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“What are you still doing in here?” she screamed, but
quietly, “We’re all in danger! The Chia and his ‘friends’ are here. And trust
me, you don’t want to meet his ‘friends!’”
“What?” Bel said, panicking, “How did
they get in here?”
“I had no choice but to let them in,”
she said, “But it’s not my fault! You need to get out now, or hide.” Just then,
they heard footsteps coming down the hallway. They could also hear Mya trying
to stall them.
“You don’t want to go in that room. It’s…
It’s… HAUNTED!”
“By who?” They walked in the room.
“By… By…”
“Granny!” interrupted Stacy, who was sitting
by Bel, with a blanket over him, “Yep, this is Granny’s room.”
“May I see your Granny?”
“Uh, no!” she screamed, “She has a very
CONTAGIOUS case of Watery Eyes.” Stacy then elbowed Bel.
“Oh—Aboohoohoo!” he said, so fakely.
“Krawk tears.”
“Mya!”
“Sorry.”
“Well,” the Yellow Knight said to his
partners, “Looks like that concludes this search—“ Stacy’s jaw drops in fear.
“—And there’s nothing here. Sorry, ma’am, for the inconvenience.” She just stared
in silence. “We’ll be… Leaving now.” They walked down the hallway, and out the
door. Just as the door slammed, Mya and Bel burst out laughing.
“Ahaha,” laughed Bel, insanely, “Those
are the most gullible, stupidest Neopets EVER! Mya, do your thing.”
“What thing?” asked Mya, puzzled.
“Where you make up a name,” he said, still
laughing.
“How ‘bout…” She thought for a moment.
“Nobody.”
“Nobody?” Bel was confused. Stacy rolled
her eyes.
“Really,” she giggled, “Chias aren’t anything
but a bean-bag with a face, arms, legs, and hair. But Nobody.”
“Ohhh…” he said, laughing once
again, “I get it!” They both dropped to the floor laughing again.
“You two are insane,” said Stacy, leaving
the room, “We were in the worst danger of our life, and all you can do is laugh.
You’re crazy, I tell you.” She left down the hallway.
~
Vex through the letter in the fireplace, and it immediately crumpled up.
“AHEM!” Vex turned to the voice behind
him.
“Kalam—“
“Captain Kalam to you.”
“Captain Kalam, what brings you here?”
“Would you mind telling me what you were
doing, Vex?” asked Kalam.
“Burning a letter from Prisoner 04,” Vex
replied.
“Now why on Neopia would you do that?”
Captain Kalam asked, staring at Vex suspiciously.
“I value my privacy,” he said, “Sir.”
“Very well,” he replied, “I guess I can
understand that. Now, would you mind coming to main room—Lord Kass is calling
a meeting.”
~
“Sleep well?” asked Stacy, as she brought faerie pancakes to the table.
“Not really,” he said, “To much thinking
about that evil yellow Chia.”
“I don’t see how you’re a Knight,” she
claimed, “Yet you’re so cowardly.”
“I don’t exactly ENJOY fighting. And if
I do here, it will ruin all my chances.”
“I suppose.”
“But I couldn’t get to sleep, anyway,”
he said, “Ruff snuck into my room and wouldn’t stop rolling back-and-forth on
my bed.” Stacy laughed, as Mya walked into the kitchen.
“My,” said Stacy, “Someone chose to honour
us with her presence this morning!”
“Looks like you got the least sleep of
us all,” said Bel, “You could carry a herd of Tonu in those bags under your
eyes.”
“Haha, very funny,” Mya said sarcastically,
holding a case of some sort, “I spent all night custom-making these glasses
for you.”
“The things kids learn in Neoschools these
days,” said Bel, laughing yet appreciative, “You actually made these for me?”
“Actually, no,” she said, in a
very unenthusiastic voice, “I spent all night digging through Stacy’s medicine
cabinet finding my brothers old glasses, then just made some changes.”
“Wow…” Stacy looked at Bel, then nodded.
But Bel never put it on.
“Now,” Mya said, “I shall go back to my
room, and bang my head on the wall until I fall back asleep. Ugh,,,”
After Mya’s door was shut, Bel walked
over to the counter where Stacy was working.
