"Get up!" Eric picked up the elf.
      "Uh? Ah! Put me down!" he wriggled out of the arms, falling to the ground.
      "You feeling ok?" Prism gave him a hand, "Here's your pack. The road looks smooth from here."
      Emeryl rubbed his eyes and rolled to his feet.
      "Oh, no no no! I am NOT walking in back! I fell off a cliff, trolls almost mauled me, and then I dropped through a bridge! No! This time, I'm walking in front!" Emeryl immediately protested.
      "Well, ok, but remember, in front you run into everything first." Prism hesitantly agreed.
      "That's fine with me. Besides, smooth ground from here!" Emeryl pranced in front.
      "We hope..." Prism mumbled. Indifferently, Eric and Bentora packed the items and carried them after the other two.
      It took an hour of walking before they reached another cave.
      "Let's be careful about this." Prism paused.
      "Why? It's another cave! I can see the end! Let's just go through!" Emeryl trotted inside.
      "But..." Prism blinked, following.
      Eric glanced at Bentora, she glanced back, and then they both sighed and jogged behind.
      Emeryl rushed out the back side, with Prism behind in the cave.
      "You see! Nothing!" Emeryl turned around, smiling at them.
      Holding his staff with both hands he chuckled, until he noticed a large shadow covering him. Tilting his head up so that the spider almost fell, he gave out a quick yelp and shoved the staff above his head.
      A huge, white face snapped down on him, enclosing the elf entirely. The elongated scaly muzzle rose into the air again, taking the elf inside it.
      The other three all stumbled out of the cave and peered up. It was small for a dragon, but still huge. One chain was around its back leg, holding it inside this one room of the cave. Both its eyes were icy blue with pure white scales covering the entirety of its body.
      "Hey, put him down!" Eric drew out the sword completely.
      "Why ould I?" the dragon asked, talking as if its mouth was full of food.
      "What did he ever do to you?" Prism shouted.
      "What? What?!" it furiously burst. Inside they could hear Emeryl screaming as it jerked its head and moved its tongue.
      "Hang in there!" Eric raised the sword.
      "Wait!" it roared. Everyone stopped in place, staring at the dragon. It lowered its head to his level, studying Eric curiously. Breathing in, it spat Emeryl to the ground in a puddle of slime.
      "Ew..." Emeryl wiped the saliva off. His spider did no better, but didn't seem to care as much.
      "You're a human." The dragon finally stated.
      "Yeah, so?" Eric lifted the sword higher.
      "And you're not completely elf!" it moved on to Prism.
      "No, I'm from above." Prism replied.
      "Above? Earth-dwellers? Then he can't be a drow elf! What are you doing down here?" It bellowed. Bentora watched passively, leaning against the wall.
      "We came here to save him, but we fell further down. We've been looking for a way back up." Prism explained.
      "Ha! Back up? You're going further down, kids." The dragon laughed. Folding its long wings against its back it chuckled to itself. Keeping to herself, Bentora snarled a little.
      "Down?" Eric paused, "But we've traveled so far! There has to be a way up!"
      "I have to hand it to you... you're the first ones I've seen with hope in a long time... But you have to know spells to get anywhere..." the dragon mumbled, which was still loud.
      "I know spells." Prism answered.
      "Me too." Emeryl wrung his hair out, "Why'd you try to eat me?"
      "Eat you? I was just going to chew you up! I can live off of rocks just find, thank you!" the dragon laughed again, "I just thought you were a drow. Outsiders have never come in here before, on purpose or by accident."
      "A drow?" Emeryl paused.
      "Hmmm... I'll only tell you the whole story, if you think you can do something about it." The dragon hesitantly offered.
      "I know spells from the seventh sphere. Emeryl's a healer. Bentora and Eric, I bet they'd be good fighters. I think we can handle this, drow, of yours." Prism replied.
      "Seventh. I guess that's a start." The dragon sighed, "Alright, I'll tell all of you what happened here. What REALLY happened."
      "You mean, it wasn't a freak accident?" Prism asked.
      "Accident? Ha! This was no accident!" the dragon burst into another fit, "You really have no idea what's going on under your own feet!"
      "Well, I'm listening..." Prism sat down. Next to him Emeryl wiped off the spider, as if it cared.
      Eric quietly plopped next to Prism. Still, by the wall, Bentora feigned as if she didn't care.
      "So, you think you're tough? Well then..." it laid on its belly, "I guess it started before I was even born. Below ground, in caves and tunnels like these, there lived white dragons, hobbits, trolls, and the drow elves. The drow elves were even more violent and dangerous than the trolls, and showed more signs of intelligence. Not much more, but more. They burned down hobbit villages, looted, killed trolls when they had the chance, and plenty of times they'd even go after white dragons. They took out my entire clan."
      "So, you were the leader?" Prism queried.
      "Leader? Ha! I'm flattered, but I was still little. Our leader, Terx, he died too. I'm Fionnula, the only one left." She replied.
      "But, how'd that happen?" Emeryl kept cleaning, "Dragons are so much bigger."
      "That's true. And we were smarter too. They were just savages to us, but some started emerging that were different. They learned how to read, and write, then started learning Hobbit spells. I'm not sure, but I think they must have taught themselves to read using Hobbit texts."
      "So they banned together and took you guys out?" Emeryl asked.
      "Not exactly..." she raised a scaly brow, "They became outcasts in their own towns, so they weren't a threat. Until one of them found out about the Nature's treasures. Which means he must have found out from a Hobbish book."
      "The what's?" Prism inquired.
      "That sword." Fionnula gestured towards Eric, "It has a 'poor man's treasure' on it. There were several very powerful talismans shaped like that, almost a disguise. One of the drows hunted down the black onyx, and obviously found it. That's when he cast the spells that created all these tunnels."
      "So he blew up the town! And if we kill him we won't have to worry about it again!" Prism declared.
      "Not quite that simple." She moaned, interrupted again, "Just listen. If you kill him, all the other drows will be released. For ten years he's kept them trapped below the surface."
      "So, if we kill him, we have to face one hundred more?" Prism mumbled.
      Sitting up she glanced at him, "You can say that. He's also kept me trapped. Since we're natural enemies, he chained me down here and has kept me here, alone, for ten years. I can't break this chain."
      Thinking, Prism narrowed his eyes at the chain, "He must be very good with spells. Do you know where those treasures are? Or where he is?"
      Pausing, she reluctantly moved a large boulder with her tail and swept a small, red jewel out. It looked exactly like the one on Eric's sword.
      "It's the ruby, for fire. I can't use it, but you have hands and spells. If you take it, you might be able to fix everything." She explained, "The elf isn't far from here. He stays in his room, alone. He's stronger than he looks. But only you two should go, anyone who can't cast spells is a target."
      "Fine with me." Bentora yawned.
      "But I can't stay behind! It's his fault my brothers dead!" Eric retorted, "Or, immobile..."
      "Your funeral." She replied.
      "No one's funeral! We're going to sleep here tonight. We'll figure out everything else tomorrow." Prism declared.