Jack had awoken to the sounds of an ethereal buzzing. Confused, he got up from his bed, careful not to wake his friends and Spitfire. He made his way out of the hut, where he was greeted with a shining green light a few feet down the beach. Looking up, he saw a strange shape coming down from the sky. Cautiously, he approached the object as it descended. When it had landed, he reached out to touch it when his implant glowed again. "Oh great, what's the next weird thing you're gonna tell me? Congrats on growing wings and learning to fly?" he jokingly said to himself.
He put his hand up to show his inventory, and was given both his and the inventory of a "Loot Drop". He looked at its inventory, and found 4 bolas, a spyglass, and a ramshackle pteranodon saddle. Saddles? As in "animal riding" saddles? Jack wondered. Well, he wasn't growing wings, but he very well may soon learn to fly. He then remembered that there were saddles in his engrams list, but he paid them no heed as many of them were animals he did not know besides the parasaur. I really should have paid more attention to that he thought to himself. After he took all of the contents, the loot crate disintegrated, surprising him, just in time for Miko and Raf to come out of the hut, Spitfire in tow.
"What's cracking Jack? What was that?" Miko greeted.
"Well, that green glowing thing was apparently a loot crate. But check out what I got out of it," he said while leaning over to show them his findings. They looked at the new objects, eyeing them with curiosity.
"What's a bola?" Raf asked. Jack held down the icon, giving them a description of what it was and its uses.
"So it immobilizes small animals?" Miko surmised.
"Guess so. If it does, that actually works with the other thing I found." Jack then directed them to his most intriguing find.
The group looked at the saddle, shaking with excitement at the idea of riding a Pteranodon across the sky. "Now we're talking! We can ride flying dinosaurs!" Miko yelled with glee.
"Yeah, now the only problem is finding one," Jack pointed out.
Raf then nudged then both, "I think I saw one when I was in the jungle yesterday," hoping to convince Jack to go out and help tame their first flyer.
"Guess we know what we're doing today," Jack declared, lighting up his friend's faces.
The teens prepared everything they needed for the tame. Raf got his slingshot and gathered ammo from the beach to knock the bird unconscious. Meanwhile, Miko took Spitfire out to help her hunt Compys for both raw and spoiled meat. Finally, Jack had gone on another narcoberry run to mix into narcotic. During his gathering, he found the seed for a narcoberry plant alongside the berries. He examined it and remembered, I saw a crop plot engram earlier. I bet I could plant this and make our own narcoberry plant. With that, he dropped the seed into his inventory and made a mental note to construct a mini farm later when they got back.
After a long narcotic making and hunting session, the team had gathered 49 raw meat for the tame and 45 narcotic. Believing it to be sufficient, they set off into the jungle, hoping to come back with their own Pteranodon.
The One Who Waits observed the progress of the trio, pleased with how they had progressed thus far.
"It seems like they're making good progress" she said, having been impressed with their advancement in just one day. She was glad to see the group had learned one of the most essential parts to surviving the Island, even if by accident. She knew that if they were to have any success in surviving the Island, and of challenging the King of the Shadows and his lieutenants, they had to master the creatures that roamed it.
The Homo Deus' thoughts was sharply interrupted by an alarm. The long range sensors had picked up an object from light years away setting a course towards earth. Using the System's Element enhanced telescopic lens, she zoomed in on the incoming object. As the lens cleared, she saw a ship racing towards earth across the cosmos. Upon further magnification, she was able to see into the cockpit.
Remembering her three candidates' memories, she was able to identify the crew as the ones who had defended Earth long ago and befriended the human children she was observing. Interesting. Maybe I can guide them as I did the one I almost lost she thought. She decided to wait for them to get closer before reaching out to them. If properly guided, she knew they would help take up the fight against the corruption. But only if their friends below survived long enough to see it.
After a fruitless one hour search, the team's spirits were deflating. "We're never gonna find these things huh?" Miko exasperatedly sighed.
"Man, how hard can it be to spot a giant flying reptile?" Jack said.
The group had accidentally gone out when the sun was rising at its highest. They had already emptied their water skins and had lost sight of the beach, making it much harder for them to push on. The team also had seen nothing but Trikes and Compys for the past hour. The team was about to give up and begin the search anew tomorrow.
Just then, the sound of leathery flaps caused the team to look up, where they saw a dozen pterasaurs flying high, with a single one dipping close enough for them to hear.
The group collectively facepalmed, realizing that they had been looking at the ground like with all the other dinosaurs instead of to the skies. "Let's just say that heat stroke messed up our thinking," Jack said, embarrassed at their mistake. Miko and Raf chuckled and nodded sheepishly in agreement.
Raf then told Jack to make sure he was looking at a Pteranodon as opposed to another species of pterosaur. Jack pulled out the spyglass from before and began aiming at the flying reptiles.
"Yep, definitely a Pteranodon," he told them.
