The group emerged from the tunnel, blinking against a sudden, vibrant light.
They had expected a cave. A damp, dark hole in the rock.
What they found was a city caught in an eternal twilight.
The Fox Sanctuary was built inside a colossal volcanic cavern, but it was lush with life. Glowing blue moss covered the walls like wallpaper. Massive trees with silver bark and cherry-blossom leaves grew directly out of the stone, their roots twisting into bridges and staircases.
Paper lanterns floated in mid-air, drifting aimlessly like lazy fireflies. Waterfalls cascaded from the ceiling, feeding a steaming lake in the center of the village.
"Atmospheric conditions: humid," Archduke Cassian noted, wiping fog off his monocle. "Aesthetic rating: High. Structural integrity of these tree-houses: Questionable."
"It smells like soup," Lord Rurik sniffed the air. "Good soup."
