Fallout, The Wurymmar Story: Part Five

Wurymmar paced around his sparse glass prison, walking from one end to the next restlessly, never knowing when his captor would be coming for him. When is that old man coming? What's he going to do with me? This waiting is maddening. I wish this was over already, Wurymmar thought listlessly while he stared at the transparishield floor.

     But his thoughts were more preoccupied with something other than his bleak future. Scar's face kept surfacing from the back of his mind, each time accompanied by a fresh surge of hatred for the human.

     You left me here Scar, Wurymmar thought bitterly, slamming his right paw onto a wall. You left me to be experimented on and Fyora knows what else. I should never have made that promise. I should never have trusted a human like you, Scar!

     The next time I see you, Scar, it won't be as friends. Wurymmar settled himself in a corner and laid his head in his paws, shielding his eyes from the light.

     "Hmm, he looks about ready for the machine, don't you think, Scarven?" The old man looked at his grandson's figure standing next to him, who was watching Wurymmar intently from behind a panel of double-sided glass.

     "I suppose he is. I'll go get the Ray ready, grandpa," Scar said impassively, turning to leave. The old man shook his head and grabbed Scar's shoulder to stop him.

     "Nay, I've already sent the Sloth Clone to do it," he said. Scar shrugged and turned again to regard Wurymmar.

     "Then I'll stay and watch the Lupe suffer while the Ray charges up." His grandfather couldn't help but give a grin.

     "There, you see how easy it is. These Neopets are worthless to our kind. Only the faeries seem to favour them and if they offer me power then what have I got to lose in accepting, eh?" the old man said almost cheerfully. Scar gave a slight chuckle, still staring transfixed into the glass panel.

     "Don't you mean we?"

     "Of course, you know what I mean," Scar's grandfather said tersely. He turned to exit the room. "Oh and be on your best behaviour, Scarven. Jhudora is coming here today and I want everything to go according to plan. Do you understand me?" Scar only nodded and his grandfather assumed that he was just being snide. "Hmm, on second thought, be a good boy and go greet Jhudora in the guest room on the first floor. Bring her to the observation room on the ground floor. Can you do that?"

     Scar didn't respond at first, still looking coldly at the caged Lupe, before he gave a curt nod and swept out of the room. Scar's grandfather made an impatient sound and turned back to regard Wurymmar.

     Scar proceeded to the first floor's guest room and knocked on its ornate wooden surface before pushing it open.

     "Where is the Lupe you promised, human?" Jhudora snapped. Then she noticed that it was just Scar and she quickly held her head up aloofly.

     "It's you. Well speak up, I haven't got all day," the Dark Faerie sneered. "Let me guess, it's time to go already?" Scar only gave a wan smile.

     "Not at all, milady," Scar said with a bow. "It's just, I have a preposition for you." Jhudora raised one groomed eyebrow.

     "What do you have in mind, human?"

     ~*~*~*~*~

     Scar's grandfather found the blue Lupe and Scar already inside the chamber with the ray when he arrived. The Sloth Clone just finished loading the Lupe's glass cell into the target area of the machine as the old man approached his grandson. Scar looked at his grandfather and nodded.

     "The robot …" Scar began while pointing at the Sloth Clone. "Has already charged the machine and loaded the subject. He is ready for instructions, grandpa." His grandfather rubbed his hands together.

     "Excellent." He snapped his gnarled fingers at the robot Sloth Clone. "Proceed with the first alignment reversal sequence." The machine hummed with energy and its glow increased in intensity. Scar looked up at the machine, a modified Morality Modification Ray that was meant to reverse the moral alignment of any creature that came in contact with its blast, rendering it evil in most cases. The huge Alien Aisha built Ray sat in the middle of a large stainless steel chamber with wires running outwards from the machine in all directions with thick chains supporting the monstrous contraption. A grand instrument that was rebuilt by his grandfather himself for his work with Jhudora, something Scar least expected from such a sophisticated, yet graceful, instrument.

