Author's Note: This story was inspired by my Neopets guild. Since it's the easiest thing I've ever written, and I hope that it's decent, I'm publishing it here. I might also send it to the NT.
About NeoQuest II: The game does have an unoriginal title, but I made up just about everything about the game. I made it up in order to solve the problem of blabbing all about the later stages of NQ in the stories that I want to send to the Neopian Times, like this one.
To everyone in my guild and especially Elorien, Memento_Ring and Mitsue Mikage, thank you for giving me this idea and for letting me test out the kingdoms in this story on you before this. It really helped me get my bearings. Reviews are not required, but I do like them.
And as for the mandatory disclaimer: I do not own Neopets. However, I do own the rest of it, especially Larkani, Cairhel, Lurya, and all the members of the Mianre'll family.
Celiath, a rainbow Zafara, gazed at the computer, which displayed her current position in NeoQuest II. She moved her mouse to the arrow on the screen pointing up and clicked it.
"You have been attacked by Irefen," she read, a smile covering her face. The end of her game of NeoQuest II was getting closer. Celiath could feel her heart beating as she scrolled down past the picture of the Ixi-like undead Queen. "Irefen glares at you for a moment, her red gaze boring into you. She growls and attacks." She then clicked on the button that read, "Click here to start the fight!"
The usual fight screen popped up, with the faerie Aisha that represented Celiath opposite the image of Irefen. Celiath flipped through the notes she had taken on NeoQuest until she came to a specific part of Rimor's speech. "It seems such a long time ago," the Zafara murmured to herself, brushing back some strands of brown hair that had escaped from her bun. She took the two blue sticks that were covered with silver sparkles out of the bun and unwrapped her scrunchie, causing her hair to fall down her back in waves.
She peered at the words that the god had spoken, and Celiath went over the rest of the story that she had been through in her head. First, she remembered the character's exile from her home city, something that had never made sense even now she knew that the kingdom of Caeridyl was in trouble. She had gone east to a town where a healer had given her a magic scroll. Now that's weird. What's a village healer like Aradwel doing with a scroll in an ancient language that summons a god?
Celiath thought about motivations a lot in her studies at the Water Faerie's school in Faerieland. She was studying to become an accredited healer, and her duties at the hospital intrigued her in that manner. The types of injuries she saw often made Celiath speculate exactly how that person was injured in such a manner. She sometimes created whole lives for that person based on that one injury. The Water Faerie discouraged such imaginings, but Celiath found that was simply the way her mind worked.
She flipped through the old notes and found conversations concerning the scroll, mostly from the enchanter Kystas. At least that made a little bit of sense, in an odd way. He needed his wand to open the scroll, so Celiath had to kill Duke Alenem for it. He had to have it translated, so she had to go to Rimor's Temple and get the translation from the priestess Saemine. Then since Nique knew what to do with it, Celiath had to go visit her in the town of Brearis.
Celiath skimmed the rest of the notes and caught a few things from Brearis, Lianor Cave, and the kingdom of Mienta. The game is more mysterious than I could ever believe, she thought, running over all the characters and the ways that their lives intertwined. If Celiath had been a good writer, she would have loved to enter the ancient world of NeoQuest II and expand upon the story.
There was the piece she was looking for. "Rimor speaks," she muttered, her quiet voice echoing through the empty room eerily.
What should I do with the elemental crown? Celiath had written. She read Rimor's response and stopped at the relevant part: If you show her the elemental crown, it might persuade Irefen to tell you about the people who destroyed Lemirka and will destroy Caeridyl. She is very angry with everyone from your kingdom, though, so she might kill you instead.
Celiath smiled, remembering how the game had been much more fun after she discovered the secret of the scroll. The monsters were more fun to kill than they had been before, and the game did not seem to drag on as much. An end was in sight.
She focused back on the fight screen and noted Irefen's hit points and level, then looked at her usual options. There was something new: Use the elemental crown. Celiath clicked there.
When the new screen came up, Celiath raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Wow. That was quick."
"NeoQuest II again?" a familiar voice asked. Celiath whirled around and saw her younger sister Kimtaya descending the stairs. The red Acara had caramel-colored hair that fell about to her shoulders and green-gray eyes with a worried look in them. She was still dressed in the jean skirt and white peasant blouse she had worn to school, unlike Celiath who wore a Faerieland University sweatshirt over her pajamas.
