Chapter 3: The day we lost everything
(some scenes may be a little graphic, be warned if you're sensitive to this kinda stuff)
I wanted to believe back then that what Takari and I had heard had been but an auditory illusion but, unfortunately, we were proven to be wrong. The screams of some children, full of terror and fright, rang through the air like thunder following a mighty bolt during a storm, destroying my illusion entirely. Something's gotten into the valley, we've gotta…
Quickly, I took Takari who was stunned in shock by her wrist and started pulling her along.
"W-where are we going? Why are these kids screaming? What's going on?"
"I don't know, Takari, but we've gotta let the grown-ups know that something's not right!" I replied in a hasty voice. If something had entered our home; something that's malicious, possibly dangerous, then the adults had to know. Chances were that they may have heard the screams themselves but we were still far from the central lake where most of the herd were usually to be found.
The children's screams (it sounded as if it was a group of three) soon changed into even more frightened variations, almost as if something was chasing them around with malicious intent. Suddenly, one of the kids emitted a shriek that sounded as if it was in heavy pain, closely followed by two more pained cries that quickly subsided.
And then, silence.
"Nishir, what's going on?!" Takari asked with rising panic which matched my own. Children didn't scream like that for the fun of it, even if it was a game played realistically. The sudden silence was more than unnerving. Why had these kids gone silent all of a sudden? It was just too suspicious.
"Let's run, whatever was lurking in the caverns is probably chasing the kids!" Or it had already caught them but I couldn't bring myself to voice what I was fearing.
A few minutes of breaking through the tight jungle later, the silence, which hadn't been broken ever since the pained shrieks rang through the underbrush, was once again broken when a chaotic tumult broke out fairly close to our position, sounding almost as if the better part of the herd was entering a stampede.
"We're too late!" I thought and gritted my teeth while my heart was hammering in my chest. Somewhere deep down, I knew that the peaceful life that defined our home was over now and that Takari and I were going just where it would be dangerous.
"Nishir, I'm scared, what's going on?!" Takari cried behind me. Funny how she is acting so timid all of a sudden despite always calling me out about being a scaredy egg or whatever. I guess it's only in the face of danger that people show their true colours.
"We're almost at the edge of the jungle, let's hurry and find out!" I urged her and ,for the lack of a better idea, Takari followed. As we approached, the soundscape around us was exploding. Screams were ringing everywhere, adults and children alike, and it almost sounded as if a fight had broken out. Sounds I had never heard before, terrifying, alien sounds reverberated from the nearby mountain walls, engulfing us in a cloud of eeriness and dread. Just what type of creature had entered our home?!
Finally, the vegetation lifted in front of our eyes and I instinctively threw myself low to the ground, crawling to the edge of the forest to peek out of a bush.
And wish I didn't.
The majority of the herd was engaged in combat with creatures I had never seen before though stories about them existed far and wide.
"F-f-f-fastb-b-b-iters!?" Takari couldn't believe her eyes and neither could I. At least two dozen of these agile and vile creatures were swarming the grassy plains, attacking anything and anyone in sight. Swimmers were much larger than a fastbiter but inadequately equipped to fight the small and agile dinosaurs with their razor-sharp claws and teeth. Those who were living outside where sharpteeth were an every-day threat may know ways to outwit and defeat a fastbiter but rarely anyone from my herd had ever seen a fastbiter before, not to mention fight one of them as far as I was aware. And neither did anyone think to flee into the lake which could have been a temporary salvation.
I was utterly powerless and shaking, too petrified to look away as the fastbiters organized into groups of three to four to gang up on the grown-ups. One after another were struck down in pained cries as blood started pouring from them and children were chased all over the place. As soon as a grown-up was struck down, they moved on to the next, leaving them to bleed to their death from their gruesome wounds. It was a massacre!
My family…
Quickly, I shook out of my petrification. Somewhere in this mess were my brothers and sisters and my father and mother! And Takari's parents too! Regaining my focus, I quickly scanned the battlefield but I couldn't find any of them in the chaos. Most adults were already critically injured, some with horrible wounds that made identifying them impossible. Only one pair was still fighting while the remaining adults were trying to run for it and so were several children.
"Daddy, no!"
I looked at Takari in surprise as the girl suddenly began to scream in terror and quickly realized that it was a very bad idea to scream around in this setting.
"SHHHHHH, do you want them to notice us too?!" I hissed, shunning her.. Even if the sheer noise the fastbiters were causing was probably enough to cover our own voices, one couldn't be careful enough in the face of danger. Quickly, I realized why Takari had been screaming; the pair of swimmers still fighting against no less than six fastbiters were Takari's parents and they were about to be overwhelmed! Her mother's entire flank was cut open but the female was still standing while her father was trying to protect her, swinging his tail at any fastbiter that dared to get too close but the fastbiters dodged each of them. Suddenly, all of them leapt at the same time, toppling both swimmers, their screams reaching my ears moments before Takari's horrified cry. At first, I wanted to reprimand her again but realized quickly that I would have screamed too if I had seen my parents being overwhelmed by fastbiters. Their screams continued as the group of six fastbiters began what looked from the distance as if they were eating them. Alive…
*Bleeehhhgg*
Suddenly, Takari began retching violently right next to me and I barely managed to escape the squall of stomach contents erupting from her mouth as her whole body cramped in response to the horror that was transpiring in front of our very eyes. A nauseous feeling quickly established itself in my own stomach as well when I realized that, in the matter of minutes, almost the entire herd had been taken out. No adult was still on their feet and the only screams were coming from children still fleeing from the much faster predators. One group was trying to make it into the jungle a little to our right and, with horror, I realized that it were my siblings, chased by half a dozen fastbiters. They weren't heading straight towards us but still I began to feel uneasy at that moment. If our hideout were to be discovered, we'd be done for, I knew that much, and yet my biggest concern at that moment was that my siblings didn't get eaten like those children we had heard screaming earlier (now that knew what had intruded our valley, I could tell that the sudden silence must have meant that they got eaten) but, unfortunately, it was looking bad for them. The fastbiters were only feet behind them and catching up fast! I began praying that they wouldn't meet the same fate as Takari's parents but they had no chance as the group of fastbiters started flanking them to prevent them from changing direction.
