Chapter 1: Perquere
Author's note: Some of this might not make much sense if you don't play Neopets. Read and be confused (or not) at your own risk.
We open our story in Neopia Central, somewhat before Christmas. Something seems about to happen, something large, something that can't be ignored. Let's see what happens.
In the bustling crowd of Neopia Central, Perquere felt very small and alone, very small and alone indeed. The realization that he had made a bad choice, or at least chosen the wrong time to make that choice, had come very soon after he had clambered out of his second story bedroom window at 11:30 PM, NST, on Day 14 of the Month of Celebrating, Y4, only to end up where he was: lost, cold, and alone in Neopia Central. Even at this time of night, things were still quite busy with the Christmas rush.
"I could still go back." He though morosely. "They won't have noticed I'm gone. I can climb back into the house and go to sleep."
But he knew that would get him nowhere fast. His parents, or his adoptive parents, more appropriately, were High and Mighty political offcials in Neopia. With all their meetings and legislative duties, they simply didn't have time for a growing Kougra. Yes, they could have hired a nanny, and that would go a long way towards making Perquere happier, but in four words, they didn't really care. He was suffocating in a glass box. Everywhere he went, people would say "Oh! Aren't you the son of Jonquil and Albert Fidsk?" Never trying to learn anything deeper, or getting to know him. They only talked to him at all because of his parents, the idea that he might not be anything like them never seemed to occur to anybody at all. The worst of all were the cocktail parties, in his large and ostentatious living room, kitchen, dining room, and hallway, with too many boring adults standing around talking, occasionally laughing richly as if there was actually something to laugh about, and eating something like snail-or-maybe- seafood hors d'oeuvres. And he was forced to mill through the crowd, smiling pleasantly (as if there was actually something to smile about) and to address everyone as "sir" or "madam." The best he could hope for during those dreadfully boring at-least-four hours was to sit in the windowseat and read. His parents never did anything fun with him, he never went to any movies, or really went anywhere at all. The other pets at school seemed to think he thought he was better than the rest of them and didn't want any friends.
A large Wocky with several shopping bags bumped into him, jostling him back into the real world.
"Excuse you." she said, not stopping, and giving him an evil glare.
"It doesn't hurt to be kind." he said quietly as she was stalking off, more to himself than to the Wocky. He thought about what he should do. He decided he should take some affirmitive action, even if it was only a small one. He got up off his bench and headed towards the nearest shop, the Magic Shop. In a shop he could browse and be warm. In a shop he could talk to the Shopkeeper. A shop was a good place to go. As he opened the door, he saw Kauvara at the counter, haggling with a customer about a Supernova.
"But for an item of this quality, 1008 Neopoints is a bargain!" He overheard her saying. The customer, a Disco Aisha, said "alright" and placed a large amount of coins (they looked like mostly 50Np coins) onto the counter. Kauvara scooped them up and placed them in their respective trays in her till.
"And what can I do for you, young Kougra?" She inquired.
"I'd like some advice, if you please." replied Perquere, looking around at the various bottles and items on the shelves.
"Well, I specialize in Magic and Potions, but I'll do what I can." she said with a twinkle. "What is it you'd like advice on?"
"First, I need to know if I can trust you to keep a secret."
"If I couldn't, everybody would be making their own potions and I'd be our of business, wouldn't I?"
Kauvara prided herself very much on her potions and how only she and her sister knew how to make them. Then, Gaining seriousness, she said "I assure you I am perfectly trustworthy."
"Good." said Perquere, leaning forwards so he could talk in a low voice so as not to disturb the other customers. Kauvara looked to the right, and then to the left. Perquere, for no reason he could explain, did the same. Then he spoke.
"I am the son of Jonquil and Albert Fidsk. Just tonight I have run away and I'm at a loss of what to do." Kauvara didn't question his reasoning, she didn't condemn him for what he did. She merely raised her eyebrows, looked left, hesitated, and then right again, and said in a low voice, quickly and with much urgency, "This had to happen sometime. You've sped its coming and probably done much more to your and our advantage by running away at this time. Take this," -- She handed him a small round object looking somewhat like a coin -- "and hire a boat to Mystery Island. Once you've arrived at the dock, move to the northern side of the Island. Then attach this to yourself somehow -- medical tape works great -- and swim around for a bit. I'd be more specific if we weren't being watched," Perquere put on an inquisitive expression. Kauvara nodded to her left. He followed her gaze, and noticed a Blue Mynci pretending to be browsing through the Battledome Potions. "Just trust me and go. And hurry, "They" will be looking for you soon. I must give you these warnings: It will be very dangerous, you will be going against unknown evil powers of Neopia. If the police come asking questions, I'll have to say you came in here and we talked. I won't tell them any more than that, for your safety. Secrecy is of the essence. If you tell anyone any of this until you get to where you are going, I won't be able to help you. Nowhere is safe from discovery excepting your final destination. "They" have many, many ways to find information. Do you have enough to hire a boat?"
