(Hello everyone, here's chapter 11. Hope you all enjoy.)
Chapter 11: Fire and Loss
"Now Sora, stay very quiet and don't breathe." Faris tells him which Sora places his hands over his mouth chuckling a bit as he watches Faris stalk intently, then he pounces on a compy. The compy squeaks pinned under his toe claw, but Faris then lets it go as it runs into the bushes.
"Wow, that was great!" Sora excitedly hugs his father as he nuzzles and licks his ticklish skin, enjoying the time with his son. While Shadow-fang watches on top of a large tree trunk.
"Alright, now it's your turn to try." "Okay." Sora looks around and finds another compy standing idly close to the water's edge, he stalks it getting closer, than he leaps forth. But the compy quickly notices and evades him, Sora ends up slipping when he lands ending head first into the water. For a moment he struggles, but Faris quickly pulls him up by the extra skin back onto the ground. Shadow-fang could only laugh at what had occurred while Sora shakes off the water.
"Humans use plenty of funny contraptions like flying sticks with fangs to catch their prey. Its impossible for them to do it with their bare hands." Shadow-fang states to Faris.
"I know that. I've seen them, but I'm going to raise this man-cub as my son." Faris tells him, then licks Sora affectionally as he laughs from the ticklish feeling.
"I'm okay now." Sora says as he gets back to looking for another compy.
"You're a strange raptor to be raising a man-cub." "Yes maybe." Faris retorts to Shadow-fang.
"After all that trouble to become successor to the packs leadership you still don't act like one, that proves your different." Shadow-fang comments rolling his eyes up and down back to him.
"I don't act like one because I still think of Umara as our sole leader, and when Eivor comes back he can become the successor." Faris states as he turns back to Sora, who's still struggling to catch a compy. Shadow-fang comes down from the tree log as Sora walks back to Faris, then he picks up Sora by his extra skin.
"Hey, hey…Shadow-fang what are you…?" Sora squirms as Shadow-fang carries him into the open and then drops him on the ground belly first; he turns looking up to him.
"Listen to me, before even thinking of trying to catch something as swift as a compy you must first know how it moves; any slowpoke can catch a compy." Shadow-fang explains as he uses his claws to position Sora crouched on his legs, Faris was enlightened to see this from him. Sora had a bit of difficulty but he soon got the hang of the position; a compy appears and Sora begins to stalk it again.
"Things like this don't come easily to humans, you really have to teach them everything." Shadow-fang states to Faris while watching Sora.
"You seem to know how to teach Sora." "Well, that's because I watched a human teaching a man-cub how to swim, that was long ago." Shadow-fang explains to a curious Faris, then they hear the squeal of a compy.
"Father…! Father look, I caught one." Sora excitedly says holding a compy that he managed to catch, but the compy snaps at him. Startled he accidently drops the compy, it runs into the brush disappearing from him.
"Ohhh." "That's okay, I'll catch another." Sora reassures his father as he gets back to finding another much to Shadow-fang's chuckling delight.
"Shadow-fang, would you consider teaching Sora how to hunt?" Faris asks walking over to him.
"You can't be serious…Me teach a man-cub" Shadow-fang chuckles a bit, shocked at the suggestion.
"I'm very serious, if anything should happen to me." "No…" Faris tells him seriously, but Shadow-fang perishes the thought.
"I know that everyone thinks that I'm a little odd, and that sometimes I behave like a human but…" "That's why I'm asking you." Faris tells Shadow-fang who got perplexed by his request.
"You see, he might have been with me ever since he was tiny. But no matter how hard I try to raise him as a raptor, he thinks like a human." Faris explains as they watch Sora search, "You're right." Shadow-fang agrees.
"That's why I believe it'll be easier for you to teach him since you were raised by humans." "Hmm." Shadow-fang still contemplates on Faris reasoning which maybe accurate; Sora continues to search but then hears crackling from above, Faris and Shadow-fang notice too looking up to see dark clouds moving in. Then they hear the cry from Chill the hast eagle as he comes flying down almost emerging from the gathering clouds.
