Petrie’s First TestThe two fliers flew in silence for a while, both of them keeping their words to themselves during the first part of the flight towards this herd Pterano had told Petrie about. The older flier looked at his nephew with a worried look as he simply couldn’t fathom all the horrors Petrie had gone through lately. What had happened in the Valley if all of the five children had been forced to leave and what had happened to the others? Even without knowing those answers, anger started to rise in Pterano’s mind as he thought about the reasons why Petrie had been forced into this situation in the first place. How could Volant have let Petrie leave the Valley like this? Why hadn’t she prevented the expulsion of her son or at the very least ensured that he was alright in the Mysterious Beyond? No matter what had happened in the Valley, Pterano couldn’t find a way to explain how this could have come to pass. When the two siblings would reunite in the future, it would be Pterano’s turn to question his sister.
Even then, for the moment, the most important thing was that the young flier was no longer alone. The mere thought of the flying sharpteeth chasing his poor nephew chilled the adult flier to the core as he realized that he would have most likely already died if it wasn’t for him. There would still be time to confront Petrie’s past but for now, the most pressing issue was to ensure his future. Pterano turned to look at the younger flier in concern and spoke in a soft voice.
“Petrie… there are some things you need to know about our herd if you’re going to get accepted.” The older flier said carefully. There were a few details that Petrie would have to remember when they’d meet the other fliers. Petrie looked at his uncle in clear unease and gulped before he answered.
“And what is that, uncle? Is there going to happen something bad?” The flier’s question was careful as he was still highly conflicted about all things that had happened. Finding his uncle here was an immense relief for him but he couldn’t shake of the past days from his mind in a moment. Petrie knew that they probably never would never leave his mind but perhaps his uncle and the other fliers could provide him with something to get over the nightmare that was his life at the moment. Pterano shook his head as he answered to his nephew’s logical question.
“No but there are some things you’d need to hide in order to avoid… startling the others. You see… they wouldn’t want to hear about your friends or the Valley. The herd is very traditional and many things the fliers do in your home wouldn’t be accepted here. Living with the other herds for example.“ Pterano cringed big-time as he spoke, knowing that this would be painful to Petrie who, despite his respect for his uncle, regarded his friends and the rest of the Great Valley in high regard. Petrie wouldn’t need to disown his lost companions but he’d have to make it seem like he had spent his whole life alone or with other fliers. The younger flier’s answer was to be expected.
“Wh… what? Petrie won’t just say me not from the Valley! Me have lived there for almost all me life and me won’t say otherwise because of some fliers think me should!” Petrie’s voice was shocked above all and he seemed extremely puzzled by his uncle’s words. Had he really asked him to turn his back on his home and his friends? The young flier simply couldn’t believe this was what his uncle was after.
“Nephew… I’m not asking you to forget or insult them but it would help a lot if we could come up with another way to explain why you want to join us. None of them know about your mother or any of my or your real past. I know it’s harder for you but this this is the only way we can ever hope to get you in. I know that at least Peak won’t believe us without a good explanation.” Pterano spoke softly, trying to reason with his distressed nephew. He realized that Petrie would never do this willingly but he knew what he was talking about. At this point, he couldn’t allow Petrie to wander off to the Mysterious Beyond alone but he knew the duo had a far better shot at surviving with their own kind. He could only hope he could make Petrie see things his way.
“B… but me don’t want to say Petrie something me isn’t! Momma always said me to tell the truth and she and the other grown-ups say you were banished because we couldn’t trust you! Why would Petrie do the same mistakes you do in the past?” Petrie tried to stutter some kind of defense to his case and he hoped it could change his uncle’s mind. However, those words hurt Pterano deeply as Petrie disappointment had been one of the greatest punishments after the Valley’s decision. Even if the younger flier had still appeared to admire him, he could see the flicker of betrayal in Petrie’s eyes as he flew away from the Valley on that fateful day those four Cold Times ago. That was a moment he’d never forget. Still, he couldn’t help but lament Petrie’s childish naivety about Volant’s words.
“I’m sorry about that, nephew. Your mother’s right about me but here we can’t always do what is right. I wouldn’t want to say this but there’s a lot for you to learn in the Mysterious Beyond. Sometimes things… don’t go quite the same way as they did in the Valley. But I know you’re strong enough to take this step. I’ve already seen it, Petrie, when you saw me as I truly were back then.” The older flier tried to put on a wide smile as a way to encourage his nephew to take this step into the unknown. His words were genuine as he trusted in the boy’s ability to adapt to new situations but he had never expected it to be easy even for him. Petrie sighed as he answered.
“Me guess you’re right, uncle. But, me like to know, who be Peak?” Petrie’s voice was turning to a more resigned one and he tried to at least ask something that could give him encouragement and perhaps knowing more about the flier Pterano had mentioned would cheer him up somewhat. It seemed like his terrible day was far from complete. Pterano gave the younger flier an approving nod as he answered.
“He’s one of the herd’s leaders and likely the one who’ll cause us the most problems. He’s rather trustworthy when you get to know him but he’s also extremely suspicious about newcomers. I’d say we need a really good backstory for you if we’re going to get past him, Petrie. But don’t worry, we’ll manage to do it.” Pterano said as he tried to make Petrie see the urgency of his warnings. The young flier seemed to be already mentally fatigued and even if Pterano hated to see him like this, it would likely be to his own good to push the issue.
“Me no know about any of this, uncle. That place no seem like something Petrie would like to go. Maybe it better if me just go away.” The flier looked at his uncle with an extremely downtrodden way, for a moment making Pterano wonder his own stance. However, no matter which way he looked at it, his proposition would still be to Petrie’s best.
