After several hours of trailing the Nyctosaurus to the green spot that they had been informed about, the team had followed them to a large hill. The hill had proven difficult to ascend; Drew thanked God that the vehicles they had been given were all-terrain. After they had ascended it, the convoy stopped and looked out. They had found what they had been searching for.
Drew had described the place as the only green spot; however, looking at the vista that greeted them, "green spot" was evidently a relative term. A patchy forest consisting of a mixture of conifers and broad-leaved trees grew around a large watering hole. The trees thinned out further from the lake and a scrubby undergrowth of ground-dwelling plants replaced it. In the distance, a large volcano sent a plume of smoke flying into the air and smaller hills surrounded the forest; this was a small valley. The scrubby forest that greeted them had a frontier feel to it; however, compared to the desolation just over the hills, this was an oasis.
Jack's voice crackled over the CB radio, "So, we're here… where do we set camp, fearless leader?" Drew spoke, "We head towards the watering hole; animals are attracted to watering holes, giving us a greater chance of finding something. That's where the pterosaurs are headed; we might find more animals there" Jack's voice crackled in return, "Sounds like a plan."
As the convoy moved along the valley floor, they saw a multitude of dinosaurs already by the lake. A herd of incredibly large duck-billed dinosaurs was drinking at the lake; the largest was a little over forty feet long. They were largely a greenish-brown, with tan stripes on the flanks and black stripes on the tails. They had long, flat heads, ending in a beak, attached to powerful-looking, muscular necks. There was a vague resemblance to the Saurolophus back at the park; however, they lacked the long, curving crest and were far more heavily built. Watching the herd, Drew said, "If I recall correctly, these are Edmontosaurus; a very common hadrosaur in the area."
Running in between the Edmontosaurus' legs were several small ornithopod dinosaurs. They were largely green in colouration, grading to greyish-white on the belly and black stripes running down the size. A crest of feathery bristles ran across the neck and back. Leon said, "These are Parksosaurus, a small ornithopod; they're hanging around the hadrosaurs for protection."
Several armoured dinosaurs were also milling about the lake. There was a vague resemblance to the Polacanthus back at the park; however, they were much bigger, thirty feet long from head to tail. They also lacked the Polacanthus' spikes and were far more heavily armoured, with large armour plates covering almost the entirety of the body, except for the belly, which was unarmoured. The head was wide, powerfully built and heavily armoured; even the eyelids were armoured. Their armour was black on the back, grading to yellow on the flanks, legs and head, with white scales on the underbelly. The tail ended in a large, rounded club, which swished menacingly as the animals drank. Looking at the armoured giants, Drew said, "These are Ankylosaurus; the largest of the armoured dinosaurs"
A gaggle of medium-sized bipedal dinosaurs, about twelve feet long, were drinking at the lake. They had long necks, tapering to small heads with bird-like beaks, and long muscular arms covered with long feathers. They stood on two, muscular legs, counterbalanced by a long, stiff tail. Their bodies were coveted in short, grey feathers; the males could be distinguished from the females by having bright blue feathers on their necks and heads. Jack said, over the CB, "If I recall correctly, these are Ornithomimus; noted for their great speed."
However, the most striking animals at the lake were two herds of large, horned dinosaurs. They looked like gigantic versions of the Protoceratops back at the park; however, the most striking difference was the three large horns on their heads, one above each eyebrow and a large one on the nose. Jack turned to Leon and said, "Am I right in assuming that those are Triceratops and Torosaurus?" Leon nodded in response, "Yes."
At first glance, both herds of ceratopsians looked virtually identical; however, minor differences could be seen at closer inspection. The Triceratops were slightly smaller, at about twenty-five feet long, had greyish skin and a short, solid-looking, rounded frill, whilst the Torosaurus were larger, at thirty feet, had leathery, tan skin and a longer, more elaborate frill with large openings on it.
The Nyctosaurus flock had landed and were either grooming themselves by the lakeshore or catching fish in the waters. Suddenly, one of the pterosaurs squawked in alarm and the flock moved away, as an enormous, greenish-grey Deinosuchus hauled itself out of the water and began basking on the shore. The team spent a few minutes watching the different animals milling about the lake; ignoring, tolerating and interacting with each other.
Suddenly, a large dark shape moved stealthily through the scrubby trees, moving so fast that it was practically a blur. All the animals by the lake went on edge; the Nyctosaurus flew away and the Deinosuchus slipped back into the water. Everything went calm… then an Ornithomimus turned to look at something and let out a shrill cry of alarm. The shape, now visible as some large bipedal dinosaur, reappeared again, moving with a determined speed and the herbivores by the lake scattered, whipping up a flurry of dust that rendered the events visible. When the dust cleared, they saw that an elderly Ankylosaurus had been left behind in the stampede. They also saw what had caused the stampede.
It was a gigantic theropod, bigger than any they had ever seen; from head to tail, it was a little over fifty feet long. Its black body, grading to grey on the underside and red on the throat, was covered in scars, possibly the relics of previous fights, with the most notable being the scars that disfigured one side of its face. Its head was large, broad and powerful looking, with a snarl revealing broad teeth, contrasting with the short, muscular, two-fingered arms. As it moved forward, it walked with the slightest limp. Its eyes were deep red and were fixed persistently on the ankylosaur. An eerie intelligence shone from those eyes. They all knew what it was immediately. "Tyrannosaurus rex", Drew said under his breath. Jack muttered, "I didn't know they got that big." Leon shrugged, "Tyrannosaurus was typically about forty feet long; however, there are exceptional individuals in any species." The Ankylosaurus swished its clubbed tail forward; however, the giant theropod simply stepped back, dodging the tail's blow. Unlike the frantic ankylosaur, the Tyrannosaurus' movements were slow, calculating and patient; this was a predator that hunted through strategy just as much as it did strength.
The two animals appeared to be locked in stalemate, until, with a speed that belied its massive bulk, the Tyrannosaurus lunged for the Ankylosaurus' front leg, delivering a powerful bite, withdrawing before the Ankylosaurus could hit it with its tail club. The injured ankylosaur lagged to one side, as it tried to walk away; the front leg the tyrannosaur had bitten was crippled. This was the opening the tyrannosaur had been waiting for; charging forward, it headbutted the Ankylosaurus in its side, causing the armoured dinosaur to tip over. With its crippled limb, the ankylosaur couldn't right itself in time for the tyrannosaur to walk up to it, almost calmly, and snap its neck with its jaws. Its bellow wavered; it was dead. The kill complete, the tyrannosaur placed one foot on the dead ankylosaur and began tearing chunks off it.
