As the eternal tropical sun burned a great hole through the swirling vapors, a sudden, breathtaking shaft of light focused downward onto a muddy stream swollen far over its banks. The skies grew clearer, late morning mist lifted to the jungle canopy and stillness settled in with the heat of the day.

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Far away, over the rush of cascading water, the effervescent melody of a child’s laughter embellished the thunder’s deep, rolling bass. It drew closer, weaving a brightly colored thread of sound through the hushed gray-green tapestry. Vibrant, alive, the cheerful echoes resonated strangely out of place in the lost valley; indeed, man hadn’t seen this part of the island continent in centuries...