Zulu's Adventure of Bravery

     Last week we left Zulu at the entrance of the hidden cave in Tyrannia. Here he had found part of a map and two sets of footprints leading inside…

     Chapter 3

     Zulu stood at the mouth of the cave, map in hand, and wondered which trail the Neopian had taken. After a minute, Zulu realized he was thinking too far ahead; he was here to search for clues, not traverse the tunnel systems. He stepped forward, allowed his eyes to adjust to the dim light, and proceeded to enter the cave. Just a few feet into the tunnel, Zulu came to an area that was like a small room. Here he found his strongest piece of evidence yet: in the center of the room was a piece of rope dangling down a hole in the ground. The rope had been anchored to an immovable boulder, but was sliced by a sharp edge so that it could not be used to climb out of the hole. Zulu wondered whether it had been used by the victim or the criminal to descend into the cave. He believed the criminal had cut the rope, and Zulu now realized they must have been comfortable with sharp tools and weapons.

     Zulu continued his search into the tunnel. He gathered some strength before descending the bit of rope, and hopping down into the lower level of the cave. After reaching the bottom, Zulu became fearful for his safety. He thought of the Neopian, who did not come back despite having a huge club to defend himself. The further forward he glanced, the darker the cave became. Zulu realized he could not go any further without a lantern, as the daylight did not reach down to these depths. He decided to proceed back to Judge Hog with his preliminary findings and return to the cave tomorrow. As Zulu turned back towards the rope, he noticed something on the floor. Etched into the dusty surface was some kind of snake-like symbol. Zulu was unfamiliar with the symbol and decided he should ask if Judge Hog knows what it stands for. After committing the symbol to memory, Zulu flew up out of the hole and exited the cave.

     On the way back to the Defender of Neopia Headquarters, Zulu thought about the evidence in the cave and the hidden clues about the criminal. If their weapon of choice was a blade… How would Zulu defend himself if things became violent? Zulu became so wrapped up in his thoughts, that for a while he forgot he was supposed to be on his way back to the Defenders of Neopia. Eventually, his train of thought came back around to Judge Hog. He knew it was important to speak to Hog about his findings and to find out how best to protect himself.

     Finally, after flying for longer than necessary, Zulu stopped delaying and approached the headquarters. As always, the walk into the headquarters felt empowering and prestigious. Zulu loved every moment of it and began picturing himself amongst the other Defenders of Neopia. After approaching Hog's office, he knocked on the door and was instructed to enter. Zulu now saw that Judge Hog had company: Hog had been approached by Hannah and Armin, who were arguing about Kanrik's suspected involvement in the Neopian's disappearance. Hannah was angry at Judge Hog. She was trying to explain that Kanrik had been in the Golden Dubloon with her and Armin all night long on the day of the disappearance. Hog knew of Hannah and Kanrik's close friendship, which made him doubt her story.

     With hopes of ending the argument, Hog turned to Zulu and asked for an update. As Zulu began to speak, he noticed that he was being stared at by all three individuals and suddenly felt anxious. After pausing for a moment, Zulu informed Hog, Hannah, and Armin that three of the six suspects had been eliminated from the case. Unfortunately, Kanrik was not one of those three. Zulu explained that the suspect was in possession of a sharp weapon, some sort of sword, dagger, or blade. *** They also appeared to have some sort of affiliation with a group or guild, represented by the unusual symbol that he found on the cave floor.

     Upon hearing this, Judge Hog quickly asked Zulu for a description of the symbol in order to determine its significance. Zulu tried to describe the symbol, but could see that his verbal description was not helping anyone decipher its meaning. Zulu asked them for a paper and pen, in order to draw it. After the symbol was sketched onto the paper, Zulu looked at the others hoping for answers. Judge Hog appeared disheartened… he didn’t want to be right about Kanrik! Zulu then looked to Hannah who sadly identified the symbol as that of the Thieves Guild. Hannah appeared frustrated, as she realized that this would further implicate Kanrik in the case. Zulu had not yet made the connection, so Armin quietly explained that the symbol belonged to a group that Kanrik was the leader of.

