(Hello everyone, here's chapter 5. Hope you all enjoy.)
Chapter 5: Danger Brewing
In the skies above, Chill was soaring looking down on the open forest searching. Through his keen eyes he spots a lystrosaurus out in an open field. He immediately dives from the sky, he extends his talons out, and grabs the lystrosaurus as it squeals. He then lands on a tree branch at the edge of the forest, where he begins to feed on the meat with his beak.
However, he hears the sound of cracking and breaking of the brush; he looks around to its direction. Then he see's Jackal's pack running from the sound toward the clearing "What on earth…?" He say's surprised, then the pack gets to cover by hiding behind large rocks and a log.
Then from within the forest, he sees the trees and foliage come crashing down as something big bellows and pushes through. Startled, he takes off, as the creature comes down on the tree and pushes it to the ground, squishing Chill's meal as it lands on the ground with a giant, rocky-skinned foot.
As Chill flies to a point and regains himself, he hears more bellowing from below. He sees the creature and two others emerge from the forest, and to his alarm he realizes what they are and mean. "Oh no…I must warn Queen Nymeria!" Chill says as he flies off as fast as he can.
Back at Duma cliffs, Sora, Zeon, and the others arrive, awaiting at the top on a flat ledge was Nymeria and Buge. "Mother, Buge." Zeon says greeting them with Sora standing alongside him.
"Zeon, Sora… I see your search has proven successful." Nymeria says as she glances over to see the rest of the group.
"Yes, your majesty. We've found the new primordian's of earth, wind, water, and lighting." Sora says bowing his head in respect.
"And to think, the ones that have been chosen would be also your friends…" Nymeria says as she walks by as if she were inspecting.
"An honor that we have gladly taken your majesty." Blade says as he also lower's his head along with Harmond, crystal, Adar, and Katuri doing the same.
"Assuming that all of this isn't a load of hogwash." "Shhh." Harmond whispers with Crystal hushing him.
"The selection even went on to other members of another family… Your father and mother would be honored and proud as I am for my own for this." Nymeria says to Adar and Katuri who still have their heads lowered.
"Thank you, your majesty." "Your words mean a great privilege for us as hunters, who become protectors as well." Adar and Katuri say in respect and recognition of Nymeria's praise. Sora though felt a bit despondent from it.
"Now then, let us get on with it." Nymeria says as she walks towards Buge.
"Get on with what, mother?" Zeon asked.
"The primordian oath." "The primordian oath?" Sora asks to Nymeria's response.
"Yes Sora, it is the pledge that a primordian must make once he has become one." Buge explains.
"And what does this oath mean for us essentially?" Crystal asks.
"It'll be a promise that you'll be making. In which, you won't be using your new powers for anything that will cause disarray and only use those powers for crisis and protection of the circle of the life." Nymeria explains.
"And off course we will gladly take this oath mother. We won't do any of the sort that will cause such things in the Sirona lands, right?" Zeon reassures while asking back to the others.
"Right…" "Right." The other's say along with Harmond who was hesitant but said it as well reassuring them.
"Now, I would like you all to come here please." Buge says as he climbs on top of a rock while Zeon, Blade, Crystal, Harmond, Adar, and Katuri gather around him. Nymeria, Sora, Shadow-fang, and Jinbei watch from the sides as Buge takes his staff, shaking the end with gourds and blessing the group.
"On this day with her majesty queen Nymeria, good friends Sora, Shadow-fang…" "Ahemmm." "…And Jinbei." Buge says with Jinbei taking account of his participation.
"As witnesses to this matter, I would like you all to repeat what I say. I name of creature." Buge explains.
"I Crystal…" "I Blade…" "I Adar…" "I Katuri…" "I Zeon…" "…I Harmond…" They say with Harmond still a bit hesitant but affirming.
"Do solemnly swear not to use my given powers for self-benefit, that will lead me astray to do harm to life itself. And to only use my powers for the sole purpose of protection and kinship for all in the great circle of life." Buge says along Zeon and the others repeating affirming the vow.
"How thrilling to witness such an occasion. The Sirona lands will certainly be under the right claws with all of them." Shadow-fang says feeling honored.
"Sure, I feel safer already knowing that. Especially with Mr. smiles over there…" Jinbei sarcastically whispers to Sora about Harmond, only to earn a snarling glare from Harmond much to his fear. Sora himself though had mixed feelings about this.
