The other explorers talked excitedly. Many were scientists and adventurers, hoping to learn more about this unknown part of Neopia.

Lumbar continued, "For years, the heat of the Lost Desert has deterred many from exploring this far South, but with this ship, we have finally made it! I began this expedition in the hopes of learning more about our world; just imagine what we will discover!

The ship finally settled against the edge of the icy land. With the gangplank in place, Lumbar strode across it. He was first Neopet in known history to set foot on this frigid Southern land. The rest of the crew joined him, carrying the necessary supplies for the expedition. With a confidant nod, he led them in to the vast field of ice.

After a few hours of hiking across the snow, Lumbar came to a sudden halt. "Did you hear something?" The rest of the crew stopped and scanned the area. Nothing could be seen except their own reflections in the icy walls scattered around them. "How odd... it sounded like an ice cube being dropped into a glass." He shook his head to clear it, "Must be my imagination." The company started forward once again.

Unbeknownst to them however, crystal-looking eyes watched them from nearby...

"So they were wrong," exclaimed one of the explorers, "it's not just like Terror Mountain!"

"No, quite different!" replied Lumbar as he bent down to pull off a small crystal of ice. Turning the small chunk in his hand, he had no idea of the adventure that lay before them.

"Kataj! Intruders," yelled the glass Gelert with crystaline eyes as she lept breathlessly through the door to an icy fortress and to the chambers of Kataj, the great battle leader of the inhabitants of the South Arctic Poles. "On the coast, they arrived by boat!"

Kataj looked up from his work and faced her, "What? Intruders! Why it's the first time in three hundred years! I'll send scouts out immediately... well done, Crystal!"

As Lumbar and his men explored, ten strong young Gelerts were instantly dispatched to the coast to find the intruders. While the "intruders" examined in awe the vast expanse of icy crystals jutting from its surface, the scouts moved in.

"I wonder if there is anything living on this continent?"

"No one knows," Lumbar answered one of his companions, "the last crew to attempt the voyage here never made it back... and that was some three hundred years ago!"

"Heeeeeyyyyy!" The other explorers looked up at the cry. "I think I've found something!" Gronax, one of the fourteen explorers was bent gently over a mound of snow in the distance, the other explorers ran towards him.

"What is it?" almost all of them questioned at once.

"I'm not sure," said Gronax, "but I think it's alive!"...

As Lumbar opened his mouth to speak, a terrible snarling growl echoed past them. Startled, each of the explorers frantically searched the snowy area around them seeking the cause of the fearsome growl with extreme apprehension. Suddenly, an awesome howl exploded from the top of an ice cliff and Lumbar spotted a glimpse of a crystal outline. Not stopping for a moment, the explorers fled to their sleds and began to push them away from the snowy peak. Lumbar stared up at the crystal form, and then dropped into the small crevice, scooping up the injured Gelert.

Setting it down carefully on one of the sleds, Lumbar hastily called for them to get moving. On their sudden movement, another fearsome shreik of a howl followed them as they began to pick up the pace. It was then that Lumbar spotted several other crystal figures about them, running swiftly in pursuit.

"They're following us!" gasped Gronax beside Lumbar.

"Just keep going!!" he replied firmly. After some minutes, it appeared the crystal forms had been lost, but the sleds slowed none. Lumbar kept a keen watch all about, but spotting transparency in a field of ice and snow was nearly impossible.

"I think... we lost th-" Gronax was cut short when a large glass Gelert sprang in front of the explorers, two more backing it. From behind them, six larger, also glass Gelerts stepped up, surrounding all sides of the explorers.

With one glance at the injured Gelert seemingly captured by the trespassers, a tremendous snarling sound came from the first glass Gelert, its wide eyes staring fearlessly, and sharp teeth bared. Crystal's eyes fixed on Lumbar.

They were trapped.

