Neiko's Five Land Adventure (Neiko Adventure Saga Book #1)

Chapter 45

They walked behind their guides on the trail into the colorful foliage of the forest, and then suddenly thousands of huts in the trees appeared as they entered the village. The largest and nicest hut was Tsarmina's, they led them inside; Tsarmina was sitting on her throne looking at them with her golden eyes. She wore purple and gold royal robes, and she had a golden crown on her head with a large opal in the center. "Welcome to my jungle kingdom, newcomers."

"We weren't anywhere near your kingdom. Are we in trouble?" asked Quickstrike.

"Silence," she said waving her paw. "You are not in trouble with me, I am curious to know why you were attacked by Quicksilver. My warriors have been watching you for a while since you entered the Low Road from the mountains. They had been watching Quicksilver as well; they knew he was up to no good. I gave the order for you to be rescued once he sprung on his target since I knew Quicksilver was lying in wait for someone on the Low Road. I wasn't sure who it was at the time or what their fate was."

"Boy, you've been sheltered; I thought everyone knew that," Quickstrike snapped.

"What's with you? Oh no. Is she gonna turn me in even though her warriors kicked Chrome Butt Jr.'s behind? She won't get that reward."

Tsarmina chuckled. "Heavens no. I wouldn't do such a thing. So you are being pursued by Ramses? Poor dear. I can tell you are a woodlander."

"We are heading to Norak, and we have taken a slight detour." She told her about all of her adventures except Geezah, all the things she found there, and what Genghis Khan had told her.

"So, you have quite a story. Well I have news for you. Those hawks are hiding nothing, and MacPhearsome is a senile old bird. Besides, the only way home is by the Eye of Osiris, and it is in the possession of Ramses at present, so basically it's hopeless. Well, you cannot go the way you came because Quicksilver could be waiting there, and so you must go through Velociraptor Ravine."

"Oh, no! We gotta go through there alone? You're crazy!" Quickstrike squealed. "We will be snacks for raptors!"

"Oh, don't be silly. I will send Jaguas with you; he is skilled in trekking through. Velosos could help you, but no one can find him."

"Who's that?" asked Neiko.

"Velosos? The raptor hunter. He lives there, and he has lived there since he was two, but I would think of him as dangerous because he hunts like them. Jaguas will leave with you at dawn tomorrow, and he will escort you to Norak." Jaguas stepped out. He was stout-looking and had on all types of adventure equipment. "I bid you good night," she said waving her paw.

Neiko and Quickstrike stayed the night with a good jaguar family. "You know, she's the one that's senile," Neiko said curtly. "MacPhearsome was perfectly fine, but I gotta find out what the secret of Cougan's Bluff is."

"I believe Ramses got his Eye back, and if that's the only way back, then your chances of returning are slim to none; you can tell she trusts no one or no one's as good as her, but at least she's helping, and she rescued us from that creepola." They talked more then went to sleep that night.

* * *

The following morning, Jaguas was ready to leave for Velociraptor Ravine. They walked on Raptor Pass and they could see the ravine clearly. They ventured in cautiously as they came into raptor territory, and Neiko could feel that they were being hunted. They neared the middle of the ravine. Suddenly they could hear the purring of raptors, and the bushes began to empty their contents of raptors. The three were totally surrounded by fifty or more hungry raptors. They let loose a shrill cry of glee and poised themselves to spring and kill the three trespassers. One was about to run and pounce on Neiko, and then a blur came from nowhere as a human man pounced on the raptor and slayed it with a simple dagger. He let loose a shrill call of a raptor, and they recognized him; they turned and fled. The man was wiry yet stout, and his hair was extremely long. His only clothes were a loincloth, and he was covered with necklaces and bracelets of raptor claws and teeth. "Strangers you are. Why have you come?" he asked in his quirky, jumbled speech. Velosos had difficulties speaking with normal folk because of his raptor upbringing.

Neiko listened and scratched her head in trying to figure out what he was saying. After she was able to piece together the question, she said, "Travelling to Norak, sir. I'm Neiko of Hawote, this is Quickstrike, and this is Jaguas, our guide from the kingdom of Tsarmina," said Neiko stretching forth her hand, but he cocked his head like a confused raptor.

"Nice to meet you it is. Velosos I am, and kind people are you. The outlaw you are, and running from Ramses you are. Glad to help I am. Neiko, home is far away, yes? Help you I will. Hate Ramses I do, and want you he does. Know you are here because he seeks you, yes?"

"That's right. I go to Norak—"

Before she could finish, he said, "Seek the Attack Pack you do. Return Quickstrike, and need them against Ramses. Wise choice it is, and want to return home you do. First come eat lunch with me you will, and lead you to Norak I will," he said smiling at Neiko. He took her hand and led her while the others followed.

At his camp they ate roasted raptor till they were stuffed. Velosos talked with Neiko about her adventures. "Enough about me, why do you live here alone?"

Velosos cocked his head and a tear came into his eye. "Black creature slay my parents it did. Come for me it did, but run I did, and here I did hide. Raised by good raptors I was, and now dead they are, killed by bad pack that live here. That why I know raptor way. Good raptors like Raptor of Attack Pack, only two there were, and came from Etowah they did, kin of Raptor, yes?"

"Man, I'm sorry. I would think that those are kin of Raptor, so can we leave now? I'm ready to get to safety," she said putting her hand on his shoulder. He looked at her happily, and he took off one of his necklaces of teeth; it had one of the side claws in the center. He put it on her neck gently.

"Gift to you. Remember me. Visit you will? When you go to Norak come back to home I will. Can't live in city. Not accept raptor man. Leave now we will," he said as he combed his long hair, armed himself with a homemade spear and his trusty dagger. He led them safely down the other side of the ravine and walked them on Norak pass.

"There it is! At last!" Neiko said as she could see Norak on the hill half a mile away, and the four started to run for it.