The Reluctant Goodbye
Desperate sobs escaped from the young sharptooth’s lips as he struggled to run as fast as his legs could only carry him. He could see the fastbiter gaining on him by the second and no matter how bad he tried to lose his chaser, Chomper knew it was only a matter of time before he’d lose the most important struggle of his life. As a final effort to wait for a miracle, he turned towards a narrow, shaded gorge to his left, hoping it would somehow save him from this most grisly of fates.
However, those hopes soon turned into a complete disappointment as he saw a massive shade before him in the distance, the boy knowing it could be little else than another wall that would finally cut his chase for good. But even now, he’d strive to exhaust the last of his hopes and he ran all the way until the vertical cliff prevented him from taking another step. With a horrified gasp, Chomper turned around and saw that the fastbiter would reach him within a few, fleeting seconds, soon to sink his claws into his chest and throat. With a horrified whimper, Chomper raised his hands to cover his eyes, not willing to see the last moments of his short life. The sharptooth shuddered terribly, hoping this would be all over soon.
Mommy… daddy… Why couldn’t I stay just where you told me to? I… I only wanted to see if I could help you and now… now…
Any moment, he expected the final searing pain to engulf him but just as he expected the fastbiter to reach him, he heard a sickening crunch on his left instead. Immediately, he opened his eyes and he was immediately gasped in shock at the sight. The fastbiter lied before him, his body completely crushed by a powerful hit against the cliff. Before he could even begin to contemplate what had just happened, he heard a voice speak to him, a voice he had already feared he would never hear again.
“Are… are you alright, Chomper? Thank goodness I could get here in time…” A male voice said in clear relief. Chomper’s horror started to slowly wear off as he saw the fastbiter would never rise from his resting place again. He took a deep smile and walked towards the other sharptooth, the joy of the moment glittering in his eyes.
“I am, daddy. I already thought I wouldn’t make it… I’m sorry I caused so much trouble again.” The young sharptooth said, remembering full well this whole incident had been his fault. Dein crossed his arms as he answered as he prepared to address his son for his carelessness.
“As you should. Don’t you realize that none of us can afford to make mistakes until that cursed Red Claw has finally been wiped away from these lands? He and his minions won’t rest until we and all who stand against him are dead!” The older male said, his normal, more decisive expression returning quickly. Chomper’s face fell slightly as he hated that he had brought his parents so much worry in the past weeks. Maybe his parents didn’t need his help after…
“Dein, is Chomper with you? Please tell me he is!” Another voice suddenly called from the opening of the gorge. The gorge’s shadows hid the younger sharptooth completely from the female but his call soon calmed his mother down.
“I’m okay, thanks to daddy! He got rid of the fastbiter like he was nothing more than a crawler!” He cried happily as Terri walked closer to her mate and son. She soon stopped besides the larger male who answered to Chomper’s compliment.
“I got him at the last possible moment, dear. I don’t want to think about what would have happened if I had been only a few seconds later.” The dark-green sharptooth said as the sight of his son filled his vision. He continued to speak to the child after a brief pause.
“Chomper, this isn’t the first time we’ve had to save you from those damned fastbiters. It isn’t really your fault but we cannot always be there to protect you if Red Claw continues to order these attacks.” He said, something in his voice causing deep worry within the young predator. He had been in trouble before, true, but never before had his parents told him that they wouldn’t save him from all the dangers of the world. What could his father mean with his words? Terri took a brief breath as she glanced at her mate, realizing full well what he was speaking about. Chomper stared eyes wide as she whispered something to Dein who responded in kind. The young sharptooth looked at his parents, feeling sick inside by their worried and saddened looks. He could tell already that his parents had discussed whatever they were speaking of now before. After a short while, he could wait no longer and interrupted the duo’s conversation.
“But… but you’ve always protected me from whatever has attacked us before. Please, tell me what you meant with that, daddy.” Chomper said, cocking his head in slight fear. His parents turned immediately to look at their son and their grave expressions bothered Chomper greatly. Soon, Dein took one step forward and bowed towards his only son.
“Chomper… we’ll tell you all about this back at our sleeping spot. It’ll be much more comfortable out there than in this dark gorge.” He said as he tried to come up with additional ways to make this announcement easier for the whole family. Chomper frowned before answering to his father.
“Oh… okay. I guess so.” He said before heading after his parents, noticing how both of them did their best to remember this exact place as it wasn’t every day that Red Claw’s minions offered themselves this readily as dinner. The fastbiter would make a fine meal once this issue was dealt with.
