This is the first of a series of fanfics that I will be producing. I don't own anything belonging to ARK Survival Evolved.
Princess of the Dinosaurs
The sun shined brightly in a clear blue sky. The sounds of chirping could be heard on the winds. And soon an island came into view, one with jungles and plains and a frozen tundra in the northwest region. But that wasn't the only thing there. Something else could be seen that stood out of the ordinary. At the southwest, southeast, and northwest corners of the island were three towering structures of unknown design, with red, green, and blue beams of light streaming through them from the ground up.
Near the red structure, a large fortress made of stone was standing at the edge of the cliff overlooking it, with a large gate serving as the primary means of entering. The walls were decked with red banners with a winged reptile in the center.
The door soon opened, and a man and woman exited the place, followed by presumably the rest of the inhabitants. The man had tan skin and long, white hair and red fang-shaped markings on his cheeks. He was dressed in dark-blue robes with reptilian scale patterns, along with a red cape. But his most unique features were a golden crown decked with the teeth of a T-rex and having a reptilian tail made of reptile hides. The woman was fair-skinned and had blonde hair and similar facial markings. She wore an elegant pink dress with reptile scale patterns. She had a shorter tail and wore a high collar shaped like a Triceratops frill and a golden circlet on her head with two horns at the front. In her arms was a baby girl with snow-white hair wrapped in cloth.
The man glanced at the floating structure and turned to the woman. "It's time, my love." The woman nodded in agreement and the two then led the large group out into the wilderness, working around the slopes to head for the red obelisk.
"Today's a special day." the woman spoke to her baby. "After six months, I finally found the perfect name for you. Now I must speak it to the obelisk."
"Right now, I feel like the proudest father ever, Sara." her husband remarked. He then looked at his newborn daughter and felt like expressing his happiness to her. "My child, you are the pride of my life and the whole Dinaurian Tribe. One day you will take my place as the tribe's ruler, and hopefully lead it the same as me. And that means you must learn to survive among the creatures that live on this island with us and the other tribes." He then listed down all the different types of creatures on the island. As he did so, some that matched the description were shown; "Creatures of fur..." an otter, "...feathers..." an unknown bird in the trees, "...fins..." a salmon, "...exoskeletons..." a dragonfly. "...and scales."
The couple looked upon a field full of dinosaurs, such as a small herd of Brontosaurus and of Parasaurolophus. The herds calmly fed on all the plants until a Tyrannosaurus Rex burst out of the trees and attacked the Parasaurs. The harmless herbivores instantly scattered in panic, dodging the snapping jaws of the large predator. One however, wasn't so lucky, as it was caught by the Rex and got choked to death. The Rex didn't waste time in digging into its lunch.
"It's one thing to hunt a bird or a beast, but it's another to hunt a saurian; who are seen as lords of nature on the island of ARK." the father told his baby girl. "You must be humble and respect their strength and power."
"And I'm sure your father will teach you one day." Sara supported.
The tribe soon came to the slope that led to the platform beneath the red obelisk. The couple then stepped forth to start the ceremony, but were soon joined by another couple with their own baby. One was a man with light-brown skin and bright-orange hair who was dressed in a blue and gold tunic with a reptilian scale pattern and a cape that resembled pterosaur wings. On his head was an Aztec headcrest. The other was a woman with long brown hair who wore a green short-skirt dress, also with a reptilian scale pattern, and a tail. She also had a headband with an attachment resembling a Parasaur crest. The baby was a girl with crimson-red hair.
"Quetzal and Maia. You, too, have found a name for your child?" Sara said to them.
"Indeed, Lady Sara." Maia replied. "But since you and Dynal are the leaders of our tribe, I will allow you to go first." she said humbly and stepped back a few.
"Nonsense." Sara protested. "You're as close to me as family. We shall both perform our naming rituals together." Maia turned to both husbands and saw them nod in sync, showing they weren't against the idea. She turned back to the lady chieftain and smiled happily. The two mothers then approached the red beam and held their baby girls in its light.
"Mighty Obelisk, gift to us from the Ancients, we come to you on a special occasion." Dynal bellowed to the obelisk. "Our wives have found proper names for the children they carry in their arms. Now we come before you in the hopes you will bless them as they receive their names in your holy light."
Quetzal looked down on the two mothers. "Speak their names!"
"DINA NYCHUS!" Sara shouted as she held her baby up in the light, Maia doing the same. "TERRA DACTYL!"
Suddenly, the obelisk started pulsing, as if responding to hearing the names. The babies giggled as they were suddenly lifted out of their mothers' hands and floated in midair. They both rose up in the red beam until they were in the middle of the obelisk, the entire tribe watching with curiosity. Then a flash of light burst from the beam and left as quick as it appeared. The two newly named daughters soon returned to their mothers' waiting arms, both of them crying. Both Sara and Maia looked at their left arms to see they now each had a crystal-shaped implant on them, yet there was no sign of bleeding. Both mothers and fathers glanced at their own forearms to show they two had the same implants.
"Ever wonder what the purpose of these things are, Quetzal?" Dynal asked his old friend. For as long as he can remember, he's seen every human being from every tribe on the island, as well as those that come from across the sea, has possessed these artifacts from the Ancients. However, he has never understood their purpose.
Quetzal only shook his head in response, not really knowing himself. "I wish I knew, Dynal. But I'm just as baffled about their purpose as you are."
"Maybe someday we'll find out." Dynal shrugged, leaving the subject alone for now. "Right now we must revel in the joy of our daughters being given their names." Sara and Maia looked lovingly at their respective daughters. Seeing their mothers made the two newborns calm down and coo at them. Both families could only feel nothing but joy from this tender moment.
Dynal then turned to the watching tribe with a proud look on his face. "Dinaurians, let me welcome both my daughter and that of my close friends into the tribe: Dina Nychus and Terra Dactyl!" he said triumphantly as Sara and Maia held up their babies for all to see. Everyone roared with cheering and rejoicing, happy to welcome the two newborns into the tribe.
Elsewhere in the jungle, a small Mesopithecus was scampering around the ground, looking for berries to eat on the low plants. There was no sign of predators, so it looked like it was safe.
