It was a rough week after his defeat at Tetrax's hand but tonight was his muroid watching shift with Rayona so at least he had that to cheer him up. Shar was beating herself up a bit for trading shifts- she wanted Blonko to have another chance to practice with his aliens- but Blonko was grateful for the break. Just this morning, Wat-Sen tried convincing him to practice wielding Archfiend's fire and Blonko needed a break after spending so much time messing with his aliens.
Plus, it was nice to have some time alone with the girl he fancied. Blonko may be the wielder of the Omnitrix but he was still a boy.
"What did Shar want last time that was so urgant we had to change shifts?" Rayona asked as she and Blonko walked along the patrol path. It was a beautiful night and the stars were shining so brilliantly that their light illuminated Revonnah's surface.
Blonko was so caught up in the moment that his mind had to scramble to think of a believable lie. "Oh, um… You know how it is. She has been worried after I got my hand stuck in the trap but she was curious about the alien sighting. She wanted me to show her where the fire was. From a distance, of course."
Rayona nodded and Blonko relaxed a bit. That was a believable lie, right? He was a bit startled at how quickly it had come to him. He wished he could be proud at how skilled he'd become at hiding his secrets surrounding the Omnitrix but all this lying was making him feel bad. The illicit allure had faded and now he just felt guilty anytime a falsehood left his mouth.
"Would you mind showing me?" she asked and Blonko blinked in surprise. She looked away shyly. "I must admit I am curious as well. And it might be nice to have a short walk away from the usual route."
Blonko swallowed. His heart was doing strange things in his chest. "Of course. It is not very interesting but I would be honored to show you."
He hooked his weapon over his shoulder and took her hand, leading her to the edge of the mountain that overlooked the broad valley that held the lake and the scorch marks he'd left on Revonnah's surface. He still felt bad about that. He felt bad about a lot of things. Looking out at the aftermath of the incident definitely didn't help. If anything, it made the memories more vivid. The grotesque body, the smoke, the heat of the flames...
He suddenly noticed that he was still holding Rayona's hand. He nearly froze in his tracks, eyes flickering between Rayona and their joined hands. She smiled at him and he smiled back. This was nice. Distracting. But like all good things, he'd learned, it couldn't last forever.
"Don't move," a rough voice said. Blonko heard a click and a moment later there was a gun pressed against his head.
The figure was still somewhat concealed by the shadows and Blonko couldn't see much with a gun in his face but from what he could tell, this newcomer was very brightly colored. He cursed himself for not seeing him a moment sooner. The attacker wasn't even trying to blend in. How had he missed such an obvious target? As wonderful as Rayona was, he could not afford to let his attention wander. He was a top student of Revonnah Kai. He knew better than to let himself get distracted from his surroundings.
Rayona started to draw her harvesting tool, ready to brandish the weapon at the stranger threatening her neighbor, when something dropped down behind her. An alien gurgle interrupted the silence and a second figure, this one meaner and leaner, stalked forward with malice in his step. Through the corner of his eye, Blonko saw the glint of a sword. Maybe two. He couldn't be certain, not when he couldn't turn his head to check.
Rayona gripped her weapon but lowered it enough to show that she wanted to talk, not fight. "Who are you? What do you want?"
"The name's Kraab. My partner here is Sixsix. And as for what we want…" the stranger responded, voice dipping threateningly. A massive metal claw clicked before Kraab placed it over the Omnitrix. He tapped it knowingly. Blonko swallowed thickly. More bounty hunters. Brallada, how valuable was this nuisance on his wrist?
"You want the metal contraption on his wrist?" Rayona concluded, sounding surprised. "You can have it."
"I cannot remove it without removing my hand," Blonko reminded. Kraab clicked his pincer and Blonko immediately regretted his words.
Rayona seemed to notice the error on both their parts as well. Acting fast, she rammed the head of the harvesting tool down on Kraab's head before Sixsix could stop her. "Ow! Hey! Stop them!"
Rayona took Blonko's hand and pulled him away. Sixsix began shooting but they were already running. Lasers flew past them and littered the ground around their feet but Blonko didn't look back. He trusted Rayona to guide him. Logically, he knew that she didn't know any better than he did but momentarily, he let himself be disillusioned into safety by his infatuation with the girl.
Rayona pulled the two of them behind a particularly leafy amber ogia bush and crouched down. "We need a plan."
