Taj looked at Chin, "Now return to your human form, I sure you will have a large role in this war... there is a reason you were given that form and I feel we will come to find what it is. But go, find my father and keep watch on him."

Chin nodded and was once again in human form and out the door in a few seconds, once again leaving Taj alone with his thoughts. How he wished Tadin was there so he could discuss with her what he was thinking, he just didn't know what to do. Plus he was feeling an almost constant ache in his chest without her near. He needed her with him and he also needed the forest. He longed to feel the warm earth underneath his paws once more and hear the silent noise that was the forest. That would have to wait however, first he needed to go see what has happening in the palace, so he reluctantly resumed human form and slipped out into the hallway. What he found was what he had expected... as he walked through the castle he saw the preparations not only for a full out war but for turning the Wooda into what he knew Tadin feared most, slaves....

It took them a full day to finish packing up the camp. Several of the bears and a few other creatures had large bundles of belongings on their backs. The kids were clinging to their mothers, all of them riding on various backs as the tribe finished it's preparations to move out again. Tadin felt a dull ache in her chest as she padded slowly through the grass with a bunch of belongings strapped to her back. Now she could be a real help to the tribe, unlike the children that just walked along. Everyone had some sort of bag on their back, and the entire clearing had been disassembled. In the breaking dawn, they began to move silently towards the moutains. A few circled along the edges of the group, looking out for the Citios to make a surprise attack upon their encampement...

As she padded slowly, her dad walked beside her. She was thinking about Taj inevitably, trapped in his home with his father preparing a war on her people...how could she possibly ever get back to him? These thoughts were chased away as her father nuzzled her shoulder.

"Tadin..." She turned her head to look at him, but he didn't give her a chance to speak before he pressed on. "I've been watching you, my daughter, and there's no way that you could be lying about how you feel about him. I've never seen you pining so much after anything, but the only thing you've been doing since you got back is staring at the forest in despair." Tadin smiled painfully; it was true, afterall. For a moment, there was only the sounds of breaking branches and the creak of leather packs, then he was speaking again.

"I saw the anklet," he replied. "While you were sleeping." Tadin skidded to a stop and looked at him, swallowing hard. Oh no...and from the look in his eyes, she couldn't believe that he would let that go easily....she steeled herself for perhaps having to fight her own father.

"Stop it. Stop it now," he continued. "You cannot feel for him!" Tadin spun and swiped downwards with her claws, but her dad dodged the flex and growled at her. "I do! Tadin hissed despite the heavy bundle on her back. "I love him!" They looked at each other, eye to eye, and now they were coming to a stalemate. Glaring at each other across the clearing, she began to become aware that the guards were watching them warily...but her dad spun and kept walking.

"Maybe the moutain air will snap you of this insanity," he muttered. Tadin flicked her tail sharply...then followed him, her head held high as they moved through the brightening forest.

X_X_X_X_X

It didn't take them long to set up the camp up on the moutains; about a day after starting the proscess, they were done. The children were eating, the women were cleaning, and...Tadin was tensed and unhappy. She remained a panther as she watched everyone take part in their daily life, and her bottlebrush tail twitched grumpily over the silence that was the lack of Taj...and the fact that her father thought that she was enchanted. She knew she wasn't; she loved him. Slowly, her claws snuck out and dug into the sand...then she sighed to herself.

She would find Taj. She would.

It took her a few days after that, but she soon discovered that they had camped not far from the entrance to the tunnel. That night, in the dead darkness, she snuck away from her family and walked down the path that had taken them away from the palace that first time. She tried to be quiet, but the thought of Taj made her go faster. It took her half that time to run the distance to the palace...at the edge of the palace, she turned back into a human wearing the outfit that was close to the servants' look. A hood over her head to help hide her face completed the disguise, and then she was moving quickly through the palace with no one looking at her.

