(IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE – Skip To Paragraph 2 And Read Onward For Important Note)

Hey guys, welcome back to my beloved Chaotic fanfic! I can't believe it's already been a damn YEAR since I first posted it. I remembered posting the first chapter like it was yesterday, mainly because I may or may not have done it on a whim. I've had it in my drafts for a few years, and I was casually reading it over during the break and thought, "why not?". To be honest, I didn't think there would have much traction like my other story because the Chaotic Universe/Fandom is quite niche and relatively small compared to the Naruto Universe/Fandom. So, I was surprised that a few of you are favoriting and liking it. I still plan on continuing the story, but like I said before, my first FanFic is my main priority. Hence why this story only has four chapters, as of now. Once I'm done with my first Naruto FanFic, I plan to commit to this one if you guys are really interested. Please, please, please let me know your thoughts and I'll definitely take them into consideration.

Okay, now before I get into the story, I would like to say something that I feel that it's important to clear the air. So, firstly, it has come to my attention that some of my readers are interested in making artwork based off of my storytelling. I know this because, well… they have reached out to me personally. And while I am greatly flattered by the gesture, I do not think that I am up for collaborating or working with artists to create artwork of my storytelling, as exciting as it sounds. Plus, at this point of my life, I am not confident that I would be able to commit to those exchanges. Apologies for anyone who reached out to me and feels that I dismissed your offer. There's just a lot on my plate right now, and I'm already struggling with time and energy with two stories under my belt. That being said, you wonderful artists have the freedom to create artwork based on my storytelling as you please without me. I was once an artist, so I know the strong urge of wanting to create with a strong, vivid image in mind—like an itch. So don't let me be the reason you feel like you cannot use my stories as inspiration for your art. Create to your heart's desire.

Secondly, because of the amount of people reaching out to me through 's PM system, I realized that there might be a few of you who would like to communicate with me directly. After all my years on this site, the thought didn't cross my mind until now. So, I wanted to "announce" that I've created an Instagram account dedicated to me, the author, and my stories only. I don't know if whether or not I will actually be posting stuff on there since the initial purpose of making the account is to allow you guys to reach out to me and better your chances on getting a swifter response. You know if and when I post since the account is public. The username is my FanFiction handle ( redcloudgoddess), and my FanFic account link plus my stories are all in my bio. But yeah, reach out to me through Insta if you wanna talk about anything related to my stories or their respective universes. I'm looking forward to hearing from you guys!

Okay, end of serious important note. On to the chapter note.

So, this chapter was originally a part of the previous chapter. But, when I scanned over my work, I realized that it was just too long for my liking. So, I just decided to split it into separate chapters. I think this works better based on convenience and difference in situational purposes.

Okay, enough of my big mouth. You may read, my readers.

I understand that deserts are supposed to be super-hot and super dry, but what I don't understand was why anyone would want a civilization in a place like this. Sure, Mipedians thrive in this sort of environment, but no living being could live without water here, and I see none of it anywhere. On top of that, it's not even drought season, yet I haven't seen a single cactus. What's more unfortunate is that I can't use my water attacks as water supply because of how hot and blistering the temperature is; it'd simply evaporate any water I summon.

'I probably have a better chance in surviving a Mipedian war than this dried-out drought…'

Since I wasn't really prepared for this heat, my attire wasn't the best fit for the weather. Specifically, my black cloak. First off, black was probably the worst choice of colour to wear because it literally acts like a heat sponge; it absorbs the heat and cooks you in your own clothes. Second, the cloak doubles as a light to medium coat, which was absolutely not needed for this type of habitat. Sure, my cloak was helpful in protecting me from the strong sun rays, but that still doesn't change the fact that I was physically feeling the heat under it.

Good thing I decided to wear a fitted black, short-sleeved, crop top turtleneck and white shorts. Again, why did I think that wearing black in this condition was a smart idea?

'Then again, how would I know? I barely leave Kiru City and I'm not allowed to cross enemy territory…'

Nearing my destination, I pulled my hood further over my head then down to conceal my face. I took out the map of the oasis, making sure I was on the right track.

"It says here that the embassy should be somewhere behind a giant rock." I mused studiously as I examined the map.

I took my eyes off of the map only for them to be greeted by a fairly ginormous, oddly-shaped rock near to my right.

"Huh, well, that was convenient…" I commented delightedly, slipping the map back into my cloak.

