The three went over to the first grotto. They went down the vines into the underground and looked around. The golden vines turned green, and a peaceful, but small waterfall leading to a pond and river was nestled in the grotto. “Wow, that looks incredible.” Rei Said. “Don’t get distracted guys, we’re here for treasure, so the Locatia can help us find Treasures Keep, and the artifacts of course. This shouldn’t be too bad, lets just take a look over by the water, this place can’t be too big.” Keo said, as he walked over towards the pond.

  Rei and Avi followed behind. “Don’t you think this would be a bit harder, then, y’know, just walking over to some water and reaching in? In everything I’ve watched and played, the heroes always get messed up by something!” Rei said. Avi seemed puzzled. “Watched, played? What do you mean? This really shouldn’t be too bad and- “ Avi was cut off by Keo shrieking. “Need a little help you two!” Keo yelled. Rei and Avi ran over to find a yellow furball that looked seemingly harmless.

  “What is this, your pet? Haha!” Rei laughed. Keo backed away. Avi kneeled on the ground and tried to pet the creature. “Do you wanna come home with me? You’re so cute! Hehe!” Avi giggled. “Back off you two, that’s not pet, it’s a monster.” Keo said, drawing his bow. “Wait, you have a bow, I never noticed that, was I just blindsided by that?” Rei went on and on about not noticing Keo’s bow while Avi explained… “Ok, I’ve fought plenty of monsters in my life., and none of them looked like thi- WHAT THE!?”. Avi screamed. The “monster” tripled in size, and grew sharp teeth, while green fuzz came out of its mouth. Rei and Avi drew their swords. “Guess it’s going to be my first time using a sword for real this time…” Rei said, focusing on the monster.

  “If my studies are correct, that’s a Tainted Furball. Yes, stupid name, I know. The guy who named it probably was lazy. This thing isn’t really too powerful, just bash it with as many attacks as you can and it should go down.” Keo said, firing his bow. The creature was hit and flinched. Rei tried to jump forward and attack but tripped. Avi jumped towards it and pinned the creature with her sword and kicked it repeatedly. “Don’t wanna come home with me!? Well then ill just have to send you somewhere else!” The creature squealed as it shrunk back down. “Ok, you should let it go now. It seems scared.” Keo said. Avi didn’t stop kicking until she was pulled away by Rei.

  The creature gagged up a green crystal and stumbled away. “Score!” Rei said, picking up the crystal. Avi seemed dumbfounded while Keo examined the crystal. “This is the most “precious” item in this grotto, not by a lot, its covered in slime, but its something. This place is pretty small so…” He placed the crystal in the Locatia, and the compass pointed north. “Definitely the most valuable item in here, or this wouldn’t be working.” Avi snapped out of her trance. “Shouldn’t be get out of here, because if that “thing” comes back, it’s not gonna have a good time.” Avi said angrily. “Yeah, lets get out of here.” The three walked towards the entrance to the grotto. They climbed up the vines and exited. “One down, four to go” Rei said.

  The group had walked for about a few hours after getting the first treasure. They neared their destination. “It’s getting late. I’m sleepy! Can we rest for the night?” Avi asked. Rei looked around and all he could see was a golden expanse of land. “But where? Where are we going to sleep?” He said. “Its likely better to keep moving, we can sleep in the next grotto, its probably dangerous out here at night.” Keo said, wearily. “Is that it right there?” Avi said, after only taking a few steps. The three stepped forward to investigate, and indeed it was another grotto. “Lets go in, snatch the treasure, and sleep for the night.”

  Instead of vines for an entrance, the entrance was a tunnel this time. “Ugh! Rei can you move over!?” Avi said “Why don’t you move over!? The only reason we cant see anything is because of your b- uhh… (What starts with a “B” that doesn’t relate to Avi’s body… hmmmm.)” Before he could finish his thought, the tunnel turned to a slope and the three slid down. With Avi falling first, and Rei falling on top of her. Keo landed on his feet nearby. “Are you two, ok? That looked rough.” Keo asked. Avi struggled in place, trying to get up. “I-If Rei gets off of me, I’ll be ok!” She said. Rei got up to her request. “Aww, the landing was quite cushioned, and it was super comfy. Welp, we should get moving.” Rei said, frustratingly, as he walked towards the wall. “Uh, it’s a dead end, and I don’t see any other ways around in here.”

