Orbulon and the Founder of Symol Hole: Part Three

Chapter 3 of 3:

Jhudora peeked at Illusen's tree house from behind an oak. A tray of Illusen's coveted Cream Cookies sat on the windowsill, cooling in the Meridell breeze. She was so close, yet Jhudora dared not approach her arch nemesis's lair. Illusen might have trained attack Mortogs or something.

      She heard a crackle of leaves behind her. Illusen! False alarm. Only an odd, blue Petpet. The little creature stared up at her with vacant eyes. It looked simple-minded; maybe it would do her bidding. She heard its stomach growl. A wicked grin spread across Jhudora's green lips.

      "Say, little friend. Would you like a cookie?"

      The Petpet nodded and walked up to her.

      "Good." Jhudora pointed to the tray of cookies on Illusen's windowsill. "My friend made those cookies for me but my feet are sore. Bring them to me and I'll let you have one, okay?"

      The Petpet readily agreed and went over to the house. The resourceful little guy pushed one of Illusen's stepping stools underneath the window and grabbed the tray, carefully balancing it as he climbed down and brought the goods to Jhudora.

      Jhudora snatched the tray away from Orbulon and lifted one of the cookies to her nose. "Doesn't smell dangerously addictive," she mumbled. She nibbled off a piece. "My goodness, these are INCREDIBLE!" Jhudora grabbed two more off the tray and stuffed them into her mouth.

     * * *

     Orbulon patiently watched this purple person and waited for his reward. Maybe the cookies tasted like Cherries Jubilee. Orbulon hadn't eaten those in a long time. Spotted Pudding sounded good, too.

      He heard a yell behind him. "Jhudora!" screamed a redheaded Faerie in a skimpy green dress.

      "Illusen!" sputtered Jhudora with a mouth full of cookies. "What are you doing here?"

      "I live here! And as I recall, I banished you from Meridell years ago when you stole my grape lollypop recipe!"

      "Oh, right," giggled Jhudora. "I forgot about that."

      "I knew you were here when my rake went missing," said Illusen. "What have you done with it?"

      "Huh?"

      "My rake, I know you took it!"

      "Why on Neopia would I steal your rake?"

      "I don't know. Maybe you want to steal my garden, too!"

      "That makes no sense!"

      "Neither do you!"

      The two Faeries stared each other down. Orbulon's eyes locked on to a Cream Cookie that had fallen off the tray Jhudora held. He only needed to wait for the opportune moment to taste its sweetness.

      Jhudora swiped the rest of the cookies off the tray into her pocket and flung the tray at Illusen like a killer boomerang. "Take that, you cheat. I know you put some kind of magic in your cookies to make the Neopians do your quests and not mine!"

      Illusen deflected the tray with her forearm. "The only magic I use is knowing how to turn on the oven!" She leapt into her kitchen through an open window.

      Jhudora dashed behind a tree and pulled a scepter out of her skirt.

      Illusen reappeared with a wooden staff and charged at Jhudora.

      Battle ensued. Jhudora sent blasts of dark energy at Illusen. The Earth Faerie narrowly escaped and countered with a bottle of a mud mixture, which she threw in Jhudora's face. "No thanks, I've already had a facial this week," was Jhudora's witty reply as she knocked the bottle away.

     "Looks to me like you need another one," responded Illusen. In this manner the battle went on: the two of them in a mad dance around the object of Orbulon's desire - the cookie.

      The Faeries edged a few paces away from the cookie. Orbulon saw his chance. He darted out from behind the rock, reached down for the Creamy delight - and Illusen fell on top of the cookie. Orbulon screeched to a halt, centimeters from the Faerie-size ball of wrath. Too intent on Jhudora to notice him, Illusen bolted up and back into battle. Orbulon looked down at what had only moments ago been his cookie. Now half of it was smooshed into the mud while the other half ran around on Illusen's backside.

      "This is it, Illusen," proclaimed Jhudora. "Your reign as Quest Queen ends here!"

      "Jhudora, you don't have the... what's that?" Illusen said, pointing to something behind Jhudora's head.

      "Oh, please," said Jhudora. "Like I'm gonna fall for-" Something hit Jhudora from behind. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell to the ground.

      A crazy little Korbat with a chain swinging from his foot hovered where Jhudora had stood. "Is my toast ready yet?"

      Orbulon rapidly blinked at Barallus. His stomach got queasy as he recalled his unexpected ride to Meridell.

      Barallus laid eyes on Illusen. "My lady! There you are! I was waiting in the diner for so long, and they never brought me your toast. I'll get it for you, though, I promise!"

