The sun begins to rise over the jungles of Mystery Island. It beats down
on the dew-covered flora that blankets the ground. A group of Myncis hang and
play in the tall heart fruit trees that tower high above even the tallest of
the many rock statues that dot the island. Besides the sound of the Myncis laughing
and playing in the trees, and a passing buzz zipping between the trees now and
then, the jungle is almost silent. Out of what appears to be nowhere a Shoyru
dives from the bushes. She is black as night, and seems to be wearing a pith
helmet. She speeds past the Myncis before they can blink, and dives back into
some ferns. Moments later before the Myncis even realise what has happened,
they feel the ground begin to shake. The tree they are holding onto is swaying
so much that some of them almost lose their grip. Then it appears, From the
same bushes that the little Shoyru came from….
A giant Monocerous barrels through the leaves and branches. The shaking
of the ground has become an earthquake. In the distance smoke begins to billow
out of the Mystery Island Volcano, and the sky becomes menacingly dark. The
Shoyru keeps running. If she takes to the air the beast will see her, and will
follow her even easier. At that moment the mysterious little NeoPet hears running
water near by. She finds the source….
A huge waterfall churning and throwing thousands of gallons of water down
the cliff is just feet ahead of the Shoyru. She doesn't stop. She doesn't slow.
She doesn't even look back. She just bounds a few more steps, and dives forward
out over the edge of the cliff. After a free falling for over a hundred feet
she enters the water with a splash, and lets the current carry her down around
the bend.
The ugly beast is confused and tired. He sits at the top of the cliff trying
to pick up the scent, but to no avail. They say this scene is common deep in
the jungle. The Shoyru is well known around here. Her name is Ooshoryu16 but
she is known to most only as the Sludge Hunter....
Ever since she was a tiny baby all she played with was Sludge. She has collected
Sludge from across Neopia for years. Ooshoryu has Sludge from the icy North,
from the vast desert to the south; she has Sludge from the great underwater
city of Maraqua, and even from deep within the fiery volcanoes of Tyrannia.
When Ooshoryu isn't out hunting down the finest, rarest Sludge in the world,
she is back at her headquarters. What she calls headquarters is really the Welcome
Home guild. She trained and planned there for every Sludge expedition she has
had, and without the planning, the little Shoyru probably wouldn't be alive
today.
One day while she was searching for information on the consistency of Sludge
from the deep jungles of Neopia she found a picture of an ancient tablet with
strange scratches of writing on it. The caption underneath read "This strange
tablet is said to lead its owner to the greatest treasure ever." She was sure
it was Sludge. That's all it could be. Nothing else could be called the greatest
treasure ever. After reading everything the book had to say she decided she
must visit someone much more knowledgeable than even her great friends in the
guild. She wasn't sure where to start… there were so many wise people throughout
Neopia, and each of them could know something the others did not…
Her first stop was the Haunted Woods. The Brain Tree knew so much, maybe
there was something important he could tell her. As she approached, the evil
looking tree boomed "Why do you come here if you don't plan on fetching me information!?!?"
Trembling slightly, Ooshoryu replied, "I am sorry, I do not have the time or
money to help you right now, but can you please take a look at this writing?"
The tree did not respond, but instead just stared at the picture. After a
long pause he said, "This writing is obviously the ancient wedge writing known
as Neocunecian… that is all I know. To find out more, you must find someone
who can read it."
Knowing that any more questions would just be wasting time, she called her
friend Minibabi.
"Yes, Minibabi speaking."
"Mini! Hey I need you help. Look up Neocunecian quick!" Within a few keystrokes
Minibabi had found more than enough information.
"Hmm... interesting. It says the language began thousands of years ago in
the islands of the far East."
"Thanks Mini! I will keep in touch. I will probably need your help again."
After leaving the woods, she took flight. It would be a long ride to the islands.
"Where should I start?" she thought, "Krawk Island has many people on it, and
that sea captain is very smart… Krawk Island it is. "
As she landed on the huge sandy crescent she got her notebook out, hoping for
some important information from Cap'n Three Legs. As she walked in she was greeted
by a friendly "ARRGH!"
"Hello, Captain. I have a very important question to ask you…"
Raising an eyebrow, the scruffy old captain replied. "ARRGH? What be it?"
"Well sir, I am looking for the origins or meaning of this tablet." Ooshoryu
held up the picture and crossed her little fingers, hopping for an answer.
"I'm sorry young lady… I never understood Neocunecian…."
"But you recognise it! Can you tell me anything about who may understand it?"
"Yer best bet be the island mystic. He knows much more than old Cap'n Threelegs."
"Thank you so much, Captain! I will let you know if I find my answer!" As
she left the captain waved goodbye with his… peg and smiled knowing she would
be back soon enough. Shoyru day was not very far away.
It wasn't a long flight to the mystic's house, but it seemed like ages. She
knew she was so close, but yet for some reason she also found herself doubting
whether this tablet really said anything useful at all. When she landed she
could hear drumming in the distance and the familiar sound of Myncis and Buzzes
filled the crisp air. As she cracked the door she heard a familiar, shrill voice
from the back of the dark room.
"Oooh… ooshoryu, hello. Welcome you are."
"Do you know why I am here, sir?"
"Here you are to have questions answered, yes?"
"Precisely... can you decipher this writing?" She held up the picture, and
the little man took it from her hand.
