Disclaimer: I don't own Oban Star-Racers…all I own are my own characters, like Tenari, Cyper, Cyperous, Bei Berou, Sakki Amba…and such and so forth…blah blah blah…
Tenari glanced up at the morning sky just as it was breaking past dawn, where the sunlight had barely risen over the horizon. What was supposed to be a spectacular moment turned out to be less than so, due to the fact his mind drew elsewhere.
Towards the fact a killer was on the lose...and the killer just happened to be here amongst other creatures he'd never seen or imagined would cross his path in a lifetime. How would Senti react if she knew the girl was here now waiting yet again to strike at her younger brother?
Should have done away with her when he had the chance to, could've done it before Jaddis sent her back in her own timeframe, and if it weren't for the stupid rules here...he would strike her down before she got a second chance to breathe.
Humans he could deal with, it was that other creature who was attacking her that was an even bigger problem. What was the word Delebarte told him earlier? Krouz? Anyway...those things were bred for fighting, he could just smell the foul stench they discreeted.
Isolation was the key to everything, just stick your nose in another spot and no one would be the wiser. Well it was his motto at least, though it hardly ever worked out the way it was supposed to. Especially now, since he'd spotted a bird a while back holding travelers, they weren't on a joyride either Tenari could feel their eyes digging into the back of his brain.
Learning to go by your feelings was something he'd been trained for, once you knew about it, it was best not to let the enemy smell fear, or let on that you knew of their trap. Tenari wouldn't have known about it were it not for that creature's awful screeching panic garble. The birds on his homeland did the same thing too, no one else knew their language though...except again for the girl.
"How could you possibly know that?" He asked himself in the vivid reflection of the water as he washed away the dirt clinging to his face. "Better yet when and where?" Each time his mind tried to recall a small tidbit about her...it seemed to dissapear along with what he was thinking about. "Where..."
His mind began to wander, getting back on track became a wasted effort, Tenari found time slipping away from him...precious days which could have been spent elsewhere...now lost on account of some strange phenomena. That woman was the cause of it all...he knew it..somehow.
"Payback will be dealt." Tenari said as he heard a faraway bird give a warning call to signal the start of the last of the ring race challenge.
"Finally..." Bei Berou shouted getting out of his slouching position in the trees. "I was beginning to wonder if Cyper had forgotten the rest of us.." Truth was, he was heartbroken she had not come to search for him ever since the last ring race. Usually by now they would be conversing. Even though Bei Berou heard what she had said...he still could not believe those words, something else was hidden there waiting for him to catch.
"Go Gemi." Toros said looking beyond the sky towards the sound to which the signaling bird calls. "Bring back your honor and those points. We must be victorious." Gemi said nothing and instead went off in search for many many rings. He would not lose his temper so easily like the last time…it would lead to his death in the end if that were to happen.
~0~
Cyper in her usual position high atop the skyline next to an unfortunate dead tree, the one Gemi had cut down after learning Sakki Amba had chosen to conceal the ring from him. The stump however wasn't really dead yet and still had some existence. "I call upon the beings who were here before us…lend us aid to help this living being of nature." She could not use her voice alone, with the push of a single peach colored button her voice echoed through out the beads of grass whispering amongst the ever large grayish creatures. "I by myself am not equipped with such a power."
There was a small movement from below far down on the hillside, several of these creatures had listened to her request most of them had become a rather odd shade of yellowish gold and were in singing in harmony, the bark of tree which had been dismembered was now slowly liquefying, becoming one with the earth again to return from the roots it had been assembled from.
"The process of re-growth takes time, it may be a while before this sapling is whole once more." Cyper said to the creatures below, though she knew they spoke no English they understood it just the same.
"Too much time, we cannot afford-" Cyperous began
"You need not worry over it." Cyper gazed at another tree where Cyperous had been perched. "The beings of nature do not bend to our wills. Patience. It will be itself before the master's time is up."
"Your making it sound as if this tree is bound to the life of our Avatar." Cyperous said gazing towards the area where Jordan's temple would be. "We both know it to be false."
"Oh…?" Cyper's voice caused him to gaze back at her in question. "The life of our master means everything, if he dies the rest of Oban dies with him."
"Don't say such things." Cyperous said. "Even if its true…"
~0~
Knowing he was just a handful of points away from being in the next phase of the race didn't help matters, Bei Berou still felt uneasy. Time was halfway up, but the problem was there weren't any rings for him to find. At the very start there had been dozens upon one area…now it seems as if-
"Watch it!" Somebody yelled. Though Bei Berou had no clue as to where the sound was coming from as he had looked in all directions, except up as whoever shouted landed on him a moment later. "Sorry." the guy who fell mumbled. "They're just so hard to reach."
Bei Berou gazed at him for a moment puzzled before looking up to where this stranger had fallen. His jaw almost dropped, every one of those rings was now so high the only way to get them was to climb up these trees. No wonder he's been having problems.
