Chapter 25: The Heart Of A Raptor

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Josiah's POV-

We had won.

The territory of the raptors would now belong forever to Kara and her pack. Tholestes, Terias, and Fern joined me at the church so that I could fix their wounds. In fact, most of the pack was there getting themselves fixed up.

After the battle of the killing fields it didn't take long for the scavengers to arrive on the scene, looking for a free meal. The rest of the black stripes, without a leader or anyone to guide them, fled in different directions in the jungle like frightened rabbits. The damned cowards.

Pava and her sisters didn't join them. She stayed behind so that she could talk with Kara. At first, wary about her and her sisters, Kara wanted to chase away Pava. But Tholestes spoke up for her. She was allowed to leave with her life, but Kara told her not to come back to their territory again. Pava argued back that she and her sister wanted to join the forest pack and be apart of their clan.

Kara was outraged and so were some of the pack, including Fern and myself.

It took a while for things to calm down before they got worse. Kara told Pava that she and her sisters were not welcome to join the clan and to go away.

Respectively, Pava did what she was told and left with her sisters. Where were they going, I didn't know or cared. As long as it was far away from me. Tholestes seemed a little upset about it but didn't argue the matter any further with Kara. If I didn't know better, I'd say that my raptor friend had feelings for that female black stripe. Was that even allowed or possible? I didn't want to think on it. Too much had happened today and I just wanted to rest. I suddenly felt tired and my feet were beginning to give under me.

Tholestes offered me a ride on his back and I graciously took it.

How did I feel? Truthfully, I felt a little glad.

This island and the dinosaurs had me in grip of fear when I first arrived on it's beaches. It made me proud that I was able to survive here. Those on the mainland would've thought surviving here for nine weeks would be crazy and next to impossible. But Eric Kirby and his adventures on this island for eight weeks proved them wrong.

And I was going to do the same.

But I think I was mostly glad that I met Tholestes. He was fiercely loyal and willing to put his life on the line for for his pack. He was brave and caring and fierce as hell. But beyond that, there was something about Tholestes for which I couldn't even begin to think of him. When this adventure on Isla Sorna fades in my memory, and I don't know if it will, I will still be grateful to him for having pushed me to think outside of my own little world in Enid Oklahoma, and recognize my own strength.

When I first got here, I was afraid for my life. So many people on this island had died. Malcolm's group, the INGEN hunters, the people in the San Diego incident, and those three men from the 2001 Sorna incident.

The gossips of this place had not only caused a lot of fear and concern, it also made people think that the dinosaurs here were truly theme-park monsters like Alan Grant said.

But Tholestes, Kara, Fern, and Terias weren't any of those things. They were just animals trying to survive here the island without being persecuted and hated by humanity.

Well, soon they would see my work and they will know differently.

When we arrived at the church I went to work mending my wounds first. Darger's claws had torn my green shirt to shreds and my healed wounded shoulder was now not so healed anymore. But the good news was that I had the stuff for it.

After I was done with my shoulder I helped Tholestes with his wounds. Using fresh water and mud from the streams, like Tholestes had tight me to do, I went to work.

Fern and Terias were there in the church as well, waiting for their turn.

But there is a very big elephant in the room that none of us has dared mention yet.

What happens to us now?

In truth, I had only had about two weeks left before I left the island to return to the mainland. That aside, what about the future of Tholestes and his pack?

"Tholestes, what's going to happen now that Darger and the black stripes are defeated?" I asked him while applying some mud on his back where he had been scratched. I adjusted the translator device in my ears so that I could hear him better.

Tholestes turned to face me for a moment, then stopped. He had an uncertain look on his face, as if trying to figure that out himself.

"I'm not sure what will happen now," Was his answer. "with Phaganax dead and Kara with no alpha male to rule beside her, our pack might become disorderly. Normally, an alpha female does lead the pack but Kara can't be in two places at once to handle pack problems or hunts. The betas usually handle that problem, hunts and all that, but after today's battle..." He trailed off a bit and closed his eyes.

