Chapter 3
Croco woke up this time to the scent of exotic herbs and vegetables and poked his head curiously into the kitchen. Mira was expecting this and guided him to the dining area where the rest of the family was waiting. He sat down next to Kaala and Riojay as Mira brought out a strange looking vegetable dish and some salad...lots of it for Nobby. Her bowl was about the size of a bathtub and it didn't take long for her to start happily munching away. Riojay had several medium-sized fish as being a carnivore he couldn't eat what everyone else was, although occasionally he did steal a bite or two off of someone's plate when they weren't looking. Croco took a bite of Mira's creation and at first, he made a face. But he smiled as he swallowed it.
"This sure is...different," he said, "I could get used to it." he said.
"Yeah...and if you eat stuff like that every day, you can live to be two hundred summers old," Kaala added. Croco was stunned that people could live that long. But Mira was delighted that their guest had enjoyed her cooking. They continued to eat in peace as Brock told Croco about Dinotopia.
"Croco," he said, "you're gonna enjoy it here. There's so much you can do...so much to see that an outsider like you wouldn't know what he wanted." But Croco had only one thing on his mind.
"Brock, it's so nice of you to welcome me here with wide open arms," he told him, "but there's only one thing I want to do...and that is to fly again." Brock chuckled at his statement.
"Well, well...aren't we the eager one? You can do that too." Croco's eyes lit up when he said that. "There are flying reptiles on this island that people can ride. Do you know what a skybax is?" Croco shook his head, not knowing at first. "Well...a skybax is a pterosaur that has huge wings and..." Croco knew what Brock was talking about now and couldn't help but to let out his excitement.
"You mean Quetzalcoatlus?!? You're kidding...they have the largest wingspan of any flying creature, living or extinct!" he exclaimed, "Those things must be forty feet tip-to-tip!" Brock was shocked to find out how much Croco knew.
"How did you know about that?!?" he gasped. "Most dolphinbacks are shocked to hear about something like that."
"My brother's wife...one of her brothers is a paleontologist and he took me on one of his expeditions, and they found a fossilized quetzalcoatlus skeleton. It was something...the wingspan must've been about thirty-five feet. But they're actually alive on this island?" Brock nodded and told him about a friend of his that was a skybax rider. He explained how they deliver things to the people on all sides of the island. Croco was anxious to explore his new home, but Brock knew it wasn't an easy task.
"First off," he said, "we're gonna start for Waterfall City in the morning. That's where you will learn our language and our way of life. There, they will give you a saurian partner who will help you adjust to life in Dinotopia. After about two or three years there, you will go to the northern city of Treetown where you will learn to get along with other people and saurs. It's kinda like what you would call a summer camp...I heard a dolphinback mention that once while I was up there. Only then will you be worthy of Skybax training." Croco was listening the whole time, and was not too thrilled.
"You mean I'll have to wait another four years until I can even get the chance to fly again?" he said sharply. Brock understood his dismay as he nodded his head.
"Unfortunately yes," he said sadly. Then he looked out at the setting sun. "Oh bother, look at the sky. It's getting kind of late...we've got a long journey ahead of us, young man." The two men went back into the house while still chatting about the future that was staring at Croco. He was even more anxious to get airborne again, and Brock had to remind him of what it would take. But just then, Nobby stuck a horn between the two.
"Brock!" she said, "Croco's in no condition to travel...he was floating at sea for at least a full day and this is the first time he's been up in a week! We need to keep him here so he can recover and besides, he hasn't a clue about the Dinotopian culture. Give him some time to at least copy some of our way of life." He took Nobby's words into consideration, then changed his mind.
"Nobby, I know you're not going to last much longer so we'll stay." he told her. Nobby was ecstatic, rising onto her back feet and stomping the ground. It scared Croco half to death, but she explained how happy she was that he would be staying with them. The three went into the house, chatting and telling stories as they prepared the guest bedroom for Croco.
At first glance, Croco thought the small room was rather odd...it didn't have any pictures on the wall or vases anywhere. It was somewhat plain, but what caught Croco's attention was a circular table-like object sitting square in the middle of the room. It was the first thing that jumped out at him.
"And what exactly is that?" he asked curiously. Brock started to say something but couldn't get it out.
"That would be your bed, son," Mira said as she entered the room. "We got it as a gift from one of our friends who works at the hatchery near Chandara." Croco looked at it intently. 'How could this...thing...pass for a bed?' he said to himself. But he didn't complain as he climbed into it, and Mira was able to tell by the look on Croco's face that he liked it. They left him alone as he prepared to retire for the first night on the new island. All the sights...all the sounds started to sink in as Croco slowly drifted off to sleep.
But something kept bothering him during the night...he kept hearing strange noises. It got to the point where he couldn't take it and Croco got up and looked around. He peeked in the first room to his right. There, Kaala and Riojay were fast asleep, with the tail of the deinonychus draped over the little girl's neck. 'Not from there,' he thought as he looked into the next room, where Mira was. She too was asleep. Croco heard the noise again, this time coming from the kitchen. He stealthily tiptoed towards the kitchen, trying not to awaken anyone. When he got there, it didn't take long before he bumped into something. Being unable to see well in the dark, he started feeling around the object when suddenly it lurched back. Croco retreated quickly, tripping over his own feet and falling to the floor.
