Post by Kino is Slightly Derpy on Apr 23, 2013 6:53:20 GMT -5
Hey everyone 
I found the help and advice everyone gave me last time helped IMMENSELY in getting my very first series published *THANK YOU*
So I'm back, with a new series and I hope I can get your help leading up to Issue 600 ;D
I've gone through this series a few times, corrected a lot of grammar and continuity errors throughout. I'm a little burned out from looking it over and I'm hoping a fresh set of eyes will be able to pick out any glaring mistakes.
It's titled: Defender of Neopia: A Krawk in Lupe Clothing
It's complete, I don't need to extend it any further and I am hoping to run it through issue 600, to give some other series a chance at making the cut
Any thoughts and tips are welcome. Hope you like this one
I found the help and advice everyone gave me last time helped IMMENSELY in getting my very first series published *THANK YOU*
So I'm back, with a new series and I hope I can get your help leading up to Issue 600 ;D
I've gone through this series a few times, corrected a lot of grammar and continuity errors throughout. I'm a little burned out from looking it over and I'm hoping a fresh set of eyes will be able to pick out any glaring mistakes.
It's titled: Defender of Neopia: A Krawk in Lupe Clothing
PART 1
Month of Eating, Y14 - Somewhere deep within the Haunted Woods…
“It’s nearly complete,” a shadowy figure croaked holding a glass bottled filled with a purplish liquid, “All I need now, is something to test it on…”
Meanwhile, back in Neopia Central…
It was a beautifully sunny day in Neopia Central. Business was bustling and Neopets were dashing all over as they rushed to find the last of the plastic neggs that Kari, The Negg Faerie, had hidden for the annual Negg Festival. The smell of Hubert’s vast variety of hotdogs filled the springtime air.
“I found one!” A blue Aisha exclaimed excitedly as she ran back to Kari wearing a big grin. The Negg Festival was a sign that spring was upon Neopia. It was also a time where training schools graduated their most accomplished and deserving students.
Keenomarci had been training very hard with the Defenders of Neopia. She trained with Lightning Lenny and sparred to hone her skills with Aisheena. The day had come when Keenomarci would be dubbed a full Defender of Neopia.
She rolled out of bed and gazed out the window as she watched the young Neopets rushing to find the next hidden negg. She smiled gently and began to get prepared for her big day.
Keenomarci had undergone a few changes since her last adventure four years ago. She had been painted Royal and had picked out a costume. She also had discovered some new abilities and after spending some time training with faeries in Faerieland, she discovered that she was able to unleash a powerful scream. This led her to pick her Defender name: ‘Kyshriek’.
She had designed her costume for full motion and to conceal her true identity. She wore black boots and donned her flame resistant black tunic with red trimming. She had sewn together a hood from the same material as that of her tunic; it felt snug against her face as she pulled it over her head. Her mane was able to flow free thanks to an extra hole she left in the back of her mask.
As she stood looking in the mirror it finally struck her: She is a Defender of Neopia, the greatest heroic force Neopia has ever seen. The leather in her gloves creaked as she balled her paws into fists and practised her hero poses.
“I am Kyshriek!” She exclaimed, cracking the mirror and glass in the windows slightly, “I guess I should tone that back a bit.”
There came a light knocking on the door, “Kyshriek? Are you almost ready?” a familiar voice came from beyond the door.
Dressed in her Defender gear Kyshriek stepped towards the door awkwardly; she was still getting a feel for her new clothing. She opened the door gently and was met with the bright smile of Aisheena.
“There you are,” Aisheena’s enthusiasm was present in her voice, “You look wonderful!”
“Thank you!” Kyshriek cheerfully replied and blushed under her mask, “That really does mean a lot, coming from you.”
Aisheena was the first and one of the few female Defenders of Neopia. Kyshriek had always idolized her when she was just a young blue Kyrii. Now she has earned the rank of Defender and she gets to fight alongside her childhood hero.
The two super-heroines walked towards the lobby of Defender Headquarters and talked briefly about the past few years of training.
“I’m really impressed with how far you have come along.” Aisheena was glowing with pride.
“I had great teachers. Between you, Lightning Lenny and Judge Hog I have been able to train myself beyond what I thought I could achieve.” she replied, with an admiring gaze.
“I’ve never seen anyone defeat Mammoth in an arm-wrestling match before; it was quite impressive!” Aisheena noted.
Kyshriek chuckled slightly, “Oh, that? I am certain he let me win. You know, to boost my confidence.”
Aisheena shook her head and smiled, “No, he’s fiercely competitive. He trained non-stop for a week after that loss.” They both laughed.
“I’m happy that I stuck with my training,” Kyshriek stopped a moment. She felt a sharp pain and deep sense of foreboding.
“Is something wrong?” Aisheena noticed Kyshriek wincing.
“No. It’s nothing,” She shook her head as the pain went away, “I must just be nervous.”
They continued down the hall. Aisheena was now wearing a look of concern. They arrived in the grand hall which had been decorated in gold and blue to celebrate Graduation Day and the Negg Festival. Beautiful shimmering silk banners hung from the high ceiling. They glistened as the mid-day Neopian sun shone through the stained glass windows. The hall was split by a brilliant red carpet that led to a wooden podium at the front of the hall. Nearly every inch of the polished marble that made up the walls and floors were sparkling with sunlight.
Kyshriek let out a soft gasp, “It is so beautiful,”
“I love being in here at this time of day,” Aisheena’s smile returned to her face, “This is the perfect time of year, the sunlight just makes the entire room glow.”
Judge Hog walked up behind the two heroines, “It’s why we choose this day to honor our most accomplished trainees and promote those who have shown they are worthy.” He placed a hand on Kyshriek’s shoulder, with a firm grip.
“Judge Hog!” she choked out, startled.
He laughed, his heavy voice resounding in the grand hall. “I apologize if I startled you. Are you ready for your induction?”
Judge Hog motioned a hand towards the wooden podium. Kyshriek walked towards the podium nervously. As she walked past the rows of seats, she noticed rows and rows of Neopets staring at her with silent admiration. As she arrived at the podium, she noticed that there was a familiar face in the front row. It was the blue Acara, Ginny, which she had helped get her bike back all those years ago. Kyshriek nodded and waved towards her, Ginny beamed with excitement.
She stood in front of the crowd that had gathered and felt anxious. It’s the moment she had been waiting several years for. She grasped the microphone and took a deep breath.
“Neopia –” Her words were cut short by a loud explosion that came from the Neopian Plaza. The loud boom sent a panic throughout the crowd that had gathered in the Grand Hall. Judge Hog and Aisheena, who had been proudly observing the proceedings, looked around the room sharply as they tried to gain their bearings.
There was a loud cracking noise that came from inside the hall. Kyshriek looked around before looking up to see that there was a large portion of the roof that was about to collapse. Judge Hog and Aisheena were preoccupied with ensuring that all the Neopets were evacuating in an orderly manner. Ginny found herself snagged on an upturned bench. She struggled to free herself, unaware at the massive chunk of marble that would soon be hurtling towards her.
As the piece of roof began to crumble loose and fall, Kyshriek tossed the podium aside and dashed towards Ginny just as the massive chunk of marble reached them. Ginny quivered in fear; she opened one eye slowly. Through a large cloud of marble dust she saw the silhouette of Kyshriek. Her legs were trembling as she held up the large piece of marble.
“Get to safety, Ginny!” she shouted.
Ginny was stunned momentarily, but managed to unhook herself from the snag and she ran out the door.
Kyshriek grunted and let out a massive shout as she tossed the marble aside which crushed the remains of the stage she had been standing on. She caught her breath and surveyed the area. The room had become unstable; the remaining marble crumbling around her. She attempted to run towards Judge Hog and she could see he was trying to say something but the sound of chaos was overwhelming. Her pathway became blocked by a shower of marble rock from the ceiling, forcing Aisheena and Judge Hog to retreat and seemingly trapping Kyshriek inside.
She looked around the room as it began to cave in around her and noticed that some of the debris had formed a ramp towards one of the stained glass windows. With nothing to lose she ran as hard as she could across the crumbling debris. She adeptly dodged the falling rock and glass and shrieked loudly as she leapt towards the stained glass. The force she put behind her yell shattered the stained glass as she flew through the now empty window pane with ease.
She hit the ground and rolled. Quickly gathering herself, she leapt to her feet and watched as the room she had been standing in moments before crumbled to the ground. She let out a sigh between gasps for breath.
“Thank goodness everyone made it out.” She thought to herself.
There were still yells and noises coming from the other side of the pile of rubble that used to be part of Defender Headquarters. Kyshriek made her way to the group of heroes that had gathered at the Hero Fountain out front of Defender HQ.
“Lenny, I need you to contact Fyora. See if she can spare any water faeries to help with the fires.” Judge Hog was giving orders and the Defenders were rushing off to their assignments.
“…Right away, Judge Hog!” Lightning Lenny saluted as he rushed off towards Faerieland.
“Kyshriek, reporting in.” she spoke, walking up behind Judge Hog.
“Ah!” He shouted, “I was worried we had lost our newest hero before she could be inducted. It would seem as though somebody was trying to send us a message.”
“Sending us a message, sir?” Kyshriek asked, puzzled.
Judge Hog nodded; a concerned look wore on his face. “It would seem as though they have left us something behind.”
“Is it a clue?” She asked.
“You could say that,” he replied. He revealed a cracked bottled faerie, “or perhaps a calling card.”
“Balthazar was behind this?” she gasped, “Why would he attack Defender Headquarters? What does he have to gain?”
Judge Hog shook his head softly, “I don’t know. I’ve got a few heroes investigating…” He paused for a moment and looked at Kyshriek, “… actually you may be better suited for this.”
She stood at attention, “Yes sir, what is my mission?”
“I need you to go to the Haunted Woods. Check out Balthazar’s grove and visit Neovia. We’ve got a couple of people in Neovia that may give us an idea of why Balthazar would have tried this.”
“Of course, right away sir!” She rushed off towards the Haunted Woods with a reinforced sense of purpose; she could feel the passion burning inside her. “You’ll pay for this, Balthazar!”
