Isla Sorna Stories: Rebirth

[C S]

Aircrest's eyes lingered on where the black and red raptor disappeared, processing what he had been told. So this was it? He was to actually be an ally to a Tyrannosaur...in what was essentially a pack? It flew right in the face of 11 years of life experience for the green and black Velociraptor.

But the island was hard pressed for a change, that he knew. And maybe being among company wouldn't be so bad...

"I suppose it's settled then...though I don't think we'll be doing much tonight. Lets go find a cave to bed down for the night and think about this in the morning, sounds like a plan?" he growled to the others, though he continued to stare at the rocky ridge.

[dinoman666]

Bladetooth, satisfied that the Allosaur was well and gone, stalked off to go lick his wounds. He hadn't had a fight that nasty for a long time...

Redtooth had managed to finally get some time to himself, away from the pressures of his malicious older brother and fellow Spinosaurs. At the edge of their territory, he lounged in a small clearing, resting to digest his most recent meal of fish...

[The Kingpin]

"Works for me. I could use a break after the crap I've gone through in the past few days" grunted Fatalis with a shrug, still sounding somewhat winded from Ripper's hit earlier. Just how did that Raptor hit so hard? It felt as though he had been rammed by a Carnotaurus rather than a Velociraptor. Hellfire meanwhile, remained silent, mind preoccupied on what had just happened. His first true encounter with the Elder was....not what he expected, to say the least. He was left with more questions than answers, even AFTER things had been more or less explained. But it seemed patience would be the key to answering those questions, so he complied with what the Elder had asked of him, for now...



It wasn't long before the roar of waves reached Crusher's ears, the trees thinning and changing, tall palm trees appearing in the place of the thicker, darker trees that populated the deeper reaches of the forests of Sorna. Up ahead, he could see splashes of snow white spray against the rocks along the island's shore, and in the distance, a rocky outcrop. "Beyond the outcrop is the cove within which your family has spent the past years. It is a secluded place, difficult to find unless you know it, though it is not without its dangers" rumbled Styx calmly as she walked, Crusher at her side, Morphena and Sarcus close behind. "What kind?" questioned the Rex curiously. "Deinosuchus and Mosasaurs patrol the island's waters, and I have on a couple of occasions seen Plesiosaurs; long necked marine beasts. They're harmless to the wary, but if you're caught off guard and pulled beneath the waves, it won't be long before they have torn you apart" explained the older Tyrannosaur. "Hmm...I knew of the Deinosuchi and Mosasaurs...but I don't think I've seen a Plesiosaur before" growled Crusher. "They are rare creatures, illusive and careful. I do not believe they are native to the island. If Ripper's stories are true, and we're all a product of the madness of some mythical race of apes we have never seen, then I'd guess that there is another island out there, and the Plesiosaurs we see are merely visitors to our waters" grunted the older female. "You don't believe in humans?" questioned Crusher, somewhat surprised. "Oh, I believe they existed. The stories my parents told me of their youth are too precise to be made up. But that does not change the fact that I have never seen one, nor does it change the fact that much of what we've been told may well be fabrication born from their fear" rumbled the female in response...

[C S]

Aircrest hummed thoughtfully and looked away from the ridge, the stars of night dotting the sky beyond it. With that, he started on his way, kicking up small clouds of dust as he went, the red and tan canyon turned a cool blue punctuated by silver from the rising moon.

In time, he found another cave, peering into it with keen amber eyes. The scent was stale and dry like any other small nook in the rock face, but it suggested that it was empty. It did not extend far into the canyon and aside from a short pillar connecting the top of the alcove to the bottom, had no obstructions that a threat could hide behind. It would barely accommodate two raptors and a Deinonychus.

"Good enough for me." the green raptor thought, climbing into the opening a few feet up a gentle incline then walking across the cool stone and settling down past the rock column. The smooth wall at the back of the cave was just mere feet away.

[Giratina93]

Closer and closer, Twincrest crept toward the Placerias. The herbivore, unaware of her presence, merely kept grazing...

And then, when she was close enough, she lunged. The Placerias, hearing the predator coming, swerved around to bring its tusks to use, but it was too late. The Dilophosaur's jaws clamped shut around its side, tearing a chunk of flesh from the herbivore. Twincrest quickly backed off as the terrified and injured quadroped turned to run, blood dripping down the side. She didn't need to rush... she could bide her time... her venemous bite was already doing its job...

