A QUEST CONCERNING UNDERSTANDING

'Boring.'

Billy Foster was clear as ice, as she'd like to put it. Opposite of her sat Head Auror Gailbard. Was it smart, whatever she was doing? No. Did she do it anyway? Yes. She was Billy Foster.

A slow smile formed on Gailbard's face. 'So you think you're brave, eh?'

'No.'

Again, Billy didn't waste more words than necessary. Gailbard stood up, turned his back to hers and stared out of his window. He tilted his head to Billy, frowning.

'I was like you when I was younger. Adventurous, acting like I never knew that rules didn't exist.' Once again, he smiled. 'And maybe a bit of foulmouth.' He turned his body back to Billy and put his knuckles gently on his desk.

'Look, this task is fit for you. It may not be that spectular, however, you must realise Harry Potter didn't spend all his time out in the field.'

Billy felt inclined to say something for the first time. Gailbard put his hand up, preventing her mentally from talking.

'Auror work isn't exactly fighting all the time. We're called in for various opportunities. You have to be ambigiuous, too. Act like a Muggle among the Muggles and a Scotsmen among the Scots.' Gailbard smiled, proud of his comparison. Billy thought nothing of it. 'This is a good opportunity,' he continued, 'to prove what you're worth. It's one of those cases that musn't exactly be thrilling, but in the end has to be concluded satisfactorily. That alone is quite a challenge sometimes, even when it's boring. Do you understand?'

'Yes, sir,' nodded Billy. Yes, she did understand why and how. Then again, she didn't want to go. She wanted to be out in the fields, like Marjorie or Anvi, her two friends who both were Trainee Aurors, too. They had done stuff. They are doing stuff. Cool stuff, or, rather activities. What exactly she did not really know; Marjorie was currently tracing a lost book in Devon that contained sensitive information. Anvi, however, was really in the 'field'; diving in the lakes of Northern Ireland, searching for missing holy stones from the Hynna creatures. It's a long story. Gailbard had sensed her discontempt with her task from the start, but was convinced this was right for her. If he had to be entirely honest he rated Billy higher than her friends, but he knew that she was capricious at times. Therefore, she had to be nudged into the right path.

'Good.' Gailbard nodded, too, and gave Billy an envelope. 'This contains more specific information.' Billy took the envelope and left Gailbard's office. She knew where she was going.

Whilst walking along the Auror Office's corridors, Billy read the contents of the envelope carefully. It contained a map and several pieces of paper. Furthermore, one page revealed a seismographic graph. She focused on the graph. It was moving, so she assumed it wasn't a Muggle graph, but one from the Ministry of Magic. Whilst walking she figured out what it meant; the text on the y-axis said it was from Ashill, with very specific coordinates behind the town's name.

Gailbard's office was not far from the Auror office common room; Harry Potter's initiative to restructure the room with couches and floating bean bags had made the room an ideal spot to meet other Aurors or simply read, especially since a coffee machine had become available. A Muggle one, that is. The coffee was unlike anything she had ever tasted.

Coming from a small town in southern Scotland, Billy Foster always stood out. Firstly, she didn't speak with a Scottish accent. She was actually born in Stevenage and had lived there for quite some time before relocating to northern lands. It had landed her with a … well, different accent than most in her quiet Scottish town. Even the sheep spoke different. Hogwarts, however, was a diverse bunch of kids; she had always enjoyed her time there. She got good grades and was accepted as Trainee Auror. However, she had to leave the magnificent castle and relocate. She choose … Northern London. She initially settled for the same old town, but came back from that thought quite quickly. London's buzzing cosmopolitan atmosphere was very appealing to her.

But none of that for now. She had three hours to kill before she could Disapparate and start her mission. Well, that meant she was going to read. Bily checked her watch. Some time after 4 o'clock, it said. Most Aurors were either still working or home already, because the working day slowly came to an end. The common room was empty.

