Episode Seven: White Dragon
Chapter XXXII
Ambuscade
Xing's POV
Silence.
Breezes and water that sound through my ears in front of the vessel goes hush. The night darkens over many whispered trees, all green leaves I sense further away go chilling like a cold wind, coming down from the North. The river below this boat sings like droplets of waves, pushing and floating away from the front.
I cross over the left side deck, encountering my brother, who stands in front of the ship's balcony bamboo. He faces down the crystal water that mirrored with luminous from the blue moon above us. Stars glimmer limitlessly across the horizon, as I seek midnight cobalt on all sides of the direction of the Earth. Yesterday, the Company spoke about ideas of how he must reach the secret entrance at the back of the mountain, and General Bear's army will go into diversion to eliminate watchtowers smartly without going in front of the shadow gate.
I minded the Company about the Swan, who I spotted her last time as she vacated herself from me to let myself commune. How come the Swan desirably want to warn me about bad news? She is the person who apprised me about Huoju's presence and the aftermath of Chorh-Gom Prison, where many prisoners including Trio Sisters (Wu Sisters) bolted by Prince of Darkness and loyal servants. Hopefully, her return will let me insist alone and can be the one to clarify with knowledge about Huoju.
I arrive next to Lao as my brother combines his feathers. Most of the Company get to their rooms on a second floor below to doze. The reason? The Company and I will march on a landscape when our Hawk ally informed us that this river nearly ends about more than hundred miles.
Once I lean on the bamboo rail, Lao does not mind of his awareness because he used to listen to my appropriate footsteps. "You alright, Lao?" I ask him ordinarily.
Lao raises his head from the water with moon reflection. He opens his beak. "If we keep sailing, it will be my farthest away from home," Lao says, then revolving his head towards me. "How is Lotus?"
"She's sprawling with her dad now," I reply, looking at vast of dark green trees ahead. "Zhong craves her daughter the most. There's like something he couldn't say about Lotus's mother, who we never mentioned on our lives."
"Our mother will always be Xia. Brother, I feel a little anxious," Lao says. He conducts his throat as I peer to his eyes, sensing his other words from Lao's mind. "You know, we have not seen our mother and contacting Kong for days."
It is true. We could have got a messenger to apprehend news from anywhere across China. The Company's thoughts focused on perceiving many statuses where enemies approach on different terrain. Lotus, Lao and I have forgotten to inform Master Bear for permission to volunteer one of his goose messengers to receive a letter to the Nine's Shui Palace. A family thing to receive word could eradicate our anxiousness.
"I know," I concern, turning to Lao. "For as long as the Nine's messenger will do, Kong will look after Xia and our home. He knows what he's doing."
A bamboo pole softly thuds from behind. I look upon the ship's main deck, a large mast that gathered sails closer to it. My aunt embraces her paw over the spar's sail, standing at a port side pole to the left. Tigress probes us when she declines her head, smirking with an open right paw. I nod her back; Lao saunters beside me through the main deck, where a sail room inside that our hawk ally Fei is on the left.
"Has Zhong ever told you anything?" I ask him. While we stroll, he absorbs his crests downward. He concludes and turning with his eyes at me with near open beak and collapse vision to the floor. "You seem agitated."
My brother inhales calmly. We take a saunter to the right deck and lean over the bamboo rail; both Lao and I drew through the middle of the vessel. "He knew our mother," Lao answers, touching his sleeves as my brother peers the water. "After Lord Shen's banishment as him including Commander Zhong lurched onto Summit Village about a week after, Zhong considered how his brother made a terrible mistake. What my father did at the panda village.
"Those pandas are impeccably beautiful —" Lao glimpses to me, giving his space to contemplate his rumbling voice and clarify ordinarily. "— Not a nasty, ooze smell from their feet and underarms soaked with sweat. As I visualized those black and white creatures from the Valley of Peace, they are adorable like the sun that warms your heart from their embracing hug."
I grasp the bamboo rail with my paw. Touchy words there, brother. I consider. "You would marry the pandiva one, right?" I inquire as I smile through my both ears.
"Would you date her?" Lao implies.
"Can she spoon you in your sleep?"
