---

Hey guys! Long time no see, huh? This is something I owed for the 2019 summer exchange for The Gang of Five fanfic prompt challenge. Yep, this has been about 2 years in the making.  This might start to sound like clockwork to some, but it's the first thing I've written in a very long time, and I feel much more confident in my writing ability than I did before. Pterano's backstory is one of my favorite avenues to explore, and while I realize it's been done to death, I hope you all enjoy it regardless! 


Description: After serving five bitter cold times in exile, Pterano finally has the  chance to return to The Great Valley. But life has hardened the old flyer, who believes he is undeserving of a second chance. But one has to wonder, how exactly did he come to be this way? And will he take this chance at redemption, or resign himself to a life of misery?

FF link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13930614/1/A-Flyer-s-Lament

and a small note: Italics outside the quotes indicate thoughts, but italics inside the quotations are used for emphasis when a character is speaking.

---

"Well... that makes five."

The flyer spoke aloud to himself as he watched the first blades of grass fight their way through the cracks in the earth, marking the beginning of the new season. Then, it all sunk in.

"Goodness." Five cold times? "Has it truly been that long…?"

It wasn't as if it even mattered. After the stunt he'd pulled with that 'Stone of Cold Fire' nonsense, his sister probably wouldn't want even want to see his face. Not that he blamed her, but he didn't think he could bear being cast out again.

"Well... I've really done it this time."

Pterano was well aware that he might have looked crazy talking to himself, but he'd grown accustomed to it. Extended periods of time in the Mysterious Beyond could do that to a flyer.

"My dear, I don't know if you can even hear me," he sighed, "but, I hope you can forgive me for all I've done. All I wanted was to set everything right, for things to go back to the way they were... when we were all happy."

"Who in the world are you speaking to? Anyone hears you, they might think you're more loony than a hunger-crazed sharptooth."

Pterano drew his attention towards the deep, wistful voice behind him, belonging to an older flyer. The pale flyer's legs were covered in faded scars which Pterano could only assume were from the battles he won, given his reputation. His eyes, the same color as the brown earth, were filled with a wisdom that only came with age.

Pterano nodded politely at the other. "Good evening, Sofos. What brings you here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Sofos chuckled, "how come you're out here by your lonesome? Why, with how down you look, I'd reckon you got rejected by every single female out there during the Time of Mating."

Sofos had seen his fair share of runts and outcasts- males that no self-respecting female would consider mating with. But Pterano didn't fall into any of those categories. Which was why it came as a surprise that Pterano hardly seemed bothered about finding a mate. In fact, it seemed like Sofos' words went in one ear and then out the other.

"Unfortunately, my friend, I've no interest in a mate," Pterano corrected, "there was only one little lady I'd ever consider to be my lifelong companion, but… well, let's just say that backfired in my face, as did several other things. Sometimes, I feel I'm just... cursed."

Sofos laughed heartily as he took a seat next to Pterano.

"Aw, there ain't no such thing as curses. There's only things you decide to do, and things you decide not to do. And life is pretty much just the outcome of those decisions, when you think about it. You're not cursed, you just make bad decisions from the sounds of it."

Pterano slouched, groaning under his breath. "Thank you. That was... quite helpful."

"Nah, don't mention it." Pterano's sarcasm was not lost on Sofos, who decided to ignore it.

"Although," Pterano countered, "I do have to disagree with you about there being no such thing as curses."

Sofos appeared to think for a moment. "Well, you are entitled to your opinion. Even if it's wrong."

Pterano frowned, his dark eyes meeting the other's. "Well, I say— it's an opinion! How can you say it's wrong?"

"Hmm... I guess that's fair. But answer me this— how come you feel that way? Do you have a reason or have you just always been this superstitious?"

Sofos let out a laugh, expecting Pterano to roll his eyes in exasperation. Except, he didn't.

Pterano retreated into the deepest recesses of his mind, dredging up old memories that he tried so hard to repress. There were times that were the greatest of his life, that he wished to cherish forever. But along with those, there were also memories he hoped to forget.

"My father... he cursed me. It's because of him that I'm in such a position."

Sofos blinked, his eyes focusing on the younger flyer before him. "...How do you mean?"

Pterano looked back at the sky, like he was looking somewhere faraway.

"He only ever cared about what he wanted. It was all about what he thought was right, what he thought was best for me. He forced his blasted 'ideals'— if you can even call them that— onto me, and it ruined my life."

Pterano sighed. "Forget it. It's a long story, one with far too many details."

Sofos grinned. "Don't worry, I've got time."

Pterano shook his head, wondering why this old flyer was so adamant about this. But he chose not to fight it. "Alright, then. Don't say I didn't warn you."

---

"Pterano! Eyes forward!"

Pterano, too preoccupied with his wonderful daydream, barely registered the dreadful sound of his own father's voice. "Mm..."

"PTERANO!"

Pterano groaned under his breath, whirling around to meet his father's disappointed face. "I know, I know, eyes forward— OW!"

Too focused on talking back to his father, Pterano had neglected to notice the cliff right in front of him, crashing right into it, face first. The impact of the crash vibrated throughout his body, leaving him dazed and confused as he managed some sort of a landing, his head throbbing too much to care about proper form and technique.

Pterano plopped down onto his stomach, the sound of flapping wings growing closer. The other flyer's shadow loomed over him, and Pterano forced himself to look up. His father was the mirror image of him, only darker and much bigger. And stronger. A reminder of everything he failed to be, which he remembered every time he looked at his reflection in the water.

"That was pathetic," his father spat.

Pterano huffed, refusing to acknowledge him.

"This is serious, Pterano. Forget becoming leader of the herd, you won't even be able to function in a group!"

Pterano sat up, massaging his head. "Mm... I don't think it's quite as serious as you think it is, father..."

"See— this is exactly your problem. You simply don't want to learn! Anything useful that goes into that empty head of yours just goes in through one end and then out the other!" He firmly tapped Pterano's head several times with his talon to get his point across, ignoring his son's pleas for him to stop.

Pterano winced in pain, opening one eye to stare at his father. If looks could kill, his father would have a hole through his forehead.

"Very well," his father scoffed, "if that is your attitude, we will not be heading home until you perfect your flying technique."

Pterano's jaw fell slack. "What? You can't— you can't be serious! Do you know how much time we'd be wasting—"

Pterano's father cleared his throat and perched himself atop a rock. "I've got all day. Start flying."

Pterano's talons dug into the dirt amidst his frustration, sharp tips cutting deeper and deeper as he fought the urge to scream in his father's face. After a moment of staring at the ground in unspoken rage, Pterano heaved his sore and aching body back into an upright position, begrudgingly taking to the sky once more.

By the time Pterano had managed to somehow meet his father's high standards and actually land without any noticeable stagger, the bright circle had already begun to set, the night circle rising over the mountains. He could no longer feel his own legs, or his wings, for that matter. How in the world was he supposed to fly home?

"Good work, Pterano," his father said, clapping his hands together, "much better than that horrid display I was forced to witness earlier. However..."

Damn it. He'd really been counting on his father having nothing more to say. After all, he had better things to do instead of listening to yet another angry tirade.

"...I know you can do better." His voice was gentler, but Pterano knew better than to be lured into a false sense of security. He stiffened as his father squeezed his shoulder.

"As I'm sure you know, I will not accept any sort of failure."

There's the flyer I know, Pterano noted silently, unaware of how much his heart was racing.

Silence fell between the pair, leaving both standing atop the ledge awkwardly. Thankfully, they were interrupted by the sound of flapping wings, followed by a screech.

Pterano jerked his head upwards, his eyes trailing the dark figure that flew towards them. The unknown flyer swooped down and landed perfectly in front of Pterano, her auburn body shrouded in the cool light of the night circle.

"There you are," her raspy voice chirped, "where have you been? We're all gonna miss the Great Shower of the Flying Rocks because of you! Come on!"

She instinctively reached for Pterano's wrist, pulling him towards her.

Then, it was like a spark ignited inside of the older flyer's mind. His sharp, narrowed eyes fixated on their joined hands, but that watchful gaze of his was not lost on his son.

Pterano glared suspiciously, wondering what exactly was going on inside his father's head right now. What is he planning?

"Hello?" The female waved her hand in front of his face, "Cyra to Pterano, come in Pterano!"

"Huh?" Pterano finally snapped out of it. He looked at Cyra, and then at his father.

"Er... father? I'm going with the others to watch the flying rock shower. What time should I be home?"

The older flyer simply gave a dismissive wave. "Doesn't matter to me. Just don't do anything foolish and stay out of trouble. Do you think you can do that?"

His words felt heavily patronizing, but it was nothing new. This was just how it was. Pterano's only purpose in life was to make his father proud, as much as he detested it. So he paid no mind and gave a single nod of his head before following Cyra, disappearing into the night.

The duo soared through the sky, Cyra catching a quick glimpse of Pterano, who despite being right beside her felt like he was worlds away. He was obviously distracted, so much in fact that he almost began flying downwards. In the wrong direction. If it hadn't been for Cyra using her wing to gently grab his attention, he would've had a very rude awakening.

Pterano smiled sheepishly at his good friend of many years. "Oh, dear— my apologies, Cyra, I must be a bit worn out from today's lesson."

"Yeah. No kidding," Cyra snickered, "when I saw you, you looked like you'd risen up from the dead."

"Well, I certainly felt like it," Pterano said in slight jest, but a part of him meant it. When it came to his father, he always left feeling completely exhausted.

Cyra laughed, but the light atmosphere between them quickly lifted when she brought the focus back to the issue at hand. "Pterano?"

"Hmm? Yes?"

"I hope you won't mind my saying this, but... I've just been noticing it more and more."

Pterano seemed both intrigued and confused, but he'd wait for her to finish before jumping to conclusions.

"The way your father treats you, I don't think— well, I know it isn't right because my father never treats me that way. I mean, it seems like he cares more about having power over than you than he does about your happiness."

"Really?" Pterano pretended to be surprised, but the flatness in his voice revealed his apathy, "I hadn't noticed."

Cyra chortled, smacking him upside the head. "Stop it, I'm serious."

A grin crept onto Pterano's face. "Why, hello Serious, I'm—"

THWACK!

Cyra whacked him again. "You're full of shit."

"And yet you still spend time with me," Pterano pointed out, ramming into her body with his. His face lit up at her squeals of surprise and delight, dissolving into soft sighs as he assumed a more serious demeanor.

"But you aren't exactly wrong, Cyra. He has no one's best interests at heart except for his own. The only thing that matters to him is expanding his territory, and he expects me to follow in his footsteps."

"...Wow. Yikes. But hey, look on the bright side," she piped up, "once he dies, you're free to do whatever you want. You could probably even ditch your position as leader, I mean, what is he gonna say? He'll be dead!"

She burst out into hysterical laughter but quickly shut her mouth when she saw that Pterano was not laughing along with her. "I'm so sorry. That was too far."

The faintest smile lingered on Pterano's face, and he allowed himself a small chuckle.

"Well now, I wouldn't say that. It is the truth, and it is quite funny when you think about it. Knowing him, he'd probably find a way to order me around from the Great Beyond."

"Yeah, he probably would!" Cyra cackled, her laughter contagious.

Pterano soon found himself bursting into laughter as well to the point his stomach ached. He and Cyra then flew down towards the grass covered clearing where their friends had been impatiently waiting for them.

---

"Late again," the pink flyer announced, black eyes fixated on the two closely approaching silhouettes.

"Yeah, that's a surprise. I'm completely beside myself with shock." The brown flyer standing beside him faked a gasp, placing his hands over his chest for dramatic effect.

"Are you serious?" A deep voice that was like claws scraping against the wall of a cave erupted from behind him.

"Quit your moaning, Sierra. I don't think I can even keep count of the amount of times that we had to wait for your sorry butt because you were 'watching the clouds' with Zephyr."

Yellow eyes narrowed at the lilac flyer. She was like a thorn in his side. One that was impossible to get rid of.

"Hey, Lila, isn't it past time for you to go back to your nest?"

"Isn't it time you died?"

Rinkus snickered in a hushed voice. Only Lila. Only she had the guts to say something like that to someone's face, and Rinkus admired her for it.

"Brat!" Sierra growled.

"Mouthbreather!"

"Go eat a pile of—"

"Sierra!"

The male turned to face the periwinkle flyer whose azure eyes were always so gentle, even when she was angry.

"She started it!" He pointed an accusing talon towards Lila.

Zephyr was not impressed. "Mhm. Very mature."

Sierra was about to launch into a litany of protests when a loud screech sounded through the air.

"Do you guys ever shut your mouths?" Cyra inquired as she landed, "We could hear you arguing from the other side of the mountain."

When both Lila and Sierra tried to explain themselves, Zephyr stopped them with a light slap to their backs.

"No," she scolded, "not now. Not today. Now come on, Tress is probably already waiting for us."

"Goodness! We'll miss the beginning!" Rinkus squawked.

"Yeah, if you keep whining about it," Lila teased, "let's go already!"

"Let me guess," Sierra said smugly to Pterano as they took off, "you were swapping spit with Cyra, weren't ya?"

Pterano gasped, completely indignant as he flew onwards with Sierra trailing right behind him. "No, that's not what happened at all! And it's none of your concern if it did!"

Sierra snickered, having the time of his life. "I bet you were all 'Oh, Cyra, I wish we could be together forever and never hang out with any of our friends!' You were, weren't ya?"

"Sierra, cut it out." Zephyr flew a little ways behind them, her scolding interrupted by the sound of Lila laughing.

"Lila thinks it's funny," Sierra pointed out, looking over his shoulder.

"That's because it is," the lilac flyer said through her giggles.

"I hate you, Sierra," Pterano groaned.

"Good," said Sierra, "the feeling's mutual then."

"Ugh! Will you guys shut up already?" Cyra shouted from the front, flying straight ahead.

---

By the time the small flock of flyers arrived at their destination- a valley of steep cliffs that could only be accessed by flying, the sky had already begun to turn a hue of deep pink. Cyra scanned the area, looking for a place to land. When she heard a familiar screech, she took that as her cue and followed it to where she was greeted by a dark blue flyer.

Tress had been expecting them. Several flyers planned to watch the shower tonight, so she had flown off early to reserve a decent spot. When she saw Cyra come into view, she waited until she landed before practically attacking her with a hug.

"I'm so glad you guys made it!" Tress exclaimed as Cyra reciprocated her gesture, "I was beginning to worry that I'd headed out early for nothing."

"Yeah, well you can blame your brother for makin' us late," Sierra ever-so-nobly pointed out.

Pterano clenched his fists and huffed. "I say, don't you ever get tired from constantly berating me, Sierra?"

"I wouldn't exactly call it berating, Pterano," Lila scoffed, "it's just Sierra being Sierra. No big deal."

"She's right, you know," Rinkus chimed in, "I've seen Sierra when he's actually berating others, and this is quite tame... at least by his standards."

Cyra couldn't believe she was actually friends with these imbeciles.

"Who cares?" She interrupted, "The shower's about to start. And where in the world are Kiara and Kai?"

"Don't get your wings in a knot, you worry wart. We're here." Now, there was a familiar sound.

"And just in the nick of time too," added another voice.

Cyra looked up and caught a glimpse of her brother and her best friend flying towards her.

"You're late," she griped, glowering at her brother.

"Not like you have any room to talk," Kai retorted.

"Not my fault, idiot," Cyra replied.

"Alright. You keep telling yourself that." He flashed that stupid grin that made Cyra want to punch him in the face, and then patted her head.

Cyra slapped his hands away. "Don't touch me. I don't know where you've been."

"Wow. Whoever raised you did a pretty bad job." He leaned over towards Tress, lowering his voice, "Seriously, she's so rude!"

"You know what's rude?" Tress folded her arms, "The fact that you'd much rather pick on your sister than greet me."

Kiara let out a snort. "Ouch."

Kai panicked, but only for a moment. He then wrapped his wings around the dark blue flyer. "How could I ever forget you, Tress?"

Trying to stay mad at him was a losing game. Before long, Tress had accepted his embrace and was laughing as he lifted her smaller body into the air.

Pterano wanted to puke. Honestly, his friends didn't seem to know the first thing about decency. He averted his eyes, only to direct them towards the sky a moment later when he felt a cool light pass over him.

"Everybody, quiet," Kiara demanded, a smile dancing across her face, "it's starting."

Silence fell among the flyers. Another streak of blue light leapt across the sky, visible for only a second before fading into darkness, followed by many more in the same vein. The flyers considered themselves lucky to witness it.

Pterano perched himself by Cyra's side. Just being with her and seeing how happy she was, it made him forget all about his current plight.

"You know," Cyra began, "It's so amazing being able to see something like this. And the fact that it only happens once in a while, and I'm here to see it— that makes it even more amazing. I sure am glad I'm a flyer right now."

Pterano laughed softly, a wave of fatigue slowly overtaking him . "Hmm... yes."

"I mean, just imagine being a clubtail or a threehorn. You wouldn't be able to see shit!"

Pterano only had the energy to nod.

"Hey, Pterano?" Cyra waited for his response, but when all she got back was silence, she called his name again. "Hello? Pterano? Hey, what are you—"

Pterano was fast asleep on Cyra's shoulder and probably hadn't heard a word she just said. Cyra grinned at the sight of his serene, sleeping face, choosing not to wake him. Instead, she looked towards the sky. When she did— she wasn't sure if it was a trick of the light or what, but there seemed to be twice as many stars.

---

As daylight faded, numerous stars adorned the night sky. Pterano exhaled, releasing the tension that had built up in his chest.

"You know, that night was one of my last happy memories as a young flyer. I didn't even see the entire flying rock shower, but just being there with my friends without a care in the world... it's a feeling I'll never have again."

"Hmm..." Sofos thought long and hard, "sounds like a bit of tough love to me. I think your father was just hard on you to knock some sense into your noggin. You should be grateful to him."

"No, it wasn't like that," Pterano corrected, "he knew he could use brute force to get his way and nobody would say anything because of his position! He was hard on me, yes, but he purposely sabotaged anything, and I mean anything— that interfered with my training."

Sofos' eyes widened curiously. "Yeah? Like what?"

Pterano paused, and it felt like eons before he spoke again, his voice heavy with emotion when he did.

"...My future. Not my future as a leader, but my future with the one I loved."

---

It was as beautiful a day as any other. The bright circle blessed the land with it's light, the cries of various creatures echoing throughout the trees. A group of flyers could be seen soaring effortlessly through the sky. It was as close to a perfect day as one could get. But not perfect enough.

From his lookout point up in the sky, Pterano spotted something, a speck— but it still caught his attention. It was his father, talking to Cyra.

"Now what is he up to?" He swooped down, forgoing any and all subtlety.

"Well, well, what are you lot chatting about?" He squawked obnoxiously, placing himself in between Cyra and his father, "Must be quite interesting."

Pterano expected Cyra to laugh at such a remark, or at least produce a muffled giggle. Instead, she wrapped her arms around her shoulders, directing her gaze towards her feet.

"Nothing much, really. Just talking about what my duties are during the dry time."

"What?" Pterano gave her a doubtful look, "but there's still plenty of time before it starts! And father, I haven't seen you talking to anyone else about their duties. I figured I would have been the first one you spoke to, considering you expect me to lead the herd one day!"

"Just because you haven't seen me speaking to others, it doesn't mean it hasn't happened. Not everything needs to be a show when you're leader of a herd."

He craned his head towards the female flyer, staring her down. Cyra caught his eye and nodded her head. Satisfied, the older flyer held his head high.

"Now, I have other duties to attend to. Why don't you two help to harvest some tree stars from the trees?"

"Yes, sir," Cyra gave a slight dip of her head, "of course."

Pterano's father nodded before spreading his wings and leaving the two of them to their duties. Once Pterano was sure his father was far enough away that he couldn't spy on them, he whirled around to face Cyra.

"What was all that about? What did he say to you?"

"It was nothing." The way Cyra refused to look him in the eye when she spoke let Pterano know that she wasn't being honest.

Cyra knew that he sensed something was amiss. It was hard to lie to someone she'd known since she was a youngling; someone who knew all of her nervous ticks.

"Don't worry about it, Pterano," she assured him, "it was nothing important. I promise."

She looked right at him that time, so Pterano decided to take her word for it. Maybe it really was nothing of much importance and he was simply being paranoid.

"Very well," he sighed, "if you say so, then I believe you."

"Good plan," Cyra teased with a smirk, "now come on. These tree stars aren't going to shake themselves."

Pterano was thrilled to see her normal spunk, and laughed heartily. "Of course. We should get moving, then."

He went on ahead, pretending he hadn't noticed Cyra nervously rubbing her arm from the corner of his eye.

There was indeed something bothering Cyra. Pterano could see it clear as the light of day, despite her previous reassurances. He watched her curiously as she nimbly swooped in between the branches, shaking loose some of the leaves.

Cyra counted each tree star as they fell, and looked at Pterano. "Are you going to help me or are you just going to stand there?"

"Hm? Oh! Yes, yes! Of course!"

The glare Cyra issued him was more than enough to send him speeding towards the tree. He began aiding her in the tedious task of pushing back and forth until something finally gave, although Cyra was doing enough pushing for the both of them and getting quite a bit of enjoyment in showing him up.

Pterano narrowed his eyes. Okay. Try to focus. He grunted, putting all his weight forward. Cyra stepped back, intrigued by this 'battle' between Pterano and the tree.

"Come on, you stubborn hunk of wood..." Pterano groaned, "...Budge! Woah—!"

There was a loud thwack and then a thud as Pterano fell backwards onto his haunches. Cyra didn't have to look twice to tell that the tree had won this round.

"Ugh... that was not my best landing." Pterano rubbed his back, feeling every muscle seemingly contract of it's own will. From above, he heard an all too familiar laugh.

"Of all the flyers to have witnessed such a display..." he mumbled, shaking his head, "...Kai is by far the worst."

The aforementioned flyer sauntered over, accompanied by another. "Why, look at our future leader, Rohan! The herd is in great hands."

"Thank you. Your praise is overwhelming," Pterano responded blandly, ignoring Kai's jab at him.

Cyra stripped another branch bare of it's leaves. "Envy is not a good look on you, Kai."

"Oho, big words coming from someone who will never leave the nest, since mother expects you to follow in her footsteps. Have you told her how you really feel about that, by the way?"

Pterano froze, eyes immediately fixating on Kai. What does he mean, 'how she really feels'?

"Ugh!" Cyra, in her frustration, accidentally snapped a branch in two.

"Did you just come here to get on my nerves? Or do you actually need something?"

"Not me." Kai stepped away to make room for Rohan, who hesitantly became the center of attention.

"Well... I didn't want to ask you here. Not with everyone around—"

"Oh, loosen up!" Kai slapped his friend on the back, "It's us. What are we going to say?"

"That's exactly why I wanted somewhere a bit more private." Rohan's friends and sensitive information just didn't quite mix.

"Just spit it out," Cyra grumbled impatiently, two talons massaging her forehead, "I have work to do."

Now Rohan seemed even more reluctant. "Well... I really just wanted some advice. I've been thinking of asking Kiara to be my mate, and as her best friend, I thought you might have some insight as to how I should ask her...?"

Cyra's demeanor completely changed in that moment. "Ah, finally!" She ran over, eagerly embracing him.

"I don't know anyone more perfect for my best friend than you, Rohan. She is crazy about you, you know that? Ever since the moment she first laid eyes on you when you were choking on a sweet berry."

Dark green eyes gleamed in excitement. He even completely glossed over the embarrassing part, and smiled fondly. "Really? Well, that's good, because she makes me crazy sometimes too."

"You see? You two are perfect for each other! We shouldn't waste any time, we need to get started right away. Come on!"

"Cyra," Pterano reeled her back in, "we need to do what my father asked of us. Remember?"

He turned to Rohan, "I am very happy for you both. This has definitely been long overdue, but I'm thrilled that you finally think you're ready to take the next step."

"N-Next step?" Rohan gulped, "What is that? Having hatchlings...? Maybe it's too soon—"

"No!" Cyra blurted out, "becoming mates doesn't mean you have to have hatchlings right away! Come on, don't count your hatchlings before they hatch, Rohan."

She erupted into hysterical laughter at her own joke, only stopping when she felt Pterano's gaze on her.

Pterano cleared his throat. "We should, ah, get back to work. Rohan... follow your heart. You know what to tell her."

A twig snapped behind him, and Pterano turned to see Cyra tossing aside two halves of a stick, a tight frown on her face. She worked silently, her eyes fixated on the ground.

"Well, we'll leave you to it," Kai announced, "I was just here for emotional support. Not that this one even needed it!"

He slapped Rohan's back. "With how nervous he was coming here, you'd think he was asking Cyra to be his mate!"

"Kai!" Rohan whined, "What's wrong with you? Don't you ever think before you speak?"

Cyra shot a menacing glare towards her brother, narrowing her eyes. "Are you planning to leave sometime today? We have things to do and unfortunately, no time to entertain fools like you."

Kai could take a hint, but he didn't need to be polite about it. "Fine. Don't forget to pull your head out of your butt."

