Paradise Lost
The island loomed large in the grayness of the morning, unexpected and miraculous. Drake had no idea of how it would test him.
Notes: This was originally written for the One Piece Supernovas zine. Warning, there is a little bit of gore in this. Not too graphic, but it is there.
Salt water burned his throat, his nose, his eyes, the intensity all encompassing. Drake coughed, choking and spluttering, desperately trying to keep air in his lungs as he floundered under the roiling surface of the sea.
He knew it was useless to fight against the tide, his devil fruit damning him to the dark depths, but still. His father's face, grin cruel and wide, flashed before his eyes as he sank. He renewed his efforts at thrashing, exhaustion and that dreaded weakness pulling at his senses, whispering a quiet almost peaceful death. Bubbles streamed from his mouth and nose, white as the whites of his eyes.
Not like this.
Something rising from the depths bumped his hand. Whether by luck or by skill, though under the water the two were one and the same, he grabbed onto the object, rising to the roaring and heaving surface.
The island loomed large in the grayness of the morning, unexpected and miraculous. The piece of wood he clung to, with hands long gone numb from the cold, drifted ever closer on the tide. It felt like a hundred lifetimes had passed through him as he got close enough to the shore to feel sand drag beneath his feet. The weakness of the sea drained out of him as he stumbled onto the beach. He stared at the cliffsides and greenery rising up above him as the first golden rays of light from the sun hit the beach.
With a shuddering laugh, Drake collapsed on the sand and knew no more.
He was too warm, and itchy all at once. With momentous effort, Drake forced his eyes open, the harsh noonday sun making his pupils constrict painfully. With a groan he rolled over, the sand and salt that coated his skin cracking and shifting. He scrubbed a hand over his face, rubbing away some of the salt. His throat burned from thirst and his mouth felt like sand. Shaking his head, he looked around trying to get his bearings.
The beach wasn't particularly long, more of an inlet with a rocky cliffside covered in vines and scraggly bushes that blocked his view of the rest of the island. The broken piece of wood that had saved his life sat half in the water, the tide having yet to come in. He stared out at the ocean, the waves no longer frighteningly huge. But that was how the sea lured people out to it, by looking serene, stunning, filled with promise. He shook his head and eyed the horizon. No ships in sight. Not unexpected but still, he frowned.
With effort, his limbs heavy, Drake lurched to his feet. He was lucky to only be scratched and bruised, the fire fight between his crew and one of Kaido's crews had been bad enough before the storm had begun. With a grunt, he turned his sights on the cliff face and began to make his way up. First things first, find water.
The island was large, and tropical in nature. Hot, with myriad plants, curling vines and a jungle thick with foliage. He sat at the foot of a tree, its massive leaves creating ample shade. The sweet smell of decaying vegetation and humid air sat heavily in his nose. The small stream he sat near burbled as he washed his face, reveling in the feeling of no longer being covered in salt.
He leaned back against the trunk of the tree, watching a line of ants march up the bark. So far, there had been no sign of human settlements, which wasn't all that unusual for the New World. It was a harsh place after all. 'Paradise indeed,' he thought with a frown. Something tugged on the periphery of his senses. Out of the corner of his eye, across the small stream and crouched near the massive roots of a long fallen tree, something was watching him.
It didn't feel particularly menacing, but then again... "When dealing with unknowns, everything is dangerous. Proceed with caution," Tsuru's voice rang in the back of his head. He could still see her stern lined face as she eyed the new recruits standing on the sand of another tropical island, so long ago. With a sigh, Drake got to his feet. The sun was beginning to set and he had survival to attend to.
A cool breeze blew across the beach, not strong enough to kick up the sand. The small crackle and pops of the damp sticks he'd collected filled in the gaps the ocean waves left behind. Drake gazed out at the dark water. No lights from passing ships thus far, and no sign of the Red Force, nor the Beast Pirates they'd been fighting.
Something tugged on his senses again, the same small presence as before. This time, he turned his head towards the sea grass just barely visible on the edge of the firelight and glared. A scrabbling noise followed and the presence disappeared. Drake sighed. Shame, he could have used the company. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been this...alone.
He looked up at the stars and wondered if he was the only one around to admire them.
The sun came bright and early as Drake cracked an eye open. He uncurled his tail from around his snout and shrank back down to his human size, shaking the sleep out of his eyes. He glanced at the gray ocean. Not a ship to be seen. A brief spike of panic ripped through his system before he shoved it back down with a deep breath. Drake glanced down at the remains of his hastily made fire then looked back up the beach toward the jungle, following the mountainside up and up. A curl of smoke drifted in the wind from the top. He hoped it was a cloud but knew a volcano when he saw one.
