Executive meddling? Yeah, always a problem...

Well, with any luck, I could assert myself and work my way up in the television industry.

Guess I didn't hang around for as long as I thought that time...

Just letting you all know I'm still alive.   Hard at work with uni and my own writing pursuits. And reeling from the frankly horrific political events of 2016.  

Hope you're all doing OK.

Oh, I haven't been on this site a long time...
 

How's everyone doing? I've been quite busy lately, so I haven't really had the time to visit. But I hope everyone's OK, and I may still check into this site now and again.   I'm currently overladen with too many story ideas, and one LBT related. I'll need to work out what I'm going to write first.  

And the rest!!

*
The next morning, it was almost as though a mood had melted.

The novelty of leaf-eaters and sharpteeth temporarily living side-by-side had worn off almost entirely. All that seemed to be in the air was joy.

“Hey, Tricia! Leave some for the rest of us!” Cera scolded mockingly as her half-sister devoured a pile of treestars. She paused at Cera’s words and looked up at her curiously. Cera grinned back.

“Nah, kidding. Go on right ahead, I can get my own, you’ve earned it.”

“I completely agree,” Tria beamed, walking over. “But it’s not like you, Cera, to forget how much you’ve done!”

“Yeah, well...” Cera chuckled somewhat. “It tired me out enough that now I’m not in the mood to start an argument about treestars.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” Tria nodded. “But in all seriousness – what you did was amazing.”

Cera looked up at this, caught off-guard.

“It was immensely brave of you, not mention so obviously heartfelt!” Tria continued. “You’ve managed to cement me and your father together possibly even stronger than before. And I’m sure he’d praise you too...” She glanced over her shoulder as Topps strode into view, looking pensive. “...if he wasn’t still trying to decide what he thought about the recent decision made.”

“You mean Pterano being allowed to stay in the Valley?” Cera asked.

“Yeah,” grunted Topps, making his way over to the rest of his family. “Loyal to us he may be, and yes, he did help us out, but he still needs to bear in mind what he once did, and that it’s not easily forgotten!”

Cera grinned. Her father was back to his old self. Ulciscor had failed to drive it from him.

“But anyway,” Topps continued, his tone changing. “Cera, Tria’s right. What you’ve done, not just for us, but throughout this entire ordeal is nothing short of...well, amazing.”

Cera shifted her eyes to ground, trying not to look too pleased with herself.

“It’s nothing less than I would expect of you,” Topps said, the fatherly pride shamelessly radiating from him. “You truly are...your mother’s daughter...she would be proud.”

Cera had fixed her eyes on a tiny bug crawling on a treestar that sat by her sister, but she heard everything that was said. It seemed to be an odd thing to bring up, but she supposed this close to the end of the battle, emotions would be running high, and she was therefore unsurprised to find herself tearing up at her father’s words. She could tell they weren’t sorrowful though, as it was quite plain to her that what was said was completely true...

Cera raised her head to Topps and Tria, her eyes still swimming with joyous tears, doing little to try and hide them.

“She’d be proud of you two as well,” she told the threehorns. “Even if you did have to work quite a bit at it.” She stood up and made to go off to meet with her friends, but she turned back briefly.

“How lucky can I get? My father and two mothers glowing with pride for me? Brilliant...”

Her parting words were the sweetest sounds to both threehorns’ ears.

As she cantered enthusiastically over to the watering hole, she sighted upon something else that could only make her day better – or rather, someone.

“Hi Ruby – what are you doing off away from the others?” Ruby grinned and folded her arms.

“I could ask you the same thing. I was just coming to find you.”

“Well, you know,” Cera grinned back. “Family meeting. You can’t be with me every waking hour as much as you want to...”

It was only when Cera saw the fast-runner’s smile slip slightly when she had realised the insensitive faux pas she had made.

“Oh, no, I’m sorry!” she squawked. “Look...umm...I’m sure they’re...”

But now Ruby was laughing.

“Cerrrraaaa...” she coaxed, poking her playfully in the forehead. “You need to relax. My family are probably fine. I know I have no idea where they are, but we’ll find them. Besides, I already told you, I also have family here.”

“Hmm...” Cera murmured, gazing up at her. “I would probably do well to remember that.”

“Yep,” Ruby agreed. “Now, let’s go and join the others.”

*
With the reserved and guarded attitude of both leaf-eaters and sharpteeth melting, nowhere was this more apparent in the watering hole by the Thundering Falls, where at its heart, twelve young dinosaurs were enjoying their morning with no regard held for species boundaries.

Shorty and Ali stood in the very centre, their necks nearly entwined as they fought off torrents of water sent at them by Cera and Ruby. Cera snorted dismissively as Shorty sent a minute shower in her direction via his tail, but upon seeing Ruby was subject to a slightly larger wave from Ali, called Chomper over to help.

Laughing raucously, Chomper made his way over clumsily, tripping upon reaching Cera and falling head-first into the water. Cera sighed.

“You see, this is what becomes of bowling Pointy Seeds with your head...” she said flatly.

“Hmm!!” Chomper retorted. “And of course, you never use yours!”

“Mine’s reinforced!” Cera insisted.

“Oh yeah?” Saureen had joined the banter. “Well...we have the stronger teeth...!”

“I’m fairly sure that has little to do with bowling...” Ruby remarked, smirking slightly.

“Yeah? Well none of this has anything to do with a water war!” Chomper added. “And you’re going the wrong way about it if you want our help-”

He broke off as Shorty sent a torrent cascading over his head.

Watching from the bank, Al rolled his eyes, smiling slightly, and turned to Lini.

“It’s almost like they haven’t just been in a massive battle...they’re going to exhaust themselves pretty quickly...”

Lini glanced back at him.

“Maybe so,” she agreed. “But whatever...I’m going to join them!”

“What?” Al looked alarmed as the slashclaw slid into the water. “But you’re still...” he couldn’t draw his eyes away from the scar running up her chest.

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Lini said dismissively, grabbing his hand. “I’m a slashclaw, I’m built to last! Now come on in!”

Al’s lightweight frame offered little resistance as Lini dragged him in. Surfacing and spitting out a fountain of water, he gazed at her reproachfully.

“You’re really not going to take no for an answer, are you?”

Lini grinned back.

“I would have thought you had the measure of me by now!”

On another embankment, two other youngsters lingered, not entirely sure whether their current state of mind allowed them to join in. Ducky, from her position just behind Spike’s head bit her lip and embraced his neck with a clingy tenderness. Spike made a noise of mingled consolation and appreciation.

Upon spotting them, a small flyer flew over and perched gently on Spike’s back.

“Hi guys!” Petrie greeted, perhaps in a tone too overly-cheery.

Ducky attempted a smile back. “Hi Petrie...” she returned.

Petrie looked long and hard at her before gazing out over the water at his laughing, splashing fellows. He rubbed the back of his head pensively as it occurred to him a more gentle hand might be needed.

“Just saying...” he began uncertainly. “Don’t feel you have to do anything you not up to...buuuuuuut...we’re all here for you should you need us, and...we all really glad you here with us too. After all that happened...”

He became lost for words after that, but Ducky turning back around and smiling warmly at him told him he didn’t need to say anything more.

“Thank you Petrie...” she managed. “We’re definitely glad you’re still with us too...”

That may have been as far as the conversation could have gone, but Petrie nevertheless felt inclined to stay. Carefully, he slid down Spike’s back to be closer to the swimmer, something her body language told him she didn’t object to in the slightest. She allowed herself to rest against her flyer friend, offering a friendly wave to the members of the gang out in the middle of the water, who cheerily and enthusiastically waved back, content that she and her was at least being provided with adequate consolation for now.

There was just one prominent absentee from this little gathering. Cera found Littlefoot quite a distance away from the Thundering Falls, lying neatly upon a small rock, surveying the plains of the Valley at the bottom of the hill below him. She couldn’t help but notice Bron upon those plains, conversing, somewhat distractedly, with a member of his herd.

Cera approached the young longneck boldly.

“You really can’t put this off forever, you know,” she said bluntly.

Littlefoot turned back to her, not seeming surprised, merely thoughtful.

“Yeah, I know,” he agreed. “But...what if I don’t like what I hear?”

“Well, it’s not going to change the situation either way,” Cera reasoned, squatting beside him. “Honestly, I think finding out Ulciscor is your uncle is the worst part of it – and you’ve got that out of the way!”

“But how can you know?” Littlefoot sighed. “The more I think about it, there’s so much about all their lives I don’t know. My grandparents’ lives, my dad’s...my mother’s...I just want the truth.”

“Then demand it,” Cera insisted. “Look, Littlefoot, I’m no stranger to how stubborn and difficult families can be when they want to.” She smirked slightly. “But if you don’t stick your foot in and tell them how it’s going to be sometimes, you may not end up changing anything.”

She could tell he was listening. That concentrated expression said it all. She pressed forward.

“You taught me a while back how it’s not worth trying to prevent circumstances changing, and that all you can do is hold onto those you love and care about,” Cera said. “And I KNOW your dad and grandparents love you. It’s obvious.”

“It’s true,” Shorty added, also strolling over. “Dad’s been desperate to talk to you ever since the battle. Now’s as good a time as any. And whatever he tells you, we’re not going to think of you any differently.”

“Exactly,” Cera agreed. “To us, you’re always going to be the overly whimsical flathead we know and love.”

Littlefoot smiled at that.

“Thanks guys,” he said, standing up. “You’re right. I’ll...I’ll go and speak to him now.”

“Awesome,” Shorty grinned. “Tell us all about it afterwards.”

Littlefoot quickly trotted down the hill.

*
As soon as Bron saw his son come cautiously but quickly towards him out of the corner of his eye, he immediately excused himself from the conversation with his herd-mate.

He turned to face Littlefoot, but immediately found the first eye-contact immensely awkward. Both longnecks averted their gaze, before slowly shifting it back towards each other.

Bron sighed deeply.

“I suppose I have a lot to tell you,” he said finally.

Littlefoot nodded.

“I...I just want the whole truth,” he replied.

“Yes, of course,” Bron nodded. “Let’s go somewhere a little more secluded shall we?”

The two of them quickly retreated beneath the shade of a clump of trees nearby, sitting down carefully, with Littlefoot waiting in earnest to hear Bron’s story, and Bron struggling to decide where to begin.

“First off,” he said eventually, “...yes. Ulciscor is your uncle. He’s your mother’s brother.”

“Right...” Littlefoot thought he knew this was coming, but he felt his heart sinking horribly anyway. He sighed.

“Why...why didn’t Grandpa and Grandma ever tell me about him?” he wondered aloud.

“I wouldn’t blame them for it,” Bron told him. “As far as they knew, he was never coming back to them, and it was something they were quite content about. They reasoned that you’d grow up never needing to know you had such an uncle, or what he did...they just wanted to protect you. You understand that, I hope?”

“I guess...” Littlefoot admitted. “But he did come back.”

“Yes,” Bron agreed. “Something none of us saw coming. But even before then, I’m afraid his existence did have a profound effect on your meeting with me. More specifically, why I haven’t been with you or your mother for all of those years.”

Littlefoot looked up, startled.

“But you said it was because...”

“I omitted a lot of details from that story,” Bron said quickly, closing his eyes in apparent shame. “And I’m sorry. But you asked for the whole truth, and so I’m going to tell you know.”

Littlefoot still had many more questions, but he reasoned he could wait until he heard his father’s explanation before he asked them.

Bron exhaled loudly again, and rolled his eyes up to the sky before settling them back on Littlefoot to begin.

“I first met Ulciscor and the rest of your family in a well-known area for longneck story speakers to go and exchange fables,” he said. “Your grandfather, of course, was one such speaker, and as you can imagine, I was immensely intrigued to meet his son! To me, everything bold, confident and grand about your grandfather was reflected in Ulciscor, and this had a tremendous attraction to me. I see you, Littlefoot have done great in inheriting your family’s strength. You made your way to the Great Valley when you were barely a hatchling! That’s definitely something to be admired. But I was never a strong character like you in my youth. I was always shy and retiring. The nickname ëLittlefoot’ probably stuck around because I always trod so lightly upon the world, being constantly outshone by the likes of Ulciscor and your mother. I didn’t mind - I thought they were great and I was honoured to be their friend. But I get the feeling my lack of strength compared to them contributed strongly to what happened next.”

Littlefoot nodded, but something didn’t quite click to him about this story.

“But...if you were so shy then, how come you’re now a herd leader?”

Bron smiled sadly at him.

“Because I learnt the hard way about shirking responsibility,” he replied.

“As time went on, our family units mingled. Soon enough, my family was travelling with yours – we were all united as one great herd, and amongst it, there was such a wide pool of young longnecks. It was fantastic...”

Bron was gazing up at the sky, very visibly reminiscing, and it didn’t occur to Littlefoot to hurry him along. He figured it was probably best he took his time with his stories.

“We all had a great number of friends,” Bron continued after a short pause. “Though I always found it was the three of us – me, your mother and Ulciscor who were the most inseperable. And to be honest, I felt honoured, because Ulciscor was immensely popular amongst our group...for the most part. The point was, he was bold and he just wouldn’t let go of his vision...”

*
Ulciscor looked upon his fellow youths with an increasingly wide smile. He had told himself he didn’t care what reason they were listening for, as long as they heard the message.
“Whereas my father told of great legends, I will tell of how they will come about!” he called to the group. “I foresee a day when we mighty longnecks no longer have to live in fear of sharpteeth splitting apart our herds and killing our children. That day will be the first of many greatest days in our history!”
There was an outbreak of muttering at this. Some seemed very eager to see the day Ulciscor spoke of come about, but most seemed sceptical such a thing was even possible.
“Ulciscor, what are you talking about...?” Saura queried, stepping forward among the crowd.
“Come now, Saura!” Ulciscor insisted. “Surely I can rely on my sister, of all people, to help me out in my mission?”
Saura pulled an immensely dumbfounded expression.
“Mission?” she repeated uncertainly. “Why do you feel it’s your duty to try and change the world?”
Ulciscor laughed at that.
“You should listen to more of father’s stories!” he replied bluntly. “They often feature a great longneck hero changing the world. That’s what we need to aspire to be.”
“But they’re just stories...” Saura replied, but she went largely unheard amongst the new outbreak of more excited muttering.
“I know there are others here I can rely on,” Ulciscor continued, pacing excitedly. “What about you Bron? Bron? Where are you...?”
Bron nervously stepped forward.
“Yeah!” Ulciscor grinned broadly at him. “I know you’ll be up for this!”
Bron seemed a little uncertain, and Saura spoke up in the silence.
“Come on, Ulciscor, you don’t have to decide anything yet! We don’t have time right now.” She looked positively amused. “And Bron...don’t do something just because he tells you to, yeah...?”
Bron chuckled nervously at that.
“Yeah, yeah...probably a good idea...” He couldn’t help but stare as Saura beamed at him.
Ulciscor sighed as the group of longneck youths dispersed. Frowning, he reasoned he should try a different tactic next time...

*
“Maybe Ulciscor’s ideas, were, at this time, as dangerous as they are now, maybe not,” Bron continued mildly. “I don’t know. At the time I had other things on my mind. Growing older as I was, someone else dominated my mind all day every day.”

Littlefoot smiled for the first time since Bron began his story.

“You mean my mother.”

“Yeah,” Bron smiled back. “Amazing she was. Fun, kind and always full of life...and for a lot of the time, I kept on telling myself I had no chance with her. She was the daughter of Aster the great story speaker, after all, and she was much sought after, by most of the longnecks our age. And of course, being longnecks, they were all about their strength.” He gave a hollow laugh. “And there was me constantly tripping over my own feet. But it turned out your mother was after something quite different – the showy types really weren’t for her. And I got my lucky break at one point when I had to defend a group of hatchlings from a gang of fast-biters...and definitely ended up the worst off...”

“Wait, really?” Littlefoot looked aghast.

“Yeah...” Bron frowned. “I’m still not sure why they were unsupervised – must have been a blip in our babysitting rota. The point is, I was taking a stroll on the outskirts of where our herd was resting, and I saw the hatchlings...and then I saw the fast-biters. Well, I had to do something...but even as I charged in, it occurred to me that I wasn’t exactly the best at holding my own. And, sure enough...”

*
Bron gasped as the fast-biter plunged it’s toe claws into his leg, and he staggered, eyes widening as he felt his other legs give way beneath him. Within seconds, he was on the ground.
It might have seemed a good idea at the time – the hatchlings had fled, hopefully back towards the herd – but now he was in serious trouble.
The lead fast-biter began climbing its way up Bron’s neck, saliva dripping off of its teeth, prepared to make short work of this kill...
But suddenly it found itself flying backwards with the force that had just rammed into it. Bron felt mingled relief and embarrassment flood him as Saura stepped neatly over him whilst knocking the other fast-biters away. A few more well-placed stamps and tail whips sent the sharpteeth retreating back whence they came.
Saura quickly and anxiously turned back to Bron, who was attempting to rise to his feet.
“Are you alright?” she asked breathlessly. “What happened?”
“The little ones!” Bron blurted out. “Nobody was watching them, and I saw the sharpteeth and...”
“What, and you held them off on your own?”
“I didn’t have any choice!”
There was an awkward pause, and it suddenly occurred to Bron that he wasn’t in the most maintainable position to defend his actions, given that he was a little too busy bleeding all over the ground. Saura continued to watch him curiously, before smiling and shaking her head.
“Did you even know any of them personally?” she asked.
Bron sighed.
“You probably think I’m an idiot...”
“No,” Saura insisted. “Don’t reduce your actions to that, please.” She was now preparing to walk back to the herd, but did however, turn back and look at him.
“Feel like spending tomorrow with me?”
   
*
“And the rest was history,” Bron finished.

“Wow!” Littlefoot remarked. “Sounds fantastic! Umm...what did Ulciscor make of it?”

“He seemed to be very happy, actually,” Bron admitted. “In fact, when we first announced we were a couple, he went on for hours about how happy he was that his sister had found, in his words, a suitable partner.” Bron sighed. “But even with the blessings he gave us, there was no doubt that as time went on, and as your mother and I grew closer, we grew further apart from him. He was no longer rousing everyone with great speeches or ideas, he became very reserved. During the celebration after which your mother and I became official life-mates, I think he barely said a word. And it was after that I found him preparing to leave.”

*
“Ulciscor...?”
Ulciscor turned back to see Bron plodding up to him, looking utterly perplexed. Well, of course. It could only be Bron. Always with the best intentions, but completely dense.
“Hello, Bron,” Ulciscor replied. “Shouldn’t you be with Saura?”
“Well, at the moment, I’m a little more concerned with what you’re doing,” Bron said earnestly. “I just saw you making your way over this hill...where are you going?”
Ulciscor sighed.
“I’m leaving the herd,” he said. “I’m sorry Bron, but I feel my calling is elsewhere.”
“Calling...? What...what do you mean?”
Ulciscor considered for a moment, gazing up at the evening sky with the insects flitting across it.
“It’s almost like the story of Persephone,” he decided eventually. “Yeah...you remember that one, right?”
“Vaguely...?” Bron murmured.
“Yes – she was one of the biggest longnecks ever, but she found that, despite her immense size, there are still many things she couldn’t do. Like change the wills of others, and get them to do what she wanted. Minds and thoughts are apparently something uncontrollable.”
“Oh yeah...” Bron nodded. “It was a morality tale, I think, about independence and being true to yourself. But what has that got to do with...?”
“Well, you shouldn’t believe everything you hear,” Ulciscor interrupted.
Bron frowned.
“But...it was your father who first told it to us,” he said uncertainly.
Ulciscor smirked at that.
“Well, I’ve grown to learn my father may not be right about everything. And my wanderings and research have led me to understand that in the original story of Persephone, she was right. She was unable to tame the minds of her other herd-mates, and so they didn’t heed her warnings about some terrible catastrophe. Apparently the area they were in was too perfect to leave, a lush green Valley that never ran out of food! And so they didn’t see what they didn’t wish to see until it was too late.”
“Right...” Bron was still immensely lost on the relevance. “So...?”
“So, I think the story itself is a warning,” Ulciscor said seriously. “A warning of failing to see what you don’t want to see, and preparing yourself before it is too late.”
“What are you talking about?” Bron asked, though he felt he knew where this was going.
“Sharpteeth!” Ulciscor snarled the word as though it caused him great pain. “The stain upon the Earth that will haunt us forever unless we take action! It have tried many times, to drop subtle hints that a dead sharptooth is the only good kind, and something you should all be aspiring to. You all noticed the sharptooth corpses laid around the area haven’t you?”
“So that was you...??” Bron was thunderstruck. “Damn, we thought it was some horrible illness sweeping the place! Did it occur to you that we’ve already moved three times more often than we normally do?”
“Well, hopefully this news will set your mind at rest,” Ulciscor said dismissively. “But come on, Bron – you must see it!”
Bron sighed.
“I mean...yes, I dislike sharpteeth as much as the next longneck, but we’ll deal with them when needs must, we don’t need to bother with them most of the time, they don’t need to be big parts of our lives. And apparently they may also be part of the circle of life. This one-track minded mission you have is just...”
“Just what?”
“Excessive?” Bron suggested. “And you really don’t need to expose the kids to dead bodies so often...”
“Oh really?” Ulciscor snapped back, his voice and tail raised. “And what about those who see their own parents’ dead bodies because of sharpteeth? What if any child of you and Saura would have to see that, hm? Then who’s side will you be on???”
Bron took a step back, and Ulciscor sighed, lowering his tail again.
“You see, I need to go and find myself,” he said quietly. “And I think I should go discreetly. Please send my best wishes to Saura and my parents. And the best of luck to you too.”
He began to walk away.
“Wait, Ulciscor!” Bron called, but the other longneck would not turn around, and Bron realised he didn’t know what else he could say.

*
“Sometimes I do get the feeling that, if your mother had seen him leave, she may have been able to persuade him to stay,” Bron sighed. “And maybe what followed wouldn’t have happened.”

