The Arcanum Project

CHAPTER ONE

 

 

                Somewhere in the Earth’s history, an island was formed. It was a large chunk of land, estimated at 3,988 square miles. It sits in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, about 165 miles northeast of Suriname. How this island has been able to avoid detection for so long is unknown. What lives on the island is also unknown. From this vast amount of mystery, the Arcanum Project was born. A team consisting of two scientists, a photographer, and four soldiers would venture out into the island every morning for ten days, returning to the two research vessels anchored a couple hundred feet off the island’s shore for the night. On Monday, April 3, 2017, that expedition began.

 

                  *             *             *             *             *

 

                Hook, a Megaraptor namunhuaiquii viridi, opened his bright yellow eyes. He looked around in the hot jungle, searching for something to eat. He blended in perfectly, as his scales were completely green, except for a pale underside, a dark green spine and tail, and thin, dark green stripes running down his sides. His hands and feet were also dark green. Soon, he heard a twig snap to his left and immediately turned his head. He saw a flash of light gray run back into the denser parts of the jungle. He raised his head and sniffed the air, but didn't pick up a scent. After about half a minute, he ignored whatever he heard and continued his search for food. Eventually, he picked up a familiar scent. He stealthily crept through the underbrush, moving slowly and silently as he scanned the foliage for his prey.

                Eventually, Hook saw his target- a Hypsilophodon. It hid in the dirt, still asleep. Hook got as close as he could to it and waited. As the Hypsilophodon slowly woke up, Hook swiftly grabbed the unfortunate creature with his jaws and shook it around. Within seconds, it stopped struggling. Hook dropped it on the ground and looked around again. Seeing no other large animals in the area, he began to eat his meal.

                As Hook ate, he heard rustling in the nearby bushes. He growled, and the rustling stopped. Hook continued to eat, but as he swallowed a chunk of meat, a head poked out of the bushes. Hook stared at the creature’s tan head and light gray feathers. He remembered seeing something of the same color run off into the jungle earlier. Hook snarled, but the creature stood up. It was a Dakotaraptor steini ferox. The creature appeared to be a subadult like Hook, but a bit smaller than him. It was also clearly malnourished, as Hook could see its ribs as it stood in front of him. The creature slowly approached as Hook continued his meal. After a couple minutes, the Dakotaraptor grabbed the half-eaten carcass by the neck and began to run off with it. Hook snarled in anger and began to chase the thief. However, before either of them could get very far, they stopped to listen to a loud humming overhead.

                The Dimorphodons in the trees flew from their perches in a panic as Hook and the Dakotaraptor, called Stone, looked up at the source of the sound- two large, rectangular objects with a thin, tail-like structure and something spinning on the top. They followed the strange objects until they reached the shore, where two large, silver objects were floating in the water. The two watched as a juvenile Mosasaurus was lowered from the larger object’s top back into the water, with a small rectangular device attached to it. The two knew that everything would be different now.

 

CHAPTER TWO

 

 

Hook and Stone watched as a smaller object approached the island’s shore. On the object were seven unfamiliar animals. As the object came closer to the island, Hook and Stone slowly backed away. Soon, the object reached the shore and the creatures jumped off of it.

 

 

 

                “What is this place, Skull Island?” Private John Thompson said as he hopped off of the small boat. He was one of the four soldiers who would provide an escort for the scientists and photographer sent to the island.

                “What were those things we saw on the shore?” Michael Smith, one of the photographers on the expedition, asked.

                “From what I saw, I’d say we found…” Alan Malcolm, one of the scientists, answered, “Dakotaraptor steini, and I’m not sure about the second one. It’s definitely a carnivore of some sort, so be careful.” The soldiers held their guns up as they began walking on the island. As they reached the rainforest, a Dimorphodon swooped down from one tree to a smaller one. The soldiers immediately pointed their guns at the pterosaur.

 

 

 

                Hook and Stone hid in the underbrush as the strange creatures pointed long, thin sticks at a Dimorphodon. Then one of the creatures shouted at another in an unfamiliar voice. The dinosaurs couldn’t understand him, but he sounded angry. Eventually, the creatures moved on and continued their walk through the forest. Hook and Stone continued to follow them until they reached a hill with no trees. The dinosaurs knew what lived there. They stopped following the creatures and walked away.

 

 

 

                The group of seven climbed up the hill, and as they reached the top, they started to smell something dead. They looked around and saw a dead creature. The scientists identified it as a Parasaurolophus.

                “What th-“ Major Jim Packard, the highest-ranking soldier on the expedition, began to speak, but was cut off as a gargantuan, cream colored head with red crests above its eyes glared at them with eyes the color of amber. Its teeth and claws were covered in blood. Flies swarmed around the creature’s mouth, but backed away as it hissed at the people on the hill.

                “Run!” Major Packard shouted as the group started to run back down the hill. Seconds later, the dinosaur began chasing them.

 

 

 

                Hook and Stone looked up from the lake when they heard a loud bang not too far from them. However, nothing appeared except for a Dilophosaurus, which were pretty common in the area. They usually ate fish and small reptiles, so they weren’t a concern to the two. As the Dilophosaurus lowered its gray head into the water, an Ichthyosaurus potamis, a member of the last Ichthyosaurus species left on earth, jumped out of the lake like a dolphin. The species had moved to freshwater during the Early Cretaceous when they were outcompeted by their larger cousin, the Ophthalmosaurus. As the Dilophosaurus walked a little further into the water, something large suddenly lunged at her and grabbed her ankle with his powerful jaws. Hook knew the creature was a Laganosuchus. At around 18 feet long, the Laganosuchus was the second largest freshwater predator on the island, with only the Titanoboa being larger. As the crocodile began to drag the Dilophosaurus into the water, it was scared off by a loud bellowing. A Camarasaurus, the largest creature on the island, entered the area.

