THE LOST WORLD
The Black Raptor
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except Rolan, the Tai and the storyline
-1-
The young man struggled valiantly against the strength of the two warriors as they dragged him through the crowd toward the altar. This was not right; he had done nothing wrong, yet his brother, the chief, demanded that he be punished. The two warriors held him tightly as the shaman poured an inky black paste over his head and brushed it over his body while his assistant smeared a silver paste over his chest and stomach. The shaman chanted the words of the spell as the young man fought in vane for his life. Finally, the warriors released him, throwing him to the ground at the feet of the shaman and the chief. The shaman again began chanting the spell and shaking his ceremonial rattle around the young mans head as he tried to wipe the paste from his eyes. Suddenly, a sharp jolt of pain surged through his body and he collapsed, writhing and screaming. The shaman and the chief merely smiled as they watched, then, when he had passed out from the pain, ordered the warriors to take him away.
As the warriors dragged him out of the village and deep into a dark region of jungle known to the tribesmen as the Outer Territory, the warriors couldn't help cringing as they felt the young mans flesh beginning to change. They dropped him in a small clearing and hastily retreated. The young man's body twitched and jerked as the shamans spell took its full effect. After about two hours, the pain ceased as quickly as it had started and he began to stir. His eyes slowly opened and he rose to his feet. But there was something wrong; he didn't feel the same as he did before. His skin felt harder and cooler, his legs stronger, eyesight, smell and hearing sharper, along with the unquenchable desire to hunt. He soon decided to go to the stream that was nearby and drink. As he walked, he noticed that he wasn't walking the same. He seemed to bob every time he took a step. He reached up with his right hand to scratch an itch as he walked and he noticed that his fingernails were awfully sharp. They actually felt like... claws. Now, gripped with fear, he began to run toward the stream and he realized that he could run much faster than ever before, which frightened him even more. Arriving at the stream, he noticed two small herbivores drinking at the edge of the water. Seeing him, they turned and fled in fear. Why were they running, he meant them no harm. At least he thought he didn't. As he watched them flee, he suddenly became compelled to chase after them and kill them. What has happened to me, he thought, what have they done to me? He moved to the water and peered down at himself. To his horror, his human face was not there. Instead he saw a large black face with a long snout, a silver lower jaw lined with sharp teeth, talon like claws on his hands and when he looked at his feet, they too, were black with a large claw extending from his raised middle toe. Realizing what had happened to him, the young man threw back his head and let out a loud, echoing shriek of rage.
Meanwhile, down at another part of the river, Roxton and Marguerite were returning from a series of caves they had discovered the day before. They had stopped to camp for the night by the river, in a secluded area where they would have some protection from predators.
"Another day, another wasted trip," Marguerite complained as she dropped her load of firewood next to Roxtons, "sometimes, I don't think we'll ever find our way off this plateau."
"That's right Marguerite, keep our spirits up," Roxton said sarcastically. He had obviously grown tired of her complaining. "We just have to keep looking. Eventually, we will find a way home."
"If we're not eaten alive first," Marguerite retorted. She turned her attention to her backpack where she took out her pistol to make sure it was fully loaded and ready in case a group of raptors decided to try a sneak attack. She turned her head and watched Roxton light the fire and eventually she felt like a fool for acting so childish. Everyone wanted to get off the plateau as much as she did, except for Veronica, and she knew she had to be patient. But would she admit that? She never would.
"Why don't you sit down and relax," Roxton told her, "I'm going to find some fruit."
"Leaving me here alone?" she demanded.
"I won't be long," Roxton said with a smile, "if you get into trouble you know what to do."
"I know," Marguerite said disgustedly, "two shots into the air."
Roxton merely shook his head and walked off into the jungle, trying not to laugh. Marguerite heard him snickering as he went and huffed. Why couldn't she go with him? Sure she was a strong woman and capable of taking care of herself, but there was something about this place that seemed to bother her. There were very few noises coming from the jungle around her, if any at all. And on top of that, she kept having the distinct impression that someone, or something was watching her. She kept a tight grip on the handle and trigger of her pistol and nervously waited for Roxton to return.
Day slowly faded into night. The fire was burning brightly as Roxton and Marguerite slept. Suddenly, they both were awakened by a loud, angry shriek. Marguerite instantly grabbed her pistol.
"What the hell was that?" she cried, fear written all over her face.
"I don't know," Roxton answered, "it sounded like a raptor."
"It couldn't be," Marguerite said, "it sounded too big." They waited tensely for a moment, expecting to hear the fearsome cry again but it never came. The jungle around them however, had gone deathly quiet.
"Whatever it was, its gone now," Roxton said, trying to calm Marguerite, "we better try and get some sleep. It'll be light soon."
"The sooner we get back to the treehouse, the better," Marguerite said.
They lay back down again and Marguerite kept her pistol close beside her this time. Eventually, the both drifted back to sleep. All the while they slept, they never heard the silent footsteps nor saw the large blue eyes of the beast that watched them through the night.
It had been drawn to their campsite by their strong scents. Upon seeing their weapons however, it had chosen not to attack. These creatures were too dangerous together. For now, it decided to watch from a distance and learn as much as it could about them. Then, when the time was right, it would strike.
The following day, Roxton and Marguerite made their way through the dense jungle. All the while, Marguerite couldn't hide the fact that this place terrified her. It reminded her of the valley of mists, the place where those awful werewolves were supposed to be. Yet, this place was far worse. The sun shone through the thick trees quite brightly, but the area itself was a dark and sinister place, full of hidden shadows and unsettling noises. The perfect place to get lost in and no one would ever find them. To calm her nerves, Marguerite stayed close to Roxton, who was also a little spooked by how thick and dense this place was.
"This place gives me the creeps," Marguerite said as she looked around nervously. "If we ever got lost in here, the others would never find us."
"No need to worry," Roxton assured her, "we're almost out. The clearing where we came in is just up ahead."
Still the foreboding nature of this area of jungle was getting to both of them. They both wanted nothing more than to get out of there as quickly as possible. Unbeknownst to them, the strange animal that had watched them the night before was still with them, following and watching from a safe distance. It realized that as long as those creatures had those weapons, it was no match for them. If it could only disarm them for a moment, it could have a chance. However, when it decided to try its luck, a powerful urge came over it, ordering it to stop. It had reached the edge of its domain, it could not go any farther or the warriors would be sent after it. So it stood still, hidden in the brush and watched the two make their way out of its domain and disappear across the clearing.
-2-
After Roxton and Marguerite arrived back at the treehouse, they told the others of their terrifying night in the dense section of jungle.
"It almost sounded like a raptor," Roxton said, "only a hell of a lot bigger."
"It couldn't have been a T-rex then," Veronica said as she sharpened her knife, "they usually stay on this side of the river."
"Whatever it was, I'm glad it didn't decide to show its ugly face," Marguerite said, "the thought of what that thing could've been is not something I would want to find out."
"Maybe it was a new species of raptor," Malone said.
"I don't care what it was," Marguerite snapped, "I'm just glad I don't have to hear it again."
"If it is a new species of raptor," Challenger said, his mind always working, "imagine what a great scientific discovery it would be." He turned to Marguerite and asked, "Do you remember where you were when you heard the cry?"
"It was in the dark section of jungle just beyond the rise," Marguerite answered, "you're not honestly thinking of going back there!"
"What was it like?" Veronica asked as Marguerites reaction to the thought of returning there had intrigued her.
"Thick growth, dark, hotter than any other part we've been in," Roxton replied. "Why?"
"I remember the Zanga telling me about that place," she said, "they call it the Outer Territory. According to their legend, the only thing that lives there are a tribe known as the Tai. They're rumored to believe that raptors are gods."
"Oh that is just perfect," Marguerite complained, "so we were being watched by a raptor god?"
"No," Veronica said, "it was probably a condemned man that was turned into a black raptor. The Tai punish crimes against their tribe by turning the person into a black raptor. He has to remain in the Outer Territory until the shaman releases the spell. If he leaves the Outer Territory, they send their warriors after him and kill him."
