Hello everyone. Gulefritz here with chapter 9 of Clash of Warriors.
Hope you like it and please, tell me what you like.
An intense light shined straight into the face of a very dizzy snow leopard. The sun light just kept on shining on his nose, whiskers and eyes, irritating the giant snow cat. He makes small movement with his nose, moving his whiskers up and down. He slowly opens his eyes, looking straight up into a white roof and a pair of golden eyes looking down at him. He closes them again.
A minute passes and he suddenly feel cold, then wet. He bolts up as his body is soaked in hot water. He looks around, only to find a white tent and that he is surrounded by four female snow leopards and in front of him stands a snow leopard with a bucket, now empty.
"I see you're finally up!"
The voice is deep and rough. Tai Lung looks down at his hands and feet, finding them all tied to the bed he is lying in.
"Khan Temujin, lord of the Mongols, told me to prepare you for his meeting. These girls will give you a bath while you and I discuss a little"
The snow leopard is at least thirty or more years older than Tai Lung. He looks like an old combat veteran, scars all over his face and right arm, armed in black armor with a longsword by the belt, it has a curvier design, not seen before in China. The snow leopard appears to be blind on one eye, as a scar runs over it and the pupil is white.
"For some reason our khan has decided to spare your life. I, for one, is not surprised as he is of the Genki tribe, known to show mercy to those he defeats, those he conquers. Your lucky it is him and not Timur who is in power"
The female leopards begin to work on the tied down kung fu master. Tai Lung tries not to mind them, but it is hard as they bath every part of him, including areas below the belt. The old snow leopard grinned.
"They are all from clans subdued by the great khan. They were given a simple choice, join us or be removed from Mongolia"
The intensity of the bathing was surprising to Tai Lung. They really did clean every part of him, under the armpits, behind the ears, even his long and bushy tail.
They soon stopped bathing him and went to dry him. They did leave a blanket to cover his middle part.
Suddenly one of the girls walked out of the room and came back in, holding a pair of indigo pants in her paws. She stopped in front of the old snow leopard who nodded at her, motioning for the tied down kung fu master.
"Please, I can't show him to Temujin naked"
With that the girls giggled. The one with the pants, a big smaller than the rest of them, seemingly younger than the others, walked over to the snow leopard and started dressing him, dressing him in the same way a mother would do a small cub.
"Now, girls. Remember to replace his soaked bandages"
Tai Lung looked confused for a moment, then he remembered the battle of the pass. He had been shot and halberds had hit his body at several points. He suddenly felt how shoulders and torso hurt and his legs were rather soar.
"I see the effect of our shaman's brew is declining. Removes most pains and allows you to fight on, but when it is removed, then the pain is doubled for some time"
Tai Lung could only nod as he winced in pain as the female snow leopards removed his bandages, putting pressure on his wounds as they remove it. The areas bandaged is his shoulders, the top of his head and parts of his chest.
They worked rather quick and they form a line behind Tai Lung. The old snow leopard nods at them, allowing them to leave the tent. The old snow leopard also leaves the tent, only for him to be replaced by another snow leopard.
This snow leopard is younger than the one before, but his armor clearly shoves the difference in ranks. He is armed in black ornate armor, Tengri engraved into his armor at different points and the metal made from a more expensive material. The snow cat is also armed with a helmet with eight yak hair on top.
It didn't take long for Tai Lung to figure out, that it was Temujin standing before him.
"So, you are the warrior who kept Timur's clan from seizing the pass"
Temujin remains silent, before walking past Tai Lung, standing behind him, putting a hand onto the newly-pressed bandage on Tai Lung right shoulder.
"Explain to me why you would fight for the people, who aims to subjugate and enslave your people"
Temujin applies pressure and claws, making Tai Lung wince in pain.
"I… I don't know what you talk about… I am not one of you, not one of your savages"
Temujin removes the paw from Tai Lung's shoulder, letting out a loud sigh.
"I can see why you would see us as savages. That is what your -Son of heaven- believe of everyone non-Han people in the world. Though I will admit, some of the rumors about us are true"
Temujin runs his paw along Tai Lung throat, the snow leopard having retracted his claws, but Tai Lung knew that it could change quickly. Suddenly the snow leopard removed his paw from Tai Lung's throat and walked past him.
Tai Lung used this pause to look over the Mongol Khan. He found him odd, smaller than most of the Mongols they fought in the pass. Though he knew not to let the hide trick him. Tai Lung looked him over and found traces of muscles beneath the thick fur of the Khan.
"You've already meet by second in command, Timur. I will admit the majority of my people adore him, fight like him and think like him"
It is then that Temujin turns to Tai Lung.
"I, for one, do not fight like he does. I will only bring the wrath of Tengri onto those who deserve it. Which is why you are still alive and not in the ground"
Tai Lung remained silent as he heard what the Khan was saying. Tai Lung managed to form a sentence, the side effect of the brew still working on him.
"What did the Han people do to deserve Tengri's wrath?"
