Tom and his best friend were watching Peyton's match against Cassandra. In all the odds, the two had a match against each other's.

"Your mom isn't letting Peyton get the best of her," the black-haired boy commented.

"She's great," the boy sighed, "A few players commented about family pictures. It was embarrassing."

"Yeah. I was in a few of those too," he blushed.

"At least, she had nothing about when you went to that lame ballet camp."

"Do you have to bring that up," Tom grunted. It was a lame place, but he did have some fun. He still didn't remember how he ended up there in the first place.

They looked away from the screen and were about to ask something to eat when they noticed something strange.

Two players were walking towards each other's. However, one of them was pushed backward.

"Hey!" the player angrily said as the other one passed on the side, "Why did you shove me?"

"W-what? I didn't shove you!" the other player aggressively replied.

"Yes, you did! There is no one else around!"

"I didn't!"

And the two continued to argue until robots came to separate them.

Tom saw that and asked, "Did you see what happen?"

His friend nodded, "That player just felt on the ground and just accuse the other one."

"I'm… not sure that's what happen," the Overworlder player was hesitant.

"Me too," the red-hair boy was pensive for a while, before he changed the subject to something else, "Anyway, we will return to Kaizeph in two days."

"Yeah. I wonder what we will discover in there."

"Something no creatures saw since they lived there. I'm getting excited," KidChaor let out a small excited smile.

Chapter 23: Tiaane And The Messenger

A golden-brown Mipedian with a pair of large horns brown iris on his yellow eyes and a long tail. He wore a purple cloak with a hood, a loincloth of the same color and a stone on his chest. He held a small staff made of wood with a purple gem on the top.

He was a Muge by the name of Tiaane. He had been wandering the desert of Al Mipedim for a while, but something had been distracting his thought. He had been well aware of his king plan and was uncertain about it. He wondered first, if it was even possible or not.

The other problem was that the Mipedian had no ill towards the humans. Quite the contrary, he liked them. He still wondered how Tom was doing. They met only once and never crossed path again, I hope Peyton told him I am fine, he wondered.

He noticed something else that distracted him from his thought. A Chaotic Player who wandered in the desert, searching for a destination. Tiaane wondered why would a human be there. There was nothing interesting to scan. The outsider was also going the opposite direction of the castle. The only thing there was an abandoned village. He decided to follow him out of curiosity. He turned invisible and stalked the human.

The Mipedian was beside the human and studied his face, making him even more curious. Some gray hair showed that the human was older than most who came here. Also, the scars on his face. The creature couldn't ignore it. It was familiar, but didn't know why it made him felt that way. He studied him more when he crossed the blue eyes.

"Who's there?" the human asked. He crossed his arms as he took out his scanner. He took a few steps back, "I can see your footprints on the sand."

That man is cautious, "Do not worry," he turned himself visible, "I am not here to hurt you. My name is Tiaane. Muge of Al Mipedim."

The Chaotic Player sighed in relief, but still held his scanner, "Good."

The creature tail tapped a little nervously. He saw that the stranger was cooperative, but didn't give his name, "May I ask what you are doing here? Most Chaotic Players avoid coming here. There is nothing but an abandoned oasis over where," he pointed a little to the north.

"Abandoned," the man was pensive, "I got to check it out," he pressed forward.

Curiosity was eating inside the Mipedian and followed the human, "Let me come with you. Al Mipedim isn't safe for humans, especially for those unused to the desert."

"You don't have too. I'll be fine," the human replied.

"I insist," he let out a small reassuring smile, "I've never seen a human with a striking face like yours and… it got me curious. Most of your kind has… Should I say, clean skin, if you get what I mean."

He chuckled, "Most players are younger than I. Okay. I don't mind if you come with me."

Tiaane followed the Chaotic Player as they traversed the desert towards their destination. The reptilian being often tried to put two and two together as he observed the visage of the human. The scars were just really played with his mind. He knew he saw it somewhere, but the mature face just let out a strange impression on the creature, I know I've seen those scars somewhere. Still, it can be a coincidence. He thought back of the tablets, but the human looked different enough with his short hairs and the age, I should have given a good look at those tablets instead of just taking a quick gaze.

"It's my first time coming to Al Mipedim. It's as marvelous as I imagine, seeing it up-close," the human admitted. His lips moved, but what he wanted to add remained unknown for the creature.

He sounds melancholic, "I wouldn't say that it is marvelous. The desert is our home and source of our tribe's life and strength. We overcome the wrath of the desert and treasure the little it offers."

"It is a desert. You need to carefully look around to realise it's full of life," the adult human commented as he turned around and asked, "Are you a friend of Peyton? He has many friends with your tribe."

"Peyton. Of course, I am. Such a nice kid," Tiaane chuckled, "He is strange, but many of us like him the way he is. I did worry him once."

"I thought it would be the opposite."

"Me too."

The two lightly chuckled as they went forward. They quickly reached their destination and observed the village.

