Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda or the lot. If I did, I wouldn't be working my ass off to find another company to do research on.
Would definitely like to thank the most amazing beta ever! Luna for helping me with this.
170th month
The first strike is essential. It marks the way you strike. It shows how vigilant and alert you are in a battle, a way to intimidate your opponent; a way to kill first. Initiative attack, however, can be a double edged sword. Your first strike might be your last or it could be the first move to attack. What more do you intend to do?
"Don't, and never, underestimate your opponent," I remembered my master's words precisely. Master…master…Master Shifu!
A thunderous roar shook the carnivorous cave with such force that a few pebbles and dust from the high stalactite fell upon my head. I looked up and saw nothing.
"What was that?" I murmured to myself. Someone is in pain… I sense it…
A horrible thought entered my mind but I berated with myself that it wasn't what I thought at all. With everything that had happened during my fourteen years of imprisonment, many horrible thoughts had entered my mind without a single remorse for each of them. These rhinos would kill each other if necessarily. The once ganged up on one guy over the theft of a beloved spear.
The last I saw of him? He was manning over the manual elevator, which is the only accessible exit out of here. But now, this voice, could it be?
No! I growled loudly under my shell that pierced my nerves. I will not let them do this. My anger was surging through my head; anger, hatred, non self-pity, everything that had any elements of angst in it.
"Get away from him!" I suddenly let out a raspy roar but enough to be heard through the whole prison. My voice faded in the distance as it echoed while nobody answered my sudden cry. Once again, I was being labeled as a lunatic; a dumb idiot who has no sense of rightful judgment and a useless Dragon Warrior! A worthless…
"Kitty!"
I heard the voice, the voice that I hated the most. The one voice that belongs to and the first victim that I will disembowel once my claws are free from these manacles. Free…
Without warning a few hooves were pounding on the pathway; this time, not one, but a whole lot of them, perhaps three or more. With my sensitive hearing, I was able to pick up another audible sound, of a person being dragged, a panting soul that was out of breath and on the verge of dying.
"Look at me!" Vachir punched on my cheeks without remorse.
I didn't obey, nor did I want to give him the pleasure of knowing that I was still afraid of him. No, I was not scared of him, will never be, not in this life or any other astral planes in heaven. I will never obey his whim.
Vachir circled around me once until he reached over to my abused tail and finally, back to my front again.
"He's been treating you well, I presume?" he stifled a chuckle, a laugh that sent shivers down my spine. I didn't answer or move at all, head still hanging low as my chest started to heave. I was inwardly raging, but I couldn't vent out my displeasure towards anything.
"Listen to me!" he punched my face once more.
I gave him a death glare upon his actions. My burning desire to kill him was a blaze in my eyes and if I could, I would have killed him right then and there…but I couldn't.
He suddenly pushed a body in front of me and it took me by surprise. A few seconds parted between us and soon enough, I was able to recognize who it was and I had wished that I didn't. It was Swee Hoong.
For the first time, over the past years being kept here in this prison, I was genuinely worried for the poor soldier. He was bleeding from head to toe and blood was trickling down his maw like a waterfall. A few gashes were seen along his shoulders and his armor was stripped away from him, leaving the soldier completely unprotected.
I squinted my flaming eyes and asked a stupid question that I shouldn't have even asked, nor had the right to ask at all: "Why?"
Vachir looked down on me and didn't say a word. However, his silence wasn't a long sensation towards me. "Why, you ask?" he rebukes. "Because he befriended the prisoner, that's why."
He grabbed on the back of Swee Hoong's neck and shoved him into my face. I could feel the mixture of blood and sweat combined together as it touched my spotted fur. Vachir pushed the body even harder now towards my face and I had to close my eyes so nothing dangerous will gouge my eyes out.
A weird action had happened later on that took me completely by surprise. The soldier slowly moved his jaws towards me. Both our mouths were connected with each other without warning and I felt his tongue running down across my lips like a wet cloth. He was trying to kiss me?! At this point?!
However, I was wrong in my deduction. Before moving away, he muttered an extremely low breath that only my high pitched feline ears was able to distinguish the familiar gravel voice.
"Open up…please…"
I weighed my options quickly as it only takes a whole total of two seconds to get this done and I made the right choice after all: I opened my mouth, allowing entry through his tongue to move over towards mine. As I tasted his saliva over mine, something was pushed into my awaiting mouth with his warm tongue. It moved over to mine and something was revealed under the act and I accepted it without delay and…he was thrown apart from me after the quick kiss.
His body landed on the ground with a sickening thud as his heavy body was over taken by gravity itself, laying lifelessly over the edge and Vachir just laughed as if he had done a good deed, proud of his actions.
"Kitty, you have it far too easy during my leave," he paused a few moments and lifted my chin up. My face had a tinge of red from Swee Hoong's blood which Vachir wiped away with his hoof, mock-tenderly. "We will play again after I'm done with a little paperwork. Your master is such a persistent little guy, isn't he?"
He spat at me with displeasure and commanded his soldiers to take away the rotten body of my friend.
Yes…a friend. My eyes darted towards him. A friend during my stay over here, a fantastic friend. I will never forget you.
They dragged his body, leaving a trail off blood in his unconscious wake of unpleasantness. This was an impasse and everything that ever happened in here, will only be won by him alone. Fighting is futile, even with inside information, it was useless.
I felt my tongue once again and spitted out the object that was handed in to me during the undesirable kiss.
A reed.
It was long and flexible but damp as well from my saliva. The edge of the leaf was hard enough to pick through something and my mind started to reel in the many possibilities of having that added advantage.
A key…I tried to figure out a plan, anything at all that could put a simple object like this into a big task that enables me to break free from here. Maybe… I had a plan, but, it might not work. At this point on, nothing seemed impossible. Either I tried, or die trying. One way or the other, I will escape from here.
Swee Hoong, I'm sorry and thank you, for your company.
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Okay... this is the end of this chapter while the next chapter is going to be on delay. The number of assignments this semester in college is up to my head level and I can barely breath out. Please don't flame on me for this... Thanks to all readers for reading this small fic! Your reviews are greatly appreciated! So... R & R if possible!
