A/N: Hey guys I'm back! Sooner than I promised too! There have been so many things going on these past few months, from finals to out of school activities to AP tests. And to top it off, I lost my USB drive that contained all my work for the story. Thankfully, I found it...otherwise this chapter probably wouldn't have been completed until mid June since I'd have to retype the WHOLE thing.
Before we get started there's a couple things I need to address.
First, I'm not sure if I mentioned this in my other A/N's but I made a promise to myself and to you guys that I would try and average about 10k words per chapter. Since the first several chapters of the story were so short I've been making the later chapters 14k+ to average it out.
Now this chapter was originally 14k words but I cut out a substantial portion of the end to add to chapter 9 on my next update. This chapter in essence is only 9k long. However, I thought the ending of the chapter was a much more fitting way to lead into chapter 9.
Most notably I MUST warn you!
CHARACTER DEATHS AHEAD!
All I can tell you is that it isn't Po...you'll have to find out who by reading the chapter.
One final thing, I've been thinking of adding recommended soundtracks and sounds for readers to listen to each chapter. Let me know if you think that's a good or bad idea.
Anyways, that's all I have to say on my part! On to the story!
As always, Read and Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Dream Works or Kung Fu Panda. I only own this specific plot and my OCs.
Chapter VIII: An Uphill Climb
The Panda Village
It'd been merely a few days after the pandas had settled back into the panda village. Their journey had been a taxing one; most all of them were entirely exhausted. Sadly, while Po had trained them in kung fu and chi, it had done little to help their conditioning. After all, pandas had a natural lack of endurance. The only way around it was intense and consistent training. Such an effort was something that Po's father and the rest of the pandas neither wanted nor thought necessary.
Li was currently relaxed, sitting in a bamboo hammock as he admired the horizon of the cliff a little over a hundred meters away. The landscape had several patches of the luscious green meadow showing, but for the most part, the land was concealed in a velvety blanket of untouched snow. It was good to be back. No Kai…no threats…no kung fu training…no fate of China in the balance…just peace and quiet.
Li managed a small smile albeit a saddened one. Slowly, he reached into his pants pocket to retrieve a picture. It was the one of his wife, Jiao.
"I miss you honey," the elder panda sighed.
Today was the 22nd anniversary of…of Shen's attack. The day he'd lost her, his family, and many a friend. He knew it was selfish to wish she was back here with him, or wishing he was up in the heavens with her. But no matter how much he told himself that…he always ended up reminiscing about the what ifs.
Li was brought out of his thoughts by a small motion in the peripheral vision of his left eye. It was a figure in the distance. Paranoia set in as he snapped his attention to identify the person…
…It was only Lei Lei. The young girl panda was giggling as she skipped around in the snow, playing with her 'Stripey Baby'. She took that doll everywhere with her nowadays. Chuckling quietly at the younger panda, he couldn't believe she was up and about. It was barely midday and a majority of the village slept til well past noon.
Shaking his head, Li scolded himself for his paranoia. He'd been spending too much time with his son. Po's constant hyper-awareness seemed to have rubbed off on him a little too much.
Looking back to the little panda cub, he frowned.
'Well, she is a little close to the cliff ledge. I better go do something about that,' he mused to himself.
However, before he could move a muscle, another figure appeared. He seemed to have risen from the edge of the cliff. Li's hairs stood on end as he watched, frozen.
The figure was a hulking…tiger. The mammal was covered in night black armor, lined by gold. He was also armed with a sword…a really, really huge sword. Even a hundred meters away, Li felt the unmistakable aura of power that radiated from the figure. And now, the threatening warrior trudged slowly over to Lei Lei.
Li wanted to scream, to shout, and to sprint over to them as fast as he could…but he couldn't. His muscles were frozen and his voice was choked. He could only watch in horror as the tiger stepped closer and closer to the helpless panda cub who hadn't even noticed him.
*With Lei Lei*
The panda girl was simply minding her business as she played around with her doll that 'Cuddles' had given her.
"Stripey Baby! Stripey Baby!" she giggled, enthused with her favorite toy.
The sound of heavy footsteps in the snow ceased her actions. And the massive shadow that stretched over her seconds later made Lei Lei turn her gaze upwards to look at the being.
"B-bigger Stripey Baby," she questioned, a quiver in her formerly joyful voice. In fear, she backpedaled a few steps before tripping over herself, falling to the ground.
Daemon looked down at the cub with a tilt of his head. He then slowly knelt down, bringing himself closer to the girl panda.
"What's wrong little one?" he asked in a deep voice with a slight smile…the smile didn't reach his eyes.
Still afraid, tears began to well up in Le Lei's amethyst orbs. She hugged her doll tightly as she tried to gain control of her voice.
"Y-youw scawy," she mumbled back.
Daemon looked back at her, nodding his head in understanding with a slight hum of interest.
He then extended his hand out to her. Lei Lei only frightfully stared back at the much larger tiger. She was still quite cautious of the outwardly passive feline.
"I'm sorry I give off that impression. Come, let me help you up," he offered.
Still wary, Lei Lei hesitantly held out her shaky hand. However, nothing happened. Well, at least nothing bad happened. Just as he promised, the warrior rose to his feet, helping her up along the way.
As he rose to his full height, Lei Lei realized how much bigger the tiger was…he was even taller than 'Cuddles'. She met his gaze once more. Daemon returned his own, a slight look of curiosity.
"What is your name little one?" he asked, not unkindly.
Feeling slightly more at ease with the adult before her, Lei Lei answered shyly, "Lei Lei."
A ghost of a smile touched Daemon's features as he looked down at the young bear.
"And tell me Lei Lei…is this place the Panda Village?" he questioned once more.
Young, innocent, naïve, Lei Lei didn't see any danger of his question.
