Hyernan continued down the carved tunnel with three balls of luminous white light keeping the darkness at bay. Steria would fly around him as his journey continued, and at times would rest on his shoulder. They had stopped three times so far to eat and twice to sleep. He had started to become concerned about the length of the tunnel. None of the other chambers had been this far apart before. His research into the tomb had seemed to indicate that there would be at least one more cavern to puzzle through before the final resting place of the Mevobak Emperor.

As he pondered stopping for another meal break he noticed that the light in the tunnel was brighter than what the three orbs could provide. He paused and as he did so Steria poked her head up from where she had been napping on his shoulder. The last hour or so she had been sleeping with her tail coiled around his neck and talons embedded in the enchanted shoulder pad. Curiosity flowed from her and with a cry, she pushed herself off his shoulder.

Launched from a resting position she dropped down close to the air before her wings scooped through the air and propelled her down the tunnel. Her cries of anticipation echoed back to where he was standing and then faded away. He would have been concerned if he hadn’t felt a spike of wonderment fill their shared link. Now he too was curious as to what the dragon had discovered. The wonderment emanating from her also contained traces of bafflement.

Hyernan tightened the strap of his satchel and took off at a jog. Light continued to flood the tunnel, pushing the darkness even further back and as he rounded a curve bright sunlight blinded his vision. He stopped and blinked, confused. Sunlight this deep underground?

Pupils contracted and his vision cleared as he gazed upon a sight he had never expected to see. He stood on a bluff overlooking a verdant jungle. The air was filled with sounds of birds singing and the cries of animals. A broad river flowed between the far distant walls of the largest cavern he had ever seen. Bright light flowed from above bathing everything in its light.

A waterfall fell from the edge of the cavern, and even from this far off he could see that the amount of water pouring out rivaled anything he knew of on the surface. His gaze shifted further and he could see that the river filled a large lake, and in the center of the lake were three vegetation-covered islands.

Up in the air, Steria swooped and banked as she flew for the first time in several days without having to worry about hitting something or have something injure her. Even from where he stood he could hear her cries of joy and with a sudden, steep swoop she grazed the waters of the river, snatching a fish for herself. She flew back toward where he stood and with a graceful back flare of her wings landed on her hindlegs, the fish grasped in her forelegs. He could tell it was one of the scaled Imdunan fish that he had once seen in the Joonva palace gardens. They were extremely rare and considered a delicacy worth their weight in gold.

Food did not seem like it would be an issue down in this underground paradise. He began the climb down from the plateau he was standing on. While it gave an amazing view, it abruptly ended a few feet from the tunnel’s exit. Carved into the stone was a steep series of stairs. Narrow steps twisted and wound their way down toward the jungle below. He carefully started his descent while Steria continued to bask in her freedom and took flight again, her fishy snack gone.

While tiring and slow, the climb down wasn’t difficult. Before long Hyernan stood on a rocky outcrop at the base of the cliff. The light above continued unabated and the shadows were still in the same position despite the hour or more it had taken him to descend from the clifftop. He yawned and decided that light, or no light, it was time to make camp and get some rest.

Wide open space had been a luxury so far on this journey. Most of the sleeping and cooking had been done within cramped tunnels. He felt that there was finally enough room to set up the tent he normally liked to sleep in. Hyernan unsnapped his satchel and set it on the ground. He then proceeded to reach into the open satchel until his entire arm was deep inside the opening. Rummaging around he finally felt the tent he was looking for and pulled it out and placed the bundle on the rocky ground.

A focus of magic and the uttered word, “gera“, saw the tent unfold itself and then with a whoosh of displaced air the tent put itself together. The cords snapped out straight and as metal stakes fused themselves into the rock the cords wrapped around the eyelets and tied into a complex knot. An enchanted cloth rolled out from the entrance and formed a square. The cloth had been enchanted to repel water, dirt, grime, and small insects and creatures from entering the tent.

Hyernan grinned, this was more like it. He could tolerate hard surfaces and awkward sleeping positions for awhile while on a quest, but there was nothing quite like having a tent to rest in.

A mental call to Steria resulted in the dragon swooping down and landing on his shoulder. She chirped excitedly as she saw the tent had been set up and gave his cheek a nuzzle with her head.

Walking toward the tent resulted in the divided fabric at the entrance moving apart and Hyernan ducked inside with the dragon wrapped around his neck. Inside he stood back up and grinned again. The apex of the tent stretched twenty feet into the air. Dark wooden beams supported the expansion of canvas, as wooden floors stretched off thirty feet to the far end of the tent. To his left stood a fully equipped kitchen with a wooden table, running water, and a cooking fireplace already lit.

