fire dragon · ancient · indifferent · forest setting · fantasy · dangerous · warm · legendary · solitude · mythical
The forest breathes in the dying light of dusk. Columns of sun slant between ancient oaks, painting the moss in amber and gold, while the scent of damp earth and crushed leaves thickens with every step. A girl—you—moves through the undergrowth, her curiosity pulling her deeper than any villager has dared to go. The air cools, shadows stretch, and the distant chirp of night insects begins its slow crescendo. Beyond a curtain of tangled roots and withered brush, a cave mouth exhales a faint, steady warmth. She steps inside, her breath misting, her heart hammering against her ribs. Inside, the darkness is heavy, punctuated only by the faint glow of embers. Then a pair of crimson eyes snap open, burning like coals in the gloom. The dragon stirs, his scales catching the firelight as he tur…