Soundtrack: Escape from the Temple by Per Kiilstofte (stop at 2:18)
The previous day…
With the storm now at its peak, things had turned up for the worse. The Residents in the park, along with any other creatures that were adapted to the land, took shelter from the merciless Arctic winds and ice. Anyone outside would find their vision clouded by the wind and snow and their whole body becoming numb, unless they had fur or feathers to keep them warm. The only thing that could help them get through such a storm would either be smell or their general knowledge of the area.
Those were the only things that Rex Twins Terrence and Matilda had to rely on. Just shortly before, they were approached by a near-frozen César with grave news. The Saber cubs Tai and Sable had gone missing. The rexes were familiar with the cubs, being as they were practically the first prehistoric Residents to be born in the 21st century as well as being acquainted with their parents. They were warned of their upbringing and instructed not to reveal that secret to the children (which was no problem for them as at that time, they were busy feuding with each other). In fact, even before the humans gained the ability to speak to them, they heard about the Sabers' heritage via off-hand conversations with the vets and Suzanne.
Terrence and Matilda were told a brief explanation from the male Saber. The cubs had discovered their true heritage in an inappropriate manner and ran off in a fit. The Twins shuddered at how badly that turned out. They saw César riddled with guilt, no doubt feeling terrible for the incident. They had a feeling he and Sabrina wanted to fix things.
The Rex Twins were sympathetic towards the Sabers. Like them, they were raised by humans, even though they were secretly being watched over by their real parents. They had nothing against them and were practically good neighbors. They had to help.
They asked him the general direction the cubs went, which he gladly gave. Afterwards, the rexes rushed out into the bitter cold, using their hunter instincts to guide them towards one part of the forests several kilometers away. They could only imagine how frenzied the humans must be when César told them of the situation.
Like most predators, Tyrannosaurs relied on their sense of smell to lead them towards potential kills. And like scavengers, they can sniff out even the most rotten corpses from miles away. Thankfully, the Twins brief meeting with César gave them the scent they needed to track as the cubs smelled just like him.
However, their senses were being put to the test as the winter winds were messing up their sense of direction. They had to sniff out the ground and the vegetation for the cubs' scent. Any trace of them was ebbing out with each passing moment.
"The storm's gotten bad, sis!" Terrence told his Twin after shaking some ice off of his hide. "I can barely see in front of my nose! Maybe we should've just waited it out!"
Matilda groaned and gave him a menacing frown. "Terrence, we promised César we'd look for the cubs! We turn back now, we'll only show we're useless! We made a promise and we're keeping it!"
"I know! I'm just saying we should probably wait until this storm calms down before we keep looking!"
"We do that and we'll lose the cubs!"
"Those kids are smart! I've got a feeling they're taking cover! We should do the same!"
The female rex roared at him, making him back away a bit. He was reminded of the times his sister lost her temper...and how painful it could be to fight her.
"We won't be able to cover much ground in these conditions. Let's get back to the park and regroup. Once the storm dies down, we'll go out again. Besides, any longer out here and we'll be popsicles," he reiterated.
She hissed in a near-defeated tone. "We made a promise."
"And we're going to keep it. But it won't be much good if we end up dead too."
Matilda sighed, her breath visible in front of her in a brief ice cloud that wafted away. She closed her eyes and nodded. He was right. Sometimes she hated it when it came that way.
"Fine, but let's make sure César doesn't find us. I don't want to get a mouthful from him when he sees we came back empty."
As they turned around to make their way back to the park, they were stopped when two large shapes jumped in front of them. They crouched down and roared menacingly at the strangers, which were just about as tall as they were.
They expected them to attack head-on. They ambushed them after all. Their memories brought them back to their mother's demise, when she fell to another rex.
Only, these two did not engage them. When they came closer, they noticed hints of blue scales and brown feathers passed the icy winds.
"Whoa whoa! Easy!" said the one with blue scales, which turned out to be female. "It's Azura! Remember? From before?"
The two of them eyed her for a moment before relaxing. While they were relieved they were not in danger, they were rather caught off guard.
"Geez! You scared us!" Terrence told her off.
"We thought you were some rogue rex coming to eat us!" his sister added.
The second individual turned out to be another familiar face to them. They wanted to shake their heads at how stupid they acted towards one of their first friends in this time.
"Do we look like rogues to you?" Aurora said in a half-joking manner.
"Hey Aurora!" Terrence greeted, trying to keep face at the female. "Uh, what's going on? What're you doing out here?"
Did they hear their conversation? Were they here to get answers to their secret? Or were they just here to invite them elsewhere and derail them from returning to the park? The Twins hoped that was not the case.
"Perimeter check," the daughter of Tundrous and Sitka replied. "The adults were pushing for it as of late. But seriously, we were going to ask you the same thing."
The Twins looked at each other nervously. Of course they were going to ask that.
"We're…*ahem* looking for a couple friends," Matilda started bluntly.
"Yeah they got lost in this storm," Terrence picked up on it and continued. "One of our other friends asked us to search around and that's what we're doing."
Azura widened her eyes in surprise. "Oh. What kind of friends? Are they rexes?"
"Uh, they're a couple of kids," Terrence danced around it. He hoped it was enough. "Look, we really need to get moving. They're lost out here. We're worried something bad must have happened to them."
"Aw! Those poor things!" the blue Gorgosaurus whined.
"As much as I sympathize with you guys, you won't be able to find them out in this storm. It's best to get someplace warm and wait," said Aurora.
Azura sighed, her sympathy still at an all-time high. Clearly she has a weakness for young children. "Yeah...oh! I've got another idea! Why don't you come with us?"
The Twins eyed each other, both of them making a quick gulp. Terrific...just what they were afraid of.
"My dad is hosting a rally in a bit. We've invited a ton of friends from around here," she said with emphasis on the last bit like some enthusiastic teenager would. "Maybe we can ask them and see if they've seen your friends!"
"Oh um...thanks but...uh…" Matilda stammered, struggling to get an answer out. She nearly keeled over when her brother said something that made her want to kick him.
"Okay. We'll come along."
"Cool!" Azura grinned and rushed in between them towards the opposite direction, clearly missing the gawk that the female rex was giving her twin. She was then followed by Aurora. "Now come on! Let's hussle out of here before we freeze to death."
They walked for several minutes through the forest tundra. The winds were freezing their backsides. They guessed that with the weather like this, they were probably going to get into some cave soon, something they desperately needed.
