All that remains of it are the small remnants of a time long since past. Monuments that paid tribute to much that modern Neopia overlooks now as nothing more than an everyday occurrence. Monuments that celebrated life in its every stage and ensured that their history would survive many generations and thousands of years. Monuments so grand that they seem incomprehensible for any modern-day Neopian to imagine just how they could have been built. So magnificent, that they would capture the imagination of many. Sometimes, they would even inspire stories of treasure, curses and strange misgivings upon their discovery.

Yes, much was lost indeed, but much also remained. Much remained to be discovered and better yet…explored. At least, that’s what a certain little Anubis thought.

He had been born here. He lived a largely ordinary life, surrounded by extraordinary things. What better way to explore your youth than to exploit the full potential of your stark imagination before that is also lost to time? And this little Anubis made the most of it.

Galavanting through the hot sands, the little Anubis was bravely fighting the greatest battle of his life. “Oh no! Not another mummy!” He cried, wafting his invisible sickle-shaped sword violently through the air. The hot sun beamed down with equal violence. The desert is a harsh and unforgiving place.

The little Anubis panted, after defeating another imaginary foe. He lay his invisible weapon in the sand and clasped his knees before placing his front paws into the sand. “That’s better,” he struggled, “I need a minute to rest.”

Collecting himself, he lifted his gaze from the golden sand. Something had caught his eye in the distance. No more than a hundred paces in front of him was an area where the sand didn’t seem quite as…golden. Peering around, he had wondered if he’d been this far up into the valley before. Striking him as odd, a little fascinating and then of course adding a large degree of curiosity into the equation, the little Anubis decided to approach with no caution whatsoever. After all, what’s there to be afraid of here?

He plunged ahead into the sand dunes, breathing heavily in the hot desert air. There was no hint of a breeze to relieve the heat. Just the golden sand, the aching blue sky, and the sun's rays.

The mysterious patch of non-golden sand grew clearer as the little Anubis made his way towards it. It turned out to be the same sand, after all, not something else, but flattened. Unlike the rest of the desert, shaped by eons of winds, this oval-ish patch had been touched by paws, and recently. Whoever had been here last had smoothed out this part of the sand, and... walked away?

The little Anubis sniffed the air, in one direction and then the other. Nothing. So they were here not too long ago, but still over a day. No footsteps remained in the sand, either. Perhaps they got wiped away in the night.

He crouched down and began to dig with his paws. Before too long, he felt a rough wooden plank beneath the sand. The little Anubis' heart sped up in excitement. Was this treasure? Before too long, he finished sweeping the sand off the top of a wooden chest. The wood was pale, sun-bleached; a few rusty nails emerged here and there. A lock was attached, but when he gave it a tug, the Anubis found it slipping open in his paw. With no hesitation, he grabbed hold of the chest's lid and pushed it open. He saw...

“Is this… Is this the weapon I’ve heard about in the legends of the catacombs?!” the Anubis shouted out in shock. “It’s gotta be the Ghostly Wand of Spades. I just know it!”

The wand was perfectly Petpet sized. It seemed to fit in his paw almost as well as the invisible sickle-shaped sword from his imagination.

The Anubis took it out of the chest and began taking practice swings. He was bouncing off of the sand in excitement.

“What have you got there, Abasi?” said a sweet voice looming from above. It was his owner, a beautiful and elegant Lost Desert Aisha.

“I think it’s a Ghostly Wand of Spades!” replied Abasi, but his answer sounded like nothing more than high-pitched yaps to the Neopet. His owner reached down to pet him between his navy blue tufted ears.

“Hmmm…” the Aisha mused, gently taking the wand from her Petpet and turning it over to examine it. It looked shockingly tiny in her paws. “I’ve never seen such a thing. Why, it’s the perfect size for you! Imagine that, Abasi… Here, take it. Let’s go find out what it is.”

