After three sailing days on the sea, the ship landed in Merridell.
"Come on everyone." said Anshu, leading the others, including Haraku who had fully healed to the tavern near the docks.
Inside the tavern sat a blue Gelert. A hood pulled over his head. Greyfang and the others approached him.
"Are you Kanrik?" asked Greyfang.
"Who is asking?" asked the mysterious Gelert.
"I have something I would like to discuss with you." said Greyfang.
Greyfang removed the amulet from his pocket and placed it on the table.
"I know nothing of it." answered Kanrik.
"Are you sure?" questioned Greyfang.
Kanrik looked over his shoulder and then turned towards Greyfang and the others.
"Meet me in the alley by blacksmith tonight." whispered Kanrik, before getting up and leaving.
That night, Greyfang, Anshu, Miet and Haraku headed to the alley by the blacksmith shop. There Kanrik awaited.
"You are late." said Kanrik.
"We had a bit of trouble finding the blacksmith." answered Haraku.
"Why did you ask us to meet you here?" asked Greyfang, curiously.
Kanrik signaled for the four to follow him. Behind the blacksmith was the entrance to the basement. Kanrik flung open the doors and led everyone into the dimly lit place. Across from the stairs was a table next to the wall. On the table was a parchment with pictures of what looked like the Shadow Amulet.
"Is that the Shadow Amulet?" asked Anshu, bewildered at the pictures on the parchment.
"It is." answered Kanrik "But as you can see there are two others."
"You mean, there's more than one?" asked Miet.
"There are." answered Kanrik "Three, to be precise."
"Where do we find the other two?" asked Greyfang.
"We do not just find them." answered Kanrik "We need to make them appear."
"Make them appear?" said Anshu "How so?"
"By visiting a friend in the Haunted Woods." said Kanrik, rolling up the parchment and putting it in his pocket.
Kanrik led the group out of the basement and they headed back to the ship.
"This is where we head to first." said Kanrik, pointing at the second amulet on the parchment.
The amulet looked as though it was near a large door inside of a swamp.
"I do hope we'll be able to get to it in time." said Anshu.
"What do you mean by that?" asked Greyfang.
"Did you forget? The Shenkuu Emperor, the bandits? There's no doubt in my mind they'll be after it too." Anshu reminded.
"But they wouldn't know about the other two amulets. Would they?" asked Miet.
"I'm afraid they do." said Haraku.
"What?" said Miet.
"I was once a prisoner of the Shenkuu army. My friend and I were arrested. However, she was thrown in the prison and I was banished." explained Haraku.
"Banished?" said Anshu "But you came back to Shenkuu?"
"I wanted to save my friend. Unfortunately I failed. But while I was in the castle, searching the through the shadows for the prison holding my friend, I heard the Emperor talking about something."
"The amulet?" asked Greyfang.
"Yes. I'm not entirely sure who he was talking to, but I remember an aura surrounding him."
"An aura?" asked Kanrik.
"Yes. It was like he was surrounded by shadows."
"Whoever it was I hope we never run into them." said Miet.
"You know that still doesn't explain why you were with those bandits." said Greyfang.
"Well, while trying to save my friend I ran into Hanso. He tried to help me, but neither of us were able to save her."
"What happened?" asked Anshu.
"They moved to another prison, far off from Shenkuu. I agreed to join Hanso and the bandits in hopes of finding her again."
The others stood quietly, reflecting on Haraku's story.
"We will do what we can to help you." Greyfang promised.
Haraku smiled, relieved that she had found friends, true friends that were willing to help her.
"The Shadow Amulet."
The Emperor walked into the basement of the castle. On each side were many contraptions that belonged to explorers who came to Shenkuu. Each one a prisoner for crimes committed against the Emperor's family.
"This is it." said the Emperor, stopping at a hot air balloon.
"A balloon?" growled the Bandit Leader "You expect me and my thieves to travel in a balloon?"
"When my soldiers found you you agreed to help me no matter the costs." the Emperor reminded.
"Good point. Good point." said the Bandit Leader "So before I receive this Shadow Amulet I follow them first?"
"That is correct." said the Emperor "You will receive your reward afterwards."
