Raptor Rapids
Peregrine shook his head to regain some focus. "How does everyone know my name? And what's up with the whole son of a legend thing?" Pergrine complained aloud. Reker looked puzzled at what Peregrine had spoke. Peregrine realized the Spinosaurus took that as his question. "I was just voicing my thoughts, that wasn't my question." Peregrine said.
"Well then spit it out, and stop all the rambling about." Reker growled and his eyes narrowed.
"Sorry, sorry." Peregrine waved his arms in surrender. "Rile said you could show me a short cut that would lead me down the river. I have to catch up to Grant. He can get me off this island, just like he did Zeal."
"Rile sent you? I should have figured as such." Reker pondered. "I can help, but with only so much." Reker warned. "With the future, I cannot intervene. And helping too much may casue that it seems."
"What are you talking about?" Peregrine snorted in frustration. "I just want to get off this island like my brother, and go home."
"Calm down youngling, give you aide I will." Reker rumbled. "But there is one condition that you must fufill."
"Just great." Peregrine huffed. "What is it?"
"Alan Grant is the man you chase. He and Zeal did team up, as was the case. But escape the island neither did. Grant crashed back, but Zeal's fate is much more morbid." Reker shook his head.
"Wait, so Zeal's still here on the island?" Peregrine asked excitedly. Reker nodded his crocodile like snout.
"He's stuck in Rampage; a fate worst than death. Defeat him you must before there is no true Zeal left." Reker postured his self to look directly down on the lone raptor. "That is the condition you must promise to complete. Then to Grant on the river, I will direct you to meet."
"No question about it. Of couurse I'll help bring my brother back to his senses." Peregrine puffed himself up with confidence. "I know what it's like to be in Rampage for the first time, and no one deserves to be stuck like that."
"Very good, now listen to me. Once you find Grant follow him quietly. He will take you to a massive ship. On it, armed men will be well equipped. In the bowls of the ship is where Zeal resides. To get there you will have to sneak, run, and hide." Reker turned away from Peregrine and started climbing the steps of the pyramid to his left. "Hurry Peregrine, time runs low. We cannot afford for you to be slow." Peregrine bolted after the overgrown superpredator, jumping up the pyramids steps.
"How do you know all this stuff?" Peregrine questioned when he was able to reach the top of the pyramid to be level with Reker's head. "I doubt other dinosaurs tell you this stuff. They're probably too afraid you'll eat them."
"The flora and fauna always speak to you. It's the listening part we Saurilieds never do." Reker riddled as he tapped his own ear with a large claw while focusing a wide red on Peregrine.
"Riddles were never really my thing." Peregrine snorted. He impatiently tapped his toe on the ancient stone. "Where are going, anyway?"
"I'm leading you to the river's short cut way. Is that okay?" Reker's voice held a note of sarcasim.
"Oh, so you can be something other than serious." Peregrine laughed, hopping down off the other side of the pyramid. Reker stomped down next to him. The spinosaur only could exhale a deep hardy laugh at raptor's comment.
XXXXXX
The river was cool and murky. T-rexes weren't built for swimming, but muscular thighs and legs were more than powerful enough to push such a large body through the water. Miniscule arms seemd useless in water; however, to the contrary, those tiny arms pulled a strength of 500 pounds which kept the massive maw of the rex afloat, and nose above water.
After several hours of intense spalshing, and only moving a few miles down stream, Kenduari spotted her prey. "There he is!" The blue shirt man, known as Grant, was idling in a motor boat. He was the rex's only lead to finding Quicksickles...and a potential afternoon snack. Kenduari dove under the murky glassy water and began swinging her tail as if she were a crocodile. Her speed increased exponentially with the added thrust of her lagging tail. The rex poked her nose above water. Her acute sense of smell could decode the air above for miles around. "He is only a few hundred feet away now...what is this?" Kenduari thought to herself. "Another scent of a predator."
Kenduari surfaced with the speed of a nuclear submarine. When the water cleared her ears, she was able to hear rustling in the trees. She roared into the forest beyond the river, visisbly shaking the trees. A velociraptor came tumbling down a tree branch, crashing into the ground. The rex glared a the velociraptor. He looked a lot like Quicksickles, except this lone raptor was a little more muscular and larger. He resembled Quicksickles so much that he could have been related to him. The velociraptor got on his feet and glared back at the rex.