[The Kingpin]

Finally, Crusher was striding along the rocky outcrop leading to the entrance to the cave his family used as their den. "Zephora? I have someone you'll want to see" rumbled Styx lowly, her voice just loud enough to echo off the rocky walls around the cave entrance and bring the news to whoever lay beyond. For several moments there was silence, and then, a thud shook the earth beneath their feet, another soon following, then another, as slowly, a figure began to make itself visible in the shadows, shimmering blue and gold eyes staring out of the darkness of the cavern, the predator's gaze widening as she saw what lay outside her shadowy den. "...Crusher?" growled a shocked, though tired voice...


The Rex that emerged from within the cave was very different to the one Crusher remembered from his childhood. Gone were the vibrant brown, beige and black hues that once speckled the jaguar-patterned female. So to, was the rich, vibrant energy in her tone, expression, and gaze. In their place was an ageing Tyrannosaur, one that looked 20 years older than she actually was,the browns fading to greying tan, the beige looking creamy and lacking in colour, the once rich black lustre of the jaguar-like rosettes on her hide faded. It was the look of a once mighty creature, whose soul had been all but rent apart. "It can't be" she all but whispered as she stared at the grizzled and scarred male before her. "It is" responded Crusher lowly, relieved to see someone of his family alive, and yet saddened to see her in such a state. "How did you get here?" she growled, still in shock as she walked over to her now fully grown son, pressing her snout against his neck. "Ripper told me about the place. I decided it was time we started acting like a family, rather than acquaintances on opposite ends of the island" growled Crusher firmly. "Pity you couldn't've thought to watch your tail on the way here" snorted Morphena behind him, earning a warning glare from her mother. "Why? What's wrong?" growled Zephora as she looked between Crusher and Morphena concernedly. "I was followed. I'm almost certain the Dilophosaur was following me from the moment I started making my way here...I had been raiding Thrasher's allies before it, so there's a chance he sent someone to watch me" explained Crusher as he lowered his head. "I am sorry" he growled, as a snort came from the large female beside him. "Pah. Don't be. I've been wanting a reason to gut that Spinosaur for years. Just couldn't be bothered to head over there myself. If he comes here, no number of allies will save him" snarled Styx, the war-torn female baring her fangs fiercely. "He's already brought death to our family, Styx. I won't let him bring it to yours too. You mean too much to me for that" growled Zephora. "Nonsense. You are a sister to me. I would be insulted if you tried to stop me" responded Styx with a mischievous smirk, Zephora chuckling weakly, shaking her head. "And Ruvox wonders where Morphena gets it" she growled. "Ruvox?" growled Crusher, curious. "My mate. Morphena and Sarcus's father. The poor Rex who has been left watching our territory alone. Suppose I'd best head back so he doesn't start wondering what happened" explained Styx as she turned away. "Absence of his family and the scent of a younger male in the territory will doubtlessly put him on edge" commented Sarcus. "Especially one so strong" added Morphena, earning a raised brow from both her brother and Styx. "....What? Just saying" she responded, cocking her head as she craned her neck, looking somewhat defensive, Styx shaking her head with a chuckle. Sighing, she turned back to look at Zephora and her son. "Call for me if you need anything Zephora. And Crusher, feel free to come by whenever you wish. Any family of Zephora's is family to me" she added as she looked over her shoulder, before heading off, Sarcus following quietly, Morphena eyeing Crusher one last time, her expression cryptic and unclear, somewhere between distrust, respect and curiosity, before she too departed, leaving Crusher alone with his mother for the first time since he was a hatchling...


"Where's Sarraya?" growled Crusher curiously, once the trio of Rexes had begun to depart. "She's resting inside. Yesterday was hard on us both. A long night of hunting, constant harassment by a Giga on the edge of the hunting grounds, and vigilant group of Trikes moving with the Paras we were hunting. We had to go without food last night and most of today. We simply ended up too exhausted to continue. We were planning to start again before dawn, once we had had some rest" explained Zephora. "Giga....I think I know the one you mean" growled Crusher thoughtfully. "Oh?" asked Zephora as the duo entered the dark cave. "Yeah. Had a run-in with one on my way here. Aggressive predator that was almost insistent on fighting. Changed his mind when I pointed out I could've ripped his head off then and there" explained the younger Rex, lowering his voice to barely over a grunt, not wanting the noise to wake his sleeping sister, whose form was barely visible in the corner of the curving, pillar-filled cave. "Hm. Not like him to fold so quickly, but he's the only Giga near our territory" murmured Zephora thoughtfully. "Well, to be fair, I HAD just knocked him aside like a runt while chasing after the Dilophosaur, so that may have something to do with it. Probably was still shaken by the fact I pushed right through his attempt to intercept me" responded Crusher, Zephora smiling lowly, amused.

