The Skeith looked slightly saddened.
"Indeed it is I who is responsible. I was wildly jealous of the creator of
the crests, they were celebrated day and night. I had tried and failed for many
years to create such a will of power. As soon as I had succeeded my creation
was taken from my home. My crest had been stolen! Soon I saw the five elders…
they had not only taken it, but hey had duplicated it into different powers!
I modified the crests, so they absorbed more of their lives each year. When
their lives had been taken, my plan backfired. The crests absorbed Neopia's
life force as well. I never knew it would come to this... when they found me
they tossed me down here. Any pet who tried to pass this place were also imprisoned
here. Some have never seen daylight. There is too many of us now to plan a group
escape. They keep us down here, for, my MoonCrest is north of these walls. The
most powerful and deadly of them all."
Sahhara's ears flattened. Her instincts and star readings were right. Yet
this seemed to make a lot of sense.
She growled.
"So it's thanks to you the world is dead!" she shouted in anger.
"Yes… and if I am right… the world will completely waste away by the end of
this year, if some one does not find a way to return the magic into the world."
The NeoPets all gasped. Sahhara turned away in disgust, and went to stand
beside Faltoh.
"Let's finish him!" Faltoh growled.
"Together!" Sahhara agreed.
"Wait!" The Wise one shouted as the two Lupes approached him, the other NeoPets
frozen to the spot, watching this alarming scene.
"I can show you the way! I can tell you the precise location, and how to escape!"
Sahhara paused. She held out a paw and rested it on Faltoh's shoulder to stop
him.
"Very well old man, if you have a way, I would indeed like to hear it."
***
Sahhara shoved the opening off as she crawled through the end of an air vent,
Faltoh following in her path. Sirens were going off as she saw the open fields
once more, blocked off by the towering fence. The image of all the NeoPets in
the chamber making a ladder of themselves to help her escape still fluttered
in her mind. She couldn't forget the confident smiles, the words of haste, and
good luck, as they clambered up that opening. The ladder of NeoPets collapsed
as they ran. Sahhara shook off the image, now they were in great danger. More
depended on her than she had ever expected. Guards shot at them, yet she allowed
the crests to control her for this moment, she released them all to have their
barbaric fun. The ghostly white Peophin blew guards over like a feather. The
Grarrl melted the metal, twisting it into shapes, then hurling them at the guards.
A shimmering turquoise blue Uni twirled itself into a whirlpool of water, spinning
the enemy out of control for its own amusement. Then, the EarthCrest had its
turn, burying people within its depths. Its dark earth-brown Kyrii face alight
with malice.
Soon Sahhara squeezed under the rusted fence of the fortress, always glancing
over her shoulder, fearful of loosing Faltoh again. She could hear the guards
shooting at them, as the two Lupes rushed for the cover of a wilted forest.
They sprinted, never pausing to aid their screaming limbs, the trees seemed
to have eyes, watching. Whispers of the dead bushes filled the air. The very
ground they stepped on felt like a pulse.
Sahhara's instincts told her she had to keep going. By morning their paws
embraced the sand. Their time for fear was over for now. Thunder clouds rumbled
in the distance. Now was their time to relax and set up camp.
***
"So... how did you do it?" Sahhara said, breaking the silence.
"Do what?"
"Escape the Snowager… I-I saw him eat you Faltoh! What happened?" Sahhara
said, feeling her eyes glossing over a bit at the memory.
Faltoh looked up halfway through digging a peg into the sand to set up a tent.
Sahhara had been combing her fur while she waited for an answer.
"That was not me, that was a dummy. I had little time to do it, yet I did.
Out of a filled rubbish bag, an old tattered broom and two TV antennae. The
Snowager fell for it. He gulped it down while I tried my best to lure him away.
There was a burst of flame from somewhere, and I just happened to be tugging
at his tail. When he began lurching I was too fearful he'd fling me into the
stars above to let go. He dragged me back into his cave. I cannot describe the
fear I felt, but I managed to make it back to the village unscathed in time
to find you. You had already left. So, I got some information from the townspeople
and town protectors, and took a different path. I stumbled upon a ghost town,
a ruin of a place. It took me forever to mange it, but I found old documents
and journal entries. I gathered more and more information until I knew exactly
who was to blame, and what I had to do. Your tracks were easy enough to find,
so be more careful in future," Faltoh finished. He walked around and started
on another peg. He seemed a bit cold toward her.
Sahhara soon found herself ready to speak. "You're not mad I attacked you…
are you?"
Faltoh glanced over at her. "No."
"Then why do you seem so mad?"
"……"
Sahhara frowned. "Faltoh?"
"It's nothing. I'm just tired."
Sahhara looked slightly suspicious, yet decided to let it go.
