A.N. Hey guys. It's Darksage and Marc, here with the next chapter in TWoF. Sorry for the delay. We both came across a lot of real-world stuff and we weren't able to get to writing. We were both struggling to get into the writing groove, but we're back now. Marc-Ello was the one who wrote this chapter, with me only doing the last bit. There's a lot of action in this one! :D
Anyway, you know the drill. We don't own anything. Enjoy!
It was amazing how crazy Hanna's life turned out. Just last year before working at this crazy park, the highlight of Hanna's life was trying to qualify as an archer for the Olympics; to be honest, she was still a bit miffed at missing that shot. Now, she was experiencing what only the people working at this park got to experience every single day! Not only is she experiencing this wonder, but Hanna was also now helming an expedition all on her own!
"Hanna! Keep up with the rest of the team. We can admire the scenery later!"
Well, perhaps "on her own" was an exaggeration.
At Nigel's prompting, Hanna jogged forward and rejoined the rescue team as they trekked the sunbaked land. While many of the rescuers were pushing through their exhausting march on the water starved land, Hanna had a small pep in her step. After many days of constant requests and practically begging, Nigel relented and allowed Hanna to accompany him on his trip to Cretaceous Africa. All for the expressed purpose to rescue one of her favorite dinosaurs: the mighty Spinosaurus! Though, she could do without the scorching heat.
With Nigel taking the helm of the rescue, he usually searched for his quarry during the twilight years of the target species. It didn't seem to be an efficient way to find a Spinosaurus, or any animal during a severe drought, but it made some sense. Why would a creature who was living comfortably in the peak of their era ever leave if they didn't need to? Regardless of what time they arrived, it was looking sparse of any life thanks in part to the horrible drought that dried the landscape. Finding a primarily aquatic Spinosaurus would be tricky and difficult.
The rescue group took a short rest near a small flowing river. As some of the younger members, Hanna included, took a second to have a water break, a few of Nigel's older Keepers took up various places around him as he centered himself in front of a small camera the team brought.
"As you can see, this is a difficult time for Cretaceous period Egypt. While it seems like a typical desert setting, Egypt during the Cretaceous period was a lush environment during the wet seasons. More like a large swamp or bog that made up the many rivers that ran through the land. This provided a large assortment of fish species that were the size of cars! And with an abundance of resources, this provided a nearly uncontested food source for large predators like Spinosaurus," Nigel lectured as he stood in front of a trickling riverside. "With the drought, this mighty river is practically a shallow puddle than the lake-sized rivers that powered toward the open sea."
"Man, I wish I was that confident in front of the camera," Hanna whispered to herself as she took a swig of water.
That was another change that she had to get used to; being filmed on camera.
The only time she was even close to being on tv was her not-so-flattering televised Olympic tryouts when she was in Johannesburg. Now, she was going to practically be in a (hopefully) successful tv show! Of course, she wasn't arrogant to assume that she would get any focus on camera; she wasn't her sister. She would be content with just catching herself in the background while the "main characters" rescued prehistoric animals from doom. As Hanna was fantasizing about her future on the tv screens, something caught her attention just over Nigel's shoulder; a very LARGE scaly something.
"Nigel! Something is coming up from the water!" Hanna alerted.
This interrupted the senior leader's lecture as he and the camera crew turned to the river. Rising from the already finite depths of the river, a scaly snout emerged, followed by a colossal crocodilian body. It honestly looked similar to the Park's giant crocodile thing that Hanna couldn't remember the name of, just with a narrow-shaped snout. It hissed out a warning as it slowly swam closer to shore where the rescue team was. Nigel urged his camera crew back as they made their way further onto land and away from the water's edge.
"Keep walkin', small fry," the prehistoric crocodilian male growled in a guttural tone. "This here's my waters."
Taking the warning to heart, Nigel led his group away from the shallow river, not wanting to agitate the territorial male any further. As he was retreating, Nigel continued to narrate the appearance of the unexpected visitor. Apparently, Nigel identified the creature as a Sarcosuchus, one of the carnivores that regularly patrolled the rivers and bayous of Cretaceous Egypt. He told them that Sarcosuchus was highly territorial, especially by the riverside, but with how horrendous the drought was, it was unlikely that he would leave the safety of the water to pursue small game such as themselves. As the other keepers gathered their things to keep distance from the grumpy predator, Hanna was busy admiring the powerful animal in front of her. She had always had a fascination with water and all creatures that called it home. She practically spent most of her free time watching Tethys and the other aquatic Residents swim about the Marine area. That was partially why she wanted to rescue the Spinosaurus since it is the new poster boy of a semi aquatic dinosaur.
"It appears we are unwelcome here," Nigel narrated as he led the film crew away. "We'll leave him to his river so as to not stress him out. I would like nothing more than to add him to the park, but with how moody he is, it's probably best to leave him be and to continue with our search."
As much as she wanted to stay and study the impressive giant croc, she had to pack up her things and continue her march with Nigel taking the lead, hopefully to find the creature they were after.
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Traveling further inland, their journey gave way to more sunbaked land than the dried muddy river they were at. Despite the pitiful state of the river, it was at least a little cooler sticking next to the shallow flowing river. Walking on the water starved ground felt like they were stepping on clay shards with the crunch of each step. As the group made their way through the land, Hanna and the newer employees started to notice a collection of dried bodies and skeletons of varying states of decay. While grisly, the group noticed that many of the corpses were herbivores, which Nigel continued to narrate to his small film crew.
Apparently, prehistoric Egypt had a very skewed predator/prey ratio, favoring the predator more than prey which was the opposite in other environments. Nigel said that during the normal wet seasons, predators would normally make a more robust living by the riverside living off the giant fish rather than focus all their attention on the fleeting number of land herbivores. However, with the drought making the river into a practical shallow trickle, all the predators had to hunt down any form of meat they could get their claws on, resulting in the countless husks of dinosaurs that littered the ground.