Suddenly, an armored glove grabbed the little monkey by the tail and yanked him off the ground. He could do nothing but shriek in fright as he was at the mercy of a man with black hair and an intimidating beard. He was dressed in black armor with only the pants and undershirt made of dinosaur hides. He also had a hand-made tail, telling he was of the Dinaurian tribe, only his was made from metal plates. He was accompanied by two others. One was a woman with long black hair dressed in red hide clothes that resembled a leotard, along with, fingerless gloves and open-toed boots. She also wore a cape that resembled pterosaur wings and a tail designed like the Dimorphodon. The other was a man with brown hair that stood a bit upright and a slimmer build. He was dressed in a brightly-colored hide tunic and wore a tail designed like a raptor's. This was Gigan, and his packmates, Dimorpha and Raptin.
"Life can be very unfair to some, now can't it?" Gigan said to his helpless prey. "You and I are both in that same situation."
"Indeed." Raptin said sorrowful. "For the mighty Gigan, it's that he will never be recognized as the true Lord of the Dinaurians."
"And you shall never see the light of another day." Dimorpha said with soft amusement. "I think he'd make a nice scarf around my neck."
"As you wish, my dear." Gigan said affectionately and pulled out a small dagger from his belt. "Adieu, my friend." The monkey screeches with fear as he slowly put the knife to his belly, ready to gut him. His life was saved by the timely arrival of Quetzal.
"Didn't your mothers ever tell you to pick on someone your own size?" he scolded the three.
Raptin rolled his eyes and grumbled, "What do you want?" His tone made it clear he wasn't happy to see the man.
"Both me and Lord Dynal noticed you three weren't present at the naming ceremony for both our daughters." Quetzal said with a glare.
"Oh, that was today? And you had them both at the same time?" Gigan gasped, his sarcastic tone making it obvious he was faking it, meaning he knew and just chose not to attend. "Must've slipped my mind."
"A likely story." Quetzal scoffed, Not buying that. "As you know, it is customary for all members of the Dinaurian Tribe to be present at the naming ceremony, as a way to show respect to all the new arrivals." he then lectured. "Since you three refused to attend, you ended up showing disrespect to both the Lord's daughter and my own." The three hunters just groaned in annoyance at being lectured, only to turn their attention back to the Mesopithecus, who managed to free its tail from Gigan's grip and run off into the jungle, screeching happily at his escape. Dimorpha tried to grab it, but was too slow and lost it.
"Now look what you did, Quetzal! You let our catch get away!" she complained like a spoiled child. "Now I've lost my chance to make a scarf from his fur."
"Ha! You'll probably lose more than that when Dynal gets through with you." Quetzal said mockingly. "Since you three showed disrespect to his daughter by not attending the ceremony, he feels insulted by it. And you know how little tolerance he has for such things."
"Really?" Raptin said with sarcasm. "I wonder how little he tolerates assault!" He instantly leaped at Quetzal and pinned him down, pulling out a knife and putting it to his throat threateningly.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
The quarrel was halted by high-pitched growl, and everyone looked to see it came from a raptor that was dark-grey with a wight underbelly and black feathers. Riding on its back was Dynal himself, meaning this raptor was Caesar, his personal mount.
"Raptin, get off of my friend." he ordered in a serious tone.
"I'm most relieved that you made it, your lordship." Quetal commented as Raptin got off him and he straightened himself up.
"Well, if it isn't our great leader Dynal." Gigan casually greeted. "Out on a hunt?"
"Yes. Quetzal and I were out hunting you three." the Dinaurian warlord said crossing his arms and glowering at Gigan and his companions. "I didn't see you three at our daughters' naming ceremony."
"Well, when one is on the hunt, these things tend to slip one's mind." Gigan shrugged, pretending he really did forget.
Dynal however, wasn't buying it. "Don't try to feign ignorance, Gigan!" he snapped at him. "I can see the truth in your eyes. You intentionally chose not to attend."
"Well, my lord, you can believe anything you want." Gigan shrugged. "I just hope you can forgive us one day." He and his followers then turned around and headed for the jungle. "Come, my friends. Let's see if we can find that monkey again."
"Good, because I still want that scarf." Dimorpha declared as they left. Dynal and Quetzal could only watch with displeasure.
"Every herd has its share of rogues." Quetzal sighed. "I actually know a few. And they always manage to ruin special occasions."
Dynal let out a sorrowful sigh. "Sometimes I wonder what I'm going to do with those three." he said to his old friend.
"If you don't mind me saying, Dynal, we should've banished Gigan and his pack from the tribe a long time ago." Quetzal replied. "It's no secret that he wants to take your place as leader. Even I know that's why he didn't attend the ceremony this morning, because he sees Dina's birth as a way of telling him he's now one step further from gaining it."
"Your opinion is understanding, Quetzal, but I see no reason to do so." Dynal brushed off. "Despite his skills as a warrior, Gigan knows they pale in comparison to mine. He knows I'm stronger than him. And I'm certain being a father won't change that."
A length of time passed, and Dina was now at the age of thirteen. In the Dinaurian Tribe, that was the age children were ready to start learning how to hunt dinosaurs. Dynal has looked forward to this day, knowing that these skills will help Dina protect herself in the wilds and help her lead the tribe when the time comes for her.
"Dina, where are you?" he called out.
Dynal was soon alerted to the sound of giggling coming from around the corner of his house. He went to take a look and soon found where Dina was; she was playing with a raptor that had bright-red coloring with black patterns and white feathers. The young girl had her hair reaching past her shoulders. Her outfit consisted of a short, green tube top and brown boots made out of reptilian hides, dark-green leggings with patterns of scales, and a skirt made of raptor feathers. Like all members of the Dinaurian Tribe, she, too, had facial markings and a tail made of dinosaur hides. Hers was made to look like that of a raptor. The Raptor she was playing with was most likely her pet, Talon, who was presumably part of Caesar's pack. In the Dinaurian Tribe, predator mounts are owned by members of high rank, and since Dina was expected to achieve that in the future, she was given Talon some years back. Dina was getting her cheek playfully licked by him, which was the reason for her earlier laughing.
Dynal then cleared his throat to get his daughter's attention and Dina then got up and walked over to him. "Hi, Dad." she said happily.