“Before I ask you anything else,” he said,
“What’s in these pancakes? They look too normal.”
“Oh,” she replied, “Just normal Faerie
Pancakes…”
“…STACY…”
“Made with toothpaste.” Bel once again
stuck his plate out the window, and then scraped them off. “Oh, well, as if
it’s my fault. You said you were going to buy food at the market yesterday,
but NO…” Bel rolled his eyes.
“Well, first off,” he started, “Don’t
these glasses have sentimental value, I mean, if they’re from her brother?”
“Oh, it wouldn’t matter,” said Stacy,
“Our brother, Mikey, lives in Faerieland. He pops in on the occasion, and had
quite the joyful attitude. He wouldn’t care, and neither would Mya. Plus, you
mean enough to her for her to let you use something sentimental of hers, anyway.
Your like a second older brother to her.”
“Heh, thanks.” Bel blushed. “Now, second
off, how am I going to break it to her that I’m not going to wear them?” Because
of that comment, Stacy’s jaw dropped.
“What do you mean by, ‘Not going to wear
them?’” she asked, once again, in her rage. “My younger sister spends her night
up for you, and you refuse to wear them? What nerve!”
“I’m supposed to look like a Knight,”
he claimed, “not a librarian.”
“I thought you said you stopped being
a Knight?” She proved a point. “And what worse of one would it make you if you
could SEE?” Bel crawled back into submission.
“Alright, alright,” he said, “I’ll wear
them, but only if she brings it up again, and only if you give me a second chance
at the market today.”
“Fine, deal.”
~
The Darigan Krawk blew the horn.
“May the private meeting of the Citadel
Administrators begin!”
“Kalam,” said the royal, famous Eyrie
of the Citadel, “Keyword, ‘PRIVATE.’ Is it necessary for you to announce it?”
Lord Kass gave him a deep glare.
“Sorry, sir,” said Captain Kalam, his purple
skin blushing pink. He went to sit down at the table across from Vex. Seated
at the long table were several Draconians of high importance, and at the end,
the mighty Lord Kass, who was clenching his fists tight.
“Well,” he started, “I suppose not many
know of why you were called here today.” He took a look around all his minions,
staring, eagerly waiting. “You are all the first to know that I am planning
a surprise assault on… Meridell.” Some gasped. Some looked confused. And some
were insane with excitement. They all discussed their thoughts with one another
while Lord Kass tried to gain their attention.
“SILENCE!” he shouted, getting the instant
response. “Now, some of you may question my plans. Some of you may even be against
them! But—I can tell you this now—if we don’t attack them immediately, I think
it’s obvious to us all that they will attack US.” His fighters started to understand
him.
“Skarl is a fool! He could be the end of
us all, no?” They even started cheering his plan on. “We need the element of
surprise! We need it first! So I have sent a little, ‘gift,’ to their king.
So, are my men with me?”
“DARIGAN!” they chanted with joy.
“Good,” he said, with a smirk, and left
the room, as Vex gave a strange stare at Kalam.
~
As they walked through the market, Mya was laughing.
“I CAN’T believe you actually got Stacy
to let you come back!” giggled Mya, “I guess you charm her!” Bel laughs, then
blushes.
“Huh?” he says, in denial, “Wuh? Uh, no
Mya, no…” He stared away, and tried to stay out of the conversation. “Look,
a food stand. Go and pick out what you want for dinner.” As Mya ran ahead, and
Bel caught up with her. Mya had a look on her face as if she was hypnotized
by whatever she was staring at. She licked her lips, and looked as if she was
about to drool.
“Well, I’m guessing SOMEONE found something
tasty looking.” He looked down, and under the glass were a few buns, steaming
warm, freshly cooked. Mya took a smell in, and the sighed as if she was in love.
“Those,” she said, “Hot Crossed Buns.
Y’know, for Stacy. Because she’d like them.” Bel smiled at the little liar.