TO BE CONTINUED
“It’s nearly complete,” a shadowy figure croaked holding a glass bottled filled with a purplish liquid, “All I need now, is something to test it on…”
Meanwhile, back in Neopia Central…
It was a beautifully sunny day in Neopia Central. Business was bustling and Neopets were dashing all over as they rushed to find the last of the plastic neggs that Kari, The Negg Faerie, had hidden for the annual Negg Festival. The smell of Hubert’s vast variety of hotdogs filled the springtime air.
“I found one!” A blue Aisha exclaimed excitedly as she ran back to Kari wearing a big grin. The Negg Festival was a sign that spring was upon Neopia. It was also a time where training schools graduated their most accomplished and deserving students.
Keenomarci had been training very hard with the Defenders of Neopia. She trained with Lightning Lenny and sparred to hone her skills with Aisheena. The day had come when Keenomarci would be dubbed a full Defender of Neopia.
She rolled out of bed and gazed out the window as she watched the young Neopets rushing to find the next hidden negg. She smiled gently and began to get prepared for her big day.
Keenomarci had undergone a few changes since her last adventure four years ago. She had been painted Royal and had picked out a costume. She also had discovered some new abilities and after spending some time training with faeries in Faerieland, she discovered that she was able to unleash a powerful scream. This led her to pick her Defender name: ‘Kyshriek’.
She had designed her costume for full motion and to conceal her true identity. She wore black boots and donned her flame resistant black tunic with red trimming. She had sewn together a hood from the same material as that of her tunic; it felt snug against her face as she pulled it over her head. Her mane was able to flow free thanks to an extra hole she left in the back of her mask.
As she stood looking in the mirror it finally struck her: She is a Defender of Neopia, the greatest heroic force Neopia has ever seen. The leather in her gloves creaked as she balled her paws into fists and practised her hero poses.
“I am Kyshriek!” She exclaimed, cracking the mirror and glass in the windows slightly, “I guess I should tone that back a bit.”
There came a light knocking on the door, “Kyshriek? Are you almost ready?” a familiar voice came from beyond the door.
Dressed in her Defender gear Kyshriek stepped towards the door awkwardly; she was still getting a feel for her new clothing. She opened the door gently and was met with the bright smile of Aisheena.
“There you are,” Aisheena’s enthusiasm was present in her voice, “You look wonderful!”
“Thank you!” Kyshriek cheerfully replied and blushed under her mask, “That really does mean a lot, coming from you.”
Aisheena was the first and one of the few female Defenders of Neopia. Kyshriek had always idolized her when she was just a young blue Kyrii. Now she has earned the rank of Defender and she gets to fight alongside her childhood hero.
The two super-heroines walked towards the lobby of Defender Headquarters and talked briefly about the past few years of training.
“I’m really impressed with how far you have come along.” Aisheena was glowing with pride.
“I had great teachers. Between you, Lightning Lenny and Judge Hog I have been able to train myself beyond what I thought I could achieve.” she replied, with an admiring gaze.
“I’ve never seen anyone defeat Mammoth in an arm-wrestling match before; it was quite impressive!” Aisheena noted.
Kyshriek chuckled slightly, “Oh, that? I am certain he let me win. You know, to boost my confidence.”
Aisheena shook her head and smiled, “No, he’s fiercely competitive. He trained non-stop for a week after that loss.” They both laughed.
“I’m happy that I stuck with my training,” Kyshriek stopped a moment. She felt a sharp pain and deep sense of foreboding.
“Is something wrong?” Aisheena noticed Kyshriek wincing.
“No. It’s nothing,” She shook her head as the pain went away, “I must just be nervous.”
They continued down the hall. Aisheena was now wearing a look of concern. They arrived in the grand hall which had been decorated in gold and blue to celebrate Graduation Day and the Negg Festival. Beautiful shimmering silk banners hung from the high ceiling. They glistened as the mid-day Neopian sun shone through the stained glass windows. The hall was split by a brilliant red carpet that led to a wooden podium at the front of the hall. Nearly every inch of the polished marble that made up the walls and floors were sparkling with sunlight.
Kyshriek let out a soft gasp, “It is so beautiful,”
“I love being in here at this time of day,” Aisheena’s smile returned to her face, “This is the perfect time of year, the sunlight just makes the entire room glow.”
Judge Hog walked up behind the two heroines, “It’s why we choose this day to honor our most accomplished trainees and promote those who have shown they are worthy.” He placed a hand on Kyshriek’s shoulder, with a firm grip.
“Judge Hog!” she choked out, startled.
He laughed, his heavy voice resounding in the grand hall. “I apologize if I startled you. Are you ready for your induction?”
Judge Hog motioned a hand towards the wooden podium. Kyshriek walked towards the podium nervously. As she walked past the rows of seats, she noticed rows and rows of Neopets staring at her with silent admiration. As she arrived at the podium, she noticed that there was a familiar face in the front row. It was the blue Acara, Ginny, which she had helped get her bike back all those years ago. Kyshriek nodded and waved towards her, Ginny beamed with excitement.
She stood in front of the crowd that had gathered and felt anxious. It’s the moment she had been waiting several years for. She grasped the microphone and took a deep breath.
“Neopia –” Her words were cut short by a loud explosion that came from the Neopian Plaza. The loud boom sent a panic throughout the crowd that had gathered in the Grand Hall. Judge Hog and Aisheena, who had been proudly observing the proceedings, looked around the room sharply as they tried to gain their bearings.
There was a loud cracking noise that came from inside the hall. Kyshriek looked around before looking up to see that there was a large portion of the roof that was about to collapse. Judge Hog and Aisheena were preoccupied with ensuring that all the Neopets were evacuating in an orderly manner. Ginny found herself snagged on an upturned bench. She struggled to free herself, unaware at the massive chunk of marble that would soon be hurtling towards her.
As the piece of roof began to crumble loose and fall, Kyshriek tossed the podium aside and dashed towards Ginny just as the massive chunk of marble reached them. Ginny quivered in fear; she opened one eye slowly. Through a large cloud of marble dust she saw the silhouette of Kyshriek. Her legs were trembling as she held up the large piece of marble.
“Get to safety, Ginny!” she shouted.
Ginny was stunned momentarily, but managed to unhook herself from the snag and she ran out the door.
Kyshriek grunted and let out a massive shout as she tossed the marble aside which crushed the remains of the stage she had been standing on. She caught her breath and surveyed the area. The room had become unstable; the remaining marble crumbling around her. She attempted to run towards Judge Hog and she could see he was trying to say something but the sound of chaos was overwhelming. Her pathway became blocked by a shower of marble rock from the ceiling, forcing Aisheena and Judge Hog to retreat and seemingly trapping Kyshriek inside.
She looked around the room as it began to cave in around her and noticed that some of the debris had formed a ramp towards one of the stained glass windows. With nothing to lose she ran as hard as she could across the crumbling debris. She adeptly dodged the falling rock and glass and shrieked loudly as she leapt towards the stained glass. The force she put behind her yell shattered the stained glass as she flew through the now empty window pane with ease.
She hit the ground and rolled. Quickly gathering herself, she leapt to her feet and watched as the room she had been standing in moments before crumbled to the ground. She let out a sigh between gasps for breath.
“Thank goodness everyone made it out.” She thought to herself.
There were still yells and noises coming from the other side of the pile of rubble that used to be part of Defender Headquarters. Kyshriek made her way to the group of heroes that had gathered at the Hero Fountain out front of Defender HQ.
“Lenny, I need you to contact Fyora. See if she can spare any water faeries to help with the fires.” Judge Hog was giving orders and the Defenders were rushing off to their assignments.
“…Right away, Judge Hog!” Lightning Lenny saluted as he rushed off towards Faerieland.
“Kyshriek, reporting in.” she spoke, walking up behind Judge Hog.
“Ah!” He shouted, “I was worried we had lost our newest hero before she could be inducted. It would seem as though somebody was trying to send us a message.”
“Sending us a message, sir?” Kyshriek asked, puzzled.
Judge Hog nodded; a concerned look wore on his face. “It would seem as though they have left us something behind.”
“Is it a clue?” She asked.
“You could say that,” he replied. He revealed a cracked bottled faerie, “or perhaps a calling card.”
“Balthazar was behind this?” she gasped, “Why would he attack Defender Headquarters? What does he have to gain?”
Judge Hog shook his head softly, “I don’t know. I’ve got a few heroes investigating…” He paused for a moment and looked at Kyshriek, “… actually you may be better suited for this.”
She stood at attention, “Yes sir, what is my mission?”
“I need you to go to the Haunted Woods. Check out Balthazar’s grove and visit Neovia. We’ve got a couple of people in Neovia that may give us an idea of why Balthazar would have tried this.”
“Of course, right away sir!” She rushed off towards the Haunted Woods with a reinforced sense of purpose; she could feel the passion burning inside her. “You’ll pay for this, Balthazar!”
TO BE CONTINUED
PART 2
Somewhere deep within the Haunted Woods, a sinister character plotted more destruction…
“My plan is nearly complete. Part one went smoothly, now it is time to engage part two…”
We rejoin Kyshriek as she rushes through a forest path, towards the Haunted Woods…
The sky darkened as Kyshriek ran deeper into the woods. She had been running non-stop for nearly an hour; exhaustion had started to take hold. Her target was Balthazar’s Grove which was found deep within the Haunted Woods. Finding it would prove to be quite the task.
“Balthazar…” she puffed as she began to slow down to a walking pace. The adrenaline rush she had been running on was quickly fading, leaving her stiff with pain.
She realized that she would have to make a spot to stay for the night or she would quickly find herself without the strength to even topple a Chia Clown. She saw a faint glow amidst the thick brush and decided to make her way towards it. There was a sharp smell of burning wood from a camp nearby. Kyshriek slowly limped forward towards the direction of the pulsing light. Her vision was getting blurry and her eyes felt heavy. She had pushed herself too hard in her fit of rage. There was movement in front of the flickering light, a shadow, which seemed to get closer to her. She tried to call out for help but couldn’t muster more than a squeak as she weakly lifted her paw towards the figure. She fell to the ground exhausted and could hear a muffled voice as she fell fast asleep in the leaves.
* * *
Meanwhile in Neovia there was some cause for concern…
“Gone?” Prigpants exclaimed as he rubbed his monocle, “What do you mean ‘gone’?”
