(Hello everyone, here's chapter 9. Hope you all enjoy.)
Chapter 9: Together or Nowhere
Ingrid comes around the base of a tree trunk carrying a bird, she places it in a hole at its base alongside her other catches. "Now all I need is a microceratus to win this contest. Then I'll prove to everyone my point and showing who's best." Ingrid says when she raises her head, hearing a noise by a nearby stream.
"A rare blue microceratus, on the other side of the stream." Ingrid begins to stalk lowering her body. But as she gets close to the streams bank, the microceratus sees her; alarmed it runs off. Ingrid chases after it crossing the stream over a nearby log. However nearby in the bushes, a pair of yellow eyes was watching the scene. The eyes then disappear with its tiger striped owner running off into the brush.
Meanwhile, Sora was hammering away at the stone he found with another on a small rock. Carefully aiming at the edges and checking them, then he grabs a small vine and a long, straight stick, taking off the small branches. He ties the vine around the stone and the stick connecting them together, finished he looks at it admiring his craft work; but he knew there was one final test to be done.
On the other side of the forest, the owner of the yellow eyes; an atrociraptor, runs into a clearing. Then leaps onto a boulder near a high rocky-hill outcropping; waiting on top were four other atrociraptors, three males and at the head a white tiger-striped female with red eyes.
"Ghost…" "What is it you have to report?" "Did you find us something to catch?" Ghost and the male Panthera said to the raptor.
"Unfortunately, no…but I do have news, a young female velociraptor is hunting nearby." The raptor says nearly avoiding the snarling anger from Panthera.
"A velociraptor." Ghost says a bit taken aback.
"Tell us was she alone or were there others with her?" "Like the man-cub, was he with her?" Two other males Red and Tiger asked.
"No, there was no sign of any other velociraptors nor the man cub with her." The raptor said to him.
"So what, this one dares to hunt all alone…?" Tiger said when he and the others hear Ghost snickering maliciously.
"Interesting, very interesting… Tiger, Red! Go gather the others and track down this loner." Ghost tells them.
"Yes sis…I mean alpha." Red said nearly avoiding an anger filled snarl of his own, then he and tiger run down the hill.
"Can't resist, can you?" "Not on your life, you wouldn't think I miss an opportunity to get rid of some competition." Ghost said to Panthera grinning at the mere thought of it.
At the time, Sora was stalking on a lystrosaurus that was grazing amongst the tall grass. As he gets close, he ready's his craft work; then he springs up and throws his work at the lystrosaurus. Landing a hit, hearing only a squeal from the animal.
"Gotcha…Wow, it really works." Sora says amazed by his new tool while holding his catch.
The sun sets on the Sirona lands. In the forest, Ingrid is still tracking the same blue microceratus that continues to evade her. All the while, Sora is slowly but gaining the lead. Still using his creation, Sora strikes upon a spring hare out in the open, then further down the trail he see's a bird up on a branch. Lifting his creation over his shoulder, he launches it striking the bird.
"Yes, got him!" Sora rushes excitedly to his catch that fell from the tree, "I might just be able to win this after all." Sora thought smiling.
"How ingenious." "Shadow-fang." Sora says hearing and seeing shadow-fang walk up to him from behind.
"I have always been impressed by the inventiveness of the human mind, very clever." Shadow-fang says impressed.
"How long have you been following me?" Sora asks.
"From the beginning… I was worried about you." "Oh…" Sora smirks feeling touched by his care.
"A little worried… Since you didn't notice me earlier, you still have a long way to go." Shadow-fang says a little shyly but serious about his point, then he and Sora hear rustling ahead; a microceratus passes by crossing to the other side of the path as they watch.
"You better get going." Shadow-fang says softly which Sora nods and runs after the microceratus into the brush. Then from the sky, the calls and alarms of bird's sound through the forest.
"Those birds are warning of danger, and its nearby too." Shadow-fang thought concerned about this.
Ingrid though was busy chasing down the blue microceratus through the forest, then at a bend on a trail she leaps over the small saurian cornering it. Before it tries to run, Ingrid pins it down and dispatches it with a neck bite instantly. Ingrid looks down on her prey as blood flows from it feeling pride.
"Looks like it's my win." Ingrid says, but then hears malicious cackling to her alarm as she looks around.
Emerging from the shadowy brush, the atrociraptors surround, growling and stalking Ingrid as she looks around frantic to see more come.
