Hello! I'm back with another flyer-centric chapter, and it's ridiculously long (about 21 pages in my word document, yikes), and I apologize for the lengthiness. But there is a lot that happens in this chapter. Enjoy and have a good week!
"Come, Pterano." Kyra urged the male flyer to follow her into her home, and sat him down once they were inside.
Kyra was about to finally explain herself to Pterano, explain why she left, but from the very beginning. The way she envisioned it seemed to run so smoothly. It was simple. All she had to do was tell the truth. But a slither of self-doubt plagued her. She could start crying and make herself look like a fool, or maybe forget a crucial detail. Either way, it didn't matter. They were both here now, and Pterano was ready to listen.
She looked up, eyes nervously roaming around the cave. When Pterano noticed how apprehensive she was, hr held her hand, giving a reassuring smile.
Kyra made several attempts. She would begin to speak, and then trail off. Or, she would stutter and find herself unable to form words and sentences. Eventually, she gave up.
"I can't do it!" She cried, throwing her arms up in the air in defeat. "I can't do it...I need more time."
Pterano understood. He rubbed her shoulders, offering all the comfort he could.
"It's alright, dear. Whenever you're ready, I'll be here to listen."
Kyra nodded, allowing herself to be cradled in Pterano's arms as she recalled the day things began going downhill. She remembered all the flyers who died in vain, and the events that reduced her to what she was today.
...In the morning, everyone was busy, there was no vacancy to simply sit and do nothing. The dry season was well on it's way, and it was time to prepare and take necessary precautions.
Kyra was shaking the the tree stars from the tree, not even stopping to look at the leaves as they fell and gradually added to the growing pile at the foot of the tree. To speed up the task, Rinkus and Alex used their sharp teeth to manually strip the tree of it's tree stars.
Tress glided near the ground, flying with the swiftest agility as she picked up and more and more sticks and twigs, holding them in her beak.
Meanwhile, Randy had his upper body inside of a small opening in a cave, searching for anything that could possibly be useful. So far, he'd found nothing. That was, until he came across a blockage in the tunnel he was digging through.
Using his talon, he clawed away at a soil coated rock, moving it out of the way. As soon as he did, he was bombarded with thousands of bugs; crawlers, creepers, buzzers…the list was endless.
They ran over his body like a stampede, and Randy, absolutely terrified, let out a piercing scream. But this, especially coming from him, was nothing new. The dark gold flyer was notorious for things of this nature, especially when they backfired.
Elsewhere, a screech sounded through the sky. Pterano swooped down, landing right next to Kyra as he covered her eyes with his hands.
Kyra, however, was having none of it. Quite like a sand creeper, she used her claws to pinch Pterano's scaly skin until he finally granted Kyra the ability to see once more by removing his hands away from her eyes.
Pterano rubbed his arm, gazing at Kyra with an expression of false sadness. "Why, Kyra," he began dramatically, placing a hand upon his chest. "I'm heartbroken!"
Her smug aura plainly mocked him as she observed his dramatics.
Pterano could see that he wasn't going to get her attention so easily. No matter, he knew what had to be done. Bracing himself, he swept Kyra off his feet. Green eyes locked with black, and now, it was Pterano's turn to give off a sense of smugness. He quirked a brow, offering the most smug of smiles.
"So...Kyra, dearest. You were playing hard to get, hm?" His talons tip toed over her scales, tickling them gently.
Pterano knew many things about Kyra. But what he didn't know, was how powerful her reflexes were. Then, without even so much as thinking, Kyra kicked him, right in the stomach. She released herself, landing gently on the ground as she watched him writhe in agony.
Truthfully, she'd never meant to kick him so hard. It was purely on reflex. There was nothing more she could do other than offer a sympathetic smile.
"I'm sorry, Pterano. But look at it this way, now you know what not to do."
"Yes, thank you for the lesson," grunted Pterano as he struggled to rise back on his feet after being hunched over.
Kyra, who could simply not wipe that smile off of her visage, coiled an arm around his shoulder. In the distance, they heard the familiar sound of arguments being thrown left and right.
"I don't want 'em!" Yelled Sierra. "You can hardly fly, so it's gonna overwhelm you before ya know it. And you know I hate kids!"
"You have to take some form of responsibility, Sierra." Danielle's vexation was evident in her voice.
"You can't just avoid everything like you always have! And besides, you like your siblings just fine."
"Goodness," breathed out Pterano. "Sierra and Danielle..."
"Are fighting?" Kyra finished for him.
"Hm," hummed Pterano. "Well, I'm sure they'll figure things out. I highly doubt they'd something like a petty fight ruin what they have."
Her gaze shifting towards Pterano, Kyra gave the smallest of smiles. "Yes, you're right." She then resumed her work.
"So, was there any reason you came to see me? Don't you have your own task assigned to you?"
"I just wanted to see you," replied Pterano, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth before it quickly fell. "But I did want to ask you something."
"Go on," mumbled Kyra.
Pterano looked towards Alex and Rinkus. "You two should probably go somewhere else for the time being, this is something between Kyra and I. Why don't you help Sierra and Danielle with their little...problem?"
He nodded in their direction, and the two flyers understood. They took off, granting Kyra and Pterano their privacy.
