Void and Zoork ran through the dimly lit forest, sunlight covered by the immense amount of trees and their leaves. They neared the city, but Void discerned a presence so strong it could only be the king, so they slightly deviated from their plan. Without saying a word, they shifted their direction and headed to this presence around a flat area within the forest; this location was so extensive that they technically ventured out of the woods and into a place with no greenery for miles to come — just dried up dirt with an uncountable amount of cracks. In the middle of this location was a cave. From the cavern, a foul scent reeked, and it wasn't just any stink; it was an aroma spreading the whole site. The putrid rotting scent had a definite effect on why the region around the cave was so desolate — nothing could live there if they wanted.

"Yo, old man," Void said, awkwardly smiling as he looked at the cave. "I think you should stay here. I'll go in alone."

Zoork smacked Void in the back of the head and frowned. His saggy skin made him look unnatural as he laughed. "Is the oh-so-mighty Void scared?"

"Pops," he said, gaping into the cave. He gripped his fists and paced his breaths. "I can't assure your life once we go in there. You'll be holding me back."

Zoork blinked and grabbed Void's shoulder, turning his body. He made eye contact with his son and opened his mouth, not saying a word. He let go and shook his head. "You're being serious?"

"You know I don't joke around. I didn't realize the king was this powerful. Fuck Meth for not telling us."

"We can still retreat. It's not too late."

"You know that's not an option. If Meth said the king needs to be killed, no matter what, he'll be slain. Anyway, the alternative would be to let Arthur die a needless death. I don't think he's the wanderer, but others do. His death will cause a commotion. We can't have that happen."

Zoork stood silent and gripped his son's shoulder, so he couldn't move. He didn't want to let go. He already felt the pain of letting go once before, so another wasn't something he wanted to ever do.

"You remember what big bro used to say?" Void smiled and held Zoork's hand, taking it off. With a bright smile, he walked to the cave and placed his right hand in its direction as he recited what his Brother used to tell him. "Be brave now. You'd rather be brave now. It's that, or you'll never gain the chance to show courage. So show it and show it brightly."

Zoork closed his eyes. He was too afraid to lose another...

"Nothingness or everything, what will it be this time?" Void asked, circulating Tuam towards his right hand. "Who cares? I'll be the light to the darkness."

A cry screeched from the cave, and a rumble shook the area as something enormous approached out. The floor began to tear open from around as the land shook, and once the cavern broke apart, a monster forced its way out of the ground, but the 80-meter nightmare of an anomaly only fit halfway, so it almost seemed like he was imprisoned — his lower half in the floor while his upper was showing. The green fish-head monster had tentacle hands and a human-like body with slimy flesh; it was a vile creature, a thing that could have only been spawned out of a person's fever dream — it was otherworldly.

"Zoork." Void widened his eyes and pointed at the monster. "I don't think that's the king."

Zoork was too stunned to speak as he stared at the anomaly, not sure what to do or say. He got cold feet.

The monster roared and smacked its tentacles against its fishlike face —its eyes were far apart, blazing with a thousand years of stored-up irritation. In a fit of rage, the rampaging Tuam beast slapped its large hands towards the floor — ten tentacle fingers compared to the size of the whole forest rioted down, ready to devastate anything.

"Void number one," Void said, holding his palms towards the tentacles, and his white hair grew a few strands of black hair. "Repel!"

The tentacles flung back at the beast and struck it in the face with such power that its upper body bent and plunged to the floor while its lower body stayed in the earth's hole. The beast should have died from such a distortion on its body, but it had malleable bones, so flexibility wasn't an issue, but the creature was now far beyond infuriated. It sought murder as pure bloodlust oozed out.

"We need to leave now," Zoork said, grabbing Void and running.

Void followed without hesitance but stopped. He felt something was wrong.

"Hurry, Void," Zook said, turning around and looking at his son, but instead he saw something worse.

With both tentacle hands fluttering downwards, the beast attacked. It didn't need much time to recuperate from the damage.

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"POPS," Void said, his veins protruding from his neck as he pointed his palms to the beast and tried to repel the attack, but he was simply blocking until he could no longer. "I'm... Going to use it."

Zoork looked around, then at his son and himself; he wasn't sure what to do. He couldn't teleport out of the situation because he was too far from all his set locations. And if he wanted to complete an emergency teleport, he needed Arthur and Vanilla. The only thing that coursed through his mind was whether he was willing to risk his son dying. He ran forward towards Void and decided, even if it cost him his life, he'd set a final teleport — as the name implies, the teleport can only be used once and wherever he pleases, but the cost is life itself.

Void screamed, his hair becoming more black. "Void nu-"

But before he could finish his sentence, the monster stopped attacking and snarled. It ground its shark-like teeth and stared behind Void and Zoork. The slimy monster jerked its head, green muck splattering from its skin — it seemed distressed. That was assuming it had feelings...

