Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Alone Again

Synca tries to continue on with is life. It’s hard to do with the thought of Storm in the back of his mind. The months come and go. Pretty soon, years begin to pass. Still no sign of Storm. Synca tries to stay within his territory in case he runs into him. What Synca doesn’t know is that Storm is miles away.

One day, while patrolling his territory, Synca finds something he didn’t expect. He unknowingly comes across Storm’s old nest. He’s taken back at first. Then he looks around some more. He sees the skeletons of Kano and Longtooth. The ghost of the past haunts this place. Synca quickly becomes uneasy. Not only because of the bodies, but because they remind him of his own family, dying in agony. The thought makes him lose his mind. He roars loudly and charges off, not caring where he’s going. Synca simply blindly runs. He’s been able to cope with so much. But this, this is what finally breaks him. Finally, after running for miles, he trips on a log. Synca shakes his head to regain his balance. That’s when he realizes it. There’s no going back. The past is in the past. He must move on for good. Synca looks back to the path he trampled in his blind run. He snarls at it, as if daring the past to haunt him some more. As if on cue, a terrifying roar splits the air. Synca looks around nervously. Without Storm at his back, he’s unsure of what to do. His rough encounter with the past has left him vulnerable. For the first time in his life, he’s not sure of what to do. Synca watches as trees begin to fall. Whatever roared at him is coming closer. Synca tenses up for it. He’ll face whatever it is. But he severely second guesses himself when the creature reveals himself. Standing before him is a monstrosity of a dinosaur. Terrifying as ever and with a new compliment of scars, the killer of killers. Scarface has finally found him. Scarface almost smiles at his old rival. He plans on relishing Synca’s death. However, Synca has other plans. He spits in Scarface’s direction in an act of disrespect and then turns tail. Scarface howls in anger and gives chase. But Synca is too fast. Despite his best efforts, Scarface can not catch the fleet footed Nanotyrannus. After a few miles, he roars in frustration and gives up the chase. Synca does not stop immediately though. He’s not that reckless. He keeps running for a mile or two before he stops. Tired and out of breath, Synca collapses to the ground. He rests his head on a bed of leaves and closes his eyes. But his sleep is not peaceful. Synca’s dreams are permeated with thoughts of his dying family, thoughts of the bloodthirsty Scarface, and worst of all, thoughts of Storm’s body rotting in the sun.

Over the next few days, Synca struggles to keep living. He sees no reason why he should. He’s delirious from dehydration and starvation. He bumps into trees and isn’t very alert. While resting by a small pool of water, Synca finds himself the center of attention for a pair of raptors. He looks at them, and then shrugs them off. The predators begin to close in on him. Synca has lost all motivation. He decides today is the day he will die. The raptors snarl at him and their claws begin to twitch in anticipation. At first, they nervously bite at his body. The bites sting, but Synca doesn’t really care. But before they can finish him off, Synca sees something in the distance. It’s Storm’s old nesting area again. As he stares at the skeletons of Kano and Longtooth, he begins to wake up. They are no longer here to protect Storm. Only he can do it. They died for him. But Synca? He will live for him. Summoning all of his remaining strength, Synca stands and roars at the top of his lungs. The raptors are taken back by this and leap away in surprise. Synca shoots them a look. A look so filled with hate that it sends them packing instantly.

Walking over to the nest, Synca stares at the skeletons. He’s no longer bothered by this place. He promises Kano and Longtooth that Storm will live. Storm’s life comes before his. Until the day he dies, Synca will watch over Storm.