"Mahjong!" Xian turned over his wall of tiles to reveal four sets of three identical tiles. "Pung! I win!"
Shifu grumbled and pushed over his own tiles, none of which were similar.
"You have got to be cheating!" He snapped. "You can't be the most powerful man in China and be good at Mahjong at the same time!"
"It's not that late." Di Tan didn't seem as displeased. "Why don't we have a rematch?"
"Fine. Hand me the tiles and I'll shuffle them." Xian received all the tiles on the table and began mixing them up.
"I still don't see why we're playing this game." Shifu was still disgruntled. "Our lives and possibly all of China are in danger and all we're doing is playing with tiles?!"
"Well there's nothing else we can do, is there?" Di Tan asked sternly. "Master Eagle Jr. is overseeing the defenses and we'd just be interfering. The best we can do is wait for that monster to show up so we can defeat it, eliminate a serious threat to our country, and go home."
"We also have to wait for Shifu's students to return." Xian added as he finished mixing the tiles and began handing them out. "Whether we actually manage to kill the Yeti or not, we're not leaving without them."
Shifu shot him a look of gratitude as they began their game anew.
"It's a shame that Su went to bed early." Di Tan said as he went first, placing a tile in the middle of the table. "Mahjong isn't really Mahjong without four players."
"The guards are watching over her, right?" Shifu demanded.
"There are two soldiers keeping watch outside her door, and there are a dozen more patrolling the surrounding area. If Tujiu or Sao try anything, they won't be able to get to her without us knowing about it."
"And if she starts sleepwalking again they can stop her before she gets far." Di Tan added.
Shifu nodded, but still wasn't satisfied.
"After this game I'm going to check on her myself."
Xian and Di Tan didn't argue.
"If she was here, she would probably beat us all in five minutes flat." Di Tan said. "You know, Mr. Ping told me that she once beat him at Xiangqi. She's quite the genius."
"Oh, Su told me about that." Shifu said. "Apparently she won by accident."
"Accident? It's a strategy game, you can't win by accident."
"You can if the accident was caused by the opponent." Shifu said. "According to her, Mr. Ping could have put her 'general' in checkmate, but got distracted by when a pot on the stove began boiling over and moved his tile to the wrong spot. Five moves later he ran out of legal moves and lost."
"Oh dear, that must have been embarrassing for a champion such as himself. Right, your turn." Di Tan looked at Xian.
"Okay, let's see if you can a third win in the bag…" Xian muttered to himself as he peered at the thirteen tiles standing in front of him. Then he chose a tile and placed it in the middle. "Your turn, Di Tan."
"This is very surreal actually." Di Tan said. "Here we are, a chef, a kung fu master, and an emperor seated around a table in a big kitchen playing mahjong of all things, while a ten foot monster lurks outside our fortress and something probably even worse lurks around inside. And now I hear that the lost city of Shambhala is involved? Xian, be a good boy and pinch me, please."
"I'm fifty- oh never mind." Xian lightly pinched Di Tan on the shoulder.
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it. It's still your turn."
"So, supposing we do make it out of this alive…" Di Tan said as he chose a tile. "What happens afterward?"
"I haven't really thought about that." Xian said. "I guess the first thing to do would be to make sure Tujiu and Sao are apprehended, if they haven't been by the time this is over. Then the next thing would be to get the soldiers back home, the wounded especially."
"What about Shambhala?"
Xian looked at the goose.
"What about it? It's just a city. I couldn't care less if it was the wall of heaven."
"So we're not going to go look for it?"
"After what happened the last time we trespassed in a place we had no right to be in?"
Di Tan shrank beneath the tiger's glare. Xian's face softened.
"I'm sorry. I'm tired, and I'm scared as hell. And the wine's starting to get to me."
"Oh, so that's where it's been going." Di Tan set down his tile. "At least it's obvious you're not overdoing it. I didn't even notice until now. Your turn, Master Shifu."
As Shifu considered the tiles lined in front of him, Di Tan continued speaking.
"So, Xian, just to be clear… after we return home, we have to go back to formalities, correct?"
"Excuse me?"
