Page 3 of Forsaken Secrets

Hopefully it knocked out the rest of the pack, too. I'd counted at least two dozen going in and out of those tunnels yesterday, and I didn't want to deal with any of them.

Now. To get inside …

The main cavern would be full of sleeping gremlyns and far too dangerous, but there was a tunnel to the right that should lead to the ruins — if my memory was correct. Things from that day were hazy, though.

Carefully, I moved my pack to my front, then dropped to my knees and crawled into the small tunnel. Everything was dark and wet, and I didn't even want to think about what the sticky substance between my fingers was.

This wasn't that bad. No worse than the other ruins I'd explored, at least.

Long legs skittered over my fingers, and I bit my tongue to keep myself from yelping.

Well, perhaps a bit worse … but doable. And worth it.

Yes. If I found that relic, it would absolutely be worth it.

My eyes adjusted to the darkness as I crawled, and I froze at the sight of a large mound ahead of me, stomach sinking.

A cave-in. The tunnel had collapsed!

Frustration gripping me, I moved faster, clearing the rubble as quickly and quietly as I could. Hopefully, it didn't extend too far. I could practically feel the gremlyns stirring as the minutes ticked by.

Finally, I broke through. On the other side seemed to be a large chamber.

Hmm. The cave-in must have dropped part of the roof, too. At least enough to allow a few thin beams of light to shine across the room.

My heart skipped.

There! The shrine was just as I remembered it. Several tall stones leaned haphazardly around a central altar that was broken in two. A spindly tree grew from the break in the altar, reaching up towards the light spilling through one of those cracks in the ceiling. It had grown since my last visit.

Those lumps on the ground, though … they hadn't been there last time.

Had the gremlyns expanded to this room, too? It was closed off from the main entrance, so I'd naively hoped they'd left it alone.

Damn!

I couldn't see well enough to see how many there were, and after last time, I couldn't risk entering without being sure of the relic.

Closing my eyes, I pushed through that veil in my mind. It felt a bit like swimming through mud, but there were the small korras of the little gremlyns — dozens of pulsing swirls of blue and green essences, and there — at the center — there was something …

It was too hazy to make out specifics, but the strength of the essences seemed far stronger than anything capable of roaming these ruins. It was stronger than any relics I'd seen in town, too!

Had I actually found the Druid's temple? It was probably another dead end. But gods, it had potential.

He'd supposedly disappeared after The Fall, but other relic hunters like the Reapers Guild had searched for his last resting place for hundreds of years, hoping that with his body, they would find some of the powerful relics he'd supposedly collected.

Cautiously excited, I moved my pack to my back, then crept over the furry bodies, deadly claws twitching in their sleep, until I reached the back wall.

Finally in a position to take a closer look, I bent down and inspected the altar. The tree trunk seemed to be growing from inside the broken stones …

Carefully, I pulled away small pieces of loose stone, setting them quietly on the floor.

Once I'd removed enough to see better, I bent down and peered inside.

My heart sank. The hidden cavity of the altar was empty save the tree growing from it.

I examined the korra again and gasped. The relic seemed to extend … inside the tree?

That made no sense.

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