"I... can... do... this…" Listillo panted.
His fast run slowed to a walk and he stopped his stopwatch; he couldn't go
any further. Looking around him, the blue Shoyru noticed he had gotten farther
than the day before and, with a quick glance at the watch hanging from his neck,
he had gone at a faster rate. Then, he saw his blue Aisha sister, La_Estrella_de_Sol,
come running in his direction.
"Hey, Listillo!" she called. "How did you do?"
"Faster than before!" Listillo yelled with a grin.
His sister's pace slackened as she approached him. Looking down at Listillo's
stopwatch, she grinned.
"Wonderful," she said. "You'll win the tournament for sure."
Listillo noticed with only a small pang of jealousy that La_Estrella_de_Sol
wasn't panting at all after running the same distance that he had run, and she
had been faster.
"I sure hope so." Listillo turned his head quickly. He thought he had seen
something move out of the corner of his eye. Nothing was there. "Just wait till
I tell-"
Suddenly, a swirl of dark purple smoke appeared, and the figure of a Dark Faerie
stood before the two pets. The faerie was very tall and slim; in fact, she was
the size of a human, which is very big for a faerie.
"Hello, La_Estrella_de_Sol. Hello, Listillo." Her voice was smooth, low and
musical, and sweet and sour at the same time to the pets, though anyone passing
by would have found it cold, evil, and raspy. However, to this Aisha and Shoyru,
it was enchanting and spellbinding, and both pets immediately, as soon as she
spoke, wanted to do anything for her, even if it meant their own death. She
touched the pets gently as she spoke their names. "I am Jilmarah, a faerie of
the dark. You both have stout, brave hearts. I couldn't help but overhear that
this young Shoyru is doing some training for the Battledome by his self. A special
tournament, I hear? Well, I know that you could use some help."
"Yes, ma'am," said Listillo, bowing deeply. "Help would be greatly appreciated.
What ability would you grant me?"
The faerie chuckled. Her laughter was cold and malicious to anyone passing
by; however, to the pets that were under her spell, it was beautiful and good-natured,
like the ringing of a bell.
"You must understand, young Neopet, that this isn't going to be free. You
will get your ability, but you must give something to me in return."
"What?" asked Listillo. "What can I give to you to help you?"
"You can give me nothing," snarled Jilmarah, though it sounded more like laughter
to Listillo and La_Estrella_de_Sol. "However, you must help me accomplish a
goal. You must go to my faithful assistant, Krent. He will tell you what you
must do."
"Yes, Majesty," breathed Listillo. "And where does this Krent live?"
"In the Haunted Woods," said Jilmarah. "However, he lives deep in the wood,
and far away from the main part of the forest where Edna and the Brain Tree
dwell. It will be difficult to find him. However, when you do, and when you
achieve what he wishes you to do, you will be greatly rewarded."
Listillo thought it over. He had always dreamed of abilities and strength and
being able to be stronger than his sister, who was the pet that their owner
seemed to train the most. This sounded good. However, exactly how deep in the
woods did Krent live? How dangerous was this quest? He looked over at his sister,
who was staring at the beautiful faerie in rapture. He turned his head and looked
at the queenly Jilmarah, who was smiling in a beautiful way to him. He suddenly
knew that he could not resist.
"I will go, Majesty," he said. "I will go."
"Wonderful," smiled Jilmarah. "I trust you will leave right away. I leave
you to your duties."
Then, with a cackling laugh, which the two captivated pets heard as beautiful,
she swirled into the air and was gone.
"I will go with you, brother," said La_Estrella_de_Sol, still staring at the
spot where Jilmarah had disappeared.
"I appreciate it," Listillo said, also still looking at the spot. "We must
go immediately. Come on."
With that, Listillo dragged his sister down the street. He never dreamed of
the danger until he was in the Haunted Wood. He did not feel fear, and he did
not see the NeoHomes whizzing past him as he ran with all his might, never getting
tired, never slowing down. All he saw was the face of Jilmarah the Dark Faerie,
the one so captivating and enthralling. He did not hear his sister's panting
and pleads for rest, though she had always been stronger than he. All he heard
was the sweet and low sound of Jilmarah 's crooning, singing voice. He knew
he had to find Krent; and he knew he had to find him quickly-very quickly.
***
Listillo shuddered. It was scary... very scary. Each sight frightened him more.
The Brain Tree boomed, trying to get their attention. Edna the Witch snickered.
The Esophagor moaned and reached out a bony hand toward them, but they shrank
back in fear. La_Estrella_de_Sol felt her heart start to beat more quickly than
it normally did, even more than when she had visited the Haunted Wood before.
It was different this time, somehow.
Listillo faced the rest of the forest. Trees stretched out endlessly. They
went on forever. How would they be able to find Krent if the forest stretched
forever? He suddenly remembered Jilmarah's flashing, inspiring eyes and he ran
towards the trees, again oblivious to every sound except the faerie's voice,
every sight except her face, and every touch except the tingling sensation of
her smooth fingers on his skin. La_Estrella_de_Sol sighed and ran after him,
feeling that the quest was impossible but that she had to follow her brother
if she wanted to even have a brother anymore. Then, she too remembered Jilmarah
and continued to speed after him, but more zealously and she went faster than
her brother, never tiring.
