Isla Sorna Stories: Rebirth

[TyrantTR]

Diablo cocked his head, surprised at the sound, it was nearby, whatever it was. The rest of the raptor pack? The rex he heard earlier? The rugops picked up the pace, quietly shuffling through the underbrush. When he was far enough away he broke into a sprint, he'd circle back and see if his prey was still there later.

[C S]

The heard was on edge. Hadrosaurs reared up and panned their view over the plains, making sure the flatland was clear of danger. A lone raptor might have ruined his chance to secure a meal after so long of planning and calculating his actions. The time to act was now. The Tyrannosaur, a hulking bull of a brown coloration lurked in the treeline. A gray and black stripe ran down its back and its eyes were emerald in color. After choosing the most vulnerable target, a Corythosaurus with its back turned, the massive predator broke out into a charge. He let out a booming bellow as he stomped out onto the plains, the smaller herbivores frozen in place from shock and fright. The larger herbivores were stunned for mere seconds before they began to run, but those seconds of hesitation might have doomed the T-Rex's prey.

Aircrest's head perked up at the sight of the Tyrannosaur and he instinctively pulled back further into the foliage. His gaze snapped forwards at the sound of snapping twigs and shuffling ferns and the green raptor kicked off from the forest floor. His powerful legs launched him into the high branches above, landing with a thud that shook the branch, shedding a few loose leaves...

[TyrantTR]

Diablo stopped in his tracks as the rex's roar thundered through the forest. He looked out at the plains and watched dumbfounded as the large predator powered across the meadow, directly towards Diablo's future meal. The carnivore grew frustrated, helplessly he would witness the more successful carnivore destroy his chances of a meal today. The rugops had slowed his pace, walking and gazing at the plains to see what would happen next. His concentration was broken when a leaf landed on his snout, the therepod shook it off, not paying much mind to it, when another one landed on top of his nose. He exhaled with his nose, shooting the leaf off as it danced in the air to the ground, as this happened he felt another few impacts on his back.
Frustrated, Diablo side stepped and looked up into the tree, instantly spying a green raptor, the very same one that he saw moments before dashing across the field. Diablo jolted, obviously not expecting to see a raptor of all things. He backed into a tree, which gave him another shock, giving the tree a brief glance he brought his gaze back to the raptor. It was only one raptor, the rugops only counted himself in trouble if it was a whole pack, he shouldn't be afraid of just one. The carnivore adjusted his posture, assuring himself the smaller predator was no threat. He raised his head and acted like he hadn't just been shocked by the raptor's presence.

[C S]

Aircrest stared down at the Rugops with a hardened gaze. The dinosaur was many years older than himself, yet he looked much younger than his actual age. He was thin, practically scrawny given the standards of his kind. The Rugops reminded him of...himself in that regard. It didn't help that the creature was clearly inexperienced, over reacting to something the likes of him. "A bit...jumpy, arent'cha?" Aircrest barked cautiously to the Rugops...

[TyrantTR]

Diablo glanced back to the rex, he didn't want to make any sound and attract the larger predator, so he growled quietly in response: "Most raptors I run into strike first" Diablo looked back to the rex again. "I didn't want to give you the chance." the rugops stared right back at the raptor, he was mostly lying when he said he had run into raptors. He'd seen them before, but he had never had a real encounter with them. Most predators wouldn't give him so much as a second glance, raptors weren't an exception. What Diablo could tell was that they where vastly unpredictable at times.

[C S]

"You'll find that I am not like...most raptors" Aircrest replied, his gaze being pulled over to the side to eye the Tyrannosaur. The pained yelp of the Corythosaur cut through the air and was followed by the thud of the Rex's head ramming into its side. A gigantic bite wound was visible on the herbivore's back, where the tyrant lizard bit and tore off pounds of flesh before ramming it down. The stricken grazer gazed up at its attacker and let out another cry as its large talons slammed onto its flank, the tips cutting into its side. Aircrest looked back to the Rugops and growled "Looks like you could use some of that"

[TyrantTR]

The rugops was too distracted to respond. He watched enviously as the rex was making quick work of the corythosaur, a hunt that would take hours of preparation and planning on his end. Diablo licked his lips hungrily, the raptor was right, he could use some of that. Diablo's stomach rumbled again forcing him to snap out of his moment of self pity and remember where he was, he returned his gaze to the raptor. "Where is your pack?" he asked, curiosity took over. "Were the rex and I not the only ones trying to get at that heard?" he motioned with his head towards the rex and its prey.

[C S]

"Remember what I said before about not being like most raptors? Yeah, you figure out what I meant by that" Aircrest barked in response, trying to ignore the horrifying calls of death the Corythosaur expelled into the still noon. Its voice was already hoarse as the Tyrannosaur tore into his hapless victim while it still lived, intending to give a message to all other predators in the area. The raptor it had seen nearly cost him this kill. If there was a raptor pack residing in his territory, then the cruel perversion of hunting behavior would be more than a warning. It was an outright threat.