The rumbling of water could be heard in the distance as the sight of the small thicket came to Chomper’s view. A small waterfall could be far to his left and the roaring river allowed this small oasis of green to thrive in the middle of the wastes of the Mysterious Beyond. During their weeks here, Chomper had learned to love it almost as much as his old island. A wave of homesickness waved over him as he thought about his original home but it couldn’t be helped that food had slowly ran scarce out there for three sharpteeth. At first, he had been fearful to live in the outside world but this place had enabled him to accept the loss of his first home.
Chomper’s eyes followed fearfully as his parents cleared their way through the small forest to stop on a small, drier clearing just by the river which the predators had used as their sleeping place ever since their arrival here. It was largely sheltered from potential threats as the thicket blocked the wind from carrying their scent any further to that direction. Dein and Terri stopped just before their feet touched the raging waters, knowing that the time for explaining the situation had come. Terri cleared her throat, doing her best to sound firm in the face of what was to come as she knew this was the only way to move forward. She exchanged a brief glance with her mate before she began to speak.
“Chomper… we have made an extremely important decision for all of us. Today’s attack proved Red Claw’s threat has far too big as even we barely could hold back even his minions. It was a true miracle that you lived through all it and neither I nor your father are ready to hope for a miracle every time that bastard or his pathetic allies attempt to wipe out his competitors.” Terri’s voice dipped with rage at the other sharptooth, barely able to wait until she could get rid of him once and for all. Ever since the small family’s departure from the island, that bastard had tried to force her and her mate to bow to him like many other sharpteeth had done but the two would never cede their pride and territories to some upstart. Sadly, there were few potential allies who weren’t afraid of the ferocious sharptooth. In fact, only one group of fastrunners had proven to be trustworthy thus far. Chomper’s mind raced as he tried to explain to himself what he was hearing.
“B… but what can we do about it? I mean… I can’t just disappear when the bad sharpteeth come here, can I?” He stuttered, not willing to comprehend what his parents implied. Ever since his departure from the Valley, the three had been together so why couldn’t his parents keep him safe now? Terri took a brief smile at her son’s innocent question and wasted no time answering in a voice that was unusually kind for the massive beast.
“Of course you cannot, Chomper. But you can be somewhere where you’ll never have to face those cowards again.” She said, allowing her mate to continue explaining the situation for Chomper.
“We cannot hold anything back if we’re going to take Red Claw down eventually and for that, we need more allies. We cannot look after you if we’re going to give our all to win this struggle and because of that, Detras’ family will look after you while we’re gone.” He said, finally revealing his plan. Chomper’s eyes opened wide as he heard those words, his breathing growing more intense as he took a few steps back. Was his father serious? Was he really going to send him away? But… but they were a family, weren’t they? How could he even consider giving him away to some moron called Detras?
“B…but they cannot do that! You have looked after me all my life and can’t just leave me with some unknown jerk I’ve never heard about! You cannot!” Chomper cried, not willing to believe what he was hearing. Unconsciously, he began to take a few steps back as if to run away from the inevitable even if he knew it was all for nothing. Dein frowned as he saw his son’s hesitancy but he tried one last time to reason with him.
“We’ll make sure you’ll be safe with them, Chomper! You know this is the only…” He said before his son interrupted him with another shocked wail.
“It isn’t the only way! I’ll be much safer with you than anyone else! I’m not going to…” Chomper started to say before Terri finally decided she had had enough. She regretted seeing her only child like this but as far too often in the past, Chomper acted too fearfully and didn’t show the courage that was expected from him. The female would have wanted to conclude this speech otherwise but there was no other way. Now was one of those moments when she’d have to draw the line for Chomper’s disobedience.
“That’s enough, Chomper! It’s high time you realized that all our lives, we have always done the best thing for you but too many times, whether we tried to teach you to hunt or fight, you have stood against us or accused us for trying to make you learn how to be a sharptooth! In times like these, each of us has to do what he has to in order to survive and we’re going to risk our lives to make sure we can live without fear from that cursed Red Claw! And if we’re doing that, I’m not going to listen to any whining about you staying with some fastrunners for a while! You’re going there and that is final! Is that clear?” Terri finished with a clear growl, almost forcing Chomper against a nearby tree with her snout. The image of Chomper’s horrified face were mirrored within his mother’s eyes but Terri knew she couldn’t let her own emotions stop her from showing Chomper what was right. Later in his life, his son would be forced to show his own strength and decisiveness against any competitors and if he didn’t begin to learn those qualities soon, he wouldn’t survive for long in the cruel world of the sharpteeth.
