The Caves

At the entrance to the caves, a large black dragon stands watch. He eyes you maliciously as you try to get around him. Suddenly another dragon flies by overhead, a loud roar filling the air. The large black one looks up for an instant, and taking your chance, you slip into the dark opening.

Dancing into the Dragon's Den - April 1999

For a moment you feel relieved, until the huge black head appears before you again. This time he just grunts, and says, "Do not harm or threaten any of those who dwell in this realm. For I am Venom, sworn to guard the Dragons of the Mountain. And I offer you warning as well, you enter at your own risk, for not all who live here welcome outsiders willingly." Venom then returns to his post outside the mouth of the cave, and you shudder at his warning. Hopefully you won't meet any of *those* dragons.

The interior of the Mountain was not cold and damp as you had expected it to be, rather it was warm and dry, almost too warm for comfort. Perhaps it was the heat from the breath of a hundred dragons, the again, perhaps the dragons had chosen this Mountain for their home because of its natural warmth.

Your shoes echo loudly off the stone walls. It was the only sound you could hear except for your own breathing. You began to wonder if Venom was the only dragon here and that perhaps the only thing you had to worry about was getting lost in the labyrinthine caves. This assumption proved to be wrong. In the next cavern, lit by a soft glow which did not have a specific source, you found a clutch of eggs. You couldn't help yourself, you had to touch one of them, it was hot. You pulled your hand back, hoping that your scent would not cause the mother to abandon her eggs (or track you down for dinner). That's when the egg began to rock and suddenly hatch.

Lady Hipoo - May 1998

You looked about worriedly, you didn't know what to do, and the little thing was crawling to you hissing softly. You weren't sure if it was hoping you had food to give it, or if *you* were supposed to be food. In a moment of panic, you run back out the way you came, the hatchling too small to follow. On your way through the opening, you trip over something soft that squawked loudly as you tumbled over it. Getting up to your knees you find yourself eye-to-eye with a slightly older dragon that looked about as terrified as you felt.

DarqRose - July 1998

She looked at you somewhat chastized, as if you had just punished her for having done something wrong. She looked so sad and forlorn that you couldn't help but pat her on her head. This she appeared to like, so you tried scratching her behind those floppy ears. That made her tail wag like a puppy, but the sounds she was making was much more like the contented purring of a kitten.

After a while your knees began to hurt from kneeling on the hard stone floor, so you stood up and started to walk away. You almost tripped again as the little pink dragon bumped her head against your leg, trying to stay as close to you as possible. After a few attempts you realized it was futile to try and get her to stay behind so you let her follow with her funny waddling walk.

Suddenly, she was full of action, and before you knew what was happening, she dashed right by you in a pink blur and was digging away furiously at a small indentation in the wall of the passageway. Gently you pull her away to see what was so interesting, and almost had your nose bitten off by the smallest dragon you'd ever seen.

Dragon Adoption Center - August 1998

He growled at you. You should keep your pet on a leash if you can't control her!

This angered you, and you replied that she was no pet of yours, but more of a travelling companion. He insisted however that you make her behave. Looking at the pink hatchling, you wondered how you were going to do that, she hadn't obeyed any of your commands up until then. Having spoken your thoughts allowed the little red dragon rolled his eyes. Mental commands of course. Don't you know anything about dragons?

You reply that you did not but he just shook his head and gave you up for hopeless. He returned to his hole in the wall and you were forced to physically drag the hatchling away, so intent she was on going back after him.

Again it seemed that you were in an empty cave system. There was not a sound, and the deeper you went, the darker it got. Even that strange glow that seemed to light the other passages seemed to be dimming. Soon you were completely blind, absolutely dependent on the dragonet by your side. Maybe that in itself should have been enough to make you turn back, but you didn't, instead you stepped right into the swift moving current of an underground river.

You were not in the water long, suddenly you found yourself rising up, though still helpless to get out of the current. As it carried you along, it got brighter once more, and soon you could see your hatchling swimming bravely at you side, the the smooth shining scales of the dragon beneath you. An aquatic dragon.

Mythological Mystics - March 2001

He turns his head back to get a good look at you. "Why were you in the river if you could not swim?" he asked good naturedly. You reply that you could swim, but that the current was too strong. You also indicated that it was an accident, that you had fallen in since you couldn't see the dark waters. "Ah, that happens sometimes. You are not the only creatures I've had to rescue from my home. And here is the shore. Find Gully, she'll take care of you."

As you crawl out onto the shore, you thank the dragon before he disappeared into the darkness. After helping the hatchling out of the water you turn to find a white dragon smiling at you. This must be Gully.

The Shadowlit Realms - March 2001

She bumped you with her nose. "Did Faallee drop you off here?" You nod.

"Ah, so he brought us some lunch. How kind of him." This voice was also female, but not the soft gentle tones of Gully. They belonged to another.

EverRealm - January 2001

"N..no Ecletia, the hu...human is not t..t...to be eaten!." Gully stammered, obviously somewhat intimidated by the much fiercer, larger female. She ignored Gully and leaned down close to you, spreading her wings to maintain her balance.

She stepped back, "I suppose SunBlind has some purpose for this one, and would be most displeased with me if a ate a guest of hers. Besides, then I'd probably be stuck with *that* tagging along with me everywhere I go," she sneered towards the hatchling who was growling bravely in an attempt to protect you. Ecletia snorted in laughter, then spreading her wings flew down one of the larger passageways. Gully then said, "Sorry about that, but you are considered as prey by many here. So just be careful. And you could try to find Taran, he can help you more than I."

You thank Gully, and head down the passageway she had indicated, the hatchling still growling in the direction of the purple dragon. It was just a few moments before you met the dragon you assumed must be Taran.

Sweetwater - August 1999

He raised his head sleepily as you entered the cave, and blinked a few times. "Ah, another human with questions I see. I am Taran." He seemed older and wiser than the other dragons you had met thusfar. He gazed at you a while, though it was more like he was gazing into you. "So many questions, and so many more you have not yet thought of. Of these I could answer all of them, but I believe they will be of more value to you if you should discover them for yourself. To see with your own eyes, to hear with your own ears. Otherwise you might not believe the things I have to say. Humans are such a sceptical species, not willing to trust anyone's word without proof. No, you must find the answers on your own. Perhaps you will find them here, perhaps not. That is one question I do not have the answer to."

You leave the elder dragon more confused than when you had started. So much for that.

Impress a Dragon!

You duck as a small blue dragon about the length of your arm divebombs yours head.

"Flen! Stop that and come here!"

You were surprised to hear the sound of a human voice in this draconic domain. The young woman with the small blue dragon on her shoulder smiled at you, "I am Crysta, rider of green Lilth. And you've already met Flen, my firelizard." As she speaks she leads you to an opening in the side of the mountain, and on the ledge lay a large green dragon soaking up the sun. "I could take you to my home at Mooncrest Weyr," she offered. "It will take but a few moments for we shall travel Between. Though it may seem scary at first because you won't be able to see, hear or even feel myself or Lilth beneath you, it is perfectly safe."

It was up to you whether you wanted to go BETWEEN with Crysta and Lilth or if you wanted to explore more of the MOUNTAIN.

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