To answer your question, Shen's General, I did not get inspiration from Uncharted 2. I can't play the games, because I don't have a PS3, so I don't know what happens in them. In fact, I got it when I looked up Shangri-La, the original city I was planning to use. I then learned that many scholars believed that Shangri-La is actually Shambhala, and that was where I got my inspiration.
"ANY SIGN OF VIPER?!" Crane now had to holler over the violent wind. "MANTIS!"
"WILL YOU HANG ON A BLOODY MINUTE, PLEASE?!"
"I CAN'T HANG ON! WE'VE GOT TO FIND VIPER!"
"CRANE, I'M HANGING ON FOR MY LIFE HERE!"
"YOU'VE GOT A ROPE, HAVEN'T YOU?"
"THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!"
"WHAT ARE YOU-" Crane turned his head. "Oh crap!"
At once Crane tilted his body until he was heading for the ground below. It was a tough ride. The wind was continuing to assault him and he was now almost completely blinded by the snow. Eventually he touched down, allowing Mantis to climb back up onto his shoulder.
"Didn't you notice I wasn't on your shoulder anymore?!" Mantis yelled right next to Crane's head. "What if the rope had snapped? I could have died!"
"Sorry, Mantis." Crane said. "I'm just worried about Viper."
"'Just?'" A familiar voice cried at that very moment. "What do you mean just?"
"Viper?" Crane spun around in the blizzard. He saw nothing. Only darkness and falling snow. "Viper, where are you?"
"Try looking down, you big idiot!"
Crane and Mantis looked down… and leapt away reflexively from the edge.
They had touched down at the edge of what had at first appear to be a sheer cliff, but as they strained to see through the storm they soon realized that it was actually a large flat rock. They still couldn't see Viper, though.
"Viper!" Crane yelled.
"Down here! Look over the edge!"
The two guys did as they were told. They saw the snowy ground about six feet below them. And then they saw a familiar heart shaped head poke out to look at them.
"Viper!" Crane exclaimed, his heart leaping at the sight of her, and leapt rather than flew down to meet her. A high pitched masculine shriek followed him, and as he touched down he heard a small thump next to him. A moment later Mantis pulled himself out of the bug-shaped hole in the snow.
"For crying out loud, Crane!" He yelled as he untied himself from the rope that was doing more harm than good.
This time Crane ignored him. The avian was too busy approaching the small cave they had been standing on top of all along and the snake sitting just inside the mouth.
"Viper, you're okay!" He said.
"Crane!" Viper looked just as happy to see though, even if she did also look a little peeved. "What are you doing here?"
"We came to look for you. We learned that there was a storm on the way and we were sent out to warn you and bring you back if we could." Crane said.
"Any sign of Monkey?" Mantis asked eagerly. His shoulders slumped when Viper shook her head. Then her expression turned frantic.
"Crane, Tigress and Po fell down a crevasse." Viper said fearfully. "They decided to follow the caverns to find a way out and I haven't seen them since! I tried to follow the crevasse myself but then this blizzard came! We've got to find them!"
"Don't worry, they made it out." Crane said. Viper's eyes went wide. "We pointed them to a cave not too far from here."
"And now we can join them and wait out this stupid storm!" Mantis was shivering on the spot. "Can we go now, please?!"
"Keep your voice down!" Viper hissed angrily. "We're standing near a pretty steep slope, and I'm not sure the snow up there is stable."
"Okay, sorry." Mantis cowered a little, not at all liking the thought of being buried alive. "But can we please just go?"
"I don't know." Crane said, just as a shiver ran through his body and shook his feathers. "Let's continue this discussion in the cave."
They went inside.
The Yeti skidded to a halt right next to the cliff.
He looked on, his sharp eyes more than capable of seeing through the blizzard as long as he was standing still, as the warriors stepped into the cave below.
This was interesting. He didn't know why so many of the warriors had left the relative safety of the fortress, and at the moment he didn't care. All that mattered was that they were dangerously close to his cave. If he allowed them to live, there was a high chance that with a little more exploring, the sacred city would fall into the hands of his and her enemies.
The tiger and the panda weren't with them, but no matter. If he planned things carefully, there would be three less warriors to worry about by the end of this night.
