Warning: Blood and gore
Willam I
"The beast put up a good chase," Joseph chuckled as he ladled out the soup.
Willam cupped his seashell eagerly as the rich brown liquid cascaded into his bowl like a waterfall. Chunks of greasy Phiomia, shiny purple eggplant, and creamy golden potatoes bobbed around like icebergs. The thin seashell did little to suppress the heat, and the bowl was scalding to the touch. Willam winced as he set it on the floor, although he could not help but salivate from the smell. Thin wisps of steam drifted up to his face, expelling a heavenly aroma. Joseph was regaling the group with a tale of his hunt, but Willam found it hard to concentrate when such a delicious meal was within reach.
"It was in the woods earlier today when I set out to fell trees for the fire. A blow from my axe startled the boar and before I knew it, the thing came flying at me from nowhere. Bowled me right over and darted away, squealing all the while. Hawk and Winter were just as startled as myself, and the beast was already halfway to the beach by the time we gave chase. I managed to stick it with a good arrow in the flank, slowing it down enough for Winter to overtake it." Joseph chuckled to himself as he poured Otto a generous helping. "The largest Phiomia I've ever seen. Even after Hawk and Winter had their share, it took us the better part of the afternoon to drag it home." Joseph ladled a helping for himself and blew on the shell to cool the meal.
"You have my gratitude," Willam replied with a smile. "We'll dine like kings tonight."
Otto favoured him with a grin while Joseph let out a hearty bellow. The large man took ahold of his plate and raised it high. "A toast," he cried, "To Willam and his first week on the island!" The others raised their own seashells and brought them together with a cheer.
A scalding droplet of broth splashed against Willam's arm and he howled in pain. Joseph burst out laughing, followed by Otto a moment later. Willam cursed, although he could not help but join in the laughter. The mood was especially jovial tonight, for they were celebrating Willam's first week on the island. The humans had a mouthwatering stew and even the beasts ate well tonight. Sarah was munching on a giant mound of grass, gathered specifically for this occasion. Hawk and Winter shared the Phiomia remains. It seemed to him like years ago when he had first met this peculiar band when in reality it had only been three days.
He had been pegging their positions from the very start and eventually figured out the hierarchy to this group. Otto was clearly the leader. Everyone in the camp looked up to him with respect and never questioned his decisions. He was a tall man with brownish-blonde hair and stormy grey eyes. Though not nearly as tall as Joseph. The dark-skinned man was taller than Weiss by half a head and had limbs the size of small trees. He was well muscled and towered over Willam by nearly two heads; a veritable giant among common men. Despite his intimidating size, Joseph was a friendly man who had looked after Willam from the very start. But for all his immense strength, Joseph still looked to Otto as the leader.
Then there were the beasts. Willam soon found that they were truly tame, completely different from the savage monsters he had seen on the beach. The Direwolf and Triceratops were both Otto's. He had befriended them during his stay on the island and commanded them with mutual respect. Hawk, on the other hand, was Joseph's. From the way Willam understood it, she had only stayed with the group for protection and food at first but now seemed to be just as tame as the rest. Joseph had befriended the Dilophosaurus by feeding her scraps from his own plate, and she now followed him everywhere. The beasts didn't seem to mind Willam's presence, although none of them listened to him either. Willam supposed he would just have to wait for his egg to hatch if he wanted a loyal companion.
"Well," Otto grinned when the last chuckles had died off. "Shall we dig in, or what? I'm famished." Willam nodded his head in agreement and together the three friends set to the meal.
The meat was tender and succulent; the eggplants sweet and savoury; the potatoes warm and creamy. Willam wolfed down mouthfuls of the heavenly stew, savouring each bite like he would never get the chance to eat again.
So life on this island isn't all that bad, Willam reflected as he ate. Indeed, he had managed to gain some weight over the course of the past few days. It was no longer possible to count every bone in his ribcage, and a healthy complexion had returned to his skin. Willam could work longer without needing a break, and his arms no longer looked prone to snap at any moment. Also, the food here was incredible. They dined on mouthwatering meals every day; sweet berries from the fields, tender fruits from the trees, freshly hunted meat or savoury vegetables from the hidden lake. With such a large party, they had access to all sorts of food. None of the local wildlife dared to stand up to their group.
