brightly on the masterfully crafted seat. A throne worthy of the emperor. In spite of his silence during the whole meeting, the advisors have never forgotten his godly presence, already understanding that he preferred to listen and only give his verdict once all facts have been put on the table. At some points he only spoke in nods or shakes of the head, seeing that his advisors already had an answer and didn't need any input from him. Now, however, is not one of those times.
"I sense that something far more sinister is going on." His proud voice booms through the circular room, sending shivers down the spines of each advisor. "Something incredibly dangerous… We cannot take any chances…" He trails off, his serious statement aimed more towards himself than his trusted council. Golden orbs look upon one of the banners at the opposite end of the room, gazing at the golden phoenix symbol in rumination for a mere moment before making eye contact with patient orange orbs. "Zhoudao."
She immediately stands at attention before bowing lowly to him, "Your grace." Speaking with as much respect as possible, the owl heeds the emperor's words carefully.
"I want to personally send a message to the valley of peace, requesting the presence of the dragon warrior and the furious five. Once I have finished preparing this message, I would like your fastest messenger to make their way there as soon as possible." He maintains eye contact with his trusted avian counsellor, pleased with her management of the royal messengers in spite of the recent devastation that had befallen them.
With a firm nod, Zhoudao bows again and confirms, "I will do so the second you wish, your grace."
Satisfied with her affirmation, the emperor looks over to the other counsellors who wait patiently for any potential orders. "Piqi. Qipian."
At his command, the two advisors shoot from their seat in the same fashion as their avian colleague and bow lowly, "Your grace." They say in unison, not wanting to disrespect the Gods' chosen ruler.
The lion strokes his chin with his paw as he thinks upon his plan, "From what I understand, you are awaiting one more convoy out in the east. Is that correct?" He inquires cautiously, in spite of his heavenly status as emperor, the feline ruler makes sure to retain some humility and not act like he has all of the answers.
"That would be correct, your grace." Piqi immediately answers, wishing to not try the emperor's patience. Granted he isn't known for being hot-headed but disrespecting his authority in any single way could never be advised, no matter how patient they may be.
After slowly nodding for a few moments, the emperor issues his demands towards his judicial and military advisors, "When you do receive word from this convoy, bolster their defences with additional guards. If the dragon warrior and the furious five arrive within this time, then they will aid the imperial soldiers. This is in no way saying that your men are not equipped to handle this threat, Qipian. This is merely a way to assure their safety." He adds at the end, hoping that he hasn't dishonoured his royal advisor.
"Understood, your grace." The Komodo dragon responds, though his whispery timbre lacks the usual emotional flare that graces most men, there is a clear level of respect in his words.
With a firm nod, the powerful lion looks towards his trusted advisors before concluding, "Then it is settled, within a week our most powerful warriors should arrive and hopefully our problem will be solved. Qipian, Piqi, you are dismissed. May the Gods watch over you." At his dismissal, the moon bear and Komodo dragon make their way out of the throne room, leaving Zhoudao with the emperor as he conducts his message to China's defenders.
An hour later, Qipian leaves the imperial palace after having made the emperor's arrangements with Piqi. Draped over his swampy green scales is a black cloak, obscuring his figure from the wealthy animals within the city streets. This added measure of anonymity seems excessive however, due to his path consisting of the darkened alleyways of the city streets. White orbs look about with a renewed sense of caution, making sure that absolutely no one is following him as he makes his way to the poorer area of the city. Though it is certainly not dirty, or crime ridden, the drop in quality from the buildings and locales can certainly be seen. The Komodo dragon ignores the lacking affluence within this part of the city as he passes it and reaches the back edge of the city. A cliff edge with a massive drop towards the yellow river, the cliff itself smothered with wild, long grass. With one last glance to his left and right, the Komodo dragon looks towards the right side right at the edge of the cliff. Hidden beneath the grass is a stone pathway leading down the cliff face and ending just above sea level, a path that none would find unless they knew to look for it.
