The Grey Draik and the Kadoatie

     This Draik was not like his brethren. Instead of standing upright with his chest puffed out, in brave and brazen confidence, this Draik trudged around with his head bowed low, lost in woe. His eyes were puffy and pink with desolation, as if he would burst into tears without a moment’s notice. His outlook on the world had turned grey, devoid of all colour, flavour, and joy. Even the colour of his exterior had become Grey as well. Instead of soaring with his fellow Draiks high in the sky, the Grey Draik sulked in his nest and watched on from afar.

     As the Draik curled deeper into his nest of wallows, the sound of rustling could be heard coming from the nearby bushes. A reassuring voice called out: “Are you sure you don’t wanna come join us?” The Grey Draik didn’t need to look in order to know whose voice it was. It came from Fidius, a Green Draik who was one of the most loyal friends a Neopet could ask for. Despite the kind gesture, the Grey Draik could barely muster the energy to respond. Instead, he let out a despondent **sigh**, voicing the emptiness that lay within his heart.

     Fidius stepped out of the bushes, and when he looked upon his friend, all curled up in his nest, he felt a mix of pity and compassion. He walked over to the nest, kneeled down, and gave the Grey Draik a pat on the shoulder, so as to offer a gesture of comfort and consolation to his mourning friend. “Alright, you don’t have to come. But if you’re going to feel any better, then you’re going to have to get out of your nest one day.” The Grey Draik looked up at his friend and saw sympathy behind his gaze. He gave Fidius a nod, feigning agreement with his friend’s advice. However, deep down, the Grey Draik felt that the well in his heart was too deep to escape.

     Sensing that his friend needed some alone time, Fidius bid adieu and flew off to join the festivities. Meanwhile, the Grey Draik sank even deeper into his nest. He closed his eyes, and the painful memories began to flood back into his consciousness…

     ***

     The sun was high over Meridell as the Draik was making his usual rounds on the grounds surrounding the castle. However, in this memory, the Grey Draik was not yet Grey. Instead, his scales dazzled with a royal Purple shine. In fact, much of the Draik’s countenance was much different in this memory. Rather than trudging along with a hunch in his back, he stood tall as he walked into town and exuded confidence. The difference could even be seen in his eyes, which were illuminated with playfulness, passion, and pride.

     First, he stopped to purchase some Gruel from Merifoods. Then, he watched an upset unfold at the Turdle Races. To end the day, he paid a visit to Illusen in her Glade. Throughout the lengthy day of errands, the Draik was accompanied by his beloved petpet, Angie, the Angelpuss. The Purple Draik first met Angie years prior, when he and Fidius chased each other so high in the sky that they nearly reached the clouds of Faerieland. When the pair returned home to Meridell, the Purple Draik was surprised to find that a stray Angelpuss had followed him all the way home. He decided to adopt the energetic creature, and the two have been inseparable ever since.

     Unfortunately, when the duo left Illusen’s Glade, tragedy would strike. An errant cheese from the nearby Cheeseroller hill whizzed by, bumping into Angie and sending her flying into the slumbering Turmaculus. That’s when the King of Petpets woke up…

     ***

     The Grey Draik shuddered as he recalled the memory. Ever since that awful day, his scales slowly faded until he had become Grey. As the vivid recollection ebbed away, he was left with a sickness deep in his stomach. He wanted to cry, but he could not. There were no more tears left.

     As nightfall crept upon the kingdom, the Draiks-in-flight began spewing flames, creating a dazzling show akin to a fireworks display. He could make out Fidius’ figure, twirling in a barrel roll while emitting ring-shaped swirls of fire from his nostrils. The Draik remembered how, when he was younger, he and Fidius would practice these fire-twixt barrel rolls together and how fun it was. For a flicker of a second, the Grey Draik hoped that, perhaps, igniting a flame would warm up his spirit. He took a deep breath, and although he tried to muster up the energy needed to conjure up a flare, he couldn’t manage so much as a spark.

     The Grey Draik collapsed in his nest, heaving out of utter exhaustion. As he lay there, catching his breath, Fidius’ words came back to him: If you’re going to feel any better, then you’re going to have to get out of your nest one day. Perhaps Fidius was right. Almost everywhere he looked, he was reminded of Angie—of his loss. Perhaps he should leave his nest and leave Meridell altogether. But where? He had heard of this place, nestled deep within the Haunted Woods, called Neovia. The drab city’s Tale of Woe and desolate ethos sounded like it mirrored the vacancy within the Grey Draiks' very soul. And just like that, he knew…

     ***

     Instead of languishing in his nest, the next morning, the Grey Draik rose bright and early. With the merriment continuing on late into the night, he knew that much of Meridell would still be asleep into the early afternoon, and he would be able to sneak away undetected. He especially wanted to avoid seeing Fidius. He simply knew that he didn’t have the courage to look his best friend in the eye and defend his decision to leave their home for good. With a knapsack filled with the essentials, the Grey Draik hopped out of his nest and began the path to the Haunted Woods, hoping to reach his destination by nightfall.