Chomper himself stood completely still, his forced breathing being the only movement in his body. Never before had his mother spoken to him like this, accusing him of practically being a burden on his parents. The enraged look in the older sharptooth’s eyes horrified the boy without an end but the heartfelt concern that he could also sense made him realize Terri wasn’t completely wrong. Chomper slowly forced his gaze to the ground as he no longer could look the dinosaurs who had done so much for him in the eyes. His first hunt had been something his parents had practically forced him through even if he had later accepted that it was to simply become part of his, a sharptooth’s, life. When they had tried to teach him to meet another sharptooth of his age and to forge at least some bond of respect with him, he had forgotten all their advice and in the end, he had humiliated himself and his family with his cowardice. A few tears appeared on Chomper’s face as he realized how many times he had made his whole family’s life harder because of his own weaknesses and hesitancies to be what he had to be.
Maybe… maybe they want to sent me away so they never have to see me fail them… Do… do they really hate me that badly?
Chomper’s thoughts briefly took a darker turn but those sentiments were soon wiped away as he looked at his parents again. Their stern faces and revealed teeth would have horrified any leaf eater beyond any comprehension but Chomper had learned to see beyond that. There was no disdain in their eyes, only compassion and worry hidden deep behind the murderous face of a predator. Something inside Chomper changed that moment even if his voice wavered on the verge of tears as he finally gave the only answer he could in a situation like this.
“It… it is, mommy. If you save us from the Red Claw, I have to do what I can to help you. No matter how much it hurts.” He whispered the last sentence as he crossed his arms in resignation. His heart wasn’t completely in his words but both of his parents were seemingly relieved by their son’s acceptance of the inevitable. Dein moved beside his mate and then addressed his son, the earlier anger suddenly disappearing from his tone.
“As must every sharptooth. I’m proud that you are willing to take this step. Even if your mother helped quite a bit.” The older male smirked a bit to which his mate cast a quick smile. Terri herself was glad her trick had worked but she hated to see Chomper this beaten, acting like this day would be his last. She’d have to make the final moment of parting as easy as possible but for now, she’d stay firm and to make Chomper fully and finally accept that he’d soon have to live without his parents’ guidance. She took a softer tone which still retained her earlier decisiveness as she spoke.
“Detras and his family live in a place called Hanging Rock which is about two days’ journey from here. We have to start our journey there immediately if we want to be safe from Red Claw’s tricks. The less time we give him to come up with his next plot, the better.” She said, earning a somewhat alarmed look from Chomper which nevertheless died down almost instantly. If he had to give up his second home and only family, it mattered little whether he’d do it now or tomorrow. He took one, mournful sigh as he raised his head to face his parents.
“Very well. I guess this as good time as any. I never felt as home as there as I did in our island, anyway.” He said, trying to tell himself that he wasn’t forced to give up anything of worth. His parents exchanged one glance before heading off. Chomper followed them as bravely as he could but he still turned to take one, last look at the small oasis of green which he had learned to call his home on some of the most difficult times of his life.
The night’s shadows had fallen hours ago but that mattered little for Dein as his eyes penetrated the darkness which would have rendered a leaf eater practically blind. Even then, the numerous stones and cracks in the ground forced the sharptooth to slow down a bit as he headed towards one of the paths leading into the maze of hills surrounding the majestic Hanging Rock. Dein smirked as he thought how easily the journey here had gone in the end as he had certainly feared that Red Claw could attack him and his family before they’d reach the Hanging Rock. He would have wanted to get Chomper safe before the night but the boy had been completely exhausted after the two days’ long walks and besides, the fastrunners wouldn’t probably have taken kindly to the sharpteeth simply marching to their territory. In the end, Dein had known that it would be his job to get Detras to agree with his proposal, no matter what.
After a short while, the path got a bit easier to tread and to his relief, the shadow of Hanging Rock rose before his eyes. Almost instantly, he released a low, commanding roar which lacked any kind of threat. He knew his ally would hear it and no fastrunner would ever dare to ignore a sharptooth’s call. He knew Detras would be unlikely to approve of his proposition but a slight smile rose to Dein’s face as he thought about how very little there was that Detras could do to deny him. Such was the role of a halftooth who wished to survive in this world.
It wasn’t long before Dein’s eyes caught the image of a small dinosaur running down the path to the top of the Hanging Rock and the light-blue plumage and high crest confirmed the newcomer’s identity almost immediately. Dein waited patiently until the omnivore stopped before him, panting slightly. A slightly concerned look could be read from Detras’ face as he spoke to his ally.
