Chapter 11: Spilt up and Jake's journey

Disclaimer: Too bad Dinotopia aint real, I wouldn't mind visiting it.

Jake laughed to himself as he strode his way over to the farm. Yesterday had really been something.

It had been at least three days since he snuck off into the Rainy Basin and met Backstop, and yesterday night, he had experienced something…well, he didn't know how to describe it but…

Yesterday was supposedly the last night that everyone would be staying at Vidabba Earthfarm. As a special treat, they went through some kind of ceremony last night that……made Jake feel a lot less tense then he had.

It was as if the depression within his body had been sucked right out, leaving him in a great mood. The same thing happened to his brothers. Karl, of course, though it was complete nonsense, but stuck around, and he even admitted that he felt great at the end.

Jake's thoughts then drifted back the teenage triceratops, Backstop. Their was something about him that made him happy,…and annoyed. Like he had found a long lost brother. To put it bluntly, Backstop would be what Jake was like if he was a dinosaur.

"Cool, but……I don't know If I can trust him yet" Jake thought as he entered the farm. Seeing that all that students were their, including his brothers, Samantha and Marion, Jake took a seat next to Samantha.

"Hi again" Jake smirked at the girl.

"Hi, you excited about were you'll be an assigned for the next few weeks" she said cheerfully.

Jake frowned at this. This meant he would be separated from his brothers. That thought made him uneasy, like he was suppose to keep an eye on them, keep them out of trouble (And not have them try to kill each other over Marion).

"Honestly, I don't know, part of me is happy to go out and learn something new, but another part is worried that something's gonna happen to my brothers" Jake sighed as he glanced at his brothers.

Samantha sighed as she gave him a pat on the shoulder "Theirs no need to be worried about it, it's normal for to be worried for your siblings".

At this, Samantha turned to Marion, who was laughing at one of Karl's jokes. She said "I worried about Marion, so many things are expected out of her from mom and dad, and she doesn't even know that she want's too do yet. She turned to Jake and gave him a weak smile. Like being told to do something you don't want, but are too afraid too voice your opinions" she finished.

"I know the feeling, Dad expected a lot out of me and Karl, but…he was so distant to David. Like the too couldn't relate at anything. It's terrible, the father and son can't find anything in common," Jake said softly.

Samantha, wanting to break the depressing mood, asked, "Well……this might seem a little strange but……do you have any other living relatives" she asked.

Jake gave her a strange look as he said, "Yeah all over the place, but my favorite one is my Dad's dad, my grandfather".

Jake laughed inside at the thought of his grandfather, who always was visiting his grandson, or him being sent to grandpa. Kenneth Scott, a sixty year old martial artist, and kendo sword fighter, had taught Jake everything he knew……well almost everything.

He was kind, compassionate, and stern when he needed to be, and for someone his age, he fought like he was twenty again. Heck, Jake could never beat his grandfather in a fight, fist or sword. It was Kenneth Scott who gave Jake his sword, when he was only twelve. That was the last time he saw his grandpa.

Explaining this to Samantha, she asked "Is he still alive".

At this, Jake lowered his head to the floor in sadness. "I don't know, the last time we spoke, he said he was going on a boating trip with his friends to Japan or something, wanted to do some training out their. That was four years ago. We haven't heard from him since. I pray every night that he's not dead" Jake said sadly.

Samantha put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder, as she said, "I'm sorry for your lost".

Jake gave her a weak smile as he said, "It's alright, and it's just something I don't like to talk about".

Dropping the subject, Jake awaited for the rest of the students to come in.

--

Now that everyone had arrived, Rosemary handed out scrolls to the students, presumably they were diplomas, as she told them where they would be going.

"Man, I really hope that I get to become a skybax rider" Jake thought excited.

"Karl" rosemary called.

Karl, hoping that he would be somewhere close to Marion, got up. Approaching Rosemary, she handed him his diploma.

"You are of the land, you will remain here and train in the hatchery" Rosemary announced, knowing well that this was the best choice for Karl.