"How do you know?" Raf questioned. Jack then gave the spyglass to Raf who aimed it at the flying creature. When it came into the lens, Raf could see the distinct features of a Ptera such as its long beak and crest. The spyglass also displayed in yellow, "Wild Female Pteranodon Lvl 25". "Oh," Raf chuckled.
The team opted to follow the Ptera until it landed back on the ground, allowing them to bola it. It took another 20 minutes before it landed, leading Team Prime to the river Miko had found yesterday.
"Not liking this, especially after what we heard lives here," Jack uneasily said. Even Miko, who usually loved adventure, was less rash in her decisions as she nodded and carefully watched their surroundings. After making sure there were no giant sharks or killer dinos in the area, they left the brush and stalked towards the unsuspecting reptile.
"Ok, we need to make this quick before it flies off again. I'll throw this bola, and Raf will pelt that thing with stones until it's unconscious. Miko, you keep an eye out for any of the neighbors. Take Spitfire with you in case you see something. Then after we knock it out, you'll feed it while me and Raf watch our backs. Everyone got it?" said Jack. Raf nodded and got into position.
"You know, you're sounding more like Optimus used to the longer we're here." Miko states.
Jack laughed, saying, "Maybe that's why he trusted me with the Matrix,"
Raf stood right in front of the Ptera, which paid him no mind just like the Triceratops. Jack winded up the bola and threw it at the bird, aiming true and clipping its wings. Raf then proceeded to fire stones into its face, pelting it with five in a row. Just as he was about to fire his 6th stone, the Ptera collapsed in a heap onto the ground, eliciting a cry of joy from the teenagers.
"Y'know, that was a lot easier than I thought it would be," Jack admitted. "I swear it would've been too big for these flimsy things. Guess we're gonna need plenty more where these came from," he said, shaking the bola he held for emphasis. "Alright Miko, put the meat in its mouth and let's get rolling,"
Miko happily agreed, getting ready to put the meat in its mouth when her implant flashed and a screen popped up, showing them the different bars mentioned earlier in the book, as well as something else. "What's taming effectiveness?" she asked. Raf answered her, "Wild guess, but I think it means depending on how well the taming process goes, the better its level will be when it's finished." Accepting Raf's answer, Miko opened its inventory to try putting the meat in there instead when she came across a stat screen similar to theirs.
"Check it out! This thing has numbers just like us. Although they're wayyyy higher than ours," she relayed. The boys came to see, finding that the Ptera had 500 health and 210 stamina, much higher than their stats. "This thing is gonna be a beast!" Miko betted. She then put the meat and narcotics in its inventory and began feeding.
30 minutes into the taming process, a rustle in the bushes caught Raf's attention. Not one to leave things to chance, he informed Jack of his uneasiness. "Jack, I think we're being watched," he said with fear.
"Stay here," Jack told him, proceeding into the brush, bola in hand. He sent Spitfire in to investigate first. As soon as she got close to the bush, a blur of red jumped out at her, pinning her to the ground.
Jack recognized it immediately, screaming, "Raptor!" Miko looked up from the Ptera just in time to see the Rapror start clawing into Spitfire. In a panic, she drew her spear and charged the beast, screaming "Leave her alone!" She stabbed the nimble beast in the thigh, earning a shriek of pain and the full attention of the Raptor. It let go of Spitfire and charged at her. Before it could reach her, Miko threw the spear square at its head. The animal went limp as the spear went through its brain, killing it instantly. "Wow, that was brutal," she said, trying to regain her breath.
Behind her, another shriek rang out, sounding much angrier than the first. Another Raptor stood over the group's Ptera, face full of the dismembered wing membrane it had just ripped out of the dead reptile. It now roared angrily at Miko for killing its pack mate. It charged her, and without another spear, she prepared for the worst. When she felt nothing, she opened her eyes to see a bola around wrapped around the beast. Looking to her right, she saw Jack had just saved her from imminent death.
"Raf, shoot it!" he yelled.
Raf started shooting the Raptor with as many stones as he had. "This is for Spitfire!" he shouted in his war cry. After 17 stones hit across its body, the Raptor gave into fatigue and knocked out on the ground.
Raf was about to bring down his axe on its head, when Jack caught his hand before it crushed its skull. "Woah, slow down there killer, it's unconscious. You're the one who convinced us that animals are just trying to survive too," Jack reminded him.
"This is different! They took someone from us," he retorted in tears as he motioned to the still body of Spitfire. Blood covered her body from the many slashes and bites she suffered, staining her normally black and yellow hide.
"She trusted us, and we got her killed," Raf lamented as Jack and Miko patted his back to mourn their lost friend.
Suddenly, Spitfire gave a hard cough, alerting the group. They immediately ran over to find the Dilo was still hanging on to life, if only by the slimmest of health left.
"Give me your gloves!" Jack commanded. Raf took off his cloth gloves, allowing Jack to create a makeshift bandage to wrap around Spitfire's damaged frame. He then took some meat from the dead Raptor and fed it to her, the dinosaur showing slightly more activity as it reached out and took it from his hand. The team watched as her health climbed back, even if it was at an extremely slow pace.