She assisted her old friend with the tent, they talked while doing so, and
finally it was done. Sahhara curled up under a blanket. She had ripped it down
the middle so Faltoh could have one too.
She soon managed to sleep. Only awaking once in the night, where she took
the time to stroke the blossoms of the slowly drooping rose. She then dosed
off. From there was the first good sleep she'd had for a very long time.
***
Sahhara awoke to find Faltoh stamping down on the fire.
"Morning," she said croaking, stretching and yawning widely.
"Morning Sahhara," Faltoh said, his eyes not meeting hers fully.
"Here," he said after a few minutes, handing her a small tin of warm baked
beans.
"Thanks," Sahhara said gratefully, making a start on her breakfast.
"Sahhara--"
Faltoh started, he then stopped, and looked away. Sahhara looked up.
"Mmm?" She mumbled through a mouthful of beans.
"Umm…" Faltoh's orange eyes looked strained. Sahhara could tell he was dying
to tell her something.
Her ears perked up. She set the half eaten tin of beans onto the sand, and
waited politely for his answer.
"Do you... like Akadel?"
Sahhara looked astonished. "How--"
"I did meet the villagers after you left you know. He wouldn't shut up about
you, he kept going on about how he likes you… and how he'd want to be your mate
if you ever returned." Sahhara's face cracked into a smile. Although that ruined
the surprise, she had high hopes now. Faltoh didn't look so happy.
"So… if he offered, would you accept?" Sahhara smiled mischievously.
"Yes, I probably would!" Sahhara's face faltered when she saw the expression
of her companion.
"Is anything wrong?" Faltoh had his eyes to the ground.
"Well... yeah, there is actually. You told me, when we first met, that you
could never have a partner, and that it would ruin you. "
Sahhara froze. She remembered now, and she could also see where this conversation
was headed. She gulped quietly, waiting for the words to come.
"Well," Sahhara listened intently.
"Oh never mind!" He said bitterly.
He stood up and slouched into the tent. Sahhara furrowed her brow, and rose
to her feet to see if he was okay, then decided to let him cool off a bit before
pushing the subject much further. She shook her head and continued with her
breakfast.
***
Things didn't improve when they set out to the North. Faltoh wouldn't speak
to her at all. This made Sahhara a bit upset, but tried her best not to show
it. She sighed and stopped. Faltoh halted behind her. She pulled the flower
from her bag and showed it to him.
"He gave me this, Faltoh, this is the best gift I could have ever hoped for,
he was there for me when I thought you had left Neopia. I admit this is going
against my word, but why should that bother you?"
Faltoh didn't say anything.
"I really missed you Faltoh, I couldn't imagine a better best friend than
you, but my heart belongs to him." She gave a small daring smile.
Faltoh frowned. "You obviously don't know, do you?"
The sand rippled beneath their feet.
"Know what?"
"He was exiled from our pack. My pack, I mean. He was exiled because we had
possession of a rare item, no one knew of, and he ran off with it, then gave
it to the Shadow Lupe Pack. Sahhara, you'd be a fool to accept him! If he really
cared about you as much as he says he does, why isn't he here with you now?"
Sahhara refused to believe him. Before she could answer, the sand burst. Sahhara
ducked as sand blew everywhere.
The dust settled, and there was silence. Faltoh shook her, and pointed to
a large tunnel in the ground.
"I think we found our path," he said, with a slight cold tone to his voice.
"Faltoh PLEASE! I'm sorry, okay? if he ever offered to be with me, I'd do
what my heart would say."
"And what's that?" Faltoh growled.
"I don't know... we'll have to wait and see, won't we? Until then, just let
us be friends!" Sahhara pleaded. Faltoh looked resentfully at her. Then, he
seemed to come to his senses.
Blinking, he nodded.
Sahhara smiled, and they both headed down the dark, dry tunnel of sand.
***
"How does it work?" Faltoh said quizzically.
"I'm not sure..."
The two Lupes had arrived at a dead end. A wall that seemed to consist of
sand bricks blocked their progress. Ancient and sand swept markings looped and
writhed over the walls surface.
They had been there for about an hour, trying to see how it worked.
Sahhara sprung her claws and did the only thing that made sense. She placed
them in five small holes. Faltoh stared. There was a rumbling noise, as the
tunnel seemed to waste away before their very eyes. They were being buried.
A door was opening and Sahhara tugged her paw free. Everything stopped. The
door was gone. Sahhara turned to Faltoh, her eyes wide.
"We need something to keep those holes filled while we run through the door."
Faltoh just gasped.
The pair soon got to rummage around in their backpacks. Sahhara had something
clutched in her paw, and with a triumphant "A-HAH!" the two Lupes grinned.
To be continued... | 
