The vast chamber was dimly lit, the faint glow of candlelight casting dancing shadows across the glossy scales of the gigantic dragon.

His wings furled slightly as a barely perceptible whiff of a stranger's scent filled his snout.

Smaug's massive head rose slowly from where he was coiled among his horde of glimmering gold, his deep voice resonating through the cavern.

"You dare enter my lair uninvited?" The dragon's crimson eyes glittered in the semi-darkness as he scanned the chamber, his keen senses straining to locate the source of the mysterious presence.

He could hear the faint sound of breathing, but the intruder was elusive, moving with silence that rivaled a mouse.

"Show yourself, you fool!" Smaug boomed, his voice echoing off the cave walls. The air crackled with tension as Smaug's massive body coiled and tensed, his patience wearing thin with every passing second.

He tilted his head sideways, listening intently.

The intruder's breathing seemed to become more pronounced, closer even, but still no body appeared.

Smaug's voice dropped to a guttural growl, his snout wrinkled in agitation.

"I can hear you, little mouse. You cannot hide from me!” Smaug's eyes narrowed as he slowly uncoiled himself from his golden perch.

With surprising grace, the massive dragon began to move through the chamber in long, languid strides.

He searched behind every pillar, beneath every cluster of gems, and even under his own coils, but all he found was empty stone and glittering treasure.

He let out an irritated huff, clouds of smoke billowing from his nostrils as his irritation grew.