Chapter Thirty-Two: Bad News Has Wings
Rising and falling with the tide of battle, Master Shifu weaved himself through the compressed ranks of soldiers with deadly competency - a certain martial prowess - that only a kung fu practitioner of his advanced years could accomplish with such fluidity. The fighting along the northern bank of the Han was in its usual midday throes, as wave after wave of opposing legions collided in the muddy shallows that had once been humble rice paddy marshes.
Shifu had once again completely ignored the orders of General Li Tingzhi, the imperially-appointed commander for the defense of Xiangyang. Leading from the front of the Chinese assault force and crossing the river at its most shallow point, the old red panda was now being assisted by his veteran students who had recently arrived from the Jade Palace. Having caught the Mongolian units somewhat unprepared for the sheer audacity of their attack, the masters were now establishing a northern beachhead with the support of the reinforcing column of rhino and oxen mercenaries.
Slapping back a leopard archer with his staff, Shifu leapt upon a small boulder to gain a minor vantage point in the thick of the fighting. He immediately identified an approaching formation of heavy spear infantry that was coming to cut off the Chinese line of retreat back towards the water. He turned back towards the swath of his allies, the full lot of them immersed in a maddened affray of combat.
"Mantis!" he summoned towards the crowd of fighting.
Zigging out from the commotion was a darting flash of green that went right at the oncoming enemy unit and ricocheted between them violently. The chirping of the insect seemed to be taunting his opponents as they swung and hacked at the air wildly, unable to strike him as he sprung back and forth. Satisfied with his student's work, Shifu jumped down from the rock and back into the melee.
The other masters needed no introduction, finding their proper place in the fighting naturally. Viper hung low to the ground, angling herself with poise to strike at the legs of the Mongol fighters - severely delaying their advance and giving the Chinese even more time to solidify the beachhead. Compensating for the absence of Crane, Monkey made extensive use of the verticality of his fighting style; wielding his preferred bo staff, the simian held back several of the spear warriors at once, striking back with defiant whacks at their heads. Far to their flank, the fighters could see Master Bear barreling through the Mongol lines, accompanied by Master Chicken who cleanly finished off any steppe warriors who were knocked aside by his ursine friend.
Precious few members of the Masters Council had chosen to arrive for the defense of Xiangyang, a troubling sign of their dwindling loyalties to the frail and corrupt Song Dynasty. Master Eagle, Master Lizard, and Masters Yao and Shengqi were among the few who came to the aid of the besieged city, and all of them were spread incredibly thinly along the vast battle lines. Notably absent from the conflict were the protectors of Gongmen City, Masters Ox and Croc. This was hardly a surprise to the other masters, as the independent seaside commune could hardly be considered part of the empire anymore.
The lack of their presence had worried Shifu more than the others, as he was aware of the implication: if they had not come, the Soothsayer must have seen something that he could not. This continued to weigh on his mind throughout the battle. As two leopards rushed the red panda from both sides, he used his staff to wedge them apart as a third challenger launched a sword right at him from ahead. Catching the weapon in midair, Shifu redirected it about himself - cutting down the two surrounding him - before sending it right back into its original wielder's chest. The staff of the Peach Tree dropped right into Shifu's grasp in perfect time with the falling of the three felines.
"Damn - that was impressive." he heard Mantis comment nonchalantly as the insect master whizzed behind him.
Shifu's brow furrowed.
It's supposed to be effective, not impressive! He's been spending far too much time around Po.
And speaking of Po - Shifu knew they were all sorely missing the panda's determination and creativity under pressure in a time such as this; just so, the lack of Crane's defensive technique was making him second guess their every move forward. But most of all, Shifu missed Tigress. Her experience was truly invaluable in the thick of battle. The red panda hated that he was still none the wiser about what had happened to the three of them after leaving the domain of Xiangyang. His focus was slipping.
An incoming arrow had been headed straight for him - if Viper had not sprung up from the ground and blocked it downwards.
"Are you alright, master?" she asked with concern, coiling herself in front of him defensively.
"Yes-" Shifu shook off his unhelpful thoughts. "Keep pressing the attack!"
With a collective battle cry, the masters all charged together up the riverbank against an opposing surge of leopards from the Golden Horde - experienced veteran warriors from the high plateaus of the Caucasus. Unlike many of the other Mongolian units, the mountain leopards didn't seem intimidated by the kung fu masters in the slightest, and the fighting was hotly contested against the supporting ranks of Chinese oxen and rhinos.
