"Liz, come on. The cave is just up this ledge and then around another bend!" Lyla called from above me. "Lyla, tell me again why I came out here with you?" I asked as I climbed up on the ledge and followed her voice. With a sigh she told, "I wanted you to come here because after that mother load of quartz was stolen, and there was no quartz left and it was down in the middle of night, plus it was quiet and how come someone or something be that quiet when carrying a lot of quartz?" Without waiting for me to reply she continued.
"No there is nothing that could be that quiet. It would have to be big and strong. And the rock collectors did not have all of their equipment with them because they stumbled upon it. I was outside that night and when I was walking around in my backyard, I saw something huge fly in this direction. This place"-gesturing behind her-"is filled with holes and caves up to 30 feet high and miles long. So since you told me what you saw, I wanted to show you this place." She then turned and climbed up around the bend.
With my own sigh I followed and around the bend we saw a cave large enough to fit a few small houses. We entered and when we turned on the flashlights, light was everywhere. Rocks, quartz, geodes, any rock you can imagine was lining the cave walls for miles. Lyla and I exchanged excited smiles as we examined the rocks. I was already feeling tears in my eyes, from the beauty of it all.
Just as we were taking a look at an 8 foot tall piece of Amethyst, a loud and low rumble sounded from one hole. Lyla hid behind a shelf of rocks as I hid behind the Amethyst. We peeked out of our hiding spots in time to see something big and green emerge from the hole. Another joined it and they were conversing in a Human tongue. "Caradhas, why do you insist on collecting these rocks? You know Humans will start exploring these caves sometime, and if they do what will happen to your hoard? The Humans will most likely take and hide in one of their homes," the second Dragon said. "You're one to talk, Themual, what would become of you own hoard?" Caradhas retorted.
"Touche, but-" Then Themual started sniffing the air. "Caradhas do you smell that?" "What? What smell?" "It smells like Human." "Humans? IN my cave?!" Caradhas seemed outraged. Lyla squeezed tighter into her spot as I shifted around the stone putting my back against the wall. "Yes Humans. The smell is coming over by your purple stone over there," Themual gestured with one claw. "It's Amethyst, Themual. And why would a Human come into my cave?" Caradhas asked.
I took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the Amethyst. "Liz no!" Lyla yelled and ran out from her own hiding spot. The two Dragons stopped talking to each other and looked at us. Lyla and I slowly looked at each other and turned back to the Dragons. "We-we were only l-looking at your magnificent hoard sir," I said in a shaking voice. I knew speaking was a bad idea because Themual let out a gust of Dragon fire as Lyla and I sprinted out of the cave with an outraged Dragon right behind us.