(Hello everyone, here's chapter 10. Hope you all enjoy.)
Chapter 10: Faris Son
Its another peaceful time in the Sirona land forest, a pair of beezlebufo frogs croak on rocks while three stingia ducks swim by on the shallow stream. Suddenly the frogs dive into the water and the birds fly away startled by rustling in the bushes. On the bank Ingrid was sneaking through the foliage, but she wasn't shadowing prey; she looked to the other side of a small-shallow waterfall to find Sora, Adar, Katuri, Shadow-fang watching on top of a boulder, Crystal, and Jinbei together.
"That's strange, what are they up to now?" Ingrid said curiously as she watched them. Sora was busy crafting, grinding a sharp stone with another with a vine and a long stick beside him as the others watched, though a bit tiredly.
"So how much longer are you going to keep this up?" Jinbei asked as he gets closer to look.
"I have to make this right Jinbei." Sora says to him as he gets back sharpening the stone.
"I don't know Sora; you may call this a long fang but it still looks like an old stick with a regular sharp stone." Adar says questioning the craft.
"An old stick? An invention, that old stick with the sharp stone as you call it is what helped Sora fend off Ghost and her pack." Shadow-fang explained to their amazement.
"Oh really?" "Yes…" Sora replies to Jinbei as he remises about the time as he and Ingrid fought against the atrociraptors.
"That seems a little hard to believe." Crystal says a bit in doubt.
"Well, we believe it." Katuri says for her and Adar.
"And your primordian's, so what else is there to believe?" Jinbei retorts to Crystal. Sora then finishes up by tying the stone and the stick together with the vine, he stands up and swings it a bit while the others try the watch the sharp end.
"Hey! Please watch where you swing that thing." Jinbei said startled nearly getting caught at the sharp end of the long fang's swing.
"Oh, sorry Jinbei." "It looks good to me." Shadow-fang says approving the long-fang.
"Looks like it could work, but I have to try it out to be sure…" Sora walks close to the edge of the stream and looks around till he looks at a pair of tall water grass plants, "Yes." Sora says eyeing them and taking a stance. The others start to take gain interest in what he's going to do, Sora than swings his spear cutting down the tall grass plants to the others and Ingrids amazement.
"It works." "Looks like you did it Sora." Shadow-fang and Jinbei said walking up to him, praising his craftsmanship.
"It definitely seems useful with its sharp stone, but what would you do if it just breaks again like before?" Adar asks a bit perplexed by that.
"Then all I would have do is simply grab the sharp stone if the stick did break, that's genius of it." Sora replies to him.
"Hmm, I'm still not entirely sure. Being able to cut water grass is one thing, but many of the wild-landers have exceptionally tough hides like an ankylos or hammerheads. If that isn't able to pierce their hide than what use is it." Crystal states to Sora's discouragement
"It's not that it's a great invention Sora, but if you were ever facing a tough opponent; for them it would be no different than getting stung by a mosquito." Katuri tries to explain modestly but only adds to his discouragement.
"A mosquito?! Just you watch!" Sora turns back to look around and he sees a pair of trees with hard fruit growing on the other side of the stream.
"Keep an eye on those hard fruits." Sora says as he takes stance and aim, the others watch intently on what may happen. Sora throws his long-fang across but it hits the trunk bouncing off, falling to the bushes to his discouragement. Adar snickers a bit while Katuri and Crystal sigh but a bit amused.
"Well, you've made your point." Jinbei says to only get an annoyed glance from Sora. That's when he and Shadow-fang notice Ingrid on the other side holding the long-fang with her jaws.
"Ingrid…? Can you bring it back please?" Sora asks as the others notice as well.
"Why should I? As far as I know you threw this thing deliberately at me." Ingrid accuses him putting down the long-fang.
"I didn't know you were there, now give it back!" Sora argues back.
"You mean no one noticed, not even Adar or Katuri." Ingrid says slightly annoyed by that.
"No, we didn't…" "You aren't being fair Ingrid, give back Sora's long-fang." Adar and Katuri say standing by Sora.
