He moved through the darkness swift and silent despite his bulk. His senses fed him a constant stream of information about his surroundings calculating his strides and checking the areas that were in darkness, for any signs of life. Suddenly he dropped flat to the leaf covered ground as he felt the vibration of heavy footsteps echo through the earth. The only hope he knew that he had was his black scales and the fact that this scent was being carried away from him. "Why can't I be on open plains it would make things a lot easier" he grumbled under his breath before he froze in fear as the foot of a longneck came down close to his hiding place before it lifted up and followed by several more as his pursuers walked right on past his hiding place without even noticing or stopping to check.
After they were finally gone he slowly crept forward and sniffed there was no scent of them. Good! He thought before he once again continued on his way into the blackening night. With that he walked on until he left the trees and saw a true sight for saw eyes he had reached a wide open stretch of grassland with a river running through it at which. "At last" he said smirking in victoriousness "It takes more than your club tailed small brains to stop me Ulsicor" he spoke these words with a triumph that he could hardly disguise after he had looked around to make sure the area was safe, he walked down in onto the plain and after reaching to river had a drink immediately feeling refreshed as the cool water calmed his burning, stinging throat and he then settled down under the shade of a tree that was nearby and closed his eyes for this was not the first time that he had worked right through almost half the night once again. Smack!
This was the sound he heard when he felt something hard connect with his left leg and he sprang upwards but then made a move that cost him his chance to escape. As he opened his eyes he was momentarily blinded by the sun for it was morning and he at once cursed himself for sleeping out in the open for a second blow sent him crashing against the tree which made many treestars fall from their branches. Then a dark figure loomed over him and he shook his head to clear his vision. When he had done he saw that he his assailant was not alone for there was at least seven others with him and all were Bludgeoners. His first instinct was to run for safety where his speed would allow him to hopefully out distance his attackers. But the minute he got to his feet he was struck once again this time with a blow to the head: a minutes agonising pain was the last thing he felt before everything went black.
When he awoke again the first thing he saw was a wall of vines in front of him. The second thing he saw, and this was when he had regained full consciousness, was a storm grey longneck standing on the other side of the vines. "So Coal" he spoke in a cold voice with his stone grey eyes narrowing "You thought you could just walk into my preparations and do what you like you really have a habit of poking you snout where it doesn't belong" he added with a sneer "Your plan will never succeed!" snarled the spike foot "As long as Sharptooth's defeaters are alive you don't stand a chance Ulsicor" said longneck laughed before replying "They will be taken care of long before that" and it was at this that Coal shuddered when he heard the words 'taken care of' but he was still firm in the belief that the defeaters of 'the walking terror' would come through just as they had done many years ago when they were young. "Sir" a Bludgenor entered the cave "Yes what is it Gri?" asked the Apatosaurus with a hint of impatience in his voice "Patrols just got back everything is going as you said but there is something you should see" "Very well lead on" said Ulsicor but before he left he turned back to Coal "Enjoy your new home" he said smirking "It's permanent" We'll see about that! Thought the Iguanodon savagely as he glared after the departing figure of his tyrant captor.
The two sauropods moved outside to where many Bludgeoners were milling around "So what is it you want me to see" asked Ulsicor though it was more like a statement "You are trying my patience Gri" he said his voice hinting a snarl "To the north sir" came the reply and the storm grey longneck looked northward and saw on the distant horizon a rolling mass of dark clouds "Thimble Winter" breathed Ulsicor before an evil smile embraced itself on his lips "Things are going better then I planned" his eyes were glinting like hard points of light "Gri tell Kai to be on standby with the troops for they will be needed soon" "Yes sir" said Gri and he slowly descended down the path before passing in between the Bludgenors below all of them giving way for he was a captain after all.
-
Later that night, far, far away in a cave with which vines hung over the entrance and an assortment of fruits and leaves scattered all around inside a pale grey swift runner was sitting in front of a large crystal with his eyes closed, arms on the ground with his snout touching the stone which was glowing bright as the moonlight shone down on it through a hole in the roof. Suddenly the stone went dark and a gust of wind blew through the cave and the swift runner's eyes opened and he got up and walked to out of the entrance to the cave and stared up at the stars which were twinkling like pearls in the ocean. But his gaze was focussed on one group of stars in particular which were in the shape of a longneck. "I sense a disturbance in the balance of peace" he spoke without taking his eyes off of the constellation "The ancestors have proclaimed it to be true do you confirm what they say Tranquil?" he asked still looking skyward. "Yes" came a faint female voice on the wind and the swift runner immediately descended the slope outside his cave a set off in a direction that he had gone on many times before.
Soon he reached a cave three times bigger than his own: stopping before it he waited for a few minutes and was about to go back when a voice spoke from the darkness "I know you're there Swiftfoot I smell you and hear your breath" a pair of dark amber eyes had appeared in the gloom "Come out of there Blood it's serious" said Swiftfoot in voice that shows that one has no time to sit around arguing. Slowly a figure emergered from the cave and the moonlight bathed itself upon a male Badeblack with dark red scales and a scarlet red sail which had, what appeared to be, a large bite taken out of it. A scar ran down his left leg and three more could be seen over his right eye. "What do you want with me at this time of night swift runner" growled the Bladeback his eyes narrowing, "I know it is late, but the ancestors have spoken to me and so has Tranquil" at this name all weariness and anger vanished from the meat eater's eyes and was replaced by a look of concern and intrigue.
"Are you sure" it was a statement not a question "The stars never lie but those who have tongues and use them do!" declared Swiftfoot his eyes blazing. Blood turned his head towards the west where, on the northern horizon, banks of cloud were gathering "Thimble Winter!" he said savagely "Swiftfoot gather whatever supplies you need we must leave as soon as we can" the urgency in the bladeblack's speech told his friend everything and at once he was sprinting back towards his cave. As he did so Blood lifted his head and fixed his gaze on the longneck in the stars "I made an oath to protect your son at your death Tranquil for I can never thank him and his friends enough for what they did for me and all those who were prey for Him but now I will protect your son even at the cost of my life I promise you". After he had finished he smiled up at the stars which were being reflected in his dark amber eyes which now seemed to shine with a light of their own. "I just hope our friends have also seen you and remembered their causes as well."
He was right for far away a cream and light brown one horn was standing on a ridge looking at the stars beside him was a female one horned Sharptooth who had a scar on her left cheek just below her eye "The time has come Kira" the one horn said slowly "We must go now" "Yes Xailen" came the reply "And may those who stood the shadow before stand against it again" and with that the two slowly started down the ridge heading south west towards the place they knew they would meet those who they owed their lives to. Spiked thumb - Iguanodon Club tailed longneck - Shunosaurus Longneck - Apatosaurus, Brontosaurus etc Two footer - Tyrannosaur, Allosaurus, Giganotosaurus etc Bladeback - Spinosaurus Swift runner - Gallimimus, Ornithimimus etc Horned Sharptooth - Carnotaurs, Ceratosaurus etc One horn - Styracosaurus