Or so they thought. There was something else out there, some hidden presence that that lurked beyond the trees. For the past few days, Willam had felt as if something were watching him, something cold and vicious that loved him not. The giant scorpion was living proof of its existence, or rather the opposite, he supposed. It had not perished of natural causes, that much was clear. Willam shuddered as he recalled the pool of fresh green blood that seeped from the broken husk. They had found long slashes etched all over the corpse and bloody tracks leading away from the site. Winter had seemed reluctant to follow the trail, even when they had returned the next day.
Everyone had been rather on-edge after the discovery, and a watch had been posted every night since then. Otto and Joseph, bless their souls, had split the sentry duty between themselves on the first night so that Willam could get a bit of sleep. He was grateful for that, and everything else they had done for him thereafter.
Food, clothes, and shelter had all been provided without a second thought or any expectation of repayment. As soon as the sun had risen on that first day, Otto and Joseph had set to work stitching an outfit for Willam. He had joined in too, after the other men had taught him the basics of working with hide. They had hauled a large and hairy animal skin off the tanning rack. It had come from a Phiomia, Otto explained to him. The hide was soft yet durable and perfect for clothing. The others had their outfits made from the same material, Willam was told.
The process was simple; Otto would cut the hide into smaller portions for breeches, shoes and a vest using a bone dagger that he always wore around his waist. Small holes would then be gouged along the sides, only large enough for tightly twined lengths of plant fibre to be threaded through. Sure enough, they were able to stitch the clothes together in just a few hours. Otto and Joseph had clearly been through the process before, and they blazed through the task easily. Willam had a new outfit to match theirs in no time at all.
They had spent the rest of that day close to camp, the dead scorpion still heavy on their minds. Willam had been given easy tasks such as collecting feed for Sarah or gathering fruits for meals. Otto had spent much of the day hunched over a rock with three sturdy yet flexible branches at his side, muttering as he worked. He had strung three brand new bows by the end, the wooden arcs joined together by taut plant fibres tightly twisted into a single cord. Joseph had chuckled and clapped Otto on the back when he saw the new weapons.
They had retired for the night soon after, Joseph more regretfully than anyone else. He had wanted to try one of the new bows but could not, for there were no arrows. Otto took the first watch with his back to the cliff, torch in hand and Winter at his side. Willam had managed to get a precious few moments of sleep before being shaken awake by the other man. He distinctly remembered a dream where a ship had passed within sight of the coast and spotted their group. Willam and his new friends had been on the wooden deck, on their way home when he had been thrown back into the harsh reality of his life.
The moon was already well past halfway through the sky when he awoke to take his shift. Otto had nodded and groggily handed him the torch before dozing off to sleep, his great white Direwolf protectively curled up by his side. Willam had found a spot next to the giant egg and pressed his back against the cliff to take his watch.
He heard strange hoots, bellows, and rumbles in the dark of the night, although he could not identify any of the sources. Winter stayed awake much longer than his master, silently sharing some of Willam's lonely vigil. The wolf's golden eyes almost seemed to bore past the darkness and Willam was grateful for his company. About halfway through, the Direwolf nestled up against Otto and fell asleep, leaving Willam alone with his thoughts. The rest of the night was uneventful, and Willam shook Joseph awake when his watch was over.
Unfortunately, Willam did not dream again that night and found himself blinking awake after another pitifully small reprieve. The rest of the group was already gearing up for a ranging, to gather resources, Joseph explained. They set out at the crack of dawn, Sarah's saddle stocked with smoked meat and a hide waterskin for each of them. Otto was at his customary spot near the front by the reins. Joseph lounged near the centre of the saddle with Hawk gently dozing at his side. Willam sat in the back observing the wildlife, peacefully for once. None of the wild beasts tried to molest their caravan during the entire trip.
"There," Otto had said. Willam had glanced over to where the man was pointing in time to see a small group of bird-like lizards emerge out of the brush. Compys, Otto had explained. They were each no bigger than his foot with bright feathers atop their little heads. Joseph jumped off the saddle and gestured for Willam to do the same. He complied and followed the large man off. Weiss joined them a moment later, and the three regarded the feathered group. There were perhaps a dozen in all, each one watching them with curious gleaming black eyes. "And now the fun begins," Otto grinned. He turned to the other two. "Try to keep up as best you can."
