Dry Danger: Part One

     All across the awakening lands, plants were sprouting up from their long winter sleep. Young Meercas and Kacheeks could be seen running out from their homes across the world, bouncing balls and carrying toys of all shapes and sizes. Happy Blumaroos were marking the grounds with their distinctive bounce marks, while Quiggles and Tuskaninnies were finding their way to the nearest swimming areas.

     All of Neopia was awakening under the sun of this glorious first day of spring, every Uni, JubJub, Skeith, and more. Every Neopet seemed excited about the first day of spring - every neopet except those that lived in the Lost Desert, where the news of spring was overshadowed by greater and graver news.

     "Peopatra, isn't there anything you can do for my poor puppyblew?" cried a young desert Shoyru as it cradled its petpet in his arms.

     There were dry tears clouding the eyes of the desert Peophin who had for so long taken such pleasure in nursing poor little petpets. As of lately, though, there had been less and less Peopatra could do for the innocent little buggers, something that saddened this neopet very much.

     "I'm sorry, my little friend, but what this little fellow is suffering from is dehydration. As am I, and you, and everyone else in this desert. Without our much needed rainfall, I'm afraid there is nothing I can do for him."

     How those words made her heart begin to wail, and though she felt like crying, she had already used up every tear she had within her. Why did no help come to those in the Lost Desert? Why did no one come to help them? Couldn't the World of Neopia see that they were in trouble?

     Peopatra watched the young Shoyru as it left, crying, patting the poor back of its petpet. Sighing, the desert Peophin followed behind him, saying softly, "Wait."

     Choking back tears, the little one turned to face the other, trying to seem respectful and a little less teary.

     "Maybe I can do something for him, at least, for the time being. But don't get your hopes up; we shall need help from the outside world soon if I can do anything for certain."

     The little Shoyru nodded before saying, "Maybe my mum will take me to Neopia Central. She says she's been there before, and there must be water in place that far north."

     "Yes, I'm sure there is," agreed Peopatra with a nod, "but I beg and your family not to give up on the Lost Desert just yet. If everyone leaves, then our home shall be left in ruins."

     "But what about my puppyblew?"

     "Leave him with me for the time being and I'll see what I can do. I promise you, your petpet shall be fine with me, and I'll do everything I can to nurse him back to health. I promise."

     That night, Peopatra gathered a group of some of the most respected and wisest neopets that lived in the Lost Desert. Among them were Osiri, who sold pottery in the City of Sakhmet, Sutek, and Peopatra herself. Together, they sat outside the walls of Sakhmet, each trying to come up with a solution to the issue of the drought in the Lost Desert.

     "What worries me is the increasing number of pets leaving the area. If this continues," Sutek was saying, "then I shall lose all of my coins that I need to feed myself and my family. As it is, we have no water, but without food and whatever juice we can get, who knows how I could ever hope to take care of my family?"

     "That is true, but we cannot stop them from leaving the area. If this drought continues, then maybe just the best thing to do would be to have everyone leave the city," replied Osiri, shaking her head at the thought of abandoning her home.

     "And what of the lack of water?" questioned Peopatra. "We cannot forget that even if everyone does stay, there will still be the lack of rain to haunt us."

     "Yes, yes, that is true," replied a desert Kyrii, shaking his head as he spoke, "and I have three little ones at home, along with two petpets to take care of. I don't think I can let them stay much longer here without water, and with many leaving the city each day, I dare say it will be only a matter of time until everyone shares that opinion."

     "I doubt Princess Amira will ever be willing to leave her late father's kingdom," said a bitter desert Ixi, as if this was, indeed, unpleasant news.

     "I know I would never leave her Majesty here alone. No, I would stay here, too, until the very end," replied Osiri with a strong and certain voice.

     "Are you sure about that?" questioned another desert neopet, looking straight into the eyes of the desert Peophin. "What about in a few weeks from now, when only a few of us remain? What about when there is no water, little food, little to drink or to do?"

     "Such a time must never come," said another with a stern voice.

     "But how can we make sure that it doesn't?" questioned Sutek, this remark being the same one on just about every other present neopet's mind.

     Peopatra sighed, not liking what she heard. If only Neopia would just come to help them, all their problems would be solved. After all, they gave plenty of things to the other places around the World of Neopia: free food, the ability to visit their sign, and even fine pottery, petpets, and ancient scrolls. And now that they were in trouble, why didn't Neopia come to their aid? Had no one told them they were in trouble?

     Suddenly, the desert Peophin stood up from her position, her eyes glowing with her new thought. "Perhaps," she suggested, "the reason that no one from other places around Neopia has come to help us is because no one has told them of our plight. We must send another to them in order to ask for help."

     The others listened thoughtfully to this. Nodding, all of the neopets present agreed. Now they just needed to decide who was trustworthy enough to take on this mission.

     "Sutek, what about you? You are the seller of many scrolls; surely you must be able to travel to get help for us?" asked the neopets.

     "I'm afraid that I cannot leave," Sutek replied. "I have a family to take care of."

     "What about you, Osiri?" they asked, turning to her.

     "I would, but I would be lost from the moment I set out from the desert."

     "And you, Peopatra?"

     "I can't abandon my petpets. Sorry, but I must stay here."

     Sighing, the others began to look at each other, one by one, trying to figure out who to send. Finally, one of them spoke out.

     "I'll go, if it includes a bit of a reward. And you can count on me coming back, especially if that's where I can find a spot of coins."

     All of the other neopets then looked in this Lupe's direction. Tomos? Go and get help? It would seem that this street urchin had found his way into their meeting on along the outer walls, and now he was offering to go to get help. But how could they, the higher classes of the City of Sakhmet, trust him?

     "Thank you for your offer, dear Tomos," said Osiri, "but what would the Princess say if she knew that we had trusted you to get help? I'm sorry, but I think we should find someone else for the job."

     "Alright," replied Tomos. "Show me this other who dares to go searching for help. Is it any of you? You can't go, Osiri, 'cause you don't have the street smarts that I have. You, Sutek, have a family to support, which I have not. As for you, Peopatra, you are too attached to the desert to search for help. Me, I am not. So why not send me?"

     The group looked around at each other, none exactly certain that Tomos was the one they wanted to rely their lives on. And yet, they all knew that there was no one else present who was willing to take on the task.

     "Very well, Tomos," Peopatra replied. "We shall send you."

     "And my reward?" questioned Tomos, his eyes big at the thought.

     "Will be given to you the moment you return with help."

To be continued...