It was the perfect day to travel by boat. Almost no clouds in the sky and a cool ocean breeze blowing as the ocean glistened, reflecting the warm glow of the sun. A small passenger ferry sped across the waves on its path towards a destination of both curiosity and intrigue. Leaning against one of the outer railings with eyes pointed towards the horizon was a teen, about sixteen years of age with short and neat raven-coloured hair. He had a fair complexion and stood at five-foot-eight with eyes almost as green as emeralds. His attire consisted of a simple plain black hoodie with a navy blue shirt underneath as well as a pair of ironed brown pants that went just below his knees. On his feet were a pair of black sneakers that, judging by their appearance, had been bought very recently. To his left was a suitcase that stood up to just under his chest. On top of which was a large duffle bag that had been filled beyond a reasonable capacity. Letting out a nervous breath he watched the waves part as the vessel continued onwards. Soon he would be arriving, a new beginning was waiting for him.
"Attention passengers, this is your captain speaking. We will be arriving at Vivosaur Island within the hour," A man's voice spoke through a nearby intercom. "To our passengers who have been with us before and to those of you who are joining us for the first time, I invite you to enjoy a brief presentation on behalf of the Richmond Foundation."
The young man raised an eyebrow and then shrugged before glancing around. Of course there were no screens out here, barely another person as he had just come to realise. Not wanting to leave his belongings alone, he moved for the closest door and stepped inside just as a video began to play on the screens fixed around different corners of the interior.
Fading into view was a map of Vivosaur Island- a landmass in the discernible shape of a theropod skull that boasted a wide array of environments. "Vivosaur Island was founded by the Richmond Foundation almost twenty-five years ago and has since been regarded by many as a wonder of the modern world." The map faded out, soon being replaced by sweeping visuals of several streets showcasing the presence of both local and internationally recognised businesses. Many of the people that the camera passed by wore a large smile and waved to the camera. "Welcome to Vivosaur Town, a resort community established for people of all ages to experience. Here you can explore, relax and enjoy everything that this island has to offer." The camera suddenly rose into the air, providing a bird's eye view of the town before stopping above an enormous pink-roofed stadium. "The biggest attraction on Vivosaur Island is Fossil Stadium and the Fossil Battles that are fought there," the voiceover commented as the visuals changed once more. A trio of dinosaurs; a blue and cream coloured allosaur, a similarly coloured tricerasaur and finally a yellow and blue pterosaur stood, or hovered in the latter's case, in a battle formation. "Here you can bear witness as dinosaurs of the ancient past are revived with greater powers than ever and sent into battle." The next clip was of a black and lava-patterned tyrannosaur unleashing a torrential breath of flame from its jaws which completely engulfed the allosaur as spectators roared in the background. "The power! The savagery, The drama! Thrilling in every way, every time!" The camera then faded out to the next visual; a still of several people, the standout amongst the group being a tall buff man wearing a green dinosaur mask which completely obscured his face. "For those of you who want to do more than just watch, training is available to become a Fossil Fighter. Fossil Fighters dig their own fossils, revive their own dinosaurs and fight their own battles. If you've dreamed of rising through the ranks to become a Master Fighter, dream no longer! For you this could be the start of an extravagantly exciting and fabulously fantastic adventure!" The video said before rolling continuing onwards to describe what life is like on the island.
The information conveyed was not anything new, much to the teen's chagrin. Everything contained in that video was public knowledge and bare bones at that. Making his way back to his original spot on the deck, the teen fidgeted with the clicking mechanism on his suitcase's handle.
"I should have known that the tourist video would have been a waste of time," he muttered to himself. "Still… the sooner I'm there the better," he said, enjoying the cool breeze against his skin. He could get used to this.
A few blissful moments of silence passed until a pair of footsteps were heard on the deck and a voice spoke up from behind him. "Lovely day for a boat ride isn't it?"
'So much for peace and quiet,' the young man thought, composing himself before turning around. A tall, thin man with slightly tanned skin wearing a blue Hawaiian shirt and sandals stood before him.
"Yes it is," the teen agreed.
"What are you doing out here? Everyone else is inside enjoying refreshments," the man readjusted his hat to ensure it did not fly off his head. "And the air conditioning," a small laugh escaped his lips.
"It's nice and quiet out here," the teen answered. "Easier to think that way. Besides, it's not that hot," the green-eyed boy replied before turning his attention back towards the ocean hoping the man would take the hint. Of course, he did not.
"You're aiming to become a Fossil Fighter aren't you?"
"How could you tell?" Sarcasm dripped from the teen's words.
"You're not the first kid I've met who's had that much luggage," the man gave a small chuckle and the teen slumped before turning back around. "I'm Travers, the captain of this fine vessel. What's your name, young man?" he extended his hand.
"Marcus," he shook Travers' hand. "Nice to meet you."
