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Post by Christopher on Jun 17, 2005 15:26:04 GMT -5
(OOC: Please refrain from any use of the supernatural, that is not used in any of the Dinotopia books, on this thread, thank you.)
April 20, 1865 11:23 PM
The storm continued to rage on. For the few areas struck on Dinotopia it posed no serious threat, but the story was different for a small wooden frigate, two weeks out of a California port. The storm tossed the ship around on the ocean, like it were a mere bath toy, and threatened to tear it apart board by board.
A young man stood on the deck, leaning against one of the masts. He didn't seem bothered by the storm, or the sailors, trying frantically to keep their ship under control. He stood a good six feet tall, and easily towered over most men from his era. His curly red hair was covered by a worn gray kepi hat, with an emblem of two crossed sabers. His deep brown eyes stared straight ahead, to the vast ocean, as he was lost deep in thought. He played the events that lead up to this point, in his mind.
It was about four years ago. He was a student at West Point Military Academy, when the southern states seceded from the Union. Being an eager young officer, he was quick to join the rebellion, to defend his home state. He quickly proved himself to be a vicious warrior, and a cunning strategist, and quickly rose through the ranks. Within a few years, however, the north finally caught up with the south, and started winning battles all over the east. The young man didn't participate in these battles, though. His corps was split in half by the union forces, so he joined the losing campaign in the west.
As the war went on, money and supplies became harder for the confederate army to gain, so the officer turned to crimes to keep his army supplied with food, ammo, and shoes when possible. His plan worked, and he quickly gained sources from train and bank robberies, extorting from gangs, and raids on Mexican and Union territory.
It wasn't long, until these acts managed to attract the attention of the federal army, who ambushed, and imprisoned him. The army tortured him, in order to extract a confession for his crimes, but when they couldn't get one, they decided to string him up anyway. To the officer's fortune, he managed to escape the prison, and flee to California, where he boarded a ship to flee the country.
He let out a deep sigh, and turned to walk down to the sleeping quarters. The wet deck, and rocking of the boat proved to his misfortune, when he slipped just as soon as the ship was leaning to the starboard side. He was flung into the cold waters of the Pacific. No one had noticed when the young man slipped from the ship, nor could they hear his cries of help over the thunder, and pounding of the rain.
He struggled to stay afloat, but was never a good swimmer. He swam for what felt like hours, and lost hope. It was then, that his rescuer showed up. When he was close to passing out from exhaustion, he felt something swim underneath him. The officer felt dread sweep over him, when he thought it was a shark. Soon, the swimming creature revealed itself to be a dolphin, and acting like he wanted the officer to grab on to him. Figuring he had nothing to lose, the young man complied with the dolphin's request.
Half an hour later, the soldier stepped onto the beach. He managed to take a few steps, before succumbing to the fatigue, and collapsing on the sand.
