When Ritiro awoke, she was in a tavern. Basil was looking over her.
"You're awake! Kel brought us to the tavern. The others are downstairs, eating." He said, pushing his pastel-blue hair out of his face. Ritiro went with Basil.
"Alright, so, Arachne's school is past the mirage desert. That place is dangerous, you never know what might happen!" Kel said.
"Yo! Look what I bought!" Kim said, revealing a small wooden bracelet.
"Apparently, it makes you lucky? Whatever, I'm keeping it," she said as she put it on.
The group went through the Sands and reached the Mirage desert. Looking around, it looked like a mix of things. Palm trees and sand were everywhere, Vines clung to huge stone walls. There was an entrance, and no way around.
"Guess we're exploring the maze" Ritiro said. They went in and saw a creature. It looked like a hieroglyph come to life! It attacked the group!
Hierogif attacked, sending more Hierogifs after the team. Kel smiled.
"I've been wanting to try our this new skill!" He said. He held onto his bowling ball, held it out and rammed the Hierogif! Ball Gloves! Yea…
Vance finished it off with a punch.
The group went further into the maze, finding cantaloupe containing foods and other healing items..
Way later, after fighting countless Hierogifs and the odd school boy, they heard what sounded like a chanting and a song. A guy without a face, and in spandex was running at them! On the spandex, was a logo. The guy then fell in a hole, screamed, and jumped out.
"LIFE COLA MAN!" The group heard.
"I am Life Cola Man! Want to see how Life Cola works?" He asked.
Ritiro nodded, confused.
Then, a small mouth formed out of Life Cola Man's featureless face. A beam shot out and hit everyone! Basil was knocked out! Kim was knocked out! Vance was knocked out! Kel was knocked out! Ritiro persisted, but even a weak hit would knock her out.
"W-Who is this?! He's more powerful than anything I've ever faced!" She thought. Despite being injured, she hit Life Cola Man with her bat. It did NOTHING! A look of shock and fear crossed Ritiro's face as she prepared for the final blow. But to her surprise, the Life Cola Man handed her a bottle of soda.
"Make one of your downed friends drink it!" He said. Ritiro stammered over to Basil, opened the bottle, opened Basil's mouth, and poured the Life Cola in. Suddenly, Basil was better, not completely healed, but more than halfway! They gave the rest of the party Life Cola.
Life Cola Man ran off, only to run into a wall. At least the team had 6 bottles of Life Cola. Basil healed everyone to perfect health.
As they ventured further into the maze, they saw signs in Sabbia Regno's native language.
"All who come will fall, unless they answer my riddles. Answer correctly and you may pass, answer incorrectly or not at all, and you will die" Kel read. Basil was about to head back, but Ritiro grabbed his shoulder.
"Nope, we're going through!" Ritiro said.
As they went through, suddenly, a large container surrounded them! A voice rang out:
"I AM BROKEN WHEN MY NAME IS SPOKEN, IN TACT WHEN NO ONE IS AROUND."
The room began to fill with poisonous gas! Basil, Kim, and Vance began to panic.
"Pull yourselves together!" Ritiro said, "the answer is SILENCE!"
the box opened and the group could proceed.
"Wow, now that was fun!" Kim said.
"We almost died!" Basil said.
"You go adventuring with Ritiro all the time!" Kel said.
"Come on!" Ritiro said.
In the next room, was a bunch of suits of armor. They attacked and held the group hostage.
"A MAN WAS PUT ON TRIAL. THE JUDGE SAID 'IF YOU TELL THE TRUTH I WILL GIVE YOU FOUR YEARS IN PRISON! IF YOU LIE, YOU WILL GET 6 YEARS!' WHAT DOES THE MAN DO!"
"Um, I dunno, say he'll get 6 years?!" Kel shouts. To everyone's surprise, they are released.
"OmygoshIjustguessedhowdidthatwork?!" Kel said.
In the next room, the group found themselves in quicksand.
"FOUR BROTHERS IN THIS WORLD WERE BORN TOGETHER! THE FIRST RUNS AND NEVER WEARIES. THE SECOND EATS AND IS NEVER FULL. THE THIRD DRINKS AND IS ALWAYS THIRSTY. THE FOURTH SINGS A SONG THAT IS NEVER GOOD"
"OK guys, we need to think!" Ritiro said as everyone was sinking.
"Uh, Jack, Zack, Mack, and…Lack?" Kel said. Ritiro looked at him weirdly. "What, I'm just guessing." He said.
"INCORRECT!" The voice bellowed. A snake appeared and wrapped itself around Kel as he was sinking. Everyone panicked! The snake bit Kel, and he screamed!
"Uh…Mars, Jupiter, Pluto, and Neptune?" Basil said.
"INCORRECT!"
Another snake appeared.
"No no no no no no AUGH!" Basil yelled as the snake bit him.
Kim and Vance had sunk to far to be able to speak, Kel and Basil were sinking and poisoned, Ritiro needed to think. Four brothers. That's probably a metaphor. Runs but isn't tired, like water? And eats but needs more must be fire!.
Just as her head was about to go under, Ritiro shouted, "WATER, FIRE, EARTH, WIND!"
Vines wrapped themselves around the group, pulling them out of the sand. A small vial labeled antitoxin was given to Basil and Kel, who drank the contents.
"WELL DONE! YOU HAVE SOLVED MY RIDDLE! I KNOW WHERE YOU SEEK TO GO, AND I WILL SEND YOU THERE!"
Everything went white. Suddenly, they were at a Tavern. In the distance, about a 5 minute walk, was Arachne's School for boys…
Thank you loyal readers. You know, I honestly didn't think anyone was reading this since I got no reviews. Then, I checked the traffic graph. I have readers from all around the world! The USA, France, Hong Kong, and even Russia! So, I guess what I want to say is, thank you for reading this. It means a lot to know that people are enjoying this. The next chapter will be the horror-esque one. Again, thank you all so much for reading thus story. Eway, OUT!
