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_My name is Riku. I come from a noble family in Sirencester, a great jackal kingdom in a world of war and slavery. I was raised by a single mother and grew up alongside a sweet lady named Khynaret, who has always been at my side through the worst of times. I still remember the day we met...

I was young. Eight years to be exact. I was always shy and preferred to keep to myself. I even had a special place to go whenever I wanted to get away from everything, which was pretty much all the time.

It was the middle of summer if I recall.There was this golden bridge just on the outskirts of the city. I liked to sit under it by the river. It was always so quiet and peace. Then one day I came to this usual spot, and something was different..._

A young black jackal pup, with black hair and eyes of brown, went under a golden bridge overlooking a river. Expecting it to be empty, he was surprised by the sight of another jackal. Black fur and hair like his own, blue eyes and a sleeveless white dress.

"Hey, what are you doing here?!" He was upset at having his secret place taken.

"Hiding."

"Hiding? From what?"

"From others." She said with a quiet whimper.

"Others? What others?"

"Just.. Others. I wanted to be alone."

"Then can you be alone some place else? This is kind of my place."

"I was here first" She looked at him with endearing twinkling eyes.

"Says who?" He was starting to become irritated.

"Me.. Go find someplace else." She growled a little at him.

He was a little surprised and intimidated a bit, then felt bad for his attitude towards her, and took a moment to build up the courage to speak up and sit next to the sad little pup. "You know what? That's why I'm here too."

She shuffled a bit away from him and turned away, curling up and hugging her knees with her arms.

"What's the matter?"

"I said i wanted to be alone."

He approached cautiously and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm Riku. What's your name?"

She looked at him again and sighed " Im.. Khynaret" She almost whispered.

"Khynaret? That's a nice name. Do you mind if I call you Khy, though?"

She shrugged and looked away. "If you want to." She sighed and buried her face in her arms.

He sat idly with his feet in the water, occasionally looking at Khy. She rarely changed her position. "So who are you hiding from? I'd really like to know."

He could hear her soft whimpers every now and then. Was she crying? "From other kids." She sobbed a little.

He started feeling a little sad himself, wondering what he could do to comfort her. An idea came to mind. "Do you like stories? I brought a book with me. I was hoping to read it myself, but I wouldn't mind sharing."

She shrugged again, her face still hidden under her arms. She sniffed loudly and curled up even more.

Riku sat next to the sobbing pup with his book and began reading aloud to her. It was a tale about a prince and how he fought against the dark, but alas was defeated.

She perked her ear up and stopped whimpering as she started to listen to the story. She Lifted her head up a bit just to see what the book looked like.

He noticed her curiosity and gave a reassuring smile, and continued reading.

She slowly crawled closer to him and sat down next to him. She leaned her head over a bit to see if there were any pictures in the book he was reading.

They sat there together the whole day until the sun slowly set down behind the far mountains.

"And so with the power of the gods, the prince was able to cast away the darkness, thus bringing light and peace to the land."

She clapped her hands a little in an applause. "Hehe. That was a really nice story." She said while still sitting right next to him. "And that really happened?"

"Maybe. A lot of people think it's just a fairy tale, though." He gazed out the side of the bridge and noticed how dark it was getting. "We should probably be getting home. Maybe we can meet here tomorrow?"

"Oh i see." She sighed a little and folded her ears back. "Yeah we should. And sure, if you will bring another story with you." She giggled a little.

"Of course. I have lots at home." He smiled warmly at her. He stood up and offered her his paw to help her get up.