He rubbed a hand over his face and got to his feet, brushing sand off his clothing. "Alright, first things first…" he muttered aloud. Today he needed to find shelter, and if possible, food. Before that however, Drake closed his eyes and took a deep breath, extending his senses out as far as he could. Only the whisper of the seagrass, the rhythmic rushing of the waves, a lone seagull honking in the distance. Speaking of seagrass, he opened his eyes and strode forward towards the closest patch and crouched down, gaze roving over the sand. On the ground were footprints left from his curious stalker the night before. He quirked an eyebrow. Three-toed with slight claw indents, about the size of his palm. Avian, or possibly reptilian.
Keeping the sun to his east, Drake stood once more and made his way towards the jungle.
He climbed, hand over hand, carefully stepping from branch to branch, trying to spread out his weight. As he reached the top of the tallest tree he'd found thus far, he gazed out at the island. Jungle spread out for a long long ways until it met some grassland before becoming beach once more. No human settlements, no ships on the horizon. Despair tugged at his throat.
That narrowed his options. He swallowed, anxiety hopping in his stomach. "It's fine, you've been trained to deal with this," he muttered. The Navy forced all soldiers deployed to the Grandline and the New World through a rigorous survival training course.
Drake frowned and began his descent.
Trees at least eighty feet tall turned the forest floor into a kaleidoscope of greens, their great crowns vying for position in the sun. Insects buzzed a sharp staccato hum through the still humid air. The ground was damp beneath his feet, a fine layer of mist in the air from the perspiring greenery.
Drake sat on the branch of a large tree about twenty feet back from the river's edge, looking about carefully. Fresh water attracted animals, large and small, and he was not going to take any chances. Not until he had a better idea of what he was dealing with.
If he wanted to make it off this island alive, then caution was his best friend.
That being said, the odd looking fruit above his head kept drawing his attention. The outside was fuzzy with weird ridges and a funky purple color. 'Listen Up Cadets! The Grandline is a force to be reckoned with, but if you listen to this old woman's wisdom, maybe you won't die.' Tsuru's voice rasped inside his head again.
All the new recruits had been anchored off shore of a tropical island, their commanders intent on teaching them how to survive in all manner of conditions. He recalled the way the sun had beaten down on his neck, and the frown on his platoon leader's face as he was placed into their bracket.
Drake's stomach growled. He'd been hungry then too, and had nearly made a fatal mistake in eating a random fruit he'd found while his platoon had been searching for water. He smiled slightly, remembering the furious look on Hina's face when she slapped it out of his hand, her purple eyes narrowed and pink hair slipping out of her rough ponytail. That was the first time he'd ever interacted with her.
But this time, he didn't have Hina to stop him. He had to depend on his own judgement.
Drake took a breath and shifted. In an instant everything was so much more vivid, the rot and fungi in the wood, insect chirping sharper, the foliage a near pulsing green. He gripped the branch tightly with his now clawed hands, and stretched above him, sniffing the air.
The slight sweet scent of the fruit held a bitterness to it. Danger, sickness, avoid! Irritation bubbled under his skin. The thought of hot blood pulsing into his mouth from a fresh kill flashed through his mind, desire thrumming under his veins. Drake shifted back quickly. "Keep your damn wits about you, idiot," he growled at himself. The sudden sound of his own voice startled him.
Language didn't belong in places like these.
With a frown, Drake jumped out of the tree and made his way upriver. It was strange, being alone like this. The sound of a river was nothing like the sound of the sea. Birds called overhead, and branches creaked. The sounds of a primal world, so different, no, so disconnected from his usual life.
He crossed a fallen log to the other side of the river bank. There were no people here. A dull roar slowly began to build in his ears, echoing off the trees. No sounds of his crew laughing raucously. The trees were getting larger, the ground underfoot wetter. No marines pursuing him with cannonfire. The roaring grew louder and louder. No friends to drink with at the bar, none of Tsuru's remarks not to drink too much, or the choking but warm scent of cigars.
The roaring drowned out the sound of birds, the sound of the wind. No, the sounds of his old world were gone to him, drowned out by the sounds of this world. A massive waterfall rose before him, the spray cold on his face. He stepped onto a boulder and stared. Enormous long necked herbivores stood on the shore of the lake, and throughout the water, terrifyingly massive crocodiles lurked beneath the surface.
His new world.
Drake shivered.
He climbed through the jungle, the elevation slowly increasing until he reached a less dense, rockier part of the jungle. He followed along the river and came to a stop as a large cave entrance loomed before him, a short distance from the water. He approached, the dark coolness of it refreshing.
The cave was deep, an old lava tube, but he could see better than he expected so it was likely there was a gap somewhere up ahead. The rock crunched below his boots, and it took him a while to notice the odd smell. The tunnel began to get brighter and brighter, the smell stronger and stronger.
Drake stopped as he came around a bend, blinking in the sudden bright sunlight. The smell of blood and meat and something...familiar nearly made his eyes water. His eyebrows shot up as he adjusted to the light. Before him, the cave opened up to a natural stone amphitheatre.
And perched all around on boulders within it, like a jury of would-be executioners, was a pack of brightly feathered raptors.
All staring at him.