"It had better be a good reward."
"Trust me. It is."
"By the way, what do you need these amulets for anyways?"
"That is for only I to know."
"Very well. Keep your secrets. But I will find out. I have my ways of finding out things that are kept from me."
"They follow from the east."
"Yes. The east."
"The others."
"The others?"
"The ones with the amulet."
"What about them?"
"The are going for the other amulets."
"You mean, the one in the Haunted Woods and the other in the Lost Desert?"
"Those are the two."
"What should we do?"
"We follow."
"Only follow?"
"Yes. Then we strike when the time is right."
"We strike? You mean...?"
"No no no, of course not."
"Oh, okay, I see now."
"Soon we will have what we want."
"But are you sure?"
"I am. It is he we must follow."
"That one?"
"Yes. That is the one."
"The Gelert."
"Yes. We will confront him soon."
"Yes. Yes. We confront him. Soon."
As the night fell, Kanrik watched as the sea folded onto itself. He breathed in the salty air and reached for his dagger. Turning swiftly, the dagger left his grip, implanting into the ship's wood next to Miet's head.
"Woah." gulped Miet "I can leave you alone if you want."
"No. It's fine." said Kanrik.
"What are you doing out here?" asked Miet, walking over to Kanrik.
"Reminiscing."
"About what?"
"About the past. Adventures. Family. Friends."
"Oh."
"Why are you up?" asked Kanrik.
"I couldn't sleep."
"Why not?"
"I don't know, I'm just not used to being on a boat I guess."
The two stood in silence, watching the sea roll by.
"You ever wonder?" asked Miet.
"About what?"
"About if all of our kind are somehow related?"
"Why would you think that?"
"I don't know. I guess it just gets a little bit lonely. It helps to think that I relatives out there I never knew about."
Kanrik sighed. He knew Miet needed a companion, but he didn't want to get close to anyone. Especially after all that had happened to him.
"Miet."
"Yes Kanrik?"
"I would be glad to call you brother."
Miet smiled widely. A tear formed in his eye.
"Thanks." said Miet.
As they sailed along, two ghostly figures watched them from above.
"They are approaching."
"What shall master let us do to them?"
A third ghostly figure appeared, clad in red.
"Sink the ship. Call upon the beast."
And so the two ghosts blew on their horns, awakening a horrid beast below the depths.
"Anshu?"
"Haraku?"
In the ship's cabin Anshu and Haraku awakened.
"I think something hit the ship." whispered Haraku.
"Are you sure?" asked Anshu.
"Guys!" yelled Miet "Come quick, you got to see this!"
The three rushed outside to see Greyfang and Kanrik tackling a giant sea monster.
"Where did that thing come from?!?" yelled Anshu.
"Could someone lend us a hand?!?" yelled Greyfang as the monster picked him up.
"Greyfang!" yelled Haraku, running towards the monster's hand, stabbing it.
Greyfang fell back onto the ship with Haraku as the monster screeched in pain.
"Kanrik, what is this?" asked Greyfang, hoping to get an answer.
"I... I don't know." growled Kanrik "We need to get out of here! Now!"
Haraku rushed towards the wheel and steered the ship around the giant monster. Surprisingly the monster allowed the ship to pass and get away.
"Why is it not after us?" questioned Kanrik.
"No clue." answered Haraku "I just hope there's no more ahead."
"I wouldn't speak so soon." said Miet, pointing at the shores of the Haunted Woods ahead.
"We have arrived. Finally." said Kanrik "Now we must find her."
"Her?" asked Anshu, curiously "Who is her?"
"A faerie. She is the only one who can help us get to the next piece of the Shadow Amulet."
"Wait, you don't know where the Shadow Amulet is?" asked Greyfang.
"I know it is here in the woods. And I know it is locked away where no one can get to it." replied Kanrik "Now come, we must hurry."
The five Neopets began their journey through the Haunted Woods to search for the mysterious faerie Kanrik speaks of. But what secrets is Kanrik hiding? What more does he know about the Shadow Amulet? Who are the ghosts who summoned the sea monster and why was it summoned?
"Fools."
