A Guide to Getting Lost

          While the other Royal Cybunnies danced in the ballroom and gathered in the courtyard for tea, she was on the other side of the castle piling books about King Coltzan into her paws or climbing the castle walls to sketch the Crokabeks. But today, everything was changing. Today, Altoc was strolling through the stalls of Sakhmet instead of practicing her posture. She had a Tchea Fruit up to her nose, the sand beneath her sandals, and a dream to fulfill. She was going out into the dunes to study rare desert petpets, from Djutis to Gebs, for a new book If she was lucky enough, she might even catch a glimpse of a Scamander.

          The hot, dry air swirled around Altoc, carrying the scents of different flowers and spices. She stopped at a peculiar stall that looked like it had different sand sculptures arranged in baskets. She leaned in to look closer and saw that they were shaped like fruits.

      You've never seen a Sand Apple, have you?" A voice below her asked.

          Altoc looked down in surprise to find a JubJub wrapped in a pale blue robe. "No, how could you tell?"

          The JubJub smiled. "Your beautiful gown, my lady. Only the finest palaces can make silk that looks like that. And, well, you don't see a lot of Cybunnies in the desert. Give it a try."

          Altoc nervously picked up the Sand Apple and took a bite. Once she got past the odd texture, she realized the fruit was actually bursting with flavour. Her eyes widened, and the JubJub laughed.

      Ah, you were not expecting that, were you? Things in the Lost Desert are not always what they seem." He raised his eyebrows. "Now, what brings you here, so far away from home? Come to play some Sakhmet Solitaire?"

      Maybe later! I'm here to study the petpets of the Lost Desert for a book I'm writing."

      Yes, yes, there are many strange petpets hiding among the dunes. But I must warn you, my lady, you must stay on the main paths. Petpets know places that maps do not, and the Lost Desert has a way of making things… lost."

          Altoc shrugged off his concern. "I've spent years reading about this place. I know what I'm doing."

          The JubJub shook his head. "So it would appear to be."

          Altoc thanked the JubJub for the Sand Apple and set out past the edge of Sakhmet to begin her search for rare desert Petpets. The wind blew sand into her face and her sandals struggled to get a grip on the sinking sands. She slipped on a smooth rock in the path and went tumbling down to the ground. She knew it wasn't going to be easy to gather this data on Petpet habitats and behaviours. She brushed herself off and got back up.

          Suddenly, Altoc noticed something golden shimmer in the corner of her eye. She turned to see it and only caught a glimpse of a striped tail slithering behind a rock just off the path. No… could it really be the elusive Scamander? She stepped hesitantly toward the rock. When she reached it, she saw it. It was really there, a real Scamander! The Petpet looked up at her for a moment, as if to challenge her to follow it, and then bolted away into the sea of dunes.

          The JubJub's words echoed in Altoc's head. He said to stay on the main paths. But would he have said the same if he knew what Altoc would find? She knew what she had to do to write the perfect chapter for her book. All she had to do was step off the path. She took a deep breath and went racing after the Petpet.

          Her chase brought her so far away from where she had started that she could no longer see the path in the distance. She felt the breeze on her cheeks as she raced across a sandy plain — and then she was falling. Tumbling down, all the way down into a dune-slide. It felt like she was falling forever until she finally rolled to a stop on a patch of grass. Wait, grass?

          Altoc got up and slowly spun around. "Wow," she breathed, "What is this place?"

          She was standing on a patch of grass with cactus blossoms dotted throughout. Lost Desert Palm Trees spread their leaves overhead to create a canopy of shade over her and the river she hadn't noticed was beside her. A stone bridge extended over the river and marked the beginning of a path through a humble village. She pulled her map out of her bag and inspected it. It was just as she thought. This hidden oasis wasn't even on the map.

          Altoc walked over the bridge and into the village. An old Lupe was weaving baskets in the street. Altoc walked over and said hello.

          The Lupe jumped. "Hello! What brings you here?"

      Well… I'm actually here by accident. I'm Altoc, and I'm studying desert petpets but I got lost coming out of Sakhmet." Altoc held out her map. "Would you mind showing me where we are?"

          The Lupe crumpled up her map and handed it back to her. "What are you doing? You can't do that! We must keep this village hidden!"

      Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm just trying to get back on the path so I can get back to my studies. I didn't know this was a secret village."

          The wise Lupe grinned. "Stick around, friend. You might learn some things. Come with me. I'm Vero."