He nodded. "Barely."
"Well then, here, take this as well." she said as she took a 1000 Np coin out of her till. "You'll need extra. Take the 1:25 boat, it's the next one. And get yourself some food, you look famished. If I could give you more help than this, I would. But at the moment, I can say no more."
Kauvara watched as the small white Kougra hurried out of her shop towards the boat dock. The Blue Mynci walked up to the counter and put 50,000 Np in small notes in between them. Kauvara noticed with some nervousness that they were alone in the shop. The Mynci spoke first: "Now suppose you tell me just what that young Kougra said."
"Bribery will get you nowhere, you tripe! Get out of my shop, or retribution will come swiftly and mercilessly."
The Mynci wordlessly pulled a gun out of his pocket.
Kauvara leaned closer over the counter, and said very slowly, enunciating carefully, "You-wouldn't-dare. Every last person shopping tonight would hear you loud and clear."
She then proceeded to do the most daring and probably also the most stupid thing of her life. In a single, quick, flowing movement, she pulled one of her new, not-for-sale potions off the shelf behind her head, the ones she had been tampering with to improve, and threw it onto the Mynci's head. The bottle broke, spreading the potion and Mynci flat on the floor. The potion had turned out to be a yet-unnamed potion, a Battledome potion, a mix between an improved Caustic Potion and Chia Flour. The Mynci's hands were burnt from the acid, excepting that they were not Mynci hands, they were the hands of a Yellow Chia.p "Now, dear-former-Mynci," said Kauvara, "You are going to leave my shop. You are going to make no commotion, no sound, and tell no one. For you do not know what might be in the other bottles, and yes, that is a threat."
The now-Chia stood up and mumbled, "This is far from over." and stalked out.
Kauvara sat pensively for a moment, and wished she could go help Perquere personally, and fight in the upcoming battle. But, after all, it is not a good idea to leave a shop full of magic unguarded for any length of time. And a shop full of magic may be just what one needs in a battle.
To Be Continued.
Author's note: Some of this might not make much sense if you don't play Neopets. Read and be confused (or not) at your own risk.
We open our story in Neopia Central, somewhat before Christmas. Something seems about to happen, something large, something that can't be ignored. Let's see what happens.
In the bustling crowd of Neopia Central, Perquere felt very small and alone, very small and alone indeed. The realization that he had made a bad choice, or at least chosen the wrong time to make that choice, had come very soon after he had clambered out of his second story bedroom window at 11:30 PM, NST, on Day 14 of the Month of Celebrating, Y4, only to end up where he was: lost, cold, and alone in Neopia Central. Even at this time of night, things were still quite busy with the Christmas rush.
"I could still go back." He though morosely. "They won't have noticed I'm gone. I can climb back into the house and go to sleep."
But he knew that would get him nowhere fast. His parents, or his adoptive parents, more appropriately, were High and Mighty political offcials in Neopia. With all their meetings and legislative duties, they simply didn't have time for a growing Kougra. Yes, they could have hired a nanny, and that would go a long way towards making Perquere happier, but in four words, they didn't really care. He was suffocating in a glass box. Everywhere he went, people would say "Oh! Aren't you the son of Jonquil and Albert Fidsk?" Never trying to learn anything deeper, or getting to know him. They only talked to him at all because of his parents, the idea that he might not be anything like them never seemed to occur to anybody at all. The worst of all were the cocktail parties, in his large and ostentatious living room, kitchen, dining room, and hallway, with too many boring adults standing around talking, occasionally laughing richly as if there was actually something to laugh about, and eating something like snail-or-maybe- seafood hors d'oeuvres. And he was forced to mill through the crowd, smiling pleasantly (as if there was actually something to smile about) and to address everyone as "sir" or "madam." The best he could hope for during those dreadfully boring at-least-four hours was to sit in the windowseat and read. His parents never did anything fun with him, he never went to any movies, or really went anywhere at all. The other pets at school seemed to think he thought he was better than the rest of them and didn't want any friends.
A large Wocky with several shopping bags bumped into him, jostling him back into the real world.
"Excuse you." she said, not stopping, and giving him an evil glare.
