Search for the Emerald Sunstone Flowers: Part 4

"Kara mentioned that the blue sunstones have problems." Kaz said. "This is true and is the reason why I am immune to the illness in Treetown. The blue sunstones were underground with red sunstones also, and therefore became tainted. They therefore don't heal every illness, but they do have a generally positive effect. The blue sunstones are currently under study at my home in the swamps."

"But this one pure, and me eat it! What it do to me?" C'xoila asked.

"Well," said Quickstride, pulling the still imbedded arrow carefully from her tail, "there are worse places to be hit. My tail hurts, but I can manage. I am worried more for Cyrrus. Are you all right, friend?"

Suddenly, C'xoila started glowing

"If that stone was pure, and unfortunately I very much doubt it was, then you would have nothing to worry about." Alkazra said. "However, no pure stones have been recovered and therefore the glowing must be a side effect of this. I wouldn't worry though Kara says they have generally positive effects, plus we can't lose you in the dark now!"

"Ah!" C'xoila cried. The glowing died down and stopped, but he was still worried what the stone he swallowed would do. "What everyone else think?"

Suddenly, the Semi-Allos appeared and started shooting arrows at them. The others escaped, but C'xoila was too slow. He got an arrow in the back, and didn't even notice! When they had escaped, Cyrrus pointed this out. "Oh!" C'xoila yelled. He grabbed onto the arrow and pulled it out, with no apparent discomfort. It came out easily and left no mark afterwards. The skin had closed up around the wound.

"Well," Alkazra said, "I guess we know what one of those side effects are."

"Musta been a pure stone," he said.

C'xoila also found out that he could make a little glow ball in the air to give them light.

"How can it have been? All the blue stones come from the same place as the red and therefore it shouldn't, in fact wouldn't, be possible to ever find a pure stone. Besides why did you have one? They should have all gone to Hadrosaur to be studied by Kara and the other healers there."

C'xoila looked sheepish "I thought it would be a good idea to have one with us. You must be right about the purity though they always come from the same place as the reds."

Az had left Treetown about a day ago and now she was searching for the legendary Emerald Flowers, but she was afraid they were just that, a legend. There were old raptor legends that the Emeralds flowers could heal any illness, and Treetown certainly needed them. Slowing her fast pace to a slow jog, Azonthus started heading to the West, instead of South.

After about a half-days travel Az slowed down to a walk. To go faster would only invite trouble. A loud growl came from the surrounding bushes. Suddenly a small velociraptor jumped from the bushes onto Azonthus!

Meanwhile, another visitor had come to Treetown. Story was golden with black stripes down his back like slash marks. He had a short black bobtail and cold blue eyes. The Smilodon had come in search of his friend Quickstride, whom he had been expecting to meet with when the archaeological team returned from the Basin. The team had arrived many days late, only to tell him Quickstride and her friend Lian had been lost in a carnosaur attack.. Unaware of the sickness in Treetown, and because his knowledge of humans and Saurian languages was very poor, he had come to find out why a search party hadn't been organized. He knew this would be difficult, as most Dinotopians weren't sure that saber-tooth's even existed, much less understood their language, but Story was determined to find out somehow, even if it meant journeying to the Basin himself.

Kara was sitting in Atero's room, watching him sleep. A flash of movement caught her eye and she looked out the window. A stranger had entered the town. She had never seen anything like this before, but he seemed anxious. She ventured down, and met the stranger. Se greeted him with the Breath Deep, Seek Peace sigh, and he seemed to understand.

She came out of nowhere, she suddenly appeared. A human female with a saurian companion. She called herself Tirana Ki and she was a "traveling artist". She went from place to place, painting, drawing, sculpting, playing, composing, writing. That's how she made a living.

Treetown was next on her list, and she had stopped there, only to find out that there was a disease and that her services wouldn't be of much help. But she offered her friendship and any help that might be needed.

"Ferse, me get amnesia, then me talk funny, now me swallow sunstone and me can glow. Me also don't get hurt," C'xoila exclaimed.

