As the first light of dawn broke across the horizon, Briar and her friends mounted Knight and took to the skies. The morning air was crisp as they soared over the vast expanse of the forest. Briar was grateful for the swift flight, knowing it spared them the grueling trek through the dense woods and rugged terrain below.

In the light of the rising sun, the forest transformed into a breathtaking tapestry of greens and blues. Rivers wound like silver threads through the lush canopy, and ponds shimmered like jewels scattered across the landscape. Briar leaned over Knight's side, marveling at the beauty below. Her heart lifted at the sight of a herd of deer grazing peacefully on a sprawling meadow. However, as they flew closer, one deer looked up, and its eyes flashed red, sending a shiver down Briar's spine. She realized with a jolt that these were no ordinary deer. They were creatures of darkness, cloaked in a guise of innocence.

"Did you see that?" Briar said.

Leon nodded. "Nothing is as it seems here."

The journey continued, and soon they reached the towering dragon's mountain, the tallest among the surrounding peaks. Its jagged summit pierced through the thick, swirling clouds, reaching toward the sky like a spear. The mountain was cloaked in dense, ancient forests that stretched from the base to the top.

Knight circled once before descending toward the peak, where a massive cave mouth gaped like a dragon's maw. As they landed, the heat hit them like a physical blow. The air was thick and suffocating, making it hard to breathe. Briar wondered if it was the altitude or the dragon's fiery breath that made the air so unbearably hot.

"My job here is done," Knight announced as Briar and her friends dismounted. "This place gives me the creeps. Many heroes have met their end here, lured by the dragon's treasure."

"Thanks for the pep talk," Leon said dryly as he adjusted his sword.

Knight huffed. "Just thought you should know."

"I'm not scared," Briar declared, though her voice wavered ever so slightly.

"Well, I am," Knight retorted, shaking his mane. "I've seen dragons up close. They can burn you with a single breath. Turn you into a crispy snack before you even know what's happening. And I have no intention of meeting such a fiery end. I'm only two hundred and four years old. So young!" The horse turned a wary eye toward the cave entrance, a dark void that seemed to swallow the light. "I'll stay out here, where it's safe."

Theodore frowned at the horse. "Knight—"

"It's alright, Theodore," Briar interjected, placing a reassuring hand on Knight's flank. "Let him stay. We'll manage."

Knight let out a relieved snort. "Thank you, princess. You're the sensible one." He turned to Theodore, his eyes narrowing. "You should stay with me, healer. What will happen to your mother and your farm if you get yourself killed there?"

"I'm not a coward like you," Theodore shot back, his tone icy.

"Just not as wise," Knight said with a smug shake of his head. "Good luck in there. You'll need it."

"Hurry up," Leon called from the cave entrance.

Briar took a deep breath, pushing aside her fear. With a last glance at Knight, she followed Leon into the darkness of the cave, her heart pounding with a mix of dread and determination.

The tunnel narrowed as they delved deeper. The walls pressed in on them, making the air thick and stifling. The light from their torches flickered, casting eerie shadows that danced along the rocky passage. The deeper they went, the more oppressive the heat became, wrapping around them like a suffocating blanket.

As they descended, a faint red glow began to illuminate the tunnel, casting an otherworldly light on the rough stone walls. Briar's breath caught in her throat as they rounded a corner and saw the source of the glow. Liquid lava pulsed through the rock, snaking along the walls like fiery veins. The heat radiating from the molten rock was intense, making the air shimmer with waves of unbearable heat.

"Lava?" Briar asked as sweat trickled down her forehead.

"Dragons like to live close to lava," Leon replied, fanning himself with one hand. "They thrive in these hot temperatures."

The heat surged again, enveloping them in a stifling wave that made the very air seem heavy. Within moments, their clothes clung to their bodies, soaked with sweat, and Briar felt as though she were trapped inside a giant oven, each breath a struggle against the suffocating heat.

Theodore reached into his satchel. "I think I have something that might help us deal with this temperature," he said, pulling out a knobby root. He snapped it into three pieces and handed one to Briar and another to Leon.

