It had been several days since her public debut. Morgianna felt lucky she had not had to talk to many of the capture targets, but she also felt extremely unlucky that she would use the crown prince for the magical test.
Feeling trapped in the castle she decided to once again take a trip outside of the walls. She kept hoping to see the wolf again.
Making sure Sophia was busy she crept down the halls making sure to hide in the shadows whenever possible. She had been practicing using her Darkness to hide in shadows slipping from room to room unnoticed for the past couple weeks and felt comfortable in her ability.
It seemed she was getting good at sneaking about. She could slip outside the wall in a matter of minutes and none would be the wiser.
Today she planned to go to the west, she had always just went straight back, but she would learn nothing new if she did that every time.
She had only walked for 20 minutes or so so that she would not get too far away from home when she saw the perfect place to rest. A fallen log placed in front of a wine wall covered in little white flowers.
She sat down glancing around at her scenery. Making sure she made a note of which direction will take her home she closed her eyes and leaned back. Expecting to meet solid wall but instead, she fell through the vines landing in a large cavern. It was cool inside and smelled of death. At first the only thing she could hear was her shallow breathing but then a sound that made the hair on her neck stand on end and a chill run down her spine. A hiss that was too close and too loud for her liking.
Turning her head left and right she saw what looked like a monitor lizard, except that it was much larger than any she had ever read about in her past world. She had not noticed it before as much of its body was tucked into a side cavern.
The lizards forked tongue slid out from between rows of sharp teeth flicking as if tasting the air around it.
"You smell deliciousssss. What a shame I will have to ruin that pretty outfit you wear."
"I mean if you don't attack me you wouldn't have to ruin my pretty outfit." Though her voice sounded steady Morgianna was worried. She did not know what this creature was capable of and did not know what attacks she could even use against it.
The Lizard cocked its head to the side. "You can undersssstand me?" Its hissing voice low but holding curiosity.
"I am able to speak to beasts." She felt a straightforward answer was the best one to have, especially if this may be her last conversation.
"I have not ssssspoken to anyone other than my brethren before and even they have not ssssaid a word fo me in many moonssss. Tell me child why are you in the foresssst?"
It was then that she noticed a pair of wings on it's back tucked neatly to its sides. "I was escaping my walls. Are you a dragon?" She did not know where the courage to ask came from but still she could not take it back now.
"I wasssss." The lizard hissed moving slightly forward. In that brief second Morgianna saw metal glinting across the beast's ankles and knew that it was chained into the cave.
Taking a minor step back she saw a dangerous glint in the lizard's eyes. She needed to act fast.
Seeing the lizard inching closer by the second she quickly spoke, "How about we make a deal?"
She heard the beasts dry hissing chuckle before he finally opened his mouth flicking his tongue once more. "And what would a ssssmall human like you be able to do? You are but a child and it hasss been many moons ssince I had a decent meal."
With those words he once again started moving towards her. However the next words from her mouth made him stop in his tracks.
"You said you were a dragon, which means you are not anymore. Therefore you must be cursed. On top of that you are chained to stay in this cave, a cave that you would not know the entrance was there unless you stumbled into it as I have. I could help you break your curse and get you out of the cave." She was unsure if she could actually do any of that but she needed to try.
The dragon-like lizard cocked his head deep in thought. He was unsure how long he had been trapped in his own personal hell that those he trusted most had placed around him. All he knew was that he had nothing to lose but everything to gain. Even if she could not break the curse he could still eat her.
"Fine I shall allow you to try. Know this, if you succeed I shall be in your debt. Fail, and you shall be in my stomach."