She gladly accepted it. Giving him her soft hand and let him pull her up. "Okay. Tomorrow then." She giggled while standing there just few inches away from him, staring right into his brown eyes. "Well.. See ya." She said before letting go of him and running back to her home.

~~~~~~~~~~

_Life pretty much changed after that. The two of us became inseparable. We did just about everything together. Even as we grew older, we would still meet at our special place under the bridge to share stories. Those were happy times.

When we entered our teens, we began meeting at my house instead. She insisted. We would talk and play all day long, sometimes she'd even stay over for the night. One day something changed about her. I remember she started taking dance lessons, and she ended up leaving late, and she was still in her outfit. It was the first time I've ever seen it. When I saw her that day, something changed. Was it her? Me? I wasn't sure then..._

Today Khynaret arrived a bit later than usual. She walked into his room and sighed a little "Sorry, today it took a bit longer. I went straight here after I left. I haven't even changed yet," she said and smiled at him warmly. Once he turned around to see her, he noticed she was wearing her blue, sheer, silken dress and a matching blue veil over her muzzle.

"It's alri.. alri.." he blushed a little. He had never seen her like this before, and tried to look away, but couldn't help but look her up and down her beautiful looking dress and form, especially how it revealed her cute belly.

"Riku? Are you okay?" She waved her paw in front of him. "Are you feeling sick?" She whined quietly. She always worried even about the smallest things when it came to him.

"I.. I'm fine." He looked away sheepishly trying so hard not to stare.

"Well alright. If you say so." She smiled and sat down on the bed next to him. "I hope you found us a new book to read. I can't believe that over the years we exhausted your whole library." She said and pulled off the veil from her muzzle.

"I did, actually." He held up a red book. "It tells about how our world was supposedly made. And about our connection with the gods."

"That sounds like a good one." She chuckled and leaned over to see the book better "Also while we are at it, have you thought what god would you like to be picked by?"

"Well.. I've always thought about Atemis, because my dad served him. Or so I've heard. Mom doesn't like talking about him much since he disappeared."

"You sure? I don't know if red would fit you. Maybe Shivato?" She giggled and laid back on the bed. "I think blue would suit you more"

He blushed a little at the comment. "You really think so? He was actually my second choice."

"Well, both are warriors. I didn't expect you to want Valtina and become a herbalist." She laughed a little "And green is certainly not your colour"

"If she wants me, I'm fine with that, too. I guess it's in my blood, you know, cause of mother."

"Yeah, I know. But she's a woman and you're a man." She said and stretched with a loud yawn.

"True, but some of the healers are men, too." She nodded and shrugged. "Then there's Syncros. Kinda creepy though." He kind of shuddered at the god's picture in the book. A hooded figure in a silver cloak, with tree branch like arms, two black eyes and a single yellow eye in his forehead.

"Yeah he is a bit creepy. But.. i think it's the one i would like. What do you say? Think mauve would fit me?" She sat up and looked in his eyes.

He looked down slightly and caught a glimpse of her small, developing cleavage, blushing a little harder and quickly turning away. "Maybe. But I think gold is more your color."

"You think so? I never really was for Zurrato. I don't think i'd be happy as an architect or a priestess."

"You could use his gift for other purposes. I've seen a few chosen by Valtina become knights."

"You think i could become a knight? I fear to even hold a knife in my hand. Can't imagine a sword."

"Well.." He looked at her all shy like, "I think you could be whatever you set your mind to."

"Yeah, you're right. But i don't want to go against the will of the gods." She sighed and looked down. "Well, we will see in a few years right? Things might change. Maybe even the gods?" She chuckled.

"I hope so." He looked down steadily with a depressed sigh. He had some doubts, and a pretty bad feeling.

She placed her hand on his and smiled at him reassuringly "Hey.. no matter what happens in the future, we will still stay friends."

He looked up at her, smiling warmly, and gave her a hug.

She hugged him back tightly and let him feel the soft fabric of her dress on his bare fur. "Everything will be fine in the end. I can feel it."

He gave another sigh, happier this time and broke the hug. "So.. these dances you do.. what kind are they?" He took another look at her dress.

"Oh you know. Just the traditional ones you see at most of the festivals. I really enjoy doing it." She said and looked up. "You should come to one of the lessons."

"I'd like that." He looked away for a moment as his cheeks turned rosy again. "So.. can I see? What you've learned I mean."

"Hmm? Oh i haven't really learned that much. I have started just what.. 3 weeks ago?" She was slightly embarrassed to dance in front of him just like that and alone. "And.. there is no music here i could dance to anyway"

"Okay.." he looked a little disappointed. "So what do you want to do then?"

"Well I hope we can start with that new book of yours. But i'll have to go a bit earlier today, sadly. Mother has been complaining that i spend too much time here."

"I could come to your house sometime if that would help."

"You can try, but I'm not sure my father would let you. He has grown overprotective of me as of late. He even wanted to forbid me from seeing you."

"What? Why?" His ears folded back, like he had done something wrong.

"Well.. you have seen my dad, no? He has been guarding day and night in front of our house. You can always try and sneak into my room, through the window." She smiled.

"What if he sees me? To be honest, your dad kinda scares me."

"Well.. if he sees you.. Then you'd better run." She giggled "I think he is mostly scary because of his red marks that make a skull shape on his shoulder. He is a really kind and caring father."

He gave a doubtful sigh. "When did our friendship become so complicated?"

She shrugged "I wish i knew. I miss the old times when we could just sit at our spot the whole day. When we had no responsibilities." She sighed and leaned against him.

He hugged her tightly, feeling the smooth silk of her dress against him. "Maybe we should just start meeting under the bridge again."

"I don't think that would be a good idea. Father knows about that spot and it would be the first place he would look if I didn't come home on time. It's the main reason why I insisted we would start to meet up here"

"I see." He gave a depressed sigh. It was slowly becoming harder for him to see his best friend, and hurt him just thinking about it.

"We'll think of something. Don't worry." She smiled reassuringly and suddenly gave him a soft kiss on his cheek to cheer him up.

He almost jumped from the surprise kiss and blushed as he gave a sheepish smile.

She giggled and kept smiling at him. "Well.. its getting late. I should head back home before dad starts to freak out."

Riku gave a little pout. He always hated to see her go. "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Yeah tomorrow. I will try to be here earlier so we can spend more time together." She stood up and sighed. "Will you see me out?"

"Sure." He stood up with her, trying to savor the last moments as he escorted her out of his home.

