Author Comment: I want to thank my Beta-reader FollowerOfAnhamirak for his time on this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.
Theb-Saar was waiting for Marquis Darini to come in the throne room. The Marquis would come with an important report. His son and his nephew were by his side.
The marquis didn't make his king wait for too long. He walked in the room and bowed to his ruler.
"Did you get any answer from our prisoner?" Theb-Saar asked.
"No, my king," the yellow Mipedian raised his head, "The M'arrillian refused to say anything. No matter what. I just know that our prisoner has little to no knowledge of the plan Milla'iin is making so far."
"Unless he received the message in his mind. Vitar'zu could be waiting for something. It is only a supposition," Iflar voiced his concern.
"And what can he do?" Mudeenu asked as he crossed his arms, "For now, he is trapped in his cell, no knowledge from the outside. We made sure that no Chaotic Player tries to see him. It's easy when most rather avoid M'arrillians," he nodded to himself.
"So, you doubt he would have a role to play in their plan?" the king asked.
"Heavily uncle," the prince didn't let out the possibility that he might be wrong. He had no intention to underestimate the M'arrillians.
Theb-Saar scratched his jaw and sighed, "Then we will move to another way. Maybe he has nothing, but if he can still communicate with his tribe… Then we can use some help."
"From who?" Mudeenu asked.
"Ab'lop. Our refuge from the M'arrillian tribe. He might be able to help us and get something out of him," the blue dragonoid creature closed his hand as if he broke a shell, "Before we dispose of him."
The Crown Prince was uncertain that such brutality was necessary. He couldn't disagree that keeping Vitar'zu around for longer than necessary was dangerous. The Kha'rall tried to escape twice and he had blood on his pincer.
Chapter 52: In Search Of Answer
The four waited for Saand to come with his friend Ab'lop. They had a lot to prepare before the interrogation.
"Are you certain we can put fate in Ab'lop?" Iflar asked, voicing out his doubt.
"I was expecting Mudeenu to be reluctant," his father chuckled.
"I don't trust this M'arrillian at all," the creature in question growled.
Marquis Darini sighed, "I have to agree with them my king. Do you expect anything good from him? I know he has done nothing against our tribe and Saand has faith in him, but it is extremely risky."
"We won't get anything if we don't take risk. The M'arrillians are planning something and if they are targeting humans, they certainly aim the Cothica. Without Aa'une, they had no other way to take over our tribe," the king replied.
"To be certain that nothing goes wrong, I suggest we had a High Muge with us my king," the marquis suggested as he gazed at the door, hearing their visitors approaching.
Saand entered in the throne room first. He was a Mipedian with green scales, yellow eyes thigh scales around his mouth like lips, blue fur coming out of his silver helmet and a long tail with spikes. He wore a dark gray chest plate with a red cape and red loincloth. When he was in the middle of the room and bowed down to his king.
Just after him, the M'arrillian followed him. He looked like a blue angler fish with orange eyes, green fin on the side of his body. He bowed in front of the king.
"You may rise," Theb-Saar said.
"As you wish my king," Saand stood up and nodded at his friend, "You called us for an important mission."
"Yes. We need the help of your friend special ability as a M'arrillian," the king replied.
(I will use my power at the best I can offer to you. Alas, if it is my knowledge of what they are doing, I cannot offer you any answer. The moment they knew I stood against them, they cut their mental link with mine. I know nothing of their plan,) Ab'lop apologised.
Theb-Saar gazed at his son and nodded.
"We were expecting that," Iflar replied in the stead of his father. He climbed down the stairs, "We need you to search some intel hidden by our prisoner. He remained silence despite trying to make him spit out his knowledge."
"Our prisoner is Vitar'zu. As my prince said, no words came out of his mouth, what lies in his mind is unknown to us. Ab'lop, maybe you can see inside his mind what he might be hiding from us," Marquis Darini asked.
Saand gazed at the M'arrillian and asked, "Are you up to this mission?" he let it underline that he might prove himself in the eyes of the king.
(I am when you wish me to be. I have no more ties with my tribe, except of my blood. For me, only the will of The Messenger matters.)
The Mipedians were silence at those words. They knew he spoke highly of the human named Alexandre.
"Then-" the king stopped when the creature raised his fin, "What is it?"
