"Ouch!" I screamed, intoxicated by the smell of blood that poured out my arm. Dr. Katar took the bandages off my arm to dig the entire arrow residue out my arm so I can leave the hospital. Why doesn't Diana understand that we should be friends? She always thinks everything is a competition between us. I think it's because I am the prince and also because I am the best opponent for her in the Quest.

"How did you get an arrow stuck in your arm anyway?" Dr. Katar asked.

"Well the participants for the quest-Ramon, Diana, Marcus, and I- were doing simulation and Diana took it too far and actually hit me with her arrow."

"Did she say sorry or my bad?"

"No, she laughed. She spit on me and called me names. Although, it didn't faze me." Dr. Katar dug deeper in my arm and I screeched.

"Oh well I bet she didn't mean it, she really shot it in there deep though." Dr. Katar stated, while digging his pliers in my arm to get the pieces of arrow out my arm.

"Yeah," I gritted my teeth, "she probably did it on purpose, getting me out the quest." He finally got the last bits of arrow out of my arm. He puts alcohol on my arm and puts the bandage over it.

"Don't say stuff like that. You are a prince destined to be king and you don't need that type of attitude towards your citizens," Dr. Katar said, "Well it's all done, you should drink a lot of water and stay by light and you will be fine before the quest. Also tell your dad that I'll be there for Finnegan's birthday party." Dr. Katar said, getting up and throwing away his gloves. He opens up the door and says, "I'll be back, im just going to get your x-rays from the desk and I will be back in a minute." I sat there thinking. My family, friends, I am leaving them all behind when I go on the quest. What if I fail? What if I die? I can never come back. Then sabotage, someone will try to over throw my father and Finnegan is to young too rule. So it would have to be the winner of the quest. And I will never forgive myself if I lose to Diana. Dr. Katar comes in the room. "Well, as you can see in the picture, your arm is going to be fine. Your mom is in the waiting room. So that means your free to go." He seemed hesitant and panicky. Was it something wrong with my x-ray? Am I paralyzed forever? Will I really be ok for the quest? I don't know but I hope it is nothing to serous. We head out the door and down the hallway. We pass 2 Corners and went on the elevator. I see my mom and Finnegan.

I whispered to Dr. Katar, "Thank you for fixing my arm."

"No problem, you just better win the quest because who else but me can handle your injuries. I am I right."

"Jacob," my mom jumps up out of her chair and hugs me, "I was worried about you, and is your arm ok?"

"Dr. Katar said I'll be fine. You don't have to worry," I reassure her. Finnegan ran towards me and hugs me too.

"Bro, I haven't seen you in forever," Finnegan said.

"It's been a day," I corrected.

"Oh well it doesn't matter bro, I still missed you."

"I missed you to."

"Well I hate to end the loving but Queen Hastings I'm going to need you in my office," Dr. Katar interrupts. My mom follows Dr. Katar to his office. It seemed weird why Dr. Katar wanted my mom in his office. Was it about his hesitation in words back there? Was I about the thing I said about Diana? This is all her fault if I get in trouble. Something in my gut says it's about me.

My thoughts are interpreted Finnegan saying, "Do you wanna play a game Jacob."

"Sure," I replied. Finnegan and I played games while we waited. Since he is 10 we played games that would be fun for him and less enticing for me. "Jacob, please don't go," Finnegan said, he stopped the game and hugged me.

"I have to, I can't let my people down, I can't let father down."

"Well let me come with you," He cried.

"That's impossible Finnegan."

"Well what if you don't come back."

"I will come back," I say reassuring him," but if I don't, take some really powerful Safarians and take one of the ships and fly to whatever planet I'm going to ok?"

"Ok." When my mom finally got out of his office it was 1 hour later. Finnegan was asleep and I carried him to the car and inside the house. It was late and I was tired, so I skipped dinner and took my bath and hit the sac. My mind is stilling jumping between thoughts. All of a sudden my lights were turned on. I get out of the covers to see who it was. It was my mother. She was crying.

"Mom, what's wrong?" I asked, I got up from my seat and hugged her.

"I'm not ready for you to leave yet honey," She said weeping out her sorrows on my shirt. I hold her hand and rub my thumb against her scar. "Do you know how I got this scar?" she asked pulling away from the hug and pointing to the scar.

"No," I looked, puzzled about what this had to do with anything.

"Well, your father just won the quest and luckily for him we were in the middle of a world vs. world battle was going on. He picked some of the smartest, athletic, and powerful Safarians out there. I was one; I was one of the best archers in Safarian history. We went towards the castle instead of going towards the king. Your father's instinct said that the orb of gratitude was there. Indeed it was, we fought every guard there to get the orb and we succeeded. I went to retrieve one but a guard stabbed me in the hand with is sword. Your father cut his head off. We got the orb and it upgraded our technology. Your father and I dated for a while and then got married." She smiles and the comes back and says, "one day you are going to leave us, and that day is tomorrow. No matter what, trust your instinct and your gut ok."