Despite the scarcity of life, Hanna kept her eye peeled for anything dangerous. The training she underwent during her trip to Alaska practically rewired her instincts to something a little more high-strung if she was being totally honest. The teen archer wasn't entirely sure if that was a good or bad thing yet. However, thanks to her new awareness of her surroundings, Hanna noticed something interesting on the ground.
"Nigel! I think I found something," Hanna called out as she crouched down to examine her find. The senior Leader of the Park came up beside the young woman to see what caught her interest.
"What did you find, Hanna?"
The teen archer lightly traced the large indent in the ground.
"Footprints," Hanna said as she glanced around the area. "There are several tracks here heading north. Probably five to seven creatures, I think? Definitely on the small side though." Hanna then traced the shape of the print, noting the three-pointed claw impressions it left behind. "Definitely something with sharp teeth in that direction."
Nodding, Nigel stood and notified the group to stay alert as they proceeded through the dried wasteland. Nigel cued up his camera crew again as he restarted his lecture.
"Thanks to the drought making it harder to eke out a living, carnivores must resort to scavenging what little carcasses are left from previous hunters. While this is a bit on the small side of cretaceous African predators, where there are scavengers, there will no doubt be a few apex predators like Spinosaurus not far behind."
The group continued for a few miles before they found something of interest. At the edge of a dried forest, the rescue team stumbled upon a pack of human sized carnivores. Even though Hanna wasn't comfortable with how large these meat-eaters were, her terror spiked when Nigel told his team that the ACTUAL apex predators got much larger than these creatures. Just before the young teen had second thoughts, Nigel took the lead and led the team behind some boulders to hide from the thankfully preoccupied scavengers.
"He we have a pack of Rugops. Anywhere else in the world, these fleet footed carnivores would have been impressive pack hunters of their land." Nigel informed as the unknowing Rugops continued to tear into their prize. "However, all the niches of Egypt's environment have been taken. Spinosaurus rules the rivers and marshes, while Carcharadontosaurus patrols the plains and forests. This unfortunately leaves Rugops stuck as the prehistoric Nile's scavengers. It looks like these blokes are lucky to find this mostly intact Ouranosaurus carcass. This group of seven should have their hunger sated if they are able to keep hold of it and ward off stronger predators."
As the Rugops were gorging themselves, a massive creature ambled out of the forest. When Hanna got a good look at the creature, it was and wasn't what she expected the mighty Spinosaurus to look like. The iconic sail was there, squarer than she imagined but she could overlook that. The crocodilian-like snout with sharp, pointy teeth was also familiar, but with an interesting looking reddish crest that decorated the top of its skull, a feature that, while strange, suited the mighty dinosaur. Overall, the black, yellow, and red scaled carnivore looked the part of what a Spinosaurus is when described in books. However, the other features perplexed the young woman.
Its hind legs were a lot shorter than she thought, making the creature use four legs to walk, the dinosaur using its taloned knuckles to walk on, rather than walking on two legs like a T-Rex. What got her staring in confusion was the massive paddle-like tail that trailed behind the creature. This made the Spinosaurus look less like traditional dinosaurs and more like an upright crocodile with a sail. Honestly, it took Hanna's eyes some time to adjust, but this made Spinosaurus even more unique and awesome in her eyes!
The big Spinosaur was edging closer to the seven gorging Rugops, straightening himself up and making him look larger.
"Here we have a Spinosaurus, looking to muscle in on these Rugops' meal. Spinosaurs were like the big bears of the Cretaceous, perfectly capable of catching their own food, but would steal the kills of smaller, weaker animals to conserve energy." Nigel said to the camera as he gestured to the closing Spinosaurus and the now alerted Rugops pack. "This young male should have no problem taking this carcass for his own—"
"Oi, Oi, Oi! Get the heck out of here, runty boy!" one of the smaller carnivores jeered at the now stopped Spinosaurus.
"Get lost, loser!"
"Brave hunters only, boy!"
"Step up if you're man enough, motherless!"
At the constant jeers and insults, the rest of the Rugops surrounded the young Spinosaur and nipped and harassed the quadrupedal carnivore. This perplexed Nigel and his senior keepers. All the confidence and ferocity that the young predator had evaporated as he now looked flustered and desperate. Now that Hanna had a good look at the Spinosaur, he looked very malnourished since he looked thinner than what a large predator should look like. Any attempts he made for the carcass were met with bites and snarls to scare him away. After a bit more hazing, one of the female Rugops took pity on the underfed sail predator and tore a large chunk off the Ouranosaurus corpse and tossed it toward the young Spinosaurus. The young hunter took the hint and scooped up the pity offering and made his way away from the still taunting crowd.
As the Rugops continued their laughter, Nigel and the senior Keepers were dumbstruck at the abnormal behavior that was displayed. In nature, the smaller and weaker carnivores would usually yield their kills to stronger predators to avoid getting hurt. The young Spinosaurus, while not full grown and still very powerful, was chased off by the smaller Rugops. As the older rescuers were discussing the oddity of the young Spinosaurus, Hanna was more worried about the wellbeing of the malnourished look of the young fleeing dinosaur. In a rare act of initiative, Hanna made her way to Nigel and his brainstorming group.
"Nigel, if we act fast, I think I can track down where the young Spinosaurus went." Hanna offered. Ever since her training, Hanna has been more interested in improving odds at surviving in the wild. One of the ways she improved was to go full in on the "wilderness huntress" aspect. The young archer learned how to track animals from their footprints, how to interpret said prints to predict if her quarry is either docile or dangerous, even going as far as to observing her surroundings for any disturbances to indicate the direction a creature had gone. It had taken a lot more prep work and study to be an animal tracker, let alone a prehistoric animal tracker, but once she practiced in the present on a few of the modern animals that called the Park home, Hanna was impressed that she had a real knack for tracking animals like a hunter.