La_Estrella_de_Sol stopped short. She could hear the snap and crackle of twigs
breaking on the forest ground. She knew her brother was running behind her,
but the noise was coming from ahead. Thinking how lucky she was to have four
ears instead of two, she proceeded cautiously. Nothing seemed to be there anymore.
She finally heard Listillo catch up, and, turning, she saw him stop beside her.
"Why are you going so slowly?" he asked.
"I heard something a little while ago. Someone is around here. I don't know
who-or what-but it was there. I know it. Oh, little brother, I know it. I don't
have four ears for no reason. My hearing's twice as sharp as any other race."
She stopped and listened again, but the footsteps were not to be heard. "There's
nothing now," she said, "but I do believe that it is hiding, just waiting to
pounce…"
Listillo took a step ahead.
"Come on," he said. "We have to find Krent."
"Careful," La_Estrella_de_Sol warned. "It's dangerous out here…"
"I know," whispered Listillo, "but think of Jilmarah. We have to find Krent.
We just have to."
Then, Listillo forgot about La_Estrella_de_Sol's warning, and thinking of the
Dark Faerie, he broke into a run. The only thing the Aisha could do was follow
him into the dark, dangerous wood. She had no other choice.
***
"Gotcha!"
A wild looking man had jumped out of a dank cave in the haunting forest and
now stood, holding the pets by the scruffs of their necks. He was bald except
for messy, dirty greying hair at the sides of his head. His very pale skin was
wrinkled, his eyes were crooked, and he wore spectacles very low on the bridge
of his large nose. His eyes were crazed and his lips formed a crooked, evil
smile that one would almost expect saliva to drip out of. However, it did not.
"Well," he said, his smile changing to a critical frown and his eyes losing
a little of their craziness. "Well," he repeated, "Thee shall pass. I am not
really used to the types of food that thou carry, yet famine hath been occurring
around me."
The man turned and started to walk through the wood, carrying the pets the
way he had been holding them.
"Pass for what?" whispered La_Estrella_de_Sol to her brother, but was otherwise
silent.
The man heard and whirled around, dropped the two poor Neopets, and turned
the pets around so that they faced him.
"For mine dinner," he said, a gleam in his eye that told the pets that it
was obvious and they should have known that, but still a hint of amusement in
them.
"Well, before you-you eat us," said Listillo, "perhaps you could tell us if
you are Krent, the faithful assistant of Jilmarah the Dark Faerie."
"I am he. How does this concerneth thou?" the man said.
"We have been sent to you by Her Majesty Jilmarah," said Listillo, bowing
to Krent. "She told us that we were to go to you and ask of you what we must
do to help you with her plan. Then, once we had fulfilled your orders, Highness,"
he bowed again, "I would receive a reward."
Krent grumbled. It was difficult to tell what he said, but it sounded something
like, "That Dark Faerie never cares anything for my feelings, always telling
me to tell pets to do this or that, 'Oh, I knew it wouldn't trouble you to give
this pet a quest,' and 'You must fetch me this and that, ' and never consulting
me for anything that concerned me. How did I ever get pulled into being her
assistant? That awful, darn spell... urgh... now I'm that darn Dark Faerie's assistant…"
and so on he mumbled as he wavered his hands about.
"All right," he said, sighing a little bit and his voice returning to his
normal speaking voice. "Let us see if what thou saith is true."
He waved his hands gracefully and some dark purple and green smoke appeared
trailing behind the old, bony hands. Then, the picture of Jilmarah appeared.
She was waving her hands in the air when she looked up suddenly.
"Krent!" she said, looking surprised. Then, her expression changed into a
smile. "You're just the man I've been trying to contact, you know. What is it?"
It was then obvious that Krent was also really under a spell, just like he
had mumbled. His face lit up at the sight of her, and he seemed in a trance
as he said, "Majesty, I've these two young pets. A Shoyru and an Aisha. They
saith that thou, Majesty, hath sent them on a quest to me. Is this statement
a truth, Majesty, or is what they saith a falsehood? I do not knoweth, as thy
humble servant." He bowed.
"What they say is true," Jilmarah said. "You must give them a quest so they
know that they are worthy of my reward. However, the quest must achieve something
in the Plan." She said the word, "plan" in such a way that the pets knew it
was spelled with a capital "P."
"Yes, Majesty," said Krent, bowing again. "Must thee telleth me anything else
so that I may knoweth what I must?"
Jilmarah seemed amused by Krent's behaviour. "No, slave," she chortled, and
then waved her hand across the cloud containing the picture, which made it disappear.
Krent's eyes went back to normal.
"Ay," he said, sighing. "I shall never again be mine own man. Never again.
The Jilmarah hath control over me."
He struck a dramatic pose, then returned to normal.
"So... we need a quest," said Listillo.
"Yes. I must giveth thou a quest." Krent shut his eyes and rocked back on
his heels. "I shall be able to think once more when I am back in mine cabin.
Cometh and joineth me for some tea."
"Join you for some tea as in drink some tea with you as you explain the quest,
or as in…" Listillo dared not finish.
Krent laughed heartily; however, his laugh sounded more like fingernails on
a chalkboard than, well, a laugh.
"Thee mustn't worry," he said. "I shan't eateth thou. Perish the thought!"
His face grew dark and serious. "Jilmarah would probably striketh me down dead
if I did eateth thou. She really doth wanteth to accomplish that Plan."
As the pets followed Krent down a mean path, La_Estrella_de_Sol wondered exactly
what the Plan was.
To be continued... | 
