Otto VIII
The shelter was empty, as the other three had been. Otto frowned at the dismal sight. The supplies inside were missing, but no doubt that was the work of some wild varmint. Pegomastax, if he had to judge by the footprints on the beach. That's another shelter that needs to be restocked, Otto noted to himself. We'll need to stop by this one later tonight with fresh supplies.
So far the rescue operation was not going as planned. Otto had already stopped by three other shelters but none of them harboured any castaways. Unfortunately, one of the lean-tos had been trampled to the ground by some ungainly creature. Worse still, another had sustained damage from a pack of hungry carnivores. The wooden shelter had been covered in deep gouges and claw marks. Judging by the trail of blood that snaked into the jungle, the predators had gotten whoever was hiding inside the structure. Otto shook his head in dismay and left the empty abode as he had found it.
Daciana was waiting for him outside. She lifted her head from a patch of grass and mewed at him in greeting. The golden doe trotted over and nuzzled his chest with her head. Otto smiled and stroked her neck. He had found Daciana injured with a sprained leg at the back of a ravine when Joseph, Daven and himself had journeyed north to tame megaloceros. Fortunately, she had recovered from her injury within a week and was rehabilitated with the help of Otto and Clarisse. Now she was better than ever and served as his personal mount.
The other two megaloceros were currently unclaimed, though fully domesticated and well-trained. It had taken a few days of hand-feeding the elk, nursing their injuries, and grooming their fur for them to trust the humans. The huge buck had been particularly difficult to tame as it seemed to be naturally predisposed against humans, and lashed out with its hooves and antlers whenever someone tried to feed it. Clarisse was the one who finally befriended the massive elk, after painstaking hours of gaining its trust through gestures of kindness. Afterwards, the buck had been much more inclined to trust the other members of the group. The older doe had been wary and skittish, but Clarisse eventually domesticated it as well. The girl seemed to have a natural gift for befriending animals that even Otto was envious of. Clarisse was shy and frightened of violence, yet all her fears seemed to melt away whenever she was caring for an animal. She hardly spoke at all, yet the creatures seemed to have a way of understanding her on an intimate level, akin to Otto's own bond with Winter.
All their domesticated creatures sought Clarisse's company for comfort, and she welcomed them with open arms. Otto had been especially surprised to see Clarisse getting along with the wolves. Every other survivor in their group, himself included, had been frightened of the bloodthirsty carnivores at some point. Even after months of living with the direwolves, Joseph and Willam were still a bit on-edge. Alys always kept a hand on her dagger whenever she was outside, and Daven had nearly soiled his breeches when he bumped into a wolf by accident the other day. Clarisse was an entirely different matter. She never showed any signs of fear whenever the great predators were nearby, and Otto was astounded by her ability to befriend the wolves. Some of them even curled up beside her like lap-dogs, which they never did for anyone else.
Whenever Otto tried to talk to Clarisse, she instantly went pale and froze like a petrified statue. It never ceased to amaze him that Clarisse could be so calm with the deadliest predators of the north, yet afraid of other humans. After a few failed attempts at getting to know the new survivor, Otto gave up and left her alone. She seemed to prefer it better that way. The animals were already company enough for her. Indeed, she hardly ever visited the cabin or any other part of their base. Clarisse preferred to stay in the holding pen, where they kept the megaloceros. She even stayed in the pen overnight, when the temperature could dip well below freezing. Otto had sent Willam to check up on Clarisse the first time she had failed to return to the cabin for the night. The old man came back to report that she would not budge from her position, wedged between two of the sleeping elk. Otto simply shook his head and brought the stubborn girl a fur blanket to keep herself warm overnight.
The next day, Otto gathered up his friends and upgraded the holding pen into a makeshift stable, complete with a sheltered alcove for Clarisse to call her own. She did not say anything to them but Otto could tell she was secretly pleased. The megaloceros enjoyed the stable as well, since it kept them warm and sheltered from the worst of the elements. There were three pens in the stable, one for each of the elk. The megaloceros returned to their pens at night, though they spent most of the day outside. They grazed on patches of grass or wandered around the plains when they were not being trained. Otto always ordered someone to keep an eye on the creatures, in case they decided to escape. Daciana was perfectly content with her new life because she lived in safety and comfort with the humans, unlike before in the wild when every day was a struggle for survival. The other two megaloceros seemed domesticated enough, but Otto would not risk losing any of them.
