Raven, Isabella, and Rodney stared in awe at the magnificent dragon that stood before them, its scales shimmering in the eerie blue light of the Crystal Caves. The dragon let out a roar, warning the group to stay away from the crystal.
But Raven was not deterred. He stepped forward, his sword at the ready. "We have come this far," he said. "We will not turn back now."
The dragon snarled, its fiery breath scorching the ground beneath it. "You dare challenge me?" it said, its voice deep and rumbling.
"We do," Raven replied, his eyes fixed on the dragon. "We have come to claim the crystal and complete the Enchantress's challenge."
The dragon chuckled. "Very well," it said. "But first, you must prove your worth. You must defeat me in battle."
Raven nodded, readying himself for the fight. But Isabella stepped forward, her hand raised. "Wait," she said. "There must be another way. We do not wish to harm you, great dragon."
The dragon regarded Isabella with curiosity. "What do you propose, little one?" it asked.
Isabella took a deep breath. "Perhaps there is another way to prove our worth," she said. "Perhaps we could answer a riddle or complete a task, instead of fighting."
The dragon considered this for a moment, then nodded. "Very well," it said. "I will give you a riddle. If you can answer it, you may claim the crystal."
The group leaned in, eager to hear the riddle.
"I am always hungry, I must always be fed. The finger I touch, will soon turn red. What am I?"
The group pondered the riddle, trying to come up with an answer. But after several minutes, they still had no idea.
The dragon chuckled. "You do not know the answer?" it said. "Very well. I will give you one more chance. Answer correctly, and the crystal is yours."
The group focused their minds, determined to come up with the answer. And then, suddenly, Rodney spoke up.
"I know the answer," he said, his eyes shining. "It's fire."
The dragon regarded Rodney with surprise. "You are correct," it said. "Very well. You have proven your worth. The crystal is yours."
With that, the dragon stepped aside, allowing the group to approach the crystal. Raven held the crystal in his hands, feeling its power flow through him.
"We did it," Isabella said, a smile on her face.
But their victory was short-lived. Suddenly, the ground began to shake, and the walls of the cave began to crumble. The group realized with horror that they had triggered a trap.
"We have to get out of here," Raven shouted, his voice barely audible over the sound of the cave collapsing around them.
The group ran as fast as they could, dodging falling rocks and leaping over chasms. They could feel the heat of the dragon's breath on their backs, the ground shaking beneath their feet.
And then, finally, they burst out of the cave, the sunlight blinding after the darkness of the Crystal Caves. They collapsed on the ground, their hearts pounding.
But they knew that their journey was not yet over. They still had to face the Enchantress's final challenge. And with the crystal in their hands, they knew that they would have to be stronger than ever.