"Same to you," Cyra replied flatly.

Pterano waited until the two males were out of earshot. "What in the world was that?"

"What?" Cyra asked grouchily.

"I don't even know where to begin," Pterano shook his head in disbelief, "what's all this 'how you really feel' nonsense Kai was speaking of? You told me being a healer like your mother would make you happy! You lied to me?"

"I didn't lie. I would be perfectly content being a healer, if it would make my family happy. Not all of us hate our parents." It was a low blow, and Cyra didn't even seem to care.

"As for my true feelings... no, being a healer is not completely ideal for me. But do you know what I'd rather do, Pterano? Come on, ask me!"

Pterano found himself stumbling over his words. "W-What...?"

"I want to be part of the guard," Cyra answered, her voice significantly softer, "I want to soar through the sky and patrol our territory, fending off any kind of danger. But I might as well be reaching for the stars. Only male flyers join the guard, and I had the bad luck to be born a girl. But I'll make do. I'll become a healer, since that's what's expected of me. That's part of being in a herd, Pterano. Your life is never truly your own, but you suck it up and deal with it."

Pterano stood there in silence, having to practically force his mouth open. "Then... why don't we make our own life, together?"

"W-What?!" Cyra was flabbergasted, so much that she almost couldn't speak, "Pterano, what are you saying?"

"We can just be ourselves!" Pterano pressed, grabbing her hand, "After all, isn't that what you want?"

"N-No! You're getting me all wrong!" She snatched her hands away, "I don't want to run away! Are you crazy? What about our families, our friends? It would break their hearts!"

"I don't understand you!" Pterano threw his arms up in the air, "I thought you wanted this! I saw how upset you were getting when Kai joked about Rohan asking you to be his mate. Whenever they talked about mating, I could see you get visibly upset!"

There was a slight hesitation. "So you think you know everything about me? I was angry because Kai was being an idiot as usual. Just because we've been friends since we were kids, it doesn't mean you know what's going on in my head! I mean, seriously! Because of that, you think I want to mate with you?"

"You needn't make it sound like such a horrible fate," Pterano spat, "I'm simply trying to show that I'm there for you. Like I always have been, and you treat me like… like I'm nothing!"

"So you just throw it back in my face? You were only kind to me so you could use it against me?" Her voice raised a few octaves, attracting the attention of the flyers around them.

"Quiet down, will you!" Pterano whispered as he grabbed her wrist.

"Oh, don't you worry," Cyra smiled wryly,"This conversation ends here. I can't even stand to look at you right now."

"As if you haven't been avoiding looking me in the eye this entire time," Pterano mumbled under his breath, despite his better judgement.

For a moment, she looked like she could actually kill him. But rather than letting her rage explode, Cyra chose not to waste her energy on the male. Still fuming she took to the skies, putting as much distance as she could between her and him. Pterano watched her depart, feeling a terrible mix of emotions.

---

Sofos tutted and shook his head. "Y'know, sounds to me like you really messed up. Can't force someone to do something they don't wanna."

Pterano rolled his eyes. "I wasn't trying to force her, I was just giving her an option. She was the one who overreacted. Besides, I'm not finished. I'd appreciate if you'd let me give you the whole story first before you jump to any conclusions."

"A one sided story is always incomplete," the elder responded, "how do I know what things were like from Cyra's point of view, or your father's? All I'm getting is what you saw with your own eyes, and I'll tell ya, you're not exactly doing yourself any favors."

Pterano rubbed his forehead. "Do you want to hear the rest or not? I won't waste my time telling a story to someone who doesn't even care to hear it."

Sofos raised his hands up in a surrendering motion. "Fair 'nough. I was just pulling your leg, anyways." He smirked, "carry on."

Pterano huffed. "Anyways... Cyra had gone to her best friend, Kiara, for comfort after what I said to her. Emotions were running high, and neither of us were thinking straight at the time."

"Well," Sofos sighed, "that's how it is when you're young and in love, isn't it?"

---

"I can't believe him!" Cyra created small dust clouds with her wings as she darted back and forth.

"Men! They're all the same! He talked to me like I didn't know what I wanted, like I was a hatchling! Clearly, I can't possibly be just as smart as him or even smarter, can I?"

Kiara had been listening incredibly patiently while Cyra launched into a litany of angry protests, and immediately seized her opportunity to speak.

"Cyra... dearest, we've known each other our whole lives. I know better than to assume Pterano was the only cause of your fight."

"Well, he was!" Things are so different between us now. It's like he doesn't trust me anymore, or see me as an equal!"

"Now I know that's a lie," Kiara patted the empty space next to her, gesturing for her friend to sit, "Pterano may be many things, but he's not Sierra."

A snort escaped Cyra's beak. "Hm. I guess so. Oh, by the way... did you see Rohan?"

"Mm. Yes," the other sighed, "He... collided into me when flying in to greet me and then blurted out that he wanted to be my mate."

"Pfft. That sounds exactly like him. Did you...?"

"Of course I said yes," Kiara laughed heartily, "why wouldn't I? Although I'm sure he intended for it to be more romantic, if only he hadn't panicked as soon as he saw me. But forget about all that. You, miss, are trying to change the subject. So tell me... what's really on your mind?"

Cyra winced, cursing herself in her head. Kiara knew her too well.

"...Fine. It does have to do with Pterano… and his father. It's just all so complicated and I kind of do want to run away."

"So Pterano wasn't totally out of line suggesting that, after all?"

"Hmph. I guess. But he was being so pushy! I... I panicked. It felt like I was being backed into a corner and I couldn't get away. I probably really hurt his feelings... but I didn't mean to react the way I did! I was just... scared."

"Don't tell me. Tell him," Kiara advised, "anyway, you were saying something about his father having something to do with all this? What was that?"

Cyra had to force herself to swallow the bitter lump in her throat. She hesitated a moment, closing her eyes and drawing in a breath. If there was anyone she could trust wholeheartedly, it was Kiara.

"...Pterano's father threatened me."

"He did what?" Dark, murky blue eyes were suddenly as turbulent as waves crashing against the rocks.

"H-He told me I was a distraction," Cyra said, sitting up, "an obstacle... to Pterano's future. He warned me to keep my distance, at least until after Pterano became leader."

"And?" Kiara asked impatiently, "what did he say he'd do if you didn't?"

"He... He said he would send me away." Cyra's voice broke, and it took a great effort for her to keep from bursting into tears in front of her best friend.

"He can't do that!" Kiara's voice boomed, sending an echo bouncing off of the walls. She stood up, walking right past Cyra.

"Some great leader he is! How in the world are we supposed to trust him to ensure our survival if he sneaks around behind our backs and uses intimidation to get what he wants?"

Cyra glanced at the female, visible worry on her face. If Kiara had one fatal flaw, it was her anger. It was like a storm, ravaging the land and destroying everything in it's path. Cyra knew that from experience.

"Kiara— Kiara, calm down! Someone's going to hear you!"

"Calm down? How can you ask me to calm down? That piece of shit is pulling some dirty tricks! Who knows how many times he's done this?! I—" she choked back a sob, eyes brimmed with tears.

"Kiara." Cyra's voice was gentle, her hand traveling up towards her friend's shoulder, "I know your anger comes from a place of love, but getting into trouble with Pterano's father, the leader of our herd, will not accomplish anything. Don't you agree?"

Kiara opened her mouth to argue, but sighed defeatedly when she realized she didn't have a better argument. "I hope you realize I'm not going to take this sitting down, Cyra."

"Of course, of course. I'd expect nothing less from you, but all I'm asking is for you to be smart about this. Please. He clearly has more power than we realize, and I want to avoid causing a ruckus."

Green eyes met blue as she nuzzled the other flyer's beak. "Please, don't worry. I'll be alright. I always am."

"This is so stupid," Kiara sniffled, rolling her eyes, "you came to me for help and here I am, leaning on you for comfort instead of the other way around."

"No, no," Cyra shook her head, "you are my best friend, and I am yours. We lean on each other."

Kiara nodded her head, looking towards the entrance of her home where Pterano's remorseful face greeted the two flyers.

"Pt-Pterano...?" Cyra sounded like she didn't quite trust that her mind wasn't playing tricks on her. But when he addressed Kiara and she replied back, Cyra knew it was real.

"Kiara, you're looking well," Pterano complimented, "did you clean yourself up for a certain someone?"

"Don't worry, Pterano," Kiara replied with a sigh, "I said yes."

A delighted smile crept up onto the male's face. "Ah, wonderful! Congratulations on your union."

"Um... thank you. I appreciate it, truly," She offered a polite smile, "...did you need something?"

"Oh, I just wanted to speak with Cyra," came his direct reply, "I hope you don't mind if I borrow her for a bit."

"Oh, no, go ahead!" Kiara urged, "if you want some privacy, well... this is my nest."

Pterano chuckled heartily. " Always a joker, Kiara, my dear. That's what I like about you. But you needn't worry, we won't impose on you any longer. Cyra, if you will?"

Cyra had not said a word the entire time, and found herself struggling to speak at first. "Oh- um... right. I'll see you later, Kiara."

Kiara gave a nod. "Safe travels to you both."

The subsequent flight was awkward, to say the least. Pterano flew ahead of Cyra while she attempted to figure out what exactly his angle was. Did he come to apologize, or did he fly all this way just to rub it in her face? She wasn't sure which was worse.

They finally landed, and in a rather familiar spot— a roaring waterfall overlooking the cliffside, spilling downwards into the lake below. As the bright circle began to set, the light reflecting against the water created a beautiful display of colors in the sky.

"You brought me to the Falls?" Cyra questioned, shifting uncomfortably around the huge rock they had both perched upon, just beside the waterfall. They could hear each other, but no one else could hear them. It was perfect.

"Of course," Pterano answered, "we've divulged all our deepest secrets here, haven't we? This isn't any different."

Cyra looked away, slightly annoyed. "Pterano, bringing me to our favorite place isn't going to fix anything. You know that."

"Yes, yes, of course," the male agreed, "but it is a start, isn't it? Cyra, I need to tell you how I feel. To explain myself."

Cyra's eyes softened, and she decided to let her guard down. "I guess that's only fair. Well... I'm listening."

"First, I..." his words died on his tongue, and he drew a sharp breath inwards to regain his composure. "...I'm sorry. For trying to force you to do something I wanted. I was completely thoughtless, and I didn't even stop to think about how you might feel."

Hearing the words 'I'm sorry' from his mouth wasn't as cathartic as Cyra was expecting. She felt more guilty than satisfied. "Pterano, wait—"

"I'm not finished. Please, just hear me out," he requested, finally mustering the courage to look her in the eye.

"Cyra... I do love you. More than I can put into words. I honestly don't think it would be a stretch to say I've loved you since we were kids. Perhaps not in that way, of course, but having you as a friend was like the bright circle breaking through the sky after an endless storm. It was the only light I had when all I could see ahead of me was a lifetime of darkness."

Cyra soon found her vision being blurred by tears. Pterano always had a way with words, but this was simply overwhelming. The poor girl was overcome. She refused to let him see it, but that was easier said than done.

"It's true. I want to spend my life with you," Pterano continued, "I will not deny that. But I'm ashamed to say that I never even considered the possibility that... that you might not feel the same way. You are my friend, first and foremost, and not an object to be won. I only hope you can forgive me for thinking otherwise."

"I already have, you doofus." Cyra could no longer hold back the tears that now flowed freely.

"But what I can't forgive is you thinking I don't feel the same way. I love you too, Pterano, but back there I... I panicked. You were suggesting we flee, but we're just- we're so young! We only have the most basic of fighting skills, we'd be sitting eggs on our own!"

"I know, I know." Pterano opened his arms invitingly, and Cyra gratefully accepted.

"You know I have a tendency to put my foot in my mouth sometimes. It's a curse, really."

"Oh, you're not cursed!" Cyra laughed, "you're just an idiot sometimes, but in a charming sort of way."

Pterano pulled back slightly, cocking his head to the side. "What do you say we just call it even? I guess the both of us have a penchant for blubbering idiots, hm?"

"I mean, it's no surprise that I do." Cyra shrugged, "the only male other than my father that I've been around is my brother. And Kai is the definition of a blubbering idiot."

"You are right about that," the male flyer agreed with a chuckle, "he makes me look like a genius."

"That's my brother you're talking about," Cyra warned, "Only I get to make fun of him."

"Oh? Well, what are you going to do about it? Talk me to death?" He teased, only to eat his words as he slipped on the wet rock and lost his footing— until Cyra caught him by the skin of his chest.

"I won't talk you to death," she cooed, "but you would be dead meat if it weren't for me."

Pterano chuckled nervously. "Ah, so you'll help me then?"

"Ha!" Cyra tossed her head back and cackled, her eyes then going completely deadpan. "No."

She released her hold on him, letting him fall backwards into the water. He emerged moments later, coughing up water as he gripped the surface of the rock for leverage.

"I- I say, that was a very dirty move!"

"I can't believe you didn't see it coming," Cyra laughed, only to be tackled by Pterano as a result of not paying attention, ironically enough.

Loud, foamy splashes disturbed the lake as the pair chased after each other, the carefree laughter that only came with youth ricocheting off the cliffs. Moments like this were few and far between, but when they did occur, the flyers took care to cherish them. After all, they would never be this young again.

---

Silence reigned among the pair as the weight of Pterano's story sunk in. Sofos now felt more sympathetic towards Pterano. Losing someone that close to one's heart was a different kind of pain, one that could only be healed by the eventual passage of time.

"She wasn't ready to leave her family or her home," Pterano explained, "neither was I, despite my previous... enthusiasm. But that moment, as ordinary as it was, it was the happiest moment of my entire life, Sofos."

Sofos could only smile apologetically. "I'm sure it was. But... where does your father tie into all this? What happened?"

"I'm getting to that. I'd really appreciate it if you'd hold your questions until the end."

"Well, maybe quit it with the depressing commentary in the middle of telling your story?" Sofos suggested, "just a thought."

Pterano glared at the other from the corner of his eye before straightening himself up.

"Carrying on... the cold and dry times ended up being quite harsh. Of course, living out in the Mysterious Beyond everyday was a battle. But that season, it was a whole different kind of ordeal, one that my father had never quite dealt with before. He cracked down, and he cracked down hard. Things began to change, and some of it was good... but it didn't last forever."

---

"Twelve eggs?" Kai's mouth gaped at the sight before him, "Kiara, you and Rohan are going to be very busy. You won't be seeing the light of day for a looong time."

"For once I agree with him," Cyra weighed in, "how in the world are you going to keep track of all those hatchlings?"

"Oh quiet, the both of you," Tress interjected, pushing through her friends to offer her assistance, "twelve hatchlings is wonderful! There'll never be a dull moment in your nest, that's for sure."

Kai shrugged, still skeptical. "I mean, yeah, but there's no way you'll be able to keep track of all of them. Hatchlings don't listen to anyone. You'll turn your back for one moment, and they'll be gone. With twelve of them? I can't even imagine. Makes me sick just thinking about it."

With a loud thwack Tress smacked Kai upside the head to shut him up. "Not helping."

"What?" Kai threw his hands up in defense, "I didn't say anything wrong, I was just being honest! If I ever had that many hatchlings, I'd probably lose half of them on the first day alone!"

"Oh, that's comforting. Just what every woman wants to hear." Tress rolled her eyes before lowering her voice to a whisper.

"Just don't open your mouth, alright? You terrify Rohan anymore and he'll probably start having second thoughts." She gestured to Rohan, who was in the process of anxiously chewing his talons off.

Kai visibly cringed. On the contrary, Kiara didn't seem the least bit worried, despite her mate being a nervous wreck.

"What about you, Kiara?" inquired Pterano, who had been waiting for a chance to speak, "how do you feel about becoming a mother? I certainly hope you're not as afraid as poor Rohan over there."

"Well..." Kiara shifted her weight slightly, "I wouldn't say I'm not scared. I mean, we're going to be parents! It's so new, and so terrifying. I'm just thinking, how am I supposed to take care of a kid when I still feel like one myself? But, I feel a little more hopeful knowing that Rohan and I are going to do it together, and that he's every bit as afraid as I am."

Rohan slowly tore his gaze from the ground to meet Kiara's. He then responded to her smile with one of his own- if she believed in them and thought that they could do this, then he would believe so too.

"...I hate to interrupt the moment," Pterano cut in, "But shall I call in Sierra and the others? They have been waiting for... well, a while now."

"Yes, yes," Kiara laughed, "let them in. It's mostly Zephyr and Lila who want to see the eggs. I doubt Rinkus and Sierra have any interest in that sort of thing."

"Very well. We'll leave you to it." Pterano turned to leave, "we should get going, anyways. Father will have my head if I'm late."

Kiara cocked her head sympathetically. "More training?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Not much I can do about it, I'm afraid." He shrugged resignedly, "Well, good day to you!"

---

Pterano had begun to despise flying. Repeated training drills that tested the very limits of a flyer were starting to take their toll, and the young male had honestly begun to prefer the ground over the skies. The scarcity of food due to the dry time certainly didn't help either, leaving him with a lower tolerance for his father's usual tyranny.

No sooner had he barely managed a landing, his father was already commanding him to take off again. Pterano moaned, his body falling slack against the ground. Just one minute, and then he'd go back to being the son his father wanted.

"Up, Pterano! On your feet!" His father screeched, "if you were being pursued by sharpteeth you would be dead right now!"

"But I'm not," Pterano grumbled, wincing as he stood, "father, please, can't I please at least have a bite to eat? I'm starving."

"No." The other replied firmly, "if we want to get through the dry times, we must conserve our food, which means eating less. A true leader must do what is good for the herd, not what is good for himself."

"I'm aware," the younger male griped, "although I don't see how me starving is going to help anyone."

Pterano's father crossed his hands behind his back, holding his head high. "Are you going to continue blathering on or are you going to fly?"

Pterano was tired, hungry and thirsty. His father had pushed Pterano to a breaking point, and he was just about ready to snap. "I don't want to fly! I want to spend time with Cyra and our friends, and I don't care what you have to say about it!"

"Cyra?" The older flyer repeated calmly, tapping his chin for a moment before a spark of recognition flashed across his face, "Ah. So that's what this is about."

There was a disturbing lack of a reaction, and it was highly unsettling.

"Father...?" Pterano practically squeaked. His father yelling at him was bad enough, but when he was calm? That was dangerous. "Father, I'm—"

"Now it all makes sense," he interrupted, walking right past his son, "your mind is still on that girl, so you're unable to achieve your full potential."

"Father!" Pterano's shrill screech followed the elder as he pursued him. "Stop, please! I'm begging you! Will you please just stop and listen to me?"

His father did stop. He turned around, rough hands grabbing Pterano's so tightly that he thought they might crack under the pressure.

"Don't you worry. We'll take care of that... obstacle soon enough. Then we can get back to your training." He stormed off, leaving Pterano standing there.

---

To say Pterano was worried would be a massive understatement. The flyer was going into a full blown panic, desperately racked his mind thinking of how to stop his father from ruining his life. He flew far and wide, but all were occupied with previous responsibilities. All except for the nesting mothers. He barely missed a beat before the realization dawned on him.

"That's it!" Not a second was wasted in flying towards Kiara's home. If only his father could see how he was flying right now!

Pterano narrowly avoided crashing into the face of the cliff, slowing down so as to make as gentle of a landing as possible. He floated in, letting his body drift to the ground.

Kiara was more than surprised to see him. "Pterano? What are you doing here? I thought you were busy training?"

A quick scan of his surroundings and Pterano hopped onto his feet. "Is Rohan here right now?"

"Uh... no?" Kiara answered, still quite confused, "now my turn to ask something. What are you doing here? And would you take a moment to sit down? You look exhausted."

She did have a point. Pterano plopped onto the ground, taking a moment to gather himself. "I need to tell you something. But first things first, can you keep a secret?"

Now, the concern in Kiara's eyes was a bit more visible. "Of course I can. Is... is this about your father?"

"Why, yes!" Pterano confirmed, "how did you know?"

There was a moment of hesitation from Kiara's end. Like she almost didn't want to tell him.

Pterano narrowed his eyes, noticing the signs of guilt and reluctance. "It also has to do with Cyra. I had a feeling my father said something to her, but she refused to tell me."

A look of surprise flashed across Kiara's face. "So you do know."

"Know what?" Pterano looked up, "Did she tell you something?"

"She did," answered the female, "I don't think she wanted me to tell you or anybody else, but if you already had a gut feeling, well... there's really no point in keeping it from you, is there?"

"No, there isn't," Pterano's eyes hardened, and for a moment, he looked exactly like his father, "...tell me all that she told you."

Kiara did not spare even a single detail. As the son of their supposedly noble leader and being next in line for the title, she knew Pterano was in a position to speak out against this injustice.

"...That about covers what Cyra told me."

"I knew it," Pterano didn't appear shocked, but rather sounded like he had been wounded, "why... why didn't she tell me...?"

"I don't know," Kiara said softly, "maybe she just didn't want to worry you."

"But I thought we were friends!" Pterano exclaimed, "I tell her everything that's on my mind, and that's only because I trust her more than anyone! Does she not feel the same way about me...?"

Kiara stood up, wrapping an arm around him, "I'm sure it's not like that, Pterano. Look, I've known Cyra for a long time. Longer than you have, even. And I know that when it comes to serious matters like these... well, Cyra would rather deal with it on her own than make anyone worry."

Pterano understood that much, at least. She never told him about not wanting to become a healer since it would make him worry. However, that didn't make up for the fact that she lied, and to him, of all flyers!

"I understand, Kiara, but that doesn't make it alright. We are her closest friends and allies! Who can she trust, if not us?"

I'm sure she knows that, Pterano. But that's another conversation for another day. Right now, we need to do something about your father before he has a chance to do anything to Cyra."

"You're right." Pterano took a deep breath, stroking the bottom of his beak in thought, "and we need to act fast."

Kiara nodded. "You're his son, and future leader. Couldn't you reason with him, try to reach a compromise?"

"Hm. If only it were that easy," Pterano said dryly, "how can I reason with someone who acts without reason? He's never listened to me. He didn't even listen to me just now when he flew off after finding out I was still seeing Cyra!"

Kiara sighed in exasperation, and it was hard to tell who exactly she was angry at. She paced around the cave, settling down beside her nest of eggs.

"It doesn't matter if I am his son," Pterano stated, "so long as I don't take my position as leader and start a family of my own, he will continue to see me as a naive little hatchling."

His eyes drifted down towards the eggs laying idly in the nest, and then at their mother. Speaking of hatchlings...

"But perhaps... you could talk to him," he finally suggested after an eternity of silence.

"Me?" Kiara exclaimed incredulously, "Pterano, if he won't listen to you, what makes you think I'll have any better luck?"

"Because, you are the first of us to have little ones of your own," Pterano answered, "the elders of this herd will finally start viewing you as an equal! And that includes my father. He will listen to what you have to say, I can tell you that for certain."

Kiara was torn. Pterano's father had more than enough connections to get away with whatever plots he hatched up from within the shadows. At the same time, her best friend's future was at stake.

"I'm not sure about this, Pterano. You know I really want to help, but I'm going to be a mother soon. I need to be there for my family, I can't risk everything—"

"You needn't worry about that!" Pterano coaxed, "if you go speak to my father, I will be right behind you, ready to swoop in should he try one of his dastardly tricks. And if you won't do it for me, then... do it for Cyra. She doesn't deserve any of this, does she?"

His voice softened. "...Please, I beg you. I can't let him send her away."

Kiara met Pterano's gaze, practically feeling the pain she could so plainly see in his eyes. "Well, Cyra is my best friend..." a long silence hung in the air for a moment, lasting for what felt like an eternity.

"...And I'd never be able to forgive myself if I just sat here and let her future be ruined. Don't you worry, Pterano. She won't be going anywhere."

---

The bright circle had long since retreated behind the mountains as Kiara flew behind Pterano in the darkness, focusing intently on the sound of his wings flapping through the air.

"My father comes here every night to think, without fail. I actually happened to come across it one day when I was younger, but I never let on that I knew of his secret hiding place."

Pterano grimaced. "I should have known. He was always so... secretive. This debacle probably only scratches the surface of all he's been hiding."

"Well, we all need time to unwind." Kiara remained silent for a moment before opening her mouth again, "and being a leader is an emotionally heavy task, Pterano. I'm not defending him, or what he said about Cyra, but I do think a bit of understanding towards your father would go a long way."

Pterano was too preoccupied with scanning the ground below to give a response besides a grunt. Then, from the cover of the trees, he spotted it— a brown flyer, cautiously approaching the lake. He looked right and then left. Once all was clear, he let his guard down to take a drink.

"Alright, I've got him. Remember, act casual and I'll be watching in case things take a bad turn."

"Yes, yes," Kiara gave a dismissive wave, "I know all that. But Pterano, are you sure you don't want to try talking things out with him? Nothing happened to Cyra tonight, perhaps he only said all that in anger."

"No. I know my father." Pterano's voice was practically a whisper as he felt the nighttime breeze on his scales.

