The apex

by Alex4top

On a trip back from an overseas excursion, Max Rockwell, a student from a private school, gets caught in a storm caused by an unnatural phenomenom and shipwrecks. Now stranded on a mysterious island filled with all sorts of monsters, he and his classmates will have to struggle in order to survive and to discover the secrets behind this new world they now live in.

11. Trading capital: The Golden Hesperonis

"Well, what would'ya know!" Said Jerico with a notable interest and excitement in his expresion "So what happened after that big chicken dino came at you!?"

"It suddenly started yelling reaaally loud at us! So we used the duckusauruses and Valentino's longertooth-"

"Sabertooth" Interrupted Rick, though his voice went by unheard. Or probably ignored

"-to run all over the place and avoid getting the dinos scared by the screams! And then everyone began fighting really hard against it together, even the girl that was actually not a girl but a werewolf!"

"She blinded the dinosaur by punching it in the eyes and lured it to a cliff. Gravity did the rest afterwards" Added the sailor, putting a rather quick end to the young woman's narrative.

"Hey, Rick! I was the one telling the story!" Complained Lily to Rick, who seemed uninterested at this point "And I was even going to make it sound really amazing too!"

"But a werewolf, huh?" Said Harold with his arms crossed and slight surprise in his expression "I knew this island was full of weird stuf, but I never thought there were werewolves in it too"

"So you guys didn't know anything about it?"

"We've been in this island for a long time but that doesn't mean we know everything about it either, friend" Added Norman while walking from the kitchen with a small bowl of biscuits.

"Most of the time we've been here on the Redwoods working as traders. We know about the woods and some of the surrounding areas thanks to Jerico and our own traveling before settling down here, but a lot of places in the isalnd are still a mistery to us" Added the man with mutton chops with one elbow on the table and his head resting on it "At most we know rumors that spread between traders but you never truly know how to tell fact from false appart in a place as crazy as this one"

"I see..."

"Either way, it sounds like you mates had one crazy as roadtrip" Said Jerico while sitting on a more relaxed position with one arm over the back of the chair

"You can say that again" Replied the sailor while sweat dropping with his eyes closed before his and everyone else's attention was diverted to the sound of the front door opening

"Hey, we're back!"

Moments after his voice echoed all the way to the dinning room Alex walked into the room along with Eddy and Jordan.

"Welcome back, Alex!"

"Oh, my. Such an earnest greeting from a young maiden. Not carrying love, but simple and earnest joy at the sight of a fellow comrade in arms being safe and sound" Exclaimed jordan while creating an in-depth analisis "Nonetheless, that sort of actions could easily give some men who don't know any better the idea that your kindness might be more than it seems, so I'll have to rate it eight out of ten"

"Did you hear that, Alice!? I got an eight!"

"Ye-yeah..." Replied the little girl while looking at the excited young woman and sweat dropping with a weak smile "(I'm...not really sure if that's a good thing or not, though...)"

"Did you guys have a hard time with the fur and hide?"

"Not as much of a hard time as when I have to listen to your bitching, that's for damn sure" Replied Eddy with his arms crossed.

A vein popped on Ricks forehead, but he simply tried to brush it off with a smirk while turning his head away from him.

"Well I sure was having a good time until I saw that neanderthal face of yours"

"Wanna go at it, you whinny seamen!?"

"Bring it on, caveman!"

The two men were already clashing foreheads with irritated expression and those around simply watched as the two men were on the verge of starting a fist fight.

"Boy, you mates really are good friends ain't ya?" Said Jerico with a smile.

"Like hell we are!" Snarled both at the same time while looking at him with angry expressions.

"See? You even got perfect synch!"

Both Eddy and Rick looked at Jerico for a moment before stepping away from each other and deciding it would be a waste of time to fight at this point.

"Anyway, where's Frederick?"

"I'm afraid poor Frederick was still feeling rather sickly so we left him rest back at the treehouse" Said the soft-spoken man with his eyes closed and an expression of mild disbelief while placing one hand on his cheeck and using the other to support his elbow "Sometimes I wish he could just learn to restrain that lush side of him a little better. Alas, Bjorn's Ale and cheery attitude are such powerful temptations for him..."

"So Frederick is drunkard?"

"Oh no. Not at all...He simply has the bad tendency of never saying no to cheerful people such as Bjorn and usually ends up getting carried away in the spur of the moment" Explained Jordan with a smile "I guess you could say he's something of an involuntary drinker in this type of situations"

"(In other words, he is a drunkard...)" Thought the sailor while sweat dropping.

Shortly after their return from the frigid lands of the snow biome and arrival to the redwoods Alex's group went to visit Jerico's treehouse. Most of the group stayed with Jerico and the others while Alex helped Frederick take the tames back to his own treehouse. But now that he was back and the whole group was together it was time to start focusing once more on planning for the upcoming days.

"So, what are you mates plannin' to do now?" Asked Jerico while looking at Alex this time "You already got to check out the blue obelisk and got to meet with that Dahlia mate of yours, right?"

"Yeah...We did..."

The sportsman's eyes lowered sightly and those of his group grew suddenly silent. The gloomy mood was more than enough to let Jerico and the others know that things didn't go quite as well as they had hoped for.

"Guess it was no picnic for you mates out there, huh?" He said, only receiving silence as a response "Well, it'd be rude dig my sniffer too deep into other people's bussineses so I won't"

"We're not really sure where to go from here" Replied the sportsman "For starters I'd like to go back to the Weathertop and tell Angela and the other students what we found out so far, but I'm not too sure if this would be really that useful as it is"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Asked Norman with a confused expression

"Each of the three obelisks has a sepparate list of "artifacts" that it displays when someone uses this thing on our forearms to inteact with it. That Dahlia girl theorized that by bringing the artifacts to their respective obelisks something might happen" Explained Rick to Jerico and the others "Problem is, we have no idea what that "something" might be"

"If we're lucky maybe we can use those obelisks to go home, but in the worst case we only end up screwing ourselves up even further and might even get killed as well" Added Alex.

"And where are these artifacts?" Asked Eddy with his arms crossed.

"That's problem number two. We were given a name and an image of what they look like, but absolutely no clue as to where we can find them" Answered the sailor this time.

"So in other words. you kids are being sent on a treasure hunt, and one that most likely one that takes place on the entirety of the island as well, to find something with little to no clues" Said Jordan with a pensive expression "Oh my...Such a troublesome errand you boys have chosen to take..."

The soft-spoken man's words were nothing short of true, if not an understatement. With no clue other than a name and a picture, the group would need to search the entire island in search of the mysterious artifacts in what could easily be a monumental or even downright impossible task.

"Wait...What about the big tribes in the island?" Said Alex as the idea suddenly popped into his mind "Maybe we could ask them for help. I mean, if we tell them the obelisks could be a way to get back home then-"

"I would give that a second round of thought if I were you, my friend" Interrupted Norman while looking at him

"What?"

"It seems you still don't fully understand the situation of the island very well, sweetie" Added Jordan before pointing at him with a lax hand "Considering what you just said I am to assume Frederick told you about the factions in the island, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Then for starters you should keep in mind that not everyone is as optimistic as you when it comes to leaving this place. Many people have already given up on the idea of leaving the island and just as many have grown too used to living in it to even consider said idea anymore. And that is without even mentioning that every person in this place is either from a different land or even a different time. Groups like yours are usually a rare ocurrence around here" He explained to the sportsman, whose eyes remained focused on him "In regards to the tribes, you might be able to convince the smaller ones to support you if you can prove yourself to them and have a solid plan to offer, but the larger ones will require a more political approach as most of them care only about self-preservation or already have an agenda of their own"

"Take a look at the new legion, for example." Added Eddy while looking at him with his arms crossed "Those bloodthirsty bastards only care about wiping out all the other tribes and dominating the island through force. You're more likely to get killed, enslaved or both than ever manage to strike a deal with them"

"They even went as far as killing any diplomat sent to negotiate with them and hang the body on the trees near the front door just to get the point across...Quite the awful as sight, that is" Added Jerico this time, his expression and tone notably less energetic than before and showing a more prominent seriousness.

"What the hell...That's just messed up..."

A ruthless tribe of warmongers and slavers who only cared about either exterminating or enslaving all other tribes in order to rule over the island like a dictatorship. Willing to slaughter even those who attempted a more peaceful approach and hang them like a twisted decoration or trophy on a tree just to demonstrate that they would accept no solution other than their tribe being the one to completely dominate the entire island through overpowering brutality. That was the essence of the new legion.

There was no doubt after hearing that bit of information that staying as far away from the new legion as possible would be a rule rather than an option. With that in mind, there were still the other tribes to take into account.

The smaller tribes would be the best place to start looking for support. But a great deal of effort would be needed to convince them of taking such a risk. And even if they gained their trust, a solid plan to offer to them would still be required. This was something that Alex nor his group had at the moment. The only thing on their minds right now was getting the artifacts, taking them to the obelisks and see what would happen. While simple enough of an idea to understand, it had too many blank spots and lacking details to sound like a plan that could work, let alone bring anything good.

"Why don't we just try getting one first, then?" Asked Lily out of the blue, making all eyes divert to her

"What do you mean?"

"I mean getting one of those weird artifacts" Repeated the young woman with a confident smile "My teacher always said a picture is worth more than a thousand words, so maybe If we show one of them to the tribes, then it'll be easier to convince them!"

"Lily, the whole point of having this chat about asking for help from the tribes in the first place is because we have no idea where the artifacts are or how to even get them by ourselves to begin with" Replied the sailor while looking at her

"Oh..."

"Still, that isn't such a bad idea" Said Jordan with one hand supporting his other elbow and an interested expression "Having one of the artifacts to serve as proof would definitely be the best way to gain the backing of the tribes. Or at least of a good amount of them"

"Good plan or not, how are we supposed to use an artifact as proof when we can't even get one to begin with?" Asked Rick "It's not like we can just go around knocking on people's doors and ask for directions"

To use the obelisks and possibly find a way home the artifacts were needed, but to make the chances of finding the artifacts more likely Alex and the others would need the help of the island's tribes, but to make getting the help of the tribes possible they would need to show an artifact to make their request more likely to be accepted. It was a spiraling dilemma that constantly ended taking them back to square one but with no solution. That is, until a solution was offered by none other than Jerico himself.

