Chapter 24 The Legend and the Son
Closing in towards the Black Mountains, Third Squad members, Qiao, Lu, and Yan, set offed in search of the legend, Pan Ah. The journey was long, and the squad decided to give the turtle cannons a break by walking with them. They can already see the mountains from afar.
"I've never been to the Black Mountains." Qiao told her comrades, "I'm so excited. I love seeing new things!"
"I'm excited about the jewel." Lu smiled, "I want a more beautiful face."
Yan laughed, "I want to dance even better than I do now." She asked Qiao, "What do you want if you had the jewel, Qiao?"
The princess pondered, "I want to be stronger, so that I can end this war and return to the East Citadel with my family." She smiled, "And it will happen. I'm sure of it."
The twins smiled at her, "That's our captain." They giggled.
Qiao laughed, "Just for now. I'm sure Pan Ah will be a much better captain." The twins giggled again.
Upon arriving at the Black Mountains, they found a large home built between two mountains. It was a white house with a red roof and the house was held up in the air by thick, durable wood. There were stairs connecting the ground to the two stories tall house and Third Squad gingerly walked up those stairs towards the front door.
Their confidence and excitement suddenly turned to hesitance as Yan timidly knocked on the door and barely any sound came out.
"Knock louder." Lu whispered.
"What if he's mean, brother?" Yan bit her lip.
"If he doesn't want to join then he doesn't have to. We're just asking him if he would." Lu explained.
"Then you knock." Yan quivered.
Humorously, Lu also knocked hesitantly where no sound came out.
Qiao wanted to giggle, but she, too, was just as nervous.
"Hey! What are you three doing?" yelled out a booming voice.
The three turned to see a very large man, possibly 6'6", with a massive muscular body. He had an unpleasant, serious face which made him seem very unfriendly. He had furrowed, thick eyebrows, a permanent scowl on his face, and a short pony tail. He seemed younger than assumed by legend, possibly in his early thirties. The man was also wearing a casual yifu and carrying two massive logs over each shoulder.
"Are you Pan Ah?" Qiao asked him.
"No. I am Pan Yu." He answered and carried the large logs upstairs, "Pan Ah is my mother."
"Oopse." Lu grinned in embarrassment, "Guess there was no Papa Pan after all."
"So, Pan Yu is the legend." Yan smiled in though then said aloud, "We have a question for you Mr. Pan. May we come in?"
He still scowled, "I guess, since you came all this way here. There is no village nearby for miles." He placed the logs with all the others and opened the door for them, "Come in."
"We're from Big Green, sir." Qiao explained, while walking inside his home.
Inside his home there were skins of wild animals mounted up on the walls. Third Squad saw tigers, bears, boars, and all other notably dangerous animals.
"Big Green?" Yu almost smiled, "What brings members of Big Green here?"
"We want to recruit you, Mr. Pan." Yan smiled, "We would be honored to have the legend join our ranks."
He finally smiled and chuckled, "That is flattering and all, but I am not the legend. The legend is sick in bed and as much as I would be honored to join Big Green, my mother needs me here."
"Oh." Lu looked so disappointed, "That's too bad."
"Yu, dear, who is there with you?" called out the sweet voice of an old woman.
"Just soldiers of Big Green. They want to recruit me." He answered.
"Ooh!" she said in glee, "Bring them here, I want to see them and thank them for all the wonderful work they do."
"Would you mind?" he asked the three.
"We would be honored to meet the legend, Pan Ah." Qiao bowed and followed Yu with Lu and Yan.
They walked into Yu's mother's room and they see the old woman in a casual red yifu and grey hair pulled into a bun. She was sitting up on her bed and she had a smiling peaceful face.
"Oh, what beautiful young women." She smiled.
"Actually, Lu is-" Yan was interrupted by Lu giving her a "let it go" gesture.
"Especially, the green eyed young lady. I remember the Emperor's son, Liang Sima Cao having eyes just like that." Ah complemented.
"Sima was my brother." Qiao replied.
"Oh! Royalty in my humble home." She stood up and bowed, "I was one of the officers under your father and your father's father." She faced her son, "Why don't you join Big Green, Yu? You always talked about it." She chuckled.
"But you need me, mother." He argued.
"Oh, I'm just fine. I just have a cold." She laughed, "These young ladies need your strength," She leaned closer to him, "and you can marry one of them."
"Mother!" he blushed, but she and the others just laughed.
Lu's eye then caught a glimpse of a white jewel that hung from the mother's neck, "Is that the jewel that grants the possessor anything they desire?"
