Hello, everyone. GrayZeppelin here. I have finally started a new book telling the beginning of how it all started during the years of the Great War. Yep! I am writing the prequel of the Mightiest Warriors Series, featuring the characters who will be soldiers before they become the Supreme Warlords of all China. Kai and Oogway.
I wrote my first KFP book, A New Prophecy, which starts as Book One. The beginning shows Oogway and his companions had built the ancient palace of Qing Temple before the destruction occurred, leaving the rest to unfold a new beginning.
Book Three, known as the prequel, will commence the journey where Oogway and Kai begin their adventures while entering the war. Whatever suits best for you to read Book One or Book Three (avoid The Trinity if you have not read A New Prophecy sequel), you are welcome to start what you like.
Inspired by reading Berserker88 and Mind Jack's book, "Shen vs. Kai: When Evil Collides," which manifests the Jade Slayer's flashbacks, Amateraponzu's Japanese comic fic "Wish Upon a Shooting Star," which features the warlords before the chi incident, and Ying's one-shot fic, "Jaded Road to Acceptance," I give you my version of Kai and Oogway fic. . . Blood and Dirt.
For my father, the wisest man and the mechanic doctor who aids vehicles with the right tools for the right job. I love you, Dad.
Blood and Dirt
by
GrayZeppelin
THE MIGHTIEST WARRIORS, BOOK THREE
Chapter I
My Hatchling
Who am I?
The once-known former warlord and Master of Jade Palace, the survivor of the Great War, asked himself a question throughout his prolonged meditation inside the Dragon Grotto for thirty years. Thirty years of his contemplation filled into triumphs and recognition. After thirty years of distant battles, the tortoise surveyed the realm of a thousand ashes before his eyes. Thirty years of pain and suffering, the former General faced the losses of his soldiers — his children, whom he endeavored to protect all from those who harmed him and his allies; many but his were in his head, surged with thousands of casualties across the ocean of blood and dirt, the lands laid with thousands of black and red spears and billowing rent banners, and the black smokes from the scorching embers. These were in his meditation long before Master Oogway could ever change and move on from the catastrophic event that ripped his core inside.
The tortoise had allies — thousands of them. And he had enemies, far twice the numbers of his army; they nearly prevented him from justice. Justice that Oogway swore to avenge his people and the old palace, he and his companions initially constructed a temple that would have lasted generations. His concept was Kung Fu. His feline friend built Wing Chun. And his giant before his dear brother planted Tai Chi. The three concepts of harmony were in their blood before one Prince from Jinse Simiao had orders from his Emperor to destroy the martial arts essentials.
Breathe.
The tortoise lessened his tense sensation from the showers of distant cries, immediately soothing his exhale as the flash of white bolt clapped far. For a moment, Oogway kept his staff close to his side, tending to defend himself from one he fonded of and fought beside him into the battles of the Great War. The tortoise had a brother, unlike his kind. The giant, unlike other bovines, was his blood-brother. He and his closest friend bonded with one as Brother-in-Arms, the Generals known as the Supreme Warlords of all China.
His brother haunted him in his dreams, and forever Oogway could attempt to —
671
Present
Across the Pacific Sea of undulated rough ripples, the waters crashed against the red junk ship, which trekked and fought forward towards the endless East. Among the main deck, observing the ocean while smelling the salt and his short mane wafting into the air, was the young yak, standing beside his reptile comrade with a broad shell. Kai had never seen the blue world so wide from the green land of Guangxi, where the yak used to live at his mother's farm. This was nothing like the lake or a river he adored to swim with his adoptive parent, Chen Wing.
One month of trekking in the rough sea was exciting at the beginning, and now uneven to withstand the storm and the scorching sun that reflected the calm ripples without the breeze. A crew of five times three, including the two passengers, fed themselves well with their food and water. Not long before Kai and Oogway could rest in the crew deck, the two heard the crewmate's tale about the raging storm, which invited a vengeful beast under the sea who drowned lives around Japan. Only one survived two incidents from the sea of horrors as the wrath of the onyx beast with yellow eyes washed his crew away. Without knowing one of the barrels had a top and bottom empty, while the creature sought revenge to drown all the sailors, the crewmate hurled it and had the monster fall for its glare, bizarrely swimming away instead of slithering near the wreckage.
