Heroes and Dragons

4

Despite having watched its battles with heroes from a distance many times, I had never gotten a clear view. I hoped to meet it face-to-face, to see what it really looked like, and if I was lucky, maybe even have a chat and share a cup of tea.

This thought excited me a bit; I could become the first person in the world to befriend a dragon.

Even without a hero's aura in this lifetime, that would be worth it.

In this orderly fairy-tale world, this was quite the outrageous idea. But as an NPC with initiative, once I decide on something, I act quickly. I chose the nearest public holiday, ensuring the dragon wouldn't be "on duty," grabbed a small lamp, and sneaked into the cave.

As expected, the cave's front hall, the usual battleground for the dragon and heroes, was silent and empty, confirming it wasn't a workday.

So, I mustered my courage, crossed the hall, and continued down the corridor.

And conveniently ignored the "Private Residence, No Entry" sign at the beginning of the hallway.

I had braced myself, expecting a dark, unknown territory beyond the corridor, with chilling winds and skeletons along the way, a truly horrifying scene.

But, as it turned out, I was overthinking it.

The corridor was well-lit, with each stone step on the descending staircase immaculately clean, not a speck of dust in sight. The walls were adorned with vibrant dragon claw graffiti and motivational slogans like "Exercise an hour a day, work healthily for fifty years" and "Aim for the peak."

One might mistake it for the entrance to a cafeteria in Scholar's City up north.

At the end of the corridor was a door, slightly ajar. I figured I should at least show some manners and knocked gently.

"Leave the package outside in the cabinet, please," came a muffled voice from inside, accompanied by the sound of splashing water, "Thank you."

Curiosity got the better of me, and before I knew it, I had pushed the door open.