A Fateful Decision

The Delinquent chose his next words carefully, as they made their way out of the cave and back to the light.

“We didn’t… wake it up, did we?”

The Delinquent’s long time friend, the Bookworm, stopped moving. He too was considering his next words VERY carefully.

“I’m certain that crack was already there when we arrived. However long ago it actually formed I cannot guess. If we are LUCKY, it was always there and the Dragon always reacted that way towards… ‘guests’. Or perhaps it is merely a side effect of the seal.”

“If we’re unlucky?”

“Then the Dragon may well be waking.”

“But then… I mean if we tell people, they’ll blame us!”

“They may, certainly. But if we don’t, and it comes out somehow that we knew? Forget ‘maybe’ when it comes to punishment.”

“I can’t go to prison again! It would destroy what little I have left!”

“Then… hmmm… whatever should we do?”

“You're the smart one aren’t you?!”

The Delinquent was panicking quite a bit by this point, the Bookworm was as well, but he was somewhat successfully repressing such fears.

“I think… no KNOW this will be absurdly suspicious, but what choice do we have? Did you leave behind any evidence? Any sort of clue that your initial intentions were only to photograph the beast? That any sort of awakening was unintentional at worst?”

“I bought this camera recently… other than that… Ah… ah dear, I think my life is over.”

The two were out of the cave now, and the Bookworm looked carefully at his friend, a moment of silent contemplation followed before he spoke firmly.

“I can go alone, I don’t have a record as suspicious as yours, so they may just trust what I say if I said I had nothing to do with the crack.”

The delinquent was shocked by this, the possibility had evidently not crossed his mind.

“But if they don’t, you’ll have more to lose.”

“Well… Perhaps it would-”

“Don’t be dumb, I dragged this mess to light. You have not done anything worth punishment.”

“So you will go, to confess?”

“Confess nothing! I committed no crimes! I shall report, explain, but NEVER confess.”

“Heh… fine words my friend, fine words indeed… Then I suppose the way is clear, we must go and confess together.”

“Didn’t you hear what I said about confession? And didn’t you see my sacrifice just now? What's the point if we both go?”

“We are friends are we not? Besides, the statement of one man is a confession, the statement of two is a report!”

“That doesn’t sound much better… or make much sense.”

“But it is by a slim margin, and I believe that is enough.”

The Delinquent sighed for a moment before nodding, and turned towards the forest. They had cut through said forest to find the cave, and had somewhat bemoaned the difficulty. Though perhaps that was more a sign rather than a burden in hindsight.

“Oh yes… if we do end up with some form of punishment, do you have any good prison suggestions?”

“Ah, well you normally don’t get to choose, but if I DID have a choice-”

A moment of lighthearted discussion followed, as the two did all they could to keep their fear manageable. Unaware of the eyes watching their fateful trek.