"Actually, there is place where you mates can ask around" Said the cowboy-ish man while pointing at a piece of paper hanging on the wall by a nail. A depiction of a long-necked bird standing over a balance with one golden egg on each of the scales depicted on it "The golden Hesperonis"

"The golden Hesperonis?"

"Now that you mention it, Frederick told us about that place on the way to the snow biome" Said Alex while trying to recall the words of the middle-aged man "I think he said something about it having a lot of trading with mid-sized tribes"

"That's only a fraction of the truth, sweetheart" Said Jordan while his eyes diverted to the paper on the wall "The Golden Hesperonis does more than just have a constant trading with the tribes, they pretty much created and dominate the current system. The most skilled craftsmen on the island, the most witty of merchants, all types of rare resources and materials and a never-ending amount of hired muscle serving as either their private army or private security for anyone willing to put in the right amount of coin. You can find pretty much all of it and more within the walls of the Golden Hesperonis's comercial capital"

"It's not all roses, though" Added Eddy "As pretty or promising as that place might look like from the outside, the city is a shithole full of swindlers and cut-throats who will readily sell their own mother for a few coins. If you're not careful in there you could end up in the gutter...or worse..."

The stern and somewhat sombre look on Eddy's face at the end of his sentence made a cold sweat run down Alex's back. After all the atrocities he saw and heard of taking place in the island, he could only imagine the meaning behind those words. And so far not one thing that crossed his mind was a good one.

It actually made him wonder, would going there be really such a good idea after all?

"Yup. A bloody wild place to go alone, that one" Said Jerico before getting up from his seat "Heaps of bogans, hoons, ferals and all sorts of nasty wankers, but a sweet as place to get some info if you know where to look"

"How are we supposed to even get there anyway"

"No worries, mates. I'll help you out"

Everyone's eyes diverted towards the cowboy-ish man as he placed his hat on the table.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Can't say it's gonna be a piece of piss, but I know my way around the place" He replied while looking at the sportsman with a confident smirk "Besides, I've been thinking of going there for a while now to get some extra stuff for me good ol clobber Torito. Little guy's been taking the whole wing thing like a champ and I wanna get him something to cheer him up. Might as well lend you mates a hand while I'm at it too...So, what'cha say?"

Just the same way they diverted towards Jerico at one moment, everyone's eyes switched to looking at Alex instead this time. He himself feeling an odd pressure from how all eyes were now focused on him. Nonetheless, he tried his best to stay focused on the conversation at hand.

"If you can do it, then yeah. I'd like to have your help for this"

"Rippers!" Cheered the cowboy-ish man with a smile

"Wait...But what about Angela then?" Asked Lily this time with a concerned expression "We promised to tell her when we found something, didn't we?"

"Even if you say that, it's not like we have much to share at the moment"

"I wouldn't be so quick to make assumptions if I were you" Said Jordan after hearing Rick's reply "If that friend of yours is worth trusting then it wouldn't hurt to share what you already have with her. Who knows, maybe she could even notice something we're overlooking right now"

"Indeed. All minds think differently, some able to see certain angles better than others" Added Norman

"So what do we do then? Go back to the Weathertop or head straight for the Golden Hesperonis?"

Alex's group took a moment to think about their choices before Alex came up with a solution.

"In that case, how about we split up in two groups?" He suggested while looking at Lily and Rick "One will go back to the Weathertop and tell Angela what we found at the obelisks while the other goes with Jerico to the Golden Hesperonis"

"I don't really like that idea..." Said Lily with a worried expression "I mean, won't a crazy person with an axe and a mask come for us if we do that?"

"This isn't an old horror movie, you know..." Replied Rick while turning his head to look at her and sweat dropping, then turning his head to look at Alex "Her comment aside, she has a good point. Splitting up would be dangerous, especially for the group heading back to the Weathertop"

Alex didn't answer right away to the sailor's argument. On hindsight, he was right. Assuming he and Max went to the Golden Hesperonis with Jerico, Lily and Rick would be left to fend for themselves and to protect Alice. And considering how much danger they faced on their way to the Redwoods, it was clear that taking that trip with only the three of them would be next to a death trap.

"If that's the case, then how about you borrow one of our tames?" Offered Jordan to them

"Really?" Questioned Alex

"I cannot say those animals are very easy to replace but it's not like we have much of an use for them at the moment. Especially with Frederick's current state." Explained the soft-spoken man "But with that said. As long as you manage to bring it back alive it should be okay."

"You mates mentioned your place is close to the beaches on the south of the island, right?" inquired Jerico "In that case, you should be alright with using a slick head as a ride as long as you steer clear of the swamp and don't stay too long around the larger rivers and forests. That's usually where the big chompers stick by"

"Slick head?" Asked Rick while looking at the cowboy-ish man and sweat dropping. But his question went by without receiving an answer.

"Alright then...In that case Alice, Lily and Rick will go back to the Weathertop and inform Angela of what we found while I will go with Jerico to the Golden Hesperonis and see if I can find something that could help us" Stated the sportsman while turning his head to look at his group

"You're not planning to go alone, are you?" Questioned the sailor

"No. I'm planning to take Max with me"

"Are you sure that's a good idea? You two aren't exactly good buds right now"

"Hey, Rick!" Exclaimed Lily with a concerned expression

Jerico's group and Jordan looked at the sportsman lower his eyes and grow silent as a result of Rick's statement.

Ever since their return from the snow biome Alex and Max didn't talk with each other even once. Though this silent treatment bothered him greatly he couldn't blame the young man for it, or at least he didn't feel like he was in a position to blame him.

"I know that..."

"...Fine, do whatever you want" He said while brushing it off and simply accepting there was no talking his way through Alex's stubborness "How are you planning to convince him anyway?"

The sailor's question only received silence as a response. A silence that was broken not by the sportsman, but by Jerico.

"How about leaving that one to me?"

"What? No, that's something I should..." Stated Alex before suddenly stopping midway through his sentence, causing everyone to look at him with confusion as he lowered his gaze

"Alex?"

A short moment of silence took place before the sportsman finally broke it.

"Nevermind..." He replied with his gaze still downcast and his tone less energetic than before "Sorry but I'll leave it up to you, Jerico"

"(Alex...)" Thought Lily while looking at him with concern

"No worries mate...Besides, I've been meaning to tell him something for a while now"

Looks of curiosity spread among both Alex and Jerico's group but neither side was all too sure what he meant, and a few among the sportsman's group were more concerned about their leader at the moment.

Eventually Jordan left for his treehouse in order to check on Frederick. And a few hours later everyone had dinner before going to sleep. Everyone save for Jerico, who remained awake for a little longer in order to have a little chat with Max in privacy.

Surely enough he found the young man just outside the house sitting against the wall with Wilson Next to him. His eyes focused on the forest and one arm wrapped firmly around his spear.

"Howdy" Greeted Jerico while looking at him. This received no response, but that was expected at this point "Sorry to bother, just wanted to see how you were doing"

The cowboy-ish man waited for a moment or two while looking at Max. And yet no words came out of his mouth nor do his eyes diverted towards him.

"Guess you really are the quiet type, huh?" He said while scratching the back of his head with a smile "Can't say being given the cold shoulder twice doesn't bugger me a little, but not like I can complain...Anyway, Just came here to tell you your mates are splitting up and going back to that camp of yours while muscle boy and yours truly are going on a little road trip to this place called "The Golden Hesperonis" to get some info on those fancy artifacts"

As he explained the situation Wilson's stare remained focused on Jerico. This made him feel like it was a good thing since if the bird was looking at him, then the young man was most likely listening as well.

"Well. The long and short of it is, muscle boy wants you to come with us to the Golden Hesperonis. You don't need to answer me now, just tag along with whoever you wanna go with tomorrow, okay?" Stated Jerico before turning around and heading back towards the front door, then suddenly stopping to look at him over his shoulder one last time "Oh, and by the way. If you do plan to tag along tomorrow, then you might wanna get rid of that new legion coin before we go there. The Golden Hesperonis and the new legion are not exactly good mates, if you catch my drift"

Max's eyes widened after hearing Jerico mention the new legion's coin and he quickly diverted his eyes to look at him. In all the time spent in the tree house, he probably took out the trinket to look at it only once or twice at most and always made sure to be alone when doing so. But it seemed as though he wasn't careful enough. Did Jerico sneak around him during these short moments? Did he rummage through his belongings while he and Wilson were sleeping? The questions began pumping out one after the other.

"Now then, gonna go hit the man sack. Don't let the critters bite"

With those parting words the cowboy-ish man went back inside, leaving Max and Wilson by themselves with only the lingering sound of the wind blowing softly through the redwoods.

A few minutes after he left, the young man reached out into his pant's pocket and took out the coin that he had been carrying ever since leaving the Weathertop. At first he kept it out of mere curiosity towards the New Legion and the words of that man dressed in camouflage clothing said to him, but after what he overheard about them it was no question that their rather bad relationship with those who inhabited the island would make holding onto the coin any longer more trouble than it was worth.

The thought lasted for a moment or two before making a decision. He then got up on his feet, walked up closer to the edge of the platform and tossed the coin away as hard as he could. The little metal trinket flying off into the distance and getting lost into the dark vegetation below.

And with that taken care of, Max returned to his spot at Wilson's side, but not without first taking one short look through the wooden window and seeing the light of fire emerging from within. The inside seemed pretty well lit despite the outside being pitch black, and it gave the house a much more cozy appearance. Yet he felt no interest in going in, nor did the thought to do so run through his mind even once as he sat next to Wilson, where he remained vigilant for a few more hours before finally going to sleep while the Dodo sat at his side, staring at the young man before nesting next to him for warmth and eventually falling asleep as well.

