Arias was quiet as he heard those words. He couldn't believe it. His jaw dropped open. He never expected those words to come out. Not only was there something like that existing, but he was the first creature to hear of that. Even before Maxxor. He mentally apologised to his ruler, but still said nothing.

"I… I guess I really surprised you?" Tom tried when the creature was quiet for so long. He had a small smile on his face.

"J-Jewel of the Cothica? What is that?" he asked in disbelief. A small smile began to form in his face. Still, he made it disappeared. It was obviously something serious. He played with his fingers as he got his emotions in check, "Yes. I never heard of anything like that."

"Yes. It's an important jewel that appear and disappear from the world as if it has its own will," Tom began.

The overworlder just knew that the explanation might be mystical by nature. He would lie to himself if he wasn't excited to learn about all of this.

Chapter 54: The Jewel of the Cothica

Arias focused on the now and the conversation, "Something that appear and disappear?"

"Yes. The Guardians of the Cothica has no idea why it can do that, but they know it can. They explained everything during my training," Tom coughed quietly and went on, "They explained to me that the only ones who could obtain and use the jewel are the humans and the metalists. You know, because we live in the Cothica… Still weird to know the true name of our world," he grumbled again.

"Not the first time you said that, Tom. Anyway, this is why you are after it? Because the metalists could obtain it?"

"Yes. The jewel is extremely powerful. What it can do is lost, but we just know that it's powerful. Since we are the only one who can use it, it can be misuse," he took a deep breath, "And the metalists were the creatures who had it long ago and used it against humans. From the little that remained of that time, the jewel was used to enslave us and put them at the top of the Cothica. Eventually, the jewel disappeared on its own and it was then that our kind fought back and won. They didn't expect that I guess and we got them by surprise," he resumed the old history with the little the humans still possessed.

"A long war long ago in the Cothica. I thought there wouldn't be war in the Cothica," Arias commented.

"They are many wars in our world. There is much less in recent times thought," he replied. Especially since last year. The coming of the creatures really affected everything and the world seemed to calm down. He didn't wonder the why. He crossed his fingers, "You can see why I am going to find it. I have no intention of letting the metalists use it and enslave us once again. Unless they want to exterminate us this time," he sighed. He grumbled a bit nervously. He felt again the weight on his shoulders. It was a mission to save the world after all.

"You are after it to prevent something grave," the creature concluded. He crossed his arms, "Know that we will help you prevent this. You are our friends," he let out a reassuring smile.

"Thanks Arias," he tapped the ground with his fingers and let out a small relieved smile. That was a bit less on his shoulders, "Obtaining the jewel will be difficult. It takes a long time and I accept to come here to begin that journey," Tom looked in the eyes of the creature.

"And how do you obtain it. If it's difficult, that means you have to find out where it is?" the creature curiously asked.

The boy nodded a bit negatively. He wondered how to explain. An answer quickly came once he let out a small smile, "The difficulty is that the jewel is divided into eight pieces," he showed three fingers and a thumb on each hand, "Seven of those pieces are surely located on Perim and the last one is under the protection of the Guardian of the Cothica."

"Eight pieces?" he wondered why it was that way.

"This is where the information is quite… lost. They told me that each tribe have on of the fragment to obtain. The first one I will be searching is somewhere among the elementalist tribe. It's best to start here since they wanted to hold me here anyway."

"You intend to escape and find the other fragments. One in the Overworld, one in the Underworld, one in Al Mipedim, one in Mount Pillar and one in the Deep Ocean."

"Milla'iin knows about this and he will help us obtain them. He has to come here anyway and I know he wants to do something good," Tom replied. He took a deep breath and elaborated, "The Guardians of the Cothica talked with Milla'iin and convinced him to come here and protect me. This mission is dangerous and he accepted to put his life at risk to do something right, maybe just once. He said it like he didn't expect to come back alive," he sighed.

"That's why he is in the know," he scratched his chin.

(Yes. I am willing to put my life at risk for Tom. He put his life at risk to stop me in my sins. I damaged the Cothica and I followed the lies of Aa'une. This is my chance to do something right for once,) the M'arrillian spoke in their mind.

"Don't be so dramatic," Arias groaned out loud and in his mind. He didn't like the creature thought of himself down that way after everything that happened last year. What Tom said to him during that final battle still hit deep in the soul of Milla'iin. There was nothing they could say to change his mind.