Daciana was the youngest and smallest of the three elk they had tamed, but the fastest by far. Otto had a feeling that she could outrun any creature on the Island. It had taken some training and a custom-built saddle to ride the elk but Otto was glad he had put in the effort. Riding around the coast atop Daciana's back was an amazing experience comparable to his wolf dreams. Otto thought he had known speed when loping across the tundra through Winter's eyes, but Daciana took speed to a whole new level. She could run for twice as long as any direwolf, and left the whole pack in the dust when it came to sheer speed. Otto was not a very talented rider and had trouble keeping his balance atop the doe's back. He often fell from Daciana's saddle but fortunately the sandy beach was soft enough to cushion the impact. Otto had no doubt that he would break a few bones if he ever fell on the icy terrain of the north.
Otto put his foot on the saddle stirrups and swung himself onto Daciana's back. The doe tossed her head as she adjusted to his weight. Otto spurred the elk into a trot down the beach with a gentle nudge. The wolves accompanying him were nowhere in sight, but Otto could sense their presence nearby. Sure enough, Winter and four of his pack appeared from the undergrowth a few moments later. They instinctively knew it was time to head toward the next base and started loping down the coast. Daciana followed the pack at a steady gait.
Otto wondered how the other patrols were going. He had sent Joseph closer to home with an escort of direwolves led by Dust, the beta male. The large man was riding the megaloceros buck they had tamed, a fine powerful specimen that weighed well over a ton. The elk had a massive rack of antlers that could skewer flesh like a knife through butter. Like himself, Joseph was supposed to inspect seven shelters for the day. They had built twenty shelters in total, so the best way to cover them all was to divide them amongst three riders. Joseph was patrolling closest to the Den, Otto was in the middle, and Alys was riding further down the coast. The three of them had been the natural choices to lead the patrols since they also happened to be the most skilled fighters. The coast was a dangerous place where anything could happen within a moment's notice. Otto needed capable fighters to look out for the new survivors and rescue them from any danger that might threaten their lives.
He had sent Alys to patrol the six shelters furthest from the Den. Ever since they tamed the elk, Alys had proven herself to be an exceptional rider. It was almost as if she had been born to ride. Otto had never once seen her fall off the saddle, even on the first day when everyone was new to riding. Every single person that tried to mount an elk ended up on the ground, except for Alys who kept her balance perfectly. It was for Alysanne's remarkable riding talent that Otto had sent her to patrol furthest down the coast. She was mounted on the other doe they had tamed, a much older female with years of experience surviving in the wild. Shina and a few other direwolves were with Alys for protection.
Otto and his friends had been patrolling the coast for two days now. So far, none of them had found any new survivors that needed to be rescued. Just broken shelters, corpses, and dangerous wildlife. Otto hoped this entire operation would not turn out to be for naught. He had dedicated countless resources toward funding the project; nearly a month of constructing shelters; a few weeks of stockpiling rations and basic necessities for the new castaways; a few weeks taming, training, and saddling the megaloceros, and nearly all the pack's strength patrolling the coast. The direwolves were stretched so thin that there were barely enough left at home to guard the Den. So far, the rescue project had not come to fruition but Otto still had hope. If they could help even a single survivor, then all this trouble would be worth it.
Otto had enough complications for one day. He decided not to dwell on what the future had in store for him. Instead, he closed his eyes and savoured the moment. The sea breeze buffeted his golden-brown hair, tossing it wildly about him. The sun embraced him with its soothing warmth, like an old friend he had not seen in years. Otto's eyes flared open and he savoured the sensation of speeding down the coast, the sights, the smells, the feelings. He glanced around the beach, where skittish herbivores quickly fled at the sight of his pack. The jungle trees shifted and swayed with the breeze, and strange cries echoed throughout the woods. Otto relaxed and let his worries melt away.
Unfortunately, his care-free ride did not last much longer. Otto spotted the next shelter up ahead, and it was in a far worse condition than the previous four. A gaping hole yawned open on one side of the shelter, splintered wooden planks flanking the cavity. The entire structure was dented and broken in areas, as if some large carnivore had repeatedly slammed into the structure until it finally tore a hole into the wall. His wolves quickly surrounded the lean-to and started sniffing about. Otto dismounted Daciana and went to inspect the grisly scene.
