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Post by thundertail on Jun 18, 2007 20:38:08 GMT -5
EMPIRE OF THE CARNIVORES: (Part One:) _
By: Thundertail Tyranosaur (Timothy E. Smith)
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(Based on the times and lives depicted after 'Dinotopia, the series'.)
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Prologue: "Refueling Mission."
When I got my orders the morning of the flight, it said nothing about what was to happen afterwards. In fact, nothing in all the annals of military history could have prepared mke for what I was about to experience!...
At roll call I stiood at attention just like the rest of the pilots and ground crew in my squadron, helmet in my hand and jumpsuit complete with fluid webbing designed to keep the blood in your head while you're making those high-G turns. The sun glinted off my CO's sunglasses like it was glinting off mine as he walked our line and scrutinized every one of us before he went off with his usual morning speech. I paid it little attention, just like the rest of the forty in my squadron. It was only supposed to be a routine refueling mission, just like what we had done thousands of times before, right?
We were dismissed and went to preflight our planes, and my ground crew were already there; preparing my F-16 fighter since the first light of dawn. I scanned every inch of my machine myself, as all good pilots should do; and waited for them to roll the ladder in place. The tanker jet was rolling off the tarmack and turning for one of the taxiways on its' way to one of the far runways. I was only there to fly escort for it, me and three of my squadron mates. I ascended the ladder and placed my helmet in front of the cockpit faring in preparation of squirming my way into the all too tight cockpit, secretly wishing I could shrink to fit! Once I was in and the ground technician stepped up beside me to make sure all the umbilicals and wires were secured correctly, I donned my helmet and he hooked the air supply in for me. Then I received a tap on the helmet for luck. By this time my bird was all warmed up, and i pulled the throttle to nearly takeoff intensity after the tech rolled the ladder away.
In less than fifteen minutes my turn to take off came; and it went as smoothly as the other three hundred takeoffs I had made with this very same aircraft. I received three G's as my wheels left the runway, and within seconds I was buzzing low over the base, waiting for clearance to get to my altitude. As all the rest of my flight lifted off the ground, I was told to gain altitude and get into formation. The commander of the refueling jet radioed me and my group, advising us to form up around the tanker. Our flight plan said we were to escort the tanker out over the Medeterranean sea and hook up with a squad of other fighters on a hush-hush mission, and thier protection was crucial to the success of thier mission - what ever that was!
Shrugging, I tore off after the rest of my squad, many miles behind the now speeding tanker. Hours into the flight, my squadron finally came to within sight of our objective: seven aircraft not unlike our own, yet of a design I was only marginally briefed on. These were the new F-111 stealth fighters, which was said to be reverse-engineered from extraterrestrial craft, but scuttlebut like that in the military was as common as bedbugs in your bunk! Still, they looked like something from out of this world never the less! As the tanker got into position and the strange fighters lined up behind it, the ones in our squadron flanked and tailed the formation.
The first one fueled up without a hitch, as did the second and third one; but the forth one seemed to be having trouble lining up with the long, winged tube that flailed about in the tanker's backwash. Never let a mere cadet fly a multi-billion dollar plane, I always say! After the pilot's third attempt, he finally mated with the tube, and within two minutes flew off to form up with the rest of his squad. Not long after that it was our turn to refuel. It was a long way back to our base! I was assigned the last to be refueled, so i ran shotgun around the tanker as I waited for my turn. Mine came and went without a hitch, and we all slowly circled around for the long trip home...
That's when everything hit the fan!
Within seconds this storm popped up out of nowhere, and there was no indication of this from the weather guys back at the base. The storm had a sudden intensity that staggered the imagination! We tried to outrun the storm, but it engulfed our planes one by one. The tanker plane was first because it was the slowest and less maneuverable than our jets. A fluke streak of lightning lit up the sky, and the tanker's wing was on fire; and seconds after that it exploded with the force of all the fuel it still had on board. As I silently mourned for the pilots and crew, I suddenly noticed that my wingman had gotten struck, and his plane spiraled down out of sight in the clouds that surrounded us. There was a rumble below me and a muted flash from that quarter; and that told me the worst. Poor Cooper! The other two of my squadron careened and spiraled around more lightning bolts, which fried thier electronics as they got too close to them and sent them twirling into each other at supersonic velocity, ending in a fireball that momentarilly blinded me.
Now I was all alone, blinking back spots before my eyes and lost in a storm of unimaginable intensity; and i was hundreds of miles away from my home base. My flying expertise allowed me to avoid destruction a few moments longer, but the angry malestrom outside my canopy seemed to figure it didn't do a good enough job; so it intensified it's lightning and insane wind, looking for me, it seemed! I flew down low, trying to get under the brunt of the storm above, but a surge in wind pushe itself toward me anyway. I jagged as another lightning bolt ripped the sky seventy yards off my port wingtip, which made my forward video sensor freak out for a second. My sensors and gyroscopes were doing a jig as I dodged the worst of the tempest, getting shot at with blinding streaks. I felt like a duck in a shooting gallery! Pretty soon the sensor I could trust were telling me I was about a hundred feet off the deck. A soft landing in the Medeterranean sea would be a welcome relief right about now!
An errant lightning bolt caught my plane amid ships, and danced all along the skin of the craft. As the comparatively weak bolt of electricity penetrated the hull, it made the very air inside metallic tasting with ozone. Within seconds theenergy was playing among my controls, making it dangerous to even touch them; but I had to keep in control no matter the excruciating pain! All of a sudden the clouds partecd and I was in the clear; but what my unbelieving eyes saw was not the gray/green waters of the Med, but lush jungle all around me! I couldn't have flown all the way to central Africa on a full tank of avation fuel - not even with the strongest tailwind on earth!
These were the thoughts I was having as my emergency training took over. I strapped the ejection chair to myself and opened the canopy. The chair rocketed me seventy feet in the air as my jet plane streaked out ahead of me. It would crash land many miles further on, black box automatically sending its' signal until the strong batteries inside wore out. I was half unconcious at this time, but the impact of the chaire's chutes unfurlingsnapped me to full alert. The jungle below definitely looked like it belonged to Africa, but so far there was no sign of indiginous life. I had only seen animals like the ones in Africa only in zoos before!
The heavy chair fell through the canopy, not slowing until the chutes caught enough branches to stop its' descent. I was thrashed hundreds of times by branches as they passed by my face; and then the chair abruptly stopped in midair with a jerk. This was too much strain on the cables attaching the chute to the chair, and this sent me and the chair tilting headfirst and upside down! The rest of the cables held, though; and I soon got to work extricating myself from this precarious predictiment... _
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Post by thundertail on Jun 19, 2007 18:33:49 GMT -5
ONE: "Survival."
The straps holding me to the ejection chair of my now downed F-17 fighter held me tight; but it was quite disorienting hanging upside down more than fifty feet up in a tree. I tried unclasping this webbing, but the buckles must have been damaged somehow. I took out a small knife and began cutting the woven fiberglass straps, but before I was halfway through this, the bands broke and I fell practically head first to the leafy litter fifty feet below. it was a good thing that I was still wearing my flight helmet or I'd've cracked my skull open for sure! I got up on my feet, tested myself for serious injury and looked at thge massive chair high above me - and the tangled mess that was the chutes and tethers that still held it over my head. All of a sudden the branches holding it up there broke all the way through and sent the chair clattering to the ground mere feet away from me. I dodged the branches that came down with it and scrambled to the chair to see if i could canibalize it somehow.
The chair was equipped to house a small supply of rations and other survival gear, and I went to the compartments under the seat cushion to retrieve them. There was no telling how long I'd have to wait to be rescued! I feared that before long I would have to survive by living off the land, but my survival training would surely help me out in that department! In less than ten minutes I had taken all I could carry. I packed it all into the backpack also provided in one of the seat's compartments. Also included in the survival equipment was a standard issue Colt 45 and a hundred rounds of ammo; so I loaded the gun, stowed the remaining rounds in the backpack and stuck the gun into the holster around my waist before slinging the backpack over my shoulders.
My first loogical course of action was to locate my plane and try to get the radio working so I could send out a distress signal. My second course of action was to see if I could find some kind of civilization around here; but if this was central Africa like I feared, the only kind of civilization I was likely to find was that of the most primative variety - two steps away from being in the stone age! You would suspect that I finally decided to set out to find my plane first!
I had been flying predominantly south according to my last reliable compass heading, so I started walking in that general direction through the thicklt forested underbrush. The going was slow, and I was quickly becoming tired and thirsty from all this unused to exertion; but i pressed on despite my discomfort. The atmosphere was so humid that sweat was pouring off me in buckets; and I began to wonder if this jungle was a rainforest or something. The air was alive with the sounds of insects and the calls of many strange birds, but I saw neither hide nor hair of any form of life other than the dense foliage all around me. Some of the calls seemed far away, and occasionally a noise would occur mere yards away; but when I turned to locate the source of the noise, there was nothing there except a disturbed leaf or branch.
After three more of these disturbing events, I decided to unholster my Colt 45 and really keep my eyes open this time! They say that Africa is home to some of the world's most ferocious carnivores, and I heard the larger herbivores were no pushovers, either! It would certainly be a disaster for me if i was anbushed by one of those creatures. As I scanned the trees for dangers, my ears became keen to the noises of the jungle; and wher ever I heard a strange noise, I'd swing around pointing the gun in that direction. This was the way I traveled for the rest of the day, ever on the alert for anything that might attack me; and ever mindful to stay on a southerly course through the thick boles of the trees.
As the sun began to set on my first day of being stranded, I decided to make camp and get some shuteye. My plane wasn't going anywhere anyway! I found a relatively clear spot next to a circle of trees and took off my backpack; and I could have sworn I heard something chirruping in the distance. There was also the sound of a burbling stream not too far away; and a good thing too since the canteen provided with my survival gear was all but empty. I undid my bedroll and set it in the only flat spot in the area, cleared away an area where I would make a small campfire to ward off any nocturnal threats; and then I set out with my gun and canteen to where the stream would surely be. the stream was tiny and swift, so I filled the canten and turned to go; and that was when I saw my first creature.
It was tiny, about the size of a turkey, I guessed; but i thought there were no turkeys in Africa! it was a turkey in general shape only, for there were no feathers or wings; and it had a long, lizardlike tail and compact, strong looking legs. It eyed me with its' green, slitted beady eyes and turned its' popinted beakless head to get a better look at me. it chirruped and hopped onto another log, turned on a dime and hopped back to the log it was previousely on. During this time I slowly aimed the gun on this impossibly quick creature; which only had to be some kind of lizard to me. In mid hop I fired, but missed. The creature didn't bolt, but simply looked at where the bullet struck the log beside it, slightly miffed at the noise. Then it turned its' head to the source of the noise: me! Just as it chirruped again and began to scurry away, I fired again and hit it square in the chest. It squawked and flopped off the other side of the log.
I rushed over the log and saw the tiny creature, the small hole in where i figured the breastbone on a bird would be slowly oozed dark blood. The creature was kind of heavy as i turned it over - perhaps twenty pounds where I would have guessed it to be only five or ten - and its' skin was leathery like a snake, yet very warm to the touch while not being extremely dry. The odor the creature gave off was not exactly like a snake, for there was another ambviance there, like a mammal or a wet dog. as i turned it over I saw the talons on the feet were a deep brown while the ones on the forelimbs were a lighter tan. The body overall was a tannish green with deeper verticle stripes up and down its' back, and redder stripes continuing down the tail. The most unusual feature of all was the fact that it was wearing jewelry of sorts, or so it seemed to me!
On a crudely worked chain of gold or brass hung a fob of sorts, so I pulled it up to get a better look. This was made of the same material in the shape of a taloned hand, and the hand was holding an amber stone of a sort I never seen before. It seemed to give off more light than the dim sunlight filtering through the leaves above could account for. I didn't know where this creature got the jewelry; but I supposed that creatures like this was attracted to shiny objects like this just like some birds are. I decided to keep this necklace and put it into my backpack. Never know when you might need it for barter! I slung the creature over my back, grabbed my canteen and made it back to my camp.
As I tasted how the creature cooked, I stared out into the night with my Colt 45 within easy reach. the nocturnal noises coming from the jungle unnerved me to no end, but the makers of the noises stayed well away from my firelight. The little creature tasted a lot like alligator, or so I remembered from my survival training days in the Florida Everglades, yet a bit different somehow. as I ate my fill, I decided that these little creatures would be an excellent suppliment to my food rations - I could live here as long as it took to be rescued! I took my last bite for the evening and heard a sound remeniscent of what the dead creature had made a few hours ago, only it was long and mournful sounding; just like it was mourning over the creature I had killed.
'Just wait your turn, little one!', I thought to it as I slid into my bedroll. 'Your time might be next!'
I laid down and stared up into the dark canopy of leaves above me; and in what seemed like hours later, I slowly fell asleep. That night I clutched the gun like a child would grasp a teddy bear...
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Post by thundertail on Jun 19, 2007 20:52:24 GMT -5
TWO: "Titans!"
The dappled light filtering through the leaves above me was not what woke me the following morning, but rather the multitude of chittering voices coming from all around me! I scrambled awake and rose to see six of those little creatures all around my campsite, getting into my belongings and hopping madly all over the place.One was busy digging into my backpack and one was trying to crawl under my bedroll while all the others were stomping everything in the area. A lone creature was at the bones of the creature i killed last night, seeming to cry over the carnage. I picked up a stick and threw it at them, but they quickly regrouped and redoubled thier insane hyjinx.
"Go on! Get outa here!", I yelled, but they just hissed at me and continued! I took out my Colt 45 and shot into the air; and that sent them all scattering back into the forest! "And stay out!, I yelled after the gunshot echo died down.
I halted myself from firing another shot for fear of attracting carnivores. The other reason was I just realized that i would have to conserve my ammunition if I was to hunt and protect myself for any length of time! I recalled that this made three bullets were gone from my only supply of a hundred; and I wondered how long that would last. i spent a good hour retrieving things that those pesky little lizards had scattered, packed my bedroll and doused the fire. that gunshot could have attracted other creatures, and ones of the less agreeable variety than the ones who woke me up! I decided to pack up quickly and continue on my way without any further delay. I took out my survival compass and started walking south like I did yesterday.
The relative coolness of the morning swiftly gave way to the sweltering humidity of noontime, and it seemed that I made little progress through the dense jungle. The terrain began to slope downward slightly, and I soon found my way into a mucky swamp! I tried to circle my way around most of it, but my boots sank deeper with every step south. the insects in this area were relentless as they hung around me in swarms, trying to get at the fresh supply of blood just under my skin. Hours later the mucky terrain started sloping upwards, and I began to see short rocky outcroppings among the ever present forest ahead. It wasn't until many hours later that I began to see the first signs of my plane.
It wasn't much to go on, i admit; but the sight of a freshly broken branch in my path gave me new hope. I looked up into the canopy and saw a fresh break high up at the peak of a neighboring tree. I followed the angle of the break a bit further and found larger pieces of freshly broken foliage, and the breaks high up in the trees seemed to have beemn lower as well. It was obvious to me that I was on the right trail now! less than an hour later the broken branches were laying on the ground thick, and soon whole trees were seen broken and splintered on the ground. I was coming into the tail end of the crash site now, and the going was tough as I wound my way through the badly mangled forest.
I crouched low through a tangled knot of branches and stood up to get my bearings. Before i even saw any wreckage from my plane, I heard these tremendous crashes punctuated by the most hideous roars I had ever heard in my life! I ducked back down and crawled on my belly another fifty yards and under the biggest fallen tree I had ever seen, and what met my eyes turned my blood to ice!
There were three of them, thirty feet tall if they were a foot, bipedal and tossing pieces of my plane around like children playing kick-the-can. Thier mean sneers suggested to me that they were looking for something edible in the wreckage; and thier low rumbling snarls told me that they were realizing that there wasn't anything there.
An argument promptly ensued between the two larger ones, and soon they squared off among the debris that was once my F-17 fighter. The smaller of the three stood back, capering and roaring over the entertainment now unfolding before it - the two were now locked in mortal combat. I hunkered down lower, trying not to be seen; and just as soon as the scuffle began, it ended, the loser's toothy snout a ruin of blood. a couple of snaapping gestures from the loser and the trio continued to search my plane. I did not notice this, but the breeze had suddenly shifted; and the smaller monster smelled the air before looking right in my direction!
This huge monstrosity roared loudly and slowly began to stalk in my direction; and was presently followed by his friends. needless to say that I backed out of the underbrush and sprinted in the other direction as soon as i made it to clear ground! before I broke into a full run I looked back and saw the three juggernauts of death bearing down on me at a full trot, which ate up the distance between us faster than I could make it. Instinct and adrenaline finally kicked in, and I sprinted through the forest faster than any trained athelete could. I ran willy nilly through the trees, being thrashed and scratched constantly; but my pursuers paid it little heed, crashing through the forest like it was blades of grass. I was thinking about using my Colt 45 on them, but with all of thier great mass, it would take all the ammo I had left to down just one of them!
As my hundred yard head start dwindled down to mere feet, I reached a rill in the terrain; and this slowed up my pursuers somewhat. That hideous roar followed me as I scampered up a skinny path between two knolls of rock. I scrambled up a slope and found a skinny crack in the rocks just large enough for me to scamper through. I dove for it as the first ones' jaws chomped down on my wake; and I slid down the the crack, which seemed just wide enough for me to crawl through on my belly and allow room for my backpack. the frustrated roar of the defeated beast behind me was deafening in the cramped space, but redoubled as its' friends came and joined the chorous. I was so paralyzed with fear I dared not move for the longest time!
The trio repeated thier roaring at the mouth of this tiny cave for the longest time. What seemed like hours was in reality only about ten minutes. My ears were ringing with the noise, but it slowly ebbed as I realized that they had stopped.
Now I was lying there on my belly, thinking like crazy about what had just happened. I could have sworn that I had seen those creatures before, but where? I searched my memories and came across a time when i went to the museum of natural history with my parents. they displayed creatures like these, only stuffed or in skeletal form; and these creatures were known as...
"TYRANOSAURS?!", my croaking voice echoed in the cramped crack. "What in the world is this all about?!"
If those creatures were Tyranosaurs - dinosaurs! - Then those little creatures the other day must have been dinosaurs too. This was just too much! If they had dinosaurs here, then it would be a great boon to science - but I didn't know where HERE was! The last thing I knew was I was flying over the Medeteranean sea; and no place anywhere near there could possibly support dinosaurs - nor any other place on earth, for that matter. It was either I was going crazy or went through some kind of anamoly and ended up in the past. Or..., OH! There was a ton of explanations that could fit the bill here, but they all seemed too far fetched even for me! I smiled in defeat and said the next thing on my mind:
"I get it! I must have died and went to Jurassic Park!", I then laughed hysterically for a moment before regaining my composure once again.
I became serious and tried to turn around in the cramped space. I wanted to crawl back up and take a look around to see if the coast was clear. It proved impossible to turn around in the narrow space after several tries; and it was a lot more impossible to crawl back out backwards up the sloping cavern. I decided to crawl further in and find a place where i could turn around. the shaft I was in went in quite a distance into the hillside, and many dozens of yards my body slid out into a rather small space. the floor was uneven and wet, but I could at last curl around if I chose to. My mind was still on what I had just discovered, and I dared not go out the way I came and probably be eaten by those five ton bohemoths. I just crouched there, thinking.
The light coming from the hole behind me was gradually fading, and I rummaged through my backpack for the standard flashlight in there. The small chamber might very well be where i would have to spend the night anyway, so I decided to set up camp. After that I looked around the small chamber, playing the flashlight beam all around to make sure there wasn't anything else in here, like a bear or something; but if creatures were to occupy a cave, it would have to be more of the dinosaur lineage.
"Dinosaurs!", I still couldn't believe it!
I played the light all over the small chamber, which seemed as big as my quarters back at the airbase; and found little of interest. There was a narrow ledge about four feet off the floor to my left, which would serve as a good dry place to set up my bedroll. There was no wood in the space, so making a fire was out of the question. the thing that worried me the most about the place was a small slit in the rock in the far corner of the small cavernm. It looked like I could just squeeze through if i tried, and the flashlight showed that it went pretty far in. I was curious on where it went, but was more tired from today's activities at the moment; so I decided to bed down for the night - if it truely was night outside. i grabbed some of my rations, washed it down with my canteen and slid into my bedroll. i turned off the flashlight and grabbed my gun before even thinking about going to sleep.
I woke up at a time that I figured was morning, and I began to get my things ready for the day. Right in the middle of this I remembered where I was and what went on the past day and a half or so - and all the implications made me shudder! here I was, lost on a routine flying mission. I crash land in a place and I don't know exactly where I am. I only know that I am in a place with real live dinosaurs living here - and they are all out to have me for breakfast! I decided to stay and check out the back of my cave before going out there again and perhaps be eaten; so I slid on my backpack and ventured to the rear of the chamber, gun and flashlight in my hand.
I squirmed my way through the crack back there for about five feet and it started opening out dramatically. I could now walk nearly normally down the ever sloping passageway, stooping under outcroppings and smaking my way around boulders. Soon I was in another chamber that was slightly bigger than the one I spent the night in, and found another passageway that led down under a skinny stone arch; of which I had to crawl through on my hands and knees for about seventy yards. This tunnel seemed to be spiraling left and around under where I had been, and I figured that i was at least about a hundred yards below ground by now. The gallery I came out into next had ancient paintings all along its' walls. these were primative paintings indeed, for they resembled paintings I had heard about that were drawn in neolithic caves; except these paintings were definitely saurian inspired in artwork. I passed a stylized Stegosaurus picture done up in ochres and blues, being hunted by sticklike human shapes brandishing what looked like spears. I next passed by a whole wall of sillhouette handprints, which seemed mostly saurian in nature by thier three taloned fingers and the heart shapes of hooflike forepaws. There were human handprints there too, but there seemed to be very few of them there there. As I exited this gallery through another natural portal, I began to wonder just how old those paintings were!
Three hundred feet down this twisting tunnel and I found another large chamber, and this one looked like it saw occupation several thousand years ago. There were scorched areas that betrayed places for firepits, the bones of eaten animals were everywhere in piles and tatters of undecipherable wooen implements were in places; and there were also signs that people had once slept here. Shards of crude pottery lay broken where they fell in the haste of some hurried exodus lay all along a path leading to another section to this cave complex. Gradually the floor of the cave grew smooth under my feet, as did the walls under my hands. Upon closer inspection I saw that the walls seemed carved by tools and by other means; and then I noticed the iron fixtures set into the walls many yards further in, set there at even intervals - these were evidentally wall scones made to hold torches. I followed these scones along the passageways until I noticed the paintings of a more modern form begin not long after. They resembled Egyptian cartuches and hyroglyphs in general design, only these were done with stylized dinosaurs, and were framed with stylized dinosaur footprints; which adorned every block of this mysterious text. Just than it dawned on me that this could be some kind of writing!