"With this, you all are now full-fledged primordian's. The residents of the Sirona lands will appreciate your efforts in protecting the circle of life…" Nymeria says giving them a sense of pride. "Zeon, I'm sure you and your friends have much to discuss. Show them the lair of the primordian's, Buge will join you. I'll be taking your little sisters to practice hunt…" Nymeria was saying when she and the others hear a screech in the sky.
"It's Chill." Sora say's recognizing him, "Something's wrong." Shadow-fang states sensing as they see Chill come in and land on top of rock.
"Y-Your majesty…Prince Zeon…" Chill says while panting hard nearly out of breath.
"What is it Chill?" "Is there a problem?" Zeon and Nymeria asked concerned.
"Yes! Three big problems as a matter of fact. Rock giants are in the Sirona lands!" Chill says leaving the others very concerned.
"Rock giants, here?" "In the Sirona lands?" Blade and Jinbei said taken aback.
"But I thought rock giants don't live in the Sirona lands." Sora asked.
"They don't and they never come here either." Shadow-fang explained.
"Are you sure, Chill?" Nymeria asked.
"I was nearly trampled on myself; I am certain of this. And from what I seen; they are on a rampage and travelling toward council rock." Chill said.
"What? But that's in raptor territory." "Then we've gotta go and warn them." Katuri and Adar said as they are about to take off.
"You won't be doing this alone; we'll help you defend them as well." Zeon said getting back their attention
"But Zeon this is a raptor affair…" "No, this is a primordian affair. You two are primordian's now like we are, and you're going need to help to fight them off. You guys ready for our first task at defending the Sirona lands?" Zeon explains to Katuri and asks the others.
"I'm in." "I've faced scarier, bring it on." "My claws are ready when you are, Zeon." Crystal, Harmond, and Blade say giving Zeon assurance in their help.
"Zeon, you and the others haven't yet had any training with your new powers." Nymeria says concerned
"Mother that may be true. But you made me their leader, and the spirits chose us. You always told me that part of a duty of being prince and the next king was to protect the Sirona lands, and that's exactly what I'm planning on doing. And I won't be alone." Zeon explains to Nymeria reassuring her as she gives a snortful sigh.
"I did say that didn't I. You really are just like your father." Nymeria says seeing almost a spitting image of her mate, Theo, in Zeon. Buge, then approaches.
"Zeon, you and the others listen to what I have to say. Let your instincts and spirits guide you, they will lead you toward the path to victory." Buge says, but the others were perplexed by its meaning.
"…Right, thank you Buge. Alright you guys, let's do this." Zeon says leading the group.
"Did you understand what Buge meant by what he said?" Crystal asked quietly still perplexed.
"I'm not quite sure." "Who is when he talks like that." Harmond says quietly smug to Zeon's reply.
Sora watches as Zeon and the group make their way down from the Flat ledge. Then he takes off running after them. "Sora?" Shadow-fang says surprised along with the others.
"Zeon, wait! Let me come with you." Sora asks Zeon reaching the group at the bottom.
"No, Sora. It is too dangerous for you." Zeon tells him.
"But I can help you, just like I did before with gathering you all here. You'll need all the strength that you can get to fight them." Sora says pleading.
"And for that we are grateful, but I'm afraid that's as far you can go for us Sora." Zeon says reasoning with him.
"He's right, Sora. This will be perilous for you." "I know you want to help. But without anything to protect yourself, you're just going to get hurt or worse." Crystal and Blade say also reasoning with him.
"But…But I can. I can help defend the pack just like any of you…! Like with Toro and when I saved those compies from before." Sora pleads and start's getting frustrated, then Harmond stomps his foot on the ground.
"Enough…! Look, you're not seeing the kind of seriousness that's occurring here. This isn't some kind of game that you can just blatantly run right into cub." Harmond seriously says approaching Sora
"But, I never… Adar, Katuri." Sora looks to them for reassurance, but they stay silent partially agreeing with the others, much to Sora's discouragement.
"Listen, Sora. In all of those instances, you just got lucky. And it takes a lot more than luck to survive here. We have what the circle of life gave us to do just that, our claws and fangs. You don't have any, the only thing you would do is getting in our way." Harmond says scolding him.
"I know that…But, we…" "Are you a saurian?" Harmond asks as Sora still tries vainly.
"I…" "Are you a saurian?!" Harmond once again asks Sora louder.
"No." Sora says reluctantly admitting with heavy sighing breath.
