Savak: The Medallion - Part Three

     He could see nothing around him but clouds. It even seemed he was standing on clouds. Where was he? He couldn't be dead, could he? The thought scared him. If he were, who would help the pack?

     "Who's there?" snapped an angry female voice. Suddenly, a small winged woman emerged from the mist right in front of Savak. Savak remembered the stories Jessie had told him when he was a puppy. This woman was a faerie!

     "A Lupe!" the faerie exclaimed, watching Savak sternly, looking him over. "And a white one at that."

     "White?" Savak felt his fur stand on end. Slowly, he looked down at his paws. Last he remembered, his paws were a solid red. Looking at them now, he saw that they were completely white. He looked at his tail, and it was white too!

     "This is a restricted area," the faerie asked, interrupting his train of thought. "What brings you here? What is your business in this place?"

     "I don't know," Savak admitted, turning his attention from his bleached fur. He was a little more concerned about the spear the faerie bore. Though she held it to one side, he was sure she could bring it to bear on him in an instant. "I-I don't know how I got here." A tone of worry escaped him as he added, "I'm not dead, am I?"

     For a moment, the faerie's stern look held strong. Then it softened as a flash a humor lit in her eyes. "No," she said. "You're not dead. Though I can't see why…" Her thoughts seemed to escape her as she gazed closely at Savak. No, she was gazing at the medallion around his neck. "Where did you get that?" she asked.

      "This?" Savak asked. "It…it was Murgoh's. He was my pack's leader."

      "Murgoh?" The faerie looked thoughtful. "Is Murgoh dead?"

      "No," Savak said quickly. "He…he's been captured. I think he dropped this."

      "Hmm," the faerie said. "Well, in any case, I must tell Jearii about this. This is quite unusual."

      "What is?" Savak asked. What was going on?

     "No, it's not for me to say." The faerie turned to go. Before she left, she added. "Jearii will contact you about this soon. For now, you had better go and find the pack."

     "Wait!" Savak said, taking half a stride closer to the faerie. "How will this Jearii contact me?"

     "How do you think you came here to contact us?" the faerie asked. When Savak didn't reply, she smiled and leaned close to his ear. "She will come in your dreams."

     Before Savak could reply, he thrashed out suddenly, fully awake. He was back where he was before, alone in the middle of the Neopian Plains. Dusk had fallen. He had been asleep for some time. Had it all been a dream? Stretching his neck around, he could plainly see in the moonlight that his fur was not red. Even if it was only a dream, it was certainly real enough to inform him of the color of his fur.

     Getting to his paws, Savak put the thoughts of his "dream" out of his head. He had to concentrate if he was going to catch that scent. After a brief search, he found the scent trail leading away from the plains, heading further north. Taking a deep breath, Savak trudged on, his nose low to the ground. He was still tracking their scent, even though he knew exactly where they were going.

     Neopia Central.

     * * *

     A half moon shed its light on a seated Savak as he gazed at the myriad of lights coming from Neopia Central. The night was nearly half over. Savak had tracked the pack's captors, kidnappers really, all the way here since he woke up at dusk. The scent he was tracking had quickly changed to a scent that reeked of something that made him gag. But it kept traveling in the same direction, leaving two lines of flattened grass behind it.

     When Savak saw the city, he had taken a seat, partly to take in the view, and partly to take a rest. It was a long trip. Though it wasn't just that he was tired, he was hungry too. Now, as he stood again, he was finding it hard to keep on his paws. Savak hadn't eaten in nearly four days. He would have stopped to hunt sooner, but his mind was set on tracking the kidnappers. But now, famished as he was, he was finding it hard to concentrate. He had to find food. Kosek mentioned something about scavenging in the streets of Neopia Central. Gerthen was opposed to it. But, hungry as he was, the young Lupe didn't see any alternative unless he caught the scent of prey.

     With an unsteady gait, Savak pressed on toward the center of all Neopian activity. He didn't realize his awareness was slipping. He didn't notice he was being watched, even as they stood upwind of him.

     Then, suddenly, a mouse scurried under his paws. Caught off guard, Savak quickly gave chase. But even as it made its escape into a nearby hole, Savak lost his footing and stumbled into a ditch. He didn't have the energy, nor the will to get up again. He had failed. He had failed because he didn't stop long enough to eat. It was all his fault, and there was nothing he could do to fix it.

     Even as thoughts of surrender swam through his head, three figures stood over him, talking with each other. Savak was slipping from conscious, so he couldn't hear them clearly, nor see them. But as he lay in the ditch, he did feel the touch of a paw on his side. And though his mind felt utterly defeated, something in him felt a spark of hope. Something in him knew this was not the end for him. Someone would just have to tell his mind that.

     * * *

     Life filtered back into his body. The world around Savak was dreary, but it was quickly warming up and gaining clarity. He…he was lying on something soft. He was somewhere warm, but it didn't feel like a patch of sunlight. Was he in a den? What was that noise? It wasn't a bird, but it sang the same short note over and over without stopping. He tried shifting his weight when he felt something. His foreleg…there was something in his foreleg.

     Slowly, Savak opened his eyes. It was blurry at first. But as his eyes focused, it was soon evident that he was staring right into the watchful gaze of a blue Lupess. She was wearing a gold necklace, heavy-laden with numerous charms. For a moment, the two Lupes stared at each other, one curious, the other unable to move. Finally, the curious one broke the silence.

     "Hello," the Lupess said.

