Be sure to read the chapter before this. Very significant.

A Deal is Made

I quietly followed Chao through the forest, making sure to keep a safe distance. I knew that he would take the mission to safe the elder's daughter. He's pretty awesome like that. I smiled to myself. How I wish I could reveal myself to him. But I can't. Once he realizes who I am, he'll drag me home. But my work is unfinished.

There, he managed to sneak in. Chao was always a pretty good master at stealth. I readjusted my grip on my staff and followed him. But when I got inside the workshop, he had disappeared. "Perfect." I muttered. Where did he go? I shook my head and started sneaking around, searching for Jiao-long. Though, in all honestly, I had no idea where I was going. The place was so huge (reasonable, with all the gorillas and elephants) that I kept running in circles.

Suddenly, I spied Chao sprint past me. Luckily, he kept going, so he didn't see me. I followed, but had to stop suddenly and hid behind a corner. I watched as he looked into a barred window and then entered a room a moment later. I continued down the hallway. Where the devil was that stupid overgrown lizard?

I jumped at the sound of a door banging around the corner. Panicking, I leaped up to the rafters, pulling my hood over my head. I looked down, and there he was: holding his head high like he was the emperor himself.

"I will speak with the soothsayer." Jiao-long told himself. "Yes….yes, he will know." He kept walking down the hallway. Silent as a ghost, I jumped from rafter to rafter after him. My first instinct was to attack, but Oogway's calming words echoed in my head. I listened, and simply followed. Jiao-long kept going until he arrived at the door Chao had walked into. My heart leapt to my throat, but it immediately went back down when I realized Chao wasn't there. Jiao-long's voice rang out.

"What is this supposed to be?" he demanded.

"Sorry." Another voice said. "That's the only language I know."

Jiao-long growled. "Very well. Take this and get it translated." A gorilla walked out of the room with a piece of paper in his hand. Curious, I followed the ape to another room. Another ape followed soon after. I listened as they argued.

"You're not translating it right!"

"Like you can read this stupid prophecy better!"

Chao skidded to a halt and hid right outside the door, listening. I pressed myself against the wall in the darkness.

"Let me see it!"

"No! I'm almost done!"

"You're not doing it right!"

"I can read perfectly fine!"

"But that stupid soothsayer wrote in a different language!"

"Why do you think Jiao-long made me the translator? I'm fluent in over a hundred languages!"

There was grumbling.

"There! Done!"

"But I still don't understand! What power? Who are the armies? What in the name of Heaven above is the Siren's Gem?"

"Who knows? But we have what we want."

"Write a second copy. If we lose this, Jiao-long will have our heads."

There was a pause.

"There, a second copy! I'll hide it."

"Don't bother. We have to get this to Master Jiao-long!"

Chao leaped up and held onto the ceiling with his claws. I held my breath, praying to the gods above that he wouldn't turn around for any reason. Two gorillas walked out, one holding a rolled up piece of paper. When they had left, Chao flipped into the room. I waited. After a minute, Chao ran out of the room and down the hall where the gorillas went. A shout echoed down the hall.

"Bring the elder's daughter to me immediately!" Jiao-long's cruel voice yelled. I glanced from the room to where the voice had come from. That room was full of books; valuable information.

"A quick peek." I whispered. I jumped down and ran into the room. I browsed through the books and opened scroll after scroll, scanning them. Nothing of real interest, until I found what was on the desk: a piece of paper with the word "Prophecy" written in Chinese and a bunch of gibberish underneath. I couldn't read it to save my life, but I couldn't think about it. A crash sounded from the hallway, and I instinctively went to investigate. I could see a gorilla blocking the door, but the window was broken. I could see Chao fighting Jiao-long in the room. A lynx and a wolf pup were in the corner. Jiao-long swiped at Chao's legs and started tugging at his sword, which was imbedded into the wall. Sensing the danger, I jumped onto the gorilla's back and slammed my fist where his skull met his neck. The ape fell to the ground. I shot through the open door and thrust my Bo staff between Chao and Jiao-long's sword, right before the blade could cut through him. Chao and Jiao-long stared at me with shock.

