The Daughter of Dinosaurs
In the days when Titans ruled the Earth, and Monsters ruled the seas, there was the fierce and primeval land of Dinova, where the Dinosaur was king, and Man was the Beast. And there was Shira, of the Cycanian People. Eight years old and adorned with golden-sun hair and midnight-blue eyes, born to the great Neanderthal chieftain; Rokkr, and a mother she had never known. Between the Great Fern Sea and the Conifer Barrens, she lived. Her people: the Cycanians, were a proud and hardy tribe, and hunting was their way of life. Shira marvelled at the hero hunters of her tribe, and dreamed of one day becoming a strong and fearless warrior like them. Shira would often spend her time around the best hunters of the tribe, and revel in their prized kills and the stories they brought back with them, of the beasts they’ve hunted and the places they’ve seen. But her favourite stories came from her father. Shira’s father would tell her stories of an ancient race of warriors who came to their land from across the sea, thousands of years ago. These warriors heralded from the lost continent of Saurischia; and ancient empire ruled over by warriors who lived alongside Dinosaurs, while the less-advanced hominids of Dinova remained at war with Dinosaurs for centuries, under the Imperialistic rule of the Dinosaur Demi-God, Cartora Rex. Then, the greatest of the Saurischians: Sauron the Warrior, rallied his people, and led a conquest across the land, uniting Men and Dinosaurs under his banner, and together, they overthrew Cartora Rex, and built the greatest Empire of all time, with Sauron the Warrior ruling as the first emperor. But the days of peace and unity were shattered. The Saurischian Empire was divided between two half-brothers, who each wanted to rule the empire for himself, and the realm fell into chaos. Sensing the weakness of the Empire, a young Dinosaur rose up in revolt, and incited a Dinosaur Rebellion, bringing the once great Empire to it’s knees. Now the line of Sauron is broken, and the Saurischians are scattered and divided across the wilderness, and the races of men and Dinosaurs are at war once again. The story of how Humans and Dinosaurs were now shedding each other’s blood after living in peace for so long broke Shira’s heart. She wished things were different. It was because of the threat of Predatory Dinosaurs living in the jungles that surrounded her village, that Shira’s father never allowed her to wander into the forest on her own. Shira had never seen a Dinosaur before. -At least one that wasn’t brought back to the village, dead. Her father never told her what kinds of Dinosaurs lived beyond the boundaries of her village refuge. So badly did she want to venture out into the world and see all the strange and wonderful creatures that inhabited her primeval world. But she knew that in disobeying her father would result in a whooping. -And her father had a strong hand. So, she simply did as her father said, and remained in the village, and played with the other children to take her mind off of Dinosaurs. ----- It was the darkest hour of night, when Shira woke up to the sounds of the battle-cries of warriors, and the frantic screaming of women and children. Shira was still safe in her hut, but when she looked over her shoulder, her father wasn’t there with her. Shira arose from her bed and darted outside the secluded safety of her hut to find chaos in all directions about her. The warrior tribesmen were in a frenzied battle rage, and the mothers clutched their children in the arms, fleeing from a perpetrator that Shira had yet to behold. She followed the direction of the charging warriors, only to be halted in her pursuit by a nightmarish roar; this scream of a monstrous predator that chilled her to the bone. The sound of giant thundering feet came nearer to Shira’s position, who was now parallelized with terror. Through the gap between the huts, Shira could make out the shape of a great beast thundering towards her with terrific speed. Her heart sank into her stomach as she awaited her oncoming doom, only to be shoved aside by the great bulk of her father. The impact of her father’s arm struck against Shira’s temple, flinging her off her feet and causing her to cave in a ruined hut, leaving her unconscious, sparing the poor girl the sight of the gruesome fate that became of her father. ----- Shira awoke to dead silence. Still hidden underneath the rubbish of the caved-in hut, she could not remember the events that had just unfolded. Her memory was blurred, and her head was hurting. After a moment, Shira recognized her position, and crawled out from her sanctum into a dead and ruined village. Scattered