“Don’t say that, Petrie. We cannot just stay here! What would your mother say if I let you wander off alone into the wilderness! No, we’ve got only one way to go forward, Petrie. I promise you, you can trust your old uncle in this.” The older dinosaur tried to put on as friendly composure as he could and Petrie looked at him in distinct approval. It was clear that he still respected his uncle clearly and even if he still had severe misgivings about this, he slowly started to realize that something interesting could come out of this. Something in Pterano seemed to flicker a small blaze of adventure inside the beaten flier, just strong enough to snap him out of his saddened mental state.
“Pe… Petrie hope you right. Me can say me not from the Valley but me won’t say anything about me friends! Petrie owe them far too much to insult them now!” The young flier said in determination, prompting a conflicted loom from his uncle. Pterano knew this was all he could ask for but even then, he could only hope no one asked anything of the Valley or things might get bad sooner than later. Anyway, he realized that he couldn’t push Petrie any further. He could only hope that this was enough.
“Very well, nephew. I’m glad you can see that we have to do this but we still have to come up with an explanation for your willingness to join us. What do you say about this idea…”
About an hour later, a long range of mountains opened up before the two fliers. The terrain around them was still dry and largely flat but there were small plots of grass here and there, just enough to sustain a migrating herd on its journey. Petrie looked at the looming hills in slight interest, eager to meet his new companions and to see if there were any other fliers who would be worth getting to know. His uncle’s words still worried him somewhat but he knew he’d have to get over his sorrow sooner or later. With any luck, he could find new friends among his new herd.
Pterano, on the other hand, looked around himself from time to time, trying to see where the other fliers were at this moment. After a while of searching, he could see a form a flier in the distance, telling Pterano everything he had to know at this point. He whispered to Petrie quickly as he turned his direction towards the spot where one of his companions had just landed.
“Follow me, Petrie. We’re close to our destination.” The two fliers then flew for a moment in silence, a small plateau in the mountains soon opening under them. Petrie was surprised to see that there was almost fifty fliers here, the herd being much larger than he had initially expected. Most of them were young adults but a few children and older dinosaurs could also be seen among them. To Petrie’s relief, most of them seemed rather friendly even if most of them held noticeable scars in their bodies, apparently caused by the claws of another flier. Even then, boy decided to keep an open mind at this point for now as the two landed on a higher area overlooking the rest of the small sanctuary in the mountains. The older flier looked at his surroundings briefly and approached a rather tall female after a moment of hesitating.
“Fena, where are Peak, Nira, Lenel and Nimble? I tried to look at them when I arrived but I couldn’t see them anywhere.” The older flier asked neutrally from the female as he wondered where the herd’s leaders’ were at the moment. The other flier looked at him with a slightly dry expression until she answered.
“If they are not somewhere around this place, they’re probably scouting the surrounding areas. But as usual, they should be here soon. But who’s that boy with you?” Fena asked in puzzlement as she saw Pterano’s new companion. He had always appeared as a loner in the herd and this new kid’s appearance confused her greatly. Pterano had prepared for this question already and he had decided that the truth was the best policy here.
“Oh, he’s the reason why I even want to meet those four. He’s my nephew Petrie and he’d like to join this herd.” The flier spoke calmly, trying to keep a rather low profile before he’d get the leaders’ attention. Petrie tried to put on a slight smile as he looked at the light-brown female. He felt extremely awkward but he tried to stay as normal-looking as he could. Fena looked at the young flier in surprise and spoke to him in an almost friendly voice.
“Is that so? We seldom get any new children to our herd but I hope that you will find your place among us. I wish you luck in trying to get on those spitfires’ good side.” The young adult flier said to Petrie who tried to return her kindness with a smile, no matter how forced it’d turn out to be. He answered quickly to her words.
“Thank you for the wishing! Petrie also hope all go well today!” The young flier said in growing confidence even if he was still highly conflicted about everything that was going on. Still, it was nice to see that the first flier they’d met was somewhat approving of his presence. Fena chuckled slightly to the young flier’s speech pattern before she was interrupted again by Pterano.
“I’m sure we will do well, Fena. Thank you for your help but me and Petrie should go search if any of the four are anywhere nearby. Fare well until we meet next time.” Pterano glanced at his nephew to follow him when he heard a surprising remark from Petrie. The young flier looked at his uncle with half-closed eyes when he spoke.
“Actually, can Petrie wait here for a moment. Me flew for hours already before me met you with me injured wing!” The boy spoke in a weary voice, prompting a thoughtful look from Pterano. It was true that Petrie had gone through too much today already but it was also likely that he would get the attention of some other, possibly hostile, flier before he’d return. Even then, that was a chance he was willing to take as he thought about Petrie’s situation. He had deserved a moment of rest after all his journeys.
“Alright, Petrie, but try to be safe. The last thing we need at this point is to make some kind of fuss.” Pterano said as he prepared to take off. Petrie was sitting by a cliff’s side surrounded by somewhat tall grass. The young flier could have sworn he couldn’t have raised a wing at this point and his voice was more than thankful when he answered.
“I will, uncle. Thank you for letting me stay here for a moment.” Petrie said as he saw his uncle nod at him in approval. The larger flier then took off and left Petrie to spend some time alone, trying to gather his thoughts. If everything went well, he’d soon have a new home and even if it would never replace his old one, any home would be better at this point than the panic he had gone through before his uncle had found him. After a moment of rest, he would be ready for the meeting with the herd’s leaders. Pterano had seemed very confident about his idea and the boy saw no reason to doubt him. Even if his head was still a complete mess, his uncle’s appearance had given him new strength. He was left to rest alone in the relative safety of the tall grass.
