Search for the Emerald Sunstone Flowers: Part 2

After the trying adventure in the earthquake and rescuing the Skybax and rider from the primitive subterranean raptors, Azonthus was ready for the relaxation of Tree Town. She could just picture the magnificent trees with graceful sauropods moving among them. Just the thought of her basket-bed made the small raptor quicken her swift lope to a near run.

Topping the next rise, she could see the beautiful arboreal habitat. But something was wrong, there was none of the calling out of children playing with sauropods, the adults scolding their children for trying too dangerous stunts, and the general bustle of the usual tree life. The ladders were empty, and only a few Ultrasaurs were even out of the barn. Sensing that something awful must have happened, Az broke into a full run.

Within minutes she was in the outskirts of Tree Town.

"Hello!" she cried. "Is anyone here?"

She waited a few seconds. Nothing. Calling out again, she started to jump to some of the lower branches, shunning the clumsy rope ladders. She was as comfortable in the trees as on land and moved about with the confident balance of one who is accustomed to life hundreds of feet above the ground.

Az swiftly hurried to Coba Evon's house. She had met Coba shortly after she left the Basin, and wanted to see if she was all right. Coba Evon was a dolphinback with a sense for adventure. She had come to their island with her little brother about the same time Az left the Basin.

Entering the dark and silent shelter, Azonthus saw that Coba was in the back. Coba's hunched shoulders could be seen over the bed, which contained her little brother, Eric. From their regular breathing, Az could tell they were both asleep.

Silently tiptoeing over to them, Az awoke Coba.

"Huh? Oh........ Hey Az," Coba moaned as she slowly woke up.

"What's happened here? Where is everybody?"

Coba started to explain how right after Az left to help with the earthquake, some travelers had come from Chandara. They were sick and in great need of medical attention. The healers had tried all they could, but to no avail. After they were buried, others of Tree Town started to show the same symptoms. The sickness quickly spread, and no one left for fear of spreading it to the rest of Dinotopia. Oodon had come to help, but quickly succumbed himself. All of the healers were sick, and many of the people were worse for the lack of medical attention. A few of the residents didn't get sick for some reason or other, but they were quickly being exhausted form the constant strain of the sick ones.

"That's awful!" Az exclaimed when Coba was finished. .

"I know. I've tried all I can, but Eric keeps getting sicker and sicker! So dose everybody else, and there's nothing I can do!"

"Nothing you can do, but something I can. You have to stay here, but I only just came. I probably don't have the illness yet, but I have to leave in a hurry to find help. Can you make it on your own for a little bit longer?"

"I think so. Where are you going? Please don't bring anyone else here! I don't want this to spread."

"Don't worry, just keep trying your hardest. Good bye my friend." And with that Az left the house.

I have to move fast if I'm going to get everything I need and not get sick, Az thought to herself.

She was in the general store in a few minutes and getting what she would need for a long camping trip in the Basin. I'll need extra fish, in case I run into any of my old friends. Besides I'm sure Mirajai will like a treat.

When she had what she needed for her trip home, Az found some fabric and paint. She painter a warning of Tree Towns illness and plea for help. She then went to the main road that entered Tree Town and hung them up on some trees where they would be sure to be seen.

Gotta move fast, I have to get some special herbs from the Basin if Tree Town is to survive.

Atero Spendal stepped out of one of his basket-bed in one of the lofty Sequoias of Tree Town. He could not remember anything, and he looked down and screamed at the top of his lungs. It jogged his memory. He had laid down the previous afternoon because he was feeling sick, and there was a disease spreading around. Oh no, he thought, when it occurred to him that he might have the sickness, too. He tried to call for help, but he couldn't raise his voice. Then, he collapsed over the railing!!! He gathered every inch to just grab onto the rail and yell at the top of his lungs, when an ultrasaurus heard him and came over to grab him in time.

The ultrasaurus helped him back up into his loft and said, "Lay down, Atero. What happened?"

"I think that I've caught the disease," the boy said, but he could say no more because he went unconscious before he could even finish his sentence.

C'xoila decided to explore. He knew he had promised Alkazra he wouldn't, but the temptation was just too great. He set out under the glow of the huge sunstone lamps that hung from the walls. He searched along the cavern walls until he found a huge opening, a doorway. Walking up the steps, he felt the chill of the ice cavern receding. C'xoila was careful not to trip any traps. He reached another door. The door was inscribed with an intricate mural showing many semi-saurians and strutters and strange devices.