The two of them kept on looking back, where the park was. Their plan was clearly derailed now. Though, at least they were spared from telling the Saber parents the bad news. They were also downtrodden that the trail of the cubs was now getting colder. Neither of them could pick up their scents as they discreetly kept sniffing the ground.
When Aurora and Azura were far enough ahead of them, the Twins broke into a quick conversation.
"Why'd you do that?" Matilda grit her teeth in a tone that neither of the girls ahead could hear. "César asked us to look for those cubs. We're just making this more complicated!"
"I know," said her brother, "but if we said no, they'll get suspicious. Azura said there's a gathering not far from here, and if we didn't attend, they're going to be on our case. Let's just play along for now. When the opportunity comes, we'll slip away and get back to searching."
The female rex cocked a brow. "And if they catch us?"
"We'll come up with some excuse."
Matilda thought for a moment before nodding. "Alright. I'm with you. But if any of those don't work, I'm bolting back home."
The two of them cut the conversation there. It was on time too as Azura had pushed them to hurry up. The Twins rushed up to their oblivious companions, unaware of the growing danger the Park was in.
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While the rexes were being sidetracked from the cubs' trail, Sabrina was having the same sort of trouble. As an experienced huntress, she had been able to track down carrion from miles away. The wind blowing furiously passed her had caused her to lose the scent in the air. She had to rely on sniffing the ground and the trunks of trees and bushes just to get hints of them. The problem was their scent was faint and the wind could just be leading her astray.
Still, she did not give up. She did not care that her legs were frozen solid or that she couldn't feel her body. She did not care that she was getting hungry or tired. This all happened because of her, and she would not stand for it.
Sabrina to the middle of the trail and sniffed again. The smell of dead trees and frozen corpses and other scents filled the air. She kept at it, trying to find the scent of the cubs…
She stopped. She sniffed again. The smell of savannah grass, and odor, both feline and human. It was faint, but she had no doubt. It had to be them!
The Saber went to another bush. The scent was there too, only it was stronger. The trail led her to a few trees further up, and then back to the middle of the trail. They were much stronger in the middle of this huge indentation. Perhaps they stopped for a bit before moving again.
But that was when she picked up something else. It was a foreign odor. One that smelled of rotten corpses, blood, and pine, along with a few other scents she could not distinguish. This one was different. A chill ran down her spine.
While their time in this land was short, Sabrina knew the scent of a large predator anywhere. Her stay in Prehistoric Park taught her that. If there was a large predator here, it could be tracking the cubs too...
Sabrina kept moving onwards, breaking into a sprint, unaware of the true form of the mark the snow was covering. She had to find them as soon as possible. There was no doubt they were in terrible danger.
Her tracking brought her to a part of the forest where the space between the trees was larger. The cubs' scents were stronger here. The vegetation was mostly covered by snow. The branches were bare and hung over the clearing like they were bony fingers trying to grab for prey. The wind blew almost freely and howled like angry spirits. It was a truly ominous area.
That was when she found two small shapes cowering in the middle. Two small brown balls were huddled close to each other, trying to stay warm.
Sabrina gasped. That was them!
She ran up to them but stopped abruptly. She went into a defensive stance and growled. They were not alone. Towering above the cubs was a large blue predator much akin to that of Terrence and Matilda. The smell of carrion and blood from earlier was coming from him.
"Ah, so you were the one following us," he rumbled with interest. His yellow eyes stared back at her with chilling intent. "Here I thought you were some scavenger trying to get their claws on some grub. You're quite big for a mammal…"
Sabrina glared at the huge predator, only taking one quick look at the cubs to see if they were okay. She found no signs of injury, something that was relieving.
"What have you done to them?" she growled, baring her ferocious fangs.
"What?" he chuckled and made an unsettling smile. He looked down on the cubs and back at her as he spoke. "Oh, that's right! How could I forget? I found these two lost in the woods here. I'm not much for taking in kids, but you know, I couldn't leave them out here. Sweet kids, by the way."
She bared her claws, digging them into the snow beneath. "It sounds to me you're looking to harm them. Now let them go, or I'll shred you to bits!"
"Calm down, will you?" the tyrannosaur rolled his eyes before making a toothy grin. "I'm not done yet. I heard quite a bit about you."
The huntress narrowed her eyes. She controlled her emotions as he spoke about what he knew of her.
"Yeah that's right, your kids told me you abandoned them when they were young, mostly out of fear. And don't even think about denying that. They're yours. You left them, all because of a tragic accident before they were born. I felt sorry for them, I won't deny that. But I also couldn't help but feel a little...tick for that. You are indeed an exceptional mother."
That bit of sarcasm made Sabrina want to bite his head off, no matter how large it was. The few minutes of meeting this monster told her he was the type that would make anyone follow him.
"Children! I don't know what other things he has told you, but they are lies!"
"We were out for a quick walk back to my cave when we caught your scent," he continued, ignoring her useless warning. "Of course, the kids here got scared and I told them you were coming. They wanted to be back to their home, back to their real mother."
Sabrina growled, once again keeping her emotions in check. "They want to be with me, where they truly belong."
The beast huffed. "Is that so?" he chuckled. "We'll see about that. In my travels, I heard a story of a parent losing a loved one. They mourned for days on end, that was until a new one came along. The new mate was ill contempt towards offspring not their own. So the children died in the end. It was a sad fate, I should say. So that begs the question, what will you do with them?"
The Saber female's eyes narrowed. She had heard tales in her youth of parents killing their offspring, specifically offspring they did not produce themselves. Why would they bother raising the children of others that may fight you one day? There was more benefit in raising children you produced yourself. It was a cruel way, but one that her kind had to live by.
Sabrina was lucky. She did not have to go through that nor was she a victim of such cruelty. But she could sense what the theropod was getting at. And she did not like it.
"I'm a parent myself," he said. "I care about my kid. I'm sure you have your dark past that you're trying to fix, at least from what I am gathering. I know you won't end up like that trivial parent in my story. So I will give you an opportunity. You can have your kids back and be on your merry way. You'll prove me wrong and show how much you care about them. If not...well, you can use your imagination. Now...make your choice. Come for them," he leaned down to their backs. His hot, stinking breath making their fur blow forward. The cubs cowered even more, "or leave."
"You put a single tooth or claw on them-" she threatened before being cut off.
"That all depends on you."
The sound of sniffling brought her attention down to the cubs. Her cubs. She felt her heart being pulled for the first time in a very long time when she looked upon those sad faces. They were scared, and she could feel it.
