An hour long walk later...
After a long hike, they reached the entrance to the Lush Jungle. There was a sign that was covered in moss and flora. It seemed to have some writing on it, but due to the overgrowth, it was hard to read.
So Tessa approached the sign and bushed the flora off, revealing the writing.
"The Lush Jungle, Proceed With Caution."
"It says to proceed with caution." Said Tessa.
"We'll be fine." Replied Cal.
Cal walked forwards, entering the jungle. Soon after, the others followed him inside. Tall lush trees and vibrant flora surrounded them, moss and vines covered the trees and rocks. As they pushed deeper into the jungle, the sound of birds chirping and bugs buzzing echoed throughout the whole area. Cal used his sword to hack and slash through the tall grass and plants, clearing a path for them.
As they continued to embark deeper, they came across a river. Cal could see frogs, turtles, and fish swimming around in the water. He also saw parrots perched on branches, chameleons hanging from branches and tree stumps, and geckos scurrying across the jungle floor.
Tessa saw a gecko sleeping on a tree stump, so she slowly approached it with the intent to observe it.
"That's cute." Said Tessa.
The gecko then woke up. And when the gecko saw Tessa staring, it frantically scurried away. Tessa found the way it ran away very funny, so she chuckled as it fled.
Keith walked up to Cal and stood next to him as Cal washed his bloody right hand in the river stream.
"Do you know why Elijah had a higher price on his head compared to us?" Asked Keith.
"I don't know. He must've done something while he went off to do his own stuff." Replied Cal.
"Probably. But geez, ten thousand gold? He had to have done something to piss of the Headhunters." Said Keith.
"He did tell me that he didn't have that great of a reputation with the Headhunters." Replied Cal.
Cal stood up and wiped his wet hand on his pant leg. He looked over at Victoria, who was crouched down next to Tessa as she was holding a frog in her hands.
"Alright guys, let's keep moving." Said Cal.
Tessa lowered the frog to the ground, letting it hop away. She then walked back over to Cal and Keith alongside Victoria.
They resumed their trek through the jungle, passing big orange flowers with vines surrounding them.
"That's a pretty flower." Said Victoria.
"I think people call it the Orkando, apparently it acts like a Venus Fly Trap." Replied Tessa.
"Interesting." Said Victoria.
As they continued exploring, they came across a stone arch that was covered in moss and vines. There was a wall with some symbols and writing chiseled into it.
"What's this?" Asked Keith.
"I don't know, let's take a closer look." Replied Cal.
Upon getting closer to the wall, the symbols were a lot more visible. There was three rectangles in a triangle formation. One of the rectangles had a sun in the middle, the other had a star, and the last one had a snowflake in the middle.
In the centre of the triangle formation, there was an engraving of what appeared to be a book. There were lines coming from each rectangle that connected to the book engraving. Cal and Keith looked at the wall, confused about what it could mean. Keith decided to pull out his journal and sketch the engravings in case they might be useful in the future.
YOU ARE READING
Vanguards Of Aetheria II: The Solace Rune
FantasyA year after the events of "Vanguards Of Aetheria", Cal Livio and his friends are faced with a new evil. When Keith discovers an ancient stone tablet in the sandy region of Solace, known as "The Solace Rune," he realized that it held a lot of power...
