Twisted Turns Of Fate: Part Two

     Jeran opened his mouth to speak but Fredrikson was quicker. "Sir, there's something going on with Jeran and that Mynci…" He paused, then ran up to Skarl and whispered in his ear. Jeran saw the shocked look on the King's change into a furious one.

     "Guards, take both of them to the dungeons!" he boomed.

     "But, Your Highness! What about Lisha? Is she allowed to see me?" pleaded Jeran as guards began to drag him and Quenten away.

     Skarl nodded briskly as they were led out of the room. "Yes. She will be…notified."

     * * *

     Jeran sat miserably in the dungeon cell with Quenten. His whole reputation would be ruined, his hero-status demolished, and Skarl would tell all of Neopia. Worst of all, as soon as they were out of the door, he heard Skarl call for Lisha. This was going to be hard to explain.

     "Jeran? Jeran, are you here?" Lisha asked quietly, her voice trembling.

     'No more lying,' Jeran thought. 'I have to tell her the truth.'

     "Jeran?" Lisha called again.

     Jeran hung his head as Lisha appeared outside the bars of the cell. "I'm here," he muttered.

     "What happened?" Lisha asked, aghast. "Why are you down here..." She looked at Quenten. "With the Ninja?"

     Jeran sighed. "It's a long story. Do you really want to know?" He saw Lisha nod out of the corner of his eye. With a heavy heart, he told her the entire tale; absolutely everything.

     "But…But…" Lisha started, her lip quivering. "But Jeran, why did you lie to me?"

     "I'm really sorry," he replied sadly. "But if you still want to help me out, just give this to Skarl, please?" He held out the Negg; Lisha's face fell. Turning to Quenten, Jeran said, "Sorry, buddy."

     Quenten shook his head. "It doesn't matter now. I won't get out of here for years, let alone by noon."

     Lisha still wasn't too sure about this Ninja Mynci, but if Jeran called him his 'buddy', she was willing to trust him…for now. "I can help you with that!" she cried.

     Both boys looked at her confusedly. "How?"

     "I'll give this one to Skarl, then get another one from the Snowager!" Her eyes were alight with growing enthusiasm.

     Both Lupe Knight and Ninja Mynci stared at her, dumbfounded. "Lisha, I may be in the dungeons, but you can't go to the Snowager." Jeran said sternly.

     Quenten nodded his head in agreement. "I would rather get expelled than let you risk your life, Lisha." The yellow Aisha's ears drooped. "And anyway, I have all of the codestones. I guess I'll just learn from the Techo Master."

     "Well…" She wasn't really listening, though.

     Jeran smiled sadly at her half-hearted agreement. Soon though, his face hardened as he asked, "Um, Lisha? What did Skarl tell you that I did?"

     Lisha's expression turned mad; nothing like Jeran had seen before. "You won't even believe what he said! I can't even believe it! He said..." She shuddered. "You don't want to know."

     "Great." Jeran put his head in his hands. "I'll never get out of here, my sister's probably going to disown me AND I'm ruined!"

     Lisha reached her arm through the bars and touched his head. "I would never disown you; not after almost losing you." she said softly.

     Jeran looked up at her. "Really?" She nodded, making him smile.

     Quenten sighed. "I know this is nice and all," he said. "But how are we going to get out of here?"

     Lisha glared at him. "I'm not helping you."

     "But Lisha," Quenten protested, removing his mask. "It's me!"

     "Quenten? No way!" Lisha's shoulder's sagged. "Why did I say those terrible things to you? Why?" She shook her head sadly. "Now I really want to go to the Snowager!"

     "NO!" Jeran roared. "You are not going there! You could be killed!"

     Lisha turned to the door. "Then there's no point in me staying here." Then she left.

     "Lisha!" Jeran cried. Why's he been so hard on her? "Lisha, wait!"

     But Lisha didn't hear him. She had already gone to ready herself for a long journey. A long journey…to the Snowager's Cave.

     * * *

     "Jeran, she's gone. It's no use." Quenten told him gently. Jeran had been shouting for Lisha for the last half hour, and the guards were getting annoyed.

     Jeran buried his head in his hands. "If I had just told her earlier, this wouldn't be happening. I mean, what if she's killed? And what did Skarl say about us? I bet he already put an article about it in the Times."

     "And if he did," Quenten's voice was riddled with depression. "There's nothing we can do about it."

     * * *

     "Lisha, where are you going?" Kayla yelled, running towards her.

     "I'm going to..." She lowered her voice. "The Snowager's Cave."

     Kayla gasped. "Why?"

     "I'll tell you on the way. If you're coming, get your things and come on!"

     "All right," Kayla nodded, then ran off.

     Lisha smiled. "Good," she whispered. "I'll need all the help I can get."

     * * *

     Jeran's voice was still hoarse from yelling so much. He was lying on his back on his bunk, staring at the ceiling.

     "It's not so bad," Quenten said from across the room. "At least this way, I'm not bothered by Sensei all the time, and you're..." His voice trailed off.

