Thanks for reading book two of the Ark saga! This installment follows Ark lore more closely than my first book. Helena Walker, Li Mei-Yin, and Nerva are all featured characters. This book tells the story of The Island from the Explorer Notes, except in my storyline, it takes place in The Center island chain. All characters from the first book are included. My writing skills for this book have also greatly improved from the first volume as well. The following book will chronicle the story of Scorched Earth. This book is also still a work in progress and I've been quite busy so chapters probably wont be uploaded super frequently, though I will do my best to complete this book. Thanks, and enjoy Survivor…

Chapter One

Chief of Ark

The Raptor flew through the undergrowth like a reptilian phantom. Swerving through the trees with incredible agility, James kept his hands firmly on the bridle.

"Come on Alan!" he said, spurring his mount on.

Speeding up, Alan barked and hissed. James spotted another Raptor next to him, also with a rider on its back,

"Nearly there!" The other rider raised his hand and they continued.

The other rider was James' good friend Shadow. His Raptor was named Ronen. Suddenly the spines on James' Raptor's neck bristled. They were very close. Swiftly they chased after their prey, though James couldn't see anything through the thick wood. The lush green jungle sped by like a leafy blur, and James wondered just how far from their target they were. In a flash the forest disappeared and they broke into a wide clearing.

"There it is!" James shouted.

In the blink of an eye they saw their target again. It was a huge, reptilian dinosaur called Iguanodon. At thirty feet long, the Iguanodon was a hulking beast, with a thumb spike to defend itself. It was fortunately herbivorous. It was no match for the speed of the Raptors in open ground though, and quickly James and Shadow overtook it. James' Raptor Alan stopped in front, and Shadow's Raptor, Ronen kept behind it. The two Raptors hissed and barked, keeping the Iguanodon pinned down. The Iguanodon bellowed and got up on two legs.

"Whoa, back boy!" James held the reigns back and Alan backed up.

The Iguanodon smashed down back on four legs. Reaching behind him, James pulled out his tranquilizer rifle and aimed at the Iguanodon's shoulder. With a ping, he fired, and the dart hit the Iguanodon right on target. The herbivore reared up on two legs, let out a long bellow, and hit the ground, unconscious. James smiled, shook his head, and he and Shadow dismounted their Raptors.

"That's some potent stuff." James said walking up to the Iguanodon.

"Well it'd better be with some of our animals," Shadow replied.

With a chuckle James took a large loop of rope off his belt and tied it around the Iguanodon's legs and snout.

"He'll be out for a few hours so we have plenty of time." Shadow said, "When is Shira supposed to get here?"

James shrugged, "Well she can't get through the forest with her Apatosaur…She should be here soon."

Shadow nodded. The Iguanodon heaved its chest as it breathed peacefully. It was bright green with darker green stripes. James sighed. It had been three years since the Battle for Ark, and there hadn't been any other threats. The only other tribe nearby were the Rockarts, and they kept to themselves deeper in the forest.

James took off his cloth bandanna and combed his fingers through his short, wavy brown hair. Though his face and hands were hardened by the elements and work, he was still young and strong. He was the well-respected chief of Ark Village, the largest village in the area. Shadow and Rhino were both joint chiefs of the nearby village at Lake Lore. Things had gone nearly unchanged during these three years, but they were all happy.

A few minutes later and Shira came riding a huge Apatosaurus with a large cart in tow. It took a while for the huge Sauropod to reach the Iguanodon but when it did Shira lowered the ladder down to the ground, and climbed slowly down to the grass below. She walked up, smiling. Shira was James' wife, and she was young, beautiful, and eternally happy. With flowing black hair, she was originally from the country of Israel before crashing in the wilds of the Ark along with James and several other survivors. She was wearing some light armor plating but it didn't restrict movement in case she needed to run away from a dangerous dinosaur.

"I can't believe I found you guys!" Shira said walking up.

"Sorry Shira I would've rather avoided the forest," James said apologetically.

Alan barked as Shira approached, and she smiled and put her hand on the Raptor's muzzle. Shira turned her attention to the Iguanodon. "Nice, now that you guys have it we just need to get it on the cart."

It took an hour of work, but they were able to load the Iguanodon onto the cart. Shira mounted the Apatosaurus and James and Shadow got on their Raptors, and they started for the village at Lake Lore. The sun was beginning to lower over the rugged outline of the distant mountains. It was a peaceful existence here. They had tamed dozens of species of dinosaurs and other animals that were thought to be extinct. James and Shadow had chronicled myriads of the islands locales, species, environments, and ecosystems, from years of close research.

