Chapter 12 :The Treasure Hunt

**Chapter 12: The Treasure Hunt Gone Wrong**

The moment Alina and her team stepped through the grand doorway, they were met with an entirely new challenge—a sprawling cavern filled with golden treasure, glittering artifacts, and enough shiny things to make even the most disciplined person consider quitting adventuring to become a full-time hoarder.

Rowan's eyes widened as he stepped forward. "Okay. I take back everything bad I've ever said about this place. This—this is a *dream.*"

Cassian gave him a flat look. "It's a trap."

Rowan gasped dramatically. "You always ruin my fun."

Zephyr studied the cavern warily. "Cassian is right. This is too obvious."

Alina agreed. The treasure was laid out in perfect piles, practically inviting them to take a handful. But after everything they had been through, she wasn't about to fall for the world's most obvious bait.

Nova, her tiny Voidfluff, chirped from her shoulder and hopped down, sniffing at a golden goblet. The moment its tiny paw touched the goblet, the entire cavern trembled.

Rowan let out a strangled scream. "I KNEW IT!"

The treasure began to shift, revealing itself to be something *very much alive.* The golden piles pulled together, forming massive humanoid shapes made of jewels, coins, and crowns. The creatures' glowing gemstone eyes locked onto them, and their deep, rumbling voices echoed through the cavern.

"Thieves!"

Cassian sighed. "And here we go."

**Running for Their Lives**

Before anyone could respond, the treasure golems lunged. The team scattered, dodging the lumbering giants that swung their enormous, gem-encrusted fists at them.

Alina flipped backward, narrowly avoiding a sapphire-studded mace that embedded itself in the floor where she had just stood. "Okay! Running sounds like a *fantastic* idea!"

"Agreed!" Rowan shouted, already sprinting toward the nearest tunnel.

Zephyr and Cassian took defensive positions, cutting down any smaller golems that tried to block their escape. Alina, meanwhile, summoned a burst of wind energy, pushing one of the larger creatures back long enough for the team to regroup.

Nova, still bouncing around excitedly, let out a sharp chirp. A moment later, a hidden staircase revealed itself in the far corner of the cavern.

"That's our exit!" Alina yelled.

"Then why are we still talking?!" Rowan shrieked.

They sprinted toward the staircase, dodging more swinging fists and collapsing treasure heaps. Just as they reached the first step, the largest golem roared, slamming its fist down to block their path.

Cassian turned to Alina. "You have a plan, right?"

"Of course!" she said, before immediately turning to Rowan. "Distraction!"

Rowan gaped. "Why is it *always* me?!"

But there was no time to argue. He let out an exaggerated, high-pitched scream and ran in the opposite direction, waving his arms. "Over here, you shiny disasters! Look at me! The most valuable treasure of all!"

The golems, surprisingly, paused—momentarily distracted by Rowan's absurd antics.

Cassian sighed. "I can't believe that's actually working."

Zephyr smirked. "I can."

Alina took the opportunity to blast the ground beneath the golem's fist with a wave of fire, weakening it just enough for them to push through. As soon as they cleared the staircase, Rowan let out one last dramatic yell and bolted after them.

The moment they crossed the threshold, the cavern sealed shut behind them, cutting off the golems' roars.

For a long moment, they simply stood there, panting.

Then Rowan collapsed onto the ground, dramatically sprawled out. "That was *horrible.* I deserve a vacation. Several. Preferably with lots of cake."

Cassian patted his shoulder. "You were very… effective."

Zephyr smirked. "I'd call it legendary."

Alina chuckled, shaking her head. "Well, at least we know one thing for sure."

"What's that?" Cassian asked.

She grinned. "Rowan *really* is the most valuable treasure of all."

Rowan groaned loudly as everyone burst into laughter, their adventure continuing into the unknown.

** The Mysterious Floating Market**

After escaping the treasure golems, Alina and her team found themselves on a winding path that led to an open sky bridge, suspended over a sea of rolling mist. Strange glowing lights flickered in the distance, and as they stepped forward, the air buzzed with energy.