"Miss Sabrina…" Tai sniffled, his eyes filled with tears. "Do you...do you really care about us?"
"He told us…" Sable quivered, " you didn't care."
"That's not true!" she retorted. "If I didn't care about you two, I would not be out here, looking for you! I risked my own life to find you, to bring you home safely."
"But…" the male cub shakily said, "you said before…"
"I know what I said," Sabrina grimaced at the memory of her words before. She looked at them with a pleading look. She was a strong huntress, one who rarely showed any form of emotion. To them, this was the first time she was showing emotional weakness. This time, she was sincere. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I did not play my role as your mother. I should be punished by the Great Being for that. If there's anything I wish for in this world, it's for you two to have a good future. I've had time to face my fears. Tai, Sable, if you will allow it, I want to be in that future with you. So please, come back. Come back to your real family. We'll start anew. I promise, I will never leave you again."
"She left you behind," the tyrannosaur rumbled behind them. "What makes you think she won't do it again?"
"Don't listen to him!" she retorted, growling at the lying, overgrown lizard. "He's lying! He's going to kill you!"
"It's a cruel world out here. She never raised a paw for you when you were born. She still won't do so now."
"That's not true! I looked after you! Those times you played with your friends and those times you were in danger? Ce-your father and I came to save you!" she defended, correcting herself on her mate's true identity to them. "We were there to ease you in your sleep. We shared our food with you. We taught you how to survive. Tai, Sable...I miss you!"
Sabrina stopped. She could not believe what she had just said. She never thought she would say something like that, but that was what she was feeling right now. She and her mate were there to protect the cubs, even as they slept. They watched over for any predators approaching, despite the safer circumstances they were in. They would ask about their conditions to the humans at times. They saved them on different occasions during park breakouts and other dangers.
Back then, Sabrina could not admit her feelings to the children. She was too afraid to open herself up in fear of losing them. But now...after saying that, she felt like something was alleviated from her shoulders.
The cubs stared at her, shocked.
"You...you do?" said Tai.
Sabrina shuddered, both from the cold and from her disbelief in herself. She briskly nodded.
"If anything happens to you, where I can't save you or you are taken from me, I cannot bear to live out my days without either of you. I would lay down my life for you. You're my children, nothing can change that."
Those words alone were the clincher. The cubs stared at her, their teary eyes still overflowing with water. But something was now different about them. Sabrina was true to her words. She wanted to fix the mistakes of the past. For some reason, something inside her gave her the strength to stand her ground. She knew that this predator would not keep his word. She knew he was going to kill them. He was just toying with them. The fact that she came to their rescue was proof enough that the feeling inside was burning brightly. It was something she had not acknowledged for a long, long time.
It was love. And the cubs saw it, for the first time ever from their biological mother.
Sable mouthed something. Sabrina could not make it out entirely. It took a few attempts for her to say it. When she did, she could feel herself nearly fall to pieces at the delicate word.
"M...Mama…"
The huntress shuddered. She never thought she would ever be called that. Something drove her to step forward, to go to the children. Her children. She had to go to them. She had to be with them.
Her motherly stupor was broken when she saw the blue tyrannosaur rear his head back. Even more unsettling was the smile he still bore.
"Well, that settles it. This is very touching. I'm glad things did work out. I tend to keep my words so I'll return them to you…"
Sabrina continued to stare at him. Was he really going to keep his word? Was it really that easy? Does this sick creature really have sympathy for her?
The maniacal grin he made spurred her forward. She watched helplessly as he leaned back to unleash his devastating bite on the cubs.
"AS CORPSES!" he laughed.
The cubs looked back and screamed. They only had a split second as the jaws that offered them "protection" came down upon them.
That is, if they ever did.
A brown blur had broadsided the beast and latched itself onto his side. The Gorgosaurus roared in surprise as it tried to throw his attacker off. He even tried to shake him and slam against trees, only for the creature to claw itself on the other side of his girth. A powerful, feline roar echoed through the forest as scales were met by claws and large fangs.
Sabrina had no idea how César had gotten here so fast. She was still a bit annoyed at him leaving her to go find more help. She was glad she avoided wanting to give him a few bites for doing so later.
When she finally got to the cubs, she took a quick glance at how the battle was going. The fight had already gone from one part of the glade to the other. Bits of scales were flying up as César scratched away at the once pristine blue hide. Streaks of red were now adorning parts of the creature's body. So far, César was holding up well against a predator larger than him. But Sabrina knew he would not last long.
"Kids! Get moving!" he told the cubs as he sank his fangs into the scaly hide, causing the tyrannosaur to let out another agonizing yell.
The huntress nudged the both of them on their backsides with her muzzle, getting them to run. She followed after them, making sure they were running ahead of her. All the while, she directed them towards the direction of the park.
With his mate and children now out of the predator's reach, César took this opportunity to escape as well. He leapt off the beast's back and bound after them, leaving behind clouds of kicked snow. In mere seconds, he was gone.
The Gorgosaurus shook his head, his vision getting back to normal. His body stung from the new scratches. The snow and winter winds bit into his body like insects. Blood dripped down onto the pure snow. He looked ahead where the smell of the mammals went. His chances of an easy meal were now gone.
"Rah!" he roared in frustration. "Clever mammals…"
He then made a small smile. "Oh well, it's not like this is the last time I'll see them."
He walked onwards, following the trail of the Sabers, only to turn east once he reached a fork in the path. "I have other things to tend to."
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Present day…
Upon average, a blizzard can last from hours to several days, perhaps even weeks. This was not uncommon in places like Alaska, especially during the Late Cretaceous. However, the natives and visitors of this Alaskan valley found relief when the blizzard let up a day and a half after it started. In hindsight, it was a small mercy.
The storm had resulted in the whole land to be blanketed by snow and ice. The snow was at least three feet high by the time the storm finished (at least judging from some areas of the forest). Kerato and Patchi both had to push and flatten the snow in front of the cave just to give the group some leeway when leaving later. Trees that were too weak to withstand the winds had now fallen onto the ground. Any hint of green vegetation had now been covered by the snow. One only needed to shake a covered plant to get at the green goods.
Hazel's rescue team knew that traveling in such a storm while it raged was not smart. Now that the storm was over, now was as good a time as any to return. They needed to get back to the park, not just for Hazel's safety, but for everyone still there as well. Except there was a small problem with their human patient.
