Chapter Two
The Isle of Souls
The island slowly became smaller and smaller as the boat drifted away. James stared on, with the others beside him. It was his home, slowly becoming a tiny black dot on the horizon, before disappearing completely.
"God knows when I'll see it again," James said.
Soon, it was just them and the waves. James sighed and turned his back to Ark Island.
"Alright," he said, "As long as we don't run in with a Megalodon or a Mosasaurus we should be fine."
He stepped down towards the ship's wheel. They each took shifts steering the ship. It was just the four of them, alone on the open seas. The ship was three levels high. The top deck was open to the ocean. There were tall sails, and it looked like a small pirate ship. James hadn't seen any other ships and he doubted whether they'd meet with any other sailors. A Pteranodon soared overhead. James had taken two Pteranodon onboard the ship as scouting expeditions were almost impossible without a flying mount. James also felt safer in the air, away from the jaws of an angry Tyrannosaurus or Spinosaurus.
The second deck were living quarters for the animals and the four people on board. The animals James and the others had taken were Alan the Raptor, Razorback the Kaprosuchus, Alison the Triceratops, Shullershy the Carnotaurus, and two Pteranodons named Jetstream and Sky-Dancer.
The third deck was below water, and was used for storage of all the supplies. There were plenty of supplies, more than they probably needed, but James figured they should load the ship at full capacity rather than run out of food or water away from land.
The smell of salt permeated the air, and James wondered why he only smelled it so strongly now. The sun beat down, and while it was certainly hot, it wasn't overwhelming, and James didn't need to try and escape from the heat. Taking the wheel, he looked at his compass and Nerva's map. He knew what direction The Center was in based on Nerva's maps, and his own maps, but he wasn't sure how far away it was. Nerva's maps seemed to be very accurate in terms of distances, sizes and directions, which made sense given his militaristic training. His thoughts went in different directions as he turned the wheel towards the West. He saw Rhino walk below deck with several maps held in his hand. He saw Shadow motion for James to come. James nodded, locked the wheel in position, and walked down.
"I'll keep watch up here," Shira said walking towards the ship's wheel.
James walked below and into the cabin. There was a small table and chairs in the middle of the cabin. The rocking of the ship was gentle, and James could hear the dinosaurs making calm noises from the other side of the ship.
"We just need to figure out how far away The Center is." Shadow said.
James pulled out a seat and sat down. Rhino took out some of the maps and unrolled them.
"Alright, here are Nerva's maps…" he then unrolled a second map hand drawn by James and Shadow, "And here is our map."
They compared the two maps. They were nearly identical in every way, from the proportions to the sizes to the shape of the island.
"Well I think we can count on the distances being accurate," James said.
Shadow nodded, "I'd hope so. It wouldn't make sense for the maps to be so accurate about proportion and not distance."
The ship continued to rock back and forth, causing the lamp fuel in one of the lamps to sway back and forth. James took out some small surveying gear used for maps, and after making some mathematical calculations, he figured that The Center was ten days sail away from Ark Island.
"Well at least we know how far it is," Rhino said, "We have more than enough supplies."
James took out Nerva's map. "Alright, there are several small islands between Ark Island and The Center. The closest one is named The Isle of Souls."
Rhino nodded, "Interesting name. Why is it called that?"
"Nerva never mentioned it in his notes, only on this map."
Rhino huffed, "He may have destroyed all the people on the island."
James nodded. He hoped Nerva hadn't wiped out everybody on the island singlehandedly, but he seemed like a savage dictator.
"How many days sail is it from here?" Shadow asked.
"Two days," James replied, "It's a very small island."
Rhino leaned back in his chair and let out a sigh. He smiled and looked back and forth between Shadow and James.
"Come on," he said, "You know you've both missed this…"
James chuckled, "Yes I have my friend," he said, "Yes I have…"
The night settled on the ocean darkly. If not for the few lanterns onboard the ship, all would've been enveloped in blackness. The only way to distinguish the sea from the sky were the tiny flashes of starlight in the night sky, shining like tiny diamonds. James looked up at them, steering the ship. He heard footsteps approaching. It was Shira.
"How far to The Isle of Souls?" she asked.
"We should be there by evening tomorrow." James replied, "Then it's only a week 's sail before we reach The Center."
Shira walked beside James, her black hair matching the inky black ocean and sky. She put her hands on James' shoulder and looked up.
"They're bright tonight." she said simply.
James smiled, "Just bright enough to steer by." he replied, "Hopefully there isn't too much cloud cover tonight."
James could hear the water below, as the ship slowly continued to chop through the water. Shira sighed deeply.