     Inside his glass cage, Wurymmar stared up in fear at the glowing point of the machine; his face bathed in the fluorescent green glow. He quickly turned his gaze to his left where Scar was standing. I could ask for help. Scar would rescue me, I'm sure he would. Then he snuffed out the thought. No, that human would never risk his neck for me; his friend and companion. I can't expect Scar to do anything right now. The last traces of hope were quickly washing away from Wurymmar. If I do get out of here the first thing I'll do is rip him apart, the traitor.

     Wurymmar again glanced at the glowing Lab Ray, watching the swirling patterns of alternating green colours hanging in the air about the ray, and waited for it to end. In the corner of his eye he spied Scar looking away from him and the hate that was welling up inside him doubled.

     "The alignment reversal sequence is ready, grandpa," Scar said loudly over the machine's humming. The old man smirked and reached to pull the lever on the main control panel of the machine that would make Wurymmar Jhudora's loyal subject.

     A bright green shaft of light shot from the end of the ray and straight at Wurymmar, filling the chamber with a brilliant flash. Wurymmar registered the bright flash of light and he blacked out from shock; the ray's intensity was as bright as a small sun.

     But brighter still was the roaring sound that emanated from the side of the machine.

     Shards of debris and waves of searing heat blasted throughout the chamber as a large part of the machine disintegrated from the blast created by the explosive. Scar had dropped to the floor just in time to avoid the explosion, though Scar knew the timing was a bit off.

     Vrynian, hidden in the darkness of the elevated metal walkway that ringed the chamber, cringed in shock, for even though he had expected the blast (he had thrown the Lupe Chia Bomb after all) he had misjudged the target and the projectile had blown up very near where Wurymmar's cell and Scar were. Hoping that the two were all right, Vrynian set off in a run along the narrow walkway.

     The dust was barely settling and pieces of debris could still be heard clattering to the floor but already Scar was on his feet, moving quickly through the smog in the general direction of the Lab Ray's target area where Wurymmar's cell was. As he ran the dust cleared a bit and revealed Scar's grandfather lying face down on the floor a few feet away. He'll live, Scar thought sardonically as he quickened his pace towards the now visible outline of the glass cage.

     Vrynian had already gotten there before him and Scar saw that, true to form, the cell had shattered from the explosion, thick chunks of transparishield littering the area around the cage's base. Scar saw Vrynian touch Wurymmar's unmoving wrist before looking up at him and nodding.

     "He's just unconscious, Scar," Vrynian confirmed. Scar nodded and moved to help Vrynian to carry Wurymmar when a loud shout echoed through the gloom. Scar, his eyes narrowing dangerously, turned to Vrynian.

     "Go! Get Wurymmar out of here, I'll take care of 'him'," Scar said quickly while jabbing a thumb at the approaching figure behind him. "Go, now!"

     Vrynian gave a curt nod and carefully hoisted Wurymmar over his back. Without another word, the Lupe was gone in a flick of his snow-white tail. When he was sure they had gone out the door, Scar turned his attention to his grandfather's approaching figure.

     Scar's grandfather strode resolutely across the chamber, his blood boiling as he surveyed the wreckage strewn all around him. If it weren't for the enchantment that made his skin as hard granite, which was wasted in the explosion, he wouldn't be alive at all, he realized. Instead, he had woken up to find his expensive laboratory in shambles and his precious Ray nearly ready for the scrap heap. He stepped around the broken control panel lying on the floor and glared at his grandson.

     "Wurymmar's gone grandpa, there's nothing more you can do about it," Scar called from across the room.

     "You think you've won, Scarven?" the old man shouted in rage. "Do you really think that the game is up?"

     "It's over grandpa," Scar said calmly. "The Morality Modification Ray is destroyed and you can't convert any more Neopets without it. You've lost, grandpa." Scar was stunned to hear the old man cackle loudly, sending cold shivers down his spine.

     "Did you really think that I needed the Ray to convert Neopets over to Jhudora's service, did you Scarven Dessan?" the old man laughed triumphantly. "I didn't need that ray to make Neopets evil." He pointed his walking stick at Scar. "I needed you."

