Story of the white wolf
Chapter 9
Author's note: Ok, I've just finished fixing some mistakes in my previous chapters, so I suggest you should read it again. Not much mistakes though. And if you are kind enough, please tell your friends to read this, everyone on this site only looks for a TiPo story, which saddens me. If you could, you should, OK? Now, onward with the chapter! Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Kann woke up, the sun shining on his face. He sat up, seeing Mitch practicing with his katana in the grassy plain. He stood up, grabbed his recently made sword and walked over to Mitch, leaving the sleeping Shen beneath the tree stump.
"A bit early, don't you think?" Kann asked the intensely focused tiger. Mitch snapped out of his trance.
"Oh, I didn't see you coming. You're pretty quiet for such a big wolf." He commented.
"I had to. To avoid danger and ears droppers. Well, USED to exactly." Kann said.
"I see you have a sword." Mitch switched the subject, "Do you know how to use it?" He asked.
"I just made it a few days ago." Kann said, "So, I guess, no, no I don't." Kann answered honestly.
"That's good for a new swordsman. Being honest with his ability and all. Come, I'll teach you to use it." Mitch said, motioning Kann to come stand facing him. "Listen carefully: a sword is not just a tool. It's a part of your body. You must feel it, in order to use it effectively. Or, you will lose it, and risk being killed in battle." Mitch stopped, checking at Kann. The wolf nodded in acknowledgement. "Fight me with it, and I'll teach you practically." The tiger invited Kann to attack him. Kann charged at him, swinging his sword swiftly, yet powerfully.
"You got good skills." Mitch commented. "But with many flaws." Then he knocked Kann's sword away by his katana. "Balance, Kann. If you don't have it, you'll be easily killed by a skilled swordsman, such as myself here." Mitch smirked, making Kann laugh. Kann paced over to his sword, picking it up.
"Now, put your preferred foot here, shoulders there, this here, there you go!" Said Mitch, showing Kann the right way. "Now, charge." He taunted.
Kann charged forward, with great speed and power, striking furiously. "Now that's more like it!" Mitch commented, still blocking and dodging Kann's blade. Suddenly, the blade came to fast and strong, Mitch snapped his eyes in shock, doing a quick dodge and rolled out of the way. The sword struck a nearby rock, splitting it in half.
"My God! That's some sword!" Mitch commented, still breathing heavily due to the sudden burst of the blade. "It almost splitted my head in half there." He said, still in shock.
"I didn't do it, I swear. It just suddenly struck too hard or something." Kann said.
"It? Come on, you can't be serious. I'll count it as a mistake of beginners then." Mitch said.
"I guess so." Kann said, confused at the event.
"Now, again." Mitch taunted. They practiced for a few hours. Not like the last time, nothing happened. They were resting on a stone under a tree.
"You have great potentials. Someday, you'll be a mighty warrior." Mitch commented, taking a sip of water.
"So I've been told." Kann said, making them both chuckle.
"Come on, I have more heroes like you to recruit, so I can end this stupid war and return to my love." Kann said, standing up, making Mitch stand up too.
"Your love? Oo, our wolf found love." Mitch teased. "Who is she?" He asked.
"She's a clouded leopard, pretty cute, caring and I'll keep some to myself." Kann said, "I met her while I was traveling here, on a mountain. I rescued her from exhaustion in the middle of nowhere and since then, my life has never been sweeter." Kann exclaimed, making Mitch raised a brow teasingly, making Kann laugh. " I miss her man." He expressed, turning back to his calm state.
" Then we should go, now. So we can end this quickly and have you returned to your love." Mitch said, standing up, making Kann to stand up with him. The two grabbed their sword and katana, then walked back to their camp. They found Za Shen, still asleep. Kann just rolled his eyes, making Mitch chuckle. Kann put on his black cloak, and kicked slightly at the snake. Shen woke up, not happy about the wakening. But nonetheless, he slithered back to Kann's shoulder, and the three continued their quest.
Somewhere in the northern China, imperial soldiers were resting. Each of them were exhausted, they lost all morale, due to the lost the other day. Their faces showed no hope, their limbs weak, each was sitting on the ground, resting, praying.
" We couldn't afford another lost like the other day! Our forces are at their weakest already!" Shouted a tiger, wearing imperial battle armor. He was a general of the empire. Standing in front of him, Shifu, Tigress and Po, the rest of the Five were treating the wounded. All of them looked terrible: dirt on their faces, on their clothes, their clothes were torn in some areas. Po's right arm was bandaged, Tigress's head was bandaged, and Shifu got minor scratch marks and small bruises.
" We must delay them, until Kann returns." Shifu explained, " Or else all will be lost."
" We have no time!" Shouted the general, " And my troops barely survived the last battle. Send words to the white wolf, now!" He ordered.
" He must have enough time, or he'll bring back little rescue force, that will doom this empire." Shifu reasoned, but he knew they had little chance of buying time for the wolf.