Lao gapes, jabbing to my arm. I suppress my mouth from guffawing. "Shut up!" Lao snickers. This jester, abundantly burst our mouths (Lao's beak) into the breeze, assembling our guffaw and spread across many trees and water that carries below. Why am I laughing?! I think terribly. Dang! That's so amusing!
"You are going to regret this, Xing," Lao chuckles in hysterical, closing his beak.
"I told you Mei Mei throbs since we arrived at the Valley of Peace for the first time," I smirk, letting my breath balance from wobbling over my throat.
Gentle winds floor through bamboo from the main deck. Fei stretches his wings into the air, yawning. One of the wolf twins beside Hawk volunteers to mount the wheel to steer this riverboat. Lin palms him and infiltrates the main deck room before Fei saunters to the front ship on the port side.
I cooked green tea earlier to let Lao and I serve inside the kitchen from the second floor. Four or five of the company members volunteer to watch over the vessel including surroundings of the wood terrain. Just as the Company we heard from General Bear yesterday, was that many scouts are marching closer to a day from now.
I grab another mug for Fei as I pondered him to sip my tea. Both Lao and I stroll to the port side after we left the kitchen from the second floor. We peer the hawk Fei where he stands on the foremast with one talon. This guy distinguishes how to use balance like Crane. I think smartly.
"You like some tea, Fei?" I inquire him politely.
The hawk revolves his body from his talon, glimpsing and sensing dimmer, hot steam within his beak from both mugs on my paws I carry it. "Certainly," Fei nods, leaping to the deck silently. He raises his feathers, grabbing a cup of tea. "My pleasure, Master Xing."
"Lao and I gotta ask," I point. "My mind keeps having curious inquiries."
"Inquire. I prefer to hear," Fei sips his mug.
Fei, Lao and I stroll to the starboard side; my brother firstly demands what Hawk's village invests in the large house where it sells delicate clothing, like Mrs. Yan's shop. Something like any villager deserves to dress up small for bunnies, and large size for bulls. Frankly, silk clothing including robes for masters and students are my preference, especially what Lao adores within a reason peafowls dress their long garments commonly.
I take a drink from my mug that pours hot green tea with honey within my throat and cleanses wasteful blockage like you clean your throat to converse placidly. "Where does the Seventh Righteous come from, and what comes to a tale of tai chi where all seven warriors which include you from forest village where my brother lives at Summit?" I ask with an absorption. An interest that tai chi has a focus of presentations by forms of energy, but to give you a sense of adaptability over your arms, and legs.
"The Righteous is the value of the stronger will to many villagers as all seven predict from harmfulness bandits," Fei elucidates. "Every warrior has a tale like you met one who is from continental of Africa, where he exiled by his chief who visioned his son so hopeless. Shujaa's exile days does not mean to see his father again, but to only receive messages instead.
"I, on my side of the life story, a dignity to my ancestor was once an Emperor before our kung fu grandmaster encountered the son of Immorality God, who raided your ancestor's palace. Emperor Hawk declared the Great War during the aftermath of Qing Temple and volunteered his brother as the Hand of the Emperor. While my ancestors skirmished across China for many years, Emperor Hawk's brother's great-grandson took his colleague water bull Taiyang to educate him how to proceed forces and preventing Fire Clan's local units.
"Taiyang became the Emperor before his colleague had slain at the East Side Wall during the Great War. His vision of what Taiyang foresaw was a symbol of courageous triumph. He sought to both Supreme Warriors crushing every bandit forces across the battle. The truth part was Taiyang entitled Supreme Warlords including two companions as the Mightiest Warriors incipiently.
"He knew all four were chosen to conclude Fire Clan forces beyond the enemy lands and stopping Immorality Gods. Taiyang claimed his brother to volunteer as the next Emperor of China before suffered from natural cause. After the end of Great War, the Fire Clan and their Komodo dragon commander, who disciplined his armies vacated in their absence after they won the war."
"Do you and six know those Immorality people?" Lao inquiries. "What are they? Why all three proposed to burn the entire life of the Mightiest Warriors including Qing Temple survivors?"
"Only a part what I do preoccupy, my friend," the hawk considers; we lean to the bamboo rail, and Fei peers the water reflection from stars. "Just a prince who wishes to have many armies to clash through Huangdi's resistance." Fei sips his tea. He glimpses my eyes. "I was pondered how you and Master Tigress reunited unexpectedly when Huoju once spoke that you two are Qing Temple survivors and the kin."
