Otto XI
The two growling direwolves rolled into a stalagmite, trading bites and snarls as dust kicked up all around them.
"Easy now!" Otto shouted.
One of the wolves whirled around and snapped at the air where Otto's hand had just been. He flinched away and nearly cursed, but thought better of it. No weakness. I can't show fear. Instead, Otto drew his sword out from his scabbard by an inch, letting the unruly wolf see the glint of his steel blade. It was the equivalent of baring his fangs in warning. The wolf immediately flattened its ears and slunk backward, its tail drooping down below its legs. That's right, Otto thought. You don't command me. Don't presume to ever attack me again. Not a moment later, a grey blur slammed into the submissive creature, and both wolves were at each others' throats again.
Otto groaned and looked to Winter for help. The great white direwolf was perched on the highest ledge of the cave, watching the scuffle uninterestedly. Winter yawned at Otto and looked elsewhere. I suppose he's right. I should know better than to interfere in the pack's customs. Stopping wolves from fighting for dominance is like asking them not to breathe. Otto sighed and stepped back a few paces. At least the others are moving in fine. Glancing around the cavern, Otto was glad to see that most of the pack had claimed a ledge or alcove to call their own. Moving into brand new territory was bound to come with a few complications, and unfortunately some wolves saw it as an opportunity to climb the social hierarchy. There had already been a few fights over prime cave locations earlier and they usually resolved themselves quickly, with one wolf coming out on top. Even as Otto watched, one of the wolves flipped onto its back and flashed its underbelly in defeat. Aside from a few bruises and a slightly more cramped sleeping space, the loser would be fine. The winner took its time to gloat before allowing the defeated wolf to get back up.
Otto left the two to sort out their own business. He made his way around a corner to check on the other wolves who had claimed spots deeper in the cave. The lower-ranking pack members inhabited this area, which was damper and darker than the previous section. Otto spotted Eclipse nestled in a nook, nearly invisible against the cave walls. Shadow, Spot, and Stripe, the three youngest wolves, had a corner to themselves. The siblings were still play-fighting for control of the highest sleeping ledge. Lurking in the deepest reaches of the cave, the two omegas One-Ear and Sly made their homes. The wolves all bowed their heads down when Otto passed. Most of the pack recognized him as Winter's equal.
With everyone safely settled, Otto turned back to the main chamber of the cave. He was pleased to see that the two wolves from earlier had settled their dispute and were licking their respective wounds. All of the mid-ranking wolves had claimed spots around the circumference of the circular chamber, while the highest-ranking pack members occupied spots on a series of ever-taller ledges. Winter himself was sprawled on the very highest spot, with Dust and Shina slightly lower on either side of him. The alpha direwolf bounded down from the ridge and brushed up against Otto's side. He smiled and scratched the wolf behind the ears. Otto still found it slightly strange that he had to reach up and not down to pat Winter's head. Although he was not likely to grow any larger, the white direwolf was already huge. Far larger than the fledgling adult Otto had met on the beach.
"I think everything's settled here. I'm checking on the castle, want to come?" Before Otto had quite finished his sentence, the direwolf flicked his tail and loped toward the cave entrance. Otto laughed and jogged to catch up to his friend.
After ascending a winding passageway, they arrived at the underground river. Winter easily bounded across the icy water in one leap. Otto resorted to using some slick wet stones that spanned the underground river as a makeshift bridge, shielding himself from the spray of the waterfall with his arms. Winter waited for him at the other end and they continued onward together. After a few minutes of slowly making their way up the cave, they emerged into another chamber. Three other tunnels branched off from the central atrium. One dived down sharply, to where a direbear mother and her cubs were currently being contained. They were the original inhabitants of the cave system, far before Otto and his group had arrived. Even if they were still skeptical of humans, they would one day be great assets to the tribe. Otto had cordoned off the direbear tunnel with strong iron bars, and stablehands were sent down everyday to deliver meat and water to the bears. The process of building up trust would take a long time, but would be well worth it in the end.
Another corridor twisted upward, and would eventually lead to another chain of chambers higher up. Those caves were exposed to the outside and commanded a scenic view of the hotsprings. Otto wasn't entirely sure what they could be used for, but Alysanne's argentavis seemed to prefer roosting up there instead of the stable roof.