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Stiletto
Dolphinback
violent chauvinistic semi-literate adolescent neanderthal
Posts: 40
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Post by Stiletto on Jun 17, 2005 18:12:03 GMT -5
*OOC. Stiletto speaks fluently in Carnosaur, but primarily in Raptor and not human for he lacks the vocal cords and soft tissue neccesary. Therfore, all carnosaurian hereafter is regular script, and human meaning is italicised and seperated by a slash "/"* The large black utahraptor stepped onto the beach, bobbing its head in agitation. The air was thick with the fear stink of humans and the salty smell of the sea. "Trishelah!/Humans!" he snarled, his nostrils flaring. He could recognise that smell anywhere. It had haunted him since he was a chick, when his parents had been killed by them, and he and his sisters had been taken as a pet for some snot nosed children. He and his sisters had been split up, and he had escaped several days later, to the chagrin of the family, although not for long, because some of them did not live long enough to feel regret, he reflected happily. He did not feel regret for killing the family, though he knew of the feeling. It was the feeling he got in his chest when he remembered the warm, visceral Mother Scent and the spicier scent of his father. The human smell always bothered him, although they had long since failed to pose a threat to him. Even some of the larger humans he had encountered quivered at the sight of the 1500-pound black utahraptor charging them with claws distended and shrieking like a banshee. It wasn't even as if he liked the taste of human. It was the fury that erupted in his brain at the thought of them. It was his curse, as the last remaining member of the Bloodclaw Clan, a once proud raptor family whose territory had covered most of the Northern Plains. Now, however, he was a lone hunter and his stomach was full with the meat of an iguanodon that he had found at the foot of a tree earlier in the day. And it was in the middle of his search for a place to nap that he came on the beach, and the strange human-smelling lump in the middle of it, near a dune he had selected to sleep near. He walked carefully around it, noting that it was still breathing. And for a second, he thought of ending the breathing, of feeling the lifeblood run through his teeth. But this one was dressed differently from the others, and something about him spelled fighter to Stiletto. "Greshnak...?/Warrior...?" thought Stiletto. He prodded the prone figure with his snout. It didn't move, but he watched it anyway. He backed off several body lengths and sat down, eyes trained on the strange human. All else fails, he thought, maybe he shall prove be a nice toy...
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Post by Christopher on Jun 17, 2005 19:38:47 GMT -5
It wasn't too long after the raptor had found him, that the fighter came around. He moaned, but did not move. He continued to lie still, in the warm sand. But, he soon became aware that he was being watched. Slowly, he opened an eye.
"What the hell!?" He exclaimed, and jumped straight to his feet
Yes, he was incredibly shocked to see a gaint lizard watching him sleep, but he was not scared of it. Having faced muskets, cannons, bayonets, swords; and facing off with gangsters, desperados, bandits, the best gunslingers of his time, and nearly the whole yankee army, had hardened him and taught him to know no fear.
He wore sleek black leather boots, a worn out gray kepi cap, and despite the heat, a gray great coat that extended to his knees and covered up anything else he was wearing. He stood with his left foot slightly further than his right. His left arm was limp, while his right hand hovered over his right hip. His next action would be determined by the raptor's next move.
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Stiletto
Dolphinback
violent chauvinistic semi-literate adolescent neanderthal
Posts: 40
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Post by Stiletto on Jun 17, 2005 21:09:13 GMT -5
Stiletto backstepped as the human jumped to its feet. The movement had surprised him, but he was used to wounded herbivores suddenly coming to life after seeming to be near death. He crooked his head slightly to the side. His avian style eyes made focusing from the side more natural, and he was fully able to assess the new human. He was tall, and strong. Stiletto could smell his self assuredness. The large garment he was wearing made him seem even larger but he seemed tired, too. The way he carried himself, Stiletto could sense that he was fatigued. His shoulders were too rounded, and his breathing was too quick. He seemed tense and ready to attack. Crow hopping gracefully to the side, Stiletto opened his arms and bobbed his head sinuously to the sides, rawking once sharply, questioningly. The human seemed to be evaluating him the way he would evaluate a sauropod. He tucked his hands back non-menacingly, and bowed quickly to the man and padded up the dune, disappearing, pausing only long enough to cast a glance over his shoulder at the bewildered human.
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Post by Christopher on Jun 17, 2005 22:56:16 GMT -5
The human relaxed, when he saw the vicious looking lizard leave. He couldn't figure out why the creature didn't attack him; it certainly looked like it could take him. Quickly, the soldier quit pondering on it, and just chose to be grateful that it didn't attack, for whatever reason.
For lack of anything better to do, the southerner began to walk along the beach, the same way the raptor took. Maybe he could find out where he was. While marching down the beach, the soldier reached into his coat, and removed a fife, and them began playing a marching tune, Brighten Camp. He was very adept in playing music on many instruments, and even a fine singer. Music was the only thing he liked more than formulating strategy.
