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Editor's Note: It is recommended that you read Codestone
Hunters: Beginnings before this story
so that you can become familiar with the characters.
A Desert Lupe appeared. Beside her was a sage Green Gelert,
and between them was a girl. This Lupe and Gelert were familiar, as was the
girl.
Then a Lu Codestone appeared in the Lupe's paw.
The Lupe smiled, reaching out to give him the Codestone. He reached out for
it with a wing, as a Zei Codestone appeared before him. He tried to reach for
that as well, but somehow he could not…
The Green Pteri woke up. He yawned, then ruffled
his feathers to greet the morning.
A Desert Lupe, the same as in his dream, walked
up, smiling brightly. "Hey Likte," the Lupe hugged the small Pteri.
The Pteri, or Likte, squawked happily, as a
greeting to his older sister Sendriye.
"You've grown a lot in a month," Sen smiled,
adding, "…and pretty soon you'll be talking!"
Likte nodded, squawking contentedly. Sen picked
him up, taking him downstairs for breakfast.
Omelettes sizzled as a green Gelert flipped
them over, sprinkling pepper on top of one, sausage on another, and leaving
one plain.
"Hey, Evyynn," Sen smiled, watching the Gelert
give her and their brother an omelette each.
"Anything new with Likte?" Ev looked at the
Pteri, who started to gobble up his sausage omelette.
"He'll probably start talking in a few days,"
Sen ruffled the feathers on his head. "Maybe then I can ask him," she then muttered
to herself.
Likte looked at Sen, egg and sausage covering
his face and feathers. Sen grinned, grabbing a paper towel and wiping off the
Pteri's face. "Next time, Likte, chew your food and try not to make a mess,"
Sen smiled, ruffling the feathers on his head again. "It makes it a lot easier
for Ev," Sen chuckled to herself, before slicing her omelette and chewing on
each bite.
Ev looked over. "Where's Grath?" she asked,
cracking another egg to make a new omelette. "I haven't seen her yet today."
A tired looking girl, hair going here and there,
a toothbrush in mouth, and a bathrobe wrapped around her, walked through the
doorway, half asleep.
"Ah, Grath. Nice of you to join us," Sen stifled
a snicker. Grath yawned, dripping toothpaste onto the floor.
"Grath!" Ev shouted. "How many times do I have
to remind you? Brush up in the bathroom, not the kitchen! Now go upstairs and
change and then I'll give you your breakfast."
"Brunch, actually," Sen corrected, slicing another
bite of omelette. Ev glared at her, watching Grath leave and walk up the stairs.
Ev poured BBQ sauce on the omelette, watching
it steam on the plate she set out for Grath.
Grath wandered back downstairs, dressed untidily
and hair still flying everywhere.
"It's a start," Ev sighed, grabbing a fork and
knife for her owner.
Very suddenly, the window above the sink opened,
sending a gust of wind into the kitchen and breakfast nook. A single piece of
parchment made its way onto the kitchen floor slowly.
Sen quickly shut the open window. "That was
weird. Also very random, if I do say so."
"Yeah," Ev said, picking up the parchment. "I
think this is another clue for finding the next Codestone."
"Stating the obvious," Sen grinned, looking
over Ev's shoulder. Ev glared, reading out,
It has been a month
Time for the next
Here's another clue
With some interesting text.
To the frigid mountain you shall go
Stepping through mounds of snow
Finding the Zei won't be so easy
This clue was very cheesy.
"Cheesy indeed," Sen giggled, rolling up the
parchment. "Frigid mountain probably means that its on Terror Mountain."
"Better grab the scarves…" Grath yawned, finishing
off her omelette.
~~~
"Agh… Why did those ninja-ey people have to throw the Zei Codestone over here?"
Ev moaned.
"They're not 'ninja-ey people'," Sen rolled
her eyes, wrapping the scarf around Likte a bit closer to him. "They're 'thieves'."
"Thieves, ninja-ey people, whatever," Ev snapped
back. "They're still evil dudes who stole the sacred Codestones, scattered them
around Neopia, and now they're making us search for them in freezing weather."
"Don't go looking at the bad side," Sen commented.
"Anyway, it's about time to go into the Snowager's Den."
"I'm not going in there again!" Ev shouted.
"Fine, fine, I'll go this time," Sen rolled
her eyes, grabbing Likte and sliding down the slope leading to the Ice Caves.
"I'm so going to get a cold after this," Grath
muttered, following her three pets.
"It would make sense that the Zei Codestone
would be in there," Sen peered through the immense hole in the cave wall, leading
to another cave. "I mean, the Snowager has a lot of stuff. Why don't we go ask
him if he's seen a Zei Codestone anywhere?"
"Are you crazy?" Grath asked, teeth chattering
as she spoke. "You can't just go up to the Snowager and ask him something! He'll
blast you for sure!"
"That's a chance I'll have to take," Sen said
quickly. "Plus, you brought along some healing potions, right?"
"Umm… no?" Grath chuckled weakly.
"I should make you go in there then," Sen glared.
"But I packed some just in case."
"Maybe we should just all go in…" Ev sighed,
shaking her head. Sen nodded, sneaking into the dwelling of the Snowager. Ev
followed suit, and after a long moment, Ev dragged Grath with her.
"It seems colder in here," Sen whispered to
Ev, who nodded, shivering from head to footpaw.
"I never noticed that he kept this place so
orderly," Grath muttered, covering her mouth with a glove-covered hand to block
the sound of her teeth chattering. "Look! A pile of Codestones. Maybe the Zei
is in there…"
"Do you still have the parchment?" Ev looked
at Sen, who nodded quietly. "I think it'll glow or something when we find the
Zei."
