The Five
Tumbling out of the helicopter, the pilot scurried as quickly as her could away from the Tyrannosaurus rex. Kenduari snapped her jaws at the man's back to give him an extra incentive to run faster, following up with a roar for good measure. The pilot wasted no time in sprinting across the road toward the forest, and in the opposite direction of the dinosaurs.
Kenduari remained lowered to the ground and growling until the human disappeared into the foliage. Once gone, she eased herself to full height, still keeping an eye on the tree line. "You have used your primal ability well, for only having acquired its use so recently." The alpha rex turned to look upon the smaller predator. "But you have far from mastered it." She said with a disapproving rumble. "Do not endanger yourself on such a foolish gambit." Kenduari threatened as she further crushed the helicopter under her weight.
"Nice to...see you too." Peregrine panted as he left his Rampage. Finally exhausted from burning through the reserves of the yellow substance, the young bird of prey drew heavy breaths. At least he was speaking at a normal speed again.
"Follow, fawltreheol." The rex ordered as she left her Primeval, and began to travel down the road toward the interior of the island. Peregrine was tempted to question Kenduari's motives for helping, but his instinct told him it was better not to. Instead, the raptor simply picked up his unconscious brother and followed the rex.
Nearly two hours passed in complete silence as the dinosaurs trekked down the road. The storm had cleared about an hour prior, and now the morning sun was beginning to take its place in the sky. The silence was beginning to bother Peregrine though. Being silent wasn't one of his strong points. But Zeal seemed to be doing a pretty good job of it.
Kenduari craned her neck towards the raptor. "Can you tell me of an infinite sequence only broken by the lives of a fallen rhetoric beyond my comprehension?" The female alpha rex shifted her entire body in line with bird of prey.
"I have no idea what you just said." Peregrine admitted. The larger predator tilted her head side to side as her body rocked and swayed with its movements; contemplating.
"Good." Kenduari declared after a long analysis of the smaller predator. "That means you are still sane." She subsequently turned away from Peregrine and walked the down the road. "Follow." She ordered. He did as he was told.
The rex's stomps echoed through the night. While watching each foot powerfully produce tremors through the ground, Peregrine could only wonder about the sheer force of being crushed by such strength. Kenduari walked with such ease along the lengthy exposure of the open road. Her head held high, and her pride completely absolved within herself to an absolute. The Tyrannosaurs rex walked with almost an relaxed, but dominant saunter, like she had nothing to fear in the jungle beyond. It was terrifying. Peregrine realized the only other noticeable noise came from her nostrils inhaling the air as she swept her head to either side, moments at a time. Due to her size alone, Kenduari could have easily had over a 10 mile range of smell. What could she be searching for?
"Curiosity builds the foundation for intuitive fawltreheols, yet you remain with questions unasked." Kenduari stomped to a stop sideways, so that her body length covered that of the road's width, plus a great deal more. She positioned herself offensively towards the bird of prey with her upper body up high and her tail swinging low. "Perhaps my first assumption was incorrect, or has Rampage had other side effects."
"You tell me. I'm not the Primal Ability expert here." Peregrine replied. " I thought it best to stay quiet, and just follow you."
"Hmm..." Kenduari nodded with approval as she moved to continue their trek down the road. "You may be as wise as your brother." The rex grumbled the last part.
XXXXXX
The Captain; a moniker earned and forged in the fires of dependable, and disciplined decisions. Through absolute trust and faith in his leadership, The Captain was bestowed that moniker...and had it tarnished by an extinct, overgrown lizard. Not even a state of the art helicopter was enough to take the damn things down.
The Captain pushed open the swinging doors that lead into the armory back on the boat. Waiting inside were his four loyal subordinates; Frank, Oscar, Bill, and Mike. They were busy chattering amongst themselves about their previous mission. The Captain decided to grab his rocket and rifle rifle from his locker and clean it, instead of interrupting the riveting argument at hand. He wanted to listen to his men before he said anything.
"Alright boys, you remember our little incident in the vents a few days ago?" Frank asked. His voice was as gruff as usual. The kind of voice that took shit from no one, and the demeanor to match. That's why the Captain had him as second in command. Well, that, and the fact he was pretty much an expert on every firearm known to man. Never had he seen a man successfully counter snipe a sniper at over 800 yards with a Colt.45 revolver.
"Sure do." Mike replied looking at his cast encased, right forearm with a grimace. "It's annoying trying to use plungers now. I have to detonate everything by button or switch. Where's the fun in that?" Mike definitely new his explosives, and not just conventional ones either. He actually had a Masters in chemistry and physics, but you wouldn't know it by looking at him. The Captain remembered asking why he should recruit an above average grad student for their demolitions expert. His answer was that he just wanted to blow shit up in every conceivable way, and well, he had the degrees to get access to the materials he needed and knowledge on how best to use them. He proved that when he blew up an entire deserted town when they were in the middle east by dropping a giant yellow rock down their town water well, and then screamed run. All that's left now is a crater where the town used to be.