Fei must have known Huoju's echoes across the stadium last time. Wherever this hawk had been through the battle as I saw him a little since the ambush, I recalled on Huoju smothering Tigress. "That monster can see visions of the past," I add, glimpsing my green tea with my eyes dazzling into blue suns, and sensing honey. "Ones that I cannot handle hearing my parents' agony within the fire, and the other where my aunt's family dropped Tigress on a front door of caretaker's house near the Valley of Peace."
"Terrible memories," Fei guesses.
"Absolutely," I nod, taking another sip of honey green tea within my throat. Onto these forest trees that shade green and heavier than light, I merely recognize my adoptive mother's cabin, where forests comfort my breath I inhale. For this terrain, mainly expect to peer newer places where the Company marches.
"Do you recognize this land, right?" Lao demands Fei positively.
"Yes," Fei replies. Lao and I follow him to the front of the starboard. The hawk points his feathers over whispering trees "I soared onto those trees above, and banked many ways to avoid watchers watching the sky before I saw your panda friend went inside the mountain with Prince Huoju."
Branches faintly budge into one side through its darkness. Echoes of far cough of a thunder sound summon. Glimpsing above these white souls lying behind shade trees, breezes from the north kiss my ear. "We are getting closer," I believe.
"Not close enough," Fei states sagaciously. He darts his feathers above the tallest tree with many branches bending like shapes of lightning. "I recognize that tree to the upper right. A thick log with the pine tree. This river will only travel further until we stop, and take a saunter about one day journey, depending on snow blizzards over the mountains."
"We can make it in time," I tell, lurching next to the rail beside Fei. "As soon as the horn blows from the northern wind, the Company has a chance to infiltrate that secret entrance. How do we find it?"
I rotate to Fei. "Buried under the snow," the hawk answers. "Do not worry, Xing. I should know every cliff and steep side on that mountain. Only if we can—" His cinnamon eyes expand. I sense his flare within Fei's head, revolving behind these shade trees.
The red torch dimmers behind a massive log across the sloping hill. It glimmers and shuts into a dark forest; I narrow my eyes, sensing light smoke ahead. "Xing? What is it?" Lao demands hurriedly on my right.
"Someone is hiding near the trees," I say inaudibly, palming his left arm and pointing to the indoor stairs. "Go wake the Company." My brother nods and sprints smoothly across the starboard, heading right to the stairway. At again, I peer the shade that dazzles a dark red torch behind trees. Turning behind the mast on top, my aunt cranes her neck while embracing it near the sail's pole.
Branches crack loudly from the port side. Twice. Thrice. I lead my feet across the exterior of the vessel; therefore, no crimson torch lies sloping to the right of the woods. No matter the light draws, something with a massive dark form sneak across the grass side near the water. It draws away with soft steps of leaves that stomp.
Steps await from the woods on the starboard side. Only red torch glances through the shade of leaves. Now, strides draw near. Louder like a whisper, you feel your heart pushing your chest rapidly. Viper hisses to my right, crawling on bamboo balcony ceiling soundlessly. My paw trembles as I carry my teacup; my legs become motionless and peer to the woods longer. Whispers of leaves around are in silence. Some murmur voices draw.
A piece of black feather launches and shatters my mug, spitting my tea into the floor, and the other yells with my paw I snatch it, where its tip nears my left eye.
"Scouts!" I alarm as by beyond a cover on the balcony rail from another whispering arrows dart. "They are here!"
"Ambush!" Viper yells. Avoiding screech of black arrows, Viper slithers her body and chops many with her tail with a snarl.
I rise from cover behind; two arrows thrust from the shadows across trees, as my paws deflect them on both sides. The third catapults where my right claw wobbles above, and the fourth one I snatch it near my chest. Sensing blade nearby in the foreground, the black feather nearly penetrates my neck. I draw back and catch another feather knife, swinging my body and hurl it toward dark branches. A painful yell bells throughout the water.
"Xing!" Zhong's rugged tone shouts from the center of a riverboat. Two wolves cover fire with their bows and quivers fill with red arrows. Zhong thrusts his weapon into the woods, ducking next to bamboo balcony as he gestures me to come over. "Get to your kitchen, and grab your bow and quiver with arrows on a top bench to the left!"
