Any Chaotic Players who went to Mount Pillars knew the rule. Just ask a Chaotic Player for tips, except people like Klay. Their answer was to be stealthy. Don't be spotted and sneak around.

Danians had guard everywhere and if they spot you, you are in big trouble if you don't port out quickly.

Many Chaotic Players had been coded out when busted. A few had been captured, but friends helped them out.

That was the norm. When you were outside of it, it was just weird. Sarah was the first Chaotic Player to live it.

Chapter 17: It's Strange

Sarah wasn't use to her new situation. A few days passed and she was still having her instinct of avoiding to the guards. She was hiding in a spot and remained there when she noticed the guards. Her first instinct was still strong, even if it wasn't needed anymore.

A red chubby beetle Danian was walking around. He had orange skin under his red exoskeleton, pale blue eyes and pale orange antennas on his forehead. He had four arms and walked on two legs. He was armed with a silver staff.

Wamma searched for Sarah. Now that she didn't have to hide anymore, it was less work to find where she could be. He received the order from the queen. He sighed when he noticed a little bit of her smell. He knew her enough to recognise it. He went to her hiding spot and put two of his arms on his hip, "There you are Sarah… Why are you hiding?"

She looked at her Danian friend and after being quiet for a few seconds, sighed, "Just… I'm just not used to it."

"It should be so much less work for me to find you when you don't have to hide around anymore," the big bug commented. He thought a little more and sighed, "So. Need help for a scan? We can go there together."

"Yyyyeah," the Chaotic Player replied.

"I know… I am weirded out too now," he admitted. He scratched his jaw, "I never would imagine something like that."

"Sure," she nodded.

"What do you need to scan?"

"A battlegear," she told him what it was.

He nodded and walked forward, "Follow me."

They walked together in the Hive. They massed in front of many guards doing their routine. None of them gave attention to the human, when they recognised her. They just kept with their routine.

Sarah often had the reflex to find somewhere to hide when she heard footsteps or saw shadows.

"I'm not sure if I'll get use to it," she commented as she scratched her left arm.

Her friend nodded, "Now that I'm walking with you, I feel it strange," he looked around, "I never imagine I would walk around with you by my side. Maybe I'll eventually give you a tour and-" he whined, "Too much work for me. Forget for a tour," he grumbled as he even had the guts to think of that. It was already so much to escort her to their battlegears. He did it because it was nice to chat with his friend.

"This feels like a dream I could have to walk around like this," she commented. She thought more and said, "It's just strange that I would receive this treatment. I didn't do that much and I'm just walking around," Sarah crossed her arms.

Wamma had to agree. He didn't want to voice his thought too loudly. He was serving the queen. He waited for them to be more isolated. Then, he whispered, "I find it weird too. There is something our queen wants if she allowed you to walk around. I don't know what," and took the lead once again after whispering that.

The teenage girl nodded and didn't press any further. It was something it was bad to talk about. It was the queen and no one should say anything bad at her. It could be overheard and everyone in the hive would know if a Danian doubted his queen. She wondered what the Danian wanted with her. That question still remained in her mind and wouldn't leave her alone.

She wasn't sure if she had to be worried or not, "Any idea if there is something interesting going on in Mount Pillar?" she generally asked.

Her companion knew she wanted something specific and what it was about. He still played around a little, "Not really. There hasn't been that might sign of activity. The patrol has been increased with the possible resurgence of the M'arrillians. So far, no one had their mind controlled. No one is worried about it."

"Why?"

"There is a lot of rumors that things are really heating up within the M'arrillian tribe. It seems like there is a civil war about to begin. We know, from the Mipedians, that there is a division among their rank since the death of Aa'une, but something happened recently and everything geared up."

"What is it?"

"Rumors than a M'arrillian left his tribe behind and might be wandering around after spying in Kaizeph," Wamma answered.

Phelphor, Sarah thought.

"Seems to have an effect. If they are busy with that. Good for me. I'll have less work to worry about."

"W-wait. You said Mipedians told you that."

"Y-yeah. Only when it concerns M'arrillians. We don't want another invasion. Twice is enough. So… this is the only exception after the end of the Tribe Alliances," he scratched his head nervously.

As they continued to talk together, a Danian noticed the two. It was Lore who saw Sarah and was casually speaking with Wamma.

The Danian observed them more carefully when he realised how friendly they seemed. It was obvious that they knew each other's for a while. How that went unnoticed was a mystery by itself. Unless it was Wamma nature. He was good at disappearing and reappearing without being in trouble, I'll let that go, he thought. They were obviously closed and it was best not to cause Sarah ire for their objective.

He also saw this as good news. The bond they shared told him that she already had attachment to their tribe and cared for a Danian.

"I thought we were going to start from almost nothing," he muttered. Still, watching them might help to know her more. Anything to help them reached the Cothica first in the end with their messenger.

