A Jammer's Dream, Book 1: Complete Version

Just as I promised, here is the complete version of A Jammer's Dream, Book 1! It might not be in Paragraph Form in some spot because Blogger doesn't allow it. Enjoy the story and Book 2's first part will be coming out soon! I'm planning on having 4, 5, 6 or 7 books in the series. So, this series won't be over for a while.

A Jammer’s Dream

“Here you go! Here is that diamond sword you asked for. All of the other boy Jammers will be jealous, and the girls will adore you! The diamond sword will go perfect with your orange fur and beautiful blue eyes,” my mother guarantees.

“Thanks, mom!” I respond with a large amount of happiness. I haven’t felt good in so long, yet something is telling me this won’t last long. My mother and I have a very small den with few precious items. All we have is two pillows to lie down on, a table, and food. I am very poor, and every Jammer in Jamaa- well, nearly every Jammer- makes fun of me for it. I really want a diamond sword, which is the coolest item in all of Jamaa. If I could get one, I’d be popular- and now I have got one.

I put the sword over my back and race outside to greet the popular Jammers. The day is sunny and most Jammers sit on the bridge that leads to Appondale. Many of them stare at me in shock, and one of them laughs. What’s going on?

“Well, look! Cup actually got a Diamond Sword!” my enemy, Archie, points out. Everyone then laughs again, and now I understand. They’re laughing because there’s a new victim in Jamaa. They point at the small, harmless bunny entering Jamaa. They laugh again. For once, I feel bad… I’ve never felt this way before. I’ve always felt jealous and horrible. Is being popular really what I want?

“Wake up! It’s time for you to get your lazy animal fur off of that pillow!” my rude mother shouts. It was all just a dream. I never got a Diamond Sword. I was never popular. And my mother isn’t actually nice… but anyways, I haven’t introduced myself. I am Cup, the least popular Jammer in all of Jamaa. I’m a wolf.  My dream is to get that Diamond Sword and become popular. But how is that possible? It’s not. It’s just not.

I scramble off of the old pillow, obeying my mother. The morning sun shines through the mini window we own and the dew is clearly visible on the grass outside. I head outside without wearing any items because, after all, I am poor. In Jamaa Township I spot Archie sitting on the bridge with all of his popular friends. He wears a glistening, diamond sword across his back.

“Well, well, well… if it isn’t little Cup? The unrare guy? Yeah, that obviously him,” Archie laughs among his friend.

“Kurkah would laugh at the sight of you!” one of Archie’s friends says. Kurkah is the most famous, and by far the rarest Jammer in Jamaa.

“Leave him alone!” my best friend Nova pops out of nowhere. She is a dark gray wolf and is the only person in Jamaa that appreciates my presence. Her gleaming, almost’ pink eyes shine as the only other color on her body besides gray.

Archie gets onto his paws, walks over to Nova, and then dares her to come any closer. Knowing Nova, she leaps onto Archie’s back and easily pins him down, Archie yowls in embarrassment and Nova says she could kill him right there. She then releases him and gestures for me to follow her.

We make our way deep into Jamaa Township and away from the dreadful bridge. The sun continues to shine bright in the sky and Jammers are doing their regular things: trading and talking. After passing Jammer Central Nova leads me up the path where Jam Mart Furniture is. “We’re not going to Jam Mart Furniture again, are we?” I ask her with a sigh.

“No, Cup! We’re going somewhere much more important,” she gives a faint hint of a smile.

“Where are we going, then?” I ask. She doesn’t respond.

We continue up the path and then we stop where a smaller path leads off into a bamboo area. I’ve never been this way, so I have no clue where we could be going.

“But- I’ve never been this way! I don’t think any Jammer has!” I assure her.

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing,” we start down the new path. At the end there is a small hut.

“Come inside,” she says and pushes me with her when I hesitate.

Inside the hut there is loads of bamboo and a few pillows are on the ground. Then I spot a panda with some kind of staff- it is Liza, the Panda alpha!

“Welcome, you two. Have you told Cup anything yet?” Liza asks Nova. She says no.

“Well, I can. Cup, you and Nova have been chosen by the alphas to complete a quest. We need you to find out where the Phantom’s new hideout is, and what their new plans are. We have heard rumors from far away friends that the Phantoms are moving closer to Jamaa so they will be able to attack easier. And they even tell us that the Phantoms have a new plan that will be put into action soon- so we need you two to find out where the Phantoms are for us,” Liza explains.

“Me? But why me? I’m the worst Jammer ever! Nobody cares about me! What do I have to prove?” I wonder.

“That exactly why I want you to go along with Nova. You are special. You are more than you believe you are. Nobody except Nova and the alphas know this, and that’s why you are on this mission. Just trust me, you will understand soon,” Liza promises.

I guess I do have a lot to prove. If I can complete this mission, the other Jammers wouldn’t make fun of me.

“I’ll do it,” I say while staring at the cracked ceiling.

“Great, you can start right now. Here is a map, and it will lead you in the direction of where the alphas believe the Phantoms are at. Just keep following the arrows and if you don’t find them, you may come back. But I’m warning you- if you don’t find them, Jamaa may be doomed. So try your hardest!” Liza orders.

Nova and I nod in understanding. This mission will be so exciting!

“Here is a special gem that will keep the alphas with you. As long as you have it, you’ll have the power of the alphas by your side,” Liza hands a gem to me. Nova glares at it with amazement.

“Now you must go. Come back to me once your have finished. I do not want to see you come back without knowing the location, but I will have to accept that if it happens. Now go! You don’t have much time!” Liza demands.

We race out of her hut and back down the path through the bamboo.

“How did you know about this?” I ask Nova.

“Greely told me to meet Liza at her hut, and told me where it was. He said it was important and I needed to bring you,” Nova responds.

“Oh,” I say.

We finally exit the path and look at the map. We must go to Mt. Shiveer… and into the Ice Caves below it.

“How are we going to get into those Ice Caves?” I wonder once we arrive at Mt. Shiveer. The sun is now gone and the sky is white. Snow covers my paws and we journey towards the mountain itself. Tracks are left behind.

“I don’t know, but something is telling me that we have to break the ice to get down there,” Nova thinks.

We head over to the ice and start hopping on it. Nothing happens. It must be too thick!

“If it’s too thick, how else are we going to get down there?” Nova gasps.

“You could use some of these stones I have,” some old Wolf comes out from a small tent.

“Thanks, sir,” I tell him.

“Call me Ice,” the very old but wise-looking wolf orders.

I take the stones from him and using one paw, I drop them onto the ice. It cracks. We do the same with many more stones until the ice finally breaks and all three of us go plunging down an Ice slide.

“Woah! This is awesome!” Nova shouts as we slide down the Ice as fast as lightning.

We finally reach the bottom and now we’re at a different entrance to the ice tunnels. I can see where we’re at on the map, too. Ahead of us there is a large prairie and even farther than that is a range of mountains. I can’t see any farther as the sun burns my eyes.

“Thanks, Ice,” I thank the mysterious stranger.

“No problem,” he glares at me with a mischievous stare. Something tells me this won’t be the last time I see him.

Ice climbs back up the Ice tunnels, using his claws to dig into the ice. He looks at me one more time with his ice-blue eyes and scarred face. We stare at him until he’s gone, then we turn around and look at the new lands in front of us.

“Just imagine- the Phantoms could be out there anywhere!” says Nova.

“They could be watching us right now…” I blurt out. Nova grins widely and I can tell she’s thinking about killing a Phantom.

“Well, we have to begin our little ‘journey’,” I tell her. And then we set off into the prairie.