At his suites, she managed to slide in....with the no one looking at her, she walked into the bedroom of his suite and shut the door behind her. Propriety hit her right back then, but the pain was too much to stay away. Her green eyes looked around the room as she walked slowly and sat on the chair in his room. Oh no...she didn't know how long she had until he came. It was dangerous, but she had to see him.

A few day laters Taj was walking through the castle trying to find allies like Chin and thus far he had found no others. It seems Chin was going to be a one of a kind deal, but he feared that he may have to ask the guard to do something that even the loyalty he had been displaying wouldn't allow him to do. For Taj was now certain that his father would have to be assassinated and soon. Taj had yet to break the subject with Chin out of fear of his reaction. He sighed as he walked to his room. The ache that had feel his heart everyday just as strong as ever. He really felt incomplete without his love and wanted nothing more to see her. His hand found it's way up to the necklace that Tadin had given him and he stroked it with his hand, the only reminder he had of her for now. He wondered what she was doing at this moment. Finally arriving at his room Taj opened the door and walked in and immediately saw... his jaw dropped, "Tadin?" he whispered fervently, though excitedly, "what are you doing here, it's dangerous!"

Tadin had no idea about his father, but he would have had a lot of explaining to do if he had done the deed himself. However, if it would prevent the deaths of many people, she would look the other way as the king was killed. Her father still thought that she was transfixed, but he was wavering more and more each day. As he walked into the room, Tadin's breath caught in her throat, and she felt dizzy...but he was with her. She dropped her hood and crossed to him, so glad to see him that she was glad that she had let the caution go and had come to see him. Not only would they be able to tell each other about the sides of the war, but...she had to see him. Plain and simple, she loved him and wanted him to be close to her right then and there. Anything to see his smile, see his blue eyes....she took his hands in hers, so glad to hold them again after what felt like forever but couldn't have been more than a week.

"I had to come see you," she whispered back. "Our camp is now near the tunnel entrance, and I couldn't not come see you. I know it's dangerous, but I.....I couldn't stop myself."

Taj stared at her, astounded she would risk so much just to see him, "It's not safe for you hear Tadin," he whispered, even as he wrapped his arms around her pulling her closer to him. He kissed her softly, but passionately before continuing, "My father... I fear he may have gone insane... he." Taj paused, "He fights to make this war a complete dominion over your people. If we are ever to find peace, my father will have to be killed."

Tadin kissed him back as he kissed her, glad to be in his arms no matter the consequences of her actions. She had to see him...she feared that she would go mad if she didn't have him near her, holding her, letting her feel his warmth. But as his words, she bit at her lower lips. It was true, she knew, but that didn't mean that she had to like it..."I saw the chains. The cages. The whips." She ooked into his eyes, almost trembling with the fear for her people. "Taj, I can't let that happen to them. If I am the reason that they become shackled and in bondage, I would never forgive myself. It is sad that this must come to this, but if so many lives can be saved by this bloodshed....Taj......" She looked into his gaze. The last thing she would allow would be her people cast into bondage, and his father was threatening their freedom. If he had to be stopped, so be it. She hated having to think of the bloodshed, but it had to be done to save lives.

"I know Tadin, I know." Taj said running a hand through her hairs. "I have no plans of letting him get anywhere near your people, but I don't feel it right for my own hands to kill him" he sighed, "I have an allie though, he takes on a form that has never before been seen and he has been extremely loyal to me. I believe he would follow my orders even in this. Though if he will not, I fear I may have no other choice to kill my father. Then once I am king... we can start working for peace and you and I can be together..." Taj kissed her again, unable to stop himself, he felt as if the void that had been growing in him the past few days had been feeling and he wanted to remember the feel of Tadin's lips against his... he worried it might be the only thing to get him through the rest of this war. "How are the Wooda?" he asked, "And your father?"

