Author Comments: Hello everyone. You have noticed that I didn't update for a while.
I spend three weeks to reread all of my previous chapters and made some corrections. It's not perfect, obviously, but I think it's less bad than before.
The updates will be a little slower. I won't put two chapters per week minimal, but one per week minimal now. Doesn't mean that two chapters might not come out the same week. It depends on the length of the chapters. I will correct slower than before.
I am currently searching for a Beta Reader, with little success so far. So, if any of you is interested to help me with my grammar problem and mistakes in my choice of words, feel free to PM me.
I also took this time to think a little more about the second Act. I have some early idea and some beginning to flesh out and it will slowly progress. You will know more when the first Act ends.
In the Underworld city, a chase had begun. An intruder went in Chaor's Palace and managed to snag something.
That creature escaped the city with a vital item. One that Chaor wanted back at all cost. The alert was quickly sent. Their ruler wanted the intruder either captured or dead. Mostly dead.
It made many soldiers smirked at the thought of crushing the enemy.
The intruder was a M'arrillian, one they knew and learned to hate too well, was the thief.
Many went outside of the city in search for their prey, checking above and trying to see if there was a glimpse of the creature.
The fate of the Underworld might depend on retrieving the artefact.
Chapter 20: Hunt Him Down
One of the hunters was Rothar, a creature that looked like a furless minotaur. The Underworlder was an orange creature with blue hair, a blue tail, green eyes and a pair of silver horn on his forehead. He wore a silver breastplate and green shorts. He also had an axe on attached on his back.
He was searching for his enemy on his Skeletal Steed. His mount looked like the skeleton of a horse. It looked dead, yet it moved with a mind on its own.
Rothar had little time to find the M'arrillian. From the yelling he heard in Underworld City, this was mission they couldn't fail. They had to retrieve what the creature stole. Rothar didn't know what it was or what I might be. All he knew was that he had to take it back.
He accelerated with his ride as quickly as possible as he gazed forward and above. Knowing the M'arrillian, he would quickly stand up from the dark surrounding of the city and the land.
Luckily, he noticed the M'arrillian green light, flying away from the city and towards the Deep Mine.
"You won't get away from me M'arrillian!" he grunted as he accelerated his ride and began chasing the creature.
His steed was slowly catching up to his target.
The Underworlder let out a small grin as the distance between them decreased. Once he was close enough, he focused his mind on his target. He prepared his attack to bring the creature down.
He waited for the perfect chance to attack. He summoned the power of fire in his hand. It was an element he recently awakened recently. He yelled with pride and bloodlust, "Flame Orb!"
A ball of fire went to the M'arrillian and exploded on the back of the creature.
The creature went towards the ground. He avoided crashing and quickly turned around and faced the Underworlder.
Rothar chuckled as he climbed down and slowly approached the M'arrillian, "You made a grave mistake to challenge our tribe once again. We will finally make you pay for everything you've done against the Underworld. Dead or alive."
Milla'iin float in the air once again, holding a small bag, "You are stupid enough to think you can obtain your revenge," he pointed one tendril at the other creature. His big eye frowned, "Aa'une will hasn't fallen."
The Underworlder took his axe and grunted, "You have failed twice M'arrillian."
"Rip Tide!" the M'arrillian yelled. He created two ball of waters and threw them at the direction of the other creature. The attack turned into a wave.
Rothar dodged it at the last second. He rolled on the ground and quickly stood back on his feet. He charged and swung his axe. The other creature avoided and tried to use his next attack.
The Underworlder was too close and quickly deviated the attack towards the air. He kicked the chest of the Milla'iin and the moment the green creature was on the ground, he followed with another attack, "Rock Wave!" He slammed his fist on the ground. The ground seemed to lift for a second before it broke. Many pieces of those flew off towards the other creature like a wave.
The M'arrillian painfully grunted as he endured the attack and prepared his counter attack. He avoided the other one's coming at him and pointed one of his tentacles at the Underworlder, "Lightning Burst!"
Lightning came out of his tendril and hit the orange creature right in the chest. The attack passed through the armor and shocked the creature greatly. Rothar lost his balance and was on his knees for a few seconds, panting.
The soldier of Chaor quickly stood up, "That won't be enough," he grunted as his anger rose within him. He readied his axe and charged once again.
Milla'iin changed tactic and flew back in the air, using his floating ability to his advantage. He summoned ice on his tendrils and threw them at the minotaur like being.
The Underworlder jumped back and avoided the attack. He saw more comings and blocked some of them with his axes while ducking to avoid the others. One of them pierced his shoulder. He ignored the pain as he released energy from his left hand, "Power Pulse!"
The energy struck on the chest of the M'arrillian. The creature dropped the bag. The creatures quickly went after it.
The glowing one grabbed it first with one of his tendrils, just before it felt on the ground, but was tackled on his back by the other one. The body of Milla'iin was crushed against a rock. He painfully grunted as he glared at his aggressor and countered with an energy blast coming form his big eye.
The blast hit right on the snout and sent Rothar rolling on the ground.
The Chieftain recovered from the pain and began to fly in the air once again, "I've lost enough time with you," he was about to fly away.
"I won't let you! Squeeze Play!" the warrior grunted.
His arms stretched. It grew longer and went towards the other creature like a living snake, chasing after its pray. It seemed to leave a few marks on the arm as it began to go beyond its limit. The soldier bit his lips. The risk payed off as he managed to reach the M'arrillian. The minotaur painfully grunted, but grinned as he got him by the eye ball. He pulled with everything he got. The momentum made the other creature yelled before he was greeted with a kneecap in his gut.
