Tom looked at the creature at the entrance of his home. He frowned as he already had an idea why the ram was there.

The muscular ram humanoid watched the boy with a small smug on his face. He had brown skin lighter than his brown beard and hair; white curved horns framing his gray eyes and wore a red breastplate with blue shorts and black bracers on his arms with silver spikes. Most eye catching though was the piercing in his nose, "It has been a while, Tom. I can see you know why I'm here."

"Yes Arias. Maxxor sent you here after I explain the plan."

"Don't blame Maxxor. You accepted to go to be a prisoner of the Elementalist with Milla'un, the M'arrillian who kidnapped you and threatened you two solans ago. It made perfect sense that someone would protect you," Arias replied. He glanced at the side and scratched his neck nervously. He didn't expect such a cold welcome. He knew it wouldn't be a warm one either, given the circumstance.

The cold atmosphere quickly disappeared as the teenager let out a small smile, "Maxxor should have told me. Come. I'll make sure you know everything Maxxor might forgot to tell you."

"Good," the creature nodded to the Overworlder guide, "I hope your mother won't mind it."

"We'll ask her when she's back," the teenager replied.

Chapter 37: Tea Time

Tom, his mother and the Overworlder ate dinner together.

The creature eagerly ate everything, "I am glad we met on better circumstance. Last time, you shot me with your battlegear."

Annie nodded, "What did you expect when I saw someone like you? I just knew Chaotic was a game and Perim was the world of that game. With everything we heard, I had to focus on protecting my son."

"I forgave you long ago," Arias chuckled as he finished eating everything, "Been a long time since I didn't come back on the Cothica," he scratched his chin.

The son and the mother knew that it was indeed the case now. It was strange that their world was the Cothica. Still, they didn't comment on it.

Tom asked, "You know…" he wasn't sure how to tell the creature he couldn't come with him. He guessed it was something to talk over with him and Maxxor. It might be Maxxor's excuse to see him more often before he was gone. He remembered that the Overworlder said that he would be busy at the castle for a while. Just enough until he left the Earth to the Elementalist island.

The rest of the meal was quiet. They had a few short talks before they went to rest.

Arias commented something, "You know. When we were wondering what the Cothica was… I always thought it might be a powerful creature. The Cothica, a creature that could control the four elements in perfection and could affect the reality in some way. Now, we know it's a world and the creatures that lived with it. Everything you are doing here is strange, unique and mysterious," the creature observed outside, "Everyone can use battlegears to wander around, battlegears under the hands of civilians to protect themselves. There is so many other things you can do. What you imagine might be possible. I heard from Intress about the things that could go to the stars and even the moon," he glanced at the window.

The teenage boy approached the creature and looked up. It was true that everything seemed beyond imaginations, from the point of a creature. They never went to space or beyond their world. Except for the portal to the Cothica. From their perspective, the Earth was quite incredible. It also seemed it was much more in the past.

Humanity reclaimed what they lost from the war against the Metalist.

"It was much more incredible it seemed long ago. The war against the Metalist pushed us back a lot. From what they said. I guess it was then that the portals to Perim were made. I don't have all the details," the teenage boy admitted.

The creature nodded. After this the two went to rest for the night. Tomorrow, Tom had to train and Arias was curious to see what he could do with the power of the light.

Tom opened his eyes and realised he was in a strange place. It was a dark place where little light shined through a few candles on a table.

All he could see, except the darkness was the table, the candles and two chair. He looked a bit closer as he approached it and saw two cups on each side of the table, "What kind of dream am I having now?" he wondered.

"The kind that I make. Just the minimal necessary," someone replied.

The teenage boy saw someone walking from the other side of the table, compared to where he was. The individual sat on the chair. He wore golden clothes that hid his features. He couldn't see anything except the sky-blue eyes that observed him, "Please Tom. Sit down. We have a bit to discuss about."

He decided to play along. It was just a dream and there was no risk of ending up in pieces. He sat down on his chair.

The other one grabbed jar, "I made some tea. Mind to have some before I bored you with my wisdom?"

"I… I never drank tea before."

"It's a dream. It won't really count. However, I do like tea with a hint of mint," he showed to the teenager his fingers. Two fingers that seemed made of light.

"W-Who are you?" he asked him. He was sure it wasn't a human he dreamt interacting with.

"My name is of no importance right now," he served himself and the boy some tea, "Now. Let's begin with the boring stuff. Shall we?" he took a sip of his tea, waiting for an answer.

"Okay," he tried it too. It didn't taste bad. He wondered how it was made, but it was a dream. Everything was possible, "I'm ready."

"Tom. I took interest in you since last year. I got you into my eyes when I saw how you defeated Milla'iin. Such a strange way. You didn't beat him with strength, muscles, deception or any special power. Your words touched the soul of the creature. He who was fated to die at the end of the war. Your words reach him and the M'arrillian surrendered. He who took on a new path in his life," he took another sip, "Only in the Cothica such miracle can occur."