Lee and Zhong provide cover with multiple arrows dart to the starboard woods; I stumble to the floor, both Crane and Viper swirl their whole body. The bird deflects black arrows; Viper stirs her tail next to him. Two arrows at the port side catapult from the moving branches ahead, and I ricochet both with my palms. By moving to the left of the port side, a big, black spear lurches near the edge side, seeking to one bandit of hyena in dark red armor who threw it. "Take that!" Viper spins her body, and tosses pointy pole to the port side at the river's bank; the hyena bandit draws back after spear's impact into the upper chest.
A loud thud touches the middle behind me. My aunt landed next to both Viper and Crane. "Crane! Watch your back on port side!" Tigress points the local bandits across the dark forest to the vessel boat's left side. "Archers coming by!" The three of Furious Five divert many incoming arrows and three large poles darting the ship. I sprint to the back of the port side, infiltrating the stairs inside.
Multiple shouts are all over from the woods while moving to the kitchen. Just as the Alpha wolf said to my bow and quiver with arrows lying on a top bench, I snatch it. A fire arrow screeches near to my neck and darts the bag of rice. Yikes! I almost roar from my lungs, crawling to the floor to the doorway. "Bandits!" Mei Mei's tone shouts beside the corridor. "They are approaching on both sides of the river! Grab your nunchucks!"
Three pandas stride with their nunchucks, as Lotus and Lao are not on the second floor of the river vessel. I get up from the kitchen as we incline to the stairs. One arrow from the left clashes as if it whispers through my right. Crane ahead of the air, he swirls, diving into multiple packs of archers at the sheer of the river. "Go! Make it to the bridge, and I will cover you!" I direct the pandas.
All three crouch to the cover of the port side; one of the bandits across the forest triggers black arrow as I aim directly to the shooter with my bow and arrow. I release the string. And that bandit of the silhouette collapses into the spur with anguish shout. Ducking and unleashing many arrows to every adversary that sprints and releases their darts I prevent, Crane lands on a spur; he sweeps two in front with wings and one from behind jerks with a left talon. Three bandits of hyenas splash to the water. Another behind Crane who is enormous than hyena, roars. I flutter my arrow to his right arm, and Crane revolves his talon to gorilla's cheek.
Silhouettes of bandits war cry thunderously from the woods ahead, sprinting with large bamboo poles and approaching to the spur. Two hyenas bend their bamboos, raising their bodies into the breeze; Tigress and Viper to the middle of the riverboat spin their kicks (and tail to Viper) on two reckless bandits. The other two from the spur crook their wooden poles and soaring. How many are there?!
"Push their sticks away from the boat!" Tigress insists, thrusting her paws onto bamboos near wooden rail and hyenas collapse into horror screech. "Stay in your position!"
I free plenty of arrows toward bandits over the woods. Plenty from the starboard side leap on the ship, Lotus's tone growls nearby. Next, Fei above the breeze dives into the spur, the Hawk combats surrounding hyenas as Crane behind him unites and deflecting blades. Fei swirls his wings; Crane diverts away to the boat, the hawk agitates his wings, summoning a gale it screams. Trees and branches screech like the wind blows as the storm.
The ship jolts downward from the starboard side, leading my body backward and crashing to the floor. What was that? I bewildered. Rising to my knees as Crane beside me opens his eyes, he raises his feathers as I raise him. "We meet again at last, little kitty!" a brute bandit's voice bawls. We rush to the middle bridge while Tigress snarls. Crane and I image the enormous gorilla in spike shoulders and black tilt armor, trotting his fists in front like hammers. Tigress avoids the snatch and spins her kick to the gorilla's nose. "OW! Not again! My nose!"
My aunt performs her kung-fu stance of tiger style. "How's that for little kitty?" Tigress taunts. The gorilla covers his nose and mouth, triggering his eyes and cheek tense tightly. Crane catapults himself; the gorilla back-slaps him to the bamboo wall beside me. I duck, bamboos shatter into collateral impact. Multiple tears of wood flat on my back, noticing arrows and bow I held separate around me. I still carry the quiver; however, no arrows.