"Faris, you must come quickly. Your wanted now right by council rock." Chill tells hovering over him to his puzzlement.
Soon the skies above the Sirona lands are darkened by the clouds, the winds blow powerfully bending trees and flying leaves debris all over. In a clearing, on top of a large rounded boulder formation Umara and the pack, standing beside them was Theo, Nymeria, and teenaged Zeon the t-rex royals; they watch the scene unfold before them. Out of the forest comes Faris and Sora running toward them.
"Umara, Theo…" Faris calls out to them as he runs too them with Sora following behind him, the pack makes way for him to come to the front.
"Zeon." "Hey Sora." Zeon lowers his head nuzzling while Sora hugs him greeting each other.
"What's going on?" "Look" Umara, Faris, and the others see concerningly the trees bend and buckle, some falling from the strength of the wind. They look up to see the sky thunder and crackle with lighting, one of which hits a nearby tree burning it. The scent in the air and the presence of black smoke tells them that trees and brush are starting to bloom the red flower; fire.
"This is only the start of this storm." Theo says worryingly with the others growing concerned about the storms growing power.
"Faris, we can't stay any longer it's too dangerous for the hatchlings." A voice calls to them which was Iris who was with the others and their little ones in the back. She stops a branch from hitting one of the youngsters.
"She's right, and soon it may become too dangerous for us as well. This is only going to get worse… If we're going to move, we have to do it now." Nymeria states with the leaders listing to her as the sky thunders and crackles with lightning.
"Well, Umara?" "This isn't my decision alone now." Umara tells him knowing he too has to make such important decisions as successor.
"But Umara…" Faris retorted respectfully objectional to what she meant and for a moment everyone stood still waiting to hear the answer, and Faris knew it as well.
"Alright then, hears my decision as successor. We move out to where we can find shelter until this passes over." Faris states to the pack, "Yes, I agree." Umara says agreeing but also a bit proud of Faris performing the role.
"Umara I would like for you to guide them; you know these lands better than everyone in the pack. Your knowledge and experience are indispensable at a time like this, so please go." Faris respectfully states to her, which she nods in agreement.
"Theo my friend, will you also help guide us?" Faris asks looking up to him.
"You and I both know what the law says for these circumstances. Besides, as your king and as your friend it is my duty to make sure the many of you make it through during this time." Theo says looking down to him, giving him reassurance.
"Then we all move out together as one." Faris tells the pack, then lifts his head barking followed by Umara and the rest of the pack building their fortitude and togetherness as Sora looks on. Theo also lifts his head to deliver a roar that sounds out through the land.
Throughout the Sirona lands, the darkened sky seems to glow orange as trails of smoke and fires spring through the underbrush. The air fills with the cries of panicked creatures from above and below the trees; Birds and other flyers soar away from the flames, small animals scurry or leap through the trees and brush trying to get away from the wind-leaping fires. Herds and other giants stampede through the forest out onto the meadows and open savannahs as the fires continue to rage and burn everything in its wake. All the animals were desperate to find shelter, that is all but one outlaw who watches the chaos unfold from the forest boundary. Dra-khan surveys as the creatures flee from the fires afar and near him, chomping on a nearby bird unlucky enough to cross his path.
"Ah, I know the raptors are bound to come this way, at last he will be mine." Dra-khan deeply rumbles in anticipation of the present opportunity before him.
Umara leads the pack down a path that leads toward the edge of a steep cliff as the fires spread around them along the forest. Following behind the pack were Faris, Sora, and the t-rex royals; one of the young raptors stumbles onto the ground to the worry of the mother but Faris manages to push him back up on his feet and they soon keep on running. However, Sora does his best to keep up but even at their steady pace he finds it difficult to keep pace. As he tries to upon his pace, he trips on a rock tumbling to the ground. He recuperates, shaking his head a bit but before he could get back up; crackle and snapping sounds by a nearby tree on fire as one of its branches begin to crack took his worry.
