Roy set about examining the splintered remains of the pod that surrounded the impact area, looking for usable pieces. It was similar to an oversized acorn, and he wondered if it was edible. He did not try it yet, however, as he needed water first.

The second reason he was going through the debris was in the hopes of using it to make an improvised weapon. The pieces seemed to have naturally splintered into long, curved vertical stripes. While not an ideal club, Roy had hope in maybe fashioning one into a bow. The problem lay in him needing a knife for carving, a string, and arrows.

Weirdly, as he was sifting through the remains of the pod, the treant began imitating him in picking up pieces. It was somewhat amusing in this bleak situation, and Roy decided to try something.

"Hey, buddy, mind carrying this for me? Thanks."

Roy deposited one of the pieces he had discarded on top of the branches of the treant and watched as they wrapped around it. He then grabbed that same piece and started pulling on it, and although it did not seem to want to let go at first, it slowly unwound the branches after some prying. He then went on to grab one of its outstretched branches, and once more it slowly began to twist, providing a firm grip but not too tight where he could not slip his hand out. Satisfied, he began tugging at it in an attempt to walk it as if it were on a leash. It did not seem to really grasp the concept well, though, as it only began moving when it threatened to fall over and merely enough so that it would stay upright. This led to Roy practically dragging it behind himself, its lazy movements causing it to remain at a constant angle. It was a little creepy how its eye constantly remained trained on his back during this whole process, not showing any indication of what its mood might be.

"Alright, this works somewhat. Guess you'll be coming with me until I turn you into firewood. No hard feelings, right?"

If it understood, it gave no indication, but with it not even seeming to have ears, he could not rule out the possibility that it was simply deaf. Either way, as long as it did not threaten to kill him in turn, he was content.

Roy picked up two of the pod remains he had set apart as being in the best conditions and slung them over his shoulder before heading toward the edge of the canyon with his new pet tree.

He peered down the massive cliff to look over the rocky slope pierced with roots where he planned to make his descent. From the looks of it, it would be a one-way trip, as there were a few drops he would have to take that he was not entirely confident of climbing back up, let alone with the treant in tow should he fail to kill it down there. He doubted he would even have the energy to make that climb in his current state.

Having settled on his next course of action, Roy slipped his hand from the branch and quickly grabbed it again, pulling as hard as he could and flinging the treant straight off the edge. He watched it plummet, not having too high expectations considering it practically fell this height within its pod anyway, but, currently, any progress made toward killing it would be a win in his book. His only hope was that it would not be mad at him once he got down, but that was a problem for when he did.

The trip down for himself was much longer, exhausting, and also quite painful, with his sunburn, the hot rocks, sliding down sharp gravel, and the occasional drop. He was already feeling tired even before beginning his descent, forcing him to take occasional breaks. He had been tempted many times to abandon the pod remains but persevered in transporting them down with him. When he finally reached the bottom, he was truly winded, his body forcing him to sit down and catch his breath. His throat was dry, and swallowing was painful. It also felt like it was even hotter down here than at the top.

Having given his body a brief chance to rest, he stumbled to his feet and made his way to the water's edge. There was no sign of any vegetation, giving him brief pause with the possibility of it being contaminated, but his temptation won him over. Reasoning that his alternative was dying of thirst, he began wading into the stream. The water was warm but still cooler than the outside air and refreshing on his burning skin. His sore feet let out a cry of relief, and he quickly bent over to splash his face before cupping his hands. Normally he would have boiled the water, but with a distinct lack of both a fire and a container, he relented and began to drink.

It was beyond refreshing. While not the most pleasant drink, as Roy found warm water especially disgusting, let alone also being from a river, but it did not matter to him as he finally got to whet his lips and throat. After he drained his cupped hands, he once more splashed himself before submerging himself with his clothes still on. The stream was not overly deep, so he could sit down and let himself cool off. He took this opportunity to look around for the treant, hoping it had not wandered off too far while he was climbing down. While he could not spot it immediately, he did see some grotesque, green, small, and lanky humanoid creature on the river's bank some ways upriver.

"Gaia, what's that over there?"

Goblin

Tier: 1

Rating: D

Roy grinned at the opportunity.

"Experience, here I come."