In addition to the trees, more shrubbery grew close to the pond. The red-baked clay softened underfoot and darkened to a richer color. Viliant tucked Fia behind a bush, mostly sticks and thorns, while he intended to investigate the safety of the bank. Stay here. Call me if anything gets near you, even a butterfly or a gecko. Especially a gecko, he added in a grumbling afterthought.
Alright. Lacking the focus to keep watch, Fia snuggled into her spot.
Viliant flipped his head between the dragoness and the oasis. Should I really make her stay here? It's dangerous to leave her alone, but the water might be even worse…. He agonized over the decision for several minutes.
It was one thing if Fia's own rash actions killed her but another if Viliant's misjudgement brought about her ultimate demise. I won't be the one responsible for her death, he vowed. If she did end up perishing, Viliant wanted it to be no scale off his nose. Fia would not have deteriorated this quickly if only she had listened to him in the first place. Reluctantly, Viliant trod off to check the watering hole by himself.
As he approached, a jagged boulder came into view which split the shoreline. In Viliant's eyes, everything about the rock looked out of place: its size, its shape, and its color. Unlike the reddish, brownish hues which formed most of the terrain, this one gave off a metallic sheen. Its sharp points were undulled by wind and bits of sand. Viliant swore that he even sensed a threatening aura emanate from the rock.
A hard shake of his head helped him dismiss the paranoid thought. I've been on edge for so long, I'm starting to lose it. He chuckled to himself, knowing that the dehydration was simply affecting him.
First, he would take a nice, long draft of water. After that, he would report back to Fia. Maybe if the water lifted his mood enough, he would even try to bring back a sip for her cupped in an untorn section of his wing. Relief flooded the young dragon. We finally made it, he thought.
A tremor moved through the ground and dashed Viliant's high spirits as it vibrated against his claws. The wary dragon automatically assumed an aggressive crouch with his wings splayed and tail curled at the ready. Then, his jaw dropped open. His head tilted up as he watched the rock transform before his very eyes.
A set of legs extended from the base of the rock, each one thicker than the trunk of a tree. The earth trembled when its cumbersome feet sank into the muddy bank, creating the same impressions which Fia and Viliant had followed to get here. Rippling muscles flexed beneath its wrinkly, gray skin. The peak of the towering rock began to rise until a tortoise of epic proportions stood. Its metallic shell reflected the long, afternoon rays of sunlight.
I've seen this somewhere before…. When Viliant blinked, a terrible memory flashed on the backs of his eyelids.
***
A dome of iron bars curved over the coliseum's fighting pit, trapping him here once again. The harsh sunlight cut through the mesh and landed on a smaller, shinier shell which belonged to the same turtle species.
"Enter Magnum Mala, the alligatoise! This baby tortoise belongs to the largest species of reptiles in the world. It never stops growing throughout its life, and it's equipped with the powerful jaws to eat almost anything!" The announcer's voice turned more sly as he suggested, "Maybe even a dragon?"
The raucous crowd still rang in Viliant's ears sometimes, a thousand humans cheering for bloodshed.
"Enter Umbra Caligo, the dragon!"
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Viliant marched past the gate and roared at his adversary. He had one purpose in life: kill whatever was placed in front of him and survive.
***
Viliant shook himself back to his senses. The memories of the coliseum bothered him no more now than it did back then. Though he might have killed a much smaller alligatoise in his younger years, that did not prepare him for the behemoth which stood in front of him now. This alligatoise at the oasis could eat him in a single bite.
Crests of water sprayed outward from the alligatoise's shell as it entered the water. Much to his surprise, the metal body floated atop the surface. Must be hollow on the inside, he noted. If necessary, he could kill the alligatoise after nightfall with magic. His body engulfed in shadows could rip through its vitals, but only if he knew where to locate them.
The alligatoise turned around, giving the dragon a much unwanted view of its ugly face. The head barely poked out of its shell, however some manifold creases in its neck and innumerable chins suggested that it could reach much farther. Its long jaws had sharp, gnarly teeth like an alligator maw. Its yellowish, slitted eyes blinked but did not seem to notice or care about Viliant's presence.
His heart raced as he stood frozen in place, terrified that any movement might trigger the alligatoise's wrath. If the tortoise did attack him, Viliant could only hope that it would lumber as slowly as its smaller kin. The sheer size of its legs, however, could make its slow steps cover a lot of ground. Even if Viliant could outrun it, he would have to lead it away from Fia's hiding spot, leaving her unattended and vulnerable for too long. Luckily, the alligatoise seemed uninterested in a troublesome meal and unconcerned by an insignificant threat. Instead, it focused on the precious and plentiful water.
The water levels had risen once the immense alligatoise had entered the pool, making it appear like even more had accumulated in the basin. A row of valves opened near the base of the tortoise's shell, drawing water from the pond inside its body.
That's one way to take a swig, Viliant sniggered to himself. He thought nothing more of it until the water's edge began to recede. His stomach lurched and clenched painfully as he watched more water get consumed. Between the height of its shell and expanse of its stomach, Viliant worried that every last drop might fit inside. Is there going to be any left for us? he wondered.
They had come too far for an overgrown turtle to quaff down all the water for itself. Anger flared within him; Viliant was ready to go to war with the alligatoise for his fair share of water. First, he must wait to see if the colossus creature would spare some for the rest of the animals. Viliant communicated the situation with Fia in the meantime.
I found the water, but a massive tortoise is sucking it up.
No response came from the other end to indicate Fia's receipt of the message. Viliant could feel the mental tether still in place, but maybe long distance communication was beyond her capabilities right now. He strengthened his end of the telepathy and let out a jaded growl.
Fia, respond if you can hear me.
Hi, she said weakly.
Did you catch what I said before?
Turtle.
Great. Viliant did not mind conciseness, so he continued to broadcast the relevant information. I don't want to fight it, but I will if it means getting us water. I'm going to monitor the alligatoise for now. Call me if you need help.
Mmkay.
With how pathetically she acknowledged him, Viliant did not trust her to contact him unless something had already attacked her—too late for him to get there. He would check in with her periodically, but for now, he glared at the alligatoise still drawing water.
Its body steadily sank until the underside of the shell appeared to rest against the basin's floor. The peak stayed above the surface like a mountainous island at the center of the oasis. The elongated neck of the alligatoise unraveled, slinking through the water like an eel. The water had finally stopped receding.
A relieved sigh rushed past Viliant's maw. The alligatoise was not going to fill the entirety of its shell with water. Rather, it had filled itself enough to camouflage with the environment.
The coast is clear, Viliant relayed to Fia. Despite his assurances, this figure of speech could not be further from the truth.
Did you smash the turtle?
No. Still hoping to avoid that, but we can get water now. We just have to be careful. With a last, leery glance at the alligatoise which had closed its eyes and lay motionless beneath the surface, Viliant turned to collect Fia.