Isla Sorna Stories: Rebirth

[C S]

The rustling of the underbrush drowned in the sound of the rainfall on the leaves all around him. When Aircrest reached the others, water dripped off of his brow and mud stained his sides, almost adding a pattern of brown to his green and black skin. He looked faintly sullen, his lips dipping into a small frown. He hadn't watched the fight, but for some reason he believed the vanquished Rex was grateful in its final moments of life. That wasn't the Tyrannosaur he remembered from eight years ago. In spite of its terrible scream, Aircrest imagined the Rex's tired eyes closing for long earned rest, the years of toil and torment finally at an end. At the very least, the Tyrant King fell to the horns of an age old adversary and not the claws of the imperialistic sail-backs. Aircrest could find peace with himself through that. He hoped so.

"Situation's changed," he growled to Hellfire and Fatalis. "it knows something's up and I don't think we can keep this game going without one of us getting hurt..."

[dinoman666]

The Troodon, being smaller and more nimble on the muddy plains, were able to keep track with their more ponderous quarry, who was forced to take his time. Staying downwind, relying on the mud and rain to mask their scent, Nighteye and his pack had a relatively easy time following the Rex, taking their time but still managing to keep up and stay hidden. Hopefully, he would lead them right to the big boss of these Rexes...

[The Kingpin]

"Was wondering when you'd catch on" hissed Fatalis with a smirk. "Ah" hissed Hellfire, just as a clawed hand swung down and swatted the back of the Raptor's head. "Ow! Hey!" hissed Fatalis, glaring at Hellfire, who only responded with a flat, stoic, uninterested gaze. "You needed it, even if you don't know why" grunted Hellfire with a shrug. "...You're starting to sound like the fossil" grumbled Fatalis. "Nah. He'd more likely trip you and leave you for the Trike. Well, that or scare you half to death. He likes to do that at times" responded Hellfire, as, out in the clearing, under the pouring rain, glaring lightning and booming thunder, the blood-soaked Triceratops glared right at where they were hidden, practically waiting for them to pick up the chase...


"Sarcus!" snarled a female voice from beyond the treeline, the Rex tilting his head as a single eye shot in the direction of the source. "Seen Crusher? I've been meaning to talk to him" rumbled the green and silver Tyrannosaur as she stepped from the treeline, a flash of lightning igniting her amber eyes as rain dripped down her sides. "I'm guessing he's patrolling the Giga's turf, putting down markers" responded Sarcus lowly. "I thought he finished. He's had most of the day to do it. You sure?" growled Morphena, cocking her head. "No idea. Your guess is as good as mine" responded Sarcus, tilting his head for her to join him. "I suppose we could check his family, see if they know" suggested the female, Sarcus nodding. "Good idea" grunted the Rex as he pressed on, Morphena eyeing her brother with concern. He seemed tense. Something was bothering him. Wind and rain meant it was impossible for her to pick up the trail of the Troodon, though as one particularly powerful flash of lightning tore the sky asunder, she swore she could see eyes watching from the grasses of the plains. What she didn't notice was the pair of amber eyes watching her and her brother from the trees for a brief moment, the following flash showing nothing, making it, for all intents and purposes, a brief trick of the light...

[C S]

Aircrest shook his head. "Now is not the time for this," he said flatly. Had he delayed for just seconds, his voice would have been swallowed by the angry heavens that rolled overhead. The green raptor assumed a crouch stance and started off on a roundabout exit through the surrounding brush, careful as to where he stepped. With the rain, detecting scent markers would be difficult and he would have to rely on the trail of destruction and gore to find his way out of the area. Making matters worse, he had to assume that other sentries located nearby would be enroute to investigate the disturbance, most likely minutes away at best; a fraction of that at worst.

"Definitely not the time to bicker."

[dinoman666]

The Troodon quietly listened in on the conversation. So, the leader was absent at the moment. A minor setback, but if their current target was really as interested in finding him as they thought, then it would be a simple task following Sarcus to Crusher. Nighteye noticed the female looking in their general direction during the flash of lightning, and tensed. No reaction. Good. The Troodons' eyes glowed in the dark, but they kept them narrowed to slits while tracking the Rex, to reduce the chances of being caught. While such a display of glowing orbs in the dark was sufficient to scare off smaller predators like Raptors, it was would do nothing but give them away to a Rex. When Sarcus moved on, Nighteye's group followed, giving Morphena a wide berth as they continued to track their quarry...