(They are some risk if I try to break through his mind. The moment I'll begin to try it, it will be a battle of will between my mind and Vitar'zu mind. If I am too weak, then he might overwhelm me and will see some secrets I might have on your tribe and share it with whoever is in charge. I know nothing of Vitar'zu mind power compared to mine. So, beware of the consequence. I ask of you my king; will you take the risk?)
"What are the risks?" the king asked his knowledge.
(I know a little more than my tribe about the desert and the interior of your castle. It is limited, but they can be creative. More than it might seemed to me and you.)
"I told no secret of our tribe, as he refused to hear more than he could see with his eyes," Saand vouched for his friend.
Mudeenu crossed his arms and grumbled reluctantly, "We should take it."
"I agree with you. As I said, we won't get anything without risks," Theb-Saar replied. Asking for Ab'lop was a risk anyway. He stood up, "We go to his jail and we see what he hides from us. If there is nothing, we will dispose of him immediately."
They reached the dungeon. They nodded to a guard who let them enter. They walked through the dungeon and ignored the few prisoners who were glaring at the king and the princes, ignoring them or pleading for a pardon. None of them gave them back a gaze as they reached the back. The jail where they put their M'arrillian prisoner.
The guards opened the door and nodded at them as they went inside, already knowing what was going to happen.
When they entered in the room, they saw Vitar'zu glaring at them. It was a Kha'rall with a bronze exoskeleton covering his body. He looked a little like a crab with his four legs and his pincer. His other hand ended up with a hand with fingers instead of a pincer. He had one shining orange eye through the hole of his helmet-like shell, "What do you want Mipedian King? Back for more question?" Despite sounding tough, they could see that the time in there wasn't kind to him. His wounds by his battle against Marquis Darini were mostly healed. He had many scars on his exoskeleton and a little bit of part where won't get it back. Some part of his spikes was broken.
"No. We are here to make you reveal anything inside your mind," Theb-Saar replied as he approached the bars of the jail. He gazes confidently and calmly at the creature, "And if you are useless, we will dispose of you without hesitation. Your life is on the line now."
That didn't intimidate the M'arrillian, "I am ready to die for my tribe."
"Just as we are ready for our own," the marquis replied.
The king gazed back and said, "Ab'lop. It's time to reveal anything he is hiding."
"Ab'lop?" it took the prisoner off-guard. He wasn't expecting a M'arrillian to be with them, "Traitor!"
(I do not care about the words of one who turn his back on The Messenger,) he replied.
"You won't get anything from me!" Vitar'zu grunted loudly.
(You will reveal everything to me,) the eyes of Ab'lop shined as he prepared to look into the minds of the other M'arrillian.
Vitar'zu put his hand on his forehead. He grunted as he closed his eye and lost his balance, "You won't get into my mind!" he grunted.
The two M'arrillians were quiet as the battle for the mind began.
The Mipedians were watching this and said no words. They didn't know what was going on in that battle or how it was going. The prisoner and the M'arrillian were both grunting loudly as they used all of the power their mind could muster. They could see that it might be one of the most intense battle of their life. They were grunting louder and louder as they used more and more of their mind powers. From the Mipedians point of view, it was the most boring battle they could witness. It was just two creatures frowning and grunting loudly as their mind did the battle.
"If this is a mind battle, I'm glad I don't have any mind ability," Marquis Darini couldn't stop himself from saying it.
The Kha'rall was suddenly on his knees as he was panting. He painfully whined when Ab'lop put a tendril on the forehead of the other creature, (Got him. His time in here weakened him. Reveal to me the secrets of your mind!)
Vitar'zu wasn't in position to say anything and just sat down in a submissive manner. He had lost the mind fight.
(He knows of nothing. He had been in contact with Milla'iin and other Chieftains, but none of them told him of the plan. He had been told that he was currently just a hindrance of their plan.)
"Meaning?" Iflar asked.
(He is worthless to them and he knows it.)
"Then he is useless," Theb-Saar concluded.