"Kyra," began Pterano. "What did you mean last night when you said that healing wasn't where your heart was? Do you not want to be a healer?"
A long sigh slipped through Kyra's beak as she turned to face him. "Well...no. Sure, I know a lot about it, that much is true. But I'm not very passionate about it."
Pterano pressed his talons against his forehead. "Then, why didn't you say something before?" Taking her hands into his own, he spoke soothingly.
"Kyra...you shouldn't have to do something you don't care about for the rest of your life."
Kyra's tone did not match his, it was more monotonous rather than soothing. "Well, it's too late now."
She proceeded to walk away, but was stopped by Pterano, who would not physically hold her against her will, but he would try and talk her out of simply walking away.
"Kyra, you can't give up so easily!"
Kyra stopped in her tracks. Turning around suddenly, she furrowed her brows. "Why not? I don't see what the problem is if I just do my job."
Pterano was at a loss for words, but he had to try.
Despite the strong rush of emotions coursing rapidly throughout her body, Kyra still managed to keep a relatively calm demeanor, even as she approached Pterano.
"It's nothing you'll understand."
Pterano could feel his confidence being shaken.
"What do you mean by that...? We've always understood each other."
"Yes. We have, and I'm so glad we have something so special. But this is different," retorted Kyra.
"I'm not doing this for myself. Everything I ever did, I never did it for myself. I always did it for the herd. You always saw me being so kind and formal, I'm not like that. I am kind, but I'm very opinionated too. I'm honest. I get into arguments easily. But aside from you, my family, and our friends...no one else in the herd can know how I really am."
Pterano gazed at her with saddened eyes. "Kyra..."
Kyra however, didn't wish to hear what it was Pterano had to say."Pterano, please," she said, practically pleading with him while trying to keep the anger out of her voice.
"I don't want to talk about this anymore. I need to do my work, so please leave. I'll see you later."
Not wanting to exacerbate her anger, Pterano paid heed to her words and left. He flew away with the hope that by the end of the day, she wouldn't be so frustrated, and that she would embrace him in the loving way she always did. However, that wasn't the case.
When Kyra finished her work, she immediately rushed to Kiara. She swooped up towards the cavern in which she and her mate, Charlie, resided in.
Kiara had recently become a mother of about ten hatchlings, all of whom had just turned a week old. They were extremely picky, and required constant attention. Kiara had hardly slept since they'd hatched, and was now even more sleep deprived since Charlie had come down with some sort of ailment.
Charlie was, on any other given day, a coltish and strong flyer the color of the crisp waters that seemed to surround the world he lived in. His eyes were a pale blue, the color of the sky. At the moment however, he sported an unhealthy looking pallor. As he rested in a bed of leaves and grass, he looked up at the petite flyer.
Kiara laid on her stomach, using her talons to tear apart a tree star into tiny bite sized pieces that her children could consume. Due to her lack of rest, wrinkles and lines had formed underneath her eyes.
Despite being ill, Charlie was more worried about the health of his mate. "Kiara?"
"Yes?" Kiara did not remove her attention from the task at hand. Once she'd managed to break down the entire tree star, she fed each hatchling their individual pieces.
"You should sleep," rasped Charlie. "You haven't slept since the babies hatched."
"I'll manage," Kiara shot back, directing her gaze towards the other flyer. "Now, did you need anything? Or did you just wake up simply to lecture me?"
There was pain in his gentle eyes. "Darling, I'm worried about you."
"Don't you talk to me about being worried," retorted Kiara. "Please, go to sleep. You're ill."
She had long ago accepted the fact that being a mother of ten, she would be busy. And if that meant she would have to forego her own needs and desires, so be it.
Realizing that he would be unable to win against Kiara's persistence, Charlie reluctantly drifted off to sleep. It was then that Kyra entered.
Kiara looked up, a gentle but thrilled smile gracing her tired face. "Kyra," she exclaimed softly. "Come in."
Kyra nodded and stepped forward, taking a seat beside her friend. "So," she began, getting straight to the point. "What seems to be the matter with Charlie? He's ill, right?"
"Very," answered Kiara. "He's not getting any better. It started out with him not being able to get up in the morning after our children hatched...but he's still the same."
Kyra furrowed her brows, pondering deeply. She'd definitely heard of this before, mostly in stories from wandering herds,
Suddenly, Kiara spoke up, sharing the same train of thought. "The night flower," she mused aloud.
"That's in the Land of Mists," said Kyra, having an inkling of where Kiara was going with this.
"Exactly," Kiara replied. "I can go and get it."
"No." Kyra shook her head, disapproving of her friend's idea. "Kiara, it's too far. And you haven't slept since your children hatched. I'm sorry, it's too dangerous."
"I'll be alright," Kiara insisted, spreading out her wings. She trudged over to the opening of her home.
"Will you look after the children, until I return?"
"Kiara..."
"I'll see you soon." Without another word, Kiara took to the sky.
"Kiara, no!" Kyra tried to stop her, but it was too late. She was already out of sight.
Kyra, accepting that she would simply have to remain where she was, made herself comfortable in the nest of grass and leaves right beside the more sturdy nest that had been made for the hatchlings.