"Hey, what's the big idea? I'm tracking here!" The raptor made a high pitched vocalization and raised his toe claws.
"What incident can possible bring you to intervene on a max-predator's hunt?" Kenduari waded her mass to the edge of the river bank, and rose to her full height. "And what exactly are you tracking that your sensory organ would ignore a tyrannosaur in the vicinity of your being? I swear by Nexcreeg that you fawltreheol become more waitang the more I run into your kind." Kenduari huffed, using the Ancient Saurilied word for 'stupid'.
"Who I track is my business." The lone raptor retorted. Kenduari growled in frustration. She glanced down the river at her target slowly floating away. She didn't have time for this.
"If you refuse to answer, then you are only good for a quick meal!" The rex rumbled. She lunged forward, her jaws open and ready to crunch the velociraptor. The bird of prey, being swifter than she first presumed, jumped to the side just in time to avoid her clamping teeth.
"Whoa! Calm down!" The raptor cried dodging Kenduari's stomping foot.
"I have no time to waste on whitty banter with another fawltreheol!" Kenduari rumbled. "I need to find Quicksickles, and my only lead is drifting away. Now hold still so that I may KILL YOU!"
"Quicksickles?" The raptor jumped onto a low hanging tree branch to avoid the rex's tail. "As in Zeal Quicksickles?"
Kenduari ceased her attacks, and leaned in close to eye the tree perched predator. "Do you have knowledge of him? Better yet, do you know of his location?"
"He's my brother. And that man in the boat is the only hope I have of getting to him." The raptor explained. Kenduari's face lit up, but only for a brief moment. The raptor took no notice.
"No wonder your resemblence to him is so uncanny." Kenduari spoke.
"You've met him before? That means your...Ken...Kends..." The raptor struggled to remember. "Kenduari!" He finally managed to spit out.
"You know of me then?" Kenduari was surprised.
"My pack leader spoke of her and Zeal's battle with you." The raptor answered.
"A clever one, she was." Kenduari remembered the female raptor that had kicked final pillar that held the roof from falling on the T-rex's head.
"Look, it was nice dodging your attacks and all, but if you don't mind I really need to catch up to that man before he gets too far, so I'll just be-" The velociraptor was about to leap away.
"Not so fast, fawltreheol!" Kenduari roared. "It appears we have a similar goal in mind."
"And that would be...?" The raptor questioned.
"Finding your brother, young Peregrine Featherclaw." Kenduari grinned, though it was more of a smirk.
"Seriously, it's beginning to become really annoying that everyone knows my name." Peregrine sighed.
"What respectable dinosaur would not know the name of the eldest son of a legend." Kenduari scoffed. "Listen young one, I propose we work an arrangement to seek your brother."
"A deal with a rex? Sounds like trouble to me." Peregrine said.
"Under any other circumstances, I would probably have devoured you by now, but seeing as Isla Sorna is going to need you and Quicksickles aide I really have no option but to suggest we work together." Kenduari admitted. "All I request in return for aiding you is that you and Quicksickles return to the human structures he and I fought in, so that we can discuss some matters of importance."
"Another stipulation added onto Reker's." Peregrine breathed. "I'll do it as long as you promise not to eat us when we get there. Plus my curiousity has been peaked at the mention of my old home."
"Wise decision, Featherclaw." Kenduari grinned, but again it was more of a smirk.
"How do you propose helping exactly? Your much slower than a raptor." Peregrine pointed out.
"Speed is not the needed element here. Now, I'm only going to say this once, and never again will I offer you this privelage. Get on my back." Kenduari lowered herself just enough for Peregrine to hop on. He was hesitant at first, but did as he was told. Better to be out of a T-rex's biting range too. As soon as he was situated, Kenduari sped off along the riverbank to catch up to Grant. "All the rustling you were making in the trees would have let him know something was following him." She explained.
"And your loud stomping won't?" Peregrine retorted. But suddenly Kenduari's footsteps were no longer audible. He looked down to see the T-rex's skin was a tint of red. It then struck him that he couldn't detect her scent. "This must be a rex's primal ability." Kenduari glanced over her shoulder, locking and narrowing a single crimson eye on the lone raptor. She gave him a look that said, 'shut up!' The Tyrannosaurus rex was running along next to the boat now, well hidden by the trees of the forest. Grant had turned the boat up to full speed. He most likely wanted to reach his destination before nightfall.