What they needed was for Blonko to get away from Rayona so he could transform without revealing his powers. "You should run back to the village for help. I can try to hold them off."
"I cannot leave you with them! They want to remove your hand!"
"I am trained in Revonnah Kai. I can hold my own."
"You would have been splattered across the mountain if not for me, Blonko. We are better together."
In another situation, those words would have made Blonko's heart flutter but right now, with lasers cutting through the bush and splashing amber ogia juice everywhere, they felt like a death sentence. Blonko opened his mouth to say the fruit would attract muroids but then he closed it, realizing that wasn't the most important thing right now.
Rayona cried out and Blonko realized his mind had wandered. He turned, eyes round with worry, and saw that she was clutching her arm. "Were you hit?"
She nodded, gritting her teeth in pain. "We should have hid behind a rock."
Blonko wanted to inspect her wound but he knew it would be no good and she was probably a better medic than him anyway. So instead, guilt spread over his features. This was his fault. Rayona was hurt and this was his fault. He had to fix this but there was only one thing he could think of. Placing his hands on her shoulders firmly, he told her, "Stay here."
"What are you-"
Leaping out from behind the bush, Blonko ran at their attackers and slammed his hand down on the Omnitrix the moment he was out of Rayona's view. He was cutting it close but this was all he could do. He didn't even know what he was turning into but he'd be happy to receive any form right now, even Tidetail Wave and he was pretty much useless on land.
He could tell this was something new the moment the transformation overtook him. Something strange was happening to his head. He could feel it bulging and elongating at the same time. It felt crooked, which didn't sound right but he didn't know how else to describe it. His back bent and his extremities elongated, morphing him into some kind of quadruped. This was the first time he was turning into something that walked on more than two limbs but that wasn't even the strangest thing. Something jutted out of his arms and he felt his fur melt into some kind of thin, leathery film. Blonko was pretty sure he was growing wings.
"Terrorsaur!" he screeched as the transformation ended and the light died down, revealing his new form in all its glory. He towered over Kraab and Sixsix now. They had to crane their necks back to look up at him.
"What is that thing?" If the scream Sixsix let out was not enough of a reaction, Kraab sounded even more horrified than a farmer who'd woken up to a pack of pregnant muroids feasting on his harvest. Terrorsaur blinked, unable to figure out what had them so terrified. Then he realized he had multiple eyes. Eight, to be exact if he was counting right. Maybe he was some kind of arachnid bird? He doubted it. He didn't feel like a spider. Either way, the two were distracted and something primal in him was telling him to get off the ground and take to the sky.
Now that there was a little space between them, Sixsix and Kraab began to fire. A few shots clipped him and they stung quite a bit but it was nothing intolerable. Letting his wings move on their own, Terrorsaur arched through the air and dive bombed his attackers, hitting them both square in the chest with the tops of his wings. Reaching out with his back legs, Terrorsaur snatched up Rayona from behind the bush in the process and took off.
He had to get her to safety. That was the priority. Large, powerful wings beat the sky as he picked up speed. His flight was a little bit wobbly but he wasn't falling. As long as he remained in the air, that was good enough. He could figure out how to fly properly later, not that he cared much. Flying, even if it wasn't very good, was still flying. How amazing was that? The cool, night air pushed against his wings, whipped his face, and filled the series of air sacs around his lungs. It felt nice, almost like running as XLR8. Except when he was XLR8, he'd had a much more receptive travel partner than he did now.
Rayona screamed and struggled against his grip. Terrorsaur grunted and adjusted his hold so she didn't fall or make him fall. He didn't really have proper feet to hold onto her with so she was already unsteady without all the resistance. Craning his head down so his beak brushed his underbelly, he peered at her, trying to see if something was wrong. This only made her shriek louder.
"Unhand me, beast!" Despite her clear and apparent fear, Rayona's fighting-spirit was still running strong. Terrorsaur normally liked that about her but right now it was just putting them in more danger.
"Please stop struggling. I do not want to drop you."
"Put me down then!"
Terrorsaur conceded that this was probably the best course of action. He was a big bird. It hadn't been long but he managed to fly pretty far and chances are they were far enough that Terrorsaur could put Rayona down and circle back to the fight without having to worry for her safety. All eight eyes scanning the ground for somewhere to land, he spotted a familiar figure standing atop a terrace, waving his arms wildly to catch his attention. Terrorsaur, deciding to take a gamble and trust his gut, veered from his path and landed clumsily beside him.