everywhere, were mangled and dismembered bodies of Cycanian Neanderthals. Warriors, women, and even children. Among the dead, Shira observed the huge, three-toed footprints embedded in the earth, and alongside them, was a trail of blood. Shira tread with caution, as she followed the tracks and blood-trail. Shira’s heart pounded faster with every step, as the blood-trail became more and more expansive, turning from drops into splatters. Shira lifted her gaze up from the ground to see a familiar body, laying on the ground, just 40 feet away from her. Shira gasped as she darted forward. Her heart shattered as she laid her horrified eyes on the dead and torn body of her father. Shira fell to her knees at her father’s side. Tears poured from her eyes, as she rested her head on her father’s bloodied chest, and cried. She wept like she never had before. The pain at the loss of her beloved papa was unbearable. She sobbed so hard that she choked in between, barley catching her breathe. The poor child was so focused on her father, that she almost failed to notice the presence of a large creature creeping up behind her. Shira ceased her cries, as she heard the deep, and rumbling raspy breathing at her back. She turned to see a huge, and hideous predatory Dinosaur looking down at her with one blazing red eye, and one dead-silver eye, decorated with a massive scar running down the side of the animal’s face. It’s toothy mouth was smeared with blood, as it’s long, reptilian tongue licked it’s long, sabre-like fangs. The monster was a pale white, with the top of it’s head (and huge bull-like horns on each side) a reddish-violet. Shira stared in horror as the Dinosaur’s lips formed a sinister grin and slowly began opening it’s massive maw, emitting a blood-curdling hiss. Shira screamed as if her heart was going to burst out through her throat and made a mad dash for the trees of the Conifer Barrens. ----- Delphina: The mother Demityrannus, was making her way back to her nest after another successful hunt, with a belly full of Hadrosaur meat to take back home to her offspring, before she and her mate could go back out, having the rest of the kill for themselves. That’s when she heard it. A distant, yet sharp sound. -The sound of screaming distress. It was that of a human child, but to Delphina, she could easily understand it. There was a defenceless youngster out there, and it needed the protection of an adult. Delphina’s maternal instincts kicked into overdrive. She abandoned her original purpose, and set herself on a new mission to find and protect this human child. Delphina sprinted through the forest with great speed, covering great distance. The further and further she delved into the trees, the screams of the child became greater. And alongside them, came the roars of an all-too familiar nemesis. It was Sabre White-jaw: The great Man-Eating Carnotaur. Yes, he was out on his sick and sadistic venture again. The one of killing humans for shear pleasure rather than food. Now he was after a child. The fact of this fuelled Delphina’s adrenaline tenfold. She snorted and roared with rage and ran harder head-long into the jungle, as her beautiful emerald eyes turned to scorching fire. ------ The girl Shira ran madly and blind through the forest, -through the dimly-lit wood, barely seeing the ferns and elephant-ear leaves slapping against her face as she ran. Her heart pounded in her chest as loud and defining as the thundering footsteps of the great Carnotaur, closing in behind her. Shira dared not look over her shoulder. She kept her red and teary eyes ahead of her as she continued onward, as fast as her legs could propel her. Her breast was burning from the frantic panting she emitted and her throat was bone-dry. Between gasps and pants, she coughed and gagged. There was so much foliage in her face, that Shira failed to notice a slight drop in the forest floor until it was too late. She tumbled down into a crevice, rolling over on her head and shoulders until she stopped, laying on her side. Shira tried to rise, but the shearing pain in her ankle brought her back down to her hands and knees. She had sprained her ankle. Shira’s face turned pale as she witnessed the great white Dinosaur come into her view over the ledge of which she had just fallen. The monster’s red eye glared at the child with menacing glee. Having his prey within his grasp, with nowhere to run, the Carnotaur crouched on his massive and powerful hind-legs, his great talons gripping the ledge. Shira stared up in terror at the inevitable death before her. The same fate that had befallen her people, in becoming food for a creature that seemed to take pleasure in the killing of humans. Shira turned