Allo Attack Part 8

Finally! Out of the museum at last! Sneaking out while the others discussed what to do wasn't Tamith's greatest idea ever, but she had the funny feeling something terrible was happening and she couldn't help just sitting there looking at some art. But where was she to go from here? C'xoila was who knows where, Aravis after Char, Azonthus... last time she had seen her at the healers with Boojinko.

I'll head for the observatory, that's where we last saw Charanix... Hopefully I'll find someone other than allosaurs...

A sudden screech made her jump startled. Looking back, she saw her father's Dimorphodon assistant flying toward her.

"Swiftflight! What are you doing here... oh?"

The little guy circled her a few times, then dropped a small scroll into her hands. "What's this?" Opening it, it read:

Survivors are being evacuated from the city by northies. Some still reported missing, please tell all you meet to head for the Parade Plaza to be picked up. Take care.

Nodding she directed Swiftflight to his new assignment: the museum. Re-strapping the scroll around his neck, she set him loose once again to warn her friends. Now she had to find Aravis and the others to get out before some other major catastrophe happened. Another sound made her turn. This time it was what looked like a raptor jumping from roof top to roof top. She recognized it immediately.

"Az! Azonthus!!"

The velociraptir stopped and looked at her. Then began shaking her head rapidly and ran off without a second glance.

"No, wait! Where are you going? Az!"

Startled at her friends reaction, she took a few steps back. What was wrong? What had gotten into her? Still lost in thought, she continued to walk down that road. A few minutes later, she heard some voices coming from a nearby building.

Better warn them... Looking in she saw something completely unexpected. Aravis, Charanix, Kael, C'xoila and another raptor she didn't recognized looking extremely sad.

"Guys... what's wrong? What happened to Azonthus?"

Azonthus had no idea where she was going. Leave…leave…leave, became the rhythm of her footfalls. It matched the beating of her heart and throbbing of her headache. She ran around a corner and found one of the walls surrounding the city. She followed it until the entrance surapods used came into view. Az ran haphazardly through the wet caves.

The darkness of the cave matched the darkness she felt in her heart. She had spent nearly three years to become a civilized raptor. She had worked hard to distance herself from what she had been in the Basin. But what had happened in the past few days had proven it would not be left behind so easily. It was a part of her that she would never escape.

Bursting through into daylight, she continued to run as fast as her legs would carry her. Her heart was breaking, she was leaving behind all she had come to love and hold dear. Not caring where she was going, she ran till her legs would barely support her weight anymore. Still she kept going.

Twilight was falling and not too far down the path was a farmhouse. The people there would willingly give her a place to stay for the night. No! every fiber of her being screamed against talking to them. She might harm those who tried to give her help.

Still, there would be food there… Azonthus stomach began making itself known. It had been two days since she had eaten. The scent of cooking fish drew her to the house. Sticking to the shadows, she was soon at the back of the house. Outside the back door were several barrels. Opening one, she discovered many kinds of salted fish. The scent of cooking inside only served to whet her appetite. Carefully taking two, she replaced the lid. Both fish were gone in six bites.

The salt in the fish soon made her thirsty. There was a stream by the road; she could get a drink there. When she found the cold water, she plunged her entire head in. The raptor drank deeply, not caring that she would later pay for the large amount of cold water with cramps. All she cared about was the present moment. The future did not matter and the past was better forgotten.

With her belly full and thirst quenched, the next order of business was sleep. Looking around she saw a large barn. There were possibly triceratops here… They would have soft hay for bedding. If she found where the hay was kept she could crawl in and sleep. Then in the morning she could leave before anyone was even up and the people would never know of the thievery that had gone on that night.

Azonthus was greatly relieved to see that the barn was empty of its inhabitants at the moment. There was a large pile of hay in one corner. Crawling into it, she burrowed until no one could tell that the hay held a very distraught raptor.

Even though she was exhausted, sleep did not come easily. Images of what had occurred in the clock and at the healers kept replaying in her mind. She cried herself to sleep that night.

Tusk slowly ambled into his barn. He had spent a long day plowing the fields with Max, his farmer partner. Looking to his bedding, he saw that the old hay had been cleared away. Muriel had probably decided to start cleaning the barn again.

"Ah well," he sighed to himself. "She forgot to put down new hay again. No matter." The Triceratops walked to the pile of fresh hay and thrust his horns into the golden silage.

He then moved to another corner and lowered his horns, allowing the hay to slide to the floor. Sweeping it around with his nose horn, he soon had a shallow bed ready. Lying down, he prepared for sleep but he could still feel the hard floor. "Well," he grunted as he got up again, "another load of hay is nothing."