     "What did you say?" Scar said uneasily, stepping backwards slightly. His grandfather laughed again.

     "You naïve fool!" the old man shook with mirth. "That Ray was but an expensive piece of art, incapable of serving any purpose other than being a fancy light source. That machine only made the illusion of alignment reversal, to convince those Neopets that they had truly turned evil. But it was you that did all the work for me."

     "You're lying, grandpa!" Scar shouted. "I saw that blasted machine turn even the kindest and most passive Neopet into a malevolent and cruel one. Every single time." Scar heard his grandfather give a chilling laugh and took a step closer.

     "Tsk, tsk haven't you realized it yet? I didn't need a fancy ray to turn the Neopets evil when you were sufficient, especially after I trained you to do it." Realization hit Scar like a hammer.

     "You don't mean -"

     "Yes, Scarven," his grandfather said coldly. "I've been training you since you were little, to hate and mistreat those sorry creatures, to suppress any feelings you had towards them. And, might I say, you've performed quite admirably thus far. All those Neopets you've taken from the Pound and brought here, all the hate and scorn you've shown towards them is really what turned them evil. You accuse me of mistreating them, but in fact you are the one responsible of corrupting those Neopets, for making them hate the world, for making them hate humans like us -"

     "And all to the benefit of yourself," Scar interrupted coldly. His grandfather swept his arms out wide.

     "There can be no other gain from this endeavour. Only power, power that Jhudora has so kindly given to me in exchange for my services. Do you really think I'd stay on this backwater world if it wasn't for the powers the faeries possess?"

     "And you've been planning this haven't you," Scar said in a low voice. "You've been expecting me to do exactly this for ages haven't you."

     "How perceptive of you," the old man said sarcastically. "And now you understand why I have always taken so many steps to secure your reliance on me; that pledge, the Neopoints, etcetera."

     "So you played me the fool and all this while I was too stupid to realize the extent of what I've done," Scar said quietly, an empty feeling coming over him as he realized now the weight of his past deeds.

     "And now you will retrieve the Lupes, both of them, and bring them here, as per your promise with me," said Scar's grandfather with a triumphant air about him.

     "Not this time, grandpa." The old man's eyes narrowed.

     "What did you say, Scarven?" he said suspiciously. Scar took a step backwards.

     "I won't do it, not this time."

     "Remember your pledge Scar -"

     With one quick movement, Scar flipped his Sword of Domar in his hand and threw it to his side. The old man was too seasoned to allow himself to follow the blade's path and he kept staring straight at Scar. Thus he didn't see the blade twirl through the air and slam into the wall, severing a long strand of rope. He looked up just in time to see an old, unused chandelier fall down from the roof. With a yell, Scar's grandfather tried to dodge the chandelier. It struck the floor and sent a cloud of heavy dust into the acrid air. The old man choked and let out a curse, but Scar was already far ahead, running down the long corridor towards the main hall.

     "Come back here, Scarven!" his grandfather screamed behind him but Scar hardly relented in his escape. The doors before his suddenly slammed shut, the lock clicking into place, but Scar didn't even slow down. Instead he steeled himself and launched himself at the door. The door burst open with two splintering sounds; one of the door hinges coming loose and one of Scar's shoulder dislocating. With gritted teeth, Scar fell and tumbled onto the floor.

     Quickly, he picked himself but Scar could already hear the sounds of doors slamming shut all around him. In a few short moments, he would be a permanently resident in the mansion. With a growl, Scar ignored the pain and started running the last few yards towards the front door.

     The Sloth Clone suddenly appeared right in front of the door and Scar immediately dove to the carpeted floor, a bolt of energy barely missing his head. He looked up and saw his grandfather, his robes askew, standing next to the Sloth Clone.

     "Ah, I forgot the Sloth Clone," Scar muttered absently from the rug. "So this is my replacement, isn't it grandpa?"

