|
|
|
You've chosen to come? Good, follow me." She leads you on, staying silent.
It all started long, long ago, before Neopia truely exhisted. The lands on this planet were nearly all like this--plains and savannahs. Our people are ages old, before neohomes and humans had arrived. The Kougras lived in bands called prides, with a male kougra leader. Other animals roamed about too-Aishas, Lennys, Tonus, Cybunnys...they all roamed about, the circle of life spinning it's intricate web that strung all life together in equal balance. I decend from one of the six royal prides, then called the midnight pride, or the Star Clan. Aside from us, there was the Snow Clan, the Fire Clan, the Wind Clan, the River Clan, and the Ocean Clan. Each clan-or pride had different traits and lived in different areas. The Kougra leaders or the royal clans ruled over their terra and what was in it, gaining the title "King of Beasts". The six leaders lived in harmony, everything in balance. Until you creatures came. Called humans, you struck Neopia. It started with two adults. A male and a female, who began to build a community. They caught the creatures of the earth, taming them, and building neohomes to put them in. The first shopping/living center they names Neopian Central. But the worst was yet to come. We creatures could live with the change. It was only two humans and a small community. It puzzled us why the humans would make such a big living area for just the two of them. But then something strange happened. There were more of them. You came, breeding like the weeds of the earth, or like the clouds of the sky. Humans, many of them, all catching the wild animals and putting them in an adoption house. Or taking them and breeding them to produce the perfect pet each human desired at a birthing center. Soon, The entire world was covered in housing and tame pets. It hurt us, and the six clans joined together--we swore that we were to preserve the real neopia. Not this fake utopia you humans have created. So here, within the very heart of the endless plains, lies a safe haven for all of those who wish to find hope, comfort, and a place to be free. It is here, where dreams fly free. You glance into the Kougress's eyes. You then realize the youth in them, for she is but an adolescent. Her sadness radiates, making her look much older. And just for a moment, a short moment, you see happiness. Like a fragment of life had entered her weathered gaze once more. She speaks again.
You see, you have crossed into a territory of the past. Here, nothing has changed. We are here together, untouched by the passing time. It is here that we thrive."
You continue on, passing through thick grasses, the setting sun has created a blazing painting in the heavens, like a summer aurora. You note that you have been traveling downwards on a long path. The vix stops, and nods toward a sheer cliff wall to your right. The red stone has layers from each time period, and on the lowest are elaborate sketchings. Not like primitive cave paintings--but real, civilized art. It looks like a history of Neopia, and there were many sketches of animals you did not know. The art stretches as far up as a girl's human arm could reach, and continued on for as far as you could see. You open your mouth to speak, but before you could find words, the kougra speaks again. "Ali has done this. She is human, and has seen the damage of your world. She lives with the clans now." The kougress says nothing more, and you remain silent. She leads you further, and the drawings become more precise. You recognise things: The Meridell/Darigan war, Hannah and Armin, Maraqua's young merfolk and the pirates above them. It all plays together as the illustrations become more and more recent. Finally, you step away from them, like surfacing from a cave. As you walk forward, a cliff wall surges up from your left, and you walk into something like a ravine. You quickly loose track of time, and begin to study your feet--or more like what was beneath them. Pawprints of all sizes track about the ground, and you notice one set of shoe prints, and human footprints. Hoof prints are also scattered here and there. These creatures. They live here. Thoughts echo through your puzzled mind, and the ravine becomes narrower. It continues to do so until it is about a shoulder width wide, where there is an opening into darkness. A cavern.
Come." Whispers the Kougress, slipping into the shaft, and the blanket of darkeness covered her sleek frame. You follow, reluctantly. "Listen to my voice. Follow my steps." She begins a chant, slow, soft, and holy, which keeps you moving. The words are not framiliar, and you try to descipher them as you walk.
Fatshe, leso, lea halalela
The chant had seeped into a delicate song, the music hanging in the air. The kougress repeats this as a light appears far off in the distance. As the verse closes, the kougra speaks. "Follow the light." Her pawprints fade off in a separate direction, and you hesitate, but press forward.
The light quickly engulfs you. You can hear the kougresse's chant continue somewhere far off, echoing in the blackened carvern behind.
Giza buyabo, giza buyabo
Another voice meets up with the kougresses's, but it is human, and a young human at that. Her voice is pure and sweet, a quiet mezzo soprano. It sings the chant, but in words you understand.
The land of our ancestors is holy
For a few moments their voices entertwine past the point of difference.
|
NEOPETS, characters, logos, names and all related indicia
are trademarks of Neopets, Inc., © 1999-2012.
® denotes Reg. US Pat. & TM Office.
All rights reserved.
PRIVACY POLICY | Safety Tips | Contact Us | About Us | Press Kit
Use of this site signifies your acceptance of the Terms and Conditions