"Well, there is only one way to find out," Challenger said, "at first light tomorrow, we'll go back there and try to find this legendary black raptor." Marguerite simply looked at Challenger as if he had lost his mind then she flounced out of the room, muttering to herself.
Meanwhile, the animal silently moved through the underbrush, searching, hunting for a meal. Its sensitive smell soon picked up and strong scent and it quickly followed. Near the river, it spotted two small herbivores quietly grazing. It remembered them when it first came here. Silently, the beast crept toward them, carefully watching its steps to avoid being heard. As soon as it was close enough, it let out a horrible shriek and bounded forward, catching its prey off-guard. The one herbivore saw it coming and hastily retreated but the second was not so lucky. It tried to run but was quickly caught by the raving beast. It leapt into the air slammed into the back of the herbivore, burying its long claws deep into its flesh and knocking it to the ground. The herbivore screamed and frantically tried to escape but the beast was holding on too tightly. Its huge jaws opened and clamped down on the head of the herbivore and with a single twist, snapped its neck like a small twig. From a distance, the first herbivore stood and watched, as if mourning the demise of its counterpart. Seeing it, the beast looked up from its kill and roared angrily at it, sending the herbivore fleeing into the brush. After looking around, making sure it was alone; the satisfied beast began to devour its meal.
Meanwhile, the five explorers made their way toward the Outer Territory, with Challenger beaming with anticipation. The thought of discovering a new species of raptor that was never heard of in the outside world was exciting to him. This would truly make him famous if he could find it. The other three weren't so excited. They were cautious, even nervous about finding this beast. Especially Marguerite. She was just glad that she had her pistol loaded and ready on her belt as well as Roxton and Malone having their rifles. If this thing was as big as the footfalls sounded, then she wanted absolutely no part of it. Veronica on the other hand, was a little interested in finding the beast. All the stories and legends she had heard from the Zanga tribe about this place were all coming true. The thick undergrowth, low sunlight, intense heat, it was all there, exactly as she had heard. All she needed now was to find the tribe known as the Tai. From what she had been told, they were very elusive, always trying to stay out of sight and away from any unwanted intruders. If they were found however, she doubted that the encounter would be pleasant. Any tribe that went through so many lengths not to be found deserved to be feared in a way.
As they continued through the jungle, Marguerite suddenly stopped as a rustling sound was heard around them.
"What was that?" she demanded, her nerves almost at an end.
"I don't know," Challenger answered, as he scanned the surrounding brush, "keep your eyes open though."
Roxton raised his rifle, and was ready to fire if anything unfriendly came their way. They continued through the jungle and again the rustling sound was heard, this time much closer. However, before they had a chance to react, they were overwhelmed by several warriors, dabbed with war paint, their faces alight with rage. They quickly disarmed the group and captured them. Holding them hostage, they made their way back through the jungle to their village.
-3-
The warriors hauled the explorers into the heart of their village where the chief and the shaman stood waiting. Veronica was shocked at how accurate all the legends had been. The bones used for supports in the huts, the fearsome appearance of the warriors and most shocking to her of all, the altar located in front of the shaman's hut; covered with what looked like human blood.
"What do think they'll do to us?" Roxton whispered as the warriors released them.
"Judging by the look of that altar, it can't be good whatever it is," Malone whispered back.
The chief stepped forward. He was an average size man with cold hard eyes that seemed to pierce through the eyes of the explorers. He wore the headdress of the tribe, brightly colored with feathers and a young raptor skull in the center.
"Who are these intruders?" he demanded.
"I'm Professor George Challenger," Challenger said, "these are my associates, John Roxton, Marguerite Krux, Ned Malone and Veronica. We mean you no harm. We were here searching for a black raptor."
"The black raptor?" the shaman shouted, as he came to the chiefs side, "the black raptor is a curse. He will kill all those foolish enough to find him. I warn you five now. Leave this place and never return. Leave before he kills you all!"
"Who is the black raptor?" Veronica asked, "I know he must be someone who committed a crime against your tribe."
"His name was Rolan," the chief said, "he was my brother and the next in line to lead our people. The night before he was to be made chief, he murdered his wife in a fit of anger. When we found him, he was acting wildly as if a demon had possessed him. We did the only thing that was fitting of his crime. The shaman cursed him to be the black raptor and sent him to the Outer Territory. There he will stay until the demon that took his soul is satisfied."
"Why do you wish to find him?" the shaman asked.
"To prove that he exists would greatly benefit the scientific community where we are from," Challenger said.
The chief eyed the explorers in a way the irked Veronica. There was something not right here; the chief obviously didn't want them around. Marguerite meanwhile was growing impatient. She definitely favored the idea of leaving and never returning. This whole place was like something out of a nightmare. The shaman leaned over and whispered something in the chief's ear before he spoke.
"Very well," the chief said, "you may stay and conduct your foolish search. But, we are not responsible for your deaths."
As he turned away, the warriors moved in and the explorers knew it was their time to leave. They gathered their weapons and were escorted out of the village.
"I don't like this," the shaman said as he and the chief entered the chief's hut, "if they find Rolan, they will find out the truth!"
"They will not find him," the chief answered, "I will have two of my warriors follow them and if they come too close, they will all die!"
"There's something not right," Veronica said as they camped for the night, "the chief was definitely hiding something."
"Must you always be so suspicious?" Marguerite snapped, "why can't we just go back to the treehouse and forget this whole thing ever happened?"
Before anyone could answer, the silence of the growing darkness was shattered by the same loud, angry shriek that Roxton and Marguerite heard the first night they camped in the area. Marguerite felt herself growing pale.
"I can see what you mean when you said it wasn't a T-rex," Malone said, "it sounded a lot worse."
"We'd better set up watches," Roxton decided, "I'll take first watch, Malone you're next."
Later on in the night, it was Marguerites turn to take the watch. Being back in the area was bad enough, but being here in the middle of the night was much worse. Even the trees here looked as though they may reach out and grab you. She kept Challengers rifle close by, and that made her feel a little better. Nothing would dare to attack her. At least she hoped not. Suddenly, she heard a low growl from the jungle in front of her that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand straight up. She raised the rifle and aimed into the darkness. The glow of the fire only allowed her to see a few feet in front of her and she hoped whatever was making that growling noise didn't venture any closer. She then heard the sound of footfalls, large footfalls, walking slowly towards their camp. Marguerite tried to hold the rifle steady, but couldn't help shaking slightly. Then to her horror, she saw what looked like two giant blue eyes staring out through the thick leaves. Quickly, she reached over and roughly shook Roxton until he woke up. Turning his head, he too saw the giant eyes staring at them.
"Everyone wake up!" he called out, "we've got company!"
In an instant, everyone was awake and had the rifles trained on the beast in the darkness. They couldn't see the beast very clearly; all they could see was those giant eyes staring out at them. The eyes were cold, no emotion and they seemed to cut right through the group. After a moment, Roxton slowly started moving toward the beast. He was stopped dead in his tracks however by a loud hiss, and a flash of dagger like teeth that shone in the glow of the fire before the beast turned and ran off into the jungle. None of the group could say a word, they simply stayed awake the remainder of night, watching and waiting. The beast never returned.
The following morning, Veronica and Challenger looked at the tracks left by the beast the night before. They were clearly raptor tracks, but compared to the tracks of the raptors that they had seen before, this one had to be at least two times bigger. They almost dwarfed a normal raptor's tracks. To Marguerite, that meant only one thing; they had to get the hell out of there and the sooner, the better. However, Challenger and the others were having none of it as they began following the giant tracks in the dirt. Marguerite had no choice but to follow.
"We'll split up to cover more ground," Malone said, "and if we get into trouble, fire two shots into the air."
"And what if we run into that thing?" Marguerite demanded.
"Lets just hope we find it before it finds us again," Malone answered.
"Oh thank you Ned, I feel so much better," Marguerite retorted, and she flounced off after Roxton and Challenger.
