The flickering light of the torch threw dancing shadows across the rough stone walls of the tunnel. The slight smell of sulfur coated the inside of his nose with the smell of rotten eggs, which smelled only mildly unpleasant after the stink of the bog. The half-melted rocks and skeletons of small creatures crunched beneath his boots as he made his way ever downwards.

Beorn felt the oppressive weight of the Angoran mountains over him. The dark ceiling of stone ready to collapse and bury him in the unexplored tunnels beyond the silver mines he had entered in search of deadly acid-spitting lizards.

Beorn shook his head, this trip was getting better and better. He should've signed up to guard the damned caravan. He whispered a quick prayer to Grarfath to keep him safe under his domain and marched on deeper into the earth.

As he got further into the tunnel the cold damp atmosphere started turning warmer and humid. Beorn placed a hand on the rock beside him. It felt warm to the touch.

'Wilhelmina, why did you ask me to carry the Dragonstone?'

'I perceived a familiar feeling emanating from the depths of the mine. My instincts tell me the Dragonstone will prove useful.'

'Instincts huh? Okay, I'll trust you.'

'Of course, you do, why else would you carry the Dragonstone?'

Beorn rolled his eyes, 'Right...not because you kept pestering me.'

'I did not hear that quite clearly, care to repeat it, mortal?'

Beorn recognized that tone, he decided to avoid going down that path, 'So how close is whatever you're feeling?'

'The feeling is faint but it seems to be further downwards.'

Beorn kicked the crumbling skull of a rat out of his path. 'Well, at least it's on the same path as our overgrown lizards.'

***

The lack of daylight made it hard to track time underground, but Beorn's internal clock timed fifteen more minutes of mindless walking before his honed senses picked up movement ahead. As he got closer he identified the rasping of scales on rock and low hissing. He turned the corner to come upon an abrupt drop into a pit.

He peeked over the ledge to find three basilisks lounging around in the pit. They were juveniles, only a few feet in length. One of them stirred but the others did not react to the heat of his torch.

Taking out three arrows from his quiver he laid them in a row. Beorn then strung his bow and prepared himself. He threw the torch into the pit.

The basilisks weren't too pleased to be awakened from their nap, they hissed irritatedly as they approached the torch, tasting the air with their long forked tongues. The dim light illuminated their green scales and colorful frills behind a triangular head, they looked to Beorn like small wingless dragons but he decided not to voice that thought to Wilhelmina. The basilisks approached hesitantly pushing at the torch with their long claws.

Before they could look up and figure out where it had come from, Beorn took aim and loosed all three arrows in quick succession. Two of the projectiles pierced their intended targets, penetrating the eyes and hitting the brain, dealing instant death.

The remaining basilisk was more suspicious and hopped back from the torch at the last moment, causing the arrow to glance off its armored snout. It hissed at the ledge and expanded its frills.

"Oh shit!"

Beorn ducked behind the as a blob of acidic spit missed his head and sunk into the rock ceiling with a sizzle. Beorn left his bow on the ground and drew his dagger as he rolled over the ledge. Landing on his feet he saw the basilisk take aim once more.

Beorn narrowed his eyes and accelerated his heartbeat. The world slowed as he saw the lizard's throat expand and the basilisk aim, he crouched and tilted his head out of the expected path of the monster's spit. He heard the projectile whizz past his head as he leaped. He narrowed the distance with a single bound and plunged his dagger into the basilisk's head before it had a chance to react.

Breathing heavily from the exertion, Beorn waited for his danger to absorb the essence from the monster. But it seemed like it despised the blood of the juvenile basilisk.

'The lizard has barely enough essence to light a lamp, your dagger needs higher quality to grow further.'

'What a pity, there's nothing else valuable on the corpse', shaking his head, Beorn sheathed his dagger and took up the torch. He headed further downwards through the only exit.

***

Following the tunnel downwards he met with another nest that thankfully contained only two juveniles. Although they were slightly bigger and stronger than the ones before, Beorn took care of them in short order.

By now the heat had become stifling, Beorn was sweating underneath his leather armor. He had wisely decided to forgo wearing his maille shirt and stick with the lightweight leather jerkin and cotton shirt instead of his usual doublet. He was thankful when the long passage started leveling out, at least it wasn't going further underground.

He followed it until he came upon an entrance that was lit with an amber glow. Beorn was puzzled at the presence of light so deep underground, he shuffled carefully along the passage, each step barely making a sound. He didn't want to disturb whatever lived there, which probably were ten foot long lizards who could spit acid. He hoped it didn't contain more than two.

Beorn stepped closer to the entrance, about to dart into the entrance for a quick look, when he missed a step and nearly went sprawling to the ground at Wilhelmina's excited voice, 'It's here, it's here. I was right all along, whatever is pulling me is in that chamber. I can feel it in my bones.'

Beorn regained his balance, 'You don't even have bones. You're a soul stuck in a metal brooch.'

'Hush puny mortal. I will forgive your transgression in light of this new discovery. Now go explore that cavern so we may uncover the secret.'

Beorn gave a mocking now, 'Yes your highness.'

Wilhelmina snorted, 'Good.'

