• I slowly walked into the sacred place, staring in awe at its beauty. There was a huge waterfall that crashed into a large lake, surrounded by green earth. A path across the water led to an island with a fantastic fountain. Ribbons of water cascaded gracefully from the tip, hiding part of the stomach of a great stone dragon that stood in hinderance of the waterfall. An axe stood at its side, so big that it looked as if it could cleave an entire building in two with one swipe. In front of the fountain stood a small pedastal, with an indentation that seemed that it could fit the gemstone in my pack.
    I fitted the glittering material into the dent, and found that is was a perfect fit.
    "Hmmm," i thought to myself. " The stone fits perfectly here. I wonder-"
    My words were cut short by a blinding light that shone forth from the pedastal. One, Two, Three, Four times it flashed. Then a low rumbling noise filled the air, rising to a steady crecendo as the perfect water in the pond began to ripple. The gargantuan waterfall had ceased flowing as well.
    "whats happening?" i exclaimed, my words lost in the sheer intesity of the rumbling.
    Suddenly, a cracking sound could be heard. I turned around, and to my amazment, pieces of the great stone dragon began to chip off. Dull gray was replaced with dark green as gleaming scales peeked out from the remaining rock. At last the entire shell of rock had broken off, revealing a living, breathing dragon of tremendous size. Slowly it reached out, clutched the axe at its side, and shook itself off, sending bits of still clinging rock showering into the lake and all around me.
    "Who has woken me from my slumber?" The dragon's voice was a low roar, and i trembled before the size and might of it.
    "I have, your greatness. Thomas of the Matthews clan." I raised my shaking hand to signal where i was. The dragon's enourmous head came down to examine me.
    "Why have you come here?" it asked. "Probably seeking my sanctuary, i suppose."
    "That is correct, sir dragon. My people are about to be driven from their homes, and your sanctuary is the safest place on earth." I struggled to keep my voice even, but i could tell that i was failing.
    "Very well," the dragon said. "But first you must pass a rigorous trial that all before you have failed. You must best me in combat."
    My blood ran cold at the sheer thougt of this. But my people were counting on me.
    "I accept," i said. As the words escaped my mouth, the lake began to solidify and i stepped forward onto it. Suddenly, there was a tinkling noise. I turned and saw that a forcefield had been set up to block the exit.
    "Let the challenge begin," the dragon declared. I had scarcely drawn my sword when the humungous axe came down. I had just enough time to dodge the fatal blow. As the deadly blade sank into the ground, huge cunks of rock and dirt flew straight at me. My trusty sheild was out in a flash, and i covered my face to prevent contact. The dragon inhaled deeply, and i thought,"oh crap."
    Raging fire burst forth from the dragon's mouth, and i had just jumped out of the way when another blazing ball of devastating destruction came toward me in midair. Shifting my body to compensate, i managed to stick my feet through the handle of my shield. A sickening odor filled my nostrils, and i realized that the fire had melted my shield.
    Fortunately, the flare had meen deflected by my now-useless shield, and belted back into its creator. The dragon was thrown off balance for a split second and i saw my chance. Summoning up all my strength, i jumped up and slashed at the dragon's belly.
    With a high-pitched 'tink' my sword glanced off of the dragon's tough scales. Regaining its composure, the giant aimed another deathblow at me. As i leaped out of the way, i thought, "i can't keep dodging forever. i need to find a way to beat him...but how?"
    Glancing across the battle-stricken feild, my eye caught a tree on the edge of the waterfall's path. If i could throw my sword at just the right angle, i could cut it down and send it plummeting down the precipice, causing and avalanche, burying the dragon underneath. I took perfect aim, threw my sword-and missed.
    Now i was without a weapon and the dragon was inhaling deeply again. I picked up a large rock and held it in front of myself. As the dragon exhaled, i felt the rock vibrate with pressure, and i knew it was the end.
    Suddenly, the vibrating ceased. The blast had been deflected! But how? I turned around my rock and found what was concealed inside. A diamond! I watched as the fire sailed straight into the tree i was aiming for.
    What happened next was exactly what i had anticipated. An avalanche of soil and rubble came crashing down the cliffside. Within the next few moments the dragon had disappeared, gone underneath the mountain i had set on it.
    A soft rumbling noise sounded, and a cave appeared where the waterfall flowed, and i knew i had found the sanctuary. A glittering item caught my eye. My sword! I picked it up and headed into the cave, unknown what mysteries lay before me.