[The Kingpin]

The pair of Rexes continued on for a good half hour, walking across forest, clearing and floodplain as they made their way towards the Rex family's den. Before they could reach their destination however, they were intercepted. A rumbling snarl rattled through the air, sounding like rolling thunder if perhaps slightly less powerful at this range. The odd thing was, rather than being ahead of the duo, it was behind them. More specifically, off to the sides, a fair distance into the treeline. Stopping, the two Rexes turned to face the source, eyes shimmering in the light-torn sky. It seemed for all the world like the Troodon had been caught. While their scents were concealed from the two Rexes ahead of them, the one behind them had been picking up what scents made it through the heavy rainfall. While not enough to expose everything, it gave the predator enough to know this wasn't just a stray scent. Stepping out of the treeline, the predator made his way in the direction of the scent, and the two smaller Rexes...


"I'm getting you back for that" hissed Fatalis as he began to follow Aircrest. "Huh. Try it. See how fast your face gets torn off. Probably not even by me" retorted Hellfire, the Velociraptor falling silent afterwards. While Hellfire basked in the glory of his apparent victory however, Fatalis was busy keeping his senses sharp for signs of danger. At the pace they were going, he couldn't detect impact tremors unless they were really close, and with the rain masking scents and sounds, he had very little to go off. Nevertheless, he noted by a sharp snap in the forest that something was coming. Leaping hard as soon as he saw an opportunity, he landed heavily on a low branch, bouncing off that the moment he touched it as he ascended into the canopy, disappearing from sight, making his way out of the area. "Hate it when he does that" hissed Hellfire with mild annoyance...

[C S]

"Less talk-y and more jump-y," Aircrest said tensely before he himself shot up into the trees, though he did not follow Fatalis into the higher levels of the canopy. Instead, he hunkered down as Hellfire walked below, eyes narrowing as he stared hard into the surrounding vegetation, trying to discern movement that did not match that caused by the howling winds and heavy rain...

[dinoman666]

The Troodon did not panic, but froze, hunkered low to the ground and staying as quiet as physically possible. Was this a trap? Did the Rexes even care that much? Had they even been caught in the first place, or was this just a very inconvenient coincidence. Regardless, Nighteye's response was the same: freeze, stay hidden, and watch the new arrival. If it was aware of them, they would be forced to retreat. A temporary setback at best. If it wasn't, they would just need to stay out of its way to avoid being accidentally crushed...

[The Kingpin]

The rattling snarl rumbling in the Rex's throat steadily fell silent as lightning flashed overhead, the massive predator's eyes, cast in shadow by it's brow ridges, seemingly igniting in the reflected light of the rain-soaked grasses. Though the Rex hadn't seen them, its appearance alone was doing a very good job of convincing them it had, it's gaze's specific direction thrown off by the reduced visibility in the heavy rainfall. For now, nothing was said, only a subtle nod coming from the larger Tyrannosaur to the smaller ones as it walked towards them, heading, seemingly unwittingly, right for the pack in the process. The whole time, the predators kept silent, communicating on a range that most smaller creatures couldn't hear, subsonic rumbles resonating through the earth; one of the Tyrannosaurids' primary means of communication. All the Troodon could get from the predators were their eerie, fiery glares, cast in sharp contrast to the dark, angry, storm-filled sky...


Hellfire snarled as the smaller Raptors made their way into the trees. Unlike them, he couldn't risk using the trees at this pace and in these conditions. Too much risk of slipping on moss, vines or lichen slick from the pouring rain, and that could prove fatal were another predator to be waiting for him below. No, he chose a different route. One on the forest floor, using the speed that his kind were blessed with, and the razor sharp senses of a lifetime of self-reliance. As something moved between the trees, he braced himself for action. He would give this predator the chase of a lifetime...and line it up for the bloodthirsty Triceratops that no doubt pursued, if at a distance...

[dinoman666]

Only when the larger Rex began to draw nearer did the Troodon finally move, but even then, it was almost achingly slow. The group split, three going in one direction and three going in another, timing their movements carefully. The Rex had a much longer stride, but it was also quite an obvious one. They had to move slowly, so they couldn't put much distance between themselves and the Rex, but if it hadn't actually seen them, that wouldn't be necessary. As they moved to either side, they watched the Rex carefully. Seeing that it wasn't veering to follow either group of Troodon, they slowed to a stop. By the time the Rex had passed them by, they were only a couple meters away, the booming footsteps almost deafening. If they had to, they could move further away, but for now they waited and watched. This could be interesting...