She settled herself in one of the floating bean bags and levitated a book from a bookshelf nearby. "Twelve Tricks to Detain a Dragon," the excessively glittering front said. She turned the book to its back, and read that it the book ought to be "an absolutely thrilling tale of how to get your favourite dragon in your own backyard – so that you're not only are glamoruos and admired, but also have a little fire in your life!". The author's picture was positioned in the bottom-left of the back and contained a blonde, glass wearing woman seductively moving a quill along her mouth. Billy read Rita Skeeter's bio, but couldn't really be bothered, in fact. She turned the book to the front cover again, when a figure approached in front of her.

'Nonsense, isn't it?' said the gentle voice.

Billy Foster looked up and almost had an heart attack. There he was, casually in front of him, while she held a book in her hand by Rita Skeeter. I hope he doesn't think that I like that author, thought Billy, while eyeing the figure in front of her shyly. Her I-don't-care attitude vanished instantly. She was overwhelmed.

Harry Potter didn't exactly prey on Billy Foster, but she was too immersed in reading the back cover of the book to notice him coming. He moved an other levitating bean bag closer with his wand and sat beside Billy. Hary smiled. Then, she remembered Harry had asked her a question.

'Yeah,' Billy answered coolly.

'I don't know why that book is even here,' said Harry. 'Can I have it for a minute?'

Billy gave the book to Harry, who inspected the front and the back cover of the book. He snorted.

'Have you seen it before?' asked Billy.

'No, I haven't, but I heard a lot about it from my friend Ronald.'

'What he'd say?' she asked, again.

'Well, I'm not gonna repeat a lot of what he said,' Harry smirked, 'but he didn't like it.' He gave the book back to Billy.

'Read the second last paragraph on the back cover,' he said.

Billy did so.

For this book, many specialists were consulted around the world, all who have countless years of experience in dragonry. With a foreword by the hottest bachelor of the British Isles, a member of the heroic Weasley family and duelist in the Battle of Hogwarts, Charlie Weasley.

Billy looked at Harry. 'Isn't Charlie Weasley one of the most renowned dragonryspecialists nowadays?'

'Exactly,' answered Harry. 'And that doesn't get mentioned anywhere. That's a thing Ron doesn't like. Furthermore, "duelist" at the Battle of Hogwarts is both an understatement and misinterpretation of what he actually was. But what's the most compelling and yet disturbing fact with this is that …' Suddenly, Harry coughed and laughed at the same time. Billy was unsure what to do, but Harry glanced at her and gestured that it was okay. '... Is that Charlie hasn't written anything for her.'

'What?'

'Not joking,' answered Harry, gesturing disbelief. 'I don't understand it either. Both Ron, Charlie, Charlie's parents and Hermione Granger have sent an owl to Rita Skeeter's editor requesting to take the book out of stock.'

Billy smiled. It was actually true what they said about Harry; he was, indeed, a really kind person. Humble, too.

'Well,' she said, feeling more comfortable, 'then I won't take any advice from this book.'

'It can't be that wrong,' said Harry, slowly getting up from his levitating bean bag. 'It should be along the lines of saying that, most importantly, you should never meet a dragon. And if you do so, you should run away very fast.' He smiled.

'Well, I must go. Nice to meet you…'

Oh, shit! Billy thought. She hadn't even introduced herself. Instantly, she sprung up and shook his head. In first instance Harry was taken aback by her impulsive action, but shook her hand back a second later.

'Billy Foster, nice to meet you.'

'... Harry Potter. Nice to have met you. I must go. You're staying here?'

'Yes, I've got my first mission in a couple hours,' Billy replied, looking at her watch.

'Oh, exciting,' said Harry teasingly. Billy let out a shy smile. 'Good luck,' he said as he put on his coat, 'and make sure you don't meet any dragons.'

'I won't,' said Billy. Harry nodded, turned around and walked away. Billy fell in her bean bag, somewhere between being flabbergasted about her experience meeting a Battle of Hogwart hero – the hero – and dragons. As she had a couple hours more to kill, she decided to take a nap. Billy set an alarm on her Aurorwatch, closed her eyes and quietly, but swiftly, fell asleep.

