Episode VII: White Dragon
Chapter XXXI
Rumination
I. Throne Room
Shadows murmured across the throne room within the mountain. In a hole of a subterranean land, there lived an Ox-demon who sat in his chair with bones in front of the meeting as the table around it so sharp as many blades on each side. A sense within his nose piled with the flesh of blood elsewhere within the throne room, yet bones crawled and mounted beside chairs and table under them: slightly comfort and in Huoju's preference, he adored more than his royal palace before.
Huoju's discussion spoke in front of followers who mainly in high ranks as similar to commanders and almost as generals. Despite Ox-demon's position by being a Prince including Ruler of Retaliation for many centuries after the Great War, he only orders various levels except Emperor, unless becoming a hand of the highest degree (Second-in-Command or Hand of the Emperor).
One of Huoju's followers in metal and pale orange armor on the right stated. "Our allies continuously skirmish Mongolian forces of House Commander of Anvil of Heaven in Northwest of China," explained hyena. "The northern wall nearly shattered apart. Our Lieutenant Gǎo Luàn and his men tear it down using Lord Shen's cannons."
On Huoju's left side, a deer in an orange robe with black patches on both shoulders convened after clearing his throat softly. "There are other forces to reconsider General Bear's army on the move," the deer clarified with a rugged tone. He peered on Huoju's glaze. "Our comrade Temutai from Qidan Clan interests having a private meeting after this council discussion."
Temutai? Huoju named in a perplexed thin eye.
"The Water Bull, my Prince," the deer added. "He desires to have what belongs to him from the famous place where it is hidden. A gem is what Temutai claimed it from nowhere along with his guards, and he described the sheer stone to enable his limitless power, and potential."
The Medallion. Huoju revealed. It's limitless power to create impenetrable strength and eager what you crave. Of course, while you wear that stone around your neck, you only care about the capacity to feed your anger into crimson forces.
"It's discovered that the Medallion could be at Jade Palace, where Temutai recalled," the deer added.
Each follower within the room felt a silence on uncomfortable chairs they laid their hands on the table. Huoju thought as he ignored most of humming voices and soft grunt in front. The Ox-demon peered one follower; a rhino in green and red sleeveless shirt with light brown belt cringed his nose through both cheeks, gripping right fist he sensed into a terrible mood. What say you, Hundun? Huoju demanded the rhino.
The Prince gazed Hundun's gray-looked sandy face with solid horn shattered on rounding side above his nose. Hundun suppressed a grimaced look and gently loosen the right grip, flattening his hand, and inhaled in his nose. "Your legacy is so absolute as you do follow your father's path, my Prince," Hundun addressed. "Let me be clear to you, sir. Your father ruled his royal palace where you born there and craved his interests by doing a righteous path to his partner's side with pride."
I know what my father was. Then, my commander. Huoju added, handing a bone claw cup that filled with red wine. Khan and Siwang were in absolute partnerships to concur Oogway and his disciples, even a life bloodline of the Mightiest Warriors.
The squeaking bat behind Huoju summoned from flying with wings flapping in the breeze; the Prince sipped red wine that berries poured into his throat from the claw cup he held. All followers including Huoju target their eyes at the bat after Lord Shen's second-in-commander landed on the table. "Sir. Master Bear and his armies kept capturing our hyena scouts," Mianfu panted, Huoju placed his cup on the table on the left. "The rest of thirteen scouts who escaped, one of the recruits informed me about the bandit who secretly shared your capacity of what we built our army, locations of many scouts, and —" the bat craned on Huoju's ear, whispering, "— your plans."
Huoju's eyes brightened to crimson stars. He knew something that Huoju and his army could do such unpredictable, and the Prince clenched his hooves. Followers and Hundun embraced their lungs as if they quivered all fours while sitting and watching Huoju's grimaced face. Instead, the Prince dimmed his stars and concentrated in a manner. Such a poor soul within that traitor, Huoju said perspicaciously. Master Bear and his armies can capture my recruits however they will. Dismissed, all of you.
Many followers stood up, nodding to their leader with observant and deferential just as they proceeded to the circular stairs ahead of them. The black hawk who positioned next to the solid rock near the stairs, he nodded to all higher ranks and Hundun lastly. Preening and how matter the calmness this bird does to obey with Huoju. His final chance, and who knows how many mistakes did the bird caused since the black hawk introduced the goose servant from Master Wolf's Palace —
Ying. Since I abundantly clear that you are who I trust on my side, Huoju said, as the hawk quivered his feathers and preening on each side of his body, you are such no fool while you obey me for the last time. Where did you proceed with hyena scouts?
Ying listened to Huoju's conversation. What he truly saw to his master's eyes, glanced into brightness red stars. Ying inhaled nastily. "At the Southern Border, sir," he replied, trembling and swallowing his fear. "You summoned me to linger on your side for safety precautions from scouts getting outran and captured alive from Huangdi's men."