[TyrantTR]

Diablo didn't attempt to speak over the carnage going on in the background, he waited for a break in the corythosaur's nearly relentless screaming to ask another question. "forgive me if I don't believe you." Diablo still didn't trust the raptor, he knew these animals to be cold calculating creatures. He wasn't about to take the word of some random animal he found in a tree, one that potentially ruined his chance of a meal. "I have more important things that I need to do." Dio growled, still trying to act like he wasn't as incompetent when it came to hunting as he really was.

[C S]

"Like watching that?" Aircrest growled, motioning to the bloody scene not too far away on the meadow. By doing so, he got a split second's glimpse of the slaughter. The cries of the Corythosaur grew weaker and weaker until nothing but silence remained. The familiar, emptiness the raptor felt not too long ago returned despite the company of the Rugops. The Tyrannosaur raised its head, its reddened maw clearly visible in the bright daylight...

[TyrantTR]

"like finding my own meal." Diablo growled quietly, he began to turn and walk away from the raptor. The jungle dipped into silence after the slaughter. Only the sound of the wind stirring the trees, and the rex ravaging the corythosaur carcass remained.

[C S]

The brown predator ran his tongue along his stained lips before stepping off of the slain Corythosaur. The titanic beast turned away from his kill and walked almost leisurely back towards the forest; only the slightest hint of haste detectable in the way the giant carried his bulk. The grazer was left out in the open, undefended, and Aircrest eyed the corpse with confusion, disbelief and... relief. He too was beginning to hunger, and just a jog away was a meal to feed any small carnivore for days. Had the Tyrannosaur decided to let the meat age for a while before it continued feeding?

[TyrantTR]

Aircrest wasn't the only one who noticed the rex's departure. Diablo watched as the larger predator vacated the plains and eyed his downed prey with great temptation. It was too good to be true, it had to be. His stomach growled again, he ached with hunger and starvation. Diablo took a glance back at the raptor, attempting to read him, perhaps the smaller predator was thinking the same thing.

[C S]

The green raptor mentally mapped the Tyrannosaur's path into the forest. Even perched on a branch, he felt the quakes caused by its footfalls, but they seemed to disappear before long. He wanted to scent the air, but the pungent smell of blood blowing in the breeze negated the usefulness of that and in turn, created a larger issue. Other predators were going to know about this opportunity. Others brave enough to venture into Rex turf, or others large enough to impose their will regardless. He looked down to the redheaded Rugops and growled "Oi. Why the hell are you looking at me for. There's food out there!"

[TyrantTR]

"You're not going to bait me into stealing a rexes kill raptor." Diablo growled. "I'm not stupid enough to attempt that." Diablo swallowed after his spree of lies. He was very seriously considering going out there, contrary to what he had just said. But he had no idea where the rex had gone himself, or whether it was coming back. The area was nowhere near safe, and the raptor trying to subtly hint him to go after the food wasn't helping. "If you want to get torn apart be my guest, go after the rexes food, you look like you need it just about as much as I." Diablo growled, attempting to use the raptor's tactics against him.

[C S]

Aircrest grunted as he kicked off of the branch and dropped onto the Rugops' pebbly back, careful to keep his claws from digging into his skin. He then leapt off of him, touching the ground a few feet away just past the treeline. "I'm a raptor. Even if it comes back, I'll know well in advance and be long gone before it noticed anything was missing!" he boasted. Forcing away his fears, Aircrest shot forward towards the mutilated Corythosaur...

[TyrantTR]

Diablo, exhaled calmly, he hugged the tree line, clinging to the shadows as he watched the raptor approach the corpse. Half expecting the rex to come busting out of the foliage, and half expecting nothing to happen at all. Regardless, he was on edge, constantly watching the bordering forest, waiting for something to happen. Slowly Diablo got closer and closer to the grassy meadow, waiting less for the rex, and more for his opportunity to feed.

[C S]

The green and black striped raptor came up to the shredded body, seeing the large gashes and missing chunks of flesh up close. He saw the torn flesh where the Tyrannosaur's serrated teeth sliced into the Corythosaur and shattered bone exposed from the contorted carcass. The herbivore's end was truly terrible and filled with suffering, but Aircrest paid no mind to that as he sank his own teeth into its flank...

[TyrantTR]

Aircrest was joined shortly by Diablo. Timidly he surveyed the plains and the trees. Closely examining his environment before nudging his way into the meal and taking a bite out of the carcass. Finally he felt food sliding down his throat, and the taste of meat. His red face was turned a darker shade, smeared with gore. He took breaks to swallow as he looked up for the rex's return. Eventually he neglected doing that, and continued to feast.

[C S]

Aircrest snapped his jaws as he consumed as much as he could from the bounty of meat laid out before him, barely taking the time to savor the taste of Hadrosaur meat; something that he had never tasted before. As he gorged, he constantly reminded himself of the danger this presented. He was actively defying one of the island's most powerful predators...and quite frankly he found a sense of satisfaction in the act. For too long the giants of Sorna reigned supreme...