~~~~~~~~~~

_Over the years, it became harder for us to see one another. I began to understand more as we got older. But not being able to see Khy only made me want to see her more. I actually started becoming more protective of her.

Everyone goes through a difficult time. I remember another jackal that would always tease and pick on me. He was the son of one of the generals. I always tolerated his abuse, but when he decided to pick on my best friend.. well, that's where I drew the line._

Riku was walking idly through the district of the city. He had been cooped up in his room for a while and wanted some air. He stopped in his tracks suddenly as his ears perked at the sound of a familiar voice, and followed it into a dark alley.

"How many time do i have to tell you, Oka. Stop bothering me!" Khynaret shouted at the muscular, whitish jackal that was blocking her way.

"Oh come on Khynaret. I know you like me. Are just playing hard to get?" He said with his strong, deep voice.

"No I really don't Oka. Now let me go. I promised to see Riku today, and you are wasting our time."

"Come on, I don't understand what you see in that runt. Why don't you forget about him and spend a little time with a real jackal?"

"I've told you many times.. I AM NOT INTERESTED!" she growled out at him. "Just because your dad is a general does not mean you are better than Riku!"

He suddenly pushed her against the wall when she attempted to walk around. He started leaning closer to her until he was only inches from her face and planted a kiss on her lips.

She gasped and quickly moved her muzzle to the side to break the kiss. She managed to get one of her hands free, and slapped Oka across his face. Her claw left a nasty cut on his cheek.

He growled and looked at her angrily, losing his temper and smacking her back, hard enough so she would fall to the ground. "Bitch!"

She whined out loudly as she held her cheek with her paw and looked up at Oka. He could see how she began to cry silently there on the ground.

The larger jackal stood over her and snarled, then felt a tap on the shoulder and turned to see who was behind him, only to be greeted by a black fist to the face.

Khynaret gasped again when the large canine fell right next to her on the ground and lost consciousness. She looked up to see Riku. She bursted into a loud cry and jumped in his arms "Riku!" She whined loudly as she held tightly onto him.

He hugged tightly and looked her over where Oka had struck her, noticing a little blood on her nose. She was shivering a bit. "Are you okay, Khy?"

"I.. I think so, yeah." She sobbed and looked in his eyes. "Thank you.. I don't know what else he would've done to me if you hadn't come Riku." She buried her face in his chest fur and cried quietly.

He held and comforted her. "Don't worry Khy. I won't let anyone hurt you. Never again."