"Yes…"
A thoughtful expression emerged upon the tiger's face as he tapped his chin with his claw. It seems that his spy network had been correct. Not that they were usually wrong about information. The ones who were wrong never had to worry about being wrong a second time. Failure wasn't something he was too keen on.
Shifting his focus back to the panda child before him, he wagged his finger to persuade the girl to come forth a few more steps.
"One last question dear…do the other pandas, more specifically…the adults…have knowledge of chi?" he asked in order to confirm his suspicions.
Not seeing any harm in showing the stranger she began to wave her hands in an all too familiar motion. Daemon raised his eyebrows at this. What was she doing? He soon found out…
"Do you mean glowy paws?" she answered back while waving her hands, which were now glowing bright yellow.
Daemon's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't known that a mere child could possess the ability of chi control. Daemon was not easily taken off guard but this…this was a shocking revelation…this changed everything.
Seconds after, Lei Lei finished her demonstration. Noticing the tiger's stunned look, the panda girl took it as a compliment. She bowed slightly with a small giggle.
Daemon gave Lei Lei a sympathetic smile, although she didn't even register what it meant.
All she could tell was the big man was giving her a 'funny' look.
Daemon continued to gaze at her before taking a deep breath.
In all his years of destruction…death …conquest…he'd never hurt a child. Children were where he had drawn the line. They were sacred…they were untouchable…They were pure…innocent.
He couldn't
…
But he must.
A look of sorrow was set upon his face as he came to his resolve.
"I'm sorry little one…I really am…"
*Minutes before with Li*
His heart was racing a thousand miles an hour as he watched hopelessly. The tiger was now within a few feet of Lei Lei who was on the ground, completely at the warrior's mercy.
However, the feline only knelt down in a peaceful manner and conversed with the little panda. Li continued to watch the scene unfold. After seemingly a few minutes, the tiger helped Lei Lei up out of the snow, before he continued to talk with the girl. The conversation began to drag on for minutes. Li began to wonder if Po's paranoia really had rubbed off on him too much.
As he watched them talk, he noticed that Lei Lei had begun to perform several chi motions in front of the tiger. Li observed intently as she finished her demonstration. Still the tiger did nothing. No intent to threaten and certainly no intent to harm Lei Lei.
Maybe he'd been wrong…maybe the tiger was just a traveler…a relative of Tigress?
Yes! That must be it! If he was a kung fu master that would explain the weaponry and the armor!
But…something was wrong. Li wanted to let out a sigh of relief, he wanted to release the tensions he was holding, but his instincts were telling him something wasn't right. And his instincts were never wrong.
Li watched as the tiger once again knelt down to pat Lei Lei on the head. It was an action so innocent, that Li almost dismissed it. That was until what happened next.
Li's blood ran cold as he watched the tiger swiftly grip Lei Lei by the neck. The elder panda could only watch in horror as the warrior expertly twisted the child's neck, bending it to an extreme angle before it snapped.
Emotionlessly, the tiger dropped the figure of Lei Lei to the ground before turning his gaze to look straight at Li. Even from a hundred meters away the stare sent chills down his spine. And not seconds later, more figures began to appear on the horizon, scaling up the cliff. Soon hundreds of enemies, all brandishing weapons, were assembled.
His muscles suddenly unfreezing, Li collapsed out of the hammock. Quickly turning, he sprinted off to the center of the village to warn the others.
Finding his voice, Li screamed at the top of his lungs in a voice mixed of grief, shock, and urgency, "Everyone! Bandits on the outskirts of the village! The south-west cliff!"
As minutes passed, more and more pandas came stumbling out of their houses and towards the weapon shed. Li himself was armed with a large war hammer. As much as he hated to admit it, they were caught with their guard down, they were outnumbered, and he was at fault for not warning everyone sooner.
He just hoped he wasn't too late…
*Hours Later*
Horror…Absolute and utter horror. If there ever was something as grim as this sight, may the gods shield the innocent from witnessing such a fate.
The originally white powdery snow that covered the landscape was blackened with ash from the fires that had erupted throughout the village. The green grass of the settlement was stained red…with blood.
The dead bodies of the panda community lay scattered amongst the wreckage. Women, children, the elderly were victims to the same fate; no exceptions.
Li Shan knelt in the midst of this chaos. Clutching his side, he staunched the flow of a small stab wound. He seemed to have a broken rib as well. His clothes torn to shreds, his formerly white and black coat was now a mix of grey and red, covered with dust and blood. Li closed his eyes in despair; they were all gone. He was the last survivor in this village. The screams of the children and the dead plagued his mind as tears streamed down his aged face.
Everything had been so peaceful, so utopian…
The pandas had journeyed home to their secret village and they'd been relaxing as if no harm in the world could come to them. And before they knew it, destruction was right upon their doorstep. A swarm of criminals, possibly in the hundreds, had come up those cliffs. They'd completely surrounded the village, and began to eliminate everyone. The pandas had fought hard, with kung fu and chi techniques that would've made Po proud…but it wasn't enough. By no means did the enemy come out unscathed. For every panda that fell, dozens of criminals fell in return. But for every dozen enemies that fell, twice as many returned. Defeat was all but inevitable. Their noble attempt to stand strong was eventually put to rest by the overwhelming number of felons that seemed endless.
Li opened his eyes to try and keep away the horrid thoughts. He shifted his gaze upwards to meet the dull yellow eyes of the man who'd brought this cruel fate upon them, Daemon. Dressed in his black war armor, the warrior had his long blade in hand.
He stood tall as he looked down grimly at the older man. This attack had been taxing…more so mentally than physically. Daemon was a lot of things. He was ruthless, he was cunning, he was unwavering in his objective, no matter the means…but he wasn't sadistic. He didn't take pleasure in seeing others suffer, much less women and children…especially the children.
