One Route to Altador: Part Two

      "We just gotta be the first to get to Faerieland!" Sugarchick shouted excitedly to Climene.

      Climene turned to look behind them, and giggled at the running figures of their family behind them. "Heehee! We'll be the first to see the faeries, too!"

      Behind them, Abernathe and Region4 ran after their baby sisters.

      "The little devils!" Abernathe panted. "They can't have all the glory of entering Faerieland!"

      Region4 laughed cheerily as he bounded next to Abernathe. "Woohaha! It feels good to stretch my limbs after a long slow walk!"

      As they ran to after Sugarchick and Climene, the ground beneath them began to show cracks, and tall rocks sprouted out of the earth, reaching out to the sky.

      Abernathe and Region4 almost collided into the Sugarchick and Climene as they skidded to a halt, gazing at the misty land in the crater below them.

      "Whoa." Abernathe gasped as she gaped at the scene below her. "I never thought Faerieland would be so pretty!"

      Sparkling blue waterfalls big and small roared over the side of the crater, creating pools of clear fresh water under them. Rocks of a beautiful shade of purple peppered the land here and there, and lush green trees flourished everywhere. Cracked buildings and structures made by neopets and faeries sat inside the crater, and the famous Faerie City glistened in the sunlight.

      "Ha, look," Region4 said, pointing to their left at Jhudora's Bluff, looming over Faerie City.

      Abernathe glared at the sickly castle that was surrounded by dark forbidding trees.

      "Ah, Jhudora's Bluff! As ugly as it sounds," she said, scowling.

      "Look! Looook!" Climene shouted excitingly, tugging at Abernathe's plaid scarf.

      "Look, Ab! It's the Rainbow Fountain!" Climene cried with delight.

      Abernathe turned her head and gasped at the beautiful fountain.

     At first sight, the Rainbow Fountain looked like any other ordinary waterfall, but when the sunlight shined through it, colors of every shade could be seen in the rushing water.

      "Do you think the Rainbow Pool was made from the water of the Rainbow Fountain, Ab?" Climene asked, completely awestruck.

      "I don't know," Abernathe mumbled. "I wonder if we should ask the Fountain Faerie."

      "Not until we've eaten and found a place to stay overnight," Éclair said, walking up from behind the dreamy group.

      At Éclair's wish, the group headed down the path into Faerieland, gazing at their surroundings. Carmarillers fluttered through the fresh air, singing sweet melodies.

     The family stopped by a small hill, under the shade of a large apple tree, as Éclair began to list out orders.

      "I'm going to head into Faerie City to look for a place to stay for the night. Go ahead and eat dinner under this apple tree, and walk around Faerieland if you would like to. Just make sure you stay together!"

      With that, Éclair started to walk over to Faerie city.

      "Wow, I can't believe it is dinner time already!" Abernathe remarked.

      "I know! We skipped lunch in all the excitement." Region4 said, clutching his growling stomach.

      As the small group started eating, Sugarchick looked around Faerieland, speaking her thoughts aloud.

      "Hmm, do I want to go to the Faerie Caverns, Rainbow Fountain, or spin the Wheel of Excitement?" She wondered.

      "I want to go to the Rainbow Fountain!" Climene announced.

      Sugarchick sprang to her feet. "Come on, Climene!" she said. "Lets go visit the Fountain Faerie!"

      Hand in hand, Sugarchick and Climene skipped to the Rainbow Fountain, leaving Abernathe and Region4 behind.

      "Why don't we try our luck with the Wheel of Excitement?" Region4 suggested.

      Abernathe smiled. "I'll pay for it," she volunteered, and followed Region4 to the Wheel.

      "Hello, kids!" The light faerie greeted Abernathe and Region4 as they came up to the Wheel. "Would you like to spin the Wheel of Excitement? Only five hundred neopoints a go!"

      "We'll give it a spin," Abernathe said as she handed over the neopoints.

