Chapter Nineteen: Feast of Decadence
"Assassins, you say?"
"Yes, my lord."
Having been about to push open the door into the main hall of his palace where his nobles and guests of honor were feasting, the Khan stepped back into the adjoining antechamber towards Ganbataar instead, interest piqued.
"It wasn't..." he started, but Gan cut him off immediately.
"No. If it had been her, I figure we'd all be dead by now."
Khasar nodded in silent understanding.
"Then how can you be sure of the identity of these intruders?" he asked, now impatient.
"One of the assailants was still alive, and I was able to get quite a bit of information out of him - not without a little persuasion, of course." Gan answered, upturning one of his paws; it was coated in blood and fur that was not his own.
The Khan grinned.
"Indeed. And what of their origin?"
The adviser hesitated for a moment, planning his words carefully.
"It appears that some of our friends back in Karakorum... are no longer our friends. The assassins received their contract there."
When hearing this, Khasar turned his head to the side, suppressing a growl.
"The turmoil in this land seems to have no end."
Gan scoffed. "I hear that in the western lands, they fight over such lofty things as religion..."
The ruler cracked a slight smile at his adviser's musing, before returning the conversation to the matter at hand.
"The clan officials in the old capital have always been traitorous bastards, but sponsoring assassins... I'd thought that to be below them."
The leopard ruler paced even further back into the darkness of the chamber, frustration building.
"Any clue as to why they've become so emboldened as of late?"
Gan was now wearing lighter, more ceremonial attire for the coming feast, and scratched at his rarely-exposed chest before giving another answer; one which he knew would only further infuriate his ruler.
"We did manage to get something else out of the assassin before he topped off; apparently, there's a rather charismatic rebel leader gaining influence over some of our generals."
This, of course, caused the Khan to stop his meandering at once.
"A claimant to my throne?!" he projected in outrage.
"Possibly; the person in question is not yet known to us by name. That is all."
A nameless insurrectionist? That's just wonderful...
Khasar looked as if about to lash out with rage, but a sudden uproar of laughter from the feast progressing in the adjacent room reminded him of other matters that must be attended to. Turning about, he walked back up towards the doorway, the opening of which was cracked open ever so slightly; it allowed a single band of orange torchlight to pass through onto the ruler's face.
"It seems now is not the time to speak of such things." he started, placing a paw upon the wooden door. "And Gan..."
"Yes?"
"You have my thanks - for protecting my wife."
Gan hid a smirk.
It was more like the other way around...
Before the warrior could get too lost in his recollection of recent events, Khasar finally opened the door to the main hall, and he followed his lord obediently. As soon as they had entered, the gathering erupted into cheers and applause.
But the loyal adviser knew it was all a big farce anyway; a false reprieve for the influential and wealthy from the degrading state of the nation outside. Between the Khan and his court, both parties had grown increasingly disdainful of the other - it was destined to be a night of faked smiles and empty pleasantries. It was at times such as these that he did not envy his liege in the slightest.
Gan watched as Khasar made his way into the thick of the crowd, and calmly observed the rest of the gathering. A party of around sixty patrons and nobles were seated about the place - mostly in no particular order - as slaves and palace servants waited upon their every whim and request. Their flamboyant gestures and drunken parlay were what the leopard had come to expect from these parties, but what made this night unique was the presence of the Khan's foreign guests, who stood out like birch trees on a grassed plain.
The Chinese tiger was reclining against the far wall, arms crossed; much like Gan, she was carefully watching the crowd in silence. Since she was directly across from where the leopard stood, the two onlookers soon locked icy gazes; the smog and din of the room fell away to nothingness for the briefest moment.
Nonetheless, the glaring of the two felines was interrupted as a servant approached the striped cat, carrying a platter of freshly brewed tea.
The tiger spurned the offer immediately, looking annoyed as she motioned it away.