She kept holding onto him as tightly as she could. "T-thank you Riku." She calmed down and sobbed, now looking in his eyes. Her cheek was bruised and a bit of blood was coming from her nose.

He wiped her tears and the blood from her snout, and gave a stroke in her hair, and became lost in her sapphire like eyes.

They stood there silently for a few minutes, just staring into each others eyes, their lips just inches apart. Before they knew it, their lips touched together as they locked themselves in a soft but passionate kiss.

He broke from her for a moment. "Khy... does this mean what I think it does?"

"I.. I don't know... But can we please go home now?" She sighed a little, a red blush visible across her face.

"My mother can fix you up. At least it's an excuse for you to visit." He smiled warmly and kissed her on the forehead.

~~~~~~~~~~

Things began to take a turn for the best. When Khy's father learned about what happened, he became more.. tolerant of me, and allowed us to see each other more. There were a few times when I stayed with her. The day of my rite of passage began to draw close. Khy, being younger than me, wouldn't be eligible for another year. I was a little nervous about it. There was also my final exam for my training. If I passed, my training would be complete and I would obtain knighthood. I had been training for over five years, and I was just as nervous about that. I was told it was natural, but... At least she was there to... comfort me. We've become a lot more intimate over the years we were together.

Khy was visiting Riku to give him company before his test. But honestly, he was much more worried about his initiation. They sat together on his bed. She held both of his paws in hers and looked in his eyes lovingly. "You shouldn't be so nervous Riku. You should be more excited. Don't you want to find out who your god will be?" She kissed him softly on his lips. "Remember what i said when we were little?"

"My memories a little fuzzy." He looked away. "I just can't help but worry something will go wrong."

She smiled warmly and placed her hand on his cheek. "I said that no matter what happens, we will always stay friends. And i don't think anything can go wrong during the Rite. It's the closest we get to our gods, and I'm sure they wouldn't let anything bad happen to us."

He sighed, wanting to believe her, but still had doubts. "As if that's not enough, there's also my training. I've worked so hard to attain knighthood. What if choke during my final exam? What if I screw up?"

"You won't screw up Riku. Everything will turn out well in the end. Trust me. I know it. You should relax more... here.. Let me help you with that." She said in her seductive tone that she knew drove him crazy. Before he could even resist her, he was laying on his back with his love on top of him. Her smooth, silk dress rubbed against his body.

"Khy?" He was about to protest. "Wha..?"

She didn't give him a second to react before her lips silenced him with a long, loving kiss. His eyes closed, and he moaned into the kiss as their tongues caressed and wrapped around each other, his hands slowly moved around her hips as he began to settle down and enjoy himself.

She broke the kiss and looked down at him "Better?" She asked and gave him another short, soft kiss before she got off him.

"A little." He said sheepishly as he sat up. "Thank you."

She ran her paw through her hair and giggled. "You know you don't have to thank me for that. I am always happy to help you. And I can't say I didn't enjoy it myself."

He stretched a little and sighed, and gave a smirk. "I still feel a little tense. Maybe you could... scratch behind my ear?"

"What? Can't reach there yourself?" She smiled as she placed her paw behind his ear and gently scratched him with her claws.

He purred a little and bit his lip. "Yeah, right there." He moaned a bit. "A little harder."

She rolled her eyes and did as he told her. Scratching him behind his ears like a feral dog."Sometimes I wonder if you are even an adult."

He hummed happily and his leg started kicking a little. "Mmm.. like you don't enjoy getting scratched once in awhile." She shaked her head and playfully pinched his ear. "Ow! What was that for?"

"You know exactly what that was for." She let go of his pointy ear and smiled at him.

He chuckled and pounced her, pinning his love on her back, giving her a little kiss and moving his paw down on her exposed belly and rubbing it.

She squeaked out "No, not the belly!" She laughed in tears as his soft paws started to tickle her. "Please no! It tickles too much!"

"I know." He chuckled and ignored her pleas as he continued his gentle rubbing. "That's why I do it."

She squirmed under him as he kept mercilessly tickling her "Ahh! Riku!!" It was all fun until she accidentally kneed him in the crotch.

He yelped and went silent, falling over as he held tightly at his groin in pain. His eyes watered a bit.

She placed her paw on her lips "Oh gods.. Riku are you okay?" She couldn't help herself and soon began to laugh. He nodded, but didn't say anything. "Well.. that's what you get for tickling me." She said and placed her paw on his shoulder "You sure I shouldn't call your mom over to check upon you?"

"No.. no no. Thats okay. But did you have to kick me?"

"It was your idea to start tickling me." She kissed his cheek.

"But you have such a cute belly. I can't help it." He placed a paw on her exposed midsection.

She quickly placed her hand on his to make sure he wouldn't start tickling again. "I should probably start wearing thick robes instead of this dress that you like so much."

He pouted a little and folded his ears back. "But.."

"But what? I keep telling you every day not to, and every day you do it anyway. At least this time you didn't go unpunished." She smiled at him.

He folded his arms and huffed a little, then looked at her lovingly. "I'm sorry."

"I know you are." She smiled at him and patted on the bed next to her for him to sit down. "Now lets enjoy this one together." She showed him a dark purple book. "It's the last one we will have before you will become a knight."

He sat next to her. "Aww Khy, are you worried I won't get to spend as much time with you?"

"I am, a little. I know you will have even more duties after that." She lowered her ears and sighed. "But don't worry. We will always find time for each other."