"Then there is no we." Harmond says as he turns around letting out snort breath, walking away. The others follow, though feeling a bit morose for Sora.
"Don't you think that was a bit too harsh on him, Harmond?" "Yeah, you didn't have to lay it on him like that." "He is trying his best…" Zeon, Katuri, and Adar say to him.
"I only said what needed to be said. He won't last nor learn anything if you keep being soft on him like a hatchling." Harmond says reprimanding them, they glared at him for that but they keep on moving.
Sora could only watch as they went, feeling complete dispirited. Then he walks away as well, while Shadow-fang and Jinbei were watching in the background.
"Sora…" "Jinbei… Let him be, he needs time to himself." Shadow-fang says to him knowing from what happened. While on the flat ledge on top, Buge was also watching.
It's late afternoon, for a brief moment all seems quiet in the forest. But then, the panic cries sound as its inhabitants large and small run frantically as trees and rocks are hurled toward them. Behind trees, vines, twigs are snapped, small creatures scurry for cover from giant rock-skinned feet that stomp there way with the sound of bellows.
Out on an open field, a group of Gallimimus were feeding. In the tree line, Umara and Ingrid were watching with other velociraptors close behind them; a hunting party.
"Hm, Ingrid, you stay here with your group and drive them. I'll take mine around and cut them off once they get in position." Umara explains.
"Understood." Ingrid says as Umara takes her group and goes around parallel to the herd in the tree line.
Ingrid and her group continue to stalk closer, with toe claws at the ready snarling quietly. One of the gallimimus raises its head, sensing something in the trees; a few more do the same. Then Ingrid and her group rush out from cover screeching, the gallimimus sound the alarm and immediately run.
The raptors are close behind snapping at their heels and tails driving them towards where Umara and her group were waiting. The gallimimus were being driven closer to the point, Umara was ready to lead the ambush. Then she hears a bellowing sound in the distance upwind of the gallimimus and the birds flying in all directions panicked from the trees. Umara starts barking, and Ingrid hears this, stopping the gallimimus chase as they run off into the forest. Umara and her group come out from cover.
"What's going on? We nearly had them, why did you stop the hunt?" Ingrid asks confused.
"We're not the only ones out here this evening…" Umara said as in the distance, a rumbling sound could be heard. Ingrid and the others were on edge as the sound came closer. Then the gallimimus along with para's, blue fanned antelope, sinoceratops, and other creatures large and small came stampeding fearfully toward them.
"Scatter, to the sides!" Ingrid sounds as she and Umara lead the others to the sides of the field getting out of the stampede's way as it goes across the field. They converge back together, only to hear the sound of tree's falling and limbs cracking along with feet stomping from the same direction.
Emerging from the forest, three rock-skinned, small white-eyed, and t-rex sized rock giants bellow out onto the field. Much to the alarm of the raptor pack, who are completely taken aback by what they're seeing.
"Rock giants…?! What do we do Grandmother?" Ingrid asks alarmed about their predicament as the rock giants stomp their way toward them. However, Umara although a bit phased knew they can't back down.
"Everyone, gather yourselves and be at the ready! We must make our stand; we can't let them invade our territory any further…" Umara says standing firm along with Ingrid as the rocks giant come at them, "Attack!" Umara shouts out as the raptors charge and leap claws out toward the rock giants.
Meanwhile, Sora sat on a tree branch overhanging a pond looking down depressed and deep in thought. He thinks back to the very last time he was with his father, Faris.
"Sora, promise me that you'll become a brave and worthy raptor… And always take care of your family…" Faris says before passing on right before his family.
"Oh father…!Father!" Sora could barely say sobbing alongside his mourning mother, brother, and sister. And at presently, Sora still looks down at the reflecting water depressed about that and what Harmond said before.
"Father, how can I keep my promise to you?" Sora asks sighing and to himself on the matter.
"When you are born different from the rest. It isn't easy, is it?" Sora looks back to the voice which turns out to be Buge.
"Oh, Buge…" Sora says as he walks over to him.
"You try your best to be just like them, yet you still act and think like a man-cub should. You don't have the sharp fangs or claws nor the strength or speed they have…" Buge says to Sora.
"Did you just come here to remind me of the things that I already know, and what everyone tells me. Ow…!" Sora frustratedly says, only to earn a small bonk from Buge's staff.
"Let me finish…" Buge continues while Sora rubs his head.
