42 The First Treasures

Moonlight perceived a world invisible to others as her palm pressed against the golden-glowing cylindrical rock. Her eyes, tightly closed, betrayed the silent stream of tears rolling down her cheeks, accompanied by gentle sobs. The onlookers, captivated by the spectacle, could only witness her emotional display.

In an unexpected twist, the cylindrical rock underwent a transformation, expanding as intricate lines surfaced, revealing its true form—a collection of rectangular blocks intertwined in an enigmatic structure.

Simultaneously, Moonlight was jolted by a surge of shock coursing through her body, abruptly yanked from the ethereal visions. As the cylinder disintegrated, she recoiled, withdrawing her hand with haste.

The rectangular blocks cascaded like petals from a blooming flower, radiating a golden brilliance. Spectators retreated as the blocks descended, exposing the concealed contents of the rock. Among the fallen blocks, a small golden treasure chest emerged, lacking a conventional lock but secured by a simple latch accessible to anyone.

As the last block settled, unveiling the treasure chest, the bandit cautiously advanced. Despite the concealment of most of his face behind a black fabric, the spark of curiosity gleamed in his eyes. Standing before the chest, he scrutinized it, pondering the mysteries concealed within. Succumbing to the irresistible allure, he slowly extended his hands toward the chest, his eyes reflecting both trepidation and fascination. With deliberate movements, he gulped audibly, finally opening the latch to reveal the secrets within.

Though Finn, Orochi, and the pixies hadn't initially sought the artifact, a palpable sense of excitement infused the air as the bandit slowly unveiled the chest.

The bandit's widened eyes spoke volumes as he gazed at the contents within. Unable to contain his curiosity, Butterbell interjected, "What is it?"

The bandit remained silent, prompting Creambell to echo the question, "What is it?" Still, the bandit offered no response.

Growing impatient, both Butterbell and Creambell approached the chest to investigate. Peering inside, their expressions mirrored the bandit's astonishment. "It's empty!" exclaimed Butterbell.

The exclamation prompted Moonlight's disbelief. "What!" she exclaimed, rushing to verify for herself. To her surprise, the chest held nothing.

Finn, too, joined the inspection, and the outcome was consistent—the box was undeniably empty, defying the expectations that had hung in the air moments ago.

During the interlude, playing on the hopes of everyone, especially the bandit, Creambell suggested, "There could be an invisible object or a dimensional pocket in the chest."

Eager to explore this possibility, the bandit swiftly inserted his hand into the chest, methodically reaching every corner. However, his efforts yielded no trace of a dimensional pocket or an invisible object. The rising tempo of his heartbeat mirrored his growing disappointment, and defeated, he withdrew his hand from the chest.

A shadow of disappointment clouded the bandit's face, prompting Creambell to test the theory as well. Plunging his hand into the chest, he, too, found nothing. "Seems like there's actually nothing in the chest," he remarked, echoing the collective disillusionment that had settled among the onlookers.

In an instant, the bandit's voice echoed with despair, his words a somber reflection of the toll the quest had taken on their comrades. "But how can it be! So many of my comrades died because of this. Was all that for nothing?" The anguish in his voice and eyes was palpable, a heavy burden borne by the weight of loss.

"We can understand," Moonlight attempted to console, but her well-intentioned words only seemed to exacerbate the bandit's pain.

"NO, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" the bandit erupted in anger, fixing a piercing gaze on Moonlight. Quick to intervene, Butterbell stepped between them, drawing his sword and asserting, "Calm down. Be fortunate that I'm not cutting you right where you stand. It's our queen's sublimity that she agreed to come with you, even after knowing how dangerous this place is."

The bandit, confronted by Butterbell's stern demeanor, gradually regained composure. With a defeated tone, he admitted, "For the last 15 years, many of us have given up their lives to unlock this artifact, and now that it's opened, there's nothing. Was all our effort just in vain?"

"I guess not," Orochi interjected, her voice stoic and unwavering, injecting a glimmer of hope into the disheartened atmosphere.

All eyes focused on Orochi, eager to absorb the centuries-old knowledge she was about to impart. Orochi began, her words carrying the weight of ancient secrets, "I'm not sure, but during my travels, I learned about certain artifacts, sealed in some golden chests. They were so rare that until then, only six had been found, and it's believed that there are more such artifacts hidden somewhere. These artifacts were called The First Treasures."

