3Below: The Adventure Continues

Chapter 11: The Fall of Cantaloupia

The team and Dictatious were led by Aja into her's and her brother's ship with their bodyguard close behind, everyone feeling the tension from the giant alien. The group couldn't help but stare in awe as took in their surroundings. The ship was filled with all sorts of technology that was indescribable, "This place looks a lot bigger on the inside than it does on the outside," Steve commented with an amazed look on his face. Toby suddenly heard a small groan and looked back to Dictatious, who still being tended by Eli with ARRRGGHHH! close by. He still looked to be in pain, "You okay, Dictatious?" he asked him concern. Dictatious broke out of his pain-ridden stupor as he moved his head towards the direction of Toby's voice, "Still burning...but it subsided some. I'll be fine," he answered quietly as he held his face again. "Of course, you'll be fine. It's just a Pharmakon orb," the giant alien butted in, nonchantly. This anger Toby some, "Okay, you still haven't explained what that is and why it's causing our friend so much pain!" Toby yelled, failing to keep calm. Even though according to Dictatious that the pain had subsided, he could tell that he was still in some serious pain. The giant alien simply rolled his eyes in response, "Yeah! And why it's not coming off!" Eli butted him also angry as Steve came and stood next to him, arms crossed with a look on his face that shows that he was still ready for a fight if necessary. ARRRGGHHH! merely rumbled in response, "Please, no more! We agreed that we would explain everything as long there's no more fighting!" Aja said back to them desperate for hostile behavior to stop. Toby looked at her with shameful before releasing a sigh, "Sorry, we just want to know what's going on that's all; with our friend...and everything else," Toby said to her, calmly. Aja looked somewhat sympathic, "I guess we can't blame you for that, given the circumstances," Aja said to him as she looked back at the pain ridden troll, "Come, we can talk in here," she said as she gestured towards an open door that lead what looked like a living room. Toby looked back at her briefly before helping Eli with Dictatious while ARRRGGHHH! and Steve followed them inside, with a look of cation plastered on their faces. Aja was about to follow before she felt a hand on her shoulder. Sher turn her head and saw her brother's stoic but stern face, "This is not a good idea, Aja. We may have known Toby a little bit longer than the others but that doesn't mean we should trust them either," Krel said to her in a harsh tone. With that their bodyguard stood next to him, "I concur with your brother, Princess Aja. What you're about to tell these earthlings is classified information to the throne. Sure, they may seem decent enough but that could be a ruse. For all we know, they could bounty hunters sent by the Dictator to destroy us," their bodyguard said to her, in a distrustful tone. Aja cocked an eyebrow, "Uh, no offense boys, but do you really think they're intergalactic bounty hunters?" she asked them somewhat amused as she gestured to them. Krel and the bodyguard looked back at the group as they sat wait for them to come in while tending to Dictatious. Krel pressed a button that closed the door. The bodyguard turned back to the princess, "Well, maybe not bounty hunters or at least the Earth trolls and the two-male earthlings but the one with the "robot teeth." There's something strange about him. He gives off some sort of weird energy that I have no idea how to decipher," the bodyguard commented as he scratched his chin as thoughtful but suspicious look appeared on his face. However, this didn't shake Aja, "Look, we do owe them some sort of explanation, especially after what you did to their friend," she said to her bodyguard, sternly. The guard looked somewhat shameful for a moment, "Look at it from their perspective; three strange creatures from another world entirely different from their own, not to mention their planet was attack by an invasion of hostile Earth Trolls," "That we narrowly escape from after the Battle of the Bands," Krel piped in, interrupting her. Aja merely glare at her brother before continuing, "My point being, they're probably still shaken up by that. For all we know, they probably thought we were going to conquer their planet and given what happened to us, that's not a very good thought," she said to them rationally. They stood their unmoved for a moment before Krel released a small sigh, "It probably wouldn't hurt to make some sort of allies here. After all, we could use some help in fixing the ship... and learn more about this planet. Who knows, we might get a new ally out of this," Krel added, agreeing with his sister to a degree as he glanced to their bodyguard. He too released a sigh, "Alright, fine. We'll tell them everything... or at least some of it. But if they show any sign of working against us, I'll throw them into what's equivalent to black hole on this planet. I'm keeping my eyes on Robot Teeth in there, especially" the bodyguard said darkly as the prince and princess share a fearful grimace as Krel pressed the button to open the door and entered the room.