As the warriors got closer to the city the air became frigid and snow could be seen on the ground in small patches. Yuè was accustomed to the cold weather due to having a thick fur coat and living in similar areas throughout his childhood. The others, however, were not so lucky. The wolf could see the members of the Five shivering slightly due to not having the proper attire for the conditions outside. Po, on the other hand, was shaking like an earthquake and rubbing his arms and hands desperately for warmth. Even though he was a panda and had more than enough body mass to keep him warm both internally and externally, he grew up in The Valley of Peace, which had moderate weather nearly all year and winters that weren't as harsh as those far north. Fan wasn't affected as much due to her insulated leather armor, but the cold was especially harsh on Jian. With him being minimally dressed as well as being a cold-blooded reptile, his body was gradual starting to slow down due to the lack of warmth. Yuè looked over and placed a hand on the croc's should, "We're almost there." he said reassuringly. Jian gave him a waning smile, "We'd better. Can't wait to get near a fire and get some warmer clothes." he joked with a light chuckle.
After an hour of walking the group reached their destination: Tan Jin City. However, when they got close to the city they received anything but a warm welcome. The city was surrounded with a tall imposing wall made of stone to keep anything and everything out. On top of the wall were guards patrolling the perimeter to make sure everything stays out and everyone stays in. In the center of the wall was a large wooden gate with a large red eye shaped emblem. One similar to the emblems on the armor of the soldiers they'd previously encountered. The gate was guarded by a troop of at least ten soldiers, all armed with swords, axes, and long bows. The party was stopped in their tracks on a hill near the intimidating structure. "Any plans?" Monkey asked the group. "Maybe if we knock and ask nicely they'll let us in." Yuè suggested sarcastically, earning glares from the rest of the group, "Right. Not the time." he said with his ears wilting slightly before perking back up.
After a moment of silence and brainstorming Fan was the first one to come up with an idea, "I could sneak in." she suggested. Tigress shook her head disapprovingly, "That's too risky. What if you get caught?" she asked. Fan smiled brightly, "Don't worry, I'm a pro at this sorta thing. Besides, if I do get caught I can always use my feminine charm to get out of it. These guards are all guys any way." she said confidently as she strode off toward the citadel. After an hour of waiting Fan returned grinning widely, "There's a crack on the east side of the wall. It's just big enough for us to squeeze through and it's positioned behind a small bakery." she said, relaying the intel to everyone. "There's our entry and our cover. Nice work Fan." Yuè congratulated. "Well, I'm not a master thief for nothing." she said brightly as she led the way to the access point. They walked for a few minutes before coming across the hole Fan mentioned. Po kept watch to make sure guards weren't watching as everyone quickly funneled in. Po was the last one to enter, though with some difficulty. Because of his large frame the panda got stuck in the wall for a moment before Jian used what was left of his immense strength to pull the ursine into the city, "Thanks. I owe you one." he said. Jian only grumbled tiredly in response. "Where's Yuè?" Viper asked. The group looked around to see the wolf missing from the entry way. Crane spotted the lupine standing in an alley on the side of the bakery staring at the sites in the city. They all walked to his side to see what he was looking at, regretting their decision almost instantaneously.
Tan Jin City was completely different from what the wolf remembered. Buildings were destroyed and burning, filling the air with a pungent stench of charred wood. Guards in black iron armor were seen patrolling the streets and harassing civilians, similar to the guards in Thieve's Landing attacking the fox merchant. More grim sites could be seen as they looked closer. In alleys across the street from them, the warriors could see soldiers loading large burlap sacks into the back of a rickshaw. From the form of the sacks and the small red blotches staining the outside of them, they could tell that bodies were inside. "This place really went to s***." Yuè said with a slight growl, "We have to find Li and quick. I know a place where we could set up. It should be safe, but at this point, I'm not too sure." he said with a sense of urgency as he led the warriors carefully through the crowded city.