Running back, C'xoila screamed, "I think I found it! I think I found a way out!" After a stern lecture from Alkazra about why it isn't safe to go exploring alone, the group left the camp they'd made. They said their good byes to the Megaraptors and tyrannosaurs and promised to come see them again. Cyrrus, Alkazra, C'xoila, Tamith and our new friends Lian and Quickstride made their way towards the exit C'xoila had found.

When they saw the door, C'xoila stepped forward and asked, "May I open it?" Everyone agreed. When he pulled the handle, it came out several inches. A trapdoor in the floor opened and C'xoila fell through. "Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!"

"C'xoila, C'xoila, are you all right?" Lian asked. No answer. Alkazra shook her head sadly. "Too inquisitive," she mumbled. "Just too curious for his own good."

Meanwhile, 300 feet down....

"Ahhhhhhh!!!!!!" Splash. C'xoila fell into a pool of water and sank to the bottom. Even though raptors aren't the best of swimmers, C'xoila made do. Coughing and sputtering, he bobbed to the surface and swam to the lip of the pool. He stood up and gleefully said, "I'm alive!" He fainted.

Back at the door......

Cyrrus had gotten the rope out of her pack and tied it to the door handles. They weren't even attached to a real door! Checking to make sure the knot was tight, she jumped in and slid down the rope. Saying as she did so, "Come on! He might be hurt!" Everyone agreed, and went after Cyrrus, climbing hand over hand down the rope.

Some time later, C'xoila sleepily opened his eyes, and saw a ceratopsian face staring at him. Upon sitting up, he saw that that ceratopsian face belonged to a human body. The Semi-saurians!

Cyrrus had reached the end of the rope. Seeing the bottom was in easy reach, she let go and fell the rest of the way down. She landed with a splash, and swam towards the nearby shore. Calling out to the others on the rope, she told them, "It's okay. Just jump down. The water's not too deep. You can swim."

One by one, the rest of the group made their way to the shore where Cyrrus stood. Quickstride was worried.

"Where is C'xoila? I hope he's okay.

Everyone nodded and began to call out to their missing friend.

"C'XOILA!!!!"

Quickstride sniffed the air. Her sense of smell wasn't great, but good enough to tell her the Deinonychus had been there. She also detected another creature that had been there recently, but didn't know what it was. It was alien, yet it seemed so familiar... Quickstride shuddered, despite the fact that it was considerably warmer here than in the ice caverns.

Who was I? Where was I? When was I? Who were these strange Ceratopsian headed humans and why was someone calling out "C'xoila?!?! C'xoila?!?!"

Tottering up on his feet, C'xoila swayed from side to side. The strange semi-saurians looked at him, chirping and whistling amongst themselves. Ohhhh..... I feel dizzy

"C'xoila?!?!" Tilting his head to the side, the raptor asked himself, 'Where have I heard that name before???'

A small group of humans and saurians rushed into the room, to the complete surprise of the Semi-saurians. The Ceratops heads scattered and peered out from the shadows. A struthie ran up and said, "C'xoila! Your safe! How are you?"

"Um," he said chuckling, "Do I know you?" Then he collapsed in a fit of laughter on the floor. Everyone just stared.

Cyrrus just stared at the Deinonychus who was giggling and rolling around on the floor.

He stopped rolling and said, "Nice to meet you! My name is, my name is..." He started giggling again. "Well, I guess I don't know WHAT my name is! Haha, What's your name?" The small group exchanged a frustrated look. The Deinonychus stumbled to his feet, giggling. He propped himself up on a rock and said, "Gee, I don't know ANY of you!" More giggling. "I don't know YOU, but do you know me? Haha, Who am I, any way?" The group moved over to the far end of the room, discussing what had happened to their friend while the young raptor looked on interestedly.

Laughing some more, he asked again "Do any of you know who I am?"

"He must have hit his head pretty hard,." Tamith said looking at C'xoila who was still giggling.

"I heard that if you hit a person that has recently lost her memory in the head again, they'll remember," Cyrrus said.

They all turned and looked at C'xoila.