In the prairie there is very tall grass that bothers my fur. Along the way I have to brush it off of my fur because it is pretty much getting stuck there. Once we reach an opening in the grass, Nova and I delay our journey and relax for a moment. The sun is still blazing down onto the Earth and right now I feel fearless. Mira only knows what could be in store for the two of us.

“Hey, Cup, have you ever wondered where Kurkah lives? Nobody knows where his actual den is,” Nova ponders.

“Don’t know, don’t care,” I tell her.

“What’s wrong, Cup?”

“I don’t know. It’s just that so many of my enemies adore him and that makes me hate him,” I explain to her.

“Well, I don’t think he’s that bad. He’s pretty funny.”

“Wait a second- I’m sure they told Kurkah about this undiscovered land, so he might live out here,” I randomly point out. I feel weird talking about a rare and famous Jammer.

“Cup, you’re a genius! I doubt there’s any better place than this prairie. After all, it would give him a lot of peace and he wouldn’t be swarmed by his fans,” Nova grins.

I peer outside of the opening and notice a hole in the ground. I tell Nova, and she races over to explore it. I try to catch up with her and I sprint through the tall grass that hits me in the face. I finally make it to another small opening where Nova is waiting for me by the small hole.

“Come on, let’s go in!” Nova hops into the hole and races down a tunnel inside.

“I don’t know if this is such a good-” I begin to say, but she comes back up and takes me with her down the tunnel.

“What do you think is down here?” I wonder as we pass lit torches. Somebody must’ve been here recently- or is here.

“I don’t know, but we’re about to find out,” Nova says as we continue down a dirt path. She sees a big light up ahead.

Once we reach the spot, there’s many different passageways, a nice blue carpet covering the floor, and luxury is around every corner. I know what this is place is.

“Cup, you were right. Kurkah does live out here,” Nova exclaims.

“Welcome, welcome! You guys are the first regular Jammers that have visited my place- well- ever!” Kurkah comes out of nowhere. Kurkah is an Arctic Wolf with a Black Spiked Collar, Black Spiked Wristband, a Light Pink Headdress and yellow fur. I don’t understand why he uses this look when it doesn’t even match.

“Umm… hello?” I step in front of Nova.

“Cup. I know who you are. And you’re with Nova. I know every Jammer in Jamaa. What brings you two here?” Kurkah begins to laugh. “Do you need me to help you?”

“No, actually, we just saw a cave when we were passing through. The Alphas sent us on a special mission,” I tell him.

“Why don’t you take me with you?” Kurkah asks while leaning on a wooden elevator that brings you down to a lower floor of the den.

“Because we don’t need you.”

“Trust me, I’ll help you out as best as I can!” Kurkah laughs.

“Oh, and I’ll give you rares,” he adds.

“We don’t need your rares!” Nova steps up.

“Come on, this could be an adventure we can all go on! What is it now, fighting the Phantoms? Taking rares away from- oops, I meant defending Jamaa?” Kurkah begins to sweat a little.

“Listen, we don’t need you,” Nova tells him.

“Please! I haven’t gotten to know a regular Jammer in forever. I need to communicate with you guys!” Kurkah begs.

I glance and Nova, and she glances back.

“Fine, you can go. But don’t screw up- we’re trying to find out where the Phantoms are hiding out,” Nova grants Kurkah permission.

Kurkah leaps for joy and bounces around his underground den. Torches light up the place and to get from floor to floor there are wooden elevators. There’s also many luxury den items like televisions, beds, books, and more.

“Listen, Kurkah, if you’re going to come with us, we have to start going now,” I stop Kurkah from dancing around any longer. We can’t cooperate with somebody that’s completely nuts.

“Okay, let’s go right now,” Kurkah stops being weird and fixes his spiked collar.

“I’m ready to kick some Phantom-” Kurkah begins, but Nova stops him.

“There’s no need to cuss.”

The three us journey back out of the den and into the prairie.

“Which way are we heading?” Kurkah wonders, starting to become a little bit more serious.

“We’re heading north; it is the way the Alphas believe the Phantoms could be,” Nova explains.

We continue going through the prairie and Kurkah winces at every grass that hits him in the face. I can barely hold back a laugh when one takes off his Spiked Collar and he gasps in embarrassment.

Finally, the prairie ends and we’re all consumed by a forest of trees that leads us up the mountain range. We ask Kurkah is he’s ever been this way, but he says no and that’s he’s never been farther than his home.

Inside the forest it is peaceful- the only sounds possible to hear are the leaves shaking in the steady wind and our pawsteps on the ground. There’s not much sunlight in this forest, either, because the treetops are blocking it all out.

“Is it just me, or do I feel- mystical in this place?” Nova suddenly blurts out as we journey through the forest.

“You’re not the only one. I feel like there’s deep magic here,” I reply.

“You guys aren’t scaring anyone! You can’t fool me, I’m not stupid! I don’t feel anything- wait a second… what’s going on? Why do I feel like anything is possible?” Kurkah begins to argue then realizes what Nova and I are talking about. I look at the map, and the forest we’re in right now is titled “The Enchanted Land”. I flip the map over and find out that there’s information on each area. It turns out that the Enchanted Land was once a tribe of ancient animals, even before the time of Jamaa. They were unique and had extra-terrestrial powers, but legend has it that they were wiped out by the Phantoms. However, there’s still rumors that the Alphas and stray animals passing through here have seen them and that they found a new home in the forest.

I begin to think about the famous Jammers of Jamaa. Kurkah is by far the most famous, but he’s probably the only rare-obsessed one I know. Not all of the famous Jammers are bad. Yet I somehow begin to feel sorry for Kurkah and the loneliness he feels.

“Guys, what is that?” Nova stops dead in her tracks. Ahead of us is a bunch of fallen trees and wood scattered all over the ground. On top of a large pile of wood is a huge wolf with eyes staring right at us.

“Run!” Kurkah screams at the top of his lungs. We run back the way we came from and Kurkah trips over a fallen branch while I slam into a camouflaged tree. Nova tries to save Kurkah and I, but the large wolf finally catches up with us and we’re all put onto his back. The last thing I remember before falling asleep is entering a hidden city made out of wood.

“Wake up! Cup, it’s me, Nova! We’re still alive!” Nova wakes me up. I am laying on a wooden bed with many leaves to make it comfortable. Right now the two of us are in a small room made out of wood- with no windows.

“Cup, we’ve been taken in by the Tribe of Ersel Animals. I read the back of the map. I’ve talked to their leader, and they said they would help us on our journey,” Nova explains.

The Tribe of Ersel animals. So that’s lost tribe the alphas mentioned on the map!

Just then another huge wolf comes through the door and greets us. It has dark, green eyes that glitter in the sn. It has jet black fur and very sharp claws.

“Welcome, welcome. We are the Tribe of Ersel animals, and we greet you in peace,” the wolf explains.

“Your friend Nova has told everything about you and your kind’s history. We actually know about Jamaa- we helped Zios himself give it life. We started many of the races of animals there today. However, we couldn’t go there because the place was threatened by Phantoms, and we know that there are still threats there today,” the wolf thoroughly admits.

“We need your help-” I begin to say, but the large wolf stops me.

“I already know. The Phantoms are planning an attack on your land. We’ve been watching them grow over the years, and they’ve gotten much nastier. In fact, we know exactly where their new hideout is,” he finishes.

“Thank you. What is your name?” I finally manage to get out of the straw bedding.

“Ikenus,” he says.

“Can you take us to your leader?” Nova blurts out. Ikenus nods and open the small wooden door of the hut we’re in.