Strong flapping of two wings could be heard as Hoist flew above the newcomer. The adolescent flier had noticed him right away when he and Pterano had arrived in the small, closed plain which the fliers called the Widewing’s Rest after one of the legendary fliers of the past. Hoist was seldom impressed by newcomers and this one seemed even more pathetic than usual. He was rather small and undoubtedly younger than he was and if he was already fatigued by the journey, he would have no place in this herd. Hoist smiled wickedly as he decided to test this flier’s resolve.
After many minutes had passed by, Petrie felt his strength slowly starting to return to his limbs. They were still wearied by the flying and his injury hadn’t healed fully. Still, he knew that a little more rest would return his usual strength. His wing was a more worrying thing at this point as it was clear that not everything was still right with it. However, with any luck he wouldn’t be required to fly for a day or two. Petrie’s thoughts were a complete flux as he tried to calm down from his earlier despair. A deep sorrow and concern for his friends still bothered the young flier but at this point, those thoughts were slowly taking a backseat. The adrenaline of being introduced to a new group of unknown dinosaurs were slowly taking the lion’s share of his thoughts. Until they were thoroughly interrupted by a quick, painful pain in his shoulder.
“Ouch! Who did that!” The flier said as he looked around himself. A rather sizable stone had hit his shoulder but luckily it hadn’t made a deep wound. Still, the young boy was highly angered and worried by this turn of events. After glancing around himself for a while, he suddenly jumped upward in order to dodge another incoming rock. Petrie was about to take off to find his tormentor until a rather large, muscled adolescent flier appeared from the grass surrounding Petrie. He wore a mean smile as he started to speak.
“So a lazy, slow, good-for-nothing kid wishes to join us! Hah! I’m sure even your uncle cannot save you from what our leaders have in mind!” The greenish-colored flier said as he moved towards Petrie who felt his heart sink at this development. This was far from what he had wanted to encounter right now. Ever since meeting Hyp and his gang, Petrie had developed a distinct fear towards bullies. It had only been deepened during the preparation for the Great Day of the Fliers and the unwanted attention he had gotten from his siblings back then. However, this time he wouldn’t give quarter to the newcomer.
“Petrie no need uncle Pterano’s help to get accepted here! You’ll see, me will do good when me can show Petrie can do!” It was highly unusual for Petrie to act like this but his nerves had already been stretched by the last days to heir limit and this flier’s antics seemed even worse than the bullies in the Valley.
“Really? I doubt no one will give you a chance for that when you can’t even speak right! “Me Petrie, me so good at flying”, just give me a break!” The greenish flier chuckled in mockery, willing to immediately provoke the smaller flier for his antics. Petrie’s face grew increasingly more red as he heard his tormentor’s words. Some of his siblings had pointed out that he should try to fix his speech pattern with new dinosaurs but Petrie simply couldn’t. His speech pattern had grown to be a part of him and he simply wasn’t able to drop it immediately, even if he wanted to. Petrie took a few enraged breaths before he answered.
“We’ll see what will happen but for now, just go away! Petrie not like to hear of bullies right now!” The flier tried to end the situation but the larger dinosaur seemed to have a different idea. He moved even closer to Petrie with a highly arrogant expression, clearly willing to escalate the situation further. Petrie felt his heart sink at this development as this was the last thing he would have wanted to experience. Even then, Petrie knew that he wouldn’t be left alone easily. He was smaller than the other flier, he had no friends and he couldn’t simply outfly this villain. Petrie knew he would have to survive this agonizing situation somehow as his tormentor approached.
“And why would I do that! It’s not like a brainless weakling like you can do anything about it.” The flier raised his fist and Petrie knew immediately what was going to happen. However, this day’s events had not only taken a toll on him mentally, it had also strengthened his resolve to survive it. With quick reflexes, Petrie grabbed the larger flier’s fist and with the element of surprise, pushed him backward. The larger flier looked at Petrie in surprise and rising anger as he prepared his answer. He panted slightly as he spoke again.
“So you really are up for a round? Great… that’s just what I wanted too…” The greenish flier started to walk threateningly towards Petrie, who realized that he meant what he said. Petrie was already preparing for the worst… until a surprisingly low but clearly female voice called from behind him.
“Hoist, stop it already! I thought you realized what it meant that you’ll be beaten by the grown-ups if you didn’t try to behave! This doesn’t seem too promising!” Petrie looked at the newcomer in surprise and deep gratitude as the flier she had just called Hoist turned towards her. His face and voice dipped with loathing as he answered to the female flier. She looked slightly younger than Hoist but it seemed like she was clearly able to resist anything the male would have in mind. She was deeper-brown colored than any flier Petrie had seen before and it seemed like two knew each other well enough, clearly to both of their misfortune.
“Stay out of this, Glide! This brat doesn’t belong in the herd and our rules doesn’t concern him! In fact, I can do just what I want with him!” Hoist said with a loathing voice, knowing that in theory he was right. The herd treated only its members with respect and as long as the small flier was an outsider, no one would care about anything he would do to him. However, Glide looked at in clear annoyance, being able to realize what Petrie was up to here.
“That is as long as he’s an outsider. If he joins us, you will be punished as usual. I’ll make sure of it.” Glide said with heavy words. She held little respect for the smaller flier but even more she hated Hoist’s antics. Ever since she could remember, he had been a troublemaker and as long as she could prevent him from doing harm to anyone, she’d do it. Hoist looked at her in deep annoyance but he knew she was right. Even if this newcomer had been an ideal victim for him, he knew he couldn’t get away with his this if Glide was around. With an extremely hateful look, Hoist walked past the female and spoke in a cold voice as he left.