"Why, hello there…" Ghost says emerging, flanked by Panthera, Tiger, and Red.
"You." Ingrid says angrily.
"What are you doing out here, and so…alone" Ghost chuckles grinning as Ingrid squares off against the atrociraptors.
"Well, now. Aren't you a bold one to be out here hunting… by yourself." Ghost says amused.
"What I find bold is that you and your pack of poachers are here hunting in the Sirona lands and in our territory. You know our pack won't stand for this trespassing…! Ingrid says when tiger snarls at her and she snarls right back, but ghost only chuckles maliciously.
"Maybe so…However, they don't know that we are do they…Besides, here I was planning to invite you to be with us for dinner." Ghost continues to taunt her with her blood thirsty red eyes.
"And what's it going to be?" Ingrid asks apprehensively, which all the atrociraptors snarl claws bared and ready.
"…You." Ghost snarled which at that moment, Panthera and another atrociraptor lunged right at her. Ingrid immediately jumped toward a nearby tree trunk as the two collide, she bounces off and leaps right over the atrociraptors as they watch. Landing on her feet, she runs off into the forest.
"Don't let her get away!" Ghost and the atrociraptors chase right after her.
As the sun sets, Umara and Iris watch from a rocky outcropping along with Katuri and Adar right behind them. "Its nearly time." Umara says leaving Iris to sigh worryingly and the siblings were also worried as well. Then they hear a cry off in the distance, chill comes flying in towards them to their surprise.
"Chill" Umara says as he lands right in front of them.
"Umara, Iris. Your both here, are Katuri and Adar with you?" Chill asked them.
"We're right here Chill." "What's the matter?" Adar and Katuri ask him as they approach.
"I have a message from Zeon and the primordian's. You see…" "Umara! Umara!" Another male raptor interrupts as he comes running up.
"What is it? Has something happened?" Umara asks.
"One of our scouts has found signs that Atrociraptors have crossed into our territory." "What?!" Umara exclaimed hearing this from the raptor and the others grew concerned.
"That's what I was about to warn you. The Atrociraptors have made their way into the Sirona lands and then into your territory." Chill states to them.
"Sora and Ingrid, they're still out there." Katuri says concerned.
"Oh saurian." Iris says growing ever more worried.
"We have to find them before they do, come on!" Adar states as he and the others rush down the rocky outcropping with Chill taking flight.
In the forest, unbeknownst to what's occurring. Sora was stalking the microceratus through the brush, crouched as he approaches slowly and steadily with his tool at hand. Then he springs up and throws his tool at the small saurian. But it sees it coming and evades it as it hits the ground, the microceratus runs off.
"Oh no." Sora says discourage for missing his prey as he walks up and gets his tool. "I guess my luck ran out…And the sun is nearly gone down too." Sora could only wonder at what he should do next with the time nearly up. Then as he looks back at his creation, he begins to remember.
"No matter what happens, you'll always be Faris son to me." Sora's thought about his mother words made him at ease with his heart, "Yeah…" He says in realization. Suddenly he hears the barks of a familiar raptor nearby.
"Ingrid? That's an alarm… She sounds like she's in trouble." Sora says and thought concerned by the sounds, he immediately springs running into the direction of the calls. Shadow-fang who was watching also grown concerned about the new situation.
Ingrid was on the run as the atrociraptors chase her through the forest, some who got close take snaps at her but she evades them and snaps back. She jumps over logs and streams trying to get some distance but the atrociraptors continue their efforts. Then up ahead she enters a clearing where she sees that there's a cliff; she stops before getting too close to the edge as she pants looking down seeing the river.
Then looking behind herself, the atrociraptors appear growling and snarling as they surround her once again. "There's nowhere to run…You won't escape us." Ghost grinned as her pack stalks ever closer to Ingrid, cornering her on the cliffs edge.
"We'll see about that." Ingrid snarled back; she makes a move as one of the atrociraptors lunges. She pushes the attacker back slashing with her claws making him fall to the ground as blood is drawn. But as she moves forward another raptor tackles her, she tumbles right back near the cliffs edge.
As she gets up, other raptors take turns snapping and trying to slash at her; Ingrid knew to her dread that she was cornered as she tried her best to fend them off while watching looking back over her shoulder to the edge. Ghost could only laugh cackling at Ingrid's efforts in vain, "Finish her!". Panthera, Tiger, Red, and the others were ready barring their claws to end the struggle.