      Illusen's mouth dropped a little bit before pulling herself together with an official Faerie Quest-giver response: "I'm sorry, but all quests must be completed within the time allotted. Seeing as I have not given any quests yet today, I have no choice but to conclude that you are past your deadline. I am sorry, but you will have to try again."

      The response didn't seem to reach Barallus' oversized ears. He just hovered there, looking happy. Suddenly his eyes caught something he liked the look of. "Ooh! Toast!" He dove to the ground and rolled onto the dirt, picking something up with his claw-wings. He zipped back up in the air holding a flat, square-ish rock. "Look, my lady! Buttered toast! Buttered toast!"

      "Look, sweetie," said Illusen, "I don't want any buttered toast. If you come back in a couple hours, I'll give you another quest, but-"

      At this point the Korbat noticed Orbulon. "Ooh!" he said, tossing the rock at Illusen. "My prize?" He dove down and picked up Orbulon by the Petpet's glowing ring. "Ooh, heavy reward. New friend! Come with me to diner and complain about waitress?"

      While Illusen reeled from the rock thrown at her stomach, Jhudora stood up. Still shaky, the Dark Faerie rubbed the back of her head.

      "Don't you know when to quit?" exclaimed Illusen. "I didn't want to have to use this, but..." She pulled an object out of her pocket.

      With Orbulon firmly in his feet's grasp, Barallus beat his wings and headed out of Illusen's Glade. At the exact moment Illusen threw her Honey Potion, Barallus flew in front of her, and the Honey Potion ended up in Orbulon's arms instead of Jhudora's face. The Earth Faerie cried out as her most precious recipe was lost to the Petpet. Jhudora regained her bearings, and the battle between the pastry chefs resumed. Orbulon began to wonder why Faeries were always so violent. They had power, prestige and magic, but they all seemed to be real grouches.

      Barallus flew over the main streets of Meridell, and Orbulon had no choice but to look down on it. He saw a large group of Petpets assembled; were they the ones from Symol Hole? They must be. Maybe they were tired of the musty air down there. At least they had good food. Speaking of which, Orbulon felt hungry.

     Thankfully, Barallus flew without corkscrews and loops this time. Besides, if the Korbat went high enough, he might end up at the Space Station. That would be nice. The Korbat babbled a sort of song about diners, buttered toast and leftovers. Barallus was really making Orbulon hungry. Orbulon looked at the heavy bottle in his hands. The liquid inside smelled good; maybe it would taste good too. Orbulon popped the cork off, dipped his hand in the liquid and licked it. It tasted like Space Station fuel. Orbulon dropped the bottle and tried to scrape the liquid off his tongue.

      Now he would just wait and see where Barallus took him. It seemed as though that was pretty much all he did these days - wait and see.

     * * *

     Outside of Symol Hole, the Founder had assembled his troops. It had been five years since the founding of Symol Hole. Five years of recruiting and training Petpets, five years of saving Neopoints for weapons, and five years of careful planning. Now, the time had come.

     "My fellow freedom-fighters!" declared the Founder to his attentive audience. "For five long years we have trained, planned and waited for the time to act. At last, that time is upon us! We shall rise from the mud of Meridell and claim our freedom from tyranny. First, we shall put an end to the monstrosity of the Turmaculus - never again will our brothers be forced to walk into his jaws. Then we shall free the Mortogs from the disgrace known as 'Kiss the Mortog.' Next, onward and upward to Darigan Citadel! We shall put an end to the greatest affront to the freedom of all Petpets - the Petpet Battledome!" He paused a moment for his audience to hiss at the affronts to their freedom, and cheer their hearts into passion for the battle ahead. "So brothers, to the Turmaculus!" He thrust his fist in the air; his army shouted in approval. They shot their Rainbow Guns in the air, swung around Sticky Hands and fired cannons.

      The Founder felt a rush of wind above his head. He looked up and saw a Korbat with something in its claws; Orbulon? The Petpet dropped something, a jar? It shattered on the ground just in front of the Symol. Out of that small jar a tidal wave of a thick, amber liquid crashed down on the throng. There were screams and gurgles as the liquid spread out over the landscape. After the tidal wave ended, the confusion lifted and turned to disbelief. Every single Petpet was covered with a sticky, honey-like substance.

     The Founder demanded that a Whinny next to him try to fire his cannon. The Whinny set off the cannon, but all that came out was a "glomp" sound, with the cannonball stuck inside. All the Petpets of Symol Hole tested their weapons. Not one of them worked. Triggers were useless with the goo in every crevice, and the Sticky Hands stuck like cement to the ground.