“What are you doing here at this time, Dein? You woke up my whole family!” He said, trying to put on a rather brave face as usual. He was deeply bothered by Dein’s arrival as while the sharptooth thus far had been true to his word, he was also extremely arrogant and he seemed to think like he was simply the sharptooth’s to command which was something Detras heartily disliked. When Dein spoke, however, Detras’ fears only grew worse.
“I wouldn’t care less about that, Detras. Not after everything Red Claw have put me, Terri and Chomper through!” He said matter-of-factly, willing to signal to the fastrunner that his woes were of very little importance. Detras cringed slightly at his worries only grew worse by the second. If there had been any new developments concerning the sharptooth, it would very easily be a danger for Detras himself too. He cocked his head as he answered, willing to get to the bottom of what Dein wanted.
“He truly seems to have gotten far more arrogant lately as his minions have even attempted to attack us in the Hanging Rock. But what does that have to do with me or my family?” Detras said while he started to unconsciously stomp on the ground. It was clear he was extremely uncomfortable with his situation but he managed to keep the rest of his composure sufficiently calm. Dein frowned at Detras’ antics but decided to simply voice his proposition to his son’s soon-to-be caretaker.
“Right to the point as always, aren’t we, Detras? Well, I and mate are about to take the fight to Red Claw to stop his ambitions once and for all. But we cannot do that while we are concentrating on keeping Chomper safe. Red Claws’s minions almost got him a few days today and next time, they might just be able to murder a defenseless hatchling like him if they feel brave enough.” Dein gritted his teeth in rage before he finished his answer.
“I want you and your family to keep Chomper safe until that bastard is dead once and for all.” The sharptooth finally revealed his plan which immediately caused Detras’ eyes to open wide. How could the predator even suggest such a thing? Did he really think the fastrunners didn’t have better things to do than to oversee and get food for some sharptooth who would probably turn to be a threat for his hosts? And not to even mention the charge Dein was forcing on him… He knew full well what would happen if he failed to protect the boy from dangers in an increasingly dangerous environment. He snapped back at the larger dinosaur without even thinking as he knew already that Dein’s proposition would be a catastrophe for his family.
“Absolutely not, Dein! As I said, our own situation in the Hanging Rock is getting dangerous too with fastbiters already trying to find a way to the Hanging Rock! And it is hard enough to feed my own children! Chomper cannot stay here and that’s it!” Detras forced his voice to stay at a reasonably silent level but his mind screeched against the sharptooth’s proposition. Sure, he had been of great help against Red Claw’s minions before but he simply couldn’t come here to force him to look for a sharptooth as his own child! Dein growled at his answer immediately and lowered his head to look Detras in the eyes while he slowly took a step forward to force Detras backwards as he spoke.
“You dare to tell me you’re declining my request? Do you really think a cursed fastrunner like you has any right to stand against me after all we’ve done to save your sorry snouts from getting ripped apart by those more powerful than you? DO YOU?” Dein cried as he forced Detras against one of the numerous walls surrounding the Hanging Rock, making sure all the time the omnivore wouldn’t be able to escape even if he tried. Detras felt the cold grip of fear taking control of his heart as he looked at the sharptooth’s enraged eyes. In this moment, he hoped he had never met the larger dinosaur in his life but that couldn’t be helped now. The fastrunner nearly lost his courage as he looked at the sharptooth’s fuming eyes and revealed teeth but still, he managed to pull himself together and answer in an almost normal-sounding voice.
“This… this isn’t what we agreed on when we decided to unite our forces against Red Claw! For the sake of my family… I cannot take this charge! Please, Dein… listen to me this once!” Detras cried almost pleadingly as he tried to save the situation somehow. Yet, he knew his situation was desperate when Dein suddenly raised two of his claws and locked them around the omnivore’s neck, pinning him against the wall in a horrifying show of brute power. Dein seemed to disregard the other male’s words completely as he gave his answer.
“Perhaps I didn’t make it simple enough for you, halftooth. You will take care of Chomper until we return and if anything happens to him, or if he even has major complains when we return… you know what that’ll mean, don’t you Detras? In return, we won’t ask any more favors from you until you’ve seen this one to the end. Are we clear?” Dein said with a completely still face, waiting until Detras nearly choked between his claws before finally releasing the omnivore and allowing him to give his answer. The fastrunner fell to his knees at first, gasping for air for a few times before finally rising to his feet again. He could see that Dein was ready to go through his threats easily and that left him with very little choice. Still rubbing his aching throat, Detras finally gave his extremely reluctant and silent answer.