"I'm glad I could find you, my dear." Dynal told her. He then pulled out a bow fit for someone her age. "Come. It's time for me to teach you how to hunt your first saurian." The two of them started heading to the village gate.
"Which saurian are we hunting for on my first time?" Dina asked her father.
"Any good parent would start with the least dangerous one they know." Dynal told her as the village gates opened for them. "And as luck would have it, some of our scouts told me that a small pack of spitters were found at Cragg's Island."
"Spitters?"
"Small predators that attack by spitting venom at their prey." Dynal explained to her. The two then set off together, Dina shortly stopping to tell Talon to stay and waved goodbye and continued.
Leaving the village, the two started heading southward, trudging through the jungle towards the island. When they reached the beach, all that stood between them and the spot now was a small river. Fortunately there was a wooden bridge over it they could use. getting to the other side, Dina and Dynal quickly hid in the trees. They peeked out and surveyed the area and soon spotted the spitters, revealed to be dilophosaurs, prowling around and scavenging for any dead meat.
"There they are." Dynal whispered to his daughter. "Dina, ready your bow."
Dina did so and got ready to quietly sneak on the unsuspecting carnivores. "What should happen if they spot me?" she asked her father.
"Then you need to be quick." Dynal replied. "If they put out their frill and pull back their head and you hear them hissing, that means they're gonna spit. Their venom blinds and paralyzes their prey. Dodge it and quickly fire back. Other than that, it shouldn't be any trouble. These saurians aren't too tough and mostly run more than fight."
Mildly satisfied with the advice, Dina sneaked quietly out into the open. She made her way to a large rock and silently crawled on it to take the dilophosaurs by surprise. Sadly, her efforts were in vain when one of them spots her on top of the rock and gives a threatening shriek, alerting the other two of her presence in the process.
The lead dilophosaur slowly advanced menacingly on Dina, putting out its frill and giving a low hiss before pulling its head backward, ready to fire some of its venom at the intruder. Dina realized this and got ready to act. The beast let fly his venom, and Dina quickly jumped out of the way and landed safely on the ground. She then quickly pulled out and arrow and let it fly, striking the dinosaur in the right shoulder. The dinosaur shrieked with pain from his wound.
The other two then attacked with their venom, but Dina proved too quick as she rolled out of the way. She then fired another arrow at the lead dilophosaur, this time hitting him the his right hip. The amount of blood loss became too much for him and he instantly collapsed on the floor dead. The others decided it was time to run and fled the scene and were out of sight.
Dina stood up triumphantly and walked over to her kill, pulling out the arrows and grabbing the leg to drag it back to her father, who came out of the bushes with a smile on his face.
"Good work, Dina." he said proudly. "Now that's what I call a quick clean hunt." Dina's face glowed with joy from her dad's words.
"Yes, impressive." a voice was heard behind them. "But then again, it shouldn't have been such a difficult task." They both turned around to see it was Gigan, accompanied by his pack. Dina and her father also saw Quetzal present, accompanied by his daughter Terra. She had part of her hair styled in a ponytail and wore a green shirt and pants made of hides and brown boots, like her father, she also wore a cape resembling pterosaur wings.
"Terra!" Dina said happily, the two embracing each other with a hug and laughing.
"How touching." Gigan said mockingly. "And congratulations, Dina. It's not every day one gets to kill a spitter." Raptin and Dimorpha gave small chuckles at that. Both Dina and Terra gave annoyed looks at him, knowing he was making fun of Dina's skills due to seeing dilophosaurs as one of the weaker dinosaurs and hardly considered a threat or even a challenge.
"If you're trying to be funny, Gigan, it's not working." Dina said in a deadpan tone.
Dynal soon stepped in. "What do you want, Gigan? We both know you didn't come out here just to mock my daughter." he said with a scowl.
"You're actually right, Dynal. That was just a bonus." Gigan replied. "What I'm really here for is to challenge you for the position of the tribe's ruler." he said pointing to him with a confident look.
Dynal only rolled his eyes with annoyance, as this is not the first time Gigan has openly challenged him for the position. For a while, Gigan has been declaring challenges to Dynal for the position of the Dinaurians' Alpha, believing his time as a father has made him soft enough to be defeated. Dynal just wasn't in the mood for this, since he was busy trying to teach Dina how to hunt.
"We even brought Quetzal along to witness it, him being your closest adviser and all." Dimorpha said teasingly. Of course, Quetzal wasn't in any way amused by this. "Thank you, Dimorpha. Though I did not appreciate being pulled from being in the middle of my daughter's first hunt." he scolded.
"You were on your first hunt too?" Dina asked her friend.
"Yeah, had a Leatherwing in my sights." Terra told her. "But Dimorpha's timing made me miss my shot and scare it off." she mumbled. She then caught sight of said Leatherwing, which was a Pteranodon, and grumbled.
Gigan finally decided to get his challenge started. "Look at it this way, Dynal. After I defeat you and take over as leader, you and Quetzal can both work together to train your pathetic excuses for daughters."
"Oh, he really shouldn't have said that in front of Dad." Dina said, knowing how much her father cares for her and has faith in her survival skills.
True to it, Dynal now felt like accepting the challenge without hesitation after what Gigan just said. "Before I clobber you, let me ask you; Why do you even want to take my place as king?"
"No real reason other than power." Gigan shrugged. "And making the Dinaurian Tribe become the most powerful of all the tribes on the island." This answer only made Dynal roll his eyes in annoyance. "We'll go on three." Gigan then told him. "One..."
"Don't worry, Dina." Dynal said to his daughter. "This won't take but a moment." As he talked, Gigan tried to get the jump on him. "Two-three!" Fortunately, Dynal was able to react in time and gave Gigan the pummeling of a lifetime.
"Man, Gigan sure wants to take control of the tribe really badly." Dina commented, this being the seventh time this month he's challenged her father. "You'd think he would give up already."
"I'm glad he hasn't beaten your dad yet, or we'll all be in trouble." Terra said coming over.
"Why's that?"
"Mainly because he's a jerk." Terra said with rolled eyes, not hiding how she thinks of Gigan and his attitude. "He's always wanted power and to take control of the island."