There's no need to have fear from me, Ying, Huoju said calmly, gripping his hoof in such delicate. Your reply to yours gained my trust. Do you comprehend? Ying stopped wobbling to his feathers as if the Prince realized that every follower saw Ox-demon furious and stern, in which most bandits including recruits petrified, and plenty including Phantom Bear used Huoju's anger. Ying nodded when understanding Huoju's reasonable. Come to me, Huoju gestured the Hawk.
Ying stood next to Huoju; the Prince extended his right arm over the breeze. Both glimpsed scarlet lanterns below the red camps and crimson sky at beyond the mountain where sprawling on the hidden rocks. Huoju palmed to Ying's back; the Hawk sensed the Ox's hoof warmer like the sunlight's horizon. One of our men is a traitor, Ying, Ox-demon said. For those who made a vow to claim their lands to skirmish beside me and my Lords to conquer in all of China, only the few who are cowards to give a share to Huangdi's special forces. I assume you are not one of those cowards because you seek every military strategist as unusual within my mind.
Ying took his breath silently, glaring behind the meeting table. "Could there be someone who met you in your throne room earlier?" Ying asked Huoju. "One of your followers?"
Perhaps not, Huoju answered, withdrawing his hoof from Ying. Even their intellects were shut to focus on my voices, their eyes such respective to me. I cannot see which of my followers betrayed the scouts and to me ridiculously. Accordingly, there can be only one who shares the plot of my plans to Emperor Huangdi's forces. If my bandit does, I will deal with him myself.
Ying split his eyebrows widely. He pressed his beak and sniffing smoke from Huoju's breath. "As you wish, Prince Huoju," Ying swallowed hard as the bird including Ox-demon peered over the dark rocks and scarlet lights that surrounded the terrain and beneath the breeze. "The point is, my Prince, that bandit could turn back on us as if he wishes to the Gods to return Oogway's disciples you hate the most. Frankly—"
Those warriors and people in my vision are killers, Huoju described. Every person you murder, more of them will spawn to plot their revenge. Once you repeat that process, it will spread and append many as you butcher, until one of them will crush you without mercy.
"That is their specific dream to kill a character who slaughtered someone," Ying continued. "This war comes closer to what we can expect many resistance warriors you will slit their throats to win."
I'm not going to slit their throats, Huoju revolved slowly to black hawk. He illuminated his crimson stars when Ying espied to him, paralyzing himself like a sharp, pale rock. I am going to burn them all.
II. Inner Peace
The shadows across the Hollow grew into silence, only as you can hear a snore behind the dark bars. The panda laid on a pale rock with his neck and near upper-back, sleeping into consciousness where he only preferred comforting than other stones surrounding him terribly discomfort. The stone was sharpened and hard as if you can sense itchiness behind your back and lay your both palms beside your head to try to sleep. A soft groan arrived; the snarling deer winked and burst his breath slowly.
The deer guard stood in front of the bars, his dull gray armor shrunk from the torch at it glimmered lightly and sometimes enjoyed snapping blade like a fiber that waved delightfully. This guard was not alone beside the deer. A hyena creature in iron armor, who carried a spear and peered the panda for hours inhaled in such wretched and bending cheeks from his nose. What makes him grimaced with his partner beside him? Something to have guards doing orders from Huoju as no visitors including those who crave inquiries in front of the panda.
A light hum besides the deer summoned over the left hole nearby. The guard grimaced as he does unfortunate, ignoring a female voice as possibly can. But something that his ears twitched rapidly from light voice ringing him, he shook his temple to the left. What this guard saw a person who hummed beside the deer was likely odd.
An attractive crocodile who has black lips near to her nose, and shiny cheeks with pink crimson. She has worn strange, gray silk that her green, reptile-like tail extended with spike ball from behind that she waved at him.
"Ooh," the deer pulled his mouth downward. Spreading and craning his green eyes as he became hooked and swollen his heart on his chest like you can stare a center with the shape of thumping heart. "Partner, there's a she-crocodile. Look!"
A she-crocodile who continued to hum from her throat brought a red fan next to her thigh. Hyena guard who stood and strolled beside his partner saw to a sort of perplex and many blinks of his cinnamon eyes. He shook his jaw from she-crocodile's wink, dripping his tongue out with water to the floor. "Whoa! She just winked at me," the hyena guard surprised, continuing to lurch his tongue out and dropped his spear to the ground. "Come on, let's go dance with her. Shall we?"
"Yeah!" the deer agreed loudly, dropping his spear and both guards lurch their feet forward and now following a she-crocodile into the left hole. They disappeared while guards' voices muted at a further distance.
