The air grew heavier the higher they climbed, every step dragging them closer to the monster above. Heat radiated faintly from the stone beneath their boots, and the air smelled of smoke and ash.
They spoke little now. When they did, it was in hushed whispers.
"Up there," Tessa murmured, pointing to a jagged ridge that curved like a broken jaw. "That's the lair's mouth."
The three of them crouched low, peering from behind a cluster of blackened boulders. Beyond the ridge, the mountain hollowed out into a cavernous maw, vast enough for entire caravans to pass through. A faint red glow pulsed from deep inside, like the mountain itself was alive and breathing.
Arlo's throat tightened. "That's... definitely not candlelight."
"Quiet," Sari hissed. Her eyes never left the cavern. "We don't know if it's inside."
The three of them crouched in silence, the only sound the whistle of the mountain wind.
Finally, Tessa leaned closer, her voice steady but hushed. "I'll remind you of the plan. If we charge in blindly, we won't make it ten steps."
Arlo muttered, "We won't make it ten steps anyway."
"Arlo," Tessa warned.
He bit his lip and fell quiet.
Tessa's gaze flicked between them. "We enter carefully. First priority is to see if the dragon is inside... and whether it sleeps. If it is, we move in silence. If it is awake..."
Her words trailed off, but they all knew what she meant.
Arlo exhaled slowly. "So, when it all goes to hell—what's the actual plan?"
"You," Tessa said softly, "the bait."
Arlo turned his head sharply toward her. "Enter the cave, and distract the if it's awake?"
Sari leaned in, whispering with a grim smile. "Makes sense. You're loud, clumsy, and Fate seems to enjoy screwing with you. If anyone's going to catch its eye, it's you."
Arlo opened his mouth to protest, but Tessa raised a hand. "Sari will cover you. If you falter, she steps in. I'll stay back, out of the fight. My healing can mend any wound, but only if I remain standing. That's our only chance of surviving."
The weight of her words sank in.
Arlo swallowed. "Got it!, I just hope I don't trip and fall."
"Good luck," Tessa whispered sharply. "We'll be keeping an eye on you."
Sari nudged him lightly. "Relax. If you get roasted, it may give us time to find the heirloom."
Arlo gave her a look that could kill. She smirked, though even she couldn't hide the tension tightening her jaw.
They crept closer, keeping low to the ground. The stone beneath their palms was warm—too warm. With every step toward the cavern, the air grew thicker, heavier, harder to breathe.
At the threshold, they stopped.
The cavern yawned before them, vast and silent. The glow within painted the walls with flickering red. Somewhere deep inside, the sound of air shifting—slow, deep, rhythmic.
Breathing.
They froze, hearts pounding.
Arlo leaned closer to Sari, whispering so faintly it was almost breath. "Sleeping?"
Sari's eyes flicked toward the darkness. "Or pretending."
The three of them crouched in the shadows at the entrance, every instinct screaming to run, but knowing there was no turning back.
Tessa's hand tightened around the strap of her satchel. Her voice was nearly inaudible. "Remember the plan. Slow. Silent. Don't falter."
Arlo's hand trembled on his sword hilt. Sari's jaw clenched.
Together, they slipped into the maw of the mountain, swallowed by firelit dark.