"Also because of the Legion Wars." Quetzal added. "You remember the stories?"
Dina thought back to this. "Yeah, I remember." Dina replied. "How an offlander named Gaius Marcellus Nerva founded the New Legion and tried to conquer all the Old Tribes."
"Many people died in that conflict." Terra said. "And many tribes made extinct."
"And your father has no desire to see those same mistakes being made." Quetzal said.
Raptin heard their conversation and turned to them with venomous eyes. "You're all fools!" he said to them. "Under his leadership, the Dinaurian Tribe will rise as the dominant power of the island." he loudly preached.
"You may think so, Raptin, but even I can see that Gigan's arrogance will lead to his undoing." Quetzal countered.
"How dare you!" Raptin growled and prepared to assault Quetzal, only to be stopped by Dimorpha. "Don't waste your time, Raptin."
Everyone then heard the sound of grunting and turned to see that the fight between Dynal and Gigan kept going while they were talking, and Dynal still had the upper hand. It was soon over when the current Dinaurian leader got Gigan pinned face-down and pulled his arms backward.
"Who's the king?" Dynal asked mockingly to an exhausted Gigan, who was quick to reply with what remained of his breath, "You are." A satisfied Dynal smiled and released Gigan's arms so he could catch his breath. "And don't you forget it." he said and returned to his daughter.
Terra took out a sheet of paper that had the words "Dynal's battles" written on the top and two boxes labeled "Dynal" and "Challenger". She made another check for the chief's box, marking his fifteenth victory, while the Challenger box remained zero. "That makes fifteen in a row." she told her friend and father. "And I'm starting to think I should replace 'Challenger' with 'Gigan', since he's the only one who does this."
"You'd think he'd learn by now that he'll never win against my dad." Dina replied.
"Well hopefully this time he'll get the message." Dynal said with a calm smirk before gesturing for his daughter to follow him. "Come, I think it's time we head back home before your mother worries." Dina nodded and grabbed the leg of her kill to bring back and followed her father back to the village. Quetzal and Terra decided to get back to their own hunt and left as well.
Gigan and his gang however, stayed around due to Gigan still aching from his fight with Dynal, not to mention his pride being wounded by another defeat by his longtime rival. It had been half a year since he started challenging Dynal for the position of Dinaurian King. Now, after losing fifteen times in a row, he has finally had enough.
"Fifteen. That's how many times I've lost to him." he said through gritted teeth.
"Maybe it's time to face reality, Gigan." Dimorpha said in a calm manner. "King Dynal is too strong for you to beat physically."
Gigan took a breath and calmed down so he could soak in Dimorpha's words, seeing her have a point. "You may be right, Dimorpha. Then maybe it's time I stop playing fair." he said and walked off, his comrades feeling confused on what he just said.
"What does that mean?" Raptin asked.
"It means that instead of trying to become king through combat, I'm gonna have to do so by eliminating the competition." Gigan answered with a sinister look.
Raptin was able to get full understanding of what Gigan meant and rubbed his hands with sadistic glee at the thought of leading the Dinaurians. But then he realized something and turned back to Gigan. "But my lord, how do you plan to do that."
"That I do not know yet." Gigan responded. " But once I find a way, we'll be ready. Until then, let's return to the stronghold." he commanded. All three rogues calmly left the area, quietly thinking of a way to remove Dynal and his family from their path to greatness.
It had been a month since her first hunt, and Dina has greatly improved her archery skills. It wasn't just her skills with a bow and arrow that increased, but her athletic skills and agility as well. These three skills combined made it possible for Dina to even land a hit on a Gallimimus that was running at top speed.
This statement was shown when Dina chased a Gallimimus flock. She quickly changed tactics and climbed up the trees, hopping from one branch to another to keep up. Leaping into the air, she instantly pulled out an arrow and fired it in mid-air, aiming for the nearest one at the back of the flock and hitting it on the back of its head. The dinosaur tumbled over a short distance before laying dead while the rest of them fled out of sight. Dina landed safely on her feet and somersaulted shortly. Getting up, she walked over to her catch with a proud smile.
This changed when a shrill growl was heard behind her. Dina turned her head and saw it was a lone wild raptor, snarling at her and ready to strike. Dina didn't show any fear and turned to confront the predator, getting ready to charge. In a flash, the two dashed at each other. The raptor leaped into the air to try and pounce her. Dina however, slid beneath it feet-first and was ready to fire an arrow in its chest. But it never happened when another arrow struck it right in the head and the raptor hit the ground with a tumble, dying instantly. Dina looked to see it was her father who shot the arrow.
"Dad, I practically had that!" Dina whined about her father's interference.
"Sorry, Dina, but you remember Dinaurian law." Dynal told her.
"Yeah, I know." Dina said rolling her eyes. "Hunting your first raptor is sacred because it marks your rise into adulthood. And tribal law says that you should save that moment for when you partake in the initiation ritual at age sixteen."
"That's right." her father smiled. "Well, we better get back to the others." Picking up his raptor kill while Dina picked up her Gallimimus kill, they both dragged them over to the secluded spot in the clearing, where a layout of nine wood foundations was placed in a perfect square for a table and chairs to stand. Sara was already there, with Quetzal, Maia and Terra for company.
"My, my. I wasn't expecting two kills today." Sara said surprised when she saw her husband and daughter come in with their prizes. "A Lightfoot and a raptor. I take it the raptor was your kill, Dynal?"
"Of course." Dynal said, Dina still a little down about it not being her time to make such a kill. "I also saw Dina manage to keep up with the Lightfoots and take this one down with remarkable acrobatic feats."
"Her skill is clearly improving." Quetzal smiled.
"Speaking of improving skills, how's your hunting been, Terra?" Dina asked her best friend, who was currently focusing on a book she was reading before hearing her.
"I'm actually getting better too." she said. "I was able to bag a Triceratops this time." she told everyone. But they all felt confused at what she referred the creature as. "You know, a Shieldhorn?"
"Okay, but where did you get that name?" Dina asked, still confused. Terra then pulled out the book she was reading and opened it to a page that told about the Triceratops. "From this."