About a moment later, Charlie stirred. Needless to say, he was taken aback when he saw Kyra nestled in the bed of grass rather than his loving wife. "Wh…Where's Kiara?"
Kyra did not try to hide the truth. "She went to the Valley of Mists to get the night flower for your sorry tail," she answered bluntly.
"What? That's so far! Not to mention dangerous!"
"Then when she gets back, you'd best make her feel loved and appreciated. Everyone takes her and her kindness for granted, and I want you to start showing some gratitude." She sighed, her voice growing softer. "There's nothing we can do right now, though. Just go back to sleep."
Kiara did not return until the following afternoon. She swooped towards her home, a bundle of jubilant colored night flowers in her beak. Her right wing seemed to be working harder than her left, which remained spread out. She landed gently, careful not to make her landing too rough.
"Kiara," Kyra breathed out, a wave of relief passing over her. "You made it back safe."
"Of course I did," Kiara said with a scoff. "You know me."
Kyra offered a small smile. She knew exactly what Kiara meant with that statement. She was a quick thinker, but made sure to consider each and every one of her actions and to think of the consequences. She also knew where and when to not poke her snout, a quality that Kyra could only wish some of her acquaintances retained.
Kiara shifted the flowers from her beak over to her talons. "I'll go give them to him."
She strolled over to her dozing husband. "Hey," she nudged him gently with her beak. When soft and tender gestures proved futile in waking him up, she roughly nudged him in the side.
"Mm?"
Charlie awoke suddenly. He looked around briefly, groggily muttering something to himself. He looked up to see his wife's lovely face, and all his worries seemed to vanish. He laid on his back, resting his head on his arms as his sickly face seemed to light up with joy.
"Kiara," he croaked feebly, "you're okay.."
"Eat these," she commanded, placing the now torn up pieces of the night flower in front of him. "They'll make you better."
Charlie lifted his head ever so slightly, chewing on the small yellow petals. The moment they touched his tongue, his face contorted in disgust. "These taste nasty," he complained.
However, he understood that he had no right to gripe about the taste, as Kiara had flown so far simply to get them for him. So, he decided to tolerate the bitter and horrid taste of the flowers.
Kiara then looked to Kyra, gratefully wrapping her one good wing around the other flyer. "Thank you."
"No need to thank me," Kyra replied, chuckling as she reciprocated the gesture. "You did what you had to do, and I did what I had to do. But…" she pulled away, her hands resting on Kiara's shoulders. "Your wing. Are you okay? Did you get hurt?"
The night flowers were beginning to take effect, and Charlie was able to at least stand once more. "You got hurt?"
As he voiced his inquiry, he leaned against the cavern wall, requiring some form of support to hold his body upright.
"It's nothing to worry about," Kiara tried to reassure them. "I'm fine. Really."
Kyra stared at the injured wing. She noticed that Kiara was unable to bend it. Kyra wanted to offer her assistance and attempt to treat the injury, but she knew how persistent the smaller flyer tended to be.
"Alright," she sighed, not pushing any further. "I should go. I need to explain to Pterano why I didn't meet him. Give me a screech if you need anything, will you?"
Kiara nodded affirmatively, and watched as her friend flew off. She then ambled towards her spot next to the nest of hatchlings. She lay down, momentarily closing her eyes. As soon as she began to drift off to sleep, she heard a thud. Looking up, she saw Charlie nestled close beside her.
"Charlie," she murmured, attempting to sit up.
Charlie clearly disagreed. He did not allow her to sit upright. Rather, he rested his head on top of hers, wrapping his wings around her body.
"Don't get up."
"But you haven't recovered completely yet," Kiara protested, teal eyes wide with worry.
"It's no big deal," insisted Charlie. "I feel a lot better, thanks to what you did. Thank you." He closed his eyes, sighing dreamily, as he was fully content.
"Now, you should go to sleep. Okay?"
"Fine, but move over. You're going to crush the babies."
"Oh come on now, I'm not that big!"
"Charlie..."
"Ugh, okay!" Charlie scooted over, taking Kiara with him. "Better?"
Kiara closed her eyes, giving a pleased smile. "Much better. Good night, dear."
Charlie replicated her smile, nuzzling her beak and yawning. "Mm…night."
...
"Pterano?"
Pterano was in the middle of nibbling on a tree star when he saw the yellow flyer. His reflex reaction was to embrace her, but he recalled how coldly she'd spoken to him earlier.
"Oh, Kyra. Welcome."
Kyra could hear the iciness in his voice. "...Thank you. Uh...how are you?"
"Fine, thank you," replied Pterano. "And yourself?"
"I'm…doing alright, thank you." She paused for a moment. "Pterano, look. We need to talk."
"What about?"
"This isn't like you! You're usually not so…cold."
"So, you're allowed to tell me off, but I'm not allowed to act distant?"
"No, you are...I understand. I've been very unpleasant lately, I know. And I'm sorry."
Pterano sighed, and rose to his feet. He wrapped his arms around her. "I accept your apology, dearest. I was just getting fed up with your attitude. I was only trying to help..."
Kyra chuckled quietly. "I've been getting fed up with my attitude, too. I didn't want to be so mean."