---

*Scene*

The following day everyone got up early and prepared for the upcoming journey. Just as he promised yesterday, Jordan brought one of the Parasauruses for Lily, Alice and Rick to ride all the way back to the Weathertop while Jerico and Alex would head to the Golden Hesperonis with a copy of Lily's sketches, prepared in adavance yesterday, in hopes of finding some useful information.

Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, Max chose to go with Jerico and Alex rather than go back to the Weathertop with the others. Unfortunately it was hard to tell the exact reasoning behind this decision as he wasn't too talkative at the moment.

"Well, we'll be on our merry way now" Said Jerico while turning his head to look at the rest of Alex's group, who were already strapped up on the Parasaur's saddle and ready to leave as well "You mates take care now"

"Same goes for you guys" Replied Rick while holding onto the saddle's reins

"Take care, you guys!" Added Lily as well

"Don't worry, we'll be fine. Just make sure you guys make it back to Angela and the others safely. We should meet you there in a day or two" Stated Alex while turning his head to look at them

The sailor nodded in agreement to this and then cued the tame to begin walking. The tree of them sitting on the saddle and moving away as Jerico, Alex and Max ventured into the forest towards a different direcction.

"I really hope Angela and the others are doing okay" Said Lily in an attempt to start a conversation

"Honestly it's hard to tell when it comes to this messed up island but they seemed to become a much more solid group than before thanks to fending off those Raptors together before we left. Besides, that Angela girl seemed to have a good grip on things"

"I bet everyone's gonna be really surprised when we show them this Duckusaurus, too!" Replied the young woman before turning her head to look at the girl holding onto her waist "Hey, Alice. What do you think?"

The young woman's attempt to include the little girl into the conversation was to no avail. Alice's mind was focused on one thing alone, and that was Max.

Not only now but also during the short exchange of words and even the entire morning preparation the little girl's gaze remained focused on him all the time. Yet the young man never turned his head or even his eyes to look at her once, even now as the two of them were heading their sepparate ways the young man's gaze remained focused on the path ahead of him, leaving nothing other than callous silence in response to the watchful stare of his little sister.

Lily kept alternating between looking at Alice and Max as the distance grew longer and longer until finally making a decision and taking out one of her sketchooks. She then began searching for the sheet where she had the illustrations of the artifacts before finally finding it. She then quickly tore it off and handed it over to Alice

"Here, for you"

"Eh?" She replied as she snapped out of her trance and took a hold of the paper, then looked at the contents "Erm...Thank you?"

The little girl looked at the drawing of the artifacts with surprise and confusion as she was not completely sure what the point of handing the illustration over to her really was. Unfortunately she didn't even have the time to ask her as the young woman quickly got her left leg over the saddle and jumped off of the Parasaur, her balance being slightly off and almost making her fall after landing on the ground, and quickly headed back towards where the trio went.

"Hey-Lily!? Where are you going!?" Asked Rick while quickly stoping the tame from moving any further by pulling on the reins

"I changed my mind! I want to go to the golden bird place too!" She replied without stopping

"Huh!?"

"But what about Angela and the others!?" Asked Alice

This time Lily turned her head to look back at the little girl, and she did so with a wide smile on her face.

"Show them my drawing for me, okay!?"

And with those words Lily faced forward once again, heading off towards the other group as both Alice and Rick looked at her with confusion.

"(Damn it, why are those two so damn stubborn when it comes to him!?)" He thought with a frustrated tone while looking at her back "(Alex I get it, but what do you find so important about these two siblings to make you go this far!?)"

"We shouldn't stop her, mister?"

"Even if we go after her, she probably won't listen anyway..." Replied the sailor without diverting his eyes away for a moment before switching his attention to the front and urging the tame to move forward once more

Meanwhile Lily, who already got away from viewing distance of Rick and Alice, ventured through the Redwoods to find the trio. Thankfully she was able to meet up with the group quickly due to them heading off on foot and not covering much ground yet.

Though her sudden appearance confused both Jerico and Alex neither of them rejected her request to tag along. Max wasn't very vocal about it but the antipathetic look on his face was more than enough to tell he was not all too happy with the idea of having her around. Then again, that was not really something new to everyone else.

Now with four members instead of three, the new group resumed their journey to the Golden Hesperonis. The silence lasting surprisingly little thanks to Jerico casually engaging in conversation with Lily every so often, with most of the topics being about the story they left unfinished yesterday or about Torito's recovery or even about a few trades he used to do some time ago. Alex didn't seem all too interested in hearing or even joining the conversation. In fact, he was being just as silent as Max at the moment, and just like Alice his gaze diverted towards him every now and then. He had hoped this trip would be his chance to try and find a way to fix things up with Max, but it was clear that the young man would not give him the time of the day. Or the night. Or any time at all.

"Alright, we're almost there mates" Stated Jerico while his eyes focused more and more on the trees lying ahead of them.

So far the trio could see nothing more than more forest ahead but it was after crossing through a few patches of vegetation that they got to see their destination.

Of the many trees surrounding the area almost half of them had wooden platforms placed upon them and were evenly spread out around the area. Though difficult to distinguish from the ground below the group could see small wooden buildings on the platforms and rope bridges that connected them together. There were also a few giant ballistas and catapults placed on them, and they could easily see half a dozen people on each platform keeping guard close to the edges and looking all around the area down below. A massive set of thick stone walls reaching as high up as the platforms themselves spread out from left to right with a gigantic set of reinforced wooden doors spreading open to let a bronto wearing a saddle of sorts with a metal platform that in itself was carrying what seemed lke dozens of crates go in. Close to the base of that massive gate there was a much smaller but still relatively large doorway made of the same material as the behemoth door. In front of it they saw a group of a few dozen people lined up, some with Parasauruses, Stegos, Trikes and other types of hervibores carring different types of merchandise ranging from leather to wood to stone and even certain types of food judging by how some of the boxes resembled those Frederick used.

"Alright mates, no making a ruckus now okay?" Said Jerico while turning his head to look at them "These bogans might be armed, but they won't shoot you if you keep it cool and play along"

Alex and Lily looked at each other for a short moment before following behind Jerico. Max keeping a slightly longer distance but following behind them as well. And once upon arrival they waited at the end of the line as the people briefly had their belongings and those of their tames inspected, along with being shortly interrogated, by a couple of men dressed in full sets of chitin armor with the same symbol as the parchment of paper on the shoulder and carrying metal pikes along with pistols strapped to their hips. Their appearance made Alex felt uneasy, but he did his best to bear with it and wait until it was finally their turn to go in and face the guard.

"So, what do we have here?" Said the man on the left while stepping closer to check out the group

"Howdy!"

"Three males, one female" He reported while looking across the group, then lowering his head to notice Wilson after hearing it chirp "...And a Dodo..."

"A Dodo? Who the hell travels around with a Dodo?" Asked the second guard on the right with a tone of disbelief and a confused expression

"It's...Our friend's pet" Answered Alex quickly "It just started following him all of a sudden one day and we decided to keep it"

"I see...Anyway, what's your bussiness here in the Golden Hesperonis?"

"Same as everyone else, officer. Just wanting to get myself some supplies, maybe even find some folk to make trades with" Responded Jerico while placing one hand on his chest, then gesturing at the trio "And these mates here are looking for some good as job"

"Is that so?"

"Yeah...Muscle boy and Dodo boy here want to find some work as hired muscle, and this Sheila here wants to find some work doing crafts"

The two guards looked carefully at the trio for a moment before the man on the right was the first one to break the silence

"Don't look like much to me, but not like it matters" He stated while shrugging and then looking at Alex, followed by Max "There's always demand for more cannon fodder, after all"

"And what about you, girl? What's your craft?" Asked the guard on the left

"My craft?"

"What can you make?"

"Oh!" She stated in surprise before suddenly smiling "Well...I can do drawings"

"Draw? That's all?" Said the guard on the right with a somewhat dissapointed tone

"Wouldn't be so quick to judge if I were you. This Sheila here is one sweet as master with the pen and paper" Interrupted Jerico before looking at the young woman and gesturing with his head to show them some proof.

Lily was confused by his gesture at first but eventually understood and quickly reached into her backpack and took out one of her sketchbook to show the guards some of her drawings. The eyes of both of them widening like plates after seeing the sheets filled with artwork.

"Woah..."

"Holy crap, man..."

"See? Told'ya she's the real deal"

"No shit...I bet you'd get some fine coin out of those big fishes and merchants living in the monkey bussiness house with this sort of fancy stuff"

"Thank you! I practiced a lot!" Said Alice with a slightly embarassed yet also proud smile on her face

"Well, anyway. You guys seem alright so we'll let you come through after doing the check-up" Said the guard on the left while pointing at Jerico's bag "We need you to show us what's on your bags, okay?"

"Roger that. sir"

Calmly and without haste Jerico took his bag from his back and opened it to let the guards see the contents within as he rummaged through it. All they found within was just a couple of waterskins and some pieces of dry meat for eating during the travel. After being sure that was everything to be seen the guard stepped aside to approach Alex and Lily instead. Save for the later, who had a couple of extra sketchbooks, a plastic pencil box and a small drawstring pouch where she kept some of Norman's biscuits, their contents were slightly similar to those of Jerico save for the fact they had plastic bottles instead of waterskins.

When the turn for Max to show his bag arrived he didn't do it right away. Instead he glared at the guards in the same way he did with anyone that got too close for comfort to him, though this didn't seem to affect them in the least.

"What's the problem? Got something to hide?" Asked the guard on the right while walking closer. His hand placed on his hip and dangerously close to his gun

"N-No! It's just that he's really not the talkative type and-!"

"We don't need him to talk, only to show us what's on the bag" Interrupted the man "We need to make sure we don't let "troublesome" folk go in. You know...People like, for example, new legion spies?"

"Look, we just need you to open your bag and rummage through it so we can see what's inside" Added the guard on the left in an attempt to solve things peacefully "If you do that, then you and your group can go through. No trouble, no fuss, okay?"

A cold sweat ran down Alex and Lily's backs as the glaring between Max and the guards took place before the young man finally took a hold of his bag, put it in front of them and opened the zipper to let the two men clad in chitin armor see what was inside.