"Marcus, huh?" The captain repeated and gave a nod. "You've got that look in your eye, like you know exactly where you're going," the man smiled. "A famous Fossil Fighter named Marcus, I can see it. I imagine you're a big fan of dinosaurs, right? Tell me, do you like carnivores or herbivores better?"
'Give an inch, they'll take a mile,' Marcus thought. "Uh… Carnivores I guess."
"I see," Travers nodded his head. "Do you by chance have a favorite?" he asked.
"I never put that much thought into it," Marcus shrugged at his own response. "Perhaps spinosaurus?"
"And here I was expecting you to say Tyrannosaurus," Travers smiled.
"Let me guess," Marcus interjected. "All the kids say T-Rex?".
"It happens a lot more than what you would think," Travers chuckled at his response. "But, I can picture it, Spinosaurus fan Marcus- the famous Fossil Fighter," he chuckled seeing the slight eyeroll the teen threw his way and glanced at his watch.
"Time sure does fly by. I had best head back to the cabin and get ready for our arrival. Best of luck to you, Marcus." With those well wishes the ship captain departed.
"He really likes to talk, huh," Marcus slumped back into the railing and turned to look ahead of the vessel as a landmass began to emerge upon the horizon.
It was not long before silhouettes of buildings and other vessels began to emerge as well and shortly after, Marcus' eyes were drawn to a pair of long-curved figures in the air above.
"No sound so they're not helicopters and they are definitely too large to be birds," the teen smiled. "They have to be vivosaurs."
A little under an hour passed before the ferry docked and passengers began to disembark. Stepping onto dry land, the young man was surprised about how busy it was. Sure, he knew how busy an island resort could be, but this was certainly unexpected. Vivosaur Island's tourist season was still a few months away if he remembered correctly and yet the harbor was buzzing with people seemingly having come from all over.
"Now from here…" the raven-haired teen checked the time and smiled. "Good, I'll be able to check in," he made his way towards a wall of brochures and to check them one by one. "Info about the Fossil Stadium, Fine dining… like I could afford that," he let out a small chuckle, "Ahh, here we go, a map of the island…"
"Pardon me?" A soft and polite voice spoke, drawing the teen's attention.
A taller woman with a kind smile and brown hair looked back at him. She had brown eyes and wore a blue work dress with the noticeable insignia of the Richmond Foundation embroidered onto it as well as a nametag with 'Beth' opposite to it.
"You would not happen to be looking to become a fossil fighter, would you?"
U-Uh, yes, I am," Marcus replied, a bit taken aback by her sudden appearance. "What gave it away?"
"Your luggage," the woman replied with a soft giggle, oblivious to the sense of deja vu she had caused in the teen as his eye twitched. "You also seem a bit lost. Is there anything that I can help you with?"
"Actually, yes," Marcus held up the map. "Could you point me in the direction of the Relic Hotel?"
"Of course," Beth smiled. "May I?" the teen handed the map over and she opened it to show him. "We're here right now. Once you exit the terminal you can follow Main Street all the way to the end. From there, you only have to turn right and it's a ten minute walk. You won't miss it, there will be plenty of signage along the way."
"I see," Marcus said, accepting the brochure back. "Thank you for your help."
"It's not any trouble, really," she reassured. "If you would like I would be more than happy to send your belongings ahead and then give you a tour of the town?"
"Can… you do that?" the teen asked, surprised at the sudden offer.
"Yes," she nodded. "As an employee of the Richmond Foundation, one of my responsibilities is to assist new fighters when they first arrive on the island. Of course, I will have to verify your details first if that's okay?"
"In that case," Marcus began after a few seconds of pondering. "I would be pleased to accept. Thank you for your offer."
"Oh it's no trouble at all," Beth smiled. "If you follow me, we can get started right away," she turned around and began walking towards the front counter. "May I start with your full name?"
"It's Marcus, Marcus Villin," the raven haired teen replied.
Not too much later, Beth led Marcus out of the terminal and into a large bustling townscape. As much as he would have liked to keep his belongings with him, sending them on ahead was certainly more preferable than lugging them around. Even so, he was not too keen on having someone else touching his belongings in a strange place.
"Welcome to Vivosaur Town, Marcus," Beth began as the newcomer scanned his surroundings. "New people arrive daily, however, you are the only new fossil fighter coming from the mainland today," she explained as the pair walked. "I know that you have only just arrived but I was thinking that perhaps we could start with the Fossil Center first so you can get your license?"
"I do think that may be for the best," the raven-haired teen admitted. "I am quite eager to get started."
"I thought you may be," Beth suppressed a giggle as she led him down Main Street. "As you could see on the map, Vivosaur Town is split into three areas. First off is the Fighter Area, which we're in right now. Fossil Stadium is located here as are the Fossil Center and Relic Hotel. There's also a market nearby," she gestured to a signpost with directions to a place called 'Gastonia's Grocery.'
