Petpet Adventures: Petpetnapped - Part One

     Ellen the Doglefox was perched on top of the fence, as she always was. Thon made his way towards her, enjoying the scenery of their backyard. His pets took good care of it and the garden beds were beautifully neat and tidy. Or as tidy as a hundred flowering shrubs could possibly be. In the center was a pond filled with half a dozen Soreen, all making their stately way through the reeds that grew there. He was not privy to what they did; they were in their own separate world.

     Thon reached an old rock tree. Not exactly the greatest looking tree in Neopia but it served a very useful purpose: it was the only way to get to the top of the fence. Thon climbed from branch to branch until he reached the top. Then he leapt very gracefully onto the fence, a maneuver he had perfected over the years ever since his pets, Emberblaze and Silverpaw, had brought him home from the Tyrannian petpet shop three or four years ago. They were currently at work in their own shop in the marketplace.

     He sat down next to Ellen. She seemed preoccupied and acknowledged his greeting with only a small flick of her lustrous tail.

     "You know Thon, I've been thinking," she said.

     "Really?" asked Thon, acting surprised.

     "Oh ha ha," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'm being serious here."

     "I'm listening."

     "Haven't you ever wondered what is out there?" she asked, waving a snow-white paw in the direction of central Neopia City. Thon had never been there, nor did he have they desire to go there if he had the chance. He enjoyed his life in the suburbs and he wondered why Ellen wanted to leave it.

     "Nope," he said.

     Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a rather ragged looking Spardel. The Spardel looked up at them with disconcerting orange eyes.

     "Eh, what you doin' up there?" he shouted. "Come down here and fight wiv' me."

     The Spardel's name was Terkan and he lived next door to them. He sometimes visited them and they got the impression that he was just a tiny bit crazy, always challenging them to a fight or raving about his 'epic battles' with other petpets. They both doubted that it was true. Terkan watched them, and as if deciding that they weren't good enough for him, he promptly turned and started clawing at a nearby Sunday bush.

     "Geez, one day I'm going to block that hole in the fence," commented Ellen. The huge hole was the way that Terkan got into the yard.

     "Don't bother, he'd just make another one, somewhere else," said Thon.

     "And what do you think you're doing, looking into my backyard?" cut in an entirely new voice, one that made both Thon and Ellen sigh as they turned to look at the petpet who owned it.

     A well-groomed Angelpuss was down below, in the backyard on the other side of the fence. She glared at them with her bright purple eyes. As much as Thon loved his home, he kind of wished that he didn't have such annoying neighbors. The Angelpuss's initial anger suddenly subsided and she began looking over herself in an all but affectionate way.

     "I get it," she said, smiling at herself. "You're looking into my backyard just so you can get a glimpse of wonderful me. I know I'm the best looking petpet here but if you really want to look at me you just have to a-"

     "Faffy, shut up," Thon and Ellen said in unison, while Terkan continued his daring battle with the bush.

     Faffy looked affronted. "Humph," she huffed and turned to leave.

     Thon felt immense relief until he caught sight of a pompous looking Noil sauntering around the corner of Faffy's backyard, looking as if he owned the world. The Noil looked up at him with obvious distaste, his nose slightly wrinkled and Thon could not fight back the sudden urge to roll his eyes. Ellen had once said that when someone rolled their eyes it looked like they had stepped on a Blechy barefoot. If so, then Thon must have stepped on a pretty big one.

     Jaraval, which was the Noil's name, seemed to think that the world revolved around him and he was definitely showing it right now. He stood up tall and lifted his head high.

     "And what are you doing here?" he asked.

     "We're not here to worship you, if that's what you want," replied Ellen.

     Jaraval didn't seem to get the insult and just stood there with a pained expression on his face, which Thon knew was the look that he reserved especially for thinking.

     Just then there was a disturbance as a brown Kyrii scrambled over the fence and landed with a small thump on top of one of Silverpaw's carefully tended flowerbeds. It was followed by another Kyrii, this one red, who managed the climb rather more gracefully. He began yelling at his companion, but what he was saying was lost on Thon, as he hadn't bothered learning how to speak Pet.

     When the brown Kyrii had managed to get to his feet they both cast eager glances around the yard. Thon was surprised to see Terkan heading towards them, head lowered and growling. He had abandoned the Sunday bush, which didn't look at all damaged despite the fact that Terkan had been attacking with all his strength, and seemed determined to oust the intruders. Thon knew that Terkan didn't stand a chance: the Kyrii were just too much bigger than him.

     The red Kyrii caught sight of Terkan and slowly he smiled. It wasn't a nice smile like the ones that Thon and Ellen received on a daily basis from their pets; it was a smile that meant he had found and cornered his prey. He reached down and plucked the small Spardel off the ground by his collar. Terkan thrashed and tried to bite him but was unable to free himself. The brown Kyrii produced a sack and the red Kyrii dropped the struggling Terkan into it. Then he turned and his eyes found Thon and Ellen, sitting on the fence. He started towards them.

     "Ah, Ellen, I think we should probably go now," said Thon, turning to Ellen who had been watching with avid interest until Terkan had been put into the sack.

     "Agreed."

     Thon jumped into Faffy and Jaraval's yard, ignoring their loud protests and the jarring of his legs at the impact. Ellen followed him. Jaraval rounded on them both.

     "What are you doing?" he growled.

     "Running," said Ellen. "And you should to, if you were smart. Which you aren't." The last three words were mumbled and Jaraval didn't hear them.

     "And why are y-" He stopped and stared behind Thon. Thon turned and saw the Kyrii climbing over the fence.

     "Run," he hissed.

     Jaraval didn't need any more encouragement. He turned tail and positively fled with Thon, Ellen and Faffy following close behind him. Ellen was the fastest and had pulled ahead of them all when Thon felt something pick him up by one of his back legs. He growled and tried to bite the offending paw but instead one of his tusks dug itself into a furry red arm.

     He decided that the tusk was a better weapon when the red Kyrii howled in pain and let go of him, clutching his arm in agony. Thon turned and charged at his leg, trying to ram his tusks in as far as he could. He tumbled head over heels as the Kyrii lifted his leg away. With a grimace of hatred the Kyrii bent over Thon, paw outstretched and Thon knew that he couldn't escape.

     He closed his eyes, but opened them again as he heard Ellen's familiar short bark and saw her leap at the red Kyrii, claws at the ready. He grinned and got to his feet, only to be smothered in the darkness of a sack.

     * * *

     When Thon woke the first thing he noticed was the unfamiliar smell of other petpets. He opened his eyes and found himself in a small wooden cage next to Ellen, Terkan and much to his annoyance, Faffy and Jaraval. He didn't remember how he had got there, only being stuffed into a sack and blacking out.

     He peered out from the interior of his cage and saw, to his astonishment row upon row of other cages, some with occupants and some without. The room was dark, without any windows and was lit only by a single dim light bulb. He heard a groan beside him and turned to see Ellen moving feebly in an attempt to stand up. He stood up, before helping her to her feet.

     "Are you OK?" he asked, worried.

     "Yes I'm fine," she answered, "but... where are we?"

To be continued...