[The Kingpin]

The Rex seemed not to notice the Troodon, though it did halt once it was right between the two groups, taking a sniff of the air, seeming, for a moment, to have detected a scent on the rampant winds of the storm. Growling lowly, it continued onwards, approaching the other two Rexes. "We've been looking for you" growled Morphena to the behemoth, Crusher cocking his head slightly, curious. "Yeah. You kinda disappeared after eating and nobody's seen you since. I assumed you were just marking the territory, but that was ages ago. You'd think you'd be done by now" added Sarcus with a smirk. "I am. But I'm not sticking around. Heading back to the centre of the island. After yesterday, I want to make sure Thrasher doesn't get the chance to try anything. I need it finish him off and end this. No more hiding, no more slinking around, no more fear of attacks" snarled the Tyrannosaur firmly. "What?!" responded the two Rexes in unison. "Crusher, I know you're pissed over the Dilo, but seriously, isn't this kinda excessive? You only got here yesterday!" growled Sarcus. "All the better. If I attack him now I can take him by surprise. As far as he knows, I was heading away from his territory yesterday. He won't be expecting me to come tearing through the gaping hole in his defences less than a day since I was spotted near the edge of the island" responded Crusher firmly. "Just 'cause you kicked that Giga's tail doesn't mean you're invincible. How do you think everyone would feel if you got yourself killed on a suicide run?" snarled Morphena hotly. "Better me than you. If I end up killing myself, at least I can die knowing none of you will have to worry about Thrasher coming after you any more. One way or another, he WILL be coming unless he's stopped. I put you in this situation. Now I'm going to get you out of it" rumbled the Tyrannosaur, eyes flashing as the sky lit up once again, the rumble of thunder following shortly after. The storm was getting closer. "Like hell we'll let you just walk out of here and get yourself killed. We grew up seeing what the loss of your family did to Zephora and Sarraya. I WON'T let you do that to them again" snarled Morphena, baring her fangs. "Good. In that case, come help me" growled Crusher, his tone softening, Morphena falling silent, looking as if she was honestly considering it.

"What?! That's...Morphena! You're not actually considering it..?!" snarled Sarcus as he glared at his elder sister. "Doesn't look like anything's going to convince him, and I won't just let him run off on his own. Besides...I could use a change of pace" responded Morphena with that mischievous smirk that her brother knew oh so well. "....You're crazy. Both of you. Completely mad. How am I supposed to explain this to our parents, much less Zephora and Sarraya?" growled Sarcus, not believing his ears. "Oh, I dunno. You always were good at talking your way out of messes. I'm sure this wouldn't be a big deal" growled Morphena with a snicker. "This isn't the time to be joking, Morphena! You want to run off on an adventure that may well kill you, tall, dark and angry here wants to throw himself onto THRASHER'S claws, and here I am stuck in a hopeless situation! Zephora'll go ballistic at me when she finds out her son's gone and I did nothing, and our parents won't be pleased I let you go without a fight either!" bellowed Sarcus, panic lacing his voice, though half of it was drowned out by another thunderous rumble...



A split second after Hellfire spotted the movement, a pair of short, stocky jaws lunged out between the trees, the Deinonychus leaping to the side just in time, jaws snapping shut with an intimidating chomp, the Raptor barely ducking under the unmistakable horns of the Carnotaurus lying in wait for the infiltrators. Snarling, the predator twisted as it rose, lunging to snap again, Hellfire ducking under a low branch, which was all but blown clean off the tree as the carnivore's horned head slammed into it, burning orange eyes glaring at him as a wailing roar came from the long-horned carnivore's jaws, the hunter charging after the Deinonychus, eager to tear the invader apart and claim its neighbour's favour for ridding him of the pest...

[Kiryu Gwangi]

Berserker slowly stood up, shaking himself as he walked away from the tree he had sheltered under. As the tyrannosaur walked, he checked his wounds again. They had stopped bleeding, and there didn't seem to be any sign of infection. Still, the large blood stains left on the ground and the very visible wounds were sure to draw a predator's attention.

Berserker growled lightly, walking on at a quicker pace as he wished to be as far away from the Spinosaurs' territory as possible. His original thoughts on the theropods still remained, but he now learned the hard way he was not to openly express these thoughts. Berserker rumbled quietly in frustration, now wanting to kill something. Not for food, he had lost his appetite after the battle and the shock he had gone through, but simply to vent out his anger.

Berserker walked through the forest, sniffing the air every so often to make sure that no other predators were tracking him, and approached a small river, crouching beside the running water to plan out what he should do next.

[dinoman666]

During the heated argument, the Troodon had slowly backed away from the three Rexes. Well, this was certainly interesting. Whoever this new arrival was, he was important, and if he was going to try and take Thrasher by surprise, Nighteye now had the perfect piece of information to keep the Spinosaurus in power, and simultaneously take out his rival. This was almost too good. Still, they remained at a safe distance, listening carefully. Crusher may well change his mind, effectively giving them faulty information if they rushed off now.

[C S]

"Would you just shut up!?" came Aircrest's voice from above. If the horned assailant were to look up at that moment, it would have seen the silhouette of the raptor in free fall, his legs outstretched and sickle claws pulled back. Aircrest landed on the top the Carnotaur's snout and dropped into a crouch immediately, digging his hands into the sides of its muzzle while scraping his feet along its nostrils.