I hopped from the burning hot sand to the lower level of the large rock. I cautiously peeked out from behind the rock to see the actual scenery of the OverWorld Embassy. As expected, the place is cluttered with Mipedian guards, keeping an eye out on all angles for trespassers.

Kind of ironic, to be honest.

"This isn't going to be easy." I uttered discouragingly.

The goal was to infiltrate the oasis, sneak into the embassy, and obtain information on the Mipedians' motives without having to encounter any of them. But, with the large number of Mipedians guarding the embassy, it was easier said than done.

Then, it hit me: 'I'll just have to slip under their noses. Literally.'

Straightening myself, I drew a perfect circle with my foot on the rock floor. I then focused my power to my hands until it glowed purple. Pulling my hands out of hiding in my cloak, I slammed my hands on the rock floor just an inch away from the faint circle I'd drawn. What followed was a small portal in a luminous purple shade being generated by funnelling my power to the ground. I stood back proudly as I eyed the newly summoned portal that leads to the inside of the embassy.

"Next stop, OverWorld Embassy!" I announced in glee, jumping in the self-made entryway without hesitation.

Good thing my estimation was correct enough for the portal to drop me off in one of the many hallways of this embassy. I was even more fortunate to not bump into any Mipedian that was loitering nearby during my intrusion. The coast was clear for me.

Right now, I was slowly crawling on the hallway ceiling like an insect crawling underneath its predator's radar. Luckily, the place was poorly lit, so the chances of them finding me just hanging up here wasn't too much of a concern at the moment. Just as long as I stayed mute.

'Worst case scenario: I'll have to knock them out to prevent any conflict.' I thought nonchalantly as I continued to cautiously crawl.

I subsequently noticed a pair of Mipedian guards marching in the opposite direction towards me. I stayed perfectly still and quiet as my form partially hid in the dimness of the ceiling within earshot of their interaction.

"I wonder why Prince Mudeenu asked for double guards here of all places…" One of them pondered aloud.

"Who knows? But, since we haven't left this place, it's probably because he suspects that our enemy is coming back with reinforcements." The other guard replied colloquially.

"What reinforcements? More humans!?" Guard 1 laughed tauntingly. "Maxxor is a fool for aligning himself with a bunch of humans. What can they possibly do for him?"

"That's true, but those humans that were with him and Frafdo were also the ones that helped them escape." Guard 2 remarked sourly, clenching his weapon.

My ears and brows perked at the last bit. Are these lowly Mipedian guards actually saying that there are humans in Perim? As in, people like me—as in, look like me? Why is this the first time I'm hearing about it?

'Clearly, Maxxor is already aware about humans existing in Perim, yet he never breathed a single word about it—at least, not around me.' I remarked inwardly, frowning absentmindedly at the two Mipedian guards. 'I wonder if that was intentional, keeping me in the dark to protect me from knowing. If that's the case, then I wonder why he would feel the need to protect me from mortals, especially humans.'

"No matter; luck was on their side. It won't happen again…" Guard 1 grunted coldly, marching ahead of his companion.

I watched as the second guard made the effort to catch up to his partner before making a turn down the long hallway. I waited patiently for any other presence of other guards or Mipedians to reach my radar, but nothing of the like didn't set off alarm bells.

The coast was clear, but surely not for long.

'I gotta hurry up and get what I came here for before I get busted by these lizards.' I thought determinedly, continuing my crawl journey on the ceiling.

15 minutes later...

I was quite surprised by how difficult it was to locate the room this Mudeenu was in since his fortress isn't as big and more straightforward than Maxxor's own castle. This place is one of the hardest to navigate, especially during an infiltration mission. Plus, I've had a few close calls because their invisibility took me by surprise, to the point where I almost clumsily overreact. Thank God, I kept my cool until I finally found this Mipedian royal.

With my spectral viewer headgear, I followed a Mipedian that stood out amongst the castle guards I've seen so far as he made his way towards a fancy, large door. The impression I got from him was that he was of a higher social standing in their tribe, at least at a higher level than these castle guard clones. Swiftly but quietly, I slipped through the door just when the Mipedian "graciously" opened the door. Immediately, I crawled up the wall from the highest point of the doorframe since this room had a higher ceiling than the hallway. To my advantage, the room was poorly lit as well, making it easier for me to hide in the shadows. I slowly followed the Mipedian as he made his way closer to his lord until I got the feeling that I was both close enough to hear but not too close for them to sense my presence. I quietly settled in a comfortable crouching position as the two proceeded to converse.