Temujin laughed at Tai Lung as if it was the funniest question he had ever heard. He removed his black gauntlet, revealing scars and that parts of his paw were without fur.
"Because they support the tyrant who did this! Because they support the tyrant who set up the Kingdom of Thi-Dah. My war is with your son of heaven, not with the people. But they are in the way of my revenge"
Temujin turns to the entrance of the tent, walking outside but turns his head back to look at Tai Lung one more time.
"You and I will speak again, very soon"
With that the Mongol Khan left the tent, leaving the Kung Fu master alone. The Khan returned to his own tent in the middle of the camp. Temujin entered the camp and there sat the snow leopard who prepared Tai Lung for him. He was looking at the corner, Temujin followed his gaze and raised an eyebrow.
Their stood Mei Xien, daughter of Zhao Xien. He didn't expect to see her here, so soon. He nodded at the snow leopard, allowing him to leave the room. When the old leopard left the room, did Temujin look at the female snow leopard.
"I did not expect to you see you back here, to soon. It has been seven days since the meeting in Thi-Dah. I assume you bring news about your father's advance"
The female snow leopard, dressed in a gray silken dress, evidently not of Manchu or Mongol design. Temujin looked it over, trying to figure out its origin, an act that made the female leopard smile at him.
"Yes, great khan. I am here to tell you my father has united the Manchu tribes and they already made great progress against the Song forces. The lands of Haixi and Jurchen joined us immediately. Our sudden attack shocked the Song commander, who has fled back to Zhong-du. He was on his way to Korea, when he send me here"
She walked over to him, swaying her hips from side to side, the gray dress hugging her body well. The color of her fur and the dress tricked him at times, making him believe both to be the same.
"I hope the news make you happy, Great Khan"
She walked past him. He inspected her and decided to simply nod at her.
"Everything is going as expected"
Mei Xien puts her paw at the entrance of the tent, looking into the Mongol camp, watching how different warriors brawled and others just enjoyed a day of rest by their campfire. She then looks in the direction of the tent with Tai Lung.
"Timur told me that you captured one of the Song emperor's Kung Fu masters, one of ours"
Temujin raised his eyebrow at this, suspicious of her intentions. He nods at her.
"We did. A snow leopard, do you know of him?"
She grinned and turned to look at the Mongol Khan.
"Aye. His name is Tai Lung. He fought my father in Manchuria, when the Song decided to throw us out of southern Manchuria. We would have wiped out the Song emperor's army, had he not called upon him. He singlehandedly took on my father's army and defeated several of his commanders"
Temujin nodded, thinking about the tale. He knew of Zhao's attempt to reach the yellow sea. Initially he had won all major battles, bringing the imperial army to their knees, when a Kung Fu master called Tai Lung joined the fray, sending the warlord back to his homeland back in northern Manchuria.
"Father fought him in single combat. It is the one battle where father lost. May I ask what your intention is with this fighter?"
The Mongol Khan simply shook his head at the female leopard.
"I got plans with him. Make him remember who his real people are"
Mei Xien looks at the Khan with a curious look, before opening her mouth to speak further.
"A bold ambition, considering my father wants his head… But we will do as you order"
Suddenly the Khans facial expression turned into a grin. He walks over to her and puts his heavy paw on her left shoulder and then moves it from her shoulder to her chin.
"I know of a couple of ways you can help me. If you are up to the challenge"
Mei Xien smiled back at the Mongol Khan, speaking very softly and lowly at the Khan.
"What might that be, Great Khan"
Suddenly Temujin simply picks her up, making her gasp in surprise. He walks into the middle of the tent, stopping right before his own bed. He rubs his nose against her chin before whispering.
"I do think you know how"
Meanwhile, Tai Lung is still lying on the bed, restricting his movement. The pain has started to die down, making his situation bearable. He focused on ways to break his bindings, pulling at them to test their durability, when he heard footsteps from in front of him.
Suddenly the leopard who waked him up re-enters the tent. Tai Lung stares at him as he enters, expecting him to say something, but nothing happens. The older leopard simply looks over him, inspecting him from top to toe, looking at his different features.
"What do you want?"
Tai Lungs speaks out in a demanding voice. The old leopard simply laughs. The old leopard suddenly speaks out.
"Where are you from?"
"Why in the world would you want to know that?"
The old leopard shrugged on his shoulders, an act that did make Tai Lung think, as the act seemed almost familiar to him.
"I am simply curious about you Tai Lung. All I know is your name"
The older snow leopard looks down at Tai Lung.
"Are you going to answer?"
The old snow leopard laughed at Tai Lungs silence.
"It is fine. We will have time to speak later anyway"
With that the older leopard left the tent, leaving Tai Lung alone in the tent.
"He seemed familiar"
Tai Lung told himself, trying to figure out where he had seen the snow leopard before. He had not fought him, as he remember all his opponents. He shook his head and lied back in the bed. He would figure out at some point, if he ever got out of this camp alive.
With that I end chapter 9. Hope you liked it, read and review.