"I will have to go back to calling you your highness and kowtowing in your presence, right?"
"Who said you had to kowtow?"
"Those politicians and other upper class boys you deal with on a daily basis. They often say that the way I behave around you is disrespectful."
"Screw 'em." Xian said bluntly. "After what they've gotten me into, I'm never listening to another upper class snob again. And screw formalities. The only reason you're my servant at all is because you love cooking, so you can call me 'sonny' for all I care. I'm the emperor, so there's not a darn thing anyone can do about it!"
Shifu listened to all this in silence, and his eyes fell on the spot on Xian's chest were his locket hung concealed beneath his vest. He thought of Xian's father. The last emperor of China had been more of a traditional ruler than his son had ever been. That didn't mean he was harsh, no, but he had often disapproved of Xian's insistence on treating all the servants like family, always insisting that there had to be boundaries between the royal family and the commoners. Upon reaching adulthood, Xian had almost begun to believe him… and that was when he had met Yujin.
Shifu never recalled meeting Xian's wife in life, but according to Xian she had been a beauty. Whenever he thought of her, Shifu had a small suspicion that she had been somehow responsible for Xian ultimately rejecting his father's strict beliefs and deciding to make some changes to the world, for instance removing the death penalty of all things. Of course, many people questioned his choices and treatment of the commoners, but ultimately he had proved to be as good a leader as his father and so the majority of the population respected him both as a ruler and as a person.
Princess Yujin… you must have been a good wife to him… if you were there when he had been pressured into sending this fated expedition, would things have gone another way?
Tap, tap!
"Come in!" Xian called.
In stepped a soldier, who bowed immediately upon entering.
"Please forgive my intrusion. Is everything alright, your highness?"
"Yes. You must have heard me yelling." The soldier nodded. "Everything is fine, thank you."
Shifu recognized him as one of the four charged with watching over Su and Di Tan earlier today.
"How is Su?" He asked. "Is she sleeping well?"
"The girl is resting, Grandmaster. Also, Master Eagle Jr. wants you to know that there has been no sign of the general or his subordinate."
For once this was good news. But then Shifu saw a flicker of anxiety on the soldier's face.
"What is it?" He demanded. Xian also stared at the soldier questioningly.
"Your highness, you told us to inform you if we came across anything strange."
"And?"
"Well, while I was on my way to deliver Master Eagle Jr.'s report on the fugitives, I…" He hesitated.
"What?" Xian snapped.
"I heard a voice."
"A voice?"
"I heard it in my head as I was walking. It was a voice making the most vile threats I had ever heard. I would rather not repeat them in your presence."
Xian rose swiftly from his chair, knocking the table and causing the tiles to topple over.
"Did they threaten you personally?"
"No. Whoever it was was threatening all of us in general. It kept going on about how we all deserved to die, and were about to very soon. Again, I'd rather not repeat exactly what it said."
Shifu thought of the tomb entity's explosive outburst in Tujiu's study.
"It's getting violent." He whispered to himself. He got up from the table, ignoring the mahjong tiles. "The game's over. I'm going to check on Su."
"Shall I escort you, Grandmaster?" The soldier asked.
"No. You can stay here and guard the emperor and his chef."
The soldier seemed to sense that something was wrong. He unsheathed his sword before moving a little closer to Xian and Di Tan.
"You two stay here."
Xian gave him one look and walked straight out the door.
Shifu rolled his eyes.
"You stay here." He pointed at Di Tan then took off in pursuit.
"Xian!" He called, catching up to Xian in the corridor that led to the guest rooms. "Xian, wait! I'm still suffering from a bad back here!"
Xian slowed his pace, allowing Shifu to keep up with him. As they walked, they could hear shouts in the direction of the entrance hall, but before they could change direction they reached Su's room.
"Where are the guards?" Xian muttered angrily. "They're supposed to be watching her!"
Shifu opened the door, ready to take off once he saw the empty bed.
He blinked.
Su was wrapped tight in her blanket, fidgeting and mumbling but clearly sleeping. As a very relieved Shifu took a step into the room, she suddenly woke up with a start.