      Region4 flexed his arms, and then spun the Wheel as hard as he could. Round and round the Wheel went, twirling its rainbow panels into a blur of colors. The Wheel began to slow down, until it's rapid dance was only a memory. Slowly the light pink panel with a bottle of magic painted on it edged towards the point of arrow, but as soon as the light pink panel was just about to rest beneath the arrow, the Wheel came to an abrupt stop. As soon as Abernathe looked at the panel the arrow touched, she felt her energy drain from her body. She quickly glanced at Region4, and from his tired expression, she could tell the same had happened to him.

      "Sorry kids, but you can allows spin the Wheel of Excitement in two hours!" the light faerie offered.

      "No thanks," Abernathe mumbled, and then started towards the Rainbow Fountain with Region4 beside her.

      "What happened to you?" Sugarchick asked in a cheeky manner. "It looks like you just ran after a herd of Babaas!"

      "We spun the Wheel of Excitemen," Region4 stated.

      "How exciting," Climene said sarcastically.

      "We should head back to the apple tree. Éclair might be waiting for us," Abernathe suggested.

      When they got back to the apple tree, Éclair was waiting for them, and cheerfully greeted the as they came.

      "Hello! It seems you have busied yourselves while I was gone," Éclair said as she glanced at Abernathe and Region4. "I found a place for us to stay for the night in Faerie City!" she announced.

      "Good, 'cause I'm tired," Sugarchick said rudely.

      "The hotel is called 'Queen Suites,' and it is on the right side of the Faerie Weapon Shop," Éclair continued, ignoring Sugarchick's rude comment.

      "I suggest we head over now to get some extra sleep for the rest of the trip," Éclair said.

      "So this is Faerie City..." Abernathe whispered as the group entered the city.

      Everywhere faeries, neopets, and owners walked along the streets, beside the purple and pinkish shops and homes. At the very end of the street stood the tall, old, and majestic Faerie Queen Castle, cracked from its descent from the sky.

      "Ah! Here is our lodge," Éclair announced as she lead the group down a street, then up a hill past the front of the Faerie Weapon Shop. The hotel was of a light blue color, the roof the shade royal purple, and the door painted medium pink, and was two stories high.

      As the group entered the building, a friendly earth faerie at the front desk looked up from the book she was reading and smiled at the family, then continued to read her book.

      "We are booked for room 214," Éclair said as they mounted up the stairs to the second floor.

      Quietly the group searched the hall of second floor for their room, reading the golden signs above identical cherry wood doors, seeking a hint for where room 214 was. Finally the group found their room at the end of the cream colored hall, next to a window that glass gleamed from the rays of the setting sun, which colored the sky a silver pink, matching the color of carpet. Room 214 was a cozy place, with two queen-sized beds, one large window, a wooden desk, a sofa, a small black refrigerator, a polished wooden counter attached to a marble sink, and a cherry wood door which led to a bathroom.

      Abernathe jumped onto the creamy white bed closest to the window, stripped her backpack of her back and sighed, weary of the day's travels.

      "One land down, two more to go," Abernathe mumbled.

      "I hope the Lost Desert won't be boring," Climene thought aloud.

      "Speaking of the Lost Desert," Éclair interrupted, "we need to get there by noon, which means we have to get up an hour before dawn."

      Region4 sighed as he placed his bag on the desk. "At least we get to see the sun rise."

      Abernathe chuckled at Region4's gloomy mood.

      "Aw, cheer up, you old rabbit! Tomorrow we'll get to sail across the sea! I bet when we get to Altador, you'll be stuffing yourself silly with all sorts of neggs!"

      "Ah me," Region4 cackled gleefully at the idea. "I can imagine all those neggs I've never tried, patiently sitting on platters, just waiting to be served to me! Hahahaha!"

      Finally the family settled down, and one by one everyone began to drift off to sleep, and Abernathe opened her eyes to glance at the twinkling stars, shining with silver light in the dark night sky. Here in there a Balbat would flutter past the window, and a Carmariller somewhere sang one last melody before the next day began. Abernathe turned over to view the sleeping figures of her family, thinking of all the past events since she learned that the Altador Cup started.

      Abernathe slowly began to drift to sleep when one final thought crossed her mind.

      "Tomorrow brings the Lost Desert."

To be continued...