Seeing how enthusiastic Hanna was to take the lead, Nigel agreed and followed the young tracker. The rescue team trailed the tracks the Spinosaur left behind. Recently seeing their quarry made tracking the Spinosaurus child's play for Hanna. Through the dried forest of the Cretaceous, Hanna lasered in on the tracks she was following that she nearly fell face first into a burrow of a small dinosaur. Luckily, the small burrow dwellers were understanding, and she only got away with a small scolding after Nigel and the others apologized on her behalf. They even gave Nigel a short interview for his show. Hanna had to be more careful and more focused on her surroundings than just the tracks she was following. The sun continued to beam down on them, making the trek taxing, but it gave the young woman some relief when she spotted a few clouds gathering in the sky. Hanna hoped that the clouds would cover the sun, if only to give them temporary reprieve from the heat. The end of the trail led them back to the parched river. Leading the rescue team behind a few dried logs, Hanna spotted their quarry.
The young sail carnivore was relaxing near the water's edge. The large meat chunk that the Rugops gave him out of pity, while large when compared to herself, was miniscule when compared to the large predator. Hanna saw the emaciated hunter strip tiny chunks off the meat wad, seemingly trying to ration what little he had. The archer couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
"This should be a perfect opportunity to get this Spinosaurus' attention. With how trying of a time this male is going through, we should have a chance to help him out at the very least or hopefully offer him sanctuary back at the Park." Nigel said to the camera as he observed the young hunter from behind their hiding spot.
As the Spinosaurus was attempting to tear a bigger chunk from the meat, Hanna noticed bubbles rising to the surface of the river, followed by the familiar snout of a very ornery and hungry crocodilian.
"Look out behind you!" Hanna screamed at the Spinosaur, shocking both her rescue team AND the Spinosaurus in question. So caught off guard, the male carnivore only had mere moments to shift his posture before the huge maw of an ambushing Sarcosuchus snapped itself shut around his torso; any later and the crocodilian's jaws would have crushed his neck and most likely killed him. The Sarcosuchus violently thrashed the young predator back and forth, hoping to do even more damage to the Spinosaur, now that he lost the element of surprise and failed his perfect kill shot.
"RRAAAHHH!" The Spinosaurus snarled as he tried to break the grapple he was in but couldn't quite get a good grip with the violent thrashing he was suffering through. The rescue group was stunned and horrified at the severe ravaging they were witnessing. Hanna didn't even think before her body moved on her own. The young archer sprang out from her hiding place, ignoring the shouts from her comrades, already nocking an arrow on her bow.
"Leave him alone!" Hanna screeched as she shot her arrow. With the crocodilian's armored scales so tough, the arrow shattered on the Sarcosuchus' snout. That shot was followed by another barrage of arrows fired with quick succession. The teen archer had to learn various bow and arrow techniques for her new increasingly physically demanding job; her most prominent one was shooting multiple arrows in mere seconds back-to-back. The arrows were mere annoyances to the Sarcosuchus, but with Nigel and the rest of the group rushing up to assist Hanna any way they could, the crocodilian decided to cut his losses. One small pest was one thing, a pack of unknown pests would be too much of a hassle to fight off to eat a scrawny sail-back.
"Damn land pests…" The Sarcosuchus grumbled as he tossed aside the mauled Spinosaur, the young hunter writhing on the ground with his eyes squinted shut in pain. The prehistoric croc hissed in contempt before he scooped up the abandoned meat chunk and darted off back into the river. Firing off a few more arrows into the river, Hanna rushed up to the ailing Spinosaurus in concern.
"Are you okay?" the young woman asked as she placed a hand on the young predator's head. The sailed-carnivore's eyes flew open, and he understandably lashed out. The only reason Hanna wasn't bitten in half was thanks to Nigel harshly yanking the girl back by her quiver straps.
"RRAAAAHHH! Get away from me, scavengers!" The young Spinosaurus roared. His eyes darted around at the pack of strange bipeds that surrounded him. While they seemed non-threatening, the young male didn't want to push his luck with unknowns and to try to save what little face he had left of his image.
"Easy everyone, give the young bloke some space!" Nigel told his subordinates, taking charge of the dire situation.
The sailed-male was larger than the small creatures before him, but after his vicious mauling, he didn't want to risk further injury. With a groan, the Spinosaurus limped off back into the forest, all the while keeping a wary eye on the strange creatures. After the dinosaur disappeared into the tree line to lick his wounds, everyone released a breath that they didn't know they were holding. This included Hanna, who's heart was absolutely racing from her brush with death. Before she could react, the Park Leader firmly pulled her aside, with a rare furious look on his face.
"What were you thinking, Hanna!? Going up to an injured carnivore like that? That WILL get you killed!" Nigel scolded. The harsh tone he used was understandably justifiable, the young woman did nearly get mauled by a wild animal.
"I'm sorry Nigel," Hanna muttered, shamefaced at his justified scolding. "That Spinosaurus was just so starved and so hurt afterwards that I just wanted to help. I just forgot where I was and who I was talking to and trying to rescue. I just… had to help him." Hanna lamley finished. She really couldn't help it. Hanna wasn't sure what gotten into her to risk her life for a creature she had never met before. The young woman chalked it up to her eagerness to do well on her mission and saving her favorite dinosaur.
