Arc One: Chaotic Field Trip
Part Two
"Ha, can't fool me bro." Peyton said. "That's your scanner right?"
Tom took his scanner out of his pocket to show he wasn't kidding around. Now he is holding two blue scanners, one in each of his hands.
"Who's is it?" Kaz asks.
"Don't know." Tom said, trying to turn it on but with no success and quickly gave up. He knows he couldn't use it. All scanners only work for their owners unless a Codemaster wanted to get into it, or if the scanner didn't have an owner yet.
"Do you think they were alone?" Peyton asked.
"Maybe, but there weren't many others who went solo." Sarah said, putting her hand on her chin. "I know Jake Grosset went exploring alone. He was bragging about how he would single-handily discover something new here when we where at school but he has a brown scanner. Besides him I think there were maybe ten others who went out on their own."
"We're in a bad spot." Tom said. He was trying to call someone with his scanner, but the signal wasn't going through. "That's odd. It's rare for there to be no signal at all even in Perim. How about your scanners? Do they have a signal?" he asked.
They checked but their scanners weren't getting through either.
"We need to transport back and tell someone." Kaz said. "What if whatever got the owner is still around here?"
"What if he's alive somewhere and hurt." Tom says. "Without his scanner no one can track him. They'll have to do it the hard, old fashioned way with tracking dogs and looking on the ground for foot prints."
They knew Tom had a point to his argument. Although their people could transport to anywhere in Perim it wasn't like they could transport to a person. They needed to know exactly where that person was located at and even with that information they could still transport a few meters off their mark.
"Are you saying we should go looking for him?" Peyton asks.
"No and yes. I think one of us should stay and try to find the owner." Tom said. "I'll stay behind since it's my idea."
"Are you crazy!" Sarah shouted. "It's too dangerous. Just let a rescue team find the guy. I'm sure the Masked Guards will find the person in no time."
For the first time since they found the scanner, Tom thought that it might just be better to let someone else handle this mess. Tom hadn't thought about the Masked Guards until Sarah said their name. The Masked Guards are a specially group of trained soldiers for the Chaotic military. Their specialty is rescue and reconnaissance missions in Perim. Tom had always looked up to them as a child and part of him still wants to join them. But even his respect for the Masked Guards couldn't outweigh his conscience.
"But what if they don't get to him in time!" Tom shouted back, his voice filled with authority. He was determined to search for the missing owner.
Seeing that their friend wasn't going to leave with them, they gave up on arguing.
"Fine I'll stay with you." Kaz said, not wanting to leave his best friend.
"You don't have to come with me." Tom says.
"True, but I took the advance first aid class while you three just took the basic one." Kaz said. "So if this person is still alive and badly hurt I'm the best one to fix him."
"I don't like the idea of leaving you two here." Sarah says. "But I know I can't change your mind Tom." She turns towards Peyton. "Come on Peyton. Let's hurry and get help. And don't even think about joining them on their rescue mission either. I don't want to be alone when I tell our teacher what happened."
"Alright." Peyton says then turns off the radar on his scanner.
"Be safe and don't do anything heroic." Sarah says, taking out her brown scanner. "If there is anything dangerous transport out."
"Bye." Peyton says and then both he and Sarah transport back home leaving Tom and Kaz.
"Okay where should we start looking?" Kaz asked, looking around their surroundings.
"Well we came from the west so we probably shouldn't head back that way." Tom said, considering their options. "I don't see any foot prints"
"The ground so too dry now to leave foot prints." Kaz pointed out. "It's odd how there's not any signs of a struggle. No bleed on the ground which is a good thing."
"Maybe if we're lucky the owner just dropped the scanner by accident." Tom said. "I see some broken twigs on some of those trees." Tom points to the south. "Let's go look over there."
"But that way leads out of the safe zone." Kaz says nervously. "It will only take a thirty minute walk and we will be out of the area. The rules say if anyone leaves the appointed area of exploring then they will be harshly punished. They could ban us from ever leaving Chaotic again until we're adults." He reminded Tom.
"I know Kaz, but that way is the only sign of where the owner could have gone to." Tom says. "Don't worry. We'll walk that way until we reach the barrier and then turn back and look somewhere else."
"Fine." Kaz said.
They begin walking south while trying to spot any sign of the missing owner of the scanner. They didn't speak much to each other until Kaz asked a question.
"Do you think it was a creature from one of the other Tribes that got him?"
"I hope not." Tom says. "If that's the case then it explains why there are no signs of a struggle. A creature could have taken him by surprise. There wouldn't have been much of a fight if the owner even put up a fight that is."
"I bet it was a Mipedian." Kaz said, ducking under a low hanging branch.
"What makes you say that?" Tom asks, stepping over a large rock.
"They can turn invisible and are known for sneaking up on others. Plus this location isn't that far away from their territory." Kaz explained.
"Isn't this the Overworlders' territory? How can a Mipedian come here?" Tom points out, while trying to avoid a bush covered with thorns.
"Well the Mipedians claim this location is rightfully theirs because they say historically it has belonged to their ancestors." Kaz explained. He got stuck with a few of the thorns that Tom managed to completely avoid.
"What proof do they have?" Tom asks.
"Not much, but the Overworlders say the same thing and they also have about as much proof as the Mipedians." Kaz says. "The only reason the Overworlders have this place is because they won some big battle a decade ago. Honestly, I side with the Mipedians that this location should be theirs."
"Stop." Tom says, holding out his arm to stop Kaz from moving. "I think I hear something."
Kaz opens up the radar feature on his scanner.
"Oh no. Tom we're surrounded!" Kaz says.
And then suddenly Overworld soldiers came out from behind their hiding spots with weapons pointed at the two boys.
Tom and Kaz quickly try to port out, but then something large droped from above right in front of them. The impact caused them to fall backwards onto their butts and they drooped their scanners.
"Stay put and don't move." The massive bipedal grizzly bear growled. He is bulkier than the other creatures and is four times their size. He is wearing a sort of red sash, a pair of red gloves, and a gray and red metal skirt with a belt. He also has a strange, circular, blue eye-patch and two red necklaces (one larger than the other) with a few orange feathers, one carrying two Overworld Mugic. On his right side of his face, he has an X-shaped scar, and he also has white stripes on his face, neck, and shoulders.
"Tom that's Viqtarr." Kaz says. Only Tom heard him because they are still using the communication link. Good thing for them they have been using the link the whole time during their conversation. Tom didn't think the Overworlder would have been too happy if they heard what Kaz said about Mipedians being the rightful owners of this land.
"Perfect. Now we've got two Chaotics to use to bargain with the Mipedians." Viqtarr said, smiling.
Notes: I got parts of Viqtarr's appearance from the Chaotic wikia. Wasn't sure how to describe him so I copied and past it to my story then did some editing on it to make it fit. Do you think that's okay, or should I try to describe creatures on my own?
I'll try posting parts 3-5 in January since I'm finally off from school and won't go back until late January.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays!