Hello everyone. Gulefritz here with a long waited chapter Clash of Warriors. I know I have not updated this story for a very long time and I am sorry for it, but I have been busy for a very long time.
Lets get on with the show!
Tai Lung was sitting inside of the kitchen of the Jade Palace. He sighed as he stared into the distance. He thought he could stop thinking about the dragon warrior but apparently, he could not. The mere thought of the panda being the most legendary warrior in the universe made his blood boil.
But Oogways word are final in the matter. Luckily for the panda Tai Lung now has a Mongol warlord to stop, only the gods would know the fate of the panda if he didn't.
This Temujin caught Tai Lungs curiosity. How did one nomadic warrior manage to unite tribes that always fought each other and more important, how did he manage to take out King Teemutai. This war will be hard but China has withstood bigger threats in the past.
"We broke the Huns, we broke the Manchu, and now we will break the Mongols"
"You forget, the Mongols are not the Manchu nor are they the Huns"
Tai Lung looked behind to see the form of Master Shifu. He immediately nodded at his master who joined the snow leopard by the table. Shifu took an apple from the table and started eating it. He looked at the snow leopard.
"Could not sleep? The gong is not going to ring today"
The snow leopard shook his head which made the red panda raise his eyebrow, looking at him with a questioning look.
"To think you used to sleep half the day away when you were younger, I remember yelling at you just to make you wake up from your almost day long slumber"
To this Tai Lung could do nothing but laugh. It was true, when he was younger, during his first years as a student of Kung Fu, he used to sleep for a very long time. His training at early morning and his interest in the art of Kung Fu made him stop it and with time the snow leopard woke up an hour or two before sunrise.
"I had just begun training back then. My interest to Kung Fu made me wake up earlier"
To which Shifu answered.
"A miracle Kung Fu turned my lazy son into a powerful warrior"
Tai Lung raised his eyebrow at Shifu. It was the first time since he had been denied twenty years ago Shifu had in anyway praised the snow leopard. Before his denial did the panda use to say how great and powerful he was, but since the denial he had never heard him say it again. Not before now.
"A miracle, or a good teacher?"
Shifu shook his head at the snow leopard, dismissing his words.
"If I were a good teacher, Then we would not be in this situation"
To say Tai Lung was surprised would not suffice the reaction of the snow leopard. Shifu speaks up before the snow leopard has a chance to speak again.
"Do believe me when I say the same thing kept us awake this night. He is lucky at least one of us has to stop a Mongol Warlord from razing China"
"Only the gods know what would happen if we both were here"
To Tai Lungs surprise, Shifu laughed. He joined in and the two of them laughed, but only for a short period of time.
"I hope you are prepared for what is to come, Tai Lung. From what we saw the border kingdoms, led by warriors handpicked by the emperor, is not enough to stop this warlord. Do not underestimate them"
A serious look returned to the snow leopard as he nodded before Shifu.
"If I were to underestimate my enemy, then you can no longer call me your son, cause then I would have disrespected you and all you thought me"
Shifu was speechless, Tai Lung would look down upon himself as a failure if he disrespected him. Before Shifu could say anything would the snow leopard rise from the chair, give a single bow, before leaving the kitchen walking outside into the courtyard.
Outside Tai Lung found Tigress sitting on the stairs with her bag. Tai Lung grinned, ready to leave, like him she never rested.
"Please say you at least slept one hour since your defeat last night"
Tigress turned around and bowed before Tai Lung who returned the gesture.
"Packed and ready to move out"
Tai Lung nodded at her.
"good, we will leave for the Yungle pass within the hour"
True to the snow leopard's words, the group left within the hour. The remaining of the five had gathered up and were greeted by Master Shifu. All bowed before their master, who let out a few words before they left.
"You are some of the finest warriors in all of the empire. This may be so, but remember. The warlord of this enemy has taken out King Teemutai, a grandmaster. Do not underestimate this enemy"
"Yes, master Shifu"
The entire line of masters bows before Shifu before turning to the stairs, the snow leopard leading the group. They walked down the thousand stairs, and to their surprise, saw lines upon lines of villagers prepared to greet the masters as they leave the valley. Some of the villager drop flowers before the masters as they leave, handing them some bread on the way. The rest bow, before the masters as they leave.
Hours later and the six managed to cross the Thread of Hope. The sight on the other side was shocking to say the least. Lines of lines of refugees walking side by side. All the refugees were walking south, going the opposite way of Yungle.
What surprised the masters, was the views some of the refugees gave the master as they walked. All the men of fighting age and the elderly were glaring at the masters, or rather master. Whenever Tai Lung looked at one, he received a glare.
The masters stopped at a lake. They gathered a few rocks and sat down at the lake. They filled their water containers. The five looked at Tai Lung, all raising their eyebrow.
"Do you know why all the people from Thi-Dah glared at you?"
The snow leopard shrugged taking a drink from his iron cup.
