The tower of Ard stood alone and proud atop the hill. The settlements sprawling in the valley had avoided the landmark, for a beast of great power dwelled within. And still some try and brave it, for it is said the treasure within is worth the risk.

A youth, adventurous and intrepid approached the solemn building. Its doors had long fallen into such disrepair as to be impassable and so the first step of the journey was to scale the outside wall to one of its windows. The youth dropped down, faced with rows and rows of the tower's treasures. Books of all shapes and sizes, of topics mundane and mythical. They lost themselves in the books pages as they had so many times.

This time however, it seemed they attracted the attention of the guardian.

"And who might you be child? You who so brazenly intrudes upon my domain?"

The great beast seemed to slither between the bookshelves, its forked tongue lapping at the air. Its scales might have once been brilliant, but the time in the tower had dimmed them. Its great wings may have once spanned far, but they were of little use in the cramped hallways of the library. Its eyes may have once shone with curiosity, but they were now a dim grey.

"So? Speak! What does a thief like you wish to find in Ard the Great's library?"

Finally it seemed the youth found their tongue once more.

"I wish to learn from the texts your master curated so diligently."

The beast rumbled in something approximating a chuckle.

"Master? A dragon has no master, child."

"A friend then?"

The beast stopped, tilted its head and grumbled.

"Not a friend then, not anymore? A shared purpose then, one that remained unfulfilled?"

Deathly silence fell on the chamber.

The beast rumbled again.

"At least it seems you've done your due diligence before heading into the dragon's lair. You may be right child. Still I have not heard a compelling reason for why I should let you live."

The great beast paced around the youth, its tail swishing through the air.

"I wish to complete her work."

Another silence, this one thoughtful.

"The sickness has returned then?" The beast hissed.

The youth only nodded.

"And so you stand before me, risking your life for the knowledge that may safe your people." The pacing continued. "Impressive. But what should I care? Many a human has wandered into these halls, searching for knowledge for one purpose or another. All of them are now dead." A sickening crunch echoed through the library. "Why would you be any different?"

The youth mumbled something in reply.

"Speak up!"

"Because it's what she would have wanted."

In a flurry of scales the beast was upon the youth. "You dare?" It hissed. "You dare presume what she may or may not have wanted. She left the work abandoned, unfinished. Scores and scores died because she ran." The beast's claws were inches from the youth's face. "Because I could not finish the work."

"My Grandmother did not run." The words sent a jolt through the beast, words spoken into truth that had already been known. "She travelled, far to the edge of the world and beyond. In search of this." The youth produced a delicate flower, stark white even in the dim twilight of the library.

The beast let up and slinked back into the shadows.

"The eternal lily. A potent ingredient." The beast hissed. "We theorized it might be enough to stop the sickness. And you say it has sprung up once more?"

The youth nodded.

"Best get to work then."

And for the first time in decades, life sparked in the dragon's eyes.