Chapter: 2

Aladar

Several years have passed since the hatching of the king's new heir, Aladar. At a crack of dawn during one morning at Great Rock, it was still peaceful and quiet. Then a young hatchling was seen coming out of Great Rock and and is standing at the point of Great Rock. The young greenish-blue Iguanodon looks across the horizon, seeing the beauty of the valley as thr rising sun begins to illuminate the kingdom. Aladar smiles with impress. Then he forgotten about the promise his father made to him. Aladar was very excited about today. Aladar ran back to the cave of Great Rock to wake up his father. "Dad! Daad! Come on, Dad, we gotta go. Wake up!" said Aladar as he jumps over some Iguanodon family members, thus accidentally jumped on a few. "Oomph!" said one of the Iguanodons that Aladar accidentally jumped on. "Sorry!" said Aladar. Then he reached his mother and father and Aladar begins to nudge his father to wake him. " Dad? Daad. Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad" said Aladar saying the word ''Dad'' endlessly to wake him. Kron didn't speak, but his mother, Mileena, did speak as she began to stir. But she didn't open her eyes though. "Your son... is awake..." said Mileena to Kron sleepily, who is getting tired of hearing Aladar's endless noise of ''Dad''s. Then Kron did finally speak. "Before sunrise, he's YOUR son" said Kron to Mileena sleepily, but he didn't open his eyes either. "Dad? Daad! Come on, Dad!" said Aladar still trying to get his father to get up. Then he ran behind him and bites onto his father's tail and tugs on it. "Daa- Whoa!" said Aladar but suddenly losts his grip on his tail and fell backwards onto his back. Then he ran back in front and butts Kron to the head. Kron finally opens his eyes a little and sleepily eyes his son. "You promised!" said Aladar. Kron then begins to see that his son is impatient with waiting. Kron knew that Aladar would go on with this for a while. Seeing his son's impatience, he said "Okay, okay. I'm up. I'm up". "Yeah!" cheered Aladar. Kron begins to yawn a roar-like yawn and slowly gets up. Mileena begins to wake up him. Both parents began to follow Aladar up to the top of Great Rock. Then Aladar ran back to his mother and rubs against her. Mileena nudges Aladar ahead and stays behind, showing her loving expression, as Aladar and Kron moves up to the top of Great Rock. The sunrise begins to illuminate the top of Great Rock impressively as it rose higher. As Kron and Aladar reached the top, they can see the entire valley all being illuminated by the rising sun, making it beautiful. There was a moment of quiet between them, until Kron finally spoke. " Look, Aladar. Everything that the light touches is our kingdom" said Kron.

"Wow" said Aladar in awe.

"A king's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun. One day, Aladar, the sun will set on my time here, and will rise with you as the new king" said Kron looking down at his son.

"And this will all be mine?" asked Aladar.

"Everything" said Kron.

"Everything the light touches" said Aladar to himself and looks all around. Then he became curious about the mountain range that surrounds the Nesting Valley. Of what's beyond the mountains. "What about the other side of the mountains?" asked Aladar to his father.

"That's beyond our borders. You must never go there, Aladar" said Kron.

"But I thought a king can do whatever he wants" said Aladar looking up at him.

"Oh, there's more to being king than...getting your way all the time" said Kron and starts back down the rock.

"There's more?" asked Aladar in awe.

"Aladar" chuckled Kron with a smile.

Two hours later, King Kron and his son Aladar were walking through the fields on a glorious day. The gusts of wind were blowing throughout the field, making the grass move into a wave-like pattern. The wind feels good to Kron and Aladar's scales. The crisp and cool brushing of the wind. Kron was busy talking to his son about their kingdom when a family of Carnotaurus, a mother and two hatchlings, appears and approaches the king and his son. Aladar began to feel scared at the first sight of them. Aladar knows he's an Iguanodon, a herbivore, and carnivores feasts on herbivores. And Carnotaurus are carnivores. Aladar quickly went behind his father as the Carnotaur family approaches. "Ah, Serine" greeted Kron.

"My King, it's a pleasure to see you here today" said Serine and the female Carnotaur and her family bows to him.

"How are you?" asked Kron.

"A little tired, but okay" said Serine. Then she notices Aladar hiding behind his father. "And you brought your son? Children, say ''hi'' to Aladar" said Serine.

