Hello everyone, Gulefritz with chapter 4 of Clash of Warriors.
I know this story can be a little confusing. It hold several important persons who are not part of the KFP universe, like Tamerlane and Temujin, several important places like Thi-Dah and I tell you now, there are more to come. More leaders, more places and more armies to be slaughtered.
With time will these things be explained. Parts of Temujin's past will be a part of a later chapter, where we get to know from where this snow leopard originated from and why he hated King Temutai of Thi-Dah.
But for now, we are only at chapter 4, The Dragon Scroll.
Tai Lung let out a loud growl. Today was the day the legendary Dragon Warrior is to be chosen in a tournament, and he was not allowed to join in on the tournament. He had trained broken bones and studied all the scrolls of Kung Fu for years, trained to be the Dragon Warrior, but he was denied.
It was early morning. The gong had not rang yet and would not for the next hour. Tai Lung was walking inside the training hall. The workers had emptied it the night before, setting up the course in the courtyard instead. Oogway wanted the entire valley to see who this legendary warrior was.
The only thing to remain within the hall would be the training dummy. Tai Lung gave it a look. He had not seen or touched the dummy for decades now. He walked up the dummy and looked it over. He remembered back when he was a cub and hit it for the first time. He had hit it, dodged and then kicked it in the middle, sending it flying backwards.
"Shifu saw potential in me that day… he saw the dragon warrior in me… yet I failed him"
Tai Lung lets out a loud growl. He strikes the dummy with his right paw, slamming it into the ground. He keeps on hitting the dummy, sending it flying only to leap after it and punch it again. He did not really use any techniques, but rather used brute force on it. He kept on hitting the dummy getting into a frenzy.
Tai Lung snapped to the side as he felt a paw touch his right shoulder, it was Oogway. Oogway looked at the snow leopard with a concerned look. He would give the snow leopard a smile.
"Going back to basics are we, Tai Lung? Did not expect to see you hit the dummy again"
Tai Lung let out a loud sigh. Of all the people, Oogway was the last one he wanted to see right now. He looked at the turtle, trying to figure out a way to explain the situation, but he never got to that.
"You are strong Tai Lung, stronger than most your age, has always been. You mastered those scrolls with speed I have never in my life seen before. But you are not doing it for the right reason"
Tai Lung looks away for a moment, thinking about Oogways words. He turns to speak but finds the turtle to be gone. Damn, for a turtle he sure knows a trick or two to vanish in a second. He let out one last sigh before heading to the kitchen. The gong would ring in half an hour, and it was his turn to make breakfast this time.
Fourty later, the furious five, Shifu, Oogway and Tai Lung was in the kitchen, eating rice or fruit. The snow leopard would be sitting with an apple, not listening to Shifu's instructions, all he can think about is who of these five will be the dragon warrior, and how good this apple tasted.
"Tai Lung?"
The snow leopard shook his head as he heard Shifu mention his name. He looked away from the apple and over at the red panda. He noticed everyone else at the table was looking at him.
"I apologize Master, I drifted away, what did you say?"
Shifu let out a sigh as he looked at the snow leopard. Great another lecture by Shifu.
"A student should always listen when his master is speaking. I said you will open up the gates when the tournament arrive and afterwards stand by Oogways side by the gong. The masters will look from the balcony and the village surround you all in the courtyard. Am I understood?"
Everyone, Tai Lung included, nodded at Shifu. Satisfied the red panda went back to his tea, drinking the hot content when it has cooled down sufficiently.
Hours later and the palace workers are done setting up the course the furious five will go through. The pigs watch on as everything they had set up was working perfectly. If it did not, would they feel master Shifu's legendary wrath.
They had finished just in time for the masters of the palace to make their way outside. Chattering can be heard from outside. Shifu inspected the training course before turning to his students.
"Alright everyone at your posts. Tai Lung, go and open up for the people"
The students nodded. Tai Lung walked over to the gate. He sighed and grabbed the rings of the door. Here we go. He pulled the doors open and there stood several pigs, ducks and sheep all cheering as they saw the snow leopard.
"Guess you all are ready to see who the dragon warrior is"
The entire crowd went wild, all ecstatic, all wanting to see who the warrior would be. No one had been named one for a thousand years. Tai Lung could not help but give them one last smile.
"Well, come on it. We begin in thirty minutes"
Meanwhile down in Mr. Pings noodle shop. Po is cleaning the dishes and tables, talking with his father.
"Where is everyone?"
Mr. Ping looked at his son. He pointed at two ducks who were setting up a poster of the furious five and Tai Lung. It immediately caught the attention of the panda. He loved Kung Fu after all.
"Master Oogway is going to make someone Dragon warrior"
Po gasped.
"What! Oogway is naming the legendary dragon warrior. I better go, see ya later dad!"
The panda stormed forward. Ping was not even able to stop him. He saw as his son stormed up the stairs and smiled. Children.
Po was storming up the stairs, but after getting fifty steps would begin to get tired.
"How… many… steps… are there!"
"it is called the thousand steppes for a reason Po"
Ling, a rabbit, called it out to Po as he passed the Panda who was sitting on the stairs. He sighed as he looked after Ling.
"I know that, just thought it was… an estimate"
Po would continue his way up the stairs. He reached half way and almost collapsed. Meanwhile several rabbits and ducks walked by.
