AC: Chapter four is ready and I hope you will like it.

Chapter 4: Trap by his tentacles

Ica transported Tobek and Tigerslash to another building where they could sit down for a moment. Illumina followed them for a while until she was getting exhausted.

"We need a place to hide. *Pant. Pant.* We have to hope he will not find us." Said Illumina.

"I think we should go to left." Said Tobek.

"Illumina. On my back." Said Ica.

Illumina climbed on his back and now Ica transported the entire group. He ran non-stop for a while, serving as transportation and he didn't have any problem running for this long. He had strong endurance and he could keep running for a while.

"Now to the right." Said Tobek.

Ica turned to the right and he kept running for a while. Tigerslash looked in the air and wondered if Navare'par was after them. He didn't see him in the air and he said nothing.

"He is not in the air." Said Tigerslash.

"Good." Said Illumina.

"This one." Pointed Tobek to Ica.

Ica ran inside the building and he looked around.

"At the end of the room, to the left, there is a secret passage we could use." Said Tobek.

"You sure know a lot." Said Tigerslash.

"Where do you think I've learn how to fight?" Asked Tobek.

...

"I guess you are right." Said Tigerslash a little nervously.

Ica walked at that direction and he found a passage. He opened it and he entered inside. He closed it behind him in case he reached the abandon building.

"It's pretty dark here." Said Illumina when it was closed.

"Let me try something." Said Ica.

He putted the two creatures on the ground and he used his light power in his hand. It then shined and the dark room was a little cleared. They could barely see a thing, but they didn't mind.

"Are you alright?" Asked Illumina to Tigerslash. She looked at his injury. "You're bleeding." She said surprised and worried.

"Me too." Said Tobek.

"Dammit. He'll follow the blood trail then." Said Tigerslash.

Ica looked at him.

"I was completely useless." Said Ica looking on the ground. "My power is still extremely weak."

"So...What do we do now?" Asked Illumina.

"I know what I can do. I learn a technique that can accelerate our healing body. We will be soon ready for the next round while Navare'par will still be weakened." Said Tobek.

"Do it fast then, in case he's coming." Said Tigerslash.

"Healing Litany!" Shouted Tobek.

He moved his hand over his injured leg and his leg is already healed. The injury was closed and he sighed with a small smile.

"Already done...It took a lot of time to create this technique." Admitted Tobek. "I cannot use it very often, but I guess now it is a good time."

"Do it to me too." Said Tigerslash.

Tobek nodded and he moved closer to him.

"If only I could use my full power. We would have been in trouble at all." Said Ica looking at the small light in his hand.

"Do not worry. You will reawaken eventually." Said Illumina. "You can count on them for now."

"I hope we will have enough time to be ready before he finds us or that our Flux Bauble work." Said Tigerslash. He smiled when the pain fade away.

*Outside*

Navare'par grunted when he realised that he lost them because of the sandwich. Even so, he didn't regret it thought. He looked around, pointing his Spark blaster at every direction and he didn't saw them. He looked on the ground when he remembered that he injured Tobek and Tigerslash. He knew they must be bleeding and the blood trail will guide him to them. He looked on the ground for a moment until he saw it.

"Hum...I'm so glad I've found the blood trail...I cannot win the fight with three of them against me." Said Navare'par. He knew what he had to do and he didn't like what he was about to do. "This is going to be dirty."

He followed the blood trail and he turned to the left and he saw the red blood of the Overworlder and the orange blood of Tobek. He continued following it and he turned to the right. He continued and he continued following the blood. He saw the blood entering in a building and he smirked.

"Found you." Said Navare'par.

He entered in the building and he looked around. He found only a poll of blood and he saw nothing else. He grunted when he saw that this one floor room didn't contain his target. He started walking around and searching for any passage he might miss. The blood poll didn't go anywhere else.

In the secret passage, the four heard loud footstep. They knew it was the M'arrillian because the sound was loud and he was fat enough to make that big sound.

"Ica...Close the light." Whispered Tobek quietly.

Ica closed his hand and no more light was made in the room. They sat on the ground and hoped that he'll go away.

At the top, Navare'par continued searching for them and he grew fast in frustration. He cannot found anything that could guide him.

"Maybe they move away. I'm wasting my time or..." Navare'par took out an infrared vision and he putted it on his Spark blaster and he aimed all around. He knew that there is a possible secret passage anywhere. "Let's see...There are not in any wall...They are not over me...Maybe...Yes...They are under me and they are waiting for me to get down."

He knew there was a secret passage and he knew he couldn't take it or he'll be ambush. He took out a piece of paper and putted it against a wall, visible for them. He written anything he needed for his plan. He moved over them and he looked with the infrared where is the one he wanted. He saw it.

"Alright...I have to make a hole on the ground and fly away when I have it." Said Navare'par thinking about his plan.

He used his weapon and he levitated in the air. He didn't want to make a sound. He had only a few seconds for his strategy to succeed. He prepared to use his attack to create the hole.

"Time for the show. An upgrade version of acid wash" Said Navare'par. He opened moved his head closer. "Acid bile!"