"Hi!" said the two Carnotaur hatchlings. Aladar didn't respond, but hid behind his father. Kron chuckles and said "Come on now, son, don't be afraid. It's alright". Slowly at a time, Aladar moves out from behind his father and approaches the female adult Carnotaur. "Aw, look at you. You have grown so much" said Serine with a smile. But Aladar was still scared at the carnivore. "Aw, you're scared of me? Nonsense. You don't need to be. I would never harm a member of the king's family" said Serine. Then Aladar became curious after what the carnivore said. "But...why?" asked Aladar.

"Because we carnivores are not allowed to harm or hunt any member of the king's family. There's a law for that" said Serine.

"Carnivores have laws?" asked Aladar.

"Here's the thing: Carnivores are never allowed to hunt and feast on the King and his family" said Serine.

"And in return, they are free to hunt any herbivores in the kingdom" said Kron.

"Besides, we need a ruler to handle the populations, so that's why we carnivores have to protect the King and his family. Including you, Aladar" said Serine.

"So there's no need to be afraid, Aladar" said Kron. Then Aladar begins to feel relieved after hearing everything. "Boy, I'm sure glad I don't have to be eaten" said Aladar. Serine and Kron laughed at Aladar's comment. Then Serine looks and Kron. "Excuse me, your majesty, but have you seen any herbivores around? We can't seem to find any to hunt" asked Serine.

"There's a herd of Edmontosaurus near here. They should still be there" said Kron.

"Thank you, my king. Good day to you and your son" said Serine and her and her children walks off. Then Kron and his son continued walking as Kron begins to finish explaining to his son about the Circle of Life. "Everything you see exists together, in a delicate balance. As king, you need to understand that balance, and respect all the creatures- from the crawling ant to the towering Brachiosaurus" said Kron.

"But, Dad, don't carnivores eat the herbivores?" asked Aladar.

"Yes, Aladar, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass. And the herbivores eat the grass. And when carnivores die, they become the grass as well, which herbivores feast upon. And so we are all connected in the great Circle of Life" said Kron. Then Petrie appears and lands lightly on a rock nearby. "Good morning, sire!" greeted Petrie.

"Good morning, Petrie" said Kron.

"Checking in... with the morning report" said Petrie.

"Fire away" said Kron.

"Well! The buzz from the bees is that the Ceratosaurus are in a bit of a spot..." said Petrie. Apparently, Kron didn't usually care about Petrie's report. All he talks about is the usual behavior of the local dinosaurs. Nothing was ever serious about his reports. "Oh, really?" said Kron being distracted by what Aladar is doing. Uninterested in Petrie's reports, Aladar notices a Compsognathus and leaps at it to tackle it. But Aladar misses it and the Compsognathus hops away. "And the lemurs are going ape over this. Of course, the Camarasaurus are acting like they're above it all..." said Petrie continuing his report while not noticing Kron's lack of enthusiasm. "What are you doing, son?" asked Kron to Aladar.

"Tackling" said Aladar with a disappointed look after he failed to tackle a Compsognathus.

"Let an old pro show you how it's done. By doing it in stealth mode" said Kron with a smirky grin.

"...The tick birds are pecking on the Pachyrhinosaurus. I told the Pachyrhinosaurus to forget it, but they can't..." said Petrie.

"Petrie, would you turn around?" asked Kron.

"Yes, sire" said Petrie and turns around, with his back turned to Kron and Aladar, and immediately continues his report saying "The Ceratosaurus are hard up, but I always say ...".

"Stay low to the ground" whispered Kron to Aladar and Aladar crouches deep into the grass.

"Ceratosaurus never prosper..." said Petrie unaware what Kron and Aladar are doing.

"Okay, stay low to the ground, right... yeah..." whispered Aladar to himself as he crouches lower.

"What is going on?" asked Petrie realizing that something is amiss while his back is still turned to them.

"A tackling lesson" said Kron to Petrie.

"Oh very good. Tackling" said Petrie. Then he suddenly realizes what tackling is and who is going to be tackled. Petrie himself. "Tackling!?". He quickly turned to them and said "Oh no, sire, you can't be serious...". But Kron motions him to turn back around with a smirk on his face. "Oh... this is so humiliating" said Petrie turning back around feeling uneasy.

"Try not to make a sound" whispered Kron to Aladar.

