The Lion and the Peacock

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About halfway through the trip, the Gongmen Tower antelope guards stopped at an outpost and switched places with some smaller, faster deer and also gave their passengers food, water, and a chance to stretch their legs, which Milu greatly appreciated. The outpost also had bandages for Leo Lung. The lion had been unconscious for the whole ride home, and Milu was beginning to get worried. The wound on his stomach, while not bleeding, was running the risk of becoming infected. Milu hoped that the bandages from the outpost would be able to keep infection out- not trap it in.

The sun was nearing the top of the sky when the carriage arrived at the Jade Palace. The cart stopped just outside of the palace. Milu, who was jostled awake by the carriage going up a seemingly endless amount of steps, glanced quickly at Leo Lung, who was lying still on the floor. The lion still slept. Milu sighed and looked out the back window. He was on a mountain, and a valley stretched out below him. Nestled in that valley was a quiet little village. Ah, this must have been the Valley of Peace. During the three day trip, Milu had learned a lot about the Furious Five, Master Shifu the Red Panda, and Po the Dragon Warrior.

If he remembered right, Master Oogway was the turtle- no! He was a tortoise and he was the Head of the Jade Palace. Then he passed away and Master Shifu became the Head. Tigress was the leader of the Furious Five, and each of them played off of each other's strengths and weaknesses. Po the Dragon Warrior was, well, the Dragon Warrior. He had stopped a leopard named Tai Lung. Milu secretly wondered if this Tai Lung was related to Leo Lung.

One of the guards opened the door of the carriage, flooding it with the light of day, announcing their arrival at the Jade Palace. Milu, being the only animal with big, awkward antlers, hopped out first and helped the other members out. Master Viper slithered out and smiled at the sight of the huge palace before her,

"Ah, so good to be home!" She inhaled deeply.

Master Shifu stepped out of the carriage, "We need some palace attendants to help Leo to the infirmary." One of the antelope who brought the carriage to the palace nodded and hared away.

Milu gazed at the Jade Palace, "So this is your home. Quite extravagant." He mused.

"It's not that big. The training hall and the Sacred Hall of Warriors makes up a pretty big part of it." Master Mantis said. Milu's ears perked up. If the bug proclaimed that the palace was not big, then, well, Milu had to believe him.

"Come on, Milu, we will show you to the infirmary, where you will be working." Master Crane said. The bird stretched his wings out with a gleeful sigh. Tigress nodded,

"Go stretch your wings, Crane. All of you, should, really. Follow me, Milu." She headed off across a large, sandy, square-shaped courtyard. Milu followed her every step. He didn't want to get lost in this large palace. Before Tigress could open the large front doors, a rush of palace attendants, mostly geese and pigs, ran towards the carriage with a stretcher. The wapiti and the tiger watched quietly as they gently carried Leo out of the carriage and onto the stretcher.

The pigs and geese carrying the stretcher walked in a staggered motion- as if, even between the six or seven of them, the lion was still too heavy- past Tigress and Milu. Tigress looked calmly at Milu, "Let's follow them. They will take him to the infirmary."

The rest of the Jade Palace Warriors fell in behind the stretcher. Milu glanced around as he followed everyone. This palace was indeed extravagant. In all of his years as a travelling doctor, he had never seen anything quite like this. Even the chieftains of some of the villages and tribes he visited could only dream of something like this. The ceilings were high and there were several sliding doors, large windows, or open walls that looked out over the village below.