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Wamu regulated his breathing. Wamu calmed him mind of all malicious thoughts. All the thoughts that now went through his mind was of ensuring Muka was safe and that he was not going to let his people down again by acting out of anger. Looking off into the distance, where he was sure Muka had been taken, Wamu could see what appeared to be a rocky outcrop. It was clearly some distance away from the mountain ranges that hung menacingly over the top of it.

Thinking about it for a moment, Wamu decided against activating the power within his Deer Horn Knieves. Instead he put them away and just started running towards the rocky outcrop. He did not want to risk not being able to activate his power when he really needed it. Besides, he had always been a brilliant runner.

Slowing down as he reached the chest of the last hill, Wamu noticed that around this large rocky outcrop- in the middle of nowhere- there were lots of buildings. All of them seemed as though they were designed to be packed up and moved as pleased. There were a few that seemed to be more perment, but then again everything can be packed up these days.

Carefully coming down the side of the hill, there was a sudden cheer that erupted from the closest village. Not knowing what to do, Wamu quickly dove over to the left inorder to avoid being noticed any more than he had been. But the problem with sand is that it slides easily. And that is what happened to Wamu.

He slid all the way down the hill and actracted more attention to himself. Everytime he tired to stop himself, all he ended up doing was flicking more and large piles of sand into the air, as well as flipping himself over and over in circles. And with each flip, the cheering got louder.

Wamu hit the bottom of the hill and slid right into one of the small villages, but not by his choice. There was a wave of sand that moved him along. Eventually he came to rest at the base of a large set of stairs. Slowly standing up and shaking the dust from his fur, Wamu looked around and saw hordes of Horisians standing around him clapping and cheering his name. Slowly looking at the stairs in front of him, Wamu saw a familar face.

"Welcome to our humble village, Wamu. Your enterence was not quite the once we were expecting, but it will be remembered well and with good intent by my people for generations to come." The messenger Horisian chuckled.

"I don't know what game you are playing here, but if Muka is not returned to me soon- heads will roll. I sure you will regret it if so much as one hair on her head is harmed." Wamu snarled.

Signalling for the crowds to go away, the Messenger started to come down the stairs. All of those gather disappeared back to what ever they were doing, except for a few children- no matter how much their parents urged them.

"I can assure you that she has not been harmed in anyway, but she can not be returned to you. Yet. You have to complete you task here first and then she will be returned to you."

Quickly drawing one of his knieves and pressing it against the Messengers neck, Wamu just wanted to make a quick slice and get Muka. But he knew that it was not how he were to go about things at this stage. At the top of the stairs, the two guards made a quick step as if to protect the Messenger. But the Messenger simple held up his hand and stoppped them, before turning to look Wamu in the eyes.

"Allow me to introduce myself before you slice off my head. I am Kambythet Harakhty, heir to the Horisian crown. Although most people around here just call me Kam."

When Kam said his tilte, Wamu lowered his knief in shame. Hanging his head low, he was over come with emotion- over Muka and the embrassment about how follish he was acting. Slowly he put away his knief and turned from Kam.

"Can you forgive me, Kam? Can you forgive a tired out Anubite who just can never seem to get a break?" Wamu said softly, but not so soft that Kam could not hear him.

"You have nothing to feel sorry about, Wamu. If anything, we should be asking you forgiveness. I know that if I were in you position, I would have leveled this village. But then again, I am not you and I have not been through anything in which you have been through. Now come this way, you can rest up because you next task starts soon. And before you ask, because only completing the task can return her to your side, I can not bring you Muka. when the time is right, all your questions will be answered and they will be answered quickly. Now, come and eat."

Kam placed his hand on Wamu's shoulder and directed him up the stairs. Once they entered the building at the top of the stairs, Wamu was wisked off his feet, bathed (much to his disgust), feed and allowed to rest. Once all the pampering was over and done with, Wamu got up and stood on the balcony of the room. Through the jagged top of the rocky outcrop, he could see the setting sun. But that which he wanted the most could not be returned to him. Sliding down to be sitting on the ground, Wamu just stared up into the evening sky.

And as he dozed off to sleep, he bayed a few mournful howls that echoed off into the distance.

Well before the sun had risen, Wamu and Kam were making their way down into the crater. They made great time in getting to the exact center of it, as the sun was only one quarter of the way across the sky.

"And this is where I will leave you be. If what I have read is right, when the sun crosses the top of the crater- a fighting arena will appear. But only you will be able to see it, as you will be the only one from here in it. I don't know what that means, but one of an number of things could happen. Like time standing still while you battle, or you being transported to another realm to battle? I am sorry that we could not help you anymore than that." Kam said mournfully.

