Caution: Quills may be sharp Circulation: 183,854,947 Issue: 419 | 20th day of Storing, Y11
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The Deserted Tomb, a Place of Mystery


by patricks378

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There was a loud knock on the door and Dr Draikwell hurriedly put on his bath robe. “Come in!” he called. The door swung open and a small Tigermouse scurried into the hallway, a small envelope in its mouth. “Six neopoints!” it squeaked, dropping the neomail envelope at Draikwell’s feet. Draikwell rummaged through his pocket, pulled out six gold coins and put them in a pouch on the Tigermouse’s hip. The Tigermouse scurried away as Dr Draikwell tore open the envelope. Of course, Draikwell wasn’t a real doctor; he was an archaeologist. He pulled out the neatly-folded piece of green paper from the envelope and began reading it:

     Dear Dr Draikwell,

     I’ve just received word that there have been some strange noises coming from the Lost City of Geraptiku on Mystery Island. The locals say they’ve been coming from the Deserted Tomb, and no one here wants to go anywhere near there. I need you to go down there and see what’s going on.

     Sincerely,

     Judge Hog

     P.S. I’ve contacted your old friend Buzzworth. He should come down to your apartment soon.

     As if on cue, the small Buzz that was Mr Buzzworth zoomed into the room and sat himself on Draikwell’s couch. “Buzzworth, good to see you!” cried Draikwell, stretching his big blue wings in excitement. Buzzworth grinned and looked at the neomail in Draikwell’s hand.

      “I see you got Judge Hog’s message?” Draikwell nodded and Buzzworth’s wings began moving.

      “Then what are we waiting for?!”

     ***

     Elsewhere in Neopia, seeing a red Buzz and a blue Draik was a common thing, but the only things that normally flew over Geraptiku were very dangerous (or very lost) birds. After flying over the city for a few minutes, Buzzworth and Draikwell landed smoothly in front of the Deserted Tomb. The locals weren’t lying- there was a horrible moaning noise coming from inside the tomb. Buzzworth and Draikwell had both been a part of the first team to explore Geraptiku, and Draikwell had kept a journal. He rummaged through his bag, pulled out his journal and began flicking through the pages.

      “Aha,” he cried, “I’ve found it! The instructions for entering the Deserted Tomb!” He pressed a small round brick in the centre of front wall of the tomb, and then several other bricks around it. The ground shook violently and slowly, one by one, the bricks slid down deep underground until there was a gap in the wall wide enough for several people to pass through at once. Immediately the moaning sound became louder and Buzzworth covered his ears with his hands.

     “Let’s go in,” Draikwell said. Reluctantly, Buzzworth followed.

     ***

     The brave pair soon discovered that the Deserted Tomb was infested with unfriendly-looking Spyders and Cobralls. One particular Cobrall slithered in front of them and hissed: “Go back! You are not sssssafe here. Leave!” Although Buzzworth was quite eager to turn back and leave, Draikwell ignored the Cobrall and they continued on. However, soon Buzzworth and Draikwell came to a small room with four exits- three doors, and the way that led back to Geraptiku.

      “Which one?” Buzzworth asked nervously. Draikwell frowned as he rapidly flicked through his journal. He had never been in this room before. The moaning sound was very loud in that room, which made it difficult for Draikwell to think. Finally, after several minutes of silence, Draikwell pointed at the door on the lefthand side of the room.

      “That one,” he said. Buzzworth leaned closer to Draikwell and looked at the journal.

      “Where does it say that?” he asked. Draikwell hesitated.

      “It doesn’t,” he replied. “I just think that that’s the door to go through.” Normally Buzzworth would have protested, but Draikwell was his friend and he trusted him. Draikwell walked up to the door, turned the knob and pushed it open. Immediately a strong scent filled their nostrils- smoke.

      “FIRE!” Buzzworth screamed, but Draikwell frowned. The narrow corridor that they stood in was quite dark, and there was no sign of flames anywhere.