Alan shook his head and growled contentedly as they continued on the trail.

Shadow came up beside James, "You still need to look into the sanctuary we've made."

James nodded, "Yes. Rhino told me about it last week. What have you been able to do?"

"Well we added larger holding pens, tried mingling species together, added separate training and taming pens, and we're just beginning to build the hatchery. Too many dinosaurs just lay their eggs on the ground and they get trampled by the other species. Once the hatchery is built we'll be able to help the aging process much better."

James nodded, "How many species have you been able to add so far?"

"Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Pachyrhinosaurus, Iguanodon, and Pegomastax."

James nodded. Pachyrhinosaurus and Pegomastax were new discoveries on the island. Pachyrhinosaurus was a medium sized herbivorous Ceratopsian. It was similar to the Triceratops, though it had a thick pad of bone on its nose instead of three horns. It possessed a strange ability to release a pheromone into the air that made creatures around it act more aggressive, or more passive, depending on what the rider or the creature wanted.

Pegomastax was a bizarre looking Ornithopod dinosaur with a thick spiny covering all over its body, and hideous looking sharp teeth. It didn't do much except run around and gorge on as much food as it could possibly eat. It was more a fertilizer and pollinator for the sanctuaries land.

The village at Lake Lore wasn't as built up as Ark Village, and it only had about half the population, but the vista of the huge lake out front made it a memorable sight. The tropical plants and warm breeze made it all the more beautiful. The main street was filled with modest homes and shops selling various goods, from dinosaur saddles to earthenware and even some more complicated inventions like racing and scuba gear. There were dinosaurs in pens near every house, and many dinosaurs being ridden throughout the streets. It was a sight to behold.

Many of the people waved as Shadow, James and Shira approached. Due to the huge size of the Apatosaurus, Shira had to make a detour to the holding pen. Shadow and James continued to get Rhino's help with releasing the Iguanodon. Rhino was tall, extremely strong, and he had a humorous side that occasionally showed itself. Though his appearance was intimidating, he had a heart of gold, and a strange accent that was found only among the Rockart tribe.

James spurred Alan on towards the holding pens. Once he was there, he saw Shira opening the gate that led into the sanctuary. The cart was already backed into the entrance, and some of the dinosaurs inside the holding pen were backing away from the Apatosaur, giving it a respectful distance. The Iguanodon, still completely sedated, was carefully lowered off the cart with the winch attached to the Apatosaur's platform saddle. Rhino approached on his Raptor, Batya.

"I see you were successful on your trip!" Rhino called.

James smiled and walked over to Rhino, who dismounted and shook James hand with a broad smile.

"How are you doing James?" Rhino asked, "Thank you so much for helping with the sanctuary here. Is this Iguanodon all you were able to capture?"

James nodded, "Well we spotted a few other Utahraptors and a Kaprosuchus but I assume you don't want those in your sanctuary?"

Rhino laughed and shook his head. Shira was almost done lowering the Iguanodon.

"Almost there!" she yelled down.

Rhino looked up,

"How's she doing?" he asked.

"Good, very good." James replied, "She and I have had a lot to do lately. Not too much exploring needs to be done near the villages anymore. It's just getting those big exploration parties fort the island outskirts that we still need to do."

Rhino nodded, "Yes, I've been meaning to do that for a while now…It's been a long time since we've gone exploring."

They watched as the Iguanodon was lowered, and the three men unhooked the winch and motioned for Shira to leave the gate. Once the Apatosaurus lumbered a safe way off, Shadow and Rhino closed the massive gate and lowered the deadbolt. The dinosaurs in the pen were a mix of herbivores but they normally lived together in the wild so they had no problems with aggression in the sanctuary, plus the holding pen itself was a huge multi-acre area that was mostly grassland though it had some forest and shelters in one corner of the area that took up about a quarter of the total space. Half of the dinosaurs in the pen were tamed and willing to be ridden and the other half were either wild or in the process of being tamed. The Iguanodon James and Shadow had just captured was completely wild.

After taking the Apatosaurus back to its huge holding pen adjacent to the sanctuary area, Shira caught up to Shadow, James and Rhino, who were watching over the unconscious Iguanodon, making sure no rogue dinosaurs harmed or interfered with it. The fence was thick and made of spiked wood and metal. They each put their arms on the viewing area in the fence and looked in at the dinosaurs all peacefully grazing.

"How many Iguanodon's are in the pen now?" Shira asked.

"Five," Shadow replied, "We're hoping to have at least eight by the time we're finished. Four males and four females."

