Chapter 13
(-I am a Chasmosaurus-)
The next day, Croco was up really early so he could be ready to meet this friend that Kado told him about. He didn't go to the Aqua Stadium like he usually did, instead he just went straight to the Haven for breakfast and a brief lesson on the saurian culture. As the sun rose higher in the sky, Cassie knew that the arrival was soon so she wrapped up his lesson and hurried him to the library. Occasionally she would be teaching older children and preteens, but mostly she taught Croco on a one-on-one level like on this day.
When they got there, Kado was nowhere to be found. So they looked all over the library for him, asking every living thing they came across. Finally, they stepped outside where Kado was waiting for them.
"It's about time!" a relieved Croco said. Kado didn't say anything, as he just led them around to another side of the library. As they rounded a corner, Croco caught a glimpse of a large wing. 'A Skybax rider, no doubt about it,' he thought as he followed the troodon around to where the skybax and its rider was. Croco had seen many Skybax riders in his ten months on the island, but this one was different. The rider was an older man wearing a blue uniform with a badge just like the tattoo on Croco's arm. He was a little bit shorter than Croco and had golden blonde hair which ran down the side of his head and face like the mane of a lion. His brown eyes looked over the young man and a smile came across his wrinkled face. Kado knew that he was awestruck just being in the presence of the rider, but he made the introductions anyway.
"Croco Hallaway, I would like you to meet Oolu, head Skybax trainer of Canyon City." Croco beamed with great joy as he shook Oolu's hand. He had read about him and the things he had done over the years.
"I am greatly honored and privileged to meet you Oolu," he said with a hint of uneasiness. Oolu simply smiled and led him to the side of his mount, named Lightwing.
"So...Kado tells me that you're quite interested in becoming a Rider," he said. Croco explained to him how he was a pilot back in the outside world and that his father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all pilots.
"You're a natural flier, and I hope to have the privilege of teaching you to ride a Skybax," Oolu commented as Kado told Croco that he was planning on retiring soon as he was 261 summers old and ready to give up the only craft he had known since he was 15. They continued to talk as they went inside, with Croco asking the Master pilot a lot of questions about Skybaxes and riding in general. After they spent most of the day chatting, Oolu told everyone that he had to be back in Canyon City so everyone followed him to the platform where the Skybax would land and take off from. However, before he left Oolu called Croco over to him.
"I know there's a lot of good things ahead for you Croco," he told him, "It's all up to you to decide where they take you. Remember, you are like a feather and your destiny is like the gentle breeze that carries it. Breathe deep Croco..." Kado whispered something in the young man's ear. Then he turned back to Oolu.
"...Fly high Oolu..." he replied.
"...Seek peace!" Kado added, and like that Lightwing was in the clouds. They didn't have time to wave goodbye before a loud bellow was heard over the falls. They rushed over to the scene where a Chasmosaurus mother was lamenting and pacing back and forth. Fortunately Cassie was with them, as the chasmosaur didn't speak human languages.
-Help me!- she cried, -My hatchling's fallen in the canal and I'm afraid she's going to go over the falls!- Croco nudged Cassie in the side.
"What did she say?" he asked.
"She said her infant's fallen into the canal!" she barked, "If we don't do something..." But Croco was already looking over the edge to find the young dinosaur. He started to take off his shirt and shoes and looked back into the water. Croco spotted the chick, then a Brachiosaurus and bent down to Cassie's level to give her instructions.
"Cassie...get that brachiosaur over to a place where it can lower its head into the canal to pick me up," he told her. Then he stood back up. "And Kado...stay here and try to comfort the mother." Something told them that Croco was about to do something drastic.
"What are you doing?!?" they asked simutaniously. But he had already dove into the canal much to the shock and horror of nearby observers.
"Holy Cornucopia!" Kado gasped, "he must be mad!" Croco swam over to where he saw the young chasmosaur, but it wasn't there so he swam downstream. He saw a head pop up and the little saurian gasping for air, so he grabbed it and signaled for the brachiosaur to get in position to grab him out of the water. Croco swam over so it could get a good grip, then turned to the hatchling.
"You're all right," he said softly, "we're just gonna go for a little ride...I've gotcha nice and tight." He started to coo to comfort the little one as the brachiosaur grabbed him by the shirt collar and lifted them both out of the water. Fortunately the youngster wasn't that heavy yet, but at two-hundred fifty pounds was still heavier than Croco. The sauropod dropped them back off in the middle of the promenade to the delight of all that were watching. The applause could be heard over the thundering falls as the hatchling raced over to the comfort of its mother. Relieved and thankful, the chasmosaur walked up to Croco and said something while nuzzling him.
"She says she owes you more than the earth can give for rescuing her daughter," Cassie translated for him. But Croco went off to put his shirt back on, then came back.
"Tell her that it was nothing for me and that her gratitude is all I need," he said and the protoceratops translated what he said to the saurian. She cooed gently and gave him a hug while saying something.
-Thank you, young human...may you live in peace and happiness.- Cassie was there to interpret and Croco stroked her face.
"If we never meet again, remember me for the rest of your days. Breathe deep, seek peace." Kado had already made his way out of the crowd and back to the library while Croco and Cassie stuck around. There was an impromptu celebration in the street to honor Croco and his heroic deed, but he couldn't have done it without the help of Cassie and the brachiosaur, whose name was Kip Ridalapo. He also stayed and the celebration continued well past sunset as the crowd slowly dispersed to head back to their homes. Eventually Croco and Cassie did the same, but it was a very eventfully day for the young dolphinback. He had never thought in his imagination that he would meet his adopted hero and become a hero himself all in the same day and beamed with pride as he slowly drifted off to sleep.