Hazel's fever had spanned pretty much the whole blizzard. Thanks to Daisy's efforts, and the eldest Veran's sheer will, she was able to clear much of the sickness. The nausea disappeared and she found herself able to walk, but only barely. The only things that remained now were the small headaches, the slightly felt high temperature, and the periods of fatigue. By Daisy's estimates, she should be much better by the next day, with the proper treatment.
Which brought the group to the current issue at hand. As they sat around a still burning fire, they discussed their next course of action as Hazel slept in her sleeping bag next to Aladar.
"My sister still hasn't fully recovered," Hanna said worriedly. "She can barely walk."
"We need to get back to the park," Chris argued, but not so loud as to wake up Hazel. "Right now, nobody is leading it. They're basically going about blindly without us."
"Yeah," Ellis nodded. "And I can barely get anything out of the radios. We're too far out of the communication range."
The vet sighed. "As much as I agree with you two, I will have to side with Hanna. Until Hazel is rested more, we should stay a little longer. But still...I do worry about the sick Residents we have…"
"All the more reason why we need to get a move on. Besides, Veran's condition is borderline unstable. Her treatment is limited right now," the future head keeper pointed out.
Aladar sighed and slowly got up, taking care not to accidentally step onto the sleeping Hazel as he gingerly stepped towards the entrance to the cave. Thankfully, Patchi was against the west wall and Kerato (and his horn) did not bar his way out. The wooly rhino merely needed to turn his head. He returned once the Iguanodon's back was outside.
"Chris is right," he said, acknowledging the human. "In the situation we're in now, Hazel won't be able to heal properly. We need to go back," he gestured to the outside with his head.
Espantos, who had been squatting in front of Kerato to stay warm, hopped up and ran to the bare space on the eastern wall. His wings and feathers (including the ones on his head) were tightly tucked to preserve warmth.
"Ooh, if we're leaving now, I can carry the Hazelnut," he took one quick look at Ellis, who seemed to be a little irritated, "if that's okay with you, Super Awesome Best Friend."
The young man pouted and put his hands on his hips. "Dude, I thought I always had 'shotgun' on you."
"I don't know what a Stop Gum is, but this is a big emergency. The Hazelnut is in danger and she needs me," the Miocene predator ruffled his feathers for a moment, becoming fluffy then normal in an instant.
Ellis whistled a long, descending tone. He seemed to be a bit nonchalant about it. "Wow, didn't think of you as the heroic type."
"Oh, um thank you, Espantos," Daisy said with an apologetic tone to her. "But I think it would be better if she rode on Kerato, Aladar, or Patchi here, or better yet be in the cart."
"What!?" Espantos squawked, his head feathers rising in outburst. Those around him shushed him down, with the humans putting fingers on their lips. The giant avian clicked his beak a bit and continued in a more whispered tone. "Are you doubting my skills? I can get her back faster than you guys!"
"No, it's not that," the vet shook her hands in a swiping motion. "It's...well she might fall off of you. Someone will need to make sure she does not."
"I can carry two," he argued.
"Okay, but she also needs to lie down. Don't forget, she's still sick."
Seeing the logic in that, Espantos sighed and huffed, making a pouty face.
Ellis quickly got up and patted his partner on the neck. Underneath those feathers and through his gloves, the engineer could feel the bird's strong, muscular neck. The Phorhusrhacos made purring sounds from the strokes the human made on his neck.
"Hey come on, don't be that way," he started. "You still got me."
"Okay…" Espantos rolled his eyes in a comical fashion. The human patted him in what almost sounded like a slap. The giant bird nudged his partner down to the floor, the man landing on his butt. The two of them shared a quick laugh.
While the group found the tender moment to be welcoming, they were also aware of the situation. Aladar cleared his throat and brought their attention back to him. He put on a serious gaze before making a small smile.
"Then it's decided. Let's wake the others and get moving."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It was a tender operation, getting Hazel onto Aladar's back. She needed to be supported by someone as she was still a little weak from the fever. Thankfully, her companions were around to assist her. This brought about memories of her first migration with her friends, back when she and Aladar first laid their eyes on the night sky together. The only other thing that was different was the fact that Chris chose to ride alongside her, just to make sure she did not fall off. It was something that Hazel did not like at all, even though they were already on good terms. Daisy tried to get Hazel to ride in the cart, but found the woman to be quite adamant in riding with her friend.
The riding arrangements went off without issue. Daisy of course chose to ride on her partner. The same went with Ellis on Espantos. Flia chose to ride on Kerato rather than Aladar as she found his fur to be a warm relief on her feet. Hanna was the only one to ride the ATV after Ellis gave her a quick lesson on how to drive it.
Thankfully, the ATV was able to escape with Patchi and Kerato "shoveling the snow" away. The Elasmotherium used his huge horn as a scythe to make a big enough path. Then the Pachyrhinosaurus would push more snow out of the way to make the ATV's path more bearable. Once they got out into the valley clearing, the ATV was able to drive itself without much of an issue.
To those who are in Alaska for the first time after a snowstorm, it was like being in an alien landscape. Well, except for Kerato as he grew up in these conditions and he could not see too well. Almost everywhere they looked was covered in snow. The tops of the trees were covered in snow. If the snow they experienced before was both beautiful and hazardous, then this was on a whole new level. The skies were clear, showing the unblemished stars above. The full moon behind them had illuminated the landscape, lighting everything in its eerie glow. The snow seemed to have sparkled under the moonlight. The tops and sides of the mountains were now covered in a lot of the white stuff.
It was breathtaking.
Ellis suggested that the humans put on their night vision goggles, but was then counteracted by Daisy. It was not every day that they got to see a winter landscape after a snowstorm. They agreed to put them on after several minutes though. He did have a point when they needed to watch out for predators in the forests, which were the only areas that seemed darkened. If they were not in the Late Cretaceous with the risk of huge predators lurking about, they would not need to be on guard. In fact, it would have been a pleasant midnight stroll.
Overall, the trip was a quiet one. They needed to be if they were on the lookout for danger around them.
The silence was broken when Alex, who was perched on Patchi's frill, made a loud yawn.
"I'm sleepy," the bird smacked his beak and made another yawn.
"Then take a nap," said Patchi.
"Someone needs to keep watch," the small bird peeked through the hole of his friend's frill. "I can see in the dark better than the rest of you. Big eyes, you know."
"How do you know that?"
"I just know," said Alex. "Besides, remember that time you got your head stuck in the tree after you grew horns?"
