The Panda and the Turtle (Book 1)

Chapter 6: Chorh-Gom Prison

Far away in the snowy mountains of Mongolia, Zeng the palace goose was approaching the fearsome Chor-Gom Prison. A rhino guard watched as Zeng flew past him, who feeling tired from the journey. With a cry, he crash landed on the ground outside the entrance doors while clutching a scroll. In an instant, two rhino guards thrusted their spears in his face.

"Wait! Wait, wait, wait!" Zeng said. "I bring a message...from Master Shifu."

The rhinos relaxed slightly. The enormous entrance doors opened for Zeng to walk in. Minutes later, Commander Vachir; the warden, was standing in front of the frightened Zeng while reading the scroll. What he read enraged him.

"WHAT?! 'Double the guard? Extra precautions? Your prison may not be adequate?'" Commander Vachir said, before he slammed the scroll shut and glared down at the quaking Zeng.

The guards behind the goose gripped their weapons, equally outraged, and stared daggers at him.

"You doubt my prison security?" Commander Vachir asked.

"Absolutely not." Zeng replied, nervously. "Shifu does. I'm just the messenger."

"I'll give you a message for your Master Shifu." Commander Vachir said as he proceeded to lead Zeng along the bridge across from the doors. "Escape from Chorh-Gom prison
is impossible!"

Zeng looked in awe around the cavernous prison. He then looked over the side of the bridge into the dark and seemingly-bottomless abyss. Vachir suddenly slapped Zeng on the back, that startled him and knocked a feather from his body, which floated down from the bridge.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Commander Vachir laughed.

"Oh yes, it's very impressive." Zeng trembled. "It's very impressive."

Vachir lead Zeng deeper into the prison.

"One way in, one way out." Commander Vachir gloated. "One thousand guards and one prisoner."

"Yes, except that prisoner...is Tai Lung." Zeng muttered.

The warden and the palace goose stepped into an elevator.

"Take us down." Commander Vachir said to a guard.

The guards obey and the elevator descended in the darkness toward the very bottom area of the prison. Vachir shook the elevator to scare Zeng and laughed at his frightened reaction. Eventually they reached the bottom. Zeng was led toward a set of heavily-armored doors, which opened one after the other.

"Oh, my..." Zeng gulped.

The final door fell forward, that created a bridge toward a circular stone island in the middle of the abyss. In the middle of the island was a figure shrouded in darkness.

"Behold, Tai Lung." Commander Vachir said.

Zeng's eyes widened.

"I'll, um... I'm just gonna wait right here." Zeng said, that made Vachir laugh.

"It's nothing to worry about. It's perfectly safe." Commander Vachir reassured before pushed Zeng across the bridge and followed after. He looked at the guards up top. "Crossbows! At the ready!"

"Crossbows?!" Zeng repeated.

In sentry towers around the walls of the prison, guard train enormous crossbows were on the figure on the island as Vachir and Zeng approached. Tai Lung, once a mighty kung fu warrior, was now weighed down with chains attached to enormous rocks hanging over the sides of the island and he was immobilized by a special stone tortoise shell on his back.

"Hey, tough guy! Did you hear?" Commander Vachir teased. "Oogway's finally going to give someone the Dragon Scroll and it's not going to be you!"

"What are you doing?" Zeng panicked. "Don't get him mad!"

"What's he gonna do about it? I've got him completely immobilized." Commander Vachir said before he stamped on Tai Lung's tail, which crunched on impact. Zeng leapt back with a gasp, but Tai Lung made no movement as Vachir laughed. "Awww, did I step on the witty kitty's tail? Awww..."

"I'm good! I've seen enough!" Zeng said. "I'm gonna tell Shifu he's got nothing to worry about."

"No, he doesn't." Commander Vachir agreed as he and Zeng walked back across the bridge.

"Okay, I'll tell him." Zeng said. "Can we please go now?"

Zeng and Vachir walked out of view. Meanwhile, Zeng's feather floated down and rested right in front of Tai Lung... and his eyes opened. He whipped out his tail and snatched the feather.