Fortunately, there was no corpse inside the shelter. It was always disheartening to find a body, especially when he had to bury it afterwards. Otto always wondered whether he could have saved the deceased castaway if he had left the Den a few hours earlier. There was no blood inside either, but an entranceway yawned open as if someone had kicked down a section of the wall in their haste to escape. It was opposite from the gaping crater that the invader had smashed in, so Otto had reason to believe the shelter's occupant had gotten away. Otto vowed to investigate further and see whether the castaway had escaped or met their end. He had some vague notion about the direction the survivor had fled in but there was only one way to know for sure.
Otto closed his eyes and after a few seconds of darkness he was suddenly outside the smashed wooden den, sniffing the ground and turning over debris with his sensitive snout. His nostrils flared as he inhaled the scent of man and stag and wolf, but above those loomed the overbearing stench of bull-tyrant. He sniffed the air again and realized it was not one but two. A mated pair. The odour was fresh and it emanated from the jungle. His packmates had noticed it as well. Great grey, mud-brown, and the golden twins were circling around the wooden den impatiently, lashing their tails in the direction of the rainforest.
He blinked and found himself inside his own body a moment later. The rancid stench of carnotaurus was still sharp in Otto's mind. They attacked the shelter not too long ago. Perhaps there's still a chance to save that castaway. He shook his head and made up his mind. Without a second to spare, Otto jogged out of the broken lean-to and swung himself onto Daciana's back. Having sensed his decision, Winter led his pack into the jungle to hunt down the carnotaurus. Otto flicked Daciana's reigns and she followed.
The dense undergrowth was hard to navigate but Otto trusted Daciana's instincts and let her choose the way. She leapt over fallen logs and darted around imposing boulders, careful to avoid the thick green vines that swung overhead. The nimble doe was forced to slow down, lest she stumble over the vegetation and send them both sprawling on the ground. Otto kept his eyes on the undergrowth ahead, where he would occasionally catch brief glimpses of the wolves. The thick canopy overhead left the jungle dark and gloomy, but Otto could still see every detail of the forest as if it were day. The effects of his powers would not linger much longer, so Otto savoured his enhanced senses while they lasted.
He could still smell the carnotaurus amongst a plethora of other scents but the smell was fading even as he drew closer to the monsters. Otto was beginning to have second thoughts about his rash decision to pursue the beasts but now was not the time to doubt himself, especially since another human's life was at stake. Realistically, Otto knew his wolves would be hard-pressed to fight even a single bull-horned lizard. The monstrosities could weigh up to three tons, which outweighed Otto, Daciana, and all his wolves put together. Every carnotaurus was equipped with a pair of deadly horns on its head, which they used to skewer and bash prey into bloody pulps. They were capable of quick but deadly bites, with jaws strong enough to tear a human's flesh right off the bone. As if that were not enough, the deadly carnivores were covered in thick scaly hides that his wolves and spear would have trouble penetrating.
Otto would have been perfectly confident if the whole pack had been with him, or ten wolves at the very least. He was stuck with half that number. He had no doubts about the direwolves' predatorial capabilities but they were no simply no match for a mated pair of carnotaurus. His plan was to separate the beasts and finish them off individually. Or if that failed, he could at least attempt to draw them away from the castaway. Anything aside from a head-on confrontation would be favourable.
Otto was almost there. He sensed the carnotaurus nearby, and they were not alone by the sounds of it. Otto wrapped his arms around Daciana's neck and hooked his legs into the saddle stirrups. He had not practiced this trick very much, but it was straightforward enough. He would be fine as long as he did not fall off the saddle and break his neck. Otto closed his eyes and after a few seconds of concentration he was suddenly up ahead, darting through the undergrowth with his pack.
The jungle came to life around him; the vivid green shrubs and earthy scent of mud, the smell of monkeys hiding in the canopy and the sounds of insects chirping in the air. He felt life all around himself, things he could never have detected in his own body. He risked a glance behind himself and saw Daciana's vague form following the pack, with a lump heaped on her back. It worked, a part of him whispered. He shook his head and focused his attention before him. He sniffed the air as he loped along, and the scent came back stronger than ever. Two bull-horns and a frightened human were very close ahead. The monsters had left a trail of destruction in their wake. He leapt over splintered logs and trampled shrubs, following the heavy-set tracks in the damp black mud.