This time, when he prepared to thrust his horns into the hay, he noticed a red glint. Confused, he carefully brushed away the hay. There, sleeping soundly and dead to the world, was a velociraptor. He watched her carefully and was thankful to notice that she was still breathing. "Hey, what are you doing in there?" he asked. When he received no answer he carefully nudged her. Still no response.

Concerned for the raptors health, Tusk ran back to the farmhouse. There, he awoke Max and led him to where the raptor was in the hay.

In the barn, the wiry old man climbed a ladder to the top of the haystack. There, he saw the raptor. She was curled into a ball and totally unaware of her surroundings. "Well now, wha is tha doin in tha 'ay?" Reaching out, he tried to shake her awake. When she did not awaken he began to worry. Picking up the small therapod, he carried her back to the house.

"Muriel!" he called out, "Ge tha blankets! An soom water!"

"Oh.... what have you found this time?" An old woman in a nightgown and nightcap with gray hair flying out in wisps came out from the back of the house. "Another injured Dimorphodon?"

"Nay. Tis a raptor! An she's in a ba' state."

Surprised, Muriel ran back to the bedroom and came back carrying some heavy blankets. She laid them in front of the fire and arranged them into a comfortable nest. "Put her there," she motioned to the blankets. Then, going into the kitchen, she came back with warm water and a washcloth.

When she came back, the raptor was in the blankets. Soaking the cloth in the warm water, she began to wash the raptors face. As the dirt of travel came off, she noticed the extensive scars on the left side of the raptors face. "Looks like she must have just left the Basin. Look at the scars here."

Her husband leaned over her shoulder and peered at them. "Aye, twould splain why she was in tha' hay. She would na know bout Dinotopian 'ospitality."

Muriel continued to gently wash away the light covering of dust on the raptor. Carefully wiping up her forehead, Muriel worked her way back. On the back of the raptors head, she found a large purplish bruise. She tried to be as gentle as possible.

Comforting warmth and a slight dampness on her face slowly began to awaken Azonthus. She was so warm... Now was not the time to awaken. Now was the time to enjoy the heat and rest.

Flaring pain jolted Az to full consciousness. Her eyes flew open and she roared in agony. Springing to her feet she looked around. Two elderly humans were kneeling on the floor, both had apparently been trying to help her.

No... it had happened again! Trembling, Az backed up as far as the fireplace at her back would allow.

"Dear, it's Ok," the woman spoke. "Nobody's trying to hurt you. You're safe here."

"But you're not safe from me!" she screamed as she ran between them and back into the darkness.

"Well, that was certainly odd..." Muriel said. "Max, go after her."

"Nay, she di'na seem ta wan' 'elp," the old man shook his head. "I think wha she need be soomwhere safe."

"Well, lets go back to bed then. There's nothing we could do for her."

Az was again running. Again, she had almost harmed someone who had only been trying to help her. No more... no matter what, she would stay away from places where she was likely to meet someone.

Az ran only as her heart led her. She did not know where to go or what to do, but she ran perpetually west. She stopped only when hunger paings forced her to fish in any stream she saw. When she did stop to eat, she took a small drink.

Time lost all meaning. Azonthus didn't know how long she had been fleeing from something within herself when she came to a small town. Only the tall bridge that led into the Basin identified it as Bonabba to Az.

It was early morning and the town was not fully awake yet. Just maybe she could cross the bridge without being seen...

The Basin was definitely where she belonged. She wasn't civilized; it had all been an illusion.

The red raptor carefully entered the town. She was lucky and managed to reach the bridge without meeting anyone. There, she ran into a guardian.

"Sir, please, I have to cross," she pleaded with him.

"Well, I'll be letting the bridge down in a few hours when the caravan comes back. Would you wait till then?"

Az was frustrated. She was supposed to be in the Basin! She had to get there as soon as possible, before she harmed anyone. She shook her head. "No, I have to go now."

"It'll only be a few hours. There is a caravan returning from the basin. I'll let you across then." Up to this point, the raptor hadn't looked him in the eye, but when she did, he was startled by the desperation and ferocity he saw in them.

"I have to go now," she spoke slowly and clearly.

"I'll go see Old Joe about it. You stay here, Ok?"

Azonthus nodded. As long as she got across the bridge, the village was safe from her.

The heck with letting her cross the bridge! She's going to get some medical help now. Nya had absolutely no intention of letting her cross. He had noticed the way she moved; the raptor was exhausted and clearly under weight. If she went into the Basin like that, she would be picked off easily by even another velociraptor.