Karl on the other hand was confused. Train in the hatchery?? What was he supposed to learn there? To take a triceratops temperature or something??

Giving Rosemary a strange look, he sat back down.

Rosemary smiled inwardly, knowing that by the end of Karl's training, he would be a much better person.

"David" she called.

David, eager to learn something knew as always, got up, hoping it would be something exciting.

"You are of the sky," she announced.

David tilted his head in confusion. "Of the sky" he repeated. What was she saying?? Was she telling him he would be training somewhere in the sky or something??

Leaning forward, hoping he had misheard her, asked, "Are you sure".

"Yes, you'll undergo Skybax training in Canyon city" Rosemary said as she handed David his scroll.

"WHAT, THAT'S INSANE!! I can't become a skybax, I have a deep fear of heights, what in the world makes you think I can become a skybax?! I'd fall the first time I tried".

Of course, David said none of this. "Thanks" he muttered as he sat back down, not thrilled at all.

"Jake" Rosemary called.

"This is it" Jake thought wildly.

Getting up, unable to stop himself from grinning, he awaited his diploma. When she didn't hand one over, Jake gave her a confused look.

"Because you are under age, your not assigned a habitat.

"WHAT" Jake thought?

"Huh" he said aloud.

Rosemary stepped forward and whispered "I need you here for something important, talk to me again later".

"Why" Jake whispered back.

"It's Samantha, she need your help" Rosemary whispered.

Jake shot a glance Samantha who gave him a sad glance; depressed that Jake hadn't been assigned. Likewise, his brothers were also sad for their little brother.

Still slightly upset that he wasn't assigned, he muttered "Alright".

Sitting back down, he went into deep thought.

What did she mean? Was Samantha in danger?? He would get his answers soon enough.

--

Rosemary sighed as Marion left to go talk to Karl. She was obviously still upset she hadn't been assigned either.

"I'm here, now tell me why you didn't assign me" spoke a voice.

Looking up, she saw Jake, his arms crossed, demanding answers.

"I'm glad you're here, despite disapproving of the violence you've shown here, I think you're the most suitable one to help" Rosemary spoke.

Jake raised an eyebrow as he asked, "You said it has something to do with Samantha, what is it".

Rosemary paused as she didn't want to say it, but she had to for Jake to understand the situation.

"She's dying," she said, trying not to cry.

Jake's eyes widened in horror. Samantha……dying?? But how?

"I don't understand, how" Jake asked confused.

Rosemary sighed as she confessed "A few days before you and brothers arrived here, I sent her with a Saurian guard to get some herbs near the rainy basin. She came in contact with a deadly plant".

"What's it called?" Jake asked.

"Octium Nyxonus, a deadly plant that poisons humans and saurian's alike, it's one of the few deadly planets that we have here on Dinotopia. It's the T-Rex's optional source of food, apart of people and dinosaurs. It's a death planet," she whispered as she tried to keep her emotions in check.

Jack put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. "Hey come on, calm down" Jake said. He too was trying too keep calm. "How long doe sit take for the poison too…" Jake stopped their, not wanting to finish the sentence.

Rosemary wiped a few tears away, as she said "It slowly shuts down parts of the body, weakening them to the point where the victim cant even move. If left untreated for a month, the victim dies," she cried.

Some of the passing students glanced at Rosemary, wondering what had her so upset. Jake, not wanting any extra attention, took Rosemary outside.

"Surely, their must be a cure to this poison, anything at all" Jake half begged. He liked Samantha, he really did. He didn't want too see her die!!

Rosemary wiped more tears away as she thought. "Yes…there is a cure, but it won't be easy to get" she said.

"Where is this cure?" Jake asked firmly, determined to save Samantha.

"The only place that has the cure to the poison is in the dense woodlands of the Blackwood Flats," she said softly.

"Blackwood Flat's, what that" Jake asked.

"It's a dense woodland, filled with poisonous snakes, many carnivorous dinosaurs, and the might Red scared T-Rex," she said softly.