A faint glimmer of natural light peaked out of the third tunnel. Winter was already making his way toward that one and Otto followed. After climbing a gentle slope, they emerged into daylight, basking in the full glory of the Hotspring Hold. . . or at least what had been built so far.
Around a dozen stone buildings of varying sizes were sprouting out of the ground, like mushrooms after a heavy rainstorm. They were neatly clustered around the four central hot springs, from which the tribe drew its main source of water. Otto hadn't been sure at first, but after consulting with Willam he knew the water was safe to drink. At the far end of the plateau, a thick stone wall was slowly being raised along the lip of the cliff. The framework for a gatehouse had also been set in place, but so far it was only a skeleton. Even though the miners and foresters were hard at work gathering materials for the base, they were far from being anywhere near finished. Otto took a moment to take the whole construction site in.
Teams of builders were laying bricks or hammering planks into place on the newest houses, while pack animals were being used to draw raw resources up the mountain. A steady stream of creatures were emerging from the ramp; megaloceros drawing wagons, wooly rhinoceros with logs strapped to their flanks, and even the occasional mammoth towing trees behind it. Kevan the head steward was acting as the foreman, waving builders around and sending messengers to relay orders. He stood atop a half-finished watchtower to get the best vantage point over the construction site. The most important buildings were already finished, since they were absolutely necessary to sustain a presence here. Otto had sent builders three weeks in advance to construct the stables, storehouse, and silo. Only after the essentials had been built, did Otto bring the bulk of his forces to complete the project and move in. Waves of men and women had slowly been trickling in over the past week and progress was going smoothly. With the absolute necessities taken care of, they were free to work on less pressing matters such as the defenses, sleeping quarters, armory, and barracks. So far everyone had set up temporary tents off to the corner. It had been a bit chaotic for the first few days, but now some semblance of order was starting to appear as permanent buildings were being constructed.
About a hundred people had moved into the Hotspring Hold; over half of the Wolf Den's population. Upon announcing the discovery of a promising new base in the mountains and his intention to settle it, Otto had piqued the curiosity of many survivors. He had let them decide for themselves whether they wanted to stay or join him, and to his surprise the vast majority followed him into the mountains. Otto had left Willam behind as Lord of Wolf's Den, while he himself established his new court here. The Hotspring Hold was a great middle ground between the three periphery castles under Otto's jurisdiction, and its strategic location had proven invaluable so far. Jeyne and the other diplomats had experienced success contacting the mountain tribes and arranging trade deals, and the strength of the tribe was slowly growing every day.
Otto smiled at the construction work and motioned for Winter to follow. Although the main plateau was home to many essential buildings, there were still a few others scattered higher in the mountain. Otto turned back toward the cave that he had just emerged from. Off to the left, a rough trail twisted its way upward between pillars of rock, toward higher plateaus nestled near the mountain peak. The wind had eroded this part of the mountain in a unique manner, and Otto had taken inspiration from the natural beauty of the stone formations to build a castle around it. The project was on hold until the rest of the base was complete, but he could easily imagine its soaring towers and magnificent archways. Otto started up the trail with Winter at his side.
After a few minutes of twisting between stone walls, they arrived at The Forge. Maron had set up all his blacksmith equipment inside a cave along the main trail, and the cavity was fully exposed to open air on its west flank. Consequently, the opening of the cave acted as a funnel for wind, allowing the blacksmith to easily stoke his fires into blazing infernos by opening a pair of winch gates outside his forges. Maron and his two apprentices were hard at work inside the cave. Otto was almost loathe to disturb them, but the blacksmith noticed him and waved invitingly.
Winter entered first, sniffing at metal equipment splayed on the desks. Otto followed a moment later, marvelling at Maron's setup. His new workplace was over twice as large as the one he left behind at The Wolf's Den. Everything had already been organized; a large anvil took up the center of the room surrounded by three workbenches in a triangle formation, four forges were placed directly in the path of the wind, and the walls were lined by tool racks and armour stands. Otto noticed that Maron had even reserved an area for wagons to park and unload raw ores into marked bins.
The blacksmith gestured around the room. "How do you like it?"
"I like what you've done with the place. You've been hard at work I see," Otto grinned. "I was stopping by to check on how you were doing, but I see there was no need."
Maron laughed. "Well I'm glad you dropped by anyway. There's something I wanted to give to you. Come on, right this way."