"Any updates, Zhade?" Mudeenu inquired dourly as he looked out of the castle window, engrossed by the wide view of the desert.

"No, your highness. The enemy is nowhere near our senses… for now, at least…" Zhade answered mannerly, bowing on one knee in front of his leader.

"Huh. Either they're secretly planning a counterattack… or oblivion has caught up to them…" The prince retorted censoriously.

"That isn't to say Maxxor will even intend any offense. Maxxor isn't prone to impulsively make the first move to gain an advantage, unlike Chaor." Zhade noted courteously, lifting his head up. "He's probably aiming for a quieter, more cunning approach…"

"Like he could ever put one over us! Nobody could ever deceive the likes of me."

'Oh, the irony…' I commented wryly, rolling my eyes.

Hours later...

'Man, these guys take their sweet time planning out their strategy.' I grouched restlessly, resting my cheek in my hand.

I thought this mission was going to be quick, easy, and adventurous. Instead, I was bored out of my mind, not to mention uncomfortable. Maintaining awareness while being acutely still was stressful as it was tiring; I'm zoning out, my eyelids are getting too heavy to keep open, my legs are getting numb, and my muscles are strained from being tense for so long. I don't know where my drowsiness went when Maxxor assigned me for this assignment, but it's definitely catching up to me, now. The persistent urge to snooze was begging for me to give in, but I had to resist the temptation or else I'll end up landing face first in front of them, resulting in catastrophic conflict.

Plus, there was a deeper purpose behind me maintaining full attention. I have this special ability of recording anything I choose my eyes to record, and store what they capture in the memory part of my brain. In other words, I'm a walking video camera. However, in order to record what I'm seeing, I have to retain awareness and focus what my eyes see to my brain memory storage or else I'll miss anything deemed crucial, which is basically everything.

Problem is, I don't know how long they were going to spew information, and my tiredness was provoking my slumber craving. At this rate, this could take hours and I honestly don't think I can last that long.

'Damn you, Bodal.' I cursed exasperatedly, boringly observing the two Mipedians blabber lengthily. 'You just had to overwork me just to give my "just deserts".'

If it wasn't for the green shrimp not taking a joke, I would've gotten more time to sleep. Sure, I electrocuted him to wake him up, but I never intended to flat-out kill the guy. Plus, I did it as a last resort; he's one of the few OverWorlders that are the deepest of sleepers. He asked for it, to be honest.

'He better pray I don't haunt him if I don't get out of here alive.'

"Sounds like a plan, your highness." Zhade nodded obediently.

At this point, a few hours have passed since they first discussed the juicy details, all of which I recorded. Now, it's a matter of deciding whether or not they'll reveal more about the Cothica map.

"Sooner or later, we'll have the other half of the map that will guide us to the Cothica. And eventually, to overwhelming greatness so powerful, the other tribes have no other choice than to bow down to the Mipedian Tribe." Mudeenu gloated conceitedly, cacking with delight.

By listening to this guy, I kind of understand why Maxxor doesn't take a decent liking to him.

"It won't be long, your majesty." His subordinate snickered in anticipation, watching his commander pull something out from his cape.

I squinted my eyes to get a better look at what he was drooling over. And lo and behold, it was the other half of the Cothica map. The sight of it took me by surprise as my lips parted incredulously.

This situation just became two-in-one, to my advantage. I was awfully glad luck was turning my way because I don't think I've got the energy to thoroughly search the entire premise for it myself.

Although, it does sort of make these guys stupid for carelessly exposing their cherished, prized key to "greatness", while oblivious to the ears of his enemies possibly listening in on their confidential conversation.

'Being one of Maxxor's toughest enemies, you'd think they'd be more cautious.'

Unintentionally, I tore my eyes away from the two when the tall doors slammed open. It immediately grabbed the attention of both Mipedians and myself.

"Prince Mudeenu!" A third, distressed voice alerted.

"What is it, Siado!?" Mudeenu questioned vigilantly.

"There are intruders lurking in the embassy!" The one named Siado answered in fraught.

"The enemy, perhaps?" Zhade proposed coolly.