Suddenly, they all leapt in, claws outstretched and the chorus of pained cries confirmed that not a single one of them would survive the assault. Before I had a chance to react, my own stomach emptied itself, accompanied by painful cramps. I wanted to scream; I wanted to believe that everything was just a scary sleepstory but, if this was one of those, the point where you'd wake up from the sheer horror of it had long since passed. I had to accept that it was more than likely real, that Takari and I just lost family and friends and that we might be next on the menu!
We've gotta run!
My stomach was still cramping awfully and Takari was still retching too but I couldn't wait for that to subsede. We had to escape, had to run away. Of course there was nowhere to hide in an enclosed valley but I figured that the caves were the only place we might be safe so I grabbed Takari without a word and started to run as fast as my legs would allow me.
A heavy burden falls from me as I finish retelling the gruesome assault on my herd. Takari is fighting against the tears streaming down her face and I, too, feel a little miserable after mentally going through these memories too. Actually, I feel very miserable. The occasional sob from the little swimmers confirms without words that they are either too shocked or too sad to comment on the events.
"Poor, poor you…" one of the kids finally says in a weak voice. "I… couldn't live without mommy and daddy…"
"That's what we thought too… " Takari replies while wiping tears from her cheeks.
"Yeah," I concur darkly. "You can imagine what kind of shock that was for us… playing happily like always and suddenly you find your entire herd and family killed by fastbiters! It's ridiculous!"
"And we-we would have been killed too if you hadn't saved me, Nishir…"
Indeed, if I hadn't pulled myself together, running from the scene before we, too, were spotted by the predators, neither of us would likely still be alive now. Though there had been more obstacles too, challenging our very survival.
"It's not the only time I saved your butt, y'know?" I grunt in her general direction, failing to make up my mind and being half smug and half tsundere about it.
"You wouldn't have made it without me either," Takari retorts weakly. Apparently, this small argument has helped her to defeat the tears but hadn't one of the kids spoken up at that moment, we might have fallen back into old bickering habits.
"Actually, I don't believe you! There's no way kids like you can live without your parents! You're probably making all of this up!" One of the boys who appears to be particularly rambunctious, steps up with an incredulous expression, only to be yelled at by his sister.
"Idiot, stop being rude to them; they've been through a lot and they're kind enough to tell us about what happened to them even though it makes them sad too!"
"Yeah, Emi is right," one of the other boys, the tallest out of the bunch, yells at his brother and he also appears to be the smartest of the bunch.. "You should be more considerate, Raver."
"Oh, shut it, Beakles!" Raver retorts, sending a malicious glare at his taller brother.
"Oh, you're just salty because Greenie no longer plays with you ever since…" The fourth sibling, a somewhat meekly looking boy is talking to Raver though I begin to get lost in the conversation between the four. I blame it on the nature of young, excited and playful children such as I used to be but they haven't told us their names yet in addition to looking very similar to each other. Though, I'm learning their names now as I let their little argument unfold, curious about the dynamics between these little rascals since I will soon be part of them myself.
"DON'T you bring that up, Zekir!" I don't know yet why but Raver is suddenly giving off vibes of someone who has also experienced death on some level. Takari seems to have noticed too, engaging herself in the conversation, perhaps also to stop a fight in the making.
"What's the big deal, guys? What about Greenie? What happened to her? Why are you upset uhm, Raver, right?" Everyone is glancing at Raver now who, given that he started the argument, is now expected to answer.
"F-fine!" he shouts angrily, scowling at his siblings before turning towards Takari and me (he must have noticed my curious glance). "Greenie is a girl I used to play with a lot before… well, a swimming sharptooth got her mother and she's never talked to me ever again, hiding in some cave up high in the mountain!"
"More like… she doesn't talk to anyone anymore," Emi adds with a hint of darkness in her girly voice. "Only one to survive from her clutch and growing up without a father; she sure had it tough, poor thing."
"I can understand Greenie…" Takari claims quietly, quite obviously moved by the unknown girl's fate.
"That's right, of course you would," I exclaim understandingly. After all, Takari had been very close to becoming just like Greenie, shutting off entirely after witnessing the death of everyone she knew - except for me, obviously. But wait, we didn't cover that in the story yet.
"Raver, perhaps you'll believe us after we're done telling you guys about the aftermath?" I prompt him and, to my surprise, the boy gives in readily.
"Probably… I just find it hard to believe because… Greenie can't live without her mother!"