Celiath smiled. "Yep. I can tell I'm getting closer to the end of the game."
"Cool," Kimtaya said without much emotion. She had started playing the original game, but had gotten tired of it early on when her character kept dying. "Have you seen my history project, by any chance? It was in my room one moment, and now it's gone."
"I don't know where it would be. Wouldn't that big posterboard about the Seven Lost Cities of Neopia be easy to notice, though?" Celiath narrowed her eyes in confusion.
"Seriously, I have no clue where it is." Kimtaya moved into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Then she turned back to Celiath. "I'm not looking for it in here, by the way, " Kimtaya quickly explained her intentions as she took out a gallon of Kau Kau Farm milk, then took a glass from the cupboard and poured the milk into it. "Want one?"
"Yes, please," Celiath said with a smile. She turned back to the computer screen and looked at the experience bar at the top of the screen. "Yes! I gained a level!" She then read over Irefen's defeat, uncapped her dark blue pen, and wrote down her defeat sequence and the two items she had received: a healing potion and the key to the gate of Erala. "I guess I'll have to add it to my sketch of the Neoquester's keyring," Celiath said with a smile. "Thanks, Kimtaya."
"You're welcome." Kimtaya placed the glass of milk on the computer table. "Well, I've got to get back to my homework. I've got an algebra test tomorrow."
"See you, Kimtaya. Good luck finding your project." That was something Celiath really hoped for. She knew Kimtaya had been working on the project every night, researching the legend of the Seven Cities and putting the presentation together. It was an interesting legend and Celiath thought it would be the best presentation in the class, since other people would probably be selecting easier subjects than seven cities that might not exist.
"Thanks."
Celiath could hear her sister ascending the stairs. She sipped the milk and gazed back at the computer screen, then clicked back onto the regular map of Al Mikai. After using the skill point she had gained, Celiath clicked under the navigation compass to speak to Irefen.
She read the introduction and then clicked on a question: "Who is Mostanio?" Celiath then answered, "The evil one. It's going to be over soon!"
Then Celiath read and wrote down Irefen's response, a long one. "…Mostanio was the King of Caeridyl's most trusted advisor, and unfortunately I let him into my confidence as well. He was turning Caeridyl against Lemirka and at the same time turning Lemirka in on itself. I had advisors who saw through Mostanio's doings, but I fell under the spell. I eventually saw what was happening, and we fought them, but they were too powerful. Mostanio eventually…"
"Celiath?"
Someone else was descending the stairs. Celiath turned around and saw her owner Crescent.
"Sorry to disturb you, but would you mind helping Kimtaya look for her history project? I'd ask one of the others, but Stelakar disappeared and Elenqui is in the middle of some stuff."
Celiath capped her pen and sighed. "No problem, Crescent."
"You can go back to the game if you don't find it," Crescent said, looking a little unhappy.
A tiny smile spread across Celiath's face. "I'll never be able to get away from the computer if I don't stop playing now. NeoQuest II can just be so addictive, especially since I'm getting near the end." She drank down the rest of her milk and then washed out the glass, putting it in the dishwasher.
"Don't forget these," Crescent said, handing Celiath her pages of notes. "I wouldn't want you to lose them." Then Crescent looked at the sketch of the keyring, which was on top. "Is this from the game?"
Celiath nodded. "There are a bunch of keys that you pick up along the way. Actually, I just got the last one now, so I'll need to update the drawing."
"Cool," Crescent said in the same blank way that Kimtaya had said it.
"Well, good night, Crescent," Celiath said, taking the notes and the drawing of the keyring and walking toward the stairs.
"'Night, Celiath," she heard while halfway up them. The rainbow Zafara continued climbing up the stairs and paused on the top one. She saw the doors that led to the bedrooms on this level, as well as the staircase that led to the attic.
Maybe it's in the attic, she thought. Maybe. I remember Crescent and Kimtaya were getting some things there for the project. In that case, it's possible that one of them took the poster up there and left it there, and then forgot it. Celiath turned around and walked up the stairs to the attic.
She opened the door, which closed on its own behind her, and flipped the light switch on. A chandelier illuminated the attic. Celiath did not immediately see Kimtaya's project, but this attic contained many things. She looked around for a place to put her notes from NeoQuest II and placed them on top of a box that was marked "Books – Kougra's Room." The books belonged to her youngest sister Elenqui, but she found them boring now.