As I went along, the stylization of this writing became more and more standardized; changing into the footprint text of an almost readable continuity. If i were an archaeologist, I thought, I'd be in heaven! The next chamber was extremely huge. My flashlight beam didn't even reach the other side. The space in this huge underground valley of stone was occupied with the ruins of hundreds of stone buildings. A whole civilization used to live down here; but I could not tell why it had been abandoned so long ago.
I turned left down an avenue between buildings and came to a huge iron door that was closed. It looked too solid to move by myself, buyt I tried it anyway. I gave the iron rings set into it a giant pull, and the twenty foot tall door swung open so suddenly that it knocked me into the wall behind me and senrt me sprawling on the floor! My gun spilled out of my hands along with the flashlight. The lens cracked as it skittered along the floor to end up next to another wall twenty feet away. Long before this it went out entirely.
Oh, great! Now I was in the middle of a huge cave system in total darkness...
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Post by thundertail on Jun 20, 2007 20:09:10 GMT -5
THREE: "Klamath, armor of Othgar."
I groped around like a blind man by the doorway deep in the cave system below a land - where, I didn't know; and scared out of my socks at the potential danger that might be all around me. I was looking for the flashlight I had dropped and had somehow gone out, and i was also looking for my Colt 45, which I had dropped in the same stupid accident! when I opened the great iron door, I expected it to be extremely heavy and rusted shut. Instead, it had opened like it had been well oiled and perfectly balanced to open at a touch! Stupid me just yanked it open, and it slammed me back with all of its' one ton weight! As I probed the floor on my hands and knees, I felt slight breezes coming from the direction of the passageways that brought me here, blowing around and exiting right through the doorway now open near by. By this evidence, I began to wonder if there was another way out of this cursed dark place as my eyes slowly began to adjust to the inky darkness.
At first it seemed like next to nothing to my eyes, but gradually I could make out gloomy shapes in the total dark. The floor of the place began to take on the shape of a floor, the wall I was near began to take form and the arched doorway I had opened began to take on a dim greenish aura. This feeble light gave me almost enough insight to see a weak glint coming off the lens that could only be my flashlight, so I scrabbled forward and finally retrieved it. the clear plastic shield in front of the lens was scratched but unbroken, but it seemed the bulb had broken - useless! I took a few shuffling steps ahead as I examined the flashlight, and my foot hit something small and hard. I reached down and soon my Colt 45 was in my hands! I holstered the latter and stuck the former in my backpack, then I groped around until I found a wall, renewing my search for a way out of this subterranean maze.
As I searched around I noticed the greenish aura coming from the open doorway was slowly becoming brighter - or was that simply my eyes adjusting? As I peered inside I noticed tiny pinpricks of light coming from the far side of the chamber. As I watched they grew brighter and brighter, and pretty soon i could see dim shapes silhouetted by this greenish sheen. My feet shuffled ahead, following my eyes, until I was just over the threshold; and one more step brought my face against something hard and metallic! Reaching for it clumsily, I found it to be made of thick iron mesh, like a birdcage of sorts; but with further tactile examination, Found wooden objects laying within. Then I discovered its' true purpose: It was a braiser of sorts, made to provide light to the entire chamber! I got out my firestarting material, which was your simple Bic lighter, even thought i knew how to start fires the old fashioned way using flint and steel included in my survival gear - I sparked the tinder and wood inside alight.
As the ligfht from the brasier slowly began to illuminate the space, i noticed the sheen coming off the walls and other ornaments in the room - was all this gold? As the flames rose higher, I saw thatthis was an ampetheatre of sorts. The rounded chamber had a sunken area in the middle, and a dark shape sat at its' center. There were steps leading down each side of the space, ending at a dias of sorts, and on that dias sat on an ornate throne, a figure of indescriminate form. i took the right hand steps, which seemed not desoigned for human strides, and ended up at the foot of the dias. from there i could get a good look at both forms in front of me as well as behind me. The huge form lying in the center of the chamber was old and withered, desecated almost beyond recognition - almost because I recognized it right off! it was a Tyranosaurus rex, laying there as if asleep, head turnecd to the figure on the throne, blank eyes staring up at it as if in rapture, skin in tatters clinging to ribs and other petrified body parts - a ghastly sight if ever i saw one! i was so taken aback at this sight that I didn't notice my retreating feet, and I tripped on the dias in back of me, sprawling on the floor.
I got back up and went to inspect the figure on the throne from a small distance. It had the body of a man, but the head of a tyranosaur; and it seemed armored somehow in black, scaly material. The eyes shone on either side of the head, green and foreboding; and they seemed to glow with a wavering intensity, like the rithym of someone breathing. my fascination of what i was seeing propelled my feet up onto the dias, and i stopped three paces away from this ancient, kingly figure. All of a sudden the eyes started glowing brighter and brighter, almost to a blinding intensity; and this nearly masked out the light of the fire in the braiser. soon the glowing was so intense I had to back away or else I feared it would burn my retenas! This would have undone a lesser man, but what happened next made me nearly lose my mind!
"I am Klamath, armor of Othgar!", I heard more in my head than with my ears. "How dare you disturb my sanctorum?!"
My feet moved without my consent and I stumbled off the dias, nearly crashing into the desicated Tyranosaur!
"Speak! I command!", the voice boomed. "Who be you and why have you come?!"
"I..., uh...!", I stammered as I crawled to my feet. "I... am colonel Decker... Charles Decker... of the United States Air Force.", I cleared my throat and then asked. "Where am I?"
"So, you be lost. And you just stumbled in here?", Klamath spoke again, chuckling. "How long have you been in this place?"
"Well, I was on a refueling mission over the Medeterranean sea.", I told it. "A storm came up, and destroyed my squadron. I ejected as my plane crashed, and I wandered around out there for about two days until I got myself chased in here by Tyranosaurs."
"So! You are new to this land! you are a Dolphinback!", the voice of Klamath said amusedly. "And it seems that you have a lot to learn! The first thing that you should know is this island is called 'Dinotopia'. It is a land where dinosaurs and humans live as one."
"I found out about the dinosaurs, sir.", I told it. "Every one of them tried to eat me!"
"That is because this regeion is called 'The 'Rainy Basin', where the carnivores rule!", it chuckled. "It was a wonder you weren't eaten your first few hours!"
"My military training includes eveding capture.", I hoped this thing had a sense of humor!
"Too true!", it chuckled. "You claim to be a warrior, yet I see no weapons."
"I only have this:", I told it as I unholstered my Colt 45. "It fires a lead pellet faster than the speed of sound.", I aimed it straight up at the golden domed ceiling and fired. The bullet caromed off the ceiling and a multitude of riccochets were heard before theier echoes died down.
"Impressive!", it sounded as such. "Are you skilled in sword or bow?"
"Not much, I'm afraid.", I told it. "I am pretty good with hand-to-hand combat, though."
"Excellent! The battles I could tell you would leave you enthralled!, it boasted.
"If you don't mind me asking, but how did YOU come to be in this place?", I asked.
"Long ago, before your kind came into being, the sky became darkened. All life sought refuge underground.", Klamath began the tale. "Othgar the Great led the creatures into the world beneath, where he had discovered a place of great power. We thrived there as all life above perished, and when the night became day again, we ventured forth to this island to rebuild our lives. Othgar proposed a way of great wisdom, but others sought a way like our ancesters. He constructed suits of armor containing great power to battle these upstarts; but an epic war ensued as a result. Othgar was eventually defeated, and was made to lay we suits of armor away for all time.", Klamath paused as his own memory took over. "I was unearthed many millenia later, and had many wearers. All wanted power and total control over Dinotopia, and all nearly obtained that with my assistance. But each of my wearers had been defeated, and I lay dormant every time. Each time I waited for another wearer, as I wait to this day."
"I see.", I said after a time to digest what it said. "And from the creature over there, your last wearer wore you about two hundred years ago."
"His name was David Quint.", Klamath told me. "He led a group of Dolphinback pirates that followed him. His band wreaked havock all across Dinotopia; but some of his followers turned on him and buried him here. Sharptooth yonder was his Partner. He was always my favorite Tyranosaur...", it trailed off in thought.
"Your tone says that mister Quint is still with you.", I observed.
"He is.", it said. "With every one of my wearers, I combine minds with them. So in a way, he is still with me. He is also with me in the physical sense as well. Open my helmet and see, if you would. Just press the round indent on my chest."
I did as was told, and the Tyranosaur helmet split down the middle, folded in on itself and retreated back behind the collar as if of its' own accord. What I saw in its' place was the skull of a human, sunken eye sockets staring at me accusingly! I saw neck vertabre descending down past the collar, and I was sure the rest of the skeleton was contained inside. I instinctively took many paces back!
"Do not be alarmed, friend! Tell me that you would not turn head upon death!", Klamath said. "I request to you that you would remove David Quint's bones to prepare for my new wearer."
"Well... I don't like this, but will do as you say.", I said, not really relishing the proposed task, yet not wishing to anger this strange entity. "But who would it be to wear you?, I asked as I prepared myself.
"Why, you, of course!", it said. "Surely you can not say that you do not partake in fate!"
"Fate?", I balked as I looked for ways the armor came apart. "I usually find it prudent to find my own fate."
"But is it not true that sometimes fate finds you?", Klamath chuckled as hidden seams split open of thier own accord. "Please accept me as your guide to Dinotopia. Wear me well and I will serve you equally as well.", the armor split in half down the middle like the rind of a fruit, and David Quint's bones slid out on the cobbles before the seated armor.
" I really don't know about this.", I said as i examined the inside of the suit. "The others would have surely sent out a rescue team by now..."
"Perhaps there is one fact that you should consider.", Klamath, the armor of Othgar told me. "Consider how you got here, colonel Charles Decker. Did not the storm you passed through seemed to try to ward you off? the storm, like everything else on Dinotopia, is linked to everything else in a cycle of renewal. This is the defense system that has kept Dinotopia a secret from the rest of the world since time began, and would drive off any who would try to enter. You entered by blind chance, but those who would seek you out would surely end up perishing. What I am saying is that there is little way in and little way out. If I were you, I would accept my fate and forget about being rescued. I am afraid that you shall be here for the rest of your life!"
"But there MUST be some other way!", I protested. "If I made it here, then there has to be some way to leave!"
"Many have tried, but all have failed.", Klamath said flatly as I finished clearing out the cobwebs, bits of petrified flesh and tatters of clothiing from his interior.
"But with modern technology, like what my jet was equipped with, it could be possible."I reasoned. "It made it through, and could do it again."
"That may be true, but do you posess another jet?", it chuckled. You say it crashed, and no longer functions!
I soon fell silent and sat on the edge of the dias. The words the entity inside this strange suit of armor stung me to my very soul. It said I could NEVER go back to the life I left behind? I was as good as imprisoned on an island in the middle of nowhere with creatures that had been dead everywhere else for over sixty-five million years - and there was nothing I could do about it. This i simply could not believe; but as I sat there I began to see that I really had no other choice, and this was the only life I was ever going to have. In the mean time the entity calling himself Klamath remained silent, courteousely allowing me time to think things over. I turned to stare at the broken remains of David Quint, whose jaw was now set so it looked like he was smiling at me; then over to the bohemoth corpse of the Tyranosaur before me (His name was Sharptooth.). Ibegan to realize that I was hungry, so I slid my backpack around and drew out an energy bar and then my decision came to me that would surely change who I was going to be in this place.
"Klamath, armor of Othgar.", I told it as I stood before the seated figure. "I accept your offer, and choose to wear you. I have reached the decision that, since i knoe next to nothing of this place, it is prudent that I take all the help I can get."
"Colonel Charles decker, pilot of the United States Air Force,", the suit of strange armor said. "That is a wise and prudent decision in your case. I accept your ownership from this day until the day you die.", the helmet reformed over the now emptied suit, and the tyranosaur eyes glowed green, pulsing with the entity's every word. "Now come, accept the honor I bestow upon you!"
I saw the whole suit begin to glow, but not green like the eyes. The whole suit began to split and seperate down the middle in preparation for me: Arms, legs, torso and finally the helmet. I paused to take off my backpack and flight helmet, leaving on the water-cooled garment under my flight suit for cushioning. It looked like my boots would not fit inside the armored boots of the suit, so i took those off too. I then turned and backed to a sitting position within the armor.
As one the leggings and arm guards scrolled back over my arms and legs, then the chestpiece did the same. Gauntlet sections slid out the cuffs and formed metallic gloves over my fingers as the helmet closed over my face. at first I was encased in total darkness, but soon a clear oval formed in front of my face like a windshield. The view I saw out there wass the ampetheatre chamber, but everything stood out in the briskest of details. I lifted my right arm and flexed the fingers, doing this easily as i tried to look around. the helmet prevented me from doing so, but the view shifted that way just the same. I tried to rise, but it took extra effort and leverage before the suit finally complied and I was standing again.
"Now you are one with the suit.", the voice of Klamath said in my ears only this time. "Use me wisely and I will not fail you."
"You are truely a marvel of engineering!" I told it, flexing my arms and legs. "Empty, you must weigh hundreds of pounds,: yet I can move as easily as if I'm wearing nothing!"
"I can anticipate your body's movements, and motivate myself accordingly." Klamath said. "Notice your field of vision. Light is focused through my eyes and I can transfer it to your eyes."
"Just like television cameras!", I compared. "You must have something like servomotors incorporated in you to help the joints move, too."
"I am not familiar with those things.", Klamath said. "But so long as those terms suit you, so be it!"
"You also seem to have a sense of humor, it seems!", I chuckled. "You also seem to have a complex computer processer to coordinate the armor and make you appear sentient."
"The armorers of Othgar made us in mysterious ways.", Klamath said. "It may be so that those things were possible.", my legs began to walk. "Now come! I will show you my master's domain...!"
"I don't think I should leave my stuff here.", I said as I bent to grab my backpack - and was abruptly jerked back upright!
"They will be safe here.", it said. "Now come...!"
I didn't have time to complain as it quickly led me up the all-too-wide stairs to the entrance to the ampetheatre. At the doorway it paused, and i could see a vast vista of crumbling buildings and statuary. The building designs seemed to be a mixture of every building style in the ancient world, and the ststues depicted ornate humans and fierce dinosaurs in either noble or heroic poses. All these artifacts were inside a huge chamber, spreading out for thousands of yards and kept on going as far as I could see.
"This was my realm.", the voice told me as we walked. Millenia ago, this city thrived. When the skies went dark, this was one of the capitols of the World Beneath." the voice rose in volume until it echoed all around. "BEHOLD...! 'HALCYON'...!"
"Such a large place!, I breathed. "And I suppose that this 'World Beneath' was he refuge for life on this island?"
"The ones that traveled to the land above betrayed the will of Othgar!", Klamath spat with scorn. "Here was a place of harmony and order!"
"Perhaps they wanted to expand thier horizons.", I suggested. "You know, to see new things..."
"They betrayed Othgar!", Klamath painfully echoed its' voice in my head. "They turned thier backs on the true way!"
"You know, where i come from, everyone has the right to live as they want to.", I told it. "No one should feel compelled to dictate thier will on others."
"What do you know, flea?!", It berated me as i stopped in my tracks thanks to him. "You Dolphinback! You fell from the sky, and now you tell ME these things?!", it threw me to the ground. "It seems obvious that I made a mistake in choosing you!", it would not let me up!
"You can keep me like this forever if you like.", I told it flatly. Was the suit trying to crush me?! "But it will not change how things are! If you wish the will of Othgar to be obeyed, then perhaps it is possible to do it a different way!"
"How so?", Klamath asked, finally releasing me and allowing me to stand with his help. "Please elaborate."
"The ones out there has no doubt invented thier own forms of government by now.", I began. "All that needs to be done is to explore thier ways and laws to find ways to achieve the ends you wish."
"You know, when David Quint was alive, he traveled this island far and wide. His ways were not the ways of tho0ese above; and that, to them, made him a criminal.", Klamath's voice toild me. "During his escapades, I had learned a lot about thier laws of that time. The ones above lived a highly traditional way of life, and thier government was one where everyone had fair say, but only one had absolute sway."
"I am not very learned in world governments, but that sounds like a Parliamentary form of government.", I said. "Much like what they use in Great Britian today. Of course I would need to see thier complete governmental charter to be sure, but there might still be some hope."
"What do you need?", it asked me.
"The first thing I need is for you to tell me everything you know about Dinotopia so I can get a feel for the place.", I told this strange suit of armor that encased my body. "And PLEASE!... Do not try what you just did to me again!"...
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Post by thundertail on Jun 21, 2007 20:15:48 GMT -5
FOUR: "One Raindrop..."
As I soon found out, Klamath, the armor of Othgar was neither good or evil. It merely wished to serve for the better purpose, and generally took on the will of its' wearer, and its' last wearer was not exactly the most upstanding sort. I am at least a little more noble than david Quint was, or so Klamath told me, and that was the reason why it finally decided to carry out its' purpose my way. It gradually conceeded that people indeed had the right to choose thier own way, and live thier own life; but to get the people to go back to the ways of Othgar would take a tremendous feat of political maneuvering, I toild it! I taught Klamath this while Klamath taught me the ways of Dinotopia as he remembered from hundreds of years ago. We toured everywhere in Halcyon for several days, always returning to the ampetheatre at a time that I perceived as night.
The sights in the city were quite overwelming, and the artifacts left behind by the former occupants proved that the citizens enjoyed a very high level of technology. I found remnants of waterwheels and clockwork mechanisms, what looked to me like pieces of cameras or telescopes, parts to what seemed to be robotic contrivances in places of glasswear and other scientific devices. there were places where herbs and other medicines were stored, but those had long since disintegrated. of course there were inns and pubs and other places where the citizens congregated; but any food there had rotted away a long time ago. We visited homes by the score, from those of the super rich to those of the most utilitarian personnel; and all of those cointained artifacts belonging to thier former occupants.
Klamath told me about the codes of Dinotopia: 'One raindrop raises the sea.', 'Eat to live, not live to eat.', ' Weapons are enemies, even to thier owners.', and all the rest; of which I tried to make comparasons with sayings I had heard over the years - and this amused Klamath to no end! He told me (I should start using the term 'he' here because I perceived him as a male entity.) of how humans and dinosaurs form relations known as 'Partnerships', friendships that go deeper than friendship; and I tried to compare it to all the friendships I had had over the years, but he said that those would pale by comparason. he told me that humans and dinosaurs had formed a symbiosis out of necesity when it came to utilization of thier land and the raising of thier crops. they even thought as one, so he said; and it reminded me of how he said that everything on Dinotopia is linked with everything else. he said that both the humans and the dinosaurs were very proud of the work they do, and very adamant about thier way of life, which was a life of total peace and contemplation. I said that it sounded like the philosophy of a Hindu monk, and he said that this was true. He had heard of them, for many monks had made it to Dinotopia a long time ago, and that both philosophies were indeed similar.
I contemplated this last instruction while chewing my energy rations one day. I looked down and discovered it was the last piece!
"You know, I'm going to have to find food pretty soon.", I said offhandedly. "I'm fresh out!"
"Forgive me, colonel Charles Decker!", Klamath said all of a sudden. "I had forgotten that corporial beings require sustanence in order to survive!"
"Well, my body might have resented it,", I began jokingly. "But at least you fed my mind!"
"Never the less, you must be famished!", he said. "I shall lead you to the surface at this time if you wish."
"It would surely be good to know the way out.", I replied. "But it certainly wouldn't be good to go out the way I came in. Those Tyranosaurs might still be around!", as one we turned back toward the ampetheatre. "I think we'll need my backpack and gun..."
"You would not need those!", he said. "You would do better using swords, spears and bows! I could train you on them, you know."
"I think it would be best to hunt using things I'm used to.", I said as my feet moved across the dusty cobbles. "Remember me telling you how I shot that little dinosaur?"
"Yes, and so unsporting of you!", he said as we made it to the final boulavard with the ampetheatre at its' end. "But so long as you were able to procure food..."
Funny thing about that dinosaur.", I said absently. "It was wearing jewelry - and makeup too, I think!"
"Ah yes! The females of many species so adorn themselves." Klamath told me. "She must have been wealthy indeed to be able to procure such luxuries!"
"And the other one that seemed to mourn over her bones.", I continued. "I'm assuming that one was her mate?"
"True, bonds of mating can run very deep in some species.", Klamath told me as we entered the ampetheatre. "He must have been very sad indeed!"
"And to think: i was responsable for breaking up thier family!", I chuckled, then as an afterthought: "Say Klamath, do you require sustenance?"
"I do not require food as you do. I run on a power source called 'Sunstones'.", he told me. "My inner workings are laced with them. Sunstones can last for many thousands of years without needing to be replaced. Sunstones are crystals that give off light and other rays, and have many other uses besides as power sources."
"The jewelry the dinosaur was wearing had a crystal that glowed set into it.", I told him as I turned to grab my backpack. "I left it in here..., somewhere..."
I began looking until I found the crude brass chain. I pulled it out and held it aloft until the amulet part was seen. The crystal glowed a soft amber, and I felt excitement growing from the suit. Of thier own accord, my arms raised the amulet and placed it around the helmet's neck. next they took the crystal in its' mount and placed it on a spot on the chest resembling a reptillian scale. The amber sunstone glowed brighter until it was an almost blinding yellow/white.
"This is a controller Sunstone!", Klamath announced triumphantly. "It can be used to manipulated other Sunstone powered devices, or as a key to unlock some hidden thing. If my memory serves me, it could be the key to unlock the chamber of the 'Strutters', or some other such chamber in the World Beneath!"
"Strutters?", I didn't know that term.
"Mechanical contrivances made to look like dinosaurs.", he told me simply. "They were used in the wars I told you about. My master, Othgar had been made to disassemble them and destroy thier Power Sunstones. All he did was to take only a few apart, and he hid thier Power Sunstones elsewhere in the World Beneath. They were quite huge and very powerful. They nearly destroyed Dinotopia!"
"So, these things were like Juggernauts.", I compared. "Or more than likely like army tanks!"
"Such were thier power, but they are powerless unless someone restores them and replaces thier Control Sunstones.", he said. "This Control Sunstone might just be the one that opens the chamber where they are hidden."
"No kidding! But you know, we might not have time to look for them now.", I said as my stomach rumbled. "I think we should hide that somewhere..."
"I know where.", Klamath told me. "Follow me."
Klamath moved to his throne, and me along with him, until he was directly behind it facing out. He reached out and grasped the two fanglike projections in the ornately carved piece of furnature. all of a sudden the whole throne slid many feet forward, revealing a hidden trap door; and upon opening it, I saw a wrought iron ladder that descended into the gloom. my feet touched stone floor about ten feet down, and the space under there was as large as the circumference as the lower part of tha ampetheatre. This space was crammed with all forms of weaponry, from the most ancient to things that looked almost space aged in design. Rack upon rack of the stuff lay where they had been placed, covered in countless years of dust. tables lined the walls in places, and Klamath went to the nearest one, which was crammed with weapon parts and other unknown contraptions. There he pulled out a small metal chest with an intricate looking latching mechanism. He opened the box and dangled the necklace inside, which I saw had all kinds of multicolored jewelry, of which some of them shone of thier own accord; then he replaced the box where he found it after closing the lid.