"I have honestly no idea, and I do not care. A guess would be the specie of our enemy"
Mantis, who is sitting on the shoulder of the leopard, points at him with one pincer and speaks up.
"So, because these people were conquered by one who looks just like you, or were of the same species, they now have a snow leopard phobia towards you? That's lame"
"Ohh enlighten me of your experience with populations fleeing an conquering enemy"
Mantis opened his mouth about to say something, but shut it, listening to the logic of the snow leopard. The others shook their heads. Another obstacle to beat it seems.
"We will make camp here for the night. We will continue to Yungle tomorrow, better get the sleep needed before we move out"
Tai Lung looks at the others who nod at him. He turns around and walks over to a tree, sitting up against it with his arms crossed. Tigress walks over and sits beside him, both of them looking over the camp.
Meanwhile Viper looks down at the water of the lake, before looking over to Mantis and Monkey who both were looking at the water. The sun was still up, and it was a hot day after all.
"You two have the same thought as I do?"
"If you talk about Jumping into the water and cooldown? Then yes"
With that Mantis jumped straight into the lake. The golden langur could not let his friend have all the fun and jumped into the water behind him, soon followed by Viper. Crane walked out to stand at the beach of the lake.
Not more than two minutes had passed, when monkey and mantis started to throw water at each other. This annoyed both Viper and Crane who tried to relax in the water. But it was to no avail and they kept on splashing each other.
Both felines looked in the direction of the masters in the water. Tigress shook her head and looked over to the snow leopard.
"Should we join them?"
Tai Lung looked down at the four individuals swimming or playing in the water. He sighed and looked away, which made Tigress punch his shoulder.
"Ohh come on Tai Lung. When I was a child we used to go to lakes to throw water at each other"
Tai Lung turned to look at Tigress and sighed.
"Back then were we not on our way to face an enemy, back then were we on our way to Zhong-du to bring a message to the Emperor"
Tigress sighed and looked down at her swimming comrades. At times she missed the days she used with the older snow leopard. He had always been a brother to her and they had some very good moment in the past. The snow leopard used to be much more soft and happy, but with time he turned hard and only focused on Kung Fu.
Hours passed, and the sun was setting. The group made a campfire by the lake and sat around it, warming themselves around the fire. The group remained divided as before. Mantis and Monkey were telling jokes, Crane and Viper were talking about the area and Tigress were staring at the fire, accompanied by Tai Lung.
Suddenly the snow leopard raised from his spot and walked without saying a word. This surprised everyone, and Viper is the first to react.
"Tai Lung? Where are you going?"
The snow leopard stopped and turned to the group. He would point his right paw towards a nearby hill with a tree on top.
"I am going to meditate on top of that hill"
The other masters and the snow leopard walked up to the spot he pointed at. He sat down on the rock and looked at the stars, enjoying their view.
The snow leopard let out a sigh.
He didn't know why, but the leopard had been haunted by a recurring dream lately. It started with him seeing two individuals he never knew. They were both snow leopards and both looked down at him with pride. The way they smiled and embraced him could only mean one thing. Tai Lung was seeing a vision of his parent.
The next thing that happens always shocks him. He is alone with his mother who is looking down at him with a smile, when a battle cry is heard. His father rushes into the tent they are in, when he is impaled from behind with a black halberd. A giant tiger breaks into the tent with a burning torch. His mother fights the tiger but eventually looses the battle and is cut down by the tiger.
The nightmare then turns to another snow leopard. This one is running for his life, and Tai Lung knew why. Right behind the leopard there would be a raiding party, all armed with swords and bows. They gain in on the snow leopard, but he manages to dodge their arrows. The snow leopard is carrying something in his arms, something Tai Lung could make out to be a snow leopard cub.
The Snow leopard puts down the bundle near a river and runs away, yelling, distracting the band of warriors chasing him. The words he yelled send shivers down his spine.
"Ong Khan will never get him you bastards!"
The dream changed, and Tai Lung saw several different beings, but never saw their faces. He could not see who they were. He tried his best to remember but was never able to do so. He shook his head, as the dream changed again, this time to something familiar.
Snow was landing on the Jade palace. The last individual, a cat presumably from the form, put down the indigo bundle Tai Lung knew was containing a snow leopard cub. He was put down by the gate to the palace, the cat knocked on the door, and quickly left the area. The door opened, and Tai Lung saw Shifu.
This is where the dream ends, and Tai Lung usually wakes up. He did not know what to think of it. For some reason the spirits showed him how he ended up at the Jade Palace, but he did now know why. He did not the persons in the dream, and he did not know from where he originated. All he could tell was, that he lived in an area with steppes.
Tai Lung sighed and relaxed against the tree. He looked to the stars and yawned. He would have to solve the mystery some other day. For now, he had to prepare to fight an enemy who is able to conquer Kingdom's ruled by Kung Fu warriors and armies lead by Imperial veterans.
With that I end a long waited Chapter 6 of Clash of Warriors.
Tell me what you liked or disliked and what you would like to see in the future.