Rowan was still grumbling. "I swear, one day I am going to retire from all of this nonsense and open a bakery."

Cassian smirked. "You'd probably eat all your profits."

Before Rowan could retaliate, they reached the end of the bridge and stepped into what looked like a marketplace—except it was floating.

Stalls, buildings, and even small ships hovered in midair, tethered together by glowing ropes. Vendors called out to potential customers, advertising wares that ranged from enchanted fruits to bottles of bottled moonlight. Strange creatures, some with multiple arms or floating appendages, wandered through the lively market, haggling and trading goods.

Zephyr's eyes scanned the surroundings. "This place isn't in any maps I've seen before. A hidden market?"

Alina nodded. "More like a *mysterious* one."

**The Problem with Free Samples**

Naturally, Rowan's attention was immediately drawn to the food stalls. "Oh. My. Stars. We need to try everything!"

Before anyone could stop him, he grabbed a glowing purple fruit from a nearby stand and took a huge bite.

The vendor gasped. "No! That's a—"

Rowan froze. Then, to everyone's horror and amusement, he began *floating.*

"Okay, this is NOT normal!" Rowan flailed wildly as he rose several feet above the ground. "HELP! I AM TOO HANDSOME TO BE A BALLOON!"

Alina covered her mouth to stifle her laughter, while Cassian and Zephyr sighed in perfect synchronization.

The vendor shook his head. "That's a *Buoyancy Berry*. You'll come down… eventually."

Zephyr arched a brow. "How long is 'eventually'?"

The vendor hesitated. "Depends. Could be a few minutes… could be a week."

Rowan let out a strangled sound. "A WEEK?!"

Alina wiped tears from her eyes. "Don't worry, we'll find a way to fix it."

Cassian smirked. "Or we could just tie a string to you and keep you as a team mascot."

**The Chase for a Cure**

After bribing the vendor with a few coins, they learned that the only antidote to the Buoyancy Berry was a rare Root of Gravity, which could be found in the market's underground black market.

Naturally, things didn't go as smoothly as planned.

The moment they entered the underground portion of the market, they found themselves in a labyrinth of narrow alleyways filled with sketchy merchants, glowing graffiti, and *very* questionable goods.

"I do *not* like this place," Zephyr murmured.

A cloaked figure approached them, grinning. "Looking for something, travelers?"

Alina nodded. "Root of Gravity. Know where we can find it?"

The figure's grin widened. "Perhaps. But nothing in this market comes for free. Care to trade?"

Cassian stepped forward. "Depends on the trade."

The figure tapped their chin. "How about... a *favor*?"

Rowan, still floating slightly, crossed his arms. "I feel like this is how people end up cursed."

Alina sighed. "What's the favor?"

The figure leaned in. "Deliver a package to the *Starbound Courier*. Do that, and the Root of Gravity is yours."

**A Simple Delivery? Yeah, Right.**

The 'package' turned out to be a mysterious, rune-covered box that hummed with magic. The Starbound Courier's stall was located at the highest floating platform, which—of course—was heavily guarded by sky pirates.

"I knew it. I *knew* this would turn into a mess," Rowan grumbled.

Zephyr smirked. "Did you really expect anything else?"

Cassian sighed. "Alright, let's come up with a plan."

Alina grinned. "Or we could just *improvise*."

Rowan groaned. "Oh, great. We're all going to die."

What followed was a chaotic mix of disguises, daring leaps across floating stalls, a brief sword fight with an angry pirate captain, and an incident involving a rogue parrot that stole Cassian's hood.

But in the end, they delivered the package, got the Root of Gravity, and Rowan was safely *de-floated.*

As they left the market, Rowan dramatically collapsed onto the nearest solid ground. "No more floating. Ever again."

Alina chuckled. "I don't know. You made a great blimp."

Cassian smirked. "We should get you a new title: Rowan the Floating Fool."

Rowan groaned. "You all are the *worst.*"

Zephyr smirked. "And yet, you still love us."

With laughter echoing around them, they continued their journey, never knowing what ridiculous adventure would come next.