Looking up, she said, "I sent three saurian's, and their partners to retrieve the cure, but they haven't come back" Rosemary said.

Grabbing Jake by his sides, she begged "Jake, if my daughter doesn't get the cure soon, she'll die".

Jake had never seen Rosemary so upset before, he had gotten the impetration that she was the by-the-book type of person, all work and no fun.

"But she's also a mother, who cares dearly for her daughter, and if someone doesn't help her soon…" Jake thought.

"Alright" Jake said quietly.

Rosemary looked up with hope. "What" she asked.

"I said all right, I'll go to the Blackwood flat's and get the cure, and save Samantha" Jake said as he smirked.

Rosemary, eternally grateful for Jake, said, "I know this is a lot to ask, but I think you're the only one capable of brining back the cure".

Jake nodded as he said, "I won't fail you or Samantha. When do I leave"?

"Would tomorrow be good," asked Rosemary.

Jake nodded as he started to walk away to pack some provisions for the trip and halted. Turning back to Rosemary, he said "You can't tell my brothers about this. They'd want to stop me from doing something so dangerous".

Rosemary nodded. "I won't tell a soul". Jake nodded back as he walked away. Rosemary sighed heavily, as she thought "Please Jake, save my daughter".

--

"I don't want to stay here without you" Karl said firmly. He, and Jake were seeing Marion and David off, but Karl was unwilling to part with Marion.

Marion put a hand on his shoulder as she said, "If you really care about me then try, trust my mother". Karl slowly nodded as he gazed into her eyes. "Beautiful aqua" he thought.

"Karl" spoke a voice, snapping him out of his thoughts. Looking up, he barley hid his aggravation as David came up to him.

"Karl, I can't really say how much me and Marion are gonna miss you" David said with a sad look that indicated he would miss him, but his tone of voice said otherwise.

Noticing the rising tension between the brothers, Marion said, "We really will miss you Karl".

Jake then stepped forward, offended "Hey, what about me, I don't exist anymore".

David turned to Jake as he crossed his arms in a mock pout. "I guess you don't care about me huh Davy" Jake said, using David's least favorite nickname.

David smirked as he gave his brother a quick hug, saying, "Of course not, I'll miss you, though not as much as I'll miss Karl".

Karl, wanting to yank David's chain abit, said, "Your not really joining the skybax are you".

David didn't answer, so Karl continued "The first time you see one of those birds up close, your gonna freak".

Marion smirked as she said "Don't worry, I'll look after him".

Karl glanced Marion's way, hoping she wasn't implying anything. "Oh really" he said, raising an eyebrow.

David, taking advantage of the situation, said, "Actually, we'll look after, each other".

Jake, wanting to join in on the action, nudged Karl in the side, saying "Oh he'll take care of Marion alright, if you know what I mean".

Karl whapped Jake in the back of the head for the comment, as David gave off a wave as they went to their saurians.

"Breath deep Karl" whispered Marion.

"Yeah you too" Karl nodded as he turned to leave.

Jake watched with sadness as his brother left. This might be the last time he would ever see his brothers. No…he wouldn't think like that, he would see his brothers again. He would survive.

--

After hours of traveling across a desert plain, Marion and David reached the cliffs. Climbing to the top, David groaned, "We've got to stop doing this".

"What are you talking about" Marion asked confused, looking over the barrier, which separated them from an unsurvivable fall.

"Climbing is what I'm talking about" he groaned.

Staying away from the barricade, he moaned, "This is like a chronic nightmare, within a very, very bad dream".

"David, it's beautiful up here" Marion laughe3d, gazing at the scenery. Holding out her hand, she said "Come on, I'll hold your hand"/

David, shy that he would be holding Marion's hand, grasped it as he stepped forward. Gazing out, he gasped.

"There it is David, Canyon City" Marion laughed.

