The Last War

28. Between You and Him

With panting, Yin-Yu stroked over her neck, staring at Xiang, who lay not far away between the broken porcelain. But his rage filled eyes were not fixated on her. Still trembling, she dared to move and rolled over to the other side. The woman petrified. Her senses were so paralyzed that she didn't hear Xiang's cursing: "How dare you!? How did you survive?"
The blue peacock jumped up, but a warning rising of the white peacock's wing let him stop in surprise that the intruder showed no fear. No relenting. The red-black eyes gave him no big attention. Just for her. For a split of seconds. But it was enough to freeze the time. Nothing seemed to exist in the world anymore.
They kept the eye contact. Just because he gave the impression of command to do so. She obeyed. But without knowing how to react. Relieved? Afraid? Asking whether she was dead? There was no power in her to move her beak. Every emotion, every thought, was mixed in an empty mess.
In another second, she wanted to run at him, but at the same time she wanted to run away. Her body started to tremble. Her mind lost in a terrible inner conflict.
Finally, she gave in and sank to the floor, only waiting for a verdict of him. The lord interpreted her facial expression and narrowed his eyes.
"Are you deaf?!" Xiang shouted.
Now Shen's eyes wandered back at him.
"Leave her alone," the white lord ordered in a cold tone.
The other peacock gasped in disgust. But Shen gave him no big attention and looked back at her. The woman lay still submissive a few meters away from him.
"Come here."
The peahen ducked her head while the lord spoke to her. What has she to expect?
But Shen was not deterred. "Come."
She was afraid. The question was of whom the most? Of him or him?
"You stay!" Xiang's voice commanded at her.
Her eyes were still focused on the white peacock. The one who had loved her many years ago, behind her the one, who had made her life a hell.
"Yin-Yu." The lord's words electrified her like a lightning. His voice was serious, but not threateningly like yesterday. She dared to look deeper in his eyes. His iris showed a flash of something familiar. A shining like in their night.
"One step!" Xiang threatened her. "One step, and I will kill you!"
She froze.
But Shen kept calm. "No, he will not do that."
Xiang gasped for air with rage. Meanwhile, the white peacock had lifted his wing and moved one finger feather in her direction, still watching her and his rival very carefully like a falcon.
"Come here to me."
To Xiang's anger, she stood up slowly and very carefully. When she stood almost on her feet, the blue peacock grabbed a knife from the table and threw it at her. The sharp weapon had almost cut her throat, when another shooting threw out the knife and let it crash into the wall. The white feather knife stuck next to it.
In disbelief, Xiang stared at it. But then his eyes wandered back at the white intruder. The lord kept his eyes glued to him, but at the same time, he watched how Yin-Yu passed him with fast steps. Their eyes met for a split second, but Shen didn't want to waste much time and pushed her gently behind him around the corner into the corridor.
With scornful looks, the two males stared at each other again.
Xiang narrowed his eyes more. "Who are you?"
"Is that so important for you?" Shen asked back and held out two spears. "Fight against me."
With these words, he propped one of it over the floor and it slithered at his feet. Xiang took it. The fight was opened.
First, there was silence. Then they took their positions very slowly. Suddenly, they ran at each other. Their spears knocked together every time. Yin-Yu peeked around the corner and watched them with anxious face.

"YEAH!" Po cried and knocked out the next attacker.
Also Sheng did a good job. Including King Wang, who had no troubles to fight against his own men. Meanwhile, Xia had taken a vase and threw it against the head of a soldier.
Po clapped his paws. "Yes, that's it, just the way I showed you. More momentum and don't forget avoiding."

The two peacocks were still fighting in the room and knocked over every object which lay in their way. Nobody wanted to give up. Their forces were like the same, but in some frequencies, Xiang seemed to have his doubts about his victory. Of course, Shen could have applied his knives, but he wanted to have a fair fight. At least as long it was possible.
At that moment, Xiang picked up a small table and held it over his head. "Let's make it a little more exciting on the fresh air."
He threw it.

