You stumble around in the darkness, your heart racing from fear. You can barely breathe, the air so frigid that the moisture instantly crystalizes the moment it leaves your body's warmth. Your torch extinguished early on; the humidity of the tropics weren't friendly to fire. Stranding stock still, you hear it - a gentle scraping like the sound of your whet stone against the dagger in your belt. Swallowing hard as you begin to quake, you know it won't help you now.

<I>sssssssssssnick! Ssssssssssssnick!</I> It haunts you, rythmic and hypnotizing. Unable to help yourself, you panic and scramble, dashing blindly through the complex of tunnels and bashing your body against the wall; you work through the pain, everything blinded by the fear and desire to escape. There's a light ahead!

You dash quickly toward it, the soft blue glow the exact color of the baby blue sky that you had left earlier in the day. The temperature of the air drops with each step you take towards the light, but you don't notice; your body's numb from the hours spent lost in the frozen labrynth. as you come abreast of the opening, you let out a cry of success! Finally free!

A you open your eyes, your heard dropos. The baby blue sky turns into a nightmarish scene; a glowing blue cave of ice, glistening like sapphires, and in the center a large pacing drake, his tail dragging along the ground. It stops and looks into your eyes, its piercing sapphire staring into your terror-stricken soul, a small rope of saliva hanging from his tongue. He liicks his lips as he slowly approaches you, his deep navy blue maw extending into what seemed like an oblivion against the icy scales. He smies evilly, hissing every syllable with a voice that chills you more than the sub-zero temperatures.

"I've been expecting you. Welcome to your new home..." He said as he lunges forward, his sharp teeth glistening in the pale blue light. You try to move...

*****

This was a wonderfully done piece by the simply awesome  taxers. She'd offered up a free request and I couldn't help but take part of it, and I'm very glad that I did! I sincerely thank her for the beautiful picture of my lovely dragon's evil and draconic side. Mmm, bon appetite.