The Arcanum Project: Part 2

CHAPTER ELEVEN

                Hook soon recognized the creature as Mortem. He lived up to his name, as he was covered in scratches, his feathers stained by dry blood, and saliva constantly dripping from a mouth filled with rotting flesh. He was also much skinner. Hook could make out his ribcage and part of his spine. The creature lets out an otherworldly groan and slowly approaches the two.

                Hook watched in horror as his enemy approached Jade. He made a rumbling sound, similar to a cat’s purr, as he slowly advanced. Jade looked to Hook for help, but he cowered as the predator draws nearer. Suddenly, Mortem began to move as fast as he can. Hook watched in terror as the predator moved past Jade. He grabbed the back of her neck with his jaws and pulled to her feet.

                Hook watched helplessly as his enemy assaulted his only friend. Suddenly, he felt something in him. He feels angry. Angrier than he’s ever felt before. Even angrier than when the humans murdered Stone. Feelings of rage soon envelope him. He wanted to kill Mortem. And that is what he was going to do.

                Hook let out a bellow of sheer rage as he suddenly charged Mortem. He rammed into his enemy’s legs, knocking him and Jade to the ground. Mortem hissed angrily at the sight of his adversary. Hook hissed back and slashed Mortem’s thigh with his toe claws. The Siats winced, feeling the sting of the blow as Hook approached his neck. As Mortem slowly stood up, Hook grabbed his throat with his powerful jaws. Mortem simply shook the creature off. Angered by the attack, Mortem slashed Hook’s snout with his sharp claws, drawing three horizontal red lines. Hook winced, tasting his own blood in his mouth.

                Mortem rammed the creature to the ground with his large head. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his thigh. He turned around and saw Jade. He hissed and snapped at her. Jade hissed back. She turned her head, staring at Mortem’s side. The Siats bellowed in pain as he felt something latch onto his side. A feeling of being stabbed by six individual blades radiated throughout his body as Hook slashed at him with his feet, holding on with his arms. Eventually, he lost his grip and fell to the ground.

                Mortem turned around and faced his adversary. He glared and snapped at him. Hook sidestepped and snapped at Mortem’s left arm. However, both of them were distracted by a loud, cracking sound followed by the smell of smoke. The two looked and saw the beginning of a fire, presumably caused by a bold of lightning from the dark clouds above them. Hook, blinded by rage, ignored the fire and continued to attack.

                Hook leaped onto Mortem’s side. The Siats grunted as Hook’s claws penetrated his skin. Hook slid off, opening even larger wounds in his enemy’s hide. Mortem hissed and clamped his jaws around the smaller carnivore’s abdomen. He tossed him to the side and approached him.

                The disorientated Megaraptor watched as Mortem approached him. Then he noticed the growing fire. Then he noticed Jade ram into Mortem’s leg. She slashed his thigh with her sharp claws as he snapped at her. He knocked her to the ground with his large head and placed his foot on her. Hook, not wanting to see his friend hurt or even killed, looks to his right and thinks of a plan.

                Mortem emitted a loud rumbling sound from his throat as he stared at the Megaraptor squirming under his foot. He snapped at her, tearing the skin on her shoulder. Suddenly, something shoved him off of her. He attempted to stand still, but his adversary kept pushing him. He noticed the creature pushing him was Hook. The Siats attempts to stop him, but his thin legs didn’t help him much. He panicked, smelling the ocean below him. Mortem used all his energy into stopping his movement. He snapped at Hook’s neck, drawing blood.

                Hook felt blood trickle down his neck as his enemy gained his footing. He backed off, but Mortem followed him. Hook glanced behind him and noticed the fire. He couldn’t give up. He was so close to victory. He ran towards Mortem and rammed into his chest. The Siats stumbled, but stayed standing. Hook backed off as he noticed something. Some of the dirt below Mortem’s feet crumbled away. He lost his footing and fell off the edge of the island. He let out a surprised yelp as he fell into the ocean below him.

                Hook and Jade ran to the edge. They noticed Mortem, still alive, attempting to swim away, either to the other island or a flatter part of his home island. However, Hook quickly noticed three dark shapes approaching the crimson water surrounding Mortem. Platecarpus tympaniticus, the wolves of the waters surrounding the islands, swam as fast as they could towards the wounded dinosaur. The three, a little less than half of Mortem’s length, went unnoticed until it was too late.

                Hook grimaced as the mosasaurs tore through his enemy’s skin. However, he felt pity listening to Mortem’s cries of agony as he is eaten alive by the Platecarpus. Soon, a fourth Platecarpus and two small sharks joined the feast. Hook looked away, not wanting to watch his enemy’s demise. He felt hot and remembered the fire. He looked behind him and saw Jade approaching him. The two ran back down the hill, but are eventually stopped by the fire. There was only one way out- the ocean.

                The pair jumped into the ocean. It wasn’t not as high as Mortem’s fall, at around ten feet instead of twenty-four. Hook hoped the predators will be distracted by Mortem’s body and won’t attack. They kept swimming, but eventually grew tired. It was a large island, and swimming around it isn’t easy. Soon, Hook noticed a boat. He didn’t know if he should swim to away from it. He decided to swim away from it, not wanting to be killed. However, as soon as he decided, everything went black…

CHAPTER TWELVE

                Hook opened his eyes. He winced as the sunlight pierced his eyes. He slowly stood up and looked around. Jade was still asleep. He heard a familiar hum and looked up. A helicopter was hovering about fifty feet above them. He assumed the humans brought them back to the island. Despite his wounds from the diseased Mortem, he did not feel sick. Looking around, he noticed the area he was in was familiar. He and Jade were near in a grassy area near a forest. He could see the mountains and feel the air from the coast.

                Jade slowly stood up. She stood by Hook as he admired the area around him. The two were brought to the area they were trying to reach for the past few days. They noticed some burnt foliage among the verdant landscape. Hook assumed rains had put out the fire. He remembered the battle from the day before and realized he and Jade were safe. Safe from the humans. Safe from Mortem.

                The two strolled down to a stream. They looked around and noticed a few Macrogyphosaurus and a small flock of Ornithomimus. As they drank, an Ankylosaurus approached them and drank. Hook and Jade left the stream and walked up a hill. Hook looked around on top of the green hill and let out a roar. He had overcome the troubles of his travels. His journey was complete.