"Sora." Zeon was the first to notice looking back to him, he turns back to get him; Faris, Theo, and Nymeria soon take notice as well looking back to see. The fiery tree limb finally snaps off to the shocking fright of the others as it falls in the direction of alarmed Sora beneath it; Zeon comes to swing around, tail-whipping the tree limb away, making it crash and break further feet behind Sora as he looks on.
"Thank you, Zeon." Sora gratefully says looking up to him.
"Climb on." Zeon lowers his big head and Sora climbs up onto his head, neck, then onto his back. Zeon turns around to rush back with the group, just after more fiery tree limbs fall on the spot; Faris, Nymeria, and Theo come over to them as they get back.
"Are you alright, Zeon?" "Yes, we're fine mother." Zeon reassures Nymeria as the wind picks up intensifying the fires nearby to their shock.
"Quick, we must reach the water as fast as possible!" Faris, Sora, and the rexes catch up with the group as they move on the barren path. But then as they come up a slight incline on the path, they find themselves surprised to see the path blocked by one saurian who was waiting for them as he stomps one foot; Dra-Khan the giganotosaur.
"What do you want?" Faris asks getting in front of the pack besides Umara.
"You know what it is, I demand that you give the man-cub to me now." Dra-khan growled to him.
"No, Dra-Khan. When there's a fire on the land the ancient law says we must help each other." Faris tells him.
"What do I care for laws, I make my own laws. Now give me the man-cub." Dra-khan relentlessly demanded from them, Sora could only hide behind Zeon.
"You won't be getting him." Zeon bellowed fiercely to him, and Dra-khan roars back as tensions flare for them with the fires closing around. However, Nymeria snorted frustratedly about the predicament.
"There's no time for this. If we turn back now we could hurry and…" Nymeria was saying when the sounds of rumbling and crackling came from above the hill. Trees burning, toppling over one another until they loosen the sides of the hill; rock, earth, and fiery trees come sliding down behind them. The path behind them became blocked with a huge mass of fallen, fiery debris.
"We're trapped!" One raptor says as the others start to become panicked and worried by their predicament, cornered by two obstacles between the cliff and hillside. They hear cynical laughter as they turn back to Dra-Khan.
"Hahahahaha. Well you have two choices; either you give me the man-cub and make it out unscathed, or become consumed to nothing by the dragons red flower." Dra-Khan says pleased by this threatening them as the fires and smoke rage around. Tensions grew; Dra-Khan takes a step growling, many of the pack start to grew restless to fight their way hissing and snarling.
"There's no choice then." Faris thought as he takes a step forward prepared, but then a vibrating stomp sounds surprising him and the others. It was Theo, who starts moving forward and everyone clears the way; he stands in front between his friends and Dra-Khan.
"Enough of this, all of us are leaving. Now stand aside." Theo's narrowed eyes and seriousness spoke loudly to Dra-Khan narrowing his own eyes and rumbling his throat displeased.
"Theo…" Nymeria looked on distressed what Theo is putting himself, "Nymeria, you and everyone else get to safety. Our little ones are waiting." Theo said looking back to her; Nymeria knew what he meant but also realized what he's about to do.
"Father let me stand with you." Zeon pleaded, "No! This is something I must do on my own. Zeon my son, look after your mother and your siblings. Always remember, that you are tyrannosaur, and you will become a king." Theo said looking back to Zeon, who distressed yet understood what he must do for his family as Theo turned back to face Dra-Khan with everyone watching.
"Very well then, I've always wanted an opportunity to deal with you myself for a long time." Dra-khan and Theo both roared thunderously at each other, then the two-charge colliding. Theo attempts to grab Dra-Khan's throat but gets shoved to the ground, he manages to push himself back up. The two engage in pushing and shoving as jaws snap trying to inflict damage to the other, Dra-Khan then grabs Theo by his tail and drags him around eventually letting him go as everyone watched shocked.