With a loud growl, Bear unsheathed the axes upon his back and began cleaving a hole in the enemy ranks as Viper and Chicken relentlessly supported him from the ground, taking their opponents' legs out from under them. Shifu, Monkey and Mantis wisely delayed their next advance, watching as the panicked warriors opposite themselves started to redeploy against the wedge formed by the fearsome ursine.
"Now!" Shifu commanded, seeing the perfect opportunity to strike.
Mantis was by far the fastest among them, and was already upon an enemy wolf before the others had a chance to even move. The insect manipulated the canine into smashing its own warhammer into its head and he then threw the unconscious fiend into the distance; it was a size-defying feat that only Mantis could perform.
Before the wolf's enraged comrades could swarm in on the tiny green master, Monkey came to his friend's aid with an intimidating screech. Whirling his staff and leaping between their slashes and strikes, he made quick work of the canines. As another steppe warrior charged into the fray, Monkey simply stuck the shaft of his weapon under him and vaulted him upwards - just in time for Shifu to intercept him midair and pummel him into the ground.
The Chinese soldiers capitalized on the push forward in perfect time, and the Mongol vanguard units were driven back from the riverbank. The defenders cheered loudly, and those on the distant city walls of Xiangyang who had been watching their minor skirmish matched their shouts.
"The day is ours!" Shifu announced valiantly.
The Chinese forces cried out again, celebrating the small triumph.
"Fall back across the river!" came the red panda's next order.
Not wasting any more precious time to savor their victory, the detachment turned about at once. Bear was especially reluctant to follow, wanting to keep pressing their advantage, but it wasn't long before he could see that Shifu was right. Seeing the vanguard defeated, the main columns of Mongol heavy infantry were now marching forward, evidenced by the distant weighted sounds of their armor colliding against itself.
Re-sheathing his axes in annoyance, the Gobi bear master sprinted back to catch up with the other retreating forces. Treading the slight rapids that ran through the shallows, the entire contingent made it across the Han and safely back to their camp. The Mongol infantry came as far as the river's edge before turning back under determined fire from the Chinese siege engines and crossbows.
This current round was over, but the stalemate would surely continue the following morning. Shifu walked gingerly across the dusty plain of the imperial camp, his old body tired and sore after a day of constant fighting. While the regular soldiers dispersed into their various improvised barracks, the red panda's students gathered around their master supportively as he leaned back against an overturned cart.
"That went… about as well as could be expected." Mantis said, breaking the silence.
Monkey nodded in agreement, "We're still alive, so yes. But how much longer will we be able to drive them back?"
"For as long as is needed." Shifu said sternly, before hesitating somewhat and looking downward. "For as long as we can."
Viper frowned sadly, winding her way closer to her old master. She recalled the brief moment in the skirmish when she'd seen him waver.
"Are you sure you're alright, Master Shifu?" the snake questioned empathetically. "We all feel the battle wearing on us - there is no shame in admitting it."
Shifu said nothing in reply; he just gazed down into the dirt, gripping the wood of his staff as he was still catching his breath. After several moments, he looked up as if to say something, and the other masters waited attentively to hear it. But still - the old teacher remained silent.
He'd seen something coming.
"What is that?" Mantis asked in a puzzled tone, having noticed it as well.
In the high distance of the orange horizon, the masters could see an odd shape coming towards the imperial camp. As it drew nearer and nearer, they could gradually discern that it was a bird of some kind - and it was carrying someone. The avian was clearly laboring greatly, briefly losing altitude again and again as it came closer, desperately weaving left and right to avoid Mongolian arrows.
Trying his best to view the spectacle with the farthest reaches of his vision, Shifu paced to the northernmost bastion of the Chinese camp. Several crossbow soldiers were already lining up and beginning to train their sights upon the incoming target. But at the last moment, Shifu thought he saw a familiar pattern in the wingbeats of the stranger, and extended his staff out to the side to wave them off. The soldiers lowered their weapons.
The other masters came up to join the red panda, and as the bird came to the final stretch over the Han, all of their eyes widened in shock.
"It can't be…" Shifu trailed off.
"Crane!" the others yelled in a mix of excitement and terror, now recognizing their friend and fellow master of the Jade Palace.
The bird came careening into the encampment at high speed, doing everything in his power to grant the passenger he carried a soft landing as he himself went skidding a fair distance upon the ground. Coming to a stop at last, he briefly tried to lift himself before collapsing in exhaustion. The others were left aghast at his mangled physical state, rushing over to see the two new arrivals.
Shifu was the first to get to his student who had been missing for so many months, trying his best to help him from the dust.