The pair sauntered off into the midday sun. Abasi held the wand between his teeth, forcing his tongue to hang out of the side of his mouth as he left the empty chest behind. Gusts of wind had already begun to cover it back up…

Kaira grit her teeth. She just knew Abasi had stumbled into trouble.

"Who are you? What do you want?" asked Kaira, failing to disguise the fear in her voice. Abasi hid underneath the Aisha's tail, trembling in her shadow.

"Who I am is not of your concern...and neither is what I am."

The little Anubis smelt a whiff of something...ghastly! He tugged on Kaira's white robe with one of his paws, but she swatted him away. Scrunching up his nose, he sniffed again, but the stench was gone as quick as it came. He steeled himself, resolving to be brave. After all, this was the stuff of dreams, the kind of thing adventures were made of... right?

"You have something that belongs to me." The stranger's voice turned into a snarl.

Suddenly, a gash appeared in the scorched terrain. Kaira and Abasi yelped in horror as a shadowy spectre rose from the land, filling the sky before them. Screams echoed around the duo, warning them in lost languages of the cursed territory that they had wandered into. The wand in Abasi's mouth was vibrating fiercely, its bat totem now glowing a fiery red.

Kaira was visibly panicked. She had not trained for months and her battle skills left much to be desired. Besides - she had no idea what weapons she would need to tackle such a creature.

"Abasi," she whispered while fixing her eyes on the figure before them, "Slowly, carefully, drop that...that thing you just found."

Abasi, however, clenched the wand even tighter between his teeth. He felt an eerie calm wash over him. A cursed weapon in the Lost Desert? This was the stuff of legends, the extraordinary antidote to his ordinary life. There was no way he was going to surrender without a fight.

The creature bellowed. There was that smell in the air again...

Just then, a ghostly figure slowly began to materialize right in front of them. Abasi squinted as he watched bright blue glowing particles form one intimidating shape at a time. First a tail, then four paws, moving upwards into the body of a tall, regal-looking Lupe dressed in royal accessories. And there was that defining beard too...

Abasi stumbled backwards in surprise. It was Coltzan's ghost! For all the creature's talk of anonymity, in his rage, he had revealed himself to them.

"Oh no," Kaira murmured lowly, her voice full of fear. "Abasi, we need to leave. Now. Put down the wand thing and on the count of three, we run," she whispered.

The Lost Desert Aisha may not have been familiar with the Ghostly Wand of Spades and Petpet battle lore, but like any other Sakhmet citizen, she knew the legend of King Coltzan III. The actual king had been known for his great leadership, kindness, and wisdom. But the same could not be said for his troubled ghostly spirit.

"Listen to the Aisha, young Anubis," Coltzan's ghost growled, advancing closer. "Drop the wand."

Kaira gulped, practically tripping over mini sand dunes in her efforts to back away. "One, two, three, run!" She commanded shakily, turning to make a break for it and praying that for once, Abasi would listen.

Time to take your advice, Kaira, Abasi muttered, knowing his owner would discern the urgency in his barks. He followed her lead, his little legs pumping fast. But he had kept his promise to himself to protect the wand and it remained firmly in the ironclad grip of his teeth.

Coltzan's ghost roared with fury from behind them and the air around them grew ice cold, a highly unusual occurrence in the classic daytime heat of the scorching desert.

"Faster, Abasi," Kaira urged as they kept moving desperately. There wasn't even enough time for her to scoop her poor little Anubis up and carry him with the menacing spirit only mere steps behind. She did not even know if she was running in the right direction.

But suddenly, the sand began to shift around Kaira and Abasi, collapsing inwards and swallowing them whole. It was almost as though they had fallen through a sand made trap door. The two began to free fall towards the underground, with Coltzan's ghost still yelling threateningly behind them....

Karia pulled Abasi away from the lighted hole they fell through “I think we need to move as fast as we can! Let’s hope that we can find a way out of here and get far away from the Coltzan's ghost! Where do you think we are?”

