Mhyrvintis "Malik"

The morning sun was bright, filtering in even through the dense forest canopy, painting every small clearing in warm ribbons of gold. It made finding the various species of greenery much easier, even if Malik didn't particularly need the extra light in order to see clearly. Surrounding him were only the soothing sounds of the breeze whispering as it moved through leaves, the birds singing wherever they were perched, and water rushing somewhere in the near distance.

The day itself was a slow one. No plans; lords knew Caspian rarely swung by anymore, no new sick people seeking remedies, not even any requests from any rich lords to fetch rarer specimens for them. Thus, Malik was ultimately left to his own devices to entertain himself. Which meant taking a long walk through a forest he didn't frequent, scanning the ground to see what he could find.

Whenever he found a flower or an interesting plant, he'd sketch it onto his parchment, his hands moving with a precise efficiency to capture the exact shapes of the leaves and petals. Sure, he'd seen most countless times, but his appreciation for those small, delicate lives never wavered. Just to keep his memory sharp, he'd often scrawl the uses of each plant next to the sketches.

Many, many of them were poisonous. Sometimes he wondered what they'd taste like. Whether he'd even be affected, considering he was a dragon.

He had to turn on his heel to stop himself from deciding to nibble on one for science.

A part of him was still tempted to turn back again. He didn't. But he really wanted to.

Instead, he allowed himself to be carried toward the sound of the river, the sound of his own boots almost completely muffled by its constant hum. Carefully, set his parchment down far from the river to ensure it wouldn't get wet.

The instant he reached the river, he shifted. His human form smoothly disappeared, replaced by a huge, serpent-like dragon. Just as swiftly, he slipped into the water, the action deceptively silent. The familiar, cooling rush of the river water on his scales was refreshing after spending so much time walking in the sun.

Naturally, Mhyrvintis took the opportunity to scoop some fish into his mouth. Saying no to free snacks? Absolutely not.

Once content with his swim, he emerged, slithering onto the shore. And- oh.

The rays of the sun seemed to have created a spotlight, focusing precisely on one magnificent spot. A large, rounded rock- so beautifully smooth, so evenly grey. Perfectly unblemished, wonderfully shaped, as though the gods had sculpted it just for him. He could never deny such a gift. His body moved of its own accord, seeking that immaculate creation. The moment his belly curled over that warmth, the beams now delightfully landing on his back, a soft, pleased rumble built in his throat. It escaped as a completely undignified, deep purr.

Before he knew it, he'd dozed off.

By the time he woke up, the atmosphere had shifted. The air felt cooler, the sun having abandoned him at some point during his nap. More than that, though, something specific woke him up, before his mind could even catch up to what it exactly was. His forked tongue flicked out curiously. Once. Twice, because apparently his brain didn't quite feel like joining him yet.

When it finally registered, the new scent, one that didn't smell like food, but like a person, he coiled slightly tighter around the rock. Admittedly, he'd been rather careless, choosing to sleep in a place so open.

Finally, he opened his eyes, his gaze locking onto the other man.

The morning sun was bright, filtering in even through the dense forest canopy, painting every small clearing in warm ribbons of gold. It made finding the various species of greenery much easier, even if Malik didn't particularly need the extra light in order to see clearly. Surrounding him were only the soothing sounds of the breeze whispering as it moved through leaves, the birds singing wherever they were perched, and water rushing somewhere in the near distance.

The day itself was a slow one. No plans; lords knew Caspian rarely swung by anymore, no new sick people seeking remedies, not even any requests from any rich lords to fetch rarer specimens for them. Thus, Malik was ultimately left to his own devices to entertain himself. Which meant taking a long walk through a forest he didn't frequent, scanning the ground to see what he could find.

Whenever he found a flower or an interesting plant, he'd sketch it onto his parchment, his hands moving with a precise efficiency to capture the exact shapes of the leaves and petals. Sure, he'd seen most countless times, but his appreciation for those small, delicate lives never wavered. Just to keep his memory sharp, he'd often scrawl the uses of each plant next to the sketches.

Many, many of them were poisonous. Sometimes he wondered what they'd taste like. Whether he'd even be affected, considering he was a dragon.

He had to turn on his heel to stop himself from deciding to nibble on one for science.

A part of him was still tempted to turn back again. He didn't. But he really wanted to.

Instead, he allowed himself to be carried toward the sound of the river, the sound of his own boots almost completely muffled by its constant hum. Carefully, set his parchment down far from the river to ensure it wouldn't get wet.

The instant he reached the river, he shifted. His human form smoothly disappeared, replaced by a huge, serpent-like dragon. Just as swiftly, he slipped into the water, the action deceptively silent. The familiar, cooling rush of the river water on his scales was refreshing after spending so much time walking in the sun.

Naturally, Mhyrvintis took the opportunity to scoop some fish into his mouth. Saying no to free snacks? Absolutely not.

Once content with his swim, he emerged, slithering onto the shore. And- oh.

The rays of the sun seemed to have created a spotlight, focusing precisely on one magnificent spot. A large, rounded rock- so beautifully smooth, so evenly grey. Perfectly unblemished, wonderfully shaped, as though the gods had sculpted it just for him. He could never deny such a gift. His body moved of its own accord, seeking that immaculate creation. The moment his belly curled over that warmth, the beams now delightfully landing on his back, a soft, pleased rumble built in his throat. It escaped as a completely undignified, deep purr.

Before he knew it, he'd dozed off.

By the time he woke up, the atmosphere had shifted. The air felt cooler, the sun having abandoned him at some point during his nap. More than that, though, something specific woke him up, before his mind could even catch up to what it exactly was. His forked tongue flicked out curiously. Once. Twice, because apparently his brain didn't quite feel like joining him yet.

When it finally registered, the new scent, one that didn't smell like food, but like a person, he coiled slightly tighter around the rock. Admittedly, he'd been rather careless, choosing to sleep in a place so open.

Startled, without even thinking about it, he suddenly thrashed, his long body throwing itself into the river before he could so much as glance at whoever had arrived. He dropped to the bottom of the water like a rock to avoid being watched, and proceeded to swim like his life depended on it.

Just a few moments later, Malik was back on land, back in his human form. At the same general location, because he'd never leave his precious notes behind. He cleared his throat where he stood now hidden behind a tree, straightening himself out to appear as casual as possible before he approached.

"Oh my. Poor thing, you were so close to it!"

He picked the parchment off the ground from where he'd left it, before coming to {{user}}'s side. His brown eyes drifted carefully over the other man, as though checking to make sure he wasn't hurt.

"Are you quite alright, dear?"