“Mind my words, one day I’ll draw the line how long you can stalk me. One day you won’t be this lucky.” With those words, Hoist took off and headed further down the plateau and disappeared among the woods downhill from the duo’s position. Petrie breathed deeply ass he realized that he had been saved barely from a bad beating. He panted in relief as he answered to Glide for her timely intervention.
“Th… thank you! Things might have gone really bad!” Petrie tried to chuckle somewhat in order to calm down again from the unsavory incident. He was glad to see that there were also some nicer fliers in addition to bullies. Glide looked at Petrie with a thoughtful look and answered to him shortly.
“Yep, things seldom go well with that moron. Always pestering those younger than him and thinking so much about himself. However, you better begin thinking how you plan to get through the coming test if cowering is all you can do. Glide’s voice was rather dismissing and it didn’t hold any real friendliness. Petrie realized that she had helped only to prevent Hoist from doing his things, not to help him. Nevertheless, he was thankful for her help.
“Me know that… Me name’s Petrie and me can do better than that. Actually…” Petrie was going to continue when a very familiar voice called to him from above.
“Petrie! Everything’s ready, those four fliers are waiting for you right now! We mustn’t keep them waiting!” Pterano looked at Petrie’s companion in slight surprise, not really knowing her personally. He had seen the girl many times but he had never really found out anything about her. Anyway, it wasn’t important at this point. Petrie looked at his uncle in approval before he heard Glide’s words to him.
“I guess I have to bid you good luck there but be prepared to prove your worth. We won’t take any dead weight with us.” After those words, Glide left the scene and left Petrie alone in the cliff. He was highly puzzled by what the female had meant but it was apparent that things wouldn’t be as simple as he had hoped. Things were looking more complex by the minute. However, there was no time to wonder about that now. He answered to his uncle briefly before joining him in the sky.
“Let’s go! Petrie feel much better already!” The young flier said as he rose to the older flier’s side. Hoist had scared him deeply but Glide had seemed to be nice enough. Perhaps if he’d pass the leaders’ test, there would be other fliers he could get friends with? Pterano looked at his nephew n deep thought, noticing that something else had happened between the two children than mere conversation but at this point, preparing his nephew for the coming ordeal was the most important part.
“I’m glad to hear that, Petrie. We can talk about what happened here later but there’s a few things I’d like to tell you. I can speak for you before the heads of the four great lineages but only you can prove your worth to them. They won’t demand perfection from you but they want you to show respect to them as well as prove that… your past is worthy of joining us. Also, they’ll want you to…” The older flier was surprised as he was interrupted by his nephew. Petrie was clearly nervous but apparently the other flier had told him something about the coming conversation.
“Show that Petrie a good flier who won’t slow the others down. Me already heard that.” The young flier said in a forced voice, slowly beginning to wonder if he would be able to do that. His wing still hurt and he wouldn’t be able to show any real feats of strength with it. Pterano nodded to him in acceptance before he continued.
“That’s right. If I know anything, you have to beat some other flier of your age in some kind of flying challenge but I know there are very few fliers in the world who can beat you, if even half of the stories you’ve told me are true. That’s why I haven’t told you anything about it until now. I just hope your wing is in a good enough condition to do this.” The older flier said in slight worry, full well knowing that Petrie would have an additional handicap in the challenge but he had been serious when he commended his nephew’s flying skills. He had seen them himself during the search for the Stone of Cold Fire and according to Petrie, that had been only one of his adventures.
“Petrie hope so too. But me will do me best, uncle.” Petrie said simply as he prepared mentally for the coming meeting. He feared that something might go wrong either in the challenge or with his past but he was prepared to do his all. He owed it to his uncle and it provided him with the best chance for survival. Pterano looked at Petrie his last words of advice before he started his descent.
“Just remember what we talked about earlier and it’ll be fine. Try to calm down and let me do the initial talking.” The older flier said as a small opening in the middle of a forest opened under the duo. A small waterfall opened on its side which then turned into a raging stream. The small clearing was covered with colorful flowers despite the late season and a cool breeze blew through the field. The small forest around the glade was closely bordered by steep cliffs, making the forest very hard to reach for everyone but fliers. Petrie could easily see why the herd had chosen this hidden sanctuary as one of its homes. It truly was a flier’s paradise forever hidden from the eyes of the other kinds.
The young flier looked at the assembled dinosaurs in deep interest. There were a bit over a dozen fliers assembled in a circle, among them Glide which both surprised and heartened Petrie greatly. Most of them seemed middle- aged but there were also many younger ones. However, most of Petrie’s attention was directed at the four fliers who stood in the middle of the circle, apparently holding much respect from the others. Pterano had already told Petrie a lot about the four leaders of the great lineages and the boy could already tell which one of them was who. To his surprise, all of them were relatively young, barely older than his own uncle.
The deep orange male standing on the left side of the semicircle had to be the one his uncle had called Peak and his expression seemed just as suspicious as Petrie had expected. He didn’t look angry or mean but he certainly held little sympathy for the smaller dinosaur. Even then, there was something in him that somewhat comforted Petrie: as if beneath his grim exterior was a just, even sympathetic leader.
The next one had to be the one called Nira as she had the light red color his uncle had told him about. She seemed extremely proud and Peak’s suspicion seemed to have been replaced by a sense of superiority. Petrie’s earlier intuition about Peak’s internal friendliness was now turned to worries about the female’s sympathies. Petrie could only hope she’d turn out be friendlier than she let out.
The third one had to be Lenel who was a somewhat smaller, light tan-colored flier. He wore a somewhat absentminded expression but he looked at Petrie with some interest. However, the young flier could see that he was here only because of duty. His true interests were hard to determine at this point.