Veronica and Malone went off toward the clearing at the edge of the Outer Territory while Challenger, Roxton and Marguerite continued in the direction the beasts footprints went. Meanwhile, not far behind, the Tai warriors were silently following and seeing the group separate, one warrior followed each group.
The thick leaves and treacherous ground made it quite difficult for Veronica and Malone to find their footing. So many rocks and twigs around, they stumbled over their feet. Soon, a horrid smell came wafting in the morning air. To them, it smelled like a rotting corpse. Following the scent, it led them to a mutilated body that at one time been a herbivore. However, the body was so badly torn apart that it looked as if it had been attacked by a pack of T-rex's.
"What the hell happened to this one?" Malone wondered. Then he noticed the tracks in the dirt alongside the body. The tracks were exactly identical to the ones they found by their campsite.
"Looks like we found that thing's calling card," Veronica said grimly.
"Or what was left of its last meal," Malone answered.
They soon made their way onward again until they came to a small clearing on the edge of the Territory. They decided to head back into the jungle and try and different route when a roar of rage broke their train of thought. Turning around, the two of them came face to face with the very beast they were looking for: the black raptor. And now, Malone and Veronica realized why the tracks were so big. This beast was enormous. It was about five inches taller than the other raptors and much larger. Its claws on its feet were large enough to fit the size of the claw marks in the herbivore. And the most terrifying feature of all was its skin, jet black with a silver underbelly and those ice cold blue eyes. Malone raised his rifle and fired. The raptor astoundingly, dodged out of the way of the bullet and disappeared into the brush.
"How did it do that? What the hell is that thing?" Malone demanded his eyes wide with fear.
"Ned behind you!" Veronica screamed.
The raptor appeared again, this time crashing into Malone from behind, knocking his rifle away and rendering him unconscious. But the raptor didn't complete the kill; instead it glared at Veronica as if it wanted two meals instead of just one. Veronica backed off into the clearing where she knew she would have more fighting room and the raptor followed, unknowingly leaving the edge of the Outer Territory. It watched as Veronica backed away and drew her knife. To her surprise, the raptor began to shift its weight from foot to foot as if trying to psyche her out. Then it made short charges, always stopping after about three steps and backing off. It would act as if it was going to lunge at her but didn't, as if were trying to force her into defending herself and maybe leaving herself vulnerable. Veronica was completely shocked. A raptor never behaved this way. Finally, the beast had had enough of toying with her and charged full speed. Instinctively, Veronica drew back her arm and threw her knife at the oncoming raptors neck. The raptor skidded to a stop and his head snapped over to the side so quickly that it almost turned its back to her. But it didn't fall. To her horror, it slowly turned back around to face her and she saw that it was clutching her knife in its right hand. Veronica backed off again and drew the two smaller knives on the back of her belt. The raptor tossed her large knife aside and growled angrily. It rushed at her again and Veronica threw her smaller knives directly at the raptor's head, hopefully not giving it any chance to react. What happened next made her heart skip a beat. The raptor dropped down to the ground, flat on its belly and the knives flew past, just missing its head and were embedded deep in the trunk of a nearby tree. Veronica's mind was racing. How could this thing know what she would do? And how could it have caught her knife in mid air? As the raptor rose to its feet, Veronica moved around so she was in line with her large knife that was lying on the ground nearby. The raptor however, stalked her, knowing that now she was defenseless and thus, easier prey. Veronica figured if she could get a hold of her large knife, it would at least give her a fighting chance. Taking a huge risk, she dove for her weapon. The raptor saw, and reacted. It leaped into the air, not as high as it had with the herbivore, just high enough that it crashed into Veronica's side, which sent her sprawling on her back with the beast standing directly over top of her. Once she had cleared the cobwebs, Veronica found herself in the worst place anyone could be against a raptor, totally defenseless with the raptor standing over her. Glancing to her right, she noticed her knife was within arms reach. The raptor however, stood there watching her, as if daring her to try and get her knife. She reached for her knife as quickly as she could, but the raptor raised its left foot and pressed down on her elbow, pinning her arm to the ground. Veronica cried out in pain as the weight of the raptor pressed down on her elbow joint and she thought for a moment, the bones would break. The beast stared at her, hunger gleaming in its cold eyes and it knew it had her right where it wanted her. However, Malone was regaining consciousness and had groped around until he found his rifle. He pulled himself to his feet and looked into the clearing to see Veronica laying on her back with the beast standing over her, looking as if it was going in for the kill. Malone cocked the rifle and fired two shots into the air, the signal that meant trouble. He bravely moved out into the clearing as the raptor growled and hissed angrily at him, warning him to stay away. Malone fired into the air again and the raptor soon got the message. For a moment, the raptor's eyes filled with frustration at not being able to complete its intended kill. Out of pure malice, the raptor swung its head around and its upper jaw struck Veronica in the side of her head, knocking her out cold and with an angry glare at Malone, ran back into the Outer Territory and disappeared.
-4-
Malone hurried to Veronica's side and felt her neck to make sure she still had a pulse. The pulse was strong. Soon after, Roxton, Marguerite and Challenger arrived with guns drawn.
"What happened?" Challenger demanded.
"It was that raptor we were looking for," Malone said, "it attacked us as we came to the clearing."
"Come on," Roxton said, "we have to get Veronica out of the open."
He picked up Veronica and carried her back into the Outer Territory, where they found a safe place by the river to set up camp. Roxton laid Veronica down and Marguerite quickly took a piece of her dress she had ripped to the river and soaked it in the water. She gave it to Challenger who gently dabbed the large bruise on the side of Veronica's head. The outline of the raptor's upper jaw was still quite visible.
"Are you alright?" Marguerite asked as she noticed the back of Malone's shirt was torn.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Malone answered, "I just hope Veronica isn't hurt too badly."
Just then, Roxton heard a noise in the brush and saw two Tai warriors approaching. He cocked his rifle and stood ready to fire but the warriors reassured them that they meant no harm. They cautiously approached the camp where they saw the bruise.
"It is the mark of the black raptor," one warrior said, "she has made him leave the Outer Territory."
"That's ridiculous," Challenger said, "that thing attacked her. She was only trying to defend herself."
"The black raptor would not have attacked her if she had not drawn him out," the second warrior said, "if she had remained here, it would not have harmed her."
"That damned thing almost killed me," Malone snapped, "it attacked me from behind."
"No!" the first warrior snapped back, "what it did to you was a warning. It was telling you to leave and never return. Your friend lured him out and that is why it attacked her. And now that it has left the Outer Territory, we must kill him before he harms anyone else. Take my advice; when your friend is strong enough, leave. The raptor knows about you and now, it will stop at nothing to kill you all!"
The two warriors turned and went back into the jungle, hunting for the black raptor. The explorers looked at each other, confused as to what they should do next. Just then, Veronica stirred and let out a soft moan. She opened her eyes, and looked up into Malone and Challenger's concerned faces.
"Challenger...Malone? What happened?" she asked, still in a daze.
"Just stay still," Malone said, gently putting his hand on her shoulder.
"Do you remember anything?" Challenger asked.
"The raptor," Veronica said, as she slowly sat up, "I remember the raptor's eyes. They seemed, like it didn't want to do what it was doing. They almost looked.... Human."
"Human?" Challenger said, "but that's understandable. You said yourself that the raptor was a condemned man."
"I know," Veronica said as she started standing up, "but this one seemed like it was trying not to harm anyone. It was like, he wanted help."
"Help?" Marguerite demanded, "that thing must've hit you harder then we thought."
"We have to find him again before the hunters do," Veronica said as she winced from the pain in her side, "It shouldn't be that hard."
They went back into the jungle with Veronica leaning on Malone's shoulder. The pain in her side was getting worse and she thought it was because of a couple cracked ribs. They followed the tracks of the hunters and they soon came to a small clearing. The tracks of the hunters ended here and there was no sign of any struggle. Just then they heard a scream coming from the jungle nearby and one of the warriors came running into the clearing with the black raptor close behind. The beast leaped onto the back of the warrior and clamped its jaws around his head. As the explorers watched in horror, the raptor viciously twisted the warrior's head until they heard a loud snap and the warrior's body fell limp. However, the beast looked up and saw the explorers. Again, it ignored the warrior and stalked the explorers with a snarl.
