“We’ll have to make it across the ocean completely undetected, they know who we are” Hatchet smiled, revealing the scar under his bottom lip.
“But they’ll persecute us if we come back with the crown!” Lethal remarked.
“No, I think that will likely make us common heroes…that’s another goal of this. We are not criminals, we are prowlers. We survive by what we can find.” Hatchet replied. “You have no choice, once you cross the line, there’s no turning back, my little Lupe friend.”
Lethal knew he was right. He wouldn’t turn back to the hut if it was his only hope, he’d rather die trying just to keep away from it. “So…what’s the plan?”
“Alright, a cruise ship will leave the Desert Bay at around 12:00 tomorrow. We’re going to start a fire on the grounds of the shrine. In the panic, workers are called to help put out the fire. That means the navigator will leave the people who don’t put out the fire alone on that ship. Then, we hijack it. The people will never notice us, and we’ll act official over the intercom and such. The ship is going to Neopian Marketplace. This means when we get into Roo Island waters, we’ll abandon ship.” Hatchet explained.
“We’ll jump?! Isn’t that a little…high?” Lethal exclaimed.
“Once again, would you do ANYTHING to stay away from your master?”
“He isn’t my master…” Lethal said, under his breath.
“Anyway, we’re going to have to check for the isolated area on the northwest side, so no one sees us, and make sure you dip under water
while swimming so people don’t see us. We’ll play a recording of my voice saying ‘We’ve hit a small obstacle’ and then we should be able to get away with this freely. Any more questions?” Hatchet continued.
“Yeah, can I use the bathroom?” Antsy questioned.
“There’s a bush over there” Hatchet pointed. “Anyway, for those of you who can control your bladder, from there, we’ll need to dig a deep hole in this isolated area…but only one of us at a time. We as a group will be persecuted if found. Only one of us, and no one will notice. The rest of us will split up on the island, and search for any suspicious clues to where the crown is.”
“Well, what about the people on the boat? They won’t notice us?” Lethal queried.
“We’ll be too far out. We’ll spot Roo Island then turn left as if going to the Marketplace, once Roo Island is
out of seeing distance, we carry out the plan. You guys will need air tanks. They’re in my underground tent. Now, before somebody’s attention is drawn away from Vyssa, let’s get to that tent.”
We crept along behind the tents, and finally came to a blank area. “Open Sesame Chicken” Hatchet whispered,
with a grin. The ground opened, into a hole, and we all crawled in quickly.
“It’s kinda sad that no one spotted us, it’s like 10,000 people there.” Antsy said, a wide smile on his goofy face.
“Vyssa gets top quality attention” chuckled Hatchet. “The place is a bit messy, I know…You’ll have to
forgive me for….”
“Hatchet, it’s a hole in the ground, should we expect more from it?” Snowowl joked.
Hatchet smiled his guilty-looking grin, and looked over to Lethal. “I really appreciate you joining us, Lethal, it will make survival much more easy.”
Lethal nodded with a frown. What would Master have said if he saw this? Would he understand why he ran away from his supposed new “master”? Would he understand this is the only way to live?
Hatchet gave each Lupe an air tank. “Come now. I suggest we get some sleep.”
“But it’s daylight!!!” Antsy cried.
“It’s 9 o’clock, we’re in a desert, daylight tends to last a while in the summer.”
“But…”
“No buts, we need to get sleep, we’ll have a long day tomorrow.”
“I have to use the bathroom”
Hatchet sighed and turned to face Antsy. “Hold it in.”
“Hatchet, I have a question…How did you manage to make it to Brucey’s tent unnoticed?” Lethal queried to him. It was late night, and the other Lupes were all asleep.
“I told you. Everyone was paying attention to Vyssa.”
“No, I don’t believe that’s possible.”
“Okay, fine, a few people did try to come after us…We had to kill them.”
“WHAT?!”
“I’m sorry, but we can’t be caught.”
“And why not?”
“I’d tell you…but then I’d have to kill you.” Hatchet grinned.
“Hatchet, you can tell me.”
“Trust me, you’d want to turn us in.”
“No, I wouldn’t.”
“I know how your Master died.”
“What?!”
“I know how he died.”
“How? Please tell me.”
“If you promise not to turn your back on us, I’ll tell you.”
“I promise, now tell me!!!”
“A group of Blumaroos shot him down. They’re called the Manifest. They kill people for fun. They have no reason. They killed my master as well, at my own home on Roo Island. And then they took me to their place on the island, and I ran away.”
“So, that’s how you know where Roo Island is?”
“Yes.”
“And you think this Manifest group stole the crown?”
“No.”
“Then who do you think did?” Lethal’s attention was completely on Hatchet now.
“Sankara.”
“Sankara?! Well…she was supposedly acting weird on that day…Why would she steal the crown.”
“Over a game of checkers.”
“Checkers?”
“It’s a less Neopet-related version of Kacheekers.”
“Oh. But why over a game of these Checkers you talk about.”
“It was a bet. She lost her Neopoints to Vyssa.”
“How do you know all this?”
“You’ll be surprised how far they let a ‘peasant Lupe’ into the castle. I can just tell. She was flaming with anger.” Hatchet chuckled.
Lethal eyed the scar under Hatchet’s lip.
“They beat me on Roo Island. Trained me to be an attack dog.” Hatchet seemed to read Lethal’s mind.
“Does King Roo know about them?”
“It’s not a matter of knowing of them, it’s a matter of stopping them.”
“Can we stop them?”
“Yes. For your Master and for the crown.”
Lethal smiled. He’d stop them for Master. – Porygonix