Just like the others he carried plastic bottles filled with water and a small drawstring pouch full of berries for Wilson. What truly caught the attention of the guards though was a medium-sized object, probably around the same size as a water bottle and wrapped in sheets of paper.

"What's that wrapped thing you've got there?"

It took a short moment before Max reached into his backpack and pulled out the paper-wrapped object the guards were so wary of before he undid the wrappings, revealing it to be nothing more than just a couple of pieces of cooked meat covered in sparkpowder for preservation.

"Huh...Just meat..." Said the guard on the right "Well. Whatever...I guess you guys can go through..."

While the young man wrapped the meat again and placed it within his bag, Alex and Lily tried to walk forward but their path was quickly stopped by the guard's metal pike.

"But don't even think about trying to stir up any trouble, am I clear? The city guards will not hesitate to shoot you if needed"

"Ye-Yes!"

"We understand!"

"In that case, enjoy your stay"

With the pike out of their way, the group was now truly able to walk through the large gates and venture inside.

Even from the outside it was easy to tell the city's architecture was impressive but it paled in comparison with what was lying in wait inside.

Streets of dirt spread out far into the depths of the city with an intersection every few buildings in a similar fashion to that of modern towns, on both sides wooden buildings of all shapes and sizes could be seen. The tallest ones being around three floors tall at most and some only being one floor tall and lined together with others while the larger buildings had slightly more space in between, allowing for alleyways to be made. For the much larger tames such as the Brontos there seemed to be far larger streets leading to warehouses located close to the edges of town that were big enough to house the titanic beasts of burden and the goods they transported.

But even more impressive than any of the streets was the center where nearly half a dozen Redwood trees stood closely to each other while surrounding the much larger one, towering above all others like a castle standing taller and mightier than a house. Each one having two large stone platforms built on them, the ones on the lower level being conformed of even larger buildings than those on ground level and made of stone rather than wood. Then at the top layer the buildings were not only built of stone as well but also had a notably larger ornamentation going for them in their structure and large windows probably meant to give those within a clear view of the entire city from high above. Both levels seemingly connected through metal elevators that descended to a large guild-like building placed on the base of the trees.

"Wauw...Just...Wauw..." Said Alex in surprise.

"Amazing! It's like an elven nation from a fantasy setting!" Remarked Lily with starry eyes and a wide smile, her excitement twice as intense as usual.

"Pretty rippers, eh mates?"

Both the young woman and the sportman didn't even need to say a thing in response as their expression were more than enough of an answer for Jerico. Even Max couldn't help but gaze at the incredible architecture, even if not with the same awe as the others.

"This mates is the island's trading capital, the Golden Hesperonis"

"(The Golden Hesperonis...)" Thought the young man while looking at the towering trees and the structures built on them.

After a short moment the group began moving once again. The streets they walked down were packed with people of all types, dressed in many different colors and styles of clothing. Some ranging from single cloth and hide or a combinaton of both to chiting and even metal armors, though rarely anyone sported a full suit of said armors, instead opting to wear it partially in different places such as the torso, the arms or even just the forearms and legs while the rest was either cloth or hide as well. Some people even wore hooded cloaks to cover their faces and bodies. Most people moved by foot while others relied on their mounts or simply walked by guiding them by the reins, there were also those who walked together in large groups while dressing similarily and others that stopped to engaged in conversation with each other or just simply laid down on the streetside to relax and watch the crowds move from one place to the other. Surprisingly, despite the notable amount of people and tames, there was just about enough room to walk around without getting too crowded or needing to maneuver their way through.

"Woah...There's so many different people here!" Said Lily while looking at her surroundings with amazement

"Folk from all over the island gather around here to set up good trading deals between smaller tribes or to find some work as hired muscle" Explained Jerico while walking "Some even try to set up a bussiness of their own after getting enough Hespis to buy a place"

"Hespis?"

"It's the place's unique currency. The official name is Hesperonises but most people call them Hespis cause it's easier on the tongue"

"I thought the island's economy was based purely on trading"

"The rest of the island, yes. But the Golden Hesperonis developed an unique type of coin to use within the city and make a more uniform economy. You can usually get it in decent amounts if you're part of their private army or have a bussiness of your own within the city but outsiders can only get them by trading with the city's merchants or by trading supplies, though you usually need to put up a lot of stuff on the counter to get even a few Hespis in return and not a lot of folk are willing to give their Hespis lightly"

"I see...Sounds like they're very valuable"

"That's not all they're good for either" Continued the cowboy-ish man "Hespis can be used to buy special things like properties or permits for special trading within the city. And if you manage to do well enough you can even get yourself a place at the upper city"

"So that platform is called the upper city?"

"Yup, that's where all the fat fish live. The first platform is mostly lucrative merchants and the leaders of the city's private army. Then the second and highest platform is where the council that founded the place and rules over it lives in" He answered while looking at it "The official name is upper city but locals like to call it "The monkey bussines house" because of the giant trees"

"So not only an economy, they even have an entire goverment already" Said Alex while looking at the platforms once again, this time a different question arising in his mind "Just how long have people been living in this island for?"

"Beats me, mate. As far as I know, the Golden Hesperonis has been around for fourthy years or so and the New Legion has been around for even longer" Responded Jerico while shrugging "I also heard Humans themselves have been around for way longer than that, but you never know when it comes to rumors"

Not only the architectural scale of the city but even the complex structure of the economic system and the ruling goverment alone were things that definitely would require a notably long time to construct, not to mention the time needed to condition people into accepting and submitting to such a system couldn't be a one-day effort either.

This line of thought soon brought on a new question into his mind. If people living in the island were able to reach a level of advancement that allowed them to create towns and even modern weapons such as rifles and shotguns, then why didn't anyone manage to build a boat capable ot taking them out of the island or make a radio to contact the outside world?

Jordan's words about people simply giving up on leaving the island echoed within his mind once more, but something within him made him feel like there was more to it than just that. After all not everyone could have given up as easily as the soft-spoken man said, at least not without trying.

"Anyway, first things first" Stated Jerico, causing everyone to look at him again "I want to go by the marketplace to get me some meat for Torito. You mates don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all"

"Rippers! Let's go then. But stick close, mates. It's a piece of piss to get lost around here"

Alex and Lily nodded in agreement before following after Jerico. Eventually reaching a circular wide open market area. Dozens of small stalls spread out in rows all over the area, each one bearing a different kind of merchandise on display.

"Eggs of all sizes and breeds! Come and get some fresh eggs!"

"Quality vegetables! Special offer on Savoroot and Longrass! Buy it while it's still available!"

"Necklaces, rings, armlets and all sorts of decoration for you and your tames! Made of stainless steel and to endure the harsh travels through the island!"

"Sharpening stones! Keep your blades and spears sharp enough to cut through man and beast alike with our special flint whetstones! Guaranteed to make even the dullest dagger cut through a Stego's scales like butter!"

The countless voices of merchants announcing their goods and their supposed quality or offering special sales kept echoing from left and right, everyone doing their utmost effort to attract as many customers as they could. Though Jerico paid no mind to them and kept moving at a steady pace until finally reaching a cetain stall with varying types of meat on dislay and managed by a middle-aged woman wearing a white scarf over her head that covered some of her dark grey hair and waist apron as well.

"Howdy, miss Jessie!"

"Oh! Jerico boy!" Said the woman with a notably cheery tone and smile "It's been some time since your last visit, isn't!? You seem to be in good health!"

"Could say the same for you! Still looking young as ever!" Responded the cowboy-ish man with a smile while taking off his hat in a gesture of respect

"Oh please, you know that's not true! This old lady is already way past her prime!" She continued while gesturing with one hand under her mouth and the other one gesturing stop joking "Anyway, how is everyone at the treehouse doing? Are you and little Torito eating enough?"

"Me good ol' clober still eats like a fat man on an all you can eat buffet, so no worries there" Stated Jerico before his eyes lowered slightly "Can't say it's been a piss of piss for the others. Bunch of bogans attacked us the other day and got Jeff"

"Oh...I'm sorry to hear that..."

"No worries. This stuff happens all the time when you're out in the wild"

Alex lowered his gaze as well. Even if Jerico's words were probably right, it was still hard to erase that lingering "what if?" feeling. This was specially true for a death that took place right in front of your very eyes.

"Anyway, no point in getting all moody about what happened" Said Jerico while looking at the middle-aged woman again "So, got the thing I asked for in the letter?"

"Oh, right. Just give me a moment" She responded before turning around to open a preserving bin placed on the back and pulling out a slightly larger and more pink-ish colored cut of meat "Here you go. It's not as great as the cuts gotten from the larger animals but the taste shouldn't be too different"

"Rippers!"

Jerico took a hold of the piece of prime meat and looked at it with a pleased expression.

"My husband and that boy he took as an apprentice managed to take down a Carno the other day, though this is the best cut they could get without it spoiling on the way back to the city"

"No worries, miss. This one should be enough to make Torito drool like a waterfall" He replied while giving her back the prime meat "Also sounds like the old timer's doing well too"

"Oh, yes! Ever since he took that boy as an apprentice the bussiness has been doing better than usual! But more than that, I think he's just happy to have someone else to teach his hunting skills again"

"He did love to play the teacher for kiddos back in the tribe you were with, after all"

"Yes, those were good days indeed. I was still young enough to ride our trike through the southern plains of the east while going out hunting...Ahhh, I miss those days..."

Alex and Lily kept looking in silence at the cheery conversation between Jerico and the woman unfold. Both of them had the exact same thought in regards to her.

"(This woman...She's just a normal person)"

After constantly running through a monster-infested island and encountering tribes and groups of bandits alike, meeting with a person who gave off such a sense of normality was completely unexpected, even slightly relieving in a way. It almost made the world outside of the walls feel like a bad dream.

This pensive moment didn't last long as the middle-aged woman noticed their stares during her conversation.

"By the way, Jerico. Are those your friends?"