"Rolan," Veronica said as she slowly stepped forward, "we want to help you."
The raptor stopped dead in its tracks and looked at her. A look of total surprise filled its eyes. The human side of it had been awakened and it was forcing its way back to the surface. Still, the animal side was still stronger and it charged the explorers who dove aside. With split second timing, the beast turned and chased Challenger for a brief distance then, leaped onto his back just as it had done with Malone only it didn't knock him out.
"Get off him," Roxton shouted as he raised his rifle.
This time, the beast did just that except, it grabbed Challenger by the collar of his shirt and jacket and held him in front of it as if he were a shield. Roxton kept his rifle trained on him as Veronica again tried to reason with the human side of the beast.
"I know this is not you," she said as the beast growled, threatening to break Challengers neck, "I saw your human side in your eyes when you attacked me in the clearing. Let him go and let us help you." She moved toward him and the beast backed off.
"Don't be afraid," she said more gently, "we don't want to hurt you. Just let our friend go."
Suddenly, the raptor's body twitched and trembled. It dropped Challenger who quickly scrambled for safety. The five explorers watched in amazement as the beast's body began to change. The large snout lined with teeth shrunk back into his skull, the tail did the same, his posture became more upright and human-like. The killing claws on his feet retreated back into his foot, his hair grew back on his head and finally, the roar of the beast succumbed to the painful cries of a man. Once this transformation was complete, the black raptor was no longer there and Rolan fell to the ground.
-5-
Roxton and Malone quickly picked up Rolan's unconscious form and carried him back into the jungle to keep him out of danger. As they moved, the young man suddenly awakened and forced himself free of their grip. His eyes were wild not with anger but with fear. He didn't know if these people were sent by his treacherous brother and his shaman or were they from another tribe. Still, he wasn't taking any chances.
"Calm down," Malone said to the frightened tribesman, "we aren't going to hurt you."
"What do you want?" Rolan demanded.
"We want to help you," Marguerite said, suddenly feeling sorry for him.
Rolan studied the faces of the explorers. They seemed concerned for him, not cold and sadistic as the warriors had been. But could he trust them not to turn him over to the warriors that would now be sent for him in droves? Something kept telling him yes. Gradually he relaxed, realizing the these people were not like his tribe and he could trust them.
"Why did they curse you like this?" Marguerite asked later that night as they camped.
"My brother and his shaman were jealous of the fact that I was the one to lead our tribe instead of him," Rolan answered, "my brother has always tried to keep me below him and has tried to control me as he controls everyone else. That is why he murdered my wife."
"He told us you were acting wildly," Malone said, "could that be something the shaman had done?"
"Yes," Rolan answered, "he cast a spell on me that made me seem as if I was possessed. That gave them the opportunity they needed to kill my wife and blame me for it."
"Brotherly love," Marguerite said sarcastically, "there's nothing like it."
"This black and silver paint they poured over me is part of the curse," Rolan said, "it will only come off after the spell is broken. And only the shaman can undo the spell. Or, he must die and his magic will become useless."
"I knew there was something wrong," Veronica said, "your brother was very upset that we were even near your village."
"Veronica, I must apologize for what I did to you," Rolan said, "you must understand, I was not in control of myself."
"I know you weren't," Veronica said with a small smile, "if you weren't you would've killed me when you had the chance."
"We'd better get some sleep before dawn comes," Roxton said, "tomorrow, we'll pay the chief a little visit."
They lay down near the fire and eventually dozed off. Rolan however stayed awake, the animal part of him was still quite strong and he had no desire to sleep. His mind was cluttered with the thoughts of how his brother could betray him like this and turn him into this monster that he had become. His thoughts then turned to his wife, her beautiful eyes and smile that had filled his heart with love. No, he thought, I cannot think this way. If I do, the beast will rise again. He watched as the light from the morning sun first began to break through the trees and knew that this would be his day; for revenge.
The morning sun shone dimly through the thick trees and the group made their way back along the path toward the Tai village. Rolan's face became a mask of hidden strain as the curse placed upon him began to take its deadly effects again. Still, he kept walking, determined not to let the beast control him yet. However, as they approached the village, a loud warning call sounded in the jungle around them and a group of five Tai warriors burst out, surrounding the group. They knocked the rifles from the men's hands but that didn't stop Roxton and the others from punching out some of these goons. Veronica had a hard time defending herself from her injuries but, Malone did his best to help her even though he ended up getting the worst of it. Finally, the battle ended with one warrior holding a sharp dagger to Marguerite's throat and the others had no choice but to surrender.
The warriors brought them to the village where the chef and the shaman were waiting. The chief's face hardened into a leering smile as his brother was brought to him.
"Rolan," he sneered, "I see you have survived."
Rolan didn't answer, he knew that if he was angered enough, the curse would once again take hold of him and he would kill all who got in his way. The shaman however, knew that and was willing to try anything to get the change to occur. He slowly walked around the group and finally locked eyes with Marguerite and Veronica. He ordered two warriors to take the two to the altar.
"The gods shall be pleased with this," he chortled evilly as the two women were strapped to the heavy stone block. Two warriors then lifted the block so it rested on its side and the two women were upright. A more suitable position for a sacrifice.
He then broke into an eerie, wailing chant that seemed to echo throughout the village and the surrounding jungle. Most of the people backed away for they knew what was happening as did Rolan. He was slowly being brought to the end of his leash and he could feel the beast rising once again despite his best efforts to stop it.
"Let them go you bastard!" Roxton shouted as he struggled against the warrior's strength.
Then the reason why the shaman was wailing in such manner was revealed as two raptors appeared out of the jungle. The shaman slowly backed away, shaking his ceremonial rattle over Veronica and Marguerite's head as a sign that they should be the beasts intended meal. The two raptors slowly stalked them, deciding which one should they attack first. The lead raptor then noticed the bruise on Veronica's side and this told it one thing; wounded prey. It hissed and prepared to attack. Suddenly, shouts of terror filled the village as the huge black raptor leaped over the altar, hissing and snarling at the two smaller raptors who quickly got the message and retreated into the jungle. It then turned and faced Veronica and Marguerite, who seemed like an easy meal but instead, it glared at the shaman who was standing nearby.
"Kill them!" the shaman ordered, but the raptor was having none of it.
Before the shaman had a chance to react, the giant beast lunged at him and quickly knocked him to the ground. The shaman screamed for help but there was no one there. Overflowing with rage, the beast tore into the medicine man and his horrible death screams filled the air. The others finally freed themselves and were already fighting their way through the mass of warriors and Malone finally untied Veronica and Marguerite from the altar.
"Fitting," Veronica said as she noticed the raptor tearing apart the medicine man.
They quickly began aiding their friends in fending off the warriors and suddenly, a loud crack brought everything to a halt. Everyone turned to see the medicine man's head had been torn from his mutilated body and the black raptor had changed back into Rolan. The black and silver paint was gone, the curse was lifted. And now, the explorers noticed a change in the people. They acted as if they too, had come out of a trance. One matter now, remained unsolved.
"You killed my wife," Rolan said as he walked toward his brother, "and now, you will die!"
The chief however drew a large dagger and charged. The two brothers wrestled for the knife and a short time later, the chief gasped. The people looked and saw the Rolan had driven the dagger deep into his brother's black heart. The chief dragged himself away from his brother and finally collapsed, dead.
-6-
The following morning, the explorers made their way out of the Outer Territory and back to their part of the jungle.
"I am so glad to be out of there," Marguerite said, "I've had enough of raptors and curses for as long as I live."
"Don't be so sure of that," Roxton said, "there are still plenty more of those around here."
As if to answer his call, the explorers soon heard the call from about five or six raptors heading for them. Marguerite groaned.
"Don't they ever give up?" she asked.
As they hurried through the jungle to get some distance between them and the pack, Marguerite had to admit one thing, she would much rather face a pack of regular raptors is much better then one big black one. But would she ever admit it? Not on their lives.