~~~~~~~~~~

The day finally came. I was on my way to the arena for my final exam. I was still a little nervous, but I figured I'd calm down a bit when I saw Khy, who wanted to watch from the sidelines. But on the way, I was ambushed by Oka, and the stakes got a little high...

As Riku made his way to the arena, he was suddenly grabbed and pinned to the wall, staring into a pair of green eyes and a familiar ash colored face.

"Hello runt." Oka was staring him down.

"What do you want Oka? We don't really have time for this."

"You know what I want runt." He growled quietly at him. "I want you to leave Khynaret to me," he said and grabbed him under the neck.

"That's not going to happen." He spit a little on Oka's face, which only seemed to make him mad.

Oka growled louder and threw Riku on the ground. "She deserves a real man. Not a pup like you."

He glared into his opponent's eyes refusing to be intimidated, "I'm man enough for Khy."

"So sure of yourself, are you? Then how about a little bet? The one who wins the fight today will get Khy. The loser will never speak to her again."

"Why should I fight you for what's already mine?" Riku actually chuckled a little.

"Just as I thought. Afraid of a small bet. And everyone keeps saying how your the top of the class. If you're so sure you can beat me, then you have nothing to lose, no?" He grinned.

Riku suddenly sprang up with a kick in Oka's chest and knocked him into a wall and was up in his face. "I'm not afraid of you. I will accept your challenge. And I WILL win."

