DSC, short for Dragon Sciences and Curiosities,
Professor Delbert Dingleworth was the head of the department of Dragon Sciences and Curiosities at the Graythorne Institute of Myth and Magic.
The institute believed that all dragons were extinct, but not Delbert. Delbert believed that dragons were out there somewhere. It was possible
they were simply waiting for the right time to return. Because of his beliefs, his colleagues took pleasure in mocking him on every hour of
every day. Delbert had learned to ignore the pranks, jokes and complete buffonery, as he called it. Instead, he buckled down in his search for
dragon activity.
Late one night, when all his colleagues had gone home, and after an especially painful knock on the head from the thickest book in the library,
Delbert came across the information he needed to prove his theories. If he was going to prove that dragons still existed, a trip to Somerset was in order.
He set off before dawn the following morning. The Wookey Hole Caves was his destination and the last place of dragon activity. By the time he reached
the Mendips, his mind was racing and his stomach churned so fiercely that he almost turned back. If there really was a dragon in Wookey Hole, he would
finally get the respect he deserved, but if there was nothing there, he'd be forced to admit that dragons don't exist and deemed the laughingstock of
the institute forever. He might even lose his job. Where would he be without his research? It meant everything to him.
Delbert took a deep breath, wiped his brow and straightened his tie. With his head held high and a glint of determination in his eye, he marched toward
the caves. Dragons did exist and he would prove it.
If he wasn't completely consumed with the mission at hand, he would have remembered that Wookey Hole was the home of a witch. It was said that if she
were disturbed, the outcome would be quite ugly indeed. But there was no room in Delbert's head for a witch, so he marched on until he stood at the mouth
of the cave. The sun was shining and the sky was a powder blue with an occasional fluffy white cloud. Delbert shivered. It was eerily quiet. The birds
should've been chirping their morning song, but they weren't. In fact, there was no sign of human, animal or insect anywhere. An odd breeze coming from
the caves blew back his hair and brought with it the worst smell he had ever smelled in his life. Bile rose to his throat, along with his breakfast.
A smile spread across his lips. He snapped his fingers. The breeze and the smell. That could only mean one thing. The Wookey Hole Caves was the den of a dragon.
He pulled out a handkerchief and covered his nose and mouth. It reduced the horrible smell by half and that was good enough for him.
He walked on, taking note of the kalidescope of colors glinting off the cave walls the farther he went. Variations of blues and purples danced around him.
The breeze and smell grew stronger, but it was the deep rumble that made him quicken his pace. The rumble was loud. It was so loud it jiggled his insides.
It could only come from something big, like a dragon. He dropped his handkerchief and started running. One should never run into the unknown without proper
preparation. Delbert knew this, but it was stated earlier, he was not thinking clearly. He ran right into a goopy substance covering the cave floor.
He tried to stay quiet, but when you are sliding out of control, possibly into the mouth a dragon, you tend to get a bit noisy. Thankfully, he tripped on
a large rock in the middle of the floor and landed face first in the goop. He did his best to get the disgustingly sticky stuff off, but it was no use.
A hundred baths would be required before he ever felt clean again.
Delbert looked up. His mouth dropped and he almost fainted, because there in front of him was a sleeping Blue Ridgescale dragon. By its size, it was male.
The urge to rejoice was strong, but he did his best to compose himself. If he woke the dragon, it meant certain death, then this journey and all his research
would be for naught. No. He needed to stay calm and get proof of its existence. One of its sapphire scales would do. They sparkled like jewels in the dim light.
But, how to get one? Yanking one off the dragon's body was out of the question, but perhaps there was one lying on the cave floor somewhere. He tiptoed
around the front of the beast, careful to avoid its claws. He gulped at their size and sharpness. There were no loose scales anywhere. The dragon was
blocking the entrance to the multitude of tunnels. There could be a scale behind or even underneath it. He wrinkled his brow and scratched his head.
Was it possible to snatch a scale off the dragon's body without waking it up? An icy shiver ran down his back at that thought. The dragon shifted in
its sleep. He stiffened with terror. The dragon was going to wake up and find him in its den. It would eat him. The dragon It slid its claws underneath
its jaw and sighed with contentment.
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Delbert let out a sigh of his own and hurried back to his original position against the wall farthest from the dragon. He bunched his hands on his hips and stared
at the sleeping dragon. He had to admit that it was a sight to behold. The enormity of such a creature was incredible. Not to mention the size of claws. One claw
could destroy half the institute. He gulped hard. The institute. What would they do when they found out dragons did exist? What would happen to the dragon? He'd seen
proof that some of his colleagues were pretty handy with a sword and could get very nasty before lunch. They'd want to know where the dragon's den was.
What would he say? He waved a hand in the air to get rid of such thoughts. He knew darn well that he would lie about the dragon's den. He didn't want the beast destroyed.
Respect was the only treasure he was after.
He tapped his chin. How could he remove a scale without waking the dragon?
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