"No one will find it in my personal armory!", Klamath gloated. "Now let us be on our way! I am sure you must be completely famished by now!", I had no choice in the matter as my legs quickly propelled me up the ladder and back into the ampetheatre. The throne slid back into position as soon as the trap door was closed.
Through both our volitions, we picked up my backpack and gun and headed out of the ampetheatre. we left the corpses of David Quint and sharptooth the Tyranosaur to guard the place until our return. An hour later and all the way across Halcyon there was another iron door, and went through it once it opened to a wide passageway on the other side. This led to a stairway that was clearly large enough to allow the largest known dinosaur to ascend up them, so we did likewise. Many thousands of steps later we came to a skinny window, the light coming from there stunning me due to lack of real light for all these many days. I paused, standing there to observe the forested wonder beyond.
"The Rainy Basin!", Klamath annmounced with pride. "The most pristine place on Dinotopia!"
"It looks just like the rainforests of South America.", I commented.
"It also contains the highest concentration of prey.", Klamath told me. "You should be most successful here! Come along now."
He led me further around the stairway, and it came out to a portal that led outside to a secluded courtyard with ruined walls and crumbled statuary and pedestals. Through a cleft in this formation beyond this we walked, and took the dirt path beyond that. the path sloped down from the foothill area we were in, and we were swallowed up by the thick jungle ahead.
Hearing the constant chatter of creatures of the forest, I unholstered my Colt 45 and assumed a more cautious approach to my walking. Klamath sensed these things also, and silently had me redouble my stealthy movement. At a rustle many yards to my right, we both decided to crouch by a log. Several of these bipedal creatures nearly twice as large as the little dinosaur i ate my second day here were picking nuts off the ground by a stand of trees. klamath told me through thought that these creatures were called strutheomimus, and really good eating!
I only crept to the other end of the log to get a better shot at them, but that was enough noise to alert one of them to my presence; and soon all of thier heads bobbed up, looking in every direction! aiming at the last one to raise its' head, i fired; and the blood sprayting from the neck told me I hit the creature's juggular. The noise of the shot was enough to make the rest scatter, but one seemed to linger on at the perifery of the tiny clearing just out of sight. I crept in and examined the kill, but for some reason i sensed the hiding creature's remorse as i tried to figure out how to carve its' fallen friend. The creature showed itself slightly and chirruped sadly, and i looked up at it suddenly, the Tyranosaur helmet giving it a momentary start.
"Don't look at me that way!", I yelled at the mansize creature, but it didn't move. "I am hungry!"
It yelled at me back, letting off a loud scornful tyrade of sounds. I thought I could hear a word in English, but it was Klamath translating: "MURDERER!"
"You murder plants when you eat them!", Klamath boomed back in its' own language, but I could understand also. This gave the creature such a start that it bolted away and blended into the forest.
"Is that how they think of us?", I asked Klamath. "Murderers?"
"All plant eaters consider all life precious.", he told me. "When one animal kills another animal, no matter if it is for food or otherwise, they consider it murder and a waste."
"Well, I won't waste this!", I said, then remembered I had lost my knife back in Halcyon a couple of days ago. "How am I going to cut this up?", I asked offhandedly.
"Let me show you.", Klamath moved my left arm out, rotating the wrist upward. he made me clench my fist, and my little and index fingers touched two scale-like studs on the gauntlet. suddenly twin daggerlike stillettos ten inches long sprung out of the forearm pieces, resembling the twin claws on Tyranosaur fingers. "I have all sorts of hidden defenses, but these can serve as butcher's implements."
"I guess so!", I exclaimed as i examined the deadly little knives that had sprouted from my wrists. "They would also come in handy for fighting!"
"Precisely!", Klamath said. "Now eat, before it goes bad! Do you eat raw meat?"
"I try not to. I like it cooked, personally.", I said as I scanned the area for a spot to make a fire. "I like to eat vegetables and fruit, too."
"I see. Then i should show you the plants that are edible for humans as well as dinosaurs pretty soon.", he said. "There are many plants here that are poisonous, and many plants that have medicinal properties. I should show you those as well."
"That would be good.", I told him as i cleared leaves from the small clearing. "What I need now is help to build a fire."
Presently a fire was built, and the Strutheomimus was busilly roasting away as i sat on a log in the middle of the Rainy Basin. As I watched it cook, Klamath was telling me about the trees that surrounding us. The ones to my right that i thought were pines were of an ancient conifer variety that the larger sauropods just love. The stick i was twirling in the fire was made of cycad, another all but extinct species of tree. the ferns and lichens growing around in clumps at the basexs of trees were easily recognizable to me, for they grew nearly everywhere in the outside world. there were sparse patches of weeds and low growing bushes around too; and the suit told me that, while the weeds grew common flowers, the bush could cure mild arthritus. I listened on until I figured the Strutheomimus was cooked enough, then i dug in with animalistic gusto; and my extremely famished body thought the experience to be immensely refreshing!
That night i slept there, and in the morning we set out for another round of hunting, foraging and learning about each other's worlds. We scoured the whole area for many square miles, but that small band of Strutheomimus was nowhere to be found. With the help of Klamath, I found tubers along with red and blue berries growing by a rivulet; and something even more foreboding. the tracks of a Tyranosaur was there in the mud, and Klamath told me that due to the posture of the print, and the ones all around, this one was on the trail of gaame. he said that it would lead us to the kill, and it wasn't undignified to scavenge anothers' kills. Tyranosaurs do it all the time, after all! My heart wasn't very much into the prospect of possibly meeting up with the makers of those prints, but I followed Klamath through the woods anyway - as if I had a choice!
More tracks were detected not too far off, and we ran after them with determination on Klamath's part, but with extreme trepidation on my part! I didn't know about klamath, but i certainly didn't want to confront a full grown tyranosaur while it was feeding, but this suit of strange armor assured me that the tracks were many hours old; and the creature had probably had his fill already and abandoned the kill. soon a ridge of stone could barely be seen emerging from the ground from the leafy soil to my right, and rose until the stones themselves were seen. It turned out to be a crumbled wall, straight as an arrow and leading to some sort of temple in the near distance; and this temple had the look of some sort of Incan design. The tracks led around the left of the overgrown complex,l and what I saw there wouldcertainly give even Klamath pause!
On the ground lay a half eaten Stegosaur, blood and entrails all over the small opening in the trees where it had obviousely had its' last stand. A bloodied tyranosaur was crouched over the kill, protecting it against two other tyranosaurs of slightly larger stature. The sounds of the beasts as they yelled and postured at each other was deafening, and the stench of three full grown beasts in the heat of impending battle was enough to make me gag if the helmet wasn't in place and fairly well sealed. One of the interlopers would make an advance on the carcass, and the defender would hiss and snap until the attacker backed off. First one would try, then the other; but this was taking far too long for them, so they decided to go after the kill all at once!
As one would leap for the kill, the other rushed in and tackled the defender off the kill. i had to brace myself as the impact of thier fall shuddered the ground; and that made me take refuge behind the nearest section of wall. The second Tyranosaur got one mouthfull before the defender leapt back up and gored his neck; but the third clamped down on his hind leg and nearly ripped it out of the socket. Limping and bleeding, the defender decided that two was just too much to handle, and slowly staggered away.
It wasn't enough that the two victors had won the Stegosaur; for the least injured of the two ran after the loser, passing out concealed position, and fell on the loser with bone rending ferocity. Within a moment the loser was dead nearly at my feet, but the winner of the fight was to busy eating the loser to notice us! I decided to keep it that way and slithered further back behind the wall until i could get away permanently. It was nearly three quarters of a mile later that I finally stopped running due to exhaustion. Between gasps, I began berating Klamath for almost getting me killed!...
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Post by thundertail on Jun 23, 2007 20:21:23 GMT -5
FIVE: "The Rainy Basin."
As the days rolled by in the Rainy Basin, my skills at hunting grew to point where I would be successful more often or not. It was amazing how close to battle hunting was! The suit's knowledge of the ways of Dinotopia quickly dwindled to a point where I would know Klamath's tales better than Klamath did. I began to discover the patterns of travel my dinosaur prey would ply, and set traps of ambush and stealth on them, and nearly always enjoyed a rousing success! I began to follow the carnivores in the jungle, my growing skills of stalking made me nearly invisible to thier far keener senses. I would sometimes thwart thier plans, and bag the animals that they had intended to catch; and I supposed that this angered them to no end!
This was the jungle, after all: survival of the fittest, and all that!
Klamath would surrender control of the suit to me for days on end afterhe knew I could handle the suit's functions. I found out that, after my supply of bullets began to run low, that the suit had a ray of sorts that can knock out animals - something not unlike a Taser, where an electromagnetic pulse shot out a tiny tube in my right gauntlet. I began to get adept at aiming and firing the device, where I would clench my fist over a palmsize stud at the wrist connection. Pretty soon I could down dinosaurs many times my size, using the twin stillettos to make the killing blow!
I was not without compassion for the beasts I slew in the Rainy Basin, hence I felt just as guilty at killing the ones for food as the ones I killed in self defense. I knew that most of these creatures had intellegence in one way or another, and they had the right to live too. That didn't defray my own right to live, however; and any dinosaur who would trifle with me would meet thier untimely end! The days grew to weeks, and my skills at survival grew to become more than I could had ever hoped for!
One day, while out not exactly hunting, I sensed a disturbance in the near by jungle. As I went to see, I began to hear a battle between titans in the distance, and not long after that I could see the results. This was evidentally a battle over territory, and the gory scene I came to was proof of that. The winner didn't even bother to eat the loser, for her throat was torn out and her entrails were strewn everywhere; but the winner was nowhere to be found! I looked the death scene over carefully; for even though it seemed to be a free meal to me, the killer could still show up at any time! As I snuck in and started carving at an exposed muscle, I heard crashing through the trees, and knew the winner was swiftly returning; so I quickly retreated to a large stand of broken down trees. thr huge male Tyranosaur knew that someone had been at his kill, and let out a tremendous, bloodcurdling bellow that sent flying creatures in the branches high above into flight. I crouched deeper into the thicket; and that's when I heard the scruffy mewling scant feet to my right!
I wheeled around silently, pointing the stunner gauntlet toward the noise; but what I saw when I looked was the tiniest Tyranosaur I had ever seen! It was merely a hatchling, not much older than a week old and not much bigger than a toy poodle; and it studied the larger monstrosity that was dismembering what could only be his mother from the same log I was hiding behind. Every time the beast would take a bite, the little one would give out hushed whimpers, as if he felt pain for his fallen mother.
A moment later the hatchling noticed me looking at him, and he let off a low, childlike growl. I waved at him, smiling, and made shushing gestures quietly. I hoped he would understand: but instead he looked at the other monstrosity not far off, and stifled himself of his own accord.
"The fallen Tyranosaur is his mother.", klamath told me in my mind as I watched the carnage unfold. "You see how he grieves every time the male takes a bite?"
"I noticed.", I thought back. "The poor kid! He won't last three days without her!"
"I know what to do, but I will need full control of the suit", Klamath told me silently. "I also ask for your complete cooperation."
"Lead on, McDuff!", I said, then translated as I felt his confusion. "That means go ahead."
With inhuman speed the suit propelled me out of hiding, running straight toward the lumbering giant; who hadn't yet seen me due to his hungerlust. Klamath roared Tyranosaurlike at it before producing the daggers and stunner device, along with another device I didn't know he had. He leapt on the creatures downturned snout and shoved the knives deep into it. This got the creature's total attention, and he bucked and swung to dislodge this tiny juggernaut. Klamath hung onto the creature as it began roaring in extreme anger and swaying to dislodge us, but the suit clung on as if by some miracle. The beast backed up and tried to slam us off against a tree, but klamath scampered around to the back of the neck and clamped down around the throat with both legs; then ha began to squeeze with superhuman strength. Within a few moments the beast was slowing markedly, scrabbling for us with his inadequate forelimbs and coughing for lack of air. As the beast nearly passed out, Klamath let go and we dropped to the ground.
Once the Tyranosaur saw the puny thing that dared attack him, he roared and tried to charge us. Klamath saw this and used the stunner this time, combined with the other device, and shot the creature multiple times. Tha force of the second device was like a gigantic fist that staggered the creature back with invisible waves that rippled the air, and the stunner's energies coursed all over the beast's hide. With that combination being fired on him, the beast rocked and staggered back; recovering from each blast slower every time. Once the beast was too worn out to put up a fight, Klamath leapt on the carcass of the fallen female and roared a warning in Tyranosaur, punctuating this with a loud warning hiss. The male Tyranosaur was going to let out a defying roar of his own, but the frightened look on his face told us that he thought better of it. The tyranosaur quickly turned and beat a rather hasty retreat, still wobbly from the battle.
As soon as his footfalls echoed into nothingness, the helmet retracted and I could see with my own eyes the battleground, and hear the mewling of the hatchling as he aproached his dead mother's snout. As my pantings from the assisted exertion waned a bit, I stood and slowly came near the little creature. As he saw me, he began to growl menacingly, covering his mom's snout protectively. I crouched and extended my hand, but he snapped at it, eyes bleary with his weeping. I circled around him until I was on the other side of his mom's snout, and then I began to stroke her muzzle, head bowed in sorrow that was almost nearly truely felt.
"Poor mom, huh?", I said in human, but the kid didn't understand. "It's hard to lose a parent.", I continued, producing almost true tears myself. The hatchling just stared at this stranger who seemed almost as sad for his mother as he was, and mewled at me questioningly.
"Let me try.", Klamath said in my head, then spoke to the hatchling in Tyranosaur, translating so I could understand too: "Little one, I greave for your loss. It is sad to be alone for one so young. If I may, could I take care of you? You would not survive for very long without help."
He mewled in confusion, then snapped at us in frustration; and it was clear that he didn't understand Tyranosaur yet, either! The chick presently turned his attention to his mother, whimpering and trying to nudge her awake.
"Here, let me try something.", I thought to the suit.
I slowly yet purposefully reached toward the little one, and ever so gently placed my hand on his back. seeing that the tyke didn't seem to mind this, I slowly stroked up and down his spine. The little ones' reaction to this was to draw his teary eyes into slits, either in pleasure or annoyance, I could not tell. I drew my hand away just as slowly; and when the hatchling noticed this, he drew his nose close to my fingers and let me touch there. Soon I was stroking his muzzle and gently rubbing under his chin; and the chick looked like he was slowly forgetting about his mother and becoming used to this strange yet friendly creature before him.
"This is working a lot better than I thought!", I thought to the suit.
"Excellent! I believe you have just made yourself a Partner!", Klamath thought to me. "I think it's time you think of a name for him."
"Hmmm!", I smiled down to the tyke. He smiled back to me - or was that just the way he normally looked? "Now, what shall I call you?"
"Grrrrrappppp!", the little one exclaimed.
"No, don't help me! I'll get it!", I said theatrically as the hatchling bobbed at my every word. "How about...", I thumbed my chin. "How about 'Rex'! How does that sound to you, Rex?"
"Grrrep!", the little one tried to imitate.
"You say it better than me!", I chuckled. Rex made a growling purr.
"REX?!", Klamath thought to me. "I thought you could be more original than that!"
"Hey! I'm not used to naming Tyranosaurs! Cut me some slack!", I thought back to him, which made him fall silent.
Then I turned my attention to the little creature at my feet. He looked up as if he was wondering why I hesitated.
"Now Rex, I guess you might be hungry. Am I right?", I asked him.
"Yap!", Rex snapped, then opened wide expectantly.
"I guess so!", I said as I rose slowly so as to not startle him. "I'll be right back! Don't go away!"
I skirted around Rex's dead mother to the rear of the carcass. There I sliced a small slab of meat from the base of her tail area, which was well out of eyesigh from the hatchling. I came back and deposited the slab on the ground next to him. He sniffed at it and looked at me mournfully.
"I know it's your mom, Rex.", I said in a consoling tone. "But I think she would have wanted you to do this - given the circumstances."
Rex did not seem to understand, and turned his nose up at the food no matter how many times I would jiggle it. More than twenty minutes later, his hunger eventually won out over his grief; and took a tiny, testing bite - immediately followed by many more! I watched proudly, almost as proud as his mother might have been, until he was done; and as he burped, he staggered toward me and stumbled right into my legs! I caught him and cradled him to the ground, where he presently lapsed into a torpid sleep.
I looked down on this future terror and smiled. How cute this little one was!
"You know, it takes a lot of effort to raise a hatchling - of any type.", Klamath informed me. "You will have to hunt like you never hunted before!"
"Yeah, you're right.", I thought back as I drew the chick near. "Say, what was that other weapon you used on 'Big And Ugly' back there?"
"It is called 'cza-voon', a weapon that pushes.", he told me. "The stunning weapon is called 'cza-taka'. My creators have placed within me many weapons of attack and defense. You have seen my superior speed and strength, as I was capable of defeating that Tyranosaur. I have a shield system called 'cza-phah', which deflects blades and renders myself invisible. However, I still preferr weapons of more conventional form; like swords, spears and bows."
"And to hunt well enough to suffice both myself and Rex, I should get good on those as well as the ones you currently posess.", I told him silently.
"Then let me teach you how.", Klamath said as he noticed my own weariness. "But first we should find a safe place for slumber."
With that he gently lifted the sleeping hatchling, and we all crept deeper into the forest.
As the days wore on, Klamath, Rex and I traveled far and wide across the Rainy Basin; and the game we caught sufficed all of us. Baby Tyranosaurs grow very quickly, and as the weeks rolled on Rex soon stood knee high. His appetite grew along with his size, and I soon had him practice catching his own meals. We came across swampy areas, where clouds of giant dragonflies and other insects flourished; and I grew quite entertained at Rex's antics as he hopped up repeatedly to catch those buzzing creatures! I truely began to perceive that Rex really thought that I was his mother - or at least a close relative; for his affection for me seemed nearly equal to what he would have shown for his mother. He would look for approval at things he did, and seek praise for a successful kill; and of course I would praise him for anything he would do, for I grew to love him just as strongly as he seemed to love me.
Weeks turned into months, and Rex soon grew into a creature nearly my own height - or maybe a little bit more; and his strength grew in proportion to his size. Soon he became far stronger than my unaided human strength could handle; but he knew we were friends, and limited his playtime accordingly. We would roughhouse in the leafy forest floor and tickle one another, rolling around and laughing with the fun - even though his laughter was more like low, chuffing grunts! With the coaching and cautioning of Klamath in my ear, we had things rather well for ourselves; and I was quickly becoming happy with the prospect of staying on Dinotopia fpr the rest of my life!
Things for me could not have been any better!...
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Post by thundertail on Jun 24, 2007 10:24:49 GMT -5
SIX: "Company."
I figured that it had been close to four months since my F-17 jet crashed, but the time didn't seem to matter considering where I was.
I was free!
I couldn't care less if, by some miracle, I was rescued from here; on the contrary, I dreaded the prospect! During this time we had made a semi-permanent campsite, located back by the courtyard where Klamath led me out of Halcyon and the World Beneath; and we had established our hunting territory in that area, keeping the hunting expeditions down to a few days at a stretch. There were all sorts of well worn dirt roads throughout the Rainy Basin, and a crossroads of sorts led right through this place. One time during an expedition not too far away from camp, something seemed amiss, so we went to take a look.
"You smell something, Rexy?", I asked the mansize creature beside me.
"Arrrgh..., vizz!", Rex grumbled. His way of saying to follow him, I guessed! His voice was growing deep and resonant.
The animal trail we were following was a ways off from the nearest dirt road, but at bent twigs and disturbed undergrowth, I knew Rex had caught the scent of an abandoned kill of some carnivore. He led me through the woods and directly onto a bend in another dirt road, then aftwer a few minutes of following the road, he turned back into the woods at a full trot. this was much faster than I could run unaided, so I had Klamath put on more speed. Two miles later, in a trough between two rills of earth, the wheels of an abandoned cart of sorts was seen. As we got closer we saw the gory remains of a full grown Triceratops still rigged to the cart.
"Wonder what happened here.", I asked, and Rex made a tiny shrug with his tiny arms as I went to inspect the carcass. "Looks like a carnivore attack to me."
"This kill is only six hours old.", Klamath told me. "I sense a human form close by."
"I wonder if the creature who did this is still around.", I wondered aloud. I knew that, if there was any threat around, Rex would have been really agitated. "Well, either way, you get a free meal. Right Rexy?", the Tyranosaur grumbled happily.
"The human presence is fifty five strides to the southwest.", Klamath reminded me. "He is closing in slowly."
"Better eat up quick, boy.", I told Rex. "Company's coming!", Rex lifted his head and sniffed the air. A low, unsure rumble was his response.
"No, I think you should go hide.", I told my saurian friend. "Let me handle this."
The human didn't really show himself to us, but rather stayed in the shadows of the forest. I knew he was aware of our presence, or at least mine as Rex had retreated many hundreds of yards deeper into the woods; but I wasn't too sure of the nature of the person watching us. Did this person wish us harm, or was he merely curious?
I had to find a way to bring him out without undue harm, but was at a loss. Klamath told me he had an idea, and I allowed him to use the suit fully. He activated the forcefield feature of the suit, rendering us invisible, and walked right towards where he sensed the hidden intruder. The intruder didn't know what to make of it as we suddenly appeared right next to him, so he turned and began to pummel us mercilessly! The suit took the impacts, and it took many moments to overpower and immobilize the human; and when the tussle was over I could see that this human was a woman!
She was very tall and lanky, extremely strong looking and dark of skin. Her wardrobe was that resembling some sort of Russian or Mongolian garb, which was tattered and torn almost to the point of uselessness. Her black shortcropped hair accentuated her huge white teeth as she sneered at me, still trying to force her way out of the suit's vicelike grasp. I think it would have calmed her down a bit if Klamath hadn't had his helmet over my head, because the Tyranosaur mask was certainly scaring her to death! I had him retract the helmet, and my fairly handsome face made her flaring features to cool down just a little bit.
"Please calm down, ma'am!", I said as I tried to smile. "I will not hurt you if you contain yourself."
"You are monster!", she spat. "Me think you devil!"
"I am only a man." I told her. "What is your name?"
"I no give name to monster!", she said as I released the pressure on her ribs.
"Is that your Triceraops back there?", I asked instead of replying to the comment.
"Trika friend.", she said. "Sawtooth attack, I run away. She no make it?"
"I'm afraid not.", I said, getting off her completely now, and trusting she wouldn't do anything unpredictable. "Your cart is still pretty much intact, at any rate.", I reached for my backpack and handed her my canteen.
"Me try follow path, but now me lost.", she drank. "You lost too?"
"I live here.", I said.
"You no live here! Carnivores devour!", she looked frightened.