Though not the best climber of things he still had to give it a shot, he began at a slow pace getting quicker as he went up, but just like the other guy…Berou to had fallen again and again and, well you get the idea. "I just don't understand how can we achieve points if no one can reach them."
It was then an idea popped into his head. He could use the daggers. They were small, yet highly effective as his instruments found their marks with precision. Though Berou hated causing ill will towards living things the trees would have to deal with his heinous acts of violence. "Its for a worthy cause." Bei Berou said giving the tree a sorrowful pat each time he'd made a mark. "I'm sure you'll understand."
Getting to the top was rough, though as he gazed down on the branch he'd reached for easy access he changed his mind immediately, the drop below would be fatal if not worse. "Was it you Cyper who thought up with this idea?" His question was answered by nobody. "It must be, no one else would be this cruel, or this smart."
He jumped
Bei Berou got the ring! And so had someone else.
He was afraid of this.
~0~
Tenari was quick to catch on to the dilemma he too had quite a time searching until looking up as he heard one of the branches cracking to see an opponent trying to climb furiously up a tree. If this was the way it was supposed to be Tenari would have to hurry to get the rest of the 10 points he desired.
The quicker he got the easier it was until at last the last tree he went to presented even more of a problem then the others. The blasted ring was in the middle of a circle of trees which were 8 feet or so away from his prey. Worse there weren't any branches for him or anyone to land on after the capture…if he could grab it.
Once he jumped there was no going back. Tenari began his descent and as he began to fall someone else came into view, not bothering to look he tried with all his might to get to the ring first, but to no avail they had taken it together. As his eyes went to whoever had stolen has glory of his needing at last 1 more point he felt a little bit of recognition. Which made Tenari loose his patience, something no one had done in quite some time.
"You!" Tenari shouted at him, causing the blue skinned creature to gaze at him questioningly. "Did you think I wouldn't notice your little flying party?" His eyes began to grow slowly.
"We were only…" His blue eyes were wary and once they saw Tenari's apricot ones weren't backing down he finally relented. "So you knew?"
"Knowing how to tail someone is one thing but being discreet about it is something you have a lot to learn. If that bird of yours had not let out so much screeching garble or had been flying so slowly I wouldn't have noticed. Add that to the fact that I've already seen your other companion with…her."
"My companion?" Bei Berou said baffled. "You mean the Nourasian Prince? I don't think so!"
"Be that as it may-"
"This is not the moment." Bei Berou shouted. "We have something else to deal with here…like getting down…"
"Yes I know." Tenari said. "Its bothering me as well."
"I assure the two of you will not perish." Said someone off to their right, Tenari gazed at the woman but before he spoke the blue skinned one did. "What took you so long to show up?"
When she did nothing but continued to stare off into the distance he got a little angrier. "Cyper, don't run away, and please don't ignore me -"
"Bei Berou…." Cyper said a little harshly. "I wish to speak of this tale of yours no more. Either the two of you break it…or I'll disqualify you."
This time Tenari spoke, he knew the time for them was running out "So your saying neither one of us will get hurt?"
"You have my word…" Before either of them had a chance to speak again she completely vanished.
"Ready?" Tenari asked him to which he nodded. They broke the ring in two sections and they started falling fast. A green glow appeared from above Tenari and Berou looked up in time to see a small chute form on both of their halves. Causing them to slow down. "Ingenious!"
Bei Berou reached the ground first and he had quickly run off to find more when all the sudden footsteps were heard from behind and Tenari ran along side with him. "Get too close and you will get burned." he said.
"I'll keep that in mind." Bei Berou said knowing full well who he was referring to. "How close were you anyway?"
"Not close enough." Tenari said.
"So you say." Bei Berou said achieving more speed and running off leaving Tenari feeling confused about what he'd just said to him. "So you say…"
"Time!" Cyperous voice flew over the large quadrant of Oban. "These last competators along with the ones who made it previously will go on to the next round, the ones who have less than 200 points will be retuned to their planets….
Adonis
Planet: Amecium
Points acquired: 250
Moves to the next challenge
Tivarous
Planet: Heather
Points acquired 231
Moves to the next challenge
Yoshi
Planet: Hanu
Points acquired 227
Moves to the next challenge
Renquist
Planet: Orion
Points aquired: 221
Moves to the next challenge
Tenari
Planet: Eduras
Points acquired: 207
Goes to next challenge
Bei Berou
Planet: Monutian
Points acquired: 203
Next challenge
Enomaru
Planet: Belt of Banubi
Points acquired 200
Moved to the next challenge
Gemi
Planet: Krog Imperium
Points acquired: 200
Moves to the next challenge
If your name has not been called then I am sorry to say that you will be returning home…."
"So that's it then…" Ekerian stated when he'd heard the final call for scoring. "I wonder what's next."
"I'm sure we'll find out." Arianna mumbled. It was one thing to go up into the next round, and quite another to hear Tenari was coming along with them. She knew he had great reflexes and skill to master getting the rings, but she had never expected him to move up with her. "Soon enough."