The Box from 10,000 Years Ago

     ~~~

     Teca then shifts her gaze to the “stone” she received, noticing a beautiful blue glow under all the dirt. Curiosity piqued, she reaches a hand into her pocket and takes a cloth, gently cleaning the mysterious object. It is revealed to be a brilliant blue magical box, its transparent surface shows a miniature galaxy swirling inside.

     While Teca was inspecting the mysterious gift from the octopus monster, a sudden voice comes behind the Fire Wocky and startles her.

     “AHHH!! Look what you did to my dear wife, Daisy!!” Screams the Usul spirit, kissing the hurt tentacle of the monster.

     The Wocky gets confused by the sudden appearance of a GHOST. “Uh? This monster… Is it your wife?”

     "Yes!! Well, it's a long story… I am Itachiro, a spirit who guards the old box! And Daisy is here to protect my treasure. She's been taking care of it all these centuries, exactly ten thousand years we've been here. Every knight who entered these sewers had their eyes only on my precious box... They wanted to steal it, so my dear Daisy ended up dealing with all of them, hehe. And now she has chosen YOU to take care of it from now on! We both agreed that you would be the best Neopet to help me."

     The Wocky is confused with the Usul spirit's explanation. "You are a SPIRIT whose wife is a MONSTER who has been guarding your box for TEN THOUSAND YEARS? And she has chosen ME to take care of it?" Teca looks at the monster, then looks at the object she holds, then back at the Usul spirit. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand what is going on?"

     The spirit gave a happy spin in the air. "As you have proven to us that you have a kind heart, it means you have a low chance of stealing the box from me! Also, you were able to fight my monster, showing how brave you are!"

     "Ohh…I only did what I was taught to do… What can I do to help you?” She shyly asks, still hardly believing she’s talking to a Ghost Usul and an octopus monster with only one eye.

     "See? I can’t carry things as everything I touch falls through my little ghost hands… And that's how you'll help me! I have faith that you are capable of assisting me on my journey to meet the Faerie Queen. We'll retrieve this box for her, and she will bless us with a wish. It can be any wish!" The spirit blinks to Teca. “A N Y W I S H !”

     The knight Wocky scratches her own head, still confused. She takes the mossy box from the pocket and starts to clean it, revealing the incredible mystic object hidden under the dirt. "Any wish the Queen can grant, you say?" The girl wondered about King Skarl's words. She wanted a way to use her fire powers without harming her friends. “I will be thinking of a wish then…”

     "That's right! Queen Fyora is the most powerful Faerie of them all. She can grant any wish!!" Exclaimed Itachiro.

      The Wocky tries to open the object, but the Ghost Usul warns her.

     "NO, NO! DO NOT OPEN IT!!” Screams the spirit while Teca's curiosity is piqued. She attempts to open the box once more, only to realize the openings of the object are firmly glued on the dirt.

     "It must be important if it's guarded like this..." The young girl says with a smirk.

     But Itachiro keeps cautioning her. "Really, I would not recommend opening it. It's an evil artefact, and its power could bring great harm, or worse! I am still unsure of everything this item can do. I’ve waited ten thousand years to finally find someone trustable who could help me, and to not steal it from me and open it! If you won’t help me, go away!!"

     The octopus monster gives a loud and furious roar at Teca. The Wocky immediately stops, acknowledging the gravity of the situation. "I see." She responds. "I won't attempt to open it anymore. Rule number eighty-nine, a knight should stand against anything that's evil… Urgh, I still have these Meridellian lessons stuck in my head…"

     The ghost nodded. "Okay, that's our mission. We have to prevent the box from falling into evil hands and protect it until we can hand it over to Fyora. She will be the only one who can destroy it properly without letting the monsters get out. With your kind heart and bravery, I have no doubt we will be successful!"

     Teca ponders for a moment, considering the strange situation she had found herself in. Finally, she nodded. “Count on me to deliver this box to Queen Fyora! But if you want to meet the Faerie Queen, we’ll need to go to Faerieland… And I can’t leave the sewer without cleaning all the pipes and clogs.”

     “Don’t worry!! Daisy can help you with that task!” Itachiro pats his wife and the monster grabs Teca’s tools with her many tentacles. The monster quickly helps Teca clean all the remaining dirty pipes in a few minutes.