"This is part of my territory, my home.", I said. "I hunt here."
"Against law to hunt.", she looked at me sideways, like she didn't believe me. "You lie! Against law to lie, too!"
"I am telling the truth!", I maintained. "I have a Partner, and he's a Tyranosaur. I can get him and prove it to you if you don't believe me!"
"Tyranosaur dangerous! He eat you!", she said.
"I guess I'll have to show you then.", I said, then let out a wolf whistle.
Rex knew my whistle, no matter what tune I whistled, and came slowly lumbering into view a few moments later. At the sight, the lady scrambled back, either taking a defensive stance or preparing to flee. I grabbed her wrist to prevent her from bolting, and she struggled and spat at the restraint. Rex stopped many yards away, reguarding this extremely nervous human with his eyes. He rumbled a sigh and lowered himself to a crouch in the dirt, assuming the least threatening pose that he could.
"This is Rex, a good friend of mine.", I told her, smiling. I turned to my friend. "Rex, this is... What's your name again?"
"Let go!", she struggled, but the power of the suit was too strong. She calmed down with a groan and said: "Name Majinta.", she glared at the adolescent Tyranosaur. "Mayday Majinta. Sawtooth your friend?"
"Yes! I found him and his dead mother a few months ago.", I told her as Rex scooted near me to get his chin rubbed. "I've been taking care of him ever since, and we've become great friends! right boy?", Rex rumbled.
"Me and triks best friends too." Mayday Majinta said as she relaxed a bit and i finally let her go. "And now she gone!", her head lowered in sorrow, but kept one eyr on Rex just the same.
"Well, things have a way of working out...", i said lamely, and changed tactics as soon as i saw it didn't work in cheering her up. "Maybe i could lead you out of the rainy basin so you can get back to your life."
"Maybe." Mayday said. "But first go back to cart."
"Sure thing." I said as she got up. "It's right over there."
Rex and I led the way as we scrambled through the weeds and over broken underbrush, ending up on the path a little way away from the cart. As soon as Mayday saw the cart and her dead Partner, she ran toward the sprawled Triceratops and broke down crying; hugging a side horn and stroking the frill. We both watched this from a distance, myself actually feeling her pain as she wept. Rex just shuffled around behind the cart as I pulled my gaze away to have a look at the contents of the cart.
There were baskets of fruit and grain, corn and wheat mostly; and upon closer inspection I found sacks containing the spadelike leaves of Jinka, a medicinal herb favored as a tea of taken whole to cure many ailments. There were several small crates containing jewelry and trinkets, metal parts and nails and such; and jars of ointments and other cures and oils for various purposes. the rest of the contents contained gear for her and her triceratops to use along the way: cookstove, fodder and other food, bedroll, extra balankets and toilrtries to keep them clean. A really small wooden box contained Dinotopian Drachs, thier form of currency; but there was not a lot of that. I heard nothing, but when I looked up and saw her staring at me, eyes glaring in anger at our snooping!
"You want? You take!", Mayday huffed. "It our way."
"Oh! No, nothing like that!", I stammered. "I just wanted to see what you were hauling, is all!"
Rex chortled at my being caught!
"Take anyway.", Mayday said as she gazed back to her partner. "Can not deliver to chandra now!"
"What are you going to do with it then?", I asked. "I mean, this stuff is going to get stolen if it's left here."
"Nobody steal. Everyone honest.", Mayday said like it was common knowledge. "Chandra need these things. It shame if not delivered."
"We'll take it to chandra.", I offered. "Rex here can carry a lot. he's strong!", Rex didn't understand why his name was mentioned, so he just chuffed. ""I'm stronger than I look too!"
"Good of you make offer, but my problem.", Mayday said as she began making up a pack big enough for her to handle.
"Wait a minute, please!", I nearly shouted as she began to turn away. "At least come to my camp and rest a bit. You must be tired after your ordeal!"
"Why? Not tired. late!", she continued moving away. "Not need go to Chandra noe. I follow road. Get to a town sooner or later. Tell what happened."
"There's another reason! Please listen!", I ran to catch up. "The truth of the matter is i'm new here..., I'm a Dolphinback! See, you are the first human person I met since I came here. I need information about Dinotopia. I found out what happened hundreds of years ago, but that was then. I need newer news!"
"You want talk?", Mayday asked. "You lonely?"
"Yes.", I said, and Rex looked at me when he caught up. "I mean, I have Rex here; but he's not one for conversation, if you know what I mean!", I made a little smile.
"I go with you, then what?", she looked at me queerly. "We talk, and soon you say you like me? Then you say you love me?"
"No! Not that, really!", what was this girl thinking?! "It's just that I could use a little company. I would never dishonor you like that!"
"I know now!, Mayday chuckled. "I test your honor! You honorable person after all. Forgive me for test."
"Don't mention it, I'm sure.", I said, almost physically relieved. "My offers still stand, though; if you want to take me up on them!"
"Me think I take you up on offer. I tired after all!", Mayday turned and put her sack on the cart."But you right; not good to leave cart here."
"We'll take the whole cart back to my place!", I offered. "Rex, do you think you could pull the cart?"
Rex looked at me in confusion: but I gently led him to the front of the cart. between the two of us we took the harnesses of trika and pushed her carcass off the road. Rex grumbled in confusion as I tried to strap the harness on him. they were designed for a Triceratops, but I synched them up as best as I could. With mayday's help, we slid the yokes of the cart into the redesigned harness. After much coaxing, Rex got the idea and tried to pull the cart, but it was a bit too heavy for his juvenile stature. We all ended up helping him along, me and Klamath pulling from up front while Mayday pushed from behind. At long last we made it to the point in the road where we were to turn into the jungle, and we slowly trundled along as we sought the smoothest ways through the trees.
"By way...", Mayday panted a short while later. "What name?"
"Ooh! sorry Mayday!" I stammered. "Me and my manners! My name is colonel Charles Decker."
"Nice know you, colonel Charles Decker.", Mayday greeted formally.
"Ah..., just charles, if you want.", I hesitated a moment to help Rex negotiate a root system. "This suit is very special. Want to know why?"
"Me know.", mayday had to lift the rear of the cart slightly. "That armor of Othgar! I read about as apprentice. They say that it is evil!"
"Ok then!", I said as Klamath gave me a warning emotion. "From what I gathered, there were many such suits of this armor. This one calls himself Klamath, and he says the one who wore him last was David Quint."
"That coincidence! Great grandmother was on island Safety Patrol.", Mayday told me. "She say she look all life for david Quint, but never found."
"That was probably because Klamath took him into the World Beneath.", I divulged to her. "I found mister Quint's bones inside this suit in a chamber in the center of a dead city known as Halcyon."
"You know Halcyon?", she sounded fearful! "Halcyon lost city,... lost for good reason! That stronghold of Unrivaled Ones! They Troodont warriors!"
"When I was there, the place was as dead as a crypt.", I told her. "The place was deserted, and there was nothing there to be afraid of."
"Halcyon is taboo!", Mayday said as we pulled the cart through increasingly familiar territory. "I stay away if I were you!"
"Too late! we are right at the doorstep!", I told her as we entered the crumbling courtyard that marked the area of my campsite. "See that knoll of rock over there? Beyond that is the entrance."
Rex trundled the cart the last few hundred feet, over where a titanic statue pedistal lay. It had a tree growing on it, and its' roots hung over it intermingled with vines, and this formed the natural framework I used to lash dinosaur skins to make a crude shelter. The blackened stone circle a few feet away betrayed the many campfires I had there, and the many kills I cooked there for me and my saurian ward. I unhitched rex, sending him away in case he needed to do something; and then i turned to Mayday.
"Well, here it is.", I said, slowly turning. "It's not much, but I call it home sometimes!"
"Place well rotected.", she observed. "No carnivore sneak up without you knowing!"
"You know, it's wierd; but Tyranosaurs don't like this place.", I told her. I hadn't seen any for miles around. "The only one who likes it here is Rex.", then i looked at her. "By the way, how do you like him so far?"
"He innofensive. You train well.", Mayday got to work setting up some of her camping gear.
"That's not training. That's friendship.", I told her. "As far as I know, he's still as wild as can be."
"Then we better watch out!", I knew Mayday was kidding because of her slight smile. She continued to roll her bedroll onto the ground.
"I wouldn't sleep in the open like that if I were you. It rains here at night.", I informed her. "They don't call this the Rainy Basin for nothing, you know!"
"Where I sleep then?", Mayday asked, halting her progress.
"In the shelter, where else?", I told her, indicating the shelter; which was big enough for me and Rex along with lots of supplies, which had dwindled down to next to nothing. "Don't worry, we won't snore!"
"Snore not bother me!", Mayday made a disgusted inspection of the saurian tarps I made it from. "Made of animal! It smell!"
"It don't smell that bad!", I wrinkled my nose as I took a sniff. "It don't smell good, either!... Anyway, it's waterproof!", I shrugged, and she laughed gutterally.
By about this time, Rex had returned. The Tyranosaur was smart, and figured Mayday might want to sleep in comfort; so he had brought with him a mouthful of ground litter, and ha placed it inside the shelter for extra padding.
"Garrl-huff!, Rex grunted as he ducked inside the shelter with it.
"Good boy!", I praised. "Now everyone should be nice and comfy!", Rex chuffed and bowed.
"You train him?", Mayday asked. She backed away slightly at Rex's approach.
"He likes to be helpful, what can i say!", I told her. "I think he wants to get to know you a little better, Mayday. Why don't you let him?"
"He eat me, I know!", she edged further away.
"He hasn't eaten you yet!, I commented. "Besides, if you stay long enough, you'll be best friends before long. Go ahead! Give it a try."
Ever so slowly, Rex crept toward this frail looking, half scared to death human. he did not dare to breathe for fear of startling this bark-colored female. he could see the water coming off her skin, and almost taste the coppery odor of fear on her; and he did not want to make things worse! His only goal was to make her less afraid of him; and he thought his helpfulness of pulling her cart through the woods would prove his good intentions. he realized that the fact that he ate a few mouthfuls of her Partner didn't make matters any better!
Ever so slowly Mayday's rather skinny looking hand rose in front of her, and Rex's snout lowered down to meet it. There was a momentary pause as Mayday licked her lips, but then continued. A mere touch and she pulled away slightly, then her hand made full contact with the rather warm, slightly leathery surface. Rex relaxed a bit, eyes blinking more of relief than of pleasure; but this lessened Mayday's trepidation somewhat, and she began to tenatively stroke Rex's boxy muzzle a bit.
"See? he likes you!", I said as I placed an iron grate I had found in Halcyon over the fire I had started. "You hungry? It's nearly suppertime, you know."
"I never thought I be this close to Tyranosaur...", Mayday breathed as she backed away from Rex. As Rex began to purr lowly, Mayday's eyes grew wide! "He going to eat me!"
"What are you talking about?... Oh, that noise!", I said, hearing that too. "That's called 'purring'! It means he's happy to meet you. Didn't you know this?"
"Sound like growling. make me nervous!", Mayday turned to me as Rex stopped purring instantly. "What to eat?"
"Let's see..., I got ferns and horsetails boiling.", I began as I looked at the food on the fire. "I tossed together a nice cycad salad. I also got some nice Strutheomimus steaks ready for broiling; and they're hung to perfection. Yummy, yummy!", I had found that if most dinosaur meat was hung to cure a while, it tasted much better.
"You eat meat?!", Mayday spat. "That disgusting!"
"Well, the way I see it, everyone has the right to eat what they want.", I told her as I stirred the greens. "If you don't want to eat meat, I won't force you to."
"I don't even want to see you eat meat!", Mayday was exclaiming as Rex was sniffing at the still uncooked Strutheomimus. "Disgusting even to watch!"
"Suit yourself.", I said as I got busy spitting the meat. "Rex! stop that!", he had grabbed the piece I had intended to spit!
Mayday shook her head as she went to her cart and pulled out some of her own larder. Just breads and pastas; and she brought some over to ask if i would warm them. As soon as our meals were ready, she ate hers in silence many yards away by some crumbled stonework. As we ate, Rex looked at me curiousely; so I shrugged and continued with my own meal.
"What?", I asked at his proddings. He pointed at Mayday and grunted questioningly. "Beats me!", I replied.
"What do now?", Mayday asked as she went about cleaning up after our meal. "When you lead me to Chandra?"
"Well, since it is too late to travel tonight, ", I said as I put away the dinner dishes, crockery and other utensils which i had found among the ruins of Halcyon in thier niches among the dangling roots. There were many such useful items down there among the ruins. "I assumed to turn in and start fresh in the morning."
"Oh.", Mayday placed the last sack she was putting away into her cart and turned to me with a dejected look. "Where I sleep, then?"
"In the shelter with us, like I said.", I told her again.
"Me no sleep with Rex!", Mayday warned. "I like, but still don't trust!"
"Oh, brother!", I shook my head, and Rex did too. Changing tack as I got up and walked near her cart, I said: "Pardon me for prying, but I noticed your accent. Where in the world did your ancesters originate?"
"Me twenty-one mothers Kenyan.", Mayday said. "Thousand years ago, part of tribe out fishing when storm strike. All lost except for ancester of mother and her stepbrother. They make it to Dinotopia, and do not know what to make of it! They not know what to believe: monsters on island! Yet monsters friendly, and they take to Waterfall City not long after to learn all of Dinotopia; then they see that Dinotopia was pleasant place to be. Many generations pass, and family earn credability here, and make fine citizens. Great grandmother join island Safety Patrol, father join fishing village on Crackshell Point. Husband and I grow rice on Northern Plains. Trika and me switch to delivery service when husband died in last typhoon.", Mayday fell silent at these memories.
"I'm really sorry to hear of your loss.", I told her. We had, by then moved to a spot near the shelter, and Rex had lain down beside me with his rather massive head on my lap. "My story isn't as interesting as yours.", I said as I stroked under Rex's chin. "I am one mother American - that's how you measure lineage around here, right?... Anyway, my father was in the Korean war until its' end, then moved with my family up to the Boston area. There he became a mailman, and was promoted to the Wellsley mail distribution facility there."
"Like Postal Bird?", Mayday asked.
"I guess, but he didn't fly. He drove a truck.", I continued. "When he died of a bad disease, my mother had to do something to run the household; so she went into the school system in my town. Not as a teacher; but she was a good cook and she helped run the cafeteria to feed the students. i ended up graduating high school and wanted to work my way through college and get a writing degree. That ended up not being the case, so i enlisted in the United States Air Force. I flew planes and jets, going on routine missions wherever in the world there was a conflict. My last mission was to escort a refueling plane so they could refuel some other planes that were going on a secret mission over the Medeterranean sea. My plane crashed in the Rainy Basin, and I've been here ever since."
"And you here all alone...", Mayday concluded. "No wonder you want me to stay!", by this time the sun was showing off its' ruddy colors.
"Well, not if you don't want to.", I said. It was just that I haven't seen a human's face in so long..."
"I know. I do not blame you." Mayday got up and went near the shelter. "I sleep in there?"
"Yup.", I said, getting up after waking Rex from his light doze. "It might get a bit crowdwd, though..."
"You sleep there, I see.", she eyed Rex. "What about Rex?"
"Him too.", I confirmed.
"I no sleep with carnivore!", Mayday said as Rex shied away.
"Why not?", I defended. "Don't you like him? Look, I know you're probably still frightened of him; and I don't blame you a bit. carnivores are usually nasty creatures, and you probably have some misgivings about his kind. You should be able to see by now that Rex is NOT like his kind! I sleep with him all the time; and frankly, he's nice and cuddly - in a toothy way, that is!", I smiled as I rubbed Rex's nose.
Mayday looked at the accused Tyranosaur a moment, who was trying to hide his face behind me, then to the shelter. "I try.", she said at last. "Rex no bite, and YOU no snore! Either happen and I kick both out! I clear?"
"Crystal clear, ma'am!", I said like a cadet, smiling as Rex shook his head affirmative too.
Relieved, Rex entered the shelter and simply curled up near the entrance as best he could. Mayday laid out her bedroll in a far corner, leaving me a tiny space in the center only just large enough to stretch out in. As everyone settled into thier comfort spots, one by one we said good night; then the whole shelter fell silent many moments later. Laying my own head back, I tried to convince myself that Mayday would get used to Rex as well as myself sooner or later; but so far things weren't working out...
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Post by thundertail on Jun 25, 2007 19:49:26 GMT -5
SEVEN: "Aclamation."
The next morning I woke to an empty shelter.
Rex was out, probably hunting on his own; and I saw Mayday over by the campfire warming up breakfast. I said hello to her and she returned it, but there was a look of determination in her brown eyes that told me that something was different with her somehow. All morning I could not place why I felt this way about her, and she would give little evidence of what it was. Some evidence came about when she started to repair the shelter's roof that I could not make completely waterproof. She was busy thatching horsetails and ferns into the weave and gluing it all together with the fatty deposits left over from broiling the dinosaur kills!
She gave no indication whatsoever of wanting to leave this morning, even though I reloaded her cart when I saw that she wasn't doing this herself. More strange evidence came when she began to wash everything in camp! Rex returned a while after that, carrying a small Atruthie in his jaws. He dropped it in front of the campfire before looking at Mayday strangely, then to me questioningly, silently asking why she was still here. I merely shrugged at the mansize carnivore and went back to what I was doing: sword practice.
"Say Mayday, don't you think you should be going home?", I asked as I confronted her later on in the day. "The day's half gone already!"
"Me no want to yet.", she replied as she was getting things ready for the evening meal. "Me think to stay around a while."
"But won't your loved ones be worried?", I asked as Rex came into the area once more.
"Me figure that it is every Dinotopian's duty to help others.", she said. "You Dolphinback. You need help more than me going home!"
"I see.", I said as I finished spitting the Ankylosaur we had caught in the noontime hunt. I handed it to her and she placed it over the fire - much to my suprise!
Rex sidled up to her and watched the meat cook. Soon Mayday looked into his eyes and nodded, smiling. She then snaked her hand over and began to stroke under his chin. ex sighed and looked at her after a moment, and she looked back, nodding as she continued the procedure.
"I see you're being friendly to Rex!", I observed as I went to get the eating utensils.
"I need to get used to things too.", she smiled, and began serving our dinner many moments later.
Many more days passed, and still she wouldn't leave. This was suprising to say the least, but it wasn't to my dismay; for i was slowly getting used to her dark, lanky form being around. The treat of having company around was slowly becoming normal, but the prospect of having a female as a permanent guest began to give me ideas I wouldn't even admit to thinking!
Before a week was gone, she gradually took all her belongings out of the cart a few pieces at a time. The first item to stay permanently in the shelter was her bedroll, taking up a spot near the side set on a mat made with woven vines. Some of the next things was her wardrobe. many cases of her garments now laid behind a screen of woven reeds next to her pallet. She had made mats for us to sleep on as well - even for Rex! She informed me that her mother was a fine weaver, and she had apprenticed with her as a girl.
The sacks of grains and other things that she was going to trade in chandra before her accident were placed inside as well, saying that it was her contribution to our larder. She was also somewhat trained to use the herbs and medicines that were in the cart, and told us we could use them for they had a limited shelf life anyway. One day i saw her trying to take her cart apart as rex and I were coming back from hunting, so i rushed over.
"What do you think you're doing?", I nearly yelled at her. "Why are you destroying your cart?! We could use that!..."
"Need wood to make supports for shelter.", she replied. "I make new additions to shelter, and need for support."
"What about going back to your life?", I asked her. "I'm sure you'll need it for then!"
"No, really, Charles Decker.", she tried to soothe me. "It all for best! No worry."
"Well..., ok.", I finally calmed down. "But leave the wheels and cart hardware. Never know when we'll need to make another cart!"
That was the day when I finally realized that mayday actually liked it here, and she never wanted to leave!
Mere hours after this event, Klamath began to speak to me in my mind about the agreement I had made with him concerning the reintroduction of the teachinfgs of Othgar to the Dinotopians, and the way I was going to help him achieve his goals. I suppose he was wondering why i was taking so long; but the truth be known, I was so busy tending to my life here that i haven't given it much thought! I told him instead that I was waiting for opportunities to present themselfs that I could use to begin to formulate a plan. klamath's wisdom saw right through that, though; and said that he saw one right off in the form of Mayday.
"How could Mayday help?", I asked him in my mind.
"Her skills in tasks and her knowledge of Diniootopia's present condition can be a help.", Klamath told me. "Also, with her strong will and determination can also be useful. She shows that she has the courage to handle this way of life, and she can contribute greatly to it..."
Of course, all this talk was going on inside my head and in private; but my blank staring every now and then gave Mayday and Rex the impression that I was becoming moody! Rex would sometimes sit by me with his great muzzle in my lap and almost seem to whimper in concern. mayday saw my strange behavciour too, and tried to make me feel better by telling me jokes and unusual stories she had heard.
I tried to assure the both of them that everything was all right, and not to worry; but both seemed to sense something was wrong with me, so I told them that sometimes Klamath could talk to me in my mind. I said that's all that has been happening, and everything couldn't be better!
After that little episode,and thingsweent back to normal at camp; Mayday gradually became used to life in the Rainy Basin. I noticed that mayday was taking an interest in my armor one day as I took it off to be cleaned. mayday saw the helmet, its' sinister saurian head and its' inert green eyes; and looked at it inside and out as I sat there with not much on but my tattered flightsuit. She looked at the black, grey and deep green parts as i set themn down after drying them. She fingered the parts reverently before setting them down gently. She said that she always admired old things, and this suit of armor was the oldest thing she had ever seen!
Klamath began telling us that his former wearer rarely cleaned him. only if he became too muddy or soiled - and infrequently at best in those cases! He said that, if he had a nose to smell, the stench would surely be unbearable! He said he appreciated the fact that I cleaned him and oiled him at least once a week, and I told him that a good soldier has to take care of his equipment lest it fail at a crucial time. Klamath spent the rest of the day telling her about himself, along with other ancient tales he knew; and that left us both enthralled!
After this talk, other interests emerged in her.
For one thing, she had been asking me many questions about the World Beneath, especially of Halcyon. All the legends Klamath ever told me had gotten her really excited! The next thing I knew she was spending a lot of time next to the entrance to halcyon, and going into the forests near by and coming back with the torches she had made. Spying on her one day, i saw her hiding them just inside that doorway. I also caught her a couple of times attempting to go inside that entrance, attempting to go explore it on her own; but she would quickly return.
The pursuit of Dinotopian history was not her only interest, though. Her increasing interests in the way Rex and I hunted, and her growing expertise in cooking what we brought back, gave way to actually beginning to taste the meat she cooked! seeing this, I cautioned her not to eat too much at a time since she wasn't used to it - she could get sick or something!
She knew that I knew about the philosophy that most dinotopians have about eating meat, and she said that it was simply the way we were taught. they taught that eating meat was offendsive, and only carnivores did that. She was aware of the way humans were generally omniverous by nature, and it would not be too terrible to adapt to that. Rex was overjoyed that she was finally going to start eating meat, and helped out most profusely to obtain more kills!
