Awakening in the Jungle 6

Akiva had gone off the trail, and had started jumping from tree to tree. She partially did this to get a better view and to stay hidden for any possible treats but a part of the young raptor was of course just plain out to play. Suddenly she heard some commotion come from the way of the caravan. Akiva began to get worried.

She knew that her sister and the Tyrannosaur still hadn't returned from trai-- Ouch! She yelped as he foot slipped on a branch.

She hit the ground. Hard. The sound startled another predator near-bye. Rhaax. His head shot up when he heard it. Was he being followed? No, or else he would have already known. He silently made his way through the underbrush, nearing the source of the sound...

Perfect! This was what he had been hoping for. One of the raptor guards, alone, and helpless.

Rhaax stayed back, just incase the raptor sprang up. She did revive from her fall a few seconds later, but Rhaax was ready. He jumped her, but surprisingly, she was not as phased from her fall as he'd hoped. She turned to face her attacker. "You are a weak coward!" Rhaax taunted. "You need those frail humans help. Ha! If you were a true basin carnosaur, you too would strive to rid our land of them."

Akiva knew she should run and get help, but she foolishly thought she could handle this feral human herself. She was, after all, very good at winning arguments with her sister. Maybe she could convince Rhaax to return to his home and life, the life that a human should have. The life of a carnosaur was not one fitting to humans.

"Rhaax, I know who you are. I know you are Pazu's brother. Please, come with me. Forget this awful place, return to civilization. I know that your family would welcome you back."

At the mention of his long forgotten family, Rhaax deeply desired to see them. No! He was a carnosaur now, no longer human. A human never could have survived as he had. Suddenly, he had an idea. He would kill this raptor and still have some fun with that caravan.

"If we were to fight, claw to claw, and you won, I would come with you. But if I win, one of the caravan must stay. Agree?"

Akiva was sure she could win. After all, she had spent nearly her entire life playing at mock fight with her siblings and other raptors. "No. If you want to fight it out, then we will use the traditional basin rules. A speed dual. Whoever wins, will decide the others fate."

The two faced off. Akiva with the intent to rescue a friend's brother; Rhaax with the burning desire to kill.

They each tested the others abilities by faking to hit or purposely missing. Then the real fighting began.

Velociraptor and human struggled for victory. The two raced at each other and tried to subdue the other. Akiva saw an opening and pounced on Rhaax's chest, knocking him to the ground. Rhaax slipped his hand into his pouch and retrieved his raptor claw. Reaching up with the deadly weapon, he cut Akiva in several places. So far, all the small therapod had done to him was inadvertently cut him.

They rolled around, punching, hitting, kicking, attempting to win the battle. Suddenly, Rhaax felt a large rock on the ground. He groped for it and struck Akiva's head with it. The raptor fell back stunned, but not seriously hurt. Seizing his opportunity, the human sat on her, pinning Akiva to the ground. He pushed her head back, exposing her neck. Rhaax could easily see the throbbing of her jugular. He reached to cut it, but changed his mind at the last second. No, he would not kill her, but instead give her something much worse than death. He instead slit her throat where he assumed the larynx was. That would silence her forever. Never again could she remind him of his humanity.

He stood up, looking at his handiwork. The reddish/orange raptor's blood was staining the ground around her in an increasingly large puddle.

The ever-darkening skies opened up and cried. The rain calmed Rhaax, who was exhilarated from winning the battle. The falling water diluted Akiva's blood. Rhaax picked up the now powerless raptor and carried her to a slightly sheltered area. He placed her on a bed of leaves and left to get some healing herbs.

When he returned, he found his captive had slipped into the forgiving and comforting sleep of a coma. Once he had cared for her wounds he left to finish his game with the caravan.

"He'll be back, Az warned. "We should post a stronger guard."

"That might be wise. He may be rallying other carnosaurs against us," Stouthorn the Wise agreed.

"I'll go get Akiva. She'll be happy to help with the guarding." Az walked off to find her sister.

When she returned several minutes later, her face clearly showed her concern. She asked Eric and Stouthorn, "Has either of you seen Kiev? She's not anywhere in the area that I can find."

"No, I'm sorry. Maybe she's just hiding, trying to play a trick on you." Eric suggested.

"She's not the prankster, that's usually Two-talon." Az shook her head, "She just doesn't wander around by herself. Something's wrong, I just know it."