"I'm sorry that it must be this way," Daemon consoled the injured panda.
Li would have barked in laughter at the absurdity of the statement had it not been for his cracked rib, "Right…" he returned sarcastically.
Daemon's subordinates that encircled the two, stepped forward, in plans to punish the panda for his disrespectful attitude towards their master. Daemon waved them off.
Kneeling down to one knee, the tiger looked at the panda levelly. He stared into the tired eyes of the panda trying to understand the pain behind them.
"I don't expect you to forgive or believe me. But I assure you that this was nothing personal," he emphasized before rising to his feet. Elegantly, Daemon brought the razor steel blade high above his head. The weapon was impossibly large, measuring six feet in length and nearly a foot in width. Not to mention it looked to be well over a hundred pounds. For anybody else it would have been impractical, but Daemon handled the weapon as if it were as light as a feather. The blade glinted as the orange light of the dancing fires reflected across the metal surface.
"I wish you peace in the realm of the dead," the tiger rumbled resolutely.
Momentarily, Li's life flashed before his eyes. Just imagine, he'd survived the devastation of Shen's massacre, fought off sickness and age, miraculously survived Kai against all the odds, yet all things came to an end. And fate had finally decided that his time was up.
Li Shan tiredly closed his eyes as he awaited his fate. He wasn't worried, this mad-man may be tough, but he was confident that Po would stop him. The Dragon Warrior had never failed, and he believed his son would defeat Daemon as he did to others before him.
Clutching the yin-yang necklace Po had gifted him in his bloodied hand, Li sighed. The old panda was thankful that he'd been able to bid his son a proper farewell before leaving the Valley. He was going to miss his little Lotus. However, Li also missed someone else. After all these years…he'd finally see his beloved wife, Jiao, again. A desolate tear of sorrow and relief trailed down the older bear's face, 'Jiao, honey…I'm on my way.'
Woooosh!
Daemon brought the steel blade down in a deadly arc. And after years of suffering in solitude, Li finally rejoined his beloved wife in the realm of the stars up above. He would be missed, and never forgotten. And if you paid real close attention to the night sky, through all the ashes and smoke, you'd see a glimmer of a new star, shining brightly next to its partner in the sky.
The South China Sea
300 nautical miles off the shore of Zhanjiang
Kiara somewhat questioned her decision making at the moment.
Forty-two days…It'd been forty-two days since she'd set foot on solid ground.
Being confined to her room for most of her life, the lioness had never traveled on a boat, much less for upwards of an entire month. Naturally, sea sickness was her worst enemy; she had zero tolerance for the constant shifting of the wooden planks underfoot. As one could suspect, Kiara had spent the first week of the voyage heaving her guts over the edge of the ship.
Luckily, that dreadful time had passed. The worst she got was a little queasy now and again. She was quite grateful for that. After all, having the constant taste of vomit in her mouth had gotten real old, real quick.
Currently in her room, Kiara was slumped lazily in the rope clothe hammock that hung in the corner of the space. Her magenta eyes drearily gazed out of the dorm's window at the deep blue waves of the ocean, as she took a bite out of an apple. The sweet and sour juices of the fruit helped to settle her stomach. It was rather quiet, nothing but the sounds of the waves crashing against the hull and the occasional creak of the floorboards. Deciding that she might as well get some fresh air, Kiara hopped out of the hammock before exiting the room.
Making her way out onto the upper deck, Kiara finally stopped to lean on the railing. The ship was anchored at the moment. Most likely the crew and captain were eating supper in the dining hall below deck. They were probably done sailing for the day, especially since night was almost upon them.
Bringing herself out of her thoughts, Kiara brought her attention to the fading sun, which was setting on the sea's horizon; it was quite the spectacle. Not only that, but it was the most soothing combinations of nature she'd ever experienced.
Mixing with the deep blue of the ocean, the blend of orange and pink hues in the sky were stunning. That along with the cool salty breeze, and the calm rhythm of the waves, made her forget all the hardships she'd been through these past weeks. Without a doubt…it'd been worth it. Never had she seen such a beautiful sight.
"Aye, the sunset is far more beautiful when out at sea."
Spinning around, Kiara discovered the origin of the voice to be Captain Stan himself. First impressions could be quite misleading; it was the same case with the captain.
Initially, Kiara had pegged the honey badger as an ill-mannered and inconsiderate slob. However, ever since the first day at sea, he'd been the exact opposite of the man she'd encountered when they'd first met. In hindsight, she had woken him up abruptly at 2 AM in the morning; his irritated attitude had been fairly justified.
"Yes, it really is," Kiara nodded in agreement.
The lioness hated it admit, but the sea had grown on her; everything from the constant shifting of the boat, to the belligerent storms, to the sticky heat of the monsoons.
"How much longer until we arrive at Port Zhanjiang?" she asked in curiosity.
Tapping his chin in thought, the captain pulled a pocket book out of his weathered coat. Flipping through the pages, his deep brown eyes scanned from left to right until he stopped on a certain page.
"We've been traveling for roughly Forty-two days…and nine hours. We've averaged around six knots. Considerin' the weather conditions hold up…I'd say we'll be docked at Zhanjiang in a short two days, give or take," he speculated, as he crunched the numbers in his head.
Kiara nodded in return. Splendid! She was making better time than she'd estimated. Originally the princess thought it would take months and months to get to China ship or no ship. However, if Stan's prediction was correct, they'd be arriving in China in less than two months travel. This was predominately due to the rowers and their fortune of weather; which had been primarily pacific.
'Lord Yam has been kind to us,' Kiara thought wistfully.
After Stan answered the question, he quieted. The honey badger stood still for a moment, fidgeting uncomfortably. This was most unlike the usually candid badger.
Confused, the lioness was about to voice her concern before the old captain retrieved a pouch from under his coat.