He instructed everyone to walk a certain distance away from him but still follow him closely. As they walked everyone could feel the eyes of the guards watching carefully, waiting for the warriors to give them a reason to put them in one of the burlap body bags. After going down several streets and taking several turns the party reached the location Yuè mention. An inn called, 'The Silver Horn Inn'. Yuè briefly scoped the area out to make sure no one was watching before walking inside the establishment, his followers doing the same. The lobby of the inn was completely void of customers. The only thing keeping it from being completely empty was the furniture in the waiting area to the right of the entrance. A large couch placed in front of a small table. Below the table was a rectangular carpet with several intricate designs weaved into it. To the left of the entrance was the front desk with a small bell and a registry book for guests to sign in. In front of the entrance was a stair case leading to the rooms on the second floor to the left and to the right of the stair case was a tavern-like area for patrons to unwind and have a drink.
Yuè walked to the desk and looked behind it, only to find it just as abandoned as the rest of the inn. He walked into the tavern area to find an old goat sitting on a stool, passed out at the bar. He moved closer to the goat, the smell of liquor getting stronger as he got closer to the caprine. He gently shook the old man's shoulder, "Since when did you take up drinking Mr. Hsu?" he asked jokingly. The goat groaned as he came to and met the wolf face to face. He looked at Yuè with wide baggy eyes as he carefully stepped off the bar stool, still hungover from heavy drinking. "Yuè? Is that really you?" he asked touching the lupine's face to make sure he wasn't an alcohol induced illusion. Yuè took Mr. Hsu's right hand off his face and shook it, "I'm pretty sure this is how you're supposed to shake hands." he joked, both he and Mr. Hsu sharing a laugh. Yuè looked back towards the lobby to see the other travelers looking at the scene curiously. "Guys, I want you to meet Mr. Hsu. He owns the inn. He also helped save my life a few years ago." he said introducing the goat. Each one of the warriors took their turn shaking the inn owner's hand, all except one. Yuè turned to see Jian huddled close to the fireplace on the back wall of the room. "Hey." he said with a small wave.
"So what brings you to this little slice of hell? It couldn't be the sites." Mr. Hsu asked sarcastically as he reached for a bottle of huangjiu. "We're here on a mission to find my daughter and liberate Tan Jin. I wanted to know if you could provide us with lodgings." Yuè said. After taking a large swig of the liquor Mr. Hsu laughed loudly, "Liberate Tan Jin? Now, finding your daughter, that's feasible if she's here. But eight warriors against an entire army? That's suicide." he said, his words a little slurred. "No, suicide is a coward's way of running from his problems. Besides, the Dragon Warrior is with us. There's no way we could fail." Yuè said gesturing to Po. Mr. Hsu dropped the bottle before quickly catching it before it fell. He looked closely at the panda, Po only waved. The old goat scoffed before returning to his bar stool, "Even if you do have the Dragon Warrior there's no way you can stop Jūnfá. The man is a beast, a monster to say the least." he said discouragingly. Yuè chuckled lightly, "You're only making me want to fight the guy even more. There's nothing I like more than a good drink and an even better fight. So, do you have rooms for us or not?" he asked crossing his arms. Mr. Hsu only scoffed and took another swig of his liquor, "The keys are in a drawer at the front desk. I just hope you know what you're getting into." he grumbled. "Not a clue." Yuè said as he walked back to the front desk.
A Few Minutes Later...
Everyone took up residence in their own rooms and began to make themselves comfortable. Crane began working on his calligraphy, carefully painting the character 希望 (Hope) on a scroll. Tigress sat in her room meditating with candles and incense lit. Mantis was quietly whittling a piece of wood into the shape of a small, but detailed, bust of a dragon head. Viper was playing a game of Mahjong by herself to pass time. Monkey decided on getting an early start on sleeping. Jian rounded up all the spare blankets from the other rooms in the inn and curled up in them, desperate to stay warm. Fan stood in the middle of her room practicing Tai Chi, her movements graceful and precise. Po was absent from his room, oddly enough. Yuè sat in his room gathering his thoughts and clearing his head so he could focus on his current objective.
