The moment they fully pushed into the river, the current took hold with startling force. Traebus had expected resistance, a sluggish drift downstream, but instead, the log lurched forward, pulled swiftly along the water’s surface. His stomach tightened as he tightened his grip on the rough bark, adjusting to the unexpected momentum.


    Dusk remained eerily balanced, crouched low on the log like he had been made for this. Traebus, on the other hand, felt every wobble, every shift of the wood beneath him. He let out a slow breath. "Alright, not so bad. We’re moving, we’re not sinking, and we haven’t been eaten."


    Then he heard the roar of rushing water ahead.


    His eyes flicked up, and his stomach dropped. The river ahead was no longer smooth and deceptively calm—it was churning, whitecaps breaking where jagged rocks jutted from the water. A series of rapids stretched across their path, the water surging in violent, chaotic waves.


    "Oh, come on," Traebus groaned. "You didn’t mention this part, Dusk!"


    The lizard’s only response was a flick of his tail and a vague pulse of anticipation through their link.


    Traebus’ grip tightened as they hurtled toward the first break in the river. "Oh, no. No, no, no—you are enjoying this, aren''t you?!"


    A pulse of sheer anticipation radiated through the link, and Traebus'' stomach dropped lower than the damn riverbed. He twisted to glare at Dusk, whose stance had shifted subtly—lower, balanced, tail flicking with something that was definitely excitement. The big lizard was ready, eager even.


    "You planned for this!" Traebus accused, his voice half a disbelieving shout. "You knew the rapids were here, and you still suggested this idiotic plan!" Another pulse of what could only be smugness answered him, right before the first foaming wave slammed into their log, sending it tilting violently.


    Traebus barely managed to keep himself from being thrown off, arms clamping onto the wood like a desperate koala. "Oh, I see how it is. You''re one of those, aren''t you? The ones who think getting tossed around by nature is fun!" Another sharp drop, another rush of white water, and another very, very pleased trill from Dusk.


    "Unbelievable! I get saddled with an adrenaline junkie lizard!"


    Before Traebus could lament his misfortune any further, the river seized their log with a brutal force, yanking them into the heart of the rapids. White water frothed around them, spraying into his face as the log bucked and twisted like a wild animal. He clung to the bark for dear life, fingers digging into the rough surface as the current flung them forward at breakneck speed.


    The smaller lizards on the first log were already ahead, their ride just as chaotic. He caught glimpses of them crouching low, tails lashing as they fought to keep balance. Their log twisted sharply, skimming dangerously close to a jagged rock, and one of them let out a sharp trill of alarm before scrambling to readjust.


    Traebus barely had time to register this before his log hit the first major drop.


    The world tilted. Gravity shifted. He had just enough time to curse before the log plunged over the cascade, slamming down into the churning water below. The impact sent him airborne for a split second before his grip faltered, and with a gut-wrenching lurch, he was yanked free.


    Water engulfed him instantly. The current grabbed him like a predator claiming its prey, dragging him into a violent tumble. He twisted, kicking, trying to surface, but the river had other plans. A roaring rush of water filled his ears as he was hurled forward, spinning helplessly through the chaotic undertow.


    Something hard clipped his shoulder—a rock, maybe—and a burst of pain jolted through him. He barely had time to register it before another surge pulled him deeper, his lungs burning as he fought to stay above water.


    Then, a break. A gasp of air as he broke the surface, only for another wave to slam into him, sending him under again.


    Not like this, damn it!


    Panic flared in his chest, but he forced it down. He had to think. He needed leverage. Desperately, he reached out, hands clawing for anything solid as the river tossed him like a ragdoll. His fingers brushed something—rough bark, the edge of one of the logs—before the current nearly ripped it away.


    Gritting his teeth, he threw himself at it, wrapping an arm around the slippery wood, holding tight against the rushing force. His other hand flailed, searching, until he felt something else—claws gripping his wrist.


    Dusk.


    The lizard’s grip was firm, unyielding. A pulse of determination flared through the link as Dusk braced against the log, using his weight to keep them from being completely swept away.


    Traebus coughed, spitting water, and wheezed out, "Okay—maybe this wasn’t the worst idea after all."


    The river finally began to smooth out, the raging white water giving way to calmer currents. The log stabilized beneath him, no longer trying to throw him off like some possessed bronco. He sucked in a deep, desperate breath, coughing up whatever river water hadn''t already tried to drown him.


    Dusk, ever the composed lunatic, was still crouched on the log, his claws gripping just enough to steady himself without looking like he''d just been through a natural disaster. With what little strength Traebus had left, he tried to hoist himself higher, but Dusk solved that problem for him. The lizard reached out, dug his claws into Traebus’ soaking tunic, and yanked him up with far too much ease, securing him to the log like an exasperated babysitter dealing with a wayward child.


    Traebus let out a wheezing laugh. "Well, I feel safe and valued. Thanks, buddy."