"No, not exactly. It's, in fact, two humans. They match the appearance of the two who assisted Maxxor." Siado amended promptly, itching for the two to follow him.

I let out a discreet gasp by the breaking news, luckily keeping my voice to a minimum.

'What the heck is going on? How are humans randomly popping up out of thin air? And why are they here in Perim, lurking around in the embassy? Or is this just some scheme Mudeenu plotted to deceive me into thinking that they are unaware of my presence? Is that it; is this all staged so that they could pull me in to their trap?' I pondered cynically, studying the three Mipedians below me. 'I don't sense any traces of deception from any of them. Plus, the guards from the inside are rushing towards the lower level of the place, probably where they suspect the supposed 'humans' are…'

But what business do these humans have here in Perim in the first place?

"Interesting, we can use them to our benefit, your majesty." Zhade propounded wickedly, stretching his toothy smirk.

"I see…" Mudeenu contemplated intently, then firmly demanded, "We must capture them. I want to know everything they know about our enemies."

"Yes, your highness." Siado and Zhade obliged simultaneously.

I watched as the three Mipedians rushed out of the throne room after activating their invincibility ability. Their exit was topped off by slamming the door behind them. As a precaution, I waited for a couple of moments as I tracked their presence; I didn't want to spring into action when they're possibly anticipating that I would. But, that doesn't seem to be the case since they were getting further and further away from me at a quick pace. I guess there really are humans in the castle, at least to the Mipedians' knowledge.

'Looks like the coast is clear for me…' I deduced nonchalantly, sensing everyone scattering to cover the entire place. '… but not for long. I gotta hurry up and get this map before I get caught in the act.'

I quickly jumped off of the ceiling and landed discreetly on the floor. I straightened my posture and headed straight for the only bare wall in the room. During the commotion, I saw Mudeenu entering a code that activated a secret storage space in this very wall. This gave me the impression that none of them were aware that there were ears listening in on their entire conversation, let alone recording it. This only further confirmed that none of them genuinely realized that an enemy party had trespassed and listened in on their confidential debrief. Now, all that's left was getting this map. Roughly recalling the location of the number pad, I glided my hands around the area until one tile in particular slid open to reveal said pad. Huffing at the keypad, I started cautiously putting down the PIN for this storage pod.

'If I take the current number of active warriors in the Mipedian tribe into account… the number of their tribal Mugic… the number of BattleGear… the number of Mipedian guards in each individual section… the number of members of Mipedian royalty, including Mudeenu… and finally, the number of Mudeenu's enemies…'

I pressed the enter key, waiting for the worst to hit me. Instead, I was rewarded by the sound of the wall opening to reveal the secret storage pod. Smirking triumphantly, I quickly rummaged through unimportant items while being partially unbothered by the mess I was making just to get to the precious map. And I did, after a couple of moments of searching. I snatched it and briefly took a good look at the ancient roll of paper.

'Just by the looks of it, the Cothica is very promising. No wonder everyone's going bonkers over it.' I commented in thought, tucking the map away in my cloak. "It also explains why all the tribes are going to war to seize it, the source of ultimate power…"

Securing my hooded robe, I hurriedly marched to the grand windows leading to the desert landscape with the intention of sneaking out without trouble. The small thought of the entire espionage process being too easy for my liking crossed my mind in flash, but I chalked it up to me being paranoid. After all, everyone in the castle hasn't even given an inkling that they sensed my presence in the slightest, and there's no way they could stop me at this point even if they did sense me right now.

'Still, I expected Mudeenu to be smart enough to at least have his half of the map in a safe or somewhere more secure than this…' I mused loftily, jumping up onto the windowframe.

"Looks like my suspicions were correct…" A raspy voice snickered dangerously behind me.

My entire body instantly jolted into shock, sensing the overwhelming number of presences behind me. Anxiously, my hooded head rotated as I glanced over my shoulder. To my dismay, my eyes were greeted by the sight of Mudeenu and Zhade standing at the doorway with wicked grins. On top of that, around half of guards were positioned readily behind them while the other half covered the other doorway, ready to take action at the drop of a hat.

'I'm surrounded. And it was going so well for me…" I brooded disappointedly before cursing myself for letting my ego drop my guard.

"Who are you? Show yourself, spy!" Mudeenu barked demandingly, beckoning his troop to aim.