Pterano nodded his head, glad that the rift between them had been bridged. "I've given what you said earlier some thought," he said, "…if you're fine with doing something you don't want, then I'll support you."
Kyra buried her head in his chest. "Thank you."
...
Several nights passed, and the weather patterns showed little sign of change or improvement. Luckily, Kyra had gathered enough green food to last for months. But she wondered if others had, such as Kiara. Concerned about her friend, she went to go pay her a visit.
When she landed, Kiara was nowhere to be found. There was only Charlie, who'd recovered miraculously and was his old self again, looking out at the horizon.
"Charlie?"
"Hm?" His eyes widened slightly and drifted to Kyra. "Hello, Kyra. What brings you here?" He seemed worried.
"Hello. Um...where's Kiara?"
"She went to go find green food for our little ones," he explained, gesturing to the nest full of hatchlings.
"Didn't you already store your green food away?"
"Yes, but our children are especially picky. They wouldn't eat any of the leaves Kiara and I found, and only wanted tree stars."
Kyra frowned slightly. "I know you don't want unsolicited advice on your children, but..."
Charlie cocked a brow. "That's not going to stop you from giving it anyway, is it?"
"I'm afraid not," said Kyra, shaking her head slightly. "Charlie, you have to give your children what they need, not what they want, or they're going to think they'll always get their way."
"I know, but Kiara loves them too much."
"Well, you should go find her and bring her back." A breeze slithered through the opening of the home, nipping at Kyra's skin. "It's some nasty weather out there, and she shouldn't even be outside."
Charlie knew she was right; in fact, he never wanted Kiara to leave in the first place. "I'm going to go find her," he decided, his wings creating a loud flap as he spread them apart. "Will you stay here with the children?"
"Of course." Kyra began ushering him outside. "Just go. And be careful."
Charlie braced himself against the turbulent winds, and took off. He soared through the sky, the sky water beating down on his skin. He could hardly see, but he was determined. However, even a husband determined to find his wife was no match for the unhinged fury of the weather. He opted to fly lower, where there was less chance of him crashing into something.
As he pulled himself in for a landing, he found her. Kiara dropped to her knees in front of him, battered and beaten. Her turquoise eyes were dull and relaxed, her breath escaping her in puffs of air.
Charlie felt a huge wave of relief, and prepared to approach her with open arms. However, he was stopped by a fast biter who stood in front of him, preventing him from being able to reach his wife.
Kiara looked up, and caught sight of Charlie, who told her to run, to just get away. She didn't. She was too exhausted. Several more biters picked up the scent of a creature in distress, and soon, Kiara was trapped.
Charlie couldn't bear to watch, and yet, he was unable to tear his eyes away. He cringed at the sound of flesh being torn apart until he couldn't stand it anymore. In spite of how dangerous it was, he swooped in and used the sharp talons on his feet to grab her by the shoulders and carry her away. As he flew back home, the wind and sky water seemed to be the least of his worries.
He set Kiara down on the cave floor, his hands chafing over hers. "Kiara. Kiara, honey. Can you hear me?"
Kiara looked up and smiled weakly, feebly clamping her hand around his. "Charlie..."
Kyra rushed over in somewhat of a panic. "What happened?!"
"A fast biter attack," explained Charlie. "She couldn't fly away, so I grabbed her and brought her home. Do you think she's going to be okay?"
"I don't know," said Kyra. "Her injuries look pretty serious. Hold on. I'm going to get my mom."
Charlie remained with Kiara, holding her close and talking to her in order to keep her conscious. The healer of the herd soon arrived, and did all she could. Charlie hoped desperately that Kiara would pull through, but he could tell by the healer's unexcited expression and movements that it wasn't so.
"I'm so sorry, dear," the healer said to Charlie. "There's too much damage. All you can do now is just stay with her until she passes…and perhaps let her say goodbye to her children."
The flyer had seen a lot in her lifetime, and had plenty of dinosaurs die in front of her eyes. Of course, she knew that this was all part of the circle of life. Once her work was done, she flew off.
Kyra didn't even realize that she was crying. She couldn't believe it. It didn't feel real, it felt like something had exploded too close to her, and she was still in shock from the suddenness of it. She walked over to the male flyer, extending a hand.
"Charlie..."
"Please leave me alone," said Charlie, on the brink of tears. "Just…leave."
Kyra could hardly imagine how Charlie felt. He'd loved Kiara for a long, long time. The two of them were going to raise children together, and now, Charlie would be doing it all alone. All their dreams and plans they had made together now meant nothing.
Once Kyra had gone, Charlie broke down into tears, burying his face in his hands. He cried and cried, and when he was all cried out, he laid down next to his mate. He held her, and expressed everything he ever wanted to say to her. Kyra and the others came by as well and said their goodbyes after receiving the devastating news. It was all very overwhelming for Kiara, but she had accepted it. She'd accepted that she was going to die.
Kyra brought the hatchlings over to their dying mother, but they quickly sensed something was amiss and began crying.
"Don't cry, children," Kiara coaxed in a feeble voice. "You'll have your father to take care of you now. I love you."
"And I love you," whispered Charlie to Kiara.
After everyone had bid Kiara farewell, they left. Charlie and Kiara went to sleep. It was almost the same as every other night they'd spent together, except that only Charlie was asleep; Kiara was dead.