"It doesn't hurt to be kind." he said quietly as she was stalking off, more to himself than to the Wocky. He thought about what he should do. He decided he should take some affirmitive action, even if it was only a small one. He got up off his bench and headed towards the nearest shop, the Magic Shop. In a shop he could browse and be warm. In a shop he could talk to the Shopkeeper. A shop was a good place to go. As he opened the door, he saw Kauvara at the counter, haggling with a customer about a Supernova.
"But for an item of this quality, 1008 Neopoints is a bargain!" He overheard her saying. The customer, a Disco Aisha, said "alright" and placed a large amount of coins (they looked like mostly 50Np coins) onto the counter. Kauvara scooped them up and placed them in their respective trays in her till.
"And what can I do for you, young Kougra?" She inquired.
"I'd like some advice, if you please." replied Perquere, looking around at the various bottles and items on the shelves.
"Well, I specialize in Magic and Potions, but I'll do what I can." she said with a twinkle. "What is it you'd like advice on?"
"First, I need to know if I can trust you to keep a secret."
"If I couldn't, everybody would be making their own potions and I'd be our of business, wouldn't I?"
Kauvara prided herself very much on her potions and how only she and her sister knew how to make them. Then, Gaining seriousness, she said "I assure you I am perfectly trustworthy."
"Good." said Perquere, leaning forwards so he could talk in a low voice so as not to disturb the other customers. Kauvara looked to the right, and then to the left. Perquere, for no reason he could explain, did the same. Then he spoke.
"I am the son of Jonquil and Albert Fidsk. Just tonight I have run away and I'm at a loss of what to do." Kauvara didn't question his reasoning, she didn't condemn him for what he did. She merely raised her eyebrows, looked left, hesitated, and then right again, and said in a low voice, quickly and with much urgency, "This had to happen sometime. You've sped its coming and probably done much more to your and our advantage by running away at this time. Take this," -- She handed him a small round object looking somewhat like a coin -- "and hire a boat to Mystery Island. Once you've arrived at the dock, move to the northern side of the Island. Then attach this to yourself somehow -- medical tape works great -- and swim around for a bit. I'd be more specific if we weren't being watched," Perquere put on an inquisitive expression. Kauvara nodded to her left. He followed her gaze, and noticed a Blue Mynci pretending to be browsing through the Battledome Potions. "Just trust me and go. And hurry, "They" will be looking for you soon. I must give you these warnings: It will be very dangerous, you will be going against unknown evil powers of Neopia. If the police come asking questions, I'll have to say you came in here and we talked. I won't tell them any more than that, for your safety. Secrecy is of the essence. If you tell anyone any of this until you get to where you are going, I won't be able to help you. Nowhere is safe from discovery excepting your final destination. "They" have many, many ways to find information. Do you have enough to hire a boat?"
He nodded. "Barely."
"Well then, here, take this as well." she said as she took a 1000 Np coin out of her till. "You'll need extra. Take the 1:25 boat, it's the next one. And get yourself some food, you look famished. If I could give you more help than this, I would. But at the moment, I can say no more."
Kauvara watched as the small white Kougra hurried out of her shop towards the boat dock. The Blue Mynci walked up to the counter and put 50,000 Np in small notes in between them. Kauvara noticed with some nervousness that they were alone in the shop. The Mynci spoke first: "Now suppose you tell me just what that young Kougra said."
"Bribery will get you nowhere, you tripe! Get out of my shop, or retribution will come swiftly and mercilessly."
The Mynci wordlessly pulled a gun out of his pocket.
Kauvara leaned closer over the counter, and said very slowly, enunciating carefully, "You-wouldn't-dare. Every last person shopping tonight would hear you loud and clear."
She then proceeded to do the most daring and probably also the most stupid thing of her life. In a single, quick, flowing movement, she pulled one of her new, not-for-sale potions off the shelf behind her head, the ones she had been tampering with to improve, and threw it onto the Mynci's head. The bottle broke, spreading the potion and Mynci flat on the floor. The potion had turned out to be a yet-unnamed potion, a Battledome potion, a mix between an improved Caustic Potion and Chia Flour. The Mynci's hands were burnt from the acid, excepting that they were not Mynci hands, they were the hands of a Yellow Chia.p "Now, dear-former-Mynci," said Kauvara, "You are going to leave my shop. You are going to make no commotion, no sound, and tell no one. For you do not know what might be in the other bottles, and yes, that is a threat."
The now-Chia stood up and mumbled, "This is far from over." and stalked out.
Kauvara sat pensively for a moment, and wished she could go help Perquere personally, and fight in the upcoming battle. But, after all, it is not a good idea to leave a shop full of magic unguarded for any length of time. And a shop full of magic may be just what one needs in a battle.
To Be Continued.