He barreled through a thick green bush and found himself staring at two massive bull-horns, who had not yet noticed him. The brutes had their backs turned to him and they stood a few paces away, snarling at some trembling creature they had cornered on a steep incline. The bull-horns were trying to clamber up the hillside but the slope was too steep for them, and rocks cascaded down every time they tried to climb. One of the beasts noticed him and turned to growl, a deep guttural sound that rumbled from its throat. There was suddenly no time to think and he charged headlong at the monstrosity, his packmates close behind.
Otto blinked to life on Daciana's back, in his own body. He glanced up ahead and saw Winter loping toward one of the carnotaurus, a large dark green female that towered over her mate. Two of Winter's packmates had already joined their alpha, and the three wolves charged at the female together. The male carnotaurus was hesitant to leave the cornered human but turned to help his mate. Otto's two remaining direwolves noticed the bull attempting to join the female. Without a moment's delay, the wolves sprinted to intercept the carnotaurus before the two monsters could reunite.
A great grey direwolf pounced at the lumbering male, snarling with vigour. The bull swung his head to meet the mammal and caught it on the flank. There was a thunderous crack as the carnotaurus headbutted the poor wolf. The grey direwolf went flying from the impact and crashed into a tree hard enough to topple some branches over. The wolf rolled onto the muddy ground, leaving streaks of blood on the trunk. Two gaping red gashes yawned open from where the bull's horns had dug into its side.
The second wolf, a golden male named Apollo, dove to the right of the carnotaurus. The cumbersome titan slowly whirled around to face the direwolf. Apollo pressed his attack and charged in, locking his muscular jaws around the monster's haunches. The enraged bull roared in pain and craned its neck around to snap at the wolf. Apollo's distraction left the monster's throat completely exposed.
Otto spurred Daciana into a full gallop and drew his spear, levelling it at the bull as Daciana thundered into battle. The carnotaurus shifted to face him at the very last second, ruining his clean kill. Otto tried to reposition his spear at the monster's neck but it was already too late. The wicked bone spearhead took the bull in the shoulder with a sickening crunch. The carnotaurus roared in pain as the wooden shaft snapped in half. Blood erupted from the monster's wound in angry red spurts. Otto shielded his eyes from the sickly red rain as Daciana galloped past the roaring tyrant. He whirled the megaloceros around and saw that a foot of slick red spearhead protruded from the other end of the bull's shoulder.
Otto glanced down at the jagged wooden pole in his hand and tossed it aside. The carnotaurus lurched toward him unsteadily, its bloodshot eyes gleaming with vengeance. The monster was so focused on him that it failed to notice the direwolf right behind it. Apollo lunged at the bull and clung to its thick tail with a mighty snarl. The startled carnotaurus nearly careened into a tree from the wolf's unexpected assault.
The bull fought furiously as Apollo sunk his jaws into its hindquarters. The carnotaurus lashed its tail violently and swung its head back and forth in a vain attempt to dislodge the wolf. Otto risked a glance at the injured grey wolf to find that it had regained its footing. The direwolf's thick grey fur was soaked with blood but that only seemed to make it angrier. With a snarl, the injured wolf shambled toward the fight. It stayed safely behind the carnotaurus, striking at its legs and ducking aside whenever the beast turned to retaliate. The carnotaurus roared and spun around in a large circle, trying without much success to dislodge its two attackers. A steady stream of blood trickled from the spear lodged in its shoulder. The monster would tire out and bleed to death eventually. It was only a matter of time.
The beast whirled around again and suddenly seemed to notice Daciana. The carnotaurus narrowed its bloodthirsty eyes and snorted. Daciana whickered and Otto rested a hand on her neck to steady her. The carnotaurus bull wasted no time in charging, its bloody jaws gaping for retribution. Otto spun Daciana around but kept her in place. He could feel the vibrations of the carnotaurus thundering closer with every heartbeat but he did not spur his mount forward. He closed his eyes and waited for the perfect moment to strike. . .
Now!