Fern finished for him. "We're not sure if the betas are going to be well enough for those tasks,"

Terias added, "And if not, then there will be no order in the pack."

This was a dilemma. The pack needed an alpha male in the clan, but who'd be worthy of the position?

I got my answer a week later one day while I was finishing up my last bundle of laundry. This would be the last time I would ever do it, too. Another week to go and I would be going home after this.

It was Terias who brought me the news. He came to come get me for some sort raptor alpha ritual at the nest. Deciding not to miss this, I put my wet cloths on the vine line to hang-dry, grabbed my camera, and went with Terias to the nest.

When we got there, it looked like ritual had just begun. There was a circle of raptors, fourteen in all if you count Fern, Terias, and Tholestes, who gathered around Kara and Phaganax's nest. And beside Kara, standing tall and proud, was none other then...

"Tholestes?" I said, almost tripping over a root with my foot.

I couldn't believe it. He was going to be the next alpha of the pack?

Some of the raptors in the circle turned their heads around to look at me, a little annoyed that I had shouted out loud like that.

Embarrassed, I quietly sat down and started filming. Terrific, Clover, you almost ruined the ritual!

Tholestes gave me a slight nod as the ritual continued.

Tholestes POV-

I faced alpha Kara and she did the same. I bowed my head to her and she touch my forehead with the tip of her snout. When she withdrew I stood straight up and turned to face my pack. They all stood as well and I in turn pointed my snout to the air and let out several loud barks, followed by a very loud screech. Kara did the same with her arms outstretched and then the whole pack did it. The jungle all around the nests filled with our noise.

The ritual was done. I was now the pack's new alpha male. The leader of the forest clan.

I felt pride swell within myself and I couldn't help but smile as I looked out over my future pack. With me as alpha the pack would no longer be without order. And it was all thanks to my grandfather who made this possible.

Fern joined me by my side and rubbed her head against my neck, purring happily. Terias joined my side as well, beaming.

Josiah sat where he was, filming with his camera-thing again.

I had to hand it to that human. He helped not only me and my sister and brother, but the whole pack as well.

When I first met him I thought that Josiah was just another human hunter from the mainland, hellbent on capturing us and stealing our eggs. But overtime, while he stayed at the worker village, I saw that there was another side to that human. And soon, after many weeks, we became friends. No, we became pack mates.

He wasn't like the other human keepers who had kept our kind in cages so long ago.

I was never really told about that sort of thing by my grandfather. Fern and Terias were only chicks when I was told a little about out our origins.

But the stories from my grandfather were so much alike there was bound to be a little truth in them.

After the ritual was done and the pack had settled in some of their own nests for rest, I went over to Josiah.

"Can you believe it, Josiah," I said as he stood up. "I'm an alpha of the pack now."

Josiah grinned. "It's great, Tholestes, and I think you'll do an excellent job of it."

I smiled. "Thank you, Josiah, that means a lot."

We spent the rest of the day talking about the future of the pack and how I was going to run it with alpha Kara.

We visited the battlefield to pay our respects to the fallen pack members who gave their lives to keep our home safe from the black stripes. In raptor custom, the bodies were never removed form where they had fallen. It was considered to be disrespectful.

My family and I paid our respects to our grandfather and Josiah and Kara went over to Phaganax's body to pay theirs.

The afternoon air was warm and the flies around the bodies were beginning to bother us, so we left.

Josiah went back to the village, said he needed to put away a few things before he had to leave for the mainland. It was going to be strange seeing him go. I'd gotten use to him being here.

I was going to miss him.

Josiah's POV-

My last week was coming up soon and Sunday evening felt like it was taking it's sweet time ending. I spent the whole of Saturday packing my camera equipment and tapes but kept my clothes ready to wear during the remaining following next week. I also gave myself a good shave down by the stream one afternoon, deciding that if I was going back home, I was not going back looking like a uncivilized castaway.

When Monday came and the last week of my stay here on the island was coming to a close, I went to the communications building to give Enrique a call on the radio. After telling him that the final week of my stay on the island was here, he agreed to pick me up on Friday afternoon at the docks, but he had to do it quickly.

