Everything that glitters isn't gold

More than ever, Artorias had been exploring his love of travel and adventuring, indulging in finally visiting the lands he'd never gotten a chance to before. He'd always had a love for exploring but never had the chance nor freedom to indulge in it until recently. He'd done some exploring with that wolf he'd met in southern Auster and some with Bowen, but after Briar had heard of his outings, she invited him to come see a unique location she'd found. The place was in northern Boreas, a good hike away from their home and a couple days' trek, so Artorias was instantly intrigued about what Briar had discovered so far away. All the way northward, Briar had kept their destination a secret, promising he'd love it once he saw it. Of that, he had no doubt—not just because it was a new place to explore, but because he was going on a special trip with Briar. She could have taken him anywhere in the world and he would have loved her for it.

Following Briar's steps with graceful, practiced paws Artorias crossed the craggy terrain of the Dreamer's Col. Even in the middle of Boreas' summer, the northern terrains were cooler than the rest of the world, the air balmy and temperate. Briar looked back at him with a smile and announced that it wasn't much farther to go, leading him down a rocky path alongside a sheer drop that curved around a ledge, barely perceptible to the untrained eye. Due to the narrowness of the path, they had to advance single file down the path into the cave, daylight slowly fading away behind them the deeper they went. Each step Artorias took was carefully measured, the seasoned navigator making short work of the treacherous path. His eyes began to adjust to the dark, following the wall like Briar demonstrated while they descended into the mountain.

Eventually, they reached the bottom of the path, and as the two wolves stepped through a gap into the grotto, Artorias lifted his gaze and gaped in awe at the splendor he saw. The walls and ceiling of the cavern they'd wound up in were covered with sparkling fiery jewels and crystals of all types. Brilliant topazes, glistening fire opals, orange sapphires and sunset tourmalines all sparkled from a thin shaft of sunlight breaking through the ceiling from a fissure leading to the surface. "Oh, Briar... This is incredible!" Artorias gasped in amazement, his open mouth slowly growing into a wide beaming smile while he took in the sight.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"