Quetzal let out a sad sigh. "Terra, didn't I tell you not to bring that outside your room?" he calmly scolded his daughter. "It would be dangerous if it fell in the wrong hands."
"Why? What is it?" Dina asked her honorary uncle.
"Well, you remember a couple of years ago, when our dads went on that expedition to the Throat of Flame?" Terra asked.
"The mouth of the Volcano? Yeah, I remember." Dina answered. "They were looking to see if it had any relics of the Ancients that built the obelisks."
"Well, they did manage to find an alter in front of a door that looked the same as the obelisks. But they also found something else." Terra told her. "At the foot of the door were a bunch of old books and scrolls from the time of the Old Tribes. When they got them organized and in order, they found that they were written by Nerva and others from the Legion Wars, such as Helena Walker, Edmond Rockwell, and Mei Yin Li. They felt some of the info was interesting while the rest alarming. Your dad thought it best to destroy them, but my dad felt like the info could still be important. They then made an agreement; Dad was allowed to copy down the notes in this book and hold onto it for safekeeping while King Dynal burned the originals afterwards. I actually find this stuff interesting." she said turning to the dossier of Troodon.
"And you were told to keep that in your room at all times." Dynal reminded her. "It's dangerous if the knowledge in those pages fell in the wrong hands." he said with worry.
But his fears were quickly brushed aside by his wife Sara. "Oh, calm down." she said. "I think it's safe. I know you fear what this knowledge could do, but I don't think we have to worry about it falling into the wrong hands right now. After all, despite your successful work at pledging peace with the other tribes, they still see the Dinaurians as too strong for them to attack if they wanted to." Dynal wanted to disagree, but knew that his wife had a point. Pretty soon he was able to calm down and joined everyone else in eating.
While the two families were enjoying their lunch, another group was getting ready to execute their master plan. High up the hills was a large herd of Parasaurs that was nibbling on the leaves and berries of shrubs. These gentle dinosaurs had no idea they were part of a dark idea. Up on a high rock, both Gigan and Dimorpha were seen overlooking the herd.
"So your plan is to have this herd of Hornbills stampede toward Dynal and his family and trample them to death." Dimorpha processed. "And once they're out of the way, you'll declare yourself the next king."
"That's correct, Dimorpha." Gigan said with a sinister smile, feeling no remorse for his plan to murder the chief and his family. "Now if only Raptin would get here with what I asked him to get." He soon got his wish when he suddenly felt the ground shaking beneath his feet and the sound of thundering footsteps and the snapping of wood. Gigan turned around just in time to see a large Rex emerge from the forest. It was a deep purple with a black spine. Surprisingly, it also wore a saddle, meaning it was domesticated, and riding it was Raptin.
Raptin slid off his mount and kneeled before Gigan. "I've brought you you pet, Sauron, soon-to-be Lord Gigan."
"Excellent." Gigan calmly praised. He then walked over to the large beast and whistled to it to lower its head to him. The Rex did so and soon found his master calmly rubbing his hand along his face like he was his beloved dog. "How's my favorite predator today?" he asked affectionately. Sauron just growled softly, as if to say he was doing fine. Gigan took his answer as positive and climbed up on his back. "Time for us to have some fun." he said with a sinister tone and motioned him to look at the herd of parasaurs, which made the large theropod smile with glee.
Back at the picnic, both families were still enjoying their food. Dina took a cookie and took a small bite from it. The taste just felt delicious. "This is the best picnic I've ever had." she said to her friend, who was enjoying a biscuit and agreeing with her. "I totally agree with you."
Both mothers and fathers smiled happily at their daughters and were about to enjoy their food when they were startled by the sound of a thundering roar. Everyone looked around to find which direction it came from.
"What was that?" Dina asked.
"It sounded like a Razortooth." Quetzal guessed, being all too familiar with that kind of creature.
"Or as my book calls, a Rex." Terra showed the page, earning an annoyed look from her father due to not really caring what the book says.
Dynal then noticed something that was very odd; everything on the table looked like it was shaking. Everyone was confused at what was causing this, but then Quetzal looked out to the horizon and felt horror at what he saw. Uphill was a large herd of Parasaurs that was stampeding downward, coming straight towards them.
"HORNBILLS!"
Eager to get to safety, the two families knocked their chairs over to make a run for it, the herd completely crushing the picnic table afterward. The fleeing humans ran as fast as their legs could carry them. They're best bet was to reach high ground out of the herd's way. Quetzal continued to run before finally spotting a path to high ground. He grabbed his wife and daughter's arms and led them that way. Once they were perfectly safe from the stampede, he turned to call for Dynal and his family.
"Dynal, this way!"
Hearing his friend's call, Dynal quickly grabbed his wife and daughter's arms and led them to where their friends were. Suddenly, Sara tripped on a small rock and fell down, her arm slipping out of her husband's grasp.
"Ah! My ankle!" she cried in pain. She then looked back and saw the herd getting closer, much to her fear.
Dynal turned to see his wife on the ground. "Sara!" he cried out, Dina fearing for her mother as well. "Mom!" Seeing the stampede closing in, the Dinaurian king knew he didn't have much time and knew he had to act fast. He quickly sent Dina to Quetzal and made a mad dash for his downed wife. Dina, Terra, Quetzal and Maia could only watch with their hearts full of worry, fearing they might not make it out in time.
Dynal slid to a complete stop where Sara laid, but then turned to see the herd was almost on top of them and he didn't have any chance of escaping with his wife. Just then, he caught a brief glimpse of something in the background. His eyes widened when he saw it was Gigan on the back of his mount Sauron, meaning this stampede didn't happen on its own; he staged it in an attempt to kill him and his family so he could take control. He then looked back at his daughter and Quetzal, who both bore a face of dread. Dynal knew what was to come and sorrowfully pulled out his sword.
"Dina, you must survive!" he cried and tossed the sword over to them, the blade ending up embedded in a tree trunk. Both Dinaurian royals then embraced each other as the stampede was finally on top of them and engulfed them in a cloud of dust.
"Mom! Dad!" Dina cried as she tried to rush out to help them, only for Quetzal and Maia to hold her back. The princess struggled to get free of their grasp, but soon gave up knowing it was pointless to try and reach them in the middle of that rampaging herd.
