The Tyrant's Roar: Chapter 1

Here is the much anticipated debut of The Tyrant's Roar.  Enjoy!

Chapter 1:  Dawn

Even before he woke up, Hades knew something was wrong.

Groggily, the old Giganotosaurus lifted his massive scarred head in the early morning light.  He could faintly make out a tall, dark figure at the edge of his lair.  A deep breath by the alpha told him it’s the only other male in the pack, Achilles.

“Why would Achilles be awake this early?” wondered Hades.  Whatever the reason, he didn’t like it.  He struggled to stand on his massive legs and stomped over to Achilles for a good nip to the neck.

Young Achilles heard the old buck coming, and turned to face the alpha.  Both giants uttered low growls to each other.  Hades did not expect that response from his subordinate, but what happened next surprised him even more.

A faint scent wafted through Hades nostrils.  It excited him.  Despite it being very faint, it was unmistakable.  The sweet, bloody taste of Andesaurus filled the carnosaurs’ noses and they began to salivate.

The great migration of Andesaurus had arrived.  Andesaurus, a genus of massive titanosaurs, are migratory, and this particular herd is on its way to new feeding grounds in the south-west.

Now Hades understood why Achilles was up and alert before sunrise.  Achilles sensed the herd before Hades did.  The young adult showed keen leadership in sensing when the sauropods would arrive.  Normally it would be Hades on guard for potential prey.  The fact that it wasn’t he who first detected the oncoming targets infuriated the old buck.  His own lack of judgement allowed Achilles to implicitly challenge his alpha status.

After a terrifying hiss, Hades stomped away to wake up the rest of his pack-mates.  With a roar, he woke them.  The females groggily stood up, but instinctively knew what was going on.  They bellowed back in unison, rallying themselves for a glorious hunt. 

The four females and two males made their way to the watering hole to hydrate.  The migrating herds usually traveled through a shallow, arid canyon, and predators must have plenty of water in them to survive great exertion.

Hades muscled his way through the wall of female Giganotosaurus, and growled a warning.  Achilles came over and growled back.  Hades could not believe his eyes; the 19 year-old buck challenged his supremacy twice in one morning, and this time in front of the rest of his pack.

As Achilles lead the rest of the pack to the other side of the watering hole, Hades hastily gulped down gallons of water, absorbed in his own thoughts.  He had been shamed by Achilles’ act of defiance.

Hades was a massive, old creature.  He measured forty-six feet long and weighed six-and-a-half tons.  His size alone should have been enough to keep the others in order, but Achilles must have sensed a weakness.  Hades was worried that he might be challenged for the position of alpha.

As he contemplated this dire possibility, he also realized that Achilles is a crucial member of the pack.  An Andesaurus is a tough creature to bring down, and every pack member has to play their part if the hunt is to succeed.

Suddenly Hades ceased drinking and turned away from the watering hole.  The five other Giganotosaurus follow suit.

The hunt is on…