The injured one lifted its head weakly, looking at the opaque Gelerts. It was as though she was trying to tell them something; her eyes pleaded in a way that couldn't be expressed in words. Lifting her head seemed to have taken away the rest of the Gelert's energy. With one last pleading look, she let her head slump and fell unconscious. The crystaline Gelerts looked at the unconscious injured one and nodded understandingly. It seemed as though they had understood what the injured one was trying to say. And then they raised their eyes to look at the intruders. A new light was in their eyes. It was not a look of hatred, yet it was not one of kindness and love.

"Come with us," a Gelert by the name of Rajah said. He had a deep, kind voice. It was hard for the Intruders to believe that he could be so ferocious except they had seen it with their own eyes just moments before. The Gelerts turned on their heels and began trotting swiftly away. The Intruders pushed off their sleds and followed them. After traveling for what seemed like hours they finally arrived at a beautiful fortress. It was made out of a very beautiful crystal and shined in the fading sunlight like a beacon urging them to come.

Out of a doorway with icicles hanging off it like teeth, stepped a very large Gelert. In addition to a glassy coat, the Gelert looked as though it contained bolts of lightning moving through his body. Electricity seemed to crackle in the air around him. A very powerful light seemed to come from him.

"Well, well, well. What have we here? Intruders!" he said. His eyes flashing with a crystaline fire as he said it.

"Kataj! Battle master!" the Gelert named Rajah said, stepping forward. "These intruders are not as bad as they seemed. While we were chasing them they picked up this Gelert, who is known as is Quetit, or 'quiet one,'" he added, seeing the confused looks on the Intruders faces. "Quetit was bruised and shivering with cold. She told us telepathically that these intruders picked her up, meaning to help her. Master Kataj, have mercy on them just as they had mercy on this little one!"

"Oh, I hadn't intended on hurting them! Of course not. After all, I am not like my father... or his father before him! Cruel and filled with hatred. Oh no! I had intended to greet them in a rather friendly manner... sort of," said the battle master. A mischievous light sparked in his eyes.

"Come," he said to the Intruders. "I would like to show you something." Kataj led the Intruders into a very large chamber. Unlike the other rooms, this one was made of ice and snow. The Intruders gazed in awe at the scene before them...

Royal purples seemed to dance as the yellow of the sun slowly streamed its way around the Battledome. Lumbar watched in amazement as the colours gathered at the top of the dome and formed a glorious picture of a sunset.

"It's amazing Sire!" Lumbar began, "The colours are beautiful."

"Mmmmm." Kataj slowly nodded and then clapped his hands.

Two female Gelerts stepped forward and took Lumbar by the arms.

"Dari and Krialis will show you and your crew to your rooms for tonight. If there is ANYTHING you desire during the night just call them and they will fetch it. Tomorrow we shall--," Kataj paused and gave a slight sneer, "officially 'welcome' you..."

Lumbar was taken to his room and was about to settle down for the night when all of a sudden the door to his chamber sprang open. In stumbled Quetit gasping for air and hobbling on her injured legs. "Quick!" she burst out, "We must escape!"...

Ouetit, still out of breath struggled to speak. "Kataj...... he's.. going to..." but Lumbar didn't get a chance to find out exactly what Kataj was going to do, for at that moment guards came storming down the hall.

"Quick," hissed Lumbar, "you musn't be seen here." He picked her up and shut "Quick," hissed Lumbar, "you musn't be seen here." then whirled as two of Kataj's guards came bursting in.

"Is she here?" they demanded. Lumbar recognized them as Dari and Krialis.

"Who?" asked Lumbar trying to look innocent. The guards took a quick look around the room and left with a simple "never mind." Lumbar walked over to the closet and opened the door. "You all right?" he asked. Quetit nodded. "Now, what's going on, why the rush?"

"Kataj is planning to make you and your companions fight in the Battledome tomorrow." she gasped.

"So?" said Lumbar.

"To the death." Quetit finished.

Lumbar's eyes went wide, "We've got to get out of here, and get the others, but how?"

"Well if we wait an hour," she explained, "thats when they change guards. Then I'd say we've got about five minutes to clear out before the second shift comes in." Lumbar nodded.

An hour later Quetit, Lumbar and the rest of the gang, rushed down the hall toward the exit. Suddenly from behind, the echoing sound of pounding feet was heard...