her eyes away from the Dinosaur, covering her head with her arms, and letting out one last desperate scream for help, as the Carnotaur bounded forward with jaws agape. -Only to be met in mid-air by the Mother Delphina, who caught the evil carnivore’s throat in her jaws as she leapt from the undergrowth. The forceful impact of the Demityrannus sent Sabre White-Jaw crashing to the ground. -His throat still clutched in Delphina’s jaws. Delphina thrashed Sabre around on the ground ferociously before lifting him off the forest floor and tossing him aside. Shira looked up to behold to her amazement the great violet-shaded Theropod that had come to her rescue. Sabre white-Jaw had regained his footing, shaking his head and bloodied neck. Delphina put herself between Sabre facing her, and Shira behind her. Though Sabre was a Titanmorph Carnotaur, as large as a Tyrannosaurus, Delphina was bigger, roughly between the size of a Giganotosaurus and Mapusaurus, though she was not of the Carcharodontosaurid branch. The two combating carnivores stared each other down, as Shira watched on, never uttering as sound as her anticipation prevented her from uttering a single breathe. Then, a speech came from her protector’s broad mouth that made Shira gasp. “This is not your land, Man-Eater. You are trespassing.” Delphina hissed angrily. “I hunt wherever I wish, female.” Sabre retorted back with a smug confidence. “You have no claim on anything, Nomad. You hold no rights to hunt in these forests. These are Demityrannai lands. These are our hunting grounds. If you wish to continue your killing-spree here, you will have to best our Alpha in combat. That is the law. -That is if you’re brave enough to face him...” At the mention of the Demityrannai Alpha, Sabre White-Jaw shrugged and stepped back in fear. As big and powerful as he was, he knew that he would stand no chance against the Alpha, or even a female as Delphina. Admitting his defeat, Sabre snorted with frustration and backed down, fleeing into the forest. At the retreat of her adversary, Delphina turned her attention to the little human girl, quivering behind her. Despite being two worlds apart, Delphina felt pity for the child, and her only thought was to care for her. Delphina lowered her face to Shira’s eye-level as she turned her massive bulk to face her. Shira’s lips quivered as she sniffled. “Hey, little kit. Are you okay?” Delphina asked. “Please, don’t eat me!”, Shira sobbed. She shut her eyes and cried. Delphina nuzzled her gently with the tip of her snout, purring deeply but softly. Shira began to feel an ease in her fear, knowing that this she-beast could well understand her, just as she could understand the words of the great beast of prey that had just saved her life. “Don’t be afraid, little one. I won’t eat you. I’m going to take care of you.” Delphin picked Shira up gently in her great jaws, as a mother lioness would do with her cub, and lumbered off into the depths of the forest, with the child clutched in her mouth. Shira felt no more terror after this. For her, it was as if she were in the warm arms of the mother she never had. Shira felt safe. She let herself sink into the embrace of Delphina’s scaly lips around her person, and in turn, embraced her saviour. ------- It was dusk, and the last golden orange rays of the setting sun seeped through the trees, casting shadows. Shira opened her eyes, upon realizing that she had dozed off in a sleep while still being carried in Delphina’s jaws. Delphina was approaching the upward slope of a trail embedded in the side of a cliff of black, volcanic rock. Shira’s midnight-blue eyes looked on as Delphina ascended up the trail, still carrying her. Up and up they went, and just rounding a bend, when Delphina was met by another member of her species: her mate, Cerbaero. The large male Dinosaur approached Delphina to welcome her back to their home when he laid his great golden eyes upon the human child that his mate was holding in her mouth. Cerbaero cocked his head, confused for a moment. “This isn’t-?” Cebaero was about to ask if this human was food for their offspring, when Delphina shook her head ‘no’. “I saved her from the Man-Eater. She knows our speech. She has no one to take care of her...” Cerbaero paused, and then shifted his gaze down at Shira, and his heart became overwhelmed with pity. “Bring her to the nest.” Delphina followed Cerbaero around the bend, and into a cave in the side of the black cliff. The cave was shallow, but deep enough to house a whole clan of Shira’s kind. From within the depths of the cavern came three young Dinosaurs, chattering eagerly for whatever food that their mother had brought them. “Sons! Settle