I pulled myself onto the shore of the river, panting.

Stupid Scott trying to cheat his way through...definitely not something I would do—

I glanced back, swiping the wet hair from my face, back towards the water. Scott hadn't resurfaced yet. The hell was he playing at?

Instead, I turned back to the course that was in front of me. Unfortunately, I wasn't the first across the river. Lizzie and Fwhip were ahead of me. I swear Jimmy had been here a second ago, so I turned around again to see him swimming...backwards? Lizzie had shouted something a moment ago as well, but I didn't have the time to hear was she said.

I glanced up at the large plant sprouting from the ground, and then looked past it. Technically I could just run underneath them to the other end of the course towards the huge rock that seemed to be the end. I began to walk straight underneath, smirking slightly to myself, until Katherine landed in front of me, her arms crossed. "No you don't."

"And why not-?" I asked, crossing my arms right back at her.

"Because you need to do the challenge up there." She stated, raising an eyebrow at me. "But of course, you could walk underneath and be disqualified—"

I glared at her. "You're no fun..." I grumbled, backtracking towards the vines I had to climb. I stared up for a moment, just to see Lizzie smirking down at me before disappearing over the top. Oh how I much I wanted to slap that six-foot fish across the face—

I shook my head quickly, grabbing onto the vine with no other thoughts other than how I'd catch up to the others.

I hoisted myself up with the vine, clambering up it quickly and finding odd ends to push myself up with my feet. Just a few seconds later I managed to pull myself up onto the giant flower.

"You're like a monkey—" Katherine murmured, fluttering up into the air.

I scrunched my nose. "What's a monkey-?"

Katherine gave me a vague look of disbelief. "You know those small furry things with the prehensile tales- they're very cute actually, and they're all over the Lost Empire."

"Ohhh- those little demon children that used to crawl in through my window when I left it open?" I asked, taking a step back before taking a running leap onto the next flower, stumbling the slightest before managing to regain my balance.

"I..." Katherine began, looking as if she regretted all the decisions she had made recently. "Never mind—" she sighed before disappearing from my line of vision, most likely heading for the large rock sticking out of the ground.

I brushed the interaction off, glancing down at the flower-platform just below the one I was stood on. I hopped down onto it without a second thought, which was a mistake.

As soon as my weight landed on the powdery center of the flower, it sprung upwards like a spring board, flinging me up and forwards into the air.

I bit back a scream as I tumbled through the air, limbs flailing to try and find something to hold on to. I spiraled, resisting the urge to unfurl my wings. The rules may be stupid but I wasn't about to get disqualified for flying, even if it mean falling and breaking my arm or something like that. Instead I attempted to steady myself as I fell, managing to catch sight of what I was falling towards. I caught sight of what I had been thrown at. It was a narrow, probably three or four feet across, log stretching a good few dozen feet in length. I twisted my body, so that my legs were under me, and I landed on my feet. My knees buckled and I used the momentum to roll onto my back, then back onto my feet again.

I exhaled. "Well that was fun."

I glanced up, watching Joel sprinting towards the end of the suspended log. There was no way in hell I was letting that bastard beat me.

I dropped over the side of the log, hooking my arm around and finding crevices in the bark underneath to support my feet. In a matter of seconds I had crawled underneath the log. I launched myself forward, propelling myself with my arms and legs scraping against the bark all the while underneath Joel's feet.

Once I had estimated I was underneath him, I flung myself around the side, my nails digging into the side of the log to keep myself from throwing myself off. As I came around the top, my feet collided with a body, that body being Joel. The Mezalean King let out a shriek as he was shoved off of the log. I hoped Katherine had inducted maybe padded landing or uh...I may be in trouble for murdering a ruler—

I leapt off the end of the log, landing on another flower placed underneath. It cushioned my fall, and now all I had was the sprint to the boulder...and Fwhip was nearly there. I narrowed my eyes, before sprinting after him, keeping my gaze on the large boulder, probably around fifty feet tall, in front of me.

If that red-headed jerk beat me, I'd eat my socks. Or I'd punch him. I think I'd punch him, but that's just me. Opinions?

It wasn't too far of a stretch to the rock from the drop of the log, but Fwhip was already there, pulling himself up onto one of the ledges sticking out of the side.