Prigpants is the green Lenny who is part of the eccentric pair running the tailoring shop in Neovia. Normally Prigpants with his partner, the purple Mynci, Swolthy would be busy at work designing and sewing fabulously fashionable wares for the general Neopian public, however…
“I say it just up and disappeared, Prigpants!” Swolthy shouted back, “I swear it was right ‘ere!”
“You mean to tell me a priceless pair of pure silver sheers which we ain’t finished payin’ off yet, I might add, just ‘up and disappeared’?”
Swolthy scratched his head for a moment as he thought about the situation. His expression turned from confusion to that of anger, “Wait a minute, just what are you sayin’?”
The door to the shop swung open with a clanging of kaubells.
“Alright, y’all have some explainin’ ta do!” a very angry looking green Meerca was standing in the doorway. She was brandishing a rolling pin with her tail, “Which of ye took it?”
Prigpants and Swolthy paused their bickering for a moment and looked at each other with a puzzled expression.
“Me apologies Ms. Crumpetmonger but I fear we are a smidge behind the times.” Swolthy nervously replied.
“Don’t ye be playin’ innocent,” Ms. Crumpetmonger shouted and waved the pin at them, “Somebody broke into me shop and stole all me silverware!”
Swolthy paused for a moment, the confused look returned to his face.
Prigpants grabbed him by the collar, “Don’t ya see, Swolthy? They stole her silverware and they stole our silver shears.”
“Um,” Swolthy took a moment to ponder, “I don’t see the connection.”
“It’s the silver, Swolthy!” Prigpants covered his face with his wing and shook his head, “The thief must be stealin’ our silver.”
“Are ye accusing me of stealin’ Ms. Crumpetmonger’s silver too?” Swolthy replied in a furious tone.
“Excuse me, sirs –” Ms. Crumpetmonger tried to interject.
“You’re excused!” They both replied and resumed bickering.
She waddled up to the arguing Neopets and bonked them both with her rolling pin, “Now will ya both listen ta me fer a minute?”
Prigpants and Swolthy rubbed the lumps on their heads as they listened intently to the angry Meerca.
“If ye didn’t steal me silverware and had your silver stolen, it sounds ta me like neither of ye stole the silver.” Ms. Crumpetmonger reasoned.
“Oh I get it now,” Swolthy smiled widely, “So if none of us three stole it, who did?”
“That is the grand question my dear Swolthy,” Prigpants placed his monocle back on his face and tapped his beak with his wing, “This sounds like a job for Detective Prigpants!”
* * *
Meanwhile at the camp site, Kyshriek was about to wake up…
“So you’re finally awake.” A deep but soft voice broke the silence.
The soft voice drifted into Kyshriek’s ears. She heard the cracking of a fire and began to feel the warmth of it washing over her. She opened her eyes slowly and her vision came back slowly. Sitting on a large log next to her was a large pink Elephante, wearing odd gypsy clothing. He smiled widely at her.
“Oh…” she groaned as she sat up slowly.
“Don’t push too hard,” the Elephante urged. He held out a small ceramic cup filled with a minty-fragranced liquid, “Drink this. It will help you regain your strength.”
Kyshriek eyed the cup suspiciously but grasped the cup anyway. It felt warm in her paws. She sniffed it lightly. It smelled like her favorite peppermint tea. She lifted her mask slightly and took a sip.
“You looked like you were absolutely ravished.” He wore a look of genuine concern.
“I suppose I should thank you,” Kyshriek took another sip; “I apologize if I don’t seem grateful.”
The Elephante waved a hand and smiled, “It is quite alright. It is quite fortunate that I had found you actually,” he reached behind the log he was sitting on and pulled out a purple fabric bag, “You see, when I stopped to set up camp for the night, some passer-by took a very important item of mine. I assume that you are part of the Defenders of Neopia, am I correct?”
Kyshriek put the ceramic cup down beside her, “Well, I suppose there wouldn’t be much point in hiding that fact. Yes, I am part of the Defenders.”
“Good,” the odd Elephante nodded, “Am I able to ask you to find my most precious item?”
“Forgive me if I am not completely comfortable just yet.” She replied, eyeing the Elephante strangely. “What happens if I refuse to help you?”
The Elephante chuckled softly and placed the fabric bag next to him on the log, “Ah but you are quick to trust. Perhaps if you don’t help me I won’t give you the antidote,”
Kyshriek choked and shot a glare at the small ceramic cup. She jumped up and grabbed the Elephante by his shirt, lifting him up off of the log, “What was in that cup?” She shouted.
The Elephante laughed. He seemed unfazed by the feat of the Kyrii’s strength, “It was just peppermint tea of course!”
She returned the Elephante to the ground.
“You see, small Kyrii, you were quick enough to trust me and drink my beverage. Are you quick enough to trust me and look for my item?” The Elephante wore a smug smile.
Kyshriek pulled her mask down to cover her face again, “Alright, Elephante. What was taken from you?”
“A book,” he replied. His smile faded to a look of despair.
“What is so special about this book?” She looked at him with a puzzled expression.
“It’s not just any book, you see. I can’t give many details about it but you need to trust me that it is vital that it is returned to me.” His words were stern and cold.
Kyshriek pondered this a moment. She knew that this strange Elephante had the opportunity to unmask her and blow her cover but he didn’t. Perhaps it was in her best interest to listen to his words.
“Alright, I will help you.” She agreed.
“Excellent!” The Elephant trumpeted, clapping his hands in delight.
“Did you get a good look at who took this book from you?” She asked.
“The book was taken while my back was turned but I did get a good look at the culprit’s foot prints,” he replied as he pointed to a sketch that he had made, “The prints were badly damaged due to the moist weather however I did manage to get a sketch of it.”
Kyshriek grasped the sketching and looked it over. It appeared to be a very large foot. It also appeared as though the thief was wearing a very large pair of boots but there were small markings that resembled claws, Lupe claws.
“I think I know who these belong to.” She spoke with a hint of fire in her voice.
“That is wonderful,” the Elephante said, “The footprints had trailed off towards a large clearing off in the distance. I was planning on travelling there after resting for the evening. Shortly after I had set up camp and started the fire however, I noticed you had collapsed a short distance from my camp.”
Kyshriek clenched her teeth tightly. She was furious that she was so close to catching Balthazar; He surely was long gone by now. She calmed down quickly when she realized that she was not very far from Balthazar’s Grove.
“Thank you, Elephante.” She said as she stared in the direction he had pointed towards, “I promise you that I will bring back your book.”
“Thank you,” the Elephante nodded and smiled again, “I shall await your return.”
“What are you planning?” She thought out loud to herself. Her strength had not yet fully come back to her but she felt well enough to carry on knowing that the grove was nearby. She pressed on, not knowing what she would encounter next.
TO BE CONTINUED
“My plan is nearly complete. Part one went smoothly, now it is time to engage part two…”
We rejoin Kyshriek as she rushes through a forest path, towards the Haunted Woods…
The sky darkened as Kyshriek ran deeper into the woods. She had been running non-stop for nearly an hour; exhaustion had started to take hold. Her target was Balthazar’s Grove which was found deep within the Haunted Woods. Finding it would prove to be quite the task.
“Balthazar…” she puffed as she began to slow down to a walking pace. The adrenaline rush she had been running on was quickly fading, leaving her stiff with pain.
She realized that she would have to make a spot to stay for the night or she would quickly find herself without the strength to even topple a Chia Clown. She saw a faint glow amidst the thick brush and decided to make her way towards it. There was a sharp smell of burning wood from a camp nearby. Kyshriek slowly limped forward towards the direction of the pulsing light. Her vision was getting blurry and her eyes felt heavy. She had pushed herself too hard in her fit of rage. There was movement in front of the flickering light, a shadow, which seemed to get closer to her. She tried to call out for help but couldn’t muster more than a squeak as she weakly lifted her paw towards the figure. She fell to the ground exhausted and could hear a muffled voice as she fell fast asleep in the leaves.
* * *
Meanwhile in Neovia there was some cause for concern…
“Gone?” Prigpants exclaimed as he rubbed his monocle, “What do you mean ‘gone’?”
Prigpants is the green Lenny who is part of the eccentric pair running the tailoring shop in Neovia. Normally Prigpants with his partner, the purple Mynci, Swolthy would be busy at work designing and sewing fabulously fashionable wares for the general Neopian public, however…
“I say it just up and disappeared, Prigpants!” Swolthy shouted back, “I swear it was right ‘ere!”
“You mean to tell me a priceless pair of pure silver sheers which we ain’t finished payin’ off yet, I might add, just ‘up and disappeared’?”
Swolthy scratched his head for a moment as he thought about the situation. His expression turned from confusion to that of anger, “Wait a minute, just what are you sayin’?”
The door to the shop swung open with a clanging of kaubells.
“Alright, y’all have some explainin’ ta do!” a very angry looking green Meerca was standing in the doorway. She was brandishing a rolling pin with her tail, “Which of ye took it?”
Prigpants and Swolthy paused their bickering for a moment and looked at each other with a puzzled expression.
“Me apologies Ms. Crumpetmonger but I fear we are a smidge behind the times.” Swolthy nervously replied.
“Don’t ye be playin’ innocent,” Ms. Crumpetmonger shouted and waved the pin at them, “Somebody broke into me shop and stole all me silverware!”
Swolthy paused for a moment, the confused look returned to his face.
Prigpants grabbed him by the collar, “Don’t ya see, Swolthy? They stole her silverware and they stole our silver shears.”
“Um,” Swolthy took a moment to ponder, “I don’t see the connection.”
“It’s the silver, Swolthy!” Prigpants covered his face with his wing and shook his head, “The thief must be stealin’ our silver.”
“Are ye accusing me of stealin’ Ms. Crumpetmonger’s silver too?” Swolthy replied in a furious tone.
“Excuse me, sirs –” Ms. Crumpetmonger tried to interject.
“You’re excused!” They both replied and resumed bickering.
She waddled up to the arguing Neopets and bonked them both with her rolling pin, “Now will ya both listen ta me fer a minute?”
Prigpants and Swolthy rubbed the lumps on their heads as they listened intently to the angry Meerca.
“If ye didn’t steal me silverware and had your silver stolen, it sounds ta me like neither of ye stole the silver.” Ms. Crumpetmonger reasoned.
“Oh I get it now,” Swolthy smiled widely, “So if none of us three stole it, who did?”