When Charlie awoke in the morning, he forgot that Kiara was no longer with him.
"Kiara?" He gave the shoulder of her corpse a light shake. "Honey, wake up."
Kiara did not awaken and when Charlie remembered why, he lost it all over again.
Charlie soon began to have horrid sleep stories about Kiara from which he would always wake up crying, leaving him afraid to go to sleep. The sleep stories were recurrent enough to the point that his brother, Jan, and his wife, Alma, had to step up and care for the hatchlings while Charlie took time to recuperate.
...
Later on, the leader of the herd stepped up in front of everyone to say a few words. Pterano stood next to his father, who was the undisputed and respected leader.
"Yesterday, we lost a valuable member of our herd, who has left behind many who care about her. Children are left without a mother. A husband has lost a wife...but we must not despair, for such is the circle of life. We will carry on, and we will continue to thrive. Thank you."
Kiara wasn't the most popular or well known in the herd, but her death left a hole in everyone's heart. It seemed so sudden and unfair. No one dared to speak of it. They all buried themselves in their tasks, trying to forget about the whole ordeal, and didn't dare to think that their safety was threatened in any way.
...
"Oh Rinkus, it's just not fair."
"I know," said Rinkus, nodding his head as he looked back. "Poor Charlie…"
The land was going through a strange and bizarre transformation. After the days of sky water came weeks of nothing but blazing heat and searing sunshine. The cold times were over, but the dry season was already off to a rough start. Rinkus and Alex were off trying to find green food, and had thought to look in the huge bodies of water for some food that hadn't already been deprived of every drop of moisture.
"Rinkus, do you think that it's going to become dangerous? Living here?"
"What makes you think that?"
"I don't know. It's just that it's been years since a member of the herd died of something besides old age or sickness…I'm just scared of what's waiting for us."
Rinkus let out a chuckle, his accent evident in his cackles. "Oh, Alex. It's always going to be dangerous out here. That's why you've got to be smart." He tapped his head with his finger to get his point across.
"But, I think you're onto something. Perhaps we should talk to Pterano's dad? I doubt he'd listen, though."
"You're right," agreed Alex, shifting her icy gaze forward. "He wouldn't listen. We'd be stupid to try."
The two flyers then picked up speed, and sped off towards the sparkling waters ahead. Alex stopped a few inches away from the surface.
"You think there might be some swimmers in here?"
Rinkus shrugged his shoulders. "There might be. Go take a look."
Alex peered inside the water, examining the ripples. "It doesn't look that deep..."
Rinkus spotted the tip of a snout, and menacing yellow eyes with narrow slits for pupils. His eyes widened, and he yelled at a volume louder than he knew he was capable of.
"Alexandra! LOOK OUT!"
A huge belly dragger reared it's ugly head, clamping it's teeth shut around Alex's entire left arm. She let out a screech, tears leaking from her eyes.
"AH! Rinkus! Rinkus, help me, it won't let go! Oh, it hurts…HELP ME!"
Rinkus was so startled and in such an immense amount of shock, that didn't know what to do. He couldn't move nor could he form words. A few seconds passed, and he finally returned to reality.
"Alex! Alex, hold on!"
Alex didn't have all the time in the world, and she knew it. "Hurry!"
Rinkus rushed back, and rammed right into Sierra, who had been with Danielle.
"Hey, watch it, will ya?"
"S-S-Sierra..!"
"What? Quit talkin' like that. It's annoying."
Danielle was more understanding. "Rinkus, what's wrong? Is someone in trouble?"
Rinkus nodded.
"Who?"
"A-A-Alex! Alex needs our help!"
Danielle didn't need to be told twice, and quickly flew ahead. When the three of them arrived, Alex was still kicking. She refused to be eaten, despite how the belly dragger thrashed her petite body around.
When Rinkus failed to do so, Danielle tried to distract the belly dragger by biting on it's tail, but it had a death grip on the lilac colored flyer.
Rinkus stared at the water, where he could see something else swimming around.
"Danielle! Get out of there!"
"Danielle!" Sierra was practically screaming. "MOVE, NOW!"
He noticed too late. A much bigger sharptooth swimmer emerged from the water, swallowing the two flyers and the belly dragger all in one go. With several powerful splashes and waves, it returned to the deep, and the water was calm once again.
There was a stunned silence as Sierra and Rinkus tried to take in what had just happened. A strange noise came from Sierra's throat as his hands curled into fists. He was going to blow.
Rinkus, however, was surprisingly efficient at dealing with his emotions. He was able to suppress them and not let them get in the way of his better judgement. He had to be strong. He looked to his friend.
"S-Sierra? Are you alright?"
Sierra turned to Rinkus, and mustered a smile. "I'm fine, buddy. I'm just fine." He clasped his hands around Rinkus' shoulder, and flew off.
Rinkus rubbed his shoulder, uncertain of whether or not it was broken from Sierra's grip. The events that had just taken place seemed almost surreal, but Rinkus was not one to deny the truth, especially when it was in plain sight. He took to the sky, following Sierra.
Kyra watched Sierra walk in, his yellow eyes glowing with a horrifyingly calm fury. She walked up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Sierra?"
