3rd chapter

Jo is given a gift at his party

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Making the Cut
Chapter 3
The Obsidian Dagger

...But the friends who are true
Are there to help through it all

Jo Dakota Crevan
X. T. G.

Gotta remember to write that down when I get back

The party was better than anything that I would have expected, especially since I hadn't expected it at all. Hours after, most of the guest had returned home for the night and only the masters and Mr. Ping remained. Sitting around the table the covert plans for the party had been revealed.

I was told they'd been planning it for weeks. Dew and Lucas had even been told in advance and kept the secret well hid. During the party, the three of us decided we'd spend tomorrow night at Lucas' house. My parents and Mr. Ping had baked the cake. And of course there had been no village with "bandit problems."

Po had played his part well. He had a very convincing performance. I was actually surprised at how well he did it. I never knew he could act so well. I had believed every word without a second thought. Taking out the map had been a nice touch.

"You know I actually tried to force a few tears when I said I had forgotten, but I wasn't able to." Po said.

"That's probably a good thing." I said. "It would have been overly dramatic." Most of the Masters laughed. My fourth slice of cake lay untouched before me. Mr. Ping was clearing away plates off the table instead of soup bowls for a change. For a second I just stared at them all without saying anything. Finally unable to restrain what I was thinking any longer I said. "I kinda hate that I believed you all had forgotten. Tonight's been great, and… I really appreciate it."

"Think nothing of it, Jo." Master Shifu said. "As it's been almost a year since you've started your training, consider it an official welcoming to our family."

"As out-of-the-ordinary a family we may be." Mantis added chuckling.

"Well thanks anyway. This night's probably been my favorite Birthday of all time."

Viper spoke giddily with excitement. "Well…. we still have one more surprise."

I smiled confused. This is just too much

What else could there possibly be?

Shifu stood up from his chair. "I'd like to present to you, your gift." He handed me a slender package wrapped in a brown paper. Each of the Five had there eyes on me. I could tell by their expressions that it had to have been something out of the ordinary. And it was. I tore open the paper letting the pieces fall on the table. When enough was removed I immediately lost my breath.

What lay in the half open package was a long knife with a jet black blade. My eyes seemed to take hold of it in a firm grip. The knife gripped back

but tighter.

It was a foot long and 8 inches of it was its blade. The blade it self was glossy as glass and just as reflective, like a black mirror. I could make out my darkened reflection in its sheen. The sharp edges were arrow-straight with a sagittate shape to match. The handle was made of jade with swirls of differing shades of green mixed together. The handle was separated from the blade by a shimmering silver hilt. With it was a leather sheath with a brass riveted belt loop.

When I finally got my breath back I said "This is amazing." Every word was plated with awe.

"It's obsidian." Shifu said. "It's known for its sharpness. Obsidian blade's edges can reach almost molecular thinness giving it a finer cut than any metal. Normally this would make the edges more fragile, but this specific blade was manufactured Saxon Zadora."

"Who's he?" I asked looking up from the blade.

I was assuming the rest of the Five, because of the occasion, held back their shocked looks they normally gave when I showed lack of what was common knowledge to them.

Shifu chuckled. "Quite possibly the greatest weapons crafter China has ever known. He's renowned for his obsidian. Obsidian is a form of igneous rock, formed from volcanoes. He settled in an area rife with it. But it's his method that makes it so amazing. His method constructing obsidian strengthens it making it as tough as any steel."

"How does he do that?" I asked transfixed by the story

"No one but he knows. And he says that he is taking that secret to his grave."

I looked back at the knife. Obsidian that was tough as steel. I felt like I was holding a piece of history in my paws

"That reminds me," Shifu said producing a small bag from his robe pocket. Several coins jingled inside. He handed it to Po. "Po, I need you to take the payment to Saxon. He's in the village tonight."

"Yes, Master." Po said rising from his seat.

As Po walked toward the door, I got up and followed him.

"Mind if I come? I'd like to meet the guy that made such an awesome knife."

Po thought for a second. I hadn't thought it was a question that required much thinking.

He gave a glance at Master Shifu who nodded. "I guess it would be ok." He said pulling on a large black robe I'd never seen him wear before. From inside it he pulled something out. "Here put this on"

He threw me a black garment. Then I realized it was a cloak cape. It looked more like an evening cape that women wore. When I put it on it only reached my wrist but covered a good deal of my torso.