"He might not do it today, he might not do it tomorrow, but he will do what he promised. If nothing else, he is a man of his word."

Kiara nodded. She used the wind to carry her light body through the air and down to the ground, letting her eyes roam so as to not raise any suspicion.

The dark brown flyer looked up as he watched the gray flyer gracefully float down towards the earth. "Kiara?"

His tone was one of surprise, but otherwise was completely monotonous. "I didn't realize you liked to come here as well."

Kiara cast a polite smile in his direction, trying not to let her apprehension show. "Well, we all need a place to relax and unwind, don't we? Besides, I could say the same for you, sir."

"Agreed. And please, you needn't be so formal." He paused to take a sip of water from the lake, "call me Azar. You're practically all grown up now, let's treat each other as equals, hm?"

Just being in his presence was enough to make Kiara tremble with fear, despite his welcoming disposition.

"Of course," she answered at last, "there's nothing I would like more."

"Wonderful! I'm glad to hear that," Azar offered a pleased smile, "so, how are the eggs? I presume Rohan is watching them?"

"They're fine. I mean, they're eggs. They don't really... do much," Kiara shrugged, "and yes, Rohan is with them right now. We take turns watching them."

Pterano was practically at the edge of the branch he perched himself upon. He was familiar with his father's tactic of changing the subject and delaying matters further, and it was killing him to simply sit by and watch.

Pterano wasn't the only one who realized his father was stalling- Kiara knew it too. "...Azar? I know this is probably the last thing you want to hear, especially since you're not on duty, but... there's something that's been weighing on my mind."

The male froze for a moment, narrowing his eyes in what was clear suspicion. It lasted for a fleeting moment, but it was unmistakeable. "Nonsense, my child. Go on."

"With all due respect, sir, I think you're being a bit unfair on your son. He's trying his hardest to meet your expectations, and if I'm being honest, sending Cyra away will only make him resent you more."

She had to force out the words, and even that took an immense effort. She straightened her posture, dark blue eyes staring straight into his black ones.

"...It's not right, and certainly not something I'd expect from our leader."

A look of surprise flashed across his face, quickly washed away by anger as he began to back Kiara into a corner. "I understand Cyra is your friend, but this is in no way any of your concern."

"I'm sorry, but it is," Kiara blurted out, "have you even stopped to think how that might affect her family? Just sending her away without a chance to even say goodbye? And for what? Just because your son doesn't want a fate that you've forced upon him?"

"You are out of line!" Azar boomed, the sheer volume of his voice shaking some of the leaves from the branches. He edged closer to the female, his tall form towering over her like a tree blocking out the bright circle.

"I have more power than a child like you could ever fathom. Back down now or I'll deal with you and your pathetic friend at the same time."

Kiara looked terrified. She wanted to fly away, but she'd known Cyra longer than she'd known anyone. If she ran away now, she would be failing her best friend.

"Then I'll make sure everyone knows what a power mad tyrant you are! I swear it!" She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth, but did not back down.

Azar's already rising anger came to a head. He grabbed the smaller female by the neck, lifting her up to eye level.

"Ah, a fighting spirit," he mocked with gritted teeth, talons digging deeper into her neck, "you know, I always found that admirable about you, Kiara. You've never tolerated any injustice from anyone. It's too bad that you don't know when to quit."

Pterano found himself frozen with fear as he watched Kiara thrash around in his father's stone cold grip, desperately trying to break free. Even in the darkness, he could see the color drain from her body. He retreated further into the shadows, trying to avoid being spotted.

"Bastard! You'll never get away with this!" Kiara beat his arm with her fist, legs kicking back and forth.

"I already have," He growled, flinging her away from him, like he were throwing a tiny pebble. Kiara's body slammed against the hard surface of a nearby tree with a bone shattering force that seemed more vicious than any sharptooth attack.

"Kiara...!" Pterano slapped his hands over his mouth to stifle himself, using all his willpower to not cry out for his friend.

Suddenly, Azar's entire body changed, as if he had snapped out of a trance. He looked down, and saw Kiara's broken body laying before him, her blood staining the grass. "What...?"

"Oh… oh, no. Ancestors, what have I done...?" He looked lost, bewildered eyes matching his movements as he paced back and forth. He then mumbled something intelligible, taking off in the opposite direction. He left Kiara there to die, alone.

Except she wouldn't be alone. Once he was sure his father was gone, Pterano refused to waste another second in gliding down to where she lay, bleeding out slowly. He drew out a quivering gasp, bringing a hand towards his beak.

"Oh, Kiara... oh, no. Please... this can't be happening."

"Pt-Pterano... is that you...?"

He was relieved to hear her voice, and yet, he couldn't stop the tears from flowing.

"Y-Yes! I'm here," he managed to answer, squeezing her hand, "I'm so, so, sorry, I- I never meant for things to turn out this way... I-I was scared—"

"I know," Kiara rasped, "tell him... tell Rohan that I love him, and that I'm sorry I won't be coming home to him. To our children."

"I'll make sure he knows. I promise," Pterano sobbed, racked by sadness and guilt. He was the one who convinced her to come out here, he promised her it would be fine. If the others found out, they'd never forgive him. Cyra would never forgive him.

"Pterano?" Kiara choked, "Will... will you stay with me...?"

Pterano nodded tearfully. "I will. Of course I will."

It was the least he could do for her. He held her in his arms, the nighttime breeze swirling around them as her breathing started to quiet. He winced, knowing that the end was near. He'd seen it before, and quite hoped never to see it that closely again. Just as he hazily began to recall a long-forgotten memory, he felt Kiara's body go limp in his arms. He looked down and saw her chest fall, one final breath escaping her. Then, nothing.

Pterano sat there for a moment, paralyzed by shock. He still wasn't entirely convinced this wasn't a horrible sleep story. Upon returning to the real world, he realized it was no vision. Left with no choice but to abandon Kiara, he quickly took off before he was found in such an incriminating position. The grove of trees grew distant as he flew, serving as a grim reminder that he lost a piece of his heart there, and he would never get it back.

---

Pterano hadn't gotten a wink of sleep, even when Kiara was discovered not long after. How could he rest, knowing that he was complicit in the death of his friend? Even closing his eyes seemed an impossible task to him right now. When he did, she was all he could see.

Even the skies seemed to be mourning. The bright circle was obstructed by thick clouds, casting a dark shadow on the valley below, and all of it's denizens. The air was uncomfortably humid as Pterano and his friends gathered, the tension surrounding them unbearable.

Rohan sat on a rock just in front of the Falls, barely flowing with any water. He was no longer a hysterical mess, but it still hurt all the same. Tress had her arms around him, rubbing his shoulder.

"Rohan, it's alright to cry," she assured him, moments away from bursting into tears herself, "we all know how much you cared about her. I promise, no one is expecting you to keep it together through all of this."

"I know," came Rohan's monotonous reply. "It still hurts, but I think I've cried so much that I just don't have anymore tears left in me. To be honest, it's still hard for me to believe that she's really gone."

Tress nodded, briefly directing her saddened gaze towards the ground. "I understand. It still feels like she's sitting right here with us, doesn't it?"

"AARGHH!"

Sierra's yell of anguish startled everyone, but not more so than his fist making contact with a nearby rock, pummeling straight through and breaking it into several smaller pieces. His arms convulsed with rage, the rush of energy coursing through his body masking the pain in his fist.

"When I find out who did this, they're going to wish they were the one who died!"

Pterano was unsurprised by Sierra's fury, for even someone as brash as himself was good friends with Kiara. It was hard not to be. He began to list her qualities in his head, right as Kai said exactly what Pterano was thinking.

"Kiara never did anything to anybody," he said, comforting Cyra while she tried to regain her composure, "she was so kind and smart, and so brave."

"Yes, she was smart," Rinkus added, bringing a claw to his chin as he often did when thinking, "but I wonder... Kiara never goes outside after dark unless someone's with her."

Tress rolled her eyes and scoffed, visibly annoyed. "What's your point, Rinkus? This is no time for your usual nonsense."

"No, no," Lila spoke up, "he does have a point. She was so excited to start a family, and to think that she'd be careless enough to go that far from home, especially after dark? It doesn't really seem to add up, does it?"

"Alright, let's not get ahead of ourselves," Zephyr intervened, "it could have easily been a sharptooth flyer. And nobody's perfect. Even Kiara might have had a lapse in judgement."

"Yes... and that 'lapse in judgement' led to her death," Rinkus murmured under his breath.

"What does any of it even matter?" Cyra cried out, "Don't any of you know any respect? My best friend lost her life! This isn't the time for your stupid theories and ideas!"

Her grief was palpable, her pain practically drawn all over her face. She shook her head in dismay and flew away, in desperate need of some time away from them.

"Cyra!" Tress took after her friend, making sure she didn't do anything too drastic.

"...It wasn't a sharptooth, Zephyr," Rohan said, finally revealing his thoughts on the matter, putting all eyes on him.

"It couldn't have been. When I found her, there were no claw marks or any sign of a struggle. The only wound I saw was on her head, like she'd hit her head really hard on something and then bled out. Whoever killed her... they knew what they were doing. It was someone among us."

Rohan's words prompted Pterano to immediately look up, his eyes filled with fear and dread.

"Are you sure?" He asked, trying to appear casual. While he wanted his father to face the consequences for what he'd done, he also felt an overwhelming urge to keep the truth hidden.

Sierra glared at Pterano, trying to remain discreet. To an untrained eye Pterano might have seemed genuine, but Sierra had known the flyer long enough to identify the small signs of guilt and anxiety. Pterano was aware of that fact, as he could practically feel Sierra's gaze on him.

"No, I'm not sure," Rohan answered dejectedly, "I'm not sure of anything anymore, really. Even if I did find out who did it, I don't think I'd actually want revenge. At this point, I just want closure."

Kai wrapped his forearms around his friend, holding him close. Meanwhile Sierra, who was ruled by emotions rather than logic, made his true feelings known. He quickly approached Pterano.

"Say, Pterano, you've been awfully quiet," he hissed in an accusatory voice, "where were you the night it happened?"

Upon meeting Sierra's angry orange eyes, Pterano felt himself wanting to retreat. But to run away would be confirming everything the darker flyer already suspected. "H-How dare you? I was training with my father!"

"Sierra!" Zephyr grabbed him by the shoulders, physically removing him from the situation, "Stop it! This is a difficult time for all of us, and trying to blame someone without any proof only makes it worse. Do you hear me?"

Sierra looked down to where Zephyr's hands rested on his forewing. With an angry snort, he snatched his arm away.

"You ain't my ma, Zephyr, and I'm getting real sick of you actin' like it!" He flew off still fuming, covering Zephyr in a cloud of dust.

"Sometimes, I don't know why I bother," Zephyr brushed the dirt off of her scales, "does he think I enjoy being his damage control all the time?"

She groaned in disgust, gliding in the opposite direction with Lila not too far behind.

Rinkus began to go after his friend, until his eye managed to catch something subtle from Pterano. Something he almost missed. The flyer was very expressive, his body and face revealing more he probably intended.

Pterano noticed Rinkus surveying him, and immediately stopped what he was doing, assuming a more neutral position. Luckily, Kai was there to break the silence. Thank goodness. Once Pterano had turned his attention the other way, Rinkus was gone.

"Tough crowd, huh?" The golden-brown flyer chuckled awkwardly, trying his best to lighten the tension. If he couldn't distract everyone from their negative feelings, no other flyer could. But this was difficult, even for him.

"Um... I should go," Rohan murmured as he began to walk away, "I think I've just made everyone upset. Besides, I should relieve my mother of watching over the eggs."

He didn't wait for anyone to protest, and after all, who would? There wasn't anything anyone could say to remedy the situation.

With no one else to comfort, Kai went on his way. Soon enough, Pterano found himself standing alone, his father's words from long ago echoing in his head. A good leader must be willing to stand up for what is right, even if it means standing alone. Pterano shook his head, as if to shake the memory from his mind.

"Why am I remembering that all of a sudden...?" He wondered, but deep down, he knew exactly why.

---

Sofos found himself at a loss for words, which was a first. After all he'd witnessed in his lifetime, he usually always had something to say about anything.

Pterano threw his hands up, seemingly in defeat. "That is why I was so reluctant to tell you, you see. You must think I'm the worst flyer that's ever lived—" he lifted a finger, "no, the worst dinosaur that's ever lived!"

"Alright, alright. Settle down," Sofos laughed, "you're being a tad overdramatic."

"Am I? I mean, you've heard it with your own ears! I let my friend die, and then I lied about what I did!" His voice began to break, the tears returning along with the painful memories.

"Well, you're right about all that," Sofos agreed, "but this story ain't even finished, is it?"

"No." Pterano took up a more despondent position. His head was on his knees, arms hugging his legs, "it gets worse, I'm afraid."

"Alright, then." The elder's voice was slightly softer, "I'll reserve all judgement until the end. But I'm telling you, I still don't think you're cursed, or the 'worst dinosaur that's ever lived', as you say. You've just made a lot of mistakes."

Pterano released a sigh trapped within his chest. "If only everyone saw it that way."

---

In just a few short cycles of the night circle, Pterano felt as if he had aged several seasons. The dry times were harsh, unexpectedly so, and his herd was ill-prepared. Not that he could place any blame- no one had anticipated for things to carry on like this for so long.

He craned his head towards the clutch of eggs sitting just a little ways away from him, having promised his sister he would watch them. Scanning the sky, he looked for any sign of her.

As if on cue, a familiar screech echoed throughout the air. Pterano watched Tress glide gently downwards, carrying a bundle of sticks in her beak. She landed slowly, tossing the sticks down into a pile beside her nest.

"Goodness, I never thought I'd become so familiar with the taste of sticks." She grimaced, spitting on the ground a few times to get the taste off of her tongue.

"Oh, thank you so much for watching them, Pterano," Tress thanked her brother, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze, "I don't know what I'd do if it weren't for you. Kai's so busy with patrol, I barely even see him these days. I mean, I'm basically on my own."

A wave of guilt briefly overcame Pterano. He wasn't to blame for the changing of the land that led to scarcer food and water, but still felt responsible for the suffering his loved ones were going through.

"Well, our situation is quite precarious, you know." He began assisting Tress in weaving some of the sticks into the nest, "the guard is spread far too thin, and they need new, younger flyers to cover more ground. Kai just happens to be the perfect candidate."

"I know, I know," muttered Tress as she worked with her brother, "besides, being on the guard has been Kai's dream since he was old enough to fly. And I'm happy for him! Really, I am, it's just..."

She sighed resignedly. "...I wish he weren't missing out on this. I wanted us to do this together."

Pterano's eyes softened at his sister's plight. Using his hand, he gently tilted her chin upwards to make her face him.

"And you will. When those eggs hatch, I can tell you without a doubt that he will drop everything to be the best father he can to them. Things are difficult right now, I know, but they will get better."

Tress couldn't help but smile. Her brother evoked charisma when he spoke, and it drew others towards him. They just couldn't help but listen and believe in him.

"Really, Pterano, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Well, you'd probably still be flying around in search of someone to look after your eggs, for one," the male said in slight jest, a chuckle escaping his beak, "but you shouldn't worry. I understand why you'd be upset, but I assure you while Kai may have his duties towards the guard, his first priority will always be you and those little ones."

Even when he made that joke, Tress couldn't stay angry. Moments like this were rare, with Pterano trapped under his father's thumb, so she cherished them when they did happen.

"Thank you, Pterano."

"My pleasure," he replied, flashing that notoriously charming smile of his. While he had tried not to show it, all the talk about Kai and the guard made his mind drift towards a certain somebody.

"So... um, have you spoken with Cyra recently? I've been wondering how she's been holding up."

"Well... you know Cyra," Tress sighed, "she holds everything in, but you can tell she's having a hard time. Almost as hard as Rohan, I'd say."

"Well, Kiara was her best friend. I don't really like to admit it, but she was closer to her than she ever was to me." He paused, "Perhaps... do you think I should go check up on her?"

"I think it's better to just leave her be for now," Tress replied simply, "but, you know someone who could use your help? Rohan."

"Rohan...?" Of course. This entire ordeal had been harder on Kiara's mate than anyone else.

"The poor thing hasn't even had the time to properly grieve, he's had his hands full with the hatchlings. I'm sure he could really use a shoulder to lean on."

"You're right. I think I'll go pay him a visit." He peered back at his sister, "will you be alright on your own?"

"I should be, but you have bigger things to worry about. Go, go!" She made a shooing motion with her hands.

Pterano took off, barely catching his sister's shrill voice screeching in the distance.

"Be careful!"

"I will! Don't worry!"

---

Pterano barely reached the entrance of Rohan's home and already he could hear the ear-piercing cries of newly born hatchlings. He cringed, knowing that those cries had probably led to more than a few sleepless nights for their poor father.

Rohan didn't even seem to hear Pterano fly in, only noticing the other's presence when he happened to cast a look in his direction.

"Pterano? What are you doing here?"

"To see you, my friend. It appears that you could use a helping hand. Or am I wrong?"

Pterano cupped one of the tiny hatchlings in his hands, gently nuzzling her before guiding her back to the nest where she could join the rest of the little ones. He absolutely adored children, and he hoped to have some of his own one day. Cyra felt the opposite, but that was another problem for another time.

"I couldn't ask you to do that," Rohan answered shyly, taking a moment to make sure all twelve hatchlings were safe in the nest, "it's not your duty to take care of them, after all. It's mine."

"Still, that doesn't mean you should have to face this alone," Pterano retorted, "taking care of hatchlings is a two-flyer job, after all."

Rohan remained silent. He was never the type accept help, much less ask for it.

"Now, listen," Pterano insisted, "if you won't allow me to help with the little ones, at least allow me to be your friend and take some of the burden off of your shoulders. Talk to me."

"I don't know," Rohan sighed, placing both hands on the back of his neck, "I just... I miss her, Pterano."

He whispered the words, but when he did, it was like the entire world went quiet. Even the hatchlings were now sleeping soundly in their nest. Pterano could hear the pain in his voice, which made his guilt eat away at him even more. Any time he was reminded of Kiara, Pterano found it impossible to shake the thought that she might still be alive, had he not been such a coward.

"I knew it was going to be difficult, raising hatchlings," Rohan continued, "but it helped that we were going to be struggling, together. But now? I'm alone, and it is so, so hard. I mean, it's a miracle if I'm able to get any sleep at all. I wish I had died instead of her. I mean, she'd probably be able to keep it together better than I am right now."

Pterano said nothing. He peered back at his friend with saddened eyes, too ashamed to say anything to comfort him. As long as Rohan was unaware of the truth, it would feel like a mockery of their friendship to comfort him about an outcome that Pterano could have prevented.

"I'm grateful that you're here," said Rohan, wiping away his tears, "I know I didn't want your help before, but I do appreciate it, really. It helps me feel less alone, so thank you."

Pterano could no longer bear the weight of his own guilt. He could barely live with himself now, but he'd never find any peace if he continued to live this lie But most importantly, he had to keep his promise to Kiara, and give Rohan the closure he deserved.

"Rohan... you shouldn't be thanking me."

"What? Don't be foolish. You came here even though you didn't have to, and you stayed even when I tried to push you away! You are a truly wonderful friend, Pterano."

"Please, don't say that. It simply isn't true."

"What do you mean?" Rohan lowered his head to the other's level, "Pterano, what are you talking about?"

Pterano was now a sobbing mess, much to Rohan's confusion. It took a moment for him to regain his composure and look his comrade in the eye.

"I saw Kiara die, right in front of me...! I-I could have saved her, but I was too much of a coward to do anything."

Rohan laughed, almost a bit awkwardly. "You're joking, right? You ate some bad green food again, didn't you?"

"I'm afraid not," Pterano croaked, using every ounce of strength he had to not break down as he explained everything, from start to finish. Rohan sat there in silence for what seemed like an eternity, feeling like he'd just been punched in the gut.

"Why...?" Rohan nearly whispered, "Why would your father do such a thing? Did Kiara really mean that little to him that he'd just leave her there to die?!"

His voice rose to a pained yell as he grabbed Pterano's arm. Dark green eyes shone with rage, only to be softened by the moisture of his tears.

"At least tell me you stayed with her until she died," Rohan heaved, "Tell me she didn't die alone. If you let her die alone, I'll never forgive you!"

"I stayed with her," Pterano assured him, "It was the least I could do, after all."

Rohan let out a sigh, presumably one of some sort of relief. He released his hold on Pterano, letting his hands fall into his lap.

"And one more thing," Pterano added, acknowledging the grimace on Rohan's face, "Kiara wanted me to tell you that she loves you, and that she's sorry. I promised her I would tell you, and I'm keeping that promise."

Rohan sobbed, but Pterano could also see something else- a smile. It was grateful, sad and relieved all at once.

"I'm so sorry, Rohan," Pterano emphasized, "Truly, I am. If you never wanted to see my face again... I'd understand."

"No. I understand."

Pterano's jaw fell slack, mouth hanging agape in shock. "W-Wha-"

"It was no mystery how much you loved Cyra. A love like that can make you do many questionable and even selfish things. You were willing to go to any lengths to keep her safe, and I don't fault you for that."

Pterano felt as small as a buzzer. He expected Rohan to sever all ties with him, not to show him empathy and understanding. He didn't deserve this.

"I will never forgive your father, you understand, but I can forgive you. If you'd intervened, there's a chance he might have killed you as well. Where would we be then?" For someone who was grieving, Rohan was amazingly rational.

"However..." he uttered, and Pterano braced himself, "I don't think our friendship will ever be quite the same again."

And there was the catch. Pterano had prepared himself for far worse, so this was a huge reprieve. Any other flyer would have kicked him out of their lives permanently, but not Rohan. He would probably make a great leader- a far better one than Pterano would ever be.

Pterano suddenly felt his heart race when he heard footsteps behind him. When he whirled around to face Cyra, his heart went cold. He didn't need to ask if she'd heard anything, her expression already said more than enough.

"Cyra, let me explain—"

A brief but intense wave of pain took hold of Pterano's shoulder. Behind him he heard Rohan's surprised gasp. He looked up and met Cyra, her talons mere inches away from him. It didn't take long to put the pieces together.

"Oh, I've heard everything," Cyra snarled, "I know that your horrible father killed Kiara, but that's not what hurts most. What hurts most is that you let it happen! You! And now my best friend is gone because she put her faith in a coward!"

Pterano didn't dare correct her. Not because he feared her wrath, but because he knew she was right.

"I came to see how Rohan was doing," she explained through ragged breaths, "At first I couldn't believe what I was hearing, but I thought surely you had a reason! I was wrong. I was wrong about you."

She closed in on him, slowly. "You know, I always thought that we were too different for each other. We had different goals, different opinions. I didn't think it could work. I see now that I was right. Let alone mate with you, I don't want to see you ever again. So you have a nice life."

The barrage of anger ended there, but the damage had already been done. Life as Pterano had once known it was over. He had no doubt Cyra would spread word of his deeds, and he couldn't blame her.

Rohan extended a hand. "Pterano..."

"No," Pterano forbade, "leave it be, Rohan. I'm truly sorry you ever had the misfortune of knowing me."

He then fled the scene, disappearing into the clouds without a trace.

---

Pterano didn't quite remember where he'd spent the day, only that it wasn't anywhere near the other herd members. He only flew home once he noticed the light of day fading, giving way to the darkness of the night. When he finally reached the nest, his father was awake and clearly anticipating his arrival.

"Pterano, where have you been? Do you have any idea how late it is?"

Pterano didn't respond. Truth be told, getting home early had been the last thing on his mind. He scratched the back of his neck, eyes only briefly meeting the older flyer's.

"I'm sorry, father," the words escaped him like a breath of air. Azar could tell immediately something was off, and his disposition underwent a drastic change.

"Is something the matter, my boy?"

Pterano blinked. He hadn't heard those words leave his father's mouth in a long time. When his father opened his arms, Pterano walked right in. Despite what his father had done, the young flyer felt like he had no one else in the world.

Azar wrapped his arms around his son, gently stroking his head. Once upon a time, this was a normal routine for the two of them. Pterano would wake up in the middle of the night after a bad sleep story, and Azar would hold him until he drifted off again.

"Alright... why don't you tell me what's wrong? I know Kiara's death has been difficult on us all, but I've never seen you this way before."

Pterano stiffened when he mentioned Kiara. His father was trying to cover his tracks, but as usual, Pterano said nothing. His father's embrace felt so loving, like nothing in the world could ever touch him.

"It's just been difficult," Pterano finally answered, "I feel like no matter what I do it's always wrong, even when I am trying to do the right thing. I wish mother was still here."

"I know, son," Azar crooned, "I know. I do too. But you will learn soon enough that part of being a leader is doing what you think is right, and then facing the consequences."

As he listened, Pterano felt that his father genuinely did understand.

"But you listen here," Azar made his son look right at him, "even if the entire world is against you, Pterano, even if they don't understand... I always will. Your father always will."