"What's wrong?" James asked.
"Nothing important," Shira replied, "Just my own doubts."
"What do you mean?"
"Well…James I know you've had your own doubts about this place, and I did too but I guess I sort of shoved them aside. Now we know about men from different time periods that have lived in this place. We have written accounts that are on paper that can't be two-thousand years old. There are creatures on this island that never lived on earth. I just wonder what travelling to The Center will reveal."
James didn't reply. He just looked on. Shira was echoing his own doubts.
He sighed, "What are you afraid of?" he asked.
Shira didn't speak at once. "The fact that I have doubts…And that I fear my doubts will only grow stronger. You were able to conquer your fears James, when you battled Apollo three years ago. This island…This place…It's like I've known in the back of my mind that it can't possibly be real but I've just pushed the thoughts aside. I just can't pin the cause of my uneasiness."
James still wasn't sure what to say. There was a brief pause and they continued looking up at the stars.
"At least we know the stars are still there," James said with a chuckle, "We have Roman legionaries, wild extinct dinosaurs inside this boat, and we live in a jungle with fantastic creatures at our beck and call…But at least the stars are still there."
It was smooth sailing for the night, and the following day was just as smooth. James found it odd that there didn't seem to be a single cloud in the sky, but there wasn't. By the time the sun was lowering in the sky, James saw a tiny spot of land in the distance. He grabbed his spyglass and surveyed the area.
"Land ho!" he shouted, "That's the Isle of Souls, right there!"
Rhino, Shadow and Shira came over and looked, each taking a turn with the spyglass.
James shrugged and looked at Shadow, "It doesn't look like a very harsh environment."
Rhino shook his head, "No, it's pretty similar to Ark Island as far as greenery goes…"
The isle was small and shaped like a large horseshoe. It was only a mile or so long and only a quarter mile wide at its widest point. The isle was mainly made up of forest, though the beaches were quite wide and suitable for camping, since the inside of the horseshoe had nearly no waves.
"I say we make camp here for the night…See if there's any freshwater springs."
Shadow nodded, "My thoughts exactly. There may be some new animal species here as well for all we know."
James walked up and took the wheel, steering for the inside of the horseshoe.
They docked the boat close to the shore. The water was shallow enough to wade through, and they unloaded the dinosaurs, who didn't panic at sight of the water. Rhino rode both of the Pteranodons towards the shore and then tied each one up to a tree. Shullershy, Alan, Razorback and Alison each stomped through the water with ease. James led Alan through the water. He didn't need a leash, Alan followed him. The water was warm and calm. Sloshing through the water he looked behind him at Alan, who perked up his reptilian head and barked, as if to signal James he was alright. When they reached the shore, Alan looked around, flexing the claws on his hand and tapping his sickle to claw into the sand. He scanned the area but didn't sense any threats. James patted Alan on the head and looked around. There were a few birds in the trees and James spotted a small flock of Ichthyornis swimming around in the bay catching fish. He didn't see many large dinosaurs, though an island this small wouldn't've been able to support large numbers of dinosaurs.
Shadow looked around next to James, "I don't see anything yet," he said, "We should probably scout out the area first."
James nodded and they walked up towards the forest. He heard something run off but he couldn't tell what it was. He took out a machete on his belt and began to hack into the dense undergrowth. The forest was deep, though the plants were nearly identical to the plants on Ark Island.
"We need to find a source of freshwater," Shadow said, "With all these plants there has to be some nearby."
James continued hacking away, until they came to a worn pathway in the plants that had been carved out by small animals. Most of the time these paths lead to water sources. James and Shadow followed the path for only a few hundred yards before they came to a small flowing spring with pure water gurgling out. James knelt down and tasted it. it was perfectly safe to drink, and was refreshingly cold.
"We just need to get the water skins," James said.
After refilling all the water skins that were empty, they continued setting up camp. James was setting up he and Shira's tent while Shira built a roaring campfire. Shadow and Rhino each had their own tent, though Rhino had decided to stay onboard the ship and keep an eye on it. The sun was nearly set when the camp was completely pitched. The waves gently lapped against the shore without cresting. Firelight flickered on the sandy beach, and it was deeply quiet. The stars were only beginning to peak out into the darkening sky. The sunset was beautiful, with vibrant fiery oranges, royal purples, and deep, navy blues.
James sat down near the fire next to Shira, who smiled brightly and put her arm around him. Rhino had caught some Coelacanth in the ocean and they were cooking the meat on some of the iron pans. James flipped his piece, which was smelling as good as it was looking.
