Hey guys. Darksage and Marc here with another chapter in Prehistoric Revolution. So…things are getting pretty interesting now. Broken jaw and friends are roaming the park…and getting acquainted with the place in their own way. In the case of Caius and Flit, finding the food warehouse and ransacking the whole place like Scooby Doo and Shaggy xD. We've got some possible romance in the air. And…a happy beginning for the Supersaurs. Yeah…a lot of fun stuff ^.^
We also want to let you guys know that the Christmas special to the series is nearly finished. However, we decided to make it canon, meaning that it's a short sequel after Prehistoric Revolution. So, until this story is complete, the Christmas Special won't be posted yet. Sorry . We'll keep you updated on the status of the series.
Happy reading!
Soundtrack: Why by Jurrivh
Meanwhile…at Titanosaur Treetops
Baylene gasped loudly as she trudged another step. Despite being one of the largest creatures to have ever lived and was cautious wherever she stepped due to the smaller beings she lived with, her weight and old age were getting the better of her when rushing. It certainly did not help that as a Brachiosaurus, she had to constantly uphold her large metabolism to support herself. She can survive without food for a while, but there was no need to do so since they were not migrating.
Right now, she was not in the mood to eat. Rumors spread throughout the park that several newcomers came the day before. Even more intriguing was that they were large and possessed long necks like Baylene. The elderly woman did not get ahold of this information until that afternoon, when several herd members spotted them roaming around the park.
This was enough to send Baylene rushing to Titanosaur Treetops, where she figured they would be if they were being led by Yin and her Flock. Her mind screamed for the possibility of them being of her own species. While this idea seemed a little farfetched, she hoped they were. If not, then she was content with communing with individuals that were somewhat related to her in terms of species. She did have Yin and the rest of the Borealosaurus, but the saying "the more the merrier" always seemed dominant.
The trip to the Titanosaur region of the park took a while for Baylene to complete. On the way, she passed by Bob, who was on his way to that very place from the main hub, bringing along a contraption the humans called a wheelbarrow that was filled with small rocks. The two quickly exchanged words before the Brachiosaurus rushed off to the treetops after she took a small gulp of the rocks the human had.
When she finally made it to the familiar treeline of the sauropod home, she was surprised to see it deserted. Baylene was stunned; this area was usually not so empty in the late afternoon. The macronarian trudged into the vegetation then peered her head over the tops of the trees to catch a glimpse of dull green skin or a sauropod with a red streak on her nose. No sound of the familiar sauropods wafted through the wind. No sound of the heavy crunches of branches echoed. It was deserted.
"How odd…where could they all be?" she muttered with a frown.
Baylene continued on, not giving up in her search until she came across somebody. Seconds turned into minutes. The outer edge of the treetops was empty. She stomped deeper into the woods, hoping that there was at least someone who was hiding there.
Her wish was granted when she heard and saw a tree shake in her peripheral vision. The sauropod snapped her head in that direction and rushed towards it. Leaves and small branches fell from the tall plant onto the floor below. Nothing was strong enough to shake a tree with a trunk diameter that was almost as thick as her leg, unless there was another Resident that wanted the greens on top, which there was not.
When Baylene got to where the moving tree was, her eyes were amazed by what stood before her. It was a creature that was similar to her, but had many differences. Unlike her stature, this new individual was more horizontally inclined, yet was immensely long. Its huge tail whipped and twirled in the wind, just passed the leaves above. The neck was indeed long, but not as long as the tail. Baylene was far larger than it in terms of height, meaning she had to look down on it. If this being would lift is head up, it would probably be almost at her eye level, just short a few feet. All along its back were small, sharp black spines, save for a part on its back that had a gap. The individual, whom Baylene determined as male from the sounds he was making from eating one of the many ferns that were clustered in this place, seemed to not have noticed her presence.
"Oh goodness, excuse me?" she politely called out to him.
The longneck nearly sputtered out his food at the sudden intrusion. He craned his neck to the side, taking in the form of the Brachiosaurus. His expression was that of mild surprise.
"Greetings, madam. I did not see you there," he greeted after taking a quick gulp of his food. His accent was unusual for someone of his stature, and was more akin to a small number of the herd members in the Valley. This newcomer kept his eloquence, though he expressed it in a different manner.
"Forgive my intrusion," Baylene took a few tentative steps forward. "But I was just told that there were some newcomers that had arrived just recently. I take it that you are one of them?"
The newcomer nodded. "Indeed. My name is Charles. I'm the leader of the Diplodocus herd that came through that light that led us here yesterday. And who might you be?"
"I am called Baylene. I too am a new arrival here, at least, not very recently."
"Ah. So where do you come from? Not from around here I am guessing," said the Diplodocus.
The Brachiosaurus shook her head. "No no, I am from here. Well, for the most part," her response intrigued the alpha. "Originally, I was not born here, but then my herd and I arrived in this place not too long ago and then we came back here in a different time. It is a very long story and I don't think you would like to hear it, considering you may have had a harrowing escape from your time."
"Actually, considering we are in a mighty fine place with all the food we could ask and everyone here is tolerable, well, most of them, I think I can handle a long story," Charles told her, remembering all of the Residents, both friendly and unfriendly.
Baylene gave him a comforting smile. "I am glad Hazel and Flia managed to rescue you in time."
"So, you know that two-legged youngling and her friend?" he asked about the two new friends that had rescued him and his herd from certain destruction.