Shira nodded, "Well you can add that one to the list. I'm willing to donate some of my dinosaurs. Or I could try and go for some wild ones. Pegomastax are pretty simple to tame in the wild."

Shadow nodded, "Thanks Shira. You don't need to donate any dinosaurs but I'd be more than happy if you could help out with some of the wild dinosaurs."

James nodded, "Are you going to try to contain carnivores?"

Shadow looked slightly apprehensive, "Maybe. It'd just be so much work, and so expensive. We'd have to build separate pens for each carnivore. The only one that likes to be in a group are the Utahraptors, and I'm sure how I feel about trying to contain a wild Tyrannosaurus or Spinosaurus."

James agreed, "No, you're probably right. I think you have a pretty good thing going here though!"

"Once we tame the dinosaurs we plan on selling them. People could bring their own wild or tamed dinosaurs here to be trained or tamed."

Two Triceratops in the pen bellowed and looked as if they were about to square off for a fight, but the smaller Triceratops backed down before one commenced. Each species seemed to be in their own separate group.

"This is beautiful," Shira said.

Rhino chuckled, "Well I appreciate your hard work, you two. It's better than I expected."

There was a brief pause as the four admired the dinosaurs grazing, their own natural beauty a sight to behold.

James and Shira both started their return journey to Ark Village. Shira had brought her Carnotaurus named Shullershy, and James was still on Alan. They walked on talking about the work on the dinosaur taming sanctuary. The birds and Pterosaurs called in the forest next to them. They were on a well-travelled path that led from Ark Village to Lake Lore. Villagers normally didn't take the path unless traveling between the villages, and James and Shira were able to enjoy the bright sunlight. The weather had been warm and nearly cloudless, though slightly cooler than normal. James kept one hand on the reigns, Alan knew the way home.

"Will you be coming to the Rockart tribe meeting?" James asked Shira.

Shira nodded, "I'd like to. When is it being held?"

"Three days from now," James replied. "I'd like to try to get another expedition out tomorrow. Just the two of us."

Shira smiled, "I'd like that. It's been too long. We've both worked so hard on the sanctuary."

There was a brief pause and James sighed, "Is there anything you've missed?" he asked.

Shira raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"About our lives before this. I haven't given it much thought but we've been at peace for nearly three years now and it's just been us, the wilds…Our crazy world of dinosaurs…I've just caught myself thinking about it more and more. What happened with ESC after we crashed. My family, your family."

"They're gone James," Shira replied, "I've had to come to terms with that. I didn't really have any family back home anyway, but this is my home now. Your home too."

James nodded, "And I'm grateful for that. Grateful for you."

Shira smiled and looked ahead of her.

"It's just that as the years go by I realize something is different about this place," James continued, "It doesn't feel like…Like it can Earth. Somebody would've found this place by now, or it would've been discovered. Satellites have taken photos of the entire planet and this place has just gone unnoticed since then? It's not like it's a tiny island it's a huge place. It has a frozen north! It has to at least be the size of Australia and we've not even documented and mapped the entire island."

Shira looked thoughtful. Sullershy shook her horned head.

"I've had my doubts as well," Shira said, "But I guess its just easier for me to accept this as the life I'll be living until the end."

James sighed, "I have too, you know. I just wish I knew more about this place. It's history, how many survivors have been stranded here. We haven't found any accounts or other people aside from the Rockarts and a few other small tribes. You'd think a place like this would have some sort of written history to it but there isn't."

There was another pause. James shook his head, "I'm not unhappy," he said, "I love you and I love this place."

Shira smiled, "Well let's go on an expedition tomorrow then, Chief of Ark."

James shook his head, "Come on Shira, you know I never wanted to be called that…Chief of Ark. Makes me sound like some kind of lost tribal warrior in the jungle…"

Shira chuckled, "Well that is what you are James. A tribal leader in a jungle that has won wars, and who doesn't really know where he is."

James smiled. "I know where I am, and it's right where I'm supposed to be."

They didn't say anything else, just contentedly continued towards Ark Village.

James and Shira's house was a wonderous place. Trophies, dinosaur pens throughout, a full working dodo egg farm at the top of the hill, vast open fields of crops, and dozens of small tamed dinosaurs running to and fro.

James put Alan back in the stables when he heard a loud grunt. It was Phil, his Gigantopithecus, which was a huge, nine foot tall gorilla-like ape that stood on two legs. While he looked imposing, as long as you were on his good side Phil was one of the friendliest and smartest creatures in Ark Village. There was Bumper the Parasaurolophus, Cannonball the Doedicurus, and many other creatures that had been tamed in James' many adventures throughout the Ark. There were many other dangerous animals inside the stable, James' Tyrannosaurus rex, Tyros, and his Spinosaurus, Morten. He walked up to Phil.