     As Meridell Castle grew smaller and smaller in his rearview, the Grey Draik’s heart began to flutter. Am I feeling nervousness or excitement? He thought to himself. He shook his head. Doesn’t matter. For either emotion granted the Draik a reprieve from the depressive misery, which had so clouded his mind for quite some time. With each step, the Grey Draik's posture slowly improved until he no longer trudged, with his head bowed down low. Instead, he marched along the path at full stature, enjoying the warmth of the sun shining upon his face.

     As he continued along the path, the Grey Draik noticed something peculiar up ahead. He squinted in order to gain a better sense of what lay in his wake. It looked like an amorphous, periwinkle puddle. However, as he grew closer, he was able to better discern the identity of the mysterious object. It was a litter of Kadoaties. The little petpets were playfully wriggling in a pileup, right in the middle of the road.

     The Draik gulped. Merely the sight of the Kadoaties had the Grey Draik reeling. After all, he was leaving Meridell in order to escape the harrowing memory of his beloved Angie. The sight of the admittedly adorable petpets was too much for him to handle. He decided that he would venture just off the path in order to sneak past the wiggling litter unnoticed. Tiptoeing ever so quietly, the Draik made sure to slink past the Kadoaties without making so much as a sound.

     As the Grey Draik resumed his journey towards the Haunted Woods, leaving the frolicking Kadoaties behind, his mind was consumed with thoughts of the past and the pain of losing Angie. He trudged along the path, feeling the weight of his sorrow pressing down on him like a heavy blanket. Eventually, hunger gnawed at his stomach, and he decided to stop for lunch. Finding a quiet spot by the roadside, he unpacked his knapsack and began to eat, pushing away the memories that threatened to overwhelm him.

     When he was ready to pack up and recommence his journey, he noticed something peculiar. There was a very large lump underneath the fabric of his knapsack. **zzzzz** Was that the sound of snoring? It could be heard coming from underneath the fabric. The Grey Draik reached his hand underneath and pulled out a little Kadoatie. Did it sneak into his knapsack? Or had it followed him the entire time? It stirred awake and blinked at him with big, innocent eyes, its tiny paws clutching the fabric. It let out the most endearing **yawn** and the Grey Draik rolled his eyes.

     The Grey Draik sighed, from one part annoyance and two parts resignation. He knew he couldn’t leave the Kadoatie alone out there. But he also didn’t want another to bring a reminder of Angie along with him to Neovia. However, the Draik had no time to so much as contemplate his course of action, for, all of a sudden, a sudden breeze picked up and quickly escalated into a powerful gust. Accompanying the wind was a loud *WHOOSH* from behind him. He spun around to find a growing horde of illuminated orbs jetting across the Meridellian grasslands. Whatever they were, they were flying in his direction, and they were flying fast.

     Panic set in almost immediately. The Draik scooped up the little Kadoatie and left his belongings behind as he sprinted into the tall grass lining the path. His mind was racing. Was this another attack by the Citadel? Has the Darkest Faerie returned? Heck, was Queen Fyora mad at me? He began to grow tired, and his legs began to ache. Exhausted, he slowed down to see if he had outrun the mysterious threat, but the illuminated force was almost upon him. With outrunning it no longer being a viable option, the Draik had no choice but to crouch down to the ground, shield the charming Kadoatie with his body, and brace for impact.

      The Grey Draik and Kadoatie were engulfed in a swarm of blinding light. The Draik winced and prepared for the irradiating force to devour him. However, after a few moments had by, the Draik cautiously squinted into the blinding entity that he was now within. It was as if the Draik and Kadoatie were consumed by a fast-flowing river of light. It was a wonder that the pair weren’t swept away by the swiftness of its current. The Draik was afraid that, were he to move so much as an inch, he would be uprooted from the ground and carried away with the myriad of fluttering orbs that composed the luminescent river.