"Don't touch me!" Sierra slapped her hand away with such force that he accidentally backhanded Kyra in the face.
Pterano saw this, and was infuriated. "Sierra! What's wrong with you?"
Sierra didn't even turn to look at them.
"Sierra! Apologize right this instant."
"Shut your trap," the light brown flyer spat.
Kyra rubbed her face where he'd struck her; it didn't hurt as much now, but she was not expecting that at all from Sierra. She looked at Pterano, who looked ready to fight him.
"Pterano," she said, restraining him. "No. It's okay. Let it be. There's no use in getting angry."
Pterano sighed resignedly, and directed his gentle gaze to Kyra. "Are you alright?"
Kyra nodded. "I'm fine. But I wonder what's gotten into Sierra..."
Just then, Rinkus flew in. He let out a grunt as he landed on his stomach, creating a cloud of dust as he hit the floor.
Kyra stared at him in bewilderment. "Rinkus?"
Rinkus propped himself up and dusted himself off. "Yes?"
"Do you know what's wrong with Sierra?"
Rinkus was silent a moment. "...He saw Danielle get eaten by a sharptooth swimmer. She was trying to save Alex. Neither of them made it."
Kyra's eyes were as wide as the bright circle. "W-What?"
"T-They're dead. Both of them." His voice was beginning to quiver.
Kyra felt physically weak. "You've got to be joking..."
"I wish I was, Kyra...I wish I was."
Pterano stepped forward, his dark eyes sad and sympathetic. He placed one hand on Rinkus' shoulder, and brought the other to his chest.
"Oh, Rinkus...I'm so sorry. Are you alright?"
"Well…no. I think that there'll be a lot of tears before I can be 'alright'." He made air quotes with his fingers. He then clutched his tail in his hands. "It's Sierra I'm worried about."
Kyra began to sob. She'd lost three of her friends, three of her most supportive and amazing friends. She was immensely grateful to still have Tress, but was devastated at how many friends she'd lost in such little time. Pterano hugged her, not uttering a word. When her sobs turned into gentle sighs, Kyra spoke up.
"What are we going to tell Jonathan? And Farrah? And Danielle's parents?"
"The truth of course," replied Rinkus. "Hiding this from them will only hurt them more. But don't worry, Alexandra was my girl. I'll take care of breaking the news to her parents."
"Then...who's going to tell Danielle's?"
"I will," announced Pterano. "Sierra is in no condition to tell them. He'd probably snap at them, and that is not what they need."
So, the three flyers split up to deliver the message. Kyra lingered near Rinkus, for she knew Pterano could handle the task himself.
Jonathan shifted his weight slightly, slinging an arm around his wife as he gave Rinkus his undivided attention. "What did you want to tell us, Rinkus? Are you going to ask to marry Alex?" He and Farrah laughed at his playful remark.
Rinkus once again clutched his tail, holding onto it to calm his nerves. "Well, uh…no. Y-You see, Alex and I went searching for green food. We were going to search at some of the watering places, but..."
"But what?"
"Alex...uh...oh, dear. She was eaten! She was eaten by a swimming sharptooth! I-I tried to save her, but I couldn't! It just wouldn't let go! I'm so sorry…"
The two parents didn't say anything at first. Farrah began to sob, and Jonathan simply tightened his grip around her. He was angry and devastated, but his anger was not towards Rinkus. None of this was his fault. "…Thank you, Rinkus. For everything." His voice was heartfelt, and his heart ached for the flyer whom he knew loved Alexandra more than anything.
Rinkus nodded, and skittered away. Kyra rubbed his back, and they knew that Pterano had told Danielle's parents when they began sobbing. Soon, Randy and Tress came over.
"We heard about what happened," said Tress. She'd never known Rinkus too well, but she knew that he genuinely cared about Alex, and that he was a mess inside, despite his calm outer appearance.
"Rinkus, are you doing alright?"
Rinkus managed a smile. "I'm, uh, coping. Thank you."
"I'm sorry, Rinkus," said Randy. "This never should have happened. It shouldn't have happened to Charlie, or to you..."
"Or Sierra," added Rinkus. "Danielle's gone, too. And I don't think Sierra's going to be able to take it."
Sierra was stronger than him, and he couldn't handle the loss of his mate. How was Rinkus going to handle the loss of his?
"...This is awful," said Tress, not bothering to make an effort to hide her sobs. "What's happening to our herd?"
Randy held her close. "It's changing. You know, everything has it's time. Maybe it's this herd's time now."
"Try telling that to my father," interjected Pterano, who calmly approached them.
Randy placed a hand on his hips. "Well, it's either we find a new place to live, or we all die. Give your old man a choice, and let him take his pick."
"That won't change a thing, I'm afraid. You know how stubborn my father is."
"Yes, Tress clearly got it from him."
"Not a good time," said Tress, sniffling.
...
The next morning, when word of the demise of Alex and Danielle had gone around, Pterano's father spoke in front of the herd once more. It was nothing unusual; just a few words of respect and remembrance, and something about having to move on. At the end, he stated that it was now mandatory for flyers to leave in groups, and if they were to leave, they were to inform him or some other authority of their whereabouts.