"How you doing buddy?" James held up his hand and Phil high-fived him. James threw up a cluster of Mejoberries as a reward. Shira entered the stabled and put Shullershy back in her pen.

"How about we take a look at the maps in the village hall?" Shira asked. James nodded, "Well we may as well find out where to go tomorrow," he replied.

The village hall was the grand centerpiece of Ark Village. The ceiling was tall and filled with relics, dinosaur trophies, artifacts and towering shelves filled with manuscripts, local tribe accounts, dossiers of the many creatures found in the Ark, tribal family accounts, and stories from the many people of Ark Village. However, none of the history went back further than fifty years, and James was wondering why they only had accounts of the modern age of the Ark, and not far back as one would expect on an island like this.

James walked across the symmetrical floor tiles and looked over the shelf, before taking out a map he, Shadow and Rhino had created of the area surrounding Ark Village. He laid it on one of the many tables inside the room and beckoned for Shira to come and look. Shira took off her leather gloves and leaned over to get a look at the map. James looked around. There was Mt. Orncreft, the Southeast Slough, and many other locales, even the ruined village of the Dino Raiders, which had been looted and abandoned long ago. There was the battlefield near Ark Village, where Apollo had been defeated three years ago. The mountains, the village at Lake Lore, it was all there, spread out beautifully. But where to go?

"We've gone through mostly all of the area near Ark Village," James said.

Shira nodded, "Is there anywhere we're not thinking of?"

James looked around. It wasn't worth exploring an area they went to frequently.

"I don't think I feel like going up North though either," Shira said with a smile.

James chuckled, "No, neither do I…"

He studied the map. The Slough was too dangerous, Mt. Orncreft was already thoroughly documented, and the area around Lake Lore was mainly under human control.

Suddenly Shira looked at James, "Emerald Fields." she said.

James looked at Shira and let out a sigh. Shira had been captured and beaten by Hijikata, a ruthless Dino Raider soldier near the Emerald Fields, and since then James had never returned there. Most of the emeralds that had been in the field had already been taken.

"Are you sure you want to go back there?" James asked.

Shira gave James a look, "The Dino Raiders are gone James, what are you afraid of?"

James sighed, "Nothing I guess. Why do you want to go there?"

Shira shrugged, "Well, what did Hijikata keep in that cave? I mean nobody knows about it, its abandoned. He may have had some good gear in there."

James thought it over. There was nothing to be afraid of and Shira had a point. Nobody knew about it, and Hijikata may have had some interesting items inside that were worth uncovering.

James sighed, "Alright then. I'll make the preparations and we can go there tomorrow."

The morning sunlight poured inside the window. James groaned as he slowly woke up. After sufficient time he sat up, raked his fingers through his hair and looked next to him. Shira wasn't there. He sighed. Shira was always more of a morning riser than James, and while James had taught himself to awake earlier, he still found it hard to shake himself up in the morning as easily as Shira. James got off the bed and looked out the window. Shira was standing near the stable, loading her Pteranodon with supplies for the expedition. They weren't taking much, since the fields weren't very far off. Pteranodons couldn't carry much weight, but most of it were supplies for torches, small food rations and rope. The caverns could take many paths, though James knew all too well where Hijikata had been holed up before.

James put on his leather and cloth clothing and flying gear. He opened the door, walked across the green yard, smelling the salty bay air in front of him. The saddle clips and equipment were in the stables.

James met up with his wife, who gave him a warm smile, "Look who decided to show up!"

James shook his head, "Look Shira, I'm just not too fond of the Emerald Fields as you know…"

James took out Jetstream, his green Pteranodon, and put the saddle on. He piled on his supplies, hooked up the straps, and mounted. They walked the Pterosaurs out of the stable and looked forward.

"You ready?" Shira asked.

"I hope this isn't a fool's errand…" James replied in a cynical tone of voice.

The two Pteranodons took several steps forward, flapping their huge leathery wings before they took off with a screech. The land below them shrank as they swept into the air. The wind blew Shira's black hair behind her like a flag, and James held the reigns tight as he surveyed the area. Emerald Fields was only a short flight.

"What are you hoping to find down there!?" James yelled across to Shira.

"I don't know! It just seemed like Hijikata had been holed down there for quite a while! He must've had some kind of supply cache down there! There may be useful tools!"