"Oh, that silly rumor." She laughed, "It's just a family heirloom. No magic, dear." Third Squad members became disappointed, and then the mother faced Yu again, "Well, pack up, son. You must leave now so you can make it to Big Green before dark."
"But, mothe-" Yu argued but his mother raised her hand to hush him.
"You have an even bigger responsibility now. Don't worry about me. Now go get your armor and return to Big Green with these young ladies." She ordered him like a real mother.
"Yes, mother." He sighed and turned to get his armor and spear, but suddenly the ground shook as if there was an earthquake.
Qiao glanced out the window and saw the Chameleon Queen stomping towards them with High Roller riding on top of her.
"High Roller? How did he know I was here?" she snarled, "I knew that imp wouldn't keep his end of the deal."
"High Roller?" Yu gasped, and put his black armor on in record time, "Quickly! We must defend!"
The newly updated Third Squad raced out and confronted High Roller and his army.
"You said you'd stop pursuing me!" Qiao yelled.
The trickster laughed, "I just want the jewel, my sweet." He then mumbled to himself, "You'll come just a little bit later."
"You're out of luck! The jewel has no magic. It's just a jewel." Lu smirked.
The trickster scowled, "Lies. You only want the jewel for yourself! Chameleon Queen, get these pests out of the way!"
Chameleon Queen used her tongue to swipe at Third Squad, but Pan Yu, being so large and strong, managed to catch her tongue and punch it back at her. Lu, Yan, and Qiao were very impressed at his strength and Yu told them that he got it from his mother. High Roller was also very impressed by his strength and climbed down from Chameleon Queen to confront him.
"Brave soldier, why join Big Green and their futile cause when you can join an even stronger army like mine?" the trickster persuaded, "You'll have everything you've ever wanted. Riches. Land... Women. Best of all… Candy!" He held out a lollipop.
Qiao quickly looked back at Pan Yu, praying that he does not take High Roller's offer. Pan Yu stomped his massive spear to the ground and gave High Roller the most terrifying face ever made by man.
"I cannot be persuaded by corruption. I live and die by what is right and just." Yu almost shouted. The rest of Third Squad smiled and cheered for his decision. High Roller gave him a bitter face.
"Fine! CHAMELEONS, FIRE!" he shrieked out.
The chameleon tank army rolled up and began firing at Third Squad. Unfortunately, there were too many of them, and Third Squad could not dodge nor fend them off much longer. Though not lethal, the cannons bombarded them and they could not escape.
"Haha!" the trickster laughed, "Chameleon Queen, take them all prisoner." Her tongue then maneuvered towards Third Squad to capture them, but she stopped dead in her tracks when she heard a loud monstrous roar coming from Pan Yu's home. "What is that noise?" the trickster asked.
All of a sudden, a monstrous humanoid figure raged out of the house and began punching and kicking all the chameleons into the sky.
"W-Who-" Qiao stammered.
"That is my mother." Pan Yu grinned.
His mother, once a sweet tiny old woman, grew almost five times her size into a top heavy monster of a warrior. She had tiny legs but massive arms and chest and she smacked away everything in her path. High Roller, who was so terrified to the point where he lost all his color, scrambled back up on Chameleon Queen hoping that she will protect him. However, Pan Ah lifted Chameleon Queen over her head and threw her and the cowering emperor across the land and out of sight.
"Now I see why she was the legend." Lu understood.
"Thank you so much, Mrs. Pan." Yan thanked.
The old woman reverted back to her petite size, "Oh, I am glad to have helped. My dear son still has much to learn." She chuckled, "You're going to have to do a lot better if you plan on being a part of Big Green, Yu."
"I know, mother. I underestimated High Roller and his army. It'll never happen again." The son sighed and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.
Qiao bowed towards Pan Ah, "Thank you for allowing your son to join Big Green. Why don't you come with us, Mrs. Pan? We would be honored to have the legend fight for justice."
The old woman chuckled again, "Oh, I'm much too old to be in wars. My son, though lacking in skill, is a much better and reliable recruit. He will serve your cause well." She gave her son a hug, "Never underestimate your enemy, Yu. Don't let your team down."
"I won't, mother." Pan Yu assured.
The newly updated Third Squad left the Black Mountains on Turtle Cannons: Qiao rode one, Yu rode one, and the twins shared one.
Qiao, while returning to Big Green, pondered on who her final recruit would be. She glanced back at her other members and then hoped that the last member would be an animal, like in First and Second Squad. First Squad had Jumpy Ghostface and Second Squad had Golden-Eyed Husky. She wondered what kind of an animal Third Squad would have. She smiled as she imagined something fierce like a leopard, or spirited like a monkey. She looked forward towards a new member so that she could finally call her squad whole.