Haden and Alster stand victorious at the top of the tower, greeting the others who arrive with triumphant smiles and silly hand shake. Sometimes you feel like the eldest one in your group and not this 17 year old child and his little warrior friend. You are actually embarrassed for Richalt who thinks he found so serious help but found us instead. You suppose we all need to let off steam once in a while and that avalanche was a pretty hairy situation back there. 

"Took you long enough," says Haden.

Talik mutters something under her breath. She's clearly upset by the gloating, but she shrugs it off and looks around the room. "There's nothing here," she says. "No other doors. No clues."

Haden blushes, looking a little guilty. There's nothing more you can do now, except turn back and climb down all those stairs, hoping to find a clue elsewhere. As they prepare to leave, Talik notices a large hole in the center of the ceiling, previously obscured by shadows. Suspended inside it is a magnificent crystal, radiating a soft, ethereal glow. The crystal's light refracts, casting mesmerizing patterns on the walls. Haden's eyes widen, the guilt replaced by curiosity. As you all step closer to look up into the hold and its retracted crystal occupant it slowly begins to protrude and then emerge into the room above us. 

"Wait, maybe this is the clue," Talik says stepping closer, as if we couldn't all see the large crystal emerging before us. The air around the crystal hums with a strange energy, hinting at energy or power within the crystal itself. 

The air around the crystal increasingly hums with a strange energy, the vibrations growing more intense with each passing moment. You all instinctively take a step back, shielding your eyes from the intensifying glow. 

"Maybe it's some sort of power source?" you suggest, trying to make sense of the scene unfolding before you.

"Or a trap," Haden adds, his curiosity tinged with caution.

Talik rolls her eyes. "You two are hopelessly unscientific. Just because it's glowing doesn't mean it's a power source, and just because it's in the middle of the room doesn't mean it's a trap. We need to analyze it, not just guess."

Richalt stands at the edge of the group, his face a mask of confusion. "Can someone please explain what’s going on? This is all just... a lot."

"We're trying to figure out if this crystal is important," you explain, not wanting to leave him completely in the dark.

"Important or dangerous," Haden adds, earning another exasperated look from Talik.

"Okay, let's think," Talik says, attempting to steer the conversation back to something constructive. "We need to understand its purpose. Is it connected to the tower's defenses, or is it some sort of signal?"

"Maybe it's a key?" you propose. "It could be unlocking something we can't see yet."

Haden nods, considering the idea. "Or it might be a source of knowledge. Something we need to decipher to move forward."

Talik sighs. "See? This is what I mean. You two are just throwing out random ideas without any basis. We need evidence, not speculation."

Richalt, visibly frustrated, interrupts the back-and-forth. "I don't care what it is or what it does. I just want to know where Ivy is." His voice trembles with a mix of desperation and impatience, bringing a sudden silence to the room.

As you all exchange looks, the significance of his words sink in. The search for Ivy outweighs the mystery of the crystal, grounding everyone back to the urgent matter at hand.

As the crystal continues to descend and energise it soon passes you all on that level and continues down to the floor below. You turn to Haden and with a shrug say, "Follow the clues." And with that you all turn to follow the crystal back down.

Your task is to find 5 alternate words or phrases for each of the following words in the text.

1. gloating

2. triumphant

3. muttering

4. victorious

5. blushes

Submit your work in Thy Quests  below.

Next: E1Q2 The Heart of the Tower