"Last I heard, Monkey King was trapped in a cavern under Sacred Mountain, only accessible through the Temple of the South Wind." Shunzang the Wise said as we stood inside the Temple of Eternal Serenity. "He should be so relieved to have someone to talk to that he will surrender his Turtle Ball without any fuss! Do not free him unless you must. I mean it."
Shunzang the Wise then brought out a sealed scroll from the sleeve of his green and gold robes and handed it to me. "Before you go, let me give you this sealed scroll. Read it only if you set Monkey King free, and only after! No sooner!"
Sliding the scroll behind my sash next to the scabbard of my black cutlass, I bowed low before turning to leave for the Santo Oro. The Temple of the South Wind was obviously in the south of Subata, and a few hours later, we had dropped anchor at the pier outside of the temple.
Ordering the men to stay aboard the Santo Oro, I walked with Temeraire on my shoulders into the temple compound, when Temeraire suddenly lifted his head up and sniffed the air. "Someone's here!"
No sooner than Temeraire had said it, a burst of electricity struck the ground near my feet, and I immediately leapt out of the way behind a nearby barrel. Drawing my pistol from my sash, I fired it in the direction of my attacker, and I saw a flicker of movement as she dodged it.
Hurrying to reload, I fired again at another flicker of movement, missing the shot, and missed a third time. By the time I finished reloading for the third time, I aimed it behind myself without looking, before Temeraire could warn me. "Not bad, Emma."
The cocky female musketeer grinned at me as she ate the Pocky stick hanging from her mouth like a toothpick, and she was wearing a magenta kimono with cherry blossom designs. "Not bad yourself, Exeter. So what're you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing." I shot back, and Emma chuckled. "Fair enough. I'm actually on vacation from pirating in Skull Island to get more Pocky. And you?"
"I'm here to see Monkey King with Temeraire here." I answered as I gestured to the black dragon on my shoulders, and Emma nodded as she began reloading her new sniper rifle. "So where's your girlfriend? Y'know, the blonde one?"
I sighed as I shook my head. "We're not involved romantically, and she's still recovering from a battle with the Clockworks."
"So I guess she's not so tough after all." Emma said, and I answered coldly, "You'd be lying in a hammock in the sickbay too if you had to fight Rooke."
Emma looked up at that as she finished reloading. "And she survived? I take back what I said before."
To make up with me even further, she offered me a stick (but only one) of chocolate Pocky, and to come with me. Since all of my companions were out of commission, I accepted the backup, and we walked up the trail to the cavern inside the Sacred Mountain.
Lighting paper lanterns sitting outside the mouth of the cave, Emma and I went inside, and I explained to her why I was here as we went deeper into the cave.
Some time later, he lights of our candles inside the lanterns then illuminated a black cage that looked like it was built from slivers of midnight, with a Monkey, different from the Monquistans, was sitting inside, wearing the robes of a martial arts student.
"Have you come to set me free?" The Monkey, presumably the one we're looking for asked excitedly. As I slowly nodded, he rubbed his hands together in satisfaction. "Excellent! I've learned my lesson and am sorry for what I did and I'm quite bored now."
"We need your Turtle Ball." Emma said bluntly, and Monkey King said with mock indignity, "You want to leave me here, trapped in a cage, while you run away with my precious Turtle Ball? How inconsiderate! Let's make a deal: I'll happily surrender my Turtle Ball if you get me out of this cage. How does that sound?"