"To throw at me again? I'm no fool, no I think I'll just keep it." Ingrid then carries off the long-fang as she runs into the brush.
"Ingrid!" "Some things never change." Shadow-fang says as Sora could only watch as Ingrid carries it off.
"Don't worry, we'll get it back." Adar says as he and Katuri cross the stream after Ingrid into the brush.
"She's really got a problem with him does she…Well, I'll let you handle this. I've gotta go hunting before Zeon takes us on patrol." Crystal thought and said to Shadow-fang as she leaves walking down the stream, all the while Sora looks on in thought.
Later, Sora was on the move leaping through branch to branch with Jinbei and Shadow-fang following him. Sora stops every now and then inspecting branches but then keeps moving on, eventually stopping on a dead tree. He breaks a branch and inspects it but dismayed by it he drops it, he could only sigh and sit down on the dead tree's limb.
"Take it easy Sora, you'll find another one, don't worry." Shadow-fang says resting below him by the tree.
"Yeah, there's plenty of other tree limbs and broken branches to be found for that long-fang of yours." Jinbei says climbing next to him.
"It's not that…" "Then what is it?" Jinbei asks perplexed by Sora's depression.
"I just don't understand why Ingrid hates me so much. Does it have to do with me being a man-cub?" Sora asks them listening to his curiosity.
"That's not it, its more complicated. You see it all has to do with Ingrids father." "Her father…?" Sora replies curiously with what Shadow-fang explains bringing her father in it.
"Yes, it happened years ago when you were just a youngster. Though I remember it as it were yesterday." Shadow-fang explains as he reminisces to a stormy day where Umara stood atop of a high rock ledge.
"The time had come for Umara to choose the next successor to become the next leader. Oh, not that she was becoming too weak or old, but she was beginning to feel the effects of her injury to her leg from earlier in life. So, she felt that if anything to were happen, the pack would be safe under the leadership of someone who was younger and wise. The two best candidates at that point were Umara's son Eivor, who was to become Ingrids father and your father Faris." Shadow-fang narrates as the two male raptors face each other as lighting sounds in the darkened sky.
"The winner of this contest will become my successor…and will be the next alpha, and lead our pack for that is the law. Everyone understands…?" Umara states as she and other members of the pack watch the two intently.
"Eivor…There's no need for us to compete with each other…No I'm not, I've never had any objections to you becoming our leader." Faris reasons with Eivor shaking his head dismissing the contest.
"You know that I can't become the successor unless I prove myself in competition." Eivor insists toward him.
"But I don't want to compete against a friend." Faris reasons again as rain begins to fall on them.
"Come on, we must compete Faris that's the law…we have no choice!" Insistent, Eivor lunges toward Faris, he dodges but barely getting scratched by Eivor's claws.
"Come on Faris…! You can do a lot better than this." Eivor leaps and grips Faris back with his claws holding him down, Faris struggles as the two tumble to the ground and then Eivor is pushed off almost towards the edge of a cliff but steps away. As the others watch, Faris stands back up revealing a bloodied scar on his left side; he snarls slightly from the pain as he and Eivor face each other once more. The two charge, then leap forth towards each other fangs and claws baring, the two strike each other mid-air. They both land back on the ground, reeling from the hits. But it was Eivor who slumps to the ground.
"Faris has won the competition." "Faris is our new successor to become leader." Two raptors say as the pack gets excited by this outcome; Umara roars out to acknowledge the victory for the pack. But for Eivor it was something else, he stands back up and walks away to everyone's shock.
"Eivor…" Faris walks up to him, but Eivor snarls back and continues to walk away. "Goodbye." Faris and Umara could only watch as now scarred eye Eivor walks away as the rain pours, eventually disappearing into the forest.
"Right in the middle of the storm, he disappeared and was never seen again." Shadow-fang explains to Sora thinking back.
"Shadow-fang, do you mean that Ingrid thinks that my father chased her father away?" Sora asked him.
"It would explain why she holds such a grudge against you." Jinbei says to him.