When suddenly Ingrid and the atrociraptors hear distinct yelling coming from the side as they look into the forest. Then leaping from branch to vine, Sora comes swinging in on a vine. As he does some of the atrociraptors duck, but Panthera and Tiger were kicked, knocked over by him. "Sora!?" Ingrid says as Sora swings around them; Ghost could only growl angrily at the sight of him.
Sora then leaps landing directly in between Ingrid and the atrociraptors. "What are you doing here?" "Saving your scaly hide obviously…" Sora replies looking back and forth over his shoulder between Ingrid and the growling Atrociraptors.
"Well, well, well. I must commend you on your bravery man-cub… Especially after the humiliation you gave us last time." Ghost snarled at him.
"Ghost, its best if you and your pack just turn and walk away now." Sora warned her.
"Do you really believe you're in a position to be threating us man-cub." Ghost snarled as she the atrociraptors stalk closer to them.
"I could just roar at them like before…. No, the cliff will probably give way like last time." Sora was in a pinch looking back and forth between the cliff side and the atrociraptors cornering them.
"Sora, don't be the fool. Go while you have the chance." Ingrid says concerned and trying to reason with him.
"Go? What kind of raptor would I be If I were to leave a member of our pack here to die! You may be a pain in the tail sometimes but you're a member of our pack all the same, and I'm gonna make sure you get back in one piece." Sora's words left Ingrid taken aback by his courage even in the face of such a precarious situation.
"Ugh, I hate sentimental nonsense…" Panthera said disgusted by the scene.
"That's bold talk, but you shouldn't be making promises you can't keep man-cub…" Ghost says mockingly cackle a bit as the atrociraptors prepare to lunge and growl at them, Sora readies his rock-sharpened stick.
"Hahaha" "A stick, that's it, that's your method of defense against us?" Tiger says as he and the others laugh mockingly at Sora for bringing it up, but Sora stood firm and ready. Then Ghost snarls and snaps quieting them down.
"Now, you might be Dra-Khan's prey. But a piece of you will be all that is needed to pay for what you owe for before…!" "Sora!" Ghost charged right at Sora as Ingrid and the atrociraptors watched, but Sora stood his ground. Just as Ghost opened her jaws, Sora swung his sharpened stick around. The next thing the shocked raptors saw was Ghost screeching in pain as she tumbled to the ground; the sharpened edge of stone at the end of Sora's stick dripped with blood.
"You little bastard…" Ghosts growled lifting her head now with a long bloody scar across her snout.
"Sorry, but I guess now you know. I have recently just gotten my own long fang." Sora said feeling smug by how effective his creation was, Ingrid was completely taken aback by Sora's bravery and defense. Ghost though grew furious by this act and shame she felt.
"I don't care whether your Dra-Khan's. You have just sealed your fate man-cub, tear him apart!" Ghost roared out, the atrociraptors baring their fangs and claws ready; Sora could only stand anticipating the next. Just as he thought, one by one the atrociraptors lunged right at him and Sora swung his long fang countering them, then Tiger came straight at him. Sora was knocked on his back, with all his might he struggled to hold Tiger back with his long fang between him and Tigers hand claws and teeth.
Suddenly Tiger was knocked off from Sora, tackled by non-other than the very raptor Sora was trying to save. "Ingrid!?" Sora said surprised as Ingrid looked back at him.
"Like I was going to let myself be completely saved by a man-cub, I have my own honor to preserve as well. Which even includes making sure you'll get back as well." Sora was taken aback yet reassured that his fellow yet jerkasaurus packmate had his back. Sora and Ingrid together fought against the atrociraptors countering each attempt as Sora swung his long fang; Ingrid slashed and bitten, drawing blood.
"Alright then…" Red thought as he charged toward Sora, Sora saw him and was ready to counter. But he got shocked as he swung his long fang but Red grabbed it with his jaws, snapping it in two. Sora could only anxiously watch as the stone slides far from his reach.
"You shouldn't have been so cocky with your so-called long fang." Red then lunges right at Sora, but he jumps to side. With eyes glowing yellow Sora then grabs his tail and swings him right at a Tiger who was up again and a couple of other raptors knocking them down.
"Don't forget my other abilities too, I'm a primordian Red." Sora said when he looks behind alarmed to see an atrociraptor leapt right at him. However, Ingrid jumped intercepting the atrociraptor mid-air.