"What are you doing here?" Terrorsaur asked as he tucked in his feet, releasing Rayona and letting the girl scramble away from him. It hurt, a bit, but he tried not to let it bother him. She didn't know who he was and this was probably the best outcome he could hope for. "I thought you left."
"I tried. I'll explain later," Tetrax replied, his helmet making his voice boom a bit differently than it did without. Surprisingly, Terrorsaur felt inclined to trust him. Maybe it had something to do with the fact he was the only bounty hunter here not shooting at him. Tetrax glanced at Rayona who was eyeing them both warily and let out a heavy breath. "I can get her to safety so you can finish things up with Sixsix and Kraab."
"Do you know them?"
"You could say that."
"I am not going anywhere with either of you," Rayona declared, getting to her feet and putting herself in a defensive position. She was not a student of Revonnah Kai but all things considered, her stance was strong enough to show that she meant it. "Where is Rook Blonko? Direct me to him and we shall leave you aliens to your fighting."
Tetrax looked at Terrorsaur in confusion. The grotesque creature shrugged his wings awkwardly. Tetrax sighed. "I'm sure your boyfriend is fine. I'll find him after I drop you off back home."
"He is not my boyfriend!" Rayona protested, looking a bit flustered. Her pause was enough opportunity for Tetrax to scoop her up in his arms and take off toward the village on a crystal slide before she could protest. Much, at least.
Terrorsaur watched them go, feeling his face heat up a bit at Tetrax's assumption. He shook his head, trying to ward those thoughts away. He needed to focus on the fight. Launching himself off the terrace, he began gliding back to where he left the bounty hunters.
It was much better flying without a passenger weighing him down and throwing off his balance. He folded his legs back and tilted his nose forward, shifting his body into a more aerodynamic position, and flapped absently, letting the wind carry his large yet light body where it needed to be. It wasn't long before he spotted his prey.
With an inhuman screech, Terrorsaur fell into a nosedive and slammed into Kraab. The metallic crustacean cried out in surprise and stumbled at the sudden weight pinning him down. Terrorsaur flailed his back legs, scoring his long claws against Kraab's armor, and began battering him with his boney wings and clawed hands.
"Get it off!" Kraab yelled, trying to hit Terrorsaur with his heavier arm. Terrorsaur opened his mouth and clamped down on Kraab's head. His teeth dug into the metal which was rather unpleasant and the armor tasted pretty bad but Terrorsaur didn't let go. Sixsix tried to grab his shoulders but Terrorsaur batted him away with his tail easily.
Terrorsaur just kept holding on, even after Kraab managed to shove Terrorsaur's legs off him. That was fine. He got more leverage with his feet and tail on the ground anyway and it made it easier to scratch at Kraab with his hands.
"You're busting up my armor, you stupid dinosaur!" Kraab managed to box Terrorsaur in the beck, dislodging his grip. It hurt his teeth and made his jaw ache. Kraab drew his blaster and Terrorsaur shuffled back on all fours. He snapped at him, to which Kraab responded with a blast to the face. "Savage creature."
Terrorsaur ducked his head and glowered. Kraab was right about there being something savage about this form but Terrorsaur was happy to give into his primal side if it meant using this form properly. He let out a throaty noise and Kraab froze, eyes widening as if entranced. Terrorsaur kept his eyes fixed on him, sensing something was happening, but something suddenly landed on his back, startling him out of it.
"Get off!" Terrorsaur bucked as Sixsix wrapped his legs around his neck and clung tight with his arms. Kraab snapped out of whatever trance he was falling into and let out a cruel laugh that only made Terrorsaur buck harder. "I am not a saddle-animal to be ridden!"
"Sure looks like it to me," Kraab taunted. Terrorsaur threw his head back, trying to shake Sixsix's grip or impale the unwanted rider with the spike on the top of his head. Sixsix just gurgled and held on tighter.
Kraab began advancing towards him and Terrorsaur began getting nervous. He lashed out with one hand but Kraab leaned out of range. He jumped, trying to take to the sky where he could shake Sixsix off, but Sixsix punched him hard at the point where his shoulder met his wing and that idea was gone. He tried to twist his head around to bite the bounty hunter but his neck didn't have a very good range of motion in that direction. He didn't know if he could get him off.