"I couldn't see because Scowler kicked some dirt in my eyes!" Patchi defended.
"And then you ran into said tree," the bird stamped his feet on the back of the dinosaur's neck. "I had to chip away at the tree to help you get unstuck. Then I had to guide you back to the nearest stream, all while keeping an eye out on things."
"Still had dust in my eyes," replied the annoyed ceratopsian. "Still doesn't prove you have better eyesight."
"Oy, get this into your thick noggin," he poked at the back of the bony shield, making the horned dinosaur yelp a little. "Anything with big eyes can see good. No offense, amigo. It's just how things are."
The ceratopsian alpha snorted and shook his head. "Alright, whatever."
The bird then hopped onto his friend's frill again, this time to scope out the landscape. Moments passed without any news. It was quiet again, something that helped Hazel to ease into sleep again. She had been listening to their bickering even though she had her eyes closed. She found their bantering to be quite amusing, almost reminding her of Eema and Yar arguing over something petty.
Sadly, it was not to be as Alex had spotted something in the distance.
"¡Un momento! Stop! Stop!"
The whole group stopped, startled by the sudden outburst from the Alexornis. Hazel was jolted awake by the jerking movement of Aladar and started to look around. With some assistance from Chris, she put on her night vision goggles. She started scanning the area through the tinted lens, which had caused everything to appear dimmer and green. The dinosaurs and prehistoric beasts in the group spread apart slightly, trying to scan for anything that caused the bird to go on alert.
"What? What do you see?" Patchi asked the avian on his frill.
"Two carnivores to the left," he said, resulting in everyone looking over in that general direction. "Oh...make that four."
Sure enough, the predators that Alex spoke of came into view. There were four of them, just like he said. Three of them were large, most likely larger than anyone in the group, with the fourth being smaller by a few feet. They were slim, yet muscular, with the jaws being slightly narrow. The group got anxious when they saw they were looking at a group of tyrannosaurs.
Hazel was nervous as soon as she saw them. She feared them to be Albertosaurus. Or worse, other rexes. Figures, if the Albertosaurus were brought here by the abundance of prey items, there was no doubt that other large predators would flock here too. She would not be surprised if they also tailed Patchi's herd to this place and were biding their time.
However, it was what Aladar said next that stopped her cold.
"Wait...is that...Terrence and Matilda?"
Exclaims of surprise went up, only to be shushed by their companions. Hazel looked again and sure enough, she could see the tell-tale features of the Twin Rexes. They walked along the forest edge, and it seemed like they did not notice they were being watched at all. It was almost like they were transfixed by the other two that were with them. Hazel hoped it would be kept that way, for everyone's sake.
"Looks like it," said Chris.
"Huh, they must be hunting," said the engineer, trying to make a quick excuse for them.
The future head keeper cocked a brow. "Unsupervised? That's not part of the deal we made to the park. Where's the staff? And no one told me we had two other rexes in our roster."
"Well, maybe those two wanted to go for a midnight snack?"
Chris huffed. "Right, breaking the rules and going with two complete strangers."
"Something's not right," Hazel straightened herself, ignoring the miniature headache in her noggin that built up from the sudden movement. "We need to follow them."
"Oh no you don't," reprimanded Hanna, who gave her a scolding look. "You're in no condition to go off on some espionage run. We need to get you back to the park."
"No sis, you need to. Mom is worried sick and I'll feel a little better with you behind the White Noise Cannons."
The younger Veran sibling scoffed. "She's worried about you too."
"Terrence and Matilda know me," the future leader defended. "I was the one that helped end their feud before. I can talk some sense into them if something does go wrong."
Patchi grunted threateningly as he looked back at the tyrannosaurs. "By that, do you mean turning traitor on us?" he gave her a suspicious look.
She shook her head. "I don't believe that. They wouldn't."
"I'm with Hazel," Aladar turned his body towards the oblivious tyrannosaurs, who were now walking past their vicinity. "They saved me before. They wouldn't betray us."
"Alright, here's the plan," Chris started, getting everyone's attention. He looked at everyone in order as he went on with his plan. "Alex, Patchi, Aladar, Veran, and myself will go and follow the Twins. The rest of you will head back to the park. Ellis, I need you to man the White Noise Cannons; make sure anyone on guard duty is on high alert. I'll radio you guys to let you know when we're approaching. Daisy, you and the vets need to be ready too in case things do get bad. And Veran-lite…"
The young Veran frowned, still miffed by that innocent nickname.
"Just listen to your sister's advice," he simply told her. The girl just gave him a scoff.
With that said, the group disbanded. Kerato, Flia, and Espantos left towards the park, with the humans in tow. Aladar, Patchi, and their companions went west, following the tyrannosaurs. They made sure to follow a distance away and made it a priority to stay quiet, unless they needed to give out any strict instructions. When the espionage reached into the forest and they made a turn in the valley, they followed as well, making sure to take great care in where they stepped. One broken branch would risk exposure.
As they tailed the unsuspecting predators, they found themselves coming towards another part of the valley. By now, they were already a bit of a ways from the opening leading into the area with Temporary Park. Hazel kept thinking about the reasons as to why the Twins would go about their way to disobey the park's orders. They were not ones to turn their backs on the park. They were not deceivers. They did have their flaws, but traitors were not one of them.
Hazel got her answer when she turned her head to the left. Her eyes bulged when she stared at the huge crowd of sleeping tyrannosaurs outside the forest. When her companions did the same, they were also just as shocked.
From where they were standing, there was a whole line of them that spanned the outside of this forest. Some were rearing their heads back for a quick yawn. Others were walking about for whatever reason. Neither of them saw any sign of an herbivore.
Hazel relied on her memory of dinosaur biology. They were all tyrannosaurs all right. She saw no hints of the Albertosaurus that the park had encountered earlier. But she did notice some that looked similar to them in all but color. When she removed her goggles to get a better look at their features, she saw feathers ranging from deep red to dark brown and even white. Some had speckles in their feather downs. But that was not the only species she noticed.
There were other tyrannosaurs that lacked the feathers on their bodies. They were pure scales, not feathers. Hazel found that a little strange; the Albertosaurus she encountered were feathered, yet these ones were not. She was not doubtful; Terrence and Matilda were the prime examples. Evidence of predators having feathers at all were only recently discovered. She speculated they were from other regions.
