My heart completely stopped beating. It felt like a minute, but was only a second. "You...know who I am?" I ask. Wu-Chin points his sword at me. "Of course I do. I know about all of you and the imposters for Princess Mai-Le."  He steps towards me, I back away. "But I'll explain all that later. After I kill you."  I'm at loss for words, "S-you-then. Uh, wait!"  

I have a sense of deja vu as I see Wu-Chin's sword come down. I run to the side. I cry out as finally metal slices into my arm. ! I curse. Woosh! A blast of ice cold wind blows my hair back. Wu-Chin turns around. The world seems to darken as Tao slowly rises into a crouch. Blood stained his chest, but he seemed not to notice it. His eyes flash gold and feral fangs protrude from his growling mouth. His hands scrunch up into claws.

Wu-Chin stumbles backwards, bumping into me in his shock and fear. "Wh-what is he!" he gasps. I silently thank Tao for the interference. At the same time I cringe in slight fear. Was it me or did Tao seem more beastly?

The three assasins attack him. I knew they were goners. Blood splurts out of them as Tao slashes them with his sharp claws. The three men fall down dead. Tao swipes his head over to us.  He growls, an unearthly hungry sound. Wu-Chin straightens himself having steeled his fear. He brandishes his sword, "Come at me Demon!"

Time froze. In one step Tao was before Wu-Chin. Shinnng!

To my surprise General Wu-Chin manages to block that blow. I can see why he's a general. In anger Tao grabs the blade bare-handed and wrenches it from Wu-Chin's grasp. Wu-Chin stares at his empty hands in shock. Like watching a 3d image of Tao's after image, he punches Wu-Chin. Then Wu-Chin vanished. He just simply disappeared.

Tao's puzzlement doesn't last long. He turns to me.

Everyone, I pray, get here faster! The next thing I know Tao has me by the neck and is lifting me off the ground. I struggle to breath. Choking. I can't even speak. I gag as spots of red light dance in my sight. I grab onto Tao's wrist, barely able to think. I dig my nails into his wrist, trying to loosen it's hold. Desparate for air. Tao roars in pain and flings me against the ground. I hear something crack. 

I can breathe again, but at a price. I lay against the ground unable to move. In horror I try in vain to move a muscle. To make a sound. To speak. I see Tao's shoes in my vision, hear the growls, feel the ice radiating from him. Inside my chest suddenly feels empty, devoid of life, of emotion, of feelings, of nothing. My vision darkens. Something warm and wet slides down my face. I stop fading. What....was that? I blink and realize what it was. Tears. What? Why am I crying?

          Tao was about to kill her with the finishing blow. This human. This prey. This human that had hurt him. He growls in anger. She hurt me. She hurt me! How dare she hurt him! The human he had thrown lies still, unmoving, the shadow of death in her eyes. Then....he saw something. Suddenly the human who had been lying motionless moves a tiny bit. Then...he realizes what he saw. Like an icy breath rushing out of him Tao is himself again. In control. Tears, he remembers and collapses.

          Exo arrives at the scene. They all look away from the bodies of the three assasins. "What happened here?" Chanyeol whispers. Sehun bends over Tao's body, "Tao went into beast mode."  "Looks like Tao got Eun Jung," states Xiumin. "Is--is she alive?" Taek Gu asks turning pale. "Wait!" exclaims Chen, "she's alive. Look she's breathing!"  Lay runs over to Eun Jung and immediately he figures out what was wrong. His beast ability allowing him to quickly sniff out the wound. He hovers a hand behind Eun Jung's neck, "Apparently Tao broke her spinal cord."  A soft white light appears as he begins healing. 

Sehun lifts Tao into a sitting position. "He's still out cold."  "He'll come to," says Lay. Baekhyun cringes at the drying blood covering Tao's chest. "Well, it's  a good thing that he has beast powers. Without it he...wouldn't have survived." He had meant to say dead, but decided not to.

          I open my eyes to find Chen, Taek Gu, Lay, and Luhan looking down at me. I find that I can move again. "Eun Jung is awake!" Chen announces. I sit up, seeing I'm still on the spot where I was thrown. I notice Tao who looks guiltily away from me. I sigh to myself. I'm not angry or scared of him or anything. I know he didn't mean to hurt me. I also spot Surock and Yu. When did they get here? While I was unconscious, I answer myself.