"May I ask why?" I said fastening it around my neck.

Po said "He's at a shady part of the village. Best to stay incognito."

When we left the noodle shop we walked down a street near the edge of town. It was a street I couldn't ever recall going down before in all my years of living in the village. I could see what Po meant about "shady." I pulled the cape more closely around me. In the back of my mind I remembered how Tai Lung met thugs in a slum section of the town. I wondered if we were standing in the same vicinity.

Just because we were the Valley of Peace didn't mean we were always peaceful

"This is the place" Po said stopping.

I looked up and saw the building was a tavern. A sign above the door read "A Nice Mug". I didn't feel like telling Po I had never been in one before. I didn't want him to think I couldn't handle it. We walked through the open door. The air inside smelled of smoke and olives. A number of tables were spread throughout the space and a row of booths lined the wall. There were only about 5 groups of people sitting at every few tables. The place was far from filled but busy enough with buyers. A heavyset boar was cleaning mugs behind the bar. At the entrance of two new customers he said "What can I get for you fellows?"

"Nothing for us." Po said. "We're looking for Saxon Zadora."

"Right over there." he said pointing to a table near the center of the room.

I wasn't sure if what I was seeing was what I thought. He was an albino raccoon. His fur, what usually would have been a dark gray, was instead a gray so pale if it were any paler it would have bordered on the color of snow. His brick-colored robe was actually a large sleeved shirt that only went to his hip where it met the waist line of his pants, the same color. His tail grazing the floor gave an occasional twitch. He wore black wrist bands lined with silver spikes and a single hematite ring on his right ring finger. There was no doubt, he looked pretty tough. Being a weapons maker wasn't too much of a stretch.

He was staring at the bottom of his mug with his feet propped up on the table.

"Hello, Saxon." Po said once we were at the table.

The raccoon looked up from his mug. "Po, Almost didn't see you there." he said taking his feet down off the table. "What brings you here?" I hadn't expected him to sound so cordial.

"Master Shifu said you'd be in the village tonight. I wanted to find you to give you the money for the knife for Jo here." He made a gesture to me.

Saxon nodded smiling a look of appeasement. "So this is the little dagger they call 'The Next Dragon Warrior' eh?"

I nodded a little hesitant. I was almost worried to form words in front of him. He seemed pretty nice but I was still transfixed by his rough and rugged appearance.

"I hope you like it. That obsidian is something special. It's probably my finest piece of work yet. I guarantee you, even the devil will flee from this dagger."

"I think it's really awesome Mr. Zadora." I wish I had something better to say.

"Kid," He said placing his mug down on the table. For a split second I was worried. "You're officially one of my customers now. Call me Saxon."

"Then thank you, Saxon."

Po pulled out the pouch of money. "How much do we owe you for the knife?"

Saxon gave a pondering look. "Since it's the shaver's Birthday I'll give it a discount."

"Oh that's not necessary, Saxon." Po said holding up his paws.

"Don't be ludicrous. Shifu and I go way back. I sold him his first weapon back when he was one of Oogway's three."

Po smiled. "Well, only because you insisted."

After he gave him the money we said our goodbyes and left for the Jade Palace. The others had probably left for there by now.

While we were walking I asked "What did he mean when he said 'Oogway's three'?"

"'bout thirty years ago Shifu began his training with Master Oogway with two other students."

"Oh. I've never heard him talk about that before."

"I don't know why but Shifu doesn't talk about his past much."

Shifu rarely ever said anything about his early years of training. I knew he had been a student of Oogway since he was young, but that was about the extent of it. I wondered what kept Shifu from talking about it.

Once we climbed the steps and walked to the bunkhouse, we both retired for the night.

"Hope you're Birthday was one to remember." Po said.

"It was. And thanks again."

Po held out his hand.

"Slap it"

"Fell the thunda"

"Skadoosh!"

He scooped me up into one of his bear hugs and then went to turn in.

I walked to my room and closed the door. I took the dagger out of my pocket and placed it still in it wrapping on my night stand. It was too precious to use.

I lied down between the soft sheets of my bed. I was still smiling when I fell asleep.

Best. Birthday. Ever!

A gift? For moi?
What is it?

A review! How did you know it was what I wanted?