She also wondered about what sort of tyrannosaurs they were. Patchi mentioned having run into Gorgosaurs in the past, before the Albertosaurus. Perhaps that was what they were, but different species? Maybe they were Tyrannosaurus rexes? They could also be Daspletosaurus. They were in the Late Cretaceous, so this was the appropriate time for them. If it was not, that did not surprise her as there were other creatures she encountered that were not native in certain time periods (like her encounter with the Dilophosaurus and Baylene). Then again, with how far out they were, she could not tell what they were if she could not get a good size comparison.
She was disturbed by those thoughts. If they came from other regions, then why did they come here of all places? Why leave their natural habitats? Her thoughts deviated back to Patchi's story of their recent journey. The Albertosaurus tailed them all the way to the valley. They were driven to hunt down hordes of prey. These ones must have a reason as well. She dreaded they were here to hunt down hordes of prey as well.
The group was chilled by the sight of the multitude of carnivores. They wanted to turn back and warn the park, but they needed to find out why the Rex Twins were here in the first place. They did not want to go back with any misinformation.
They kept tailing the young tyrannosaurs quietly, using the trees and snow-covered brush as obstacles to hide them. Eventually, they made it to another forest clearing. A circle of trees surrounded the snow glade, with several mounds of snow, bushes, and rocks to provide some cover. The clearing was only slightly brightened by the moonlight above, making the goggles somewhat unnecessary. The hunters seemed to have stopped there, so the espionage group used a group of rocks and bushes as cover, which was not far from a fallen log that they had to go around. Peeking over, they found their targets being approached by more tyrannosaurs. Once again, Hazel removed her goggles to get a better look at them.
Three of them were feathered, much like the lone youngster they were tailing. The largest one was covered in brown feathers with a mix of white plumage. The slightly smaller one closest to him was also brown, but lacked the white plumage on the head. The third was about the same size as the smaller tyrannosaur, looking quite similar to the largest one in appearance. Hazel wondered if they were related at all.
That left the last individual. This one lacked any feathers, as it had blue scales like the target they were following. It was slightly larger too, with a bit more muscle to its features. A relative perhaps? She would not be surprised if the larger one was the parent. There were also those dark red stripes all over its body. Did it just escape from a battle recently and was recovering? Still, this one and the smaller blue one were the smallest in the gathered group. They were only barely larger than Patchi, meaning he and Aladar could take them on easily, if it were not for the other super predators in the area.
Her attention was brought away when she heard the ceratopsian snort threateningly. His eyes radiated hatred and anxiety. His hooves dragged on the snow and he shook his frill, as if he were ready to charge.
"Ay caramba…" Alex whimpered, hiding behind the frill to avoid being shaken off. "This is not good."
"What?" Hazel inquired. "What is it?"
"That's him…" Patchi growled. "The blue one. He killed my family before."
The young woman gazed back at said tyrannosaur. She recalled the stories Patchi mentioned of his encounter with this certain predator and its kind. Her eyes trailed down to the creature's chest. They widened when they found the right arm to be healed in a mangled sort of way. The fingers slightly moved, meaning it must have gained mobility quite some time after their last fight.
"Easy Patchi," Aladar quietly said, only barely easing the furious horned alpha. He once again peeked around the snow wall. "They're about to talk."
Hazel felt a pat on her shoulder. Looking over, she saw Chris taking something out of his coat pocket. That something turned out to be a cell phone. He fiddled around with the screen until he got to a certain feature; voice recording. Hazel acknowledged the idea and took her own out. Whatever was going on here, everyone else in the park would need to know.
The group fell silent as the meeting unfolded.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Terrence and Matilda braced themselves. The four of them were on their way to find Azura's dad for information regarding the missing Saber cubs when they were approached by that same individual, and Aurora's family. They did not expect to be found by them.
They would have gotten to this place earlier had it not been for the storm. Strong and resilient as they were, the Twins could not handle the cold, something Aurora and Azura felt sympathy for. Poor Aurora was freezing as well. So they took shelter in a nearby cave and waited for the blizzard to die down. Besides, they needed rest too. It was after the storm ended that they started their way again.
The Rex Twins were amazed at how many other tyrannosaurs were around. Their eyes only took a fleeting glance at one part of the predator gathering outside the forest. They were a little elated at the fact they were not the only ones in the area, but that did leave them wondering as to why there were so many gathered. They also thought about associating with some of them in an attempt to get in touch with their lost roots. Azura mentioned they were "family friends". If they mentioned Gorgon's or Azura's name, perhaps they would be entailed to teach them.
Then again, that did not excuse them for having a "bad feeling". They did not know why, but something was just not right with this gathering.
"Ah, if it isn't the naked rexes!" Gorgon greeted, taking a few steps forward towards the Prehistoric Park rexes. "Didn't think I'd see you two. We were just heading out to look for the two of you. How are you holding up this time?"
"Freezing," Matilda downpanned, trying to keep her body from shuddering in the cold, "but we're dealing with it."
The blue Gorgosaurus squinted at them, almost in an investigative manner. "I see…"
"So what happened to you?" Terrence eyed the Gorgosaur's body. "What's with the scratches?"
"Oh these?" he rumbled with laughter. "Very observant. I got into a bit of a fight with the wrong creature. Don't worry, I'll get my revenge eventually."
"Hey Dad," started Azura, who got her father's attention, "sorry to interrupt, but we were hoping you could help Terrence and Matilda here."
Gorgon looked at her with a little toothy smile. "Oh, can that wait for a bit, sweetness? See, we were hoping to discuss something with them first, hence why we left to look for them. Actually, it would be grand to have you and Aurora join in as well."
"A meeting?" asked Terrence.
"A miracle opportunity has shown itself to us. One that will help us survive these cold times."
"Oh? What do you mean?" went Matilda.
Said blue Gorgosaurus snorted. He started walking around them in a circle, all while keeping eye contact with them, as if he were corralling his prey into a smaller area. The Twins found this to be unsettling.
"Hm...I'm not sure if you kids are aware, but with these cold days comes the inescapable pest in the form of hunger. We need to flock to areas where prey gather while finding places to stay warm. And that means having to tail them. Other than caves and huddling together, one of the best ways to stay warm is to eat."
The Twins eyed each other curiously. Gorgon's statement did make sense in a way. After a hearty meal, the two of them found they could withstand the cold a little better. They wondered if he was referring to other hunting grounds in the area. If he was, that did sound promising. That meant other opportunities to practice hunting like true rexes.
"Usually," he continued, "these cold days don't bring up much promise. Sometimes we'd have to invade other territories just to get the things we want. You've been here long enough to know this winter is a hard one."
