THROUGH THE JUNGLE, Knight Steve, Knight Duper, and Knight Aiden rode up on their horses as they finally came up to the jungle temple. Hidden inside the dense foliage, the jungle temple’s stone brickwork was partly masked by moss, ivy, and the leaves and branches of jungle trees. Arches and spires poked up into the sky, only to be bested by the jungle trees which rose even higher. It looked like an Aztec temple he’d read of in the library, or so Knight Aiden said, who craned his head up at the seemingly abandoned structure as he rode.

Their horses had a hard time with the uneven terrain, but they made do hopping and riding down to the base of the temple. The horses’ hooves sounded on the stone floor after they finally passed the soft earth of the jungle ground.

Knight Duper and Knight Aiden dismounted first and looked up at the structure ahead, with Knight Steve still on his horse looking preoccupied. They had left earlier in the day for the expedition having ridden most of the morning to reach this spot. Reports had come in from players of a jungle temple somewhere in this vicinity, and they were not mistaken. Of course, they’d brought extra supplies to go on this expedition, with items like extra food, camping tents, campfires, coal, and other things taking up room in their inventory. They just hoped there was enough spaces left in there for the treasure they hoped to bring back to Wardland. Diamonds, especially—Knight Duper’s eyes had shone greedily when he had said it during the trip over.

Knight Steve, however, showed the least bit interest in the jungle temple. He didn’t get much sleep last night and his eyes drooped as he sat atop his horse, Durandal, who, for this occasion, wore iron horse armor.

“Come on,” Knight Duper said. He already had his iron sword ready, as did Knight Aiden, who looked equally as excited to explore the jungle temple.

Knight Steve looked up upon hearing Knight Duper’s words. “Oh, ok,” he said. He dismounted the horse, but upon landing on the ground, a familiar voice came to him.

Open me . . . .

Knight Steve, in iron armor, closed his eyes and put his hand to his head. The voice—it became more and more frequent now.

“Hurry up, will you!” Knight Duper said excitedly farther up ahead. He and Knight Aiden were already close to the entrance.

Knight Steve shook his head and then unsheathed his sword. “Coming,” he said as loud as he could, which was still quieter than usual due to his fatigue. With a spurt, he joined his knight friends. They had waited for him at the entrance.

Ahead, the jungle temple entrance led into a dark hallway with no torches in sight. That should be a good sign. Usually, a lack of torches meant no one had explored it yet.

Knight Duper took a deep breath and said, “Let’s go.” Sword drawn in one hand with a torch in the other, he led the way inside the dark tunnel corridor filled with cobwebs that clung on the corners of the ceiling.

The first chamber was nondescript. Markings of what looked like a face were on the stone brick walls. They hung torches on the walls, which gave some light to the room. Several corridor entrances led off into different directions, but no treasure chests yet, much to Knight Duper’s annoyance.

“Let’s keep going,” Knight Duper said, slightly disappointed. Knight Aiden nodded seriously beside him. Knight Steve took up the back of the party. He was so tired.

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They continued on the path in front of them. Again, nothing extraordinary. The corridor led them to chamber after chamber, one smaller than the other. The odd slime or two disgustingly jumped up at them but they were easily dispatched, giving them slimeballs in their inventory. Good for making sticky pistons.

When they came upon yet another empty chamber with only mossy stone brick to show for their efforts, they decided to take a break and eat a loaf of bread. Their hunger bar had been gradually decreasing with all the strenuous effort they’d done exploring the jungle temple.

He and Knight Aiden stood in silence together, bread in hand. Unlike Knight Aiden, who munched quickly on his bread, Knight Steve only took sporadic bites of his food.

“Hope we find some diamonds,” Knight Aiden said. “Or even emeralds. I’m running low on those to trade with the villagers.”

“Uh, yeah,” Knight Steve said, slowly munching on his bread. He didn’t feel like conversing at the moment.

Once more, an awkward silence passed between them inside the darkened chamber. A moment later, the silence was broken.

“Hey, I found something!” Knight Duper said. He had gone ahead to explore the close-by rooms.

The voice startled Knight Steve. He’d had enough of voices lately.

“Finally,” Knight Aiden said, and he hoisted up his sword.

“Come on, this way!”

Knight Aiden followed eagerly, but Knight Steve lagged behind.

Knight Duper led them to an out-of-the-way room, and once the door opened, they found it to be a . . . library. Bookshelves filled with books lined up in rows with a mezzanine floor higher up, accessible by wooden ladders. Cobwebs in the environs suggested this place had not been used in a long time. More importantly, they saw—

“Treasure chests!” exclaimed Knight Duper. Indeed, treasure chests were up on the main floor as well as on the mezzanine floor. Eagerly, both Knight Duper and Knight Aiden headed towards the chests, with Knight Duper heading to the one on the library floor. Knight Steve decided to climb the ladder and follow Knight Aiden up there.

Knight Steve caught up to him, and Knight Aiden rubbed his hands greedily in front of the treasure chest. “Hope there’s something good.”

Without any prodding, Knight Aiden then opened the treasure chest.

Creak.

It was met with frowns. Inside, the treasure chest only contained a few pieces of string, a bucket, and some cocoa seeds. They had plenty of cocoa seeds!

Knight Aiden took it worse than Knight Steve. “Somebody’s been here!” Knight Aiden said incredulously. Knight Steve, however, only looked down, the useless treasure chest only a passing concern. The books did remind him of the book in his own chest back in Castle Wardland . . . .

“Ugh, nothing here either,” Knight Duper said from below on the library floor.

Knight Aiden looked like steam was going to come out of his iron helm. “This sucks!” he said and then kicked the bookshelf with force. His foot landed on one of the books, but instead of thudding, it seemed to have . . . triggered something.

The book slid back into the recesses of the bookshelf, and after that, with gears sounding, the bookshelf itself turned around on its side to reveal a darkened secret chamber.

Knight Aiden looked stunned at what had happened, and after a moment, as if snapping out of his reverie, Knight Steve noticed too.

The secret chamber inside was dimly lit with enough torchlight to barely see what, at the center of the chamber, was a single treasure chest.

Knight Aiden’s eyes veered back and forth. “What the . . . .”

“Hey, what was that?” Knight Duper said climbing up the ladder below. “Oh,” he finished upon seeing the secret chamber.

Knight Aiden looked back at Knight Duper, and then once he joined them, they all set towards the treasure chest inside. Their footsteps echoed, going from the wood of the mezzanine to the stone brick floor of the secret chamber. All the while, the treasure chest captivated their attention.

“Hey, Knight Steve,” Knight Duper said. “You haven’t opened one. Maybe you’ll be luckier.”

He was caught unaware by the invitation, joined by encouraging nods from Knight Aiden.

“Oh, um,” he said. “Ok.”

Both his knight friends moved to the side to make way for Knight Steve, and with tentative step after tentative step, he neared the treasure chest until it was right in front of him.

His hand reached out to open it . . . .

Even as his hand reached out, above the three knights, on the ceiling of the secret chamber, a hydra, a malevolent creature with three snake heads, stirred.

Ready to strike.