The last of the four fliers seemed to be the most approachable and Petrie could remember his uncle calling her Nimble. She held an even friendly expression and looked at the two newcomers in clear interest. Petrie looked at the four with a curious expression and despite his nervousness, he could feel that the four were respected for a reason. The initial silence was broken by a remark from Peak which started the discussion. His voice was somewhat high but not unnaturally so.
“So, Pterano, this is the one who you think should join us. I hope he knows what is expected from him.” Peak went straight to the point as he seldom was a one to waste time. Petrie looked at him in surprise and he was about to answer when Pterano answered for him.
“I’ve told him everything he needs to know and I’m sure he won’t let you down. I promise he’s worthy of this great honor, respected inheritors of the Great Fliers.” Pterano spoke with a sincere voice. Despite his revering words, there was no additional grandeur in his gestures. Despite his willingness to speak for himself, Petrie was somewhat relieved that there wasn’t need for any additional verbiage in this meeting. The four looked at Petrie, clearly judging him carefully. The young flier felt extremely bothered by the fuss that was being made around his arrival but he understood its necessity. He was extremely relieved when the next one of the four fliers, Nimble, opened her mouth.
“Where have you come from, Petrie? It’s very odd that we haven’t heard of Pterano’s nephew before. He has always told us that he has no family.” Nimble’s voice was far softer than Peak’s even if it was clear that she expected to hear the full truth. The female’s eyes bored into Petrie as she waited for the answer. The young flier knew that it was his turn to speak and after a brief gulp, he opened his beak.
“P… Petrie was all alone before uncle Pterano found me. I… I hadn’t met him many times as me lived with me family not far to the east from here. Until… until the sharpteeth came!” Petrie started to sob at this point and he didn’t even need any encouragement for it from the situation. The concept of the story was mostly true and the mere thought of his actual family was enough to bring tears into his eyes. It was enough for the young flier to use his most likely gone friends as a decoy for his personal matters but he realized that nobody would be hurt by it. For better or worse, he would have to carve out a new path in life for himself. The older fliers looked at Petrie, most of them in suspicion and disbelief, but Petrie could see that he wasn’t being judged unfairly. He would have his opportunity to conclude his story before he'd be interrupted.
“We lived on a mountaintop that overlooked a large plain. Our nest was located in a small tunnel opening from its peak. Petrie met uncle Pterano a few times when he visited us. He wasn’t often near us because, well… he and momma had a long fight about stupid things. Still, me and me family lived there for me whole life until… until it happened!” Despite his conflicted mental state, using hider’s home and a twisted version of his actual story as a basis for his story helped him a lot to keep his thoughts assembled to the issue on hand. Only the last part of his tale was completely made up.
“Momma was looking for food for me and me siblings. We had always been safe from evil fliers because of the great hide of our nest but that didn’t last. When momma was gone, four evil fliers attacked us and… and all me brothers and sisters were killed! And so was momma when she came back! Petrie hid from them for hours and me managed to lose them in the tunnels! It was pure luck that me ever found uncle after that… he already saved me life once! Me have nowhere else to go.” Petrie shook his head as he spoke. Even if his siblings still lived, he had lost enough to relate to how losing your very family would feel like. Tears fell steadily to the ground as Petrie thought about his real past which wasn’t much happier than the one he had just told. Pterano cleared his throat before he continued from where Petrie had concluded.
“I found him wandering near the Longbeak’s river alone. I know that what you don’t often accept new members to our herd but please, I’m the only family he has left. I should have been there to defend him and his siblings and that will bother me for the rest of my life. Petrie doesn’t deserve to live alone at such a young age.” Pterano offered to the four fliers who seemed to weigh the duo’s words heavily. Surprisingly to Petrie, there was absolutely no whispering or any kind of communication between the older fliers: it seemed like each of them kept firmly to themselves. This surprised Petrie greatly as the grown-ups in the Valley had always quarreled with each other. Either these ones had already agreed on this issue or they didn’t trust each other at all. Soon after Pterano had concluded his statement, Peak answered him.
“We haven’t seen many scattered flier families during our travels. Where was this mountain and what did it look like?” The flier asked. He knew he wouldn’t be able to know where Petrie had actually lived but he would see whether the young dinosaur knew at all what he was talking about. Nira looked at her peer with a clearly untrusting look but decided to stay silent. Petrie, on the other hand, concentrated heavily on remembering some details of the surroundings of Hider’s home. After a moment of thinking, the giant stone which clearly resembled a flier came to his mind but it was possible that the other fliers would know it. He had to keep his past in as small a focus as he only could.
“As Petrie said, there be a big desert below it and a small stream on the lower hills of it. Petrie loved to play there when everything was alright. Also, me and me siblings often explore the hills and there be many cracks and paths. We would have liked to fly away from our home but momma always said we had to stay there to hide from evil fliers. Now me finally know why.” Petrie’s voice sounded very genuine due to the real place to which he based his tale as well as the real sorrow that flowed in his mind. His remark prompted the last of the four fliers, Lenel, to finally join the conversation.
“The closest desert is the one surrounding the Great Valley. I hope you never visited that place, did you?” The flier asked in a skeptic voice, clearly having his doubts about Petrie. Even if visiting the Valley wasn’t a crime, Lenel wanted to know if Petrie had anything to do with that place. The young flier looked at the tan-colored, rather young flier and felt his stomach drop. He felt extremely bad for being forced into this situation but his uncle had told him what to answer in this situation.