"If Nishir hadn't been with me… well, you'll see in the story very soon," Takari speaks to the group, gaining their full attention which prompts me to return to the events right after we experienced the likely death of our entire families…
Takari and I didn't stop before we had retreated as deep into the caverns as we possibly could, taking a number of paths that would be guaranteed to be too tight for a fastbiter to fit. We had actually intended to go to this very place earlier in the day to have fun but now such a thing was unthinkable, only our losses, fears and pain dominating our thinking. A small lake was sitting inside the cave with an opening in the ceiling. At least it wouldn't be completely dark. We collapsed on the spot as soon as we found a place suitable to sit down, completely worn out from the mad sprint and the sheer weight of the images we had had to witness. Neither of us had anything to say; we were just sitting there with racing heartbeat and breath which just didn't want to subsede. Takari had some more cramps before she hid her face in her arms, too shocked to cry and it was no different for me. I still couldn't believe all of this had really happened and it would take some more time until it truly sunk in. For once, I didn't object when Takari eventually allowed herself to lean against me because feelings like embarrassment or pride simply didn't exist anymore.
They had been wiped just like the lives of so many that day…
I must have dozed off at some point but when I came to, the cavern was considerably darker than I remembered it. Oh right, it must be nighttime by now… Occasionally, the distant sound of waves crashing against the cliffs could be heard (apparently, the room we were hiding in was quite close to the Big Water) and some water was dripping into the central lake through the tiny hole in the ceiling. Another rainy night, I see…
My glance wandered over to Takari (who wasn't leaning against me anymore but, instead, had curled up a few feet away from me, making no sounds that could tell me whether she was sleeping, crying or just being idle. The sight of Takari brought back all the bad memories at once and I almost ended up retching again. Quickly, I gulped down some water (a trick my mother would always suggest whenever the stomach sickness struck the herd, either easing the nausea or making the vomiting episodes less painful). Luckily, the cool water aided my revolting stomach and stilled the thirst I hadn't noticed up until now. Swimmers need a lot of water after all. I guess I should look after Takari too. Carefully, I walked over to her position. I couldn't see her face since she hid it well with her pose but the slow rise and fall of her back as she breathed rhythmically calmed my nerves somewhat. At least Takari was still alive; the girl who I secretly admire. Focussing on these small things was the only way to stay sane in this situation. Stories about swimmers losing their minds after tragic losses weren't unheard of and I'd rather not become material for one such tale. Anyway, I had to make sure that Takari was okay. The fact that she hadn't said a word since seeing her parents being eaten alive worried me almost as much as the unknown fate of my own parents.
"Takari?" I used a voice so soft I didn't think I could actually use. Takari looked so broken, curled up in the corner, and it didn't occur to me until a few moments later that she'd never hear me like this if she were asleep.
"Takari?" I prompted, this time in a normal voice. When the girl made no sign of hearing me, I repeated her name once more while carefully poking her sides which finally prompted a weak reaction. She moved ever so slightly but remained silent.
"Hey, are you ok-I mean… look…" Suddenly, the old awkwardness kicked in but I didn't allow myself to fall for something so trivial - not when more important things were at stake!
"We-we've probably lost our families there… a-and you haven't said a word ever since…" Before I knew what I was doing, my right hand was resting on the back of her head. "I'm worried about you…" That, finally, prompted an adequate response. The girl, though slowly, shifted around and sat up, legs close to her body, arms wrapped around her legs. Her eyes appeared dry when I got a glimpse at her which was odd since you'd expect someone like her to cry after going through such a loss. Not that I'm any better but I'm still too shocked to let it sink in, I guess… And it's probably even worse for Takari…
"You should drink something; helps against the stomach pains," I told her casually as I watched her being a heap of misery. "You're still having them, I suppose?"
I had to look very closely to recognize her nod as such. It seemed to me as if all she was doing was responding instinctively to whatever things were triggering responses in the first place. Even though she nodded, she wouldn't get up to get a drink.
"Takari, come on. You need to take a sip of water. Swimmers need to drink, remember?" I suddenly felt a sudden urge to start crying but I could tell that Takari had it worse than me so I pulled myself together. It had been our parents, the parents we likely wouldn't ever see again who had impregnated that sentence into our minds when we were still young. Something inside of me was getting really close to snapping and I was glad that I could take care of Takari there just so I wouldn't have to think morbid thoughts like that.
Like me, Takari was able to keep the water inside but there wasn't really any sign that she was using her intellect, acting as if she had shut off her mind entirely. It worried me greatly which gave me another problem to worry about beside something I had been brooding about before dozing off eventually. I need to check if my parents are dead or not and I want to check what happened to our home overall. But I can't leave Takari here, I just can't! And… I don't want to go alone either. The fastbiters should be asleep after their meal (I almost puked at the mere thought) ...so it mightn't be too dangerous… and just maybe it'll break Takari's trance?
"Takari? I want to go outside to see if there are any survivors. I don't want to leave you alone though so are you coming with me? I'm… scared to go alone…"
For the first time, I got the impression that what I had said actually registered in the girl's mind since she raised her head ever so slightly to look at me in horror. Though no emotion could wipe the despair from the blue orbs that were her eyes. And only now that I am able to look into them, I notice just how beautiful they actually are.