I was hoping to do this with my identity concealed, but by the looks of it, the Mipedian prince isn't as cool and collected of a character as Maxxor. Sure, Maxxor does not take intruders kindly either, but he had some grace to give room for said intruder to explain themselves before delivering punishment.

"Gladly." I riposted flippantly, gripping the top of my large hood.

Even though the numbers put me at a disadvantage, I wasn't concerned for the most part. I know what I was capable of; my father wouldn't have chosen me for the mission if I wasn't.

Sliding my hood off my head, I was met by astonished gazes.

'Wow. Didn't expect that kind of a reaction. Then again, my outward appearance is very deceiving to those who don't know of my existence.' I noted ruminatively, eyeing them with a stoic gaze. 'Guess that mean the entire Mipedian Tribe are truly unaware of my existence.'

This also serviced as a confirmation that Maxxor did a damn good job keeping me a secret to outsiders, especially his enemies.

"A girl? She's just… a human girl…" Mudeenu remarked astoundingly, blinking in disbelief at my appearance.

"She may be one of those Chaotic players like Peyton, your highness." Zhade suggested mannerly as his glare sharpened at my form.

'Chaotic player?' I repeated inwardly, raising a questioning brow.

"That doesn't explain how she was able to slip past all of my troops with ease! None of our enemies were successful in nearing my property, but a mere girl was able to reach this far!?" Mudeenu retorted in frustration. "It's unheard of."

"Probably, she was tipped off by our enemies." Siado chimed in coldly, charging up his BattleGear.

"So, the presence of humans was all a ruse?" I queried warily, being mindful about my tone.

"That is none of your concern." The Mipedian overlord rebuked sharply.

'Suit yourself. It's not like I needed you to tell me anyway; I can sense two human presences scurrying to escape the embassy…'

I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that there really were humans lurking in the same environment as I was. Even though the thought should be the last of my worries at this moment.

"I order you to identify yourself, Chaotic player!" Mudeenu commanded imperiously while his troop charged up their weapons, ready to fire at any given notice.

"Of course, your majesty…" I cheekily obeyed with a wry smile on my face.

My shift in tone brought a wave of suspicion upon the group of lizard-like creatures. It was almost laughable, honestly, because of what I'm about to do next. The Mipedians idly stood there, being very attentive to the change in my eyes' appearance. My usual indigo-coloured orbs were glowing a blinding, bright violet, all the while Mudeenu and his men stared with a dazed expression. It was when a complacent grin stretched my lips did the Mipedian prince sprang into action.

"Don't just stand there, FIRE!" He shouted with overwrought alert.

To their misfortune, they weren't able to pull the trigger in time as they all were already in the palm of my hand. Less than a moment later, limp bodies collapsed one by one while others were struggling to stay up and conscious, mainly Mudeenu, Zhade and Siado. They eventually fell after his Mipedian army were already knocked out, leaving me as the sole one who remained standing in this brief confrontation.

'This'll make my escape much easier for me, especially with the added bonus of their memories of encountering me or me slipping into the embassy being erased. They'll have no clue of anything that transpired…' I smirked gratifiedly, pulling the hood back up and over my head.

However, that benefit was limited. In spite of knocking out everyone in the room, it's only a matter of time before one of these guys wake up; usually around twenty minutes. On top of that, there were still other Mipedians hunting in the hallways for trespassers. I'm gonna get caught red-handed in the crime if I don't get a move on right now.

With that in mind, I hopped back onto the window frame and dove out of the embassy without forethought. My mindset was simply: get the hell out of there, by all means necessary. I nonchalantly stared at the sand-engulfed floor as it reached closer to my face by the second. However, I took flight just when I was mere inches above ground level. I'm uber glad that I was finally able to fly without worry since the remaining Mipedians are currently preoccupied in searching for the other intruders in the embassy. As far as I'm concerned, this gives me the excuse to not walk my way back to Kiru City in the blistering desert where sand replaces air in its surroundings. Speaking of sand, I held the hem of my hood over my face without obscuring my vision to block out the oncoming sand gust.

'I just hope those guys don't suspect the OverWorld being responsible for their predicament…' I thought sanguinely, elevating higher from my original altitude.

At the time of me pulling myself out of my own thoughts, I was probably travelling for about two hours since vacating the OverWorld Embassy. I noticed the scorching heat had gone down a bit, which is a good thing for me. Frankly, I thought my journey back to Kiru City would end in me crawling my drained-self back on my hands and knees.

