The snoring, although faint from being a distance away, was menacing, low and guttural. Normally the wizard would have been taken aback and decide to transverse the hills in a way far from the sound to avoid any following dangers that might be accompanied with it. However, just successfully pulling off the invisibility incantation and escaping the hell-hounds empowered him with a new boldness and self-confidence that infused him with a feeling that he could very much carry his own.

How little did he know that it was just a ruse, a strategically placed pair of hell-hounds to lure the wizard into a false sense of security.

This confidence would soon be shaken and the wizard would come to his knees in shuddering fear as his weakened bladder would expel all around him... for the guttural snoring was coming from the mother of the hell-hounds-- a giant fire-breathing fiend that smelt of the rotting flesh that its sinuous body was comprised from.... yes, a million dead corpses joined into a mutated metamorphic beast from the evils rent from the depths of lava.

NO book, no previous studies in his arts since childhood could have prepared him for this creature...

And yet, his curiosity pulled him to go forward...

As the Wizard tried to muster the courage to enter the cave, the alarm went off again, this time loud enough to finally wake her up. She groaned without opening her eyes and felt her husband turning toward her. "I guess our trip to the park is out of question. Twins will be disappointed." he said with a yawn. Indeed, heavy raindrops were beating against the window and the low rumble of thunder left no doubt about the accuracy (or rather lack thereof) of yesterday's weather forecast. She sighed and started getting out of bed. "We could play some board games, maybe?" she suggested, the dream still vivid in her mind. It won't linger for long though and sadly, she will never find out how it ends.

The wizard froze at the entrance, trembling lightly at the effort. From within, the rhythmic sound took on the grinding quality of stone on stone, as though someone were rolling a great boulder across the gravelled floor. It rose to a rumble and then, with a puff of air so light that it barely ruffled his hair, fell silent.

Straining his ears, the wizard crouched and dared a glance inside the cave. It was as gloomy as before, but his eyes fell at once upon a little scrap of red parchment lying beside a stone. It had not been there before, he was certain, nor was it dusty and dirty as everything around it. With great caution, he eased himself upright and approached it, careful that his feet did not land anywhere his staff had not probed and prodded. At last he was in front of the little fragment, and with one flick turned it over. On the reverse was a message, written with fresh ink though in an archaic hand.

"Come inside", it said, "and you shall certainly find what you seek."

No sooner had he read it but the words themselves began to shift and twist, coiling to and fro to form another message:

"Do please wipe your feet."

The wizard put the paper carefully down on the cave floor - or rather onto the bristled mat where the cave floor had been just a moment ago. This was enchantment enough, and who knew what else might emerge if he did not find his way quickly out of this place. He fumbled hurriedly among his robes for a draught he had brewed some months past, hoping it had not tumbled away with his other belongings. To his relief, his hand closed on the little bottle in a pouch at his neck. The few drops of philtre, rubbed into the eyes, would dispell any illusions wound about this place, and allow himself to make his way safely hence. He uncorked the bottle, and might soon have been hunting birds eggs among the rocks if his eyes had not paused briefly on the little square of red before him.

"Start with the alchemical grimoires." it read. "Kettle's on."

There must have been some forceful charm on that final scrawl, for the moment his eyes lighted on it his hand dropped to his waist, and he began to peer again into the darkness. The shade seemed less impenetrable now, and here and there he could make out upright shapes amid the gloom. He took a step or two into the cave, brushing the dust mindlessly from his feet. Now that his eyes had begun to adjust, he could see them more clearly. Yes, the uprights became great carved panels of wood, and between them (surely there had been nothing between them)... oh the delight... fine oak shelves (and how would oak come to be in such a place?) filling the cavern from ceiling to floor. Upon them, so far as his joyful eyes could see, were books, scrolls, papers, codices of every kind. Works of leather, clay, even stone were strewn about. Disorder ruled the shelves, and yet ... on a lone and dustless lectern lay a half-finished index. A flourished hand had already market out the letter A, for Alchemy.

