Author's note: I made a mistake while typing the previous chapter. The indentation in the sarcophagus is not circular, it's square shaped. Sorry about that, ever since my last maths lesson I've had circles on the brain.
"How did she figure it out?"
Colonel Sao looked at the general in confusion.
"How did the child figure out that I knew more than I was telling them before the adults did?" The agitated Tujiu muttered.
"Sir, I think I should point out that the girl did not 'figure it out', as you put it." Sao replied calmly. "She merely noticed that you said something odd and pointed that out. After that, it wasn't difficult for Master Shifu to figure it out himself."
After Su's fateful comment in the hallway outside the room where Master Eagle Jr. had been treated, it hadn't been long until General Tujiu and Colonel had become the center of attention. Now that the game was up, Shifu had ordered the pair of them to go to the private study and stay there until he could interrogate them. At first Tujiu had attempted to use his authority as commander-in-chief to refuse, but then Emperor Xian gave the order himself and then he had no choice but to comply. And now here they were, confined in the study like punished children sent to their rooms, cursing a certain young panda girl.
"No, she knew." Tujiu snarled. His talons dug grooves in the stone floor. "I saw it in her eyes. She knew that I was lying all along, and was waiting for just the right moment to point it out."
"Sir, you don't know that."
"Oh I know all right!"
"Sir, she's just a child."
"Who has an uncanny ability to notice things most adults don't!"
Sao prepared to reply, but then he had a recent memory of a book written in a strange language, and a young girl reading the title perfectly.
"Come to think of it…" The fox said slowly, unsure whether or not proceeding was a good idea, considering the general's current mood. "That girl has recent displayed signs of having abnormally high intelligence."
This made Tujiu look up from the map he was glaring at.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, for instance she had displayed an ability to speak multiple languages." Sao said. "It surprised even the kung fu masters."
"A six or seven year old girl speaking several languages?" Tujiu peered at the fox. "That's hard to believe."
"I know. And that's not all she's done. Apparently she was the one who discovered the secret passage."
"You're joking!"
"Sir, I've been your subordinate for seven years. You know I don't joke. Anyway, according to Di Tan…" The colonel had secretly spoken to the elderly chef earlier. "She noticed something out of place on the torch bracket that opens the entrance."
"Again, her ability to notice things others don't!" Tujiu snapped. "I'm telling you, she knows more about us than the others do!"
"I must admit, she's showing strong evidence of being a genius." Sao said. "But I still think you are jumping to conclusions."
"All the same, I want you to keep a close eye on that child from now on!" Tujiu retorted. "Is that clear, Colonel?"
"Yes." Sao sighed.
"Good. Now hush, I think that's Shifu coming now!"
Indeed, two seconds later the door opened and Master Shifu and Emperor Xian stepped into the room, along with the Dragon Warrior and Master Crane. So Shifu had been waiting for the rest of his students to return before interrogation. Strangely, Po and Crane both looked very confused as to why they were here.
"Sit down." Xian said coldly. Tujiu and Sao didn't need telling twice.
There was a heavy pause in the room that lasted for some time.
"You have not been honest with us, general." Shifu eventually spoke. His gaze was like a stone drill. "What do you know about the killings? And I want the truth this time."
"So do I." Xian said. His arms were folded on the map table. "Each time you answer our questions untruthfully, and we'll find out sooner or later if you are, I'm going to pull out a feather. And trust me, I will pull it out from a place which you will find very painful."
Tujiu set his lower beak.
"First question…" Shifu said. "What are we really dealing with?"
"I swear on my tail feathers that I do not know." Just as Xian was getting up from the table, he added; "All I know that this isn't the first time it has killed."
"What do you mean?" Shifu asked. Po and Crane remained silent.
"For the past fifteen years, soldiers, travellers, anyone venturing close to this area of the Himalayas has disappeared. These murders are the first instance of someone turning up dead."
"Go on." Xian didn't sit back down.
"It all started when a small imperial unit ventured into the mountains fifteen years ago and was massacred. When another unit went to investigate, several of them were also killed. A survivor gave a crude description of the creature. That's how I know what it looks like." Tujiu said.
"Why didn't you tell us this before?" Shifu asked. "Why did you keep insisting that bandits were the cause of these deaths?"
