258 Chapter Fifty Eight - He discovers some secrets

Since it was a cave hidden behind a torrent of falling water, it was naturally damp and cold.  But that was just the entrance of the cave for it was far deeper than expected.

Velana and her fox braved the elements to return with wood to burn, however the elements had been unkind these past few days so even though the canopy was thick, rain had eventually permeated to the ground below.  Caelus used his water abilities to drawn the moisture from the damp wood before Pike produced enough of a flame to light a fire.  The wood was decent, did not produce much smoke and the yellow flames danced over the wood, consuming it contentedly as the warmth from them began to fill the cave.

Everyone released a comfortable sigh.

Outer robes, tunics and even an inner robe or two were removed to dry with socks, Velana disappeared to change completely, while those with spare socks quickly wrapped their cold feet once more.  Blankets covered some shoulders, Pike remained shameless, naked of upper body and Caelus dried his own clothes with magic. Leon took out his stove and kettle to brew a warming tea with ginger and gingseng, while Roman examined the rocks of the cave for their worth.  It was not long before the scent of herbs was overwhelmed by the scent of braised meat.

The dried vegetables that he had packed had quickly been consumed by the hungry stomachs surrounding him, so he could only rely on that which was hunted by the others.  He wasn't sure what beast had been cut down to provide the juicy red meat within the pot and he didn't really care either, but his taste buds missed having variety.  Fortunately, for their health, he had found some common herbs that were not only useful in many common pills, but were also edible.  He tossed these into the bubbling stew without regard.

Once the stew was ready, Leon dished it out in the few bowls and cups they'd bought with them and Pike handed him a couple of dry biscuits in turn.  They scooped out the meat with their dried rations or simply drank directly from the container.  In fact, Leon had packed one bowl, one cup and a spoon, but Pike only had a waterskin, intending to live off of dried food or roasted meat, while Velana's bowl had originally been intended for her fox.  It was the first time that Pike realised that his leadership lacked proper logistics and resolved to rectify this in the future.

Once bellies were full, they looked for the driest spots to rest, cultivate or sleep for a while.  Troy pulled on his boots to explore deeper into the cave for a while and Pike rested, but with a vigilant eye, by the cave mouth.  Fortunately, it would be tricky for most beasts to traverse along the narrow ledge that they had carefully slid along to discover this place, so for a good while they would all rest in peace.

Roman was quickly drawn to the unusual stones and lone crystal, while Leon noticed and identified the mushroom.  His lips formed a slight curve and his eyes softened.  It was thanks to this valuable blue mushroom that he'd once hunted high and low for that he had been swept up into the drama that was Jin Li.  He couldn't really regret it now though, even if during that first meeting and for a short while after, he really had!

"D-did you find it b-b-by a sp-spring?" Leon asked and Troy nodded in agreement. 

"How did you know?"  Troy asked as a couple of others looked intrigued, others only frowned; wasn't it just a mushroom. 

This mushroom was sought, purchased and placed upon the dining tables of the wealthy or cooked and eaten by foodies experienced in foraging.  It was a high value, quality item with a firm yet silken texture and a flavour all of its own.  Their group was from mixed backgrounds so only half of them had even heard of this resource and only one had had the fortune to taste it.  Leon could only admit he'd harvested them before, but at that time, he hadn't known their value.

It was decided to harvest more, keeping most while tasting the delicacy at least once while they had the chance.  They weren't all foodies, but didn't mean they weren't willing to lose a few points for the pleasure of eating it now.  Besides, it had many nutritional benefits that could strengthen their health during this tough challenge.

As for the rocks, most were just pretty to look at, nothing special not worth anything more than toys for children.  The crystal happened to be a quartz called ametrine, a naturally occurring phenomenon in which amethyst and citrine formed as one. The crystal with its mixed shades of yellow and purple was lovely and might be worth a little money if nothing else, so it was not an uninteresting find. Definitely worth the time to lightly mine some more.

Otherwise there were two unassuming stones, one was a dark grey without any reflective qualities, while the other was as black as midnight, yet it reacted to the heat of Roman's fingers becoming a soft lemon-white with a smoky patterning. Troy took it back and the stone plunged back into its midnight state. "How strange," Roman's fingers twitched in excitement; he'd not come across such a crystal and was definitely interested in its properties. He gingerly claimed it back, holding it to his chest as the half-palm sized stone once more changed colour.

Intuitively, he encouraged Pike to hold it in the next breath. Pike took it between finger and thumb uncertainly and the rock became a bright mix of orange and yellow, with patterns that imitated flames. Roman laughed out loud, startling his comrades, who'd never heard more than a breathy chuckle from the unassuming man. "I think it actually reacts to our spiritual roots!" He was delighted, making them hold it each in turn.

As Velana held it, it turned an ethereal azure blue, while for Leon it once again was black, but coated in a miniature galaxy. Roman wanted to ask what their roots were, but understood that this would be impolite. Velana did volunteer that her roots were spirit roots, something particularly favoured by Beast Tamers and not looked down upon amongst Scholars either, though Leon remained nervously quiet. Then Caelus took it and the stone became a beautiful ocean blue, yet also had faint swirling patterns cast over it in lines of white, revealing a truth that he usual kept hidden; his root was not purely water.

He grumbled something about it being a silly toy, tossing it back to Roman who panicked as he almost fumbled catching it and held it close to himself for a minute afterwards, no longer willing to share. But the team would not fight him for it once they'd finished the challenge, so he reluctantly allowed them to put it into the team's interdimensional bag along with the mushroom and ametrine.

As for the dark grey rock, this really was the most surprising find of all...