She was only awoken by the beeping sound of her alarm some hours later. She opened her eyes, looked around and noticed that she was, again, alone. On her right arm someone had put a letter. Billy opened it. It was written in blue ink and directed to her.

You fell asleep. All the other Aurors saw it, but decided to let you rest. Looking really cute. Marjorie.

Billy had to laugh out loud. Bloody Marjorie, she thought. How emberassing it must've been! No doubt that she'd return the "favour". Maybe unleashing a fake baby dragon on her while she was asleep or some sort.

Speaking about dragons, she had to leave. The book was stil on her lap. Billy levitated it back on the book shelfs, got up and glanced at her watch. Almost eight o'clock. Time to go.

The Disapparation went without any problems. Ashill was her destination, a sleepy town. No doubt you had many of those in Norfolk. The information in the envelope reckoned it had no more than 1200 inhabitants, an old church by the name of St Wulfrick and a Muggle supermarket. Oh, and a pub. Where she, coincidentally, was heading to.

The Old Bell was a pub that could be found in any town in the British Isles. A photo was included in the envelope and showed a typically British pub in a typically British, 18th century stone house. The windows were tiny, but cute, thought Billy, but no doubt it would all be quite depressing in the end, with drunk people rolling over the floor and singing Muggle songs. Or, maybe, she just had a wrong view of Muggle pubs.

She tried to recall more information from the envelope. Lately magical activity was reported in The Old Bell. It was unclear for the Ministry where it was from. It showed up on their records and it was an odd ball out. Billy's task was to trace it. Preliminary check-ups from the Muggle Liasion Office had led up to nothing. It was up to Billy Foster to find out what it exactly was. The words of her Duelist Proffesor resounded in her ears: 'Good Aurors are shaped by their hands-on knowledge.'

So she would prove them right. In The Old Bell she would act like a Muggle, hoping to uncover some clues about possible magical activity in Ashill that could lead her to eliminate options and to, ultimately, come to a thorough conclusion. There can't be and there can be magical activity, thought Billy, and it was her job to make that decision.

For the occasion, she had dressed herself up in blue jeans and a black, long-sleeved hoodie. She decided to go casual. She wore her darkblonde hair in a bun and had put on the tinsiest bit of make-up. Oh, and she wore shoes. Billy had managed to create some kind of shoe that was hip for Muggles, but also was noticed by fellow wizards and witches as something distinctively witch-like. It was certainly enough to go undercover with.

Billy approached the pub and peeked inside, putting her wand deep inside her right pocket that she had magically preperated to hide the shape of her wand in her pants. The pub was quite packed, already. Most of them were watching Muggle TV. Sports was on, Billy saw. If she remembered it correctly, it was football. She exhaled and entered the pub.

Nobody noticed her upon entering. A few glanced, yes, but none of them really paid attention. She spotted a free barstool and sat. The barkeeper spotted her right away.

'Hello. How are ye'?' he said, with an accent distinct but understandable enough for Billy.

'I am fine, thank you,' Billy answered. 'How are you?'

'Not too bad,' he answered, 'nice weather and all.' The barkeeper seemed genuinly not too bad, Billy thought for a second. He was a handsome bloke, not too young, a bit balding, but alright.

She smiled at his question. 'Good. Can I have a …' she paused for a moment. Billy knew she had to order something, something Muggle-like, but she didn't know a lot of Muggle beers. It was getting awkward if it lasted too long, she quickly thought, so she had to improvise.

'... whatever you like. Beer, though,' she added.

The bartender smiled. 'Alright,' he said, and he took a green bottle from the fridge. Billy glanced at it.

'Heineken, it's nice.'

'Thanks,' said Billy. She paid the amount the bartender asked for and a bit more, giving him a little tip. She had learnt that in her own little, quiet Scottish town; bartenders liked to be given a tip as a sign of appreciation, especially when they had recommended something. Billy liked the beer. She watched the game. A player wearing yellow-green put a white ball in a square net by using his feet. Some guests in the pub cheered.