                The two carnivores backed off as the sauropod lowered its bluish-gray head into the water to drink. At its size, the Camarasaurus had no predators. Because of this, it had no reason to fear the seven smaller creatures that had suddenly ran into the area.

 

CHAPTER THREE

 

                “What was that thing?” Private John Thompson asked as he wiped off the sweat dripping down from his short, brown hair.

                “Judging by the long arms and crests…” Dr. Alan Malcolm responded in between deep breaths, “I’d guess a type of allosaur?”                

                 “Siats meekerorum.” The other scientist, Dr. Ellen Harding, said, “I did some research on the species a few years ago. What we saw was one.” It was a Siats. Mortem was large for his species, which had shrunk do to the island's resources, standing at eleven and a half feet tall.

                “I hate to interrupt your conversation,” Corporal Dwayne Kennedy said, “but I think we have some visitors.” Once the group stopped running from the Siats, they never stopped to notice the Megaraptor and Dakotaraptor staring right at them. The soldiers pointed their guns at the animals.

                “Hold your fire!” Dr. Malcolm shouted, “If they wanted to eat us, they’d start running at us by now.”

                “They could be the last of their kind!” Michael Smith shouted.

                “I saw three more of the Velociraptor and another one of those big green guys on the helicopter camera yesterday.” Private Thompson replied. A few seconds later, Stone grew too curious and took a step forward. Immediately Private Thompson fired a .44 Magnum right at the Dakotaraptor. Stone yelped in pain as the bullet hit him in the shin. Stone fell to the ground and winced as he attempted to stand back up. Hook nudged the raptor with his head, helping him stand up, and hissed at the humans.

 

                Hook heard another bang and winced as something grazed his left thigh. He stepped forward and four some of the creatures begin to run. Soon, the other three followed too. Hook snapped his jaws at one of the creatures who was falling behind and eventually caught him. Something tore, and it fell out of Hook’s jaws. Hook spat out the thin, tasteless substance and allowed Stone to catch up. The Dakotaraptor walked with a noticeable limp and needed some time to catch his breath. However, the two stopped as a larger carnivore approached them.

                Hook and Stone cowered in fear as the creature approached them. It was Mortem, the area’s Siats. They forgot that the stream was part of his territory, which went from the edge of the lake all the way to the end in the large forest clearing, which was about 4 square miles. The area was coveted among the carnivores in the area, as medium-sized herbivores often visited the area. Mortem stared over them, blinking as a fly got too close to his eye. Hook had seen Mortem kill creatures for entering his territory before and he knew that he and his friend would be no exception. As Mortem lunged at the two, Hook sidestepped and swung his claws at the larger carnivore. He missed, further angering the carnivore.

                Mortem growled as the invaders ran off. Then, he felt an itch in his neck. He scratched a tick off of his skin with a long, black claw and walked back to his hill. Standing there were two Linheraptors. The only downside to Mortem’s territory was the groups of nomadic dromaeosaurs that occasionally visited the area. However, the two unfortunate raptors didn’t know that they had just sentenced themselves to a slow and painful death, the same death that would one day fall on Mortem, if he didn’t kill them first. The Siats is a living, moving meal and breeding ground for multiple flies, mites, and other parasites. The insects will drive him to insanity and eventually kill him and the two Linheraptors. Mortem was beginning to enter the early stages of insanity when the humans arrived on the island. They would be safe, as the parasites and viruses adapted to prey on dinosaurs. Mortem sniffed the air and decided to follow Hook and Stone, knowing that they could be a threat if they worked together, like a coyote and a badger. The two Linheraptors followed, knowing that they could scavenge off of the larger carnivore’s meals.

                Hook and Stone began walking in the direction of the swamps. The new creatures were a threat, and if he and Stone could make it to the fields on the northern end of the island past the mountains, they could hide. With a fair amount of smaller herbivores, pterosaurs, and fish and very little carnivores, they would be safe. Maybe Stone could heal, or find a pack of Dakotaraptors to join. That day, the two began what would possibly be the greatest adventure in the island’s history.

 

CHAPTER FOUR

 

 

                Hook and Stone soon entered the swampy region closer to the center of the island. Familiar with the landscape and the creatures in the area, he knew Mortem wouldn’t chase him into the swamps. However, the Siats was quickly losing his sanity and was very unpredictable. He hoped the new creatures wouldn’t follow them either. After a couple minutes, Hook heard something moving though the water to his left. He watched as something long and brown stealthily moved through the water. He knew it was a Titanoboa, as it was a snake fifteen feet long. It was only a juvenile, as the adults get as long as 36 feet. He quickly walked away from the snake, but had to stop as something else was walking in front of him. It was a large Carbonemys. The turtle was about three feet tall and very slow. Hook simply stepped over it and Stone walked around it.

 

                After another twenty minutes of walking, the two grew hungry. They stopped and sniffed the hot, musty air to see if they could pick up a scent. Eventually, Hook picked up the scent of a fresh kill. Soon, Stone picked up the scent too and began running in the direction of the kill. However, he soon stopped, as it caused his injured leg too much pain. A minute later the two reached the carcass of a large hadrosaur with light brown scales, a pale beak, and a reddish brown sad on its nose. The two recognized the body as a Gryposaurus. As they began to eat, they heard something growling. They looked up and saw a carnivore the same size as Hook staring at them. It looked almost just like him, except it was a female with brighter green scales and small, dark spots like a cheetah. The two Megaraptors stared at each other for a minute before the female stepped back. She let Hook and Stone eat for a while, as it was a large carcass. Once they finished, she finished it off.