"The First Treasures?" exclaimed the bandit, along with the pixies and Kestrel, their curiosity piqued, while Finn remained entirely clueless.

Orochi continued, "It's believed that The First Treasures are relics from the time before The Great Dying, and by the looks of this chest, it very much matches the drawings I had seen in one of the books."

"Before The Great Dying!" the bandit echoed, sharing the astonishment that rippled through the audience.

"Yes, it's hard to believe, but that's what I learned about The First Treasures," Orochi confirmed, her demeanor composed despite the extraordinary nature of her revelation.

The bandit took a deep breath, contemplating the implications. "Let's believe it's one of The First Treasures. Still, it's empty."

"That's because someone must have opened it before the pixie queen," Orochi explained.

"We have been guarding this place for the last 15 years, and there was no one who came without us knowing," the bandit asserted, realization dawning on him as he continued with a slow voice, "Unless someone came here before 15 years."

"But don't you need a pixie queen to open it?" inquired Moonlight.

"It could be one of the pixie queens before you," suggested Kestrel.

Creambell interjected, "Not possible. There is no record of any previous pixie queen coming to Central Island."

"There was one more thing I learned about The First Treasures. They can only be opened by a handful of individuals, but there was no mention of any pixie queen there," Orochi informed, further deepening the mystery surrounding the enigmatic artifact.

The bandit turned to Moonlight, his curiosity evident as he inquired, "I saw you were crying when you activated the artifact. What happened?"

Moonlight hesitated before responding, "About that. I had a vision of drowning in the black water, and then I saw something."

"What vision?" pressed the bandit.

As Moonlight attempted to recount her vision, she found herself unable to articulate the details. Frustrated, she could only repeat, "I saw... I saw."

Growing impatient, the bandit asked again, a hint of annoyance in his voice, "Yes, what did you see?"

Moonlight, with a confused expression and a concerned voice, admitted, "For some reason, I'm unable to remember."

The bandit, interpreting her hesitation as deceit, lost his patience. With an enraged voice, he threatened, "DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO FOOL ME," attempting to leap towards Moonlight. However, Butterbell swiftly intervened, placing his unsheathed sword at the bandit's neck. Simultaneously, Creambell positioned his staff threateningly close to the bandit's face, both pixie guards emanating seriousness.

The bandit froze in place, fear evident in his eyes as he glanced between the pixie guards. "Don't you dare," warned Creambell with a menacing expression. "If our queen says she can't remember, then she can't remember."

"Now show us the way out," demanded Butterbell in a threatening voice.

The bandit, cowed by the pixie guards, acquiesced, "Sure," taking a step back as he prepared to lead them.

The bandit led the way, and the group followed him through the dense vegetation until they reached a massive banyan tree. A conspicuous cavity in its trunk caught their attention, resembling a door. Observing the cavity, which looked like an entrance, Creambell remarked, "I guess, that's the way."

The bandit affirmed, moving towards the cavity. Reaching it, he turned and cautioned, "Hope you all know how to swim," before disappearing through the trunk's opening.

Curious, Butterbell glanced at Kestrel, asking, "Why did he say that?"

Kestrel clarified, "There is a cliff beyond that cavity, and below the cliff is water. In order to get back to Shap, you need to sink into the water. After you sink, you will emerge in the well of Shap. There's some water in the well, that's why he talked about swimming."

Creambell expressed concern, "I think Finn will have a problem then, not because of swimming, but because he cannot sink in the water on his own," a sentiment Finn acknowledged with a nod.

Orochi volunteered, "I will take him with me."

"Great," replied Creambell. "Let's get out of here then."."

The group approached the banyan tree's cavity one by one. Kestrel, Butterbell, Moonlight, and Creambell passed through, and when it was Orochi's turn, she held Finn's wrist and leaped into the cliff.

As Orochi and Finn emerged from the water, they found themselves in a wide well. However, the welcoming atmosphere was marred by a threatening scene. The duo was surrounded by bandits, crossbows aimed at them, as they floated in the well's water. The rest of the group, who had jumped earlier, stood on the well's edge, wary of the perilous situation unfolding.