"Stop, Intruders!" the guards continuously shouted down the massive pathway towards the exit.

"Run with all your strength!" Lumbar shouted, "If we get caught, then we will never see the light of day again my friends!"

The guards were too fast, however. They caught up to the weary travelers easily. In a last-ditch effort, the group tried to ecape, but only Lumbar made it through the exit, while the rest of the group was caught and dragged into cells. Lumbar managed to not be seen the whole night.

The next morning, Lumbar saw no guards, and made his way quietly to the cells. When he got there, everyone was gone. He heard shouting from nearby... the Battledome! He gasped at the thought of all his companions fighting to the death in the great arena.

"I must save them from this awful place!" Lumbar shouted.

Tears ran down Lumbar's face as he thought of the evil things that were being done to his crewmates. He could only wonder if his group was still okay...

He made his way through the halls towards the Battledome. When Lumbar entered the giant doors leading into the arena, the bright lights blinded him for a brief second. When he finally got used to the light, he felt his arms being grabbed. There were two guards on either side of him, each grabbing an arm and dragging him over to the stands.

"Well, if it isn't Lumbar!" Kataj maniacally chuckled. "I've been expecting you; I figured that, after your crew was captured, you would come to their rescue. You have failed! In attempting to rescue them, you've been captured yourself!"

"Kataj you are the master of evil! We have done nothing to you! How can you do this to us?" Lumbar exclaimed.

Quite easily, actually. Once you were in my reach all I had to do was give the command. My people respect and fear me; doing whatever I bid. It has been this way for centuries; ever since the time of my Great-Grandfather, when he was imbued with the power of lightning by a wandering darkness Faerie." The electric air around him crackled. "Now I must find ways to amuse myself, and you Intuders seem just the thing to do that! Here comes one of your friends now!" Kataj stated.

Quetit was being dragged into the Battledome by a group of guards. They let Quetit down onto the ground, and quickly left the arena.

"Be honored, you have front row seats, dear Lumbar!" Kataj shouted evily. With a powerful shove, he pushed the Tuskaninny off the stands into the arena below.

The iron gates of the Battledome swung shut and were locked. Lumbar looked around frantically. A cell had opened on the far side of the arena. Inside were red, glowing eyes...

Lumbar didn't even want to think about what might be lurking in that dark cell, just waiting to devour him the moment it was free.

Lumbar looked over at Quetit, who was now being forced to watch from the sidelines. "Oh, you're concerned with your little friend are you?" questioned Kataj evily. "Well consider this," he continued, "if you don't defeat your 'opponent,' she will be forced to fight in your place!"

All the color drained from Lumbar's face as Kataj broke in a bout of maniacal laughter. With Quetit's life on the line, he HAD to defeat whoever, or whatever was behind those bars.

With a loud screech, the bars to the cell began to rise, and the dark outline of a huge creature was slowly beginning to appear as the technicolor light began to filter into the cell.

With a vicious war cry a monster emerged from the cell. Lumbar looked up at what was now towering above him, looking VERY hungry. The beast was in fact, just like the Snowager, except for the fact that it was about ten times larger than the one on Terror Mountain.

The horrible creature let out an almost deafening cry that was so strong it blew Lumbar's hair back from his face.

Kataj laughed when he saw the terrified expression on Lumbar's face. "Let me introduce you to the reason why your ancestors never made it back some three hundred years ago, we like to call that reason the KayraMonla, or, 'great beast'!"

Lumbar knew that he could not lose, but he also knew it was impossible to win. He was on the verge of tears when a cry could be heard from the sidelines.

"Wait!" Lumbar heard Quetit's voice ring out through the Battledome. "Let me fight! I'll go in his place!"

Kataj laughed, "You? Fight in his place?" Kataj continued to laugh. "Do you have a death wish?" he asked Quetit. "At least if you let him fight you will be able to postpone your demise for a few seconds, until he is finished off that is!"

"No!" Quetit replied firmly, "I will fight!"

"Very well then, you will die first. This may prove to be more entertaining than I thought!"