 

                The three laid down for a few minutes, watching four Dimorphodons fight over the scraps of meat on the Gryposaurus. Eventually, Hook and Stone got back up and started walking again. As the female Megaraptor got up to join them, the three were distracted by something humming. They looked around and soon saw a white object the size of a large bird hovering over them. He snapped at it and it flew off a bit, but it continued to watch them. It wasn’t an animal, as it flew with four circular objects with spinning blades in the center. There was a small box on the bottom of the object, which wasn’t natural. The three left the area, but the unidentified object continued to follow them. Eventually, it left once the three made it into a denser part of the swamp.

 

                About ten minutes later they were out of the swamp and into a less dense part of the rainforest. They were about a sixth of the way to their destination already. However, it was getting dark, so the three decided to spend the night near the edge of a clearing under a few short trees. Stone looked around for any signs of danger, and found none. Hook sat next to the new Megaraptor as Stone fell asleep in between two trees.

 

                As the group slept, something at the other end of the clearing watched them. He slowly stepped forward, hoping not to disturb them. If he made the correct moves, his mission would be successful…

 

CHAPTER FIVE

 

                Stone, a light sleeper, slowly opened his eyes. It was still dark. He scanned his surroundings, as he was woken up by a noise. After looking around for a couple seconds, he spotted a large carnivore with tan skin and feathers the color of honey, which had stains of blood on them. It was undoubtedly Mortem, the Siats. The large carnivore was standing over Hook and was preparing to strike. Stone knew that he would also be killed if he didn’t intervene. Maybe if he made enough noise he could wake up Hook and Jade, the Megaraptor that suddenly joined them in the swamp. He let out a loud hiss, hoping to distract the intruder.

                Hook woke up, hearing something hiss near him. Then, he felt the hot breath of a larger carnivore and smelled a rancid odor. It was Mortem. He quickly opened his eyes and stood up. By that point Mortem was staring at him, growling. Then, two Linheraptors darted through the grass and crouched behind the larger carnivore. They knew that they could have enough food for days if the three could take down their three adversaries. By this point, both sides knew a fight would soon start.

                Mortem was the first to strike. He rammed his head into Hook’s chest, knocking him on the ground. He fell onto Jade, who instantly woke up. The female Megaraptor squirmed under him and quickly escaped. Before Hook could get up, Mortem placed a large, brown foot on the smaller carnivore’s back. Hook, nearly two-thirds of Mortem’s size, could easily be killed. He knew there was nothing to do but call for help as the Siats opened his mouth. He panicked, not knowing what do do. He began squirming and letting out short, high cries for help as Mortem tried to hold him still. As Hook let out one last cry for help, he heard his attacker grunt in pain as he removed his foot from his back. Hook stood up to see Mortem shake Stone off of his arm.

                Distracted by the attack, Mortem abandoned Hook as he began to pursue Stone. Before he could catch up to the dromaeosaur, he felt a sharp pain in his neck, like a bunch of pins were stuck into him. He knew something was biting his neck. He began to slash his attacker with his long claws, and the pain was relieved seconds later as Hook fell to the ground. Mortem, his thoughts clouded by disease, abandoned the wounded Megaraptor as he continued to chase the Dakotaraptor. After a minute, another Megaraptor caught his attention. It was a female, slightly smaller than the one he was fighting earlier. She hissed, and waited for the larger carnivore to approach her. He charged, but she quickly sidestepped and landed a bite to his tail. However, he quickly freed his tail and turned around.

                Meanwhile, Hook spotted a small creature staring at him. He recognized it as a Linheraptor. The small dromaeosaur was a force to be reckoned with in a pack, but little more than a nuisance when alone. He growled at it, hoping to scare it off. It stepped back, but continued to watch it. The Linheraptor was waiting for Hook to bleed to death, as Mortem had created large wounds on his back with his claws and scratched his chest. However, Hook simply stood up and charged it. It tried to get out of the way, but Hook slammed his jaws shut around the smaller carnivore’s tail and picked it up. He heard bones crunch as he shook the creature around in his jaws before tossing the now dead Linheraptor to the side. Then, he noticed what was happening about eighty feet in front of him.

                Mortem had battled Stone and Jade and was almost victorious by the time Hook entered the fight. All four of them were wounded by the confrontation, which was now almost forty minutes long. Hook rushed in to help his friends and shut his jaws around Mortem’s lower thigh. The larger carnivore yelped in pain before attempting to shake his adversary off. Eventually Hook let go, but Mortem quickly rammed into him. The Siats attempted to attack again, but Hook slashed his attacker’s face with his claws. Mortem winced as he felt the sting of the wounds. Growing angrier, he attempted to close his large jaws around the Megaraptor’s neck. However, Hook avoided the attack and stepped back. He noticed his opponent was growing more tired, and used this to his advantage. He hissed a challenge to the larger carnivore, and it charged. Hook tried it again, but even the diseased Mortem knew not to charge again. Instead, he slowly walked towards the Megaraptor, hoping he could catch him off guard when he would suddenly charge. His head was lowered, knowing his opponent would take this as a sign of submission. 

                Mortem’s plan failed. Hook was the one to suddenly charge. Mortem quickly charged too, and knocked the smaller predator to the ground. He placed a foot on Hook’s side. However, Jade and Stone suddenly both ran at Mortem and attacked. Distracted, Mortem left Hook to fight the two again. They backed off after landing a few light hits, and Mortem returned to where Hook had been. However, the Megaraptor was missing. Mortem lowered his head to sniff the ground. Suddenly, Hook charged and slashed Mortem’s face with his claws again. However, he managed to slash Mortem’s right eye with his long arms and claws, half-blinding him. The Siats screeched in pain before running back off into the forest.