Tadin listened to his words. He would take care of her people and her...at the cost of his own father. It was perhaps the one thing that kept her from seeking out the king herself...but she knew that she would only be able to do that if he was close to taking out her people and putting them into slavery. It was the nightmare to end all nightmares, and Tadin refused to allow it to happen to her. As Taj kissed her again, she admitted to herself that a large reason for her coming to find him was just so she could feel his arms around her and their lips meeting. With a soft nod, she listened to what he had to say...and was glad that he had an ally. She had her former nursemaid, and her guard would also join her if she went against her father. More than that, she was very close to getting her father to join her...it wasn't that long.

"The Wooda are fine," she whispered softly. "We have moved far from the city, to a location where I hope your father will not find us. However, once I go back, I will probably suggest to my father that we move again to get away from that tunnel(possible plot point?! Hmmm.....somebody follows Tadin back? The village is about to be attacked?!). My father...he is a great man. He just worries over me...hopefully, I will convince him soon that I am truly, actually, inlove with you."

Taj sighed and stroked her back, "Yeah I don't want you in any danger so moving your camp will be wise, I plan on making a move against my father soon. I've tried talking him into peace, but he just shuts me out everytime I mention it. I fear that if I give him too much time that he will make his move against your people and it will be devasting." he looked her in the eyes, "I love you, I don't want anything to happen to you so promise me that you won't do anything stupid. I'm not sure how the people will react to their kings murder, so things could be real chaotic for awhile. So keep safe, please."

(*pokes the thread* where'd you go?)

Tadin chuckled at his words, her arms locked behind his neck. The only real light was the single candle one of the maid's had left burning, which flickered and danced in the midnight darkness. Beyond that, only the moonlight served to light up part of the room...she could see him clearly though, as clearly as if they were standing in bright daylight. But she preffered the secrecy and privacy of the deep darkness...as he spoke, she listened. As soon as she got back to the camp, she would suggest moving to her father. Just incase someone else knew of that tunnel and decided to hurt her people. Anything could go wrong, but she refused to believe that it would just because she had heard his words. With a soft nod, she looked straight into his eyes.

"I won't do anything stupid beyond my coming to see you," she promised in a whisper. "I will be as good as...gold. Hopefully, I can get my people to safety before anything bad really happens. Taj....I'm afraid that your father knows more than he lets on."

Taj sighed as Tadin voiced one of his fears, "I agree he does. I'll talk to Chin tomorrow morning and if he agrees to my plan then I will have it executed very quickly. The more time that passes the more danger everyone is in." He looked towards his door, "You should probably go, I don't want anyone to discover you here. It would most certainly lead to your execution"

Tadin nodded softly. "I know," she replied softly. "And I hope that everything goes well for you. I love you Taj." She kissed him one last time, probably what was going to get them through the rest of this awful war because she didn't intend to come back...it was a very passionate kiss, and she put all of her love into it. After a few seconds, she drew back and dropped her arms from his neck. As much as it pained her to go, she had remind herself that the only way they could be together was if she wasn't caught there in the arms of the crown prince. She pulled away, then wrapped her head with her head covering again so that she looked like a simple servant again. "Stay safe. I will be with you." Through ordering the execution of his own father...she couldn't believe that it might even possibly be happening that way. One hand went to the necklace at his neck, touching it softly as she looked straight into his eyes.

Taj kissed her back just as passionately not sure when he would be able to see her again, though he hoped things would come to a happy ending and soon. Whe she pulled back and looked deep into her eyes, "I love you too with all of my being." he whispered. "I'll be safe, I promise you, my Tadin" he rested his hand on top of hers over the necklace, before pulling her hand up placing a light, loving kiss to her palm, "Be careful and get your people away from the tunnel, if my father knows of it's existence, things will go horribly wrong. Make sure you and your family, your people, our safe. The next time I see the Wooda I want it to be as welcoming them as equals among the city, not in war and not as slaves. Now go, my love."

