Sarah sat in her room as she looked at her scanner. She got the memories of her code a few days ago. She learned what the mipedians found out about her friend. She wondered where Peyton was. At least, he was surely safe and sound. It was best than only be able to assume the worse.
Still, that was far from enough. She needed more. She needed to be certain that he was safe. A mostly wasn't enough. Alas, the metalist was rescued and the mipedians couldn't get anything else. They progressed in finding the island where Peyton and his parents could be, but that wasn't enough. The ocean was large. It would take months or years to find it, even with everything they obtained.
She was also worried for Tom. Kaz told her that he found nothing as of yet. He knew the places where the elementalist lived, but it was many islands. He couldn't tell where the group might be as the elementalist that lived in Kiru city told him that the council was often on the move. The two friends couldn't do anything for them.
Still, Sarah had a feeling that they could progress someone. She had no idea how, but she knew it was possible.
Chapter 67: Brain Storm
Sarah walked outside in deep thought. Ekuud and her brother noticed it. She was so deep in her mind that she didn't notice she went straight into the creature.
Alexander approached her as she grumbled to herself. He let her went on for a bit, before he smiled a bit, "You're okay sis? You look like you are constipated a bit."
She jerked towards him, "Don't say stuff like that!"
He chuckled as he took a few steps back, "Come on Sarah. I'm not serious. Still, you were really deep in your mind and you almost tripped on him," he pointed at the bug creature that was near her.
Ekuud frowned, "It is suspicious that you are deep in your thought. You could be easily targeted by the metalist or anyone else Sarah. You need to keep your mind focused and your eyes opened," he crossed his arms, "And yes. I would have let you trip to learn that lesson," he answered a question that Sarah wasn't interested to ask anyway.
"I'm thinking about how to find Peyton and maybe help find Tom. My friend and my boyfriend are on Perim, their real body."
The danian opened his mouth to reply something, but kept his mouth shout. Out of respect for his tribe guide, he avoided saying anything to harsh. He knew they were experienced in the danger of Perim, but at the same time, it was their real self back there, "Do not forget that Tom is capable and learned how to use this power that your tribe has."
That didn't really cheer her up. She glanced at the side for a few seconds, before she had to agree with Ekuud, "Yeah. I know, but I can't help but worry for him. We have no idea what the elementalist would do," the girl glanced at her brother.
Alexander little smile was gone, "I did try to find anything to help Peyton too you know. I have to admit that I didn't find anything really important. I did notice one of the metalists was not far from Mount Pillar and I tried to sneak up on him. I mean, I saw his telebracer. He spotted me and teleported away. I guess they don't want another one of them kidnapped again."
The danian nodded, "It will be best to report to the queen when you can. This intel will be useful," he scratched his chin. He already planned how to deal with them, even if his duty was to protect Sarah. He mentally already formed some defensive plans for Mount Pillar. He wasn't there to do his usual job. It annoyed him a bit and hoped his soldiers wouldn't get lazy and turned like Wamma. They couldn't afford more than one Wamma, "I guess they will be alert for anything that would come to them. Still, he didn't even think to silence you and continue in his observation."
"I had my scanner in my hand and I was ready to port away when he saw me. Still, he went straight to it without even saying anything," Alexander thought back.
"Capture will be harder now."
"Oh yeah! He had something weird on his face. It was like goggles with weird lenses on it. I have no idea what it is and… Yeah. I thought I had an idea, but nope. I have nothing in my mind about that," the big brother sighed.
Sarah wondered if there was anything possible to help the mipedians to find Peyton, "At least the m'arrillians gave them anything they had to help them. Remi confirmed it."
Ekuud frowned a bit, "Yeah, but I won't put my faith in anything those m'arrillians offer. I cannot trust them in anything they might do. They are ready to help to save your friend, but they surely have another motive."
"It was only a year since the invasion of our world," Alexander couldn't disagree with the bodyguard. He closed his eyes and went into his own thought.
Sarah guessed it might be a good idea to share what she knew with them. She didn't explain what she figured out thanks to the mipedian intel they shared with her, "Ekuud. I'm not sure if you knew, the mipedians got a few things from the prisoner they got."
"I guess they would get something, but I have no idea everything they got," the creature replied. He tapped the grass, "I am here after all. I only know what you two tell me."
The two siblings had to agree. Their bodyguard had no idea what went on Perim and they were there to reply the news.
Alexander stretched his limbs, "Anyway, I know nothing else so far. I am not Sarah and the danians aren't that talkative with me. Looks like the discipline you put on them still remain in place. It's kinda annoying," he smiled a bit. He definitely tried to poke on a nerve there, "So, I don't have that many things I can relate to you."
"Good. My soldiers aren't just babbling around and tell anyone about everything. They are danians and they have duties to accomplish. You might be the sister of our guide, but you are not her."