                Hook, Stone, and Jade soon went back to the spot where they had been sleeping before the skirmish with Mortem and the two Linheraptors. Hook had killed one of them, and Jade took the carcass of the other one with her, and the trio ate it before going back to sleep. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t be able to rest yet, but Hook knew a spot only a day’s journey from their present location where they could stop for a couple days.

 

CHAPTER SIX

 

 

Hook opened his eyes as the sun lit up the clearing in the forest. He winced as he got up, as he was very sore and injured from the skirmish hours ago. He took a deep breath, smelling the dry foliage around him. It was the dry season on the island, and it looked like the clearing hadn’t received rain in a week or two. Even though it was only around eight in the morning, it was already around 75 degrees Fahrenheit. He slowly stood up and nudged Jade and Stone until they were up. They had a lot of ground to cover in one day, but where they ended up would offer an area where they could stay for a couple days. If they didn’t make it by nightfall, they could possibly be attacked by Mortem or a nomadic Dakotaraptor pack, as they frequently visited the area.

                The three slowly began to move, as the battle drained them of energy. They also had wounds varying in severity, which had the potential of slowing them down even more. They ate very little on the journey, occasionally snapping at an insect, bird, lizard, or snake that happened to be in the region. However, after a couple hours they stopped to hunt. The three scanned the dry forest for any signs of life, but didn’t notice anything large enough to eat. Eventually, Stone spotted something a couple hundred feet away. It was an ornithopod with olive-green colored scales and a tan underside and beak. Its colors made it hard to see with the foliage around it, but eventually Hook and Jade noticed the dinosaur. Slowly, two more appeared.

                Stone immediately charged. His speed, even with an injured foot, caught the herbivores off guard. Eventually, the three ran into their burrows, built into a hilly area. However, the Dakotaraptor grabbed one by the tail and pulled it aside. He shook it around, disorientating it. Eventually, he began eating. Hook and Jade soon trotted into the hilly region, ramming their heads into a smaller burrow. Eventually, it collapsed, revealing two small Oryctodromeus. The two grabbed their prey and quickly ate. As they prowled around the region, looking for another burrow, a rather large Oryctodromeus poked its head out of its burrow and chirped. Immediately the three carnivores turned their heads in its direction. However, as they ran to it, three more Oryctodromeus stepped out of their burrows and began digging. The dirt was blown into the carnivores’ faces as they lowered their heads to snap at the alpha male.

                The carnivore trio stopped their charge. They began to blink rapidly to get the dirt and dust out of their eyes. Having hunted these creatures before, Stone relied on his senses of smell and hearing. He sniffed one out and lunged forward. Before the Oryctodromeus could react, its torso was in between the Dakotaraptor’s jaws. Stone shook it around before dropping it. The other dinosaurs watched as Stone placed his foot on the squirming Oryctodromeus and lodged the largest claw on his foot into it. The Oryctodromeus stopped moving and Stone removed his foot. Then, he ate his fill, leaving about two-thirds of it. Hook and Jade finished off what was left. Then, the three lied down for a moment.

                The three watched as small, black figures glided in between trees. They were Microraptors, the smallest dinosaurs on the island. They weren’t interested in the larger carnivores, as they spent most of their lives in the trees, eating insects, lizards, snakes, and carrion. Eventually, they returned to their nests, as it was getting hotter. As the temperature gradually increased, Hook, Stone, and Jade stood up and continued walking.

                After about twenty minutes of walking through the forest, the trio grew hot, tired, and thirsty. Hook urged the other two to keep moving. He knew where they were going and he knew there was water there. However, even Hook’s feet were starting to hurt. He wanted to rest, but forced himself to keep walking. He looked back at his partners and noticed Stone’s limp was beginning to get more noticeable. His tan foot was stained with dry blood and it looked like the bullet wound was beginning to get infected. The light wounds he obtained from Mortem weren’t helping him either.

                Two minutes later, Hook began to smell something and stopped. He forgot all about his pain and Stone’s leg as he slowly began to run towards the edge of the forest. Stone and Jade followed him, but they were a little slower, not knowing where Hook was going. Eventually they caught up to him and stopped too. The three stared in awe at the valley before them. They took a minute to take in all the sights, smells, and sounds. The valley was a grassland filled with herbivores. The three saw a group of four Parasaurolophus drinking from a pond, a flock of Ornithomimus eating the plants by the pond, an Amargasaurus sleeping on a patch of dirt, and a small herd of Torosaurus walking by. Eventually, a large gray creature entered their field of vision. It was a Camarasaurus, the largest creature on the island and the largest land creature on the entire planet.

                After the Camarasaurus passed, the three decided to enter the valley. They slowly made their way down the hill, moving one step at a time. If they ran in, they risked an attack from an Ankylosaurus or a Torosaurus. It was common for carnivores to enter the valley to feast on the plentiful amount of carcasses from creatures that had died of natural causes, but they still hunted in the area. However, the three had already eaten. It wasn’t much, but they would last until the evening. They decided to drink first. As they strolled through the tall, green grass, they watched as a lone male Pachycephalosaurus slowly walked away from them. Once they reached a small lake, a group of Parasaurolophus drinking from it backed away and began to drink from an area farther away from the carnivores. Then, something began to move in the water. A crocodilian back with two horns the color of moss began to move towards the shore. It slowly revealed itself to be a Desmatosuchus. It stepped out of the water and made its way towards a nearby pond. The trio ignored the unwelcoming gestures and calmly drank from the lake. They spent the next five minutes greedily drinking the water as if they hadn’t drank in weeks.

