The Last War

17. Change of Plan

"How can you dare to stand in my way?!"
Po hadn't expected such a churlish question from that bird, but he didn't need much time to guess, that this naughty guy was Xiang.
His feathering was light and dark blue, especially his head and wings were darker than the rest of his body, and his long tail feathers had dark blue eyes. All in all, not a bad combination. Including his robe was dark blue-yellow-green. Maybe too much colorful, but he seemed to like that. Just his language was far from flowery.
"I asked you something!" Xiang shouted. "Out of my way!"
Po managed to avoid the next slap in last second.
"Hey!" the panda retorted. "Are you feeling alright?"
"Xiang?"
The voice of his "daughter" let the colorful peacock keep silent for a little moment and stared at his wife and Xia. Po hoped it would calm him down, but Xiang became just more annoyed.
"What on earth are you doing here?! That wasn't scheduled!"
Xia, who still held her mother in her wings, narrowed her eyes angrily. "Does it not care you what we had gone through? Mother is feeling very bad."
"As often." The peacock was more than disinterested. "How many times should I tell you, you mustn't speak to me in the presence of others?!"
Xia pressed her beak lips together and stroke her mother's head, who had ducked her head more down when she realized her husband's voice.
"Shabby fool," he muttered. "You ruin everything!"
Finally, Xiang's eyes wandered to Shen, who stood there with wings crossed. His face was annoyed in the same way. For a brief moment, the other peacock didn't know what to say. But just for three seconds.
"Who's that?!"
Now, Shen lifted his wing, but he didn't answer the question. Instead, he asked something other with brusque voice. "And you are her – husband?"
"Child, answer you my question!"
These words pertained to Xia. The young peahen looked from one to another. Didn't Shen care about what Xiang was thinking? She was still feeling the rage in her stomach because of her biological father, but with that truth, she would endanger the life of her mother.
"Don't you care about what happened to Sheng?" she asked carefully, sure that Xiang would be angry with her just more.
"Stupid thing!" Xiang scolded. "How could I rear something like you?"
"But he is really bad!"
"Bad?" After so long, her mother lifted her head and stared at her daughter with wide eyes. "How bad?"
"No, not the kind of bad what you are thinking... no mother."
She felt how her mother added her pressure around her wings.
"Don't think about it," Xia pleaded.
Yin-Yu sighed weepy. "I don't know what to think of all these!"
Po was close to tears. That woman was bushed with everything.
What would come next?
Xiang didn't pay more attention to them and made one step forward. "Answer my question. Who are you?"
"Eh...!" Po appeared next to Shen and laid his arm on the lord's shoulder. "We- we... we are the kung fu rescue committee." He gave Shen a seeking help look. "Aren't we?"
The next kick of Shen's foot met the panda's face.
"Ouch! I might have guessed."
With pained face, he rubbed his nose.
"If you want to know who I am," the lord began, his face still filled with spitefulness. "I would prefer to ask your nice wife."
Xiang stiffened for a short moment. "Mm. You know each other?"
Po's eyes grew wider than usual.
Xia pressed her mother closer to her chest.
No, you can't do this to her!
But the cold smile on Shen's face sent horror over her. And he was planning to do it.
"Indeed, we..."
"What my workmate wants to say really," Po interrupted quickly. "Is that we are pleased to meet her, today for the first time, to help her to her rescue of this..."
"Get off me!" Shen shouted at him and pushed him away. "No, she and me, we...mpff!"
Po covered his beak and tried to pull the struggling peacock away. The panda chuckled nervously. "Oh, and we are going to bring you out of here as fast as we could to... ouch!"
Po was forced to release the peacock after he had attacked him with his sharp claws. Shen made a big jump to avoid the panda's grasp completely.
"No, your wife is an...!"
His voice died. Yin-Yu's eyes were wide for a second of fear when the white body of the lord sank down and fell to the ground.
Po was unable to move and stared at the peacock and then at his fist which had hit the bird on his head. Finally, the panda looked at the prostrated lord ruefully.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry," Po muttered again and again.
The Dragon Warrior couldn't believe what he had done. Since after their promise of peace in the village, he had never thought he had to do that. But he had done it. Still in disbelief, he stared at the unconscious peacock who lay on the floor now. And before someone or he could say something, loud voices and heavy footstep became hearable and echoed through the hidden corridors.
Po pricked up his ears. "What's that?"
At this moment, Tu jumped on his head. "That's the army! But that's impossible. How could they know about the hiding place?"
The hard-heavy footsteps became louder and filled the air like from a hundred people. When Po thought they would run around the corner every moment he tensed his muscles. But then the sound of footsteps died.
Po looked up in surprise. "Uh, what happened?"
He realized how Xia's face became anxious. Po swallowed. He felt someone stood behind him. Slowly, he turned around and had to look into dark green eyes.