"That's good that I'm-"
Sarah interrupted them, "Back! To what I was saying. I learned a few things the mipdians got from the prisoners."
Ekuud focused on her. He approached her. His fingers crossed together, "Apologise. Your brother has a certain talent to distract others with pointless banter."
"And you like them," Alexander had more to say, but knew his sister wouldn't like another interruption. He glanced at her and gave a quick nod.
Sarah sighed a bit, before she let out a small smile. She began to explain what she learned. She hoped she didn't repeat too much, "The mipedians told me about how they are progressing in the elimination process of the lands in the ocean where my friend could be. They knew it's more toward the south and that the island must be a big one. The metalist mostly lives in a big city with farms and fields that surround it. They guess that there are less dispersed than the elementalists when it comes to their territories. The overworlders helped them too, but with Tom gone, their attention is more on Tom than Peyton."
"It makes sense they focused on their guide rather than the guide of Al Mipedim. The danians would do everything if you were the one who disappeared," Ekuud sighed. He scratched his chin and thought about what she said.
"They also know that the metalists are watching the tribes. You know this now, but they might have done it for a long time. They might have spied on the tribes for thousands of solans and maybe more. We don't know when they were exiled on Perim and when they managed to organise everything to begin that," she sighed, but added, "They are using Telebracer, the same one as the tribes has. Makes me wonder how they managed to do it before."
"I guess they had a mean to move quickly, without teleporting before. I have no idea how they pulsed this off before, but it worries me that they might observed us for a long time," the danian grumbled a bit more.
"I guess they might focus their attention to Al Mipedim and the Overworld first. Going to the underworld or Mount Pillar is riskier than above. That's just my guest," Alexander guessed as he looked at them with a small smile when he got their attention, "I meant at the start. At this point, they are surely spying everywhere. Even the Deep Ocean surely isn't safe from them… Can the metalist even breath under water?" he wondered.
"That isn't worrisome. The security in Mount Pillar is quite strong and their body must be quite loud. They are made of metal and-" the bug was interrupted.
Sarah sighed and warned him, "They infiltrated the castle of save their prisoner in Al Mipedim without being detected. They managed to knock some of the guards by surprise too," she crossed her arms and frowned a bit when she saw Ekuud nervous now, "They surely have ways to be silent when they needed it to be."
"This new intel is troublesome. They might eventually manage to get into Mount Pillar and reach the queen. Even if the security has been intensified before I left, it surely won't be enough," the creature commented. He glanced at Sarah and her brother. He obviously thought beyond only mount pillar, "I'm way too big to stick closer anyway. I can't be at the four corners of the house."
"We are right here," Sarah sighed in annoyance.
"I know. The metalist couldn't pull a trick like the one they did to save their spy. They could just show up in the night and made sure I couldn't see them. They could just come in, grab you, make sure you are quiet and port out without me knowing anything," he clenched his four hands, "Protecting you is going to be more difficult than I expected. Still, I won't fail my order given by my queen."
"I should visit the danians and warn them about what I learned about the metalist," she commented after he said that.
"I will appreciate it," Ekuud nodded.
Sarah sighed. There wasn't a lot of progress and she mostly said what she knew to her bodyguard. It was a bit disappointing.
Alexander suddenly had a flash about something, "I wonder if a Telebracer could be tracked when it's use to teleport around. I mean, we surely have ways to follow something like that. I mean, teleporting might… I'm being kinda sci-fi here, but there might be some kind of energy left behind, or things like that. It has a small piece of the scanner. It might be possible to follow it in a way," he raised his shoulders. He wasn't certain a feat like that was even possible.
Sarah and Ekuud looked at him. The girl wondered if there was a way to follow that. It wouldn't be something she could do, but they will need to be contacted. She never remembers the name of the organisation that brought the game of Chaotic back and made the Codemasters. Still, what he said was farfetched, but it was best to ask them, "Maybe they could try something. We will need to call them and maybe they could do something…" she frowned a bit, "Unless the Guardians of the Cothica has something to say against it. I have no idea how our world actually works anymore."
"The organisation is working with the Guardians. From what me and our parents understand," Alexander replied.
"I think they are more under the Guardians," Sarah replied.
The danian rolled his eyes as he approached her, "Doesn't matter who is at the top. You need to communicate with them and find a way to track those creatures. Peyton and his parents will be rescued quicker if you do that."
Sarah sighed and nodded.
"And if they are asking you to come, I will follow you. I will protect you from anyone, even those Guardians if they had any ill-intention towards you," the muscles tensed under his exoskeleton.
Sarah had a small smile under his face. Not really from the encouragement of Ekuud, but the very fact that they might made some progress. Maybe they didn't think about that. She went in her home to contact them right now.
AC: This is the end of this chapter.
Next: To The Next Village.
The Guardian managed to convince them to bring Tom and his two friends to the other island, beginning the next phase of quest for the Jewel of the Cothica.