"Don't worry, the fast biters are probably sleeping, it's night right now; we should be fine," I assured her quickly. "Please… come… with me, Takari…"
The girl moved her lips slightly but no sound came out of it. "You don't want to?" I guessed on a hunch, surprised when she actually confirmed with a nod. "But Takari… we can't stay here forever… we've gotta see if anyone made it. They might know what to do now… I don't want to go either and I'm extremely anxious what we'll find… but I'm not leaving you behind!" Takari appeared to be considering it but her fright was as obvious as bright day light.
"We've gotta stay together; it's all we have left! Come with me…" I held out my arm and gave her a pleading look, something I wouldn't have dreamed of doing when this terrible day started but there was no going back now and it was probably about time that we began to accept our harsh new reality and started to treat life a lot different than we used to. Finally, Takari grabbed onto my hand, looking at me with glassy eyes and an expression that said so much more than a thousand tears ever could. I nodded weakly before starting to walk slowly, always making sure that she would continue to hold onto me lest I'd lose her in the darkness of the cave system...
We made our way in utter silence. The caverns were silent, the forest was silent. We were silent, only the soft pit-pat of light rain creating some sort of ambient atmosphere. Even if there had been any free space in my mind to clear for some talk, the fright that was taking hold of every bone in my body and the terror of the day were sealing my beak tight and, as far as I could tell, Takari was now as mute as a rock. It was something that I just had to accept for the time being since the terrors she was going through were much larger than my own.
With an eerie sense of anticipation, the two of us were slowly advancing through the jungle, me going ahead while making sure that Takari would continue to hold onto my wrist lest she'd get lost in the darkness. The fact that I couldn't see much was unnerving me to a great extent. If a fastbiter were to notice us, we likely wouldn't see it coming unless it decided to break through the tight underbrush with force. Even though my gut was telling me that fastbiters were sleeping at night just like any dinosaur would, I didn't want to throw my caution in the wind. Coming out here was a big risk, even at night. I was endangering myself as well as Takari who I was dragging along for my own convenience, admittedly. The best we could do was acting as silently as we somehow could which meant acting careful when encountering thick underbrush and going around such obstacles wherever possible. As a result, it took what felt like an eternity to cross the whole jungle, something that had only taken mere minutes at most during our hasty flight previously.
Finally, I was able to recognize the path we broke through the bushes and brushwood and we soon found the vantage point from where we had observed… observed how the herd got slaughtered, observed how Takari's parents got slaughtered and-and… my… I couldn't finish the thought as voicing it aloud would be enough to break my composure which was only in a state of limbo because of Takari whom I had to look out for. It was a very fickle state and the longer our walk was taking, the more I began to realize how terrible the consequences of the attack were for the two of us. Losing friends and family wasn't the worst of it from a detached vantage point that didn't include our very personal sorrow. As far as survival was concerned, we were no longer safe and, unless this excursion into our homelands were to be successful, finding survivors of the attack after all, we'd be left to fend for ourselves, to care for ourselves…
...to BE by ourselves. In other words, alone in a world full of enemies who were eager to eat you while occupying the lands that used to be home. Now it was a place coated in blood and death. It wasn't home anymore.
I had to stop thinking about these things and I was really glad when I was able to step out of the dark forest which had seemed to make me more and more depressed by the minute. A rancid smell reminded me of the fact that both of us had lost our breakfast here so I casually pulled Takari some distance to the right until the smell of vomit had vanished from our noses. The last thing I need is more vomiting and stomach cramps…
"Here we are…" I muttered quietly. Takari was wearing a blank expression, acting very distant and far away. She was obviously still stuck with the shock and wasn't making any improvements as far as I could tell. Well, from a different perspective, it'd be kinda bad if she decided to start crying right here so I should be glad she isn't a risk to getting ourselves exposed right now.
"We need to find out where the fastbiters are," I told her quietly though, quite obviously so, it was as if talking to myself as Takari's consciousness was somewhere entirely else. The rain had been gradually increasing over the course of the last third of our journey and was now falling in streaks rather than droplets, creating a distinct soundscape. There was now a little wind too, gentle but occasionally blowing some of the rain into my face. The darkness was about as bad as it could be. Of course I knew where trees, bushes or Takari were but spotting a fastbiter in this darkness seemed impossible. I knew the scenery in front of my eyes and how it would probably look like right now if there was any light to go by but I simply couldn't anticipate the position of the predators nor whether they were active or sleeping. I suddenly didn't know what to do and I began to realize how stupid and dangerous this whole mission had been in the first place! Going into a dark place that's full of predators without being able to see them! Yeah, Nishir, that's just another way to get Takari killed and your sorry hide along with her! Frustrated, I continued to peek into the darkness, only to see nothing but black and nothing. Suddenly…
*flash*
I noticed Takari jerking slowly behind as a lightning bolt struck somewhere in the distance over the Big Water, its light so bright and unexpected that it blinded me momentarily. Though, what seemed like just another reason to give up and head back into the caverns to get some rest, was actually the solution to our problem! If there's a thunderstorm coming, the bolts will light up the landscape briefly, allowing me to see! Maybe I can spot those blasted fastbiters after all!
Fired up, as the distant thunder began to roll in coupled with a gust of wind, I set my eyes on a certain spot in the landscape, waiting and hoping that the storm would send many more bolts to light my path. And indeed, the next bolt struck hardly after the thunder had ceased to echo off the mountains, flickering a few times which allowed me to see the landscape in front of us for a brief moment. I could locate the lake and a few diffuse "bumps" on the ground that were most likely the bodies of dead swimmers. Immediately, a sickening feeling overcame me but I knew that this was not the time to be engrossed by these things. As a matter of fact, it was now part of our life so it was best to get used to the sight as soon as possible.