"It's good to have you back, Crusher. I've worried for your safety for so many years" she growled. "You shouldn't've. It'll take a lot more than that to kill me off" grunted Crusher with a smirk. Zephora chuckled. "Confident, just like your father. Pride comes before a fall, however. Don't forget that" she warned, Crusher nodding. "I'm no fool. My raids against Thrasher weren't just blind rushes against the enemy. I've been picking off his allies. Weakening his grip on the territory. Making outside threats a bigger problem for him. Eventually I plan to take him down personally, but when that happens I want to be sure that he hasn't got any allies left confident enough to chance throwing their necks on the line" he explained, Zephora nodding, pleased. "He deserves to suffer for all he's done to the island. But be careful not to fall into the same trap both he and your father did. That power, the strength of presence that comes with being the Most Dominant, led them both to claiming massive territories. That in turn led to your father's eventual death, and at this rate, will lead to Thrasher's as well" warned the ageing female. "I know. Ripper told me about that. I don't intend to take the entire territory for myself. Only the core, and as much as I need to live" he responded, Zephora smiling, relieved that Crusher had considered it. "If only your father had been so willing to live with what he needed. He was too ambitious. He wanted a big territory in order to split it amongst you and your siblings once you were all old enough. It was why he refused to give it to Nightshade despite him being an adult in his own right. But his planning left him blind to the will of those outside our borders, and it cost us all dearly" she growled. "Ugh. Listen to me," she muttered with a chuckle. "I sound like a senile Trike. Stuck on past trivialities when I should be focusing on the future ahead of us. Come. We'll have plenty of time to talk tomorrow. For now, I think we could both use some rest" she stated finally, Crusher nodding in agreement, the two heading into the depths of the cave, away from the entrance, where their scents were well masked by the salty sea air. Laying down to rest, the two Tyrannosaurs let sleep claim them...



Hellfire was quick to follow, entering the shallow cave and heading towards a gap between two large rocks within, framing him perfectly, protecting his flanks and giving a head-on view of the entrance; an ideal scouting position. Fatalis meanwhile slunk over to a dip in the stone where a couple of long worn bones lay, the tiny skeleton looking to belong to some rodent. The scent of the skeleton was almost identical to the dusty, stale scent of the cave itself, implying that this thing had been dead for months, if not years. Thwacking them aside with one foot, the Raptor cleared the spot and lay down, curling up as he sighed, gaze shifting to the two others. Hellfire was immobile, though his amber eyes glared unmovingly towards the entrance. "Watch?" hissed Fatalis, to which Hellfire simply nodded. Satisfied, the Raptor let himself rest, his head settling on the stony floor as he let himself descend into a light, but energising slumber...

[C S]

When Aircrest woke up the next morning, a stretch of the sun's first light had extended past the mouth of the cave. The light of dawn crept over the badlands of Death Valley and shone down the canyon, the light bouncing off of the stone and sand shining dimly into the cave, illuminating it slightly. It was a gentle light, but before long it would be harsh sweltering. Living by himself, the schedule of the arid region of Sorna was only an afterthought to the green raptor. Move at dawn, seek shelter by noon and move again at dusk. But now he had the others with him...there was no way that lifestyle was going to hold up. The course of action was very clear: leave Death Valley.

"At least we aren't traveling tired..." Aircrest thought as he rose to his feet, joints cracking when he started to stretch and shake himself out.

[The Kingpin]

"Decent sleep?" hissed Fatalis lowly, awake and alert. Halfway through the night, he had switched roles with Hellfire, taking over the watch while the Deinonychus rested. It was evident based on the fact the larger Dromaeosaurid was still sleeping soundly that he had been left drained by the collective actions of the previous day...




A low growl was the first thing Crusher heard, his golden eyes shooting open as he glanced around him, the reflection of dawn's first light shimmering off the blue-grey cave floor and into his eyes, making them seem to ignite with a fiery glow, catching sight of a Rex standing over him, a few feet away, fangs bared and eyes glimmering a light mint green. "Surprised to see me, sis?" growled Crusher with a smirk, taking the female by surprise as Crusher rose to his feet, turning his gaze towards the confused Rex. Her hide was a gradient of silver to light brown from her feet up to her back, and all the way down her back, diamond-shaped dark brown patterns could be seen steadily enlarging from her head down to her back, before shrinking once more along the tail. Around the patterns were creamy rings matching their shape, resulting in a pattern uncannily like that of an Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake. "No," growled Sarraya, her tone hinting it was more in disbelief than in response to Crusher's question. "Crusher?" she muttered, before lunging into a nuzzle against her younger brother, A low growl escaping the male as he returned the gesture...



