The Price of Ambition

     “Annie, c’mon. Get up.” It was the voice of Poppy, her owner, giving the Purple Eyrie her morning wake-up call. “Let’s get going, you’ve got school today.”

     “Five more minutes, Mom!” Annie called, not lifting her head from underneath her fluffy blanket. Her bed was so nice and warm, and although the rest of the house wasn’t exactly freezing, it couldn’t compare to how inviting her pile of blankets and pillows was. The night before, she had been training until it was way past her bedtime. Her usual session with the Techo Master had gone so well, how could she not want to practice what she had learned over and over again? If she trained constantly, he would surely be so impressed with her that he would send her to the next level: the Secret Ninja Training School. She had heard tall tales of the kinds of things that happened there, and she needed to see it for herself. Then, all in the Battledome would fear her.

     Poppy’s voice called out again, cutting through her daydreams. “Anerada Golden, you come out right now!” That tone meant business. Reluctantly, Annie dragged herself out of bed with all the speed of a Slorg. She stretched out her wings as she began to get dressed, throwing on a Punchbag Bob t-shirt and leggings. If she was actually putting effort into her appearance, she might’ve put on a wig or something nicer, but she was so tired that she didn’t care. It took her longer than normal to brush her teeth, brush down her feathers, and finally head downstairs into the kitchen. Every step felt like a mile with how tired she was, even despite the way her stomach growled. Not even the sweet smell of pancakes and fruit made her pick up the pace.

     When she finally made it down to the kitchen, all of her siblings were seated at the table and had almost finished their breakfast already. Poppy looked at the Eyrie with a disapproving gaze. “Well, well. Look who finally joined the land of the living.”

     “Yea-ah, took you long enough!” Annie’s youngest sister, Brynettia, chimed in and stuck out her tongue.

     Poppy placed a hand on the Baby Gelert’s shoulder and gave her a stern look. “Bryn, don’t taunt her. Big kids don’t taunt.” Bryn sighed and went back to eating her fruit, looking a bit forlorn from being chastised.

     SB, the eldest daughter, also looked up at Annie, but offered her greeting in the form of a warm smile. “Long night?” She was the only one of the four who wasn’t still attending NeoSchool. After graduating two years ago, she immediately went to work at the Magical Bookshop in Neopia Central. Alexander, the Nimmo who owned the store, praised her as his top employee. She was even in talks to potentially be his second-in-command. Even if she didn’t get the position, she was happy to be surrounded by books all the time.

     Annie looked back and forth between SB and Poppy. If their owner knew that she had been up all night practising her defensive form, she might get in trouble. She had already been grounded from going to the Training School once for getting a little too rough with her other sister, Saorsie.

     And right on cue, Saorsie spoke up. She was normally a bit meek, but she could speak up when she wanted to. “Were you just having trouble sleeping? It’s been a little cold at night lately.” The Faerie Cybunny looked up at Annie with wide eyes, giving her an out. SB and Bryn wouldn’t have done the same. The purple Peophin would’ve lectured Annie on responsibility, while Bryn would’ve immediately ratted her out for brownie points.

     Annie perked up at her sister’s words. “Yeah, you’re right! I think I need more blankets.” She looked up at Poppy with a gentle smile that said ‘I-wouldn’t-do-anything-wrong.’

     Her owner looked at her carefully, as if she was trying to gauge whether she was lying or not. But after a few moments, she gave a sympathetic smile. “You already have at least three blankets on your bed, I’m surprised you’re still cold. But I can turn the heat up a bit at night if you want, I guess it is a little chilly.”

     Annie let out a sigh of relief, thanking her lucky stars that she got away with it. Feeling like she was out of the woods, she sat down at the table and started helping herself to the Blueberry Fruit Pancakes in front of her. Although she was still tired, her appetite was back in full, and she was ready to enjoy every guilt-free bite.