"Thanks Ingrid." Sora said relieved by the save.
"Honestly, you've got to be more alert of your surroundings in a fight…" Ingrid said slightly annoyed, glaring. Then Sora sees another raptor charging right at Ingrid, he suddenly gains a burst of speed to quickly grab the sharpen stone. Crouched, he then leaps bursting forth, intercepting the raptor plunging his sharpen stone right into its side; Ingrid was caught off guard for moment but amazed as Sora gets back up with his stone covered in blood.
"Maybe I'm not one who needs to be more aware…" Sora jested, smirking back at Ingrid to her annoyance but a bit gratified for being saved.
"Behind you…!" Ingrid warns when Sora was surprised to see Ghost flanking him, then turning, whipping her tail right at his stomach. Sending him flying right back near the cliff edge, landing on his side letting a gasp of pain, holding his stomach.
"Sora!" Ingrid was about to rush to him, but then she gets tackled on her side by Panthera, rolling as she lands right on her side next to Sora.
"Ingrid…You, okay?" "I've been better." Sora and Ingrid quickly get back up with their backs facing the cliffs edge as the atrociraptors hover near them growling.
"…Enough playing around." Ghost snarled, throwing the sharp stone away over the cliff as her pack stalked ever closer to them, Sora and Ingrid could only back up from them.
Below the cliff, Shadow-fang comes running out of the forest and right onto the rivers edge; he looks up to his alarm finding Sora and Ingrid cornered between the cliffs edge and the atrociraptors "Damm, I'm too late." Shadow-fang said watching frustratedly.
Sora and Ingrid keep backing away but then stop to their fear right on the cliffs edge as rocks fall from their steps at the edge. "Great, now where do we go?" Ingrid says looking back to cliff and Sora discouraged by their predicament.
"Panthera, Red. When I give the word, we go straight into them…" Ghost said softly to them, "Being torn to shreds is where your paths end man-cub!" Ghost growled with Sora and Ingrid completely cornered and nearly accepting the facts that there was no way out alive.
"Sora!" Sora looked down the cliff to see Shadow-fang across the river bank below, that's when he realized that there was only one option left.
"Ingrid, you trust me?" "What?" "Do you trust me?!" Ingrid looked between what Sora asked confused and the atrociraptors finding her choices slim.
"What do you have in mind?" Ingrid asked looking back at him as the atrociraptors were ready to pounce.
"Jump…" "Huh?" "We have to Jump!" Sora then turned around wrapping his arm around Ingrid neck forcing her to turn as well. To the shock of the atrociraptors and Shadow-fang below, both of them jump over the cliffs edge. Katuri, Adar, and other members of the pack arrive shocked to witness their fall; soon splashing into the river below.
"Sora!" Adar yells out as they look around the waters surface but nothing comes out. Sora then bursts out catching his breath. "Over there!" Katuri yells out seeing him down the river being dragged by the current along with the others.
"Ingrid…?!" Sora looks around anxiously trying to find where she is, then he see's her pop out on the surface but still as a log floating. "Ingrid!" he rushes swimming over to her.
"Wait, why isn't she moving?" Adar asked concerned, "I think she must be stunned!" Shadow-fang said as they run over to them from the river bank. Sora reaches Ingrid wrapping his arms around her trying to bring her to shore, but Sora could feel that the current was strong and pulling hard making it difficult.
"Hang on I got you…" Sora was doing his best trying to swim to shore with Ingrid but the current was pulling them further down and getting stronger.
"Sora…!" "Come on, you've got to swim to bank." Adar and Katuri urge him as they and Shadow-fang follow them from the river bank. Sora hears them but he looks ahead gasping alarmed to see raging rapids full of rocks.
"Oh crap…" Sora anxiously fights against current with his one arm and other wrapped around Ingrid with all his strength, but the current keeps dragging them closer.
"Not good…!" Shadow-fang and the others could only watch as Sora and Ingrid were about to sucked into the rock-filled rapids. Suddenly a large tree comes crashing down right on the river between the rapids and Sora. Surprised but relieved, he swims to a branch and grabs on holding Ingrid, looking down the trunk he sees at the river bank Zeon and Blade.
"Climb back here Sora." Blade shouts to him and he does just that, steadily hanging on to the tree, he climbs from branch to branch against the current of the river with Ingrid. Zeon then walks down into the shallows, turning around placing his tail on the water. Sora quickly lunges forth grabbing his tail and Zeon pulls them from the water onto the shore; Shadow-fang, Katuri, Adar, and the other velociraptors come rushing over.