Feeling a surge of sympathy at his father’s expression, Littlefoot spoke up.

“You can’t know that,” he insisted. “He...he probably always had it in him.”

Bron half-smiled.

“Maybe you’re right,” he admitted.

“Anyway...we didn’t see him for ages after that. We assumed he may have just settled down somewhere and got on with his life. We never thought he’d actually go through with what he’d been promising for years. Then, we began to hear the most dreadful stories about a lush and beautiful Valley, under the oppressive rule of a terrible longneck tyrant by the name of Ulciscor...”

Bron paused, biting his lip hard, his eyes heavy with the painful memories.

“At first, we thought to ourselves, ëno...it can’t possibly be him. Even he couldn’t go that far...’ But, eventually, the evidence was just too hard to ignore. Descriptions of the tyrant mentioning his iron-grey skin and dark eyes, just like Ulciscor. His speeches contained words identical to the ones Ulciscor had made, and he displayed the bodies of dead sharpteeth in the same manner...all the while forcing others to bend to his will.

“Hearing all of these terrible stories about someone you used to know was bad enough, but then things slowly began to get worse. The land began changing – areas that used to flow with bountiful water and green meadows became dry and desolate. It was getting increasingly difficult to find food, and it didn’t help either, that, at that time, sharpteeth were rallying themselves up into warring factions and killing each other en masse, with we terrified leaf-eaters caught in the middle. In those days, losing one herd member a week was pretty much a minimum mortality rate.”

Littlefoot gasped. “How did you manage to get through it?”

“I still don’t know,” Bron replied, shrugging. “Of course, the Great Valley was famed for its fertility and protection against sharpteeth, but with Ulciscor there, it was still a terrible place to live. It did briefly cross our minds that, as family of his, we would have been treated decently, but we soon decided that our consciences would never be the same if we were treated like family whilst those around us were treated like dirt. And...well...in those days of death and uncertainty, we suddenly found ourselves with another unexpected issue.”

After wondering briefly about what said issue could be, Littlefoot suddenly realised, and Bron’s smile told him he was right.

“Yeah...we had a clutch of eggs on the way. In the hostile environment, we were certain most wouldn’t survive, but we had a tiny glimmer of hope that we would have at least one...and of course...” he chuckled somewhat. “we did.”

“Hmm...” Littlefoot nodded. “Quite...”

“But that’s when the disagreements started,” Bron sighed. “Because we had to make a unanimous decision about what was best for us all. It was in my interests to get as far away as possible. But your mother and grandparents disagreed. They insisted Ulciscor’s regime wasn’t built to last, and it would collapse due to his own insanity or even his conscience. But I was...to be honest...rather scared.”

*
“When Ulciscor’s regime falls-”
“If!” Bron retorted.
Saura scowled prominently.
“As I was saying...when Ulciscor’s regime falls, all of the herds will be headed for the Valley. It’s the best place for our child or children to grow up.”
“But not whilst Ulciscor’s there!” Bron insisted. “And even if he is destined to fall, we can’t wait around for it with a vulnerable clutch of eggs!”
“But Bron,” Aster spoke up. “You’re suggesting taking the remnants of the herd off into the East towards what exactly? It’s a much bigger risk travelling with vulnerable eggs, especially when you don’t even know what you’re going towards.”
“I quite agree,” Arianna remarked. “And you’ve heard the whispers around the place – Ulciscor’s Valley is close to breaking point.”
“But even then!” Bron insisted, pacing around emphatically. “Who’s to say this Valley’s even the right place?”
Saura and her parents exchanged startled looks.
“Bron...” Saura said, in a considerably softer tone. “Look at me.”
Bron reluctantly looked into her eyes.
“You’re scared...” she said, almost awed.
“What?” Bron said abruptly. “No, I’m...”
“You’re scared at what everyone in the Valley will say. Or what everyone else will think. Or even Ulciscor coming for us because he knew us? You’re scared of something anyway.”
Bron didn’t reply.
“Oh, come now!” Saura said, carefully approaching him and resting her neck on his. “You don’t need to be scared. We’re with you. And you’re going to be a father!”
At that, Bron’s frown deepened.
“But this is madness!” he persisted. “What other fathers have to be scared of the murderous reputation of their own brother-in-law? It’s not something I want my child to be subjected to either. I’m not prepared for that kind of...”
“Kind of what?” Saura pressed.
Bron was silent, not looking at his wife or parents-in-law even though he could feel all their eyes upon him. When he spoke, it was with the falsely cheery air of blatantly changing the subject.
“Anyway, I’m sure that we can find a new home if we search long enough!”
“Really...” Saura’s voice had grown distinctly frosty. “Well, if you want to search for one, you’re on your own. Because my child is going to be raised in an environment we know is safe when the time comes.”

*
Littlefoot felt his heart sinking even deeper than it had at the start of the story. He was sure it must have settled somewhere near the base of his tail.

“So...you did leave them...” he muttered.

“It remains, to this day, my biggest regret,” Bron replied, sighing heavily. “I don’t have any excuse...please know that I departed on somewhat harmonious terms. We both promised we’d keep an ear to the ground, with her listening out for a new place in the east, and me listening out for news of Ulciscor. Though I think that proves to me I was simply afraid of him more than anything else...” He lapsed into a brief silence.

“Anyway, unfortunately, I lost my way quite a bit, and by the time I had heard that Ulciscor had fallen, it had been a few years since it had happened. Upon realising this, it really hit me hard about what a terrible blunder I’d made. I kept on thinking about how much I loved Saura and that I had missed out on my kid’s early years. But of course, by the time I got back, the Great Earthshake had struck, and your mother...”
 
He didn’t need to finish the sentence.

“The rest of the story is pretty much as you know it,” Bron continued. “Upon meeting Shorty and other hatchlings, I kept on reminding myself not to run away from my responsibilities. I managed to accumulate a herd with my persistence, but it was only when I finally met you after all those years that I first thought I’d been given a second chance. And even then I could only hope, considering her parents had and that she’d christened you with my old nickname that Saura had, in her final days, managed to forgive me for what I had done.”

A long silence fell over the two longnecks, Littlefoot gazing at a spot on the ground close to his father, but his mind elsewhere. The more he thought about it, the more he realised how much of his early life had been stolen from him. Not knowing his father, having his mother defend him from a sharptooth alone, and a delayed migration to the Great Valley...it all came back to Ulciscor.

As the wind whistled through the branches above him, Littlefoot could only hear a distinct buzzing in his ears as his numb brain tried to engage with what he had been told.

Then Bron spoke again.

“I expect you’re wondering why I didn’t tell you all of this before, Littlefoot,” he said quietly. “And well, I probably I knew I should have told you the whole story rather than the severely edited version you ended up with. You had a right to know. But...well, just seeing you, so bright, optimistic and good-natured in spite of everything that had happened...I just thought...especially as it was largely down to me that you went through it that in the first place...it really wasn’t fair to add yet another weight to your already heavy load. The way I saw it, right then, you had quite enough to deal with as it was...”

At this, Littlefoot finally looked back up at his father, and took in the sad smile he wore, as well as a single tear trickling down the side of his neck.

*
The wind howled harshly through the sky-scraping mountains at the perimeter of the Great Valley, scattered shingle and stones rolling and clattering across the desolate stones. The blandness of the scenery fell short however in the face of three figures, secluded and close together, discussing in earnest the events that had taken place.

“Well, that’s it then,” Hoshia said quite contently. “We only had to make a minimum contribution after all – things worked out the way they should.”

Keibetsu nodded respectfully.
“It would appear minor changes are all that’s needed to get the result you want,” he observed.

Hoshia sighed and exchanged a look with her frowning mate.

“That’s not quite the point we were getting at,” Tetsugaku told Keibetsu, who shrugged.

“So, what’s the next course of action?”

“Nothing yet,” Hoshia said simply, gazing at the Valley a considerable distance below her. “Things are back in balance for the time being. They should be able to figure things out themselves.”

“I agree,” Tetsugaku affirmed. “There will be no need to fan anymore flames. It could easily make the situation worse.”

Keibetsu nodded.

“Fair enough. Still, this Valley is one area you’ve observed and intervened in quite a few times. I’m a little concerned about what The Empress will make of this latest contribution.”

A slight shiver passed through the bodies of the rainbowfaces that had little to do with the wind.

“Well...” Tetsugaku murmured. “We can explain ourselves as best we can, and she will be assured in the knowledge that we will withdraw for a good while.”

“Yes...” Hoshia agreed. “We have no reason to linger with these dinosaurs for much longer.”

Keibetsu smiled.

“OK – I should point out, I will vouch for you,” he said earnestly. “You seem to be very eager to get things moving...you have a craving for change...” He gazed intently down at the Valley.

“That’s an admirable trait if ever there was one...”

*
“So...what did you say to him then?” Cera asked.

Littlefoot took a good look at his eager audience of eleven and smiled.

“I told him I forgave him...”

Bizarrely, this seemed to be an answer not all of them were expecting. Cera turned to exchange a surprised look with Shorty, and was a little frustrated to see that he was smiling. She instead turned to Ruby who was nodding contently. Unable to see anyone with the same expression as her, she turned back to Littlefoot.

“Just like that?” she asked.

“Well, yeah,” Littlefoot confirmed. His friends had been just as shocked as him to hear of Bron’s actions, so he found it imperative that they understood his take.

“He made a mistake,” Littlefoot said simply. “We’ve all done that – and whilst his had quite a few consequences, I can tell he’s really sorry, and what he’s done since then has made up for it considerably.” He shrugged.

“He may not be the same hero I always saw him as, but is at least someone who wants to change themselves and others for the better. And I’d be lying if I’d say I wasn’t proud to call that someone my dad.”

These words seemed to convince Cera, and she grinned broadly.

“Yeah...I know that feeling...”

“So, anyway,” Littlefoot continued. “What’s this I hear about Shark coming to the Valley? He’s the one who founded the sharptooth community right? When’s he coming?”

“Should be very soon actually,” Al replied. “Let’s go and see if we can see him arrive.”

*
Chomper could see immediately how Shark had managed to control such a large community of sharpteeth. Not only was he enormous, but his face shone with a kind of grandfatherly benevolence that Chomper had only seen in a few others before. Shark just had the air of someone you would trust instantly, and his words reflected that kind of trustworthiness perfectly.

“First I must thank the residents of the Great Valley for the hospitality, not only to me, but the rest of my kin,” he gestured towards the sharpteeth. His flattooth language was also perfect. Chomper couldn’t help but gaze at him with awe in whatever he did. This was the sharptooth that had near enough achieved his dream. He wanted nothing more than to gush about what it meant to him to this Shark character for hours on end. Shark gave the impression that he would listen too.

With Zyro translating for the leaf-eaters, Shark began to set out his plans of where to take the sharptooth community next.

“There are some wastes to the East,” he said. “Lands that have not seen much rain or much in the way of any life for a long time. But several smaller sharpteeth live there, desiring to be out of the way of the bigger ones. We must introduce ourselves to them carefully and ensure they don’t join Gigas or Redclaw. And they will only be the beginning. Whilst our allies here gather their strength and become a beacon of hope, we will travel and recruit more help, and hopefully in good time, we will be able to eliminate the threats to us, both leaf-eating and meat-eating, and begin to...well, attempt to live in harmony.”

Shark gave a slightly sad smile before turning back to the leaf-eaters and addressing them.

“I understand for you it still must be quite hard,” he said. “And you’ve been great to us – but don’t worry, very soon, we’ll be gone, but we’ll remain in touch. It must be daunting having so many sharpteeth in your Valley.”

“Well, for many, it was daunting with just one,” Topps spoke up, nodding at Chomper. “But I guess we’ve all grown to care for him as one of our own.”

Chomper couldn’t help but feel a rush of gratitude towards Topps – he was the last person he had expected to say such a thing.

“Hmm...” Shark pondered, looking over at Chomper, who felt slightly star struck. “That makes me wonder – will Chomper be remaining here?”

Chomper’s immediate thought was, ëof course! The Great Valley’s my home!’ But when Zyro posed the question to his parents, their reaction was quite different.

“No,” Rhea said firmly, catching everyone by surprise. With the appropriate translation provided, soon every Valleian was muttering among themselves.

Chomper felt quite a sharp jab to the stomach at her words.

“Mom, what are you talking about?” he demanded.

Rhea looked straight at him, her eyes full of resolute stubbornness.

“You only came here in the first place because it was necessary to protect you,” she said. “And your father and I missed you every single day after that. This Valley has done a good job in protecting you, but now it’s time for you to continue your journey with us. This Sharptooth Community is utterly brilliant – and we want you to share in that experience with us.”

“But...” Chomper gazed around at his companions, all of whom were looking just as perplexed and shocked as he was. “What about my friends?”

Rhea sighed, and Chomper could see in her eyes a reflection of some of the sadness she was putting him through. But at the same time, her orbs shone with the determination that this was necessary.

“We owe them our gratitude, and you’ll see them again sometime soon. But...” she looked helplessly at her husband, who seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

“But it’s probably time you started spending more time with your own kind,” Ross said. “So you know how to deal with them, and how to become...what you’re aiming towards.”

Chomper growled in frustration.

“Well, what if I said no?” he snapped back. “What if I told you I wanted to stay here?”

Rhea emitted a loud growl herself, which quickly shut Chomper up.

“You’ll do as you’re told,” she said firmly. “I’m sorry Chomper, but we’re not budging of this decision.”

Chomper could only gaze helplessly open-mouthed at her. She did not turn back to look at him, and seconds later, Chomper had dashed away from the council meeting, furiously blinking back the tears that were forming against his wishes.

*
The Thundering Falls had always been such a beautiful sight, Chomper reflected. Ever since he had first arrived in the Great Valley, in had been his go-to place for when he needed some distraction from whatever was going wrong, or just a peaceful spot to relax.

It was a shame he wouldn’t be able to see it every day. And after working for so long to get back to the Valley too...

There was a fantastic spot just near the watering hole that was covered with large clumps of bushes and other vegetation. Even though it was near the busiest spot in the Great Valley, Chomper knew that only those he wanted to would find him here.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before the gentle voice of Littlefoot carried its way across the way towards him.

“Chomper, are you here?”

“Mhm...” Chomper confirmed. A brief pause, before a shaking of leaves and a snapping of twigs proceeded Littlefoot emerging from the clump of bushes before him.

“Wow, it’s quite a tight fit in there...” he remarked.

He was soon followed by Ruby, who was then followed by Cera. And after them came Petrie, Ducky and Spike, followed by Shorty, Ali, Saureen, Lini and Al.

So they all came...Chomper sighed. He didn’t know what they had made of the fuss he had put up earlier.

But all eleven of his friends before him looked genuinely concerned.

“Sorry you had to hear about it like that Chomper,” Littlefoot said, sitting down next to him.

“Yeah – but we had no idea it was coming either,” Ruby added.

Chomper sighed.

“I...really don’t want to leave...” he said simply. “I’ve been part of the Valley for so long...it just won’t seem right...”

His friends seemed a little lost for words.

“What do you think I should do?” he asked them, helplessly.

“Well...” Ducky pondered, and Chomper stared. He hadn’t expected her to speak up so soon.

“Obviously we want to have you with us,” she said. “We do, we do – it’s just...”

“Do you think it best for you...?” Petrie finished.

“Best for me?” Chomper repeated. “What do you mean?”

“I think,” Saureen said, and Chomper’s eyes flicked to her instead. “He means...do you think it’s the right thing for you to stay here when there’s so much opportunity for you to make progress in the Community?”

She quickly walked past the rest of the Gang and sat directly in front of him. Chomper was drawn to her gaze.

“I can’t tell you what to do,” she said simply. “But I think it would really benefit us – that is to say, me, Lini and Al – to have you with us.” She smiled slightly. “Because we’re definitely going to be going with them. The Valley’s nice, but we feel we truly belong elsewhere. And we feel like you belong with us too. In...in Seizon’s absence, and even before, you were such a guiding beacon of light. You helped us, and we feel like you’re very much part of us now. Like...the new leader of the pack.”

Leader of the pack...now Chomper remembered. Seizon had told him that he was handing the pack over to him, because he trusted him. Dream or not, Chomper still couldn’t shake the feeling that he nevertheless owed him what he had promised. He had wanted to define sharpteeth in a new way, and what would be the best way to do that? Well, in a sharptooth pack, no doubt...

Littlefoot spoke up again.

“Whatever you decide Chomper, I want you to know, that we’ll always be your friends. Location and time can’t change that, no matter what...”

“That’s right...” Ruby agreed, also approaching him. “You’re going to be on our minds every day after you depart, and when you return, it’ll a reunion long in the making.”

“Yeah, Chomper!” Cera added. “And just so we know you’ll be thinking of us in the same measure, we got you a little something we found on the way here...Spike, do you still have it?”

Spike nodded and flicked his tail upward, sending a small object careering in Chomper’s direction, stopping right in front of him. Smiling in spite of himself, he picked it up.

It was a reasonably sized pointy seed, with some of its points removed – nevertheless, the ones that remained persisted their route around the seed, symbolising a continued connection he had with some very special leaf-eaters. It was a connection that he knew wouldn’t die.

“It not much...” Petrie admitted. “But we were hurrying, so...”

“It’s perfect...” Chomper replied, beaming. “I don’t know if I can think of anything better to remind me of the perfect friends I have...all the games we play and the connection we share...” He felt himself tearing up slightly, so he sucked in a deep breath.

“You’re all right...” he muttered. “It’s important I do this...and thanks for reminding what I have to come back to when the time is right...”

The Gang smiled.

“No problem,” Littlefoot said honestly. “It’s the least we could do for one of our own.”

*
Under the starless night sky with branches bending in the breeze, an adolescent pale green twoclaw observed them, and, with a smile, knew she had found the forest she had been looking for.

Disregarding the wind blowing past her, she strode towards the mouth of the forest, wondering how long it would be until the residents smelt her. Sure enough, very quickly, two large sharpteeth were blocking her path.

“Who are you??” Gigas snarled.

The twoclaw smiled.

“I am your only hope,” she replied. “I know the two of you have recently lost a good chunk of your forces. You face a war against two large parties you can’t possibly defeat. This is unless you adopt my strategy...”

Gigas and Redclaw glanced at each other, each uncertain what to make of this arrival.

“Are you saying,” Redclaw said slowly. “That you’re offering us your allegiance?”

“I offer more than that,” the twoclaw affirmed. “I offer the truth. And the only sure path to victory.”

“You’re talking drivel!” Gigas snapped. “How can we be sure you know what you’re talking about?”

“You can’t,” the twoclaw admitted. “But that’s not my problem. You don’t have any other choice but to ally yourselves with some other force. And I offer my own – the strongest – willingly. Don’t throw away such a golden opportunity.”

Gigas and Redclaw again glanced at each other.

“Well, before we make our decision,” Gigas said slowly. “You’d better tell us everything.”

“I’d say that’s reasonable,” the twoclaw admitted. “Listen carefully...it may be a lot to take in...”

*
The day had finally come. Chomper could hardly believe it. He’d only been back in the Valley about a week, and he was already leaving it in what seemed a much shorter time. But...he knew it was necessary.

Al and Lini seemed very excited to be going on what they considered a grand and epic journey.

“Finally, a group I can relate to...” Lini sighed. “And all that land out there and sharpteeth to meet...AAAAAHHH, IT’S GONNA BE AWESOME!!”

“Hold on a minute,” Al chuckled. “It’s not a holiday. It’s very important work we’ve got to do...”

“Oh, hush!” Lini retorted. “Anyway...don’t deny that you’re excited too!”

Al smiled.

“Yeah...this community’s the closest to family I’ve ever found,” he said. “So this, admittedly, won’t seem like work at all...”

Littlefoot meanwhile, was also buzzing from the news he had just been told.

“So, you’re going to be staying until further notice?” he excitedly asked his father.

“Yeah,” Bron smiled. “The whole herd is – it shouldn’t be too crowded once the sharpteeth have gone. Should give you and Shorty more time to bond. And Ali too of course.”

Littlefoot beamed.

“That’s brilliant! Hey, Grandpa, Grandma!” he called to his grandparents, who had just walked over. “Dad says he and his herd will be staying!”

“Yes, Littlefoot,” Aster nodded. “He already told us. We already told him he doesn’t need to prove himself anymore, but I guess he just has that kind of rebellious spirit.”

Bron laughed at that.

“You’re perfectly welcome here,” Arianna added. “Stay as long as you need.”

But Chomper found himself unwilling to leave his cave. Maybe if he ignored it, the inevitable would go away...?

That illusion was shattered as soon as Ruby entered the cave.

“Come on Chomper, everyone’s gathering to see you off! And they can’t do that without you there!”

Chomper continued to stare at his pointy seed gift.

“But what if we’re delayed coming back to the Valley?” he asked helplessly.

Ruby sighed.

“You can’t know what’s going to happen. Except that you’re going to stay in our hearts forever, and I hope you feel the same.”

Chomper sat up, considering her words carefully.

“Yeah...yeah, you’re right...”

The gathering of the sharpteeth at the pass out of the Valley was enormous, and Chomper gazed at Shark and Zyro leading the way. Opal, along with many other Valleians, said their goodbyes as they passed.
“We are grateful to everything you’ve done!” Opal told Zyro, who smiled, nodded and waved as he left.
 Chomper’s parents hung back, waiting for him to say his goodbyes.

Lini, Al and Saureen quickly made their valedictions known to the eight leaf-eaters, before stepping respectfully aside and allowing Chomper his chance.

Chomper stared for a long time at his friends, his mouth dry and his stomach squirming, wondering how he’d have the strength to do this.

Shorty spoke first.

“Well, see you around Chomper.”

“Yeah,” Ali added. “It was great meeting you again.”

Chomper smiled and embraced them as they both leaned in. He then turned to the others.

“Take care of yourself,” Ducky said, and Chomper found himself hugging her too. And then Petrie.

“Good luck!” he croaked as he found Chomper squeezing him a little too hard. Chomper, apologising, turned to Spike.