      Within thirty minutes, the three siblings were all out the door and on their way to NeoSchool. Although Anerada and Saorsie could fly, Brynettia couldn’t, so they walked instead to make sure the young Gelert could keep up. But every day, she would mumble and groan about it during their walk. “I wish I could be painted faerie or something. Or I could just wake up tomorrow with big, fancy wings like a Draik!”

      “It’ll be a cold day in Moltara when any of us become Draiks,” Saorsie said with a small grin. If you weren’t born a Draik, becoming one was expensive. Although Poppy had been willing to paint Saorsie faerie as a birthday gift, the other girls had different gift desires in mind rather than a morphing potion or paintbrush.

      “Keep dreaming, Brynnie. Maybe one day you’ll wake up with wings like a Tyrannian beast!” Annie nudged her sister, which caused her to stumble and nearly drop her backpack.

      “HEY! ANNIE PUSHED ME! YOU SAW THAT, RIGHT SAORSIE? SHE PUSHED ME! SHE CAN’T DO THAT! SHE’S STRONGER THAN ME!” Bryn stopped dead in her tracks and yelled at the top of her lungs, as if someone could swoop in and arrest Anerada for the heinous crime of ‘bullying her sister.’

      But instead of an authority figure, two pets from next door walked up. Annie grimaced a bit when she saw the Wocky and Cybunny approach. Both of them were painted grey, which made them pathetic sad-sacks in her eyes. Shylark wasn’t as whiny as her sister, she was just even more shy than Saorsie, which was what made the two Cybunnies good friends. But Moluimge, on the other hand, was always complaining and sighing like a big drama queen. Whenever they approached, Annie thought they looked like two creepy twins out of a scary movie.

      “Why are you yelling so loud?” Molly droned, her voice low and sad. “Can’t we have a little peace on such a lonely day?”

      “Annie was being mean to me,” Bryn reiterated, shoving her brown nose in the direction of her Eyrie sister. “I’m gonna tell Mom when we get home!”

      “Yeah, yeah, so what else is new?” Annie replied, hiking her Jeran backpack up on her shoulder. The last thing she needed was for her baby sister to tattle, but she also knew that she would probably forget after a long day of school. As long as she didn’t harass her any more, she would be in the clear.

      While they walked down the calm road towards Neopia Central School, all Anerada could think about was her training. She didn’t have a lesson again until the next week, but she could still practice fights in the Battledome against other pets after school. The summer sun and the gentle breeze that ruffled her skin couldn’t possibly compare to the rush of adrenaline that she got as she pulled out her Turned Tooth and went at her opponent with every ounce of strength she had. As Saorsie and Shylark spoke in their usual hushed tones and Bryn annoyed Molly, Annie just heard the blood rushing through her ears. Just a few hours of school, and then it would be time to fight again. And then, there would only be a week of school left before all day could be devoted to training and fighting.

      And she could hardly wait.

     ~

      “H-ah! Ha! Take that!” Annie let out various grunts and battle noises as she charged forward, Turned Tooth in hand. It was her favourite weapon to use in standard Battledome fights - from the smooth, polished exterior and the way it felt in her paws, to its sharpened edge that easily felled her foes in one swoop. But that only worked when she could actually land a hit. After another failed swing, her opponent used a Snowflake that gave her a direct hit to the chest. For a moment, it felt like the wind had been knocked out of her and she had to catch her breath. But when Krookid loomed over her, ready to strike again, she brandished her Turned Tooth again and struck with a swift slash to his wings. Since it was all for fun, no long-lasting damage was done, but the Korbat still reeled back, his energy down to nothing.

      He hit the ground hard, but after taking a breather, he slowly got back into the air. “Ey, you really got me there, huh? You’re gettin’ tougher and tougher.” He held out his tiny hand for Annie to shake in a friendly gesture for the end of the fight.

      “You really think so?” She asked as she shook his hand a little too vigorously. “I’ve been staying up late and practising all night. It always makes me feel really tired the next day, but I think it’s paying off!! I read in a book once that ‘repetition is the mother of all skills.’ So I just have to repeat what I’m doing forever!”