The Black Raptor
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except Rolan, the Tai and the storyline
-1-
The young man struggled valiantly against the strength of the two warriors as they dragged him through the crowd toward the altar. This was not right; he had done nothing wrong, yet his brother, the chief, demanded that he be punished. The two warriors held him tightly as the shaman poured an inky black paste over his head and brushed it over his body while his assistant smeared a silver paste over his chest and stomach. The shaman chanted the words of the spell as the young man fought in vane for his life. Finally, the warriors released him, throwing him to the ground at the feet of the shaman and the chief. The shaman again began chanting the spell and shaking his ceremonial rattle around the young mans head as he tried to wipe the paste from his eyes. Suddenly, a sharp jolt of pain surged through his body and he collapsed, writhing and screaming. The shaman and the chief merely smiled as they watched, then, when he had passed out from the pain, ordered the warriors to take him away.
As the warriors dragged him out of the village and deep into a dark region of jungle known to the tribesmen as the Outer Territory, the warriors couldn't help cringing as they felt the young mans flesh beginning to change. They dropped him in a small clearing and hastily retreated. The young man's body twitched and jerked as the shamans spell took its full effect. After about two hours, the pain ceased as quickly as it had started and he began to stir. His eyes slowly opened and he rose to his feet. But there was something wrong; he didn't feel the same as he did before. His skin felt harder and cooler, his legs stronger, eyesight, smell and hearing sharper, along with the unquenchable desire to hunt. He soon decided to go to the stream that was nearby and drink. As he walked, he noticed that he wasn't walking the same. He seemed to bob every time he took a step. He reached up with his right hand to scratch an itch as he walked and he noticed that his fingernails were awfully sharp. They actually felt like... claws. Now, gripped with fear, he began to run toward the stream and he realized that he could run much faster than ever before, which frightened him even more. Arriving at the stream, he noticed two small herbivores drinking at the edge of the water. Seeing him, they turned and fled in fear. Why were they running, he meant them no harm. At least he thought he didn't. As he watched them flee, he suddenly became compelled to chase after them and kill them. What has happened to me, he thought, what have they done to me? He moved to the water and peered down at himself. To his horror, his human face was not there. Instead he saw a large black face with a long snout, a silver lower jaw lined with sharp teeth, talon like claws on his hands and when he looked at his feet, they too, were black with a large claw extending from his raised middle toe. Realizing what had happened to him, the young man threw back his head and let out a loud, echoing shriek of rage.
Meanwhile, down at another part of the river, Roxton and Marguerite were returning from a series of caves they had discovered the day before. They had stopped to camp for the night by the river, in a secluded area where they would have some protection from predators.
"Another day, another wasted trip," Marguerite complained as she dropped her load of firewood next to Roxtons, "sometimes, I don't think we'll ever find our way off this plateau."
"That's right Marguerite, keep our spirits up," Roxton said sarcastically. He had obviously grown tired of her complaining. "We just have to keep looking. Eventually, we will find a way home."
"If we're not eaten alive first," Marguerite retorted. She turned her attention to her backpack where she took out her pistol to make sure it was fully loaded and ready in case a group of raptors decided to try a sneak attack. She turned her head and watched Roxton light the fire and eventually she felt like a fool for acting so childish. Everyone wanted to get off the plateau as much as she did, except for Veronica, and she knew she had to be patient. But would she admit that? She never would.
"Why don't you sit down and relax," Roxton told her, "I'm going to find some fruit."
"Leaving me here alone?" she demanded.
"I won't be long," Roxton said with a smile, "if you get into trouble you know what to do."
"I know," Marguerite said disgustedly, "two shots into the air."
Roxton merely shook his head and walked off into the jungle, trying not to laugh. Marguerite heard him snickering as he went and huffed. Why couldn't she go with him? Sure she was a strong woman and capable of taking care of herself, but there was something about this place that seemed to bother her. There were very few noises coming from the jungle around her, if any at all. And on top of that, she kept having the distinct impression that someone, or something was watching her. She kept a tight grip on the handle and trigger of her pistol and nervously waited for Roxton to return.
Day slowly faded into night. The fire was burning brightly as Roxton and Marguerite slept. Suddenly, they both were awakened by a loud, angry shriek. Marguerite instantly grabbed her pistol.
"What the hell was that?" she cried, fear written all over her face.
"I don't know," Roxton answered, "it sounded like a raptor."
"It couldn't be," Marguerite said, "it sounded too big." They waited tensely for a moment, expecting to hear the fearsome cry again but it never came. The jungle around them however, had gone deathly quiet.
"Whatever it was, its gone now," Roxton said, trying to calm Marguerite, "we better try and get some sleep. It'll be light soon."
"The sooner we get back to the treehouse, the better," Marguerite said.
They lay back down again and Marguerite kept her pistol close beside her this time. Eventually, the both drifted back to sleep. All the while they slept, they never heard the silent footsteps nor saw the large blue eyes of the beast that watched them through the night.
It had been drawn to their campsite by their strong scents. Upon seeing their weapons however, it had chosen not to attack. These creatures were too dangerous together. For now, it decided to watch from a distance and learn as much as it could about them. Then, when the time was right, it would strike.
The following day, Roxton and Marguerite made their way through the dense jungle. All the while, Marguerite couldn't hide the fact that this place terrified her. It reminded her of the valley of mists, the place where those awful werewolves were supposed to be. Yet, this place was far worse. The sun shone through the thick trees quite brightly, but the area itself was a dark and sinister place, full of hidden shadows and unsettling noises. The perfect place to get lost in and no one would ever find them. To calm her nerves, Marguerite stayed close to Roxton, who was also a little spooked by how thick and dense this place was.
"This place gives me the creeps," Marguerite said as she looked around nervously. "If we ever got lost in here, the others would never find us."
"No need to worry," Roxton assured her, "we're almost out. The clearing where we came in is just up ahead."
Still the foreboding nature of this area of jungle was getting to both of them. They both wanted nothing more than to get out of there as quickly as possible. Unbeknownst to them, the strange animal that had watched them the night before was still with them, following and watching from a safe distance. It realized that as long as those creatures had those weapons, it was no match for them. If it could only disarm them for a moment, it could have a chance. However, when it decided to try its luck, a powerful urge came over it, ordering it to stop. It had reached the edge of its domain, it could not go any farther or the warriors would be sent after it. So it stood still, hidden in the brush and watched the two make their way out of its domain and disappear across the clearing.
-2-
After Roxton and Marguerite arrived back at the treehouse, they told the others of their terrifying night in the dense section of jungle.
"It almost sounded like a raptor," Roxton said, "only a hell of a lot bigger."
"It couldn't have been a T-rex then," Veronica said as she sharpened her knife, "they usually stay on this side of the river."
"Whatever it was, I'm glad it didn't decide to show its ugly face," Marguerite said, "the thought of what that thing could've been is not something I would want to find out."
"Maybe it was a new species of raptor," Malone said.
"I don't care what it was," Marguerite snapped, "I'm just glad I don't have to hear it again."
"If it is a new species of raptor," Challenger said, his mind always working, "imagine what a great scientific discovery it would be." He turned to Marguerite and asked, "Do you remember where you were when you heard the cry?"
"It was in the dark section of jungle just beyond the rise," Marguerite answered, "you're not honestly thinking of going back there!"
"What was it like?" Veronica asked as Marguerites reaction to the thought of returning there had intrigued her.
"Thick growth, dark, hotter than any other part we've been in," Roxton replied. "Why?"
"I remember the Zanga telling me about that place," she said, "they call it the Outer Territory. According to their legend, the only thing that lives there are a tribe known as the Tai. They're rumored to believe that raptors are gods."
"Oh that is just perfect," Marguerite complained, "so we were being watched by a raptor god?"
"No," Veronica said, "it was probably a condemned man that was turned into a black raptor. The Tai punish crimes against their tribe by turning the person into a black raptor. He has to remain in the Outer Territory until the shaman releases the spell. If he leaves the Outer Territory, they send their warriors after him and kill him."