Glancing off to the far right side of the room, Gan spied the bird Kung Fu master; the avian was surrounded by several onlookers who were amazed by his apparent expertise with the strings of the morin khuur. The leopard growled when he saw that his daughter was among the spectators, but decided against any unwise actions in the presence of so many dignitaries.
The third foreign master, the panda, was sitting in the middle of the feast with the members of the Khan's court. It was here that the most esteemed plutocrats of Khanbaliq were left speechless by the bear master's voracious appetite; noodles, dumplings, grains, pine nuts - it did not matter - all were being consumed just as quickly as the table servants could bring it forth. Some of the more inebriated members of the Khan's inner circle began chanting and egging on the panda, as Khasar himself sat in solitary indifference, head propped up by an elbow on the table.
Having waited back long enough, Gan moved into the fray and took his seat near his lord, who was himself flanked on all sides by wealthy looking, well-groomed snow leopards. The sole exceptions were the Khan's daughter, Yuelen, and a golden eagle that perched itself nonchalantly in the rafters directly above the table. At that moment, the panda's consumption of food seemed to slow ever so slightly, and the Khan seized upon the chance to open a conversation at last.
"So remind me again, you are...?" the ruler trailed off, his disdain for the panda's appetite evident.
"Po, the Dragon Warrior."
The reply had been barely discernible due to all the food in the bear's mouth. Despite this, the officials around the table seemed to look at one another and nod to indicate understanding. The Khan decided to speak for them all.
"Yes, the Dragon Warrior title is known to us. It is said that you fight with honor."
"Really?" Po beamed suddenly in a voice that raised a few brows nearby.
The Khan threw back the drink in front of him before speaking.
"As you know, I am Khasar, ruler of Mongolia and a loyal servant of Tengri. You've already met Gan, here." he said, gesturing in the direction of his adviser, who gave a simple nod to Po.
The panda gave a half-smile.
"Above us is Altan," he added as the scruffy eagle waved a wing at Po. "veteran of Tsushima, and general of my armies."
The sole female leopard at the end of the table sighed loudly.
"General... As if that title means anything when there is no army to lead."
The Khan glared at the girl, wordlessly demanding she speak no further. She rolled her eyes, putting her attention back to her own food, and the Khan turned his focus to Po once more.
"And that's my daughter, Yuelen."
Based on the look she was giving him, the panda knew not to address her in any way. Unconcerned with Po's discomfort, the Khan was content to continue.
"Your arrival was foretold, Dragon Warrior. We thank the Eternal Blue Sky for bringing you into our fold."
Po squinted his eyes in confusion.
"Your fold?"
The area around the table seemed to grow a bit quieter, such that Crane's playing of the Mongol instrument could be heard, but the Khan ignored Po's question all the same.
"Tell me, panda, what do you know of the magic they call Chi?"
It had sounded as if the ruler hadn't even tried to hide the eagerness in his tone. In many circumstances, Po would be only too happy to drown someone in his knowledge of Chi, everything he had learned and studied since the arrival of the Jade Slayer. He would've done the same again, had he not taken the slightest glance up. Though he'd begun to grow accustomed to the Khan's visage, for the briefest moment he had seen Tai Lung sitting across from him, staring with that uncanny hunger in his eyes.
Po's mouth opened briefly, only to close once more - surely there had to be words to say, and yet he could not summon them.
Suddenly, a light thump against the panda's leg alerted him to the presence of someone standing to his side.
"We appreciate your hospitality, but we really must be going." the familiar voice of the tiger master pressed, her tone apathetic.
The Khan seemed somewhat surprised at this, but saw no reason not to oblige their request given the present company, maintaining his composure all the while.
In an instant, Po was up from his seat and being ushered out the door by a paw pressed a bit too forcefully against his back.
Perhaps it was all meant to impress them.