"Damn dinosaur pulled a Houdini, and made the floor fall from beneath us! He's roadkill next time we meet!" Oscar complained. He had a thing for vehicles...that's not accurate...he was obsessed with vehicles! Land, air, sea, and even space. The Captain had taken him on originally because he had been a F-15C Fighter pilot, then a test pilot. But it wasn't until he joined the group that the Captain learned he could drive, pilot, steer, and maneuver almost any vehicle ever built. And knew how to fix them! The Captain never could figure where he found the time to do it all.
"That's right. And he even tricked the Captain into the hole." Bill pointed out. "He cheated every one of us!" Bill's New York accent was so thick sometimes it was hard for his teammates to understand what he was saying, let alone clients. But the Captain learned to tolerate and understand it, because Bill was probably the most resourceful motherfucker on God's green earth. He was that guy that always 'Knew a Guy'. If you needed it, Bill could get it, sometimes within the day. Not only that, he was an extremely resourceful human being. The Captain had seen him weasel his way out of the situations the would spell death for any other man. The last one he witnessed involved Bill backed against a wall with 30 guns and a tank cannon pointed at him, and all he had was a bucket of water, 2 expired coupons for K-mart, and 20 inches of yo-yo string.
"Well, set you weapons to kill boys, cause words come down from on high that the Colonel wants that same raptor barbequed! And we were hand picked for the mission!" Frank announced. A round of hollering and yee-has, burst throughout the room. Mike and Oscar high-fived each other.
"Oww! Wrong hand!" Mike rubbed his cast.
"Idiot." Oscar laughed.
"Silence boys!" The Captain finally spoke up. He grabbed his trade mark pinch cover hat and placed it upon his head. "If anyone's going to gut the intestines out of that dirty conniving reptile, it's going be me."
A collective 'awwe' filled the room. "But boss we-" Frank started.
"Now fellas, I never said you couldn't play it with till near death. I just mean you can't kill'em. That honor belongs to me." The howls of excitement rose again.
"YES! Dibs on one of them sickle claws!" Mike called out.
"Oh, Oh, dibs on the other one!" Bill jumped up with a raised hand.
"Now, fellas, calm down. First and foremost we're hired to do a job as The Five. And if we want to keep our reputation as the highest elites with a fair price, then we need to do some prep work before fighting lizard boy again."
"Awwe boss I hate prep work." Bill groaned. "I thought that was what the videos we made was for."
"No genius, that's just a clever way to present our profiles." Oscar corrected.
"And that's exactly why we lost the first time." The Captain pointed out. "Just ask Mike if he wants to do this without being fully prepared again."
"Ah haha, no thanks." Mike gave a sardonic, half-humored, dry laugh.
"And besides, you'll all get your trophies like I promised before. But remember, first and foremost comes business, then the trophies and booze." The Captain finished. His men gave a resounding cheer with their moral boosted. "That's right boys, you have your fun," the Captain turned to leave the room, letting his men revel in the excitement. Though under his breath he said, "cause the killing blow is mine."
XXXXXX
"We rest here." Kenduari halted in front of the unfinished remains of the park's museum entrance. The place where she and Zeal's last bout took place. She sniffed the air, searching for any traces of the inevitable human nuisance she knew would come.
"Good..." Peregrine spoke breathlessly. He achingly climbed the steps to the museum's entrance, and with his last ounce of energy gently placed his stirring brother onto the cool stone floor. "It felt like we would never-"
'THWUMP!'
Kenduari turned her attention towards the raptor brothers to investigate the noise. Peregrine's body had locked in mid-stride. His claws were clenched in agony, and his mouth frozen agape. His tail stiffened out at a small angle, and his arms were tucked tight to his sides. Without warning, the eldest raptor brother had toppled to his right side like a statue. Peregrine's eyes rolled back in their sockets as he closed both sets of his eyelids.
"I did not expect his collapse to be so severe." The rex rumbled to herself. Kenduari stomped over to the treheols and wafted their scents. "Both alive, but unconscious." She concluded, which made her job now all the easier. The female alpha rex let the brothers lay at rest as she turned to seat herself at the inside entrance of the museum. It would be a while before either Saurilied stirred to consciousness again, but she could wait...impatiently.
XXXXXX
Zeal rolled his head side to side against the ground. He could feel the cool floor beneath his chest. Someone had taken the time to lay him down gently. His eyes blinked open, the slit of his pupils dilated rapidly, as if they were unsure of what to do without the raptor's primal ability to fuel their enhanced sight. The weary raptor focused his energies to calm his vision, but even when successful all still remained a blur. He could, however, see that it was night.