"We'll look around more thoroughly and see if we can't find her," the wise Triceratops said comfortingly. "If we can't find her, then we can organize a search party."

Once it became apparent that the young therapod was not in the camp, Az really started to worry. This was not like her sister.

Tamith laid a hand of Az's shoulder. "It'll be Ok. You'll see."

Two days later…

A soft, soothing salve was being put on Akiva's throat when she awoke.

"So, you finally decide to face your pain," Rhaax said in way of greeting. He continued to bind her wounds. When he was finished he began to cook some fish and eel.

"You must get your strength back," he told her in a nasty voice. "Soon you will have to leave, and I will make sure you live."

Akiva chose not to respond. Why add fuel to the flame? She would grow strong again, but only to make sure her family was safe from Rhaxx's terrorism.

"You stay here," he directed. "I have Pazy to care for, also. And there is that Deinonychus and his strange friend to dispose of too."

Deinonychus and strange friend? Could that possibly be C'xoila and one of his friends? Akiva tried to get up, but wasn't strong enough. All she could do was think. Why did he save me? I know he cut my throat, why aren't I dead? Perhaps, he was still more human than he would admit.

Triforce stopped dead in her tracks. She raised her great head and inhaled deeply. Around her, the other ceratopsians mimicked her.

"What's the matter Tri? Smell something?" Tamith asked.

And feel... Something's coming our way...

"Akiva? Do you think it's her?"

No. Way to big, maybe more than one... And something else too... Can't you feel it?

Tamith slipped of Triforce's back and placed her hand on the ground. "I just get the rest of the ca... Wait a minute..."

Walking a few yards away, she stepped into the jungle and repeated the process. Yes... Something was coming, and large. Then another thing caught her attention; the sharp smell of rotting flesh. Oh no... She stood motionless for a few moments feeling for the wind direction. It came from straight ahead. She could now also feel the vibrations beneath her growing stronger every second.

"Tri..." she murmured softly, while looking ahead. But she was well out of the caravans hearing range. Standing ever so slowly, she began to walk out of the foliage and back to the clear. She heard a branch snap behind her and jump to hide behind the nearest tree as fast as she could. At least the wind was with her... Triforce would know what was coming, but maybe too late. Taking a deep breath, she decided to make a dash for the caravan; she had to warn them, no matter what. She had just taken her first few steps, when she felt something grab her. Without a second thought, she screamed at the top of her lungs. "Prepare! It's an ambush!"

"Oooookaay…" Vorchia looked around, trying to make out anything familiar in the hostile forest. "Okay Ji'rille you were correct, I CAN'T find the trail back on my own, happy now?"

The red and black Tapejara made a dive from a high treetop and cackled happily in her own language, which the Ovinutrix perfectly understood.

Vorchia chuckled "Yes, yes I KNOW I wouldn't last long in the Basin without you. You told me that only five-thousand times since we left from home, now will you please help me find the way back to the trail?"

Ji'rille teasingly flew a few circles around Vorchia's head, making the small Ovinutrix even more disoriented then she already was. After two circles Vorchia stopped turning around to follow the Tapejara and just stood still with her arms crossed. And smelled something that vaguely smelled like the scent of rotten meat, mixed with the scent of a human and she smelled blood.

Ji'rille was still happily flying circles when she noticed the facial expression of her dinosaurian friend change from mockery to curiosity with a little bit of fear as she sniffed the air around her.

The scent wasn't very strong, whoever possessed it hadn't been here for at least two hours. It might be safe to look around it might not. As always, a stubborn curiosity got the better of the Ovinutrix. The scent, human, and the scent of rotten meat and blood, none of which seemed to belong to a human.

Vorchia got considerably uncomfortable and felt Ji'rille land on her back. The small Tapejara started speaking in her musical language of whistles and clicks. "I don't trust this one bit; I suggest you just walk right back to the trail before this gets any creepier. "

The young Ovinutrix looked around one more time, the forest had gone awkwardly silent now, a creepy sensation indeed. But the scent of blood didn't want to leave her alone. Ovinutrixes never ate carrion; back home she had eaten fruit and only occasionally some meat that carnivores gave to her family in thanks for help and support at the breedery.

