Hello everyone! Sorry for really slow updates. Anyway, this is where we finally meet Akikota (well, she was in the first chapter, but not really). I like doing the story from her P.O.V. It's easy. There won't be too many from Murray's P.O.V. That's hard to do.

Chapter 4

Akikota, Present day

Well here I am at the meeting place, at 3:00. Let's see, I bet Sly, Murray, Bentley, and Penelope will come. I figured that from the start, but I sent a letter to the Panda King and the Guru to be polite. I have half an hour to kill before I leave. What should I do? Man, I hope Murray comes with the van. I could walk the way, but I wouldn't want to and I don't think Murray, Sly, Bentley, or Penelope could. It'll be fun to see the regular sights, plus the special one I've got planned. I hope that the find my training difficult. Then I pull a book out of my backpack and start to read.

The time is about 3:15, and I see Murray pulling up in the van. Bentley, Penelope, and Murray all get out of the van. "Yo guys, what's up," I yell to them.

"We're ready to go, and I brought the van like you asked!" Murray says.

"That's great! But we have to wait until 3:30 before we leave because that's what I said in everyone's letter," I say back to them.

"Okay, but what are we going to do in the remaining time till we leave?" Bentley asks.

"How about we play a game? Let's see, how about… Dai Hin Min," I suggest. I pull a deck of cards from my backpack. "Does anyone know how to play that game?"

"Nope," they all reply.

"Well, I don't have much time to explain, so let's just play war," I say.

"Alright, I think we all know how to play that," Penelope says.

"Whoever can win the most cards, or the entire deck, in the amount of time we have is the War Champion. We stop playing at 3:29."

I explain. I deal out the cards and we start playing.

It is now 3:22, and gosh dang it, Murray is a very lucky hippo. He's in the lead by far with me in second place, Penelope is in third, not too far, but not too close behind me and Bentley coming in at a very close last place. Makes sense, because he isn't the type to have that much luck because he's so smart. I'm one of the few people to be lucky and smart (although I'm not good with computers). Well, it's my turn now. Sweet! I got a queen! Oh no, Murray's got a queen too! He's won every single war he's had. And this time it's no different.

"And Murray is the War Champion!" I shout. "I hereby crown 'The Murray' the champion of the card game War from this day until the day on which he is beaten in an official game." I proclaim loudly.

"Nice job Murray," says Penelope. She and Bentley tied behind me and Murray (Murray won, I was second). Kinda makes sense. I don't know why, it just does. They're very similar. "Well, if anyone else wants to come they have 45 seconds to get here. Murray, why don't you get the van ready to go?" I say, looking at my watch. Murray starts the van and we continue waiting.

15 seconds later I say, "30 more seconds and then we'll leave."

20 seconds later I say, "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2…"

"Hey guys, and girls, I'm finally here," A voice says.

"Oh, hello Sly, looks like you just made it, with two seconds to spare. It's just like you to be so close to being late and then coming. Anyway, it's time to go," I say. We all hop in the van, Me, Penelope, and Bentley in back and Murray driving with Sly in shotgun. We start driving when Murray says, "Hey wait a sec, which way do I go?"

"Oh gosh, I forgot you wouldn't know the way. Wait, we're going in the completely wrong direction! Crap. Hey Sly, can I ride in shotgun and show Murray which way to go?" I reply.

"Be my guest. I'm not a big fan of getting lost in the frozen tundra and freezing to death." Sly says with a sarcastic tone (but I assume he's not being completely sarcastic). Murray pulls over and me and Sly get out and switch seats. Pointing to a road on the road map I found in the back I say, "Okay Murray, first off turn around and then go down this road…"