Tadin nodded softly at his words, curling her fingers back into her palm to hold onto his kiss. She didn't want to leave him, but she needed to else they would get caught. So she swallowed hard, her eyes on his, then turned and dropped her palms to her side. "I'll leave now," she whispered back, "I must get them away from the tunnel." Turning, she gave him one last, long look...then slid to the door on silent, practiced feet. "Good bye." And then she was gone, out the door as wraithlike as she'd come.

Along the hallways she crept, her feet quiet like a hunter in the forest. She passed a few servants who paid her barely a glance, and the guards gave her even less of a look. For being at war, they just let her walk by like she was nothing. Then again, she kept her gaze down and didn't walk like the princess she was. So she got to the passageway, carefully triggered the door, and slipped back into the darkness without anyone seeing her. It was probably a good thing too.

She ran back down the passageway, in her panther form. The first signs that something was wrong was the scent of...something. Something not right. As she walked, she realized that there a lot of Citio scents along the floor and walls, and she was sure that none of it was Taj's scent. She knew his smell by now; this wasn't it. With a pant of worry and a cold knot settling in her stomach, Tadin ran faster. There was a lot of bootmarks in the dust...this didn't look good. Oh no, oh no, oh no...if she had somehow led them there...but how could she? To move this many people would have to take forthought and planning.

As she got to the end of the tunnel, she heard shouting, arguing, and the clanging of steal on steal. Roars, growls, hisses all filled the night air. She remained in panther form as she ran like a demon to the edge of the camp...and stood there. Stunned. The Citios had taken over the camp like a knife through warmed up butter; there was still resistance, but it was getting fainter and fainter. A few of the children sat still next to the fire, handcuffed, collared, heads down. The women had mostly joined them, but Tadin also saw the resisters. There was blood all over the clearing, crying, shouting, shrieks of anger.

At one side of the clearing, her father and a few of the warriors were still fighting. She moved to help him, but then...a sword came up and struck her father deep in the chest. With a wounded bellow, he staggered and went down. The other warriors with him, staring at their fallen leader, shifted back into their human forms and held out their wrists. What point was there with their leader down? No heir in sight? Even her faithful bear guard stood there with his wrists exposed, his head lowered in submission to their new owners. Tadin swallowed her shriek at the wounded form that was her father...but she could still see his chest moving.

He was still alive. She had to get to him...but before she could move, a dark haired Citio man was shouting orders.

"Get the chief some medical attention, for crying out loud! It doesn't have to be like this, you animals! You could have come quietly." There were a few wailing shrieks at his words. Tadin saw tears, angry glares, people staring blankly at their lost family...so much blood. So much loss. And they were all beaten into submission. They wore collars...one was fashioned to her father! As they clicked into place, Tadin felt a dull rage rising within her. What right did they have to hurt a people like this? She wanted to thunder down the slope and tear into each and every one of them....but it wasn't to be. If she did that, she'd certainly join her people in bondage.

There were too many, and she was only one. Maybe if she had left Taj sooner? Maybe if she'd never gone at all? No, if she hadn't left...there wouldn't be a free Wooda. And the free Wooda had to try to free her people from the chains that rattled around their necks and wrists.

She turned to go, but the man spoke again..."Where is the princess? Where is she? She is to be the king's personal servant." Something about the way he said servant made her skin crawl...as everyone looked around for her, she twisted away and raced across to the tunnel. Despite her anger, despite her tears...she had to get back to Taj.

Before they could march their prisoners back, she was back at the palace. She barely took the time to shift human, she was so distraught. No wonder all of the servants had been looking away! Soon, their jobs would be forfeit. They would be replaces by free working slaves! Oh no...she wrapped her head covering very tightly around her head and used all the self control she had to not run to his room, to his arms, to cry that her people had been taken....

She was there before she knew it, not even caring if he was undressing or asleep. Her head cover flew to a chair as she blew in like a hurricane to stand in the middle of the room, trembling.

"Taj!" she cried, barely able to keep it from a shout. "Taj, he has taken them all!"