His answer was confirmed with a firm nod. "Oh yes, she and I have been friends for over a year, and I with Flia even longer. Hazel and her mentor Nigel were the ones that rescued me and my herd from destruction not too long ago. If it were not for them, we would have not lived to see another day."
"Hm…sounds like she is not new to this whole 'rescue' deal," he realized. "I am glad my herd is safe."
Charles expression turned from content to guilt in a second. "But…not all of us made it."
Baylene eyed him questioningly. What had happened yesterday? She heard that they were running from a large group of predators and that they came from someplace that was possibly just as harsh as the desert her own herd went through the previous year. Did something bad happen to them?
"What do you mean?" she asked.
The alpha longneck sighed. "There was one who could not make it; Joel, who was a friend of ours. He had been sick for some time with some unknown disease. Then yesterday, we were ambushed by a group of predators. He stayed behind to fight them off so we could go on ahead. Flia told me the whole thing. It broke a part of me to hear that Joel, someone who would fight to the very end, would live up to his promise. I just wish I had been there for him."
Baylene glanced away, trying to blink away the tears that were coming into her eyes. She knew what it was like to lose a loved one. She had witnessed the deaths of her own kind over the years, whether by natural causes or through predators. An old woman her age would have gone senile if she was not strong, yet Baylene held on. Even the fact that she was the last of her kind nearly made her lose her sanity. It was thanks to her friends and her new family that she did not give up on herself.
"I understand your plight," she said, her gaze radiating sympathy. She then remembered a saying she heard from Neera that she learned from Hazel not too long ago. "I have lost loved ones over the years through numerous causes. But I was told that when someone is gone, they do not truly leave you. They are with you even when you can't see them. Then there are those around you who are willing to stay by your side so long as you let them. So, you are not truly alone. You are here now, and you are alive. That is all that matters."
Charles smiled sadly. "Well, that is a mighty fine sentiment you just told me. I suppose I should follow Joel's advice and 'not grieve for him'. He lived a long life and wished the best for us. I do miss him though."
Their conversation was met with silence. The palms in the trees rustled in the wind. The sounds of the herd and the Residents in the other parts of the valley erupted in faint bellows. The birds that lived in the valley tweeted above. The sounds of nature and natural civilization pervaded their ears.
Charles then cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence between the two. "You say you came with a herd? Where are they? I did not see others like you when I went around yesterday."
"Oh, well…," Baylene looked away, her face having a hint of grief. "I am the only one here. In fact, I am the last of my kind."
The Diplodocus gaped. He resisted exclaiming at the new information he heard. "Well I'll be darned. You're the only one left? I thought there would be more of you here since you said you came with a herd."
The Brachiosaurus answered with a no. "I'm afraid not. The herd I traveled with lives in the open plains in the other direction. They are quite unlike us where they lacked our giant size and our long statures."
Charles frowned, sensing the older woman's turmoil. "Well I'm sorry to hear that. I thought there would be more of you. I've seen others like you where I'm from. I was friends with one of them before he passed away from old age."
Baylene gasped. Hearing that there was more of her kind where he was from pleased her to no end. No, pleased was an understatement. Ecstatic was the best term. She may have hailed from a time much later than Charles, but the news that others like her roamed the plains he came from was happy news indeed. There were individuals like her that lived in a time much earlier than her own. From what Charles had said, they flourished throughout the land.
True, this was the far future and she was the only one there, but with the "Time Poles" that the humans had, rescuing a small herd that looked like her would not be much of a problem. The only reason why she would not leave this place to be with the other herds was because of her own family and friends here; she did not want to leave them behind. Besides, this valley was her new home after all.
"So, you are not deceiving me?" she leaned in a little closer to the younger male. "There were…are…more of my kind?"
"Quite so Madam Baylene," he nodded, making the female's smile bigger. "You are not the first Brachiosaurus I have come across in my lifetime."
"Oh, this is wonderful news indeed!" she squealed in joy. "I am pleased to know I am not the last, in terms of time. I should have a little chat with Hazel about this before she leaves on her next journey."
Charles rumbled with laughter. "So tell me more about where you're from. What's your story?"
The two sauropods talked about their origins, from where they were born, the experiences they went through, their friends, their homes, and the trials they faced. They exchanged laughs, exclamations, and a few other reactions. Their conversing went on for several more minutes before their company was interrupted by the arrival of the rest of the Diplodocus and Yin's Flock.
Baylene, like before, cried in joy. Once again, she was met by others who were similar to her. Her other friend circle of eight had grown even larger. She decided to have dinner with them tonight.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
On the other side of the park…
The receding rays of the sun behind the louds beautifully complimented the park into picturesque scenery. The darkening shadows of the trees in the forests around the valley, the cawing of the birds above, the milling of the herd members as they went around looking for some dinner in the valley and the sounds of the daily commotion of humans and Residents filled the air no matter the distance all painted the valley in its own way.
The late afternoon was slowly giving way to the early hours of the evening. Around this time, park employees were starting to check in for the night. Most of them were going over to the café to have their dinners, unless they had their own dinners in their rooms. Those who did not leave yet were finishing with making sure the Residents in their enclosures were comfortable for the night, whether they needed food or for other reasons.
The modern-day Residents that did roam around, the African elephants, were moving over to their usual places of rest. The males and females were still separated and knew better than to cross each other; the only time this would be null would be when males were looking for mates. Having already eaten their fill of hay and vegetables, they were clocking in for the night as well.
