Chapter 16:
Tyralicorns Attack In The Cave!
A few hours later, the rain was still pouring heavily outside of the cave. But the storm wasn't the only thing the group was dealing with. As lightning flashed and thunderclaps were heard, looming just over about 100 yards away from the cave entrance are two shadows as the ground shook.
Lightning flashed again, revealing the two Tyralicorns who are starting to seek shelter from the rain too. The two both growled and began to make their approach to the entrance.
Meanwhile, in the cave, Aladar was sleeping, with Half-Light sleeping on his head, until he woke up to see the ground vibrating momentarily and they repeated as a rock lightly fell aside another rock. Half-Light soon stirred and woken up from them too.
Aladar lifted his head up as he and Half-Light gasped at seeing the Tyralicorns outside of the cave for the first time in their lives.
"Shhh. Tyralicorns," Bruton said, walking up next to them as Aladar and Half-Light looked turned back to the Tyralicorns.
The two Tyralicorns growled as they slowly headed to the cave entrance, sniffing around to see if there were any scents of prey or enemies in the cave.
"They're coming this way," Half-Light whispered.
"What do we do?" Aladar asked quietly.
"Wake the others," Bruton said quietly as they split up to get everyone to safety.
Outside of the cave, each foot from the Tyralicorns stomped on the ground as the female Tyralicorn hissed and they continued stalking closer to the cave.
Inside, Aladar and Half-Light quietly woke the others up as they begin to move away. Aladar went over to Url and shook him. But as Url wakes up, the first thing he sees were the two Tyralicorns standing right at the entrance.
Frightened, Url lets out a loud bellow in fear causing Aladar to cringe as he quickly placed a hoof over Url's snout and fearfully turns to the cave entrance.
The two Tyralicorns perked up to high alert after hearing Url's bellow as the Tyralicorn Stallion growled.
Everyone remained dead still and quiet, Night Cycle and Bright Cycle were afraid as well, as the Tyralicorns shrugged and lose interest as they continued sniffing around the entrance. Soon, the group began to move further into the cave, heading up a ridge of rock and trying to be as quiet as they can.
Evan managed to make it through under a rock ledge. But as Baylene made her way through, her neck nudges the rock ledge upwards.
"Oh," She said and got momentarily stuck.
"Shh…" Evan shushed as he tries to help her through.
But they failed to notice that the jostling from Baylene's struggle nudges a rock loose and it fell down as Eema saw it.
The rock hits the ground near Eema as she quietly exclaimed, keeping her voice down, "Ooh!".
Aladar gasped and quickly went after the rock as it rolled by him and was heading for the entrance. He tried to get it but missed the grab as it rolled outside.
The rock stopped at the entrance, and the snout of the Tyralicorn mare lowers down near it and snarled as Aladar started to slowly back away quietly.
The Tyralicorn mare lifted her head up and then cranes it through the falling water. Aladar remained still as the Tyralicorn mare sniffed but she still couldn't see him.
On Eema's back, Half-Light whimpered as so did Frolic Timid as they huddled close to Bright Cycle and Night Cycle in fear.
The Tyralicorn mare started growling as the water continued pouring over her head and a faint reflection was seen in her eyes as she looked around through the darkness. Suddenly, a thunderclap was heard, and a lightning flash momentarily appeared, revealing Aladar and blowing his cover.
The moment the Tyralicorn spotted him, she then charges with horn glowing and letting out an Alligator-like hiss.
"Aladar, Run!" Half-Light shouted as Aladar quickly did what he was told and took off running.
"Go! Go! Go! Hurry!" Aladar yelled out as he ran with the Tyralicorn mare chasing him and the bigger Tyralicorn stallion begin to make his approach.
Aladar ran up the ridge of rock as the Tyralicorn mare stomped after him and was behind him, right on his tail. Aladar ran ahead of the Tyralicorn mare as she lets out another Alligator-like hiss. Ahead of them, Eema tries to hurry a ridge. The two sisters actually trying to help Eema so that they could help their friends.
"Move, Eema!" Aladar yelled, quickly getting to her and hurrying to push her up.
"Aladar, Hurry!" Sweet Pebble shouted as the stomping pounds of the Tyralicorn mare was heard and the Tyralicorn mare closes in.
And just as Aladar continues pushing Eema up the ridge, he suddenly yelled and was quickly pulled back down for the Tyralicorn mare had her jaws around his tail and pulled him back.
"ALADAR, NOOOOO!" Half-Light screamed, reaching out to her younger adopted brother.
Ahead of them, Bruton came to a stop as the Crusaders were heard screaming.
"Aladar! Oh, no!" Half-Light cried.
Bruton uneasily looked back and glanced ahead to the deeper part of the cave.
