Trumpets blared in the soft morning air. The sound signaled the beginning of day six of the Magi Games. Chatter soon drowned out the trumpets as competitors and onlookers arrived in the stadium and journeyed to their seats. The competitions today took place between the continents of Appor and Kypa on a piece of land set in the middle known as Serpent's Islands. Master Roku took a seat with the crowd as Dragon Claws competitors made their way to darkened corridors where they awaited the start of the games. 

Three hours away, silence flooded the hotel room at the Dragon's Den. Beds were unmade for the competitors had to leave in a hurry. In the flurry of activity, they had left one member sleeping in her bed. Sunlight flittered thorugh the window pane spreading warmth across the neaks cheek. 

Yawning, Artemis opened her wings and sat up. She rubbed her eyes as she began to glance around. Her eyes were hazy. It took a moment to register the room was empty. Sighing, she glanced at the clock. The screen was blinking in bright purple letters 9:30. Humming, she rested her head against the head board and closed her eyes.

Letting out a shriek, she opened her eyes, turned to the clock and picked it up. The letters were blinking as if the power went out. Her alarm was supposed to go off at five so they had time to take the three hour trip by train. Turning her head, she took in the scenery once more. Once she realized she had been left, she rushed into the bathroom.

After a few moments, she burst out the door, graped her calcux, who was still sound asleep on the bed, and flew out the balcony doors and into the sky. Artemis stretched her wings to their max. Wind blew her hair back and thunder roared through the heavens as she began her three hour journey at her highest speed. A few minutes passed as she flew, when a gong could be heard faintly in the distance. The games had started without her. 

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As the last vibration sounded from the gong, Razor let a sigh escape his lips. He had his head down staring at a paper given to him by Evina. She had given Dragon Claw a paper with notes on how to build a hand held harp and the material needed. Picking his head up, he wadded the paper and tossed it on the floor. Artemis had begged the guild master last night to compete after he told her he wasn't going to let her because of curfew. 

Razor progressed slowly towards the platform. Since he grew up in a mercity, he had no doubt he would ace this, however he felt that Cordila or Miyuki should have been the one to compete. Forcing a smile to pierce his lips, he stepped on the platform. Particles wrapped around him till they engulfed him in white light. Once they vanished, he was standing on a grassy plane with tables standing side by side. 

Peering around the plane, the octomer noticed that everyone had their backs to him. All tables were filled expect one. Shaking his head he ventured to the empty table. Once he stopped at his table, he glanced at the others. Each table had different supplies on it. Picking up several wooden boards, he stared at them. They were supplies needed to build his harp. Also, laying around was screws, knobs, and wire. 

Smirking, he pushed them all to the side. He was going to make the harp they way he knew. However, because of lack ocean materials, he would have to improvise. On the table to the right of him, he noticed unused vines. On the table to his right, he noticed unused bark. Reaching over, he took the vine without being noticed and began coil the ends. 

Glancing over at the bark, he noticed it was a Black Shadow member who had pushed it to the side. "Do you mind if I use the bark?" He asked politely. Opal turned to him with a small and handed it to him. Dragon Claw and Black Shadow had become friends through out the competitions. They were happy to help each other out. 

Picking up a knife, he began to whittle the shape of the frame he needed. Normally he would have used coral, but since none was available, he had to settle for the bark. Razor wiped the sweat from his brow as he laid the finished frame on the table. He carefully began to insert the vines, stoping ever so often to pluck them to see if he had them at the right tightness. 

Taking the wooden boards given him, Razor began to carve out pegs and seashells. Once her was done carving. He inserted the pegs in the hole to hold the vines in place then attacked the seashells to add decoration to the instrument. Once the harp was completed, it was painted blue with purple, red, yellow and green seashells resting on its face. The frame was carved to fit in the player's hand perfectly. The vines dangled from seashell to seashell, giving music when he plucked them. 

Smiling about his handy work, he noticed that he had carved out slots for gems to go in. Razor picked his head up as if remembering some distance memory. Visions of his mother sitting in the cave where he grew up playing a harp that resembled the one had built. A smile pulled at his lips, he remembered why he had carved out the three holes. 

Cocking his head, he noticed each table had three gems. From his memory, he knew he needed an emerald, a ruby and an onyx. Razor acted nonchalant as he watched the competitors fighting each other for the gems. The octomer tried to not draw attention to himself as he silently, took the gems he needed of off three different tables. As he made his way back to his own table, beams and weapons flew towards him. Razor turned into a shadow and traveled to his own. 

The octomer placed the gems in front of him. Razor picked up the onyx and began an enchantment. Black wisps grew on his hands and entered the onyx. The shadows shot out of the gem and attached it's self to the harp. Smiling, Razor began enchanting the Emerald. Wisps engulfed his hand. They refused to congealed to the gem. Sighing, Razor placed it back on the table and began work on the ruby. It too refused to yield. 

Anger began to boil within him. Up to this point, everything had gone smoothly. He tried to enchant the two gems once more. Nothing happened. His temper rose. He couldn't get the enchantments to work if his life was dependent on it. Slamming his fists on the table, he was agitated that the spells wouldn't hold. 

Before he could retry the gems, particles wrapped around him. He appeared back in the corridor. The guild Master had called him back before he could hurt himself and those around him. Sighing, he went back to the competitors box. On the way, he ran into Cordila in the corridors. She had her arms wrapped around a boy who seemed to be a snake centare. The snake had its tail wrapped around the mermaids torso. 

"Who is he?" Razor asked as he stormed up. 

The mermaid looked at him with surprise. "This is Caspian. He's a water moccasin from the guild Ivory Stone."

Razor crossed his arms. "Listen, Caspian was it? You stay away from her. She's my girlfriend." Without waiting for a response he walked away from them. A mist began to seep though the vents. He could feel evil radiating from it. The green mist began to cloud his mind. He continued down the hall and disappeared into the box where the other members were. A sigh escaped his lips. He watched as Miyuki took his place in the arena and were able to fuse the gems to the harp without much effort. Razor sat down in a chair and began to think the days events over in his mind. One thing that plagues his mind most was how Artemis still hadn't shown up.