"It is ok, Kam, I have fought my way out of situations where I knew far less about that I was getting myself into. What ever happens, I know I will be coming back here right away, though. Thank you, for everything Wamu said, as he rested his hand on Kam's shoulder.

"Oh no, Wamu, it is I who should be thanking you. Just the knowledge that someone from the outside world was coming to this place specifically for us, lifted our spirits greatly. Your presence amoungst my people, though brief, has done more for us than you can possibly imagine. And for that, we all thank you." Kam said slowly. As he finished his last words, Kam dropped down onto one knee and lowered his head to Wamu. "We are forever in your debt."

Taken back completely by what Kam had jsut said, Wamu pulled him up from his knees and dusted him down.

"There is no need to lower yourself before me, brother. You and I, we are so alike in many ways, it is not funny. Your people could never be considered to be in debt to me because there is no need to be. As only they continue to live and reproduce, there is need for there to be a debt. Now, Kam, go back as far as you feel needed. I need sometime to focus myself properly for whatever challenge I now face."

Nodding in agrence, Kam and Wamu bowed to each other, before Kam quickly run a couple of hundred meters away. Slowly looking up into the sky, Wamu watched the sun slowly creep closer and closer to the center above him. Clearing his mind of all thoughts that were negative or harmfully towards anyone, Wamu thought of those things that drove him for. His people, his friends and most of, the love of his life.

It did not take long and Wamu's questions as to what he was going to be finghting was answered, as three beings appeared before him. The first one had two blades attached to each hand and appeared to be faster than the other two. The second one held a giant hammer and was clad in armour, yet he appeared to be weakest of the three. The last one held an axe connected to his wrist via a chain and looked like he was the leader.

The three of htem seemed to be eyeing Wamu down, so he was not going to give anything away until he had to. Which meant for the first part of the fight, it would just be all of his own power. Reaching up, Wamu lowered Rufus' skull over his face and drew hiw Deer Horn Knieves. As he did so, the last of the three spoken.

"To my left, is Niles and his blades will make sushi of you. To my right, is Boris and his hammer with cave your chest in. And I am Hector, and if there is anything left of you, I will ensure there isn't. Now, unlike some of our counter parts, we try to have a fair fight. So you will fight us one at a time." Said Hector in a loud and boastful voice.

On hearing his last statement, both Boris and Niles looked angrily at Hector. After a little bit of mumbling, Hector continued.

"Because that way we can ensure we are getting 100% out of you each time. Now, you had better power up, as Niles is going to attack."

As soon as Hector finished speaking, Niles pounced forward quickly. But it was not too quick for Wamu. In the time it took Niles to get to him, Wamu had already powered up by reading the inscription and braced himself for an impact.

After a lengthy rest, Wamu stood up and looked over at the two foes. It was hard to read them, but it is still quiet obvious what their intent was. Fixing his grip on his Deer Horn Knieves, Wamu looked solely at Boris and nodded.

"It's about bloody time!" Boris yelled as he took a few steps foward. "It was nice to know you, kid."

Boris lifted his large hammer and held it out from his body. Slowly, he started to spin around in a circle and move forward. With each circle, he got fast and closer. Not wanting to take any chances this time, Wamu powered up. As the last syllable left his mouth, a familar power came over his body.

He felt cold, strong, heavy and solid. His entire body was covered with metal, which was a good thing since Boris' hammer suddenly came flying out of nowhere and collected Wamu in it's flight.

A collision between Wamu and Boris looked unaviodable. Boris raised his hammer into a position in which he could easily slam it into Wamu. But Wamu had another idea.

Acting more on instinct than thought, Wamu suddenly feel his body changing shpae. And in the blink of an eye, the battle was over. From the soles of Wamu's feet, two spikes anchored in on one spot and from his chest a single spike had formed. This one spike a large and it ran straigth through Boris' chest.

Slowly, all the spikes retracted- esspecially the one sticking out of the Boris' chest. Once all had returned to Wamu's body, he powered down and looked over to Hector.

"Oh, I am going to have fun fighting you. I can see it now." Hector said, as he waited for Wamu to give him the signal.

As the two beings changed at each other, Wamu quickly recited the insciption upon his Deer Horn Knieves. When the last syllable left his lips, Wamu was gripped with an uncontrollable pain. It gripped his entire body, immobolizing him completely and shaking him from head to toe. The more he tired to fight through the pain, the more it gripped him and shook him. As he shook, a cloud of thick black and brown dust started to circle and encase him.

Hector, seeing this as an oppertune time to strike, charged up and swung his into the could around Wamu at about waist height. But it got stuck and no matter how much he tried to pull it back, it would not move. For all of his strength, Hector could not get his axe back. And as he struggled, the cloud around Wamu started to fade.