                When they drank as much as they wanted, the tree looked up and noticed something familiar. It was white with four circular wings. Hook followed it with his eyes and slowly began moving towards it. Eventually it landed in a patch of small grass, and a familiar figure retrieved it. Hook watched as it took the object back to an unfamiliar structure. Though the structures were unfamiliar, the creatures around it were.

 

CHAPTER SEVEN

 

 

                Hook stared curiously at the small structures in the grass. He recognized the creatures and the flying object they controlled, but he didn’t recognize the green domes they came in and out from. He wanted to get a closer look, but he remembered what he did to Stone. He didn’t want them to do the same thing to him or Jade. Soon, he lost interest in the mysterious structures and looked for his friends. He noticed them laying down near the pond and joined them. He tried to relax, but couldn’t stop feeling like he was being watched. He knew Mortem wouldn’t attack them in the valley, as some of the more dangerous herbivores would intervene with his move. Eventually he ignored the feeling, as Stone and Jade would fight with him if something attacked.

 

                Biologist Alan Malcolm watched the three predators through a pair of binoculars.

                “How are they?” Paleontologist Ellen Harding asked, “I’m a little worried about the Dakotaraptor. His foot doesn’t look the greatest.”

                “Why don’t we tranquilize them?” Malcolm replied.

                “It would be too dangerous. If we knock out one the other two would be on us before we could react.”

                The two continued to watch the trio for a few minutes, occasionally stopping to take a picture or write down some notes.

 

                Hook slowly stood up, moving carefully to not disturb Jade or Stone. He scanned the valley around him, and eventually noticed something staring back at him. One of the foreign creatures was watching him. He took a step forward and let out a loud growl. Stone and Jade stood up too. They immediately noticed the creatures watching them. However, the foreign creatures backed down seconds later and entered their structures. Hook continued to scan the camp for signs of life for another minute before backing down. The three sat back down and rested, occasionally getting up to drink or wade in the cool water to escape from the late afternoon heat.

                As the sun began to set, Hook, Stone, and Jade slowly stood up and began the search for food. They quietly stalked through the grass, hoping to be ignored by the small groups of Torosaurus and Ankylosaurus resting nearby. Soon, they picked up a scent. They followed it for a few minutes before finding a dead Amargasaurus under a small tree. It looked fresh, as its tan skin showed no signs of decay. The three immediately began to cut and tear it. As they began to eat, two Dimorphodons swooped down and landed on the sauropod’s light green back. The dinosaurian trio didn’t mind their presence, as the pterosaurs were only there to finish off whatever was left when they finished eating.

                About ten minutes later the three finished their meal and went back to the pond. Next to the pond, they found a patch of short grass to sleep on. It was getting darker, and they needed a lot of rest after the battle with Mortem and to prepare for the rest of the journey. Stone found a couple shrubs to sleep under, while Stone and Jade slept next to each other not far from Stone. The two Megaraptors had grown fond of each other over the last couple days and enjoyed going on the journey together. The three closed their eyes and slept peacefully.

                Jade opened her eyes as soon as she heard the noise. It was a familiar sound. However, she soon realized that the distant noises were a terrible thing. She quickly stood up gently kicked Hook until he woke up. He drowsily opened his eyes. However, seconds later, he heard the noises too. He growled, waking up Stone. Eventually the three were awake and on their feet. They looked to the eastern part of the valley, but saw nothing. It was middle of the night and too dark to see. As the noises grew louder, the three saw an Ornithomimus trio speeding towards them. Behind them was a subadult Torosaurus. In front of the carnivores, an old Ankylosaurus scrambled to his feet and began moving away as fast as he could. Eventually, the trio heard noises coming from the strange settlement. Small lights lit up, illuminating the green structures and the remains of a fire. The foreign creatures inside woke up and began hastily moving.

                Hook, Stone, and Jade turned around and ran in the other direction. Once they were far enough from the approaching stampede, they stopped and watched. They could barely see the lights from the settlement, which was occasionally blocked from their view by a passing Ornithomimus or hadrosaur. Then, the deafening roar of hundreds of feet stomping on the ground began to approach them.

 

                “Hurry up!” Ellen Harding shouted.

                “For the fifth time, we’re staying here!” Major Jim Packard shouted back.

                “They’ll trample through the camp within minutes!” Dr. Harding replied.

                “Then we’ll shoot ‘em down!” Sargent John Campbell shouted back. It was getting harder to shout over the approaching animals.

                “Well have fun!” Dr. Harding yelled as she ran across the field, dodging an Ornithomimus and narrowly missing a Macrogryphosaurus. Once she made it across, she climbed a short tree near the pond.

                “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m going with her.” Photographer Michael Smith said to the soldiers standing next to him. He began to sprint across the field. Unfortunately, he was not as lucky. An Ornithomimus nearly ran into him. He stopped as the dinosaur ran around him. As he started to run again, a large Parasaurolophus ran into him, knocking him to the ground. The soldiers watched in horror as two more Parasaurolophus ran over the photographer. Then the largest part of the stampede came. It was a wave of running, bellowing herbivores. Most of them stayed in a large group, but some made it to the pond and the camp. Two Gryposaurus ran into the camp, destroying a tent and tipping one of the jeeps brought on the expedition. An Armagasaurus walked right through the center, knocking over a table with a radio on it. As a Pachycephalosaurus walked into a tent, the soldiers and Dr. Malcolm ran out of the camp and hid in the grass about twenty feet away and watched the remaining animals pass through the valley.

