"What is happening?" Briar shouted, her voice barely audible over the deafening roar of the cave collapsing around them. The golden walls of the chamber were cracking, and the ground buckled violently beneath their feet. Treasure chests toppled over, spilling their contents of gold, diamonds, and glittering gems, which scattered and rolled in a chaotic frenzy.

The ground heaved again, throwing Briar off balance. A massive chandelier, which had once bathed the room in a soft glow, now shattered from the ceiling and crashed to the floor just a few feet away from her, sending shards of crystal flying in all directions.

Amidst the chaos, the dragon surveyed the room with a casual, almost disinterested air. "Now that the curse is broken, the cave is closing," he said, his voice calm. "It will bury all the treasures and my suffering."

"And us!" Leon shouted as a portion of the ceiling smashed onto the floor, crushing several treasure chests beneath its weight.

"We are doomed!" Theodore cried, his face pale with fear as giant cracks spider-webbed across the floor. "We're going to be buried alive! We'll die and become ghosts!"

"No," the dragon replied. "You think I'd let that happen?" He lowered himself, offering his back. "Hop on. I'll give you a ride."

For a moment, Briar could only stare at the dragon in disbelief, but then the ground buckled again, and she sprang into action. She sprinted toward the dragon and leaped onto his back. "Come on, hurry!" she urged the boys.

Theodore followed quickly, scrambling up behind Briar. But Leon stood as if frozen, seemingly oblivious to the chaos around him.

"Leon, quick!" Briar yelled.

"What if he kidnaps us?" Leon called back.

"At least he'll take us out of here!" Theodore shouted, his eyes fixed on the ceiling, which threatened to collapse at any moment. "Prince Leon, if you don't hurry, we'll have to leave you behind!"

"Oh, you seem eager to leave me," Leon shouted, just as two golden statues toppled over, sending him sprawling to the ground. His crown slipped off his head, rolled across the floor, and disappeared amidst the scattered treasure.

Pushing the statues aside, Leon clambered to his feet, clutching his head. "My crown!" he shouted.

"Leon!" Briar shouted. "We have to go, now!"

"I can't leave my crown!" Leon protested, frantically searching through the debris. Rocks rained down from the ceiling, but he seemed oblivious, his focus solely on retrieving his lost crown.

Briar's heart ached for him. She understood the significance of the crown. But they had no time. "Leon, please! If we survive this, you can get another crown!"

Desperation etched on his face, Leon kicked aside golden goblets and jewels, his search growing increasingly frantic. It was clear he was losing hope.

Briar leaped down from the dragon and dashed over to him. Leon was struggling to push a heavy statue of a knight aside, trying to peer beneath it. Rocks tumbled down around them furiously. The ceiling was dangerously close to collapsing.

"Leon," Briar yelled, grabbing his arm and yanking him away from the statue. "Forget the crown. We need to go, now!"

He looked at her, his face flushed and eyes filled with tears. "But my crown..."

"The kingdom will give you another crown," Briar said firmly, not waiting for his response. She pulled him toward the dragon with all her strength.

"Quickly!" Theodore shouted, reaching down to pull both of them onto the dragon's back.

The dragon scanned the room one last time, a wistful expression on his massive face. "Farewell, my dear treasure. It was a pleasure collecting you." He turned his head to Briar, Leon, and Theodore. "Are you ready?"

"Yes!" Briar and Theodore shouted in unison. Leon grumbled under his breath but didn't argue further.

With a powerful thrust, the dragon shot out of the chamber just as the ceiling caved in, smashing to the floor with a thunderous crash. The narrow tunnel ahead was a labyrinth of rock and debris, making it difficult for the dragon to spread his wings fully. The confined space and falling rocks slowed his progress.

Briar, Leon, and Theodore flattened themselves against the dragon's back, ducking as the jagged ceiling scraped against their heads. The ground trembled violently beneath them, the deafening sound of rock grinding against rock filling the air. Lava explosions echoed through the tunnel.

The dragon grunted, pushing himself to fly faster through the collapsing tunnel. Rocks and debris rained down, and the dark shadows of the cave seemed to close in around them.

Dark shapes emerged from the walls, ceiling, and floor—shadowy fingers reaching out to grasp them. Chilling voices echoed through the tunnel, sending shivers down Briar's spine.