The only person who still roamed around was a certain young time traveler who had too much on her mind. Today had been an off day for her. After her argument with Flia the previous day, she did not feel up to par with helping the other employees with their day to day chores. She was not even in the mood to help Bob with feeding the Residents, which was usually one of her favorite chores of the day all because this was the time to check on them when it was not her break time. The other employees that knew her longer knew better than to intrude on her space when she was in a bad mood. It was pretty apparent too; she hardly spoke, she almost always had her eyes on the ground, and she never started any conversations. Nigel noticed this soon after lunch time and decided to give her the rest of the day off, which she gladly welcomed. He did not want his protégé to slip up in her work while she was under emotional turmoil, even though he had no idea what it was.
"Stupid Flia...we could have saved that guy!" Hazel ranted as she walked through the area that was reserved for the male elephants. Her new outfit she wore slightly flowed with the breeze that blew. Instead of the purple tank top she had on the day before, she now wore a wide-collared lavender T-shirt with a black tank top underneath. Her knee-length denim shorts had been replaced with Newport denim cutoff shorts with the Fur de Lis design on the back pockets.
"His sickness was obviously making him not think straight. How could she just accept his choice like that? This is worse than that time my mom would not let me attend that one sparring tournament! And what happened? The team lost!" she continued on her tirade, remembering that one time when she missed a karate tournament due to getting grounded for accidentally breaking a couple of dishes.
The girl face-palmed. "Why did she go with me on this mission? I should have gone solo!"
Had Hazel been paying any more attention, she would have noticed something pass over her. She was too focused with cursing Flia AND how the events yesterday should have gone to know that she was being followed. When she felt the breeze from behind her, it was too late.
Hazel yelped when she felt clawed feet wrap around her arms. Her form was suddenly lifted up into the air. She screamed for dear life as she was helplessly taken away. 10 feet, 30 feet, 50 feet, she was getting higher by the second. Hazel screamed when she saw the world below become miniscule. The last time she had been through something like this was when she was escaping a pack of Velociraptors before she met Aladar and Neera's herd, right when she first met Flia…
The girl looked up. Her face contorted into a scowl when she recognized the familiar flat purple crest atop a head with a long beak. "Flia!? What the hell are you doing!?"
The Pteranodon looked down, unfazed by the human's cold glare. "Hazel, we need to talk."
Hazel crossed her arms and looked away. "Yeah? Well I don't want to!"
"Hazel stop being stubborn. You're acting like a hatchling! If you keep avoiding this, then the tension will not subside. Don't you want to settle this now? I for one am not feeling too happy either, hence why we need to talk."
"I am too," she gave her a sassy look, which then turned into a frown. "But I don't want to talk to you."
Flia sighed; a shake of her head portrayed her frustration. "If you won't listen to reason, I'll have to make you."
Suddenly, Hazel felt herself fall through the air as her friend's talons released her. She freefell, with nothing to ease her landing at all save for the clothes on her back. The only time she experienced something like this was on her first day as a scout when she accidentally fell off of Flia when they made a sharp turn. Now, she was falling through a couple hundred feet in the air with the velocity increasing at every second. Her jet black hair trailed freely behind her. The skin on her face rippled at the increasing speed. Her screaming was so shrill that anyone from a few miles away could hear.
"Holy shit! Flia you jerk! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" she screamed, her arms flailing vigorously in the air.
Hazel could have been hallucinating, or she could have been going out of it, but she could have sworn she saw images in her mind. She knew the saying "before you die, you see images of your life flash before your eyes" existed, but she never thought she would have it now. In her eyes, she saw the time when she blew out the candles on her cake on her second birthday, with her family around her. She saw the first time she laid eyes on her sister right after she was born, when they were in that hospital room that she herself had been born in before. She saw the first time she broke a board in her first karate test. She saw the day her father left her family to go on a journey where he made a fantastic discovery…and never returned; that day brought tears to her eyes, including now. She saw the day when she graduated from high school, and when Nigel took her to Prehistoric Park for the first time. She even saw the days when she first met Flia, Aladar, Neera, Baylene, Eema, Url, Plio, Yar, Zini, Suri, Bruton, and Kron. She re-experienced the day when she and Nigel helped the herd escape the Fireball that destroyed the valley and Aladar's condition that followed after. So many memories came to her like pictures slamming in her face.
It was this moment she knew she was going to die. She was going to die because of a little argument that she had with Flia about their failed mission. Hazel cursed loudly, regretting all the mistakes she had done.
Right when she was about to hit the ground, and send a curse to Flia for the cause of her death, said flyer snatched her on her arms with her talons. They swooped back into the air, quickly climbing back up to the altitude they were originally in. Hazel's screaming stopped immediately, but she could not stop gasping. Her lungs ached as if something had been taking up too much space inside. Her eyes had leaked out tears, with the water droplets creating streaks to the back of her head.
"Flia what the fucking Christ's sake!? You almost killed me!" she cursed at the Pteranodon for the near murder she made.
"Are you ready to listen to me now?" the scout calmly asked her, despite not knowing what she was cursing about. Though she did not show it, Hazel felt that she was worried about her condition, yet the heavy breathing may had been a sign of over exertion.
The human looked away; furious at what she had done and of the conflict that she would not resolve unless things went her way.
"If you don't go along with this, I'll drop you again. I won't come down to save you."
Hazel scoffed. She knew a great deal about Flia; she would not dare drop a friend and not save them. Plus, she watched too many cartoons and read a lot of books to know that this was a way for somebody to get the other person to give in. "You're bluffing. You're bluffing!"