"Yup. These mates right here helped me out with those bogans a while back" Replied Jerico while turning his head to look at Alex and Lily "Mates, this woman here is miss Jessie. Her husband taught me how to hunt back when we were in the same tribe"

"Nice to meet you" Said Alex first, followed by Lily who repeated the same words. Save that she did it with slightly more lively tone

"The pleasure is all mine. I'm always glad to meet Jerico's friends" She replied with a kind smile before diverting her attention towards Max, who didn't say a word yet and was simply looking at them "Is that boy your friend too?"

"Oh. This is Max" Quickly said the sportsman while looking at him, then at her "He doesn't like to talk a lot"

"Don't worry, miss Jessie. Dodo boy might not be the friendliest mate on the block, but he's a fair dinkum guy to trust" Added Jerico while pointing at Max with his thumb "Mate always takes good care of his Dodo mate Wilson and even saved Torito once"

The woman seemed surprised for a moment before looking at them with a relieved expression

"Well, if Jerico says so then I'm sure you kids are trustworthy people" She said while beaming at the trio before looking at him again "But I was honestly surprised. You usually never bring people with you to the city"

"Yeah but these mates are though as nails so it's all good. Besides, they needed a hand with a little something so I told them about this place"

"A little something?"

The woman alternated between looking at Jerico and Alex before the latter took a step closer.

"We're looking for these things called "artifacts"" He explained before taking the sheet of paper with the illustrations on it and showing them to her "Do you know anything about them?"

The meat shop woman took a glance at the drawing for a short moment or two with a pensive expression before closing her eyes and shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, darling. This old lady has never heard about those artifact thingies before" She replied with an apologetic expression "But they look a lot like those towers, so they must be very important"

"Yeah, we found out about them by visiting the base of the obelisks"

"I see...I always wondered what those things were, but my husband preferred to keep his distance from them. Said they always made his skin crawl"

"I can kind of get what he means..." He replied while turning his head to look at the walls. Even if the gigantic trees made it impossible to see the obelisks, he could still feel that shiver running down his spine just by thinking about them

"Lots of travelers and city folk alike tend to gather at bars and inns around town so I would probably start there" She continued "I'm pretty sure the people living in the upper city or even the council probably know about them, but the guards won't let you through without a permit"

"So we have to go to every single inn and bar in the town or get a permit then?"

"That would take days, mate. There's lots of those in this city and permits cost an eye and half the other one to get"

"Damn it, it's like we're looking for a needle in a haysack" Said Alex while scratching the back of his head

A short moment took place as the group thought about what to do before their attention was suddenly caught by the middle-aged woman once more.

"Ah! I remembered!"

"What's that, lady?"

"I remember some of the other stalls talking about a man that's been going around town asking everyone what they know about those towers!" She explained "Maybe he knows something about those artifacts you're looking for?"

"Where can we find him?"

"I'm not really sure, but probably the stall selling stone and flint over there does. I've heard he's been visiting him frequently as of late"

The group turned their heads to look at the stand the middle-aged woman was point at before looking at her again.

"Thanks for the help!"

"Oh please. Jerico's friends are friends of mine too!"

"Well, here's the Hespis for the meat" Said Jerico while taking a handful of hespis out of a pouch on his belt and handeed them over to her "By the way, mind keeping the meat in the bin for me a bit longer? There's a few loose ends we need to handle before going back"

"Of course! Just come by to pick it up whenever you're ready!"

"Thanks, miss Jessie!"

With the prime meat issue solved and a new lead given to work with, the group headed to the next stall while Jessie waved goodbye at them.

"Make sure you stay healthy now, and if you ever need something don't hesitate to visit!"

"Goodbye, miss meat seller!" Replied Lily while waving at her for a moment, then looking forward again "She seemed like a really nice lady"

"Bloody oath to that" Stated Jerico with a smile "I'd probably be just another feral or bogan if not for her and her husband"

After following the woman's suggestion the group went to visit the stone and flint stall to question the owner about the man she told them about. The stall owner mentioned the man's strong interest in not only the obelisks but also a strange interest in the stone and flint he sold. He also mentioned that the man in question seemed to work at a weapons store a few blocks away from the market.

The group then left the marketplace and went to find the place he spoke about. Most of the buildings they found were different stores, but the only one they found that sold weapons so far was a small gun store with a sign that read "Guns/swords/pikes/crossbows".

"Do you think this is the place?" Asked Alex while looking at the sign over the door

"Didn't see any other stores selling guns on the way here. It's worth checking out"

The sportsman nodded in agreement with the cowboy-ish man before opening the door and walking inside. The small ring of a bell echoing through the place as they walked inside and catching the attention of the man standing behind the counter. A man in his late thirties with a scar on his cheek and a green-colored cloth outfit.

crossbows and longneck rifles hanged from the walls while pikes, swords and clubs were neatly lined up in weapon racks. A few rifle and pistol bullets along with arrows displayed on a shelf behind the counter. Most likely not on sale but to display the goods available.

"Welcome to my shop. What do can I help ya with?"

"Hello. We were wondering if you could help us find someone" Asked Alex after approaching the counter "A man that's been questioning a lot of people about the obelisks"

"Yeah, I know the guy" Replied the gun shop owner "What'cha want with him, sonny?"

"We just want his help finding something related to the obelisks"

"Oh? Well that sounds like something he'd like to know alright" Responded the man with a surprised expresion

"So, do you know where we can find him?"

"He's in the back of the shop. Weirdo likes to spout a lot of mumbo jumbo stuff about "chemicals" and their "compositions" and whatnot, but he makes one hell of a sparkpowder and gunpowder formula so I hired him and that crazy brat of his"

"Crazy brat?"

Before the owner could say even one more word everyone was scared out of their socks by a sudden explosion like that of a firework followed by intense lights coming from the room on the back. Through the doorway they could see what looked like balls of colored lights bouncing from one place to the other as smoke of similar colors began to emerge from within the room, followed by coughing sounds of a man.

"Damn it! The formula blew up again!"

"Woah! I guess that new mix was a bit too powerful for the bamboo flare gun!" Added a second voice. This one sounding like a younger female voice and expressing a seemingly more optimistic and energetic feeling "Still, I feel like it could work if we find a way to keep the whole thing from exploding at the same time...Alright, let's try it again!"

"Alright then. Just try not to burn down the place or the old fart could get pissed off again"

"I already am pretty pissed off! Stop talking as if I couldn't hear you, you dumb bastards!" Snarled the gun shop owner with a popped vein mark on his head "Also, who are you calling an old fart!? We're pretty much the same age!"

"Wha-What was that just now!?" Said Alex with widened eyes and a surprised expression

"Damn it, those two! Do they want the city guards to shut me down for fire hazard or something!?"

The owner quickly left the counter to go to the back with a rather heavy step and an infuariated expression.

"Ah, hey there owner"

"Don't "Hey there" me! Just how many times does this make that you nearly blew up my store!? Do you want to get all three of us evicted from the city!?"

"Sorry"

"Sorry!"

"If you're gonna apologize at least try to pretend you mean it!"

"Stop getting so angry, owner. You'll go bald"

"And whose damn fault do you think I'm this angry all the time!?"

While listenting to the argument take place the group could do nothing but stand there in silence and sweat drop. On one side it sounded like a rather serious thing, but on the other it also sounded like it was already a pretty common occurence as well.

"Anyway, come to the front you mad cientist. Someone wants to talk with you"

"Me?"

"Yeah. Some kids saying they want to show you something related to the obelisks"

"Oh, really!?" Asked the man with notable interest in his voice

"The obelisks!?"

The sound of footsteps on the wood multiplied and got louder as the man and woman on the back quickly came the front counter to meet up with the group. They saw both a man with green eyes, white skin and hazelnut shoulder lenght hair tied up in a ponytail along with a scruffy, clearly unkept beard. He was wearing a dirty lab coat torn at the bottom over an equally dirty half-open shirt and brown demin pants.

The girl, on the other hand was notably younger. She had white skin with frekles spreading around ther nose and part of her cheeks and chest-lenght curly red hair along with brown eyes. Her outfit consisted of a black tube top and cloth pants, except that unlike the usual ones these were heavily modified with larger pockets and small straps on both sides to hold onto multiple small tools like screwdrivers and wrenches along with a belt of her own that was already fully equipped with a set of tools that Alex nor Lily could recognize. She was also wearing a pair of dark brown work boots and a purple bandana along with worn leather gloves.

Upon looking at the duo Alex and Lily's eyes widened like plates.

"Mister Nerris!?"

"Olivia!?"

"Ah!" Responded both of them with surprise, seemingly recognizing both the young woman and the sportsman.

And in this sudden and haphazard manner the group managed to reunite with yet another one of their fellow students and even their chemistry teacher.

*Scene*

---

After Olivia and Nerris cleaned up the remants of their "test", the group left the gun store and went with the engineering student and the chemistry professor to an inn/tavern where the two of them currently stayed at. They sat down together at a table after ordering beef jerky and began talking about both the travels they made and the groups of students they met.

"I see...I think I get the picture now" Said the professor Nerris while placing both hands together in a pensive manner with his head lowered. A lit cigarette in his mouth releasing a small cloud of smoke upwards "So to put it shortly, Angela is leading a small group of blue students and built themselves a base on the southern isles and the white students are staying with a small tribe while Dahlia is working as their leader's advisor"

"Yes. We didn't meet Amelia yet but we heard from Jerico that she and a group of green students traveled to the West of the island" Responded Alex "I honestly have no idea where the purple flower is, though"

"Huh?"

The professor looked at the sportsman with confused expressions, almost as if he couldn't understand the reasoning behind his words. This made Alex feel more than a little bit confused as well.

"Wh-What's wrong? Did I say something weird?"

"You said you didn't meet the purple flower yet?"

"Yeah, that's right..."

"So you really don't know?" He asked with a surprised expression before placing one hand on top of his head and closing his eyes "Well, I guess not a lot of people know about the flowers from the other schools unless they are really interested in them"

"Seriously Mister Nerris, what are you talking about?"

"Lily is the purple flower, kid"

While the professor pointed at the young woman, who was cheerily eating her serving of beef jerky, Alex alternated between looking at her and him for a moment or two before finally speaking again.

"Wait, seriously!?"