The living quarters that the masters had been provided embodied nothing less than palatial extravagance. Their very own siheyuan residence, the decoration of the place signified that practically no expense had been spared in its construction. There were high walls, tiled roofing, bronze dragons, an inner courtyard complete with its own fountain; a steady stream of clear water flowed out from the mouth of a coiled serpentine demon. The small complex even came with personal servants. To the surprise of the foreigners, many such buildings in the rich district of Khanbaliq seemed to be built in a familiar Chinese style, laying bare the envy the nobles of the Mongol realm held for the civilization in the southern lands.
The rains that had plagued the early morning that day had since given way to a cloudless night with innumerous stars visible in the sky above. Within the enclosed forum, Crane still experimented with the odd Mongolian string instrument as Po and Tigress conversed over the events of the feast that had taken place earlier in the evening. His wing would glide the silken bow over the tightly-wound strings to and fro, the talons of his leg articulating various notes in sequence, producing a guttural rhythm. In his peripheral vision, he casually observed the turn of events between the other two masters; how Tigress would scathingly assert the seriousness of their predicament, only for Po to counter by defending his own actions. For the avian, the deep timbre of the instrument often drowned out the sounds of his companions' voices entirely.
But with the ebb and flow of the parlance, the conversation soon became argumentative once more.
"What other options do we have?!" Po said, exasperated.
"Anything would be better than this; we are sitting and waiting, giving the enemy the initiative!"
"Enemy? Would an enemy treat us like this?" the panda asked in reply, waving his arms towards the opulence surrounding them.
Tigress' amber eyes, now subtly glowing in the nighttime darkness, fixated on Po in a way he found to be truly intimidating.
"Do not be lulled by false courtesy; we are prisoners here, Po."
In a huff, he turned away from the tiger, walking over towards the sinuous fountain.
"Men like the Khan don't become powerful by sparing their enemies - the only reason we're still alive is so that we can be manipulated, used." Tigress asserted. "We need a more aggressive plan of action, to get what we came for and leave this place!"
The panda brought a paw up to his chin, answering the feline master as he continued to search for a cooler temperament amongst the flowing waters before him.
"You want us to take a risk like that? If we make the slightest mistake - which is likely, given that we don't even know where the weapon is - do you like our chances against an entire army?"
Riled by Po's unwillingness to see from her point of view, it was now the tiger who was unwilling to respond.
Consumed by frustration, a dangerous thought crossed Tigress' mind - the kind one regrets immediately, but cannot deny it had ensnared their consciousness for the briefest of moments.
"Enough of this." she said with a sudden calmness that made Po turn to face her once more. "I will see you both tomorrow."
The feline made for the closest courtyard opening which lead into one of the residential chambers of the siheyuan. Two leopardess servants appeared at the door, ready to accommodate her; when seeing the look on her face, they instead elected - wisely - to stand clear of her path.
Seeing her exit, Po came over to where Crane was and sat on the ground, leaning against one of the bronze dragons.
"She just needs a chance to clear her head." Po said, trying to counter the concerned look the bird master was giving him. "She'll be fine."
"These days, I'm not so sure." Crane put the instrument down, standing to his full height once more.
Po hadn't really believed his own words, anyway. Eager to speak of something else, he turned his attention to the morin khuur that was now lain upon the dew-crested moss next to the bird.
"Crane... how do you even know how to play that thing?"
"Ah, this? It's surprisingly similar to an Erhu, actually; I just had to adjust my form a bit."
Po recalled that Crane was a rather adept player of the traditional Chinese instrument, one of his many talents that the bird cultivated in solitude.
"And the song you were playing earlier..." the panda started to say.
"Something I composed in honor of Oogway, but I'm afraid it sounds a bit different when played on this nomad's fiddle, though."
Po had loved the tune nonetheless, but hearing the wise tortoise master's name brought other thoughts to his mind; he realized he ought to meditate on the current state of events, in the hope that he could act with wisdom.
"Well, I think I'm going to call it a night." he announced, starting to stand.