“See you around Spike,” he said, gratefully accepting the enthusiastic lick he was given.

“Bye, Chomper!” Cera said. She paused awkwardly for a moment, before relenting and accepting the crushing hug Chomper gave her.

“Hey,” Cera said weakly, trying to hide her growing tears. “I bet the time before we see you will be so short, you won’t even have time to be a better bowler than me.”

Grinning in spite of his own tears, Chomper turned to hug Ruby.

“You’ve been such a good friend, and thanks for looking after me...” Chomper murmured into her shoulder.

“The pleasure was all mine,” Ruby replied. “I hope you succeed in what you do...”

Finally, Littlefoot.

The two of them stared for a few seconds before Littlefoot sighed.

“What can I say?” Littlefoot asked. “I watched you hatch, and now...now it’s time for you to fly the nest.”

Chomper nodded and wiped a tear from his eye.

“You’re my best friend in the whole world, Littlefoot...” he said, sniffing somewhat. “I’m never going to forget you, even if I’m gone fifty years!”

“Me neither...” Littlefoot replied, and the two of them shared the tightest and longest embrace so far. After releasing him, Chomper slowly made his long walk back over to his parents, who smiled down at him and began their exit.

Chomper found himself staring back after his friends as he left, but when Saureen put her arm around him, he found his troubles were beginning to seem a lot smaller. He put his own arm around her. At least the company he had for this long exodus was great also...

As the Gang watched the last of the sharpteeth depart for the Mysterious Beyond, Ruby found her heart sinking. It was only when she felt Cera move closer to her and touch her side when she felt her stress levels lessening. She noticed Littlefoot still had his eyes fixed on the pass to the Mysterious Beyond, his expression troubled.

“He’ll be fine,” she whispered to him. He turned to look back at her.

“Yeah...” he agreed. “Yeah, I know he will.” He gave a deep sigh as he noticed no sharptooth on the horizon could be properly seen anymore.

But as the Gang slowly retreated back into the Valley to start a new round of bowling, Littlefoot knew, whether Ulciscor returned in a year, or ten, and whether Chomper and the sharpteeth would return in time to stand against him once more, he was confident that Chomper had it in him to change what needed to be changed. And no matter what changed, this alliance its days would not be forgotten – after generation upon generation, each would still pass on to the next the tale of their ancestor’s triumph of their Valley, long ago.

~0~

And there it is...I hoped you enjoyed Venatione Venatus!!  

It's been an incredible, and often frustrating journey, but thanks for those who have been with me since the beginning. It certainly wouldn't have finished without your kind words.  

Is there a sequel in the making? Maybe, but I don't have any plans to start it yet. In the meantime, it'll be fun to see you speculate...

Please let me know what you thought, not just of this chapter, but the entire story. And of course, thanks for reading.

OK, before I present you with the penultimate chapter, I feel I should mention something.
What goes down here is not entirely original - it's rather considerably inspired by other things in fiction, representing parallels that may be a bit more excessive than what is normally advisable. Having said that, I promise the entire story isn't a rip-off, and this ending does still work for the character arcs built in this fic, possibly even better than the character arcs originally built for it...either way, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please forgive my...inspiration...

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Hunters in the Rain


“What?!”

Xal’s demanding query suddenly reminded the other five of the inherent mystery. Their minds had been so focused on the horrifying trepidation that now faced them - Kai had found them, isolated an area as this rockcrop may be, and he had them outnumbered at least ten to one. He was standing there, leering and apparently encouraging the Bludgeoners to do the same, not hastening to make short of this cleansing, the way Ulciscor did. Kai’s preference, apparently, was to draw out the suffering as much as he could.

Having said that, Xal, still standing with his arm limp, had raised an interesting point.

“How come you can speak our language now?” he demanded of Kai.

Kai chuckled nastily, and Littlefoot’s hatred of him was reinforced. Had he really trusted this guy, not so long ago? Upon realising this, suddenly everything made a horrible sense – Ulciscor had asked Kai to spare him, back when he had joined him and the Gang. There seemed to be undeniable truth in Ulciscor’s story now...still, it didn’t seem like that was an issue that would be plaguing him much longer. It was doubtful the six of them standing there would ever have any problems again...at least once Kai had finished drawing out his sport...

“Ignorant even to the last,” Kai replied, still in the sharptooth tongue, looking delightedly at the glower Xal was giving him. “Now, you say? I’ve known of your stupid species’ language for ages. Ulciscor never questioned my seemingly super-sensory abilities when it came to tracking sharpteeth, he just relished in its usefulness. After having spent many weeks in my early life stuck in a maze-like canyon, with sharpteeth all around me, I eventually began to discover that their roars had more complex meaning than I first thought...”

Now, this was unexpected. Obviously Kai liked the sound of his own voice, but his potential victims were all listening, mildly intrigued by this discovery. Littlefoot distinctly remembered how his time spent with sharpteeth both young and old led him to discover that they were indeed sentient like other creatures and even formed loving families. It had helped him grow closer to others, and, he suddenly realised, may even be the reason he was here now, helping protect the lives of some sharpteeth close to him. He gazed at the back of Chomper’s head and even felt a tiny glimmer of joy ignite in him. Somehow, however, he felt that Kai’s story would not have quite such a happy ending. And sure enough...

“With this knowledge, I knew that wiping sharpteeth from this world would be easier than ever before!” Kai crowed, his yellow eyes glinting madly. “Now I knew exactly what they were planning and could step in and stop it. Their strategy for hunting something, the hiding places for their offspring, I scuppered all of their plans. It’s something you overlooked Xal!”

Xal simply grunted, casting his eyes down.

“Thinking I wouldn’t be able to see through your pathetic strategy? Yes, I could hear every single order those stupid Piercers were hollering at each other. It was how I and my force were able to slip away and leave them and that invading Alliance to finish each other off...” his eyes briefly settled on Zyro as he said this. “And that’s also finished. I personally killed that old longneck matriarch.”

“No...” Shorty whispered, sinking to his knees.

Kai still looked utterly jubilant. His bragging may have left him open to attack, but he was prepared to believe none of them would try to launch themselves at him when he had such considerably back-up, all of whom were waiting patiently, despite not understanding a word of this conversation.

“And now we come to you,” Kai continued, staring hard at them all. “There’s a little fewer than I hoped for, but I realised the Piercers had to come from somewhere. And here’s my reward...you have no fight left in you, Xal. Incredible, isn’t it? And to think you wanted to change the world! Well, your world-changing ideas will be going out not with a bang, but with a whimper...” His grin broadened and he licked his lips.

“I cannot wait for your filth to finally be finished...”

Zyro glanced sideways at Xal.

“Are you sure you don’t have any more Piercers in reserve anywhere close?” he muttered to him.

“If I did, you wouldn’t be standing there, Zyro,” Xal replied flatly. “That’s a fact.”

“Right...” Zyro sighed, and quickly turned to look at the children.

“When it comes down to it, you may have to run...” he whispered.

The four kids all glanced at each other, knowing he was probably right – there didn’t seem to be any other option at this time.

However, what happened next changed everything.

Kai had been walking slowly towards the six of them, his Bludgeoners following at a distance, all tails raised, and Kai looking positively insane, when he stopped, having spotted something on the ground in front of him.

Looking closer, the four of them kids suddenly felt their hearts leap into their mouths. It was Seizon’s body...the fight had forced them all behind it. Seizon was now just lying there unprotected...

“Ah, I’d almost forgotten,” Kai said suddenly, now in leaf-eater. He was glaring down at the small bladeback. “I remember you, you little bastard. Thought you’d give me the run around, eh? Thought you’d try and defy me in completing my mission?” If they had had any doubt about Kai’s insanity before this, all of it was driven from them now. Kai was practically foaming at the mouth and his eyes were popping as he muttered hateful remarks to the body.

“Completely gave me the slip...so smug in your damn victory, huh??” he snarled. “Well, now who’s laughing? Time I repaid you in full...”

And so saying, his face twisted in an ugly scowl of loathing, he jerked out one of his front feet and kicked Seizon’s body roughly into the air, where it twisted and flailed aimlessly for a second before landing unpleasantly face down on the hard earth.

The kids, horrified, gasped immediately with such an intake of breath it was as though they too had just personally been kicked through the air. Zyro gritted his teeth but suppressed other reactions and Xal’s eyes merely followed the body’s progression before casting themselves downward again. Chomper, however, suddenly found he couldn’t take his eyes off of Seizon. The emptiness that had filled him since they had discovered his fate was now being replaced with something quite different...

“Well, look at that!” Kai chuckled, turning to the Bludgeoners and prompting them to laugh with him. “Powerless before me! My only wish is that I had finished him off myself...I would have made him suffer even more...”

As he stepped forward once more, suddenly something inside Chomper’s brain snapped, reminiscent faintly of just after Pyron’s death. Before he even considered anything, he found himself screaming.

“GET AWAY!!!!!”

Rage and hatred like he hadn’t felt in such a long time had suddenly burst forth from him, suppressed for far too long. Ignoring the shocked reactions of his companions, he charged blindly forward at Kai, roaring and snarling.

“GET AWAY FROM HIM, YOU SCUM!!!”

He broke off as he felt Zyro grip his jaws around his tail and yank him back.

“Stop!” he told him firmly, glancing nervously up at Kai, who had his eyes fixed on Chomper, an ugly expression making itself known. “There’s nothing you can do for him now...”

But now Chomper had something else to occupy him. Now that he was closer to Xal, he found himself staring – the expression in his amber eye was utterly unfazed, almost completely empty. Why hadn’t he screamed in rage himself? He was just standing there, certainly not looking like one who had just seen his stepson’s body be kicked so callously around. From the back of his mind, an unwelcome phrase came back to him – something he himself had said earlier.

“Xal only cares about what you can offer him as the most loyal and unwavering follower. His care doesn’t extend to who you are.”

He had mainly been spouting that just for the sake of argument...but did they really hold the same truth he had thought? A wave of cold suddenly rose up inside of him. If that were true, Seizon had died for a lie...

“Well, Xal?” Chomper demanded. “What about you?”

He gazed carefully at the bladeback, who was still staring blankly across the horizon. Then, however, he blinked and turned to him.

“What?” he said. “What do you mean?”

“Seizon!” Chomper cried, pointing at the body. “What are you going to do about what he’s doing to Seizon??”

Kai had paused in his approach, apparently interested in where this discussion was going. He turned to the Bludgeoner next to him and whispered,

“I wonder what they’re now going to cling to when they have nothing left...”

Ignoring this, Chomper’s attention was still fixed on Xal, hardly daring to believe what was now seemingly being confirmed before him.

Xal looked quite confused.

“What can be done?” he asked. “Seizon’s dead.”

“He-!” Chomper exclaimed, momentarily too shocked to speak. “He still deserves respect!! Just like the respect he’s shown you for so damn long!”

“Respect...?” Xal repeated the word as though it were utterly foreign to him. “You really have been living away from your own kind for too long...the loyalty Seizon showed to me was because he feared me. I lived off of intimidation. This is very often the way such a balance of power works. But now...”

He trailed off. Chomper was still staring open-mouthed at him, his latest words bouncing around his head. Xal had missed the point completely...

“Balance of power...?” Chomper repeated.

Xal didn’t reply.

Chomper exploded.

“BALANCE OF POWER??” Chomper screamed at him. “IS THAT HOW YOU THINK NOW, IS IT?? IS THAT WHERE THIS REVOLUTION OF YOURS HAS BROUGHT YOU???” He paused, drawing deep, heaving breaths, his rage constantly attempting to boil over.

“I can’t believe how badly you’ve missed...everything!” Chomper eventually concluded, gazing back at Seizon’s body and feeling his eyes beginning to sting. “Seizon...lived for you...and it’s not because he feared you, it’s because he loved you! You were the most important thing in the world to him! He’d always put you first, never heard a word against you. You can dress it up how you like, but I refuse to let you dismiss him like that...”

Some of Seizon’s words came back to him now.

“He’s great. He’s got big plans for us. For all of us.”

“Everything he ever did...” Chomper continued. “Everything he ever worked towards, it was all because of you...!”

Upon hearing footsteps behind him, he turned and saw Saureen cautiously approaching them, gazing up at Xal.

“He’s right...” she murmured. Xal stared straight ahead, and so she continued. “Even if it wasn’t necessary for the mission, he would always go out of his way to do things to you. Even go to war against another pack, interpreting what they’d said as an insult towards you...”

“If he insults us, he insults Xal. There’s no way he’s getting away with this...”

“And it wore us down...” Saureen murmured, her eyes moistening again. “We eventually left him over it, but I thought at least you’d be grateful for his commitment and courage...”

Xal still didn’t look round, but he didn’t interrupt either.

“Even at your cruellest,” Saureen continued, biting her lip as a painful memory took hold. “He still tried to justify everything you did. And assured us that, if nothing else, he would make you better.”

“I need to do whatever I can...I feel it is my calling to do that...that’s my dream, to save him like he saved me.”

“And I know how he felt...” Shorty added, carefully walking forward also. “Because I too have a stepfather who took me in when nobody else would. A life without you wouldn’t bear thinking about. And believe me when I say that the love for someone who gave you a purpose doesn’t go down easily...”

“But you don’t care!!” Chomper was gazing up agonisingly at the vacant expression Xal wore. “After everything he did and wanted for you...you can’t bring yourself to give back...all because of this balance of power and revolution you’re so obsessed with! You couldn’t see what was right in front of you...”

Chomper could no longer hold them in. Fountains of tears began to leak from his eyes, even as he creased his face in attempt to maintain his composure.

“I’ve seen this new sharptooth community,” he sobbed, “but that’s something quite alien, isn’t it? This is how most sharpteeth are, right? Only cold and self-serving and because of the cruelty of the world, never seeing beyond themselves! If I had never been hatched in the Great Valley, would I have become like you...?”

He stared at Xal briefly as the thought occurred to him, before turning his teary eyes back to Seizon.

“But Seizon had someone else to serve...he threw his life away for you! For you and your precious dream! Nothing else mattered to him but to make you happy, and you didn’t even care...you never even...” He gulped before continuing. “Seizon never gave up on you! And no matter what problems I may have had with him, I still think he’s worth ten of you any day...because he had a commitment. You’re just cold...”

He dissolved in a wave of tears, sniffing heartily and, for a moment, wanting nothing more than just to go and lie beside Seizon and wait for the inevitable.

“So...he really did feel something...?”

Xal had spoken at last. And his voice seemed softer...more emotional...

Chomper looked up and soon found his mouth open in disbelief.

A stream of very real tears was leaking from the bladeback’s eyes. He seemed to be crying silently, but there could be no mistaking his expression.

“Chomper...you really don’t know what a weight that is off of my conscience...”

He briefly glanced around, taking in Kai’s thoroughly amused surveillance, before turning to face the young twoclaw.

“I remember now...I took Seizon in partially because I pitied him, but also because I wanted someone to remind me exactly what I was fighting for – those dispossessed, just like him, who would hopefully one day find a new home...”

He sighed.

“But I got so wrapped up in what I was doing, for someone I looked up to, I began to forget. And bless him for trying to make me remember...but all this time I thought he was staying with me out of fear. At the time, I didn’t know how to connect. And once he died, I may have lost control – it was almost like a metaphor for me losing my way, something that I never anticipated...nor indeed me failing to see, as you so rightly said, what was right in front of me...”

He drew a great hearty breath, before finally allowing his eyes to settle on the body of his stepson.

“You know his heart broke for you, right?” he said, gazing at Chomper before glancing back and Saureen. “He cared for you so much – he never wanted you hurt. Again, I thought it was fear keeping him going, but you say it was love...? That really puts it all into perspective...”

He turned his eyes back to the ground.

“Well, I feel content that the revolution ends today...I’ve seen the causalities and scars it can cause. Not just physically, but emotionally too. I’ve gone too far. I am now content to stop...I don’t know completely what Eykion wanted, but it isn’t this. And nor do I.”

Chomper was staring at him open-mouthed, completely dumbstruck. His eyes followed Xal’s stream of tears as though he had never seen any before.

“What, this...?” Xal asked, chuckling slightly as he gestured to his tears with his good arm. “Are you really so surprised to discover that I have a soul after all? Well...I can’t have given you the best impression, but I’ll tell you this now – apex hunters can cry, and even we who hide behind our teeth and claws do indeed have souls. No matter how much we go through life and try not to care, try to hide that simple and very obvious fact, we always fail...or, at the very least...”

He smiled briefly.

“I have certainly failed.”

Saureen and Shorty exchanged looks before retreating back to the shelter of the rock, from which Littlefoot was gazing, incredulous. Zyro had been listening to the whole exchange in silence but now looked satisfied. Chomper, meanwhile, just stood there, gazing up at Xal.

Xal’s eyes lingered for a while over Kai before turning to Chomper and smiling.

“Even though I know you hate me,” he said, quite calmly. “How about doing me a favour Chomper?” he extended, as best he could, his dislocated arm.

“How about putting my arm back in my shoulder? It’s just a simple twist, and you’ll be able to feel where it goes? I have one more score I need to settle.”

Chomper hesitated. He glanced over at Zyro, who smiled grimly and nodded.

Chomper swallowed and as he attempted to exert his strength to fix Xal’s arm, he heard the bladeback begin to mutter once more.

“For Seizon...”

A pronounced click was heard, and with his arm fixed, Xal rounded on Kai, venom in his eyes.

Then he charged.

For having been fighting for a good while, the speed at which he moved was unbelievable. Kai even had to do a double take as Xal rocketed towards him. After neatly dodging around Seizon’s body, the bladeback leapt at the spiked longneck, sinking his teeth into his shoulder and digging his foreclaws in.

Kai screamed in rage and pain and kicked out, knocking Xal over, although he was back on his feet almost instantly, gaze fixed and jaw set. Noting what he was up against, Kai called wildly to the Bludgeoners.

“Take him!” he roared, and the Bludgeoners eagerly moved forward. “He can’t take us all!”

Forget it, Kai told himself, as he edged his way in amongst his foot-soldiers. There was no point in risking severe injuries on just one enemy. He’d wait until Xal was dead before moving in on the rest.

But Xal would not be taken down. Roaring and snarling like a berserker, he was kicking, clawing and biting any Bludgeoner who stood in his way. He only had one target, and yet one or two Bludgeoners fell dead at his feet, their throats slit...

Kai was watching this carnage in alarm, and took several rapid paces back the way he had come, continuing to glance back at Xal as he did so.

Chomper, Zyro and the others were too watching this in astonishment, frozen to the spot.

“Is he trying to get back into the Valley?” Zyro thought as he watched Kai hurry away. “I don’t think he’ll have the time...”

He predicted correctly.

Now leaping from the struggling Bludgeoners, Xal blocked Kai’s route back into the Valley and rammed into him, nearly knocking him off balance. Kai grunted angrily and struck out with his neck, briefly scratching Xal, but not enough to perturb him. Continuing to push, shove and swipe at each other, they ended up making their way over to yet another precipice, although this one was considerably higher, and led to a sheer drop right into the barren lands of the Mysterious Beyond. Kai, noticing the danger, quickly decided to change his tactics. Quickly turning, he struck Xal hard with his tail. This strike had a much more profound effect than any of his attacks before, and Xal was flung to the ground right in the path of a few Bludgeoners still brave enough to help Kai out.

As Xal scrambled to his feet, one of the Bludgeoners swung his tail expertly and precisely, driving the spiked club straight into Xal upper thigh. An audible crack echoed across the terrain and Xal gasped as he felt his femur grind into his insides. As he staggered around and attempted to stay upright, the longnecks drew back, apparently waiting to see what he did next. Their answer came when he coughed throatily and blood seeped from his mouth.

The sight was apparently one of great euphoria to Kai. Throwing back his head, he roared with a laughter that sent chills up the spines of everyone listening, echoing insanely around, utterly devoid of anything that would give anyone else joy.

Kai settled his manic, yellow eyes onto the bleeding bladeback.

“Well, what else did you think was going to happen?” he demanded in sharptooth. “What a joke! You really think you could take us all on?? If this is the way you’re planning to go with dignity, you’re greatly mistaken!”

He carefully approached him.

“I just hope you think carefully about how much of a dead end your life was as you die,” he told him shamelessly.

Xal raised his eyes and fixed him with a steely glare which gave even Kai pause.

“What good advice,” he said. “I hope you do the same.”

Kai could only laugh at that.

“I’m not going today,” he said confidently. “And I have no regre-”

He broke off and screamed in pain. Whilst he was talking, Xal had raised his arm in a swift motion and clawed deep into the longneck’s eye.

With blood splattering from his now closed eyelid, Kai began to scream sharptooth profanities at Xal, at which the Bludgeoners were reluctant to step forward.

This was all Xal needed.

“Maybe you’ll regret it when you go to meet your victims!” Xal snarled, clawing at Kai’s neck.

“What are you talking about, scavenger???” Kai screamed back, swinging his tail around once more. But Xal ducked beneath it and planted a hefty bite into Kai’s flank, kicking him over as he did so.

As Kai crashed to the ground, the eyes of all watching, still frozen to the spot, gazed as Xal leered over him and took his front leg in his jaws, the very leg that had kicked Seizon.

Kai howled and attempted to get back up, but Xal’s tugging and clawing at the limb prevented him from doing so. He even swatted Xal several times with his tail, but it was at the wrong angle to provide a significant blow, and even as Xal felt his injuries begin to take hold, he continued to claw and tug at the leg...

Chomper, watching from afar, was suddenly reminded of his violent, vengeful actions towards Yuti after Pyron’s death, and he found he knew what would happen seconds before it did.

Kai emitted a ear-splitting, terrible scream of pain as, with a horrible, jarring, ripping sound of flesh and sinew, Xal triumphantly wrenched his leg clean off, and held it in his jaws as it continued to splatter blood over the ground. Swinging his head in an arc, he flung the still pulsating limb away, and it soared over the heads of the Bludgeoners, who scattered and let it land in the middle of them, twitching briefly before becoming still.

