Here's chapter 1. enjoy!
Dinotopia the Saurian Princess
Chapter 1: Discovery
The dense humid forest was heavy with early morning mist. The trees rang with the sounds birds and beasts alike. Roars and screeches, squeaks and snarls all rang through the forest. Amidst all this, two fourteen year old boys tramped through the brush. The boys were equal in size but could not be more different then each other. The first boy had brown hair grown down over his ears and just over his sky blue eyes. He wore a white long sleeve buttoned up shirt streaked with dirt, a pair of brown trousers and a beige vest that seems to shimmer with many different colors. A pair of brown boots was on his feet and he wore a faded brown bag across his body. It thumped against his side while he walked through the forest. His blue eyes were full of adventure and rebellion.
The other boy was as different to the first boy as two boys could be. The second boy had long black hair and wore black clothes. His emerald green eyes were filled with anxiety.
"Come on Dax." said the first boy. "Keep up. We're almost there."
"I dunno Westley." Replied Dax. "I really don't think we should be here." Westley continued, ignoring his friend's apprehensions. Dax followed reluctantly. Westley pushed back a large leaf blocking his way to reveal a series of stone steps leading up to a stone shrine, flanked by two stone statues. Dax shivered at the sight of the statues as the boys walked up the steps to the shrine.
"T-those are T-rexes!" he said, fear evident in his voice.
"Relax Dax." Said Westley. As they past the statues, Wesley slapped a hand against the statue. "It's just a rock." Then he turned his attention to the door into the shrine. "Come on." He led the way into the shrine. The doorway led into a large room expanding outward and sideways for several feet.
In the middle of the room was a stone pedestal up to chest height. On it lay three ancient scrolls, dusty and frayed. Dax's eyes lit up.
"Finally." He breathed all fear gone from his eyes. He ran to the pedestal before Westley could stop him. Dax approached the pedestal. He reached for the scrolls but before he could lay his hand on them, Wesley's hand came up and grabbed all three. Trying to not allow the anger in his eyes show, Dax watched as Wesley put the scrolls in his bag.
"Come on." He said "We'd better-." Then a loud rumble sounded through the room like a Tyrannosaurus roaring at them. Large slabs of rock fell from the ceiling and smashed into the floor. The boys looked up at the collapsing ceiling then at each other.
"Run!" they yelled simultaneously as fast as their legs would carry them. They raced towards the door, Westley's bag bouncing against his side. In front of the door, a hole opened up, seeming to block their path. Without breaking their run, Wesley and Dax leaped over the hope. Their momentum carried them through the door and caused them to fall flat on their faces outside the stone shrine. Wesley heard a distinct screech he recognizes, as being from a large bird. He looked up and groaned at what he saw.
Three Skybax riders had landed in front of the shrine. While the other two riders wore green patches on their shoulders and on their chest, their leader had maroon. Wesley and Dax got up, dusted themselves off and approached the riders.
The leader walked forward and removed his helmet. "If it isn't my reckless nephew, sticking his nose where it doesn't belong again." Westley smiled and embraced his uncle. "What did you find this time?" inquired David. Wesley pulled out the scrolls and handed them to David. He unrolled them and briefly scanned the script on it. When he was done, he handed them back to Wesley. Wesley rolled them back up and put them back in his bag.
"I'll take you to Vidaba. Your father will want to talk to you." When Westley heaved a huge sigh, David asked, "What's wrong with what he'll say? He'll be more interested in what you found then if you broke the rules."
"It's not what Dad will say Uncle David." answered Westley. "It's what Mom will say." He adopted a stern, high shrill. "I am at my wit's end with you Wesley. You should not be messing around in the Rainy Basin. You should be concentrating on your studies, not adventure." He switched back to his regular voice. "Then she'll end with one of the codes of Dinotopia."
David allowed a small smile to appear on his face. "You should cut your mother some slack. She's had to step up for more responsibilities as a matriarch in training. You know your grandmother, Rosemary is getting older and isn't as capable as she used to be."
"I know." Said Westley. David put a hand on his nephew's shoulder.
"Come on. Let's go see your dad."
"Thanks." Said Westley. "Can one of your cadets take my friend Dax too?"
David looked puzzled. "Who?"
"My friend Dax. He's right th-" Said Westley as he turned around but stopped. All he saw was the ruined shrine.
"Let's go." Said David.
…
Westley held on tight as the Skybax flew through the air, whipping his long hair back. He was grinning from ear to ear. He looked next to him at his uncle. He wore a helmet that had a strap of metal used as a visor so that Wesley could only see his eyes. The visor fell short of his nose. Wesley could see the concentration in his uncle's face.
When Westley looked down, he saw the Skybax was flying over fields that workers were hacking and preparing the harvest for the winter seasons. Large Brachiosaurus hauled plows across the fields leaving a heap of the gold colored wheat in its wake. Humans and dinosaurs raked the wheat in to piles to get packaged.
The Skybax then circled over a large building. Humans ran out of it, carrying supplies to and from the fields. In a tower above the building, was housed a sunstone. The building was known as the Hatchery and had seen hundreds of dinosaur births. Also it serves as an infirmary for sick and injured wild dinosaurs. The Vidaba earth farm supplied eighty percent of the food for Waterfall City.
The Skybax landed right outside the Hatchery. David and Westley slid off Freefall, David's saurian partner. A man dressed like Wesley, minus the bag and a larger size, stood outside the Hatchery. An older bearded man sat in a wheelchair next to the first man. His left leg was heavily bandaged. Wesley ran over to the older man and embraced him saying, "Grandpa."
"Westley!" said Frank Scott as he embraced hi grandson. Westley let go and tapped the bum leg. "How's the leg?"
"Feels about the same as when that T-rex had me by it: stiff and useless."
Meanwhile, David had embraced the other man. "Hey bro." Karl, Westley's father, smiled at his Brother.
"Hey Davy." Said Karl, grinning, knowing his younger brother hated his nickname.
Westley ran over to his father and his father pulled his son into a deep hug. "Where'd you find him this time?" asked Karl as he hugged his son.
"Exploring an ancient shrine in the Rainy Basin; look what he found." Westley handed his father the scrolls and he unrolled them. His brow rose with interest as he scanned the lines of runes. He handed it to David saying, "I can't read it. It's not even in footprint language. Can you translate it?"
David unrolled the scroll shaking his head. "I have not seen this language before. Zippeau would know better then me."
"I'll get someone to send a postal bird to them in Waterfall City." Said Karl. He stopped one of the Hatchery helpers and told them what to do. The worker set off to send the message. Karl, David, Wesley and Frank all waited for Zippeau to arrive.
Several hours later, Zippeau, Marion, Rosemary, and Waldo all walked out of the Hatchery.
"Why did you call us?" asked Waldo
"My nephew was wandering in the Rainy Basin and came upon an old shrine dedicated to the T-rex." Said David.
"Westley." said Marion sternly. Wesley hung his head.
What did he find?" inquired Rosemary. David handed the scrolls to Zippeau.
"It's in an ancient language that I don't recognize. I had hoped Zippeau could translate." Zippeau nodded as he read the faded runes.
"This language is indeed very old. I can make out most of what is written here but" Suddenly Zippeau looked up, an expression of utter shock on his face.
"Zippeau what's wrong?" asked Rosemary. Zippeau cleared his throat nervously.
"Despite my unfamiliarity with this language, I was able to read most of it."
"And?" prompted Karl. "What's it say?"
"This scroll speaks of the Saurian Princess."
Dun Dun DUN! Who is the saurian princess? review and find out!