Ancient Neopia: Part Ten

     "Are you alright?" Hero asked when Jarod came to sit next to him.

     "Yeah." Jarod sighed. "Can you… tell me about the things I used to do with my dad?"

     "Yeah, sure," Hero said. "Should I tell you about your mother too?"

     Jarod stared at him, but nodded.

     "Your mother, she was always worried about everyone. If someone would cough she would immediately brew a soup and hand it to the sick person." Hero grinned, but the grin quickly disappeared. "She disappeared after a monster attack on Swamp Edge City. Nobody ever heard from her again."

     "When was that?" Jarod asked.

     "Five years ago."

     "Oh…" Jarod then continued to listen.

     "But… whenever a monster had come to your farm and had stolen your crops you would always come to me and take a few of my crops and plant them in your farm again. Even if I had said no."

     This made Jarod chuckle.

     "You would also fight with your dad against the monsters. Nobody liked it that you stole their crops, but eventually they started to see it as 'little Jarod takes a reward for himself.'" Hero smiled. "You once accidentally stole someone's most beautiful flower and spent the next three weeks picking flowers in the forest and trying your best to make the flowers stick together and you gave them to the person you stole them from.

     "Your dad… he taught you to fight with a sword. He also taught you how to swim after you got in an accident," Hero said. "You fell in the water after you and your dad were attacked by Plains Lupes. Your dad fought them off and jumped in the water to save you. It turned out that the water was very low for your father, but it was too deep for you."

     "And," Hero continued. "You have the element of Spectral magic in you. Your father taught you how to use it after that you had zapped one of your mother's flowers."

     Jarod laughed, bitterly. It was kind of funny, but he was still a little bit sad.

     "Your mother taught you how to cook a few basic things," Hero then said. "Like fishes, potatoes and other greens."

     "That must be how I know how to cook." Jarod laughed, this time sincerely.

     "That is everything I know," Hero said, ending the stories.

     "Alright," Jarod said, as happiness filled him. "I remember it now."

     "My mom… She was a yellow Cybunny, with a few hearts not only on her neck fur, but also on her arms and her head…" Jarod said.

     Hero smiled. He had remembered his past a little again. They had to move on now.

     "We should go now," Jarod said. "We need to get to Kal Panning and show this medallion to Faelinn… her spirit. She must know something."

     "Alright," Jarod said. "I really hope Rioeiro is okay…"

     "I think he is fine, he whacked those Dervishes good," Hero assured Jarod. "Besides, he must have survived the Spectral element. Oh, look at your sword."

     Jarod did as he was told and took his sword. His handle was now red and his sword was a light blue. A text was engraved on it.

     "For my son, Jarod."

     "My dad… got it for me?" Jarod asked.

     "Yes, he filled it with Spectral magic and gave it to the Guardian you fought in the Mountain Fortress. He had so much power with the Spectral magic that even the Guardians respected him."

     "That explains it then," Jarod said as he sheathed his sword.

     They then walked through the forest. Jarod thought that they were lost, but Hero looked like he knew the way.

     "Where are we?" Jarod asked.

     "In the Eastern Glade," Hero replied. "It is the only forest with a lake in it in South East Neopia."

     "Oh. I see," Jarod replied. The two then remained silent as they walked through the forest for what seemed like hours. They were fighting armored monsters and warlocks.

     "There are Two Rings servants all around here," Hero said. "These are also the only monsters that appear here. It is because we are close to the Two Rings Palace," he said.

     "Pssh, I was just about to ask that." And they laughed, but bitterly.

     They then finally saw a city, far away, surrounded by a huge lake.

     "Is that…" Jarod looked at it and remembered the map. "Kal Panning?"

     "Yes," Hero replied, then he started running towards it.

     "Give me a break, man!" Jarod shouted as he followed Hero to the ancient city, Kal Panning. They neared the huge city and as they entered, a cold feeling went through them. The only light came from the candles. The sun had disappeared as soon as they stepped in Kal Panning.

     "Look out!" Jarod cried out, as a monster dived for Hero, who quickly jumped out of the way. A Uni, with golden armor stared at them, stomped the ground with one hoof, then stormed at Jarod, who easily dodged it.

     "A Two Rings Crusader!" Hero shouted. "You!" He jumped and smashed the sword into the Uni's armor, making it crack and fall off. The Uni was left unprotected.

