Chapter 1

Anuka's eyes widened. She then ran over &; jumped on her house.
Earacphiti did the same. They ran with their swords out.

They had been traveling for a long time, then Anuka stopped abruptly.
Earacphiti stopped seconds later &; looked back Anuka. She frowned.
"Do you think they might have been the worriers from...not
Mortieriars?" Anuka said in a most unusual language. It wasn't a human
language, it was undescribable, but beautiful. It sounded of a
variation of many animals, particularly a snake.

Earacphiti was silent for a moment, then said, "I'm not sure... I
sensed many of them..."

"I was just hoping I 'spose, I'd love to go home." Anuka sighed.
Earacphiti looked up &; said, "We can you know."

Anuka stared up confused, then her face lit up &; said, "Well you
can, I have to have something to breath unlike you." Earacphiti looked
back at her &; said, "You know we have the technology to suck-up air
particles, if not water." Anuka raised her eyebrows, "Yeah! So I guess
we could-"

"But we're not. This is the only kind we of this specimen. And though
they are pitiful &; a disgrace, they are their only kind."
Earacphiti started to ride again. Anuka took a deep breath &;
followed.

They rode for days with, the sun pounding on them. Earacphiti thought
it was a bit stupid for a while, what they were doing. We used come and
hunt for fun or to eat humans, head and remembered why she was doing
this.

She was glad she didn't say this outloud however, Anuka looked as if
she would have agreed instantly no questions asked, and wouldn't be so
keen on changing her mind.

After a while or so, Earacphiti stopped. She stopped Anuka's horse
too. She glanced at Anuka to make sure she was still asleep, then
climbed off her horse &; walked towards the thing that stopped
her... It was another Ka'ree Stone! She bent down &; picked it up.
As she put it into the sunlight it sparkled an arrow pointing right.
She put it back down, climbed back on her horse and went right.

As nighttime was falling, Earacphiti looking for a place to stay...
Her question was answered; there was a bunch of rocks, forming a very
small cave that went into the earth, not too far away. Earacphiti, once
more, climbed off her horse, &; took Anuka off of her's as well,
&; walked into the small, but suitable, cave. The horses laid down
in front of the rocks to block the wind.

After a little while, Earacphiti saw someone on a sand dune. The
person was in a black cloak with it's hood up. It looked like a
Mortieriar, the enemy... but... Earacphiti got up and crawled silently
along the dune. The person had it's back turned... this made it easier.
Earacphiti raised her hands &; out her palms together. A pale blue
light grew form her hand. She stepped forward. She began to release her
weapon, but.... The person swung around &; stared at Earacphiti. He
pulled his hood down-

"Veo?" Earacphiti put her hand to her mouth. She hadn't seen him in
ages, every since she left her planet. He was a very good friend of
hers, yet they seemed to avoid each other often.

Veo was a Lord on her planet, a very important status. He was
appointed to be in the circle of the five Great Lords, with help from
his very powerful father, Lord Kao. Lord Kao was Earacphiti's father
right hand man.

"Earacphiti!?" Veo stared at her in amazement. "I didn't think I was
going to find you... odd planet, deserted," he said, looking around. He
ran his hand though his slick black hair. His cold gray eyes sparkled
in the sun.

They stared at each other in silence.

Finally Earacphiti spoke out. "Well, what are you doing here?"

Veo smiled; he had sharp white teeth. "Well, I've come to get you....
On your father's orders, of course. We're having some problems over on
Su'Cantanna. Geri."

Earacphiti nodded. She understood quite well. "I suppose it's time to
go back. I just thought.... I just wanted to know what's going on
here.... There's just something suspicious about it all, you
know...?"

Veo didn't respond. "Well we all need you back. We miss you," he
grinned.

Earacphiti smiled. She hoped he missed her especially. "Yes.... I'm
glad to see Veo. Thanks for coming personally."

"Well, I couldn't wait for you to get back, I had to see you right
away, you've been gone too long, you know."

Earacphiti smiled again, blushing a bit. She looked down, feeling
silly for burning up inside. She often tried to not like anyone, that
is get too close, she lives too long and her life is too dangerous to
be getting involved with others.