Several days later I figured that I had been on Dinotopia for about six months. But the great part about it was I had hardly been thinking of my former life at all for the longest time!...
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Post by thundertail on Jun 26, 2007 5:57:40 GMT -5
EIGHT: "Confrontation."
Of course, life in the Rainy Basin can have its' more dangerous times as well.
One day we were all doing our daily morning routine: getting ready for our morning hunt, when all of a sudden the jungle noises routinely heard around us - so routine we hardly noticed them anymore - stopped for no apparent reason. A slight breeze picked up, and from that breeze, Rex became quite agitated. I tried to ask him what was wrong, but he growled nervousely, sniffing the air and capering around camp, looking everywhere around us.
"What wrong?", Mayday asked. She had sensed something too and scanned the area around us as she drew next to me.
"I don't know...", I said as I felt Klamath's presence.
"Several Tyranosaurs are near.", Klamath told me silently. "Watching just within the trees, every direction."
"What we do?!", Mayday asked quietly after I told her. Rex hunkered near us, trying to defend us, growling. "What they want?"
"I don't know yet.", I told them. "Just stay put and don't move or we're goners!"
"I have an idea.", Klamath told me, then unfurled his masked helmet and spoke in Tyranosaur language loud enough for these hidden creatures to hear. "Noble hunters! Is there something we can do for you?"
All of a sudden a bellowing roar was heard and the largest tyranosaur I had ever seen thundered out of the trees to stand dozens of yards away. It huffed and rumbled his breath as many more joined him, standing many paces away and surrounding our campsite. His body was a roadmap of scars, evidentally won through years of battle; and the deep olive hide wrinkled with the creature's obvious age.
"I am Thundertail!", he wailed in my face. Only I could understand him due to Klamath's translation and Rex for him being a natural Tyranosaur. "I am the great, great grandson of Stinktooth the Great, king of all Tyranosaurs! How dare you think you can make your camp on most holy ground?!"
Mayday looked at me, unconciousely grasping my arm. I looked at her and told her, and her eyes went wide!
"Great hunter,", I spoke to the monster in front of us via Klamath's translation. "We are sorry, for we did not know this was holy ground. We meant no harm. We willingly did nothing to desecrate this spot - merely passing through anyway!"
"YOU LIE!!", he bellowed in my face. "For many months we have witnessed you and your group here! You build this flimsey shelter, you hunt our game and you defile our water! Clan laws say that we have the right to kill you where you stand right now!", then he lowered his voice. "But I see there is also a Tyranosaur in your midst. How did this come about?"
"Sir, I was out hunting alone one day when I came across a dead Tyranosaur, and another eating her.", I began the story, not daring to leave out any facts. When I was through, I put in: "So, I have trained him in all the skills of hunting that I know; and along with his natural abilities, he is growing into a fine specimen."
"I see that.", Thundertail said, sniffing the cringing youngster. "He smells familiar somehow...", then he turned to me. "Human, was the one you defeated a male, and did you give him those scars on his snout?"
"I think so." I told him.
"Before I killed him, he informed me that he killed my mate, who was tending my offspring.", Thundertail told me. "That is why I killed him!", he smiled evilly at the thought, then continued. "This would mean that this one is my son! And you took care of him all these months.", he reguarded me. "He doesn't seem the worse for wear, I see!"
"I took very good care of him.", I reconfirmed.
"What's your name, boy?", Thundertail addressed Rex, who stammered his reply.
"Rex, eh?", Thundertail considered. "In the Old language, that means 'King'.", he turned to me. "That name claims a lot! And you gave him that name?"
"Forgive me! I did not have much imagination in naming him that day.", I replied, and the great beast chuckled throatilly.
"Then Rex it is!", Thundertail announced. "He is my son; and if he does not cross me, he will be a TRUE king one day! Come to me, Rex!", he beckoned Rex to come close, and the juvenile beast got a hug as soon as he got within range. "I thought I lost you, boy!", this he rumbled softly when they were close.
When I told Maday what was happening, she gave a sigh of relief! She relaxed somewhat knowing that she would not be eaten just yet; and the other half dozen Tyranosaurs surrounding us relaxed somewhat also. In the mean time, Rex was having a brief but unsure reunion with his newly discovered father. His eyes suddenly went wide and he pulled away from the larger Tyranosaurs' embrace.
"What about the humans?" Rex asked in Tyranosaur. "They are my friends!"
"For the crime of being on holy ground, the penalty is death.", Thundertail told the young one in his stumpy arms. "However, the ones who have taken care of you all these months deserves special honors. They may live; and I invite them to our territory for a feast!", this last part he said so all could hear.
"An honor we do not deserve, your highness!", I said - or was that Klamath? I told Mayday this and her eyes went wide!
"You sure this good thing?", Mayday whispered to me. "We may be served at feast!"
"Your female has something to say?", Thundertail had noticed!
"She is simply still frightened.", I told him. "But she is not MY female - just a friend!"
"Of course!", Thundertail chuckled knowingly. "At any rate, come with us! I am sure my clan will be overjoyed at the return of my only son!"
Nodding his head, king Thundertail turned to leave, and the others in his group turned to follow suit. Pausing one of his subordinates, Thundertail rumbled for him to stay behind and guard our camp. He then singled rex out and had him walk by his side at the head of the group. It turned out that Mayday and I had no other choice but to follow, as the Tyranosaurs behind us gave us plenty of incentive to move along! The group moved silently for such massive creatures, but kept thier pace slow to accomodate us smaller legged humans. After a while Rex lagged behind the other carnivores, and was soon abreast of Mayday and I. He looked at me strangely, as if his whole world turned upside down.
"What do I do?", Rex asked me helplessly, and Klamath translated.
"If he is truely your father, I think you should be with him.", I told him. "You must remember, I was only taking care of you. I never claimed to be your mother or father."
We went down a barely discernable path that only the Tyranosaurs knew, and suddenly came out onto a small brook, which we easilly jumped over.
"But you took care of me!", rex whined softly. "I considered you my father! I loved you!"
"I loved you too - still do!", I rubbed his muzzle. "But I can't give you the kind of upbringing that your real father can. You need to be with your own kind for a while so you can see what it's really like to be a Tyranosaur!"
Rex pulled away as his attention was turned to the path ahead. The way was becoming rocky and trecherous, and we all had to watch our step.
"I still love you too, but why would you step away from me like that?", Rex asked still watching where he was going.
"I could never do that to you, Rex.", I told him. "It's just that there comes a time when a person has to grow up. You are becoming an adult soon, and you'll need this experience to become an adult. I hope I'm around to see you do it, and I hope to see you do well at it!"
"Will I?", Rex looked at meekly but expectantly.
"You'll do great!", I encouraged, nuzzling him as we walked. "Now go see your father!"
Rex scurried ahead, nodding at these strange carnivores as he passed them. His new clan brothers and sisters nodded back, and would surely get acquainted with him in the near future. As he realized this, he let off a small cry of awe. As soon as he got to his new father's side, he looked up at him and smiled in a carniverous way.
"he be all right?", Mayday asked as we walked.
"He's just a little confused.", I replied. "He doesn't understand about what our relationship will be noe that he has found his father. He was afraid that, now that he has a father, we wouldn't be friends any more."
"That not so! You still be his friend!", Mayday said. "Me still be his friend too!"
As the group of Tyranosaurs continued to lead us through the jungles of the Rainy Basin, I noticed a few familiar features along the way. I began to see the scars my plane had made when it crashed through the trees, we crisscrossed many marked roads and passed by the areas where there were watering holes I had used. Soon I saw glimpses if that Incan-like pyramid that was the battleground for those Tyranosaurs so long ago. The terrain sloped uphill for a piece, then downhill abruptly: and then we were soon traveling through a fairly vast clearing, which took on an almost boomeranglike shape as it sloped down to a slow river below.
Near the elbow of the boomerang clearing, a lone Tyranosaur sentinel stood, watching us as we drew near. As soon as he saw our number, he let out a great roar, and it was echoed by at least a dozen more voices. King Thundertail roared back, and so did the others in our group - except for Rex, Mayday and myself. The sentinel smelled the air as his leader approached, then bowed to let us all pass. He gave an extra scrutiny to Mayday and me, but growled menacingly at Rex, who shyly bowed as he passed his position.
Our precession walked down near the bank of the river, where most of the hunters drank thier fill. I got out my canteen, filled it and drank; then I handed it over to Mayday. I looked around at all the monsters we were in the middle of, and they all seemed lkke they were feeling like they were home. They even took on a cheery disposition as they capered among themselves! I smiled at these creatures and all thier jabbering and carrying on until Thundertail saw all this and roared to get thier attention. they all stopped fooling around and looked at thier king expectantly. Rex, for fear of something bad, had once again scurried to my side; and I looked at him with an equal look of dismay.
"MY CLAN!", Thundertail roared as many more of his clan joined the rest down by the river. "Today our hunt has brought us game of the most special kind! It is not carrion, like what we went out to find, but instead we have found a long lost member of our clan! He is a son of mine that was thought lost these past six months. His name is 'REX', for one day he will be KING!", Thundertail smiled toothily and escorted Rex out from behind me so everyone could see. Rex just stood in front of this carniverous crowd and looked around nervousely!
"Amazingly enough, it was a human that found it in his heart to help ward off one that would have surely killed him; then take him under his protection and raise him into the sturdy beast you see before you today!", Thundertail continued. "His name is unknown to us, but if he would divulge it to us now, it will go to a place of honor!", he motioned for me to step forward.
"Noble hunters.", I began as Klamath translated, raising his volume so everyone could hear. "My name is colonel Charles Decker, of the United States Air Force. Six months or so ago, my jet airplane crashed in the Rainy Basin somewhere south of here. I am what is known to you as a Dolphinback, if my information is correct. When I first got here, I did not know what to make of all the dinosaurs I've seen - but a lot lf them sure tasted good!", hissing chuckles met that remark. "A few days after I crashed, hunters like you came after me and I ran; then I found myself in this underground passage. This led to a place I later found out was the lost city of Halcyon. It was there where I found the suit of armor you see me wearing today. It is called Klamath, the armor of Othgar. The entity contained within it has helped me all these months to survive here. This morning when your group entered my camp, I thought my time was at an end; but the good deed that I have done raising Rex seems to have stayed my fate!", I looked at Rex and smiled. "I thank you for your hospitality of letting us be with you, and your eternal wisdom for not eating us!", I got even more chuckles!
"Well said!", Thundertail said, leaning into his newly rediscovered son. "But come, colonel Charles Decker! Join us and meet the rest of my clan! The feast should soon commence!"
The great Tyranosaur led us back up the slope and into the other finger of the boomerang shaped clearing. There lay many Miasaurus carcasses, and several more of the massive carnivores were already there inspecting the kills. The upslope view of this section of the clearing showed the crumbling Incan pyramid through the trees in the near distance and the pinnacle of another structure in the further distance and off to the right slightly.
Thundertail noticed my gaze and informed me that these temples were most holy places, and all carnivores were honor bound to protect and guard them. This was the reason why they were escorted away from the place where we had set up camp: Halcyon was one of the most holiest places of all!
He showed Mayday and myself a place where we could sit, and Rex came and sat with us out of habit; but Thundertail asked him to sit with him instead. As the rest of the clan of Tyranosaurs came and joined those already there, Thundertail roared to get everyone's attention once more.
"Friends, today marks a joyous time for us.", Thundertail began. "Today my son, who we thought was long gone to us; and the ones who returned him, are amongst us now! This feast is in thier honor; so from now on treat them as one of our clan!", he lowered both of his twin-clawed hands and everyone dug in.
"I no eat raw meat!", Mayday whispered to me. "I no even like cooked meat much!"
"I'm not too crazy about raw meat myself.", I whispered back. "But if we don't eat it, they will be offended! Look, just eat a little. Ok?"
"Fret not, humans.", Thundertail overheard our whisperings! "We understand humans do not eat meat; and those who do preferr it cooked. Perhaps if there were a fire, you could cook it."
"Why thank you, your highness! I wasn't sure if I could suggest that!", I told him as I rose to find a place to make the fire and locate some wood.
A subordinate Tyranosaur slid up to Mayday in my absence, sniffing and grunting a greeting. She was too afraid to move, but just nodded at the hulking beast and smiled. Rex turned to look at this, then his attention was turned to two other Tyranosaurs that seemed about his age that grunted greetings and offered him pieces of thier food. I had, by this time, found a clear spot many yards away from the main group of feeders; and turned to find stones near by to use to ring the campfire.
Many pockets of saurian laughter and conversation roamed around the feeding area as they ate, seemingly oblivious of the three strangers that now shared thier kills. As I returned with an armload of firewood and placed them into the proposed firepit, Thundertail pulled aside another Tyranosaur and quietly told her to go to our original campsite with food to feed the one they had left behind; and then take his place for the night.
As my fire grew in height, I turned to look at this group of friendly Tyranosaurs by the ruddy glow it gave off. These were definitely not the murderous beasts I was led to believe; for this was a family group, not a mindless horde. I saw Rex listen to Thundertail raptly as he told the lad a tale he was telling; and that's when I knew that this would be the best thing for him.
I was smiling as another Tyranosaur dragged a shank of Miasaurus meat my way, and grunted to get my attention. As it cooked I continued to marvel at this group; and all the while Klamath told me that this could be the opportunity I was waiting for, and I had to agree. I brought the cooked meat over and handed mayday some; and as we ate, rex saw us and came over. I gave him a piece and affectionately stroked under his smiling chin.
"So, how do you like your new family?", I asked him absently.
"They're nice and all.", Rex said as he looked me in the eye. "But I'll miss the old ways."
"You get used to it.", Mayday told him.
"That's right, son.", I added. "These are your true people, and Thundertail is your true father.", then I smiled as I caught myself. "I guess I can't call you 'son' anymore, huh?"
"Guess not!", Rex said, smiling. "But we can still be friends, right?"
"I wouldn't have it any other way!", I hugged him, and Mayday stroked his cheek.
Thundertail saw this from across the feeding area and smiled in a saurian way.
As the Miasaurus carcasses slowly turned into thier skeletal interiors, the clan began to disperse for the evening. Some retired to thier nests in the surrounding forest while others sauntered thier way down to the river - but most simply went around carousing with each other! I saw that this large family was content, and that thier life was ideal for them. I smiled at many as they passed by, and accepted nuzzles from some while enduring playful shoves from the more animated ones of the group.
Mayday found herself many times encountering some of thier hatchlings as they played by her feet as she walked about. Rex wandered around too, getting to know some of his clan brothers and sisters; discovering a long lost aunt and several uncles that told him a few things about his mother. His father eventually called him aside, then Mayday and I as well; then he crouched down before us and reguarded us solemnly.
"You have certainly raised my son well, human.", Thundertail told me. "He is courteous and smart. My clan loves him like he were here all the time."
"Decker always said that I should be good.", Rex told us while I translated this conversation for Mayday.
"I tried to teach him like he were my own son.", I said. "I wanted him to grow up right."
"I help!", Mayday said. "I like mother."
"And you both did a fine job!", Thundertail told us, smiling. "Were there any real problems raising the lad?"
"No.", Mayday said.
"Well, there was this time he woke up in the middle of the night with a nightmare.", I said. "He said he had a bad dream. He dreampt that he was hungry, and that he ate me!", I looked at Rex, and he remembered too and smiled at it. "I calmed his nerves and he settled down. Out of the blue I saked if I tasted good.", Thundertail chuckled. "Well, he just smiled, said I was delicious and began tickling me with his teeth!", I chuckled. "After a while I had to beg him to stop!", all four of us were chuckling now!
"You two woke me that night!", Mayday laughingly accused.
"An excellent tale!", Thundertail commented, still chuckling. "If that was the worst of his troubles, then he was a perfect child! My thoughts are these: would you both consider staying with us and further help to raise young Rex? My own parental skills are lacking, and I would certainly appreciate the help."
"I don't know what we could possibly teach him that he can't learn here.", I told the hulking creature before us. I looked at Mayday's dismayed eyes, and then at Rex's pleading ones. I smiled as I sighed. "Perhaps the best thing for him would be our continued fellowship. I can't, with a clean concious, turn my back on my own Partner, can't I?"
"You are Partners as well?", Thundertail asked. "That is a custom of the herbavores! Ours is the way of the family. Did you agree to this, son?"
"Father, colonel Decker raised me since I was a hatchling.", Rex told him. "I love him deeply, and he loves me. If the term 'Partner' means all that, then I fully agree to be his if he wants me to."
"Then I agree as well, my son! Life is big enough to have a father as well as a Partner.", Thundertail leaned into him as he whispered this loudly. "Now, what was that thing you did to this human?", he leaned into his son further and began to nibble at his ribcage! This tickling sent Rex into a laughing fit on the ground!
All of us got a chuckle from the silliness, especially Rex! When this play finally dies down, thundertail rolled back to a crouching position and grabbed his son; but the most suprising thing to me was when he grabbed both me and Mayday in the hug as well! We both took turns rubbing the king of all tyranosaurs' muzzle for a moment, then we all let go with incredulous looks on our faces.
"Please forgive me, humans!", Thundertail said. "My joy of finding my sone was somehow infectious!"
"No need to worry, your highness!", I laughed as mayday also chuckled a little nervousely. "Being over zealous in this case is quite natural! It sure beats the prospect of possibly being eaten!"
"I must admit that my ideas about humans was all wrong!", Thundertail said. "Your kind is a most agreeable people!"
Just then a lone tyranosaur came sauntering into the area, sniffing this way and that until he located the Miasaurus carcasses. He made a beeline for them and immediately began to feed at the nearest one with the most meat on it. A few moments later, when his immeditae hunger was sated; he sought out and found his leader, who was still with us.
"I have returned, my king.", he announced. "You actually invited these interlopers into our camp?"
"These creatures have found my long lost son, grond.", Thundertail told him. "They are no interlopers, but friends; so please treat them accordingly.", He looked at his son, then us. "Well done guarding thier camp. You may retire for the night if you wish."
"Yes, my king.", Grond said, but before he left, he asked: "Are these guests staying?"
"I asked if they would stay indefinitely so they can continue raising my son.", Thundertail replied. "They may stay on permanently if they wish."
"Only clan members may stay permanently with the clan.", Grond informed him. "That is the law of the clan."
"True, but I will decide one way or another in the morning.", Thundertail made a shooiing gesture with one two-clawed hand. "Now away to your nest!"
"As you wish, my chief.", Grond said, bowed and paced away toward the treeline.
"Where could we sleep?", I asked.
"Since Deathflower is guarding your camp tonight,", he replied. "You may use her nest for the night.", Thundertail roared and a smaller female came over and bowed. "Waterkill, could you please lead these humans to deathflower's nest?"
"Yes, your highness.", Waterkill bowed at us as we rose.
We followed her into the forest a short distance, where there was a shallow depression clearly large enough to accomodate a Tyranosaur in the leafy ground litter. Waterkill pointed with a stubby arm and bowed once more.
"Pleasant sleep.", she then bid her leave.
"WE bring no blankets.", Mayday said as she observed the sleeping area. "We get cold!"
"We'll just have to make do, then.", I told her as I stepped into the nest. "How are you doing for body warmth?"
"Got enough, I guess.", Mayday said as she sat and ramped up some leaves for a pillow. "But only enough for me!"
"Party pooper!", I accused as I sat in the nest near the other side.
As the light of day gave way to the stars overhead, the carnivores in thier camp slowly quieted down to only the sussurus of thier sleeping. Us humans had been asleep long before that, but it was fitful at best due to the sounds of the carnivores all around us. Mayday had drifted off into a thrashing slumber; and soon I fell into a dreamless sleep myself.
Thundertail had insisted that Rex sleep with him during the night; but in the morning I found him nose to nose with me as I woke up in the morning...
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Post by thundertail on Jun 27, 2007 20:28:30 GMT -5
NINE: "Clan initiation."
I had heard shuffling sounds during the small hours of the night, and thought nothing of it as I slept. Just another day at my camp! Rex snorted in his sleep, and I placed a hand on his muzzle out of habit. As I drew myself further awake, I saw his face close to my own, so I rose slowly and looked around. this was definitely NOT my camp by the entrance to Halcyon! I looked around and saw the large depression among the trees we all were sleeping in, and suddenly remembered the confrontation with the clan of Tyranosaurs we encountered yesterday. I wiped my eyes and shook the young Tyranosaur awake - his head rose with a jerk!
"Hey buddy. Time to get up!", I said softly so as not to wake Mayday. "What are you doing over here? Shouldn't you be over with your pops?"
"What?", Rex yawned toothily. His eyes widened as he began to remember yesterday too. "Oh, yeah! I guess you're right! Sorry about sneaking in here last night. I couldn't sleep!"
"I know. It's sometimes hard to sleep among strangers.", I told him as I stroked his jaw. "I could hardly get to sleep myself. I missed the old place, and I missed you too!, he nuzzled me.
"Where we?", Mayday rose just about then. "Oh! Me remember now!", she crouched to a standing position and stretched, then looked around fearfully. "What happen yesterday, that no dream?"
"Nope! We're right in the middle of a Tyranosaur clan all right!", I said, knowingly too cheery for the situation - just to be sarcastic! Then I turned to Rex. "Why don't you go see your pops. Ok?", Rex nodded and capered off.
We watched him go, then I escorted Mayday out of the sleeping nest we were in. We headed in the general direction Rex had gone, slowly looking around for other members of Thundertail's clan.
"You think they let us go?", Mayday asked suddenly.
"Well, we are honor bound to help out with Rex. I promised Thundertail ast night.", I said. "I don't think they would take too kindly to us just leaving like that!"
"They eat us - I know!", Mayday shivered.
We both looked around and made our way to the edge of the clearing. Not many of the clan of Tyranosaurs were around this morning. Just a few adult females, and juveniles and hatchlings of various genders and sizes; and they went around the area with thier own purposes and agendas.
Several of the hatchlings scurried by in a group, and two of them stopped in front of us to mewl at us menacingly before scurrying away all the faster! A female came by and bowed at us as we crossed paths near the middle of the clearing. We met up with several more hatchlings along the way to the river's edge; who were trying to catch the multitude of flying insects all around us. All in all, this community of carnivores led a rather ordered life. before we bent to drink Mayday paused and halted my arm to get my attention.
"What about supplies at camp?", she asked.
"Perhaps we could ask if we could go get it.", I told her. "It's our stuff, after all!"
As Mayday drank from the river and i I filled my canteen, three juvenile Tyranosaurs came bounding down the bank toward us, and one of them was Rex! His playmates capered around him, and they traded play nips and tail slaps with him. It took many moments for the trio to settle down, but once they did, Rex addressed us.
"Hi guys!", Rex began. "Want to meet my new friends? This one is named Pincushion and this one is called Thistlesnarl." he pointed to the young male on his left and the young female on his right in turn; then he addressed his new friends. "This human male is called Decker and this female is called Mayday. They raised me from a hatchling!"