"Po, wait."
That's odd...
Even with the abnormal circumstances of late, Po was surprised to hear Crane continue a conversation unnecessarily.
"There's something I've been meaning to ask you." the bird master admitted.
Po sat back down immediately, intrigued, and perhaps a little anxious.
"I've been thinking about the business with Kai a lot recently..."
"Yeah - what about it?"
The avian was gazing downward at the ground below himself, aimlessly dragging a talon across the place where humid moss met the stone tiles of the courtyard.
"To be honest, it was about you; what it put you through, the decisions you had to make."
"Crane, I'm fine..."
"I know you are." the bird answered with a quickness that supported his claim. "Believe me, we wouldn't have survived out here this long without you, Po."
To hear such a claim from one of his lifelong heroes filled the panda with an unparalleled pride - one which he was determined to keep hidden for the sake of humility.
"But what I'm really asking you for, is advice."
Naturally, this only further confused the Dragon Warrior, but he sat in silence, allowing his fellow master to continue.
"Do you recall when you met your father - the panda one, that is - for the first time? What was it like for you?"
Po wanted to give an answer immediately, but found that he required a moment to reflect on what had been a rather turbulent moment in his life. Perhaps this effect was what the bird had intended.
"It was... sudden; I never saw it coming." he said, still a little uncertain. "I just didn't want to believe it was true at first. Like, after all this time, how could it really be them, ya know?"
I know, more than you can imagine... I know.
"Then the surprise of it wore off." the panda added, jade eyes examining the stars above. "And I started to think about what it really meant..."
"The feeling that there was another path, an entire life you would have lived."
The bird had spoken as if their minds were one.
"And I still could have lived it." Po said, gazing blankly to a distance neither of them could see. "My father... he just wanted us to be together; for me to have the life I was supposed to have."
"What stopped you from going with him? Was it a sense of duty?" Crane asked.
"No."
The avian master just stood there, vexed by the certainty of Po's response.
"I didn't leave, because I could never abandon what I love." the panda said, standing up again. "First it was Kung Fu, but in time it became the masters that fought by my side."
"What do you mean?" Crane stuttered out, trying to discern the implications of what the Dragon Warrior had just said.
"You asked me for advice..." Po showed a passing smile. "You think too much."
He reached out and put a single digit against the bird's chest; upon contact, a small ripple of golden Chi dispersed over his feathers.
"This... is the only thing that really matters."
With that, the panda master turned to leave, and Crane was left alone.
The avian watched the chilled midnight wind slowly kill the courtyard torches one by one, waiting in pensive silence for daybreak.
The relentless late-afternoon heat was only made bearable by a stiff sea-breeze as the rising tide lapped against the lower docks and quays of Gongmen City. The sun having just begun to set, the glints of light refracted off of the sharply-angled verdant roofing of the city's buildings, and into the calm waters below.
Sails billowing, a darkly hulled and cargo-laden junk maneuvered the shallows of the harbor, moving into the canal slipways. The wealthy, well-to-do citizens barely took notice of the vessel, as countless such ships made port with each turning of the tide. The smell of brine, the sounds of groaning timber and blowing canvas were all too unanimous to find intriguing.
But the ship was no ordinary merchant craft or passenger barge. This, of course, would have been obvious had the ship been flying its Song Dynasty imperial standard. As the junk slid into its mooring position and was tied into place, the captain - who was too proud to admit the flag had been lost to Wokou raiders off Shandong - was the first to take leave of the ship. The old pig hastily vanished into the crowds, leaving his crew behind.
This left the chief passenger of the vessel, an antelope wearing expensive red garb, to deal with the docking reception. As the sailors went about tending to the ship, he somewhat hesitantly approached the gangplank that led to solid ground.
Waiting for him on the dock were two towering figures. One, significantly larger and with a muscular physique, was an ox; the other was quite clearly a crocodile with dangerous-looking weapons. The duo were both clad in expensive armor, and stood impatiently with their arms crossed.
