Journey into the unknown

Chapter 5: Prisoner

This is a short chapter.

REMINDER: The character of the Shaolin Master Yao is voice by Rob Paulsen.

My favourite voice actor.

I wanted to go to this Comic Con in London to meet him.

But unfortunately, I wasn't able to for travel planning reasons.

🐍⛎🐍⛎

The damp air of the dungeon clung to Yao like a shroud. He sat cross-legged on the cold stone floor, his orange Shaolin robes a stark contrast to the oppressive darkness. 

Chains, forged from enchanted iron, bound his wrists and ankles, humming with a magic that suppressed his chi. Across from him, Lord Lu She, the Emerald-scaled Naga Demon, paced with a serpentine grace that belied the simmering rage in his golden eyes.

"Where is he, Yao?" Lu She hissed, his voice a low, resonant rumble that echoed through the chamber. "Where have you hidden the reincarnation of Golden Cicada."

Yao remained silent for a long moment, his gaze fixed on a point just beyond Lu She's shoulder. He was a master of patience, honed by years of meditation and discipline. He knew Lu She's anger was a performance, a mask worn to conceal something far more complex.

"Do you remember, Lu She," Yao finally said, his voice calm and steady, "The willow tree by the Jade River? We carved our names into its bark, promising eternal friendship."

Lu She stopped pacing, his scales shimmering in the flickering torchlight. A flicker of something – regret? – crossed his face, quickly masked by a scowl.

"That was a lifetime ago, Yao. Before you chose your path, and I chose mine. Before you became a Shaolin monk, and I... embraced my destiny."

"Destiny?" Yao echoed, a hint of sadness in his voice. "Or a choice, Lu She? A choice born of bitterness and resentment."

Lu She's tail lashed against the stone floor, sending a spray of dust into the air. "Don't presume to understand me, Yao. You abandoned me. You chose the temple over our bond."

"I chose a path of compassion, Lu She. A path that could have included you. But you... you craved power. You listened to the whispers of your clan, and you turned your back on everything we shared."

The air crackled with tension. Lu She stalked closer, his eyes narrowed. "Enough of this sentimental drivel! I asked you a question, Yao. Where is your student!?"

Yao met his gaze unflinchingly. "He is where he needs to be, fulfilling his destiny. A destiny you will not be allowed to corrupt."

Lu She's nostrils flared. "You are testing my patience, Yao. You know I can break you. I can crush the life out of you with a single squeeze." He raised a hand, his long, clawed fingers twitching. "Tell me, and I will make it quick. Refuse, and I will make you suffer."

Yao closed his eyes, a faint smile playing on his lips. "You won't, Lu She."

"Don't be so sure," Lu She growled, his voice laced with a dangerous edge. He took another step closer, his shadow looming over Yao. "I am not the boy you once knew. I am a Lord of the Naga, a master of dark magic. I have no qualms about spilling your blood."

Yao opened his eyes, his gaze unwavering. "But you do, Lu She. Deep down, beneath the scales and the power, there is still a part of you that remembers. The part that carved his name beside mine on that willow tree."

Lu She's hand trembled, just a fraction, almost imperceptible. It was a tell, a tiny crack in his carefully constructed facade. Yao saw it, and he knew he had struck a nerve.

"Silence!" Lu She roared, stepping back abruptly. He turned away, his back to Yao. "Guards! Take him back to his cell. He will have time to reconsider his... stubbornness."

The guards, hulking figures with vacant eyes, shuffled forward and dragged Yao to his feet. As they led him away, Yao glanced back at Lu She. The Naga Lord stood motionless, his shoulders slumped, his emerald scales dull in the torchlight. He didn't turn around.

Back in his cell, the silence was broken only by the drip, drip, drip of water from the cavern ceiling. Yao settled back into his cross-legged position, the chains digging into his skin. He closed his eyes and focused his mind, reaching out with his chi.

Tang, he thought, his voice a silent prayer carried on the wind. Are you safe? Are you strong? The road ahead will be long and arduous, filled with dangers both seen and unseen. But you are the Golden Cicada, the hope of the world. Do not falter. Do not lose your way. And remember, even in the darkest of times, compassion is the greatest weapon.

He held the image of his student in his mind, a young man with a kind heart and unwavering spirit. He prayed for Tang's safety, for his strength, and for the success of his pilgrimage. He knew that the fate of the world rested on Tang's shoulders, and he trusted that his student would not fail.

As the hours passed, Yao remained in meditation, his mind a beacon of hope in the heart of the Naga Lord's dark domain. He knew that Lu She would return, that the interrogation would continue. But he also knew that the bond they had once shared, the bond forged in their youth, was not entirely broken. And as long as that bond remained, there was still a chance, however small, that Lu She could be redeemed.