Sighing in frustration, Nigel took a moment to gather his thoughts before he spoke. "Hanna, I admire your courage, conviction, and compassion you displayed for trying to save a creature in need. However, you need to make sure you think about your safety FIRST before you risk your life for others."
Even though Hanna was the youngest in the Park, she thinks that she is just as capable as the rest of the Rookie Crew at the very least. After a thorough scolding, Nigel decided to continue the mission, with the caveat of any other danger to Hanna would get her benched when they returned to the present. With a sigh, Hanna begrudgingly agreed, and the rescue team set off to track down their rescue. As Hanna resumed her tracking, the teen archer noticed that her surroundings slightly darkened. Looking skyward, Hanna spotted dark clouds on the horizon, steadily approaching and getting closer. Thinking nothing of it, the young woman dashed off into the forest, Nigel and the rescue team following suit.
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'That was NOT my best moment…' the young Spinosaurus male scowled as he trudged through the forest. He should count himself lucky that the drought and coinciding famine affected the other predators and put them off their game as well or else that crummy Sarco would have thrashed him to death. He huffed and refused to admit the small biped female warned him of the danger; his reputation was already pathetic, no need to degrade it further.
The sailed-male sighed as he sniffed at the air, trying to track down another carcass to eat. While rotting carcasses weren't his favorite, the sail-predator wasn't much of a hunter either. He had been born during an awful drought like this one and was unfortunately the only one of his clutch to survive. His mother taught him how to scavenge and hunt for meat, but then the drought took her too, leaving him by himself. As the Spinosaurus grew, he became a somewhat successful teenage hunter. Even though he couldn't ambush or chase down prey as well as the other carnivores in the area, his massive bulk gave him an edge when he wanted to take a kill from a smaller hunter. However, most predators in the area started to grow wise to his bluff and actively harassed him and chased him off.
"At this point, I'll have to leave and find a new territory," the young carnivore grumbled. Just then, his nostrils caught the familiar scent of a rotting corpse. But if he could smell the decaying meat, other carnivores would smell it too, if they haven't found it already. "Okay, here we go…" He took a deep breath to psych himself up and quickened his pace to where his prize was.
Clearing the treeline into a glade, the young Spinosaurus saw that he wasn't alone with the carcass.
Currently tearing into the dead Ouranosaur was a female theropod. But unlike the Spinosaur's narrow snout, square sail, and paddle tail, the female had the same build as a Rugops, but much larger; almost as large as himself. While the smaller Rugops were the typical scavengers that prowled the area, this female was a pure apex predator like himself. Inwardly groaning, the Spinosaur ambled into the glade, cautious of the starving young Carcharodontosaurus gorging herself on the found meal.
"Hey, Trails! How is the day?" The approaching male mustered up.
Pausing in her eating, the apparently named "Trails", glanced up, only to be exasperated and a little annoyed at what she saw.
"Nuh-uh, we are not doing this today, Sail-boy." Trails snarled, slightly muffled with her mouth full of meat.
"You know how hard it is finding a meal during the dry seasons. Just do me a solid and share what you got, and I will leave, I promise you." The male offered, not quite begging, but the hunger was evident in his voice. The young Carcharodontosaurus was a better hunter than himself, not that he would admit that out loud, and she would usually let him spare a bite or two before going their separate ways. However, if there was one thing Trails could agree on, it was that droughts made living VERY difficult when one was a carnivore. If it were the wet season, the young female wouldn't bat an eye at sharing after she had her fill, but this season was particularly difficult, and Trails was too famished to even consider sharing with what she considered her close neighbor.
"Sorry to hear that, Sail-boy," Trails mumbled, genuinely sorry for the starving carnivore before her. "But this is the only large carcass I came across this week, and I had some shitty luck the days before, gnawing at damn bones. I NEED this carcass… All of it. Because we know each other so well, I'm offering this to you this one time Sobe… Move along and find something else to eat."
Seeing how adamant she was about her claim to her kill, "Sobe" would have normally let bygones be bygones. Before he could decide, another stab of hunger pang lanced through him, almost making him double over. He steeled himself, seeing that there was one clear option to take.
'Well, there's my answer.'
The male went too long without food and having his latest pity morsel stolen by that grump Sarcosuchus just made his day even shittier. With his mind made up, the Spinosaurus reared up on his hind legs and he turned slightly to the side to give off the impression that he was larger than he was.
"I need that meat, Trails. And if you won't share, then I'll take it by force!"
With a lunge, the sailed carnivore latched onto the other side of the dead body with his toothy maw and hooked talons. Calling this an "epic confrontation" would be generous. It was more akin to two kids playing tug of war with a favorite toy; only the kids were young (yet powerful) teenaged carnivores, and the toy was a near mutilated carcass of a dead herbivore. As they were cursing each other out, they failed to notice a small group of humans that finally caught up to them and were witnessing their skirmish.
Nigel and his team were hidden behind some trees, watching the violence unfold. While both were about the same size, the Spinosaurus had a little more mass on him and had a better grip thanks to his jaws and talons refusing to let go.
"Here we have the other top predator of Cretaceous Egypt, the mighty Carcharadontosaurus. This young female's species were probably the only ones that can contend with Spinosaurus' reign. While the male we've been following has been injured, it appears he isn't letting that stop him from getting what he wants." Nigel narrated for the camera. "While most theropod dinosaurs were restricted to attacking with just their jaws, Spinosaurus appears to have freedom of being quadrupedal and bipedal at their leisure, giving them access to their massive claws that the Spinosaur family were well known for."
As if to prove his point, the Sail-carnivore viciously tore the carcass away from the female theropod and gave a swift swipe to the Carcharadontosaurus' face, making her stumble back. As she was getting her bearings, the Spinosaur, having this small victory, cockily laughed.
"You want more Trails? You better beat it!" he taunted.