Bile of acid came out of his mouth and melted the ground under him fast. After a second, the ground was open and the room where the group are hidden revealed itself. They looked at him and they prepared to attack when Navare'par used his tentacle to kidnap Illumina and brought her to him. They couldn't attack him now that he had Illumina in his tentacles. Illumina tried to free herself, but he is too powerful and she is only a human.

"RELEASE HER NOW!" Screamed Tigerslash when he realised what happen.

"Sorry, but I can't do that now! You gave me no choice, but to resort to dirty thing! Read the note! You'll better follow it or I'll have to do something I might have no choice for!" Shouted Navare'par before he flew away.

They all jumped on the room and they ran outside and saw him flew away.

"Dammit! For a fat one...He's fast!" Shouted Tobek furiously.

"DAMMIT! WHY HER AGAIN?!" Screamed Tigerslash.

"Because she is vulnerable." Said Ica. He moved his head and he raised it. "What's a note?"

"He left something inside." Said Tobek who already started searching.

They joined him and they looked at it.

"Sorry, but I can't read this language. I haven't learnt it." Said Ica.

"Alright...I'll read it..." Said Tobek. He started to read the message. "Ica! If you want your human friend to be safe, you have to come and find me at the old battleground alone. To save her Ica, you have to fight me to the dead: One on one. Win or lose, she'll be release if you come here before the sun disappears."

They said nothing for a second. Ica knew that if he died, it was all over for Perim and if Illumina died, he will never forgive himself and the result will be the same. He looked at Tigerslash, if he failed he will suffer too.

"I'll accept his challenge for Illumina safety." Said Ica. "It is clear he doesn't want to hurt Illumina. He wants a duel, one versus one. Tobek...I need you to use your mugic and try to break my curse. It's an emergency."

"What can we do?" Asked Tigerslash.

"We cannot do anything until Illumina is safe. We will have to stay near the building and make sure that he will not hurt Illumina or have anyone with him." Said Tobek.

"I also want that neither of you intervene in this fight...Unless he is cheating." Said Ica. "If it is the case, you can intervene."

"Alright...I have the mugic I used on Illumina. Let me warn you that it might not be that much successful...It might be more powerful on you." Said Tobek.

"Do it. I have to save her and try to survive or Perim might be at stake." Said Ica.

"Do not worry. I know it far too well." Said Ica.

Tigerslash looked at them and he felt powerless now. Ica accepted to fight him alone for Illumina.

"If only I've been faster to protect her." Said Tigerslash feeling responsible.

She wasn't by your side. She was near Ica. She loves him that is why.

Shut up! Shouted Tigerslash to the mysterious voice in his mind.

"Alright." Said Tobek taking his mugic out of his pocket and he let it flew in the air.

"I hope I'll be powerful enough." Said Ica as the mugician came out of Tobek body.

Elsewhere

Navare'par landed on the ground and he putted Illumina on the ground.

"Urgh..." Grunted Illumina. She felt powerless as a human. "Dammit. I couldn't even save myself."

"Don't feel guilty about it. No human can do anything against creatures." Said Navare'par.

"I should hit you." Said Illumina. She was too far away for that.

"Why?" Asked Navare'par looking at her.

"You grabbed me fast and didn't look where you pick me." Said Illumina glaring at him.

"..."Navare'par said nothing but he knew why. "That was unintentional." He moved his hand behind his head. "Sorry."

"Anyway! Why do you want to kill us?!" She shouted.

"I only target Ica." Replied the M'arrillian.

"Then why him?!" She shouted again.

"You better calm down. It's nothing personal. I only am accomplishing my task." Said Navare'par a little annoyed that she is shouting at him like he was a monster or an enemy.

"Alright...But you can't kill him." Said Illumina.

"Not another word." Warned Navare'par. He didn't want to know too much of his target or he might get emotional.

"But you have to listen to me. He's-" She was cut when some sticky stuff was thrown at her mouth and she couldn't talk.

"Don't open your mouth or some of them might go inside your mouth." Warned Navare'par. He then trapped her into all of the sticky stuff. He preferred to ignore who is target were. "Listen to me. I will fight him in a one on one duel. Whatever he win or not depend on him. He better come...I don't want to hurt you human. I am found of your kind. Even so I will not hesitate to accomplish my mission. He better not let you down."

Illumina didn't panic. She knew he would come and save her. The problem was present in her mind; Ica didn't have his true power awaken. He cannot fight well.

Ica...You have to be careful...Dammit...It's my entire fault now. He got me because I was too slow and I didn't have my scanner. I guess we humans took it for granted with our scanner. An easy way out. She thought in her mind.

"Hum...He's coming." Said Navare'par.

He putted his battlegear on the ground with his bag and he picked Illumina trapped in the sticky stuff. The M'arrillian then glued her against the wall and he turned at the direction of the door. He heard a sound; the sound of metal at a regular rhythm. Only Ica wear an armor on him.

"Just like I thought." Said Navare'par. "He's coming."

AC: This is the end of chapter 4.

Final chapter is coming on: The duel.

Then we go to Act 3: The temple of the desert.