The entrance to the Dragon's Land was a narrow passage between huge rocks, the air heavy with the scent of moss and damp earth. A little further from the entrance, they found a group of trees and settled there, where they had a good view of the surroundings. Aura began to get bored, the silence broken only by the distant sound of a waterfall.

"I heard a beautiful cave nearby, Breka's Cave. Would you mind if I went to check it out?" she asked her companions, who were resting in the shade.

"I haven't heard of this place yet. Are you sure it's nearby?" Tobi asked.

"It's close, not far from the dragon entrance, to the east. I think it's not even an hour away, and I'll be back!" insisted the girl.

"Okay, but hurry up; I don't want to linger here too long!" Tobi nodded.

The girl walked away, and Dupe looked after her worriedly: "Is it a good idea to let her go alone? What if she gets lost?"

"Well, go with her!" encouraged the dwarf, lying on his side but watching the entrance.

"Better not; my leg hurts from all the rushing! But if she doesn't return, we'll have to look for her!" sighed Dupe.

"You mean you'll have to!" chuckled Tobi.

Aura quickly found the cave through the sparse forest, the scent of pine and damp earth filling her nostrils. However, there was a little hitch. A colossal golem was sitting at the cave entrance, its stone surface cool to the touch. The girl didn't dare to approach but didn't want to leave her task unfinished either. She waited a while, her heartbeat echoing in her ears, hoping the creature would go, but it sat there determinedly as if waiting for someone. She had to lure it away somehow, she thought to herself, the taste of fear lingering on her tongue.

Summoning all her courage, she jumped forward and ran before the golem to make it stand up. The golem watched her with interest but didn't move. Aura, however, didn't give up and dared to come closer.

Then she heard a deep, rumbling voice behind her:

"Excuse me, but what the hell are you doing?" asked the ork, who watched in surprise as the elf girl ran in front of the golem.

Aura stopped and looked at the tall green stranger.

"I want to go into the cave because I heard it's beautiful, so I must see it. But this stupid golem is sitting at the entrance," Aura freed herself, her frustration evident in her voice. She was determined to see the cave's beauty, but the golem was an obstacle she hadn't anticipated.

"How do you know the cave is behind him?" asked the orc curiously.

Aura didn't understand the question; it was evident to her. "Do you see the rock above the golem's head? There's no vegetation there, just moss, and it's barer than elsewhere. That indicates the entrance to the cave," the girl said.

"Ohh, I didn't think of that. I've been circling here since morning, but I couldn't find it!" the orc's voice filled with surprise and relief. With a few jumps, the orc stood by the golem's head, then struck it between the monster's eyes. The clumsy figure leaned to the side, its movement slow and heavy.

"Hurry, I don't know how long it will remain unconscious!" he gestured to the girl to hurry her steps and disappeared into the cave.

They could advance into the cave through a narrow corridor; inside, they faced an impressive sight. Somewhere above their heads, a little light entered through a crack and illuminated the purple crystals, casting a soft, ethereal glow. The orc took out the curved knife and expertly began to chip away pieces from the crystal; it was evident that he had done this before. On the other hand, Aura admired the purple stones, their vibrant hue contrasting beautifully with the dark cave.

"Ready?" he asked when he filled his bag. "Let's go then!"

Aura wanted to reply, but the orc, already moving quickly, was rushing out. The golem was waking up and looked around rather angrily. It was okay to disturb its peace, but being hit on the head was intolerable.

"I think it's better if we run; it might follow us for a bit, but it'll give up soon," said the orc, as if he had dealt with golems before.

Aura was faster and ran towards her companions with a little detour. After a while, she could no longer hear the golem, only the orc. She stopped because she listened to the orc panting.

"I would like to thank you for your help! What do you need the crystals for?" the girl asked, her curiosity piqued. She was eager to learn more about the orc and his reasons for collecting the crystals.

"My wife has a shop in Oner that sells all sorts of talismans and potions. I collect these for her."

"Oner?" Aura rejoiced. "That's where we're heading with my companions. Maybe you can help us. We're looking for someone."

"I should hurry back; Nerina must be worried about me," the orc sighed, took a drink, and then changed his mind. "All right, you helped me too. Are they far?"

Aura shook her head and pointed ahead; she could already see where her companions were lying.

"Has Sessom come back yet?" Aura shouted as they approached. Then she continued when she saw them shaking their heads. "I met someone; he lives in Oner. I think he could help us."

Both of them turned to the orc with interest.

"Hi, I am Keenan. Who exactly are you looking for in the city?" He asked, sitting down in the shade with the others. Aura also made herself comfortable. Tobi began to rummage in his bag and offered her a carefully wrapped bundle. Aura eagerly unpacked it, and her eyes lit up when she saw bread and meat. She looked gratefully at the dwarf, who returned her smile. "We're looking for a young man who arrived in Oner about half a year ago and was searching for a girl with a fruit name," Tobi said now, more cautiously, not wanting to reveal Morte's name directly.

Tobi also offered food to the orc, who accepted it.

"We're looking for a young man who arrived in Oner about half a year ago and was searching for a girl with a fruit name," Tobi said now, more cautiously, not wanting to reveal Morte's name directly.

"What does he look like?" asked the orc. Meanwhile, Dupe also sat up and ate with the others.

"He has black hair, dark eyes, and a somewhat melancholic demeanor. He is quite introverted. But he wasn't always like this; he's been getting gloomier recently," Tobi replied, his voice tinged with concern. He was worried about his friend, and his words reflected his unease.

"You didn't say you knew him so well," Dupe marveled.

"But you know what kind of girls are usually named after fruits in Oner, right? Are you sure your friend made such a long journey because of a little scuffle?" Keenan inquired.

"I think we've been fooled," Dupe said, slapping his knee when he finally understood what the orc meant. Girls like that can be found in every town, so Morte went there definitely not for a girl.

"But anyway, I remember a peculiar figure who fits your description. It could have been a few months ago. But he wasn't looking for a girl; he was looking for a map. My wife might remember better what kind of map it was because he came to us too. He practically asked all the city," The orc seemed to be pondering something. "You guys are strange to me. We recognized he's the heir, so there's no point in keeping it secret. But he still hasn't gone home? That's why you're looking for him, I assume."

Tobi visibly felt relieved that he didn't have to keep the secret anymore.

"How long are we going to wait here for Sessom?" Aura asked.

"Who's Sessom?" the orc inquired.

"He's the soldier who brought news about Morte, from whom we learned nobody is looking for him at the royal court, so we set out to find him," Tobi replied.

"I have an idea. Let's leave a message here for Sessom about where we are. Then we'll wait for him in the city. I feel uncomfortable in this place," Dupe scratched behind his ear.

That was a good idea. Aura tore out a sheet from her notebook, where she collected her spells, and wrote down where Nerina's shop was. With the help of Keenan's knife, they pinned it to the rock not far from the entrance.

Tobi looked troubled. "I thought we just had to go to Oner, and Morte would be there. I didn't expect we'd have to continue the search from there, too!"