"I think they've got enough," Po panted and watched how the rest of the soldiers ran away while the other half lay on the ground.
King Wang rubbed his fists. "And where is that fight bird?"
Po waved his paws. "Oh, as well as I know him, I'm sure he is somewhere in a fight."
Suddenly, there was a loud crash outside. Quickly, they ran to the next window and saw, how a table had crashed through another window and fell down along the castle walls. Shortly after, two peacocks jumped out.
Po made an "aha" gesture. "What did I say?"

With fear, Yin-Yu watched how the peacocks ran over the roofs. Xiang had jumped out first, Shen after him. The peahen couldn't stand it any longer. She turned around and ran through the corridor.
"Hey!" another voice cried.
She stopped when Po stood there with open arms. "I see you are alright!"
"Mother!"
The surprise of her rose when her daughter ran to her.
"Xia?"
She couldn't believe who stood next to her.
"Sheng!"
Filled with relief, she wrapped her wings around her son. Po was close to tears when he watched how the family fell around their necks.
More than 20 seconds passed, until they loosened the embrace.
"But how it that possible?" Yin-Yu asked, still holding Sheng's face in her wings.
"I know everything, mother," Sheng explained and forced her wings down. "But where is father?"
"What... father?" The peahen mother was still confused. What father did he mean?
"Guys," Po chimed in. "We should follow them."
"Looks like they are going into the parade ground," Wang said who was still watching the two fighting peacocks.
"Alright," Po said. "But even if we catch them there, what if more soldiers meet us?"
Wang started to walk down the corridor. "I go to the soldier barrack. There is an old friend of mine. I can trust him every time. Just if I have luck."
"Oh, okay," Po said. "Good luck."
"In the meantime, you should bring them in a safe shelter." King Wang pointed at Yin-Yu and her children, but the peahen shook her head.
"No, I have to see him! Bring my children away."
"No, mother!" Xia and Sheng cried at the same time. "It's also our concern."
"Okay," Po said quickly. "We go all to him."

A cold wind blew over the roofs. But the two peacocks paid no attention to it. Xiang avoided a hit of Shen's spear and jumped on the top of a pinnacle.
"How dare you to intrude on my privacy?"
Shen snorted in disgust. "Why does it care you? She has no meaning for you."
The blue peacock chuckled mockingly. "But you care for her, don't you?"
He dug his claws firmly on the little tower roof and looked down at the white peacock derisively. "What do you hope for this?" An ugly smile placed the corners of his beak. "Let me celebrate my won war and disappear."
Shen's face darkened. "After you wanted to murder me?"
Xiang shrugged his shoulders. "I have to admit, maybe it was a little too hard, but come on, you have to understand. Nobody has the right to control my life."
He grinned. "Or her life? Tell me, what does that bitch means more?"
Shen narrowed his eyes in a dangerous way and jumped at him. But Xiang had expected that reaction and climbed down the wall. Shortly after their feet touched stone ground again, Xiang turned around to him. Still with a nasty smile.
"Or is she your slut? It wouldn't be a surprise for me."
The blue peacock jumped away, when Shen wanted to smash him down with his weapon.
As quickly as he could, Xiang sprinted away until he reached a free wide yard. But he didn't come far.
In the next second, he felt a harsh pull on his long feathers. He was flung and flew a few meters away. But before he could defend himself with his spear, he was knocked out of his hand. Then another hard kick in his chest and he lay on the floor. Over his throat the sharp end of the spear.
Xiang panted in exhausting. But then he smiled darkly. "You are a good fighter."
Shen growled in anger and pushed the tip more forward, that it almost touched the skin of his rival.
"Take it back!" the white lord hissed.
Despite his situation, Xiang lifted his eyebrows in surprise. "What?"
"You know what I mean! Either you take it back or it was your last breath!"
Suddenly, Xiang laughed hoarsely. "Oh, dear. Do you really think I would be a fool? I'm using to take a joker in my fights."
A loud snap with his finger feathers and soldiers surrounded them.
Meanwhile, Po and the others had arrived the edge of the yard. Yin-Yu put her wings over her beak with shock, while Po looked around. There were too many of them. Shen had no chance.
"Hey, that's unfair!" the panda cried.
Xiang chuckled and looked up at his torturer. "You or me. Make your decision."