That piqued his interest. What could it be? Otto thought as he followed the blacksmith. Maron stopped by one of the workbenches and reached underneath to retrieve a parcel wrapped in hides. He handed it to Otto, a wide smile on his face. "I never properly thanked you for saving my life all those months ago. Take this as a token of my appreciation."
Otto accepted the package in his hands, and was surprised to find it heavier than expected. A sword, he thought immediately. He unwrapped the hides to reveal a plain-looking leather scabbard. Otto turned it around curiously, getting a feel for its strange weight. He gasped when he caught sight of the hilt. Crafted in exquisite detail, the pommel and crossguard bore the likeness of three snarling direwolves. The wolf's head on the pommel was wrought in gold, while its two brothers were made of silver. Both wolves on the crossguard were running away from the hilt, their front paws outstretched as if to pounce on some unsuspecting foe. Otto gripped the supple leather of the hilt with his right hand and unsheathed the blade in one fluid motion.
Otto's breath was taken away. It was the most beautiful sword he had ever seen. The steel shimmered like tempered glass, shifting colours ever so slightly in the dull firelight. Most of the sword was pale grey, so soft it was almost white. A few ripples of azure and cerulean flashed when Otto turned it around. The entire blade almost seemed like it was coated in ice. It reminded Otto of a frost-tinted window on a cold day. He gave it a few test swings and the blade hummed through the air.
"I call her Frostbite but you can rename her whatever you want," Maron said.
"That's a perfect name," Otto muttered after a few moments of stunned silence. "Thank you Maron. This is the most exquisite sword I've ever seen. It's almost as if I'm not worthy of the honour."
The blacksmith chuckled. "Don't mention it. I had some help too. Farrier designed the hilt, and Jon came up with the idea of carving wolves."
Otto realized that both of Maron's apprentices were also watching him unpackage the sword, grinning at his expression. Otto turned to look at each of them in turn. "I cannot thank you enough. This sword is an amazing work of art. You should feel proud of yourselves for creating something so magnificent."
Otto swung the blade a few more times, amazed at how smoothly it cut the air. The edge was razor-sharp and he imagined it could easily slice through flesh. He laughed nervously. "I still don't think I deserve this."
"As I said, t'is a token of our appreciation. Without you, our lives would've been hell. You saved us from near certain death."
"It's just a part of my job, there's no need to thank me this extravagantly. I would have saved you any day, regardless of the circumstances."
Maron shook his head. "That's exactly the thing. To you it's nothing, but to us it means everythin'. I'm sure I speak for all the members o'this tribe when I say we wouldn't be anything without you, Lord Otto."
Otto found himself blushing. "It's truly an honour to serve alongside fine men such as yourselves. How did you craft Frostbite anyhow? The sword seems far heavier than normal."
Maron grinned. "Remember that meteor shower a month back? The miners stumbled upon a few fragments and brought them back. You're holding steel from the skies."
"It's amazing," Otto marvelled. "Such fine craftsmanship too. All of you truly outdid yourselves."
Maron gestured at the hilt. "I figured we'd honour your wolves as well. Three of them died saving me but they'll live on forever with that sword."
Otto turned to examine the hilt again. Apollo and the others. So the gold wasn't just a design choice. He once again found himself speechless from the thought and care that had been put into Frostbite. Otto gestured for Winter to come over and showed him the three wolves. The alpha direwolf sniffed the hilt and wagged his tail approvingly. Otto laughed. "Winter likes your work as well."
"I'm glad. Practice using her well," Maron cautioned. "A blade is only as good as the man who wields it."
Otto nodded. "I'll bear that wisdom in mind. I swear to you, even if it takes me years, I will become worthy of holding your sword."
Maron laughed. "Oh I believe you'll get there just fine. Go on now, we won't take away any more of your time."
After another round of thanking the blacksmith and his apprentices, Otto turned to go. He was halted by a voice calling out. Jon, he placed. "Wait, Lord Otto. Will you be needing me to accompany you?"
Otto turned back to his squire. "Don't worry on my account. I'm sure Maron needs you more at this moment."
The boy nodded and dutifully returned to his work. Otto unbuckled his old sword from his belt and left it on a weapon rack, sheathe and all. It was a plain arming sword, nothing special, but it had served him well for the past few months. He was somewhat loathe to abandon his old weapon, but he knew it would serve someone else well in the future. In the meantime. . .
