Patch of Druid

The sun was already high in the sky, heating the sand to its limits. Waves of heat rose above the desert, making the world around them shimmer like a golden mirage. The air was dry and stifling, and the silence surrounding them felt almost unnatural.

Alex slowly got up, stretching his stiff muscles. He hadn't slept well. The images from his dream still lingered in his mind, refusing to let go. It wasn't just an ordinary vision—he felt it held something more. Something he had to uncover.

Beside him, Allys was still asleep, breathing peacefully, wrapped in a thin blanket. For a moment, he watched her in silence before turning his gaze away and focusing on something else. His thoughts drifted back to the dream—to the ancient forest, the mysterious figure, and the words that echoed in his head as if they had just been spoken.

"Find us before they find you."

He shuddered. He wasn't sure who "they" were, but he felt that time was running out. He had to act.

Allys stirred as soon as Alex started gathering their belongings. She opened her eyes, blinking a few times, then looked at him with a sleepy yet alert expression.

— Why do you look like you've seen a ghost? — she asked, propping herself up on her elbow.

Alex hesitated. He didn't know where to begin, but he had to tell her.

— I had a dream. — He sat down across from her. — It wasn't normal. It was… something more.

Allys raised an eyebrow but didn't interrupt him.

— I saw a place. A forest unlike any I've ever seen before. A burning fire that gave no warmth. And someone… a figure.

— Who was it?

— I don't know. — Alex shook his head. — They were tall, slender, with golden glowing eyes. They said my blood remembers and that I must find the ruins. That they hold something that belongs to me.

Allys listened intently, analyzing his words.

— Ruins? — she repeated slowly. — You never mentioned any ruins before.

— Because I didn't know they existed. — Alex looked away. — But now I do. They said they're buried beneath the earth and that only I can open them.

Silence fell between them.

— It could be a trap. — Her voice held no fear, only caution. — We don't know if this figure was telling the truth. We don't know what we'll find there.

— We can't ignore this. — Alex took a deep breath. — Something is there, Allys. I can feel it.

For a moment, she held his gaze, as if trying to determine how much of his conviction was certainty and how much was desperation. Finally, she sighed.

— Alright. But on one condition. We return by the afternoon. If we find nothing, we drop this and head for the forest.

— Agreed.

There was no room for further discussion. They prepared the camels, tightening the harnesses and securing their supplies. Allys had little experience with these animals, but she managed better than she had expected. Alex had more practice—he had ridden horses before, and the differences in movement didn't pose much difficulty for him. However, the camels seemed restless, as if sensing they were approaching a place best left undisturbed.

They ate a quick breakfast—dried meat and a piece of hard bread. It wasn't tasty, but it gave them the energy they needed. Without further delay, they set off.

A few hours later, they arrived.

And saw… nothing.

No ruins. No signs of an ancient civilization. No statues or stone walls covered in inscriptions. Just endless golden sand, stretching to the horizon.

— This is it? — Allys furrowed her brows, jumping down from her camel.

Alex didn't respond immediately. He felt this was the right place, but he couldn't prove it.

"They lie beneath the earth."

He jumped down and knelt, pressing his hands against the sun-heated ground. Closing his eyes, he let his senses focus on something beyond just what he could see.

And then he felt it.

A barely perceptible pulse. Like a delicate thread of magic—thin, almost invisible, but undeniably there.

He lifted his head and looked around. His eyes fell on a small dune, barely distinguishable from the rest of the desert.

— There. — He pointed.

Allys didn't ask unnecessary questions. She simply followed him.

They stopped at the top of the dune, dropped their bags, and tied the camels so they wouldn't run off. Then, they pulled two shovels from the merchant's supplies.

— Time for some work. — Alex smirked slightly before driving his shovel into the sand.

They started digging.

Alex had experience with this. After weeks of digging under the wall, he had learned how to remove sand efficiently without letting it collapse back in. His movements were swift and precise. With each motion, he dug deeper.

Allys struggled more. She wasn't used to this kind of labor. The sand kept sliding back into the hole, and every movement felt futile. Eventually, she paused for a moment, wiping her forehead with her hand.

But something else caught her attention.

The way Alex moved—his tense muscles, the focused way he worked, the sweat glistening on his arms. For a brief moment, she couldn't tear her eyes away from him.

She shook her head, forcing herself to focus.

— Do you really think there's something here? — she asked.

Alex paused, resting his hands on the shovel, and looked at her with a small smile.

— If not, at least we'll get a good lesson in patience.

Allys rolled her eyes but returned his smile.

And then Alex froze.

— Allys… I feel something.

He leaned forward, brushing away the remaining sand with his hand. His fingers touched something solid.

Stone.

His heartbeat quickened.

— I think we found something.

Allys immediately knelt beside him and started helping. Together, they uncovered more layers of sand until a marking emerged beneath their fingertips.

A rune etched into stone.

They stared at it in silence, feeling the tension in the air grow.

The ruins were real.