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This story is about two time periods in Neopian history.
One is in the year 5AN (After Neopia). The other takes place in 499BN (Before
Neopia). This is the story of an ancient bloodline, two families of lady knights,
two best friends, a tournament, a mystical magic book, an ancient text, an unfit
king, and two evils that lived in two different times.
Chapter One: Battles
Neopian Central, 5AN.
As I looked out the window into the cold, rainy night,
I shivered. It was two in the morning, and my owner, nighthawk_moonshadow, was
still not back to the castle. I, Sapphire_Starfrost, was waiting anxiously.
My blue Zafara tail swished worriedly behind me. Nighthawk was supposed to be
home at ten, from her "job". I had not heard from her, and I had begun to worry.
She was also supposed to pick up some weaponry for the castle afterwards, but
she shouldn't have been gone that long.
I snapped the book I was reading closed, and
walked over to the closet. I pulled on my raincoat and my helmet. I could not
wait anymore; I'd go out and find her myself. I ran upstairs and pulled out
my belt. I threw on it my weapons. I ran downstairs and out of the back of the
castle.
Running out to the backyard, the rain pummeled
me. My bike was in the shed we owned in the back of the castle. I pulled it
out and threw myself on. I rode out to the drawbridge and signaled to the guard
to open the gate. After the bridge was down, I rode out and down the path.
We lived out in Criosdail castle, The Knightly
Order of Meridell's guild castle in the woods of Meridell, where the wild Neopets
live and neighbors are spread out. I pulled onto the dirt road and pedaled down
the way Nighthawk had left.
As I passed an open field, I heard a rumbling
sound. I skidded to a stop and looked around. I quickly drew my sword and crouched
behind a bush with my bike next to me. It was a good thing that I had gotten
off, because that's when they came.
A humongous pack of silver Lupes came running
down the road. They charged through the road and turned onto the field. There
was a bag being carried by the alpha. It looked to be holding something alive,
because it was squirming.
As soon as they were all settled in the field,
I quickly pulled my bike to a camouflaged part of the forest and kept going.
My heart was pounding. I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.
As soon as I couldn't see the field, I pulled
myself back onto the road and pedaled hard. My legs almost gave out, and they
would've, if I hadn't stopped at the crash.
Nighthawk's black bike was crashed into the
side of the road. Weapons were spilled out onto the road, and the side compartment
she had attached for me was sprawled near a tree. I gasped at the horror, jumped
off the bike and ran to the wreck. I dug through the wreckage and discovered
that Nighthawk wasn't there. Then I realized what had happened. It was the Lupes.
{}
Meridell, 499BN
I snorted as I surveyed the field. This match would be easy for a Hoofbeat
as myself. Even with all the armor I wore, I was fast and and steady. My rider
and best friend in the world, Emerald_Starfrost, settled into the saddle on
me. Her Zafara tail kept poking me, so I turned my head and gave her the look.
She pulled her green tail out of the saddle and placed it gently on her side.
After the last tournament, her tail had been permanently paralyzed. It wasn't
a very big deal for her. She hadn't used it as much as other Zafaras. It was
used to attract mates, and no male wanted a lady knight, especially now one
with a broken tail. But it bothered her for some reason.
She winced and looked at me. I tried to smile,
but the bit in my mouth prevented me. I really didn't need it, but regulations
were regulations. She sighed and I turned my head. We hadn't entered a tournament
in months, and it took a little getting used to again. Not that it mattered.
We were the best in the land, but no one liked us. Hey, it's the dark ages.
Girl knights are frowned upon, but we do it anyway, mainly for the money.
I walked down to the starting lane, my Uni hooves
sloshing in the muddy dirt. The other team, a Nimmo riding a Uni, was all ready.
A Kacheek ran out to the lane and handed Emerald a point-tipped lance. He stumbled
as he turned and fell face flat into the mud. He got up, looking extremely disheveled,
and quickly ran back to the side.
"All ready Ruby?" Emerald asked.
"Phll spft," I sputtered as I tried to speak
through the bit. I then just bobbed my head. She giggled and lowered her helm.
The crowds started booing. I ignored them and looked over to the Shoyru announcer.
He began to speak.
"The rules are simple!" he shouted. I yawned
and watched him lazily as he repeated what I had heard hundreds of times. "Each
player will charge down the lane and aim their lances at the circle in the center
of their opponents shield. You will hit the shield as close to the center as
possible. If your lance breaks and the piece broken off is at least a foot long,
you gain one point and your lance will be replaced. There are three rounds.
Whoever gains the most points after three rounds is the champion. If there is
a tie, whoever has performed the best will win." He raised his hand, ready to
signal. I tensed and prepared to charge.
"Ready! Charge!" he shouted. I charged down
the lane, my hooves pounding on the damp mud. I could see the other Uni in front
of me. He was a black male Uni, probably from the Shadowmane clan. I felt Emerald
raise her lance and watched it hit the shield of the Nimmo. Tearing my eyes
away, I grunted and slowed to a trot. I came back around and settled against
the lane. I looked up and saw Emerald exchanging lances. Her tip was broken
off the old one. She smiled at me and said "One point to us!"
I looked at the other jouster. His lance was
in tact. I smiled and readied. The announcer gave the signal and I charged again.
We hit the Nimmo's shield and I saw his tip break off. I groaned and slowed
down I looked up at Emerald. She was frowning. I heard the Nimmo call out, "
You two are nothing but a bunch of sissy women. Go home!"
The crowd started to boo at us. I snorted again
and held my head high. When the signal was given, I bolted down the lane. Emerald
must have felt the same way because she hit the Nimmo so intensely that she
popped him out of his saddle. The Nimmo went flying and landed in the dirt.
Emerald jumped off of me and pulled out her sword. She walked over and pressed
the sword to his chest. "One more remark like that out of you," she said in
a dangerously low whisper " and you'll wish you'd never been born". She sheathed
her sword and walked over to me. "Let's go home," she said. She pulled the bit
out of my mouth. I smiled and followed her.
"Wait!" called a voice. I turned and saw the
Kacheek. He ran up to us and handed us a bag of Neopoints. I grabbed them with
my teeth and Emerald and I walked out of the arena.
To be continued...
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