James nodded. They were going to find out one way or another.

"There it is!" James yelled pointing down.

He and Shira wheeled their Pteranodons down towards the ground, and they glided down gracefully before flapping their wings to slow down and hitting the floor. James dismounted and picked up his pack. He tied a long rope from Jetstream's bridle to a nearby tree. it was long enough for the Pterosaur to seek shelter in the trees in case a carnivorous dinosaur were to show up. Shira took her pack, and together they looked into the mouth of the cave. It gaped like an angry maw, filled with terrible memories James would've rather kept buried. Shira looked slightly apprehensive, but sighed, smiled at James, and walked inside. James stayed close behind her.

They lit their torches and tied a rope towards the front of the entrance to keep track of their way. The fire from the torches flickered as they looked inside. The cave was fairly linear, and didn't branch off in too many directions. It was clear why Hijikata had made it a hideout of his. They continued looking in each direction. There was the room James had found Shira. He winced but continued onwards. While many of Ark's caves had life in it, this particular cave had nothing but a few normal sized bats. Fortunately not the giant Onychonycteris, which were as terrifying as they were dangerous, with a bite that was highly infectious.

"See anything yet?" Shira asked.

James shook his head, "No, its still a bit further down the passageway."

The water from the cave walls dripped hauntingly, resonating through the hollow, stony catacombs. They walked on for a few more moments when they came to a larger chamber.

"This is it," James said gravely.

They looked around.

"There's still some supplies here," Shira said.

There were several wooden crates and random supplies littered around the cave room. Most of it had already been consumed or rotted away, but many of the crates were still closed. James put his pack on the ground and surveyed the loot. There was slightly more than he expected, though many of the random supplies on the ground were either unneeded or useless.

"There's more here than I thought," Shira said.

James took a small prybar out of his knapsack and took one of the smaller crates. Opening it, he saw it was the rotten remnants of food. He put the lid back on. Shira broke into one of the crates.

"James, there's some supplies in here."

James looked into the box and saw a spyglass, a compass, and a metal hatchet.

He shrugged, "Nothing too valuable but we could always use items like these."

James broke open another box. Looking inside there was a small black pedestal that had nothing on it. Not sure what to make of it he put it aside. There were three swords inside the crate but they were each rusted and unusable. There were also a few handheld grenades which James decided to leave in the crate. After being exposed to the dampness of the cave for three years he doubted if they were even still live, and if they were they were probably too unstable to safely keep. There was a folded piece of paper on the side of the crate and James looked at it. It was a war map that located all the villages and outposts of the Ark Village. James clenched his teeth. He tore the map up and put it back in the crate.

"There's nothing but narcotics in here," Shira said.

James shrugged, "We may as well keep it. Shadow has stronger formulas but there's always a use for them."

Shira searched around and pulled out a small flare gun.

"Might as well keep that too." James said.

They put the supplies in their packs. James took another larger crate and took the top off. There was nothing but hide clothes and a few small dinosaur saddles. Most of them were in a state of decay and not worth keeping. The only thing they kept was a crossbow that only needed some minor repairs. There were only two crates left. James took one and Shira took the other. James took his prybar and tore the dusty wooden lid off the crate. It was completely empty. James sighed. Suddenly he heard Shira,

"James. Look at this…"

James walked over. Shira was holding something in her hand. It was a strange looking leather bound book. James knelt down and looked. There was a strange insignia on the book James didn't recognize. it was mainly intact and it was quite legible. The letters were written in Latin. Fortunately, Shira was fluent in Latin from her many studies back at home. Shira looked it over. There were no pictures in the book.

"What is this?" Shira asked.

James looked at it, "What does it say? It looks like Latin…"

Shira looked over the Latin letters and began reading it.

"It is the chaos of this island that truly disturbs me. These ferocious beasts the natives have tamed never truly lose their natural instinct but man? Man is to be above the animal but these petty tribes squabble among themselves like packs of wild dogs fighting over scraps. I've managed to band a few of them together under my leadership, but they are uncoordinated. I'll have to fix that. I am reminded of my first command in Dacia. The men there questioned the orders of a Centurion so young. It took time for them to respect me, but I could not have even one of them questioning me in a battle. The men and women here in this island are the same. They shall not become an organized band overnight, but I am more patient and experienced in this day than I was in Dacia. we may be far from Rome but one thing is sure. This island will know Rome's might. I will form my New Legion, and together we shall conquer this ARK, just as I led the armies of Caesar to victory against the barbarians. Many of the natives call this land The Center, and I have resolved to start my New Legion here. Signed, Gaius Marcellus Nerva. Victory through Discipline."