~~~
"Hey! Look! Snowballs!" Grath grinned, picking up a few Sticky Snowballs and
putting them into a cooler.
"Why do you have a cooler?" Ev hissed, blinking
curiously as her owner placed a few pink snowballs into a cooler.
"I was hoping that I could get some snow so
I could make some snow slushies," Grath blushed, going back to picking up snowballs.
"Whatever," Ev muttered, going over to the pile
of Codestones to search with Sen and Likte.
"I really should have sectioned off places in
the cooler," Grath muttered, picking up a snowball. Another glove was already
on it. Grath pulled, looking up.
Another girl was standing in front of her, a
hand on the Sticky Snowball. A Yellow Gelert and a Blue Eyrie were behind her,
looking curiously at Grath.
"You know, LDF, you don't need another Sticky
Snowball," the Gelert hissed. "You already have more than 30!"
"I like collecting things, though," the girl
that was addressed as LDF grinned. The Eyrie rolled her eyes, sighing.
"You can always buy more. It's not that hard…"
the Eyrie shook her head, sighing again.
"Excuse me, but… who are you?" Grath blinked,
shutting the lid of the cooler in her arms.
"I'm LDF." The girl smiled, then pointed at
the Gelert. "That's Alieica, or Alie… And that's Tymide, or Ty."
"I've heard of you!" Grath's face lit up. "You
were featured in the Pet Spotlight a few weeks ago!" Grath looked at Ty, who
blushed, nodding slowly.
"THIS IS SO COOL!" Grath shouted, forgetting
that she was in the Snowager's Cave. LDF, Alie, and Ty immediately put hands
and paws on Grath's mouth, trying to wrestle a struggling Grath to silence.
Sen, Ev, and Likte turned around. "Now you've
done it!" Ev shouted at Grath.
A huge ice worm made his way slowly to the group
of pets and owners. It roared, sending a large icy blast at the seven.
"Alie! I think you brought your weapons, right?"
LDF shouted, her Gelert nodding. "Then go and distract him while we get out
of here!"
LDF, Grath, and their pets (with the exception
of Alie) ran out of the cave, screaming and shouting with fright. The brave
Gelert threw out an Illusens Earth Potion, sending a large amount of green potion
at the Snowager.
Alie knew it wouldn't last long, but it was
only temporary. Alie noticed a glowing Codestone near her, along with a glowing
piece of parchment. She picked both up, stuffing them into her pack, and ran
for her life, dodging many icy blasts from the Snowager. She threw the remaining
amount of the potion to stall, fleeing the cave.
The Snowager's eyes drooped slightly as he turned
around, making his way back to his resting spot.
Alie panted, skidding to a halt in front of
her owner, sister, and new found friends.
"You really have to stop making me do this,"
Alie panted, gasping for breath. "Oh yes, and you guys dropped this," Alie handed
over the piece of parchment and the Codestone she had found before almost getting
frozen from the Snowager.
"Thanks," Sen blinked, taking the Codestone
and parchment from the Gelert. Sen peered at the sign of the Codestone, almost
dropping it.
"What's the matter, Sen?" Ev looked at the Desert
Lupe next to her.
"It's the Zei Codestone," Sen gasped. Likte
ruffled his feathers, smiling into everyone's faces.
"You never told us who you were," LDF looked
over at Grath and her pets.
"Oh… umm… I'm Grath; full name is Grath Longfletch.
These are my pets, Sendriye, the Lupe, the Gelert is Evyynn, and this little
fella here is Likte."
"Why did you have this piece of parchment and
this Codestone that glowed?" Ty blinked, scratching her chin.
"Uhh…" Sen looked to Ev, who looked to Grath,
who looked back to Sen. "If we ever meet you again, we'll tell you…"
"Well… uh… See you later! Havetogobye!" Grath
grabbed Likte and ran off, Sen and Ev following.
"Well that was weird," LDF scratched her chin,
looking at her pets.
~~~
"That was close," Ev sighed, sitting on the couch of their Neohome. "If we
ever meet them again, then we will tell them. Just not right now. Or anytime
soon."
"Yeah…" Sen took off her head-dress, wiping
sweat off her brow and then putting it back on.
"Hey… Look! Another scroll!" Grath grinned,
grabbing a scroll that suddenly appeared on the coffee table.
"What does it say?" Ev asked, watching Sen pick
it up.
Sen cleared her throat, saying,
You've found new friends
That will help in the end.
Now the next Codestone
Shall be harder then others
You'll meet your foes
The Codestone of Tai-Kai
Will be yours once
You find where it is.
In two weeks another scroll
Will appear for you
Showing you the way.
"Whoever writes these can't rhyme properly,"
Grath announced, folding up the scroll and putting it in her bag.
"Well at least it tells us what the next Codestone
is," Ev smiled. "The next one is a Tai-Kai."
"Tai-Kai… is next…" a voice said. Everyone stared
at Likte, who smiled and ruffled his feathers. "Tai… Kai…" he smiled again.
"Well that was weird," Sen blinked, still staring
at Likte, who ruffled his feathers and snuggled up to her. "I'll take Likte
up to my room and put him in bed… Today was unusual, and he must be tired."
"Good idea." Ev nodded, taking Grath's bag.
"I'll go put this and the Zei Codestone with the Lu."
"Okay…" Grath muttered, watching her pets leave.
"I wonder if that really was Likte…"
The End
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