At the beginning of my story I had several things I had not planned to do until later. And then had to revise when I wanted to just rewrite some parts of the story. Some of that includes:
I had no intention of having Avatar assistants, Cyper was actually going to be a competator and the Cyper/Bei Berou Pairing just sort of happened.
Kanaletto stealing Kross' body was also something I decided on later.
-Back with the sleepers-
Prince Ekerian was the next to awaken, looking around he noted the Monutian had gone, at the moment he didn't care...what he was concerned about now was who had been lying next to him.
Arianna lay there with her head on his shoulder, one arm draped across his chest while the other was next to his face, her smile had been what caught his eyes, so sweet and veluptious (A/N: is that how you spell it?) Ekerian had to turn the other way less he be vexed by the beauty.
He caught sight of his cousin, Aikka...sleeping on his side whole body draped over Molly as if she was going to float away...rather odd, but not as odd as what he next veiwed. Rush was as big as a mountain and Ekerian wondered why the two little Eruseans laid under his arms, weren't they afraid he'd squish them?
"Arianna." Ekerian said shifting his arm as gently as he could. "Awaken Arianna." He saw her eyes flutter to an open position, taking in her whole surroundings, as soon as she saw herself next to him she gave a small yelp and withdrew her entire body.
"Wonder how we ended up that way." she said blushing, Ekerian felt rather awkward, he had heard from Aikka about humans when they blush, he also said that Molly had somehow passed this strange custom onto him. Ekerian became intrigued, how could such a small thing be transferred? Among different races?
"I really couldn't tell you how." Ekerian said, now he felt his cheeks get hot, damnit Aikka was right..and he wasn't too enthusiastic about it. "I just wish I knew why."
"For warmth." Molly's voice suddenly issued out of the air. "When the weather gets cold humans automatically, without thinking search for a way to heat up their body temperature."
"Then, if that's so why are the three of them like that?" Arianna asked nodding to Rush, Zof, and Ziou who were still sleeping. "Don't other creatures need warmth to survive?"
"I suspect that may be true." Aikka told her. "However, I believe Ekerian felt like you were invading his space, though only after the fact." Aikka chuckled at the last words he spoke.
"I feel as though I should apologize for my paranoia." Ekerain spoke to Arianna.
"Ah forget it..." Arianna said brushing off the entire conversation, but somehow he felt as though she was hiding the hurt in her eyes, which was showing like lit candle in a darkened room.
"Where has Bei Berou gone off to?" Aikka asked to no one, his eyes fell upon the skies as he had just seen a shadow from up above, suddenly a white bird landed in the middle of their circle. eyeing each one of them watching for signs of danger. "...Can we, help you?" Aikka asked with his hand a few inches above his dagger.
"Please little Nourasian, don't harm the messenger." Aikka immediatly took his hand away from unsheathing the dagger. "I only came to tell you Bei Berou is with one of the Avatar's assistants."
"And how pre tell, did you know he was with us?" Aikka asked suspiciously, once again his hand went unconciously to his dagger, Molly saw this and placed her hand on top of Aikka's, who immediatly recoiled.
"I've seen many things as I flew through the air, Be Berou at the time of my flight had been amongst the two of you." Sakki's claw pointed at Molly and Aikka. "And if I'm not wrong, is still in this group."
"Indeed." Aikka said to the bird, now feeling ashamed of himself. "I hope I haven't made an enemy out of you just because of my actions?"
"Don't look for an alliance, I'm friends with no one, and enemies to very few...though, the Monutians are our only allies, which is the only reason I came here, good day." Sakki Amba spread his wings, one tip of his wing hit both Ziou and Zophratiel, who were by this point, very much awake at the sound of his voice.
"Helrize Berdz..." Zophratiel commented as Sakki flew away. "...Nevur arhound vhen yew neid tham, but vhen thay ar, itz nevur somting gud."
"Vell aht lest he deedn't eet une of uz thes tyme." Ziou told him.
"He'll be back, I guarantee the Elridgean will come again." Ekerian said, which made both Zof and Ziou shake in fear.
"What do you mean you have two bodies?" Bei Berou asked when Cyper told him this.
"Cy, is my other half, protects me when I am in a weakened state, or have no control of my body which happens a few times each month."
"How will I know when its her I speak to?" The comment made Cyper laugh.
"Cy is an elf, but her ears are unmistakable, she's half Nourasian, Monutian, human, elf and Diale." she explained to Bei Berou who was still slightly confused. "Ears of a Nourasian, skin color of a Diale, temperment exactly similiar to Monutians, has the figure of a human, and the eyes of an elf."
"That doesn't help me much." Bei Berou scoffed. "So what are you?"
"80 Diale, 10 elf, and 10 Monutian."
"Though it still does not explain Cy's appearance, she could look exactly like you-"
"No, Cy is different, I glanced her in a mirror once as I was reverting back to myself, her hair is greener than grass could be."