"Hi kids!", I said. "Nice to know you both!", I palmed both thier offered muzzles in turn.
"Hello.", Mayday said, still kind of leary to touch them. "Me like Rex's mother.", both juveniles chuckled.
"Well, nice to know you two too!", Pincushion said. "Rex is ok by me!"
"Same here!", Thistlesnarl added. "Me and Pincushion are brother and sister!"
"How nice!", I said as Rex looked like he wanted to say something.
"Uh,...My father and the hunting party went out hunting this morning. He told me to go get acquainted with everyone until they return.", Rex informed us. "They are going to stop by our old camp when they're done and get Deathflower. They will also bring back the supplies. He said they should be back before the sun is high."
"Thanks for the information, son...", I said, then caught myself. "I mean, friend!", Rex's two friends were looking this way and that, conspiring about more play. "Well, I see your buddies want to play some more!", they were nipping at Rex now!. "Go run along now!", The trio wandered off, yowling and trading headslaps.
"What relief!", Mayday said.
"I told you they were friendly!", I said.
"No. About supplies.", she corrected.
"Like I said, they're nice!", I chuckled.
Mayday and I turned and went upslope to join the rest of the Tyranosaur clan, They were seen tending to thier children and tidying up thier sleeping nests; and things in this place could not be any more at peace.
Nobody saw or even smelled the large pack of Veloceraptors coming in from the north; for these wily creatures knew enough to come from downwind of such a large clan. They also had the cunning to arrive when the hunting party away, and there were not many adults there to protect thier children. They even knew enough to spread out in an encircling phalanx and come in from all sides!
Only one adult Tyranosaur saw some of them, and she let out a warning roar; but it seemed too late as the attack came seconds after that! Dozens of the swift predators swooped through the clearing and tried to pick off the hatchlings first, and they all scurried for cover. Mayday corralled many of the little ones into the bushes, and grabbed a stick to ward off these smaller terrors. The juveniles tried to fend them off, but they were too inexperienced to do more than harass the quicker dinosaurs as they passed. The adult females knew what to do, but they were too few in number to make much of a difference.
The only thing the Veloceraptors did not count on was the fact that there were humans in this camp of Tyranosaurs; and one of them posessed the armor of Othgar!
"Mayday! Get to cover!", I yelled as Klamath's helmet formed over my face. "Time for battle, Klamath!", I said as the suit went into action!
The display in front of my face turned to views almost like the readouts on my F-17 cockpit controls as it tracked the thermal signatures of the four dozen Veloceraptors in the area. The suit moved me many times faster than I normally could. The daggers emerged, the stunner and pusher came into play, an electronic shield encased me and twin sabres sprung out of the back of the suit to be caught expertly in both hands.
I ran like a banshee, swirling around these swift terrors; slashing and bashing every one of them within reach. The suit propelled me all over the clearing as a malestrom of Veloceraptors fell one by one. In what seemed like an hour, but was only five minutes tops, most of the Veloceraptors lay dead under my hand while the survivors cowered in a knot near the center of the clearing. Only then did Klamath stand down, and the helmet folded in on itself. I stared down at the survivors in front of me and scowled at them - they dared not even breathe!
"No kill! No kill!", a larger female with a greyish tail squawked. "We give up!", I was not suprised that I could understand thier language.
"Rex! Everyone else!", I yelled. "They surrender! Keep them surrounded so they don't escape!"
As everyone in the clan complied, I circled this group of smallish dinosaurs. I then went up and addressed that female.
"Why did you attack us?", I asked her.
"We hunt for food.", she said. "We knew hunters strong, so we hunt weak."
"What made you think you could succeed?", I asked sternly. "You were hopelessly outnumbered, even with the Tyranosaurs left behind!"
"Alpha male say so.", she replied.
"Well, he was wrong!", I yelled in her face, and she cringed.
"He dead now anyway.", did she produce a tear? "What you do with us?"
"I don't know yet.", I said, taking a softer tone. "I'm not the leader here.", I then addressed the other Tyranosaurs. "What do you suppose we should do with them?"
"King Thundertail would have them all killed.", Waterkill stepped up to say. "But he's not here. Maybe we should wait until the hunters' return."
"As good an idea as any.", I told her, then addressed our captives and thier current leader. "What's your name?"
"Me Whitetail, matriarch of pack.", Whitetail said. "You no kill us?"
"Not yet, I guess.", I said, then looked at this ragtag group of survivors. "Look Whitetail. If the rest of you make no more trouble, I'll try to save your lives when the rest return, ok?"
Just then Mayday came out of hiding with some of the hatchlings far behind in her wake. She came rushing up by my side, then took steps back at the sight of the dozen surviving Veloceraptors at my feet! Rex came up beside Waterkill, his two friends close behind, and growled at these little horrors. The rest of the tyranosaur adults and juveniles that surrounded thier former attackers shuffled and grunted as they waited and guarded. I stood down a little too; but Klamath stood on high alert, ready for anything sudden as his scanners detected any movement from the captured group.
After almost two hours of this staring down, roars were heard coming from the other end of the boomerang shaped clearing. The hunting party was returning! As the females in the encampment roared, so did thier counterparts; and when the hunting party saw what was going on, they dropped what they were carrying and rushed into the fray.
"What in the name of the Council of Reason is going on here?!!!", Thundertail roared as he neared the group.
The rest of the hunting party panted and huffed behind him. All at once, it seemed, two of the females and all of the juveniles began talking at the same time; trying to explain thier own versions of the incodent, drowning each other out. Thundertail roared loudly to stifle everyone!
"Now, one at a time!...", Thundertail bellowed. "REX! What happened?!"
"Father. These Veloceraptors attacked our territory.", Rex said, glaring at the cringing group while he said it. "We all gave battle, but this human and his suit of armor turned the tide."
"Is this true?", Thundertail asked me, looking at me as if in a new light. "The truth, please!"
"It is true.", I said. "The armor of Othgar is a powerful weapon. I merely used it to keep the peace around here."
"I see.", Thundertail turned to look at this pitiful group of Veloceraptors before him. "Now then. It seems that you have infringed on MY territory! You have attacked my clan and intended to do great harm to my people! Ancient laws say that I have the right to kill you right here and now. Do you have any words before we do?"
"NO KILL US!", Whitetail pleaded. "We follow unwise leader, and now leader dead! We not want any more trouble. We no attack any more!"
"If I may, king Thundettail.", I cut in. "I think I have a way of settling this without any more bloodshed."
"What's the fun in that?!", Thundertail joked, and most of the others chuckled. "I mean: Very well. What do you have in mind?"
"I think these Veloceraptors could help us hunt.", I suggested.
"How? Go on.", he said.
"Well sir, Veloceraptors are naturally stealthy and quick.", I began. "They can sneak up on prey very easily, and they are also very cunning. I say that they could scout out herds of prey for us and corral them so we could slaughter them en'masse, if you know what I mean.", I looked at his concentrating face as he digested my suggestion. "I say that, if everyone agrees, they could perform this service and we could let them live."
"That IS a thought at that!", Thundertail considered. "This has never been done before, you know. Never has two species of carnivore cooperated in thier kills.", he looked to the other members of his clan. "What say you, my clan?"
"Our laws say they must die!", Grond growled.
"Kicking thier tails was fun!", Pincushion added, and was promptly stifled by Deathflower.
"He means we will do as you say, my king!", Deathflower said.
Several others afreed for thier death; but many more, including the young ones, agreed in the opposite. Some still couldn't decide; and thier rumblings began to echo in the clearing. Finally Thundertail roared to regain order, and was had presently.
"Enough, my clan!", He said loudly. "Rex, my son. What do YOU think?"
"Well father. When I was a hatchling and my mother was killed, I was worried about how I was going to survive, being small as I was.", Rex began. "When colonel Decker came, he defended me and took me in; and with his help I survived and actually thrived. He was a total stranger, and not my kind besides; but he came and helped me to live despite that. Perhaps with these Veloceraptors helping the clan, it might be good for BOTH our kinds."
"A logical conclusion!", Thundertail complimented his son, then turned a moment and saw the cringing tribe of little hunters at his feet. "I will agree to let you live if you agree to do what I say", he told Whitetail and her group. "Remember, to disagree means death!"
Whitetail, the matriarch of the now reduced pack of Veloceraptors, considered the offer a moment; then turned to rasp to her group. many moments passed as they all argued softly among themselves. I was the only one that understand Veloceraptor here (Though I still didn't know why. Perhaps it was for the aid of Klamath...), and told the Tyranosaurs that thier males were trying to decide who was the alpha male. Only the alpha male could make such decisions. Instantly after that, Thundertail lost his patience and roared for them to stop!
"Your decision?", it was not a question.
"We not decide yet.", Whitetail said. "Males disagree who is alpha. Only alpha decide."
"If I may, my king...", I bowed and stepped in. "What are you doing?! Do you realize your lives are on the line?!", I said to them in veloceraptor, then Klamath translated so all could hear: "I will be thier alpha male!", I turned to the group at my feet. "Is there any male among you that thinks to challenge my claim?"
All seven males looked at each other, then me with anger. I formed Klamath's tyranosaur mask over my face and made the eyes glow green for emphasis - and all seven cringed!
"You killed old alpha. You have that right.", Whitetail said. "I will be your mate, and bear your eggs; but you must wait due to my being heavy with old alpha's eggs."
"Thank you kindly, ma'am; but I think mating would be out of the question!", I said, taken aback. I heard mayday and Rex snicker just out of eyesight! "I am merely stepping in to prevent the rest of you from being killed!", I turned to Thundertail. "On behalf of this pack, I accept the proposal. This pack will help this clan hunt in exchange for thier lives."
"Well said!", Thundertail said as he addressed his clan. "The proposal is sound, and the agreement is sealed. Do not harm the veloceraptors in our midst, and treat them as one of us!", he turned to me. "Now, since you are thier alpha, you must also help us hunt as they will."
"I understand, my king.", I said.
"Now just wait a minute!", Grond spoke up. "We haven't yet decided whether or not he OR his female are one of us yet!"
"Grond, my dear claw brother!", Thundertail turned to him and said. "Colonel Decker's quelling of this attack has more than proven his loyalty to this clan. His further willingness to stem further hostilities by joining with this pack of Veloceraptors proves it as well. If this doesn't mean he has earned the right to be among us, I do not know what would!", Grond stood down.
In the mean time, Rex had stood by my side while Mayday inspected the dozen Veloceraptors still huddled in a group. I crouched to the ground and accepted Whitetail's clawed hand, holding it gently and smiling weakly. She did the same, only in a toothy way, looking relieved that they would be spared. I rose as i heard thundertail call me by name.
"Colonel Decker! Your injenuity in solving this dilemma has proven your worthiness to this clan.', Thundertail told me. "You and your female are now full clan members, with all the privelages and responsabilities that implies. however, clan members must be given a clan name!", he smiled. "I say that your new name will be 'Fly With A Stinger', for your swiftness in battle. Your female will be called 'Protecting Petal', for the way she helped protect our young ones. Nest areas will be provided for you and your female directly; and your new pack will also have sleeping areas near yours. My clan! Make it so!", this he nearly yelled!
While the hunting party returned to thier kills, Mayday went with them to see about our supplies. Rex went with me to see about our new sleeping area and those of our new veloceraptor guests.
Thundertail watched his clan work as they escorted these tiny carnivores to thier area, and I saw Deathflower saunter toward her sleeping nest. I nodded at her to get her attention, then told her that was where we slewpt last night - and apologized for the scent that might still be there! She just chuckled and commented that it would be an honorable scent! The juvenile Tyranosaurs went around and gathered up all the Veloceraptor corpses and added those to the kills the hunters were collecting by the area where they fed last night.
By dusk everything was in order, and I surveyed the area where Mayday and i were to sleep. It was near the top of the rise, just within the treeline there; and a shallow gully of sorts where the pack of Veloceraptors would stay was within sight of many Tyranosaur nests. I went over and hunkered down in thier midst; then I began to tell them what I thought was expected of them.
"Now, the way I see it,", I began in thier language as Whitetail scooted near me. "They would probablywant you to scout out herds of dinosaurs; but they might want to do the actual killing themselves. I think there is no need to tell you not to anger them! The reason why Mayday and I are still alive is because we hadn't angered them."
"Why exactly you here?", Whitetail wanted to know.
I told her and her reduced pack all ablut myself. I told them about my life prior to being here, to the crashing of my plane in the Rainy Basin; then about finding Rex and Mayday's appearance all the way to finally deciding to stay on Dinotopia. They heard of my hunting exploits and the training of Rex to the day we encountered Thundertail's clan. After I was done with that, I paused to reguard this ragtag group of half starved carnivores.
"So you see, I think it's wise for both our species that we try to make the Tyranosaurs happy.", I said. "But for now, I think you should start making your sleeping nests; and I will go see about getting you guys some food."
"That kind!", Whitetail said, lightly stroking my arm with her talons.
"What are alpha males for?!", I smiled as I rose and left the area.
The area set aside for me and Mayday was just at the edge of the clearing, just across from where i had made the campfire last night. Our supplies were piled both out there and near our sleeping area. Mayday was there, busy inventorying all our supplies. I waved as I pulled out my bedroll and spread it out on the ground; then got busy helping her.
"How you holding out?", I asked her.
"Good as expected.", Mayday said, taking out a few jars of medicine, tisking. "Look! They break!"
"Well, Tyranosaurs aren't exactly the most graceful creatures, you know.", I said, helping to straighten a few things. "They probably didn't know what they were. They don't use medicines; or any of this other stuff, for that matter."
"They say they take everything there, then destroy shelter.", Mayday said as she turned to set up her own bedroll. "Must make new one."
"We will in time, I guess.", i said offhandedly. "Right now we got to cope with living with them." I thought a second. "And so do the Veloceraptors!... Which reminds me. I promised to ask about food for them. Guess I should do that.", I got up and looked around.
"They put kills over there.", she pointed. "I be along soon.", I turned in that direction and went there.
I entered the boomerang shaped clearing, pausing to let the odd hatchling scurry by, and made it to where the Tyranosaurs were busy doling out the carcasses. Between what the hunting party caught and the casualties gathered from the veloceraptor attackers, there were more than forty dead dinosaurs lying around. The number of Strutheomimuses caught by the hunters was about equal to those of the dead Veloceraptors; but everyone seemed to have thier own kill to eat. I nodded at Rex, who was near his father; then I addressed Thundertail in a formal manner.
"My king, the Veloceraptors are hungry.", I told him. "May they shere in the kills?"
"I suppose that, to have guests in our midst, one must feed them.", Thundertail told me. "You may take them all you can carry; but please, join us when you are done."
"Yes, my lord.", I bowed, then selected two of the kills.
I walked to the loose pile and found a yearling Strut. She was fairly light and her neck was torn out, but she seemed plump enough. The next one i chose was a rather large Veloceraptor with an olive tailand tiny red stripes on it, like the tails the surviving males had. I lifted both with the aid of Klamath and slung them over my armored shoulders. I carried my burdens to the edge of the clearing and walked deeper into the woods. the Veloceraptors saw me coming and hissed; but I didn't know if that was a welcoming sound or a threatening one. they all jumped with a start when I tossed both carcasses from my shoulders into thier midst; then I crouched down to speak to them.
"They said I may take you all i could carry.", I said. "These should hold you until the next meal.", most of them hissed approval as they eyed the food before them.
"This one old alpha!", Whitetail said as she recognized the dead Veloceraptor before her. "He not very smart!"
"But he was a ferocious fighter.", I said. "It took a lot tl kill him!"
"Skill and smart not same thing!", Whitetail hissed laughter as the rest of her kin dig in. Before she joined them, she sidled up to me and gave me a toothy nuzzle. "Thank you for saving our lives.", she rasped.
Smiling at her, I stroked her leathery neck and left them to eat. I made my way to where the clan of Tyranosaurs were feeding. I sat beside Rex and reached for a raw chunk. The conversations and smalltalk during that meal went on long into the night... _
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Post by thundertail on Jun 28, 2007 20:20:54 GMT -5
TEN: "Unification."
I woke from my dream slowly, but the buzzing around my ear still remained. I tried to sleepily swat it away, but it returned once more. As I drew myself further from sleep, I found out the noise was not of insect origin, for a warm breeze caressed my neck; then a fetid stench reached my nose! I jerked my head up slightly and could identify the noise as some purring animal right next to me!I sat bolt upright, and Whitetail edged away with a start. She was more suprised at my reaction to her presence than I was!
"Oh..., It's you..., Sorry!", I yawned. "What are you doing here?"
"Thundertail say we scout for prey.", she rasped softly so she wouldn't wake Mayday near my side. "Rex woke us. We wait for you."
"Now I remember..., I made that promise.", I said as I slowly rose. "Everyone ready?"
"Everyone's up but you, Fly With A Stinger.", Rex said as he stepped around the area and looked at me. "Dad said I was to go with you. You know: practice, things like that..."
"Or maybe to keep an eye on us sneaky Veloceraptors!", I chucklingly added.
"We no sneaky, we stealthy!", Whitetail said. "Let's go. I get rest of pack...", she scurried off.
"What going on?", Mayday asked as she turned to us. "Why so early?", the rays of the morning were just beginning to lighten the night.
"We got to scout the area for the next hunt.", Rex said. "Sorry for waking you, Protecting Petal. You can sleep more if you want."
"No sleep! I go with you!", Mayday told him. "Only no like Protecting Petal. Just Mayday, ok?"
"Ok, Mayday.", Rex said. "Guess we better get going..."
"But Mayday, you can't run as fast as a Veloceraptor!", I told her. "I can because of Klamath's speed!"
"I can run almost as fast as one,", Rex added. "But you'll be too slow!"
"I ride you, maybe.", Mayday suggested.
"How?", Rex asked.
"In outposts and in towns, they have creatures called Landstriders.", she explained. "They two legged dinosaur we ride. They are Corythosaur and Parasolophus. Look just like Tyranosaur, and run just as fast."
"That's a great idea!", I said. "Rex, let her get on you, and we'll give it a try, ok?"
"Well...,", Rex considered. "Ok, but I don't know if I can carry her. She looks pretty heavy!"
Rex stood still as Mayday tried to get on top of him. He shifted a bit as she climbed up assisted by his spiked heel; then she lifted a leg over his back as he groaned under her unused to weight. Trying to maintain his balance, he finally got his feet under him. Rex rocked and wobbled as he tried to take a step. I saw the strain in his wincing face as his strength was tested to the maximum; and after a while, he roared politely in her face for her to get down. As Mayday jumped down, Rex looked down sorrowfully, clearly sorry for being such a weakling!
"Nice try, buddy.", I consoled. "It just means you're still too young. I bet an adult could lift her easily!"
"But I'm the clan king's son!", Rex groused. "I must show them my worth!", Rex turned to Mayday. "Get on! You're not to heavy that I can't lift YOU!"
Mayday complied after eyeing me strangely, and Rex took her weight with a saurian look of grim determination. It was a good thing that he didn't want me to ride him! With my weight plus Klamath's four hundred pound weight, that would be close to six hundred pounds! Mayday looked to weigh no more than one-fifty tops!
Rex slowly walked out of our nest area with his burden as I followed, and by this time the small pack of Veloceraptors had assembled in the clearing. Whitetail was having trouble keeping order in the group, perhaps because they were used to being led by the alpha male and not a female. I went over to the small group, wearing a look of utter confidence, and stared at the little monsters. I stared them down until they lowered thier heads and voices in that order. Then I walked to Whitetail's side and smiled at her before returning my gaze to my charges.
"When I'm not around, I expect you to obey Whitetail.", I instructed them in thier own language. "Now, we're going to do some scouting this morning and report back here if we spot anything. Anyone know a good direction to start?"
"Ooh! I know!", Rex said as he stepped up to the group to my right with Mayday tottering on his shoulders. "Dad said they were very successful down the Polongo river, about halfway to the Deep Swamp to the west. He said it's only seven or eight miles that way.", he pointed west, downriver.
"Very well, if there are no objections, let's go.", I told them, and we all prepared to leave.
"I have question.", a subordinate male rasped as he passed. "Why they make YOU alpha? You not even Veloceraptor!"
"Because I am stronger and smarter.", I told him, sneering at him. "Besides, if the situation were any different, you would all be dead by now! Now SCOOT!", I kicked out at him as he moved away.
"Never mind that one.", Whitetail whispered as she passed. "He think he better than everyone!", I smiled and got a move on myself.
Thundertail saw the group speed out of the clearing and go west into the forest down that skinny path by the river. he hissed and summoned two of his clan over.
"Grond, Deathflower. Follow those ones.", he told them. "See that they honor thier side of the agreement."
"As you wish, my king.", Deathflower said for both of them.. They presently turned as one and lumbered down the path.
The trail we took skirted the river for about a mile, then veered deeper into the jungle - so deep that the early morning light barely reached the forest floor. This skinny path dipped and swerved around trees and over rocks. It was merely an animal trail, after all! These small carnivores sure knew what they were doing because i saw many of them pause from time to time to test the air, then move on to do the same thing hundreds of yards further up the path.
I passed many of the Veloceraptors as Klamath andf I went ahead of them, coming up on the lead one and nodding. This one Whitetail had mentioned, and he merely gave me a noncommittal hiss and redoubled his pace. I fell back slightly and found myself beside Whitetail once more. She turned and purred at me, posing playfully; then she continued concentrating on the path ahead. Was she flirting with me, I wondered?
Rex, carrying Mayday on his back, tried to keep up with us; but he slowly lagged behind, and I slowed down and drifted to his side. The poor beast was panting and wheezing, pumping his legs with extra exertion while bouncing the rather lanky human female between his shoulders. mayday had taken a squatting position over the Tyranosaur's spine, balancing herself with shins and feet as she bobbed and swayed in tune with Rex's bounding rithym. I looked at this rather artistic mode of travel and marveled at my two friends before I spoke.
"How you two holding out?", I asked.
"Good.", came Mayday's bouncy voice.
"How... much...further?...", Rex panted.
"I don't know.", I told them. "I'll go ask.", Then I rushed ahead.
Down the path i ran, but I had lost track of the Veloceraptor pack while I had been talking to Rex and Mayday! I raced ahead and looked left and right through the trees and foliage, but I could spot nothing moving anywhere. There was a clearing in the distance down the path; but before I got too near, Whitetail sprung out of hiding and led me behind some rocks and fallen logs. She shushed me and pulled me deeper into hiding.
"Prey not far.", she told me in a hissing whisper. "Pack fan out down wind and hide."
"We must tell the other tyranosaurs!", I told her a bit too loudly for her and she shushed me again. "Where are the others?", I asked this softer.
"Hiding.", she turned her head and i followed her gaze. One of her pack was skirting around the area, trying to get a clear view of the prey. "Small herd of Ankylosaurs with larger herd of Struthies in clearing ahead. Struthies will warn others if we get too close."
