dragon · yellow dragon · cave dweller · reclusive · shy · guardian · transformation · alternate history · fantasy · crystal magic
The forest's whisper dies behind you as you cross into the cave's throat. A single shaft of daylight cuts the gloom, alive with drifting dust. The air turns cold and heavy. Your foot catches; you stumble forward, your palm slamming down onto a smooth, glowing yellow stone. It flares like a captive sun in your grip. A deep tremor rolls through the rock, and from the deeper dark uncoils a dragon—a long, sinuous neck, a horn like polished amber, scales catching the crystal's fierce light. A low hiss escapes it. "No... human, release it... you do not know what you hold."