Isla Sorna Stories: Rebirth

[saurus172]

A short time afterfalling asleep, Nuka rose from her light slumber. A yawn shook the air around her as she slowly opened her eyes. Groggy, she sniffed the air, finding her cousin many miles away. She rose, grabbing the meat chunk, swallowing it in one gulp. "Better get a move on if I'm ever gonna catch up," she growled, heading off. She cursed under her breath, angry with herself for notbeing where she wanted to be by now. With a trumpet, she picked up her pace, increasing the speed, grunting in pain every time her leg hit the ground.

[The Kingpin]

Fatalis and Hellfire were spread out, apart from Aircrest, making sure their scents didn't amplify the risk of detection. Hellfire kept a sizeable distance away, as his larger scale meant that he would be easier to spot on the plains, even in the tall grass. Fatalis, meanwhile, was keeping furthest back, knowing the Spinosaurs would detect his scent quickest after the earlier fiasco.



The Spinosaurs had stopped. At the foot of a river, far beyond Crusher's new borders, the long-snouted predators were resting. Bahari was off fishing for food to feed her wounded mate, while the other two relatives - his cousins - stood guard over the resting giant and the two young ones currently resting at his side.

[saurus172]

As Nuka emerged from the forest, almost galloping into the tall vegetation, she roared, hoping to detour the carnivores prolling the plain. 'I will not fight anyone until I reach my goal,' she thought as she bellowed, charging through the grass, almost making a road through the green stalks. A comply, who was sleeping earlier, scurried out of the Goliath's way before it could get smashed into the ground. Her leg almost, without stopping, drained her of energy that she needed dearly if she had any hope of fighting. But she kept going, not wanting any more time and space to distance her from Thasher.

[C S]

Aircrest's head shot upwards after feeling the tremors ripple through the ground he laid upon. His pupils were slits at first and all he saw for the first moments was blackness surrounding him. He still felt those tremors though, they were weak enough that he knew nothing big was headed his way, but strong enough to wake him from his sleep. When his eyes adapted, he saw that the orange sky was now purple and the first stars had emerged, twinkling above.

He sprung to his feet and looked over the grass to the river where he last saw the group resting. They were on the move now, dark shapes against the open field. Aircrest hissed and shook his head, suddenly aware that he hadn't had a proper rest since being roped into Ripper's quest. "Bah," he thought dismissively. He already came this far.

He started moving through the grass towards the spinosaurs, the pursuit resumed.

[The Kingpin]

Fatalis meanwhile, had actually gone around the Spinosaurs, passing them and re-entering the jungle, having decided to catch some food before he lost the chance. By the time the giants were on the move again, he was perched in a tree on the edge of the jungle, watching, the stripped carcasses of a couple of unfortunate compies he had chosen as sustenance. They were hardly ideal, but their small size meant it was easy to kill them without risking them making enough of a racket to alert anything of note. He had initially decided on a howler monkey sitting further up in the canopy, but he learned the hard way that, while quite mobile in the trees, he could not compete with the significantly more agile creature. It did prove to be ample entertainment however, as it had more than once attempted to entice him to try again, swooping down on a branch and smacking him over the head before swinging out of range. It had cost the primate a chunk of its tail, but no more...

Hellfire was further downriver from where the Spinosaurs were, drinking from a shallow stream running into the river. He had already killed something satisfactory and eaten, the half eaten remains of a Dryosaurus laying not far from the stream. It had been running through the grass of the plains, hooting in an attempt to find its kin, when it had unknowingly run right into the waiting claws and jaws of the hungry Deinonychus. After that it was just a case of dragging it over to the stream, out of the way of some of the bigger herbivores and carnivores. A Herrerosaurus appeared not long afterwards, but by then Hellfire had eaten his fill, hopping across the narrow stream and drinking as needed, the Herrerasaurus leaving him be. Considering its body language, it seemed almost afraid of the Deinonychus, and with good reason. Even without a pack, the Dromaeosaurid was easily capable of dispatching it. Herrerasaurs were a rare and dying breed on the island, outperformed by the more advanced predators.

With the Spinosaurs moving on, the Deinonychus resumed his pursuit. The others knew to stay apart until they knew the destination, and he didn't intend to double check on them. Knowing them, odds are they were in pursuit long before he departed his little resting area...


"How much further, Thrasher?" hissed Bahari, tilting her head at her mate. "Soon, Bahari. Be patient. I want to get there even more than you do. It's been too long since I've sated my need..." rumbled the Spinosaur. He was quieter than usual, his gaze shiftng back and forth, nervous, perhaps suspicious, fangs bared every few minutes as he glared at seemingly random spots. "Is something wr-" growled the female, concerned, only to be cut off. "Shh! The black one is watching...Red eyes follow us rom the shadows. I'll tell you more when we get there" hissed Thrasher in warning, Bahari abruptly going silent. She had only rarely seen Thrasher like this before, and it was always the same. Illusions of some black beast following him wherever he went, fears of death. It was unnerving to hear him speak of it, never sure whether it was entirely his madness or paranoia, or whether there was something behind these illusions. With the trees wrapping them once more, the Spinosaurs left the game trail behind them, following the river. Up ahead, the trees thinned, mangroves and willows dominating the environment more and more as they delved into the swamp. Beyond it laid their destination. Few knew of this place. The environment was unpleasant to most creatures, and Spinosaurids and their kind had spent much of the recent years in more comfortable terrain. Crocodiles of various types had taken up residence here, and much of the ground was flooded, safe for a few narrow bars of earth snaking across the swamp...