Kai, whose eyes were still wide, but now with fear, was staring at his gaping, bleeding hole where he once had a leg, before looking up, horrified, at the bladeback that approached him.

Xal coughed once more, spilling more of his own blood, but chose to ignore it. He glared down at Kai with a sadistic triumph.

“I’m sure the dead all go to the same place...” he panted. “Think of all those who’ve been sent there because of you. I hope the reunion is a happy one.”

“No...” Kai whispered, mortified. “Please...you can’t...”

Xal lowered his head and rammed the maimed longneck with all his strength. Reasonably quickly, Kai found himself sliding towards the sheer drop.

“Gaah, no!!” he howled, attempting to grip to the edge with his remaining front limb. But it was hopeless. With one last, gigantic push, Xal felt the spiked longneck’s weight go slack, and Kai fell over the edge. He screamed, twisted and splattered blood as he fell, before he finally hit the hard ground head long. With a mighty crash and a distinctive crack of his neck, he finally stopped moving.

A very stunned, shocked silence fell over the area. All of the kids were gazing the distance past the Bludgeoners and onto Xal open-mouthed, having been unable to make any sort of movement for a good minute or so. The Bludgeoners had also been similarly transfixed, now watching the bladeback, unsure of what to do. Xal himself was looking over the edge at Kai’s mangled body. Finally satisfied, he turned back to fix his gaze upon the Bludgeoners.

Just this single act made them all recoil, and they continued to watch him in terror as he slowly trudged back towards them. But his progress was slow and uncertain. He could feel his internal injuries beginning to take hold. Once again coughing, he emitted another torrent of blood from his mouth before raising his eyes up to the horizon. The terrified Bludgeoners had cleared a path enough for him to focus on one sight in particular. The body of a small bladeback.

“How...?” he muttered to himself. “How did I not notice...?”

And then he collapsed.

Chomper, finally closing his mouth, turned, somewhat unnerved to his companions. All of them wore similar expressions to him.

Zyro gazed at them all and sighed.

“Right...well, now we-”

“Hey!” cried an angry voice.

The five of them looked back up to see a Bludgeoner stride to the front of the group. It was Shock, and his voice, speaking his native tongue, the only one he knew, seemed to command an authority otherwise hidden. The other Bludgeoners had rallied behind him now, and they were all leering at Zyro and the youngsters with the same malice Kai had displayed. Shock had his tail raised, and they noted the distinctive blood on the spikes of his clubbed tail. He had delivered Xal’s crushing blow.

“With Ulciscor gone and Kai dead, I think that makes me in charge!” he declared, glowering at them. “And I’m not prepared to allow everyone else to give me the run-around. Now that the Valley is rightfully mine, I think it’s time we reclaimed it!” The other Bludgeoners cheered enthusiastically, at Shock, grinning turned back to Zyro and the kids.

“Starting with you...”

And with that, they charged.

The thunderous sounds of them all approaching left our heroes clueless. Zyro turned to them all, willing himself to give some useful order when he was caught off guard. A shadow briefly passed over them, before what casted it landed in front of them and rammed straight into Shock. Shock gasped in pain as all the Bludgeoners stopped to take a good look at what had blocked them.

It was Topps.

“One thing...” he grunted, trying to ease his horns out of Shock’s shoulders. “You’re forgetting...”

And when Chomper and the others turned to look behind them, they saw everyone.

All of the members of the Great Valley, including Cera, Ruby, Ducky, Spike, Petrie, Ali, Tria, Mr Thicknose, Opal and most of their families, along with all the sharpteeth of the community, including Al, Lini, Ichy and Dil, and with them were all of the longnecks from Bron and Old One’s herd, including...

“Doc?” Littlefoot murmured.

But everyone here, cramped as it was, and some trailing back down the wall into the Valley, seemed very determined to make their message known.

“That’s right!” Opal declared. “If you really want this Valley, you’re first going to have to go through all of us!”

All of them...? Chomper couldn’t help but grin inanely as he looked at this gigantic group, all working together in such cohesive harmony. A group he noticed, that was much more gigantic than the remaining Bludgeoners, all of whom were now looking quite horrified.

Topps flung Shock to the ground, and he was instantly trampled upon by fleeing Bludgeoners, scrabbling as best they could over more climbable exits off of the Great Wall, all of them scaling haphazardly. Even as the Alliance began to give chase, fighting off some of the hardier Bludgeoners they found that eventually all of Ulciscor’s soldiers and enforcers were working their way into the Mysterious Beyond and galloping away at top speed, not even looking back.

Not a second has passed before the jubilant cry of victory was declared, with the Alliance members cheering and hugging one another, dancing and holding their loved ones close, a single, relieved, estatic thought going through all of their minds:
It’s finally over...
 
Chomper, Saureen, Littlefoot and Shorty all instantly went over to Cera, Ruby, Ducky, Petrie, Spike, Ali, Lini and Al.

“Oh, we’re so glad you’re all OK!” Ali cried, nestling her head onto Shorty.

“Same here!” Saureen agreed, clinging tight to Lini.

After greeting the others, Chomper rushed over to his parents, both beaming and nearly weeping with joy as Rhea scooped him up in her arms and nuzzled him tight.

“Oh, you’ve been so brave...” she whispered. “It seems you’ve flown the nest a lot sooner than we’ve realised...”

Chomper frowned somewhat at that, but whispered back,

“Not for lack of wanting to stay with you for as long as I can...”

Nearby, Saureen was reuniting with Ferox in a similar fashion, and Littlefoot and Shorty immediately trotted over to Bron, Aster and Arianna. However, the look Littlefoot gave all these adults and the one they exchanged with both him and each other told them what they needed to. It would appear things still needed to be cleared up here...but for now, he decided, as he nuzzled his grandparents, was time for celebration.

Topps strode to the front of the jubilant group and spoke up.

“Ulciscor will rue this day forever, and the day he first came to us!” he crowed. “We are victorious, and those who fell today would be proud of what we’ve accomplished. Let’s continue to make them proud!”

A cheer of enthusiastic agreement met this speech, and, with some of those words hitting home, Zyro excused himself from the company of Opal and Doc and wandered over to the form of a large bladeback some distance away, now beginning to stir.

Once he had arrived at his side, Xal stopped struggling to move and lay there, his eyes closed.

“So...” he said eventually. “Sounds like its over. Congratulations.”

“Yeah...” Zyro agreed, casting an eye over the celebrating alliance. “And we owe you our thanks too – not only did you take out Kai, but you drew him here. Otherwise, from what I heard, he would have gone after the otherwise unprotected young ones we had in the Hidden Canyon.”

“Great...” Xal murmured. He coughed once more, more blood dripping from his maws. “Zyro...?”

Zyro looked down at him.

“Is there...” Xal closed his eyes again briefly and continued. “Any hope for me...?”

Zyro considered momentarily, once again surveying the Alliance.

“There are many here skilled in healing and treatments...” he said mildly. “One of them may be able to see what they can do.”

“That’s not what I asked,” Xal replied. “I want a straight answer – is there any hope for me?”

Zyro exhaled heavily.

“From what I’ve seen of these kinds of internal injuries,” he replied. “No. The damage is too great. I’m afraid there probably isn’t anything we can do for you.”

“Right.” Xal looked quite content about this.

“In that case, Zyro, I have a favour to ask. A last request, if you will.”

Zyro gazed down at him again.

“Yeah?”

“Bring him to me...” Xal was averting his gaze, but spoke quite clearly. “Before I go, I need to see him one last time. I feel that it would greatly set my mind at rest...”

Zyro took one hard look at him, before gazing back across the horizon at the small form of Seizon. He then turned back to look at the sharptooth that was once his enemy. He felt that tears were beginning to form in his eyes.

“Sure,” he said.

With purpose, Zyro began to walk back over to where Seizon lay, past Kai’s severed leg which a few sharpteeth were now beginning to eat from. But the chatter died down and all eyes were upon him was he approached the body of the small bladeback.

Chomper, Saureen, Lini and Al all crept gingerly forward as Zyro picked up the body and turned him over. Thankfully, Kai’s kick had done minimal damage to him – Seizon still looked quite at peace.

Zyro turned, carrying Seizon’s body, and as he walked back over to Xal, the watching Alliance members felt several drops of water hit them. This skywater increased into a sustained drizzle, but none of them felt it right to complain about.

Chomper heard Saureen choke back a sob next to him, before she whispered exactly what was on their minds.

“Seizon loved skywater...he saw it as the pinnacle of serenity and nature...”

Chomper wordlessly put his arm around her, and she rested against his shoulder.

Lini however, curiously leaned forward.

“Do you think that’s him...?” she asked carefully. “Is he trying to say something from...beyond death...?”

This was an intriguing question, one none of them had the answer to. Zyro wordlessly placed Seizon’s body next to Xal, and stepped quickly and respectfully away.

Although they were keeping their distance, everyone moved forward to watch the rain hammer and flow around these two bladebacks as they lay there, not entirely sure what this was for, but feeling compelled nonetheless.

Xal turned his dying body as best he could towards Seizon.

“Hi, Seizon...” he whispered, his eyes raking the small form. “I guess...we’ve really had the run around, eh? You and me...for a long time, just trying to make the world a better place. Seizon...I’m so sorry I forgot you. I promise that I now know my mistakes, and how you felt. I wish I could...have been there the way you needed me too...that would have changed a lot, I’m sure. I hope you can forgive me...”

“Ah, I’m sure he had that in his heart...” Ichy murmured to Dil, who quickly shushed him.

Xal raised his hand to hold Seizon’s face, to gaze into it. Expressionless as it was, Xal still felt drawn to it.

“There was skywater falling when we first met...” he whispered. “And it’s falling now...does that mean anything...?”

“I’m...sure it does!” Chomper apparently couldn’t hold his tongue anymore, but Xal wasn’t about to shut him up, so he continued. “I think...Seizon’s trying to say...the way he feels about you hasn’t changed. It continues in the same way, just like the skywater.

“Hmm...” Xal mused. “You may be right...”

A drop of the falling rain hit Seizon’s eye and rolled down his face, looking very reminiscent of a tear. Xal’s own eyes were moved to tears at this sight.

“It’s only fitting,” he said. “That you’d be the one I’d want to spend my last moments with...” He put his other arm around Seizon and held him close.

“My greatest defender, my most loyal companion, and above all...my son. I hope to see you soon...”

And with that, smiling in spite of himself, Xal closed his eyes, and the watching Alliance was left with just the sound of the pounding rain, washing around the two bladebacks. It was only when the skywater stopped when they realised that father and son were reunited once more.

*
“Is this just the way things always have been?”

Saureen’s question was an interesting one, and even though he was otherwise distracted, Chomper tuned his ears in.

The Hidden Canyon felt like a suitable location to bury the fallen. The Valleians had figured that provided they blocked off the back entrance to the Mysterious Beyond, there was no reason that others couldn’t go here as they pleased to visit their lost friends and relatives.

Nearby, Ducky, Spike, Opal and their siblings were placing a multitude of flowers on the grave of Azura, whereas Ali and Shorty were visiting the rather large one, marked by a boulder, of the Old One. Chomper would have spent his time paying his respects to them too, but right now, he was too focused and subdued.

As he heard Saureen’s question, he was scraping a sharp piece of rock over the large one that marked this grave. Eventually, he was satisfied the image on the rock resembled what lay beneath it – two bladebacks, one large and one small, in each other’s embrace forever.

Saureen, placing the flowers she had picked down, turned to look at Ferox and Zyro.

“For sharpteeth, I mean,” she continued. “Have we always been just so self-serving, so...unaware just what others have to give us?”

Ferox and Zyro exchanged uncomfortable glances.

“Well, this is what we’re trying to change,” Zyro insisted. “It’s the reason Shark founded the Great Sharptooth Community in the first place. We’re doing all we can to change what’s been the status quo amongst sharpteeth since...well, forever.”

Chomper’s claws tightened over the rock he was holding.

“I certainly remember what it’s been like,” Ferox said, picking up his daughter and holding her close. “Though that wasn’t to say there weren’t exceptions. Both your mother and grandmother were great examples of sharpteeth who broke through that and began to learn that there’s more to life than yourself. Eventually, many do learn that lesson, even it’s too late.” He sighed and gazed at the gravestone.

Chomper now turned to face them.

“Well, if that’s the life sharpteeth can expect to face, then maybe I don’t want to be one!” he growled. He gazed at the ground mutinously. “I never asked to be this! Seizon was absolutely right – it’s impossible to maintain such an easy relationship with leaf-eaters...” he trailed off as the possibilities returned to him in a creeping and unnerving way.

Zyro sighed.

“Well, nobody else managed it quite as well as you,” he said, now turning to leave. “You’re actually something of an icon and a model for this Community to work around. And it’s because various leaf-eaters knew you that we were able to form this Alliance in the first place. Just think about that for a second.”

Chomper stared after him, the words he had just said starting to sink in. He supposed...that was true in a way...

Ferox set Saureen down and turned to leave himself. Saureen approached Chomper, Lini and Al also drawing close.

“Do you want to go back now?” Lini asked tentatively.

“Give me a minute,” Chomper replied pensively, his eyes now fixed on the carving he had made.

The other three nodded and Saureen briefly squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek before moving away. The spot where she had kissed him burned, and there was a jubilant, floating feeling in the pit of his stomach. But he could focus on that later.

He sighed heavily. He supposed he would have had to face the inevitability of sharptooth life sooner or later. Seizon had been a wakeup call – not only for what was ahead of him, but what he needed to focus on.

As Chomper walked away from the grave and back to the main part of the Valley, he took one last, long look at the image of the two bladebacks.

“I just hope...” he murmured. “That your case, Seizon, will be the last...”

And with that, he left the fallen in peace.

~0~

So, there is the conclusion to the battle! I hope you enjoyed. The next chapter will be the last...what did you think...?

“Come on, just stop...”

Saureen’s increasingly panicked tones did little to waver the two sharptooth boys, fixing each other with cold glares and calculating the remaining possibilities in their minds. Seizon’s amber eyes were not overly forth bearing, but Chomper felt he knew that an act of aggression wasn’t far from his mind at any time.

After all, if he considered himself an apex hunter, this was always near the top of their list.

Saureen looked around at Shorty and Littlefoot, imploring them for help. But they could only shrug. Controlling two sharptooth entering their greatest growth stage was not something they had any confidence in, but upon realising this, Littlefoot was actually quite taken aback. This was Chomper he was talking about – the one he had hatched himself, had Chomper really grown that much beyond his control?

Saureen seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

“You’re Chomper’s oldest friend, right?” she demanded of him in the flattooth tongue. “You can surely calm him down...?”

Littlefoot chewed his tongue nervously.

“Err...Chomper...?” he attempted.

Chomper’s head snapped to him immediately.

“Yes??”

“Umm...don’t you think you should give it a rest?”

Littlefoot hadn’t been anticipating the great wave of sadness that suddenly filled the young twoclaw’s eyes. Taken aback, he quickly attempted to repair whatever mistake he had made.

“Chomper...I mean, don’t...” he faltered.

“Littlefoot...” Chomper murmured, paranoia about the leaf-eaters judgements on him still dancing around in his mind. “Don’t you get it...? I’m not giving this a rest, because he certainly won’t.” He jabbed a claw in Seizon’s direction. “I’m doing this all for you! I will never stop trying to defend the ones I love...”

“And neither will he,” Saureen added, switching back to sharptooth so that Seizon could understand. “And that’s just it...the ones you love are so important to you, neither will win, and-”

“Saureen,” Seizon interrupted, tearing his eyes away from Chomper. “Stop trying to force this coalition! It’s not going to happen. I’m not leaving Xal. You must understand this. Why are you so obsessed with making everything around you right???”

Saureen could only stare back at him, mouth slightly open.

“I think I know what it is,” Seizon continued, walking towards her. “You can’t face conflict. You never know what to do. You can’t even face simple insect prey! It’s like I’ve be telling you for years, you need to grow up!”

Saureen continued to stare back, the harsh words nevertheless making some impact on her hide.

“Don’t take it out on her!” Chomper snapped, striding over at once and grabbing Seizon’s shoulder.

Seizon immediately pushed his hand off without looking at him.

“Get off me, scavenger. Look Saureen, I’m only saying as it is because I care about you...you’re...like my sister. And the time needs to come where you decide who’s side you’re on.” He glared at Chomper.

“I’m fairly sure I know already who you’re going to choose, but...”

Chomper gave a short, harsh laugh.

“That’s right. She saw the light a long time ago.”

These words managed to push Seizon over the edge. Roaring in rage, he leapt at Chomper.

“No, don’t!!” Saureen cried.

The twoclaw and the bladeback once again rolled around in the dirt, biting and clawing at each other. Getting some leverage, even as Seizon scraped at his snout, he thought he had managed to pin him down, but Seizon simply raised his legs and kicked Chomper off of him with all his might.

Chomper landed with a heavy thud, and Seizon leapt at him again. At this point, Chomper lost his balance and tumbled over a sloped edge, the two rolling onto a precipice jutting out over what was otherwise a sheer drop, overlooking the passage between the Great Valley and the Mysterious Beyond.

Saureen hurried over to the edge, Shorty and Littlefoot hot on her heels as they gazed down at the wrestling sharpteeth.

“What are we going to do??” she demanded of them both.

“Just don’t panic...” Shorty assured her.

“Let me try something...” Littlefoot murmured, turning around and making to ease his tail over the edge.

“No, don’t!” Saureen groaned. “If you fall and hit them, the three of you could end up...”

Chomper had fastened his teeth around Seizon’s shoulder. This was proving to be a winning move, and although Seizon clawed at his head, a powerful kick to the stomach knocked Seizon off his feet, and Chomper, breathing heavily in near-victory, leered over him.

But the sight of Seizon lying there made him suddenly stop and think...what was he doing?? It seemed those predatory instincts really had taken over...

He was sorely tempted to just slump to the ground at let Seizon finish him, when his adversary suddenly said something quite interesting.

“Hey...do you smell that...?”

Chomper frowned at the sight of Seizon’s panicked expression as he sniffed the air. Following suit, he came to realise just what it was that had panicked him.

“Ulciscor...” he breathed.

“He must be fleeing...” Seizon murmured, darting his eyes around for any kind of escape mechanism.

“Guys!” Chomper called up to the three watching dinosaurs. “It’s Ulciscor! You need to get out of here!”

Their reaction was predictable enough. After visibly jumping in shock, they all spoke over one another and attempted hopelessly to reach down after them.

“What’s he doing here??”

“We need to get you up!!”
“Oh no...”

“Can’t you scale up this??” Littlefoot asked down.

“Uhh...” Chomper examined the slope. As luck would have it, it was concave, meaning climbing back up would be virtually impossible.

“I don’t think so...”

“Chomper!” Seizon hissed, tapping him and pointing. Chomper looked around and felt his stomach disappear.

Ulciscor was standing barely metres from them, now staring at them on their little outcrop in apparent surprise.

Seizon glanced behind Chomper.

“We’ll make it if we jump...” he muttered, finding himself flashing back, bizarrely, to the day he and Saureen were chased from the Fanged Forest.

“Jump?!” Chomper shrieked. “Jump where...?”

In the few seconds in which Ulciscor had been staring at them, something had registered in his mind.

Sharpteeth.

Sharpteeth should not be allowed to live. No matter how young they were.

His eyes narrowing in hatred, he charged towards the two of them.

Chomper opened his mouth, meaning...he had no idea. He supposed he thought he could reason with this monster, but obviously there was no hope in that. However, as he did so, he felt something grab him tightly around the chest, and a second later he was soaring through the air to another rocky ledge to the left of the other, this one lower down. Seizon had leapt to avoid Ulciscor’s killing blow, and against all reasoning, had dragged Chomper with him.

“You alright?” he asked Chomper as he tried to find his bearings.

“Uhh...” Chomper began, but suddenly Seizon cut him off.

“No time!” he said, grabbing him again. Ulciscor was making his way back over to them.

“This way!” Seizon began to scale the rocky wall, this area being a lot easier to climb up. Chomper followed him as best as he could, but just when he thought the edge was in sight, he felt his tail being yanked down. Twisting his head round, he saw, with a thrill of terror, that Ulciscor had got hold of him using his teeth, and was preparing to drag him down, eyes alight with malice...

“Chomper!” Chomper heard his name called in both languages as Seizon grabbed his hand and Littlefoot rushed forward and lowered his tail for Chomper to grip hold of.

Suddenly allies, Seizon and Littlefoot engaged in this tug of war with Ulciscor, until Chomper pulled his hand free of Seizon’s grip and joined it with the other on Littlefoot’s tail. Noticing this, Seizon leaned further down to support Chomper’s body as he was pulled up, his tail slipping, fairly painfully, from Ulciscor’s grip.

Chomper flattened himself onto the even ground once more, spying Saureen looking at them incredulously.

“Weren’t you two just trying to kill each other?” she demanded.

Before either Chomper or Seizon could ponder their actions, something completely unexpected happened.

Ulciscor spoke.

“You don’t know how much your actions sadden me, Littlefoot,” he said gravely.

Littlefoot, completely perturbed at being addressed, simply gazed down at the iron-grey longneck.

“What?” he said bluntly. “How do you know my name?”

Ulciscor smiled at that.

“I had a feeling Bron hadn’t told you. Or your grandparents...or even your mother...”

Littlefoot was distinctly aware of everyone’s eyes upon him. He didn’t like where this conversation was going, but he knew that the longer he kept Ulciscor talking, the better.

“What do you mean?” he demanded.

“I was the one who came up with the nickname, ëLittlefoot,’” Ulciscor informed him, smiling at the increasing horror on the youngster’s face. “Yes, Bron and I were playmates. Why? Well, I met him just before he met my parents and sister. He eventually married my sister, and they had a child.” He scowled. “A child who lowers himself to befriend lesser species, and helps preserves the dirt of sharpteeth...yes, I’m your damn uncle. And you’d better accept your legacy...”