 

                When the stampede passed, Hook, Stone, and Jade returned to the pond. The unfamiliar settlement was heavily damaged and there were a few dead dinosaurs lying on the ground. The smaller ones, a Macrogryphosaurus, a Desmatosuchus and two Ornithomimus, were trampled by some of the larger creatures. Then there was a Parasaurolophus. Among the light brown skin and small, dark spots was a large bite mark and a couple slashes. The animal appeared to have died of blood loss. It didn’t take the three long to figure out that the stampede was the work of a large predator. Then they heard something in the distance. They recognized the fear-inducing roar. It was undoubtedly Mortem. He must have been hunting in the outer areas of the valley and started the stampede.

                Stone was the first to hear something behind them. He turned his head and smelled something. It was a creature about his size. He sensed its fear. He chirped, getting Hook’s attention. It didn’t take very long for the two to recognize what made the noise.

 

CHAPTER EIGHT

 

                Stone snarled, recognizing the creature as the species that had attacked him. He looked down at his foot, which was getting infected. The creature put its hands up and backed up against the tree. Stone hissed and backed off, realizing the creature wasn’t a threat. Hook approached the creature, examining it. It was a female, with light skin and black hair. She reached Hook’s shoulders in height. The Megaraptor sniffed her olive-colored jacket, detecting the scents of fire and more of the foreign creatures. He grunted and turned around. Stone and Jade followed him, and soon Dr. Ellie Harding followed them. She thought it was a better idea to follow the smaller carnivores than run into with the larger one.

                A few minutes later, Hook smelled something. He followed the scent, and eventually noticed a Torosaurus sleeping in a patch of short grass. It appeared to be an old male, with dull gray skin and a broken brow horn. Hook and Stone quickly stepped around it, slowly lifting one long, thin leg at a time. They knew how dangerous it could be, even though it was old and wounded. Jade soon followed them, but Dr. Harding stayed behind. She pulled a notebook and a pen out from a pocket in her jacket. She wrote a few quick notes before quietly following the three. As she caught up to the carnivores, the large herbivore grunted. Hook and Stone froze in fear, watching the creature move one of its front legs. However, it soon stopped moving and fell asleep again.

 

                “What’re we going to do now?” Private John Thompson asked, “Those big guys destroyed our communication equipment and-“. He was cut off by a chirp. He put his hand around his pistol and looked around. Seeing nothing, he stared at Major Jim Packard, wondering what he would do.

                “If we make it until morning, the helicopters will pick us up.” Major Packard announced, “So we’ll sleep in shifts- half of us need to defend the camp from whatever we just heard.” Half of the soldiers, including Major Packard, readied their weapons and flashlights as the other half went to their tents.

 

                Meanwhile, the carnivorous trio and their human follower reached the edge of the valley. They saw holes in a hill similar to those dug by the Oryctodromeus, but there weren’t any dinosaurs inside. The three, already full from the Amargasaurus, left the holes and moved on. As they quietly walked through the jungle on the other side of the valley, they heard a familiar growl. Hook picked up a familiar scent. Then, the three heard the soft rustling of leaves as a large animal passed through the vegetation to their right. Stone stepped back as the two Megaraptors prepared for a fight. Dr. Harding hid behind a nearby tree, but watched as she pulled out her notebook.

                Seconds later, the group saw the source of the noise. It was a large, bipedal predator, undoubetly a Siats meekerorum. Hook and Jade cowered in fear, anticipating a strike from the larger predator. However, it simply lowered its massive head and sniffed the two. Hook realized that it was nearly as large as Mortem, if not larger, but it didn’t seem interested in attacking. It lifted its head, let out a soft growl, and turned around. The four watched it leave in the direction it came from. The four waited until they could no longer see the Siats before continuing their journey.

 

                “Hey,” Corporal Dwayne Kennedy whispered to Major Packard, “What’s that over there?” He pointed to a shape moving in the darkness, faintly illuminated by a lantern. Major Packard shined his flashlight in the direction of the figure and gripped his M16A4 rifle as he saw the animal. It was a large dromaeosaur, like the one he saw earlier, but with darker feathers. He, Corporal Kennedy, and Private Thompson froze, hoping the creature wouldn’t see it. If he shot it, the sound could attract more animals. However, the creature stared right back at them. It didn’t move, but it was focused on them.

                Major Packard jumped as he heard a scream next to him. He moved his flashlight and saw a second raptor with Private Thompson’s left arm in its jaw. He lifted his gun and fired at the dinosaur. It dropped Private Thompson and yelped in pain. Major Packard fired at it again and watched it fall to the ground. When he turned around, he saw that Corporal Kennedy was gone. He frantically scanned the valley with his flashlight, but saw nothing. The only traces of an attack were two feathers and a missing patch of grass. Major Packard tossed his M16 to Private Thompson and pulled out his pistol. He quickly and quietly ran to the closest tent and opened it.

                “We need assistance out here.” He whispered as Private Sarah Vasquez sluggishly got out of her sleeping bag and grabbed her M4 Carbine. He led her to Private Thompson and ran back to the next tent. He found Alan Malcolm inside, who quickly woke up and grabbed his knife. The scientist woke up Sergeant George Hudson.

                “We need your help.” Major Packard told them, “Those raptors just killed Kennedy and attacked Thompson.” The two followed him to where the other two soldiers were. They gripped their weapons as unseen creatures surrounding the camp let out chirps and hisses. Private Thompson, sitting on a chair, shouted as something landed on his leg. He shined a small flashlight on it. It looked like a brown, earless hamster with wings. However, it had a dark, hairless beak for a mouth and a long neck for what he guessed was some type of bat. He quickly shook it off by kicking his muscular legs.

