A Quest for Illusen… And Then Some

     “TORILANT! No need to ramble, just gather the item I requested and you will have done me a huge favour. Alright?" Illusen interrupted, happy to have quieted him down.

     “Sounds good, Illusen! I won't let you down!"

     How did Torilant find himself here, at Illusen's Glade, doing a quest for the renowned Illusen? It was certainly not intentional.

     Meet Torilant - a strong-willed Poogle who always seems to find himself in the wildest situations, all while talking excessively. Once, he found himself stranded in the Lost Desert because he couldn't win a game of Tug-o-War. Another time, he became an impromptu tour guide for the Tiki Tours on Mystery Island because they lacked volunteers - for 3 weeks. Despite the worst sunburn he had ever experienced, he thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to talk endlessly.

     And now, Torilant was in Meridell, at Illusen's Glade, tracking down a Furwitch Pillow. What is a Furwitch Pillow, you ask? While some may claim it's just a pillow, beware. It may be just a pillow, but it still has a bite. Torilant had initially planned to visit Meridell to have a friendly game of Cheese Roller with his sister, Glaiela, but a wrong turn led him to Illusen’s quest.

     “Oh, and don't forget, Torilant, you have 16 minutes. Best of luck!" Illusen waved and walked back into her Glade, chuckling to herself.

     “16 minutes?!" Torilant immediately turned and began to run. Good thing time and distance work mysteriously in Neopia, or he would never make it to the Haunted Woods and back in 16 minutes. Glaiela would have to wait a little longer for that game of Cheese Roller.

     Once Torilant reached the Haunted Woods, he started popping into stores, asking about the pillow. Along the way, he encountered some not-so-friendly characters. Edna almost turned him into a ghost, the Esophagor nearly devoured him, and the Brain Tree's ominous gaze left him speechless in fear. Despite these encounters, he did take a few minutes to colour a fun Neopet Mask, which he promptly put into his pack to play with later. When he finally reached the Spooky Furniture store, he couldn't believe his luck. There, on the shelf, sat a Furwitch Pillow.

     "Hello, kind yet evil-looking Grundo! I need to purchase the Furwitch Pillow. Can you tell me how much it is?" Torilant asked.

     "Ah, the pillow. It may cost the colour of your eyes or your favourite memory with one of your siblings. Are you willing to part with either?" The shopkeeper asked.

     "Well, probably not. But oh look! Someone is stealing something!” Torilant yelled, diverting the shopkeeper's attention and seizing the opportunity to snatch the pillow and make a swift exit. Though he typically disapproved of stealing, preserving his cherished memories with his siblings was non-negotiable. The Grundo shopkeeper immediately turned with a snarl to fight off the intruder, and Torilant was out of there.

     Thus commenced the epic montage of Torilant running through the Haunted Woods and across Neopia, hiding from the evil-looking Grundo. And where did he end up? Faerieland. On who’s bluff? Jhudora’s. Torilant always seemed to find himself in the oddest situations.

     “Who are you running from, little Poogle?” Jhudora asked as she floated up to him hiding behind a tree.

     “Well, I’m actually on a quest for Illusen. Do you know her? And I’m trying to not give up my favourite memory with one of my siblings, which means I stole this pillow from this evil-looking Grundo from the Haunted Woods… I’m just trying to get back to Meridell. Will you help me?” Torilant rambled, nearly out of breath.

     “Oh, on a quest for Illusen, are you?” Jhudora asked. This was probably not the smartest thing for Torilant to have said, as Jhudora and Illusen are, well, mortal enemies. Yet, he did.

     “I will help you get rid of this Grundo if you also do a quest for me. You must finish mine before you finish Illusen’s. It’s best to keep her waiting,” Jhudora said. She snickered to herself, but Torilant totally missed the evil behind her words. He was just glad to have some help!

     “Excellent! What do I need to get you?” Torilant asked.

     “Deep Space Armour, please. And you have 16 minutes!” Jhudora said.

     “16 minutes again?! Well, here we go… again,” Torilant said and hurried to the teleportation centre, destined for the Virupets Space Station. Surprisingly, he had a lovely time on the space station. First, he played with some Space Petpets, wishing he could take one home. Next, he pulled the Lever of Doom, and that was so fun, he did it again. And again. And again. His pockets weren’t happy, but he sure was.

     Finally, Torilant remembered his very short time window and continued on his quest for the Deep Space Armour. The Space Armour store had a very nice-looking Grundo that Torilant was excited to do business with.

     “I’m looking for Deep Space Armour, kind sir!” He said.

     “I have one of those! That will be 7,000nps, please!” The shopkeeper replied.

     “Excellent!” Torilant exclaimed, and he paid the man willingly. Why couldn’t everything in Torilant’s life be this easy?

     Once Torilant paid the shopkeeper, he stopped by to pet the Space Petpets one more time then teleported back to the mainland. Jhudora was waiting for him at the bluff, clearly pleased with herself that she had received her quested item before Illusen.

     “The Haunted Woods Grundo should give you no more trouble. Thank you for my item! However, I have one final challenge for you before you can give Illusen her item – try and escape this cage!” Jhudora roared and laughed as she used her magic to fling Torilant into a cage, locked on the outside. She really did not want lllusen to get her pillow.

     “Well, in yet another pickle,” Torilant said. “This time I know exactly which secret weapon to use.” Torilant grinned, revealing his trusty Petpet Snicklebeast, whom he constantly carried around for sticky situations exactly like this one. His Snicklebeast quickly unlocked the cage, granting Torilant freedom once more.

     This wasn't the first time his trusty Snicklebeast had helped him out of a bad situation. For instance – his Tug-o-War game in the Lost Desert ended because his Snicklebeast was strong enough to lift an Elephante. To get out of being a tour guide, he let the Snicklebeast nibble on the toes of a tourist. Snicklebeasts really did come in handy.

     And today, like any other day, the Snicklebeast wiggled its way through the bars, stole the key from the hook on the wall, and unlocked Torilant’s cage.

     “We only have a couple of minutes left! We better hurry,” said Torilant.

     With time running short, Torilant hurried to deliver the pillow to Illusen. Meridell and Faerieland are close together, in Neopian standards, so Torilant was able to reach Illusen quickly. He happily handed over the Furwitch Pillow, and Illusen beamed with delight.

     “Thank you, Torilant! I have what I needed. You reached me just in the nick of time! Did you have a hard time getting the pillow?” Illusen asked.

     “Boy oh boy, do I have a story to tell you,” Torilant said. And so, Glaiela would have to wait a little longer for that game of Cheese Roller.

     The End.