"I felt guilty for a number of reasons. Firstly, how I treated you on the first day. But more recently, since you didn't get a birthday present," he divulged bashfully, if it were possible for the old sea dog.
Kiara's eyes widened in comprehension before she delicately accepted the gift.
You see…a few days ago she'd been in a chipper mood. It was quite a noticeable change from the lioness's formerly sour disposition—due to her constant seasickness.
After being relentlessly pressed to reveal the reason by a number of the crew, she'd finally admitted that it was her birthday, 21st to be precise. As one could guess, the crew had gone wild, and thrown the modest lioness a party. Full of dancing, singing, and all the other hearty pastimes of a sailor, it'd been quite a crazy time.
However, she hadn't told them the exact truth. While it was her 21st birthday, that wasn't the reason she'd been so lively. It was the fact that she was thousands of miles away from Egypt, but more importantly, her arranged marriage. If she was in Egypt right now she'd be vowing away her life to that loser leopard, Samuel, who she'd be stuck with until the end of her days.
Kiara mentally snorted in derision. As if she'd stick around for that dreadful affair to occur. No thank you.
Carefully, Kiara untied the pouch and dumped the contents into her paw. To her surprise, a small bracelet slipped out and fell into her grasp. While it wasn't the most luxurious jewelry, it was beautiful in her eyes. Having a simple leather strap, the center piece was a silver moon crest. Although the silver was tarnished, it didn't take away from this simple yet elegant design.
"It's…beautiful Stan, thank you," she said in gratitude before taking the badger up in a hug.
Awkwardly patting the taller woman on the back, Stan managed to free himself.
"It's my pleasure…it was my daughter's…ya remind me so much of her," he returned quietly.
Kiara hesitated; she was entering dangerous territory now. She'd have to watch her next words very carefully.
"Do you mind me asking…what happened?" she squeaked. Internally, she grimaced. That sounded much better in her head.
It was Stan's turn to lean on the railway of the upper deck. He simply watched the sunset for several minutes. As time passed by without a single utterance from the captain, Kiara grew worried that she'd upset him.
Seconds before the princess tried voicing her apology, Stan began, "I-I don't really know…Ya see, when she was growin' up I'd take her with me on my trips. We'd have the best of times…she always promised to journey with me forever…"
Kiara was silent in apprehension as she listened to the badger. She let out a small remark as he paused, "You two sounded very close."
Stan finally looked away from the sunset, meeting the lioness's eyes, "We were…And…I thought we was havin' a good time. And that…I was doin' a pretty good job being a dad…Because unlike my father, I wasn't an abusive drunk, I tried to support her whenever she needed it and…I didn't leave, like my father had…"
Kiara tilted her head as she listened intently. Where was this going?
"Then, time passes and my daughter goes off to do work in another city. And…she doesn't come home for weekends, or summers, or holidays, or ever…And I started to get a feelin' that…maybe she wasn't havin' such a good time…and maybe…I didn't do such a good job raisin' her…And…that really hurts…" he mumbled with a sigh.
Tears had been welling up in Kiara's eyes as she'd listened to badger. Was that how all fathers felt when their daughters left? Was that how her father felt right now?
Granted, she'd been extremely mad with him, but now that she'd had time to reflect and cool off, she felt guilty…very guilty. How could she do this to her Dad? He must be worried sick…
Kiara met the captain's eyes, as his mature gaze almost perceived her thoughts. Funny how different a situation looked when you were given another person's perspective.
Sighing, Stan patted the lioness on the shoulder, "Get some rest young one. We'll see ya in the mornin'."
With that, the captain ambled off towards his quarters, leaving Kiara alone on the deck.
Tired herself, the princess decided to call it a night as well. However, Kiara doubted that she'd get much sleep after that conversation.
*Hours later*
"Get up!"
Kiara shot out of her hammock, almost falling to the floor if Stan hadn't caught her. Still groggy from sleep, the lioness blinked several times to clear her vision. There was no way that it was morning already. In fact, it definitely wasn't morning because there was no sunlight, seeing as her room was as dark as it'd been when she'd gone to sleep. Taking a quick glance out her dorm's window she noticed that the sky was still a deep black, with a pink aura on the horizon. Kiara judged it must have been near dawn. Turning her attention back the badger, she noticed him stuffing all of her belongings into her backpack at a tremendous rate.
"Stan, what gives?"
The captain ignored her before hastily kneeling down and prying up a few loose planks on the floor. To Kiara's surprise, there was a small hiding chamber underneath the floor. Perplexed, she switched her gaze back to the badger.
"No time girl, pirates are boarding the ship as we speak, you must stay in here for yer' safety," he stated firmly, while half-urging, half-forcing Kiara into the enclose space.
"But-" Kiara was cut off by the strict voice of Stan.
"No buts! And not a sound. You must remain silent," he ordered in finality before dropping down her bag of belongings and re-closing the planks.
Kiara silently obeyed his command as she sat in the even darker space. However, thanks to her feline senses, she could hear the chaos that was happening above on the deck. The sounds of yells, clashing, and crashing could be heard.
*On the deck*
A horde of pirates were grappling up the side of the ship as a pirate vessel anchored itself to Stan's boat. Crew members valiantly attempted to fight off this onslaught, but they were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of the felons boarding the ship. They were like rats; endlessly swarming from the other ship.
In no time at all, Stan and his crew were pinned and restrained by the pirates. A plank was thrown onto the ships edge, effectively making a walkway between both vessels. A threatening figure ambled down the board before he set foot onto the seized boat.
Quite tall, possible six foot if not more, an auburn orangutan shifted his crusty lime-green eyes to gaze upon the captured prisoners. He wore a tattered black vest, along with a belt constructed of simple fabric. Disturbingly, the belt was also embroidered with…bones. Atop the grisly figure's head was a brown captain's hat marked with a skull.
