Three is Company: The Lost Temple

Jeran opened the door.

     Standing there was a yellow Lupe. He was panting heavily, and his armor was muddy. He must have been sixteen or seventeen, and his face matched that of some other well known character.

     "Wha--?" Jeran began, but the other Lupe interrupted him.

     "Please help! They're gonna hurt her!" he cried.

     “Whoa whoa whoa!" Jeran said. "Slow down, who is?"

     “Them," the younger knight replied. "I don't know what to do, they said if I don't give it to them, they'll kill us both!"

     "Her? Them? Give me some details, you're leaving me a bit confused here," Jeran said.

     "I did give you the details," the yellow Lupe snapped. "What else do you want to hear?"

     "Let's start at the beginning; what's your name?" asked the tall blue Lupe.

      "Tormund," was the reply.

     "Tormund? Well, in that case I'd guess when you mean 'her'..."

     "Roberta," Tormund panted. "You were the only person I could turn to..."

     "Okay. Now, details?"

     "I found this map," Tor explained, holding up an old tattered piece of paper. "It leads to some treasure or something, but they found me and the map. I escaped and tried to get to Roberta, but they got there first. Now the whole castle is under some spell and no one could get in or out! If I don't give them the map, they'll kill me, and they already can hurt my friend."

     Jeran threw on his armor. "Com'n! There's not a moment to lose!"

     The two of them set off for Brightvale.

     "I forgot to tell you," Tor added. "They said I have twenty four hours or she's gone for good... “

     "Then hurry up!" Jeran ordered. The two hurried along the path and within an hour had Brightvale castle in sight.

      "How are we gonna get in?" Tor asked his companion.

     "The front door?" Jeran replied.

      "Tried that already," the yellow Lupe said.

     "Well, I didn't." Jeran walked at a quick pace towards the castle gates, and suddenly bumped into something invisible.

     "I forgot to tell you about the force field, it's holding everyone in," said Tor. "Nothing can break it." Jeran was stabbing his sword in the invisible wall, but it kept bouncing back out.

      "Hello?" Jeran shouted.

      "It's sound proof," Tor said.

     “What else?" Jeran snapped.

     "We-ell... It's gives you an electric shock if you don't leave it alone," Tor said as Jeran jumped back from the electric shock.

     "Thanks a lot, Tormund," snapped a very annoyed Jeran.

     Tor froze. "You smell that?" he asked.

     Jeran sniffed the air. "Smells like freshly baked blueberry pie... Those are so good," he said.

     "It's coming from the palace," Tor explained.

     "Must not be smell proof," said the other Lupe.

     "We could get in like that!" Tor cried out excitedly.

     "How? Turn ourselves into fumes of something and let the wind blow us in? If you remember, Kayla’s in Meridell, so there is no way that could happen."

     "Sheesh, be serious, I thought you were a leader, one that means business with no sense of humor," Tor said.

     Jeran frowned. "Who wants no sense of humor? That makes a guy boring."

     "Yeah, well, most heroes are boring because they have no sense of humor," Tor said.

     "Where did those people tell you to drop off the map?" the blue Lupe asked suddenly.

     "In the forest, why?"

     "I know how to free the castle," Jeran said with a mischievous grin.

     ****

     Tor stood nervously in the clearing in the woods. "I- I've got the map," he said loudly.

     A large Ogrin emerged from somewhere behind the bushes surrounding the area. "Let's have it," he growled.

     "First release the spell," Tor replied.

     "I'll do that after you give me the map," the Ogrin said, taking a dagger out of his coat.

     Tor stared at the dagger, then placed his hand on his own sword. "How do I know I could trust you?" he asked.

     "You're going to have to," was the gruff reply.

     "Won't do it," Tor said. "Take out whatever you cast the spell with, undo it, then take me there to see, and once that happens it'll be yours."

      Suddenly a loud hiccup came from behind some bushes.