The crested one raised a brow. "Am I? I'm serious. Unless you act your age and go with what I say, my talons are going to loosen until you fall. I'm giving you until the count of three. One..."
The human felt herself jerk. Flia had lifted the outermost talons on her legs. In doing so, she had released Hazel enough to make her go lower by at least a couple inches. The woman also felt her friend's toes shake a little from the lessened support; her talons looked like they would give way without the support of the other two toes. Hazel feared that she would fall prematurely.
She looked up at Flia, expecting to see a hint of amusement. Instead, she saw seriousness. She knew that look anywhere. The Pteranodon was not kidding at all.
"Two…"
The middle toes went up. Hazel yelped at the sudden drop. She looked at both sides, seeing that she was only hanging on by the last toes. Her lip quivered madly like it was having a spasm.
She then looked down. Doing so was definitely a bad idea. Not only was she at least a couple hundred feet in the air, but she was going over the one area she dared not venture to unless it was necessary. Right below her was a familiar enclosure with Cretaceous plants, a small pond, and several rocks that were recently added. It was a large enclosure, but the appearance of it was not what made her nervous. Rather, it was the resident who lived there. Lying on his belly next to the pond was a large carnivore with red skin and small horn studs all over his body.
Hazel gulped and felt the sweat fall down her brow. They were flying over Diablo's enclosure. He may be sleeping now, but if he woke up in time, and she was falling, she could end up in his jaws. If not, she could fall flat on the ground, dead from the broken bones and punctured organs.
"Three!"
"Okay okay okay! I'll talk!" Hazel shouted. Her sudden answer caused Flia to grip onto the girl's arms with the rest of her toes. The woman breathed a sigh of relief.
Looking back at the flyer, she saw a smirk crease on her beak. Her eyes twinkled with satisfaction, and it was one the human hated at the moment.
"Good. Now let's go someplace private," Flia said.
"Did you have to threaten me!?" the girl protested. "What, were you trying to kill me!? You could have used some other means to convince me to listen to you!"
"No Hazel!" the Pteranodon shook her head. "I would never do that! But, it was the only way to get your attention. If I was going to punish you, I would have just left you at my nest for an entire night."
The woman huffed. Flia's nest was at one of the rocky outcrops near the very edge of the park. Pteranodons usually nested in areas high above the ground and close to the sea. In Flia's case, she chose to be closer to the herd, and thus her extended family. Hazel had only been there once about a month ago, but she could see that she chose an ideal spot. Her nest was against the wall within a small alcove that was hard to get to, unless you were a skilled climber. The best way to get to it would be flying, were nimble like a lemur, or if you had special climbing gear.
"Hah! That the best you can do? A little time out isn't going to affect me," Hazel cackled. "I've got ways of escaping out of that."
"Well, I could leave you at my nest for a night," Flia smirked evilly. "Or I could convince Sarge to get you into one of his training regimes."
Hazel growled, her eyes lighting up with rage. Sarge the Pachyrhinosaurus was always a battle nut. She had never seen his training sessions firsthand, but she imagined them to be vigorous and intense, at least for dinosaurs. But because she was a human, his training sessions could put a human in danger or injure them in some way. Flia had close ties to the herd, so something like that could be possible…and it was something the human preferred to stay out of.
"Let's just land already…" Hazel groaned in defeat. She thought back on her actions while they flew on. The outbursts she made sounded almost like childish nonsense, and were things that a 20-year-old like her would never say.
Hazel hoped this conversation would end soon so she would lock herself in her room to hide her embarrassment.
They flew on to the very edge of the valley in the next several minutes. The enclosures and the Residents below quickly turned into a vast open field, which eventually turned into an uphill forest with a hidden path. Hazel looked up and rolled her eyes. This was the route going to a specific place in the valley. It was recently discovered by her and Nigel before they went back to rescue Aladar and Neera's herd. However, when they went to the Late Cretaceous, they found the Herd knew about it long before they did.
The area they were approaching was a small grove set within one of the mountains. The area was small, but still large enough to accommodate a few large individuals. The very edge of the grove had the trees from the forest, which served as an outer wall. The small indentation on the ground in one of the corners was now filled with water; no doubt it was the result of a rainstorm that went over the park while she and Flia were in the Jurassic. The rock wall that spanned from the left to the middle of the small sanctuary had rocks that were sticking out from the mountain.
The one feature that stuck out to the duo the most was the skeleton of a full-grown Iguanodon that lay etched within the wall. To anyone who knew of this valley as the Nesting Grounds from prehistory, they would know that skeleton as Old Gotama, one of Aladar's predecessors who helped found the valley.
Flia slowed her decent until she hovered above the grove by a few feet. The flapping of her wings caused the long grass blades to undulate in her wake. The Pteranodon uncurled her feet, releasing her captive.
Hazel landed nimbly. The landing was smooth thanks to the shortened height distance as well as the soft pad of vegetation. When she stood back up, she witnessed Flia land right next to her, the grass licking against her wing membrane like little people worshipping a god. The two eyed each other, seriousness radiating in their features.
"Why'd we go here? Couldn't we just have gone somewhere else?" Hazel asked in a half-groan.
"I thought this place would be a good place to talk. It's private enough," Flia replied simply.
"Whatever. So if we're here to talk about yesterday, you know what I'm going to say. But I doubt either of us will budge," the girl stated the obvious.