Otto gave the signal and Daciana immediately lashed out with her hind legs. The doe's deadly hooves took the carnotaurus full in the neck, pushing the broken spear deeper in. Daciana nimbly leapt away as the carnotaurus gasped for breath and lurched forward. The monster grunted in distress and blood spewed out from its mouth. It tried to flee but collapsed to the ground with a booming thud that echoed throughout the jungle.
The two direwolves finished the carnotaurus off before its blood was even cold. Otto whirled Daciana around to face the female, only to be met with a gruesome scene. The she-devil had already bashed one of his wolves into a bloody pulp. Huge chunks of its neck and underbelly had been torn clean off. Long pink snakes were dangling from the direwolf's underside, drenched in a pool of crimson. All the blood and entrails made it hard to tell who the corpse belonged to. Otto spotted patches of brown fur and immediately knew that the mud brown direwolf would never return to the Den again. The brown wolf's carcass was heaped beneath the female carnotaurus' feet. The monster was currently circling with Winter and Apollo's twin sister, Artemis.
Otto was filled with rage at the sight of the bloody direwolf. The monster had taken a member of his own pack and he would make her suffer for her atrocities. He spurred Daciana into a full gallop and let loose a war-cry as the giant elk thundered into the fray. Otto drew his sabertooth dagger from his belt and shifted it to his right hand, bunching Daciana's reigns in his left hand. The carnotaurus was too busy roaring at Winter and Artemis to notice the megaloceros charging from behind. Otto slammed his deadly blade into the she-devil's hindquarters and dragged it along her flank as Daciana galloped past. The female screeched in pain as blood spurted from the fresh cut.
Otto turned around to get a good look at his new opponent. The female carnotaurus was much larger and bulkier than her deceased mate. She was at least a head taller than the male and must have weighed close to 3 tons. The female was completely armoured in green scales and she boasted dark green stripes that blended perfectly into the jungle foliage. An angry red canyon yawned open on her flank, from where Otto had ran his dagger along her side. Dark red blood seeped from the wound. The direwolves were emboldened by the sight of fresh blood and they attacked with renewed vigour. Winter and Artemis attacked from the flanks, while Apollo and great grey circled behind to attack from the rear.
Winter threw his head back and howled before lunging at the she-devil with his teeth bared. The other three direwolves charged from every angle with ferocious snarls. Outnumbered and overwhelmed, the female carnotaurus could not hope to fight a battle on four fronts. She shifted her weight and lowered her body as the four wolves closed in. As sudden as a snake, the monster lunged forward and snatched a direwolf from the air. It was Apollo, Otto realized. He was helpless to do anything but watch as the golden wolf was wrenched upward, flailing for his life.
Winter and the others tried to rescue their ensnared packmate but to no avail. The female carnotaurus simply shrugged them off or lashed her muscular tail to keep them at bay. She shook her head from side to side, whirling Apollo around like a limp ragdoll. The she-devil suddenly snapped her head down and slammed the wolf at her feet. Apollo was disoriented and confused but he scrambled to limp away as soon as he was free. His escape attempt was dashed into the ground by a massive three-clawed foot.
The female carnotaurus planted a foot on the injured direwolf's back and shifted her weight. There was a mighty crack as three tons of bloodthirsty carnotaurus pressed down on the wolf. Apollo yelped in agony as the titan bore down on him with all her weight. The direwolf's back screamed out in protest again and Otto was sure something had snapped. The jungle demon raised another foot to crush Apollo's head.
Winter and his two remaining wolves pounced at the last second and sent the carnotaurus staggering under their combined weight. The demon shook her head and turned to finish her cornered prey but the wolves interposed themselves in her path, barking and growling. They forced the monster back a step, and then another. It was actually working. There's a chance to save Apollo, Otto thought to himself. He gathered Daciana's reigns and plunged his steed into the fray.
His dagger flashed toward the devil's underbelly but she swung her head and Daciana swerved to avoid her deadly horns. Otto nearly dropped his weapon as the giant elk lurched away. He dug his heels into Daciana's side and circled her around. Otto brandished his dagger and charged, only for the carnotaurus to lash her tail and drive him away once again.
"Damn it," Otto growled. He could not get in close enough to deal any damage. If he still had his spear, it would have been a different story. But his spear was broken in half and he was stuck with just his dagger.