"Well, we have fresh water," James said to Shira, "I'm looking forward to getting back to the journey though, but this place was worth exploring."
"Anything interesting?" Shira asked.
James shook his head, "Not really. The same plants as Ark Island…I only saw a single lone Pachycephalosaurus walking along the beach. Nothing else. The island is pretty small."
Shira nodded. He pushed the fish around in the pan thoughtfully. He looked back at the ship and let out a sigh. Shira let out a long yawn. James looked at her and smiled.
"I'm sorry James," she said chuckling.
James smiled, "I know, I'm exhausted. Once I'm finished eating I'm bedding down for the night."
It wasn't long before James finished eating the Coelacanth meat and setting up his straw mat. Shira came in and laid down beside him. They both laid there on their backs, staring up into the ceiling of the tent, each absorbed in their own thoughts. The island, the Ark, the dinosaurs. New discoveries. Then, they both fell asleep.
Even in his sleep James knew something was wrong. Subconsciously he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. His eyes opened and he heard it. Shira was sitting bolt upright, her eyes wide. It was the most horrifying sound you could imagine. It was a constant, high pitched screaming sound. It wasn't animalistic, but almost human, and it never stopped. They weren't loud or particularly scared sounding, but they were undeniably human sounding screams. Shira looked at James with a terrified face,
"What is that?" she asked sounding petrified with fear.
James wasn't sure what to make of it. There was a lantern inside the tent and James switched it on. He saw shadows dart back and forth like specters that didn't want to be seen. He couldn't quite tell what was out there. The screams still continued, steadily. A cold sweat formed in James' forehead. He heard footsteps here, there, in every direction.
"They're everywhere" Shira said with terror.
James stood up and the screams began to get louder. He switched off the lantern and the screams became quieter again. They still never stopped screaming, not even for breath. Suddenly he heard snapping sounds and more footsteps. Then horrible ear piercing cries. They sounded like ravenous demonic screeches. James flinched. They were dangerously close. James heard more screeches and cries, coupled with the footsteps and the constant low screaming sounds. James grabbed his machete and slowly lowered his hand to pick up the lantern. The creatures outside continued to scream, but the screams were becoming louder and closer. Whatever they were, they were getting bolder. James turned the lantern on. This time, the creatures didn't scatter. James could see their silhouettes in the tent walls. They were slim creatures, though James couldn't quite tell what they were from the front. They were about four feet tall, and James knew they were similar to a Raptor, though smaller and more slender. He could see their clawed hands twitching in the shadow. James and Shira moved to the middle of the tent, away from the creatures.
"What are we going to do?" Shira asked, "We can't escape them…"
James looked at Shira and then at the creatures. He stood as tall as he could and started shouting at the top of his lungs, trying to intimidate the creatures. He shouted for nearly thirty seconds, but the creatures didn't move, or even seem to flinch. When he finished shouting there was dead silence.
The creatures had stopped their constant screaming.
James stood there.
The only thing he could hear was his own breath.
The creatures still stood there, not moving.
Suddenly there was a piercing screech. Then another. Suddenly all the creatures starting screeching deafeningly, sounding like a pack of frenzied monsters. James saw them splay their claws out, and they started moving, circling the tent and coming closer. Suddenly he saw one jump at the tent. Shira yelped in terror.
"Get down!" James said.
James saw the shadow of one of the creature's heads approach the tent, the creature hissing and twitching. It put its head up to the tent and James thrust out his machete and cut it deep in the head. The creature screamed in pain and fell back. The other creatures started screaming and screeching louder than before. James heard Alan and Shullershy roaring in the background, but they were each tied up. James decided to shout for help.
"Rhino! Shadow!"
No answer.
James wondered if the creatures had already killed Shadow.
He held his machete up, prepared. Suddenly he saw one of the creatures look into the tent from the hole James put through it with the machete. The creature was a horrifying looking Theropod dinosaur. It was a small Raptor-like dinosaur, known in the fossil record as Troodon. Its head was flat and long, and its teeth poked out the top and bottom of its mouth, dripping with saliva and a strange yellow colored liquid. Their eyes were gigantic, and bright yellow. They glowed like ghostly lights and they had no pupil, making them look dead and soulless. They had small spines on their heads and below their jaws. The top of their jaw were covered in grooves and their skin was grey with black stripes and flecks. Its bottom jaw was blood red, and so was its belly.
It stared at James and then snarled, exposing its wicked teeth. its snarl sounding like horrid raspy clicks. Suddenly, it thrust its head into the tent and snapped its teeth, snarling and screeching. James stepped backwards away from the creature. Suddenly he felt something behind him. There were two Troodon trying to tear into the tent from the other side. James realized what the Troodon were doing. They were trying to lead him into a trap.