          The Lupe led her forward with a walking stick in his paw. When he looked back to make sure Altoc was keeping up, she noticed a Scamander scurry out of his sleeve and onto his shoulder. "Vero, is it? Is that what I think it is on your shoulder?"

      Huh, this little thing? Yes, I believe the city folk in Sakhmet call these Scamanders. I just call him Pebble, because he was barely the size of a Pebble Petpetpet when I first found him."

          Altoc almost laughed out loud. After that wild chase through the sand dunes, she ended up stumbling upon a domesticated Scamander! She scrambled to grab her field journal and pencil from her bag.

          Vero gently put a paw on the journal. "I challenge you to live the story, not just record it."

          Altoc nodded and put them away. "Sorry, I'm a student of Neopia. I can't help it."

          Vero furrowed his brows. "Altoc, you did not come to the Lost Desert to study books, no? You came to experience an adventure. To write your own story."

          Altoc thought for a moment and nodded. "Yes, I suppose you're right. I've learned more about Scamander behavior in the last few minutes than I have in years of library trips."

      You've come to the right place. All of us in this village are trained in the art of storytelling. We can write, too, but we all choose not to out of respect for the spoken word. I am the village elder."

      The village elder? But, you were weaving baskets in the street when I saw you."

          Vero smiled. "There is no job too great or too small for any one Neopet."

          When they finally stopped walking, they had arrived at the village square. There was a large Geb statue in the middle, bustling crowds weaving around different stalls, and an Usul telling a story to a group of young Neopets around her. A Kyrii and a Chomby were working on setting up a giant tent.

      We're preparing for our summer festival," Vero said. "There's still much to be done."

      What's your summer festival about?" Altoc asked.

      We give thanks to the desert for allowing us to make our homes in this oasis. We eat, we dance, and we tell stories about the history of the desert. On the last night, we feast on the rare Gwontek Melon." His face fell. "But the Gwontek Melon is getting harder and harder to find. Visitors from all of Neopia come to harvest it to make Gwontek Syrup to cure illness, and the desert can't grow them fast enough."

          Altoc remembered reading about Gwontek Melons. They only grew on the highest branches of the Gwontek tree. "I've learned about Gwontek Melons before. Maybe I can help. "

      Oh, we would be forever grateful to you! Though this is a lot to ask of you. I know you did not travel all this way to climb a tall tree for your new friends."

      I came here to learn about the Lost Desert. What better way to do that than by taking a journey through it?"

          Vero clapped his paws together. "That's the spirit! Come, let me introduce you to somebody." He led her over to a Desert Aisha painting a clay vase. "This is Clio. She came to us from Sakhmet, too. She found us just like you did, by chance. Except she was chasing a Scarab."

          Clio waved. "Nice to meet you! You're probably going to want to change your dress before you head out. The bark of the Gwontek tree will rip up that pretty silk. I'll give you one of mine."

          Altoc changed into a simple canvas shift dress that Clio gave her. She looked in the mirror at the sand smeared into her fur and the rip in her new dress and almost didn't recognize herself. It had been days since she touched a brush, but she had never felt more at peace. She felt more at home now in this strange land, in these rough rags, than she ever did back at the castle she called home.

          Altoc stepped out of the tent and Clio threw her paws into the air. "That's more like it!"

      Are you ready to go?" Vero asked.

      Yes, lead the way!" Altoc replied. "Clio, are you coming too?"

          Clio threw a paw up to her mouth. "Oh, no way, I'll leave the adventure to you two." She went back to painting a palm tree on a vase.

          Altoc and Vero set out early the next morning with supplies, walking past sandstone ridges and desert grasses. Altoc had insisted on bringing her map and compass although Vero argued that they wouldn't be much help around there. The Cybunny remembered reading that Gwontek trees could be found to the west of a river, and had urged the Lupe to travel west. But several hours later, there were still no Gwontek Melons to be found. All they had to show for it was an increasingly crumpled map and a growing sense of frustration.

      Altoc, dear, perhaps we should try heading north instead. In the village, we tell stories about a wise old Moehog who found rare fruits past the northern palm grove and toward the Haunted Woods. And those stories were passed down from the Neopets that explored this land long before us."

          Altoc frowned. "That doesn't line up with what I read. I think we should just stick to my plan and my map."

          She felt irritated that this had turned out to be so much harder than she had expected. The terrain ahead of them looked like nothing on any map she had ever seen and her compass needle was spinning around erratically. She started to worry that they might really be lost, and shook the thought out of her head. There was no use thinking so negatively when she had come so far.

