Pheles’s POV:

Dillon is giving me skeptical looks over his shoulder as I gesture at the small hole in the side of the cliff I have led him to. It’s honestly a little funny how guarded he looks and if I didn’t know any better I might have thought the other man was thinking I dragged him out here to kill him.

Imagine that, me killing him. Not that I couldn’t do it. He may be slightly taller, which is sort of annoying if I’m being honest, but I’m no damsel in distress. I am in pretty good shape if I do say so myself, maybe even better shape than he is.

Okay fine, we are probably pretty even in that regard, thank the Gods. I’m not sure if my ego could handle it if he was taller and more muscular than me. Not that either of us are overly muscled, just in very good shape.

Have I always rambled so much or am I just overly stressed?

“Well? You going in?” I ask at last with a slight uptick of my lips. There is a challenge behind my words which I know he doesn’t miss.

After a minute of contemplating he rolls his eyes at me and steps through the crack in the rock. We both have to crouch as we pass through, which makes me feel much better about the inch or so he has on me.

I can feel the stress washing away as soon as my feet land on the smooth stone on the inside of the cliff and I close my eyes contentedly. Dillon makes a soft sound beside me and I open one eye in order to peek at him. He looks like a child seeing the moon for the first time and I almost laugh at him before remembering my first time here. I’m sure I looked the same way.

The cave we are currently in is a little known treasure called The Abyss Under Arrysium, but those who frequent it just call it Arrys. The full name is only used around people who have never been and is one of the main reasons it has remained hidden for so long.

People don’t usually like to go to places with the word abyss in its title, so the name is pretty much a natural deterrent.

“Pretty amazing isn’t it?” I ask as he stands there in awestruck bliss.

I have to admit sometimes I forget how truly beautiful the cave is. It is enormous, easily able to fit hundreds of people in it without becoming overcrowded. The ceiling rises high above our heads, pinpricks of light twinkling from stalactites that cover the entirety of it. Resembling stars twinkling in the night sky and all manner of small glowing creatures flit about through the air, casting rays of light so that certain walls resemble the lights people who live in the northern villages claim to see in the sky.

Large pools of steaming water cover areas of the ground, reflecting the roof perfectly and making it feel as if you could bath in stars. The stalagmites all around us glow with the same phosphorescent crystals as the ceiling, furthering the illusion.

People are gathered around here and there, some splashing around in the water, playing with the naiads that live in the ponds. Others stand around dancing and drinking to the soft music that permeates the cave. No one knows exactly where the music comes from, but it never disappoints and from what I have gathered from my other numerous visits, can sound different depending on who is listening.

Over the stalagmites, I can see that there are a few couples, and even some small groups, slipping through the small gaps in the walls that lead into slightly smaller rooms. I smile when I catch Dillon looking as well and my smile only grows as he turns to catch my eyes, giving me a raise of his eyebrow and a small tilt of his head, as if to ask me what it’s all about.

My smile turns sly as I open my mouth to reply. “This cave provides a place where people come to live out their fantasies, or just to just relax their troubles away. Nothing is off limits as long as they do so peacefully and…” I pause for a minute, not able to hide my growing smirk. “Consensually.”

His eyes widen a bit at that last part before his shock turns into a look of scandalization. He reaches into his pocket and withdraws his quill and parchment before he scribbles furiously. “You brought me to a pleasure dungeon?”

“No. I brought you to a peaceful cavern that just so happens to offer a variety of different ways to relax. The pleasure dungeon is behind that wall.” I finish with a casual wave in the direction of the wall at the far end of the cave.

“There’s really a pleasure dungeon here?” He gives me a wide eyed stare and I can’t help but laugh, my eyes sparkling with amusement. With all the joking flirting he’s been doing, I would have thought he’d be used to things like this, but it’s refreshing to know that he isn’t. It will give me some leverage next time he messes with me.

“No.” I answer at the same time my mind says, yes. “Come on. This way.” Dillon looks unconvinced by my denial and slightly peeved by my change of topic, but I ignore him. Instead choosing to head off into the cave, in search of the pool I know from memory to be nestled between a row of large stalagmites.