So, that happened, Dominic started inanely. Leo had finally pushed himself upright only a few minutes ago and was currently grooming himself. Dominic felt both tempted to join him – because heaven knew he needed a bit of comfort after what had just happened – and awkward about doing so in front of an audience. Even if the audience was the reason for him doing it in the first place. Are we going to continue, you know, fighting?

Perhaps it was a provocative question to ask, but he’d rather get it out there clearly than continue sitting in an agony of uncertainty. Leo paused his grooming, the paw which had been brushing his face hovering momentarily in front of him as his yellow eyes fixed themselves on Dominic. He was all unnerving predator in that moment, and Dominic found himself tensing, preparing for hostilities to resume, despite his hopes.

Then Leo started grooming himself again and the moment was broken.

No, I see no need.

Oh? Dominic prompted after a moment, wanting a bit more than that. Leo didn’t respond. Why not? the human-turned-lion asked when the silence started dragging on.

The lion took his sweet time in answering, finishing grooming his face before he once more regarded Dominic speculatively. By this point, the human-turned-lion was practically vibrating in aggravation.

I have seen enough. This time, thank goodness, the lion continued without Dominic needing to prod him – verbally or otherwise. I concede that, at this time, you are the better protector.

That’s all? Dominic clarified uncertainly when the lion didn’t speak any more. You seemed a lot more angry than just wanting to find out who is the better, uh, ‘protector’.

Leo huffed and licked a couple of times at his shoulder in a nonchalant gesture.

I was angry at first. Would you not be? My position in my body usurped by some hairless monkey? But as time wore on, and I became more able to think about things, I became aware that perhaps having you around…was not without benefits. And now I am certain of it.

Okay, Dominic said slowly, but, playing devil’s advocate here, don’t you want to be in control of your body again? Because if the lion said ‘no’, Dominic would know he was playing some sort of game - who would voluntarily choose to be a passenger in his own body?

I want to survive, Leo said frankly, once more fixing Dominic with a predator’s regard. I want to conquer a pride and have both a wide hunting range and females to mate with. I want to have many cubs who grow to adulthood. I have been watching you and it occurs to me that your tricksy approach may offer a better chance of achieving my desires than my own.

So you’re willing to be a passenger and let me control everything? Dominic asked dubiously. He heard what Leo was saying, sure, but that couldn’t be all…could it?

I would probably have been torn to shreds by those hyenas, Leo admitted without shame. I would not have thought of using the tunnel as a means to reduce the number of attackers. I would not have attacked the last two groups of trodils, deeming them too much of a threat. I would not have entered the…temple at all, and if I had, I would not have made it through to the chamber beneath.

You succeeded in all of those, and we have grown in strength and power as a result. Even in this last time, I could not move under the pain the green creature inflicted; you could and, thanks to that, we are not now trapped in a stone cave forever.

However, if I am to willingly cede primary control of our body to you, I have some conditions. Leo gave off an air of complete conviction, his eyes making it clear that this was non-negotiable.

Here we go, thought Dominic, bracing himself for some ridiculous demands. The first, however, was not what he’d expected.

We must grow a magnificent mane as soon as possible.

Wait, what? Dominic exclaimed in surprise. How is that supposed to help us survive?

Females like males with large, dark manes, Leo explained, like it should be obvious. It is not enough just to chase off the resident male; we must also be appealing enough for the females to want to mate with us and have our cubs.

Dominic couldn’t help but laugh. And when he started, he couldn’t stop, the odd grunting that came out of his mouth in place of true laughter startling him for a moment, but not enough to make him stop.

When he finally got his amusement under control, he found Leo looking at him, his expression torn between startled, disgruntled, and a little fearful, like he didn’t know whether the ‘hairless monkey’ had finally cracked.

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I don’t see what is so amusing, the lion told him grumpily, seeming to lean more towards the disgruntlement now that the human had stopped having a fit. Females are important-

No, it’s not that, Dominic interrupted him. It’s just… he grunt-chuckled a couple more times. I never thought I’d be getting dating tips from a lion. I mean, where were you three years ago when I was at university? He snorted and dissolved back into lion chuckles at the image of Leo being his wingman in the university bars and nightclubs.

The lion in question just watched with growing irritation until Dominic finally got a hold of himself.

Alright, so you want a magnificent mane. Is that it? Dominic asked, eventually sobering up.