The larger jackal laughed a bit and rubbed his chest. "Hope you don't bail." He pushed Riku to the side and went to the arena.

~~~~~~~~~~

_So I accepted his challenge. Suddenly I was no longer nervous, but bursting with confidence and determination. It was time Oka and I settled the score. My final test just became a grudge match.

I was almost late, thanks to Oka. When I entered, everyone else had already finished. One of senior officers approached me. If I recall, it was Oka's father. Ordinarily he would've been upset, but since I arrived shortly after his son, he suspected as much. As strange as it may seem, he was actually pretty protective of me. He and Oka have a.. complicated relationship. They could never agree on anything. I even heard that they actually squared off at one time._

As for my relationship him... he was always looking out for me. At times it felt he was closer to me than his own son. Maybe that's why Oka was always so hard on me. Perhaps he was jealous. But since i grew up without knowing anything about my dad, there was no question that I looked up to Kendrick as a father figure.

As Riku entered the arena, he was confronted by a jackal with colors similar to Oka, save the golden markings and eyes, wielding a spear and wearing silver armor to represent the royal guard. "You're late."

"Sorry, Kendrick. I got a little held up." He looked around the general and glared at Oka. Kendrick looked around at his son from the corner of his eye, and shook his head with a sigh.

"I figured that. You and Oka are only ones who have yet to prove yourselves. Are you ready for your final test?" Riku nodded eagerly. The larger jackal turned around to head for the ring. "Wait for my call." He didn't have to wait long, for just minutes later, he heard Kendrick call out his name.

"Riku Wyvernshade and Oka Runefall, step forward." He and Oka did as instructed, stepping into the ring and facing some distance with each other. "I expect your best, and a clean fight. First to pin the other wins. Are you boys ready?" Now was his chance for a little payback. Kendrick tossed a pair of wooden swords at them, one for each. Both readied themselves as they awaited their instructor's go. "Begin."

Oka immediately made a dash for him. He started with a stab aimed at his foe's chest. Riku jumped overhead and smacked Oka over his shoulder, causing him to nearly fall over. Once Oka recovered, he made another attempt at Riku. Riku saw him coming and blocked an overhead slash with his own sword, followed by swings at Oka's sides. Oka retaliated quickly and did a quick low slash from a spin at Riku's thigh. An opening was made as Oka turned back to him and Riku didn't hesitate. He knocked Oka's attack out of the way, gave him a quick but hard smack on the leg to drop him to one knee, and then a hard hit on the side, hard enough to knock him back a few feet.

Oka managed to make a quick recovery and with a leg sweep knocked Riku down. Riku rolled back and got on his feet. Oka didn't give him a moment to rest as he continued to slash viciously at him, landing a few hits at his sides. Riku dashed back to get away from Oka and prepared himself to counter his next attack. As Oka did an overhead swing Riku blocked it to the side and with an elbow hit Oka hard in the chest, making him fall back and gasp for air. Riku swung upward and hit his opponent in the maw, knocking him off his feet and grabbing ahold of his face. He pressed the sword to his throat and with that claimed his victory.

The crowd cheered loudly as the battle ended. Kendrick stepped between the two. Riku stood down allowing Oka to get up. The knight stood before them, and looked at Riku first. "Excellent block at the end Riku. You will make a fine knight." Riku gave a respectful bow. Kendrick turned his gaze to his son, disappointment spreading across his face. "As for you Oka...You will need to work on your emotions. There is no place on the battlefield for wrath and recklessness. You need to have more self control. This kind of behavior will only get you killed. I expected more from my own son." Oka nodded, though the words from his father hurt deep, and he gave Riku a cold stare.

As soon as they ended Khynaret stood up from the tribune and ran over to Riku. "Are you alright?" She asked him with her concerned voice. Her teary eyes looking him up and down. "Are you hurt?" She always worried too much about him. Sometimes more than it was healthy for her.

"I'm fine, Khy. Don't worry." He gave a reassuring smile, then chuckled as he looked back towards the ring. "Though I can't say the same for Oka."

She sighed in relief and smiled at him. "Well.. i hope he will at least leave me alone now." She said and took his hand. "Well, that's one test done. One more to go." She said and smiled at him.

He gave a sigh. "Yeah.. can't wait." He sat on the bench to catch his breath. The fight actually took a lot out of him. He was trying not to show it so Khy wouldn't worry so much.

~~~~~~~~~~

_So it was finally over. I was relieved, but can't say i wasn't nervous about my duel with Oka. I didn't see him again after that. Come to think of it, no one did.

All I had to do now was go through the Rite of Passage. It sounded simple enough, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something bad would happen. Then again, maybe Khy was right. Surely the gods wouldn't let anything happen?

I decided to head home for now. Khynaret wanted to stay with me. Maybe she was still worried and wanted to make sure I was okay. Since it was over, I decided to tell her about what happened with Oka. I explained how he ambushed me and forced me into making a wager with her..._

She held his paw tightly between hers and sighed. "You know you shouldn't take stupid bets like these... What would happen if you lost?" She whimpered quietly and hung her head down. "Promise me you won't do it again, Riku." She looked in his eyes.

"I'm sorry Khy. I never meant for this to get so out of hand." He looked down shamefully.

She placed her paw on his cheek and lifted his muzzle so he would look back at her. "Just promise me," she said as she gently rubbed his cheek.

He was lost in her eyes for a moment, and finally nodded. "I promise."

She smiled and brought her lips closer to his "Thank you," she whispered before she kissed him softly and lovingly.