Littlefoot could barely hear him. His ears were now filled with something of an angry buzzing, the world beginning to sway around him. He stepped back away from the edge, wanting nothing better than to collapse on the ground and never move...

“You’re lying.”

Littlefoot was suddenly broken out of his stupor when he noticed Shorty step forward, glaring down at Ulciscor.

“Don’t think we don’t know about you,” he snapped. “Deception’s second nature to you. There isn’t an honest bone in your body. This can’t be true.”

Littlefoot’s heart gave a little skip of hope. Yes, of course, that made sense...

Ulciscor gave a hollow laugh.

“Why not ask Bron yourself? I’m sure he reacted very obviously when he heard what I had done. And remember who I decided to keep by my side?”

“My Grandma and Grandpa...” Littlefoot suddenly realised, his heart sinking again.

“Family matters,” Ulciscor simply said. “But I don’t have time to try and convert you yet, Littlefoot. I have cleansing to perform.”

So saying, he swung his tail through the air until it struck the edge of the precipice. Amongst yelps, the five youngsters dashed away from the aggressor.

“Any solutions??” Seizon asked the group at large.

Saureen couldn’t help but smile at this sudden change of allegiance.

“Are there any caves in this area?” she asked.

“Well, yes,” Chomper replied. “The caverns run through the walls here. How will that help?”

“If we can push some of the rock from the other side outwards...” Saureen continued, glancing at her companions for a reaction. “I don’t know, would it work?”

“Potentially...” Shorty shrugged. Littlefoot still looked utterly devoid of any emotion other than pure shock. Chomper wished he could think of a word for comfort. One thing he definitely knew was that as Littlefoot had spent so long not judging him for the things he did, there was no way he’d judge him on the basis of his family.

“OK...” Seizon peered carefully at the edge. “Longnecks, see if you can find an entrance. We’ll keep him occupied?”

“Occupied??” Chomper repeated. “How?”

“He wants sharpteeth to kill, right?” Seizon replied grimly. “Don’t worry...I’m also not prepared to lose anyone...” he held out his fist, as if expecting them to put their claws together with his.

Chomper glanced at Saureen, who smiled back, and obliged. Chomper, frowning slightly, followed suit.

“Now...” Seizon murmured, looking a little pale. “To work...”

How they managed, none of them had a clue. But it was strange, Chomper reflected, as the three of them dodged and weaved Ulciscor’s blows. It had been a while since Seizon had commanded them against an adversary, and to be back in that old feeling felt...well, he wasn’t sure. But Seizon’s determination was almost frightening. He knew what had to be done. Chomper supposed he showed the same dedication to everything else that he did to Xal. The drive that they felt reminded him very much of the days of battling off Nott’s pack or the tetrarchy. But this time, with no tragedy at the end.

The three of them heaved a collective sigh of relief as they noticed the rocks collapse towards Ulciscor as he sprung out of the way. It had worked...and now they were, relishing the victory, somehow all back on the same side...

Ulciscor was now nowhere to be seen, having quickly exited the Valley, apparently wishing to make his escape as rapid as possible. Still, Chomper could only feel further triumph and satisfaction surge through him as Shorty and Littlefoot reunited with them, and they all flopped, somewhat lazily into a little alcove away from the unstable rocks.

“You see...” Saureen murmured, looking hard at Seizon. “This kind of companionship does work. I thought we had established that a long time ago.

Seizon sighed.

“Look...” he said carefully. “You know I still care about you...it’s just...I need to protect Xal at all costs, and stay by his side.”

Chomper, who had been sliding down against a rock, suddenly sat up.

“Well...” he said uncertainly. “I think I may have had an idea about that.”

Seizon quickly turned to him.

“Yes?”

Chomper wasn’t entirely sure why he had had the idea. Maybe it was seeing how easily Seizon could get something if he set his mind to it. All he knew was that, if Seizon wanted to save Xal, he probably could, no matter what the circumstances.

He took a deep breath.

“Supposing we win...” he explained. “Instead of finishing off Xal, like I think had been planned...maybe we should suggest to the leaders of the Alliance to simply capture him.”

“What???”

It was evident Seizon was becoming defensive again, so Chomper had to hastily continue.

“The thing is, the Great Sharptooth Community are desperate to reform other sharpteeth, so as their prisoner who will very thoroughly be convinced to rebuke his old ways and join ours. And of course, you could easily be the one to ultimately convince him, Seizon.”

Chomper could tell, once again from his eyes that Seizon was considering this carefully.

“Me...?” he eventually muttered. “Why?”

“Why?” Chomper repeated, smiling a little. “Didn’t you say yourself, you wanted to save Xal? Try and convince him to strive towards a new dream?”

Seizon once again lapsed into silence.

“I suppose...” he said eventually. “If I can.”

“Look at it this way,” Chomper continued quickly, now getting into his stride the same way he had done before with Pyron, Nycha and Lini. “We all know we’re not going to get you to leave Xal. And to be honest, we don’t want to. We know you can do this!”
Speechlessness was not something Chomper had ever associated with Seizon, but for some reason, he felt Seizon’s open-mouthed silence was a good thing.

“I agree,” Shorty chipped in. “I know what it’s like to have someone you feel connected to this world by. Why not change their lives as they’ve changed yours?”

“We know you don’t want to cause death and destruction, really,” Saureen intoned, laying a hand on Seizon’s arm. “You want a bloodless transition into the new order of harmony, and I can tell you’re tempted by our way of thinking. It’ll be you who takes Xal into this as well...”

“It’ll be another great step into having more allies against Ulciscor,” Chomper continued, now shuffling closer to Seizon. “You know it makes sense, and even if you feel worthless, just remember what you can do when you set your mind to it. If you can save the one who saved you, then you, Seizon, are simply unstoppable...”

He faltered to see what Seizon would say next. In fact, Seizon stood up, and paced around a bit, before facing the group at large. The other four’s eyes were upon him. Even Littlefoot had stopped stewing over the revelation he had received. He knew that could wait.

And suddenly, slowly, and with the air of someone who had been waiting forever for this, Seizon smiled. It wasn’t an amused smirk or a malevolent grin. This was a genuine smile of someone who had found and worthwhile solution at last. Very quickly, Chomper, Saureen, Shorty and even Littlefoot found themselves smiling too.

“Yeah...” Seizon muttered, still smiling giddily. “Yeah, it does make sense...look...Chomper...”

And without warning, he dropped to Chomper’s level and enveloped him in a tight hug.

Chomper returned the favour, smiling reminiscently as he did so about the strange idea of coming full circle. Seizon was the first member of the pack he had met, but whilst he had hugged Lini, Pyron, Saureen, Nycha and then Al, such an embrace, so comrade-like, so brotherly, seemed very absent from Seizon.

“Thank you...” Seizon murmured into Chomper’s shoulder. “For such a scrawny twig-arm, you seem to have the most strength of all of us...”

He had come full circle.

Chomper laughed at that. Seizon released him and went to hug Saureen.

“You’re right guys...” he eventually said, straightening up. “We’d better see what we can do about that, then...”

*
Zyro rammed into Xal’s shoulder, the latter snarling and skidding, raising his claw for a strike...

But Zyro, viciously determined to get on with his job of protecting the kids, had found the solution to his problem. Carefully, he had edged Xal towards the edge of yet another precipice in this death-trap of an outcrop, once which contained sharp stalagmites, upright and standing to attention, lethal tools that would end the life of this terrifying revolutionary leader...

And said leader hadn’t yet noticed.
Zyro charged straight at Xal’s abdomen, sending him backwards considerably. So much so in fact that Xal slipped over the edge...but before he hit the sharp, death-dealing ground, he clung onto the edge with his foreclaws. He attempted to hoist himself up, but Zyro’s toe-claws kept him down.

“And now this is it,” Zyro told him in a voice of forced calm. “I have a job to do, and I don’t appreciate you interfering. I will not let you disrupt this liberation, Xal. These Valleians are good and noble with optimistic goals and dreams. Maybe you should try a few sometime.”

Xal grunted, but noted himself that he too was in quite a dire situation. At this, Zyro almost found himself laughing.

“Poor Xal,” he said reminiscently. “You used to be with such big crowds. Eykion’s in fact, and you helped bring down Ulciscor the first time. But times have changed. Being part of the biggest bully gang now longer translates well for sharpteeth living in fear. They want something new.  And you’re so desperate to cash in on their fear, that you would lower yourself to work with the likes of brutes like Gigas and Redclaw. It’s despicable...if only you could see yourself...”

“See myself?” Xal repeated, looking thoroughly irritated. “If only you could see yourself! You have no idea what you’re doing!”

Zyro frowned.

“Maybe I do surround myself with brutes,” Xal admitted. “But it’s the only way anything gets done. It’s why Ulciscor took over so easily. And why should I care for these leaf-eaters? For me, they’re food, and nobody wants to be friends with food. It’s my way of catering for who I know will be victorious that got me where I am today...!”

He faltered on the last sentence when he remembered his trepidation.

“Where you are today?” Zyro repeated coolly. “Take a good look, Xal. I can’t waste any more time. It’s the end of the line for you...”

As he raised his foot to dislodge Xal’s fingers, Xal felt a drop of cold sweat run down his face.

And this cold sweat was detected.

*
Not far from this event, in an alcove, Seizon suddenly stopped smiling. The smell of sweat had entered his sniffer. And not just any sweat. The sweat of someone he knew better than anyone in the world. Xal was in terrible danger.

“What’s wrong?” Chomper asked, noticing the change in expression and feeling his panic mounting.

“Sorry, Chomper...” Seizon murmured. “Change of plan. There’s something I’ve got to do...”

He leapt out of the alcove with near impossible speed.

“Seizon??” Saureen stared at him. “What are you doing??”

“You two continue the good fight,” Seizon said earnestly. “And...I hope you’ll be very happy together. Love you mean it!!”

And with another burst of incredible speed, he raced off into the distance.

Chomper clambered out of the alcove.

“What...?”

*
Xal continued to cling desperately at the edge as, under Zyro’s influence, he felt them slipping away...

“Is this how it ends???” he thought desperately. “Someone has to continue this...”

But Zyro hadn’t counted on one particular thing. And now, suddenly, something barrelled into his foot. This was the foot that wasn’t pinning Xal down and he had no idea what it was. But it had bit him.

The impact made Zyro teeter, and, with a sudden jolt of realisation, he had slipped over the egde...

Steering his body as best he could, he avoiding Xal and managed to cling to a piece of the edge parallel to him, his body suspended above the stalagmites below. But as Xal heaved himself up, they both saw the fate of what had caused Zyro to fall...

Seizon had slipped off of Zyro’s foot and he fell, freely through the air momentarily before striking the jutted spikes.

And one burst out right through his chest, blood spilling everywhere.

Even as Zyro and Xal looked down in horror, Seizon gave Zyro one look of smug satisfaction, before shifting his eyes towards his stepfather.

“Xal...” he managed to croak, before a fountain of blood erupted from his mouth, his head rolled back...

And he lay motionless.

For a few seconds, only a shocked silence rang out in the air between the two sharpteeth. Then, Zyro noticed with bewilderment, a sick smile forming over Xal’s face. It was a kind of smile he had never seen him do before. It seemed, almost...empty, more insane...Xal’s eyes told the same story as he gazed down at Zyro, the amber orbs shimmering with malice.

“So, ëend of the line for me,’ is it?” he said. Then he chuckled mirthlessly.

“Wrong again, Zyro.”

~0~


Umm...thoughts?
 

Apparently Chomper leapt so abruptly, the blood ran to his nose and made it entirely purple...?

Ah, OK, well, thanks for pointing it out anyway.  

FINAL CHUNK.  

Upon the grand plains of the Valley just a short distance from the Thundering Falls, shattered fragility continued to reign supreme.

More and more bodies fell to the ground, many not getting up again, with screams of pain and anguish tearing the air apart, even as hurried instructions were given by both sides, and the ground was getting noticeably redder as time went on.

Breaking through phalanxes and other Bludgeoner formations with her allies, Old One distinctly felt that they were making progress, and beginning to dwindle the forces of oppression. But even if that were the case, there were still many issues that wouldn’t go away.

The most obvious one was right in front of them. Kai had undoubtedly caused the majority of casualties on their side, and he was showing no sign of relenting. It seemed obvious to those who had the misfortune to look him straight in the eye that he had been ordered to slaughter without exception or mercy. And he was loving every minute of it. Even now, as four sharpteeth surrounded him, preparing to take him down from all sides, he reared up, slamming his limbs down and swinging his spiked neck and tail from side to side, sending the luckier attackers fleeing for their very lives. Bringing down an enemy with this array of armoury would be no easy feat.

The other problem was Ulciscor, who had not been seen since the beginning of the battle. What’s more, he held Aster and Arianna captive, two respectable longnecks Old One knew personally. She was aware that Bron had gone in pursuit of him, but she had no idea if he’d be able to bring down the tyrant by himself, and furthermore, what if Ulciscor’s retreat had led him to the children’s sanctuary...?

Many of the other Alliance fighters, however, found themselves hardly perturbed by this. Every fibre of their consciousness was focused on the task ahead of them – destroying the guardians of terror, preventing them from seizing control once more...
Topps in particular, was forcing himself not to think of anything else. Any time his mind tried to make room for his relationship with his ex-wife battling alongside him, or attempted to wander freely over to his daughters, he stopped it in his tracks, and forcing it back to the Bludgeoners.

One such Bludgeoner was twisting his body as he encircled the threehorn, attempting to get a good shot with his powerful tail at the unprotected parts of Topps’ body. Topps however, kept staring his quarry in the face, not giving him the chance. Horns and frill forward, Topps took advantage of an opening and charged, ploughing his brow horn straight into the Bludgeoner’s upper thigh. Nonetheless howling, the Bludgeoner twisted and struck his tail into the threehorn’s side, with enough force to send Topps careering backwards, rolling over in the dust with an audible rumble.

Completely dazed and disorientated by this unexpected capsize, Topps struggled to return to his feet, the Bludgeoner advancing on him all the while...

The Bludgeoner hadn’t apparently not anticipated quite who had been watching the threehorn’s back all this time, and so therefore was almost knocked to the ground himself when Tria ground into his shoulder blade, wrestling with all her strength, determined to keep the Bludgeoner’s focus on her for as long as possible. Unfortunately for her, in this contest of sheer brawn, the Bludgeoner’s mass was beginning to prove more than a match for her. This would have proved potentially fatal if not for another dose of reinforcement at that time.

The Bludgeoner, whilst pushing against Tria, felt a sharp, heavy blow to his flank. It was not as severe or sharp as it could have been, but it was enough to cause him to stagger, and this briefest of pauses was enough. Seeing the grey threehorn get back to his feet, Tria readjusted her position, and with her on one side of the Bludgeoner and Topps on the other, the two of them rammed straight into their foe.

The longneck howled as the unmistakable gush of blood fell upon the threehorn’s frills, and after said threehorn’s stepped back, the Bludgeoner fell with a final thud onto the earth.

“Well...” Topps gazed down at the bleeding body, looking slightly nauseous but otherwise pleased. “I think that might be proof enough Tria, that we still make a pretty good...”
But Tria wasn’t looking at him. Her eyes were upon their anonymous ally, the one who had momentarily distracted the Bludgeoner, and her mouth had fallen open in horror.

“Cera...?” she whispered hoarsely. “What are you doing here?”

For Cera, after giving the Bludgeoner one look of grim determination, was now gazing up at her father and stepmother with a considerably warmer expression.

“Cera??” Topps echoed, now watching her too. And in that framed moment, it seemed as though the battle had vanished around them. Only the three of them existed, all watching each other with more tension than had ever been mustered before. The battle that raged around them may not have concerned them at all.

Of course, this battle had had several more surprise arrivals. Petrie had taken to the air to join his mother and uncle in directing the Alliance, much to their surprise, and Azura, noticing Ducky and Spike moving through the cascade of sharpteeth and leaf-eaters, cried out in shock.

“I’m sorry!” Opal assured her as she stepped through the fighters, swinging her tail at a Bludgeoner. “They insisted on coming!”

“And you listened to them??” Azura demanded, now moving as quickly as she could towards her children.

Opal frowned.

“Well, I told them to stay out of the main fight...” she said. “But I’m sure they feel they can prove useful at the sidelines...”

At the sidelines, in fact, Ruby, Ali, Lini and Al were already mobilizing every practical weapon they could get their hands on – from every stone and boulder to every twig and tree, everything went, as they all hurried to get it in preparation.

Noticing Ruby signalling from a short distance away, Petrie’s mother smiled, nudged Pterano, pointed, and then turned to Petrie.

“Petrie,” she said. “I don’t approve of you coming back here, but you’re going to have to do something very important. Are you listening?”

“Uh...yes!” Petrie squeaked.

“Your friends have very kindly prepared some rocks for us,” his mother explained. “Pterano and I and probably some of the other flyers are going to take the most suitable ones and drop them on the Bludgeoners from here. They’re too heavy for you, but you need to make sure you continue calling out advice and warnings from your panoramic view. You understand?”

Petrie gulped.

“Yes...yes, me do!!” he declared, turning his eye to the battlefield, scrutinizing it intently.

Pterano chuckled.

“He’ll be fine,” he assured his sister as the two of them flew off.

The battle was highly prominent on everyone’s agenda at the moment. But Cera had one more thing on her mind.

“Maybe you’ll find that there are chances to repair these things. The Cera I know is not going to take any of it lying down!”

Considering the life-threatening situation that had been at hand, Cera wasn’t about to forget Ruby’s words in a hurry. Perhaps it only went to show how impulsive she could really be, but everything in her gut told her that the time was now to make sure these two buried the hatchet – if there was even a hatchet to bury in the first place, but she hadn’t liked how little those two had interacted in the brief time she’s seen them since the return to the Valley.

“Cera, you can’t be here!” Tria told her in a mortified whisper. “And where’s Tricia?” she quickly glanced around as if expecting her tiny daughter to spring up amongst the fighters.

“She’s with the others,” Cera said quickly. “She’s fine, and protected...but we couldn’t wait!”

“We?” Topps repeated, glancing around and catching sight of several of the other kids. “How was this even authorized...?”

“It was our choice!” Cera replied defiantly. “This is our Valley as much as it is yours. Besides, I needed to do something else.” She took a deep, but a brief breath, before saying,

“You two can’t split up! It’s not an option!”

For the briefest of moments, the two adults just stared at her in dumbfounded disbelief. Then a sharp cry of pain nearby jolted them back to where they were.

“Cera,” Tria said hurriedly. “This is hardly the time...besides, we’ve discussed this...”

“Then I’ll make it quick!” Cera insisted. “Tria, I know you’re angry at dad, probably from being...well, reckless...but...” she gazed at her father with an admiration so deep that Topps was slightly taken aback.

“It’s only because he cares! So...so much!”

“I know that...” Tria murmured, glancing over at Topps, and at the fighting continuing behind him. “But in this kind of situation, he needs to learn to be more careful...”

“If we continue to fight though,” Topps countered firmly, looking directly at her with an unwavering stare. “Then that kind of situation is no longer an issue. You were thinking about the only future we could see before us. One dominated by Ulciscor. Now there is a new future ahead, as long as we pull through!”

He could his speech was having a desired effect. Tria was watching him with a pained expression, clearly torn, and biting her lip.

“He is deeply in love with the Valley,” Cera coaxed, staring so hard at Tria it was almost painful. She didn’t even want to blink, she was so eager for a reaction from her stepmother.

“Because he’s dedicated to his family,” she continued. “He really is! He may be...” she chuckled weakly. “Grumpy and sarcastic and whatever, but he really loves us, he does, so much!!”

“I do...” Topps agreed, also watching Tria, who was staring at the ground.

“From the moment you arrived at the Valley...” Cera continued, rushing her words slightly now. “He saw the opportunity to recreate a family. And I admit, I didn’t see it before, but I can now. I may have been hostile and just plain bratty, but that’s because I couldn’t see anyone...replacing my mom.”

“Cera...” There was a prominent quaver in Tria’s voice, her expression now transformed into one of considerable sorrow as she gazed despondently at her stepdaughter. “I never meant to try and replace her...”

“I know!” Cera insisted. “You’re just...stepping into her role. And I know that now, I do...Tria...I...I love you. It’s taken me a long time to realise but...” Cera drew breath, and as she did so, she noticed it was a shuddering one, to accompany the tears that were now flowing from her eyes. Once upon a time, Cera would have made every effort to conceal these, but right now, she didn’t care. The fact that both Topps and Tria had their astonished eyes on her was enough to coax her to continue going, no matter how hard she cried.

“You’ve stepped into the role, quite seamlessly...” Cera murmured, smiling broadly in spite of her tears. “It was never about replacing my mother...you both sit side by side in my consciousness, and now I have no qualm about also calling you mom...”

She couldn’t continue, but she didn’t need too. Tria had stepped forward, and had allowed Cera’s head to rest upon her knee, still crying, but Tria was sure they were good tears. In response, she shed a few of those good tears herself.

“Now I’ve heard it...” she muttered. “I’ve realised that’s been something I’ve wanted to hear for a long time...” she turned to Topps.

“I think Cera’s made a considerable case,” she remarked. “And she’s right...I do still care you Topsy.” She sighed. “How about this? If we make it out of this alive, will you consider giving it all another go? And I mean all of us. As one family.”

Cera didn’t think she had seen a smile so broad on her father’s face in years.

“Oh yes,” he said. “I think I can accept that.”

But the smile very quickly vanished.

At that moment, a Bludgeoner, clearly not happy with the lack of fighting enthusiasm they were showing, had charged straight at them, swinging his murderous tail...

“WATCH OUT!!” Topps had made to move his wife and daughter out of harm’s way, but not in quite enough time. The Bludgeoner’s tail made contact with his neck frill, issuing a rather small cut, but as the tail continued to plummet, it knocked Cera flying, and both Topps and Tria saw the distinctive flash of blood.