"Are you alright?" Zeon asks as Sora catches breath falling on his back looking up to him.
"Well, other than being wet, soggy, and nearly clawed at by the atrociraptors. I'd say I'm great…" Sora jests a bit when he hears the coughing, gasping of air from Ingrid waking right beside him, "…And looks like she will be too." Sora says smiling gladly and all the others laugh a bit, feeling great relief that they are safe.
From the cliff they jumped, Ghost and her pack looked on below; Ghost could only snarl, glaring at her still life-filled prey. "Damm…" "Looks like they got away." Panthera and Red say, but Ghost snarls savagely, fiercely glaring at the now startled pair; the other raptors grow tense sensing her growing anger.
"This hunt isn't over just yet! Gather up, they are not going to escape our claws." "You think so?" A voice says to Ghost and her packs surprise to find Harmond and Crystal growling, facing them in their primordian forms.
"Heh, seems like to me your hunt is pretty much done for you outlaws." Harmond scoffs at them with Ghost snarling at the remark.
"Its better for you to just stand down Ghost, go back to the wastelands with the rest of your pack." Crystal warns them.
"Uh with them being primordian's, now what do we do?" Tiger asked Ghost a bit apprehensive to her, only to earn a glare.
"Don't ask foolish questions! Stand tall my raptors! Its only two against the many of us, you all will have the taste of flesh one way…or the other." Ghost growled as her pack stood firm all snarling their fangs at Harmond and Crystal.
"Looks like its going to be like that then." "Perfectly fine for me, gives me an excuse to try something new." Harmond says smug to Crystal which leaves her curious.
"What do you mean?" "Stand back and watch." Harmond says to her as he steps forward confronting the atrociraptors.
"Fine, you'll be the first…to die from our claws!" Ghost and her pack lunged towards them, but Harmond stood with his skin glowing greyish-blue. Then a whirl of wind surrounds his body and then moves down to his mouth. With one roar he blasts it forth forming a horizontal whirling wind, that lifts the raptors right over the cliff to their shock and squeals.
The others below watch as the wind dies down letting the raptors fall right onto the river, as they surface the current drags them down as they struggle against it.
"Hey…!" "Knock it off, get off me!" Tiger and Ghost as other raptors try to climb on top of each as the current sucks them down river while the Sora and the others watch from the bank.
"You'll always have to be a show off, don't you?" Crystal says sighing exasperating towards Harmond who looks back at her all smug about his move.
Later on, everyone returns to council rock but with anxious feelings for some; particularly Sora who stood in front of the group with Umara on the high rock ledge.
"I'm sorry Umara, I didn't pass the jaribio trial." Sora says head looking down remorse about it.
"True, you didn't pass the trial thus you failed…However, even if you did pass the trial, you would've still failed…" "Huh?" Sora became confused by what she meant and others were perplexed as well.
"But Umara…?" Sora asked confused looking up to her.
"It takes more than just being able to catch your prey to become a worthy hunter. Being able to know when to withdraw for a greater cause for someone not your own, when it may come at a cost. That is what matters more than some contest, and what makes you worthy." Umara said which made Sora realize ecstatically that he had done what he wanted to prove, the others were happy for him.
"Thank you, Umara." Sora bowed his head appreciating what Umara said
"Ingrid, do you have something say?" Umara asked with a slightly stern look which Ingrid noticed looking up to her knowing that there was.
"What you did was quite foolish, but…it was also very brave for a man-cub…so, thank you." Even though Ingrid said a bit reluctantly with admiration mixed with annoyance when she turned her head away. Sora was a bit surprised since it was never expected for her to say such things, but he was content with what she said and how it turned out. Ingrid though even given a glance by Umara who too was content, still kept her head turned away snorting hot air much to Umara's sighing exasperation.
"Well done, Sora." "We're proud of you." Adar and Katuri congratulated him as he looked to both of them.
"Thanks…Hey, that tickles. Cut it out, come on, haven't I been attacked enough." Sora said as his siblings nuzzle and lick him playfully. Primordian's and the other members of the pack laughed a bit, then soon became roaring chorus of triumph into the night starry sky. Sora felt great pride for what he has done as he looked into the night sky deep in his thoughts.
(What will Sora's next adventure be? Find out in the next chapter in the tale, see ya soon.)