The scent of blood did, in no way, mean food to her, it meant someone was injured and might need help. Having grown up at the breedery and been helping people and saurians all her life Vorchia couldn't help but let curiosity take the better of her and ignore the advice of her flying friend.

She started working her way through the underbrush, a protesting Ji'rille being accidentally pushed off her back by a low hanging branch. As the scent, which had now become a clear stench grew stronger Vorchia started moving slower. But now the scent of the blood had gone stronger and it was clearly smell able that the rotten meat stench, which was like that of a big therapod, belonged to the human, as if the human was wearing unprepared animal skin. Vorchia shuddered in disgust; definitely not your common kind of human.

And the sickeningly sweet stench of blood belonged to another creature that seemed to be some sort of saurian; the scent of the injured saurian grew stronger as the scent of the strange human grew less. Vorchia grew tenser with the moment; she had never been this deep in the basin before.

She originally had been on the way to Waterfall City to study there. A young Stegosaurus couple had just their first hatchling and they could use some help in learning how exactly to care for hatchlings. Vorchia immediately saw her chance to escape the boring breedery, and got her family so far as to let her accompany the couple and hatchling to Waterfall. The Stegosaurs had promised she could stay with them for as long as the study took in exchange for help with the housekeeping.

Simple… Very simple, until you got separated from the caravan and lost your way along with your trustworthy pterosaur pal.

A sudden movement in front of her brought Vorchia back to the spooky reality of her silent surroundings. Something flapped in her face, and she took a jump backwards and whistled in fright.

Only to find it had been Ji'rille snapping her out of her memories. "This is not fun anymore, we better try to catch up with the caravan right now." Vorchia shook her head and stalked closer to the source of the blood smell, carefully avoiding to step on branches and trying not to let the bushes rustle. Unfortunately the Ovinutrix had none such skills so anything that would have been there would have heard her from half a mile distance.

Now that Az had her search party ready, they headed for the direction that Mathaira had pointed out. She had chosen several of the warriors from her clan to accompany her. The raptor had searched for her sister, but had been unable to find her.

Worried, but not telling anyone, Azonthus also searched for her younger, inexperienced, sister. Akiva was only preparing to go through the trial of adulthood, and had not even completed her training.

They hadn't traveled far when Az heard a scream. Quickly changing direction, the group ran to assist whomever it was. Bursting through the jungle, the found tyrannosaurs surrounding Tamith. They were roaring and acting menacing, but not doing anything to harm her. Disgusted, she realized what they were doing. They were playing with her before attacking.

Azonthus directed her warriors into the fray. Dodging between gargantuan legs, they were soon surrounding Tamith in a protective circle or arrows and spears. Two of the warriors backed up till they were next to Tamith and helped her up.

"Wait……" Az hissed. The Tyrannosaurs were beginning to get louder and a few charged forward, but the raptors held their ground. When the next Tyrannosaur darted at the group, she jumped onto his head yelling "Now!"

The two raptors who were next to Tamith had her by each arm and half carried, half dragged her to safety while Azonthus and the others attacked the larger carnosaurs.

ShadowStriker, after having joined the search party led by Azonthus, thought about Mathaira, whom he had left behind with the remainder of the caravan. He hated leaving her but felt that she would be safer with the caravan than trekking through the jungles of the Rainy Basin with Rhaax stalking about. . .

His thoughts were interrupted by a scream. He followed Azonthus and the others into the jungle brush only to find Tamith to be surrounded by a group of Tyrannosaurs, not harming her but playing with her before attacking. I've heard of this before, ShadowStriker thought to himself. . .

After seeing Tamith dragged to safety by two raptors, ShadowStriker heard Azonthus shout "Now!" . .

As ShadowStriker joined in the battle alongside Azonthus and the raptors against those of his own species, he recognized them as the clan members which had split away from the Clan of Greyback the Fierce. . .

ShadowStriker found himself using many of the skills that Azonthus had taught him. After delivering a powerful blow to an older Tyrannosaur which knocked the elder one senseless to the ground, ShadowStriker deliberately drew near to where the smaller raptor had just defeated a larger carnosaur, and voiced his concern over the attempted attack on Tamith, "I know these Tyrannosaurs. They are the ones who split away from my father's clan to go with Rhaax. He is part of their clan now. I have heard that he likes to watch as the other clan members toy with their prey, as these were playing with Tamith before attacking her. I'm sure that he is nearby, probably watching us right now."