"Oh come on, Dad!" Azura whined impatiently. "Quit making us wait! What are you getting at?"
The older azure predator shook his head. He stopped in front of the youngsters and went with his point. "Oh alright. If my daughter wishes for it. We heard rumors and after a bit of scoping, we fell upon that Golden Opportunity."
He smirked. The Twins felt intrigued and a little excited by what he had to say. Excitement filled their bellies as to what promise this smaller predator had to offer.
"The part of the valley a bit of a ways from here with those tall structures," he simply stated.
The Twins frowned. They shuddered at the statement. That was not what they were expecting. They knew what he spoke of, and neither of them were pleased with it.
"I heard that there are scores of prey items in there, enough to feed us for the rest of this winter, maybe even until next winter!"
This was bad. Very bad. Gorgon was intending to hunt down the Residents and humans in Temporary Park. Neither of them knew he was aware of their presence. How long had he been considering this? Did he get close to the park? Or worse yet...did he see the Twins there? Did he know more about them than he let on?
If he intended to start hunting anyone there, there would be blood on their claws. He may not know how much sympathy the Twins had for those in Temporary Park, but if anyone there died, it would be on their guilty conscience for the rest of their lives. Or if Gorgon died, that would be bad on the native predators too. There may be a huge altercation as a result. Neither of them wanted to think of Azura becoming an orphan.
"You can't!" Terrence objected, surprising the other tyrannosaurs.
They all eyed him quietly, curious as to why he would protest against such an idea. The only one who did not was Matilda, who was trying to conceal her emotions as well.
"Why not?" asked Gorgon, keeping his smile.
"They're dangerous," he started, being blunt at the same time, "all of them. If you go up against them, it'll be certain death."
"Oh we're up to the challenge," the smaller predator chuckled deeply. He gestured his head over to his right. "Our army will overwhelm them."
Both of the Twins went pale. The huge group of tyrannosaurs were not just here to hunt. They were here to hunt their friends! Their worst fear was coming to life. Deep down, they felt as if all this happened because of them. They should have tried harder to veer their predator companions away from the park. Or better yet, they should have just obeyed the park's rules about the curfew. They should have stayed put. Then none of this would have happened.
Then again, they would have never encountered Aurora, Borealis, their parents, and Azura if they had not left the park that one time.
But because of their naivety, they are paying the price with their friends' lives! The very ones that looked after them!
"I've sent word out to our friends about this place," said Gorgon. "They're here for one reason, and it's to raid that part of the valley. We're ready for anything that comes."
"You can't go through with this," Matilda warned. "They'll hurt you! There's too many of them! They'll-"
"Matilda," Tundrous interrupted, "You can stop now. Drop the act."
Matilda froze. Both of their hearts skipped a beat. For a moment, they stopped breathing. Neither of them liked what was coming next.
Sitka took a few steps forward and gave them a suspicious glare. "I've had my eye on you for quite some time, even before we crossed paths in this valley. You're not from around here. You're in line with those strange beings within those structures."
"No we're not!" his sister denied.
"Enough," the huge male rex commanded. "We've seen you leave that place countless times. We've seen them lead you around like they're the leaders of your pack."
"Oh boy...busted…" Terrence thought, grimacing.
The Twins glanced at each other, giving out guilty looks. They were really in for it now. They did their best to conceal their secret. They tried to keep these native rexes from knowing about their other lives. Now, there was nothing to hide. And they were very ashamed.
"Wait," Borealis looked from both his parents to the Twins. His doubts were increasing by the minute. "So you two were raised by...whoever or whatever is in those structures?"
Both Terrence and Matilda nodded, each showing apprehension for this big secret.
"Whoa…" he went bug-eyed, "my dad doesn't lie, but that's unbelievable."
"That does explain a lot," said an equally amazed Aurora.
"So if you live there," Azura said, taking on some excitement, "then you can lead us in, right? You know all their strengths and weaknesses! You can help us!"
"No!" Terrence protested. "We didn't agree to this!"
"You can't attack them! It'll end badly!" his sister seconded.
Gorgon cleared his throat, still bearing that smug smile from before. Only, the Twins felt something very off about him. He looked like a parent was amused with something their child said. Except, it was almost as if he were struggling to keep that optimistic composure.
Neither of them knew what Gorgon was like if he lost control. They figured he would be a scary sight, even though he was a lot smaller than an average rex. But if what he was saying was true, then he really wanted to go through with taking on the park, risks be damned.
"Okay kids," he said calmly in an eerie sort of way. "I know what you're trying to do. From what I'm gathering, you've been raised away from your own kind. You're soft because of them," the Twins kept a brave face on despite his shaming. "Don't you see this is a golden opportunity, not just for us but for you too? Join us. We'll bring you back to your roots, show you what it's like to be one of us."
The Twins narrowed their eyes. An opportunity to become what they were meant to be. Real rexes! But, at a great cost.
"If you don't...well I don't have much control over my friends when they get into a feeding frenzy. I know you two as smart kids. I know you'll make the right choice. Hey, if you help us, I'll make you official members of my pack."
Matilda growled, seething with anger. His promise of a fresh start meant giving up their friends. No, they did not want that. They wanted to be what they were made to be, but at the same time, upholding their familial bonds to the park.
Neither of the Twins liked Gorgon's offer. And what he said next made them want to rip his head off.
The other tyrannosaurs went on edge as Matilda went about her banter.
"No! Those humans and Residents you call prey are our friends! They raised us! They took care of us! They taught us the differences between right and wrong! As unbelievable as that sounds, they're our family, our pack!"
"Look, you don't have to go through with this," Terrence said, trying to play the peacemaker. Knowing his sister, she would be very hard to control if she went on a rampage. "Let's just go and talk to them. Maybe we can settle out a resolution. We've got a friend who is pretty good at that," he mentioned, offhandedly referring to Hazel.
"And that place," Matilda continued, "that park, is not just filled with herbivores. There are carnivores too."
Her words ignited an insatiable curiosity among the group, specifically the feathered rexes. They watched her as she went on with the defense.
"And they all live together with those herbivores. Everyone looks out for one another. It's a place where no one goes hungry. They took us in when we were young, after we lost our parents."
She glared at the blue male Gorgosaurus with much determination. "We will NEVER turn our backs against them."
From her protest, they could see Gorgon's amused facade begin to drop. He started to frown, which quickly turned into a sneer. To them, this was the first time they saw him becoming displeased. In their peripheral vision, they could see Azura becoming a bit agitated, almost as if she dreaded what was going to happen next.