He had left all the powder kegs in the crack, so blowing them up wasn't an option. He couldn't fight them directly. There was no guarantee that he would come out unscathed, and he couldn't afford to be injured in this weather.
And then he realized exactly where he was.
In front of him was a mountainside that a couple of decades ago had been known as the 'Hill of White Death'. It was infamous for being the site of countless avalanches. No lives had ever been claimed, thankfully, but everyone had stayed away from the general area all the same.
Except for the three currently residing in a cave right beneath the dangerous slope.
Perfect. He wouldn't even have to get close.
The Yeti took a deep breath and roared. The terrible sound echoed into the night.
The effect was immediate.
Though he couldn't see far enough to witness it, he could still hear the low rumble as the snow began shift. He turned his attention back to the cave below. He saw the avian, the insect and the snake step outside, obviously having heard his rear and decided to investigate. The Yeti knew that their visibility was poor in this condition. They could hear, but likely wouldn't see the avalanche until it was too late.
And then the Yeti saw the wall of white cascading into view, heading straight for the cave. It was a massive one, probably a thousand meters long, a rampaging river of white death.
The Yeti heard a faint yell.
"Oh my god!"
The snake had seen the avalanche first, which was now fifty meters away and closing in fast. They wouldn't get away in time. Avalanches could reach speeds of up to eight miles an hour, and this one was fast.
"Guys, run!" The Yeti recognized the insect's voice as he frantically hurried back into the cave.
The avalanche reached the cave with a roar that was deafening even from a distance. In a single second, the Yeti witnessed the avian lift the snake with his beak and fling her into the cave after the bug, and then the snow consumed him.
Seconds later, it was over. The rumble faded into nothing as the snow settled and became still. The cave was now buried, save for the one corner of the flat rock protruding from the snow.
The Yeti turned away. Even if the warriors weren't dead, it would take time for them to dig their way out, days at the most. And by the time they did, the Yeti's work may very well be finished.
But right now he had a panda and a tiger to kill.
"What was that?" Po's ears twitched at the faint sound of rumbling in the distance.
"Sounds like an avalanche." Tigress murmured. "I think it's coming from outside this valley."
They stood in silence in the dark nightmarish room for some time, until the thundering sound faded and all was quiet once more.
Po glanced at the bloodstained bed, grimaced and turned away.
"I'm getting out of here." He said. He stepped out the room and leaned against the wall, breathing through his nose and trying to hold back the nausea.
He imagined a dark figure splayed out on the table, squirming in agony, surrounding by numerous other figures wielding tiny sharp knives dripping red. He closed his eyes, trying to expel the image, but it was no use. He felt sick with horror, and also sadness. Whoever this Ember person was, she must have suffered terribly before dying…
"Po." Tigress exited the room at that moment. "Po, are you okay?"
"Tigress." Po spoke. For a few seconds he looked older than he really was. "There's something I forgot to tell you. It's about what happened in the burning building."
Tigress didn't reply. Instead she waited for him to continue.
"When the Yeti was choking me, something really strange happened. I saw this person amongst the flames. She was wearing a mask, so I couldn't see her face, but I could tell from her figure that it was a woman. Anyway, this woman told the Yeti to spare my life. And it obeyed her."
"What?" Tigress was astonished.
"She disappeared as soon as the Yeti let me go. I wasn't sure before, because I couldn't see her that well because of the fire, but I think that that woman and the demon who assaulted me and Crane are the same person."
"Po, where are you going with this?"
"Tigress, I think it's obvious now that the fortress and this city are connected." Po said. "And I'm pretty sure that the dead ruler of this city is in that tomb."
Tigress's eyes widened.
"Of course! That's why the Yeti's so obsessed with getting us out the fortress! It doesn't want us desecrating her final resting place! And her ghost is helping him along!" Suddenly she frowned. "Wait, that may not be true…"
"Huh?"
"Po, remember that scroll that mentioned the disaster that struck this place? It also mentioned something called the 'Eternal Ember'."
"Oh yeah. It mentioned something about it being damaged."
"Po, what if Ember's body isn't the only thing the Yeti's protecting? What if the 'Eternal Ember' is somewhere in that fortress?"