"What?" he asked, "Why are you looking at me that way?"

A semi-saurian girl looked reproachfully at them and said, "It will also come back if you just leave him alone. I think it will take a few days though. Yes, definitely a few days."

"In fact ," the Semi-saurian said, "Hitting someone when they are like this can cause permanent damage!"

The Semi-saurians slowly came out of hiding, seeing that the small party that had just entered was no threat. One girl dared to approached the strangers. She held her hand, palm face out, in the Breath Deep, Seek Peace sign and said, "Chirp twee tweel chck!" Other Half-humans approached as well, each adding their own greeting to the girls. They were careful to avoid C'xoila. They regarded him with strange looks and tweets and chirps among themselves. Two of these creatures lifted C'xoila up, and started carrying him down a passage to a bed. C'xoila fell fast asleep, mumbling to himself, "I wonder who I am..."

The group turned to face the Semi-Saurians.

"Anthroceratops," whispered Quickstride.

"What?" asked Cyrrus, who was standing next to the Gallimimus.

"The Anthroceratops of the ancient myths," explained Quickstride, her eyes suddenly shining with excitement. "So they exist, also."

"Yeah, well, we have some more important things to think about now," said Tamith, "Like what do we do with C'xoila?"

"Lets analyze this," Tamith said walking a few feet behind the Anthroceratops that carried C'xoila while he rested, "We have mythical creatures, C'xoila has amnesia and we have no clue as to where in the island we are except somewhere under the Rainy Basin. We need directions and help. Good thing so far the semi-saurians have been friendly."

They followed slowly behind the anthros who carried C'xoila. Suddenly there was a turn in the passage, and they came to a ledge.

"Wow," whispered Lian, "it goes even farther down." To one side of the ledge, she realized, was a steep set of stairs carved into the stone.

The small party headed down the stairs into another vast, underground valley. Instead of the snow of the ice cavern, this one was full of tropical vegetation. Small waterfalls cascaded down the shear sides of the cavern and there were Anthroceratops everywhere! C'xoila, who had woken up only a few moments earlier, followed them, dazed, into the valley. "Ohhhh..." he said, "This is nice." He tapped Cyrrus on the shoulder and said, "What is you name 'genn? Either you not tell me, or I forget." Cyrrus shook her head sadly. She really hadn't thought that sleep would do C'xoila some good. It hadn't.

The group, lead by the now familiar Anthroceratops, made their way into the valley. They reached a place clear of plants, a wide open space where there were many Semi-saurians.

The leading Anthro' addressed them. "Cheep ratttt acheee, tweeql carl lokkkkk chee chrl cheep!" She had said, Everyone, these are travelers. They are in need of our services. They need rest and one among them, everyone looked at C'xoila, but he didn't seem to notice because he was smelling the flowers, Has been injured, has amnesia. Let us make them welcome! Each Anthroceratops nodded their head, some added a few welcoming chirps of their own.

The surroundings they found themselves in were fantastic and with the semi-saurians amongst it all, it looked beautifully surreal.

"Isn't it wonderful?" Sitting down on a rock Kaz took out paper and paints, "Didn't know I was an artist did you?" she smiled properly for the first time in a long while and the others, who had been worried about her looked relieved. Tamith especially, who had remembered Kaz's claustrophobia from the last underground adventure.

"I thought that if Mirajai can't be with us now I'd take something back up to show him, and maybe our new friends would like to see some of Canyon City? I always keep a few pictures with me whenever I leave it."

C'xoila wobbled over and looked over Alkazra's shoulder. "Ohhh! That's real good! Me not know you'z an artist!" He pondered this for a moment, and added sadly, "Me not even know you'z name."

Standing a little ways to the side of the main group, Lian and Quickstride watched. They were even less sure about C'xoila than the others, having just met him in the ice caverns. Instead, they turned their attention to the valley around them. Quickstride noticed an Anthroceratops watching her. She bowed her head politely, and the Semi-saurian returned the gesture. Then he motioned for her to come closer.

When she did, the Anthroceratops held out an old metal disc of some sort. There was a scene inscribed on it, picturing Ornithomimid-like dinosaurs. "Could it be?" Quickstride asked aloud. She looked at the Semi-saurian as though expecting an answer. "Is it true, then?"