"Don't touch him." I snarled. I shifted my weight and swung my staff up. Jiao-long's sword went flying into the ceiling. I did a spinning back kick and my foot connected with the lizard's stomach. Jiao-long was thrown into the wall. I helped Chao to his feet.

"Take the kid and the soothsayer and run!" I ordered, pushing them towards the door. The gorilla was still out cold. "I'll hold him off, but you have to run straight to the exit!" Chao had stopped. He stared at me. I wanted to pull off my hood so badly. But I resisted.

"GO!" I shouted. I shoved Chao through the door and slammed it shut. I grabbed a broom and put it between the door handle. I'm sorry Dad. I thought. I spun around as Jiao-long stood.

"And you would be, who?" Jiao-long inquired.

"My name is Siren." I said.

Jiao-long's eyes widened. "Are you the infamous Siren's Gem?"

My eyebrow rose. "Suppose I am?"

Jiao-long suddenly bowed. "I am honored to be in your presence. But I thought the Siren's Gem would be a rock, not a person."

I stared. "A rock?" I pulled down my hood, revealing my face.

Jiao-long seemed ecstatic and nervous at the same time. "I see why you're called a Gem!" He laughed lightly. "You must sing very well, on account of the Siren part."

I rolled my eyes and decided to play along. "What do you want with me? Obviously you're knowledge of me wasn't an accident."

Jiao-long nodded. "I simply need your help. I plan to rule China myself. But I need help. My men are strong. I have plans for a new weapon. All I need is your wondrous powers on my side."

"You're going to take over China?" I repeated. "Why should I trust you?"

"Because I will make it better." Jiao-long said quickly. "I will bring this nation into a glorious new age."

It was such a load. But before I could argue, there was an explosion. The building shook and guards began shouting. A gorilla guard came to the door.

"Sir!" he panted. "The cat lit all the fireworks in the storage room! The building is going to collapse!"

"Find the cat and get him out alive." Jiao-long ordered. "Save as much supplies as you can and get out of here!" The gorilla ran off. His friend on the floor gained consciousness and ran after him. Jiao-long turned to me. "If you would come with me, please." I was suspicious, but I followed Jiao-long out the door and to safety just as the building burst into flames and collapsed. The guards had escaped already, most if not all of them carrying supplies. One guard held the lynx. I immediately rushed to him.

"Put him down!" I ordered. The guard was confused, but obeyed. I looked over the lynx's wounds. Thankfully, there were few. I was about to attend to them when the lynx grabbed my hand, panting. I shushed him. "It's ok." I whispered so no one would hear. "My name is Siren Jin."

The lynx calmed down and smiled a little. "Jien." He whispered.

"You're going to be alright." I whispered. Jien sighed and gave my hand a squeeze before drifting off to sleep.

"Is he alive?" Jiao-long's voice sounded behind me. I growled and stood.

"Yes." I said simply. "No thanks to you."

"He's the one that lit the fireworks!" a guard snapped.

"Silence!" Jiao-long ordered. "Treat the honorable Siren's Gem with respect."

I scoffed. "Honorable?"

"I still need your help." Jiao-long reminded me. "So what'll it be? Name the terms, and I will do everything in my power to obey them."

I glanced down at Jien. He had lit the fireworks. That means he must've caused a distraction for Chao and the elder's daughter to escape. So my father was safe, for now. I partially knew why Jiao-long was calling me the Siren's Gem. He knows about my gifts.

I turned back to Jiao-long. "I will help you. But I am a guest, not a prisoner. Jien here is to be kept alive and so am I. Threaten me and I blast you to dust. If I think of any other terms, you will obey them."

"Of course." Jiao-long nodded. "Anything for the Siren's Gem."

"And one more thing." I walked up and stared into his eyes. "Master Chao, of the Sacred Onyx Council, is to be left alive. You touch him, and I will kill you."

Jiao-long stared for a moment, but nodded. "Let's move out!" The guards started moving. I picked up Jien and carried him bridal style as I walked with Jiao-long.

And so, I went from Siren Jin to the Siren's Gem.