The Way Back
Chapter 8- The Wu-Ben Nectar
Sorry it's been an entire week since a chapter, I've just had a lot to do recently. To make up for it I'm also working on a one shot which will be released soon.
Po nervously made his way through the bustling crowd, he wasn't used to being in a crowd this huge...to be honest he hadn't been in any kind of crowd for a while, after shutting himself away in a room for two years it made him nervous.
He fought and pushed his way through until he reached some carts that looked like they held what he needed, he consulted the list again.
"I just need saltpeter, I have everything else", the scroll also had a map for him to look at when he actually got to the Forest of Thundering Winds.
He walked up to the nearest stall which had a small female antelope running it, "Hello ma'm" he said cheerfully.
The antelope looked at him, after taking in his appearance she gasped.
Po kept his cheerful expression "So you haven't ever seen a panda around?".
The antelope blushed "I'm sorry sir, to the tell the truth I haven't".
Po waved it off "Don't worry I'm one of a kind anyway".
The antelope smiled nervously "What do you need sir?".
"I need 100 grams of saltpeter, if you have it of course".
She checked her stock list which confirmed that she did, "I sure do, that'll be 20 Juan".
Po gave her the money "It's lucky it's so cheap, that was nearly the last of my money" he chuckled.
He bid the antelope a good day and went towards the docks to rent a boat, he counted what was left of the money Mantis had given him, "Hmmm, I have 50 Juan left to get a boat that can safely travel for a day".
Po smirked in amusement "There's no way I'm going to get a good mode of transport, Tigress why is it when I'm so close to the end that things have to get more complicated?".
He put the saltpeter into the bag he had also bought with all the other materials that were needed. Po had bought a compass so he could find east and he had packed some emergency foods just in case.
He threw the bag onto his back and made his way to the dock.
He found a semi-decent looking one which cost 70 Juan, he managed to haggle the owner to let him use it for 50.
"Hmmm, it's nearly dark. I'll leave first thing tomorrow" Po thought, his clutched his stomach when it started to rumble.
"OK buddy, we'll find an inn and get some food" Po looked up and saw a young goose looking up at him strangely.
"Hey mister" said the goose confidently, Po just stared at him "Yeah" he said finally.
"Were you just talking to your stomach?" he asked while pointing at Po's large gut.
Po blushed "...Yes" he said simply before quickly walking off.
He managed to find a room for the night, Po to his joy didn't have any kind of nightmare,"That's two night in a row, it must be because I feel like I'm nearly at the end" he reflected. Po thanked and paid the innkeeper, he walked outside and breathed in the cool morning air, it was early morning, Po had got up this early just so he could leave quicker.
Po set off as soon as he could, both times when he had traveled to Gongmen he had watched the five take charge of the boat and he had paid attention just in case he ever needed to, on reflection this was a good idea.
The sea was calm on his journey to the Forest which Po was thankful for, the last thing he needed was a storm at sea.
The day was uneventful, Po mostly just looked into the horizon and occasionally steered the ship when it went off course.
After an entire day of this... Po was glad to spot the Forest in the distance, he squinted to try and confirm that it was indeed the place.
"Well it definitely lives up to it's name" Po thought gloomily, as he got closer he could hear a unearthly roar coming from the Forest, at first it sounded like a demon but Po realized that it was a gale.
Oddly enough the wind didn't push Po's small boat away, it was almost as if the wind was almost... beckoning him towards it.
Po brushed off these creepy thoughts and slowed down the craft as he got closer to the island.
He stopped the boat carefully at a reasonable distance, Po climbed on top of the boats cabin and got a good look at his surroundings. The island looked pretty average, in fact if Po hadn't heard the wind then he might of just ignored the place. The forest was situated on top of the hill, it was a steep climb and Po dreaded it...not because of the climb itself but because of Po's innate laziness protesting widly.
Po climbed back down and sealed the back making sure that nothing would spill out of it or that he wouldn't get any water in it, he tied a rope around it and to his leg.
Po was about forty feet away from the shore, he dived into the water and swam towards land.
He gasped with relief upon reaching the island, he dragged himself further up the beach and looked towards the boat, it was still there...but it was going to be difficult to get back to it.
