This cache is part of the Kaylen’s Rising series of caches. I thought it would be different to have fun with my characters, since I’m an author. Hope you enjoy! The cache is not located at the posted coordinates. Read on to find it.
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The air reeked of burnt wood, thick with smog that made everything look like a bad charcoal sketch. Somewhere nearby, a fire sputtered like it was coughing up its last breath. The training dummies—formerly proud, sturdy wooden targets—now looked like unfortunate victims of a dragon with indigestion.
Avery cracked a smirk and dusted off his hands. Good enough for today. With that, he sauntered toward the main cavern, his bright red cape billowing behind him like he was starring in his own dramatic entrance.
Inside, the large foyer was dimly lit, the fire in the stone hearth barely flickering. Avery plopped onto a bench, then immediately started fidgeting. He shifted left. Then right. Then back again. His cape, ever the dramatic companion, flopped with each move. Finally, he sprawled out, arms spread wide—only to sit back up with a loud, exaggerated sigh.
Across from him, Turin stood like a massive stone pillar, arms crossed, watching the whole performance.
“Avery… what exactly are you doing?”
Avery nearly jumped. “Turin! Uh—nothing. Just trying to get comfortable. And failing.” He scowled at the ceiling. “I’m bored. I can only train so much. I need something else to do. Can’t wait for our next mission.”
Turin tilted his head in mock consideration. “You could always clean my room.”
Avery shot him a flat look. “Hilarious.” His fingers twitched. A slight ember flickered at his fingertips.
“Whoa, whoa—relax. It was a joke.” Turin held up his hands. “No need to set anything on fire. Again.”
Avery grumbled, crossing his arms.
Turin chuckled. “Alright, how about this—you ever heard of geocaching?”
Avery’s ears perked up. “Geo-what-now?”
“It’s like a treasure hunt,” Turin explained, his grin widening. “People hide things—called caches—out in the wilderness. You solve puzzles or follow clues to track them down. Sometimes it’s easy. Sometimes it’s a challenge.”
Avery leaned forward, eyes glinting with interest. “So, let me get this straight. There are hidden things out there—right now—that I could be finding instead of sitting here?”
“Exactly.”
Avery shot to his feet. “Why have you been keeping this from me?! This is exactly the kind of thing I need! Where’s the first one? What’s the prize? Do I get a sword? A magical artifact? A pile of gold?”
Turin laughed. “Most caches are just small hidden objects with logbooks. But the real prize is the hunt itself.” He pulled out a slightly crumpled piece of paper and handed it over. “Here. Beiren gave me this one. It’s a puzzle cache—a Sudoku mystery.”
Avery snatched the paper, excitement faltering slightly. “A… sudo-what?”
“Sudoku. It’s a number puzzle the Humans came up with.”
Avery frowned at the mention of Humans, but his enthusiasm overruled his skepticism. “Alright, fine. I’ll bite. How does it work?”
“You solve the puzzle, which gives you coordinates. Then we track down the cache.”
A slow grin spread across Avery’s face. “This is amazing. Why don’t we do this all the time? Forget training dummies—I could be out solving ancient riddles and uncovering lost secrets!”
“Let’s start with a Sudoku puzzle before you go declaring yourself a legendary treasure hunter,” Turin said, smirking.
Avery waved a hand. “Minor detail. Alright, let’s do this.” He rolled up the paper, eyes gleaming. “Adventure awaits!”
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Instructions: To find the cache, solve the Sudoku and use the calculate the right coordinates.
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A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
F |
G |
H |
I |
| 1 |
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6 |
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4 |
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9 |
7 |
| 2 |
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4 |
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7 |
3 |
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1 |
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| 3 |
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1 |
7 |
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9 |
2 |
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3 |
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| 4 |
6 |
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7 |
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8 |
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| 5 |
1 |
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5 |
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6 |
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9 |
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3 |
| 6 |
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2 |
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1 |
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6 |
| 7 |
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5 |
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9 |
8 |
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1 |
6 |
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| 8 |
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9 |
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5 |
6 |
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7 |
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| 9 |
8 |
6 |
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2 |
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3 |
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Final Coordinates: N 46 13.0(D3)(A7) W 64 2(H5).7(G2)0