"Right, let's get to work," Paltio said with determination.
"Understood!" everyone responded in unison, ready to act.
"Wow, two speeches in one day. I'm impressed, Paltio. Don't let your brain overheat," Ron teased, while Alita nodded with a mischievous smile.
The group decided to split into two teams. Paltio would lead the search for the final piece of the Scepter of Avocios alongside Lucca, Lukeandria, Ban, Ludra, and Dall. The latter was assigned because, although he wasn't particularly skilled in combat, he could assist with simpler tasks like exploration. On the other hand, Alita, Ron, and Rodelos joined Ariafilis's team to free the Reedalian prisoners from the mine and contact the professor, who might help them track down the mysterious crystals.
Moments before departing, Dall voiced his frustration: "Hey, why do I have to dig with them?" he asked, looking at Ariafilis before he left.
Jock, ever blunt, replied without hesitation: "It'll toughen you up. Besides, it builds character." Though the truth was that he had been left out of the combat team because he wasn't particularly efficient in dangerous situations.
"Don't worry, grandson. I'll be back soon—it'll be quick," Rodelos said, ruffling Paltio's hair affectionately.
"We'll be back soon, friend," Alita and Ron said as they prepared to leave.
"All right, we trust you," Paltio responded with a smile.
"If you find the last piece quickly, let us know," Ron added before the two teams went their separate ways.
Geki, always prepared, provided tools like shovels and pickaxes to aid in the search. The nearly complete scepter that Paltio carried began to glow more intensely compared to when they were above ground. However, there was a problem: the device glowed in every direction they pointed it.
"This is going to be tricky," Paltio murmured, eyeing the scepter with concern.
"Well, don't worry. You've got us," Mok said, trying to cheer him up.
"Mok, you should rest. Remember, I can't heal you again until tomorrow… or you might grow a tail," Paltio joked.
"Yes, rest, Mok," Lucca and Lume chimed in, agreeing that he needed to recover his strength.
"All right, we'd better divide the work," Paltio suggested, quickly organizing the group. "Okay, you, Lucca, take that side… and, uh, what's your name again?" he asked, looking at Dall.
"My name's Dall," the young man replied, somewhat uncomfortably.
"Oh, right. Then you, Dall, will go with Lucca to cover that section," Paltio instructed.
"Next, Lukeandria, you'll go with Toco-Toco. He'll help too, thanks to Golden," Paltio continued, pointing in another direction.
"Ludra and Ban, take this side. And finally, Rykaru and I will check this area," he concluded, gently petting the small cub covered in white fur.
"All right, everyone knows what to do. Any questions?" Paltio asked, scanning the group.
"Yes, me!" Dall said, timidly raising his hand.
"What's up?" Paltio asked.
"If we find the piece, what do we do? Do we pick it up and bring it to you?" Dall inquired curiously.
"No, no! Just let me know if you find it," Paltio quickly replied.
"Why?" Dall pressed, confused.
Lukeandria interjected sarcastically: "Just leave it. Let him pick it up."
"No, don't be mean," Paltio retorted, giving her a mock-indignant look.
"He seems more distracted and clueless than you," Lukeandria quipped with a laugh.
Paltio shot her a sidelong glance before explaining to Dall: "You can't touch it because a powerful force will repel anyone who tries."
"Ah, okay, I understand," Dall responded, nodding seriously.
In his mind, Dall repeated like a mantra: I must not touch it, I must not touch it. Without further delay, everyone got to work, digging in teams to search for the final piece of the scepter.
Meanwhile, Alita created an earthen platform that lifted the group toward where the citizens were working under the dominion of the Black Shadows. Upon reaching the top, they spotted the entrance. Ron, impatient as ever, was about to dash toward it when Ariafilis firmly stopped him.
"Careful, boy," she warned.
"But why? That's the way out," Ron protested, pointing ahead. At that exact moment, a curtain of intense fire fell before him, blocking the path. Ron stumbled backward in fear, quickly realizing how close he had come to death.
"Thanks, Ariafilis," he said, swallowing hard as he watched the roaring cascade of fire continue to blaze before his eyes. "Good thing… I almost didn't make it."
"Well, that's my job, along with Nakia's," Alita interjected confidently. Both extended their hands—one her palms, the other her wings—and began manipulating the flames as if they had complete control over them. They redirected the torrent into another direction, as though creating an invisible pipeline through which the fiery stream flowed.
To make crossing easier, Alita placed a solid slab of earth precisely where the fiery waterfall landed, allowing everyone to cross without having to leap or expose themselves to danger. One by one, the soldiers crossed the improvised bridge. Once everyone was safely on the other side, Alita followed, trailed swiftly by Nakia, who flew to catch up with her.
"That was close," Nakia commented, landing lightly on Alita's shoulder as she fluttered briefly.
Everyone regrouped and decided to proceed stealthily. From a distance, they observed the citizens digging under the watchful eyes of grotesque beings with vole-like features. These creatures had deformed bodies and yellowish eyes that seemed to glow in the dim light.
"They must be the Vichus Blaget was talking about," Rodelos murmured, frowning.
"All right, it's time to use our stealth, everyone," Ariafilis commanded her soldiers, gesturing with her hand to signal them to advance carefully.
One by one, the soldiers began infiltrating the area, rescuing villagers who appeared to be on the verge of physical collapse. They worked in complete silence, ensuring not to alert the Vichus. However, one soldier made a mistake: he tripped over a loose rock, causing a noise that echoed through the space.
One of the Vichus whipped its head toward the source of the sound. The enormous, deformed creature let out a shrill screech, alerting the others. The Vichus' eyes lit up with rage as they prepared to attack.
"Everyone to your positions!" Jock shouted, drawing his sword as the others assumed combat stances.
Simultaneously, with Paltio's Team:
Paltio and Rykaru continued digging in search of the final piece of the scepter. Rykaru was thrilled, moving his small white-furred paws with enthusiasm. For him, this was a grand adventure, working alongside his "daddy." Unfortunately, despite their efforts and Rykaru's remarkable speed at digging using only his claws (no tools required), they had yet to find anything.
"Come on, little one, maybe it's here," Paltio encouraged, pointing to another nearby spot. Rykaru responded with a playful growl, ready to keep searching.
For their part, Lukeandria and Toco-Toco hadn't had any luck either. The young woman was beginning to grow frustrated, though the feline dug with supernatural speed. However, all they found were rocks—nothing but endless rocks. Ban and Ludra also returned empty-handed, as did Lucca and the young man accompanying him. The latter was taking his time, digging slowly and with obvious effort.
"Wow, that guy is really slow and weak," Lume commented, pausing digging to glance at Dall from a distance.
"So it seems," Geki replied, nodding her small gecko-like head in agreement.
At one point, Lucca decided to move to another area, frustrated by Dall's sluggish pace. Meanwhile, the young man continued striking the ground with his pickaxe when something caught his attention: a bright glimmer beneath the dirt. Without a second thought, he completely forgot Paltio's warning about not touching the object. It seemed that, in addition to being distracted, Dall was also a bit forgetful.
Curious, he reached out and touched the object. At that instant, a powerful surge coursed through his body, causing him such intense pain that he leaped backward. After a few dizzying seconds, he managed to regain his balance and exclaimed, "Hey, I think I found what we were looking for!"
However, before he could say anything more, the ground began to shake violently. Just below the glowing object, two enormous eyes emerged from the earth, staring directly at him. Dall froze in sheer terror as a massive jaw rose from the ground, ready to devour him.