Dance of Cinders

Prologue: Ignited Flare

Third PoV:

A all-out brawl was happening in a busy street, the center of it was a Lion standing in 6ft height with a muscular body, White mane with Golden highlights and Golden body fur. Wielding a Jade staff, he performed precise strikes in succession which made him look like he was dancing while his enemies who are unable to predict his movement were one by one knocked out.

The Lion sensed an attack behind him which he blocked as he saw it was a blade wielded by who it seems like the leader of the Bandits, who was a Gorilla. The Feline just grinned and broke his staff then backflipped, he looked down his "broken" weapon as he heard his enemy taunt him, "Hah not so durable now  are you kitty?"

"Nah, I prefer this over the staff, especially when fighting one on one" the Lion retorted as the two end of the staff turned into bladed tonfas. This made the leader growled in frustration as he ordered the remaining underlings to attacks him which prompted to him clash with them single handedly.

The Leader tried to ambush the Hero wannabe but was met with a tail whip to the face that has enough force to make his body spin. The Lion danced around the area kicking up dust and blinding the rest of the bandits, giving him and advantage. He picked off each of them one by one with a hit in the head, a gut punch and break dancing letting some Bandits meet the heel of his feet to their face.

After the dust cleared, a lone fighter was standing at the center of the l knocked out bodies. The Lion stretched had his body unknowingly flexing off his muscles to the bystanders, he looked around to find his straw and cape then put it on and walked away from the scene like nothing happened.

He continued walking throughout the market looking for things he would want to eat until he noticed a noodle shop and decided to enter it. The smell of freshly cooked noodles with herbs and fish invaded his senses as he walked towards the counter. "Can I order a bowl please?" flashing a smile at the lady at the counter, she obliges and told him to wait for the meal.

He took a seat at a lone table closed to the window which shows how busy the market is. The Lion zoned out for a bit watching as the inhabitants go on with their day, purchasing items, talking and whispering gossips, the children playing around until the scent of freshly cooked noodles as he looked down and saw hus plate was served.

He payed for the food and dig in, the Lion was really hungry after that last fight but he controlled myself and savored the meal. Then he started remembering some memories of my childhood with my best friend and secret- he  shook my head and just reminiscing my childhood.

A yound cub was stalking someone in the grass, slowly creeping up to them. "Come on Lei, Master Shifu's gonna be angry at us" his victim in question shouted at no one. He waited until his victim is on his range then pounced a snow leopard who looks like he has the same age as him.

The Leopard was in turn surprised and was pinned to the ground by the Lion who was grinning, the Leopard grinned back and reversed their positions in a fluid motion I which the Lion was now pinned to the ground as the Leopard smirks.

"Got you~" the Leopard purrs, the Lion replied with another challenging smile as he maneuvered around him and managed to reverse the positions again.

The lion licked his nose to annoy him and got up and ran away from him again. "Hey get back here!" The young Leopard got up and chased him through the cherry blossoms, as the petals fall the Lion gets harder to chase for the Leopard.

Their laughter rang through the forest as the pink petals falls, the Leopard finally managed to find the Lion sitting at the edge of the cliff staring into the horizon.

The Leopard also took a seat beside him and looked at it then saw the sinking sun letting its light paint the pink sky with orange and yellow, "It's so pretty/beautiful" they said mesmerized at the same time making both of the felines looked at each then began to laugh.

They stopped and stared at each other's eyes, tbe Golden amber of the Leopard meeting the Jade and Cerulean of the Lion. The Lion softly smiled and tilted his head, letting his growing white mane flow along the wind which makes the Leopard's face warm and broked the eye contact and looked back at the scenery.

The Lion ended his flashback as he gulps the rest of the soup, left a tip for the waiter and left the premises. He exited the kingdom and travelled endlessly without any directions, and as he finally got far, he held his straw hat to prevent it from flowing away as the breeze flies past him making his cloak fly along with it.

He watched as the sun sets letting the darker tones invade the cerulean sky then the sound of flying from far away toward him invading his ears.

He turned towards the sound behind him and saw a goose? duck? hurrying flew towards him gasping and panting signifying that he was flying for quite sometime now, "Are you Lei Jiang? The *inhale* *exhale* Crimson Lion?" the bird tiredly said.

"Erm Yes?" Lei answered, hut unsure that he should trust this harmless stranger.

"Here *exhale* is a letter for you" the goose presented a small scroll from him then went on his way without any more words.

The Lion was surprised at the stamina of the goose but turned his attention at the scroll.

It reads:

"Dear Lei Jiang

Greetings young one, can you please visit and stay for a week at the Jade palace. I want you too meet the furious five and also train if you can as the choosing of the dragon warrior is almost near. And I'd love to have a chat with you once again and find it in your heart to forgive me after all these years.

Yours truly,
Master Shifu"

The Lion immediately crumpled the scroll at the mention of the Dragon warrior and Tai Lung's imprisonment. Then he proceeded to shred the paper out of anger almost deciding to ignore the invitation, but a breeze of air blew some pieces of paper onto his feet.

"Tai Lung"

His bestfriend and the one his heart belongs too trapped away in a prison because of his failure to calm him down. But he shook his head gaining a new goal, to reason with Tai Lung and eventually pacify his rage.

(Authors not: the cover is temporary, cuz I'm still sketching it.)