A two-way split was approaching in the river, and Grant began to take the one farthest from the shore Kenduari and Peregrine were on. Kenduari, to Peregrine's great surprise, rushed into the river when Grant was far enough not to hear the splashing noise behind him. The river, at this point, was low enough for Kenduari to walk with her back and head sticking out of the water. Peregrine balanced himself on the rex's back to avoid touching the rushing water that would easily have swept away the smaller carnivore. Kenduari waded back to the shore at the soonest possible opportunity to resume her stealth-like running on the shore. Grant had yet to notice his silent company. It was confirmed when the rex and raptor saw Grant pick his nose.
"Humans. What undignified creatures." Kenduari snorted to herself. "The sooner we find Quicksickles, the sooner I will be able to have a human snack." She glanced over at Grant in his dingy. He was speeding up quite a bit for some reason, so Kenduari sped up as well to keep pace. Her thoughts wondered back to food. "Humans are hardly filling, but have such a delightful taste. Much like dining upon frillotopians, yet a good deal chewier. I wonder what-"
"Kenduari, you might want to slow down." Peregrine interruped her thoughts.
"And why would I do such a thing?" The rex growled in question.
"Oh, I don't know, maybe to AVOID THE HUGE WATERFALL COMING UP!" Peregrine made a noise that resembled a squaking parrot. The rex immediately stomped to a stop, sliding just a few feet before the edge of a cliff. Kenduari turned her attention to Grant who now had his boat turned around, and at full throttle away from the cascading waterfall. He even had a paddle he was using, but his efforts were clearly invain.
"I...really...hate...this...paaaarrrrrrrk!" Grant yelled as he fell over the edge of the waterfall.
"NOOOO!" Peregrine panicked and rushed to the top of the T-rex's head to gaze over the edge of the cliff.
"Do you mind!" Kenduari roared. She shook vigorously, tossing the raptor to the ground. "I alotted you the space of my back, nothing more, nothing less!"
"Yes, I do mind! My only ticket to Zeal and a way off this island just fell over the edge or a roaring waterfall!" Peregrine whined in a highpitch screech.
"Waitang fawltreheol!" Kenduari roared in frustation in the Ancient Saurilied language. "If you applied the use of your binocular-like vision that your kind are so proud of to gaze into the waters below, then you would witness the humans resurfacing!"
"What?" Peregrine adjusted his vision to the rippling surface of the river below the waterfall, zooming in much like a camera would. The boat Grant once occupied was floating, and still intack, but the human was nowhere to be seen. Only small ripples appeared next to the boat as it smoothly glided further away. From the ripples popped up the hat Grant had wore, followed by Grant resurfacing under it, gasping for air. He clung to a rope on the side of the boat and held on. Peregrine looked up at Kenduari. "How did you..."
"I have encountered this human on several occassions, and one thing continues to persit about him." Kenduari huffed. "He has uncanny resilience to survive."
"I see..." Peregrine tilted his head in his 'that's interesting' manner. "We need to get down there before he leaves our sight." The young raptor focused his attention on Grant. "I can see another split in the river ahead, and tracking him on water is pointless if we can't see him."
"Quite correct. Scents hold poorly on water." Kenduari agreed, though she was astonished to hear such a piece of wisdom exit the fawtreheols jaws. "Qucikly, return to your perch on my backside. I have an idea." Peregrine launched himself towards a nearby tree trunk. He landed on the side and kicked off with a flip to land in place onto Kenduari's back. Kenduari didn't spare a moment as she charged down a nearby slope next to the cliff's edge. She was determined to get Featherclaw to his brother. The two younglings were the last defense for any Saurlied to stay alive on any of the inhabitated islands.
XXXXXX
"I hate my life." Grant whined as he climbed back into the boat. He cut the engine back on and panted, laying on his back. "Either someone really likes me up there, or someone really enjoys watching me suffer!" Grant yelled, shaking his fist at the sky above him. Suddenly, an unmistakble roar reveberated off the water. It came from the direction of the waterfall. Grant peeked over the edge of the boat, and the sight he saw instantly made him jump up, and grab the paddle of the boat and begin to paddle for his life. A Tyrannosaurus rex was standing atop the waterfall, but now it was quickly sliding down a slope on the side of the cascading water with the clear intent of catching up to him. "I take it back! I take it back! You don't like seeing me suffer!" Grant apologized as he paddled furiously with the engine in full throttle.