'Magical,' said a guest.

'He's really good,' said another guest.

Billy smirked. Magical. If Muggles only knew what it really meant. The game went on, it looked at bit like Quidditch, but then without brooms and flying. There seemed to be a black-wearing man in the middle of it all, blowing a whistle. She frowned.

'What's up?' said the bartender, who saw her scowl in the corner of his eye. He smiled at her.

'Oh, well,' replied Billy, who hadn't expected such a question, 'I'm just trying to understand what the black figure's role is in the game.'

'That's the referee,' the bartender explained. 'You're not familiar with the game, are you?'

'No, not really,' answered Billy, noticing that the bartender was teasing her. She didn't mind.

'More interested in other sports?'

'Yep.'

'Such as?' the bartender asked.

'Well, locally known sports,' said Billy, slightly hesitating. She tried her best to remembered a Muggle sport. 'Lacrosse, mostly.' The idea came from her nephew, who, once unmistakenly drunk, had brought home a poster with a guy dressed up like a warrior, only not having anything like a sword or wand in his hands. It was a Muggle lacrosseplayer, he explained. The family had been confused.

'Lacrosse?' The bartender was genuinly surprised. Another ball was in the net, now in the yellow-greens's. Some guests cursed. 'Where're you from?' he followed up, paying only a little attention to his clients.

'Well, it's complicated.'

'I see,' said the bartender. 'So what brings you here?'

'Magic,' she said bluntly.

The bartender laughed. A few guests turned around. He glanced at them, but didn't stop laughing.

'Magic?' It wasn't really a question, more of a remark to make sure he had heard her correctly. Billy held a stone-cold face.

'Yes,' she answered. 'There must be a lot of magic around here, in Ashill.'

The bartender shook his head. 'I don't think so.'

Billy was disappointed. She sensed that the bartender was holding something back.

'What's your name?' Billy suddenly asked.

The bartender looked up. He and Billy made eye contact. He stopped smiling.

'Derrick,' replied the bartender, not noticing Billy's little exploration.

'You've never encountered something magical,' stated Billy, before sipping on her beer.

'Well, not really,' countered the bartender, briefly glancing if any customers came over to the bar. 'I did go to the caves, though, when I was younger. It's quite scary when you're twelve.'

'Caves?' Billy liked where this was going.

'Yes. There are caves at the outer end of the villages, near the hills. They're man-made, but long and deep.'

'How deep?' asked Billy, fully interested in Derrick's answer. This could help her solve the unexplained magical activity – actually, it could solve it.

'I don't know. I've haven't been there in so many years.' Derrick took out his Muggle phone and looked at the time. He glanced at Billy. 'Don't plan to go back there, too.'

'Shame,' answered Billy swiftly. 'I'd like to see it.'

The bartender chuckled. 'Come on, now.' A guest approached the bar a few feet from Billy and Derrick walked away to serve him.

Billy was left alone. The pub was, still, quite full, but she couldn't get anything out of Derrick. The bartender had been in the caves, but didn't want to go back. She was quite annoyed at him, especially when, pressed on by Billy, he kept giving plain answers to open questions. However, thought Billy, he did say there were caves; this meant that there had to be an opening. One or more, she believed. Billy looked around in the pub. Everyone paid attention either to themselves or to the Muggle TV screens with their silly games; Derrick was bartending, washing glasses and was seeminlgy not interested anymore to talk with Billy. It was time for her to move on. In a last sip she drank the longneck Heineken, put it neatly on a coaster and left, putting her jacket on, the bar.

The air was cold and breezy as she stepped outside. Before her, darkness had covered itself as a thick layer around Ashill and beyond. Now, Billy thought to herself, she hadn't exactly thought this through, but she'd get anywhere real soon by seeking people's help. No magic, she thought to herself, just help. She walked around for a few minutes, down two or three little streets near the Old Bell, all too sleepy to have anyone walking around. Billy observered various cars parked in the driveways, one or two remarkably enough with their rear lights still on, and made her way through a neatly trimmed, small park to the St Wulfrick church. A mass seemingly just ended as people walked out of the two massive, oak wooden doors. Billy glanced at the tower's clock, high above the entrance, to check for time. 10:15 pm was, she thought, even for Muggles a late hour.