Winter had burst out of the undergrowth so suddenly that Willam had stumbled away in shock. The great white Direwolf had an even greater effect on the Compys, who scattered in all directions. Otto speared one clean through the head as it hastily fled in his direction. Joseph had his axe out, slashing at any of the lizards who ran past him. Winter pounced and caught a Compy underneath his paw, pinning it down while he decapitated another with a savage wrench of his head. Willam managed to get his spear out in time, fumbling with the lengthy weapon. He stabbed at a swift purple-feathered beast, but only speared the sandy beach. Another ran past and he somehow managed to get this one in the tail. It squirmed on the end of his spear, pinned by the sharp bone tip. Willam slammed the weapon into the ground, over and over until the beast was dead.
He glanced up to see that the survivors had reformed into a tight cluster, perhaps half a dozen left now. They seemed to have gotten over the initial attack, and charged with high-pitched shrieks. Winter pounced into the heart of the crowd, sending many of the lizards flying. He slashed and bit, tearing through the group with savage fury. One of the Compys leapt at Joseph, who swiped it out of the air with his heavy stone axe. Another jumped at Willam, only for it to be knocked to the ground by Otto's spear. Willam snapped its neck with a well-placed stomp. The carnage went on until there was only one Compy left. It swept its head across the beach and quickly noticed all its companions were dead or dying. The beast fled, but didn't get far. Otto threw his spear and took the lizard clean in the centre. Blood splattered onto the beach with its dying spasms.
"Well, now wasn't that fun?" Otto grinned from ear to ear. "Now for the hard part," he sighed.
"There's a second part to this plan?" Willam had asked. Otto's smile had somehow widened.
"Of course. Where did you think we were going to get the feathers for the arrows?"
They had spent a good few hours on the beach that day, sitting in the shade and plucking feathers from the bird-like beasts. It was long, bloody work and Willam was glad the ocean was nearby. He rinsed his hands of blood afterward. By the end, they had collected nearly a hundred of the brightly coloured feathers. They were stiff and sleek, perfect for fletching arrows with. Dodo feathers might have done in a pinch, but they were soft and floppy; more of a hinderance than an asset. Some might even argue that a wooden shaft alone would be more accurate than an arrow fletched with one of the ridiculous feathers.
They had set off back to the camp afterward with a pile of the bright feathers heaped on the saddle. The rest of the day was mainly stocking resources and fletching arrows by the fire. They had a dinner of vegetable broth that night and retired for sleep soon after. The same watch schedule followed; Otto taking the first shift, Willam the second and Joseph the last. None of them had anything to report the next day and the whole camp seemed to relax, if only by a bit.
They had spent the third day gathering wood and practicing with the new bows. Just earlier today, Willam reflected. Out of their group, Joseph was easily the best marksman. Seemingly without effort, he loosed arrow after arrow into the the log they were using for target practice. Circular rings rippled out from the pinpoint centre, just like the circles of a real target. It had been harvested from a large tree and propped against a boulder, about as wide across as the giant egg. The centre of the target was bristling with brightly coloured shafts by the end of their practice. Joseph was just naturally skilled, Willam supposed, or perhaps he had been a hunter before washing up. Either way, Joseph himself did not know the answer to his unexplainable skill.
Otto struggled with hitting the mark at first but gradually improved his accuracy. He was able to hit the target 9 times out of 10 by the end of their practice, though his arrows came nowhere close to Joseph's. It was still better than nothing though. Of the three, Willam was easily the worst. His arms trembled and he had a hard time notching the arrows. The bow would jump and wobble in his grasp like some living beast, resolute on making him fail. Willam was lucky if his shots came anywhere close to the propped up log. Less than half a dozen of his arrows found their mark during the few hours they practiced.
The rest of the day was more leisurely and relaxed. Joseph had gone out to chop wood after a healthy lunch of forest greens and sweet red berries. He had taken Hawk and Winter along for protection as well, leaving the camp somewhat barren. Sarah had milled about underneath the wooden overhang by the cliff, munching on some dried grass. She was growing rapidly and needed an astonishing amount of food every day. Since the time Willam had met the young Triceratops, Sarah seemed to have gained an entire head over him. He shuddered to imagine her size once fully grown.
Otto had taken his bow and a handful of arrows to go practice on the log. He was determined to master this new weapon, evidently afraid to fail his friends. Willam himself found that no matter how much he practiced with his bow, he could never get any better. So he had curled up with his back against the cliff instead. The egg was by his side, luminous and dazzling beneath the glare of the sun. The splashes of blue seemed to shift and ripple against the misty grey shell. Willam always felt better with his egg nearby. Perhaps it was the smooth shell or the mild warmth that it gave off. Either way, cradling the egg was greatly comforting to Willam. It had become something like a ritual to him, a short reprieve from the world and the struggles that he endured.