Meanwhile, a certain Irritator was on the move, tracking down the Dilophosaur he had...recruited, lips curled into a snarl. His scouts had told him she had been on her way back, but she was taking far too long for his tastes. The Rex, meanwhile, was nowhere in sight, and Thrasher was getting edgy. He needed an answer soon...

[C S]

"As good a sleep as you can get after being given a job without being told how to go about doing it." Aircrest answered absentmindedly mid stretch, still trying to figure out just that. How was the trio going to go about helping to take down Thrasher? Were the three supposed to seek out the Tyrannosaur -wherever he might be on the island- to proclaim their service to him and figure out something then? "On the bright side," he thought; "at least I don't have a damn headache."

Pulling himself from his thoughts, he inquired: "What about you? Did you get any sleep?"

[The Kingpin]

"Plenty. Dunno about our Deinonychus friend though. He seemed really worn out when we switched sentry duty around. Whatever you guys were doing before I showed up, it must've drained him. That, or he's had a rough day even before that" responded Fatalis with a grunt...


"How'd you get here?" growled Sarraya lowly. "Long story. Suffice to say, Ripper let me know where you were and I walked here. Styx and her family led me to where you were" explained Crusher briefly. "Wow.....It's almost hard to believe. All these years you were just a name, a picture in my head that I didn't think I'd ever get to actually see....I gotta say, you're not exactly a little squirt anymore" responded the female with a low chuckle. "I got bored of the short jokes, so I grew" grunted Crusher simply, though a joking smirk made it's way across his muzzle shortly afterwards. "Right. You just DECIDED you didn't want to be short anymore" responded Sarraya with a smirk. "Yeah. I'm just that amazing" grunted Crusher, earning an uncharacteristic giggle from his elder sister...

[C S]

"Well, he had the bright idea of trying to seek out Ripper when he didn't want to be found. He was probably led up every hill, down every slope and through every nook and cranny in Death Valley before winding up in the place where I met him." Aircrest responded with a growl. He walked up to Hellfire's side, cautiously putting a foot on his flank and shaking him. As much as he would like the Deinonychus to get his full rest, he didn't want to risk missing their window of opportunity to get out of the badlands.

[Giratina93]

Twincrest herself woke up, the Dilophpsaurus raising her head above the ferns she was sleeping in. After having eaten her fill, she had went off into a particularly dense part of the forest to sleep in, an area where larger predators would have trouble entering into. Even as she got up and began to move out, she herself was having some trouble getting back out, the trees and dense undergrowth restricting her movement, but the importance of sleeping safely against larger predators was something she knew well. Once she left the denser part of the forest, she sniffed the air, and began to once again head toward Thrasher's territory. He would no doubt like the news she had for him.

[The Kingpin]

It was a split second before the curved edge of Hellfire's killer claw was pressed against the Raptor's ankle, the movement unbelievably fast for a creature that had seemed, for the most part, sound asleep. As the Deinonychus's senses focused, and his eyes narrowed and took in the surroundings, he calmed down, removing his clawed foot from the Raptor's own and rising to his feet. "Pleasant sleep?" snorted Fatalis, thoroughly amused by the display. "What little of it there was" responded Hellfire groggily...