"It's true, you don't posses their abilities or talents, neither do I… I may have fangs but they aren't sharp like Zeon or Harmond, I may have claws but they also aren't the same like your brother and sister. And yet, I still call the Sirona lands my home; I learned how to survive here." Buge says leaving Sora taken aback but what he's saying and showing his fangs and fingers. "You're young, and you still have much to learn. But even so well, you managed to escape the jaws of Toro the other day." Buge said once again leaving Sora taken aback.
"But, how did you know about that?" Sora asked surprised that he knew as he climbed down the branch.
"I was there at the time. I watched how you were running with such speed, you felt something on that day didn't you?" Buge asked leaving Sora taken aback but contemplating knowing that he did feel it on that day.
"Yes, I did. I don't really know how to explain it, when I was running from Toro I just wanted go faster like my siblings do. And when Harmond was fighting a sturmbeest, there were these compies and I wanted to see them better; my line of sight felt like it got better at that moment…But, what does this all mean?" Sora explained and asked Buge who then turned and started walking ahead.
"Come with me." Buge said, although Sora was perplexed, he followed him as they walked away.
Meanwhile Umara, Ingrid, and the rest of the velociraptor pack were fighting tooth and claw against the rock giants. Some were jumping onto them trying to bite and slash at them, others were doing the same and trying to outmaneuver them at their legs.
"Uhh, it's no good. It's like trying to wound a piece of stone." Umara thought as she tried to do damage but it was no use. The rock giants then began to fight back, flailing their arms and shaking off the raptors like rag dolls including Umara and even stomping their feet at the ones beneath them.
As the raptors try to regain, a rock giant tries to stomp on one of the males who became frozen. "Move!" Ingrid shouts out pushing the male out of the way as the foot comes stomping down, the force making Ingrid fall on the ground.
As she tries to regain herself, she looks up to see one of the rock giants bearing down on her. "Ingrid!" Umara shouts out as the rock giant attacks with its rock-arm, as Ingrid prepared for the worst. Suddenly, Zeon charged from out of nowhere and tackled the rock giant to the ground surprising Ingrid and the rest of the pack.
"Zeon…?" Umara said surprised.
Zeon roared out at the rock-giant followed by Blade, Crystal, and Harmond appearing standing right beside him gaining the other two's attention. Ingrid got back up and regrouped with Umara and the pack who were still taken aback.
"Umara." A voice called out which was Katuri and Adar running up to them, "Katuri, Adar…" Ingrid said.
"Is everyone alright?" Adar asked, "Yes, were fine…" Ingrid replied about the packs condition when they hear the rock giants bellow back at Zeon and the group confronting them.
"Umara, you must tell the pack to retreat." Katuri said to her.
"What?" Umara said, "Katuri, you know we can't back down. This is our territory; we must defend it." Ingrid said against the suggestion especially with Umara as the alpha.
"We know, but the safety of the pack is also a priority and this enemy is stronger than any we faced." Katuri said reasoning with Ingrid and Umara.
"Don't worry, Zeon and our friends will make sure our home is defended and we'll be there fighting with them. Please, Umara." Adar also said reasoning with her, for a brief moment Umara thought it out.
"Everyone, fall back. Converge around council rock and form a defense there." Umara ordered; the rest of the pack retreated into the forest heading toward council rock.
"Good luck, may Gundrin be with you." Umara said to them as she followed behind the pack.
"I hope you know what you're doing…" "Don't be concerned about us, go with them." Katuri said to Ingrid.
"Even with all your combined strength it'll still be a challenge to defeat them, what makes you think you have a chance?" Ingrid asked knowing the strength the rock giant's posses and doubting them a bit.
"…Because we're primordian's now… go." Adar said looking over to Ingrid who was surprised yet perplexed by his answer, but soon left to join the others of the pack. Katuri and Adar did the same with Zeon and the others.
"We got the pack to go where they will be safe." Katuri said to Zeon.
"So, what's the plan Zeon?" "You do have some kind of a plan, don't you?" Blade and Crystal asked him concerned.
"Nothing in particular yet." Zeon said.
"Well, ain't that just terrific." Harmond says sarcastically. The rock giant that Zeon tackled gets back up and rejoins the other two.
"We can't let them pass; they'll keep on rampaging through our territory and the Sirona lands if we let them." Adar says holding his ground.
"Adar's right, our plan for now is to fight them just as our ancestors have done and we'll do it together." Zeon said as the three rock giants bellow at them and start to charge.
"Let's carnivate them!" Zeon shouts as the group charges and roars back to them.
