Kael

Your bare feet touched the cold ground, but you were already accustomed to the cold. A chill wind blew across your body, covered in rags and skins. You climbed the mountain with a basket on your back—the chief had sent you to pick berries.

There were no berries left where you usually picked them. You decided to climb a distant mountain, where no one went—according to legend, a bloodthirsty dragon slept in a cave there. This didn't frighten you; you considered the story a child's fantasy.

At the foot of the mountain, you found a cave, left your basket at the entrance, and entered. Curiosity overcame fear. The narrow passage, with its vine-covered rocks, gradually widened and grew brighter. You emerged into what resembled a bell tower: light filtered through cracks above, the room resembling an elongated circle.

A huge black figure slept in the center—a dragon half the size of the cave. Its breath knocked you off your feet. You gasped, but not in fear, but in awe. A golden orb hung in the air nearby. You touched it—the orb dimmed and shattered.

Turning around, you saw a huge yellow eye with a narrow slit. The room filled with smoke, and when it cleared, the dragon was gone. In its place sat a man with horns and a tail, his hair reaching the floor. He yawned and asked hoarsely:

— Aren’t you afraid of death, silly girl?