"Listen to you," grunted Zephora as she rose to her feet, flexing with a groan. "Like a pair of hatchlings, honestly" she added, eyeing the two with an amused smirk, Crusher snorting at the comment. "Last I heard, hatchlings couldn't knock you over with a nuzzle" he growled, Zephora chuckling in response. "Tis the curse of age, I'm afraid. That and, as has been said, you're bigger than we had expected you to be" she responded. "Ah, don't be so negative. You're not old yet. RIPPER is old. You? You're still in your prime" responded Crusher with a smile. "Don't listen to her, Crusher. You should see what happens when she and Styx are feeling playful. You'd think they were both oversized hatchlings looking at them" commented Sarraya, giggling as Zephora eyed her with a raised brow. "Well, have to keep myself cheerful SOMEHOW. That is just the best way for me to do so" retorted the older female defensively. Crusher simply chuckled as he eyed the two, enjoying the banter. A growl cut off Sarraya just as she was about to make another remark, this one coming from no angry beast, but her own starved stomach. Crusher chuckled lowly as he eyed the two, reminded by their faded colours and tired, drained expressions that they hadn't eaten in almost two days now. "You two stay around. I'm going to go hunting for something to eat" growled the Rex. "Oh no you don't. We're coming with you" responded Zephora firmly. "You're drained and starved. If you join in odds are you'll just end up hurting yourself. Trust me, I can bring down a meal for the three of us easily. And we'll have plenty of time to hunt together next time" growled the male firmly. Looking at the Tyrannosaur's determined gaze for a few moments, Zephora realised her son wouldn't budge on the subject, and relented. "Fine, fine. Just try not to get hurt, alright? I've waited too long to have you get hurt in a hunting accident" growled the female. "I've lived for a decade and a half on my own. I'll manage. You just worry about yourself for now" growled Crusher with a smile, before turning away, departing the cave as he made his way for the game trail...


Malevolent orange eyes stared expectantly at the Dilophosaur as she made her way towards the centre of the island, the Irritator watching her making no move to reveal himself as he remained submerged in a nearby river, the only exposed part of his body being covered with mud, making him almost indiscernible from the surrounding environment, looking, for all intents and purposes, like a large log...

[C S]

"Well it's good to see you're already...alert" Aircrest commented with a snort. "I think we should get moving as quickly as we can. I'm not sure where to, but anywhere is better than here for any group." he said much more seriously...

[The Kingpin]

Crusher was soon standing at the mouth of the game-trail. He smelled prey upwind...and carnivores. Rex and Giga. Specifically, Sarcus and the Giga that had threatened Crusher the earlier day. Crusher initially thought nothing of it considering this was the hunting ground that acted as the central point between the territories of the Rexes and the Giga. But then he heard the tell-tale sign of a roar. Hunters didn't roar while stalking prey, and to further his suspicions, the roar was a territorial roar. Sarcus was fighting off the Giga. His gaze narrowing, Crusher made his way towards the spot, intending to investigate. There was something off with the tone of the roar. Most wouldn't be able to tell, but to a member of the same species, it was clear something wasn't right...


Sure enough, his suspicions turned out to be right. Sarcus wasn't winning this fight. His blood was on the air, and the threatening growl of the Giga was getting louder and more menacing; it was confident. In moments, Crusher rose over the edge of a shallow hill in the trail, and the scene unfolded before him. Sarcus was standing defensively over a kill; a large Magnapaulia, to be precise. His flank was bloodied, as was his tail, and his eyes glared in a mixture of hate and fear at the Giga. The way it looked, the Giga had waited for the Rex to tire himself out in the hunt, and then moved in to claim the kill. A bellowing territorial roar burst from Sarcus's lungs, again tinted with that oddity Crusher had detected earlier; panic. As the Giga lunged forward, Crusher chose to act. A booming roar tore across the plains in response to Sarcus's own, Crusher striding down the hill at a fast walk, covering the ground rapidly as Sarcus backed away and steadily made his way towards the larger Rex. Blood red rings began to encircle Crusher's feral yellow iris as He closed the gap, the Giga snarling lowly as Sarcus made his way around and behind Crusher. At this distance, the injuries were obvious. The tip of the Rex's tail was badly damaged, and several deep gashes could be seen in his flank. Add to that he was limping, meaning he must've sustained some injury either during the hunt of the fight that followed, and his muzzle was clawed, most likely in a failed shot at the Giga's throat. Narrowing its gaze at him, the Giga roared territorially. "Leave, outsider. This is not your fight, and you are not welcome here" snarled the Giga, a rattling growl coming in response as the red rings in Crusher's eyes spread further inwards. "I'm making it my fight" snarled Crusher as he stepped forward, fangs bared, the Giga snapping at him. "Then I'll kill you like I should have yesterda-" retorted the Giga, before being cut off by a headbutt from the massive Rex, silencing it and stunning it somewhat, the Giga stumbling back and shaking its head, snarling threateningly. A wailing roar came from the beast as it lunged, rearing to get the height advantage as It swung its jaws down on Crusher's neck,Crusher crouching as he brought a foot forward under him, the Giga's fangs sinking into the thick hide of his neck, before suddenly being forced upwards and off of him, Crusher thrashing as his jaws snapped shut on one of it's limbs, biting down with full force and tearing the shattered limb clean off, the Giga screeching in pain as it stepped back several feet, Crusher snarling as he glared back at it with blood red eyes, the yellow limited to narrow rings around his slitted pupils as he gulped down the severed limb. The Giga snarled, saliva dripping from its bloodied jaws as it eyed the Rex, blinded with rage as it began to circle the larger predator, murder in its gaze, oblivious of the fact Crusher was changing right before its eyes...


