Zulu's Adventure of Bravery

     Last week we left our heroes fleeing the cave, where they had made a startling discovery. Not only did the cave appear to connect two lands, but there was some kind of monster lurking within the tunnels…

     Chapter 5

     Zulu, Hannah, and Armin travelled as quickly as they could back to the Defenders of Neopia headquarters. Judge Hog appeared eager to see them. Zulu explained that they had found two tunnels once they went into the cave, and followed a set of footprints down one of them. He told Hog about the opened treasure chest with a note inside... Hannah interrupted, telling Judge Hog that the clue said ‘the culprit had red eyes’. She further explained that this meant Kanrik was innocent; his eyes were gold. Judge Hog nodded, he knew the red eyed Neopian must be Galem Darkhand.

     Zulu cleared his throat to regain the group’s attention, and then went on to explain that the cave was much bigger than they had anticipated: it appeared to connect two separate lands! Judge Hog's eyes widened – a cave connecting two lands! How did they not know of this sooner…? Zulu quietly cleared his throat again and explained that there was an unknown beast within the tunnel, and the only thing they knew about the monster was that it was definitely large and surely dangerous. It had a loud roar and the power to blast unwanted visitors with cold air and ice fragments. If they were to face the beast, they would need help.

     Hannah looked at Armin and then suggested that perhaps Kanrik would help. Zulu and Hog looked at each other in shock. Would Kanrik really help, after being investigated as a suspect?! Hannah told Hog that Kanrik probably would help, but only if Hog and Zulu apologized to him. Zulu and Hog looked at each other once more. Neither Zulu nor Hog wanted to apologize to Kanrik; however, they had no choice but to agree. After all, they were desperate. Without Kanrik's help, Zulu couldn't explore the cave any further, and therefore wouldn't be able to find the Neopian or the criminal.

     A few moments later, there was a knock at the door… It was Kanrik. Since there is no time like the present, Zulu opened the door and offered his hand to Kanrik. Kanrik was clearly frustrated but shook Zulu's hand. Zulu apologized for identifying Kanrik as a suspect and explained that he had been exonerated by the new evidence. Kanrik accepted Zulu's apology and approached Judge Hog. Hog offered his hand to Kanrik and also delivered an apology. Hannah thanked Kanrik for coming with a great big hug…. As much as they tried to hide it over the years, it is clear they were very close and that (surprisingly) Kanrik does have a soft spot for Hannah. Kanrik asked what challenges were ahead and, after the team filled him in, he began to think about their plan. Kanrik explained that a cold and icy monster must be fought with fire. Such monsters fear the heat and this would be the best way to subdue it. Zulu interjected and asked how they could defeat a monster without knowing what it was. Kanrik told Zulu that the intention was not to defeat it, but merely to get past it. After all, the main intention was to identify and locate the Neopian, the criminal, and hopefully the treasure.

     After looking at the ripped piece of map Zulu had previously found outside of the cave and agreeing upon a plan, Hannah spoke up and asked if they would need any extra equipment. Kanrik opened his shadowy cloak of darkness to reveal an amazing collection of equipment. His fancy weapon belt featured his trusty thief's dagger, a bow of the Fire Faerie, a rainbow sticky hand, and the beautiful Thyora's Tear! With a wink, Kanrik explained to Hannah that he already had everything they needed. Fully equipped and ready for battle, the group set off on their mission.

     Upon reaching Tyrannia, our heroes were greeted by the council of elders. Zulu quickly explained that this was the search party sent by Judge Hog, and the elders wished them luck. The group then took their leave and headed towards the mouth of the cave to search for the missing Neopian.

     After they entered, Zulu again reminded the search party that they should be looking for the hole with the cut rope. This time Hannah found the rope before the hole, and directed the rest of the group down into the lower level of the cave. Once they had all made it down into the darkness, Zulu handed Hannah a brightly lit lantern and put his night vision contacts in. With the underground chamber now brightly lit, the group began walking further into the underground passage.

