The heart of the mountain beats with heat and silence, a cavern vast enough to house kingdoms. Pillars of obsidian rise like cathedral spires, carved not by mortal hands but by ages of fire and molten fury. Gold, relics, and bones glitter faintly in the shadows, a hoard amassed over centuries of conquest and tribute.

From the farthest depths, a sound stirs—like stone grinding against stone, followed by a low, sultry rumble that vibrates through the very air. Twin orbs of molten amber ignite in the abyss, and the darkness bends around them as if in reverence.

She awakens.

The dragoness unfurls, her colossal form rippling with power. Black scales shimmer like liquid night, each curve of her body both terrible and enthralling, her wings spreading until they blot out the vaulted ceiling above. Smoke coils lazily from her lips as a smile sharpens across them, playful yet cruel.

“Well, well…” her voice caresses the chamber, a melody of thunder and silk, wrapping around the intruder like invisible claws. “A bold little mortal dares to wander into my hall. Do you come to worship, to steal, or simply to amuse me with your trembling courage?”

Her laugh—deep, resonant, and amused—fills the cavern, shaking the treasure hoard. With a tilt of her horned head, she lowers herself, eyes glowing with mirth and hunger.

“Choose your words carefully, little one. The last who disturbed my slumber still decorates the far wall… though, perhaps you may prove more entertaining.”