"There we are," Wamma said as he showed the arsenal.

"Good. I'll get my scan and I'll be ready for my match this afternoon," she commented.

"So… you came really early?" her friend asked while his antennas twitched nervously.

"Yeah. I always came very early for a scan. This is Mount Pillar and it takes time to avoid causing ruckus. Told you I'm not used to this new situation."

"Danians aren't used to this too. Just look at Lore. He's looking at you as if you are trouble," the red Danian said. He did imply more.

The Danian in question glared and replied, "It is not about that Wamma," he approached them, "I wasn't expecting her to be with you. Talking as if you knew each other's for a long time," he grinned when the chubby bug gulped.

"Is that a problem?" Sarah asked as she crossed her arms. She would defend her friend if the Danian tried anything. For now, she just saw it as a come back.

"Not at all. It isn't, as you are welcome in Mount Pillar," one gaze at Wamma was enough to tell him he knew what was implied. He turned his attention back to the teenage girl, "You came here to get a scan, as I've heard."

"Yes," she replied as she took out her scanner.

The High Muge carefully observed the detail of the scanners. It looked very similar to the one on the tablets. He was aware of the subtle differences as the one in the tablet looked less… complete he would say. He based that on the most detail of the scanner sculped on one tablet. The little differences were apparent now, but he couldn't draw. So, he had to relied on his memory. They went in the room where the battlegears were. Easy to pick in case of an attack.

Outside the room, he could hear the guards passing by, two came checking carefully before leaving, as they were already present and Sarah presence was accepted, orders of the queen.

She pointed at the battlegear she wanted and began scanning it.

Lore carefully studied how it worked while Wamma just yawned, waiting for it to be over.

The High Muge saw the light coming out of the little object, creating some strange copy that could only be used in one of the Chaotic Player matches where they became one creature and used battlegears to defeat their opponents. He had difficulty to understand how it would be possible, but he got some report of a few Danians who listened to the intruders before attacking. Lore knew that only the being coming from the Cothica could create and imagine such thing. His four fingers were lightly playing with some excitement at his tribe progression towards the legendary Cothica. Still, they had to be careful. Losing someone trust would be fatally costly. The other tribes already had their Chaotic Player who will guide them to the Cothica. Losing her and it was over for them.

"It is my first time witnessing how one of those scanners work. It is a very strange object indeed," he commented.

Sarah thought for a second if it was genuine curiosity or something else. The tone of the Danian voice told her that he was simply curious, "I don't know how everything works. Just how to take some scans," she went without more details than that. It was a general knowledge in Perim.

He took note that this little object was powerful. When you knew what something could really do. The scanner didn't feel insignificant for the creatures anymore. It was just a power that they never perceived as one.

The Cothica really creates powerful tool, without feeling like they are, Lore thought.

"Is there anything else?" Sarah asked a little uncertain. The Danian was observing her scanner a little more.

He turned around and replied, "No. Scanners are beyond what I expected. It is so simple, but could do so much," he let out a small smile, "It was a pleasure to see how it functioned for the first time Sarah," he walked away but before he left, he added, "I hope you can enjoy our hospitality. We might be poor at this, as it is our first time, we offered such thing in Mount Pillar," and left the room.

Wamma scratched the back of his head and said, "Yeah. I don't get what's so impressive about your scanners," he grumbled a little more.

"It was his first time," Sarah brush it up. Still, she couldn't help but wonder what was going on, maybe I'm getting paranoid with everything going on with Kaizeph and the M'arrillians kidnapping Tom. Still… her uneasiness remained.

The big Danian knew something was going on in the mind of the teenage girl. He didn't know what and didn't really want to put effort into it. Since she was his friend, she was a big exception, "You have something to ask? Maybe I can check into it after duty is over."

And by that, it was doing the bare minimum of his job and finding a spot to nap.

"I'm just wondering why everyone is interested in Chaotic Players recently. From Aszil to the M'arrillians. Those tablets are really bothering me and my friends," she sighed, with everything we are finding out.

"What are so special about those tablets?"

She wasn't about to tell him about their discovery. It was obviously forbidden to share that much detail. She said what could be said, "We saw a Chaotic Player on the tablets in Kaizeph," it wasn't true and they knew it now, but it was safe to answer that.

The blue eyes of the danian expanded, "No wonder they got suddenly interested. I'll check this up a little later on and I'll tell you what I find," he scratched his jaw and admitted, "I rather have you out of trouble."

"Thanks," she replied, she took out her scanner.

"Good luck."

"Sure. Stay out of trouble."

"I will."

And the girl was gone.

Wamma sighed, his antenna on his forehead and told himself, "Now I'm worried for you," he will go to the bottom of this.

AC: This is the end of this chapter.

Next: An Old Story.

A tablet tells one misadventure of the Chaotic Player and might help Najarin remember something, as he told MajorTom and Maxxor about it.