'Magnificent, isn't it?'

Billy turned her head sideways and saw a women standing beside her. She had a dog with her.

'I think so,' said Billy, inspecting both the woman and the dog.

'I don't like the people in the church that much,' said the woman, of whom Billy more thought to be a girl than a woman – she was an adolescent, so technically something in between.

'Why?' asked Billy. She glanced at the people leaving the church. Upon closer inspection, they were carrying handbags in various sizes.

'They're practicing for their performance coming Saturday. Coming from all over the region, they gather and play in the county's orchestra.' The girl sniffed. 'They think they're the best from the best.'

'.. And they're not,' added Billy, slowing a slight smile. A gust of wind swept past the trees. Bats moved seemingly quiet from one place to another. The dog barked.

'Sssh, Colonel,' the woman spoke to the dog. Colonel kept barking.

Billy inspected the girl a little bit more. Her black curls were elegantly packed in a bun. She was wearing a warm, red hoodie with the inscription 'Motherf*cker' on it, blue, ripped jeans and black sneakers.

'What's your name?' said the girl.

'Billy.'

'Where you from?'

'Scotland,' answered Billy, doubting whether she exactly should say where.

'Oh. Scotland?' said the girl. Billy was not sure whether it was a question or a statement.

'Yeah, Scotland.'

'Then what you're doing in Ashill?'

Billy had expected this question.

'Was visiting a production location of my company nearby for work. Came across a pub when working here, and thought it'd be good to stop for a quick drink.' She had practiced her lie many times in her head. It came out perfectly.

The girl's eyes frowned. 'Girl,' she said, 'the people in the Old Bell are all a bunch of wankers.'

Billy laughed. Then, it seemed Colonel had found the courage to approach Billy and started sniffing her feet and legs carefully.

'This is Colonel, right?' she said while trying to pet him.

'Yes,' said the girl. 'Want to walk with me?' Colonel barked.

'Okay,' said Billy. She glanced at the girl.

'I'm Aisha, by the way.'

Billy smiled. 'I was just about to ask.'

They walked past the church, setting their steps on the narrow pavement. Orange streetlights shone above their heads. As they passed the old brick walls, tall trees with low-hanging leaves and, gradually more, farmlands with no view. Aisha started to enquire about Billy's life.

'Colonel is a young labradoodle,' Aisha suddenly said out of nowhere. 'So what brings you here at night?' An unrelated question followed. Billy didn't really care, she liked the walk and liked looking at Colonel, who merely seemed interested in the pavement and certain scents at trees' roots.

'I wanted to go to the caves,' said Billy. She glanced at Aisha, who frowned.

'Caves?'

'Yes,' said Billy. 'I did realize nobody goes there, though.'

Aisha stopped walking. Colonel didn't care and went on.

'Nobody goes to the caves. It's nothing, just... bats,' she said and resumed walking.

'Oh,' said Billy. 'I spoke to the bartender at The Old Bell and he said he went there a few times when he was young.'

Aisha chuckled. 'Yeah, sure he went and he slaid some skeleton knights on the way, too, Was it Derrick?'

'Yes,' said Billy. 'How did you know?'

'Just a random guess,' responded Aisha, winking. Her eyes shone strong when passing under the orange streetlights.

Aisha cleared her throat. 'We can go there if you like. It's not much of a detour from my home. Colonel likes bats, too. Anything he can bark to, really.'

'Yes!' said Billy, a little too excited. Her plan.. seemed to work? How fortunate she was... and how strange. Did she really have that many social skills? Or was she just that damn lucky? Last time she drank something, she was sure it wasn't Veritaserum.

'You're excited,' noted Aisha.

'Oh, well,' answered Billy nonchalantly. 'I like adventure.'