[Kiryu Gwangi]

Berserker growled lightly, occasionally drinking from the river as he remained crouched by the water. However, a sudden snap of a twig caught the Tyrannosaur's attention, as the reptile quickly looked behind, for a moment fearing that one of the Spinosaurs had followed him to finish him off.

The Allosaurus stopped in place, the smaller theropod having tracked the smell of blood and finding Berserker here. No doubt it had thought Berserker was close to dying and was about to finish him off. Berserker's eyes narrowed, anger igniting within him as he stood up, bellowing out loudly, his pent-up rage being released as he charged full-force at the Allosaurus. The smaller carnivore, shocked and terrified at the same time, turned and ran off, Berserker in hot pursuit as he chased after the Allosaurus, wanting nothing more than to rip it apart to vent his rage...

[The Kingpin]

"Then don't tell them we went there" growled Morphena with a smirk. "Oh sure don't....what?" stuttered Sarcus, taken by surprise by his sister's suggestion. "Don't. Tell. Them. We. Went. There. Make something up. Tell them you haven't seen us since we split up" growled Morphena, though oddly, Crusher seemed not to be listening, his gaze focused back the way he came. "...Do you smell that?" he growled just as Sarcus was trying to retort, causing the two to stop. "Hm?" growled Morphena. "....Troodon. I've been picking up traces of them the whole time I was here. Am I imagining things?" explained Crusher, both the smaller Rexes reacting similarly, freezing in place, eyes widening as they started glancing around, as though looking for a source. "I thought it was just me" snarled Sarcus. "Me too" growled Morphena. "Do you know of any Troodon packs living near the borders of your territory, or the Giga's?" asked the largest of the trio, eyes sinking into a shade of magma orange, glimmering in the dark. "No" responded Sarcus. "Then we're not alone" rumbled Crusher, his lips curling in anger...


A wailing bellow came from the Carnotaur as it swung its head sideways into a tree, intent on smashing the Raptor on the trunk in an attempt to get rid of the pain...

[C S]

Aircrest let himself be thrown by the thrash, hitting the bark feet-first and rebounding off, landing on the Carnotaur's back and sliding downwards, dragging his claws through its flesh all the while. Hanging from the base of its neck, he kicked up into its throat and stabbed his claw into it's jugular.

[dinoman666]

So, they had been smelled. At least somewhat. Nighteye and his pack stayed perfectly still, frozen like statues in the grass, so any movement they made wouldn't be spotted by the suddenly hyper-aware Rexes. They could outrun them if necessary, but the Troodon would need more information for Thrasher than just a warning. Hopefully, they wouldn't be completely sniffed out.

[The Kingpin]

Crusher was quick to begin circling their vicinity, eyes shooting left and right at any uneven movement amidst the wind of the storm, each stone, boulder or body attracting his attention. A few times his gaze passed over what looked like a Troodon, the Rex having several double-takes, though the storm didn't do much to help his cause. Sarcus and Morphena likewise, began circling the area, the trio moving in the direction Sarcus had come from, despite no words being shared between them. It seemed that with the possibility of eavesdroppers being among them, they chose a mode of communication that couldn't be heard by the smaller predators, the subsonic vibrations rumbling through the earth at frequencies the Rexes could detect, while the smaller predators and their less padded and sensitive feet could not. The winds were in the Troodon's favour, but despite it, it seemed the Rexes were closing in on them, their circles becoming tighter and closer to the hidden group. And though the Rexes' gazes were not yet upon them, they were coming dangerously close. It would not be long before a flash of lightning or a misplaced foot exposed the group. "You can't hide forever, Troodon...Your scents may be scattered, but that does not mean you're invisible. Show yourselves now and I'll spare you....Keep hiding however, and you will soon learn that no island is large enough to hide you from me...I'll hunt you down...and your kin...and their young...And I will end you all" snarled Crusher threateningly, earning brief, worried glances from his companions, though they did not look at him directly, and continued their movements towards the Troodon's position...


A wailing screech came from the Carnotaur, it's tough, armoured hide protecting it from a fatal wound, though the injury did leave a gash that sank dangerously close to the vein, the Carnotaur flailing wildly, dislodging the Raptor as it shifted its focus away from the retreating Deinonychus, fully intent on ripping the meddler apart. One meal was as good as another, and Thrasher would be pleased that at least one of the saboteurs was dead. What it didn't count on however, was the Deinonychus doubling back, closing in fast...

[dinoman666]

On the one hand, Nighteye didn't trust Rexes to be very civil. On the other, they were quickly running out of escape routes, and three Rexes could intercept their movements at this distance with ease. His choice was becoming irritatingly clear, and Nighteye scowled, though his voice when he called out was quite calm. "No need for such threats, Rex," the Troodon alpha hissed, raising his head and widening his eyes so the Rexes could get a good look at him. "We are just passing through. In fact, we were just on our way to greener pastures. Not much hunting to be done where a family of superpredators live, hm?"