down!”Cerbaero boomed in command, and the three youngsters ceased their excitement. Then Cerbaero spoke again, this time in a softer tone, “Your mother has brought someone for you to meet.” Delphina approached, and rested Shira down on the cave floor before the three brother Dinosaurs. The three sons eyed Shira was immense curiosity. Goliath, the Black, was the first to approach. He sniffed Shira’s face, then hair, and finally, the reptile-hide garment that adorned her person. “Mother, what’s this?” Delphina had just realized that she had not even asked the child’d name yet. “-Yes. What is your name, little kit?” Shira was hesitant at first, but finally, she spoke out her name. “...Shira. My name is Shira.” “I’m Goliath.” the black one said, “And these are my brothers: Cerxes (The Bronze), and Allazander (The Silver).” Then Shira gazed up at Delphina speaking, “I am Delphina, and this is my mate, Cerbaero. And you are now one of us. We are your new family, and you are our daughter.” Shira was overwhelmed with joy, but at the same time, she was also confused. “But... Why? Your kind and mine are enemies. Why would you take me in?” “Our pack is not part of that war. We have no quarrel with man, for our first ancestor, the King Tyran was brother-in-arms to the first Emperor of Dinova. And you speak and understand in our tongue, just as we understand you. You are no enemy to us. To us, you are our child.” Delphina said, nuzzling Shira’s cheek. “Goliath, my son. You and your brothers embrace Shira as your sister. Teach her our ways, and make her feel welcome in our pack.” “I will mother.” Delphina and Cerbaero smiled at their children, full of pride, as Goliath and his brothers embraced Shira in a warm group-hug of arms and tails. Delphina then hacked on her throat, regurgitating the meat of the Hadrosaur she had previously killed.At first, Shira shuddered with disgust, before Delphina inched the heap of meat closer to Shira. Shira looked up at Delphina in confusion, as the mother Dinosaur motioned her head, telling her that this was safe to eat. Shira hesitated at first, but slowly crawled her way towards the meat. She took a hunk of flesh in her hand, and slowly bit down on it. To her surprise, it tasted quite good. Shira was accustomed to raw meat, so this stuff was no strange thing to her anymore than her new mother had just thrown it up. Delphina then turned her gaze to the mouth of the cave, peering at the sun setting in the west. “Come Cerbaero. Night is falling. Let us return to our kill before the scavengers of the forest strip it of it’s meat.” Cerbaero looked down, and smiled warmly at Shira before following Delphina out of the cave. ------ Shira awoke, still half-asleep as Goliath nudging her. “Shira, wake up! The moon is at it’s peak. We have to go.” “Go where? It’s nighttime.” “We want to take you someplace special.” Cerxes said over Goliath’s shoulder. “But where?” “Follow us and you’ll see.” Allazander said. Shira steadily arose from her bed of leaves and followed her brothers out of the cave. She noticed that her new parents had not returned yet from their feast. “Won’t mother and father be angry if they find us gone?” “Don’t worry. They know we do this. -Every full moon.” Goliath replied. Shira continued following her brothers down the path, away from the cave. After descending for a good two hundred yards, the brothers broke off into another path that Shira hadn’t notice before, hidden in some ferns. Shira followed, keeping pace with her brother Dinosaurs, were knew well enough not to run too fast ahead of her. Finally, Shira followed them to the opening of a cave leading into a marvellous, glowing grotto, decorated with bio-luminescent fungi and plants. Even the corals and little fish in the pool that centred in the grotto was alive with glowing beauty. “Well, what do you think?” Goliath asked. “It’s like something out of a dream.” “This is our secret hide-out.” Cerxes explained, “We come here every night of the full moon. You see that opening up there?” he pointed to an opening in the ceiling of the cave where the full moon was visible, “When the moonlight shines through, the whole cave glows up.” Shira’s eyes teared up with joy, and she turned to her brothers. “Thank you. This is the kindest thing that anyone has ever done for me.” “Well, mother and father told us to make you feel welcome,” Allanzander said, including himself, “And Goliath thought that bringing you here was the best way to do that.” Shira looked at Goliath with happy tears running down her face, and she hugged him. Goliath embraced her back with his big, strong arms. “Welcome to our family, little sister.”
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