Rocky cliffs and gaps were stretched out as far as the eye could see. This reminded David very much of the grand canyons in Arizona. Ten of the cliffs were sculpted to look like skybax and pteranadons. Ocassionaly, several of these majestic beast, flew above in the skies. Although, they flew away from one another, as the skybax and pteranadons did'nt get along.

Marion pointed down and said, "Theirs the Amuil River, can you see it"

David shook his head, protesting "Their's no way I'm looking down their".

Curiosity getting the better of him, David peeked down to see for himself. The bottom was…wait a sec. Where was the bottom? Why couldn't he see it??

"How far down is that" David gulped.

"Six-thousand feet" Marion plainly said.

David gasped in shook. If he was nervous before, that nervousness just shot up ten fold. Six thousand feet?!

"Six thousand feet, that's not possible, nothing is six thousand feet down" David protested. Backing away from the barrier, he firmly said "Your mother's made a terrible mistake, I have to tell someone here, who's in charge, right away".

--

The next day came, and after breakfast, Jake rushed too see Rosemary.

Meeting her outside the farm, he said, "Okay, I'm all packed and ready, but……I don't know if I can do this alone". Sure he was good, but not good enough too survive a forest full of T-Rexes.

Rosemary smiled as she said "I thought that too, which is why I'm sending someone with you".

Jake raised an eyebrow, as Rosemary whistled. Hearing a grunt behind him, Jake turned.

Before him was none other then Backstop, the same teenage triceratops that he had saved in the Rainy basin.

"What's he doing here?" Jake grunted. Backstop huffed at the sight of Jake.

"He's going to assist you in your journey" Rosemary said calmly, knowing well what she was doing.

"This guy, he'll just slow me down" Jake huffed. Backstop gave him the evil eye, as he pawed the ground, as if he was about to charge Jake.

"Oh, you want a piece of me, bring it" Jake said as he put a hand too his sheath.

Rosemary grabbed his hand and shook her head, whilst she said something in saurian too Backstop. Backstop sighed ash stopped pawing the ground.

"I know you both don't want help, but you need each other for this journey, besides after it's over, things will be for the better" Rosemary said kindly.

Jake sighed. In order to survive and bring back the cure known as Stenocronis, he had too get along with Backstop, and not end up killing each other.

Readjusting his backpack and sword, Jake said "I'll be back, Samantha won't die, you can count on it".

Rosemary nodded, as she pointed behind Jake towards the road. "Take that road, and go straight for twenty miles, you'll come across a crossroad. There should be a sign post that'll direct you towards the Blackwood Flats" she instructed.

Jake nodded as he sighed. "Tell my brother, that I went to Waterfall city and won't be back for a few days," Jake said.

Rosemary nodded as she gave Jake a quick hug. "Good luck" she said.

Jake nodded as he turned to Backstop. "Come on, lets go……and try and keep up" he smirked.

"Melta tua line" responded Backstop.

Still keeping their distance from each other, Jake and Backstop started down the road, that would lead towards saving Samantha.

--

Karl, now a mile or two away from the farm, walked down a stony path, on a bright beautiful day, towards the hatchery.

Looking down at his card again, he groaned, wondering again how he got sucked into this mess.

Stepping up to the porch of the hatchery, which consisted of a single sunstone in the small tower, he pulled a cord, which he suspected to be the bell.

No one answered. Deciding to let himself in, Karl opened the door and saw a long staircase that led down.

Below, he could hear squawks and squealing, most likely from the infant dinosaurs.

Karl glanced to his left as he noticed someone step into the room. He sighed as he saw Samantha again. She was almost as beautiful as her sister. Almost that is…

"Uh…hi they gave m this card" Karl spoke as he showed it to her. Samantha looked down at is and nodded.

"Follow me, you've got to be very quiet, a triceratops has just given birth" Samantha explained as they went down the stairs.

Down at the bottom, Karl gasped. Several others were walking about doing their business. There were dozens of eggs, all lined up and being heated in their incubators. This was where they kept their eggs?? Karl had to admit, he expected something abit more…primitive.