Not entirely, Leo replied, eyeing him cautiously as if concerned that he might return back to laughing at any moment. Which, incidentally, Dominic didn’t think he was going to do now. But he honestly felt so much better for it – his sudden bout of laughter had helped him feel like a weight had been taken off his shoulders. Better to laugh than cry, for sure.

Then what else do you want?

What I have already said: a pride of strong and fertile females to mate with, and lots of cubs.

This…could actually be a good idea. The hyenas, trodils, heck, even the meerkats had made it clear that there was strength in numbers. And lions were naturally social creatures, as were humans. Maybe searching out a pride and taking it over was the best choice for him, strategically-speaking.

Alright, Dominic said, his mind suddenly miles away. Instead of inside the temple, it was far away over the savannah, imagining a group of lions working together to take down powerful creatures, the Prey Points rolling in. They could establish territory, defend it against all comers… Yes. Not a bad goal now that he’d finished the dungeon. And if I make sure you – we – have that, you will be content just being in the background?

For now, yes. Dominic felt a little growl in his chest. ‘For now’ sounded ominous.

Why just ‘for now?’ he demanded, wanting to clear the air properly.

If I ever doubt that you are the better protector, I will challenge you for control, Leo replied promptly, as if it were obvious. And perhaps for a lion it was.

But you’ll let me know when you’re going to challenge me, right? he checked. You won’t just suddenly start a challenge in the middle of a difficult fight? Leo looked insulted.

Of course not. How would that help us survive? And Dominic guessed he had to be satisfied with that.

Still, he felt like the conversation had gone significantly better than it might have. Leo wasn’t trying to chew his face off anymore, so that was a significant plus, actually. He’d also got the lion’s tentative approval of him as the primary controller of his – well, their – body, as long as he fulfilled certain requirements in the near future.

Now just to work out a way of returning to the physical world….

After trying a few focussing exercises, Dominic found that it was actually easier than he’d thought. It was a bit like lucid dreaming, and then choosing to wake up. Not like a nightmare where it felt impossible to escape even if you realised you were dreaming, but a more normal, enjoyable dream.

Opening his eyes, Dominic was relieved to realise that he’d got his sight back. Inhaling and twitching his ears, he verified that those two senses were in place. Actually, he felt rather different… Good, but different.

Bang!

A stone thumping to the ground a few inches in front of his head made him almost leap out of his skin. His hair standing on end, he felt like he was being stared at from all directions by unfriendly eyes.

I did just reject the dungeon master’s offer and then bite a chunk of its side, he considered. Maybe discretion would be the better part of valour in this situation….

I agree, rumbled a voice in his mind, making him almost jump out of his skin again. While he knew a moment after who had spoken, he felt he was still justified since this was the first time Leo had spoken. Apart from in that other place, anyway. And a mental space really didn’t count.

An ominous rumble of stone nearby had Dominic turning tail and dashing for the staircase. He’d already stored the three prizes he hadn’t yet used, and the scroll and Beast Core had been shattered into dust and absorbed, so they didn’t need to be taken either.

Half-expecting the ceiling to fall onto his head, Dominic was relieved when he emerged back into the atrium, hale and hearty. The staircase had seemed smaller than before, and shorter. Or maybe it was just his fear lending speed to his paws.

When he pushed at the entrance doors, they opened easily, swinging open to reveal the light of the cavern outside. Compared to the dim light of the interior, it was almost blinding and Dominic dared to take a few moments to blink and let his eyes adjust.

Stepping out cautiously – in case the dungeon master had decided to spawn something nasty in his path, he emerged from the temple in which he had spent so much time. The pause had allowed him to question something else – had he got bigger? Certainly, the doors themselves seemed smaller to him than they had been.

Outside, he reared up to lean on the wall, curiosity overriding even his desire to get out from the conniving dungeon master’s demesne. I have! Dominic thought with delight. Before, the keyhole had come up to about his shoulders when he reared up to full height. Now, it only came up about halfway along his length. And when he stood on all four paws beneath it, he found that it was actually almost at head height for him.

Then a rumble from the stone beneath his paws reminded where he was and he quickly turned away. He might have dared the dungeon master’s wrath to hunt down the minibosses in hope of earning progress towards Rage, but the still and silent savannah around him indicated that the trodils hadn’t respawned in his absence.

Pity, he thought as he trotted towards the archway which was the entrance and exit to the dungeon. Still, I’m bound to run into them in the outside world, right?

On that thought, he once more headed through the strange not-wet waterfall of water which marked the dungeon entrance – and exit.