Winter and great grey were harassing the beast's flanks, much to her annoyance. She grunted and snarled, snapping at them whenever they got too close but the wolves were too nimble for her to catch. Artemis was hunched protectively over her injured twin, snarling and barking whenever the battle came too close. Her brother Apollo sprawled on the floor at an unnatural position. Otto could tell the direwolf was in immense pain just from a glance.
Something suddenly flew right past Otto. He turned to see a grey direwolf skid into the mud, its paws flailing. Great grey clambered to his feet and growled but his cry was cut in half as a set of bloody jaws clamped around his windpipe. The carnotaurus wrenched her head back and took the direwolf's throat in a spray of crimson.
Dark sickly blood gushed from the grey direwolf's shredded neck. He pawed at the air and tried to whimper but ended up choking on his own blood. Otto watched as the life drained from the wolf's frightened blue eyes.
Vengeance and fury swirled within Otto as he turned to face the carnotaurus who had done so much damage to his pack. She swung her head around lazily and glared right back at him with her piercing yellow eyes. Otto kicked Daciana into a gallop and raised his dagger above his head. The megaloceros doe hurtled toward the monster with an incredible burst of speed that threw Otto back in his saddle. He locked his legs around the saddle stirrups and let loose a battlecry. Otto waited for the perfect moment and suddenly thrust his blade into the monster's underbelly. She stumbled back and roared in agony, blood spurting from the wound. Daciana darted between her legs and started galloping away when some impossibly heavy object slammed into her flank. Perhaps it was the demon's tail, but Otto would never know.
His world went spinning as he was thrown from the saddle. Otto was rushing toward the sky one moment and the ground the next. Blue and brown swirled throughout his vision until he crashed into something with enough force to knock all the breath from his lungs.
Otto tried to draw another breath but he doubled over coughing, choking, gagging. Everything was blurry and flashes of color swam before his eyes. Blue then green, then brown, and blue again. There was a dull hum that blanketed the rest of the world. Otto could only hear the sound of his own laboured lungs as they fought to keep him breathing. He managed to roll over onto his back. Or was it his stomach? He pushed himself off the hard black ground and spat mud and blood from his mouth. His vision was starting to focus. He looked around frantically until his eyes landed on some massive shape that blotted out the sun.
The female carnotaurus loomed above him. Blood dripped from her jaws, fresh from her previous kills. Rotten chunks of flesh clung to her yellow teeth, emanating a foul odour that choked the air. It smelled like death. The monster chuffed and lashed her tail. Otto refused to allow himself to be killed by some overgrown lizard. He glanced around frantically, looking for something, anything that could save him. His dagger was nowhere to be seen. Daciana was sprawled on her side, struggling to get up after the impact. Artemis and Winter were charging at the carnotaurus but they were too far away. The wolves would never save him in time.
Otto turned to fix his glare on the carnotaurus. He moved slowly, with deliberation and resignation. He wondered if Winter and Artemis would keep fighting after he was gone, or if they would wisely flee. Run, get out of here, go! He wanted to shout. They were no match for the monster, Otto could see that now. It had been a suicidal idea to attack the two carnotaurus. At the very least, he had saved a castaway from the brutes. That almost made it worthwhile. But now Otto would pay the ultimate price. He would lose his life and then his wolves. He sighed and closed his eyes, listening to the dull thud of his heartbeat and waiting for the world to go silent.
There was the sound of death. But it was not the sound of jaws snapping shut as Otto had expected. It was the sound of something huge stampeding straight for him. His eyes flared open, just in time to see a massive boulder tumbling down a rocky slope. It rolled straight toward him and the monster, gaining momentum as it crashed down. The boulder careened off smaller rocks, shifting left then right. From his peripheral vision, Otto saw his wolves turn around and flee from the force of nature. Daciana bounded to her feet and galloped away, leaving him alone with the carnotaurus.
The demon knew it was coming too. She abandoned him and tried to flee but it was already too late. Just before crushing Otto alive, the boulder hit a small rock and vaulted into the air. It slammed into the carnotaurus with a thunderous crack that would put any thunderstorm to shame. The devil was thrown to the ground, roaring in pain. The massive boulder rolled over her, eliciting another ear-splitting screech. It crashed into an ancient jungle tree, snapping the trunk in half with an explosive crunch! The boulder slammed into a second tree and finally shattered into a dozen smaller chunks.