The wizard blinked away a tear. His fingers groped again at the bottle, but only to push the cork stopper more firmly home. His hands fell on the lectern, and he began at once to see the possibilities. Here was a library in some disorder, true, but what scope! These grimoires could not be found in any place within two hundred miles, and the battered scrolls knew no comparison in a thousand. He began to move among the volumes, treading deeper into the cave that seemed to grow lighter with every step. He was so enrapt that he barely heard - or even cared - as the hollow, snoring, rhythm began to roar again at the cave entrance; didn't so much as blink as the rocks beneath his feet twisted into flagstones, and then steps, and then jagged crenellations. His hands felt alive as they ran across bindings the colour of ivy, and slipped into nooks and corners piled with scrolls.

It had grown very bright now. It was almost hard to see, or to say if he was standing on a fine carpet or a sharp and rocky crag. The pages, however, seemed clearer and finer than ever. Even the lurch he felt barely lifted his feet as he dipped his pen and began to write upon the index. Here was bliss indeed. There came only the faintest crack, almost like the creaking of a book's spine, as the wizard's eyes smiled with delight, and slowly, grindingly, the cave began to chew.

With courage, the wizard moved on to the dark cave counting on a desperate thought that he could find food and shelter there. He had hope, after all his journey would not end on a simple cave, right?

With a spell he poured some light on the cave and the snore suddenly stopped. The wizard continued his advance and saw a human form at the end of the cave. Curiosity made him go further in the direction of the apparently peaceful person, but when he came closer it was too late to go back. Sure the thing had an human form, but the putrid smell of his body and the white bandages covering it all over gave enough proof that humanity was long lost on that being.

With amazing speed, the thing grasped both shoulders of the wizard with his decrepit hands and gazed on the magician, shattering his soul with eyes that only knew doom and despair.

Unfortunately the thing haven't finished its work. With the powerless wizard under control, the unknown being opened its mouth and gave the kiss of death to the man. Well, maybe not death, but a new life. A life devoted to serve Nyarlathotep, the Black Pharaoh.

"And through this revolting graveyard of the universe the muffled, maddening beating of drums, and thin, monotonous whine of blasphemous flutes from inconceivable, unlighted chambers beyond Time; the detestable pounding and piping whereunto dance slowly, awkwardly, and absurdly the gigantic, tenebrous ultimate gods — the blind, voiceless, mindless gargoyles whose soul is Nyarlathotep."

Wizard entered into cave to take shelter during dark and cold night. He wanted to start small fire, and look for some moss to not be forced to lie on hard, cold rocks. But when he went deeper into the cave he found out that it's cave from rock dragon, more precisely female dragon. She was lonely and he was funny enought, so he missed immediately death.
.
In the morning she helped him dealing with bad hounds and everyone lived happily (apart for hounds, which were dead). The end xD

Tired wizard entered the cave with only one idea in his head - to find food. Fear of mysteries in strange cave was so realistic, but fear had to concede stronger need - primal survival.

In weak light caused by fire spell, wondering the only one avaible direction - forward, wizard - maybe becouse of lack of nutrion or madness caused by long hours in deep darkness, started thinking about fate. What was the reason that he - one of the greatest of his kind ended in such place? With each step his madness was slowly growing, wiping out memories of his life.

Just in time when his mind was about to concede to blackness, he saw a light at the end of the path. For a moment his body forgot about exhaustion, making him run with the speed he wouldnt even suppose to be capable of. Mind started working when at the end of the light there wasnt any supplies. He realised, that the cave here, looks like its carved into a medium sized room with two doors. In front of them, an old wise looking man was reading a book. ''Ah, we meet again. Have you learned anything?''. Wizard didnt know what to say, as the picture in front of his eyes looked somehow bizzare. Old man smiled and said ''We will find out soon. Here you have two doors. Green doors on the left will grant you wisdom and your soul will finally rest, the red doors hovewer will bring rest to your body. Keep in mind that life have its own rules and everything have its price.''
Wizard finally being able to speak asked one simple question with weak voice - ''Where is food?''. Strange man was looking for a while into eyes of magic user and pointed red doors. One day a great hero, now shadow of the past walked slowly to red doors. As he was crossing through the door his ears heared quiet voice - "Poor soul, I hope you will know the better decision next time". Wizard walked few meters through tunnel, when suddenly strong light blinded him. Light that made feelings of hunger and exhaustion go away. Light that repaired shattered mind. Light that cleared all bad memories as well as madness. Whole process took no longer then few secounds.

