The next day was in many regards a repeat of the last. Except this time I was sparring with a varying number of forgeborn and it was more than just a few exchanges of blows. We kept at it all day. Admittedly, we did have plenty of breaks but I still felt pleasantly exhausted and just a little sore in the evening. More importantly I felt right at home in my new armor again. The first real surprise of the day came though as we left the forge.

For a change Gib wasn't waiting for us at the gate. The other big difference was that the Arcanist actually accompanied my and Gash'zur as we left. She raised an eyebrow as she noticed me looking. “Isn't that what ye asked of me the other day?”

I could only grin and nod sheepishly. Yes, it had been me who asked her to take some time off after all. I shouldn't have been caught by surprise like that. “Thank ye for taking the time.”

She nodded and strode forward into the city, the two of us following her. She might not take time off from work regularly but she apparently knew where she wanted to go anyway. Her presence did not go unnoticed. Obviously. I drew more looks than in the last few days as well, as I was still in armor. The people kept their distance today though. At least for the better part anyway. Children were still children. The ancient forgeborn didn't mind though.

As she led us out of the city's most lively districts the crowd thinned though and our surroundings became q little quieter. For the first time we descended deeper, closer to the water level of the lake at the bottom of the city's rock pillars as well. Our journey ended as we reached a small eatery that looked out over the lake in a rock pillar that seemed mostly deserted.

As we entered I noticed that we already had a table waiting for us at the very edge where we could peer out into the twilight of the darkening cavern as the crystal pillars dimmed in the evening. Our meals were already underway as well. Or rather the ingredients were underway to our table. Bowls with fish and small squid as well as mushrooms and various vegetables were set down around the table and more importantly around the grill at the tables center.

The portions seemed quite generous. The grill in turn was a magically heated stone with a slight bowl shape to make sure no juices would be lost or drip anywhere. It was quite similar to what Gash'zur and I had used as we made our way through the Deep Dark before the goblins found us. Drinks, tea by the looks of it, were already waiting for us as well.

Our host didn't quite join us as Gash'zur and I started preparing our meals though. She didn't need to eat after all. Quite probably she couldn't even eat. I didn't want to actually inquire about that though. While the two of us put various things on the table grill she made herself comfortable, enjoying the view.

As my next portion sizzled on the hot stone I took some time to admire the panorama as well. I could barely still make out the edges of the cavern as darkness fell. I could spot farmers making their way home from the terraced fields though, as they moved about with smaller crystals themselves. Their processions made for a curious spectacle as they filtered back into the city.

As the farmers returned home fishermen set out into the lake though. I could easily spot the small boats as they all sported much brighter light crystals. After a moment I realized that these served as a lure to draw in fish and squid or prawns. It was a nice and peaceful sight.

I fished my next treat of the grill but decided to let it cool a little before digging back in. “It is quite the sight, even if it is a little quieter here than elsewhere. Imagine my surprise when we first got here. The bees especially! And the city and the people living here just keep surprising me.”

The Arcanist smiled wistfully at my comment. “It took some trial and error in the beginning to figure out how to maintain the delicate balance that is needed. We made the first experiments when we were still staying with your people at Bleak Peak, way back then.”

I nodded. “The underground gardens? I think they are still in use today. I was thinking about having some built for my domain as well, after the recent siege it had to endure.”

She thought about it for a moment before answering. “It should be easier for you, if you build them close to the surface. You wouldn't have to deal with the same extremes we had to face here. Just make sure to grow a good variety of crops. The plants need to complement each other to keep an underground garden going for any length of time without relying on resources from the outside too much.”

After that she fell silent again. She eyed what I had been eating, mostly prawns and squid, critically though. After a moment she picked up a wild mix of vegetables and put them on the grill. “You really should have more of these. Especially since you will be heading out again soon.” I raised an eyebrow, as she sounded a little like my mother, but didn't protest thus she kept going. “I'm having Gib prepare supplies and gear for you but even the best trail rations can't compete with fresh produce. You should really enjoy it all while you can.”

I couldn't help but chuckle as I picked some of the vegetables from the grill, moving them to my plate, as they were done. That sounded like the kind of advice I might have just as well given her. She needed to enjoy the fruits of her labor, the result of all the hardships she burdened herself with, every once in a while as well. Once again I didn't protest though. I just kept eating.