He wrapped his arms around her and sank into the kiss, moaning into her mouth as their tongues caressed one another.

She slowly climbed on top of him as the two made out. Her paws were caressing his cheeks as they locked themselves in a deep, passionate kiss.

He broke the kiss after a brief moment and gazed into her eyes. "I love you Khy."

''I love you too Riku,'' she whispered as she kissed him again. ''Hmm.. But we shouldn't stay here for long.. Your rite is about to begin.''

"Yeah.." He sighed and looked down steadily.

''Whats wrong? Thought you were excited.'' she lowered her ears and held his hand tight.''I promise everything will be alright.''

"I just have a feeling." His head started hurting. He showed it with a hand over it.

''Are you feeling alright Riku? You look pale? Should we go see your mother first?''

"No. I'll be fine."

''Well.. If you say so..'' She sighed and helped him up from the bench. ''Let's go see the elders.''

~~~~~~~~~~

So the time finally came. Once I finished the rite of passage, my path would be set. But at the same time, I had this feeling that something would go wrong. I couldn't shake it. It was like a whisper in the back of my head, an itch I just can't scratch. But then again, Khy was probably right. The gods wouldn't let anything happen, would they?

They entered a tent where the elders resided that also served as the shrine for the rite of passage It was the first time ever he visited the elders. They did not let anybody in except for those that were ready to undergo the ritual.The inside of the tent was filled with artifacts and relics that represented all of the gods. There were five elders total, each symbolized one of the gods.

"Welcome young one, are you ready?" He nodded nervously. "Do you know what awaits you?" He replied with a shake. "We will separate your soul from your body and send it to the sacred lands of our gods. . There, you will meet several altars, each incarnating the will and the power of one of the gods. It will not be up to you to pick but you will have to each god feel your soul by letting their power flow through your spiritual body and mind.." He nodded to show his understanding.

The elders made a path towards the large altar that was in the middle of the whole place. It was all made out of pure gold and covered in platinum symbols. They waited for him to lay down on the altar before they surrounded him They then began to chant in unison and their eyes under their hoods started to glow. Riku could feel a strange pressure on his chest and felt like his heart was stopping. Before he could even react to it he fainted.

~~~~~~

Before he knew it, the entire scenery had completely changed. It looked like he was in a some sort of jungle, surrounded by tall, exotic trees and bushes that grew berries of all colours. A thin, shallow river was flowing right next to him and in there he could see tiny fish swimming against the current. The whole place felt so peaceful. So relaxing. So calming. Just as he turned away from the river, he noticed a ring of altars that were emitting a strange yet warm glow.

When he got close he noticed each of the altars had an insignia of each of the gods.

The red altar had a very odd symbol, featuring a curve going right slightly and then breaking left. It came to a point and did the same downward, but cut itself short with a sharp break left and slightly downward. Under was the name of the god. It read 'Fire Lord Atemis'. At the top was, as one would expect, a reddish flame.

Next was the blue altar. The symbol was a diamond that seemed to overlap itself at the corners, and had a few pricks on each side. It looked like a snowflake in a way. The inscription read 'Shivato, the Frost Monarch'. On top of the altar there were ice shards that pointed straight up in a circle, forming an ice crown.

Then there was the golden altar with twin thunderbolts overlapping one another like crossed swords stood as the symbol, similar to the one he saw on Kendrick. It read 'Skylord Zurrato'. Atop was ball of lightning that sparked violently all over the altar.

Another one was the green altar, bearing the mark with three leaves grouped together, just like the one his mother had. The inscription read 'Valtina, Goddess of Nature'. Fresh, green leaves sat upon it, radiating with life.

The last altar was the most peculiar, which glowed in many colors like a rainbow. The symbol was an encircled cross. The bearing god was 'Syncros, the All-Seeing', who's power was aura, which involves the mind, body, and soul. Above was a peculiar ball of energy, glowing many colors like the altar.

Riku approached the first altar, the red flame of Atemis. He watched the flame dance on top of the altar as he slowly placed his hand to it. It was warm and inviting. He eagerly put his paw in the flame, but to his surprise, it didn't hurt at all. The fire slowly enveloped his hand but suddenly began to fade. As soon as the fire went away the red altar stopped emitting its glow and turned black, crumbling into ash as though it had been torched.

