The Adventures of Armin

     I picked up a stick and drew a picture in the dirt. I told myself back then that I did it to help the Usul understand my story. Looking back now, I realize I did it to distract myself. I told the story as if from a bird’s eye view, and illustrated it like a children’s faerie tale.

     “...He brought destruction and terror. Many Bori were killed. The leader of the Bori tribe cast a spell to protect his people.

     The spell froze my people within the ice. The Heart of the Mountain, a magical gem, kept us alive, warm, and safe from danger. The monster comes from far away. He seeks the gem too, but for a different purpose. If he were to find it, my people... would die.”

     I put down the stick and picked up my soup. The Usul was palpably silent. “I don’t know what has happened, or where anyone else is,” I continued. “I woke up alone out here a few days ago and just have that old story going round and round in my head...”

     I sipped my soup. It tasted just like wood chips. I turned to the Usul and saw that her eyes were wide with sympathy. “I’m so sorry, Armin,” she said with an audible lump in her throat. “You saved my life... I wish there was something I could do to help you.”

     I didn’t know the girl. We had barely spoken for five minutes. Yet, there was something in the look of her earnest blue eyes that told me she was telling the truth.

     The red gem she wore around her neck shimmered and glowed in the light of the fire. I didn’t tell her about the voice. It would have sounded far too strange.

     We lived together in my family’s cave for days. She told me her name was Hannah, and that she was an adventurer. I learned all about how she was betrayed by a thief named Kanrik, and how she had come to Terror Mountain on a quest for revenge. I tried to tell her revenge wasn’t worth almost losing her life over. She told me that it was a matter of the noblest principle, that I was just a kid and that I didn’t understand.

     In spite of her petty rebukes and fatuous pouting, I knew from the start that Hannah had the best intentions. Hannah was hotheaded and impetuous, addicted to adrenaline, spurred on by the ever-present prospect of wealth and fame. She loved to talk about her exploits, and she found in me a ready listener. She had a frank and honest way about her; she wore her heart on her sleeve. She was clever and resourceful, had a strong sense of honour, and despite all her quirks, she was kind.

     I once said that if a Bori I had never met were to unfreeze before my eyes, I knew they would quickly become my best friend, so desperate was I for company. Well, the Bori were still frozen. But here was this non-Bori, this Usul, this incredible girl I had saved from the same fate!

     Hannah never let me forget her gratitude. She insisted on teaching me everything she knew about surviving on one’s own in an arctic wasteland — which, granted, wasn’t much, as this was her first time in Terror Mountain herself — but she was good at improvising! She always said that.

     Together we foraged for food. Hannah even taught me to hunt and fish, though I still didn’t like these activities one bit. With the patient help of my intrepid new friend, my life once again began to take on a semblance of normalcy. I no longer felt so dazed and empty inside. Hannah was like the big sister I’d never had. When she was with me... it almost felt as if I had my family back.

     But there was one dark cloud that loomed over those semi-bright days. I discovered shortly after meeting her that Hannah was sick.

     Her body would go through periods of extreme fatigue and weakness. Sometimes when we were out searching for food, her head would begin to reel without warning and she would drop to the ground. I repeatedly dragged her back to the cave and thanked the heavens when she woke up. There was nothing else I could do.

     One day after one of these episodes, Hannah rolled up her sleeve and showed me a fierce red burn on her upper right arm. But this was no regular burn, I could see in the firelight. It looked as if it had been done with a branding iron, the almost perfect shape of a sun with a narrow, glaring eyeball at its centre. She told me she had got it in a tomb in the Lost Desert. And she told me, vindictively, that it was all Kanrik’s fault.

     “The doctor in the Lost Desert thinks I’m cursed,” she said with a pathetic laugh. “I’m cursed alright, to be dumped in a tomb by that bozo!”

     She tried to downplay it, tried to pretend it was the cold and lack of substantial food that made her this way. But I could see right through her. My new friend’s life force was slowly slipping away. I felt like I was losing her, day by day...