“We are, Dein. When will Chomper arrive here?” Detras said, willing to repay the sharptooth’s harsh antics in full but he knew more than well that he was in no position to stand against a two-footer alone and thus, he had to simply bow down before his “ally” if he didn’t want his children to grow up without their father. Dein answered soon with a far less commanding voice which even now didn’t leave any room for disagreement.
“We will bring him here when the Bright Circle rises to the sky. Wait for us in this place at that time and we will keep our part of this bargain. With any luck, we both can live without fear soon enough.” Dein said but his words hardly had the desired effect. Detras nearly hit back at his last sentence but decided against it at the last possible moment.
Maybe you will but we will never be safe as long as the damned sharpteeth act like they rule the world!
Detras’s mind fumed but he managed to keep his face rather natural. After a moment, he answered to his counterpart.
“Very well. We’ll be ready by then. May the Mighty Winds guide you on your coming quest.” Detras said, earning a brief nod of approval from Dein.
“You too, Detras. I’ll meet you again soon.” Dein said as he turned around, pleased that he had managed to get this meeting done this quickly. He had known from the beginning that Detras really couldn’t decline his request but he could have tried to argue about it further. Yet, it was clear that it would have led to nothing and that reminded the sharptooth the omnivore was no fool. Well, that meeting was now done but there was another thing that needed to be taken care of before the light of dawn…
Fearful gasps were the first things that Chomper heard as he woke up from his horrifying nightmare. As in the nights before, the fastbiters had surrounded him against a high cliff and just before they’d slice his throat open, the dead forms of his parents came to his sight, their spirits seemingly helping the attackers to end his life. That sleep story had now haunted him for the third time and every time it seemed to only grow longer and more vivid.
The boy raised his eyes at the Lesser Lights of the sky, remembering that today was the day when he’d part ways with his parents, perhaps for good. Why did this sickening thing have to happen? Ever since the departure from his beloved glade, his parents had seemed more distant and all the shadows of the world had seemed to grow longer by the day. In his sleep, he was haunted by his mind’s hidden horrors and awake, all his moments seemed to be spent on worrying and thinking about the happy days that would soon come to an end. He was already on the verge of tears when he heard a familiar voice near him.
“Awake already, are you Chomper. You sleep usually until much later.” The boy turned his head to look at his mother who was just waking up herself. Chomper looked at her glumly and took a deep sigh before he answered.
“How can I sleep when this will be our last day we’re together? I’ve tried to sleep but every time that same bad sleep story returns.” Chomper said in utter sadness, his beaten composure making him look miserable than he had been in ages. The older dinosaur looked at her son, compassion and concern overflowing from her eyes. Terri quickly rose to her feet and walked towards Chomper. She bowed deeply towards her son and nuzzled his cheek gently as she gave her answer.
“This won’t be the goodbye, my son. This day will only mark another day on your journey to becoming the sharptooth you need to be and I’m sure you’ll learn a lot from Detras’ family. Just give them an honest chance and I know you’ll do more than well even without us.” Terri said as she felt Chomper’s initial fears beginning to dissipate with his mother’s loving gesture. For the first time in days, a slight smile rose to the young predator’s mind as the memories of all his and his mother’s times together returned to his mind. She had nuzzled him countless times like this when he was just a hatchling but now, he welcomed his mother’s presence wholeheartedly. The boy waited until his mother finally pulled her snout away before answering.
“I hope so but… I know nothing of them! I’ve only got to know you and my old friends well and I don’t know anything of fastrunners! How… how can I do this?” He asked sadly to which the female could only answer one thing before changing the subject to a more pleasant one as she saw another familiar sharptooth arriving from a nearby woods.
“If you could stay friends with those leaf eaters, you’ll do just fine with a couple of fastrunners. I know it, Chomper. But now, I think your father has something I think you’ll like with him.” Terri said as she took a deep smile and nodded to the direction where Dein was coming from. At first, Chomper looked askingly at his mother but then attempted to turn his head to look at his father but just as he was turning around, he heard something fall to the ground just behind him. The young sharptooth jumped suddenly in shock from the sudden voice but soon calmed down when he saw what it was. It was the corpse of a young bellydragger, its ribcage completely crushed by a predator’s claws. Most dinosaurs would have found such a sight horrifying but Chomper’s face started to turn into a deep smile as his eyes turned to look at his father who towered over his kill.