It took approximately one second for chaos to erupt. Another second for Drake to turn tail and bolt for the exit. And one second more for the fastest member of the pack to catch up to his all too human self.
Gnashing teeth, reeking of decay and rotting flesh went for his neck and he dropped, the raptor's sharp talons just missing him as he jumped back up to his feet, his back against the cave wall. 'Stupid!' he snarled to himself as a second and then third raptor caught up, their screeches echoing off the tunnel walls, claws going for his head and thigh simultaneously.
Drake shoved outward with his left arm, throwing the one going for his leg back as he barely moved in time to avoid the teeth of the other. The first raptor snapped at his outstretched arm as he yanked it back towards his chest. The rest of the pack was coming now!
The one he'd thrown backward leaped back into the fray, forcing its packmates to scatter and allowing Drake a split second to gather his wits and throw himself out of the way, running for the exit again.
But they were fast, too fast. In an instant, he felt the talons of one pricking into his back and shoving him towards the rough cave floor. His father's face appeared like a ghost in front of his eyes and rage surged through his blood.
Skin turned to scales, his shout becoming a roar, the cave suddenly feeling cramped. His roar echoed off the walls, vibrating through the rocks, surprised yelps coming from his attackers as he shook them off, his vision sharpening in the dim light, his yellow eyes glinting. The pack skidded to a halt, the smell of terror making Drake's head spin, and his mouth water.
He roared again, and the raptors scattered around him, desperate now to escape their home. Drake gave chase, bellowing, his massive footsteps shaking small rocks loose from the ceiling. Out into the sunlight they burst, the whole pack of them running for the river.
They splashed into the water, talons scrabbling on the wet stones then swimming towards the other side. Drake skidded to a halt at the river's edge as the raptors escaped and rushed into the surrounding foliage.
He roared in triumph, the sound echoing off the mountain. This was his cave now.
Drake shifted his head slowly from one side to the other, staring out across the river. A pair of eyes watched him from the dark foliage. A few pairs of eyes actually. The raptors were persistent little bastards, he'd give them that. The pair most focused on him had to be that of their leader. His tail twitched slightly in annoyance. He'd been guarding the cave entrance for hours determined to win this little game of chicken.
Crickets chirped in the night air, the sound of the water chugging along peaceful and utterly at odds with his current predicament. He huffed.
The night wore on.
A sound roused him. Or was it a smell? He blinked, trying to make sense of the gray shapes in the dark. Shit, he must have dozed off! Drake flared his nostrils, breathing deep, senses awakening as adrenaline hit his system. Where were the raptors? Why hadn't they attacked him for his grievous mistake? A strange smell sat in the air, the sharp tang of decay, of rancid flesh.
A shriek erupted on the other side of the river, then the sound of something, something large snapping tree branches. Hot, wet, and metallic filled his nose. Fresh blood. The shriek came again, followed by more of them. Calls. Panicked calls.
Drake got to his feet, his eyes narrowing. The raptors were in trouble. And whatever it was was invading his new territory. His human, rational mind was subsumed immediately by primal fury. He surged from the mouth of the cave, leaping across the river with frightening speed, disappearing into the trees.
The fighting wasn't far, the shrieks more piercing and terrified than before, the scent of the invader strong in the air. Drake's eyes darted back and forth, his mouth open, following the smell of blood on the breeze. There was a clearing up ahead, the meager moonlight shining off the rocks.
Something nearly as large as Drake himself was moving. A massively long tail and tall fin sprouted from its back, its teeth flashing in the moonlight. Another apex predator. The raptors were scattered about the clearing, snapping at the ankles of their attacker, shrieking and hissing like cats, their pale feathers gleaming.
Drake exploded into the clearing, using surprise to his advantage and slammed into his opponent at full speed with a snarl. The raptors scattered out of the way as the gigantic spinosaurus smashed into the ground rolling over and over until crashing into the surrounding trees. The clearing was silent for a moment before Drake's opponent unleashed a deafening screech and scrambled to its feet, whipping around to face him.
They sized each other up for a moment, before the spinosaurus charged towards him. Drake dodged out of the way, going for his opponent's tail. The ground trembled underfoot as the two behemoths clashed again and again, claws tearing into flesh. Drake snarled as the spinosaurus smashed its tail into his face, forcing him back.
They circled one another, Drake's eyes narrowing. If speed wasn't in his favor, then pure brute force was his best option. He put his head down and charged straight forward, his opponent not expecting a straight up headbutt and bowled them over, leaving tender belly exposed to Drake's claws. He leaped, sinking his teeth into hot flesh, a scream emitting from his enemy's maw. The bastard clawed at Drake's face with its hind leg, forcing him away but a chunk of flesh was coming with him. The spinosaurus' tail whipped wildy around as it staggered to its feet. But the taste of blood ignited something within Drake, something raw and terrifying, exhilarating.