"IF they really can't hurt you then scouting ahead would be a good idea. Be careful though, we don't know if the effects will last forever," Kaz warned.

"All right, we've found a group of friendly semi-allos, apparently the one that Peacegiver used to belong to. What next?" Lian asked.

"Me not sure. Wan me to go scout 'genn?"

"Good idea, but again be careful," Alkazra warned the carnosaur.

C'xoila had left several hours ago on another scouting expedition and hadn't come back yet. They were starting to get worried. Thee was a sudden rustling in the brush and C'xoila emerged, at lease five arrows stuck in his back.

"C'xoila! Are you all right?!" Alkazra screamed.

"Yes, why so scared?" C'xoila replied. He didn't feel the arrows.

The little allo pointed and C'xoila turned and saw he was a pincushion. "Oh," he said. He walked to Alkazra, the arrows in his back waving in the air as he walked. C'xoila said, "You not worry. Me not hurt."

Alkazra just stared at the arrows stuck in C'xoila's back. "Are you sure you're not hurt?" she said, pointing to the five or six arrows embedded in his flesh.

"Arrows bother you? Me get rid them." That said, all the arrows fell from C'xoila's back. There wasn't a mark on him. "Everythin' all right? You not worried no more? Me feel fine."

"Yah, I guess…" Alkazra answered, then turned to Swiftclaw, who had returned with C'xoila, and asked him what the semi-allos were doing.

Meanwhile, a long ways away:

The emerald sunstone flowers were being destroyed by the Allosaurs. The ghosts tried to stop them, but being made of mist, they could do nothing. Swiftclaw didn't know what to do.

But, unknown to the Allosaurs, there was a hidden patch behind a false wall. But how long would it stay hidden?

"C'xoila, what did you see up ahead?" Alkazra asked. "Obviously you met some of the allos but is there any chance we could get there to stop them destroying the flowers?

"Yes, me see Allos." C'xoila said, picking up an arrow. "There were big group! They walk through forest, smash, cut plants down as they went."

The struthie jumped to her feet. "If they're destroying those flowers, we'd better get over there and stop them!" She hopped from one foot to the other, her injured leg forgotten for the time being.

Lian looked doubtful. "But what can we do? They have weapons! And there are so many more of them!"

Cyrrus shook her head. "I don't know, but we have to do something! Treetown depends on us!"

"Cyrrus is right," Tamith said, "We can't let them destroy the flowers because Treetown will die.

"C'xoila, you said they crushed all vegetation in their path, right? That means that they tend to be noisy. Maybe we can sneak around them to where the flowers grow. None of us are too big and I'm sure we can walk quietly."

"How far are we from the flower caverns?" Quickstride asked Swiftclaw, who had returned.

"Only about an hour," replied the ghost, "But the semi-allos are in there. We cannot get to the flowers while they are destroying them."

"Hmmmm….. What we need is a plan," said Quickstride. "Anyone have some suggestions?"

"I might have an idea," said Peacegiver. "I heard some of the others talking," he continued unsurely. "Something about a back entrance, but also about it being blocked off. That's all I know."

Tirana Ki cleared her throat and began, trying to explain as best as she could that nobody could go look for Story's friends because of the sickness in Treetown. She turned to Kara and Chaz, "That's the best I could do, I hope he understood."

"If I'm not needed her anymore," Tirana Ki said, "I'm willing to accompany Story." She turned to him, "If, of course, you'll let me." Then she turned to the others, "I was supposed to meet my companion here. She's a Megaraptor names Shada."

Tirana Ki nodded her head in agreement with the plan. Noticing Chaz's discomfort when she mentioned Shada, she added, "Shada is not that bad. I saved her when she was a hatchling, so now I guess you could say she owes me a life debt. But she's more than that, she's a very good friend, and we've gone through bad times together and have always survived them." Once again she turned to Story, "I don't think there's anything else to cover. Shada should be here in a few hours if not a day."

Azonthus was prepared for the raptors attack and turned just enough so the attacking raptor missed her and landed hard on the ground in front of her. Az quickly jumped onto the attacking raptors back, growling at her. "You're too young for guard duty, Slash."