      “Let’s go,” he said. They walked down the corridor for quite a while until they reached a huge room, which had a floor made of lava. Suddenly the door behind them slammed shut and they had a terrible feeling that it had locked.

      “Oh no!” wailed Buzzworth. “We’re trapped in a room next to a pit of lava!”

      “Don’t panic,” Draikwell said, tapping his wings. “We can just fly over.”

      “No,” Buzzworth said quickly. Hovering over the bridge was at least a hundred little Fighting Bugs. Even though they were tiny and only fought each other, Buzzworth hated them. Draikwell sighed.

      “Then our only other option is to go across the bridge,” he said. Buzzworth hadn’t noticed the narrow bridge (that looked as if it was about to collapse) hanging over the lava. Somewhat reluctantly, Buzzworth stepped onto the bridge. The bridge swayed from side to side, and both Buzzworth and Draikwell were reluctant to cross. Slowly they crossed, and suddenly, when they were halfway across the bridge, a huge jet of fire shot upwards, the hot lava burning the bridge in half. Both halves of the bridge fell, and without thinking, Draikwell stretched his wings and flew upwards.

      “Help!” Buzzworth cried, still too frightened of the Fighting Bugs to fly.

      “Don’t worry about the bugs,” Draikwell yelled. “Just fly!” Buzzworth hesitated for a moment, before he moved his wings and flew into the air. Immediately the Fighting Bugs zoomed towards Buzzworth, and Draikwell realised that they were Mystery Island mutations of Fighting Bugs. Draikwell and Buzzworth flapped their wings as fast as they could and flew across the boiling lava to the door on the other side. The Fighting Bugs opened their mouths to reveal their razor- sharp teeth, but Draikwell and Buzzworth flew straight through the open door and slammed it shut just in time.

     ***

     The brave explorers walked for roughly an hour down a long, narrow corridor, the moaning sound almost too loud to bear. “Surely we can’t be too far from the source of the noise?” Buzzworth said, his hands held tightly over his ears.

      “I think so,” Draikwell said.

      And Draikwell was right. A few minutes passed and they reached a huge room. It was made of stone, like all of the rooms in the tomb, but this one was highly decorated. In the centre of the room was a long, narrow coffin and on top of it was a transparent creature that appeared to be made of smoke.

      “G-g-Ghost Lupe!” Buzzworth stuttered, his wings moving again. Draikwell spread out his long wings and started to turn around, but the Ghost Lupe spoke.

      “Please,” he said, temporarily stopping his moaning. “Don’t go! You can’t leave me here.”

      Draikwell turned back around to face the ghost and said, “Why not? Why are you here, instead of terrorising Neopians?”

      The Ghost Lupe sighed. “There comes a time in every ghost’s life when they must return to their bodies,” he said, “and they cannot leave unless someone frees them. Can you free me?”

      Buzzworth instantly became suspicious. “Why should we free you?”

      Again the Ghost Lupe sighed. “Because all you have to do is put your hand on my coffin and say ‘release this ghost, from his body’s post’.”

      “Your coffin?” Draikwell asked, bewildered. The Ghost Lupe nodded.

      “This is my tomb,” he said simply. Despite Buzzworth’s protests, Draikwell stepped forward, placed his small blue hand on the stone coffin and said,

      “Release this ghost, from his body’s post.” The Ghost Lupe’s eyes glowed for a moment and then he leapt into the air and jumped through the stone wall. Draikwell looked puzzled.

      “He didn’t even say goodbye . . .” he muttered.

      Buzzworth put his hands in the air and cried, “Well what did you expect!? This is the Ghost Lupe, after all!”

      “I suppose you’re right.” and with that, the brave explorers turned around and started walking back to the entrance.

     ***

     “You boys did great!” Judge Hog cried as Buzzworth and Draikwell entered the Defenders of Neopia Headquarters. “I’m still receiving Neomails from the Islanders, two days after you stopped the Ghost Lupe!”

      “Well, as we say . . .” Draikwell began,

      “We’re here to help!” Buzzworth finished!

The End

 
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