When he came back with Old Joe, the village healer, the raptor was laying on the ground. She jumped up when she heard nearing footsteps.

"Are you going to let me cross now?"

Old Joe was surprised at the condition of this raptor. As Nya had said, she was underweight, trembling from huger and exhaustion, and the dullness of her scales suggested malnourished too. "Ho no you don't lassie. You're coming with me."

The raptor stared at him. "I have to cross! This entire village isn't safe until I'm back in the Basin!"

"Oh, we aren't safe with you here? Are the allos from Waterfall City coming after you?" Nya was concerned. If that was the case, then perhaps the allos would follow her back to the Basin…

"No! I'm too dangerous. Just let me cross."

Old Joe was seeing more than he wanted. This raptor needed help. She had obviously been through some harsh trauma and felt that the Basin would be the answer. "Why don't you just come with me? I assure you, you will be perfectly safe."

Az started backing up. Trapped… she felt like a trapped animal. Turning, she fled to the bridge. There she climbed as far up as her exhausted limbs would allow. "Put the bridge down now!" she ordered.

"Come back down here! You'll fall," Nya called back.

Old Joe placed a hand on the youths shoulder. "Put the bridge down. She may do something rash if we don't. She's too tired to stay up there for long and if she won't come down willingly, she'd fall. Then what good did you do her?"

"But if I let her go, she'll be killed in there!"

"Just lower the bridge." Old Paul walked as close to Azonthus as possible.

Giving in to his elders' wishes, Nya lowered the bridge. As it started to come down, Old Joe walked out closer and closer to the raptor.

The bridge was almost all the way down. Soon Joe would be able to reach the raptor and help her.

Azonthus was terrified. If she didn't reach the Basin before Old Joe reached her, she would never make it. They would take her back and force her to stay at a healers. Scrambling forward, she managed to keep an even distance between herself and the human.

The jolt when the bridge hit the ground knocked Azonthus off her feet, allowing Joe to come close enough to make a dive for the fallen raptor. Scrambling desperately, Azonthus managed to evade the grasp of the human.

Half running, half stumbling, she made it to the Basin. But she couldn't relax yet, Old Joe was hot on her heals. Dashing into the dense foliage, Az quickly disappeared from view.

The raptor hid in a tree while Old Joe searched in bushes and on the trail for hours. Az didn't dare move for fear of making a sound that would alert him to her presence. Eventually, the human gave up and left. Still, Az waited another hour before she would even consider getting out of her tree. When she did, she tried to stay to the tree tops, but was not strong enough to make even the first leap to the next tree.

Az fell to the ground hard. She waited for the pain to recede and her blurred vision to clear before even trying to get up. When she did, she used a tree to balance herself. Slowly, she made her way deeper into the Basin.

Az walked until her strength gave out. Taking a first look at her surroundings, she saw that she was in some ancient ruins. Perhaps she could find a safe place here to rest. Leaving the safety of the forest, she ventured into the ruins. Her foot found a sharp rock and she again fell. This time, Az did not bother to get up. Let what might happen, happen she thought fatalistically.

Shadow Runner was returning from a solo-hunting trip. He had not been successful. There were no new saurian carcasses to scavenge meat from and he had been unable to catch any fish.

Passing through the ruins that hid the main entry to the hidden caves his clan lived in he noticed a velociraptor laying prone on the ground. Running to the raptor he immediately checked to see if she was alive.

"Lady?" he shook her, trying to awaken the raptor. "Are you Ok?" Receiving no response, he stood and paced around for a few moments thinking. He could bring her into the Sanctuary, but she was a strange raptor and he was not sure how the leaders would react. He could leave her out here...No, she wouldn't last long like that. Looking down at her, his choice seemed made.

ShadowRunner gently carried the raptor through the outer ruins. Thakur who was on guard bristled as the two passed but ShadowRunner paid him no heed. Walking through the airy temple, he paused before the entrance. Should he enter the Sanctuary and bring the stranger to them? Looking down at the velo's face he straightened and walked down, taking her with him to safety.

No one could do anything. So they may as well move on now.

"Ok lets keep it moving!" Mist shouted trying to sound cheerful. Malachy shook his head and informed he must stay at his building to help with the evacuation survivors. Nodding Mist turned to Fer'dri who was in a small ball next to C'xoila. The feathered raptor turned to his brother with a deep look of concern and said he was off to help with those who were returning to the city. Nodding Mist turned her gaze to Kael and the rest. Turning in the direction of the air landing ledge for skybaxes, it was obvious they were to help with the evacuation too.