     Savak watched this Lupe for a moment, trying to read her eyes. What were her intentions? Then he figured that if she had intended to harm him, she'd have done so already. Besides, he was in no position to do anything about it.

     "Where am I?" Savak asked, his voice a little weak.

     "You're in the hospital," said the blue Lupess. "Jason knew you needed help right away, and that you needed far more attention than he could give."

     "Attention?" Savak asked, trying to sit up. His efforts failed and he flopped back on the table. It was then that he noticed a tube attached to his foreleg that led to a plastic bag on a thin pole above his bed.

     "Yes, attention," the Lupess said, placing a paw on his shoulder. "Don't try to move, you're too weak. The doctor said you fainted from malnutrition and overexertion. Did your master forget to feed you?"

     "Master?" Savak asked with a weak chuckle. "What master? I have no master."

     "What?" The blue Lupe's eyes widened with shock and amazement. "Then…then that means…"

     "…That he's a wild Lupe," said another voice. Savak managed to turn his head to gaze, for the first time in his life, upon a human. He was tall, in Savak's opinion, with dark hair with a charming, but concealing smile. He walked into the room ahead of a Gelert dressed in a lab-coat. "Yes, Heysha," he added. "I already knew this. I'm surprised that you didn't. Lukas did."

     "But Lukas has been all over Neopia with you, Jason!" Heysha pointed out. "I've only ever been to Roo Island."

     "All in good time, Heysha," Jason said. "Lukas is quite a bit older than you, you know."

     "Well, he certainly doesn't act like it!" Heysha complained despondently.

     "He picks on you because he's fond of you," Jason said, nudging the blue Lupess. "He also knows when not to joke around. Besides, sometimes I enjoy it when you two bicker."

     "Humph!" Was all Heysha said to this as she walked, nose upturned, to another part of the room. Shaking his head slowly, the human turned to the Gelert.

     "How's he doing, doctor?" he asked.

     "Well, he'll still be weak for a few days," the doctor said. "But he's well enough to be released."

     "Can he be released into my care?"

     For a moment, the Gelert just started at the man. Then he smiled. "Well, since you found him, I suppose he's your responsibility. If you'll come with me, I'll get the release forms set up. You know, many people come in here…" The conversation went on even as they left the room. As their voices faded down the hall, Savak saw a red Kougra come through the door. When he saw Heysha curled up in a corner, her head resting on her paws, he hesitated. Then he moved to Savak's bed and sat down next to it.

     "You were lucky we were around," the Kougra said. "If we hadn't seen you chase after that mouse, we probably wouldn't have noticed you at all. You were pretty far gone, even then."

     Savak didn't say anything, but just stared at the Kougra. The Kougra looked over his shoulder at Heysha. "Can't he talk?"

     "Oh, he can talk," Heysha said, walking over. "But so far, he's only talked to me. Probably because I'm special," she added, brushing her tail across the Kougra's nose.

     "A-are you Lukas?" Savak managed to say. His mouth was a bit dry, and it was becoming difficult to speak. The Kougra, who was aiming a cuff at Heysha, turned his attention to Savak.

     "So he does talk," he said. "Yes, I'm Lukas. Do you have a name?"

     "Savak," the Lupe replied. Then, trying to rise again, he uttered, "Where can I get some water?"

     "Shh," Heysha said, using her paw to keep him from getting up. "Lie down. I'll fetch you some, just keep still." Without another word, Heysha disappeared into an adjacent room.

     Lukas just watched as she went. Then, when she was gone, he muttered, half to himself, "I don't think I've ever seen her act like this for anyone."

     Savak looked to the door, then to Lukas. "Is that bad?"

     "I can't tell yet," the Kougra said. Turning to Savak, he smiled faintly. "So, why would a wild Lupe like you want to come to Neopia Central?"

     "How did you know I was heading here?" Savak asked.

     "I do have a nose, you know," Lukas said blatantly. "Your trail was quite clear, and it was leading straight to Neopia Central." He paused. "Your scent seemed familiar. I don't suppose we've crossed paths before, have we?"

     Savak shook his head. "Not that I recall," he choked.

     At this point, Heysha came back, carrying a paper cup, filled nearly to the brim with clear fountain water. She handed it to Savak who, instead of taking it, sat up on the bed and started lapping the water instead of sipping it out of the cup. Heysha, surprised by this course of action was about to pull away when Lukas grabbed her paw to keep it still. "Easy, princess. Let him drink," he said. And he kept his paw on her until Savak was done. At which point, Heysha, who was a bit disgusted, took the cup to the nearest trashcan.

      "Thank you," Savak said, his voice a bit stronger. He looked to Lukas. "You wanted to know why I was going to Neopia Central?" Lukas nodded. "Alright, I'll tell you. My pack was kidnapped while we were in the Neopian Plains. I managed to escape, and followed the scent of the kidnappers to…to where you found me." Savak stood up, his legs steadier than before. "I'm feeling a bit better now, I think I should go."

     "That's all well and good," said the human, who was stepping back into the room. "Because it is time to go."

     "Are we going to the plains?" Savak asked hopefully.

     "I'm afraid you're still too weak for that," the human said. "Until you've regained your strength, we're going to take care of you, in my house."

     "He's staying with us?" Heysha asked. "Where will he sleep?"

     "Where else?" Lukas asked. "One of the spare rooms. Our house is big enough."

     They left the hospital a few moments later in Jason's car. On the way to his house, Savak could only wonder what lay ahead for him. He had lost the trail. Would he ever find the pack now?

To be continued...