“That is the grand question my dear Swolthy,” Prigpants placed his monocle back on his face and tapped his beak with his wing, “This sounds like a job for Detective Prigpants!”
* * *
Meanwhile at the camp site, Kyshriek was about to wake up…
“So you’re finally awake.” A deep but soft voice broke the silence.
The soft voice drifted into Kyshriek’s ears. She heard the cracking of a fire and began to feel the warmth of it washing over her. She opened her eyes slowly and her vision came back slowly. Sitting on a large log next to her was a large pink Elephante, wearing odd gypsy clothing. He smiled widely at her.
“Oh…” she groaned as she sat up slowly.
“Don’t push too hard,” the Elephante urged. He held out a small ceramic cup filled with a minty-fragranced liquid, “Drink this. It will help you regain your strength.”
Kyshriek eyed the cup suspiciously but grasped the cup anyway. It felt warm in her paws. She sniffed it lightly. It smelled like her favorite peppermint tea. She lifted her mask slightly and took a sip.
“You looked like you were absolutely ravished.” He wore a look of genuine concern.
“I suppose I should thank you,” Kyshriek took another sip; “I apologize if I don’t seem grateful.”
The Elephante waved a hand and smiled, “It is quite alright. It is quite fortunate that I had found you actually,” he reached behind the log he was sitting on and pulled out a purple fabric bag, “You see, when I stopped to set up camp for the night, some passer-by took a very important item of mine. I assume that you are part of the Defenders of Neopia, am I correct?”
Kyshriek put the ceramic cup down beside her, “Well, I suppose there wouldn’t be much point in hiding that fact. Yes, I am part of the Defenders.”
“Good,” the odd Elephante nodded, “Am I able to ask you to find my most precious item?”
“Forgive me if I am not completely comfortable just yet.” She replied, eyeing the Elephante strangely. “What happens if I refuse to help you?”
The Elephante chuckled softly and placed the fabric bag next to him on the log, “Ah but you are quick to trust. Perhaps if you don’t help me I won’t give you the antidote,”
Kyshriek choked and shot a glare at the small ceramic cup. She jumped up and grabbed the Elephante by his shirt, lifting him up off of the log, “What was in that cup?” She shouted.
The Elephante laughed. He seemed unfazed by the feat of the Kyrii’s strength, “It was just peppermint tea of course!”
She returned the Elephante to the ground.
“You see, small Kyrii, you were quick enough to trust me and drink my beverage. Are you quick enough to trust me and look for my item?” The Elephante wore a smug smile.
Kyshriek pulled her mask down to cover her face again, “Alright, Elephante. What was taken from you?”
“A book,” he replied. His smile faded to a look of despair.
“What is so special about this book?” She looked at him with a puzzled expression.
“It’s not just any book, you see. I can’t give many details about it but you need to trust me that it is vital that it is returned to me.” His words were stern and cold.
Kyshriek pondered this a moment. She knew that this strange Elephante had the opportunity to unmask her and blow her cover but he didn’t. Perhaps it was in her best interest to listen to his words.
“Alright, I will help you.” She agreed.
“Excellent!” The Elephant trumpeted, clapping his hands in delight.
“Did you get a good look at who took this book from you?” She asked.
“The book was taken while my back was turned but I did get a good look at the culprit’s foot prints,” he replied as he pointed to a sketch that he had made, “The prints were badly damaged due to the moist weather however I did manage to get a sketch of it.”
Kyshriek grasped the sketching and looked it over. It appeared to be a very large foot. It also appeared as though the thief was wearing a very large pair of boots but there were small markings that resembled claws, Lupe claws.
“I think I know who these belong to.” She spoke with a hint of fire in her voice.
“That is wonderful,” the Elephante said, “The footprints had trailed off towards a large clearing off in the distance. I was planning on travelling there after resting for the evening. Shortly after I had set up camp and started the fire however, I noticed you had collapsed a short distance from my camp.”
Kyshriek clenched her teeth tightly. She was furious that she was so close to catching Balthazar; He surely was long gone by now. She calmed down quickly when she realized that she was not very far from Balthazar’s Grove.
“Thank you, Elephante.” She said as she stared in the direction he had pointed towards, “I promise you that I will bring back your book.”
“Thank you,” the Elephante nodded and smiled again, “I shall await your return.”
“What are you planning?” She thought out loud to herself. Her strength had not yet fully come back to her but she felt well enough to carry on knowing that the grove was nearby. She pressed on, not knowing what she would encounter next.
TO BE CONTINUED
PART 3
Deep within the reaches of the Haunted Woods a shadowy figure was making final preparations…
“It’s almost ready,” a dark figure grasped a glass bottled filled with a glowing green liquid, “Are you having fun yet, Balthazar?”
Balthazar stood in a dimly illuminated room. He was being restrained by heavy chains that seemed to be enchanted, as they withstood his attempts to break free.
“What are you planning?” Balthazar sneered.
“If I told you, it would ruin the surprise,” The figure waved a scaly digit at Balthazar, “We’re nearing the full moon, so you’ll find out soon.”
* * *
Meanwhile in Neovia “Detective” Prigpants and his “Assistant” Swolthy were investigating the sudden disappearance of the silver items…
“I didn’t take em, I swears I didn’t!” Bart shouted as he backed up. He bumped into his apple-bobbing barrel.
“How’s it you are able to afford them fine prizes then?” Swolthy stomped up to the barrel and grabbed a rotten tomato out from the murky water, “See this? Imported right from Merridel it is!”
“I-I don’t know ‘ow that got in!” Bart chuckled nervously.
‘Apple-bobbing’ Bart is well known in Neovia mostly for his creepy grin but that never deterred the green Gnorbu from running a mostly-legitimate business.
“I believe he is telling us the truth,” Prigpants stepped towards them slowly. He rubbed his beak and wore a curious look on his face, “Tell me, have any of your items ‘up and disappeared’ lately?”
Bart removed his hat and scratched the balding patch the hat was hiding, “Now that ya mention it, I be seemingly missin’ some of me apples.”
“Curious. What, may I ask, is so unique about your apples?” Prigpants pressed on.
“They ain’t be no ordinary apples that gone missin’. They be my silver apples! Pay a fortune for them I do.” Bart placed his hat back on his head and spit into the murky water.
Swolthy witnessed this and rubbed his hand on Prigpants’ jacket feverishly.
Prigpants raised an eyebrow at him but ignored it, “Do you understand what this means?”
Swolthy took a moment to ponder, “That we shouldn’t bob for apples anymore?”
“It is elementary my dear Swolthy,” Prigpants removed his monocle for a quick cleaning. “Bart cannot be our silver thief as he has had silver items stolen from him as well.”
“Ah that means we ought to look somewheres else, right?” Swolthy shot a glance across town.
Prigpants nodded softly as he replaced his monocle, “The waters are murkier than we first believed.”
“You don’t know the half of it.” Swolthy took a glance at the apple-bobbing barrel briefly as they made their way to their next stop.
* * *
Kyshriek had travelled to Balthazar’s Grove where we re-join her as she continues her search...
The Haunted Woods were mostly under perpetual darkness. The trees were so thick it always seemed like it was night-time. She knew she was getting closer to the grove. She could see a break in the trees where the sun was coming through. Balthazar’s Grove was the only place in the Haunted Woods that had enough space between the trees where light could break in.
It was oddly quiet in the grove. There was a slight breeze that rustled the bare branches of the trees surrounding it but there was nobody to be seen. Kyshriek figured this would be an opportune time to investigate the grounds without being interrupted.
The grove was a relatively large clearing of woods. It appeared as though it was a spot of land where the trees had grown very sporadically. The trees that had grown looked to have been torn out by the roots. There was a large wooden cabin near the back of the grove that appeared to be Balthazar’s home. She had assumed this as the outside of the cabin strewn about were various nets and traps.
The ground was packed hard with very little grass and brush littered about. It was mostly dry dirt and mud with the occasional sparkle of faerie dust.
She walked towards the cabin taking note of the flurry of footprints on the dried soil. There were many markings like the one she saw depicted on the sketch and some that were unfamiliar. They appeared to be long and thin with three toes. The owner of these prints was clearly not a Lupe.
She arrived at the cabin which was steeped in darkness. She went to knock on the door but it slowly opened at her touch. She took a few steps into the cabin and found an unlit candle on a table next to the door. She removed a small bottle of fire sand from the utility pocket on her belt and lit the candle.
The room illuminated and revealed that there had been a scuffle. There were several broken bottled faerie bottles scattered on the floor and some trapping equipment that appeared to have burn damage. It looked like the day after a battledome tournament.
“What could have caused this much damage?” Kyshriek thought out loud.
She pressed on further into the cabin, carefully stepping around the broken bottles. She came to one of the rear rooms of the cabin and heard a thumping noise from behind the door.
“Hello?” She called out, “Is somebody in there?”
The sound went silent. She believed there was something in the cabin with her, so she cautiously reached for the door handle. As she grasped the handle and began to turn the knob it began to feel warm and then became very hot.
“Ouch!” She exclaimed. Her shout shattered the glass faerie bottles that were left remaining on the wall. The wooden door began to smolder and smoke. She could see flames forming at the base of the door and they quickly shot up the frame.
She gasped and looked around for a way to escape. She made the fast decision to break through the wall and threw her fist through the wooden beams. The flames grew quickly and were nearly reaching her as she had torn open a wide enough hole to squeeze through. She pulled herself through the opening and found herself outside moments before flames engulfed the area she had been standing in.
“That was a close call,” She thought to herself as she glanced at the scorch mark on her paw.
There came movement from inside the cabin. Between the flames she noticed a shadow moving around. Before she could say anything there was a bright flash of light and a fiery streak the burst out of the roof that sent a shower of embers cascading across the area.
“You’re not going to take me!” A fiery figure shouted as it streaked across the sky.
It was a young Fire Faerie. Her eyes were burning with a mix of anger and fear. She floated high above Kyshriek and raised a hand.
“Wait, I’m not your enemy!” Kyshriek shouted.
“I don’t believe you,” the Faerie cried out as a large ball of flames grew above her hand. She threw her hand down violently which sent the massive fireball hurtling towards Kyshriek.
Kyshriek leapt out of the way just as the faerie’s attack blasted into the ground. It cooked the dirt to a scorched black.