To the west of the fortress was a five hundred foot long slope covered in a smooth blanket of thick snow. Perfect for sledding.
The Yeti tied the powder kegs together to make sure they wouldn't fall out the sled, then tied a flaming torch to the very front.
It was a simple device. If he had lit the kegs themselves, chances were they would explode before they reached the outer wall. However, in placing a torch in front of the kegs, he had effectively created an explosive that would explode at exactly the time he wanted it to.
The plan was to have the sled slide all the way to the outer wall. With the length of the slope, the sled would pick up so much speed that when it crashed into the wall the kegs would crash into the torch. The force would break apart the kegs exposing the powder to the flame.
And boom.
Once the sled was set, the Yeti sat down beside it.
He couldn't let it go yet. Not until Ember had fulfilled her part of the plan.
He pulled out the blade, grabbed a rock to sharpen it with, and waited.
Su awoke with a gasp.
She clutched at her blanket even though she was sweating.
One dream was just a nightmare.
Two dreams could be attributed to trauma from the fire she had been involved in a few days ago.
Three dreams in a row was bad news. That much Su knew.
It had always been the same dream: she was all alone in the massive fortress, surrounded by fire that never burned her. If she went outside, she would find embers in place of snow falling from the sky, which would always be pitch black and starless.
This dream, however, had been a little different. In the last two dreams, she would spend the whole time wandering around the fortress, scared and looking for a way out. But in this dream, a path had been laid in the flames, forcing her in one direction. As she had walked, she had seen amongst the flames the shadows of adults running from a dark figure and suddenly freezing and toppling out of sight. No matter how many times she cried out in terror, the figure never noticed her.
The fiery path had eventually led her to the library. She had been forced to go up the staircase to the top level, where she had found the secret passage open and waiting for her. She had never wanted to go in there, but then fire had sprung up behind her and she had no choice.
The journey through the treasure room had made her heart thud like a drum as she had walked through the darkness. And then she had reached the doors at the far end and they opened for her.
Inside had been a big stone box and a single door. The door had had a circular hole that looked like it fitted her lucky coin, but she hadn't been able to reach high enough to try it.
Then she had felt a presence behind her, and then a familiar pair of hands grabbed her beneath her shoulders and lifted her up to the hole.
"You again!" She had cried. "Go away and leave me alone, you big jerk!"
I will put you down once you do what I want.
Su had looked at the hole in the door, then down at her coin.
"No." She had said, even though she was scared as heck. "You hurt Master Shifu! Why should I do anything for you?!"
The dragon headed black figure had held her up to the door.
If you don't open this door in ten seconds I will cut Shifu up into little pieces.
"No!" Su cried. She had tried to turn around in its grip so she could kick herself free, but was held firm. "You leave him alone!"
Tick tock, sweetheart. Tick tock…
Su wanted so badly to cry, but then she remembered her encounter with the Yeti in the warehouse. If she could get mad at a giant furry monster, then she could stand up to the scary monster holding her right now.
"What did we ever do to you?" She spoke quietly.
Open the door.
"No!"
Open the door, Su.
"No, I won't!"
Su felt its grip tighten on her body, and she was suddenly terrified that it was going to hurt her. Suddenly she felt a terrible burrowing pain in her head, and she began to cry. She reached down and grabbed its hands with her own tiny paws, trying to free herself.
Instead it reached out with one hand and grabbed the coin from her belt.
"No! No, no!" Su cried out as the monster placed the coin into the hole.
There was a brief flash, of a dark wall devoid of firelight, and her own paws releasing their grip on the coin, and then she was once more surrounded by fire.
There was a scraping sound as the door split in two, then opened into darkness.
Children. Even when afraid, they are as stubborn as the strongest soldier.
Su collapsed to the floor, clutching her head. She had never had a headache this bad before, and her eyes were streaming.
"Stop it!" She screamed, eyes screwed shut in pain. "Stop it, stop it!"
She forced her eyes open just enough to see the monster looking down at her. Its head was tilted, as if it was confused by Su's display.