The paleontologist was coming up to a three-way split in the river. He could see all three lead out to the open ocean, but only the middle path framed a cargo ship off in the distance attached to a dock. Grant steered the boat in the correct heading, hoping that the T-rex following him couldn't swim; though he knew otherwise, for he gave a lecture on how theropods most likely had the ability to swim about two years ago in Montana.
XXXXXX
"No doubt now. He definitely noticed you." Peregrine groaned as he focused his binocular vision on Grant panicking at the sight of the rex.
"Is there any other information you wish to provide that is not obvious already, Featherclaw?" The sarcasm in Kenduari's voice was blunt.
"Well actually, yes." Peregrine stated sarcastically in return. "I see a larger boat in the distance. I believe that's our destination."
"Most excellent. I will soon be rid of you." The rex grumbled. She was becoming more annoyed with her 'guest'. The sooner Featherclaw was off her back, the sooner she could pursue her snack; Grant. She was starting to become a little peckish too.
Grant had sped off a great deal ahead of the pair of dinosaurs. He was almost near the cargo ship while Kenduari and Peregrine had just reached the edge of the water that lead down the middle path of the three-way split.
"We may have a problem." Peregrine pointed out the obvious once more. "I can't swim that far, and I'm not sure using my primal ability will get me there. It's atleast a mile way to the other shore."
"That is why you will be staying on my back until we reach it." Kenduari sighed. She would never admit it aloud, but she would assit the sons of a legend to the death if she had too...that, or until they pissed her off to the point of being stepped on.
"Never have I known a rex to be generous enough to offer any creature, other than their own, help. Your kind is too pride filled." Peregrine stated. "And now your offering to take me a mile out to sea just so I can get on a boat and find my brother?"
"Is there a point to this ramble?" Kenduari scoffed, descending into the chilled water. The ocean winds blowing inland didn't help the temperature any. Night was basically upon them, and a hurricane could be seen approaching the island. Kenduari activated her Primeval to swim at a faster pace to avoid having to swim when the hurricane hit.
"What's with you?" Peregrine asked bluntly, hopping off the rex's back to the top of her head. He leaned over to gaze into one of her large yellow-white eyes. "What's the exact reason you are helping me?"
"Honestly, must you ask this now?" Kenduari fixed her large eyeball onto the smaller carnivore. She continued to swim towards the boat as she reached the half point. The storm was beginning to pick as rain began to pour from the sky. "And I said before that only my back is the alotted space which you were granted." The female alpha rex growled.
"Fine." Peregrine plainly said hopping onto her back once more. "Now would you kindly explain the reason for your unnatural generousity?"
Kenduari gave a heavy sigh. "I cannot keep you in the dark forever, so I assume telling you something now would not hurt." Kenduari rumbled lowly as if clearing her throat. "I aid you becasue you and Quicksickles are greatly needed. Our very existence lies within your claws. My act of aiding you is not a matter of pride or generousity, but an matter of survival and selfless intent on helping all Saurilieds. For ultimately, the survival of Saurilieds will be determined by you and your brother-" At that instant, a distant roar, even more powerful than her own, could be heard echoing over the water from far within the island interior. Kenduari knew only one Saurilied on the island with a bellow of such power, and his warnings were not to be taken lightly. "I have said enough for now." The T-rex was now passing the stern of the ship.
"What? You were just getting to the good part." Peregrine joked, trying to hide his annoyance at the sudden stop of information. "You haven't even explained how me and Zeal are suppose to ensure the survival of all Saurilieds yet."
"Sarcasm will not wrench more details from me, young one." Kenduari was now passing the bow of the ship. She exited her primal ability as her feet touched grainy sand under the water she waded through. Kenduari rounded the bow of the ship and stopped wading thigh deep in water next to the chain of an anchor. "This is where we part ways for now. I will explain more once you and Quicksickles arrive at the human facilities not far from here. Quicksickles will know the way."