"Right" hissed Hellfire as he shook his head, clearing his mind as best he could. "Then let's get moving" he hissed, Fatalis already at the mouth of the cave, stepping out into the steadily rising sun, eager to leave before the gentle caress of the sun's heat turned into a merciless embrace...

[C S]

Aircrest nodded and jogged down the short length of the alcove and into the light of the morning, the multicolored sky quickly shifting hues to blue, the golden ring in the sky clearing the very tops of the craggy rock formations. As he started to quicken his pace, he growled to Fatalis: "So what have you been doing since we last saw each other? Eight years is a long...long time."

[Giratina93]

Twincrest stopped. She had a feeling she was being watched, and she didn't like it. It was a feeling she knew from experience, in a land where she wasn't top dog and was just as likely to become prey as the very creatures she preyed on. The Dilophosaurus looked around, trying to identify where the feeling came from. She couldn't smell anything... no doubt whoever was watching her was downwind of her... her muscles tensed, ready to fight or flee if needed...

[The Kingpin]

"Yeah..." growled Fatalis, somewhat more thoughtfully than one would expect for a creature of such simple pleasures as his. "Living, I guess...Kinda sad that you could sum up most of that time in what you saw of me yesterday...pissing off superpredators...running...taunting...watching the result...getting a meal and sleeping in between. Though I have met some interesting creatures along the way...There was this family of Allosaurs I ran into a while back...well, I ran into a juvenile that was caught in the middle of some...fight with a Herrerrasaur...Held is own fairly well, but ended up tripping on a root mid fight...Nearly got killed. That was fun. In any case, I bailed him out of that mess and made a friend of him overtime...His name was Blade, if I remember correctly. He had a knack for outmanoeuvring his target. Brought a tear to my eye. So yeah, there was that. Then there was the whole network of caves I explored...lots of hidden entrances and exits, little underground lakes here and there, isolated pockets of foliage where some smaller herbivores lived...makes for a good place to hide out when predators get pissed enough to start actively trying to track you after you run" hissed the Raptor with a smirk. "I remember one Daspletosaur nearly starved itself trying to track me down. By the time I poked my head out to see what it was doing, it was a pile of bones. Didn't even have the energy to keep following me" he added. "Then there are the 'human' ruins all over the island. the caves and underground lights in them...the mutant packs that occupy most of them. I could say I've seen most of them...but there's one place I've found so far but haven't tried to approach...Looked like it had this huge tree in the middle of it. That old Raptor earlier? Ripper? He smells of it. I'm guessing that's where he lived...But the amount of corpses there...skeletons....Raptors, Carnotaurs....strange things I've only ever seen the bones of in those caverns you say belong to 'humans'...The sheer amount of them there is crazy. And that's coming from a Raptor who considers tormenting Superpredators to the point of madness as a passtime. Even I would think twice about walking in there" he explained, his tone carrying a sense of awe. "The fact that Raptor was so unlike any I've met before...kinda makes sense when you consider what his home's like" he concluded...

[C S]

Aircrest had been casually nodding and making thoughtful hums and soft growls until the mention of the human ruins. If there was anything Aircrest had some expertise on -aside from running through the jungle canopy- it was the ruins scattered across the island. He listened to Fatalis' words intently, growling: "Yeah...I suppose you're right about that." when he talked about Ripper's home. He didn't feel it was...necessary... to tell Fatalis that he had been inside...

"Say, in your wandering have you seen any...strange...looking mutants?" the green and black raptor broached.

[Hopeflower]

The departure from the pack had been swift, but not unemotional. Many of the members were still finding it hard to believe that their leader was leaving them - that the pack, with some bonds knit closer than blood ties, would be breaking up. Xanthe had taken a long look at them all, as if he meant to say something...but his voice had failed him for the first time any of them could remember, and he had turned away without a word. They had a lot of ground to cover. Beyond the edge of their territory now, Xanthe resisted the urge to look back as he matched his mate step for step; behind them were Cirrus and Alira, their differences set aside for now as they stuck close together.