The time needed to go to the caves was filled with chit-chatting about their lives. Aisha appeared to spend time with her parents, as she had taken a quick leave from studying some Muggle study in Norfolk. Billy made up her own life and said she had just started working for a company. Billy asked why Aisha was walking alone at night. Aisha assured it her it was safe; the only scary thing she had ever encountered on her evening walks near Ashill was a lost fox. Billy chuckled. She had seen scarier things than that.

It didn't matter. After all, it wasn't a contest. Billy and Aisha arrived at the entrance of the caves. The road to it was seemingly paved in the past; now, it only seemed a mixture of dirt and a stones who lay scattered in the dirt, waiting for someone to pick them up. Billy did not. She stared into the darkness of the caves. The access was a wide and relatively tall corridor in a hill with numerous bushes and trees surrounding it. Billy glanced at Aisha, who stood beside her. Colonel was dead silent, too. Billy thought he was waiting for bats.

'It's quiet,' said Billy after a few seconds of silence.

'It is.'

Suddenly, Billy walked forward and stepped into the darkness. Aisha remained behind. She was staring into the obscurity, just like Billy had done moments before.

'What are you doi-?'

Aisha tried, but was silenced by a light in the tunnel. The light appeared to be floating in the darkness, almost, until Aisha saw Billy's face in the light casted by its source.

'Come.'

Billy's words echoed through the cave. Aisha hastily stepped forward. Colonel looked up to her, as if he was doubting whether her decision was the right thing to do.

Aisha slowly walked forward to the bundle of light. Billy's face was lit up.

'What is that?' said Aisha, coming to an inch or so from Billy. Colonel grumbled.

'Doesn't matter. Let's go.' Billy exchanged glances with Aisha and continued walking into the tunnel. It all must seem very strange, thought Billly, but it'd be best not to explain much at this very moment. It'd take hours to explain everything to Aisha and even then she would understand half, let alone the repercussions from her actions. Billy looked over her shoulder. She could see the shape of Aisha standing at the same spot where she stayed before.

'I'm not coming,' said Aisha. Her voice was higher and echoed hauntingly through the tunnel. Billy walked back and came face to face with Aisha.

'It's too much for me to explain right now,' she said, 'but I need you, Aisha, because you're familiar with these tunnels, right?'

'I-I am,' replied Aisha. Her lower lip shivered.

Billy grabbed Aisha's hand and squeezed it tight. She looked into her eyes.

'Trust me. Please.'

Aisha nodded. 'Okay.'

Billy admired Aisha. If she'd be a Muggle she'd have a hard time trusting a stranger, too, she thought, let alone wandering alongside one into a tunnel covered in darkness.

Aisha and Billy started walking. This time Aisha followed. Her steps were bleak compared to Billy's, but she was walking. Staring intensely at Billy's wand, she seemed to have a particular hard time understanding what was happening at the moment and, more specifically, what Billy was holding.

'What's that?'

'It's a wand.'

'What?'

'A wand,' replied Billy. 'It's a device.'

'For?' said Aisha, switching her focus between Billy and the tip of the wand. Its light still shone strongly. The walls were limestone, Billy supposed, compared with batches of dirtstone every now and then.

Billy looked at Aisha and stopped walking. Aisha stopped, too.

'Nox.' As Billy finished the word, the light at the tip of her wand went out. Aisha shrieked and Colonel was scruffing around, seemingly panicked by the instant darkness. Billy didn't expect such a heavy reaction, so she silently made a light bundle sprang from the tip of her wand again. She found Aisha against the wall. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was open.

'What-oh my god-' gulped Aisha, 'are-are you?'

'A story for later,' answered Billy. 'I am nothing bad. I'll leave the light on for now.'

Aisha regained her composure, shortly kneeling and petting Colonel on the head. She took a few steps and walked further into the tunnel. Colonel followed her lead as Aisha pulled the lead closer to her. She looked at Billy. 'You better tell me at the end.'

Billy felt a sense of relief. She caught up with Aisha, who rapidly started explaining the caves.

