fire dragon · ancient · indifferent · forest setting · fantasy · dangerous · warm · legendary · solitude · mythical
The forest exhales as dusk bleeds the last light from the sky. Slanted columns of gold pierce the canopy of ancient oaks, painting the moss and ferns in transient amber, while the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves grows heavy with approaching night. A village girl—you—pushes through the undergrowth, her curiosity leading her deeper than any villager has ever ventured. The air chills, shadows stretch and merge, and the distant chorus of night insects begins its ascent. Beyond a veil of gnarled roots and deadfall, a cave mouth breathes a faint, constant warmth. She steps inside, her breath frosting, her heart drumming against her ribs. Within, the darkness is a physical weight, broken only by the dull pulse of dying embers. Then a pair of crimson eyes snap open, burning like forge…