Kraab fired a shot at Terrorsaur's feet, forcing him to take a step back. He fired again and again, making him back up more and more until he was nearly pressed against the side of the nearest mountain peak. Kraab laughed again and Terrorsaur's eyes narrowed, mind registering what was happening. They were treating him like some kind of circus animal! "Stop taunting me!"
Sixsix let out a series of noises that Kraab seemed to understand. The crustacean nodded, looking annoyed. "Yeah, yeah. I'll get the energy cuffs. Don't get your swords in a twist."
An idea formed in Terrorsaur's mind but he didn't have the chance to execute it because in that moment, his ally came barreling down the mountain and landed on top of Kraab, slamming him into the ground. Armored feet drove the metal shell into the earth, disrupting the tension in the air. Taking the chance he was given, Terrorsaur reared up on his back legs and rammed Sixsix into the cliffside.
Tetrax started whaling on Kraab and Terrorsaur started rolling on the ground, crushing Sixsix under his weight. The alien held on tight but Terrorsaur kept grinding him into the ground, wiggling with his underbelly facing the sky like a muroid trying to scratch his back on a particularly rough stone. Sixsix expressed his unhappiness with a string of inhuman grunts but Terrorsaur spread out his wings and let himself enjoy the backscratch, tail wagging under him in pleasure.
"Tetrax, you traitor!" Kraab snarled as his fist shot up, slugging Tetrax so hard his helmet came off. Terrorsaur figured the helmet wasn't attached very tightly but what did he know? Maybe Kraab really had punched him that hard. It was hard enough to make Tetrax stumble back, releasing Kraab from his pinned position, and Tetrax was a big guy so it must've been strong. Terrorsaur abruptly became aware of how rough these bounty hunters were and felt a flash of gratitude that Tetrax was helping him out. He wasn't certain he could trust him yet but he was grateful to have an ally.
"The Omnitrix is stuck on a kid. Vilgax is going to destroy this planet trying to get it!" Tetrax roared as he continued his efforts to try to bash Kraab's face in. His words implied he wanted to call a truce but his actions told Terrorsaur that Tetrax didn't really like this guy. This was a long time coming, it seemed.
"Don't care," Kraab responded. His pincer clamped down on Tetrax's arm and he angled it away from his face. With his free hand, he raked his talons over Tetrax's exposed face, not that they did much damage. He tried going for the eyes but Tetrax saw it coming and nipped Kraab's hand with his teeth before he could get too close. "Ow! You bit me! Low move, Tetrax!"
"You were the one who went for the eyes," Tetrax retorted and shrugged the pincer off his arm, wrestling free of Kraab's grip. "Come on, I was the one who told you about this job. Drop it for my sake."
"You know we bounty hunters don't run by any code of honor," Kraab responded and brought one of his scythe-like feet down on Tetrax's foot. The crystal alien grunted in pain, more from the weight of Kraab's cybernetics than actual injury. "This is my bounty!"
Sixsix said something from under Terrorsaur. Kraab let out a frustrated grunt.
"Fine! Our bounty! But you better start pulling your weight, Sixsix, or you're not getting paid!"
The threat of not getting his share of the reward riled something up in Sixsix and Terrorsaur felt a few point-blank shots hit him in the back. He couldn't jump up fast enough, bellowing in pain as he rolled away. Sixsix shook the dirt off him, relishing the ability to move once more, and aimed his weapons at Terrorsaur. Terrorsaur was forced to tear his eyes away from Tetrax and Kraab's argument and resume the fight. Bunching up his muscles, he threw himself upward and away from Sixsix.
Back in the air, Terrorsaur flew in a tight circle around the battlefield. Sixsix kept firing at him, stopping him from moving in to strike. Tetrax and Kraab continued grappling in the background. Terrorsaur wished he could help but he was too big to fight so close to an ally and his lack of humanoid features frankly stumped him on how to really fight properly. The only moves he could think of using involved biting, scratching, and flying.
"Kid!" Tetrax called as he deflected a flurry of blows from Kraab. "Use your powers!"
"What powers?" Terrorsaur had more powers?
"What, is this your first time turning into that form" Tetrax asked rhetorically. Terrorsaur's lack of a response told him all he needed to know. "Slag, is this really your first time?"
"Maybe?"