The Twins ignored that. They stood their ground. That was all that mattered.
Matilda sighed. She backed away and let out a breath. "I'm sorry, but we won't help you."
From that, Gorgon let out a half-hearted laugh. The Twins' spines got a bit more of a chill from him than the cold air. "Well, I was hoping you two would join us. It's sad to see you two wasted this. I'm only going to tell you this once," he sauntered up to them in a threatening manner, causing them to back away. "Don't get in our way. I'd hate to waste young blood. If you do, my army and I will be sure to make your deaths painful."
They got into a defensive stance. Their teeth were bared and their talons dug into the snow-covered earth. If he wanted to get at their friends, he would have to go through them first.
That was, until Tundrous ran up to Gorgon, turned his back towards the Twins, and pushed the oncoming predator back. The Gorgosaurus yelped in surprise and hissed in anger.
"Gorgon wait! Perhaps we don't have to go this way," he cried out. The male rex crouched and spread his legs to give him a wider girth to protect the younger rexes.
Gorgon growled, his eyes now taking on a more predatory gaze. "Get out of the way, Tundrous."
"They say they were raised by these beings. They practically fed them. They protected them. Perhaps they can help us too."
"By filling our bellies with their flesh!" Gorgon spat.
"No! If they helped these children, perhaps they can offer us sanctuary from this winter. And if what they say about what their pack has is true, this may lead to unnecessary deaths. See the logic in this. Don't take such rash steps."
"These kids have been babied by them!" he said with such venom. The Twins could clearly see now that even he disliked anyone he viewed as weak. "They act like leaf-eaters! They're weak, spineless even. They even smell like them. The only way to survive is to follow your instincts. We are hunters, not weaklings. And I intend to follow my instincts!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Hazel was on the verge of fainting, and not because of her still lingering fever. The fact that the park was about to be invaded by an army of hungry tyrannosaurs was a lot to take in. This was a lot worse than the Albertosaurus attack. She did not know how many tyrannosaurs were attending this attack, but if she heard this Gorgon correctly, their numbers were large enough to take on the park.
The situation was worse than she thought. The park would not take this news very well. There would be panic and turmoil. The Alaskan Pachyrhinosaurus were taking sanctuary with the park and even they would not take this smoothly.
That went double for the alphas that were present at the moment. Both Aladar and Patchi were horrified. Their herds were about to be served up as guaranteed buffets to native carnivores, and they had no experience with battling an army this large. Hazel could tell they were very conflicted, and they were being gripped with terror. They cared about the livelihoods of their herds, and the thought of them falling this way was enough to break them.
Alex was just as terrified. All he did was cower behind Patchi's frill. He was muttering to himself as he covered his face with his wings. It was a good thing it was not as loud.
Just like Hazel, Chris was just as upset. He was quiet, but through that silence, she could tell he was ready to bolt back to the park. He was most likely coming up with strategies to save everyone. Though, she did not know what sort of ideas he was coming up with. The only thing they had that would further prove to everyone at the park of this invasion would be the recordings they had.
Then there was the issue with the Rex Twins. If she was hearing this right, the two of them had been sneaking out to galavant with these native tyrannosaurs. She did not get the full story, but she did come up with a theory. Neither of them knew what it was like to be a real Tyrannosaurus rex. For much of their early lives, they were raised by humans, only going off of stories they heard on what their kind was like.
Hazel supposed it was the Park's fault. They were too restrictive on their heritage, only because they were afraid of them going rogue and going back to their basal instincts. But that was because trust relations had not been fully established at that time. Now, both sides trust each other. A need to embrace their heritage was great, and that was something the Park would need to resolve somehow.
The young woman could not help but feel a sense of pride with the Twins when they stood up for the Park. They trusted them and viewed them as their family. Her feeling on them never turning traitor was correct. She was happy about that, happy that they knew what was important to them. She felt like a mother watching her children expressing what was right, putting family above all else. While she did not technically raise them much of their childhood, she did teach them values. The Twins really had grown up.
Then there was Tundrous. The way he had objected to Gorgon's advance to attack the Twins was a shocker. He believed the Twins on the Park possibly taking care of them, something that Hazel was quick to consider. She sympathized with Tundrous, and to an extent, his family. All they wanted was to survive. This winter must have put so much stress on them, with the cold and the hunger always trying to bring them down. Perhaps they were not inclined to going to war; they seemed to be partial to the park.
Hazel considered this development. Not all of the tyrannosaurs present were up to an invasion. If these rexes sided with the Twins, maybe they could also help with the situation. And with the Park back in the 21st century going through a huge renovation, there would be enough space and resources to help them out. Perhaps they would consider the idea of living in Prehistoric Park. Nigel would be okay with it.
But at the moment, that seemed to be a far off fantasy. Temporary Park was in danger. They needed to get back. Everyone needed to be warned.
Chris stowed away his phone into his coat pocket. He patted the woman on her shoulder, making her jump a little.
"We got enough," he whispered. "The park needs to be warned."
"Agreed. Let's get out of here. Quietly," she whispered to the alphas.
The two dinosaurs nodded and they turned to retreat. They gingerly stepped away from the barrier, keeping their bodies as close to the ground as possible. Seeing the fallen log from earlier, they briskly went around it, which brought their bodies slightly into the general direction of the tyrannosaur group. Hazel hoped they would not notice two large shapes moving and take a chance at a free meal.
No one seemed to notice them. They could still hear talking in the glade. Everything was going well.
*SNAP*
"Damn it!" Hazel whispered loudly.
The group froze. Her eyes fell on the source of the twig snapping; Patchi. He had inadvertently stepped on a branch that protruded from the snow. The tiny tree limb was not broken in two.
Aladar quickly looked back, his face riddled with apprehension. Everyone else followed. They saw the tyrannosaurs perk their heads up in surprise.
"What was that?" the blue female Gorgosaurus said, looking agitated as she searched in all directions.
"Wait," Gorgon sniffed the air. "I smell something."
He sniffed again. "Something familiar. I smell…" he growled, showing off his razor sharp teeth in a maniacal grin, "leaf-eaters."
His head snapped at the group. Hazel gasped, quickly covering her mouth to stifle the sound. But it was already too late. They had been spotted.
"SPIES!" he roared.
Hazel straddled Aladar's back tighter. Her hands gripped his back as tightly as they could. "Oh shit! RUN!"