     "That was amazing! Daisy, you're incredible!" Teca exclaimed in gratitude. “I now need to report it to the king and then have a GOOD bath.”

     "Yesss!! Don't worry, Daisy! I'll return once my wish is finally granted!" Itachiro kisses the monster while Teca frowns in disgust. The Ghost Usul hides inside Teca’s pocket with the box and the two begin to make their way to the surface, leaving the big creature Daisy awaiting for them in the sewer.

     When Teca finally emerges from the sewer, she wipes the sweat from her forehead and takes a moment to catch her breath after walking through the labyrinthine tunnels. She is greeted by a small group of servants and knights, shocked by what she has done and how dirty she is from the sewer. The Wocky then directs herself to the king's throne room.

     "Your Majesty, I have completed the task you gave me. The sewer has been cleared, the obstructions have been removed. Everything in the sewer is normal now." She announces to the king while bowing.

     The King Skarl's expression changes from surprise to anger, he yells in a tantrum.

     "WHAT?? I thought you would die without using your powers!"

     Teca is taken aback by the king’s words. "Huh? Did you doubt my abilities to complete the mission?"

     Skarl screams in frustration. "AHHHHGH!! You were supposed to DIE there!!! You keep refusing to use your fire powers! This is not what I bought you for!!!"

     The soldier girl is confused by the king's words. "What do you mean? How would someone “buy” me?" She asks in disbelief, looking at everyone around her in the room. Godric, with a mournful expression, steps away from the group and walks towards the girl. “After the fire incident when you were 4 years old, your father accepted a high money offer from the king to get rid of you.”

     The Wocky becomes nervous and her mind struggles to process what is happening. "I was just a kid when that happened... I always thought my dad sent me to Meridell to study here, wasn't it?? Did Skarl really buy me just to exploit my fire abilities? The way he's been pressuring me all this time now makes sense...."

     Godric nods slowly. "I never told you the truth before because... I was afraid of hurting your feelings. I know you didn't want to create any more victims like what happened to your mother..."

     Teca ends up collapsing in tears, feeling betrayed by everyone there. She feels betrayed by the king, betrayed by her adoptive father and betrayed by the book of rules that she had studied so hard. She is so angry that she wants to set everything on fire there, but instead, she runs to a tall tower of the castle and cries by the window. Godric is disappointed with himself and prefers to not disturb her for hours.

     At night, Teca appears to be melancholic as she cleans the dirt off her armour. She had taken a long shower and was feeling slightly calmer while cleaning her belongings from the sewer. As she wiped off the moss from the gift given from the monster of the sewer, she was amazed by its beautiful blue glow emanating from it. The Wocky is careful to not open the object while is cleaning it, then she quickly hides the box in a bag when she hears someone coming.

     "He bought you to use you as a weapon, but since you refused to do that, he became frustrated like a spoiled child and tried to get rid of you." Said Godric, entering her room.

     “The king is very selfish, he wants to destroy anything that goes against his wishes.” She hugged her adoptive Skeith father, who gently tapped her head. "Godric... If I could make a wish to be less destructive with my fire powers, what could I wish for? It can be any wish."

     After a brief moment of thought, the Skeith replies. "You could wish for... Healing fire, perhaps?"

     "Really? Does this really exist?" The girl asks in surprise. “I never heard of it…”

     “I never heard of fire that can cure either, but since you said if you could wish for any wish, then why not?” Says Godric with a smile.

     Teca nodded with a shy smile on her face. "Rule twenty-one: A knight must always seek the comfort and safety of all the other knights and citizens! I would love to be able to make fire magic that also can cure others whenever I want!."

     "Ooooh, you really have a kind heart! Worrying with everyone around you. I think that’s great to see in a knight. I think it's a noble wish, baby girl." Godric nods approvingly. “If I could make a wish, I would wish to always see my little girl happy.”

     Teca smiles at Godric and gives him a warm hug. “Godric… But if you truly want to see me happy, would you be okay if I… Escape from Meridell? I feel like my heart no longer belongs here after everything that happened today.”

     Godric's expression fades from joy to a mix of concern and sadness. He gently pulls away from the hug, looking at Teca with a worried face, slightly startled. "Teca, leaving the kingdom is a big decision. Running away might not be the best solution..."