[C S]

Opaque pools spanned great stretches, some incredibly shallow, others able to be forded by the sailed carnivores that trudged along through the flooded land. Logs, half submerged, drifted along on idle currents. Thick mats of leaves and other plant life sat on the surface of the water. There was a silence in this part of the island only disturbed by the sloshing of the odd creature moving through the murk. In the swampland, Aircrest returned to the branches, lurking behind the spinosaurs amidst willowy trees and vines.

[saurus172]

Nuka growled, her leg killing her. "OK leg, I'll stop, butnly for a few minutes," sighed the spinosaur. She sat her body down, already licking her wounds. She gave a quick sniff to learn of anything around her. She found out that her cousin's group was currently in a swamp far ahead of her. Smiling, she rose, heading straight ahead, aiming for the swamp.

[The Kingpin]

Fatalis pursued more carefully now; moving closer to the Spinosaurs and relying on the stench of the swamp to hide him. Branches weren't always reliable here, some too high, others too thin to hold his weight. The Raptor found himself climbing higher and lower alternately, sometimes having to pause to wait for a potential threat to pass by before descending to a collection of mangrove roots before he could get to another branch that would take him higher once more. He would be laughing at Hellfire's experience, if he wasn't so focused on his own path...


Hellfire, true to Fatalis's guesses, was having a less than pleasant time. At this point he could tell he had fallen behind, moving mainly along the exposed ground within he swamp, leaping onto fallen trees whenever the opportunity arose. He had already narrowly missed a crocodile, the reptile apparently unaware of him, or at least, not bothered to leap out of the water and snap him out of the air mid-leap. The only way he could keep track of the Spinosaurs at this point was to follow the parted algae and plant matter left in their wake...

[C S]

The Wanderer had a far easier time than his fellow raptor, his many years of walking and running through the canopy making him feel right at home on branches that most others wouldn't dare tread on. His balance shifted on thin tree limbs, his footsteps nuanced as he went along, all subconscious processes. With a light hop, Aircrest changed in between elevated paths effortlessly. It took him a while to realize that the others were lagging behind him and when he did, he narrowed his eyes and looked up to the dark sky. The stars were coming out in full. It would be a long night.

[The Kingpin]

The two younger Spinosaurs remained between the older ones, escorted safely in their midst. There was no audible communication between the 6 Spinosaurids; Thrasher's increasing instability and paranoia had made it a risky move. Instead, they pressed on in silence, an occasional exchanged glance or gesture used to convey thoughts as best as was possible with such a simple communication tool. Bahari contemplated the situation. She knew Thrasher used to disappear frequently when he fell into this sort of state, but she never knew where. Was this what her mate meant by sating his 'need'? Was this journey to so specific a place meant purely to tend to this problem? She couldn't tell, and was afraid to get her hopes up. For all she knew it was a discomfort with company. He never took anyone with him. She had always assumed he liked to be alone and was uncomfortable surrounded by so many others for long periods. Whatever it was, she hoped it would end soon...it scared everyone there to see him like this. Ahead, there was less water and more land snaking its way around the swamp. Dense, spongy ground made up of decaying plant matter and earth took the place of completely flooded ground, and as the night began to set in properly, a mist began to roll in.



Fatalis found himself picking up speed as he got used to the change in environment. He was once again more capable of predicting how sturdy and numerous the branches were, and with the flooded ground below winding and giving way to solid ground in places, he was more confident in staying low. The coming mist forced him to up his pace and ascend higher, not wanting to be forced to rely on scent alone in this swamp. Its stench alone made that an unreliable guide, overwhelming other scents...



Hellfire wasn't so fortunate. While the ground was growing more frequent up ahead, the crocodilians were becoming similarly common. He had to rush, the mist adding a degree of urgency on the situation, but was hesitant in light of the amount of hungry reptiles that would tear him apart if he were to make one poorly timed mistake. Inwardly, he cursed Ripper, wishing he could've continued on the journey to inform Crusher's family of his victory, but then, that had its own dangers, and he was certain Ripper wasn't aware they would be forced to traverse such foul terrain...

[saurus172]

Nuka jumped over the stream, almost crippling herself as she landed on the other side at a dead run. She trumpeted in pain, but didn't even stop. She couldn't afford to lag behind, fearing Thrasher would heal by the time she arrived. Instead, she kept going,even speeding up, beginning to near the swamp that was within her line of sight.

[C S]

Aircrest sought out Fatalis among the treetops, lowering himself onto a branch and waiting for Fatalis to catch up before nimbly striding over to him and jumping the gaps that laid between him and the thrill seeker. "I don't suppose you were keeping track of our bigger friend, were you?" he growled when he touched down on a branch off to the other raptor's side, facing back the way they came.