When we were done and when the radio and equipment were turned off for the last time, I left the communications building and went back to the church.

I was going to miss this place, save for the carnivorous dinosaurs and bugs and creepy nights, but mostly I was going to miss the raptors. Not the black stripes of course, but Tholestes and his pack.

I had learned so much from them. They had saved my life, and I saved them.

If Friday had come any sooner, I would've spent the rest of the remaining week to take more pictures of the dinosaurs. It was Thursday evening, the sun had started to set, and I had asked Tholestes and his brother and sister to come to the worker village for one more photo before I left.

I had setup the tripod and set the camera for four second for the photo.

I then had Tholestes and his siblings take their places in front of the church's steps together.

Fern was a little nervous because she didn't know what the camera would do. But Tholestes reassured her that it was fine and I knew what I was doing.

I pressed the red button to click for the picture and then I took my place with the others in front of the church. When the camera clicked, with Fern blinking from the sudden flash of light, I went over to check and see if the picture was clear and good. It was. The photograph showed all of us together, with me right beside Tholestes. I took a double look and noticed that my body looked entirely different. Gone was the muffin-top and sides that made me look heavy. Now my body felt lighter and less heavy-like then before from when I lived in Enid.

I had to smile at this. It felt good getting in shape here on the island. The insects didn't bother me anymore and the air here felt cleaner and more breathable.

The sun was setting and Tholestes said it was time for the pack to go on their evening hunt back the nest. Fern and Terias went on ahead while Tholestes hung back with me.

"So, I guess this is your last day here on our island, huh?" He said, right off the bat.

I shrugged a little while putting my camera away. "I guess," was I all I could say to him.

"Are you going to miss it here?"

I looked him and smiled. "I sure will, Tholestes. Even your sister and your brother. You guys have been good friends."

Tholestes bumped me against my uninjured shoulder with his snout and purred. "It's going to be pretty dull without you here."

I rubbed his neck and his quills along his head rattled softly. "Well, the feeling is mutual. To tell you the truth, Tholestes, I'm going to miss being here on the island. I'm gonna' miss the dinosaurs, the fresh air, and the jungle..."

My voice trailed off a little and I stopped scratching Tholestes. I hadn't thought of this place as anything but dangerous when I first got here. But this island had pushed me and tested me in ways that no other survivor would have thought possible on the mainland. And I was actually going to miss being apart of it.

This island was paradise for the dinosaurs. They knew how to survive here. This was their home. And it had become mine.

Friday came early the next morning and I decided that it was time to do some last minute things to pass the time.

The first thing I did was take a proper shower in the bathroom. The stream was fine and all, but the water was cold. Next I turned off the hydro and the electricity. There was no use in having the electric and hydro on if I wasn't going to be here. Next was the jeep. I knew that having it around had been good for transportation and everything, but sadly I couldn't leave it out in the open. So I parked it right back in the garage and closed the door, locking it. The next job was to make sure that every inch of the church was searched for any loose empty canned food. I could not afford to leave trash behind like a common foolish camper.

Then came the decision of bringing the journal and translator back with me. The journal I could bring, but the translator device was another matter. This thing was a piece of advance technology that the people here on Sorna had built. To bring it back with me would mean that a scientist or nosy government person would want to use it and copy the designs. Well, that wasn't happening. I was going to keep the translator hidden from the public.

When it became the afternoon, I headed down to where the dock was on the beach, the sun hot. When I got there, the stuff with me making me sweat a little, I saw that Tholestes and some of his pack were there. He was waiting at the edge of the dock, his feet semi-covered by the sand on the beach. With him were Terias and Fern.

I raised an eyebrow. "Tholestes? What are you doing here?"

"We came to see you off, Josiah," He said. "I hope you don't mind."

I shook my head. "It's fine by me,"

I gathered all my things together in a pile on the edge of the dock and stood for moment to look out over the vast ocean, my mind wondering.

Once I got back to the mainland and went home, my life would forever be changed. My nine weeks on this island were over. I had survived Isla Sorna and had documented the dinosaurs all together.

