The Path to Freedom: Part Four

     "I said what do you want?" asked the faerie again, her voice becoming more aggressive.

     "We, uh, we…" started Sampson, but Julie cut in.

     "We were just looking for Illusen," she said matter-of-factly. "We were wondering if she had a quest for us. Are you Illusen?"

     "No," growled the earth faerie, "and you won't be finding her here. She's trying to track down Jhudora and finish her off once and for all." Sampson could here a hint of pride in her voice.

     "Well then, who are you?" asked Julie.

     "I am Illusen's niece," she said proudly. Then her eyes filled with sorrow. "The niece she never knew she had."

     Fayil walked over to the faerie. "Now, now," she said, "how about you tell us you're story, Miss… er…"

     "Jacoblee," the faerie said. "My name is Jacoblee."

     And so Jacoblee spilled her story out to Sampson, Julie and Fayil, telling them how she had always looked up to her aunt, but her aunt never had known her. Jacoblee always had had people come up to her and ask for a quest, thinking she was Illusen. So than she heard that Illusen was going away on a secret mission to find Jhudora, and Jacoblee decided to take over Illusen's post, hoping that when she came back, Illusen would thank her for making sure that her mission was secret. If she did that, Illusen would have found out about her, and they would have lived happily together.

     "But then," Jacoblee said, wiping tears from her eyes, "A Wocky came up to me one day and found out that I wasn't Illusen. So than, they made confess that I wasn't Illusen in front of all Meridell. And then they asked me why." Jacoblee paused, feeling choked up. "I had to tell them of Illusen's secret mission. They let me take care of her home, but not give out quests. But now, Illusen should be back. I'm worried. I don't know what to do." And at that, Jacoblee started crying uncontrollably.

     Sampson thought for a moment. Then he came up with an idea. "You can come with us!" he cried. "Since we have no home, and all we are doing is flying around, we might be able to find Illusen and tell her about you!"

     Jacoblee smiled, sorrow in her eyes. "That is a nice offer," she said, "but I can't."

     "Why?" asked Fayil gently.

     "Well," replied Jacoblee, "when the townsfolk found out that I was not Illusen, they made me their prisoner- and made of this glade." She paused, and tears started flowing from her eyes once more. "And this way, I will be sure that I can find Illusen. She will probably take me out of imprisonment." Jacoblee sighed. "All I have to do is wait."

     "But what if Illusen never comes back?" asked Julie.

     "She will!" said Jacoblee, suddenly angry. She got to her feet and looked as if she was about to smack Julie around the face. "She will! She will!"

     After a few more moments of her outbreak, Jacoblee calmed down and sat down on a stool. "I'm sorry," she said. Then she looked up at Sampson. "You're right," she said to him. "I will go with you."

     The four left the glade. "There's one problem," said Jacoblee.

     "What?" asked Julie.

     "I cannot leave Meridell," Jacoblee replied. "That is part of my punishment. I know this because once I asked if I could go to the Faerie Festival in Faerieland, and they did not let me through the Meridell gates. We have to find a way to get past the guards."

     "Why don't we fly?" suggested Sampson.

     "They have people who can fly, too," said Jacoblee. "Look!"

     Sampson looked up to see a patrol of Meridell guards flying much faster than he ever had. Among the guards were Lennies, Eyries, and a Uni or two.

      Sampson turned to Jacoblee. "That is a problem," he commented.

     Fayil turned to Jacoblee. "Can the guards fly past the Meridell limits?" she asked. Jacoblee shook her head.

     "Then, if we outfly the guards and get out of Meridell, we'd be home free!" said Fayil excitedly.

     "She's right!" said Sampson, jumping to Fayil's defense a bit sooner than he should have.

     "I agree," said Julie, "but look at how fast they fly! You don't really think that we can fly faster than that!"

     "But if we can get ahead of them far enough without them noticing, we can beat them!" said Jacoblee. Even she was getting in on the action!

     They all devised a plan that would ensure Jacoblee's fast escape. It would be risky, but it was most likely going to work.

     Jacoblee went farther ahead of Sampson, Julie and Fayil, about half a mile to the gate. Sampson, Julie and Fayil doubled back to the Cheeseroller.

     When twilight came, the three pets started flying towards the Meridell gates. They casually chatted, making them look like tourists who were leaving. One or two townsfolk waved at them before going into their homes.

     Then they flew over the bush Jacoblee was hiding in. Julie let out a bloodcurdling scream, and Jacoblee jumped out of the bush, flying quickly. Unfortunately, Julie's scream alerted the guards posted close by. The three that could fly took to the air lightning fast.

