Here's the third chapter. Love your reviews Indigofrisbe.

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I walked through the castle gardens, choosing the spot were we always sat. I had my back to the palace, facing the white wall that kept me in my prison. That specific spot on the wall was littered with doodles that I had drawn to entertain myself. The servants had long given up washing them off when it only resulted in me drawing more of the tiny doodles. I pulled my knees up against my chest and my arms were lazily placed over them while my chin rested on my right arm. Kanjer sat with me, his tail swishing from side to side as he watched me struggle with my thoughts. For a few hours we just sat there. With each passing minute my hatred for my father and mother grew. The idea of having to stop being myself and be what people expected me to be turned my stomach into knots until I felt ill.

The grass crunched under Kanjer's paws as he lay down beside me, resting his head between a gap in his massive forelegs. Looking over my shoulder at him, I knew I couldn't let him get taken away. I didn't want to imagine the kind of person that would buy him, or what they would do to him. The face of the local animal skinner pictured in my mind, smiling a toothy smile at me while holding onto a bag of gold coins in one hand and a rope with a loop at the end in the other. I shook my head to rid myself of the image before returning it to its previous position. While thinking I listened to the birds sing their carefree song from the tree above my head. I heard Kanjer admit a small purr and turned to see him staring intently at one bird. His big amber eyes followed its movements perfectly as it flittered from branch to branch. I found myself watching it as well. I smiled as another bird joined it. They rubbed their small beaks together in affection then flew off into the air together, singing merrily. My smile faded as I watched the partnered birds relish in their freedom together. I looked back at Kanjer, who's ears had dropped flat against his head when the birds had taken flight, and knew that-deep down-I wanted the same. To have someone to share my freedom with, someone (preferably female) who I could talk to.

Looking at the sullen look in my pets eyes, I knew that Kanjer, like myself, longed for a chance at even a day of freedom, a chance away at the weight of what his future held.

Standing up straight and facing the gate to the outside world, where the sun was just starting to set and turning the sky dark pink and blue with brush strokes of yellow, I made my decision. Taking Kanjer by his collar, I led us back into the palace and up through the long corridors and pointlessly tall doorways until we reached my room. Letting go of Kanjer, I watched as my best friend bounded across my ridiculously sized room, leaping the double bed (even though I preferred singles) in one bound and out onto the balcony. He placed his big front paws on the wall and propped himself up so that he was looking out over the wall and across the square or rectangular stone roofs of the small city. From where I was standing, I could see out the double doors to the balcony and all the way across the desert until the faint outline of trees bunched together popped up against the now starry sky.

Walking over to my bed, I flopped onto the soft covers over my mattress. Crawling up until my head met the pillows, I waited for sleep to overcome me. While I lay I heard Kanjer pad back into the room and position himself by my bedside.

As I flipped onto my back with my hands on my stomach, I knew that I wouldn't be able to go through with my plan to permanently run away with Kanjer to the oasis. As much as I wanted to, he knew that Kanjer and myself wouldn't have enough experience to survive on our own.

As thoughts of Kanjer being sold began to fill my mind, my eyes grew heavy until eventually they closed completely. For a second I felt happy as I slipped away from reality, only to have nightmares of Kanjer's fate fill my mind while I slept.


When me and Kanjer woke up that morning the first thing we did was go through our usual routine: Dress in usual clothes. Eat some breakfast alone then go out and do whatever we wanted, as long as we kept away from the palace tutors who were looking for me to start my morning lessons. While I was sneaking past one of the palace windows, I glanced outside quickly to spot a shape making its way towards the palace front doors. The bulk and clothes of the shape made me recognise him as Milon.

'He must be here to trade again.' I thought as I watched him enter the palace. Just then an idea shot through my brain.

'If a towns person witnesses my father take Kanjer away from me then it might look really bad. Maybe I can use that to my advantage.' With my thoughts locked away in my mind, I turned and ran down the corridors until I stopped outside the giant double doors. I heard Kanjer's heavy paws thud against the floor as he followed me until his shaggy head appeared near my shoulder.

"Don't worry boy." I said down to him. "This is sure to work. If there's one thing my father doesn't want right now, it's a bad reputation." when I finished speaking I braced one of my hands on each door. With one massive heave the doors opened and I strode forward. Although, what I saw inside made me halt straight away.

The back of Milon faced me. His right hand was raised and in his grip was the throat of my father. Judging by his pale face and his rasping breaths, the hold on his neck was tight and choking him. Sitting beside him was mother. She was staring at the two men in shock with her hands over her mouth. From where I was standing, I could see her shaking in fear. My anger flared at the sight of my parents scared. Without thinking I charged forward and leaped onto Milon's back, gripping at his hair and wrenching it back as hard as I could. A scream emitted from Milon's mouth but I did not recognise the voice. Blood was pumping in my ears loudly as I fought to stay in control. A hairy hand reached up behind Milon's head and found my jacket collar. Gripping it tightly in his podgy fingers he yanked it forward until my grip was torn from his hair. A horrible ripping noise sounded as chunks of hair came away with my hands. As Milon held me out in front of him, my feet dangling in the air, I shook my hands to rid them of the oily black hairs.