"Yes mom," I said respectively.

"Good, now get some sleep before you leave ok." I watched her leave and turned off the light. I get under the covers wondering what that was all about. I still go to sleep easily.

The next morning I get up to the smell of blueberry waffles. Since this would be my last morning being here. Today was the day of the quest. Every participant would have to meet up at the pavilion and every person in town is supposed to come. Before I went to the hospital I packed my bags full of clothes, weapons, and supplies. We are going to be briefed at noon but my father was going to get me a special briefing before. I got ready for the day and took all my bags downstairs in the wagon. I went towards the kitchen to see my mom putting the pigs feet on the table. The table had a layout of waffles, toast, pig's feet, broth, and fish. "I just thought I would make you something before you leave on the quest," mom says. Finnegan is at the table eating. I sit down and say, "Thank you mom."I eat good, filling my plate up 3 times. After that my father came in.

"Jacob! Jacob!" he yells. I come out of the kitchen.

"Hello father, are we ready for the briefing?" I question.

"Yes, grab your bags and say goodbye." I go and hug my mother tight; she cries on my arm and whispers in my ear.

"I love you son, and you better come back for me ok?" she said trying to hold back more tear.

"Yeah, we all miss you and love you bro," Finnegan said running over to hug me.

"I love you guys to," the hug was interrupted by my father's hand on my shoulder gesturing me to leave. I grab my bags and walk out, I didn't dare look back. I put the bags in the wagon and get in. My dad wore his long black robe, and me I was wore my cloak and sandals on.

"Dad, where are we going?" I asked.

"You'll see," He said. We ended up in his studies, way in the Forest of Traipse. He opens up the door to the small room. His studies wasn't bigger than my bedroom, it was just a small room with a small room with a desk and a draw.

"I want to show you something that will help you on your quest," my dad, said walking towards his desk.

"Dad, I don't think there is anything that will help me in here," I say. That's when dad picks up his lamp and a secret passage way opens up on the ground.

"You might want to think again, climb down." Dad lights a torch and goes down the ladder. I follow. He jumps off and goes down a long small corridor. He suddenly stops, "Where here," he took out a key and put it in a socket by the wall. The socket opened and a sword came out. It was silver and long and sharp. "This sword is an ancient Safarian relic; it was lost from the first galaxy war where the winner of the quest, Patrick Hastings, won the war with that sword. Patrick Hastings is your long great grandfather." With the dim light I can make out the initials, on the sword, P.H. for Patrick Hastings.

"This was for Patrick, it wasn't for me. You never loved me. I am just a replacement for Patrick to you," I yell, holding back the anger.

"No you aren't. I love you just the same," he said back with reassurance.

"Don't lie to me every time you look at me, it is like you lost all your heart. You try to make it up for me with Finnegan but I can still see the lost hope in your eyes that you'll never see your son again and that is all my fault. What I do? I was only 12. I couldn't help anymore than I could," I cried in frustration, "You are just and because he was the one, he was destined and I wasn't. But I will prove you wrong, I'll take your stupid sword and I will win the quest and come back and be King, and you will have to honor me no matter if I am my brother or I am me!" I walk away, blocking out his yells. With the sword in my hand, I cut one of the horses that was attached to the wagon take my bags and I head for the pavilion.

When I get there I see Diana, Craig, and Lionel. They are all participants in the contest and each has special skills. Diana is an archer, Lionel is an alchemist, and Craig is a brute. They are all really stuck up but Lionel. "So prince, are you going to be up to the challenge because I heard wimps don't make it out in the galaxy," Craig snickered.

"Yeah, you will probably chicken out on the first battle," Diana adds.

"You know I don't really like to talk to pathetic buffoons," I shot back then walked to my spot on the pavilion. "May the best man win Lionel," I say.

"Well I guess you're rooting for yourself," Lionel joked. My father rode here on a horse. The crowd went wild and clapped for the king as he went up to the pavilion. We all went to our teleporting pads. The guards took our bags, micro sized it, and put into the box.

"Hello all subjects, and welcome to another cycle of the quest. As you know the rules, each kid will go to different planets to dominate and become feared and adored by their planet's subjects. We will monitor their progression with little chips on their clothes. The first one to fulfill the mission will come back to our planet, Safari, and be the winner and be able to lead our army to a war between planets wars," everybody then claps and wars at my father, "Now what you all have been waiting for. First Lionel, you are going to planet ProStar." All of a sudden, Lionel warps out. "Craig, you are going to planet Simi. Diana, lucky you, you are going to the planet Mars. Last but not least Jacob, my son, you are going to Earth." Earth? What planet is that? I say to myself before I warp.