Taj sighed after Tadin left and looked around sadly he missed her already and she'd only been gone for a few seconds, he didn't know how he would handle the rest of their time apart. He sighed and set about sending a message for Chin to meet him in his suites of rooms. He needed to broach the subject with Chin tonight for he feared waiting to long to take action.

While he was waiting for Chin to get there he decided to sit on his bed and just think, about everything. While he was thinking, mostly thoughts of Tadin and what would happen in their lives after they managed to bring peace. He looked forward to living the rest of their lives together when his doors flew open he looked up and saw Tadin standing their looking like the world had ended. Then he heard her words and his world ended too, he had waited too long and his father had made his move.

Taj was across the room in seconds and had Tadin in his arms, his first issue to calm her down so she could tell him what happened, "Shh.." he whispered, stroking her back. "I'm not going to tell you it will be alright because we can't do that but I am going to do everything, and I mean everything in my power to free your people, but I need you to tell me what you saw." he looked at her, when he heard his door opened again and the cheetah guard slipped into the room, he made a signal for Chin to sit and listen, but not make a noise, he wanted Tadin to tell him what happened and wasn't sure how'd she react to the guard's presence. "Tell me Tadin, please." he whispered.

Tadin sank into his arms and actually began crying. The sight of her people, of the chains, the stab wound on her father's side...it was all so vivid, so real, and so...scary. Terrifying. She was a strong woman, but she couldn't take the panic that rose in her mind at the thought of a collar clipped around her neck. Just going limp into his chest, she clung to him and trembled. The night would never fade from her mind, no matter however long she lived now. She was so distraught that she didn't even notice the door open or the guard slip into the room.

"It was awful," she quite frankly whimpered. And if Tadin was whimpering, it had to be bad. Like, crushingly awful. And as her panic and her unhappiness over her people was so strong on her...yeah, that was a whimper. "I smelled them all over the tunnel, but I hoped it was just a patrol or that they would not find the camp or that I could take them out before....but I was too late. They found them. Slaughtered those that resisted, enslaved the others...there was blood everywhere...so much death....Taj, my father...they stabbed him when he resisted! But he's still alive, for now....Taj, how could he do this? To people?! My people, my clan...they are all gone. Slaves."

Taj just listened holding Tadin to him, "There's something wrong with him Tadin, it's like he's forgotten everything that makes him a shifter, I'm surprised he can even shift anymore. We are going to do something about his Tadin. My father cannot be allowed to get away with this." he pulled back and look at her, "And I will find your father make sure he gets medical attention. I won't let you lose both your parents at the hands of my family." Taj stroked her hair gently, "Can you be my strong warrior princess for me? So we can do this. I need to talk to Chin about my plans."

Chin just listened watching, feeling very out of place, but Taj had told him to stay so he did and he listned. This was important stuff that was going down. And h could tell from watching Tadin and Taj that the love they felt for each other was really strong and very true.

"Chi-" Tadin took a deep, cleansing breath and pulled away from him. Now she could tell that someone else was with them in the room. The guard that she had yet to meet...the one that was on their side. And he had just experienced the princess having a meltdown. She took another breath to further calm herself. Losing all of her people to slavery had scared her a lot. She never panicked, never cried, but she had gotten so afraid with the stabbing of her father ontop of everything else that she had fallen apart for a few minutes. Not now though...things had to be done, so she swallowed her panic and unease and just waited for the world to stop spinning.

"I-yes," she said with a curt nod, but her voice still betrayed that she was scared of somehow getting a collar clamped over her neck. "Make your plans...I have to find someplace to hide."

"Lock the door." Taj said to Chin, "I want Tadin to stay here with us and I don't want to take any chances on anyone finding her."

Chin stood up and locked the door and moved the couch over to block it, just in case. "So what's going on?"

Taj sighed, "A lot but I need to ask you something Chin and it is going to be an ultimate test of your loyalty to me." Taj paused, not entirely certain how to phrase this. "My father needs to be assinated, and soon. His actions are what are keeping the Wooda and Citios in conflict and I feel we will never have peace unless he is killed."

