Chapter 2: Winged Fury

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Josiah's POV-

The birds whistled in the trees and insects sung a sweet song. Morning had arrived on Isla Sorna and I was ready to start it.

I first gathered up my new camera equipment and put them in the jeep. I then drove down to the river that lined the village's border. I had found a small rubber raft in one of the storage sheds near the gas station and decided to see if it could float.

The river was only a few yards across and didn't seem to be very deep. On the other side were several jungle paths that led to nowhere but the game trials that the carnivores used.

I inflated the raft and placed it into the water with a loud splash. I wasn't too worried about some animal hearing the noise. The boundaries of the worker village had been marked by Tholestes yesterday so there was nothing to get jittery about.

I climbed into the raft, took out the oars and fitted them into the oarlocks, then pushed off onto the river. The raft drifted silently downriver so there was no need for me to paddle or use the small motor that I also had found in the storage shed. What I wanted to do today was go down to the fields and document Tholeste's pack doing a morning hunt. Plus, Kara wanted to speak with me again. Tholestes had told me that the current would carry me north toward the hunting fields if I travelled along the river. I trusted his word and decided to do just that. But I wasn't walking all the way there on foot.

Tholestes POV-

"What do you mean he shouldn't take the river?" I barked at Terias. I was pacing back and forth in front of my brother when I had gotten word from one of the scouts that Josiah had left the worker village.

My pack had gathered near the fringes of the hunting grounds near a bowl-shaped valley that was right next to the river. The river that Josiah was going to arrive in.

"As I've told you," Terias explained. "The river that leads here to our hunting ground is not the safest way to travel by. The banks are very narrow. It's impossible to walk along and the trees overhead sometimes are occupied by flyers."

"What about them? Those types of flyers are fish eaters."

Terias snorted. "They are, but they are extremely territorial toward any other animal that trespasses in their river. They've claimed it as they're fishing river that they've marked out."

I remembered what my grandfather said about most flyers. When a flyer flock marked out a territory and claimed it, stay out of it.

"So if Josiah is on the river...or walking along side of it..."

"He's not," Terias said. "At least, I hope he's not. You know how humans are about these sort of things, right?"

He was right. Humans who couldn't read nature would be beaten by nature.

And Josiah hadn't been on the island long enough to know how to read any of the island's warnings.

"Still..."

"oh, don't worry, big brother." Terias said. "Odds are Josiah will arrive unhurt by the time we're done our hunt. Now come on. I'm hungry."

I sighed and rejoined the hunting party. I only hoped that Josiah was alright.

Josiah's POV-

I was definitely not alright at the moment. My little raft and I were under attack by bluish-furred Pteranodons. The animals had swooped in on me from the tall trees above my raft and had at first only cawed and screeched at me to make me go away. But now they were on force today and were pecking and clawing at me with their beaks and clawed talons. Thankfully, the raft was still moving downstream.

Cahhhrrr!

Looking up, I saw a larger Pteranodon swooping in toward me. It looked like a small fighter plane coming in for an attack. And it's target was me!

"Oh, it's just a bird." I said out-load to myself dismissively. "... A large bird, I grant you... A large, angry bird- AHH!"

I ducked down in the raft just as the flyer flew over my head. This one must have been the leader of the flock here because it was coming around for another attack. The other flyers were backing off and not attacking.

I picked up one of the oars and brandished it like a weapon. With my rifle, I could kill it easily. But that would be a waste of bullets. And I didn't want to kill the animal recklessly. I only wanted to keep it at bay until I got off the river. The Pteranodon screamed and snapped; I ducked my head away from the beak and struck back, as the giant wings flapped around my head. The clawed feet scratched frantically at my arms and chest. "Yaaaah!" I yelled, falling on my back in the raft as the animal's beak clasped my arm. There were no teeth inside it's beak, but the ridges felt sharp against my skin.

"Let go of me, you son of a bitch!" I yelled as the flyer flapped and clawed at my body. Using my free hand, I took the paddle, and started hitting the animal upside it's pointed head. I think the multiple blows I was giving it must had worked because the next second it let go and flapped away, screeching in fright. The other Pteranodon followed suit and were soon flying back toward the trees over the river. looking upward, I squinted to see what had happened. At first I didn't know why they had bolted like that. And at that moment I didn't care. I turned around in the raft and saw that the river was thinner than ever, in some places only nine feet wide, and the current flowed very fast. I sat back in the raft and listened to the ripple of the water through the warm rubber.

Then I heard sudden shrieks from the trees above, as the birds in them scattered in alarm, shaking the branches. And then a large crocodile-like head burst from the trees from the right, the jaws snapping at me and the raft.