As soon as I was close enough I launched myself up onto the wall of rock in front of me, finding chinks and crevices to dig my nails into and drag myself up. My wings fluttered behind me, and I too was irritated by the fact I couldn't use them. Instead I propelled myself up using my legs and the small grips carved into the stone.

I scaled it fast, but I felt heat along my nails where I had scraped them along the rough surfaces, my forearms burning from pulling my body weight.

I was ahead of Fwhip now though, and that's all that was important.

Finally I hoisted myself up over the edge at lightning speed. The crown was right there, sat on a pedestal at the other end of the platform created by the flat top of the boulder.

And in moments I was running for it. I heard the thud of footsteps from behind me, but I paid them no attention as I closed in on the pedestal, diving for the crown—

A second later I was being slammed down onto the rock. I instantly tasted blood as I hit the ground chest first, smashing my chin on the rock and biting my tongue in the process. I flipped over, seeing a flash of red hair before my foot made contact with their jaw.

Fwhip let out a short cry of pain, getting to his feet while clutching his neck where I had managed to hit. I jumped to my feet, turning on my heel to dive for the crown again.

"No you don't—" The Count grunted, and for a moment I couldn't breath as he grabbed my collar, dragging me backwards from the pedestal.

"I got here first!" I snapped, whipping around to throw a blow at his face, one that he dodged.

"CALM down." Katherine ordered, and I heard the soft thud of her landing behind me. "Don't worry, I had a plan if two people got here at the same time—"

"But we didn't. I was here FIRST!" I said, about to snap Fwhip's neck in anger.

"Actually, you both arrived at the top at the same time." Katherine corrected, and I finally looked up at her. She was holding two identical swords, with simple leather-bound grips. "Now, for the crown, you will each take one and WITHOUT KILLING EACH OTHER, you'll duel for it. Swords only. No magic."

I stared at the sword in her left hand, the one closest to me. The metal glinted silver in the sun, now slowly retreating from its highest point in the sky. It was masked slightly though, from the clouds that had suddenly started to move in. They were dark, and swirling. A storm was coming.

Fwhip nodded, wearing a vaguely smug smirk as he received his sword, twisting the hilt in his hand before backing into a wielding stance.

I blinked, keeping an eye on the edge of the blade, imagining it tearing through Fwhip's flesh like paper...

Katherine handied it out to me, and I took it, immediately almost dropping it to the ground from how much heavier it was than I had anticipated. It was awkward in my hands, too heavy at the base and not nearly as flexible as my daggers were. I didn't like it.

"Ready yourselves." Katherine instructed, taking a few steps back.

I adjusted my grip on the sword, holding it at an awkward angle from my body. I seemed to be coming across a problem...I didn't know how to fight with a sword.

"And...fight!" Katherine declared, jumping back from between us.

I ran forward first, dragging the tip of the sword behind me, before hoisting it up into the air with a grunt. It fell in an arc, too heavy for me to control.

Fwhip raised his sword, almost tauntingly, easily blocking my sword coming down for his head. "Am I seeing this right? Phoenix Major doesn't know how to wield a sword?" He knocked my sword to the side, causing me to stagger in that direction from the weight.

I glared at him, adjusting my grip before swinging again. He parried and twisted my sword upward, nearly making it vibrate from my hands. I was struggling to keep hold of the sword as again and again I struck blows and again Fwhip would block it as easily as if I were a toddler lunging at him with a toothpick.

It was frustrating. Very frustrating.

Probably around the tenth time I had attempted to attack just to be thwarted by Fwhip's fancy hands, I had had enough.

I feinted, acting as if I was about to throw a slash towards his legs, when instead I dropped my sword and punched him in the nose.

"That felt good." I said as Fwhip stumbled backwards, crimson slowly beginning to drip down over his upper lip. He looked surprised for a moment, before his eyes narrowed.

"Cheater." He growled.

"Like Scott said, it ain't cheating if there wasn't a rule against it sweetheart." I grinned, readying myself for him to swing. I curled my hands back into fists, my knuckles pounding from where they had made contact with Fwhip's nose.

"Its true. She can fist fight if she prefers." Katherine shrugged from the sidelines.

Fwhip muttered something along the lines of 'shut up' before repositioning his stance, gripping his sword hilt before slicing down towards me.