“Is… is this for me, daddy? H…how?” He stuttered as he looked at the bellydragger, knowing just how difficult and dangerous they were to catch. The family had once found one recently deceased bellydragger on their original journey to the island and ever since then, Chomper had half-jokingly yearned to taste another one of these creatures whose taste the boy simply loved back then. Dein chuckled slightly as he covered a long bite on his side.
“It was far from easy and it took me hours to track and beat this one. But you deserve this much on a day like this. Eat as much as you want, Chomper, it’s all for you. But remember that there is still a short walk to the Hanging Rock later on.” He smirked as he saw Chomper practically attack into the creature’s abdomen and consuming whatever met his snout. It was only after a moment before he raised his head from the corpse to talk to his father.
“You’re the best, daddy! This is just as great as I remember! Thank you so much!” He cried as he prepared to take another bite from the bellydragger before he felt his mother’s claws carefully close around his snout and turn his blood-stained face to look at her.
“We both wished to make this day as easy as possible for you, my son. We just wanted to get you this bellydragger to show you just how much you mean to us. There is so much we would like to tell and teach you and you can bet that we wait just as eagerly our reunion as you do. You have my word of it.” She said while giving a long smile to Chomper while releasing his face slowly. Chomper seemed to be completely at a loss of words, not expecting his parents to speak to him like this. Not after the long days of silent wandering and the oppressive atmosphere hanging above the small family. But to see that feeling of loneliness and gloom drift away like this… Chomper could barely contain himself. He ran towards his mother, nearly tripping on a small rock in the ground as he couldn’t bring himself to bother about such things. A warm flame seemed to swell inside the young sharptooth as he looked at his mother.
“Thanks a lot, mommy. But I… I thought you saw me as a burden that had to be sent away. I… I guess I was wrong.” Chomper said as he crossed his arms behind his back as he heard his father bow towards him and whisper to his only son.
“You could never be a burden to us, Chomper. Never. No sharptooth your age could keep his ground against any adult fastbiter but one day, I promise to you that you’ll be able to beat a dozen of them on your own. As your mother said, we would have wanted to guide you on your path for many more seasons but think it this way: every day we live under the Bright Circle is a new opportunity that makes it possible for us to learn more about the world and to survive in it. Few of our kind have ever lived among the fastrunners and I advise you to use this time to learn more about your future allies and about their wisdoms.” Dein said before nodding to his mate. Terri stood to her mate’s side as she continued from her mate had left off.
“If you use that time wisely, it’ll be a great advantage to you in the Cold Times to come to know the omnivores better than any other sharptooth. You’ve already done that with the leaf eaters and I know you’ll do it again, Chomper. In due time, I’ll know you’ll make us all proud. Let us all do our best to make the dawn of that beautiful morning arrive as soon as possible. But until that day, know that you are the best child either of us could have hoped for.” Terri said as she exchanged glances with her mate. Chomper’s breathed deeply as he thought about those words, his parents never before speaking so highly of him. To hear them so genuinely and truthfully speak to him… Chomper coccid his head as a single
tear fell from the corner of his eye as he answered to his parents.
“I…I love you, mommy and daddy. Thank you so much for all you’ve done! I will miss both you so much.” He cried as both of the older sharpteeth moved to nuzzle him, hoping that this most happy of moments would never end. All his former grievances were swept away by the warmth of his parents’ love and the realization that it was he, nobody else, who would decided just how he would embrace his temporary home. Those thoughts were reinforced by both of his parents’ simultaneous answer.
“So will we, Chomper. So will we.”
The Bright Circle’s first light could be seen rising over the horizon far behind the western mountains as the small family of sharpteeth walked towards the Hanging Rock. Chomper smiled inwardly as he felt the newborn day’s welcoming light warm his back even if he didn’t need it to help him move forward. Chomper was completely overtaken by his emotions which only seemed to swell as he walked beside his beloved parents. The morning’s fears were swiped away and the young sharptooth was more than ready for any new challenges. He looked approvingly at his parents and knew that he owed them at least enough to give his all to finding his own path forward in life.
The young investigated his surroundings carefully, knowing that these cliffs and winding pathways would be his home for many seasons to come. He had never seen such a confusing area before but the sharptooth found the rugged, dry hills even beautiful despite their seemingly barren nature. Maybe there really were many things to be learned in this strange pl…
“Greetings, Detras! I’m glad you were here as agreed!” Chomper suddenly turned to look at his father and then in the direction he was looking at. Far in the distance, five fast runners stood clearly waiting for something, two of them being adults and three rather young children. A curious look rose to Chomper’s face as he thought about the last part: would the trio of kids be very different from him?