He sounded on the verge of tears, Pterano himself having to hold back his own. He rested his head on the other's lap, feeling closer to his father than he had since many seasons. He decided in that moment, he would do his best to fulfill his father's expectations. There was nothing else in store for him now.

---

"Alright! Listen up, the lot of you! We're running low on green food, and I'm sorry to say that it's also becoming more scarce. No one knows how long this dry season will last, so we'll have to venture into dangerous territory in hopes of finding something to sustain ourselves."

Things had gone mostly back to normal, at least for Pterano and his father. Luckily, Cyra seemed to have taken mercy on him and kept her discoveries of his misdeeds to herself. But that didn't change the fact there was an invisible, gaping chasm in between them. While standing in line waiting for further orders, Cyra didn't even look at him. In fact, she seemed completely indifferent.

"Pterano!"

"Er, here!" He yelped in response, not wasting a second in correcting his posture.

"You'll be heading this mission," his father informed, "think of this as a kind of test. If you do well, I might consider sending you in my place more often."

"I'll try to withhold my enthusiasm." Carrying out his father's work was the last thing Pterano wanted, but he wasn't exactly in any position to be picky.

Azar gave the rest of the group their assignments. Since they were all familiar with each other, he figured it would be easier for them to work together. No team building exercises needed! Only Tress and Rohan were absent, as the both of them had parental duties to see to.

"Alright, if there are no questions... well, you know the drill. Stay close, watch each other's backs, listen to your leader! And stay safe! Good luck to you, kids."

And off they went.

---

"Kai? May I speak with you a moment?"

"Hmm?" Kai glanced towards his friend, "What is it, Pterano?"

"This might be a strange request, but could you take the lead? Instead of me? My father is forcing this upon me and I... I just don't feel quite up to scratch yet."

"Are you sure? I mean, this is your big opportunity to prove yourself to your father! I'd be excited."

"Which is exactly why I want you to do it," Pterano affirmed, "don't worry. I promise you it's fine."

While it was true his father was trying to force this, Pterano also felt unconfident in his leadership abilities. He couldn't be trusted. Besides, Kai was on the guard. This would be a good exercise for him.

"Wow, well, I appreciate that." Kai gratefully touched Pterano's forewing with his.

"You know, it's kind of scary, taking the lead. I mean, I was always such an anxious mess when I was a youngling. I was scared stiff of flying and now? I'm going to be a father and a member of the guard. I just hope I can be the kind of father my kids can be proud of."

Pterano cast a soft, understanding smile towards him. "I'm sure you will. Those kids will have a blast, having you as a father. I guarantee it."

He caught Cyra glaring at him from the corner of her eye, as if to warn him. She still didn't trust him, which only confirmed that he made the right decision appointing Kai as the head of the mission.

"Stay alert, everyone!" Kai screeched in warning. The foliage was starting to become more dense, meaning there would most certainly be sharptooth flyers lurking in the shadows.

"I also have a name picked out for one of them," Kai mentioned in passing to Pterano, "...Petrie."

A gentle gasp left Pterano's beak. "After my grandfather...?"

Kai gave an excited nod. "I knew you would like it. And hey, when you have kids, you can name one of them after my grandfather. No pressure."

"Hey, leader!" Cyra interrupted, "How about less talking and more paying attention? I've been listening to you yap on for the past minute!"

Kai groaned. "Alright, alright! Geez. You're no fun anymore."

The group advanced deeper, careful to mind their surroundings. In a narrow grove where everything looked the same, it was easy to get lost, and to walk right into a trap.

"Stay close," Kai warned, "We just have to make it through here. Keep your eyes peeled for any sharpteeth."

"Oh, come on," Sierra snickered, "we could outsmart those sharpteeth, no problem. I mean, everyone knows how stupid they are."

"We should still be careful," Zephyr reasoned, "there's nothing to gain by being an idiot."

Pterano's anxious eyes surveyed the area. "Something isn't right... we should have run into some sharpteeth a while ago."

"We're almost there," Kai urged, "just a little more—"

SLASH!

A scream of pain erupted from Kai's throat, his seemingly invisible assailant zipping right past him. The gaping wound on his neck overflowed with blood, desperate screeches filling the air as he plummeted through the branches and onto the cold, hard ground.

"KAI!" Cyra prepared to go back for her brother, only to be stopped by Pterano.

"No! We have to keep moving forward!" He looked over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of a bloody speck on the ground whom he knew was Kai. But had he not looked, he wouldn't have seen the flyer above him, and wouldn't have been able to alert the others.

"Whoah!" Sierra barely missed the sharptooth's attack by a nose.

Rinkus had them engaged in a chase, flying at speeds he didn't even know he could achieve. "Buzz off, you pests!"

Pterano's eyes circled the grove, looking for any safe haven away from the oncoming feeding frenzy. Sharpteeth surrounded them in every direction. Then, he spotted a singular tree, the light from the bright circle pouring in right above. "This way!"

He hadn't turned his back before even a second before a screech grabbed his attention.

"Pterano! Look out!"

All of Cyra's rage escaped her as she slashed her talons against the predator's neck. But even that wasn't enough. It might have even made things worse. Pterano met her gaze, no longer hateful and unforgiving. He would never forget the smile she gave him before leading the sharptooth flyer away, disappearing into the darkness.

"We need a plan," Zephyr pointed out, "these sharpteeth are smart, and they clearly knew we were coming. Brute strength won't help us this time."

"You're right about that, Zephyr," Pterano chimed in, "but what are you thinking?"

"We don't need a plan," added Lila, "what we need is a distraction. Zephyr and I will buy you, Rinkus and Sierra some time to get out of here. We're fast, we can hold their attention until you get the chance to escape."

"No!" Pterano shook his head, "They'll kill you! That is out of the question!"

Zephyr didn't falter for a moment. "Well, I'd rather die saving my loved ones instead of sitting by and doing nothing. Wouldn't you?"

Pterano said nothing. He felt ashamed- Lila and Zephyr were so much braver than him.

"You'll be our lookout, Pterano. As soon as you see an opening, call Rinkus and Sierra."

"We're trusting you, fearless leader." Lila grinned and flashed a wink.

Pterano hardly felt worthy of the title, but their minds were made up. There was no turning back now. He watched them depart, his heart growing heavier the farther away they grew.

It all happened so fast. Pterano, waiting for an opening, could hardly keep up with it all. Numerous screeches filled the air, accompanied by Lila and Zephyr begging Rinkus and Sierra to leave. The sharptooth flyers' attention was now fully concentrated on the two females, and they forgot all about Sierra and Rinkus.

"Rinkus! Sierra!" Pterano signaled, "It's now or never!"

Ultimately, the two males were left with no choice. They followed Pterano's lead and fled the grove, narrowly escaping death. They left the dreadful scene behind, ensuring that their friends' sacrifices would not be in vain.

---

"We gotta go get help! Zephyr and Lila might still have a chance!"

"There's no use, Sierra," Pterano said firmly.

"But there's a chance they—"

"I said no, Sierra! Think about this! We barely got out of there with our lives. We were a team of seven flyers when we left, and now look at how many of us there are. To go gallivanting back on a baseless hunch would be unwise."

"Unwise?!" Sierra growled, "Ya know what's unwise? That you let Zephyr die in your place! A real leader defends his own, puttin' himself last. But that didn't matter to ya, did it? All you care about is making sure you get out alive, no matter who has to die to make that happen."

Pterano didn't correct Sierra, or try to tell him that Lila and Zephyr volunteered to give themselves up. It wouldn't change a thing.

"That's enough, both of you!" Rinkus inserted himself between them, physically preventing Sierra from killing Pterano right then and there. "This was our first mission without any other adults, and yes, it was a disaster. But placing the blame solves nothing! I think right now, we should focus on getting home in one piece, yes?"

Sierra begrudgingly agreed, but not before muttering every insult under the bright circle.

"By the way, Sierra," Pterano began, "you're not the only one who lost someone today. Remember that."

---

"They've returned! Come quickly!"

Pterano winced. While explaining to his father what had happened was the least of his concerns, it still weighed heavily on his mind. Therefore, it went without saying that he was not looking forward to it.

"Pterano," his father spoke sternly, "where is the rest of your group?" However, just by looking at their scarred bodies, Azar already knew the answer.

Before Pterano could respond, his sister anxiously made her way through the crowd. He braced himself for the dreaded yet inevitable question.

"Where's Kai...?"

One glance towards his sister was all it took for Pterano to feel sick to his stomach. He felt like he was caught in the sinking sand with no way out.

"G-Gone. Anyone who didn't return with us is gone... even Cyra." It physically pained him to utter her name.

Tress shook her head, refusing to believe his words. "No. you're wrong. Kai would never give up on our family! He'd never give up on me... it can't be true."

Azar watched his daughter slide to her knees, breaking down into sobs as she realized the horrifying truth. He whipped his head back towards Pterano, dark eyes practically staring him down.

"Pterano... I can't even begin to express how disappointed I am in you. Were you not the leader? Do you not understand what that responsibility entails?"

Each word physically pained Pterano. "...I do understand, father—"

THWACK!

"Don't interrupt me while I'm speaking! Do you understand?"

Well, Pterano couldn't say he was surprised by his father's arm making contact with his face. It seemed to stun everyone but him. His cheek stung, but even that pain was nothing compared to how much his heart ached. Whatever his father said to him that vulnerable night when Pterano laid his feelings bare, none of that really meant anything. He was truly all alone.

Pterano removed his hand from his cheek, revealing a red bruise where his father had struck him. He clenched his jaw, hot tears blurring his vision.

A few gasps escaped from numerous flyers in the crowd, including Pterano's sister, who had never seen their father strike her brother before.

"I think... I've been under your influence far too long, father. So many seasons of this madness... being your pawn in your sick little game."

Azar gasped, taken aback by the sheer hatred in his son's voice.

"Then again, I was just a youngling! What did I know about anything?" Pterano choked out through sobs, "But it's too late now. I'll be damned if I even know what's right anymore. Who cares?"

Even Sierra seemed surprised to see him in such a state, let alone the rest of the herd. Pterano was actually grateful Cyra wasn't alive to see him this way, as horrible as that was.

"It is what it is. The only path left for me is whichever one leads to this herd finally being free of you!"

"Pterano!" Azar snarled, "That's enough!"

The younger male whirled around to face him. "Oh, don't talk rot! I was only just getting started!"

He then turned back to face the rest of the herd, wings spread wide as if he were regaling a tale. "You didn't know this, father, but I was there that night. The night that you killed Kiara."

A cacophony of gasps and exclamations of surprise traveled through the herd. A strangled gasp escaped Azar's throat, eyes wide and beak agape.

"You thought Cyra was a distraction and wanted to send her away. I couldn't let that happen. I tried to talk to you, but you don't even respect your son enough to treat him as an equal. I had no choice but to ask Kiara for help! But of course, you got rid of her too. You left her to die alone, away from her family."

"Dad...?" Tress gasped through her sobs, "Tell me this isn't true-! Tell me you didn't do this."

His silence was answer enough. Tress buried her beak in her hands, silently begging for her mate, hoping that he would fly in right then and embrace her.

Pterano had never seen genuine remorse on his father's face until that moment. A small part of him would have felt as if he were betraying his father, but that part of him died with Cyra.

"You all should leave here this instant," Pterano spoke to the herd, "neither you nor your families are safe around my father. Or around me, for that matter. Anywhere else in the Mysterious Beyond would be worlds safer than this forsaken place."

The entire herd's gaze landed on Azar, who struggled to maintain his composure as they swarmed him with their questions and insults. Tress watched her father be called a traitor and a monster, feeling nothing. No sympathy, and no hate. Just a never ending numbness. But in spite of her pain, she said something that took Pterano by surprise.

"I understand why you didn't tell anyone or do anything," her voice was heavy from all of her sobbing, "if you had, well, the herd would be falling apart like it is now."

Gone was Pterano's previous rage, replaced by a look of sadness. "Tress..."

"Leave it," Tress held up her hand, "if you want to help at all, then come with me once the eggs hatch. I don't want to stay in this cursed place a moment longer, but I can't survive out there on my own."

"Of course." Pterano nodded affirmatively, hoping that perhaps one day, he could be deserving of his sister's love once more. He watched the amount of families fleeing the herd grow as they all took to the skies, including Rinkus and Sierra, and poor Rohan as well.

Pterano knew then that this was no longer the formidable, nearly untouchable herd that he grew up in. It was no longer a place he could call home, but rather the broken remnants of what once was.

---

"My sister and I left once her hatchlings were old enough to travel. I tried time and time again to redeem myself, to make it so that she would be proud to call me her brother. But I always seemed to make things worse somehow. I led several dinosaurs to their deaths, and I even abducted one of my nephew's friends because I thought a flying rock could give me the power to change things!" He laughed at the absurdity of his own actions.

"I think I was so desperate to set things right, to not be like my father that... I actually became him. I started to actually believe my own lies."

It was a rare occasion that Sofos found himself blinded by tears over a story, of all things. He had jumped through every hurdle the circle of life had thrown at him, and seen countless things that no other would believe. But even then, his heart absolutely ached for Pterano and all he had endured.

Pterano laughed wryly. "So, do you still believe there's no such thing as curses?"

"Sure do," Sofos replied simply, "you ain't cursed, my friend. You made a lot of bad decisions, sure, but that doesn't mean you're completely irredeemable. And besides, blaming your deeds on bad luck kind of takes the responsibility off of your shoulders, doesn't it?"

"But why else would all those horrible things have happened? It was just one thing after another! I'm telling you, there were outside forces at work."

Sofos shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. We'll never know for sure."

"Whatever you say," Pterano admitted defeatedly, "anyways, that is why I'm so down. I was banished from the Great Valley for five cold times, and my sentence has ended. My sister and her children live there, but... I don't think she'd want to see me. My face would probably remind her too much of our father."

"Well, I don't know that," Sofos shrugged again, aware that it was getting on the other's nerves, "you won't know anything unless you go. She might yell at you to get out, or... she might welcome you with open arms. Again, won't know 'til ya try."

Sofos did have a point. If he stayed here, fearing rejection, he might never get the closure he so desperately wanted. "You know, that's pretty good advice, old friend."

Sofos hummed proudly. "Course it is, you dolt! That's what I've been saying this entire time! And for what it's worth, old friend, I think you are better than your father. Sure, you've made a lot of mistakes, big ones. But you know, I prefer not to dwell on the past. What matters is who you are right now, and right now, I reckon you're a flyer who is trying to make amends the best way he knows how. That's better than someone who does nothing, isn't it?"

Pterano involuntarily thought back to all the times he'd been called a coward, all the times he beat himself up for his own inaction. As unpleasant as they were, he let the memories run their course, instead of pushing them to the back of his mind as he usually did.

"I suppose it is," he agreed, rising to his feet, watching the bright circle break through the clouds. He stood tall, holding his head up high before turning to face Sofos. He smiled, confident and sure of himself, which in turn made the elder grin.

Pterano exhaled, eyes shining with a determination that he thought he'd lost long ago. "Well, old timer... I'm going home."

‘Sup everyone?   I’ve been meaning to make one of these threads for a while now especially since i’ve been a member for nearly 3 (??) years now but as usual, I’m late again. 

Anyway, feel free to ask anything you might be wondering about me and I’ll try my best to satisfy your curiosity. 

Smalljaw = Compsognathus
Longtail = Coelophysis

                                      Courage of the Heart

The female smalljaw’s fiery orange eyes glowed with anger, and if looks could kill, she would have burned a hole through her mate’s head by now. However, the male smalljaw was firm and unflinching, standing his ground.

“I said no,” he affirmed in a voice that seemed to grow sterner as he continued to speak, “It’s too dangerous. What if you’re caught by a fast biter? You won’t stand a chance!”

“That’s never stopped me before,” she rebuffed, raising a brow as she whipped her tail in a quick, slashing movement, “And I didn’t think that I would ever need to tell you this, but apparently, I do. You’re my mate, Sena. Not my mother.”

Sena huffed, sounding almost defeated but still willing to put up a fight. “Well. I didn’t exactly need a reminder,  but thank you, Arai. I appreciate it.” He sounded so calm and nonchalant that it was hard to tell whether or not he was being sarcastic.

Arai gave a huff of her own. pacing around the dirt floor of their home, located in a small cave in a corner of the forest. The light from outside shone on her fern green scales as she walked around in circles, creating a beautiful show of sparkling green dots on the cave walls.  Then, she stopped.

“Whatever,” she finally said, swiveling her head towards him, “I don’t care how dangerous it is, I’m going to go see Sorrel. Dena’s life depends on it.”

“For crying out loud,” Sena muttered, “Dena will be fine. I don’t need you risking your tail for no reason!” He breathed in, and then out, “She’ll be fine. I promise you, she‘ll be fine.”

“You don’t know that. You don’t know anything, except what you choose to believe. You’re scared, so you somehow managed to convince yourself that our daughter will be okay, and that she doesn’t need any medicine to help her get better!” Her face contorted into a painful expression, and she looked both confused and visibly hurt, as if she didn’t understand why he was so adamant about making her suffer like this.

“I don’t believe that,” Sena replied, his voice recognizably softer, the anger suddenly vanishing from his sky blue eyes, “All I said was that Dena would be alright, nothing more.”

“How?” Arai questioned, “How could you possibly know that she’s going to be alright? Can you see into the future or something? If you can, then I might just consider listening to whatever nonsense you’re spouting.”

Sena swallowed a lump in his throat he didn’t even know was there. “Well…I don’t. But I know that no matter what happens, everything will work out just the way it’s supposed to.”

“That’s not enough for me.” Arai stumbled backwards. “I’m sorry. I’d never be able to forgive myself if something happened to Dena and I did nothing to stop it from happening.”

“That won’t happen,” Sena insisted, although he sounded more like he was begging her, “We’ll get through this. Just please don’t go out there. ” Maybe he was being a bit selfish, thinking of his mate rather than his own child, but he’d never be able to raise them without her.

“Sena, there’s no way in the world you could possibly know that. I don’t know how many times I’ll have to tell you, and I don’t understand why you won’t just let me go— it won’t even take that long, I’ll go see Sorrel, get what I need and then come home!”

“Because it’s just not worth the risk.” Sena used every ounce of his willpower to maintain his composure. He’d look like a fool if he just let his emotions spill out. “There’s no reason for you to...”

Arai placed her hands on her hips, clenching her jaw. “No reason for me to what?”

Sena clenched his hands into tight fists, looking down towards the ground. He never was the argumentative type; that was his mate. The day he actually won an argument with her would be the day he was six feet under.

After what felt like forever, he finally faced her again. Arai glared at him, impatiently expecting an answer. Sena clenched his fists tighter. He winced, and then let out a huge breath. “...Look, we’ll talk about this later. Right now I have to—”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Arai interrupted, her voice flat. “Just because you’re my mate, that doesn’t mean you’re allowed to tell me what I can and can’t do, especially when it comes to our children.” She sucked in a breath, her voice beginning to crack, “We should be working with each other, not against.”

“That’s what I’m saying, Arai!” Sena finally unclenched his fists, his eyes wide as he spread his arms apart, gesturing with his hands, “We should wait until we’ve both calmed down, and then talk about this. Together.”

Arai’s chest rose as a sigh of disgust escaped her mouth. She then shook her head. “This is going nowhere,” she murmured, not even bothering to spare him a glance as she headed towards the mouth of the cave.

“Arai?” Sena steadily approached his mate, but she only backed further away. When he realized this, Sena froze and planted his feet firmly on the ground. “Arai! Wait! Please don’t do this. Honestly, you’re taking this poor thing a bit too far. Listen, I’ll find some food, feed Cori and Mako and— and then we can talk, okay?”

A look of shock briefly crossed over Arai’s face before she narrowed her eyes, scowling. “I’m taking it a bit too far?” She motioned to herself, touching her claw to her chest, “You’re one to talk— you’re not taking it anywhere at all!”

Sena cringed. His manner of articulating his thoughts was…not the best. “Okay, I’m sorry, that came out wrong. I meant to say that—”

“I don’t care what you meant to say!” Arai felt her vision turn bleary as tears budded in her eyes. She was now actively distancing herself from him, backing towards the slight incline that led to the front of the cave. “You already said exactly what you were thinking!” She inhaled sharply,  “All you ever do is tell me I’m wrong! You always say that I’m not thinking straight or I’m overreacting and maybe I am, but that’s because I care. At least it’s better than not caring at all!”

Ouch. That stung pretty bad, mostly because everything she said was true. He was always rebuffing her ideas, never really listening to what she had to say, and it had made things between them rather strained to say the least.

And now, Sena couldn’t even think of anything to say that could possibly make it better. Deep down there was so much he wanted to say to her, but at that moment, his mind had gone completely blank. All he could do was stare.

Arai couldn’t believe him. She’d practically poured out her heart to him, and all he could do was stare at her like an idiot. Maybe she’d made the wrong choice by choosing to mate with him. She’d been thinking it for a while, but didn’t want to believe it herself. However, now, she had no choice but to accept the facts.

“I’m tired. I can’t put up with this anymore,” she said coldly, her voice sharp like pointed icicles. Then, without even a single word or a final pained glance in her mate’s direction, Arai scurried out of the cave.

“Arai! ARAI!” She heard him call, his voice filled with desperation, pleading with her to return. But no matter how desperate he sounded, it didn’t make any difference to Arai. She ignored him. She was going to see Sorrel and get that medicine, even if it was the last thing she did.

---

Right outside of the cave, a young smalljaw was leaning against the wall, listening intently to sound of yelling and arguments being thrown back and forth. He looked rather intrigued, his bright orange eyes wide with a curiosity that only a child could possess.

“Gee, mom sounds really mad,” he remarked out loud, “I wonder what they were fighting about in the first place.”

Lying a few feet away was another smalljaw, watching the sky for any buzzers that might come flying her way. “Mako, you’re not helping anything by eavesdropping on them. And if mom catches you, she’s going to be even more angry.”

Just then, almost as if on cue, Arai appeared. She crawled out of the opening, balancing herself on her haunches. “Children,” she said breathlessly, “There you are.”

“Mom, what’s going on?” Mako asked, “Are you gonna rip dad a new one?”

“Mako!” Cori reprimanded, her voice a soft whisper. “Shut up!” She hit him on the back of the head, scowling menacingly.

Arai groaned helplessly as she brought a hand to her forehead. “I thought I told you two to stop listening in on our private conversations. It’s very rude.”

“It was Mako,” Cori informed her mother as she scooted  upwards onto a flat stump. She offered a good natured smile and a brief nod of her head.

“Hmph.” Mako crossed his arms and huffed, “Tattletale.”

“”Well, it doesn’t matter.” Arai sighed heavily as she rose to her feet, placing one foot in front of the other. As she took a step, she glanced back. “I have something very important to do and I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

Mako suddenly perked up. “Oh! You can count on me, mom!”

Cori scoffed, and leaned slightly back. “If mom ever counted on you, I don’t think the house would still be standing.”

Mako didn’t have a response, so he simply scrunched up his nose and stuck out his tongue.

“Children, please! I’m counting on you.” She looked at Mako, “Both of you. I need you to look after things while I’m gone.”

“Yes, mother,” Cori responded with a little smile. Then, her smile fell. “…Mother? You are coming back, aren’t you?”

“Of course I’ll come back, sweetheart. I would never leave you.” She cupped her daughter’s face, “Although...if I don’t return...please take care of your father and your little sister for me.”

Anything could happen at any time, and she had always prepared her children for that possibility. However, now, it seemed plausible that she might have to leave her family for some other reason aside from the forces of nature. Then, she saw her children’s bewildered faces, and tried to remove the latter scenario from her mind. “Never mind that. Just...you two behave yourselves, alright? I’ll be back soon.”

And with that, she was off. She ran into broad daylight, heading towards the open fields.

---

Sorrel lived in an old log, sunken halfway into the ground. It was rather easy to find, and for that, Arai was thankful. As she peered through the grass, she could recognize it instantly. She looked left, and then right. Once assured that all was clear, she darted across the pond in a flurry of water and foam. Being in such an open area was risky; there was no doubt in Arai’s that a starving predator on the prowl could pounce on her at any given second, but it was a small price to pay for a chance to save her daughter’s life.

Rushing through the overgrown blades of slowly dying grass, she leaped onto the log’s surface. Her claws digging into the aged bark, she carefully began climbing, taking it slow. Step by step, step by step...

Once at the entrance, she leaned over and peered inside from the top of the log. All she could see was darkness, which wasn’t very helpful in determining if the healer was present there or not. As much as she hated to enter without permission, she had to. Sorrel would understand. Or at least, she liked to think he would.

Arai hopped down, slowly edging inside. The dark shadows began to cover her body, blocking out the light from outside. Her eyes roamed around the inside of the log, searching. “Hello? Sorrel?”

She then heard a muffled voice coming from somewhere, but she couldn’t quite make it out. She inched forward. “Sorrel!” She looked around once more, “Sorrel? Is anybody home?”

“Go away!” Replied a distant voice. Still, Arai couldn’t quite lay her claw on where it was coming from.

“Sorrel?” She carefully slid downwards, a small slither of regret making it’s way into her mind.