But in the end the egg was still only an egg; a smooth, round shell that protected a fragile creature inside. Willam made sure to keep it warm and happy, if that was even possible for an unborn creature. Recently he had felt something almost like a pulse or heartbeat inside. The struggle of an unborn creature. Willam had promised himself that he would take care of the egg from the moment he discovered the sparkling treasure. He supposed it was only a matter of time before it hatched. Willam would do everything in his power to care for the new creature.
Indeed, he already spent most of his spare time with the Dossier in hand, puzzling out which of the many beasts would hatch from the egg. Neither Joseph nor Otto seemed to mind and even encouraged him to use their book. The two of them would join in to study occasionally, painstakingly memorizing every detail about the predators of the island. Reading was not enjoyment or entertainment for them, but rather a task. Willam suspected that they would rather be out foraging, hunting or training rather than study. But he didn't pester them for it, and they never bothered him for being useless at just about any physical task. The younger men were rash and restless but Willam had learned to be patient. They'll learn in time, he thought, let them have their youth. Only God knows what happened to mine.
Until then, Willam was happy to learn on their behalf. He had already narrowed down the possibilities for the egg. It couldn't be any of the mammals, he had figured from the very start. Neither could it be anything the size of a Dilophosaurus or smaller. Unless of course, whatever hatched would never grow. Willam found that extremely unlikely but not impossible, so, for now, he only looked at anything Dilophosaurus-sized or larger. There were many interesting possibilities from there, although Willam could not deduce much else after that. He didn't even have the slightest clue whether it would be a herbivore or carnivore. The peculiar circumstances under which he had found the egg left many gaps in the mystery. Until then, Willam was happy to theorize on what the egg could hold.
He spent the rest of his time with the Dossier studying the creatures of the island. It was useful knowledge to have and just might save their lives one day. Unlike the others, Willam studied predators and prey alike. Reading was the one thing that he was actually good at, and Willam seemed to absorb the information like a patch of moss soaking up water. The creatures fascinated him, especially the ones that he had vague memories of from before. Willam was curious to find out how they survived on this primal island, and if he could use their tactics to his advantage. He would spend hours reading about strengths and weakness, likes and dislikes. The Dossier was a monster of a book, but not completely finished. Disturbingly, the information seemed to dwindle away and then completely disappear near the end. Only a few blank pages marked the end of the book. No notes or words of wisdom from the author, just empty pages.
Willam glanced back up from his soup to ladle another helping. The steam drifted up to his face and he inhaled the rich scent. He had only been half paying attention to the dinner before and now tried to make sense of what he had missed. Otto had just made some jest and Joseph was laughing loudly. Sarah had finished her meal and now curled up closer to their fire, her entire body gently heaving as she relaxed. Winter had taken his share of meat and now sat next Otto while Hawk was still nipping at the Phiomia remains. Willam allowed himself to relax and enjoy this rare occasion. He was about to make a jest of his own when Winter silently rose.
The Direwolf lifted his head and growled, deep and menacing. The camp immediately fell silent. Otto was up instantly, spear in hand. The Direwolf glanced back at his master and then turned to the jungle. He barked viciously, hackles bristling and jaw snapping. Sarah lumbered to her feet with an alarmed bellow and Hawk backed away from the treeline.
"Something's wrong," Joseph said. He rose and unholstered his axe. The group listened intently, scarcely daring to breathe as they watched the dark jungle. Willam's hands trembled as he retrieved a spear from the ground. He backed away from the darkness and protectively placed himself in front of the egg. Fortunately, he was on the side of the fire opposite the jungle, with his back to the cliff. For one small eternity, the camp was entirely silent.
There was a deafening crack as the wooden barrier shattered under some unseen impact. Willam craned his neck to see, but his view was blocked by the undergrowth. Something's in here with us. Dear God. The bush exploded in a shower of leaves and bright red berries that rolled to a stop by the fire. A huge dark blue monster burst out from the darkness and roared, sharp teeth gleaming by the light of the fire. It stood thrice Joseph's height, towering over their group like death itself. The beast swept its head across their camp and took everything in with two burning yellow pits. Willam froze when its fiery gaze swept over him.