Patiently, I waited for the next lightning strike and this time it actually struck fairly close, just shy of the coastal areas of the valley. I knew we wouldn't have a lot of time before the storm would break loose as weather was generally coming from the Big Water's direction which meant that the storm was approaching us. Its light allowed me to confirm that these were mere carcasses though they were too far away to see the gruesome details. The rain suddenly picked up even more, drenching both of us in mildly cool water but I didn't mind it one single bit. Both the rain and the storm were a blessing as it allowed us to see and move without being heard due to the noise the rain was causing. After a few more minutes, the lightning rate had increased to intermittent cloud flickering which cast sufficient light onto the landscape to allow us to move. I hadn't been able to spot any fastbiters anywhere within the grassy area I could see from my vantage point which prompted me to get moving.
"It should be safe to go for now, I can't see any fastbiters in this area," I explained calmly to Takari, although it sparked no reaction. The lightning seemed to have some spooky effect on her though as she held on me with particular force, almost as if she was afraid of getting lost. "Follow me."
The land was gently sloping down from here on and I continued to keep my eyes out whenever lightning lit up the sky, marching across the muddy, grass-covered ground while pondering how to proceed. I'd assume that any surviving swimmers wouldn't be easy to find as they'd be hiding just like us to survive. Since I know how many adults there are, perhaps…I suddenly came to a standstill as a rather disgusting but effective method distinguished itself in my mind. We may not be able to find any survivors at night when we can barely see them but… we can count… the dead... Just at that moment a bright lightning bolt struck the cliffs on the coast, its thunder booming with ferocity while Takari walked into me. Was it actually possible to count the dead? Was it even necessary? For what it was worth, it was sure to take a long time to find everybody and extremely gross too. Likely, the fastbiters had eaten from the corpses and that wasn't something I ever wanted to see, also for Takari's sake as her condition was certain to get worse in that case. As I walked slowly, another morbid thought entered my mind before I was able to block it from unfolding. While we're at it… we obviously can't perform any death rituals but maybe we could at least… say goodbye? I'm fairly certain of the location where Takari's parents were killed and as for my s...
*crack*
There hadn't been any lightning for a few moments so I hadn't seen the obstacle until I literally walked right into it, breaking whatever it was and disrupting my thought process. Somehow, that something felt odd, kinda like a rock but with something soft sticking to it as well. I immediately jerked and leapt back in irritation. Just then, lightning struck extremely close, thunder almost immediately following. I didn't want to believe what I saw while the scenery in front of me was illuminated: I had walked right into a group of carcasses belonging to swimmers my age, just in the general area where I had seen them getting chased during the attack. During the next lightning strike, I chose to look a little closer and immediately regretted it as I recognized the dead child. Suddenly, a rainstorm began to engulf the two of us, blowing heavy wind into our faces and drenching us to the bone, small rivers forming around our muddy feet. Almost nothing reminded of the dinosaur she once was, a skeleton with barely any flesh left on her and a broken tail now that I stepped onto it, the head missing entirely. Yet, on the tip of her tail, some skin remained. There was only one swimmer in my herd who had developed a blue colour and it was one of my sisters…
Without warning, I threw up, splattering all the water I had drunken earlier over the skeleton in front of me. Hot tears shot into my eyes immediately as I stood there in the middle of a raging downpour, panting and holding my stomach while my eyes couldn't go off the body of my dead sister - or what was left of it anyway. Soon, I saw what was left of the other four, some of their carcasses missing entire body parts.
"AAAAAHHHH!" Reality finally caught up with me and, against the raging storm, I screamed, screamed as more and more tears blurred my vision, screamed as the images of my siblings, now mere memories, were floating around my tormented mind, screamed until something hugged me gently from behind. It was Takari. Suddenly, resignation flooded in and, within seconds, all energy was gone, all feelings of rage, hate and loss dissolved into thin air. "They're all dead!" I collapsed onto my knees and started crying loudly as the thought replayed inside my head infinitely. Suddenly, I couldn't care less about any goddamn fastbiter sneaking around who might hear my wails, couldn't care less about the rivers of water that were swelling up due to the extreme downpour, couldn't care less about my original mission. I felt defeated, empty, hopeless… I felt like the world had abandoned me and tossed me aside. As my whole body trembled with every sob, only Takari weakly clinging onto me from behind reminded me of the fact that I wasn't as alone as I felt at that moment.
Almost for the entire duration of the storm, I wept without hesitation and when I finally calmed down a little, the water had risen so much that the bodies of my siblings were mostly submerged. It was a sight so sad that I simply wanted to cry more, however some part of me began to register that I shouldn't do it in such a dangerous place. Sadly, I got back up to my feet, directing my attention to Takari who was still clinging.
"Y-you can let go of me now… I'm fine now." Actually, I'm not fine at all but the last I need now is Takari worrying about me… "T-thanks, Takari… that… helped a little… thanks…" Suddenly, I felt really awkward and, to some degree, I was glad when she finally let go of me. I turned around to face her and get an idea how she was doing. She could have been crying and I wouldn't have noticed it at all in my misery but, now that I was feeling a little better, I decided to check on her. Due to the heavy rain that was still falling, although the intensity appeared to have peaked a while ago already, it was impossible to tell whether or not her eyes were leaking tears or not. I had to wait for a lightning flash before I could tell that, for the first time since seeing her parents die, she didn't wear that trance-like gaze on her adorable face.