To his right was his normal work area. Benches lined the wall and various pieces of armor, weapons, tools, and pieces of leather crowded each other. Bins of metals, various machined parts, and even pieces of a Gluuma field cannon filled the floor. Dividers made up of wood and cloth divided the kitchen and work areas from the back half of the tent.

Hyernan walked forward and passed the dividers revealing a loft where the bed was located. Beneath the loft was another fireplace with a warm fire crackling merrily away. Shelves filled with books, scrolls, parchment pieces, and even clay tablets lined the loft area. In the middle was a pair of comfortable leather chairs and a neatly organized wooden writing desk.

Across from the loft was another cloth screened area. This was where Hyernan was headed. It had been far too long since he had felt the warmth of a decent shower. Enchantments could do a lot to ease the burden of travel, and having his own cast iron enameled tub with attached shower and a charmed water warmer was one of the first things he had installed in his travel tent.

Steria dropped off his shoulder and with a flap of her wings took to the air. Her favorite perch was at the edge of the loft. Hyernan had built a wooden nest on top of the railing and filled it with soft cloth. She loved to curl up in it and watch what was happening below.

A wave of Hyernan’s hand near one of the dividers activated the skylights built into the sides of the tent and rectangles of canvas became semi-translucent, letting in the light from outside. Another flick of his wrist and water started to pour the tub. As much as he liked his traveling outfit, even with freshening enchantments, after several days of hard use the smell was not... pleasant.

Water continued to fill the enameled tub as he pulled off the travel stained clothing and tossed the cloths into an enchanted refresher. After fifteen minutes or so any garments placed inside the round, metallic, contraption would be thoroughly washed, dried, and then softened. Small rips and tears would be mended and any items in the pockets would be neatly sorted into a drawer under the round tub. The cast iron tub and refresher were still two of his better purchases he thought as he eased his body into the warm liquid.

His normally light olive skin lightened as the water swirled around his body lifting the dirt and grime away as it circulated through the screened holes on the sides of the tub. The water was magically cleansed, warmed, and pushed back out, creating a unending supply of perfectly clean warm bliss.

Traveling with such luxuries had not always been something he was used to. This tent represented several years of investment, but in his line of work, it was quite nice to have. Inns and hostels could be few and far between near the ruins that he frequented.

Soft bell tones sounded as the garment refresher finished cleaning his clothing. With a sigh, he pulled himself out of the warm water and stepped out of the tub. Water dripped off his skin and drained away in the slats covering the floor around the tub. A soft towel hung on a hook attached to the dark wooden divider providing some privacy for this section of the tent. A quick toweling off and a muttered drying spell, ”tréna“, finished removing the rest of the water.

He slipped on his pants and shirt then fashioned the sash around his waist. The sash held his stave and contained a couple of pockets that were enchanted to be larger on the inside and to negate some of the weight of their contents. He had also managed to sew in some runes deterred theft by making it difficult to concentrate on the pockets themselves. He finished dressing and beckoned to Steria who had been relaxing the entire time up in her perch.

“Steria, I think it’s time for a bath and oiling. You’ve been neglected too long,” he said as he opened a chest of drawers and started pulling out various bottles. The dragon walked to the edge of her perch used her back legs to launch off. A flare of her wings let her glide directly over the water in the tub. While still several feet up she craned her neck around to look at Hyernan standing next to the tub and with a chirp folded her wings and dove straight down.

"Ausa!” Hyernan shouted as he realized what the dragon had in mind. He had caught her burst of mischief in their empathic link and knew she intended on splashing water out of the tub directly on to him. Steria hit the water and a wave of water sloshed out of the tub. He had managed to get the water controlling spell off just in time and with a twist of his hands and a push from his magic the water stopped halfway to him and slid back into the tub.

Steria bobbed to the surface her eyes sparkling with mischief as she eyed her handiwork. With a disappointed puff of air from her mouth she saw Hyernan dry and unaffected. A flick of her tail though managed to splash a small amount of water around his control and onto his jacket. He rolled his eyes as she dove back under the surface, her tail and wings letting her glide smoothly and almost without effort through the water.

He chuckled as he watched the dragon frolic and splash in the water. He then pulled the stopper from one of the bottles and poured a few drops of the liquid into the water. As soon as the drops splashed into the water bubbles began to form. Soon the tub was crowded with both small and large bubbles that soon started to spill over the side. Steria trilled happily and started to play a game of hide and seek by diving water and reappearing between the clouds of foam and bubbles.