Yuè had just closed his eyes and crossed his legs in a half lotus position when his ears perked up to the sound of a knock at his door. He opened his eyes to see the silhouette of a large panda standing behind the literally paper thin door. "Come in." he grumbled, closing his eyes again. Po slid the door open and stood in front of Yuè, thinking about what to say. "What's on your mind?" Yuè asked, sensing Po had something to say. "Oh, just wanted to know how you were holding up. You know, after the whole trip to your house and everything." he said scratching the back of his head. Yuè opened one of his eyes before sighing and stopping his meditation, "I'm fine. Just...I haven't really just looked back on that in a while. It was the best part of my life, and to have it happen like that..." he confessed. Po sat down beside him and placed a hand on Yuè's shoulder, "It's okay. Just know that if you have to get anything like that off your chest again you have friends, like me, that'll listen." Po said smiling brightly. "Thanks Po. I'll keep that in mind." the lupine said, going back to his meditation. Po stood up and left for his room.
Several Hours Later...
Everyone inside the inn was sleeping peacefully. Everyone snored either softly or not at all, except Jian, whose snoring nearly shook the entire building. However, downstairs a single figure sat alone at the bar drinking shots of baijiu. Yuè was having difficulty getting rest, but not because of the loudly snoring reptile. Behind him he heard the staircase creak. He turned to see Tigress walking down them and toward the bar. She took a seat next to him, "I see you couldn't sleep either." she said in a near emotionless tone. Yuè chuckled lightly, "I'm guessing you couldn't because of the croc that's shaking the building." he joked as he poured himself another shot, quickly downing the drink. Tigress only looked down at her hands silently. "It was a joke. Never mind." Yuè said. He grabbed another shot glass and placed it on the counter, "Want some?" he offered. "No thanks. I don't drink." Tigress said turning down the drink. Yuè shrugged and poured himself another shot and silently stared at it.
After a moment of silence Yuè spoke up, "I know something's on your mind." he said turning to the feline, "What's up?" he asked. Tigress sighed heavily, "I couldn't sleep because...I had a nightmare." she admitted, turning away. She expected the wolf beside her to erupt in laughter but he was quiet and only downed his drink. "You're...not laughing?" Tigress asked, facing Yuè. He shook his head, "Everyone gets nightmares. Care to share what it was about?" he asked. Tigress took a deep breath, "It was about what we saw earlier...the bodies. In the dream, I couldn't move and I felt myself bleeding. There was so much pain and I looked down a saw a gash in my stomach that looked a lot like your scar. Next thing I knew some soldier put me in a body bag and I woke up." she said, recounting the events of her nightmare, Yuè listening closely. Tigress sighed heavily, "The way you acted back there...you seemed so calm and unaffected. How could you do that? When we were fighting those soldiers you killed two of them right in front of me without even flinching. How do you deal with something like that?" she asked, her voice breaking slightly.
Yuè moved his drink to the side and looked down at his hands before looking back up at Tigress, "Well, drinking helps. But kidding aside, I guess I've just become desensitized to the whole thing. I'm no stranger to death or killing. The sights in the city right now...the bodies and death...I've seen it all too many times before. Hell, I've even helped put some of those bodies in those bags. At some point it all became...normal. Like, I just don't feel anything." he confessed. Tigress only stared in disbelief. She was shocked to hear something like that come from anyone. "How could this be normal for anyone?" she asked. Yuè looked at her with serious eyes, "Don't tell anyone I told you this okay?" he asked. Tigress nodded, "When I was just a pup, about eleven, I saw my father slit a man's throat right in front of me. Then, he gave me the knife and told me to do it to someone right next to him." he said looking away. Tigress was speechless, "That was the first time I ever killed a person...I felt so sick I damn near threw up for a whole day. I couldn't sleep for weeks...I've never told anyone this story. Not even Jian and he's my closest friend." he said, gripping his shot glass tightly. "Then why'd you tell me?" Tigress asked. Yuè looked deeply into her eyes, "Because you're goin' through the same thing. You didn't kill anyone, but you've seen enough death in one day to give you the same sickness. Just thought having someone that's had the same experience to talk to would help." he said before downing another shot.