As he marched down the beach, he couldn't shake the worries that were nagging him. What if no humans inhabited this island? If they did, what if they were hostile to strangers? Were there more of those creatures he just saw? Would he ever get off this island?
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Stiletto
Dolphinback
violent chauvinistic semi-literate adolescent neanderthal
Posts: 40
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Post by Stiletto on Jun 20, 2005 17:14:38 GMT -5
Stiletto had waken up in a foul mood that morning. The storm during the night had made the ground wet and soggy, and the multitudinous hordes of insects that normally lived underground had been driven up to the surface, where it seemed to him that they had all converged to pester him. As it were, several of the small Fire bugs (his name for the small bugs that would plague raptors and cause an itch, would many raptors would make the mistake of scratching, and which could cause a nasty infection) had bitten him, and the small red welts near his hip were just out of reach of his teeth and claws, and were bothering him fiercely. As well, the tip of his tail had been nipped and broken during a territorial dispute days earlier with an albertosaur. And to make matters worse, the rain had caused several of the rivers to the north to flood, which forced several groups of animals out of their normal territories and into his. As it were, Stiletto could smell a gorgosaurus nearby, and it smelled like a female, which worried Stiletto. Females were always more vicious and a female with chicks would take on a full grown raptor without hesitation. But it relaxed him that he could not smell chicks with her. He also smelled a herd of euoplochephalus and a small family group of sauropods. But it was a noise that triggered his attention. It sounded like a bird, but like no bird he had ever dealt with. Unbeknowst to him, it was the Human's fife, which he was playing. He listened closely to the sound for a few minutes, and decided to mark his territory, in case the gorgosaurus or the albertosaur or the strange bird decided to wander into his territory. Scretching as high as he could against the nearest tree, he raked the bark deeply with his claws, leaving a series of parallel gashes half an inch deep and rubbed his snout against the lower branches, leaving a spicy, musky scent in the air which other dinosaurs would detect, and would understand to mean "I am a Male Utahraptor and this is my territory SO STAY OUT!" Confident that he had done his job, Stiletto walked off towards the northern plains, with the strange human following not too far behind.
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Post by Christopher on Jun 20, 2005 17:51:33 GMT -5
The young man continued his trek across the beach, when he grew more aware of the empty pit that was called his stomach. The loud growling was what got his attention the most. At first, he shrugged the hunger off, using the logic he had gone weeks without eating before, and could last a few more hours. But soon remembered that the last meal he actually had was back in the yankee prison (that is, if you can count poorly refined cornmeal and water as a meal). It was obvious to him, that he should probably eat something as soon as he could.
After a quick search of his person, he found that he had nothing on him that would serve as a meal. He began to forage the area for any plants that he could eat, but soon quit upon discovering that foraging here was diffrent than in the temperate forests of his home. The plants were diffrent from what he was used to seeing, and thought it would be better if he just left them, and not risk dying from quick-step (1860s slang for diarrhea) or anything else the local plants had to offer. Instead, he would have to hunt for his meal, this time. Without a second thought, he started heading inland (north) where he thought he might be able to find something to eat.
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Post by Christopher on Jun 23, 2005 19:22:37 GMT -5
The soldier continued to march inland. He was completly unaware that he was barely a few feet away from the same path the creature had taken.
The sun was halfway to noon, and already the heat was sweltering. To give himself a slight relief from the heat, the young man removed his coat, and stuffed it into a small pack he carried on his back.
The uniform he wore underneat the coat was now visible. The uniform was grey, with four gold braidings weaving in and out of each other along each sleeve. There were two lines of brass buttons running up and down on the front, one on the right and the other on the left. On either side of his collar was a small brass plate, with the insignia of three stars (one large and two small) encirlcled in a wreath. The most noticeable thing, however, was the saber and two handguns that hung on his belt.
Glad to have the hot coat off, the young soldier continued his march inland.
