The Curse of Geraptiku Tombs

     “Pick a card, any card!” I yelled to the crowd. At best they looked vaguely interested; this would be a tough sell. Fanning the deck of cards face down on the table in front of me, I gestured into the crowd. “You sir,” I called to a mutant Lupe. He shot me a distrustful look but came forward anyway. “Pick a card.” I smiled.

     The Lupe sighed heavily and reluctantly picked a card at random.

     “Show it to the crowd and then put it back in the pack.” I prompted and he waved the card at the small crowd. Rolling his eyes, he turned back to look at me. He slid the card into the pack and looked at me.

     “Go on then.” He growled. “Find my card.”

     I shuffled the cards with ease and started to talk to the rapidly warming crowd. “Magic is a funny thing,” I said, reciting my speech with ease. “Magic can be something you love or something you hate. It’s exciting yet confusing, enchanting and yet ultimately, it’s a game of deception. I can mask the truth, distort what you see. I can make you believe what I want you to believe, see what I want you to see and ultimately…” I shuffled the cards for a final time. “I show you your card. Is this it?” I held up the 6 of spades with a relish.

     “No.” The Lupe growled. “Looks like your magic’s dried up today huh?” He shot a snarky look at the crowd, who looked disappointed and bemused. I just smiled at him.

     “Check your bag.” I prompted.

     The Lupe, with a dawning realisation of what was about to happen, reached into his bag and pulled out a single playing card. It was the 3 of diamonds. “How did you do that?” He asked in wonder as the crowd gasped.

     “Magic.” I said simply. “Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you.” I bowed in the direction of a small black cap on the floor. The crowd clapped and started to disperse, tossing neopoints into the cap as they left. Eventually, the only person left stood in front of me was a striped Aisha next to a bulging rucksack. “You ok?” I asked the Aisha.

     “Yup.” The Aisha smiled at me. “Looks like the crowd was generous.” She added, nodding towards the black cap. She was right, the cap was reasonably full. I felt a small pang of guilt as I looked at the Aisha and the bulging rucksack. Then I pushed my feelings aside.

     “C’mon Aizii,” I sighed. “Let’s get out of here before someone realises.” Folding up the table, I stuffed it into the backpack and hoisted it onto my back. Casually, we walked out of the centre of town and down a well-used path that took us out of Neopia Central. “Good haul?” I asked Aizii.

     “Not bad, a few books, couple of omelettes, a bag of Neopoints and something that looked really expensive.” Aizii shrugged.

     It’s probably now I should be honest – well, as honest as a thief can be. Aizii and I used our magic show as a front to pickpocket the crowd. It wasn’t something I was particularly proud of, but circumstances had forced us down this route. We had arrived in Neopia earlier in the year and we’d struggled to find our feet ever since. After days of sleeping in rotten motels full of cockroaches and sharing half-eaten omelettes, Aizii and I had realised our talents didn’t lie in restocking shops. We were born entertainers and quick on our feet, coupled with an interest in magic and a remarkable sleight of hand, we had realised the best way for us to make a living was to take what didn’t belong to us. I would hold the crowd’s attention with a variety of well-rehearsed magic tricks whilst Aizii would quietly empty the crowd of their belongings. Sometimes I felt guilty about what we had become but then I would look at Aizii and think, well a girl’s gotta eat.

     “Where are we sleeping tonight?” Aizii asked me. We had spent the previous few nights at the glamorous Cockroach Towers motel. Having spent the previous night pulling cockroaches off us, I had vowed we would sleep anywhere else tonight.

     “I think we might have enough to splurge a bit.” I smiled at Aizii. “How does the Royal Neopian sound?”

     “Sounds great,” Aizii replied softly.

     “But…?” I prompted.

     “Asnu, I’m starting to want more.” Aizii said. “I just don’t feel right, you know? I mean, we don’t know where we are staying one night to the next and it’s only a matter of time before we’re caught.” She sighed. “I’ll always follow you Asnu, I just want our path to lead somewhere else.”

     I stopped in my tracks and stared at Aizii. For a minute, I didn’t know what to say. Then anger erupted. “What do you want me to do instead Aizii? I don’t like it either, but our alternative is to starve! Do you want me to leave you at the pound, see if you can find an owner who lives in a fancy house and lets you live in luxury?” Aizii’s face fell and I felt my anger disappeared, replaced with a sickening feeling of guilt. “I’m sorry ‘Zii, that wasn’t fair. Tomorrow … tomorrow we can re-evaluate and see what we can do. Let’s sell what we can, bed down and tomorrow…” I trailed off uncomfortably. Stealing was all we knew. What other life was there?

     In silence, we continued walking in the rapidly darkening evening. We had to cut through an alleyway to reach our hotel for the night. Looking down the dark and dingy alleyway, I could see the lights of the hotel in the distance. My feet were sore and my eyes burnt with tiredness; tonight we would sleep well.

     “C’mon Aizii.” I sighed, “nearly there now.”

     We were roughly half-way down the alleyway when something felt wrong. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as the feeling we were being watched crept on me. I saw Aizii stiffen beside me and knew she felt the same sense of unease as I did. Trying to look casual, I stole a look over my shoulder. I could see several bulky looking shapes walking swiftly towards us. “Aizii, we need to speed up.” I whispered as we started to increase our speed. I could hear footsteps behind us as the shapes sped towards us. We were so close to the end of the alleyway when a tall shape blocked our exit.

     “Going somewhere Asnu?” The figure sneered and I felt my heart drop. “No escape, no place to run. I suggest you stay still like the good little thief you are and listen to my proposition.”

     “Or else what?” I growled.

     “Or else you’ll listen to us.” A voice barked behind me. I jumped and turned around to see the large shapes that had followed us were actually two huge and powerful looking stealthy Elephantes.

     Trying to fight the rising panic, I turned back to the figure. As he stepped forward, I realised it was the mutant Lupe that I had played the magic trick on earlier. How had he followed us? Was he out to get revenge? I felt sick.

     I felt the Elephantes grab my arms and realised fighting wouldn’t get us anywhere. Next to me, I felt Aizii be lifted up in the air. “Asnu, I suggest you come with us.” The Lupe said.

     The three Neopets quickly bundled us into a van waiting at the bottom of the alleyway and sped off into the night. Wedged in the back of the van between the two hulking Elephantes, I turned to the mutant Lupe.

     “So, who are you?” I asked conversationally, trying to ignore my pounding heart. I had no idea what was going on, but I knew that to look scared would tip the odds into their favour. All the time I could appear calm and rational, it would give us the upper hand. Aizii sat on the other side of the van next to the Lupe. I could see her eye darting around the confined space, desperately seeking an escape that didn’t exist.

     “I am Magnus.” The Lupe replied. “And these are Billy and Snuggles.” He added, gesturing to the Elephantes. I snorted at the name Snuggles – I had never seen anything I’d less wanted to hug in my life.

     “My previous owner thought I was cute.” Snuggles exclaimed.

     “Our new owner thought you deserved something more fitting of your character.” Magnus continued smoothly.

     “And who is your new owner?” I asked.

     “You will find out soon.” Magnus stated. “It is a long trip and our new owner has big plans for you both. Rest now Asnu and Aizii.”

     I had absolutely no intention of sleeping but felt it wise to appear as though I agreed with him. With a small smile at Aizii, I rested my head back against the van wall and closed my eyes. My mind was a jumble of thoughts – who these people were, who they worked for, why they had targeted us? I fell into an uneasy rest as the tyres rumbled beneath us. Soon we would get the answers I wanted.

     To be continued…