“Sure, kid,” he said, looking down on
her, “Whatever you—I mean, STACY wants.” He put his hands in his peasant-like-clothing
pocket, and pulled out nothing but lint. “Wha—where’d my Neopoints go?” He then
heard a snicker, then turned his head to see a yellow Meerca tail going into
the market crowd. “Darn…” He turned his head to Mya, and sighed. “Sorry, Mya,
I really can’t.”
“Ohhhhhh…” she whined, “But you HAVE to.
Think of all that STACY has done for YOU.”
“No,” he said, “It’s that because I have
no more Neopoints. Meercas, the little brats. But… How does one earn Neopoints
around here, anyway?”
“Well,” she said, “Remember Ultimate Bullseye?”
“Mya, now…”
“It’s one of the best ways of all to earn
Neopoints.”
“We really shouldn’t go back there…”
“And Stacy says if you don’t contribute
any thing to us, she’s gonna kick ya’ out.”
“Let’s do it.”
~
“KALAM!” Vex shouted after the Captain.
“Keep it down, rascal,” he said, turning
around with fiery eyes, “Now what is it?!”
“You better keep up your end of the bargain…”
the small Mynci said, trying to seem bigger then he is.
“As long as you keep up yours,” he said,
turning away.
“WAIT!” Vex hollered, “What end do I leave?”
“I am putting you in charge of a search
team…”
“For…?”
“Bel.” Vex gasped in panic in the fact
that Kalam knew what had happened.
“W… W… We-ll, I, I can assure you when
he fell off, he died.”
“Quiet, we don’t want anyone hearing,”
he said. “And you checked already, know?”
“Why yes,” Vex replied, relieved. “Yes,
I did.” Lying is so much easier, thought Vex.
“Good,” Kalam grunted, “then guide a search
party to find his dead body again, then bring it to me. I want to see it. For
the last laugh.” Vex went back to worrying.
“Y-y-yes.”
“And then I will fulfill your half, keeping
your little friend, prisoner 04 alive…”
“Oh, PLEASE!” shouted Vex. “That’s not
what this is about! Not one bit! I want FREEDOM. FREEDOM, Kalam. Grant me that,
will you?” Kalam laughed at the angered Mynci.
“What?” he asked, confused but entertained.
“That’s what this is all about? Ahaha! You think you can escape Darigan? It’s
impossible, don’t you know? This Citadel is cursed, and all of it’s inhabitants,
as well. But, if this is what you wish for, I can get you OFF the Citadel; but
not away from it.”
“That’s good enough for me,” said the
evil little Mynci. “That’s good enough for me.”
~
“Three free tries a day,” Mya said, “if we can get the Techo owner out from
behind the stand.”
“Please, sir,” he said, “calm down. I’m
not going to hurt you, and her Doglefox isn’t here. Nor is the Yellow Chia.
So, can we please have some arrows?”
“Here!” he said, while tossing a bunch
out in an unorganized bundle, “Just DON’T HURT ME!”
“I don’t think it’s the Yellow Chia,”
she claimed, “OR Ruff. I think it’s your lack of aim.”
“Haha,” Bel sneered, sarcastically. He
took an arrow, pulled the bow back, then released. “Hey, I hit the tree!” he
shouted. “Closest yet!” Mya rolled her eyes.
“I know!” she said with excitement, “Why
don’t you where your new glasses? They might actually help a little!” Bel sighed.
Oh, no, he thought, she brought
the glasses up. “Of course!” he said, with a fake smile. “Great idea!” He
pulled the case out of one of his patched on pockets, took the small-lens glasses
out, and put them on.
The Techo was no longer hiding underneath
his stand, shaking, he was now standing up, and laughing.
“Well,” Bel said, “I see someone just
lost their fear of me.”
“Don’t worry,” said Mya, smiling at her
own work, “they look good on you. Lots of brave Neopians wear glasses. Like
Lisha…”
“Please don’t tell me I look like Lisha…”
“You don’t.” The Techo laughed again.
“If he doesn’t shut up soon,” said Bel,
angrily, “he’s going to have to REGAIN his fear of me.” Hearing this, the Techo
instantly closed his mouth, trying not to giggle.
To be continued…
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