Chapter 2: Treasure Hunting
Aurora and her pack felt uneasy when they return to their private area. Having met Ulyssa and her pack made Aurora and Blue feel afraid of her, but they also feel sympathy for her.
'You know, I understand how she feels about humans. You know that Hoskins? He wanted to use us in some military stuff,' Delta said to her pack.
'Well she wasn't used for any sort of military stuff. She was kept in a cage when she was alive,' Blue chirps.
"She only wanted to be free," Aurora replied to her pack, "And defend her territory." The young woman looked at her reflection in the pool. She took note of her straight brown that was in tangles and her skin had a nice tan. Her brown eyes seemed a bit glossy.
Then, Blue came into the reflection. Aurora admired the raptor's reflection as Blue looked as if she was in the prime of her life. Blue nudges against Aurora and she gently patted her muzzle.
"Hey Charlie," Aurora calls out, "I did promise that we go hunting for blackberries."
The young raptor chirps in excitement and wags her tail almost like a dog. The five of them gain their composure and headed out, again.
They went through the thick brush of their private area and came upon a few blackberry bushes. "Hold on Charlie," Aurora insists as the raptor wanted to eat them. "You have to be sure they are ripe," she said and checks them.
She pulled down a large leaf from a tree and she began to pick the ripe ones. However, Charlie kept eating them when Aurora made a pile on the leaf. "That's the reason they disappeared last night," she said, "You ate them yourself."
Charlie chirps and Delta snarls at her. 'And you blamed me!' she growls.
'I don't remember eating them!' Charlie replies in a plea. The two exchanged growls and snarls and Aurora had had enough.
"That is enough you two! What is done is done!" she informs the two raptors. "I'm going to pick these berries and hide them somewhere. You will not be able to find them," Aurora adds.
She picked a lot of berries and went off to hide them, leaving the raptors. She returned a moment later.
"Now, with that done, I think we can do something before the day is out," Aurora said to them.
'What about those rocky hills in the west? I want to see them,' Blue chirps and Aurora nods. She filled up a big canteen with cold water and they were ready to leave.
Aurora got on Blue's back and they lead the way. They pass a few dinosaurs, such as a herd of Apatosaurus who were grazing the tops of trees and some Stegosaurus who were attending to their juveniles.
It took about twenty minutes to reach the rocky hills in the west. It was hot and the humidity made it even hotter.
"I should've brought more water with us," Aurora said to the raptors, "Okay, just one sip, we have to save it for the journey back," she adds.
She took a sip and pours some water into Blue's mouth. Echo went next, then Delta, and Charlie.
'I hate the humidity,' Charlie chirps.
'We're cold-blooded, we thrive in the heat,' Echo replies.
'I still hate it,' Charlie said while scratching an itch.
Aurora picks up a few rocks and examines them. "I think these are geodes," she said to the raptors.
'Geodes? What are they?' Blue asks and Aurora takes a bigger rock and smatches a smaller one.
Then, the smaller rock breaks open to reveal its core of blue crystal. Aurora shows it to her pack.
"The color matches your scales, Blue," Aurora points out and compares the blue geode to the raptor's blue streaks. "I have an idea, each of you keep one, this one is for you Blue," Aurora said and places the geode in the pack.
Delta, Echo, and Charlie look for one for themselves. When they each had one, Aurora smatches them open.
Delta's geode was green, much like her body. Echo's was white and Charlie's was brown.
'They are really pretty,' Delta comments and Aurora places the geodes in her pack.
'Aurora, you don't have one,' Blue points out and quickly searches for one. She brought back a bigger one that took up her whole mouth.
"Whoa Blue, I don't need a bigger one. I'm going to throw out my back if I carried that," Aurora said and Blue goes to find a smaller one.
She return with a small one and Aurora breaks it open to reveal a purple and blue core. "Perfect," Aurora said and places it in her pack. "Now, no one is allowed to steal, only trade," she said to the raptors.
They then trek up the hill and, after a moment of panting, they look around. They could see the valley surrounded by high mountains.
They even saw the south jungle.
'Hey, what's that?' Charlie chirps and they turn to face the other direction.
A little further from where they were standing was a shadowy landscape. It was blocked by what appeared to be a translucent barrier.
"That is so strange, I never noticed that before," Aurora said to the raptors.
'Must be beyond the boarders of Home,' Blue chirps, 'We best not go there.'
The other raptors chirp back as they were curious as to what lay beyond the barrier.
"It might be dangerous," Aurora points out.
'I laugh at the face of danger!' Charlie chirps, but it sound more like a chuckle.
'If you are killed, will you be laughing then?' Echo asks and Charlie shakes her head.
"Let's go, it's way pass lunch time, and all of us need a bath," Aurora informs them and they went back down the hill.
When they were gone, a figure from the other side of the barrier had notice them. It banged on the wall and growl, featuring some teeth. Its red eyes began to glow with so much hate.
From the author: The plot is picking up! There's more to come! Stay tuned! Please leave reviews!
Fun fact-Geodes are rocks that have cavities lined with crystals or other mineral matter.