“I don’t want to hurt you.” She yelled out to the terrified Faerie but the attacks would not cease.
The Faerie cupped her hands outward and blasted a cone of fire towards Kyshriek. She covered her face as the flames licked at her. The fire resistant fabric that her costume was made from did a good job at absorbing the damage.
Seeing that there was no other choice, Kyshriek decided she had to fight back. She waited until the Faerie had taken a moment to regroup and then leapt towards her.
“I said that I am not your enemy!” She screamed, sending a blast of sound towards the Faerie, stunning her.
Kyshriek grappled the Faerie to the ground before she could gather her bearings and held her down firmly.
“Do your worst, fiend.” The Faerie struggled slightly. Her eyes were closed tightly and she was trembling; she had felt defeat.
Kyshriek let go of the Faerie and stood up. She extended a paw to help the Faerie to her feet, “I apologize for being so harsh.”
She lay on the ground for a moment, still trembling with fear. She opened one eye and looked at the gesture offered by her opponent. Cautiously, the Faerie took her hand and returned to her feet.
“Don’t you want to take me away too?” The Faerie asked sheepishly.
“No,” she shook her head, “I told you that I am not your enemy. I am Kyshriek, a Defender of Neopia.”
“I must apologize for my haste,” the Faerie sighed deeply in relief, “I am Faye the Fire Faerie. I had mistaken you for somebody else.”
“Are you hurt?” Kyshriek had noticed a mark on Faye’s arm.
“I am fine, it is nothing that Nereid can’t cure. She is the Water Faerie that oversees the Healing Springs, in Faerieland.” She said rubbing her wound.
“Take this,” Kyshriek removed a small vial of liquid from her utility pouch and handed it to Faye, “It’s not much but it’s essence of everlasting apple. I always carry some in case of injury.”
Faye smiled and dabbed some of the essence on her wound, “Thank you. It is already starting to help.”
“Why are you out this way?” Kyshriek asked, “It is very dangerous for Faeries to venture here.”
“I was captured by Balthazar,” Faye looked to the ground with sadness, “He was going to trap me in a bottle and sell me to the highest bidder before he was attacked.”
“Balthazar was attacked?” Kyshriek gasped. She had thought this whole time that Balthazar was the one perpetuating the chaos. Perhaps this wasn’t the case after all.
“Yes. I did not get to see who attacked him. I just heard a commotion outside of the room I was being kept in. I was being bound by a powerful magic that Balthazar controls, so I couldn’t break free to escape. After some time the magic began to fade and the only way that would happen is if Balthazar was no longer in close enough proximity to cast the enchantment.”
Kyshriek was shocked by this development and began to doubt that Balthazar was behind the attack of Defender HQ, “How long were you in that room after the attack happened?”
“I don’t know, I was so scared to leave the room. When I heard movement inside the cabin, I thought that the ones who had taken Balthazar had come back for me and I panicked.” Faye said remorsefully.
“Are you well enough to fly back to Faerieland?” Kyshriek asked with concern in her voice.
“I should be,” Faye responded as she tried to flex her wings. She had suddenly remembered a detail, “I did overhear someone mention Neovia.”
“Neovia,” Kyshriek pondered this as it was on a list of destinations that she had yet to investigate, “What could they possibly need there?”
“I don’t know.” Faye shook her head, “All I heard was that is where they were planning on taking Balthazar.”
“Thank you very much for your help,” Kyshriek nodded softly, “Please bring word of this to Fyora. I am certain she will be happy to see you are in one piece.”
Faye agreed and paused for a moment, “Before I go I want to give you my blessing as a thank you for rescuing me.” She waved her hands gently as a soft, warm glow enveloped Kyshriek.
“Thank you.” She felt even stronger than she did before.
“It is all that I can do to help. Thank you again; I hope you find the evil ones who did this.” Faye smiled weakly as she took flight. She streaked across the sky leaving a faint trail of flame in her wake.
“Who are we really dealing with here?” Kyshriek wondered to herself as she began to leave the Grove. Neovia was a day’s travel and with the amount of she had already wasted, there was no time left to lose.
TO BE CONTINUED
“It’s almost ready,” a dark figure grasped a glass bottled filled with a glowing green liquid, “Are you having fun yet, Balthazar?”
Balthazar stood in a dimly illuminated room. He was being restrained by heavy chains that seemed to be enchanted, as they withstood his attempts to break free.
“What are you planning?” Balthazar sneered.
“If I told you, it would ruin the surprise,” The figure waved a scaly digit at Balthazar, “We’re nearing the full moon, so you’ll find out soon.”
* * *
Meanwhile in Neovia “Detective” Prigpants and his “Assistant” Swolthy were investigating the sudden disappearance of the silver items…
“I didn’t take em, I swears I didn’t!” Bart shouted as he backed up. He bumped into his apple-bobbing barrel.
“How’s it you are able to afford them fine prizes then?” Swolthy stomped up to the barrel and grabbed a rotten tomato out from the murky water, “See this? Imported right from Merridel it is!”
“I-I don’t know ‘ow that got in!” Bart chuckled nervously.
‘Apple-bobbing’ Bart is well known in Neovia mostly for his creepy grin but that never deterred the green Gnorbu from running a mostly-legitimate business.
“I believe he is telling us the truth,” Prigpants stepped towards them slowly. He rubbed his beak and wore a curious look on his face, “Tell me, have any of your items ‘up and disappeared’ lately?”
Bart removed his hat and scratched the balding patch the hat was hiding, “Now that ya mention it, I be seemingly missin’ some of me apples.”
“Curious. What, may I ask, is so unique about your apples?” Prigpants pressed on.
“They ain’t be no ordinary apples that gone missin’. They be my silver apples! Pay a fortune for them I do.” Bart placed his hat back on his head and spit into the murky water.
Swolthy witnessed this and rubbed his hand on Prigpants’ jacket feverishly.
Prigpants raised an eyebrow at him but ignored it, “Do you understand what this means?”
Swolthy took a moment to ponder, “That we shouldn’t bob for apples anymore?”
“It is elementary my dear Swolthy,” Prigpants removed his monocle for a quick cleaning. “Bart cannot be our silver thief as he has had silver items stolen from him as well.”
“Ah that means we ought to look somewheres else, right?” Swolthy shot a glance across town.
Prigpants nodded softly as he replaced his monocle, “The waters are murkier than we first believed.”
“You don’t know the half of it.” Swolthy took a glance at the apple-bobbing barrel briefly as they made their way to their next stop.
* * *
Kyshriek had travelled to Balthazar’s Grove where we re-join her as she continues her search...
The Haunted Woods were mostly under perpetual darkness. The trees were so thick it always seemed like it was night-time. She knew she was getting closer to the grove. She could see a break in the trees where the sun was coming through. Balthazar’s Grove was the only place in the Haunted Woods that had enough space between the trees where light could break in.
It was oddly quiet in the grove. There was a slight breeze that rustled the bare branches of the trees surrounding it but there was nobody to be seen. Kyshriek figured this would be an opportune time to investigate the grounds without being interrupted.
The grove was a relatively large clearing of woods. It appeared as though it was a spot of land where the trees had grown very sporadically. The trees that had grown looked to have been torn out by the roots. There was a large wooden cabin near the back of the grove that appeared to be Balthazar’s home. She had assumed this as the outside of the cabin strewn about were various nets and traps.
The ground was packed hard with very little grass and brush littered about. It was mostly dry dirt and mud with the occasional sparkle of faerie dust.
She walked towards the cabin taking note of the flurry of footprints on the dried soil. There were many markings like the one she saw depicted on the sketch and some that were unfamiliar. They appeared to be long and thin with three toes. The owner of these prints was clearly not a Lupe.
She arrived at the cabin which was steeped in darkness. She went to knock on the door but it slowly opened at her touch. She took a few steps into the cabin and found an unlit candle on a table next to the door. She removed a small bottle of fire sand from the utility pocket on her belt and lit the candle.
The room illuminated and revealed that there had been a scuffle. There were several broken bottled faerie bottles scattered on the floor and some trapping equipment that appeared to have burn damage. It looked like the day after a battledome tournament.
“What could have caused this much damage?” Kyshriek thought out loud.
She pressed on further into the cabin, carefully stepping around the broken bottles. She came to one of the rear rooms of the cabin and heard a thumping noise from behind the door.
“Hello?” She called out, “Is somebody in there?”
The sound went silent. She believed there was something in the cabin with her, so she cautiously reached for the door handle. As she grasped the handle and began to turn the knob it began to feel warm and then became very hot.
“Ouch!” She exclaimed. Her shout shattered the glass faerie bottles that were left remaining on the wall. The wooden door began to smolder and smoke. She could see flames forming at the base of the door and they quickly shot up the frame.
She gasped and looked around for a way to escape. She made the fast decision to break through the wall and threw her fist through the wooden beams. The flames grew quickly and were nearly reaching her as she had torn open a wide enough hole to squeeze through. She pulled herself through the opening and found herself outside moments before flames engulfed the area she had been standing in.
“That was a close call,” She thought to herself as she glanced at the scorch mark on her paw.
There came movement from inside the cabin. Between the flames she noticed a shadow moving around. Before she could say anything there was a bright flash of light and a fiery streak the burst out of the roof that sent a shower of embers cascading across the area.
“You’re not going to take me!” A fiery figure shouted as it streaked across the sky.
It was a young Fire Faerie. Her eyes were burning with a mix of anger and fear. She floated high above Kyshriek and raised a hand.
“Wait, I’m not your enemy!” Kyshriek shouted.
“I don’t believe you,” the Faerie cried out as a large ball of flames grew above her hand. She threw her hand down violently which sent the massive fireball hurtling towards Kyshriek.
Kyshriek leapt out of the way just as the faerie’s attack blasted into the ground. It cooked the dirt to a scorched black.
“I don’t want to hurt you.” She yelled out to the terrified Faerie but the attacks would not cease.
The Faerie cupped her hands outward and blasted a cone of fire towards Kyshriek. She covered her face as the flames licked at her. The fire resistant fabric that her costume was made from did a good job at absorbing the damage.
Seeing that there was no other choice, Kyshriek decided she had to fight back. She waited until the Faerie had taken a moment to regroup and then leapt towards her.