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  Rei placed his hand on the wall, and it collapsed. Two tunnels were revealed. Rei was confused. “Hmm, the Locatia is pointing in two different directions now, one for each tunnel. This grotto is probably going to save us some time. Lets split up. Ill go in the left tunnel, Avi will go in the right, and you’ll stay behind for uhh… emotional support?” Keo said, nearing the tunnel on the left. “Me, alone in the dark?” Avi questioned fearfully. “Who cares if you’re in the dark, I’m not staying behind, I’m going with you!” Rei yelled. Before he could tell Keo he was going with Avi he was already deep in the tunnel. “Let’s hope he comes back with what were looking for. Cmon lets get this over with.” Avi said.

  As Avi and Rei walked through the tunnel, they noticed something. The tunnel was strangely lit “Hey, there’s no light around here anywhere, how come we can see so clearly?” Rei asked. The light was seemingly nonexistent, yet, everything was lit up. Avi looked at Rei. “I don’t really know… but its helpful, so we should keep moving…” She said. Rei noticed Avi’s eyes light up yellow for a split second. “(Am I seeing things, or did her eyes just change color…? Huh, whatever, probably not important.)” Rei thought to himself. They reached the end of the tunnel, and the light dimmed, as the glowing vines in the open area brought back natural light. The treasure was sitting on a pedestal up ahead. Avi went and grabbed it without second thought. “Hehe, its so sparkly!” She said, not noticing the giant, seething, monster with the watering mouth. (“He looks hungry, and he ALSO seems interested in Avi. We have something in common”). Rei thought to himself. “Behind you.” He said to Avi. “Uh oh.” She said. “RUN!” The two said in sync. They ran through the tunnel and were chased by the monster. “Pant, Pant, its catching up!” Avi yelled. The end of the tunnel was in sight, and Keo could be seen at the end, waving. Rei grabbed Avi’s arm and sped up, dragging her across the floor. “EEEEEEEEEK!!” She screamed in pain and fear. They made it out of the tunnel and Rei stopped in exhaustion as Avi dusted herself off.

  “Did you get the treasure? I got mine.” Keo said. “Not the time!” Avi drew her sword. Rei drew his. “Be ready, its coming.” Rei said, drawing his rusty blade. Keo readied his bow. The monster made it through the tunnel and screeched. A green, spiky, grotesque beast with sharp teeth, stained with blood. Its body was see-through and countless bones and skulls could be seen. “Oh…. So that’s where they all went.” Keo said. “No time for realization, lets beat this thing and get out of here!” Avi said. Running forwards and leaping at the monster.

  Keo fired his bow as Avi slashed at the monster, landing a couple hits. Rei stumbled forward and hit the enemy. The monster screeched with so much force, that it knocked Avi off it, who was practically glued to it, swinging her sword repeatedly into its head. She was stunned. Keo stepped in front of Avi and fired his bow at the monster, it went right into its mouth and hit a red tooth. “That one isn’t blood, that’s our target, a weak point.” Rei ran forward and tossed his sword into the creatures mouth. It hit the tooth and the creature was hurt. It fell down on the ground and swallowed the sword. “Why did I do that.” Rei shook his head frustratingly. He backed off and ran for the exit. “Ill meet you guys out here, its almost dead! (I think).” Rei yelled. “Ugh, coward! Whatever, lets finish this thing!” Avi dodged and weaved and repeatedly hit the red tooth in the creatures mouth. It chomped at her as she swung towards its mouth. “Nuh uh! This girl is off the menu!” She said, teasing the monster. “Avi, watch out!” The monster chomped forward and Avi quickly got away.

  The monster looked very weak, but its body was flashing a red color and began coughing up blood. “He looks REALLY angry” Avi said. “Keo fired several shots at the monsters red tooth. It fell to the ground, died, and disintegrated, and left behind another treasure. “Phew… Ok, Avi grab that, and lets get out of here. We only need one more now. This cave was a doozy. Surprisingly, my studies were wrong, there can be more than one treasure in a grotto.” Avi was poking at the crystal. “Just pick it up!” Keo said. “B-But, its all icky and slimy!” Avi said, grossed out. “Pick it up, ill meet you outside.” Keo said, sternly. “Ugh, ok!” Avi picked up the crystal as it slid around her hands. “Icky, slimy, GROSS!” She said. Avi mumbled to herself in disgust as she went up the tunnel that they entered in.