Pretty soon the herd finally passed, running onward into the forest for safety. And once the dust cleared, Dina, Terra and her parents looked to see the bodies of Lord Dynal and Lady Sara, crushed from the running feet of the parasaurs and lying in a pool of blood. Dina fell to her knees before them and tears formed in her eyes as she let out crushed sobbing from losing her parents. Quetzal also felt crushed from Dynal's death. he and the warlord were like brothers to one another, and know he's gone. Maia felt the same way towards Sara. Their sadness could be told from the small tears forming in their eyes, though they tried to control it. Quetzal then placed a calming hand on Dina's shoulder.
"Come, Dina. Let's go home." he said soothingly. "I'll have some troops fetch them and bring them back to the stronghold to be given a proper funeral." Knowing there wasn't anything they could do, Dina sadly complied and picked herself up and went along with Quetzal and his family, Terra wrapping an arm around her shoulders to try and comfort her.
Further up the hills, Gigan and his allies saw the whole event and looked pleased with how it went. Now they didn't have to worry about Dynal anymore. "Excellent! The plan worked perfectly." Raptin cheered. "We managed to take out both Lord Dynal and Lady Sara in one shot!"
"But it didn't get rid of Dina. She managed to escape." Dimorpha pointed out. "Which means the tribe still won't swear loyalty to us."
"No need to worry about that, Dimorpha." Gigan said calmly. "I had a feeling this wouldn't work all that perfectly, so just in case, I went and planned ahead." This caught the two by surprise, and their lord smiled wickedly as he started to tell them about it.
Night had come, and the stronghold was illuminated with torches and fires. However, the air around it was filled with sadness and grief from losing their current lord. One of the Dinaurians blew a large horn that acted as a signal to begin the funeral for their fallen leaders.
The front gates to the stronghold opened and Quetzal and Maia lit the way for everyone to follow, with Dina and Terra at their side. The bodies of Dynal and Sara were carried in a cart that was pulled by a triceratops, and many members of the Dinaurians, both nobles in elegant robes and warriors dressed in Triceratops-style armor, followed in two straight lines with their heads hung in sadness. The group was also accompanied by Dynal's pet raptor Caesar, Talon and the rest of their pack. Dina was seen as the most heartbroken of all, having lost both her parents and having to see their bodies put to the torch. One couldn't even describe how she felt about this. Not even Talon's attempt to comfort her by lightly licking her cheek were any help.
The party soon came to a stone alter with two platforms standing side to side with beds of thatch, upon which Dynal and Sara were laid. Quetzal and Maia then walked to the other side of the platforms and turned to face everyone from their clan present here. Quetzal then gave a speech.
"My dear friends, it is with a heavy heart that our Lord Dynal and his wife have been forced to depart from us. Not by death in battle or assassination, but by an unpredictable force of nature. And so we gather here tonight, to see them both on their journey to the heavens." Everyone held up their torches as a show of respect to their chief as Maia made her own speech to both fallen leaders. "Dynal, you and Sara have been the best rulers to lead our tribe. Your reign has led us to an era of peace we are all grateful for. But, it is now with a heavy heart that you must leave us. But your memories will live on in our hearts for all time."
With their piece spoken, Quetzal and Maia then put their torches on the thatch and set the bodies of Dynal and Sara aflame. Dina, Terra and her parents all bowed their heads in respect, followed by everyone here as the flames rose high. Two blue sparks suddenly happened, most likely from their implants, and blue lights emerged from the flames and ascended into the night sky. The Dinaurians believed this was how the souls of the departed are sent to the afterlife and thought nothing of it.
Quetzal then took this moment to try and lift everyone's spirits. "But let us not fall fully into despair, my friends, for our great Alpha and his queen were able to leave us a legacy to turn to before they departed." He then walked over to Dina and turned her around to face the tribe and put a comforting hand around her shoulders. "While her parents will be missed, I'm proud to announce their daughter Dina as the next Queen of the Dinaurians!" he said proudly. Everyone felt happy and cheered at the declaration. Even Dina felt like smiling a bit, even though that now meant she had a big throne to fill.
Suddenly, the moment was ruined when they felt the ground shake beneath their feet in a rhythm like footsteps. Everyone turned to the direction it was strongest and gasped when they saw it was Gigan, riding on the back of Sauron and accompanied by his packmates and a small group of Dinaurian warriors suited in black armor with helmets that resembled a Rex. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, because I had other plans in mind for who should fill that position." he proclaimed. This made the nobles unsettled, since they knew he couldn't just take position of their tribe's Alpha just like that when Dina was already declared such.
"Gigan, you know how the law works." Maia told him. "When a ruler perishes, any heirs they leave behind are instantly made the next to inherit the throne. Only when there are no heirs does the tribe decide on a new bloodline."
"Oh, I know how the law works." Gigan replied calmly... before her drew out his sword and pointed it at Dina. "And that's why I intend to remedy that by removing the only thing left in my way." he said menacingly.
All the Dinaurians at Dina's side gasped in horror at this declaration and Quetzal drew his pike. "Gigan, how dare you declare treason against Dynal's daughter?! I'll see you executed for this!"
"I think not, Quetzal." Gigan said defiantly as he slid off Sauron's back. "I've been planning this rise to power for years now. I've spent it all by bidding my time and waiting for my chance to take control. And soon the only thing standing in my way was that soft-hearted Dynal. Unfortunately, since I was unable to defeat him in single combat, I had to remove him a different way."
This made Quetzal, Maia, Terra, Dina, and everyone present gasp in horror once again, Not only has Gigan announced his intent to kill Dina so he could become king, he has also revealed that he was indirectly responsible for both Dynal and Sara's deaths. None was more shocked about this news than Dina. For a while now, she believed that stampede happened naturally and they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. But now being told that it was an orchestrated attempt on her family's life has changed everything. This made her heart fill with a rising anger towards Gigan, the man responsible for the whole thing. For years she saw him as nothing more than a nuisance to her and her father, but now realizes how far he's now come to try and take power.
Dina wasn't the only one feeling angry about this. Quetzal, too, had his heart filled with rage. His best friend was gone, and now he knows who is responsible. Angrily, he shouted to Dynal's pet raptor. "Caesar, dispose of this traitor!"
