The Night's Destruction
Chapter 2 - The Great Valley
The great circle was high in the sky now and Talise was getting closer and closer to her destination. Among the sleep story questions that forever flew around in her head like a nest of enraged buzzers, was the thought of what the reaction of the leaf eaters was going to be. Surely they had never encountered a sharptooth like herself. It was a crazy idea to even believe that a sharptooth would give up their carnivorous ways and live amongst others besides her own type. Talise silently hoped that they wouldn't shun her away from the Great Valley. It was the only placed she dreamed to call her home. The mysterious beyond was no place for a reject sharptooth as herself.
'Think positively..be strong... for Paras..'
With another great sigh, Talise continued on. Making her way past a heavily forested area that was seemingly quiet. It was to quiet of an area that offered so much for sprouting life. Something must've scared or maybe even, killed everything off. Talise decided that it would be best to stick to the shadows of the trees. Hopefully it would hide her rather noticeable blue body for the time being. Atleast until she reached the outskirts of the Great Valley wall where it would be much safer to travel. Talise zigzagged through a patch of lush thick brush and past a beautiful blue pool. Even though the silence was very unsettling it was relieving to have some form of peace. Not like there was ever any peace in the Mysterious beyond. With the threat of a hungry sharptooth around the corner and unpredictable natural disasters it was hard to not be on your guard everywhere you went. However the peace couldn't last forever - could it?
As if on q, a loud roar broke the silence . It was then that Talise jumped into the cover of a nearby thicket, hiding amongst a pile of vegetation that smelt quite awful. She held her breath, not making a single sound. Footsteps echoed through the area, another muffled roar, then dead silence. Talise sat still in her place, tail wrapped tightly around her petrified body. Peaking her head out, she looked around. About three meters in front of her stood a massive male tyrannosaurus. He drank from the pool of water Talise had passed only moments ago. He was a darkened shade of purple, his eyes are deep copper, almost dark red. The rex looked by no means friendly, and it would be complete suicide if she were to make a dash for it. Sure she was a raptor, built for speed and agility. But Talise knew when she was over powered and that sharptooth ahead was a killing machine. Maybe he was the creature responsible for scaring everything off in these parts.
Talise looked anxiously back and forth between the rex, the obstacles in front of her, and the pathway leading up along as steep edge. Maybe if she waited it out then she might have a chance to make it to the Great Valley, a safe haven. But for how long the sharptooth would stay there was unknown. Talise planned on reaching the Great Valley before night fall. She dared not to spend another night in fear for her life in the Mysterious Beyond. It was now or never for Talise. Looking at the rex and back to the wooded area right across the opening. Talise could easily slip in the cover of the woods, using the trees as shields against the sharptooths blows.
"I'll regret this later on." She hissed to herself before plowing out of the bushes and right past the rex. It didn't take him long before he noticed the fast biter make a mad dash for the bushes. Powerful thuds followed behind Talise, fear quickening each of her strides. Fear for her life, fear of death, fear of pain, fear of the sharptooth itself. The rocky walls became larger and larger as she approached them. Her entire plan had changed its course mid chase. A narrow yet steep trail curved its way up to the top of the wall where a small ridge was. Plan B was to head up there and pray that the rex couldn't climb well. Talise dodged past an attempted snap by the rex. She could nearly its hot breath on her heals, damn was the thing fast.
'Please, please, please let me make it!'
The ledge was just within reach as the rex made another attempt at snapping her up in its jaws. Talise desperately scambled up the side, slipping half way down as the sharptooth was just within reach of her. Andrenaline surged through her system, seeming to give her just enough energy to climb up the ledge and onto sturdier ground. However he wasn't giving up that easy. Determination burned in the rex's red gaze. He lurched forward with his powerful back legs and lunged at the spot she was. Talise moved to the side, meeting his gaze with her own. It lasted only momentarily as he lashed out once again, this time slashing at her with his claws. They gashed her side, leaving two deep cuts running along her right leg. Blood trickled down the her side slowly, she was done for if another cut was made. But luck was on her side as she noticed the sharptooth was no longer there. He must've lost his grip when trying to grab at her from the tall ledge. Talise limped up higher until she was definitely out of harms way. Looking over her shoulder, he lay on the ground, staring her down evilly with a glare, raising up his lip to show a row of razor sharp teeth ready for her. Talise turned back around and cringed at the pain as she slowly reached the top. When she reached the top, she let out a relieved sigh and looked out over the valley. It was even more beautiful than she could have ever imagined. Lush green pastures, meadows, and bushland abound. Countless amounts of different leaf eaters peacefully mingled each other. Long flowing rivers and numerous watering holes dotted the scenery. Talise looked around for a way down, spotting a rather unsteady looking pathway towards the bottom. Eagerly she went on down, even knowing the risk of falling and injuring herself was pretty high. She dug her claws into the rocks, getting a firm grip on each of them.