“Petrie heard of it but me never went near it. Momma said it too far and it too dangerous.” Petrie said in a sheepish voice, willing to give the impression that he had wanted to visit it as it was easier to believe than a mere assurance that he had never heard of it. Even through his guilt, the young flier was rather happy about himself and his success thus far in trying to sound as honest as possible under the circumstances. Lenel seemed somewhat satisfied by his answer and the next remark brightened his mood greatly.
“It seems like everything is in order. I have nothing else to ask at this point.” Nimble said as she looked dryly at her peers. Even if she would never let an unfit flier into the herd, neither did she like pestering others because of her own, most likely ungrounded doubts. Even if new members were a rather rare occasion, this wasn’t a unique event and the four knew this was really a routine interrogation. Peak sighed slightly as he couldn’t really object to Nimble’s words. There seemed to be nothing really suspicious about this flier. However, there remained one final thing to be done before Petrie could be welcome among the herd.
“Very well, Petrie. We trust that what you tell us is true but even then, a tragic past doesn’t mean we have to take more burdens among us. You have to prove that you can keep up and even benefit the others in the future.” Peak said in a more relaxed voice, clearly more willing to get over this thing at this point. Petrie felt a shiver of concern flow through his innards until he felt a hand fall down on his shoulder and a warm whisper in his ear.
“You’ve done well, Petrie. Really well. I’m sure you will beat any challenge before you.” Pterano said silently as the duo prepared for the announcement. Petrie glanced at his uncle and nodded happily. He had surprised even himself and the fact that his uncle approved of his performance reassured the young flier greatly. It was Lenel who announced the challenge.
“First we need a good rival for you during this test… Glide, could you come here?” The male said as his eyes scoured the audience. There were very little children among them and the female was the first one who caught his eye. The younger flier glanced around herself in surprise, not expecting to face Petrie again this quickly. Last time she had helped him out of pity and loathing for Hoist but now she was called on to determine whether he had the right to join the herd. This wasn’t something she would have expected or wanted but there was simply no option of rejecting Lenel’s request about this issue. With slightly hesitant steps, the young female started to walk forward.
Petrie, on the other hand, was surprised by his turn of events. He had seen Glide among the attendees but for some reason, he didn’t expect to meet her during this challenge. However, he was slightly relieved by this fact as he would have hated to do it against the kinds of Hoist. Even if he hardly knew Glide, he knew that there would be some kind of mutual respect between the duo which relieved Petrie somewhat. He and Glide exchanged nods as the latter walked near to the four older fliers. Even then, Petrie couldn’t help but fear for the coming minutes. He knew this challenge would be far from an easy one. Nira proceeded to explain the further rules for the little contest. Her voice was rather dry but it was clear that she knew the significance of this test.
“Petrie, you have to prove that you won’t be a hindrance to us and for that, you have to beat one of us your age. The flier here called Glide will be your opponent this time. The two of you will fly to the higher slopes of these hills and behind them lies a group of mesa-like hills. Above the highest of them lies two large yellowish berries which you will have to bring to us here. Needless to say, neither of you can sabotage your opponent during this race and you too, Glide, must give your all. Petrie, you have to beat Glide or at the very least not lose to her by more than half a minute and you are able to join this herd. Is everything clear?” The older flier asked in a questioning and distant look. The earlier suspicions were slowly being wiped away from the leaders’ faces but that didn’t help Petrie greatly.
The boy felt a great fear rise within him as he tried his still-wounded wing. Even if the earlier intense pain had all but evaporated, it still hurt to move it and the old injury would make this race extremely difficult and even painful. Despite his hesitance to admit it, deep inside Petrie had little doubt that he’d be able to beat his competitor in normal circumstances but now, things would become more complicated than they should have.
The other flier’s fears weren’t lost on Glide but it didn’t move her greatly. Even if Petrie seemed to be nicer than many others in the herd, he was still an outsider and if he wasn’t up to this task, he would never deserve to be anything else. Glide had enough on her mind already and being forced to test Petrie wasn’t what she would have liked to do. Still, she would give Petrie a fair chance to prove himself. He deserved at least that much. Nimble looked at the two in anticipation and after a moment, she said rather softly.
“You may go but don’t forget to play fair! We will know if you break the rules!” The large female said and it wasn’t long before the two children took off towards the higher slopes of the mountains. From now on, it was up to them to see whether all of the fliers had gathered for nothing.
Both of the fliers started to take off immediately but the male was highly dispirited by Glide’s wings’ more powerful gusts, giving her a clear early advantage. Petrie looked at Glide’s disappearing form as he tried to gather momentum for his flight. His first few powerful flaps were accompanied by deep pain and even if Petrie managed to get airborne, his initial speed was too slow. The young flier cringed as he could feel his uncle’s eyes bore into his back while he tried to begin his chase. The mesa was apparently rather far so he would have a chance to show his experience as a flier before the end. Even if his wing was still injured, the boy still had a few tricks in his disposal.
A brief snort came from Glide’s beak as she looked quickly after herself. She was stunned to see how quickly Petrie dropped from her pace. It meant either that he was injured or the weakest flier she had ever met but it mattered little at this point. He would have to do something to save himself from defeat but Glide was at least happy to be seen this favorably against the newcomer.
The wide plateau soon turned into a harsher if more even ground which would rise slowly for a bit shorter time. Petrie looked in worry as Glide was only a small spot in the sky at this point but he was slowly reaching a good speed himself. The instinct of competition started to quickly rise in Petrie as he saw the ground grow ever more distant below him. Despite the still-aching wing, Petrie knew that this was the life he was supposed to lead. Away from the troubles of the ground, simply looking at the horizon in awe and preparing for the next adventure. For the first time since leaving Hider’s mountain, a genuine smile rose to the flier’s face despite his still uphill battle to reach Glide in time.
