"What was I thinking trying to take battlegear from the armory?" I muttered, sitting on the floor and Tom shrugged looking up when Maxxor entered the room. Judging from the way he was glaring at me I decided right then that keeping my mouth shut would be a very good idea.
"Yes, that's exactly what I'd like to know, Ashley," Maxxor asked me and I chewed my lip, unsure what I could say that wouldn't get me kicked out of the Overworld. Seeing me struggling to respond Tom cleared his throat, stepping close to me before he spoke.
"Maxxor, Chaor lied to Ashley. He told her that in exchange for a scan of himself Ashley needed to steal a piece of battlegear for him and bring it back to the Underworld." Tom explained and I pinched the bridge of my nose, wishing I'd never even ported to the Underworld.
"Thanks for trying, Tom but if I'm going to be kicked out of the Overworld I have only myself to blame," I replied, grateful as I fiddled with one of my jacket sleeves. "Maxxor, I'm really sorry that I did something so foolish."
"Bodal checked the inventory and nothing has gone missing but you still need to be punished," Maxxor answered and I swallowed as he stood over me staring at me for long enough to make me very aware at how badly I'd messed up. "Since Tom vouched for you I will forgo locking you up. However, after a long discussion, you will make it up to me." He added with a faint smile that I nearly missed and I let out a breath, thankful that I wasn't going to be tossed out of the Overworld forever.
"I'll do anything to make it up to you, Maxxor just name it," I replied once I found my voice and he nodded though when I found myself in the arsenal I frowned wondering just what the ruler of the Overworld had in store for me.
"Okay so what exactly does the ruler of the Overworld want me to do here? I mean I was trying to take something so is the arsenal the best place for me?" I joked to Tom who gave me a tiny smile, nodding towards a creature I'd never met before. At least face to face in Perim anyway and when Bodal sighed, holding a scroll in one hand I tilted my head to one side curious.
"So you're Ashley?" Bodal asked, barely waiting for me to nod before he continued. "Like I don't have enough to do except babysitting humans. So since you're here you might as well help me catalog the battlegear in the arsenal." He finished and I looked around cringing when I saw the rows upon rows of gear and shelves.
"Well, I should leave you to it, Ashley. Maxxor never said I had to stay so good luck." Tom answered, giving me a smile when my jaw dropped. "Later." He added, porting out before I had a chance to answer and I crossed my arms.
"I haven't got all day, Ashley." Bodal sighed and I nodded, watching on with two wide eyes as he unrolled the scroll with unraveled leaving a long trail of paper. "Let's get started on the Liquilizers and go from there." He told me and I nodded, sorely tempted to port out until I remembered how badly that would go for me.
Resolving myself to working for Bodal, at least until I finished helping check the inventory, I stayed patient. After we, and by that I mean me finished counting all of the Liquilizers Bodal moved on to the next battlegear which were Pyroblasters.
As the hours dragged on I found it harder and harder to resist porting out the thought of being tossed out of the Overworld and losing all respect from the Overworlders there the only thing making me put up with the endless chatter from Bodal who made me count every piece of battlegear if my count and his notes were off by even a single digit. I'm not sure how long I spent in that arsenal though it was long enough to cause me to make a mental note never to agree to any favors that Chaor asked me for in the future.
Next time I'll just trade for a scan of Chaor, I thought as I dragged my feet out of the arsenal. Once I discovered that it was dark out I groaned shaking my head.
"It was light out when I spoke to Maxxor. I must have been stuck in there for hours." I complained, porting back to Chaotic as soon as I could. Once I returned I found my friends already there and when I slumped into a seat beside Tom he grinned at me.
"You're late getting back." He commented as I rested my head on the table. I barely had the strength to lift my head but when I did I narrowed my eyes at him resting my head back on the table seconds later. "Someone's in a mood." He teased and I snorted, tempted to smack him with my scanner despite not being a violent person.
"You would be too if you spent….however many hours with Bodal droning on and on. I can count every single battlegear in that place and even when my numbers were right he still made me redo them. Only he's right about everything apparently." I complained raising my head when Kaz laughed. "Oh, and by the way thanks for helping me get a scan of Chaor. Think I'll stick to Overworlders from now on."
That stopped Kaz's laughter abruptly as I covered my head with my hands. "Next time I'm going to trade for scans of battlegear and creatures. Much less hassle."
"Where's the excitement in that, Ashley?" Tom asked and I groaned, eventually lifting my head when everyone started talking at once.
"Everyone chill okay?" Peyton said which made me raise my eyebrows at him, everyone else pausing to stare at the Mipedian player. "Okay so if you want some cool scans of new creatures I have a few friends you could meet." He suggested looking towards me and I sighed, giving him a slow nod which made my friend grin.
"Alright, so I'll give them a chance. My own fault from trying to steal battlegear anyway." I admitted and Tom nodded, watching on amused as Peyton practically dragged me from my seat. "Whoa I'm going, I'm going!" I exclaimed, keeping my balance somehow as Peyton pushed me along.
"I hope this time Ashley doesn't get into any more trouble," Tom said as soon as he knew his friend wouldn't hear him and Sarah shrugged watching as Peyton showed me a scan of the Driftlands.
"Yeah, I pulled that in a pack. So do we port there?" I asked and Peyton nodded, waiting patiently for me to port to that location. As soon as I did Peyton followed though once we vanished Tom frowned slightly.