While Kyra was glad efforts were being made to prevent this, she still greatly missed Alex and Danielle. She had trouble sleeping at night, and often dreamt about them, and Kiara as well. The herd was no longer as lively as it once was. Tensions were beginning to rise. And despite precautions, more flyers were being killed by sharpteeth and other forces of nature.
One morning, when Kyra was sitting near her home with her feet hanging over the ledge as she sobbed grossly, Randy came up to her. She quickly wiped her tears, and looked out towards the sky.
"Hey."
"Hm?" Kyra looked up, and saw her brother, hovering over her. "Oh. Hey, Randy."
Randy sat down next to her, a hand on her back. "What you thinking about?"
"Nothing."
"Don't give me that. I know you're thinking about what's been happening lately."
"Then why'd you ask if you already knew?"
"Because I wanted to hear it from you. And...I'm worried about you."
Kyra sighed deeply. "...I just don't know what's going to happen. We might have to move, or maybe even split up. It's scary to think about."
"Yeah, it is." He had a forlorn look in his eyes, like he was having a moment of contemplation. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was back to his cheery self. "
But hey," he said, "at least we'll be together. We're family, and we'll see this through to the end."
"You think so?"
"I know so. Maybe we could go to that Great Valley place everyone's been talking about."
"Is it even real? I thought it was just a story to give false hope. That's what it seems like, anyway."
Randy looked out towards the horizon, watching as the pink and purple clouds shifted across the warm sky.
"I think it is. There's gotta be some place like it. Our world is pretty huge, you know."
Kyra smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. "I know. You're pretty cool, Randy."
Randy reciprocated her gesture, resting his head on hers. "Thanks. I love you, sis."
"I love you too."
As they sat together in silence, they felt the ground tremble. Randy looked down, and saw rocks bouncing up and down. His brows furrowed with worry. When he looked up, he saw a trio of sharpteeth, taking a moment to sniff out any potential prey with their advanced sense of smell.
"Kyra." Randy protectively held out a wing in front of her. "Go inside."
"You come inside too," insisted Kyra.
"I will."
The sharpteeth's eyes turned to narrow slits as they noticed the two flyers. One of them tried to bite at Kyra, causing Randy to become even more defensive.
"Kyra, go inside! Now!"
Then, the earth truly began to shake. But this time, it wasn't just the dinosaurs' heavy mass causing the tremors.
Randy and Kyra both looked at each other; they knew what was happening. Earthshakes were not uncommon, but when they did hit, they were always unexpected. Suddenly, the part of the ledge that Randy had been sitting on shot up, slamming straight into another piece of rock.
The ground began to split open, causing the sharpteeth to fall into the gaping chasm. Kyra could hear the cries of several flyers who had been scooped up by the sharpteeth on their way down.
"Randy!" Kyra let out a scream of anguish as rocks tumbled, prompting her to take to the air. "Randy, answer me!" He never did answer her, and he never would.
The earth continued to split, the land masses ramming into each other. Flyers were everywhere, trying to escape their homes or trying to find the loved ones that they hoped hadn't been lost. Kyra did not know what to do, so she did what seemed to be the most sensible course of action. She followed the others.
Many flyers had managed to survive the catastrophic clash, but many had not been so lucky. The herd had dwindled significantly. The surviving members managed to find an area which hadn't been devastated by the huge earthshake, and gathered there.
Kyra's first instinct was to find her parents. She spotted her father, and without any reluctance, ran up to him, winding up in his arms.
"Papa! Oh, papa...I'm so glad you're okay..."
Her father held her tight, closing his eyes as tears flowed freely from his eyes.
"Oh, darling," he sobbed. "You're alright! I thought you might have gotten lost in the big earthshake...I wouldn't have been able to bear it if I lost you too."
Kyra shook her head. "I just followed the others."
Her father nodded his head. "Good."
"Um, papa?"
"Yes, love?"
"Where's mama...?"
He could only give a sad shake of his head as he slid to the floor, his back against the wall as the sobs came with full force.
Kyra understood. She sat down next to her father, coiling her arms around him. "Randy's gone, too. I didn't even see it coming..."
Kyra's father held onto her, grateful to still have one member of his family. "I know. I know."
Minutes passed without Kyra's father letting go, and frankly, Kyra didn't want him to. All they had was each other. Sticking together was important now more than ever.
As she clung to the older flyer, Kyra spotted Tress going from flyer to flyer, an apprehensive look on her face. She carefully examined her, trying to understand what she was saying.
"Hello, have you seen my mate? He's a dark gold flyer named Randy, he's the son of the healer."
She always looked hopeful when describing him, but when she was met with a 'no, sorry' and a shake of the head, her optimism suddenly vanished. When she saw Kyra among the crowd of flyers, her eyes widened and she rushed over.
"Kyra," she said in a soft voice, her hands over her chest. "Have you seen Randy?" She looked around nervously. "I can't find him anywhere..."
Kyra's heart broke. She looked her friend in the eye, firmly grasping her shoulder. "...I'm sorry, Tress."
Tress knew what was coming. "No...please, no."
"He was crushed during the big earthshake."
"Crushed...?"
"Literally," said Kyra, her voice trembling. "The ledge he was sitting on went up right into another piece of rock, and then the whole thing collapsed. Wherever he is, I'm afraid he's lost forever."