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Stiletto
Dolphinback
violent chauvinistic semi-literate adolescent neanderthal
Posts: 40
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Post by Stiletto on Jun 23, 2005 23:14:33 GMT -5
The hot sun was beginning to beat down on Stiletto, and his avian metabolism meant he was heating up quickly. He would have to find somewhere to wait out the hottest part of the day. Besides, his discovery of the human had robbed him of his nap earlier in the day, and he was beginning to get drowsy from the full stomach of iguanodon meat he was carrying. He stood up and scanned the area ahead for a welcome sight, and found it. A pile of large rocks, greyish-blue in the heat and just a couple of miles away. He sniffed cautiously. He was moving closer to his home territory, and he was checking to make sure nothing had moved in during his absence. It was clear, and he could smell water, coming from the rocky area. Picking up his pace, he set off at a quick trot towards the rocks. There he could rest, drink, and finally scratch off the small bugs that had set up on his flank. He was almost home. He could smell it.
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Post by Christopher on Jun 23, 2005 23:34:34 GMT -5
The sun was wearing away the soldier fast, even without his coat the wool uniform proved to be an oven. He reached to his side, and pulled a wooden canteen to his front, and uncorked it. But when he brought it to his lips, he discovered the canteen was empty. Disappointed that he had no water to relieve himself of the heat. Downhearted he trudged on.
Eventually in his march, he heard the sound of flowing water. Eager to get a taste of the refreshing liquid, he started to walk in the direction he heard the sound.
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Stouthorn
Junior Scholar
"POWER! UNLIMITED POWER!!"
Posts: 341
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Post by Stouthorn on Jun 24, 2005 1:11:24 GMT -5
OOC: Sorry to commandeer your characters, but...
The man found a clear stream. Thankful for it, he bent low, unscrewed the cap to his canteen, and let the cool running water enter the vessel. He could barely wait to feel it on his lips, the heat and ocean salt had dehydrated him so. When the canteen was full, he popped the cap back, put it away for later. For now, however, he drove his hands into the stream and drank eagerly from his cupped palms. He splashed water on his face and groaned to feel the cool water on his skin.
He was not alone. The growl he heard only brought his attention fully to the dark shape off to his right, a shape he knew he had seen in the corner of his eye but had neglected in his lust for water. He turned slowly, and saw, also turning slowly, the beast he had encountered on the beach.
* * *
Stiletto's nostrils were filled with water, but he didn't need this man's scent to know that it was the one he had seen on the beach only minutes ago. The human slowly stood, as did Stiletto, except he forewent his usual horizontal, parallel to the earth posture and stretched his body out as high as it would go without breaking his rigid tail against the ground. This was a display of majesty usually reserved only for other raptors, but this human was different. This human garnered...respect.
The human began to slowly circle to his left, and so Stilleto began to circle to his, balancing his dark mass in the awkward position, trying hard not to appear awkward. He took in his opponent: he was tall, young, healthy...he was confident, and when he confronted the raptor he brought his right hand over his right hip. Why? He was not shielding an injury, but not merely dangling his hand there either. His hand looked like the leg of a raptor about to strike, a tensing, a readiness, a willingness and ability to strike. But why his hand? Why his hip? Millions of years of instinct told Stiletto to be cautious of an opponent that was confident, especially those whose reasons for confidence were not understood -- a Triceratops' horns were an obvious threat you knew to stay away from, but a sauropod's tail...why his hand? Why his hip?
Neither of them seemed commited to a first move. Each waited for the other to strike first, to learn about their enemy. As Stiletto's respect for this human's ability, so did an emotion he had not felt in a very long time: anxiety. He tired of this waiting, this guessing. He snarled, leaned back, and threw his weight forward in attack. He saw the man's arm release like an arrow shot from a long-tensed bowstring toward his hip.
