The Nameless Warrior: Part Three

"Why don't you leave her?" ZipStreamer panted as they dashed once again towards the docks.

      The Lupe considered this as he skidded on the wood and jumped into the boat. "I don't know," he said, rushing his words together, moving levers. "She would look for me."

      "Go to Fyora or Illusen," ZipStreamer suggested, limbs trembling from the previous exertion. He needed to get into shape; good thing Dhiibshowl was taking him to the Training School tomorrow. "Or the Water Faerie at Healing Springs, or the Neopia Registers. Once you're registered with a name, you'll be in the pound or have an owner." His voice had steadily risen so that he could make himself heard over the distance.

      The Lupe heard but could not even make an acknowledging gesture as he leaped out of the ship, snatched the bundle, and dashed towards the gates - he was almost out of time. If he hurried, he could just make it in time -

      POOF!

      *Something has happened! A ghost cackles insanely and steals your Mint Chocolate Wocky!*

      His mouth fell open in astonishment and misery. Now he wouldn't just be late, he wouldn't have the item she wanted!

      Dejectedly, he made his way towards the castle, not even bothering to hurry. She was going to punish him already, so soon after the last time. He recalled the dungeon, her laughs, the unceasing pain. Hunching down in despair, he tried to ignore the images that had painted his life so bleakly . . . Then, in a flash, he reheard ZipStreamer's words:

      Why don't you leave her?

      He thought it over, slowing his steps until he gradually stopped moving altogether. If he went back, he would be beaten - again - and then be sent out on another quest, his life an unending cycle. If he decided to leave, it would at least throw a little change into the system, if not rescuing him completely from Jhudora's clutches. What did he have to lose? - he was going to be beaten anyway. Might as well try to escape while the punishment was assured either way.

      Well, if he was going, he should go now; he had twenty-four seconds before she noticed he was missing, and he could be back in Faerieland by then and might be able to make it to the Faerie Quest building. Surely there would be at least one faerie there that would help him . . .

      He dashed back to the boat and brought it back across as fast as he could - twenty seconds right there. Running through the streets, bumping through the mass of people - all of whom disliked that intensely and shouted after him - he made it into Faerie city, passed Faerie Foods, and ducked into the Faerie Quest building.

      Inside, it was quiet and peaceful, except for an extremely busy-looking light faerie that barely looked up as he entered, rustling papers and making the scratching noises of a quill on parchment. Only when did he clear his throat uncomfortably did she glance at up him. Quickly looking him over, and then consulting a large stack of papers and a list, she frowned in confusion. "We didn't give you a quest, young . . . Lupe You need to leave, and wait to be summoned."

      "Where's Queen Fyora?" he panted, conscious of the passing time. Jhudora would've noticed his absence by now. "I need to talk to her."

      The faerie glared severely at him, trying to write all the while. "If you go into her Quest room, you better have a good reason. She's in the midst of sorting out a quarrel and will not welcome interruptions. And I'm dreadfully busy; why don't you come back in twenty minutes or so, and see if I can help you then."

      He shrank back from the forbidding tone of voice, even as an owner appeared with a Kacheek and placed a Sun Hat on the desk.

      The light faerie, looking more than a little harried, put the paper stacks she had been holding down and glanced at the list once more. "Orlando_luver_grl01, she's waiting for you in that room, not here," she sighed.

      The girl, blushing slightly in embarrassment, walked into the indicated room and closed the door behind her. Grumbling under her breath, the light faerie turned to look at him in exasperation. "Oh, what's the matter? What do you need?"

      All the Lupe knew was that when Jhudora sounded exasperated, you did not try at all to answer; you dropped the subject and made a hasty exit, hoping against hope she didn't summon you back to punish you. Quickly, he dashed out of the building and looked around at the huge palace. Should he try to enter Fyora's castle?

      There was an ominous rumble from Jhudora's palace, and he immediately decided that chancing it was his best option right now; the Healing Springs were too close to Jhudora's citadel. Dashing up to the gate, he looked at the Zafara guards.

      They glared at him from under their armor, and he shrank back. "I need to talk to Queen Fyora," he whispered.

      The guard on the left snorted. "Get in line. Everyone always needs to." His armor had quickly heated up in the noonday sun, and his temper was exceedingly short. The other guard did not even take notice of him.

      Desperate, frightened, running out of options, and more than a little tired, he briefly entertained the idea about seeking refuge from Jhudora at ZipStreamer's house. But he didn't want Jhudora's anger unleashed on the friendly ixi, either.

      Bleak despair settled over him, shrouding him in its cloak. There wasn't anywhere left to go. Nowhere left to turn. His call of help had been denied, and he'd been sentenced to stay with his cruel master.

      Something angry and defiant flickered within his heart, and resolutely he stood. No. He had run with the intention of finding safety, and he would find it. Daring death and Jhudora's eye, he cautiously made his way back, trying to stay inconspicuous, to his ship.

      So far, so good; she hadn't noticed him yet. He got in it and quickly made his way towards Neopia Central; he knew the Soup Faerie, who often gave him short meals when he dropped in on a quest. She might tell him where Illusen was.

      But that was when his luck ran out; Jhudora noticed him a mere forty seconds from his destination: Neopia Central.

      "He's running away?!" she shrieked angrily, making the very walls and earth tremble with her anger. Rumbling filled the air, and a sick-looking purple light began to glow around her hands. "He's deserting me??!!" Frothing in anger, screeching so loud all of Faerieland heard her, she hurled a spell towards his boat, exploding it in a flash of purple and yellow, sending it down to the plains of Meridell.

      "That will teach him!" she screamed in her anger, and set about conjuring up the very worst thunderstorm she could fashion to unleash upon Faerieland and every land around it.

      The red Lupe staggered away from the still-burning wreckage, managing to move away from the smoking ruins before collapsing. Balthazar eyed the pup; he was most definitely the scruffiest, scraggliest, most pitiful lump of skin and bones that Balthazar had ever seen. Padding stealthily over to the form, he sniffed it and eyed the ship. It came from Faerieland, and for a moment he entertained the idea of torturing the red fur ball since it might be in cahoots with the Faeries, but the years of capturing faeries and dealing with their magics had taught him to recognize a spell. This Lupe had been blasted from the sky by a faerie, no doubt.

      About to leave, Balthazar noticed the Lupe had awakened and was looking at him weakly. Assuming a gruff and intimidating tone, Balthazar snarled, "Who are you?"

      The pup flinched automatically, as if expecting a blow, and attempted to answer, but couldn't get more than a whimper out of its throat. Balthazar was suddenly transported back to his youth, lying on the floor, faeries surrounding him . . .

      Grumbling under his breath, he slung the Lupe onto his back and wasn't at all surprised to find the Lupe barely weighed more than the sack he already carried. Muttering to himself about becoming soft in his old age, he left the plains outside of Meridell to slink into the dense forests of the Haunted Forest, taking the young one to his den.

      There, in the middle of the Haunted Woods, amidst the shelves of faeries and sacks - he had never been good at housekeeping or such other nonsense - he nursed the small thing back to life and took him under his care. The fur ball listened almost instantaneously to any order given, and soon thrived, grew stronger, and lost some of his scruffy look. Though very scrawny and weak, the pup was amazingly fast and had the ability to blend in with the shadows and hide from sight. Balthazar did not particularly care for the companionship, but with the pup working alongside him, he could catch nearly two times the amount of faeries he had been able to catch before.

      Yes, the pup was a good one.

To be continued...