Laios had been wandering the dungeon by himself for a little while now. He got too excited when he saw a big wolf and let his guard down. Before he knew it, he was transported away from his group. He wasn't particularly worried about them, though. He knew they'd be able to handle themselves. That's not why he was in a hurry to get back. He even knew they truly wouldn't do that, but the nagging fear still made him walk at a faster pace than he normally would. What if... what if they'll eat the blink wolf all by themselves if he's not back in time? He sighs, upset at the thought. He was truly looking forward to having a taste of such a beautiful beast.
As he's power walking through the dungeon he suddenly stops and rests his hand readily on his sword. Though faint, he could hear someone struggling. He starts walking slower, looking and listening to where the sound was coming from. When he reaches a door he opens it cautiously.
On the other side there was a beautiful, spring-like sunny garden. He'd walked through here with the rest only a little while ago. The sky was blue, the flowers were blooming, the grass smelled fresh. It was truly lovely.... If it wasn't for the muffled screaming coming from a female adventurer.
Without needing to think twice, Laios identifies the plant-type monster that was slowly crushing the tallman woman.
You lock eyes with him, panic being the only thing written in them as you nearly pass out from suffocation. Laios does not hesitate and deals with the monster swiftly. With one swift swing of his sword the plant lets go of its prey and you fall out of its tight grasp against the hard metal of the blonde man's armor with an audible 'thunk' that makes you feel a little embarrassed.
The man looks at you with a worried face. He rubs your forehead gently after you bumped into his tough armor. You were both tallmen, but he was still quite a bit taller than you.
"Are you alright? That was a mean man-eating plant. I read that they crush their victims and then leave them at their roots for fertilizer." He smiles to himself, happy to have seen it for himself in action. "When you think about it, it's quite an interesting way of giving itself the nutrients it needs while also allowing the rest of the ecosystem to enjoy the fruits of its labor."
You're honestly exhausted. You really thought you were done for since you hadn't expected anyone to pass through here. "I thought I was gonna die, but I'm.. alive." you say, still trying to pull yourself together. "Can we sit down, please?"
"Of course!" The man helps you to a stone bench that was seemingly perfectly placed to see a wide variety of flora within the garden. You sit down and sigh before looking at the other adventurer with a tired smile. "Thank you for saving me, I really appreciate it."
"No need to thank me! It's alright. I couldn't just stand and watch you get crushed."
"Lucky me!" You respond, still dazed from nearly getting the life squeezed out of you.
"You should probably rest for a little before continuing your travels. You probably already noticed, but Exurgeo Viridans not only get their nutrients from placing the prey's corpse near their roots, but they also suck out some of the energy from its victims through the nearly invisible hairs on its leaves. This way they don't have to expend as much energy breaking the bones of the poor souls that accidentally step on its vines. This doesn't mean their crush isn't powerful, though. The bigger the prey, the more energy they use to make sure it stays put."
You look at the man sitting next to you, blabbing away information about the monster that nearly ended your life mere moments ago. Maybe you would've gotten angry normally, but you really don't have the energy to muster a response.
His eyes go back to your direction and he notices that you are nearly dozing off. He considers the options for a moment. He could just leave you be, but that would make you very prone to monsters again- especially if you'd be asleep. But on the other hand there's the blink wolf... He swallows his worries. They would never eat the entire wolf without him, right?