"Are you the regional messenger from Qingdao?" the ox bellowed out.
The antelope took the final step off of the gangplank and found himself completely alone from the rest of the crew.
"Well... not exactly." he started as the crocodile stared him down. "I'm actually his secretary - the regional messenger is preoccupied at the moment."
"Ah. So that makes you the assistant to the regional messenger, then." the croc said, looking to his counterpart. "You can't make this up - the snob won't even grace us with his presence any longer. Must have scared him off!"
"Wait!" the antelope begged, trying to be heard over the laughter of the larger two. "I still bear an important message! Under the emperor's laws, you are bound to allow me access to the local magistrate!"
This succeeded in quieting the two warriors, but their demeanor did not indicate they had yielded.
"Gongmen is subject to its own laws - the emperor's name carries much less sway here than it does upriver in Hangzhou." the ox said, making the messenger shrivel in fear.
"You're lucky we even allow this pointless formality in the first place." the croc added. "Otherwise, you'd have no job."
"Yes, yes - I've heard enough!"
The two looked at each other briefly before turning about to lead the messenger into the city.
"Come along then." the bovine said, his deep voice still setting the antelope on edge. "Try not to fall behind."
There was a brief amount of time where the three traversed an open wharf before inevitably heading into the forest of rich green-roofed buildings. In this clearing, there were mostly stockpiles of cargo and the mechanical wooden cranes which raised and lowered the heavier loads.
The antelope found one spectacle in particular to be perplexing: a lone derrick was suspending a massive object - which looked as if it had recently been removed from the sea - only a few inches above the ground. A crew of Gongmen laborers stood in a circle around the cylindrical mass with warhammers; they took turns whacking away at the form, each strike removing barnacles and other marine growths.
The substance underneath was revealed to have dull, metallic luster.
There were the defined fangs of a dragon's head at the front of the cylinder, and the imperial representative recognized this hulking shape for what it really was.
So the stories are true.
"That's not... what I think it is, right?"
"That is none of your concern." the large reptile walking in front of him snapped.
It wasn't so much the crocodile's tone that kept the antelope deathly silent; it was the steel morningstar affixed to his muscular tail, always hanging just a few feet from the messenger's face.
The three cut their way through the crowded streets and alleyways of the seaside town, the smell of cooking rice and expensive spices mixing pleasantly into the salty air. The messenger took note of how the denizens of Gongmen bowed respectfully before the two warriors leading him, making space for their passing-by.
At last, they found their way to the main avenue of the city, a sloping street that lead downhill and back up again in the distance toward a tight grouping of three massive towers; the one in the middle was significantly taller, and it's many tiers were emblazoned with golden flame-like architectural projections that glistened in the sunlight. The two flanking buildings seemed to only amplify this dazzling effect, as they were the only buildings in the city to have gold-colored roof tiles.
"Hey - messenger!"
The antelope realized that he had been in such awe of the far-off spectacle that he had stopped in the middle of the street. The ox, which had just called to him, was now standing with the crocodile on the porch of yet another impressive building. This one was much smaller by comparison - rising only two stories - but was decorated just as richly.
"We are here." the bovine added.
The imperial watched as two military personnel, antelopes like him, flung open the doors to the building. The two warriors entered.
"Do you two mind telling me your names?"
"I am Master Croc; this is Master Storming Ox. We are representatives of the Masters Council." the reptile said plainly as he moved into the interior of the building; he sat at a table and chair that had clearly been custom built for him.
Ugh... I should've known. These Kung Fu masters and their asinine 'titles' system...
The messenger put on a deceptively warm smile.
"Ah, it is an honor to meet you. My name is-"
"Not important." Ox said, having preferred to stand in the center of the room. "State your message, messenger."
"Apologies, but I have orders to deliver this directly to the magistrate."