Otto resisted the urge to give Frostbite a few more swings, instead sliding the blade back into its sheath. He tried clipping the scabbard onto his belt, but without much success. Frostbite was a longsword and was too ungainly to wear from his hip. Instead, Otto took the scabbard by its strap and slung it over his shoulder. He shrugged his shoulders, balancing the weight across his back until it felt somewhat natural. It would take some time to get used to it, but this was the only way to carry Frostbite comfortably. With the longsword safely resting on his back, Otto turned back to the cliff and left the Forge behind him. When he emerged outside, he saw that the sun had dipped a bit lower. It would be evening soon. The cliff commanded a nice view of the encampment below, and Otto spotted workers moving around like insects. Winter padded over to the ledge and sniffed the air, taking in the scent of cooks preparing meals for the night down at the main encampment below. Otto smelled it too and his mouth watered.
He sighed and made his way back to the rough dirt trail winding its way up the mountain. "Come Winter, we'll be back in time for dinner, I promise."
After a few more minutes of following the trail around curves and bends, pillars of rock and open air, they arrived at a long straight ledge — and they weren't alone. Winter tensed up immediately, his fur bristling as he crouched into a defensive stance. Up ahead, a small flock of argentavis were roosting on the edge of the cliff. Otto instinctively reached for his hip, then remembered he had traded his old sword for a new one. Instead, he reached behind his shoulder, and, after a few seconds of fumbling in the air, grasped Frostbite by the hilt. It was at that moment that Otto realized his actions were unnecessary.
Sitting astride the giant predatory birds were a small group of women, all wearing similar leather outfits with special gloves and goggles. These must be Alysanne's students, Otto realized. Winter had also reached the same conclusion and relaxed, if only slightly. The direwolf still wasn't used to associating with argentavis. Only rarely did creatures of the land come face to face with birds of the sky.
The largest argentavis suddenly dove off the lip of the cliff, gracefully gliding downward before catching an updraft of wind and flapping back to the ledge. Its wings were scarlet and its body feathers gleamed a lustrous gold-grey as it hovered near the cliff. That must be Crimson, Alys's bird. Sure enough, the rider sported bright gold hair neatly tied in a bun. Crimson lazily circled around the outcropping and Alys called down encouragement to the group. There were three other argentavis perched on the edge, each with its own rider mounted on its back. The birds were all smaller than Crimson and a bit more timid. A few of the argentavis gripped the cliff for dear life, unaccustomed to flying with strangers on their backs.
The fact that they were receptive to accepting human riders at all was impressive. After all, they had only been captured a month ago; ever since Otto and Jeyne had confirmed the hot springs as their new base location, Alys had worked hard to tame new argentavis. The Hotspring Hold was nearly impregnable from land, but vulnerable to air. Crimson alone wasn't enough to defend the skies surrounding the mountain, so Alys had set off to tame new birds with Otto's approval. Although he was initially wary of putting Alys in charge of an expedition, he had gradually come to respect her instincts. After all, without her quick thinking in taming Crimson, they never would have gained access to the skies in the first place. Otto had provided Alys with the numbers and equipment she requested, and she spent the following weeks bringing down argentavis after argentavis.
From what he learned, her tactic was to fly high into the clouds on Crimson and swoop down on weaker argentavis from above. Crimson's talons were drenched in narcotics beforehand, so all the huge bird had to do was tear into his opponent's flesh and drag them down, letting the narcotics circulate through their veins. Alys was always sure to pick small targets that Crimson could easily overpower. After the wild birds were knocked unconscious, it was simply a matter of leading groups of survivors to their bodies and loading them onto wagons. Alys had been extremely successful in her missions, capturing seven argentavis over the span of four weeks. Although not all of them were fully trained, she had made stunning progress with accustoming them to humans. Even as Otto watched on, three of the seven argentavis were tame enough to wear saddles and accept riders. Alys seemed to get better at working with the birds after every one she domesticated. Indeed, she had described the process as a trial by fire since Crimson had been her first and hardest tame. Nonetheless, now the fierce predator obeyed Alys's every command and she was growing more confident with every argentavis she brought down.