Tholestes came up beside me, his eyes facing the ocean as well. As I stood beside him on the dock that day, I felt a little taller then I had been before.

Within two hours, the sky growing darker, I could see a dot in the distance and I could make out the shape. It was a boat. Enrique's boat.

"He's almost here," I told Tholestes. "I guess it's time to say goodbye."

Tholestes nuzzled me against my cheek, letting out a soft moan. I turned to face him and smiled.

"I'm gonna miss you, Tholestes," I said, trying to keep my lower lip from quivering. "You and this island have made a real difference in my life-"

Tholestes placed his head on my shoulder and all sense and reason went flying out the window. I reached my harms out and hugged him around his neck. We embraced for a long minute. Tholestes purred deeply and I hugged him even more. Terias and Fern soon joined us, rubbing their heads against my thigh and legs. I smiled down at the both of them.

After another minute of hugging, I backed away from the raptors slowly, meeting each of their eyes for a long moment. Dinosaurs were different then humans, but this goodbye was harder then anything I could have imagined. Dinosaurs like raptors could show emotion. They weren't cold blooded theme-park monsters. I swore to myself that if Alan Grant even thought of disrespecting the dinosaurs here on the island by calling them theme-park monsters, I was going to deck him in the face.

Kara came up to me and nuzzled my face as well, her eyes shining. "I am also going to miss you, young one," She said with a purr. "You may be a human, but you have the heart of a raptor."

She then joined in the embrace, placing her own head on my other shoulder. When she did this, along with the others, I couldn't take it any longer. I let my tears flow from my eyes as the sun shone it's radiance upon all of us.

By the time Enrique arrived at the dock and had all my things in his boat, Tholestes and the others had already left and had gone back into the jungle.

I got into the boat and settle myself down into one of the seats near the stern, letting out a breath as I felt tired all of a sudden. I didn't even hear the roar of the engine of the boat as Enrique turned us in the direction of the mainland. We didn't even speak, the two of us. We were in a hurry to get back before any patrol boats or planes spotted us near the island.

As the sun started to set and the wind in my face felt cooler, I turned around to look at Isla Sorna for the last time.

It was indeed a sight. That island was truly a place of wonder, excitement, and discovery. Those dinosaurs may need our absence to survive, and no help, but the footage I had with me would prove to the world that the island of Isla Sorna was truly a lost world. A world were they ruled the earth. And if Tholestes and his pack made it through together as one, then they would be fine.

I had grown stronger and wiser over my stay on the island, too. I had learned that the island of Isla Sorna was more then one of INGEN's research facilitates or a factory floor. It was what the dinosaurs called home-no matter what the people on the mainland thought. The animals had found existence there. They had trusted in nature and nature in turn had given them new life.

John Hammond was right all along; Life had found a way.

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Epilogue

Days went by before I could get back home. Enrique was nice enough to set me up in a hotel in San Jose. Along the way I met up with Rita and the others. Rita was happy that I was alright and I, after going somewhere private to talk, told the group everything on what had happened on the island since they had left. They couldn't believe it at first, that I was part of some raptor war. I gave them every detail about my experience and swore that I could see that the guys were truly astonished by the events that had taken place.

I even told them about Greg and his assistant, who's bodies were torn apart by the Troodons. Rita, Hector, and Eddie were both horrified and a little bit grossed-out by that.

In the hotel, shades drawn for some privacy, I showed the gang the video footage of the dinosaurs. True, it wasn't first grade National Geographic stuff, but it was workable.

Then came the day when it was time to go home. All of us boarded a plan together bound for the states the next morning.

As we took of off the ground and into the sky, I turned my head to my window and looked out. The clouds rolled by softly as the plane soared through the air. Somewhere down there beyond the ocean, surrounded by fog, was Isla Sorna. Site B.

As my thought drifted back to the island, I was certain of only one thing and one thing only:

Now and forever, like Eric Kirby before me, I was a survivor.

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Finally! I've re-uploaded the story!

Hope you guys are damn happy because my wrists are sore from typing!