After scanning the deck once, his face morphed into a slight smile…some would likely call it a snarl instead. His teeth were all brown and black, aside from several golden teeth that reflected the lantern light.
"Ello, ello. You must be the owner of this beauty of a ship. The name's Butch…Jean Butch," he said in a scratchy voice, sticking his hand out in a mock gesture to shake the chained badger's hand.
Stan looked back at the ape in a passive manner. Butch smiled, although his eyes narrowed fractionally.
Continuing, the ape withdrew his hand and lay it on the top of his scabbard, "I hate to intrude in such a manner, but I've caught wind of some interesting rumors regardin' this fine vessel of yours capt'n," the ape disclosed with a frightening smile.
Stan narrowed his eyes as he tried to decipher the orangutan's message.
"And what would that be?"
Drawing his rapier, Butch scratched his neck with it while he answered, "Why, I've heard rumors of an escaped princess aboard this very ship."
The badger's eyes widened for a moment before he immediately recollected his cool.
"I'm afraid you're looking on the wrong ship. There's no woman among us, much less a princess," he responded as evenly as he could.
Butch raised an eye-brow. Stepping forward in a slow threatening manner, the ape knelt down until his face was inches away from Stan, his bloodshot eyes meeting with the badgers.
"Are you sure? She's a golden blonde lioness. Magenta eyes. Quite the beauty according to the rumors. Escaped out of the Valley of Ra, Egypt. On the short side…" he listed off lazily, his putrid breath reeked of oysters and old tuna.
Stan wrinkled his noise as he shook his head. The pirate gazed at the badger before laughing.
"Harghharghharghharghharghhargh."
It was a hideous laugh that in effect caused several of the restrained crew members to cringe. Even Butch's own pirate crew winced at this. Rising to his feet, Butch cackled for a few more moments before calming himself.
"Y'know I may be a pirate…but I'm not stupid. This little brat has a fifteen-thousand drachma bounty on her head! So, if you aren't goin' to tell me, I'll start mincing you and ya' crew…one at a time," he growled as he waved his sword in a menacing fashion.
Stan stayed silent as he stared back at the pirate, unmoved. His crew had a similar resemblance. The princess had grown on them. Her witty remarks and lively youth had allowed the crew to remember the joy of sailing. They'd damn themselves before handing her over to the scum of the sea. After the silence dragged on Butch realized that neither the captain nor his crew were going to budge. No matter, more fun for him then!
Shrugging, Butch smiled sinisterly, "Alright…have it your way. I believe your left arm will go first."
The orangutan sauntered over to the chained badger whilst swinging his blade around lazily. Raising the sword above his head, he was seconds away from dismembering Stan. Closing his eyes, Stan awaited his fate before something worse than any physical pain happened—the sound of her voice.
"Wait stop!" a feminine voice projected across the deck.
All eyes turned to seek the origin of the voice. Hands clenched, Princess Kiara stood firmly on the overhead deck as everyone's attention gravitated towards the lioness.
Moments earlier she'd been listening intently from below deck. As it'd taken a turn for the worse, the lioness had pried off the planks and sprinted for the deck. It was one thing to ask her to hide from pirates. It was another to sit back and let the crew…her friends be tortured because of her.
Now as the eyes of all the crew and pirates landed on her, she felt rather exposed, especially due to the utter silence after she'd announced her presence. The crew looked at her in shock. Meeting eyes with Stan, the only thing Kiara saw in his expression was dread. She quickly nodded in his direction, a silent message.
'Thank you Stan, but I won't let you do this'
Kiara then locked eyes with the pirate captain, "I'll go with you, just please don't hurt them."
Butch rolled his eyes at the cliché phrasing of the princess, "Yeah, yeah…seize her!"
Two pirate members, one bull and another hyena, were swift to restrain the lioness as they escorted her down the stairs of the deck and towards the plank that led to the pirate ship.
"No!" Stan yelled in desperation.
The rest of the pirates quickly swarmed back onto their own ship as fast as they'd come leaving only Butch and the chained crew and Stan.
"Pleasure doing business with you capt'n," the orangutan chuckled before dropping the key to the chains onto the deck several meters away from Stan. The pirate then sprung back onto his own ship. the vessel took only a couple minutes before it was a good hundred meters away from the badger's boat.
Kiara, still being restrained by the two pirates, watched glumly as the distance between her and friends grew. However, to her horror, the sound of Butch's voice cut through the salty air.
"FIRE!"
Seconds later, the dozens of cannons along the ship lit to life. The deadly ordinances sent rounds and rounds of cannon balls towards Stan and his crew.
"NOO!" the princess screamed, struggling against her captors in desperation as she watched Stan's ship catch fire before it began to sink into the blue depths below. Her attempts in struggling quickly died down as her body was wracked with sobs. Stan…her friends on the crew…everyone she'd been traveling with for the past month…gone. The sound of leather boots brought Kiara out of her self-sorrow. Looking up, she gave a heated glare at the orange orangutan before her. Kiara was above all things a kind person. There were very few people she hated. Akua, for a long time had been atop the list by a fair distance…but as of right now, Butch was second…a very close second.
"I-I hate you!" the lioness spat. Her death stare was met with the amused eyes of the pirate as he gave the princess a crooked smile. No doubt, this girl was a fighter, not to mention brave. He almost felt bad about it…almost.
Laughing, the Butch sheathed his saber, "Hate me, love me, doesn't matter how you feel princess. All I know is that you're worth enough drachma to retire me."
If possible the lioness's scowl deepened as she was reminded that the sleazebag pirate had killed her friends for nothing more than money.
"Captain what do we do with her?" one of the pirates asked.
In thought for a moment, the ape stroked his chin hairs while looking the feline up and down before spotting the bag on her back.
