The Fight To Survive: A World Away- Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Drought

Life in the desert is tough. With so little rain, life barely clings on. A drought is the last thing the dinosaurs need. However, a drought is coming and it will make things very difficult.

It’s been about four years since Star and Brush joined Vega. The two Tarbosaurus’ have grown a lot and are getting stronger. They’ve been hunting dinosaurs more and small animals less. Vega was able to teach them how to work together and take down a Gallimimus or how to use their combined strength to pull down a juvenile Protoceratops. As the three dinosaurs finish up their meal of Prenocephale, Vega notices the temperature is beginning to rise. He’s been alive long enough to know that means a drought is coming. He allows Star and Brush to finish eating, then he leads them to the nearest watering hole. They need to get as much water in them as they can. Star and Brush notice Vega picking up the pace, but they don’t know why. They just go with it. As they near the pond, they notice a large amount of dinosaurs have gathered here. All are herbivores, but with the water supply beginning to shrink, even the normally peaceful plant-eaters are getting agitated. Vega leads Star and Brush to a section of pond farther away from the herbivores so they can drink in peace. Star and Brush begin to realize what is happening. They’re too young to know what a drought is, but their instinct tells them to drink as much as possible. While they are drinking, a mixed herd of Therizinosaurus and Deinocheirus arrive. One of the Deinocheirus leaves the herd and moves over to where Star, Brush, and Vega are. He shoves Brush out of the way and pushes past Star and Vega. Star is enraged by the Deinocheirus’ lack of respect and lunges for it’s leg. He clamps down on it’s shin and wrenches a chunk of flesh off. The Deinocheirus shrieks in pain and lashes out with his claws. He slashes Star’s nose open. Star leaps back, blood pouring from his nose. Now Vega is angry and leaps onto the back of the Deinocheirus. He holds on with his claws and bites the long, slender neck. The other dinosaurs watch as the Deinocheirus tries to shake Vega off, but the tyrannosaur holds on. Vega eventually manages to sever the jugular and the Deinocheirus’ life blood pours out on the hot sand. The dinosaur falls and Vega jumps off in time. He walks over to Star to see if he’s alright. Except for his bleeding nose, he’s fine. Brush is a little bruised, but he seems to be alright as well. Vega and the brothers continue to drink, then decide to eat the Deinocheirus.

Two weeks have passed and the drought is already in full swing. Waterholes are drying up at an alarming rate and plants are dying. The herbivores that can’t deal with it are migrating, leaving only the toughest behind. Vega, Star, and Brush are having a hard time finding easy prey. They’ve been forced to scavenge most of the time. While this keeps them alive, they need fresh meat soon. They just got done quenching their thirst when Star smelled something. He and the others immediately looked around to see what it was. Then they saw it. A small herd of Prenocephale. Normally, they could take on a Prenocephale if it was alone. But this is a herd. However, Star, Vega, and Brush know this may be their only chance to get fresh meat. They try to single out the weakest member of the herd. As Vega and Brush go out to meet the pachycephalosaurs head on, Star moves in from behind. The Prenocephale begin to roar at the Alectrosaurus and Tarbosaurus in an effort to ward them off. That’s when Star strikes. He leaps onto the back of an injured Prenocephale. The herbivore bucks and manages to throw Star off. Brush leaps into action and slashes the plant-eater’s flank. Another Prenocephale charges Brush, but Vega runs in and slams his body into the Prenocephale, sending it into the pond. Star gets back up and attacks the injured Prenocephale again. He bites the pachycephalosaur on the leg, but receives a tail swipe to the face. He stumbles back, temporarily disoriented. A third Prenocephale joins the brawl and charges Star with his thick skull. Star can’t get out of the way in time. But at the last second, Brush leaps in between the Prenocephale and his brother. The pachycephalosaur slams into Brush’s leg, breaking it. Brush falls hard and this enrages Star and Vega. They attack the Prenocephale with terrifying ferocity. After they killed this one, they move on to finishing off their original target. The rest of the herd retreats. Vega and Star look to the injured Brush. With a broken leg, he won’t be able to hunt. They’ll have to bring food back for him. Star uses his teeth to carve off a chunk of flesh from one of the carcasses and places it in front of Brush. Brush gratefully eats the meat. The Prenocephale’s will last them a little while and there should be enough water here to keep them alive until Brush’s leg is healed. Vega pulls off another chunk and gives it to Brush, then he and Star begin to feed as well. After their stomachs are full, all three fall asleep.