(The problem is that I am not. Everything I have done in my life was to serve Aa'une and the victory of the M'arrillian tribes. I became the leader to continue his dream and his desire to conquer all of Perim,) he then said in a sarcastic and regretful way, (It was the m'arrillian great destiny. We were made to rule over Perim in the name of the Cothica. It was all a lie and we just soiled and poisoned the Cothica with our war. I wish I saw it coming like the rebels, but I didn't.)

(Milla'iin. You can do more than one time the right thing and I know you can. You already did once when you surrendered,) the boy encouraged the creature.

(Stopping the fight was easy.)

(No, it wasn't. You had to give up on everything you thought was right. You gave up for your tribe. You didn't needlessly fight until the extermination of everyone under your command. You admitted your wrong and surrendered. It was hard,) Tom said with determination.

Milla'iin didn't respond to that.

(Don't you dare say that it was easy. A human of the Cothica told you that,) Arias grinned a bit.

(Fine. I accepted the mission to protect him. I will remain in jail until it's the time to leave and… I'll let you explain that part. You are doing well and memorised everything Tom,) the m'arrillian was silent.

"There is more to it," Arias concluded.

"Yes," the boy put his hands on his back and seemed to dance a little, gathering his thought for the best explanation he could muster. It wasn't easy to come up with the right words.

"Don't take too much of your time. The fire creature might come back soon enough."

"Right," he coughed in his hand for a second, "As I said, they are eight fragments of the jewel. One of them is obviously under the grasp of the metalists. Which makes everything more dangerous. The one we have is under watch of the Guardians of the Cothica and it will be my last destination. To obtain the fragments, that's the dangerous part. We won't find those in an old temple with dangerous traps or things like that. They will be more… Under possession of a creature who will guard it. Those fragments might make those creatures more powerful or something like that. That part was lost. We just know that it will be under the grasp of a member of each tribe. That means obtaining it from a metalist too," he was a bit nervous when he thought that far ahead, but they were far. It would be his last destination on Perim anyway.

They were problems with that part of the plan. No one had any idea where it was. The second was that Peyton was still a prisoner. He wished he could go and could help him. So far, there was nothing anyone could do, until the location was found. Not only that, but going there with the fragment of the jewel would be risky. Tom put his hands together and went on, "I wish we could stop by the metalist territory first and save Peyton and his parents at the same time. It's not possible."

"Theb-Saar wished to save them as quickly as possible. That's obviously what he is thinking. With the Overworld helping them, it might be possible they save him before we go there," Arias let out a reassuring smile, even if he wasn't certain, it could be possible. He could communicate with them for now.

"I know they are doing their best. I have to do mine too," the boy replied. He looked at his hands and was in deep thought. He wondered which creature might had their hands in those fragments. What would happen? Still, it was not the time for such questions. He raised his gaze at looked at his friend, "If I get the fragments, I will help Peyton anyway. For now, we need to find out where that fragment is, obtain it and leave to the continent. Once we begin, I won't really have time to stop. Knowing me and my friends' luck, it might get worse."

"It sure might," Arias chuckled for a few seconds. He saw his friend was worried a bit and stopped, "That is a lot you have to go through Tom. Don't worry, I'll be here to protect you," he let out a small smug. Still, he had a lot to process. He didn't show it to the boy, but he had so many questions. Still, he guessed the boy couldn't help. There was so many things and Tom probably couldn't explain more than he already did. So, he kept it to himself and waited to learn more about it, if it was possible. Still, he wondered which creatures had the fragment and if they knew what it was.

Many questions with no answers for now. The creature stopped thinking about it. Right now, he knew what Tom's mission was. It also changed his mission. He wasn't just there to protect Tom now. He also had to make sure that Tom succeeded in his mission.

Whatever the Jewel of the Cothica could do. It would cause great change in the world. He was certain of it. He closed his eyes as he thought more. It was their guide that would obtain this jewel. However, how it will be use and what would happen was unknown.

Arias let out a small smile, "I will be there to protect you, Tom. Don't forget that."

Tom nodded, "I know."

The overworlder heard something, "I guess the creature is coming back," he glanced at the door that led inside, "Looks like the explanation is over for now," he chuckled.

"Yeah."

They stopped talking about the matter as the fire creature returned to his home. He finished his chores. He gave them a short nod as he prepared something to eat. The fire creature glanced at them.

Tom noticed a small smile the elementalist offered to Arias. He guessed that helping him gave him a more positive outlook on the overworlder.

AC: This is the end of this chapter. I'll be busier next week, so the next chapter will be in two weeks. (28 april 2024)

Next: A Spy

In Al Mipedim, mipedians noticed an outsider watching them.