"I'm in position, boss," Toco-Toco reported with a barely audible meow.
"Good, follow those inspectors," Golden ordered. "And if you see anything that could incriminate us, let me know. I'll keep a mental channel open for you."
"Yes, sir! Meow!" the cat replied enthusiastically.
Toco-Toco followed the inspectors closely to a building that resembled a futuristic laboratory. Upon entering, the feline observed as they placed several samples on a long metallic table. The fragments were strange—some faintly glowed, while others emitted a soft hum.
"Boss! I saw a bunch of samples on the table. Meow!" Toco-Toco reported. "What's next?"
Golden responded calmly: "Inspect the samples. If you find anything that could incriminate us, do whatever it takes to dispose of it."
The cat activated his special power: a magical eye capable of detecting energy traces. With supernatural speed, he examined each sample until he found something alarming.
"Boss, there are traces of Nakia's magic dust on one of the samples," Toco-Toco communicated.
"Understood," Golden replied without hesitation. "You need to find a way to clean it up. We can't leave any evidence behind."
With precise and nearly invisible movements, Toco-Toco began manipulating the lab. He moved so quickly that not even the security cameras could capture him. No one—not even the sharpest eye in the known world—could have followed his steps.
"Stupid bird!" Toco-Toco muttered under his breath, referring to Nakia and her carelessness.
The feline carefully picked up the incriminating sample. He took out a piece of material he had brought with him, swapped the samples, and finally swallowed the incriminating content as if it were a mere bite.
"Boss, everything's been taken care of," Toco-Toco reported with satisfaction.
"Excellent. You can return," Golden replied.
In the blink of an eye, the cat reappeared before everyone. Those present were astonished.
"But when did the cat leave? How did he end up behind us?" they asked, incredulous.
"All right, now I know we're no longer at risk of being incriminated," Golden declared with a confident smile.
"So your plan was to send the cat to sabotage the evidence… Interesting," Pax commented, impressed.
"That cat is really fast," everyone said, celebrating the little feline hero.
Another day passed. Paltio's clock struck 11 when Pax called his boss, Tejod, to inform him they had found the piece.
"Great!" Tejod exclaimed with an evil laugh. "You'd better hurry. Only two pieces remain, and time is running out! Don't fail me, boy—or I'll destroy another citizen if you waste my time."
"Yes," Paltio replied, head bowed, burdened by guilt.
After that, Yaco returned with the anticipated news: "Nothing incriminates you. So you're free to go immediately. We'll be busy rebuilding the city."
Paltio was deeply anguished. He couldn't shake the feeling that his entry into Ruby had caused irreparable devastation. In obtaining the piece, some villagers had died, and others had been tortured to return to their labors. His heart was heavy, and his gaze reflected the torment of knowing that his mission came at too high a cost.
On the outskirts of the realm, Paltio made a solemn promise to the inhabitants they were leaving behind: "I will return for you." Though his voice carried profound sadness, the group set off toward their next destination: the realm of Pinkertalia. The carriage began to move slowly, as if it sensed the sorrow of its passengers, gradually pulling away from the devastated kingdom.
Meanwhile, Trebolg hadn't initially noticed the carriage Paltio was using. However, just before it disappeared from view, something caught his attention. The design of the vehicle was intriguing—a perfect blend of the ancient and the modern, a unique artifact that only someone from his entourage could have created. "Who could be responsible for this?" he wondered aloud, curious to uncover the truth. Yet, he soon dismissed the thought and returned to his task of tormenting and punishing the citizens of the realm, plunging them even deeper into chaos.
On the road, Paltio and his friends remained pensive, each lost in their own thoughts. Pax, ever practical, decided to read the carriage manual to familiarize himself with its functions. The journey, like all the others, was dark and oppressive, even in broad daylight. The dark magic of Urugas enveloped the world in impenetrable shadows, and the only things visible were illuminated by the horses thanks to the blue fire lamps Pax had installed on the carriage.
While reviewing some pages of the manual, Pax discovered something interesting: the carriage had its own built-in light source. This could prove useful, as blue fire didn't grow on trees, and he didn't want to keep asking his boss for more—knowing it would only irritate him.
"How many days, Mok, until we reach the next realm?" Paltio asked, breaking the silence.
The butler pulled out his map and studied it carefully. "If we maintain this pace," he replied eventually, "we'll arrive in three days."
"Three days?!" Paltio exclaimed, alarmed. "That's too long." And no wonder: they were already 14 days into their mission, and with the search for the next piece, they'd likely be halfway through another day. Moreover, the next realm was even farther away, and eventually, they'd have to return to Avocadalia.
"Perhaps you could use those days to train," Golden suggested. "That way, you'd be better prepared to face Tejod."
Pax let out an ironic laugh. "Face Tejod? Ha! You're fools if you think you can do it. He'd turn you into jade before you could take ten steps toward him."
"You have so little faith in us," Alita retorted, crossing her arms. "Maybe, with your help, we could pull it off."
"My help would be my end," Pax replied coldly. "I can't betray him."
As they debated their next steps, a sharp sound cut through the air. Suddenly, something razor-sharp severed the straps holding the horses to the carriage. A deafening crash echoed through the environment, and the frightened animals bolted at full speed, leaving the carriage stranded in the middle of nowhere.
"What was that!?" everyone thought in unison as they scrambled out of the carriage to assess what had happened and search for the horses. At that exact moment, something—or someone—emerged from the shadows, wielding a lance-like weapon aimed directly at Paltio.
Mok reacted swiftly, positioning himself in front of the prince to shield him. "Look out!" the butler shouted as he blocked the attack with his body. The rest of the group looked on in alarm and assumed defensive stances.
Before them stood a hooded figure, mostly concealed except for their glowing red eyes, brimming with fury and determination. Without warning, they attacked again, hurling their weapons with lethal precision. Mok continued to deflect each blow, his body acting as an impenetrable shield for Paltio.
"Run!" Mok commanded urgently, his voice firm yet tinged with sacrifice.
The others obeyed without hesitation, fleeing into the darkness to seek safety. However, Paltio refused to abandon the fight. He resisted, trying to return to Mok's side.
"We don't know if there are more of them," Pax said as he ran, his voice tense and alarmed. It was clear he knew something about this hooded creature, though there was no time for explanations.
Suddenly, another spear fell directly in front of Paltio, radiating a dark and destructive power. Upon impact with the ground, it unleashed an explosion that created a massive chasm around them. Pax tried to save Paltio, aware that they needed him to find the scepter pieces, but the earth beneath them began to crumble further. Both lost their balance and started plummeting into the depths of the abyss.
"No! Paltio!" Alita and Ron screamed in unison, their voices filled with anguish as they watched their companions disappear into the hole.