"What are you telling him, Kron?" asked Petrie and looks back uneasily. But when he did, he saw that Kron and Aladar have suddenly seem to have disappeared. As if they vanished in thin air. Petrie uneasily looks around, and they were nowhere in sight. "Kron? Aladar?" said Petrie. Then he was suddenly tackled by Aladar who leaped at him from out of nowhere. Petrie was tackled straight to the ground. Kron was now laughing hard. "Ha ha ha ha ha. That's very good. Ha ha ha..." laughed Kron. Aladar gets up and Petrie was completely stunned on the ground after being tackled. Then a female Albertosaurus named Sarla appears and walks up to Petrie. Sarla was a friend to Kron and his family. Kron first knew Sarla when they were hatchlings and they became good friends. Sarla was supposed to be his advisor when Kron became King, but Tarkus took the position instead. But Sarla has protected the King and his family over the years since. And Sarla was very useful in giving news that were on dangerous situations. "Petrie!" said Sarla.

"Yes, Sarla?" asked Petrie being exasperated.

"Sir. News from the Southern end of the Valley" said Sarla.

"Now, this time-" said Kron to Aladar.

"Sire! Velociraptors! In the Nesting Valley!" said Petrie interrupting and with urgency.

"They're at the Maiasaura nesting grounds!" said Sarla.

"Petrie, take Aladar home. Sarla, come with me" said Kron being serious now.

"Oh, Dad, can't I come?" asked Aladar.

"No, son" said Kron curtly.

"But, dad-" said Aladar.

"Listen to your father, Aladar" said Sarla. Then Kron gallops off with Sarla running after him. Leaving Aladar and Petrie alone. The young Iguanodon sadly sighs and said "I never get to go anywhere".

"Oh, young master, one day you will be king. Then you can chase those slobbering smelly stupid poachers from dawn until dusk" said Petrie.

An hour later, Tarkus was pacing back and forth on an overhanging rock ledge back at Great Rock minding his own business. While pacing, he kicks a bone off the ledge and the bone falls straight down. Then Aladar appears and runs up to Tarkus being very excited. "Hey Uncle Tarkus! Guess what!" said Aladar. The reason he calls Tarkus his uncle because Tarkus was like a brother to Kron since they were kids, in which Kron never had his own brother. Which makes Tarkus as Aladar's uncle. "I despise guessing games" said Tarkus paying no attention to Aladar. Ever since Aladar was born, Tarkus never cared about him. Just because Aladar was now next in line for the throne instead of Tarkus. He doesn't want to call Aladar as his ''nephew''. "I'm going to be king of Great Rock" said Aladar.

"Oh, goody" said Tarkus sarcastically.

"My dad just showed me the whole kingdom" said Aladar looking out over the edge of the rock. Tarkus only rolls his eyes. "And I'm going to rule it all. Heh, heh" said Aladar greedily.

"Yes. Well... forgive me for not leaping for joy. Bad back, you know" said Tarkus and flops down on his belly.

"Hey, Uncle Tarkus? When I'm king, what will that make you?" asked Aladar.

"A lemur's uncle" said Tarkus.

"Heh heh. You're so weird" said Aladar.

"You have NO idea. ...So, your father showed you the whole kingdom, did he?" asked Tarkus.

"Everything" said Aladar.

"He didn't show you what's beyond that mountain range at the northern border...? asked Tarkus.

"Well, no... he said I can't go there" said Aladar with a disappointed look.

"And he's absolutely right. It's far too dangerous. Only the bravest dinosaurs go there" said Tarkus.

"Well, I'm brave! What's out th-" asked Aladar.

"No, I'm sorry, Aladar, I just can't tell you" said Tarkus interrupting him.

"Why not?" asked Aladar.

"Aladar, Aladar, I'm only looking out for the well-being of my favorite nephew" said Tarkus getting up and nudges Aladar lovingly. But Tarkus pretends to be lovingly. Aladar snorts sarcastically and said "Yeah, right, I'm your only nephew".

"All the more reason for me to be protective... A dinosaur graveyard is no place for a young prince...Oops!" said Tarkus then faking the surprisement.

"A dinosaur what? Whoa" said Aladar now being enthusiastic.

"Oh dear, I've said too much... Well, I suppose you'd have found out sooner or later, you being SO clever and all..." said Tarkus faking dismay. Then he uses his tail to pull Aladar near him and said "Oh, just do me one favor- promise me you'll never visit that dreadful place".

"No problem" said Aladar thinking.

"There's a good lad. You run along now and have fun. And remember... it's our little secret" said Tarkus. Aladar then runs off. And Tarkus begins to walk away with an evil smile. His dark plan is now in motion. Everything will now go according to plan.