The Deserted Tomb: Not So Deserted Anymore

"Greetings from the tropics! Today, we have a very special treat for you. I, Gracie the Grarrl, am reporting to you live from the Lost City of Geraptiku. You have probably already heard about this exciting discovery because it is the biggest news since Brucey B and the Lost Coin, but for those that have been living underneath their pet Rock for the last few weeks, I will give a brief summary of the events that have taken place so far."

As she begins recounting the tale of the discovery of the Lost City, the Grarrl begins to move to her left, and the scenery in the background changes from the decrepit hut to gigantic tropical trees, towering spires of jagged rock, and piles of skulls belonging to no living creature known to Neopia. A tall, temple-like structure appears in the backdrop and looms ominously over the rest of the village.

"On the 13th day of Swimming, Y7, a small team of Neopian archaeologists were working along the northern shores of Mystery Island when one of the workers stumbled into a clearing containing the remains of a timeworn stone hut. He had inadvertently made the largest discovery of the past year, and he and the team worked feverishly to untangle the rest of the village buildings from the dense undergrowth and Curly Vines that had simply devoured everything.

What they didn't know, was that what seems to be the greatest find in the Geraptiku village had yet to be uncovered. A week after that fateful day where an archaeologist happened upon the greatest discovery of his life, a small earthquake, perhaps triggered by the recent eruption of the Mystery Island Volcano, shook the small village. The repercussions were far greater than just causing the ice cream to fall off the cone of a tourist visiting the Island Mystic for his daily fortune. The quake caused a landslide that revealed an enormous building lay hidden underneath the rubble. I am joined now by one of the first archaeologists on the site, as well as one of the only that has set foot inside this tomb, Alex."

As Gracie says this, she motions towards a Starry Draik that had been listening intently to every word of the report. Alex steps forward and takes his position next to Gracie, ready for the onslaught of questions. The pair are now positioned directly in front of the entrance of the Deserted Tomb. The stone door of the entrance is half open, but the ancient, evil seals to ward off any inquiring minds that had any thought of entering are still visible. The inhabitant of the tomb probably was even less social than the previous inhabitant of the hut. At least the hut had a doorknocker.

Gracie: "Alex, what can you tell me about this building?"

Alex: "Well, we have established that it is a tomb of some sort, but what is actually inside it, no one knows. The most popular guess is that there is a secret treasure chamber hidden deep inside, but there are many traps protecting it. I was just about to head into the tomb to see if there really is some truth behind the rumors."

Gracie: "And am I right to assume that you are allowing us to accompany you inside the tomb to help you locate the treasure chamber?"

Alex: "Yes, I am. We are on a mission to find out exactly what lies within the tomb to see if it safe for visitors to enter. Well, there’s no point in wasting any more time, so let's go!"

With Alex leading the way, the two of them make their way through the small gap under the half opened door and into the first passage way. Alex grabs a conveniently located torch off the wall and ventures further down the narrow hallway.

Alex: "Now you have to be very careful where you step, and what you touch. This place has been said to be filled with booby traps. Why, when we pried open the door, a gigantic axe almos—WATCH OUT!!!"

Gracie had accidentally set off a trap, and about thirty arrows came flying out of cleverly concealed holes in the wall. Luckily, Alex barely manages to push her out of the way. He suffers minor damage and loses some HP.

Gracie: "OH MY GOSH! Alex, are you all right??"

Alex: "Oh yes, I’m fine. It's uhh… Just a flesh wound… Nothing that a quick trip to the Healing Springs wouldn’t fix. Just be more careful next time."

Unfortunately, the smell of fresh meat has attracted an unwelcome visitor. A monstrous Ghost Hissi (that may or may not be thinking about how to cook them for dinner) leaps out and begins chasing Gracie and Alex down countless hallways and through vast, empty rooms. Finally, tired and exhausted, they manage to shake the Hissi off their trail. After being almost eaten and shot at, Gracie and Alex come to the conclusion that the inhabitant of the tomb was probably very anti-social.

At last they are able to catch their breath, and upon examining the room they are in properly, it is clear that it is different from all the others. There is a pedestal in the center that seems to be made for a small box to sit atop it. That box is missing, however.

Alex: "Oh no… From the looks of it, this is the treasure chamber… But someone has already taken the treasure…"

Feeling depressed and let down, Alex lets out a groan and sits down on a rock that has the words "Do not sit" carved onto it in large, rudimentary block letters. It sinks an inch into the floor as a carefully hidden stone door slides slowly upwards on the opposite side of the chamber. Warily, the pair enter this new room, and immediately their attention is drawn to a petpet scurrying about in the center of the room. As they creep closer, Alex correctly identifies it as a Mimbi, one of the few petpets that are known to be native to Geraptiku.

Gracie: "Aww, what an absolutely adorable little creat--Wait a tick! What’s that box doing under the Mimbi?"

Gracie shoos away the frightened petpet. As Alex looks longingly in the direction the Mimbi took off in, Gracie carefully examines the wooden box. It has a golden lid with the ancient Geraptiku seal engraved into the front of the box. This is the moment they have both been waiting for. They are the first Neopets in a thousand years to step foot inside the treasure chamber, and they are about to find something that thousands of Neopets after them will brave the Deserted Tomb to get for themselves.

Golden light suddenly pours out of the ceiling, spotlighting the box. Two objects slowly rotate out of it. Something round and something square. They are...

A Codestone and a poorly bound book with a piece of tree bark functioning as the cover. "Geraptiku Recipe" is scrawled across the front of it.

Gracie: “Marvelous! There we have it! The true treasure of the Lost City is right here in our hands! Oh, how delightful! I can't wait to get home and try out this recipe for Geraptiku Punch... This will surely hit a hit at parties!”

Alex: *Mumble mumble* "I would have preferred that Mimbi…"

Gracie: "Well, we have now unraveled the mystery behind the Deserted Tomb and conquered the dangers that lurk around every corner, and I think that is enough excitement for one day. Don’t you agree, Alex? So as always: until next time, this is Gracie the Grarrl signing out!

…That is… if we can ever find our way out of here…"