Metal clangs sound approached closer to one of the holes to infiltrate. A grayish form who infiltrated the hole, snickered in his long throat as he discerned both guards following the she-crocodile. His sleeve and feather suppressed to his beak. You taciturn idiots, he thought wickedly. One of those guards will realize who's got a strange bottom from Fung below.
Lord Shen sneaked through the Hollow, peering and craning his neck on both sides of black holes as no sign of voices he could not detect them firmly. Snoring from the panda's nose rumbled in the cell, echoing with sleeping voice Shen perplexed. "Panda?" the peacock murmured him, grasping the shadow bars while craning his neck at Po. "Panda!"
Po groaned, jerking his paw in the air. Shen repeatedly called him in a normal voice. Then the panda flickered his left ear. "Ten more minutes, dad…"
Preposterous! Shen gripped his beak and feathers, brightening his red eyes and shrieking his howl to Po's ear. The panda awakened with jade eyes illuminating across the cell. Wobbling his big body and shaking his face before rising to a kung fu stance Po used. "WHOA! Did I oversleep?" Po asked in weaken voice in which echoed the Hollow thunderously. "Oh man! Monkey took my cookies near to his shelf."
"What?" Shen perplexed with beak and eyes broad.
"Nothing. Just a dream," the panda answered, wobbling in front of the bar and struck his head on the metal. Bang! Shen retreated with sort of confused when Po grunted. The Dragon Warrior rubbed his forehead with a sense of bruise, waking his eyes and glimpsed the peacock ahead of him. "Wait, Shen?"
"Yes," nodded Shen. "We need to talk… about peace and that divination."
Po's intellect reflected into sparkle. "Right!" The panda illuminated his jade eyes, gazing both sides, wobbling and springing his feet lightly. Lurching to the shadow bars, the panda grasped metals as every edge sharpened as the blade. He rose his neck towards the peacock, who continuously perplexed as Shen sighted the panda how despicable warrior is being lighthearted and smirking over his ears. "Shen, before we shall clarify this, where did you go?"
"I went to my factory near Huoju's battle training area," Shen answered, tugging his feathers within long sleeves. "Those bats are craving their interests to use my knowledge of cannon power."
"Why?"
"For many times, I tried to ignore hunger of hate from my cannons," Shen added. He took a breath from his beak, "powders were feeding my anger. Making me indestructible. These bats and bandits are terrifying because of me. They considered I am a murderer and intelligent to manipulate their minds."
"Geez," Po surprised, rubbing his belly. Just then, the panda gazed on Lord Shen who closed his eyes, in which pondering what Po possibly saw into his heart. "What is wrong, Shen?"
Shen opened his eyes, sensing a warming droplet of water coming down to one of his sleeves. He thought that the rain was pouring down above the dark rocks. As the peacock sensed watery below his cheek, Po imaged redness in Shen's crimson eyes. Shen tasted his salty tear to his right beak. "I cannot get rid of the past," the peacock shattered his voice, sniffing.
Po staggered, however. The panda weighed down his mouth to his jaw. Grasping the bar with sharpness when Shen continued in down neck. "Cannons and people screamed through my head, pandas and wolves howled over the fires, and my parents' cry torn my body apart. I want to leave out of this damnation —" Shen quivered his beak, he rose his neck to the panda, "— Terrible things I did, was my liability. There were many people like you and those warriors desperately craved to plot their recrimination to justify with justice against me.
"I gazed every person's eyes shook away, that reminded me of my parents disappointed me. Wherever I go every time, my stomach rumbles as I remembered the emblem of the fire from that bandit's chest before marching with my wolves to head my city. If I decide to seek clemency, no one will forgive—"
Shen covered both eyes with his feathers. "You are in pain, Shen. I can see and feel in you right now," Po said, flattening his palms on Lord Shen's shoulders. "Like I said before. Scars and wounds heal, even if you are in such depression. You are not the only person in this world who faced depression before. From the inception of life on all people, including both of us, there were stories may not go such happiness."
Lord Shen could notice Po's sentence that the Panda spoke, reflecting someone's voice familiarly. He rose his neck and revealed Soothsayer's voice around Shen's younger age. Your story may not have such a happy beginning. Her voice comforted Shen's heart before the dark times he faced many consequences, especially the part within the peacock who turned to Soothsayer for one last time.
Lord Shen detected the panda's voice while perceiving his old nana's tone in his intellect. "Are you still thinking about my peace?" Po demanded to him friendly. Shen realized how peace prevents rage with flames that crawled over everyone's temples. His other goals (except bad things) succeeded by Rhino's Cai Li Fo that studied and observed it for many years. The peacock bent his head to Po. "It's okay. We can utter this for just two of us. If so, then we can start conversing about your struggle. And with that conflict, you will remain on your course to take action by progressing."
Po shoved on the shaded rock next to the torch where it lightened every time. He gazed on Lord Shen as the peacock stood on a right side of the shrouded bars. "I remember my son," Shen said. He vibrated his voice; Po turned his green eyes to peacock's rumbling eyes.