"All of you go!" Theo tells them as they were watching to take the chance with Dra-Khan at bay. Nymeria although disheartened knew what she had to do.
"You all heard him; we must go now." Nymeria tells them with Umara and the others agreeing with her, they start to head up the hill on a detour away from the path their on.
"They won't escape." Dra-Khan growled then charged straight for them to their startled fright. But Theo intercepted and grabs Dra-Khan's tail, then does the same as he did dragging him away from the others; the force as he lets go rips away a chunk of his tail. Dra-Khan roars ferociously, angered and in pain from the blood drenched injury; he charges right for Theo, but catches him off guard as he spins around with his massive tail hitting his side. Theo staggers trying to regain balance but Dra-Khan dives forward knocking him down to the ground to everyone's horror.
"Father!" Zeon could only look on as Dra-Khan pins Theo by stomping on his head before he could get back up.
"Your ruling comes to an end." Dra-Khan's jaws lean in to finish it on Theo's throat, but then suddenly Faris charges in and leaps onto Dra-Khans head to his dismay and to everyone's shock, "Father!" Sora yells out distressed as he watches.
As Dra-Khan moves around, Faris turns and clings on moving onto the left side of Dra-Khan's face; he slashes away with his toe and hand claws, at that point Dra-Khan shakes his head but Faris jumps off landing back on the ground. Dra-Khan shakes his head staggering and roaring in pain once again, but then Theo's giant foot kicks back Dra-Khan nearly toppling him over as he staggers trying to hold his balance. Theo then gets back up as Faris comes to him.
"I thought I said this was my fight." Theo retorts perplexed to Faris actions.
"On the contrary, this was meant to be mine for them. But now this is our fight for their safety, and I'll be proud to fight alongside you my friend." Faris tells Theo standing alongside him facing Dra-Khan who regains his balance shaking off the blow.
"Faris." A voice calls which Faris looks back to see distressed Iris standing next to Umara as the pack watches.
"Umara, please take care of the pack for me." Faris pleaded to Umara knowing what he has to do for them and his family as he turns back to face Dra-Khan.
"Now you both will face my wrath!" Dra-Khan roared at them, Theo and Faris roared back and three charged for each other. Faris jumps onto Dra-Khan's back, who turns his massive head trying to clamp his jaws on him; Theo dives in snapping his jaws, but Dra-Khan doges and then body slams Theo making him stagger.
Dra-Khan shakes his body making Faris fall off from the force, he tries to get back up but before he's able to move Dra-Khan pins him by his massive foot. Just as Dra-Khan's jaws dive on him, Theo charges in and grabbing Dra-Khan's neck shoving him onto a nearby angled boulder formation as Dra-Khan roars from the impact.
"Umara hurry, get everyone out of here!" Faris pleaded to Umara as he gets back up and back into the fight as Dra-Khan snaps and tussles with Theo pushing him back.
"Father!" Sora cries out on top of Zeon, "Everyone follow me." Umara leads the pack along with Nymeria and Zeon away from the fight taking another route from the path.
"Wait…" Sora said but Zeon's movement made him stumble a bit but he held back on as Zeon ran with the others. Dra-Khan, Theo, and Faris continue to battle it out as the fire rages on close to them. Dra-Khan could only look on angered that his prey leaves before him.
"Zeon put me down, I want to go back and help my father!" Sora pleaded as Zeon and the others run on the new path at the edge of the forest.
"No Sora, it's impossible. I can't take you back, it's too dangerous. You'd only be in the way." "But…" "Going back would mean breaking our father's orders! You have to try to understand, this is something that they must do on their own." Zeon tried to explain knowing he'd felt the same but knew what had to be done to Sora who held onto him tightly distressed by this.
"Father, no it can't be! No, no, no, no…!" Sora wailed on anguished by this truth; Zeon does his best to keep going listening to the painful cries of his friend and within his own feelings as well as they run with the others to safety.
It was a day that Sora could only think of in anger and in heartache; Jinbei saw this explicitly with a tear running down his face. "He was a great saurian, what he did was a noble thing and if it wasn't for that you and the others probably wouldn't have survived…" Jinbei consoles to him but Sora has his head down still depressed.
"You know when I was a little lemur; my mother used to tell me that even when those that we love have completed their journey in the circle of life, they still live on…" "Huh?" Sora gets perplexed by what Jinbei tells him. "Even when they've completed their journey; their spirits in some small way, guide and look after us." "How?" Sora asked as Jinbei climbed on his shoulder.
"Cause they still live on not only as one with the land, but also from within…" Jinbei places his small hand on Sora's chest where his heart is for a moment with Sora contemplating.
"That's what my mother said, but I'm not entirely sure myself, I haven't seen my grandfather or grandmother spirits yet and I was just a little spunky self at the time. But hey, does it make you feel better now you know?" Jinbei asks now seeing a little bit of smile from Sora and hearing him chuckle a bit.
"Yeah, it does." Sora says now with his spirits lifted thanks to Jinbei console which makes him feel happy from hearing this as well.
"There you go, now how about a change of pace bud. You need a sharpened rock for your fang right…?" Jinbei asked which Sora nodded, "There's a shallow river not too far from here, it has plenty of stones on its bank. I'm sure we'll be able to find a nice sharp one for your long-fang. So how about it? lets go look for a sharp stone." "Yeah." Sora agreed and soon the two leapt from one tree to the next; while in the brush beneath them Shadow-fang was watching and listening to their conversation. He also started to think about what they've said about that day.
Soon, Sora and Jinbei as they leap down onto the ground and walked through the brush reach the shallow river. Sora looks around impressed to see that there were many stones around its pebbly bank. "See just like I told you, plenty of stones to look and choose from." Jinbei says to him, Sora then walks on to the bank as Jinbei follows, then he starts to look around picking up stones and looking carefully at their edges. Jinbei helps out as well picking up one stone by him, "This one?" he asks; Sora looks and inspects Jinbei's stone kneeling to him but nods disapproving.
"No, not quite sharp enough." Sora says so Jinbei tosses the stone aside. As Sora looks, he finds one stone that has caught his attention, particularly for its sharp-looking edges. Sora smiles excitedly thinking he found what he was looking for, he kneels to grab the stone. But then, the stone and others around it suddenly tremble and Sora begins to feel the ground vibrate beneath his feet; Jinbei also feels this to his worryingly fright.
"Zeon? No, it feels bigger." Sora thought pondering then on the other side of the bank, he sees panicking birds fly out of the trees. He hears the snapping and crashing of brush and small trees on the other side as the vibrations feel stronger and closer.
"Sora, come on. We gotta go to the trees." Jinbei tells him looking back as he has a leaping start heading into the forest, Sora quickly follows him. They both pick the tallest looking tree and immediately start climbing, almost reaching to the top they stop and hide amongst the leaves and branches. They then peak out tensed to see what it is; from the other side of the river, loud footsteps come with the emergence of a massive saurian with blood dripping from its mouth.
"Dra-Khan." Sora said softy to his and Jinbei's shock, they see the blood on his jaws and a leg sticking out.
"Looks like one of those entelodonts wasn't so lucky." Jinbei stated softly hiding behind Sora fearfully; Dra-Khan gulps down the leg down his throat, afterward shaking his body from the tingly delight of the taste. He then walks down to the water, lowering his head to drink from the river; the blood from his jaws still wet stains the river red as it flows.
"Why is that outlaw hunting here of all places?" Jinbei asked as they watch; but for Sora, the only thing running through his thoughts was the anger from what Dra-Khan had done to his family.
