It was a cool brisk morning in the thin jungle air, as Tamahome run swiftly through the underbrush. Hurdling small bushes and dodging trees left and right, as he moved on. As he jumps over one last bush into a clearing he stops dead in his tracks, gazing deeply into the star burst yellow eyes of beautiful jaguar. Then Tama leans over onto one foot his hands on the back of his head panting quietly wondering what happened.

"How did you get here so quickly?" Tama gasped between breathes. The spotted cat looked at Tama from the spot which he was lying in the sun and replied,

"Well. . .I used the trees!" Tama, his jaw dropped and he glared at the big cat,

"You cheated because you knew I'd beat you here first, like I did before! How could you; I thought you wanted to win fair 'n square?"

"Well, I did, but then I looked back and you were coming to fast so I leaped into the trees for a shorter route."

"Assassin! You cannot cheat because you know you are going to loose, it's not right, two wrongs do not make a right!"

"Look, Tama, I'm sorry, I didn't want to lose. But it's not fair for me being a jaguar and you being a human to out run me, jaguars are normally more agile and faster than humans, but you're some weird fluke, sorry to say. You have inhumane characteristics and it's killing me so to speak. . .wait until the other jag's here about this, Oh Man!"

"Look it's okay, Assassin, I forgive you and I won't tell anyone that I'm beating you, just as long as you don't tell anyone about my weird newly-discovered abilities. . .okay? Deal?"

"Deal!" repeated Assassin, kinda weirded out about Tama's physique and his speed. Then Tama stopped and looked around wearily, afraid that someone was watching.

"Run!" Tama yelled a to Assassin, watching him stands quickly and bound off into the trees. Then Tama leaped high into the air, doing a backflip landing on a large tiger's back, who had bounded out himself from the trees behind Tama. The tiger stood on his hind legs, scratching behind himself rashly. Then, Tama latched onto the tiger's shoulders and kicked off with his feet, completing another backflip, sending the tiger flying in the air and slamming hard into the ground painfully. Tama kneeled glaring at the tiger and watching him carefully stand and turn facing him. Then Tama stood and let out a laugh,

"Oh Rei, looks like someone tried to get revenge again and yet still once. . .again did not succeed." Tama cried out laughing. The tiger looked at Tama and grinned evily,

"Oh really Tamahome, looks like I got the last laugh." he roared loudly in laughter, as nine more tigers came from around Tama.

"Oh man!" Tama exclaimed looking around at the tigers, then to a few trees and the to Rei's head, creating small idea then building on it with bigger ideas, still pretending to be astonished. Then he reached to his back and grinned feeling his Conformer, then stopped so he would not give away the element of surprise. Trying to make some small talk with the beast, Tama said,

"So how's your mom and dad doing?" shrugging slightly. The tiger looked at Tama oddly for the stupid question. Realizing he was being humorous; he joined in,

"Uhhhhh. . .they're doing good. . ."then he stopped and growled viciously at Tamahome. Tama realized he had asked the wrong question. . .about the family.

"Looks Rei, I know you're after me because I accidentally killed your brother and I said I was sorry." He said apologetic.

"I don't care! I know, you're always apologetic about everything you do wrong, and I could care less!" he said angrily. "Get him boys!" Rei yelled as the tiger urged forward towards Tamahome. Just then a deep, manly, roughish voice came from behind Rei,

"STOP!" yelled Ares. "I wanna be here when it happens he said laughingly. Ares entered the small clearing wearing his usual leather ensemble with a large sword at his side.

"Ares," Tama said, in a growling way, "what are you doing here?"

"What's wrong, Tamahome, you seem displeased to see me?" Ares said gruffly, pulling out his sword and ramming into the ground and leaning on it, "Listen up, Rei and clan, I'm the one to kill Tamahome fully and take his mortal soul!" All ten tigers nodded in expectancy and looked back to Tamahome.

"Wait!" Tama yelled, "How did you gang up with the god Ares, Rei" he said putting much emphasis on the small 'g'.

"Well we bartered back and forth and came up with a novel idea," he gloated, "I sell my soul to him and give him the planet also and he gets rid of you and makes me immortal! What a great bargain, don't you think? Although, I do think I'm getting the better end of it all!" With that he nodded and the tigers began to walk closer.