"This is the incubation room, warmer temperature changes developing embryos to males, and cooler to females" she explained. Stepping up to one of the eggs, she said "You can normally tell when their ready, because before hatching, the eggs squeak". To prove her point she bended over to one of the eggs and put her ear to it. "Have a listen," she said.

Karl raised an eyebrow as he bended over himself and put his ear to the egg. "They squeak," he asked. Indeed, he could hear it squeaking. "Oh yeah, cool" he said.

"Let's see your ticket" Samantha asked. Karl handed her his ticket as she glanced at it. "Twenty-six" she mumbled. Slowly passing by eggs, she stopped by an egg that had the number 26 on it. Reaching for it she said "Okay Karl, this ones yours".

"What do you mean mine" Karl asked confused.

"You have to look after it" Samantha said.

"Wait a minute, I didn't agree too look after a dinosaur egg, I agreed to work. I can't take care of a baby dinosaur, I can barley manage my own life as it is" Karl thought mentally.

"I don't understand" Karl said, still not catching on.

"Its your saurian life partner" Samantha explained. She then handed Karl his egg.

Karl simply looked at it. Could he really look after an infant dinosaur…and possibly be a father figure too it??

--

David gulped for the tenth time that day. It was bad enough that he was stories high above ground level, but he had to get used to flying above it.

He was dressed in a traditional skybax uniform, that he received from Romana Dennison, a girl about a year younger then him with blonde hair, blue eyes, and an outgoing personality.

After being shown to his sleeping quarters, he had been ordered to meet with the rest of the recruits on a rocky platform, were they all lined up in single file.

Before David, was the stern Captain Oonu, the same man who rescued them from the T-Rex attack from almost a month back.

"Breath deep" commanded Oonu.

The students responded with a salute by placing fist on their chest, and yelled "Fly high".

Now having their attention, Oonu said, "I am Oonu, the squadron leader of the Skybax corp., and I will be your instructor". Glancing at all the recruits, he continued "There are approximately four thousand, two hundred Dinotopians working in Canyon City, and only twelve Skybax riders each year, are selected. Step forward" he commanded.

The recruits stepped forward, eager to learn. Oonu then gestured towards the statues, saying "The statues you see before you are called the Centiens, they divide the canyons. The air above them belongs to the skybax, the space below to the pteranadons. Since the two species have spilted long ago, all attempt to communicate with the pterandons have failed.

Glancing in David's direction, he said "You cannot ride a Skybax if you have fear in your heart, they will sense that fear and will not approach". Recollecting himself, he said "In a moment, third year Cadets will begin their morning flights. Until then, observe".

Turning to the canyon, he raised a fist into the air. At first nothing happened, then a moment later, a squawk came from above. Turning back towards the students, a Skybax flew into view, and landed on the platform, flapping its wings.

The recruits backed up in amazement, awing at the sight of the creature. Oonu smirked as he had their attention now. Glancing back at the skybax, he nodded as it took off back towards the canyons.

--

Karl has annoyed.

Who did Rosemary think she was, thrusting this kinda responsibility on him without consulting it with him?!

Taking his partner with him, and ignoring Samantha protest, he stormed over to where Rosemary was teaching a class.

"Is this your idea of a joke" he demanded hotly.

Rosemary glanced up and gaped at Karl. "Take care back to the incubation room at once, are you trying to kill your partner" she said sternly.

"Partner, what are you talking about" Karl asked, still confused.

Dismissing the class, Rosemary sat up and examined Karl's egg. "Karl, this is your saurian partner, now take her back where it's warm" she said.

Karl held his annoyed gaze as he grunted, "Who said about me wanting a partner, I agreed to stay here and work, I didn't agree to this". Shoving the egg into Rosemary's arms, Karl sighed in anger. He couldn't look after an egg, he just couldn't.

Taking the egg over to a table, Rosemary asked "Karl…what did you feel when you communed with the Brachiosaurs" she asked.

This question took Karl by surprise.

"I don't know, ummm…" he said. Shoot, what did he feel? He knew he felt something, but…what was it??