Nova, Ikenus and I exit the hut. Outside of it- we’re in a- wait a second… what are we in?

“Cup, this is the Underground Dome of Ersel. It is made out of green glass and under it is where we are. Down here is our hideout, which includes a large village and many different buildings. Nobody has discovered us because the green dome is camouflaged into the green forest above,” Ikenus reveals.

We walk from hut to hut on a dirt path. All the huts look similar and made out of wood. Many different animals are walking around, but each one is bigger than the normal ones of Jamaa. Finally we reach a larger wooden building that looks like it was built for royalty. Torches light the way up the path, and basically light up everything down here. Inside we go down a few hallways that all look the same- wooden walls, red carpet and paintings hung on the walls. Finally we reach one special room and a very familiar wolf sits on a throne.

“Hello you two. I have heard all about you. Your friend Kurkah is still sound asleep in one of the huts. Oh, I haven’t introduced myself! I am Ersel, the leader and oldest animal in this tribe of animals,” Ersel says.

Ersel is much smaller than any of the animals here, but he looks wise. He has ice-blue eyes and a scarred face. What could be so familiar about him?

“The Phantoms are west of here. But I’m warning you- to the west there are dangerous cliffs, beaches with strong waves and pirates that’ll tear your guts out for a few gems,” Ersel explains.

“I can’t let you three Jamaasians here much longer, for my tribe will begin to worry. I will ask you to leave, but I am giving you my strength to go on your journey,” Ersel walks up to us.

“I wish you luck,” he nods, and then Ikenus escorts us out of the royal building.

“Nova, something seemed familiar about Ersel…” I whisper to Nova as Ikenus takes us to find Kurkah.

“I think so, too, but I don’t exactly know what,” Nova replies.

We remain silent until Ikenus opens the door of another small hut and Kurkah comes out. Kurkah shivers in fear, but Ikenus explains to him that the Tribe of Ersel Animals has taken us in through peace. Kurkah then figures out where we have to go, and he prepares for the rest of the journey we have.

We gather our things and Ikenus leads us to a winding staircase that goes up. The stairs are made out of wood and seem a little unstable at first.

“Remember, just go up these stairs and immediately go west. It’s the easiest route to where the Phantoms are currently hiding,” Ikenus finishes and the three of us begin our trip up the stairs. I tell Ikenus goodbye and he says the same.

We reach the top of the stairs and we’re back in the forest. The Mythical Forest. I look around at the age trees and green grass. It once again feels so peaceful up here.

“Well, west is that way,” Nova points out. Ahead I can see a small opening.

“Are you sure we can trust those guys? We don’t even know them!” Kurkah cries out loud.

“I’m sure that Zios has approved of them. Now come on, let’s go west and stop the Phantoms before their plans destroy Jamaa!” Nova responds with a flick of her head.

“Did you hear that?” Kurkah wonders with fright.

“It was probably just the wind,” I respond.

Right now the three of us are still heading west and are now in a swamp. The Mythical Forest eventually ended and we were away from the mountains. This swamp is actually quite creepy because there are so many twists and turns- and you never know when you’ll run into another animal that could want to kill you.

We travel through the dark with Nova leading the way; she has the best eyesight. There are dark trees around us and our paws are getting soaked in the water that barely covers the ground. Finally, Nova tells us all to stop. And we listen.

“If we go any farther, we’re going to go into a pool of deep water. This is the actual swamp now,” Nova warns.

Kurkah lets out a groan and we have to go around the lake. It’s nearly impossible to manage through here because the swamp is very dark at night. Finally, we reach an area where we can go around the lake and into the heart of the swamp.

“Hey, has anyone else heard about those weird tales that take place in a swamp? I heard there’s witches here!” Kurkah blurts out once again with fright.

“Do you seriously believe them? If you do, you’re not the Jammer that everybody thinks you are,” I tell him as Nova continues leading the way through the swamp.

“Guys- maybe we should listen to those tales. Look over there. What are those eerie lights?” Kurkah counters.

Nova stops dead in her tracks, followed by Kurkah and I.

“Kurkah, you might be right. Let’s go find out what they are and then get out of here,” she tells him.

“Wait! We’re going to go face them? Are you crazy?!?” Kurkah warns. I shove him towards Nova and we all follow her towards the lights.

There’s big, large bushes that are almost hard to get through, but we manage to make it. On the other side are tall trees that, are so close, they look like just a green wall. We make it to them and on the other side are bright lights shining through the leaves.

The three of us scramble through the tree trunks below and finally make it to the other side.

Well, I guess I can’t blame Kurkah. Slender, ugly, green-skinned humans are holding lanterns on the other side and seem to be holding a meeting. Luckily, they haven’t noticed us.

“Oh my Zios, Kurkah! You were right! There are witches!” Nova whispers to Kurkah. He smiles slightly with pride but then remembers that his tales are true.

Suddenly, the witches all turn their faces towards the three of us. Each one has a long nose and moles all over her face. They glare at us and we glare back in horror.

“Guys, run…” I say as the Witches get onto their feet. Nova, Kurkah and I dash back through the trees and bushes and back to where we were in the swamp.

“Aww, crap… which way is west? I forgot!” Kurkah shrieks as the witches get closer.

“I think it’s this way! Follow me!” Nova shouts and we all follow her west.

We run through the muddy ground as the witches chase after us. What could they want with three animals?

Finally, I turn my head back to find out that the witches are gone. We’ve lost them. Once the others see that I have stopped, they stop too.

“That was close,” Kurkah pants after the long run.

“It was, but now we could be in more danger. This is where the swamp ends- and where it starts becoming more like a jungle. And if I’m not mistaken, there should be an ocean coming up,” Nova points out.

“Oh, come on! I thought we were at least getting CLOSE to the Phantoms by now,” Kurkah moans.

“Don’t worry, if we’re fast, it won’t take as long as you think it will be,” I tell Kurkah.

We exit the swamp and make it into the jungle. This jungle is similar to the Temple of Zios because it has a few ancient buildings, lots of trees, and local animals.

“Do you think we should talk to them and ask any animals which way is west?” I wonder.

“That sounds like a good idea,” Nova says.

“Wait! Guys! Look at that building over there. It looks interesting. Can we please go inside of it?” Kurkah asks us. We both agree because we have enough time.

We go over to the ancient ruins and there are vines growing over the building. The door is now just a hole and that’s how we all manage to make it inside. But once we’re inside- something just doesn’t seem right.

“Guys, I think this place is booby-trapped,” Nova says.

“Oh! Maybe we’ll find a treasure,” Kurkah gets excited.

I look around and see vines covering the walls. The stone floor is cold against my paws and my spine shivers. This place must be dangerous.

“Hold on before you move,” I move in front of everyone else. I spot a light coming through a window. I pick up a stick in my mouth and toss it into the light. Suddenly, arrows are being shot out of the walls and towards the light. This place is booby-trapped.

“Whatever you do, don’t go into that light. It will set off a bunch of dangerous arrows,” I warn to Nova and Kurkah.

We carefully walk away from the light and on the opposite side of the room. There is a hallway that leads forward. There are many more windows, but none of them have as much light coming through them.

Then we come to a deep, pitch black pit. Kurkah nearly falls off but Nova grabs him. I look around to find a way we can get across. And then I spot a hanging vine. I pounce at it while the others stare in shock. I grab it with my mouth and it manages to swing me to the other side. After I get there, Nova and Kurkah do the same.

Once we’re all on the other side, I can see one thing. A bright, shining crystal sitting on a podium. I quickly go over and grab it with my mouth.