"Someone must alert the Tyranosaurs.", I maintained, then noticed Rex and Mayday getting close behind us. I backed quietly out of hiding, ran back to the trail and stopped the pair before they got too close. "Woah there!", I waved them down. "They have found prey, but we must be quiet!, I said this softly. "I will get word back to the clan!"
"We'll stay here.", Rex rumbled softly as Mayday dismounted - much to the poor dinosaur's relief! "Where are the others?"
"Hiding; and I suggest you guys do likewise!", I told them as I turned and they both ducked for cover. "Feet, don't fail me now!", I told Klamath, but got confusion instead. "I mean, let's run and tell the clan!"
The suit propelled me down the path faster than it propelled me up it, dodging obstacles all along it. The shrubs and trees sped by in a blur, and my legs hardly protested at all as the suit did most of the work. I was running so fast I nearly ran into two Tyranosaurs coming the other way! I screeched to a stop many yards in front of them, and they stopped as well; Grond and Deathflower sniffed at me curiousely.
"We spotted game!", I said in Tyranosaur. "In the clearing many miles ahead!"
"Go inform the clan.", Grond told me.
"We wll go ahead.", Deathflower told me.
I bowed as they let me past them, then continued running full tilt all the way to the boomerang clearing which was the camp of clan Thundertail. I continued on at a slower pace until I came to some more adults, and they gathered around me as soon as I stopped.
"We have found prey about eight miles from here!", I announced. In a clearing there are many Ankylosaurs and even more Struthies! The others are keeping an eye on them, and have them surrounded."
"This is good news, Fly With A Stinger!", Thundertail got through the crowd and stated. "What of Grond and Deathflower?"
"I met them along the path.", I said. "They said they would wait near the clearing with the others."
"Then let's fly, my clan!", Thundertail sidled up to me as many of his clan set out toward the path. "I saw how Rex let Protecting Petal ride him. Get on and I will carry you."
"Well, ok.", I said, not wanting to anger him. "But I'm mighty heavy!", I indicated my armor and began to climb up. He just smiled and seemed to appreciate the weight!
I crawled up his tail, ever careful of my footing lest I hurt his spine; and I tried to seat myself between his shoulder blades. I placed my footing like I saw Mayday do; and as soon as I was all set, I tapped him on the back and he took off after the rest of his clan.
Every clan member seemed to be with us, including all but three females and the smaller hatchlings. Even Pincushion and Thistlesnarl trailed after the rest, wanting so bad to at last make thier first real kills! As the hunters lined up along the path, they were roaring and chaffing with anticipation; but as the miles wore on, they grew silent with determination, and the only sounds left was thier thundering footfalls.
As the group neared the clearing in question, they dispersed into the jungle and seemed to be swallowed up by the thick undergrowth. Thundertail slowed to a stop and I slid off his back; then nodded to me before getting into hiding himself. Before I knew it, Whitetail was at my side once again, sneering up at me with a veloceraptor smile.
Prey not move from clearing.", she hissed a whisper. "Ready for attack?"
"Well, the clan's all here.", I whispered back in kind. "Let's wait for Thuindertail's signal."
We did not have long to wait, for a second later a great carcophany began near the far end of the clearing, followed by footfalls large and small. The caterwauling sounds of dozens of creatures in distress filled our ears! Whitetail hissed and scampered off toward the clearing, and I whooped as I hurried off after her. As I entered the clearing proper I saw herds of Struthies being chased by herds of predators - a true mixture of larger and smaller creatures working as one!
The veloceraptors would herd the Struthies into the waiting jaws of the Tyranosaurs, who would rend them on the fly and sling that victim away to pursue another one; and many times the opposite form of teamwork occured. The smaller herd of Ankylosaurs thundered by, being chased by many Tyranosaurs and being steered by the snapping jaws of Veloceraptors at the edges of the stampede. They steered the Ankylos in an ever tightening circle, to be rent apart as they were boxed in and met thier demise.
I saw Pincushion and Thistlesnarl run by, hot on the tail of thier own Ankylosaur. Pincushion pounced on the creature's back while Thistlesnarl tackled the hind end. The beast went down in a baeat of terror, never to get back up again.
My own chance to make some kills came when the remnants of the Struthie herd was steered my way; and Klamath dispatched many as they passed by. I ran out, slashing and stabbing with a glee I most certainly felt! Klamath stunned many with his stunners and repulsed many with his pusher beam, making the other carnivores' jobs easier - and I felt his satisfaction as well!
Even Mayday had her chance to make a kill as an Ankylosaur sped her way as she was hiding by the edge of the clearing. she brandished a hundred pound rock and hurled it at the creature, striking its' bony head. This stunned the creature long enough for grond to rend it dead right there. Both grond and Mayday whooped for joy at thier first joint kill, and rushed out to give each other a nuzzle!
After this brief battle, things ebbed somewhat as many sated thier immediate hunger; and many more went about to count the kills. Of the Ankylosaurs, three got away; and fourteen of thier brothers lay dead, scattered all over the field. A dozen Struthies got away, but three dozen of thier kind did not. This was a hunt whose success far outdistanced all of our imaginations! We all went about congratulating each other on our hunting prowess - even Mayday was being affectionately congratulated by grond! Thistlesnarl and Pincushion were excitedly capering around thier shared kill, and all the veloceraptors danced around everyone in a mob! Soon Thunderkill sauntered up to me and put his two-fingered forepaw on my shoulder, getting my attention from one of my own kills.
"Fly With A Stinger, this hunt was the best in all my clan's history! Even my ancester, Stinktooth the Great wouldd have been proud of this!", he announced. "And it was all because of your wisdom of letting these Veloceraptors join our clan. It is a fact that we would have had far fewer kills without them!
"Pack never see so many kills!", Whitetail came up and said, grasping my leg. "It good both kinds together. We work well together!", she looked up to me. "And it all beacuse of you, 'Stinger'!", I crouched to accept her lick.
"Well, I knew that both of your kind are great hunters in your own right."I told them as I stood. "I figured that together, you would be better than any individual kind. I'm glad this hunt was successful; but I never dreamed it would be THIS successful!", I indicated all the kills as nearly everyone laughed in thier own way.
Grond came by just then, Mayday still clinging close to him. "Fly With A stinger, at first I did not think your idea would work. Your idea went against everything my clan believes in. Most of all, I did not like YOU, the way you made your camp on most holy ground!", he stated. "But the evidence around me speaks for itself. Please forgive my negative aditude."
"Well Grond," I said as I accepted his nuzzle. "I did not mean to interlope on sacred ground - nor destroy this clan's ideals.", i smiled at Mayday as she snuggled Grond's chest. "I just wanted everyone to live in peace, and to cooperate with each other."
"And I would say that your wish has been fulfilled!", Thundertail chuckled.
"Excuse me, everyone.", Deathflower came up and said. "How do you suppose we are going to drag all these kills back to the clansite? There are far too many carcasses for our number!"
"Hmmm...", Thundertail considered. "Since Fly With A Stinger was so smart for thinking up this Partnership of carnivores, perhaps he can be the one to think of a solution to this little problem!"
"Maybe we could drag all we can and leave some of us to guard the rest.", I thought out loud. "Then come back for another load."
"Very good! I was thinking the same thing!", Thundertail said. "I was just testing you anyway.", he turned to Grond. "See? He DOES have the good of the clan at heart!", grond nodded.
Without being told, the combined clan got to work. No one needed to be told who was going to drag the kills, nor who was to stay behind. We all did what we thought needed to be done as if out of mutual cooperation. mayday, Whitetail, two of her pack, Thistlesnarl and Pincushion decided to stay behind and guard the remaining kills; and I joined the rest who were to drag the kills on this trip.
I slung two Struthies over my shoulders while grond dragged an Ankylo at my side. Rex came by with three Struthies slung on his back and one in his mouth, nearly dropping that one due to the smile on his saurian face! The rest teamed up dragging the larger dinosaurs, or took the smaller ones solo; and soon this precession of death slowly made its' way through the jungle at my own walking pace. By midmorning we entered the boomerang shaped clearing and deposited the first load of kills in our feeding area while those we left there came out of the forest, drooling over what we had caught.
"We got more where that came from!", I told them, who were mostly hatchlings. "Dig in, everyone!", I turned to go, along with the hunting party.
We ran all the way back to the clearing where we left the others, but we all could tell that something was definitely wrong. Thundertail sniffed the air and growled lowly; and Klamath informed me that there were other predators around. When we peered into the clearing through the undergrowth, we saw that more veloceraptors had congregated by our kills! The ones we left behind were staring them down, snapping and growling at them. Mayday had taken a long, straight branch; and she was fending off two of them, brandishing it like a staff. Thistlesnarl snapped at three as they tryed to harass her while Pincushion was being harassed by his three. Our own veloceraptors hissed and capered around threateningly at the rest, and it looked like they were losing ground!
As if on cue, we all charged out into the clearing and took over the situation! As the Tyranosaurs and the half dozen Veloceraptors with us began to encircle these interlopers, I peppered them with Klamath's stunner; but they only went down dazed because I only gave them the smallest of blasts. Suprisingly enough, we didn't begin to kill these intruders, but piled them in a circle in our midst. I grabbed one of them and shook it until it woke up.
"These are OUR kills!", I yelled at it, a male bearing similar markings to most of our male Veloceraptors. "What are you doing stealing from us?!"
"Please! Don't kill us!", he pleaded as I let him go to cringe by his comrades. "We are starving! Let us go!"
"I think it would benefit if you answer him!", Thundertail warned, closing in as if to eat him.
"We lost many of our pack days ago.", he looked completely beaten. They went hunting and never returned. Our alpha was with them, and now we are leaderless!"
"Wait a minute!", Whitetail said as she stepped up. "Mosquito! Is that you?"
"What?... Whitetail!", Mosquito's slitted eyes blinked. "It's you, my matriarch!...", he smiled, just now daring to rise. "We thought you were lost!... But why are you with these creatures?"
"We have treaty. They our friends.", Whitetail explained, then turned to Thundertail. "Please no hurt them! They rest of my pack!"
"But they dared steal from us!", Grond protested. "They deserve death!"
"Wait a second!", I turned to Thundertail. "You have seen the benefits of a handful of Veloceraptors among us. The benefits might increase if there were more!"
"You mean let them go?", Rex asked.
"No. Maybe we could let them rejoin Whitetail's pack.", I said. "By your permission of course, king Thundertail."
"We have had an extremely successful hunt today.", Thundertail stated. "And that was with the aid of this handful of Veloceraptors. Maybe we could be as successful every time with more among us.", he turned to Whitetail. "This group may join us. Whitetail, please explain everything to them."
"Yes, my king!", Said Whitetail.
Whitetail explained to them the reason why they were among the Tyranosaurs, and the deal they had made. they found it hard to believe that such a Partnership of carnivores would come about. Veloceraptors and Tyranosaurs compete for food, and are mortal enemies! When she told them about this hunt and its' extreme success, they nodded and thought that this Partnership was a good idea indeed! She then invited them to join the Tyranosaurs, and to make thier sundered pack whole once again; saying that this bounty would be thiers as well if they did. After a few moments of hissing debate from the rest of the group, who had come to many moments ago, they agreed whole heartedly to join. I listened to this exchange and nodded in satisfaction.
"They agree to join!", Whitetail announced when they were done with thier discussion. She turned at thier squawking, then back. "But they hungry. may they eat?"
"By all means! But first off; welcome to my clan, little hunters!", Thundertail grinned down at them, and they bowed. "Second, you may indulge all you want with the kills we can not take away. Go ahead!", he made a shooing gesture, and the new Veloceraptors cringed before slinking to the nearest kill.
The new veloceraptors swiftly began feeding, Mosquito trying to dominate the kill, but the hunger of his peers were overriding his wishes. many moments later, and with thier bellies full, they turned to Thundertail and bowed on the ground submissively. Seeing this, Thundertail turned and nodded at them. This was the silent signal, and Whitetail and her pack converged on the new ones. All of a sudden the air was filled with happy squawks and mewlings of a pack finally reunited. hugs and nuzzles were abundant as they fell in a knot of happy greeting!
"MY clan, at last we are whole!", Whitetail told them as soon as the reunion ebbed slightly, most of them were on toip of her and the rest of rhe clan.
"It is indeed good, my matriarch.", Mosquito said. "But where is alpha?"
"He is dead, but I took another alpha.", she told him. "One that will consumate our alliance with the Tyranosaurs."
"Who?", he asked.
"Me!", I stepped near them from where i had been watching this exchange. "I took over as alpha for your pack. I am also a member of the Tyranosaur clan. This bond will strengthen both your kinds!"
"But how?", Mosquito asked me. "You are not Veloceraptor and you are not Tyranosaur. You are human! How can this be?"
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(Continued in next post.)
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Post by thundertail on Jun 30, 2007 15:59:01 GMT -5
TEN: "Unification." (Continued.)
"This is my story:", I told these new veloceraptors my story; from crashing my plane in the Rainy Basin to finding Rex and Mayday to the day the clan of Tyranosaurs found us. "And since I took care of Rex, and he was the son of Thundertail, he has made us clan members in gratitude.", then i told how I saved the rest of thier pack. "So you see, without me being your alpha, your pack would not have had a chance!"
"I see...", Mosquito said after a thought. "I see your wisdom, and will do as you say, my chief!", the others nodded as well.
"Excellent!", Thundertail said as he stepped into our midst. "Now if you would, please follow us to our territory, my friends!"
With this the new Veloceraptors joined their comrades they thought they had lost, and followed Thundertail out of the clearing. I was left with the rest of the clan, led by Grond, deathflower and Rex, to help drag the rest of our kills. It was nearly noontime before we all congregated around the feeding area in the boomerang clearing that clan Thundertail called home, getting acquainted with each other and experiencing the happiness of reunion among the lightly feeding carnivores. The air of unification and shared comeraderie was felt by all as I got used to these new veloceraptors. I had found out that all thier names were of things derived from nature.
It turned out that Mosquito had assumed leadership once they found out that the rest of thier pack was missing; so for this I made him beta male, and would let him take charge when I was not around. When Whitetail heard what I had done, she approved wholeheartedly because Mosquito was her closest cousin.
Pretty soon the whole pack of Veloceraptors came close to me, mobbing and capering my acceptance to thier pack. They nuzzled and nudged me about; which was thier way of welcoming me as thier new leader!
Every now and again the Tyranosaurs would saunter by and visit the Veloceraptors; wishing all of them the best of luck, and jokingly wishing me luck keeping them all in line! All during this Mayday, who barely left grond's side since thier joint kill, walked up to a dead Struthie, pulled a leg off and ate it raw. I noticed this behaviour and wondered why, with her Dinotopian philosophy and upbringing, would she do such a thing! I would definitely have to talk to her about this - that was for sure!
Before I got a sbance to talk to her about this, rex came by and sat next to me; and he had that look of extreme satisfaction about him. I asked him how he felt, and he said that he had never felt so at home in all his life!
We lay around the camp for most of the rest of the day, in life in the area of king Thundertail's clan began toshow a sense of normalcy. Mothers tended thier young, juveniles played and adults of all three species shared stories of hunts and glorious deeds. the most unusual tales of all to these carnivores were the ones told by Mayday and myself; for tales of the human condition was all but unknown to them. Even Klamath got into the act as he had me relate his tales of courage and honor to them!
As our firewas lit, all the carnivores of clan Thundertail drew near it. Thundertail came up and roared before giving a speech.
"My Clan!", Thundertail roared. "May we all prospor in this new symbiosis of hope!", roaring cheers welled up from the crowd like never before! "And we have one of the newest members of our clan to thank for it!", with this he made room so all could see me. Just then my roars of congratulation was heard for many miles around the Rainy Basin...
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Post by thundertail on Jul 10, 2007 6:11:06 GMT -5
ELEVEN: "Company and contemplation."
As all the carnivores began to get used to life in this strange clan, weeks and months go by. The hunting was spectacular, and I began to gain more and more respect as we all prospored. In gratitude, they let mayday and I build a shack of sorts out of logs and thatch; and with the help of all in the clan that wished to, it began to take shape next to our assigned sleeping area. With the help of the Tyranosaurs great strength, trees from miles away were knocked down, severed to length and set in place with quick succession. Mayday had the help of the Veloceraptor females and thier dexterous forepaws in lashing the logs together and thatching the roof. Pretty soon the cabin was up and livable in rapid order.
The dinosaurs that helped marveled at the dwelling that they helped create, and begged Thundertail permission to build some dwellings of thier own. He agreed after debating thought; and his conclusion was these would shelter them and help keep the rains of thier hides! In no time at all the forest surrounding the boomerang shaped clearing began sporting log dwellings of every shape and size; and I was jokingly blamed for these 'unnatural eyesores'. Presently any advice for improving thier new homes were asked upon by Mayday and myself!
The weeks and months truely passed by unnoticed, and our little community in the middle of the Rainy Basin throve and grew. The hunts were just as glorious as the first communal hunt so long ago. So much so that we needed not hunt every day; yet kept the trackers out to keep an eye on the herds.
Thanks to Mayday's foraging in the forest for edible fruits, nuts and berries - and her instruction of the female Veloceraptors and young Tyranosaurs on the subject; the added foodstuffs increased our larder. Those that were willing enough to taste the plants brought back found the experience not very savory at all; and that was when we realized that a carnivore's diet must not contain much plant material!
The garden she started by the edge of the river that Mayday began started out small at best, and the seeds and other cultivatable foodplants that were in her cart the day I found her slowly took root. Within weeks we had short rows of young wheat, corn and rice; and the potato and squash plants didn't take until many weeks later. But all this did was provide enough extra food for Mayday and myself, and any carnivore that joined us only ate as little as thier stomachs would accept.
During this time Whitetail had lain her eggs; being heavy with them from the former alpha's efforts, she helped out around the clan with increased rarity. I had insisted that she move her nest in with Mayday and I since she opted not to have one built for herself and her pack as of yet. I explained that, even though she didn't mind getting wet, I was sure her offspring would not appreciate it! Another two weeks passed, and out of the nine eggs she had lain, only three hatched; and the rest of the eggs were given as gifts to aunts and uncles - the egg she gave me I shared with Mayday!
I was, of course, present for the hatching; and just like bird chicks, these three imprinted on me as well as Whitetail. I was now, in essence, a daddy; and as the father, Whitetail gave me permission to name them. The little female I named 'Whitenose' for the pinkish splotch on the top of her muzzle which Whitetail said would become whitish tan as she grew iolder. The first boy tried to rip Klamath's armored glove off my hand as I tried to pick him up; so I named this one 'Ripper'. The other boy almost snapped my nose off in his mouth when I got too close, so I named this one 'Snapper'. Both boys were identical save for Snapper had thicker green stripes going down his little back.
Yes indeed! Life in clan Thundertail had gotten pretty routine to me by now. Our hunts and way of life grew, and our prosperity increased daily; and we wore the results of that prosperity well, let me tell you! The running joke in the clan was that we would soon grow too fat to hunt if this kept up! Let me tell you, living on Dinotopia, in the middle of the Rainy Basin in the company of these friendly killers was certainly becoming the best time of my life!
That was until we had our first visitor!
We had a full twenty minute warning before the cart entered the boomerang shaped clearing thanks to our Veloceraptor scouts. An Ankylosaur was pulling the cart, and a portly man that was clearly out of shape was tending the reigns. being experts in stealth, we hid among the trees and watched what these two were going to do. The cart stopped by the river, and the human lumbered off and began to unhitch the Ankylosaur. The dinosaur drank greedily as the man went to the cart and brought down three large waterskins; of which he bagan to fill at the water's edge.
I quietly sought out Thundertail and asked whisperingly what we were going to do. Thundertail instructed me to go out and confront these intruders and ask what they were doing here. He said that my presence would not frighten them very much, and he was merely curious. He didn't want his clan to go out all at once and make them run off in a wild panic! I nodded and came out into the clearing well within sight of the pair. I wanted them to know that I was coiming.
"Good day, strangers!", I called from several dozen yards away. both looked up to me with a jerk.
"Breathe deep, stranger!", The human replied with a voice much higher than his girth suggested. "Lovely day for a trek through the Rainy Basin, you think?"
"Seek peace, my friend!", I said in kind as I drew nearer. "It would be an even better day if one knew where he was! you seem lost."
"Aye, it's true.", he bowed as the Ankylosaur grunted. "But it is a good thing we found this river! It no doubt belongs to the Polongo!"
"True, but that river is a long way downstream.", I informed. "I live here because it is nice and secluded.", I pointed at the structures just barely visible through the trees.
"Nay! You can't live here!", The man's eyes went ewide. "This is the land of the Tyranosaurs! It is just too dangerous!"
"It is true, my friend!", I said. "My homestead is over yonder, and my crops are over by the river's edge."
Seeing his warning was having no effect, the man turned to the Ankylosaur. "Eh..., my name is McGuire; and this is my Partner, Sinbo."
"Nice to meet the both of you.", I bowed. "My name is Stinger."
All of a sudden a Tyranosaur hatchling scurried from the bushes she was hiding in and wove her way between my legs, mewling insistently. The man stared at this miniature carnivore in horror, and his equally terrifyed Partner brayed and looked to have a mind to bolt into the river! I picked the little darling up and stroked under her chin a moment, then let her down on the grass.
"Go find mama!", I said in Tyranosaur as I scooted the tyke along. I looked up at the stricken pair and sighed. "The Tyranosaurs here are my friends. They have made me part of thier clan."
"What deviltry is this?!", Mcguire took steps back, and so did Sinbo! "No human can live with Tyranosaurs! it is just not done!"
"It is true, I swear!", I said, then noticed mayday come out of hiding to be at my side. "This is my friend, Mayday. Perhaps she could tell you better than I can..."
"It true!", Mayday told the stricken pair. "Tyranosaur friend! No hurt us! Help us and we help them. It good for both!"
"This is uncanny, right sinbo?", the Ankylosaur grunted. "How did this come about?"
We began to briefly tell our tales; and when we were done, both nodded in disbelief.
"This is the first time a good encounter has happened with a Tyranosaur - EVER!", McGuire said after a thought. "You are very lucky to sill be alive. Much more so that they still allow you to be!", he turned to Sinbo and said: "And to think, these humans have tamed these creatures!..."
"Oh! They are not tame by a long shot, I assure you!", I said, then noticed thier dismay return. "Let's say they are..., agreeable...", I smiled, and that calmed them down a bit. "Since we have been among them, we have proven our usefulness time and again. I suppose that is why they tolerate us, I guess!"
"A strange tale indeed!", McGuire said.
"Want meet them?", Mayday offered, then turned to the forest.
"Well I...", McGuire stammered, but before he could finish, mayday had already called for Thundertail!
"It will be all right... really!", I tried to reassure them with a smile. "They are really, really nice; so please don't be afraid."