It hurt so much… it felt as if something inside her head was cracking like a nut and something hot and watery was leaking from it like smoke… she pleaded once more for the monster to stop hurting her…
"STOP IT!"
Su heard the distant sound of a door opening and she ran for it.
And that was when she found herself once more in the guestroom, safely wrapped up in a thick blanket.
Su's head was still throbbing as she felt a certain red panda's presence by her side.
"Su, are you alright?"
He must have witnessed her startled awakening.
"I don't know." Su replied weakly. "I hate bad dreams."
"So do I." Shifu replied. He quickly adopted a more casual tone of voice as if to comfort her, but left out the baby talk. She liked it when people did that. "I used to get them a lot. But a bad dream is all that it is. It can't hurt you."
Su decided right then and there to tell him.
"The ones I've been having lately have." She said. "This one just gave me a headache."
"That'll just be the stress. Just go back to sleep and in the morning you can tell me all about it, okay?"
At that moment Su noticed the faint sounds of yelling coming from somewhere in the fortress.
"What's that?" She asked. It sounded like some of the soldiers were upset about something.
"I'll find out what's going on. You stay with her." Xian, who Su hadn't realized was there, disappeared from the doorway.
Su bent over in the bed, paws pressed against her eyes as her head continued to hurt.
"Su? What's wrong?" Shifu asked worriedly.
"I told you. A headache."
"If you want, you can borrow my pain relief tonic." Shifu replied gently. "I think I have it with me…"
Then Su felt the crack in her head again and the pain was so great she let out a shriek, startling Shifu so much he dropped the bottle.
"Su?!"
As the bottle smashed on the floor and stained it red, he leapt onto the bed, rushed to her side and wrapped his arms around her shaking body. He refused to show it, but he was terrified. The last time Su had displayed abnormal symptoms, she had nearly sleepwalked to her death.
Su didn't seem to acknowledge him. Her paws were practically digging into her eyes and she was clenching her teeth.
"Ow… ow…" Shifu could barely make out what she was saying. "Owie… stupid… dragon lady…"
Shifu nearly had a heart attack.
"What did you say?" He whispered.
Su continued to mutter as she fought to keep from screaming.
"Stupid… stupid… monster..."
She felt water leaking from her eyes and soaking her palms, but didn't remember feeling the urge to cry.
"Su, I'm taking you to a medic!" Shifu said. He stood up and tried to pull Su to her feet. What she said next made him freeze.
"Stupid… dragon thing… must have… broke… something…"
Broke?
His sensitive ears twitched as someone burst into the room.
"Grandmaster!"
Shifu turned his slightly to see a soldier staring at him with bulging eyes.
"What ever it is, take it up with Master Eagle Jr.!" He snapped. Su continued to shake in his grip.
"Emperor's orders!" The soldier said. "Please… you need to see this."
Shifu growled. More than anything he wanted Su taken care of, but there was no way he could disobey the emperor, even if he was his old student.
Eventually he carefully lifted Su up, even though she was almost exactly his size, and stepped down from the bed.
"Su…" He spoke softly into her ear, because Su was still blinded by pain. "Su, I have to go see to a few things, but this man is going to take you to Di Tan and he'll take care of you. Will you be a good and do what he says?"
Su barely nodded.
"Good girl."
He placed Su into the soldier's arms.
"After you get her to Di Tan you are to find a medic and bring him straight to her. Then you are to guard the pair of them with your life. Do I make myself clear?"
The soldier nodded and quickly left with the girl. As he left, something slipped from Su's belt and fell to the floor.
Recognizing Su's coin, Shifu picked it up with the intention to return it to her at the next opportunity, and barely noticed that it was covered in scorch marks before leaving to find out the source of the commotion.
Xian stared silently at the six bodies littering the middle of the entrance hall. All six soldiers had been frozen into contorted shapes, eyes wide and staring and mouths open in silent agony. The ground was covered in scorch marks.
Master Eagle Jr. stood by his side, as silent as the sight before them.
The soldiers who had investigated the initial commotion were crawling around the bodies, double checking to make sure they were still alive.
"Tujiu couldn't have done this." Xian whispered to himself, and it was true. Tujiu knew many things, but nerve attacks weren't one of them.