     I lay awake one night, pondering the events of my life up to this point. I thought about my family, my people... and now Hannah. I had only known her a few days, but somehow I felt we had forged an unbreakable bond. In my hopelessness and loneliness, I had given myself over completely to her. I trusted her unconditionally, and she trusted me. She said she would stay with me until I had a firm grasp on how to survive by myself on the mountain. And when the time finally came for her to wreak her revenge on Kanrik, I silently vowed to go with her — whatever would become of me.

     I turned and watched my friend’s shallow breathing move the blankets up and down, up and down... and I only hoped that day would come.

     “My, what a surprise is this!”

     The voice penetrated my sleep. At first, I thought I was still dreaming — the voice sounded so familiar... Until I heard Hannah shout his name and grab her sword, and with the first crash of metal on metal I knew I wasn’t dreaming.

     “Kanrik!” Hannah’s eyes flamed with rage. She went against the tall Gelert as if she was out for blood.

     “Stop! Hannah, listen to me!”

     “Never!” I hissed, charging at him with a stick. He had hurt my friend. Hannah’s enemy was my enemy.

     “I’m sorry, Hannah!” The Gelert lifted his hands in surrender as we pressed him against the wall. The next thing I heard was the sound of cracking ice as the wall gave way against our weight.

     “Oof!” We all three landed stunned on the floor of my neighbour’s residence. Hannah made a move to get up but staggered. “I can’t fight you anymore, Kanrik. I don’t have the strength...”

     Kanrik offered her a hand. “I didn’t want to fight you anyway, Hannah.” The Gelert insisted his abject remorse.

     But I wasn’t having any of it. I banged my fists into the tall thief’s legs. As I wound up for a well-aimed blow at his knee, hoping this would be the one to topple the giant, I felt myself lifted into the air by the back of my coat. “And you,” the thief said, calmly and sternly, like my father, “knock it off.”

     I complied.

     But only because Hannah seemed to trust him.

     The next moment the three of us were back in my family’s cave, sharing a pot of soup (Hannah insisted on showing hospitality to the enemy). She told Kanrik her story —

     “I really am sorry, Hannah. I didn’t know about the curse.”

     And Kanrik told us his.

     “The thieves have betrayed me. I’m on my own now...”

     The conversation went on, and at first, I didn’t understand much — they were talking about a shared experience in which I had had no part. But then realization dawned on me...

     And I felt my heart stand still.

     The gem! The gem Kanrik’s thieves were after, the one Hannah was hoodwinked into helping Kanrik find... it was the Heart of the Mountain!

     “Galem and the thieves are digging into the mountain,” Kanrik said.

     “Bori live inside this mountain!” I cried, panic-stricken. “The others are inside! If they are still alive...”

     “They will move faster now that the demon has joined them.”

     All at once, the truth came crashing down on me. My head seared, my heart plummeted, my limbs felt as if they were water, and my mouth fell open. “The Bringer is loose?” I wanted to hide, I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream...

     But instead I was spurred to action. “The others! We must warn them!”

     I led them through the winding, wildering tunnels to the Great Hall; Kanrik half-carrying Hannah, still weakened from the fight.

     “Quick, this way! This tunnel must lead inside...” Truth be told, my brain was so befuddled I was a little lost in my own tunnels. A few minutes into our trek, Hannah stumbled and went down. “Hannah!”

     But she was still conscious. Kanrik scooped her up in both arms without missing a beat and carried her through the caves like a baby. My friend was too weak to protest.

     “It’s getting warmer,” Kanrik observed.

     In a moment we emerged in the Great Hall. I breathed a prayer of thanks upon finding my people still there, frozen, and safe as always.

     “Wow! This is beautiful!” Hannah gawked in admiration. I cocked an eyebrow. Was she looking at my family as precious stones to be sold at auction? I was about to question her when a strange whirring sound filled the air.

     Hannah’s ears stood on end. “What’s that?”