"First, check her bag. Then check if she has any weapons or tools on her. After yer' done with that put in the holding cell and shackle her up," he ordered, all while Kiara burned holes into him with her stare. Butch then made his way off towards the opposite side of the ship, presumably where the captain's quarters resided.
Following the captain's orders, the two subordinates stripped the lioness of her bag before giving her a pat down to assure there was nothing concealed in her garments. Kiara growled in irritation as one of the captors got a little handsy before kneeing the culprit in his family jewels. The pirate, a hyena, buckled over with a yelp. His comrade, not pleased with the girl's actions, dead-legged the princess, forcing her onto her knees. Recovering from the pain, the hyena snarled viscously at Kiara before swiping her hard across the face. Kiara hissed in pain.
Seconds later, the lioness felt the damp feeling of blood drip down her left cheek. She grimaced as the metallic tasting liquid inadvertently entered her mouth. Looking up, the princess noticed that the hyena had knelt down to her face level.
"You better watch your actions ya dumb bitch! Or a cut on your pretty little face will be the least of your worries!" he threatened in an angered voice.
In answer, Kiara spat a mixture of blood and saliva —which had been collecting for the last minute—all over the hyena's enraged expression.
"Ughh!" he shrieked, clawing at his face as he tried to dislodge the substance from his eye. Kiara smirked in satisfaction. Her moment of victory was short lived however as the bull pirate swiftly booted her across the face, sending her tumbling to the wooden floor.
Kiara groaned in pain from her most recently acquired injury…she wasn't doing herself any favors.
The two crew members, their patience well at an end, then dragged her roughly across the splintery deck towards the holding cell.
Kiara's eye's widened as they approached a solid steel door with only a small window. The opening was blocked with bars that not even her lithe arms could reach through.
Unlocking the door, the bull pirate swung it open forcefully to reveal a dark room lit by a single lantern. The floor was comprised of stone tiles, most likely atop wooden floor. And several sections of the tile floor was stained red…Kiara refrained from the gruesome thoughts her imagination began to form. The walls were also plated by stone tiles. The floor was littered with bones, cloth rags, among other gruesome items. In the corner of the room were two shackles.
"This room gives me the creeps," the bull spouted towards his friend.
The hyena rolled his eyes, "Yeah, well…good thing you're not the one who's stayin' here."
Kiara taking advantage of their distraction stamped her heel down onto the hyena's left foot.
"Arggh!" he screamed as he clutched his foot in reflex, releasing his hold on the princess. Not wasting any time, Kiara spun away from the pirate and was about to sprint towards the boat's railing before a set of rough hands seized her by the tail. Yelping in pain, the lioness was yanked backwards until an iron grip closed around her neck.
The bull bandit, tired of the feline's antics, swiftly carried Kiara towards the chains, all while she struggled for breath through his choke hold. Roughly slamming the princess against the stone wall, he then secured her wrists with the cuffs before finally releasing her throat. The lioness panted in relief as she frantically refilled her lungs with oxygen. Not seconds after recovering, she looked up with a venomous growl at the two felons before her.
"You better get comfortable, cuz this is yer' home for the next two months," the hyena taunted before wincing in pain as he took a step towards the door. Both pirates exited the room shortly after. The sound of the heavy metal door slamming jolted the feline.
Kiara huffed in irritation before her ears perked up at the sound of their voices outside the door. Her feline senses more acute than most other animals, allowed her to catch the last part of the pirates' conversation.
"What's the next stop, cuz I think that capt'n said we was runnin' low on supplies," the bull asked his compatriot.
"The closest major port is Zhanjagong," the hyena faltered for a moment.
The Bull pirate was quick to respond, "I think you mean, Zhanjiang."
Smack!
"Ow!"
"Don't tell me what I know, Tucker!" the hyena snarled, as the bull massaged his now sore noggin.
"Well I can't wait…I love Chinese food," the bull continued with a chuckle. The hyena whacked the other pirate over the head once more.
Smack!
"Ow!"
Shaking his head in contempt, the hyena grumbled, "Always thinking about food."
With that, the two pirates ambled off, most likely to report to Butch, clueless that the princess had overheard them.
Hearing their footsteps gradually grow quieter, Kiara waited until she was sure they were completely gone before she began to struggle against the restraints. After several minutes of straining herself she stopped in exhaustion… it was pointless. The restraints were half-inch thick steel rings bolted into the stone wall…they wouldn't budge against a rhino, much less, a smaller than average lioness. So she sat there in the quiet, barely lit chamber. She was tired both mentally and physically, aching in pain, and emotionally distraught.
As if things couldn't have gotten worse, the dim light of her holding cell went out. Kiara sat there as she tried to think. There was something that those two pirates had mention just moments prior that was crucial information, especially to her. The pirate ship was making a port stop at Zhanjiang…why was that important? Had she been healthy and fully awake, the princess would have immediately recognized the connection. But as of the moment, she just couldn't think straight. She would have scolded herself for such a lack in composure and reason. However, with the complete shock and grief of losing Stan and the others, her mind was a tangled mess. Curling up in a fetal position, she hugged her knees as stared blankly into the darkness. Her normal spark of optimism was virtually depleted at this point. Kiara closed her eyes as several tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn't even react as the salty trails stung against the open cut on her face. It wasn't the first time during her trip that she'd regretted leaving the safety of her father's fortress back in the valley. She was out of her league here. Her father had been right…she wasn't prepared for the constant threats that continually sought her out. She was just an impetuous brat…a naïve young adult that wouldn't listen. And now, where was she? She was thousands of miles from home with no chance of rescue, incarcerated, and very much alone. Kiara was on the verge of hopelessness, at least until she heard a voice.
'Keep faith my child…you are strong...believe in yourself.'