"We also have plenty of souvenir shops and restaurants in this area. Although they are closer to Fossil Stadium," Beth came to a stop at the edge of a wide crossroads and gestured to the right. "If you follow this street you'll end up at what we call the Park Area. It's a nice place to relax if you would like to and don't want to leave town. The Fossil Center occasionally holds seminars there as well," she informed before gesturing in the opposite direction. "Then, there is the Guild Area which can be found by turning left here. As its name implies, the Fossil Guild is located here as well as an assortment of businesses that you may be familiar with coming from the mainland," Beth took a breath. "I'm sorry if that was a bit much. Do you have any questions so far?"
"Just one so far. Well, maybe two," Marcus replied. The brunette's words were easy enough to follow along with and thankfully it did seem like navigation would not be an issue in the near future. As far as he could tell, the sign posts he had seen were quite accurate and easy enough to follow.
"I guess, first of all… If I needed to seek employment, where should I go?"
"If I recall," Beth spoke after taking a moment to think. "There is a desk at the Fossil Guild that will be able to assist you. The guild itself was designed with the intention to assist fighters and keep their needs in mind. Of course, I'll take you over there later."
"I would really appreciate that," Marcus felt relieved at the information. Perhaps as a result of Vivosaur Island being a tourist trap but information about what it was like for those who lived on the island was scarce at best. "All I could find online was information about working for the Foundation."
"I would not think it would be much different from the mainland when it comes to job searching," Beth began only to become sidetracked before. "Oh, what is he doing now?" .
"Who…?" Marcus asked before following Beth's gaze and spotted a dark-skinned man with green hair who was darting back and forth erratically.
"No, that's not it. Hmm… No. That's not it either," The man, some kind of scientist judging by his lab coat, seemed terribly scatterbrained and disorganised as he snatched up a sheet of paper just before it touched the ground
Marcus gave Beth a questioning look only to receive a glance that looked like she had become accustomed to this kind of scene.
"Hang on a tick! I've got it!" his eyes lit up in recognition and he began heading back the way he came.
"Oh, for the love of," Beth cleared her throat before calling out to the man. "Dr Diggins?"
"Ahh, Beth," The man stopped in his tracks and turned around. "What can I do for you?"
"May I assume you're looking for our newest recruit to take to the Fossil Center?" the brunette asked.
"What? Oh, a new recruit!?" Dr Diggins exclaimed. "Of course, always happy to show a new Fighter the ropes." With a glance towards the young man with her, he pulled a tablet from his lab coat and began scrolling through. "Let me just change schedules and move these appointments around. What were we talking about? Never mind, I'll just see you later."
Suddenly the man's head shot up and his eyes met the teen's. "O-Oh, where are my manners," he rushed over. "My name is Brian Diggins and I'm the head scientist over at the Fossil Center." He grabbed Marcus' hand to shake. "It's a pleasure to be making your acquaintance. Tell me, will you be free this afternoon or evening?"
"Pleasure to be making yours too," Marcus replied before getting his hand free. "Uh, I should be."
"Oh, excellent," the doctor beamed. "Then come to the Fossil Center at five-o'clock sharp and I shall preside over your fighter's test!"
"Test?" He recalled reading something about a test during the application but could not recall what it was. "Uh, sure. I'll be there, thank you."
"I'll see you then," the doctor smiled widely and turned around, throwing his head back. "And it was nice seeing you, Beth. See you both later!" He took off full speed back the way he had originally come.
"... Is he always that energetic?" Marcus suppressed a yawn, turning to Beth who was attempting to do the same.
"Yes," the brunette let out a soft sigh. "I must say however, that he is quite a dependable man. If it were not for his work, Vivosaur Island would not exist," Marcus nodded at her words. "Should we continue?"
"Yes, let's," Marcus said and the two continued down the street soon nearing a large building with a blue roof came into view.
"This would be the Fossil Centre," Beth smiled as she came to a stop.
This is where I go at five,' he thought to himself, nodding in affirmation. The building in question seemed to dwarf those surrounding it and appeared to be only a gateway to something much larger as a tall metallic fence spread out from the back of the building, reaching just higher than the roof. .
"If you take a left from here this road will take you to Fossil Stadium," The brunette continued. "And taking a right will lead you to the Relic Hotel. As all three are essential to being a fossil fighter they were built close to each other. Do you have any questions?"
"Nothing about what you have said so far," Marcus replied. "But would it be possible to see the Fossil Guild now?"
"That will not be a problem," Beth smiled. "If you would follow me," she gestured and the two began to walk.