"Hi, are you the house cleaner?" He tapped his fingers together nervously.
The ox, who stood in front of him, snorted. "Who are you?"
The panda rubbed his palms together wildly. "Uh, is that standard question here?"
He winced when more footsteps came closer.
"Hi, guys."
But Po's shy greeting was ignored by the other solider oxen. Step by step they restricted the circle around them more and more.
Suddenly, the green-eyed ox dashed forward and grabbed Xiang on his neck. Then he pressed him against the stone wall and glared into his eyes. "Never dare to do this again with me! Get it?!"
At this moment, something pulled on Po's ear. "Ouch, what should that be?"
But the little cicada didn't explain and pointed to the right side. "On count of three."
Po didn't understand. "Uh, what?"
"Just run against the wall, get it?"
"I- I should do what?"
In Po's head everything twisted around. His eyes stuck on the ox and Xiang, who still stood on the wall. Suddenly, the panda winced. The ox had stopped to shout at him. Instead, they exchanged hissing quiet words.
"Now!"
Po hadn't listened to Tu's countdown. But he did. Without thinking, he ran ahead.
"But there's a wall..."
"Ram it!"
Po's feet were like pudding. He lost every feeling in his body. Expecting the pain, he ran at the wall without stop. But when he thought he will get headaches every moment the wall gave in and with a strong swung, Po fell forward and landed with a slam to the ground. Behind him a loud rumbling. The moving wall closed and all other sounds died. Still like paralyzed, he sat up and looked around. There was almost pure darkness. Just a very, very dim light shined through another rocky corridor.
"W-what was that?"
At this moment, Tu appeared on his nose. "Mere precaution from the builder of this hiding way. Just in case if enemies discover it."
"Very smart," Po muttered and stood up. "But what if they open the wall, too?"
"Don't worry. It's blocked. You can only release the blockade here."
"Also a precaution?"
"Bingo."
Po followed the dim light with his eyes. "Where does the way guide?"
"To the river."
"River?"
"Indeed. A river flows under the castle. The source is coming from underground and leaves in a waterfall."
"And you think we can leave the castle this way?"
The cicada shook its head. "No chance. Not at this time of year. The water is icy like nothing and cliffs to all sides for a long way. You will have no chance to leave it."
"And now?"
"In the darkness is a second way, which guides us to a smaller way upwards. But you have to suck in your stomach."
"Ha, ha, very funny," Po said sarcastically.
He was ready to take this way when new footsteps were hearable from far away.
"Come faster," a deep voice said. "We've already wasted time enough."
"Who's that?"
"It comes from the river," Tu said. "From this corridor, you can arrive in the old way, but the entrance of this corridor is high and hidden in the near of the river."
"Alright."
"Hey, where are you going?" Tu asked in surprise when Po followed the way to the river.
"I have to take a look."
"No, wait, wait, wait..."
But the panda didn't listen to him and walked down the way until he reached a hole in a rock face where he had an overview in a big cave-looking hall. The hole was in an edge of the rock face where nobody could see him. Downwards he could see a big river which flew with foaming water in a deeper riverbed.
Suddenly, two big figures appeared and walked closer to the sheer rock walls of the river. Now he realized the big ox and another ox. And his eyes became bigger when he saw a familiar figure in the ox's hooves.
"Why do we have to bring him here? Shouldn't we bring him to King Wang?" the second ox asked and threw the white peacock on the floor. Shen moaned weakly. He was still half unconscious.
"Because the plan has changed," the green-eyed ox said and threw some ropes on the floor next to the peacock. "We have to wait for another opportunity. He will give us the signal."
"But why do we have to bring him here?" the second ox continued his question.
The first bigger ox snorted with impatience. "He doesn't need him for his plan. Just do it. But tie him tight."
The second ox snorted and started his bondage work.
First, he bound together the lord's wings on his back, then another rope around his body and feet.
"Hurry up!" the first ox said. "We don't have all day."
"Yes, yes," the soldier grunted and corded the ropes brutally.
This painful process let Shen open his eyes. He was still dazed.
"What...?"
Shen didn't know what had happened, but the current situation wasn't comfortable for him. He tried to move, but he had no chance to move an inch.
Finally, he became a clear mind in one second to another. "Hey, let me free!"
"Shut up!" the first ox growled at him.
"What does it mean?! You have no right...!"
The second ox pressed his hoof on his beak. Then he grabbed him brutally and lifted him up. The white bird struggled like crazy.
"Should I gag him?" the second ox asked. He had effort to hold the lord tight.
"Why this?" The green-eye ox shrugged his shoulders and grinned. "Nobody can hear him. By the way, we can't risk that he dies of thirst. We aren't monsters, are we?"
Shen breathed heavily. His head was still aching and couldn't understand how he came here.
"Come on, make it short."
