Chapter 1- Chor Gom Prison
Shifu…
Master Shifu woke up to a voice calling him. At first, he thought it was just his imagination. Then he heard it again.
Shifu, hear me. Please come. I'm in a prison. Come to me, baba.
Shifu bolted upright in his bed. He looked around. Finally, the voice called a third time.
SHIFU!!!
"Alright!" Shifu yelled. "I'll come. I'll be there in a few days!" The voice seemed satisfied, because it shut up, so Shifu slept again.
The next morning, Shifu packed a few things in a bag, grabbed a cloak, and met up with his students in the kitchen. He told them he was leaving for a while.
"Want us to come?" Mantis offered.
"No." Shifu said flatly. "I have to go alone." Shifu bowed to his students, pulled on the cloak and put up the hood, and left.
*****
Shifu knew exactly where to go. After two days of travel, the old master arrived at Chor Gom Prison, the place Tai Lung was imprisoned. Shifu walked thru the broken doors and saw the broken bridge.
"Hello?" he called into the darkness. "Somebody wanted me here?" Shifu pulled down the hood of his cloak and looked around. Then, he heard a creaking sound. Shifu spun around and saw a snow leopard, about ten years old. He had piercing, yet kind, fiery eyes and purple pants. Shifu almost gasped out loud.
It was Tai Lung. But he was younger, smaller. Shifu took a step back, and slipped off the edge of the broken bridge. Shifu started to fall, but then a paw grabbed him and pulled him up.
"Are you alright?" Tai Lung asked. Shifu didn't answer; he was too shocked that Tai Lung was so young, and even more surprised that he had saved his life after trying to kill him twice.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Shifu said after he finally found his voice. "What are you doing here?"
"I don't know." little Tai Lung said, looking quite scared. "I remember a bad man trying to hurt me, and then I went to sleep and woke up here. I need your help." The little snow leopard cub led Shifu to Commander Vachir's old sleeping quarters. There wasn't much there, but it was comfortable. Torches lit up the room quite brightly; a comfy, but small bed was pushed in a corner. A small table served as a nightstand. On the nightstand was a book. Little Tai Lung motioned for Shifu to sit down and grabbed the book. Shifu sat on the bed, but he was wary. He wanted answers, and he wasn't sure if Tai Lung was still evil or not. Tai Lung showed him the book. Shifu read the title and stared at the little cub next to him.
"Who is this story about?" he finally asked. "It says, Memoirs of a Warrior."
"It's about me." Tai Lung said. Shifu's eyes opened wide and he stared at the book. "Will you read it? I need answers."
"I do, too." Shifu said.
"So you will?" Tai Lung asked hopefully. Shifu sighed and nodded. Tai Lung smiled and his face brightened with a new light. He snuggled into his bed and watched his adoptive father as Shifu opened the book and started to read.
The first chapter of the memoir is coming soon. Bear with me. I'm working on two stories at the same time. Read & Review! I may need encouragement with this one.