     “Quick! Hide!” Kanrik grabbed us both and pulled us back into the tunnel, just as an enormous digging machine, unlike anything I’d ever seen, exploded through the wall of the cave. A troupe of Neopets of every species poured in through the crumbling wall. It was the Thieves Guild.

     “Spread out and surround the cavern!” A great purple Grarrl with a massive scar on his face led the ambush on the Heart of the Mountain. “Look at that... What a beauty!” Galem Darkhand, I would later learn his name, the leader of the Thieves Guild, reached out to touch the scintillating crystal.

     Kanrik seethed. Hannah steeled herself for a fight. But Reader, my world went blank. For there at the entrance of the cave, a looming, damning silhouette in the moonlight, just as I last saw him, stood the Bringer, the Bringer of Night.

     He saw the Heart. He summoned minions. His eyes turned red. It was just like before.

     “Kill them! Kill them all!” the leader of the Thieves Guild roared. Chaos broke out all around us as icy skeletons fought living flesh, mortal beings against immortal. It was just like before, it was just like before...

     Thinking fast, I ducked behind the Keeper of Time’s chair and beckoned for the others to follow. “What do we do now?” Hannah cried.

     “You have the keystone...” came a deep, somnolent voice that caused us all to jump. A grizzled head turned slowly and looked at us. It was the Keeper! He was unfrozen!

     “Unite it with the Heart. Hurry!” The Keeper pointed to the gem as it cast its crimson light over the cavern. Hannah looked down. Her necklace, the red crystal she’d been wearing around her neck since the day I met her — it was glowing!

     “Will you help me? Please?” she turned now and looked at Kanrik, desperation building in her voice.

     “I would love to.”

     Kanrik unsheathed his sword and jumped into battle, cutting down all those in Hannah’s path as she carved her way to the Heart of the Mountain. I jumped in to help them. I may have been small, I may have been young, I may have been inexperienced and foolish... but at this moment, I was fighting for the lives of every person I had ever known and cared about. I took out my slingshot, and my father’s image flashed in my mind.

     I wasn’t going to lose.

     Fighters struck and fighters fell. We were so close... Hannah was steps away from the Heart of the Mountain when Kanrik got into an altercation with the leader of the Thieves Guild. The noise of the battle was fierce and I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but after a moment of fervid hand-to-hand combat Galem Darkhand fell, and Kanrik emerged victorious.

     With one comrade safe, I turned my attention back to Hannah. “Almost there...”

     A shadow descended on the floor. I gulped. I was afraid to look up... but I did when she called my name. “Armin! Help!”

     It was the Bringer, standing over my friend with golden dagger drawn. I attacked him blindly, diving headfirst and sinking my claws into his leg. “Hurry, Hannah!”

     With a mighty thrust of the arm, Hannah connected the Keystone with the Heart. A blast, a dazzling light emanated from the two gems, and through that light, the sound of a horn rang out.

     And there they were. When the light subsided, there they were — my people! My family! Standing in the very places they were frozen — but unfrozen!

     “Fight, Bori! Defend yourselves!” The Keeper stood on his throne and raised his staff. And every Bori, big and small, old and young, family and neighbours and classmates and friends, removed their weapons and fought.

     “Armin!”

     But the Bringer still had Hannah. He had her pinned against the Heart. He raised his dagger high in the air...

     “AHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

     She dodged.

     The dagger struck the Heart.

     Another glow engulfed the cavern. The Bringer was surrounded by a violent red haze, and when it faded... the demigod had turned to ice.

     “Armin?”

     I didn’t stop to weigh my options. I didn’t think; I didn’t even dare to breathe. I picked up a stone from the cavern floor, loaded my weapon, and took my shot. “Take that, you big bully!”

     The stone soared through the air like a missile, lodging itself deep in the Bringer’s left eye.

     Hannah threw her hands in the air. “Good shot, Armin!”

     A crack began in the Bringer’s eye, then it spread across his entire body. The earth rumbled. I felt an intense thud against my chest as we were thrown backwards against the wall by a blast of tremendous power...