"You remember your son?" Po asked in a higher tone, looking and thinking over his head to recall a natural peacock unmistakably. "Wait a minute, the one with the blue train, blue robe, and blue eyes?"
Shen jerked his neck to Po with red eyes brightened. "Yes!" he said. Shen nearly burst his eyes. "How in the name of tortoise's blessing did you know?"
"I've met him before since a month earlier," calmed Po. He quivered his lungs while inhaling. "The Five, my master and I met the peacock student from the Prosper Valley, where he occupied there with some palace that trains students doing a Wing Chun class called Fellowship of the Nine."
Po persisted in his thoughts to foresee familiar faces of both peafowls: red and blue, well-spoken words than slang languages and presented the same facial with a different attitude in between light and darkness. The panda imagined Shen shortly, and Lao while recalling from the skirmish tournament. "Are you two as the father and son thing?! No way!"
"I've shattered my heart," Shen splintered his voice.
"Why is that, Shen?" Po asked, perplexing.
"My son is alive… My son was hurt," he replied, stammering and—
"How? How did Lao get hurt?" the panda raised his eyes.
Shen jerked his head to Po. He brightened his crimson eyes that the peacock could not recognize his son's name ever in years of exile, years of the darkness, and years of the resurrection. "My son's name is Lao?" Shen rose his voice with a perplexed mind, the albino appended while Po stood in front without pulling back from the bars. "His given birth name should always be Dongji, meaning winter."
"It's the Fellowship named him," explained Po, returning and grasping the bars without clenching strongly. "Lao's best friend called your son, using one of those words like older brother, or old. . . Nevermind. Your son chose that name because his closest friend calls him brother every day. Lao's the coolest kid I've ever seen! Your son and I fought at the tournament last week, and we both won with a result of a draw after Emperor Huangdi made a decision."
Shen listened to his charming voice. He merely noticed what this panda met a person who has spiritual friends for the greater good. Po had discussions to embark clarifying Shen how Lao was such blissful and couraging beside the Nine. Even as the peacock reminded feelings to some family on his side, who spoke comparable to Lady Muqin and Lord Feng, Shen's parents.
There were plenty of tales as Po described Shen's son as penetrable than becoming fist of iron to defend those who were weak in battle, including bandits' attack on Valley of Peace as the Nine told Jade Palace masters. Shen, on his feather hand, minded the panda how this peacock knew his son in years before confronting with Dragon Warrior and Furious Five.
In through tales, both Shen and Po convinced their tales. The panda drew closer to the shrouded bars, sensing shadow-like droplets that slowly poured onto Po's fingers. "How did your son get hurt? Who harmed Lao?" Po demanded, not to rush as the panda quivered his paws and fingers including his head that goes cold inside.
Shen recalled on that day when he opposed his son in a guan dao combat after Kong Bai Tournament. The blood of his son in Lao's lung froze Shen's heart. He shook and answered the Dragon Warrior with sorrowful. "I hurled my feather knife athim."
"You hurt Lao?" the panda pushed while raising his tone, Po demanded more, even though the panda has not seen his colleague after being captured less than a week.
"Panda, whatever I hurt my son to force my mind to do so, was unfortunate!" Shen forced his eyes to the bars with faultless. "I merely recalled my son's eyes after my defeat, and Dongji struggled on the ground beside my former wolf boss. Something not to see a vision that caused me to be responsible for my son's near death, one of those shadows covered my memory and I felt the flames within my eyes."
"You mean Huoju's demon sightseeing?" Po said without even considering. He added while recalling and Shen silently gasped, "Yesterday, one of Huoju's guards who stood beside his hyena partner, he glared into crimson eyes with fire, and his voice acted so evilly!"
"Of course!" Shen revealed after Po's insist.
"Then after that guy's eyes dimmed when he acted and named himself as Huoju, I soon realized Ox-demon controlled him. A moment later, that guard couldn't remember how he spoke in front of me," the Panda added. Po mentioned to that cause of mind control was Huoju's fortunate, supernatural cause of every minion's head to discipline their minds. "So that was a reason you've sighted Lao's near demise, Shen?"
"His sovereignty was summoned from his scorch," Lord Shen clarified, making Po conceive with the truth peacock experienced. He pointed himself and throughout places when thrusting his tone roughly. "Huoju controlled by not just me, panda. . . Every last one of the army, and even that snow leopard."
"Huoju disciplined you," Po said with jade eyes brighter and caressed both metal bars. "If I'm not mistaken, all warriors and masters convinced that you are the one who 'hurled' your blade at Lao! Shen, that Ox is his responsible! Not yours!"