“What is this?” Kurkah asks in amazement.

“I don’t know, but we have to get out of here,” I tell the others. The floor is starting to crack and cave in.

“Hurry, otherwise we all will be dead!” I shriek. We race back the way we came out, over the pit, and away from the light. Once we’re outside the entire building collapses.

“I don’t know what this crystal is, but we’ll hang onto it. We have to keep going west so we can find the Phantoms,” I announce.

“True,” Nova responds.

We continue heading west and through the Jungle. There are tall trees and monkeys everywhere, but we just ignore them as they do us. I nearly slip on a fallen branch that I didn’t see and Nova catches me. I thank her, than the three of us continue our journey west.

“Hey! Look! I see an opening in front of us,” I point out. In front there are no more trees and a large, open ocean.

“That must be the ocean Ersel told us about,” says Nova.

“Yes, but where are the pirates that’ll tear our guts out for a few gems?” Kurkah wonders as we approach the edge of the Jungle.

“They’re probably out there somewhere; we just don’t see them,” I assure.

We finally reach the end of the Jungle and I sit down to rest for a little while. I have held the crystal on my back while carefully going through the remainder of the Jungle so it wouldn’t fall off. After all, what would a journey be without being able to talk to your friends? If I didn’t put it on my back, it would’ve been in my mouth the whole time.

“Well, we’re at the ocean. But how do we get across?” Nova wonders as we all take a quick break from traveling.

“Maybe we have to meet up with the pirates and sneak onto their ship!” Kurkah blurts out. Honestly, this actually isn’t a bad idea. But we have to make sure the pirates are heading west before we get onto their ship.

“Good idea, but let’s make sure the pirates we will see soon are heading west,” I tell Kurkah.

We are now on a bright, sand covered beach that is warm against my paws. It actually feels good after being the the cold mud for a long time. I look around into the blue sky over the ocean, hoping to find some sign that there are human pirates around. I finally spot something that looks like a ship heading our way.

“Guys, I think I just found a Pirate Ship!” I point in the direction of it.

“Nice! Now we just have to hide, and once they get here find out where they’re going. If they are going west, we’ll sneak onto the ship,” Nova smiles knowing that our journey is folding out so greatly.

The Pirate Ship finally gets close to land while Nova, Kurkah and I are hiding behind the final bushes of the jungle before it hits the beach. Pirates begin to hop off and get into mini boats, which they steer to the beach. They hop onto land and start arguing.

“What are they arguing about?” Kurkah asks us.

“I don’t know, but if we listen closely, we’ll find out,” Nova replies.

And then we all begin to listen.

“Captain, we should go west. It’s the best way to find treasure!” one Pirate suggests.

“No, east is the best way,” another Pirate argues.

“Shut up, both of you! I trust west more because I’ve heard rumors about the dangers there. I’ve heard of black, tiny creatures with one eye that hold many treasures. Some people call them Phantoms, but I’m not sure. We’re going west, so all of you, get back onto the boats! This is not the place to be,” the Captain makes his decision.

“Hurry, let’s go sneak onto a boat so we can get onto their ship! They’re going west,” I whisper. I grab the crystal and place it into my mouth, then race down the beach with Nova and Kurkah. The Pirates all look in a different direction and are talking about another subject now. The three of us get onto a boat and hider in a small cabinet.

“Let’s listen to what they’re saying now,” I grunt.

“Okay enough arguing! I told you we’re going west. Get onto the boats before I chop your heads off!” the Captain orders.

Pirates begin filling up the boats and we take off to the big ship. The waves are furious and attack us, but don’t manage to flip the small boats over. The Pirates are working hard to get back to the ship and I begin to worry that the ocean will swallow us all. Finally, we make it to the larger ship, and are hauled up to the deck.

“Now where do we go?” I ask Nova and Kurkah.

“Let’s just race to an open door and try to find shelter there,” Nova suggests.

As no pirates are looking, we push the cabinet door open and race to the nearest open door. The wooden planks act as a floor and hurt my paws as I slam against them. We reach an open door, and inside, there seems to be a cabin with a few beds. There’s a crack in the wall, which Nova, Kurkah and I head into for shelter.

“Whew, that was close! I was worried they’d find us,” Kurkah pants. We’re now in a dark, secret room that’s only small enough for animals. And then we all hear weird, scratching noises.

“Umm… what was that?” I raise my eyebrow in the dark. We can barely see in here, and the only light is barely coming in from the crack in the wall.

“Ahoy, strangers! What are you… weird animals doing here?” a very large, fat rat comes out from the blackness. He has shining, yellow eyes and wears some kind of bandana over his small rat forehead. He is followed by many other similar looking rats.

“We were trying to find shelter, and I guess we found your land. We must be inside the walls of the ship,” Kurkah responds before Nova and I can.

“You can take shelter with us, but not for long. Where are you heading?” the pirate-rats ponder.

“We are going west. There should be dangerous cliffs and Phantoms there,” I tell the rat leader.

“Oh, Carntimyus Island! The Phantoms are there, and it is full of valuable treasure like that crystal you have. The Phantoms like to terrorize every animal species and I don’t know about any species that doesn’t know them,” the rat leader says.

“Say, where did you get that crystal?” the rat leader suddenly wonders.

“We got it in some temple,” I respond.

“Cool. Would you like to see our treasure collection? We’ve stolen alot from the Pirates and picked some up on the journeys we’ve been on,” he says.

“Sure, but where are we going to take shelter?” I ask.

“Anywhere in the walls. We control them all, so it won’t matter,” the rat leader promises.

“And what is your name?” I finish asking questions.

“Keenen the Rat Pirate.”

“Okay, thanks,” I finish the conversation. The other rats begin to leave and Keenen leads us down the walls to show us his treasure.

“So, a treasure? Can I have some?” Kurkah asks Keenen.

“Sure! If you want to kill yourself trying to get it from us!” Keenen chuckles. Kurkah stares are Nova for a second with shock.

We get into another crack, which leads into a different wall. The rats have lanterns they’ve stolen from the ship to light up every wall. We finally make into a small opening where there are tons of gold coins and other treasures.

Kurkah stares in amazement and we all are in shock for a moment. This is much more valuable than Diamonds and Gems.

Keenen then continues talking by stating “okay, now go. Go find yourself shelter. But I am warning you… Carntimyus Island is very dangerous, and even the best of your friends can betray you for their own life.”

The three of us find shelter and I speak to Kurkah.

“Cup.. I just wanted to tell you that… well, you’ve changed me. On this journey, I’ve started to realize that rares don’t mean everything and buddies mean alot. I just wanted to ask for your forgiveness because I’ve been such a bad person. Cup, can we be best friends? I’m very thankful for the person you are,” Kurkah.

I look at him. He has to be serious.

“Sure, Kurkah. I know that being famous is tough, but all famous Jammers have to care about their buddies. As long as you’re trustworthy, you can be one of my best friends,” I tell him.

“Thanks, Cup!” Kurkah smiles widely.

We are now in a small, wooden compartment that we discovered. It is just enough room for the three of us. But I am worried about the future. I can’t stop thinking about the future. I am about to fall asleep. I can only see darkness. I am tired…

“Cup, you are going to face betrayal soon. Danger is coming your way. Be aware of your friends. One will attempt to kill you, and we can’t let that happen. You are the future of Jamaa. We need you. Cup, you might not think so, but you have potential… the potential that nobody else has…” Liza whispers. I’m in a white- wait. I’m in a place… but just floating. Everything is white except for Liza and I.