“What is it?” The voice sounded more frustrated this time, practically yelling at her. However, as Arai reached a slight curve where a dirt tunnel began, she felt more secure in her movements, as she recognized the voice as Sorrel’s.

“Sorrel, may I please speak with you?”

“WHAT?”

“I said, may I please speak—” Hearing footsteps behind her she suddenly turned around, letting out a soft gasp when she saw Sorrel forcing his way out of one of the tunnels. She gave a sigh of relief, bringing her hands to her chest. “Oh, good— I’m so glad you’re home.”

Sorrel was an old, rather chubby smalljaw who had seen more of life than he’d actually care to admit. He was a recluse, keeping to himself and rarely speaking unless spoken to. If he was feeling up to it, that was.

Producing a grunt of effort, he hauled himself up onto solid ground, hardly noticing that he knocked some dust into the other dinosaur’s eyes. “Ugh. I must be getting old,” he grumbled to himself, “I can barely remember which tunnel leads where anymore.”

“That’s a shame,” Arai replied, making an attempt to strike up conversation. She watched silently as he turned around, preparing to burrow through yet another tunnel. “Excuse me. I’m sorry for intruding—”

“That’s quire alright,” Sorrel replied without looking at her, “Now off with you.”

Arai chuckled nervously, fidgeting with her claw. “Um— Sorrel?”

Sorrel paused, and whirled around. “Great ancestors, woman, what do you WANT?”

Arai wanted so badly to tell him off for his tone, but right now, Dena’s life hung in the balance. So, she curbed her tongue. “Sorrel, look,” she began to say, “I know you don’t like visitors, and I know you’re very busy, but please— this is an emergency.”

Sorrel sighed in frustration. “What could possibly be so urgent that you needed to talk to me, of all dinosaurs?”

“It’s my daughter, Dena,” Arai explained, “She’s sick.”

“Dena? The smellblind one? Well, it’s not like she hasn’t been ill before. Just make sure she gets plenty of rest and—”

“No!” Arai exclaimed, stomping her foot. “No, she’s really sick! I’m begging you, Sorrel, please— just— I’ll never bother you again, but I can’t lose her…please. Just this once.” 

“Alright, alright,” Sorrel agreed, although begrudgingly, “Don’t get your tail in a knot. I’m sure I can fix up something.”

A grateful smile spread across Arai’s face. “Oh, thank you! Thank you so much...”

Sorrel began walking into a tunnel towards the left of where they were standing. “Follow me, but don’t touch anything. Understood?”

“Of course.” Arai trailed close behind him, keeping her hands close to herself. “I do appreciate it.”

“Yes, yes,” Sorrel muttered as the two smalljaws disappeared into the cover of the darkness, “Now, just how sick is she?”

“She’s lethargic and doesn’t really respond to mine or my mate’s voice.”

“Hmm...yes. I see.”

“There’s a raspy sound when she breathes, and she’s very pale.”

“Is that so? Well...”

As they drew closer to their destination, the pitch darkness began to lift. A few paces later, and Sorrel then led Arai towards an opening with light shining down from the surface.

“Now step inside, but keep your hands to yourself. If these herbs become disorganized, it’ll take me ages to get them back in order again.”

Arai nodded her head. “I understand.”

Sorrel raised a skeptical brow. “Oh, do you?” He huffed and turned away, walking across to the wall, filled with tiny, shallow holes. His eyes briefly scanned each hole as he spoke. “Your daughter has the breathing sickness.”

Arai blinked, taken aback. “The breathing sickness?”

“It’s not exactly uncommon, but you can die from it.” He heaved an exasperated sigh.

Arai could not repress the gasp that escaped her. “Oh, please no.”

“She needs the dust flower. It’s a plant that grows close to the ground, and it’s petals are white and puffy.”

Arai peered over his shoulder, trying to get a good look at the numerous compartments. “You don’t have it?”

Sorrel snorted contemptuously. “Of course not. If I get anywhere near those confounded flowers, I start sneezing like there’s no tomorrow.”

Arai held back a frown, although she couldn’t help but grit her teeth. The nerve of this old coot— she fought with her mate, risked her life to come all this  way, just to be told that he didn’t have what she needed.

“However,” his voice broke into her thoughts, “You can find them in the fields a bit up north. They’re not hard to find, and there’s a large abundance of them. You can’t miss it.”

Arai’s face lit up with the slightest ray of hope. She clasped her hands together, her heart lifting. Perhaps this wasn’t a complete waste of time after all!

“Once you obtain the flowers,” Sorrel continued, “You must shake them— the dust that falls off is the only part that will be useful to you. Mix the dust in some water, and have your daughter drink it.”

Arai nodded along to each word he said, carefully absorbing words into her mind. “Oh, bless you—”

“No, bless yourself,” He interrupted, “You’ll need it. Now, you must excuse me…you know the way out.”

“Oh, of course.” Sorrel led her to the entrance hole, ushering her through it. As she began to walk out, she turned. “Thank you once again.”

“Shoo, shoo,” Sorrel continued to grumble, shuffling away, “Go on now.”

“Thank you so much,” she said as she sauntered out, finding herself once again covered in a cloud of darkness, “Goodbye.” He didn’t respond, and Arai didn’t expect him to. Keeping his instructions in mind, she hurried off to find this so-called dust flower.

---

Finding the flowers, as Sorrel had said, was no difficult task. Arai found a bounty of them in the open fields where they seemed to float weightlessly on their stems, almost like a group of small sky puffies. She plucked as many as her arms could carry and left, the bright circle beaming radiantly across the pink and orange evening sky, a soft, gentle breeze whistling through the air. As she headed for home, clutching the flowers to her chest, she entered a hollow log in the middle of a pond. Then, just as she entered, she stopped and listened.

There was a disturbance at the other end; the sound of splashing and frustrated growls. When Arai peered through the opening, she could see a pair of slender legs standing just outside the log. It was a fast biter!

She gasped and stumbled over her own two feet as she fell on her tail, dread overtaking her body. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach. This was it— she was done for. It would only be a matter of time before it found her, and she wouldn’t stand an inkling of a chance. The sound seemed to draw nearer, but Arai couldn’t move. Paralyzed by fear, all she could think was that she would never come home, and her family would never know what happened to her. 

Then, amidst her terror, she heard something else. Her limbs still trembling, she leaned against the bark. The creature was muttering to itself, and from what Arai could hear, it sounded more panicked rather than thirsty for blood. Curious yet cautious, she climbed up through a hole in the top of the log, approaching from above. As she sat upon the surface, she realized that the sound was not a fast biter, but a longtail biter. They were significantly smaller, but they were also more agile than their larger counterparts.

Peering over the edge of the log, Arai noticed that the green dinosaur’s right leg was tangled up in several vines dangling from a tree directly above his head. His left leg, also entangled, was bent and covered in vines, making it difficult for him to keep his balance.

Arai tried to stifle her laughter as she watched the longtail’s ridiculous display. He hardly seemed threatening, but one question rang in her mind; where was his pack? If he was here, trapped, then that meant his pack couldn’t be too far away. Still…she couldn’t think of why an entire pack would waste their energy on killing her. She was small fry compared to some of the other denizens of the forests.

Feeling rather confident, Arai proceeded forward. “Is…Is everything alright here?” She asked, still holding onto the white dust flowers.

“AH!” The longtail shrieked loudly, jumping up in fright only to be suddenly pulled back by the vines coiled around his body. Arai managed to narrowly dodge the torrent of water that splashed everywhere. Then, breathing heavily, the longtail craned his head towards the smalljaw. “Oh—Lady—! Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

“Oh, I didn’t mean to frighten you. I’m sorry,” Arai said apologetically.

The longtail laughed, tossing his head back. “Oh! You didn’t frighten me,” he chuckled, “I was just...working on strengthening my legs, and you broke my concentration. That’s all!”

“You look more like you’re all tangled up,” Arai responded, hopping to the foot of the log. She gently brushed her claw against one of the vines. “If you were only working, what’s all this then?”

The longtail looked down. “Oh, that? That’s just to help me practice! In case such a thing actually happens to me in reality, I’ll be prepared.”

“Oh, alright.” Arai let go of the vine, her feet sloshing in the water as she moved through it, her back facing the other dinosaur. “Well, I’ll leave you to it. Have a nice day.”

The longtail gulped, his heart sinking lower and lower. He watched the smalljaw grow farther away, and no sooner had she walked at least a foot than he hollered. “H-Hey! WAIT!”

Arai froze in her tracks. Then, slowly, she swiveled towards him. “Yes?”

He stared at her for a second, his mouth agape. Then, he closed his eyes in complete and utter shame. “I...I’m stuck! I wasn’t actually working out.”

Arai brought a hand to her chest, feigning shock as she let out a heavily exaggerated gasp. “No...! Really? You’re lying!”

The longtail nodded his head, not catching on to her very obvious sarcasm. “Yes. As much as I hate to admit it, I would appreciate your help.”

Arai raised a brow. “How do I know you won’t try and eat me?”

“Me? Eat you? Come on, don’t make me laugh!” He cackled, “You’re like the size of an egg! You’d be a quick snack, at best. I wouldn’t waste my energy on you.”

“Good to know.” Arai couldn’t help but feel a bit insulted. “But I still don’t trust you. Where’s your pack?”

“Gone,” he answered, “I told them I would catch up with them later.”

Arai narrowed her eyes. She still didn’t quite believe him.

“I swear,” he paused, thinking intently for a moment, “I swear on my mate’s life— and I love my mate more than anything— that my pack is nowhere near here.”

She glared at him a few seconds longer. “Very well,” she relented, wading through the water, towards his feet, “I’ll help you get out.” Arai began nibbling on one of the vines tangled around his ankle. As she made her way around his leg, she carefully unwound each strand of foliage, one by one. 

Upon feeling that one of his legs was free, the longtail tried walking but forgot that his other leg was still tied up. He lost his balance, causing a loud splash as he fell into the water.

“Be quiet, will you?” Arai reprimanded, furrowing her brows, “You keep making all that noise and the fast biters will hear you, if they haven’t already.”

“Hm?” He cocked his head and gave her a confused look. “What fast biters?” He hopped up on top of the log with his one free foot.

“Come back down here!” Arai cried out, pulling on the vines, “They’ll see you for sure up there!”

He looked out towards the tall grass. He thought he saw something brown lurking within the cover of the tall blades and stuck his head out further, squinting. Then, in a flash, he saw the glaring yellow eyes of another dinosaur flick open. The dinosaur’s pupils turned into narrow slits, followed by a low growl.

“Hey, there’s a fast biter out there!” He exclaimed.

“Quiet! Does it see you?”

“No.” He paused, and stared a moment longer. The fast biter slowly began inching towards the log. “I mean yes! Yes, it’s coming!”

“Alright, just stand perfectly still.” She whispered, “Don’t move a muscle.”

“Everything’s fine,” The longtail said weakly, his voice indicating that he didn’t quite believe the words that escaped his mouth, “Oh, great circle of life— it’s headed right towards us!” His eyes roamed the area, catching a glimpse of the green grass a little ways away. A green fast biter opened it’s eyes and bared it’s teeth. “There’s another one...!”

“Must be a pack,” Arai mused under her breath, “But don’t panic! Are they moving fast or slow?”

The grass began to rustle, and the longtail flinched. “Slow— no, medium. Actually, make that fast. Very fast— I have to go now!” He tried to run, but ended up even more tangled in the vines than he already was.

Arai jumped and bit through the vine that the panicked longtail was struggling against. He went flying backwards, but caught himself. Even then, he continued stumbling. “I’m sorry, I have to go!”

Arai yanked on a piece of vine, forcing him down to the ground. “You’re not going anywhere. Don’t make so many sudden movements— you’ll attract their attention.”

“What— What do you mean attract,” he blubbered, “We’ve already got their attention!”

“I know, but right now they’re just watching us. Biding their time until they find the opportunity to pounce. If you panic, they’ll panic too. Then, they’ll attack because they don’t want us to get away, so you have to stay calm. Understand?”

The longtail gulped. “I-I understand.”

If only that were enough. Unseen by either of them, a grayish blue fast biter was slowly creeping up behind them. She felt the dirt beneath her claws, balancing herself on her knees as she approached them, virtually silent. 

Meanwhile, Arai was biting through the last of the vines. “Would you hold still? Relax. You’ll do neither of us any good by panicking.”

“I’m too young to die...!” The longtail lamented, “Let’s just get out of here, maybe we can outrun them!”

“You do realize they’re called fast biters for a reason?” She nipped at one last thread, slowly. “Remember, once you’re free I want you to stay calm. Don’t move. They won’t move as long as you don’t.”

“I make n-no promises,” He replied, producing a soft whimper.

The final vine came lose, and the longtail wriggled free. He had barely taken a single step forward when he suddenly found himself being tackled to the ground, feeling the taste of dirty water in his mouth.

“AH!” Arai squeaked as she jumped backwards, hardly having any time to react as a grayish blue blur suddenly attacked the other dinosaur. There was an abrupt, powerful splash as water went everywhere. Arai ran behind a rock, hyperventilating as she dove for cover.

Mostly safe behind her rock, for the moment, she could hear the sound of strained grunts and splashing. Terrified, yet worried for the safety of the dinosaur she’d just met, Arai peeked her head out from the corner.

The fast biter had him pinned, her claws digging into his scales as he flailed his legs desperately, but to no avail. The larger predator had a sinister grin on her face, baring her lethal canines. “Are you going to try to run away? Can you run away?” She snarled, plainly mocking her prey, “...I didn’t think so.”

The longtail sounded like he was struggling to breathe, soft choking sounds escaping his throat. Arai’s eyes were as wide as a full night circle while she stood there, not knowing what to do. Or at least, that was what she thought. Deep in her heart, she knew what she could do, but whether or not she had the courage to actually go through with it was a different story.

What was she thinking? She could run off with her medicine right now and— the realization hit her like a ton of rocks. Frantically, she searched herself. She didn’t have Dena’s medicine! She felt physically sick as she continued searching, telling herself over and over that she had to have it, and that she couldn’t have lost it!

Her frantic searching was then promptly interrupted by the dread filled sound of a ferocious roar. Arai gasped again, looking up to see the green fast biter leaping towards her. Arai ducked and made a run for it, causing the fast biter to crash face first into the cold, hard stone. The smalljaw winced, thinking to herself about how much that had to have hurt.

Having noticed his pack mate slumped against the stone in the pond, the brown fast biter, who had lurked in the grass until now, made a mad dash for the fast biter. Just as he began gaining on her and just as Arai began to think that it was all over, the longtail, summoning all his willpower and with a huge grunt of effort,  managed to throw his opponent off his back.

The brown biter grunted in surprise as he saw his other pack mate flying towards him. Unfortunately, he didn’t have much time to think or act before their bodies collided in a messy, watery torrent.

A huge wave suddenly and quickly overpowered Arai, and she found herself underwater. Dazed and surprised, she didn’t quite realize the fact after she opened her eyes. When she began inhaling water, she immediately closed her mouth and held her breath.

The ripples carried her involuntarily across the pond, thrashing her tiny body against various surfaces as the larger creatures continued their battle, completely oblivious to the battle the smalljaw was fighting.

Turbulent waves surged across the surface of the pond. Arai continuously flailed her legs, trying to find solid ground. For her, these seemingly minuscule ripples of water were like a tidal storm, attacking relentlessly without any visible signs of cessation. Then, as quickly as they came, they stopped. Even the fast biters seemed to stand still as a warbled roar echoed across the surface of the water. Not even a moment later, they were gone, running like the wind.

A moment of eerie silence passed, and Arai heaved herself up onto a rock near the bank of the pond. Her scales dripping with icy water, she drew in a shuddering breath. Not because of the cold; she hardly felt it, but because she remembered that she’d lost the medicine— the medicine that her daughter needed to get better.

Arai inhaled, bringing her knees towards her chest. She then inhaled again, but didn’t exhale. She felt like she couldn’t breathe, like there was a tremendous pressure on her chest, pushing against it and threatening to crush her lungs. Her eyes began to feel warm as her vision clouded over, and she felt something damp on her cheek. She was crying. Again.

She took a deep breath, trying to stabilize her emotions, but instead ended up letting out a loud sob and crying even harder. It was at that point that Arai simply gave up, and she buried her face in her hands as the painful, spine crunching sobs hit her with full force.

 However, she was so caught up, so engulfed in wallowing in her own self pity, that she didn’t even hear the soft sloshing of a pair of legs wading through the water. When she did look up to wipe her face with the back of her hand, by pure chance, she heard a familiar voice.

“Hey, hey— I’m alright! There’s no need to cry. I’m okay, see?”

Arai glanced from the corner of her eye and saw it was only the longtail from earlier. She went back to weeping. “That’s not the reason I’m crying,” she choked out, “I— I lost Dena’s medicine.”

The longtail crinkled his nose, not quite knowing what the other was referring to. Still, she’d helped him a great deal and it saddened him to see her in such a bad way. Alas, he was never the type to know what to say to comfort someone, especially in such a delicate situation.

Arai sniffled, her eyes moist and glossed over with her tears. “What was I thinking? I can’t do this all by myself! I’m only one dinosaur, I— I should have just gone straight home...why am I so stubborn and thick headed? Why?” She seemed to be physically beating herself as she asked the question, as if she were furious with herself for not having any answers.

The longtail paused a moment. “Well, I’m sure glad you stopped by.”

“But I’m not,” She sobbed, “I— I fought with my mate and ran out on him just to get that medicine for my daughter and now—” she sucked in a shuddering gasp,  “Now I’m going to LOSE HER!” She buried her face in her knees and let out a most unbecoming scream of anguish.

The longtail lowered his head. He wasn’t really hurt by her words, but his heart did ache for her. She seemed so lost and confused, like his own mate often did at times. “Why’d you run out on him? It seems to me like that would just make things worse.”

“Because,” Arai croaked, “He didn’t care! He didn’t care that we might lose our daughter! That bastard tried to stop me from going— but this isn’t about him!”

“Well…” the longtail craned his head towards the left, eyes wandering towards the horizon, “This is just me, but I think he was trying to protect you.”

Arai narrowed her eyes. “Protect me from what?”

“I don’t know,” the longtail shrugged, “You think I’m some sort of mind reader? But…my mate is exactly like you, that’s why.”

Arai’s frown lifted a tad, and she looked up at the other dinosaur attentively.

“She’s very stubborn,” he continued, “She won’t stop until she proves that she’s right, and she’s quite hotheaded, which can be very dangerous sometimes.”

Arai’s eyes flicked towards her reflection in the pond. She didn’t like to admit it, but that was a spot on description of her, down to the point. She could understand how easily she became so overbearing. Especially to her mate. He did put up with a lot, that was for sure.

Her eyes suddenly widened. It wasn’t as if he was blameless either! He was a pushover, and he never communicated his feelings to her. How was Arai supposed to know what he was feeling and thinking if he didn’t tell her?

“Well,” Arai resumed, wiping her tears, “Even if he was worried and just trying to look out for me, he didn’t tell me that. There’s no way I can know what’s in his heart if he doesn’t tell me. I saw what I thought was there, and I acted on that.”

“Maybe you should tell him that?” The longtail raised an inquiring brow. “I don’t know— just a thought. It might help if you’re honest...just saying.”

“Maybe so,” Arai resigned, crossing one leg over the other. “But that still doesn’t solve my problem. I suppose I’ll just have to go back tomorrow for the medicine…it’s getting late.”

The longtail smiled through his teeth. In that matter, he couldn’t quite offer any assistance. He needed to be getting home soon before his alpha sent out a search party looking for his sorry tail. His mate wouldn’t be happy. As he looked towards the sky to see how low the bright circle had fallen, he felt something brushing against his foot. He froze; it was wet, and...fuzzy?

He lifted his foot out of the water, bringing it close to his snout. Draped over his foot was a s bundle of soggy flowers, covered in white fuzz. It was then that a thought occurred to him. “Say,” he began, “About that medicine…is it a flower? And is it white?”

“Yes,” Arai answered with a nod, although her voice still sounded dejected, “It also has a lot of fuzz on the top. Why?”

The longtail  didn’t miss a beat as he held out his foot towards her, grinning as he watched every emotion cross over her face. Confusion, shock, realization, and then complete and utter ecstasy.

Arai’s hands flew to her cheeks as she smiled a smile that was almost too large for her face. “Dena’s medicine! You found it!”

“I did?” He paused, and then nodded, “I did! Of course, I just couldn’t stand to see you so sad. I had to find it for you.” He flashed a smile, aiming for triumph and bravado, but instead ending up looking stiff and awkward. It wasn’t until then that he finally remembered his manners. “Uh...I’m Anu.”

Arai uncrossed her legs and hugged the flowers to her chest, holding onto them as if she physically could not let go. “Oh, thank you— thank you so much!” She began to rise, still looking towards him. “I’m Arai. Thanks again! I have to go home now.”

As she sauntered towards the tall grass, Anu trailed after her. “Oh…alright. Where’s home?”

“In the forest,” Arai replied, “In a cave. It’s quite small, so it’s easy to miss.”

“Well...do you like me? I mean, will I ever see you again?” Anu stumbled forward, tripping over a stone and nearly falling to the ground.

“Careful now,” Arai warned, “And maybe you will, who knows? I think that would be nice...but I have to go home now. Goodbye.”

“Do you want me to walk you home? I mean, you never know what creatures will be lurking there in the dark— I can protect you!”

“Isn’t your pack waiting for you? And I’ll be just fine, thank you. This isn’t the first time I’ve gone home alone in the dark.”

“Are you sure? I mean, two heads are better than one!”

“Anu, I have got to go home.”

Anu sighed heavily. “Fine, fine. I’ll see you around then. So long.”

“See you around. Take care now.” Arai turned away and disappeared into the tall grass. She scurried nimbly from one part of the hill to the other, while Anu vanished into the dim cover of the dusk, heading straight for the distant mountains.

---

The forest was shrouded in darkness. Inside the cave, Mako was pacing across the dirt floor. He looked a bit bothered, his fists clenched tightly. Cori watched as he moved from corner to corner, more amused at his determination than anything.

At last, he came to a stop. He turned around. “Maybe I should go look for mom.”

Cori stood up from the patch of grass where she had been seated, alarmed by her brother’s statement. “I don’t think so, Mako.”

It didn’t matter what either of them thought, for Arai walked in at that very moment. She clutched a bundle of flowers towards her chest. She hurried across the room, using her teeth to strip the flower of it’s petals, allowing the dust particles to sprinkle themselves inside a moist tree star. As she worked, she spoke.

“Children, what are you still doing up? You both should have been asleep by now.”

“It was Mako’s idea,” Cori was quick to say, “He wanted to stay up and wait for you.”

Mako scowled at his sister, clenching his jaw to keep his anger from physically manifesting itself.

“Well I’m home, so there’s no need to wait for me anymore. Now both of you, off to bed. I won’t tell you again.” She picked up the tree star, careful not to spill any of the water as she walked right past Cori and Mako, entering a separate section of the cave.

---

The male smalljaw’s eyes focused on the round, crystal clear dew drops lining the vegetation crawling up the walls of the cave. Each drop sparkled like the stars in the night sky. Sena remembered how much his mate loved stars, as much as she questioned everything about them— where did they come from? Why did they only show up at night? What purpose did they serve? She had always been that way; questioning anything and everything. He had to admit it kept him sane, and kept him from delving too deep into his fantasies of the perfect world he often envisioned.

Directly across from him, Sena’s daughter lay in a broken bed of grass and leaves. Her scales had begun to flake and peel off of her deathly pale body, her chest slowly rising and falling as she drew in difficult, rasping breaths. As he gave a sigh, he released the tension he didn’t even know he was holding. He regretted what he’d said earlier, he regretted every word and nothing anyone could say or do could help him feel better about it. Well, there was someone— the only person that he wanted to talk to right now, but she wasn’t here.

Behind him, he could hear faint footsteps, as light as gentle droplets of sky water falling down slowly, one by one. He recognized them. Even if he were blind or deaf, he would know who it was. Almost hesitantly, he swiveled around, and saw Arai standing there, a flood of warm amber pouring in behind her.

Sena’s body froze up, and he found himself just standing there, not saying anything…just staring at her until he finally summoned the strength to speak. “…Arai? You’re back— are you alright? You didn’t get hurt, did you?”

“I’m fine,” Arai answered stiffly, fingers gripping the tree star in her hands, “Don’t worry about me. I...I got Dena’s medicine.” She motioned towards her sickly daughter.

“Oh. Um...alright.” Sena stepped aside, giving Arai some room to walk over to the other dinosaur.

Arai sat herself down beside her daughter’s bed, setting the tree star down on the ground in between them. As she laid her eyes on her daughter, she smiled sweetly and gently nudged her awake.

Dena began to stir slowly, and Arai slowly pushed the tree star towards her. Dena took a few sips, and then laid back down to rest. Arai touched her snout to her daughter’s and then got up, leaving her to sleep some more.