With that the ox waved his hoof. The soldier went closer to the riverbed where the floods of the water rampaged. With wide eyes, the lord stared at the icy wild water. Despite the shackles he struggled. But the ox showed no mercy and threw him through the air. Shen felt how the gravity pulled him down very deep and fast. He broke through the water surface and disappeared. Po, who still remained in his hiding place, had watched everything in disbelieve. The two ox soldiers didn't care about the lord's destiny and left the place. Shortly after they were out of the panda's view, he jumped up and slithered down the rock wall.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Tu cried.
But the panda ignored Tu's words and stopped next to the riverbed. "Do me a favor and keep an eye to the others, alright."
The cicada didn't understand. "Sure, but what about..."
He had no chance to finish his sentence. Po took a run-up and jumped in the water. The cold water cut his fur like icy knives. First, he had difficulty to keep his face over the water surface. The flux carried him away and suddenly he fell into empty space.
It must be the waterfall.
At least he wasn't very high. Like on icicles the panda landed with a smack in the next water pool and was pulled away again. Po's lung ached. He really had to fight against the water force. At last, he could hold his face over the water and tried to get an overview. But around him just white water and water.
How should he find him?
Suddenly, he winced. The strong floods had pressed the white peacock against a rock in the water and kept him there. Po made several strong rowing motions and with one grasp, he felt feathers under his fingers. He wrapped his cold fingers around the bird and fixed themselves on the rock. Po shuddered under his fur, but it kept him warm enough to stand it for a while. But for Shen... He felt how the bird trembled in the cold river water.
"Shen! Stay awake! You mustn't fall asleep! Stay awake."
Shen blinked. "Y-you dared... you did..."
The peacock stuttered.
"I did what?"
"You threatened me. Now you can bring it to an end."
"Shen! I thought we had talked about it often enough. I didn't threaten you. It was just an emergency."
But the peacock didn't seem to hear him. Instead he muttered words with half open eyes. "It's... it's snowing."
The panda looked up. Indeed, snowflakes danced around their heads.
"Uh, yes, yes, it's snowing."
The lord closed his eyes. A weak smile played on his beak. "W-what i-irony. I will die - in the snow – l-like I killed your v-village." His voice was shaking. "T-that closes t-the circle."
Po watched the white lord thoughtfully. Was he hallucinating?
"Mm, Shen?"
But the peacock's beak lips just trembled, like the rest of his body.
"Alright," Po muttered. "Don't worry, I will keep you warm."
With that, he rubbed his paw over the bird's neck and chest, while he was holding on the rock with the other paw. But the panda knew, he couldn't do this for the rest of his life. They had to escape from that cold water. His glance wandered upwards.
The river walls were very steepish. Impossible to climb up without climbing facilities. Especially with an immovable person in one's arms. Po looked ahead, but also the rest of the river way was the same. No chance to leave the floods. They could only swim down the river in hope to find a place to come out, but who knew how long they would survive in the cold water.
Sad and discouraged Po petted over Shen's head. "Shen. Keep awake, keep awake."
But the bird was too overpowered from the frozen coldness. He blinked heavily and closed his eyes finally.
"No, keep awake!"
With shaking paws, he took him closer and tried to keep him warm with his fur.
"No, you didn't mean it. We all had just a black day... just a black day."
Po winced. His feet had slipped off the rock almost. With effort, he pulled up themselves of the water and leaned against the icy rock.
Why, why...?
He closed his eyes. Snowflakes touched his cold nose. He had to think about the snow at home. It was always a beautiful picture and a fun to play in the snow and to catch the snowflakes with his tongue. It was so funny. So funny...
The coldness on the tip of his nose became stronger and tickled. It tickled. Tickled?
He blinked.
"What...?"
Po thought the coldness played a prank with him. Carefully, he reached out his paw.
No, it wasn't a dream. It was reality. There was really a dangling rope over his head and the end of the cord had touched his nose. But who could it be?
"He-hello?" he stuttered.
But nobody gave an answer. With doubt Po watched the rescuing cord. Should he grab it or was that a trap? He looked down at Shen, who gave no sound anymore. His force faded away with every minute.
Finally, the panda sighed. They had no other choice, either they freeze in water or it will happen whatever.
With last force, he jumped up and grabbed the hanging rope. First, he bound it around Shen's body, then he pulled several times on it and the rope was pulled up by someone. Po released Shen and watched how he raised to the sky. The panda followed him with his eyes until he disappeared over the cliff edge of the riverside.
Now he had to wait and hope.
For a while there was silence. Had it been a trap?
Po's heart made a big jump when the rope came back down to him. With joy, he took it and was pulled up, too. Whatever he had to expect at the top of the cliff, it was just better than to stick in cold water. At least he hoped.
At last, he had reached the end. He swung his paws over the edge and looked ahead.
"What...?"