The carnotaurus was heaped on her side, growling and snarling in pain. One of her legs was twisted at a grotesque angle. Her tail was bent crookedly and most of her ribcage was smashed in. She writhed around in the mud, blinded by pain. Otto almost felt bad for her. His wolves finished her off quickly. It seemed like a mercy as her eyes slowly closed, and her agony-riddled body went still.
Otto picked himself off the ground and rested a hand on Winter for support. He glanced up the hill to see where to boulder came from. A short muscular man stood at the top of the cliff, his face flushed red from exertion. It's the castaway that the carnotaurus were chasing, Otto remarked to himself. The man had dislodged the boulder, Otto knew at once. He bowed his head in gratitude.
The man made his way down the cliff. He was much shorter than Otto, but very muscular. His arms were as thick as small trees, and his shoulders were nearly as broad as the boulder he had pushed. He had a strong squarish face and a fierce brown beard. The man looked as if he could wrestle Joseph to the ground with one arm tied behind his back.
"Thank you," The man rumbled. His voice was as deep and course as a mountain. "I owe you my life."
Otto winced as pain flooded into his bruised body. "I should be thanking you. I would have been done for, if you hadn't pushed that boulder."
"That's a load of nonsense. I was dead meat 'til you attacked with your wolves. Once again, I thank you. The name's Maron. At your service, m'lord."
"That's the first time anyone's called me a lord," Otto managed to laugh despite the pain. "No, I'm a survivor like you. Please just call me Otto. And you have no need to thank me, I was just doing my duty."
"You still saved m'life and I'll be grateful forever." Maron bowed.
"I barely did anything," Otto said. "You should thank the wolves."
His heart sank as he thought about his pack. Otto turned to survey the damage. Two of his direwolves were already dead; great grey was missing his throat, and the muddy brown wolf had been disemboweled. Apollo was slumped on the floor, whimpering in pain. Otto could immediately tell the golden wolf was beyond saving. Apollo's spine had been shattered when the carnotaurus stepped on his back and he was paralyzed in place. The poor direwolf would never be able to walk again.
Willam would be able to save Apollo's life, Otto knew. The old man was skilled with medicinal herbs and he was the closest thing to a healer they had. Besides, Apollo was not in any immediate danger of passing away. I could save Apollo if I bring him back to the Den. But at what cost? The direwolf was paralyzed and he would never be able to hunt with the pack again. Apollo would be nothing but a burden to his packmates. Winter would never leave one of his closest friends to fend for himself, yet even then Apollo would become a shell of his former self. The pack could still provide Apollo with the food and shelter to survive, but spending the rest of his life crippled was no way to live at all.
The golden direwolf already seemed to know this. Everything about the way he acted suggested that he would never return to the Den. Apollo had already accepted his fate. The poor wolf would rather die than spend the rest of his life crippled and helpless. Winter padded over to his paralyzed packmate and pressed his head against him as a sign of affection. Otto watched from a distance, recalling the time he had lived through Winter's memories. Apollo had been one of Winter's guardians and first friends. The two direwolves had shared many adventures throughout their lives. Apollo had remained loyal to Winter's family even after a new alpha had taken over the pack. He was one of Winter's closest and most trusted companions, right until the very end.
Winter backed away and Artemis padded over. She regarded her brother for a moment before nuzzling her head against his chest. Apollo whimpered as his sister showered him in affection. The twins remained like that for a small eternity before Artemis finally backed away. She threw back her head and howled. It was a long and mournful song that brought a tear to Otto's eye. Winter and Apollo joined their voices to the cry and the three wolves howled together.
Otto found his sabertooth dagger lying in the mud. He wiped the bloodstained blade on his hide leggings until it gleamed. He pressed a finger to the dagger and noted with satisfaction that the blade was sharp. The least he could do was provide Apollo with a swift clean death.
Otto kneeled next to the golden wolf and stroked his fur for a while. The paralyzed direwolf whimpered under his touch. Apollo closed his eyes and Otto put him out of his misery. He sheathed his dagger, wiped the tears from his eyes and stood up. It pained Otto to see his wolves suffer. They were his pack and they were all a part of him, in some way or another. He could sense when they were happy, when they were sad or angry, and most of all when they were in pain. It felt as if a part of him died with every wolf, even the ones he had not gotten to know very well. Otto could not imagine what it would feel like to lose Winter and he hoped he would never have to find out.