(There is one last thing I can try. Since he is still able to be in contact with his tribe, I can use it to show what is going on with the Chieftains. Maybe get a clue by his mind. No answer. He doesn't know I plan this. I can do it without him noticing anything at all. I broke his defense and I can isolate his mind,) he got a positive nod from the king and he began to use that connection. He didn't have one anymore, but he knew well how it worked. He entered into the contact of the M'arrillians mind and listened to everything. He focused on the Chieftain. He got nothing out of them as they had their defense kept up for some reason. He knew about the rebels, as it was one of the last things he learned before losing contact with them. One thought came. One of a M'arrillian who was in command of the rebels. He saw what he wanted to do.
(You are the leader of the rebellions?) he asked surprised. Ab'lop wasn't expecting Gal'drad to take command of the group.
(Who are you?) a voice defensively replied.
(Ab'lop. I left my tribe and lived in the care of the Mipedians.)
(Impossible. Your mind has no contact with us anymore.)
(I'm using Vitar'zu. His mind is still connected.)
He felt the Chieftain partially reassured, (Good. W-what do you want?)
(Tell me what is going on with your tribe. Theb-Saar wants to know what is going on.)
(Sure,) Ab'lop felt the flow of information going in his mind after Gal'drad agreed to share everything. Once it was done, the Chieftain concluded, (This is all that I know. Beware of anything. The defense to the Deep Mine won't be possible to pass unless an army can breathe underwater.)
(They don't.)
(And as for the humans. Milla'iin has them as a target. Especially The Messenger Of The Cothica.)
(I'll communicate with you again at another time, when Vitar'zu won't suspect anything.)
(Good.)
The connection ended between them, (My king. We should take our leave. There is nothing else for now.)
With a nod, the blue Mipedian turned around. His son and nephew did the same with confusion while Marquis Darini and Saand left last. The prisoner was still trying to recover from the assault on his mind and didn't notice them gone until the guards checked on him.
They left the dungeon and they returned to the throne room.
Theb-Saar sat on his throne, the two young royal Mipedian by his side and they gazed at Ab'lop, "What did you obtain from his mind?"
(I found out a lot by his connection to the M'arrillians. I enter in contact with the leader of the rebellion, Gal'drad.)
None of the creatures liked who they were dealing with.
Theb-Saar ignored it as he went on, "What did you learn?"
(I learned that the M'arrillians are currently hunting for The Messenger Of The Cothica. He feared that the human will be used to force the rebellion to join with Milla'iin. Not only that, but also that they might have a plan to bring many of their tribe in Chaotic from an unknown battlegear.)
"This is ridiculous. We need something for that," Mudeenu grunted.
(A piece from inside a scanner. They got one from the Underworld. They aren't making a Telebracers. Gal'drad suspect something bigger,) Ab'lop nervously replied at that thought.
"This is bad. If they could send an army, they will find everything they need to reach the Cothica," Iflar grunted.
"We should produce more counter-measure against their mind control ability. We don't have enough for an army," Marquis Darini suggested.
"Proceed," the king replied without hesitation. He crossed his fingers and asked, "Anything else."
(Gal'drad plan to destroy it, but admit the chances are low. They are low on manpower. Thousands cannot face against a million M'arrillians.)
"We have to launch an assault now!" Mudeenu grunted.
"Bad idea," Saand replied as he crossed his arms, "Ab'lop and the Underworlders report stipulate that the defense is too strong and mortal for any creatures who cannot breathe underwater. The passages are narrowed for the deeper part of the Deep Ocean."
(Agreed,) the M'arrillian nodded.
The royalty knew it was problematic. They had no way of crushing the M'arrillians, no way of defending Chaotic and currently no way of reaching the Cothica. The biggest problem was the limited number of creatures ready to reach Perim.
"Call the other leaders. We will find a way to quickly increase the number of creatures in Chaotic, to fight back the M'arrillians with those human's battlegear," the king ordered in a way that meant he wouldn't accept any no as an answer.
"Yes," they replied. Mudeenu was less enthusiastic, but they had to reach the Cothica. The M'arrillians was the tribe that should never set their tendrils in that sacred location.
AC: This is the end of this chapter. The arc is picking up the pace as the endgame is beginning to get on sight (Arc 2 only.). More things need to be done on my list of vital events before we move on to the last chapters of this part and go to the big stuff of the third and final Arc of this story.
Next: The Invitation.
Tom and his friends are brought up against their will to a strange location where they met with those who were watching them. They also met a shocking discovery.
Followed with: The Deal.
A continuation of The Invitation.