          Altoc led the way with her nose buried in the map and Vero shuffling behind her. She was tracing the path she wanted to take with her paw, across a long plateau after the sand dunes they had just climbed. Vero shouted and pulled Altoc back as her sandal nearly stepped over the edge. A rock broke off and tumbled down. They had reached a steep cliff overlooking a massive canyon.

      Woah, thank you!" Altoc cried. "But I don't understand, according to the map, we're supposed to continue straight right here."

          Vero calmly stepped over to a nearby sandstone arch partially covered by moss. "The Gwontek tree is that way," he said, gesturing down a safer slope downward. "It always grows near the breath of the river moss, not the heat of the sun."

          Altoc followed him down the narrow path. The bottom of the canyon was lush with Gwontek trees. She gasped as she saw the orange fruits hanging all the way from the highest branches. She had thought they were nearly extinct. The existence of this tree alone would fill up the pages of an entire book.

      Altoc, this is as far as I can go. It has been many years since I was able to climb a tree."

      Leave it to me!" Altoc said, remembering her days climbing up to draw the petpets on the castle walls. She carefully climbed all the way up and down, bringing more Gwontek Melons down with her each time. By the time she was finished, the trees had been picked clean and the Lupe's basket was overflowing. She sat down on a rock to catch her breath.

          Vero picked a Gwontek Melon from the basket and brought it to her. "For you. You must honor us by taking the first bite."

          Altoc grabbed the Gwontek Melon and took a nibble. It tasted like no other fruit she had ever encountered. It was sweet like nectar, with a slight tropical tang. Before she knew it, she had finished the whole thing. Altoc wiped her paws on her dress and picked up her field journal, then quickly set it down. She saw Pebble, Vero's Scamander, playing in a patch of sunlight. She fed it a tiny cactus blossom.

      None of this is on any map," Altoc murmured. I would've missed it all if I hadn't listened to your stories."

      My stories? No. I have a story, yes. But these stories belong to the whole village. Your story has also been woven into the village's. Now, let's give them a good ending."

          Back at the village, the festival was in full swing. The villagers cheered when Altoc and Vero returned with the Gwontek Melons.

          Vero hugged Altoc. "My friend, I don't know how we can ever repay you. To start, I would like to offer you a place of honour in our village's storytelling circle."

          Bittersweet tears welled up in Altoc's eyes. She was happy to have made such wonderful friends, and sad that she would have to say goodbye to them soon. "I graciously accept, Vero. But before I tell any stories, I'd like to pause and listen to all of yours first."

          Altoc spent the rest of the night listening to tales passed down over the years about the legends of the Lost Desert, the secrets of the oasis, and—her favourite—all the little quirks about desert petpets.

          The next morning, when Altoc was heading out of her tent, she almost tripped on a bundle wrapped in paper that had been left at the entrance. Written on it was a note reading: "Altoc, I'll break our rules just for you by writing this note. Thank you for joining our story. I stayed up all night painting this for you as my way to give thanks. Your friend, Clio." Altoc unwrapped the gift to find a glazed clay plate with the epic tale of Altoc's journey to the Gwontek trees painted around it. She smiled and stored it carefully in her bag.

          On her way toward the bridge at the beginning of the village, Altoc ran into Vero sweeping the streets. "Vero, I have to leave now, but I just wanted to say thank you for helping me see things differently."

          Vero stopped sweeping and raised an eyebrow. "Where are you going, home?"

          Altoc sighed. "Home? Oh, I don't even know where that is anymore. I'll go back to the castle for now, but after that, who knows?"

      It seems the young one has developed a taste for adventure in the desert."

          Altoc laughed. "So it seems. Hey, Vero, I was wondering… do you think it would be okay if I wrote about this place? I won't use any names or maps or anything. I'll just tell the story. It's just… I want to share these stories with the world in a way that they're ready to listen to today."

          Vero nodded. "So long as you tell it with heart, not just facts." The new friends embraced.

          That evening, with the help of new directions from Vero, Altoc was back in Sakhmet. She walked through the market again, this time in her canvas shift with a completely filled field journal tucked under her arm. She stopped at the sand fruit stand again and admired the Sand Apple, this time with a greater appreciation for what lay inside it.

          The JubJub merchant looked at her as if he was trying to place where he had seen her before. "Lose your way, my lady?"

      "No," Altoc said, smiling, "I think I finally found it."

          A year later, Altoc was in her new study space, a small space she rented above the Brightvale Bookshop. It was no castle library, but it made her happy. She put the finishing touches on the last chapter of the book and titled it: "A Guide to Getting Lost (and Found) in the Lost Desert."

     The End.