Anthology for weekendwritein

Heart of the Dragon Pt 2

Kyle worked his numb fingers until he heard the lock click open, the sound echoing throughout the dark room. This labyrinth of locked doors and passageways had been his most challenging and exhausting test yet as a professional thief. With nothing but empty rooms and hallways he was getting complacent and bored.

The rumors of magical beings guarding the vast treasures of this place had made it exciting at first. Many a man had never been seen from again but a small few had come back with handfuls of treasure, all they could grab running away in fright. Sadly, over the hundreds of years this place looked to be picked clean and whatever monsters that once lived were gone.

But the most valuable treasure of all still resided somewhere in this labyrinth, the Heart of the Dragon, which kept him going from one empty room to the next. The treasure was rumored to be a large ruby that was worth any king's fortune. The kind of treasure every adventurer or thief sought.

The now rogue thief pulls the door open and is bathed in a red light. The Heart of the Dragon, a giant ruby bigger than his own hands, sat on top of a pedestal illuminating the room with light coming from it. Obviously it was a magical item which made its worth even greater.

Kyle walked quickly with excitement towards the pedestal hands outstretched ready to grasp the item. His fingers never touched it though. In his complacency he didn't notice the magical barrier around it which teleported him away.

"What the hell just happened?" Kyle said rubbing his sore head that had hit the hard ground. Rolling onto his side he realized he was on an uncut stone floor. Further inspection revealed a bowl shaped cavern with one entrance.

Suddenly there was a light overhead making Kyle wince.

"Hello there"

Kyle jumped up and pulled his dagger ready for a fight, "What's going on?"

"No need for that boy. Put it away," the voice asked calmly.

His vision grew accustomed to the light and he saw an old man standing on a ledge overlooking the cavern holding a torch up.

"I'll put it away when I'm free of this place old man. Now where the hell am I?" Kyle yelled.

"You searched for the Heart of the Dragon and so you have found it. I constructed that magical trap as part of an agreement with my friend. He keeps my forges burning and I supply him with food. The world can always afford to lose thieves and cutthroats," the old man chuckled.

Kyle gripped his dagger tighter as the thought of falling for a trap sank in. Just then fire erupted from the darkness and lit up the cavern like it was daylight. The heat was intense but it was all over quickly. What remained were two golden eyes staring at him from the entrance.

"The Heart of the Dragon, of course," Kyle thought as fire rushed towards him from the open maw of the dragon.