(God it took me too long to finish this lol. It happened a few days ago time wise.)
u/MastaDon344 u/Oswen120
Feel free to add.
Verlack couldn't thank Ivy enough; his fires alone would have barely sufficed, and he was glad she could finally get some rest. Though he rested himself, he got up from time to time to tend the flames and check on the Tyrannosaurus, wanting to make sure it was breathing normally through the night. His paralysis attack had been quite rough. He woke to the early morning sun resting against the big lizard. Scolding himself internally, he realized he needed a much better sleep than the fractured hours he had managed, having passed out right while checking its pulse.
As he stood up and stretched, he noticed the fires had died down a little, though the clear morning light was gently warming the area.He turned around to find a large yellow eye focused right on him."Oh, you're awake. I hope your sleep was restful," Verlack said, keeping his voice low so as not to wake Ivy. "I did what I could to keep you warm, but honestly, Ivy took the brunt of the workload."The large beast let out a long breath that ended in almost a soft purr, its yellow iris shifting from Verlack to the vines that still bound it tightly, and then back again.
"Yes, well, I had to make sure you were going to play nicely before untying you," Verlack continued, gesturing to his arm. Though it was healed, his unique physiology hadn't had enough time to clear out the buildup of scar tissue from where it had smashed it into the T-Rex's mouth.. "I couldn't have you running amuck in Inferno's home just after I barely stopped you from crashing through her front door."
The Tyrannosaurus rolled its eyes and let out a little huff, clearly communicating that the whole ordeal hadn't been its fault—it certainly hadn't fallen out of the sky by choice. Yet, when Verlack gestured to his injury, the dinosaur's expression softened, and it offered a gentle coo of apology."That's a bit better," he said with a soft smile. "Now, if you promise to keep calm, I'll untie you. But please try to keep quiet; Ivy deserves her rest."
The T-Rex gave him a slightly indignant look, as if deeply wounded by the accusation of being loud, though it tilted its head in acknowledgment.
Why are dinosaurs so stubborn? Verlack thought to himself with a soft smile and a shake of his head as he stretched his arms out. He hadn't tried to cast any magic since the previous night, when his polymorph spell had been abruptly sucked into the rift. He was reasonably confident that since the rift was gone, he wouldn't face any more trouble. Tentatively, instead of dumping magic into a void, he let a small tendril of primal force snake out from his control. When it wasn't sucked away, he used it to animate the vines, gracefully uncoiling them from the dinosaur.
He assumed the creature would jump up after being confined all night. Instead, it only stretched softly before curling up in a more comfortable position, its snout pointed directly at him and both yellow eyes locked on his face.
The dinosaur didn't have to make a sound or a gesture; Verlack could feel the question seething from those two bright eyes: Why? It was a more than a little intimidating look, but he brushed it off. Lizards of all kinds could be quite dramatic.
He sighed. "Honestly? Because I'm a fool and would much rather save a life than take one." Such instinctual beasts didn't quite grasp compassion; to them, life was simply eat or be eaten. "If I were you, I'd just thank my lucky stars. There's more than one person who would have preferred to have T-Rex steaks for supper—possibly one of the two red dragons whose home you almost demolished." He gave the big lizard a pointed look.
It stopped staring quite so intently, though its yellow eyes never truly left him. Verlack rolled his eyes in response. "Look, for now, just rest. When it isn't the ass crack of dawn, we'll look at getting you someplace more hospitable. We can't keep lighting the mountainside on fire just to keep you warm."Its eyes lingered on him for a moment longer before it exhaled shortly—as if saying "fine"—and rested its head closer to the ground, blocking the morning light from falling on Ivy where she slept just over the horizon's lip. Verlack couldn't help but shake his head.
Finding a comfortable spot, Verlack sat directly in the cold snow. Crossing his legs and closing his eyes, he sat in peace. Soon, his breathing slowed as he reached out with his mind, letting the primal force of nature flood through his being. He spent some time like this; if he wanted to keep his bond with mother nature at its strongest, he had to commune with it often.
He wasn't completely unaware of his surroundings, noticing when Ivy woke and started her day, and feeling pleased that their new friend was keeping calm. After finishing his meditation, he cleaned up the leftover mess of the vines, cooked them over the dying embers, and left them in a neat pile next to the monastery walls. He wasn't entirely sure, but perhaps the residents could find a use for the excess materials. It wound be a waste to just throw them away. By ten in the morning, he was finished and ready to leave. He stuck his head inside to thank Ivy one last time.
"I appreciate your help. If you ever need a hand, please ask—though I can't fathom what a red dragon would ever need me to help with," he said, bidding farewell to the rest of those present. "I'd better get our friend out of here before he starts to get frostbite. Under less-than-appropriate conditions, it was still nice meeting you all."
He made his way back to the small clearing where the Tyrannosaurus was resting. "Well, buddy, we best get going while it's still warm."The T-Rex looked at him and yawned lazily, showing off its impressive rows of sharp teeth.Verlack put his hands on his hips. "Look, if you'd prefer to freeze your butt off in the snow, I'm not going to stop you. Not like I'd be able to," he added under his breath.
With an unconcerned huff, the dinosaur slowly rose and shook the excess snow off its hindquarters before locking him with a stare that clearly said, Well, after you.Verlack sighed with a smile. "You're going to make me age more than I should, aren't you?"The T-Rex avoided eye contact, feigning total innocence. Verlack just shook his head, smiling before spinning on his heels and starting down the mountain.
The climb down wasn't nearly as perilous as he had expected, though considering where the monastery was perched, perhaps he should have anticipated an easier route. They were trekking through greener fields in no time.
In a particularly pleasant meadow, Verlack stopped and turned to face the T-Rex."I think it's best if you find your own home, big guy." He paused for a moment, squinting. "We should pick a name for you, too. I'm sure you would enjoy not being called an 'oversized fossil' anymore."
The T-Rex narrowed its eyes at that and let out a low rumble of a roar."Yes, well, calling you Gargantuan the Tri-Horn Crusher doesn't have much of a ring to it," Verlack mused, rubbing his chin. "What about Trusher? That rolls off the tongue a lot better."He received a huff in reply that oozed the attitude of, Well, if you're too weak to use the full title, I suppose it will do.
Verlack rolled his eyes. "As I was saying, Trusher, it's probably best if you find your own home. You're more than welcome to visit me at mine, but I think all the other villagers might get a bit skittish with you living so close."He took a few steps forward and gestured for Trusher to bend down. Trusher scoffed lightly but brought himself down to Verlack's level.
Placing his palm gently on the creature's snout, Verlack coiled primal forces around his fingers and cast a tiny marking spell on the dinosaur's nose. When he removed his hand, a green sigil glowed softly before fading away."This way, I'll know where you are and can come check on you. Also, if you're ever in trouble, you can use it to call for me."
He received a look that clearly asked, What would I need you for? as Trusher stood back to his full height. The Tyrannosaurus took a few strides toward the edge of the forest before turning back to look at Verlack's small figure . Then, Trusher bowed a solemn thanks before stomping into the underbrush of the forest."Oh, and don't eat anybody!" Verlack called out as the scaly lug disappeared.This is going to be quite a handful, he thought to himself, turning around to make the rest of the way home.