“CEEEERRRRAAAA!!!”

Rushing to their daughter’s side, their bodies sagged with relief when they noticed her getting to her feet.

“I’m fine...!” Cera grunted, spitting a mouthful of blood to the ground. “I’m just a little...”

But the Bludgeoner was determined to finish the job.

“Topsy, he’s coming back!” Tria yelled, rounding on the adversary.

But a saving grace came in the form of a large rock. It had fallen quite literally from the sky, and had landed neatly atop the Bludgeoner’s head. With so much weight on one end of the body, the longneck overbalanced, and he pitched forward, the rock flattening his skull.

“And there’s a lot more where that came from!” Pterano declared, circling above them. “You lot alright?”

“I could be better!” Topps snapped back. “Does this mean I’m now indebted to you?”

Pterano smirked.

“Don’t forget it threehorn!” he called, as he flew away.

Topps shook his head in a disgruntled manner, and Cera was sure he would have yelled some more well-chosen words after Pterano, but then her mind shifted to the panicked cries and hurried footsteps heading her way.

“Is she OK??” Ruby cried, skidding spectacularly in front of the threehorns before bending down to inspect Cera’s injuries. Cera rolled her eyes.

“You’re really worried about just a scratch when you staged your own execution and charged straight into the middle of this battlefield? Priorities, I see, Ruby...”

Ruby smirked and shook her head.

“You charged in here before I charged in here,” she told her. “But I guess you had your priorities too...”

Still smiling, she gazed up at Topps and Tria.

“Can you get her somewhere out of harm’s way?” Topps asked her sincerely. “I think she’s done enough for us right now...” he glanced at his wife. Tria nodded.

“Yes. I’m sure we can rely on you, right, Ruby?”

Ruby nodded, her hand resting upon Cera. Satisfied, the two adult threehorns turned tail back into battle.

“Huh!” Cera pouted. “I still think I could have done a lot more...”

“Well, we still have things we need to do,” Ruby replied as the two of them ducked and ran beneath the limbs of the adults, the Alliance dinosaurs providing cover and a barricade for them against the Bludgeoners. “We may be too small to take care of things here, but we’ve managed to get our hands on weapons that might be just as effective...”

By now they had left the thickest parts of the battle behind, and had made their way over to a mound of rocks, not dissimilar from the massive formation left by the previous rockslide. Many wounded sharpteeth and leaf-eaters lay around, being tended to by the best of their abilities by some smaller dinosaurs that lacked the brawn to take on Bludgeoners. On the subject of Bludgeoners, Cera was momentarily alarmed to see one amongst their wounded, but on closer inspection it had turned out to be Uriah.

“Still alive...” Ruby muttered as she looked over at him. “But I don’t know for how long...”

As for dinosaurs standing amongst the rocks, Cera was relieved to see Ali, Spike, Ducky, Lini and Al firmly out of harm’s way, with Pterano and Petrie’s mother still swooping down to pick up medium-sized rocks to drop upon the enemy.

“They may be effective from the air,” Ruby told Cera. “But pushing them with the right speed and from the right distance might be enough to make them good land weapons too.”

“How do you work that out?” Cera asked sceptically, looking at where Ali, Spike and Lini were poised behind a spherical boulder. “We can’t exactly get a rock all the way over there from here...”

“You’d be surprised,” Ruby replied earnestly, gesturing to an elaborate, winding slope that the rock rested upon. “This one’s too large for the flyers to drop, but using the same principle we use when we play Pointy Seed Bowling...”

“These would be larger than your average pointy seeds.”

“You’re hilarious, Cera.”

Ruby stepped slightly forward, surveying the battlefield with nearly a squint, as though watching out for something in particular.

“We’re awaiting your signal,” Ali told her.
Ruby nodded and continued to watch the battlefield intently, and Cera turned to gaze too, watching the thuds and tail whips and bites and slashes and stomps...from where they were standing, they saw Ferox squaring off against a Bludgeoner somewhat bulkier than the average...

“Hold it...” Ruby murmured.

The Bludgeoner stepped forward, causing Ferox to back down slightly.

“Now!”

At Ruby’s command, Ali and Spike and Lini pushed with all their strength against the boulder, sagging as it eventually gave way, dropping and rolling with surprising speed down the slope, continuing this trend along the ground, directly to the path of the Bludgeoner. Although it had lost some of its velocity, Cera could only stare as it ploughed with considerably dynamic force straight at the legs of the Bludgeoner, causing it to collapse as its legs virtually snapped beneath it. Ferox quickly subdued it in this state.

Cera turned back to Ruby, wide-eyed.

“My turn now?” she asked tentatively.

It had, of course, transpired that Ruby had designed this slope largely by herself, but Cera was happy to leave that role to her. It was the massive rocks she wanted to take care of. As she had told Ali, with a grin far wider than was surely normal upon her face, if they had planned to send rocks rolling and sliding towards their foes without her, they could only hope to get lucky.

And so they continued, gathering rocks and sending them forward, timing it as best they could so as not to hit their allies. Whilst there were some successes, which sent them all whooping and hugging in a frenzied state of celebration, other times such rocks fell short, one even ploughing into and knocking down a tree.

“Hang on, I’m sure those Bludgeoners weren’t there before...”

Ali was craning her neck, watching the battlefield with a renewed worry.

Ruby also looked over, and her eyes widened.

“Yes...those one’s making a formation right there...those are definitely new...”

She winced after a sickening crack and thud was heard, implying such a formation had proved effective.

“How are new ones coming along?” Cera demanded. “I thought they were all here...”

“All of them except the ones Ulciscor took with him,” Ruby agreed. “But he may have been more cunning than we thought. They were stationed at every side of the Valley as well as within. We only took out those on the west wall, and even some of them might have got away. It would have been difficult to tell in the dark. I think he may have stationed a few elsewhere so as to hem us in and attack from other places. It doesn’t help that it’s been extremely difficult to work out how many there are in the first place...of course, as we have the superior numbers, he’s got to make use of tactics...”

Ruby trailed away, before turning back to her closely watching friends.

“In any case, the more of them we take out, the better. We might need to get Petrie or some other flier to see how many are stationed elsewhere in the Valley.”

The rocks that Ruby had organised needed continual adjusting should their attacks be affective, and Al, being of a small stature, had taken it upon himself to do that. But it was here that he was approached by someone he was yearning to take his mind off.

“Al...?”

Al looked up and stared at Lini for a few seconds before ducking his head down again.

At first, Lini found herself desiring nothing more but to dissolve in a wave of tears again. But upon realising this, her mood changed. Quite suddenly, this particular act of cold shoulder gave birth to a renewed burst of fury.

“Dammit, Al! What is wrong with you? This is just ridiculous!”

Al’s eyes snapped up at her again.

“Is it...?” he muttered. “I don’t know...”

He turned away.

“Why can’t you even look at me?” Lini demanded, grabbing his arm.

Al emitted a strangled yell and leapt away from her grip as though he had been burnt. Lini, slightly shocked, withdrew her hand.

Al continued to stare at her, his purple orbs wide and slightly frightened. Drawing a deep breath, he continued,

“It’s just...you can’t pretend that...” he shook his head. “Lini, this really isn’t the time, there’s a war going on...”

“Exactly,” Lini insisted. “So we could never get this chance again. We seem to be safe now, but if those Bludgeoners continue to take down our fighters...and then there’s him...” she nodded at Kai, who was currently crushing a hapless sharptooth beneath him.

“How can we be sure that either of us is even going to make it out of this alive...? I know I don’t want to die thinking that you hate me...in fact...” she gazed down at the ground, ringing her hands together. “That’s probably the last thing I want...and the Al I know...well, he wouldn’t want me to die knowing that the last thing he said to me was that I was as bad as the likes of Gigas...”

To her relief, she could see Al was taking this in. He too was watching the ground, but looking immensely contemplative and concerned. He sighed.

“Look...” he said. “It’s more about-”

He broke off. Suddenly his expression was alert, and quite panicked.

“Do you smell that...?” he muttered.

Lini sniffed the air...and gasped, a knot of dread forming in her stomach.

“They followed us...?” she whispered.

“The wall collapsing...” Al murmured. “It makes sense...he’s done it before...”

And without another word to her, he strode past Lini and back up the slope to inform Ruby of this new development.

The first visual signs of this development came at Petrie’s end. Upon his vantage point in the sky, he too had noticed that more Bludgeoners were joining the battle, attacking at random angles. But he didn’t have time to dwell on this when he heard another flying sentinel giving out instructions.

In sharptooth.

Gasping, Petrie swooped higher, and gazed down at the unmistakable sight of Ichy, hovering above the battlefield, issuing orders to...

With the battle of full swing, full of animals colliding and throwing up dust, it was only the observers at the side and in the sky that noticed the sight. A squad of Piercers, that couldn’t have numbered much more than twenty, was nevertheless in a ready formation just behind the fighters. And very soon, they were amongst it too, weaving in and out of the larger animals, barely noticed by anyone...

“Get the commanders!” Ichy yelled. “Take them out first! Go for the spiked longneck, and the matriarch of the alliance! And whilst you’re at it, take on those large sharpteeth. The spiketail needs to go too!”

Zoe, who held the command of this group, received the order and turned to her followers.

“I’m going for the spiketail. Get Dil to assist you with the old one. Then we can take on the stinger together...”

“LOOK OUT!!” Petrie called to the forces below. “Look out for sharpteeth with the-”

But he broke off when he noticed Ichy flying towards him.

“I’d watch your mouth, gnat!” he snarled.

Petrie zipped off, thankful for the timely arrival of his mother and uncle. Upon landing at the sidelines where his friends were, he saw that they had noticed too.

“What we do??” he asked them desperately.

“Maybe...” Ducky looked thoughtfully at the battlefield. “Maybe if they’re fighting the Bludgeoners too, they’ll help us?”

Al shook his head.

“There aren’t enough of them to take the Bludgeoners head on,” he said. “This is a sneak tactic. Most of the fighters probably haven’t even noticed a third party’s joined. They’re trying to weaken us both, by taking out some of the leaders. And that includes Opal and Old One.

Indeed, even as the Bludgeoners continued their assault upon the alliance, worryingly starting to push back, Opal found herself mobbed.

Zoe had aimed straight for the flank, her teeth scraping off the spiketail’s skin, and allowing a small trickle of blood to begin, slowly getting larger. Opal howled and kicked out, managing to subdue the Piercer for now but suddenly discovering that many more were upon her, preparing to bite, claw and otherwise bring her down.

She of course recognised them, and her immediate reaction was to cry out a warning to everyone else that this battle had gotten more complicated, and unbelievably so.

A Bludgeoner approached the wrestling throng, and brought his tail down amongst the Piercer’s sending some flying and crashing to the ground with bone-snapping crashes. For a brief, wild moment, Opal thought that this one buried the hatchet, until it brought its tail down upon her instead. Raising her own tail, Opal swung it like a baton, allowing the spikes to pierce the Bludgeoner’s skin as best she could. Only the smallest fleck of blood was visible, but when the Bludgeoner leaned in again, Opal twisted her whole body around and delivered a powerful blow, which sent it tottering backwards, its long neck getting close enough for the ground for Zoe to take advantage. A quick swipe of the claws and the Bludgeoner’s throat was cut, leaving Zoe and her minions to get back at Opal.

Opal, still bleeding slightly at the hip, backed away with her tail raised, but it suddenly occurred to her that her eyes should also be on Bludgeoners. With this haze and now three opposing factions, this battle could easily become a bloodbath quicker than first realised...

“If Hoshia went to find him, why hasn’t he come?” she found herself thinking.

“On my signal...” Zoe told her followers, eyeing Opal hungrily. She licked her chops. “Make sure you cover the back and I’ll go for the head. Once this task is finished, I’ll see what sort of world Xal has in- AAGGGH!!!”

She cried out as she felt something barge hard into her. Struggling to stay balanced, she turned to her gaze upon a bright red adolescent slashclaw...

“Lini???” Opal cried in horror. “Go! Get out now!”

One of Zoe’s followers made for Lini, but Lini kicked it hard in the face, an adamant determination on her face that gave Opal a slight chill...

“Get out of here!” Lini turned Opal’s words back on her. “After what you did for me...what you told us...you’re not going to die here...”

She cried out in pain as Zoe bit into her back. The two of them began wrestling, twisting and snarling and biting, and Opal, stunned by Lini’s words, found herself simply standing there and watching...

Lini kicked Zoe with her toe claws, leaving definite red impressions, but as she found herself in the perfect position to deliver a killer bite, something in the back of her mind, maybe the image of whatever yellow sharptooth it was that day, or maybe an individual purple-eyed crunchbiter gave her pause. And she hesitated for too long.

Zoe knocked her head away and twisted around to deliver an almighty slash with her claws, straight up Lini’s chest and up her face. Blood went flying immediately, droplets of scarlet shimmering in the air, and more of it dribbled down Lini’s neck as she coughed and choked...

Another of Zoe’s associates rammed into her, knocking her to the ground a short distance away, a trail of blood running the length of it as it continued to run down her chest, face and mouth...

Zoe’s chance to do any more damage was stolen from her as Opal finally came back to her senses and rushed into action, with Azura evening up the odds, delivering mighty tail whacks to the other Piercers around her. But Lini seemed fairly motionless.

“LINIIIII!!!!!!!!!”

That uncharacteristic hysterical cry was enough to rouse her. Suddenly Lini found herself aware of where she was once more, despite her now somewhat blurry vision and light-headedness. From where her head was hanging, she saw Al running towards her upside down, his breath coming in short pants. He dropped to his knees beside her.

“Lini, I’m sorry, you’ve got to stay with me, please, PLEASE!”

That seemed a fair enough request, Lini reasoned. It was strange then, that this slipping away feeling was so enticing...

“Al...” she tried to speak, and found herself choking on more blood. “I’m sorry...instincts kicked in again...”

“We’ve all done that!” Al garbled. “And I’m sorry. I really am. I’m just not used to this. I’m not used to people I know turning out to be...my life’s just been so haphazard and unpredictable with no family, I’ve tried to regiment things, and I’m sorry I didn’t...I know I can’t regiment you, because it’s not...it’s just...Lini, I love you, you CAN’T DIE...!”

Al’s face and voice seemed to be fading somewhat, but Lini still managed to smile.

“Who knew it would take something like this to get it out of him?” she thought. She also thought about mustering a reply, but suddenly, that seemed to no longer be a normal feat. Lini just sighed, smiled and closed her eyes.

Al held her still head between his arms and gazed down at her, almost willing himself not to react. After all, he was meant to be the calm, collected one, especially when he spied on Seizon. He needed to remain strong. But that was impossible. Like it or not, the tears came thick and fast, falling from his face freely and onto hers...after everything that had happened...and it had all been for nothing...

Ruby, who was standing behind him along with most of the others, bent down and felt Lini’s arm and chest.

“She’s not dead...”

Al sat bolt upright.

“Are you sure...?”

“Yes, she’s breathing. But...there’s something not quite right about it. We’d better get her some help.

Al gazed down at Lini’s motionless form.

 “Keep those instincts going, Lini...” he pleaded silently with her.

As Lini was drawn in to join the injured, Ali found herself fixating on a particular part of the battle. She had been working her way around the perimeter of the mass of fighting dinosaurs, watching the clashes and hearing the roars, and she noticed Kai ploughing his way quite effectively through members of the Alliance, smaller bodies falling at his feet...it appeared that the Piercers were not going after him yet, still focused on perhaps the less violent ones. She could also see Old One fighting her own personal battle. Knocking aside the Piercers was easy enough for her, but she was struggling to wrestle her limbs free from Dil’s jaws, who seemed determined to bring her down at whatever personal cost.

But as Kai ploughed through, he was getting closer to the edge where Ali stood.

And where a tree stood.

It was tall, but thin, and like the other trees in the Valley, stripped of its leaves so that Ulciscor had a monopoly on the food. Ali was plotting, and she found it a deliciously ironic idea to have these violated trees get their own back. It would have been more effective had her fellows been here to help her, but she needed to make a decision quickly. Kai, pursuing a smallish sharptooth, was getting ever closer...

Ali threw her weigh against the tree, feeling it beginning to bend slowly towards the desired location. Kai was approaching, completely oblivious, his eyes focused on the potential murder ahead of him.

Come on...

The tree gave way. Ali stumbled against the outcrop it stood upon, nearly falling, but watching it in triumph.

Except it had dropped too early. The trunk thudded resolutely into the ground, separating Kai from his victim, giving the sharptooth time to run. Kai, however, was not beneath the tree, and he now looked up at Ali with a loathsome murderous intent.

Oh...

Ali leapt off the outcrop just in time to avoid Kai’s tail ploughing into it. She fled as Kai gave pursuit, but she soon realised with a thrill of terror that Kai was considerably faster. In no time, she felt the spiked tail of Ulciscor’s enforcer lift her off her feet and cut into her hide. With a yelp she fell back to the ground with a heavy blow. Winded, she attempted to stagger up, and felt her leg scream in protest. Wincing, she looked down at it and noticed a shining cut beginning to ooze with blood.

She was soon looking up instead however, as Kai’s enormous shadow loomed over her, his yellow eyes glinting with a very real and sickening joy.

“You’ve got something of a youthful rebellion in you,” he observed, rearing up onto his hind legs, his front legs perfectly poised to crush her. “You’re about to wish you never did...”

Even if her leg hadn’t been completely useless, Ali felt she couldn’t have moved, glued to the spot as she was with a sheer, cold, numbing fear...

WHAM.

A powerful, muscular tail had struck Kai in the stomach, sending him tottering backwards. Snarling, he leapt back up to engage Ali’s saviour in combat.

Although the bite marks on her leg were visible, it appeared that the Old One had shaken off her carnivorous attackers with considerable ease. Back at the battlefield, Dil lay noticeably bruised, a panicked Ichy attempting to coax her up.

“Old One...!” Ali managed to gasp.

Upon hearing her, Kai made to go back to her, apparently determined to finish the job he started, but Old One rammed into him, pushing with all the strength her body still carried.

“Get her out of her!” Old One roared.

Almost at once, Ali heard the pounding footsteps of a longneck in a hurry. She looked up to see Fumei bend down before she found herself lifted off the ground by her tail.

“You youngsters should never have come back...” Fumei muttered to her as she carried her off back to the sides. “But you truly do have courage...”

Old One smiled at that, even as her limbs began to quiver with the force she was wrestling against.

Screaming with rage, Kai slammed his head into her side. She gasped and staggered.

“Why don’t you just shrivel up??” he snarled at her, stamping and creating a considerable cloud of dust. “Why do you keep coming back and interfering, you useless old fossil??”

At that, Old One felt she had to chuckle.

“Oh, you really are clueless. You really thought that after everything you did, nobody would speak out or act in retaliation?”

Kai swung his neck at her, but she was ready for him this time. Turning remarkably quickly, she brought her tail up to block the blow, and Kai withdrew his head, looking considerably shaken. Ignoring the fresh cuts on her tail, Old One continued.

“These dinosaurs are not taking instructions from you,” she said firmly. “You’ve managed to get to them and their lifestyle and their children, and you really think they would take it lying down?”

Kai reared up. Against possibly her better judgement, Old One also did, feeling a strain in her muscles as she had not done in years. The two longnecks collided together, a great slab of many tonnes of muscle coming together, and the two wrestled face-to-face.

“This is why we beat it out of them!!” Kai hissed at her. Old One had to admit that her age was proving a handicap when it came to this kind of contest. Kai knew this too, and his malevolent grin grew as Old One fell to the ground.

By now, this scene had several onlookers. Even the Bludgeoners, knowing it better to conserve their energy, had paused and were watching their field commander slamming his legs down onto the ribcage of the old matriarch.

Old One yelled out in considerable pain, but gritted her teeth and kicked out with her front limbs at the oppressor, who slipped and gave the old longneck time to get back to her feet.

“And that is why they continue to fight back!” Old One roared back, swinging her head and slamming into Kai’s side. Shrieking in a way that suggested borderline insanity, Kai retaliated, his neck crashing forward like a medieval mace. Old One stood her ground.

“And is the younger generation who suffers the mistakes of the older...” she reflected, as she and Kai resumed their shoulder-to-shoulder wrestling.

“We, who constantly enforced the idea of every herd and every species to their own...”

Her mind brought her back to her much younger days, days when she sheltered beneath her parents massive limbs, watching the other dinosaur species with mingled awe and fear...

“We, who could never bear the idea of change...”

Their regimenting had felt normal to her, she realised. How had she even been able to spare that small sharptooth Chomper the day she chased him?

“And the children of her herds couldn’t bear to be seen with the others...”

She remembered the stories Ali had told her, about how her first meeting with Littlefoot had been scuppered by his choice of friends...

“But how they’ve adapted!”

No wonder Ulciscor had chosen this Valley for his sick experiments. He must have been mortified at the idea of new ideas and species mingling. Co-operation...harmony...diversity...tolerance. The beacon had been handed to the younger generation and how they had sought to change the old ways! Well, Old One thought, I salute them. And I abhor any of those who try to force it back!

She slammed her head on top of Kai’s, who bit into her leg, but his teeth quickly slid off. She charged forward, and he slammed his neck onto hers. She almost found herself rearing again when the crushing blow came.

Kai had swung his monstrous tail straight at her legs. Gasping, she felt her knees buckle and herself crash to the ground. Her front legs were bleeding, and she wasn’t sure if she could move them again.

All around her, the onlookers were transfixed. Well, if she was going to go down...she swallowed. When she went down, she wanted to make sure her allies knew what was on her mind. They couldn’t give up...

Kai struck her again, this time scraping his spiked tail across her body and neck, inflicting cuts and allowing a gentle spray of scarlet on the ground. Perhaps the fact that he enjoyed torturing his victims was something of a double-edged sword.

“Everyone stay back!” Old One ordered, and there was an outbreak of muttering, even as Old One smiled at them all, the blood running down her face.