Milon's eyes were red and brimming with tears, the only sign that he was in pain over the yellow toothed sneer that he was giving me.

"How dare you attack me boy. Even in this primal body." he spat in my face.

"What are you doing Milon?" I asked through my gasps for air. Milon chuckled mockingly at me.

"The person you knew as Milon is gone. I have taken his body as a vessel until I find a way to restore my old body." he answered in the strange voice.

"Who are you then?" I asked through a strained voice, confusion lacing each syllable.

"The great and powerful Mafiar. I thought you would have heard of me." he said in a spiteful tone. My world went into a stand still at the mention of the old tyrants name.

"How dare you come back to Agrabah! After your sons disgraceful actions against my wife's family and me, I had you banished from the city!" father yelled at him. I remembered those stories he told me. They had given me nightmares for ages. 'That's impossible. He's just a character from a story.'

The falling of my body from Mafiar's grip to the floor snapped me out of my daze. I rolled over onto my back long enough to see Mafiar lift his foot, only to scrunch my eyes shut in pain when it connected heavily with my stomach. All the wind was knocked out of me, leaving me gasping for air. A roar ripped through the air as Kanjer soared over my body and latched himself onto Milon's body, claws digging into his sides and teeth sinking into his shoulder. Instead of another scream, Mafiar aimed his left fist and struck the massive tiger in the chest. The blow was strong enough to knock the tiger from his body and down to the floor. I flinched for my beloved pet, hating to see him getting hurt.

As soon as Kanjer's back hit the floor he leapt into a crouching position in front of me, snarling and hissing at Mafiar and showing all of his gleaming white teeth that were lightly coated in blood. But before any of us could react, father leaped from the floor by his throne and grabbed both of Mafiar's wrists, positioning himself between me and Mafiar. Turning his head so that part of him faced me, he called quickly.

"Rali, take Kanjer and climb the high tower until you reach the top room. There should be a carpet in there. He will get you to safety while I hold off Mafiar. Go NOW!" his instructions were soon followed by some grunts of effort as he struggled to keep Mafiar at bay. I hesitated as fathers knees began to buckle, Mafiar and Milon's strength proving to strong for him.

"Rali, please go." mother cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. I nodded, grabbing Kanjer by the collar and quickly dragging him out the door and down the halls of the massive palace. It didn't take me long to locate the stairwell to the high tower, charging up it while dragging Kanjer with me. Roars and shrieks followed us. Mafiar had changed into the beast. I ran faster, my lungs burning as the top of the tower drew nearer.

Eventually I reached the top of the stairs, throwing myself through the door and shutting it behind Kanjer as he leaped through. I pulled the plank across the door, locking it. I didn't know how long that would hold against something like Mafiar. I searched for the carpet that was supposed to save us, not sure how a carpet could do this. I was halfway through searching the room when a snarl ripped through the air and a thump sounded from the door. I turned to see four black daggers had pierced the wood. I stepped towards the door, reaching out towards the pointed weapons. Just as I was about to touch them the daggers twitched, ripping at the wood in an attempt to free itself.

I could hear roars and snarls on the other side of the door and knew that it was Mafiar on the other side of the door. I went back to searching for the carpet, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach as the door continued to be slowly shredded away.

"I know you're in there boy! Come out and say hello!" growled a low voice that caused a shudder to go down my spine. When the door was ripped from its first set of hinges, I knew I was out of time. Grabbing an old looking purple cloth with gold lace on the sides, I ran to the window. I gulped at the long drop below to the ground.

"Ok, Kanjer, keep your teeth on my chain belt. it should hold." I instructed. He did as he was told. "OK, on three. One-" the door splintered as a hairy arm pushed its way through, clawing at the plank of wood across it. "THREE!" I shouted, leaping from the window. I opened the carpet above my head, hoping it could slow us down. No such luck, we kept falling. So this is it, I'm goanna die without ever experiencing the outside world. The carpet was flapping wildly in my hands, almost like it was trying to get free. Suddenly it was wrenched from my hands. I thought it would just drift away but instead it whipped around, like it was surprised. It then seemed to look at me, jump in surprise, then dive down towards us. It rocketed down towards me and Kanjer, settling under us and cushioning our fall. "Whoa! What the? Are you carpet?" I asked, gripping the edge of the carpet for dear life. I wasn't surprised when it didn't answer, it just sped off towards the desert. I looked behind me, back at my home. It still looked the same, but I couldn't recognise it with that monster on the throne. Whatever was going to happen, I would return and fight for my fathers kingdom.

I went back to facing the direction the carpet was flying, noting that we were heading towards the oasis. I never thought getting what I wanted most in the world would make me feel so bad.


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