The war started rather suddenly. A couple days later,
after the first rumours had reached Neopia, Un-eairkagh burst into the house
and raced for his room.
"The war has begun!" he shouted, dashing back
out with his equipment.
I reluctantly summoned my spear to hand and met
him at the door, along with Terraile. Soon after my decision, she had announced
that she too would fight.
We flew to Meridell together, and soon found
the battleground. A huge array of pets were gathering on opposite sides of a
field. Darigan's side consisted mainly of the Drackonacks, the nasty little
pet pets hissing at anything nearby in a disorganised mob. NeoPets straggled
on the edges, prowling around and waiting for a signal to begin the battle.
The Meridell side, on the other hand, was much more organised. Jeran the knight
walked around barking out orders and arranged pets into groups. I landed near
him, along with my two pets.
"You just arrived?" he said sharply, not turning
around.
"Yes."
"Very well, I'm afraid non-combatant owners are
to stay away. You cannot keep an eye on your pets now, they are on their own."
"But I'm here to fight."
He turned then, and stared for a long time, his
face betraying no emotion.
"You have powerful magic," he stated.
"I do indeed."
"Then you know what I need you to do?"
I followed his gaze across the field where it
landed on a Scorchio, nearly twice the size of the normal ones, skin a deep
red and wielding a staff crackling with power. It was barking out orders to
the assembled troops.
"I see. I will not fail," I whispered.
Jeran bowed gravely to me, and I returned the
gesture. He then gathered up Un-eairkagh and Terraile and directed them to separate
units. I stayed alone, near the back, and waited for the battle to begin.
It began with the Darigan side. They charged
en masse, a stream of malformed creatures and allies streaming across the field.
The Meridell side returned the charge, shouting war cries. The two crashed together,
the momentum carrying those in the front line deep into the midst of the enemy
until the middle was nothing but a confused blur. I soon lost sight of Terraile
and Un-eairkagh, even from the air. I hovered above the battlefield, waiting
for my chance. It soon appeared. The Scorchio broke away from the battle for
a few moments to take stock of the situation, and I dove. He looked up right
as I struck. He brought his staff up to bear, and directed my spear thrust off
to the right.
"So!" he hissed, "another mislead fool to fight
for Meridell."
"Me? Mislead?" I scoffed, flaring my wings to
keep the high ground and the advantage.
"Yes, mislead. By that treacherous Skarl. He
stole our orb!"
I didn't reply for a moment, lost in the flurry
of spear strikes and counterstrikes. We drifted away from the battle, taking
to the air and gradually moving away in our flurry of attack, retreat, and attack
again. Soon I landed a decisive blow and sent the Scorchio crashing to the ground.
I stayed in the air and waited for him to take flight again, as he would be
vulnerable in the first few seconds of take off. Instead he stayed on the ground
and watched me.
"Skarl stole our orb and destroyed our land,"
he said simply.
"I have heard all that before, there is no way
to refute that you are lying," I replied.
"Then know."
I was silent, then with dread in my heart, wove
the strands of life into a spell that would allow me to see what was hidden.
Gingerly, expecting a trap, I reached out and touched the Scorchio's mind, seeking
the truth of the matter. And I knew. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, I knew. My
wings failed me. I fell to the ground and buried my face in my hands.
"So you see," he said simply.
I didn't reply, merely stared at the ground,
infuriated at myself and at Jhudora. I was the Essence of Neopia, designed to
protect life, not take it. And I had put myself into a position that required
me to fight those I had sworn to protect. I had failed myself, and all of Neopia.
I never suspected treachery at that moment. But
Terraile, always vigilant, did. She had broken away from the battle and followed
me, and to this day I am thankful she did. I looked up just in time to see the
Scorchio's staff on a downwards swing for my head, but a black streak hissed
past my ear in the last second. The Scorchio fell back with a cry and collapsed
on his back. I threw myself to the side as his swing went wild and felt the
wind from the strike ruffle my hair. I got to my feet slowly, my breath coming
in short gasps.
"Really, Kiddo, you have got to be more careful,"
my Shoyru admonished, landing by my side. Un-eairkagh soon followed.
"I... I've made a mistake," I whispered, staring
at the fallen Scorchio
"We all have, I think."
I was silent for a long time, thinking.
"So what are you going to do now?" Un-eairkagh
asked.
"Protect. That is my duty."
I walked up to the Scorchio and gently pulled
the arrow from his chest. He was breathing, but shallowly. Gathering the strands
of water about me, I cupped my hand over his wound and released the healing
spell I had wove. The wound knitted itself together until not a trace remained.
"He'll wake in a couple hours. Now come, there
are more we can aid."
"I cannot heal Kiddo," Terraile murmured.
"But you can protect the innocent. Neither side
is being discriminatory between civilian and combatant."
Un-eairkagh didn't speak, merely leapt into the
air with his long sword. The shadowed Shoyru nodded and also took flight, a
bow of darkness in her hand - bound to serve the cause of good. As I was. I
walked back towards the battle knowing that there would be many injured today,
and I would be there to help them.
I was still helping the wounded hours after the
battle had finally ceased. The survivors of both sides had retreated finally,
with Darigan being driven off the field in a semi-rout. It had not gone good
for them. Yet all I felt was pity towards all involved in the mess. Jeran eventually
found me kneeling by the side of a fallen Darigan Moehog, healing a sword cut
in the side.
"We could have used your spear in this battle,"
he said simply.
"That was not its purpose," I stated, "Nor mine."
"Darigan is the attackers, you are to protect,"
he stated, a tad puzzled.
"Protect Neopia. Not a side, not an ideal, but
Neopia. Darigan is Neopia, as is Meridell. I cannot take sides. I will not."
He was silent for a long time, thinking this
over.
"It must be difficult to have to chose what is
right and wrong; when there is no right and wrong."
He sighed and started to walk away.
"I serve King Skarl," he said over his shoulder,
"Nothing more. I cannot tell you what to do, but I hope you find what is your
place in this war."
I didn't reply until he was out of sight. Even
then it was more to myself than anyone else.
"In the end, when you strip away good and evil,
Meridell and Darigan, and arguments and accusations - you have only NeoPets.
That is all I need to know."
I stood and walked away from the battlefield
where Un-eairkagh and Terraile were waiting.
"Let's go home," I said wearily. "It's been a
hard fight, and I imagine we will be needed just as more for the next battle.
Until this conflict is resolved one way or the other, we will be needed."
The End | 