His mind was racing faster than a Gallimimus. He was studying the beast while it did the same to them. Carnivore, nocturnal. Large, easily twice Sarah's height. The beast snarled and lashed its tail. A Carnotaurus perhaps... no, no. It's far too big and those horns aren't large enough either. The monster took a menacing step forwards. An Allosaurus? The size certainly fits, but those only live farther inland. The bushes rustled as three more beasts joined the first. They were only slightly smaller but far more ferocious and nearly identical to the first. The newcomers snarled and snapped, a dull pink frothing at their mouths. Some tried to lunge or charge, but the first one stopped them. It was the largest and clearly the leader as well.
Megalosaurus! That's what I was thinking of! The thought clicked and Willam immediately began recalling facts about the monsters. Unfortunately, his train of thought was interrupted as the leader snarled and tossed its head. Two of its pack mates roared in delight as they peeled away from the group and thundered off to Willam's left. Straight for Sarah.
The young Triceratops snorted in terror and tossed her head as the beasts closed in. The Megalosaurus split away from each other at the last instant and swerved to avoid Sarah's deadly horns. She bellowed and turned to cover her flank, lashing out at an attacker with her horns. The offending Megalosaurus backed away while its companion closed in from behind. Megalosaurus. Unlike most of the other theropods, it is a primarily nocturnal creature. The information jumped out at Willam from absolutely monster locked its iron jaws around her hind leg and crunched down hard. Sarah roared in pain and spun, head slamming into the beast. It stumbled back in a daze, only for the other one to attack from the rear. The two monsters alternated attacking and retreating, always making sure to stay on opposite sides of the young Trike.
Otto and Joseph were scrambling to aid Sarah against her attackers when the remaining two Megalosaurus turned and roared. The leader snapped at its inferior and the smaller beast charged into the camp. It rammed into Joseph who flew backward with a heavy thud. The leader tried to follow its companion but Otto barred its path. Winter stalked to his side and snarled. The Direwolf was nearly as tall as Otto but still seemed shrunken next to the huge carnivore. Due to its nocturnal nature, Megalosaurus becomes much more formidable at night. The Alpha roared in defiance, but Otto stood firm. The beast suddenly charged forward, gaping jaw thirsty for blood. Before Otto could react, Winter was already bounding to meet it head on. The Direwolf leapt at the last second and landed on the larger beast's back. His claws dug into rough scales as the Megalosaurus shook in fury.
Joseph had regained his footing and now stood defiantly, heavy axe in hand and Hawk at his side. The small Dilophosaurus hissed fiercely but the Megalosaurus barely seemed to notice. It glanced to the rest of the camp, noticed its packmates were busy, and growled in delight. The monster rushed at Joseph with a ferocious snarl. The burly man twisted out of the way at the last second and lashed with his axe, sinking the heavy stone blade through scales and flesh. The Megalosaurus whirled with a snarl, looking for its attacker. Hawk launched a glob of vile green spit into its right eye, disorienting the huge beast.
Everything seemed to happen at once everywhere around him. Willam turned, trying to keep track of the battle as best he could. Sarah was bleeding from a dozen gashes and still warily limping in a circle. Her attackers were only emboldened by the scent of blood and pushed on viciously, driving the poor Trike against the cliff. The Megalosaurus alpha had managed to shake Winter off and now charged at Otto. He thrust with his spear, only for it to harmlessly glance off the scaled nightmare. Otto wasn't able to pull back for a second thrust fast enough and the monster managed to lock its jaws around his shoulder. Its primary combat tactic is to bite onto its target, then lock its jaw shut in an iron grip.
Otto choked back a scream as the monster lifted him above the ground and crunched down hard, the spear spinning out of his reach. Otto grasped his bone dagger and unsheathed it in one fluid motion. He gripped it with both hands and stabbed down desperately, plunging the blade deep into the Alpha's left eye. The monster reared back and roared in pain, dropping Otto in the process.
He hit the ground with a limp thud and grit his teeth, cradling the wounded arm. Willam could tell that it was dislocated from the grotesque angle it stuck out. Blood spurted from the gash like a red waterfall. Winter tackled the disoriented Megalosaurus and the beast staggered away under the Direwolf's weight. Willam shook himself from the daze and ran to help his injured friend.
Joseph suddenly slammed into him and the two went down in a heap. The large man grunted in pain and managed to nod an apology to Willam. The closest Megalosaurus stood over them, Joseph's axe lodged in its side. The monster was about to ram them again when Hawk suddenly leapt and slashed at its feet, her bright ruff fully extended. The Megalosaurus simply turned and swept its tail, dashing the small beast against a rock.