"That was long ago, and sometimes it's best to leave the past in the past. Now come, let's try to find a good branch for that long-fang of yours alright." Shadow-fang says as he stands back up which Sora nods in agreement. Sora with Jinbei on his back leaps to the next tree over and Shadow-fang follows. In the bushes though, they were unaware of being listened by a pair of Coelophysis; they looked to each chirping excitedly and then vanish in the dense foliage.
On the border of the Wastelands, Dra-khan was resting in the open next to a large boulder. "What, the man-cub has fangs?" Dra-khan clawed the ground irritably with his toe claws when said by jackal and two other coelophysis startling them.
"It's the truth Dra-khan, I heard him and Shadow-fang talking about it." Jackal told him tensely.
"Fangs…" Dra-khan said as he started to reminisce to times when he encountered the man-cubs kind with their own fangs, those thoughts gnawed at him. "…This could prove to be troublesome." Dra-khan stood back up towering over jackal and the others, he looked to them for a bit startling them as they tremble submissively. Then he starts to walk by them, making them puzzled.
"Where you going lord Dra-khan?" "Hunting… and to look for that man-cub." Dra-khan replies and thought as he keeps on walking away.
Back in the Sirona lands near a dry river bed, Ingrid was still on the run with the long-fang. But Adar and Katuri were close behind chasing her, they come up to a fork on the path. Ingrid goes one side, Katuri continues after her on the path but Adar goes to the other. Eventually Ingrid stops to catch her breath panting, but finds herself cornered with Adar cutting her off and Katuri right behind her; both of which pant catching their breath.
"Why can't you think of anything better to do than chase me like this?" Ingrid asks putting down the long-fang, annoyed by them.
"Just give us the long-fang back and we'll stop bothering you." Katuri told her.
"Absolutely not, Sora tried to hit me with it after all. Besides, a thing like this shouldn't even be made. It's too dangerous, who knows what wrong can come from this especially from a man-cub." Ingrid states.
"Why can't you just accept Sora?" Adar asked perplexed by her bitter attitude.
"Listen Ingrid, if you have a grudge against our father take it out on us but leave Sora out of it." Katuri said causing Ingrids eyes to widen by the statement.
"That's got nothing to do with it, I simply think that he shouldn't be a member of the pack. After all, he is a man-cub, not a raptor." Ingrid retorted which Katuri snarled angrily by her harsh words, Ingrid then grabed the long-fang but then bit hard on it and started to shake it attempting to break it.
"You've no right to say that!" Katuri screeched, lunging towards Ingrid tackling her to the ground with the long-fang knocked away. Ingrid got back up then lunged back at Katuri, the two fight it out snarling and hissing at each other as they tussle with dust and dirt gathered around. Adar grabs the long-fang while the two still clash it out, tumbling over one another then down a steep hill into the dry river bed; Adar watches from atop of the hill holding the long-fang.
"Stop that!" A voice screeches out which Adar sees to be Iris as she comes running down the river bed to them. Katuri and Ingrid stop to take notice scuffled and scratched as they stand up, but Ingrid suddenly snaps at Katuri's tail making her screech from the pain. Then after a moment she lets go.
"Why you…!" Katuri snarled back at Ingrid turning to face her, "That's enough Katuri…" Iris runs up to them stopping Katuri from another fight, Katuri could only look away down with her narrowed eyes still not feeling right from Ingrid. Adar then comes down the river bed with the long-fang to them.
"Adar, could you tend to your sister…" Iris said which Adar off course nodded obeying her and started licking the scratches on Katuri. "Honestly, I don't see why you young ones can't be friends. You shouldn't fight dear; you'll spoil your scales." Iris said as she started licking Ingrids skin, though Ingrid was still huffed from the fight.
"Your father had such beautiful scales, yours are just like his." "My father?" Iris asked curious by Iris complement.
"Your fathers scales were admired by everyone. You should be proud of him." Iris says to her.
"Proud of what his nice scales? It didn't help him become a leader did it." Ingrid said remorse and a bit objectionably about it with her eyes narrowed looking away.
