Seaveil : The Tide Rises -- Part Three

Seaveil looked around him, trying to find where the voice had come from. He turned to hear the quiet hiss, beckoning him. It belonged to a blue figure, a Faerie. But all he could remember were those eyes, those frightening eyes, before he sprung up with a jolt.

     "Woah, Seaveil! Are you having a seizure or something?" Deague said, frowning at Seaveil's sudden movements.

     The Shoyru looked around him, then he frantically told, "It was dark and everything and I looked around and you weren't there so I thought it was a prank and --"

     "Ugh, you're sounding like Regraiy!"

     "-- and I heard this voice --"

     "Be quiet for a second, Seaveil! Honestly! I don't know how you can get that crazy with a little nightmare. It must have been worse than Regraiy when he got one..." Deague rolled his eyes. Seaveil sighed, and within a wink, he forgot most of his dream. "Anyway," Deague continued importantly, "Look over here."

     Deague pointed ahead, and Seaveil saw something he didn't see before. Civilization. He gawked at it; the golden sand creating the brilliant architectural buildings, and the trees planted amongst them. There were houses and pets walking round. Seaveil didn't know whether to gladden because of a different, and possibly more positive, place, or to frown because he was back with society. Either way, Deague cheered and scurried off, and Seaveil could do nothing but follow behind.

     As they neared the scene, it seemed to get smaller and smaller than what they thought it would be. Soon enough, they emerged at the town. The buildings were, at most, triple their height, and the majority of buildings were less than twice their height. They seemed small enough to fit PetPets, and soon enough, they discovered this fact true.

     Seaveil looked around the town. Deague followed, his eyes glinting. Despite their size and the abnormality of a scuffing Neopet walking amongst many desert PetPets, nobody seemed to notice Seaveil and Deague traveling around the roads. They didn't know whether it was a good thing -- it meant more effort to ask for directions, or for some fluids.

     After a few minutes of walking around, they stopped at the back of a building and leaned upon its sandy surface. They began to munch on the tchea fruits they collected from the tree, and looked around.

     "All of this walking, it's starting to hurt. Again." Seaveil sighed meekly, snatching his second tchea fruit.

     "Well," Deague said, a grin playing upon his face, "we'll soon be relieved. It's going to rain soon." Deague pointed up to the sky, where already, clouds had formed. Seaveil was too busy with his feet to notice, but now that he saw it, he, too, grinned.

     A bit far off in the distance, three Wadjets stood. Unlike normal Wadjets, they had white scales formed upon their sleek bodies, and clear eyes; a pair had blue eyes, and the other had yellow. Despite their peaceful, pure appearance, the two of the three, whom looked like the two elders, were arguing amongst one another.

     "We should hurry back inside," said one. Seaveil and Deague picked themselves up and neared the group. "It's going to rain soon."

     "Auraleil is one with the water and the ocean. She will not leave the golden opportunity of rain," replied the misty-eyed female. Seaveil and Deague figured the first was her mate.

     The male Wadjet frowned. The baby one, Auraleil, squirmed. She didn't want to be part of the fight, but knew too well not to leave her mother and father.

     "She is a child of light, just like the rest of us here in this village."

     "The rain is for calling her, as it once called for me."

     Soon enough, it began to rain, and everyone but the three Wadjets, Seaveil, and Deague had left the scene. The rain splattered upon the sand-made, but solid structures, while the argument raged on (although it did not appear very fierce with the mother's calm speech).

     Auraleil ducked away as her father looked infuriated, his yellow eyes glinting. "Look what you have done! The rain has begun, and we are not safely sheltered. The light has diminished, and thus it is not our time to be out here."

     "Psshht, stupid father," mumbled Seaveil, who, along with Deague, was hiding behind one of the buildings.

     "Don't say that," snapped Deague.

     Seaveil frowned. "Why not? We like the water. There's no harm in staying out in the rain."

     "People have their own opinions," Deague sighed, "something you probably wouldn't understand. Not everyone likes the water like we do, Seaveil. To say something about the father just because he doesn't share the same interest isn't exactly fair."

     "Neither is lecturing me."

     With that, the two turned back to the Wadjets. Auraleil's mother and father were too distracted to notice that she had already scurried away -- toward Seaveil and Deague.

     When Auraleil saw the two, she squirmed, which made her mother and father notice her appearance immediately.

