Part 1: The Laughter of Friends
"I don't care what you say. It's NOT cute!"
"Yes he is! Just look at those adorable eyes."
"Eyes? Erylian! It only has one!"
"I know! Isn't he cute?"
Erylian tapped a blue paw against the glass of the Haunted Wood's Spooky Petpet store. A small Meowclops grinned on the opposite side and blinked his single, green eye at the two Eyries. Loraul shuddered.
"Tell me why we came out here again?" he asked with look of disgust.
Erylian let out an exasperated sigh. "We were going to listen to the Wise Old Eyrie tell us a spooky story. But now his old cave is the new location of the Stone Battledome."
"Oh," said Loraul with a nod. Better not discuss the matter any more. Erylian loved the stories told by the Old Eyrie. But Loraul did not. The Haunted Woods was not his favorite place to be.
Actually anyplace except Neopia Central was not his favorite place to be. He would rather be at home playing his favorite game, Neoquest.
He looked at Erylian. She was so brave and outgoing. When she wasn't fighting in the Battledome, Erylian loved to travel and explore. How they ever became friends still remained a mystery. Their personalities were as different as the colors of their fur.
"Oh look, Loraul! He's smiling at you!"
"What?"
Loraul turned his head to the window and saw six black beady eyes staring back. The three heads of the bearog began to yip excitedly.
"Oh yuck! Erylian!"
But the Blue Eyrie was already running down the path. Her giggles echoed across the forest. Loraul rolled his eyes and chased after her.
"But you can't catch me, Loraul!"
"Wanna bet?"
Loraul spread his feathery wings and flew above the fallen branches and ankle-deep leaf piles. Red blur followed blue blur as the two darted between the trees. Suddenly, Erylian dove behind a tree and disappeared. Loraul alighted on a branch and scanned the forest floor.
"Now where did she go," muttered Loraul.
His yellow eyes squinted and searched for any signs of blue against the dark forest floor. He saw a few leaves fall in front of him and heard the sharp snapping of twigs.
"Wha?"
"eeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEAAAAAAH!"
Erylian fell out of the branches and slammed into him, sending the red Eyrie to the leaves below.
"Hey! That's not funny!" shouted Loraul between bursts of laughter. Loraul jumped to his feet and picked the leaves out of his mane.
"Then why are you laughing?" giggled Erylian. She jumped out of the tree and fell gracefully to the ground. Loraul just grinned and shoved his head into the ground.
"What are you."
But Loraul snapped his head back a spat a mouthful of leaves at the blue Eyrie. Erylian squawked in surprise and soon the squawks turned to laughter again.
"Say it," said Loraul. "C'mon say it."
"Alright! Alright," said Erylian, rolling her eyes. "Although that was hardly impressive.you got me."
"It's about time too. You always get the best of."
"Hey, Loraul. It's raining," said Erylian, looking up at the sky.
"Now don't you think I'm going to fall that," said Loraul. No sooner had the words left him, a drop of water landed on his beak.
CRACK!
A bolt of lightning lit up the forest.
"Oh great!" hissed Loraul. "Now what are we going to do?"
Erylian reared up on her hind legs and said, "We are going to find some shelter away from these trees." With that she took off running.
Loraul called after her. "But the petpet shop is." But she couldn't hear him. "In the other direction." Loraul sighed. Nothing left to do but follow.
"Hey, Erylian! Wait up!"
Erylian continued to fly, scanning the area for a shelter. She couldn't understand why she hadn't reached the petpet shop yet. Maybe she was heading in the wrong direction. She blinked the rain out of her eyes.
"Hey, Loraul!" she called back, hoping the he could hear her. "I think I see a place to land!"
Loraul squinted in the darkness and saw a large gaping hole cut into the thick trunk of a tree. "I see it!" He folded his wings against his back and slid cleanly through the hole.
"Hey," he whispered in surprise. "It's the entrance to an underground cave."
Sure enough a small tunnel led to a circular chamber beneath the earth. The walls and ceiling were lined with rock and to keep out the rain. At the center of the chamber a small campfire flickered, casting shadows on the walls. A mysterious, gray figure hunched over the fire.
"You!" screeched Erylian in shock.
"Welcome, my children," said the Wise Old Eyrie. "Make yourselves comfortable and I shall begin."