      "Inconceivable," whispered the Founder in his shock. His plan lay before him in sticky ruins! The Guardians were right all along - Orbulon was the culprit! He must have been sent by the Petpet Battledome Commission to keep the Symol Hole Plan for Liberation from being carried out. The Founder threw his head back and yelled to the sky in agony over the wasted years of effort. He would have to start all over again to re-amass their weaponry, and come up with an alternate plan that even the Petpet Battledome Commission would never be able to stop.

     * * *

     Orbulon saw a Neopet looking up at him from the ground. It was waving its hands, shouting something.

      "Hey, you up there! Come down here!"

      Barallus also noticed the Ixi and spiraled, to Orbulon's dismay, down to the ground next to the Ixi. It became clear to Orbulon that Barallus was not very good at landings, because the Korbat skidded on the ground a few feet before stopping in front of the Ixi. But in the landing, Barallus seemed to forget all about Orbulon, and the Petpet was released from his claws. Orbulon sat up and let his head stop spinning before trying to move. Not far from him the Ixi met with Barallus.

      "Thank goodness... you stopped..." panted the Ixi. "I saw what you did!"

      "I going to get jam!"

      "Um, okay," said the Ixi. "But you stopped that Petpet army from attacking us all. You're a hero!"

      "Yes!" shrieked Barallus. "Hero to my Lady, brought her toast - and butter!"

      The Ixi raised an eyebrow at his hero, but took the Korbat by the hand and led him towards Meridell Castle.

      'Good riddance' was Orbulon's opinion.

     * * *

     The next day, Orbulon wandered around inside Meridell's Castle walls looking for a bite when he caught sight of Barallus. The Korbat looked very different from the night before. Instead of a chain hanging from his leg, he wore a red and gold shirt, with a funny-looking hat on his head of the same colors. His eyes remained that crazy pink color, however, so Orbulon steered clear of him.

      Barallus stood on a wooden platform surrounded by Neopets in fancy clothes, and even more Neopets stood in front of the stand watching the ones who were watching Barallus. Neopians are weird.

      A fat Skeith stood up and spoke loudly. "In thanks to you, Sir Barallus, for your heroic defeat of the Petpets, I hereby deem you, 'Barallus the Brave.'" The Skeith put a shiny rock on a string around Barallus' neck.

      The crowd around the stage cheered and hollered for the shiny rock on the string. Neopians are very weird.

      A Neopet that seemed familiar to Orbulon walked on the stage and slapped handcuffs on Barallus. Barallus yelled and tried to get away from the purple Mynci, but he was no match for the weight of the cuffs.

      The Skeith coughed. "However, in the interest of keeping up good relations with Darigan, I hereby return you to the custody of the Prison Warden, Master Vex."

      Barallus was hauled off, all the while screaming that he did not want to go back to the dark diner with poor service.

      Orbulon shrugged and walked away from the heavy-traffic part of the ground, closer to the stone wall. It turned out there were some half-decent scraps lying around this area. He spotted a piece of bread and picked up his pace to snatch it. He saw the glint of brown in the shadows only after it was too late. Little hands grabbed hold of him and dragged him into a dark alley.

      The Founder of Symol Hole stood before him. "Traitor," the Symol hissed. "How could you turn on your own kind like that?"

      Orbulon stared wide-eyed at his friend. He had no clue what was going on.

      A gang of three Petpets stood around Orbulon, revenge in their eyes.

      "It makes no matter," spat the Founder. "For your treason, I should punish you with unspeakable evils. But due to the SR, I, Founder of Symol Hole, hereby banish you from Meridell, never to return!"

      Orbulon was okay with that. He was not okay with the three thugs that picked him up and 'escorted' him out of the city walls. They proceeded to 'escort' him all the way out of the rural parts of the city, past some place called Meri Acres and to the ocean. Orbulon was not a fan of water.

      The thug trio dropped him onto a raft on the shore.

      "Orbulon," said a very stern Founder, "you are now leaving our shores and are never to come back again. I hope you have time to think about what you have done on your long voyage to wherever you end up."

      The thugs pushed Orbulon off the shore and a current pulled him out to the open sea. Orbulon stared at the shore and the crazy Petpets who put him on this floating thing. Being set adrift on the ocean wasn't his favorite means of transportation, but at least he wasn't plummeting through the atmosphere this time.

      Orbulon hoped his next destination would bring him closer to his beloved home, the Virtupets Space Station. Orbulon lay down and looked up at the sky, hoping for a glimpse of the Space Station as he floated along with the current, waiting to see what would happen next.

The End

Author's Note: Thank you for reading my series all the way through! If you'd like to read more about Orbulon, this is the third story in what is now a trilogy. (Pretty spiffy, eh?) The first story was "Orbulon Has Landed," and the second was "Orbulon and the Queen of Mystery Island."

Special thanks to my editors Rookina and Psychoticdancer for their help. Orbulon wouldn't make sense without you.