Chapter 1: Mysterious Map
Tayob is just an ordinary Blumaroo, that is, if you ignore the fact that he HATES the Happy Valley, his family's home for over twenty generations. He was Blumarooish enough. His skin was blue and he could bounce higher than Hyrog, supposedly the highest jumper in all of Neopia. But Tayob hated Happy Valley. Tayob wanted adventure.
It was the annual Blumaroo's Festival in Happy Valley, where Blumaroos come from lands unknown, or with their Owner. Tayob was going with his mother, father, sister Elizabeth and his silent Uncle Maximilian.
Everyone was laughing, participating in contest, and riding rides. One contest was to see how high you could jump. Nobody beat Tayob, that's for sure! Tayob won the trophy for the fifth time in a row. Blumaroos and other Neopets were eating cotton candy and drinking soda. Everyone, accept Tayob. Tayob wasn't laughing, he was sulking.
He didn't like the annual carnival. He was bored of the rides, the food seemed tasteless, and he would happily give away his hopping trophy!
"Hey kid, c' mere!" A voice whispered in Tayob's ear. Tayob looked around in wonderment.
Y' wanna explore the world, don't yea?" it said. "Well, c' mere, and I'll give yea somein ta start yea off. It's a map piece that leads ta treasure!"
Tayob found something wrapped in a black coat hiding in the ally way. "I's got the best treasure map in da worl, man! Follow this babe and you will get to da treasure wi no trouble at all! There are 6 more pieces that c'n help yea. So do yea want it or not?"
Tayob nodded. He wanted adventure, and this was probably going to be his only chance. He took the map from the cloaked figure and unrolled it. There, was a blank piece of paper with nothing on it.
Tayob looked up to tell the figure there was something wrong with his map. But he was gone. Tayob frowned. Now what was he to do? All he got an old blank piece of parchment. Suddenly, the paper rattled and a complete map of Happy Valley came into view. Tayob gasped. No wonder it didn't have anything at first. It was a magic map.
Tayob studied it for a moment. The map shower every detail - from Mr. Soir's grocery store to his mother's flower shop. Every little thing on the map enchanted Tayob. He had never before seen such a map! Then he saw the alley way - the one he was standing in, and there was a little blinking blue dot marked: Tayob, the Blumaroo.
Tayob was mystified by this. Never in his life had he seen such a map. Tayob new that he would be safe with this map.
He went home and packed some things to help him. Then he wrote a letter to his parents, telling her not to worry.
Dear Mom and Dad,
I am going to go exploring and I will not be back until I get some real adventure. Don't worry about me, I am very experienced and know how to survive. Please do not report this to the *Neopian Times. I will be OK. I will write to you every time I am in a town. I have all I need to survive. I love you very much, and I promise that I will come home some day.
Your little Blumaroo,
Tayob
Tayob left his letter on his bed and made a checklist. This is what it was:
Sleeping bag Food Water Flashlight and extra batteries Toothbrush Extra toothpaste 1,000 Neopoints ID Tag Following items for safe travel: Healing potion XX First Aid Kit Backpack Magical Map Sling shot and a bag full of sling stonesOnce Tayob had all the items he needed, he set out on his journey. Tayob started on his way out Happy Valley. He hoped to at least got off the border.
Chapter 2: Tayob Meets Trouble on the BorderBy sundown, Tayob had reached Happy Valley's border. The snow had started to melt away, and Tayob was getting hot. The little Blumaroo decided that the best possible thing to do now was to camp out here.
Tayob dropped his backpack to the ground and spread out his sleeping bag. Then he searched the place for some wood and built a splendid fire. Tayob had a small dinner of omelette and fell asleep.
In the middle of the night, Tayob heard a gruff voice speak. "Up on yer feet now, matey!"
Three gruff looking Pirate Eyries surrounded Tayob. One had a patch over his eye, one had a peg on his right claw, and another one wore a hook on his left wing.
"Arr! We are the Pirate Eyries, coming from the South: Krawk Island. We be looking for a piece o' our treasure map. Have you'm seen a blank paper piece?"
Tayob was frightened and excited at the same time. Imagine! Real pirates! And from Krawk Island! On the other hand, they had daggers. Tayob didn't know what to do. These pirates had a piece of the treasure map, he had another, and where were the other four?
"I haven't seen a blank piece of paper since I saw my sister's homework paper," Tayob lied.