The peacock rose his eyes, opening his beak as Shen's thought shattered after gaping to reveal from Po's clarification. Shen stammered with a whisper and drew his talons away from the bars when Po embarked. "We'll get you a time to speak with truth to my friends. Hopefully, they'll listen to me," he stated. "Since you've trained for many years, there is only a possible way for you to have. Something that you inquired me once before your fate and my great lesson from my master."
"I do," Shen nodded.
A droplet of cold water poured down to peacock's head from the cracked rock above him. He swirled up, and his son's screech impacted Shen's head with the grimaced pain. Shen shielded his head with both feathers. "Shen?" Po agonized.
The peacock collapsed to the ground and crawled forwardly as the scream within Shen's mind faded away. Both detected a booming thunder across the subterranean mountain. Is it raining already? The panda thought, then he caught Shen's feathers. The peacock lord struggled on his talons as he peered up to Po. "Here, come and sit by me next to the bars," Po gently pulled Shen over the bars that the peacock strongly needed to sit rest.
The panda sat in front of the bars; Shen perched the same while bending his talon legs and caressing temple near to his crests. He profoundly panted when focusing on panda's green eyes, warming and burning his throat. "Sit, and concentrate my peaceful thought. I shall flow through myself onto the ocean from my mind," the Dragon Warrior advised, educating Lord Shen. "Remember, inner peace can let you sight what you have journeyed from your beginning through your present —" Po shut his eyes and inhaled serenely. "— To make you all the comfort, and flow as not to fight your suffering, you'll have to persist your balance through your meditate. The water can flow, and guide you."
Lord Shen heard the panda's serenity voice. No tormenting and disturbance while the panda persisted through inner peace of mind. Shen closed his eyes when panting heavily. His first attempt could be involved than failures of conquering China. Something had drawn near to Shen's forehead in front while first try of meditating. He felt a rapid thrust from the collapsed cannon where Shen viewed his creation, accepted his fate, and peacock discovered peace before his demise. Crunch!
Shen twitched his neck and murmured into grunting tone. His feathers quivered and wobbled slightly. He now surveyed a midnight palace with terrain covered in pure white, standing beside a living rose tree where a log with grinning appearance in front of a loneliness peacock. Beside to Shen, an innocent, peachick with cobalt robe positioned by with ocean eyes dazzled like lanterns. "Dad?" voiced peachick.
A horror wind from their left cracked open from the south. Boom! The shadow with fireball screeched above the sky with flashes of lemon and crimson, catapulting to the wooden house next to the golden mansion. Crash! Villagers screamed in frightfulness, randomizing their sprint. A shouted voice to peafowls' right summoned from the palace. A peahen in pink robe called fearfully while running. "Dongji!"
"Xia! Get our son inside the mansion!" howled Shen, grasping his son to peahen wife rapidly. "Zhong and I will draw bandits off the village! GO!"
Both Xia and Dongji sprinted back inside the mansion that grew its lanterns darker than the midnight's horizon. Shen ran across the gray bricks road; Zhong howled many wolves and united with his brother from leaping over roofs. Multiple wolves, heave gorillas and Lord Shen march to the front gate with a war cry, clashing against bandit forces who used torches and dark swords.
Shen deflected lizard's sharp pole, sliding and spinning his metal talon to bandit's jaw. Flame arrows darted near Shen's crest, he ducked and avoided screeching flames ahead. Flames flickered with murmur whip through breezes. Shen revolved his guandao in mid-air, slashing every bandit's chest he spat his grimaced cry.
A brown bull with black mane and golden pierce ring on his nose in black armor with fire emblem in his chest, leaped across the battlefield and tackled Shen. Peacock surprised him with talon thrust kick and darted Bull bandit off. The bull shook his body and rose quickly, picking his razor hook on his back. Both shouted into a battle, then their blades impacted with a screech wind.
Zhong positioned back to both surroundings, he teamed with Shen and swirled from bull's massive hook that stabbed near Shen's train. It almost slashed Shen's beautiful train, and Shen narrowed his eyes. If you cut my train, I will split your skull apart! Shen thought without ignoring the fight. Zhong swept his body in sideways; the bull dove uppercuts his hook; Shen slid his guan dao to bandit's leg.
The brown beast slapped both Shen and Zhong in mid-air after he jumped away. "Ravage this village! Kill them all!" shouted brown bull angrily. Zhong wobbled his fur and snarled. The one-eyed wolf sprinted with his maul hammer with a shout of robustness. The brown bull dragged his hook forward; Zhong swept his maul, and bandit grasped him, tossing a one-eyed wolf to fighting crowds behind him.
Shen rose and immediately took his action while Bull bandit smirked and chuckled wickedly, facing wolves fighting his allies of lizards, bulls, and vultures. Shen bellowed, swinging his guan dao to bull's back of the neck. The Bull sensed the blade from the wind and grasped it. No matter the pain where his hooves palm lashed that poured blood within.