The rest of the tour lasted just under a couple of hours and during that time Beth was able to show the raven-haired teen many of Vivosaur Town's notable locations and places that he would find helpful during his stay on the island. Amongst the locations made known were a food market, a popular café located not too far from the Fossil Guild and a small pier at the edge of the Park Area which locals tended to use as a fishing spot. Reaching the Relic Hotel, Marcus thanked Beth for her time and the two soon parted ways before the raven-haired teen went inside.
"Welcome to the Relic Hotel, Mr Villin," The manager greeted as soon as the door began to close. "We have been expecting your arrival. If you would like to follow me, I'll get you checked in right away," the manager led him to the front desk. "We have already taken the liberty of transporting your luggage to your room. I do apologise if this has caused you any inconvenience."
"Don't worry, it hasn't," Marcus was quick to dismiss as he unlocked his phone to retrieve his reservation info. "Although, whilst we are here, I would like to enquire about how your rates for fossil fighters work."
"Yes, of course. We get that all the time," the manager smiled. "Once you have obtained your Fighter's licence, we'll be able to reduce your rates." The manager stepped behind a desk and towards a free computer, checking the raven-haired boy's credentials.
"I see here that you have paid for two months' accommodation up front. Once we have your license on record, I'll be able to push your checkout date back by about another week. As an establishment, we do provide lodging at a reduced monthly rate for Fossil Fighters. If you plan on staying with us for longer than your scheduled checkout date I do ask that you please provide ample notice and payment at least one week beforehand if possible."
Marcus nodded in understanding. "Thank you for letting me know."
"Of course." the manager gave a friendly nod before opening a drawer to retrieve a key card, setting it in front of their guest. "Your room is number seventeen on the third floor. The elevator on the left will take you up there," he gestured to the back wall. "Please enjoy your stay."
"Thank you," Marcus smiled, giving a small nod and moved towards the lift.
As the teen moved over, Marcus came to a stop upon seeing the lift already had someone in it. The sole occupant was a girl who looked to be around his own age. She was a bit shorter than he was and had blonde, almost golden, hair that went past her shoulders, the ends of which curved outward. She wore a sleeveless white dress which exposed her waist and seemed to be in a foul mood as she fiddled with the elevator's console.
"Uh," Marcus began before stopping himself, contemplating ust waiting for the next one. "Mind if I get on?" he asked when the girl looked at him.
Muttering in a foreign language, the girl exhaled and stepped aside to make room as Marcus stepped inside. A moment later, the teen sighed impatiently and pressed a button on the console and the doors began to close.
"How did you do that?" the girl spoke, fiddling with her pendant when the doors began to close.
"How did I do what?" Marcus replied, confused.
"Operate this machine," the girl responded perhaps a little too bluntly when the lift began to ascend.
"I pressed the button for the floor I was going to…" he answered, albeit a bit awkwardly.
"Oh, I see," the girl replied. "... Which button is it for the eighth floor?" she asked, to which Marcus looked surprised.
"The button with the 'eight' on it…?" Marcus said to which the girl looked very confused. "Which one were you pressing?"
"That one," The girl gestured towards a button that showed a picture of a door with arrows that pointed outwards.
"That is the button to keep the door open," the teen fought to hold back a sigh as the elevator stopped and the doors opened upon reaching his floor. "This is the button for the eighth floor," he gestured.
"Oh. I shall remember," the blonde said as Marcus stepped outside. "... I believe the word for this situation is… gratitude, yes?"
"I-I think," Marcus blinked as the girl pressed the button. "You're welcome?"
"Welcome to what?" the girl blinked as the doors closed.
"It's a figure of speech!" he called into the elevator and his shoulders slumped. "What just happened?" The teen sighed deeply when he heard the lift begin to move and immediately turned to search for his room.
"And I thought I was out of touch. I wonder where she's from," Marcus said, swiping his key card once he found it and stepped inside
The first thing that Marcus took note of as he stepped into the room were the cream-coloured walls as well as the rather simplistic kitchen near a slide door that led out to the balcony. The bed on the far side of the room was built for only a single person but also quite large which made him smile as he moved towards it. Opening his suitcase, the green-eyed teen went through his belongings to make sure everything was accounted for before he fell back with a happy sigh.
"Finally, I made it," he reached for his phone.
Seeing the time, the teen decided that he would try to catch some sleep before he headed back to the Fossil Center. So, he set his alarm and then closed his eyes, allowing sleep to claim him.
Hello Reader, thank you for reading Chapter 1 of 'Something Found.' I originally posted this story before under a slightly different title but as I was deciding what to do with this account, I began to reread my work and decided that whilst I do like the premise, I did not like the main character I was writing so I decided to rework them. Thus, this chapter is technically a repost but I have readjusted the parts I was not happy with.
Either way, I do hope you enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to the next one. I will try to update 'The New Shanes' as soon as possible but I recently started a new job so writing time has been seriously lacking haha.
Anyways, hope you have a good day!
- Quil