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At first, Mericlou thought that they had passed all the way through the mountain and into the Orobia basin itself, but there was no haze to obscure the perfect illumination that was like a clear day Her eyes adjusted to the surprisingly brilliant light, and high overhead, she could see the ceiling of the cave, which encased a spectacle unlike anything she had ever seen before

"By the maker …" she slohispered in near reenhouse?

No, it was too big

A forest?

No, it could not be a forest, not inside of a cave, at least And the trees, though plentiful amidst the vibrant and varied plant life, were spaced too conspicuously far apart

"Welco and spread his arms, as if to embrace all that lay before the, hundreds of feet high, was covered in blazing white runes It was supported by scores of fused stalactite and stalagmite colurand gering size led Mericlou to wonder if it was natural, or if someone had actually hollowed out the bowels of the very mountain that cradled Skainhart in order to create it

Aldrec coaxed her along a dirt path, and Janette could see that landscape was an entire subterranean ecosyste plants of all shapes and sizes The ground was a rew thousands of trees and shrubs, with flowers and fruit in unfamiliar colors and shapes Distantly, Mericlou heard the ruh and vast enough for there to be a layer of thin, wispy clouds There were even birds flying overhead

Entranced in a way she had never known, Mericlou followed Aldrec deeper into the garden Shethe texture of their leaves, s in their exotic beauty, andat their varied sizes, shapes, and colors

"Like a child in a toy store," Aldrec observed in as had taken her to the base of a tree-like plant that grew incredibly high, like the redwoods near Nebaru in the Garushnit Kingdoed in a bunch near its top, iants At its top, several round, green fruits hung in an inviting bunch, but forever out of reach