    Dusk flicked his tail, sending an unmistakable pulse of exasperation through their link.


    "Oh, don’t even start with me. You knew that was going to happen. Admit it. You enjoyed every second of that insanity."


    Dusk simply huffed, turning his head forward like none of this was his fault.


    Traebus groaned and laid back against the log, catching his breath. He was about to relish the brief moment of peace when something caught his eye. A shadow beneath the surface, sleek, fast—moving against the current.


    A fin broke the waterline.


    Traebus'' stomach plummeted. "Oh, fantastic. Because today just wasn’t chaotic enough. What’s next? Raining fire? A sky lizard? Maybe a magical whirlpool to round things out?"


    He wiped water from his face, blinked hard, and looked again. Nope. The fin was still there, slicing through the water with disturbing ease, and it was getting closer. Worse, it was moving against the current, which defied every comforting law of nature Traebus had left to cling to.


    "Great. Just what I needed—something that doesn’t even have the decency to be affected by basic hydrodynamics. That’s fine. Totally fine. Everything is fine."


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    Dusk, ever helpful, simply flicked his tail and gave him a slow, unimpressed blink, the link between them radiating something uncomfortably close to resignation.


    Traebus groaned, gripping the log tighter. "Don’t you dare look at me like that. I can feel you judging me, and I promise you, now is not the time."


    Another flick of the tail. Another unimpressed stare. Another ominous shift in the water as the fin grew closer.


    "Okay. Okay! Let’s focus. We have options!" Traebus inhaled sharply, forcing his brain into motion. "We could, uh… paddle faster. Except we don’t have paddles. Or we could jump in the water and swim for it—oh, wait, terrible idea. How about playing dead? Maybe it only eats things that move. No, wait, that’s bears. Do we have a bigger predator to throw at it? No? Fantastic."


    Dusk chuffed, sending the distinct feeling of you’re an idiot through their link.


    "Yeah, well, I don’t see you coming up with a better plan!"


    The fin suddenly dipped beneath the water. The surface smoothed out, eerily calm, as if nothing had ever been there. That, of course, only made Traebus more nervous.


    "Oh, that''s worse. That is so much worse," he muttered, gripping the log even tighter. "At least when I could see it, I knew where the problem was. Now it''s just—"


    The river exploded beneath them.


    A monstrous shape surged upward from the depths, sending a tidal wave of water skyward. Before Traebus could even process what he was looking at, something massive, something scaled and furious, smashed into the log beneath them. The force sent him and Dusk flying as if they were nothing more than stray leaves caught in a hurricane.


    For one brief, beautiful second, Traebus was airborne. Then reality reasserted itself, and gravity yanked him down—right into the churning chaos of the river below.


    He hit the water hard, tumbling end over end through the current. Somewhere behind him, wood cracked and splintered as their makeshift raft was utterly demolished. Through the bubbles and froth, he caught glimpses of massive jaws tearing into the wreckage, shredding what little remained of their log like it was nothing.


    He broke the surface just long enough to suck in a desperate gasp of air before the river pulled him under again. Great. Fantastic. Another day, another attempt on my life by something with way too many teeth.


    Kicking hard, he fought to get back to the surface. Something big moved nearby, the sheer force of its movements creating currents that dragged him in unpredictable directions. He had no idea where Dusk was. No idea if the smaller lizards had made it out. All he knew was that if he didn’t get out of this water soon, he was about to become an unfortunate footnote in this world’s food chain.


    His head broke the surface again, and he managed to wheeze out, "I swear, if one more thing tries to eat me today, I’m just going to let it!"


    As if the universe had been waiting for that invitation, the fin suddenly adjusted course, cutting cleanly through the water and heading directly for him. Traebus barely had time to suck in another breath before his exhausted brain slammed the panic button.


    "Nope! Nope, I take it back! Rescinding my offer! I want to live!" he yelped, kicking frantically against the water, trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and whatever aquatic nightmare had just decided he was the daily special.


    Through the churning waves, he could make out the dark shape beneath the surface, moving with terrifying precision. It wasn’t just swimming toward him—it was lining up a strike.


    Dusk surfaced a few feet away, shaking water from his frills and locking onto the same threat Traebus had just noticed. Instead of radiating his usual exasperation, this time the link between them pulsed with something much more urgent—warning.


    "Yeah, I know! I see it! I don’t need extra commentary!" Traebus shouted, thrashing toward what remained of the log, though at this point, it was little more than a collection of shredded driftwood.


    The fin dipped lower, vanishing beneath the surface.


    "Oh, that''s even worse," Traebus groaned, scrambling for anything solid to hold onto. "Why is it always worse?"


    Before he could even think of a way out of this mess, the river erupted around him. A monstrous shape—long, scaled, and very, very angry—shot out of the water, jaws wide, rows of dagger-like teeth gleaming in the light. The sheer force of its emergence sent waves crashing in every direction, nearly flipping Traebus again as the spinosaurus launched itself skyward.