In the fossil record, Troodon were the smartest species of dinosaur, but on the Ark they were far more intelligent, almost as smart as a human.
James looked each direction. Troodon were clawing at the tent from every way, screaming. James saw their frantic shadows. He suddenly noticed one of the Troodon was burying its way through the soil into the door of the tent. James held the machete firmly in hand and waited. The Troodon stuck its head into the tent and stared at James. It screeched. James yelled and slammed his machete into its head, killing it, its last breath fizzling out in popping clicks. More Troodon were everywhere, screaming and starting to tear holes into the tent. James could see their claws reaching for him, their eyes staring, either wide open or half closed, focusing intently on their prey.
Suddenly a Troodon took a flying leap and tore a massive hole into the tent. It stood there, its eyes glowing like a murderous ghoul. It screeched and tried to lunge at James. He swung his machete and it sliced the Troodon in the back. The creature uttered a high pitched howl and jumped out of the tent. James felt something rip into his arm. A Troodon slashed at him with its razor-sharp claws on its hands. James yelled in pain.
Shira clutched her knife and stood up, "James, there's too many. Stand back to back we can ward them off together!"
James looked in front of him. The Troodon were still everywhere. They were slowly tearing the tent to shreds. Rhino had constructed it out of extremely strong cloth, but it could only handle so much abuse at the furious hands of a pack of Troodon. Their claws were razor sharp. More screams and screeches. Another Troodon jumped through the hole in the tent but it didn't stop. It screeched and jumped on top of James. James was knocked to the ground. The Troodon sunk its claws into James' shoulder and snapped at his face. James held it back with his other arm, screaming. Shira yelled and stabbed the Troodon in the eye. The creature screeched and James slashed it with the machete, killing it.
Before he could get up another Troodon exploded into the tent, swooped down towards James, and clamped its jaws around his upper arm. James yelled in pain. It was the arm James was using for his machete. James used his good arm and he grabbed the Troodon by the neck, then frantically jabbed his fingers into its eye with his other arm. It screeched and let go, and Shira was able to pin it down and kill it. James stood up and held his arm, which throbbed. It was starting to turn purple. James realized with horror that the Ark Troodon had a venomous bite. James held his arm, which was dripping blood.
Shira covered her mouth with her hands, "James! No!"
James looked at Shira his face going deathly pale, "You have to get Rhino. He's the only one with antivenom."
Suddenly another Troodon began reaching inside the tent, screeching and snapping with its jaws. James thrust his machete through the hole, warding the Troodon off.
"James! I can't get to him!" Shira shouted.
James started to feel weak in his legs, and his vision blurred and went out of focus. His breath was labored and he tried to shake off the venom, which was beginning to take over. He gripped the machete in his good hand and desperately tried to cling onto consciousness. Shira stabbed another Troodon James didn't see. Another Troodon jumped into the tent but James was able to pin its head down with his boot and kill it with the machete. He could hear his heartbeat thundering in his ears, and with every beat his vision blurred and his head pounded. He grabbed his head as sweat poured down his forehead. He saw another Troodon behind him. He was just able to slice into it before he collapsed onto the ground. He coughed, his heartbeat erratic and violently fast.
Shira screamed in fear and knelt down next to James, trying to revive him, "James! James! Don't leave me! James!"
"Shira…You…Have to…Rhino…" Suddenly everything went black.
Shira looked up. She heard the terrifying screams.
She grabbed James' machete and started yelling, "Shadow! Rhino! Help! Rhino!"
The Troodon continued screeching. There was no sign of Rhino or Shadow. Another Troodon peeked its head inside the tent. It stared at James, then at Shira, its soulless eyes drilling holes into her. It screeched loudly, but Shira swiped at it. The dinosaur dodged and then they seemed to stop their attacks. Shira could hear them darting back and forth outside. Suddenly she heard a loud roar. It wasn't from the Troodon. She could hear random footsteps, and the sounds of Troodon scattering in every direction, making random screams and yelps.
Shira shouted, "Shadow! Rhino! In here!"
Shira heard more loud roars and the deeper screams of a Raptor. Shira knew Rhino and Shadow had arrived. Suddenly there was deep silence, though Shira occasionally heard a Carnotaurus roar or a Troodon screech. Suddenly Shira heard human footsteps come up to the tent.
"Shira! James!"
It was Shadow.
With his rifle in hand Shadow entered the tent.
"Oh Shadow! Thank God!"
Shadow suddenly saw James, who was heaving and sweating uncontrollably. Shadow was sweating as well, though he wasn't bitten.
