A Waffle Paradise Circulation: 175,200,932 Issue: 414 | 16th day of Collecting, Y11
Home | Archives Articles | Editorial | Short Stories | Comics | New Series | Continued Series
 

Quests in the Lost Desert: Part Four


by a_purplepossum

--------

Brucey B and Lady Osiri voyaged through the wild part of the Desert once more. Again it was very exhausting, but the heat was much less brutal than the cold. After pacing through the sands quickly, they passed the cave that they had stayed in last night.

     "Look, someone's coming out from there," observed Osiri.

     Brucey saw that a pair of brown Meercas were climbing up a rope and departing from the cave. They looked bruised, but not seriously injured.

     "What happened to you two?" asked Lady Osiri curiously.

     "Oh, if I ever see that Jetsam again, I'll rip him to shreds!" swore the Meerca with the goggles.

     "Jetsam? Was he purple and creepy?" asked Brucey B.

     "That's him," answered the Meerca with the blue cap, "and he took our necklace."

     "You mean the one that was stolen from Princess Amira?" gasped Lady Osiri.

     "So, that's where it came from," murmured Merouladen.

     "Where is the Jetsam?" demanded Brucey B even though he had a good idea.

     "Last we saw him, he was going towards Khamtef," answered Heermeedjet, "But you're not going to be able to stop him on your own. He's one tough cookie."

     "Well, what do you suggest we do?" inquired the Aisha.

     "I have a plan," announced Merouladen, "If you can get us into Khamtef, and locate that dastardly Jetsam, we can trap him with this."

     The Meerca reached into his pack and pulled out an ordinary looking net.

     "A net?" asked Brucey sceptically.

     "Not just any net," denied Heermeedjet. "This is the net that'll catch that Jetsam!"

     The Bruce just shook his head doubtfully.

     "I hope you understand that we're not going to let you have the necklace," pointed out Lady Osiri.

     "Fine, keep it," scoffed Merouladen. "No one steals from the Meerca Brothers and gets away with it."

     "Khamtef is just over those hills," declared Heermeedjet. "How are we going to get there?"

     "I have just the thing," announced Osiri.

     A few minutes later an Aisha approached the stern walls of Khamtef. She had with her a cart full of pottery, a large vase, a dish filled with chocolate chip ice cream, and a bejewelled Bruce statue.

     She advanced to the guard, a Flotsam, and declared, "These are gifts from Princess Amira."

     "Sorry, I can't let you in," denied the guard. "Things have been a little suspicious lately."

     "I assure you that this is all in good manner. You can even search my pottery for anything unusual," Lady Osiri suggested.

     The guard nodded and inspected the vase.

     "Nothing in there," he declared. "I thought for sure that you were trying to sneak someone inside, but I guess not. Go on in, but don't be long."

     Osiri nodded in thanks as the gates opened for her. She pushed her cart inside the city and saw how miserable it was. Every building was crumbling apart, there were many homeless people littered throughout the streets, and even the people with jobs wore tattered rags.

     "This place is awful," gasped Osiri.

     She then remembered why they had come, and turned down an empty alley. The statue came to life as Brucey B, and the two globs of ice cream unfurled to be Heermeedjet and Merouladen.

     "Alright, find the Jetsam and we'll do that rest," Heermeedjet declared as he and his brother climbed onto a building.

     "Good luck," called out Brucey softly.

     Osiri and Brucey then exited the shadows of the alley and began to examine the inhabitants. After passing dilapidated shops and depressed villages, they saw that there was a large assembly of people deeper in the city. They got closer and saw that they were all listening to Princess Sankara.

     "My people, I have come to free you," she declared proudly. "King Heksas has imprisoned you for too long now. It's taken me all this time to return here, but now we can overthrow that diabolical tyrant."

     The townspeople did not seem encouraged by the Aisha's speech.

     "When King Heksas returns, he won't be happy," declared a Cybunny.

     "Of course not," scoffed Sankara. "He will be locked in the dungeons."

     "How are you going to stop him?" demanded a JubJub.

     "We are going to stop," Sankara continued to explain. "He can't take on all of you."

     "But some of us are sure to be killed," pointed out a Xweetok.

     "That's a sacrifice you all should be willing to make," snapped Princess Sankara.

     "Look, over there," gasped Brucey B as he pointed to the Jetsam at the corner of the crowd.

