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Shokiba entered the large throne room. She continued
to the edge of the stone stairs leading up to the gold throne where Orlan sat.
She made a graceful bow.
"Proceed Shokiba," Orlan said.
Shokiba climbed the staircase and stood before
the desert Shoyru. She gave him a quick salute, "You sent Zaelin to find me
because you wanted to speak with me..."
He nodded, "Yes... prepare the army. I want
them trained and equipped with armour and weapons. We leave soon!"
***
Jade was off to a good start. The sun was just showing over the horizon. Rays
of orange-gold fell across the jade coloured Shoyru. A ray fell directly onto
the jade pommel stone on her sword, making a translucent flash of jade light
behind her. She took no notice, her mind set on the task ahead, to reach Meridell
and then head to Sakhmet to give them the amulet and stop the Shadow Army.
She continued her three-day flight to Meridell,
and whatever lay ahead.
***
Thud.
Jade landed on the shores of Meridell. She surveyed
the land. Mountains with snowy white tops were in the distance. The yellow,
fiery orb in the sky was at its highest point; making her shadow fall in a circle
around her signally it was noon. She started down the dirt path, noticing many
tracks from carriages and Uni-drawn carts. There were also pawprints from Neopets
she'd never seen. She remembered The Neopian Times article she had read at the
Healing Springs and figured it was from the new pets.
She continued down the path and came to a branch
heading north (she was heading east). She turned and headed up the path, where
she stopped before a sign that read:
Meri Acres Farm
Place where the food of Meridell is produced.
Also a few games located here; Potato Counter, Guess the Weight of the Marrow,
Pick Your Own, and Tower of Turnips.
Jade shook her head and turned around and headed
back. She headed east, having no reason to visit Meri Acres Farm. "Maybe I'll
visit the farm after all this is over..." she thought.
She stopped when she came to the end of the path.
It branched in two directions, north towards the snowy peaked mountains and
down south towards the rest of Meridell. In the distance she saw quite a bit
happening. She tilted her head and looked towards the mountains where the unexplored
of Meridell lay. Deciding not to explore the unexplored of the new world, she
headed down the southern path.
She hadn't been walking long when she heard a
Draik calling out in a loud, strong voice, "Come one, come all! Come try and
wake up the Turmaculus! Wake him up nicely and you shall be rewarded! Wake him
up in a bad mood and suffer the consequences!"
Jade walked by and stopped, watching curiously.
Beside the huge beast known as the 'Turmaculus' stood a long line of Neopets
and their petpets waiting for the pet in front of them to try and wake him up.
She watched as a white Ixi and her Whinny tried to wake him up.
"Grrrrrrrr wake up you silly beast! HailStorm
throw something at him!!!" she screeched angrily. The Whinny, Hailstorm, snickered
and started kicking up dirt, hitting the Turmaculus in the face. Still the sleeping
beat made no move to awaken from his deep slumber.
The Ixi, now extremely angry, grabbed a stick
and started hitting him with it. The Draik swiftly ran up and tried to restrain
her, but she threw him off and continued to attack the beast.
"Guards!" shouted the Draik, getting up slowly.
Two guards came rushing up. He looked at them, "Take her to the dungeons to
let her calm down."
The two guards, an Ixi and a Draik, took hold
of the white Ixi and began to drag her off. The Ixi had other plans. She broke
free and started to run. In a flash she was on the ground and the Draik on the
right side of her. He stretched his tail out and tripped her. Within moments
the guards had seized her again. They dragged her across the grass, kicking
and screaming. Jade watched them take her to a castle in the distance, the little
Whinny running behind.
She shook her head and continued down the path.
She passed sights that someday she would like to try or see, such as Ultimate
Bullseye, Turdle Racing and Round Table Poker. She passed Kiss the Mortog and
smiled as some pets walked away grimacing or spitting. She heard pets speak
of an Earth Faerie called Illusen and how the game 'Shapeshifter' was hard.
She came to a bridge leading to the castle of
Meridell. Without glancing back, she walked across the bridge and up to the
main gates, where she met two Draiks guarding the entrance. Both were dressed
in armour, equipped with spears.
"Welcome stranger, what business do you have
with the castle and King Skarl?" the one on the left said in a deep voice.
"I come to speak with your King, for soon the
land of the Lost Desert will be in peril. From the south of the Palace of Sakhmet
an army will arise and attack Sakhmet Palace. Only time can tell its fate,"
Jade said. She chose her words carefully to avoid saying something that would
get her taken away from the castle and possibly Meridell.
The guards glanced at one another and appeared
to mouth a few words to each other. They turned their attention back to Jade.
"Enter," was all they said. Without a second
glance, she strode by them and entered the wide halls.
The castle was very much like all the other castles
in Neopia, big and beautiful. All castles were big, with wide halls, large bedrooms
and even larger guest bedrooms. Other similarities included large ballrooms
or throne rooms, dungeons, drawbridges, and many more things that could take
forever to list.
Of course all castles have their differences,
be it the colour and type of material used or the design. This castle made no
exceptions.
