I'd like to thank my reviewers first of all. Since I last posted a chapter, my email notification hasn't told me I received new reviews but upon realizing that I have, I was motivated to hustle and finish this chapter. Here I introduce my OC and I hope that's not a turn off. I worked really hard to make her a good character because I'm deathly terrified of creating a Mary-Sue. It's to the point that if you think she's Sueish, tell me nice and slow-like or I might trip out.
I'm also trying to go with writing only one character POV per chapter so I hope that's alright. Gonna work really hard to keep a consistent update schedule. Sometimes I get lazy.
Anyway, enjoy, and I apologize in advance for the incredibly lame puns.
Summary: The paths Shen took in the past seem only to lead deeper into darkness. But through the eyes of those who have woven themselves into his life, a new story unfolds-one leading away from old misery and guilt-that may yet bring him redemption. Slight AU. Chapter 3-A new face is introduced.
Chapter 3
Min.
Min was huddled at one of the fires in the cavern when the first shouts of "Dragon Warrior!" rose in the stagnant air. Her only companions were a grass snake coiled in her lap and a large rat who poked at the embers with a knife.
"The Dragon Warrior?" Min could scarcely believe what she had heard.
"I thought he was dead," said the rat.
"We'd better go check it out. Lien," Min said, tapping the dozing snake. "Wake up."
"I'm up," Lien groaned and slithered off Min's lap and onto the stone floor. "Cold!" she hissed and shot back up onto Min, wrapping herself around the peahen's shoulders.
"That's what you get for being cold-blooded," the rat said with a smirk.
"Shut it, Wing," Lien snapped at him. The rat called Wing only snorted and scampered ahead to see what the fuss was about at the mouth of the cave.
Min fluttered onto a rock outcropping and peered over the heads of the other members of the resistance. The large panda lumbered through the group, courteously greeting his public. Beside him, the Grand Master walked, seeming impatient to lead him away.
"Didn't the Grand Master just go out to scout Gongmen a few days ago?" asked Lien.
"Yes, but it looks like he must have met the Dragon Warrior on the way out of the Valley," Min answered. "This is great though! At least we have one actual real warrior to help the Grand Master out."
Min and her friends had helped perform some scouting and raids since they arrived at the encampment a week prior. The three of them lived in the outer villages of the Valley where the species of the residents varied a bit more than in the central village near the Jade Palace. When Lord Shen's wolves took over and started bullying the locals, Min had lashed out in rash defiance and had been forced to flee.
The peahen rubbed the bridge of her beak. She hadn't done anything so stupid and brash in a while, but the wolf invasion had struck a nerve. Min had arrived in the Valley a few years back after running across provinces to get as far away from home as possible. She found exactly what she had wanted in the Valley: simplicity, tranquility, and above all, humility. Just when Min was starting to feel that she could leave the past behind and start anew, the wolves had come.
The name Shen carried a trace of familiarity for Min. She figured she had heard of it a long time ago probably from her mother. Even without the title of "lord," she recognized it as a highborn name. What I wanted was to leave all those stupid titles behind, she thought in annoyance. Now it all just comes back to interfere in my life one way or another. Min remembered the scattering villagers and the wolves who knocked over tables and market stalls and shoved anyone who stumbled into their path. People like Shen seemed to think that being a lord meant it was perfectly fine to ruin the peace and livelihoods of people. Min only knew too well that it was always the innocents who suffered most when nobles decided to play their games of power.
"Min, you're going to rub your beak raw," Lien chided. Min paused in surprise, only just realizing what she had been doing while caught in her thoughts. "The Dragon Warrior and Grand Master are talking in the main tent," Lien added.
"I saw. I was just thinking, we should go on the next mission to Gongmen, whatever it is," said Min.
"What's this I hear?" Wing interrupted, hopping up onto the rock. "You could have told me you got a nice view of the Dragon Warrior without having to squeeze past people's legs."
