The air is warm, heavy and thick, and seems to cling about you as you make your way up the steep incline that leads to the mountain ahead. You stop for a moment, wanting to catch your breath, and in the quiet moment you have, your eyes float over the forbidding mountain ahead. Just a few moments ago, you had been standing in the Forest's clearing, talking to the small dragon named Keibi. He had politely pointed you in the direction of this tall mountain, where Desiree could currently be found. The newest arrival, a HaloCat, was making it's home inside the mountain ahead of you.You, curious, decided to go visit the two.
Once you regain your breath, you begin to head towards the mountain once again. In the distance, you can see a large opening in the mountain's face, leading further into it's depths. Heading closer to the opening, the air increases in temperature, causing you to sweat more. You stop in front of the entrance to the mountain, a deep cave that stretches farther than you can see in the deep blackness that is entwined with the mountain. You start up again, walking under the arch of the entrance, when you hear a mischeivious laughter sound off of the tunnel's walls. You stop, waiting for you eyes to adjust, looking for the sound's source.
Eventually your eyes adjust, and you are able to see through the gloom. Surprisingly, the darkness isn't so dark nor thick than you thought it would be, and you are able to see almost perfectly. Your eyes fall upon a small cub, the patterns upon his body reminding you of a flame. His eyes are alight has he watches you curiously.
"Come! Follow me, human!" The cub then turns around sharply and heads down the tunnel running. He goes a bit, looks over his should, and beckons for you to follow. You shrug your shoulders, and follow, running to keep up with the cub. Eventually the cub runs around a corner, disappearing from your view. You run faster, not wanting to lose the little one. You turn about the corner, but stop yourself before falling off the dge of a small cliff. You fall backwards, and gasp for breath.
Beneath the cliff's edge is a rolling sea of flame and smoke, lighting the cavern and filling it with an almost unbearable heat. You slowly stand, backing away from the edge, surprised at how close you were to falling off.
"You're not as stupid as the last visitor," the little cub says, sitting on a small boulder to your left.
"You mean you've actually done this before?" You ask increduously.
"Yeah..." He says with a small sigh. "But she had wings. That ruins all the fun. Besides, if you were to bother looking over the cliffs edge, you'll see that there is a second one, wider and not too far down, that would have caught you." You look over the edge, carefully, and look down. And the cub is right, there is a second cliff jutting out from the cavern's wall, that would have caught you were you to fall off.
"By the way, the name's Kaen," the cub says, sticking out a paw in a form of a handshake.