A silence came between the two for a few minutes. "Thank you." Tigress said breaking the silence, "For talking to me. I feel a lot better." she said with a slight grin. Yuè chuckled lightly, "Po tells me that you don't smile much and so far, since I've known you, I've seen you smile twice." the wolf said with a grin. Tigress' smile quickly turned into a frown, "I swear, if you tell anyone." she threatened. Yuè laughed, "Don't worry. You keep my secret and I keep yours. Deal?" he asked raising his shot glass. Tigress picked up the empty glass in front of her and clinked it against his, "Deal." she agreed. Yuè downed his shot and stood up, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm a little drunk so I'll be heading off to bed." he said walking back to his room. Tigress sat at the bar and eyed the empty cup in her hands before looking at the bottle of baijiu. She grabbed the bottle and sniffed the liquor before putting it back, the smell being sharp. She put her glass down and decided to go back to bed, this time without nightmares disturbing her, but the loud snoring coming from the large reptile down the hall.
The Next Morning...
Yuè got an early start to his morning. He was doing one handed push-ups in the center of the room to force his body to sober up from the previous night. "...127, 128, 129, 130." he said finishing up his exercises. He decided to head down stairs to find some breakfast. When he reached the bottom of the stairs he saw everyone sitting at a table set up near the bar. "Here I am thinking I got up early." he said as he took a seat at the table. "We were waiting for you to get up so we can start planing our first move." Crane said as he unrolled a map of the city. "Since you know this place better why don't you get us started?" Tigress suggested. Yuè looked at the map closely as his memory of the city began flooding back to him,
"Right now we're in the Market district. True to its name, there's a lot of stores, inns, and pretty much every other place you could buy something. The good thing about being here is that the crowds provide plenty of cover. Jian, you're gonna scope out the guards in the streets. When you have their positions memorized, mark it off on the map. Fan, I need you to go roof level. This is the best position for you to see the patrol patterns they go on." he said, earning a nod of understanding from the warriors. He turned to Tigress, "You're the leader of the Five so you have the authority to give them their orders, not me." he said sliding the map across the table to Tigress. She looked over the map for a moment before coming up with a plan, "It'd be best if we mirrored your plan. Crane and I will follow Fan, Monkey and Viper will tag along with Jian, and Po and Mantis will go with you." she said crossing her arms. "What exactly are you gonna do?" Mantis asked, scratching his head. "I know a few places here that's good for tracking people down. I'm gonna ask around to see if anyone's caught sight of Li." he said, 'If that scent's anything to go from, someone has to know.' he thought to himself. "One problem with this plan of yours Yu. It's frickin' freezing outside! I'm not sure if you've noticed, but cold air and I don't exactly mix." Jian pointed out, everyone except Fan nodding in agreement. "Glad you pointed that out." Yuè said. He walked behind the bar and grabbed a large sack, dropping it on the counter. "Last night I did a little late night shopping with the last of my money." he said, opening the bag to reveal several black garments of various sizes lined with fur.
One by one the Furious Five, Po, Jian, and Fan stepped up to get their new clothes. Jian's garments mirrored his iron plate armor, but had fur insulation and a fur lined collar. Fan's new clothes kept the design of her leather armor and included a hood and cape. Po received a large panda-sized vest that was the same shade of black as his fur. The members of the Five all received the same kind of vests, but with slight differences. Tigress and Monkey's vests had sleeves and hoods. Crane's vest was more of a tight fitting harness designed to make him more aerodynamic. Viper wore a sleeve like garment that covered the upper half of her body. Mantis, however, didn't receive any clothes, "What about me?!" he asked in a perturbed tone. "Sorry. When I asked the tailor to make one for a mantis he laughed and told me to try using a thimble." Yuè said as he put on his new clothes. The wolf wore a slate gray shroud with fur lining the inside, as well as a matching leather vest. "Before we start our assignments, Jian, you're gonna have to leave your sword. We can't have the guards getting suspicious of us openly showing our weapons." Yuè said as he placed his sword and crossbow on the counter, Jian following suit. The warriors kept their more concealed weapons on their person just to make sure they weren't completely unprotected. After a few minutes of preparation everyone left the inn to start on their assignments. As they slowly filtered out of the establishment a figure in the crowded streets kept a close watch on the group, unbeknownst to anyone.