"Well, there is only one way to find out," Challenger said, "at first light tomorrow, we'll go back there and try to find this legendary black raptor." Marguerite simply looked at Challenger as if he had lost his mind then she flounced out of the room, muttering to herself.
Meanwhile, the animal silently moved through the underbrush, searching, hunting for a meal. Its sensitive smell soon picked up and strong scent and it quickly followed. Near the river, it spotted two small herbivores quietly grazing. It remembered them when it first came here. Silently, the beast crept toward them, carefully watching its steps to avoid being heard. As soon as it was close enough, it let out a horrible shriek and bounded forward, catching its prey off-guard. The one herbivore saw it coming and hastily retreated but the second was not so lucky. It tried to run but was quickly caught by the raving beast. It leapt into the air slammed into the back of the herbivore, burying its long claws deep into its flesh and knocking it to the ground. The herbivore screamed and frantically tried to escape but the beast was holding on too tightly. Its huge jaws opened and clamped down on the head of the herbivore and with a single twist, snapped its neck like a small twig. From a distance, the first herbivore stood and watched, as if mourning the demise of its counterpart. Seeing it, the beast looked up from its kill and roared angrily at it, sending the herbivore fleeing into the brush. After looking around, making sure it was alone; the satisfied beast began to devour its meal.
Meanwhile, the five explorers made their way toward the Outer Territory, with Challenger beaming with anticipation. The thought of discovering a new species of raptor that was never heard of in the outside world was exciting to him. This would truly make him famous if he could find it. The other three weren't so excited. They were cautious, even nervous about finding this beast. Especially Marguerite. She was just glad that she had her pistol loaded and ready on her belt as well as Roxton and Malone having their rifles. If this thing was as big as the footfalls sounded, then she wanted absolutely no part of it. Veronica on the other hand, was a little interested in finding the beast. All the stories and legends she had heard from the Zanga tribe about this place were all coming true. The thick undergrowth, low sunlight, intense heat, it was all there, exactly as she had heard. All she needed now was to find the tribe known as the Tai. From what she had been told, they were very elusive, always trying to stay out of sight and away from any unwanted intruders. If they were found however, she doubted that the encounter would be pleasant. Any tribe that went through so many lengths not to be found deserved to be feared in a way.
As they continued through the jungle, Marguerite suddenly stopped as a rustling sound was heard around them.
"What was that?" she demanded, her nerves almost at an end.
"I don't know," Challenger answered, as he scanned the surrounding brush, "keep your eyes open though."
Roxton raised his rifle, and was ready to fire if anything unfriendly came their way. They continued through the jungle and again the rustling sound was heard, this time much closer. However, before they had a chance to react, they were overwhelmed by several warriors, dabbed with war paint, their faces alight with rage. They quickly disarmed the group and captured them. Holding them hostage, they made their way back through the jungle to their village.
-3-
The warriors hauled the explorers into the heart of their village where the chief and the shaman stood waiting. Veronica was shocked at how accurate all the legends had been. The bones used for supports in the huts, the fearsome appearance of the warriors and most shocking to her of all, the altar located in front of the shaman's hut; covered with what looked like human blood.
"What do think they'll do to us?" Roxton whispered as the warriors released them.
"Judging by the look of that altar, it can't be good whatever it is," Malone whispered back.
The chief stepped forward. He was an average size man with cold hard eyes that seemed to pierce through the eyes of the explorers. He wore the headdress of the tribe, brightly colored with feathers and a young raptor skull in the center.
"Who are these intruders?" he demanded.
"I'm Professor George Challenger," Challenger said, "these are my associates, John Roxton, Marguerite Krux, Ned Malone and Veronica. We mean you no harm. We were here searching for a black raptor."
"The black raptor?" the shaman shouted, as he came to the chiefs side, "the black raptor is a curse. He will kill all those foolish enough to find him. I warn you five now. Leave this place and never return. Leave before he kills you all!"
"Who is the black raptor?" Veronica asked, "I know he must be someone who committed a crime against your tribe."
"His name was Rolan," the chief said, "he was my brother and the next in line to lead our people. The night before he was to be made chief, he murdered his wife in a fit of anger. When we found him, he was acting wildly as if a demon had possessed him. We did the only thing that was fitting of his crime. The shaman cursed him to be the black raptor and sent him to the Outer Territory. There he will stay until the demon that took his soul is satisfied."
"Why do you wish to find him?" the shaman asked.
"To prove that he exists would greatly benefit the scientific community where we are from," Challenger said.
The chief eyed the explorers in a way the irked Veronica. There was something not right here; the chief obviously didn't want them around. Marguerite meanwhile was growing impatient. She definitely favored the idea of leaving and never returning. This whole place was like something out of a nightmare. The shaman leaned over and whispered something in the chief's ear before he spoke.
"Very well," the chief said, "you may stay and conduct your foolish search. But, we are not responsible for your deaths."
As he turned away, the warriors moved in and the explorers knew it was their time to leave. They gathered their weapons and were escorted out of the village.
"I don't like this," the shaman said as he and the chief entered the chief's hut, "if they find Rolan, they will find out the truth!"
"They will not find him," the chief answered, "I will have two of my warriors follow them and if they come too close, they will all die!"
"There's something not right," Veronica said as they camped for the night, "the chief was definitely hiding something."
"Must you always be so suspicious?" Marguerite snapped, "why can't we just go back to the treehouse and forget this whole thing ever happened?"
Before anyone could answer, the silence of the growing darkness was shattered by the same loud, angry shriek that Roxton and Marguerite heard the first night they camped in the area. Marguerite felt herself growing pale.
"I can see what you mean when you said it wasn't a T-rex," Malone said, "it sounded a lot worse."
"We'd better set up watches," Roxton decided, "I'll take first watch, Malone you're next."
Later on in the night, it was Marguerites turn to take the watch. Being back in the area was bad enough, but being here in the middle of the night was much worse. Even the trees here looked as though they may reach out and grab you. She kept Challengers rifle close by, and that made her feel a little better. Nothing would dare to attack her. At least she hoped not. Suddenly, she heard a low growl from the jungle in front of her that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand straight up. She raised the rifle and aimed into the darkness. The glow of the fire only allowed her to see a few feet in front of her and she hoped whatever was making that growling noise didn't venture any closer. She then heard the sound of footfalls, large footfalls, walking slowly towards their camp. Marguerite tried to hold the rifle steady, but couldn't help shaking slightly. Then to her horror, she saw what looked like two giant blue eyes staring out through the thick leaves. Quickly, she reached over and roughly shook Roxton until he woke up. Turning his head, he too saw the giant eyes staring at them.
"Everyone wake up!" he called out, "we've got company!"
In an instant, everyone was awake and had the rifles trained on the beast in the darkness. They couldn't see the beast very clearly; all they could see was those giant eyes staring out at them. The eyes were cold, no emotion and they seemed to cut right through the group. After a moment, Roxton slowly started moving toward the beast. He was stopped dead in his tracks however by a loud hiss, and a flash of dagger like teeth that shone in the glow of the fire before the beast turned and ran off into the jungle. None of the group could say a word, they simply stayed awake the remainder of night, watching and waiting. The beast never returned.
The following morning, Veronica and Challenger looked at the tracks left by the beast the night before. They were clearly raptor tracks, but compared to the tracks of the raptors that they had seen before, this one had to be at least two times bigger. They almost dwarfed a normal raptor's tracks. To Marguerite, that meant only one thing; they had to get the hell out of there and the sooner, the better. However, Challenger and the others were having none of it as they began following the giant tracks in the dirt. Marguerite had no choice but to follow.
"We'll split up to cover more ground," Malone said, "and if we get into trouble, fire two shots into the air."
"And what if we run into that thing?" Marguerite demanded.
"Lets just hope we find it before it finds us again," Malone answered.
"Oh thank you Ned, I feel so much better," Marguerite retorted, and she flounced off after Roxton and Challenger.
Veronica and Malone went off toward the clearing at the edge of the Outer Territory while Challenger, Roxton and Marguerite continued in the direction the beasts footprints went. Meanwhile, not far behind, the Tai warriors were silently following and seeing the group separate, one warrior followed each group.