"Are… you okay?"
"Hm…" To my utter surprise, Takari nodded quite clearly. Her shock seems to be wearing off!
"We should say goodbye…" Suddenly, I felt fresh tears shoot into my eyes, mingling with the rain washing all over my body. Takari looked at me sadly as she said these words, the first words ever since the attack. I was likewise glad that she was recovering somewhat and shocked that she had spoken up. Quickly, I nodded, swallowing a weak sob as I turned towards the group of skeletons, partly submerged in waters that reached up to half our knees. My siblings were no longer part of my life. All too often they'd be a nuisance I'd rather chase away but, right now, I couldn't wish for anything else but for them to be alive and well and not a pile of bones and half-eaten corpses. I stared into the darkness waiting for lightning to illuminate them and get a last good look at everyone although none of them looked anything like how I remembered them. It was heart-crushing and I couldn't bring myself to let go even though I knew that I had to. Eventually, I managed to say a few words.
"I will... miss you. Good-goodbye…" My voice broke off and I began to feel more miserable than I ever felt in my life. Being down with the stomach disease was nothing in comparison, or getting the tip of your tail bitten off (not that I can remember it). It felt miserable from the deepest within and spread through my entire body, from my crest to the (slightly shortened) tip of my tail. Without a word, I turned away from the scene and walked away. I didn't even check if Takari was following me but the girl soon appeared at my side, looking just as miserable as I was feeling myself.
"At least… your parents… they might be…" She broke off as if her voice had suddenly disappeared, wiping her face as if removing tears though it was as pointless as trying to revive the dead due to the pouring rain.
"I don't think they are to be honest," I said without thinking, quickly correcting myself when I realized that my comment didn't have a clear meaning. "My-my parents, I mean…"
"Hmm…" Takari hummed sadly. I was reminding her of her own loss which, given the assault we had witnessed, was as good as confirmed, and immediately felt bad about it. Yet, no words could ever make things better for her in this situation so I quickly decided not to dwell on it and move on.
"I mean… where to hide from fastbiters if you're a grown-up? It's probably impossible…" I said in frustration, realizing that, in spite of our smaller size, it was also difficult for us to remain unseen and unnoticed.
"Hmm…" Takari hummed again though I couldn't really tell what it was supposed to mean, only that she was feeling down.
"Still… let's see if we can find them…"
I had a general idea where to look but it was getting more difficult to see. The storm had passed, the lightning too far away to provide enough light to spot anything. The water on the ground was retreating quickly and the rain soon stopped entirely. Takari was walking by my side, however her head was hanging and her big feet slurping across the wet grass. There was no doubt that she was feeling bad but it was no different for me to be honest. Even though the rain had stopped, my face wouldn't dry and I was full of dread that my siblings weren't the only dinosaurs I'd have to say goodbye to.
My first thought was to look at my nest. We went around the lake and, luckily, didn't have any further encounters with corpses or fastbiters for that matter. It was a quiet trek and an eerie one at that until the clouds lifted and the Night Circle broke through to guide us through the darkness. The first thing that my eyes fell on was the very familiar set of trees and bushes that were growing near the nest which meant it was nearby. The second thing they recognized, however, made my heart sink to ground level.
Fastbiters… A little distance from our position, well over a dozen fastbiters were sprawled across the floor, quite apparently sleeping but I still threw myself to the ground, pulling Takari with me. I couldn't take any risks and no knowledge was important enough to die for it. I continued by crawling on all fours, disappearing in the high grass, Takari following my example. Progress was slow but, after a little while, my nest came into sight. It was empty but that didn't mean anything. My parents would have likely fled the scene or tried to go to the other side of the lake when the commotion broke out. It was kinda impossible to look everywhere in the valley though; I needed an idea… a vantage point.
"I'm going to climb a tree, Takari." I said with little enthusiasm as I gestured to the girl. "Stay low and don't move, I just want to try getting a better picture from up there…"
"Hm," Takari replied, seating herself in the wet grass. I didn't look like it but I was actually quite good at climbing trees, a skill that had proved to be useful in the past but, unfortunately, Takari had learned it just as quickly, rendering my skill useless in our competitions. But now it would come into handy! Without trouble, I climbed as high as I could. The Night Circle was continuing to shine on a now cloudless sky so my vision was fairly good. I took another glimpse of the sleeping horde of fastbiters. "These likely aren't going to be a problem if we're quiet enough to stay unnoticed…" I analyzed from my perch on the tree, casting my gaze in random directions in order to get a better idea of what may have happened on this side of the lake. The ground wasn't dotted with corpses here but I had a bad feeling about it so I kept looking out into the grassy fields from above. I even gazed towards the beach. Wait a second… It was far from my position so I couldn't confirm it but just shy of the sandy beach, I saw something that looked like a body. Actually, it looks like several bodies… For a moment, I simply stood there with a blank expression gazing emptily into the distance. It can't be helped… I have to check…
"Takari, let's go to the beach," I told her in a dreadful voice that she didn't miss after I safely returned to ground level.
"See… something?" the girl wondered and I quickly nodded in response, adding with a dark voice.