     Teca looks down, her ears drooping slightly and Godric sighs, his large hand rubs her head softly. "I won't force you to do anything you don't want to anymore. If leaving Meridell is what you truly believe is best for you, then I'll support your decision. Just don’t forget to send me a NeoMail when you find your new home, huh?”

     Teca nods and jumps in happiness, feeling grateful for his understanding and holds his hand. "I promise, Godric!! I'll be careful and I'll keep in touch. I'm sure your little girl is already very happy having a father like you!"

     The Skeith shyly chuckles and covers Teca with the blanket as she lays down on her bed. He leaves the bedroom turning off all the lights and Teca stares at the ceiling, lost in thoughts. She wonders how she'll be leaving Meridell and what her future will hold with Itachiro and his weird box. Despite the uncertainty, Teca feels the excitement of starting a new journey outside Meridell. With that thought in mind, she drifts off to sleep.

      In the morning, Teca was presented with a promotion medal and her new Iron Knight armour by the knights in golden armour.

     "What about my Uni? I won't be able to go on missions without one!" Inquires the Fire Wocky girl.

     Elvira lets out a sigh. "Listen, we don't have enough Unis for everyone who got promoted yesterday. That Uni in the corner is all we have left. Good luck."

     The Acara pointed to a frightened White Uni cowering in the corner and they left Teca alone with the Uni.

     "DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES!!! DON'T LOOK BACK!!! DON'T MAKE ANY MOVE!!!!" Screams the crazy Uni.

     Teca sighs in disappointment as she realizes she isn't going to receive a strong and brave Uni like other knights. She approaches the trembling horse, but he immediately avoids her touch. "Hey, big boy! Don't be scared. I will do my best to protect you. My name is Teca the Fire Wocky!"

     “THE GIRL WHO MAKES FIRE?? Oh no, no, no, no no! This is the worst! This can’t be! You can't be my partner!! You're going to cook me! You're going to eat me! My meat doesn't taste good even with barbecue sauce, I swear!!!”

     Teca starts to laugh. "I never heard something so stupid! Only monsters eat Neopets and I am not a monster! I won't cook you, I prefer to eat fish. As long as you are not a Maraquan Uni, I won’t eat you.” She laughs once more. “So, what's your name?"

     The Uni slowly opens his eyes and looks at her. "My name's Vyim." He says, seeming to relax as she gently touches his forehead with a warm hand.

     Godric arrives and speaks up. "Looks like you've got a knack for calming him down. Maybe you're the perfect match for him? Vyim is a very sensitive Uni who requires a lot of attention. He's afraid of the world and has trouble focusing on tasks. Unfortunately, he lost his unicorn horn during one of his emotional outbursts."

     Teca smiled at the White Uni, feeling a sense of responsibility towards him. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of him. We'll work together and I will make sure he feels safe and protected."

     An alarm caught Godric and the other Iron Knights' attention. They listen to the Scorchio announcer quickly opening a NeoMail and reading its contents aloud. "The citizens of Cogham are under attack by a horde of vicious Ixi Raiders. They're stealing personal belongings and attacking innocent Neopets. The village is located near the Haunted Woods and they urgently need knights to help fend off the threat." He announced.

     "We're heading there now!" Declared one of the golden knights, and in a flurry of activity, all the iron knights mounted their Unis and took off into the sky. Teca saw this as an amazing opportunity to leave the castle and start her journey to Faerieland with Itachiro.

     “Godric, what are the Ixi Raiders?” She inquires with genuine curiosity.

     “I've heard they are like centaurs, but they are monster versions of the Ixi species. They prey on innocent Neopets, be careful with them.” He continues talking, with sadness in his voice. “Teca… Are you really planning to leave Meridell?”

     “I will prioritize helping the Iron Knights fight the Ixi Raiders.Those Neopets need help and I will be there for them now that I’m in the Iron Knights rank! Later I can think of a way to escape from the military group.” Replies Teca, feeling confident.

     “Just be careful to not let the king find out about your plans to escape. He does not tolerate betrayal.” Warns Godric.