When he saw her get up and walk in his direction, Sena tensed up once more. Don’t just let her leave. Say something! Thinking quickly, he moved over in front of her, effectively blocking her way out.

Arai stopped in her tracks, looking up at her mate, who seemed to be attempting to prevent her from leaving. She glared at him, giving him a look that made it look as if she could burn a hole through his head.

Sena had seen that look before, but he stood his ground. “Arai, before you say anything— just hear me out.”

She scoffed. “Haven’t I done enough of that already?”

“Yes, you have, but— look, just listen to me. I’m sorry for what I said, for making you feel like your were worrying over nothing. I...I was just worried about you. I didn’t want to lose you.”

“You should have just said that,” Arai said in a considerably softer tone, “I would have understood, but you didn’t say anything. Instead, you just made it seem like you couldn’t care less.”

“I’m sorry,” he sighed, stepping away from the entrance, “I got scared. I didn’t know what to do, I wanted Dena to get the medicine but at the same time I didn’t want you getting hurt. I’m not like you, I don’t look my fear in the eye and spit in it’s face. I can’t help being such a coward.”

Arai raised a brow, incredulous. “Who said I wasn’t scared? I’m scared all the time, but the difference between you and I is that I don’t run away from my problems. But, you know— I was pretty scared today.”

A rather awkward silence briefly loomed over them, until Arai quickly broke it. Still, it felt like the both of them would be standing there in silence forever.

“But I’m not sorry for what I said earlier, because I meant every word. It really hurts when I’m just trying to keep it realistic and you strike me down because you want to stick to your ideals of some perfect world that doesn’t even exist...I just want you to believe in me, like I believe in you.”

“I do believe in you,” Sena explained, cradling both sides of her face with his hands, eyes twinkling, “It’s just that when I get scared, my worry overrides everything else. All I can think is that something bad is going to happen if we do something, so I tell myself that everything will be alright if we do nothing.” He looked at his mate, who looked as if she could punch him and hug him all at once, “I know that it’s not right or healthy, and I promise I’ll do better. Please, Arai...give me another chance. I’ll prove that I’m worthy of you, just please...forgive me.”

Arai has to hold back a chuckle at how he begged; it was quite amusing, really. Yet, he was so sincere. Arai could tell by looking into his eyes that he was telling the truth, and that he really wanted nothing more than her forgiveness. That was what swayed her over, and made her fall in love with him in the first place. He had always made her feel so, so special, like nothing else in the world mattered.

“Of course I forgive you,” she chuckled, nuzzling the tip of his snout with her own, “I might have been angry before, but I feel better now that we’ve gotten everything out into the open. But I will hold you up to that promise you made just now— don’t think I won’t.”

Sena giggled, bringing a hand to his mouth. “And I’ll try my very best to keep that promise,” he said through bursts of giggles, which eventually dissipated and dissolved into soft sighs, “I love you, Arai. I really do.”

“I know,” Arai replied cooly, her vibrant eyes beaming with joy, “I love you too.”

Unbeknownst to either of them, Cori and Mako stood at the entrance, watching as their parents reconciled. Cori grinned from ear to ear at the sight of them nuzzling each other, while Mako cringed in disgust. Just then, Mako seemed to have an idea; a rather devious idea that brought a sinister grin to his face.

Cori recognized that grin, and knew that it was nothing but bad news. She ran after her brother as he ran inside, and placed one foot firmly on his tail. He fell over onto his stomach, crying out in pain. “OW!” 

And just like that, the blissful moment was ruined. Arai and Sena both simultaneously pulled away from each other, turning their heads towards the source of the noise. Sena turned away and hid his face in embarrassment, humiliated that he’d been caught acting all mushy around the children. Arai, on the other hand, seemed a bit more miffed. She stepped forward, and placed her hands on her hips.

“I thought I told you two to go to bed,” she said in a scolding tone, “Didn’t I?” She eyed the both of them, waiting expectantly for an answer.

Cori opened her mouth, but Arai looked at her in a way they told her to save her breath, she already knew exactly what she was going to say. She closed her mouth, but then thought of the perfect rescue.

“How is Dena, mom?” She inquired innocently, folding her hands behind her back, “Is the medicine working?”

“Dena will be fine,” Arai answered bluntly.

“So she’s not going to die?” Mako asked, already knowing that would earn him a kick in the stomach from his sister. But surprisingly, when he looked up, Cori’s face was a bit saddened. Apparently, that same notion had been on her mind too.

“No, sweetheart,” Sena cut in, “She’s just very sick.”

“When will she get better?”

“Soon.” Arai looked back towards her youngest daughter, slumbering peacefully, “I hope.” Her voice trailed off, and she slowly made her way to her daughter’s bed. The rest of her family followed her, one by one.

Sena touched her snout to his, a gesture that Arai deeply appreciated. She returned the action, while Mako awkwardly stood next to her. She opened up her arm and held her son close, opening up the other as her daughter slithered in between them. They all stood there in a peaceful silence, listening to the faint breeze howl through the air outside. Then, in the quiet of the nighttime, Arai whispered softly.

“Off to bed with you now.”

---

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/13221304/1/Courage-Of-The-Heart

Prompt response for the month of January, and just in the nick of time too!  But phew, has it been a hot minute since the last time I wrote something. Honestly the main culprits are a lack of motivation and the fact that my real life has gotten so busy and hectic that I haven’t been left with much time to actually sit down and write something.  But this is my attempt at getting back into it, so cut me some slack lol.

Anyway, these characters are actually from my other story Across The Seasons, but there’s no real spoilers here. Just some backstory for some supporting characters. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy reading! 

Shortsnout biter = Dakotaraptor

FF.net link: https://m.fanfiction.net/s/13047800/1/Deliver-Us

                                        A New Dawn

The nighttime was over. The shimmering stars, scattered across the sky like millions and millions of tiny holes, had faded into the warm blanket of orange and gold that now covered the vast expanse overlooking the hills. The bright circle slowly climbed upwards, going higher and higher into the sky while caressing the land below in a shower of warmth. Overhead, the migratory flyers sent out their call of cries and screeches as they glided across the skies. Nothing out of the ordinary— the bright circle rose and fell, as did the night circle. There was nothing going on there, aside from the delicate balance of life.

There was one such place where things stayed the same, where the inhabitants also relied on a rigid routine to gain some sense of balance. Along the slope of a mighty hill, the flat land divided by the river, a pack of shortsnout biters resided. From the untrained eye of a passerby, the plain of land might appear full of holes. But upon closer inspection, one could see that the tiny dots spread across the land were not holes, but dozens upon dozens of nests, lying out in the open. It was past these overcrowded clusters of slumbering dinosaurs, snoring as the humid summer air hovered above them, that a single biter had the sense to build his nest out of a hill; kind of like a snug and comfy burrow.

Within the shadows and the faint circles of light entering the opening of the burrow, a female’s almond shaped eyes could be seen, their orange hue similar to that of a raging fire, as well as the dark markings that surrounded them. As she laid in the nest of leaves and moss, the female biter felt movement underneath her abdomen. Peering down and facing away from the light, she lifted her arm, covered in amber feathers. She tilted her head, purring curiously, and this was the first movement her otherwise motionless body made since the evening prior.

While retracting her wing, she revealed two furry chicks, one slightly bigger than the other. The chicks both shared their mother’s eyes, as well as the light yellow feathers that covered her body. The one thing they didn’t inherit from her, however, were the white feathers at the tips of their wings and tails. That, they got from someone else.

The two rambunctious little chicks shared an exchange of chirps as they used their tiny beak-like snouts to poke at a small ball of white fur curled up near their mother’s brown tail feathers. Her eyes widening in alarm, the mother reached over and picked up her young chicks by the flap on their necks, carrying them a little ways away and placing them on the ground near her arms, where she could keep an eye on them.

“That’s quite enough, you two. It’s far too early for this,” she scolded gently, her voice as smooth and sensual as the light breeze that would often kiss her face whenever she set foot outside.

She craned her head, redirecting her attention to the ball of feathers sitting by her tail. As she gave it a gentle nudge with her darkly colored snout, the ball unfurled to reveal a tiny chick, who couldn’t have been more than a few days old.

Producing a feeble chirp, he barely managed to open his eyes, practically mirroring his mother’s . The very instant light entered his retina, the chick decided that he hated it and curled back up into his ball, instinctively knowing he was safe under the watchful eye of his mother.

A low growl then erupted from outside, prompting the vigilant mother to tear her focus away from her chick and answer with a growl of her own. Another biter stuck his head through the cave, his hues of vibrant yellow meeting her own  hues of fiery orange. He was covered in white feathers, with the exception of his wings and tail feathers, which were a dark, dark brown. It was evident where the chicks had inherited their pale, white feathers from.

The male biter ambled on inside, touching his snout to that of his mate’s, purring softly before dropping a dead lizard in front of her as he assumed his position right by her side.

“I know it’s not much,” he said apologetically, obviously wishing his attempt at hunting hadn’t been such a misfire, “But I‘m afraid I couldn’t go very far. Alpha has sentries all over the damn place. Still, I did try...and I hope it’ll suffice.”

“I know, Geb. You don’t need to justify yourself to me.” She picked the unmoving lizard, wedging the tail in between her claws as she chomped it’s head off, “You know that, don’t you?”

A sigh rolled off of Geb’s tongue as he leaned against his mate, taking a moment to gently scratch his only daughter’s head with his claw. “I do know that, Mahat. I just…I wish I could do more. You and our children deserve the very best. It’s a shame that I can’t give it to you.”

“You’ve already done more than enough, Geb,” Mahat coaxed, tossing the decapitated lizard onto the earth, watching amusedly as her children hardly hesitated to devour it, “Everyday you wake up at some unfathomable hour of the morning to go and find some food for me and the children. You then barely get any rest before you go out and hunt some more to satisfy our Alpha. Believe me, everything you do will always be enough, and nothing less.” Mahat peered into his eyes wearing a hopeful smile, that same hopeful that made Geb fall in love with her in the first place.

As she took their youngest child into her arms, Geb seemed to be stuck inside a trance of  intense and deep thought. His face wrinkled with worry, he looked out towards the hills that seemed to obstruct his view of anything and everything that lay beyond them. “But it doesn’t feel like enough. Listen, I just need to—”

“Geb,” Mahat said firmly, cutting him off midway. She tilted her head, looking up at him. “What you need is to stop doubting yourself. You do everything you can to provide for us and make sure we’re always taken care of—  even if it’s at your own expense— and that’s already more than enough for me.”

“But, Mahat—”

“You have our backs, and we have yours,” she continued while ignoring his protests, “You don’t need anything else, my love. Besides...” she pointed her snout towards their son, sleeping in her arms, “He’s rather handsome, don’t you think so?”

Resting his head on her shoulder, Geb stared bemusedly into his son’s equally confused eyes. He wrinkled both of his brows, sampling a smell of the fuzzy chick. He wasn’t exactly smitten with his son; he’d hardly even gotten time to know him. He and Mahat were always so preoccupied with keeping their children safe from harm, ever since Alpha sent out the order to snatch the newborns from their homes and throw them into the river in a desperate attempt to stop overpopulation. In response to his mate’s inquiry, however, he had to confess that he thought his son was absolutely hideous. He looked less like a dinosaur, and more like a ball of fuzz.

“...Sure, love,” he replied after a long hesitation which made it clear he was thinking very hard about his answer, “I suppose he’s not that bad looking for a hatchling…I’m just glad he has your eyes or else he’d be absolutely repulsive.”

“Geb!” Mahat whirled around to face him, trying her very best to suppress the laughter that threatened to escape, “Don’t be so mean. You’ll hurt his feelings.”

“I’m only saying the truth,” reasoned Geb, coming to his own defense as he shrugged his shoulders. “Neph and Shaw were absolutely hideous too, but it wasn’t as noticeable because they looked so much like you.”

“Oh, don’t be so hard on yourself,” Mahat crooned, purring under her breath while giving his chin a gentle and loving nuzzle, “You’re the most handsome biter I know.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re my mate,” Geb rebuffed flatly.

“Well, yes, that may be true, but really now— I don’t understand why appearance matters so much to you. I love you because of who you are. You know that.” She looked at him, frowning when he simply averted his eyes. Then, she too looked away, her eyes tracing the movements of her offspring as they curled up beside each other. Her gaze bounced off of Geb. “I know you’re convinced that you’re unpleasant to look at, and while I don’t agree, I think that has the potential to be a good thing. If you’re hideous, then when someone loves you, you know they really love you for who you are—” she paused to lock eyes with him, “Just like I do.”

Geb was initially a little confused at first, but as she spoke to him, his heart began to lift. Just hearing the way she spoke to him, so passionately and honestly, it made him want to be better. For her. He glanced down at his son, tickling his chin. As he played with him, Geb managed to catch a glimpse of his mate looking rather dejected. He knew why.

“You know they’re going to come for him, too,” he told her, massaging her shoulder in a gesture of comfort, “Giving him up is what’s best for him and us.”

“I know,” Mahat mouthed in response, “I just don’t like thinking about it. I’ve already grown to love him so...”

“It will be alright,” Geb purred, “We’ll get through it together. You said it yourself— we don’t need anything else.”

Mahat chuckled to herself, highly amused by having her own words turned around and used on her.

The bright circle was now fully in the sky, having given birth to a new dawn. With the start of the new day came the same old routine, in the same old order. Geb had grown so accustomed to this way of life that over time, it became his way of keeping track of time. As he felt the warmth of the bright circle hit his chest, he knew what time it was.

He scrambled to his feet, just in time to hear the beckoning roar of the head hunter, summoning his subordinates. “Well,” he sighed, “I should get going before he throws a hissy fit.”

Mahat nodded in affirmation, understanding that he had duties to perform, even if she would have preferred him to stay inside with her and the children.

Geb crouched down, balancing himself on the balls of his feet. He slanted forward, allowing the tips of their snouts to touch. “Promise me you’ll stay safe,” he whispered to her. This was also part of his routine, a part that he actually enjoyed.

“I promise,” Mahat replied back as she usually did, watching with a heavy heart as he pulled away. “...I love you.”

Geb turned to look at her as he stood in front of the burrow’s entrance, the light from outside shining behind him. “I love you too,” he said, offering a handsome grin before running down the slope, joining the rest of the miserable lot who were burdened with the duty of hunting so early, and not even for themselves.

Mahat held her son tightly as she watched her mate depart, plagued by the ever present fear that he might not return. However, she knew as she tucked her son safely beneath her feathers this was not the time to pay heed to that nagging little voice inside of her head. She had bigger things to worry about— like how she was going to ensure her son would live a good life without having to depart from him. Then, a tiny and groggy voice caught her attention.

“Mm...Mama...?”

Mahat shifted her weight towards her daughter Neph, who was lying next to her brother. Mahat raised a brow, tilting her chin, as if urging her to continue.  “What is it, Neph?”

“Are those scary biters going to come back here? Are they going to take us away?”

“No, love,” Mahat answered, gently tracing her daughter’s jawline with her claw. She hadn’t lied; neither Neph nor Shaw would be taken away, since they were no longer newborns.

Neph didn’t seem satisfied with the answer that she was given, and Mahat noticed as much. “Don’t worry about it,” Mahat insisted, “Go back to sleep. Everything will be alright.”

Neph heeded her mother’s words and turned around, slipping back into sleep. Mahat lovingly stroked her head, repeating what she had told her daughter to herself, repeating it like a mantra.

“Everything will be alright.”

...

It was midday when she awoke. As much as she loathed it, there wasn’t much else to do, given how constricting the laws of her pack were. If only she could leave. If she and her family were to somehow miraculously escape, that would be more than enough. Mahat wouldn’t bear any qualms even if they didn’t join another pack, so long as they were far, far away from this dreadful place.

Slowly, she began to stir, the weight of her body pushing against the leaves and blades of grass and producing a soft rustling sound. Her eyes steadily fluttered open, that peaceful half conscious doze that glided slowly upwards into wakefulness barely beginning to wear off—

“NO! No, please— leave him! YOU LEAVE HIM!”

Mahat was suddenly wide awake, recognizing the panicked screams that filled the air. She lifted her head, as did her children, who were barely beginning to wake. She scanned the plain in front of her, unable to tear her eyes away from the horrific sight of a helpless mother being thrashed to the ground as a strongly built shortsnout biter marched over to her nest and took her newborn hatchling.

“They’re here,” Neph whispered, covering behind her mother’s leg, “They’re going to take him away...”

Mahat tilted her chin slightly, looking down at her daughter. She was right; they would be coming for her son— but she wasn’t going to admit defeat so easily. Her woeful expression turned into one of resolute determination as she took Neph and Shaw into her arms, throwing them onto her back.

“No, they won’t,” she said firmly as she lifted her son by the flap of his neck. Looking back one more time, Mahat grimaced as she scampered towards the rear entrance of the burrow, forcing herself through the dark and seemingly never ending tunnel. Her talons crunched and sifted against the soil as she drew closer and closer to the bright light at the very end. Not much farther. Just a little bit more…

Mahat stepped out into the light, bombarded by a wave of searing heat that made her feel uncomfortably warm. Her heart thumping rapidly against her chest didn’t quite help matters either. Her eyes roamed from one child to the other, making sure they were all accounted for. The last thing that she wanted was for one of them to get lost in the frenzy of dinosaurs rushing about from place to place.

She glanced towards the left, and then towards the left. Once she decided the coast was clear, Mahat rushed down the slope, her children holding onto her for dear life. She did not stop, nor did she look back, and continued making a mad dash for the river.

Once she could see the tall, feathery reeds sprouting upwards by the grassy riverbank, she began to slow down. She looked behind her, making sure she hadn’t been followed. Mahat breathed a sigh of relief, but her heart still raced.

The river’s appearance was deceiving, stretching as long as the neck of the tallest longneck, and opening as wide as a mountain is high. Shoals of tiny silver swimmers could be seen gliding across the shimmering green water, only occasionally breaching the surface.

Her son began to fuss and wriggle around as he was being held between his mother’s teeth, somehow sensing the danger. Mahat was not surprised; children could be surprisingly inquisitive. Instead of shushing him, she offered a sympathetic smile and dropped him, catching him in the palm of both her hands. His huge orange eyes looked back at her, glistening wet tear trails on his cheeks. She sat down on her haunches, pressing their foreheads together.

“My son,” she began, ashamed that she hadn’t even thought of a name for him, “Please don’t cry. And please, please, please forgive me for doing this. I never wanted to, believe me, but this is the most I can do— If nothing else, I can at least give you a good life...” she sniffled, withholding tears, “Even if I may never get to be a part of it. I hope you’ll grow up with grace and dignity, and that you’ll never have to bear the hardships that your father and I had to bear the burden of, and that you’ll always be free to speak your mind. Still, I want to ask one thing of you— Just one thing—” inhaling sharply, she closed her eyes and allowed the tears to fall the moment she opened them, “I ask that one day, when you’re all grown up, that you come and deliver us, just like we will deliver you. That’s all I ask. Please remember me, remember where you came from, so that I can be with you when you dream.”

Mahat then gave him one last loving nuzzle, hoping against hope that it would be enough to remind of how much she loved him in the short time they’d spent together. Subsequently rising to her feet, she resumed carrying him in her mouth and waded into the river, resisting against the roaring current which threatened to carry her downstream. Using every single ounce of willpower in her body, she swam forward with all of her might, eventually emerging on the opposite side, with all three of her children.

As she shook herself dry, she looked over a nearby bush, where she could spot Alpha’s mate playing with her son in a small and shallow pond flowing with moss. Mahat hurried over to the bush, using it to conceal herself as she helped Neph and Shaw to the ground.

“Stay here, children,” she warned, her voice as silent as the quietest drop of water while transferring her son to the palm of her hand. She crouched down, poking her arm through the bush and dropping him onto the grass.

The tiny chick cried out in confusion, waddling over to the bush as he chirped for his mother. But as much as it pained her, Mahat could not take him back. She urged him forward with her hand, unintentionally causing him to trip over his own two feet. He squeaked in pain, grabbing the attention of Alpha’s mate.

The very second that Mahat sensed the other’s footsteps, she grabbed Shaw and ran off, using her tail to push her daughter along. Neph began to run with her mother and brother, but stopped to see what the female biter’s next course of action would be.

Alpha’s mate, a tall and slender biter named Tara, slowly approached the hatchling, whose emotional injury was worse than any physical injury he might have sustained during his fall.

Tara raised an eyebrow, her young son awkwardly trailing behind her. She lowered her head, sniffing the hatchling all over. Her hazel eyes softened considerably. “Poor dear,” she cooed, “You’re scared to death.” She began to extend her hand, but the hatchling shriveled away from her. Tara didn’t fault him for it, as shown when she smiled kindly. “Don’t worry. I won’t hurt you— it’s alright, little one.” She slowly ran her finger over his head, establishing that she meant no harm. He seemed to get the memo, for he smiled and cooed in response. “There,” she chimed, scooping him up into her hands and nuzzling him, just as his own mother did to him minutes before, “Isn’t that better? Oh, you’re so small...and absolutely precious.”

Neph smiled and gave a sigh of relief, letting go of the reeds she was unwittingly gripping with her fingers. “Stay safe, baby brother,” she said in a voice a little higher than a whisper as she watched Tara walk away, absolutely smitten with the hatchling she cupped in her hands, “Please don’t forget about us.” Then, she ran to catch up with the rest of her family.

...

As Mahat led her two remaining children back home, she spoke to them in a tone that conveyed a sense of urgency.

“If anything happens, I want you two to run straight home,” she commanded, “Don’t go out until your father returns.”

Both Shaw and Neph were confused by the reasoning behind their mother’s statement, but agreed to do what she asked, nonetheless.

“Mahat,” a low voice snarled, “There you are. I was wondering where you’d gotten off to.”

Mahat couldn’t help but scrunch and wrinkle her face. She thought she smelled something disgusting curled up in her path. Standing before her was the lead sentry. Hawthorn. She hated him, and everything about him— the way he stood like he was someone to be respected, and how his blazing green eyes looked as if they were mocking her when he spoke to her. Mahat only recognized these things about him simply because she couldn’t find it in her to care about whatever nonsense he was spouting.

Her mouth curved into a tight frown as she furrowed her eyebrows. “What do you want, Hawthorn?”

“That’s ‘sir’ to you,” Hawthorn barked, “And I was just wondering…the sentries found your home empty today during the search. And I know you and Geb have a newborn son.”

Mahat’s frown grew tighter. “What are you getting at?”

Hawthorn immediately dropped whatever games he was playing, and stomped his foot against the grass. “Where is he? That’s what I’m getting at. And don’t you dare lie to me. Or else—”

Mahat sensed him approaching Neph and Shaw, and moved protectively in front of them. “Don’t even think about it.” She heaved a sigh, her eyes defeated. “I promise I’ll give you the information you want.”

“Mom,” Neph tugged on her mother’s tail feathers, “What are you doing—”

“Shh,” Mahat silenced her, nudging both her and her brother away from the scene, “Go inside, and wait for your father. Don’t worry— I’ll handle this.” She flashed her famous reassuring smile, the smile that made it feel like everything would be alright, even if it didn’t seem like it would be.

Neph and Shaw gazed at their mother with uncertainty, exchanging glances with each other before they took off towards home. Mahat smiled in relief, although it fell rather quickly.

She suddenly felt herself being grabbed by the arm. She let out a surprised yelp, suddenly finding herself facing Hawthorn, who had a tight and deadly grip on her wrist.

“Where are you hiding him?” Hawthorn pressed, gritting his teeth.

Mahat held her tongue, her furious eyes locked on Hawthorn, even as he squeezed the life out of her wrist.

“TELL ME!” He flung her backwards, not even flinching at the sound of the back of her head hitting a rock. “I can’t believe you could be so selfish! Whether you agree with it or not, this is all for the greater good of the pack! By not telling me where your son is, you risk the futures of everyone here! And for what, your own selfish desires?”

Mahat scowled ferociously at him, refusing to falter even as her head throbbed from the blunt trauma. “You’re full of shit,” she rasped, baring her teeth, “If you actually think that anyone actually believes the nonsense that leaves your foul mouth, you’re just as foolish as the ideas you come up with.”

That was a mistake. That was a mistake, and she knew it. She knew that she slipped up, and badly. If there was one unspoken rule, it was that the higher ups had total control. They had the power to end a pack member’s life if they personally felt them to be a threat— even if they weren’t actually dangerous.

A strangled noise escaped from Hawthorn’s throat as his pupils turned to narrow, almost invisible slits. Without even a hint of hesitation, he leapt forward, slamming his sickle claw against her throat, forcing it through her scales and into her tissue.

Mahat let out an audible choking sound, squawking as she found herself being pushed against the grass. The feeling of his claw piercing her flesh was akin to that of being burned by an unrelenting flame. Still choking for breath, she grew bleary eyed as her sclera began to redden, and the tips of her fingers gained a purplish tinge.

“You snuck off while you were not permitted and didn’t even tell anyone,” Hawthorn said while pressing his claw further into Mahat’s throat, his voice eerily calm, “And now, you disrespect me. As you know...the penalty for such insubordination is death.”