After a while, darkness had fallen for good out there in the greater cavern by now, we finished our meal with a sweat dessert, a small cake with plenty of juicy berries inside and a liberal helping of honey on top. I had to admit I really felt stuffed now. This had been well beyond even the other already hearty meals we had had here. If we were back at our quarters I probably would have fallen right into bed.

Here though I apparently would not receive a chance to rest quite yet. Instead our host lead us up a flight of stairs in the same rock pillar, at the end of which we reached some more spacious, interconnected rooms within the pillar.

As we entered I quickly realized where we were. I decided to ask anyway. Just in case. “The museum of existential terrors?”

The forgeborn laughed. “Is that what they call it these days? I have to admit I haven't kept up with details like that. I used to just call it the museum back then. The name is fitting though. It serves to make the young ones familiar with some of the things we face down here as well as some of the things we left behind when we descended into these depths.”

She fell silent for a moment before continuing. “I take it, it is not terribly popular, given the name they came up with but some lessons need to be learned. And better the young ones learn them here in a safe environment then later out there with their lives on the line. Life is not just fun and games.”

She led us past some exhibits that had the hair at the back of my head stand on end. Things with too many eyes, teeth, beaks and tentacles, often in combinations that were mind boggling. Some looked vaguely like fish. Some where somewhat humanoid. Others though were entirely alien. Here they were though, dead and somehow preserved. Some appeared whole. Others had obviously been chopped apart and only roughly reassembled.

I breathed a small sight of relief as we moved past those without stopping. Finally we reached a different section. It took me a moment to realize but it seemed dedicated to wyvern and dragons. There was even a mostly whole wyvern skeleton in one of the rooms. It was whole except for the stinger which had been replaced with a metal recreation, probably for safety reasons. There were illuminated stone tablets for most exhibits. I still had trouble reading them though despite Gash'zur's best efforts teaching me the language. We simply hadn't had enough time for proper language classes.

When we stopped we did so in front of a large painting of a dragon that covered much of a wall in one of the larger chambers. It wasn't a life sized painting. The small goblin figure next to it suggested that it probably was about a tenth the size of the actual creature. It wasn't just an artistic rendition either. Using different colors bones, muscles and a veritable network of blood vessels had been painted in.

Finally the Arcanist turned to face us. “I really hope you don't have to face it again but your accounts of recent events suggest that you managed to injure it and these beasts tend to hold a grudge like nothing else in this world.” She paused and picked up a long stick to point at a spot on the dragon's flank just behind its front leg. “This is the area where you saw that wyvern stinger glaive of yours stuck, spreading its rot?”

I nodded and took a closer look.

She shifted the stick slightly until the tip came to rest upon what looked like a major blood vessel. “Like with us all limbs of a dragon have some major blood vessels. And like with us the arteries come pretty close to the surface in some spots. If you have to stand your ground and fight the beast again, striking at this spot might be the best chance you have. It still wont be easy though. Don't be fooled. Even with some scales rotted and weak you still will have to cut deep, through fat and muscle. And even if you land a killing blow the damn thing might take a while to actually die.”

She paused to let that sink in. then she spoke up again. “If you can though, try to strike it with the biggest, baddest spell you can manage instead or at least first. Don't hold anything back and don't be afraid to cheat each and every way you can think of to stack the odds in your favor.”

I could only nod as my mind raced. Could I possibly kill it with a Meteor Strike if I somehow could get enough time to cast and power the spell on my own? The idea was daunting. Or could I at least slap it out of the sky with a storm similar to what I had Kaele do during the battle at the Gap when we had to deal with the giant wyvern? I would have to do something like that if I were to come face to face with this monster. There was no doubt about that. Otherwise I would have a hard time even reaching its supposed vulnerable spot.

Gash'zur put an arm around my shoulder, steering me away from the dragon's image. I had been so lost in thought I hadn't even noticed that our host had turned to leave.

The ancient forgeborn looked into my eyes. The pressure of her presence temporarily increasing as her eyes shown with the full power of her inner light. “Whatever you do, try not to get yourself killed!”