“I said that I am not your enemy!” She screamed, sending a blast of sound towards the Faerie, stunning her.
Kyshriek grappled the Faerie to the ground before she could gather her bearings and held her down firmly.
“Do your worst, fiend.” The Faerie struggled slightly. Her eyes were closed tightly and she was trembling; she had felt defeat.
Kyshriek let go of the Faerie and stood up. She extended a paw to help the Faerie to her feet, “I apologize for being so harsh.”
She lay on the ground for a moment, still trembling with fear. She opened one eye and looked at the gesture offered by her opponent. Cautiously, the Faerie took her hand and returned to her feet.
“Don’t you want to take me away too?” The Faerie asked sheepishly.
“No,” she shook her head, “I told you that I am not your enemy. I am Kyshriek, a Defender of Neopia.”
“I must apologize for my haste,” the Faerie sighed deeply in relief, “I am Faye the Fire Faerie. I had mistaken you for somebody else.”
“Are you hurt?” Kyshriek had noticed a mark on Faye’s arm.
“I am fine, it is nothing that Nereid can’t cure. She is the Water Faerie that oversees the Healing Springs, in Faerieland.” She said rubbing her wound.
“Take this,” Kyshriek removed a small vial of liquid from her utility pouch and handed it to Faye, “It’s not much but it’s essence of everlasting apple. I always carry some in case of injury.”
Faye smiled and dabbed some of the essence on her wound, “Thank you. It is already starting to help.”
“Why are you out this way?” Kyshriek asked, “It is very dangerous for Faeries to venture here.”
“I was captured by Balthazar,” Faye looked to the ground with sadness, “He was going to trap me in a bottle and sell me to the highest bidder before he was attacked.”
“Balthazar was attacked?” Kyshriek gasped. She had thought this whole time that Balthazar was the one perpetuating the chaos. Perhaps this wasn’t the case after all.
“Yes. I did not get to see who attacked him. I just heard a commotion outside of the room I was being kept in. I was being bound by a powerful magic that Balthazar controls, so I couldn’t break free to escape. After some time the magic began to fade and the only way that would happen is if Balthazar was no longer in close enough proximity to cast the enchantment.”
Kyshriek was shocked by this development and began to doubt that Balthazar was behind the attack of Defender HQ, “How long were you in that room after the attack happened?”
“I don’t know, I was so scared to leave the room. When I heard movement inside the cabin, I thought that the ones who had taken Balthazar had come back for me and I panicked.” Faye said remorsefully.
“Are you well enough to fly back to Faerieland?” Kyshriek asked with concern in her voice.
“I should be,” Faye responded as she tried to flex her wings. She had suddenly remembered a detail, “I did overhear someone mention Neovia.”
“Neovia,” Kyshriek pondered this as it was on a list of destinations that she had yet to investigate, “What could they possibly need there?”
“I don’t know.” Faye shook her head, “All I heard was that is where they were planning on taking Balthazar.”
“Thank you very much for your help,” Kyshriek nodded softly, “Please bring word of this to Fyora. I am certain she will be happy to see you are in one piece.”
Faye agreed and paused for a moment, “Before I go I want to give you my blessing as a thank you for rescuing me.” She waved her hands gently as a soft, warm glow enveloped Kyshriek.
“Thank you.” She felt even stronger than she did before.
“It is all that I can do to help. Thank you again; I hope you find the evil ones who did this.” Faye smiled weakly as she took flight. She streaked across the sky leaving a faint trail of flame in her wake.
“Who are we really dealing with here?” Kyshriek wondered to herself as she began to leave the Grove. Neovia was a day’s travel and with the amount of she had already wasted, there was no time left to lose.
TO BE CONTINUED
PART 4
Back in Neovia “Detective” Prigpants and his trusty “Assistant” Swolthy were stirring up more trouble…
“For the last time get out of my shop!” Alibaster Chesterdrawers shouted.
Prigpants and Swolthy were scurried out of the antiques shop by Alibaster. He was a very eccentric red Techo that ran Chesterdrawer’s Antique Shop. He had recently been visited and subsequently harassed about the missing silver items by the two sleuths. He had lost his patience after Swolthy knocked over and shattered an antique mirror.
“Well I didn’t see no silver in there.” Swolthy said as they brushed themselves off on the stoop of the store.
“Mr. Chesterdrawers deals mostly in antiques, Swolthy, therefore he musn’t be the culprit.” Prigpants deduced. He fixed the placement of his monocle.
“Did y’see all them boxes they was haulin’ into the back of the town hall?” a squeaky voice could be heard just down the street from where they stood. There were two green Pteris gossiping on the street corner.
“Oh yah, I reckon it be some kind of contraband, y’know like them secret shipments.” One of the Pteris chattered back.
Prigpants and Swolthy wandered up to the two Pteris to listen in to their conversation, “Pardon me, Miss and Miss,” Prigpants bowed and tipped his top hat slightly, “My colleague and I could not help but overhear that there have been some suspicious boxes have been spotted around town hall?”
The Pteris eyed them oddly and scoffed, “Well if ye need ta know. There been boxes filled to the top with silver items. All going into the town hall and they don’t come back out.”
“Many thanks, m’lady,” Prigpants smiled and adjusted his collar, “Swolthy, I say it is high time we investigate Town Hall!”
Swolthy had already wandered over to the back of town hall and was inspecting some suspicious looking boxes while Prigpants had been talking. Prigpants quickly rushed over to him.
“Would ya look at that, Prigpants?” Swolthy pointed to empty wooden boxes, “They’re all empty.”
“That is where you are mistaken,” Prigpants ran a feather across the bottom of one of the crates. He rubbed his feathers together and small silver filings fluttered off of them, “These crates contain clues!”
“That is amazing, Prigpants! How did you know?” Swolthy recoiled with surprise.
“It is elementary, my dear Swolthy. It’s the simple art of observation. What else do you observe?”
Swolthy pondered for a moment looking at the ground, “By goodness! Is that a trail of silver dust?” He pointed to the ground where there was a faint sparkling trail that led up to and beyond the rear door of the Town Hall.
“Correct,” Prigpants smirked, “What can we deduce from this trail?”
Swolthy scrunched his face as he thought, “The culprits who pinched the silver must be inside!”
“Also correct, my dear Swolthy.”
Kyshriek had just arrived at Neovia and noticed that there was a commotion coming from behind the Town Hall. She decided to investigate.
“So wot should we do now, Prigpants?” Swolthy said as he scratched his chin.
Kyshriek walked around the back of the building to find the two curiously dressed detectives talking over the open crate.
“You two,” she shouted, “Stop where you are!”
They froze in place and threw their arms up in the air, “We didn’t do anythin’ we swear!” they both shouted.
“Were you the ones who kidnapped Balthazar and brought him here?” She snapped at them.
Prigpants and Swolthy gave each other a strange look and shook their heads, “W-we don’t know nothin’ ‘bout no Balthazar Miss.”
“Why are you two standing next to an open crate then?” She stepped towards them.
“T-this crate,” Prigpants began to tremble, “We found it, open here.”
“It was him, all him!” Swolthy shouted, pointing at Prigpants, “He made me do it, I swears I had no involvement, please don’t hurt me!”
Kyshriek shook her head and sighed, “Clearly, you weren’t the ones to subdue Balthazar.” She lowered her fists and Prigpants slapped Swolthy with his wing.
“Alright then if you’re not the thugs who kidnapped Balthazar, who are you and why do you have this crate?” She asked.
“I am Detective Prigpants and this is my assistant, Swolthy. We are investigating the disappearance of the town’s silver… and may I ask whom you are?”
“I am Kyshriek, Defender of Neopia.” She replied, “What is this about disappearing silver?”
“Ah!” Prigpants exclaimed with a wide smile, “You must be the hero that Judge Hog was talking about. You really are quite late.”
“I had a few snags, to say the least.” She glanced down at her singed paw.
“We have been instructed to give you all we have found during our investigation.” Prigpants rustled in his jacket pocket and handed her a bunch of papers with investigative notes scribbled on them, “To bring you up to speed: silver items all over Neovia have been disappearing and we don’t know who the culprit is. What we have deduced is that whoever took the silver must be in the Town Hall.”
“What would somebody want with all of that silver,” Kyshriek paused for a moment glancing upwards and seeing that it was a full Kreludian moon. “Oh no it’s a full moon!”
She rushed through the back door of the Town Hall and up the long winding stair case. She came to the top of the stair case and found a locked door that led to the clock tower. She heard maniacal laughter on the other side of the door.
“Open up!” She shouted, pounding on the heavy iron door. There came no response from inside the room. She decided that she would have to take drastic measures. She began to strike the door, leaving massive welts in the iron. On the third strike the door collapsed inward with a deafening thud.
The dust stung her eyes and she coughed. When her vision returned she saw Balthazar standing with his head down staring at the floor. In the far corner of the room, next to the face of the clock, stood a silhouetted figured wearing a sinister grin.
“Ah, you made it just in time for the festivities.” The shrouded figure growled.
“What have you done to Balthazar?” Kyshriek coughed out.
“I’ve simply made him more obedient.” The figure stepped into the light that was leaking in through the transparent face of the clock.
“Krawley!” she shouted.
Mr. Krawley was a nasty purple Krawk who was originally behind the plight of Neovia many years ago. He disappeared promptly after his first plan seemed to go up in smoke but it seems as though he simply wanted the Town Hall vacant for his true sinister plot.
“Behold my finest creation,” Krawley raised his scaly claws towards Balthazar as the moon light trickled onto him, “Bastion Balthazar!”
As the light from the moon rolled onto where Balthazar was standing, he began to growl violently. He shifted and began to grow. His claws extended and became sharper, his face twisted into a crazed snarl and his muscles grew wildly. He let out a ferocious roar that shattered all the windows in the clock tower.
Krawley had discovered that he could control Balthazar by constructing a metallic collar made from pure silver. He had also forced Balthazar to drink the potion he had tested out on Neovia several years ago that transformed the residents into mindless monsters. He accounted for the massive growth and needed a large amount of silver to construct a collar that would properly fit.
Krawley yanked a nearby rope and a massive silver collar dropped over Balthazar’s neck. The massive beast struggled for a moment until Krawley snapped his claws bringing the hulking beast to attention.