"Made it!" Cheered the raptor to herself. Feeling a hint of self satisfaction that she had actually made it to the valley on her own. Yet, for some reason she didn't feel whole. The journey to the valley was finished but she hadn't done it with Paras. Remembering the moment and his last words tugged at her heart strings, why did he have to go. Was it just fate? Longing to see her father again, she looked up to the sky. Vibrant splashes of oranges, reds, yellows and even pinks streamed across the sky. Tonight if he was up there in the night sky, he would look down upon Talise without worry. Knowing that she was in a safe place. Breathing in deeply, Talise padded forward into the thick of a couple bushes. By this time, the dinos would be settling down in their nests, which at the time sounded like a good idea at the moment. Talise wandered the small grove for alittle until she found herself an abandoned nest. It looked like it had been vacant atleast a month. She pushed aside a couple old egg shells and rearranged it so that it would make a good bed. Afterward, she squatted down and looked over her scratches. They weren't bleeding as bad but they still stung badly. Hopefully no infections would settle in during the night.
"Sharptooth!" Screamed a voice. Talise nearly jumped up from the nest in shock. Sharpteeth in the great valley? She was the only one. Atleast from what she knew.
'On no!'
Two young triceratops circled the nest, they both looked no older than a few months. Possibly this was their old nest.
"Don't worry!," Shouted the smaller of the two. He was a burly little rascal with a yellowish tone in his skin. His underbelly very pale compared to the rest of his bright yellow body. His eyes a bright mossy green. ",The brave Trike is here to save the day!" Trike yelled, running in circles around the fast biter. Certainly a rambunctious little hatchling. Followed behind the young male was a much larger female three horn. Her complexion was a dark tone of grayish brown, her eyes a beautiful shade of oceanic blue. "Tia scared..." She murmured in a soft little voice. Talise wondered where the parents of these two hatchlings were. Lost in her train of though, she was buffeted in the side by Trike.
"Take that you mean sharptooth!"
"Stop that!"
Trike immediatley stopped in his tracks, eying up Talise.
"Did you just hear that?
"Tia heard her speak. Mhm.. she spoke alright!"
"But that's a sharptooth! They can't speak flattooth."
"If it wasn't possible then how could I be speaking to you to right this moment? Hm?" Talise got herself up. Trike jumped back and defensively got in front of Tia.
"Don't come near us you nasty ol' sharptooth!"
"I don't mean you any harm! Really."
"Tia's momma told us to never ever ever trust a sharptooth!"
"Listening to your mother is good but I honestly wouldn't ever hurt you."
"Right! When swimmers fly!"
Talise let out a sigh, and turned around. These two three horns weren't much help and arguing with them would just be a complete of good time she could be spending finding a level headed adult to converse with.
"Where are you goin sharptooth!"
"My name isn't sharptooth. Its Talise."
"Ta.. wah... uh... I'll just call you sharptooth. Kay?"
"Where you goin? Tia wants to know!"
"I'm trying to find an adult around here. Not a bunch of nonsensical hatchlings."
"Hey! We're not hatchlings! I've almost grown in my horns!"
"Those stubbles? heh.. Fine pair of horns there."
Trike frowned to himself and headbutted Talise again.
"We'll take you to our momma! But only if you promise to stop being such a meanie!"
"Now we're getting somewhere! You got a deal Trike."
"Good."
"You sure Trikey?"
"Well... if it stops her from being such a meanie."
(( Can you guess who that purple dinosaur is? and no... it's not barney o_o))