"Ok, if we don't breathe and don't move a single muscle, maybe he won't notice us here… Hey, what are you doing?!" Jinbei said softly anxious when Sora starts to move steadily down to a lower branch, he continues to watch angrily at Dra-Khan as he drinks from the river. His hands clenched, and just as he was about to make a move.
"Sora." A soft shout calls to him from below in the brush, "Shadow fang." "Shhh, stay right where you are… we can't let him know were here." Shadow-fang states to Sora as Jinbei climbs a bit lower to them.
"But why not, I've already faced him before with my primordian powers?" Sora asks perplexed and a bit frustrated.
"That was a special circumstance. You're still not ready to face him entirely, you're young and not wise enough in our ways to challenge him now." Shadow-fang explains looking up and back watching both Sora and Dra-Khan.
"Then when will I be ready?" Sora asks also looking back and down between Dra-Khan and Shadow-fang.
"When I say so, otherwise everything Faris taught you will all be for nothing and you're not going to throw all that away. You're my responsibility, so don't be a silly man-cub and do as I say." Shadow-fang states softly.
"Please Sora, listen and don't let…" Jinbei was saying when a twig he was holding on suddenly snaps making him slip and fall to their shock. Sora grabs Jinbei but the twig keeps falling onto the ground making snapping and crackling sounds along with leaves and pieces of bark falling. They became anxious; Dra-Khan who was still taking in water stops hearing the noise from the other side. Curious with his head risen, he stares, looking onto the other side into the forest. Shadow-fang, Sora, and Jinbei were frozen still, nervousness growing that Dra-Khan is becoming alert.
The tension within the air grows, with his throat rumbling and his eyes narrowed; Dra-Khan lifts his giant foot to take a step. Shadow-fang, Sora, and Jinbei instantly readied themselves to make their own move if worse happens. Then a great roar was a heard coming from up the river; Sora and the others instantly recognized it belonging to Zeon. Dra-Khan also became aware looking in the direction of the sound as he puts his lifted foot back down. Growling angrily from the sound of the rex, Dra-Khan a bit reluctant turns his massive frame around and walks back into the direction he came from within the forest. Sora and the others sigh in great relief and relax their bodies seeing him walk away, Sora along with Jinbei climb back down steadily as Shadow-fang walks over to them.
"Well Sora now that he's gone, shouldn't you look for the parts of your long-fang?" Shadow-fang asks him.
"Um…Shadow-fang, I…" Sora shyly tries to ask considering how he was before.
"Yes, I'll go. Didn't I promise Faris that I look after you." "Thank you." Sora gratefully hugged Shadow-fang who moaned a bit with Jinbei snickering but happy and grateful that Sora has cheered up.
The sun sets on the forests and savannahs of the Sirona lands, the light glitters on the ponds and streams as Parasaurolophus, gallimimus, sturmbeasts, spring hares, and stegosaurs drink and go about their daily lives feeding and frolicking on the land. Eventually night falls; right back on the same river with its small-shallow waterfall, Shadow-fang with Sora beside him were sleeping on the bank. Then a rustle in the nearby thicket alerts Shadow-fang, he stands up and looks over to see. It turns out to be Ingrid popping over the rocks with Sora's long fang in her jaws. She leaps over the boulders to them and places the long fang right beside Sora gently to not wake him.
"Why the change of heart Ingrid?" Shadow-fang asks a bit perplexed by Ingrids behavior.
"What? Its nothing really… I just think that he's going to need every little bit of help he can get." Ingrid says denying his claim a bit while looking at Sora a bit as well, then eventually running off back into the forest. Shadow-fang still questioned it though looking back to Sora asleep peacefully. He settles back down beside him, looking up into the stars remembering.
"Shadow-fang, take good care of my son." Faris words rung through his mind as he settled in back to sleep in the starry, peaceful night.
(So how will Shadow-fang teach Sora the ways of their kin? Will Sora one day be ready to face the saurian that killed his father? Find out as his adventures continue, see ya soon.)