Ox crossed his large, intimidating arms.
"The Magistrate of Gongmen is busy - she doesn't like to be disturbed."
"But this is of the utmost importance!" the antelope pleaded.
"That-" Croc took a moment to pour himself a generous serving of tea from the table. "It is for us to decide."
The messenger tried to look around for some other person in the room - a source of reason, perhaps - but it was just the three of them. With an exhale, he conceded, unrolling an official scroll so that he could read from it.
"Our spies along the northern borders report increased military activity in Mongol-held lands; this is supported by the Magistrate of Xiangyang, and a number of other local governors. The imperial military council has decreed that all municipalities and townships begin levying serfs and conscripting from the commoners."
The messenger paused and looked up; Croc was casually sipping his drink and Ox remained just as annoyed as before.
"It is the opinion of the council," he continued, "that invasion is imminent. China must be made ready for war."
The antelope closed the scroll.
"Is that all?" Ox asked.
"Well... yes."
The imperial was at a loss for how the masters could not see the direness of the situation in the message he had just delivered.
"Forgive me, but you two seem... unconcerned."
"That's because we are unconcerned." Croc said, smiling as he got up from where he was sitting. "We have been receiving such messages for over a year now - the 'invasion' you speak of isn't coming."
"But... but what if it does!?" the antelope said, stomping his hoof into the wooden floor. "What then?"
"Thank you for your visit." Ox said, stepping forward as well.
The messenger backed away, frightened, but quickly pointed the scroll he was holding at the masters accusingly.
"The emperor himself will hear of this - I swear it!"
Croc laughed heartily.
"Go ahead and tell him; wish him good luck in finding an army big enough to force Gongmen into submission!"
The antelope waved his arm at them dismissively and left in a huff, starting the long walk back to his ship. Following his departure, the two masters emerged at the front of the building once more.
"So that was the messenger's assistant, huh? Wonder who they will send next time..." the reptile mused.
"Ha! At this rate? Probably a local rice farmer..." Ox answered, laughing.
The two started off down the street towards the three large towers at the far end of town. Constructed in the years following the destruction inflicted by Lord Shen, the Towers of the Masters Council were the painstaking attempts at replacing the previous structure of legendary repute.
Ox and Croc crossed the last few bridges along their way to their destination; markets and merchant buildings gradually became barracks and guardhouses.
At their arrival at the citadel complex, the palace guards parted to the sides, kneeling, and the massive interlocked gates creaked open. The two made their way into the stonework courtyard, passing a golden statue of Thundering Rhino, which had been crafted from the melted-down remains of the ancestral peacock throne. It had been a personal tribute by Ox and Croc in memory of their fallen fellow master.
"So what if the messenger was right this time?" Croc said as they came to the bottom of the central tower and started up the internal stairway. "What if we actually do have to face an invasion?"
"Not for me to say. Our priority is the protection of Gongmen." the bovine master answered, unconcerned.
They had reached the tower's zenith, and Ox threw open the stairway doors that led to the wide octagonal space that served as a residence for the masters. The two were in search of the much-loved Magistrate of Gongmen, the mystic known only as Soothsayer.
"Soothsayer!" the ox called out when not seeing the aged goat at her usual quarters in the center of the room. "We've received another message from the imperial council..."
"As expected." came the apparently disembodied response from the far side of the space.
The room was crowded with all manner of decoration, and the ever-waning daylight had resulted in decreased visibility. Searching for the governor of the city, the masters circumvented around the room, evading the columns and gilded statues that had obstructed their view. This effort brought them to the far corner, where the floral designs on the ceiling converged to a point. They'd found her at last.
Hunched over her bowl - as she was so often wont to do - the wise old fortune teller was stuck underneath a frighteningly large cloud of black smoke; it was such that the Kung Fu masters at first thought a fire had broken out. But upon closer inspection, the fumes were emanating solely from the basin at her feet. The flames within were an unnatural purple hue, but they hardly noticed this.