“Who is going to betray me?” I quietly ask.

“I am not sure. But you need to watch your back. The one you feud with shall be your savior,” Liza speaks.

“Wait, what do you mean?” I ask.

“You will find out on your own, Cup.”

“Please! Tell me!”

“Cup, you need to learn how to depend on yourself if you want to be the future of Jamaa,” Liza finishes.

“But I don’t want to be a hero! Nor a villain! I just want to be me,” I begin to cry.

“But Cup, you will be you. But you’ll be in a much better place. Just follow the plan…” Liza begins to fade away.

“Please! I want to know!” I scream. The whiteness is now becoming darkness. I appear to be in a dark forest. It’s very dark. And big, shadowy figures stand around me.

“What’s going on?” I whisper, wondering if the figures will respond. They don’t. Are these phantoms?

A much smaller, shadowy figure steps out. These couldn’t be phantoms. They are animals. And they look like they’re about to go to war. But with what?

“Once again, Cup, you will rescue Jamaa. Every prophecy speaks of you. And a new danger will arrive. Watch your back… only trust the ones you know you can…” Liza’s voice is coming out of nowhere.

“Please, just tell me what this all means!” I plead.

The dark forest fades away, and I’m now on an island. I can see large mountains that go so high into the sky there’s snow on them. And on the top is a huge fort. I’m standing by Nova and Kurkah, while many rats are standing behind us. I can see a forest leading up to the mountains. We must have to go through it to get to the mountains. But why? Why do we need to go to these mountains?

“You will meet here. In those mountains will be where the betrayal takes place. You then shall find a portal at the fort. It will take you to a place by Jamaa, where you can head home from there. But I’m warning you- if the betrayal succeeds, you won’t make it back and Jamaa won’t live on,” Liza’s voice is again coming out of nowhere.

“Okay, I understand,” I say out loud.

And now I know what this place is. It is Carntimyus Island, where the Phantoms are at.

“Cup! Why are you talking? Did you have a bad dream?” Nova shakes we awake. I can see the morning light seeping through the cracks in the walls. I now remember that we’re on a pirate ship.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. But how close are we to Cartinmyus Island?” I ponder why rubbing my eyes with my paws.

“I talked to Keenen, and he listened to the pirates. It’s been confirmed we’re going to Carntimyus Island. We’ll be there by tomorrow morning,” Nova explains.

“Nova- would you ever betray me?” I suddenly blurt out.

“Never! What makes you ask that question? I’d rather die than betray you!” Nova says in confusion.

“Well, I don’t think you really like Kurkah-” I start to say, but Nova interrupts me.

“Kurkah is greedy. He’d betray you for rares and gems,” Nova growls.

“Not he wouldn’t! Nova, he’s changed. This journey has made his personality much better. Please listen!” I beg.

“Kurkah will never be my friend. He’s only with us because he followed us,” Nova argues.

“But not all of those ‘famous’ Jammers are bad!” I try to convince her.

“I know not all of them are bad, but it’s obvious Kurkah is.”

I decide to be quiet. Maybe Nova will betray me. She won’t even consider my thoughts. I walk to where Kurkah lies down on some pillows stolen from a room on the ship.

“Kurkah, I’m sorry that Nova doesn’t enjoy your presence. But I do. I know you’re a better person now,” I sigh.

“Thanks, Cup, you’re the best friend I’ve ever had. It’s hard to get somebody like you when you’re famous,” Kurkah explains.

“Keep watch on Nova. I don’t exactly trust her that much anymore,” I warn Kurkah.

I begin to think about the rares I could get from Kurkah if he becomes my best friend. I could be so popular, and none of the bullies would be rude to me anymore. Maybe he is the right choice of friend for me.

“Kurkah, can you share some of your rares with me once we get back? I won’t have to be so unpopular like Nova and I have always been. It’ll also be cool if I can become the rarest person ever! Nobody would bully me. But I don’t care about Nova now. She doesn’t even like me,” I whisper to him.

“Sure, Cup. I also know about those bullies on the bridge. With me by your side, all they’re jaws will drop. You’ll be more popular than all of them with me and rares!” Kurkah promises.

“Shh! Not so loud-” I start to say, but Nova interrupts.

“Cup, I can’t believe it. You care about rares now more than your self respect. You’re being the kind of Jammer you aren’t!” Nova gasps.

“Nova, he’s fine-” Kurkah tries to explain.

“No, he’s not. Not with a greedy imbecile like you. I wouldn’t care if you died in a hole right now, You only care about rares! I know it’s true, I just know it is! You’re tricking us! You are going to get us all killed!” Nova shrieks.

“Nova! Shut up, right now! He’s not as bad as you think he is! He has changed! So stop being rude to him, and how about YOU go die in a hole?” I scream at her.

Nova’s ears suddenly droop. She closes her eyes, and turns around quickly. Before leaving, she says “I thought we were friends.”

She then runs away.

“Kurkah, I wish she wasn’t such a bully. I know deep down in my heart that you have changed,” I assure Kurkah.

“Don’t mind her. She’ll understand soon. I guarantee that. The three of us will conquer the Phantoms and save Jamaa,” Kurkah grins.

“Sounds good. Let’s go find Keenen and go see where we’re at,” I tell Kurkah.

Kurkah and I get up and head out into the other part of the walls. Every rat calls it ‘the hallway’. We go down the hallway and small torches light up the way so we can both see. Around every corner there are smaller compartments and vents that I’m assuming rats live in. At the end there’s an opening which leads out onto the front deck.

“A wolf and an Arctic Wolf will be seen easily up here. We can only stay up here for a little while,” I tell Kurkah.

“Yeah, especially Arctic Wolves like me. They stand out,” Kurkah replies.

I spot Keenen, who is hiding behind some cargo. He gestures for us to come over. I look to make sure the captain isn’t looking. When he’s not, Kurkah and I race over to where Keenen hides behind the cargo.

“It’s about the middle of the day. We’ll be there in the very early hours of tomorrow, so we don’t have much longer to go. But I can see a bad storm coming,” Keenen warns and points up ahead.

Miles ahead there is a gigantic cloud that is nearly all blackness. It looks like it is swallowing up the depths of the ocean from here. There is so much rain it is visible from here. The clouds swirl like a forming column of air. Could there be a waterspout forming up ahead? Or a hurricane?

“I don’t like the looks of it. Right now, we’re in the sunny part of the ocean. The waves are nice and blue, there’s not that many clouds, and the ones we do see above us are white and fluffy. But miles in front of us there’s nothing but blackness and terror to come,” Keenen groans.

“There’s going to be lifeboats available if we need them. The ropes are already cut off of them, so it’ll be no problem getting onto them,” Keenen assures.

“We have to get prepared. I’ll go warn Nova. Keenen, you should get your rats ready. The Island has to be on the other side of that storm,” I order. Keenen looks at me like I’m not his boss. I show my teeth, and then he quickly scatters away to go warn his rats.

“Let’s go, Kurkah,” I demand. We both sprint back into the walls to warn the others. Kurkah I go go down the dimly lit hallways and all the way back to where Nova is staying.

“Nova, there’s a big storm coming. We need you to get prepared,” I say.

“Why? It’s not like anybody cares about me around here,” Nova growls.

“Yes they do. Now please, come to the front deck and slowly stay there until we need a lifeboat. Once that times comes, everyone will charge onto one and get into the water before the Pirates do,” I explain.

“Whatever. I’ll be there. But don’t mind me,” Nova sharply says.

I look at her, and she looks back. She has betrayed me.