'They're very simply, actually. It's a long tunnel from one side to another, with a bend in between. In the bend a few holes were made which lead to chambers. The chambers are roughly four by four feet, so very small. As a kid, you can fit in,' Aisha assured Billy, 'or as … whatever you are.'

Billy smiled. Meanwhile, she carefully checked the tunnel in front of them and, sometimes, behind.

'Why're you turning your head?' Aisha's voice echoed through the tunnels, followed by a swift silence Billy didn't refute. Billy wasn't gonna tell her why. She also wasn't exactly sure why she did it, either. She just.. wanted to.

Aisha and Billy made it to the bend. It was bigger than she expected. It was a long bend, not very curvy, which made it impossible to see what came exactly in their way. Billy glanced at Colonel, who was deftly putting his paws in the rough dirt without making considerable sound.

Suddenly, Colonel pricked his ears up. He rapidly lifted his head, as if he was locating the source of any possible noise.

'What's up with Colonel?' said Billy. Aisha glanced at her dog and shrugged her shoulders. 'Dunno. Probably bats. Barking material.'

Billy wasn't sure about that. As the trio walked further, she noted that there was light coming from their left hand side. They both couldn't see where exactly that light source was coming from. Billy looked briefly at Aisha and gestured her to halt. She held her wand in her right hand and touched the left side of the tunnel with her left hand and approached the source of light cautiously. 'Nox,' she said, as the light source from her wand evaded. Aisha and Colonel didn't say or bark a thing and, if they did, Billy wouldn't have time for it. She walked to the right hand side of the tunnel, grasping her wand firmly in both hands. And yes, a few feet from her was the origin of the brightness in the tunnel: a huge, seemingly carved out hole in the wall. Billy stopped and looked up. The hole was, safe to say, massive. Bigger than the cave entrance and the tunnel itself, it was no wonder that she and Aisha saw light glooming in it from so far away. Carefully, she snipped back to the left hand side of the tunnel and finally reached the opening. Billy took a slow peek instead, but immediately drew back, gasped and put her hand in front of her mouth.

'Hey!'

A soft voice came from her right.

'Are you alright?'

It was Aisha. Slowly, she had crawled up behind Billy and placed her adjacent to her, Colonel in her arms, whose mouth Aisha had shut with her right hand. She placed her left hand on Billy's right shoulder. Billy still put her hand in front of her mouth. Her pupils moved to the right and she bowed her head slowly. Gentily, she removed her hand from her mouth and whispered. 'Bigger room.'

'Bigger... room?' Aisha's voice drifted past the tunnel's walls. Billy nodded again and made an attempt to crawl up. 'Stop,' said Aisha firmly, grabbing her by the arm. 'If you go, I go to.' She let her hand loose and Billy stopped for a moment, then got up and entered the hole.

Instantly she and Aisha looked up to find the ceiling. It was a dozen feet or so above their heads. Upon further inspection, they found that the chamber they had entered was even so wide, and what was more, it was deep, too; stratified dirt and stone led to a open area. The source of the light was there, too. A big fire was clearly visible. On the left and the right were rocks in colours of dirt and silvery blue. Aisha and Colonel walked past big columns of pilled up dirtstone and met Billy in the area just before the fire. Having to take a few steps to walk around the fire, Billy again looked up to the ceiling and saw darkness between the top of the dirtstone chamber.

'Is that the sky?' Billy said as she pointed upwards. Aisha and she stared towards the ceiling. Colonel barked and pulled Aisha's leash backwards. 'Hey!' she shouted to Colonel, but immediately shrieked after as she felt the ground shaking. Billy looked to the right of her and saw that the silvery rocks were moving. A huge figure made its way from under the dirt stone. The silvery rocks moved, too, and when they had shaken off some dirt turned even brighter silvery blue. It was the tail. The wings were hidden under another pile of dirt. The blue head was carefully exposed to brisk chamber air as its white eyes looked around the chamber and met Billy's.

'Shit,' Billy blurted out. She was eye to eye with a dragon.