“But Old One!” Ali called from her location at the sidelines. Old One swallowed. She hoped that this would not renew Kai’s desire to murder her. But Kai thankfully seemed too focused on the older dinosaur. He slammed his tail down on the back of her neck, forcing her to bend her head forward.

“You can’t go, we need you!!” Ali protested, her face stricken with horror. Her heart was pounding with guilt. If Kai hadn’t gone for her, she wouldn’t have had to come in and blatantly sacrifice herself...

“Many more noble dinosaurs have died here today,” Old One continued. “And none of them have had an audience. And I’ve lived a long life. It’s time for you all to do the same.”

Kai struck her neck hard again, and her legs gave way, her neck sinking to the ground. Kai was deliberately prolonging the final blow to make sure everyone was watching. Old One turned her eye to a very specific face in the crowd: that of Zoe, the Piercer who had ordered her death. She saw the Piercer look straight back at her and give the smallest of nods. At this, Old One knew everything was in place. With her gone, she could focus fully on Kai, and may even prove to be a useful ally in said battle after all...potentially.

Old One continued.

“In my long life I may have led a herd, but I think the true accomplishments come from the Valleians and all their children. They have taken great steps towards acceptance and community. That is what will kill the poison seeping through this Valley. I know it. I just hope you can forgive me for being stuck in my ways for so long!”

She twisted her head to look at her allies, and she beamed broadly, tears beginning to slide down her face and washing away the blood.

“Give a dying old fossil a break, and promise me you’ll fulfil my wish in continuing this progression for the rest of time! This is your generation now, be the best you can be!”

This seemed to content her allies as much as they could be given the situation. They nodded almost simultaneously.

“If we do,” Ali said earnestly. “It’ll be down to your guidance.”

Old One chuckled slightly.

“That idea makes me quite content,” she said warmly.

Kai reared up.

“I only hope this is the last kill you’ll ever make...” Old One thought as she closed her eyes.

“Justice will catch up with you in the end...”

Kai brought his front feet smashing down upon the Old One’s skull, the audible and sorrowful crack marking the matriarch’s grand life with a resolute and final note.

*
This tranquillity was completely wrong.

Bron could hear the battle in the distance, the cries of pain and anguish...and here, the breeze blew calmly as if nothing was awry. But of course, the breeze had never been affected by this in the past. What really bothered Bron was the fact that he felt that tranquillity would soon be shattered by Ulciscor’s appearance. He was surely near...

Bron continued to walk, some of the grass around coming up almost to his knees. Nearby too were trees that gently bowed and creaked in the breeze, some even still with their vegetation. Ulciscor would have wanted to remove most easily accessible vegetation, so therefore...

“Bron, I’m right here.”

Ulciscor had spoken the words with no real emotion, just as a simple instruction, and as Bron turned to see him standing in a vividly green clearing with a few trees surrounding him, he couldn’t help but still see the highly confident young longneck he had met so long ago. Only this time, Ulciscor held his parents captive behind him, guarded by two Bludgeoners. Bron watched their expressions with increasing despair. He didn’t think he had ever seen them look so defeated.

“You may be wondering why the two of them aren’t bothering to fight back?” Ulciscor asked mildly, chancing a glance at his parents. “It’s because they know it’ll be much worse for everyone else in the Valley should they do so.”

Bron took a step towards them.

“But you gave Kai and the Bludgeoners to kill without discrimination, surely?” he queried.

“Everyone except their grandson,” Ulciscor corrected him, also walking towards his quarry. “Whilst they’ve still got that last bit of hope left, they want to hang onto it.

“Hmm...” Bron murmured, beginning to walk round, knowing it was inevitable that the two longnecks began to circle each other, each eyeing the other with mingled apprehension and interest.

“Ahh...” Ulciscor breathed. “How long has it been, Bron, since I’ve seen your features?”

“I don’t know if this is really the perfect time for a memory lane,” Bron replied.

“We’re far from that battle, Bron, we might as well. I still remember when it was the three of us...”

Bron found himself clenching his teeth a little harder. He knew who that third person was.

“You, Saura and I. Inseparable, at least until I went off to fulfil my destiny as the Lone Dinosaur. And then she fell.”

Bron swallowed.
“You don’t need to tell me, Ulciscor. I daresay I found out before you did. And made sure I completed my role as father.”

“You?” Ulciscor grinned, the two longnecks still continuing that slow, perfect circle. “And you don’t even live in the Valley? Because from what I heard, all that time from Saura’s death to Littlefoot venturing off to find the Valley, you were never there.”

Bron shifted his gaze away, Ulciscor’s taunts ringing in his ears. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Aster and Arianna.

“Does Littlefoot even know why?” Ulciscor asked, eyeing Bron unwaveringly. “I’m sure he asked why his own father never showed up. What did you tell him? See, I can’t be certain, but I’m fairly sure I know what happened...”

“He forgave me,” Bron snapped. “He forgave me Ulciscor, and he will not forgive you.”

“I’m sure he did forgive you,” Ulciscor replied levelly. “If you fabricated some lie to cover your tracks. But what will he think when he discovers his father’s a coward-?”

“YOU SHUT UP!!”

He made towards Ulciscor, but skidded to a halt when he saw the Bludgeoners make threatening moves towards Aster and Arianna. The look in their eyes told him that they had been listening and contemplating very carefully.

Ulciscor looked completely nonchalant.

“OK then, Bron. I understand this is important to you, so how about this? I want to teach my sister’s child the way I think the world should be run-”

“He’ll never listen to you...”

“Let me finish!” There was a sharper quality to that command. Bron fell silent.

“Obviously you want your son to stay with you. And your parents-in-law...if you can fight me and come out victorious, I shall leave them behind when I take my temporary departure.”

“So, you’re fleeing?”

Ulciscor chuckled.

“No...I would have done this regardless of whatever attack was thrown my way. And it doesn’t concern you. However, if you can win against me, I shall release them back to you. If not...”

“We are all going to win, Ulciscor. Get that in your head.”

“You’re sure?” Ulciscor’s malicious grin had been replaced by a scowl. “You still haven’t quite got the measure of me yet, have you? Still, will you accept my challenge?”

Bron paused, staring back at Aster and Arianna. If he refused, there could be no telling what happened to those two. With the rest of the party far away, he doubted they could be otherwise rescued in time...and yet...he simply didn’t trust Ulciscor not to pull something on him at the last minute...

“What about Littlefoot?” Bron asked. “If I win, will you leave him alone also?”

Ulciscor blinked.

“Sure.”

Of course Bron didn’t trust him for a second. Nevertheless, this would buy everyone valuable time. Hopefully, Littlefoot was safe, and would remain so until the victorious alliance would inform him of said victory...before coming for Ulciscor? It was a desperate gamble, but eventually Bron nodded.

“OK...I accept your challenge...”

“Before you do...”

Bron snapped his head in Arianna’s direction, unable to hide his astonishment. Ulciscor also turned, apparently having not expected it any more than Bron.

“I just want to say, Bron...” Arianna murmured, her head down. “That...we don’t blame you in the slightest...”

Aster nodded.

Under different circumstances, Bron’s mind would have been set greatly at rest upon hearing this. As it was, he simply licked his teeth nervously and nodded.

“Alright,” Ulciscor continued briskly, watching him closely. “So you will accept the challenge to complete our unfinished business?”

“Yes...” Bron replied firmly, poising himself, lowering his neck and raising his tail.

“Excellent...” Ulciscor returned, also raising his tail. “Let’s see...”

Not wishing to give Ulciscor the chance to attack first, Bron kicked dirt behind him and ran forward, turning a bringing his tail swinging down...

Ulciscor brought his up however, countering the blow and sending minute vibrations and a slight dull ache up the tails. Bron could see a gloating smile sparkling behind Ulciscor’s dark eyes, and he stood back to prepare for another attack.

The two longnecks began to circle each other once more, their heads low. Eventually, they collided, pushing shoulder to shoulder and emitting loud bellows. Bron slammed his neck into Ulciscor’s side, causing Ulciscor to snarl and rear up for the briefest of seconds, forcing Bron to withdraw his neck. The two collided again, wrestling briefly, but this time Ulciscor had already raised his leg, and brought it painfully down upon Bron’s shoulder. Even as Bron yelled, Ulciscor raised both his legs and brought them down upon Bron, who managed to drop and roll over to put up his own front legs in a counter. The sound of creaking bones was audible even as Ulciscor dismounted and turned tail, swatting the unstable Bron who was attempting to get back to his feet. The whipcrack left a distinctive mark and the brown longneck skidded along the ground, cracking into a nearby tree and toppling it easily.

Ulciscor, still on his feet, was unable to hide his glee as Bron staggered up. Bron, determined not to show his resistance fading, nevertheless felt his mind ticking over into a panic.

“Ulciscor has trained himself to be a killer...” he thought desperately. “He offered me this challenge because he knew I wouldn’t win...”

But why not prove him wrong?

Bron charged once more, swinging his tail around again and striking Ulciscor. However, Ulciscor had ducked and allowed his sturdy back to take the brunt of the force, and twisting round, he kicked out at Bron with his back legs. Even as Bron teetered again, Ulciscor shot his neck forward and struck Bron’s head with his own.

Bron hit the ground with a loud thud and distinctive rumble, and, perhaps as an extra measure, Ulciscor struck his face hard with the whip end of his tail. Bron emitted a hiss of pain as a fleck of blood sprayed the ground before him.

“No...”

Bron tried to heave his heavy frame back up, but Ulciscor’s foot held him in place.

“Looks like you were only second rate after all!” Ulciscor crowed, glancing back at his parents briefly to make sure they knew the score. “Bold of you, but ultimately that doesn’t really count for anything!”

What else could be done? Bron could only stare at Ulciscor’s leering face and wonder what he had in store...

“We’ve had an interesting run, Bron,” Ulciscor informed him, a dangerous smirk playing about his lips. “But I’m afraid I don’t have time to cling to any old nostalgia. As I move on, I will leave you behind. You’re certainly not the first to perish beneath by limbs, but granted you will probably be the most notable. Goodbye, ëlittlefoot’!”

Up he reared, legs poised over Bron’s head. Bron closed his eyes, sending his wishes to Aster, Arianna, Littlefoot, Shorty and all the rest. He would have resisted more, but honestly...he had wanted to reunite with Saura for a long time, if only to let her know...how sorry he was...

But today was not that day.

Because even as Ulciscor prepared to murder his brother-in-law, the impossible happened. He was knocked off his feet and sent crashing onto his back by a tree. A heavy trunk and literally been flung at him full-on. Someone had uprooted it. Someone very desperate to stop Ulciscor.

Bron, managing to gather his strength, propped himself up and gazed, wide-eyed at his saviour.

Aster and Arianna’s mouths had fallen open as the gazed, not noticing the Bludgeoners, who, also staring, were shifting nervously.

Ulciscor, wrestling himself free from beneath the branches, raised himself back up to his feet to look his attacker in the eye. His eyes widened too, and his mouth twisted into a scowl of fury.

“It’s you...” he muttered. “Why the hell are you here?”

For there, standing a short distance away, the grass swaying in the breeze around his ankles, was Doc, the fabled Lone Dinosaur. Doc, his expression fairly collected and yet with a furrowed brow, turned to his head slowly to fix his gaze upon Ulciscor.

“Why?” he repeated in a deep, slow voice that commanded presence. “My reaction is akin to a parent responding to the tears of their children. And I believe that you, sir, are the cause of those tears.”

“Me??” Ulciscor emitted a short, harsh laugh. “I have made this Valley truly great, stretching my resources and expanding my ideas, whilst you have disappeared off the face of the earth!”

“It’s certainly true that I have been absent recently,” Doc agreed. “And for that I give the children of the Valley my humblest apologies. But once I heard of the goings-on, I knew my return had to be imminent.”

“Who told you?” Ulciscor demanded.

“It’s perhaps an old, out-of-touch system,” Doc replied. “But as...” he looked briefly troubled, before continuing, “as a known guardian of this Valley, members of the dynasty that once ruled it have the authority to give me orders. Opal sent me a rainbowface as a messenger, telling me to come to the aid of a liberation army and to overthrow a tyrant.”

“A tyrant?” Ulciscor repeated, looking increasingly nettled. “Opal is most definitely out-of-touch. If I had known she had survived Kai’s attack, I would have made sure she was the first on the list to go...”

“But as it happens,” Doc interrupted, his voice quavering with a renewed, tranquil fury. “You didn’t know. And now it is my duty to remove you from this Valley by whatever means...”

Ulciscor scowled, apparently biting back a scream. But he stood his ground.

“You’re also out-of-touch,” he told him. “For everything I’ve done for this Valley, I should be called the Lone Dinosaur.”

At that, Doc actually smiled. But it was a smile that was considerably humourless.

“You really want that title? It’s a lot less of a glamorous one than you know.”

“Not when I carry it. And you cannot remove me from this Valley; you no longer have the ability.”

Doc simply moved his legs, so they were more splayed and sturdier, and slowly raised his tail.

“We’ll see,” he said quietly.

~0~

Finally! So...thoughts? I have to admit I'm not sure about this chapter, everything feels a bit of a mess, but I've hopefully managed to include the character development I meant to. A few twists and a bit of death, I know, and well...there's more to come. Hope you'll join me next time, and thanks for reading!

So, against what I wished for, this has turned out to be even longer than the last bloody chapter.  : I would say this trend probably won't continue, and I don't think it will, but still...

Now, this is either the most epic moment in the entire story, or just a heap of contrived nonsense. I'll let you decide. It is proofread, but it might still be awful.

If it isn't, have music for action/sad scenes and whatever on stand by, just for the extra epic feel.  

And of course, like last time, this needs to be divided into parts...

Chapter Twenty-Five: Battle for the Great Valley

The dawn air was still cool to stand in, gentle and soothing breezes counteracting the renewed glare of the Bright Circle as it crept up the sky to gaze upon the Great Valley, largely bare with coarse hard earth. This Valley displayed many echoes of the past – it was a place of resilience recovering from floods and fire, devastation and despots...yet now it faced the prospect of the single greatest act of bloodshed in its history.

The dawn chorus gave an ironically sweet melody as the two Bludgeoners with their condemned prisoner in tow, marched through the Valley up to a centre point, high upon the Great Wall where Ulciscor, pacing with a hungry smile on his face, was relishing in what he planned to do to those who defied him. Once again, everyone would see. And this time nobody would dare try and retaliate.

“This blow will be considerably stronger,” he told Kai with a prominent eagerness. “The clubtail was loved, yes, but he was considerably past his time already. By removing a young, well-received and respected child of the Valley, they will all know that I stop at nothing.”

“Well conceived,” Kai complimented, bowing his head slightly. “Unfortunately we still have no sign of the others. Uriah hasn’t found anything...”

“That can wait,” Ulciscor assured him. “Because after we’ve demonstrated this, there will be no shortage of leaf-eaters willing to do anything I ask them...”

He glanced over at his parents as he said this. Aster and Arianna were surrounded by a circle of Bludgeoners as always, but neither of them seemed able to look at him. They had their eyes tightly closed, and were leaning against each other, apparently savouring not being able to see the reality of their captivity. Well, perhaps they’d respond more once their grandson had been secured. Ulciscor tore his gaze away from them and surveyed his dominion with a perpetual relish.

Other Bludgeoners were gathering all the residents of the Valley in the wake of the two flanking Ruby, and despite their defeated obedience, they were all gazing at the captured fast-runner in unbridled horror.

“No way...”
“They can’t possibly...”

“What about the other kids? Did they find them?”

“Surely Ruby can’t have come back here alone...” Dorian Thicknose murmured to Topps. “The others...what happened to them...?”

“Hmm...” Topps looked thoughtful. “Maybe they gave these guys the slip? Maybe Ruby’s taking one for the team...no, that can’t be...what do you think?” he turned to Tria, his voice betraying a slightly hopeful edge that she would try and engage him in conversation.

Tria, having scooped a trembling Tricia atop her head, was transfixed by Ruby’s predicament, tears visible in her eyes.

“I only hope...” she said with a quaver in her tone, “that none of the other kids have to be near this...”

They were the only words he was able to get out of her.

High upon a sloped peak overlooking the more desolate areas of the Mysterious Beyond was where Ulciscor stood, gazing over the precipice. Although its route into the Valley was sloped, to the Mysterious Beyond it was a sheer rock face, a good dizzying height from which Ulciscor had dropped several dissidents during both his tenures. Its effectiveness never wavered. He smiled at this thought.

He turned around to see his subjects watching him with a mingled disgust and fear. The atmosphere was fairly crowded, with many Bludgeoners actually having to stand on the slope behind the Valleians rather than on the peak, but he knew by now how well he could control a crowd. Nodding to the two Bludgeoners directly in front of him, he watched as they responded by flinging Ruby to the ground at his feet. The crowd of Valleians gasped, but Ruby made to get to her feet without making a sound.

Kai, his face alive with malice, responded at once. Stepping quickly forward, he placed one of his front feet on Ruby’s back and pressed down, not so as to crush her, but hard enough for her to emit a sharp cry of pain. The gasps returned.

“There you are fast-runner!” Kai declared superciliously. “Right in the dirt where you belong! Don’t even think about standing in the presence of Ulciscor, the Lone Dinosaur!”

The Bludgeoners stationed to the sides all announced their loud approval, in what appeared to be a very rapid, short chant. Ruby noticed Uriah out of the corner of her eye, imitating his peers, but nevertheless looking slightly nauseous.

“OK, that’ll do,” Ulciscor informed his cheerleaders, although the look on his face didn’t fool any of the Valleians. He motioned for Kai to take his foot off Ruby’s back, but looked down on her with the same expression Kai wore.

“This child,” he told the crowds, and was delighted to see that Aster and Arianna were now watching with abject terror. “This sprightly two-footer who thinks she is equal to the great longnecks has returned to the place she was once allowed as an immigrant in a foolish attempt to usurp me. I don’t yet know the full extent of this conspiracy, but after I have made this demonstration, I’m sure all of you...!” he eyes swept the terrified Valleians, “will be willing to obey me. Willing to do what I say when you realise what will happen to any rebel, be they old or young...” his eyes returned to Ruby at the final word.

There was silence, punctured only by a gust of wind the sent a shiver through every witness.

Ulciscor continued.

“I have been warned,” he told the crowd. “By a very trusted source...” he nodded to Kai. “That this individual is quite resourceful and not to be taken lightly. I have therefore prepared something for you to ride in your descent.

Ruby glanced at the two Bludgeoners coming towards her – and her eyes widened when she noticed the slab of wood they had produced, interlaced with vines...

She almost smiled at that – Ulciscor really wasn’t prepared to take any chances. But her primary concern now was any sign that rescue was on its way...?

The crowd continued to watch as Ruby was bound by her arms and legs to the wooden slab. She found herself impressed at how these Bludgeoners could manage it without hands. Obviously Ulciscor had chosen them carefully too. As the slab was raised up, her heart caught in her throat when she saw many of Valleians shedding very prominent tears...she wished she could send some sign to them, assuring them that all was not lost...but to be honest, she wasn’t all that sure herself.

The wood with her attached was pushed, upright, straight towards the edge of the precipice. She swallowed nervously at the sight, and then turned her head to where Ulciscor was watching her.

“And so it ends!” Ulciscor informed everyone loudly. “This particular interception. No more wannabe dissidents will cross my borders! Any last words, fast-runner?”

“Actually...yes,” Ruby replied, twisting her head as best she could to address the Valleians.

“Whatever ends here this day,” she told them, her mind frantically making it up as she went along, “We can allow no victory for this poser, no triumph for anything he stands for. This Valley stood for so much longer than he ever did, and will continue to stand long after he withers away. Whatever the outcome, there will be only one victory. Not of individuals, but of an idea, a single, free-floating love which will keep all true Valleians, alive and dead together, and cast out the ones unworthy of this truth!”

There was silence as she finished, and she was delighted to see that Ulciscor was giving her a very strained smile, the true rage evident in his eyes.

“Well!” he said, attempting to bite back the venom. “Now for what we all came for!” he raised his tail.

“Wait!”

By some bizarre turn of events, it had been Kai who had spoken. He had placed his own tail near Ulciscor’s, in a gesture for him to pause.

“What?” Ulciscor demanded impatiently.

“Allow me!” Kai said enthusiastically, throwing Ruby a filthy glare. “I have a personal score to settle with this one. I have to repay her for giving me the slip the way she did.”

Ulciscor’s expression had become fairly blasÈ.

“Knock yourself out,” he said simply, walking away from the edge.

Kai, grinning like a maniac, swung his tail in an arc through the air, and brought it straight into the back of the slab of wood, sending the entire thing, including Ruby, flying off the edge...

There were gasps from the Valleians, and in that split second, Ruby, suspended in the air and starting to plummet found herself accepting her fate...

But in the very next moment, she found herself caught by something, and flying sideways off round the walls of the Valley...

“Hey!” Kai roared, and as one, everyone single person on the precipice, from the Bludgeoners and Valleians to Ulciscor himself drew to the edge to take a closer look at the unorthodox turn of events.

Ruby’s heart was aglow as she found herself flying to now visible safety.

“That could have been quite nasty,” Pterano remarked. “But now we’re all assembled...”

It was quite visible to the group gathered on the precipice now. Having previously been just out of sight, a winding slope had been dug through the caverns just to the side of them, which led right up to the point where they stood. And all of them watched in either utter jubilation or transfixed horror as Pterano placed Ruby right in the middle of an enormous collection of dinosaurs – even as they gazed, the Valleians could see Ruby enthusiastically greeting Cera, who stood next to Littlefoot – Aster and Arianna leaned to get a closer look, hardly daring to believe it. More relief was etched in the hearts of parents as they also saw Ducky, Petrie, Spike, Chomper, Hyp...and that wasn’t the half of it. Several more kids including unfamiliar sharpteeth, Ali and Shorty stood there, and with them Bron, Old One...a huge force of longnecks and sharpteeth, even the two notorious fast biters, Screech and Thud, who had inexplicably freed Ruby from the vines. And Dorian emitted a louder gasp than anyone could have thought possible when he recognised a spiketail standing beside the kids, looking just as determined as everyone else.