The tyrannosaur and raptors soon had the attackers retreating back into the woods. Leary of tricks, Az and her forces retreated further into the jungle.

Her first concern was the health of those she was in charge of. "Anybody hurt?" she asked before investigating about Rhaxx any further.

"Nah, just a few scratches," Lym replied, holding a leaf to a bleeding wound on her arm. After Az had inspected it and other wounds, she decided that Lym was the only one who would be unable to accompany them on the rest of the search. Not because the wound was bad, but because the scent of blood would attract unwanted guests. The injured raptor went back to the caravan with Tamith.

"All right then. Now we can hopefully get moving again. ShadowStriker, you said that Rhaxx likes to watch that," Az made a disgusted face, "hunt. Where would he be? Do you think we could find him?"

ShadowStriker thought for a moment before replying to Azonthus, trying to remember what he had heard of Rhaax's techniques. "From what I've heard throughout the Basin, he sometimes takes to the trees, stretching himself across a high branch to get a..." ShadowStriker paused here, sharing Az's disgust of Rhaax's method, "...a better view of the...the hunt." . .

Azonthus directed her warriors to spread among the trees, "We've got to watch both the ground for tracks and the trees for his presence. Be ready for an attack from either way!" . .

ShadowStriker, Azonthus, and the raptor warriors stealthily crept through the jungle brush, deeper into the heart of the Rainy Bain, their keen eyes alert for any type of danger.

Rhaxx was confused. He had been watching his adoptive clan attack a human. There had been a trike, but she had run at the first sigh of danger. Useless "partners" were supposed to stay with their partner, but this one hadn't. That was not what had confused him. What was confusing was the red and yellow raptor that had rescued the human. She was in his cave and injured, how could she be here?

He was torn between attacking her again and running to his cave to make sure she had not escaped. One thing hadn't occurred to him, that she might have a sister...

Deciding that it was safer to go back to his cave, he ran. It would only be the work of a few minutes to get there.

The forest was thick and the air was heavy with humidity. Vorchia wondered how anyone could voluntarily want to live here. Oh well, guess it has to do with adaptations as well. The ground began to slope upwards and smaller and bigger rocks were littered everywhere.

Jirille had managed to get on the wing again after her short fall and flew up to explore the slope higher up.

Vorchia looked up at the same moment Ji'rille gave a whistle. She saw the little pterosaur wriggle its way into a well-hidden cave. The cave was quite a bit above Vorchia's head, quite predator-proof, if you didn't make the jump up there you could get seriously injured, few predators would risk it; unless they were small, teenage, Ovinutrix and stubborn. She waved her tail from left to right and back and estimated the distance. She was one of the most agile Ovinutrixes back home at the breedery... Which didn't necessarily mean 'strong'.

She took a few steps back then started running towards the cave and leaped, the moment her feet left the ground she knew her speed was to low, she could never make it, she'd slam into the rock right UNDER the cave.

She pulled her head back in order to avoid being smacked in the face by the rock wall, next split second her hands touched rock, hard. Instinctively she grabbed it and the momentum of the blow together with the pushing of her arms got her up just that little more. She pulled herself up to sit on hands and knees on the ridge of the cave, panting, not feeling the scratches over her whole body and trying to ignore Ji'rille's worried but headache inducing chattering.

From the cave came a small sound of someone moving.

The same instant Vorchia remembered what had brought her here in the first place and realized she had worked herself in quite some trouble; god knew WHAT would be in the cave. She shuddered; the stench of the weird human had gotten worse and even creepier. But the other scent had gotten stronger too.

Every fiber in her body was telling her there was danger, but she knew her conscience wasn't going to let her alone if she didn't find out what was going on.

Hesitatingly she walked into the cave, her eyes slowly adapted to its darkness, it was pleasantly cool in the cave tough the humidity seemed to be equally high. Whoever had chosen this hideout sure knew where to look.

The only sound she heard now was her own regular breathing; and someone else's.

Wait a sec? Vorchia's eyes flew wide open as she held her breath for a moment to pick up any possible sound.

Now her eyes noticed a small form lying limp on a bed of leaves on the cave floor. It was a young Velociraptor. Vorchia immediately recognized it to be one of the guards of the caravan!

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