"Am not! Mom said that I just need practice!" Slash whined. "Would you mind getting off of me now? You're heavy!"

"I don't know, I easily avoided your attack. If I was a threat, you would be dead by now, as would many of the rest of our pack."

"GET OFF!" And with that, Slash threw Az off her back.

"It's OK, sis. I just need to speak to the elders." Turning to walk on, Az left Slash to "practice" her guard duty.

After a meeting with the clan elders, Azonthus knew more about the Emerald sunstone Flowers. She knew that they had healing properties, and only grew underground. She also found out that if the exact herbs weren't mixed in with the healing potion, the result of the medicine could be worse than the illness.

Planning to spend the night, Az sook out her old home. It didn't take long considering that her hut was the only red and black one and all the others were blue or green.

After a dinner of Lambeosaur, Az went to bed, much to the chagrin of her siblings. Her younger siblings wanted to hear all about their older sisters adventures with the sub-terranian raptors and her life in Treetown. Slash was still a little annoyed with Az for the easy escape at the camp entrance, but she still wanted to hear about the adventures as much as the rest of the pack.

"I really must get some rest if I want to help Treetown," Az insisted as she went for her hut and bed.

That night Az had awful nightmares of her friends that were in the convoy being attacked by semi-allos. She awoke hot all over and breathing heavily. Her whole body hurt and she was dieing for a drink of water. On her way out to get a drink, Az tripped over her own feet. She normally had perfect balance and couldn't understand what was wrong with her.

In the pale light of a full moon, Az noticed a small rash on her arms. Oh no! she thought to herself, I have the illness! I have to get out of her tonight. She quickly gathered her cape, bow and arrows, and supplies that she had brought from Treetown and left.

C'xoilas siblings had stayed several nights in Tree town. Then they heard that the Convoy that C'xoila had been had been attacked. They packed up their stuff and left for the Basin. "What do you think happened to C'xoila, sis?" the youngest, Fer'dri, asked.

The oldest, Sashaa, replied, "I don't know, little brother. I just don't know."

"C'xoila should have come back already!" Kaylah whined.

C'xoila had explicitly forbidden them to enter the Basin, but they knew their brother needed help. He had been gone too long. They entered the Basin, and headed for the convoy route. They were amazed at the variety of plant and animal life.

They had been in the Basin for 2 days, and hadn't yet encountered a carnosaur. On the third day, the three woke up to the swishing of plants and the muffled thud of footsteps. Peeking out from behind their cover of plants, Sashaa saw a velociraptor. "Be very, very quiet. There's a raptor out there, and she is armed!"

Fer'dri asked, uncertain, "You mean with other than her claws?"

They were interrupted when the raptor collapsed. They approached with caution. "Wait!" Kaylah exclaimed. "Isn't that C'xoila's friend? Azonthus?" They walked up to the unconscious raptor.

Poking Azonthus with her claw, Sashaa said, "What are we going to do now?"

The siblings were huddled around the fallen raptor, wondering what to do, when they were interrupted by a loud roar. Suddenly a golden form leapt into view as Story bared his teeth at them. The young Deinonychus' shrieked in terror. Then a harsh bark was heard and a triceratops came up behind the Smilodon.

"Triforce!" the siblings shouted out joyfully. Story stopped growling and eyed the Deinonychs distrustfully as Tirana Ki and Shada finally arrived.

"Hello young friends," she said, recognizing them as friendly by their backpacks. "What are you doing out here?" Then she saw Azonthus laying on the ground. "Oh, dear!"

The sabertooths growl reached deep into Azonthus' delirium, alerting her to what her instincts told her was trouble. She reached for her arrows and managed to fire one, but she was so sick that her shot missed.

No! she thought, that's not what's wrong….What is…..?

Triforce stepped forward to see what was wrong and the ground caved in on all of them!