He was disappointed. Atemis was the god he wished would pick him, as the bearers of his mark were the strongest knights.

Riku then turned to the second altar. The crown of the frost monarch was levitating just above it as if waiting for him to pick it up. When he approached the altar he could feel chilling cold run through his body. When his paw touched the icy crystals, the fur on his hands turned to ice. Riku smiled as he thought Shivato was going to accept him, but just as the smile formed on his lips, the whole crown shattered, sending shards of ice all over the place. When he looked at the altar he could notice it started to melt as if made of ice as well.

Riku was slowly starting to get desperate. Atemis and Shivato were the ones he was sure would pick him, as his wish was to become a great warrior.

He looked at the third altar. The energy of the Skylord. The altar itself wasn't really inviting, as the sparks the glowing ball emitted were intimidating. Zurrato's followers were known to become priests or architects, while some have learned to use the Skylord's gift for battle. He managed to make it to the altar as the sparks were pinching his body with weak electrical shocks. As he reached his paw to grab the ball of immense power he could feel a strong shock run through his body that threw him back from the altar. When he recovered, he looked towards the altar, and watched a strong, loud lightning strike against it, which caused it to immediately f all apart. Riku covered his ears after the thunder. The loud bang almost made him go deaf. Zurrato surely didn't want to become his god. It was as if he held a grudge against the pup.

Riku got back to his feet, still shaking from the blast that hit his body. Only two altars were remaining and Riku wasn't fond of either of them.

He limped a little towards the green altar. The leaves of the Great Mother were laying on top of the altar and were emitting a refreshing aura. It made him feel better once he approached it. His paw shaking as he held it above the altar. He was starting to get afraid, what if neither of the gods would pick him? He bit his lip and lifted the leaves from the altar. He felt a wave of invigorating cold run through his whole body. Was he going to follow his mother's steps and become a temple healer? The aura then slowly began to fade as the leaves in his hand began to decay rapidly. Riku clenched his fist in hope to hold onto the power of Valtina but when he looked at the altar it already rotted into a pile of mud.

Riku fell down on his knees in defeat. Why were all the gods turning their backs to him? What did he do to anger all of them, even Valtina? He slammed his fist against the ground and let out a roar of frustration. He looked to his right just to notice the last standing altar. The mauve glow was his last hope. He quickly got back up and almost ran towards the altar, placing his hands on the edge of it. He watched the translucent ball start to move around him as if observing him. Riku stood still, letting the ''Eye'' of Syncros examine him. It stopped right in front of Riku's face and let out a screeching sound before dissipating. The whole altar turned to mist and was blown away by the wind.

What he felt then, words could not begin to describe. He was rejected by all of the gods, even the Great Mother. What was wrong with him? Was he not worthy? What was he suppose to do now?

His ears perked at the sound of two clicks. Looking towards the center, a mysterious sixth altar rose, black in color with glowing purple marks. The symbol bared a crescent moon on its side and a diamond inside the crescent 'u'. The god's name however, was not present, faded out it seemed. Sitting atop the altar was a ball of energy similar to that of the All-Seeing, but much darker in color, giving purplish and black glows.

He couldn't explain it, but Riku felt drawn to it. He could hear a whisper, but couldn't quite understand it. It felt as though it was calling to him, telling him to come closer. He obeyed and as if he was hypnotized he slowly approached the altar and reached out for the ball. There was an immediate reaction. The ball rose up and circled around him. He followed and observed it closely. Suddenly it went berserk and charged at him, and went inside his chest.

There was a sudden burning sensation throughout his entire body, causing him pain and dropping him to his knees. A black aura started flowing off his body like smoke, and marks began to brand themselves on his entire form. The mark on the altar shined brightly on his cheek, others showing up on his arms and back. His eyes burned as they changed from brown to dark violet.

The burns began to settle, and the smoke faded. Riku trembled a bit. What sort of strange power did he just inherit? There was no time for him to think about it, for the pain he endured took its toll on him, causing him to collapse and lose consciousness.