Shen pushed his blade harder; the bull quivered the guan dao, oscillating it and he kicked peacock's whole chest. Shen crashed onto the tree log as the peacock collapsed down to the snow. He jiggled his head and neck while listening birds across the sky shrieked that filled with tremor and shattered clouds. Vultures scratched and pierced every bird villager's chest and beak. A powerful growl ahead, and the yak tyrant raised the hook. Shen deflected it with guan dao, sealing his eyes. Clang!
He woke from boisterous impact to his eyes. Gasping and panting, Shen unable to seize his breath, glaring and peering elsewhere. He stroked his head with his feathers where veins sparkled, sensing his lungs that burned. "Stop fighting… Let it flow," advised the panda.
Let it flow. Repeated Po. The albino cleansed sparkles within his temple, panting slowly and steadily he enhanced. Shen sensed another coldness tear behind him, plunging into his train from the shadow rocks above. Let it flow. Shen contemplated Po's echo voice in his head. The albino was preparing to foresee flashes from the past where he had forgotten. And Shen delivered his eyes into a flush of emptiness.
He sprinted within the dark forest, with pure white pillows the albino leveled his heart. This scene had changed, and Shen merely journeyed to reveal his 'forgotten' memory. There was a simmering sun ahead of the black woods. There were fire ashes above blood horizon, where souls of dazzling stars used to color blues of heaven. The albino sensed sharp howls beside him. Wolves sprinted ahead of a dying star. What was the simmering sun? Shen dashed as fast as he could, and something within the star waved on both arms. And it imaged of black and white form.
The black and white form retreated into the shade woods, and the albino followed it. Behind the figure, was trailed with warming radiance it sprinted and rolled down through hills. A moment where the peacock loosened his breath from burning lungs, he inhaled cold breeze that tasted the white water in his beak, caressing black log beside him with guan dao.
Someone in a shadow bawled loudly. The female's cry. The albino shimmered his crimson eyes and headed in a direction where the woman screamed with wolves snarling. Over the hills, Shen ascended. Leaping, and soaring beneath those tearful trees with fire ashes. His talons sunk with pure white around him, then monstrous growls and woman's bawl rose thunderously. Wolves surrendered their conflict after albino's arrival, and Shen, who peered and stood in front of struggling black and white form with the flesh of claws onto her body.
Zhong, who arrived and lost his one-eye barked at Shen in through the dark woods that glared with fire ashes above the trees, billowing everywhere like snows pouring into silence. The wolf with one eye rose both paws, concluding Shen's outrage that filled with large veins near peacock's crimson eyes. Shen knew something unbearable what he convinced that his fate was authentic. What lies beyond to Shen's fortune, was unmistakable.
"That does not concern you, brother," Shen snarled at wolf boss, swiveling Zhong's paws away from him while raising his guan dao. "These pandas shall slay my parents and me in the future. And as a matter of fact, she will die!"
Lord Shen darted his eyes on loneliness panda, who struggled over the snows that covered her with white clouds of dust and dark rocks behind her. She knew her time has come to an end; Shen sauntered closer to the panda, pointing his guan dao at her. Four wolves including Zhong could not do anything to prevent the prince. As if they ever oppose, or defy any rank of nobles is punishable (not directly to Emperor's execution because of Shen's position of a prince).
Shen crossed his blade down to the ground, shutting his eyes. "I, Prince Shen, son of Feng, Lord of Gongmen City, sentence you to die," the Peacock said, he spun his guan dao and pointed it below panda's neck as Shen was ready to dart her. "Do you have any last words?"
She heard the peacock's last command to slay her. The panda mother, who secretly placed her infant son from nowhere else to be sighted, brought a single flash of brown tears coming from both eyes. To the cheek, and poured below scratch rounds around her arms, then to her upper chest where wolves bit her.
Many of her wounds were fleshed apart, even as if no innocent would heal it all. She knew the time of her life, as part of raising a child with the support of her husband, including a peaceful life at the Thriving Village, has ended. Instead of her scratch wounds, she sensed a burn beneath scars, her only answer, raised a right paw to Lord Shen. Something that the peacock prince, peered carefully at the innocent panda's palm, he blurted his eyes to crimson light.
The panda mother's palm enlightened to the yellow dust of chi, any warrior or bandit (especially Prince) have never seen in their lifeless days that innocent person forged to a firelight. Her chi slithered on guan dao, climbing across the grip and Shen's body that entered his heart. The peacock touched energy from the panda; Zhong and wolves retreated without their arms flinching. Shen felt the heat. The heat as you sense fire over your chest and flesh wounds sparkle with inhaling. As he did inhale from his beak, his grip and tensed body released to a quiet motionless.
He no longer sensed the clench and grimace. Shen sought the panda on the ground, who released extraordinary chi, which made him something to precise touching heart. How did you do that? Shen thought, perplexing and stood away from the panda mother. "What did you do?" He demanded with his unpredictable voice.