The flyer said nothing. Rather than argue again with the time traveler, she switched her gaze to the horizon. Her calm demeanor transformed into one of content.
"Hazel, did I ever tell you what I was like when I first became a scout?"
The human, taken off guard, replied with uncertainty. "No. You never did."
Flia closed her eyes and chuckled. "I was young, naive, a little brash, headstrong, and maybe a little uptight. Whatever obstacle I came across, I did not stop until I saw it fulfilled. Nothing could hold me back at all, not even the protests of others," her gaze met hers with a warm smile. "In all honesty, I was kind of like you."
The Asian frowned. Flia was like her? She never even knew that. She never explained what she was like when she was younger. This new piece of information indeed surprised her, but she kept her opinions to herself to avoid any confrontation.
"When I first became a scout for the herd," the scout began. "I was thrilled to finally be a part of something bigger. I could finally put myself to good use. Whatever I did, I was praised for, at least for the most part. I was just barely into my adolescence when I was accepted into the herd...when Kron accepted me."
Hazel sputtered, which then turned into a scoff. "Kron? Pfft…I bet you went through a hectic interview process. Probably gave you a hard time like what he did to me."
The winged one met her with eyes that had a hint of hostility, even though she did not know what an interview was. The girl took a step back when she sensed that intimidation. She got the impression that the scout was defending the former leader of the herd. Flia had done so in the past when they first met on that plateau, but doing it again now was just mind-boggling. All assumption that Flia hated Kron the whole time faded away as the girl realized she had a respect for him at one time.
"Actually, it was the complete opposite. He welcomed me."
Hazel's mouth fell agape. "Say what now?"
"The Kron you met was changed by the land and of the Fireball. He was hardened by the burden of being a leader in a time that was too cruel in contrast to the relative peace we had years before. He was not always the stubborn, arrogant tyrant you knew him as. After all, younglings do not hatch as evil beings."
The girl scrunched her lips to the side. She did have a point there. She did hear of John Locke's Tabula Rasa, the theory that human beings were not born evil. Before Hazel received her communicator, she assumed that theory only applied to humans, but that changed after she met her friends. Now the theory encompassed all beings. Anyone is born innocent, but it is their actions and their surroundings that affect who they are.
"When I first met him," Flia continued. "He saw me as useful to him. I did not need to do much to prove myself. He was strict in his expectations, but much more amiable than recently. All he cared about was everyone's safety, which I supported as well. He would leave no herd member behind, whether they were young or old. In a way, he was like Aladar."
Hazel widened her eyes in shock. The Pteranodon curved her beak into a little grin for a moment. "What? Kron? Like Aladar? I find that hard to believe."
"Ah you don't believe it now," Flia stifled a giggle. "But I knew it as fact. I was there. The routine was simple; I go out, report what I see to him, rest for a bit, and then resume. In return, I have individuals where I can rest on and then can call the Nesting Grounds as a home. It was a fair trade."
Her expression then took on an air of sorrow. "Then...there was a time when all that changed. I was off on a routine patrol, chasing off raptor packs here and there, trying to find places for the herd to rest, even a small puddle of water. When I found nothing, I returned to the herd, only to be met by a gruesome sight. I found the herd fleeing for one of the small canyons way beyond our usual route. Behind them was a small group of predators, much unlike the raptors we were used to. They looked like Carnotaurs, except they were smaller but a bit bulkier than Diablo's kind. Chenanisaurus was what I heard they were called. Their coloration was different; having black spots on their backs, red necks, and brown hides. There was a gang of 15 of them chasing after the herd, some of which managed to get a couple of younglings, Struthiomimus, and Stygimolochs. The dead were in a line, with their respective hunters devouring their bodies. The rest of the predators were attacking one of the other Iguanodons. I sped towards him, intent on helping him. From afar, I saw Kron and Bruton leading the herd away. When I got closer, I saw who was in the middle of the fray; Rudon, one of the herd's strongest fighters, and Bruton's older brother."
Hazel remained quiet as Flia told her tale. Hearing that there were smaller relatives of Carnotaurus in Africa was nothing new; she read about them in one of her books some time ago. But the fact that Kron was once a benevolent alpha and not a cold-hearted tyrant to anybody around him was a shock. When she was a scout for him, she assumed that he had always been like that. Why the herd listened to him even though he had no regards for those left behind was beyond her. Perhaps it was because the Herd had no right to speak out against him because he was the leader. She never knew Bruton had a brother at all either. There were not many stories that went around regarding the relatives of the alphas, save for Neera and Kron from that last migration. Their family history was something that was best kept under a low-profile.
"He was wounded...badly," Flia winced at that last word. "He had a limp on one of his legs, and he was getting more sluggish each passing moment. I never thought I would live to see Kron's mentor be overcome by a horde of predators."
The human lifted an eyebrow. "Rudon was Kron's mentor? Like was he the previous leader?"
"Yes, he was his mentor. No, he was not a herd leader, though he did train Kron's predecessor before the former leader died from an illness."
Flia sighed and continued on. "I flew in to help him. I managed to attack three of them. Then, when he called out to me to escape, one of my wings was caught in the jaws of one of them. It shook me around, tearing apart my wing, before throwing me off. When I came to, I found myself on the ground; my wing was nearly torn with teeth marks. I tried to fly, but the pain in my wing overcame me. The predator that saw me rushed to me, I was trapped."
