Chapter 8
Outside the Valley of Peace, Xue Hu balanced effortlessly along The Tread of Hope's rope rails as he walked calmly towards the Chor Ghom Prison.
"Are you sure we're going the right way…?" A thin looking female cheetah asked Xue Hu as she walked beside him on the bridge, hands held behind her head.
"Lie Bao…If you can see another way to get to the Chor Ghom Prison…I would be delighted to have you show me…" Xue Hu growled.
Lie Bao looked over the edge of the bridge down into the seemingly endless chasm. "I see your point…"
Xue Hu growled again. "This is why I hate forgieners…"
"Hey…kid…you were the one who asked me to come here…" Lie Bao said huffily.
"Only because you knew my father…" Xue Hu snarled. "Besides…if it weren't for me you'd still be on the run from the law…"
"I helped your father out when he was in a jam…that's all…" Lie Bao said with a shrug. "And besides…I'm still on the run from the law…" Xue Hu rolled his eyes. "Anyways…why exactly are we GOING to a prison…? I just broke out of one…"
"There are some people in there that could help us out…" Xue Hu said matter-of-factly.
"But…doesn't…" Lie Bao looked at Xue Hu for help.
"Chor Ghom Prison…?"
"Yeah…that place…" Xue Hu sighed in exasperation. "Doesn't it only have like…only two prisoners…?"
"Mhmm…" Xue Hu said with a nod.
"I don't see how going up against a couple thousand guards just for two prisoners is worth it…" Lie Bao said with a shrug. "Not that it can't be done…" She added in an undertone.
"Trust me…these two even Shifu had trouble subduing." Xue Hu said with confidence.
"Ooh…The famed Shifu? This changes everything…" Lie Bao said, sarcastically. "Please…you're father could easily kill Shifu and look how far he got…"
"If you doubt them so much…why not test them yourself when their freed…?" Xue Hu offered.
"Ooh!" Lie Bao squealed. "Can I?!"
"Be my guest…" Xue Hu said with a nod.
"Yay!" Lie Bao cheered, jumping up and down on the bridge, causing it to bounce.
"Lie Bao…stop that now before yo-"
There was a loud snap and Xue Hu turned to see one of the rope supports break. Xue Hu leapt from his railing and onto the next stone platform as the bridge started to fall into the chasm. Xue Hu looked down at the falling bridge.
"Wow…that was close wasn't it?" Xue Hu turned around to see Lie Bao standing there and peering over the edge as if she had been there the whole time.
"Please don't ever to something like that again…now getting back will be all the more troublesome…"
"Troublesome…but doable…" Lie Bao reminded him.
"Yeah…yeah…what ever…Let's just get going…" Xue Hu said, walking off.
"Yes, little kitty." Lie Bao scampered off after Xue Hu.
"DON'T CALL ME LITTLE KITTY!"
Deep inside the Chor Ghom Prison, the only two prisoners stood there, arms and legs chained and spread apart, their arms bound over their heads. The jaguar's tail was also chained to the ground.
The wolf was howling with laughter. "I can't believe they actually did it."
The jaguar hissed, glaring at the wolf. "Just because that bastard Tai Lung escaped using a feather, these stupid rhinos strip us of EVERYTHING…I swear when I get out of here…"
"You'll what? Walk around wearing nothing?" The wolf continued to cackle, nodding towards the jaguar's bare body.
"I'll kill every last one of them…" The jaguar hissed. "Except the one who smacked my ass...I'm going to have my fun with him…" The wolf laughed his head off at that comment. "Geez, brother…you are COMPLETELY immature…"
"Hey, I can't help it if you keep making you're threats seem sexual..." The wolf sniggered. "But seriously…I can't believe it took them almost a year to actually have the guts to try something like that."
"Lang…if you don't shut up this instant you're dying with them…"
Lang gave her a hurt look. "You'd kill your own brother, Mei Hu…?"
"If he doesn't shut up, yes…" Mei Hu glared at Lang.
Lang stayed silent for a moment, and then… "But I would've thought by now they'd try and ra-"
There was a high pitched scream and Lang and Mei Hu looked up to see one of the rhino guards falling from one of the upper floors and past where they were chained.
"Is it Christmas already?" Lang asked, looking back up.
"No…it's just raining men…"
Several more guards fell from the upper floors along with an axe, which landed on one of the chains that held Lang's ankles.
"Sorry…" Echoed a female voice. "I hope that didn't hit either of you…"
"Nope…" Lang said, contorting his body so that his now free leg was handing off of the chain that held one of his arms, trying to yank the chain out of the wall. "I mean it's not like I was using that arm…"
"Are you serious?!" The voice immediately became worried. "Ah man…Xue Hu's going to be so pissed…"
"Relax!" Mei Hu shouted, just as Lang managed to yank the chain free and started to work on his other shackles. "He's just being an idiot!"
"Oh…good…I thought-"
"LIE BAO, STAY FOCUSED!" Came an echoing shout.
"Why? All I'm doing is throwing people off the bridge…" There was another scream and yet another rhino fell. "How focused do I need to be to do that?"
"Sound's like you, brother…" Mei Hu said in an undertone as Lang freed his last limb.
Lang shrugged and wrapped the end of the chain still attached his wrist around the handle of the axe and flung it towards Mei Hu, making it cut one of the chains that held her wrist.
Lang watched as his sister broke the rest of her bindings and stretch out. "That feels so much better…"
"Yeah…now you don't have to ask the guards to help you when ever you need to-"
"Don't you even THINK about finishing that sentence…" Mei Hu snarled.
Lang cackled and looked up as a rope fell in front of him.
"Hurry! Climb up!" Lie Bao shouted from above them.
"Ladies first…" Lang said with a bow to Mei Hu.
"You wish…" Mei Hu growled.
Lang sighed and started to climb.
When they reached the top, Lie Bao was there to greet them. "Oh…so that's why Xue Hu told me to bring extra clothing…" She gave Lang a pair of pants and Mei Hu a skirt and a shirt. Mei Hu looked at the skirt in disgust. "What…? You don't like skirts? I kinda like them…" Lie Bao looked at her own skirt for emphasis.
"Nevermind…" Mei Hu said, getting dressed. "We need to get out of here now…"
The three of them started to climb the stair cases to the top floor where Xue Hu was fight numerous guards.
"Hey, little kitty! I got them." Lie Boa said cheerfully.
"I told you not to call me that!" Xue Hu snarled, knocking out two guards with a crescent kick. "Let's go."
"Hold on…" Mei Hu growled as she recognized one of the fleeing guards. She raced after him, picking up a fallen axe. "HEY!" The guard stopped and turned around, just in time to have Mei Hu swing the axe up between his legs and throw him over the edge with the follow through. "That's for smacking my ass, bastard!"
"Sis let's go!" Lang shouted from above.
Mei Hu leapt up to the higher levels and exited the prison. She caught up to Lang, Lie Bao, and Xue Hu. Lang was stretching out his stiff limbs.
"Good…we're all here…now let's go…" Xue Hu turned and walked off.
"What? Already?" Lie Bao whined and ran after him.
Mei Hu walked up to Lang and smacked him on the shoulder, hard. "That was for those close calls…if I ever hear you saying things about me like that again…"
Lang scoffed and rubbed his shoulder. "Yeah yeah…"
Mei Hu frowned and then smiled. "Come on, brother…" She kissed his lips gently and grabbed his hand and pulled him along.