In a split second, Tama reached for his back and grabbed the Conformer, squeezing the center, as it unlocked it, making it larger, with vicious teeth spiking forth. Then he looked at the closes tiger then to Ares and yelled,

"Come and get me!" With that he slung the large ninja star forth as it spun counter clock wise; as it did, it hit the closes tiger's hind quarters, gashing it open as the blood poured forth spilling over the barren ground. The tiger roared in extreme pain as it fell to it's side whimpering for help from it's comrades; the large spiked circle ricocheted off the tiger's hind, slicing Ares' arm and flew high and rammed into a tree, horizontally stuck. Ares grabbed his arm in pain and screamed,

"I'm a GOD, how dare you!" Then Tama grinned and ran forward and jumped upon Rei, then turning quickly and leaping high into the air and grabbing hold of the Conformer and sighing a relief when it held his body weight. He pulled himself up and climbed onto a branch, then reaching down and pushing the button shrinking the Conformer and clipped in onto his back, smiling from above.

"Ha ha ha. . .maybe next time!" Tama yelled down to the nine tigers swarming around the base of the tree. Then he stopped laughing, staring at Ares' glowing hand which created an energy ball.

"Oh Shi. . ." Ares fired the energy ball at the lower part of the branch, cracking the branch apart, drying the blood from his arm and that which was on his hand from the immense heat from the blast. Tama fell from the tree into another swirling blueish transparent light and disappeared.

"Your pest problem is solved, Rei." Ares said squinting, looking down at his bloody bicep, and spread the wound with his index and middle finger to look deeper, looking at the severed fat and muscle which had a weird greenish glow.

"That Damn Kid, he doused the blade in a magic resistant base poison!"

"What does that mean?" Rei asked.

"You moron, it means I can't heal myself and I have to use an antidote to cure the poison and wait for it to heal. . .to a god of all people!" With that, Ares snapped his fingers as he disappeared into a dull blue cloud of smoke. The tiger's broke out into wide laughter and cheers that Ares was hurt and that their nuisance, Tamahome was gone forever.

Laying motionless for days in a ocean or lake of some sort, Tamahome could only talk to himself in his subconscious state, for he was unconscious.

"Where am I? Is there anyone here? Hello!? Ummm. . ." Tama laid floating along in the rather warm water, which was enough to keep Tama alive because of it's warmth. A few days later Tama awoken feeling himself hit something. He blinked repetitively looking around in this new bright world, then sat up.

"Awww, my head!" Tama exclaimed, grabbing his head in pain. "Assassin! Where are you?" "Awww man, I though it was a dead man!"

"Why?" Asked a semi young voice from behind himself. Tama rolled and flipped into the air landing weakly on his feet then kneeling looking at the woman, very pretty, maybe mid thirties, tall in stature, he thought to himself.

"No, no, don't be alarmed." She said quietly and calmly. "I found you here about a day ago, floating about, so I dragged you to shore and have been by you most of the day yesterday and today." Blinking in disbelief, Tama managed to say,

"Thank you for your kindness, m'lady."

"You're quite welcome. Do you need any help or a place to rest?"

"No, no, I'm fine, just as long as I find my friend."

"Oh, what is your friends name?"

"Assassin, he's a jaguar." She glanced at him oddly and replied,

"I think you're on the wrong island. . .we have no jaguars here." She winced in a kind and yet odd way, "I'm sorry." Tama rubbed his head,

"Wh..where am I, what island?"

"The Amazon's Island"

"ARES!!!!!!!!" Tama let out a yell and screamed out loud, scaring the poor woman and looked up as she took off into the forest.

"NO wait!" he exclaimed. Tama stood and dashes after her and remembered Assassin,

"trees. . .TREES! that's it!" Tama reached up and grabbed a low branch and took to the trees going faster and faster and stopped sitting on a branch and watching her run, Tama thought, she's amazing! how does she run fast? Tama watched as she ran into a clearing and gasped at the sight of a large village that expanded for a while down.

"WOW! oh. . . no!" He watched as she came back with a large wolf and three more women. He laid low and watched them as they passed under him chatting away with each other laughing and carrying on, one rather young, he thought, maybe seventeen or eighteen, very gorgeous, along with one who was very wild, maybe mid thirties also, and the last rather dressed up. He whispered to himself,

"She must be the queen. . .and she is the court jester. . .and she looks like a fighter. . .now for her. . ." He looked at the youthful one rather dreamily, "She's incredible!" He exclaimed. Tama looking down, gulped, as the wolf stared directly at him glaring and howling to alert the women of his presence. . .