      Krookid laughed, although he didn’t seem very impressed by her ideas. “You know what I’m gonna say now though, don’tcha?” He leaned in and whispered, as if he hadn’t said the same thing to her fifty times before. “We could really use yer skills over at the Thieves Guild. A plucky fighter like you would be a great addition.”

      Annie let out a sigh. The first time he made the offer to her, she was horrified. Poppy always said that the Obelisk factions were dangerous. She said that they were brutal, and their constant fights over the Obelisk were a blight on Neopia. But as Annie got to know Krookid more, she didn’t think he was half bad. Maybe the Thieves Guild was evil, but he wasn’t. Just a little sketchy at worst. The offer to join their group was tempting - who wouldn’t want a group of friends to battle with, and consistent enemies to battle against? But if she joined up, her family would probably shun her. “No, I can’t. Thanks though.”

      Krookid nodded, fully expecting that answer, just like every other time. “Well, ya can’t say I didn’t try.” He got back on the ground and began to collect what was left of his weapons, putting them into a backpack that was just large enough for his back, but seemed unrealistically small for the amount of things he had.

      “Wait, don’t you wanna fight some more?” Annie said, bouncing on the tips of her toes. She wasn’t tired, she wasn’t hurt, and she sure wasn’t done.

      “Annie, not everyone has the kinda stamina that you do. I gotta get on back home and rest up. Besides, won’t your owner blow a gasket if she finds out you were hangin’ around with a petty thief like me?” He flashed a smile of teeth just as crooked as his name was. Whenever he did that, it set Annie on edge a bit.

      “Yeah, you’re right…” Her shoulders slumped a bit, and she trudged over to where her backpack was. Poppy knew that she was out fighting, but she definitely didn’t know that she was chummy with a member of the Thieves Guild. And hopefully, it would stay that way.

      After packing everything up and saying one final goodbye to Krookid, Anerada began her quick flight home. Without any land-bound friends holding her back, she was able to get home faster than she would’ve if she had been walking. The late afternoon air ruffled her fur and feathers as she zipped through the air, passing familiar faces as she turned into her neighbourhood. When she finally arrived at her NeoHome, the sun was just beginning to set. Just in time for curfew.

      Annie crept in, worried that Poppy would somehow be able to read her face and see that she had been doing something she shouldn’t. Her shoulders were slumped, her head was low, and every step was slow and careful. It was inevitable that she would get into big trouble. But when she entered the kitchen, she saw her owner making dinner with Brynettia.

      “Oh, hey Annie. How was training?” Poppy said nonchalantly as the Baby Gelert carefully pushed little wrapped sushi rolls onto a plate.

      “I’m helping!” Bryn chimed in, always eager to prove that she was responsible and could help out around the house. Sometimes it was for praise, but sometimes it was because she wanted something. Annie narrowed her eyes at her sister to signify that she didn’t trust her eager demeanour.

      The Purple Eyrie took a bottle of water from the fridge and leaned up against the counter. “It went really well! I used all my new weapons, including the one you got me last year! It was awesome, I was like… yaa! Yaa! Take that!” She made slicing motions to indicate all of the moves she had done earlier. “And my friend Kroo -” She stopped immediately, worried that she had just said the wrong thing. Would Poppy be able to know that Krookid was part of the Thieves Guild? Surely, with a name like that, she could figure it out.

      But she just looked up, motioning for her to continue what she was saying. “What’d you say?”

      Annie took a deep breath to steady herself. Like the Techo Master always said, ‘if you make a mistake, calm down and breathe. Then, you can fight.’ When she was ready, she smiled, as if nothing was wrong. “My friend Kroo. She’s really cool. I think she just trains at home and not at the Mystery Island school, so you wouldn’t know her.” She hoped that the change of name and gender would be enough to throw her owner off.

      And it seemed to work. Poppy went back to preparing dinner, turning most of her attention away from Anerada. “That’s nice, dear. I’m glad you had a good time. Why don’t you go upstairs and start working on your homework? I’ll call you when dinner’s ready.”