Now certain that he has managed to evade any suspicious onlookers, Qipian makes his way down this path right up until he reaches its end. He feels the water underneath him kick up at his feet, slightly dampening his cloak in the process before he turns over towards the cliff face and harshly knocks on its surface. If anyone were watching him, they'd think he were a madman attempting to fight the cliff out of all things. Before long, the cliff face seems to shift as a gigantic circular boulder is rolled over to the right side, revealing a massive entrance into an underground cave system. This entrance consists of two stone walkways divided by the ever-present waters of the yellow river, a retractable drawbridge connecting the two walkways together. Red torches line the cave entrance, giving the dark and dank place an insidious aura.
Right at the front of this entrance is a wolf adorned in armour with a spear held in his paw. He salutes the Komodo dragon facing him and states, "Welcome, sir. Zhongcheng is expecting you." The wolf motions towards the somewhat narrow walkway to their left, "Follow me." As the two men head down the hallway, Qipian hears multiple gorillas and large alligators haul the gargantuan boulder back in place, blocking out all the light and engulfing the entryway with a sinister red sheen.
In absolute silence, the wolf soldier and the advisor walk along the exceedingly long pathway that goes straight down into the caves before they turn leftwards. They are greeted by two massive wooden gates manned by a single alligator who gives the two travellers a sceptical glance. His suspicions are soon snuffed out by the wolf soldier giving him a thumbs up, signalling him to open the gates. As the monstrously large wooden gates open up, the two are treated to a sprawling cavern, paved with red torches and black banners coated with Shen's insignia.
This insanely massive cavern is divided into multiple areas. In the centre of it all is a dock housing a triple decker ship with plain white sails, kept afloat by the yellow river flowing through the cavern, the height of the humongous underground base being enough to accommodate its size. Towards the left is the barracks and dining areas with over a thousand wolf, gorilla and alligator soldiers moving about. In spite of their size, the troops had managed to keep themselves fairly quiet, their leader warning them of the potential consequences of not approaching their mission with an air of subtlety. On the right side of this cavern is the training grounds, planning centre and makeshift office for the three main commanders of this army. No matter how many times the Komodo dragon laid eyes on this place, it always manages to impress him.
As the wolf soldier takes Qipian over to Zhongcheng, he finally lowers the hood on his cloak, feeling safe from any potential traitorous presence. Whilst these two head over to the right side of the cavern, Zhongcheng can be seen punching and kicking the air in sequence, wearing nothing but black kung fu trousers. Gongniu watches the wolf with an analytical stare, suited with dark red kung fu trousers and silver gauntlets that match his silver horns. With one final punch, the white wolf keeps his fist outstretched as he looks over to his bull companion who hoists himself off his bench. "Good. The power in your strikes is admirable, your balance is flawless, and I can barely see any openings in your defence." He hoarsely congratulates Zhongcheng who gives him a brief nod in response, seemingly the only person within the whole army who can understand the hench bull. "However…" Gongniu trails off, his right hoof tenderly caressing his neck, revealing a deep scar underneath his thick neck fur for a split second. "Your form… Its too stiff, your posture too 'perfect'. You need fluidity rather than rigidness." In response to the bull's criticism, the white wolf exits his stance and respectfully bows towards him, his fist in palm. "Let's hope all that imperial training won't make that a problem." A smirk lines Gongniu's face as he jokingly comments to the wolf.
For a brief moment dark blue orbs glare into scarlet until Zhongcheng chuckles lightly, "Very funny, now are we going to test my endurance or what?" He inquires to the bull turned teacher, receiving an odd glance in response.
"I think we've already confirmed that abnormality…" Gongniu trails off as Qipian finally reaches the two, his wolf escort leaving to head back to the gate. He looks at the white wolf, rolling his shoulders in wait for the bull's proper answer. With a shrug, Gongniu reels his fist back and replies, "But seeing that we have an audience." White orbs shift between the two training animals in befuddlement, wondering if the white wolf is seriously going to let this behemoth punch him. Before the Komodo dragon can even ask anything, Gongniu's fist sails through the air as it reaches its target with full force.
