Qasan's Quest: Part Three

      “If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times, Garoo, none of us here possess it,” Julie said, secretly smiling, because something told her that Qasan had the stamp, and knew all about Sloth’s plans. After all, Qasan was a very resourceful JubJub.

      This had been going on for quite some time now.

      Dr. Sloth entered the chamber and spoke. “So, my young family, none of you here has it. Do not underestimate me who only has knowledge only because he has others do his bidding. I know who has it and he will-.”

      “You’ll never get away with this, Sloth! Qasan may be alone, but he has the strength of many!” This voice came from the opposite facing wall of the chamber. It was Taelia, the Snow Faerie. Try as she might, she was not able to deduce Sloth so easily.

      Sloth faced away from all the prisoners.

      “Oh, my dear Taelia, I’m afraid that a certain JubJub has something of great importance to me.” He turned and faced his right hand man, Commander Garoo. “Prepare to leave,” Sloth declared.

      As Dr. Sloth was speaking, Taelia motioned to the Kingstons from across the room to be silent. Then she closed her eyes and cut her bonds. She then quickly redid them just before Sloth turned to them. The evil doctor made a huge mistake in imprisoning a magical faerie with simple metal chains!

     ***

      Qasan rushed home with his Bika, Bailey. He needed to meet Queen Fyora at the cooking pot immediately with the Rod of Dark Nova stamp. Qasan was glad to have Bailey beside him. They immediately rushed into his owner’s bedroom and grabbed both Rod of Dark Nova stamps. He was not sure which was which, but he hoped Fyora might know.

      “Come on, Bailey,” Qasan called.

      But the petpet would not come out of his room.

      “Bailey?” Qasan skittered into his bedroom. A blue, yellow and red blur whizzed behind him.

      Qasan dove under his bed, but Bailey stayed firm.

      “Bailey! Quick!” He motioned for her to come into hiding.

      She only cocked her head in the direction out of the bed.

      Qasan considered his options. His first instinct was to stay in the sheltered hideout of his bed, and to let someone else deal with this—this thing. After a few second’s contemplation, he decided that if he ever wanted to see his family again, he would have to face this whizzing rainbow of fury.

      He jumped out from under his bed and was caught by the Space Faerie herself.

      “I don’t have much time. Taelia has escaped, but she wasn’t quick enough to rescue your family. Do you have the stamp? Good. I’ll take you to Fyo-I mean, Jhuidah,” the Space Faerie remarked as she flew like the wind out of the Kingstons’ elaborate labyrinth of endless gardens. Qasan realized that she was not only fast moving in flight, but also in every aspect of her life.

      The Space Faerie dropped them off right outside the narrow path leading to the home of Pango-Pango: The Cooking Pot.

      “I wish you luck.” With that, the Space Faerie flew off, leaving behind a Fire and Ice Blade and a Ghostkershield.

      “Use these well. I have hope for Qasan and Bailey. Taelia wants you to immediately meet her after your visit with Jhuidah. She needs something.” With those words of good luck and farewell, she took off.

      O-ooh-ah-ah-ah-ah!

      Click-click-click-pop!

      Eeeee-o-o-o-o-o-o!

      These sounds emitted from the jungle brush. Bailey wanted to press on, but Qasan wasn’t so sure; he held her back. Then he decided to push on with her. After all, Bailey hadn’t been wrong today.

     Trust her; she has a strong will, Qasan thought.

     He crawled onto her back and they began to make their way through the underbrush.

     A small cloud of mist was covering a section of the path. Qasan lifted himself off Bailey, grabbed her reins, and led her through the cloud. The JubJub knew that if anything bad happened, he and Bailey would make it through, After all, he had the strength of many, right?

     Qasan was blind in the cloud, but he focused all his energy into walking a straight line. He put one foot in front of the other, and he made it through.

     A strange scent wafted through the air. Qasan found the air to be more humid, yet flowing easily. Suddenly, Bailey galloped ahead on the path before Qasan could stop her. That and Qasan’s instincts told him that he was getting close. Almost as soon as Bailey had taken off, an immense pot as tall as Edna’s tower tall and wide came into view. Now, he wasn’t worried about his Bika because he had a Fire and Ice Blade and a Ghostkershield, and plus, she was standing right under the cooking pot with Fyo- I mean Jhuidah.