"Seriously"

"Hey, Lily! You're the purple flower!?" Asked Alex while quickly looking at her

"Yes, I am" She answered with a blank expression and a surprising calm to it, as if it was no big deal at all

"Then why didn't you say anything before!?"

"You never asked"

Another short moment of silence went by before a rather obvious thought coursed through the sportsman's head.

"(Now that I think about it, I never even thought of asking her about the purple flower)" He thought while sweat dropping

"Well, Anyway. I wouldn't worry too much about the other three if I were you" Continued the professor Nerris "Amelia has always been good at taking the lead, and she certainly has a way with words. Angela isn't as charming but she certainly is capable when it comes to organizing and leading others. And even if she's a bit of an ice queen, Dahlia isn't one of the flowers for nothing"

"You know a lot about those flower sheilas, don't you mate?" Asked Jerico, who up until now was silently eating his beef Jerky and listening to the conversation

"I only teach classes to Angela and Amelia but the flowers are a constant topic of conversation during the mensual faculty meetings. As a result I get to hear a lot about the other two as well" He responded while looking at the cowboy-ish man, then looking at Alex again "Anyway, I guess it's time we tell our side of the story, huh?"

"Actually, I was wondering about that. Just how did you end up in the Golden Hesperonis?"

"Let's see...The last thing I remember is waking up in the forest and wandering around until I ran into a trading caravan of miners. They brought me to the city and gave me a job as their stall's alchemist after I showed them I could make sparkpowder" Explained the professor, his eyes looking upward as he recalled the events that transpired for him since day one "After a week or so they introduced me to the owner of the gun store and I've been working for him ever since"

"And that's where you met Olivia?"

"No, I ran into her at the city's goverment building while on an errand to sort out some paperwork for the owner. Apparently she was trying to dissasemble one of their generators to see how it ticked and got into a heavy argument with the guards"

"I-I see..."

"But boy am I glad to see you're alive, Lily!" Said Olivia with a cheery smile before taking a good bite out of a piece of dried beef jerky "You have no idea how horrible it's been out here!"

"I know, right? All the monster in the island and-" Said Alex before being abruptly interrupted by the curly-haired woman

"There's almost no machines in the entire city! There's only old school stuff here! Stone-era stuff! I can hardly do any tinkering around here!"

"That's the horrible thing about this situation?"

"All the machines I can find are in those big warehouses or in the goverment buildings but those guys won't let me have fun with them! Even though I could probably make them work like, a hundred times better if they just let me do some tinkering"

"No...I think It's just common sense to not let strangers turn their machines back into a bunch of spare parts"

"I'm telling you, Lily. It's horrible! Horrible!" Said Olivia while smacking her hand against the table "It's the same as if you suddenly were completely unable to draw anything ever again!"

"Ne-Never draw anything again...!?" Asked the young woman with a shocked expression while suddenly growing paler

"You do realize she was just giving you an example, right?"

"So...I can still draw, right?"

"Yes you can"

"Oh...Thank goodness" She said with a sight of relief

"(So this is what it feels like to be Rick...)" Thought Alex while sweat dropping before diverting his gaze to look at Olivia "So Olivia, which of the four schools are you from?"

"The blue school! I'm studying to become a mechatronics engineer!"

"Mechatronics?"

"Basically it's like an hybrid branch of engineering that combines both electronics and mechanical engineering"

"It's a really amazing thing too, you know?" Added Lily "I once visited her at the blue school's workshop and she had all of these big machines piled up on the table. Even her room is full of all these scammatics on the walls!"

"You mean schematics?"

"Yeah, that!"

"Don't worry Lily! Even if you get the names wrong sometimes, you still know it's amazing and that's what really counts!" Stated Olivia while giving her a thumbs up.

"Sounds like you girls are good friends"

"That's right. Olivia usually comes up with lots of ideas for new machines and I help her draw the concepts for her blueprints and scammatics"

"Schematics"

"Yeah, that!"

"She's a really big help, I tell you!" Stated the blue engineering student "There's software programs to help me out with that, but it just feels so much better to do it by hand just watch it! Almost like you can touch the feeling of innovation, or like when a guy gets to touch a girl's breasts for the first time!"

Alex wasn't even sure how to reply to that. He could agree with her example, but he still wasn't all too sure if that was the sort of thing someone should say out loud. At least not in public.

"Erm, right..." He replied while sweat dropping "So...How did you two meet even though you're from different schools?"

"You see. During my first year I was starting to develop more and more complex designs to the point where my makeshift drawing skills couldn't keep up, but that was when I heard some of the teachers talking about Lily's incredible skills and decided to ask for her help"

"No one ever asked me to draw with them before so it made me really happy and drawing the concepts sounded fun so I agreed to help her" Added the young woman "Since we spent a lot of time together we ended up becoming friends"

"I see..." Responded Alex while looking at the two of them start to engage into conversation with each other "(I guess there's all kinds of friendships out there)"

As his mind dwelved into thoughts about Lily and Olivia's friendship the sportman's eyes eventually turned to the side to look at Max, who was sitting alone with Wilson on the empty table next to theirs. Not once through the conversation did the young man show any interest or attempt to join in with the others. In fact, not a single word came out of him during the entire day. He was probably paying attention when people brought up the subject of the obelisks, but that was as far as it went.

"Hey, you. You sure you don't want any?" Asked Professor Nerris while turning his head to look at Max and point at the beef jerky "We're gonna eat it all, you know"

Just as it was expected the young man gave no response, he simply diverted his eyes to him shortly before focusing once again on looking at his surroundings.

"Sorry, professor. He's...Not very talkative at the moment"

"I see..." He stated before diverting his gaze to the beef jerky once more "Well, whatever. More for me then"

"Erm...Okay?"

"What? You were thiking about something just now, weren't you?"

"No...I was just thinking you'd be a little more curious or something like that?" Asked Alex. Honestly believeing that at least the teacher would show some more concern about his student, especially considering how he seemed to be so interested to know about the others "You know, since you're a teacher an all..."

"Listen, Alex. I'll explain something important to you" Replied the professor Nerris "Every teacher has their own perception of what being a teacher means, and mine is that "a teacher's true duty is to teach his subject to his students". I'm a chemistry teacher, and a strictly professional one at that. My duties and obligations both as a person and as a professional go there and never extend beyond or before it"

"So what does that mean?" Asked Jerico this time

The chemistry professor took the cigarette off of his mouth and let out a breath of smoke before turning his head sideways and making an expression that would make one think he was about to say something wise or quote a famous person.

"It means...I don't give a flying shit about the peronal issues of my students"

"(That's exactly the opposite of what a professional teacher would say in front of their students!)" Thought everyone while sweat dropping with their eyes closed before Alex added an extra thought "(Also, don't try to make it sound like you're dropping some great piece of wisdom when saying that!)"

"A-Anyway...How about we move onto the obelisks instead?"

"Sure thing. I've been wanting hear about them ever since the owner mentioned that "something" you wanted to show me"

Alex opened his bag and took out the illustrations of the artifacts before placing the sheet of paper on the table. In just a split second Olivia nearly ripped the sheet and his hands from him as she quickly got a hold of it to look carefully at them.

"Ohhhhhhh! So this is that something!?" She said with notable excitement in her expression and tone "The design looks like nothing I've ever seen before but my instincts as a lover of machines are screaming it at me! These are indeed some sort of piece of technology, and most likely a very advanced one as well!"

"The design looks kind of similar to the obelisk I saw on my way to the city" Added the chemistry professor "Where did you get these from?"

"We got them from the terminal located at the base of the obeli-"

"You visited the obelisks! ? ! ?" Asked Olivia while getting on top of the table and placing both hands on Alex's shoulders, moving him back and forth as she approached him with each question "Hey, tell me! What were they like up close!? What metal are they made of!? What type of energy do they use!? Is it solar, eolic, nuclear, or maybe even an unknown type!? Were there any hinges or places to remove!? Did you bring a piece of it!?"

"I-I don't know! I didn't check that sort of thing!" Replied the sportsman while placing his hands on hers and trying to move her away. But right now she had a surprisingly powerful grip on him "And it's not like I could check them up close when they were floating over the sky like tha-"

"They float on the sky!? Does that mean they have some sort of anti-gravity device constructed into them!?"

"I already told you I don't know, please just stop shaking me!"

"Woah...I've never seen Olivia so excited before" Said Lily with widened eyes and a surprised expression.

"Kind of reminds of Torito when I made a barbie with that raw mutton I got from an Ovis in the wild" Added Jerico with an interested expression

"St-Stop just looking and help me already, you guys!"

The engineering student's ecstatic moment was fortunately contained by the professor Nerris who grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her back on her seat.

"Lower the adrenaline dose, will you? You're bothering the other customers" He said before turning his head to look at the surrounding people. Most if not all of them looking at the group with surprised or confused expressions as a result of Olivia's crazy reaction just now. Not to mention she was still breathing heavily with an ecstatic face while almost salivating.

Truth to be told, even Max was unable to not look at what just happened with widened eyes. But eventually she managed to get a grip on herself and calmed down just about enough to not jump at Alex again.

"I'm sorry! I just got really excited when I heard about the obelisks!" She said with a smile while scratching the back of her head "I spent so much time without handling any machine that I just couldn't hold myself back!"

"I see..." Replied the Sportsman while sweat dropping "Anyway. as I was saying, we found about these artifacts after using the console at the base of the obelisks"

"There's a console? You mean like a computer?"

"No. It was more like a metal pedestal shaped like a plumbob and with a red gem on the center. The only way to interact with it was by using the implant on our forearms"

"Huh, so that's what these things are for" Said the professor while looking at his own implant "I was pretty surprised the first time I saw it, but I guess now it makes sense why everyone has one stuck on them"

"Whatever this implant is, it's fascinating!" Added Olivia while now looking at her own "It's embedded so flawlessly into the subject's arm that it's not only next to impossible to remove it without severely damaging the flesh and nervous system, but it's also completely unfeeling. And since even my best tools couldn't put a single scratch on it, it must be made of some ridiculously strong material as well! Probably even stronger than steel or titanium!"

