The door slammed shut above me. I hit a smooth, tilted surface, which acted like a slide and shot me down onto a pile of black, shining rocks.
"Ouch!" I exclaimed.
The mound of dark rocks moved. It heaved and breathed. A smooth, narrow head with large, deep green snake eyes slowly rose above the mound. From my reading in my world and here, I knew I was looking at a dragon. In awe, I couldn't decide if I was more scared or excited to be in its presence. I did my best to bow respectfully.
"Who are you?" A deep, yet weak voice whispered. "Why are you here?"
"My name is Thea. I fell down the chute," I admitted shamefully, relieved the dragon felt like talking and not eating. "I heard you moaning....Why are you chained here?"
The dragon shifted, the chains that held his neck, legs, and bod