     He pressed his new Kadoatie companion close to his chest. He couldn’t bear to let another Petpet meet harm on his watch. He thought to himself: What was this? Was it magic? The Kadoatie seemed unperturbed by the spectacle. It tried to wrangle free from the Draik’s grasp in order to investigate the scene, out of curiosity. With its free paw, it swiped at the brightness, and when its hand emerged, it brought with it an extremely tiny faerie, which emitted an ethereal glow. That was when the Draik recalled hearing about something quite like this before.

     He remembered one day, while counting potatoes at Merri Acres Farm, when a farmer regaled a tale in which he had seen a dazzling flock of faeries being chased by the greedy Balthazar. The Bounty Hunter sought to bottle up the faeries to sell them on the black market. Alone, each faerie was powerless against Balthazar’s might, but, in unison, they were able to escape his wrath.

     It was with that recollection in mind that the Draik was able to understand the marvel before him. Now, he discerned the faeries’ fluttering wings as they flew by and admired the broad spectrum of colours that flowed in their wake. With his mouth agape, the Grey Draik thought to himself, If I had just stayed in my nest, I never would have experienced this beauty. The monochromatic coat of melancholy—the filter of Grey—that had obfuscated his view of the world had finally been lifted. The little Kadoatie nuzzled its soft fur against the Drak’s chin with a loving **mew** and the Draik smiled, cuddling the little creature close to his heart. In the same way that these faeries were stronger in numbers, his quest to reach Neovia was bolstered with the Kadoatie by his side.

     ***

     As the Grey Draik continued along the path, the Kadoatie followed closely behind, its fluffy tail swinging back and forth. The longer the Kadoatie plodded behind him, a glimmer of warmth began to grow inside the Draik’s heart, fueled by the little creature’s determination to stay by his side. They arrived at the edge of the Haunted Woods just as the sun was setting on the horizon, much later than the Draik had originally intended, as the path into the woods was cloaked in darkness. From inside the forest, the **creak** of trees and the **clicks** of fiendish monsters could be heard clearly from the outskirts of the spooky forest. The Draik shifted uneasily. If I were afraid of a flock of faeries, then how would I ever navigate my way through the Haunted Woods in one piece?

     Just as the Draik contemplated his predicament, an ornate carriage, drawn by a team of six Whinnys, pulled up and screeched to a halt. The carriage and Whinnys were decorated with red and orange fabric, embroidered with a golden crest. The carriage’s edges were trimmed with gold, and the carriage’s corners were decorated with silver tassels. The carriage door opened, and out stumbled a haggard-looking Aisha. She was dressed in an elaborate gown and sported an intricate updo. “We’re ever so grateful to have found you!” she called out.

     The Grey Draik had to do a double-take. He looked over his left shoulder, and he looked over his right shoulder. Certainly, the person she was calling out to was behind him, but when he did a one-eighty, there was nothing behind him except for the empty path. He thought to himself, She couldn’t possibly be referring to me. The Aisha clumsily hobbled over to the stunned Draik. “We need to make it to Neovia before this evening’s ball, but we’re running late and the path through the woods is ever so dark.” She was indeed speaking to him. The Draik tried to respond, but instead, he choked up, and no words came out. “I was wondering if you could cast a flame and light our way through those creepy woods. We’d be ever so grateful.” Before the Draik could respond, the Aisha had already spun around and returned to the caravan, slamming the door and yelling, “Thank you so much!”

     The Draik gulped. She expected him to light the way? But he hadn’t been able to light a flame in months. He thought back to yesterday and how he lay heaving in his nest after not even mustering so much as a spark. As his mind raced, the Kadoatie reassuringly rubbed itself against his leg. The softness of its fur had a reassuring quality to it, which reminded him of Angie—this time, in a good way. His fears subsided, and he knew there was something different about today. He drew in a deep breath and, in a matter of seconds, conjured up a small flame that illuminated the path ahead. He picked up his feline friend and led Aisha and her caravan through the Haunted Woods and onward to Neovia.

     ***

      As the Draik guided the party through the Haunted Woods, he could not help but feel like they were being watched. Every so often, he could see mysterious figures dart to and fro amidst the shadows cast by his flame. Please tell me that my imagination is getting the best of me, the Draik thought to himself. The Kadoatie, however, was unfazed by the spookiness of the woods. The petpet squirmed free of the Draik’s grasp so that it could prance along ahead of the group and investigate its every curiosity.