Caesar didn't even hesitate and leaped in the air towards his master's killer, intending to maul him to death. Gigan however, wasn't worried in the slightest, and soon it was revealed why. Caesar was suddenly struck by an arrow that pierced his skull, making him shriek in agony as he fell toward Gigan, the treacherous warrior stepping aside as he passed and lay dead. Everyone looked in shock as they saw the rest of their tribe's warriors appear from the darkness, along with dinosaur mounts like Carnos and Trikes, all standing at Gigan's side.
"Did you really think I would openly challenge Dina's rights to the throne without a means to back it up?" Gigan asked tauntingly. "For the last month now, I've been secretly conversing with some the warriors in our tribe who share my ideals of domination over all of ARK. And now we've become a powerful force who will achieve just that under my leadership."
Quetzal continued to oppose Gigan's declaration. "Do you really think that killing the current royal bloodline will make the tribe accept you as their king? You are more wrong than ever. As far as all of us standing here are concerned, you and your followers are hereby disowned by the tribe!"
Gigan however, took this declaration to stride. "Well then, in that case, we shall just have to form our own tribe for me to lead instead." he said calmly, only to start talking in triumphant praise. "And in honor of the New Legion that inspired me to dream of the glorious future of our reign over the whole of ARK, I shall dub it the Saurian Legion!" he cried out with his sword pointed towards the sky.
"All hail Gigan!" Raptin shouted to the heavens, all the others following afterward.
Satisfied with his rise to power, Gigan then held up his sword to gain their attention and then pointed it at Dina. "Now, my warriors, let us sever the ties to our weak past." he said triumphantly. "Starting with Dynal's poor excuse for an heir."
Quetzal however, wasn't having any of it and got between Gigan and the kids in a defensive position, Maia and all those still loyal to Dynal doing the same with their weapons out. "If you want to get to Dina, you'll have to go through us first." he declared defiantly. "Dinaurians, charge!" Both he and Gigan run at each other and collide their weapons to each other.
The instant that happened caused the two sides to charge, and the collision started the great battle between the two armies. All over the fields surrounding the alter were blows between swords and spears, arrows flying everywhere, and the grunting of countless warriors as they duked it out with each other. The mounted dinosaurs gave the Saurians an edge, but the Dinaurians saw fit to try and hijack some of them by killing their riders and hopping on their backs, making the fight more even.
In the midst of the battle, Quetzal took the pleasure of going one-on-one with Gigan, intending to avenge his fallen friends. While that was happening, Maia worked hard to keep any Saurians from getting their hands on Dina. Anyone who even dared to try met the sharp end of her knives. Of course, Dina was capable of fighting off any attackers that did manage to get past, using her fathers sword, the Tyrannofang, which is part of her inheritance. She also had Terra at her side with her bow, using it to aid her mother and her best friend against any attackers. There was also Talon, who used his fangs and claws on any who dared to come near.
"I knew Dynal should have banished you!" Quetzal snarled as he grinded his pike against Gigan's sword. "I tried to warn him about your lust for power, but he felt you weren't that much of the threat to him. Now that you've proven me right, I shall have the satisfaction of ending you once and for all!"
Gigan however, didn't feel phased by Quetzal's intentions and just smiled. "I doubt you'll be able to succeed, but you're certainly welcome to try." He then got into his fighting position again and gestured for him to attack some more.
All too happy to oblige, Quetzal went on dueling with the Saurian warlord. For a time, the two seemed evenly matched, neither one able to overpower the other. It was then that Gigan made the first error by trying to thrust his sword at Quetzal, who twirled out of the way and swung the blunt end of his pike at Gigan's head, making him dazed. Quetzal took this opportunity to disarm him by grabbing the arm that held his sword and thrusting his knee at his chest. The sudden pain made him lose his grip and have his sword slip from his hands and fall into Quetzal's free hand. The Dinaurian lord then flung him to the ground and pointed the sword at his throat.
Gigan held a defiant look as Quetzal glared down at him. "Your Legion's plans to conquer ARK ends before it even begins." he declared with a calm tone.
"You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?" Gigan said with a hint of smugness in his voice. "But I didn't become a powerful warrior with just my savage might, but also my cunning."
Quetzal felt confused at that statement before finding himself ambushed by a flock of dimorphodons that appeared out of nowhere. He found himself surrounded and constantly bitten on by tiny rows of sharp teeth, losing both his pike and Gigan's sword in the struggle, which Gigan calmly picked up and looked at the show with amusement. The flock soon ceased their attack and flew away, and Quetzal watched them fly to the air, right above where Dimorpha was standing, with one perching itself on her shoulder.
"I'd like you to meet my pets." she said politely. "Gigan helped me gather them up. He spoils me sometimes." she chuckled lightly before getting to direct Quetzal's attention upward. "I'd also like to introduce you to their larger cousins."
Quetzal followed Dimorpha's finger and looked to the sky, wondering what she was talking about. Then he spotted something on the horizon: a mess of black dots that were getting bigger by the second. Soon, they were revealed to be a large flock of pteranodons, wearing saddles and having riders on them. Their arrival suddenly changed the tide of the battle back in favor of the Saurians by swooping down and snatching the Dinaurian warriors and lifting them into the sky, only to let go and let them fall to their deaths or by letting the Saurians on the ground shoot them while being incapacitated by this.
Quetzal grew more angry at this and let out a loud battle cry and tried to thrust his pike at Gigan's chest. But the Saurian warlord saw it coming and twirled himself out of the way and thrust his sword in the side of Quetzal's torso. Caught completely by surprise, Quetzal found himself out of breath and slowly felt gasping for it. Suffering from the pain from his wound, he could feel his strength slowly leaving him as he fell to his knees. Gigan could only smug at Quetzal's expense as he pulled out his sword and stepped in front of him. He then bent down to be at eye-level with the wounded Dinaurian so he could give him one last say.
"As far as I'm concerned, Quetzal, it is the dawn of a new era for us." he said softly, a lot of sadism being felt in his voice. Gigan then stood back up and got into a thrusting position with his sword. In an instant, the Saurian warlord drove his blade through Quetzal's heart, making him cry in pain.