Not able to foresee Lao and Lotus, there is no time to ponder worriedly. They may be skirmishing anywhere on this boat. Tigress thrusts her left kick on gorilla's round punches. The bandit quickly snatches her leg and revolves her to the floor. The gorilla sprints his charge in all four palms. I leap into him, darting my kick on his jaw. He quivers his whole head unsteadily, narrowing his eyes in front of me with a rude look, and yells loudly with swinging fists. I guard my elbows forward onto his fists using Kun-lum-tao. Thrice the gorilla thrust my elbows, bones within his fists shatter like pots impacting to the floor as if the gorilla senses cracks in numb. "Hit my Auntie again, you be sorry," I warn the gorilla in calm and ruthless.
The gorilla scoffs while wobbling his right hand, leaning in rushing palms. Next, clouded leopard lurches to the left, both hyenas land on the vessel as Mei Ling attacks them in palm strikes; I deflect the gorilla's both fists, darting my kick and circling punches to his chest with hard impacts. Shoveling both paws to him as the gorilla crashes into the wall, I bank left, blocking hyena's fist and back knuckle to his jaw. Noticing another bandit from behind dashes, I repeatedly turned to the right by deflecting, dragging his elbow rapidly, and thrust him with a one-inch punch.
Two buck bandits approach from the front and my tail. Spreading my feet above the breeze simultaneously, I thrust kick to both bandits. More scouts arrive at the bank sides as they shout in horrendous, and wicked tones. A sharp cry of a peacock from the breeze shouts. Lao. I sight him soaring from large sail as his train extends, propelling his talon to the gorilla's forehead, and backflipping in front of me.
Lao and I oppose plenty of bandits drawing closer from rails, and others raising their poles as Mei Ling pushes them all with her paws. My brother swings his wooden pole; impacting to Buck's sword to thrust down, and to his belly, even my brother's talon he kicks him to buck bandit's head. One red arrow propels in the air next to Lao, and it penetrates the hyena's neck. Zhong next to mast nods, the commander embarks to pull arrows; releasing every feather from the string and reaches each bandit's chest on the port side of the vessel, defending Tigress, Peng, and now Lotus they push bandits off the boat to the river.
The gorilla bandit growls next to us, fisting and trotting to the floor. Lao and I peer ourselves. "Together," Lao and I say simultaneously, grasping our paw and feathers jointly. I elbow strike to gorilla's fist while Lao leaps over him above his head; my brother howls at once loudly, using sort of enemy's confusion as if the gorilla peeked up to such surprising, and my advantage combines a thrust of both palms to his back.
The gorilla wobbles to the back of the starboard side, swinging his palm back I avoid his strength. Lao above me slips down to his wings. He concludes gorilla's left fist with his talon, forcing the palm to the floor, and I block another clenched fist with a straight punch to bandit's lung; forcing circle punches to him rapidly and knife palm to gorilla's throat with a potential force.
Wobbling and dizzying the gorilla does, he dazzles his eyes, glaring at my brother. "YOU CANNOT BE!" scowls gorilla, then roaring as I rebound him with a snarl. The Gorilla thrusts his two fists like a hammer. Lao and I avoid in a split path; the gorilla again swings his fist on the left side; Lao sweeps his train onto gorilla's both palms below. I leap to bandit's chest while he fell to the floor, circling my palms to his jaw and nose.
The gorilla roars upward, letting me soar as I revolve my body upon the air, landing on the bamboo roof from the stairs. The bandit twirls his head downward, spinning his palms to Lao. My brother hops away when gorilla's cheek changes to red cheek and chasing him near the entrance of stairs. I dive next to Lao; we anticipate gorilla's vigorous thrusts on both sides. Lao darts his talon to the left, forcing the grip to the edge side on the back of the riverboat.
Gorilla's strength tenses as I sense his right wrist. The gorilla softly collapses after Lao kick the adversary's jaw twice in a row with his talon. Lao and I thump gorilla's breast with a six-inch jab (including Lao's claw). The gorilla shrieks; my brother extracts the darting rope from his sleeve, lassoing the brute around his belly, and drags him. "GET DOWN!" Lao shouts, thrusting his talon to brute's chest. The gorilla soars back in the breeze, and again Lao pulls the rope on him. Twice, I sense cracks on gorilla's rib cage I peer. The brute bandit lurches above again. Forcing my pupils wider and crawling to them in a hunting motion. I spring in the air in all fours; Lao jerks his rope, the gorilla spins uncontrollably, and the brute sights me into a gasp.