"You… were- a- monster," dying Mother Panda coughed, suffering from the coldness that entered her flesh around her. "You… fear - one who will deliver justice against your madness."
Shen grimaced at her. "I fear nothing," he lied.
"You… do- fear," she pointed. Her eyes weighed down, embarking to sniff the breeze while the panda mother focused the albino peacock's eyes. "I… see… downfall. I see… immoral. I see… divination."
Woods in front of wolves including Shen detected cracks of thunderous tears that vibrated snow. Crack! One of Wolf recruits sprinted near to Zhong, who worn metal chest and spiked gauntlet, shook his fur with red eyes and paws quivered without stopping. He whimpered and insisted the prince. "My prince, we have to retreat!" trembled wolf, pointing the dark wood where fire ashes soar below leaves and mopped snows. "Something is drawing near the woods! And it's not those pandas avenging against us!"
"Pull our wolves back home, Zhong. We are finished raiding this village," commanded Shen. The peacock slowly strolled in front of an unhelpful one-eyed wolf, who clenched his paws and quivering his mouth and eyes. Zhong was able to refuse, without a word while Shen grimaced at him. "I forbid you to defy me. You understand me, brother?"
Zhong nodded with a broke of his own heart; Shen obeyed him to retreat with wolves through the road where they crossed their path before the purge. All wolves except Shen disappeared into woods; the peacock needed to demand an answer from dying panda. He wanted to capture many pandas instead a violent way to manipulate which person (especially children Shen will not insist forwardly) can stop him and his parents.
Shen turned to suffer panda, realizing what albino peacock made a fault by ordering wolves to hunt pandas and scorch many prosperous homes. "You," Shen glanced at dying panda. "You said a word divination. What does my fate will confront one of your people who will slaughter me?"
"Not… slaughter…" She sobbed. She-panda suffered her breath, inhaling hard from her nose. "He who seeks within your fear, and favors you to enlighten your heart…" She-panda shut her eyes. Her vision could no longer reveal from opening with warming tears dripping to she-panda's cheek. "He who senses your pain... you flow crave of harmony with him…"
"Harmony?" Shen perplexed, craning his long neck closer to dying she-panda. "Who is 'He'?"
Pure whites of frozen water collapsed into she-panda's flesh wounds like feathers. Dark woods cracked and swirled from shredded, blizzard, dry wind. The albino stood back; She-panda's closed eyes summoned a dazzling, crystal tear that twinkled with chi. "My… Little- My- Little- Lotus…"
III. You Are No Monster
Shen gently opened his eyes from meditation, peering at the panda's jade eyes ahead of the shadow bars. The reflection recovered his 'forgotten' memories, which Po knew Shen could balance rumination. The panda beamed him, bending his head to the former old enemy. "It seems you've concentrated your meditation on a second try. How do you feel?" Po asked.
Shen observed his dull feathers and gray robe, and underneath his chest, he sensed a throbbing stroke of warm light. A shape of a bear paw emerged, making Po gasp with intensity. Whoa. . . As the paw-chi dimmed, Shen rose his neck to the bars. Not clenching feathers, rushing talons, grimacing beak, declining crest, and lifting train behind the bird occurred. His throat humbled to a warmer tone. "Unflustered," answered Shen, standing up to him. "I reminisced my forgotten memories."
Po stood up. "You do? "What did you remember?"
"My village. I recalled my son's home," Shen replied ordinarily. "I... I have never had meditation since I was born. My tranquility has prevailed. I remember!" Shen broke his smile. "I... I had my siblings before. They were three of my brothers and two sisters. After birth, I am the only one alive, the last son of Peafowl Nobles."
"Whoa! Really?" Po staggered. "I never know you've had siblings before!"
"I wish to know them all," Shen gazed at the panda, unleashing his tired sigh. "Panda. There is something I should tell you."
The panda gently swallowed his throat.
"When I revealed my fate inside my father's throne," embarked Shen. "I went to Thriving Village with my wolves, ordered my men to scorch most of the villagers' homes, and slay all of the pandas. My first thought throughout my life was your people were dangerous adversaries. I was wrong."
"There was someone I chased after the villager. Mother Panda was there in the woods; my wolves chased after her before I stormed by to capture the lady. Zhong stopped me after I put my orders on his lupines to slaughter her. They knew I had done so terribly to her. There was only one way to prevent my abomination against her."
"What did you do?" Po raised his emerald eyes.
The peacock flatted his feathers on his chest. "I let the lady go," Shen replied. "Panda Mother held her paw to my chest and started to cleanse me. She knew I was a monster. Zhong knew I put my feathers on his soldiers to torture her with all the rage. After my wolves and I scorched homes, I was lost. Lost because the remorse drowned me inside, and I did not feel it before I went home to see my family. I was a horrible creature, panda, did collateral damages to your people, I took them away, but the Panda Mother. My former commander, Zhong, sought her with her infant in the woods; with several attempts to seize her before I stormed there, there was no child in her arms."