Shaw happened to turn around at this exact moment, just in time to see his mother being slammed against the ground, specks of dirt flying everywhere as she fought against Hawthorn, who was inarguably the stronger one out of the two. He began to cry out for his mother, but was stopped by his older sister, who silenced him with a hand over his mouth before carrying him off into the safety of their home.

“Why is nobody stopping him,” Shaw gasped as soon as he was inside and in his sister’s arms, “Neph, please stop him— please—” he sobbed quietly as he buried his face in Neph’s chest.

Neph enveloped him in a protective embrace, shielding him from the sight of the horror unfolding outside. Alas, she was not able to drown out the sounds that accompanied it.

...

Blissfully unaware of the whole fiasco happening on the other side of the river, Tara waded in the pond, bathing her son while holding a fuzzy white hatchling in one arm. Still, it  wasn’t as if she could do anything about what was happening just across from her. Alpha and the sentries were the only ones with any true power.

The water pooled from her hands and onto her son, washing him of the dirt that covered his body. She’d been here since early morning, and her efforts seemed to have paid off. Pleased with her work, Tara stepped out, the water dripping from her body and onto the grass. She peered at the feathered bundle in her arms. She was not stupid. She knew it would be obvious that this was not her own child. However, no one else had to know that.

She met the gaze of two other female biters who helped look after her son,  but at the current moment, looked rather concerned. They worried that she  might get in trouble for this, or worse, Alpha might not even accept the new child. Tara was well aware of these possibilities, however. Her eyes hardened as she cast them a look that swore them to secrecy, promising that this would remain between them, and between her and the alpha. When the two female biters dipped their heads in affirmation, Tara flashed a pleased smile and resumed sauntering off to find her mate. Her son hobbled at her feet, tugging at her tail feathers to get her attention.

“Mama,” he cooed, looking expectantly up at her.

“Come, Hapi,” Tara said to her son, briefly glancing down at him, “We will show Alpha your new baby brother.” she paused to poke the hatchling’s nose, “…Sol.”

...

The bright circle was beginning to retire, as was Geb, who was making his way home after what had been a long, long day of hunting. He hated it. He hated having to go do far, only to find food for Alpha’s family. He was frustrated by the position he found himself in, but at the very least, he had his family to come home to. He couldn’t wait to be engulfed by his mate’s loving embrace, and to hear the cheers of his son and daughter who had been waiting all day for their father to arrive.

Just the thought of it made Geb smile to himself, lifting his spirits in the process. It was certainly taxing on his body  to do nothing but hunt all day, but in the end, it was all worth it. As long as his family was safe and taken care of, he’d push on, even if it made him absolutely miserable.

As he passed the nests of his pack mates, he could tell that the sentries had paid them a visit. Everyone was either in the process crying their eyes out, or were all cried out and just looked...dead. Almost lifeless. It was no way to live, especially as a pack that was supposed to work with each other instead of against, but Geb was powerless to change it. 

He continued on. For some reason, the closer his home drew, the worse he felt. He had a panic in his chest, a premonition of some sort. Something had happened something bad. Of course, bad things happened in the pack everyday, but this feeling hit particularly close to home. It was as if...something had happened to someone he cared about.

He decided to hurry home as fast as possible so he could relieve himself of his fears. Even as he darted up the slope towards the burrow he’d dug, he couldn’t shake the feeling of dread. It continued to eat away at him until he arrived at the entrance.

Geb came to a halt, his heart thumping so loudly he could practically hear it. He sounded his growl, waiting with anticipation and nerve wracking anxiety as he listened for his mate’s response. It never came.

His mind immediately went a million different places, but he shook his head and brought himself back to reality. He had to stop overthinking this. There was no way anything like that could happen to him. He’d heard about it happening to others, but it never happened to him, and that wasn’t about to change.

Geb wandered inside to find a nearly empty burrow. The spot where his mate sat was vacant, but the lump was still there, as well as her familiar, unmistakable smell, which still lingered. After looking around some more, he discovered that his newborn son was gone too. The only occupants of the nest were his children, who sat with their backs turned towards him. Neph was sitting up while Shaw laid down, clearly pretending to be asleep.

Something happened. Something’s wrong— he ignored his instinct, and looked towards his daughter. He raised an eyebrow, somewhat confused. His mind was in a fog, that was for certain. “Neph...? Where’s your mother?”

Neph stiffened and flinched at the same time. Oh, no. How was she supposed to tell him? She was only a child, she’d never been taught how to be the bearer of bad news? Her mother had told her that often times, when others dislike the message, they vent out their frustration on the messenger— she didn’t want that! She could really use her mother’s wisdom right about now.

“Neph?” Geb repeated, becoming a bit antsy. He twiddled with his claws, his tail swishing from side to side.

Neph couldn’t give him a verbal answer. She couldn’t even face him. All she could do was shake her head, indicating that whatever answer he was hoping for, whatever happy lie he wanted to be told, just wasn’t so. It wasn’t the truth.

Geb frowned as he sensed a salty and bitter taste in his mouth, as he opened it to reveal his teeth. He felt sick and uneasy to his stomach, as it he were going to vomit what little food he’d eaten. When his daughter shook her head in response to his question, he almost did throw up.

Oh, that hurt. That hurt so much he didn’t even feel the pain at first. He stood there a few seconds, in complete shock before his knees gave way, and he screamed like never before, following a ragged gasp of panic. The pain hit him all at once, fueling his agonized screams. He couldn’t believe it. He still couldn’t even comprehend it. The one thing he thought only happened to others had actually happened to him, and as the bright circle’s light died down, so did the only light in his life.


...

Wow, I sure had a field day with this one. I got inspired to write this about a month ago when I was rewatching The Prince of Egypt (which is an amazing movie, 11/10 would recommend), so this is based sort of loosely around the opening of the movie.

I’m probably going to continue this at some point, depending on how well it’s received. I wrote this for the August prompt, simply because I had more motivation for that particular prompt. Now that I got this out of the way though, I’ll hopefully be able to continue working on the new chapter of Across The Seasons, which I’m making good progress with. I hope you guys enjoy reading and have a nice week!

Chapter 1, The Swamp

Nimble had never been able to live up to her name. She had always been more jumpy and frantic, which, in itself, was a rather abnormal trait for a fast biter. Her name, which was now bound to her like a blood sucking leech, had been given to her in hopes that a great name would bring good luck and fortitude. But her birth brought nothing but misery and hardship upon her family. However, hardship was to be expected when living in the humid swamplands near the great floodplains. As hard as life in the swamplands was, it didn’t change anything, nor provide any excuses. Her mother, the only one out of the pack who didn’t despise her for her struggles, was still gone. All because Nimble had foolishly frozen with fear while her mother shouted at her to flee while being cornered by a sharptooth. Nimble had flinched when she should have scampered, and her mother paid the ultimate price for her own cowardice.

Her father was right to reprimand her. He was always right. She could never hunt, fight or do anything that most fast biters had in their blood, flowing in their veins. There were only two things she knew how to do without fail — freeze in place, and run like a coward. Her father blamed her for his mate’s death, she knew he did. After all, he didn’t exactly bother to hide how he felt. Nimble couldn’t even hold it against him because he had every reason to be disdainful. Had she not frozen in place that day, she could’ve gotten help, and perhaps, her mother would still be with them. None of it mattered, though. Not anymore.

When Nimble was still a young girl, the sky water came. She’d seen sky water before, but this was different. It rained for days on end, without cessation, flooding the end of the swamp that they resided in. During the commotion and chaos of the pack trying to salvage their nests, she found a window of opportunity to flee and leave her old life behind. She headed towards higher ground, away from the floodplains, remaining close enough that she still had the protection of the murky swamp.

Nimble grew up alone, amongst the tall, moss covered trees whose branches stretched across the canopy like long, winding arms. She grew a silky coat of gray and sage green feathers, with black along the tips. A short but slender light gray snout housed a powerful set of serrated teeth which could rip through flesh. Her watchful eyes were a warm orange, like the color of the sky when the bright circle began to set.

Although she’d never been formally taught how to hunt for food, she was able to learn by watching other fast biters who lived among her. Still, she was small fry compared to these larger predators, and therefore minded herself so that she would not give herself an early sendoff to the great beyond.

It was bitter work, but the results were worth it. She’d gone from cowering at the mere mention of hunting, to being able to track down and find sufficient food for herself. That, in itself, was an accomplishment. She only wished her mother could see how far she’d come.

As the bright circle rose and fell many times, Nimble grew into a capable young fast biter. Even more importantly, she was now of the proper age to mate. Her family, for many generations, had a single goal in mind — to continue the bloodline. To pass on the stories of their elders to their young ones, who would pass those stories onto their own young. This manner of passing on traditions was like tying several vines to form a never ending chain.

Nimble, too, had this same goal, even if she’d severed herself from her family long ago. She set out to find a suitable mate, which proved to be an easy task. When arriving at the mating grounds, she was easily swayed by a prospective male flaunting his flamboyant feathers. After they’d finished, the male left. This was how things worked in the swamplands, and many other places. For many fast biters, the extent of their paternal duty was to mate with a female and leave. There was no need for them to stick around, unless they absolutely wanted to. Nimble was well aware that this was the case with her mother and father. They’d genuinely been in love, and her father had that love, the kind that only comes around once in a life time, stripped away from him. She knew that her father would try to mate again. Not in hopes of finding love again, but to make up for the disappointment.

When the warm time came, and the swamp became humid with occasional showers of warm water, Nimble laid a small clutch of three eggs in her nest of leaves and grass at the foot of a tree.  The eggs were tall and oval shaped, covered with brown specks. She laid beside her nest, nuzzling the freshly laid eggs with the tip of her snout. A contented sigh escaped her, and she took a moment to pluck more grass from the ground to shield her eggs from the wandering eyes of any predators. It was imperative that the eggs were well covered, as egg stealers had no use for a nest without any eggs.

Nimble believed that she did everything right. She’d crafted a suitable nest for her unborn chicks. She looked after her eggs and nurtured them like any mother would. But before the cold time could even arrive, she lost her children to the clutches of an egg stealer. She made sure to cover her eggs before leaving to hunt, but somehow, this certain egg stealer saw through her façade. When she returned from her hunt, she came home to an empty nest, where nothing remained but the broken remnants of a few egg shells.

Naturally, she had been devastated. She spent the next few days mourning over her lost children, staying within the throes of her nest, feeling sorry for herself. But as the cold time arrived, and the leaves began to change, so did she. Nimble picked herself up off the ground and decided that she needed to live to see the next season, so that she might have another chance.

She did. As the lights from the north shimmered across the sky in many hues of green, blue and purple, melting the ice and allowing new life to bloom, Nimble laid another clutch of eggs. This time, there were six of them. In her mind, this was a good thing. This way, more of them were likely to survive to adulthood.

She watched her eggs diligently, forgoing all of her own needs to ensure their safety. This was something she’d neglected to do when she last laid eggs; more often than not, she would leave her nest unattended to find food for herself. She knew better now.

...

Many days and many nights passed. Then, one golden morning, the eggs began to move around in the mound of dirt they had been safely nestled in for the past six months. Nimble, catching wind of the rustling leaves, sauntered towards her nest. She lowered her head, sniffing the eggs as they stirred. The frill of feathers on the back of her head twitched slightly as an intriguing curiosity was sparked inside of her. 

The first egg began to hatch. The shell trembled as the hatchling struggled to break free from the protective covering of the eggshell as well as the sticky juices that nourished them. Meanwhile, the rest of the clutch was also beginning to poke their snouts out from their eggshells, taking their first breath of the outside air. The tiny hatchlings squeaked and squealed for their mother, who responded with a soft growl while digging them out of the nest. She knew that from this moment on, until they were fully grown, these small, fuzz covered hatchlings would be completely and utterly dependent on her.

Several hours were spent teaching the hatchlings to walk on their own two feet. Nimble demonstrated for them the steps of walking, placing one foot in front of the other. Her six hatchlings watched in bewilderment as their mother performed this seemingly spectacular feat. Nimble walked in a circle and stopped, motioning for her children to give it a try.

The first hatchling, who had been the first to break out of his shell, tried imitating his mother. He placed one foot in front of the other, awkwardly waddling towards Nimble’s feet. He got the hang of it for a minute, but tripped over a pebble rooted deep into the soil. He let out a squeak as he fell, losing the balance he had tried so hard to maintain.

Nimble let out a laugh, and used her snout to help him back onto his feet. “Don’t feel bad,” She crooned, giving him a gentle nuzzle with her snout, “I didn’t get it on my first try either.”

Teaching her children how to walk moments after hatching proved to be an arduous task, but she managed to accomplish what she set out to do. Once they’d learned how to walk, she arranged them into a single file line.

“Stay close, children,” she warned, “You don’t want to get lost. In the swamp, if you get lost, you stay lost.” A bit blunt, but it was the truth.

Nimble led her children to the stream where there was an abundance of insects for them to hunt. Winged buzzers rode the gentle currents by perching on top of the leaves drifting across the stream, all while searching for fish to catch. The fast biter dipped her head in the stream, taking a sip of the refreshing water.

While she relinquished in the freshness of the water of the stream, a ground crawled steadily approached one of her female hatchlings, snapping it’s pinchers. At the end of it’s tail was a sharp stinger. The hatchling cooed curiously, tilting her head. She began repeatedly pecking the ground crawler in the head, infuriating the insect. Poised to attack, the ground crawler readied it’s stinger and waited for the right moment to strike.

Just then, Nimble came up and snatched the ground crawler up into her mouth, sinking her teeth into the insect’s outer shell, squeezing the life out of the creature as it thrashed around in her mouth. When all movement finally ceased, she dropped the crawler in front of her hatchlings, who made short work of the insect.

While watching her hatchlings eat their first meal, she could feel the presence of other sharpteeth weigh heavily on her. From the corner of her eye, she could see a fast biter, covered in gaily colored feathers, watching every movement, just waiting for an unsuspecting hatchling to accidentally stray too far.

Nimble wouldn’t have it. She spread her arms, lined with feathers that gave them the appearance of wings, and protectively held them over her hatchlings as she led them away from the stream.

...

By the time her chicks were three months old and no longer fit the criteria for being called ‘hatchlings’, they’d already managed to develop personalities of their own, as well as a few amateur hunting skills along the way.

In the early morning, it was the obnoxious noise of hoppers leaping from pond to pond that woke Nimble from her blissful slumber. She opened one eye, and awoke to the chirps and cries of various creatures across the swamp. As sleep wore off, allowing her to awaken fully, she took the liberty of grooming her feathers before standing up.

Underneath her warm feathers were her chicks, sleeping peacefully. She tilted her head at an angle as she peered down at them, rousing each chick with a gentle nudge.

“Mama,” one of her chicks mumbled groggily, “Stop it...”

“Wake up, Tula,” she said firmly, urging her forward, “You know the early morning is the best time to find food.”

Nimble watched as each of them slowly stumbled out of the nest, murmuring their names in order to keep track of each individual child. Once they had all been accounted for, she stood to face them.

“Alright, I’m going to go find us some breakfast. I want you all to stay here, and to stay hidden. Don’t draw too much attention to yourselves. I’ll be back soon.”

As soon as their mother disappeared into the shadows of the trees and bushes, the chicks immediately dropped their act of obedience. Tula pushed one of her siblings into a puddle of mud, cackling and pointing.

Tui, the faint hearted male who had been pushed, spit out the mud that he’d swallowed on his way down. In an act of defiance, he grabbed his sister by the leg and dragged her down with him.

“Ha!” Tui laughed, pointing a finger at her the same way she had done with him.

Tula narrowed her eyes, spitting some mud onto his face. Then, from above, she could hear the familiar voice of one of her other siblings.

“Mud pile!”

Both Tui and Tula glanced up to see the shadow of their four other siblings looming over them as they made a nosedive for the mud puddle. They quickly tried to move out of the way, but in the end, their siblings were piled on top of them like a pyramid.

It was then that Nimble returned with her kill. She surveyed the area, searching the area for her children. When she heard squealing and laughter from a nearby puddle of filthy mud, she set the meal aside somewhere safe and went to investigate, although part of her already knew it was her own young in the puddle.

She peered inside, frowning when she saw that all six of her children were bathing in the mud. She wasn’t shocked nor appalled, just disappointed. One of her chicks spotted her, and squeaked to say hello.

Nimble could only sigh and lower her tail into the puddle, allowing the little ones to latch onto the tuft of feathers at the end of her tail. Once all six of them were safely on her back, she headed away from the mud.

Tula scampered across her mother’s back, climbing onto her head. “Where are we going, momma?”

“Well,” Nimble began, “First of all, you lot are going to take a bath.”

“A bath? But momma, we don’t wanna take a bath!”

“That’s too bad,” Nimble said wryly, “You should have thought of that before you decided to jump into the mud.”

She led them to a pond under the shade of a canopy of conifer trees. The water was clear, patches of green mass drifting about in the current. Nimble then lowered them into the water before climbing in herself, deciding that she could do with a bath.

Tula turned her back towards her mother, giving a huff. She watched as a brown hopper landed on a rock mostly covered with small patches of moss. Grinning, she waved towards the rock, opening her mouth wide.

“Don’t even think about it, Tula,” Nimble warned in a no-nonsense sort of tone.

“Hmph.” Tula’s glance bounced off of her mother as she rested her elbows on the rock, not even bothering to watch the hopper jump away to another pond.

Tui, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying getting cleaned. He giggled as his mother’s hands gently poured water over his mud covered body, washing away all the dirt and filth. Once he was clean, he shook the wet piece of moss on his head.

“Mom, did you get something to eat?”

“Yes, love, of course I did,” Nimble replied, scratching him underneath his chin.

“Will we still get to eat some?”

“What sort of question is that? You all are my children, I would go hungry if it means you didn’t have to starve.”

Tui shrugged his shoulders as the rest of his siblings gathered around their mother.

“Oh, by the way, you all are grounded to the nest for a week.”

“Aww! But mom!”

“No buts.”

...

It was now six months since her children had hatched. More importantly, she’d laid a new clutch of four eggs. The warm time was off to a good start.

At the current moment, Nimble was doing exactly what she was doing six months ago; nestling her eggs into the nest, covering them with blades of grass and various leaves. The only difference was that this time, she was not alone. Her chicks watched her closely and intently, each having a different perception of what their mother was doing.

“Is she keeping them warm?” Tui asked, offering an inquisitive tilt of his head.

“No, you idiot,” Tula replied with her usual abrasiveness, “It’s obvious she’s hiding them so the sharptooth doesn’t eat them!”

“You’re both right,” Nimble intervened, mostly to get Tula off of her poor brother’s back, “The eggs need to be kept warm, but it’s also important that they remain hidden so that egg stealers don’t find them.”

“Do you think they’ll like us, momma?” One of her daughters asked, leaning against her mother’s foot while being careful to avoid her lethal toe claw.

“If you’re nice to them, I don’t see why not,” Nimble answered, using her snout to distribute the grass evenly across the nest. “Why do you ask? Are you excited?”

“I don’t know. I’ll have to see.”

“Fair enough,” Nimble said with a chuckle.

...

The months continued to fly by like the breeze that came with the start of the cold time. Nimble’s litter of young fast biters were almost a year old, meaning that the time to give them a taste of the real world was quickly approaching. As her chicks would slowly become more independent, she would be able to dedicate more time to nurturing the unborn hatchlings growing within her eggs, which were due to hatch any day now.

“Mom,” her son complained, tugging at her tail feathers, “Come on! Let’s go!”

 Nimble didn’t even cast him a glance as she positioned her eggs neatly underneath the cover of the grass. “I thought I made it clear to you children that we won’t be going down to the stream this evening. There’s too many sharpteeth out and about, and I can’t go too far away from the nest.”

“But we want to hunt,” Tula said, cutting in on the conversation, “You promised you’d take us!”

Nimble’s tired eyes wandered up towards the sky as she breathed a sigh of exasperation. As a mother, she knew well enough how this would end. Even if she said no, her children would still most likely wander off while her back was turned. If they were going to go either way, she might as well accompany them.

“Very well,” she relented, beginning to rise. “But only for a short while. And we are coming home straight after, understood?”

When all six of them nodded, Nimble added more grass to her nest as an extra precaution. She then stood expectantly in front of her chicks, waiting for them to get lined up. As soon as they had, they were off.

Upon arriving at the stream, Nimble chose to sit by the water’s edge, watching as the bright circle’s light made the water shimmer, as if the stars had fallen from the sky and were now floating ceaselessly in the stream. The gleeful squeals of her children faded away as she pondered on her life. Perhaps it was too soon to jump to conclusions, but as of right now, leaving home was the best thing that had ever happened to her. It allowed her to find her own path, rather than wandering one that had been chosen for her.

As she returned to reality, she turned around to check on her young ones. Her eyes widened at what she saw, and she scrambled to stand up and run to the rescue. “Tula, no, don’t eat that!”

...

While leading her family home, Nimble turned to her daughter, raising a brow as they became concealed under the trees.

“Tula, what did I tell you about creatures with brightly colored markings?”

“That they’re poisonous,” Tula replied begrudgingly, her words followed by a sigh. “But mom, that hopper looked so good!”

“It may look good, but I can guarantee that you won’t feel good after you eat it.”

“I guess so...but no one else stopped me!”

“I know, and I will talk to your brothers and sisters about that,” Nimble assured her, directing a glare towards her five other chicks, who purposely avoided their mother’s gaze.

...

The rest of the trek home was made in silence. Nimble continuously sniffed the air for the scent of any predators, while her young stuck close to her side. When she saw her nest come into view, she could see the small bumps of the eggs hidden within her nest. She felt a huge wave of relief, and could not repress a sigh of delight.

“Last one home is a rotten egg!” Tula called out, making a dash for the nest.

Nimble shook her head at her daughter’s antics, but suddenly froze in place. Her eyes wide, she sniffed the air. The blood seemed to run from her face as a strange rigidness overtook her body, her form resembling that of an unmoving rock.

Tui looked up at his mother, his face contorting with worry. “Momma...? What’s wrong?”

Nimble’s pupils, as thin as narrow slits, darted from left to right. “That...that smell,” she gasped, breathless. A moment passed. A silent moment, full of suspense and unpredictability. Then, in the blink of an eye, she swept her children underneath her with her tail. She zipped over to the nearest tree, crouching down against the bark, shielding her chicks with her feathered arms.

She was completely still, the only barely visible movement being that of her chest rising and falling slowly as she breathed. Her neck was arched, her claws sifting through the dirt, as if poised for an attack.

“M-Mom...?” Tula whimpered, her tiny body shaking like a leaf.

“Quiet, Tula,” Nimble whispered. “Don’t move, don’t talk. Just...be completely still...”

On the other side of the tree, a crested sharptooth quietly moved across the swamp floor. His breath was soft, and yet, the swamp was so quiet that it was the only thing that could be heard. As the beast dragged his cumbersome body forward, each footstep caused the earth to tremble with powerful vibrations that shook anyone who felt them.

There came a point at which the crested sharptooth came to a halt and sniffed the air. It’s eyesight was rather poor, but it’s sense of smell was a great ally when it came to tracking prey. There were creatures here, and the sharptooth knew it. It was only a matter of time before these creatures would unwittingly reveal themselves. All the sharptooth had to do was bide his time.

Tula cried softly as she slowly backed away, right into her mother’s sharp toe claw. She squeaked in pain, reflexively flinching and jumping backwards. Her siblings all looked at her, eyes wide with dread and fear.

Nimble’s breath hitched, her eyes frantically moving from side to side, caught in a fearful unnerving, unflinching stare.

The sharptooth suddenly turned his head at the noise, locking onto his target. Letting out a warning roar that scared the flyers from the trees, the predator’s footsteps quickened, turning into thundering, fast approaching stomps.

In their terror, the chicks squealed and fled from the protection of their mother’s arms, running frantically towards the nest. Nimble tried to keep it together, beckoning for her children to return, but to no avail.

The sound of squealing chicks gave the sharptooth a direction to follow. He advanced towards the frightened dinosaurs, not expecting to find Nimble, who’d leapt in front of him so that the only thing standing between him and the chicks was her.

She was fuming with anger, the feathers on her frill pointed upwards in defiance. She flared her nostrils, roaring ferociously.

The sharptooth roared in response to the retaliation, not missing a beat as he quickly overpowered the fast biter, knocking her to the ground and trapping her under the weight of his foot.

Nimble thrashed around violently, desperately trying to escape from his grip. She stole a quick glimpse of her children, who remained where they stood. She wanted to yell at them to run, to run far away, but the breath had been knocked out of her.

When the sharptooth loosened his hold on her moments later, Nimble rose up and latched onto his leg. Unfazed by this attack, he slashed his claws against her flank while forcefully removing her from his leg, throwing her against the trunk of a nearby tree.

The back of Nimble’s head hit the rough bark with a deafening thud. She doubled over, her field of vision narrowing to reveal nothing more than what was directly in front of her. Sounds began to lose clarity and it seemed that she was slowly slipping away.