" Send words to him. Now, I don't care. He can recruit on the way here." The general refused to listen.
" Alright, if you wish." Shifu said, bowing, then him, Po and Tigress went out of the general's tent, readying the others. Shifu rushed to Zeng, his messenger goose.
" Zeng, I need you to fly and find Kann, alright? And travel with him, showing him the way here." Shifu commanded. The goose quickly nodded in acknowledgement, then took to the sky.
Po was cooking for the soldiers, along with ten more imperial cooks. Tigress and Viper was helping the wounded, while Mantis and Monkey were giving soldiers their lunch. Crane was scouting, high in the sky, and he was ordered to do whatever he can to slow them down. So the bird had led a group of elite soldiers to create a diversion the other day, drawing the enemy towards west. The bird succeeded and his men returned safely, minus a few casualties.
" Master Shifu, I've done what you asked." He reported.
" Excellent! That'll buy us a few more days." Shifu thought out loud.
Our band of heroes traveled through a jungle, heading east. They had been traveling safely since they first started, but Kann noticed many tracks on the jungle floor.
" Bandits were here." He informed his friends. Mitch nodded, clinching his katana. Shen curled up and readied to strike. The three went on, until they found an abandoned house. They went in to check it out. Suddenly, the walls and floor snapped open, revealing a small band of tigers, about 20 of them. The three quickly went into a stance, ready to strike back. One of the tigers, an old one, walked casually out of their ranks.
" What is your business here?" The old tiger asked.
" Should I tell you bandits?" Shen taunted.
" Bandits? I thought you are the bandits." The tiger said. " Boys, they're just travelers, drop your weapons." Immediately, the band put their weapons back, making the three to stand up, but not dropping their caution.
" My name is Ming. I'm the leader of these people here. Speak up your business, young warrior." The old tiger introduced.
" My name is Kann. These are my friends and comrades. The white tiger is Mitch, the black snake is Za Shen. We're recruiting heroes for the war in the north, old one. Your group seems promising." Kann said.
" How can you tell we're not just simple bandits?" The old tiger asked.
" Your stances. Each and every one of you was trained properly." Kann exclaimed.
" Very impressive. But if you don't need anything, I prefer you go now." The old tiger said.
" Actually, I have some business with you guys." Kann paused a bit, " I want to recruit your group, your FULL group, if you don't mind." Kann said.
" How do you know these of my men were not all of us?" Asked the surprised tiger.
" I can tell in your eyes. You're worrying about your whole hidden family." Kann explained, surprising even his comrades.
" Now I'm really impressed. Yes, we have our family hidden right under this house. Come, I'll show you." The old tiger motioned the three to follow him. He opened a hidden door under the floor, revealing a wooden floor, knocked three times, and suddenly, the floor dropped down, revealing a stairway. The three followed him, through a small cave, and then, at the end of the cave, there was a vass underground city, built out of stones and earth.
" I thought of this years ago, as a past time. Never thought of one day it would be a refuge for people." The old tiger explained.
" A refuge for what sir?" Mitch asked.
" The government of this empire was not as good as its emperor. They robbed these poor people out of their lands drove them out of their homes. They came to my aid, hoping to restart their lives." The old tiger explained with a sad look on his face.
" Fight for me, and I'll tell the emperor of your people's tragedies. Fight for me and I'll bring back their lands." Kann offered.
" And what if they turn away?" The tiger asked.
" They won't. You can have my word." Kann promised, there was sheer determination in his eyes, which, made the old tiger say:
" Alright. We'll fight for you." He said.
" Excellent!" Kann said. Suddenly, there were two tigers dragging a goose to the old one, their leader.
" Sir, we found this imperial messenger at the entrance. He was looking for something." One tiger said.
" Oh Kann, there you are! Shifu told me to go look for you. The battle was brutal. Our forces were outnumbered and out skilled. The Five barely escaped. We need whoever you have, now!" The goose cried out.
" Sir, how many men do you have?" Asked Kann to the old tiger.
" Three thousand trained, another one thousand trainees." The old tiger answered.
" Right." Then he turned to the goose, " take his men and travel back to Shifu. I'll come back shortly." He said to the goose, and turned to Za Shen, " I'll need your skills among them, Shen. Do you think you can handle the enemy?" Asked Kann.
" Alright, I'll do it." Shen said, a little disappointed that his best friend sent him to fight a bit early.
" Good, Zeng, lead them. Me and Mitch have some recruiting to do." Kann said, motioning Mitch to come with him, rushed to the entrance. At the entrance of the cave, Kann turned back.
" Good bye sir Ming. I'll join you shortly." Kann said to the old tiger, then joined Mitch and plunged out of the cave, rushing east for more heroes to recruit.
" See you soon, young one." The old tiger said to himself.
Author's note: I need you to tell your friends, remember that!