Upon opening the chest, Bucephalus takes stock of what’s inside. He looks at it annoyed, herbs? Really? All these people died for some regular herbs? He searched a bit manically around the pedestal before finally stopping and snorting, the herbs trembled under his breath. He stood there momentarily, glaring at the plants before taking them and moving away, but the sun's light made something small glistening in the chest. 

There was a key, small, dainty, easily missed; what chest would it open? Was it a series of continuous chests containing your garden variety herbs and a key to a seemingly smaller and daintier chest every time? He didn’t know and didn’t care, he might as well pick the key up and try to locate its matching lock. 

Bucephalus walked through the largest openings to the paths along the walls of this larger room. The moss slowly ebbed and the moisture slowly dissipated with the light. His eyes slowly adjusted to the dark, and he noticed he was lost, fully lost - not only in the sense that he was in a section he had never ventured into, but that he was also just now lost in the maze-like tunnels.

________

He’s not sure how long he spent going through the cave system. How many hours did he spend? Days? Years? Maybe he was exaggerating a bit, but the issue still stood, he was starving and needed to find food soon. He sighed, whined, and complained loudly in the tunnels, hoping for a bunch of hay, or a wayward patch of moss. 

He shut his eyes as he vowed aloud to find food and survive this mess so he could go home and take a nice nap in his own bed. He fantasized about his comfy straw bed, with the verdant green sheet, keeping his eyes closed as he groaned and drug his feet.

Bucephalus’ head thumped on a hard surface and he shifted his face against his adversary, what he assumed was a cave wall - it didn’t feel like a rock, the crumbling pieces of bark stuck to his forelock and face. A tree? He opens his eyes and glances up at the tree, flourishing in this cave system. Covered in an abundant amount of leaves - food!

Bucephalus got up on his hind legs to grab at a leaf, but suddenly thousands of lightning bugs shot out of the tree, fluttering away from the tree. He quickly stumbles back, falling on his hind. He looked puzzled at the tree for a small moment, cocking his head slightly, watching the bugs fly frantically in the cool cave air. 

He gets up with a soft snort and sniffs at the leaves before getting up from his hind legs and eating a bushel of leaves, hoping he won’t get sick off this random cave tree. The leaves tasted like nothing he had before, the most delicious greenery he ever had. There was a sweetness to it, which lingered slightly on his tongue. As he finished he reared slightly as he whinnied softly to the bugs as a farewell and went on his merry way, belly full of questionable leaves that may or may not cause him harm.