With his vision mostly intact, Zeal started to channel his efforts into hearing. To his dismay, this too took a grand amount of focus with a similar result. It felt like half his hearing ability had been lost. Hopefully, these were not permanent losses. Though faint, he could hear the heavy breathing of another creature nearby. Zeal could not quite pinpoint the location with his dulled senses. At least not without moving his head, which he attempted in vain.
Zeal tried pushing himself up with his clawed hands, but did not get more than a few inches off the floor before his arms gave out to his weight. They held no strength. Since his arms had failed him, he would try his legs. The raptor dug his sickle claws into the ground with all the force he could muster. His strained leg and thigh muscles screamed as they stretched in tension to perform what was asked of them. Pushing off with his left foot, Zeal slinked his body out across the floor, giving his right leg the leverage needed to attempt the feat of lifting his weight.
The motion was working, until halfway up Zeal's claw grip on the stone floor slipped. Quickly reacting, the clever predator forced the muscles in his tail to stiffen at a sharp downward angle; at the same time, he tightened the muscles in his neck. The result was Zeal catching himself from falling by his tail and jaw helping brace, and balance his mass. He had contorted himself into a awkwardly posed trapezoid. He rushed, as fast as an injured dinosaur could, to regain his footing. After many failed attempts, Zeal was finally able to struggle to stand on his own two feet.
"That was..." Zeal stumbled forward with a limp, "...tedious."
"If not a tad entertaining." An all too familiar growl caused the raptor to freeze mid-stumble. Zeal painfully forced his neck to crane right, where he met the eerily placid gaze of the female alpha Tyrannosaurus rex. Though she lay curled and sat on her haunches, her size and presence was no less menacing than when Zeal had first met her. "Your persistence is commendable, Quicksickles."
"Why is it that whenever we encounter I am at the disadvantage?"
"It would seem so. Perhaps nature speaks on the Tyrannosauradae's behalf."
"A disheartening notion." Zeal managed to struggle his body to turn to face Kenduari. "Since you have not eaten me yet, I am to assume you brought me here?"
"Nos Quiley." Kenduari turned her gaze upon a paralyzed Peregrine only a few feet behind Zeal.
"Peregrine...?" Zeal's breaths shortened as breathing suddenly became a mental effort. "He...I mean...I wou-"
"Be still your reckless hide, Quicksickles." Kenduari bolstered. "He has done this to himself; pushing his limits with the use of lysine to protect you, and carry your carcass to safety."
"He...is..."
"Nos xerales." Kenduari reassured. "He has simply exerted his primal ability beyond his current limits; and to forgo death, as well as speed recovery, his body has taken the initiative to shutdown."
"But still, he is like this because of me." Zeal dropped to his haunches in front of Perengrine. "How I am suppose to speak with him. What am I suppose to say when he wakes? I tried to kill him when I was in Rampage!" The raptor peered at Kenduari, hoping she might have a word of wisdom to share.
"I am but a guard until you both recover. Yours is a matter of siblings. My wisdom has no place here." The alpha rex's attention shifted back to scanning over the museum entrance, and the surrounding landscape outside. Zeal was at a lost. Everything seemed to be against him. "However," Kenduari's dominance interrupted Zeal's chain of thoughts, "if a Saurilied of my stature were to give advice to a foolish fawltreheol, yet again, I would emphasize; his lack of attention to the fact that his brother was not only willing to sacrifice his life to return his sibling to a sane state of mind, but was also willing to physically burden his form to carry and ensure that siblings safe travel to this location. Perhaps thanking that brother for those thankless tasks would suffice."
Zeal had missed such a small detail as simply thanking Peregrine for what he had done, for he was never forced into anything. "The long winded wisdom of Tyrannosaurs are always appreciated." Zeal bowed his head gratefully.
"I have not relinquished wisdom." Kenduari spoke, but never turned her attention from scanning the environment outside. "I simply expounded on what I could have said."
"Fair enough." Zeal understood. "When he wakes, I will thank him at the least."
"Now that you have come to your reasoning, I suggest you sleep." Kenduari shifted to a standing position.
"I just woke." Zeal pointed out.
"Slumber, and unconscious drift are two separate states. One can restore mental onset by Rampage, while the other does not." Kenduari's impacting footsteps trembled the surrounding earth as she walk through the entrance to stand just outside what was left of the door. "You awoke from the latter." She then walked out of view of the entrance.
"Wait, where are you going?!" Zeal barked with a mixed semblance of both a parrot and seal. "I thought you were on guard duty!?"
From a distance away came the T-rex's reply, "Patrolling."