      The Draik was nervous about the Kadoatie venturing too far ahead. After all, don’t they say, “Curiosity was the end of the Kadoatie?” He watched on as the curious creature analysed a particularly sludgy puddle of mud that lay in their wake. As it bowed its head to give the mucky puddle a good sniff, the puddle began to mutate, revealing itself to be a Sludgy. With a scowl on its face, the Sludgy swiped at the Kadoatie with its grimy hand, but the Kadoatie quickly dodged the attack. Before the Draik could intervene, the Kadoatie hissed at its adversary, and the Sludgy retreated deep within the depths of the Woods, sensing that it was outmatched. Phew, the Draik thought to himself as he breathed a deep sigh of relief. That was a close call.

      Only a few yards further, the Kadoatie stumbled upon another object of interest. This time, the curio was a piece of blue fabric, which lay discarded in the middle of the path. Immediately upon seeing the colourful fabric, the Kadoatie’s eyes dilated, and it crouched to the ground, preparing to pounce. However, when the Kadoatie launched itself at its prey, the fabric jolted away, just out of reach. The Kadoatie’s ears pricked up; it was intrigued by the unexpected resistance. Once again, it crouched to the ground and readied its pounce. But, yet again, the fabric flitted just beyond the Kadoatie’s reach. The Grey Draik watched the scene unfold and furrowed his brow. Something felt… off.

      The Kadoatie prepared to pounce for a third time, but before it could do so, a large and menacing beast emerged from the brambles. This beast had ragged brown fur, red eyes, and two large snaggletooths that glinted in the light of the full moon. The Draik froze, paralysed by fear. Werelupes were known to be the most menacing of creatures, primarily roaming the Haunted Woods but also known to ravage Altador, Brightvale, and Meridell from time to time. In his hands, he grasped a fishing rod, of which the line had been tied to the blue fabric, luring the unsuspecting Kadoatie into his trap. The gigantic beast dropped the makeshift lure, unsheathed his claws, and hurled himself at the Kadoatie, who darted out of the way just in the nick of time.

      Despite missing his target, the Werelupe spun around and prepared to make a second lurch at the Kadoatie. It would only be a matter of time before he was successful at capturing his prey. The Draik had to intervene, and he had to intervene now. As if by reflex, the Draik breathed in a mighty breath and unleashed a massive flamethrower upon the Werlupe, engulfing the beast in smoke and flames. When the smoke cleared, the Draik had retrieved the little Kadoatie, and the Werelupe’s fur had been completely burned off, leaving his bare skin exposed. Embarrassed, the brute retreated back into the Woods, evacuating the scene of his humiliating defeat.

      The Draik and the Kadoatie were breathing heavily as the Werelupe fled. That was a close one, but they got through it together. As they caught their breath, the Aisha opened the door to her carriage and hollered, “Hey, what’s the hold-up?”

     ***

     After only a couple of more hours of guiding the caravan through the woods, they had reached their destination: Neovia. The Draik tried to take a gander at the steeple that famously defined the Grey city’s skyline, but an intense swath of fog obscured his view. “We are incredibly grateful for your help!” The Aisha’s voice cut through the Draik’s moment of respite. She tapped his shoulder, and he turned around to find an ornate box in her hands. “I wanted to give you this as a token of our appreciation.” She thrust the gift upon the Draik and, like before, dashed back to her caravan, speeding off before the Draik could utter a word.

     When the Draik looked back up, the fog had cleared, and he could gaze upon Neovia and all of its Grey grandeur. However, as his eyes consumed the sight to behold, he noticed that his heart felt… empty. Though he had ventured all this way, was Neovia not his heart's calling? The Kadoatie let out a contented **meow** as it rubbed its cheek on the edge of the box, causing the lid to spring open and reveal its contents. Amidst gold details and a red velvet lining lay a Purple Paint Brush. The Grey Draik gasped at the sight, for it helped him realise that this story wasn’t about the destination but rather the journey.

     ***

     It was early morning, and the sun had only begun to poke its head above the horizon. Throughout the night, the Draik had flown back to his home, Meridell. When he landed on his nest’s perch, he saw Fidius’ tail poking out. Clearly, his good friend has been worried about his whereabouts. The Draik could hear him **yawn** as he stirred awake. “Where were you yesterday? I looked all over!” His tired friend groggily peeked his head out of the nest, but when his gaze fell upon the Draik and the smug expression on his face, his eyes widened. “You’re... you’re... you’re Purple again!” Fidius stuttered. That is when the Kadoatie leapt out of the Purple Draik's arms and playfully pounced on Fidius’ tail. “Who’s this? What happened?”

     “Let’s just say, I took your advice.” The Purple Draik replied. “I was always going to stay Grey if I didn’t leave the nest.”

     The End.