Po sighed and undid the rope, he stood up, put the bag on his back and started to make his way towards the forest.
The evening sun bore itself onto Po's neck, sweat dripped off of him and every step was heavy and tiresome.
He took a break when he was about halfway up, annoyingly he hadn't brought any water with him. Po took the pack off him and took in the view.
Po gasped. It was breathtaking, the sun reflected beautifully off of the ocean and cast everything in a pinkish hue.
Po stood for a good ten minutes looking at the gorgeous scenery before picking his bag back up and continuing on wards.
It was nightfall by the time he had reached the top, Po collapsed to the ground and fist pumped the air "Yeah...t-take that... n-nature...you can't beat me...I- I'm the Dragon Warrior!" he huffed.
Po got up and looked at the entrance to the forest, it was dark and an eerie silence poured out of it.
He gulped nervously, an image of the Tigress in his nightmare flashed in his mind and then Po found his courage, he walked into the forest.
The forest was dense, this coupled with the darkness of the night made sure that Po could hardly see two feet in front of him, he stumbled over branches a few times.
The shrubbery just seemed endless, it felt like Po was in an inescapable maze.
Po suddenly stepped out into a clearing, he gasped as a wave of fresh air hit him, he gulped it down greedily and took note of his new surroundings, he was in a small area which was free of trees, he looked to his left and saw a small riverbed flowing freely, the ground was coated in a thin layer of grass and the moonlight illuminated a pedestal in the center.
On top of the pedestal was th- "The nectar!" Po exclaimed, he dashed over to it.
Indeed on top of the pedestal was the nectar in all of it's glory, as the Soothsayer had said it was a bright pink color which made it contrast beautifully with the moonlight highlighting it, Po almost felt bad about taking it.
Although something seemed off to Po, "I thought it was supposed to grow near riverbeds" said Po out loud..again.
Po shrugged off his concern, it just didn't seem important when compared to his find.
Po took off his pack and emptied it onto the ground, all of the materials spilled out indiscriminately.
Po gathered all of the materials he needed.
He set the mortar and pestle down next to a bowl which he would put the finished in.
Po delicately took the flower off of the pedestal "I wonder how it stayed alive so long?" he wondered aloud.
Po started to mix everything together, it was a lengthy process which took Po all of the alchemical skills that he had acquired over the past two years, within an hour it was finished.
Po gazed upon it, in the bowl lay a bright pink fluid which glowed brilliantly.
Po took out the scroll that he had gotten from the Soothsayer to see what he had to do with it.
"Hmmm, it seems I have to drink it" he summarized, The Dragon Warrior put the scroll down, hesitantly picked the bowl up and smelt it.
Po recoiled at it's atrocious smell and held the bowl out at arms length.
He sighed and lifted it to his mouth, with his free hand he pinched his nose to get rid of the worst of the taste. He felt the mixture slide down his throat.
Immediately, his insides started writhing as though he'd just swallowed live snakes - doubled up, he wondered whether he was going to be sick - then a burning sensation spread rapidly form his stomach to the very ends of his fingers and toes - next, bringing him gasping to all fours, came to a horrible melting feeling, he could feel power surging through him.
Po groaned in agony, "This is too much, I'm going to die if it doesn't stop".
Po tried to stand up by grasping the pedestal but he broke it with his bare hands, he gasped and looked at his unnaturally strong hands.
Po went into his inner peace stance to try and calm the raging war inside of him, as he got further into his movements the pain started to dull down a bit, when both came to a stop he breathed deeply and observed himself.
"I'M KING OF THE WORLD" he yelled happily, his voice reverberated throughout the forest.
"This power is incredible, I can take on any opponent, defeat any challenge" he got a hold of himself.
"No I can't dawdle, I can already feel it starting to fade".
"I'll go back to the Valley first so I can say goodbye to everyone then I'm on my way".
Po focused the nectar's power within himself and let the floodgates of his chi loose.
He felt himself start to disintegrate, leaves were rising around him because of the raw power within The Dragon Warrior.
After he had completely disappeared the leaves fell back down to the ground.