Kyshriek stumbled backwards and bumped into a table, which knocked an ornate looking book onto the floor.
Krawley jolted forward and had a panicked look on his face, “Watch where you are stepping, you oaf!”
She looked at the fallen book and back up at Krawley, “This book, it looks very important.”
“Stay away from that book,” Krawley snapped, “Grab her now!”
Balthazar sneered and lurched towards her. Kyshriek grabbed the book and ran towards him. He grabbed at her but she was able to avoid his claws by sliding between his legs. She ran into the opposite corner of the room and Balthazar gave chase.
“Stop or I will destroy this book,” She shouted. She held the book between her paws, ready to tear it in half. Krawley cringed and motioned for Balthazar to stop. “That’s good. This book is important to you, isn’t it?”
Krawley growled low at her, “You cannot comprehend the power that you hold in your hands, foolish Kyrii. Now return the book to me.”
She thought for a moment about what the odd Elephante told her in the forest, “I don’t think so, Krawley. I’m taking this book back to where it rightfully belongs.”
She began to slowly back up towards one of the shattered windows and Krawley began to panic.
“No,” He shouted angrily, “Get her, before she escapes!”
Balthazar began to charge towards her. Kyshriek swallowed hard and jumped out of the broken window as she clutched the book tightly. She landed on the ground hard and rolled several feet.
Moments later Balthazar came crashing through the wall of the clock tower, scattering the townsfolk, as debris rained down all over Neovia square. He began to trudge slowly towards her with a fierce look in his eyes.
“I came as fast as I could,” a familiar voice rang out behind her. It was Lightning Lenny. He motioned for her to get on to his back, “Let’s get out of here!”
Kyshriek, still gripping the book tightly, hopped onto Lightning’s back and he took off like a flash with Balthazar fast in tow.
“We need to get this book back to the pink Elephante!” Kyshriek told Lightning, “I’ll point you in the direction of his camp.”
Lightning Lenny ran at blinding speed, forcing Kyshriek to hold fast.
“I had an audience with Fyora to ask for aid when a disheveled looking young Fire Faerie came rushing in with important news.” Lightning explained, “She told us the story about how Balthazar was captured and brought to Neovia, so I set out as fast as I could. Looks like I made it just in time.”
“You could say that,” Kyshriek chuckled.
They had put some distance between them and Balthazar. With the Lupe’s tracking skills and sense of smell however, it wouldn’t be long before he found them. They had to find the camp soon.
“Do you think this pink Elephante he has something to do with all of this?” Lightning asked as Kyshriek continued to point directions.
“He told me that a very important book was stolen from him and it seemed that this book was pretty significant to Krawley too. I’m not sure but I think they could be related,” She pointed to a small camp set up just off the walking path, “There –!”
Lightning slowed down as they arrived into the Elephante’s camp. He was still sitting on the same log wearing the same smile.
“Welcome back young one.” The Elephante greeted them calmly.
“Is this your book?” Kyshriek puffed as she handed him the ornately decorated tome.
The Elephante’s face lit up as he set his eyes on the book. “Yes, this is it!” he hastily tucked the book into the fabric bag and tied the string.
“We need to get you out of here right now.” Lightning shouted, looking back towards Neovia.
The Elephante did not seem panicked, “That won’t be necessary.”
Kyshriek looked at Lightning with a perplexed look, “What do you mean?”
“This book holds great magic,” The Elephante spoke as he patted the bag gently, “It also contains great evil. Sometimes that evil can get out and wreak havoc.”
“Are you saying that all of these events were due to some dusty old book?” Kyshriek shouted in disbelief.
“Yes,” The Elephante replied simply, “Krawley lives in this book. When Balthazar stole this book from me, he inadvertently released him. By returning the book to the bag, I can seal him and all his foul magic within the pages. ”
“But,” Kyshriek paused for a moment, “How was he responsible for the attack on Defender Headquarters? You told me that Balthazar had just passed through your camp after the attack had happened.”
“I apologize if I was not completely forthright with you,” The Elephante said with a smile as he began to pack his camp up into his cart, “I staged the attack on your headquarters after Balthazar stole my book, to set these chains of events in place.”
“What?” Kyshriek shouted angrily and leapt towards him. Lightning grabbed her and restrained her.
“It was the only way,” the Elephant paused a moment to explain, “The Defenders of Neopia were our only chance to intervene before Krawley could release his creation on Neopia and we would not have a chance.”
“You could have killed us or innocent Neopets!” She screamed.
“I took great care to ensure nobody would be harmed,” he insisted, “For now, Krawley is safely sealed away in the pages of this book. He cannot harm anyone whilst he is in his silky prison.”
Kyshriek wrestled free from Lightning and scoffed, “You monster. Get out of here before I make you sorry that you ever set up camp here.”
The Elephante just smiled and resumed packing.
Lightning and Kyshriek started to walk away from the camp. Kyshriek was still feeling uneasy about what had just transpired. She wanted more answers from the Elephante but when she turned around to walk back, the space he had been occupying was completely empty. There was no trace anyone had been there. She froze in place and could not believe her eyes. Lightning took a double take as well.
The two of them carried on back to Defenders Headquarters, which had temporarily been relocated while it was being reconstructed.
“…and that is what happened.” Kyshriek finished her debrief with Judge Hog.
“That would explain why we got a strange report of Balthazar wandering around the Haunted Woods disoriented,” Judge Hog commented, “Well, nobody was seriously hurt and it seems as though we have gotten everything else under control. Good work Defenders!”
As the Defenders began clearing out of the room, Aisheena walked up to Kyshriek.
“I heard you handled yourself very well on your first official mission.” She said, placing a hand on Kyshriek’s shoulder.
“Thank you, Aisheena. I just wish that there wasn’t such a big mess to clean up.” Kyshriek replied.
“Nobody was seriously injured and that is the most important thing,” She said with a smile, “Cheer up. How about I take you to Neovia for some apple bobbing?”
“Yuck!” Kyshriek shook her head, “I HATE apples!”
They both started to laugh.
“Well in that case, there is a lot to do for the clean-up and repair,” Aisheena said motioning towards the Neopian Plaza, “Shall we?”
“Let’s do it, I could use a vacation!” Kyshriek smiled.
* * *
Meanwhile, back in Neovia…
“Another mystery solved,” Prigpants beamed, “We figured out what happened to all the silver items, we were able to sell the weird looking hoop we found in the woods and were able to purchase all new wares to replace the ones that were stolen.”
“Aye but wot should we do about the massive hole in the clock tower, then?” Swolthy pointed upwards to the gaping hole in the wall.
“Let’s make it a solarium.” Prigpants said with a smile.
“Brilliant!” Swolthy grinned as they cheerfully walked back to their shop.
The two green Pteris walked past them and down the street gossiping away, when one of them stubbed her claw on a purplish bag on the ground.
“Oy, what’s this then?” She picked it up and examined the bag, “Pure rubbish, right. Off to the trash with ye!” She tossed the bag into the nearby well and walked away.
THE END
“For the last time get out of my shop!” Alibaster Chesterdrawers shouted.
Prigpants and Swolthy were scurried out of the antiques shop by Alibaster. He was a very eccentric red Techo that ran Chesterdrawer’s Antique Shop. He had recently been visited and subsequently harassed about the missing silver items by the two sleuths. He had lost his patience after Swolthy knocked over and shattered an antique mirror.
“Well I didn’t see no silver in there.” Swolthy said as they brushed themselves off on the stoop of the store.
“Mr. Chesterdrawers deals mostly in antiques, Swolthy, therefore he musn’t be the culprit.” Prigpants deduced. He fixed the placement of his monocle.
“Did y’see all them boxes they was haulin’ into the back of the town hall?” a squeaky voice could be heard just down the street from where they stood. There were two green Pteris gossiping on the street corner.
“Oh yah, I reckon it be some kind of contraband, y’know like them secret shipments.” One of the Pteris chattered back.
Prigpants and Swolthy wandered up to the two Pteris to listen in to their conversation, “Pardon me, Miss and Miss,” Prigpants bowed and tipped his top hat slightly, “My colleague and I could not help but overhear that there have been some suspicious boxes have been spotted around town hall?”
The Pteris eyed them oddly and scoffed, “Well if ye need ta know. There been boxes filled to the top with silver items. All going into the town hall and they don’t come back out.”
“Many thanks, m’lady,” Prigpants smiled and adjusted his collar, “Swolthy, I say it is high time we investigate Town Hall!”
Swolthy had already wandered over to the back of town hall and was inspecting some suspicious looking boxes while Prigpants had been talking. Prigpants quickly rushed over to him.
“Would ya look at that, Prigpants?” Swolthy pointed to empty wooden boxes, “They’re all empty.”
“That is where you are mistaken,” Prigpants ran a feather across the bottom of one of the crates. He rubbed his feathers together and small silver filings fluttered off of them, “These crates contain clues!”
“That is amazing, Prigpants! How did you know?” Swolthy recoiled with surprise.
“It is elementary, my dear Swolthy. It’s the simple art of observation. What else do you observe?”
Swolthy pondered for a moment looking at the ground, “By goodness! Is that a trail of silver dust?” He pointed to the ground where there was a faint sparkling trail that led up to and beyond the rear door of the Town Hall.
“Correct,” Prigpants smirked, “What can we deduce from this trail?”
Swolthy scrunched his face as he thought, “The culprits who pinched the silver must be inside!”
“Also correct, my dear Swolthy.”
Kyshriek had just arrived at Neovia and noticed that there was a commotion coming from behind the Town Hall. She decided to investigate.
“So wot should we do now, Prigpants?” Swolthy said as he scratched his chin.
Kyshriek walked around the back of the building to find the two curiously dressed detectives talking over the open crate.
“You two,” she shouted, “Stop where you are!”
They froze in place and threw their arms up in the air, “We didn’t do anythin’ we swear!” they both shouted.
“Were you the ones who kidnapped Balthazar and brought him here?” She snapped at them.
Prigpants and Swolthy gave each other a strange look and shook their heads, “W-we don’t know nothin’ ‘bout no Balthazar Miss.”
“Why are you two standing next to an open crate then?” She stepped towards them.
“T-this crate,” Prigpants began to tremble, “We found it, open here.”
“It was him, all him!” Swolthy shouted, pointing at Prigpants, “He made me do it, I swears I had no involvement, please don’t hurt me!”