"Is what true?" asked Alkazra from nearby.

"Oh, uh, nothing," Quickstride said, startled.

Cyrrus wandered off to find someplace to think. Things were defiantly not going well. She trotted over to where Quickstride was standing. "What are you looking at?" She looked at the Ornithomimid carved on the disk. "Pretty. What is it?"

Quickstride looked uncertain for a moment. She glanced at Lian, who nodded. "Well," said Quickstride, "I might as well tell you. I didn't come on the archaeological expedition just to search for ruins. You see, I run a small library on Outer Island, and one day I came across an ancient scroll, the journal of some old explorer of the Rainy Basin. It told of his account of a tribe of dinosaurs, almost certainly Gallimimus, who remained in the Rainy Basin with the carnosaurs. They were said to possess wisdom and medicine unlike any other on the island and, according to the scroll, be the ancestors of the gallimimids of Outer Island, like me. I joined this expedition in hopes of finding evidence of there existence, but I was about to give it up as a literal wild Gallimimus chase." She indicated the disc. "This, however, renews my hope that they are real, and not just legend."

C'xoila sat down under a large tree. Things were very confusing. All the humans, the Struthie, and the Gallimimus said they knew him, but he had no idea who they were. Oh, they were nice enough, but he was sure he didn't know them. He clutched his head. "Oh, me confused! My head hurt!"

The Anthroceratops that had been leading them turned to Quickstride and said, "Yes, what you say is the truth. They once resided in this temple complex, but were overcome by a strange disease." She described it, it was the same one afflicting Tree Town! "Before the last of their kind died, he told our ancestors how to cure the disease, though it was to late to save him."

"Some say they are still here. Whether it's in spirit, we have seen their ghosts, or in the flesh, remains to be seen. We were inspired by this valiant group of saurians, and that is what compelled us to become healers." She gestured around her. "All of us."

Upon hearing this, Quickstride's heart sank. She had clearly been under the impression that she could find this lost tribe, her ancestors, and meet them. Then the second part of what the Anthroceratops said registered. "You can cure the disease?" she asked.

A thin, ready voice said, "Yes, we can."

The Anthro asked, "Where did that voice come from?"

They searched for the voice, but couldn't find the speaker.

Quickstride gulped audibly. "I hope that was just one of you practicing ventriloquism," she said, looking hopefully over at the others.

C'xoila walked up to the group, who were still looking for the voice. "Um, I think it came from over there. From the see-through dino over there."

Her painting interrupted Kaz stood up and joined the group, "I think it came from over there, but if this is one of you having a laugh..."

Quickstride sniffed the air. "I can't find anything unusual," she said, doubtfully. She was intrigued and frightened by the voice at the same time.

"Do not bother, my friend," said the voice, "You cannot detect us."

"Well, he called us friend," said Quickstride, "I guess that's a good thing."

A shape, roughly that of a Gallimimus, shimmered into view. The ghost Gallimimus walked over to study Quickstride.

The ghost form was smaller than Quickstride, and stockier, adapted for a life in the jungle. But he had the same green eyes.

"Ahhh!" was the simultaneous response of the party, including the semi-saurians.

"Do not fear," the ghost replied, as more came into view. "We mean you no harm."

"F-first I meet p-p-people say know me, then g-g-ghost!" C'xoila stuttered.

The other ghosts gathered around Quickstride, examining her through brightly colored eyes. Quickstride was understandably nervous. This wasn't what she'd meant when she said she wanted to meet her ancestors.

C'xoila watched as the ghosts shimmered into view. Seven in all. They were all crowding around Quickstride, babbling about how it was so great to see another Gallimimus. One, a female, said, "Why, I haven't seen another Gallie in centuries! How great it is to have some fresh blood around here!" This did not reassure Quickstride at all. Their bodies appeared to be made of mist, all being a foggy, see-through gray/green. The only thing solid, not see-through, were their strikingly green eyes.

C'xoila sat down several yards away. He was just as confused as ever. "Oh, me so confused! They say, 'We your friends, don't you 'member?' But no, me don't 'member. Who am I, anyway?" Frustrated at being able to remember nothing about his past, C'xoila stalked off into the jungle. He needed to think things through. "But," he told himself, "me don't think I's gonna 'member nothin."