“MOMMA!” A warbled and nearly indiscernible voice cried out, failing to reach her. 

Nimble couldn’t even make sense of it. Her eyelids began to droop, and she found herself losing all feeling in her body. Too tired to even think, she succumbed to the overwhelming urge to close her eyes and fall into a deep sleep.

...

When she came to, it was dark. The night circle was high in the sky, while the bright circle was slowly setting. The sky went from a lovely shade of lavender to a warm golden yellow. But none of that mattered, not to Nimble.

The swamp was totally quiet as she slowly tried to recollect her thoughts. Her head throbbing, she struggled to make sense of whatever had transpired. She leaned back against the trunk of the tree, wincing. A sharp pain was radiating from her side, intensifying with each passing moment. She glanced downwards and saw three gashes near her left leg, red and still fresh. 

Suddenly, she remembered. She remembered everything. Letting out a soft gasp, she used the tree trunk to support herself as she made an attempt to rise. She kept her left leg off of the ground, unsteadily ambling forward. 

“T...Tula?” She called, her voice lacking confidence that her daughter would answer . However, part of her was hoping against hope and wanted to believe that she would. Her legs shook as she took another step, calling each of her children’s names, silently begging for any one of them to answer. There was no response.

As blood trickled from the wound in her leg, falling onto the earth in small, red droplets, Nimble doubled over in grief and pain. The pain of bleeding out paled in comparison to the hurt of losing her children for the second time.

“No...” she murmured, hot tears blurring her vision as she stood hunched over, “NO!” In a fit of rage that exploded inside of her, she leapt up and smashed a bare berry bush to pieces with her tail, causing the flyers perched in the branches above to flee in surprise.

Nimble collapsed to the ground, hyperventilating before letting out one loud sob, followed by several more spine crunching sobs. Each sob physically hurt her, creating the sensation of a pounding headache.

She couldn’t believe this had happened to her. Again. It was so much worse this time around. When she lost her mother, she was inconsolable. When her first clutch of eggs fell victim to an egg stealer, she was devastated then as well. But this, this hurt like nothing she’d ever known. Having her children, her own flesh and blood, hatchlings whom she’d grown to love more than life itself ripped away from her so brutally was so, so painful.

“Why,” she sobbed, “Why did this have to happen to me? I did everything right. How could this happen? I loved them, I took care of them, they were going to meet their new siblings...” A realization hit her. She lifted her head and gasped. “The eggs!”

In too much pain to try standing up again, she crawled and practically dragged herself over to her nest. Her face crumpled at the sight before her. Not even the eggs were salvageable. The first egg had a gaping hole right through the middle, and the one beside it was completely squashed. The third was dented, and it would never hatch. The last egg looked unharmed, but when Nimble picked it up, she found that there was a hole in the bottom where all the juices had leaked through.

She drew in a quivering breath, eyes red and bloodshot with dark circles underneath, all stemming from her tears. She’d lost everything. She’d lost all her children. More tears budded in the corners of her eyes, rolling down Nimble’s face as she drowned in her grief.

Nimble cried for a long time. At that point, she was simply waiting for a sharptooth to come and get her. Truthfully, she wished that she had been the one killed, rather than her children. They were innocent. They had their whole lives ahead of them. She let it happen. She let that sharptooth take her children. She’d failed as a mother.

After crying her eyes out, Nimble didn’t feel any better. Her entire world had come crashing down, and she had let it. As she shifted her weight, she heard the growling of her stomach. She looked at her thin frame, and then at the eggs. She was not stupid. She knew that the life inside of those eggs had long since died out.

Having made a decision, she sat up to the best of her ability, digging her teeth into the first egg shell. After biting away at the protective covering of the eggshells, she sucked the juices from inside each egg, heeding her body’s desperate plea for nourishment. In her current state, she was in no position to hunt. Ultimately, she was left with little choice.

For the first time, she took no pleasure in her meal. When she was done, she looked at her bloodied hands. She clenched her fists, taking a deep breath to calm herself as her heart thumped loudly against her chest.

What she needed was a bath. She needed to wash herself down, and think with a clear mind. So, she tried her luck at standing. It took several failed attempts, but she finally was able to get back on her feet again. However, with her injury, she was relatively slower. By the time she reached the nearest pond, the bright circle had set completely. Nimble was unfazed by the passage of time. It wouldn’t make a difference if she never returned to her nest at all. She no longer had anything to protect.

Breathing through her nose, letting out puffs of air while flaring her nostrils, she limped towards the pond. The trail of blood that she had left was well hidden by the thick chutes of grass. First, she dipped her injured leg into the water. The blood pooled into the water, turning it a deep red. Initially, the sharp, stinging pain made her wince, but the cool water helped to take the pain away. Nimble breathed out, slowly immersing herself into the pond.

She allowed herself to relax, and allowed the calming water to wash away all the dirt and blood off of her body. As rejuvenated as this made her feel, all she could think about were her deceased children.

“How miserable,” she mused, speaking to no one in particular, “I knew it was a bad idea for the children to go to the stream so late in the day. But, I gave in. And now, I’m to blame for their fates.” She let out a heavy sigh. “Father was right. They all were. I’ll never be able to protect anyone, I can barely protect myself.”

Wading in the water, she gazed up at the night sky, covered with countless stars. The great night circle brought her the seasons, and the seasons had brought her change. In turn, this change had brought her happiness. Maybe, with the passing of the seasons, her happiness would return to her. And maybe, next time, the seasons wouldn’t take that happiness away.

...

Hey, guys! I’m finally back with some more writing (the last time I uploaded something was in May, oof) This is another major story that I also plan to finish eventually, and hopefully, it’ll motivate me to finish up my entry for the June prompt, lol

And just a note; the main character is a Deinonychus. Hope you guys enjoy reading!

Fanfiction link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12937570/1/Under-The-Stars

So, I actually stumbled upon this site back in the dark years of 2012, but I never really got around to making an account. Basically, I've
justbeen lurking here. Anyway, I'm Jassy, it's nice to meet you all!  

Anyway, I recently took interest in the prompt challenge and finally made a submission. While this isn't as good or long as I would like it to be, I'm sure I'll be able to write better ones in the future. I just wrote this to give me something kind of fun to write while working on the latest chapter for my main fanfiction, The Heart Of The Great Valley, which is where this ficlet is set. Additionally, if you’d like to gain a better understanding of the focus characters, I highly recommend checking it out.

Also, there’s some slight differences in this one compared to the fanfiction upload, mainly due to formatting, but the content is mostly the same.

Anyway, that's enough rambling, on to the actual story. Hope you guys enjoy reading!

...

                    UNDER THE STARS

The pair of rainbow faces watched diligently as their young daughter ran down the grassy slope, and past the silvery mist. When the juvenile rainbow face merged from the cloudy depths along with their friends, Amelia and Tristan felt some sense of relief, despite knowing very well that there was nothing to be worried about.

In the distance, there was the rumbling of footsteps. Amelia looked up, her blue eyes intrigued and curious, like a youngling tempted to chase after a buzzer, despite knowing better than to wander too far from home. The farwalker herd had arrived in the Great Valley, and right on schedule. The cold times were upon them, and these dinosaurs, many of which were too colossal to even be threatened, had joined up with others to gain whatever morsels of food they could obtain before continuing on. They never stayed for long, only long enough to eat their fill and rest their aching joints.

Tristan shifted his weight slightly, laying sprawled out on the grass. "You think there's a rainbow face in that herd somewhere?"

"No," Amelia answered after a moment of pondering. "You know we don't usually join up with other herds."

"Still...imagine meeting a rainbow face outside of our herd."

"Well, it's not impossible..." She seemed to wander off into deep thought until she forced herself back to reality. "...Right. I'm going to go check on Miriam." She stood up, the bones in her knee cracking as she made an attempt to rise.

Tristan raised an amused brow. "Sounds like you're getting old."

"Sounds like you're getting ignored for the rest of the day, love." She then turned her back towards him, sashaying towards home.

Amelia was not serious, of course. She and Tristan often engaged in playful banter like this, even as grown adults who'd seen much of the world. It was a bit childish, yes, but it was fun. It gave their relationship a spark that never seemed to falter. She soon disappeared into the mist, never looking back once.

The Great Valley was shrouded in a dreary sort of atmosphere. The sky was gray, with darker gray clouds looming directly overhead. There was a cold sound in the air, like whispering ill intended words so gently that their malice fell on deaf ears. It was cold, but the residents of the valley seemed to be living blissfully unaware.

The female rainbow face, too, ignored the cold air nipping at her scales. She continued on into the mist, never doubting herself even once. After all, she had pulled through far worse trials. She passed through the thick cloud of mist, and the browning, wilting leaves beginning to fall from the trees. At last, she made it to the bottom of the slope, sauntering into a nearby cave.

Miriam lay in a bed of grass and soft down feathers at the end of an isolated corridor. Her arms were tucked underneath her belly, and every so often, for a short while, she would twitch violently.

Amelia softly padded over, leaving footprints in the dirt. Lowering her head, she gently prodded her daughter's snout with hers. It wasn't exactly uncommon for Miriam to fall ill, but she usually didn't have bouts this severe.

"Miriam," she whispered, "Dear, wake up."

Miriam's brow twitched as she began to stir, her emerald eyes fluttering open. She looked up to find herself lying in a dimly lit space, her mother looking down at her with those worried eyes she was so accustomed to seeing.

"M-Mom...?" She winced, struggling to prop herself into an upright position. "...What time is it?"

Amelia smiled kindly, taking a single step backwards to give the younger rainbow face room to breathe properly, rather than hovering over her. "It's late enough." She paused, taking a moment to reconsider her answer. "Well...not quite. It's still light outside, but you've been sleeping most of the day. Do you feel up to moving around yet?"

Miriam made a feeble attempt to hop up onto her own two feet. However, no matter how great her efforts, the end result was always the same ó her limbs would give way, and she would crumple to the ground like a tree struck by a devastating bolt of lightning.

At last, seeing that her efforts were fruitless, she gave up trying. Letting herself fall back onto the nest, she looked upwards at her mother, her eyes apologetic and regretful. She let out a sigh. "No, not really," she breathed out, seemingly hopeless. "I'm sorry, mom."

Amelia didn't seem dismayed in the least. If anything, she looked as if she wanted more than anything to be able to help her daughter, to magically find a cure to whatever was ailing her, and battle all the odds to find it and bring it back. But upon hearing Miriam's apology, she looked at the rainbow face as if she were completely daft, or if she'd told her the worst joke in existence.

"Why in the world would you apologize to me, dear?" She lowered her brows, offering a sympathetic smile. "It's not like you asked for this. I know you're trying your best to fight this, and I'm very proud of you for being so strong." She gave her daughter's cheek a firm nudge, earning a croaky giggle from her.

"Mom," she rasped, the corners of her mouth turning up into a smile, "Mom, stop it!"

Amelia laughed, covering Miriam's cheek with slobbery licks of her tongue, which only made Miriam laugh more.

"Mom!" She chuckled, "That's gross, come on, stop it!"

"Oh, come on now," said Amelia, flashing a rather toothy sort of grin, "You never complained when you were a hatchling."

"I was a baby, mom," explained Miriam, rubbing her cheek against the grass to clean herself. "I'm a teenager now, and you're acting like I was born yesterday."

"I can't help it. I'm a mother."

Miriam wrinkled her nose, raising a brow. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means..." Amelia suddenly caught herself, and shook her head. "Never mind. When you have children one day, you'll understand. You'll just be lying in the grass, watching the little ones play, and then you'll remember what I said. You'll have an epiphany, and then you'll think, 'Oh, I get it now!'. Of course, I'll probably be dead by then."

"Mom..." Miriam's voice was notably softer, and less harsh. "Don't say that."

"It's the truth," Amelia said dismissively. "You know as well as I do that I'm not going to be here forever. I am getting quite old, you know. Which is why you must be strong to care for your father and your sister."

"But...mom, what if I don't want to have children?"

"That's fine. Lots of dinosaurs are the same way."

"Really?" Everywhere she went, Miriam would always see dinosaurs who had mated and were now raising children of their own. To her, it seemed like a norm, something that would be expected of her.

"Oh, sure. Raising children is hard work. I feel like I've aged ten years because of it. I'll be honest, living happily with your mate, and with no parental responsibilities whatsoever, it sounds quite ideal."

"It does sound nice, doesn't it-" Miriam was suddenly and abruptly cut off by a fit of violent coughs that racked her body.

Amelia's eyes widened in shock, and she rushed to help her daughter back into a flat, supine position. "Easy now, easy," she coaxed gently. When Miriam was finally lying down, Amelia waited until the hacking coughs passed before speaking again. "I'm sorry for talking too much," she said sheepishly, getting up once more. "You should rest. I'll fetch your sister."

Miriam made no protests, and watched her mother grow farther and farther away. When she could no longer see her, Miriam easily lapsed back into sleep.

Amelia began to head down towards the slope, the old and worn out joints in her legs slowly working to support her cumbersome body. She was tired, exhausted, and wanted nothing more to do except sleep. As she walked downhill, she spotted Tristan coming up the hill, another smaller rainbow face trailing at his side. She stopped in her tracks, waiting for the duo to get closer so that she could actually get a decent view. It was indeed their daughter, whom Tristan had actually managed to persuade to come home.

Amelia felt an immense wave of relief. Her husband had just saved her a great deal of trouble. She skittered towards him, coming to a halt in front of him.

"I knew you would have wanted both of the girls home," Tristan began to explain, "And I didn't want you to make the trip since I knew how tired and stressed you've been, so I managed to bring Mackenzie home myself."

"You didn't bring me home, dad," retorted Mackenzie, crinkling her brows, "I decided to come home."

"As long as I'm alive, if you're coming home with me, I brought you home." He then nudged her forward, ushering off towards the cave. "Go on now. In you go."

Mackenzie stumbled forward, shooting her parents one last glare before heading inside.

Amelia chuckled at her daughter's act of defiance, and turned her gaze over to Tristan. She leaned in, resting her head on his shoulder. Tristan nuzzled her chin, using his own body weight to support hers.

"Thank you," she said in a hushed tone of voice, her tail swaying from side to side. "I always knew that I could count on you. Even if you are a blubbering mess."

"Oh, come now." Tristan looked at her, his eyes pleading, "I can be quite put together sometimes."

"Well..." Amelia looked away, grinning slyly, "You don't exactly cover yourself in glory, you know."

Tristan looked devastated, although he knew that Amelia was right. He had never been one to keep calm in the face of danger, and was more so the kind of dinosaur that went into a blind panic when confronted with a threat. It was because of this that he was glad to have someone like Amelia, who somehow always managed to keep calm and think rationally.

He sighed, giving in at last. "Anyway...how is Miriam?"

Amelia's smile fell, and she too, gave a dejected sigh. "She's still the same as before, I'm afraid."

"Don't worry," Tristan said after a long silence. "She's going to be fine. She's been through this before."

"Yes, but that was because we were able to get the night flower for her."

"It'll pass, don't worry. There's no need to go all the way back to the land of mists."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Amelia, listen..." He clapped her shoulders. "I know that you want to go back for the night flower, but it's far too dangerous, and you wouldn't even be back for days. Miriam could be all better by then."

"So, you're saying I should go?"

Tristan shook his head, bewildered. "What?"

"Nothing," Amelia answered, planting herself onto the grass. "You go on inside. I'll join you."

"Alright," Tristan said with finality, slowly pulling away from her and beginning to trudge inside. When he turned his back, Amelia broke out into a run. Tristan whipped his head around to find her sprinting across the grass.

"Amelia!" He screamed, his voice sounding throughout the valley. "Where are you going?"

Amelia turned to look at him, but did not stop running. "I'm going back!"

"Wait!" Tristan began to run after her, but quickly tired out and stopped to catch his breath. "Amelia!"

It was too late. She'd already disappeared into the mist, and he was no match for her agility. His breath left his mouth in the form of of short pants, his amber eyes looking out helplessly towards the horizon.

...

For the first several hours, Tristan was in shock, in some kind of trance he couldn't break out of. It wasn't until night finally fell that he returned to reality. He looked up at the stars, which resembled millions of tiny holes in the dark sky. Sometimes, when there was time to spare, he and his family would lie in the grass, trying to find the shapes in the stars. But now, his wife had ran off, his daughter was ill, and he was certain his other daughter would rather spend time with her friends.

Knowing that there was nothing he could do, he went inside. He stared at the nest that he knew would be empty tonight. Trying to put off sleep as long as he could, he went down the corridor. Mackenzie laid next to her sister, watching over her as she slept.

When she felt a shadow loom over her, and looked up to see father towering above her. "Hey, dad." She seemed to pick up on the fact that something wasn't quite right, that there was something missing. "...Where's mom?"

"Your mom's gone," he said, his voice sounding as if he were trying to swallow something bitter.

"What?" Mackenzie stood up. "What do you mean she's gone?"

"She's...gone. She ran off, most likely to get the night flower for your sister."

"She'll be back, won't she?"

"I hope so. I mean, I know she will, but anything could happen..."

"Is that why you came here? Do you want to sleep with us?"

Tristan looked somewhat embarrassed, and looked away. "...You don't mind?"

"Why would we? You and mom always let us sleep with you. Might as well repay the favor. Come on."

Tristan smiled gratefully, and curled up between his daughters. He and Mackenzie bid each other good night, and after a few moments had passed, Tristan wrapped his right arm around her, holding her close.

...

When the bright circle rose the next day, it rose over a very different Great Valley. It was funny how one little change could hardly faze others and even go unnoticed, but to someone else, that seemingly measly change could make them feel as if their world was crumbling before their own eyes.

As Tristan sat in a patch of grass, under the afterglow of dawn, he felt more alone than he ever thought possible. Even in a valley chock full of life, he felt like somewhat of an outcast. He wondered if anyone else had noticed that Amelia was gone ó of course not. Why would they? True, if they knew, they might feel sympathetic or perhaps sad, but none of them would understand the void left at home by Amelia's absence.

He heaved a sigh, watching as the bright circle rose higher into the sky, illuminating his face with it's golden warmth. In the background, he could hear the sound of creatures tapping their beaks against the bark of trees, and the cries of various airborne flyers. It was a calming sort of noise, holding the promise of life and a future.

Behind him, there was the rustling of grass. Tristan turned, and saw Mackenzie passing through the tall blades of green. "Dad? Is it okay if I go with my friends?"

"Of course," Tristan replied, the exhaustion clear in his voice. "Just be back before dark."

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay with you?"

"Mackenzie, listen...just because your mother isn't here, doesn't mean you have to spend all day with me. I understand that you have your friends, and it's perfectly alright if you spend time with them. Besides, someone should stay close to home to keep an eye on Miriam."

Mackenzie nodded slowly. "I'll see you later, dad." She briefly touched her snout to his, and then proceeded to run up the slope.

...

After some time, Mackenzie was able to catch up with her friends. They sat near the tall grass, munching on the vegetation growing in the area. Ducky had her eye on a tree star which had strayed away from the tree, and extended her arms out to grab the leaf. However, Spike also had his eye on that same tree star, and swallowed it in one go before his sister could even touch it.

The little swimmer gasped, indignant. "Spike! I was going to eat that! I was, I was!"

Spike gave an apologetic grunt, although he wasn't very sorry for having a pleasant snack.

Mackenzie sat herself down on a patch of grass, a heavy sigh leaving her mouth.

Cera swallowed the clump of leaves she was chewing into small, bite sized pieces as she scowled at the rainbow face. "What's with you?"

"My mom's gone."

"Gone?" Littlefoot repeated, walking over. "What do you mean? Is she...dead?"

"No." Mackenzie shook her head. "She just...left. My dad thinks she went to go get the night flower for Miriam, but...I don't know. She's all alone out there."

"Well," mused Cera, "It's not like your mom's never been to the mysterious beyond before. She's probably lived there longer than you have."

"Yeah," agreed Littlefoot. "I'm sure she'll be home in no time."

Petrie swooped down from a nearby tree, perching comfortably on top of Littlefoot's head. "But what if she chased by sharptooth?"

"She can run," said Cera, glaring at the tiny flyer.

"But what if sharptooth run faster?"

"You're not helping, Petrie." She huffed, and stomped off towards Mackenzie.

Ruby placed one hand on Mackenzie's back, fully aware of how it felt to spend time away from a parent. "I'm sure she will be alright. Alright she will be."

Mackenzie looked up at her friends and smiled, feeling more reassured by their logic. "I hope you're right."

...

Tristan nestled himself in the grass, resting his head on his knuckles. His eyes drifted towards his ailing daughter, who had been doing nothing apart from sleeping for the past several days. If only she knew how much her mother sacrificed for her sake.

He hated feeling this way. Hated feeling angry that he hadn't done more, that he hadn't actually made an attempt to run after her. He hated to think that if she never came back, the prior night would have been the last time his children would ever see their mother.

Feeling lost and confused, he laid down in the grass, wrapping his tail around himself. This was all too much for him to handle. If he couldn't see his wife in person, then, at the very least, he could see her in his dreams.

The pink tinted clouds danced across the crimson sky as the bright circle prepared to retire for the day. Tristan awoke to the sound of the varied cries there echoed throughout the valley. He lifted his head, pupils dilated. He glanced over at Miriam, who was still slumbering peacefully. He hadn't even realized how late it had gotten.

Slowly, he stood up. He walked down the corridor, and out towards the hills nearest to his home. He'd forgotten to call Mackenzie to come home, and set out to find her. But everywhere he went, she seemed to have preceded him. On the brighter side of things, he received a chance to speak with Mr. and Mrs. Longneck. They gave him their empathy, and he bid them good evening before continuing on his way.

He soon entered a canopy of trees, and found himself too tired to go on any further. He leaned against the trunk of one of the trees, a sigh of exasperation escaping him. Being a parent was so much more taxing without his mate.

"Why so gloomy, rainbow face?"

Tristan startled, and shifted his eyes upwards to see Mr. Threehorn and Tria before him. He had never been on good terms with Mr. Threehorn. They disliked each other from the start, had differing views, and neither were willing to settle any sort of truce with one another.

"Oh," he said, standing up straight and stepping away from the tree. "Uh...it's nothing, really. Just tired, I suppose."

Mr. Threehorn glanced behind him and saw Amelia quietly passing through the copse of trees before tip toeing towards the other rainbow face. She motioned for him to be quiet with her finger. He glanced at Tria, who wore a grin that was almost too large for her face. After a brief consideration, Mr. Threehorn obliged.

"Tired, you say? Why's that?"

Tristan frowned. What an odd question. "Do I need a reason?"

Mr. Threehorn rolled his eyes. Just how dense was this rainbow face? Grunting, he pushed him backwards with a rough nudge from his horn.

"Oof!" Tristan stumbled backwards, ramming into what felt like another dinosaur's chest. "My bad," he mumbled, not even bothering to turn around.

"It's quite alright," came the muffled reply.

When he heard that voice he recognized so well, his eyes grew as large as the night circle. It was then that he turned around to see his wife, the golden night flowers secured in her mouth.

"Amelia!" He exclaimed, an overjoyed smile dancing across his features. "You're back!" He threw himself around her, pulling her into a tight and loving embrace. When he pulled away, he wore a fierce scowl. "You scared me to death! Please don't ever do that again."

"You knew I would have been back," Amelia said, still holding the flowers in her mouth.

"No, I didn't," Tristan countered. "Anything could have happened. You could have drowned, or you could have been eaten by a sharptooth!"

"But neither of those things happened, did they? You see, I'm fine."

"I suppose so, but still...you did scare me."

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again. Would you like to go home now?"

"Of course. Now that you're back I can actually call it that, instead of a...place of residence."

"Still a blubbering mess, I see." Amelia chuckled as she walked beside him, their tails brushing against each other as they journeyed home under the watchful eye of the magnificent bright circle.

...

The following night was a night that only came around occasionally, and one was lucky if they had the opportunity to witness such a feat of nature. The farwalker herd had departed from the Great Valley that morning, and the great night circle looked over a sky that was illuminated by the shooting stars that streaked across like hundreds of hoppers leaping across a pond.

Amelia and her family laid in the grass, on their backs. Miriam was among them too, having came back around quicker than anyone expected, making a full recovery from this nasty little bout of her mysterious illness.

"You know," began Miriam, "Dad once told me that you can make a wish on these types of stars, and they'll come true."

"Really?" Amelia looked towards her guilty husband, who had only told his daughter such a thing to get her to stop wailing when she was a hatchling. "Well, then...I wish for us to always be together."

"Mom," groaned Miriam, "You're not supposed to tell anybody."

"Pfft," Mackenzie sneered. "So sappy."

"Oh." Amelia smiled bashfully, embarrassed. "Well, now you know."

Tristan chuckled to himself, stretching out his limbs to lean over and nuzzle his mate so as to make her feel better about her slip up. He remembered when he and his parents would lie under the trees and gaze up at the starry sky on the clearest of nights. And this was no different. So long as he was under the stars with those he loved, knowing they were safe and protected, he would ask for nothing more.