After some more insistent nudges from its rider, one of the argentavis finally pushed itself off the ledge and into the air. Alys cheered and Crimson swooped down to fly beside his airborne brother. The two argentavis twisted around one another gracefully. Upon their mounts seeing this, the other two argentavis riders finally managed to coax their birds off the ledge. Otto smiled. Alysanne's students were among the boldest and brightest young women in the tribe. They had been training hard these past few weeks for this moment, getting their bodies in peak condition and gradually building trust with their respective birds. Otto found himself swelling with pride at their accomplishments. Not only was it a great personal feat, but it also made the tribe as a whole that much more formidable.
After a brief flight around the mountain peak, Alys led her group back to the cliff and landed. She was debriefing her group when she spotted Otto and Winter making their way along the ledge. Alys waved and after a brief pause Otto returned the gesture. There was still a bit of tension between them but their relationship had definitely improved over the past few weeks. Upon Willam's insistence, the two of them had apologized to one another and agreed to reconcile their differences. After having months to cool off from their initial fight, Otto had slowly come to regain his respect for Alys. He still thought she was a bit too impulsive and hot-tempered, but he also began to value her natural strengths and instincts. Likewise, Alys had begrudgingly admitted that she now understood Otto's strict rules and policies. He was glad that she was taking steps to ensure the safety of the tribe and thinking twice before taking action. Otto could not help but think about the Mountain Hermit's wisdom and wonder whether it was time to share that news with some of his advisors. It wasn't anything groundbreaking, but he still thought it might be a good idea to caution his tribe members about the importance of deliberation and restraint in making judgements.
Nonetheless, Alysanne's steady progress with capturing and domesticating argentavis was a testament to her planning and critical thinking skills. After moving bases and upon seeing her steady improvement as a leader, Otto had conferred with Jeyne and his other advisors about a choice he was still somewhat unsure of. Otto suspected he might regret his decision but he was also willing to give Alys a chance; as a gesture of good faith, he had promoted Alys to Head Ranger of the Hostpring Hold. Since Rodrick was staying behind at the Wolf's Den, the position was vacant. Otto thought it was as good a time as any for Alys to prove herself. . . and so far she had succeeded. Not a single major incident had occurred at the Hotspring Hold and besides, Crimson was undisputedly the best choice for patrolling the nearby area. With her new division of flyers, Alys would be better-equipped than ever to fulfil her duties. Otto was just hoping she could keep everyone under her command safe and healthy; of course casualties were always inevitable, but ideally Alys would keep her impulses in check and prevent any more catastrophes like the one that had originally driven a rift between them.
With a sudden flutter of wings, the argentavis flock took to the skies. Crimson veered off toward the roosting caves where the birds were kept and the others followed. Otto guessed training was done for the day. With the argentavis no longer guarding the ledge, Winter finally relaxed and loped onward. Otto followed his wolf.
Their final destination for the day was the hidden mountain hot springs, where Otto had first made love with Jeyne amidst the meteor shower. This location was snugly nestled against the mountain and generally unobstructed by rock pillars. In fact, Otto considered it to command the best view over the surroundings. It stood high above the main plateau where everyone made camp, overlooked the Forge and most of the trail leading here in the first place, and even provided a view of the Wolf's Den far in the distance, albeit very faintly. The best part about this area was that it was nearly invisible from the main plateau. Looking up the mountain, it was extremely hard to see the hidden springs unless you had a good angle. For both the great view and the strategic location high in the mountain, Otto had chosen to build the castle keep here. Already the foundations were in place, surrounding the hidden springs themselves. The water features would eventually become part of the basement, and the keep would rise up around it.
A few small storage shacks filled with spare tools and resources were off to the side, along with a makeshift council room. The meeting table certainly looked out of place sitting among the gravel and rocks, but it would eventually have a home. For the chairs, Otto had split some logs and laid them around the round table. He had only hosted a few meetings here so far, mainly to receive reports from the builders and rangers. Almost everyone had complained about how tedious it was to get up here, but Otto thought a good ten or fifteen minute hike would do them some good. Besides, the view alone made up for any sore joints.
A handful of workers were hammering away at pillars and supports. Otto was pleased to see they had expanded the foundation since the last time he had visited. Of course, the keep would have to wait until the rest of the buildings down at the plateau were finished before they could get any real progress, but for now they were doing good. An elk-drawn wagon had docked near the sheds to unload more lumber, and men were going back and forth. Otto scanned the dozen or so survivors near the hidden springs until he found what he was looking for. His heart started racing a little faster when he spotted a figure inspecting a map on the meeting table.