My confidence had skyrocketed (which wasn't always a particularly good thing) after dropping the sword. It had weighed me down, figuratively, and literally (wow those are big words for me, aren't they?). Now I was ready to pound this Tay to the ground.

I bent backwards, the metal slashing right over my face to the point I could practically taste the metal. I hit the ground on my shoulders, pulling my knees to my chest before smashing my heels into Fwhip's shins, sending him toppling over onto the rock.

I twisted back onto my feet, just as Fwhip scrambled for his sword. I smirked, pressing my foot against the flat end of the blade, stopping him from lifting it up. He tugged quickly, shooting me a glare before hooking his arm around the back of my knees and dragging me to the ground beside him.

Before I could stop it a sharp yelp escaped my mouth at the ache my wing joints felt upon contact with the stone.

I rolled across the rock, my elbow slamming into Fwhip's jaw, sending a tingling sensation up my arm followed by a jolt like my elbow was being ripped from its socket. That was following by my arm actually being tugged as Fwhip dragged me backwards and made a sprint for the pedestal.

Oh no he didn't.

I launched myself forward, propelling myself the slightest with my wings into the air. I wrapped my arms around his face, my legs tightly hooking around his torso to yank him backwards.

A strangled echo of a shout left him before I felt a pain in my wrist as he bit down onto my forearm. "OW—" I shouted, smacking him across the side of the head just as we both toppled over. "The hELL?"

I scrambled out from underneath him, feeling a rush of power spiral down my arms—

Bad Erin, no magic.

A faint red glow bathed the top of the rock as I forced myself to contain the red strands of light, now shining from just underneath my skin. We were now positioned parallel from each other, at equal distances from the pedestal.

I froze, before diving without giving a warning. I felt my fingertips brush the gold of the crown... That was before a blinding pain exploded in the small of my back, consuming my thoughts as if wiping me clean of who I was. Before I knew it I was spiraling out of control through the air...falling... everything was pain as my own power turned, imploding in onto myself to the point where my skin felt like it had been scraped red and raw, torn from my bone.

It felt like I was trapped. Everything contained within my skin compacted and begging to be released, like a monster trapped within my body.

My stomach dropped as I plummeted towards the ground, however the feeling was masked by the burning of my limbs. I couldn't tell where the pain was coming from anymore, nor did I know how any of this had occurred. A second ago I had been moments from claiming the crown...

I stopped with a jolt, another thud that resulted in an aching pain spreading through my body from the impact.

I didn't want to think...I didn't want to feel in those moments. Although, nothing could compare to how it felt when Exor was torn from me... This was like a scratch in comparison.

I could make no sense of the noises around me, colors blending into one through my bleary vision. I wasn't even sure if my eyes were open.

A shadow of a figure finally crossed in front of my sight, before I felt something behind my head, lifting me up. It was soggy, cold water soaking my back.

Someone spoke. Even through my daze, I recognized who it was. That accent could never get past me...I couldn't make out what Scott was saying though.

After a few moments, I still couldn't bring myself to respond. His tone became frantic, and I felt myself get shaken back and forth lightly.

A light pressure was placed on my chin, and my vision was redirected to the side. All I saw was a blob of blue, which I had to assume was my brother.

"Hey," His voice finally penetrated through, though it was fuzzy and hardly intelligible. "Hey, what happened?"

It took nearly all of my effort to get a sound out. " 'm a'ight..." I mumbled, hardly able to hear my own voice.

"Clearly." He said sarcastically, yet his worry still peeked through.

I tried to push myself up, my head spinning as if rotating on a platter. I couldn't bring myself to reply again, a soft groan escaping my lips as I rested my side against Scott's torso and chest. His arms tightened around my shoulders, keeping me from sliding and falling back to the ground.

There was a flutter as I peered back up, my vision still blurrier than normal. However, it was clearly Katherine standing above me. "I didn't even see what he did—" She began, kneeling down beside Scott.

I felt her hand now behind my head, before she trailed it down my neck and spine, feeling for something. Possibly injuries.

Finally, I was managing to process my surroundings. We were on the ground, a few dozen feet from the base of the boulder from which I had fallen. The sky had grown stormier, clouds circling above us like a whirlpool of greys and monotones.

There was a soft thud and padding of grass, and I looked up to see Fwhip finally making it down from the boulder, the crown tucked underneath one of his arms.