     "It was my intention, yes," the old man replied. "You've just proven yourself too untrustworthy to be part of my plans. This Sloth Clone may be stupid but he's smart enough to get rid of you. Destroy target!"

     Then, before Scar could react, the Sloth Clone aimed its arms at him. Scar raised his hands to shield himself. Suddenly the Sloth Clone and the old man froze, an eerie and disgusting black fog enveloping the both of them. Scar didn't have time to think about what had caused his grandfather and his lackey to stop for the front doors were gradually closing. Without another thought, Scar ran and leaped the last few feet through the gap, barely making it as the large doors slammed shut and locked behind him. Hitting the dirt hard, doubling the pain in his injured shoulder, Scar dropped into a roll and just heard the infuriated screams of his grandfather echo from within the mansion behind him. He was free!

     "Curse you Scarven Dessan!" the old man screamed. "You've not seen the end of me!"

     "Unfortunately he has, old man," came a silky voice from behind him. Scar's grandfather gave an involuntary shudder and turned to see Jhudora's wickedly smiling face. "So that's the secret of your success after all. And here I was thinking it was some silly Ray.

     "Ah, and I see that your prized possession has taken flight," Jhudora smiled slyly as the old man shivered in fear. "Since he was necessary in your plans it seems you no longer serve any purpose to me, do you? I think I should keep my end of the bargain for your 'grandson'."

     "Wha … what do you mean?"

     "Oh, that young man promised to reveal the secret of your success … in exchange for his freedom. And frankly, I'm disappointed with what I've learnt. Now what shall I turn you into? A small plushie perhaps?"

     "No … Jhudora, please stop … NOOO!!!"

     Scar turned as he heard screams from within the mansion. Suddenly the mansion started shrinking until it finally disappeared in a cloud of unpleasant smelling smoke. The Dessan family mansion was gone; a blank plot of land in the middle of a small forest.

     ~*~*~*~*~

     Wurymmar opened his eyes hesitantly and blinked as sunlight pierced into them. Slowly everything came into focus and the first thing he saw was Vrynian's concerned face. Wurymmar's eyes widened in surprise.

      "Vrynian?" Wurymmar croaked groggily, getting up carefully on his paws. "What are you doing here? What happened to the pack?" Vrynian put a paw to his nose.

     "Later Wurymmar, first we have to make sure Scar made it out of the mansion," Vrynian said urgently. A serious look came over Wurymmar's face.

     "You're right, let's go find Scar," Wurymmar said in a low voice. Vrynian noticed the bitter tone in his friend's voice but dismissed it for the moment as he followed Wurymmar's lead back to the mansion.

     ~*~*~*~*~

     "I'm sorry you had to go, grandpa," Scar said solemnly at the small pile of rocks where the stately Neohome stood just a few minutes ago. "But you would've done the same thing to me."

     Suddenly, Scar heard a loud snarl behind him and, before he could even turn around, a large shape barrelled into him and knocked him to the ground. Scar felt a lance of pain shoot through his shoulder as he slammed to the hard dirt and he had to bite his lip to stop from letting out a yell. Through his gritted teeth Scar managed to hiss, "Wurymmar, what are you doing?"

     Wurymmar did indeed pounce upon Scar's turned back, and not in a playful manner either. His feral eyes were livid with rage and a low growl escaped from his throat.

     "Don't pretend you don't know what you did to me, Scar," Wurymmar spat in disgust. Scar cringed slightly as one of Wurymmar's heavy paws pressed down on his injured shoulder.

     "Wurymmar, please let me -"

     "Go? I think not!" growled Wurymmar slowly. "You've already betrayed me, your own friend, to your sick grandfather so I've already got one reason to really hurt you, Scar. Give me another reason, why don't you?" Scar stayed silently for a moment.

     "Do what you will, Wurymmar," he said finally, ignoring the pain and closing his eyes. "I've already broken my word to you and Fyora knows I've done my fair share of damage."

     The Lupe gave a loud snarl at Scar's words and raised one paw, claws clearly visible, and prepared to strike at the prone human.