The lioness's magenta orbs snapped open. She swiveled her head around to find the origin of the voice. It had been her mother…she was sure of it.
And as quickly as her spark of optimism had died, it was reignited with a passion.
Her gaze hardened in a look of defiance. She wasn't some nobody; she was a princess of the Egypt. She'd been faced with dozens of monumental problems before; not once had she admitted defeat…and she wasn't planning on doing so any time soon.
'Where there's a will there's a way…And where there's a chance there's always hope,' she thought resolutely.
Trying to focus, Kiara began to think over her next course of action before yawning loudly. Her thought process was foggy…and the lioness was severely lacking sleep. No matter how inspired she was, Kiara realized that trying to retain a clear line of thinking in her current state was a waste of her remaining energy and time. Deciding that she'd be more capable at forming a plan fully rested, she laid her head back against the cold tile as she closed her eyes.
"Rest in peace Stan…May Aken guide you and your crew to the Field of Reeds," she muttered, before allowing herself a much need rest.
The Valley of Peace
It was early morning. Rays of sunlight were just beginning to peak out from behind the mountains of the south-east. Normally, the golden orb would arise from behind the much higher mountain range due east. However, merely a day away from the Winter Solstice, the sun rose and set as close to the south-eastern and south-western mountains as it would all year.
Not that it mattered to Po in the least. Ever since Kai, the Dragon Warrior had maintained a schedule of punctuality that he'd abided by to the dot…for most days. There was the occasional day where he slept in later. Today was not one of those days.
Po was currently sitting in a lotus position inside the scroll room. Scroll 2003 was laid across his lap as he deciphered its text. It was over languages…dozens and dozens of different languages. He was only about five hundred scrolls away from being finished with these darn things. Shifu would probably be thrilled…especially since the Grandmaster was unaware that the Dragon Warrior had even begun to read the scrolls.
Po chuckled as he pictured the look upon his master's face when he told him he'd memorized all two-thousand something scrolls in the time the red-panda was away.
In the past few weeks he'd managed to memorize more scrolls than normal masters could manage over a lifetime. This detail seemed trivial to Po, but unbeknownst to him, that was probably his greatest gift asides from his pure heart. Not his humor, not his affinity to kung fu, not his cooking, but his absolute unnatural ability to memorize anything and everything. He'd always been able to memorize details over the most inconsequential things. It was a factor in why he'd been so good at cooking. Why he had an encyclopedic knowledge of kung fu history. And why he'd progressed so fast as a master of the martial arts.
Shifu was well aware of Po's ability and had mentioned it several times in their conversations but Po didn't think too much of it. Po was humble, very humble…but he was also quite clueless at times.
Shifu had mentioned he was a natural talent…once in a myrioi…whatever that meant.
Po had died of curiosity to find the meaning of the word. He scanned through several Mandarin dictionaries to no avail. All the Grandmaster said was that the phrase was of Greek origin. At the time, Po hadn't known what Greek meant either. However, thanks to scroll…1931...or was it…1941…whichever scroll that he'd studied over geography, he learned that Greece was a country in southern Europe bordered by the Mediterranean Sea. And Greek was most likely the language they spoke.
'Joke's on Shifu…I'll figure out the word once I reach the Greek section in this blasted scroll,' Po thought in slight satisfaction.
'It means ten-thousand…usually referring to a period of years,' Red said in a matter-of-factly tone.
"Yeah. Yeah. Be quiet Red, I'm reading," Po returned in a monotone, so engrossed in the scroll that he hadn't even registered what the voice had told him.
As the panda continued reading, he experimentally unraveled more of the parchment to see how much was left. To his utter dismay, the scroll rolled across his lap and continued to unravel until it finally stopped at the doorway…ten meters away. This scroll was taking FOREVER to finish.
It was by far the longest scroll he'd studied. Po had been reading this scroll for several days now, and he still was barely half-way done.
After finishing up on the Latin section, he decided a break was in order. Folding a crease in the parchment as a bookmark, the panda rerolled the scroll before rising to his feet. Po then set the scroll down onto the table before making his way out onto the stone patio. As he strolled through the garden area across the cool pavement, the panda headed towards the training hall to check on the others. However, much to his annoyance, there were no sounds coming from the hall to indicate the presence of his 'students'…'friends'…whatever they were at this point.
As he opened the training hall doors, his suspicion was confirmed, neither the Five nor Saber were present. Po huffed in irritation; this was getting to be ridiculous.
Rubbing his temples in contemplation, Po grumbled to himself. He'd let them off the hook two days ago since they'd all woken up with hangovers and massive headaches. Training had proven to be pointless. Heck! He even let them off yesterday just in case. But he had told all of them that training was certain for today; it wasn't negotiable.
It wasn't as if the schedule has changed…
Ever since Kai, Po had maintained the same schedule every hour of every day.
Wake up 5 AM sharp. Forgo breakfast. Train and Meditate until 7. Monday through Thursday the Five would train by themselves from 7 until 10. Afterwards they'd be given a half hour break before Po would give each of them a specific routine to work on from the next couple hours until noon. Lunch was at one o'clock. Past that, the Five were only required to complete an hour of meditation before they were given the rest of the day off until half an hour of pre-dinner sparing. The Five were given Friday through Sunday off. These were the days to rest, recover, or have personal extra training, albeit Tigress was the only one to ever do that.
This of course didn't take into account the score panel, which gave the weekly winner extra days off. Not that it really mattered, seeing as Tigress won a majority of the time and she abhorred taking time off her training…until as of recently.
Of course, Po and Shifu had compromised on several points of the schedule. At first, the shortage in training time had been a concern to the grandmaster. The initial training time in a day had gone from nearly eleven hours down to a little over five excluding meditation; virtually halving the training time. Po had argued for quality over quantity. He'd noticed that none of the Five, even Tigress, could maintain their machine-like level of concentration or intensity for any longer than intervals of approximately three hours. Thinking their efficiency in training would benefit from a change; Po dramatically shortened the training time and broke up the training into intervals of three and two hours of training with a half hour break in between.
