An Underworlder watched the Underworld city from afar. He frowned as he observed the castle of Chaor.

"Lord Van Bloot? We are waiting for your command," a tall and large creature said as he kneeled down to his master.

"Krekk found out what happened for a while. The moment where the army of the Underworld disappeared. Chaor thought he could hide all of this from me forever?" he chuckled.

The creature stood up, "What did he found out?"

"It wasn't a big hunt to exterminate us or a war against the other tribes. It was to fight the M'arrillians on the Cothica."

"T-the Cothica? They found it?"

"Yes. Chaor managed to hide a lot from my ears, but his army isn't that quiet," Van Bloot wondered how that damn Chaor managed to avoid this information to spread among the populace. He guessed it was because he was still around, waiting for his revenge, "We need to capture Kaz Kalinkas. He is the guide of the Underworld to the Cothica. With him, we shall reach it and claim it's power. Chaor will kneel to us! Atrapol!"

"Yes Lord Van Bloot."

"Capture the human and bring him to me," he said about the human with a bit of distain. The one who was close to Chaor was the one they needed. He rather did other things to Kaz, but he couldn't.

"As you command," Atrapol replied before he left the harpy alone.

Chapter 3: Kidnapping

Kaz adjusted his glasses as he waited for his friend H'earring to come. He had a scan quest and his friend was a bit late. He checked his scanner in case he got a message. He sat on a rock near Underworld City. It wasn't far from the city and he rather stayed close to it with what happened with his friend. Behind the rock, there was a black bag with the payment for his friend. It was all for the scan quest.

He quietly sighed. Peyton disappearance made him uneasy. His friend disappeared for a day and returned with no memories.

The Codemasters didn't find a way to unlock those memories and it was at a stand still for now.

"A new mystery," he grumbled. Kaz wondered if he might be next by those mysterious creatures. One with purple eyes and wore a metallic mask.

If it was only that, it wouldn't bother him. He and his friend saw a few new faces at school. Transfer students and new teachers. It wouldn't be that strange usually, but it was the end of May and the year came to an end. That many that ended up in their class wasn't normal.

Not only that, they moved in the neighborhood of Tom.

"Maybe I'm getting paranoid."

"About what Kaz?" H'earring asked as he appeared. He was a small green gremlin-like creature with long ears, red mane on his head, chest and his arms. He looked at the boy with his blue eyes as he adjusted his brown jacket, "Something is worrying you again."

Kaz decided to confess. It would reach Chaor ears anyway, "Peyton disappeared… Two days ago, in Al Mipedim. He ported at the end of the day with no memories of what happened. We know it's sealed by something that isn't made by creatures, humans or the Codemasters. Wondering when it might be my turn. I mean, it was Peyton who was kidnapped. If it's for the reason I'm thinking, I could be next."

"Trouble again," H'earring admitted. He let out a small smug, "You four has such luck in the matter."

"That's on Perim," he replied.

"There is more on the Cothica?" H'earring asked.

"Yeah," he scratched the back of his head as he searched how to explain this. It wasn't that much, but it could get a bit worse, "Recently, they are some people who just came to live in town. A few are transfer students. They all seemed to come to our class mostly."

"I don't get what you mean."

"They came from another town and just showed up- Nevermind. I don't think I can explain it and you get it. Anyway, it's at the end of the year, when we have no new students who show up. No new teachers. Not only that, but they moved in the neighborhood. They are mostly near Tom's home, but some are around mine too. Sometimes… I feel like their eyes are on us. Mostly Tom, but still."

"Just a bunch of weird humans. So many of them," H'earring replied with a reassuring tone.

"With what happened to Peyton, this is getting on my nerves," Kaz admitted. He sighed, "Maybe I'm just thinking too much about it."

"Maybe Chaor can do something about it. Like an Underworlder who watched over you," he suggested.

"No way I'm going to let Rothar near my mom. He might stop, but I see his eyes, still looking at her," the boy darkly said as he suddenly felt intimidating.

The small gremlin wondered if it was a son who protected his mother too much or a clear mistrust of the creature. Maybe both. He couldn't blame his friend, Underworlders can get pretty rough in the matter. He had large ears and he heard them during the night. He shivered a bit, "Another Underworlder."

"Maybe. Peyton will have an escort in Al Mipedim from now on," he stood up, "Anyway, we should begin our scan quest," he took out the bag and gave it to his friend. He looked the other way when the small creature began to devour its content.

"You want the scan the new battlegear they are going to test?"

"Yes. I heard it is powerful and it might help with my upcoming matches. I need one more match and I will be challenged by a Codemaster. I need a change to beat Codemaster Crellan," he clenched his left hand. If his best friend could do it, so would he. He let out a small confident smile, "I'll beat him this time."

"Let's go!" H'earring said once he was done eating.

The two walked away from the city.

Unknown of the two, a few creatures observed them. They didn't take action, as they were guards near the boy and H'earring. Now, they had to wait for them to be alone and they would take action. The small Underworlder wasn't that powerful of a creature.