Ignoring his enemy's defensive positioning, he jumped forward, mouth open wide. The spinosaurus turned to deflect him, but Drake sunk his teeth into its neck, holding on as it screeched and flailed in his grasp. He wrenched upward, and something gave way, blood as black as ink sprayed forth and his opponent wriggled madly but Drake knew he'd won. That was a fatal wound. He backed away from the writhing claws and teeth until its motions grew sluggish.
He went in for the kill. He nearly unhinged his jaw and with a sharp crack, the spinosaurus went limp in his grip, neck broken. Drake bellowed, the sound shaking the very earth. He breathed heavily, the hunger he'd been trying to ignore surging through him. He tore into his enemy until the hunger lessened and he stepped back.
The raptors huddled in the trees, staring at him. Except two of them, close to the edge of the clearing. Based on scent, the smaller of the two was female and injured, and the other one was male, standing over her protectively. Drake started, as something like rationality crept back over him. That's why they hadn't run from the spinosaurus, one their own was injured and they were trying to protect her.
Pack. A pang of human loneliness that had no place with his current form overtook him.
He huffed, his hot breath misting in the night air and turned back to his kill. With a great wrenching noise, he tore off a hunk of meat and tossed it over to the two raptors before sinking his teeth into the hide of his dead enemy and beginning to drag it back towards the cave.
Drake awoke with a groan. The bruises and clawmarks across his skin ached. He blinked tiredly up at the sky, the smell of the spinosaurus corpse only a few feet away from him made him wrinkle his nose. Great smell as an allosaurus, not so much as a human.
He staggered to his feet- his injuries weren't bad, but they weren't exactly pleasant. He sniffed himself and gagged. A rinse in the river was his first priority, beyond that… he'd better get to work on a signal fire.
He yawned as he made his way back through the cave, but stopped abruptly, close to the entrance. He wasn't alone. The raptors had returned. The majority of the pack including the injured one were sitting on the other side of the river. But on his side, staring right at him, was one of the largest ones.
"Oh c'mon...can't you just leave me alone?" Drake muttered and transformed, readying himself to run them off again. The one closest backed off, making a series of strange chirps as he stepped out of the mouth of the cave.
He glared at it. Female, older, her feathers a mottled mix of white and gray. She barked again, her packmates looking anxious, but they were listening. It clicked then. Ah, this was their matriarch. Drake eyed her warily. She honked at him, then barked at her nearest family member. They approached, keeping their head low, submissive. It was carrying something.
The packmate dropped the package and stepped back. A dead...something? Fresh kill, the blood making Drake's stomach growl. The matriarch barked again, low and tonal, directed at him. She gestured toward the kill then towards him. He looked at her. A peace offering?
The pang of loneliness thrummed through him again. He was alone on this island, with no idea about the whereabouts of his crew, with no idea how long he would be marooned here. Potentially for years. Alone, with no one to watch his back, with no one to talk to, no one to care for.
He turned away from the matriarch and took the kill in his mouth, swallowing it in one bite. And, as the raptors all watched him, he made a space for them to pass him and enter the cave. A tense few seconds passed before the matriarch made a lilting honk at him and then cautiously moved past him and into the cave. The rest of her pack followed suit.
Maybe his pack now.
The river water was cold and did wonders for his wounds. He stared at the fish swimming by him, feeling human again as he emerged and walked back through the tunnel. The raptors had taken up residence in the amphitheatre again, the injured one settled in the sunniest spot on the floor. Drake watched them from the cave. The largest one seemed to be about 9 feet long, the smallest, around five feet. Feathered with elaborate tail plumage, they ranged from pink, gray, white, and black in coloring. There were about ten in all. The two smallest ones were the injured black feathered female and a young male with mostly white coloring, but pink feathers on his head.
The larger male that was guarding the injured female last night was sitting near her, all silvery white and fierce looking. The matriarch sat near the dead spinosaurus, enjoying the sun. Occasionally, their eyes flicked towards him warily.
It was all very strange. Drake glanced up at the midmorning sun. He'd spent enough time watching his new...companions? Now he needed to get to work. He turned away and left the cave.
The beach was bright and hot. Drake stared out at the sea, looking once again for ships. But there was nothing, only the waves and wind. He sighed before turning to look at the small pile of sticks he'd collected at his feet. This was going to take a while. He turned back towards the jungle.
As he returned to the forest, he spotted something out of his peripheral vision. Drake transformed, and took a whiff of the air, quirking an eyebrow. One of the raptors had followed him. He turned and eyed the raptor's chosen hiding spot before he continued with his stick collection.
Climb trees, break branches, find dead wood, drag it to the beach, repeat. Over and over. The raptor watched him, followed him through the jungle, slowly getting braver as time passed. Drake sighed and sat on the sand, sweat dripping down his back as he took a brief break. He stared at the pile. It was larger, but not large enough. This was going to take a few days. A chirp from behind him made Drake look up.
The raptor appeared out of the trees. It was the young small one with the pink feathered head. He chirped at Drake before retreating into the trees again, and rustled for a few moments before reappearing with a large stick in his mouth. Drake stared as he approached. The little raptor dropped the stick at the edge of his pile. He blinked then found himself grinning.