Bam!
His fist makes contact with Zhongcheng's chest, the brutal sound of its impact echoing off the cavern walls, making Qipian grimace at the pain that the wolf must be feeling. Alas, Zhongcheng simply stands still, his countenance firm and his body undeterred. An unsurprised scoff exits the bull's nostrils as the Komodo dragon's eyes widen in shock. He had managed to take this powerful hit without even flinching, not even so much as a grimace of pain. Shaking his hoof off, Gongniu simply states, "See? There's no need to test out your endurance anymore than this… I mean, if you can handle a punch from me, then you can take on practically anything. Hell, I doubt even Shen's weapons will have an effect on you…" Scarlet orbs look up, the bull remembering the horrifying capabilities of the peacock's crowning achievement, "Then again, I wouldn't recommend shooting a cannonball at yourself anyway."
After letting out a hum of satisfaction, Zhongcheng turns to Qipian with seriousness rooted in his complexion. "Shall we discuss matters inside?" He inquires to the counsellor, his deep voice gaining a refined touch as he points towards his makeshift office to the further right of them.
Quickly brushing off his previous shock at the wolf's unexpected level of strength, the Komodo dragon smoothly replies, "I believe it'd be best." He walks off towards the office whilst Zhongcheng opts to stay behind for a mere moment.
"Remember what I told you, Gongniu." He reminds his bull comrade cautiously, understanding the annoyance that may come from the task at hand.
A sly smile occupies the bull's features as he replies, "I know, manage the boys in your absence. I'll be fine." Content with his answer, the white wolf follows the reptilian advisor back towards his office as Gongniu makes his way over to the army barracks, ready to make his announcement with the hope that his raspy voice will be somewhat understandable to these lot.
As Zhongcheng and Qipian head closer towards the small, wooden office, a curious thought runs through the Komodo dragon's mind, "So Gongniu has been teaching you…?"
"Kung fu, yes." The white wolf immediately answers his question, his sights focused solely on the building in front of them.
An intrigued hum escapes the reptile's throat as he inquires further, "For how long?"
"Ever since we arrived in this dreadful place." Zhongcheng replies in a darker tone, dark blue eyes picking out all the inconsistencies in his wooden 'home' and loose splinters protruding from the haphazardly thrown together structure. Gods how he hated this base of operations. The monotonous dripping of water from stalactites kept him from sleeping almost every night, his sensitive hearing always managing to pick out this subtle noise to his dismay. Having little choice but to slink around in order to even acquire food irritated him to no end, his pride shrivelling at how much he had to hide. But soon it will be worth it. Soon he will achieve lord Shen's goal and bring China to its knees.
White orbs blink in surprise at the wolf's answer, "Wait, you mean to tell me that you have been training for almost two years now and I have never noticed?" He gives his comrade a disbelieving glance at this notion, the wolf commander still staring at the wooden office. Many months before Shen's siege of Gongmen, before they had to rebuild their forces, the deranged peacock had divided his army in two. He took one half with him to Gongmen city, the main stage for his coronation, and he sent the other half over to the imperial city to 'prepare' for his arrival. As for why… He had a contact hidden within the imperial council. Qipian. A fellow lord himself, the Komodo dragon was close with the peacock family during his adolescence and had overheard the experiments he had conducted with fireworks. Though he never spoke of it out loud, he admired Shen's brutality and mercilessness in wanting to protect his land. Unfortunately, the peacock's parents hadn't thought the same. Upon his exile, Qipian had managed to maintain contact with the peacock in secret, hatching a devious plan to take all of China for the wronged Gongmen lord. However, they knew better than to attack the forbidden city head on, their forces would be too great to tackle head on, especially after hearing of Gongmen's downfall. No, they had to be clever about this. To take them down from the inside, so that they would have no chance to fight back.