Detras, on the on the hand, was deep in very different thoughts than Chomper. Even after their discussion at night, Dein dared to greet him as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened? It took him all his willpower to stay calm but it helped him somewhat that at least his mate seemed to have an inkling about what had happened. He had ordered his family to stay inside the Hanging Rock during the meeting just in case something bad happened and they knew nothing for certain what had happened between him and Dein. Detras frowned deeply as he knew that Dein almost certainly wanted things to stay that way and the fact was that any sensible omnivore feared a sharptooth more than hated him. Detras took a deep sigh to calm himself down as he answered.
“Of course we did, Dein. Our kind prides itself with our loyalty towards our friends.” Friends, what a damn joke! Detras fought to keep his true thoughts at bay at least until the older sharpteeth were gone. He eyed Chomper seemingly in interest, not having actually met the boy ever before. He seemed surprisingly curious about his surroundings and he could sense no hostility within the young sharptooth. That realization made him at least a bit more relaxed. However, that moment was soon ended by Terri’s comment.
“Very well. We would prefer to get this over with briefly as every second we waste here, Red Claw has a chance to grow more dangerous. Chomper…” She ended, nodding at her son to make his move. The younger predator gulped somewhat, the fear returning to him when the moment of separation was at hand. For a fleeting moment, he even thought about declining to go over this but again, the trust his parents had put on him returned to his mind. He had no right to make things any harder for them or to humiliate them in front of his family’s only allies. Chomper frowned somewhat but he forced his legs to carry him forward, even if his heart told him otherwise. He stopped just in front of Detras while looking at his family as well. The two youngest fastrunners seemed to fear him which surprised the boy somewhat but he decided against letting that bother him yet. He took the most genuine smile he could and spoke to his new, temporary family.
“Uhh… Greetings, Mr. Fastrunner and the others! I’m happy to meet all of you!” Chomper suddenly realized himself how very awkward he must have sounded but it couldn’t be helped right now. He simply hoped that this moment would pass soon enough as the final goodbyes with his parents were still to be said. However, those thoughts were soon interrupted as he heard some silent laugh near him. He quickly moved to look at the source and noticed that it was the oldest of the three fastrunner children! However, Chomper soon noticed the adult female cast a murdering glance at her daughter and her chuckles ended immediately. Detras frowned somewhat but answered to Chomper as if nothing had happened.
“Simply call me Detras, Chomper. And I’m happy to finally meet you too for the first time. Your parents have already told me a lot about you. But I guess all of us should also introduce ourselves.” Detras nodded to his mate who stepped forward to speak to the sharptooth.
“Greetings, Chomper. My name is Pearl.” She said simply, trying to hide her inner fears away to the best of her ability. Chomper nodded at her briefly before turning at the younger female to Pearl’s left, the same one who had laughed at him a minute earlier.
“My name is Ruby and I’m really happy to meet you Chomper, really happy am I to meet you! But you should try to introduce yourself more naturally.” She said with a smile which Chomper couldn’t help but to return immediately. He answered to the fastrunner after a brief moment, estimating her to be six or even seven Cold Times older than he was.
“I’ll do my best, Ruby. But it’s great to meet you, too.” He said before he was cut short by the two young omnivores who still seemed more than wary of him.
“My… my name is Arial.” She stuttered slightly before fleeing further behind her brother’s back who didn’t seem any more confident than she was. The young male frowned at his sister before taking a step forward to speak to the newcomer.
“And I’m Orchid. I… uhh, hi!” He said before turning around to join his sister as quickly as possible. Chomper’s face fell at their reaction but in the end, he couldn’t blame them. The duo were even younger than the sharptooth was and their apparent fear made Chomper feel more than uncomfortable. He had tried to introduce himself as naturally as possible but apparently it would take far more work to ever shed the fastrunners’ fears completely. Suddenly, he heard his father starting to take a few steps forward to address the halfteeth in a voice that resembled a mix of respect and threat. The three younger fastrunners sought quickly cover but Detras and Pearl stood still, knowing that there was nothing to fear from the sharpteeth right now.