Kurkah and I walk back out into the hallways and meet up with Keenen and his pirate rats.

“I just heard that the storm is nearly here. It has been going much faster than expected. We need to go by the front deck just in case we have to escape the boat,” says Keenen.

“What is the storm wipes out the boats, too? We have a better chance of staying on this ship than getting onto one of those small things,” a rat in the crowd points out. He does make sense, but if something else makes the ship sink, we have to get onto a lifeboat.

“Get back! Everyone! The storm has arrived! Don’t listen to Keenen, those lifeboats won’t help us!” a rat who Keenen tells me is Arkitan shouts.

“Arkitan, trust me. If the boat does get dangerous, we’ll get onto a lifeboat. But if not, we’ll stay here,” Keenen says right when the ship hits the first gigantic wave.

Kurkah and I are sent tumbling down the hall as the ship’s front is now facing upwards. The torches fall off the walls and a large fire is started on the wooden floors. Some rats catch on fire and begin tumbling down towards Kurkah and I. Right before they touch us, the two of us race into the compartment where Nova sits against the wall that is now tipped over.

“Get ready, the ship is going to hit another wave!” I shout as the ship begin to falls back down into the regular position is was in.

Another wave hits, but this time it is from the sides. The ship falls onto its side and rats go tumbling across the walls. Shortly after it is now completely capsized. Kurkah, Nova and I hang onto some pipes that are connected to the walls.

A third wave hits the ship and nothing happens. Many more come, and the tenth one just manages to turn the ship back to the way it was.

“It’s probably sinking by now,” Kurkah pants after hanging onto the pipes for so long. Water begins trickling through the floors now.

Water spreads quickly and is now barely above our paws. Kurkah and I race down the hallway and to the other side. The storm is finally over, but the ship is sinking because of the damage it received during the storm.

Outside, Keenen and the remaining rat survivors are huddling into a lifeboat. All of the pirates have gone overboard because they were on the deck during the waves. Keenen tries pushing the lifeboat over the broken railings, but he’s not strong enough and there’s not enough water to let the boat go out into sea yet.

“Let’s go help him,” I say to Kurkah.

Kurkah follows me and the two of us help Keenen push the boat into the water. We hop in just as the ship’s deck plunges into the ocean. Water begins rushing towards the hallways and rooms are filling up with water.

“Wait a second- where’s Nova?” I scream. I tell Keenen to stop the boat and I plunge onto the deck. The water is at my chest and is quickly rising. I go into the hallway where bodies of rats lie that were burned by the fire. The water is now barely above my chest. It is getting close to my neck.

I reach the end of the hallway and find Nova knocked out. A fallen pipe must’ve hit her. I grab her with my mouth and swim above the water. It is now above my own head, so I have to swim.

I swim down the hallway, but very slowly because I have to carry Nova. I begin to sink underwater. I drop Nova. This is going to be the end for both of us.

Suddenly, the whiteness comes back. I spot Liza.

“Cup, this is not the time to give up. You can’t. Think about everything that will happen. Cup, believe in yourself. I already know you can do it,” Liza promises.

The whiteness suddenly goes away and I swim through the water. I find Nova and pull her through the water and to the end of the hallway, where Keenen and Kurkah wait for us. I just barely manage toss Nova onto the boat. This ship is now completely underwater, and I’m going down with it. I can hear Keene shrieking my name and Kurkah telling me to come back. I can’t give up now!

I crawl out of the hole and onto the sinking deck. I swim through the water. It’s hard with all of the salt getting in my eyes, and I’m about to burst if I don’t get any air. It seems impossible. I begin to sink again, knowing that I can’t do this. But- I just can’t give up. I use the rest of my strength to swim back to the shore and I hurtle myself onto the boat. I pass out once I’m finally there.

“Cup, you are brave. And you have proven it. You made it to the lifeboat and saved Nova even though you are feuding with her. I am glad you made the correct decision,” Liza says. I’m back in the whiteness with Liza.

“But Nova is evil. She is the one that has betrayed me! She didn’t even listen to what I was saying about Kurkah. I don’t trust her anymore. The only reason I saved her was because I know she can change,” I report to Liza.

“Oh, Cup. Sometimes you should listen to other people yourself. Also, you lost that crystal that you found in the jungle. It went down with the ship. I’m glad you did, because it causes bad luck when it’s with an animal,” Liza smiles.

“Let’s talk about Kurkah. He’s changed. I know he has. My instincts tell me that!” I try to explain to Liza.

“But your instincts are one of two. Both must agree for the real answer to be revealed. Nova could be the one that betrayed you, but after all, you haven’t arrived at the Phantom Fort yet, so you don’t know who will,” Liza makes a good point.

Liza is right. We haven’t arrived there.

“Then let this dream be over! I need to get there to get rid of my eager! This will all be over after we make sure the Phantoms can’t make it to Jamaa and we find them. Once we find them, we just have to take down the Phantom Kings and Jamaa will once again be safe,” I tell Liza.

“Okay, as you wish. But I shall talk to you again tonight. Goodbye.”

“He’s awake! Cup is awake!” I can hear Kurkah shouting.

“Good morning, Cup. Carntimyus Island is right in front of us,” Keenen says. I peer into the early morning sun. I can still feel the taste of salt in my mouth.

The ocean waves are calmer now, and the sky is barely orange. The sun shines bright in front of Carntimyus Island. I can see the mountains. I can see the fort in the mountains. But I can’t see who will betray me up there.

The small boat hits the shore and we all get off. On the beach, we sit down and rest or a moment. Finally we are on land.

“What are you animals doing here? This is no land for you!” a monkey with an eyepatch comes out from behind the trees.

“Who are you?” I ask.

“Why, I was once an explorer for the land of Jamaa. I was told to find the Phantoms and study them. I got lost years ago, but I’ve tracked them to this island. They live in that fort in the mountains. I’ve been studying them for a long time. Oh, and my name is Sinsar,” says the monkey who I now know is Sinsar. Sinsar looks like he’s in his middle ages, but he seems to be brave and athletic still. He wears an eyepatch on his left eye and has a scar down the center of his face. His right eye is sea green and glitters in the morning sun.

“Are these animals intruders? If they are, kill them,” a large lion comes out from behind the same tree Sinsar came from.

“No, they aren’t. I can tell they’re Jamaasians just by looking at them. And a Jamaasian wouldn’t be with rats unless those rats are helping them. So no, these aren’t intruders, Mincero,” Sinsar tells the lion called Mincero.

“I haven’t seen another Jamaasian for years- well, I have seen you, Sinsar, but still,” Mincero stares at us in amazement.

“Why are you here?” Mincero and Sinsar ask together. Mincero is large and also has a scar down his face. He doesn’t wear an eyepatch, but he looks even older than Sisnar. His blue eyes are aging but he still looks strong. He looks big with the large mane.

“We are here because Liza sent us. We have to defeat the Phantoms because they are now closer to Jamaa than ever,” I explain.

“Interesting. I’d like to show you our base, but there’s obviously no time for that. We need to get prepared. We are about to battle the Phantoms,” Sinsar grins.

“We’ve never done this because two animals aren’t enough, but with all of you guys, we might have a chance,” says Mincero. Mincero must’ve been another explorer along with Sinsar.

Mincero leads the way through the forest with Sinsar close behind. The rest of us follow behind the two. There isn’t a mystical feeling like the one in the Mythical Forest, but this forest is dangerous. We’re getting closer to the mountains and it’s getting harder to go forward because we’re going up. Evergreen trees block out view of anything except for the path we’re on, and the only light we have is the early morning sun. There are small bugs along the path and Kurkah picks one up for breakfast. There’s dew and mud all over my paws now.