As she walked at a leisurely pace, she took in
her surroundings. The flooring of the all was of a deep black marble with white
stone walls. Paintings lined the walls was well. Lining the walls were weapons
of many sorts. There were axes, swords, crossbows, javelins, and spears. There
were other weapons, ranging from daggers to maces. It was an amazing sight.
As she headed down the hall, she noticed that
there were many guards patrolling. They hardly noticed her as she walked by.
She came to a halt at an intersection. She glanced left and then right. To her
left a west wing, to her right an east wing, then before her a long hall with
two wide, oaken doors at the end. As she gazed at the doors the leader of the
military of Meridell walked up to her, standing straight in front of her.
"'Scuse me young miss, but ya ain't 'sposed to
be here," he said with a slight accent.
She turned around and said coolly, "And who says
I shouldn't?"
Seeing as how this strange coloured Shoyru with
the fierce attitude was going to be a problem, the Draik turned to a nearby
guard. He made a motion at Jade. The guard nodded and ran off.
It wasn't before long until five guards were
coming down the west wing, carrying a thick length of rope. They stopped before
the leader and saluted, chorusing as they did so, "What would you like us to
do Captain Jake?"
He made a gesture and they nodded. At a moment
when Jade wasn't looking directly at them they pounced. She saw them out of
the corner of her eye. As they leapt at her with the thick rope she ducked the
guard, who, in turn, soared over her head, sliding across the floor and crashing
into the wall in the east wing. The next guard was unfortunate enough to come
into contact with the Shoyru. She belted him in the stomach, sending him into
the guard behind. They both crashed into the wall lined with weapons. The force
of their crash resulted in loosening a dagger, which clattered harmlessly a
paws breadth away from the guard who Jade had kicked.
There were only three guards left, including
the Captain. One of the Draik guards held the rope in both paws and rushed at
her. He managed to wrap the rope around her wrist before he was sent into the
ground. As he had gotten it around her wrist, Jade had grabbed it with both
paws and turned her back on him. Upon doing this she had yanked on the rope,
so hard her paws brushed the stone floor, sending him over her head. He sat
up, his wing crumpled. Before he had a chance to say anything, the last guard
had slammed into him.
Captain Jake stood there, bewildered for a moment.
He sighed heavily before muttering under his breath, "If you want something
done right, you have to do it yourself."
Slowly advancing on Jade, he noted the best way
to take her down. With lightning agility, he was upon her in a thrice. In not
time at all he had her wrists tied with ropes and a noose around her neck so
that the guards could drag her along. By this time the five injured guards were
up and surrounding Jade.
"Heilan, Flem, you two hold that Shoyru in place.
Zoen, Rai, you two get a couple more guards. Me and Lome will begin making our
way down the hall with Helan and Flem," ordered the Captain. The Draiks went
about their orders swiftly.
It was nearly impossible to get Jade beyond the
intersection, let alone down the hall. If she wasn't trying to latch on to pillars,
wooden beams or doors, she was savagely biting, kicking and resisting the guards.
At one point she had latched onto a doorknob with her tail. It had taken all
eight of them to pry her loose. They did, however, eventually get her to the
doors leading into the Throne Room.
Binding her paws even tighter behind her back
the doors were thrown open and Jade pushed through. She stopped struggling as
she saw the amount of guards lining the red carpet, which led to the thrown
of King Skarl.
As they approached the throne Captain Jake pushed
his captive forward, making her land on her knees.
"King Skarl, we found this Shoyru wandering the
halls. She fights fiercely and has weapons. She laid flat five guards," the
captain stood, shifting nervously. He motioned to two guards who stepped forward,
bearing in both paws her weapons. Walking to the base of the throne they laid
before the King her sword and numerous daggers.
"What is your business in my kingdom Shoyru?"
the King looked down at her. Guards shifted nervously.
"My name is Jadestone! And how dare you bind
innocent creatures who come to seek help!" she shouted at him, her eyes blazing.
"Mind you keep a civil tongue Shoyru, or you
will find yourself in my dungeons to think about your actions."
She said nothing to him. He waited silently,
for what felt like, to all creatures, ages, before saying, "Tell me... Jadestone...
what is your purpose here in Meridell? Depending on your answer I may let you
go..."
Jade stared at him for a moment before answering,
choosing her words carefully, "I am seeking reinforcements who would come to
do battle with the Shadow Army. Soon Sakhmet Palace will be under attack from
thousands of Neopets and I fear they will not survive. I came here, to this
newly discovered land, to ask for aid from your fighters."
"You chose what to say well, but I cannot give
you this aid. For, you see, Meridell has many, many riches, from food and crops
to gold and silver. We will be more than likely advanced upon at some point;
therefore I cannot send my guards with you. Now, Captain Jake, escort Jadestone
from the castle to the borders of Meridell. When you arrive at the border give
her her weapons and untie her." He paused and then looked directly at Jade as
he said, "You will leave Meridell. That is all."
He rose from his chair and strode passed her
and out the door. Turning to Jade, Captain Jake hauled her upon her feet, saying,
"Up on your feet. Hurry up now, you don't want to make His Majesty angry."
To be continued...
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