Meanwhile in another field near the edge of the forest, Nymeria was with Zeon's younger sisters, a pair of juvenile rexes; Tania and Maria. They were walking down the edge, but Nymeria looked over across the field sensing and worrying for Zeon. She then saw Maria going off far on her own.
"Maria, don't wander off too far…" Nymeria says to her, but Maria was distracted trying to play with a stick which Tania also wanted to be a part off. Then Nymeria catches a shadow passing over them, looking up to see the figure of a Pteranodon. She watched as it circled above, she started to get suspicious of that.
Nymeria sniffed the air, only to realize to her fears that what she was sensing was danger. The juveniles didn't pay much attention, till they felt the ground vibrate with Nymeria feeling it too. Tania and Maria immediately ran back to Nymeria.
"Stay close to me." Nymeria told them as they hid under her, dreading as they felt and hear the ground tremor closer along with the cracking and breaking of forest foliage. Emerging from the forest, a saurian larger than Nymeria with large crests, dark brownish grayish skin with black markings, and a row of spines going down the back, hump, and up till the end of its tail.
"Well… Queen Nymeria. Such a lovely evening for a stroll around the Sirona lands… Don't you think." Dra-khan says as he circles around them.
"What are you doing here, Dra-khan? You have no right to be here!" Nymeria said facing the Giganotosaur.
"I think you'll find that I go wherever I please…" Dra-khan says tauntingly.
"Wherever you go, life suffers. You belong in the wastelands and not here in our territories, so why don't you go back to where you came from you scarred beast!" Dra-khan irritatedly growled at that remark which Nymeria did right back at him. All the while Tania and Maria stayed close under Nymeria fearfully.
"…Ha,ha. Must we be this way, after all… Didn't king Theo said that all of our kin have a place here in the Sirona lands and the great circle of life." Dra-khan said while circling and a bit mockingly.
"Don't speak his name to me after what you've done. You are neither fit to speak of the circle of life when you hunt for power and mere pleasure, you've never known the laws that binds us towards it!" Nymeria fiercely said to him.
"Oh, but I do know of them ha-ha…such as the law where one does not take what rightfully belongs to another, without consequence. A piece of flesh that your great… king has taken from my claws on that night! So, whom may I ask does not know the law…?" Dra-khan says frustratingly holding his anger from remembering.
"But it matters not, soon that piece of so-called flesh known as Sora will be mine…" Drakhan says as Nymeria snaps her jaws roaringly angrily at Dra-khan who snarls right back at that.
"I've heard enough, go now. Before my jaws grab a hold of you…" Nymeria says growling and glaring fiercely toward Dra-khan as he takes a few steps back.
"Go…? But I haven't even mentioned another law that I know very well, one that your little ones might soon learn…" Dra-khan says as a number of raptor-like figures start to come out from the forest; Nymeria looks over noticing, a pack of raptors with orange-colored, black striping being led by a white-lightly black striped one; the Atrociraptors. They begin to circle around Nymeria and the juveniles much to their dread.
"The strong shall run, while the weak must be taken…of course a law that applies to all. Where a once grand line has become frail, and now… A new, stronger order shall rise to take its place." Dra-khan says as the atrociraptors snarl bearing their claws surrounding them as Nymeria backs up with the juveniles under her a bit overwhelmed by the numbers but holding her ground.
In the jungle, Sora was walking a bit behind Buge. "Where are we going…?" Sora asks but Buge doesn't answer adding to his confusion, soon they come across a patch of large fern leaves that blocked the way a bit.
Buge walked through moving the leaves aside with his staff while Sora followed closely behind him using his arms a bit. At the end of the patch, they walk onto a small clearing but Sora's awe and amazement was drawn to what they came to. In the middle of the clearing was the spiral roots that led to the trunk of a gigantic tree, standing so tall that Sora thought it could reach into the sky like the mountains themselves.
"The tree of life." Sora realized in thought still in amazement from its sheer size and grandeur as he tries to look up to the very top of the canopy where flocks of birds are seen flying around it, he trips falling on his behind surprising him a bit.
"Sora…This here is the most sacred ground in the Sirona lands. This is where you might find some answers that you are looking for…Come." Buge says perplexing Sora as he gets back up and starts following Buge as they walk to the roots of the giant tree.
(What answers could Sora find at the tree of life? What is to become of Nymeria and her family? Will Zeon and the others best their powerful enemies? Find out in the next chapter, stick around and see ya soon.)