      “Hello, my young JubJub friend,” Jhuidah said pleasantly in a thick Mystery Island accent. “I see you brought something of great value. You wish to know its meaning?”

      “Uhh... Sure,” Qasan said as he scooped up Bailey.

      “It be most powerful item. Dates back to, eh Year 1 or so.”

      “Wow! Now about that...”

      “I know. You brought two stamps, but one, the most powerful, may cover all of Neopia under Dr. Sloth’s rule. It be one thing he desires most. Unfortunately, not even Queen Fyora may tell them apart, much less me. But I be knowin’ one who can, but it be no use sending you to her, she would never tell you. We might as well wait for the Meepits to stop a-drinkin’ juice.

      Bailey snorted.

     Jhuidah thought for a moment, then came to a conclusion. She said, “Here is what you must do: Visit this certain someone and ask for a quest. Complete it, but instead of a reward, ask for information. You will then ask what the difference is between da real Rod of Dark Nova stamp and dee common ones. If she won’t be tellin’ ya, don’t come back here to me or visit Fyora. Go to Taelia like the Space Faerie told you. Help will come,” Jhuidah stated.

     “Okay. I think I can handle that, but first who is this certain someone?” Qasan asked.

     “Jhudora.”

     ***

      “Whew, that’s one complete Secret Laboratory Map that won’t buy itself,” Qasan muttered to himself.

     Qasan sighed, having just completed level 48 of Jhudora’s Quest.

     He took the reigns of a volunteer Uni, hopped on its back, and ordered it to Jhudora’s cloud, while Bailey was being tied onto the back of a volunteer Korbat. Qasan gave each pet a rainbow doughnut fruit, grabbed the sack with all nine pieces of the secret laboratory, and he and Bailey walked cautiously into the cloud. Jhudora was waiting.

     “Do you have all of the secret laboratory map pieces yet?” She greeted them with her notorious icy stare.

     “Yes,” Qasan answered meekly.

     “Okay, have yourself an evil lollypop and get out of here or something!” Jhudora said coolly.

     “I actually came here for something else. A friend of mine has a quest for a Rod of Dark Nova Stamp from the Fountain Faerie,” Qasan lied. “He has heard of a special stamp among those. What is the difference between the common ones and the one?”

     “I have no idea what you’re talking about!” Jhudora said placidly, apparently trying to contain her anger.

     “I’ll give you 40k,” Qasan offered. Sometimes, it was good to be rich.

     “All right, fine,” Jhudora snapped. “The difference is the notching. The common ones have square notches, but the other one has round. Remember, you didn’t hear it from me! Gimme the neopoints and get out of here, before I turn you into both into piles of dung.”

     Qasan didn’t need to be asked twice. He threw the sack of Neopoints on the floor and followed Bailey out, scrambling to be away from Jhudora’s noxious home.

     He then got on the back of a Uni and so did Bailey. They flew as fast as the Uni could carry them to Terror Mountain, to see Taelia.

     “I have been expecting you.” She greeted them with some hot cocoa.

     “Qasan, did you get the information?”

     Qasan nodded.

     “Good. Now, we need to rescue your family.”

     “I would like that,” he said.

     “Unfortunately, the Space Faerie is also being held captive by Sloth, so you are on your own. You need to destroy the stamp where Sloth can see it. Otherwise, he will never stop hunting you,” said Taelia.

     “That’s easier said than done,” Qasan said.

     “Indeed,” Taelia agreed.

     “You must act quickly, and remember, if you are caught, you fail. Destroy the stamp. The fate of Neopia rests in your hands.”

     No pressure there, thought Qasan sarcastically.

     At first, Qasan thought it sounded easy, After all, all he had to do was rip up the stamp in front Sloth’s face.

     “Taelia, how exactly do I destroy it?” Qasan asked.

     But she was gone.

To be continued...