"You're finally awake, " says Surock. I stand up with no difficulties. Taek Gu and Chen try to help me up , but I tell them I 'm fine. "Good," Surock continues, "we can't talk here. There might be people listening."  "What about us?" Baekhyun asks, "I'm sure we all want to  know what happened."  "Return to the task of finding Princess Mai-Le" Yu answers. "I suppose we'll be having another late night meeting."

"We can't!" I exclaim. Everyone looks at me. I blush in embarassment. "Wu-Chin, he knows who we are. He knows that I'm Eun Jung and he knows Haru and Na Hee  are imposters!"  Surock places her hands on her hips, "Well....good thing you decided not to wait to tell us." 

"So Wu-Chin knows who we are," repeats Chanyeol. Luhan's eyes widen. "Then Na Hee and Haru are in danger!"  Taek Gu who hasn't spoken at all grits his teeth," Wu-Chin knew about us all this time! Did he do this?"

I glance at the three dead assasins, "He sent them, but Tao killed them. Wu-Chin was the one who stabbed Tao. When Tao attacked Wu-Chin he suddenly vanished!"  "Some magic of sorts seems to be involved in all this," Yu mutterrs.  

"But!" Luhan exclaims, "our main concern is Na Hee and Haru. They're in danger! What are we going to do? We can't storm the palace! Wu-Chin could have Na Hee--and Haru locked up by now or worse!"

"We should head back to the palace and escape," Suho suggests. "But the plan will be ruined! You can't just storm the palace!"Surock points out.  "We won't" Suho replies, "for now we should go back to protect them if Wu-Chin hasn't done anything yet."  Surock sighs, "Sorry, I got the wrong impression, but you're right. Hurry up and go!"

Exo immediately heads off.

Surock turns back to the three bodies, "....Looks like we'll have to do something about these first."

After managing to sneak the  bodies out in a borrowed cart  I told Surock of my encounter with Wu-Chin. Donning our disguises we went back to investigate where I had first bumped into him. Unfortuanately I couldn't remember the exact location. Yu sighs, "Of ourse you would alse be bad with directions."  We searched for a while and finally found the plae. From there we began searching the houses. The last one we searched was on the edge of town, but it was empty. Yu glances at Surcok, "We come back tonight." At first I was puzzled by Yu's comment, but then I got it....I think. If I had guessed correctly, the last house we are in contains the princesss. I look behind me as we leave. Are they hiding under the house? Is there a secret room? I'm not sure.

          That night Surock and Yu left, most likely back to the abandoned house, while I once again, was left behind. As agreed though, Exo along with Haru and Na Hee, soon come knocking at the door. As I was about to repeat what happened, starting with my sudden encounter with Wu-Chin, there is another knock at the door. We all freeze. Who could it be, knocking this late in the night. Was it Surock and Yu? Kris barely opens the door. In steps the 13 Warriors, "We've returned," exclaims Sun, Chanyeol's other.

Suho's alter ego, Banchuk asked where Yu and Surock were, so I told him. Once everyone had settled down I suddenly didn't want to speak in front of all these people. Na Hee urges me to tell what happened, so I nervously retell what had happened that morning. Tao also added in his view of me runnning into the yard and him fighting the three assasins. He didn't mention anything about him going into beast mode, so I did.

Haru who was hearing about Exo's secret for the first time was stunned. "You guys are lying," she said, unable to believe the truth, but then Na Hee said, "The situation we're in is just as unbelievable." Haru was still unsure and took it calmly, but everyone could see the conflict of disbelief in her expressions.

We waited all night after that, but Surock and Yu did not return. 

I was just starting to fall asleep, the murmur of small talk in the backgroound when BLAAM! 

We all jump to our feet too late.

Men wearing the red insignia of the Xinglu Army storm the house. Exo and the 13 Warriors fought, but to no avail. In seconds they had us on our knees, wrists bound. I couldn't put up a fight because I was the first person they grabbed and bound. Taek Gu on and his other, Tigur were the last one to be brought down, both having fought fiercely.

Spears pointed at our back we leave the hut. All night till dawn we tread through the forests. If we walked too slow they would prod up with their spears. None of the men said a word, except to yell at someone for talking. As the skies turned  a cream orange with light pink hues in gray blue dawn, we arrive at the palace. 

I shiver, rubbing my hands in the chilly mornning, as we are forced to wait outside. Hours later General Wu-Chin and the queen appear. 

"How did they find us?" Kai whispers. "I believe we were followed. They probably waited for the perfect opportunity to capture us," answers Suho's other, Banchuk.

General Wu-Chin smirks as he approaches us. He turns to the queen. "Your highness, they are the murderers."