"And whatever the reason for putting one of these on everyone's arm is, it has to be related to the obelisks and the artifacts" Stated Alex with a confident tone.

"So if we find the artifacts, we might get some answers. Is that what you're saying?" Asked the chemistry professor.

"More than that, we might even find a way to get out of the island. A way for everyone to get out of the island"

"If only it was that easy..."

"Eh?"

The professor Nerris put one cigarette on his mouth and lit it up, taking in one breath of the tobacco before that very same smoke went out as a sigh.

"Listen. I've been going around the entire city asking left and right about the obelisks for the last few weeks, yet I couldn't find anything more than what you told me. If anything, so far the most I learned about them came from our conversation just now"

"But even so, somebody has to know about the artifacts!"

"I'm not saying it'll be impossible to find out about them. Just that they are definitely not common knowledge" Continued the professor "Most folk are either too busy struggling to survive or are just too scared of the obelisks to mess around with them. And the few who do know about them are definitely not the type of average Joe you can have a chat with at the bar every friday night"

"There's always the few backdoor guys who know how to dig around for info, but I'd rather steer clear of that. You never know who's gonna try to stick a knife in you with those hooligans" Added Jerico with his arms crossed and eyes closed

"Hey, Jerico. Are you sure you don't know anyone that can help?"

"Afraid not, mate. Most of the bogans I've dealt with back in the day are either the type to sell their own mom and the few ones worth risking it with are probably pushing up daisies"

"Then what are we supposed to do?"

The question resonated within the heads of everyone in the group. Despite just spending less than one day in the Golden Hesperonis they were already starting to approach another dead-end. And randomly requesting help from people who might end up stabbing them in the back was most likely not a good idea either.

"Well...I don't know if it's related to the artifacts, but there is a peculiar something I recall happening" Said mister Nerris as everyone looked at him

"What was that?"

"It happened back when I was with the miner caravan. We went to these hills to the north of the city to gather some materials and there I saw the entrance to a cave on the open plains" Explained the professor while recalling the events of that day, his eyes aimed slightly upwards while jogging his memory as best as he could "I wanted to check it out but the others nearly blew my ears off with how much they warned me to never approach that place. Kept telling me it was "cursed" or something like that"

"Cursed how?"

"Apparently the place is packed with monsters that become extremely aggressive if you try exploring the cave. Even among those that make it out in one piece some end up getting cursed with an intense fever and die shortly after going "feral" as they said" He continued "Honestly the whole curse talk sounded like a bunch of bullshit to me but since I didn't have the gear to go spelunking, not to mention I'm useless in a fight, I had no choice but to give up on it and leave"

"So you think there might be something that could help us find the artifact there?"

"Maybe, maybe not. But one thing is for certain. Something about that cave made the implant on my arm itch...It was almost as if something within the cave was calling for me"

Alex, Lily and Jerico exchanged stares before looking at him again. This time even Max's eyes were focused on the chemistry teacher. Unlike his usually lax tone, this time not only his words but something about the look in his eyes proved he was being completely serious.

If this cave he spoke of truly offered something useful in its depths, then it was certainly worth a shot.

"I guess it's worth checking out" Said Alex with a pensive expression before turning his head to look at his group "I mean, it's not like we have any other leads at the moment"

"I reckon we're gonna need to gear up for it first if we're doing this, mate" Adviced Jerico while pointing at the spear on his back "If the cave is as bloody wild as science man here says, then that wooden spear won't last long"

"I'm not gonna say you're wrong, but I can't exactly buy anything better than this...Or anything at all" Replied the sportsman, taking into account he had absolutely no Hespis at the moment nor any way to earn them

"Sorry mate, I don't have that much more Hespis on me either"

"If what you need is weapons, then just leave that to me" Stated the chemistry professor "I can't get you an entire armory, but I can probably smuggle some of the gear stocked up in the back without the owner knowing"

"But...Isn't that stealing?" Asked Lily with a concerned expression

"Now that she mentions it, the old man did seem pretty pissed off this time" Added Olivia, who until now was quietly listening while eating the remaining jerky "Pretty sure he's really gonna rip your thinker off if you piss him off again"

"Listen, you girls. There's nothing to worry about" Said Mister Nerris with a smug expression "You see, I've been stealing stuff from the school's kitchen and chemistry lab for years now, so I'm a pro at this sort of thing!"

"(Just how on Earth did this man manage to keep his job as teacher for so long?)" Thought everyone while looking at him and sweat dropping

In a way, Alex was starting to understand why the fact Mister Nerris never got fired or jailed despite being such a lazy teacher and burning down the chemistry lab twice in one year was considered one of the school's greatest mysteries up to date.

"So this is what the teachers from that school place of yours are like, eh? Sound like a bloody wild place to me"

"No. This guys is exactly the opposite of what a normal and decent teacher would be. Don't even think for a second all teachers are like him" Quickly said Alex while turning his head to look at him

"Well, anyway. If you guys try going now you probably won't come back until night, so we'll have to wait until tomorrow" Stated the chemistry professor while getting up "This inn is pretty cheap so you should try getting a room to spend the night here"

"Where are you going, Mister Nerris?"

"Back to the store. Still have some gunpowder that needs making and I need to get the goods ready for smuggling"

And with that explanation Mister Nerris walked away, leaving the group alone with Olivia. After eating what remained of the jerky Alex and the others rented out a room at the inn where they stayed the night. The room was somewhat similar to the guest rooms offered by Bjorn save that the thatch beds were notably more worn out.

The noise didn't cease during the night and the streets, although dark, still sounded notably busy up until late. Lights of torches from the outside of the buildings, the rooms and even some of the people walking through the streets were visible through the window. It was certainly a louder scenery than the stillness of the wild, but not having to worry about a giant lizard trying to eat them alive in their sleep was definitely much more pleasant.

By the time midnight arrived everyone was already on their bed, save for Max who was staying outside as "pets" were not allowed to stay at the rooms and unfortunately Wilson was considered a pet. This, combined with all the things both Jerico and Eddy said about the "dangerous" side of the Golden Hesperonis made Alex feel so uneasy he just couldn't bring himself to fall asleep. It seemed unlikely that a scenario like the one that took place in the snow biome would happen and Jerico assured him that as long as he stayed just outside the inn and didn't try to wander off into any alleys things would be fine but it was still difficult to brush it off of his mind. Eventually he managed to fall asleep out of exhaustion and let the night pass, waking up early in the morning. Fortunately Max was still in front of the inn, watching the people walking through the street. Despite sleeping outside he seemed to be doing just fine, which wasn't all that surprising to Alex at this point considering how many nights they spent sleeping in the open.

Once everyone was ready to move out they met with Nerris and Olivia near the gate that led out of the city. The former giving them a pike and a crossbow with a few extra arrows. Both weapons were notably worn out but nonetheless seemed usable. Alex took the Pike while the crossbow was given to Lily out of Jerico's suggestion, as she only had a spear unlike Alex who already had a hatchet with him as a secondary weapon and Max who already had not only a spear and a bow, but also his makeshift dagger.

Following the direcctions given to him by the chemistry professor the group traveled north of the city and eventually reached the river. Crossing it took a fair share of time but eventually they managed to find a section shallow enough for them to cross without having to swim too much. And after an hour or so of more traveling they finally reached the location of the plains, as specified by Nerris.

"Ah! Over there!" Pointed Lily after spotting a cave entrance, causing everyone to look at it

"You think that's the place?" Asked Alex

"Only one way to find out mate" Said Jerico with one hand on his hat

Both Alex and Lily looked at each other before Max began walking towards the cave without any hesitation while Wilson followed behind him as it always did. This was followed by Jerico and eventually the two of them. Just as Nerris told them, everyone began to feel an odd itch in their forearms that only increased as they got closer.

"It looks really dark in there..."

"Don't worry sheila, I brought a torch. This critter killer of mine is not exactly built for going one-handed with though so you'll have to hold it for us"

"I get it! I'll do my best!"

Jerico then lit up the torch and gave it to Lily. The dark walls of the cave becoming moderately more visible as the group ventured inside. The stone path within slowly but steadly sloping downwards, taking them deeper underground. Drips of water and passing wind echoed through the dark rock walls along with their footsteps.

"Hey, do you think there really is something here?" Asked Lily while looking around her "All I see is rocks everywhere"

"Don't get too trusty now, sheila. Critters that live in dark places are bloody good at getting the jump on folk that let their guard down"

Right after that warning from Jerico the group heard screeching and crittering sounds echoing from the shadows ahead. This inmediately put everyone into a state of alert. Just a second later, a large flying creature came right at them with a blood-curling screech.

jolted by pure reflex Alex quickly reacted by thrusting his pike forward and stabbed it in the chest. The screech turning into a cry of pain as blood splattered over his pike and hands. The large creature falling to the ground like a rock and spasming for a short moment before Jerico shot it with an arrow and killed it for good.

"Holy crap! What was that thing!?"

"Looks like a big ass bat. If memory serves me right, I think they were called Onyc" Said Jerico while approaching the dead bat, now lit up more clearly thanks to Lily's torch "I heard these critters can transmit a nasty virus called rabies by bitting people, so be careful"

Alex nodded in agreement before the group began moving deeper into the cave once again. Not too long after new screeching sounds echoed, signaling the incoming threat. But this time Onycs were not the only ones to show up. Both giant scorpions and centipedes began slithering out of the shadows by the dozens and charge at them, forcing a large fight to break out.

"U-Uwah!? Huge bugs!"

"Stay calm! They're big critters but a good arrow to the face kills them just like any other!"

Arrows began to fly all around as both Max and Jerico kept shooting non-stop at the cave-dwelling creatures while Alex used his pike to fend off any stragglers that made it too close for comfort.

During the fight some of the centipedes began spitting balls of green blood-like liquid at them, one of them almost hitting Jerico in the face and forcing him to quikly lean his upper body sideways to avoid it.

"Careful with the million-leg critters! That thing they spit is acid blood! It'll melt your pike if you hit them with it" He said before shooting a bolth at one of the centipedes and hitting it right in the head "Sheila, keep the torch as high up as you can! We need to see them coming!"

