Everything was always a game to Owner, like a computer game in which
he could lose and start over again with the push of a button. Amicis never
found it to be very fun.
For as long as Amicis could remember, his owner acted indifferently toward him. He could remember being content as a child, but that was long ago. Once a sleek-coated Silver Kougra, Amicis now had a gaunt, skinny look because he was only fed before battles or when his owner had some spare pocket change for NP. He longed for toys, books, anything besides codestones and faerie abilities. All he had for comfort was a chewed-up fuzzle from his younger years.
"I spent millions of NP on that Radish Bow and you still lost!" his owner screamed in Amicis's ear, awakening him to the world around them just outside the Battledome. "Against Meuka, too! Despicable!"
Amicis sighed, a little weak from the battle. "I--"
"Did you know how many people I had to scam to get enough NP? I came close to being frozen. Ami, you need more training." With that, the owner started to saunter toward Mystery Island. "Let's go."
The Kougra reluctantly followed to the last place he wanted to go. No, he thought. Not on such a nice day....
It was indeed a pretty afternoon. They were passing through Neopia Central, which was alive with shouts, scents, and the hustle and bustle of busy activity. Neopians of all ages led pets of all colors through the shops. Smells of mouth-watering food and freshly unpacked toys wafed through the air. Calls of "You shouldn't haggle!" and "This is a bargain!" sifted through to Amicis's ears. How he wished he could be like those other Neopets--carelessly spending an afternoon in the marketplace.
But suddenly he heard his owner's voice echoing in his ear. "Now, cross this bridge to the Island, and go to your lesson. When you're done, go to the Tombola to collect your prize. If it's food you can eat it, if it's a codestone or faerie bring it to me. Here's your codestone for the lesson," said Owner, handing Amicis the precious rock.
As his owner vanished in the crowd, Amicis trotted off obediently, his mind full of questions. Why should he do the lesson? Because his owner would check his stats later and punish him if they weren't raised. What if Owner forgot to check the stats? He wouldn't. He always checked.
Well, I might as well go to the Tombola first, in case the lesson wears me out, he silently decided.
He trotted over to the Tombola stand, but a huge crowd of Neopians surrounded it. When Amicis got closer, he could see why. The place was a mess. Tickets were strewn all about, items lay broken or spilled or tattered, and the Tombola guy was nowhere to be seen. Amidst it all, a Red Krawk was passing out tickets.
"If yours ends in an even number," said the Kougra, "give me 5,000 NP and you'll get your prize!"
"Liar!" someone shouted.
"Yeah, that's a scam! I'm going to report you!"
Amicis watched the arguement silently.
"You have my guarantee that this is no scam," the Red Krawk replied cooly. "In fact, I was once scammed before and I know how it feels."
"Sure, and I'm Chet Flash!"
"No, honestly," said the Krawk, "I--"
Suddenly a human wearing a black suit appeared. She whipped out a freezeray, the most dreaded weapon in Neopia.
"It's not me!" the Krawk lied. "I've been framed!"
The woman said nothing, but aimed the ray and fired. The scammer was instantly frozen into a block of ice.
Amicis just stared, horrified.
"Iced," the woman said. "Thanks for informing us." With a snap of her fingers, she and the ice disappeared.
"It's awful, that," whispered a feeble old Green Mynci standing next to Amicis.
He jumped. "Yeah. It's--it's shocking." For him, it really was. He had witnessed his owner do such scams lots of times without getting caught.
"There'll be an appeal, no doubt, if that poor wretch ain't been warned. If you been warned, there ain't no hope for ya. Well, I'd best be off." With that, she scuttled away.
Amicis still stood there, terrified. A thought entered his mind: What if my owner gets frozen? Then there'll be no more training, no more loneliness, no more hunger....
Too shaken to train, Amicis trotted back home to his owner's mansion in Neopia Cental. He walked into the kitchen and saw a note taped to the fridge:
"Yo,
"Grab something to eat, I'm taking you for a battle tonight."
That was fortunate; Amicis was starving. He opened the fridge and grimaced. There were only cheap, spoiled, and rotten foods. His owner had sold everything of value.