They went on like that for the next few hours until the sun began to set. The trees cast long shadows as he made his way back towards his new "home", raptor hopping through the undergrowth beside him. "I should give you a name," Drake muttered. It would be easier to distinguish between them if they had names. He watched the pink feathered reptile hop onto a log chasing a beetle, then clumsily fall off it as he jumped in the air to snatch it.
Drake snorted, reminded of the first time he'd met his new SWORD contact. He'd briefed the kid quickly, then tossed him a den den mushi which Koby hadn't been expecting. He'd caught it, but had been trying to salute Drake at the same time and ended up saluting with the snail and shoving an empty hand in his pocket.
But Koby had proven to be intelligent and dedicated in due time. Drake eyed the little raptor. "Alright, I'll call you Koby," he muttered. His human counterpart wouldn't mind right? If he ever saw him again. Koby chirped at him and Drake smiled slightly.
Drake wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and leaned against a still warm boulder in the amphitheatre. The rest of the raptors had been giving him a wide berth, but seeing him interact with Koby, they appeared to be warming up to him. He watched them avidly. Koby was chirping at the injured one, who appeared to be doing better. She was hobbling around under the watchful eye of the male that was always near her. Easily one of the largest raptors in the pack, his pure white feathers and harsh glare that he kept sending Drake's way made him stand out.
Fierce and protective, and perhaps a little grumpy too as he snapped slightly at Koby when Koby nudged the small black one with a little too much exuberance. A grin spread across Drake's face. "Smoker, I'm definitely calling you Smoker." Oh man, Smoker would be furious if he ever found out. That only made Drake grin harder.
A small commotion drew his eye to the other side of the den. An all pink raptor was grooming the matriarch a few ledges up. She might have pulled a little too hard on her feathers because now the matriarch just looked irritated. The pink one put her head down in a gesture of submission and then returned to grooming.
She was nearly as large as the matriarch, and Drake guessed she was next in line for leadership. She looked directly at Drake then shook her head and pulled out a single bent feather. She hardly batted an eye at his presence. Maybe it was all the pink, or the almost haughty disregard towards his presence, but she reminded him of Hina. Drake smirked before his eyes slid to the elder of the pack.
The matriarch was watching him with interest, not hostility. There was wisdom there, or maybe Drake was just seeing things. Koby, now thoroughly chastised by Smoker, decided to come bother other members of his pack instead. He'd dragged a hunk of spinosaurus meat over to the matriarch and squawked at her. In turn, the pack leader dragged Koby closer with her teeth and began to groom him, much to his obvious displeasure.
But the matriarch was having none of it. A no nonsense attitude, wise and a soft spot for the young and inexperienced. Drake smiled softly. "Tsuru," he muttered. She'd been the woman who saved him from Minion Island. She'd recommended him for his position in SWORD too, though she hadn't seemed thrilled about it.
Worried probably. After all, Drake had been part of her unit for years, one of the few men to get the privilege. A wave of sadness swept over him. He might never see her again. Or Smoker, or Hina, or Koby. Despair pulled at his chest. Smoker's face the last time he'd seen him flashed before him, the hurt in his eyes over Drake's defection, the sheer disbelief and pain still felt like a punch to the gut four years later.
If he didn't get off this island, then he'd never be able to tell his friends the truth, never even have the chance to salvage the relationships he'd burned by going undercover. He clenched his fist, and turned away from the raptor pack.
The next morning, Drake found that a few more of the raptors decided to follow him as he made his way back to the beach to continue his signal fire project. Tsuru, Hina, Koby, and to his surprise, Smoker followed him out. They hopped through the jungle and chirped to each other in a sort of flank formation, watchful for trouble. Well, except Koby. He was far more interested in Drake.
They watched him gather wood with curiosity, Koby seemingly excited as he picked up a stick that was longer than he was. As they reached the beach, Koby dropped the stick on the pile and chirped brightly at Drake before promptly getting distracted by a crab moving across the sand.
Drake scanned the horizon again, looking for ships. Nothing. He sighed and turned back towards the trees to gather more wood. The rest of the raptors were confused by his efforts at first, but after watching him for an hour, the adults lost interest and disappeared into the undergrowth. Koby stayed with him though, occasionally grabbing another stick and adding it to the pile.
As the sun hit its highpoint in the sky, Drake took a break. Koby was sitting in the sand, enjoying the heat before his head snapped up and he looked back towards the treeline. Drake turned to look and saw nothing. He shifted and sniffed the air. Fresh blood. His stomach growled. Koby squawked, getting to his feet excitedly as the others returned. There was a bird of some sort in Tsuru's mouth. She dropped it between Drake and Koby before moving to find an undisturbed patch of sand to sit in. Smoker and Hina stood guard, scanning both the water and the trees.