Fortunately, the great white direwolf seemed relatively unscathed except for a few scratches and claw marks on his coat. Artemis was also unharmed, although her twin brother had not been as lucky. The two surviving wolves padded over to him and nuzzled him affectionately. Otto smiled, relieved that they had made it out alive and well. His smile quickly soured when he glanced back at the three dead wolves.
They buried the fallen beasts near a thick tree. Winter and Artemis dug up shallow graves, while Otto and Maron piled dirt on top of their bodies. The whole process took about an hour. Otto was anxious to get out of the jungle before anything else attacked them, so they rushed to bury the wolves. The graves were not ideal but they would serve to keep most predators away from the corpses.
Otto turned to Maron when they were done. "Do you have any plans after this?"
The muscular man shook his head. "I've only been here for a few days. Guess I'll just stay out of trouble and try to keep low. Hopefully I'll never need to deal with those things again."
Otto sighed. "Knowing this cruel world, you'll probably have to deal with something much worse." He paused and looked at the broken boulder rubble, then back at Maron's muscular arms. "You seem capable enough to survive. How did you get so strong anyhow?"
"I'm a blacksmith, m'lord. Or at least I was 'til I ended up here. I can't remember much about my life or how I washed up, but I'm no stranger to intensive work."
Otto nodded. "It's perfectly normal. Not many people remember their pasts. But you said you're a blacksmith?"
"Aye. Well, I'm not much of a smith without my tools but I'll scrape by."
"I can certainly help with that. Would you like to work for me? I'll provide you with food, shelter and all the tools you need."
"That sounds too good to be true," Maron chuckled. "Gladly."
Otto smiled. "Welcome to the tribe. Our camp is up north, but that should be a nice change for once. There aren't any jungles where we live."
"There's other people living with you?"
"Six right now. You'll make seven."
"Perfect," Maron grinned. "I'm ready when you are."
Otto whistled for Daciana and the doe came trotting over. She had a few scratches from crashing into a bush, but she was otherwise unharmed. Otto helped Maron onto the saddle. The doe was strong enough to carry them both, but Otto had to do one more thing before they left.
He kneeled next to the three graves. "I'll be back for you," he promised. "I'll return with the sled and bring all of you to the Den, where you belong. We'll bury you by that spruce grove overlooking the tundra."
Otto found three boulder fragments and placed one on top of each of the graves. "I will return," he vowed. "Goodbye until then."
Otto swung himself onto Daciana's saddle and took the reins. Maron sat behind him, gripping the saddle for dear life. Winter and Artemis bounded off into the bushes. Otto flicked Daciana's reins and they were swallowed by the dense green foliage.
Author's Note:
The Dweeb 4252, I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying the story! Although we didn't see much of the new human characters this chapter, the next one will have a lot more character interactions and we'll get to know some of the newbies better.
Girlbook, I hope this chapter answered a few questions about her story. There's a bit more next chapter
Blueberrium, Haha don't worry I'm done killing characters for a while ;)
Changeling Man, Nice to hear that you enjoyed the last chapter! The tribe doesn't have a name and probably won't for some time. I guess they could distinguish themselves as one of the few northern tribes on the Island and that's probably how other groups would refer to them. Also thanks for that information about the carnotaurus. I never knew that before! Anyway, thanks for the review and I hope to hear from you again.
kittenofanarchy, lmao I was hoping no one would catch that. Let's just say umm it was a very thick blanket. Yea, that's it. . .
Verdauga, Thanks for all the reviews! I don't know if you've caught up to this part of the story yet but thank you for the continued support
ShadowKing92, Thanks as always and I hope you enjoyed!
Toilsome, hmmm the happy ending? Maybe, just maybe :)
Thanks for taking the time to check out my first fanfiction, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I will try my best to upload as regularly as possible. Feel free to comment, ask question or criticize my story, review is always welcome. And if you like what you saw, make sure to check out the other ARK: Survival Evolved fanfictions out there. Have a great rest of your day or night.
-DaRumpyBurr