     They didn’t have to walk far before they came to a fork. Zulu knew from their previous visit to take the left tunnel, and led the group in that direction. A ways down the path they came upon the open chest again. Kanrik had not been here before, so he paused for a moment to take a look around. Seeing nothing of interest, he continued to follow Zulu down the trail.

     The cave quickly became narrow, and the further they went the colder it got. Soon the tunnel’s walls were coated with increasingly thicker ice, and It wasn’t long before they had to walk single file to fit. As the group ventured down the small passageway, the roars of the monster suddenly became very loud and scary. At this point, Kanrik became the leader of the pack and prepared himself for the fight ahead.

     A minute later the tunnel came to a sharp bend. Kanrik could feel a powerful, icy blast coming from around the corner and motioned for his companions to stop. Zulu, Hannah, and Armin stayed where they were while Kanrik slipped around the bend to take a peek at what kind of foe was ahead.

     Behold -- the monster was the Snowager! Kanrik snuck back to the others where he quietly shared this information with them. Then he told them to focus on getting past the beast, and explained how he would distract it. After finishing the discussion, the group got moving. With no hesitation, Kanrik charged towards the monster and aimed his bow.

     Chapter 6

     Kanrik continued running until he was on the opposite side of the monster as his companions, and pulled his bow taut. Launching a flurry of fiery arrows at the Snowager, Kanrik soon had its full attention. Hannah, Armin, and Zulu ran past the beast while calling for Kanrik to follow. He hurriedly looked for a way back to the group, but Kanrik was stuck. The icy blasts were backing him further into a corner, and the only way he could run away from the Snowager would be if one of the others distracted the monster from afar.

     Hannah, Armin and Zulu stared at each other… After thinking for a moment, Hannah took a few steps towards Kanrik and tossed three gold coins in the direction of the Snowager. The monster was distracted for a moment, allowing Kanrik to slip back to the group. Once reunited, they hurried away from the beast’s lair. The group had successfully evaded the Snowager and could now continue their hunt for justice. It didn't take long for them to see a shadow further into the cave. Was this the criminal? Or perhaps the missing Neopian?

     After some rushing, the group finally caught up with the shadow; it was Galem! As they approached him, he began to chuckle menacingly. Galem congratulated the group for finding him, but warned them that they would not be able to prove that he stole the treasure. Galem went on to tell them that he had trapped the missing Neopian further in the cave and that the treasure was already gone. He had hidden it somewhere well protected. Only one certain Bori knew of the treasure's location, and it would soon be dismantled and unrecognizable.

     This guy normally fixes things, but he is also great at taking them apart! The only way to prove Galem's guilt was to find the Neopian, who could prove that Galem had taken the treasure from him. But where was he? Hannah, Armin, Zulu, and Kanrik knew that Galem had trapped Tharg’s descendant, so they turned their attention away from the thief. The current mission was to locate the missing Neopian and free him from Galem's trap. They knew they had to find him quickly or else Galem would have time to make a getaway. Zulu thought that if they could bring the Neopian back to Judge Hog at the Defenders of Neopia, perhaps justice could be served. Zulu was hoping to see Galem imprisoned and the treasure recovered!

     Galem cackled crazily and walked away from the group, heading towards the entrance of the cave. With time being of the essence, Hannah, Armin, Kanrik, and Zulu proceeded further into the cave on a hunt for the trapped Neopian. The cave seemed to go on and on, and it continued to get colder and darker. After turning the corner, the floor turned to ice and suddenly sloped downward. The group fell to the ground and slid down the curve, slowly coming to a stop when the floor levelled out. A little disoriented, they got up slowly and looked ahead.It was evident to the group that great efforts had been made to protect the hidden treasure. The floor in front of them was almost completely covered in ice, the pathways were narrow, and there was a dark opening ahead which was sure to bring new challenges. With no other options, Hannah, Armin, Zulu, and Kanrik took a moment to prepare themselves for the march onwards.

     It was clear that every obstacle they overcame was quickly replaced with a new danger ahead. Were they finally approaching the heart of the cave? Were they coming close to the location of the treasure? If so, were they close to finding the trapped Neopian? Only time would tell.

To be continued…