"But-" he added hastily. "I'm just doing my job."

Earacphiti snorted. "Since when did you ever listen to someone and do
your job?"

"I listen... sometimes." The two friends grinned.

"So what is going on here?" Veo said. Earacphiti explained what she
knew as they walked back to the cave.

"Interesting.... You're right, it does sound odd... but you can sort
it out later."

Earacphiti didn't respond.

Anuka was still asleep when they reached the cave.

"Oh, I wanted to ask you," Earacphiti whispered. "While you were
traveling around, did you happen to come across a Ka'ree Stone?"

"A Ka'ree Stone?" Veo scratched his head. "Here?"

"I guess that's a no."

Veo shrugged. "Are you sure? Why- that doesn't make any sense."

"I'm sure, maybe tomorrow I'll show you tomorrow, if I can find one.
The arrows on them led me in this direction, to this small cave.... Odd
it's here, this cave, out of nowhere. It's formed quite nicely, don't
you think?"

"Hmm? Yes, indeed.... Well, best we be getting some sleep, don't you
think?"

"Yes, I suppose..."

"Good night, Earacphiti."

"Night, Veo..."

Earacphiti rolled around. She stared up at the rocks. She couldn't get
to sleep at all, she just kept thinking.... She didn't want to think
about what was going on Su'Cantanna. If it was about Geri, it wasn't
good.
.... But Veo was here. Earacphiti smiled........

*
Earacphiti woke up. She looked around; no one was there. She sat up
quickly. Everyone was gone.

Earacphiti started to panic, though she just stood there, staring at
something. A moment later she started to walk forward.

There was a man. He hid behind a black cloak, but he burned white. Red
eyes glared at her. He raised a thin, white hand.

Earacphiti stared to scream- or she looked like she was screaming. She
felt ultimate pain. She gripped any body part she could feel. She fell
gracefully to the ground.

She looked around &; people. They just stood there, with miserable
faces. They looked empty and dead.

She looked back at the man, the thing; it was inches from her, he
reached his hand out again, smiling- "Help..."

Earacphiti flung up. She looked around; Veo and Anuka were sleeping
peacefully in the breezy night. Veo was wrapped up in his robe, he
could barely be made out.

She breathed heavily. It was just a dream... just a dream.

She tried to go back to sleep. She didn't want to though. She sighed,
laying back.

*
"...Earacphiti? Wake up-"

"No, no, that's not how u do it. EARACPHITI!"

"What, what! I'm up. I'm up..." Earacphiti sat up. "Why must you do
that?"

"What?" Anuka said."That's how you're ''spose to wake you."

"When did you wake up?"Earacphiti said, standing up &; wiping the
sand off of her.

"Oh, Lord Veo here shook me till I about threw up."Anuka flipped her
hair around, brushing Veo in the face, purposely or accidentally
Earacphiti couldn't tell.

"So, had we better be off?"Veo said.

"Oh, yes,"Earacphiti said.
Anuka Beamed. "Oh I'm going home! Finally leaving this hell hole-
literally. So, what are we all waiting for? Let's go!"Earacphiti
thought this was the first time in days that Anuka even moved, as she
watched Anuka climb clumsily with excitement.

Earacphiti was glad she was going home, as well, but she felt she
still had something to do here.... But before she knew it, she was on
her horse and riding off.

"What are these things?"Veo said, examining a horse. "They look like
our Strellavoids."He said thoughtfully.

"There horses. I choose to use them because you can't track them with
computers or anything."Earacphiti said.

"They are also terriblely uncomfortable," Anuka added. "But who
cares!" she cried merrily. "Because we're going home!"

Earacphiti smiled when Anuka beamed at her.
"Umm, where are we going?" Earacphiti said to Veo.

"Well, I parked it around here-"

"Your ship?"

"Yeah."He looked around. "... I just wish I knew where I parked...
it...." Earacphiti and Anuka glanced at each other.

*
"Umm, Veo," Earacphiti said, looking at the sleeping Anuka. She had
fallen asleep quickly so that she could get cool when the weather had
become extremely hot.