"And you want me to kill him?" Chin, asked, having a feeling that was where this was going.

"Yes, but not because I want you to take the blame if it goes wrong. No I will be behind you one hundred percent, but it seems wrong for me to kill my father and to bring peace with blood on my paws/hands. But I will fight my father with you. It is by my orders that you would do this."

Chin sighed and didn't respond right away thinking this through before saying, "I think this is my fate. I agree with you about your father and I will follow your lead Taj, always."

"Good then we attack him tomorrow at dawn, I want to see if we can find him before he's in the throne room so it is less of a spectacle. We need to be prepared, all of us, for the repercussions of this move."

Tadin listened with soft eyes. She didn't know how much more of this stupid war she could take. What she really needed was a long time to just curl up in a corner and recover from seeing her people destroyed...but that wasn't coming. The next move would have to be quick, and she didn't have a chance to recover from his father being a jerk. That didn't matter though; she was happy with not having to wear her collar herself. With a long sigh, she curled her fingers over the arms of the chair as she sank into it. The entire conversation was imporant, but not a part of her.

After they were decided, she cleared her throat. "I should stay here," she said. "You don't want a Wooda part of the attack; it would be an act of war for me to join in."

Taj pulled Tadin to him and hugged, he could sense her distress. "That is most definitely wise." he said, "I want this to be something that rests mostly on my shoulders, it is my declaration that the Citios have been behaving wrongly. Hopefully they will not come after me for it... or you Chin." he looked at the cheetah, "My father should still be in his room at dawn tomorrow, we will go there and I think all of us should sleep here. Let's make sure no one can get into this room but we can easily get out tomorrow morning."

Tadin frowned to herself. Not only were they planning an assassination, she was going to have to deal with sleeping in a room with two men, one that she knew and the other that was a stranger. That was the least of her concerns, but it was still a teeny tiny concern. A very small, litttle thing ontop of the rest of this night. She was suddenly exhausted, so she curled up right in the chair that she was seated in and felt her green eyes getting really heavy. She wished that she could be a stronger warrior, but that wasn't what she was raised for. And frankly, she had been through a lot in one night. So with a quiet sigh, she let her chin fall to her chest...

And Tadin was soon asleep.

Taj looked at Tadi and smiled softly, "I'm going to lay her in my bed, then the two of us can sleep out here." he whispered, trying to make the situation as proper as possible. He already had one strike against him with her father, he didn't need more. Taj picked Tadin up and cradled her to him gently and went to lay her in his bed.

Then he went back out to the main room and curled up to get at least a few hours of sleep. He woke not too long later and awoke Chin, "Let's go, I"m not sure how much movement will be around the castle so let's be careful. Do you have your sword?"

Chin nodded, "Always."

"Good" Taj said as he went to gather his weapons, though he had a feeling most of the fight would be fought in animal form, at least on their part. The two slipped out of the room and soon the two of them arrived at the King's quarters. Taj opened the door and walked in. Not surprised to find his father already awake.

"Ah Taj, I'm glad you are here." he said, "I have made my move and the Wooda have fallen, I would like you to take your first pick of the slaves."

Taj surpressed a snarl and glared at his father and said, "I will not choose any Wooda as a slave for they deserve to be free Father," he sneered the word 'father' "I'm here to declare that I no longer follow your rule, you have strayed from your nature and you try to kill the people of the woman I love. I will not stand for it. No person, deserves to be a slave."

Taj's father snarled (i don't remember his name), "Then you are a traitor, and you shall be executed for your treachery."

"I don't think so father," Taj said as he assumed his lion form, and Chin assumed his cheetah, "I think it shall be you who is excecuted for your isanity."