Shifu eventually agreed to the new regimen but not without his own input. The red-panda introduced the training leaderboard to provide incentive for competition among the warriors. Although Po disliked Shifu's idea, he compromised, as the grandmaster had.
In result of this, the Five had exceeded all of Po's and Shifu's expectations in the rate of their improvement.
However, that rate had somewhat declined over the past few weeks, mainly due to the arrival of one party-loving Siberian tiger. Saber was in essence, a bounty hunter. He was skilled, no doubt. But he lacked the discipline and the motivation to train as often as the Five did. He wasn't necessarily lazy, but he definitely didn't come off as an extremely hard worker either. In fact, the tiger and his past-self bore a stunning resemblance. Saber was a party-goer and didn't take training very seriously, much like he had before. And he was a jokester and always joking about everything…much like he had before. There was one significant difference however. All that joking nature and lax attitude had been beaten out of Po, quite literally, by Kai. That experience of near death had imprinted itself on the panda, and he'd vowed to never be caught off guard again. He couldn't afford it…his friends and family couldn't afford it…China couldn't afford it.
Po chuckled wryly at this. Somehow…he didn't think Saber had ever encountered such a life-changing incident. But there were quite of few parallels…as much as he hated to admit it.
'Yeah, there are also quite a few differences as well. He's fit and muscular…your one sandwich away from fat. He's attractive and suave…you're about as charismatic as a rock. And upon his arrival, Tigress basically jumped his bones…upon yours, she broke your bones. Shall I continue?' Red listed off with too much amusement in his voice for Po's liking.
Po grunted in indignation while rolling his eyes.
"Let's not forget that Saber also doesn't have a perpetual nuisance inside his head," Po returned sharply.
'Okay! Let's not get personal,' the voice answered back in wounded tone.
Ignoring him, Po slammed the training hall doors shut, before marching off in the direction of their quarters. Normally the most pacific member of the Jade Palace, it was obvious that he had reached the threshold of his patience. Po's stomping echoed loudly throughout the courtyard as he drew closer and closer to the barracks.
'Maybe they should do this more often…I never see you this riled up,' Red quipped.
Po ignored him as he ascended the stone steps before finally passing through the entrance of the barracks. Coming to a full stop, Po cleared his throat loudly. However, he got no return from the silent dormitories that were on either side of him.
About to erupt in a loud explosion of anger, Po realized something. In his anger, he hadn't noticed the lack of noise coming from Five and Saber's rooms.
To confirm his suspicions, Po stepped over to Tigress's door, giving a firm knock on the wooden framework.
"Tigress? You in there?"
No response.
Swiftly opening the door, Po's eyes widened as he took in the sight of an empty mattress. This was strange. Quickly, Po went around to each dorm to check on the others. He got the same result in each one; empty. The sheets were made, so he concluded that they hadn't left in a rush. They weren't at the training hall or the kitchen…where the heck were they?
Confounded, his irritation began to simmer down as he entered his own room. As he made his way over to his dresser, he noticed a small note placed on the top of it that hadn't been there the night before.
Reaching down, Po snatched the paper. His eyes scanned the document thoroughly as his expression changed from dumb-founded to exasperated then back to dumb-founded again.
This must be a joke…Tigress would never agree to this. And on a training day no less!
"You've got to be shit-"
Goooong! Goooong! Goooong!
Whatever the Dragon Warrior was about to say was cut off by the alarm bells of the village down in the Valley…A bandit attack!
Po rolled his eyes. He couldn't believe his luck! On all of the days that the bandits had decided to attack it had to be today!
"No back up today…guess I'll have to go solo," the bear mumbled. Letting the paper drop from his grasp, Po bolted out of the barracks and across the grounds towards the thousand steps. He was a black and white blur as he zipped down the mountain towards the village.
Back in his room, the note that he'd dropped floated downwards slowly, before coming to a rest on the wooden planks below.
It was short note written in Tigress's hand.
It read:
Po,
Saber wanted to check out the hot-springs this morning and the others and I didn't see any harm in it. In fact, the cool weather is a perfect time for the springs. I know we have training today, but Saber told us that we need to let loose a little and even though I love training…I agree with him somewhat. Anyways, we didn't want to bother you, seeing as you've been concentrating on those scrolls for the past several days. Hopefully you find this message and nothing bad happens. I mean…the valley hasn't had a bandit attack in almost half a year. A few hours of fun in the mountain springs won't hurt.
Yours Truly,
~Tigress~
A/N: And that's the end of Chapter 8. Hopefully even though it was a shorter chapter than usual it wasn't too much of a let down. Everything in the story is beginning to take shape. Just a few more tweaks and it's gonna be crazy.
Also, Kiara is referring to her Egyptian Gods.
Aken- Custodian of the boat which ferried souls across Lily Lake to the Field of Reeds in the afterlife. He slept until he was needed by Hraf-Hef, the surly Divine Ferryman. His name only appears in the Book of the Dead.
Field of Reeds- The Egyptian paradise in the afterlife which the soul was admitted to after passing successfully through judgment and being justified by Osiris. It was a direct reflection of one's life on earth where one continued to enjoy everything as before but without sickness, disappointment, or the threat of death.
Lord Yam- He was the personification of the raging sea and greatly feared. No temples were ever raised to him but he is referenced in some manuscripts which indicate he was a concern to seafarers who may have worn amulets with his image for protection.
Hope you guys and girls look forward to the next chapter, Chapter IX: The Forgotten Warrior
Have a good one and I'll see you next time!
Frost2001 Out!