What Did I Just Saw?

After the cultivation in aroura and filling his stomach, Darius was feeling quite fresh now. Making his way down the slope, he was finding different insects now. Grass and bushes also started appearing. Darius noticed that what usually green parts of plant would be, are red here. And the brown were looking black. He was thinking if it is because of the volcano, or this is what normal plants looks like here. The insects were hard core, even having tiny spikes or bumps on their exoskeleton.

Reaching to the base, his heart was more relaxed now. The next thing he needs was a place to stay, while he figure out how to go back home. Or, perhaps, what the dragon scroll meant by dragon warrior have to rise. The civilization looking place, which he saw from the peak, that looked like it was near the base of the mountain, was now clearly at far distance. The area was a grassland, and except a few species that might be nocturnal, it was deserted, and quite here.

He was half way to the civilization, that his feet stopped with astonishment of sight. He saw something, size of van, completely covered in feathers.It was laying on the ground. He reached closer, carefully moving his steps, so he doesn't make any noise. Not a wise move waking up and unknown creature. He can't see any thing except the giant wings covering a massive body. He moved around it, if he could saw it's face.

"What on earth is this??? A flying lion?"

Darius was in utter disbelief. But if there can be humanoid snaks then why not this. What is this creature even called. The face of the lion was surrounded by a thick beautiful mane. Darius noticed that there was a scar on it forehead. When he examined further he found it severely injured with multiple wounds and scars. It was also bleeding from three wounds. He can't determine if there are any internal injuries right now, but it's conditions were telling him, that it was attacked.

He followed his instincts and used the bare soil from the ground, sieved it through his shirt to eliminate any stones or wood spindles. And applied on the open wound, inorder to stop the blood. The creature grunted as Darius touched near his wounds, making him shrug, but after a few seconds, it fainted back. The blood stopped flowing. Darius wanted to take care of this creature, until it is fine on its own. There was a fat chance that this winged lion will eat him as soon as it wakes up, finding him the nearest thing available. But right now, in such vulnerable condition, Darius was pitying it.

There is no way he could take this heavy mass towards the nearby civilization. So he have to stay here beside it. Darius saw there was a river flowing by on some distance. It gave him the idea stay close to the river. He learnt to make a hut out of woods and leaves, in the last summer camp. Which was planned to help him socialise, but didn't went as plan. Atleast he knows a skill now.

Darius took a stroll of the surrounding to collect some wood stems, logs, large grass and twigs. The area near river was more abundant in resources. The air was opening the nerves of his mind, and relaxing his tired muscles. Reaching the river bank, the sound of rushing water, make him thirsty. He sat down. He washed his hands in the river, and drank the water. Darius hadn't realised until now, how long he have stayed dehydrated. The last he touched the water was in the well of serpentine den. His throat felt like he watered a dried land. Darius sat along the bank, putting his legs inside the river. The water was cool, but not ice cold.

He was enjoying the relaxation that he felt a tickle under his sole. Upon retrieving his feets immediately, he saw a beautiful fish. It was his palms size. Darius gave it some moss which was growing around the bank. And it eat instantly. After eating it did two round swirls then flickered its tail, like it was doing some happy dance. On this site Darius gave it some more moss, and it did the dance again.

"Got to go to work little fella. It's not my home like you. But it was nice playing with you. I am planning to build a shelter near by. If being unlucky, I have to stay for more time, I will visit you again."

The fish waved it's face upside down, like in understanding. Darius got up, picked his one part of botanic collections of this night, and walked back towards the lion. He would need much more of it, but carrying the big logs, to even short distance was not in his strength. So hi will bring them one by one. It took him five rounds in transferring all the material at the spot. Now was the time to assemble it.

The moons were already at the horizon, which means it's about to be morning. He wanted to hurry now, so no one discover him under wide sky in daylight in this unknown place. He took out his magical sharp leaves to cut and shape the stems and logs. Joining the stems with twigs he made them into a thin wall, connecting it to a log, which will work as a pillar of support. He placed the walls around the lion, so it came under the shelter until it recovers. Leaving enough large opening facing the river, from which it will be able to walk out when waking up. He placed a small cage made out of stems on the top and covered it with leaves to turn it into a ceiling. It won't protect them from any rain, but this much of shelter was enough for now from wind and sunlight.

Sitting at the corner of the hut on a pile of leaves, while the winged lion was laying in the middle, Darius thought on how to help this creature to recover. Only if he was a vet, or if even had any first aid tools right now. That reminded him the skill of healing in his skill book. Will it work for healing others? The other two were to be used by him for his own. But it's not like one will want to make anyone run fast, or jump real high, so healing should be able to work on others too. The only way to find out was one.