"Arrrgg! Strout must have scattered them everywhere! Wait until I get me beak on that one, mates! C'mon, this lil mate 'ave no map! I'm a wishin' I had the magical piece with me instead of trying to find the regular pieces!"
Once the pirates were gone, Tayob took a look at his map piece. He noticed for the first time that the edges were ragged like it had been torn. Strout - who ever he was - must have been keeping this from the pirates!
Tayob wondered what piece he had gotten. Maybe he had the magical piece! It could be possible, as his looked like a blank parchment.
The map blinked and showed the Happy Valley border and The Dark Forest.
The forest was a place hidden by mountains that the Map of Neopia didn't show. It was dark and forbidding. Evil hid in its branches, and there was an old legend about it.
Tayob thought back to what his grandmother used to say to him.
"Tyloc was a brave warrior, Tayob. You remind me of him," she'd say.
"Do I really, Grandma? I mean, Tyloc was a Scorchio, and I'm a Blumaroo," Tayob would protest.
"It doesn't matter was species you are, it's the brave heart inside you." She would say.
Before he knew it, Tayob had fallen asleep with many wonderful dreams of his family.
Chapter 3: Drellien the KougraThe next morning, Tayob awoke. He checked his supplies and sat down to have some breakfast. Half way, he heard a strange growl. Instinctively, his hand touched his loaded sling on his belt.
Another growl erupted from the bush to Tayob's left. He silently crept up and parted the leaves.
A small yellow Kougra sprang from the bushes and knocked Tayob over. Fortunately for Tayob, it was just a baby and it couldn't do much harm to him. But Tayob did suffer a few deep scratches.
Tayob pushed the Kougra off of him and put a paw over his chest wound. The small Kougra snarled and growled.
"Get off of my land!" He growled. "Or I'll, I'll---!"
"I'll go right now! Just let me finish my breakfast. I'm sorry; I had absolutely no idea that you owned this part of land. It's strange to see Kougras here, but oh well," Tayob said.
"Breakfast? Did you say breakfast? May I join you? I'm mighty hungry." the young Kougra said.
Tayob allowed the young Neopet® to sit next to him a join his meal.
"I'm Tayob the Blumaroo, from Happy Valley," Tayob said as he gave the Kougra baby part of his Cheops Plant. "Who are you?"
"I'm Drellien the Kougra." The Kougra said between bites. "This isn't really my land, but my Father was a brave Kougra and everybody expects me to follow in his footsteps. Or, what's left of my family..." Drellien's voice trailed off. "We were passing through the Dark Forest and we were attacked by vicious Jetsam. They killed Mother and Father and my brother Jenu. Mother told me to hide in the bushes with Jenu. Jenu didn't listen and got killed by one of them. Say, what is this stuff? It's good!"
"It's part of a Cheops Plant. Here, try a Faerie Cake. It has chocolate on it," Tayob said as he handed over the food.
After the meal, Tayob got his supplies togther. "Well, see you some other time Drellien!" Tayob started walking away when he heard soft footsteps behind him. When he stopped, the footsteps stopped. When Tayob walked, so did the thing behind him. He turned around. Drellien was following him.
"Don't you need to go back to where ever you came from?" He asked.
"I wanna come with you, Tayob. I wanna come on your quest with you. I'll be good, promise!" Drellien said.
"Sure, why not?" Tayob said cheerfully. He was glad to have a friend. "We have to find a way to get around the Dark Forest without ever setting foot in it. Do you have any suggestions, Drellien?"
"None here. But you could try to go around the forest. The border of the trees aren't so spooky. Lots of sunlight hits those places. I know because my family walked on the border a lot before we went in."
The two friends started walking along the forest's edge, unaware of a pair of eyes that were following their every footsteps.
The two friends stopped midday for lunch. Tayob unwrapped his bundle and pulled out some grapes and chocolate chip cookies for himself and some Kau meat for Drellien. Tayob had never met a Kougra that didn't like meat, so he figured Drellien would like it.
And Drellien did. He gobbled it up until not even the napkin was left.
'Wow,' Tayob thought. 'Drellien really liked that. I hope he doesn't have a taste for Blumaroo meat!'
"Yum..... That was sooooo good!" Drellien said. "I forgot what meat tasted like!"
He saw Tayob's worried face. "Don't worry. We don't have taste for Blumaroos. Too chewing, no offense."
"None taken," Tayob said, relieved.
After the two friends had eaten their lunch, they continued around the side of the forest. They came to a river soon.