"FEET OF FURY!" I yell, bicycling my fast kicks to gorilla's chest. One final thrust, shattering whole bones of chest and lungs with gorilla's wail. He falls into the river; Crane soars from my right, grasping my paws I reach him while the gorilla splashes to the water. The bird oscillates me on the back of the vessel with Lao. Crane flies to the starboard side as I hear Viper's call from the front of the riverboat. The gorilla spatters his arms loudly, he bursts his roar as the water infiltrates his mouth, and his whole head, sinking beneath the surface of the river's current.
"Have a nice swim!" Lao bellows with dazzling eyes. I nearly scoff from my throat while he places the rope in his sleeve, alternatively smirking to peacock who taunted the gorilla ridiculously.
"Bao just heard you," I say, pointing to starboard side of the woods.
His crests and feathers sink, shrinking with a shiver as if he peers to the woods, Lao opens his eyes vastly. "You conned me!" Lao says in dark tone.
A screech wind tears down above, cracking and splashing into the gentle water. Specks of crimson and black dust with stars flatten the surface with loud foams it explodes underwater. So this is true. The Five and Dragon Warrior experienced the horror of the wind that summoned fire from the wicked peacock's talon, where he ignited the rope and catapulted the destruction of terror. "CANNON INCOMING!" Fei next to Crane in the air when banking left, warns the Company.
Lao and I sprint to the starboard, racing to the bridge, and through the front of a vessel with the Company. No bandits from the right view of the woods; however, their shout warn scouts. As torches over the forest shade, bandits retreat for a reason the cannon shot like the sky cracked apart. All company members attain on the front after we both arrived in time, peering a shadow-like blaze below the golden barrel of a dragon soars beside screeching bats.
The cannon bursts the ball of flares, it refrains at the left side of the river. Most bats shout angrily, and behind them swarm across trees. "How the heck is that thing can soar with bats?!" Lotus paralyzes perturbed.
"No time to ask! Keep those bandits off our boat, and don't let that cannon shoot right at us!" Zhong urges. He pulls the string, releasing the red arrow and darting to the deer's left arm at the left rail. The port side has filled with local scouts of hyenas and bucks, rushing across the front as the Company barricade them with punches and diverge their combos. Crane and Fei swirl their wings in swarming bats behind; most oppose them both with fangs and claws I hear their loathe command voice.
The hole within the cannon astonishes as the sun. The fire breathes in while Lao and Lotus split on upper left behind three pandas, the claw from wood grasps the rail. I shut my eyes, sensing a flow of serenity energy within my head, sliding my right foot slightly back, and gathering my paws over the sensational circle in front of me while standing my left foot forward. The cannon triggers the fire; no sound, except Dragon Warrior's tone in my head. Inner peace.
The sound of tearing breeze approaches. I catch the flaring ball, aiming directly to the front right side where scouts swarm closer to the river's bank and toss in the heart of their spawn with a swirling spin in the air. Shreds of scintillating crimson ignite with many cracks. Scouts howl in frightfulness. Bats shriek in horror. Swirling my head to the left, bucks and hyenas glimpse me, raising their furs and eyes as plenty dash up and over the rail, leaping into the river. "FALL BACK!" one buck bandit in yellow robe terrifies with sand tone, jumping over the portside rail.
A loud splash from the right rumbles, and the other within a second, impacts in front further. Crane soars near the front starboard side of the vessel. "There's another one coming!" Crane warns, sidetracking the incoming blades and arrows using his feather wings.
Tigress races to the upper starboard, Viper slides her body behind her. "Crane! Get down here!" Tigress orders him solemnly.
My heart cringes as if the blood rushes to my veins. The Company and I squint the other artillery of a snarling black dragon beside the golden creature, with a reptile skin made of iron and layers painted in red on its nose and fangs. Its eyes and mouth brighten with sunset. The second cannon enlightens its teeth, bursting velvet-like flares with smothering smoke. The ball catapults with a shredding wind. It was not a blunder.
The ball strikes the mast, and back of the vessel. BOOM!