With the knowledge that the dragon would be content for awhile enjoying her bath, he walked back to the kitchen area. One entire corner of the tent was devoted to preparing food. He may be off for months at a time exploring ancient ruins and delving into the mysteries of the past, but that didn’t mean he wanted to eat traveler’s rations the entire time.

A plank of dark, patterned wood made up the counter along one of the walls. Cut into the wood were openings for the enameled cast iron sink and for the enchanted rubbish disposal container. The enchantments of the rubbish disposal had been tricky. He had layered a charm to increase the weight of the sliding lid that would compress the contents of the bin. Another enchantment reinforced the sides of the container. The final enchantment he had carved into the rim of the bin himself filtered the air coming from within and purified it. The only difficulty he had now was emptying it when it became full. He usually had to use a spell to lighten the density and a powerful air purifying spell afterward.

The sink had pipes running to a barrel secured above the sink and then to another barrel below. A third pipe looped back from the bottom barrel to the top one. Both barrels and the third pipe had water purification runes carved into them. Along with simple water replenishment enchantment he never ran out of water.

Filling a kettle with water from the sink he placed it into the fire that was burning in the fireplace built into the other counter. The smoke was magically removed from the vent pipe and a few other charms kept the fire safely contained. One of his favorite teas was grown in the northern Grenda region. Grenda was more renowned for the purple wine grown from round, spiked fruit than for its teas, but even this tea had become well known.

The tea came from a simple bush that was harvested several times a summer. It was popular in many places from the rejuvenating energy it gave the drinker after it was consumed. Since he wanted to rest that evening he reluctantly put it aside and instead opted for a milder Alkmenate tea that was known for helping with relaxation and improving one’s rest.

With water heating, Hyernan made his way back to the bath and a gesture with one of his hands started the water draining. Steria popped up out the bubbles and gave a sad trill as the water quickly ran down the drain. He bent down and let the now clean dragon climb up his arm. With a few steps, he was at the table built just for Steria. The dragon knew what to do and hopped off his arm and onto the padded surface of the table.

One side of the raised table was full of jars, vials, and small canisters. He selected a canister and a small ceramic jar. Opening the jar filled the air with a pungent musk. He poured out some of the dark liquid inside onto the miniature dragon and started to rub the Inulo oil onto her scales. As he worked the oil in between different scales Steria lay contentedly with her eyes closed. Soon a rumble could be heard from within her chest as she basked in the attention.

Dragons, in general, could take care of themselves. They were after all almost sentient creatures. The oils he was applying to her scales though helped keep parasites and disease away. It also helped as the scales fell off and new ones grew to replace the old. Steria continued her contented rumbling, sounding not too dissimilar to a Loguu feline. He switched to the canister and started to apply a cream that had been infused with Pyrne nut oil. The mixture would help heal any wounds the dragon had received.

Finished he closed up both of the containers and replaced them on the shelf. Steria lay on the table and as he watched fell asleep. Resting was not a bad idea as he could feel exhaustion clawing at the back of his mind. The kettle on the fire started to whistle as it finished heating. He walked back to the kitchen and poured the boiling water into a cup along with a silk sachet of the Alkmenate tea. Carefully holding the steaming mug he went back to the study area.

Over the years he had acquired five different maps of the Mevobak tomb. Each one was different, and each one was... incomplete. It was almost as if the various explorers had found tombs that were completely distinct from each other. He continued to sip on his tea as he studied the parchments and explorer journals. One thing all the documents had in common was that each individual had turned back before finding the end of the tomb.

Ulanta Kyberian was famous for her discoveries over the years. Even she had attempted to explore the Mevobak tomb and wasn't able to find the end. The copy of her journal talked about caverns full of ice and snow and days spent in the bitter cold as she tried over and over to navigate through the tunnels and ice caverns. No matter what she did her path always led back to the first cavern.

Greror Indamo had actually written a book about his foray into the tomb. He mentioned briefly about entering a cavern full of plants and animals. Greror had gone into the cavern with a full party of twenty and only himself and three others had made it out. Tales of men disappearing in the night as they slept, voices from the deep within the forest. More than anything though was the repetition within the book about a danger from below.

Sleep could no longer be put off. Even with the notes spread before him Hyernan could feel the heaviness behind his eyes. Stacking the documents up on the small desk he stood up from the chair and climb the stairs to the loft where his bed was. A wave of his hand closed the skylights and the lamps within the tent dampened down. Darkness filled the interior and the only sounds were soon the sound of a sleeping dragon and the crackling of the fires. As he laid down and entered the warm embrace of sleep his last thought was the journey the next day, and of the warning in Greror's book. Danger from below.