The attic, while not as musty as some, certainly could be improved on. Right now, Crescent was using the attic mostly as storage space for things that the family did not keep in the main parts of the house. Usually Crescent accompanied the pets up to the attic, since she kept magical objects inside the boxes that she did not want them handling. Celiath was learning about some of these objects from the Water Faerie in her studies as a healer. "The boxes probably contain some of the old magical weapons that can look like very ordinary objects," she said to herself. Suddenly, Celiath was reminded of the Kandrians of NeoQuest, who were mentioned only in passing. If there was any truth to the game, the artifacts Crescent and the Water Faerie talked about were probably made by wizards like the Kandrians who had lived a long time ago.
Celiath smiled. Here I go, she thought. This is the sign that I am officially obsessed with NeoQuest II: I am seeing the game everywhere. She pushed a box aside at a flash of white that she saw, hoping it might be Kimtaya's poster. But it wasn't the poster; it was too bright. In fact, it looked like a key.
This key was a silvery-white color that was about the same size as Kimtaya's poster and would fit no keyhole that Celiath had ever seen before. Celiath picked up the key, which was rather light for something of its size, and noticed engraved markings on it that were in a different language. It's so odd, Celiath thought. It would fit no keyhole that I have ever seen. Where did Crescent get this?
Then Celiath glanced at her sketch of the keyring. Nine keys glittered on it. Celiath had found no clues about what the tenth key looked like. Perhaps it looked something like this. And it would have an inscription on it, just like this one did. The letters might be foreign because Irefen had written it, and the Lemirkan language would be different…
Celiath shook her head. It was nonsense. She was only getting obsessed with the game. She had come here to find Kimtaya's history project. With a sigh, Celiath turned to pick up the notes with her other hand and then faced the wall again. Something about it looked completely different now that the key was gone. The wall behind the key was visible, and it had a rather strange appearance, like this was another place. At the same time, it was still familiar. Celiath knew that this was her attic, with all those strange magical objects that Crescent liked to collect. She was still looking for Kimtaya's history project.
Just déjà vu, Celiath decided. Someone was shouting something, but she ignored it. The voice got closer, and Celiath listened closely. "Tikanie!"
Who was Tikanie? Celiath had never heard that name before. Crescent was probably just trying to find Elenqui.
"Tikanie? I know you enjoy your books, but I need to take you to the marketplace. There's someone I want you to meet there…Tikanie?"
Celiath turned around and saw a tall blue Shoyru in a plain but elegant green dress. She had glossy brown hair pulled back into a bun that was even more severe than Celiath's. Heavy square glasses covered her brown eyes and obscured her small, thin nose. A tiny mouth pinched itself in an expression of disapproval. She stood at the bottom of a flight of stairs.
"Who are you?" the Shoyru asked in a high, snobbish voice.
"Who are you?" Celiath echoed, looking around the room.
"Don't talk back to me like that!" the Shoyru trilled. Celiath, startled, dropped the key she was holding. The Shoyru did not seem to see the key, though. In fact, as Celiath glanced down at the ground where she had dropped it, she noticed it had disappeared.
That is not good! Celiath thought. It's probably back in the attic. Now how am I going to get back? Maybe Crescent knows more about that key, but how are they going to find out where I went?
"Faerieland University," she read, pinching her lips even more. "Where is that?" Her voice took on a sharper tone. "And answer my question! Who are you?"
"My name…" Celiath sighed, trying to expel some of her fear. "I am Celiath."
"Celiath what?" the Shoyru asked, her voice sharpening even further.
Celiath raised her eyebrows slightly in confusion. Some people she knew had second names like this, but Celiath did not remember hers. All the information she was learning from the Water Faerie had squeezed it out. She remembered her twin Stelakar's second name and reasoned theirs was probably the same. "Celiath…Mianre'll."
"Mianre'll." The Shoyru lowered her own eyebrows and paced around the room, as if she was thinking. Nervous, Celiath kept her eyes on the Shoyru, who spun around and glared at her. "How did you get here?"
Celiath did not want to mention the key. "Some sort of magic."
"Magic," the Shoyru muttered like it was a curse. "The Yin Kador meddle in all our lives with their experiments. No wonder you are from so far away; they must have snatched you away from your home in Lurya with their foolish experiments."