All of them fell for what seemed forever, but was actually only a few seconds. They were lucky, an underground pool of water broke their fall. Az has a slight sense of where they were, but couldn't be sure as to exactly where that was. She has the slight impression of a glowing green light and plants, then lost consciousness again.

Tirana Ki looked around. "Where are we?" she asked. Then she noticed that the fallen raptor, whom she assumed to be Azonthus, had returned to an unconscious state.

Peacegiver thought he knew a back entrance, one that would let them go around the Allos and let them collect those stones which they had not been able to destroy yet. It would be a great risk as although it was their best bet, if they were not quick enough they could be trapped right in their path.

"There seems to be no other way of saving the stones and Tree town. Who agrees that we should try this?" Alkazra asked.

Kara paced up and down the length of Atero's room.

"Stop it, you're making me ill again!"

"I'm sorry Atero, it's just that I'm so worried. If it wasn't bad enough with Kaz, Cyrrus, and the others being lost in the Basin, Tirana, Story, and Shada could get lost too. Now C'xoila's siblings have gone running off to find their brother and everyone apart from me is either very sick or healing slowly!"

"I thought you said that Triforce went with Tirana?"

"She did."

"Well then, they won't get lost. Triforce will remember the way she came, and I bet in a few days time, we'll see everyone arriving back here all safe and sound…… where's my medicine?"

"Here. I guess you're right, but Mirajai's getting restless too, all cooped up in the rookery, and without Kaz. I hope you're right."

"Don't worry, I am."

Kara was right to be worried about Mirajai. His wound was not the real problem anymore, but he felt isolated. Unable to fly and without the one person who really understood him, depression was beginning to set in and that was hampering his healing.

Everyone had heard the voices, and everyone was on edge. Rounding the bend, C'xoila was greeted with a familiar sight. Three familiar sights, actually.

"C'xoila!" his siblings screamed. They ran up to hug him.

Cyrrus smiled at the newcomers. "Talk about family resemblance!" She walked up to the oldest of C'xoila's sibs. "How did you guys get here?"

As way of an explanation, Sashaa just pointed up at the ceiling. Only then did they notice the hole in the ceiling. She went on, "We have to get Azonthus some help!"

"Azonthus here?" C'xoila asked.

"Yes," Tamith answered from her kneeling position beside the ill raptor. "But she doesn't look like she's in very good shape."

The raptor was still lying on the ground, barely conscious.

Story edged over to Quickstride. "Who are these people you are with?" he asked.

"They're all friends," she said. "What are you and those others doing here?"

"We came to rescue you. Now come, we must start back to civilization."

"Everyone listen up," C'xoila took the lead. " Me think we should take some flowers and get out. Back to Treetown."

Walking up to Tamith and Triforce, who were delighted to be together again, Kaz asked, "Is Treetown where you left Mirajai then? I've been so worried about him. How's he doing?"

Triforce explained the situation through Tamith and Kaz was pleased to hear that Kara was with him.

"If anyone can make him well again, it's her. Now, are we going to move or not?"

"But what about the semi-Allosaurs?" Cyrrus asked. "If we just take some plants and leave, what will happen to the remaining plants? Won't they be destroyed? We can't let that happen!"

"We'll have to worry about that when they get there," said Quickstride. "Come on. The Anthroceratops should tend to Azonthus, because they are immune to the sickness. We don't need anyone else coming down with it when we still have to get those flowers from the bad semi-allos." And so the party set off once again to find some more of the flowers. They were an odd assortment consisting of seven ghosts scouting ahead, followed by Peacegiver leading the good semi-allos, Tirana Ki and Shada, the Lian, Quickstride and Story, C'xoila and his siblings, Cyrrus and Alkazra, Tamith and Triforce, and bring up the rear wan an Anthroceratops' carrying Azonthus.

They rounded a bend in the path. The green glow was getting brighter now and the air cooler. Rounding the last bend, the group was amazed by what they saw. Even in their wildest dreams had then seen anything so beautiful.

In the center of each green-leafed flower was a green gemstone, which seemed to almost give off its own light. The plants seemed to be all arranged in a symmetrical pattern around the room. A few of the group members reached out to touch the center of the flowers.