Abasi replied “Well, Khamtef is in the outlying area so this is likely one of their secret spy tunnels. We must be careful of Swarm Bugs!” but Kaira only heard his jumbled yipping. They slowly crept further into the tunnel system which was dark and surprisingly chilly.

Abasi’s glowing wand lighted their way as they. This tunnel was dusky, smelled of stagnant water and there appeared to be a light lichen growing on the sandy walls. They came to a fork in the path, Abasi decisively went left where acridly sweet fruit debris lined to pathway where they walked. Abasi was moving at a rapid pace when he heard Kaira shriek, he looked back at her and made eye contact with a pair of large pale eyes staring right at him, which were certainly not Kaira’s…

“You let go of her right now!” barked Abasi through clenched teeth, but all the Neopets heard was a menacing growl.

“We were trying to flee from Coltzan’s ghost when the sand gave way below us and we fell into this tunnel. We mean you no harm and are just trying to get home safely,” Kaira said calmly with her hands raised defensively.

The Orange Krawk snickered through snaggled teeth and released his captive so that he could face her. “Coltzan‘s ghost was chasing you, eh? That must mean you’ve either done something terrible or have something very valuable…” Aurrick surmised, looking the Aisha up and down. “… And from the looks of it, it must be the latter. Hand it over and no one gets hurt.”

While Kaira wasn’t being held against her will any longer, Aurrick had still drawn a blade against her in demand of her wares. With that, her Anubis continued his snarling. That’s when the thief looked down and saw the Petpet’s glowing weapon.

“Oh? Does your little Petpet have the valuable I seek?” the Krawk Braggart asked. In one fell swoop, Aurrick reached down and snatched the wand out of Abasi’s mouth.

“Is this a Ghastly Wand of Spades??? How rare and powerful!” He examined the glowing bat on one end. “However, it isn’t much use to you or I…” Aurrick said, motioning to Kaira. “Only a Petpet can wield it.”

The Anubis began to bite at the Krawk’s ankles, demanding back his weapon.

“Ouch! Alright, alright. You can have it back but on one condition… We use this to see what you can find in the catacombs, you ankle biter. And whatever is retrieved is mine. Do we have ourselves a deal?”…

"Fine," Kaira said reluctantly, "but only if you promise not to harm us, and you help us find a way out of these tunnels."

Aurrick grinned, revealing his sharp teeth, "Deal! We'll make a great team, you'll see. Now, let's get going. There's something valuable down here, and I aim to find it."

With the Ghastly Wand of Spades back in Abasi's possession, the trio ventured deeper into the dark tunnels. The eerie glow of the wand illuminated their path, revealing ancient carvings on the walls and the occasional flutter of unseen creatures.

As they navigated the maze-like passages, Aurrick explained, "These tunnels were built by the ancient civilization that once thrived in the Lost Desert. They used them for various purposes, including smuggling and secret passages for the royal family. Some say there are hidden chambers filled with treasures beyond imagination."

Kaira remained sceptical, but she couldn't deny the mysterious allure of the underground labyrinth. The air was thick with anticipation as they continued their descent into the unknown.

After what felt like hours, they reached a vast cavern with walls adorned with intricate hieroglyphics. In the centre of the chamber stood a pedestal, and on it, a scroll.

Aurrick's eyes widened with greed. "There it is! The Legendary Sutek Scroll. Legends say it possesses the power to unlock the hidden knowledge of Sutek and reveal the path to unimaginable wealth."

Abasi, sensing the significance of the moment, eyed the scroll with a mix of curiosity and caution. Kaira hesitated, torn between the allure of the artefact and the potential dangers it might unleash...

Abasi had a wave of foreboding as he watched the Krawk reach for the scroll. He heard whispers around him as if the place was warning the young Anubis against the events unfolding. He tried to convey his feelings to Kaira, whining up at his owner as the Ghostly Wand of Spades began to vibrate again in his mouth.

“Don’t worry Abasi,” Kaira said gently, stroking his head. “I’m sure he’ll keep his end of the bargain and show us the way out.”