"Hi Po, I will make sure to get you a souvenir"
One of the pigs yelled out as he passed the tired panda. He and his friends laughed at the panda as they walked up the stairs. Po's right hand turned into a fist.
"No, I will get me a souvenir"
After what seemed endless stairs, Po reached the top. He lies on the ground and shot his fist into the hand.
"Woo! Made it!"
As if on que, the doors of the jade palace closed. Po saw as a snow leopard closed the door. It was not before the door was closed he figured who it was.
"Oh my god! I just saw Tai Lung. Tai lung closed the door. Wait a minute"
Po got on his legs and stormed to the gate.
"Wait, Wait! Open the door!"
The cheering crowd inside overheard Po's yelling. This could not be happening.
"No! I must see who the dragon warrior is!"
Po looked to the side and saw a chair and lots of fireworks, most likely planned for the festival when the warrior is picked. Po got an idea, an idiotic one, but an idea.
Meanwhile inside the courtyard. Tai Lung had taken his place next to Oogway. A ping rang the gong and the crowd went silent. Shifu walked forward and announced himself to the citizens.
"Villagers of the Valley of Peace! The heavenly Emperor Aizong has called your defenders into action. Oogway has seen this as a sign, this is the day the dragon warrior will be chosen. Let the tournament begin"
With that Shifu slammed the ground with an ceremonial stick and the crowd went ecstatic.
"Who but the masters of the Jade Palace can face the Swinging clubs of oblivion? Tigress, show the people!"
Tai Lung looked as Tigress bowed and jumped onto spinning serpents. He thought back to that time they spoke together twenty years ago. He had taught her how to deal a punch properly. He had aided Shifu in raising her and aided her with her training. She had gotten far, obviously the strongest of the five.
He raised his paw and caught a splinter send his way. Tai Lung watched as Tigress paw broke through the club and flew into the distance. He followed it and saw it hit someone. Tai Lung looked at Oogway who was smiling at him. Who was that? Tai lung shook his head and looked back on the course. This time it was Vipers turn on the field of fiery doom.
"You do not wish to miss this, trust me"
Tai Lung grinned. Shifu sounded like a seller. The citizens looked on amazed as the Master of viper style almost without effort dodged every flame shot out of the many tubes. She jumped high into the air as the entire field turned ablaze.
He remembered the first time he went through that course. His fur was black from burning wounds for weaks. A way to remind him of his failure, Shifu told him. He was right, each time Tai Lung learned from his mistake, and with time, he mastered the field, just as he mastered everything else.
Boom!
A loud explosion sends out a sound higher than all other sounds. Fireworks fly and lit up the sky with several colors of green, red, blue and gold. Tai Lung looks at Oogway who nodded at him. He raised his paw and a pig hit a drum. Shifu looked at the turtle and his widened.
"Citizens of the Valley of Peace, Master Oogway has picked the warrior"
The five gathered in the courtyard. The old turtle walked down the stairs, while Tai lung stayed back. Many thoughts went through the snow leopards head.
"It is time, time to see who is superior to me in strength, wait what is that?"
Tai Lung looks into the air. A flying chair is plummeting toward the ground, Tai Lung gets ready to react but it happens before he can do anything. Oogway walks towards Tigress, when the flying chair slams into the ground just in front of Oogway. In it is a panda. It is the one Tigress hit earlier!
Po shook his head. He looked up and saw a pointing claw at him. He shook his head again and saw it was master Oogway. "Shit! Master Oogway is pointing at me. Why me of all people?"
Po rises from the ground.
"Sorry Grand master Oogway, all I wanted was to see who the Dragon Warrior is"
The old turtle would smile and lets out a laugh, his claw had followed the panda as he got up.
"Hmm, how interesting"
Po looked at the claw and raised his eyebrow. He immediately walked from side to side, watching the old masters hand follow the panda. Master Shifu is rushing to the turtle.
"Me?" Po asks.
"Him?" Shifu asks confused and in disbelief.
"Him!" Tai lung is thinking with his hands in fists.
"Him" Oogway finally says, smiling at the panda.
A pig rings the gong and four ducks walk out with a carriage, the crowd goes wild. They would push Po into it and tries lifting the Panda but all fails. Four pigs turn up and raises the carriage, carrying the Panda off into the Jade Palace.
Tai Lung would be feeling a mixture of anger and shock. The title of dragon warrior, legendary warrior of Kung fu, is given not to a master of kung fu, but a big fat panda! Is he mad, how can he see that panda as the legendary warrior. The one who would defeat Temujin, is a Panda.
Tai Lung look on with a shocked expression. He shared a look with Shifu who himself looked just as surprised but shook it off, a student should its master. Shifu slammed his staff into the ground catching the attention of the villagers and students.
"As you can see, the universe has shown to Master Oogway who the dragon warrior is. With that, we end the tournament"
Shifu looked down at his student. They looked down on the ground, all shocked to have been beaten by a panda. Tigress looks up and speaks up.
"We are sorry to have failed you Master Shifu"
Shifu shook his head at her as he turned to look at the Jade Palace, motioning his students to follow him.
"If he is still here by sundown, then I have failed you"
With that I end chapter 4 of Clash of Warriors. Read and review, tell me what you liked or hated or anything else. Until next time, cya.