(Aaaand....Tadin slept?! I'll find something for her to do...what does Taj have in his room....*evil grin*)


Tadin awoke as they left, but she didn't stir right away. If this was her pallette, it was surprisingly soft...then she realized that this wasn't her pallette. This wasn't the chair either. She sat up in a blind panic, her hair falling over her face...then realized that she was still okay. Somehow, while she was sleeping, someone had moved her to the bed. Probably Taj. Hopefully Taj. She brushed the hair from her green eyes and looked around. It was dark still, but the men were gone...Taj was gone. Without even a good bye...but he would be back, she assured herself. And it would all be over. Part of her wanted to curl up on the softness and go back to sleep, but now that she knew their plans were afoot she just couldn't. And the bed was just...too soft. Maybe she could get used to it, and she kinda liked it, but it would relax her too much if she just slipped back into sleep. She couldn't just let the softness fall over her like that when there was a battle about to go on. She moved to get off the bed, not sure what she was going to do with herself...when she heard the doorknob rattling. There was no way of knowing who it was, but the scent...didn't smell like Taj, and that was too fast to fight his father. So....

She slipped off of the bed, quick as a wink, then slid under the bed just as the door flew open and two guards stalked in. Maneuvering herself carefully, she could just see their forms through the bottom of Taj's comforter. Oh boy. She bit her lip to keep herself from crying out as one shifted to his animal form, a fox, and sniffed around the room..."She's been here," he announced.

"Is she here now?" asked the other with a flick his human hair. The fox sniffed around the room, but Tadin assumed that he couldn't smell anything clearly. He wasn't doing the right thing for tracking, and she rolled her eyes. How pathetic! She was right infront of his nose, and he assumed that she was long gone? Really? He looked around for a little while longer, then shook his head.

"She must have gone for the tunnel. Come on!" They took off running from the room, but Tadin didn't move from her spot under the bed. It wasn't the most comfortable position in the world, but it was better than dying. Did Taj know that there was a book under here? Well, so long as she was going to remain under here until the men got back, she might as well see what it was...

(sorry I just didn't want to write all of that as one post)

Taj father's chuckled, "And you are going to kill me?" he let out an evil laugh, "I'd like to see you try son."

Taj glared at his father, wanting to rip the man's throat out himself, not feeling any love towards his father at all. He advanced on his father, a roar rumbling in his throat

When Chin stepped forward, "Sir, you can't do this, remember the plan." he said to Taj before advancing on the King, "You won't be fighting your son your majesty, you'll be fighting me." The way Chin said your majest made it an insult as he advanced on the king, who was still in his human

"You expect to fight me in that puny form."

Chin growled, "Well why don't you shift and we'll fight the way they did in the past. Or can you no longer shift?"

The king looked at the cheetah but he didn't take on his badger form. He instead pulled out a dagger and rushed at the cheetah, screaming.

Taj watched shocked and fighting the urge to step in at every moment, but his father had lost the ability to shift. Enslaving the Wooda had done that to him, "Father you have lost your animal form, doesn't that tell you that you're following the wrong path? We are gifted to change and you can no longer do that!"

The king let out a roar and sliced at the Chin who just avoided the swipe and bit the king's leg before taking on a human form and pulling out his sword suddenly with it to the king's throat. Taj approached the king and looked at him, "Do you have anything to say for yourself before I order Chin to slit your throat?"

"THE WOODA AND THE CITIOS WILL NEVER BE EQUAL, THEY ARE OUR SLAVES, THAT BITCH HAS BEWITCHED YOU AND YOU WILL SEE, AND REGRET!" The king shouted and stabbed Chin in the side Chin gasped but managed to slit the kings throat, knowing it was Taj's orders.

Taj rushed to the cheetah, "We'll have to get you healed" he said, "But he missed vital organs, you will live." He picked up the warrior and carried him away from the kings remember, leaving the kings dead body for a guard to discover later. He rushed back to his suite of rooms but careful not to jostle Chin. They arrived back and Taj went in laying Chin on the couch before looking around for Tadin, "Tadin are you in here?"