"Die! Die! Die!" the ghosts chanted, their voices a haunting chorus.

"You die again!" Briar shouted back.

"The ghosts are chasing us!" Theodore's voice quivered with fear.

"Fear not," the dragon said confidently. "The dead cannot harm you."

Dust and debris filled Briar's eyes, making it hard to see. It felt as though the tunnel was narrowing, trying to trap them inside. Suddenly, a massive boulder crashed down ahead of them, blocking their path. Briar's heart pounded in her chest, terror clawing at her insides.

"Oh, my god!" Theodore cried.

"Donovan, do something!" Briar yelled.

The dragon let out a low growl. "Hold on tight!" he bellowed.

With a surge of power, Donovan reared back and unleashed a torrent of fire. The flames engulfed the boulder, reducing it to molten rubble. The dragon pushed forward, barreling through the debris with a roar of determination.

The tunnel shook violently as the dragon surged through the collapsing cave, his powerful wings beating against the air. The heat from the lava and the pressure of the collapsing rocks made the journey feel like an eternity.

As they soared over the lava river, Briar kept her eyes tightly shut, feeling the intense heat radiating from below. She knew without Donovan's intervention, they would have perished in the fiery depths below or been buried alive by the collapsing cave.

When they finally left the treacherous river behind, the tunnel widened, allowing Donovan to fly more freely. The light spilling from the cave entrance ahead grew brighter, beckoning them toward safety. With powerful beats of his wings, Donovan accelerated, the wind rushing past them like a hurricane.

Just as they burst out of the cave into the open air, the entire structure collapsed behind them with a thunderous roar. Knight, who had been anxiously awaiting their return, neighed loudly and darted forward to meet them.

Donovan landed gracefully on the ground, his large wings folding neatly against his back. Briar, Leon, and Theodore dismounted shakily, their bodies covered in dust and bruises.

"Thank you, Donovan," Briar said, tears of relief welling in her eyes as she hugged the dragon's scaly neck. "You saved us. You're truly amazing."

Knight, who had been observing the scene with wide eyes, finally found his voice. "What... how..." He stammered, looking from Briar to the dragon in disbelief.

Theodore stepped forward, a proud smile on his face. "Knight, meet Donovan. He's the dragon who helped us escape the collapsing cave." He turned to the dragon. "And Donovan, he's Knight, my horse. He is helping me serve humanity."

"Hello, Knight," the dragon said sweetly.

"Hi," said Knight cautiously, maintaining a safe distance from the dragon "Oh, um, thank you for your help," Knight said tentatively.

"Please, it was my pleasure to assist," Donovan replied warmly, his voice echoing with sincerity. "Your dedication to serving humanity is admirable, Knight."

Knight straightened up, now more at ease. "Yes, it feels good to help others."

Donovan turned his gaze skyward, a nostalgic smile playing on his lips. "Ah, the open sky after so long. It truly is a treasure." He then focused on Briar. "I hope you break your curse soon. It was a great pleasure to meet you all, my friends. And once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for breaking my curse. Now, I must seek my peace. Farewell."

With a powerful beat of his wings, Donovan soared into the sky, his form dwindling into the distance. Briar, Leon, and Theodore watched him go.

"He didn't seem so bad after all," Knight mused, breaking the silence that followed Donovan's departure.

"I almost wish he was," Leon muttered under his breath.

"He gave us gold," Briar said with a grin, reaching into her satchel and retrieving the small chunk of gleaming metal. "We now have two items for the ritual."

"What's next?" Knight asked.

"The mermaid flower," Briar replied. "Knight, please take us to the Southern Sea."

Knight nodded and flapped his powerful wings, lifting off into the sky. Briar unfurled the map, but Knight nudged it away with his nose.

"The map is for humans, not for me," Knight said proudly.

Theodore chuckled softly. "Knight has the map of the world imprinted in his mind."

"The Southern Sea?" Knight asked, glancing back at them. "But didn't you say you wanted to go to Fairyland?"

"Yes," Briar confirmed, "but first, we need to find the mermaid flower."

"Alright," Knight said, a touch of disappointment in his voice.

Briar, Leon, and Theodore settled onto Knight's back, feeling the wind rush past them as they soared through the open sky. Knight increased his speed.

"Once I'm done helping you," Knight said, his voice resolute, "I'll go in search of my peace."

___