"Amateur," Kraab coughed, earning him another blow in the face. He retaliated with a wild swing of his arm, clubbing Tetrax in the ribs. The crystal alien seemed unhurt by it but it put some distance between them.
"You need to- ugh. Give me a sec," Tetrax sighed. He crouched down and slammed his palms against the ground. A pillar of crystal shot out of the ground, stopping abruptly and throwing him into the sky. Terrorsaur deviated from his circular path to catch the alien on his back. He landed heavily, nearly knocking Terrorsaur out of the sky, but a few extra hard flaps kept them from plummeting. Tetrax continued talking, oblivious to Terrorsaur's momentary struggle. "Look, this species is- Have you ever heard of a Psycholeopterran?"
"Is that what Terrorsaur is?"
"No. And why do you call it T- Nevermind. Psycholeopterran are sometimes caught and kept as pets by the wealthy. They can generate vivid hallucinations that let someone live out their wildest dreams. Terrorsaurs, as you call them, are sometimes caught as well but not by euphoria chasers. Instead, they're used in prisons. Any guesses why?"
Terrorsaur thought for a moment, dodging more lasers as his mind raced for the answer. At some point, Kraab had picked up his blaster as well. "Everyone seemed terrified of my appearance. My guess is that I can hypnotize people to see their fears?"
"Close enough. You can generate psychic hallucinations," Tetrax told him, "and they can get pretty bad. Bounty hunters are pretty tough but when it comes down to it, we're all selfish cowards. One good hallucination should send these two running."
"Okay." Terrorsaur felt like he was getting pretty good at dodging these lasers. For top-notch bounty hunters, Kraab and Sixsix weren't very good shots. Or maybe it was because his dark skin blended in with the night sky, making it harder to see him. That was probably it. "So how do I access my psychic abilities?"
"No clue. I'm a Petrosapien. My abilities are nothing like yours."
Terrorsaur wanted to scream in frustration. "Wonderful."
"A species' natural abilities usually come to them pretty easily. You knew how to fly right off the bat, right? This should be almost as easy."
No, it wasn't. This sounded a lot harder than flying. But Tetrax had a point. "I think I started to entrance Kraab earlier but Sixsix jumped on me before I could finish."
"Well, we're above them now so that won't happen again. I'll block as many shots as I can with my peranite shards. Just keep circling them and try to generate a hallucination. That should send them running before this escalates."
Terrrosaur thought this had already escalated quite a bit but he knew it could get worse so he didn't say anything. Doing as he was told, he focused on the bounty hunters below and turned his thoughts inward, trying to recall what he'd done before.
He became very aware of his physical form, the weight on his back and how his wings moved to keep him afloat. His tail lashed behind him, helping him keep his balance and turned when necessary. It was hard to really be aware of his head since that was, well, where most of his sensory organs were and kind of hard to move but from how heavy it felt on his neck, he was pretty sure he had a pretty big head. Psychic abilities surrounded the mind, right? He probably had a pretty big brain in there, crackling with untapped psychic power.
Come to think of it, that probably had something to do with why he had so many eyes. He could see out of all of them, of course, and his vision was pretty sharp but they didn't really change much for him. Maybe this alien was just used to it but it felt the same as having two eyes. They probably had some purpose beyond helping him see, right?
Terrorsaur fixed all his eyes on the two aliens below. He tried zeroing four pairs on each one but that just made him dizzy so he just kept the two in the general range of all eight eyes. They were a bit too far to make eye contact but Terrorsaur tried his best. Lasers continued to fly at him but Tetrax did as promised and shot shards of crystal to intercept them before they could hit Terrorsaur's filmy wings.
He could feel something buzzing in his mind and the sensation spread behind his eyes. He could tell the power was at its brim, ready to spill out the moment he opened the floodgates and gave it direction, but he wasn't quite sure how to release it. He tried to call upon any predatory instincts he may have stirring within him and let his intrusive fantasies run wild.
Kraab and Sixsix stopped firing. Terrorsaur slowly began spiraling downward, descending upon them. As he grew closer, Kraab and Sixsix's reactions became more and more visible to the point that Terrorsaur could smell their fear.
He landed in front of them and Tetrax slid off his back. Terrorsaur didn't move, ducking his head to glower at them. Both figures were stiff as boards, blankly staring at him. Terrorsaur found he couldn't tear his gaze away. It felt like the whole world was only him, them, and the atrocious visions dancing through their minds.