Milla'iin flew in the air and landed on the ground. He rolled a few times and grunted, "You were ready to lose your arm for this… I was right. You really needed those."
"As if I'll let you enslaved us once again," he wasn't mind controlled for that long, but it was enough to built a grudge. As for what was in the bag, he didn't know what it was.
I should have been able to quickly beat him on my own, the Chieftain frowned as he gazed at the bag. Escaping wasn't an option. The pain was intense and he might not have the strength to endure another powerful blow.
"Your tribe grew so weak without the power to control our minds," he approached the other creature, axe ready, "No wonder you are committing thievery now."
The other creature took it the worse way possible. His blood began to boil in his veins as he concentrated his energy, "Do not mock the M'arrillians, Underworlder. You think we are incapable, but once we claim the power of the Cothica, it will be you in the end who shall beg for mercy," he gazed at the object in the small bag. He wouldn't let go of that opportunity. If he lost it, it wouldn't matter that much, I still have my plan B.
The Underworlder chuckled as he swung his axe. He cut the tendril holding the little bag. It felt on the ground and the remaining of the creature's flesh spasmed for a few seconds before it stopped, "Never," he followed up with another power pulse and sent the evil creature away.
Light green fluid came out of the wound as Milla'iin rolled on the ground. He barely managed to stand up and flew in the air. He was ready to take back the bag and its content. He stopped and thought back. He had another plan if he couldn't bring it back. He turned around.
Rothar grabbed the bag and pulled it on his belt. He was ready for anything else, but the M'arrillian was retreating already. He wondered if he should give chase or not. He grabbed the little bit of flesh, "I'll keep this as a trophy M'arrillian!" His priority was to bring back whatever was in the bag.
He turned around and climbed back on his mount. He hesitated to leave. Rothar gazed back and frowned, "You have up a little quickly," the orange creature didn't like it. He still had to hurry back. He had to give his report.
Once he was back in the castle, he quickly went to meet his ruler. He reached the throne room and bowed down to his ruler, sitting on his throne, accompanied with Agitos, Takinom isn't back yet.
She was also haunting the intruder.
"I brought back what the M'arrillian stole from you Lord Chaor," he showed the brown bag as he gave a quick report of what transpired.
Chaor grabbed it and checked inside. He grunted.
That wasn't a good sign for the soldier.
The ruler shoved it on his advisor who puffed when it hit his face. He grabbed the bag. He looked inside and saw the content.
"Where is the other one?" Chaor asked.
"Other- You mean that Milla'iin stole one more item than whatever was in this," the orange creature asked as he gazed down.
Agitos quickly said, "The alert has been given rather quickly and without-"
"Did you let Milla'iin go with anything else?" the ruler furiously yelled.
"No lord Chaor. That was all that he had. He was holding it until I managed to get it back. He had nothing else," he looked into the blue eyes of his ruler. He showed the bit of tendril he cut with his axe, "I would have noticed it if he had anything on his other tendrils."
The advisor nodded, but didn't interrupt his ruler as he walked away.
"And put it to the room!" his ruler ordered.
"Yes, my lord," Agitos nodded and quickly walked away. He wasn't curious at all about what would come next. The creature just knew that it wouldn't be a punishment.
Chaor was aware that the order was to bring back what the M'arrillian stole. Nothing more and nothing else. He will make sure that it was all that the creature had. He wanted every little bit of detail now.
The blue lizard checked what was in the bag. It was a red scanner. It came from a human who died in a really weird way. From what the witness said. They had four scanners inside the castle. Three now, with one still missing, where is the other one. If Milla'iin didn't have it on him… he must have- he rushed and made a detour. The chase wasn't over. He had to tell everyone what might had occurred.
The searched for the M'arrillian continued for a few hours. They received new orders to find him at all cost, as he had something else stolen and didn't have it on him. Chaor order was absolute. Their ruler won't accept failure.
Takinom was a sleek female Underworlder creature with yellow skin with dark skin on her hands neck and legs, long red hair silver horn on her head, purple eyes and red bat-like wings. She wore a silver breastplate and knee guards.
Takinom found a pool of shining yellow light. She closed her wings and landed on the ground. She inspected it. She carefully touched it with her finger. The pool wasn't fresh. It was partially dried up and already beginning to stop shining. She grunted as she opened flew once again. She looked around and found a trail of blood left by the M'arrillian. She followed it. She quickly realised that it went back to Underworld City. She reached the end of the trail; he must have stopped bleeding.
She looked around for any clues. There was nothing. The chase of the creature ended there.
"Chaor isn't going to like this," she frowned. Takinum didn't like it either. This was bad, "He got away with a scanner."
She wasn't sure what the consequence would be.
It wasn't good because the M'arrillians wanted a scanner. Not only that, but they also targeted Chaotic Players to reach the Cothica. And Kaz was one of their main targets.
The big question was if they could eventually reach where the humans are.
Takinom mind wasn't at ease. It would have been much better if they had no scanners. She will convince Chaor to maximise the protections of those three remaining. No other tribes should be able to steal them anymore.
AC: This is the end of this chapter. The M'arrillians finally managed to get a scanner.
Next chapter: What Lies Inside The Scanners.
The M'arrillians are preparing to follow the other tribes with Telebracers while Bahrakatan studied the inside of the scanners.