Kyshriek shook her head and sighed, “Clearly, you weren’t the ones to subdue Balthazar.” She lowered her fists and Prigpants slapped Swolthy with his wing.
“Alright then if you’re not the thugs who kidnapped Balthazar, who are you and why do you have this crate?” She asked.
“I am Detective Prigpants and this is my assistant, Swolthy. We are investigating the disappearance of the town’s silver… and may I ask whom you are?”
“I am Kyshriek, Defender of Neopia.” She replied, “What is this about disappearing silver?”
“Ah!” Prigpants exclaimed with a wide smile, “You must be the hero that Judge Hog was talking about. You really are quite late.”
“I had a few snags, to say the least.” She glanced down at her singed paw.
“We have been instructed to give you all we have found during our investigation.” Prigpants rustled in his jacket pocket and handed her a bunch of papers with investigative notes scribbled on them, “To bring you up to speed: silver items all over Neovia have been disappearing and we don’t know who the culprit is. What we have deduced is that whoever took the silver must be in the Town Hall.”
“What would somebody want with all of that silver,” Kyshriek paused for a moment glancing upwards and seeing that it was a full Kreludian moon. “Oh no it’s a full moon!”
She rushed through the back door of the Town Hall and up the long winding stair case. She came to the top of the stair case and found a locked door that led to the clock tower. She heard maniacal laughter on the other side of the door.
“Open up!” She shouted, pounding on the heavy iron door. There came no response from inside the room. She decided that she would have to take drastic measures. She began to strike the door, leaving massive welts in the iron. On the third strike the door collapsed inward with a deafening thud.
The dust stung her eyes and she coughed. When her vision returned she saw Balthazar standing with his head down staring at the floor. In the far corner of the room, next to the face of the clock, stood a silhouetted figured wearing a sinister grin.
“Ah, you made it just in time for the festivities.” The shrouded figure growled.
“What have you done to Balthazar?” Kyshriek coughed out.
“I’ve simply made him more obedient.” The figure stepped into the light that was leaking in through the transparent face of the clock.
“Krawley!” she shouted.
Mr. Krawley was a nasty purple Krawk who was originally behind the plight of Neovia many years ago. He disappeared promptly after his first plan seemed to go up in smoke but it seems as though he simply wanted the Town Hall vacant for his true sinister plot.
“Behold my finest creation,” Krawley raised his scaly claws towards Balthazar as the moon light trickled onto him, “Bastion Balthazar!”
As the light from the moon rolled onto where Balthazar was standing, he began to growl violently. He shifted and began to grow. His claws extended and became sharper, his face twisted into a crazed snarl and his muscles grew wildly. He let out a ferocious roar that shattered all the windows in the clock tower.
Krawley had discovered that he could control Balthazar by constructing a metallic collar made from pure silver. He had also forced Balthazar to drink the potion he had tested out on Neovia several years ago that transformed the residents into mindless monsters. He accounted for the massive growth and needed a large amount of silver to construct a collar that would properly fit.
Krawley yanked a nearby rope and a massive silver collar dropped over Balthazar’s neck. The massive beast struggled for a moment until Krawley snapped his claws bringing the hulking beast to attention.
Kyshriek stumbled backwards and bumped into a table, which knocked an ornate looking book onto the floor.
Krawley jolted forward and had a panicked look on his face, “Watch where you are stepping, you oaf!”
She looked at the fallen book and back up at Krawley, “This book, it looks very important.”
“Stay away from that book,” Krawley snapped, “Grab her now!”
Balthazar sneered and lurched towards her. Kyshriek grabbed the book and ran towards him. He grabbed at her but she was able to avoid his claws by sliding between his legs. She ran into the opposite corner of the room and Balthazar gave chase.
“Stop or I will destroy this book,” She shouted. She held the book between her paws, ready to tear it in half. Krawley cringed and motioned for Balthazar to stop. “That’s good. This book is important to you, isn’t it?”
Krawley growled low at her, “You cannot comprehend the power that you hold in your hands, foolish Kyrii. Now return the book to me.”
She thought for a moment about what the odd Elephante told her in the forest, “I don’t think so, Krawley. I’m taking this book back to where it rightfully belongs.”
She began to slowly back up towards one of the shattered windows and Krawley began to panic.
“No,” He shouted angrily, “Get her, before she escapes!”
Balthazar began to charge towards her. Kyshriek swallowed hard and jumped out of the broken window as she clutched the book tightly. She landed on the ground hard and rolled several feet.
Moments later Balthazar came crashing through the wall of the clock tower, scattering the townsfolk, as debris rained down all over Neovia square. He began to trudge slowly towards her with a fierce look in his eyes.
“I came as fast as I could,” a familiar voice rang out behind her. It was Lightning Lenny. He motioned for her to get on to his back, “Let’s get out of here!”
Kyshriek, still gripping the book tightly, hopped onto Lightning’s back and he took off like a flash with Balthazar fast in tow.
“We need to get this book back to the pink Elephante!” Kyshriek told Lightning, “I’ll point you in the direction of his camp.”
Lightning Lenny ran at blinding speed, forcing Kyshriek to hold fast.
“I had an audience with Fyora to ask for aid when a disheveled looking young Fire Faerie came rushing in with important news.” Lightning explained, “She told us the story about how Balthazar was captured and brought to Neovia, so I set out as fast as I could. Looks like I made it just in time.”
“You could say that,” Kyshriek chuckled.
They had put some distance between them and Balthazar. With the Lupe’s tracking skills and sense of smell however, it wouldn’t be long before he found them. They had to find the camp soon.
“Do you think this pink Elephante he has something to do with all of this?” Lightning asked as Kyshriek continued to point directions.
“He told me that a very important book was stolen from him and it seemed that this book was pretty significant to Krawley too. I’m not sure but I think they could be related,” She pointed to a small camp set up just off the walking path, “There –!”
Lightning slowed down as they arrived into the Elephante’s camp. He was still sitting on the same log wearing the same smile.
“Welcome back young one.” The Elephante greeted them calmly.
“Is this your book?” Kyshriek puffed as she handed him the ornately decorated tome.
The Elephante’s face lit up as he set his eyes on the book. “Yes, this is it!” he hastily tucked the book into the fabric bag and tied the string.
“We need to get you out of here right now.” Lightning shouted, looking back towards Neovia.
The Elephante did not seem panicked, “That won’t be necessary.”
Kyshriek looked at Lightning with a perplexed look, “What do you mean?”
“This book holds great magic,” The Elephante spoke as he patted the bag gently, “It also contains great evil. Sometimes that evil can get out and wreak havoc.”
“Are you saying that all of these events were due to some dusty old book?” Kyshriek shouted in disbelief.
“Yes,” The Elephante replied simply, “Krawley lives in this book. When Balthazar stole this book from me, he inadvertently released him. By returning the book to the bag, I can seal him and all his foul magic within the pages. ”
“But,” Kyshriek paused for a moment, “How was he responsible for the attack on Defender Headquarters? You told me that Balthazar had just passed through your camp after the attack had happened.”
“I apologize if I was not completely forthright with you,” The Elephante said with a smile as he began to pack his camp up into his cart, “I staged the attack on your headquarters after Balthazar stole my book, to set these chains of events in place.”
“What?” Kyshriek shouted angrily and leapt towards him. Lightning grabbed her and restrained her.
“It was the only way,” the Elephant paused a moment to explain, “The Defenders of Neopia were our only chance to intervene before Krawley could release his creation on Neopia and we would not have a chance.”
“You could have killed us or innocent Neopets!” She screamed.
“I took great care to ensure nobody would be harmed,” he insisted, “For now, Krawley is safely sealed away in the pages of this book. He cannot harm anyone whilst he is in his silky prison.”
Kyshriek wrestled free from Lightning and scoffed, “You monster. Get out of here before I make you sorry that you ever set up camp here.”
The Elephante just smiled and resumed packing.
Lightning and Kyshriek started to walk away from the camp. Kyshriek was still feeling uneasy about what had just transpired. She wanted more answers from the Elephante but when she turned around to walk back, the space he had been occupying was completely empty. There was no trace anyone had been there. She froze in place and could not believe her eyes. Lightning took a double take as well.
The two of them carried on back to Defenders Headquarters, which had temporarily been relocated while it was being reconstructed.
“…and that is what happened.” Kyshriek finished her debrief with Judge Hog.
“That would explain why we got a strange report of Balthazar wandering around the Haunted Woods disoriented,” Judge Hog commented, “Well, nobody was seriously hurt and it seems as though we have gotten everything else under control. Good work Defenders!”
As the Defenders began clearing out of the room, Aisheena walked up to Kyshriek.
“I heard you handled yourself very well on your first official mission.” She said, placing a hand on Kyshriek’s shoulder.
“Thank you, Aisheena. I just wish that there wasn’t such a big mess to clean up.” Kyshriek replied.
“Nobody was seriously injured and that is the most important thing,” She said with a smile, “Cheer up. How about I take you to Neovia for some apple bobbing?”
“Yuck!” Kyshriek shook her head, “I HATE apples!”
They both started to laugh.
“Well in that case, there is a lot to do for the clean-up and repair,” Aisheena said motioning towards the Neopian Plaza, “Shall we?”
“Let’s do it, I could use a vacation!” Kyshriek smiled.
* * *
Meanwhile, back in Neovia…
“Another mystery solved,” Prigpants beamed, “We figured out what happened to all the silver items, we were able to sell the weird looking hoop we found in the woods and were able to purchase all new wares to replace the ones that were stolen.”
“Aye but wot should we do about the massive hole in the clock tower, then?” Swolthy pointed upwards to the gaping hole in the wall.
“Let’s make it a solarium.” Prigpants said with a smile.
“Brilliant!” Swolthy grinned as they cheerfully walked back to their shop.
The two green Pteris walked past them and down the street gossiping away, when one of them stubbed her claw on a purplish bag on the ground.
“Oy, what’s this then?” She picked it up and examined the bag, “Pure rubbish, right. Off to the trash with ye!” She tossed the bag into the nearby well and walked away.
THE END
It's complete, I don't need to extend it any further and I am hoping to run it through issue 600, to give some other series a chance at making the cut
Any thoughts and tips are welcome. Hope you like this one