     "Let's finish this!" Jarod shouted as he slashed the Uni. It then fell and they could continue. They walked through hallways, fighting off the few cavaliers and more crusaders. They had gotten new armor and had changed their current armor for it.

     They then came into a hallway and they saw a few chairs and two tables. Behind that, they saw a ghost. The ghost of Faelinn. She turned around and screeched, blinding the two Neopets temporarily.

     Then a Korbat came out of the air and smashed the ghost with its huge hammer.

     "Rio!" Jarod called out.

     "Yup, it is me!" Rio shouted back and he smashed the ghost again. It didn't really hurt it, but it did stun it.

     "Use the medallion!" Rio shouted. "The evil will leave her body then!" Jarod jumped in front of Hero when Faelinn wanted to attack Hero. Rio then flew to Jarod and together they protected Hero, who then finally showed the medallion to Faelinn.

     Faelinn then shrieked and she fell to the ground. The three pets then heard strange sounds and when they turned around they saw spirits flying through the hall. Faint images of warriors were flying around too, until a Cybunny appeared.

     A Cybunny with red neck fur and a Cybunny with yellow neck fur.

     "Hello, son…" the red Cybunny said. "Remember me?"

     "Dad?" Jarod asked out of unbelief. "I thought you were gone…"

     Rio was looking at Jarod, but Hero quickly pulled him away. "Leave him be, he needs to talk to his parents." Rio protested, but got dragged away by Hero to talk to Faelinn.

     "We are gone, little boy," the Yellow Cybunny said. "We are just mere spirits now, but we can still talk. We just don't have emotion. We lost the ability to feel."

     "I understand, I guess…" Jarod said. "I wish I could meet you again… when you were still alive. Both of you."

     "Don't worry, son," his father said. "We love you, remember that."

     "I love you too, dad," Jarod said, then he looked at his mother. "You too, mom. And uh…"

     His mother smiled.

     "I'm sorry for zapping your prettiest flowers."

     "Don't worry about it, Jarod," his mother replied.

     "You still remember our names, don't you?" his father asked curiously.

     "Oh, uh, yeah…" Jarod replied. "Karod and uh…"

     Names raced through Jarod his mind, but it slowly cleared up until one name remained.

     "Michelle?"

     His mother nodded. "That is correct."

     "We will join you on your quest to Jahbal and we will give you the power to use the strongest Spectral magic," Karod said. "But our power is limited, so you can only use it one time. Use it wisely…"

     They then went inside Jarod's body and Jarod thought that he heard Michelle say, "I am so proud of our son…"

     Jarod grinned. Who wouldn't be proud of their kid if they were going to save the world?

     He then turned to Rio and Hero, who were arguing about going to the Two Rings. A new power rushed through him and he could hear his father's voice say. "Go to the Two Rings area, but rest in front of the Two Rings Cave. It is the passage of no return, or so the legends say."

     "Okay, thanks, dad."

     "Rio, Hero…" Jarod said. "We should go to the Two Rings, but we should not enter the Two Rings cave until we are done."

     "Uh, how do you know?" Rio asked curiously.

     Jarod shrugged. "Advice from a wise man."

     He swore he could hear the laughter of his father in his head.

     "Riiight…" Rio said, sounding quite annoyed, possibly because of the argument.

     "Guys, this is no time for arguing," Jarod said. "We are almost at… the end…."

     "Alright!" Hero scanned the area then for weapons and stood up. He shot one last glare at Rio, before he went to the exit of Kal Panning. They were on their way to the Two Rings area now.

     "Hero…" Jarod asked. "Do you know what is going to happen... at the end? I asked this before, but then we didn't know about a lot of things and we also have more strength."

     "I believe that we are going to defeat the evil behind the monsters, the suffering and everything else," Hero said.

     "I agree. I think we are strong enough and have the will to defeat Jahbal," Rio continued.

     "We will not lose to you… Jahbal," Hero muttered.

     ***

     Jahbal looked out of the window. He could see the images of the buildings in Kal Panning. The city was restored.

     This group was bothering him and thwarting his plans. He had to stop them now with all his might. Even his cavaliers and crusaders could not stop him. Though he was stronger, he was scared that he would have to face his defeat.

     The Bringer was gone, but he still had someone.

     "Masila," he said. The Aisha came through the door.

     "What is it, sir?" she asked.

     "Put a stop to the group that has thwarted my plans for long enough."

     "Yessir, I will stop them."

To be continued...