"I didn't want to alarm my men." Tujiu said. This was the less than honest part of his answer, and he was careful to keep from showing any signs of lying. "Quite a few of them are superstitious, and if word got out of a 'demon' killing the troops, it could cause hysteria."
"You must admit, that's pretty understandable, Master Shifu." Po spoke up.
Shifu didn't answer the panda.
"Second question… why didn't you tell us about that secret passage?"
"Secret passage?" Po and Crane spoke simultaneously.
"You evidently found the treasure vault." Tujiu said. Po and Crane suddenly looked pale, though the vulture couldn't understand why. "The answer's obvious. It would be dangerous if anyone other than myself, Colonel Sao here, and the soldiers who discovered the passage to find out about such a massive quantity of wealth. Even in the imperial army, there are those who would stop at nothing to obtain such riches."
"What about that tomb?" Xian asked. "What do you know about-"
CRASH!
Everyone jumped and stared at the giant panda. Po had slipped off his chair, his eyes wide as dinner plates.
"T-Tomb?!" He gasped. Crane also looked stunned into near-speechlessness. "Are you telling me that secret passage was real?!"
"Po, please pick yourself up." Shifu said, before turning back to Tujiu. "As Emperor Xian was saying, what do you know about the tomb?"
"Not much, I'm afraid." Tujiu replied. "We were unable to open the sarcophagus. I take it you didn't have any luck either?"
Shifu shook his head.
"Is there anything else you wish to tell us?" Xian asked. "This is your last chance for leniency. If we find out anything more that you've been hiding from us after tonight, you will regret ever lying to me."
"There is nothing else." Tujiu replied coolly.
Shifu and Xian gazed at him intensely for a few silent seconds, and then got up from the table.
"Alright, we'll take your word for it this time." Xian said. "But tomorrow, I want a full report on everything you have learned about this fortress, rooms, machinery, valuable objects, everything. Is that clear?"
"Yes." Tujiu struggled to hide his displeasure.
Xian and Shifu turned to leave, and the red panda gestured for Po and Crane to do the same.
Once the emperor and the three masters had disappeared through the door, Tujiu dug his talons so viciously into the map table he actually tore a chunk out of the edge.
"Sir?" Sao felt a twinge of fear as he watched the general take his anger out on the wooden table.
"Leave me alone." The vulture replied with a voice of pure venom.
Sao bowed respectfully before hastily exiting.
"… and after the weird demon thing killed me, I woke up in front of the bookcase." Po finished his disturbing tale. He, Crane, and Master Shifu were sitting alone in one of the guestrooms, Xian having had returned to his own room to be alone with his thoughts. In one corner of the room, Mantis was eating the last of Di Tan's scrumptious dinner.
After Po, Tigress and Monkey had returned to the fortress safe and sound, a very relieved Shifu had thoroughly interrogated them on everything that had happened. After giving a good description of the creature which had attacked them, Tigress had also added that the rubble blocking the tunnel entrance would take only a few days to clear, something the others were relieved to hear. At the moment, Master Eagle Jr. was recuperating in a spare room three doors down, Di Tan was washing dishes in the kitchen, Su was in Shifu's room resting her knee, and Viper and Tigress were in their own room. Monkey, meanwhile was spending an unusual amount of time in the library, notably in the mythical creatures section.
"That's how my dream ended too." Crane said, bringing back Shifu's attention. "Except instead of having my neck broken I was stabbed through the heart."
"Hey, Master." Mantis hopped over with his empty plate. "You know, I once heard this old fairy tale about a cursed statue that killed anyone who tried to take it off its pedestal…"
"Mantis, are you suggesting that the treasure we found is cursed?" Po cocked a brow.
"No, I just…" Mantis replied quickly. "I think something really bad happened here. And those dreams may have been a warning."
There was silence in the room for some time.
"We're sorry, Master. If we'd known that the secret passage was real, we would have told you sooner." Crane broke the silence.
"It's alright." Shifu waved away the apology. "Actually, no, it's not alright. The more we learn about this place, the more I feel that there is much more to it than meets the eye. And no, it is not a good feeling."
"What should we do?" Po asked.