"It's really hard to explain" Karl admitted.

Rosemary nodded, understanding "You felt apart of something more then yourself…you felt apart of our world" Rosemary summed up.

"Now……put her back, she needs to be kept warm" Rosemary said, handing him his egg.

Karl, then out of curiosity, said, "You keep calling it a her, how do you know it's a her".

Rosemary smiled as she affectingly rubbed the egg; "I just know things Karl" she smiled.

--

Meanwhile…

"Man it's hot out," Jake said, wiping the sweat from his head. He had already reached the sign post, and was now heading west towards the Blackwood Flats, which was a good fifty miles away. Along the way, he had to stop a few times to rest his legs. Was he getting out of shape?? Back home, he was the star runner on the track team.

"I'm just tired is all" he grumbled as he readjusted his pack for the third time that day.

Glancing back at his dinosaur companion, he smirked. Backstop was faring no better then him, as he was lightly panting from the heat.

"Getting tired" Jake smirked.

"Herbivores ven chu tired" retorted Backstop.

"Denial" Jake laughed inwardly as the trudged onward. Jake then thought of something.

--

Crossing a desolate plain, with only rocks, and small bits of grass, Jake sighed as he glanced up at the sky. Clouds were beginning to gather quickly and turn grey. A storm was coming.

"Over their, shelter" Jake pointed.

Pointing at a small cave with an opening to let the skylight in, which strangely was in the middle of nowhere, the two rushed towards it as the thunder above started to crackle.

"Yeis mean ot the rain," muttered Backstop.

"Yeah I know what you mean," Jake grumbled. Inside the cave, where their was little moist, the cave was nice and dry, so the two sat down.

"Well, I'm gonna start a fire and cook our food, so…you go over their and do whatever it is you usually do" Jake said as he pointed over at the wall.

"Te order me around," grumbled Backstop. He was really getting annoyed with Jake always making cracks at him. Although he enjoyed making cracks right back at him.

"Tu headband es meta" chuckled Backstop.

"Huh" Jake grumbled as he started a fire as the storm outside intensified.

"Tu ef headband es rag" laughed Backstop.

Jake shot up, offended, giving Backstop an angry glare. "What did you just say, I dare you to say that again" Jake growled.

Backstop laughed again, knowing he had Jake. "Tu ef headband es rag" he laughed again.

Jake glared intently. His grandfather had given him this headband. "My headband is not a rag, you thick headed, slowpoke" Jake snapped.

Backstop stopped laughing as he glared at Jake again. Pawing the ground, he tensed up as he prepared to charge Jake. Likewise, Jake put a hand too his sword.

"Knock it off you idiot, you need to get along with this jerk if you want to save Samantha" argued the rational part of his mind.

Jake sighed as he took his hand off his sword. Backstop stopped pawing the ground, watching Jake. "Us beating each other up isn't gonna help Samantha, we have to cooperate in order for this too work" Jake said softly.

Dropping to the floor, he cooked the fish he had caught earlier. Although it wasn't allowed in Dinotopia, Jake didn't care at this point. He need protein in order to help keep in shape. Backstop ate some leave Jake had gotten for him.

After finishing their dinner off with some water, Jake glanced outside too see the storm still hadn't subsided. It had gotten pretty late anyway.

"I guess all we can do is turn in at this point, you sleep over there," Jake grumbled as he pointed at a corner of the cave.

Backstop trudged over too his side of the cave and sat down. Espidu Mammal" he grumbled.

"Dumb herbivore" shot back Jake.

Before he drifted off too sleep, Jake thought "How in the world are we going too survive this without ending up killing each other".

Translations:

Melta tua line: That's my line

Herbivores ven chu tired: Herbivores don't get tired

Yeis mean ot the rain: Finally, out of the rain

Te order me around: Don't order me around

Tu headband es meta: That headband of yours

Tu ef headband es rag: Your headband looks like a rag

Espidu Mammal: Stupid Mammal