Maxxor sighed. It was another day since Tom left the Cothica and was somewhere in Perim with the elementalist. He just hoped that he was alright. He walked through the corridor as he left Chaotic. He had his telebracer, ready to part back to Kiru city.
He went and met with the Codemasters to learn as much as possible about the elementalist and why Tom left in more detail.
Long story short, he got little out of them. He just knew they couldn't reveal anything, as order of the humans who protected the Cothica. He did learn that Tom was safe and sound. He also learned that those creatures wouldn't dare to attack and hurt a human.
Those were good news. The thought of his friend hurt because he put himself at risk for his world and Perim left Maxxor a bit nervous if it was indeed the case.
However, he did overhear something as he left. The Codemasters thought they were quiet, but weren't enough. It was that Tom was supposed to leave the island for some reason eventually. He didn't know what, but he had a bad feeling about this.
It wasn't the first time Tom ended up in trouble and it wouldn't the last. Just like last year, it seemed like trouble took a much large size than before. Maybe even more than when the m'arrillians invaded the Cothica.
He closed his eyes and sighed quietly. He crossed his telebracer, "It is less urgent at least. Still, where would he go if he left?" with that question that didn't have an answer, he ported back to his castle.
Chapter 58: The Plan
Maxxor walked towards the royal record room where Najarin surely was. He hoped that he learned more. They sent scout in the ocean to cross reference everything the m'arrillians gave and it seemed to be on point, for now.
He reached the room and nodded to the two royal guards protecting the door. They opened it for him and he walked inside.
Najarin held a scroll in front of him and hummed to himself. He seemed satisfied by whatever the content on it was.
"It seems you find something interesting," Maxxor asked as he walked to his chair and sat down.
"Indeed. It isn't much, but the scroll contains a bit of information about some of the island explored. They found no civilisations on them. However, they are marked on the map and we can ignore them for a while when we search for the island where Tom might be," the High muge answered.
That was good new and it surely would reduce the time to search everything. With the intel the scout would provide, maybe even more places they could ignore or scrap them. Still, they couldn't get any clear place to strike. It would ask time to find it, "Najarin. I did find a few things when I spoke with the Codemasters. It's not much, but it is concerning."
The old creature let the scroll on the table, "What's concerning?"
"I did learn that the elementalist wouldn't hurt Tom. This is good news, but he is obviously going to get in trouble eventually."
"And what will put him in trouble?" Najarin waited to hear the answer, to either confirm or infirm his ruler nervousness. When it came to Tom, his king was much more protective than before. Especially since last year and the very fact that they knew in advance that he would disappear for a while.
"I heard that he is going to leave the island he is on eventually. On his own. I know Arias and Milla'iin are with him," Maxxor was a bit nervous.
"With Milla'iin near him, it is dangerous for Tom. We cannot put any faith in him," Najarin replied. Especially not after everything the m'arrillian had done before.
The two remembered that Milla'iin gave up the fight and the war on his own. He was ready to die for his cause, until he couldn't go on and gave up somehow.
The High Muge went on, "And I guess that this will put him in danger. The elementalists are surely going to chase after him."
"I wonder why he would need to leave eventually. He went there on his own and then, he would escape on his own somehow. There is something else going on and the Codemasters surely knows something about it. I cannot find anything else from them, even if I return to confront them about this. It is surely part of the plan of the Guardians of the Cothica," he crossed his arms and wondered pensively what was going on.
His friend also was in deep thought. There was something much bigger going on. They already knew it, but it involved Tom. None of the two liked this at all.
The other thought that came was where Tom would go in Perim after he left. It would be extremely difficult to find him.
"Let's focus on finding the location of the elementalists first. We will ask those questions later. Tom will surely explain everything when we ask him about it," Najarin concluded those thoughts.
They couldn't go anywhere anyway. It was best to leave that for now and focus on their current task.
The two searched in the documents for more intel. As they continued on it, they couldn't help, but wonder what was going on right now.
Thinking back, the metalists, a tribe no one knew existed suddenly manifested and everything just went stranger and stranger as time moved on. There was Kaz kidnapped by Van Bloot, the sudden resurgence in the activity of the elementalists, which seemed to have no link with the metalists. Maxxor frowned. He wondered how long the metalists were watching and spying on them. Maybe for a very long time, from what he learned from Tom, before his departure. Maybe they were on the side and watched the m'arrillians when they conquered Perim.