Shira looked at James, who was just as shocked as she was.

"He was a Roman Centurion," Shira said, "And what did he mean by The Center? How did he become stranded here?"

"And he called this place an Ark as well," James said, "I called it that because the place reminded me of Noah's Ark."

Shira held up the manuscript, "What's more, he capitalized all the letters of the word Ark."

This was a shock to James. He had always wondered if there were other people throughout history that had become stranded in the island, and here was confirmation that there were indeed people that had become stranded here, though James wondered how.

"Is there anything else in the crate," James asked.

Shira looked and took out several more manuscripts and maps. She laid it in front of James, whose mouth was open, stunned.

"There's an entire written record here." Shira said, "This man, Nerva, must've kept a written account of all his adventures on the island."

Suddenly James noticed how new that the manuscripts looked.

"Look at these scrolls," he said, "They don't look ancient. This man is supposed to be a Roman Centurion but these scrolls look like they were written fairly recently."

Shira shook her head, "How is that possible the Romans lived thousands of years ago."

"Thousands of years ago on earth." James said emphatically, "I think the time has come for us to face it Shira. This isn't Earth. This has to be another world."

Shira didn't reply. They both had their doubts for years, but they now began to accept the possibility that they were no longer on earth.

He looked at Shira, "Gather the manuscripts and supplies, we need to inform Rhino and Shadow."

Looking thoughtful, Rhino put the first scroll down. "This man was a Roman Centurion?" he asked.

James nodded, "Didn't they live thousands of years ago?" he asked.

James shook his head, "Normally yes but it doesn't make sense. These scrolls are new. They can't be more than twenty years old."

"What does he mean by The Center?" Shadow asked, "I've never heard of any place called The Center…"

James shook his head. "There is this map," he said holding a map up.

They looked it over. It was an odd looking place with many small islands and archipelagos on the East side, and a larger, target shaped landmass in the West side. In the middle of the larger landmass was a ring shaped body of water with an island inside. The island was labeled The Center on the map, as it was the center of the landmass. There were many dangerous sounding islands like Isle of Skulls, Half Burnt Island, Lava Island, Jungles Mid, North, and South, and Redwood Wastes. However, there were odd dots on the island in several places. Green Obelisk, Red Obelisk, and Blue Obelisk. James wasn't sure what to make of them.

"Where is this place?" Shadow asked.

James shrugged, "I'm not sure. We should look through the manuscripts. There may be a map."

They shuffled through the many scrolls. There was a small book that looked slightly more worn than the others. They looked through it. James was stunned. inside were a collection of maps, survey notes, and creature descriptions. James looked at one of the maps. There was Mt. Orncreft. There was the beach where Ark Village was. There was the Frozen Northlands. James showed the map to Rhino and Shadow. They both stared.

"That's this island." James said simply, "This man Nerva has been here on Ark Island before."

There was a brief pause as the weight of the discovery hit the four.

"Are there any other maps?" Shira asked, "Maybe a map with Ark Island and The Center?"

James thumbed through the maps. Many of them were battle maps and surveys of small segments of the Center and Ark Island. Suddenly he saw one with two huge landmasses on them.

"I think this is it," James said.

He took out the map and unfolded it. It indeed was a map of Ark Island and The Center, separated by a huge sea. There were names of tribes that had been crossed out of the map of Ark Island. Blackthumbs, Howling Wolves, Painted Sharks. They were all tribes living on Ark Island, but Nerva had wiped them out. James noticed several smaller islands within the space between The Center and Ark Island. There was The Isle of Souls, Ghost Island, and Ashen Archipelago.

Rhino looked the map over himself, "We've never gone that far out James," he said, "None of us…I wish I knew who this man Nerva was."

James didn't reply.

Shira looked at James, "What are we going to do about this?" she asked, "Are we going to try and find The Center?"

James shook his head, "I don't know. This just…This opens up a whole new world."

Shadow put his hand on the table and sighed, "Look, I suggest we talk this over with ourselves and think it over. This is going to be an expedition to a completely new part of the world. We need to know what we're getting into. I say we think about it before deciding anything."

James, Rhino and Shira nodded.

"Let's try to come to decision by tomorrow night…"

Shira and James were in their home, looking over more of Nerva's notes. Shira wasn't sure what to make of the man.

"It seems like Nerva conquered nearly all of Ark Island," Shira said, "he just destroyed everyone in his path. Rejected peace treaties, sieges…"

"Does he mention any other names?" James asked.