Snarling, Trails lashed out, leaving several swift bites along the Spinosaur's torso and arms. Unlike Tyrannosaurus rex, who's jaws were designed for crushing, Carcharadontosaurus had more slashing teeth made for bleeding out their victims. While the Spinosaur had more power on his side, Trails was a more successful hunter than him, meaning that she had more combat experience under her proverbial belt. It was pretty much an even match. They both couldn't afford to yield the carcass to the other, it was too important for their survival.
"Motherless asshole! I'm going to kill you!" Trails screamed as she lunged at the top of the male's sail, latching onto it and refusing to let go. Yelping, the Spinosaurus tried to shake her off, but her hold on his sail made maneuvering awkward and nearly impossible for him to get a decent hit on her.
As the rescue team was wincing at how brutal the fight was getting, no one was more terrified than Hanna. She gripped her bow tight as she saw the male theropod struggling to protect himself from his savage assailant. What really broke her was when she heard the telltale sound of a crunch on the Spinosaurus' sail and him crying out in agony. That made her decision for her.
Hanna rushed closer, ignoring Nigel's warning from before, but making sure she wasn't mindlessly charging in; she had a plan this time. Nocking an arrow, the young archer took aim from behind a tree, specifically at the female carnivore's neck and jaw. By the time she released her first arrow, several more followed and struck their target; mostly on the dinosaur's neck, but one dug deep into the theropod's jaw. The little arrows were barely stings for Trails, but the unexpected stings were just enough to distract her for the Carcharadontosaurus to loosen her grip on the Spinosaur's sail for him to escape her grapple.
The male immediately went on the offensive and stuck out with his claws to her face. The slashes were deep enough that some of the arrows dislodged from her face; not that either predator noticed such miniscule twigs. Whimpering, Trails finally backed off and abandoned her claim to the carcass. Huffing and panting, the Spinosaurus was amazed that he WON in a fight against another predator, never mind the mighty Trails. He roared in triumph as he devoured a few chunks of flesh, savoring the flavor momentarily before dragging it away to continue feasting in relative safety.
Lowering her bow, she turned to see Nigel commenting to the camera some ideas on how to rescue their mark. However, she did catch the subtle disappointed look he shot her way, but he didn't choose to pursue it further. Seeing as she wasn't going to be punished at the moment, Hanna jogged up to the huddled group just in time for Nigel to reveal his rescue attempt.
"—and seeing as this young male is very food driven, we should be able to bait him and kite him back to the Park. For now, we need to contact the Present to gain some additional support for this rescue." After Nigel disbanded the camera crew, Nigel walked over to Hanna with a stern look on his face. "Hanna, we just talked about this…"
"I didn't rush into the situation. I was hidden and saved him from a distance." Hanna retorted without skipping a beat.
With a heavy huff, Nigel eased up to walk over to the other Rescuers, calling over his shoulder, "Careful Hanna. You're play a little too fast and loose."
With that, Nigel continued to coordinate his resupply with the Present. And, against his better judgment, the leader let Hanna and a select number of the rescue team resume tracking the Spinosaurus as he and the rest of the rescuers waited for the requested resupply from the incoming portal from the present. Even though it was strange to be led by a 17-year-old, Hanna's tracking was reliable as always as she found the trail of their rescue. The few clouds in the sky seemed to gather and were beginning to obscure the sun, offering some relief from the heat for the tracking party.
Their path led them back to a relatively deeper gorge of the dried riverbed. It was like a mini-canyon, which some of the creatures were attempting to use as shelter from the burning sun. it was so sweltering that most of the creatures there weren't even bothering to confront each other, either trying to find shade or slurp up the shallow following river.
Hanna could see Ouranosaurs in the shade napping and keeping a vigilant eye for danger. And while it would be warranted, the carnivores were more concerned with water at the moment. A small pack of Rugops drank out of the river and conversed amongst each other, while even the Sarcosuchus they encountered earlier was submerged in the river, attempting to keep cool. A little down the way, the young Carcharadontosaurus seemed to find a moist mudbank to wallow in; the young archer could hear the female dinosaur wincing and cursing under her breath as the mud covered some of her wounds. And there with, what seemed to be all the confidence in the world, was the wounded Spinosaurus. He was laying on the ground as he tore into the carcass with gusto; talons slicing into flesh as his muzzle snatched up the pieces to swallow.
From the distance, Hanna could spot the telltale signs of a time portal opening and a couple jeeps pouring out of it. The teen archer could imagine what Nigel had planned if it involved jeeps. As she glanced down into the dried riverbed again, Hanna couldn't help but feel her worry grow.
By the rate the Sailed-carnivore was devouring the carcass, he would leave it as splinters and bones and move off before Nigel and his jeeps would arrive to enact whatever plan the Park Leader cooked up. with her thoughts traveling a million miles a minute, Hanna came up with an idea; an incredibly stupid idea, but the young woman wasn't spoiled for choice right now.
"If I'm not killed here, I'm SO dead when I get back home…" Hanna muttered to herself as she ambled down the gorge, ignoring her comrades calling for her. As she slid down the dirt side of the gorge, her approach was noticed by the snacking Spinosaur. As the carnivore let off a low growl in warning, Hanna raised her hands in surrender.
"Hey, hey! Easy there friend! I'm not here to hurt you." Hanna placated.
Snorting in suspicion, the Spinosaur rose to his haunches before speaking up. "I know a small-fry like you couldn't scratch me if it wanted to," the predator dismissed. "Look buddy, I know it's a drought and all and it's hard to find a meal, but I'm not in a charitable mood. So, you can keep walking down the river for some other carcass to scavenge."