"That's true it didn't." "Huh?" Ingrid curiosity peaked looking back at Iris as well as Adar and Katuri.
"You see Eivor competed against my mate and lost…Ingrid, it was Eivor who chose to compete for the chance to become the leader. Even though he lost he still could've remained here with us, since the law says we must hold a competition no one can hold it against you if you lose. But he went away…" Iris explains as Katuri and Adar came closer to listen bringing the long-fang and putting beside her. "He just couldn't accept anything less than being successor of the packs leadership, we all miss him." Iris tells Ingrid as she looks to her seeing the sincerity in her eyes about the truth which she still tries to understand, then she starts to walk off.
"Ingrid, wait." Iris stops her and brings the long-fang over to her.
"Please, take this back to Sora." "Mother." Iris asks Ingrid which leaves Katuri perplexed and surprised by why she asked her along with Adar.
"Whatever happened between Faris and Eivor is in the past, and shouldn't stand in the way with your friendship with Sora." Ingrid looked to Iris and then to the long-fang deep in though about what Iris said and also about what she said about the past as well.
Meanwhile near a pond, Shadow-fang was resting beside a nearby trees trunk, Sora and Jinbei were resting on the trees limbs. "Don't tell me you've stopped looking for a new branch for your fang." Shadow-fang asked Sora.
"It isn't all that easy to find the right branch, Shadow-fang." Sora said resting belly down on the branch.
"Why don't we simply ask Ingrid to return the other one?" Shadow suggests looking up to him.
"Ask Ingrid? Huh, I can pretty much imagine what she'll say, "Absolutely not, no way I'm giving back this dangerous invention to a man-cub, la, la, la, la." You do remember who we're talking here right cat?" Jinbei sarcastically jests mocking Ingrid and asking Shadow-fang, only to earn an annoyed low growl from him making Jinbei feel anxious going next to Sora for comfort.
"In a way, Jinbei's right Shadow-fang; she's probably chewed and clawed at it to pieces by now." Sora says to him.
"Then you'll have to look harder won't you." Shadow-fang tells him.
"I don't really feel like it." Sora retorts sitting back up on the branch and Jinbei climbs higher on the tree.
"What's that? You're the one who asked me to come along and help you find the pieces for your long-fang aren't you, what am I doing wasting my time." Shadow-fang said annoyed by Sora's lack of motivation.
"You didn't have to Shadow-fang, I've never asked you to come along." Sora retorted turning to face him.
"Fine. If you don't want me I'm going, goodbye." Shadow-fang says as he walks away huffed, "Fine." Sora retorts a bit huffed as well, However Jinbei watching from above could tell that there was something else here.
Unaware to them, Dra-khan had made it into the Sirona lands and was sniffing the ground on the meadow. "Hmmm." As he keeps following the scent, he comes to a dead, barren tree; he lifts his giant head and starts smelling the base between the limb and the tree's trunk. His hot breath blowing away a few hairs from the base, but the scent was what he was interested in. He chuckles a bit, excited by the scent for he knew who it belonged to. He starts pushing his weight against the tree, making it snap and crackle until the tree falls to the ground, then stomps on it breaking it in half. "Hahahaha." He laughs maliciously of the thought of getting closer to his prey.
In the forest, Sora swings on a branch trying to break it off which eventually he does; Jinbei looks on from another branch as Sora inspects it. "That one?" Jinbei asks curiously, but Sora only sighs.
"No, this isn't any good either." Sora throws the branch away into a nearby pond a bit frustrated, he then sits back on the branch by the trees base. Jinbei climbs over to him noticing how he looks a bit down.
"So, what's on your mind…? Well, you've looked down for a while, is it still about Ingrid?" Jinbei asks him concerned by his look of sadness when Sora looks at him and then away staring into forest space.
"…Its just that… sometimes I wish father was still here to guide me." Sora reminisces to a time when he was younger and his father was there beside him, teaching him how to catch small prey in a small open space by a pond.
(What exactly happened to Sora's father? Will Sora be able to craft a new long-fang? Find out in the next chapter, so stay tuned.)