The Tyralicorn mare continues dragging Aladar back and then turned her attention to him. But then the bigger Tyralicorn stallion snarled as he shoves his hunting partner aside and turns to Aladar with his right foot over his tail, to prevent him from getting away. Not pleased of being pushed, the Tyralicorn mare snaps at him as the stallion momentarily ignores his smaller partner.
The Tyralicorn mare snapped and continues snapping at him as they started fighting and then bellowing was heard. Suddenly, something rammed against the two Tyralicorns, throwing them off their feet. Aladar quickly got to his feet and saw it was Bruton.
"I'll hold them off! You help the others!" Bruton yelled as the two Tyralicorns struggled to their feet and were against a rock column.
Aladar quickly got up and takes off running as the Tyralicorns managed to get up and the Tyralicorn stallion bellows out as they turned to Bruton. Aladar ran through the cave as the group hurries through a tunnel. But Aladar then came to a stop and looked back as Bruton was heard bellowing. He was unsure if he wants to leave him.
Bruton bellows fiercely at the Tyralicorns as he was on an angled boulder. They were the cause of his current grief, the loss of the herd, the loss of his charge, and for his injuries, Bruton was determined to at least avenge one to three of those things, even if it did kill him.
The Tyralicorn stallion snarls at him as the Tyralicorn mare charges toward him, ready to attack him. But Bruton quickly swung his tail at her face, and the Tyralicorn mare stumbled back screeching, and hits a rock column, breaking her right wing, and she bellows while trying to regain her footing. And to Bruton's surprise, Bright Cycle and Night Cycle began distracting the mare to keep it at bay.
The Tyralicorn stallion growled as Bruton looked up and saw a number of rocks above them as the column was acting like a support beam holding them. One boulder fell through and hits the ground. So, taking the risk, Bruton charges as the Tyralicorn stallion tried to pin him down with his jaws. But Bruton manages to slam against the column.
Dozens of rocks and boulders came raining down as Aladar and Half-Light appeared by the tunnel entrance.
"Bruton!" Aladar yelled out, grunting as a rock landed on his neck.
"Over here!" Half-Light shouted, nearly dodging a rock herself. She was worried for Bruton and the Chieftresses.
Bruton manages to get to his feet as the Tyralicorn stallion was struggling through the falling rocks and the Tyralicorn mare was on her side as the Chieftresses were working their way back. Bruton started to hurry over to Aladar and Half-Light through the falling rocks as they hit him. Even Aladar and Half-Light struggled as they grunted trying to reach him.
Bruton continues through the falling rocks as he groans and bellows out until a large boulder lands on his back and he hits the ground. The Chieftresses barely make it through to safety, and regret they couldn't do more to help.
"BRUTON! NOOOOOOOO!" Aladar yelled and grunted as the rocks continued falling down until after a few moments the last ones fell and left a large dust cloud filling in the entire cave.
Aladar, Half-Light, and Sky Color coughed through the dust as it cleared. When it was cleared enough, they hurried over to the rock pile where the body of the Tyralicorn mare was covered by the rocks, but her head was sticking out.
"Bruton!" Aladar called out, hurrying to the rock pile with Bright Cycle and Night Cycle following behind.
Aladar got to the rocks and quickly digs through them with Half-Light and Sky Color's help as they removed a big boulder. But sadly, they discovered it was too late as Bruton's head limped lifeless.
"We were too late." Half-Light said sadly as Aladar looked away.
Bright Cycle, Night Cycle, and Frolic Timid came over and saw Bruton. Bright Cycle and Night Cycle held Half-Light and Sky Color close while Frolic Timid turned her attention to Aladar.
"You did what you could, Aladar." Frolic Timid said in reassuring voice.
Suddenly, a loud alligator-like hiss and snarl was heard as Aladar gritted his teeth and angrily turns to the rock pile as the rocks at the top suddenly shifted.
Aladar glared angrily at the rocks.
On the other side, the Tyralicorn rex stallion blasted his way out free from the rocks as he growls and looks at the pile.
On the other side of the rock pile, Aladar snorted as he, Half-Light, Sky Color, Frolic Timid, Bright Cycle, and Night Cycle watched the rock pile while the Tyralicorn mares' head sticks out of the pile lifeless.
Back on his side, the Tyralicorn stallion snorts for he knows there's no way he could get to them or dig and that every hunt can't always be successful, even with the greatest of hunters. The Tyralicorn Stallion then turns away and limps off away to the cave entrance, despite having a few injuries from the falling rocks.
As soon as he got to the entrance, the Tyralicorn Stallion angrily growls as he looks back and then stomps his left foot and lets out a fearsome loud Alligator-like hiss in frustration…