"These things are filthy," Gonzalez said.

The camel cried in response to his comment.

"Don't be rude to the animals," Montag said.

"It's fine," Tessier said. "You guys probably won't be needing them later anyways."

The caravan they had formed trekked across the wide expanse of the desert. They made steady progress north, eventually coming to a stop around a body of fresh water. A large swath of vegetation and a few animals made their home around the lake, forming an oasis in the otherwise unforgiving environment.

They stopped to recuperate, leading their mounts to the water. Gonzalez began to shuck off some parts from the surrounding trees. He used flint and some plant fibers he was carrying to make a modest fire. He placed a metal pan over the fire, beginning to cook a combination of lentils and chicken pieces.

Lina poured over a map as Derik came in to take a closer look. It seemed like they were getting pretty close to the destination. Derik was grateful that they would be there soon; he didn't know how much more of this traveling he could take.

"How did these maps get made anyways," Derik asked. "This might be a little late to ask, but are we relying on something some map a guy just scribbled down like a novice fantasy writer. I mean they have to be guessing at least a little with this map. It's not like they could have actually seen the entire desert, right?"

Lina turned the map, trying to calculate their route to the hand-drawn location of the vault from the oasis. "I am sure it is accurate; a cartographer probably enlisted the help of some flying beast or half-avian to survey the land," she said.

As the light began to fade from the sky, the group began to huddle around closer to the fire to escape from the night chill. They started to lay out several bedrolls on the firmer soil surrounding the oasis as Gonzalez began to distribute the food he had been cooking on the fire.

"I can certainly appreciate not having to sleep on the ground," Derik said.

"The king will be quite pleased when we return," Montag said.

"Yeh," Gonzalez said. "and once we get back, you might even be able to find a woman. Have you ever been in a romantic relationship Montag? Perhaps you have an eye for one of the ladies accompanying us, though I'm sorry to say Tessier is taken."

Montag adopted a defensive tone, "No, I have not. Courtship gets in the way of performing one's duties." He looked back east towards Mesburg. "I'm going to sleep." He pulled his bedroll over himself.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"What a stick in the mud," Gonzalez said.

Derik leaned over to Titus to sat beside him, stroking the figurine of a lion.

Derik pointed to the figure. "What's that a keepsake from home?" he asked.

Titus looked down into the dirt. "I got it from the emperor before we left," he said. "With how I performed against the dragon, I wonder if his trust was misplaced. This is a symbol given to the greatest warriors of Palatine, after all."

Derik didn't know how to comfort him, so he switched the subject. "Hey, there are plenty of cool new plants and animals making their home here." Derik gestured around them. "I'm sure those would go great in your journal."

Titus looked up to him and rummaged around his bag for his journal. He began to stretch the plants and animals visible from the light of the campfire, nodding intensely as he drew.

The watchful gaze of the morning sun swept across the oasis, outlining the plants in a yellow haze of light. Derik rubbed his eyes to see Lina and Montag waking up the others. He turned to Titus and shook him.

Titus rose, groggy from drawing last night. He looked to Derik, "What's going on?"

"Looks like we're moving out again," Derik said. "Really could do with an alarm clock, or at least a rooster crow."

The group rode until they saw their goal peeking out from behind a hill. They dismounted and inspected the outside of the vault. The structure peeked out above the sand, there was no immediately visible entrance, and it seemed that blowing sand buried most of the construction over the years; large pale blocks composed the top of the structure, many of which were in a state of disrepair. Many of the bricks were partially chipped or otherwise broken due to neglect, and the slabs all had a coarse surface from erosion.

The group cautiously approached the outside of the ruins. Tessier scaled the massive blocks, using the crumbling architecture and ramps formed by the shifting sands to hoist herself near the top.

"This is the spot!" she shouted down to them. "You all better hurry up!"

Lina and Gonzalez made their way up by hand, scaling the slanted walls of the building. Iris tried to climb up but slipped.

"Bollocks!" she shouted. "This is a very pleasant place indeed."

Montag came back down to assist Iris in ascending the building. Derik climbed up to where the rest of the team was standing to find a hole in the structure. The opening led directly down into the construction.

"This is where we came in last time," Tessier said. "Donno if there's another way in."

Gonzalez lit a torch and tossed it down into the smothering darkness. The blazing star descended into the shadow, illuminating the area below them. It was quite a fall, enough to injure but only fatal to those short on their luck. Lina fastened a rope to the outside and tossed it down the gap.

"Once we go in there," Lina said, "there is no telling when we will be able to go back."

"We could always just climb back up the rope after we go down," Iris said.

"Fair warning," Tessier said. "There is some right nasty shit down there. If something goes wrong, we all die."

"We die?" Derik said, mouth agape.

Lina climbed down first, "Let's just stick together and stay alert."

Tessier went down next, with Montag following behind.

"I thought that part was pretty obvious," Gonzalez said. "Let's go have some fun!"

"I'm sure it can't be that bad," Derik mumbled as he rappeled down.

"Do it for it. Do it for it." He repeated to himself. "The loot is worth it."

"Uh, don't leave me behind lads!" Derik could hear Iris call as they all climbed down.

They ended up standing in a long, dusty corridor.

"Well, how bout we get a move on then?" Tessier said.