"Chew on this. It's a cooling root. Very useful for traveling in the summer heat," he explained, popping a piece into his mouth.

Leon eyed the root with skepticism, turning it over in his fingers. "Are you sure this works?" he asked.

"Why don't you find out for yourself?" Theodore replied, already chewing.

Briar hesitated only for a moment before biting into the root. A surprising mix of flavors burst into her mouth—spicy ginger, sharp black pepper, refreshing mint, and an icy tingle that spread through her throat and chest. As the juice trickled down to her stomach, a blissful chill enveloped her, as if she had been plunged into a pool of cold water.

"Wow," Briar exclaimed, feeling the coolness spread through her limbs. "This is incredible, Theodore."

Leon finally took a cautious bite. "Not bad," he admitted.

The healer grinned. "Let's just hope it lasts."

They continued down the narrow, winding tunnel, careful not to touch the scorching walls. The lava oozing from the stone ceiling dripped like molten rain, sizzling as it hit the ground.

Finally, the tunnel ended abruptly in front of an iron door, its surface etched with ancient runes that seemed to pulse with a dim, malevolent light. Briar's heart pounded in her chest as she stared at the door, Knight's warnings echoing in her mind. The horse had been right—dragons were not to be underestimated. One wrong move, and they could all meet a fiery end.

"Wait," Briar said, as she placed a hand on Leon's arm. Leon and Theodore had already risked so much for her. She couldn't drag them further into danger. "Remember the promise you guys made to me?"

Leon, who had already drawn his sword, looked at her with confusion. "Yes, I promised to support you."

Theodore nodded in agreement. "We're in this together, Briar."

"I know," Briar said. "But you also promised that if I told you to back off, you would."

Leon's eyes narrowed as realization dawned. "What are you saying? No way. I can't let you do this alone. I'm coming with you."

"The prince is right," Theodore added. "We can't let you face the dragon by yourself."

"NO!" Briar shouted, her voice echoing through the cavern. "You two are going back to Knight and waiting for me. I'll find the dragon's treasure alone. I've already seen both of you nearly die because of me in Baba Yaga's hut. I can't risk losing you here."

"It's not your fault Baba Yaga captured me," Theodore pointed out.

"I'm a dragon expert, remember?" Leon insisted, his eyes flashing with determination. "You need my help."

Briar clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she struggled to keep her composure. "Both of you, get out of the cave," she ordered. "That's final. If you don't, you can't come with me on my journey anymore."

Leon's face twisted with frustration. "But—"

"No buts," Briar interrupted, her eyes fierce. "Leon, you never listen to me. You always make reckless decisions." She hated to say it, knowing it would hurt him, but she had no other choice. "You're being foolish, and I can't risk you doing something stupid near the dragon and ruining everything."

Leon gave her a pained look. "I'm foolish."

"Yes," Briar lied. But she had to stop the prince.

Leon's expression darkened, and he looked away, staring at the ground. The silence stretched between them. Without warning, Leon turned and sprinted to the massive door, flinging it open and slipping through before Briar could react.

"Leon!" Briar cried, her heart lurching as she and Theodore rushed after him. "Why can't you ever listen to me?"

But Leon didn't look at her. He stood transfixed, his eyes wide with shock. Briar turned to see what had captured his attention and stifled a scream.

They stood on the edge of a narrow stone bridge that stretched across a vast chasm. On the other side, a pair of massive, ornate doors loomed, their surfaces intricately carved with dragon motifs.

A river of molten lava roiled beneath the bridge, its angry, glowing surface bubbling and hissing. The heat from the river was intense, radiating up in waves that distorted the air and made the very ground seem to tremble.

"Oh!" Briar whispered, clutching Leon's arm for support. "This is it. The dragon's lair." The other side of the bridge seemed a lifetime away, and the massive double doors loomed distant, taunting her with their inaccessibility. How were they ever going to reach them?