     Jeran sighed. He rolled towards the wall, and soon fell into a tired sleep. As he dreamed throughout the afternoon, one thought remained in his mind: 'I'm never going to get out of here anyway. Should I tell him?'

     * * *

     "Lisha, let's stop for a break..." Kayla whimpered, clutching her aching side and gasping for air.

     "Oh, all right. Let's stop, I guess." Lisha sighed as she sat on a nearby rock.

     "Lisha, why are we going to the Snowager's Cave?" Kayla asked once she had her breath back.

     The yellow Aisha sighed. "It's about..."

     "Jeran?" Kayla interrupted.

     Lisha sat straight up, eyes wide. "You heard! You heard!"

     "Of course. Skarl sent it everywhere!" Kayla told her. "Even if Jeran does escape, he'll be turned in."

     "No! My brother would never do that!" Lisha started to cry, her tears spilling down her cheeks and dampening her dress.

     Kayla patted Lisha on the shoulder. "Don't worry," she said, trying to sound soothing. "Everything will turn out all right."

     Lisha lifted her head and sniffled. "I'm not so sure they'll on their own, so I need to get Jeran another Fish Negg. So we're taking one from the Snowager's Cave!"

     "What?" Kayla shrieked. Lowering her voice, she asked, "Are you crazy? Trying to take a Fish Negg from the Snowager? We'll be killed!"

     Lisha smiled mischievously. "Not with you around."

     Kayla was confused. "Huh?"

     "With your potions, we can poof there, put him to sleep, get it and poof back! It'll be easy as pie, and I'll get Jeran back!" Lisha exclaimed excitedly.

     Kayla bit her lip. "I don't know…"

     "Please, Kayla!" Lisha begged.

     Kayla sighed, then smiled. "Okay," she said. "I'll try!"

     Lisha grinned then looked at the sun and gasped. "We have to hurry; it's going be noon soon!"

     "Well then," Kayla said, digging through her shoulder bag. She pulled out a vial of blue liquid. "Let's go!" She un-corked it and splashed the contents on herself and Lisha. Within seconds, they had disappeared...right outside the Snowager's Cave.

     * * *

     "Come on, please let me out! Lisha could be in trouble!" Jeran begged the guards.

     The tall Krawk guard looked extremely annoyed; Jeran had been doing this for over an hour. "For the last time: NO!" shouted the guard.

     "I told you it wouldn't work," Quenten muttered.

     Jeran sat down, bored and worried; then he saw Skarl step through the dungeon door. Skarl cleared his throat, expecting Jeran to rush to the bars, begging for mercy. Instead, he just gave him a dirty look.

     "Jeran...and Mynci," Skarl said, glancing at Quenten. "I've got the Fish Negg from Lisha, but you won't be released. What Fredrikson has told me is so bad, you two must stay in here."

     Jeran scowled as the King walked out the door. There really was nothing he could do.

     * * *

     Lisha shivered. She was used to warm climate of Meridell, but it was absolutely freezing here. Her dress provided little warmth. "L-Let's j-just hurry in and g-grab the N-Negg, okay?" She asked Kayla, her teeth chattering.

     Kayla nodded. With her thick wizard-like robe, she was a little chilled, but nowhere near as badly off as Lisha. "I'll go in. You stay here and try to warm up."

     Tiptoeing into the Cave, the red Zafara held her breath. The light shafting off the ice walls nearly blinded her. Fortunately, the Snowager had his back to her. Kayla reached into her bag and pulled out a sleeping potion. So far, it had worked on everyone she had tried it on, but was it enough to knock out the massive ice worm?

     She hurried to the pile and searched for a Fish Negg. When she found one, she grinned. She was about to put it in her bag when the Snowager turned and saw her.

     Instantly, Kayla uncorked the bottle and threw it at his face. The Snowager's head disappeared inside a cloud of red smoke. "Yes!" Just then, the smoke cleared...and she saw the Snowager look down at her, his eyes alert. 'Oh no!' She thought. 'It wasn't strong enough!'

     "YOU WILL NEVER HAVE MY TREASURE!" he bellowed, then lunged for Kayla.

     * * *

     Jeran woke up, gasping and sweating. He had had a vivid dream of…"Jeran, are you ok?" Quenten asked, running over.

     "Um…yeah, I guess." Jeran wiped his brow with the back of his paw and sat up.

     "What's wrong? We need to get a copy of the Neopian Times! We have to see what we did 'bad'." Quenten. said, referring to Fredrikson and Skarl.

     Both boys were silent a moment, and then: "Hey, what's that?" asked Jeran, pointing to the ground.

     "It's copy of this week's Times!" exclaimed Quenten., grabbing it.

     Jeran took it and began to read. The more he read, the more his hands shook. His face turned from anxious to enraged, and his blood was boiling. "WHAT? How-How could he say that? Just wait until I get out of here!" He roared, throwing the paper across the room.

     The paper landed in Quenten's lap. He gazed at the headline and gasped. Lisha had been right; they were doomed.

To be continued...