AN: (Previously chapter 4, the new chapter is now chapter 4. This one has been left unchanged, even Authors Notes.)
hello readers I'm back sorry for the wait but I have had a couple of things I needed to work on, especially when I am going on holiday for two weeks on the 10th (Not taking laptop either so no updates sorry). I have also been helping a YouTuber with some material. (ebanksstudios, Call of Duty stuff.) So thank you to Fallen Angel and BethCamella for your reviews it's always nice to know people are enjoying the story. Finally would it be possible for some more reviews please, some with ideas for improvement or just your views as last chapter I felt as if I had done something wrong and no one liked it.
They ran through the woods dodging low hanging branches and large wooden tree trunks left, right and centre as they tried to escape the captors that would be on their tails as soon as word got out of what had happened. A mere thirty minutes ago the former dragon warrior had been locked up in a carriage belonging to a convoy, the same convoy that was heading for Chor-Gom and the executioner assigned to end the title stripped panda. However the convoy wouldn't make it to Chor-Gom with the panda, the famous master Tigress had intercepted and neutralized the convoy thus saving the panda from his fate of death, for now. Only one more task remained for the two outcasts to escape.
"Come on Po hurry up or we will never get away. We need to get where we are going by sundown or the rest of the Five will catch up." Tigress said turning around to face the panda that was breathing heavily on hands and knees, trembling as if he was going to collapse closer to the ground. "Po come on get up, we can't afford another rest stop it would be the third one in half an hour. Tigress stated trying to get the panda back on his feet by lifting his left arm.
"But why, the rest stops only last a few seconds and we haven't stopped running, why can't we take a proper break?" Po questioned getting up slowly on shaky feet.
"Po I can sympathise the fact that you can't remember anything but we don't have time you know where that group of rhinos were taking you don't you?"
"No I don't all I know is I was tied up going somewhere, I have no idea where and then I was taken away from them by you, who I don't even know your name despite the fact you seem to know all about me. I then am forced to run with no rest which is totally not awesome for a reason no one has seemed to want to tell me." Po said pushing Tigress from under his arm, where she was supporting him, so he could look straight at her. Tigress sighed before looking straight at the panda to answer his questions.
"In short you were tricked into doing something stupid and then while you were locked away awaiting punishment you were framed for pillaging a local village and killing some of the locals."
"WHAT." Po screamed not expecting the answer he was given. "So what would have happened if the guards, they were guards right." He was answered by a confirming nod from Tigress. "Right, so what would have happened if the guards had taken me to wherever they were taking me?" Po asked his voice starting to trail of as he dreaded the answer.
"You would have been put to death." Tigress stated bluntly, crossing her arms as her expression became irritated. She hoped she had just driven it into the panda; the severity of the situation.
"I guess I owe you my life then, Thanks." Po said his voice still only just above that of a whisper as his twiddled his thumbs.
"Yes I guess you d..." Tigress stopped mid-sentence as another voice cut into the conversation.
"Hey guys they are over here." A rhino guard called out, as he ran towards the two outcast warriors.
"Dammit." Tigress swore as she grabbed Po and started running in the direction they were heading before the rest stop, away from the group of guards that was steadily increasing in size as more of the guards that must have been searching for them joined the guard that had called out their position. "Run, Come on Po hurry up, we have to get to the bridge a quarter of a mile up this road." Tigress said to Po as she tried to keep him running fast enough.
"What … is … at the … bridge?" Po panted already out of breath after running for thirty seconds.
"Nothing but when we cross it we can cut the line and collapse the bridge, the way around is two days sprint on rough terrain." Tigress spoke only loud enough for the panting panda to hear so the guards didn't know their plan.
"Are we there yet?" Po asked after what seemed like hours to him.
"No but we are close" Tigress said sweat starting to show on hear fur as it glistened from the beating sun, as they ran into a rather large clearing, about the size of the Hall of Heroes. Tigress took the chance of the open space to glance back over her shoulder to see where the guards were, only to receive a sight that made her go wide eyed for a second. Trailing only fifty yards behind them were the guards but that's not what scared her. The other four of the furious five had joined the chase and were gaining. At this rate they would only be halfway across the bridge by the time the others got to it.
"I can see the bridge." Po screamed in delight of the fact he would get to rest as soon as he made it across. The bridge stretched over a large gorge that seemed endless in both ways from the location of the bridge. The bridge itself was an old piece of craftsmanship; it consisted of four long ropes hovering across the bottomless pit of mist in a square shape, with old dark brown and green mossy planks providing the floor ties to the bottom two ropes and interlaced smaller ropes providing the barriers to stop poor souls from falling to the misty depths below.
"Sanctuary is on the other side hurry up." Tigress screamed as they made it to the rickety bridge running at full speed onto the old creation.
"Whoa" Po complained as the bridge rocked under their feet as they made it to the middle where the bridge was dipping almost five foot lower than the supports on either side of the chasm.
"Cut the ropes." One of the guards shouted causing both Po and Tigress to panic.
"NO, PLEASE." Po screamed turning to face the guards that were crowding on the side, blocking Tigress's path and leaving both vulnerable in the middle of the bridge.
"PO, GET A MOVE ON RUN." Tigress screamed trying to push past the panda to no avail as his form took up the whole width of the bridge.
"Nothing personal." The commander of the rhinos stated as he cut through the first rope, causing the left barrier fall, the bridge began to shake forcing the two escapees to grab on to the other side before that was cut loose too. With only the floor left as the bridge shook, Po and Tigress were forced to hold onto the planks of wood that made up the floor as the bridge was slowly being demolished with them still in the middle of it, hovering over a deadly drop. Another rope was cut leaving only one left as the floor turned ninety degrees leaving it impossible to stand on as the bridge still shook uncontrollably. Po started to fall as the third rope was cut starting the inevitable fall to his doom, only to be caught by Tigress who was dangling from the last rope with one hand while holding him with her other.
"Hold on." Tigress whined as the strain of both their weights took its toll on her already sore body.
"It's over, I'm sorry." Po cried as the last rope was cut sending them down into the mist still clinging to each other as they fell into the apparently bottomless hole. The rest of the five stood still on the edge of the cliff as they watched their two best friends and comrades who they considered family, fall into the darkness as silent tears struck their face as they stared into the darkness hoping for a miracle that never came.
"Maybe they have hold of the bottom of the bridge." Monkey said hopefully as they watched the rope sway left and right, only for the supports on the other side to give way and crumble into the darkness with their friends. The cheers of the guards drowned out the sounds of the sobs from Monkey, Crane, Mantis, and Viper as they let out the sorrow of losing such a large part of their life that had been there for so long.
AN. Thanks for reading see you later from MentalDoughnut.