[The Kingpin]

"Um....no, no, I kinda wasn't" hissed Fatalis as he stopped. Looking back over his shoulder, he chirped in thought, a sound uncharacteristic of the Raptor. "Think a croc's got him yet?" he hissed, snickering all the while...


By now, the Deinonychus was using the trees more frequently, albeit fairly low to the ground. He was above the mist, for now at least. He couldn't ascend much higher because of his size, but it was sufficient to keep him off the ground. He was picking up the pace...

[C S]

"We just got him back!" Aircrest growled scoldingly, taking care to keep his voice low. He looked over his shoulder at the spinosaurs fading into the darkness, the wispy fog rolling back in their wake. He scowled, debating his next course of action. Wait for Hellfire and risk losing the trail in the shadows of the swamp, or press on at the risk of losing the deinonychus...

[The Kingpin]

"We could always find another stoic Deinonychus. Call him Hellflame. Ripper won't know the difference!" hissed the Raptor, just as the faint thudding sound of footsteps on wood reached their ears. Not far away, Hellfire could be seen, running along sharp-leaning tree trunks and arcing branches, thusfar unaware of the two Raptors in the trees, too focused on keeping up with the Spinosaurs. "Damn...Either he's better than I thought or those were some lazy crocs" added Fatalis a bit disappointedly...

[C S]

"Good to know we care about each other just as much as Ripper does," Aircrest thought, staying silent and unresponsive towards Fatalis. In spite of it, he did feel a sense of relief knowing that Hellfire was still pushing on behind them, though he wasn't sure if it was for any reason not related to their mission. It might have full well been relief that he wasn't left alone with Fatalis regardless of whatever grisly fate might have befallen the deinonychus. The green raptor shook his head. He then turned around and leaped off onto the next branch ahead, springing off it and landing on another, sprinting across the drooping tree limbs to make up for lost time.

[saurus172]

The first the that hit Nuka as she entered the swamp were the scents. She gagged, stepping back. Her nostrils were almost filled with the nauseous stench of decay and crocs. She roared loudly, trying to intimidate the crocs nearby as she began to trudge onto the mucky ground. She knew every croc with a snout and jaws filled with teeth would head straight for her bloody carcass, but she was prepared. Every time a rotten log happened to be by her as she travelled, she tossed it into the water nearby, hoping the splash would distract anything in the murky depths long enough to leave the area...

[The Kingpin]

Grunting, Fatalis took off in pursuit of Aircrest, keeping an eye on Hellfire all the while, the Deinonychus below them steadily making up for lost time. Far ahead, the Spinosaurs were reaching a drier part of the swamp. A path of cracked stone and earth snaked through the flooded land in some unnatural path, mostly overwhelmed by the state of the environment. box-shaped metallic husks could be seen along the strange path, most of them half submerged in mud or crushed under tree roots. Thrasher's state had deteriorated further, and now he was glancing around every few moments, seemingly intimidated by something lurking amidst the trees and mist; something no one else could see. His two cousins were watching him warily, uncomfortable with his behaviour. What was happening to the powerful, intimidating Spinosaur that had once had the entire island cowering in fright?

[C S]

Aircrest's demeanor steadily declined once the figures in the darkness became apparent to him. The silhouettes of abandoned buildings overrun by the island were things he recognized as he grew ever closer. It was like Ripper's home, though this place bore its own differences. More than one building stood here on unnatural ground, a few having badly aged barriers surrounding them, rusted and broken. Carcasses of strange constructions laid on the hard, black ground, unmoving, also in states of decay. Branches impaled the structures, trees growing unimpeded by their presence for decades on end. The discovery was the beginning of a nightmare scenario to the green raptor, who recognized the grim implication of such a site.

The tainted pools near the Elder's hideaway were not the only ones to exist on the island, Aircrest realized. He frowned deeply, wondering how many more of them were yet to be found, and how widespread they really were. Mutants, the deformed freaks of nature that were more often than not more lethal variations of their species, were being spawned in these ruins. Thrasher was evidence that such things were happening for years now... and it seemed like his mutant kin were becoming more frequent in recent days.

[saurus172]

As Nuka ventured farther and farther into the swamp, she noticed no other creatures except the multitude of the crocodilians beasts. As she kept an eye out for attackers and other lifeforms, she kept up her plan of tossing logs. Once, as she treaded through a shallow end of a very large pond, her plan didn't work. A massive sarcosuchus apparently knew that trick and wouldn't deal with it. She hissed, turning around to face the strange giant.

The massive croc was covered head to tail in armor, the scutes turned more into tall spikes. Its fangs were longer and curved, her snout thick and wide, making it seem to look more like a deinosuchus. She roared, alreadyattacking the croc's back, her claws digging deep into the creature's neck, leaving deep, blood y wounds. The croc began thrash, trying to get its teeth on her and trying to get her off. She slammed her claws into the neck wounds, snapping the beast's neck, jumping off its back and already walking away.

She left the mutated reptile to its fate, heading off into the direction of spinosaur scents.