The mountain loomed above them like a silent sentinel, jagged and ancient. Clouds swirled at its peak, hiding the home of the beast that had terrorized kingdoms and toppled armies.
For a long while, the three of them simply stood there—Arlo, Tessa, and Sari—gazing up at the impossible climb.
Sari broke the silence first. "...Sooo. Do we just knock on the dragon's door and say, 'Hey, we're here for the heirloom, pretty please don't roast us alive?'"
Arlo pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're free to go ahead and try, we'll be waiting right here."
"Just trying to get the mood right, geez." she muttered.
Tessa exhaled, adjusting her cloak. "We must be careful. Dragons are cunning, not just brutes. To face one unprepared is to invite death."
"Cool speech," Arlo said, "but do you actually have a plan, or are we just winging it?"
Tessa straightened her back, clearly offended. "Of course I have a plan."
"Really?" Sari crossed her arms. "Because your last 'plan' got us lost for four hours circling the same tree."
"That was a minor miscalculation," Tessa said stiffly.
"Minor?!" Sari shrieked. "I had blisters on my blisters!"
Arlo sighed and sat down on a blackened rock. "Okay. Enough. Let's figure this out before the dragon hears us arguing and comes down for an easy meal."
The three of them huddled around, the mountain's shadow swallowing their campfire.
The "Plan"
Tessa cleared her throat, pulling a folded parchment from her satchel. "The Duke's request was clear: retrieve the family heirloom stolen centuries ago. To do that, we must first infiltrate the dragon's lair."
"Infiltrate?" Arlo repeated. "Like it's some shady guild hideout? It's a dragon. With claws. And teeth. And fire."
"Yes," Tessa said firmly. "Which is why stealth is critical. We avoid direct confrontation."
Sari raised her hand. "Question. Have you met us? Arlo makes lightning fall out of the sky when he sneezes, you trip on roots like it's a hobby, and I—I shout at people until they cry. None of us scream stealth."
Tessa pursed her lips, unwilling to admit she had a point.
Arlo tapped his sword nervously. "So let's say we sneak in. How do we find the heirloom? Do we even know what it looks like?"
"It is a ring that radiates magical energy, we might be able to feel it's presence when we get closer to it. " Tessa answered quickly. "It is also said to shimmer even in darkness."
Sari frowned. "So... we're looking for something small but shiny. In a dragon's treasure hoard. Where literally everything is small and shiny."
Silence.
Arlo groaned. "We're screwed."
They lapsed into uneasy quiet, the fire crackling.
Finally, Sari broke it. "...What if we distract the dragon? Like, one of us keeps it busy while the others sneak in?"
Arlo turned to her, horrified. "And who do you suggest for that? Me? The guy whose only real talent is accidentally summoning natural disasters?"
Sari shrugged. "Hey, you're the intern. Unpaid interns get the worst jobs."
Arlo glared. "You're still new here. Don't push it."
Tessa rubbed her temples. "Enough, both of you. No one will be distracting the dragon. If we are seen, we flee. Simple as that."
Sari scoffed. "Oh sure, because dragons are famously bad at chasing people."
Arlo flopped backward onto the dirt. "This isn't a plan, it's a death sentence. We're like... like three idiots trying to rob a volcano."
"Then we make it work," Tessa said firmly. "We each play to our strengths. Arlo, your skill with fate is unpredictable, but it can tip the scales in dire moments. Sari, your... words are sharper than most blades. And I can heal. Together, we can manage this."
Arlo sat up slowly, narrowing his eyes. "Wait. I thought you actually had a plan. So, it all just comes down to us winging it."
Sari gasped dramatically. "Oh my god!"
Tessa's cheeks flushed. "Do not twist my words."
Arlo smirked. "Too late. It's canon now."
Their bickering carried into the night until exhaustion finally won. They doused the fire, leaving only the moonlight to watch over them.
But as they settled into uneasy sleep, a shadow passed overhead—massive, winged, and silent as death.
The ground trembled, just slightly.
Up on the mountain, something ancient stirred.
The dragon knew.
And it was waiting.