Stan and the Aisha Thieves: Part One by reverbir |  |
Preface: Purrow leapt into the shadows. The Chia police rushed past, with the
Aisha thief's newest partner, Aikero, in handcuffs. Purrow cursed his ill luck,
that was the third new recruit that had been captured. The Aisha made for the
sewer entrance. The Boss wasn't going to be pleased…
LOST DESERT
"Stop thief!" Stan the Kyrii dashed around a corner,
panting. The Elephante guards were getting too close. If he didn't act fast,
he'd be captured. Stan glanced back around the corner. The guards were too close
to use the potion effectively, and he didn't have any invisibility rings on
hand either. Sighing heavily, he picked himself up, pocketed the puntec fruit
he'd snagged off a cart, and started running again. He'd have fresh fruit tonight
if it killed him!
After much twisting and turning, Stan finally
had room to breath, and to drink his Elephante potion. A few tickling seconds
later, the Kyrii was ready to fool the half-witted guards once more. He dashed
back around the corner, a look of frustration on his face. He turned to the
hunting guards and hailed them. "Captain!" he cried, "I think I saw that Kyrii
run down this street! I'll make chase, you try and cut him off!" He ran back
around the corner as the Elephantes took off down another road. The potion wore
off, leaving Stan chuckling at his own genius. He picked the puntec back up
and ran in the opposite direction he'd sent the guards. As he ran by a doorway,
an Usul in a cloak stepped out and collided with him, sending them both sprawling
and the fruit flying.
"Watch where going speedy!" the Usul scolded
him, picking herself up. As her hood fell off her head, Stan reeled back in
shock.
"Princess Vyssa!" he cried, crawling backwards
quickly. The Usul looked at him, her eyes scanning his face and hat.
"Well," the princess said, with a tone of evil,
"if it isn't that trouble-making Kyrii. Maybe I should call the guards over
here." Stan jumped up, ready to dash off again. Vyssa held him back, putting
a hand in his shoulders, "Don't worry my friend," she said, "I'll keep you safe
for a while, just start…" her statement was cut off by the puntec landing on
her head, exploding and splattering juice all over.
"Sorry, so sorry!" Stan said, backing up again.
The princess just laughed.
"My my," she said, wiping the juice off, "what
a refresher. Anyway sir…"
"Stan," the Kyrii said, "my name is Stan."
Vyssa suddenly got stern, "Listen, boy! I'm not
one you should speak to like I'm your equal. I am princess you know."
"Sorry."
"It's fine," the Usul replied, a little
more friendlier, "Now, what I was trying to say was: I'm looking for someone,
someone like you. Someone who can sneak around without being noticed."
"Well," Stan said, respectfully, "I thin you've
got the wrong Kyrii. I can't do anything without being spotted."
"That's because you work in broad daylight.
My problem needs a night prowler."
"How about one or two of the Aisha thieves,
your highness," Stan said, "they're the sneakiest of any robber."
"Those Aisha thieves ARE my problem!" exclaimed
Princess Vyssa suddenly, "they've swiped all sorts of stuff from the palace,
gold, statuettes, particularly of my late father, even some of my precious grooming
equipment!" just as the princess finished her exclamation, a loud crash was
heard from down the street.
"There he is!" came a low, stupid voice, "he's
going to kidnap the princess!" Stan jumped and started to make a break for it.
However, he met with Vyssa's paw.
"Let me handle them," she said, casting off
her cloak to reveal a well-made princess's gown. The Elephantes stopped in their
tracks about three feet from her outstretched paw. 'Hold it captain," she said,
"Why are in such a hurry? Late for your lunch break?"
The Elephante captain kept his cool under the
princess's sarcasm. "Princess," he said, bowing, "We were going to save you
form that awful Kyrii."
"He's no awful Kyrii," Vyssa said, "he's my
new private guard."
The captain of the guard trumpeted his fury,
"Have you gone mad princess? This crook is nothing but a low-down, dirty trickster
who'd rather steal all your jewels than protect them." Vyssa said nothing, but
dismissed the fuming Elephante with a snap of her fingers. They left in a big
huff, looking for some other lawbreaker to get their revenge on. Stan faced
Vyssa with interest shining in his eyes.
"Right then," he said, "what do I have to do?"
NEOPIA CENTRAL
Purrow stood near the front of the assembly,
the other twenty-odd Aisha thieves around and behind him. Not even the thieves
themselves knew exactly how many members were in their organization, not even
the Boss. Everyone called him the Boss, and he was just about the biggest and
most cunning of them all. However, it had been years since he'd set foot outside
the sewers on a raid. With a nod, he summoned Purrow to the stand in front of
him. "Purrow," the Boss said, "Its been reported that another of your partners
has been captured."
"It's not MY fault," the Aisha exclaimed, "they
were all too green to handle assignments like mine." Boss thought for a minute.
"Aisha Thieves," he said, "this is a sad day
for us. Three of our fellows, green-ears all, have been captured faster than
we can get them out. What would you suggest we do?" The room exploded with noise,
Aishas throwing out their opinions: rescue, leave them, assign another partner
to Purrow. Suddenly, two thieves burst in, dragging a large bag behind them.
The crowd parted to let them through. They bowed to Boss in traditional manner,
and opened the bag.
"Gold, Boss," the first thief said, "All from
Sakhmet. The pickings are easier there than in Neopia Central. No police, just
big, sleepy Elephantes."
"A perfect place," cut in the second thief,
"to train green-ears."
Boss went deep into thought again, and then spoke
directly to Purrow, "One more chance Purrow. Bring me back some more loot form
the Lost Desert. That, and an experienced green-ear."
Purrow bowed low, touching his ear stalks to
the ground, "As you wish Boss. However, the desert is a hot place. I will need
plenty of water supplied to me so I don't overheat in my suit." Boss chuckled
lightly and signaled for water to be brought in.
Later on, as Purrow and his green-ear, a red
Aisha named Consillo, gathered their supplies and thief suits, the recruit asked
a pressing question: "Will this mission let me become a real thief?"
"Only if you perform well enough to please me
and the Boss," Purrow replied, "I just wish I could've brought Meesha, she's
still a little green, but skilled enough to handle most any assignment." Once
they'd finished suiting up, the two thieves silently stole out of the sewer
lair and made for the desert, ignorant of the trouble they'd be in for later.
To be continued...
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