Before Stiletto could see the source of the man's strength, he felt himself hit hard in the side. The wind knocked out of him, the utahraptor was diverted from his original path and struck a tree. At first he thought he had been struck by this human's secret weapon, but the man seemed just as baffled as he. Stiletto cleared his nostrils as he slowly got to his feet, his side exploding in pain. A carnosaur. He swung his head left, and standing there was a cryolophosaur, looking angry despite, Stiletto thought, the ridiculous looking crest in the middle of his head.
"Shouldn't you be playing in the snow?" the raptor growled.
The cryolophosaur was unfazed. "He's a dolphinback, Bloodclaw. Leave him be."
"He's still human."
The cryolophosaur did not respond. He merely placed his body between the utahraptor and the human. The raptor considered taking him, considered tearing that stupid crest right out of his skull...but then he felt the pain in his side, possibly a broken rib. He snarled, spun, and walked off.
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Stiletto
Dolphinback
violent chauvinistic semi-literate adolescent neanderthal
Posts: 40
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Post by Stiletto on Jun 24, 2005 9:31:06 GMT -5
Stiletto snarled, spun and walked away from the human and the gresh mirantak/Big crested one He breathed shallowly as he craned his head to see the extent of his injuries. He couldn't see any bone, which was a good sign, but the pain was sharp and stabbing. The bone was probably broken or bruised. The raptor body was built to withstand impacts and stress, but not like that. Moving away from the carnosaur and the human, he found another tall series of stacked rocks, and climbed painfully to the top. Hissing as he inhaled deeply and feeling the affected rib extend, he prepared himself for another challenge. Standing as tall as he was able, he screeched at the sky as loudly as he could, and let loose with a rapid fire series of screeches and squawks towards the rocks where the carnosaur and the human now were. There was no translation in human for what Stiletto was saying, but it is well received to any other creature as a threat. With his display finished, he descended, and continued on towards the northern plains. By the end of this day, he would be home again. But he could never know how much the gresh mirantak had saved his life or how close he had come to death.
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Post by Christopher on Jun 24, 2005 11:04:25 GMT -5
The young man gasped at the sight of the cryolophosaur, and something told him he would be needing a bigger gun if that thing was going to fight him. To his surprise, the larger creature seemed to be talking with the smaller one. Whatever they were doing, he decided it would be better if he attempted a retreat. Even with his excellent fighting proficiency, he was sure he couldn't take on two of those things. After holstering his revolver, he slowly began to walk away, with his hand on his saber, just in case.
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Stouthorn
Junior Scholar
"POWER! UNLIMITED POWER!!"
Posts: 341
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Post by Stouthorn on Jun 24, 2005 12:31:14 GMT -5
The cryolophosaurus kept his eyes intently on the path of the utahraptor's retreat, even as he heard the human's footsteps retreating behind him. He would follow the doplhinback, once he was sure the raptor was gone.
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Stiletto
Dolphinback
violent chauvinistic semi-literate adolescent neanderthal
Posts: 40
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Post by Stiletto on Jun 24, 2005 15:55:49 GMT -5
Stiletto set off at a quick pace, doing his best to override the pain signals that seemed to be coursing up the entire length of his right side. Hunting would not be a problem over the next couple of days, but once back in his home territory, he would be well provided for. The huge herds of saurians that travelled over it made sure of that. He kept heading east, towards the Northern Plains, long home range of the Bloodclaw Clan.Finally, just a couple of hours before nightfall, he reached a large stone pillar in front of the ruins of what had once been a massive ziggurat like structure. Sniffing it, he recognised his own scent markings. Stiletto was home! Making his way up the steps of the ancient structure, he stepped his way around fallen blocks and columnar fragments to the inner chamber, above which was a great opening, which allowed him a view of the sky. And from the inside of the pyramid, he could see everything around him for miles around. The stabbing pain in his side had subsided to a throbbing, dull feeling and his breathing was returning to normal. But he was tired, and within minutes, having given his surroundings a good look, he unfolded his hands and screeched at the sky. Tucking his snout into his hands, he quickly fell asleep.
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