"Crane?!" the red panda exclaimed, the avian seeming to not register it at all. "What happened to you? Where have you been? Where are the others?"
Crane barely had the energy to speak at all, doing everything he could just to keep breathing.
"S-save… Mei…" he managed to vocalize weakly as the others gathered around.
They all looked over to the golden cat that the bird master had dropped a short distance before them. She was curled over upon herself on the dusty ground, barely moving.
"Oh no…" Viper said with a gasp, coming over to see just how bad off the feline master was.
It didn't look good. A closer inspection from the snake revealed the reason she had been recoiled over like she was - a thin knife that had been driven straight into her side. Mantis - the lone physician among them - came over at once to join the snake master.
When trying to look for himself, he found her face to be a familiar one, "Hey, I know her - it's Master Mei Ling!"
Monkey looked over from where he remained holding Crane off the ground; he hadn't heard that name in a long time.
"I remember her - she hasn't been seen or heard from in years!" the simian said. "How'd she end up here?"
As Viper and Mantis did their best to attend to Mei Ling and get the attention of the imperial physicians, Shifu returned his focus solely to the bird master.
"Crane - look at me." he demanded in a calm tone.
The avian didn't seem to have heard him, his form falling weakly against the supporting arms of Monkey.
"Look at me." he said once more.
Crane didn't quite face Shifu, but moved his head somewhat to show he was listening.
"Where is the Dragon Warrior?"
They were all silent as they eagerly awaited whatever the bird master might say in response. After a pause, he did at last.
"Dagger… of Deng-Wa… it took him."
There was a unanimous gasp among them, save for Shifu who refused to believe what he was hearing.
"What?! That doesn't make any sense!" the red panda declared with irate confusion. "Where is Tigress? I need her to help make sense of this mess!"
There was no response at first, and Crane was still looking away from his master. Shifu didn't want to have to repeat such a question, but he did so, nonetheless.
"Where is Tigress, Crane?"
With the help of Monkey, Crane finally came to his feet. Mei Ling having been carried to the infirmary by some nearby soldiers, Viper and Mantis now came over as well with the same devastated look on their faces.
Everyone was thinking it, but no one was saying it. Crane finally met the gaze of Shifu at last, and their eyes locked; in that moment, the red panda no longer needed to hear the actual words. He knew. They all knew.
The walking staff - which had been a millennium in the making - dropped to the ground. Shifu turned around and started to walk away from them all, his limp seemingly gone for once.
"Master…" Crane tried to get him to come back, but it was no use.
Shifu just kept walking, and deep down Crane knew it was for the best - he could never hope to summon the words to console the Grandmaster of the Jade Palace. There was nothing to say.
The reality of it started to hit the others; they began to take on expressions as if they had just been gut-punched. Po and Tigress were gone. They knew not how or why, but on a certain level, that didn't really matter. They were gone. In that moment, life itself felt as though it would never be the same.
Viper was the first to try and say something to Crane, as Monkey and Mantis seemed to still be in shock.
"Crane - I'm sorry. I don't know what happened… but I'm sorry."
Crane had made himself a promise that he wouldn't cry over it anymore, but he was now in the process of breaking it.
"Po - he's still alive…" he started again feebly, "but he's no longer the same. That thing - it changed him into something terrible."
Monkey just lifted his arms up over his head as he sat on the ground; he didn't seem capable of listening any longer. Mantis was still somberly watching Shifu as he stood some distance away. Viper just looked on at her friend, a depth of sadness welling in her eyes that Crane had never thought possible.
"But Tigress-" he choked on his words briefly, shaking his head and looking away, "she didn't make it."
Viper closed her eyes and looked away as well for a time, but then leaned her head against the bird in a consoling way, knowing he would be unable to speak any further.
A few short paces away, Shifu had heard everything that had just been said - but he was not looking in the direction of his students. Facing out over the continuing battle in the distance, where the very world itself was being unraveled, the red panda was now looking down at something he had pulled out from his robe: an object that he kept with him at all times. It was a small little thing, and to anyone else but Shifu, it would be utterly meaningless.
The single tear of the red panda now fell upon half of a two-sided Mahjong tile that had been severed long ago.
Author's Notes:
- So originally, this chapter's content was intended to be the first half of a larger entry, but the scene ended up going on long enough that I felt it was more effectual to the story overall if it stands alone
- If the final reference at the very end here is lost on you, I highly suggest viewing the short Secrets of the Furious Five that explains Tigress' backstory
- This chapter takes its title from a Chinese idiom that goes "good news travels slowly; bad news has wings"
- Thanks once more for reading! Until next time...