Chapter 1: The Beach

Proving Grounds: Forgotten Planet; Forgotten City, Beach Front

1821Y 04M17D 1130H

It has been a week since they got out of the Forgotten City. Now, they are stuck between the city walls and the vast ocean.

Mat has not awakened since then.

"Hey, ain't ya hungry yet?" Smirf fanning the flames of her grilled fish. "Ah haven't burnt if for a — week now!" Exclaimed it.

"Lie — lie," a bird flying above started squawking.

Baby shot it down immediately. "Don't worry Hermana I killed it already, you can continue." She then gave her a thumbs up while picking up the bird.

Smirf sighed. "Anyway, Ah got somethin' for ya... Ah mean, we got somethin'." She opened up a console and showed him his equipment window.

INVENTORY

Weapon:

Great War Hammer 'DoorKnob'

Round Shield 'Hatch'

Tower Shield 'Wicket'

Bone Dagger 'LockPick'

Armor:

Black Warden Set

Black Wolf Skin Mantle

Heart of Colossus

Misc:

Leather Bag

Torch

First Aid

Money:

25,807c

"T'was a good idea givin' em plans to put a portable workbench on ma wagon. We were able to upgrade some of our stuff from the loot we gained at the Black Gate." She pointed at the Tower Shield 'Wicket'. "Me and Azi made that with the piece of the Black Gate we unhinge, awesome huh!?" Chuckled.

She adjusted the beach umbrella once she saw the sun was hitting Mat's shoulder.

"Oh, us decided to make ya'r bone token to a proper armament. See!" Showing her the image of 'LockPick'. "We hidden it on ya'r Wolf Mantle, Azi said ya'll understand once ya saw it."

"Smirfy! — I smell something burning... again!" Menan shouting on the beach, while hauling a fish they caught. Smirf panic and took out the fish but it was too late — it was charred black. She sighed deeply then buried the fish underneath the sands. Afterward, she went to the cooler to take another one to grill.

"Ah should update ya with squad matters, after the battle, us found a map of the world."

. . .

Proving Grounds: Forgotten Planet; Forgotten City, Beach Front

1821Y 04M09D 1900H

"What are we looking at?" Menan asks pointing at the piece of parchment on the table. "Idiot — can't you read? Its the map of the World!" Azaleah insulting him. He got back at her and said. "Well, it says... This is a map of the world, doesn't say which world, potty mouth.

"Stop it you two! Let Luci speak." Baby then gestured Luci to continue. "I heard from the Captain that this city was one of the bastions of the planet Earth. So, we should assume this is a map of... Earth."

"Hmm, Earth... that's the planet humankind destroyed to escape the elven invasion. So what's for dinner?" Acki asks, making everyone ignore him.

"Ahem." Luci taking back the attention thn pointed towards a place on the map. "Right now, we are here Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. According to the skeletons diary, there is a place we can contact an Ark for rescue up north." She then moves her finger upwards on an open sea. "Here, way pass Russia, Arctic Ocean." Everyone looks but there was nothing on the map but blue. "I don't see an island or anything Luci," Baby asks.

Azaleah hovered on top of the map.

"The diary had coordinates and the coordinates pinpoint somewhere there. If we can find a working satellite or some sort of equipment that has a stored GPS, I can pinpoint the exact location." Azaleah landed on that part of the map. "Right now, our target is somewhere in the middle of this."

"How far from here is that?" Menan looking on the map for some kind of distance. "How you want it in Miles or Kilometers? Hoh ho ho ho." Azaleah taunting him. He urges himself not to ask but curiosity is winning him over. "Okay, hmm... kilometers?"

"Hoh ho ho ho... About 16,000 Kilometers — give or take." A sudden gloomy atmosphere consumed the place. "Hoh ho ho... Anyway, our first target is about 3,500 Km from here." Azaleah walk over the map then stopped at their destination...

Japan

Shiro laughing ominously in the background.

. . .

Proving Grounds: Forgotten Planet; Forgotten City, Beach Front

1821Y 04M17D 1200H

"Love, your fish is burnt again." Luci passing by. Smirf sighed deep and buried the fish deeper. She took another one from the cooler and tried again.

"Oh, Menan 'accidentally' died, teh heh." Adding some more charcoal on the grill. "T'was two days ago when em boys went to check some island down south. As story goes Menan was tryin' to catch some fish when all of a sudden he got dragged down and got eaten by the fish he was tryin' to catch. Funny huh? Te heh,"

She pointed towards a ruin by the shore. "There he revives on top, some kind of sacrificial table they say. We still don't know how the revival system works. So, going out of the ocean then dyin' is not a good idea, Luci said so."

Smirf suddenly snapped in delight. "Ah haven't told ya yet, have I? Our friends got their own titles now... Lucii got the title 'Blood Witch' for some reason it got her furious, Baby got the title 'Necromancer' she started speaking a different language which sounded a bit sweet but kinda harsh... Acki got 'Bladed Ogre' he was really proud of that, Shiro is still the same got himself the 'Shadow Demon' title... and well Menan got 'Doppelganger'.

She opened up her console and showed him her profile window. "Ah got 'Acolyte', Luci said it means 'one who attends or assists a leader' kinda sound just like me. Don't ya think so?"

Smirf remembered the fish and took it out before it got burned, she carefully prepared it and put it beside him. "Ah know ya'll be hungry when ya wake up. So, Ah prepare t'is every day just to he sure."

Tears fell down her cheeks dampening the dry sand below her.