     The Bringer of Night exploded.

     Shards of ice flew everywhere, like a pane of glass dropped from an enormous height and shattered. A murmur washed over the crowd of Bori and thieves. Upon their master’s destruction, the icy skeletal minions melted away.

     One of the thieves shouted, “We’re outnumbered! Run!” And just like that, the entire Thieves Guild retreated.

     A cheer went up among the Bori. My people shouted and laughed and cried for victory! All around me, families were being reunited. I was just about to seek my own when I noticed Hannah...

     She was struggling to stay standing.

     “Kanrik... Armin...”

     Kanrik and I turned to our friend just as she fell to the floor. “What’s happened to her?” Tears welled in my eyes. Hannah’s energy was spent. The battle had taken every last ounce of her strength... I knew this would happen! I feared this time it was the end...

     “This is the mark of Ta-Kutep,” said the Keeper of Time as he examined her. “Only Taelia has the power to lift the curse.” He felt for Hannah’s pulse and watched as the colour drained from her face. Her breathing was almost imperceptible. “Quick, to Taelia now!”

     Hannah woke up on the journey to Taelia’s igloo, but Kanrik carried her all the way. When we reached the Snow Faerie’s domain, we were met with an appalling sight. Taelia was frozen!

     I covered my eyes. I couldn’t bear to see one more frozen Neopian — especially not when that Neopian was Hannah’s last hope.

     “I hope I can remember the proper spell.” The Keeper of Time said some magic words, and the Snow Faerie came to life before our eyes!

     A moment later Taelia was pouring a magic healing potion over Hannah’s burn. “You brought her to me just on time,” said the faerie. “You are very lucky to be alive, young Hannah.” Taelia dressed the Usul’s wound, and soon my friend was safe and warm under a blanket in the faerie’s armchair.

     “I have lifted the curse, but this mark will remain with you forever.”

     Hannah didn’t mind her new tattoo one bit. In fact, to this day, I think she’s secretly proud of it. I’ve often seen her wear sleeveless shirts of a balmy Krawk Island afternoon, and if ever anyone should ask about the mark of Ta-Kutep, she will gladly tell them the story.

     The mark and all it signifies has become a defining characteristic of Hannah the Brave. Once she even told me, in confidence, that the tattoo gives her courage. Whenever she’s lost and alone on some perilous globetrotting adventure, she just looks at the mark of Ta-Kutep and remembers the Ice Caves, and how she survived them with the help of Kanrik and I.

     The three of us have remained close throughout the years. Having defeated Galem, Kanrik became the leader of the Thieves Guild. His new role keeps him busy, but somehow Kanrik always makes time for his family at home. Hannah and he make quite the pair when they go on treasure hunts together!

     The two of them often visit Terror Mountain; in fact, Hannah and I have made so many excursions into the Ice Caves over the years, I doubt there’s any nook or cranny we haven’t explored. I know for a fact we removed the last piece of treasure ages ago... but try telling that to Hannah. Time hasn’t quelled her indomitable spirit, let me tell you!

     I return to my people for a moment. The Bori assimilated well into modern Neopia. It was jarring to realize how much time had passed — the Keeper’s spell had frozen us for years! At the end of the day though, we realized very little would change for us. Time had stood still for everyone. Adults were still adults, children were still children; and though we’ve adopted many of Neopia’s modern amenities, to this day we cling to our traditional roots. The only notable change has been my people’s step out of isolation. The Bori now travel and mingle freely with the rest of Neopia. And that, Reader, has been a delicious change for the better.

     It’s hard to imagine sixteen years have passed since the events of this story. I am now twenty-seven years old, and I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a great deal bigger than I was at eleven! I now have Bori children of my own. They’re both small like their father, and Reader, we’re all perfectly okay with that.

     Because the Heart of the Mountain, the Bori’s eternal protector and life source, once chose a tiny little boy to be the first to awaken — to save a girl, to save his family, and to preserve this story for the world.

     The End.