The weary wizard sat down on his knees in this alarmingly silent black forest he had stepped foot upon and contemplated on what was still to come. He would have to be wise and persistent in his long voyage lest all his efforts go in vain. It was going to be a difficult journey full of hardship, treachery and deceit. It's time to visit land of storms...

Im sorry for any English mistakes as its not my native language.

Much against his better judgement but driven on by a rumbling in his stomach the wizard approached the cave, aware his invisibility had long since wore off and it would be many hours before he could cast such a powerful spell again. The closer he got to the cave the louder the snoring sound became. He wished he still had some of his last brew with him to warm his aching bones and offer his heart some Dutch courage.

As he stood in the mouth of the cave, undecided on what action to take he felt drops of rain start to land on his face. The decision was made, he must seek shelter! He tip toed into the cave, the snoring noise getting louder & louder until he could bear the uncertainty no longer. "Lumos" he muttered and a feeble light shone out from the top of his staff.

The light revealed what was for a fraction of a second a sleeping and then a waking titan! His first instinct was to run but as the wizard eyed up the distance back outside he realised he wouldn't make it. Thinking quickly he shouted "Quo Lli Shta Va Run Protago" and the protection spell was complete.

And not a moment too soon as the wizard was almost knocked off his feet as the titan's fist smashed into his chest. Only the protection spell saved him by taking the brunt of the force. The wizard now made a run for the cave mouth and several times he was buffeted by the titan's fists slamming into him. Fortunately, just as he could feel the protection spell weaken he made it back outside.

The clouds were swirling around the cave entrance and the wizard was able to disappear into the mist, the titan's shouts of anger slowly dwindling into the distance. Lost and without rations his situation seemed helpless but the wizard was driven on by what he had seen in the cave. The titan's head had been lain on a sack out of which some gold coins had fallen as it got up.

The wizard resolved to make it back to his library, read that book on titans and return with the knowledge to defeat it and claim those gold coins as his own!

I tried to find out how to do a spoiler tag, but for some reason I couldn't find it...so here goes.

SPOILERS (?) BELOW!!!!

The Wizard feels hot breath on her neck. She also hears that strange sound, like snoring, again. Screaming, she turns towards the threat...

...and wakes up in darkness. She is laying in bed, and the hot breath is coming from beside her, as well as the snoring. She reaches out to her right, and turns on the bedside lamp. Sleeping (and snoring) beside her is her husband...Bob Newhart.

It couldn't have all been a dream...could it?;)

Carefully the wizard entered the cave. He kept the invisibility spell going, as he was sure that the sounds he heard came from inside the cavern. There was no light in the cave, except for the light streaming through the opening. The sound that the wizard believed to be snoring, was much louder now

As he carefully stepped over some of the bigger rocks in his way, the wizard had a feeling of dread. He wondered if the sound was made by a giant or a dragon. Both options did not really appeal to him, but a giant could at least indicate the presence of food.

The breathing seemed to deepen the further into the cave the wizard ventured. The path in front of him opened up, revealing a large passageway, seemingly man-made. He continued, stopping only briefly to inspect a a passage on his left-hand side. As the way in front sloped up, it revealed the source of the sound. It was neither beast nor man.

The wizard clearly saw the ground he was standing on trembling and shaking. The sound was air escaping from a hole, filled with white-hot lava. Another shudder. The roof of the passage he walked in from collapsed. His thoughts were filled with regret. The wizard wished that he knew a teleportation spell. The ground shook and trembled. A crack opened from the top of the hole to between the wizard's feet. Regrettably, the wizard's balance is lost ...

Thanks for the shares. And yes, I am embarrassed about that feeble effort. I'm seriously out of practice.

Thanks so much for this gift mate :-) Marked it received