'If Frafdo sees me in that state, God knows how long I won't hear the end of his stuck-up squawking…' I scoffed exasperatedly, shaking my head at the thought of the interaction in-person.

Once I pushed the thought of that birdbrain aside, I casually sneaked a brief look at the ground. I expected to see just sand, dryness—usual desert stuff. Instead, I did a double take. Not because I gained a sudden interest in sand.

My interest lied particularly on what was on the sand.

'Those look like footprints…'

Not just a pair, but two pairs of footprints. With the few exceptions of travel deviation, the trail showed a straight and casual stroll between two individuals. What also caught my eyes was how further the footmarks got to each other as they moved forward, insinuating that they were running from something or someone until they felt they were at a far enough distance and slowed their pace.

But what really piqued my interest was the appearance. No one I know of came to mind on who in Perim these footprints belonged to.

'They're roughly the same size as mine…'

This led to the recollection of listening in on the news that two humans broke into the embassy. Were they the ones who left this trail?

'How could they possibly bypass all of the Mipedian troops? I could've sworn I sensed them being hunted down by half of the tribe in the castle while the rest of them were busy with me.' I frowned dubiously at the sandy trail.

The one named Zhade referred to them as "Chaotic players", if I recall correctly. However, I've always referred to them "humans" since that was what Maxxor, and the others compared my physical appearance to.

'Are they just a different breed of humans? Or am I the different human breed?' I wondered curiously as my violet eyes squinted at the trail below me.

"That was a close call…" A voice from a distance exhaled wearily.

My ears perked when the sound of an unfamiliar voice reached them. Intrigued, I scanned my surroundings' surface to find the source.

"Well, it wouldn't have to be a close call if it weren't for you." I heard another voice retort surlily.

I proceeded to search from all angles, slightly eager to find the voices' source.

"I already told you, I tripped! You know it was an accident." The former voice returned defensively. "Besides, Peyton told us that the embassy's security was soft today."

"Well, we both know by now that his 'occupied and abandoned' location statuses are way off." The latter voice carped discontentedly.

It was after the last remark I finally found the two individuals, stopping their tracks near a small pool of water surrounded by rocks. They appeared to be two males in the same age range as me. My first thought when looking at the two: I'm honestly surprised, and frankly in disbelief, that they were able to find water in a place this blistering and dry with minimal effort before I did. By the looks of it, they were taking a water break with one person actually drinking the water while the other was on the lookout for a possible ambush.

I don't usually take notice of anything that wasn't deemed dangerous, suspicious, or peculiar. But apparently, I was making an exception today, and only because this marked my first time ever seeing people who looked like me in the flesh. In fact, I was so drawn to them, I didn't realize I stopped my air travel; I was just bobbing in the air, away from their line of view. That is, until a sudden presence spiked my senses. I swiftly examined the surface surrounding both the individuals and me. This feeling I'm getting was unsettling, to put into better terms.

'I sense something amiss…' I thought prudently as my eyes narrowed to search this seemingly invisible presence.

I soon realized that the presence on my radar wasn't at all invisible, but instead it was moving underground. On top of that, it was moving fast directly towards the two males.

'Danger…!' I gasped in alarm with widened eyes.

Everything happened so fast with the long, tall tail—resembling a scorpion—shooting attacks at the two defenseless individuals. Luckily for them, their instincts were quick enough to evade.

As haste as the attack happened, my fear flipped to suspicion.

'Wait, that tail looks vaguely familiar.' I mused deeply, recalling the vaguely familiar appendage.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to connect the dots if he continued terrorizing the two males. I watched in horror as one of them were pulled into the sand's surface while the other witnessed it in terror.

"W-Wait, this is—!" The dark-haired individual stammered agitatedly; his blue irises shook from the trepidation.

On cue, the predator sprung up from underground, not minding the light coat of sand on him. His physical appearance resembled a blue, demonic scorpion. This only made me even more aggravated; his name was literally on the tip of my tongue. Meanwhile, my eyes watched the evil creature inching closer to his petrified prey while his first prey was held captive by his large pincers.

"Slruhk!" The blue-eyed human gasped appallingly, taking a step back.

'That's what this guy's name is! I remember Frafdo complaining about him to Intress…' I commented enlighteningly, recalling the time I overheard their conversation.