There was a soft rustling noise as Shifu stepped into the entrance hall and stopped dead at the sight of the bodies.
"What is this…" He said to himself.
"You're the kung fu genius, you tell me!" Xian snapped. He gestured for the soldiers to back away.
Shifu slowly stalked over to the bodies. He gently jabbed them. He bent down to look at their faces. He examined their abdomens.
"They've definitely been paralyzed." Shifu said, intentionally loud enough to Xian to hear. "But the technique is nothing like I've seen before…"
"Can you restore them?" Xian wanted to know this more than anything else.
"Yes, I can restore them. But they will still be weak for a couple of days. After I undo the paralysis they will have to go to the sick rooms with the rest of the wounded."
Xian exhaled, and so did the soldiers.
"What are you waiting for, then?!" Xian demanded.
Shifu immediately set to work, jabbing pressure points and freeing the paralyzed soldiers. With each freed victim two soldiers stepped in and carried them away. With one minute Shifu had freed the last soldier, and the last two of his comrades were just stepping forward when-
"Stop." Eagle Jr. said. "Not yet."
The two soldiers stayed where they were as Xian and Eagle Jr. went to the last victim's side.
"Can you tell us what happened?" Xian asked.
The soldier, barely able to sit, had to take a few breaths before speaking.
"Something attacked us…" He said. "I don't know what…"
"Just tell us what happened." Eagle Jr. said.
"The girl… I was on patrol and I'd just entered this hall when I saw the girl, that panda cub you ordered us to guard… heading for the library…"
It was time.
The Yeti made sure the fire of the torch was still burning strongly before releasing the sled. The explosive weapon slid in a straight line for the outer wall far below.
Then he started running. He had to reach the opposite side of the fortress before the sled reached its mark.
He only had one shot, and he had to make it count.
"That can't be!" Shifu snapped, furious. "Weren't you supposed to be watching her?"
"I thought it was strange too… there was no way she could have left the bedroom without being seen… so me and my comrades tried to go after her…"
"And then what?"
"This… thing… stepped out of nowhere. It was black all over… and had a dragon's head… before we could even try to fight the two men in front of me suddenly had this red flash on their stomachs…"
Along the pathway of the outer wall, two patrolmen froze at the sight of an orange speck in the distance getting close and closer.
"… then just like that they toppled over like broken pottery. We tried to run and sound the alarm… but it got us too. That's all I know… before now."
"Take him to the sick rooms." Xian barked. The two soldiers picked up their comrade and carried him away.
"It couldn't have been Su." Shifu said. "She was right there in bed when we found her."
"How is she?" Xian asked, remembering Su's headache.
"I don't know, but something is definitely wrong. I've arranged for a medic to take care of her."
"Careful with her! She's seven years old!" Di Tan scolded as the soldier laid the stricken Su down on the kitchen table, which had just been cleared of mahjong tiles. Di Tan was stricken himself, frightened as heck from the moment the soldier entered and he'd seen Su and the pain she was in.
"I will be back with the medic." The soldier said, and departed.
Di Tan rushed to Su's side. The cub was still pressing at her eyes.
"Su? Su, dear, listen to me. You're going to be alright."
In answer, Su suddenly let out a sharp scream and curled up even tighter.
"Oh my… Su, look at me."
Di Tan reached for her paws and gently tried to pull them away.
"Su, you're going to hurt your eyes if you keep pressing them like that. it's going to be okay." Di Tan continued to speak. The tips of his feathered fingers felt damp from where he had been touching the edges of her palms. The cub was crying, and her tears felt very warm… and slightly sticky. "The medic's going to be here soon and he'll make you better…" He felt her arms loosen a little, and he began to pull them away from her eyes. "Don't worry, it's just a headache… nothing a little tonic can't-"
Then he saw that the wetness wasn't water and he opened his beak to scream.
The sled struck the side of the wall with such force the kegs smashed right into the thick stone. Black powder spilled from the kegs as they broke apart and collided with the fire of the torch.
The explosion that ensued was so vast it was as if the new dawn had awoken with a great big bang.