The thick leaves and treacherous ground made it quite difficult for Veronica and Malone to find their footing. So many rocks and twigs around, they stumbled over their feet. Soon, a horrid smell came wafting in the morning air. To them, it smelled like a rotting corpse. Following the scent, it led them to a mutilated body that at one time been a herbivore. However, the body was so badly torn apart that it looked as if it had been attacked by a pack of T-rex's.
"What the hell happened to this one?" Malone wondered. Then he noticed the tracks in the dirt alongside the body. The tracks were exactly identical to the ones they found by their campsite.
"Looks like we found that thing's calling card," Veronica said grimly.
"Or what was left of its last meal," Malone answered.
They soon made their way onward again until they came to a small clearing on the edge of the Territory. They decided to head back into the jungle and try and different route when a roar of rage broke their train of thought. Turning around, the two of them came face to face with the very beast they were looking for: the black raptor. And now, Malone and Veronica realized why the tracks were so big. This beast was enormous. It was about five inches taller than the other raptors and much larger. Its claws on its feet were large enough to fit the size of the claw marks in the herbivore. And the most terrifying feature of all was its skin, jet black with a silver underbelly and those ice cold blue eyes. Malone raised his rifle and fired. The raptor astoundingly, dodged out of the way of the bullet and disappeared into the brush.
"How did it do that? What the hell is that thing?" Malone demanded his eyes wide with fear.
"Ned behind you!" Veronica screamed.
The raptor appeared again, this time crashing into Malone from behind, knocking his rifle away and rendering him unconscious. But the raptor didn't complete the kill; instead it glared at Veronica as if it wanted two meals instead of just one. Veronica backed off into the clearing where she knew she would have more fighting room and the raptor followed, unknowingly leaving the edge of the Outer Territory. It watched as Veronica backed away and drew her knife. To her surprise, the raptor began to shift its weight from foot to foot as if trying to psyche her out. Then it made short charges, always stopping after about three steps and backing off. It would act as if it was going to lunge at her but didn't, as if were trying to force her into defending herself and maybe leaving herself vulnerable. Veronica was completely shocked. A raptor never behaved this way. Finally, the beast had had enough of toying with her and charged full speed. Instinctively, Veronica drew back her arm and threw her knife at the oncoming raptors neck. The raptor skidded to a stop and his head snapped over to the side so quickly that it almost turned its back to her. But it didn't fall. To her horror, it slowly turned back around to face her and she saw that it was clutching her knife in its right hand. Veronica backed off again and drew the two smaller knives on the back of her belt. The raptor tossed her large knife aside and growled angrily. It rushed at her again and Veronica threw her smaller knives directly at the raptor's head, hopefully not giving it any chance to react. What happened next made her heart skip a beat. The raptor dropped down to the ground, flat on its belly and the knives flew past, just missing its head and were embedded deep in the trunk of a nearby tree. Veronica's mind was racing. How could this thing know what she would do? And how could it have caught her knife in mid air? As the raptor rose to its feet, Veronica moved around so she was in line with her large knife that was lying on the ground nearby. The raptor however, stalked her, knowing that now she was defenseless and thus, easier prey. Veronica figured if she could get a hold of her large knife, it would at least give her a fighting chance. Taking a huge risk, she dove for her weapon. The raptor saw, and reacted. It leaped into the air, not as high as it had with the herbivore, just high enough that it crashed into Veronica's side, which sent her sprawling on her back with the beast standing directly over top of her. Once she had cleared the cobwebs, Veronica found herself in the worst place anyone could be against a raptor, totally defenseless with the raptor standing over her. Glancing to her right, she noticed her knife was within arms reach. The raptor however, stood there watching her, as if daring her to try and get her knife. She reached for her knife as quickly as she could, but the raptor raised its left foot and pressed down on her elbow, pinning her arm to the ground. Veronica cried out in pain as the weight of the raptor pressed down on her elbow joint and she thought for a moment, the bones would break. The beast stared at her, hunger gleaming in its cold eyes and it knew it had her right where it wanted her. However, Malone was regaining consciousness and had groped around until he found his rifle. He pulled himself to his feet and looked into the clearing to see Veronica laying on her back with the beast standing over her, looking as if it was going in for the kill. Malone cocked the rifle and fired two shots into the air, the signal that meant trouble. He bravely moved out into the clearing as the raptor growled and hissed angrily at him, warning him to stay away. Malone fired into the air again and the raptor soon got the message. For a moment, the raptor's eyes filled with frustration at not being able to complete its intended kill. Out of pure malice, the raptor swung its head around and its upper jaw struck Veronica in the side of her head, knocking her out cold and with an angry glare at Malone, ran back into the Outer Territory and disappeared.
-4-
Malone hurried to Veronica's side and felt her neck to make sure she still had a pulse. The pulse was strong. Soon after, Roxton, Marguerite and Challenger arrived with guns drawn.
"What happened?" Challenger demanded.
"It was that raptor we were looking for," Malone said, "it attacked us as we came to the clearing."
"Come on," Roxton said, "we have to get Veronica out of the open."
He picked up Veronica and carried her back into the Outer Territory, where they found a safe place by the river to set up camp. Roxton laid Veronica down and Marguerite quickly took a piece of her dress she had ripped to the river and soaked it in the water. She gave it to Challenger who gently dabbed the large bruise on the side of Veronica's head. The outline of the raptor's upper jaw was still quite visible.
"Are you alright?" Marguerite asked as she noticed the back of Malone's shirt was torn.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Malone answered, "I just hope Veronica isn't hurt too badly."
Just then, Roxton heard a noise in the brush and saw two Tai warriors approaching. He cocked his rifle and stood ready to fire but the warriors reassured them that they meant no harm. They cautiously approached the camp where they saw the bruise.
"It is the mark of the black raptor," one warrior said, "she has made him leave the Outer Territory."
"That's ridiculous," Challenger said, "that thing attacked her. She was only trying to defend herself."
"The black raptor would not have attacked her if she had not drawn him out," the second warrior said, "if she had remained here, it would not have harmed her."
"That damned thing almost killed me," Malone snapped, "it attacked me from behind."
"No!" the first warrior snapped back, "what it did to you was a warning. It was telling you to leave and never return. Your friend lured him out and that is why it attacked her. And now that it has left the Outer Territory, we must kill him before he harms anyone else. Take my advice; when your friend is strong enough, leave. The raptor knows about you and now, it will stop at nothing to kill you all!"
The two warriors turned and went back into the jungle, hunting for the black raptor. The explorers looked at each other, confused as to what they should do next. Just then, Veronica stirred and let out a soft moan. She opened her eyes, and looked up into Malone and Challenger's concerned faces.
"Challenger...Malone? What happened?" she asked, still in a daze.
"Just stay still," Malone said, gently putting his hand on her shoulder.
"Do you remember anything?" Challenger asked.
"The raptor," Veronica said, as she slowly sat up, "I remember the raptor's eyes. They seemed, like it didn't want to do what it was doing. They almost looked.... Human."
"Human?" Challenger said, "but that's understandable. You said yourself that the raptor was a condemned man."
"I know," Veronica said as she started standing up, "but this one seemed like it was trying not to harm anyone. It was like, he wanted help."
"Help?" Marguerite demanded, "that thing must've hit you harder then we thought."
"We have to find him again before the hunters do," Veronica said as she winced from the pain in her side, "It shouldn't be that hard."
They went back into the jungle with Veronica leaning on Malone's shoulder. The pain in her side was getting worse and she thought it was because of a couple cracked ribs. They followed the tracks of the hunters and they soon came to a small clearing. The tracks of the hunters ended here and there was no sign of any struggle. Just then they heard a scream coming from the jungle nearby and one of the warriors came running into the clearing with the black raptor close behind. The beast leaped onto the back of the warrior and clamped its jaws around his head. As the explorers watched in horror, the raptor viciously twisted the warrior's head until they heard a loud snap and the warrior's body fell limp. However, the beast looked up and saw the explorers. Again, it ignored the warrior and stalked the explorers with a snarl.