"We meet again, human!" Said scorpion hissed menacingly. "Still stealing Slruhk's water, I see. I won't let you escape this time!"

With that, the one named Slruhk charged his free pincer directly at his dark-haired prey. As if his feet were glued to the ground, the poor guy froze out of blatant fear with stretched eyes and a hanging jaw.

'I gotta do something quick!' A look of prompt concern cracked my inquisitive face.

As my mind frantically went on auto-mode, I impetuously casted a defensive force field around the aghast human as he hid his face with his hands at the last moment, waiting for the bone-crushing impact Instead, Slruhk's intentions were reversed against his favor the moment his scorpion claws made direct contact with my force field, causing severe electrocution. Then, my attention shifted towards the other male—who was still caught in the strong pincers. I made another force field around the red-haired prisoner, protecting him from getting electrocuted. Slruhk immediately released his grip on the redhead the second he was first electric shocked. The redhead wasn't too lucky despite the fact he was free; he ended up landing hard on the ground, possibly with a mouthful of sand and his clothes cluttered with the stuff.

Unbeknownst to them, Slruhk searched his surroundings for the source of the interference until his eyes met mine, and an enraged glare pointed my floating frame. He grumbled underneath his fanged scowl, something about me being a "meddling, freaky brat". However, he didn't press on with his frustration and resorted to dive back into the sand's surface and quickly made his exit. As the two individuals processed what had just transpired, I made a slow descent until my feet touched the sand once again. They'd yet to notice my presence.

From a young age, Tangath Toborn always told me to not approach those who I wasn't familiar with. This was primarily for my safety, but then again, my curiosity always got the best of me when I was younger. Sure, I've grown over the years since then, but had I grown out of that tendency?

Considering that I was willingly and intriguingly sauntering towards the two strangers, the answer is a bold-faced no.

"You okay, buddy?" The dark-haired fella asked solicitously, offering his hand to his companion.

The red-headed male didn't hesitate to accept his friend's assistance. He used his grip to pull himself up from the ground.

"I think so. It could've been worse, but now I feel like a used-up beach towel." The red-headed male responded sourly, clocking himself on the head to empty out the sand in his ears.

It was probably a dozen steps in when I felt my foot gently hit something that wasn't sand. I glanced down and with a cocked eyebrow, I saw what appeared to be red-tinted spectacles. I bent down and carefully picked up the glasses before examining them.

'It must've fell off when the kid with the red hair fell from Slruhk's pincers…' I surmised thoughtfully as I proceeded to move forward towards the duo.

"Hey, your glasses are gone." The blue-eyed individual remarked, pointing at his his friend's face.

The redhead took a second to touch his face, supposedly where his glasses would've been had he not been snagged. A distraught look crossed his expression when he realized his glasses were no longer on his face, assisting his impaired sight.

"Shoot, you're right." He exclaimed frenetically, scouring the place for the accessory. "We gotta find them, or else I'll have to live with blurry vision until we head back."

How unnecessarily uneasy the two were acting for a pair of mere glasses was more amusing than it should be. It was actually hard to keep a straight face when I finally approached them while holding out the missing item.

"Um, is this what you're looking for?" I asked innocuously with a welcoming simper.

My spontaneous arrival immediately captured both of their attention, which then caused nonplussed gasps to blurt out of both mouths. Understandable reaction, given the feeling of someone popping out of nowhere without warning, with the added bonus of coming out of almost being brutalize by a large creature. All of that could make anyone hypertense and shook to the core. Frankly, I couldn't blame them one bit, now that I've just twigged that my hood was still covering most of my face. The poor mortals are probably thinking they're in for more danger.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you…" I chuckled benevolently as I pulled down my large, dark hood.

I then lifted my hands up so they could verify that I mean no harm nor was I armed with anything, while maintaining an amicable smile.

"I promise, I come in peace…"

Ooooh, you know I like teasing y'all with these cliff-hangers. Evil? Maybe, but they're hella fun. Like I said in the beginning author's note, if you guys want more chapters, let me know through favoriting, following and reviewing the story. Also be sure to message me on Instagram if you wanna diretly talk to me about my stories. Of course, no spoilers but I'll try to respond without ruining the plot for you guys. After all, that'll ruin the suspense nature of my storytelling, which is something I cherish. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter and hope to see you on the next one. STAY CHAOTIC, EVERYBODY!