Sighing Mist turned back toward the basin which she'd come from. Back to the Sanctuary she'd go, let's hope everyone else could deal with things in her absence.

The group had been stuck in the museum for two days. While the museum did have a store of food for hungry patrons, with so many mouths to feed it had to be rationed. And they now had three more mouths: yesterday Tirana Ki, Shada and a girl named Zerika who'd met up with them before had come to them while looking for other people trapped in the city. Tirana Ki had come in unconscious upon Shada's back, and now Tamith nd Cyrrus were tending to her. Quickstride knew they had to do something to get out of here. Allos were still around, though their behavior seemed to have changed: they just seemed to mill aimlessly about the city, and when a group of two or three passed by the museum they'd talk softly to each other in a strange dialect Quickstride didn't understand. She paced back and forth inside the museum, worried for all who were missing, whom they hadn't heard anything from.

At last Kaylah, the Deinonychus, came up to her and asked, "How much longer are we gonna stay here for?"

Quickstride decided something must be done now. "Hopefully not much longer," she said, walking passed the Deinonych. Turning to the two skybaxes and their riders, she asked, "How do you guys feel about some scouting? We need to find all the others still roaming about, and a safe route out of this city, as soon as possible."

Having been evacuated from Waterfall City via sky galley, Mathaira, Maia and Thistlebud had traveled to Bonabba. While confined to Waterfall City during the recent Allosaur attack, the three hatchery workers had decided to relocate to Bonabba and were now based out of the Bonabba Hatchery. They were still settling into their pod house and working out of the Hatchery before making a planned trip into the Rainy Basin in answer to scroll they had received while in Waterfall City from the Tyrannosaur clan leader, Greyback the Fierce. . .

That morning Mathaira left the pod house to join her partners who were already at the Hatchery. As she strolled among the pod houses, she greeted the guardian near the Bonabba Bridge, Nya, who was conversing with the village healer, known as Old Joe. She picked up snatches of their conversation, first hearing Nya's voice "...raptor was exhausted...crossed the Bridge into the Rainy Basin"... and then Old Joe's "...red raptor with scars...couldn't find her..." . .

Suspicious that this may be the same raptor she had seen in the Great Library garden while she herself was on the roof, Mathaira approached the two men and after receiving a description, determined that this was indeed the same Azonthus she had seen in Waterfall City. Not really knowing what to do with this newfound information, Mathaira headed to the Hatchery to first discuss it with her partner-friends...

C'xoila just stood there, staring at the door. His mouth was open, but nothing had come out it for a solid hour. In fact, C'xoila hadn't moved in a solid hour. "Ca-c'xoila..." ventured Fer'dri. "He did it..."muttered C'xoila. "Me thought me beat him, but me was wrong..."

Unfortunately, by the time things were organized enough, it was too dark for the skybaxes to effectively scout the area, and it looked like everyone would spend another night in the museum. Well, everyone but two.

"I can't believe we're doing this," muttered Quickstride to Rex as they tiptoed down a dark alley. After everything she'd said to the others about leaving, she'd gone herself, slipping quietly out with Rex while the sentry wasn't looking. But she had to look for the others- they'd been gone far too long, and the allos were acting stranger and stranger. She wanted to see for herself what was going on, but as she didn't want to endanger anyone else she had left standing orders, written on the floor, for the others to stay put and for the skybaxes to scout about in the morning. Whether anyone would listen she didn't know, but it was worth a try.

Rex took the point, his nose to the ground, searching for any sign of the missing. Since Francis and Jonathan had been traveling by roof, the dog couldn't find their scent. He did find something else, however, and when he did he sat down and looked over to Quickstride purposefully.

"What is it?" she whispered, bending lower. The city mists made it harder than usual to follow scents, but Quickstride could recognize this one instantly: Azonthus. "Which way did she go?" she whispered to the dog. Nose to the ground, Rex led the way, saurian following.

Seeing Herak go over the falls, the city leaders on the opposing cliffs sent out a team to recover the body. They searched the shores along the base of the falls, and concluded that the creature had been dragged down to the bottom. What they did not see were the tracks in the mud leading away from the river....

Cautiously Rex and Quickstride followed Azonthus' trail through the city. There didn't seem to be any allos around, which relieved Quickstride. Maybe they'd all left. But that didn't mean they should stop being cautious.

They were continuing along Rosy Morning Promenade when a sudden noise made them freeze. Both mammal and saurian listened closely, afraid even to breathe. Nothing came, and they relaxed a little bit. Perhaps they were just imaging things.