"Jeyne!" He called out.
She turned and smiled when she saw him. "Otto! I was just about to head down and look for you." Winter sprinted over and playfully headbutted Jeyne. She laughed and stroked his mane. "It's good to see you too, Winter!'
"I thought I'd find you up here," Otto grinned as he bridged the distance between them. "You seem to be the only other person who doesn't mind the climb."
Jeyne made a face. "The others are all just lazy then."
"That's what I told them too!" Otto laughed. "What are you up to?"
"Just reviewing the terrain. Trying to figure out better trading routes and such." She turned and pointed to the map. "I think I've found a way to cut down the time it takes to get from here to the Wolf's Den by half a day."
"Really?" Otto leaned on her shoulder to look at the map. "That's quite impressive. I'm guessing there's a catch?"
Jeyne smiled mischievously. "We just need to create a landslide."
Otto laughed. "Ah, of course. Well we can figure out all those details later, come on let's get some food. Winter and I are famished."
"Sure. Just one quick thing." Jeyne leaned over and kissed him. Otto's world immediately got a thousand times brighter. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her deep into an embrace. After it was apparent that neither wanted the moment to end, the brief moment stretched into a small eternity. . . at least until they were rudely interrupted by someone clearing their throat nearby.
"What is it?" Otto snapped, whirling around. "Can't you see we're—"
Something about the man's expression caught him off guard. The messenger looked on the verge of collapse (probably from climbing up the mountain) but that wasn't it. The way he glanced at a scroll in his hands made Otto pause. The man held the paper out to Otto. "I'm sorry, my lord. I thought it was important. An argentavis flew by our gates and dropped this."
"Strange," Otto mused. He shared a concerned look with Jeyne. "It could have been part of Alysanne's training exercise."
"That's the thing. There was no rider."
Otto was fully intrigued now. He accepted the scroll from the man and unfurled it. The letter was addressed to the Wolf Lord. Otto quickly skimmed over its contents in its head. It was an invitation to the deepest regions of the mountains, complemented by a map of the route to get there. The message also suggested for him to bring 'the titan's father' and 'the angel of the skies', whatever that meant. With growing dread, Otto noted the name of the sender. Or rather their pseudonym. He had been suspecting it ever since learning the message had been dropped by a wild argentavis. There was only one other person with the power to command such creatures: the Mountain Hermit.
Author's Note: The favorite POV character poll is now closed! Results: Otto took the lead with 42% of the votes, followed by Joseph with 28%, then Daven and Willam tied with 14% each. A new poll about your favorite animal companion is now up. Go vote while it lasts!
TheIckleBoots, thanks for another detailed review! I don't mind you looking too far into things; in fact I enjoy and encourage it! It's fun to see how my readers interpret the story and every bit of feedback always helps. Hahaha I think you nailed that analysis on romance. I personally find it the detracting quality from any book but unfortunately it's necessary so I just have to hope nobody finds it too intolerable. As you can guess I struggle pretty hard with writing it but hopefully you're right and I do improve over time. As for the cover photo I hadn't really put much thought into the time or place it happens, the idea just popped into my head and I felt it was time for a change lol. Nonetheless, your review was very helpful and I appreciate the thoughtful feedback!
Loremaster Endercreeper, Glad to hear from you again! You bring up a good point about the arrival of humans and the inconsistencies were mostly due to my poor oversight (over the three or so years I've been writing this story some plans changed and things are way different from how I originally wanted to write). Anyways, the answers to your questions will get somewhat answered in the next three-ish chapters. For now, just know that survivors have been washing ashore for maybe 2 decades. Also Otto and the other POV characters haven't done much travelling but I will say that my version of the North is only a very small portion of the Island and there's much MUCH more out there, including other great nations. PS There's no overseer so no need to worry about anyone getting incinerated :)
DinoNerd89, Yeah. . . stuff never goes this well for long. Things are definitely going to ramp up quickly in the next few chapters so stay tuned!
Thanks for taking the time to check out my work, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Feel free to comment, ask questions, or criticize my story, review is always welcome! If you liked what you saw, make sure to check out the other ARK stories on this site! Have a great day!
- DaRumpyBurr