"Something wrong?" Sarah asked and Tom found himself smiling about the last time he let Peyton talk him into porting to the Driftlands. "Okay, what's so funny?"
"Peyton forgot to warn Ashley to keep her mouth closed," Tom answered, wondering just how his friend would react when it happened to her and Sarah blinked looking at Kaz who looked as confused as she did. Right at that moment, I reappeared on a sand dune and as I peered up at the sun I made a single step forward instantly yelling when my feet slipped out from under me. I couldn't stop sliding down the dune though when I finally skidded to a halt I coughed, spitting sand before I pushed myself up by my elbows. "Ohhh did I forget to warn you to keep your mouth closed?" Peyton asked, standing nearby and I just narrowed my eyes still coughing as I climbed to my feet.
"A warning would have been nice," I grumbled, following Peyton once he started walking. I wasn't sure where exactly he was leading me but I hoped it wouldn't involve more sand though as time dragged out and the sun beat down on me I started to question my choice of friends.
"Where exactly are you taking me, Peyton? Someplace with water, I hope because I'm beginning to feel like a baked potato and trust me it's not a pleasant experience." I asked but Peyton just kept walking and I sighed to myself, wondering if I should just port back and come back later with water. It wasn't until we stopped at what Peyton told me was a Mipedian watering stone that I breathed out, following him as he stopped for a drink.
After giving it a wary glance I finally stepped closer only to hear something and I froze, my eyes widening as something leaped out of the sands. "Peyton, look out!" I yelled, pushing him out of range as a creature I'd never seen before drove its stinger towards my friend.
"That's Slurhk and he's bad news," Peyton warned as he raced across the sand dunes. "Follow me!" Shaking my head that he'd left out the information I could have used I quickly followed Peyton, hoping that Slurhk would eventually grow tired of chasing us. I soon realized he'd barely begun to chase us around and as I panted under the sweltering heat I started to wish I'd thought to leave my jacket behind.
As we crossed the sand dunes I could hear Slurhk laughing which caused me to run as fast as I could, keeping pace with Peyton who leapt down into a crack I'd noticed. I barely managed to dodge a blast from Slurhk's stinger and as I panted, trying to catch my breath Peyton raced ahead waving for me to follow him. Groaning I did not see Slurhk watching us as we crossed the desert floor.
"That...was intense." Peyton panted, catching his breath as I rubbed at my forehead with an open palm. "Come on, Tianne's this way." He added and I rolled my eyes at his back once he continued walking without waiting for me to catch up.
"Trying to scan creatures is a lot harder than I thought. Wish he'd warned me about the sand and Slurhk." I muttered as I followed, slowing when I heard something scratching at the rocks lining the walls. "Peyton, is that you?" I whispered, looking around but Peyton hadn't heard me and when he started whistling I winced hoping that what I heard wasn't Slurhk.
"Thought you could run away did you after stealing my water?" Slurhk hissed, glaring at us from the wall above and I brightened looking on as Peyton pulled out his scanner.
"Good idea. Later, dude." Peyton said, porting out as soon as he saw me grab my own scanner though he'd barely reappeared back in the port court when he frowned. "Ashley? Helllo?"
Just as I tried to port out Slurhk leaped down at me and I yelped, catching my foot which unbalanced me and made me drop my scanner. Thankfully it landed in the sand and I let out a breath, eyes widening as Slurhk's stinger rose above his body. I braced myself but before Slurhk struck his eyes widened and he quickly scurried away leaving me alone which left me speechless.
After a brief pause, I finally leaned down grabbing my scanner before I wiped the sand from the screen, checking it over before I started to port out. Just as my fingers touched the scanner I felt the wind pick up and when I turned a saw sand swirling around a short distance from me, causing me to start running as far as I could as the wind picked up. I'd only gotten a few feet when I started to question why I didn't just port out and save myself that way when I felt something strike the rocks above me sending some of the smaller ones falling directly towards me.
I dived to avoid them, coughing as sand covered me from the wind but when I tried to climb back to my feet intending to port out to avoid the wind picking up sand and the rocks I heard another blast, this one right above me and I looked up in time to see a rock the size of my fist tumbling towards me.
I tried to port out only seeing my scanner lying at my feet before something struck me, hitting so fast I barely felt the pain until I tried to kneel and my head exploded. Blinking I could feel something hot and wet dripping down my face so I reached up, my fingers touching my forehead expecting to feel sweat only for my fingers to come back bloody.
"You can get injured in Perim? I mean I suppose I already knew that, duh but I didn't even think about it." I mumbled, seeing Slurhk and his doppelganger as he chuckled at me, watching on with a grin as I tried to work my fingers around my scanner. I managed to get a firm grip on it as something else came into my line of sight, a whirlwind hitting Slurhk who hissed darting away as I struggled to focus on whoever had attacked the Overworlder. But the blood dripping down my face blurred my vision and I couldn't make the creature out even when I squinted.
I tried to ask who was there as someone approached me but the pain in the back of my head where the rock had struck me left me dizzy, the idea that maybe I should sit on the sandy floor suddenly seemed like the perfect idea despite the sweltering heat. Before I had a chance to put that idea into play I felt my legs buckle though as my vision grew dark I felt strong arms reach out and catch me.