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

Chapter 50

The next morning the three got up early, and they stayed away from Vipra the entire afternoon. She remained with the rest of the Attack Pack while Raptor, Neiko, and Quickstrike watched from afar and tried to find ways to get rid of her. "I can't think of anything because she'll sic the Dark Pharaoh on us," Raptor said as he kicked a rock.

"The only thing I can think of is wait till everyone else catches her in a lie," Neiko suggested.

"That'll be hard to do because she does such a good job at lying. Besides, it may take a long time," Quickstrike replied.

"Just think what Cheetor will do if he ever finds out," Raptor purred.

"If I find out what?" asked Cheetor from behind, and they spun around in surprise.

"I was just thinking about if you found out someone found a surprise for you, that's all," said Raptor casually.

"Oh. Neiko, can you go pick some berries for me? Cheetara needs you two to help with dinner. Will you be back around sundown?" asked Cheetor.

Neiko nodded. "Sure thing. I'll take my tomahawk, my armlet, my little stick, and belt, just in case. If I ain't back, and if you find my tomahawk, you know something's wrong," she said as she put on her lightning sword, belt, armlet, and picked up her tomahawk.

"Roger. Be careful, here's a croaker sack," he said handing it to her, and she headed off into the woods.

As Neiko walked, she found many berry bushes, and picked and picked while she sang.

Suddenly, a branch broke, and she jumped, froze, and looked around. A deer galloped by and disappeared as Neiko laughed with relief. She traveled deeper into the woods in the cool of the evening, but it was almost time to go back, so she picked up the sack and started to head back. An eerie, chilling feeling penetrated the woods. The bugs and birds no longer sang, adding to the creepiness. Neiko's heart started thumping, and she quickened her pace. A few branches snapped behind her; she spun around, and there stood a large black Clydesdale horse with a silver plate on its head. It had fiery red eyes, and its rider was a black shadow with the familiar red, flaming eyes of the Dark Pharaoh himself. Neiko's courage left her, and panic surged through her as her mouth fell open; her eyes widened in fear. She dropped the bag and her tomahawk and started to run. The black rider charged, and she could hear the hooves of the horse as he pursued her. She only made it a few feet when he leaned over and caught her in her middle, lifted her up, and sat her in front of him. She screamed and fought, but he was too strong. He wrapped his powerful arms around her.

"I have you, and there is nothing anyone can do to take you from me this time," said the familiar voice of Ramses with wicked delight. He held her closely to him with one arm and turned his mighty horse with the other, and he disappeared with his helpless prisoner. Neiko cried and yelled as he carried her away.

* * *

It was thirty minutes after sundown, and Cheetor was getting worried. "It can't take three hours to pick berries, and the patch is only a few yards away, I gotta go check on her," he said. He returned in ten minutes. "Guys, I didn't see anything. We gotta get the Attack Pack and search the woods.

Cheetara, go tell Phoenix right away."

"Will do," she said then ran like lightning. The search sprang out in only a few minutes. They went into the woods and called her name, but there was no answer. They traveled deeper and deeper into the woods, and Cheetor found the bag and her tomahawk lying in the ground.

"Well, this is the last place where she was, I gotta see which way she went from here, and see if a bear or something might have attacked her."

Cheetara searched the perimeter, but she found nothing. "Cheetor, I don't like this. Her trail leads to this spot and it just vanishes. It's like nothing came at all except her. This is really strange. There is no other scent but hers—wait—I smell something," she said pointing to their left.

Cheetor stalked to that area and disappeared into the trees. They heard a shrill scream of fright. A man ran with Cheetor right on his heels, and he was only greeted by angry snarls from the Attack Pack.

"Where is she?" asked Waspinator, the wasp, shaking his leg at him. The man's eyes were wide as saucers, and he was shaking uncontrollably. He was so terrified he didn't answer.

"C'mon tell us, and we'll spare you," Scarem, the beetle, said as he brandished his deadly pinchers, but the man just covered his face and shook with fright.

"Guys, I don't think he did it, I mean, look at him. It looks like he saw a ghost," said Torca, the elephant-whale.

"Well, let's see if he knows anything," said Bantor, the tiger-baboon.

"I'll handle it," said Diana, Lydia's sister. "I'm sorry about before, sir, what's your name?"

"J-jinx," he managed to gurgle.

"Okay, Jinx, we're looking for our friend, and she is lost, have you seen her?"

Jinx nodded.

"What happened?"

"It took her. He rode on his dark steed and grabbed her. He vanished without a trace just as he came," he said then swallowed.

"Who?" she asked.

"The demon of the shadows—it's the same creature that killed my brother years ago."

"You mean the Dark Pharaoh," said Quickstrike, and Jinx nodded.

"Oh no," Cheetara said sadly and in shock as she covered her mouth with her paw.

"Could she be dead?" asked Buzzclaw, the mantis-lizard.

Jinx shook his head. "The Dark Pharaoh kills men where they stand, and he usually takes no prisoners, so your friend is lost. He may have chosen her to be his queen."

"We can't give up. There must be hope. We can't let her go through all of this for nothing. We will find her no matter what it takes," said Phoenix bravely.

"Where do we start? No one knows who the Dark Pharaoh is and he is long gone by now. It wouldn't take him long to disappear with her, and he'll hide her well," said Noctorro, the bullheaded bat, rubbing his left horn.

"There is hope. I know where Neiko is," said Quickstrike.

"And we know who's got her," added Raptor, and everybody looked at him with surprise.

"Let's go back to camp. Will you be alright, Jinx?" asked Sandstorm.

"Yes, I'm fine. I'll go home. I've been through this before. I'm just really scared of him," he said, being fully recovered and he left. The Attack Pack left and returned back to camp.