With the Komodo dragon's help, Shen's forces, led by Zhongcheng, had managed to take refuge in this massive cavern, previously used by a wronged emperor to gain back his throne centuries ago but long forgotten by its current generation. Qipian got fairly lucky to find this place when he did, especially when news reached them of their leader's demise. With much discussion, they had finally come up with a new plan, one that the white wolf kept partially to himself in the off chance that any of them are captured in the process of its execution.
"Usually, I would train after I've had my meeting with you. Unfortunately, I don't get that luxury today." Zhongcheng vaguely explains as they finally reach the cabin, the wolf cringing at the high-pitched creak of the door's hinges whilst letting in the conniving advisor.
Within this small office contains the usual furniture you'd expect, a desk and two chairs. Lathered on top of this desk are several maps, one of the entirety of China, one of Gongmen city and another of the forbidden city, all with markings painted on them. In terms of ornamentation there is more to this room than expected. A few scrolls fill the single mangled bookcase leaning against the left wall, telling of ancient legends and a few works of literature. Next to this case is a black cloak, hanging on a lone peg. On the right wall, however, hangs a chest piece of imperial armour, one that fits Zhongcheng perfectly. Not a relic of his past, but rather a reminder of his betrayal. Whilst at the back of his office, just behind the wolf's chair, is his black armour sporting Shen's insignia, hanging proudly on the wall. This modest amount of furniture and ornamentation would be quaint if it weren't for the scrappy quality of the structure, especially when it comes to the material it is made out of. Certainly not the finest wood in China, that's for sure.
As Zhongcheng closes the door behind him, Qipian makes one last inquiry about his ambiguous statement, "How come?"
Making his way behind his desk, the white wolf answers, "I have business near the Tavan Bogd mountains that I need to see to. One that requires my utmost discretion." With this response, the Komodo dragon knows not to ask further, understanding that there are parts of his plans that he simply doesn't want to disclose just yet. Once reaching over to his desk, dark blue eyes stare at the red eye imprinted on the black armour as Zhongcheng puts his paws behind his back. He hears Qipian shuffle over to the centre of the room but doesn't turn to face him as they finally conduct their meeting, "So, what goes on within our 'dear emperor's' court?" A sarcastic flare contorts the commander's voice as he mentions China's current ruler.
A sly grin finds its way onto Qipian's face as he informs the wolf, "Everything seems to be proceeding as expected. The emperor is sending a message to the valley of peace as we speak."
An approving hum exits Zhongcheng's maw, "And do they suspect anything?" He inquires thoughtfully, his eyes still focused on his armour.
"Well, thanks to you ordering your men to kill those messengers, they don't." A layer of gratitude graces his usually cold voice, resulting in Zhongcheng nodding his head in understanding. "Although…" This causes the wolf's head to tilt behind him slightly, his interest piqued, "Apparently several wolf bodies were found in the wrecked caravans… And somehow, I doubt that their deaths were accidental."
With this suggestion, Zhongcheng fully turns his head to look at the Komodo dragon dead in the eye. "Well, what did they make of this discovery?" He replies, intriguing the traitorous advisor further.
"They believe that you want to kill all the soldiers that were once involved with Shen, that you're some murderous vigilante." He answers, not entirely sure what the wolf is getting at.
That is, until a sick and twisted grin forms on Zhongcheng's face, "Precisely." He finishes before turning back towards the armour whilst white eyes widen in realisation of what the wolf had done. He had sacrificed several of his own men to hide their true motives. Underhanded, yes. Cruel, most certainly. But there is no doubt that this tactic is quite clever.
Impressed by the wolf's foresight, Qipian lets out an impressed hum before commenting, "I never took you to be so heartless, Zhongcheng." His nonchalant manner in speaking treats those lost lives as if they're nothing, just a poor tragedy that they needn't concern themselves with.
"Sacrifices need to be made if you want to reign supreme." A chilling coldness pierces Zhongcheng's dark tone as his eyes regain their sight on the black armour piece, "Besides, for every three or four men we sacrificed in each convoy, we got fifty more in return… And as for the boat, we had managed to gain two hundred thanks to your tip."