"Oh no. . .this just doesn't get any better does it!?" Tama leaped from the tree and took off running, hearing yelling behind him, and heard audibly,

"Go get 'em!" As Tama turned quickly the wolf was behind him, as he faced forward and dashes on, barreling through the village and passed the Java Hut, where two sat and talked and kept going with the wolf tailing closely behind.

"Who was that?" Saran exclaimed.

"I have no idea, but he had better not stop because of Falcon's wolf." Eri replied.

"HE!?" Saran yelled.

"Boy, he can run!" Eri said again, this time laughing at the man running from a big wolf, and looked to Saran who had also started to laugh.

Tama whipped around and grabbed his Conformer and clicked it quickly, expanding it's size 4 times and the wolf stopped also and growled viciously and the other people finally caught up, standing behind the wolf. Tama looked at all of them and gave a small laugh at the fact that it was all women and a wolf.

"Get back!" He yelled, hold his Conformer in front of him in an attack stance.

"Slow down, I'm Queen Cyan." said the elaborate one rather calmly.

"I'm Tamahome." He looked at the incredible one. She smiled,

"I'm Corde." Tama smiled back, then looked to the goofy one and the one who had found him on the beach. The older one responded,

"Hehehe, he is cute, I told all of you." She said looking directly at Corde. "I'm Falcon and this silly one is Labby." Tama looked at them all and said his greetings to them all and Cyan began explaining where exactly he was in the whole universe.

"So basically, I'm way, way far away from Urral Region. . ." Asked Tama questionably.

"Yes, you are. . .are you hungry?" Cored replied.

"You have no idea!" Tama said enthustiacally.

"Good, cause I own a small Java and bagel hut!"

"Java?"

"It's a type of coffee or a beverage if you will."

"Ohhhh, okay!" Tama said a slight embarrassed around the beautiful women. So Corde, Falcon, Cyan, Labby, and Tama walked to the Java Hut where Saran and Eri were drinking expresso and talking about ideas back and forth. Eri looked over first to Tama, squinting and looking him over then stood to greet him.

"Hi, I'm Eri!"

"Hello, I'm Tamahome, but you all can call me Tama." He replied to Eri looking at her strangely and simultaneous asked each other,

"Do I know you?" The two laughed and began talking at the Hut while Falcon, Cyan, Corde, and a few others began talking in the healing hut whether we should let the stranger stay.

"He seems nice enough." Falcon started off. "He's just tense probably, from being chased by a wolf," she said laughingly reaching down and petting the canine.

"I agree, he's okay. . .the other guys will be happy though, to have another male to converse with!" Responded Corde.

"Well from what I hear, he sounds like a nice guy!" Ashana said casually.

"And he's a cutie too!" Giggled Falcon. The group laughed as Ashana peered out of her hut to take a peek at this new arrival and smiled lightly, then said,

"He even looks like an Amazon!"

"What. . . cute and extremely hot!" Falcon retorted looking at all the women in the room as they laughed together.

"Thank you for the compliment, Falcon." Cyan said, "I have agreed to let him stay on a majority vote. Everyone seems to be getting alone and no one has killed anyone yet," she said grimly, "he can stay."

Back at the hut, Saran, Eri, and Tama were conversing. The two young women sat there talking a bit while Tama ate two bagels and drank three cups of Java.

"Tama, I'd slow down on the Java if I were you. . .!" Eri said cautiously.

"Go go go go go go go go!" Yelled Saran, pounding her fist on the table as Tama downed his fifth cup of Java. He grinned evily at Saran then to Eri and said in an odd(bevis and butthead sort of way)

"He He He, Java Java Java Java Java Java Java Java Java," he said pressing his hands firmly onto the table as the two youthful women roared with laughter. He became amused with their laughter and said it faster and faster,

"Javajavajavajavajavajavajavajavajavajavajavajavajavajavajavajavajavajava!"

The ladies roared louder until more women came and joined in laughing. Then Tama stood up and looked up and said to Eri speaking rather quickly,

"Ifeelfunny." Calming down a bit Eri replied to him,

"I hate to say it, but I told you so! It's called hyperactivity or hyper."

"IfeellikeIgottarunfast!" With that Eri began laughing again and Tama took off running as Saran began running with him.

"It really great that someone can drink as much Java as me!" Saran said huffing.