"Thanks for the input.." he said trying not to sound too sarcastic. "I'll be sure and update my results, by the way when is the next Ring Race starting?"
"In less than five minutes, quick get across the stones or else you'll be eliminated from the competition."
"Why would I be eliminated?" he asked. "I'm talking to you!"
Exactly, this is part of the Avatar's courtyard, it is..illegal for a racer to come here unless accompanied by me or Cyperous."
"Why do you keep saying racer? I don't have transportation?"
"This discussion is over...get going or else be disqualified." he chose to cross, though he protested alot.
'Can I do the honors of beginning the race this time?' Cyperous asked her in mind connection.
'I can feel your eagerness, do well to hide it next time, emotions are for the fragile and weak.'
'Be that as it may I there is no reason for your touchyness.' Cyperous said in a robotic tone again.
'Shut your mouth and get to it already!'
'Temper temper, whose the one showing emotion now?' Cyperous mused.
'The emotions I was referring to are joy, pain, love, and all others that cause us to break down.'
'Cyper, you do confuse me...ah, don't say it...another weakness, perhaps I shall get the race on no?' when he didn't get a response he assumed it meant yes.
Cyperous raised his hand in the air, a soft white glow emitted from out his palm and into the air, covering the landscape, suddenly it produced a few words: Go Time!
"And so the race begins." Cyper said to herself standing on one of her blue platforms high in mid-air, this was the greatest feeling, to be up where nobody could catch you, except for the flyers, there were 6 minus one.
The minus one of course was Sakki Amba, who had taken position atop the highest tree branch he could find, all the better to see the competators he hopefully faced later on. It had only been a minute or so when he actually realized there was a ring half a foot below his talon, now how in the world would someone see that? Sakki's branch had to be, oh judging from the breeze,. over 300 feet.
"If you wish to hide the ring, I suggest the time be now before an evil aura gets to it." Cyper said coming closer to Sakki's perch.
"I can really do that?" Sakki Amba squalked in suprise. "What about the rules?" he was quite hesitant to follow her words, however he closed his talon over the ring and kept it inside his feathers.
"If I give directions you recieve no penalties, though without my consent there will be consequences." She gave him a stern look, he immediately gazed somewhere else to stop his heart from fluttering so much from her...maddening stare.
As the time went by there were several competators he refused to acknowledge or help, such as Colonal Gemi, Asteria, Nogbe, Wai, Nigg, and Guddah, they all passed by him, it was time to let go of the round object, his leg was becoming strangely numb.
That is when he saw a few creatures he knew would be no threat, it was one of the humans and an Erusean, it was a rather odd picture, seeing them together, especially since there was no helping involved, he saw the human look up to him when Sakki gave a shrill shreak.
"Hey Zof, look at that!" Arianna pointed to where the ring was, to which the Erusean gave a slight whistle before finding the words to speak.
"Nu wey, ef yew wanta breek yer nek clibing oop thah tree, beh mey gust." He said walking southward. "eef yew fall eye wond be abel tu cache yew, eye'll bee ofer heer." he pointed. "luking four poientz."
"That tree doesn't scare me." Arianna said perplexed by the small limbs that she had to deal with, but if she wanted to points, she had to get it, no matter what. "Hey up there!" she called to Sakki, "If you have the urge to relieve yourself, don't do it on my head!"
"Aww, your no fun." Sakki cackled down to her, she gave him a serious glare, but he still cackled at her. "Its just another challenge."
"This tree's enough challenge without worrying of large bird droppings!" she called. "No offense."
"Talking won't get you any closer to your goal." he cawed down to her.
"Its better than silence!" She yelled. "But your right, I want that ring, and I can't let anyone else have it." Arianna became silent, though she was so afraid of falling she began chatting within herself.
The human girl was astoundingly stupid, climbing a slender tree that could break at any moment of either a slight blow or her heavy weight, though it would be the blow that would cause the tree to collapse.
But what were the chances of the ring to stay in the air? Gemi had to risk it, he couldn't let the human take all the glory, but before he could even cut down the tree his presence was announced by the bird that was sitting on the top...Wait, why in the world was he just sitting there? Oh right, excused from this section of the race.
Sakki sensed another presence, it wasn't a good one either, focusing his eyes on the predator below he suddenly found two golden eyes upon him...it was a Krog, that wasn't good. Arianna was so focused on what she was doing she hadn't spotted the Colonal yet...he had to make a decision whether to alert her or let her fall...he chose to alert her.
"Well, Colonal Gemi, what brings you to this side of the woods?" he asked, Arianna gave him a worried look before checking to see where Gemi was, right below them...oh crap!
"Don't be so naive Elridgean." Gemi said in a deep voice almost similiar to Kross' "You kept the ring from me before, but I shall get it now!"
