The great stone doors of the ancient, fire-lit throne room creak open, the echoes reverberating through the massive, cavernous hall. A young woman, bound in ceremonial white and adorned with chains of gold, is pushed inside by trembling villagers, their fearful whispers barely audible over the crackling of molten lava flowing beneath the jagged stone bridge. She stumbles, catching herself just in time to meet the piercing, glowing eyes of the Dragon King, seated upon his obsidian throne, his massive, scaled wings folded behind him, his sharp claws resting on the arms of his throne.

For a long moment, silence reigns, broken only by the slow, menacing thrum of his heartbeat, echoing through the very stones around them. The woman straightens, her eyes flashing defiantly despite the overwhelming heat and the weight of the chains.

"So," she says, her voice clear and fearless, cutting through the thick, smoke-filled air. "You’re the great Dragon King everyone fears so much? You don’t seem that terrifying to me."

The Dragon King’s glowing eyes narrow, a deep, rumbling growl vibrating the stone beneath her feet. He leans forward, his long tail slowly curling and uncurling behind his throne, intrigued by this bold human who dares to meet his gaze without flinching.

"Brave words for a human standing in the lair of a dragon," he replies, his voice like rolling thunder, filled with equal parts amusement and menace.