Ch.2: Ambush!
"Petrie! Wait up!" called an exasperated voice from behind.
Turning around Petrie could see Guido flying desperately to catch up with him. The jade green, feathered dinosuar was nearly out of breath by the time he was allowed to hover in midair.
"What you doing here?" asked Petrie " me though you were asleep,"
"Yeah, about that" said Guido " I'm pretty much on guard duty while you sleep in case you have any more nightmares about these Shadow Flyer things. Your mom looked really concerned so how could I say no? Anyway, what are you doing out here?"
"Me do what Littlefoot say" said Petrie " me going to find out why me keep having sleep stories about Shadow Flyers,"
"Are you crazy?" sqawked Guido "you can't go out there all alone by yourself!"
"That mean you come with me?" asked Petrie.
At that question Guido paused; Petrie would need help if he was really intending on going through with this crazy idea. But after hearing about the Shadow Flyers just last night was really wanting to tag along?
Finally letting out a reluctant sigh Guido said "Hey, that's what friends are for right?"
"Right," said Petrie. And with that settled the two friends headed onward, towards the Mysterious Beyond.
At night the Mysterious Beyond looked even more mysterious, and way more scary. There was no telling what danger could be lurking behind every shadow that one of the many rocks in the bare landscape cast.
Guido had only seen this mysterious place once after sleep flying and had considered Petrie a hero ever since the tiny tyerodactal had saved his life from the jaws of a vicous sharptooth.
For tonight no sharptooth seemed to be in sight for which Guido was greatful. But even as he and Petrie flew on he knew that the deeper they went into the Mysterious Beyond the more deeper the danger.
"Maybe we should rest" said Guido seeing Petrie yawn " it's getting late,"
Petrie silently nodded his head in agreement and glided over to a small overhanging rock that provided the entrance to a small cave. In a few minutes after landing Petrie fell full asleep.
Guido also tried to catch a few z's, but he was more worried about Petrie right now, and that's what kept him awake. These Shadow Flyers, whatever they are, were dangerous and Petrie needed someone by his side just in case his dreams were real. Guido was determined not to let his friend behind.
Unknown by both Petrie and Guido, they were being watched from a cliff just a few meters away. A dark shilloute of another flyer stood there staring intently at the two new arrivals in the Mysterious Beyond. Especailly at Petrie.
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Later that same night both friends were sleeping peacefully in the dark shadows of the cave while outside more shadows clouded up againist the sky. These were the Shadow Flyers.
A tiny pebble slid down one of slopes when these dark figures rested just outside the cave. The sound was enough to make Guido awaken from his slumber. Curious he stepped outside and found a bunch of narrowed red eyes glaring at him.
"PETRIE!" Guido yelled.
Hearing his friend's cry Petrie jolted out of slumber and went to see what was going on. His mouth opened in shock at the sight that lay before him. About one dozen of pitch black shiloutes with gleaming red eyes stared hungrily from the darkness.
There was no dout in Petrie's mind now that the stories of the Shadow Flyers were true. The leader of the pack opened his wings and cawed into the air signaling to attack.
Petrie and Guido pumped their wings and flew as fast as they could away from the Shadow Flyers. In the glittering moonlight you could just make out the Shadow Flyers shining white teeth prepared to rip their victims to shreds.
"Petrie" said Guido " next time you decide to look for hungry, flesh-eating flyers don't!"
"Hang on Guido" said Petrie "we be okay somehow,"
The thing was were could they hide? The Shadow Flyers obivously knew the terriotory so well since they lived here practically all of their lives. And the Mysterious Beyond had nothing more to offer than some gaint rocks for shelter.
"We have to lure Shadow Flyers into rocks," said Petrie.
"Are you crazy?!" said Guido as a Shadow Flyer took a snap at his tail and missed " on second thought don't answer that,"
With no better solution Petrie and Guido flew into one of the most treachous parts of the Mysterious Beyond. Treacherous as far as flying was concerned. A really skilled flyer would have difficultly like anyone else in avioding the pointy rocks sprouting out from the ground.
Luckily Petrie and Guido were small and easily avioded many of the obstacles standing in their way. The Shadow Flyers seemed to have excellent night vision for they were doing a fine job too. But it was their extra long wingspan that kept getting in the way.
Cries could be heard as the tips of the rocks cut through the Shadow Flyers wings one after another and soon there were no more behind them. Flying out of the rocky spires and shouting joys of relief Petrie and Guido celebrated their terrifying escape.
"Yeah we did it!" shouted Petrie.
"Not quite," came a voice from above.
Petrie and Guido looked up to see the largest flyer any of them had ever seen. His body blended in perfectly with the night and his eyes were glowing red with pleasure at Guido and Petrie.
Floating down the Shadow Flyer blocked off Guido and Petrie's escape route with his massive wings, the moonlight revealing his saber-like teeth.
"You both will come with me" said the Shadow Flyer " and I sugguest you don't try to escape or else,"
Petrie and Guido gulped and knew that they both had no other choice than to follow the Shadow Flyer. Soon the other Shadow Flyers that had thier wings injured but not torn joined their leader and guarded Guido and Petrie from behind.
Fresh red stains tainted their beaks and Petrie and Guido gulped as they saw the horror scene down below. Five Shadow Flyers out of the eleven that had obviously followed Petrie and Guido through the needle-like rocks had their wings torn before they fell.
Now more than just their wings were torn. Pools of blood splayed out along the dusty ground from the carcasses that had once been part of the shadow flyers ranks. The sight of the pure murder made Petrie and Guido want to hurl.
Nothing could be more brutal than to be eaten alive like that. Even Sharptooths had better habits than that. None of the less the journey went on with less and less hope for escape. Just as the Bright Circle began to rise, Petrie and Guido realized it might be the last time they'll ever see it.