"Well, I don't know about the two of you, but whether it's just another scouting run or whether we're going to bust out the Furious Five, I'm going back to Gongmen. I'm sick of this Lord Shen stomping his forces up and down the Valley like a big shot," Min spat.
"Oh please," Wing simpered, "you know I'm your wingman."
"Can't leave without me. Just make sure Wing doesn't try any more puns. I think wolves can smell the really bad ones," Lien said.
"Why? 'Cause they stink?" the rat smirked.
"Oh by the gods," Min muttered as Lien groaned.
The Grand Master called a meeting before dinner, and everyone gathered around the fire at the central tent.
"As you know, the Dragon Warrior has returned to us safely," Master Shifu began. "Unfortunately, he is still injured, so I must remind you not to let your guards down simply because Po is here. Our missions will still require the utmost care and preparation no matter the circumstances. I am issuing one more reconnaissance mission before we launch a full-force rescue job. Again, this is the final scouting mission before we make our move. Any volunteers, please-"
"We volunteer," Min said, pushing her way through to the front with Lien draped over her shoulders and Wing dogging her heels.
Master Shifu blinked at the interruption. "Thank you, Min. Does anyone contest Min's participation?" No one moved. "Good," Shifu continued, "let's continue the briefing in the tent. The rest of you are dismissed for your meal. I have a very specific agenda and wish to keep this team small."
The refugees dispersed, and Min and her companions followed Master Shifu and Po into the tent. "Three is a small group," she commented.
"If you have second thoughts, please let me know," Shifu responded instantly.
"No," Min said hastily. "It just made me curious what you have in mind for us."
Master Shifu relaxed slightly. "Ah, I understand. I haven't made this public yet, but word has it that Shen has returned to Gongmen City prematurely."
"What?" Min gasped.
"That guy must have moved as fast as Master Monkey searching for almond cookies to conquer China so quickly," said Wing, though he wrinkled his nose and frowned.
"No, I am simply not convinced he succeeded in his conquest of China," said Shifu, staring hard at the ground, deep in thought. "There must be a reason he came back so soon, and I want you to find out what that is. I want you to bring back information of any changes that might have occurred in terms of guards at the prison, the status of the Furious Five, anything that will be important for the logistics of a rescue. Can you do that? If you need more manpower, I can give only a couple more people. With Shen home, I have no idea of the security in the city. You will need to be invisible."
"Does that mean entering the city through the main route is out of the question?" asked Min. They had previously been able to casually enter Gongmen like tourists through the main harbor since most of Shen's guards had been assigned to guarding the Furious Five.
"I'm afraid so. You'll need to find another way into the city," Master Shifu said.
"There's the old panda village," Po interjected. "The Soothsayer lives there, and she really helped me out."
"And you're sure we can trust her?" Shifu asked seriously. "You did mention that she appeared to act as an advisor to Shen."
"Yeah, but it was more to tell him not to do all the stuff he…kinda did anyway. And she wouldn't save me if she was really on his side. I mean, there was all that mumbo-jumbo talk about my destiny, and she even said if she wanted me to die, she would have left me in the river. No, I think the Soothsayer is on our side," Po insisted.
"Very well then. Min, Wing, Lien, you'll go to the panda village. Po can help explain where it is later. Get into the city through some side gate and come back as soon as you found out why Shen is back and what his next move will be," said Master Shifu.
The three of them departed the tent and returned to their own small shelter. Lien and Wing settled down for the night, but Min found herself staring up at the ceiling, wide awake. She honestly wasn't sure why she felt so compelled to volunteer. She didn't owe it to anyone, but deep inside, she could feel some strange drive, and she wonderd if it was because Lord Shen was a peacock. Why would I want to see another peafowl in my life? Especially a lord of a province. Mother and Father would have been so pleased at the prospect, I can imagine. They'd be preening and buffing their feathers and practicing stupid ingratiating comments as they bowed to a mirror. Min was rubbing her beak again, and come to think of it, it did feel just a bit raw…
The following day, the trio were on their way downriver, heading out to the ocean. The gooes fisherman guided them along the curves of river while Min studied the rudimentary map she had sketched as per Po's directions to the panda village. She was glad that the goose, who had come with Po and Shifu the other day, had lent them the use of his steam-powered boat in return for a place to stay with the other refugees. This way, they would make it to Gongmen City far faster than they would by rowboat.