She cried out in pain and stumbled away. Joseph grabbed a sharp rock and pushed himself off the ground. He let loose a menacing war cry and sprinted at the monster. Willam's head spun from the collision and his vision doubled for an instant. In that brief moment of shock, he saw a battle fought by twins. Two Sarahs slumped to the ground in a bloody heap. Two Winters were rammed into the cliff by a pair of one-eyed Alphas. Two Josephs staggered away after being mauled by a fury of claws. His vision returned to normal and Willam managed to rise from the dusty ground. He brushed a hand across his forehead and felt a thin trickle of blood. Willam found his spear and snatched it back up. He scanned the carnage desperately, looking for someone, anyone, to help.
Joseph, Otto, and Sarah were all bleeding on the floor. Winter was locked in the iron grip of the alpha. Hawk was facing off against one of the beasts. Hawk! The small Dilophosaurus stood protectively over Joseph, hissing with her frills extended. She seemed like a mere hatchling before the Megalosaurus, yet she didn't back down. Hawk refused to leave Joseph's side. It broke Willam's heart to see such loyal dedication in a beast. Willam scrambled to help the little creature but he was too late.
The Megalosaurus charged and closed its jaws around the Dilophosaurus. It shook its head with a savage fury, crunching down all the while. Only larger creatures can hope to break free once Megalosaurus locks its jaw. Hawk cried out in pain and clawed at the larger beast's snout in a vain attempt to free herself. The Megalosaurus snapped its head left to right. Willam heard something crack, a bone perhaps. He could only watch helplessly, the spear limp in his hands. The creature then proceeds to gnaw on its prey until death. Hawk gave one last heart-wrenching shriek. The Megalosaurus chuffed its head back and snapped its jaws closed. A severed green arm hit the ground with a thud. It was splattered with blood and the dirt drank it up eagerly, turning a crimson shade of red. The monster gulped down with a sickening crunch and Hawk was gone forever. The bloody limb was all that remained of the Dilophosaurus.
Joseph staggered to his feet in a sudden fit of strength, the rock still tightly clutched in his grip. His hide clothing was torn and thin trickles of blood ran down the vest freely. He let out a primal warcry, filled with grief, fury, and rage. "This is for Hawk you bastard!" The large man mustered all his strength and rushed at the monster. The Megalosaurus turned to face him, almost lazily. It spared him one uninterested glance and then spun, throwing all its weight into the attack. The tail slammed Joseph into a jagged boulder with a heavy crack. He managed to push himself off the rock. Joseph staggered a single step before his limp body careened into the blood-stained ground.
Willam choked back a gasp of horror. A movement from somewhere to the left caught his eye. It was the one-eyed alpha standing over Otto like a grim harbinger of death. Weiss was kneeling on the ground, his breaths coming in ragged bursts. He sported a few fresh red slashes that had cut through hide and flesh. Willam scanned the camp desperately, looking for the flash of white that would be his friend's salvation. He spotted Winter.
The Direwolf was more red than white, slumped against the cliff with dozens of bites and slashes. Winter was completely still. Willam felt himself freeze. All his friends lay dead or dying. Otto managed to lift his head enough to meet the monster's single remaining eye. The beast exhaled slowly, savouring its victory. A droplet of blood trickled down from its missing eye. The burning pit had been replaced by a blood-stained bone hilt. The monster inhaled with deep satisfaction, drawing in the scent of blood and death. The Alpha backed up and lunged forward, jaws gaping wide.
Suddenly a dark red blur rammed into it, sending the beast tumbling away. Willam scrutinized the shape carefully, trying to figure out whether it was friend or foe. He hardly recognized Sarah under all the blood and grime. Amazingly, she had managed to get up and fight off her attackers just to protect her master. The Trike bellowed in dismay and Otto managed to give her a weak pat. Willam started limping over to help but tripped and slammed into the ground. He watched as the alpha recovered and staggered to its feet. The other two now closed in from behind, the ones who had attacked Sarah before. The three Megalosaurus circled around Otto and his Trike with slow, deliberate steps.
One of them lunged and ripped into Sarah's hind leg. The beast wrenched its head back, taking off a chunk of flesh in a spray of bright red blood. Another drove in from the side and tore into the poor Trike's flank. Unlike most of the other theropods, it is primarily a nocturnal creature. Sarah bellowed in agony and slumped to the floor. The alpha roared and went for her neck. She shook her head from side to side, trying to shake off her attackers. The one-eyed Megalosaurus crunched down hard. Willam heard a deafening snap. Sarah's entire body trembled in dying spasms. She gave one last mournful bellow before going completely limp. Willam watched the life drain out of her eyes.
