Sorry for the delay, and I also apologize for the short chapter. This is more of a filler to show you all I haven't forgotten and when my exams are over I'll be sure to go back to business. Do enjoy.
As the night wore on the two children found themselves unable to sleep. Chomper paced back and forth as Ruby watched him with concern. "Chomper you've been doing that for a while now, maybe you should stop and rest" she said.
"I can't, not after what we just saw" Chomper said still pacing as he kept his gaze to the ground rerunning the even in his mind. After another few seconds the sharptooth finally came to a halt and turned to Ruby. "We have to tell somebody" he told her with slight fear in his voice. Ruby thought about it but then shook her head.
"To tell someone we'd have to wake them up, and waking someone up makes them angry. I don't think it would be good to tell this to an angry adult" she told him. Chomper sighed and sat down.
"Fine, I guess we'll tell-"he began to say but was cut off by another voice.
"No one, that's who you'll tell" a voice recognizable as Sierra said as the menacing brown flyer himself landed at the cave's entrance, followed by Rinkus and Pterano. This only made the situation worse for Chomper and Ruby who where now trembling with fear as the three flyers advanced towards them.
"Now children, please hear me out" Pterano said with not one hint of threat in his tone, he and Rinkus tried to seem as harmless as possible while Sierra was doing just the opposite. Chomper stepped forwards and growled at the three larger dinosaurs.
"You better leave us alone or I'll-"
"Or you'll what?" Sierra cut the small sharptooth off while glaring daggers at him causing Chomper to back away. Sierra was rewarded for this act by a swift hit in the face via Pterano's hand. "What the h-"
"You're only making it worse Sierra!" Pterano scolded him before looking back at the two young ones with a warm smile. "I know what you say may be a bit of a shock I can explain, please we mean you no harm" he said kindly. After a few seconds of hesitation both Chomper and Ruby reluctantly stepped forwards.
"I, I though flyers ate green food? Well except for sharptooth flyers, they eat sharptooth food" Ruby said to Pterano.
Pterano looked to Rinkus and Sierra then back at Ruby. "Well child you see the truth is, all flyers are capable of consuming meat. For female flyers this is a choice but in order for us male flyers to remain healthy and at top level we must eat some form of flesh every now and then" he explained.
"But there's loads of male flyers here that eat leaves all the time" Chomper said in a slightly confused tone.
"And don't ya see the difference?" Sierra spoke up and shook his head.
"Yes look at us next to any Valley flyer of our kind, none of them have claws like this," he displayed his sharp claws as did Sierra "Or teeth like these" he opened his beak a little and pointed at them while Sierra just pointed at the exposed teeth. Ruby and Chomper then looked from the two flyers to Pterano who was observing his own claws.
"These are all signs of not just a male flyer that's fully healthy but is operating to the best of his abilities. We could survive without meat but with bodies that where half as strong. This is no problem in the safety of the Valley but out in the Mysterious Beyond you need to be at your best or face death" Pterano said with a voice that hid some sort of emotion in it but it was hard to tell.
Ruby and Chomper stood there for a few minutes as the cave was silent, letting what they had just been told sink into the heads. They gave each other a look as if communicating telepathically until Pterano broke the silence.
"Children please we beg of you, keep this a secret. We simply can't afford for something like this to be known, at least not yet" he pleaded as he got to eye level with them. After a few seconds both Chomper and Ruby slowly nodded.
"It's okay Mr. Petrie's Uncle, your secret's safe with us because we'll keep it safe from everyone else" Ruby said with a small smile. Pterano and Rinkus smiled at what Ruby said.
"Thank you dear child, now get some rest, it's late" Pterano said before turning and leaving out the exit followed by Sierra, Rinkus nodded at the young one before taking off as well.
The three flyers landed at the cave not to long after and made straight for their beds, with full stomachs and slightly shaken from the thought of their secret getting out they had no time for goodnights or conversation and where all soon asleep. By no means however, was this a peaceful sleep for all of the flyers.
'Get the stone son, it's right here in the Valley. Get the power you were destined to have!' Shadow's voice echoed through Pterano's head.
'No, that's not me anymore! Leave me alone!' Pterano retaliated.
'You were born for like this, you can't change who you are Pterano. Sooner or later you'll give in and I'll be right here' with a sinister chuckled Shadow's voice faded away to leave Pterano's mind in peace, for now.