The Red Group, now energized by their five point lead, continued their advance. James's intuition had quickly led them to a second artifact, cementing their position at the top of the ranks.
They had unearthed two treasures for ten points, while the five closest rival groups each held a single, five-point artifact.
Presently, however, the Red Group was brought to a frustrating standstill, their eyes fixed on the next cryptic clue.
"For many pieces make a stand, fallen apart, they turn to sand," Kelvin read aloud, his voice rising in exasperation.
"How does this even make sense?! This is neither Geography nor History! They've given us a riddle! A goddamn riddle," Kelvin threw his hands up, utterly defeated.
"Calm down, Kelvin. We've done this twice and we'll solve this, too," Priscilla said, trying to steady his nerves.
"I think we should go for the artifact that's worth twenty points now," Jeremy interjected, the familiar, reckless glint returning to his eyes.
"Are you crazy?! You've said that ten times now!" Kelvin lamented, his voice cracking.
"Discovering the five-point ones is daunting enough, and you think the Moonstone will be served on a golden platter?"
"Kelvin has a good point," Priscilla added. "If we gather enough of the smaller artifacts, we won't have to worry about the Moonstone."
"Kelvin, isn't there any artifact that seems related to the riddle on the pamphlet? Perhaps if we use our knowledge of History and Geography, we'll find a connection," James pondered aloud, his gaze sweeping the trees.
"No. I checked the pamphlet, and I have no idea. I even checked the map again, hoping lady luck was on our side like the first time," Kelvin replied, his voice heavy with defeat.
"Let me have a look," Jeremy offered, reaching for the map.
The others crowded around Jeremy, scrutinizing the intricate map. Jeremy studied it intently, his brow furrowed in concentration.
"Ugh, let's just forget about it. Let's move to the next one," Kelvin said, frustration bubbling over. He reached to snatch the map back, but Jeremy suddenly stopped them with a sharp gesture.
"Wait a minute... you all should gather around me again," Jeremy said, a spark of realization flaring in his eyes.
"There's no point; let's move," Tolly muttered, her patience worn thin.
"For many pieces make a stand..." Jeremy mumbled, his gaze fixed on the map laid before them.
"Of course!" he exclaimed, snapping his fingers loudly. "Guys, you have to gather around me again. I think I'm onto something."
Intrigued by his sudden burst, the others obediently leaned in.
"Now, scramble off," Jeremy said, a sly, triumphant grin spreading across his face.
"Is this guy nuts?" Tolly muttered under her breath.
"There's no time for jokes, Jeremy!" James shouted, his face a mask of escalating frustration.
"Don't you get it, James?!" Jeremy retorted, his voice edged with brilliance. "Is there the Sherpa tribe on the pamphlet?"
"Yes, Sherpa is here, and wait..." Kelvin's eyes widened in realization. "For many pieces make a stand, fallen apart, they turn to sand. I think I got it! You must have realized it when we huddled together, and our shadows showed on the map—the way our different heights converged. You devil! Our combined shadow looked like a mountain!"
"Mount Everest! But the Sherpa tribe doesn't have much in History other than the mountain itself. You don't think the artifact is a mountain, do you?" Kelvin continued, breathlessly.
"Seems like you've all figured it out," Jeremy smiled, confirming his genius. "Now that you've said it, there's an image of an artifact that looks like a miniature mountain on the pamphlet."
Jeremy's lateral thinking was undeniable.
When they had huddled, the combined shadow, distorted by the sun and the uneven ground, had indeed resembled a mountain range on the map—a connection only the most brilliant, or the most lateral-thinking, would make.
"Okay! We know what the artifact is, but we still don't know where it was hidden," Tolly complained.
"I remember we saw a bunch of rocks in an area we passed earlier. Perhaps it's there?" Priscilla suggested.
"Won't hurt if we try," James smiled at Priscilla—a genuine, easy smile that instantly made her cheeks flush crimson.
"Lover boy," Jeremy teased before they quickly headed toward the suggested rocky area.
After ten minutes of brisk walking, they stood before a scattered cluster of large stones.
"What do we do now? There are so many rocks," Jeremy asked, his previous confidence momentarily dampened.
"Let's check the sedimentary rocks first," Tolly said.
"Why did you say that?" Kelvin asked.
"Fallen apart, they turn to sand... the riddle says it right?" Tolly explained, her eyes alight with academic fervor. "Sedimentary rocks are formed from layers of compressed sediment, and they crumble easily. We were informed the event is based on Geography too, right?"
The others didn't respond. They didn't need to, they had to prove the theory. They grabbed the mallets and began to shatter the sedimentary stones. Just as Tolly theorized, with one swing of the mallet, the brittle rocks quickly disintegrated into sand and dust
.
They methodically broke the rocks until only two remained.
"I hate to think your theory is wrong, Tolly," Kelvin sighed, panting from the effort.
*Bang! Crack!*
Jeremy swung his mallet on the final rock. It turned to dust. When the fine powder settled, a small, shiny rock carved to look exactly like a mountain was revealed.
"Well... her theory is right," Jeremy muttered, impressed.
Just as Jeremy bent to secure the prize, a hand shot out and snatched the artifact before him.
"Well, looks like five points is going to the Green Group," Dylan Wilson sneered, his evil grin reflecting off the shiny artifact.
"What the—?! You reaper! Drop the artifact; it belongs to us!" Kelvin roared in frustrated disbelief.
"It hasn't been marked and recorded, correct?" Dylan countered, clutching the prize tighter. "You can't claim it."
"No way! We didn't do all of that work for you to steal it. Hand it over now!" Jeremy too shouted, his voice laced with venom.
The other members of the Green Group—including the nervous Robert Cook—were shaking and unsure.
"Dylan, I think it's best we leave it," Robert whispered, eyes wide with panic.
"Shut up, yellow belly! Take it and record it now!" Dylan shouted at his own team member, a crazed look in his eyes.
'I wouldn't bother to do this if not for all of the work we did to get this artifact. I can't let them get away easily,' Jeremy thought, his fists tightening.
"Time to break some bones."
-------------------------------------------------------
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