The fourth Megalosaurus now charged in at the scent of fresh blood. The closest one snapped at it with a ferocious snarl and the newcomer growled right back. The other finally grudgingly parted to let it get at the kill. The pack of night-demons tore into the body like feral hounds. As dawn approaches, Megalosaurus begins looking for a secluded place to spend the day sleeping in relative safety. The camp was drenched in blood. It is primarily a nocturnal creature. Otto had managed to drag himself away and now watched in horror as they devoured the Triceratops. As dawn approaches...
Willam knew what he had to do. He stumbled to his feet with rigid determination. As dawn approaches... He snatched a small log off the floor. None of the monsters had noticed him yet. Willam staggered to the fire and braced himself against a rock. The very rock I sat on earlier tonight, he thought. When we were celebrating. Before the carnage. Before this. Willam gripped the log with icy fingers. Dawn approaches...
He thrust the wood into the fire and held it there. Flaming orange tongues licked at his arm, but Willam hardly felt anything. Dawn approaches... Someone was screaming. Willam supposed it was himself. He yanked the log back out from the fire and a thin coat of flames clung to the wood. Please, please let it hold. Let the fire hold. The four Megalosaurus were still tearing into Sarah's corpse. She was slumped over a trampled mound of dry grass. An unfinished meal perhaps. It doesn't matter what it was so long as the fire holds. The grass was soaked with blood and yet a small part of him still clung to the hope that it would light. Please. Please let the fire hold. Willam thrust his arm back and threw the burning log. Dawn...
It bounced off a Megalosaurus and landed by the grass pile with a soft thud. The afflicted monster whirled around and snapped at him. It took a menacing step forward and roared. A thin trail of smoke rose from by its feet. The Megalosaurus was about to charge at Willam when it realized the burning log. Small embers leapt from wood to grass. Please... Willam stared at the Megalosaurus calmly, praying that the pile would catch fire. The mound suddenly burst into flames. The whole pack reared back in alarm, the alpha included. The fire caught onto a few random tufts of grass nearby and the brutes retreated with startled roars.
Sarah's corpse started to smolder and a heavy grey cloud of smoke rose from the heat. Flames raced along the ground, leaping, consuming, burning. A section of the wooden palisade caught fire. Flames jumped and logs crackled. The fire spread. It raced along the wooden spikes that had once been their barrier. The Megalosaurus snarled uneasily and clustered together. William had just trapped them all in a ring of fire.
One of the Megalosaurus panicked and charged right into the flames, crashing through wood and snarling in pain. The beast broke free of the deathtrap and fled into the jungle. Sparks exploded from the barrier and trailed after the fleeing monster like a cape of fire. The other three Megalosaurus quickly followed their companion, charging through the fiery wall. Small flames caught onto the waxy jungle leaves and patchy grey moss.
A fire burst to life on a dead tree. It jumped onto a neighbouring bush and that soon took fire as well. The flames spread. Green jungle grass transformed into swaying orange whiskers. Vibrant ferns curled into shriveled black husks. The jungle was on fire. Otto staggered to his feet, clutching his wound. He looked at what remained of Sarah with eyes full of grief. His gaze turned to Winter, limp by the cliff. Otto choked back a sob as he surveyed the damage.
"Otto!" Willam found his voice. "We need to get out! The fire!" He rasped.
Smoke was gathering in a dense cloud overhead. Willam was sweating underneath the hide and he thought he could feel the fire still eating away at his arm. An alarmed glance revealed it was only his imagination. Otto seemed to regain his senses and nodded, though he looked lost. There was a long wooden board that had not caught fire. Winter and Joseph... if they're even still alive. We have to help them. Willam hobbled over to the fallen man and hooked his arms under Joseph's. Willam pulled with all his might, straining to move Joseph's immense bulk. It was like dragging a boulder. Otto saw what he was doing and came to help. They dragged the fallen man on the plank and moved to get Winter.
The Direwolf was even heavier than Joseph. Willam coughed as hazy fumes drifted into his lungs. He pulled the hide over his mouth and gestured for Otto to do the same. Weiss snatched a waterskin, the Dossier, two bows and a handful of arrows. Everything else was too far away to save. They each took an end of the board and pulled. Willam was weak and old. Otto was injured and dazed. They made a poor team but still managed to drag the plank to the opening that the Megalosaurus pack had made. Willam's vision danced and he lurched forward. Just a bit more and we're clear. Hold out a bit longer. He was coughing. Choking really. The smoke gathered heavily around his head. Willam stumbled and his end of the plank went limp. He couldn't go any further. Willam braced himself for a fiery death but noticed only darkness ahead. By some miracle, they had made it out.