Stomping off into the foliage, C'xoila thought, "Why can't me 'member nothin?"

Finding a large stone, he sat down. "Les see..." C'xoila said to himself. He recalled all that had happened to him since he woke up and saw the Anthroceratops. But try as he might, and for hours he tried, he couldn't remember anything.

He was getting more and more frustrated by the fact that he couldn't remember a single fact about his previous life. Then, he brightened up. "Those peoples, seem a like me. They's pretty nice a me. Why not stay with them?" As he walked back to the group, he couldn't help but feel good.

Tamith, Alkazra, and Cyrrus simply stared.

"This is getting freaky..." Tamith said looking at the ghostly Gallimimus.

"I know," Alkazra agreed, her paintings temporarily forgotten.

"Did they say they knew how to cure the illness?" Cyrrus asked.

"Yes, they did!" Tamith exclaimed.

"Shall we ask?" Alkazra said clearly not liking the idea.

"For Tree Town," Tamith said.

"For Tree Town," Cyrrus agreed.

Together the trio stepped forward.

"Excuse me..."

Quickstride hadn't noticed C'xoila wander off. The seven ghosts surrounded her, even making her basic Gallie instincts uneasy. They seemed to detect her nervousness. The first of them, a male who seemed to be their leader, stepped forward. Extending his claw, he said "Run fast, seek peace. I am Swiftclaw of the Emerald Sunstone tribe. What, may I ask, is your name?"

"I-I am Quickstride," she replied, glancing over at the others. The Anthroceratops held back uncertainly, but she was glad to see Cyrrus, Tamith, Alkazra and Lian coming towards her.

"The disease.." began Tamith uncertainly. "Well, it seems that Tree Town has been caught with an illness which no one can cure. Do any of you know anything about that?"

C'xoila returned to the clearing and he sat down on a stone, not really listening to what was said. He was still trying to figure out who he was when Cyrrus walked forward and sat down beside him.

"You remember anything yet?" she asked hopefully.

"No, me not 'member nothin."

Cyrrus looked saddened to hear this and asked, "Anything at all?"

C'xoila shook his head sadly. "No. Me not 'member nothin. Me not even know who I is!"

Cyrrus looked down. "Are you sure? Not even the tiniest little fact?" she asked, doubtfully.

"Me not 'member nothin, and me pretty sure! All I 'member is wake up and frill face over there is lookin at me. Then you come. You yell, 'C'xoila! C'xoila!' Me guess that my name. But me not 'member it. Me not even member your name, and you already tell me!"

Things were looking hopeless. The few days that the Anthrosaurian had suggested pass had, with no improvement.

"I just hope 'Zonthus all right. She should a come already." C'xoila said, concerned. Cyrrus's head bolted up. "C'xoila!" she cried happily, "You remembered something!"

"I DO?!?!?!?" C'xoila cried.

"Yes!" Cyrrus yelled. "You remembered Azonthus! Your friend."

Scratching his skull, C'xoila said, "Yes. 'Zonthus is friend. Is Velociraptor, right? I know me right!"

Cyrrus replied, "Yes! Yes, you're right! What else can you remember?" C'xoila went on to explain about his home in Waterfall City, the last mission they went on, and even managed to remember Cyrrus's name! Well, for a while he did. Information just came flooding into his head. He still talked strange, but C'xoila was the same raptor once again.

Everyone was so excited about C'xoila getting his memory back, that no one except Lian, who was standing back from the rest of them, noticed a shadow lurking in the forest. When she looked in it's direction, the figure fled.

However, when she looked back in the direction of the rest of the group, she noticed a heavy branch above them. It looked as if it had been loosened, and was about to fall on them.

"Look out!" Lian yelled.

As everyone looked up, the branch finally gave way. Fortunately, saurian reactions are quicker than human ones, and the dinosaurs successfully dodged the branch while shoving their human partners clear of it. The ghosts, who were still among them, flickered from view momentarily, only to reappear after the branch had crashed down.

"Wow," said Cyrrus, as they all stared at the fallen branch. "That was too close."

"That's not all," said Lian, and she explained what she saw.

"Hmmm... most interesting," said Swiftclaw, exchanging a worried look with another of the ghosts. "So the accursed fiend is still here," was all the other ghost said.