(-I am a Chasmosaurus-)
The next day, Croco was up really early so he could be ready to meet this friend that Kado told him about. He didn't go to the Aqua Stadium like he usually did, instead he just went straight to the Haven for breakfast and a brief lesson on the saurian culture. As the sun rose higher in the sky, Cassie knew that the arrival was soon so she wrapped up his lesson and hurried him to the library. Occasionally she would be teaching older children and preteens, but mostly she taught Croco on a one-on-one level like on this day.
When they got there, Kado was nowhere to be found. So they looked all over the library for him, asking every living thing they came across. Finally, they stepped outside where Kado was waiting for them.
"It's about time!" a relieved Croco said. Kado didn't say anything, as he just led them around to another side of the library. As they rounded a corner, Croco caught a glimpse of a large wing. 'A Skybax rider, no doubt about it,' he thought as he followed the troodon around to where the skybax and its rider was. Croco had seen many Skybax riders in his ten months on the island, but this one was different. The rider was an older man wearing a blue uniform with a badge just like the tattoo on Croco's arm. He was a little bit shorter than Croco and had golden blonde hair which ran down the side of his head and face like the mane of a lion. His brown eyes looked over the young man and a smile came across his wrinkled face. Kado knew that he was awestruck just being in the presence of the rider, but he made the introductions anyway.
"Croco Hallaway, I would like you to meet Oolu, head Skybax trainer of Canyon City." Croco beamed with great joy as he shook Oolu's hand. He had read about him and the things he had done over the years.
"I am greatly honored and privileged to meet you Oolu," he said with a hint of uneasiness. Oolu simply smiled and led him to the side of his mount, named Lightwing.
"So...Kado tells me that you're quite interested in becoming a Rider," he said. Croco explained to him how he was a pilot back in the outside world and that his father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all pilots.
"You're a natural flier, and I hope to have the privilege of teaching you to ride a Skybax," Oolu commented as Kado told Croco that he was planning on retiring soon as he was 261 summers old and ready to give up the only craft he had known since he was 15. They continued to talk as they went inside, with Croco asking the Master pilot a lot of questions about Skybaxes and riding in general. After they spent most of the day chatting, Oolu told everyone that he had to be back in Canyon City so everyone followed him to the platform where the Skybax would land and take off from. However, before he left Oolu called Croco over to him.
"I know there's a lot of good things ahead for you Croco," he told him, "It's all up to you to decide where they take you. Remember, you are like a feather and your destiny is like the gentle breeze that carries it. Breathe deep Croco..." Kado whispered something in the young man's ear. Then he turned back to Oolu.
"...Fly high Oolu..." he replied.
"...Seek peace!" Kado added, and like that Lightwing was in the clouds. They didn't have time to wave goodbye before a loud bellow was heard over the falls. They rushed over to the scene where a Chasmosaurus mother was lamenting and pacing back and forth. Fortunately Cassie was with them, as the chasmosaur didn't speak human languages.
-Help me!- she cried, -My hatchling's fallen in the canal and I'm afraid she's going to go over the falls!- Croco nudged Cassie in the side.
"What did she say?" he asked.
"She said her infant's fallen into the canal!" she barked, "If we don't do something..." But Croco was already looking over the edge to find the young dinosaur. He started to take off his shirt and shoes and looked back into the water. Croco spotted the chick, then a Brachiosaurus and bent down to Cassie's level to give her instructions.
"Cassie...get that brachiosaur over to a place where it can lower its head into the canal to pick me up," he told her. Then he stood back up. "And Kado...stay here and try to comfort the mother." Something told them that Croco was about to do something drastic.
"What are you doing?!?" they asked simutaniously. But he had already dove into the canal much to the shock and horror of nearby observers.
"Holy Cornucopia!" Kado gasped, "he must be mad!" Croco swam over to where he saw the young chasmosaur, but it wasn't there so he swam downstream. He saw a head pop up and the little saurian gasping for air, so he grabbed it and signaled for the brachiosaur to get in position to grab him out of the water. Croco swam over so it could get a good grip, then turned to the hatchling.
"You're all right," he said softly, "we're just gonna go for a little ride...I've gotcha nice and tight." He started to coo to comfort the little one as the brachiosaur grabbed him by the shirt collar and lifted them both out of the water. Fortunately the youngster wasn't that heavy yet, but at two-hundred fifty pounds was still heavier than Croco. The sauropod dropped them back off in the middle of the promenade to the delight of all that were watching. The applause could be heard over the thundering falls as the hatchling raced over to the comfort of its mother. Relieved and thankful, the chasmosaur walked up to Croco and said something while nuzzling him.
"She says she owes you more than the earth can give for rescuing her daughter," Cassie translated for him. But Croco went off to put his shirt back on, then came back.
"Tell her that it was nothing for me and that her gratitude is all I need," he said and the protoceratops translated what he said to the saurian. She cooed gently and gave him a hug while saying something.
-Thank you, young human...may you live in peace and happiness.- Cassie was there to interpret and Croco stroked her face.
"If we never meet again, remember me for the rest of your days. Breathe deep, seek peace." Kado had already made his way out of the crowd and back to the library while Croco and Cassie stuck around. There was an impromptu celebration in the street to honor Croco and his heroic deed, but he couldn't have done it without the help of Cassie and the brachiosaur, whose name was Kip Ridalapo. He also stayed and the celebration continued well past sunset as the crowd slowly dispersed to head back to their homes. Eventually Croco and Cassie did the same, but it was a very eventfully day for the young dolphinback. He had never thought in his imagination that he would meet his adopted hero and become a hero himself all in the same day and beamed with pride as he slowly drifted off to sleep.