     “He betrayed me first. But don’t worry, I will be fine.” Says the young girl as she hugs the big Orange Skeith. She then took flight with Vyim, and the servants of the castle, who had known Teca since she was a child, came to say their goodbyes. In the skies, she waves back at them.

     Itachiro had hidden himself in Teca's bag along with the cursed box and put his head outside. "Wow, Teca! Your first mission outside the castle! If I had a physical body, I'd be jumping with happiness!"

     The Wocky shares the enthusiasm. "Yes! My life is finally getting an upgrade! Let's go, Vyim!" She encouraged the trembling Uni to open his eyes while flying. She is excited with her first mission outside the castle.

     After a long journey lasting about 6 hours, the team finally arrived at their destination. Teca had been dozing off on the back of Vyim during the entire journey. The exhausted group of Uni finally landed, and the knights left them behind to rest while they advanced towards the destroyed village of Cogham.

     As the group of knights from Meridell made their way through the ruined village of Cogham, Teca couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the destruction and devastation around her. The burnt and destroyed buildings, the abandoned streets, and the absence of any citizens made her heart sink.

     "Stay attentive, everyone. The Ixi Raiders might attack again at any moment." Says the Grarrl commander in golden armour. The knights moved forward cautiously, scanning the area for any signs of the Ixi Raiders.

     They came across a group of Ixi centaurs looting a house nearby. The commander signs for the knights to encircle the monsters, and they readied themselves for battle. Suddenly, one of the Ixi Raiders let out a piercing howl that echoed through the woods, summoning reinforcements. More centaur Ixis emerged from the forest nearby and encircled the knights with their spears, making the fight even more challenging. Teca gets anxious, but she stays focused on the lessons of the training and fights courageously alongside her comrades. Armed with their swords and shields, the knights engaged in a fierce struggle against the furious centaurs.

     Despite their best efforts, the Meridellian Knights were finding it difficult to keep up with the speed and strength of the ferocious Ixi Raiders. Teca, in the heat of battle, noticed a small group of the Ixi Raiders making their way towards where the Unis were resting. Realizing the danger, she knew it was needed to act quickly to protect their loyal mounts.

     The Wocky girl ran after the Ixi Raiders who were getting too close to the Unis, and she knew she wouldn't keep up with them. She remembered the fire powers and decided it was time to give it a second chance to save the Unis. The girl stopped running, took a deep breath, focused her energy, and summoned a powerful stream of flames towards the monsters

     The small group of Ixi Raiders were caught off guard by the sudden burst of flames in front of them. Teca continued to use her fire powers to create a barrier made of flames, but since she was never trained to control her powers, the flames went out of control, getting close to the soldiers and even hitting some of the remaining houses of the village. Teca realizes her mistake and tries to control the flames once more, but a Ixi Raider, who was stuck with her between the flames, jumps at her in fury and now she is focused to avoid its attacks instead of the flames.

     The situation was becoming increasingly dangerous, the flames quickly spread out. It ended to scare all the Unis who started to fly or run away. The Ixi Raiders and Iron Knights had to stop fighting as they were forced to back away. Meanwhile, Vyim was on an emotional outburst and running aimlessly, feeling lost amidst the raging inferno. He was too exhausted to take off and was trying to run and avoid danger, hoping to find a way out of the burning village.

     Amidst the chaos, Teca struggles to fend off the attack of the Ixi Raider while also attempting to regain control of her uncontrollable flames. She had lost her sword amidst the flames while fighting the feral beast, and now her only option was to continue using her flames to fight. The idea worked, as the Ixi Raiders soon gave up and fled. Teca stood up and finally could breathe, watching the beasts run away.

     The fire still raged around, but without the presence of the Ixi Raiders, Teca felt a momentary feeling of respite. She is able to find her sword and picks it from the scorched grass, but then notices a shadow approaching her through the thick smoke of the flames around her. Believing it to be another centaur Ixi, Teca instinctively launched a burst of flames, only to realize that it was Vyim running towards her. Her powers had badly hit his face, and Vyim fell to the ground screaming in pain.

     Teca realized her mistake and saw the burns on his face. Her heart sank as she remembered the accident she had caused with her mother at the theatre. Teca knelt and began to apologize profusely to Vyim, feeling guilty for hurting another Neopet with her powers. "Oh no...it happened again… See? That’s why I don’t use my fire powers…I am sorry, Vyim… I feel like a monster!!”