"Rolan," Veronica said as she slowly stepped forward, "we want to help you."
The raptor stopped dead in its tracks and looked at her. A look of total surprise filled its eyes. The human side of it had been awakened and it was forcing its way back to the surface. Still, the animal side was still stronger and it charged the explorers who dove aside. With split second timing, the beast turned and chased Challenger for a brief distance then, leaped onto his back just as it had done with Malone only it didn't knock him out.
"Get off him," Roxton shouted as he raised his rifle.
This time, the beast did just that except, it grabbed Challenger by the collar of his shirt and jacket and held him in front of it as if he were a shield. Roxton kept his rifle trained on him as Veronica again tried to reason with the human side of the beast.
"I know this is not you," she said as the beast growled, threatening to break Challengers neck, "I saw your human side in your eyes when you attacked me in the clearing. Let him go and let us help you." She moved toward him and the beast backed off.
"Don't be afraid," she said more gently, "we don't want to hurt you. Just let our friend go."
Suddenly, the raptor's body twitched and trembled. It dropped Challenger who quickly scrambled for safety. The five explorers watched in amazement as the beast's body began to change. The large snout lined with teeth shrunk back into his skull, the tail did the same, his posture became more upright and human-like. The killing claws on his feet retreated back into his foot, his hair grew back on his head and finally, the roar of the beast succumbed to the painful cries of a man. Once this transformation was complete, the black raptor was no longer there and Rolan fell to the ground.
-5-
Roxton and Malone quickly picked up Rolan's unconscious form and carried him back into the jungle to keep him out of danger. As they moved, the young man suddenly awakened and forced himself free of their grip. His eyes were wild not with anger but with fear. He didn't know if these people were sent by his treacherous brother and his shaman or were they from another tribe. Still, he wasn't taking any chances.
"Calm down," Malone said to the frightened tribesman, "we aren't going to hurt you."
"What do you want?" Rolan demanded.
"We want to help you," Marguerite said, suddenly feeling sorry for him.
Rolan studied the faces of the explorers. They seemed concerned for him, not cold and sadistic as the warriors had been. But could he trust them not to turn him over to the warriors that would now be sent for him in droves? Something kept telling him yes. Gradually he relaxed, realizing the these people were not like his tribe and he could trust them.
"Why did they curse you like this?" Marguerite asked later that night as they camped.
"My brother and his shaman were jealous of the fact that I was the one to lead our tribe instead of him," Rolan answered, "my brother has always tried to keep me below him and has tried to control me as he controls everyone else. That is why he murdered my wife."
"He told us you were acting wildly," Malone said, "could that be something the shaman had done?"
"Yes," Rolan answered, "he cast a spell on me that made me seem as if I was possessed. That gave them the opportunity they needed to kill my wife and blame me for it."
"Brotherly love," Marguerite said sarcastically, "there's nothing like it."
"This black and silver paint they poured over me is part of the curse," Rolan said, "it will only come off after the spell is broken. And only the shaman can undo the spell. Or, he must die and his magic will become useless."
"I knew there was something wrong," Veronica said, "your brother was very upset that we were even near your village."
"Veronica, I must apologize for what I did to you," Rolan said, "you must understand, I was not in control of myself."
"I know you weren't," Veronica said with a small smile, "if you weren't you would've killed me when you had the chance."
"We'd better get some sleep before dawn comes," Roxton said, "tomorrow, we'll pay the chief a little visit."
They lay down near the fire and eventually dozed off. Rolan however stayed awake, the animal part of him was still quite strong and he had no desire to sleep. His mind was cluttered with the thoughts of how his brother could betray him like this and turn him into this monster that he had become. His thoughts then turned to his wife, her beautiful eyes and smile that had filled his heart with love. No, he thought, I cannot think this way. If I do, the beast will rise again. He watched as the light from the morning sun first began to break through the trees and knew that this would be his day; for revenge.
The morning sun shone dimly through the thick trees and the group made their way back along the path toward the Tai village. Rolan's face became a mask of hidden strain as the curse placed upon him began to take its deadly effects again. Still, he kept walking, determined not to let the beast control him yet. However, as they approached the village, a loud warning call sounded in the jungle around them and a group of five Tai warriors burst out, surrounding the group. They knocked the rifles from the men's hands but that didn't stop Roxton and the others from punching out some of these goons. Veronica had a hard time defending herself from her injuries but, Malone did his best to help her even though he ended up getting the worst of it. Finally, the battle ended with one warrior holding a sharp dagger to Marguerite's throat and the others had no choice but to surrender.
The warriors brought them to the village where the chef and the shaman were waiting. The chief's face hardened into a leering smile as his brother was brought to him.
"Rolan," he sneered, "I see you have survived."
Rolan didn't answer, he knew that if he was angered enough, the curse would once again take hold of him and he would kill all who got in his way. The shaman however, knew that and was willing to try anything to get the change to occur. He slowly walked around the group and finally locked eyes with Marguerite and Veronica. He ordered two warriors to take the two to the altar.
"The gods shall be pleased with this," he chortled evilly as the two women were strapped to the heavy stone block. Two warriors then lifted the block so it rested on its side and the two women were upright. A more suitable position for a sacrifice.
He then broke into an eerie, wailing chant that seemed to echo throughout the village and the surrounding jungle. Most of the people backed away for they knew what was happening as did Rolan. He was slowly being brought to the end of his leash and he could feel the beast rising once again despite his best efforts to stop it.
"Let them go you bastard!" Roxton shouted as he struggled against the warrior's strength.
Then the reason why the shaman was wailing in such manner was revealed as two raptors appeared out of the jungle. The shaman slowly backed away, shaking his ceremonial rattle over Veronica and Marguerite's head as a sign that they should be the beasts intended meal. The two raptors slowly stalked them, deciding which one should they attack first. The lead raptor then noticed the bruise on Veronica's side and this told it one thing; wounded prey. It hissed and prepared to attack. Suddenly, shouts of terror filled the village as the huge black raptor leaped over the altar, hissing and snarling at the two smaller raptors who quickly got the message and retreated into the jungle. It then turned and faced Veronica and Marguerite, who seemed like an easy meal but instead, it glared at the shaman who was standing nearby.
"Kill them!" the shaman ordered, but the raptor was having none of it.
Before the shaman had a chance to react, the giant beast lunged at him and quickly knocked him to the ground. The shaman screamed for help but there was no one there. Overflowing with rage, the beast tore into the medicine man and his horrible death screams filled the air. The others finally freed themselves and were already fighting their way through the mass of warriors and Malone finally untied Veronica and Marguerite from the altar.
"Fitting," Veronica said as she noticed the raptor tearing apart the medicine man.
They quickly began aiding their friends in fending off the warriors and suddenly, a loud crack brought everything to a halt. Everyone turned to see the medicine man's head had been torn from his mutilated body and the black raptor had changed back into Rolan. The black and silver paint was gone, the curse was lifted. And now, the explorers noticed a change in the people. They acted as if they too, had come out of a trance. One matter now, remained unsolved.
"You killed my wife," Rolan said as he walked toward his brother, "and now, you will die!"
The chief however drew a large dagger and charged. The two brothers wrestled for the knife and a short time later, the chief gasped. The people looked and saw the Rolan had driven the dagger deep into his brother's black heart. The chief dragged himself away from his brother and finally collapsed, dead.
-6-
The following morning, the explorers made their way out of the Outer Territory and back to their part of the jungle.
"I am so glad to be out of there," Marguerite said, "I've had enough of raptors and curses for as long as I live."
"Don't be so sure of that," Roxton said, "there are still plenty more of those around here."
As if to answer his call, the explorers soon heard the call from about five or six raptors heading for them. Marguerite groaned.
"Don't they ever give up?" she asked.
As they hurried through the jungle to get some distance between them and the pack, Marguerite had to admit one thing, she would much rather face a pack of regular raptors is much better then one big black one. But would she ever admit it? Not on their lives.