The hull whined its wood from the hissing splashes; snores across the Crewmate's Deck deafened when Kai lay on the hammock. The junk ship motioned front and back in leisure movements; most of the time, the yak preferred recent activities to his bedroom at home, where grasshoppers tweeted, the trees muttering beside the window. On his round stomach was the tortoise in the yak's woven cover. Strangely, at first, no soul would ever ask anyone who wished to lay on him — his farmland neighbors' children did, and Kai was never bothered.
"Oogway," the yak muttered. "What is the land like over there? Galapagos?"
"Home," the tortoise said, stretching his grin. "The land of reptiles — my kind."
The yak arched his brows. "What happened over there? Before you came to China?"
He could hear the tortoise's low hum of grievance. "Terrible things happened," the reptile answered, attempting to search for words for the young giant. "Half of my people were slain."
"Slain by whom?"
"Hateful creatures," answered Oogway. "Remember the tale of Qing Temple?"
The yak had no doubt heard of the tragic history of the well-known palace from his feline teacher, who was the descendant of Mui Tan Huang of Wing Chun. "I have, from my mother, whose ancestor was among the creators of the palace," Kai said, reflecting on his adoptive feline mother's nighttime story. "Is there something I should know?"
"As I was the creator, someone endeavored to destroy me, Kai," Oogway said. "I thought of anyone — either a descendant of Prince Huoju or the servant of a dark creature — wishes to bring my head."
Kai took a moment of his thought concerning the reptile's bitter conception. "Someone arrived in Galapagos and tried to find you."
The reptile felt the yak's tone in determination that he reflected the fire across the main island of Galapagos. The tragedy of Qing Temple had Oogway travel back home, keeping a low profile from Emperor Khan's officials and his Fire Clan army, who were authorized to seize the Kung Fu creator and bring him to the Emperor of China. After the destruction, resulting in the start of the Great War, Oogway and his companions, Liu Bong Shien of Tai Chi and Taolin, son of his late mother, Mui Tan Huang, had agreed to commence separating themselves after they made their vows to reestablish the martial arts houses after the war.
The Great War washed with waves of blood for one hundred and seventy years and more, and Oogway assumed his colleague's descendants carried their vows to their students. The tortoise contacted Taolin long before he could meet the tiger master again. During the years of separation, after the fire swarmed the main continent, Oogway returned to China to meet one of Taolin's great-great-grandchildren, who had one student learning Wing Chun.
Remembering the yak's words mentioning his home, Oogway nodded to him. "Yes."
"Could you remind me why we are heading there?"
"I am giving my last visit, going to meet my aunt. She is dying."
Filled his mind with curiosity about the tortoise, Kai thought of Oogway's age. By the looks of the tortoise who had faded wrinkles under his neck and the calming voice from the sea, Kai unveiled his determined sight on him.
"How old are you?"
The yak's question had Oogway stretch his smile. "Four hundred years, and. . . uh. . ."
"You look like sixty," Kai showed him a dubious sight.
"We shall see," Oogway simpered. The yak would not mind continuing his query to determine the tortoise's gifted age. He lowered his head on the hammock when the ship's buoyancy sang its crackling wood, the rough sea beating against the ship once more. "Would you like to know how old my aunt is currently?" Oogway told him.
"Two thousand years?" Kai guessed, jesting.
"Hmm. Not even close."
He pondered how, in this world, tortoises could live longer than a century, maybe more than thrice. Thrumming his low voice while thinking deeper to guess, Kai searched for the answer. "Eight hundred?"
The reptile's smile stretched to one side. "Close."
As soon as the yak began to ask a few questions in his mind, a crewmate from the large chamber's stairs emerged from the light and hollered at the crew on their hammocks. "Land ho!"