     "Auraleil!" they chorused, then hurried to her side.

     "Err," Seaveil said, scratching his head, "Hi?"

     Deague smiled. "See here? Despite their differences, they both still share a soft spot for their daughter. Neither is cold-hearted, and only want their best for her."

     "Are you become some kind of psychologist or something?" questioned Seaveil. "In any case," he said, turning to the mother and father Wadjet, "I think you should let your daughter choose which path is right for her. I mean, I'm sure little decisions, like whether she should go out on a stormy night or not, could be chosen by you guys, but choosing what she believes in? It's not right."

     The Wadjets blinked. "You speak!" exclaimed the father. "We have never seen a Neopet in our life."

     "Never mind that," the mother said swiftly, turning her gaze over to Seaveil, "I believe you are correct. We must let our daughter choose her future, whatever it may be..." She sighed.

     "Yes, yes, he is right." The father brushed off her words. "Can you lift things? Can you build, Neopet?"

     "My name's Seaveil," said Seaveil, a touch confused, "And yes, I can lift..."

     "Great! How would you like to stay at our place for a while, in exchange for your services?"

     "A splendid idea!" chorused Deague and Auraleil's mother. Auraleil rolled her eyes. Deague was just happy to have a place to stay in the meantime, and this way, they could perhaps find their way back to the sea.

     Frowning at first, Seaveil turned to Deague. The Nuranna flashed him a fins up, and they both grinned.

***

A few days later, Deague and Seaveil were constructing their fifteenth house. It wasn't awfully hard, because the buildings were quite miniscule compared to Seaveil's height. They had been staying at the three Wadjets' house for the past few days, and received food and water as well. When they had finished making it, they sat down on the flakey ground, leaning on the gruff surface behind them.

     "You know what I just noticed?" Deague said, with a rather disappointed tone.

     "What?"

     "This is cliché. Very, very cliché."

     Seaveil smiled, then turned. It was silent for a moment, then he spoke. "Maybe we could leave this clichéness and hurry back to sea," he suggested.

     "'Clichéness' isn't a word," teased Deague. "But I guess you are correct. Let's go ask them for directions to the nearest major town. We'll figure something out from there."

     They got up from their seat and began to walk back to the Wadjets' house. After a few steps, they saw that Auraleil was in front of them, looking quite sad. They had been accompanying her for the last few days.

     "Are you leaving?" she asked.

     "Yeah..." Seaveil replied, none too nervously.

     "Then take me with you!" Auraleil said, her face lighting up. "Please?"

     "But --"

     "I can't stand these arguments with my parents, and I can cook and clean for you!" Auraleil pleaded.

     "We argue too," Deague mumbled to Seaveil, but Seaveil blurted, "Sure! We'll take you with us. It'll be an adventure, with all three of us."

     Auraleil smiled, relieved and happy. Her happiness continued until they reached her house, where they spoke to her parents, asking them for directions to the nearest major town.

     "The Lost Desert is about a walking distance worth around three days for a PetPet," informed the father, "but since you are quite a hurried Neopet, it should only take you a little over a day."

     "Thanks," said Seaveil, then turned to Auraleil. "We were also wondering if Auraleil could come with us."

     Both the father and mother looked extremely shocked. "C-come with you? But what if something happens to her?"

     "I assure you," Deague said in such a tone that was impossible to compete with, "that we will keep her in safe ha -- paws and fins. She needs to be able to travel, and see for herself her own beliefs. 'Spread her wings', in a matter of speaking."

     Slowly and hesitantly, the parents of Auraleil nodded.

     "And that's that."

***

Before they realized it, Seaveil, Deague, and Auraleil arrived at the Lost Desert. It was fantastic, though not as compelling and unique as the PetPet town they had come across, with markets and humans and Neopets strutting to and fro.

     Auraleil, seeing as she never left her town before, was extremely amazed.

     "If you think this is amazing," Seaveil said as he clambered into their new ship (that a familliar-looking girl wearing a bandana said she had no need for anymore and dashed off rather suspiciously), "you should see the ocean."

     Her eyes sparkled and she and Deague were both hoisted into the boat. It was much more new than their last one, with hefty and brilliant sails. Seaveil glanced at his ship and then at Deague and Auraleil. He couldn't help to feel a bit grateful for all he had thus far.

The End