Brutus

Brutus hid behind a rock wall as he stalked his prey. The plants surrounding him were tropical and big. He had plenty of camouflage if he needed it. His prey turned their head towards him and he sprung into the dirt. There was a pond right beside him with koi fish inside. He thought to himself 'that was lucky. Don't want to get sick.' As a small dragon Brutus can catch a cold if he gets even the slightest bit chilly.

Brutus' prey continued to pursue their task without giving him a second thought. He then slid into a tropical plant, disguising himself with the leaves.

'I've got you now.' He teased. Brutus then pounced on Janes shoulders.

"Hi Brutus. Thought I didn't know you were there hey? I thought you learned by now. I know everything that goes on in my house."

Brutus looked at Jane with big eyes, and like a cat rubbed his head against her chin. He wrapped his tail and neck around her shoulders and claimed his mobile perch. Jane was doing dishes in front of a window, the steam was relaxing for Brutus. He noticed something outside that he had never saw before. Snow falling gracefully to earths surface. Jane shook her head lightly. "How many times have I told you to stop stalking me?"

Brutus pipped up and made a low humming sound. Jane looked where he was looking. "Oh no. You can't go out there Brutus." Brutus looked at Jane with big pouty eyes. "No. It's cold out there, you'll get sick." Brutus thought to himself 'how would you know if it's cold you haven't gone out there yourself.'

Once Jane had finished the dishes she went to her study. She had an office space in her living room where fairy lights twirling around the roof. As comfy as he was Brutus jumped off of her shoulders and went for a snack. As he was eating little bits of bologna he could hear a ticking sound. It was the tip tap of snow fakes hitting the glass.

Jane was still sitting in the living room, so why not just open the door and see. When Brutus opened the door the cold wind blew lightly in his face and he caught a snow flake on his tongue. "Brutus!" Jane was right behind him. "What did I tell you? It's cold outside." Brutus jumped and hissed. Then he shivered. "Was that a shiver?" Jane looked at Brutus with a raised eyebrow.

"Alright, let me get my little black book out. What? I've been taking all my notes about you and writing other research on dragons in it." Jane found her book and held it in front of Brutus where he sat waiting patiently. "It says here that if you got a shiver you'll only experience a minor cold. It doesn't go into any details-"

"AACHOO!!"

Brutus sneezed on Janes book and it turned to ash. "Well... I guess we are winging it. I'll make a new note in a different book and keep it away from you."

Brutus tilted his head.

"Okay, lets start with regular human ways to help you get better." Jane drew a hotter than hot bath for Brutus. This should help your core temperature. Brutus looked at the tub, then Jane, then the tub. He turned his nose up at it. "Come on Brutus! It's meant to make you feel better."

"AACHOO!!"

Brutus sneezed again, and melted Janes shampoo bottles. "Okay... How about boiling soup then? Your core temperature is like a volcano, hotter would be better for you. No?" Brutus has never been sick before, he's only been on the brink of hibernation. So, he didn't know what might help him.

Jane made him boiling hot chicken noodle. Brutus turned his nose up at that too. "Jeez you are picky."

"AACHOO!!"

Brutus sneezed for the third time and burned down the dining room table and chairs. "Oh boy, this illness is starting to get expensive." Jane racked her brain. Maybe going to bed might help him. "Let's get you into a cozy bed. That should help you for sure!" Brutus didn't know if that would help either. But, Jane took him in and has treated him with great kindness. He loved Jane and trusted her as his companion and friend. Brutus tried crawling into bed and then his wings popped open not allowing him to lay down. His whole body had a spasm.

"AACHOO, AACHOO, AACHOO, AACHOO, AACHOO!!!"

"Well, there goes that idea..." Jane sighed. Brutus looked around and saw that the entire bedroom was charcoal. He sulked and walked away.

Brutus wandered around the house trying to hold his sneezes in. He was starting to get more exhausted from running around. He felt like he should have tried the bath, at least tasted the soup instead of saying no.

***

Brutus found himself in the living room. Jane was sitting on the couch. "There you are Brutus, I made something for you. Come over here." Brutus walked over with a sad look on his face. "Don't look so sad my scaly, fire breathing friend. We've been doing the best we can. Hopefully this will cheer you up." When Brutus reached Jane he found that she turned her indoor fireplace on. there was some water steaming beside it for some humidity and a little warm cozy bed made for him to sleep in front of the fire. Brutus got comfy, and Jane slid a bowl of boiling soup in front of him. "Enjoy it while it's hot Brutus."

***

Brutus had finally fallen asleep, so Jane went to the kitchen to clean up the charred dining room set. Only to find that the burnt wood turned into gold. She was shocked. She then ran up stairs to the bedroom that went up in flames and she was met with a room full of precious gems. There were sapphires, emeralds, rubies, and diamonds. Jane was astonished. She ran to her bathroom and found semi-precious gems on her bathtub. Amethysts, rose quarts, and citrine. Finally, she went to see where her little black book turned to ash. Instead of there being ashes there was cash. Jane counted $20,000. "Oh Brutus, wait until you see all of this. You won't feel nearly as bad as you were feeling for burning my things."

"I didn't need it, but it helps all the same. I loved you so much before. This fortune doesn't change that. I will never make you purposefully sick, or make you sneeze on anything to give me an extra buck. You mean so much to me Brutus.

Time to write down my findings in my new little black book. This one has a lock, and it's fire proof." Jane was whispering to herself.

After she wrote down all of her new found knowledge, she went over and curled up next to her little black sleeping dragon.