"What is the Eternal Ember, anyway?" Po asked.
"Don't know. But there is one more place we need to check, and it might hold the answer."
They turned their heads to the third door.
"You go first!" Po said quickly. "If it's anything like the last room, I'm staying right here!"
Tigress sighed and opened the door. After a second's observation, she turned her head slightly.
"Po, it's alright."
The room they both stepped into was just as dark as the others. In the light of the lantern they saw that it was circular, and roughly the same size as the Gongmen throne room. At first it appeared to be empty, with the exception of the beautiful fiery imagery that covered the walls, and the six ornately carved pillars that supported the ceiling, until they reached the side of the room directly opposite the doors.
There was a single wooden table, adorned with used candles dripping with hardened wax. Among the candles was two fragments of a translucent red rock the size of Po's head.
"What is this?"
Tigress shrugged.
"This room is a sacred place. Chances are this is the Eternal Ember the scroll was talking about."
"Busted beyond repair." Po said. "Total bummer."
He took a moment to stretch his arms, and as he did so his gaze lifted to the wall behind the table… and froze.
He was staring at the biggest painting he had ever seen. It stretched from bottom to floor and was more than half as wide. But it wasn't the size that awed him.
It was the woman in the painting. Her body was twisted to the side, but her head was almost directly facing the panda looking up at her, a regal, almost thoughtful pose. She was wearing an unusual crimson dress. While the top half was normal for an expensive Chinese gown, the skirt looked like it had been cut into several ribbons, which draped loosely around her legs, which bore jet black tight pants and equally black shoes that resembled Po's. She was wearing dark gloves and her couldn't see her tail, making it impossible to determine her species. Her entire head was encased in an intimidating looking red and black dragon mask, but somehow Po knew she was looking directly at him, probably with piercing dark eyes.
Po shivered.
"It's her…" He whispered.
"What?" Tigress had heard him.
"That woman. It's the same woman who saved my life. I recognize the mask."
"So it is Ember in that tomb." Tigress said. "And somehow even in death she has a physical presence." She turned to Po. "Why did she spare your life after she attacked and killed you in your dream? It doesn't make sense."
Po shrugged.
Ruuumble…
Tigress crossed her arms.
Po blinked and patted his stomach.
"Sorry. Can we get out of here, now?"
"Sure." Tigress said.
She and Po left the room and crossed the hall. They left the temple and stopped at the top of the stairs.
"So, where do we go now?" Po asked. In answer Tigress pointed to the area of the city directly opposite the foundry.
"Our best bet is to hide in one of the smaller houses." She said. "Once we find a spot, we probably shouldn't leave until the storm passes unless we have to." She switched her gaze to the small tunnel they had entered from in the distance. "Once it passes, we get out of here, find Viper, Crane and Mantis and then- damn! Po, we have to go, now!"
"Wait, what?"
"Look!"
Po followed her frantic finger, narrowed his eyes so he could make out the tunnel better… and his heart jumped when he saw the massive dark figure standing just in the mouth of the tunnel. Even from so far a distance, there was no doubt that it had spotted them.
"Oh crap!" Po looked around for anything he could use for a weapon, even as the Yeti began sprinting down the stairs towards the bridge crossroad.
"This way!" Tigress grabbed Po's arm and started running.
Taking the stairs was a bad idea. Instead they swiftly clambered down the side of the massive temple. It was frightening work. They had to leap down from one part of the architecture to another, and one slip could send them tumbling into the abyss below. But eventually they made it to one of the bridges that appeared to lead to a lower part of the temple. They went in the opposite direction, deep into the streets and alleys of the city.
The Yeti did not pursue the two intruders right away. Instead he sprinted at top speed to the foundry, hoping they hadn't sabotaged his work. A quick check confirmed that they hadn't touched anything.
The Yeti was relieved, but more than that he was angry. Not only did his mistress's enemies intrude the sacred fortress of the empress, they had to trespass in his home and the sacred temple, too! The Yeti snarled as he left the foundry and began his pursuit. His heart quickened and his muscles were tensed. His eyes were slits and his sharp fangs were bared. His vision became clouded with red as he thought of the damage the two must have inflicted within the temple's rooms.
When he got his hands on them, they were going to bleed.