 

                Major Packard attached his flashlight to his rifle and fired at a flash of light gray feathers. He heard it hiss as the bullets passed it. He heard a yelp behind him and turned around. He saw a smaller raptor, maybe three feet tall, lying on the ground next to Private Vasquez. The horrible sounds grew rarer and quieter as the raptors slowly left the area. For the rest of the night, the soldiers didn’t see or even hear a dinosaur, except for the occasional hadrosaur call.

 

                Hook woke up as the sun illuminated the forest floor. He noticed Jade was still asleep as he lifted his head. He saw Stone getting up and the human sleeping in a large tree. He nudged Jade and grunted to Stone. He walked over to the two as Dr. Harding slowly climbed down from the tree. The four quickly got moving, quietly walking through the forest. Through the trees, they could see their next destination- the mountains.

 

CHAPTER NINE

 

 

                Five minutes into the walk, the silence in the forest was broken. The four heard the sound of a branch snapping to their right. Hook was the first to react. He hissed, hoping he would scare off whatever was nearby. Dr. Harding pulled out her survival knife in case she needed to defend herself. A few seconds later, the four heard a squawk. Stone was the first to see the source. He nudged Hook and pointed his snout in the direction of a large bird with light brown feathers, about as tall as the dromaeosaur. It turns its head towards the group and slowly backs off as it notices the three large predators. The group ignores it and continues their journey.

                The mountains were farther away than Hook anticipated. Once they exited the forest, they realized they had to walk a few miles through a field. Hook and Stone sniffed the air to find out if any animals were nearby. Seconds later, Stone picked up a scent. He slowly approached the source, as walking was becoming more difficult to him. About a minute later, he reached a large burrow, around a foot tall. He sniffed it, smelling the animals inside. Unable to draw out the creatures inside, Stone gives up and returned to the group. Soon, a small, furry animal about the size of a housecat poked its head out of the burrow. Deciding it’s too small to hunt, the group moved on.

                A couple minutes later, the group spotted a group of four dinosaurs. They weren’t very large, only four feet tall. Their skin was light brown with darker blotches scattered throughout their bodies, creating a pattern similar to an ocelot’s fur. The group recognized the new dinosaurs as Macrogryphosaurus gondwanicus. Seconds later, the Macrogryphosaurus group looked up. They scanned the sky and ran off. Then, Hook heard a familiar hum. He looked up and saw something in the sky approach them. The human travelling with them began waving her arms and shouting. The carnivorous trio stepped back, fearing what the object in the sky could do to them.

 

                “She’s down there!” Alan Malcolm shouted. He pointed his finger in the direction of Dr. Ellen Harding. As the pilot landed the helicopter in the field, Major Packard and Sergeant Hudson grabbed their guns in case the nearby predators attacked. The two stepped out of the helicopter and waited for Private Vasquez to join them. As Dr. Harding slowly approached them, the three soldiers ran to her. As the four quietly moved through the field to the helicopter, Major Packard pointed his gun at anything that moved.

                “What happened to Kennedy?” Dr. Harding asked, noticing the soldier wrapped in bandages.

                “The rescue team found him near the camp. He fended off the raptors but was hurt in the process.” Major Packard answered.

                “Raptors?” Dr. Harding said.

                “A pack attacked our camp after the stampede.” Major Packard said.

 

                Hook, Stone, and Jade stepped back as the blades began to turn. A deafening noise came out of the machine as it slowly ascended into the sky. Hook realized the humans came to rescue Dr. Harding and weren’t going to attack. However, he was still cautious. He slowly stepped out of his hiding spot in the taller plants and looked around. Seeing it was all clear, he grunted to his companions. They slowly revealed themselves and followed Hook.

                A few minutes later, the three reached the mountains. Hook stopped, knowing there were two paths. One was shorter, but more challenging. It cut through Linheraptor territory and had uneven terrain. The other path was significantly longer, but the ground was smooth. However, part of the path was a beach where Spinosaurus were occasionally sighted. The three decided to take the shorter path. Although a Linheraptor pack could be dangerous, there were three carnivores over three times the size of the small dromaeosaurs.

                As the trio began their trek, they spotted something in the distance. It warily approached them, and it soon got close enough for the three to make out details. It had light gray skin and two pale red crests on its head. Hook and Stone knew it was a Dilophosaurus, the same species they encountered at a lake a couple days prior. The creature didn’t seem threatening, and the three allowed it to follow them. Eventually, it got close enough for Hook to make out a few scars on its body. The Dilophosaurus was clearly old and was most likely following the three to scavenge whatever they left on their kills.

                The group soon spotted their first Linheraptor. The creature’s light brown feathers stood out against the gray rock and patches of yellow-green grass. It chirped, and seconds later a second Linheraptor emerged from behind a rock twice its size. The two watched the group pass by. About a minute later, the group noticed a Linheraptor sitting on top of a small rock. It was all black, setting it apart from the smaller, tan Linheraptors on the ground. Hook, Stone, Jade, and the Dilophosaurus stopped and looked around. The longer they looked around, the more Linheraptors appeared. Most of them were covered in brown feathers, but some were tan and two were completely black. Stone stepped on something and looked down. Below him were scattered bone fragments. He saw a few teeth and a claw and quickly realized the bones belonged to a Megaraptor. The Linheraptor colony was obviously very hostile.