      "What was that?" The Ogrin asked.

     "What was what?" Tor replied, hoping Jeran wouldn't do that again.

     Hic.

     "There it was again," the Ogrin said, walking towards the bush with his dagger in his hand.

     Hic.

     He pulled the bush away.

     "Oh hello," said the blue Acara. "I sort of—hic—was, er... hic..."

     "Roberta!" Tor exclaimed.

     "Where?" Jeran jumped out of a different bush, covered in branches and leaves, his sword drawn.

     "Time for me to depart..." The Ogrin fled into the forest, out of sight of the trio, seeing he was outnumbered.

     "But how—?" Tor said.

     "I—hic! managed to—hic reverse the spell and—hic, hurried off into the direction I—hic saw you head off to. Then I—hic got the hiccups," Roberta explained.

     "I can see that," Jeran said.

     "Did you hold your breath?" Tor asked.

     "What?" Jeran said.

     "Yeah, hic as long as I could, hic, forty long seconds, hic didn't work," Roberta said.

     "Hold on a sec," Tor said and disappeared into the trees. "BOO!" He screamed suddenly jumping at the Acara. She didn’t even flinch.

     "Don't do that, you made me jump!" Jeran said.

     "Didn't work," Roberta said, rolling her eyes.

     "Stand on your head?" Jeran suggested jokingly as he handed her his water bottle.

     "Doesn't work," Roberta said then drank a little, getting rid of her hiccups. "Anyway, all gone, come on, what next?"

     "We find the treasure," Tor grinned. "Oh, by the way, you can go home, Jeran," he added.

     "Thanks a lot," the Lupe hero said. "Can I hang around? Please?"

     Roberta giggled. "You two are acting like little kids; now come on, or we won't find the treasure."

     "Where to?" Jeran asked, looking at Tor.

      "Hmm... Wonder what these strange markings are on here," Tor said, looking at the map. Jeran looked at it and turned the map over.

     "Words," he said.

     "Ah ha! I knew it! I knew it!" Tor said, studying the map some more.

     "Okay, I think we just turned into the pathetic group of dumb comedians trying to find a treasure they don't even deserve," Roberta said in disgust.

     "Look who's talking!" Tor snapped. "You're the one who said we were in Fyora's tower when we were in Edna's swamp!"

     "You what?" Jeran said.

      "Well, I heard it had been turned into a swamp because of the Darkest Faerie!" Roberta snapped back.

     "Okay, you got me completely lost there," Jeran the brave said.

     "It didn't even resemble Fyora's tower!" Tor shrieked.

     "You guys are gonna wake up the monsters, and I'm tired and not exactly in the mood for a fight..." Jeran said quietly.

     "Of course it didn't! That's becau-" Roberta froze. "What was that?" she whispered.

     "Sounded like the mutants, the ones that destroyed Gevern village, they were huge and ugly, and..."

     "Where's Gevern?" Tor asked.

     "Yeah, I never heard of it," Roberta said biting her lip.

      "That's because it was destroyed by the beasts," Jeran said simply.

     "I'm getting out of here!" Tor ran off in the same direction the Ogrin had fled to. Roberta and Jeran were right behind him.

     Can't believe they fell for it, Jeran thought in amusement. As you know, no Gevern exists, nor existed, and neither did the mutants exist. The trio crashed through the forest, two of them in terror, the third just to play along with the game. Suddenly they were running in mid-air.

     "Ahhhhhh!" everyone screamed as they fell into a river. Jeran grabbed a floating log. Roberta managed to grab on too, helping her best friend to catch on. The three of them clung to the log like mice as they were dragged along with the current.

     "This isn't so bad," Tor said cheerfully.

     "Yeah, even that waterfall over there is harmless," Roberta replied.

     "Yep—" Jeran said.

     "Waterfall?!" the three of them screamed together. Tor squeezed his eyes shut as the water beneath him disappeared and he felt himself falling. They landed with a loud splash and remembered nothing more.