What remained of the village was little. The houses that were far from the oasis were half buried under the sands, especially the lower part of the villages. The oasis water was pure. Plants and a few trees were growing around it. The water supply was small but it was still usable if anyone decided to live there once again.

The man stopped at the entrance of the abandoned location. He took his scanner and scanned it quietly. His gaze went down as he whispered, "So, they did leave their village… Just like Peyton said."

The Mipedian didn't hear his words and asked, "Is there something valuable?" He wondered as the visitor scanned the location.

The Chaotic Player nodded, "Yeah. Not that much anymore. Peyton told me that they moved away to another oasis. I still wanted to visit it."

The creature got no explanation as they went towards the Oasis.

"Do you know how long before the village is buried forever?"

Tiaane gazed at the human with stupor at such question. He chuckled, "It won't. If there is an unused oasis, it won't be long before some Mipedians claim it. Our king already assessed the state and some families are planning to move. One of our other Oasis is getting overpopulated. There is nothing to worry about."

A relief smile was on the lips of the outsider, "That's great."

He began to wander in the remaining of the village.

The Muge asked, "Do you know what you are searching in the village? I might help."

"There is nothing to search. I just wanted to come here since I can do it," he turned around and let out a sad smile, "But everyone is gone."

After a while, the two sat in the roof of an empty house. The Mipedian offered some water and the man drank some of it, "Thanks. It's pretty hot over here," he lightly chuckled at his stupid comment.

"I'll be worried if it was the opposite."

"Tiaane… right?"

"Yes."

"Do you know why they had to leave the village?"

"Why are you curious about it?"

"I…" he offered no answer.

The creature didn't ask more and explained, "They had to leave because of our cruel previous ruler. At that time, I avoid most of the Tyrant reign. I was training to be a Muge with Najarin. The villagers here were against the will of their king and went farther away from the castle, towards the extreme of Al Mipedim. It was for their own safety or they might had been exterminate by The Tyrant."

"Not someone anyone would like to meet."

"He would have killed humans on the spot."

"Good thing he is gone."

"Exactly."

The human sighed, "Sorry if I don't explain much, but I don't want to bother you with why I wanted to come here."

"I can tell there is no ill intention on your face. You humans have extremely easy to read. Much more than any tribes. Although, I didn't see the most twisted one you can make. Some creatures saw those kinds of face," Tiaane kindly replied.

"I know."

The continued their observations for a moment.

"I'll come back here one day and scan it when life returns here," the player decided.

"I hope it will be a better one than the one you currently have," the orange creature commented.

"It will be. I don't need the stats for that," he stood up, "I should make my leave. The desert is slowly killing me now," he joked. He lived worse through a humid day of summer. He took out his scanner. He gazed at the creature and asked, "Mind if I take a scan of you?"

"No problem. You will see the desert from my perspective."

"Good. That's something I would never be able to do on my own," he scanned the creature and looked at the image and the stats, "Tiaane. Have you ever wonder- Naw. I won't bother with that."

"You can ask it."

"Have you ever wondered what our world looks like?"

The Mipedian thought about it and nodded, "A few times. When I looked at your kind and see your strange clothes and hear the words you say. All I know is that it will look different from our own," he closed his eyes and admitted, "I dreamt about it a few times," he stood up and gazed at the village, "Would it look like a desert like Al Mipedim? Would it look like the Overworld? I doubt it might be like the Underworld, Mount Pillar or in the Deep Ocean. You cannot breathe underwater and it looks like you need the sun to live. A few Chaotic Players I heard commented about the weirdness of the creatures living underground."

"Too bad I can't tell you anything about it," he quietly whispered, "Anymore."

"The rules you are bond by. I understand. I would have kept my mouth shut if it was against our own rules."

The man sighed, "I really should go now. I have a friend that might get worried. With everyone going on with the M'arrillians. As I heard."

"It is for the best."

The Chaotic Player was about to press on the symbol to port back to Chaotic, when he looked at the creature one last time, "By the way. My name is Alexandre. Tiaane. It was nice to meet you."

Tiaane was taken aback when he heard the name. He raised his right hand and said, "W-wait!" by the human ported out. The body shining in blue as strange symbol appeared. His hand dropped on his side, "Damn," he stared at the spot where the human was last seen. He could see his footprints already disappearing by the sands.

It all made sense now. The scars on the face looked like the tablets. The name was the same as the Messenger, there is almost no chance that it could be someone else. They almost all had a clean face, "I spoke with the… Messenger Of The Cothica. He is here. He's back in Perim," I should have recognised him quicker. But he looks much older, "Such honor," he whispered.

He turned around and went towards the castle. He had to speak with his king right now. The return of the Messenger was a sign. His doubt washed away, "The time has finally come Theb-Saar."

The time for a tribe to reach the Cothica was near.

AC: This is the end of this chapter. I hope you like it.

Next Chapter: The Heart Of Kaizeph.

The group returned to Kaizeph another time to reach its heart and some of its secrets. Alexandre memories slowly coming back as they went deeper in the city.