"Nobby!!!" he yelped, knowing who the culprit was, "What the hell are you doing?!?" The triceratops grumbled as she turned to face the young man. Then she gave him a cross look.
"First thing's first," Nobby said sternly, "on Dinotopia, we do not curse like that. Understood?"
"I'm sorry," he said in embarrassment, "I didn't know and you surprised me so I couldn't help it." She went over to where Croco was lying and lowered her head, wanting to help him up. He grabbed one of her massive horns and Nobby threw her head back. Once back on his feet, Croco asked her what she was doing in the house.
"Oh...just grabbing a little snack," she said with a grin, "I get up at about this time every night and grab a bite. Mira leaves me some greens I like cause at my old age, you need all the nutrition you can get." That sparked Croco's curiosity.
"Just how old are you...if you mind me asking?" he asked.
"I am 218 summers old...older than most in my species." Nobby went on to explain to Croco how she ran in Mira's family and how she took a liking to Mira during her childhood. When Nobby was done with the story, she looked down to find Croco fast asleep. She nudged him quite hard, jarring him awake.
"I don't think it would be a good idea to sleep here in the kitchen," she told him. Croco looked up at her with a scared look in his eyes.
"I don't think I've ever been this scared in my life," he said, "I keep hearing strange noises and stuff and it's really bothering me. I can't sleep...I'm scared...and..."
"But Mira fixed up the guest room just for you!"
"I'm not feeling too comfortable right now, so I'd rather have someone to sleep with. I need the company." Nobby understood how Croco felt and bobbed her head as she headed towards the door.
"Come with me," Nobby said, "you can sleep with me outside."
"Outside?" She nodded and Croco followed her out to a large shed with an inscription over the door in the same footprint alphabet that was on the picture in Mira's room. Nobby led him inside, and she noticed that Croco was forgetting something.
"That blanket!" she bellowed, "Brock gave you a blanket...it's still in your room. Do you want it?" Croco shook his head as Nobby positioned herself on what Croco perceived to be a bed for dinosaurs. Still munching on her leaves, Nobby looked over her companion and closed her eyes. Croco followed suit, using one of the supports of Nobby's bed as a headrest. Still, the crash lingered in his mind like a dense fog...the thought of his brother no longer being here...the fact that he was on an island with dinosaurs, the very creatures he worshiped as a boy...and he was sleeping with the one he loved the most. But all those thoughts faded as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, knowing that he would start a new life in the morning.
Croco woke up this time to the scent of exotic herbs and vegetables and poked his head curiously into the kitchen. Mira was expecting this and guided him to the dining area where the rest of the family was waiting. He sat down next to Kaala and Riojay as Mira brought out a strange looking vegetable dish and some salad...lots of it for Nobby. Her bowl was about the size of a bathtub and it didn't take long for her to start happily munching away. Riojay had several medium-sized fish as being a carnivore he couldn't eat what everyone else was, although occasionally he did steal a bite or two off of someone's plate when they weren't looking. Croco took a bite of Mira's creation and at first, he made a face. But he smiled as he swallowed it.
"This sure is...different," he said, "I could get used to it." he said.
"Yeah...and if you eat stuff like that every day, you can live to be two hundred summers old," Kaala added. Croco was stunned that people could live that long. But Mira was delighted that their guest had enjoyed her cooking. They continued to eat in peace as Brock told Croco about Dinotopia.
"Croco," he said, "you're gonna enjoy it here. There's so much you can do...so much to see that an outsider like you wouldn't know what he wanted." But Croco had only one thing on his mind.
"Brock, it's so nice of you to welcome me here with wide open arms," he told him, "but there's only one thing I want to do...and that is to fly again." Brock chuckled at his statement.
"Well, well...aren't we the eager one? You can do that too." Croco's eyes lit up when he said that. "There are flying reptiles on this island that people can ride. Do you know what a skybax is?" Croco shook his head, not knowing at first. "Well...a skybax is a pterosaur that has huge wings and..." Croco knew what Brock was talking about now and couldn't help but to let out his excitement.
"You mean Quetzalcoatlus?!? You're kidding...they have the largest wingspan of any flying creature, living or extinct!" he exclaimed, "Those things must be forty feet tip-to-tip!" Brock was shocked to find out how much Croco knew.
"How did you know about that?!?" he gasped. "Most dolphinbacks are shocked to hear about something like that."
"My brother's wife...one of her brothers is a paleontologist and he took me on one of his expeditions, and they found a fossilized quetzalcoatlus skeleton. It was something...the wingspan must've been about thirty-five feet. But they're actually alive on this island?" Brock nodded and told him about a friend of his that was a skybax rider. He explained how they deliver things to the people on all sides of the island. Croco was anxious to explore his new home, but Brock knew it wasn't an easy task.