Suddenly, a huge form detached itself from the shadows and charged them. It was an adult allosaur. He looked terribly beat up, his gait awkward, but this seemed only to add to his fury. Quickstride gave a startled cry, and Rex yelped. In terror they turned and ran, but quickly realized they had their backs to the edge of the walkway. There was no time to think, in less than a second the allo would have them. In desperation they leaped off, plunging into the rapid waters of the cargo chute.

The chute rarely ever carried passengers, and when it did they were always in boats of some sort. Quickstride and Rex fought hard to keep their heads above the water. They fought to keep away from the walls as the swift moving current carried them along, but even so they slammed hard many times, miraculously hitting just right to avoid grave injury or death. Helplessly they were pulled under only to fight their way back to the surface as they were swept through the twists and turns of the chute, finally being deafened by the roar of Lower Thunder Falls as they passed behind it. Suddenly, Quickstride slammed the wall again, and her world faded to blackness...

Saar looked outside a window from the Great Library as the sun touched the mountains far away. The third sunset. Herak had not returned, and he had had more than enough time. The clan now grieved for their fallen leader. No one had any idea what had happened to him. Turning back to the gathered group around her, she announced her decision.

"I will take command from now on, Herak won't return. I will lead our people now." She waited a few moments to see if there were any protest or challenges. None. Good. She preceded with the rest of her plan. "There is nothing left here in Waterfall City for us now, let's return home. I don't know about you, but food is getting hard to find around here and I'm hungry." A roar of agreement filled the room. Stepping down, she headed for the doorway. The rest of the allos followed her. Finally, they were going home and this crazy trip to civilization would be over.

Francis and Jonathan had met up with rescuers that morning, and with them had joined the search for the missing. The people in the museum had been found and rescued, most of whom were also searching, the rest having to leave on urgent business. They had already found the boy and his Ovinutrix friend, as well as a friend of C'xoila's siblings hiding in the library, among a few scattered others. Since they had left, there had been no sign of Quickstride and Rex, and now it was Francis and Jonathan's turn to worry.

"They probably went looking for us," lamented Francis. "We should have tried to find them."

Jonathan squawked sadly. Then, movement caught the Eudimorphodon's eye. He squeaked and nodded his head in that direction. Francis's gaze drifted to a pile of rubble, which seemed to shift ever so slightly, as if something were moving under it. Carefully he dug through the small collection of tiles and bits of plaster from a roof, revealing a tiny Dimorphodon underneath. He held the small pterosaur close to him, making sure it wasn't hurt. Finally it spoke.

"Darkwing owe you his life. How can I repay thee?"

"Did you see a Gallimimus last night? Traveling with a dog?"

Darkwing looked puzzled. "Dog? Is big brown mammal thing?"

"Yes, yes! Did you see them?"

Darkwing nodded. "Was attacked by allosaur. Jump off there into water. Not see after."

"Oh, no!" Francis didn't want to believe it. How could Quickstride and Rex have survived that fall? Yet the search teams searching for that other allosaur's body had failed to find anything. What had become of his friends?

"Darkwing, could you do us a favor? Please find our friends Quickstride and Rex. We- we need to know what happened to them."

"Do that I will!" exclaimed the Dimorphodon, taking wing and gliding off, following the water's trail.

Despite his debt to the boy, Darkwing had purposely left out one detail of his account of last night: he neglected to say who he thought that allosaur had been. But it was of no consequence. Darkwing didn't believe it himself, and what the others didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

In fact, Darkwing thought to himself, they'll probably sleep better not knowing as well.

Few remained in Waterfall City after the devastating Allosaur Attack, most of the residents being evacuated to Sauropolis, among them Nallab and Enit, who had arrived there earlier. Under their direction, three-toed feet were even now inscribing scrolls to be placed on the honeycomb shelves in the Great Library of Waterfall City: stories which would be read by children and hatchlings eager to learn the history of Dinotopia and to make some of their own.

Those individual humans and saurians whose actions influenced the events being written about were now embarking on the next stage of their own lives. A number of them had already traveled to Sauropolis along with earlier evacuees. Many chose to remain in Waterfall City to assist with the ongoing evacuation while some were traveling to other parts of Dinotopia.

Little did this group of diverse Dinotopians know but many of them would meet again. Their decisions and interactions with one another would serve to shape the events which would become the material for scrolls yet to be written. The Great Library would later contain the story which was now unfolding in Bonabba and the Rainy Basin.

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