Hearing BT roar in pain made the red scaled bangaa heart ache as the larger intangir sheltered him from attack with his much larger bulk. 

‘This is all my fault!’ Buukaz thought as he looked up to see silvery cactus needles shoot up over his head like cascading bullets.

Several days ago the pair had finally run out of most of the extra gil that they had acquired from selling the gemstones that they had raided from the red dragon’s lair. If Buukaz were honest with himself he had overindulged just a wee bit when it came to purchasing some new clothes and spell scrolls for himself, not to mention some expensive full body massages for his larger companion. However, what was life without a few simple pleasures, right? Either way, with their coin purse dwindling down to nothing the bangaa decided that they needed to do something in order to not go completely broke, and so he quickly set about trying to gather whatever information he could with regards to ancient ruins and lost temples.

Sadly most of the towns he and BT traveled to seemed to have had an influx of adventurers passing throughout the area, as whenever the bangaa went to the local tavern to try and get some rumors from the patrons therein they would always say the same thing.

“You’re out of luck, kid. Someone already beat you to the local ruins.” these words seemed to almost haunt Buukaz as he returned to BT’s side time and time again in disgust. 

The blue behemoth didn’t seem to mind though, as he had no honest wish to visit a crypt filled dungeon or some underground ruins in search of the treasure his smaller herdmate wanted. After all, he was more than capable of hunting for whatever they needed out in the countryside, yet Buukaz wanted more for his life than just camping out under the stars and eating whatever roasted beast the intangir brought back for them. He wanted to experience a great thrill, the likes of which he could one day tell his family about once he returned home to them. He wanted to leave his mark on the world like all of the great adventurers he had heard about as a hatchling. And if he couldn’t do that, then what was the point of having left his village? He could have stayed home and saved himself from getting many of the scars he now carried all across his body if the sum total of his life’s story was to be him hunting and foraging for the rest of his days!

No.

He was going to have a great story to tell others if it was the last thing that he did!

BT didn’t quite understand the other’s desperation for such a thing, however, the blue behemoth was willing to humor his herdmate, so long as his antics didn’t get the two of them killed. And this was how the pair had found themselves walking through the open deserts of the eastern lands. Buukaz had pestered a nu mou bartender for some information regarding some ancient ruins after hearing a few whispers float about the town which said that the older man had once been an adventurer in his younger years who traveled through the desert wasteland. 

“There’s nothing out there that’s worth the bruises that you are going to end up getting, young one.” the nu mou told him bluntly as he cleaned a brown mug which had been within his tiny hands.

“Why not let me be the judge of that?” the red scaled bangaa chuckled as he placed a good number of coins onto the nu mou’s bar. 

The older man sighed after he slipped the gil into the front pouch of the apron he had on. “Alright, but I hope you know that you’re playing with your life here.” 

“As long as I have my behemoth with me, there’s nothing that I can’t handle.” Buukaz had said rather proudly as he puffed up his chest while looking at the bartender.

And for a while this statement proved to be true. 

Walking through the desert during the early morning, so as to avoid most of the glaring heat of the day, the daring duo had only encountered a few monsters on their way to a lost ruins which were said to have sunk into the golden sands after an era of conflict between the people who back during a time that had long since been forgotten. Because Buukaz had been wise enough to procure some greater magics for himself the red bangaa was able to take out most of the creatures in question with only a couple of blizzara spells, however when the two got to a large sandy mound which revealed itself to be a giant antlion BT took point in fighting against the massive creature. The bangaa tried to argue that he could help but the intangir merely forced his smaller herdmate off of his back before he went to fight. 

When BT charged at the antlion Buukaz found himself watching in stunned awe as the intangir ducked and weaved around the large insect’s snapping pincers and thrashing feelers. Like a strange deadly dance the two monsters snapped and snarled at each other, all the while lashing out with claws and fangs as they sought to tear the other to pieces. For the most part the blue behemoth was able to handle himself quite well as he bit off one of the antlion’s feelers before ducking down low and then stabbing his horns into the bug’s lower body. Yellowish blood spilled throughout the area between them and Buukaz found himself very grateful that the insectoid’s blood wasn’t acidic. 

When a strong swipe from one of the ant lion’s claws painted the sand underneath the intangir a dark ruby red Buukaz found himself chanting a blizzara spell without thought. Casting it upon the insectoid creature as it grabbed the injured blue behemoth up and then began to squeeze the life out of him the bangaa smirked in dark glee as he watched the monster throw back its head in pain. This opened the bug up for a savage attacked from BT as the intangir pulled his head back and then slammed his horns forward into the antlion’s throat. The blue behemoth then viciously threw its head to the side slicing the insect’s neck apart.

The antlion quickly tossed the bleeding behemoth away as it began to choke on its own blood, however the intangir was able to twist himself within the air before he could land onto the sand, meaning that when his paws hit the ground he was able to charge back at the insect before it could retreat into the sand. The force of his charging attack drew the giant bug out of the ground and onto its back, which then in turn left it open for the pouncing attack for which BT used next. 

Buukaz found himself watching the gory display of feral ferocity with a mixture of disgust and intrigue as he watched his behemoth viciously tear the antlion’s body open with his claws and fangs.

Once it was over however, the red scaled banagaa gasped as his companion stomped a bloodsoaked paw down onto the antlion’s now twitching corpse and then threw his head back as he let out a victorious roar of triumph. 

Buukaz would not admit that his manhood swelled slightly as he noticed how proud the blue behemoth looked while standing in front of the setting sun. 

Nope. 

He wasn’t going to admit to that.

Instead, the bangaa quickly went over to heal his companion of his still bleeding injuries. All the while he cast his cura spell upon the other he found himself getting a few reassuring snuffs from the blue behemoth as the other attempted to make sure that he was okay. Buukaz found himself moaning slightly when the intangir lashed his long wet tongue across his face, the tightness within his pants became even more uncomfortable as his desires, which he was not going to talk about, grew even greater than they already were. Instead, the bangaa ignored his strange affliction as he continued to cast his healing spell over the blue behemoth, all the while his eyes carefully watched as the wounds for which BT had suffered slowly sealed themselves until only paper thin lines were left in their place. Once the intangir was healed BT shook himself free from the blood that was covering his hide and then sat himself down so that Buukaz could hoist himself over onto his backside.

Continuing on with their journey the pair traveled for several days, stopping to rest during the height of the afternoon heat in whatever cover they could find before moving on again. 

It was three days into their travels when the pair stumbled over them. 

At first nothing seemed to be out of place, even though BT had been slightly on edge for some reason. However in going further into the canyon area leading to the ruins the daring duo found themselves stumbling over a large group of cactuar. Buukaz hadn’t known what to think or say when silvery cactus needles came at his head, however BT had been quick to react. Turning away just in time to keep his herdmate from being injured, the intangir shook the smaller bangaa off of his back just as the dagger sharp projectiles pierced through his hide. 

Buukaz’s mind went blank for a second as he heard the other roar out in pain.

The red bangaa came back to reality only seconds later when he felt shudders of pain racing through the larger behemoth’s body grow in intensity. Realizing that he had to do something before the other passed out from pain Buukaz cast a fira spell onto his lips, raced around the blue behemoth’s tail end, and then furiously cast the spell out at anything and everything that was in front of him. 

BT was just barely aware of the fact that his herdmate had left the shelter of his body when a burning heat erupted across the area behind him. Turning his head to look at what was happening the blue behemoth’s amber eyes opened wide as the entire canyon was suddenly engulfed with scarlet flames, all the while Buukaz stood in front of him, snarling in unrepressed anger.