The Fight To Survive: A World Away- Chapter 11

This is perhaps my favorite chapter ;)

Chapter 11

Journey

As Star rested at the top of a sand dune, he gazed across the desert in a peaceful trance. When things are this peaceful, he likes to take time to think. As he thought, his eyes fell upon the Northern Mountains. Their jagged peaks thrust thousands of feet up and into the sky. Star could even make out a white substance on the peaks, the likes of which he’s never seen before. As he stares at the mountains, his curiosity grows. His never ending lust for knowledge is as strong as ever. Finally, after ten minutes of debating, Star gets up and begins the hundred mile trek to the mountains. It will be the biggest journey of his life.

By the end of the day, Star has covered about twenty miles. He could have gone farther, but he wants to take his time and take in the scenery. As he prepares to sleep, a few shining eyes begin to surround him. He sniffs the air and identifies them as Oviraptors. Harmless to him. They’re probably just curious. One gets a little too close and Star gives a warning growl. The small dinosaur hisses, then backs off. Then,a series of howls pierce the silent night and the Oviraptors scatter. Star stands up immediately and tries to figure out what it was. The howls occur again and Star is really getting nervous. It’s an other worldly sound and he has no idea what is making it. He nervously moves on and as he starts walking, the howls begin to pick up. Star begins to pick up the pace and eventually starts to run. He can smell the attackers now and their howling continues. He risks a backwards glance and sees his pursuers. A pack of a dozen or so tyrannosaurs are on his tail. Star does not recognize them, the they are about the same size as Vega. The Alioramus begin to catch up and snap at Star’s legs. He can’t outpace them forever and he’s not sure if he can deal with all of them at once. Star begins to zigzag to try to lose them, but it’s no good. The Alioramus’ have great night vision and have not trouble keeping Star in their sights. Star kicks back and smashes one in the face with his foot. But he does not stop. He can’t or he’ll be overwhelmed. Suddenly, a large Alioramus leaps on his back and digs in with his claws and teeth. Star roars in pain and tries to shake his attacker off. The smaller tyrannosaur falls and tumbles into a few others. Finally, after another fifteen minutes of running, Star loses the Alioramus. Star stops to catch his breath and is shocked to see what stands before him. There, towering thousands of feet up, are the Northern Mountains. He’s made it.

As Star ascends the cliffs, he notices a large drop in temperature. His large size helps him stay warm, but it’s not as comfortable as he’d like. Star hears a branch snap and raises his head to see what it was. A small herd of Segnosaurus are feeding on the conifers that grow up here. They have feathers that keep them warm and are among the largest plant eaters up here. Star is not hungry enough to attack, but he is curious. As he watches, he sees they are very similar the Therizinosaurus’ back in the desert. While he watches, snow begins to fall. The Segnosaurus’ begin to move off and Star does the same. As he gains altitude, more and more snow falls. It reminds him of sand in a few ways, but is very alien to him in most ways. When he’s halfway up the cliff, he stops at a clearing surrounded by thick conifers. Star senses something approaching and hides in the trees. He has no idea what lives up here and does not want to risk anything. As he hides, he sees something he never expected to see. A pair of large tyrannosaurs enter the clearing. A pair of chicks accompany them. The adults are about thirty feet long, but they have some very strange features. The strangest are the feathers that cover their bodies.

The Yutyrannus parents look around nervously. They are trying their best to protect their young, but they can only do so much. The mother, Snowflake, looks down at her sons and watches as they play in the snow. Her mate, Frostbite, nudges her reassuringly. But he is just as nervous. That’s when a thunderous roar splits the still air.

Star looks left to see another feathered tyrannosaur enter the clearing. This one is different though. He has a large crest on his nose. His feathers are covered in patches of blood. This tyrannosaur is no ordinary predatory. This, is a killer.

Frostbite and Snowflake roar at the approaching Sinotyrannus. Both the Yutyrannus and the Sinotyrannus are among the last of their kind. They are the top predators in the mountains and compete viciously for food. The Sinotyrannus, Blood-Patch, has been dogging the Yutyrannus family for weeks now. Blood-Patch will not stop until they all lie dead in the snow. Frostbite and Snowflake stand shoulder to shoulder facing the killer. Blood-Patch does a series of mock charges to try and get one of the parents to charge. It doesn’t work. Then, he tries something else. He kicks snow up into their faces to try and get them angry. It works on the short tempered Frostbite. Frostbite charges forward and attacks. Blood-Patch sidesteps and slashes Frostbite’s flank with his claws. That’s when Snowflake strikes. She clamps down on Blood-Patch's left ankle and shreds it. Blood-Patch whips around and smacks her across the face and sends her reeling. Frostbite then leaps at Blood-Patch and tackles him to the ground. Blood-Patch pins Frostbite to the ground and goes for the throat. Blood-Patch begins to suffocate Frostbite as Snowflake tries to shake blood out of her eyes.

As Star watches, memories from his past start to flash back and he can’t bear to watch this any more. It’s just like the day his parents died. He charges forward and and slams his head into a very startled Blood-Patch. The Sinotyrannus is sent flying and slams into the cliff face, breaking his back. Star turns to see Snowflake standing over her chicks protectively. When she sees that Star has saved their lives, she walks forward and and lowers her head in both gratitude and respect. Then, she and Star let out a victory roar. Snowflake turns to celebrate with her mate, but stops short. She watches as snow falls around his unblinking eyes.

As Star descends the mountain, he reflects on what he’s seen. It’s a totally different world up in the mountains. One he that he’s glad he visited. If he hadn’t, the entire Yutyrannus family would probably be dead. But still. He can’t stop thinking about Frostbite. Star hates himself for not acting quickly enough so that he could have saved him too. In a fit of absolute rage, he whirls around and rips a tree out of the ground and hurls it down the mountainside. He roars loudly and it echoes throughout the pine forest. Then, Star’s thoughts turn to Redeye. His eyes go wide with hate. The time has come. He must find Redeye.

PS- The final three chapters may be little while as I'm still working on them. But they will be up pretty soon.