Hearing her husband's scream, Maia turned to see him and gasped in horror when she saw him skewered by Gigan and slowly slid off his sword and collapse on the ground. Her heart filled with utter horror, Maia looked around and saw that the battle wasn't ending well in their favor. Despite their efforts and their ability to hijack some of the triceratops mounts to aid them, the Saurians were too well organized and better equipped for the Dinaurians to be able to dominate. It became quite clear to her that this battle wouldn't end with their victory and continuing to try and fight would only end with everyone dead. But if Gigan succeeds in killing Dina, it would mean the end of their tribe's way of life. This made Maia finally come to a decision and turned to both the princess and her own daughter.
"You two must run."
Terra felt confused at this. "But why, Mom?"
"I'm sorry, Terra." Maia apologized. "But this fight doesn't look like one we're going to win. But right now, my only priority is making sure you're both safe, especially you, Dina." she said to Dina. "You're the current leader of the Dinaurians, which means you're the hope of their future. If Gigan ever killed you, all that hope would die with you. That's why you need to get away from here."
"But Mom, what about you?" Terra asked with concern, feeling like she's not coming with them.
"Don't worry about me, dear." Maia tried to comfort her. "Me and the others will be fine." She then wrapped them both in her arms and gave them a heartwarming hug. "Now go. Go!" she begged them.
Understanding the situation they found themselves in, Dina nodded with courage and turned to her pet raptor. "Talon!" The little raptor looked to her and chirped in understanding and let both her and Terra climb onto his back and run straight towards the jungle. Maia could only look on in sadness from watching her daughter and the future queen leave her and the tribe.
Their departure did not go unnoticed. One of Dimorpha's pets saw them and quickly twittered in her ear. Dimorpha looked in the direction they were in and groaned with irritation and turned to her leader "Lord Gigan." Getting his attention, Dimorpha pointed a finger toward the two fleeing girls, which he responded by calling to some of his flyers. "Get them!" Hearing the command, the two flyers wasted no time in bolting on their mounts towards Dina and Terra, intent on catching them before they reached the jungle where they couldn't reach them.
Unfortunately for them and fortunately for the girls, Talon sensed the danger of the approaching flyers and barked to warn them. Dina and Terra turned to see two riders closing in on them. Terra knew what to do and pulled out her bow and two arrows. Her bow ready, she let them fly. The two arrows soared through the air and struck each one of the pteranodon riders right between the eyes, killing them instantly; Their dead bodies sliding off the saddles and making the pterosaurs available to ride. And that's exactly what Terra did by hopping off of Talon's back and taking control of one of the pteranodons when it got close to them.
"Let's go, Dina!" she said and led her best friend into the vegetation of the jungle to hide.
Maia looked on with a smile and tears of joy and sadness flowing down her face, happy that the girls managed to escape. She then turned around to see that she and the remaining loyalists were now surrounded by Gigan's forces, both on land and in the air. There was no denying it, the battle ended with Gigan as the winner.
"Pity that Dina and your daughter managed to escape." Gigan calmly complained. "I was hoping to end her tonight. No matter. There's always next time."
Maia wanted to continue the fight, but knew it was pointless at this time. If the Dinaurians still tried to win, they'd be killed. It was clear there was only one thing to do. Maia let out a sigh of defeat and let her daggers fall to the floor, the others seeing and understood and did the same. Gigan could only smile with satisfaction, happy that the remnants of his former tribe know when they've been beaten. He then stepped aside as his warriors escorted their new prisoners back to the stronghold.
From the edge of the jungle, both Dina and Terra watched with heartache at seeing their friends give in to their opponents. For them, it meant they could no longer return home. If they did, Gigan would capture them as well.
Dina couldn't hold back her grief and fell to her knees and sobbed in her hands, Terra and Talon looking on with sympathy. The raptor then nuzzled his head against hers and got her attention. Dina calmly held it as she continued crying.
"Dina, I know you're sad. I'm sad, too." Terra talked to her best friend. "But we can't let Gigan get away with this. You and I both know that he'll lay siege to all the tribes until he takes control of every corner of ARK. If that happens, it'll lead to another Great Purge like the one that destroyed the Old Tribes in the Legion Wars. Our dads gave their lives so you could live to stop him. Let's not let them down."
Dina took her friend's words to heart and smiled wiping the tears from her eyes and picking herself up. "You're right, Terra. Gigan can't get away with this." she said looking towards the stronghold in the horizon with a glare. "If Gigan wants a war, he's got one now. So let the battle begin, to decide the fate of all who live here today. And let it be called ARK WARS!" Dina cried to the heavens. She was now determined to put an end to Gigan's desire for power and avenge her parents deaths at his hands.
The next chapter will introduce the rest of the main protagonists that Dina joins forces with and starts off their quest for the artifacts. I also wanted the Artifacts to have more purpose in the story than just being keys to the bosses, so this story will have them grant special powers to survivors when they're absorbed into their implants. Each one gives a different power based on their name; The Artifact of the Strong is obvious, the Artifact of the Pack allows people to communicate with predators and command them, the Artifact of the Skylord gives mastery of the wind, ect. The one I'm concerned about right now is the Artifact of the Clever, as it's the one I want to start with first. If you can think of a good power for it, let me know in your reviews.
This fanfic will also have two different kinds of humans the ARKs produce: the Outlanders, which are the ones with the minds of people from throughout history, and the Islanders, which are people that are given no consciousness of someone from history and develop one of their own. I was inspired with this idea from Rockwell's notes from Scorched Earth when he help deliver a baby, and it ties into the lore of the game well. The way it works is the Outlanders are the carriers of knowledge of history and culture and the Islanders are meant to be educated on said knowledge so when life returns to Earth, so will the many different civilizations as well.
Gigan's name is meant to come from Giganotosaurus. It sounding the same as the monster from the Godzilla franchise is pure coincidence.
Talon and Sauron are named after two characters from the arcade game, Primal Rage.
I thought it would be a good mythology gag to have the Rex, Triceratops, and Pteranodon be called by the names of their counterparts from Studio Wildcard's other game, ATLAS.