Willam didn't know whether he ought to laugh or cry. He was too exhausted to care. A gust of wind buffeted his face, scattering the smog. Willam inhaled deeply, struggling to catch his breath. The air here was still smoky, though far less dense than the camp. They were in the plains now, safe for the moment. The camp… I forgot something, Willam realized with horror. The egg. God... I forgot the egg. He was up immediately, hobbling back into the fire.
"Are you completely mad? What are you doing?" Otto rasped. "Get back here!"
Willam shook his head. "The egg..." he managed to croak. Weiss cursed. There was movement from behind Willam and then Otto was next to him. The other man offered a shoulder to lean on and Willam took it gracefully. They limped back into the blaze together.
Willam scanned the fire desperately, looking for a splash of blue on grey. It took him a moment to spot the egg. It nearly blended into the smoke. "There," he pointed. The egg was laying on its side, gently rocking in the heat. Willam rushed in and hauled it over. Pain flared in his palms as they drank the heat. Otto moved to help and grunted in pain as he took the egg. They stumbled away together, drowning in the smoke.
Willam choked and coughed. His throat felt like a raw pulp, and black spots danced across his vision. He kept putting one foot in front of the other. A tinge of grey bordered his sight and his ears rang painfully. Willam saw the wooden plank up ahead. He shuddered in relief and slumped to his knees. The egg went tumbling out of his grasp and rolled ahead. Willam was suffocating. He felt his legs go out beneath him and then he was falling, falling...
The last thing Willam saw was his precious egg, nearly indistinguishable from their hazy surroundings. The world slanted sideways as he fell. A misty grey fog shrouded his vision, blanketing the world with a twilight cloak. And then there was nothing but darkness.
Author's Note:
Sorry this one was bit late. It was more difficult than I initially thought to incorporate thought fragments between actions while making sure everything still made sense. And I had to ensure that everything was clear, otherwise the chapter would have far less of an impact on the reader. I just hope the wait was worth it!
So anyways. Yeah... bloody chapter. To be fair though, I foreshadowed this all the way back in chapter 2 when Otto found the Dossier.
haydenunstopable, your wish has been granted (sorta). Conveniently, I already had the feast planned. And thanks for the recipe suggestion, it was used in this chapter with only a slight modification (the berries getting taken out)
RedLightningD608, I agree with you, when the egg hatches it certainly will be interesting. The skeleton was indeed a Titanosaur and I'm glad you picked up on that. Thanks for the continued support!
Tall-Gothic-Guy, thank you for the continued support and kind words. I'm glad you've decided to publish your story and I wish you good luck with that. I was rather busy this week, but I'll definitely make sure to check it out when I have the time.
DevoutRelic, your pacing advice has been taken, albeit in a rather morbid way. We now have less characters and more time to develope the current ones. The skeleton was indeed a Titanosaur and I'm glad you were able to pick up on that. I can confirm that all characters will be from medieval times. We won't have some super overpowed guy in full Tek running around while our group is stuck with bows and arrows. My studies have indeed gone well, and I thank you for the continued support you have shown me both in life and the story.
King Endercreeper, thank you for the kind words and I completely agree with you about ARK's specimen implant system. I wanted my world to have a more primal feel and I'm glad you enjoy that choice as well. Thanks for the support and I hope you found this chapter to your liking.
DragonGirl345, thank you for the compliment and yes, the skeleton was indeed a Titanosaur. I'm glad you were able to pick up on that.
Word of warning, I definately won't be able to finish the next chapter on time. It is one of my personal favourites, and I hope the wait will be worth it. Anyways, special thanks to TheJaiganticBridge for doing the Megalosaurus research, and to haydenunstobable for the recipe suggestion. If anyone else has a recipe they would like to see in my story, make sure to leave a comment or PM me and I'll do my best to incorporate it.
Thanks for taking the time to check out my first fanfiction, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I will try my best to upload every Friday. Feel free to comment, ask question or criticize my story, review is always welcome. And if you like what you saw, make sure to check out the other ARK: Survival Evolved fanfictions out there. Have a great rest of your day or night.
-DaRumpyBurr