Thundertail slowly came out of hiding, slowly but purposefully sauntering into view. He stopped many dozens of yards away from the quivering Ankylosaur and human Partner, bowing low and trying not to startle them too much. presently Rex came out and stood by his father's side, matching the moves exactly and bowing just as low. Thuindertail rumbled in greeting, and Rex mewled a greeting of his own. I walked over to thundertail, bowed and turned to stroke Rex under the chin.
"See? They are as friendly as can be!", I turned to McGuire and Sinbo and said. "Please meet Thundertail, king od all Tyranosaurs.", I announced my king. "And here is Rex, his son and my Partner.", I hugged my Partner.
"Pleased to meet you, I'm sure.", McGuire mumbled out of courtesy, but the fear in his voice was physical! "I am McGuire; and this is my Partner, Sinbo..."
"What do they want?", Thundertail rumbled to me softly.
"They are lost.", I rumbled back. "They are just getting water. I think they really want to be on thier way!"
"I see.", Thundertail said. "Ask them if they want to stay and dine with us. I assume they are vegetarian, so you may offer them food from your garden."
"King Thundertail welcomes you to his clansite.", I said as formally as I could. "He invites you to sit for a meal if you wish.", Sinbo backed up, perhaps thinking he would be the main course! "I have plenty of crop in my garden for you if you accept!"
"Well, it is Dinotopian tradition to accept a gift when offered...", McGuire began after a silent, heated debate with his partner. "Perhaps a meal and a rest. Then may we be on our way?"
"Wonderful! I'll tell them!", I explained this to Thundertail; but heard Sinbo's rumbling and said via Klamath; "Please do not be afraid, kind saurian! We are a relatively peaceful lot. I guarantee you are perfectly safe here!"
This did little to dissuade thier treepidations, but they followed Mayday and I as we led them further up the clearing. By ones and twos, the other carnivores began to slowly emerge from where they were hiding, and whitetail slithered out to walk at my side and helped out as i cut some greens for Sinbo. At his grunt, I explained that I was her alpha male; or a nestmate for lack of another term. he just grunted again and accepted his portion of fodder. Mayday had gotten busy cooking McGuire's food; and somewhere during this time our two guests gradually calmed down somewhat.
"This is just incredible!", McGuire said as he sat by Mayday and sampled her boiled tubers. "These beasts seem to live almost civilized!"
"They are very intellegent creatures.", I told him. "They see the benefits that Mayday and I have introduced. Why, some of the shelters you see around here are thiers. They made them mostly themselves, too!"
"And do they live by any rules?", McGuire asked. "Where we come from, we have very strict rules to live by."
"They live mostly by the rules of the hunt.", I told him. "But in a community we have now, there ar other rules.", I wiped my bowl with an edible leaf and ate it. "Like the rule that there is no hunting within the clansite; and the one about hunting only in thier designated hunting grounds."
"And these Veloceraptors?", McGuire asked as a lesser male Veloceraptor took his plate. "How did they join the Tyranosaurs?"
"At my suggestion, I reasoned that both could help each other hunt.", I explained. "Veloceraptors are, by nature, stealthy and swift; and Tyranosaurs are naturally brave and strong. I suggested that the Veloceraptors could scout and trap the prey while the Tyranosaurs could make the kills. Both kinds are great hunters in thier own right; but with thier combined skills, they could hunt better than either species by themselves."
"Very wise!", McGuire commented, added by Sinbo's grunt.
"This method is proving very successful.", I added. "Now they do not have to hunt every day to survive!"
"And this was why we weren't eaten!", McGuire concluded. "You have led them into a more docile way of life! You should be commended - the both of you!", Sinbo brayed agreement, finally getting used to all the carnivores all around him. He accepted another helping of fodder from Whitetail, and getting a nuzzle in the bargain!
"What do you discuss, fly With A Stinger?", Thundertail wanted to know.
"They are amazed at your clans' apparent civility.", I told him in Tyranosaur. "Before that, it was the amazement for the fact they weren't eaten!"
After his laugh, Thundertail said: "Quell thier fears, my friend; for there are times when it is truely pleasant to entertain strangers!"
"He said that they sometimes enjoy entertaining guests.", I translated into human as well as Anktlosaur.
"How many have they entertained?", McGuire asked.
"Not including us, you are the first ones.", I said. "It's thier first time, actually; but as you say, it is unusual for them to be so sociable!"
"Well, I think they are doing an excellent job of it!", McGuire chuckled, and so did his Partner. "This deserves to be told, you know. The authorities at Waterfall City would need to know this.", he turned to me. "If they wish, I could tell others about this. Do they want us to?", I translated for the question, and then Thundertail's reply.
"We live a secluded life here in the Rainy Basin; and our privacy may be disturbed.", Thundetail said. "If word got uot, there would be more strangers wandering about. We were sworn to protect the temples and other holy places; and these strangers could wander in there and get hurt.", Thundertail looked at McGuire sternly. "I request that you do not tell others about us just yet!", I finished translating, then added my own opinion. "Even though I think news of us would be beneficial, I can not go against the will of my leader."
"He leads YOU?", McGuire couldn't believe it, and neither could Sinbo.
"Since I am physically weaker than Thundertail, it serves to reason that he is the leader.", I explained. "About the only thing I can do here is make suggestions and help with the hunts. Mayday is skilled in domestic tasks, and helps to raise thier hatchlings."
"An amicable agreement, if I do say.", McGuire said. " But it seems to me that you would often miss the company of your peers.", he looked at me and Mayday. "If you wish, you may come along with us when we leave. There is certainly more to Dinotopia than just the Rainy Basin, you know!"
"I am sorry, but this is my home now.", I said as Mayday grasped my hand. "I don't think I could live another way; and I'm sure Mayday feels the same."
"It true.", Mayday added. "Nowhere else I feel more useful!"
Another female Veloceraptor offered Sinbo another helping of fodder, then gave him a toothy nuzzle as I quietly talked to Thundertail about McGuire's offers. McGuire accepted another plate of squash and berries from Whitetail as Rex slowly chewed his latest carcass. I reached over and asked with my eyes; then I pulled a leg off his Struthie and began to chew, handing pieces to Mayday who ate what I gave her. Both McGuire and Sinbo gave us extremely offended looks, but said nothing as they forced down thier dessert.
Once the meal was over and lighter conversation ebbed of thier own accord, many of the clan members there presently got up and tended to things around the clansite. Seeing all this new activity commence, McGuire took it as a cue, got up and led Sinbo back to thier cart. He explained that he had to go soon as thier cargo needed to get to Culebra very soon. They thanked us profusely for the visit as the human hitched the Ankylosaur back onto the cart.
Because the fact they were still lost, Thundertail offered to send guides with them to show them the way to the nearest road that would lead them to thier destination; and they would also protect them from other unfriendly carnivores along the way. McGuire tried to beg off, but he gave in never the less due to Sinbo's insistant worrying about them angering us! The whole clan wished them safe passage and a swift completion of thier journey as they at last disappeared into the forest down the path from which they came. The four veloceraptor escorts melted into the undergrowth with them; and returned to our territory many hours later.
So ended our first encounter with other Dinotopians. We had little doubt that it wouldn't be the last. This, of course, happened many weeks later.
Not long after McGuire and Sinbo left our camp to thier destination, we headed out for another hunt. We were very close to that Incan pyramid that stood in the distance from our camp this time, and most of the prey that our veloceraptor scouts had cornered near there had bolted. Everyone in the hunting party had scattered off to pursue thier chosen kills; and the group Rex, Mayday, myself Whitetail and several of her pack had scurried off toward the pyramid. As most of the Struthies jigged left, Rex, Mayday and two of the Veloceraptors chased them around the leeward side of the pyramid.
The ones Whitetail, three of her tribe and I were chasing ducked into the opening of the pyramid at its' base and disapearewd down its' depths. We followed them, and soon nearly got lost down the dark corridors. The Veloceraptors had better night vision than an unaided human, so seeing which way thier prey went was not much of a problem; I had Klamath's sophisticated optics to aid myself chasing my Struthie, and was able to see as well or better than my saurian huntinmg partners. As the struthies split up at a stone intersection many hundreds of feet below the jungle surface, we gave chase one-on -one. We dispatched our kills in very short order; and when we were done, we regrouped with our prizes and looked around at where we were.
The walls around us were etched in hyroglyphs of a most ancient type, and signs of other paintings were present - and most of the walls were gilt in solid gold! Reading these markings were a mystery to my companions, and they seemed to be similar to the ones i had found in Halcyon so long ago - yet I still couldn't read them. Klamath, on the other hand, studied the pictographs intently for many moments, then exclaimed in my head with an emotion of suprised familiarity mixed with happy revelation.
"What is it, Klamath?", I asked in my head.
"These hyroglyphs tell a story.", Klamath thought back to me. "A story of one of the last great battles waged by the armors of Othgar. About my fellow comrades, who fought along side our leader!"
"What does it say?", I asked silently.
"It says that, after a great battle, many of the machines of war were entombed.", Klamath toild only me. "They were buried where the 'backbone is forbidden'."
"That doesn't maske any sense.", i said to him.
"Yes it does, if you see the logic!", Klamath went on. "The two major mountain chains on Dinotopia are the Backbone mountains and the Forbidden mountains. It means that they were buried where these two mountain ranges converge."
"And if I remember that map you showed me once, this pyramid is just about where those two mountain ranges meet!", I concluded. "Exactly!"
"Stinger! Are you going to get your kill, or are you going to leave it to rot?", Whitetail said as she came over, startling me out of the exchange. "What are you doing anyway?"
"I'm trying to read this writing.", I told her.
"That scratch? What for?", she hissed and got back to the subject. "We had better get this meat back to the clan. My babies must be hungry by now!"
"Coming!", I said as I grabbed my Struthie. I knew not to argue when it came to our offspring. Talk about being a henpecked husband...!
Both of us met up with the rest of the group at another intersection in the Pyramid, and i led the way back out thanks to Klamath's tracking system. We met up with the rest of the hunting party at the foot of the pyramid, boasting to one another about thier skill in capturing our Struthies. Between the lot of us, we had gotten three dozen of the medium sized beasts; and began to carry them back a few moments later. By noontime we deposited them into the feeding area at camp and the whole clan sat around ro feed.
"We must go back there real soon, you know.", Klamath told me as I ate.
"Why?", I asked back in my head.
"If my brethern are hidden somewhere in that pyramid, they would be quite useful to my plan. We could really use the help.", Klamath told only me. "Besides, I could always force you to!", The emotion was a joking kind, but the ominous undertone unnerved me!
"Ok, OK!", I thought back. "Don't get testy! I'll see what I can do."
"What are you thinking, Fly With A Stinger?", Thundertail turned to see me seemingly deep in thought.
"Well, when we were inside that pyramid over there, I was thinking it would be a good idea to explore it. I think we have the right to know exactly what it is we're guarding.", I told him. "There might be treasures and other things someone might want to take, and it might be tempting enough for them to go inside and get lost - or get hurt!"
"I see now!", Thundertail said after absorbing what I said. "You humans are naturally curious, and YOU want to know what's inside!", he didn't miss much! "Perhaps if I let you go see, your curiosity will be quenched. Then we'll have no more of this!"
"But no one may enter holy ground!", Grond protested. "The hunting party broke tradition by going in there in the first place!"
"I know, Grond my clan brother!", Thundertail turned to him. "But the human might be right. No one has been into those places since Stinktooth the great made those rules over two hundred years ago. We really do not know what is down there, nor what it is that we are guarding!", he turned to the rest of the clan. "I say that we should plan a trip to the pyramid and let Fly With A Stinger explore it and see what there is to see. Then he can tell us what is down there, and we will know the dangers."
Not much more was said of the subject for the rest of the feast; and when it was done, it was my turn to feed Whitetail's offspring - at her insistence, of course! I watched them with a kind of love I only thought I could have for the young of my own species as I watched them take the food from my hands - and thier jolly faces as they looked up to me for more! After this, mayday and I got to work gathering things we would need for our journey back into the pyramid as she wanted to go too. We made torches and placed them in our shack, prepared waterskins and planned how we were going to explore it. nearly all of the Tyranosaurs and Veloceraptors that went on the hunt with us wished to go as well, for they knew the way just like us.
Since we needed to keep the party at a low enough number, I selected only those that werre to go - it was my project, after all! Rex wanted to come, of course; and so did Whitetail after she asked a Veloceraptor aunt to take care of her hatchlings. Several of her pack that was in the pyramid with us were to go too because they knew the layout of the place from chasing thier prey down the dark passages. With all the supplies gathered in the cabin and all the plans set, we all turned in and waited for morning; and when it finally came, both us and the hunting party set out on our tasks, both groups going seperate ways.
The trip to the Incan-styled pyramid went by without much fanfare, save for us flushing out three hatchling Ankylosaurs for breakfast. When we got there, we set everything we had broughr with us on the ground next to the entrance and planned out how we were to proceed. It was decided that mayday, Rex and myself would carry torches since our eyesight wasn't so good in the dark. Of the six Veloceraptors that was with us, only Whitetail and Mosquito took torches, and would lead the way for thier nocturnal-visioned packmembers. We would go in in three groups: Mosquito would take two of his cousins, Whitetail would dake two more and I would lead Mayday and Rex; but we wouldn't split up thusly unless the passageways demanded it.
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(I will continue this chapter in the next reply.)
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Post by thundertail on Jul 11, 2007 18:54:12 GMT -5
ELEVEN: "Company and contemplation." (Continued.)
After splitting up our supplies among ourselves, I lit all the torches and led everyone inside the pyramid. The first several hundred feet seemed familiar enough as we got to the intersection where we had dispatched yeastrday's kills. I found the spot where the hyroglyphs that had excited klamath yesterday was, and read them to myself for a bit; then i began to explain to the rest what I thought they meant. Klamath told me that there was more to see further into the pyramid, so we traveled onward.
Shards of pottery and iron objects of unknown purpose littered the dusty passageways, and the illustrations on the walls changed styles many times. Around a corner hundreds of yards deeper into the structure, we came to a short hallway with an arched portal at the end of it. The dimmest light from our torches illuminated a short distance into the portal, and we followed that light inside it.
The floor of the corridor beyond sloped downward at about a ten degree angle, and it took a lazy lefthanded spiral all the way down. the reliefs lining this corridor seemed to be a narrative in pictures in a Greek or Roman design; and seemed to tell a story of a great conquest that led to a shining civilization. I figured that we must be a good five hundred yards beneath the jungle floor above by now as the spiral corridor ended in another arched portal.
This portal was much larger, more ornate and made of solid gold! the chamber that opened up beyond was truely massive. It was five hundred feet long, sixty feet wide and at least a hundred yards tall. Along either wall many doors clad in iron and ornate saurian designs lay spaced sixty feet apart. At the center of each door an emblem made of slightly colored patterns stood out from the iron surfaces. Above them, dark, blank windows loomed out at us in the gloom above.
We each tried a door, but they would not budge no matter how hard we pushed or pulled. They would not even open with all of our combined efforts! Soon our group stood milling about the center of the chamber, thinking what to do next.
"This is no good.", I panted. "They're shut tight!"
"This is no good!", Mayday said as she knealt at my side. "Hallway dead end!"
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Post by thundertail on Jul 11, 2007 20:31:45 GMT -5
ELEVEN: "Company and contemplation." (Continued.)
After splitting up our supplies among ourselves, I lit all the torches and led everyone inside the pyramid. The first several hundred feet seemed familiar enough as we got to the intersection where we had dispatched yeastrday's kills. I found the spot where the hyroglyphs that had excited klamath yesterday was, and read them to myself for a bit; then i began to explain to the rest what I thought they meant. Klamath told me that there was more to see further into the pyramid, so we traveled onward.
Shards of pottery and iron objects of unknown purpose littered the dusty passageways, and the illustrations on the walls changed styles many times. Around a corner hundreds of yards deeper into the structure, we came to a short hallway with an arched portal at the end of it. The dimmest light from our torches illuminated a short distance into the portal, and we followed that light inside it.
The floor of the corridor beyond sloped downward at about a ten degree angle, and it took a lazy lefthanded spiral all the way down. the reliefs lining this corridor seemed to be a narrative in pictures in a Greek or Roman design; and seemed to tell a story of a great conquest that led to a shining civilization. I figured that we must be a good five hundred yards beneath the jungle floor above by now as the spiral corridor ended in another arched portal.
This portal was much larger, more ornate and made of solid gold! the chamber that opened up beyond was truely massive. It was five hundred feet long, sixty feet wide and at least a hundred yards tall. Along either wall many doors clad in iron and ornate saurian designs lay spaced sixty feet apart. At the center of each door an emblem made of slightly colored patterns stood out from the iron surfaces. Above them, dark, blank windows loomed out at us in the gloom above.
We each tried a door, but they would not budge no matter how hard we pushed or pulled. They would not even open with all of our combined efforts! Soon our group stood milling about the center of the chamber, thinking what to do next.
"This is no good.", I panted. "They're shut tight!"
"This is no good!", Mayday said as she knealt at my side. "Hallway dead end!"
"Listen up guys!", I said as Klamath had a revelation he wanted me to tell the others. "Klamath says that the doors will not open unless a key is used. the emblem on each door is the key recepticle."
"But I see no keyhole!", mayday still didn't understand.
"The doors open with a special kind of Sunstone.", Klamath told them through me. "One that would fit into those special indents.", he made my finger point.
"Sunstones at waterfall City depository.", Mayday said. "Sunstones for all. Sunstones protect!"
Klamath is powered by Sunstones.", I said, then Klamath took over in his own voice. "I have such a stone in my posession, in the lair where I was found. colonel Decker found it, and it is hidden in Halcyon for safekeeping."
"But we no go there!", mayday replied. "Halcyon is many miles south!"
"We might just have to make a seperate expedition to Halcyon if we're ever going to get these doors open.", I said, then after Klamath's pause: "Klamath says that it's the only way."
"We must be on our way.", Whitetail said. "Our torches will not last much longer!"
"Well..., ok guys.", I said reluctantly. "Let's go then..."
We left the area and made our way back to the surface. Thanks to the Veloceraptors and thier excellent tracking abilities, our trip to the surface took less time than our excursion inside. Once there we squinted at the midafternoon sun and made our way back to the clansite. there we were greeted with all the enthusiasm these carnivores were capable of; and soon were regailed with all sorts of questions of what we had found.
"So, the chambers we found down there were locked.', I concluded after we told our tale. "If we are ever to know what's behind those doors, we'll need a key. Now, a few days after I arrived here, I hunted a diinosaur, and she had a glowing amulet around her neck. When Klamath saw it, he said that it might be a key that opens something. he suspects that this key will open those doors."
"And where is this glowing key/amulet now?", Thundertail asked.
"Klamath had me put it away for safekeeping.", I told him. "It is back in his sanctuary in Halcyon."
"That is where we made our first camp, right my Partner?", Rex asked.
"Yes!", I smiled as I rubbed his snout. "And we must go back there to get it if we are to know what lies behind those doors."
"But what about the hunt?", Grond grumbled. "What about the sanctity of the place?"
"There are plenty of hunters to help with the hunt, my dear clanbrother.", Thundertail told him. "Besides, if we don't let these humans quench thier curiosity, they will never settle down and get back to clan business!"
His toothy smile told us that we could go; but it ended up taking many more days to begin to prepare for the expedition. One of the main reasons for the delay occurred the very next morning. A normal day started around the clansite. The hunters left for the morning, and Mayday went to her garden to harvest some early crop. It was just a routine day where every clan member went about thier seperate business.
I had just started to gather supplies for our expedition when a Tyranosaur chick noticed a shadow pass over head. He chirruped to his mom, and she began to alert everyone. Soon the shadow returned as the rest of the clan scurried for cover. Mayday did not, for she was still in her garden and stooped at her work. the screech of a Skybax startled her, and she looked up with a twist.
Just then the Skybax landed many yards away from her, and the rider dismounted and walked toward her after he stroked his steed's beak. This human with dark, loosely curled hair stopped and saluted at her; and mayday was just about to bolt into the forest when he s halted her with a word.
"Breathe deep, friend!", he said. "Do you need help? The Rainy Basin is no place for someone alone as you are!"
"Not need help.", Mayday growled. "Who you?"
"Name's Scott. David Scott.", he said. "This is my friend, Freefall.", the Skybax squawked and bowed.
"You long way from Canyon City.", Mayday said as I quietly approached. "Why you here?"
"I was on patrol when I saw your campfire.', Scott told her. "It is too dangerous here. There are loads of Tyranosaurs around. I saw a bunch of them right before I landed."
"Hello, noble flyers!", I called, and both newcomers turned with a start. "Seek peace, my friends!"
"Hello sir.", Scott said. "Did you know you two are camping in Tyranosaur territory?"
"It's ok. We live here.", I told him. "We live with the Tyranosaurs."
He looked at me like I was crazy!
"You sure you wouldn't want me to lead you to Treetown or something?", Savid Scott looked at Freefall, and the creature crowed laughter! "You guys have been in the woods too long!"
"They don't believe me, Mayday.", I said to her. "I guess I'll have to show them, then!", I then called Thundertail over; and then turned to our two new guests. "Please don't be alarmed! They are quite an agreeable folk..., honest!"
Never the less, David Scott crouched into a defensive stance at the sight of the huge carnivore approaching and stopping near by. Freefall balked excessively and was really tempted to bolt into the sky! Thier fears slowed as they saw Mayday pick up a Tyranosaur hatchling and coddle it lovingly. I picked up Snapper, who appeared mewling at my feet, and offered him to David to pat. After a moment's hesitation, mister Scott's trepidation melted, and he touched the toothy creature in my hands. Freefall did likewise, but squawked slightly as two adult Veloceraptors edged near.
"See? Nice as can be!", I said as the two newcomers stood down even more.
"This has never happened before!", Scott said. "Who are you, really? And why are they like this?"
"Ok, I guess I better start from the beginning.", I told him. "This is Mayday, and she is from Culebra. I am colonel Charles Decker, from the United States Air Force. My nickname around here is 'Stinger'."
"Are you trying to tell me that you are from the outside world?!", Scott asked, astounded. "How in the world did you get here?"
"My jet crashed in the Rainy Basin.", I told him. "I've been here for about a year, am I right?", Mayday nodded.
"This is uncanny! The council at Waterfall City has GOT to know about this!", Scott said all at once. "Look. I can lead you there, and you can get trained as a true Dinotopian. You'll get a life Partner and settle into a nice life!"
"That sounds all well and good, but I like it here.", I told him. "I have made myself a life right here. I don't want to leave."
"You're not supposed to live in the Rainy Basin.", Scott said sternly. "It's against the rules."
"I live by the rules of this clan.", I said simply. "This is my home, and these are my people."
"Is there any other way I could advise you different? I suppose you know I can't force you to come with me.", I nodded negative. "Still, I WILL tell the council at Waterfall City about this, rest assured!"
"Do what must, but we stay!", Mayday told him.
"Then I wish you all the luck I got.", David Scott rose, and so did freefall.
They walked away to some clear ground, David mounted Freefall and both took to the wing and was soon lost to sight...
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