"No! Quetit, don't!" cried out Lumbar, but it was too late, the guards were already "escorting" him to his spot on the sidelines.

One of the guards threw Quetit into the arena, where she landed roughly on the ice. After she quickly regained her footing, Quetit stood to bravely face the KayraMonla.

Lumbar sighed sadly as he looked at her frail injured figure staring fearlessly into the KayraMonla's glowing ruby eyes.

Suddenly, Lumbar was experiencing a sensation he had never felt before. In the back of his mind, words began to form. The words whispered, "Don't worry, I can defeat him!" After a second or two he realized that Quetit was sending him a telepathic message!

"But how?" he wondered. Another message formed, "My telepathic powers aren't just with words, I can move objects with my mind." she answered...

"My friends... 300 years ago, our great country was visited by explorers from far away. We have all heard the stories of the horrible battles and the cruelties we faced before finally defeating them. The final member of the royal line was lost in those battles, the great Queen Amara. Those stories we have grown up hearing are all lies. The ancestors of Kataj set up the entire event to seize power of our country. They gathered a few followers and attacked the explorers who had come in peace to gather information, forcing them to fight. The rebels then kidnapped the queen and did away with her. They are attempting to accomplish the same thing today. These poor explorers came in search of knowledge and information about our land, not to cause war. Kataj has simply been using you all."

"Lies! LIES! All of it lies!" Kataj screamed out, "How dare she say that my ancestors killed our wondrous queen when it was really the work of the horrid invaders? We must fear the outside world. They would never let us exist as we wish! I say we destroy the invaders quickly before more come!" This statement was greeted with great cheers from the arena audience. The explorers began to cower together. They could tell that the end was near.

Quetit stood in front of them and spoke once again, "Forgive me," she said, "It appears that I have spoken falsely. I accussed Kataj's ancestors of getting rid of our glorious queen. That was an inaccurate statement..."

"See, she admits she is a no good liar! Get them all!" Kataj interupted.

"...What I should have said was Kataj's ancestors THOUGHT they had gotten rid of the queen." Quetit continued. "I'm afraid they were gravely mistaken."

Kataj stopped in mid-step... "W-w-what is t-t-that s-s-supose to m-mean?"

Quetit glowed a blinding pure white and seemed to grow larger. "Why, it means that your ancesters did not complete the job. Queen Amara lives, and I am she."

Kataj looked at her in horror, then cried to his guards, "Well, don't just stand there you fools! She is an imposter! Get her!!"

But his guards instead turned to him, fury burning in their pale eyes. They attacked and siezed him, dragging Kataj down to the arena. With the return of their queen the guards were now willing to challenge Kataj's authority, seeing as it was not justly his.

"Great One!" one of them called. "Here is the traitor! What punishment do you order for him?"

Queen Amara looked at them calmly. The explorers, still stunned, watched in amazment as she walked towards the squirming, terrified Gelert. "I am not cruel like you and your ancestors were. I will not torture, or even kill you. You are hearby banished from the South Arctic Lands. I want as many guards as can be spared to escort Kataj to the Eastern shores, where he will be set adrift on an ice flow. Even the power of lightning can't free him from the ocean. But do not leave yet. I cannot trust him to be safe with even fifty guards. I will accompany you." She turned to Lumbar and his companions as Kataj was led towards the gate of the arena. "My friends, you are now free to explore and travel as you wish. In fact, let some of my Gelerts guide you. They will show you all the most interesting and beautiful places in our lands and escort you safely back to your boat."

"Thank you Great One," said Lumbar, bowing. A group of Gelerts, clear as glass, gathered 'round the explorers and escorted them outside the arena. The Queen then turned and followed the guards as they took the raving Kataj to the nearby Eastern shore, where they set him adrift. Meanwhile Lumbar and his companions gathered vast amounts of information and saw many beautiful sights over the next few days before returned to their boat.

"Farewell friends!" Rajah, who had been a guide, called as they loaded onto the boats. "Come back and visit sometime!"

"We will!" Lumbar called back as they set sail for home. They had gathered enough research material to last them for years, and a story that would last for generations.

The End