Rhhhhhrrrr-ghrrrr!

"SHIT!" I screamed and hurriedly paddled away to the other side of the river, but it was only eight or nine feet wide. The Spinosaurus was the last thing I expected to run into here on the island. I didn't even know that this was it's territory. The creature's dark eyes glimmered with hunger and anticipation at almost getting me. It let out another loud, relatively high-pitched bellow and withdrew it's head. Through the trees that lined the riverbank, I saw the immense dark form of the dinosaur, moving east, looking for an opening in the trees that lined the bank. I felt the thunderous footfalls of the animal even in the raft as it moved.

"Nice try, you scaly bastard," I breathed.

The trees were too thick along the banks of the river. That was good.

As I continued floating downriver, I sat back in the raft, seriously shaken. If the Spinosaurus had broken through those trees, there would have been nothing I could have done to save myself. Even my rifle would have been useless against it. Man-alive! It was just one narrow disaster after another on this island.

The footfalls of the animal were finally gone. The river widened a little bit more, but I stayed on the other side of it just in case the dinosaur tried something.

Tholestes POV-

The hunt went well. My pack had brought down an iguanodon and were feasting on it. Unlike most raptors, my pack didn't snarl or snap at each other to get the best pieces of meat. Phaganax ate his fill first and so did Kara. The omegas, me and my brother, got our share. Every raptor was happy. If there was enough meat left on the carcass, then a pack member would bring some back for the chicks and younger raptors at the nest.

The morning was growing hot. The flies that buzzed around the carcass swarmed around our heads as we ate. To avoid this the pack took what meat they could carry and went to sit under the shades of the trees. We knew that scavengers like Compies would soon smell the carcass, but we didn't bother with it. The valley my pack were in was pretty much isolated.

Only we knew the game trails in and out of here. The only other way to get into the valley was across the river. But that territory belonged to the sail-back. Only a dead idiot would be foolish to cross it's domain to get to here.

Josiah's POV-

I had finally made it. The river had carried me to destination. I climbed out, slipping on the muddy bank, and hauled the raft out of the water. Then I tied the rope to a tree and set off, through a path that was surrounded by thick forest of palm trees.

I had to consider the location of the hunting ground the raptors had picked to do their hunting. It was secluded, hidden from other predators by game trails, and the scent of Tholestes and his pack kept most of the smaller predators away.

The path I was taking was narrow but I was able to carry my camera equipment none the less. But I kept my rifle handy by my side. Marked or not, the jungle here on Sorna were not to be underestimated. The sun came out as I walked, making the morning more cheerful.

A few minutes later, the valley came into few. I felt relief flood me as I saw Tholestes and his pack, which were feasting on a dinosaur. The valley wasn't a lush green place. Just a flat, open field surrounded by tall trees and ankle deep grass. Even from a distance I could smell the sour-sweet odour of the dead animal. The droning of flies were coming from the carcass. I guess I missed the hunt. So much for a chance to document the raptors hunting down a dinosaur.

I spotted the pack under the shade of the trees across from the carcass. They looked full and satisfied. And Tholestes did say that once a raptor's stomach is full, they are less dangerous.

I saw Tholestes and Terias near a tree and waved to them to let them know I was here. They spotted me, got up, and Tholestes walked over to me

Tholestes POV-

I walked over to Josiah and saw him place that translator thing in his ears again so that he could understand me.

"You are late, Josiah," I said with a snort. "We've already finished our hunt."

"I can see that," He said as he looked back at the carcass.

"Well, Alpha Kara is waiting to speak with you. Let's not keep her waiting."

I lead him over to were the pack was under the trees and Alpha Kara and Phaganax were resting of their meal. When Phaganax saw us approaching, he got up off his hunches, growled irritably at Josiah, and walked away to sit somewhere else under the shade. Kara got up and Josiah got down on his knees. He remembered that part of showing respect and bowing to an alpha. That was good to know.

"Welcome, human-uh, I mean Josiah," Kara greeted with gentle chirp. "I see you've remembered how to greet me. That's good. Tholestes has taught you well."

Josiah looked up at her and nodded his head. "Thank, Alpha Kara,"

Kara motioned her head for him to get up. He did.

"You wished to discuss more about your origins of Jurassic Park, am I right?" He said while taking off his pack and placing them on the ground.

Kara simply nodded. "Yes. I wish to hear more about this island you call Nublar and this Jurassic Park."

She led him over to the shadiness of the trees and both sat down, facing each other. The rest of the pack had formed a small circle around them. They also wanted to hear more about Jurassic Park. The only one who didn't join was Phaganax.

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