Ruby looked up at the thunderstruck Ulciscor and grinned.

“The extent of the conspiracy?” she called, her voice carrying even from that distance. “Quite excessive!”

No more preparation was necessary. Zyro took one look at the great force he was part of...and gave the order to charge.

Up the newly dug slope charged several hundred tonnes of determined and resolute dinosaur, Zyro and the faster sharpteeth in the lead. With a great bound, Zyro leapt up onto the precipice, a great roar leaving his mouth as he latched himself onto the neck of the nearest Bludegoner, who gave a cry as his neck was bent backwards, snapping almost instantly. Zyro let his opponent fall off the edge as he moved onto the next one, with more and more sharpteeth following, and soon longnecks too...

Ulciscor, screaming in defiance, attempting to retaliate, his great tail swinging in an arc, knocking a few smaller sharpteeth to their deaths...but there simple wasn’t room for an open battle here, and on an impulse, many of the Valleians soon caught onto the idea.

This was their salvation.

Topps responded first, charging headlong into the nearest Bludgeoner, who crashed to the ground, and was prevented from getting back to their feet when Bron struck them in the head hard with his tail. Topps nodded in thanks, and turned to another. Soon, every other Valleian of appropriate age was battling off their tormentors – some, like Dorian and the threehorns, were ramming Bludgeoners as hard as they could. Others, like Ducky’s mother and other hollowhorns and swimmers were making use of the tools they found around them to battle them off. Petrie had reunited with his mother in the air, and they, along with Pterano and Petrie’s siblings, were directing the battlers from above.

However, the battle-space was far too cramped. The other kids were trying to make good of getting to help the adults, but most of their contribution involved leaping out of the way to avoid getting crushed. Despite all of the precautions, this area still wasn’t ideal...

Chomper found himself rolling away from yet more pounding feet, before skidding to a halt before a Bludgeoner that raised its tail before...

It grunted in pain and Chomper noticed Al clinging to the longneck’s clubbed tail by his teeth.

“Chmper!!” he grunted. “Take ne lgs!!!”

Wondering briefly whether Al had decided to bury the hatchet with Lini, Chomper nevertheless obeyed, grabbing hold of one of the Bludgeoner’s front legs with his jaws, though to little effect. However, he saw Saureen take the other front leg, and with a loud roar that echoed around the cramped space, Lini charged straight at the Bludgeoner and used her powerful maws to crush its neck...

The Bludgeoner fell, and Chomper saw, to his indignation, that Al was already rushing off. He didn’t have time to consider this however when he caught sight of his parents, moving in on Kai...

He rushed blindly forward, gasping a little too loudly when both his parents were struck hard in the face by Kai’s spiked tail, little droplets of blood dripping onto the stony ground. He felt someone grab his arm, and suddenly, Saureen was right next to him, breathing heavily into his ear.

“Leave them, we need to get-”

But she stopped short when she saw Ferox also move into Kai. Kai turned his snarling face to him, but creating a blind side which Zyro took advantage of, leaping forward and clawing his neck...

Shorty, Ali, Cera and Ruby were all doing their best to wrong-foot their opponents, Ducky and Spike were at Opal’s side, but Littlefoot had given them all the slip when he had noticed two individuals being restricted movement a lot more considerably than anyone else.

“Grandma! Grandpa!” he called, perhaps a little unwisely. In the brief second that Aster and Arianna caught sight of him running towards them, Ulciscor had also noticed, and moved forward to close the gap...

Bron skidded his way in front, raising his tail and fixing Ulciscor with a steely glare that did not waver.

Ulciscor gazed just as unwaveringly back.

“Well then, Bron...” he said quietly, apparently entertained. “Show me what you’ve got...”

Bron swallowed hard, looking desperately for an opening. Ulciscor however, had turned his head away.

“We need to fall back,” he told Kai urgently. “There’s no way we can unleash the full force of the Bludgeon Brigade in these conditions.

Kai nodded.

The next couple of events was almost surreal. Ulciscor had struck Bron hard in the side with his head, but after that had quickly stepped away, with Kai and all the Bludgeoners following suit. The Valleians and the alliance had been so intertwined with the events that they failed to notice this retreat until they had all passed them.

But Ulciscor was not heading into the Mysterious Beyond. He had led his forces hurriedly down the slope whence he had come, back into the Valley. And, Littlefoot had noticed with mounting horror, he had taken his grandparents with him!

He made to canter after them, until he found Bron gripping his tail with his teeth.

“Not yet,” he muttered. “We need to consider this properly...” Littlefoot sighed, but nodded.

The fighting had ceased, with the alliance members and Valleians, discussing – quite loudly – the next course of action.

“What are we waiting for?” Topps demanded of the group at large. “Let’s go after them, and finally make them pay!”

This suggestion was greeted with considerable enthusiasm.

“Please wait!” Opal called desperately. “We must be careful!”

“Who put you in charge?” Topps demanded. “We’re all very thankful for what you’ve done...but I don’t even know who you are...”

“Well, I do,” Dorian said. Heads snapped to him.

“She is Opal – once a member of a family who led this Valley, back in the old days. And unlike Ulciscor, they ruled with compassion and care.”

“Dorian...?” Opal was looking at him in utmost disbelief. “Is that you?”

Dorian grinned rather sheepishly.

“Once leader or not, she’s right,” Old One informed them, now stepping forward, apparently having not been as quick to rush to battle as some of her younger colleagues. “We know that Ulciscor’s army is one of sheer ferocity, and we can’t just charge blindly. So far we have taken out a sheer minimum of Bludgeoners. This battle is far from over.”

“Well, yes, I get that...” Topps agreed. “But, I have to ask...” he glanced sideways at Zyro.

“Why all the sharpteeth, exactly?”

“Did Pterano not inform you?” Zyro asked him tiredly, to which many of the Valleians were taken aback. “We’re here to help.”

“They want Ulciscor gone as much as the rest of us,” Old One continued. “They are willing to work with us. What about you?”

“I’m perfectly happy...” Dorian said earnestly.

“So am I,” Tria added, glancing at Topps as she did so. One by one, every other Valleian gave their approval, concluded by Topps nodding and agreeing.

“Alright,” Old One looked around carefully. “Then we must all decide what to do next...”

“How about we just ask this one?” came a slightly savage voice. One of the longnecks from Old One’s herd was approaching a kneeling Bludgeoner, who was apparently trembling in fear. Although that Bludgeoner looked vaguely familiar...

“Relax!” Pterano quickly flew down to them. “This is Uriah, the one who allowed us in. I presume you’ll be fighting on our side fully now?”

Uriah swallowed.

“Yes...and I get the feeling Ulciscor will launch a counterattack – Bludgeon battle formations have been devised for such an occasion. I can take you through them, but we must act quickly.”

“What’s more,” Bron turning to the group at large. “It would appear my parents-in-law have been taken captive by Ulciscor.” Old One nodded.

“Do you have any idea why that might be...?” she asked. Bron shook his head quickly. He could feel the eyes of many Valleians upon him. So...Ulciscor had told them...

The attention didn’t linger on him for very long, as announcements for new strategies came into fruition. Sighing, he glanced over at where Littlefoot, Shorty and all the others were uniting under a promise that they would all return to each other once this was over...clearly there was something that he would have to return to in the depths of his past before this was over...

*
On grand plains surrounded by bare trees stood Ulciscor, an army around him, watching him pace furiously.

“How could we not have noticed the attack force?” he snarled at Kai.

“Evidently someone has betrayed us,” Kai answered coldly, glancing at the Bludgeoners, who flinched at his glare. “I don’t see Uriah amongst this group...”

“Oh, he was always a weak-willed one!” Ulciscor declared savagely, kicking a fairly dead clump of ferns.

“Should I kill him?” Kai asked hopefully.

“Kill all of them,” Ulciscor replied earnestly. “Any dinosaur, sharptooth or leaf-eater, male or female, young or old that shows ANY sign of resistance! Those that cower and surrender you can spare, but anyone who still has a fighting spirit in them must go. Except...” he glanced over at his still guarded parents, “...Littlefoot. I wish to speak with him. But I must draw him out. Both him and Bron, so I need to retreat for now. I’ll take these two...” he gestured to his parents, “with me, and after that I will leave a little earlier than planned, hopefully to return to a Valley fully back under my control and with fresh ideas on how to take on the rest of the world.”

“Ulciscor...” Arianna spoke with a quaver, but her eyes upon him didn’t shift. “You underestimate the will of Littlefoot and Bron...”

“Wills can easily be broken,” Ulciscor retorted.

“But is the will on an entire Valley so hard to break?” Aster added.

Ulciscor didn’t reply. He instead amused himself by looking at Kai’s unbridled eagerness.

“I leave the Valley in your capable hands, Kai,” he said simply. “Does it feel like something you could rise to?”

“Just watch me...” Kai replied. He turned, and inclined his head back in the direction where he knew the opposing army had gathered.

“Bludgeoners!” he roared. “Long Phalanx Formation, tails overhead!!”

The majority of the Bludgeoners surrounding him, led by the scarred Shock, immediately dropped into the formation where each guarded the one next to him, poised perfectly, tail ready...

“CHARGE!!” Kai’s nearly hysterical scream echoed throughout the Valley, and as the huge formation galloped off, Ulciscor turned back to his parents, with two Bludgeoners still guarding them.

“Well,” he said, failing to hide his glee. “Let’s get you two to a sanctuary...”

*
“I’d estimate we have about minutes...”

“Then let us be concise. But honestly, I think the kids are the main concern here...they come first...”

The Alliance had gathered in a corner of the Valley to the West. Discussion was fast and feverish, they knew they didn’t have time to waste, but the decision that was unanimous that the kids should be taken to a place of sanctuary.

“But how will we know what happens?” Littlefoot asked Bron earnestly. “You’re all going to be out fighting, we can’t be sitting alone not knowing...”

“You’ll have adults with you,” Bron assured him. “The ones that want to sit this one out. I know it’s not ideal, but nothing about this is...”

“You seem really distracted...” Shorty observed. “Everything alright...?”

Bron just gave him a solemn smile.

Meanwhile, Opal, who had previously been deep in discussion with Dorian, found herself being approached by a slightly apprehensive looking swimmer.

“Hello...?” Opal said uncertainly.

“Hi...” the swimmer replied. “My name is Azura...I’m Ducky and Spike’s mother...”

Opal could have sworn her heart momentarily stopped.

“Well...nice to meet you...” she managed.

Azura nodded. A brief, awkward silence hung between them.

“I presume you’ve been informed about my story?” Opal asked eventually.

“Yes...” Azura nodded. “It’s...it’s good that you’ve come back after all this time...but...”

“I don’t want to take your son away from you,” Opal said hurriedly. “I mean, there’s no way I could possibly recreate the bond you’ve grown over all these years...”

“I’m not...” Azura paused, unsure how to respond to this. Eventually she simply nodded, looking somewhat relieved.

Opal smiled at this noticeable change of mood, and cast an eye over to Spike, standing beside Ducky and their numerous siblings, gathered with the rest of the small children caught in this catastrophe.

“He’s a good kid...” she said honestly. “Being raised somewhat...” she seemed uncertain how to word it, “...unconventionally seems to have no effect on him...you must be very proud. And on that I must congratulate your parenting skills. They seem remarkable.”

“Thank you...” Azura gave her a warm smile. “I’m sure would have done the same if given the chance...and look, I don’t want you to be a stranger to Spike. I’m sure he would understand – I know I would – if after all this is over...you can visit and spend time with him regularly. Spiketail stuff...if such a thing exists?”

Opal chuckled.

“I’ll see if I can dig deep,” she replied. “And thank you Azura. That gesture means everything to me...”

Among the kids ready for their safe haven, one such child was still being adamant.

“Dad,” Cera was saying with an almost over-the-top sincerity. “I just need an answer...you and Tria...are you to still...y’know...?”

When Topps didn’t answer, Tria, who had been watching them, walked meaningfully over.

“Cera, I think what you need to understand is that these kind of relationships can be put under serious strain. It’ll be OK, I can still see you-”

“I knew it!” Cera snapped, with a kind of blend between savage triumph and determined anguish. “I can’t believe this, after everything you-”

She paused when she remembered what Ruby had told her.

“We need to be united against Ulciscor!” Cera declared. “We need to be united in love...love’s going to save us...! Or something...”

But she was saved the necessity to continue when Pterano flew back to them, giving a panicked cry.

“They’re on their way!” he declared loudly.

There was instant uproar at his words.

“OK!” Old One yelled over the noise. “Who has the children??”

“They’re right here!” Zyro yelled back. “I’ll take them to the-”

“That’s no good Zyro!” Old One replied loudly. “We need your skills in this fight!”

Zyro swallowed hard, it suddenly dawning on him that he was seriously neglecting his duty. If Shark had expected him to lead the community...he shook the thought off...

“I figured they would need protection!” he said honestly. “But I will be back!”

“I’ll stay with them!” Hyp’s father stepped from the crowd to join him. “I know I’m not going to be much use fighting...but I’ll promise to keep them all-”

“Excellent, fine!” Opal interrupted, stepping in place behind the crowd of kids. “I’ll defend them from the rear!”

“Cera, you need to go!” Topps commanded, as Ruby dragged his protesting daughter back with the others. Noting that both his daughters we protected, he charged straight at the approaching Bludgeon Brigade, the majority of the Alliance following in his wake. He could see the Bludgeoners rigid determination in their eyes...

The tails swung down...

Topps felt the heavy clubs make a connection, but the pain was somewhat dulled as he continued to push against the great mass of dinosaur. The formations were rigid, but if he could just make an opening...

Dorian was soon helping him on the other side, and so was Tria, and many other ceratopsians and a few large sharpteeth, until the formation of Bludgeoners began to falter...

Kai was swinging his spiked tail like a baton, seemingly uncaring whom it hit. Ross found himself struck round the face again, but ignored the blood dripping from his face, and aimed a bite straight to his leg. Kai snarled at him and flung his neck down onto the twoclaw, knocking him to the ground. Kai reared up onto his hind legs and was about to bring his front limbs crashing down when Rhea and Ferox charged headlong at him, knocking him backwards and hitting the earth with a momentous rumble.

“Aim for his throat!” Rhea roared, but found herself receiving a faceful of Kai’s leg as he got unsteadily to his feet.

But help was at hand. Pterano had taken to the skies with his sister, and they were all calling out as many commands as they could, seeing the battlefield the panoramic way they did, even some areas of the grass that were slowly getting stained red.

Some of their forces had been taken down. But Bludgeoners had fallen too, and if they continued to press on...

Uriah had heard Pterano’s distressed cry when he noticed Kai gaining an upper hand, and he had, against his better judgement, bolted towards him. Kai noticed him, and, with a cry of indignation, had thrusted his tail in his direction. The spikes made immediate contact, penetrating the delicate skin of Uriah’s neck. Uriah howled as the blood dripped down, and Kai wasn’t finished. Swinging his tail like a mace, he launched Uriah straight into the air. Eyes were drawn as the renegade Bludgeoner spun freely through the air, raining blood down onto allies and enemies alike, before coming to resolute thud onto the ground, motionless.

“This’ll be the end for you, you treacherous bastard!!” Kai screamed at him, charging in his direction, scattering fighters as he went.

WHAM.

Bron had charged at him, and had collided with him just in time. Kai, off-balance, staggered sideways, and Bron barked out a quick command to two longnecks to drag Uriah out of harm’s way.

“I’ve got somewhere else I need to be!” Bron declared, quickly sprinting off. “I’m sorry! But Ulciscor’s somewhere here!!”

Kai watched him go, a devious smirk playing about his face. Just as Ulciscor had predicted...

The battle raged on around them, Bludgeoner and Alliance member continuing to fall alike. Some Valleians were determined that they had broken through the Bludgeoners’ formation...although many Bludgeoners had regrouped into them...

Screech and Thud, meanwhile, found themselves in a severe bit of trouble. They were facing just one Bludgeoner, but one that seemed to have hit a mode of berserk behaviour that could not rival any  they had ever seen before. Evidence of its devastating effectiveness lay at said Bludgeoner’s feet – a medium-sized sharptooth, a close colleague of Zyro’s, now bloodied, bruised and unmistakably dead.

“You’d think we’d get some help??” Screech asked his brother, leaping bodily backwards to avoid a mighty swing from their foe’s powerful tail.

“Forget it!” Thud replied brusquely, cantering sideways to avoid being crushed by the Bludgeoner’s limbs. “We’re feared by everyone here!”

Taken advantage of the distraction the Bludgeoner briefly had, Screech gave a glorious jump straight onto its head. Although it bellowed and reared, Screech clung on, digging his sickle-claws in, drawing a slow trickle of blood...

“The flanks, Thud!” he roared to his brother.

Thud quickly sprinted around the squat longneck, but didn’t jump quite in time. He gave a gasp of considerable pain as the tail struck him squarely in the chest. He felt a rib snap, and when he hit the ground forcefully, a torrent of blood erupted from his mouth.

“Thud!!”

Screech sprung immediately off the Bludgeoner, and although it pursued him, he skidded to a halt to where his brother lay, spitting a few remaining drops of scarlet bitterly to the ground.

“I should be fine...” he grunted. “At least...if that wasn’t coming towards us...” he gestured to the fast approaching Bludgeoner, its tail raised...

But a second, larger tail struck it hard before it could make its mark on the two fastbiters. He keeled over, and two pairs of front legs stamped down upon it, squashing its murderous resolve for good.

Screech and Thud gazed open-mouthed as Old One stepped off her defeated enemy, and glanced at the two of them.

“Don’t think we’re forgetting anyone,” she said firmly. “Now take those looks off your faces, we have a battle to win!”

Screech and Thud hadn’t a clue what she was saying, but the fact that they sprung up at once meant they got the general gist.

*
The shouts, bellows, thuds and roars from battle carried over some of the thickets via the Great Wall. Zyro was rushing past, determined to aid his allies as soon as possible. He did, however, keep a close eye on the kids in pursuit. If he lost any of them...

As soon as his ears heard something out of the ordinary, he stopped in his tracks. The kids, hitting him with something of a loud kafuffle, groaned and demanded to know what the deal was.

“Don’t you hear that...?” Zyro asked uncertainly. Once everyone was silent, the noises became much clearer. There was a rumbling...a cascading...potentially even a collapsing coming from...

“It’s coming from the wall!” Chomper realised, staring wide-eyed up at the rocky construct.

“Rockslide...!” Zyro suddenly gasped. “Quick, get out of the way...!”

After a split-second, everyone realised the danger and flung themselves in a combination of a flying leap and a gallop away from the tumbling rocks...however...

The great stone structures hit the ground with a almighty cracking sound which echoed all around, and many a young dinosaur found themselves rolling in an almost blinding dust...

Cera found herself clinging as hard as she could to her half-sister, the best she could do, paralysed as the boulders made impact, cracking into pieces and sending debris in all directions at once.

“Tricia!” she gasped. “Hold on!” Tricia cowered into her hide as the dust settled...

“Cera...?”

Cera looked up, and to her relief, saw Ruby standing before, looking extremely shaken.

“What was that?” she asked feebly.

“No idea...” Cera stood up, Tricia still clinging to her leg.
 
Ruby looked around.

“The others? Where are the...?”

“Aaahh!! No, we fine...”

“Yep, yep...yep...”

Cera and Ruby could only stare as Petrie, Ducky and Spike removed themselves from a small pile of rubble. But that staring soon turned to relieved laughter.

“But seriously...” Ruby’s laughter faltered. “What happened to...?”

“Shorty?? Littlefoot??” Ali’s distressed calls told them everything they needed to know.

“Who else is missing?” Cera demanded, rounding on her.

“Saureen...and Chomper!” Lini was now gingerly emerging from behind a bolder coughing slightly, looking aghast.

“And Zyro...” Al was walking towards Spike from behind.

“Zyro??” Hyp’s father was getting to his feet, dusting himself off. “How are we going to...?”

“We’ll find a way!” Opal was now striding towards them, looking shaken but determined.

They all turned to look at her, and Spike, in spite of the situation, found himself smiling.

“I presume they all might be trapped on the other side of this...” she murmured, looking at the new, slightly slumped formation the rocks from the Great Wall now made. “Let’s hope they managed to get out OK...”

These chilling words swept through the listening dinosaurs for a few moments, until Opal broke the silence.

“The fact still remains that we need to get you lot to safety, and we-”

“Ah, to hell with that!!” Cera had barked loud and clear, and now strode towards Opal, not caring that everyone was watching her.

“We have been involved in this far too much from the beginning,” she told Opal firmly. “I don’t know quite how I could sit tight after all this. I’m coming to the battle.”

“You can’t,” Opal said, horrified.

“Just try and stop me.”

Opal simply sighed.

“I’m afraid I have to agree...” Ruby stepped forward to stand at Cera’s side. “Our friends are trapped over there, and I feel that to do nothing would be just a considerable blow to them...”

“Yeah...” Ali said shakily, glancing over at the mounds of rock, but coming to stand by Cera all the same.

As the small group of determined young kids gathered, Opal almost felt like laughing.

“How,” she asked, as she swept her eyes over Cera, Ruby, Ali, Ducky, Petrie, Spike, Lini and Al. “Did I know it was going to be you lot?”

“Predictability is good!” Cera assured her.

Opal sighed, and glanced over at Hyp’s father. He was nodding, him and Hyp having been able to effectively gather the much smaller children to them.

“We promise to get them to safety!” was the assurance Opal was given. “There are no Bludgeoners this side of the Valley!”

Opal sighed and nodded.

“I guess there’s no point in stopping you...” she said, looking down at the determined eight. “Alright...but keep out of the direct line of assault. Follow me carefully...”

As this resolute march to battle commenced, Lini despaired to see Al continuing to not meet her gaze.

*
NEXT BIT ABOUT TO COME...