     Judge Hog told Zulu that another suspect could be eliminated – Lord Kass. After unearthing this clue, Zulu had only two suspects remaining: Kanrik and Galem Darkhand, both of whom had affiliations with the Thieves Guild. Hog now turned to Zulu and instructed him to head back and search further into the cave for more evidence. Zulu explained that while collecting evidence earlier he had to turn around, as the cave was pitch black. In order to go deeper, he would need some sort of light to be able to see. Hog smiled, and handed Zulu a brightly lit lantern along with some night vision contacts. Zulu thanked Hog for the items but noticed that there was something else in his hands. The final item Hog gave to Zulu was his very own Defender of Neopia Cape. Zulu was officially an honorary Defender of Neopia – He couldn't believe it!

      Chapter 4

     Clear on his instructions, Zulu left the Defenders of Neopia headquarters ready to head back towards the cave. He again felt nervous, but remembered that his success in this mission would likely result in him becoming a full-fledged Defender of Neopia. Defenders of Neopia are known for their bravery, so he must therefore be courageous and strong. He was about to take flight when he heard someone running down the stairs behind him. Hannah and Armin were calling his name and yelling for him to wait. Zulu turned back to see what the shouting was about, and the two friends asked if they could come with him.

     Hannah wanted to clear Kanrik's name and said that she could help Zulu better navigate the caves. He was reluctant at first, but after Hannah reminded everyone she was the Ice Caves Champion, Zulu decided a little help couldn't hurt. He would just have to keep an eye on Hannah, in case further evidence that implicated Kanrik was found.

     The journey back to Tyrannia was not as quick with his companions in tow, but Zulu was grateful for the company. He felt less nervous knowing he did not have to face the dark cave alone, and his boost in confidence seemed to make the time pass quicker. It seemed like no time at all before Zulu, Hannah, and Armin were approaching the cave entrance. Upon reaching the mouth of the cave they paused, and all three of them took a deep breath as they thought about what might lie inside. Being the self-proclaimed cave champion, Hannah took the lead and started walking. One by one the group entered the cave.

     Hannah had forgotten how gloomy and uncomfortable caves could be. As they proceeded further into the tunnel, Zulu reminded the search party that they should be looking for a hole with the cut rope, so to be careful of where they were walking. Unfortunately, despite Zulu’s warnings, Hannah found the hole BEFORE the rope. A few scary moments later, the three of them had safely made it down into the lower level of the cave and this time, they were prepared! Zulu handed Armin the lantern and put his night vision contacts in. He was already wearing his Defender of Neopia Cape.

     The trio didn’t make it far before they could see that up ahead there was a fork in the cave’s tunnel. Hannah, Armin, and Zulu tried to agree upon which of the two paths to take. With his night vision contacts, Zulu was quickly able to notice some large footprints going down the path to the left. Once he showed the clues to Hannah and Armin, the group unanimously agreed to take the left path. A ways down the path, the three of them encountered an old battered chest. Its lid was open, and it was clear that someone had found the treasure! Regardless of who originally found it, Zulu guessed that the treasure was now in possession of the thief.

     The group looked around for clues that might indicate if whoever found the treasure continued down the tunnel, or turned back toward the cave’s entrance. Hannah and Armin looked around the chest, while Zulu searched for more footprints. It wasn’t long before Hannah was shouting that inside the chest there was a clue! She had discovered a note from one of the treasure hunters. Zulu quickly took the note and read it aloud: "Someone is following me! I can hear them approaching! Their head is covered, but his eyes are red!" After reading this, the trio knew they had to progress further in the cave.

     The cave quickly became narrow and tunnel-like. The further they went, the colder it got… Where on earth were they headed? It didn't take long before Zulu heard a thud, he turned around to see that Hannah had slipped on the floor. Both Zulu and Armin tried their best not to laugh. The floor had become icy and the ice caves champion had fallen!

     A few steps further down the tunnel, Zulu, Hannah, and Armin were greeted by a loud roar. Soon a blast of icy cold air followed… This cave and tunnel appear to connect two different lands! One was hot and derelict; the other frozen and bleak. With the tips of their ears frozen from the icy blast, the group ran for their lives and decided it was time for another chat with Judge Hog.

To be continued…