     ****

     Roberta was the first to open her eyes. Jungle-like trees covered in moss surrounded her. Strange birds' chirping filled the hot and humid air. It was obviously somewhere in Mystery Island.

     "Hello?" she called. No one replied.

      "Tor? Jeran?"

     "Over here!" came the familiar voice of Tormund. "Get me down!"

     Roberta followed the sound of his voice and pushing her way past some branches, saw a scene that made her laugh.

     Jeran was lying on his back on a huge rock by the waterfall with his head hanging upside-down while polishing his sword with a huge leaf. And Tor, entirely upside-down hanging by a vine connected to a humongous tree, with an angry scowl on his face.

     "What are you doing, Tor?" Roberta laughed.

     "Oh, just hanging around," said the Lupe. "Now get me down!"

     Jeran watched as Roberta took out a small knife and climbing up the tree managed to reach the vine Tor was hanging from.

     "Ouch!" Tor shouted as he landed on the forest floor. "I can save you from the mutant but who's gonna save me from you?"

     "Sorry..." the Acara apologized as she landed on top of him.

     "Follow me," Jeran said, leading them into the jungle, using his sword to cut away vines and poison ivy to clear a path.

     After a couple hours of hiking in the hot mosquito-invaded jungle, the trees suddenly disappeared and the trio stood in front of a huge ancient temple.

      "Touché," Tor said in awe, taking out his sword.

     "Wow," Roberta exclaimed.

     "Jeepers," Jeran said; it was the only other exclamation he could think of at the time being.

     "I don't know where this map leads to, but this is even better!" Tor said excitedly, running into the ex-courtyard. Jeran followed, but walking, and more cautious. Roberta stood where she was, ready to send a blast of magic if necessary without the stress of saving her own life getting in the way.

     "The traps are probably inside!" Jeran called. "Come on and keep an eye on us from in here!"

     Roberta cautiously crossed the courtyard and stepped inside the old structure, Jeran and Tor were already standing in front of a huge door a few hundred yards away blocking the way to inside the tomb itself. A large square structure, with a small hole with room for something to slip through was in the middle. It had a strange structure on it. It looked somewhat like the solar system. The two Lupes were studying a bunch of inscriptions written on the door.

     "What could this mean?" Tor asked Jeran. The older Lupe shrugged.

     "Maybe Roberta knows," he said.

     "That will be enough," said a demanding voice. The two Lupes turned around.

     A red Scorchio was standing with two huge Kougras on either side of him, in a guarding motion. One had a grasp on Roberta, with one hand covering her mouth.

     "Let's have the map." The Ogrin stepped out of the shadows and reached out to take the map from Tor.

     "I don't think so," Tor growled, reaching for his sword. Jeran already had his drawn.

     "The deal's still on," the Ogrin said with an evil laugh, taking out his dagger and holding it up to Roberta's throat. "Give me the map, or she dies."

     "Now wait a minute, that wouldn't be fair, because if I don't give you the map, you'll kill her and that'll be a big loss," said Tor.

     "Exactly," said the Scorchio.

     "Who asked your opinion?" Tor snapped.

     "Let's have the map," the Ogrin named Kevin ordered.

     Unwillingly Tor reached out and handed the map to Kevin.

     "What about your end of the bargain?" Tor demanded.

     "Not until I have my treasure," the Scorchio named Sir Jones said. Jeran and Tor watched as Kevin walked up to the door, looking carefully at the map.

     "Lead the way, Borodere!" Sir Jones growled.

     Jeran opened the huge door. It opened to reveal a flaming hall. A black character fell out, obviously burnt from the fiery room. The huge fire died down, leaving small lights along cracks and corners, but the path was clear.

     "We're in a volcano!" Jeran exclaimed. Carefully, he took a large rock lying on the ground and tossed it along the floor inside. The corridor immediately went alight. Sir Jones pointed at Jeran.