Celiath considered asking where Lurya was, but decided not to. What had made this Shoyru believe that her home was a place called Lurya? And who were the Yin Kador? She glanced around and saw the blank wall that looked just like her attic. The other walls had floor-to-ceiling bookshelves built on them, and the only exit was a staircase leading up. But I'm in an attic! Why does this look like a basement?
"Well," the Shoyru said, "perhaps we can find some help for you in the marketplace. The servants will show you to Tikanie's bedroom, where you can change into some more…presentable…clothing." She turned around and began to take the stairs one at a time. Celiath followed her up them. There were perhaps six stairs going up before they turned to the left and continued to ascend. Celiath and the Shoyru then emerged into what looked like the foyer of the house.
"Damreith!" the Shoyru called.
A blue Kougra in well-made clothes that were beginning to fray appeared from another part of the house. "Yes, Lady?"
"Please show Celiath to Tikanie's room." She presented Celiath with a disapproving grimace on her face. "Then when she has changed into some presentable clothes, send her down here."
"Of course, Lady. Right this way." Damreith walked up another flight of stairs and gestured for Celiath to follow. She watched the Shoyru walk through an archway as she followed Damreith up the stairs. As soon as the Shoyru had disappeared, Damreith asked Celiath, "Where do you come from?"
"Another place…" Celiath looked around. "Where am I?"
"This is the city of Thora Mountain in the kingdom of Larkani…" Seeing the confusion on Celiath's face, he said, "But you don't know what that means, do you? Since you're from Lurya…"
"Where's Lurya?"
Damreith looked around. "Maybe…we should discuss this upstairs?"
"Okay," Celiath said slowly, trying to control the surprised look on her face and not succeeding. She followed the blue Kougra upstairs, figuring that he was a servant. Briata was probably a noble lady, or at least someone with money and airs. It made her think of old Meridell, but it didn't have the look she had imagined. Besides, Meridell had always been Meridell. There wasn't any Larkani or Lurya.
Damreith opened the door of a large room and gestured to Celiath to sit on the bed. She looked at it and gaped for a moment at the gigantic, four-poster bed that was in the room. Well, nobles have these kinds of things, I guess…She gently pulled the white veils around the bed apart, somewhat frightened that they might break, and sat down. Surprise showed on Celiath's face for a moment at how soft the mattress was before she looked at the room. Lavender, white, and yellow were the dominant colors here, except for the light maple wood wardrobe and vanity table.
"So…you don't seem to have any idea where you are or what any of the landmarks are." Celiath tried not to laugh at the confused look on Damreith's face, a lot like her own.
"No. I got sent here by magic."
"Lady!" Celiath opened her mouth to protest at that, but Damreith continued. "Do not speak of magic here if you value your life!"
"Is it that bad?" Damreith only answered with a shudder. "Oh, and I'm not a lady…but if I was, wouldn't I be allowed to mention it?"
"Lady, it might be accepted where you come from…but not here."
"Well, why?"
Damreith lowered his voice. "They say they're trying to take over the kingdom."
"Who?" Then Celiath remembered something Briata had said about magic. "The Yin Kador?"
"Never say that." Damreith's firm tone shocked Celiath. "And don't ask why. Not here. There might be another place where it's safe, but not here."
"So…" Celiath couldn't think of anything else to say. They stayed silent for a moment. "Do you have any advice for me?"
"Yes. Since I assume you do want to keep your head or at least avoid torture, I'd get away from Briata in the marketplace and make your way to the river. It's pretty easy to find, and it's just north of a town. Get on a boat heading west, downriver, for Ral Mirean, the capital. Got that?"
"Ral Mirean."
"Good. You have to remember that. There's another island you actually have to get off at…" Damreith whispered the name. "Ista Kaderyi. That's where you actually get off, but you ask for passage on a boat to Ral Mirean. They will help you. At least they should help you, if they have any goodness in their hearts at all. But I believe there's good in everyone's heart…" Damreith shook his head.
"In the meantime, go ahead and get dressed in Tikanie's clothes, and I'll give you a few coins and a pack to put those papers of yours in."
"Okay…" Celiath said, starting to catch on. "Just curious, who's Tikanie?"
"Briata's daughter. She ran away last night. Anyway, I've got to go. There's always work to be done, and I should give you privacy anyway." Damreith opened the door and slipped through it, closing it behind him.