     "Stop it Wurymmar!" shouted Vrynian suddenly, his voice cutting through the silence around them. "What do you think you're going to do?"

     "Kill him," Wurymmar said simply. "For all he's done to me and for all Neopet he's ever hurt."

     "And what would you accomplish? Do you think that will make everything better?" Vrynian snapped in frustration. "Do you, Wurymmar?" Wurymmar didn't say a word, his paw suspended in midair. "It won't make things better, Wurymmar. I know."

     "You know what he did to me!" Wurymmar snarled in reply. "Why shouldn't I just send him to join his grandfather?"

     "Because he's the one that rescued you, not me," Vrynian said. "He risked his freedom to release you from your prison, even putting his life on the line so that I could get you out of there."

     "I don't believe that this human would do that for me," Wurymmar hissed, staring daggers at Scar. "And why do you want to help him, Vrynian? I'm your friend and he nearly did me in so why should you care for his safety?"

     "Because, like him, I too broke my promise to you, Wurymmar," Vrynian said while bowing his head. "I needed to make it up to you for betraying you, for not doing anything to stop them." Wurymmar's expression softened as he turned to the white Lupe.

     "You mean you were with the group that …?"

     Vrynian nodded. "Yes, and I could've done something to stop him, but I didn't. I felt sorry for what I'd done but Scar was different," Vrynian said slowly. "He did something I would never have thought of doing and I respect him for that."

     "B … but he went against his word," Wurymmar tried to argue. Then Scar spoke.

     "I thought words meant little to you, Wurymmar," Scar said emotionlessly. "I remember you giving me your word to stick by me wherever I go and you followed it up till now. Your word means nothing if you don't mean it. I don't mind saying that you no longer need to be with me. Consider your debt settled, Wurymmar, and just do what you really mean to do. At least I'll die knowing I'm free." Scar closed his eyes yet again and waited for the inevitable blow. Suddenly, the weight lifted from his back. Scar turned slowly around and saw Wurymmar holding his paw out to him.

     "Get up Scar," Wurymmar said slowly. "I was wrong to think you had a choice in your decisions. We all break our promises sometime or another, but promises can be made too, can't they?" Scar gave a wry smile, grabbed Wurymmar's paw with his good arm and hoisted himself off the ground. Vrynian came up to the two and waved his paws to catch their attention.

     "So that's it, isn't it?" Vrynian said with a tinge of glee. "It's all over, so let's put this behind us." Scar and Wurymmar nodded in agreement.

     "You're right yet again, Vrynian," said Scar while Wurymmar slapped Vrynian on the back. "You know what, let's go buy something from the Coffee Shop to celebrate. I need some Phear Coffee for this pain." Wurymmar looked at Scar with mock surprise.

     "And here I was thinking you were too stingy for anything," the Lupe said sarcastically. With that, the trio started off down the deserted path in the direction of Main Street. As they walked, Wurymmar suddenly turned to Vrynian.

     "Oh, I just remembered," Wurymmar started as Vrynian turned to regard him. "What did happen to you? Did you leave the pack?" A concerned look spread over Wurymmar's face. "Is the pack all right? Is he -"

     Vrynian let out a nervous laugh. "Oh that. Well, after that incident," the white Lupe said guardedly, slightly stressing the last word. "I went back to the pack and, quietly so that he wouldn't notice, managed to relay to our other friends about what he had done. They, of course, reacted with outrage and I got them together to help overthrow him. Fortunately my father managed to convince the others in the pack, those that took part in your attack, that what we were doing was right. One night, we cornered our 'former' leader near the Lair of the Beast and instead of admitting defeat he ran into the cavern. That was the last we saw of him."

     "So our old leader, Harvell, is gone then?" Wurymmar inquired. Vrynian nodded and Wurymmar continued. "Hmm, so who's the new leader then?" Vrynian gave a small, nervous smile.