"We're here," Arthur said, placing Vanilla on the floor next to Zoork. He looked up and pointed at the beast. "What even is that?"

The beast used his wide eyes to peer at Arthur as it huffed from its nose, shimming its way down into the hole. Its body was in the ground, except for one hand that excreted a viscous green liquid from each tentacle's tip. The fluid flowed onto all the broken rocks, moving them towards the hole, and not even in a minute, the once broken materials formed a barrier — the formation resembled the cave it once was.

Vanilla stared at Arthur and blinked. "Am I dreaming?"

"We have to be," Arthur replied, flicking Zoork's head with his finger. "So... What the hell was that?"

"Don't worry about it."

Void neared the group, his hair back to all white. "He's trying to act cool. We have no idea what that thing was."

"Uh, so now what?" Vanilla asked.

Void grabbed Vanilla by the body as they created eye contact. Before Vanilla could even react in surprise, he placed his hand outwards and held a spear that was directly coming at them. He let go of her and dropped the weapon — the spear immediately turned into water.

"Another monster?" Zoork asked, looking near the forest as a seven-foot blue creature arrived. A tentacle reached out its right leg hole.

"No, that can't be right. I think I killed him," Arthur said, glancing at the Atlantean, who very much looked similar to the man he had boiled alive, except now his skin seemed more octopus-like. More of a velvety consistency rather than a scaley one.

"What?" Void asked.

"He's like in charge of the fish-people or something. But he looks different."

The blue octopus fish freak walked toward the group and yelled, "Why do you dare defy our wishes of ridding ourselves of that filth that is Fishman? Who are you, people?"

Zoork glanced at Arthur and shrugged. "You killed him, so talk to him."

"We come in peace. We don't mean to harm anyone."

"Liar! You said you were Fishman's friend," he said, creating a spear and wrapping it around his tentacle. "You plan to defy our coup d'état?"

The entire group was confused, but Vanilla stepped forward and raised her arms. "It seems we have a misunderstanding. We may have said that we're acquaintances of your king-"

The general cut off Vanilla and smacked his tentacle on the floor. "No, the young master will take control."

Vanilla nodded. "That's great because we're here to kill your ineffective king."

"You lie to survive?" He shook his head and roared. "Pathetic!"

Vanilla turned around, eyeing for someone to take over.

Void stepped in front of Vanilla. "That's fine if you don't trust us. Take us in handcuffs, if you may, but I insist you take us to the king because we are as interested in his death as you are. I believe we have the same goal as you do... killing the king."

The general drooled white ooze out of his mouth, staring at Arthur. He smiled and nodded. "A splendid proposition. Splendid indeed."

Zoork whispered into Void's ear. "What are you doing? They're definitely planning to put anti-Tuam restraints on us."

"That's nothing I can't break out of," Void whispered in Zoork's ear. He nodded and glanced at the general, who simply gazed at the group. "Should we come to you, or are you coming to us?"

The general shook his head, snapping out of his thoughts. "The cave you're near is forbidden for us Atlanteans. If you want to kill the king, then come to me with your hands raised. "

Arthur nudged Vanilla and joked. "So he's willing to kill his king, but a cave is forbidden."

Vanilla held in her laugh, pressing her lips together.

Once they neared the general, he used his tentacle to put slime around each person's hands, creating fluid handcuffs. As soon as he finished his homemade cuffs, he rapidly gasped for air and returned to his normal fish-self — more scaley. He also placed his tentacle away. "Since you are acquainted with the king, I'll act as if I captured you folk and brought you to him."

"Sounds like a brilliant plan," Vanilla said, not looking as optimistic as her words were.

"But for now... A few guards working under my command will take you into custody and place you in jail, but this is only temporary, at least, until the real show starts. I may discharge you earlier, but that depends on if you all are telling the truth or not. And trust me, if I find out that you aren't, then I'll kill you all without hesitation." The general looked at the sky and blinked, telepathically signaling his guards to come to a rendezvous point. He did not do this through his own abilities but an intercommunicated Tuam — a shared power that's derived by an individual who allows specific people to use their ability.

The general forced the group to walk through the forest and towards the city. But before they got too close, a black limousine approached them. Five guards arrived out of the car and grabbed each of The Wanderers.

"Not him," the general said, touching Arthur. "He's coming with me."

"But, sir. Our interrogation will be more effective with all of them."

"Not him." He repeated himself. "Those three are enough."

"Yes, sir!"

The soldiers pushed the trio into the limousine. The fish-people split the members up in the fancy seating. A guard sat on the left and right of each Wanderer.

Zoork eyed Void and then Vanilla. No words were said, but they understood each other; the main objective was in play, and passing interrogation was a must.

The general touched Arthur's hair, spreading his fingers through it. "Boyo, the young master will love your company."

He wasn't sure what the general's comments suggested, but he knew the general had separated him from his group. There had to be a reason. He needed to be diligent and precise, not display any weakness.