|
Bel pulled the bow back, stared straight at the center
of the target, and released the arrow.
"What…?" He stared in awe at his own aim. The
arrow had landed dead in the center of the target "Mya…"
"OH MY GOSH!" she screamed. "You actually did
it! You actually really, really, did it!" She jumped into Bel's arms. "Of course,
this was all to do with MY genius-nous! Bel snapped out of his confusion, then
laughed.
"What? I did that?" He paused
for another moment or two, then let out a scream. "YIPEE! I can see again!"
He swung the young Cybunny around in his arms, tossing and laughing, while the
Techo just stared in shock.
"B-B-But…"
So throughout the day, Bel took his time at
Ultimate Bullseye, only failing when it came to a bonus round, such as shooting
his arrow through a flaming hoop or such. Otherwise, he mostly had straight
out bullseyes.
~
"Something is happening…" Jeran was whispering to one of his fellow Knights
out on and open field. "Something at the Citadel…"
"Excuse me, sir?" the red Elephante questioned.
"Look!" he yelled, in sudden shock. "Those clouds!
Around the Darigan Citadel! What are they?" Semi-transparent black clouds at
by the Citadel started moving swiftly, spiraling closer to the face of Neopia.
"The Draconians… They've plotted against us,"
his friend gasped.
"Should I call in the forces?" he asked.
"No," he said, "let's see what their first move
REALLY is. But for now, we should simply inform King Skarl."
"Well, sir…" The Elephante stared at Jeran,
worried.
"What is it?" Jeran asked with a brave but aware
look.
"King Skarl is…" he paused,"…well, occupied."
~
"We're home!" shouted Bel, with a loud, proud voice.
"Uh-huh," said Stacy, who was staring out the
window.
"And we brought home three bags filled with
Neopoints!" said Bel, who was awaiting his response.
"Uh-huh," she replied, paying no attention.
"And a cart full of food!" He stood there, staring
at Stacy.
"Uh-huh," she repeated, once again.
"And you're not listening to me one bit!"
"Yes I am," she said, "What cart full of food?"
"Typical," he responded. "So you worry about
the food, of course."
"WHERE IS IT?!"
"Yeesh," moaned Mya, who was walking through
the door, pantings and sweating, "I make you un-blind. And what do you do? Make
me pull a cart of food TWICE my size home."
"Relax," he said, smiling, "It builds character."
"Uh," grunted Stacy, taking her attention away
from the two, "whatever."
"I bring you home riches," Bel said to Stacy,
"and an endless supplies of food, and this, THIS is my thanks?"
"Sorry," she said, in a bland voice, "But would
you identify for me what is coming from YOUR Citadel?" He gazed out the window,
and stared into the distance.
"Why," he said, "it looks like a cloud of some
of flying Draconian Neopets!"
"Well," she asked, "What are they doing?"
"Not a clue," he said, staring in confusion,
"It's probably just one of their events.
"Doubt it," Stacy moaned in a worrisome voice,
"so I'm going to the Castle to ask questions."
"NO!" he shouted. "Not alone. Let me come along."
"Me, too!"
"No, Mya," said Stacy, staring down at her,
"this is a grown-up event. You stay here." Stacy rushed out the door, dragging
Bel behind her.
"Fine," whined Mya, who threw herself into a
cloud of food, "I'll stay here and eat MY Hot Crossed Buns, and leave none for
Stacy OR Bel."
~
"What are they doing in there?" asked Jeran, holding his sword out against
the wall of the Castle.
"I'm not quite sure," claimed the giant Elephante
Knight, "But I have reason to believe we shouldn't look at whatever they're
staring at."
"Oh, yeah?" asked Jeran. "What reason would
that be?"
"Take a look at Skarl." Jeran peaked through
the window, and there, he saw King Skarl, zoned out, drooling, and his eyes
had the strangest of stares in it.
"Got your point."
~
"Stacy, I don't see your need to hurry," shouted Bel, who was being dragged
through the market behind her. She stopped and turned around, stared at him,
and threw her hands down to her waist with rage.
"WHAT'S my problem?" she shouted. "Your homeland
may be plotting to DEMOLISH my peaceful land, and you ask WHAT'S my problem?"
"Stacy," said Bel, "it's not my fault I've been
cursed to Darigan. Do you think I want to be part of them all? No. No way. So
can you PLEASE stop all this fury?"
"I don't want to relive the horror," she said,
her eyes almost starting to tear up. "The horror of the biggest war to ever
be seen in Neopia. Just not ready. I won't ever be. Nor will anyone else." She
rushed back off through several people, Bel closely following.
~
"Vex," said Kalam, staring at the Mynci sharpening his sword, "You look as
if you are gearing-up to kill. I'm only asked you to lead a search party."
"Who said I wasn't?" Vex didn't bother to even
look at Kalam.
"That is not your task-"
"No one ever said I couldn't have my own business,"
he said, as his sword shined. "My own tasks." Kalam glared at him, as if he
was about to charge at him.
"Vex, you listen up," he said. "I'm getting
quite the suspicions of you. And I tell you; if that disgrace, Bel, is not dead,
that would mean there was no worth in working with you. And that would mean
lack of worth of your existence to me, as well. Got it?" Vex nodded, but bothered
not to turn his head.
"Good."