     "Actually after Harvell left, err, the pack decided," Vrynian said haltingly. "That I should be the new leader." Wurymmar raised an eyebrow and the corners of his mouth twitched. Vrynian glared at him, as well as Scar, who was clutching his shoulder because they were shaking in mirth. "Fine, laugh all you want …"

     "No, we're not laughing at you, right Scar," Wurymmar said, shooting Scar a dirty look. Scar didn't seem to notice but his shoulders stopped shaking, at least, so Wurymmar went on. "Err, Vrynian, if you're pack leader then why are you here?" Vrynian sighed and continued walking.

     "I didn't want to be pack leader, you know I hate being in the spotlight," Vrynian muttered. "So I decided to let my father take over as pack leader. It didn't go too well. You know my father, Wurymmar. You know he likes responsibility and all that stuff. So I ran off in the middle of the night, leaving a message for my father with Lynea, you remember her don't you? A green Lupe." Wurymmar nodded and Vrynian continued. "I tried to find you at the cliff but you weren't there. Strangely, I found some tracks with your scent on it and I followed it all the way here. The rest is history."

     "Wow, Vrynian, that's one heck of a journey!" Wurymmar exclaimed.

     "At first I didn't believe it either, to be frank," Scar commented, wincing slightly as he tried to adjust his sprained shoulder.

     "I myself can't believe that I actually trekked across hot rocks, dragged myself through stinking jungle, smuggled myself aboard a pirate ship and spent days wandering around this city just to find you, Wurymmar," Vrynian mused as the three of them continued on their way to Main Street.

     Later that night, under the artificial glare of the dozens of flickering torches in the Deep Catacombs, the two Lupes and Scar sat around a small table, waiting for their orders to come in. Wurymmar was leaning back in his chair precariously on its two back legs, Vrynian was staring around casually at his surroundings and Scar was apparently deep in thought. Suddenly he perked up and caught Vrynian's attention.

     "Hmm?" Vrynian mumbled idly.

     "I was wondering, Vrynian," began Scar. "What are you going to do now that you've found Wurymmar?" Vrynian scratched his chin.

     "I have not really thought about that yet, Scar," Vrynian admitted. "I can't go back now can I? Maybe I could take care of a shop or something. Anything but travelling. I've had enough journeys to last me a lifetime. Do you have a shop or something, Scar?"

     "As a matter of fact I do indeed have a store," said Scar casually. The drinks had arrived and Wurymmar helped pass the mugs around. "If you want, you've got the job! That way I'll have more time for travelling." He held his mug high and the rest followed suit and toasted each other. Scar grinned and took a long sip from his mug. Suddenly his eyes widened and he set his drink down hard on the table. "Did anyone order Juppie Juice?" Scar asked in shock. Wurymmar nodded casually from over his mug.

     "Sure, I did … oh, sorry I must have mixed up our orders," Wurymmar apologized after tasting his drink. "What's the matter? You don't look too good."

     "I … I'm … allergic to … to … Juppie … Juice …" And with that, Scar's head dropped face first onto the table with a bang and there he lay, snoring softly. The two Lupes stared incredulously at Scar before looking at each other.

     "I think we should help him get home," Wurymmar said after a moment. Vrynian nodded and helped support Scar out of the underground shop. Slowly they carried Scar, who was snoring peacefully, with his arms around their shoulders towards his Neohome.

     "You sure have a weird owner," Vrynian commented to Wurymmar as they trudged back in the direction of Winding Wood Drive, only the full moon bearing witness to the curious sight of a sleeping human being dragged away by two disgruntled Lupes.

     ~*~*~*~*~

     Hmm, I don't have anything to give you, Neopet," Jhudora muttered as she looked around her cloud. Then her eye caught onto something. Grabbing the box, Jhudora tossed the package to the Usul. "Here, take this for your efforts."

     "Hmm, a nice Usuki set," the Usul said while looking down at the package. "But why does this Usuki look so scared?" Jhudora smiled wickedly.

     "It displeased me."

The End.

Author's Note: Well that's it! Feel free to Neomail me with your comments, tips, etc. as long as you don't give me any Juppie Juice. See ya.