Commissioned from the talented  era-7!

As the giant beast prowls around the maze of passages, I can almost hear words in its deep, rumbling breaths.

"Come out, come out, little snake," I hear. Though in reality, it says nothing; only ragged breath and primal growls. It is not a real dragon; only an amalgam of shadows wearing a dragon's form. Its scales, sleek umbral armour. Its teeth, lethal fangs of a stone's shadow. Its eyes burn with some inner heat, but it is not the warmth of life.

I flatten myself against the wall of the labyrinth as I hear its steps approach, locking my breath inside my chest for fear of the stirring wind alerting it to my whereabouts. Keeping my ear on the echo of those tremendous claws, I scan up and down, left and right, my eyes piercing the darkness as I look for any hint of a way out. Little motes of light dance around my ankles and drift through the wind, as carefree as a goldfish in a safe pond, blissfully unaware of the hungry falcon soaring above. Diving down. Closing in.

The echoes of the beast's footfalls fade as it takes another turn, prowling deeper into the maze. As slowly as I dare, I let the breath out of my lungs and sidle along the wall. Perhaps there would be an exit somewhere deep down, in the endless depths of the chasm below. But I dare not beat my wings; I couldn't disguise the sound of them slicing the air, and the beast would be upon me in moments. It may be slow and lumbering, but it was vast, vast enough to cover more space in a single step than I could in a dozen wingbeats.

I peer around the corner where I heard the steps. My breath catches in my throat as I see it; a trail of shadows, a false imitation of a dragon's tail, sliding into the darkness beyond. It continues to drag through the darkness, as though neverending. I barely even notice when it has finally stopped; all that's left is a pit of shadow, as though the beast's body and the abyss have merged into one.

I curse silently. The beast has gone down the one passage I had not yet explored; the one passage that might hold an exit to this abyssal labyrinth. And surely it didn't pick that passage by chance. It knew.

I unpeel myself from the wall of the maze and creep forward, trying as best I could to still the rattle of my armour with every step.

The passage twists and turns, every shadow threatening to leap to life. The sound of the beast has faded, but still my heart pounds in my chest - has it lost track of me and ventured somewhere deeper into the maze? Or is it lying in wait, in ambush, melted into the shadows as indistinguishable as ice into water? A pebble slips off the ledge and tumbles into the void below. My pulse quickens, but nothing comes. Probably not an uncommon sound in the shadowy maze that the beast prowls.

At last, the passage opens into a wider chamber. The air is fresher here, carrying the scent of water and pine. Relief washes over me, and my steps quicken, emboldened by the promise of impending freedom, of open air, of sun and wind and clouds.

The ground trembles.

The light of the tunnel fades as something moves to block it, and my heart drops. Two burning orange orbs open in the darkness. Completely bereft of the warmth of light. They fix upon me, and again I hear that deep, wordless rumble.

"Found you," I hear.

The beast surges forth, the ground beneath my feet quaking with every unstoppable step.

I draw my sword, and brace myself to meet it.