"Ew! No! I don't eat dead bodies!" Hanna exclaimed, suppressing a retch. "I'm not here for your food, sir… Ok, I'm sorry. We really shouldn't be so formal. My name is Hanna. I've been thinking of you as a "sir" or "mister" all this time in my head. Is there something I can call you? A name or…?"
"It's Sobek, scavenger." The now named Sobek huffed.
"Just told you, not a scavenger. I'm a human. My name is Hanna," Hanna plainly said. Her flat delivery got a small chuckle out of the young Spinosaurus. The carnivore winced, his talons seeming to reach up to his injured sail, but fell short due to the placement. "That bite looks nasty. You want help getting that cleaned and covered?"
"I'm fine, just need to wallow in some mud later and I'll be fine." Sobek dismissed.
Hanna scrunched up her face in disgust. She heard from Nigel that some animals used mud to protect from the heat and even staunch bleed wounds. But in her opinion, that probably wasn't sanitary. Approaching cautiously, Hanna spoke up.
"I can help clean and bandage you using things that won't get you sick like mud." Hanna offered.
Sobek mulled it over in his head as he sized up the small human. While he'd prefer not to have an unknown creature skittering around his hide, this "Hanna" was barely larger than his claws; hardly a threat he couldn't handle. Shifting over to his side, Sobek lifted his head and shot Hanna a warning glare.
"Fine, you can help, but no funny business."
With a smile, Hanna approached with Sobek watching closely. The young woman climbed the young dinosaur's torso and practically straddled his neck as she gathered her medical supplies with his permission. Getting the bandages and disinfectant out, Hanna glanced up to Sobek.
"I'm warning you right now, this will sting and hurt for a few seconds."
The Spinosaurus scoffed. "I'm made of tougher stuff, so I won't be crying from a little sting."
Hanna rolled her eyes at the male's machismo. "Ok, don't say I didn't warn you."
Splashing the disinfectant on a rag, Hanna braced a hand on Sobek's sail and clenched her legs around his neck to secure herself for the inevitable reaction the Spinosaurus would have. "I'm applying the disinfectant in three, two, one…" lightly pressing the medicine in, the reaction was immediate. Sobek shrieked in surprise and pain as he instinctively tried to shake off the cause of his pain. Hanna held firm and waited for him to calm down.
"What the heck was that?! That hurt!" Sobek snarled.
"Don't be a baby." Hanna chastised, softly slapping Sobek's hide like a mother disciplining a child. Most animals in the wild don't know small pains are harmless and usually think something is trying to kill them and respond appropriately. Hanna didn't know it, but if Sobek had any less restraint, she probably would have been viciously attacked and mauled. As the teen archer worked to cover Sobek's wounds in bandages, the Spinosaur just grumbled as he moved his head to the side.
Hanna spotted Nigel and the rest of the rescue team on the top of the riverbank looking worried and furious. The young woman had enough sense to look ashamed and mouthed a quick 'sorry' to her mentor. As the rescue team was practically pulling out their hair from Hanna's recklessness, Hanna was busy keeping Sobek occupied and his attention on her. Hanna was just trying to be friendly and make the large carnivore more comfortable around her. She was trying to get Sobek to open up to her a bit, talking about seemingly random things about herself, her life, and asking questions. The Spinosaurus was understandably a bit standoffish, but he did tell the strange creature before him about his home and how difficult it was to survive the harsh heat and the lack of prey. Before Sobek could even consider divulging any personal information, something caused him to pause as he quickly glanced up to the sky.
Hanna noticed the suddenness of the Spinosaur's actions. Looking around, she saw the nearby creatures stop what they were doing as they too looked skyward, worry plastering their expressions. She could see some of them muttering, but Sobek was the only one she could pick up from under his breath.
"Please, please, please. Don't do it…" As if answering him, the sky answered.
*Crack-BOOM!*
At the sudden sound of thunder, all the animals taking refuge in the gorge panicked. The Ouranosaur herd was practically climbing over each other to exit the dried riverbed, all failing to escape through the narrow passage to higher grounds. The Carcharodontosaurus Trails tried to claw her way up a practically sheer vertical surface even though her weight wouldn't allow it. Even the Sarcosuchus was trying to find a way to escape the shallow river. It was then that it began to rain, causing all the creatures to go into a further frenzy.
"Sobek! What's happening?!" Hanna screamed as the Spinosaur stood up, the human still on his back. Sobek was too busy trying to find an escape to fully acknowledge her.
"When the sky roars and rains, the river will devour anything in its path!" Sobek yelled as he scrambled to the exit that the Ouranosaurs were blocking. The herd of herbivores didn't seem to notice the large carnivore, even as Sobek hooked his talons into a few Ouranosaurs to pull them out of the way.
The rain and thunder continued to intensify and in turn the flow of the river raged even harder. And in a flash, a surge of water powered down the riverbed and swept up the creatures caught in its wake; unfortunately, that meant Sobek and Hanna were swept up in the current as well. The Spinosaur's large bulk meant nothing against the roaring flash flood, and Hanna's small form could do nothing but tighten her grip and hang onto Sobek's neck.
"Sobek! Get us out of here!" Hanna shouted over the surging water.
"Hang on! I think I can—Urk!" The Spinosaurus was cut off as the very Sarcosuchus that threatened Hanna's group and mauled Sobek slammed into the duo, he himself trying to right himself in the tossing and turning waters.
The accidental collision struck the two off course and deeper into the raging river. It was a tangle of debris, and legs and bodies of many herbivores and carnivores that were in the riverbed, getting tossed around in the chaotic water. The Sarcosuchus' luck had apparently run out as a boulder jutting out from the river was unyielding as the crocodilian's back slammed into rock with an audible crack. The massive crocodilian gurgled as he slumped in the water as the river continued to carry his limp body. From the speed the Sarcosuchus struck that boulder, Hanna grimly concluded that the giant croc probably broke his back and was either paralyzed or dead; either way, the raging river would finish the predator if the broken back didn't already.