"Spitfire, you're ok!" Raf exclaimed, wrapping the Dilo in a loose hug so as to not injure it further. Spitfire crooned at his touch, nuzzling against his chest. Jack and Miko looked at each other, deciding to leave Raf with his new friend. They then turned their heads to the unconscious Raptor as an idea sprung to Miko's head.
"Hey, you think we can tame the Raptor? Miko asked.
"I don't know, it did just try to kill us," Jack replied. "Yeah, and so did Spits before she became all cuddly. Plus, it can help protect us and Spitfire from the bigger and meaner dinos. Come on Jack, pleaseee?" Miko begged him with her puppy eyes.
Jack pondered for a minute, weighing the pros and cons before making his decision. "Alright, we'll tame it on ONE condition. We need Raf to approve,"
Miko accepted the terms and nodded, understanding that the topic of Raptors may had become a point of discomfort for the boy. The duo walked over to Raf and presented their proposal. Though he seemed hesitant to allow the same Raptor which tried to kill him and his friends into their little tribe, he understood the benefits of having another carnivore. He himself had even reached the engram level to craft a Raptor saddle. After some strong points made by Miko, Raf conceded to taming the swift hunter, if only to better protect him and his friends from the other wildlife on the island.
"Whatever helps us survive this place, but I'm keeping an eye on it when we get back" he had concluded. Miko smiled and thanked the boy before she and Jack began the taming process again. Luckily, the Pteranodon body still contained the narcotics and meet the bird had not yet used. Miko did sadden however at the state of their potential flying companion, wishing they could have saved it.
The team had spent the rest of the day and most of the night making sure the Raptor stayed unconscious and fed. A few times, they had heard the roar of the Spino on the wind as well as the sounds of another Raptor pack off in the distance. The team didn't dare rest that night. At the crack of dawn, the Raptor released a guttural groan before standing up. The team moved back in case it still had the urge for vengeance, tools and weapons at the ready. The man-sized dinosaur walked up to Jack, staring him square in the eyes. He put his hand out and looked away, hoping it would still be there when he opened them. Instead of biting him, the dinosaur laid its head down, putting its on his hand
"Well that's a welcome change," Jack said when a familiar blue glow appeared on his wrist. The naming screen appeared, leaving Jack to ponder what to call their newest scaly companion. He took a look at the dinosaur's colors for inspiration. It was a red color with a yellow underbelly and orange feathers. All in all a very flashy animal. Flashy he thought, recollecting his memories about a certain sports car. It was then that it hit him, and he typed in the Raptor's new name.
"Looking a lot better now, aren't you Knockout?" he said as the Raptor crooned. A fitting name for how they tamed it and for its color scheme. The man-sized menace certainly had the same lethalness as the mad doctor himself. Jack looked at the Raptor's display to find it was a level 102 male, making it a lethal adversary just like the mad doctor himself. It was then Jack remembered something.
"Hey Raf, you said you saw the Raptor saddle in the engrams screen? The oldest teen asked. Raf nodded, accessing his inventory screen.
"It says that it needs 110 hide, 65 fiber, and 20 wood," he listed off.
Jack looked in his inventory and found that he had all the materials needed to make the saddle from his last hunting and gathering trip. He handed it all to Raf, who proceeded to learn and craft the engram. 2 minutes later, Raf handed the newly constructed saddle to Jack, who with Miko's help, fit it snugly on Knockout's back. The dinosaur bent down, offering them a ride.
"I wanna!" Exclaimed Miko, before hopping on its back and grabbing the reigns. She pulled out her torch, saying, "Follow me guys," as she rode the dinosaur along the beach back to their thatch hut with Jack and Raf peddling behind as they carried Spitfire.
By the time the group had arrived back at their shelter, the sun had already begun to rise. Exhausted from having to carry Spitfire, Jack and Raf had opted to go to sleep again. Miko noticed that Raf gave Knockout an uneasy look before going outside. She realized it was going to take a lot in order for the boy to trust the new addition to the group, especially after having witnessed it tear their Ptera to shreds. Deciding to leave the subject for the morning, she parked the Raptor next to the house with a fresh stack of meat.
"You stay here," she told it, before whistling to emphasize her point. She then went off to replace the resources that were used to craft the saddle. "Man, I hope there's gonna be an easier way of doing this eventually," she sighed as she chopped what felt like the hundredth tree in the last few days. She went through her engrams screen to check, and saw a smithy and refining forge as well as metal tools were in her range. I should tell Jack and Raf tomorrow she concluded, hoping it would assist in their resource collection, as well as give all the metal they had laying around a use.
She headed back to the thatch hut after gathering more wood, stone, and small pockets of metal from rocks. Satisfied with her work, she headed to bed and let sleep take her, not realizing she had been watched and followed by a great predator.
