Chapter 2

For me, making friends with my peers was a bit difficult. Everyone else didn't seem to give a damn about the world we live in. Every day they just wake up, say their prayers, get taught a few things, and they were off playing. I on the other hand went out into the woods to hunt very often and rarely spent time in the settlement center where most of the kids hung out. When I did however, they usually rejected me because I lacked their childish attitude.

Well I did. I couldn't quite understand how they found their own jokes funny or found amusement in throwing rocks at some of the traders. Also there were times when they would sit down and talk about how their moms did this and their dads did that during the attacks. Heh, I helped out in the defense unlike these little brats who only knew how to play. If something happened, they'd probably be the first ones to perish, given how they had no idea how to survive in the wild.

Most of the time I spent reading my copy of the Epic of Gilgamesh or some other historical literature. My favorite was and still is "The Song Of Roland", and I have two copies of the same book, one in English and the other in French.

Growth is something we'd all have to experience and with growth came aging. Not even Ramirez was spared from aging and within a matter of years, the young childish face was replaced with one which was more matured looking. Though he was only eight by this point, his height, posture, and facial features made him resemble that of a tween. Reading was something he still did, though he mostly burnt off time by exploring the nearby woods. The flintlock rifle he had protected him from all those who dared to attack and he had a shotgun style double barreled pistol as a backup firearm.

This new setup he found perfect for trudging through the foliage, so perfect that he wore it even when out hunting. Today he was once again on the prowl and this time, something much meatier came into his sights. It was a fully grown Iguanodon. Just one of these could keep the family sustained for more than a month with enough spare meat to gain a total income of more than five tins of silver mint. Ramirez knew where he had to aim and he pulls the hammer back. Slowly the front sight placed squarely on the creature's neck.

He aligns it with the rear sight and pulled the rear trigger to activate the hair trigger. All it took was a slight touch and the gun would fire. Yup, the gun could literally be "touched off".

TSSH

POOMB

A large cloud of smoke filled the air, blocking the view momentarily. When it cleared, Ramirez was already halfway through his reload and he could see the dead Iguanodon right in front of him. Just like on his first hunt, he mounts the bayonet on his rifle before approaching the carcass. When he neared the dead beast, he smiled and shook his head in disbelief. Right next to the Iguanodon was a young Utahdon. She was still alive but was on the ground with her eyes closed, probably fearing for her life.

"You better work on your hiding." The boy quips. "I can see you!"

"Oh… Hey." She gives a guilty grin. "I-I'm Florence by the way."

"McClemont, Ramirez McClemont. Just call me Ramirez."

"Nice to meet you."

"Same to you." He pulls his hunting knife out and sighs. "And they say your kind were uncivilized."

"Who? Other humans?"

"Yeah."

"My mom said humans were ruthless killing machines."

"Ya don't say?"

"But you seem like a nice guy."

"And you seem like a nice girl."

Ah yes, that first encounter I had with young Florence. She honestly surprised me by not jumping up and ripping my carotid arteries out with her teeth. We chatted quite happily, sharing our stories from home and cracking the occasional joke while I skinned the meat and placed them inside the two preserving bags I took. The more we talked, the more I realized how similar our lives really were.

We lived in communities; we had leaders of our own; and we hunted for food in the woods. Of course, we humans differed slightly because we also grew crops and vegetables and we have domesticated animals like cows and chickens. Both of us also agreed that the stories about the other species being killers were completely false and merely fabricated to indoctrinate the next generation and continue the tradition of segregation and racism.

Even after I finished skinning the carcass, I stayed around and chatted with Florence for a bit to learn a little more about why her species constantly attacked our settlements. Unfortunately for me, her fellow brethren decided to make an appearance and none of them were as friendly as she was.

Rustling in the foliage interrupted Ramirez and Florence's conversation. The female Utahdon suggested that her friend run off before he was discovered and he agreed. Ramirez placed the preserving bags in his woven hunting backpack and grabbed his rifle, stealthily crouch running through the forest in an attempt to make it back home undetected. Unfortunately for him, the leader of the pack discovered him before he even made the five hundred yard mark.

Florence could see her pack members charging towards her human friend and shouted for them to stop, reasoning that he was the one who gave them the carcass they now had in their possession. Unfortunately for her, none of them listened and now she would get a first glimpse of what her parents have been telling her about. Cornered and with running no longer an option, Ramirez raises his rifle and shoots the first Utahdon, killing him with a shot to the neck.

The second attempts to get close but Ramirez had the advantage in reach. His flintlock rifle was longer than the Theropod's hands and since the bayonet was mounted on the barrel, he easily jams it right into his foe long before he got within striking distance. Now the battle was getting real close, way too close for comfort. It was time to put his backup to good use. Ramirez, the crack shot responsible for shooting three Utahdons who were running at full speed during the attack on his settlement, pulls his double barreled shotgun pistol, blasting the Utahdon on his right with a full dose of buckshot.

Another attacker appeared on his left but it too was dispatched with a dose of buckshot. By now all of Ramirez's guns were empty and he was down to fighting with blades. His father once said that if a human was ever caught in a close quartered melee with dinosaurs, he or she was destined to lose. Samuel however, failed to account for the fact that his son was not the type to back down. Instead of accepting his fate, the boy pulls his Bowie knife from its sheath which was attached to his belt and thrusts it right into the neck of the Utahdon closest to him.