      “Alright, sounds good.” Annie started to head towards the stairs, but turned back for one moment. When she looked, she saw Bryn giving her the same look Annie had given earlier. The Eyrie gulped, worried that her sister was onto her. If she caught wind, she would rat her out at the first chance she got.

      But for now, she couldn’t worry about it, and she headed upstairs.

      After homework and dinner, Annie decided to sit down and relax on the couch for a bit. SB was already there, lounging and reading some book about Fyora. Saorsie was in her room, Bryn had already been put to bed, and Poppy said she would be upstairs, working on some things for the Neopian Times.

      Although Anerada was just trying to relax for the night, a sudden wave of anxiety came over her. The guilt of what she had done still sat with her, as well as the urge to get out there and train more. It was like her muscles itched to be put to use again. Although she had a training session later in the week, it just wasn’t satisfying enough for her. She had to keep fighting until she was the best.

      Unable to sit still Annie got up quickly and looked over to SB. “I’m gonna go and get ready for bed. Enjoy your book.” She spoke so rapidly that the Peophin probably thought something was off, but at this point, she didn’t care anymore.

      SB’s voice was cool and calm, as usual. “Have a good night, good luck on your last few days of school!” She gave Annie a small smile, then buried her nose in her book again.

      Finally free, Anerada bounded up the stairs and into her room. The familiar sight of all her Battledome posters, her weapons, and a few non-fighting personal effects filled her with a sense of comfort. Not to mention, her Petpet was eagerly bouncing up to her the second she came into the room. Hopper was a Hasee she saved up to buy herself, and he was her best friend sometimes whenever she felt lonely.

      “Hey buddy, you wanna hang out a bit? I’ve got treats.” She went over to a small cabinet and pulled out a small pack of plain cereal to give to him. But when she looked down again, she noticed that he had a small piece of paper in his fist. “Huh? What’s that, Hop?”

      He let out a small squeak, then pointed towards the window in her room, which had been cracked earlier to let a little air in. “Someone left it there?” Hopper nodded and Annie reached down to take the paper from him. “Huh, I wonder what it could be. I don’t get a lot of mail or anything…”

      As she unrolled the note, she noticed that the handwriting was messy. Although it was legible, whoever wrote it didn’t have very good penmanship. The letters were jagged and didn’t have a lot of space in between them. Maybe whoever wrote it was in a hurry? Putting her thoughts aside, she finally read the content of the note.

      Annie,

      I know you told Krookid that you didn’t want to get involved with the Thieves Guild, but I think you could still benefit from some of the things we offer. He spoke very highly of you and your skills. At the very least, I think you should come out and meet some of the other members. Making these connections will help you down the line with your training. If you are interested, leave a sock on your windowsill and we will know to help you leave your house at midnight. You will not need to bring your weapons. Otherwise, do nothing and we will not reach out again.

      Looking forward to hearing from you,

      Gil

      Anerada couldn’t believe what she was reading. The Thieves Guild really wanted her that badly, huh? Her heart was racing. The offer was so tempting, but very dangerous at the same time. What if they just wanted to hurt her? What if they stole everything she had? She sat down on her bed and took some deep breaths as she considered the offer. Hopper jumped up next to her and looked up with a curious expression. “What do you think, Hop? What should I do?”

      Hopper let out a small, neutral squeak. She never knew if he could understand what she was saying or not, but at least he was a good listener whenever she ranted to him. She reached down and gently stroked him as she mused on the idea. If Poppy found out, she would totally flip her lid. But then again, if she snuck out at night, then her owner wouldn’t ever know, right? As long as she was really quiet and none of her siblings caught her. She turned to her Hasee with a resolved look. “I’m gonna do it. It’ll be totally fine, right?” Hopper smiled, but didn’t really give much indication otherwise.

      Annie got up from her bed and dug through her closet until she found a clean pair of socks. She separated them, then put one on the windowsill, keeping the window cracked so they could see it. Now, all she had to do was wait until midnight, and all of the Thieves Guild secrets would be revealed to her.

To be continued…