"Says the writing: Those who fly to the clouds above shall find more answers
than those that do not."
"That's all it says?"
"All it says is that, yes."
"Thank you, Mystic." And with that the Shoyru was off again.
"The only thing that "the clouds above" could mean is Faerieland…"
So, up she flew, to the land high in the clouds. She knew her best bet would
definitely be the knowledgeable Faerie Queen, so she flew right to the Invisible
Tower. After missing the opening a few times (and gaining a few big bumps on
the head) she found the window and flew in. As soon as she touched down, she
was welcomed by a perfect looking well-groomed Faerie Aisha. She floated a few
inches above the ground and asked if Ooshoryu was interested in purchasing one
of the many rare artifacts that covered the walls around the tower.
Ooshoryu said, "I'm sorry… I do not have much money, but what I came here for
was to see the Fyora Faerie Queen. Can you show me where I can find her?"
"Well of course I can!" replied the Aisha joyfully, "Just follow me!"
With a smile the Aisha turned around and floated across the room, and down
the hall. Ooshoryu went after her, almost stumbling several times from the excitement.
"Here we are. Just knock on that door when you are ready to go in."
"All right! Thank you so much!" And with that the Aisha floated back off.
Ooshoryu could barely contain herself. She was about to find out where the largest
pile of Sludge in the world was located. She raised her arm and was about to
knock on the door when it suddenly slid opened on its own! She peered into the
huge room, and heard a soothing, comforting voice.
"Please come in Ooshoryu," the Queen said, "You want to know the location
of the great treasure, correct?"
"Y... yes ma'am…. But, how did you know that?"
"Well," Fyora replied, "that's a very simple question. The Island Mystic and
I are very good friends. He Neomailed me over an hour ago. But, that's not why
you're here… you seek answers. Answers that I have."
With a dumbfounded expression on her face Ooshoryu just nodded.
"Well, you will find the treasure deep within Tyrannia. Pass the Plateau and
head toward the Lair of the Beast. When the cave becomes pitch black, feel against
the left wall until you find a rock outcropping. Climb onto it, and your weight
should make the outcropping slide down. That is a pulley, and it opens a rock
door on the other side. Jump from the rock across the cave, and roll very quickly,
or you will be crushed by the falling door. This is all I can tell you. Good
luck, young adventurer."
Ooshoryu wasn't fazed by the idea of being crushed. The Sludge would be worth
it.
***
She soon landed in the dry, sun-bleached outskirts of Tyrannia. Upon entering
the cave the temperature dropped so quickly, that it sent a chill down the Shoyru's
spine. As the cave began to darken, she lit her emergency flare. The eerie shadows
that danced around the walls would be enough to scare most NeoPets, but Ooshoryu
had a mission. Ooshoryu was so close to the legendary great treasure of Sludge,
that she could almost smell that rotten scent and feel that slimy sensation
between her fingers. Soon she came to the outcropping that Fyora had mentioned.
Before she climbed up onto it, she made sure that she could dive under the rock
before it fell. "It looks easy enough… I'm literally a hop skip and a jump away…"
So with that she hopped up onto the platform, and it slowly slid downward, creating
a horrible sound like nails on a chalkboard, with a slow rumble accompanying
it. After she uncovered her hurting ears, she looked up and realised the door
was wide open! Her heart skipped a beat, knowing that now she had just mere
feet between her and her dreams. She ran, jumped high into the air, and dove
toward the ground. As she began to role under the falling door she realised
her adventure was over, and began to wonder what was next. She had already found
more Sludge than anyone else could even dream of.
"Maybe I could start a collection of bottles of sand? Hmmm…. Toy sailboats?"
Just about now she realised she was far past the boulder, and still rolling
on the cold ground.
SMACK!!
Her head ran into something hollow and hard. The resonation of the sound through
the small cave lasted for what seemed like an eternity; either that or it was
all in Ooshoryu's very sore head. Ooshoryu was tired and sore. She didn't even
realise how much energy she had spent that day. The only thing that was important
to her was the Sludge, and when she tried to stand, she passed out.
"Ooshoryu?? Ooshoryu!!? Can you hear me at all?" Ooshoryu began to wake up.
She was shivering, and her head still felt like someone had smacked her with
a rod of the Ultranova. She realised Mini was yelling for her and she quickly
picked up her radio.
"Unnh… yeah, I'm here…"
"Why haven't you answered?!! Are you okay? I have been trying to tell you
something for… like four hours now! The treasure--"
"Shoot! The Sludge, that's right!! Tell me later I need to find it!"
"But Ooshoryu, you don't understand!"
But with that, Ooshoryu turned off the radio, and spun around. She realised
what she had hit her head on. It was a big wooden treasure chest. She also realised
what Minibabi was trying to tell her. In front of her was the largest pile of
golden Dubloons, Faeries, Neggs, and Codestones that ooshoryu had ever seen.
Ooshoryu's jaw dropped all the way to the cold wet cave floor, she was surprised,
but she was also depressed. She didn't want gold, and riches. She wanted Sludge.
So without anything, Ooshoryu left through the hole in the roof of the cave.
She knew what she wanted even more than Sludge right now. She wanted to go home,
and rest, and maybe eat a cookie or two. Then she would plan for her next hunt
for Sludge.
The End | 