The sail collapses to the left side with the mast. The back of the vessel slightly rises; the Company and I stumble as we brace poles and rails around. "GO! GET OFF THE SHIP!" Tigress roars piercingly, gesturing her paws to the right side of the woods. "This boat cannot float must longer!" The riverboat creaks roughly. Trees echo with bandits' shout. Lotus and I grasp our paws, we dash behind Crane, Viper, and Tigress to the starboard, while Lao, wolves, Peng and Mei Ling follow us.
Fei above the trees flies over the bamboo forest; Crane and Lao soar to the right after leaping off the rail. Tigress and Viper spring into the river as three wolves and both Peng and Mei Ling join them. On the port side, we sense the war cry. "Xing!" Lotus trembles in terror-struck.
"Go with your dad and his lieutenants! I'll hold them off!" I say, palming her cheek before she jumps on the rail. Four scouts (two hyenas and two bucks) approach in the middle from the portside rail. I elbow short hyena's clenching fist, combining my arms to my right and chop him with knife palm. I thrust my other knife palm to buck's neck, snatching taller hyena's left wrist and double kick to his body.
Plunging the second buck's back next to the taller hyena, I swivel two bandits to their legs. The first deer draws his dagger within his robe, tossing it in front of my right ear. He notices I quickly caught it with my palm, and jab his head. The taller bandit knocked himself cold after his head flattened harder like a hammer smacking to the floor. The second buck behind grunts, noticing he will approach me once I realize the bandit's dagger is on my paw. Raising my arm while flickering my body behind, I hurl the blade, penetrating on his antlers to the spitfire behind him.
The buck startles after peering his comrade's dagger as if he stares frighteningly at me doing a chin stance with my guards up to him. He blathers, mumbling, and retreats to the port side rail, and into the river. "Mei Mei, come on!" one of the twin pandas from behind hollers. Both Dim and Sum sprint to the balcony rail; Dim clenches his fist, noticing a black fur with a small flesh scar on his arm while he covers it with his paw.
Bandits screech in front of the riverboat as we hear Mei Mei's yell. "You twins must go! I'll get Mei Mei!" I impel twin pandas, palming Dim's shoulder as I sprint back to the front of the vessel.
"Dim, come on! Let's go!" Sum calls his brother horrid.
Once I reach the front of the vessel, Mei Mei twirls her nunchuck to buck, banging and cracking many heads apart with her chi yell. I throw a curling dagger to hyena's short maul to back of his neck; he dazes and Mei Mei pounds him with her weapon. SLAP! One cannon above the sky ignites with a red spark, the fireball angrily rushes to the front bridge, and I snatch it as the fire over my paws burns. She-panda dove to the floor, peering my eyes.
The hand below Mei Mei's leg snatches, she-panda collapses in the hole as her wailing tone shatters down. "Mei Mei!" I scream, discerning the fire that burns my palms, throwing directly at one of those soaring cannons. The left war machine collides with a thunderous blast of a scarlet star into the river; plenty of screeching bats divert away into the woods as the right cannon reloads with dull, crimson flames inside the cannon's aperture. As by reaching to the middle of the vessel, I shatter the floor with my foot, infiltrating beneath the second floor, whirling my body to the front.
Mei Mei struggles a submission hold to hyena's arm, pointing his dagger to her cheek. She yanks the bandit to her whole body downward, hammering hyena to the floor as the blade leaps away. Mei Mei propels her straight, circle punches to his chest. Hyena swoons; Mei Mei concludes her fists I reach her. "Are you okay?!" I demand her worriedly while she nods. "Come with me!"
We dash to the back where stairs vanquished apart as Mei Mei grasps my arm. Bats screech from the air outside, this boat still floats in unbalance motion; however, the water hardly enters the shatter woods beneath our wetting toes; the ship slowly rises from the top, we sense the cold water through our feet. "We must jump!" I tell her.
Mei Mei clenches my right arm, pulling me back and shaking her head with pale blue eyes "I can't—!"
"We jump together! Just hold on to my paw, and we will not—!"
The cannon shreds the sky. A flash of crimson with white sparkles ignites the front of a vessel, thrusting with flames and hot breeze swooshes us into the river.
Nasty twist of a cliffhanger! Next chapter will split into two parts!