"I knew there was something off about this island," Shadow said searching his pack.
"Shadow you have to save him!" Shira said sounding frantic.
Shadow nodded, "Don't worry Shira. I came prepared for something like this."
Shadow pulled a small bottle of antivenom out of his pack, "This should do it."
He took off the top of the bottle and poured a small amount into James' mouth. James heaved, gasped for breath for several seconds, and then let out a long breath and his muscles relaxed. He stopped breathing for a few terrifying seconds, but then began to breathe normally again. Shira began to shed tears of relief, and she closed her eyes and held James hand.
Shadow smiled, "He's going to live."
Rhino, Shira and Shadow were all onboard the ship. They had loaded everything back inside, as well as all the dinosaurs. James was resting in the living quarters. He was slowly recovering, though Shadow said he'd be asleep for several more hours. The sun was only beginning to rise, and the Troodon had all but disappeared.
"What happened on your end Shadow?" Shira asked, "You had to have heard all the noise those things were making."
Shadow nodded, "Oh, I heard everything. I was being attacked as well, that's why I couldn't get help as quickly as I hoped. I guess you were making more noise and the Troodon were tearing through your tent faster than they were mine. They must've given up trying with my tent. I was able to slip out and get Rhino and our dinosaurs. Thank God I could. A few more minutes and I'm not sure if James would've made it."
Shadow and Shira were standing on the top deck of the ship as the dawn was beginning to break. The air was fresh and cool, and The Isle of Souls looked hauntingly beautiful spread out in front, the Troodon nowhere to be found. The wind was calm, and it blew Shira's hair aside gently. Shira shuddered and Shadow looked at the ground.
"Is Rhino with him now?" Shira asked.
Shadow nodded.
"Thank you for saving him Shadow. Are the dinosaurs safe?"
Shadow looked perplexed, "That's what confuses me," he said, "They were all bitten multiple times. Shullershy was bitten five times and Alan was bit twice. But they're not weakening at all. I was able to draw venom from a small wound on Alan so I know the Troodon were using venom on them. I guess dinosaurs are immune to the toxins but humans certainly aren't."
There was a brief pause. The sun continued to slowly begin its ascension into the sky. "I'll go see him now," Shira said.
Shadow nodded, "Alright Shira. He's going to be fine."
Shira nodded and she walked down below deck.
James sat up in bed. His head still throbbed and he couldn't feel his arm.
"Are you OK?" Shira asked.
James nodded slowly. "Yeah…I'm…How long have you been here? How long was I asleep?" his voice was groggy and slurred, though you could still understand what he was saying.
"About six hours." she said.
"How did you get here?"
"Shadow and Rhino came." Shira replied quietly.
James slid back down and let out a long sigh. "Thank God you're safe," he said looking into her eyes, "I'm so sorry Shira. I…I tried to hold on…"
Shira put her hand on James' forehead, "It's OK James. It's OK."
James held her hand, looked at her and smiled.
A few hours later and James was back on his feet. The antidote had worked wonders. Fortunately, while Troodon venom attacked with vicious ferocity initially, it wore off fairly quickly. However, since it usually kills before it wears off, the venom still does its job unless its interfered with by an antidote.
James slowly walked to the upper deck and looked out into the isle's depths.
"James, you're up!" It was Rhino.
James and Rhino gave each other a friendly slap on the shoulder, "Good to see you Rhino," James said.
"Good to have you back in the land of the living," Rhino replied with a smile.
"It'll take more than a Troodon bite to keep me down," James said. They saw Shadow walk below deck with his book of dinosaur dossiers.
"I guess Troodon will be entering the book…" James said.
Shira shuddered, "They were horrible creatures."
James shook his head, "And the way they attacked. It was almost like they knew that they would terrify us with how they vocalized and attacked. I never want to see those monsters again…"
Rhino looked towards the island. "Well we can mark this isle down on the 'never return' list." he said.
James looked back at the isle a few more seconds, "How many days until we reach The Center?"
Rhino mulled it over, "A few days? We have the measurements taken down. Maybe less than three if we make good time."
"Well I'm ready to go now, you?"
Rhino huffed, "No problems from me."
With that, they began to leave the Isle of Souls. As they began maneuvering the craft they suddenly saw something abnormal on the beach. James got out his spyglass. Hidden from view before, they were now visible. They were the bleached skeletons of several men, with rusting armor still on their bodies. James lowered the spyglass slowly. "Those were Nerva's men…" he said to himself. Shira looked over at James.
"They must've been killed by the Troodon."
James put the spyglass back and walked away.