“Now that that’s done with, I advise you to remember your charge night and day. If you complete this task well enough, you’ll get our eternal protection and gratitude. But should you fail in any way… well, I don’t need to tell you about it. We know you two are cunning and clever enough to keep Chomper safe. You have our complete trust.” Dein spoke to the two adults whose eyes widened clearly after his last words. They knew the sharpteeth had put a lot of faith in them which was no small feat to be earned from a predator. Somewhere within the back of his mind, Detras started to even harbor hopeful thoughts of a safe and happy future for all members of his family. He bowed to Dein deeply as he answered.
“Thank you, Dein. We understand completely and we’ll do our best to earn this honor you have put upon our family. No matter what, each of us will defend Chomper with our life. You may put all your thoughts into getting rid of that monster.” He said, earning a quick nod from both Dein and Terri. The latter then bowed towards Chomper to speak her last words. It wouldn’t do to show too much softness in front of the fastrunners, though, so she kept her words brief.
“Well, Chomper, stay safe. We will see each other sooner than any of us even realize it. Trust me.” She said while putting a slight smile to her distraught son. The young blue-colored predator quickly walked towards her to give his answer, his face clearly holding back his tears as he answered.
“I know, mommy. But make sure that Red Claw won’t hurt either one of you.” He said briefly, his voice wavering clearly. Dein moved besides him and spoke to his son silently.
“We will do our best to prevent it. But we must be on our way now, Chomper. Remember the things we told you and it’ll go just fine. Farewell for now, my son.” He said while rising to his full height again. Chomper closed his eyes again before saying his final words to his parents before they’d be on our way.
“Daddy… mommy… Have a safe journey.” Those words were all he managed to form before his mind was completely by the fresh tears started to flow from the boy’s eyes into the dry earth. Only now did he realize how much this moment would actually hurt and when he raised his gaze from the ground, he saw his parents give their final nod of gratitude and agreement. After that, they turned around and headed towards the main pass out of the Hanging Rock. As he looked at his parents receding backs, he could feel his tears starting to drop to the ground, wondering if he’d ever see them again. Suddenly, he felt so very alone and no matter what he did, he felt like he couldn’t take one step to any direction, all his power spent on weathering the horrifying sorrow.
After a long while which felt like an eternity to the grief-stricken boy, he heard a somewhat worried voice behind himself, finally releasing at least a part of Chomper’s mind from its self-built prison.
“It’ll pass eventually, Chomper. It always does. But wouldn’t you want to get to know the Hanging Rock and us better, now that you have the chance?” Pearl asked, not willing to see even a sharptooth in such a state. Chomper took a deep breath as he prepared to turn around, suddenly remembering his parents’ words. He couldn’t come even close to hiding his pain but at least he could try to move forward with his life as his parents had wanted him to. He waited for many seconds before he finally turned around to face the fastrunner.
“They will come back one day, won’t they?” Was all he managed to say with teary eyes. Pearl returned the mournful look but she tried to mix it with a flicker of hope. After a few seconds, she spoke to the sharptooth.
“They most certainly will, Chomper. They love you far too much to make this the last time you meet.” She said, expecting some kind of look of resignation from Chomper but instead, another voice joined the conversation.
“Besides, there are too many things to do here to even think about such things, Chomper. I’m sure you’ll enjoy your time with us, sure of it I am.” Ruby said cheerfully, moving closer to Chomper than her mother had, smiling understandingly. Chomper frowned at the fastrunner at first but as he looked at her, there was something that… encouraged the young sharptooth. She didn’t seem like she was doing this merely because she had to but because she wanted to. Her antics created some comfort deep within Chomper and with a brief breath, he gave his answer.
“I hope so, Ruby. But it won’t get any easier if we just stand here, does it?” He said, a slight hint of expectation apparent in his voice. It wasn’t much but it was a change from the utter sadness he had shown earlier. Detras stepped forward and cleared his throat and spoke to Chomper.
“Then I propose we show you right away all the places you need to know. Come on, everyone!” Detras said, earning a chorus of approvals from his family while Chomper nodded with some eagerness. But as the others headed off, Chomper took one, last longing look into the canyon before him. After a short moment, he took one last, longing sigh before following his new caretakers to the joys and hardships of their first day together.
This is my response to the August prompt challenge and it is also my year’s last short story. I’ve had quite a good time writing them and rest assured, I will continue doing them when the challenge resumes in early 2019. I’m quite fond of this one myself as I found the premise a rather interesting one from the beginning and it’s a bit different from the highly dramatic, even tragic tales I’ve written lately. As usual, I use rhombus’ names for the canon characters as I’ve done in Separate Ways also. I consider this fic as some backstory for that tale but it works just as well on its own too. I’ll eagerly wait to hear what you think of this story and see you again next time!