One by one, the crewmates dropped from their hammocks and heightened their shouts before nudging at each other, proceeding to their stations before the two passengers began to rise. Oogway slipped and stood first before his yak companion sat up one side, stretching his broad arms. Climbing from the stairs leading to the main deck, Oogway, and Kai leaned to the junkship's right side and surveyed the front of the sea, the horizon towering over the continents of mixed green and light dirt. Far beyond the East, the waves crashing and meeting the white streaks against the land of several islands was the tortoise's old home.
Galapagos Islands.
Under the ripples unveiled the rapid movements of dark gray dolphins swimming past the junk, the three marine beings launching themselves in the air before splashing under. Above the islands approaching closer were light pink dots before the white mixed, hovering in groups. The avians closing in triangular glides were Flamingos and Albatrosses cawing at the red sails.
"I never thought I could see another land across the sea," Young Kai marveled at the scene.
"First time?" Oogway asked.
It is.
The yak turned to his companion. "Are you a traveler?"
"I traveled many countries, far and beyond, my dear Kai. Out across distant terrains before China, I always wanted to be an adventurer with my family. We were in the Northern Continents and met all the worthy tribes before we sailed to the other land — an Old Country. Several decades before the beginning, I discovered the enchanting land where I wish to study, a place that inherits the nature of beautiful creatures soar — dragons. A country with mystical beings."
"Those beasts. . . They looked magical when I saw my mother's paintings at home. She drew most of the Lung Dragons slithering within the misty clouds," Kai pondered, leaning his stomach against the ship railing, sighting the dolphin silhouettes under the rushing ripples. "I would have endured to see the rest of them before my eyes, Oogway. My mother is the one who can see them in her dreams."
"Tell me, Kai," Oogway smiled. "What do you think of them?"
The yak had his prolonged glance, contemplating his mother's passion and the myth creatures who were divine and blessing. "I think the dragons are from the stars and heavens, the closest beings who are mothers and fathers. They looked upon us as their children," Kai reflected. "One beast before the rest made the lands in China, who guided many on how to harvest food and water for survival. I suppose many became celestial before the extinction. Without them, the children of the realm look after their own. They have been long gone, Oogway."
"Gone, yes, but always here in the Realm when we pray for them."
Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands
The waves of aqua green and blue struck and ebbed against the beachhead, the white ripple silk crashing with foams as the junk ship disembarked, pinning the ropes down against the sand. Departing from the junkship with a wonder, Kai displayed his marvel glance at the silky green trees that the winds fanned through branches. The yak, wading out of the water from his limbs, led to the incline and waited for the tortoise behind him, the smell of sea salt and coconuts refreshing in their muzzles. The crew exiting their ride merged and separated to saunter their paths, and before the tortoise and the yak, behind the thick walls of the beach trees and the emerald green forest, was the reptile creature with a wide brown shell.
The islander, a tortoise with a light-cinnamon shawl around the chest and back, held the arms wide open, stretching a smile. Greeting Oogway before introducing Kai to himself, the tortoise named Coco guided the two into the forest, the introduction of decaying woods and blends of the dry rain and wet tree trunks wafting. Unlike at his home in China, Kai adored the refreshing scents of the closest bamboo forests, most of the flowers to plenty of the muddy waters, which showed white and pink lily flowers as his feline mother thought the lotus was a blessing. Looking abroad were the stretches of the forest hills and the proximity beyond the ridges left with tribe banners and decorated leaves. And farther, emerging from thick trees, were a group of tortoises beckoning their friendly gestures for Oogway's arrival.
Kai was presented with a small tortoise's hands, bearing a handful of grapes and one chopped melon. Grabbing the fruit, the yak gave his taste and chewed a small portion of it in his mouth, the flavor of sweet orange having him chew more gradually. Good heavens. These are delicious.