"First off," he said, "we're gonna start for Waterfall City in the morning. That's where you will learn our language and our way of life. There, they will give you a saurian partner who will help you adjust to life in Dinotopia. After about two or three years there, you will go to the northern city of Treetown where you will learn to get along with other people and saurs. It's kinda like what you would call a summer camp...I heard a dolphinback mention that once while I was up there. Only then will you be worthy of Skybax training." Croco was listening the whole time, and was not too thrilled.
"You mean I'll have to wait another four years until I can even get the chance to fly again?" he said sharply. Brock understood his dismay as he nodded his head.
"Unfortunately yes," he said sadly. Then he looked out at the setting sun. "Oh bother, look at the sky. It's getting kind of late...we've got a long journey ahead of us, young man." The two men went back into the house while still chatting about the future that was staring at Croco. He was even more anxious to get airborne again, and Brock had to remind him of what it would take. But just then, Nobby stuck a horn between the two.
"Brock!" she said, "Croco's in no condition to travel...he was floating at sea for at least a full day and this is the first time he's been up in a week! We need to keep him here so he can recover and besides, he hasn't a clue about the Dinotopian culture. Give him some time to at least copy some of our way of life." He took Nobby's words into consideration, then changed his mind.
"Nobby, I know you're not going to last much longer so we'll stay." he told her. Nobby was ecstatic, rising onto her back feet and stomping the ground. It scared Croco half to death, but she explained how happy she was that he would be staying with them. The three went into the house, chatting and telling stories as they prepared the guest bedroom for Croco.
At first glance, Croco thought the small room was rather odd...it didn't have any pictures on the wall or vases anywhere. It was somewhat plain, but what caught Croco's attention was a circular table-like object sitting square in the middle of the room. It was the first thing that jumped out at him.
"And what exactly is that?" he asked curiously. Brock started to say something but couldn't get it out.
"That would be your bed, son," Mira said as she entered the room. "We got it as a gift from one of our friends who works at the hatchery near Chandara." Croco looked at it intently. 'How could this...thing...pass for a bed?' he said to himself. But he didn't complain as he climbed into it, and Mira was able to tell by the look on Croco's face that he liked it. They left him alone as he prepared to retire for the first night on the new island. All the sights...all the sounds started to sink in as Croco slowly drifted off to sleep.
But something kept bothering him during the night...he kept hearing strange noises. It got to the point where he couldn't take it and Croco got up and looked around. He peeked in the first room to his right. There, Kaala and Riojay were fast asleep, with the tail of the deinonychus draped over the little girl's neck. 'Not from there,' he thought as he looked into the next room, where Mira was. She too was asleep. Croco heard the noise again, this time coming from the kitchen. He stealthily tiptoed towards the kitchen, trying not to awaken anyone. When he got there, it didn't take long before he bumped into something. Being unable to see well in the dark, he started feeling around the object when suddenly it lurched back. Croco retreated quickly, tripping over his own feet and falling to the floor.
"Nobby!!!" he yelped, knowing who the culprit was, "What the hell are you doing?!?" The triceratops grumbled as she turned to face the young man. Then she gave him a cross look.
"First thing's first," Nobby said sternly, "on Dinotopia, we do not curse like that. Understood?"
"I'm sorry," he said in embarrassment, "I didn't know and you surprised me so I couldn't help it." She went over to where Croco was lying and lowered her head, wanting to help him up. He grabbed one of her massive horns and Nobby threw her head back. Once back on his feet, Croco asked her what she was doing in the house.
"Oh...just grabbing a little snack," she said with a grin, "I get up at about this time every night and grab a bite. Mira leaves me some greens I like cause at my old age, you need all the nutrition you can get." That sparked Croco's curiosity.
"Just how old are you...if you mind me asking?" he asked.
"I am 218 summers old...older than most in my species." Nobby went on to explain to Croco how she ran in Mira's family and how she took a liking to Mira during her childhood. When Nobby was done with the story, she looked down to find Croco fast asleep. She nudged him quite hard, jarring him awake.
"I don't think it would be a good idea to sleep here in the kitchen," she told him. Croco looked up at her with a scared look in his eyes.
"I don't think I've ever been this scared in my life," he said, "I keep hearing strange noises and stuff and it's really bothering me. I can't sleep...I'm scared...and..."
"But Mira fixed up the guest room just for you!"
"I'm not feeling too comfortable right now, so I'd rather have someone to sleep with. I need the company." Nobby understood how Croco felt and bobbed her head as she headed towards the door.
"Come with me," Nobby said, "you can sleep with me outside."
"Outside?" She nodded and Croco followed her out to a large shed with an inscription over the door in the same footprint alphabet that was on the picture in Mira's room. Nobby led him inside, and she noticed that Croco was forgetting something.
"That blanket!" she bellowed, "Brock gave you a blanket...it's still in your room. Do you want it?" Croco shook his head as Nobby positioned herself on what Croco perceived to be a bed for dinosaurs. Still munching on her leaves, Nobby looked over her companion and closed her eyes. Croco followed suit, using one of the supports of Nobby's bed as a headrest. Still, the crash lingered in his mind like a dense fog...the thought of his brother no longer being here...the fact that he was on an island with dinosaurs, the very creatures he worshiped as a boy...and he was sleeping with the one he loved the most. But all those thoughts faded as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, knowing that he would start a new life in the morning.