"Hmmmmmm....." C'xoila said. He jumped up and landed on a nearby branch. Examining the branch, he saw that it had been cut. "Yup," he called down to the others. "It been cut all right. Hmmmm... Me wondering who this accursed fiend is? Who?" Even though his speech was strange, he was still the same C'xoila. He wanted to get to the bottom of things. Hopping down from his branch, he fearlessly approached the ghost Gallimimuses. "Who this 'accursed one' you all talk 'bout? Me wan' know so we can avoid it, or him, or her or, whatever."

C'xoila suggested, "Maybe we should move somewhere safer..."

Cyrrus stopped her mad dancing for joy long enough to avoid being made into a dino-pancake. She looked up at where the branch had been connected to the tree. "Something's not right here." She hopped onto a low branch, bring her face up to the severed tree limb. She sniffed it for sever seconds, then turned with a frown. "This has been cut. I can smell metal, and it's severed too cleanly for a break. Someone's got it in for us guys!"

She walked over to the ghost, Swiftclaw. "Honored cousin, who or what is this 'accursed fiend' you spoke of?

Striding up to the ghosts, C'xoila said, "I thin' you needa tell us was this 'cursed one' you be talkin 'bout?" Turning to Tamith he said, "Tam, what you'z think 'bout this, 'accursed one'?"

"Well... I would really like to know who are what it is because it just tried to squish us a minute ago, and we have done nothing wrong, that we know of anyway, for it to do that," she replied.

Quickstride glanced at Swiftclaw. "I think an answer is owed, ancestor," she said.

"Very well," said the ghost. "This what happened..."

"I 'gree with Quickstride!"

All the humans and saurians sat and listened.

"Long ago, before we even came to live in this valley, the semi-saurians ruled here. Where they came from, no one is sure. There were a few different kinds, like the Anthroceratops. But there were other forms, too. One type had the body of a human and the head of an allosaur. When the disease came, most of the semi-saurian types died out. The Anthroceratops were naturally immune to the sickness. The allosaurs weren't, but they found the emerald sunstone flower that cures it. A flower that we, alas, found too late. We had sealed off the allosaurs from this valley, and our spirits were left to care for the flower. But it seems those terrible semi-allosaurs have escaped."

"But why would they try to harm us? What wrong have we done to them?" Tamith demanded to know."

"They probably want this valley back, and will stop at nothing to reclaim it," came the grave reply.

Cyrrus shook her head. "Vengeance is a strong force with some. Perhaps we can make peace with them?"

"Where isa place that you'z sealed off tha Allosaurs?" C'xoila asked.

"There are several caves at the far end of the valley. One was where the allosaurs were sealed, and another is where the flowers are kept. We will have to go there for the cure." Swiftclaw told him.

The struthie turned to C'xoila, "We should go see these sealed caves!"

"Yes, who can lead the way?" Tamith asked.

"Yes, and where are these emerald flowers. We need them for Treetowns sake!" Cyrrus spoke up again.

"Strange... them being Dinotopians they should no better than to give in to vengeance. I agree with Cyrrus in making peace with them." Tamith added.

There was a rustling in the brush and something stepped out. It had the body of a human, yet the head of an allosaur. "Ah!" C'xoila screamed. "Is them! What we do now?"

The Allosaur-human made calming gestures and said, in the rough allosaur tongue, "Roar ach graarugh rrrrrrr arrrr." It was not I who set the trap for you. It was the others. So surprised was C'xoila, that he almost forgot to translate.

The semi-allosaur was frightened of what they would do to it! But Semi-Allosaur was trying to make peace.

Tamith smiled at the semi-Allosaurus and placed her hand in the familiar Dinotopian fashion. "Breath Deep, Seek Peace!"

The Allosaur did the same and said, "Groar arr grrrrr roar!"

Another Allosaur-human came out from the forest... then another...then a whole pack of them. They began spinning, first slowly, then faster, then faster, then...

WHAM! Atero fell to the ground.

"It's ok, you were just dreaming, are you all right?" asked a healer, one of the few who was healthy enough to care for patient.

"Have to go...find them," Atero muttered in his delirium "I must..."

"No, no not now," said the healer. After a long time trying, she convinced Atero to go back to bed in the wooden building which was being used as an overflow hospital.

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