Prologue

Littlefoot:

Before he left, Bryan, my adoptive father, told me his two year banishment would pass in a blink of an eye. How wrong was he. The first year passed slower than ever, and the second year didn't pick up much speed. I had my friends to play with me but, it's just not the same without dad. During our journey, he would always brighten up my day with his sarcasm and jokes.

Those were the main reasons Cera hated him but he fitted right in with me. Speaking of Cera, she has yet to apologize to me and it seems as though she had forgotten about the insult herself. I too would've forgot about it had the thought of dad not come through my head. Whatever, dad will get her to apologize once he gets back. For now I'll just have to suck it up and tough through.

Winter has already come and gone twice in the mysterious beyond and everyone knows the "cold" only comes once every year. That meant two years have passed and dad was free to come whenever he pleased. Every day I would wait anxiously near the entrance for dad but he never came. Days turn into weeks, weeks into months. Half the year has gone by and still, he was nowhere to be found.

My heart began to worry. Did he die out there during his banishment? And if so, where was his body? No, he couldn't have died. If Bryan did die, then why are the stories of a "weapon wielding being" still being passed around? And why are there bodies of dead predators found with bullet holes in them? All my friends have given up on him returning.

Even my grandparents were starting to lose hope of him returning. Topsy did too and I guess the only plus side to this would be Topsy and Grandpa agreeing on something for the first time. In two years' time, several newcomers have made themselves home in the Great Valley. Among them was an Amargasaurus by the name of Caz who was two years my senior. Funnily enough, I was actually bigger and taller than him. Heck, even his parents were smaller than me.

I'm sure dad will get the surprise of his life when he finds his adoptive son bigger than an adult Amargasaurus(we call them Sailnecks because of the sail on their backs). Despite our size differences, Caz and I were good friends, very close friends. There were times where I would decline the offer to join my gang just to join him on his adventures. He was older than me and his mind was more matured.

Me and my gang would usually play tag or hide and seek but Caz, oh he did not like those types of games. He preferred something a bit more on the adventurous side. While the adults attended meetings, the two of us would sneak out right under their noses to explore the area surrounding the Great Valley. We had a few run ins with predators but thanks to the tactics dad taught me, we usually thwarted their attacks.

Today however, we weren't going out to explore. Story time had been scheduled tonight and the speaker was none other than grandpa himself. Unless I wanted to offend my grandpa, I'd better not skip this session. Some might say I still had plenty of time to explore the land with Caz since it was still morning but our trips into the beyond was always full of unknowns.

On good days we would be in and out within half a day(because we loved to lag back and enjoy the scenery)but on bad days when we encountered predators, we could be out there for an entire day, not returning until early next morning before dawn arrived. Caz had told his parents he was attending the session as well and if we got stuck out there, the adults would almost certainly come looking.

When darkness fell, we all gathered near the glowing cracks. Volcanic hue emitted from the cracks created the perfect atmosphere for night time stories, be they scary or full of wisdom. Grandpa was a little late but he did make it to story night and all of us gathered near the fire as he began his story. It was titled "The Lone Commando". At first I had no idea what it meant but when he delves into the details, I knew exactly what the story was about.

"Two cold years ago…" he began. "Our herd faced its greatest threat yet; Sharptooth himself. Despite outnumbering him, we were unable to defeat him. Five young children of the Great Valley were trapped on top of a ledge, pinned down by Sharptooth and we the adults were struggling just to keep ourselves alive."

"My mother told me about Sharptooth before." a young Apatosaurus by the name of Patricia asked. She was roughly two years my junior if I'm not mistaken. "He was a big meanie."

"More than that!" Caz chimed in. "My father told me he did not care who he killed, even if the ones he killed were his own family members."

"Yes." Grandpa nodded. "We were on the verge of total annihilation when suddenly, and unexpectedly, a big boom appeared on Sharptooth's chest. All of us including him were caught off guard and we backed away while Sharptooth spun towards his left and snarled. Another boom, this time near his neck. This big boom destroyed his windpipe and almost everything inside his neck. He coughed and fell into the water, dead from his injuries."

"Did you ever get to see the lone commando?" Caz curiously questioned.

"As a matter of fact, I did."

"How did he look like?"

"He wasn't big but he did not fight like we do. He made his own weapons and fought at distance. Unlike us, he was more dangerous at range."

"What happened to him though?" Bronson, a male Triceratops sitting beside Cera asked. "Because I don't see him anywhere."

"Later we found out he had been accompanying and protecting those five children during their journey to the Great Valley." Grandpa explained. "Some of the children told us he had given one of them a beating. He confessed and we had no choice but to banish him. He hasn't returned since."

Caz glared at me. He knew I had an adoptive father who somewhat fitted the description of the "Lone Commando" and he was curious whether I knew about him. I lied and told him I didn't since I didn't want dad's identity to be leaked out so quickly. Then, Grandma arrived at the scene. By now it was getting late and the young ones ought to be sleeping, not up listening to stories or as she put it, listening to nonsense.

It was already late night yet I was still on the move. Yes, I really should be stopping but I couldn't. I had promised Littlefoot that I would return in two years and right now, half a year has gone. Ahead of me, I could see the secondary entrance to the Great Valley and I figured I would camp out in the woods for the night before moving on the next day.

"Ow…!" I groaned. "God! I forgot that!"

Bloody bollox, that wound I had suffered still stung. What wound am I talking about? On my back was a slash mark, exactly four inches long. A few days ago I had been ambushed by a pack of Deinonychuses and I barely made it out alive. They caught me off guard at close range and I was forced to fight them off using only my bare hands. It was tough, but I managed it.

Making a small campfire, and using my OKC-3S bayonet to clear some of the foliage, I made myself an emergency campsite. One final night, might as well make it comfy.