The Next Erenveil Empress

"What happened to Jenna and Valeria?" Candi asked, switching the subject. The war was depressing to think about.

Slate shook his head with a grin. "I didn't have time to watch them. Space Pirates were on my tail and shooting at me."

"Do you have time to watch it with me now?" She asked.

Slate smiled and leaned back against the pillows.

"I always have time for you, and even if I don't have time, I will make the time." He patted the spot next to him.

"Come over here and watch it with me."

Candi smiled and sidled up agains Slate, resting her head on his tree trunk arms as he started up the visuals again.

The first visual that popped up was Valeria.

Although Anaïse had shown up and taken her rightful spot, there was no way they could eliminate Valeria's performance. Once Dante granted her permission, it was a done deal.

After watching for a few minutes, Candace had to admit. Valeria was a very wooden performer.

At her core, Valeria was a Princess. Her training was focused on the arts and how to be a gracious hostess at political parties. It was certainly not trying to entertain a crowd of trillions of people.

This was a sad and unfortunate truth, because of all the Avgo Females, Valeria was the most competent at magic.

The Magic and Illusions Event should have been the single event where she showcased her talents in the most stunning manner possible.

Unfortunately, her delivery of the motions and the acts of magic themselves were so route and clinical, as amazing as the magic was, it felt forced and unnatural.

Not only was something that was supposed to be magical feel ho-hum and blasé, Valeria herself exuded ho-hum and boring vibes.

By the time she finished her routine, the audience gave a nice round of applause but everyone knew this would be Valeria's final appearance at the Avgo Events.

And then Jenna appeared.

In a flash of yellow, black, and orange strobe lights, she popped out of nowhere onto the stage, blinding the crowd with her animal magnetism.

The crowd hollered their welcome.

Janna roared back, her feline growl reverberating across the auditorium.

She waved once to the audience and leaped into the air. As her body launched forward, she morphed into her cat body and ran across the stage.

As she ran, she began creating trees and boulders out of thin air. With a single powerful leap, Jenna bounded onto a gnarled oak tree.

From the top of the tree, she jumped down into magic water which splashed upward as if it was real.

It was real!

The first row of audience got soaked and the crowd went wild!!!

Jenna had put so much detail into the magic she wrought that it was as if she had imported her entire jungle world onto that stage and shared a glimpse of what her home looked like.

The jungle sounds of distant drums, the rustling of jungle leaves, even the scent of her world had been skillfully woven into the performance that the audience howled and cheered, begging for more.

By the end of the performance, Jenna was given a well-deserved standing ovation. It was spectacular in showmanship. She was an amazingly talented magician and no one could ever doubt her abilities to be a magnificent Empress.

The score flashed over her head as she took her final bow, still in leopard form.

'DISQUALIFIED.'

'DISQUALIFIED.'

'DISQUALIFIED.'

"What???" Candi jerked upright.

Slate clicked his tongue.

"Tch tch. She disqualified herself and got thrown out of the Avgo Events, that's what happened."

"How???" Candi turned her hazel eyes at him in confusion. It was a stunning performance that rivaled even her own dance routine.

Slate rolled his blue eyes. "Do you remember what one of the rules of the Avgo Events is?"

Candi started to shake her head but then she gasped and covered her mouth.

"She had to stay in humanoid form!!!" Candi turned back to the visual.

Jenna was still prowling around on the stage in her big cat body. "Oh my God. She completely transformed into a leopard and went through the entire performance in a cat body!"

"That's right. Jenna has been disqualified from the Avgo Events. That means it's just you and Anaïse left."

Candi shook her head. "I don't understand something, Slate. Why do we have to remain in our humanoid form?"

Slate laughed. "Because, Love. We were all originally humans. All the various species spread out across the galaxy are humanoid in form because a human was transformed by genetics and magic."

"I see. So humans are the standard?"

"Yes. Although you humans are weaker and less capable than most other species out there, you have one thing that they do not. A pure lineage."

"Pure—pure lineage?"

"Yes. You breed true. Well—" he smiled. "You and us Bats. We breed true as well."

"I see. So my children would be human if my husband is human, or bat if my husband is a bat, but if my husband was a bird or bug or reptile, my child wouldn't be like him?"

"There is a chance that they would be, but since birds and insectoids don't breed true, the variation is very large. Many of their babies are stillborn and many others have such terrible deformities that they don't survive past their first year."

"But bats and humans have deformities too."

"Yes, but not to the extent that the other species of humans have."

"And Valeria? What was her score?"

Slate shook his head. "She got no score. Although this is not an elimination competition, she had already been eliminated at the previous event. Dante allowing her to perform did not mean she was restored to the lineup."

"Oh my." Candi shook her head. "Did she know that?"

"I don't know, but it was quite obvious. Her time slot to begin was even before the old goat Lorem Ipsum came on stage."

Slate raised his eyebrows.

"If Lorem doesn't do the introductions, it was because she was no longer part of the Avgo Events."

Candi sighed, shaking her head. She knew how nerve-wracking performing for the Avgo was.

For Valeria to have done this much preparation only to have her performance merely considered as one of the many many opening acts before the actual Avgo performances was a huge slap in the face.

Slate rubbed her head. "Congratulations, Love."

"Based upon the points alone, you have won the Events. The judges called the contest and ended the Avgo competition. Even if Anaïse manages to win first place in the final competition, she would still be very far behind you."

He turned his sparkling blue eyes at her.

"You, my love, have clinched the spot to be the next Empress of Erenveil."