"Nothing."
"What?"
"Mantis, you may have a point about those dreams being a warning. For now, we should leave that passage alone and focus on the mission at hand. Do you all agree?"
Everyone nodded quickly.
"Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to relay this information to the emperor."
"Viper…" Tigress spoke slyly as she climbed out of the bathtub and wrapped herself in a warm towel. "Mantis told me earlier that you were freaking out when you thought Crane had been seriously injured today."
Viper who had been waiting by the open door for her turn to use the bath, turned a brilliant shade of red.
"Whuh-what?!" She hissed. "I did no such thing!"
"Really? I know five or six people who would say otherwise."
"Oh, shut up!"
Tigress smirked as she rubbed her body dry and then put on her clothes. She gestured to Viper that the bath was free, and the snake gave her a death glare as she entered the bathroom.
"Look can we not talk about what happened to you and the others right now?" Viper demanded as she slid into the tub. "I haven't had a decent wash in weeks and I want to relax!"
"Okay, okay…" Tigress replied. However the moment she left the bathroom…
"I was just worried, okay?!" Viper shouted. "Wouldn't you be if one of your friends got hurt?!"
Tigress rolled her eyes and stepped back into the bathroom. Viper was poking her head out the tub, her scaly cheeks still scarlet.
"Viper, just admit it. You have feelings for him."
Viper hissed.
"Well, so do you!"
That caught Tigress off guard.
"What?" She put her paws on her hips.
"I mean Po!" Viper hissed again. "I've seen the way you smile whenever he enters the room! You have feelings too and you know it!"
"Uh- guh- I do not!" Tigress exclaimed. Why were her cheeks burning up? "And even if I did, I wouldn't blurt out my feelings and why I like him so much like every god-forsaken teenager in the empire!"
"Oh really?" Viper asked slyly. "So even though it's been years since Po became the Dragon Warrior, you still don't like him?"
"Of course I do!"
"Oh ho…"
"As a friend! We are just friends! For god's sake, why does everyone have to be about romance with you?"
"Because unlike you, I know love when I see it."
"We are just friends." Tigress repeated with a growl. She was now severely regretting ever starting this conversation in the first place.
"Ming didn't seem to think so."
"Excuse me?"
"You remember that panda lady Po went on a date with when we went to his father's village?"
"Yes, and Ming decided to end things before it started. So?" Suddenly Tigress's eyes widened as she realized what Viper was getting at. "No, don't be ridiculous! She wouldn't end things with Po just because she thinks I like him!"
"Then why else would she?" Viper asked. "Ming didn't seem like the type to end a relationship just because Po hasn't fully mastered table manners yet."
"No." Tigress admitted. "I don't know why she did it. Though Po has his faults, he's a good guy." She paused, then muttered to herself. "I wish I'd realized that before I called him a disgrace to kung fu."
"What was that?"
"Nothing. Viper can we drop this?"
"Alright, fine." Viper sighed dramatically as she lounged in the bathwater. "What was I thinking, there's no possible way you could have feelings for that panda. After all, you're so hardcore you don't feel anything!"
She knew that Viper was being sarcastic, but the moment those words left Viper's mouth, Tigress's shoulders slumped. She bit her lip and her eyes narrowed.
"You know what, screw you. I'm going to bed."
Tigress stormed out the bathroom before Viper could say anything else, and climbed into her bed. As she stared up at the ceiling, listening to the small splashing sounds of Viper bathing emanating from the bathroom, she thought of Viper had said.
She had heard those words before…
"We're warriors, right? Nerves of steel! Souls of platinum! Like you. So hardcore you don't feel anything."
Tigress's eyes widened as those words hit her harder than the light hearted punch Po gave to her arm seconds later. She gazed down at the deck of the boat, recalling the day Po was chosen as the Dragon Warrior, and the things she had said to him then.
"I was…"
Really that heartless to you? Tigress had been about to say, that night on the river leading to Gongmen City, but the unexpected interruption of the other members of the five had prevented her from ever finishing that sentence.
Tigress heard Viper slither out of the tub and grab a second towel.
Come to think of it, Tigress and Po had never had a chance to finish that conversation.
What a palaver to get this chapter finished before the end of the week. Please review.