The young flier looked at his competitor in expectation as he saw that she was no longer creating more distance between the two. Still, in order for him to win this challenge, Petrie knew he would have to do something unexpected, something that would surprise Glide and the four leaders of the herd. Luckily, Petrie knew that he was up for it: he hadn’t survived all of his times with his friends for nothing.
Just wait, Glide! Petrie will show what me can do!Suddenly, Petrie raised his wings to a sideways position, using it to gain altitude and quick. The wind was blowing from in front of the two fliers, making Petrie’s efforts extremely tiring but it also slowed Glide down a bit. However, if all of Petrie’s experiences from falling had taught him anything, it was that controlling his own movements in extremely high speeds was instrumental in the perfect command of flight. Petrie knew his mother had often told him to fly safe and not risk an injury with too brave tricks that might backfire. However, the boy knew he had no choice at this point. He would have to use all the speed he might gain from a long dive downwards and to use the wind to retain his momentum during his trip back to his uncle and the others. Petrie’s heart grew cold as he realized how difficult it would be to grab the berry from the cliff on that speed but he knew that was a chance he had to take at this point but that was a matter for later. Right now, he would have to locate the mesa before he would be able to put his plan into motion.
The highest peaks of the mountains started to slowly get behind Glide as she looked at the wide scene before her. The mesa where the berries were could be seen far below her and it wouldn’t take many minutes until she’d reach it. She was slowly relaxing her pace as she saw how far behind Petrie was getting from her. She lamented the lack of competition somewhat but on the other hand, it only made her job ceremonial. Soon, she would be free to rejoin her best friend, Ortin, for the rest of the day and to slowly prepare for the next migration of the herd. Petrie’s fate would be a shame but only the strong thrived in this world. That was why the fliers ruled it and that was why the weakest of the fliers had no place among the others. That was how it had always been and that was how it was supposed to be.
Petrie, on the other hand, had far different ideas. The highest mountain peaks looked like mere hills below him and he could hardly spot Glide as she flew forward the centermost mesa in a quick pace. Petrie was many minutes’ flight behind her but his surprise move could turn the tables of this challenge. The young dinosaur looked in concern as he saw Glide land on the mesa to get her berry from the ground and embark on her flight back to the others. It was clear that he would have to give his next trick his all or he would find himself all alone again, probably even drawing his uncle to the disaster with him. Petrie knew this wasn’t a possibility he could allow to come to pass.
However, any hurry could prove extremely dangerous in these speeds. Petrie could feel the wind growing slightly stronger which would help him keep us his speed later on. The mesa was far below him and trying to estimate the exact distance was difficult. However, something within Petrie told him to just trust his instincts. The young flier shut his eyes and took a deep breath as he prepared for the deep dive.
Well, here me go! Petrie not gonna fail, uncle!Suddenly, the boy opened his eyes and pointed his wings steeply downwards. There were serious upwards air streams but Petrie managed to dodge them and keep his balance in check. His wing strained under the stress but Petrie knew this was something he would have to live with for the next minutes. Water was beginning to form in the flier’s eyes as he saw the mesa grow swiftly larger below him and Petrie moved a bit further away from it. He knew the next few seconds would be crucial and the next moment, Petrie once again turned his wings into a more stable position, immediately turning his direction towards the mountain.
His eyes scoured the hilltop feverishly, trying to see where the berry was. Luckily for him, it lied in the middle of the mesa in a small crack to protect it from the winds. The time seemed to slow immensely as Petrie tried to turn himself towards the spot in order to get the best shot at grabbing it. It would by no means be an easy task as Petrie was flying faster than he ever had before and the tailwind helped him retain that momentum. The mesa grew close in an immense speed and Petrie prepared for the decisive moment. The berry grew closer and closer… until Petrie quickly but decisively grabbed it into his beak.
Even the flier himself was surprised at his success and it took immense willpower to snap himself out of his astonishment and prevent from crashing into the ground with the crushing speed. Petrie quickly started to strive for more altitude, just in time to prevent from hitting a large boulder near the spot where the berry had lied seconds before. Even then, Petrie gulped as he looked at the sight before himself. The mountains that had looked like miserable hills from the sky were actually formidable hindrances at the more traditional altitudes. Petrie gulped as he realized that upholding his indispensable speed and navigating his way through the mountains in time wouldn’t be a simple task.
For the another flier, nothing in the hills seemed too complex. Glide hadn’t seen Petrie since grabbing her berry and she expected the male to have probably given up and flown away voluntarily to avoid the shame of accepting defeat. The female flier still flew in a normal speed but she knew she no longer had to try to push herself to her limits. Her victory was all but certain as Petrie was nowhere to be seen at this point… until she heard a rather loud screech not far away from her.
Petrie cried in shock as he realized that he had no option but to fly through a narrow gorge, one that he would have probably tried to avoid even in a normal speed. Still, he didn’t have the time to avoid it. The flier shuddered as he flew through the rough tunnel of protruding spikes and quick turns. All the sentient thought had given way to natural instincts which struggled to navigate his way from this most dangerous of situations. After many seconds of fighting, however, Petrie managed to rise up from the crack to the world above.
Once again, Petrie took a deep breath of relief as he had survived another extremely dangerous trick that, in a worst-case-scenario, might have turned fatal but he had survived with flying colors. What was more, he could see his opponent flying before him and he was quickly closing the distance. Petrie’s face turned into a wide smile as he realized what that meant.