"Right when I was about to become that thing's dinner...something broadsided it. I was amazed to see Kron battling against that monster. He fought with all his strength, before using one of his spikes to end its life. It was then I managed to regain my footing, while ignoring the pain in my wing. When we both approached Rudon, we found him in a worse shape. We approached him, ready to take on the others, when he told us to stay away. We argued against him, being how stubborn we both were. But he pleaded us not to. He told us they would pick us off if we tried. When we looked in the distance, we saw more of them coming. Rudon's wounds were becoming worse the longer we waited. Kron could not stand how his mentor was appearing. From what I was told, he was the closest thing he had to a father; his real one had died from his wounds against another predator when he and Neera were younglings. Rudon's pleas reached our ears and we fled. But Kron was never the same after that. Rudon sacrificed himself so he could give the herd enough time to escape."
Hazel gasped. The realization of what Flia had been through hit her like a brick wall. This was exactly the same scenario that happened yesterday. The similarities were uncanny.
"I may have been crippled for a while, but I saw Kron change from the benevolent leader he was to something much...much colder. He tried to return to his old self, believe me, I've seen him try. But when he slowed the herd to accommodate the old and sick, it would take too much time to cross the desert and get to the Nesting Grounds. We lost many herd members along the way. Each one that fell behind told Kron the same thing; keep going, don't stop. The herd was more important. All of that only made Kron's mind ever harsher," Flia grimaced at the memories of Kron's transformation.
She turned to Hazel, confirmation beaming from her features. "I do not know if you and the other humans have this, but we herd members, and perhaps the rest of the Residents, have a way of determining whether an individual could go on or not. If they were sick, we could tell whether it was fatal or not."
It was then that Hazel understood. Now she knew why Kron was the way he was when they met. He had been turned from someone who put everyone's safety as a priority to someone who was torn apart by the sorrow of those left behind. He kept the herd moving onward because he only cared about those who were still surviving. The former alpha paid no heed to those left behind because of the emotional trauma of the others who told him to keep going. Kron was not cruel; he was only doing what was necessary.
That thought made Hazel think back to when Suzanne explained her views on Kron to her and Aladar, back when the new Herd leader had a fight against his rival Nero. Kron's conscience was clouded by the hardships he was going through as a leader. The landscape did not make things better for him either. So many dinosaurs in his herd fell to sickness, exhaustion, possibly natural disasters, and predators. He had no choice but to leave them behind because going back for them would mean putting the others in danger. He was taught to leave them, and it was a choice he had to live with.
This talk they were having was bringing upon a new sense of perspective for the young human. So dinosaurs and other creatures could tell when something would be able to survive or not by their appearance. Somehow, they could sense whether the individual would die from the disease they had. It sounded a little too fantastical, having this psychic sense, but it was another way of nature portraying itself to others. Perhaps that was what Kron knew too when he led the herd. He could tell if someone was sick or not, and deem them fit to survive or to be left behind. It was yet another dark side of the world they were in.
"In Joel's case," said Flia. "I sensed he would not survive even if we saved him because-."
"Because his illness was terminal," Hazel finished.
The Pteranodon nodded, satisfied that her ward understood her reasons. "You see? That was why I could not disagree with Joel. That was why I respected his wishes. Plus, had we come in to help, we would not have survived, thus we would not be having this conversation."
The girl accepted her friend's words wholeheartedly. Flia could not save Joel because she knew what he had was fatal. And had they come in to save him, their chances of escaping were slim. Neither of them would survive. Even if they did, Joel's suffering would be prolonged. He would be in agony still, even with the medical advances of the 21st century. Hazel felt like an idiot for not reading between the lines.
She also felt shameful for demonizing Kron. She never knew his side of the story, of the hardships he went through. She was only focused on what was right in front of her, rather than seeing beyond that perspective. Neera knew about this too and yet she kept this from everyone else. Perhaps it was to prevent more conflicts from arising. The whole herd was against Kron's actions except for those who felt pity for him; her mate, Flia, and now Hazel herself. Kron's nieces and nephews barely knew their uncle but they only heard of the cruel deeds he did near the end of his life. Hazel hoped that their parents, especially their mother, would tell of the untold side of the former alpha. She may have had a little respect for him before several weeks ago, but now she looked at him in a more positive approach.
In the human's eyes, after everything he had been through, he was just a sad old man that became bitter over the years.
Hazel ran up to Flia, her arms surprisingly wrapped around the flyer's neck. The Pteranodon lurched forward from the new weight on her body, yet she returned the gesture by wrapping her wings around the small human. Hazel let out sobs, letting her emotions run wild.
"I'm so sorry! I'm such an idiot! I promised I would be more accepting of everyone's survival thinking, but I was too stubborn! I never should have yelled at you!"
"Shh…it's okay Hazel. We were in a tough situation. Considering the hardships we went through and how you've been taking it, you're still getting used to things. Change doesn't happen in one night. ...I shouldn't have yelled at you either," Flia replied with empathy.
"I was too focused in completing the mission and saving Joel that I wasn't even thinking about our own safety! I'm just a dumb kid!" Hazel nearly mumbled her reply.
"No, you are not. You're young, and you're learning. You just need to be more aware of your surroundings. I am still upset about that elder's death, even though I did not know him. But I know enough that he sacrificed himself for a noble cause. He wanted this to die honorably; it was not our place to intervene."
Hazel pulled away, yet still remained in the Pteranodon's embrace. Her eyes took on a shade of red and the tears fell continuously like small streams. She stifled a couple sobs and used a free hand to wipe her tears.