"What. The. Fuck. Did. You. Do?" Scott growled, and I glanced up to see the look of rage plastered across his face. He was absolutely soaked, his hair sopping and sticking to his face. But the water was slowly frosting over, crystalizing along his cheekbones and in his hair.

"Okay...to be fair, I had no idea it would do that..." Fwhip began carefully, his face twisting the slightest in worry as his gaze fell upon us. "I thought it would work as a weakening agent—"

"Thought what would?" Gemini asked sharply, her voice coming closer as she did. The wizard, however, wasn't in my line of vision, and I didn't bother to search for her.

Katherine's hand still traveled along my back, searching for wounds, until her fingers traced against the small of my back.

But then she pulled back. Something I hadn't even noticed was there. Instantly the compressed feeling drained, followed by streaks of red exploding from my limbs, curling and writhing into the air for a few moments before sinking back into my skin. It was followed by a wave if relief. My shoulders still ached, and my head still pounded, but everything became clearer, more distinguished. I could actually think.

I exhaled slowly, my body relaxing just as Katherine held up what had been attached to me. "Blackstone." She said, her eyes landing on Fwhip. It was a disc, made from the rock, a small needle on one side that must have been dug into my skin when he threw it... I was too exhausted to shout the anger beginning to boil in my veins...but Scott wasn't.

"You, what?" Scott asked, his voice low and inches away from shaking with rage. His arm tightened around my shoulders, almost in a protective manner as he helped support me. 

"I swear I didn't mean for this to happen." Fwhip said quickly, fear crossing his expression, gone a moment later. "I had no idea it would..." he trailed off, glancing me up and down. "...have this effect."

"Yeah right—" Scott started, shifting slightly like he was going to stand up.

He stopped suddenly, and despite the fact I couldn't see him, I heard Jimmy speak. "Hey, I know you're upset," he whispered, just loud enough that I was able to catch his words. "And I know what he did was unfair, but he's being genuine."

"When have you ever stuck up for him-?" Scott asked sharply, and I watched his expression grow steadily angrier, frost slowly creeping inwards towards the bridge of his nose.

"Since now, when he's telling the truth." Jimmy said gently. "Now relax. She's okay, isn't she?" He asked Katherine, raising his voice to a normal tone.

In response, Katherine moved to check over me, to which I replied to with slapping her away. "Get away." I growled.

"Yep, she'll be fine." The fairy said with an exasperated sigh. "Just took a hard fall—"

"And you're going to get a hard slap in the face—" I snapped back.

"She'll definitely be okay." Gemini added, and I mustered enough energy to send a piercing glare in her direction.

I grumbled to myself about how much I'd like to rip that braid from her scalp and use it as a noose for her pretty little neck, but I kept those thoughts to myself.

I felt goosebumps run up my spine as Scott shifted his arm, soaking the back of my shirt farther. "Ew Scott you're all wet go away—" I said, wrinkling my nose as I made a pathetic attempt to push him away, failing.

"Yeah, thanks to you." He shot back. "You nearly drowned me—"

"What? Couldn't bring yourself to doggy paddle? It wasn't even that deep." I scoffed, swatting at his face, and missing.

He flushed a pale pink, opening his mouth to speak before being cut off. "He can't swim, Erin." Jimmy said sternly, losing the patience that had been in his voice previously.

I raised an eyebrow, before laughing. "What? You can't swim? How useless are you—?"

Scott's expression twisted, filling with offense. "Says Miss-I-can't-use-a-sword!" he snapped.

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, I admit, swords aren't my forte, but at least I can keep my head above the water. Can you at least breathe in a kitty pool, or is that too deep for you?"

Scott narrowed his eyes. "Never mind, I have no sympathy for you." He said, before dumping me onto the ground.

I toppled into the floor, landing on my chest. I didn't bother to move, instead pressing my face into the grass which smelled of...nature. Gross.

Yeah, you're outside Erin. You're gonna smell nature.

I wondered if I could smother myself in the dirt...

"Are you alive?" Scott asked dryly a moment later, nudging me gently in the ribs.

"No. My rotting corpse is slowly decomposing into the earth in front of you." I replied in the same tone, my voice muffled from the blades of grass that were trying to inch their way into my mouth.

