"Alright. Split up and ask anyone you meet for info." Eilumi ordered. "If anyone gets a lead, or finds one of our targets, bring them back to this spot. Understand?"

The protogen and the other avali nodded. 'This spot' just so happened to be the place where they had first met the female linoone. 

The idea was, ask the citizens of the town for any information, find them, and then get out. Quick, and simple. Unfortunately, if they had paid better attention to the memories, they would have learned that things don't seem to go right on this planet.

"I don't know anything about anyone. Now buzz off, I have a town to protect." A giant yellow long necked creature holding a spear spat at Eilumi.

"I don't know anything about a linoone. As for that eevee..." The green fly dragon-like thing behind the counter in front of Nine thought a moment, then shook his head. "... Nope, don't know about that either. Now, are you actually going to buy anything, or just waste my time?"

"Nope." A random wolf-like person said to Khaun.

"Buzz off, you weirdo." A yellow rat with a zigzagged tail replied angrily to Eilumi.

"I... I don't know anything! Don't hurt me!" A purple rat-like creature squeaked to Nine before he... she... it ran away.

"Hmm.... I might know something." A strange, brown, vaguely fenerox looking person said to Eilumi with a smile. "...For a price." She finished. Eliuni frowned, and turned away. 
"Tch, forget it. I don't have any money on me." He growled as he left. 'Why did we not 3d print some money? Actually, why did I think it was a good idea to ask around in a brothel of all places?!'
"Hmph, killjoy." He heard her say when she thought he was out of earshot. But avalis like himself have hearing that is second to none. Those extra pair of ears were not for show, after all.
Fortunately or unfortunately for the not-fenerox person in question, he didn't care.

"Well, this is going good." Khaun groaned sarcastically once they'd come back to their rendezvous point.
"Are you sure we beamed to the right place?" Eilumi asked.
"Yes. I'm. sure." Nine responded with both a look and tone of irritation.

Eilumi was about to say something else when his packmate saw a pair of people about to walk by.

"An agaran? Here?" Khaun questioned. 

Eilumi turned to see what he was looking at.

"No, doesn't quite look like it to me." He remarked. It looked more like a cross between an agaran and some sort of small primeval-world dinosaur. Accompanying it was some sort of yellow dog-person with very spiky-looking fur.

"Excuse me, you there, uhh... mushroom person!" Eilumi called out to them as they approached. 

The 'mushroom person' in question was clearly not amused at Eilumi's attempt at a greeting. Said person stared at the strange newcomers up and down with suspicious eyes, clearly not sure what to make of them.

"Mushroom... person?!" The mushroom dinosaur, clearly a 'she', growled back.

"S-Sorry!" Khaun said apologetically as he tried to defuse the tension. "My packmate meant no offense. We're new to these lands, you see. And we're not really familiar with the types of people around him."

The female mushroom person just stared at them, clearly not amused at their antics.
"Uuuuh huh, sure." She said with a tone of disbelief and annoyance, a fact made more evident as she crossed her arms.

"My name's Khaun." He continued, still trying to be as diplomatic as possible. "That's Nine", he pointed to his Protogen packmate behind him, who switched to a 'happy' expression he did. "And he's Eilumi. We're-"

"Let's just cut to the chase." Eilumi rudely interrupted. "We're looking for thr-" He stopped mid sentence when he remembered that Shia was still captured in the Maze. Wherever THAT was. "-Two people. A lioone named Loona. And an Eevee named Veera. Have either of you seen them?"
 
The spikey dog looked like she was about to respond, but the mushroom girl quickly put a hand in front of her friend, stopping them before they could.

"No, we don't know anyone like that." The Mushroom dinosaur person quickly said angrily. "Now if you'll excuse us, we need to be going." She put another hand on the dog-person's shoulder, turned them around and led her away, as quickly as she could without breaking into a full run.

"Tch, rude." Eilumi muttered under his breath as they watched them walk away. Just loud enough for his packmates to hear. "Like everyone else in this town. No wonder Loona wanted to leave with us."

"Based on our interactions with the residents of this town, I have recalculated that there is a strong possibility that neither of our targets are located here." Nine added sadly.

"Let's not rule out that possibility just yet." Khaun responded. "I saw at least one more place we can try asking."

"It'll most likely be a dead end as well." Eilumi groaned. "And if it is... well..."

"We locate this maze, and begin searching there?" Nine suggested.

"Yeah. That."

--------------

Once they were well out of sight, and out of earshot, Brene removed her hand from Veera's mouth and shoulders. 

"Why did you do that, Brene?" Veera asked "They might have been able to help."

"Veera," Brene responded with a look and tone of worry in her voice, "A bunch of very strange mons show up, right out of the blue, and start asking about you and your friend? Doesn't that seem odd to you?"

"Well... I ... uh..." Veera looked off to the side, conflicted. She felt her Brelom friend once again put a hand on her shoulders, and she looked up at her again. 

"Listen, I'm just trying to protect you here. You've been through so much, and I don't want anything else to happen. And those guys..." She sighed. "Those guys have 'suspicious' written all over them."

"I know they were a bit strange, but-" Veera protested, but was cut off.

"Veera, I've been to many different places throughout my life, and I have NEVER seen mons like those before or heard of them. And I'm not being judgemental here. I mean, I'm helping a dungeon dweller after all. But these mons..." She paused briefly. "I'm getting a seriously bad feeling about them. ESPECIALLY since they're looking for you. And if there's one thing I've learned through the years, it's to trust your gut instinct. For all we know, those could be that raichu's goons."

Veera looked off to the side. "Y... You're right Brene. I'm sorry for doubting you."

"Hey, I'm just looking out for you Veera. That's all." Brene replied comfortingly. "It's a good thing they still think you're an eevee."

"Well, at least something good has come of this form." Veera sighed. "But... what if..."

"Veera, trouble yourself with them no longer. You have enough to worry about right now." She took Veera's hand and began to walk with her again. "I mean, look at you, you've run yourself completely ragged. Did you even sleep at all last night?"