     "Find a way in."

     Roberta looked at Tor, and managed to catch his eye. He understood.

     "I, er, also found this." Tor pulled a slit of metal with holes in different shapes. He walked up to the structure in the middle of the room, and put the metal page inside the hole that was made to put that item inside. The planets on the structure above began to move around, until they were all lined up, facing the door. It went alight again, and died down.

     Jeran stepped carefully into the hall, looking from side to side, aware of everything around him. He held his sword tightly. At the sixth tile there was a click and an arrow shot out of the wall. Jeran's sword was up in a split second, blocking him from the arrows flying out. Tor watched nervously. He picked up the map and slipped it into a cut in the wall. The arrows stopped immediately.

     Everyone descended into the dim-lit hall, up to another door. Jeran pushed it open and stepped in. Then he jumped back as huge boulder landed in the spot he'd stood in. He stepped around it carefully and walked up to the final door. It was even larger than the first door and had a tiny hole possibly for a key.

     "The key," Sir Jones said, his hands shaking with excitement. He reached into his coat and took out a small thin key. He stuck it in the door and carefully turned.

     Roberta watched with wide eyes struggling to reach her wand. Slowly, the door swung open into a huge chamber with cobwebs and skeleton bones, but no treasure.

     "This can't be!" Sir Jones screamed. "No!”

     The Kougras shrugged.

     Sir Jones growled at Jeran. "If I don't get my treasure, you don't get the girl! Kill her! Kill them all!"

     But it was just so that Roberta pulled her wand from her clothes and zapped the Kougra as he began to give a murderous squeeze. Breaking free she ran over to her companions and the three of them took off, crashing blindly through the forest with the criminals close in pursuit.

     "What now?" Tor screamed as they ran.

     "We have to get back to the waterfall!" Jeran said, panting.

     "Why don't we just fight them?" Tor asked.

     "We shouldn't if unnecessary," Roberta replied. Her hair was matted with twigs and leaves, and it was flying out behind her as she ran.

     "I'd say this is pretty necessary!" Tor snapped.

     "Get them!" They heard Sir Jones's voice come from not far behind them.

     "They're gaining on us!" Tor screamed.

     "Faster!" Roberta shouted.

     Jeran looked back. Sure enough, the Scorchio and his servants weren't any further away.

     "I'm too young to die!" Tor cried. Suddenly they were running in mid air.

     "Why are we always falling?" Roberta asked.

     "I'd say this is the third time," Jeran replied.

     "Don't worry, Bobbie!" Tor shouted. "I’ll save you!"

     “Oh, goody,” Roberta said sarcastically.

      "Here we go again!" Jeran shouted as they fell into the huge pit.

     ****

     They hit the bottom and landed on their feet.

     "Ahem, that's quite a big pit. But I can still see the jungle, only I'm a foot shorter," Roberta said.

     "Hey, they stopped chasing us!" Tor exclaimed.

     "For how long?" Jeran replied.

     "Forever?"

     "I wish," Roberta mumbled.

      "Let's get out of here while we can," Jeran advised. They stepped out of the "bottomless pit" and continued into the jungle. After another few hours of hiking the trees thinned out to reveal the Mystery Island beach.

     Neopets were all over enjoying some fun in the sun. Jeran tapped a Mynci on the shoulder.

     "Excuse me, but could you point the quickest way to the dock?" the blue Lupe asked.

     The Mynci nodded and pointed down the beach. The trio followed his directions and soon arrived at the dock and caught the first boat to Meridell.

     “Well, here we are," Jeran said.

     "Home sweet home," Tor added. Roberta started to walk off to Brightvale. Tor waved.

     "See ya later, Bobbie!" he called. Jeran headed to Meridell castle, but watched the other two disappear in the distance.

     "Well, that was interesting," he said to himself. And walked to Meridell castle, wondering if he'd see them again.

The End