The forest continues along the side of the mountain, but now there’s not as many trees because they don’t grow on such steep mountains. I try to talk to Nova, but she’s still angry at me.

“You know, Nova, I didn’t mean what I said. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking when I said I wanted rares more than my friends. I am so sorry, Nova, and I know this doesn’t make up for it,” I start to shed a few tears while speaking. Nova glances at me for a second, and it looks like she might accept my apology. But she just keeps on walking.

I walk back up to here and start talking again.

“Nova, you mean more than anything in the world to me. I’ve known you since I was born. You were born right next to me, in the same room. We became best friends. We always hung out with each other. We never cared about rares, and you always stuck up for me. I am terribly sorry for what I did. And I want you to be my best friend- once again,” I plead.

Nova looks at me again. I can see a tear forming in her eyes. She’s the wolf I’ve always liked, but I never admitted I had a crush on her.

“Cup, what you said was hurtful. I never thought you would say something like that. I don’t mind you being friends with Kurkah anymore. I don’t care. He’s your best friend now. Go to him,” Nova sighs. She walks ahead of me.

I sigh, too. Kurkah’s great and all, but he doesn’t compare to Nova. No, Nova wouldn’t betray me. But what about Kurkah? I doubt it. He’s changed. Is it Keenen? I’ve known him for a little while now, and I consider him for a friend. Could he betray for those treasures he mentioned to us on this island? Could he of hinted to us he would betray us when he said the best of our friends could do it for their life?

I keep my distance from Keenen with caution. We’re finally at the Phantom Fort. I glare around myself. We’re at the top of the mountain, and I can see the beautiful oceans below and the forest we had to go through to get up here. The morning sun is now becoming brighter and it is nearly noon.

“Okay, guys, it’s time to-” Sinsar begins to say. But out of nowhere, thousands of phantoms surround us. They easily take us all down, even though we try to fight. The peaceful morning is now a nightmare as the Phantoms knock us out with some weird magic.

“Psst- Cup, wake up… it’s me, Kurkah. The Phantoms can talk. They’re giving us a trial. Just remain calm,” Kurkah wakes me up and I realize I’m in a room with all of the other animals I was kidnapped with.

A large, scary Phantoms sits in a throne. He wears a crown.

“Why are you all here?” he booms.

“To kill you! You will never conquer Jamaa!” I scream at the top of my lungs.

Nova nods, along with all of the others.

Except for Kurkah.

“Phantom King, if you let me go I will give you some of my gems,” Kurkah makes a deal.

“What about your friends?” the Phantom King asks.

“I don’t care about them. They aren’t worth my gems and rares. I’ll give you enough just for me to be let free,” Kurkah locks in his deal.

“Kurkah! You idiot! You betrayed us! I can’t believe I ever trusted you! I hope these phantoms murder you!” I shriek. Nova is remains silent for a few second then knocks every phantoms away from her.

Nova pounces onto Kurkah and nearly bites open his throat. He barely dodges it. Kurkah tosses Nova off of him, and Nova lands on her feet. She quickly gets up and pounces onto Kurkah again. She is about to kill him but the Phantoms King strikes her with his electric volts.

“Enough! Pay me the gems and you are free to go,” the Phantom King says.

Nova refuses to listen and once again gets up and pounces on Kurkah. The Phantom King then flies as fast as possible at Nova with his mouth wide open, ready to consume Nova.

“Nova! Watch out!” I scream.

Nova just barely dodges the Phantom King, but the Phantom King doesn’t stop. He accidentally consumes Kurkah.

“No!” Sinsar screams.

“Phantom Kings become whatever they eat, but they don’t know that!” Mincero catches onto what Sinsar is saying.

The Phantoms let us go as they watch their King transform into something else. The stone walls of the fort are different colors with the bright light the transformation is causing. In the end, the Phantom King is a large, completely black version of Kurkah and can shoot volts out of the tentacles growing from the paws.

“Get them! Invade Jamaa! Take everything you can, I’ll be right behind you!” Kurkah orders all of the Phantoms as their new King.

We race through the stone hallways to find the portal back to Jamaa.

“Where is the portal?” I ask the others as we continue down the hallway.

“With my years of study, I think it’s at the end of this hallway! I’ll throw a smoke bomb to slow them down,” Sinsar says. He tosses the smoke bomb at the Phantoms following behind us and it stops them dead in their tracks.

At the end of the hallway, there’s a portal. Everyone hops in.

“Where are we?” Keenen asks. I know where we are. We’re in the prairies behind Mt. Shiveer.

“Don’t worry, we’re not far from Jamaa,” I say.

“And we have to hurry, it won’t be long before the Phantoms come through that portal,” I point out.

All of us race to where the mountains begin. Mt. Shiveer is right in front of us.

“How do we get up? We only came down the last time,” I ask Nova.

“We’ll have to climb,” she says.

Everyone starts climbing up the ice, and once we’re at the top, we are finally back in Jamaa.

“Hurry, we have to go warn Liza that the Phantoms are coming! Go to the Township!” I demand everyone.

We race over the ice and back to Jamaa Township. It is a bright, sunny day and Jammers are all over the place chatting and trading their items for others. Soon all war will be loose.

I race up the pathway with the others following behind me. Nova is at my side. We enter the hut and Liza is shocked to see everyone here.

“Liza, this is important. Kurkah betrayed us, and was consumed by a Phantom King. They become whatever they eat, so now he’s leading the Phantoms through the portal and back here. I’m sorry we didn’t conquer them there, but it’ll have to be here!” I apologize and warn her at the same time.

“I’ll have to alert the alphas. Get prepared,” Liza responds.

We race back outside into Jamaa Township.

“Everyone, get into your dens. Now. The Phantoms will be invading Jamaa soon!” I warn everyone. And then I spot Archie, sitting by his popular and rare friends on the bridge.

“Cup! I was missing making fun of you. It looks like you got more weird, unrare friends!” Archie laughs.

“You could never defend yourself. We could beat you up right now!” one of Archie’s followers grins.

I find myself pouncing on Archie. I claw at his face and smash it down against the bridge. I press it down as hard as I can until Archie begs for me to let him go. His followers stare in shock.

“Now get out of here. The Phantoms are coming. And obviously, Archie, you aren’t strong enough to defend yourself for when they do,” I laugh with Nova.

Nova is laughing with me! I thought she was still mad…

“Nova, are you my best friend?” I quietly ask her.

“Yes, I am, Cup. And I’m ready to defend Jamaa.”

The Phantoms are now coming towards us. They have entered Mt. Shiveer and have spotted us down in Jamaa Township. Suddenly I feel other animals coming up behind me. All of the alphas are here and ready to fight.

One of the greatest warriors of Jamaa is here. His name is Jamarshal. He isn’t very well known, but he helped during the first battle against the Phantoms. He is a large crocodile with a battle-scarred body. He winks at me, knowing my importance, and everyone is ready to fight. I even spot Archie sneaking out of his den, wanting to help defend Jamaa.

The Phantoms pour into the Township, and we race right at them. I tackle one to the ground and bite it. It fades away. Nova does the same with other phantoms, and this is our strategy. I find one of Keenen’s rat pirates being consumed by a Phantom. Then another one gets consumed. Keenen nearly gets eaten by a Phantom himself but I pounce on the Phantom, making sure Keenen stays alive.

Phantoms are surrounding Sinsar, and he is about to be consumed. I just manage to pull enough of of him so that he can fight the rest off. Sir Gilbert takes down Phantoms easily, but more and more are coming and it’s getting harder to take them on.