Koby nudged the dead bird in his direction. Drake was higher in the pack hierarchy he guessed. He tore off a leg and shoved it in his mouth. The small bird was not going to be enough for him. He pushed the rest towards Koby who pounced on it. Drake's eyebrows furrowed. On his own, the dead spinosaurus was enough food for a week, but with the pack?
He'd have to go hunting soon. Wait. Drake glanced around at the pack. Was that why they had come out here? To hunt?
With him?
He got to his feet, the raptors turning to look at him. Tsuru made a noise and Drake transformed fully, Koby hopping back with a squeak. He huffed and motioned towards the jungle before heading towards it. The raptors fell in behind him.
They wandered through the vines and towering trees, taking a longer path towards the den. Tsuru had taken the lead, and even Koby was being serious. The greenery was thick and lush, making visibility difficult. Exotic flowers bloomed in clearings, their vivid colors providing ample camouflage for the raptors.
In his semi-beast form, he kept up with the pack easily, slipping through the ferns and tangled webs of creeping ivy. The smell of something wafted over them, the feathers on top of Tsuru's head raising, the pack coming to a halt. Drake shifted slightly, peering into the clearing. A large mammal was grazing in the center. It looked like some kind of prehistoric deer, with a massive pair of antlers sitting atop its head. It had to be at least double the size of the raptors.
Tsuru made a low huff noise and Smoker and Hina split off from the pack, encircling the target. A sudden flash to another island, practically another life entirely, crept into the forefront of Drake's mind. He'd peeked out from behind a tree, looking at a lone elephant, Smoker doing the same from a tree across from him. Their eyes had met, and wordlessly, they drew their weapons and moved forward as one.
Tsuru turned her head just a little to catch his eye and huffed again before she slunk forward. Drake followed after her, taking care to step lightly. Koby stayed behind. At the edge of the clearing she stopped and Drake halted at her side. The deer was sniffing the air. The world seemed to freeze, electricity humming under Drake's skin.
The deer blinked as a shaft of sunlight bounced off his eyes as the sun came out from behind a cloud. Instantly, Tsuru hooted and surged into the clearing. Drake bolted after her. The deer let loose a shrieking bellow and turned tail with astonishing speed. They raced behind him, Smoker leaping out of the bushes to claw the side of their prey who veered sharply to the right.
Towards Hina.
She jumped out of the tall grass and onto the side of the stag, sinking her teeth into his side. He thrashed and spun, bucking, but Hina held on. The deer rushed towards a tree, forcing Hina to throw herself off of him or get smashed by the trunk. They chased him through the jungle, weaving through the trees, red blood streaming in the air.
The deer was older, had been playing this game all his life. When Smoker got too close on his left, he jumped away. He kicked out with his hind legs when Tsuru snapped at his heels. It occurred to Drake that they were herding the beast somewhere. Everytime the deer tried to go too far to the left or right, there was Smoker or Hina to prevent it.
They got closer to the edge of the forest, the younger trees growing closer together, reaching desperately for the sky, naturally cutting off escape routes for their prey. The undergrowth became thicker, taller. Until they all exploded out into a thick copse of trees, blocking the buck's escape. Drake saw the whites of his eyes as he was backed into a corner, forced to face them.
He lowered his head, the sharp tines of his antlers at the right height to hurt, to kill. The four of them spread out. This was Drake's time to shine. He stepped forward and the deer focused on him, braying lowly, threateningly. Drake transformed and the deer froze in utter terror.
And in that moment, Koby charged out of the underbrush and sank his teeth into the vulnerable neck of the stag. Blood splashed through the air. The proud stag made a last strangled sound before crumpling to the earth.
Tsuru roared in triumph, the others joining in. Drake shifted back into his semi-beast form, a fierce grin on his face.
Drake dropped the stag in the center of the den, excited chirps and trills echoing off the cave. He tore off a large leg for himself and settled against a ledge. Smoker tore off a hunk of meat and brought it over to the little black one, bumping noses with her.
A cold breeze swept down the mountainside and Drake looked up at the sky. Clouds, a lot of them. A storm was coming, he could smell it in the air. He frowned. The cave would be cramped to sleep in as his full beast form, but that was the best way to stay warm. He wasn't sure how the raptors would react to a fire, and wasn't willing to test it at the moment. He sighed and went back to watching the pack enjoy their fresh kill.
The wind and rain started close to midnight, and Drake retreated into the mouth of the tunnel, transforming. The rest of the pack had gone into the cave as well and sat huddled together, a tangled and intertwining mass of feathers and claws. Drake looked at them with a strange pang of envy before he tucked his nose under his tail and attempted to sleep.
On another tropical island, a thousand leagues away, what felt like a millennia ago, a summer storm had taken the platoons by surprise during their training exercise. He, Hina, Smoker, and a few others had been searching for food at the time and had sought shelter under the roots of an unbelievably enormous tree. Many of the cadets didn't like associating with Drake, and so he'd kept himself separate to keep the peace. He understood why they gave him the cold shoulder, why wouldn't they with his traitor for a father. He was tainted, because the apple never falls far from the tree.