     The Meridellian knights came to extinguish the remaining flames and were able to bring the situation under control after the retreat of the Ixi Raiders. Later, they regrouped with Teca and Vyim, who was still recovering from his injuries.

     Elvira leers at Teca. "Well, King Skarl will be happy knowing you finally decided to use your powers, but I am not sure if the king will be happy with this…" She says with a smirk, pointing to the village that is now even more destroyed by the flames.

     Teca lowered her ears, feeling the weight of Elvira's words. She knew it was her responsibility to take the blame for it. She stood up, facing the Grarrl commander with a determined look on her face.

     "I am responsible for my mistake and I'm ready to face the consequences of my actions." Teca said, her voice steady despite the heavy guilt she felt.

     The Grarrl commander nods, with a gentle and yet steady voice. "I know you didn't mean to cause all of this, Tereza. But we will have to report the incident to King Skarl and take the necessary measures."

     The Fire Wocky nods back. She then turns to Vyim, who is groaning in pain while being treated by the Meridellian nurses.

     "It's was a powerful attack. Vyim's eyes were badly damaged, there's nothing we can do to restore his vision. It's now a useless Uni..."

     As Teca hears the nurses' comments about Vyim's blindness, she tries to hold back her tears and prevent herself from collapsing emotionally in front of everyone. "It happened with my mother and now with Vyim… I'm so sorry… This is all my fault…" she whispers to herself.

     As night fell, the group set about constructing their military camp to maintain their vigilance over the area. They soon settled down to rest, exhausted after the day's events. Teca approached Vyim's resting spot, her eyes red from crying earlier. She sat beside him and gently touched his mane, but he quickly avoided her touch and got scared.

     “AAAAH!! WHO’S THERE?? WHO’S THERE??” Screamed the now blind Uni.

     “It’s okay, Vyim! It’s me, Teca! Are you feeling any better? I heard they put ointment on you to relieve the pain...”

     "AH, it’s you……. Are you going to finish cooking me?? You said nothing was going to happen to me!! And now look at me!!! I can’t see anything!!” Said the furious Uni.

     Teca's heart sank as she heard Vyim's words. Shethen tries to explain herself. "I'm sorry, Vyim, I never meant to hurt you. Never! I never wanted this to happen to you and to anyone." But Vyim turned away, refusing to listen.

     “I trusted you..." Says the Uni, with a very rude tone.

     "I have a solution for you." Says Teca, holding Itachiro's box. "I found a box in the Meridell sewers that's said to be evil. If I give it back to Fyora, the Faerie Queen who lives in Faerieland, may grant us a wish. I could ask for healing powers to restore your vision!"

     Vyim scoffed. "That sounds like a made-up story. So ridiculous."

     Teca pleaded with him. "Please, you have to trust me one more time. I made a big mistake and I want a chance to fix it. Let me fix it!"

     “I would rather be eaten by the Werelupes than trust you again! Did you hear what the nurses said? I am now a useless Uni. They might as well throw me to the Werelupes and end my pain.”

     “Stop being stupid! This is not going to happen, Vyim! I promise that I will never leave your side while you are blind. Let's work together to try and restore your vision. I just ask for one more chance.”

     The Uni thinks for a bit. "... I don't believe in the existence of an 'evil box,' but I don't know what else to do now that I'm blind." Replies Vyim, his voice filled with resignation. "Ok, I'll give you a second chance… Please help me…"

     Teca pats Vyim, relieved that he was willing to give her a chance. She carefully puts Itachiro's box back in her bag along with some medicine for Vyim's burn and ropes she stole from the military camp. The duo collaborate to sneak out of the camp, trying to avoid any detection by the Meridellian soldiers as they make their way towards the path leading to Faerieland.

     Once they are distant enough, Teca leaves the parts of her armour on the way and changes to a white dress that she was carrying inside the bag since Meridell, abandoning the knight role once and for all. However, she decides to keep carrying her trusty sword and shield at her side, these objects are still essential against any potential threat. Each careful step takes the two Neopets closer to the uncertain future that awaits them under the dark night.

To be continued…