Dragon's Keep

Tarn pushed his way through the busy crowds, past the looming city walls, into the forest, and on and on until he made his way to the abandoned glade. Deep within the forest lay what he sought. Where there was once green and life, there was only charred wood, with deep gouges in the earth as if something tore through the land with great force. Further into the dead zone lay a great opening in the side of the mountain, the beginning of a great network of tunnels and caverns. If one could find the correct tunnel system, take the right turns, and survive the pitfalls and endless dangers, one could find the largest cavern within the caves. The cavern filled with more gold, jewels, and treasure than any single man would know what to do with. However, just finding the treasure was not enough. To claim the bountiful riches that brave explorer would have to face the dragon that guarded the treasure and slay it or be slain by it.

All of this was mere legend of course. A legend that kept most people away from the tunnels entrance, but drew people like Tarn to it all the time. Who could count how many had entered the caverns only to be never seen or heard from again? The towns that he passed through asking for directions were sure that they had seen the last of that handsome young man.

But as he stepped from the warm sunlight into the darkness of the caves he smiled. He was going to find this Dragon’s Keep no matter what, and he would do it alone. At least that’s what he thought.

He traveled for hours that day, only stopping when he felt too tired to continue. Once he was past the small area of light that the sun permeated, he had no way to tell whether it was day or night anymore. Only his small lantern guided his steps and allowed him to make camp. He traveled like this for perhaps three days, at the very least he knew he had slept three times since he had started, when in a dead sleep he was roughly awoken. It took him only moments to figure out why he had woken so suddenly.

In his small cave outcropping of the tunnel was a noise, and since he was not moving it had to be someone, or something else. Taking out his dagger as silently as he could he crept away from his pallet, and crouched ready to strike.

Tarn did not relax his stance, though he did start to silently creep towards the person who had spoken.

“I never fancy myself lost.” He said, making his voice loud enough so that it reverberated off the walls, disguising his exact locations. “I consider it taking the scenic route.”

Tarn wasn’t known as a rogue for nothing. He was silent as night as he made his way towards the disembodied voice. He wasn’t fooled into believing it was friendly. Many creatures could sound human if they wanted to, and many did to lure suckers into a false sense of security. Another option involved an angry spirit of one of the many who had died in the fathomless caverns, though such an idea appealed even less to his mindset.

However, he could only discern so much from a single sentence. He needed the voice to speak again. Then he would know where they hid.

Tarn didn’t know whether to lunge at the girl and attack or laugh out loud. He wasn’t trusting enough normally to believe what anyone ever told him on first sight, and in these dark caves his natural lack of trust was multiplied and then added into a growing sense of paranoia. What was a pretty girl like her doing wandering about alone in these caves? Had she accidentally wandered in and gotten lost, or was she like he feared, a spirit of a lost adventurer out for vengeance?

“Why should I believe you?” He asked bluntly, his knife still held tightly, his muscles coiled and ready to fight if need be. “You could be anything but human for all I know. Some shape shifter, or an angry spirit. I wont go down easily Ill have you know.” Tarn was known for many things. Being subtle was not one of them.

Tarn watched her warily, though his knife lowered ever so slowly. She didn’t seem dangerous, though she seemed far too comfortable in those caves for his liking. Her recital of the legends surrounding the caves intrigued him though, and his knife lowered even more.

“You seem to know quite a bit about this place.” He said petulantly, like a child who wasn’t getting his way. Then it suddenly occurred to him who this girl must be.

“You’re here looking for the treasure aren’t ya?” He asked bluntly, his eyes glinting with pleasure at figuring the puzzle out.

Tarn lowered his blade completely, no longer feeling threatened by this girl who had miraculously found his camp. He probably should have been concerned. Worried about how this seemingly innocent and from what he could see, rather small, had survived in the caves long enough to find him. However, Tarn was not the kind of guy to think too much about stuff like that. All that mattered to him was that she didn’t seem like she would be trying to kill him anytime soon, oh and that she was looking for treasure too.

“I heard there was all sorts of treasure, including priceless jewels, at the center of the cavern. If you could find the right path it would lead you there.”

Tarn thought hard for moment, trying to remember exactly what he had heard before he recited it for the dainty girl.

“Within a cavern neither great nor small,
Lies a treasure with a sirens call.
With jewels a plenty and shiny gold,
Too much for any single man to hold.
Travel the tunnels with a light step,
For this is a secret most well kept.
Fare thee well traveler in your quest,
To survive will be your test.”

He recited the poem by memory and grinned wide when he finished it completely, proud of himself for remembering the whole thing.

Tarn looked infinitely curious and leaned forward for a moment, his eyes glinting in curiosity. He’d heard a lot about the caves, but most of the stories were about various people who had never come back and the treasures they had been searching for. Not much more than that. But if there was one thing the young man loved, it was a good story.

“Take a seat. No need to stand in shadows right?” He said, his smile comforting and disarming. It was hard to stay on guard or defensive around him.

“I’ve heard lots of stories about this place, but I would love to hear yours too.”