"There were bodies; I can't tell if they were sleeping or… " There was absolutely no need to elaborate what both of us were fearing so, without another word, we started moving quietly towards the beach.
It took us about 10 minutes to get to the bodies I had spotted. We didn't have to get close to realize what we had been fearing.
"They're all… dead…"
I looked at Takari and saw tears in her eyes.
"Everyone is… they're all… DEAD!"
I could only gawk aimlessly into the distance. There was no doubt that Takari was right. The majority of the herd had been slaughtered at the big lake and the remaining adults lay here on the ground, cold and unmoving, their silhouettes in the moonlight looking surreal as parts of their bodies had been devoured. Which means my parents have been killed as well…
"We're the only ones left," I said in a shaky voice and I knew that whenever we're back in the cave, a knot in my chest would burst violently but, right now, the fastbiters were too close to allow myself to cry. It was eerily silent in the valley, not even the Big Water making a lot of noise as the surf had calmed after the storm.
"Mama, Papa… goodbye…" For a while, I simply stood there with my slightly wet eyes closed. Takari seemed to know what I was doing as she joined me while quietly sobbing. I didn't want to go; I didn't even know which one of the corpses belonged to my parents. I didn't want to know… Soon, the air was getting too heavy to stand it.
"Let's-let's go…" Our eyes met for a brief moment, one more sorrowful than the other. "Let's say farewell to your parents too…" I kind of figured that Takari might want to say goodbye to her parents as well so I lead her there when she made no attempts to stop me.
As soon as we reached their badly mutilated bodies, Takari couldn't hold it in anymore. Crying severely, she walked up to the corpses of her parents, hugging what was still left of them for some time before I carefully asked her to take her leave lest the fastbiters found us.
"Come on, Takari, let's go already…"
But Takari wouldn't listen to me…
I ended up narrating much of this part of the story myself, Takari being unusually mellow. None of the children have interrupted as they're probably too shocked by the cruelties Takari and I have been exposed to.
"That's just so mad…" Raver eventually says when I didn't continue to tell the story.
"Did you really lose your entire family?" Emi asks me with a tearful gaze. "And your en-ti-re herd?!" Sadly, both Takari and I reply with a nod. "We-we'll be family now, right?"
Indeed, we would be family from now on so I'm giving her a gentle pat on the head.
"I'm really happy that we can start over though," I explain calmly as a slight smile creeps up my beak. "We may have lost everything but life goes on. This is a new chance and I'm glad we were able to survive to see it happen and your support means a lot, thanks you guys!"
"Yeah, we never thought that we would ever be part of a family ever again, thank you," Takari adds with a small smile.
"Welcome to the family," Beakles speaks up with an almost formal gesture. He is definitely the most decent of the bunch.
"Don't mention it, you guys've had it hard enough already." I look at Raver in surprise as I didn't think of him as a considerate kid until now.
"Raver never pities anyone, you guys are having a lot of luck," Zekir explains quietly and promptly receives the obvious backlash.
"Shut up, idiot!"
I conclude that Raver and Zekir don't get along very well.
"I'm really happy, you know, because I always wanted to have an older brother or sister," Emi beams with a kind smile. "It's going to be great!"
"I'm sure of it!" I agree, making a thumbs up gesture. "Anyway, should we continue?"
"Yeah, I still don't really get how you get over this stuff," Raver says with a slight grunt, looking expectantly at me which I take as a cue to resume.
"But though we learned that even losing everything isn't the end, it… took us a while to realize…"
Hey guys, I'm back with another update of this story! I'll be uploading two chapters at once today and I have a deadline creeping up on me *shudders*
After a rather humorous start, the story takes a dramatic turn with this chapter. Takari and Nishir lose their entire family! At the same time, their new siblings got names and an actual character now. This is a development that occurred to me spontaneously and it'll spawn a small side story accommodating the main story :)
What did you think? Did I manage to portray their emotions in a believable and realistic manner? Was the part of them wandering through their home at night rushed or dragged too long? Let me know please and thanks for your amazing support! :D
Keijo6 chapter 3 . Dec 29, 2019
This chapter continued the story quite naturally after the duo's introduction and it was written decently. It was pretty nice to see another example of the two friends' normal days as it solidified and built their relationship even more. Especially Takari's somewhat genuine moments showed that she's not merely a bully even if Nishir still doesn't seem quite happy with her antics. It is still rather awkward for me to read her dialogue as I certainly wouldn't want to be anywhere near her but you made her at least a bit more bearable here.
The events portrayed here were rather simple and straightforward and there's not really much to be said about that. I guess you were referring at least partially to me when you mentioned those who aren't fans of this kind of storytelling and you weren't really mistaken. Still, I appreciate a good foundation to a story so I trust that additional characterizations to the two swimmers will be useful in the long run. As for the ending, it seems like Takari and Nishir are up to an unsavory encounter which very probably results in a major plot twist. In any case, you have my attention with this fic.
Indeed, I was referring to you among other but I am honestly very surprised about your feedback which is positive regardless. Thank you very much! I'm really eager to hear your opinion on the new developments :)
Anagnos chapter 3 . Dec 31, 2019
This chapter explored more of the relationship between Takari and Nishir and I must say that I found this part to be very well done with minor references to their rather special bond between each other when the former continues her awkward teasing. The interactions between them were done rather well and the things they discussed during the chapter were rather curious little details added into the narrative. Moreover, the revelation about Takari's inability to sleep alone was a heartfelt moment that managed to present her in a more intriguing manner that makes the reader feel sympathetic towards her.