Petrie still have a chance! Now wings, please don’t fail me now!Glide looked in astonishment as she saw the boy fly after her. He had appeared from out of nowhere and even worse, he was flying at a terrifying speed. That was a trick Glide couldn’t have explained no matter how she looked at it but the challenge wasn’t over yet. The plateau which they had left from opened far away in the distance but it wouldn’t be long before the fliers would reach it. Right now, Glide was flying above a pass through the mountains which would soon open into a small clearing above the plateau which served as her target. After the clearing opened only forest between her and the leaders. On a sour note, Petrie was gaining on her fast. With all her might and strength, Glide flapped her wings to reach the best possible speed. The victory of this challenge was on a razor’s edge.
Minutes dragged on slowly as Pterano gazed expectantly into the horizon. It had been almost half an hour since the duo’s departure and concerns were slowly beginning to form in his head. Even if he knew his nephew was a highly capable and experienced flier, it might have been too early to put him through this challenge at this point. His wing had seemed pained earlier and it was unlikely that Petrie’s mood helped him any on this challenge. However, Pterano knew there was no way it could have been delayed without raising suspicions. For better or worse, Petrie received only one chance to show his stride.
The flier gazed carefully at the four higher-ranked fliers and he could see that they were quickly becoming rather tired of the waiting. Still, he was beyond grateful that they had given Petrie this chance to prove himself. There was no doubt that his relationship with Lenel had helped him in getting this meeting gathered. The tan-colored flier had offered him a sort of pact in that he sometimes did some tasks to Lenel like supporting him on meetings as well as doing some scouting for him. In return, Lenel gave him some favors such as having some of his concerns addressed to and some simple benefits in the herd. Despite his resolution to never venture away from an honest, honorable path, he would still be more than happy help the flier who he deemed the most worthy of the four fliers to lead.
Not that Petrie needed to know about such issues. The poor boy had went through enough as it was and he was too young to be drawn into these herd politics. Pterano would tell him sooner or later about it but for now, he would keep his personal dealings to himself. Still, none of that mattered any as long as Petrie hadn’t beaten Glide in this vital challenge. The flier hadn’t lied when he said he would follow Petrie into the life of solitude but he dearly hoped that wouldn’t come to pass.
The older flier was looking to the ground deep in thought as he suddenly heard voices of cheer and expectation around him. When he turned his gaze upwards, his own face fell steeply as he saw Glide appearing from over the trees in the distance, with Petrie nowhere to be seen. Pterano’s hopeful expression turned into a nearly desperate one as the seconds passed without Petrie appearing after the girl. Only a moment more and the half minute would be done and Petrie completely defeated in this challenge. However, his faith in his nephew had been strong ever since the duo’s first meeting. Petrie was smart enough to get through this. Pterano knew it.
After a highly agonizing moment, the flier’s trust in his nephew was finally rewarded. Petrie appeared from among the mountains but he was desperately behind his competitor. At this pace, the boy would lose this race. However, after a moment, Pterano saw something surprising. Petrie was approaching like a flying rock and he was clearly faster than Glide. Pterano could see that it was going to be a tough flight but Petrie still had a chance. Absentmindedly, Pterano crossed his arms and whispered silently to the wind.
“Hurry up, Petrie! I know you can do this!”
Glide could see from the expressions of the fliers that while she was still in the lead, the last leg would be all but easy. Somehow, Petrie had managed to surprise her and drag her into this agonizing situation. She would reach the opening in less than a minute but would she be the winner or someone who had just been defeated by a complete outsider? Even if she was impressed by Petrie’s display, that wasn’t a possibility the girl would wish to go through. Glide closed her eyes and started to flap her wings more furiously than in a long time, resolute to give this home stretch her all.
Whimpers could be heard from Petrie’s mouth as he charged forward, his initial momentum highly upheld by the strong tailwind. He could see how far ahead Glide still was but his speed was unmatched by the work her muscles did at this point. Petrie narrowed his eyes as he struggled to find the most favorable air stream to finally decided this urgent challenge and to earn his place among the herd. The wind whistled in Petrie’s ears as the forest below him grew ever closer. The flier’s wings had stayed mostly still during the glide and they had been spared most of the stress. With immense excitement, Petrie realized that he would reach Glide in time, despite the girl’s feverish struggles. Petrie could already see his uncle waiting for him in the distance and it was at that point that Petrie realized that he should quickly start to slow down his speed.
However, that turned out be easier said than done. He was moving too fast to be stopped at this point, at least in time. Petrie didn’t have time to react before he dashed past Glide, right towards the goal… and right towards the canopy of the trees. The flier quickly lost his balance and with two swift somersaults, he reached the clearing where the other fliers were waiting. However, he couldn’t regain his control in time to avoid further problems.
The young flier hit the ground with immense speed, sending him rolling forward in an almost comic fashion. It took many seconds until he finally, stopped. Petrie’s eyes were spinning in his head as he realized what had just transpired. The race was over and he had won. He had managed to justify his uncle’s trust in him and earned his place in the herd. Petrie raised his head slightly from the ground as he saw the other fliers quickly running towards him. However, Petrie said only one brief statement before he once again fell to the ground in immense relief for his miraculous victory.
“Petrie won’t be doing that again anytime soon. It seems me not so good at landing after all.”
Hearty laughter rang through the assembled crowd as they heard the winner’s comment. Pterano smiled widely as he looked at his nephew. He had prevailed despite his injury and shown what he had learned during his many years of adventure. Pterano could see that Petrie was unharmed by his fall but he needed a lot of rest after everything he’d gone through. The older dinosaur looked at his nephew in sympathy: he or anyone else wouldn’t be going to deny the relentless young flier’s well-earned rest.
Despite the unfavorable odds, Petrie survived the challenge set upon him by the four leaders of the herd. Now it's up to him to forge a new future among them but it will be far from easy. There are many who won't take kindly on the newcomer but also others who are easier to approach. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and see you in the next one!