Sold AS The alpha King's Breeder

Chapter 67 : We Made It

After a night of rest, it was time to get moving again.

My arm and hand were still mangled, so Abe and Jared did the heavy lifting to pack up camp.

While they worked, I studied the rough map I'd drawn as our guide to Myrel.

It wasn't perfect, but it would get us there.I wandered out of the cave and looked at the river.

Then I looked at the map.

I turned in a complete circle and then lined the map up with the river so they were parallel.

From there, it was easy to figure out where we were going.

We'd saved as much as we could from the river, and the fire had dried everything out overnight.

With our shortage of gear and supplies, packing up camp took hardly any time at all.

Jared helped me get my backpack on since my hand was still too injured to use, and we set off again.

We headed along the bank of the river.

The further we got, the deeper the gorge around the river became.

Soon, it was a sheer drop into the rolling rapids below, and I heard the sound of rushing water more than saw it.

Around midday, we stopped for lunch.

lopened my pack and took out the Cryptex.

"What are you doing!?" Jared asked, wide-eyed.

"I'm just messing with it.There's a lot we don’t know about it, and now that it is partially assembled, I think it is worth exploring."

"Remember what happened the last time you messed with it?"

He pointed to my bandaged hand.

"Look at this.These pieces still move, even though the Cryptex has locked itself together.I'm willing to bet there are hidden puzzles in this thing."

"Is losing your hand worth figuring out the puzzles?"

Jared's voice took on that overly protective tone I knew all too well.

I ignored him and started fiddling with the pieces of the Cryptex.

They reminded me of clock gears.

When I spun one, some of the other pieces would spin in a chain reaction along the curve of the device.

"Alright, put that away.We've got to keep moving," Jared said, standing up.

I bit my lip and reluctantly tucked the Cryptex back into its waterproof case.I slipped it back into my bag, patting it into place several times before I zipped my pack up again.

We continued walking along the river.

The sun had moved through the sky and was at our backs now.

Abe led the way, and we walked single file along the edge of the gorge.

On one side, there was a drop-off into the river.

On the other, there were scraggly rocks as tall as houses, making a narrow passage for us to traverse.

When we made camp for the night, I immediately took the Cryptex out again and started playing with it.

Jared was busy setting up our bedrolls and coming up with a meal that we could enjoy with what little rations we had.

Abe was checking the perimeter and stoking the fire.

For a while, neither of them bothered me.

I stared at the little moving parts of the Cryptex.

My eyes followed them ina line and I could see how several of them interconnected.

Grinning, I started turning one of the pieces.

it turned another, then another,

Click, click, click.

Pop! Zing.

"Whoal!"

back as a small compartment opened

you playing with that damn thing again?"

I opened a secret compartment."

narrowed sternly and he shook

obsessed with this

not.There could be other compartments to

end, Eliza? That one looks empty.And the more you mess with it, the more you're putting yourself in danger.You could have died the last time this thing

ended on a low

it is worth studying.It might help us with breaking

the ones I'd just

"No, no more."

the

"Heyt"

obsessing over this thing and it isn't

"But"

the

tone darkened, and he fixed me with a look that told me it was useless to argue with him.I stared at

surfaces danced with reflections of the fire flames.It was so hard

"Eliza?"

"Okay, okay."

case.He quickly wrapped

you hungry? We

an arm out

he wrapped his arm around my

as his fingers curled around my upper arm, just under the edge of

ran

guys, there's something

jogging back toward

the past few days, he would hurry ahead and scout out the area while Jared and I kept our own

we kept my

arm and hand were healing, but it was still useless for climbing and we still had a lot of jagged rocks to

stayed with me to

him standing behind me, hands gripping my hips or pressing

was doing it on

afford any more delays," Jared

days.Besides, this isn’t a detour.We don't even have to

enticed with

prospect of

found.After all this, it better be

us.Abe led us to a very

the mouth of it, tilting my head all the way

air gushed from inside.It smelled earthy

"Hello!"

shouted into

ello, ello, lo, lo"

looks like?" I asked arching an eyebrow at

and shook his

messing with the Cryptex, I was glad to see I could still get him

perfect place to

bristled brush, the kind used in archeology

me set up a light!" Abe called

followed me inside, each holding

beams illuminated enough of the cave for me to see that there were some old artifacts scattered

were also bones scattered

these!"

the soft, moist earth on

finger bones?" he asked,

"Looks like."

that's weird.We should get out of here.There's still plenty

leaving me in

of breath puffed out from the deep bowels of

I faced the tunnel that led deeper underground, into the

My stomach lurched.

felt like a hook looped around my insides, gently tugging me deeper into the cave.I stared into the darkness,

shuffled along the dirt floor, something from the depths called to me, whispering to me on the

"Eliza, come on!"