"Very funny—"

"I know, I'm hilarious." I cut off. There was silence for a few moments, except for a muttering I recognized as Joel complaining to Lizzie. A steady dripping, however, hitting the back of my head first and then the rest of my body, brought me back. "SCOTT STOP EFFING DRIPPING ON ME—"

"Its not me stupid, its raining." He said, nudging me a little harder in the side. "Know what that is? It's when water falls from the sky onto depressed little prats like you—"

I raised my head just to glare at him.

We held eye contact for a few moments, me with water now mixing with dirt to turn into mud dripping down my face. "Holy Aeor, I can't see you this pathetic—" he said after a minute or so, leaning down and picking me up from underneath my arms, hoisting me onto my feet.

I growled, the sound scratching in my throat like sandpaper.

"Woah there, a little thank you would be nice." Scott said with a small huff.

"I'll say thanks when you learn how to float."

"Okay I already regret helping you—" 

"Guys- you're all forgetting the important bit." Fwhip began, waving his arm in the air to gain our attention. "I have the crown."

"It's supposed to be mine..." I muttered to myself, crossing my arms. Water droplets were now falling from the sky the size of copper coins, splashing down hard on my head and shoulders. I managed to keep myself balanced, though I was still a little dizzy when I turned my head.

Scott sighed in even more exasperation, rubbing his face with his hands. "So, what is your rule oh great leader." He asked, sarcasm filling his voice to the breaking point.

Fwhip smirked, raising his hands dramatically before placing the crown on his head, his damp hair wet to the point that it no longer looked auburn, but brunette. "I declare, that every kingdom must clear out a new road or pathway to another, to better connect us. We've worked as completely separate nations for too long, and now is the time to build trust back up between our peoples and help one another."

"Wow. Such an inspirational speech." I drawled in a bored voice, clapping my hands very, very slowly.

Fwhip shot me a look filled with annoyance. "Well, what would've your rule been? Hm?"

"I'd make everyone speak in opposites. Up is down right is wrong, right is left. And then I'd execute you if you effed it up." I grinned. "Confusion is the best controller. Especially when you're controlling people."

"...never mind, I'm glad she didn't get the crown—" Scott started.

I elbowed him. "Hypocrite you literally took away people's ability to fly—"

"Yeah but I didn't make people have to use every piece of their brain just to speak a single sentence like you would have done—" he protested, swatting at my shoulder.

Gemini sighed. "You two..."

"Just get out, before there's another fight." Katherine added, pointing at the sky.

"But it's raining—" Scott said.

"What about the rain?" I asked.

"Its hard to fly when its raining—"

"Dude you really are useless when it comes to dihydrogen monoxide." I scoffed, rolling my eyes.

Gem's expression shifted quickly from exasperated to shocked. "You know that term-?"

"That sounds incredibly poisonous—" Jimmy said, wrinkling his scaley nose.

"It means water, Jim." Lizzie said, also giving me a strange look.

"Yeah how did you know that?" Scott asked me, raising an eyebrow.

"Picked it up somewhere. Now Katherine, where are my human openers? I need to stab Fwhip for beating me—" I said, holding my hand out towards the fairy.

"Your- your what-?" She asked, paling the slightest at the term.

"My human openers."

"You- you mean your daggers??" Scott questioned, his expression going from confused to, 'are you mentally okay' in zero point five seconds.

"Same thing."

"Tha...you know what its been a long day. I will...see you all around." Gem said with yet another small sigh, shaking her head. "I think it best if we all go home now."

Scott shook his head rather violently, making frantic gestures with his hands that clearly signaled 'NO'. "Please don't make me go back alone with her—"

***

Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out! I've been a bit busy with other things (such as my new, super cool space book so go check that out if you haven't yet)

Also, bit of a disclaimer I wrote half of this and edited it all in the early hours of the morning, and I'm exhausted, so uh, if there's any grammatical errors and such blame that on tired, sleep deprived AJ.

But there you have it. Sorry also if the end seemed a bit rushed, I was just excited to get the chapter out :D

And also please no one bash Fwhip, it was the only thing I could think of for him to 'cheat' to get the crown instead of killing off Katherine :')

Blame me and my lack of originality, not him-

As always, votes and comments are appreciated and I'll see y'all around! Have a good day/night everybody.