When they finally entered Gongmen Bay, Min and her company set down on a small beach just outside of the harbor. Now she, Lien and Wing embarked along the sandy shore, creeping along the foot of the mountains as they made their way closer to the city.
They waded across a stream and landed on the banks of a marshy woodland. The place matched Po's description exactly, though he hadn't mentioned there being so much mud. Lien coiled herself around Min's shoulders while Wing leaped farther ahead, hoping to avoid getting sucked into the earth. The peahen squelched to the more solid, grassy area higher up on the bank and paused to think.
"The ruined panda village should be in these woods," she said, pulling her map of the city from her pack.
"I'd like just a few more specifics," Wing said dryly. "These woods stretch for miles. The village could be anywhere—along the shore, near the city, or sunk in this god-awful mud."
"Calm down. According to this map, it should be several miles out of the city and about half a mile from the bay," Min said, turning the map to make sure she was oriented correctly. "Yes, that's definitely right."
"I hope so. I'd like to get as far away from this mud as possible," Lien said.
Fortunately, Min's directions proved true, and they found the deserted village. Charred, rotting planks of wood were strewn everywhere, and the grass was still sparse and stunted, as if the ground there had been forever defiled. This was Shen's doing? Min thought, her beak tightening with cold anger. So Shen seemed to think being "Lord of Gongmen" gave him the right to take everything he wanted, whether it was power, money, or life.
"Can you imagine how much life there used to be here?" Lien asked quietly.
"Don't worry, Shen will pay for it," Min said tightening her beak.
"He will," a soft voice agreed. Min jumped, and Wing whipped out his knife while Lien twisted around, preparing to launch herself at any attacker. But what came out of the ramshackle house was merely an elderly goat with a twisted cane. "Here is an interesting fellowship."
"You must be the Soothsayer. Po mentioned you," Min explained. "We were told you would be able to give us some—"
"Information?" finished the goat. "Yes, I am the one known as Soothsayer. You must be tired. Let's get those muddy feet washed, and we can talk inside."
"I am glad Po finally decided to listen to reason," said the Soothsayer as she brought a bamboo bucket filled with water. She paused, eyes widening slightly. "Unless…he came with you?"
"No, Master Shifu refused to let Po go," Min assured her.
The old goat returned her gaze to the bucket of water from which she began spooning out water and pouring it onto their feet. "The panda is fiercely stubborn. That could not have been all that convinced him."
"If he was seen by anyone here, Shen would surely kill the Five and Masters Croc and Ox too. Master Shifu managed to make him believe that…for now."
The Soothsayer nodded. "You must move quickly to free them. Po will not sit idly very long. However, Shen has many wolves and gorillas surrounding the prison. They will sound an alarm as soon as they see any intruder."
"What about Shen? What has he been doing?" Min asked. He was the one who interested her.
"Shen has kept a surprisingly low profile. He always preferred to put on a big show with anything he did, but something has been occupying him as of late. Perhaps he not finding government to be of his liking," the Soothsayer said with a slight smile.
"He's not planning any sort of attack? Say on the rest of the provinces?"
"After stifling the invasion in the north, Shen's army has been reduced to a fraction of its full strength. He is here to rebuild himself and gather more forces."
Min nodded distantly. An invasion. That must be why he came back. One question down. She turned to her companions. "Once we get into the city, I think our first order of business will be to check out that prison. Do you think we can retire here when we're done with our work in the city each day?" Min asked hopefully.
"You don't seem to have planned things very far in advance," the Soothsayer commented with a wry smile. Min liked how the smile reached her eyes. When she had been a child, her parents would feed her every manner of crock, but she soon learned that eyes always told the truth, and her parents always lied.