A range of emotions danced across Tress's face. Her eyebrows furrowed with anger, but her dark eyes held shock and disbelief. "That can't be true...it can't be!"
"I'm so sorry." Kyra reached out to Tress, but she wouldn't let Kyra come near her.
"But I was going to lay our eggs," said Tress, who looked as if she'd seen a sharptooth. "We were going to have kids together!"
"I know," said Kyra, gesturing with her hands as she pleaded with Tress to calm down. "I know. It's not fair at all."
Tress began to weep, and stormed off, her face buried in her hands.
"Kyra!"
"Hm?" She had barely turned her head, and found herself cradled in Pterano's arms.
"I found you at last," sighed Pterano, pulling away and nuzzling her with his beak. "Where were you? Have you been here this entire time?"
Kyra hummed contentedly, feeling at peace in her lover's arms. She looked up at him, green eyes glistening. "Never mind me, where were you?"
"I was checking for survivors," explained Pterano. "Trying to see if anyone I knew had perished. My father is proud of me for it, but I mostly did it to find you."
Kyra shook her head. "Oh Pterano, you're so conniving. I love you. But who do you know that's survived?"
Pterano thought for a moment as he tried to recall all the flyers he'd checked in with.
"Let's see...I found Charlie and what's left of his family, you, and my parents. But my mom is injured, and I don't know if she'll last much longer."
Kyra's hands flew over her mouth. "Oh, no. How is your father holding up?"
"He seems...indifferent. But, I know that he's a mess inside. He won't let anyone go near her."
He looked back at his father, who held Pterano's mother in his lap. His eyes were cold and uncaring, but the way he held her was tender and gentle.
"Anyway...I also found my sister, and Sierra and Rinkus. Jonathan hurt his leg, and Farrah can no longer fly. Sierra's brother and sisters are safe, thankfully, and so is the flyer that looks after them." He paused. "I couldn't find Randy, or your mother. Have you received any word on them?"
"They're both dead," Kyra said bluntly. "And before you ask, no, I'm not okay, and no, I don't want to talk about it."
The flyers were now huddled together, murmuring and talking amongst themselves. These were mostly panicked conversations, where they were fearful of what the future held. Soon enough, Pterano's father stepped up, putting an end to all the chatter.
He took a deep breath, his dark eyes sullen and downcast before he looked up. "…We have lost much in a short time. Many of us have lost our husbands and our wives, and our mothers and fathers. Many of us have lost our homes to that horrid earthshake. It's important now that we stick together. We can't afford to lose more than we already have. From now on…everyone pulls double duty. Each and everyone of you works, regardless of who you are. And if I hear that you're slacking off, and I will know if you are, you will be disciplined accordingly."
He gave the downsized herd one last icy glare, and retreated back to where his family stood.
The conversations resumed, and they were more fearful. Rather than instilling calmness, the leader of the herd had instilled fear.
That night, Kyra's sleep stories had worsened in intensity. They felt unbelievably real, and were simply forcing her to relive the deaths of her loved ones, one by one. Her eyes suddenly flicked open, and she awoke to the pitter patter of sky water outside.
As she looked out at the dark sky, she noticed that the night circle was not watching over them tonight. She could feel an uneasiness around her.
One of these days, someone who'd lost someone near and dear to them would snap and revolt against the leader in midst of their grief. It was inevitable. Their leader was becoming a tyrant, slowly, and the worst had yet to come.
Kyra rose to her feet, and carefully maneuvered way over the sleeping families, taking care not to step on anyone's feet or tail. Once she was at the entrance, she could feel the sky showering her in cold, wet kisses of sky water.
She wanted to start over, begin a new life somewhere. She felt terrible leaving the only home she'd ever known, but at this point, it didn't even feel like home. Even those who made it so special were beginning to change. Kyra looked back at her father, and then at Pterano and Tress. She even looked to Rinkus and Sierra as well. She silently hoped they would all be okay.
"You will always be in my heart," she whispered so softly that it was silenced by the rain. Then, she looked forward and never looked back.
…Kyra found that her face was soaked in tears. She wondered if Pterano had stayed with her. He had. He kept his arms around her, allowing her to weep to her heart's content.
"I was just unhappy," she sobbed. "I didn't meant to hurt any of you, I just wanted to be happy...I know it was selfish and cowardly, but I never meant any harm.."
Pterano brought her closer to him. "I know, dearest. I know how you are. You are the type who knows what she wants. You just wanted to be happy, and the moment you weren't, you ran to the hills."
Kyra grasped his arms, her eyes moist and puffy.
"I've made you unhappy several times," said Pterano. "And yet, you stayed with me. You wanted to make it work, so I know you truly loved me. And I think that now we can make it work. We can truly be happy."
"I think so too," Kyra managed through her hiccups. "We don't have to abide by rules, and we are protected here. Randy and the others won't have died in vain."
Pterano didn't quite catch her meaning. "What do you mean, dear?"
"I know that Randy, as well as our friends who died, would want us to be happy." Kyra swallowed a lump of air in her throat. "I won't insult their memory by not pursuing happiness or not trying to improve myself."
Pterano understood now. Their friends might have died, but not in vain.