Nest On The Hill

I stood on the top of the mountain, above the clouds, and took slow steps towards the huge palace in front of me. Despite being perched on top of the mountain, the area around me was vast. So vast that even the grand palace seemed to fit comfortably on top.

As I approached the palace, my mind raced with excitement and anticipation. I hadn't encountered many of my own kind in a long time and I couldn't help but wonder about the people who lived here. What were they like? How strong were they? Perhaps I would even see another panda like myself.

The closer I got to the gates, the more my imagination ran wild. I slowly climbed the stairs leading up to the palace, taking in the statues of animals that lined the way. The entire palace was bathed in a green hue that shone like emerald and the columns at the entrance were made of golden yellow.

Despite its location at the top of a mountain, the palace looked immaculate from the outside. When I reached the huge doors, I lifted the heavy knocker and rapped it against the wood to announce my arrival.

I knocked on door two or three more times, but there was no response from within. Only a heavy silence hung in the air. Unable to contain my curiosity any longer, I pushed against the door with all my strength and it slowly creaked open.

The light from outside flooded into the palace, but it wasn't enough to fully illuminate the interior. From what I could see, the inside of the palace was much darker than the outside. I took a few tentative steps inside and looked around.

The floors were green like the outside and rows of columns lined the entrance hall. My footsteps echoed loudly in the silence due to my weight. But despite the noise I was making, there seemed to be no one around.

"Is anyone here?" I called out loudly, hoping to make my presence known.

When no one responded to my call, I continued to walk deeper into the palace. I knew that I hadn't come all this way for nothing. And then, at the far end of the room, near the wall, I saw a man kneeling on the ground. His head was bowed and he seemed to be lost in thought.

The only light in the room came from a single candle next to him. I didn't want to disturb him, but there was no one else around. So I approached him and spoke in a low voice.

"Excuse me for interrupting," I said. "But I was told that I could find the Cronus lineage here. Are you a member of that lineage?"

The man didn't respond at first and I thought that perhaps he hadn't heard me. But then he slowly lifted his head and looked at me.

"Who wants to know?" he asked.

When the man asked me who wanted to know, I replied without hesitation. "A panda named Babu wants to know," I said.

The man seemed to understand that it was me, but his expression remained guarded. "Why have you come here?" he asked.

From the way he spoke and the questions he asked, it was clear that he was a member of the Cronus lineage. Otherwise, it would have made no sense for him to ask me these things. So I told him the truth without hesitation.

"I am a descendant of Cronus, just like you," I said. "My purpose for coming here is not evil. I need your help. For some reason, the king has declared war against us. We will soon have to fight against the epic and his army, but we cannot do it alone. With the king's declaration, it is almost impossible for us to win this war by ourselves."

The man listened to my words and then shook his head sadly. "I don't know who you're talking about," he said. "But you've come to the wrong place for help. There's no one here but me."

I didn't want to believe the man's words, but the silence in the palace seemed to confirm that he was the only one left. I couldn't have come all this way for nothing. There were so many questions swirling around in my mind and I needed answers. What should I do now? Who was this man and what had happened to the rest of our people?

"I thought our people were here," I said.

"As you can see, they are no longer here," the man replied.

I persisted, determined to get some answers. "Well, then where are they? I was told that they were living here happily, but they're not here."

The man sighed and spoke in a stern voice. "That was a long time ago," he said. "I sent them all to different places, to different kingdoms, to ensure their safety against the epics."

If the man in front of me had given the order to disperse our people, then it was clear that he was the current leader of the Cronus lineage. And since he was the only one left in the palace, it made sense that he would be the one to make such a decision.

"I want to strengthen my skills and help my friends in battle," I said.

But despite my determination, the man seemed to have little faith in me. He spoke without even turning to look at me. "I thought it was too hard a battle to fight alone," he said.

"If we don't try, then who will?" I countered.

The man finally turned to face me and I saw that he was middle-aged with a stubble beard and slightly long dark hair. His skin was dark and his expression weary. But despite his age, he looked younger than many of the other masters I had met.

"I can let you stay here for a few days because you are my descendant," he said. "But I cannot help you with your training."

Even though he spoke those words, I wasn't going to give up. I was ready to do whatever it took to become stronger.