Briar made the mistake of looking down again. The sight of the churning, fiery lava far below sent a wave of dizziness through her, and her legs wobbled like jelly. She quickly squeezed her eyes shut, clutching her chest as her heart pounded wildly

"I wish we had Knight with us," Theodore muttered.

Leon peered over the edge, his face pale under the heat. "What if this is just an illusion?" he said.

"Real or illusion, we still have to cross it," Briar said firmly, trying to steel herself against the overwhelming fear. She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and took the first tentative step forward, her boots scraping against the hot, rough stone. Leon and Theodore followed closely behind.

As the three of them timidly made their way across the narrow bridge, a sudden gust of wind howled through the cavern, nearly knocking them off. Briar's arms flailed wildly as she struggled to maintain her balance. With nothing to hold on to, she dropped to her knees, balancing herself on all fours, the scorching stone searing her palms, causing blisters to form instantly.

After the wind subsided, Briar gingerly rose to her feet, her hands aching from the burns. She pulled out her sword, using it as a makeshift walking stick to steady herself as she continued toward the other side. Time seemed to stretch into an eternity, the unbearable heat pressing down on them despite the cooling root Theodore had given them.

"We're almost there," she muttered to herself, though she wasn't sure if she was trying to convince Leon and Theodore or herself. Her throat was dry, her lips cracked from the relentless heat.

Finally, after what felt like a lifetime of terror, they reached the end of the bridge. Briar let out a shaky breath of relief as they stepped onto the solid ground in front of the massive doors.

"Please, no more bridges," she whispered fervently, glancing up at the imposing doors that stood before them.

Leon pushed open the door with all his strength. It groaned loudly on its hinges, revealing a yawning, pitch-black tunnel beyond. The oppressive heat of the lava river was replaced by a cool, damp chill that seeped into their bones. Briar's sigh of relief was audible as she stepped inside.

"Well, a dark tunnel is better than another bridge over a river of lava," she said, trying to keep her voice light despite the lingering fear gnawing at her insides. The darkness enveloped them as they moved forward, swallowing the faint light from the lava behind them.

"Theodore, do you have anything we can use as a light?" Leon asked.

"Nothing," Theodore replied, shaking his head. "I left my torch outside. We didn't think we'd need it here."

Briar's skin prickled with unease. The darkness felt suffocating, almost alive, and she couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she glanced nervously around, her eyes straining to pierce the blackness. "Did you see that?" she whispered urgently.

"What?" Leon asked.

"The eyes," Briar said, her voice a trembling whisper. "I swear I saw eyes on the walls, watching us."

An icy shiver ran down her spine as something whispered in her ear, the words unintelligible but filled with malice. She yelped as long, sharp nails scratched down her back, sending a bolt of fear through her. Her sword slipped from her grasp and clattered to the ground with a loud clang that echoed through the tunnel.

"What happened?" Leon asked.

"There's something in here with us," Briar said, her voice shaking as she retrieved her sword. "I can feel it."

"I can feel it too," Theodore said.

"Let's stick together," Leon suggested. He took Briar's hand in his and reached for Theodore's.

They moved forward, their hands gripping tightly as they navigated the twisting tunnel. The darkness pressed in on them from all sides, and the feeling of being watched grew stronger with every step. Briar's heart raced as shadows seemed to flicker and dance just beyond her vision, and the whispered voices grew louder.

After what felt like hours of stumbling through the dark, Briar spotted a faint glow ahead. It was a small, flickering light that beckoned them forward.

Ignoring the creeping fear that clawed at their minds, they broke into a run, the soft glow growing brighter with each step. The whispers and shadows seemed to recede as they approached the light, and finally, they reached another massive door. Briar's heart sank at the sight. How many more doors would they have to pass through?

"Please, let this be the last one," she murmured, pushing the door open with trembling hands.

As the door swung wide, they were blinded by a brilliant, golden light that filled the room beyond. Blinking against the sudden brightness, Briar gasped as her eyes adjusted to the dazzling scene before her. They stood at the entrance of a vast chamber, its walls lined with gleaming treasures that glittered in the golden light.

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