He follows up the attack by slashing his second target in the carotid artery, causing blood to spray onto his hand, clothes, and face. A third jumps on him from behind but he swiftly stabs it right in the skull. From where she was, Florence could only watch on silently as her human friend took down his attackers one at a time. It didn't matter that he received a scar on his right cheek or a massive slash wound running the length of his right arm, he just kept on killing and did so until no one else came to attack him.

"Anyone else want to challenge me?!" He shouts. "No? Good! Let's keep it that way!"

Despite the overwhelming odds stacked against him, Ramirez somehow survived the onslaught and made it home with dinner still fresh. His parents and just about everyone in the community were shocked when they saw his face and clothes covered in blood. The children of the settlement were especially surprised when they saw their reject return in such a state. All of them knew it wasn't his blood but the blood of those he slayed. He was just like one of those mythical slayers of great beasts from old folktales; clean and well-dressed during his departure, ragged and rugged looking during his return.

While he had absolutely no idea at the time, the total body count was ten Utahdons.

"Food is in the bag." He said calmly. "Now if you would excuse me, I need a good bath."

So I've seen the good side and the bad side of the Utahdons. And thanks to my short conversation with Florence, I now understood why we fought. It wasn't because one was evil and one was not, it was because of segregation caused by old farts who refused to change. Some of the dinosaurs say we build homes and destroy their lands but I say they should make some room for us. We are just like you, rulers of the land.

They have the brawns, we have the brains; they capture the territories, we set up a functioning government to keep things in check. Our species should be inseparable, given how good of a pair we really are. Yet thanks to a bunch of old fools from the middle ages, segregation, racism, and bigotry have all but destroyed our relationship. Our children are being poisoned by men of the past and they in turn poison their next generation.

I was lucky to have met Florence and she was lucky to have met me. Both of us were lucky. Why? Because we met each other before we were poisoned and this allowed us to open our eyes. Sure, I was attacked by the so called "beasts" but that was because they have been poisoned by their forefathers and were seeking revenge. And once you're poisoned, there is no reason left in you. In that instance I had no choice but to kill, not out of hatred but in defense of my own life.

You tell me unity between our species is impossible but I say "Les mot impossible n'est pas Français". Yes, my family is of English descent but for generations I have lived in France, do you have a problem? No, of course not! I am a human just like you. So why do you have a problem with dinosaurs and humans uniting? Is it simply because we are of a different species? If so, my friend please, do yourself a favor and throw the old bigoted thinking into the waste bin.

I have proven already that it is possible for us to push through our old beliefs and open up our minds. And I'm not the only one who can safely say I have done it. That young Utahdon Florence.

She can too…

It was the dead of night, yet Ramirez was unable to sleep. He was still thinking about what happened during the day, more specifically how he befriended a young Utahdon without being killed. The boy still had trouble wrapping his head around the fact that all those years his parents had actually been lying to him. When he was younger, his parents have always taught him never to lie and stories they told about Pinocchio growing a long nose for lying served to reinforce their teachings.

Yet all these times they were talking about how bad it is, they still did it; spreading the word about how dinosaurs were mindless killing machines and uncivilized savages. Why? He wondered. Why did they continue to spread all those false stories cooked up by settlers of a time long gone? As he sat in the backyard, he looks up into the stars. His mother and father have told him that they were his ancestors looking down upon him.

Were they lying about this as well?

"Psst! Hey!" A voice came from the bush on his right. "Ramirez!"

"What are you doing here?" He hisses. "If they catch you, you're dead!"

"I just came to say I'm sorry for what happened earlier. I didn't know-"

"Then again we're the only ones who seem to understand that what everyone's been saying is nonsense."

"True."

Footsteps could be heard coming from inside the house, indicating that someone was awake and on the move. And judging by the sound, someone was approaching them. Florence exchanged hasty goodbyes with her human friend and dove back into the bush, silently sneaking out of the settlement without being detected.

She was lucky, very very lucky.

Aurinda heard the chatter coming from the back porch and had armed herself with a double barreled shotgun before coming out to investigate. Naturally she was a little confused when she saw her son sitting all by himself.

"Who was it that you were talking to?" She asks.

"No one." He chuckled nervously. "I was uhm, talking to… Myself."

"Don't lie to me, I heard another voice."

"Fine… I couldn't sleep, so I came out here. Then this weird looking midget came out of the brush and we chatted for a bit."

"Midget? By golly! You saw the elusive Elf?!"

"Yeah, why?"

"You are one lucky child, Ramirez. Only a few people have seen it so far."

"Ah."

"Come on in now, you gotta get some sleep at least."

"Okay mama."

This was the second time she surprised me. First with her friendliness and now by apologizing on behalf of her pack for nearly killing me. Not like it was her fault to begin with but what can I say? As long as it makes her feel better, I'm fine with it. Frankly speaking, I am a little ashamed of the adults in our settlement. Yes, going out to mingle with Utahdons might not be a good idea right now but if we all work together and try a hand at uniting, imagine what might become of us.

We could be a global superpower, one which could tame the world and make it our oyster. If only the first encounter didn't shape the way we viewed this rare breed of dinosaur which was truly on par with us.

If only…