Disclaimer: Diablo II and the universe of Diablo II belong to Blizzard Entertainment, as well as the preamble. That's all I care to write about in the disclaimer, enjoy...
The way of the warrior is the path of shadow.
The gift of the warrior is to precede that which cannot be seen.
The spirit of the warrior is to strike in a single moment.
The destiny of the warrior is balance in all things.
And when balance is lost, all that is left... is the reckoning.
-Ghost (Blizzard Entertainment)
Golden chests, coins, ornaments, crowns, and other extravagant symbols of wealth littered the floor around the beast. It was all useless trash, the wealth proved nothing. Wealth did not stop the knights from coming and attempting to slay it, did not increase the amount of sheep wandering off from the herd, and most certainly did not make it happy. Wealth only did one thing, and that was attracting attention, attention that it did not want.
A sound. Heavy footsteps rhythmically resonated throughout the deep cave. A lone figure strayed into view, holding onto the walls for support and guidance in the darkness. The creature watched intently through slit pupils as the figure came closer into view. The light from the outside beamed through the entrance and showered the background, revealing the outline of a pentagonal shield in the figure's left hand while the other clasped a long sword.
A Paladin? In this area of Sanctuary? No Paladin had ever been discovered traveling north of Harrogath...
A flash movement, and all that was left in the former location of the beast was a flutter of gold coins. The metal clanged against each other as they landed, drawing some attention from the invader. A bit shocked from the sudden sound, the man hesitated before taking a few more steps. A shadow lurked behind him unnoticeably, with a long, reptilian tail trailing behind it.
Seeing the intruder from a different angle gave the beast a new perspective. He was not a Paladin. The mere lack of "holy light" radiating from the shield confirmed it. So what was he? Perhaps a bandit who lost his mind and decided to challenge a mythical being. Perhaps a foolish youngster seeking adventure. There might even be the slight chance that he was a knight wanting honor and fame, perhaps even riches. But it was not a Paladin.
It all did not matter now. Another flash of shadow, this time in front of the man. Emboldened by the opponent's act of lurking in shadows, the man proceeded to advance into the depth of the cave. Each step was taken with little care, all left behind that last moment when pride took over his mentality.
Getting frustrated, the man opened his backpack, which had been left unattended a while before. A wooden object was taken out of the bag, then two smaller, rounder shapes. The two rocks were struck and a spark carried itself to the torch. As fire blazed, the man picked up the torch and took a look around. What met his gaze made him stumble back a few steps. A sea of riches lay on the ground, and only two feet away from his face was a ledge with a royal crown sitting on it. Without a second thought, his right arm reached towards it.
"Eh eh... no touching." The teasing sound rumbled through the cave, he could almost feel the ground shake under the attack of the sonic waves. It came from a source that blocked the exit.
Moving the torch a bit higher, the light from the fire reflected off emerald scales. Ocher eyes viewed him with amusement from a distance, and as the torch paused its movement, a sadistic smile crept into view.
With wings wide open, the dragon lunged its head forward.
"I welcome you, human, to my humble home. Now, care to stay for breakfast?"
A ball of flame started deep within the creature's mouth, then exited with furious speed. The trespasser managed to get his shield up, head ducked behind it, right before his entire frame was consumed by the flames.
Bright light erupted from within the cave for enough time to take a walk in the park. After the light stopped, all that was left: a stench of barbecued human flesh. A metal full plate armor, long sword, and a shield crashed to the cave floor in a heap. Bones, that used to be ivory white, now charred and crisp, broke into several pieces, decorating the place around the pieces of armor like a morgue.
"A pity. I did not even see his face." Mocking petty thieves and arrogant knights had become a rather bad habit. The flame-throwing, however, was just recreation. Laughing silently to itself, the dragon did not even wonder who this human that it killed was. A flick of its tail and flaps of leathery wings signaled the take-off into the daylight. It would be another usual day's hunt.
A/N: I'm considering changing this short story into a multi-chaptered story. It all depends on what happens to my mind in the next few days.