"Ha ha ha. . .*huff huff*. . .yeah well I have never had that before and it tastes good!" Tama said pushing along at a considerable rate. "So am I the only guy on this awesome island full of incredible women?" He said looking at Saran. She smiled and blushed, then replied,

"No, there are like three or four more guys, none that are as funny and like me as you, though." He smiled, somewhat understanding what Saran was saying.

"Do you make anything?" Tama asked questioningly. Saran reached over and grabbed Tama's arm halting him quickly.

"You mean you built stuff!? Out of what?"

". . . . .popsicle sticks. . . . "

"This is Great! You are a gift from heaven!" Saran said excitedly, wrapping his arms around Tama's waist and hugging him tightly. Tama said in short cut-off breaths,

"Need. . .to. . .Saran. . .air. . .loosing consciousness."

"Oh sorry!" Saran said a little apologetic.

"I love to build things! It's my get away from the 'normal' people time." She said jokingly as Tama bent over laughing.

"I build with coffee stirrers!"

"Oh those little brown tube like thingies!?"

"Yeah!" The two set down leaning against opposite trees facing each other looking quite tired. Tama sat there for awhile and heard a soft blowing, as he looked over at Saran who was sound asleep. He smiled lightly and whispered,

"Poor gal is all tuckered out from running!"

He slide his muscular arm under the joint below her knee and carefully leaned her forward wrapping his other arm around her picking her up slowly. He smiled down at her and began to walk back to the village.

Eri sat at the Java Hut through amused still with the pervious incident with Tama as Corde giggles silently, trying to be stern over how much java he actually drank.

"He drank enough java to knock out at least three normal healthy amazons! Basically, he just downed about a two litter or two and a half." She said this in a bit of shock, as Tama returned carrying Saran in his arms as Ashana came dashing up quickly.

"Is she Okay? What happened?"

"She'll be fine, settle down, she's just sleeping from our run." He said laughing as he walked towards the Healer's Hut, past the linen draperies. He smiles softly down at her as he walked over to a small cot covered in a thin white sheet. He laid her down gently and grabbed the blankets, pulling them to her chest, then standing and turning to see, Cyan, Ashana, Eri, Corde, and Falcon. Tama cleared his throat in confusion.

"Ummm, Hi?"

"That was very sweet of you to carry her back the whole way. Wasn't that about a mile?" Corde responded, slightly grinning. Cyan looked at Falcon who spoke to break the silence.

"Yes it was. . ."

"We will hold a large feast in the arrival of Tamahome." Cyan said to everyone. "Prepare lots of food and pop and java and everything! This is going to be a big feast!" Suddenly popping to life, sitting up quickly, Saran grinned evilly and asked.

"Did you just say POP?!"

Quickly, the healer's hut became a laughing frenzy, as the people laughed enthustiacally at Saran who had suddenly come to life, leaped out of bed and jogged to the Java hut and began helping Corde preparing drinks and bagels. Eri and Falcon began gathering food and fine wines from the cellars, along with Loa and Rae. Meanwhile, Tama was grabbing tables and moving them into a large area and setting them evenly, when young man waltzed up to him looking at him suspiciously. Feeling a little uncomfortable, Tama decided to strike up a conversation with the strange young fellow.

" Hello, my name is Tamahome, but you can call me Tama." Tama extended his hand to the stranger, reaching for his hand slowly. The strange man replied carefully and slowly, pulling his hand away quickly.

"I beg you pardon! Who do you think I am?"

"I have no real clue. . ."

"Oh. . .yes, yes, allow myself to introduce. . .myself. . ." The stranger shakes his head wearily of the odd thing he just said, as Tama stifles a quieted laugh, muffled by his hand. "I am General Mad Matt! Welcome to my island."

"Your island? I thought it was Queen Cyan's?"

"She wants you to believe her. . .she's a con-man."

"Right. . ."

"I am as serious as a Indian Belly Dancer in the middle of October!"

". . . . . . . . . ."

"psssst. . .vote Mad Matt, for governor!" The crazy man handed him a small pin that read. . .'Vote Matt in the Hat, he'll make your life great! Matt for Governor!'

"o--k. . . "

"YOU YOU'RE ONE OF THEM! AHHH!" Screaming loudly, Mad Matt tore off towards the palace and stopped leaning against a large marble pillar, laughing hysterically. " I cannot believe he actually believed me! Ha ha ha!" Tama smiled passing him carrying a large table on his back, saying quietly enough for Matt to hear, "I guess I win? Ha ha ha!" Looking quiet dumbfounded, Matt leaned against the pillar, saying nothing.

To Be Continued………