He pushed those thought aside as he put his document down, "I… I wish Tom told me what he was going to do. The uncertainty is really making me uneasy," he admitted. He clenched his hands and wondered what lied behind the mystery.
"Maybe Kaz will have the answer, the next time come visit us. He is trying to find a way to save Tom," Najarin replied. He thought too, "Tom isn't the kind of human who would keep a secret without a reason. He looks up to you. The only I can guess is that it has something to do with the Cothica and the metalists. We know they originally came from there. As I said before, those questions will have to wait for another time my friend. We need to find the answers to find Tom."
"Right. As you said, Tom will explain it when we find him," he replied. He was pretty sure his friend would talk once they met again. Still, it was hard to fight against his own curiosity and his worries for the boy. So much on his shoulders again. He frowned as he realised his thought went in circle.
The two continued to check the documents. Najarin cross referenced them with what they knew. Those were the last documents brought by the m'arrillians. There wasn't much left, but it was useful and they made a lot of progress.
There was a map on the back of Najarin and he updated it a few times. There was little beyond the continent, but the wise creature added a lot of mark where an island might potentially be and if there was a chance that the elementalists had towns there. That was the past they made the last progress. The scouts would be extremely important.
The ruler of the overworld sighed a bit. He finally managed to break his spiralling thought, but the progress wasn't up to his satisfaction. It was a lot, but he wished they progressed more. He put his hands on the table, "I guess that's almost everything we can do so far," Maxxor concluded when he finished his files.
"Yes. We filled a lot of empty space on the map. I did add where you found everything to fix the portal on the map," he pointed at the spot where Maxxor, Chaor and the others went before. It was around the middle part of the ocean. It was an important spot where the elementalists visited, "I will ask Tera Motus about his knowledge of his people and what he knows about them, using this map. He wants to help us, but it is a bit difficult without a clear map, or something he could imagine."
"Great idea. I'm glad he is with us," he let out a small smile. That would greatly help and made all the effort the two put into it worth it.
Najarin closed his eyes for a few seconds, before he took out a scroll, "While you were away, the mipedians gave us an update on their end as well. They found nothing to help us find Tom in their old records," he quickly added when he saw his ruler looked into his eyes, "It's about the situation with the metalists."
"Something happened?" Maxxor easily guessed. It was an important matter. It was something that could affect Tom, if the situation remained unchanged. With the metalists around, they could find Tom and captured him like they did Peyton. Knowing that Tom would leave where he was, meant that he was in danger.
"Indeed. They capture a metalist who spied on them in their territory," he announced the news.
"That is great," the green creature concluded with a small smile. A prisoner would likely give a lot of intel, if they managed to make him talk. If they could find where Peyton was, they could solve the matter once and for all. That would surely get Chaor and Aszil attention. Surely, they would forge an alliance to end this.
"They prisoner is currently in jail and being interrogated," Najarin began. He coughed a bit, "The results are negative as of now. The prisoner is quite resilient and refused to say anything. No matter which method the mipedians are using."
None of them actually cared how the interrogation went. They knew the tribe can be especially brutal when they needed to obtain intel as quickly as possible. No matter which tribe, they can be pretty brutal and cruel to get what they wanted out of their prisoner.
Maxxor nodded, "We will have to wait until they get something. We will need to act in that front too. Maybe that tribe is harder to find the correct way to make them talk."
"Indeed," the High Muge nodded. He grabbed his beard with one hand and elaborated further, "Their body seems to be made of metal and we don't know anything about what lied under it. Their metal is their skin and nor an armor, if we compared it to some creatures who rather be under the armor. Not only that, but it might be the same as creatures with body made of the elements," he crossed his fingers as he sighed a bit. He closed his eyes and looked at everything they studied so far.
The two talked more together and planned their next move ahead. They both hoped that it will be enough to find and rescue Tom and Peyton as quickly as possible.
AC: This is the end of this chapter.
Next: A Invitation.
Kaz received an invitation to meet Lord Van Bloot who wishes to speak with him again.
The next chapter will be released 3 June 2024. I'll be busy a bit during the time when I write the next chapter.