A chirp made Drake reopen his eyes. Koby had popped his head out of the pile and was looking at him. He chirped again. Drake rumbled, not sure what he wanted. With some effort and grumbling from the other raptors, Koby emerged from the pile and came over to Drake, chirping again before curling up at his side.
Drake stared at him for a moment, a soft feeling wiggling it's way through his chest. He closed his eyes again.
The storm had dragged on for hours and Drake had settled himself against a root, away from the other cadets, shivering in the cold, eying the group huddled together, sharing their coats and talking quietly amongst themselves.
Until.
Until Hina came over to him and settled against his back, her warmth a near shock to his system. Smoker had followed after her. Drake had pulled his hat down over his eyes to hide his tears.
Another noise made him snap his eyes open again. Tsuru was making a strange noise at Koby who squeaked back. He blinked a few times as Tsuru began nudging the other raptors awake with irritated sounding grunts.
He froze as the rest of the pack moved towards him, before folding in against him and around Koby. The small injured female curled near his chest. After a few moments, the den was quiet again. Drake gazed at them, then out at the rain.
He closed his eyes once more, at peace surrounded by his pack.
Drake wiped sweat from his brow, and swept his hair out of his face before stepping back to admire his handiwork. The signal fire was done. A towering stack of wood over six feet tall stood before him, the bright blood red sunset giving it a shadow twice as long. With a satisfied smile, Drake turned and made his way back towards the den. None of the raptors had followed him out today, preferring to stay in and presumably relax instead.
A bubble of hope sat in his stomach, the first in the time he'd been here. With any luck a ship would pass soon, but if not...well, at least he wasn't alone.
As Drake reached the river's edge across from the front of the cave, a sharp smell hit him. Terror and fear, blood and death. He stiffened, panic rising in the back of his throat. He leapt over the river and rushed into the cave.
The silence was deafening, the smell overpowering. Drake choked back his gag reflex. He reached the amphitheatre, and stopped. Blood pooled into the sand and ran past his feet. The crumpled bodies of the raptors, torn apart and ruined were strewn around like broken dolls. A few feathers shifted in the barest breeze. Everywhere the smell of desperation and fear.
Something cracked in him and cold rationality took over, the most frightening of human emotions. The one that made them the most dangerous species alive. Bathing him in numbness. Shock and anguish shoved back into the far corners of his psyche, down deep, deep under the mask. The one he wore when he defected. The one that made him the perfect spy.
The blood splatters indicated a fight. Crushed boulders as if something huge had smashed into them. Opening his mouth, he tasted the air, below the acrid scent of death was something else. Something foreign. The intruder.
The body of the stag was missing.
Drake turned, his empty eyes darting across the tunnel floor. Under the claw marks, past the heap of an all white raptor against the wall, the smell continued. Unwashed, filthy, but somehow familiar. Past his own rushed footprints from just a few minutes before.
The smell continued upriver, the stench becoming clearer. He followed it, and came to a stop where it crossed the river. He glanced at the smooth rocks beneath his feet and clenched his jaw. That's why the smell was so familiar.
Drake was not alone.
The bloody footprints of a Beast Pirate stopped at the river's edge.
Drake stared at the campsite from high up on a tree branch as the sun rose. He'd tracked his target to where the jungle met grassland. Open to the elements, but harder to be ambushed, enemies visible from a long way off.
Drake leapt off his branch and slipped into the jungle. He'd had hours to figure out his plan as he'd sat in the dark, and now, he had work to do.
Sunset approached, the sky lurid pink and gleaming red, the sun a molten core of gold sinking into the blackness of the sea. The grass thrummed in the breeze. His prey had started another fire, the smoke billowing towards the sky. The smell of rotting and burnt flesh from the dead stag he was trying to cook permeated the air.
Drake gripped the wooden spear in his hand, wood rough under his palm as he crept through the blades of grass on near silent feet. He waited, biding his time. Waiting for the right moment to strike.
The pirate was a hulk of a man, with long matted hair and tattered clothing. He reeked of sweat and blood. Like all pirates.
Like Drake's father.
Drake crept closer and closer, the firelight throwing shadows all around. The target cursed as he clumsily turned the buck on a makeshift spit, one side charring unevenly.
Tsuru, her legs folded beneath her before the gravestone carved with names, her eyes so very old. "They were so young, not even out of basic training."
In the split second he brought the spear down, the pirate twitched, sensing danger at the last moment. He moved out of the way just in time, the speartip slicing open his cheek and thudding into the ground. The beast whipped around, his eyes reflecting the light of the fire. Staring at Drake.
His gaze dropped to the weapon in Drake's hands, the crude but effective sharpened flint glinting. Before Drake's eyes, the pirate shifted, scales rippling across his skin, a long forked tongue emerging from his mouth, eyes turning bulbous and yellow, the pupils chaotic slits. A Snake Snake Fruit user. He tasted the air and tilted his head. He could smell the blood on Drake's skin, the scent of the cave. The smell of death.