Shira nodded, "Yes. A man named Rockwell and a woman he calls the Beast Queen. Rockwell seemed like a kind of scientific mind without any tribal affiliations. This Beast Queen though…Here, I'll read it."

Shira picked up one of the scrolls and began reading,

"If the Sharks are at home in the ocean, then I will pull our coastal forces back and attack their outposts on the mainland. Once their island fortress is cut off from support and supplies, I can whittle it down to rubble at my leisure. The incident with the convoy was no fluke. The rider has returned, and this time we had plenty of warning. Reports of some "Beast Queen" joining forces with the Sharks reached my ears days before the siege. Her ranks have swelled since the convoy but there is no doubt it is her. Not only did she help break the siege, but for the first time in its existence, the New Legion is in full retreat. This cannot continue. I will not allow it. I will conquer the Sharks, as I will conquer the entire ARK, but first I must destroy this so called queen."

Shira looked up at James.

"What happened?" James asked.

"Well the next scroll is rather long but the gist of it is that Nerva set up a distraction that ended up catching the Sharks off guard. He ended up defeating them. The Beast Queen escaped but came back with an even bigger force. There's a creature Nerva says the Beast Queen had that killed everything, friend and foe alike. I think it must've been a Giganotosaurus that they couldn't tame…"

James nodded. Giganotosaurus was the largest and most dangerous dinosaur on the island, but they were able to tame one, named Hercules, that wandered a massive area around Ark Village. Though tamed, it still struck fear into everyone's hearts.

"Did the Beast Queen lose?"

Shira nodded, "Nerva says that the Giganotosaurus only made the slaughter more complete. The next scrolls are pretty vague. He mentions battling these…beasts…that came forth after activating the obelisks in the sky…he says that they killed nearly all of his dinosaurs and men and that he alone had survived. The last scroll is just a rant. He says here…He says here that he had bled for it all, been appointed by Mars and Janus and he had been tricked by some divine joke…It was all for nothing he keeps saying. He says he moved his forces off the island to chase the Beast Queen and that he would set up his camp at the island known as The Center to capture and destroy the Beast Queen and all her forces."

Shira looked at James, who looked just as confused as he was.

"Does he mention the name of the Beast Queen?"

Shira shook her head, "No. He probably didn't know."

James leaned back in his chair and sighed, "Well at least we know why the Rockarts are the only tribe here on the island. They may have gone unnoticed by Nerva during his raids…I mean, there isn't much we can do with the scrolls but the maps. The Center…I wonder if Nerva is still alive?"

Shira shrugged, "I don't know. How did his journals even get here? Why would Hijikata have them or want them? Maybe he stole them? He may have even met Nerva for all we know after he fell out of favor with Apollo."

James had no better theory. They began looking over the maps, carefully making sure the maps matched with their maps of the island. They matched perfectly.

Shira looked at James, who looked back. "What do you think we should do?"

James sighed, "I think we should look into this. Shira this could be the biggest discovery of our lives. There are other people out there! We aren't alone after all!"

Shira had mixed emotions in her face. "What about the village?" she said.

James thought for a moment, "I'm not going to leave the village alone. Even if Rhino and Shadow join us we can appoint village leaders during our absence. What about David and Brian? They're both more than capable of leading the tribe. I've left them in regency positions during my absences in the past."

Shira looked back at James. "Are you sure about this?"

James reached across the table and held his wife's hands, "I won't embark if you don't want to go. But Shira this could be the beginning of a new age of discovery."

Shira looked back at James, "I do want to go, and our villages are more than capable of maintaining themselves that's not what I'm worried about…It's just that…It's all unknowns. But…I say we do it. You're right. This could be the beginning of a new discovery. This may answer the questions we have about this place." James smiled, "I'll give Rhino and Shadow our answers in the morning."

James thought long and hard about the Ark. He did have questions about this place. What were the obelisks? How did Nerva conquer the whole island and they knew nothing. What did Nerva mean when he said that he died for a view, seeing the entire island spread out before him? Where was he? What did he see? Where was The Center, and who was there? Why were there creatures in the Ark that didn't live in earth, and why were their behaviors so much different? Would this journey to The Center reveal the answers or simply raise more questions? He tossed and turned in his bed, wondering where his journey would lead him next.

The next morning the village had gathered in the hall. They were all murmuring, wondering why they had been assembled. James, Shira, Shadow and Rhino all stood there in front of the village. James stepped up to the podium and cleared his throat. He motioned for the crowd to calm down and a palpable hush fell.