Sobek lashed out with his talons and gripped onto the boulder. It took all his strength to hang onto their only refuge in the deadly waters. Debris and creatures surged past them, the debris leaving shallow cuts on the two while the swept-up dinosaurs were screaming and panicking for help as the river carried them down to parts unknown. Struggling to climb up the jutting boulder, Sobek attempted to haul himself and Hanna atop of the rock. While Hanna was panting and hanging on to Sobek's back despite the water making his hide slick, the eagle-eyed archer looked upriver, and her eyes widened in terror.
"Upstream! Hang on Sobek!" Hanna screamed. Tumbling down the river was the Carcharodontosaurus Trails.
Sobek instinctively dug his talons into the boulder just as the rival carnivore's head slammed into the unyielding stone, knocking her out. Even though they had their differences, Sobek didn't want Trails to be devoured by the river. That was probably why the Spinosaurus curled his tail at an angle so that the now unconscious carnivore hooked onto his tail. Despite the situation, at least they had a chance to life, no matter how slim or unlikely Sobek thought they could make it out of the raging water. Just as Sobek was going to resign to their fate, a series of honks blared on shore, catching his attention.
"HANNA! Hang on! We're throwing you a rope!" Yelled Nigel.
Hope bloomed in Hanna's chest as she spotted the tow-hook cable from one of the jeeps being affixed to a flotation ring. Why Nigel had a floating ring when they were supposed to be in a desert drought, Hanna didn't know, but she was grateful for it. It took a few tries to get the angle right, but Nigel and the rescue team managed to use the current of the river to make the float drift towards Hanna. Snagging it, Hanna was about to secure herself, before Sobek shifted beneath her.
"Are you leaving us behind?" Sobek asked over the roaring water. That single sentence tossed away all thoughts of saving herself and she immediately wracked her brain to save these two large carnivores. Looking down at the rope, Hanna then began to hatch the most insane plan her mind came up with.
"Sobek, can you loop me around Trails' body? Around her torso should do."
Seeing that the small human had a plan, Sobek nodded and shifted his body until he could grab the Carcharadontosaurus' prone form. Now that the Spinosaur had a good grip, Hanna dismounted Sobek and climbed over the female carnivore's body. The archer tied the rope around her waist and once it was secured, she paused for a moment, taking a deep breath, and dove right into the surging river.
Hanna almost had a feeling of immediate regret, because she was roughly buffeted by the rough waters, making her body twist and tumble if she wasn't using Trails' body to partially protect her from most of it. It wasn't enough though as Hanna was struck by something in the water and shook her loose from her position on the dinosaur's body. Before the young woman twisted too far away, something snagged the steel cable she was attached to and lifted her above the surface. Coughing up water, Hanna's gaze caught Sobek's eyes as he lifted her out of the water with his toothy muzzle.
"A little reckless Hanna. Any further and I would have missed you," Sobek said, muffled with the cable in his jaws. Smiling, Hanna was deposited onto the back of Trails for her to continue her work. It took a moment, even a few times ignoring the rescue team's incessant badgering of her to secure herself so she could be pulled ashore, but the young archer finished her work of tying Trails' unconscious body with the cable. Hanna knew that this metal cable probably would cut into the Carcharadontosaurus' body, but she would have to accept a few cuts than to drown in a river. Mounting up on Sobek's back, Hanna now had to execute her completely "sane" plan.
"Hanna, what's the plan?" the Spinosaur called over his shoulder.
The archer took a breath as she tightened her grip on his back. "Ok Sobek, keep a firm grip on Trails, and when I tell you, push off with the flow of the river at an angle to shore as HARD as you can!"
"…THAT is your plan?"
"You got a better idea? I really don't want to do this either. I'm open to suggestions."
There was a beat between them and the Spinosaurus just huffed as he tightened his grip and tensed his legs. "Well, if this doesn't work and we die, I want to say, 'I told you so'."
As Sobek was readying himself, Hanna could do nothing but hang on. Looking up, Hanna spotted the rescue team trying to call out to her, but the roaring river and the thunderous storm overhead drowned out their voices. The archer didn't bother shouting to her team, the river would have drowned out her voice. As a compromise, she got the attention of the driver of the jeep and pantomimed her best approximation of throwing the Jeep into reverse when they swung on the cable across the river. Best case, they would have a nice little heart pumping episode to show. Worst case, Hanna was pretty sure that if the people on the jeep weren't already wet from the pouring rain, then the river would fix that right up.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"What is that girl doing?" Nigel murmured. For the past few minutes, the Park Leader and his rescue team tried to shout at Hanna to grab hold of the tow-cable they tossed to her. They thought they would succeed, but then the fool girl jumped into the river and was appearing to tether the prone Carcharodontosaurus; the cable was snagged around the carnivore's torso, preventing them from reeling Hanna in. Her next actions were even more strange as the teen wildly gestured at the rescue team, pointing at the cable, then the jeep, and then pointing vigorously behind herself. It confused Nigel for a moment before the Keeper in the Jeep widened his eyes in alarm.
"Oh shit!"
The man behind the wheel immediately threw the Jeep in reverse, the thick tires whirling and tearing into the dirt below, just as Hanna, the Spinosaurus, and the unconscious Carcharadontosaurus pushed off their boulder refuge and swung with the current attached to the cable on the jeep. Naturally, the weight of two multi-tonnage predators, along with the powerful flow of the river, couldn't be supported by one jeep. The creaks and groans of the metal rang out along with the screeching of spinning tires. Despite the vehicle's effort, the weight of their rescues, along with the slick rain-soaked mud, made the jeep start to gradually slide in the direction of the river.