"Ye-yes!" Replied Lily while stretching up her arms as high as she could

The fight ket going for longer than everyone could keep track off. The screeching of the beasts, the grunting of Alex as he swung and thrust with his weapon, the arrows flying through the air and hitting the creatures that released painful cries in response as they fell and died, all of these sounds combining and echoing through the dark reaches of the cave like a tormenting nightmare before the last creature fell dead, the chaos that ruled just moments ago being replaced by a long-drawn silence.

"You mates okay? No one got hit by the acid?" Asked Jerico, finally breaking the silence

"I'm okay..." Said Alex, panting from exhaustion while using his pike for support

"I-I'm okay too" Added the young woman while holding onto the torch with both hands.

"What about you, Dodo boy?"

Everyone turned to look at Max, though he seemed more focused on checking out if Wilson was alright at the moment than on them.

"Guess no one got hurt" Stated the sportsman with a relieved tone "Man, we were lucky..."

"We had good teamwork mate. Luck was just the cherry on top" Replied Jerico before walking towards the dead insects and pulling out his arrows from one of them, some blood pouring from the wound as he yanked the arrow out and swung the left-over blood off of it "Alright, let's take five. I need to see how many of these I can still use"

Max followed suit and began to yank out his arrows one by one while Alex took a short breather alongside Lily. Unfortunately, only about half of them were still in usable conditions due to the acidic blood of the centipedes melting both the stone head and the wood out of shape.

Once the arrow count was done and the sportsman recovered from his exhaustion the group resumed spelunking through the cave. Moving past the piles of corpses and into a wider cavern with packs of mushrooms glowing bright blue. These pockets of natural light were more than capable of catching their attention, but the real jawdropper took place when they ran into an even larger cavern with a small lake located in the center. Sunlight coming down from two holes in the ceiling illuminated the place quite well as water dropped down like rain. Patches of vegetation and grass could be seen around the corners of the walls, giving this area a surprisingly more lively and fertile feeling than the dark and damp paths they've been spelunking through so far. But what truly caused everyone's jaws to drop was something completely different.

In the center of the cavern there was a very large column with a strange object embedded into it. From far away it looked like thick black tentacles or smoothed out rocks going accross the column from top to bottom, with bright green lights running accross some of them. It was difficult to tell from affar but soon they were able to notice the black objects were composed of dozens upon dozens of hexagonal patterns like a honeycomb. A strange wave of energy kept pulsating from within it like a beating heart. It was almost as if the whole thing was a living, breathing organism.

"Wha...What the hell is that thing...?" Asked Alex with eyes as wide as plates.

"I don't know mate. Even I've never see one of these before..."

Not only Max, but even Jerico was shocked by this view to the point of almost having no words. And that alone served to emphasize that, even in this bizarre island, this was a rare sight indeed.

Everyone kept staring at the strange phenomenom until Max heard Wilson's chirping repeatedly and turned his head to look at the bird, only to notice it was not at his side right now.

"(Wilson?)" He asked before looking around him "Wilson? Where are you?"

"Hm? What's wrong, Dodo boy?"

"Wilson? Wilson!?"

Concern began to spread through the young man. The idea that the bird might have wandered off too far from his side and gotten attacked by one of the cave-dwelling creatures they fought earlier. This thought kept bashing the walls of his mind over and over again as he kept searching more hastily for Wilson before finally hearing his chirp again and turning around.

"Wilson!"

All the panic and worry washed away in almost an instant after seeing the Dodo was okay. Though in their place confusion set in conisdering Wilson was currently standing atop a slow-moving green beetle. And a rather large beetle at that, probably almost as big as Wilson if not slightly larger. And he currently seemed to be eating a brown substance Max felt like he recognized, but Max's true focus was on Wilson right now.

"Wilson...What are you doing?" He asked with an unamused expression before the Dodo chirped in response, causing him to sweat dropp "What do you mean by "He offered me a ride for a poop"?"

"Max? What's wrong?"

Alex, Lily and Jerico diverted their attention to the young man and approached him. Their faces showing a mixture of confusion and curiosity after witnessing the current scene taking place.

"A giant beetle?"

"Awww! It's really cute!" Said Lily with a glitter in her eyes before quickly giving the torch to Alex and taking out her sketchook to draw the large insect "Please hold onto this for a moment! I want to make a sketch of it!""

"Fuck me dead it's a bloody dung beetle!" Said Jerico with an amazed expression while crouching closer "I haven't seen one of these in years"

"Are they rare?"

"Bloody fair dinkum they are mate! These little shit-eaters are worth a fortune in the Golden Hesperonis!" Continued the cowboy-ish man with clear excitement in his tone, almost as if he had found some sort of treasure "They literally eat shit, then shit out fertilizer and oil. And they can do it in a quarter of the time that it takes a compost bin to do it."

"Wait, for real!?"

"Bloody oath!"

"Ewwwwww! That's not cute!" Said Lily, who found the idea of something eating feces disgusting yet only stopped sketching for a short moment before going back at it

"Cute? nah. Useful? Yeah" Responded Jerico "Even the most advanced farms out there only have a handful of the little critters because of how rare they are, and they keep 'em safer than their daughter's viginity. Heck, some people would trade a night with their daughter for one of these"

"Wow...Sounds like they're really valuable..."

"Too bad I don't have Torito here. Me good ol' clobber could definitely cook me up a few "gifts" for this little critter here and get it to follow us back out of the cave"

"Couldn't we just take it with us and then feed it...you know...that stuff?"

"As much as I'd like to take little poop-eater with us, I'm afraid that won't do. We might have to fight again on our way out, and it'd be much harder if we have to also keep an eye on it" He replied while putting on his hat again "It's a shame, but we'll have to let the little guy stay here"

After agreeing to leave the dung beetle roam free and Lily finished her sketch, the group kept moving. Wilson giving one last goodbye chirp to his new beetle friend before following after Max.

The cave-dwelling beasts showed themselves once more to attack during the way, but this time their smaller numbers made them easier to fight. Every now and then this occurrence repeated itself before they finally reached the end of the cave. And in it, they found not only even more of the pulsating alien-like technology, but also somethnig more. A strangely shaped object floating just a few centimeters over the floor. It glowed with a bright green light and emanated the same pulsating waves as the other objects, yet this one did so with more intensity and was not attached to any surface. And the closer they got to it, the more intensely the implants in their forearms began to beat.

"Is that..." Asked Alex, who had a vague idea of what this particular object could possibly be

"It is!" Responded Lily with joy. As the one who drew it, she could remember the shape perfectly well "It's an artifact!"

Jerico didn't say a thing, he simply whistled in surprise with one hand on his hat.

"We found one...We found one!" Said the sportsman as his shock was quickly replaced by joy and excitement "We actually found one of the artifacts! I can't believe it!"

"Miss Helena told me about the artifacts she found back when I was a kid, but I never thought I'd see one of them in person" Said Jerico with a somewhat humbled expression

"I can't wait to tell everyone at the Weathertop about it!"

Lily and Alex beamed at each other and were almost jumping from the desire to celebrate, but it was then that one single thought ran through the young woman's mind.

"Hey...Isn't it kind of big, though?" She asked while looking at the artifact and noticing it was literally almost the same size as them "How are we gonna take it to Weathertop?"

"That's...a good question. How do we do that?"

While everyone else tried to figure out what would be the best way to take the artifact with them, Max quietly looked at it. The beating feeling in his forearm made the time he encountered that giant plumbob-shaped object come to mind. In a way the artifact gave off the same feeling, making him want to try something out.

He took a look at his implant and then at the artifact once more before walking closer to it.

"Max?"

The trio quickly looked at him as he stood in front of the floating object and extended his left arm. To everyone's surprise and just in the way he expected, the implant on his arm began to glow in the same way as it did back then, and all it took was one look at it to open the interface.

"What the-!?"

"(If it's the same as before then...)" Thought Max while looking at the icon depicting the artifact and pressing on it with his index finger

In just a split second the interface closed off all by itself and the floating artifact got engufled in green light before exploding into millions of light particles that lingered in the air and spread out slightly before all of them quickly dived into Max's implant. The usually orange rim glowing green after absorbing all the particles for a moment or so before finally turning off and returning to normal.

Just to make sure, he opened the interface one more time and saw the icon appear on his interface.

"Hey, Max. What happened to the artifact?"

"It's in here..." Replied the young man after dissmissing the interface, then turning around to look at Alex and raise his left forearm to show him his implant.

"Inside your implant? How?"

"Huh...So it's basically like those loot drops that fall from the sky every now and then, but works the oppsite way" Said Jerico with one hand on his hip and the other on his chin "Whatever this stuff is, it's really crazy"

"But you can take it back out, right?"

With this question in mind Max opened his implant's interface once more and pressed on the icon of the artifact. This caused the same process as before to take place, except that this time all the light particles joined together into a much larger ball of light that suddenly expanded and transformed into the artifact that stood before them just a moment ago, but this time it appeared around a couple of feet in front of Max.

"Wow..."

"Woah! It's almost like magic!" Said Lily with awe

"Well, anyway. We already got what we came here for" Said Jerico while looking at Alex and Lily "We should hurry and go back to the Golden Hesperonis"

"You're right. I want to hurry up and show the artifact to Mister Nerrys and Olivia"

"You sure about that?" Asked Jerico while looking at him "I get the feeling that Sheila he's with might try to turn the artifact into a pile of nuts and bolts"

The cowboy-ish man's question caused Alex to look at him and sweat drop. He did not even consider that possibility up until now.

"Yeah...Hopefully the teacher will be able to hold her back from doing that" He responded with a somewhat notable hesitation in his tone "...Maybe..."

Just thinking about Olivia dissasembling the artifact was a rather worrysome thought, but the group decided to put it aside and focus on trying to make it out of the cave and back to the city with the artifact in one piece. After Max's implant absorbed it once more everyone made their way back through the caverns and eventually back into the plains.

On their way back, a shared feeling of victory spread out among them as they felt like they were finally making some proper progress towards their goal of finding a way out of the island and back to home. Little did any of them know, this was only the beggining of a long and grueling journey.