I can now see Nova struggling to fight off fifteen phantoms attacking her. I grab a stick with my mouth and use it to knock all of the phantoms away from her. I spot one of the most famous warriors in Jamaa being consumed by a Phantom. I think it was Morsiott, who was a brave horse.

“No!” I can hear Greely shouting as the Phantoms finish Morsiott off.

Greely is then attacked by at least fifty Phantoms, but Nova and I come to his rescue. We pull them off but all of the Phantoms are sent flying into the Jam Mart Clothing building, breaking its windows and busting through the walls. I look around and find Archie being consumed by a Phantom. Even though he is a bully, I can’t stand watching anyone die. I race over to help him, but it’s too late.

Just then a much larger, dark figure pounces onto me. It is a… what is it?

A completely black Arctic Wolf.

“Ahh, Cup. It’s me, Kurkah. No, don’t be afraid. I’m only going to kill you!” Kurkah laughs and sends one of his tentacles flying at me. I dodge it and it hits the hard ground. Kurkah gets a little frustrated.

Kurkah jumps high into the air and lands on me. I lose my breath for a second, and Kurkah asks if I have “any last words”.

“Yes, I do. Why did you betray me? I trusted you…” I ask.

“Because I don’t care about you. I care about myself and everything I own. After this I’ll own Jamaa and everyone in it, including the rares and gems. Oh, my life will be so great!” Kurkah grins.

“Okay, it’s time to kill you,” Kurkah says and gets his sharpest tentacle fired up with electricity. In the background I can see much larger animals racing into Jamaa. They are huge compared to my kind. Leading them is Ersel. It is the Tribe of Ersel Animals!

Kurkah turns around just in time to see Ersel pounce onto his face. I scramble to my paws and watch as Ersel pins Kurkah to the ground. Ersel looks Kurkah in the eye, then quickly bites down with his large jaws. Kurkah, the Phantom King, is dead.

All of the Phantoms are now retreating because Kurkah is dead. They head back towards the prairie and through the mountains. They are going back to Carntimyus Island.

“Thank you,” I tell Ersel. I look at him again. His blue eyes and scarred face. He just won’t get out of my mind. And again, he’s so small compared to the other members of his tribe.

“You are welcome, Cup,” Ersel says.

I slowly walk back to my den, where my mother greets me with tears. I am finally home.

“Cup! Get up! Mira is here, and she is going to give us rewards for being so brave!” Nova shakes me awake.

“Why this early in the morning?” I ask while rubbing my eyes. Suddenly, Nova pulls me out of the bed and races me out of my den. We arrive outside in the center of Jamaa Township where Mira, the mother of Jamaa, stands by all of her alphas.

“Cup. I have heard how brave you are. I would like to give you 500,000 gems as your reward. Nova, you are just like Cup. You were brave and helped your friends in the hardest times. I will also give you 500,000 gems. And each of you will get a Diamond Sword,” Mira smiles upon us. She stands in front of the bright sun, and looks amazing with the sun as her background. Her feathers sway in the wind as she waits for us to accept our prizes.

Nova and I both take the gems. But we don’t take the Diamond Sword, my dream item.

“Mira, from what I have been through, I’ve realized that all of these rare items don’t mean that much to me anymore. I don’t need to be popular. I just need to be me,” I say out loud with everybody listening.

The alphas smile, along with Mira. Mira nods.

“Thank you for your bravery, you two. You are dismissed,” Mira concludes.

Nova and I walk back to my den, but then I realize we are being followed.

“Did you just hear that?” I ask Nova. Somebody is near us.

“Yes…” Nova whispers.

Out of nowhere Liza comes in front of us. We’re right in front of my den and in the yard.

“Cup, this isn’t over. I have new prophecies coming towards me. The Phantoms aren’t finished with us. But there’s something far more dangerous coming. We need to prepare. And to prepare, I need you to find the Forgotten Alpha, who can help us battle for the win,” Liza orders.

“The Forgotten Alpha? Who is that?” I ask with curiosity.

“He was once an alpha that joined us and fought in the original war against the Phantoms. You will have to go deep into the northeast lands, which will be after Coral Canyons. You will have to travel through big, dangerous mountains with large cliffs. Then will come a woods where there will be another type of animals. They will tell you which way to go to find the Forgotten Alpha from there. But this time, I’m sending six other animals with you just in case you need backup,” Liza explains.

“I know who three of them will be. Mincero, Sinsar and Keenen will come with us,” I tell Liza.

“Okay, but you have to spend time with animals all around Jamaa. You need to pick three more by tomorrow at midnight. Then meet me here at that time tomorrow,” Liza demands.

“Okay, I understand,” I say.

“Good. Now go find the other three by tomorrow at midnight,” Liza says, then Nova and I race away.

“Nova, what do you think is going to be the biggest battle we’ll be in?” I start a conversation with Nova.

“I don’t know, but I have a feeling it won’t be with the Phantoms,” Nova says in reply.

I shrug it off and then walk down into the Township. We have to find three other animals to come with us on the journey.

“Okay, this is the best place to find animals to come with us. The Township,where most of them are,” Nova says out loud.

We look around at some of the Jammers here. None of them look like they’d be the “adventure” type.

“Hey, what about that one over there?” Nova points at a younger, bold looking lion. He doesn’t have scars, but he looks strong.

“Sure, let’s go talk to him,” I respond.

The Lion sits by the entrance of Jam Mart Clothing and looks to be bored. The Lion looks up at Nova and I can tell he likes her.

“Hey, would you like to come on a journey to find the Forgotten Alpha?” Nova asks.

“Umm… sure? Wait- hey! Never mind me, I’d love to go on the journey!” the Lion stumbles while trying to pick out what words to say.

Nova looks at me with a little hint of confusion on her face.

“What’s your name?” I ask the lion.

“I’m Rocky, and I’d really like to go on the adventure!” Rocky responds with a large smile.

Nova and I slowly back away and whisper to each other.

“Nope, he is not going with us. Did you see the way he was looking at you? I’m going to have nightmares about that face…” I whisper to Nova.

“Yeah, I agree. He’s not coming with us,” Nova laughs a little while whispering.

We both decide to go back to my den for a little break, but then I spot a middle-aged fox walking around. He looks like he’d be a good addition to our group.

“Hey, would you like to come on a journey with us to find the Forgotten Alpha?” I ask him.

“The Forgotten Alpha? But why?” the Fox wonders with confusion.

“Because there’s a great battle coming. One so hard that we will need him for it. I have no idea who we will be battling, but we need the Forgotten Alpha to help us during it,” I explain.

“And we need to bring six people on the journey. Would you like to come with?” Nova finishes.

“I will come with. He used to be my best friend,” the Fox says. Just then I realize he is one of the greatest warriors of Jamaa, the Fox Warrior Rapicik.

“Wait a second- are you Rapicik?” I ask with amazement.

“Yes, I am.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re going on the journey with us,” Nova and I say together.

I spot one of Archie’s old friends, Wandel, looking at us. He must be wondering what we’re doing. He stands by a large panda that must be another warrior. Wait- he’s one of the most famous Panda warriors ever, Padanda! I am meeting so many great animals.

“Oh, Cup. There’s nothing to be glad about,” Liza once again comes out of nowhere.

“Wait- why? I am recruiting a bunch of great animals to come with me!” I say to her.

“But the final battle will be a betrayal,” Liza warns.

A betrayal. Just like the betrayal when I trusted Kurkah and nearly got Jamaa destroyed.