"Oh, that's not good," Nigel groaned as he rushed to the side of the jeep. "Everyone, brace against the Jeep! Do NOT let it slide!"
The others in the rescue team rushed forward and all pushed against the pull of the jeep. While it helped somewhat, there was still the ever so slight shifting towards the river. But Nigel didn't need for the jeep to stop completely, just anchor it enough so that Hanna and the Spinosaurus could swim to shore. The herculean effort the rescue team put forth bought Hanna and her rescues enough time to navigate the waters. However, using the water's immense current to propel them to shore awkwardly angled the jeep's cable so far to one side that the vehicle started to tip on its side.
"Crap! Scatter! Let go! Let go now!"
The right side of the jeep upturned completely and even flipped the driver out, the keeper shouting out in surprise. The rest of the team, along with Nigel, dove out of the way as the jeep crashed and dragged for a moment along the ground before resting on its side. The car would have dragged more, but it didn't need to travel further as Hanna, the Spinosaurus, and the prone Carcharadontosaurus spilled onto shore. The fast-moving current made the trio slam into the sand and the silt of the shore, causing the sailed carnivore to be thrown and skid onto his side, Hanna being sent flying as well into the muddy shore. Despite all this, the young woman and the Spinosaurus hauled themselves to shore, the sailed carnivore pulling the other theropod closer to land as well, their tired bodies dragging along the sand. When they were both away from the water, the dinosaur and human plopped down into the mud exhausted. Both the theropod and young Hanna were breathlessly laughing together, thankful to finally be on solid land. As the rescue team rushed forth to assess and assist the Carcharodontosaurus, Hanna and the Spinosaur were approached by Nigel, relieved that the young girl was safe, but also furious that she did something so life threatening.
"Nigel, I saved Sobek AND the Carcharodontosaurus." Hanna breathlessly said.
"Do you want to tell me what possessed you to risk your life to nearly drown to save these two?" Nigel asked with his arms crossed and a brow raised. Hanna tiredly rolled onto her back, heedless of the pouring rain or the mud clinging to her clothes.
"Give me a few minutes… I think I'm gonna nap right here."
The Park Leader heavily sighed as he gathered up the exhausted girl and tried to coordinate the return trip back home.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Hanna gingerly caressed her wrist. Her mouth creased into a frown as she remembered the day prior. While she obtained bandages on her for minor injuries and the clear memory of her sister grabbing her on the arm, they were not the worst of it. She had to endure a heated argument with her mother via a video call overseas.
"You're a reckless girl, Hanna! You're lucky you came back in one piece! You're in so much trouble!" her mother's words echoed in her mind.
Her sister was there to placate their mother, thank goodness the punishment was lenient. A few days' suspension from rescues was all she got, all because of her reckless behavior. During that time, she was expected to remain in the park and help wherever and until she "learned the value of communications". In addition, Beth persuaded Nigel to not do any other secret rescue missions involving the Veran girls without her knowledge. Going forward, he needed to give her a notification if any of them would partake in one with him. Beth was aware of Hazel's antics and was glad her friends were there to keep her out of trouble. It was Hanna she was worried about, being green in the whole experience.
"It could have been worse," she mused.
Still, Hanna dreaded the day her mother would return to the park after doing her business in the states. She would scold her properly and then she wouldn't hear the end of it. It was gracious she was thousands of miles away otherwise she would face her full wrath now. The same went for Nigel. Her mother practically forced him to accept these terms or face the loss of a Communications Manager. Nigel didn't want to lose one of the Park's most ambitious employees. Not when she just started. And finding a replacement would be difficult and that would mean the position's duties would have to be split amongst the staff, him included. That was already too much work. The defeated Nigel had to agree.
Despite her harbinger of a punishment, the youngest park member considered the rescue a victory, with a bonus. Sobek was slowly getting used to his surroundings, with his enclosure still in the works. For now, he was staying in the Holding Pen until his injuries were properly healed. The staff would transfer him to the infirmary shortly when he was in a better condition to move. His new home was going to be set near the jungles leading to the Marine sector, where it had its own sizable stream connecting the waterway in the park to the river leading to the east.
The Carcharodontosaurus was another story. Due to her injury, the predator, which Sobek told was named Trails, though he hinted that wasn't her full name, was currently in a coma. In the wild, it would be a death sentence, but at the park, they can monitor her recovery and ensure she made a full recovery. It was going to take a while for her to wake, either days or weeks. Hanna didn't pay too much attention to that. She just knew the vets would do their work.
Hanna let her shoulders relax. Things will look up soon. Her mother will cool off by the time she comes back to the Park. Her punishment will eventually end, perhaps in a few days if she was really good. Sobek and Trails were recovering at a good pace. And she came back in one piece.
The teen smiled and looked up to the sky. A gentle breeze wafted passed her, blowing a few strands of her hair from her face. Long streaks of clouds gently sailed overhead, with a pale blue just behind them.
"Chin up and move on girl," she told herself with a smile.
Post A.N. A couple of things in regards to this chapter. Yes, Spinosaurus has a name. It's Sobek, after the Egyptian god of the Nile. And yes, we are aware of the scientific discoveries regarding Spinosaurus. We understand that current science says a lot about it, but we have many plans for Sobek that require him to be more robust and active than what a real Spinosaurus is capable of. For the DaPPA series, the Spinosaurus will be the dinosaurian equivalent of a bear; a giant, pseudo-crocodilian, sailed bear. It's a bit of a stretch, but it's for the sake of the story. Another thing, the rest of the details about the talk Beth had with her kids will be touched up on in the next chapter. It won't be a full-fledged scene, but we will expand more on it.
Classification: Internal Use