"Well, it's kind of hard since we don't know what's going on in the city very well right now…We're just trying to take it slowly. The last thing we want is to be caught unawares and unprepared," Min said.
The goat hummed in assent. "Even the best laid plans can go astray. But, to answer your question, yes, you may stay." She swirled a hoof in the bucket water and the ripples danced mysteriously. "The future is not a rigid body, my friends. We may try to fight our destinies, but like water, they will always find another path to their destinations. But it is possible to guide them, to choose the path that works best."
"How could we possibly know which path is the right one?" Wing interrupted. "It's not like playing cards. How can we choose the right path if we don't know what are choices are?"
"Indeed, which is the right one?" the Soothsayer echoed. "What is important is that you do not fix yourself into one path, one plan. Do not use force when it is better to flow. People, including Shen himself, often mistake my art. They forget I only tell the future. I do not create it."
"Eh. What's important is that we get a good map, not a good riddle," Wing grunted, lashing his tail.
"Be polite. She's helping us," Min whispered to him.
"Oh is she now?" the rat retorted. "Give me a moment to figure out how. Or should I buy a hint token from you since you obviously got it down pat?"
Ignoring him, Min continued asking the Soothsayer what she knew of Shen and the goings on of the city. She learned that the citizens had celebrated his return, and the lord had, at the moment, a better public relationship than he had when he first returned from his exile.
Wow. He was away from home for thirty years. Maybe that's why he's such a grouch. Still, he deserved it. Just look at all the innocent lives he completely destroyed. If it weren't for him, Po could have grown up with his real parents.
"Just one more question before we go. When we first arrived, I told Lien that Shen would pay for his crimes, and you answered 'He will.' What was that supposed to mean?" Min said.
The goat smiled mysteriously, yet again. "Like I said, I only tell a person's future. It is up to that person to create it."
Min stood up, slightly exasperated, and thanked the Soothsayer, before she and her companions departed, though she had to agree with Wing. The Soothsayer had given a bunch of riddles where straightforward advice would have been more useful, especially considering the time crunch. She would have to make do with what she had, just as she'd always done.
Thus, Min and her companions found themselves in the midst of Gongmen City and all its grandeur. She was glad they had been there once before when the stakes weren't so high. The city was large enough and busy enough for her and her friends to be distracted. Street vendors constantly shouted at them, dangling their wares in their faces while people labored away, and children scampered underfoot. Compared to the Valley, where in each village, everyone knew everyone, and there was only one person in charge of each product, Gongmen City was a beehive of competition.
"Alright, to Gongmen Jail," Min said striding forward. At least from her last visit, she knew where the main landmarks were and how the different districts were laid out so she wasn't completely lost. Master Shifu had been wise to make sure all his scouts acquired a familiarity with the layout of the city before roaming alone.
"What's that crowd up there?" Lien asked, pointing her tail up the road. Sure enough, there was a mass of people clogging the street. Min was about to suggest getting a closer look when a voice rang out above the murmur of the crowd.
"Out of my way!"
People stumbled away from the entrance to a small restaurant, tripping over each other in their haste. The white peacock stepped out into the streets, brushing dust from his robes with a look of distaste.
"Make yourselves scarce!" Min hissed under her breath. Lien obeyed by slipping into Min's leather vest. "Not what I had in mind," she muttered as Wing let the crowd of people swallow him. As calmly as she could, Min backed away with the others, trying to look normal. And the peacock might not have noticed her if that rabbit child had not run across his path straight in her direction.
"Gah! Insolent little-" His eyes followed the rabbit who slipped past Min and disappeared into the crowd. "What?" Lord Shen murmured softly, his eyes widening in surprise as they appraised the peahen who stood before him.
The Soothsayer's advice seemed to mock her now. Like water, our destinies will always find the right path. But what happened when the water was trapped in a box? Min closed her eyes very deliberately, cursing inwardly because she knew the answer. It was at the mercy of the one holding the box.