Drake's hand tightened on the spear.
Sweat racing down Smoker's face as the medics tried to staunch the blood pouring from the bullet hole in his shoulder.
The murderer hissed and shot towards him like lightning, the blood smearing down his cheek and splattering across the grass. Drake brought the spear up to parry the blow and jumped backward, spinning the staff in his hands, slamming the end into the bastard's side.
His enemy stumbled away with a snarl before rushing him again, the spear snapping under the onslaught of strikes. Drake shifted, primal rage replacing his cold and calculating fury, clawed hand swiping at the pirate's grinning too wide mouth.
They jumped apart, circling one another. A stick crackled in the fire, sap overheating and igniting. The pirate's neck elongated, sudden fangs like blades sliding out of his mouth. He snapped at Drake, forcing him back, feet slipping in the grass. The pirate followed after him, trying to stay close and force him on the defensive. Waiting for Drake to slip up so he could make the killing blow.
Hina unconscious in her hospital room. Her beautiful pink hair shaved on one side of her head.
With a shout, Drake grabbed onto the pirate's shirt, yanking him forward and smashed his bare fist into his face. The man fell backward, Drake going with him, hitting him over and over, his knuckles smashing into fangs, saliva and blood splattering Drake's chest.
A fang snapped and the butcher screamed, suddenly shifting once more, throwing Drake off of him. He slammed into the dirt, rolling through the grass before surging to his feet. The pirate in his true form towered above him. A massive snake, forty feet long, mouth dripping, scales glimmering.
Blood pounded in Drake's veins, his heartbeat thundering in his ears. He took a breath and roared, transforming, his eyes red, his massive bulk throwing wild shadows across the grass in the firelight. The ground shook beneath him as he charged, the clash of ancient creatures echoing.
The snake was horrifyingly fast for its bulk, nimble in its movements. He wrapped his tail around Drake's leg but Drake snapped his teeth at his head, aiming for the neck. The titanoboa began to encircle him, Drake desperately clawing at his hide with his free foot, ripping into flesh. The snake screeched, a horrible breathy rasp and squeezed harder, his single fang sinking into Drake's side.
He thrashed, electric shocks of hatred rippling down his spine. He couldn't win this battle like this. His opponent was too fast, too agile.
He needed speed. In an instant, he shifted to his human form, slipping out of the snake's grip and putting some space between them. The python spat at him, whipping his head towards him. Drake dodged to the side, his ribs throbbing from the bite wound. He tripped over something below his feet, going down saving him from a lightning fast strike, the snake's jaws snapping above him.
Drake rolled out of the way, and came back up to his feet, the broken spear in his hands. The serpent hissed, pulling back and gearing up for another rush. His mouth was large enough to swallow Drake whole.
Koby, his arm in a sling, black bags under his eyes, meeting with him in the dark after the Rocky Port incident.
Pirates were always taking . Drake charged, the serpent's cavernous mouth consuming his vision.
Pirates had no regard for others. They just took what they wanted. Nothing mattered as long as they got their way. Cold, callous, calculating, cruel.
The hot stench of the python surrounded him, the wet walls of flesh stretchy and slick to the touch. Down and down Drake slid, the vibrating triumphant cries of his enemy reverberating through him.
Taking away life. Drake gripped the broken spear tightly in his fists.
Taking away futures. He slammed the ends into the snake's insides, catching, tearing, dragging. The snake thrashed around, only now realizing his fatal mistake. The world spun. Drake grit his teeth.
Taking away dreams.
His father's face, the broken glass bottle in his hand, drunken violence in his eyes.
With a roar, Drake pushed, thrashing, scales covering his human skin, transforming, flesh bursting around him, bone snapping and shattering. With a last wild dying movement, the pirate's massive bulk crushed the fire and plunged the world into darkness.
Drake emerged from the gore and walked away towards the sea as the moon rose over the horizon.
On the seventh day, the sun rose, enormous white clouds turning the color of summer heather. The ocean lapped gently at the sand at his feet. And over the horizon appeared a small shape. Something man made. Drake stared at it, his eyes empty. The shape began to take form, billowing white sails in the early morning light. It seemed to take an age for him to take his eyes off the shape and look towards the pyre of sticks and logs he'd created.
His heart thumped, and for a moment he thought he heard a chirping noise. He looked around, gazing back at the trees, but there was nothing. He looked back at the pile, and felt something stir within him.
He had a chance. A chance to continue his mission. To protect them. To destroy anyone who threatened them. A slow, ferocious smile spread across his face. He lit the pyre, and watched the smoke rise high into the sky.
Notes:
I loved writing this piece, I have always wanted to write a dinosaur battle and I had a great time. This is probably No.3 on my favorite pieces to write list of all time.
I am so sorry for the raptors.
Let me know your thoughts!
As always, thank you for reading and you can find me on twitter at buggyisbest!