     "FLY!" screamed Sampson. He hadn't realized that the guards could fly so fast when in pursuit.

     The guards were gaining on them. Sampson was flying so fast that his eyes stung, but the guards could fly faster.

     Soon the guards could have reached out and grabbed his tail. Sampson was about to give up when he passed over the gate.

     Sampson dived down to the ground. He landed, taking shallow, quick breaths. He lay on the ground, exhausted.

     Julie and Fayil lay beside him and Jacoblee near his feet. He could see guards yelling at them through the gate, but he didn't care. All he wanted was some peace so that he could get some much deserved sleep.

     ***

     Sampson woke up to bright sunlight. Fayil and Julie were still asleep, but Jacoblee was awake.

     "Good morning," she said. "Did you sleep well?"

     Sampson nodded. "Best sleep I've had in awhile," he said.

     Jacoblee smiled. "Do you have any breakfast?" she asked.

     "Yes," replied Sampson. "I have some pyramicake and leftover cheese. Want any?"

     "I'll take the cheese," replied Jacoblee.

     Sampson deposited his backpack on the ground and opened it. He remembered with sorrow at the last thing to come out of his backpack had not come back in.

     Sampson took his damp pyramicake (damp because of the clouds he had flown through) and took a bite. He looked at the neopoints in the bottom. He had two thousand and five hundred. Sampson smiled as he realized that it was like a new life; he would have the joy of earning money, not like he had with Clara. While he had lived with her, the money always had been there.

      Soon Julie and Fayil woke up. They had breakfast and decided that they should soon be on their way. "But where will we go?" asked Fayil.

     "Well," said Julie, "I always wanted to go to Mystery Island."

     So the four agreed that they should make their way to Mystery Island. But before they left, Sampson gave an announcement.

     "Because there are four of us now," he said, "I think we should have a name. Something with 'flyers' in it."

     "How about the Free Flyers?" asked Julie. "We all escaped something horrible; and now we are free!"

     They all agreed on the name, and the Free Flyers was born.

     The Free Flyers started flying south, making sure that they flew around the boundaries of Meridell, no through. None of them were ready to have another flight like they had the night before.

     The Free Flyers had somehow made a leader without appointing one. Sampson always flew at the head of the group, and always decided where to stop and rest and other things like that.

     For days and nights, the Free Flyers flew, heading toward Mystery Island. Once, they decided to rest on Krawk Island. The quartet landed, admiring the beautiful day.

     The Free Flyers went to the Smuggler's Cove. The krawk who was looking after the loot looked up. "Hello," he said gruffly. "You're in luck. We are here and stocked right now."

     The Free Flyers discussed what they should get. They all agreed on more food, since they were running out.

     After they asked the krawk about food, he chuckled. "Do we ever!" he said, and then he pulled a big crate out from behind him. Then the krawk opened it.

     Sampson gasped. Inside the crate were piles and piles of food. "One neopoint each," said the krawk, giving them a toothy grin. "We're having a sale."

     Later, the Free Flyers left the Smuggler's Cove. Other than food, they had found three cheap dubloons and a blue wocky plushie, which Julie kept in her backpack like how Sampson kept Toby in his.

     The Free Flyers went and played a little Deckswabber and earned five hundred neopoints. They all had a merry time and when they went to the Black Pawkeet, they sang pirate songs and had some iced tea. None of them wanted to leave. But they knew they had to stay on the move if they didn't want Clara to find them.

     At twilight, they were about to leave when they heard the sad sound of a harmonica. They turned around to see a pirate Eyrie playing the depressing song.

     "Hello," he said when he saw them looking at him.

     "Hi," replied Sampson. "My name is Sampson and this is Julie, Fayil and Jacoblee. We are the Free Flyers. Who are you?"

     The Eyrie put his harmonica in his pocket and replied, "My name is Greybeard 'Sword' Threelegs. But all my friends call me Sword."

     Sword sighed.

     "What's wrong?" asked Fayil.

     "I'm trapped in depression," said Sword. "Along time ago, my owner went out to sea, but he forgot me. And he took all but fifty neopoints with him and one dubloon. I have been on my own for six months now, playing harmonica to earn money, and still, it's only a little."

     Sampson then blurted out, "Then join us! We're traveling around Neopia, and we've all escaped something! This will be you're chance to escape sadness!"

     Sword looked at him in the eye. "You know, youngster," he said, "I think you're right."

To be continued...