"Do you...do you think that...Aladar will...end up like Kron? You know, with him turning into Kron should something happen to-," she said in between her cries, but was then interrupted by Flia shaking her head.
"I hope not. Kron was alone. He had little support when he was leader. He only had Neera, Bruton, and at times me to turn to. Plus, it was his actions that led him down the path that eventually led to his demise. The herd did not understand what he was going through, neither of them did. I told Eema the situation, but she did not believe me. I eventually gave up."
Flia stroked Hazel's head, feeling the silken hair in her winged fingers. "Aladar is a different case. I doubt he would be led astray. The whole herd supports him, and they support each other. Should he fall into trouble, the two of us, the herd, our friends, his family, and everyone here in the valley, will be there to support him."
"I'll hold you to it," she sniffled. Hazel gave her a small smile and then pulled away from Flia. She looked out to the valley. It was getting quiet; she heard fewer roars and conversations. No vehicles were going around. The last of the Herd members were retreating back to the Valley Plains for the night.
"So, now what? We rescued a herd of Diplodocus, we saved Woodstock and Clearwater, but we didn't get another Allosaurus," Hazel asked her partner on their next move.
The flyer chuckled, making the human give her an uncertain look. "Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing. This is our mission, but you are the one who is in charge. I am just there to keep you out of trouble. The decision is entirely up to you."
Hazel looked at Flia with a knowing smile. She did not need to think too hard about what her answer was going to be. And it was an answer that the sky scout was happy to agree with as well.
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Early evening…Nigel's Den
After their heartfelt talk in Old Gotama's Grove, Hazel and Flia parted ways for the night, their plans for their next adventure burned into their minds. The Pteranodon, being stressed the entire day, did not eat much at all. Her metabolism was halted by the flurry of emotions that went through her mind. As soon as the two were back at the main hub of the park, the pterosaur flew off to find some well-deserved dinner in the Valley Plains Lake.
As for Hazel, she immediately made her way to the one person who she could convene with about their decision. The darkening blue hues in the sky did not divert her away from her next task, nor did the cooling temperature. Passing into a large forested area a bit of a ways from the Holding Pens, she did not stop until she spotted a group of pavilions within the tree line. The girl climbed the stairs that led to the first one before traversing the wooden walkway leading into the office at the very end.
Finding Nigel in his office was easy. After all, there was where he usually went to document the day's progress along with working on his other plans. He wondered about her recent antisocial behavior, only to get the gist that everything had been resolved. When Hazel brought up the topic on why she was there, concern was drawn up to the park creator.
"So...you want to go back and try again with getting an Allosaurus?"
The girl nodded. "Yes. We got Charles' herd and the Supersaurus family through the portal, but due to difficult circumstances, we were unable to rescue a single Allosaurus."
"Well, I don't see a reason where I will say no," Nigel said with hope in his tone. "Flia will still be with you, right?"
Hazel nodded again, feeling satisfied that he was about to grant her permission. "Yup, as always."
"When do you plan to leave?"
"Tomorrow morning."
Nigel became surprised at her sudden answer. "Tomorrow? But, you just got here. Can't you at least just rest for one more day? Surely all that strain from traveling around the Jurassic for a few days is tiring."
The woman shook her head, determined to get this task done. "No, I want to go through with this now. Flia and I already discussed this. When we go back, we're rescuing the first Allosaurus we see, regardless of species. Allosaurus are known to live in small groups. Some live on their own. Considering Alyssa, I don't want her to be alone at all. I'd like to bring a companion back for her."
The man with graying hair contemplated on that thought. It did not take very long for him to give her a reply, and it was one she was happy with. "I see...well, as long as Flia is with you, I'm alright with it."
Hazel smiled with satisfaction. Finally, things were starting to go her way again. She hoped that this time, this attempt would be successful. The woman was going to do everything she could to make sure of that. Alyssa and her kind tend to live in small groups. They could live alone but eventually that mindset was going to wane. No, she did not want her to be like that.
Right when she was about to leave to get some dinner, something caught her eye on Nigel's desk. She looked over and saw a very peculiar picture of a fossil. The dull sheen of the paper and the faded colors used indicated that it was recently printed. Hazel's knowledge on where that picture was taken and who took it were rusty, but she would recognize that picture anywhere. It was of an Allosaurus fragilis skeleton, and it was one of the most famous discoveries ever made in the late 20th century.
Hazel gasped, remembering that exact skeleton. She had seen it before when she saw that picture in one of her books. This skeleton was moved around quite a lot and was now on display in a museum near Zurich, Switzerland. This skeleton was that of Big Al and was found in the Morrison Formation. She knew it was Big Al because of the unusual growth on one of its toes, which she could clearly see in the photo; it looked like a tumor was growing on all sides of it. In addition, many rib skeletons were broken, meaning that this individual had been in a recent fight before it died.
Big Al was one of the forerunners when it came to all Allosaurus discoveries. This fossil was one of the most complete skeletons ever found. Without this skeleton, there would not be any more information regarding this species. Scientists would not have known much about Allosaurus at all if it were not for this one.
And this worried Hazel greatly.
"What's wrong?" Nigel asked, noticing the change in her demeanor.
"Nigel, we may have a bit of a complication."
"Oh? And that is?" he replied.
"I'm looking at your picture over there," she gestured with a movement of her head. He looked over and saw what she was looking at. "That fossil was found in the Morrison Formation, right? Big Al?"
"Indeed," the man confirmed.
His eyes went wide with realization. He put two and two together in a split second. "Oh, I see. You're worried about bringing this individual back by accident."