Resigned, Beorn snuffed out the torch and returned it to its holster. He unsheathed his sword and made his way into the entrance.

The entrance gave way to an enormous circular cavern. The amber glow was cast by a river that flowed along the perimeter of the cavern. Beorn could feel the heat from the incandescent river. He'd never seen anything like it. The slow-moving river was mesmerizing to look at with ribbons of gold, orange, red and black spiraling, entwining through it to create incredible patterns.

It acted as a deep moat to a huge platform emerging from its center. The only way to access it were arches of stone that spanned the gap over the river which threw up the occasional spark, showing just how scorching hot it was.

Beorn's jaw hung open as he took in the magnificent sight.

'Is that molten rock?'

'That is lava, Beorn. We are deep under the earth where the molten rock flows like water. Do not fall into it, you will burn to death in seconds.'

'Wasn't planning to', looking to the side of the bridge and fiery death below, he whispered a quick prayer, "Grarfath protect me."

He left all his extra gear at the entrance, only taking along the Dragonstone, his new grappling hook, dagger, and sword. He unsheathed his sword and psyched himself up.

“They're only overgrown lizards, you can do this Beorn. You’re faster than them and more intelligent, you definitely dodge those big sharp teeth, that long powerful tail, those wickedly sharp claws, that acid spit….”

Deciding that it wasn’t working he gave up, squared his shoulders, and started walking across the stone bridge to the center of the platform where two fully grown basilisk awaited him.

As he grew closer he noticed some differences from the drawings and the descriptions he’d seen before. The scales were a dark reddish-brown instead of the usual dark green, they were spikes along the ridge of their backs, there were also small puffs of smoke coming from their nostrils as they let out deep rumbling snores. But most alarming of all, they were a lot bigger than just ten feet. They lounged some distance apart on beds of shiny stones, ores, and silver from the mines.

Beorn's hands started shivering, 'Wilhelmina, i-i-its a dragon, IT'S A DRAGON!'

Wilhelmina was unconvinced, 'There is no possibility that the noble blood of my race flows through these...these overgrown reptiles. Are you sure it is not just a mutation?'

'It's breathing out smoke Wilhelmina.'

'Does it have wings? Has it eaten you yet? '

'No…'

'There you go it isn't a dragon then. No dragon would be foolish enough to let you approach it so close and remain sleeping unless it was a trap.'

'Okay… but hypothetically, if you had to kill a dragon how would you do it.'

'That's easy I'd wrestle the uppity lizard and bite its head off for displeasing me.'

Beorn's whole body joined his hands in shivering as he inched forwards. 'That's good, that's good, just bite its head off. Any uh more useful advice… like a weak spot that I can HIT WITH MY SWORD?!'

'No need to shout Beorn. Just aim for the eye or beneath the chin. Look for an oddly shaped scale and punch through it, that should do the trick.'

Beorn shakily took a breath as he stood a few feet away from the big mound of muscle and claws that awaited him at the center of the platform. He crept as stealthily as he could up to a head the size of half his body, looked the beast in its eyes. And sighed thankfully that they were still closed.

With his heart thundering in his chest, he raised his sword and thrust it with all his strength into the closed eyelid.

The blade bounced off.

"Huh?"

The beast stirred and its eyes flickered open. Beorn found himself staring at a reflection of himself in a shiny eyeball the size of his head.

It was hard to tell who was more surprised, Beorn at the fact that his strike just glanced off or the basilisk at the fact that this bug had dared to enter its lair and wake it up from its nap.

Man and beast stared at each other for a brief moment,

"RAAAAGH!," Beorn recovered first and plunged the sword into the open eye with an incoherent scream. Half the blade pierced into the eye of the beast.

A colossal roar of pain emanated from the blinded basilisk as it swatted at Beorn. He glanced at the oncoming swipe and held fast onto the sword, hanging onto it as the beast reared on its hind legs. He brought up his legs and narrowly dodged those sharp claws. Straining his arms he learned himself up and mounted the beast's head. A quick glance informed him that the beast's companion had woken up as well and was currently eyeing him.

He had no more time for thought as the basilisk under him bucked forwards violently. Holding on with his thighs, he managed to stay on its neck.

'The sword in the eye isn't working Wilhelmina, it just made it mad!!!'

'Hrmm, surprising. It should have pierced the brain and ended it...'Beorn ducked under the whip-like tail, 'Any other bright ideas? I'm…'

He leaned to the side to dodge another swipe from the claw. The meaty palm hit the basilisk's own head, 'in a bit of…'

which caused it to roar again and throw its head to the side, Beorn felt his thighs nearly lose their grip on the scales as he dug his arms into the sides of his neck and hung on for dear life, 'a situation.'

'Use your dagger, it should suck away the vital essence of the beast.'

'Thanks!', Beorn wrapped his left hand around the hilt of his sword and waited until the basilisk paused its moments. Taking advantage of the opening, he unsheathed his dagger and plunged it in the middle of its forehead. The scales offered brief resistance before his dagger prevailed and pierced through into its head. Another mighty roar sounded from the beast beneath him as it flung its head once more.

Beorn felt the dagger slip from his hands as he was flung across the platform and over the river of molten rock.