"Hey don't hurt me just because you want the ring! Come up here and get it!" Arianna yelled as Gemi took out his sword.
"You are nothing but a worthless human, The Krogs failed once to get the Ultimate Prize, this time we shall succeed!" He cut the tree branch in half sending Arianna falling to the ground.
"I don't think so!" Sakki exclaimed as the ring slowly dropped, he took it in his talons, when the branch started to collapse instead of taking off he fell to the ground, making a perfect cushion for Arianna as she landed on top of him. "I was closer to the ground." Arianna gasped, "How did you-"
"We have a situation behind us if you haven't noticed yet!" Sakki exclaimed, his one eye looking over her shoulder to see the Krog advancing on them slowly with his sword pointed towards them.
"Now is the time to face your destiny! Either stand aside and let me rip that bird to shreds so I can get the ring, or perish yourself under the might of my blade." Gemi's eyes were upon them menacingly, Arianna was horrified of the choice he had just given her...fight or flight...what was she to do?
"You can't harm an opponent, its against the rules!" Arianna said in shock.
"Then why hasn't the assistant bothered to show herself?" He was right of course, Cyper could not be seen from anywhere, Arianna looked every way she could but no one came to their rescue.
"Harming someone to grab points is a worthless plight in your plans." Sakki Amba exclaimed, he nudged Arianna's shoulder a bit. "Get lost." at the same time Gemi shouted. "I don't care."
"This is rather ironic, but I can't stand people of all races abusing an animal, whatever the cause, and I wont do as you say Sakki, if Gemi wants to spill your blood, he'll have to go through me first."
Arianna didn't see Sakki's face as she was looking towards Gemi, Sakki thought she was the most idiotic creature in the world to be doing this, but also humble. There was no time to react as Gemi's blade cut through Arianna's shoulder sending her backwards.
"Give me the ring or die!" Gemi said kneeling over them, raising his sword, Arianna closed her eyes, at the same time a light had engulfed their entire surroundings. Sakki gazed up to see Cyper gliding over them, with a fierce expression on her face, the girl meant business.
"Colonal Gemi of the Krog imperium, you have violated a rule and struck a harmless opponent, therefore every single point you have made in this competition goes to the Earthling."
"What!" The three others said in shock, meanwhile Arianna continued. "Is that legal?"
"It was the Avatar's decision...so yes." she said eyeing them all. "The race will be over in a few moments time, Gemi..don't try to get any more points or it will all end up in the human's side."
"This is an outrage!" Gemi said stomping off, with a very stern Cyper behind him, to make sure he could do no other damage.
Arianna got up from her position holding her shoulder, collapsing all the while, it was a few seconds before
she realized Sakki's wing had been draped over her. "What?" She asked in confusion to his look.
"You saved me?" He told her, in question. "Why? Do you have some sort of death wish?"
Arianna chuckled. "No, but don't thank me, it was nothing really."
"I owe you my life, here take the ring..." He said his head went underneath his body, a few seconds later he came out with the ring in his beak.
"Your giving it to me now..." She said in total shock.
"Can I have the pleasure of calling you my ally?"
"Whatever for?"
"I heard from the former prince a long time ago that humans had honor, so they do, you didn't take the ring because you wanted to keep me alive, if it had all been about points you'd taken it a long way before then and run off."
"Sakki, that's real nice, my cousin was the one who Aikka was referring to...and yes to both questions." She said now they were allies and Arianna had one more point to add.
"TIME!" The same loud voice from before boomed. "Competators points as follows:
Arianna Wei
Planet: Earth
Points Acquired: 204
However due to an attack by the Krogs she now has 500 points
Excused from the ring race
Prince Ekerian
Planet: Nourasia
Total Points acquired: 330
Excused from the ring race
Zophratiel
Planet: Erusean
Points acquired: 208
Excused from the ring race
Tionee
Planet: Vyodeh
Points acquired: 207
Exused from the ring race
Leviticous
Planet: Geruda
Points acquired: 200
Excused from the ring race
Eddison
Planet: Mars
Points acquired: 200
Excused from the ring race
"It looks to me your higher than everyone else in this competition." Sakki Amba said who was flying her back to the others, though a bit hard to find in the dark.
"Doesn't matter to me, I just want the Krogs to lose." she said still holding her shoulder.
"It'll be easier for you to get through the rest of the competition...ah here we are, and look, Cyper's with them too, guess she'll be your medical assistant."
Every single person in their group looked up as Sakki glided down towards them, careful not to disrupt his onboard passenger, Molly, Ekerian, Bei Berou and Rush helped her off.
"Looks like we're all going to the next stage." Arianna said weakly.
"I have yet to be excused...but I'm only 4 points away from 200, so...go figure." Bei Berou said smugly.
"You'll get there, you'll get there."