     Brucey remembered King Heksas saying that he had punished the Jetsam, he now knew what he meant. He was covered in injuries from his face down to his legs. In his hand he held the necklace. Brucey looked up on the rooftops until he spotted the Meerca Brothers. He gestured towards the Jetsam, and they understood immediately

     However, the Jetsam suddenly made eye contact with Brucey B and began to sprint away. Brucey cursed to himself, them charged after the Jetsam. He was gaining on his target, but the Jetsam was also picking up speed. Once Brucey was close enough to his enemy, he dove at him and grabbed his tail. The two tumbled into the sand, but the Jetsam was soon back to standing.

     "No one can stop me," sneered the Jetsam, "Especially not a loser like you."

     Brucey thought fast. Before the Jetsam had a chance to escape, he wrapped his flipper around the necklace and tossed it against the wall. The Jetsam leaped to catch his treasure, but suddenly was covered by a net.

     "You see, I told you that this is the net that would catch him," boasted Merouladen as he dropped down from the wall.

     The Jetsam began to struggled, but Brucey B held the net down tightly.

     It wasn't long before General Dacon and a handful of Sakhmet's soldiers barged into the city.

     "Princess Sankara, you are under arrest," declared General Dacon.

     "You can't do this to me!" she shrieked hysterically. "I am saving my city."

     She looked to the townspeople for support, but received none.

     "You're doing nothing but causing trouble," sneered General Dacon.

     "Here's a few more things that should return to Sakhmet," added Brucey B as he revealed to Dacon the necklace and Jetsam.

     "Well done," praised the General. "This necklace shall return to Princess Amira, and this Jetsam shall go to the dungeons."

     He gave his orders to his soldiers and they followed them obediently. Once they were gone, he rose to where Sankara had been standing and began to address the city.

     "People of Khamtef," he started. "Your king has been imprisoned in Sakhmet. His future is yet to be seen, but what is clear is that he will not be ruling you any longer."

     A small cheer filled the vicinity, but it ended quickly.

     "Who will be our ruler?" asked a Techo from the crowd. "Our city is in shambles, and we need someone to restore it."

     General Dacon nodded at the dilemma, but he could provide no answer.

     "What about him?" suggested a Lenny as she pointed at Brucey B.

     "Me?" gasped the Bruce.

     "Yeah, he saved your necklace, he's a hero," declared a Lupe.

     "Me, a hero?" breathed Brucey B finally hearing what he always wanted to. "But I don't know how to run a kingdom."

     "Brucey, you've relied on luck all of your life," pointed out Lady Osiri. "Maybe now you should believe in fate. Perhaps you were meant to be here at this moment; maybe it is your destiny to be King of Khamtef."

     Brucey B felt his confidence grow at those words.

      He stood up to the crowd which was now much larger and declared, "I don't have much experience at being a ruler, but I promise that I will do all that I can to restore Khamtef. I know that if we all rely on each other this city can once again be a prosperous place."

     The crowd cheered enthusiastically at Brucey's speech. So, a ceremony was held for Brucey B to be named King Brucefast Cornelius Bedford, although he still went by Brucey B. General Dacon returned to Sakhmet to make sure that the necklace was back with Amira, and that the prisoners were locked up. As for the Desert Scarabs and the Meerca Brothers, they may not have gotten rich, but they were thieves who could always find more ways to steal treasure. Soon it was time for Lady Osiri to return.

     "I'll miss you, Brucey," she said with a tear in her eye.

     "Me too," replied Brucey sadly. "Feel free to visit whenever you want."

     Lady Osiri smiled and hugged her best friend.

     "Good bye," they both said at the same time.

     Lady Osiri turned away and left Brucey B in Khamtef. Brucey B realized that Lady Osiri was perfectly content with what she had. She was a normal person, yet she had still gone with him. She had given him confidence, she had always been there to aid him. Brucey B knew that she truly was one of the Lost Desert's greatest heroes.

The End

 
Search the Neopian Times




Other Episodes


» Quests in the Lost Desert: Part One
» Quests in the Lost Desert: Part Two
» Quests in the Lost Desert: Part Three



Week 414 Related Links


Other Stories


---------

Geraptiku and the Cursed Wave, Part 12
Swamp witches hate it when you sneak up on them.

by buizelmaniac

---------

Asparagus and Arguments
Doctor Frank Sloth, Green Thing of Outer Space, self-proclaimed Emperor of the Stars, King of All Planets (except Neopia and Kreludor, darn them), stood on the deck of his empire, and rolled his eyes in annoyance.

by jubub33

---------

The Amazing Analyst
Rate a Neopet!

Script by sariphe

by scarvogue




Submit your stories, articles, and comics using the new submission form.