Truth be told, initially I was under the impression that Takari was simply a bully trying to receive a reaction from Nishir that she'd find humorous. This fact is reinforced when she openly admits the fact that she finds it very amusing to make fun of him. However, her confession later on shows that while she may be a bit of a bully occasionally, she is trying to become a better friend which managed to show exactly how their current relationship actually works and what would eventually be molded into a closer bond between them. I also found it to be hilarious that Nishir is trying hard to suppress his disdain for her antics while simultaneously finding her actions rather sweet.
Like Sovereign already said, while there may have not been much action in this chapter, it might ultimately work in favor as this is but the foundation of the greater story that is still yet to come. Although, I am highly interested by what will happen in the next chapter as the closing statement seems to hint of a possibilty that something sinister will happen sooner or later. This will be an interesting development to follow for sure even without much context what this mysterious figure is and could potentially change the entire structure of the story thus far. I will be looking forward to how you will tackle these events in the following chapters. :)
Thank you very much! I'm really glad you liked the chapter and narrative between our two main characters. I also think their dynamic is really interesting and I'm sure that bond you speak of may be forming eventually. :) But first, they have to battle the sinister obstacles life is throwing at them and who knows how they'll handle these hardships... I'm eager to hear what you think about the new developments :)
The Rhombuschapter 3 .Dec 31, 2019
I quite like how this chapter allowed us to see more of the Takari and Nishir relationship. Though there is something to be said about having a story immediately jump into the action, I think that allowing the readers to get a good feel for the characters and their relationships is a better first step even if it slows down the narrative. In particular I like how this chapter allowed us to get a more nuanced view of Takari's personality. We now see that her recklessness and assertiveness is combined with a sympathetic side, which makes her much more well-rounded and interesting as a character. Though the humorous mismatch of personalities between the two main characters is still on display, which adds much to personality of the story. :)
Though not much in terms of major plot developments happened in this chapter (with the exception of a hint of something to come) I quite enjoyed the chapter nonetheless. A good story requires a good foundation, and we are certainly seeing the laying of the foundation here. :)
I'm really happy that you think so too, thank you rhombus :D
Guest chapter 3 . Jan 1
This chapter shows that Nishir has quite a flair for the dramatic. Although he describes Takari as a bully in both chapters, and how her teasing embarrasses him, none of her games are performed with malicious intent. While he claims otherwise, this mutual enjoyment of their games is even backed up by Nishir's dialogue when he says losing Takari would be bad. Furthermore, all of the descriptors Nashir used for her at the beginning had a positive connotation. If she was truly as horrible as he told himself I'd imagine he'd think of her in a more negative light and want her gone rather than valuing their status quo enough to tell her that he wants her to stay.
Despite all of his talk, this chapter shows that their relationship is far more complex than its outward appearance. Takari saying it'd be fun to be in a family with him also alludes to her having deeper feelings as well. The rivalry between these two is more than likely just a facade to help them deal with new emotions brought on by adolescence and, since Takari is always one step ahead of Nishir, I think she might be trying to use these games to make him accept his emotions rather than rejecting them. Unlike the shouting matches between Littlefoot and Cera that occasionally become physical fights, despite them being friends, Nishir and Takari's competition has potential to develop into a stable relationship depending on what happens to these swimmers.
It will be interesting to see how Nishir and Takari's friendship develops over the course of this story. I'm impressed how you managed to create complex characters with deeper motivations and a unique dynamic in only the first few chapters. Excellent work Evil Swimmer.
Aww, you're flattering me with your praise *blushes*
Indeed, their relationship isn't simple and you've nailed it down in your review quite well. Though, whether their relationship develops further now depends on how they're going to deal with the sudden events of this chapter...
OwlsCantReadchapter 3 .Jan 8
Perhaps the funniest part about Nishir's antics is how much of his thoughts is being suppressed and how he often says something completely different than what is on his mind. Usually I would never go this in depth into a character's introspective thoughts and thus I had my apprehension about the italics and bold formatting choice, but I see why it's needed now - Nishir's thoughts often contradict his words.
The mutual pining (and refusal to broach the subject directly) between Nishir and Takari is very thrilling to read, and in a way I think Nishir is being willfully ignorant and actively denying what his heart is telling him when Takari hints heavily to him that there is a reason he is her favorite target: "a family with you would be loads of fun", "figure out who I'll take with me", and "if I want you to like me" come to mind. In a way, you nailed the tenuous yet heartwarming friendship between the two very well, and it's probably the best part of the story.
But other than that, I do enjoy how down-to-earth Takari is in this chapter while still retaining her core personality traits. It really sells why Nishir still maintains his friendship with her despite his love-hate relationship and crush on Takari. It will be interesting to see how the status quo will shift as time goes on. :)
Thank you very much, Owls :)
Your analysis of their characters and interactions and possible developments is strikingly accurate and I'm glad I was able to write two characters that are fun and engaging to read about. A reader would naturally care about what happens to such a character and I'm curious what you'll think now that the story has shifted from comedy to tragedy... :)
As I said, I'm uploading chapter 4 as well today which focusses on the aftermath and the emotional impact the events of chapter 3 have on Nishir and Takari :)