Tom listened to him. That dream got really weird. Weirder than he expected.

"That's why I am observing you since then. And with the little plan of the Guardian of the Cothica, I hope you succeed. You have my blessing for your secret mission. It will be a long journey," he declared.

"I don't need my dream to remind me of that," Tom put his hands together. He closed his eyes, "I'm still worried for Peyton."

"Do not worry too much for that. He is safe and sound with his parents. Besides, you will have to challenge the Metalist King eventually as you challenged Milla'iin before," the being commented. He chuckled lightly when the teenager looked at him, greatly confused, "You are still dreaming Tom, but how much of this is a dream… I'll let your imagination mess up with you," he chuckled a bit more.

He didn't like this joke. Since it was his dream, he guessed he wanted someone to mess up with him. He put his hand on his chest as he thought back. He didn't complain or expressed his thought to his friends on one thing. He avoided thinking about it at all. So many things rested on his shoulders. His other reason to be prisoner of the Elementalist. He took another cup of tea, "I'm a bit messed up," he joked. He laughed a bit nervously.

"I said your imagination. Not yourself," the entity took another sip. He finished his cup of tea and filled up another one, "You are not messed up. You have a lot on your shoulders. However, you are a strong boy, Tom. A strong heart to speak with Milla'iin after what he did to you and the other M'arrillians you befriended. You are the only one who deserve to perform this mission of yours. You can shoulder it," he let out a smile that appeared from his silhouette. A kind one where the human could see the golden lips.

"Is that all you wanted to talk about? I'm curious if you have something else to mention," Tom decided to move the conversation forward. He wasn't sure how much of it was a dream anymore. He heard in a show that dreams were based on reality in a way. That being in front of him, he never heard, see or thought of anything like that before. He crossed his arms. Not only that, but the fact that he spoke about the secret mission in this strange place. A black void with only a table, two chairs, him and the being, two cups of tea and a teapot. The taste of tea that he never drank before. A unique taste.

"Of course, I have more to share," the being leaned forward as he took a sip of his second cup of tea, while the teenager finished his own, "The power of the light you possessed is quite impressive in your eyes, right?"

"Yeah. I feel a bit like a creature, but I don't use one of the four elements. I know that the Metalist has the opposite to light. I also know that I need to master as much as possible in little time."

"Too bad I am just a dream. I could have helped if I was real," the creature chuckled.

The teenager wasn't sure if that chuckle was to mock him because he was real, or to tease him because he was just a dream. He decided to try something, "Why do the Metalist tries to return here after so long?"

The light in the sky-blue eyes of the being shined brighter, "Testing me, aren't you? Or testing your dream? I can't really lie anyway," he took another sip, "Because the Cothica is their home. They never forgot it and never will. Are their intensions good or not? Would they repeat history or not? I won't tell. Why spoil the future when you can just enjoy it."

"Yeah. No one can know the future."

"Only beings that lives outside of time and space can," the creature of his dream mysteriously said.

Now Tom had heavy doubt this was a dream. This kind of deep thought or words wasn't him. The suggestion of beings living outside of those boundaries never crossed his mind. He frowned at the thing in front of him. He wondered if he connected with that mysterious creature when he felt asleep.

"I have one question for you Tom. A last one before we part ways," he finished his cup of tea. He put it on the table and looked into the eyes of the human, "What would you do once you obtain claim the eight pieces?"

That question caught the boy a bit by surprise. It was something he never thought. He put his hands on the table and played with his fingers, "I don't know. I just know I won't use it for evil of course," he spoke at the surface level of his intentions, "I don't want this to be use to hurt people. I just don't know what to do when… I have it."

The creature gave Tom a kind smile, "You have a lot of time before the future becomes the present Tom. Think deeply about it," he raised his hand and waved at the boy.

The teenage had one last question. He knew he had little time. He asked once again, "Who are you?"

The being tapped on his chin for a few seconds, before he gave an answer, "Once again, my name isn't important, but I don't mind sharing it. You just won't be able to remember it once you wake up. For now, at least… I am…"

Tom heard the name, but it suddenly sounded blurry.

He woke up from his slumber and grumbled quietly. He searched for the other creature. He put his hand on his forehead, "What kind of dream was it?" he whispered quietly. No answer formed in his mind. He guessed it was something he wouldn't know.

"What a strange dream," he commented. He was a bit uncertain how much of it was a dream. The only thing that lacked clarity was the name of the being. He just couldn't remember it, as he said. It was on the tip of his tongue at the same time.

He looked at the clock. It was barely three A.M. He still had some time to sleep. He went back to rest. He closed his eyes and felt back asleep.

AC: This is the end of this chapter.

Next: Joining Forces

Remi talked with Tom and his friends and decided to fully help them in finding Peyton and clues about the Metalist.