"Friends!" James began, "As many of you know we have experienced peace on this island for three years now. That peace isn't about to change, but my wife Shira and I have discovered something in a cave near the Emerald Fields." James held up the scrolls and maps, "These are written accounts by a warrior named Nerva. He was from an ancient empire on earth, where Shira and I are from. He was here on this island fairly recently, and though he is no longer here I am convinced by these documents that he succeeded in possibly wiping out nearly every tribe here on the island excluding the Rockarts. There's a wider story here on the island that the four of us must investigate. Nerva mentions another island known as The Center. Have any of you ever heard of it?"

There were no answers from the crowd.

James nodded, "This island is where Nerva may be now, and there may be answers to the questions I have about this place. The four of us have decided to have these questions answered. We are going to try and find The Center. There may not seem like much at stake, but there's words in these documents that seem to confirm my doubts about this place. It's unnatural qualities. Those of you who wish to join us are welcome but be aware, this journey could be perilous. We have no idea of the dangers that may lie on this island. Any who wish to join raise their hands."

James almost hoped somebody would, but none did. Many looked at each other, seeming to gauge interest, but nobody was willing to part with their families and embark on the journey. James waited a few more moments, but nobody spoke up.

He nodded, "Very well. Stay with your families. I understand. I have appointed David to be regent of Ark Village while we're gone, and Brian shall watch over the village at Lake Lore. I understand this may be hard for some of you to hear, but this could possibly be the biggest discovery of our time, and I intend to uncover the answers I need. We will leave in the morning. I don't know when we shall return."

With that, he stepped off the stage. Shadow stood up, gave general directions and instructions to the villagers at Lake Lore, and the meeting was adjourned.

James gathered supplies for the journey. Ark Village had several ships in a fleet used for different purposes, and they would be taking one, along with various dinosaurs, though nothing much larger than a Carnotaurus. James was in the stables when Shadow came up, riding his Kaprosuchus, Razorback.

"Are you ready for this?" Shadow asked.

James nodded, "Whatever is happening, we need to find out."

Shadow nodded, "I've loaded the boat with months worth of supplies. Will you be ready by morning?"

"Yes, I just need to get the last of the saddle replacements."

Shadow chuckled and dismounted Razorback. "Do you remember the first time you met us?"

James smiled, "Like it was yesterday. Both of you, speaking English in a land filled with dinosaurs...How did you see me?"

"We saw you crash," Shadow replied, "There was this blinding flash, like the sky caught on fire, this strange white dust fell out of heaven and then we saw your aircraft hit the water. It nearly sunk. None of us had ever seen a helicopter, we were terrified. Rhino and I returned there the next day but it had sunk and you were nowhere to be found. We kept near the beaches when we saw you wandering around. And…Here we are."

James nodded, "Well I'm glad it was you and Rhino, Shadow."

He gave Shadow a friendly pat on the shoulder and went back to packing up Shullershy's saddle.

"Do you think it's a far journey?" Shadow asked.

James sighed, "I'm not sure. There were several little islands and inlets between us and The Center island. I think we should try and get to those first. We can resupply and see if there are any other people groups."

People groups.

The thought of different tribes went back to James' mind. Shadow looked at Tyros, who was sleeping in a corner, his huge reptilian mouth sound asleep.

"Nerva killed everything," Shadow said, "I remember you talking about written histories. This island had none but now we have record of a war we never knew about, and it may not have happened that long ago. Nerva sounds even more dangerous than Apollo."

James nodded. Apollo had been a ruthless adversary but he lacked discipline. His men, though dangerous and bloodthirsty, sometimes very rag-tag. Nerva's New Legion sounded like a hyper-disciplined fighting force ready to annihilate everything in their path.

"I'm not sure if he's still alive," James said, "His last note was very cryptic."

Shadow looked towards the ship, "I suppose we'll find out soon."

The next morning found James on the beach, riding Alan, who looked towards the ship dubiously, then back at James, who patted the Raptor's neck.

"It's OK boy," he said, "You're part of a big discovery."

Alan barked and shook his head, the spines on his neck shaking back and forth. Rhino came up riding a Triceratops, and Shadow approached on Razorback. Shira was taking her Carnotaurus, Shullershy. The boat was fully supplied, and they were ready to embark on their journey to The Center. Shira came up beside James.

"Well, this is it." she said.

James looked behind him and saw Ark Village. His home.

"I hope I see it again…" he said looking behind him.

Shira looked behind her as well. "As long as we're together, we're home." she said.

James smiled and looked ahead. Rhino was lowering the gangplank. He sighed. Spurring Alan forward, he entered the boat.