The group led their long trek and reached the apex opening, the sunset of cherry radiating on the charcoal clouds from behind. At the eastern clouds, the orange and a rotten apple hueing underneath the heavens arose, having the yak fill his breath wondrously. Beyond the last hill was a crater-like land from under, appearing the turquoise and orange light that reflected dark water's ripples. Amidst the heart of the behemoth crater hovered a blooming flower supported with wooden platforms and columns. Kai and the two tortoises clutched the ropes and abseiled to the floating platform before they rode on the large punt.
Coco managed to steer and row the punt from behind as Kai and Oogway looked onward to the giant flower and floating grounds, which all were the kinds of tortoises and their neighborhood beings next to them. Plenty were Galapagos penguins, land iguanas, and flamingo avians; they held their arms and waved at their returned companion. The four floating lands were linked with bridges and amber lanterns with torches.
"Kai," Oogway nudged the yak's forearm. "I would like you to remain on the petal when we land there. I will stay with my aunt until her passing."
"Okay," the yak nodded. "I'm not going anywhere."
The tortoise pulled his wicked smirk to his side. "Ironically. . ."
"What?" Kai snapped his eyes with surprise. "Don't tell me we are stuck down here!"
"I was jesting," Oogway chuckled.
Dammit, Oogway!
Almost as frightened as he nearly drenched his face with white, the yak admitted to liking the tortoise's lighthearted jester as he could not smirk and soften his laugh. Not long after the punt disembarked at the nearest pier before the giant petal, Oogway headed to the flower's heart when Kai remained on the floating dock, sitting on the edge, flowing his feet under the calm ripples. Onward himself within the petal entry with a behemoth chamber of earthy moss structures, reflected with orange torches and floating lanterns, Oogway continued with his elder sibling Coco, who held his hand and guided him to the center of the pistil.
On the heart of the flower pistil was the female tortoise resting in her bed. The bedcover thronged with waterlilies and hibiscus red and yellow flowers. Her croaky wheezes rasped, affecting Oogway's steps to a halt.
"Aunt?" Oogway called her.
Unable to answer back, her breaths continued wheezing, flooding her tender throat. After seeing Oogway's cousin's head beckoning, Oogway moved closer to Aunt's queen bed, reaching out to her. He felt the old's weak grasp, massaging his hand with grace.
"Oogway. . ." Aunt opened her foggy eyes of dawn, droning her throat.
"I am here," he leaned near the majestic being, smiling.
"I knew you would come, my sweet hatchling," Aunt smirked. "It has been so long. . ."
"I know," Oogway stretched his grin.
Noticing her breaths wheezing, Oogway presented his other hand on his aunt's head, stroking her dearly. The time of her gifted age was near its end, though he was glad not to be ashamed of being late that he would not want to let a family of his pass on alone; Oogway would like to be with her before her last rest.
"How was your trip to China, my nephew," Aunt asked. "Have you ever found a palace for you to build another?"
"Not yet, Aunt. But I will," he replied, his face altering to a dismay. "I still have my people who keep their oaths from their ancestors."
"Oaths?" she repeated in a curious tone.
"My connection. To unite with all the people who have unity and prosperity," he said. "Ever since Qing Temple fell under the ruins by a tyrant's son, the war began, and Emperor Hawk took his pride in his army to avenge the survivors and bring Khan of Jinse Simiao to justice."
"Mmm. I hear the war in China still lingers," Aunt regarded. "Ever since our kind went to several continents, most died in battle with honor, and a few survived, mentioned that the battles worth fighting were bittersweet and tragic."
"Are they?"
"Losses prevailed. A few who had the same feeling traveling into the war before returning home were not the same," Aunt forewarned, lessening her rough coughs. "Tell me, Oogway. Are you willing to reclaim your legacy?"
"I must, Aunt," he swore, arching his lips upward. "My temple was ruptured, and my people in China need me soon."
The old tortoise's hum of concern slightly heightened. "Ever since I have known you when you were a hatchling, you thought yourself that you may be traveling to a country where you plant yourself to begin your legacy. Most of your siblings did, my dear, and you were the last to study the dragons in China," she beamed at him. "I hear great things about them, my hatchling. They were all magical beasts."