~
"What are they doing in there?" whispered Bel, standing near the door of the
main room of the castle. "I hear laughter, chanting, and a whole lot of music."
"Let's go in," she said. "Just another day for
the King and his lazy men!"
"Not yet," he said. "I have a strange feeling
something weird is going on…"
"Don't be paranoid," she snapped, dragging him
in. But after a few seconds of staring at the main attraction, a beautiful Aisha
court dancer, Stacy was standing still, in some sort of trance.
"Stacy!" Bel shouted into her ear. "STACY! What's
wrong?" Bel took a look at the court dancer. Except he didn't see the same thing-he
saw an ugly, purple Draconian witch-like Aisha, casting a visual spell on them
all. "But… What do THEY see?" Bel slipped off his glasses for a brief moment,
and saw the beautiful court-dancer. He started feeling dizzy, then numb, but
just barely managed to slip his glasses back on, then saw
"These are some glasses Mya made!" Bel told
himself. He tried to pull on Stacy's arm, back out to the hallway, but she would
not budge a muscle.
"That witch…" Bel mumbled in rage, "This means
Darigan really IS plotting an attack!" Then, and just then, the terrible Aisha
stared at Bel. He tried and looked under a trance, and as brain-dead as possible,
as he slipped himself out of the room.
~
"OKAY!" yelled Lord Kass, in a cave placed in the bottom-side of the Citadel.
"GET AS MANY MEN ON THIS SHIP AS POSSIBLE!" He was standing by a giant chariot,
which was attached to two giant Draconian Grarrls. Tough-looking armoured NeoPets
lined up to walk on to the next flight down to Meridell, and holding chain-leashes,
which led to the long legs of Giant Spyders. They tugged at the wild beasts,
which would occasionally jump at each other to try and prove their dominance.
"CHARIOT 2, NOW DEPARTING."
~
He rushed out of the castle, as his Knight instincts kicked back in and his
running led to jumping powerfully from wall to wall. But just as he left through
the gate of the Castle, he was pounced on by a blue Lupe in golden armour. His
glasses skid across the grass.
"Oh," Jeran said, holding the struggling Bel down, "do I have the pleasure
of defeating the first warrior, of the first wave?" He held his golden sword
to Bel's neck, and Bel instantly stopped his struggle.
"Please, no," he said, "It's not what it looks
like."
"What they all say," Jeran yelled. "They all
beg for mercy in the same way."
"Please," Bel begged, "I've been away from Meridell
for quite the time now. I've been trying to make a new living here, but it hasn't
been all-that successful. I have know clue what Lord Kass is doing right now."
Jeran held his sword closer.
"Introduce thyself," he said, still glaring
in non-insurance.
"I am Bel," he started, "an X-Meridell Knight.
I worked for Captain Kalam, second in position next to Lord Kass. I was forced
to fight in the first war, but kept out of most. I now live with two villagers,
names Stacy and Mya. But I have NOTHING to do with what's happening now."
"How do I know I can trust you?" asked Jeran.
"My glasses." Bel pointed at his glasses. "What
honourable Draconian Knight would wear those?"
"Point taken," laughed Jeran, taking back his
sword. "I suppose I can trust you. A Knight, eh? I suppose you could be of SOME
assistance. You help fight your homeland, and I can grant you a decent spot
in the Castle."
"Thank you," said Bel, humbly, "but that is
not what I am searching for. I just want peace, nothing else. So now if you
will excuse me, I have to check up on my young friend."
"Family?"
"Close enough."
"Well," said Jeran, "that's one thing that can't
be left behind. Here's what-I assist you on this, and you assist me on my job."
"Done deal," said Bel, starting to run, followed
closely by the noble Knight Jeran.
~
"The time is now!" shouted Captain Kalam to his troops. They instantly charged
from the fields in an orderly fashion at Meridell.
"CHARGE!" Over the hills the cloud of darkness
ran, heading first towards the market place. Angry words were heard left and
right, front and back.
"DOWN WITH KING SKARL!"
~
"Mya!" Bel ran through the door of their small house. "You're alright!"
"Bel," she said, with a worried voice, sitting
in the corner, "What's happening? Where's Stacy?" Bel kneeled down to the almost-crying
Cybunny as Jeran walked in and looked around.
"Don't worry," he said, "Stacy will be alright.
And so will everything. You just stay here?"
"But WHERE IS SHE?"
"She's at the Castle."
"But don't worry," said Jeran, looking down,
"Little girl. The whole army is protecting the castle. Your sister is only a
little occupied." Mya started crying.
"Mya-" said Bel, hesitantly, "Do you have a
hide-out? A bunker? A basement? A cellar? Anything?"
"There is a cellar below the house," she cried.
"Well, you're going there," Bel said, starting
to panic.
Bel ran out the door with Mya and his arms,
and found the wooden door. He handed her a peace of plywood, and handed it to
her.
"Use this to block off the door," he said, shoving
her in, "Now go!" The last sight he saw before closing the door was the sad
little Cybunny crying her eyes out.
"Now we must go," said Jeran, "and hurry. We
need to recruit forces, and fast. Please, come with me?"
"Yes," Bel replied, "of course. I always keep
up my end of the bargain."
"Good," said Jeran, "now we must hurry back
to the castle. You can tell me what's happening in there on the way there."
"Sure thing." They ran off at lightening speed,
leaving no path behind them down the road.
To be continued…
| 