"Exactly. Is there any way to avoid that?" She inquired, hoping there was an easy fix to this situation. If she and Flia rescued Big Al, there would be terrible consequences on the timeline. The present they live in could no longer exist, or they would no long exist. Recent discoveries after Big Al would fade into oblivion. Who knows what would happen?
Nigel shot her a wink, which half unnerved her and half interested her in his answer. "Well it's easy. I know the exact place where this fossil was found, along with any other major finds related to Allosaurus. We just need to plot a location in the Time Poles that is not in that certain time and location. Problem solved."
Hazel breathed a sigh of relief. Her hand wiped a drop of sweat from her brow. "Okay. Phew...that's great," she then schooled her features to make herself look presentable. "So, before Flia and I set out, is there anything you need me to do here? I can stay a bit longer if you want me to."
Her mentor shook his head. "It's alright. We've handled everything smoothly during your absence. A few days more shouldn't be a problem."
"How's Alyssa? Last time I saw her, she was sleeping in her enclosure."
The park leader waved his hand dismissively. "She's fine. She's almost recovered. It won't be long before she's off those antibiotics. We'll have to schedule a tour for her sometime soon when she's better."
"Great. And the Diplodocus, Woodstock, and Clearwater?"
Nigel gave her a thumb's up. "All doing fine. They've already toured around the park. Baylene is very fond of the lot, Charles especially. At least, that's what I heard from Bob. I also heard that Suzanne and her vets have already gotten to work on that young Supersaurus' leg. It won't be long before he's walking properly again."
Hazel felt elated at that new revelation. She knew there would be some way to help Clearwater with his leg. The medical advancements in this century had certainly gone far since the 20th century. Her knowledge on medicinal therapy and anatomy may be limited, but she knew quite a bit on broken limbs. She herself had a broken arm and a set of fractured ribs after Nero had lashed out at her some time ago. Her arm may be recovered, but her ribs still ache from time to time, only when she is doing strenuous work.
Clearwater's case was a bit more complex, but she had high hopes that he would make a full recovery.
"Now, if you're leaving in the morning, I suggest you go and get some rest. You've got a long day tomorrow," Nigel suggested.
The budding leader nodded in acknowledgement before walking away. Her meeting went off without a hitch. Now that she finally got permission to back again, she could focus her attention on her goal much more easily. That and the new Residents she rescued were well taken care of here.
It was around this time when she heard her stomach rumble. It had been a while since she had a proper meal. If she was going to leave tomorrow, she would need to get her metabolism back up to par. Packing would not be much of a problem either. Flia's saddle was already in her room; one of the other employees had removed it from the pterosaur after their argument and placed it in front of her door that evening. She could pack some food from the café. Her water bottles all needed to be refilled. Then she would need to pack all the other essentials, including restocking on some bandages in case something goes wrong on the trip.
She hoped this last attempt would be better than the last.
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Nigel breathed out a quick sigh. He did not know when she was ever going to leave at all. When she arrived at his office, he was about to work on something that was only for his eyes. If she saw it too early, it would ruin what plans he had for her.
He reached for one of the drawers in the side of his desk and pulled. The top drawer was filled with many pencils, pens, erasers, and post-it notes. But he did not have any need for one of them. He took out a peculiar pebble-sized pin from within. It was slate-black, with a clear lens in the middle. On the back was a hole that was covered by a silicon covering. Taking one quick look at it, he saw a red light blinking above where the jack was located.
Hazel had no knowledge of this, but Nigel requested Marcus to make another camera for him so he could slip it on Hazel discreetly. It was much like the camera he put into her bag, but he figured that there would be times when he would not have enough time to administer the hidden camera in there. This one he put on her when she was not looking the first and second time she and Flia went back to the Jurassic period. It was when he had to sneak into her room both times that he had to take it off.
His reason was the same; to see what she was going through on her solo journeys. If he was going to document her excursions, he would have to do so discreetly. Putting it on her was easy. He just had to reapply the adhesive pad on the back after every use via the supply Marcus provided him. Telling her about it was another story. He knew she might not be happy, so he planned to tell her at the right time when it was necessary. Hopefully by then she would have an open mind.
Nigel opened up a larger drawer underneath his desk. Within was his trademark laptop and a wireless mouse. Taking both of those out, he placed them on his desk. He then dug into his pocket and took out a wire that looked like an auxiliary cord.
"Good thing I slipped this off her when she wasn't looking. Now I just need to get this one on her tomorrow again. I should really be in some special ops team in London for this," he said jokingly.
He spent the next two hours on his laptop, watching the recent excursions Hazel and Flia went through in the past. He was entertained, amused, and intrigued at what they came across, sometimes even taking notes on what he saw. What he had in store for the footage he was collecting would surely please everyone in the park, and perhaps Hazel too.
He had high hopes for that.
A.N. Well, at least things are going in the right direction. Baylene has some more friends to mingle with, not to mention she found out she's not the last, in terms of time. And yes, we put in some background for Flia, Kron, and a little on Bruton. We wanted to expand on their histories a bit. Now, when Hazel first arrived in the Late Cretaceous and met Kron, she saw him as an arrogant and selfish tyrant. Now, she did not get the full story as to why he was that way, until Flia told her. Flia, seeing how wrong things were going when she served under Kron over the years, defected over to Aladar's way of living. So yeah, like Hazel, we view Kron as a "bitter old man" who went through harsh experiences and never fully recovered from them.