"Yes," Veo said.

"How long has Anuka been asleep?"

"I don't know. She went to sleep when the air got hot. That was
about... three hours ago.
Why?"

"Oh she's just been sleeping a lot, without waking up. I was happy to
see her awake, but for such a short time.... She never took the heat
well, and it never gets this hot anywhere on our planet..."

"I'm sure she's fine, she's cooling down right now, and if she's
really too hot we can stop and you can cool her down with your
Bloodfreeze-"

"It's Hyfaciacitise, and it's a long procedure... technology is
quicker."

"No technology here," Veo said, looking around."I think my ship was
over here...."

Earacphiti wasn't paying attention. She was looking at Anuka.
"Anuka... wake up. Anuka? Come on..."

"Ah! There it is,"Veo said, pointing to a silver ship, that looked
like a larger, longer form of a helicopter. He looked at Earacphiti.
"Is she waking up?"

"No... look, umm- why don't you take her back and I can stay here a
little longer-"

"No."

Earacphiti looked up at him. He can't just say "No". Surely this isn't
a way you treat the Queen of the New Age Planets. She shook her head.
She hated when she acted like that; superior.
"Well, why not?"

"Because, I have orders."

"Since when do you follow orders?"

"I told you, I do... when it's important."

"Oh is it really so urgent that you need me back so soon-"

"It's been three years."

Earacphiti opened her mouth, but closed it again not being able to
find a point to argue on. After a minute or so she raised her eyebrows
and said, "Well, three years is nothing for me."

"Well it's something for us, so you're coming-"

"No. Look, I have to do something here, and anyway, what exactly does
my father need from me?"

"To investigate on the missing ships from the Sigia..." A little
silence always follows that name.

"But that's what I'm doing."

"I don't think you're going to find out much here.... At home you can
take a group of soldiers and go out to search for-"

"I already did that,"Earacphiti said stubbornly. "Look, I know there's
something here. Can't you trust me? I made you, you know."

"Actually, I'm born under Shikia, but I understand what you're saying,
that you're not getting enough respect, being the queen of the universe
&; all."

"Well, no... well....I don't know, maybe..."
Earacphiti looked at Anuka; Anuka shut her eyes quickly. Earacphiti
blinked, but thought nothing of it."No, I'm so close. If I leave, those
things out there, the things I've been fighting-"

"Ro'Kiahians," Veo said.

"Huh? Yes. How did you-?"

"Anuka. She sent me- the Council- messages, of what was going on
here."

Earacphiti shot Anuka a scornful look."Yes, well, anyway. The
Ro'Kiahians would start right back up if I left, who knows what they
could do while I'm gone."

"They're just humans."

Earacphiti stared at Veo. "So that means they deserve to die?"

"I just don't why you're so obsessed about saving them."

"It's not just saving them, it's going to save us, or it will help.
Anyway, in case you haven't noticed my job is to protect the universe,
my children-"

"But humans aren't your children."

Earacphiti shook her head. "Take Anuka and go! That's an order. Come
back for me two weeks after you reach Su'cantanna," she said
firmly.

Veo stared at her for a moment. Then bowed.
"As you say, my queen."

Earacphiti scowled at him. She hated when people called her 'my queen'
and Veo knew it.
Veo gave one last look at her, then rode off, pulling Anuka's horse
with him. Earacphiti rode in the opposite direction.

I do get no respect,she thought irritably as she went back to the cave
for her laptop,which with a little bit of typing can provide you with
food and all the information of your location.

How many times have I saved them, kept them happy, kept peace...? What
do I get... for my pain? Earacphiti's frown died away. By the time she
came back to reality she was back at the cave.

She climbed down her horse &; went into the cave. She lifted a
cloak Anuka was wearing and picked up a small bright green microchip.
She pressed it between her fingers; the microchip glowed and a
holographic laptop sprang up, the chip glowing in the middle a the
keyboard.

She typed at the glowing symbols; some type of food appeared on
Anuka's cloak. Earacphiti closed up the laptop with a snap of her
fingers, then put the chip inside her wrist.

She bent down &; ate the food, watching the scorching sun set.