What was obscured in the dark cloud was much more gripping - intoxicatingly so.
"But I fear..." the goat continued at last, knowing her companions had arrived, "that we finally have a warning we cannot refuse to heed."
Soothsayer began drawing her arms back in toward herself again and again, as if she was pulling a rope that wasn't there. All the while, her gaze was fixed into the midst of the parting haze, searching. As the black smoke diffused aside, another color entirely began to overpower the darkening room.
Red.
A thin, spindle-like fractal of crimson vibrance was now clearly separated from the smoke, hovering above the indigo flames. This is what she had been looking for. Having now seen it, the mystic acted quickly, tossing a mysterious white powder into the conflagration, which caused it to crackle and extinguish itself. Then, as if she had commanded it, a rush of wind forced open the nearest balcony door, sweeping away the dark smoke into the direction of the auburn sunset outside.
Having lived with the Soothsayer for years, Ox and Croc had seen quite a few extravagant displays for which the word magic did not quite encompass the feat. But despite all they had seen, what had just taken place in front of them... it was somehow still unbelievable.
"What was it? What did you see?" Croc practically begged.
Soothsayer waved off his question as politely as possible, grabbing her walking stick and pacing to the balcony through the now-open shutter.
While just as curious, Ox knew better than to demand answers that he could not hope to comprehend the meaning of. Instead, he walked up to the goat's side as she stared out over the orange-tinted water that stretched to the horizon. The reptile master joined them, and they waited in silence.
"The gods have blessed me with long life, just as they have cursed me with foresight. Too often have my visions been the forebearers of violence and discord."
The goat stroked her beard, lost in troubled contemplation.
"Whatever you ask of us, we will see it done." Ox assured.
"Certainly, whatever you have seen can be overcome." Croc added in perfect time.
"Your sentiments are appreciated, but what I need... is a messenger. One with wings, preferably."
The martial artists looked at each other.
"Who are we sending a message to?" the reptile questioned.
"Grandmaster Shifu of the Jade Palace."
Author's Notes:
- Greetings! Again, sorry for the update schedule - this time I was able to publish an update in 2 months instead of 3, so... yay?
- Seriously though, I really need to get better about this schedule, and props to you readers who are sticking around!
- Since it has been a while, I figured I would give a friendly reminder as to why the Khan may be acting a bit sporadic: the guy is going insane
- Describing how mental state translates into outbursts and tonal shifts is something I have been struggling to emphasize, so feedback on that is always appreciated!
- Shoutout to my fellow author The Great Ying for convincing me to put a Golden Eagle OC into the story - I promise he will get some dialogue next time! Also, thanks for suggesting the title of this chapter!
- I always have envisioned Crane as multi-talented individual, so in this chapter he is revealed to have skill with stringed instruments, and I imagine the song he plays as "Oogway Ascends" (coincidentally, another author on the archive has done something very similar recently XD)
- I thought it was important to finally show some direct argument between Po and Tigress, as this is largely inevitable given their vastly different personalities and outlooks; what Tigress thinks of in her moment of rage is really just her returning to her old biases for a split second
- Moving on, the back half of that scene between Po and Crane was probably my favorite to write, as it was fun to write a conversation where the real topic of the conversation is never directly mentioned in the dialogue
- Crane's internal dilemma has been building for some time now, and I wanted to show how much he truly values Po's opinion on such things
- Gongmen is far and away my favorite canon location from the movies, so you'll have to forgive me for splurging on the details and setting description; I used several nautical terms toward the beginning that may have been confusing
- It's important to note that my version of Gongmen is essentially an independent city-state; my versions of Ox and Croc and their respective attitudes is a reflection of this
- Finally, a big shoutout to the members of my Discord, as many of them keep me motivated and help me to write a better story!
- Apologies, that was a LOT of author's notes; thank you to all of my readers!