    His body went into full panic mode before his brain even had a say in it. With a wild, instinct-driven gesture, he threw out a desperate blast of magic. Not fire, not force—just raw, uncontrolled mana.


    The effect was not what he intended.


    Instead of a devastating explosion or even a mildly useful distraction, the spell erupted beneath him in a violent burst of pressurized bubbles. The next thing he knew, he was shooting across the river like a skipping stone, bouncing off the surface with progressively higher-pitched yelps. "No, no, no—ow—why—ow—is this—ow—my life?!"


    Dusk, meanwhile, had managed to stay in the water, his sharp eyes tracking Traebus’ ridiculous trajectory as the mage hurtled toward the far shore.


    With a final, dramatic splash, Traebus crashed onto the muddy riverbank, sprawling flat on his back, soaked, dazed, and questioning every decision that had led to this moment.


    He coughed, spitting out water, and wheezed, "Well… at least it wasn''t fire this time."


    The moment of relief lasted precisely three seconds.


    A deep, guttural growl rumbled from the river, a sound so heavy it vibrated through the muddy bank beneath him. With a groan, Traebus turned his head just in time to see the massive lizard—the same one he had just skipped away from—hauling itself out of the water and onto the shore. It rose to its full, terrifying height, water cascading down its ridged back, talons digging deep into the softened mud.


    "Oh, come on!" Traebus wheezed, dragging himself up onto his elbows. "You''re an aquatic nightmare! What business do you have chasing me onto land?! Pick a biome and stay there!"


    The monstrous beast let out a shrieking bellow in response, rows of dagger-like teeth flashing as it swung its head from side to side, locking its gaze on him. It wasn’t just angry—it was fixated.


    Dusk, still in the river, sent a single, clear thought through their link. Run.


    "Oh, now you’re worried?" Traebus grumbled, but he was already scrambling to his feet. His boots slipped in the wet mud, every instinct in his body screaming at him to move.


    The beast took a thunderous step forward, shaking the ground as it surged after him.


    "Right! Running now! Great plan!"


    Traebus turned and bolted, feet barely finding traction in the thick, sucking mud. The beast lunged after him, its massive bulk sending waves of muck flying in every direction. Every step felt like he was trying to sprint through glue, his boots sticking and sliding, while behind him, the prehistoric nightmare crashed forward with single-minded determination.


    He ducked under a low-hanging branch—only to immediately trip over a hidden root and go sprawling face-first into the mud. The impact knocked the breath out of him, but he had no time to groan about it. The ground shook as the monster plowed forward, missing him by inches as it skidded wildly, unable to stop on the slippery ground. Its heavy tail swung wide, demolishing a nearby rotted log into a rain of splinters.


    Traebus scrambled back onto his feet, only to see the creature fighting to regain control. Its claws dug deep into the slick terrain, but every time it tried to lunge, the mud betrayed it, sending it sliding forward in an almost comical display of frustration. The beast roared, snapping its jaws in irritation, then lost its footing entirely, landing flat on its side with a massive, wet thud.


    For a single, blissful second, there was silence.


    Then, as if the universe had a sense of humor, gravity took over. The monster started to slide down the muddy slope.


    "Oh, no. No, no, no!" Traebus yelped as he turned to run again.


    The massive lizard pinwheeled, skidding helplessly after him, sending up waves of slop like some sort of apocalyptic avalanche of scales and fury. It crashed through another tree, splintering it in half as it spun uncontrollably, snapping its jaws in irritation but entirely unable to stop its descent.


    "I am so tired of everything trying to kill me in the most undignified way possible!" Traebus shouted as he scrambled up a moss-covered boulder, only to slip and land flat on his back. He barely had time to throw himself to the side as the giant predator slammed into the rock, cracking it with sheer force before bouncing off and tumbling further down the slope.


    Dazed, drenched in mud, and gasping for breath, Traebus rolled over onto his hands and knees, looking toward where the beast had finally come to rest—a tangled heap of limbs and frustration at the bottom of the incline, its tail twitching in exhaustion.


    It let out a low, miserable groan, sprawled in an undignified heap at the bottom of the incline. Its long limbs twitched weakly in the mud, streaked with clumps of debris and broken foliage. Its ridged back, once an imposing display of dominance, now looked like a collapsed tent pole under a particularly bad storm. One of its legs kicked feebly before flopping back down, sending up a weak splash of muddy water.


    Its jaw hung open, revealing rows of dagger-like teeth, but the only sound escaping was a low, guttural wheeze—less a mighty roar, more a sigh of absolute exhaustion. Its tail gave a single, lazy thump against the earth, as if it, too, had given up on any semblance of intimidation.


    Traebus wheezed out a breathless laugh, doubling over as he wiped the mud from his face. "You know what? I almost feel bad for you. Almost. But considering you tried to eat me... nah, you earned this."