CHAPTER 11: HISTORY LESSON
To say Marie didn't know what was going on was an understatement,she had only been in the surface world for less than a day and was now in the company of a bunch of sharpteeth,and they weren't even trying to eat her,not anymore at least.
The sharpteeth and the young Fire Breather were now sitting in a small cave that was somewhere else in the gorge,there was a hole in the ceiling that allowed orange light from the now evening sun to seep in,and the leader of the sharpteeth had brought out a small stack of bugs on a leaf as something for them to eat.
"It's not much,but it's always something." sighed the T-Rex as he glanced at the disappointed faces of his luckiest before turning towards Marie and kindly gesturing "I apologize for us meeting under less than preferable circumstances,same for the food." only for Marie to shrug with a light chuckle "Eh,I've had bugs all my life anyway,but uh why didn't you eat me?"
"Well,would you mind telling me your name first?" answered the T-Rex with another question as the young one cautiously replied "Marie,and you are?" to which the T-Rex promptly answered "I am known as Brax,and as for the other answer you're looking for? Well it simply wouldn't be wise to have the blood of a Fire Breather on your claws,lest your father hunt me down till the end of my days."
"My father?" softly gasped a surprised Marie before trying to continue "N-no you don't understand-" only for the red fast biter to rudely interrupt "Wait there are more of these things? It's bad enough we can barely eat anything every day but now we have to deal with these things?"
"First off we are not "things!" But what I was saying was-"
"I say we off this little morsel right here to send them a message! To not mess with us!" suggested the blue fast biter with a menacing chuckle to which Marie immediately shrieked "WHAT?!" followed by Brax fiercely snarling "ABSOLUTELY NOT!"
"Look if you would just listen to me-"
"What's the big deal Bronx? You going soft?" asked the black/green fast biter which finally prompted Marie to shout in order to get their attention "THEY'RE ALL DEAD!" to which the four sharpteeth immediately stopped arguing and turned to face the now tearing up child before she continued in a softer tone "I am all alone out here. We were living under a mountain that was about to burn because of an earthquake,and I was the only one who managed to get out. I looked everywhere for them and they're just all gone! My mother and grandma are dead! Now I'm just trying to reach the Great Valley because my mother told me I would be safe there,but I can't find the way."
A pin drop silence almost fell upon the cave as Marie quietly began to weep for a few moments before Brax sympathetically replied "So,I guess it really is just you. If it's the Great Valley you're looking for,I think I may be able to help you." to which Marie perked up and anxiously asked "Really? Do you know the way?" only for Brax to shake his head and regretfully answer "Unfortunately I do not,but they say that the valley appears to all who need it. When your father laid his eyes upon the valley and longed for it to be his,I was simply drawn there with a strong hearted desire to protect it. Even though one such as myself would not be welcome to live there,I helped draw them underground in the hopes of preventing them from spreading more destruction. And when I was done,I left the valley and came to live out my days in this cursed land,all in the hope that one day it would blossom again."
"So that's why you knew about my kind." whispered Marie to herself in awe as she wiped her tears away with her wings before continuing "So I just gotta keep looking for it?" to which Brox nodded his head and answered "Unfortunately yes,but I believe that if you listen to your heart and here it whisper to you,then you will surely find the sanctuary you need."
Brax's encouraging words managed to make Marie feel a little better as a smile began to form on her face,only for exhaustion from the day she's had to take over as she slowly began to fall asleep,leaving the four sharpteeth alone as they watched over her.
"Do you really think she's telling the truth?" asked the red fast biter out of curiosity to which Brax nervously answered while a more concerned look formed on his face "I do not know. It's not the Fire Breathers themselves returning that frightens me,it's Maul returning. If he really has returned and intends to finish what he started,then I deeply fear for us all."