"Was she alive?" Po asked dearly.
Shen lowered his view. "Panda, I would never know where the Panda Mother was after the fire flooded your home. The lady may be resting underneath the soil wherever she went or long gone after many moons," Shen admitted. "The responsibility for that madness was me, predicting my future's defeat — my legacy to the Peafowl Nobles and the three of my kind. The first direction let me defend myself on the city's outskirts and destroy the enemy who would exterminate me. I was a fool.
"Pandas like you would have destined to stop me. This prediction haunted me to my death as I had feared, knowing the Panda Mother's divination she sought was no contrary. Whatever this prophecy between us concluded at a point where I changed my course, the 'black and white' theory does not mean it will kill me within a straightforward answer…
"It was you," Shen pointed at the panda. "Helping me to foresee better life, and I was blinded. I should have listened to Mali."
"Mali?" Po repeated.
"My mother's soothsayer," Shen identified the elder goat to Po. "On that night before I marched with wolves to the harbor from my parents' factory, Mali begged me to eradicate madness that I caused everything into shattered bones with bigotry, and —"
The peacock wobbled his beak. "— I broke everyone's hearts."
"No, Shen," Po shook his head. "Don't say—"
"I did. I was rude, cruel, and hateful in front of villagers and the people I cared about in the beginning! I opened your scars and took everything from you!" Shen snapped, clenching his feathers while flouncing back and forth. After stopping, his ruby eyes rested on Po with fierce. "My parents broke promises; they hated and banished me as they disowned their child! My wife and son fled their village from me after the Fire Clan bandits were defeated! They both knew my crimes; I did not tell them the truth secretly! If I did, my Lady and Prince Dongji could have crushed their fragile hearts!"
Shen grasped his whole head, his feathers sliding in front of his eyes and beak while moaning. "I am sorry for everything I did. There is no other way for me to change," the peacock sighed with defeat.
Po raised his jade eyes with downcast. Considering that Shen was impossible to escape his troubling life from the eternal darkness. Po reached for the bars once Shen quivered his beak, his crimson eyes casting silver tears while shutting. "Your story may not have such a happy beginning. You have to decide what kind of a character you'll have to change yourself, Shen," Dragon Warrior said with sensibility. "Depending on how you'll blend your thought about good and bad to comfort your preference, you can change your future course."
Shen leveled his head to the panda as Po continued. "Your parents banishing you after what you did to my old village doesn't mean they 'hated' and disowned you. Your parents adored you most, buddy. They might have made the worst decision to let you go without a return. Your parents had no other choice but to send you and your wolves exile because both Lord Feng and Lady Muqin had been suffering, never again to see you after Huangdi's father commanded them.
"Both your mother and father protected you from the Emperor's execution and their misery. No other parents shall ever disown their child because it is their child to take care of. The boy is part of a family to raise, living peacefully among father and mother where they seek their future of a child who has an oath to his parents for the goodwill to achieve. As their child will fulfill his destiny to succeed, his parents will be satisfied, even in their death.
"Lord Feng and Lady Muqin always loved you, Shen, even though they worked hard on duties, but they served only one purpose to fill their hearts: you only. They raised you well. But remember, not all promises will happen all the time. A promise is a powerful word, Shen. I do not know what it feels like to be promised to those you depended on but never filled your anticipation. As for me being the most confident warrior, I always promised to my dad — two dads, I mean — that I would come home from every training and mission I finished the rest."
Po leaned to the bars, palming Shen's upper shoulder. "You are no monster, Shen," the panda soothed. "You deserve to have compassion. I accept your apology."
His chest and back grew cold. In his mind, Lord Shen kept questioning over a hundred times as if his old enemy, planning to avenge his people, pardoned the peacock warlord. At first sight of the panda's green eyes, the Dragon Warrior was no longer his greatest enemy.
He pardons me. Shen thought with a bit of smirk on his beak.
Shen and Po communed from the shadows as the peacock began to restore peace. Po knew himself encouraging his old enemy, who caused the purge by destroying many pandas to prevent the 'black and white' prophecy from happening. Shen comprehended the panda who could do to support the peacock to seek inner peace in the albino's path. Through their eyes, they no longer opposed each other for good. Realizing as Lord Shen explored rumination in which brought his memories to recall with a flow of tranquility.
Beneath the darkness behind the holes, two golden eyes of a warrior creeping behind the rock peered at Lord Shen and the Dragon Warrior. The shadow's deep growl rumbling the rocky surface was intense, awaking Huoju's presence.
Thank you all for reading! I like to help out with good ideas for Shen, as I love to read Synchronize Harmony's "The Return of Lord Shen"!