                The four decided to pass through the colony as fast as they could. They trotted through the valley, occasionally stopping to let Stone catch up with them. A few minutes later, Hook heard a hiss. He looked to his right, and noticed two Linheraptors hissing at him. He noticed a nest a few feet away and froze. He knew how defensive Linheraptors were of their nests, as a pair had once attacked him for getting too close. As he began to back away, he felt a sharp pain in his left thigh. He shook his leg, kicking off a Linheraptor. The four looked around, quickly noticing at least five Linheraptors. More were quickly approaching.

                As the group began to run away, two Linheraptors leapt onto Jade. She hissed and attempted to shake them off. As a third raptor quickly approached, Hook grabbed it in his jaws and tossed it to the side. He quickly swept one off of Jade with his powerful claws. Jade shook the last raptor off as the four continued their escape. Seconds later, a smaller raptor leapt onto Stone’s side. The Dilophosaurus grabbed it with his jaws, pulled it off of Stone, and dropped it. After that, the group went a minute without encountering a Linheraptor, but kept running just to be sure. Soon, more raptors slowly appeared. They came out of burrows, from behind rocks, and some appeared from the side. They watched the group for a few seconds before slowly advancing. Half a minute later, a few raptors from the last wave caught up with the group. Hook frantically searched the rocky, uneven terrain for an escape route. He noticed a ledge on a smaller mountain, but decided it would be too dangerous to attempt to reach. There was a cave near that, but hiding in the cave would make it easier for the raptors to kill them. Eventually, he noticed a thin passage between two mountains to his right. He ran towards it, and was quickly followed by his companions and the raptor horde.

                The four quickly reached the cavern entrance, but the Dilophosaurus tripped on a rock. He fell over, and a Linheraptor quickly leapt on him. He shook it off and stood up. He turned around and faced the horde. One ran at him, but he kicked it away. As they slowly ran off, he looked back at Hook, Stone, and Jade and hissed, similar in tone to the Linheraptors. The three knew he wanted them to go. They trotted through the passage, occasionally hearing a Linheraptor yelp and the Dilophosaurus hiss. However, as the group exited the passage, they heard nothing. They stopped to rest for a minute. They had passed through the Linheraptor colony, but the path through the mountains didn’t end there.

 

CHAPTER TEN

 

 

                The group made it through the rest of the mountain path without any trouble. Once they left the mountains, they stopped and rested for a few minutes before walking to the beach. However, Hook stopped the trio before they made it past the tree line. He sniffed the air, sensing something familiar. He quietly growled as Stone poked his head through the trees. He saw a group of humans, eight of them, standing on the beach near a Spinosaurus carcass. The carcass looked a few days old, as its colors were faded and pieces of flesh were missing.

 

                “We know it died of natural causes, but do you think it’s male or female? Can you guess the age?” Dr. Alan Malcolm asked.

                “It looks like an old female. The sail and head crest are a bit smaller than what we’ve seen in the other Spinosaurus and her colors are exceptionally dull.” Dr. Ellen Harding replied

                “You might want to check this out.” Private John Thompson said, pointing his pistol in the direction of a large dromaeosaur as it poked its head out of the forest.

                “Don’t shoot.” Dr. Harding said.

                “Why? He could spring out of there any minute, and his friends will probably follow too.” Private Thompson replied.

                “I spent nine hours with those three and they didn’t even touch me.” Dr. Harding said.

                “And a group of them just about killed Kennedy, and also a casualty out west.”

                “That wasn’t a Siats, not Dakotaraptor.”

                “Hey, you see his foot, the infected one? Think of it as putting him out of his misery.” Private Thompson said right before firing.

 

                Stone felt a sharp pain in his chest and looked down. Blood was trickling out of a hole in his chest. He felt faint and fell down. Hook rushed over to his friend and nudged him. Stone attempted to stand up, but he fell back down. Stone chirped as the life slowly left his eyes. As Hook watched his friend die, he felt feelings of anger he had never felt before. He wanted to go out and slaughter the group of humans in front of him for what they did. He did just that.

                As the group argued about why Thompson shot the Dakotaraptor, the private was knocked to the ground by Hook. He roared at the group of soldiers, scientists, and photographers facing him before grabbing one of them by the arm and tossing her to the ground. Suddenly, Jade ran out of the woods to defend Hook. As the soldiers ran off to their boat, which contained their weapons. Hook knocked another solder to the ground and placed his foot on his chest. He was a muscular male with dark skin. Hook growled as he looked into the soldier’s eyes. He noticed the soldier was terrified as he stared up at him. Then, Hook remembered a similar experience. He was lying on the ground, helpless as Mortem placed his foot on his back. He squirmed around under the larger carnivore’s foot, desperately trying to avoid death. The Megarpator realized the human must be experiencing similar feelings. Hook hissed before removing his foot and walking off. He quickly reentered the forest and was joined by Jade. She stood by him as he looked down at his fallen friend’s body for the last time.

                The two watched the humans leave in their boat. Hook noticed it was darker in the forest and looked up. He saw dark clouds. He knew he and Jade had to travel quickly, as lightning could potentially burn the forest. The two began trotting through the forest, eventually reaching a hill. They knew where they were. They were near a cliff which was only about eight miles from their destination. Hook and Jade climbed the hill and sat by the cliff face. They watched as a small group of Ichthyornis swooped down from the sky, catching fish in their toothy beaks. Eventually, the birds scattered as a Pteranodon flew over them. The Megaraptor pair watched the pterosaur fly to the second island, which was only around two and a half miles away. Animals frequently traveled in between the two islands. The tranquility was suddenly broken by a loud bellow and the stench of rotting flesh.