Tetrax nudged him, drawing him ever so slightly back to reality. "Release them and give 'em a roar to send 'em off. Unless you plan on eating them."
No, he did not want to eat them. Forcing his mind out of its stupor, he released the pair from his hold. Sixsix and Kraab jerked, like they were waking up from a nightmare, and tried to blink the dazy sensation away. Unable to keep himself from smirking, Terrorsaur reared up and let out the most terrifying roar he could muster. Sixsix and Kraab were gone before he was back on all fours.
"Impressive," Tetrax commented, crossing his arms as he watched his fellow bounty hunters flee. "You're a quick study."
Terrorsaur preened slightly under the compliment. Maybe it was the bird DNA in his system but he always appreciated praise from an authority figure. He wasn't sure if generating hallucinations terrifying enough to scare bounty hunters wordless was really the best thing to be commended for but he'd take it.
The Omnitrix began beeping and a moment later, Terrorsaur was replaced by a young Revonnahgander. "You never told me why you came back."
Tetrax suddenly looked nervous. Fighting was his element but it seemed talking was not. He coughed awkwardly. "Well, um, I've been rethinking some things."
"Oh?"
Tetrax scratched the back of his head, toeing the ground absently. "You know I'm a bounty hunter. I've taken all sorts of jobs over the years. I've just never gotten a job where I was told to hurt a kid. And- don't interrupt me- I know that by Revonnahgander standards you are not a kid but in the grand scheme of things, you really are so don't fight me on this. You're- you're really young, Blonko. You shouldn't have the burden of carrying the Omnitrix yet. You should be playing games with your siblings and trying to court pretty girls. Not wondering how big the bounty on your head is."
"Actually, I think the bounty is on my arm, not my head."
Tetrax smiled fondly and gently punched him in the shoulder. "Smart aleck. Anyway, I've always heard the Omnitrix was a weapon. I took this job because- Well, the guy who hired me is pretty bad but he's predictable. I thought if an empire had the Omnitrix, it might try to wage war or sell it to someone who would and that would be worse. I know I'm probably just- I know I'm not the best person. When you live a life like mine, you try to explain yourself. Justify all the bad things you do for money, even if they're unjustifiable. After you timed out during our fight, I had a bit of a reality check.
"You didn't ask for this. You're not going to abuse this power. You wouldn't even be fighting if people didn't keep attacking you. You're exactly the kind of person who should have the Omnitrix. But no one else cares. Right now, only Vilgax and the guys I told know. If anyone else finds out, Revonnah's going to be the center of a battlefield. Or- Or if Vilgax manages to keep it a secret, he'll still destroy your planet. I don't want to see that happen. Not again.
"So yeah, I'd like to train you," Tetrax went on, surprising Blonko. He looked down. "I won't lie, maybe I have some personal reasons for it. I'm hoping taking a break from the whole bounty hunter thing and settling down for a bit will help me… I don't know, remember who I once was. But I do want to help you. Revonnah is a beautiful world. It would be a shame if anything happened to it. I know you can protect it, Rook Blonko. Maybe not yet but I've seen a good portion of the universe in my days driving spacecraft. I can help you master the Omnitrix. If you'll have me, that is."
Blonko did a double take, mind still trying to absorb everything Tetrax just said. The Petrosapien sounded genuine and he felt inclined to believe him. Afterall, he didn't have a reason not to trust him, other than the fact Tetrax was a bounty hunter but he was trying to leave that behind him. Still, it wasn't entirely his call to make.
"Talk to Magister Wat-Sen," Blonko spoke after a moment. Tetrax looked up, eyes watching Blonko's mouth carefully, making sure not to miss a single word. "He is this system's Plumber. I trust his judgement more than my own. But if he agrees, I would love to train with you."
Tetrax cracked a smile. His features shifted with relief. Blonko hadn't realized how stressed the man had been. "Thank you. I'll visit him when the sun rises. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who likes being woken up in the middle of the night. Especially by someone who'd just attacked him."
Blonko chuckled before his eyes drifted in the direction of the village. "I should head home. Rayona has likely already told everyone that Terrorsaur ate me."
Tetraxed grimaced. "I do not want to be you right now."
"Me neither, Tetrax," Blonko sighed and began the trek back home. "Me neither."