"I don't care what you say. It's NOT cute!"
"Yes he is! Just look at those adorable eyes."
"Eyes? Erylian! It only has one!"
"I know! Isn't he cute?"
Erylian tapped a blue paw against the glass of the Haunted Wood's Spooky Petpet store. A small Meowclops grinned on the opposite side and blinked his single, green eye at the two Eyries. Loraul shuddered.
"Tell me why we came out here again?" he asked with look of disgust.
Erylian let out an exasperated sigh. "We were going to listen to the Wise Old Eyrie tell us a spooky story. But now his old cave is the new location of the Stone Battledome."
"Oh," said Loraul with a nod. Better not discuss the matter any more. Erylian loved the stories told by the Old Eyrie. But Loraul did not. The Haunted Woods was not his favorite place to be.
Actually anyplace except Neopia Central was not his favorite place to be. He would rather be at home playing his favorite game, Neoquest.
He looked at Erylian. She was so brave and outgoing. When she wasn't fighting in the Battledome, Erylian loved to travel and explore. How they ever became friends still remained a mystery. Their personalities were as different as the colors of their fur.
"Oh look, Loraul! He's smiling at you!"
"What?"
Loraul turned his head to the window and saw six black beady eyes staring back. The three heads of the bearog began to yip excitedly.
"Oh yuck! Erylian!"
But the Blue Eyrie was already running down the path. Her giggles echoed across the forest. Loraul rolled his eyes and chased after her.
"But you can't catch me, Loraul!"
"Wanna bet?"
Loraul spread his feathery wings and flew above the fallen branches and ankle-deep leaf piles. Red blur followed blue blur as the two darted between the trees. Suddenly, Erylian dove behind a tree and disappeared. Loraul alighted on a branch and scanned the forest floor.
"Now where did she go," muttered Loraul.
His yellow eyes squinted and searched for any signs of blue against the dark forest floor. He saw a few leaves fall in front of him and heard the sharp snapping of twigs.
"Wha?"
"eeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEAAAAAAH!"
Erylian fell out of the branches and slammed into him, sending the red Eyrie to the leaves below.
"Hey! That's not funny!" shouted Loraul between bursts of laughter. Loraul jumped to his feet and picked the leaves out of his mane.
"Then why are you laughing?" giggled Erylian. She jumped out of the tree and fell gracefully to the ground. Loraul just grinned and shoved his head into the ground.
"What are you."
But Loraul snapped his head back a spat a mouthful of leaves at the blue Eyrie. Erylian squawked in surprise and soon the squawks turned to laughter again.
"Say it," said Loraul. "C'mon say it."
"Alright! Alright," said Erylian, rolling her eyes. "Although that was hardly impressive.you got me."
"It's about time too. You always get the best of."
"Hey, Loraul. It's raining," said Erylian, looking up at the sky.
"Now don't you think I'm going to fall that," said Loraul. No sooner had the words left him, a drop of water landed on his beak.
CRACK!
A bolt of lightning lit up the forest.
"Oh great!" hissed Loraul. "Now what are we going to do?"
Erylian reared up on her hind legs and said, "We are going to find some shelter away from these trees." With that she took off running.
Loraul called after her. "But the petpet shop is." But she couldn't hear him. "In the other direction." Loraul sighed. Nothing left to do but follow.
"Hey, Erylian! Wait up!"
Erylian continued to fly, scanning the area for a shelter. She couldn't understand why she hadn't reached the petpet shop yet. Maybe she was heading in the wrong direction. She blinked the rain out of her eyes.
"Hey, Loraul!" she called back, hoping the he could hear her. "I think I see a place to land!"
Loraul squinted in the darkness and saw a large gaping hole cut into the thick trunk of a tree. "I see it!" He folded his wings against his back and slid cleanly through the hole.
"Hey," he whispered in surprise. "It's the entrance to an underground cave."
Sure enough a small tunnel led to a circular chamber beneath the earth. The walls and ceiling were lined with rock and to keep out the rain. At the center of the chamber a small campfire flickered, casting shadows on the walls. A mysterious, gray figure hunched over the fire.
"You!" screeched Erylian in shock.
"Welcome, my children," said the Wise Old Eyrie. "Make yourselves comfortable and I shall begin."