The following day, after refreshments and changing into new guest clothes, the contingent gathered again.
"Wow! These outfits may be traditional, but they surely know how to design them!" Tiffy said suggestively.
"They're made of wool, fibers, or even cotton. I saw their farming activities yesterday," Nick added, inspecting the attires closely.
"Okay, guys, what do you think we should do today? Help with farming, or focus quickly on training, surgery, and gathering all the necessary items?" William asked curiously.
"I think we should move fast and get out of here as soon as possible. I was relieved the hybrids forgot to track Mikal's serum last night—otherwise, who knows what could have happened! The sooner we leave, the better. What do you think?" Nick replied thoughtfully.
"I agree with Nick. They probably have some idea of where we are after that teleporting incident. If we overstay, they might track down their neutralized allies eventually, even after the surgery. That could reveal our location," Tiffy added.
"Alright then! Let's move quickly. Jenny, you can see the nurses for the baby checkups. Mikal, you'll see Dr. Orville for surgery. Elizabeth, Tiffy, and I will join him for mappy spells and protective spells. The others will acquire extra weapons and research extracting UV chemicals to smear on our weapons at the training camp. Later, we'll get some of their best military training, either in the afternoon or evening. Let's get to it—we can do this!" Nick rallied the group, and they dispersed to their tasks.
Nick, Elizabeth, Mikal, and Tiffy went to see Dr. Orville. Upon arrival, they received a warm welcome.
"Welcome! Please, take your seats and remove your shoes first," Orville instructed kindly.
The four guests obeyed, sitting in a circle near the doctor.
"Who will start?" Orville asked.
Mikal volunteered, "I will start with the surgery."
Orville nodded and summoned his nursing team, who arrived carrying surgical tools and herbal medicine.
"Please proceed to the mattress in the corner," Orville said kindly.
Mikal lay down horizontally and removed his pants as instructed. The surgical team worked carefully and for a long while, performing the procedure before binding the wound.
"Mikal, we successfully removed the serum lump from your body. This should make you untraceable. It will need time to heal, so be careful. Drink this herbal medicine—it will help cleanse your bloodstream."
Mikal took the medicine and then asked, "Did you put me under anesthesia? How come I woke up unconscious?"
"Yes, we tranquilized you to numb the pain. The surgery was painless," Orville explained.
"Nothing lasts forever now that I'm untraceable!" Mikal said, grimacing slightly from the sour medicine. "But how did you learn this medicine?"
"These are proven techniques passed down through generations. We've all seen their positive effects—don't doubt that," Orville assured him. "We stitched your wound and stopped the bleeding with herbal medicine. You should be fine now."
"Can I join the mappy spells session next?" Mikal asked cautiously.
"You can, but be careful with your movements—the stitches are delicate," Orville warned.
Mikal carefully joined his allies, and after the nurses left with their equipment, Orville began the mappy spells. He took blood samples, then started the ritual. Magical writings appeared on the wall, and everyone received identical maps.
"I see you all have the same maps," Orville said. "This means we need to interpret them carefully. I see a mountain and a sea-like outline—likely indicating that the gems are in mountainous or coastal regions. The nearest mountain from here is Mount Volta."
"Mount Volta!" the group exclaimed ominously.
"That's where Luca's kind live. What a coincidence!" Elizabeth added.
"Does that mean we'll encounter indigenous creatures on the brink of extinction?" Nick asked.
"If so, you'll definitely need to know how to approach the gem. But beware—a secret society may also reside there," Orville cautioned.
"Probably in underground bases near the gems. This means war is likely," Nick concluded grimly.
"Nick, maybe you could decode the map to Mount Volta online, so we can have a smooth journey. I don't want another quarrel between us if we get lost," Tiffy asked softly.
"We presented ourselves as a couple entering the village. You even saved me. I don't think a cold war is necessary now. But that doesn't mean you're off the hook from divorce proceedings. I'll consider it if we survive," Nick replied.
Orville interjected mockingly, "Do you guys have marital problems? I have love potions, you know!"
"No!" Nick and Tiffy answered ominously in unison.
"Then why talk about divorce?" Orville asked curiously.
"It's complicated. Tiffy cheated on me and felt irritated more during a heated argument while we were completely lost at the desert. I love Elizabeth more than her, ever since high school. All three of us seem like candidates for the goodness kiss, judging by the looks of it. Maybe you can advise, but please, no love potions—they'd only make things worse," Nick said.
"True love is blind and comes from the heart. Even if your wife cheated on you, you need to check your heart. The gems choose true lovers," Orville said sagely.
"Elizabeth, do you love Nick or someone else?" Orville asked.
Elizabeth glanced between Mikal and Nick, then said softly, "I'm not sure."
"Not sure?" Nick repeated, puzzled.
"What do you mean?" Mikal asked Elizabeth.
"I mean… Nick is married. I'm not sure if it's right to interfere. I inspired Nick to be a better basketball player in high school, but Tiffy ruined my chances by marrying him," Elizabeth admitted.
"The tables could turn in our favor! Aren't you hopeful the gems will choose us?" Nick pressed.
"I'm hopeful, but you have to divorce Tiffy first," Elizabeth replied.
"Wow. So you've been waiting for the gems just to get away from me? All this was your plan—to rush our wedding, almost miss the honeymoon while sneaking around with Elizabeth?" Tiffy said bitterly.
"No!" Nick protested.
"Were you even willing to include me in this mission after the kitchen meeting? Or were you just using me, my dad, and our resources?" Tiffy accused.
"I contacted you for help because we were in crisis. I thought you were cheating on me with all those social media posts featuring other men. I didn't want to involve you initially. This has nothing to do with the rushed wedding or honeymoon—we had cheating problems since high school, and neither of us is the victim here," Nick explained.
"For the last time, Nick, I got drunk because I was depressed you were away. I even aborted pregnancies. We went to the same schools all our lives, then Elizabeth, your high school crush, suddenly joins your military camp. Doesn't that seem planned? You planned to leave me!" Tiffy said softly.
"If you got depressed and acted masochistically, how do you explain your relationships with other high school boys while being cheerleading captain?" Nick retorted.
"Men always eyed me as cheerleading captain. I kept boundaries. I only focused on you," Tiffy said firmly.
"For your information, Elizabeth joined me on the puzzle book mission. I rushed the wedding to get the gems. We didn't know it would make us candidates for the goodness kiss. We were on a mission to save everyone—not to be together. I never planned to hurt you!" Nick explained.
Elizabeth defended, "Nick is right. Our mission was to save everyone, not to gang up on you. We didn't know about the goodness kiss candidates. You're a candidate too. I don't see a problem if Nick is being honest about his intentions."
"Then why plan a divorce if we survive?" Tiffy asked softly.
"The irritations you caused during the desert lost us. Your complaining was worse than anyone else's. That's why I want to leave," Nick replied.
"If you're upset, can apologies fix things, or is it too late?" Tiffy asked hopefully.
"I'll think about it. But Elizabeth should be compensated for your high school misdemeanors," Nick said.
"Okay, Sally and Elizabeth will say their compensations once we arrest the street gang back home—if we survive. Deal?" Tiffy proposed.
"I'll consider it. Let's not make things harder here," Nick said, standing. "Thanks for everything, Dr. Orville. We need to join the others."
"You're always welcome to Kabaka Village! If you need me, I'm here. May the gems unite you, not divide you in finding true soulmates," Orville said, waving goodbye as the group left.