Chapter 26 : Odd Feeling

After being convinced by her own decision, Tigress decided to see and tell the emperor about herself agreeing to join the army. And surely that news was accepted happily by the emperor himself and the whole soldiers. And even more, the villagers in Darknest Land would be happy as well in as much as by Tigress fulfilling her destiny as the reincarnation of Khan, then without a doubt, soon greatness and glory would be theirs.

Flashback,

"Are you sure about this, Tigress?" asked the emperor as Tigress stated her decision to him. "When you decide to join us, there's no coming back."

Tigress gripped her jade necklace tightly. "I know, Your Majesty. And I'm pretty sure about this."

"We'll start attacking tomorrow. Are you ready with that too?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. I'm greatly ready."

"Including by leading the army?"

Tigress closed her eyes, making herself sure by the answer she would gave. "I will always be ready to avenge the empress' death."

The emperor smiled. He was absolutely happy because his plan had worked. By murdering his own wife, it had made Tigress feel guilty and realize that all these time her people was really needing her.

He was obviously a cunning emperor. From outside, he looked like a wise emperor. But inside, no one knows, he was as vicious as his ancestor.

The royal cremation ceremony of the empress was held on the same night when she was killed, with the whole villagers watched the funeral ceremony solemnly. After the ceremony was finished and the ashes had been scattered into the wind, Tigress headed out to the palace's backyard. As she reached there, she sat down beneath a peach tree, a tree who reminds her of The Jade Palace. But somehow she felt that The Jade Palace was no longer her home. To her, the palace where she had raised was now only a place that even wasn't important to remember.

'Tomorrow,' she thought in the silence of the night. 'Tomorrow is going to be a big day.'

And possibly, it would be the biggest day in her whole life. Or perhaps, it would be her very first biggest challenge. For the rest of her life, never before had she joined an army to attack villages, moreover as its leader. But, as a great warrior, leading soldiers wasn't a big deal to her. Besides, she was the former leader of the furious five so she had been experienced enough leading a team.

Is she going to be a bad guy now?

She brushed off that thought. It would be just a revenge to the Great Valley. In a war, you kill or be killed.

Tigress leant her back on the tree.

If only the empress was still alive, she would be unhappily finding Tigress being outside the palace in this late night. That woman was always too worried about her security.

But the empress had been gone. She would never come back. Tigress would never get affection and attention from her anymore.

Tigress clenched her fist furiously.

Those murderers must pay. The Great Valley must pay. They would never live at peace.

It was unknown how many times she had said those words on her mind.

However, right as the sun was about to rise tomorrow, she and the army would start leaving Darknest Land to The Great Valley for their first invasion. But the army wasn't planning to attack only one village. There were more villages to conquer. Soon, China would pay their mistakes, as what the emperor said to her. People out there must felt what all tigers had felt since the legendary battle between Long and Khan ended. And she would lead them.

And shortly, she would be a hero for her people, just like what the empress told her before.

"Are you really sure with the decision you just made?" someone interrupted her thought.

Tigress slightly jumped in shock. She raised her head and found Fang Zi standing before her.

"Oh. It's just you," Tigress said in relief. She wasn't expecting someone to accompany her at this moment.

"Are you mad?" suddenly the seer asked.

"Excusme?" Tigress asked. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you, Master Tigress. I've heard that you had decided to lead the attack tomorrow morning," she approached Tigress. "Is that true?"

Tigress stood up. "It is true."

"Oh, Master Tigress," the old tigress sighed in desperation. "You don't know what you are getting yourself into. This is completely not right," she aimed her walking stick towards Tigress. "You must cancel your attempt to join the army and leave this land forever."

Tigress squinted. "What is wrong with you?" she asked. "Everyone's happy with my decision. Why is it only you not?"

"Because I know what's the best for everything and everyone," she replied as touched Tigress' arm, "and what's the best for you."

Tigress groaned. "You just don't know anything, Fang Zi."

"I do know," she corrected quickly. "I do know about everything. If you kept following your way, you would have no idea how bad the damage you might cause."

