There was once a curious fairy fluttering around a vast forest and minding her own business. She had white skin, snowy white hair, and blue eyes. Upon one of her usual strolls, she came across a group of humans gathering around a campfire. They all had long, dark hair and dark brown eyes. They were natives of the land, and they wore tribal uniforms. The one that appeared to be the eldest stood over the others, as though preparing to tell a story.
      
"Tonight, my children, you will learn the story of one of our own who many believe to have become a monster," he started, "But whether or not it's actually true remains a mystery." The fairy overheard and flew up into a nearby tree, being careful not to be seen, and awaited the old man to tell his story. "Stories tell of a legendary creature who hides himself in secrecy at a place called the Trinity of Shadows. A Hellfire Dragon known only as Ridley. This creature is said to have scales stronger than diamond. It could fire its scales like sharp glass arrows, and is believed to breathe corrosive acid instead of traditional flames. It has also been known to fly faster than the fastest winds blow. Because of the Hellfire Dragon’s incredible strength and seemingly unstoppable might, it is often feared, as well as revered, as a god among all dragons. However, Ridley is said to be much different from the average Hellfire. Some people say that he was once a human, one who made a costly mistake. Over five-hundred years ago, a human by the name of Ridley came to the Trinity of Shadows to slay a dragon, so that he may earn fame and fortune among his people. He wasn't looking for just any kind of dragon, however. He was after a much bigger prize that no man had dared attempt to claim. However, to get to this particular dragon, he would have to go through the Moonlight Forest, where the moon shines bright, always. Then, he would have to cross the Collateral Wastes, a sinister wasteland, as the name suggests, filled with crater pools of acid. Lastly, he would have to ascend Mt. Chronicle, which is believed by many to be home to the Hellfire Dragon. He knew that once he reached the top, the battle of his life would begin. Many have tried to get through the Trinity, but all failed. Some became lost in the forest, either dying of starvation or killed by the local wildlife. Most others perished in the wastelands, dehydrated or otherwise falling into the acid pools. None have ever made it far enough to even see Mt. Chronicle. But like all the others before him, Ridley decided to proceed into the Trinity of Shadows, despite what was said about it. He courageously crossed the forest, conquered the wasteland, and became the first to reach the base of Mt. Chronicle. He scaled up the dreaded mountain with great ease, much like a spider crawls  on its web. When he reached the top, he had quite a shock. A large, black figure flew over him and almost knocked him off the peak. Ridley took his blade and stabbed it into the ground, bracing himself in the process. He took his sword back out, looked behind him, and saw the figure flying back over him. When it finally landed, he was able to get a better look at it, realizing that the attacker was the creature he had been searching for. The one that many believed to be only a myth. It was the Hellfire Dragon. Ridley realized his golden opportunity. If he slayed this mighty creature, he would gain power, fortune, and fame beyond anyone's imagination. He drew his blade and charged. His battle with the creature was ferocious and absolutely devastating. Little did Ridley realize what he was really getting himself into. As their battle raged on, the dragon realized it was on the verge of defeat. It attacked Ridley with a last resort attempt. When it tried to attack, however, Ridley ducked, and then thrusted his sword upward, straight through the dragon's chest and deeply piercing its heart. The dragon shrieked and then collapsed on top of him as it took its last breath. Ridley struggled to get out. When he finally did, a figure began to manifest above the dead dragon's corpse. When it finally shaped itself, it was clear that it was a spirit from an ancient time. The spirit began to speak to Ridley. " You have destroyed one of our most sacred creatures." The spirit pointed to him and continued by saying,"Now you must pay for your mistake." And with a simple wave of his hand, the spirit began to transform the human before him. Ridley began to feel intense pain all over his body, the very kind of pain that would drive lesser men to suicide. The spirit had ensured that he couldn't move. His skin began shedding off and was replaced by scales as black as the night sky. His fingers melded together, turning them into three razor sharp talons, and a fourth extended from the bottom of his palm to allow proper balance. The same happened to his feet as his body began to grow. His limbs extended as he was forced on to all fours. His legs began to bend backwards, into the shape of most animals. His hair shedded, and a pair of horns grew from his head. His spine extended from under his skin, resulting in seven spikes on his backside. His eyes started to burn, and changed from dark brown to a soul piercing red. His entire skeletal structure began to change in every way. A pair of large wings extended from his back, and a tail grew out, as did a sharp blade at the end of it. His neck extended to the proper length of most dragons. The back spines followed and turned into neck spines. The spirit lowered its hand. Ridley's pain had finally stopped. When the angry spirit was done with him, Ridley had become the very creature he had slayed. He was now a Hellfire Dragon. The spirit began to speak again," You are no longer human. You will, from this point on, live life forever as the very creature whose life you have taken. Your punishment is an eternal life of eternal loneliness. You will be feared and hunted by many. You will never grow old, and never grow ill. You will grow close to others, only to watch them whither away and die, while you continue to live on, sulking over those losses. You will be alone until the end of time." Ridley could only hang his head in shame and guilt. But then the spirit continued, "However, if you wish to be mortal again, then heed my words carefully. You must find a dragoness who will love you for who you are, and take all your pain and loneliness away. Her love for you must be true. But the person you are now can never be loved. You will have to change your ways. Remember one thing. This will only break your eternal life, not your form. You can never return to your human life.” And with his last words, the spirit vanished. Ridley felt it necessary to remain in the Trinity of Shadows. Word of Ridley’s fate quickly spread throughout the land, and ever since that dreadful day, no one has dared to challenge another Hellfire Dragon. Only those brave or foolish enough would stand up to them. No one had heard from Ridley since then. It is believed, however, that he still sits atop Mt. Chronicle to this very day. And that, my children, is the story of a fallen warrior."

After listening to this heartbreaking campfire story, the little fairy remained in the tree until the natives were all asleep. She finally came down and changed into a human herself.

"I wonder if any of this is real?" she said to herself. "I guess there's only one way to find out." She turned back into a fairy and began her little adventure to the dreaded place known as the Trinity of Shadows.