Qipian nods in satisfaction at the white wolf's work, that is until he realises that he hadn't seen a particular face around the cavern for once. One that would usually give him a demented glance with her pink eyes. "Where is Kuangzao, I have barely seen her since we started attacking these convoys." He asks, not because he cares about the vulture, it is merely due to the oddity of her increased absence.
He can hear a slightly amused chuckle emanate from the white wolf before he answers, "In her office, mutilating one of the imperial corpses we had brought from the ship."
His eyebrows furrow at Zhongcheng's seemingly careless response, both of them knowing just how dangerous the black avian can be, "Are you sure it is a good idea to tempt her like this? After all, I doubt it will be easy to quell her bloodlust." He voices his concerns towards his wolf comrade who continues to stare upon the black armour, his posture exuding with a quiet, menacing confidence.
"Once everything begins to unfold, there will be enough imperial bodies to last her a lifetime. There's no need to be concerned." Qipian gives a brief nod in response to the wolf's quiet assurance, certain that the wolf has everything under control. "Unlike your little project, I can actually manage her."
This snide reminder forces the Komodo dragon to sigh in annoyance, "How was I supposed to know Fuhuo would do something that reckless?" He thinks back to how decades ago he had met the necromancer working within the imperial palace, hearing of his obsession with death and creating a powerful, obedient weapon from the corpses of other animals. His curiosity getting the better of him, he had helped the raven obtain a certain scroll he needed before faking his death. Why he needed a scroll about the myth of Nuba, he didn't know. For a while he had lost contact until one day a few months back, he had received word from the necromancer that his demented project was almost finished and that they would be rewarded with a powerful, loyal army. Qipian had assured Zhongcheng that their friend would rid them of their problem of the dragon warrior and the furious five. However, the news that the emperor had received about Nuba's resurrection and immediate destruction had alarmed the Komodo dragon up until he heard Fuhuo's name mentioned. Instead of the vast, unstoppable army he had promised, he had instead decided to bring back some inane obsession.
"At the very least his incompetence had brought back someone who could deal damage to those warriors. Hopefully they're still somewhat wounded from Nuba's attack." Zhongcheng muses, probably the only advantage in heeding the raven's maniacal experiments. Other than that, there was no reason to trust this bird. He clearly had little idea what he was doing and cared little of their mission, something that had infuriated the wolf at the time. A brief pause envelopes the two warriors as they ponder on what to do next, "Well, unless you have something else to inform me of, I'll be needing to head off." He states to his reptilian colleague before plucking his black cloak off the peg.
With a quick nod, Qipian bows toward the white wolf with his fist in palm, "Safe travels, your grace." His whispery voice jokingly honours the commander before making his way towards the door.
Dark blue orbs gaze into white with a warning look, "Careful now, don't want to celebrate too early. Do we?" He lightly cautions the deceitful counsellor who darkly chuckles as he closes the door to Zhongcheng's office. His plan coming together smoothly, the white wolf looks over to his black armour as he drapes his cloak on himself. Gazing upon the red eye once again, Zhongcheng puts his right fist over his heart and bows in solidarity to his fallen lord before exiting the room himself.
1* Piqi = Chinese for Temper
2* Zhoudao = Chinese for Thoughtful
3* Qipian = Chinese for Deception
Ho boy! Our heroes have quite the force to deal with here! Let's hope that they can find some kind of hole within their plan soon. I hope I haven't revealed too much about the villains just yet though, cuz there's a bit more to them than meets the eye. One thing I want to address about last chapter. The phoenix warrior. I want to be clear that I am not going to introduce any crazy, dragon ball Z level powers here. (Or at least no more than there already are.) This phoenix warrior is not gonna be something you guys will expect, I'll say that much. Plus, I'm not gonna do Po dirty like that. He's the dragon warrior, man. Gotta put some respect on his name! Anyways, hope you've all enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you next time.