"And is it worrying you?" Tigress asked again. "If it's true going to happen, then The Great Valley will deserve to get it after what they have done to us. I have to do this!" she declared firmly. "My people are really relying on me. It is my destiny to fulfill it."

"There's always a way to change one's fate."

Tigress folded her arms as she gave a challenging stare. "You don't need to tell me how? I'm not intending to change my fate."

The seer bowed her head sadly. "When you destroy a village and kill a hundreds innocent people, will it make you satisfied?"

"No."

"So what are you looking for?"

Tigress was silent for a few seconds. "I'm looking for a peace for my people."

"By a war?"

"If it's necessary."

"Please, Master Tigress. I ask you not to do this before everything's too late." The seer begged.

"Too late for what?" Tigress asked back coldly, glaring sharply at Fang Zi. "Too late for saving my people from being murdered cruelly by another assassins?! Don't you understand? I've once made a big mistake by not trusting the emperor's words and see what happened? I let assassins kill the only woman that had ever loved me." Tigress took a breath deeply before she continued. "I'm not choosing the wrong choice anymore by only sitting here, doing nothing and watching more intruders destroy us."

Fang Zi shook her head slowly. "I wasn't saying that. Just believe there's another way to save our people without involving a war. As a leader, it's your duty to find it."

"I've already found it."

"You found a wrong way."

Tigress sighed in annoyance. Discussing with this old seer wasn't helping her at all. She was tired and wanting this old tigress to get away from her. "You are the weirdest tiger I've ever seen in this land. I don't think you'll fight for our land," she turned her back. "Just go away from here, Fang Zi. And leave me alone."

"Master Tigress. Please," the seer grabbed Tigress' wrist. "Just listen to me."

"There's no more I wanna hear from you!" Tigress exclaimed as she threw her paw, pointing at herself. "Don't ever try to adjust me! I am the reincarnation of Khan! I have a power to change us and am destined to be the ruler! You're just nothing except an old weird lady! Everything you say wouldn't affect me at all. Now, I'm repeating myself ; please leave me alone!"

Fang Zi looked at Tigress for a while, surprised.

There was a silence moment.

"Alright," Fang Zi said weakly as she turned and walked limply with her walking stick. "You know, Master Tigress," the old tigress stopped for a moment. "A war cannot create a peace. And it will never can."

She continued walking away. Tigress watched her go until she was gone from her view.

"You're wrong, Fang Zi," she mumbled. "You are very wrong."

Tigress returned sat down, taking a look at her jade necklace.

She had never acted so rude towards old people before, no matter how annoying they were. But wait! She just did it to that old seer.

However, Tigress was surprisingly realizing that she herself didn't feel guilty or regret for the rudeness she just did.

This was odd, feeling she was not herself at the moment.

What's this feeling? She thought desperately.

She sensed there was no more compassion within herself, as if it was suddenly gone without leaving any mark. It had happened since she accepted the sword that Khan presented her…

…And since she willingly accepted to fulfill her destiny.

She was right. She was right. She was right.

No. Killing innocents people weren't the answer.

They weren't innocent. They're murderers.

Fang Zi just an old stupid woman. Tigress still remembered that seer asked her to leave Darknest Land when the first time they met. Now Tigress understood that Fang Zi was just afraid of something called war to repeat again. She had been trying to convince Tigress to not fulfill her destiny. But still Tigress had determined to protect her new family by fulfilling her fate. She was now believing that people out there were enemies because, as the emperor had told her, they just wanted the civility of the tiger destroyed.

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Unbeknown by her that a male tiger was watching over her with his eyes were full of hatred from a distance. He would have attacked Tigress if he got a chance but knew he would never get it. But he was always waiting the right time to get to her. At this time, what the only thing in his mind was to find a way out to get rid of Tigress from his life ... forever.

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Fang Zi didn't enter the palace and instead she went to the palace's yard, returning staring up at the same dark sky she had just seen twenty minutes ago.

"Please God." She prayed. "Please help us."