The boy and his Underworlder friend traveled for a few minutes. They quickly went away from the city. Kaz turned around and saw the wall farther away. He couldn't see the creatures who guarded the city anymore.

"You don't have to be so nervous Kaz," H'earring told him.

"I just have the feeling that someone is watching us. I know it might be in my mind, but it came out true too many times. I can't just ignore it that easily."

The gremlin creature didn't try to counter his argument. He guessed that his friend was right to keep his guard up with what was going on. He needed to report this to Chaor later. He quickly raised his hear when he heard a suspicious sound. He quietly said, "You were right Kaz. Someone is following us."

The teenager avoided looking around. He knew far enough that this would put whoever was after them to act. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened them again, "What now?"

"Maybe you should port out. Next scan quest will be free," H'earring replied. He didn't want to take any risk until Chaor was informed in the matter.

"Right. I should-" he heard a loud sound and turned around. He saw a creature rushing at him and three more after his friend, "Run!" he yelled. He dashed away and he took out his scanner. He didn't have a chance to use it when a fireball exploded near him. He felt on the ground and realised he dropped his scanner. A large creature came and stood between the scanner and the boy. He adjusted his glasses and gazed at the large creature in his way.

Kaz recognised Atrapol. It was a large and muscular creature with his orange eyes shining through his red helmet with a pair of silver horn. He wore a gray and red armor with the face of Lord Van Bloot carved on the breastplate. He had a pair of oversized gauntlets He had dark skin that came through the bit that his body wasn't covered by his armor.

"Capture H'earring! We cannot let them know we took their guide," the red creature said as he grabbed the scanner. He raised it and glanced at the boy. He quickly grabbed him with one hand "The Cothica will be ours," he was unimpressed when the young Kaz tried to escape his grasp.

"You think Chaor will let Van Bloot take control of the Cothica?" he grumbled as he tried to kick the creature. He winced when he realised the armor was way too hard.

"Lord Van Bloot didn't return yet. Do you think Chaor would suspect of our initiative for our great lord?" Atrapol calmly asked as he walked away.

"Kaz!" H'earring grunted when he was restrained on the ground.

"Human. Stop struggling and H'earring won't die right now," the large creature ordered.

It was clear for the teenager that this demand wouldn't be say a second time. He stopped it and gazed down in defeat. He gasped when he couldn't see anything suddenly. He was blindfolded. He heard H'earring loud grunt and knew his friend went through the same thing.

The four creatures transported their prisoners to an unknown location.

Kaz knew his friends would search for him. He told them of his scan quest. If he took too long, they would search for him. Maybe even pass the message to Chaor. Although, he knew those chances were low.

The day quickly advanced and Tom tried to call his friend Kaz. He had no answer from his friend. He grew worried, as it wasn't Kaz style to be silent. With Peyton disappearance two days ago, he dreaded that it might be the case.

Sarah and Peyton talked together about their upcoming scan quest.

Tom interrupted the plan, "Kaz isn't answering. It's been a while," he sighed.

The girl already had an idea what her friend thought, "You think it's the same as Peyton?"

"Maybe. I just have no answer. Kaz said it wasn't far from Underworld City and he would be careful. It wasn't a spot easy for ambush and H'earring was with him."

"We need to check it out now," Peyton decided as he grabbed his scanner.

"I'll let a message to Crellan," the black-haired boy said as he stood up.

The trio walked towards the teleport machine.

Tom let the message that Kaz didn't answer his call and he would investigate with his friends.

"We got to tell Chaor," the portly boy added.

The other two were quiet.

Eventually, Tom asked, "…Who's going to do that?"

"I'll do it bro," Peyton decided, "I'll just tell the guards and then join you. It won't be that hard."

Peyton was thrown on the ground, restrained by the guards of the castle.

"This friend of Kaz wanted to see you," the guard said to Chaor.

Agitos walked around the guards. He was a blue lizard-like creature with an orange underbelly and red scaly spikes where you expected hair and dark purple spikes on his back, "You are lucky I found you or it would have been jail. Anyway," he turned his attention to his king who sat on his throne and looked at them with anger and a bit of confusion, "This boy here. Peyton. He has something important to tell us. It seems."

The red creature glanced at the human with his shining blue eyes. He showed his fangs as his muscles tensed under his skin. He had a feeling it was bad news. If it wasn't bad news, Kaz would show up already, "Talk now!" he ordered.

Peyton stood up, "Y-yes," he quickly nodded. He gulped and went on, "We tried communicating with Kaz, but he isn't answering for a while. We think that-" he yelped when he was in the grasp of the Underworlder.

"What do you mean he didn't answer?" Chaor grunted. He knew what happened to that boy in front of him.

"W-we don't know. We came to warn you about it. My friends are searching for him right now and-" he yelped once again when he was dropped on the ground.

Chaor left to search for the boy and crushed the one who took his Kazzy.

Agitos frowned, "I'll organise the search."

AC: This is the end of this chapter.

Next: The New People.

On Earth, Tom and Kaz watched the new students and teachers, having a feeling that they were there for them for some reasons.