Aurrick’s triumphant cackle echoed off the carved walls around them, the scroll clenched in his fist. He began to unravel it, giggling gleefully. “The instructions to access scores of untold wealth are in here. I know it.”

Abasi sniffed. There it was again. That smell. His eyes widened as the tip of the wand’s brilliant glow started to tinge red. The telltale signs they weren’t going to be alone for long.

The floor rumbled and a voice filled the room. Abasi expected to hear the deep cadence of King Coltzan III’s ghost, but this was different, even more sinister and oily.

“You must not know the true story of the scroll, for those who touch it with misdeeds at heart, pay the catacombs its toll, and now the countdown of your residence here will start.”

With a deafening groan, the walls around them began to move, closing the space of the cavern, the hieroglyphics seeming to shift and ripple.

Kaira yelped. “Aurrick, we need to get out of here. Put the scroll back!”

“No way,” Aurrick sneered, clutching the scroll to his chest. “This is just a test. To see if we’re worthy of treasures. I’m not giving up my chance at riches!”

This scenario had happened before, Abasi realized. With his self-indulging interest in possessing the wand and his refusal to drop it, even when the danger had smacked them in the face. He saw a little of himself in Aurrick’s determined expression then. The thought of history, and lore, and discovery was enticing… but not as much as saving their lives.

Abasi knew what he had to do…

How will this story end?

Sure enough, the fierce-looking blue ghostly figure filled the dim tunnel, illuminating it with his pale blue aura. Abasi turned in the ghost's direction and bowed his head humbly. He then loosened his grip on the wand entirely until it clattered to the ground. A peace offering.

"Coltzan's ghost," he addressed solemnly. "We stumbled upon your territory by mistake. We did not mean to disrupt you and we should not have taken what is not ours. Please accept the Ghostly Wand of Spades and let us pass. We have learned our lesson."

Kaira could detect the regret in the yaps of her dear Anubis. She scooped him up and snuggled him close. "Well done, Abasi," she whispered. "Let's hope you pleaded our case with success."

Aurrick, on the other hand, had experienced no such revelation. "The scroll is mine," he repeated with defiance, puffing out his chest. "I'm not scared of you," he said to Coltzan's Ghost.

"So be it. I will take back what is mine with force and you will pay the price," the ghost threatened with a growl.

He zipped up to Aurrick and swiftly snatched the scroll from his hands, ignoring the thief's indignant cry. Then, the tunnel began to vibrate so fiercely, that the ground split apart, dividing the tunnel in two.

Aurrick had been blocked on one side, while Kaira and Abasi stood shellshocked, on the other with exits still accessible.

"Leave now before I change my mind about issuing further consequences," Coltzan's ghost hissed, nodding towards the northern tunnel exit. "Go."

"We can't leave Aurrick, it wouldn't be right..." Kaira began, her voice trembling. She had never stood up to a frightening haunted king before and Aurrick was far from her favourite person, but she had to insist on what was right.

"He will make his way out. Eventually. I did not make it impossible. I am protective of what is mine and I am strict. But I am not unfair or cruel. Now go!"

They did not push further, scuttling away as quickly as their legs would take them. As they moved, Abasi's mind wandered. For a moment there, it almost felt like Coltzan's Ghost had channelled the forgiving spirit of King Coltzan III. Had he been all bad, surely he would have let the rocks crush Aurrick rather than simply block him in. The thief would be able to dig his way out.

Soon Abasi could feel the heat of the scorching sun again. They had successfully exited the tunnels and were right outside the gates of Sakhmet, their home! While it was true Abasi had not left his latest exploration with a historical artefact momento, he now had something much more meaningful. An epic story to tell and the most incredible adventurous experience!

"You caused a lot of trouble today, Abasi," Kaira chided gently. But the relief in her voice was evident. They were finally safely home. In response, Abasi cuddled close, knowing that no matter what, the two would always stick together.

The End.