“The rune is a key,” she said, her voice steady despite the crackle of the flames. “It points to the ‘Heart of Sherwood,’ a vault the Builders sealed centuries ago. Legend says it holds a power that can turn the tide of any war—if it falls into the right hands.”
Little John grunted in agreement. “Aye, but we’ll need more than just swords and arrows. We’ll need men who can build, who can read the stone, and a raven that can scout the sky.” Thus the Sherwood Builders were summoned. They were not a guild of masons and carpenters in the ordinary sense, but a secret brotherhood of engineers, scholars, and dreamers who had hidden themselves among the trees, passing their knowledge down through generations. Their leader, a stoic old man named Eadric, arrived with a cadre of apprentices, each carrying tools that looked as ancient as the forest itself.
Robin’s eyes narrowed. “The Builders… they were the ones who hid the gold for the people, right? If a raven from the north carries one of their runes, perhaps the old kingdom is trying to speak to us again.”
“The second rune is water,” whispered Marian, pointing to a rune etched on a slab of granite beside a pool of deep blue. “We must fill it.”
Robin looked out over the forest, the leaves whispering ancient songs, and felt a peace he had never known. He tightened his grip on his bow, not for war, but for protection—of a kingdom reborn from the very earth it stood upon.
Beyond the chasm lay a cavern of perpetual flame, the third rune etched into a basalt wall, glowing a fierce orange. “Fire,” muttered Little John, eyes alight with the same hue.
Robin smiled, the corners of his mouth lifting in that familiar grin. “Then let’s set forth, brothers and sisters. The people of Nottingham and all the townsfolk beyond deserve a chance.” The journey began at dawn. The first marker stood on a moss‑covered boulder near the old mill. Its rune glowed with a faint amber hue, and the air hummed with a low, resonant tone. The Builders stepped forward, laying a series of wooden levers and gears around the stone. As they pulled the levers in precise sequence, the ground trembled and a hidden staircase of stone revealed itself, winding down into the earth.