A bit frustrated, Amicis sat down at the table. His silver tail wagged to and fro. He was sick of battling. But maybe his owner would abandon him someday, or disappear into his home world--then Amicis could take care of himself, break into his owner's huge stash of NP.
By some sudden impulse Amicis stood up to look for his owner. He ran on his four Kougra paws through the cavernous home until he found his owner selling items in the family shop.
"That's right, send me any faerie and you'll be entered in a contest to win a paint brush!" the owner bluffed. Catching sight of Amicis, he brushed past some customers and asked him, "How'd your training go?"
"It didn't."
His owner looked puzzled. "Did you go at the wrong time? I'm sure it was the right time. Maybe the Techo Master was out."
"No, I didn't go. I didn't train at all," Amicis said sternly.
The owner's eyes grew cold and fierce. "You disobeyed me? All the NP I spent on you and you go off without my permission! Why you...you...."
"Amicis," he filled in. He was growing nervous, and the customers started staring.
"I know your name! I know everything about you! I own you, and this is my game!"
"I'm not part of a game. I'm real!" barked Amicis. "Don't you see that?"
"Shut up! Leave me alone, Ami--go."
Amicis lowered his eyes and turned away, but Owner's sign caught his eye. "Ask about my contest for a free paint brush," it read.
"Scam," Amicis said sternly.
Someone heard him and ran out. "I'm going to report you!" the customer screamed.
Within seconds another black-suited moderator, this one male, entered.
"Ami--no! You know I was warned already! I--" The moderator pulled out his freezeray. "You'll be frozen too, Ami!"
But if Amicis heard his owner's words, he didn't show it. Against the warm red walls of the shop, he saw the moderator aiming the ray. Within seconds they would be iced.
His burning hate for Owner was gone. Instead, in a few seconds that seemed to last for an hour, he saw his life flash before him. He remembered all those times he'd been disobedient of his owner. All the times Owner had actually seemed to care for him. Amicis saw himself actually enjoying the Battledome, the way it made his owner proud of him.
But the memories mattered no longer. He was as cold as the ice he was about to become.
"Game over," Amicis whispered.
For as long as Amicis could remember, his owner acted indifferently toward him. He could remember being content as a child, but that was long ago. Once a sleek-coated Silver Kougra, Amicis now had a gaunt, skinny look because he was only fed before battles or when his owner had some spare pocket change for NP. He longed for toys, books, anything besides codestones and faerie abilities. All he had for comfort was a chewed-up fuzzle from his younger years.
"I spent millions of NP on that Radish Bow and you still lost!" his owner screamed in Amicis's ear, awakening him to the world around them just outside the Battledome. "Against Meuka, too! Despicable!"
Amicis sighed, a little weak from the battle. "I--"
"Did you know how many people I had to scam to get enough NP? I came close to being frozen. Ami, you need more training." With that, the owner started to saunter toward Mystery Island. "Let's go."
The Kougra reluctantly followed to the last place he wanted to go. No, he thought. Not on such a nice day....
It was indeed a pretty afternoon. They were passing through Neopia Central, which was alive with shouts, scents, and the hustle and bustle of busy activity. Neopians of all ages led pets of all colors through the shops. Smells of mouth-watering food and freshly unpacked toys wafed through the air. Calls of "You shouldn't haggle!" and "This is a bargain!" sifted through to Amicis's ears. How he wished he could be like those other Neopets--carelessly spending an afternoon in the marketplace.
But suddenly he heard his owner's voice echoing in his ear. "Now, cross this bridge to the Island, and go to your lesson. When you're done, go to the Tombola to collect your prize. If it's food you can eat it, if it's a codestone or faerie bring it to me. Here's your codestone for the lesson," said Owner, handing Amicis the precious rock.
As his owner vanished in the crowd, Amicis trotted off obediently, his mind full of questions. Why should he do the lesson? Because his owner would check his stats later and punish him if they weren't raised. What if Owner forgot to check the stats? He wouldn't. He always checked.
Well, I might as well go to the Tombola first, in case the lesson wears me out, he silently decided.