"Perhaps it can not hurt to sleep." Zeal walked over to his unconscious brother. He circled until he found a comfortable spot to lay next to his older sibling. As Zeal drifted off to sleep, his thoughts were filled with the angst of eventually speaking with his brother.
XXXXXX
When Peregrine finally stirred, he awoke to find his brother lying comfortably next to him. His features looked a slightly troubled, but comfortable none-the-less.
"You are both awake now." Kenduari stepped back through the gaping hole in the building.
"What?" Peregrine questioned.
"Qiucksickles you may move." Kenduari announced.
As Peregrine felt Zeal's body shift he jolted back a few yards onto his feet. Why was he so nervous to meet his sibling, now? Peregrine stared in awe once Zeal finally stood and faced him. Looking at Zeal was like gazing into a slightly distorted reflection. It made him realize this was the first time he had seen his younger brother normally since the naming ceremony. He took a moment to scrutinize his features.
Peregrine's younger brother held a very disciplined and respectful air. His posture was upright and proper with his inner sickle claws mildly perked at the ready, which gave the impression he was always prepared for a chase. Peregrine noticed how much leaner Zeal's body mass was than his. This hinted at his capability of being a fawltreheol who could run at high speeds for both a longer distance and time. Peregrine could also discern from Zeal's facial features that his brother was indeed an experienced predator. His eyes held the maturity of an age greater than his own. He assumed that his brother's recent adventure on the island played a large part in that growth.
Zeal found himself staring at a somewhat taller version of himself. And one with more muscle mass as well. The velociraptor he now knew to be his older brother had a relaxed air that exuded from him; a welcoming and approachable one at that. He stood at ease, despite his previous jolt and the awkwardness of the situation. His body looked to be, almost, in a constant state of fluid sway; as if ready to move at a moments notice. Though his brother's nature seemed relaxed, Zeal could clearly see in his eyes that his older brother was one of confidence, and competence. He was a fawltreheol who accepted responsibility, and one who could steel his nerves to carry out a task should the need arise.
The younger raptor was curious. Just how similar were they? Did they think the same? Zeal took a side-step to his left. Peregrine moved simultaneously with him.
Peregrine begin to wonder were he and Zeal thinking on the same level after they side-stepped simultaneously. He decided to further test the idea. He quickly crouched into a pouncing stance. Zeal simultaneously did as well.
Both raptors jumped, leaving the ground about five feet, and when they landed they ran counter-clockwise to their original position. They were now in each others spots. Immediately both fawltreheols crouched into a pouncing position, baring their teeth. Next, they stood on their toes with their tails against the ground to balance their bodies. They returned to their normal posture, and ran clockwise back to their original position.
Zeal and Peregrine paused for a moment. Considering what they should try next. At the same time, both raptors titled their heads in their respective 'that's interesting' manner. Since Zeal tilted his head to the left, and Peregrine tilted his to the right, they were a perfect reflection of each other.
At this point Kenduari had thoroughly had enough of watching the brothers' antics. "As entertaining as it is to watch you two foolish fawltreheol confirm your nomenclature, I have to insist that the Saurilied language is a much better tool for communication." She growled.
"Hello, brother." Zeal spoke up first, but with an unsure tone. "My name is Zeal Quicksickles." He inclined his head slightly. Peregrine flashed his teeth in a grin at the formal greeting. For some reason he found it amusing, and a little bit comforting.
"ZEAL!" Peregrine leapt onto his younger sibling with joy. All his inhibitions had been forgotten.
"AAHHH!-OOOMF..." Zeal yelled in surprise until he had the air knocked out of him by Peregrine's affectionate pounce.
"I thought I'd never see you again, but I'm just glad my little brother is back to normal! Don't worry, Zeal. Big brother Peregrine will ensure your safety from now on!"
"That's...great..." Zeal wheezed. "...but-"
"I know, right! It'll be like when we were still on the other island." Peregrine continued.
"Peregrine..."
"Except without a pack."
"Peregrine..."
"And maybe less tussling too."
"PEREGRINE!"
"Sorry, little bother. You probably wish to talk too."
"Yes..." Zeal breathed. "Get your heavy...fawltreheol...carcass...off me!"
Peregrine looked down to realize he had been unwittingly sitting on Zeal the entire time he had been talking. "Ooops." Peregrine hopped off his brother. "Old habits die hard, I guess." He let out a sequence of high pitched chirps of laughter before standing. Peregrine then inclined his head to Zeal and said, "Peregrine Featherclaw, rectillif sen xais tecti, for as long as needed."
"And my speed will be yours." Zeal assured.
"Most touching." The raptors looked to the Rex by the broken entrance simultaneously. "If I may be so cruel as to interject in this loving reunion." Kenduari rumbled. "There are matters at hand we need to discuss. Like the Five Islands of Death on which all dinosaurs reside."