"Don't touch!" Swiftclaw quickly warned them. "I'm sorry to sound stern, but they must be picked with the petals intact or they and the picker may be harmed. They will then need to be mixed with special herbs before they can be safely administered."

"First we should pick some of the flowers to take to Tree town. Then we'll decide what to do with the rest," Lian said.

C'xoila looked uncertainly at all the emerald sunstone plants and said, "Is one problem. How we get OUT?"

"We could make a rope out of a vine and lift ourselves out that hole," suggested Lian. "But one problem at a time."

When they picked what they estimated to be enough to take to Tree town, there remained two questions: Who was going to take then to Treetown and how, and what they were going to do with the rest of the flowers.

"I think we have one other problem," added Quickstride, eyeing a nearby vine. "Vines will work for smaller creatures like us, but how will we get Triforce out?"

Tamith smiled sheepishly and looked at her much larger ceratopsian friend. "Good question, but don't worry, we'll figure something out."

Her attention then returned to the glowing flowers. "I'm good with plants. I think I know a place where they can grow freely like in here. I need to know how to pick them though and any other relevant information about them."

Azonthus returned to consciousness in a garden of beauty; she then realized she felt somewhat better. Perhaps the aroma of the flowers gave out helped improve the illness.

Her head throbbing, Az looked around. She felt much better, but was still sick. Something had to be wrong with her vision, she could swear that she saw some transparent Struthies and that C'xoila was glowing! Shaking her head, Azonthus tried to clear away the fog.

"Hey!" Tamith exclaimed, "Az is awake!"

"Yah, I think I'm better," Az croaked. "But does anyone have something to drink?"

Pulling a collapsible container out of his backpack, C'xoila ran towards a nearby stream. He filled it, and set it by his friend. He also pulled out a cat sandwich and handed it to her.

The look Story shot C'xoila as this transaction occurred was pure poison.

"Ummm…. C'xoila? Be careful with the sandwiches from now on," whispered Cyrrus, eyeing the saber-tooth carefully. "Remember, we have a feline among our ranks now.

Discreetly putting the sandwich back, he laughed nervously. "He he he. Nice kitty!" He pulled out a fish instead and gave it to Azonthus. He also threw one to Story, and then ran behind Quickstride. "Y-y-you not think he eat C'xoila, right?"

Story accepted the peace offering and ate it.

Quickstride laughed. "I think you're safe for now," she said. "Story doesn't like the taste of saurian that much, anyway."

From behind the wall came a roar, sounding a little closer than before. "Let's hope the same's true for them," she said, coming back to reality. "We'd better hurry and get some flowers while we can."

Once Swiftclaw had shown everyone how to pick the flowers Tamith stored the half she was to take safely in Triforces pack. The rest of the group stored the others in their smaller pouches and looked around for what to do next.

Kaz said, "What we may have to do is this: those that can, go through the roof while a few others stay with Triforce and find a place down here that will be safe enough to transplant the flowers to. If that is the best we can do, then I don't mind staying down here with Tamith and Triforce and the semi-saurians. What does everyone think?"

"Good idea," Lian agreed. "Now, who's going to Tree town, and who's staying down her?"

C'xoila looked at his siblings and said, "You guys got go to Tree town. It not safe for you here."

All three shook their heads. The oldest replied, "We're not leaving without you."

Hearing a roaring off in the distance, C'xoila became worried. Not for himself, because the arrows didn't hurt him, but for his siblings. "Listen, you got go back to surface. It juss not safe for you here. You go to Tree town, bring cure."

Looking down, Sashaa said, "No."

"What is you say?" C'xoila asked.

"No," Sashaa replied. "We're not leaving without you, C'xoila."

Another roar cut through the air and C'xoila looked away. Cyrrus approached, her limp growing noticeably worse. "Don't worry about him. Ouch!" she said with a pained smile. "But you should listen to your brother. You should go back up to the surface." Al three just shook their heads.

"Me mean all three siblings," C'xoila said.

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