"They are, Aunt," Oogway nodded. "Dragons are souls like us, and we are their children."
"I heard the last dragon fought for the living, Oogway, but the war was quite known centuries before your temple was assailed," she said. "Some old tales mentioned one with a thousand scathes in white was a majestic creature who saved her children from all the evil. The beast was the daughter of the land and water, forged to a metal element."
"I wish I could see the dragon with my own eyes," he craved. "In dreams, I saw a few."
"They have their meanings to you, my hatchling. Intelligence, bravery, awareness, and luck," Oogway's aunt discovered.
Oogway reached one counter near his right and grasped a cup of peppermint tea with sweet honey. Casually holding it with help, Aunt sipped her cup and lowered her sigh of relief, the throat within her neck relieving the sore. "My hatchling," she buzzed her tone. "You have found who you were looking for? The one with a lost bloodline? Liu Bong Shien's descendant?"
"I have, my aunt," he replied. "He is here with me. My friend reminds me of his great-grandfather."
Both tortoises merged their faces toward the outside and caught a glimpse of a young yak walking back and forth with curiosity while looking at the orange-cherry sunset. From her eyes combed with such
"You and your friend traveled well?" she asked dearly.
"We get along well," Oogway answered, smiling.
"Youth horns, small mane, brawn, and healthy," she surveyed the yak, droning with inquisitiveness. "Your friend is healthy; he is a special boy. What is his name?"
"Kai," he named his companion to her.
"Kai. . . Kai," her tender voice began fading gradually, but she cleared her throat to regain her tone. "I see a bright future for you both. My lonely hatchling, traveling back to your new home, soon you will be fighting in the war. Have someone who you trust in your life to protect you at all costs. No family or relations could have guidance or have their wills to protect my only nephew."
She held her hand to the side of his head. "Do you trust Kai in your life?"
"I do. With my life."
"Good. . ." the old tortoise simpered. "Know that the islands of the Galapagos are always your home. Know that you may not be coming back when in fighting, my hatchling. Plant a tree next to your temple. Watch it grow for me."
"I will, my aunt," Oogway promised. "Will I ever see you again?"
"In the heavens. . ." she answered. "I love you, my hatchling."
"I love you too, Aunt," Oogway blessed her head. "Thank you... for everything. I will never forget you."
Standing outside for quite a while, observing the tribe and most of the reptile hatchlings playing with each other across the swampy waters with their mothers, Kai looked at the ripple reflection of one's yak with blue eyes, imagining himself what he wished to be with one word Kai spoke to his mother about his future: ambition; not as a lack of achieving goals but to seek justice for the people of China.
Settling himself on the edge platform, sitting ahead of the water, Kai looked about the clouds as if the strands of white zigzags advanced out and onward to the Galapagos. One drop and the other fell to his head and his mane, and the storm showered with the grief of the elder child's passing.
Mother, what is the word warrior mean?
Kai reflected in his bamboo chamber with his striped feline mother, who was on his bed, cuddling him in her cherry blossom hanfu.
It means you are a brave fighter. You have the courage to stand against your fears.
The yak, motioning his bear doll with a wood sword, pondered at his fortune under his teacher's vision.
Will I be a fear warrior?
A fearsome warrior.
A/N:
— The beginning seems to be a bit off as I am aware the story started after my book's first chapter. A prologue is not as necessary when "A New Prophecy" indicates the tragedy of the Qing Temple, exhibiting the event before showing the rest where our gang plays out.
— This story starts early because the man who voiced our favorite yak warlord is his birthday today. So. . . Happy Birthday, J.K. Simmons! The one and only J. Jonah Jameson! Tell Peter to bring more pictures of Spider-Man! And tell Oogway to stop cowering in his damn shell!
— This project will go slow on publishing updates while I plan on building the structures for our warlords' tale. The ending is easy-peasy, but the beginning and middle are where I must concentrate (real-life is being messy. . .). Wish my luck on writing Blood and Dirt, everyone!