The Legend of Croco Hallaway
Prologue
The two kids walked through the streets of Canyon City with relatively little on their minds. Friends since their early years, they both wanted to become Skybax riders for about the same period of time. Stopping briefly, the boy, about thirteen or fourteen years of age, turned to his female companion, who was about the same age.
"Hey Bela," he asked, "do you think either of us will become famous?" Bela paused to think.
"I don't know if that would be possible for you Lesnar," she said while running her hand through her long golden blonde hair. "Besides, all you do is daydream about fighting tyrannosaurs in the Rainy Basin." Lesnar, who was rather tall for his age, knew that Bela would say something like that.
"I do not!" he shouted, "The only reason you want to ride a Skybax is so you can meet Croco Hallaway!" The look on Bela's face was one of anger and she was about a short moment away from turning about and slapping Lesnar. 'Darn!' she thought aloud, 'If only I could reach him, then he wouldn't be talking like that!' But Bela had another way of getting back at her friend.
"Lesnar," she said, "you're right. I do wanna meet Croco, but you don't know more about him than I do! Besides, I..." He took that as an invitation.
"You've got to be kidding me...he's been my hero since I heard about that time he single-handedly took on two tyrannosaurs after he was thrown from his skybax while they were still fifty feet in the air when we were six!" Just then, a man that looked to be in forties approached Bela and Lesnar. He was wearing a Master rider uniform and had short brown hair. His dark green eyes looked over the two youngsters as if he were analyzing them for a possible weakness. Finally, he spoke to them.
"So you think you know everything about Croco Hallaway, eh?" he asked.
"All I know is that he is one of the greatest riders in Dinotopia's history," replied Lesnar. "I heard he was born on the day of the Festival of Air Creatures...maybe that's why he's such a great rider."
"And he's the only known Dolphinback to have come out of the sky when his flying machine fell out of the sky and crashed in the waters near Sauropolis. He's a natural flyer...unlike your theory, mine makes a little more sense." Bela added. The master rider laughed as he pulled them aside. He saw something in them that he liked.
"So you two wanna become skybax riders I hear?" he asked. They nodded. "And where are you from?"
"We're from Cornucopia. Fresh from the Games," Lesnar said, "but I was originally born in Waterfall City and moved there when I was three."
"Ah...it's very beautiful down there. But do you guys wanna know the real story of Croco, cause I've known him ever since he came ashore." Their eyes lit up like stars.
"Yes, we do!" Bela said ecstatically. "We wanna hear it!"
"Well...come with me and I'll tell you." They followed the master rider back to his home up in the cliffs. There the two kids sat down while the Master rider looked for something. He looked around for a few minutes, scattering things about and when he found what he was looking for, he made sure to keep it away from the kids. He finally sat down next to them.
"What are your names?" he asked. Lesnar stood up.
"I'm Lesnar Galinday and my friend's name is Bela Martinos." The master raised his eyes a little bit.
"Bela," he said, "are you related in any way to Trish Martinos?" She nodded.
"She was my aunt and a great skybax rider until she was killed in an accident while preparing for the Festival of Air Creatures a few years ago. I miss her dearly..."
"...and so do I. But you still wanna hear the story?" They both nodded. "All right then. I'm gonna tell you the story of Croco and his early years on Dinotopia...right up until the time of the Tyrannosaur Crisis." Bela and Lesnar listened intently as the old master began to tell them the legend of Croco Hallaway...
Prologue
The two kids walked through the streets of Canyon City with relatively little on their minds. Friends since their early years, they both wanted to become Skybax riders for about the same period of time. Stopping briefly, the boy, about thirteen or fourteen years of age, turned to his female companion, who was about the same age.
"Hey Bela," he asked, "do you think either of us will become famous?" Bela paused to think.
"I don't know if that would be possible for you Lesnar," she said while running her hand through her long golden blonde hair. "Besides, all you do is daydream about fighting tyrannosaurs in the Rainy Basin." Lesnar, who was rather tall for his age, knew that Bela would say something like that.
"I do not!" he shouted, "The only reason you want to ride a Skybax is so you can meet Croco Hallaway!" The look on Bela's face was one of anger and she was about a short moment away from turning about and slapping Lesnar. 'Darn!' she thought aloud, 'If only I could reach him, then he wouldn't be talking like that!' But Bela had another way of getting back at her friend.
"Lesnar," she said, "you're right. I do wanna meet Croco, but you don't know more about him than I do! Besides, I..." He took that as an invitation.
"You've got to be kidding me...he's been my hero since I heard about that time he single-handedly took on two tyrannosaurs after he was thrown from his skybax while they were still fifty feet in the air when we were six!" Just then, a man that looked to be in forties approached Bela and Lesnar. He was wearing a Master rider uniform and had short brown hair. His dark green eyes looked over the two youngsters as if he were analyzing them for a possible weakness. Finally, he spoke to them.
"So you think you know everything about Croco Hallaway, eh?" he asked.
"All I know is that he is one of the greatest riders in Dinotopia's history," replied Lesnar. "I heard he was born on the day of the Festival of Air Creatures...maybe that's why he's such a great rider."
"And he's the only known Dolphinback to have come out of the sky when his flying machine fell out of the sky and crashed in the waters near Sauropolis. He's a natural flyer...unlike your theory, mine makes a little more sense." Bela added. The master rider laughed as he pulled them aside. He saw something in them that he liked.
"So you two wanna become skybax riders I hear?" he asked. They nodded. "And where are you from?"
"We're from Cornucopia. Fresh from the Games," Lesnar said, "but I was originally born in Waterfall City and moved there when I was three."
"Ah...it's very beautiful down there. But do you guys wanna know the real story of Croco, cause I've known him ever since he came ashore." Their eyes lit up like stars.
"Yes, we do!" Bela said ecstatically. "We wanna hear it!"
"Well...come with me and I'll tell you." They followed the master rider back to his home up in the cliffs. There the two kids sat down while the Master rider looked for something. He looked around for a few minutes, scattering things about and when he found what he was looking for, he made sure to keep it away from the kids. He finally sat down next to them.
"What are your names?" he asked. Lesnar stood up.
"I'm Lesnar Galinday and my friend's name is Bela Martinos." The master raised his eyes a little bit.
"Bela," he said, "are you related in any way to Trish Martinos?" She nodded.
"She was my aunt and a great skybax rider until she was killed in an accident while preparing for the Festival of Air Creatures a few years ago. I miss her dearly..."
"...and so do I. But you still wanna hear the story?" They both nodded. "All right then. I'm gonna tell you the story of Croco and his early years on Dinotopia...right up until the time of the Tyrannosaur Crisis." Bela and Lesnar listened intently as the old master began to tell them the legend of Croco Hallaway...