"So that's it? No good-bye nuzzle?" Peregrine joked as he leapt onto the massive anchor chain. He didn't realize just how large the ship actual was until he landed within a loop of a piece of the chain. His entire body could fit easily within any of the chain loops.
"Your poor choice of sarcastic remarks does not surprise me." Kenduari shook her head and turned to leave towards the shore. "Find Quicksickles, and make it to the facilities in one piece. I trust that your instincts will guide you from here, Featherclaw."
"You make it sound easy." Peregrine looked up the side of the massive ship. He was about to jump aboard, but turned back to Kenduari, who was still walking towards the shore. "One more thing, Kenduari!" Peregrine shouted to her. The rex stopped in her tracks to listen to the lone raptor. "I humbly thank you for the ride here. I couldn't have made it this far without your help." Peregrine bowed slightly to show his sincerity. "From what I understand, It's very difficult for a rex to stow their pride, so I appreciate you doing it for 'The Sons of a Legend'." Peregrine grinned at the title. A long pause followed after the velociraptor's statement. Kenduari said nor did anything for a long while. Neither did Peregrine. After what felt like minutes of standing in the pounding rain, the female alpha rex spoke.
"A fawltreheol with a sense of humility. Now that's a first." Kenduari didn't turn to face Peregrine, but continued walking away. Peregrine took no offense to what she said. He figured it to be a way for a tyrannosaur to say thank you and your welcome. With no further hesitation, Peregrine jumped aboard the ship. The deck of the ship was too high to make it with his intial jump, so the swift raptor used his double jump, pushing off the solid air below his feet, to make it onto the deck of the ship. Unbeknownst to the velociraptor, Kenduari had glanced over her shoulder just in time to see Featherclaw perform his Air Rushing technique.
"So he is the Air Rusher." Kenduari said to herself. "Quicksickles must be the Perfect Timer if that is the case." She turned back towards the shore. Food was no longer a priority; instead, it had been replaced for a thirst of knowledge that Kenduari knew only one source could quench. A blinding flash of lightning streaked across the sky, indicating the hurricane had finally reached the island. In another intense flash of lightning, the T-rex that, only moments ago, waded in the water was nowhere to be seen.
Me: Yet another chapter is released! I sincerely hope you all enjoyed it. Now on another unrelated note...Today is my Birthday! Yay for me! I'm 19 now! This chapter is my birthday present from me to you all. It's kind of wierd and I silly, I know.
Zeal & Peregrine: *sneaks up behind author* YO! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Me: AHHHHH! *falls out of chair and tumbles down nearby stairs*
Kenduari: Scaring him was not what I had in mind when I spoke of surprising him.
Peregrine: We knew that.
Zeal: It was just more fun this way.
Me: *comes back upstaris* No need to help me guys. I'm perfectly ok. I only just fell down two flights of stairs!
Kenduari: For a human, you are very durable.
Me: I have to be to live with all of you...wait a second...where's Reker?
Reker: Here I am. I was getting the cake. It's the flavor of grilled triceratops steak.
Me: Interesting...
Kendauri: Sounds good.
Peregrine: Let's dig in!
Zeal: WAIT! We're forgetting to give the birthday boy his lucky b-day licks. *cracks knuckles*
Me: *drops piece of cake*
Peregrine: Oh, I almost forgot about that *cracks toes with killer claws*
Me: Oh come on guys. We can skip that this year. There's no need to get violent. HEY WHAT'S THAT!
Zeal, Peregrine, & Kenduari: Where? *turns away*
Me: *runs outside and hops on motorcycle*
Zeal: Crud...He does that every year and we still fall for it.
Kenduari: Get him! *all but Reker run after Me*
Reker: *Sigh* Excuse the chase, it's often a waste. He'll eventually be caught, and then my help will be sought. Until then, I'm claiming my stake, on this piece of cake. *eats cake and watches chase*
Me: Okay, so before they catch up I just want to thank you all for sticking with me this far. You readers are great, and it makes me very happy you enjoy reading my stories. Your reviews, favs, and alerts are always very well appreciated by me and- OH CRAP *speeds off*
Zeal: Stopping running and take your beating like a man!
Peregrine: You'll run out of gas eventually!
Kenduari: And when you do, you're completely ours!