He trotted over to the Tombola stand, but a huge crowd of Neopians surrounded it. When Amicis got closer, he could see why. The place was a mess. Tickets were strewn all about, items lay broken or spilled or tattered, and the Tombola guy was nowhere to be seen. Amidst it all, a Red Krawk was passing out tickets.
"If yours ends in an even number," said the Kougra, "give me 5,000 NP and you'll get your prize!"
"Liar!" someone shouted.
"Yeah, that's a scam! I'm going to report you!"
Amicis watched the arguement silently.
"You have my guarantee that this is no scam," the Red Krawk replied cooly. "In fact, I was once scammed before and I know how it feels."
"Sure, and I'm Chet Flash!"
"No, honestly," said the Krawk, "I--"
Suddenly a human wearing a black suit appeared. She whipped out a freezeray, the most dreaded weapon in Neopia.
"It's not me!" the Krawk lied. "I've been framed!"
The woman said nothing, but aimed the ray and fired. The scammer was instantly frozen into a block of ice.
Amicis just stared, horrified.
"Iced," the woman said. "Thanks for informing us." With a snap of her fingers, she and the ice disappeared.
"It's awful, that," whispered a feeble old Green Mynci standing next to Amicis.
He jumped. "Yeah. It's--it's shocking." For him, it really was. He had witnessed his owner do such scams lots of times without getting caught.
"There'll be an appeal, no doubt, if that poor wretch ain't been warned. If you been warned, there ain't no hope for ya. Well, I'd best be off." With that, she scuttled away.
Amicis still stood there, terrified. A thought entered his mind: What if my owner gets frozen? Then there'll be no more training, no more loneliness, no more hunger....
Too shaken to train, Amicis trotted back home to his owner's mansion in Neopia Cental. He walked into the kitchen and saw a note taped to the fridge:
"Yo,
"Grab something to eat, I'm taking you for a battle tonight."
That was fortunate; Amicis was starving. He opened the fridge and grimaced. There were only cheap, spoiled, and rotten foods. His owner had sold everything of value.
A bit frustrated, Amicis sat down at the table. His silver tail wagged to and fro. He was sick of battling. But maybe his owner would abandon him someday, or disappear into his home world--then Amicis could take care of himself, break into his owner's huge stash of NP.
By some sudden impulse Amicis stood up to look for his owner. He ran on his four Kougra paws through the cavernous home until he found his owner selling items in the family shop.
"That's right, send me any faerie and you'll be entered in a contest to win a paint brush!" the owner bluffed. Catching sight of Amicis, he brushed past some customers and asked him, "How'd your training go?"
"It didn't."
His owner looked puzzled. "Did you go at the wrong time? I'm sure it was the right time. Maybe the Techo Master was out."
"No, I didn't go. I didn't train at all," Amicis said sternly.
The owner's eyes grew cold and fierce. "You disobeyed me? All the NP I spent on you and you go off without my permission! Why you...you...."
"Amicis," he filled in. He was growing nervous, and the customers started staring.
"I know your name! I know everything about you! I own you, and this is my game!"
"I'm not part of a game. I'm real!" barked Amicis. "Don't you see that?"
"Shut up! Leave me alone, Ami--go."
Amicis lowered his eyes and turned away, but Owner's sign caught his eye. "Ask about my contest for a free paint brush," it read.
"Scam," Amicis said sternly.
Someone heard him and ran out. "I'm going to report you!" the customer screamed.
Within seconds another black-suited moderator, this one male, entered.
"Ami--no! You know I was warned already! I--" The moderator pulled out his freezeray. "You'll be frozen too, Ami!"
But if Amicis heard his owner's words, he didn't show it. Against the warm red walls of the shop, he saw the moderator aiming the ray. Within seconds they would be iced.
His burning hate for Owner was gone. Instead, in a few seconds that seemed to last for an hour, he saw his life flash before him. He remembered all those times he'd been disobedient of his owner. All the times Owner had actually seemed to care for him. Amicis saw himself actually enjoying the Battledome, the way it made his owner proud of him.
But the memories mattered no longer. He was as cold as the ice he was about to become.
"Game over," Amicis whispered.