Hey everyone! I apologize for the long wait as I have been dealing with work-related stuff. I'm off this week, so I have some free time. So without further ado, here's the first chapter as promised:
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14476222/1/Dink-Before-TimeChapter 1: The Escape
The sun beat down on the lush, peaceful landscape of Green Meadow, where Dink, a green Apatosaurus, and his friends were enjoying a carefree afternoon. They had gathered a small, smooth stone and were playing a game of catch, laughing and shouting as they tossed it back and forth.
"Me next! Me next!" Amber the Corythosaurus squealed, her eyes shining with excitement.
"Okay, Amber!" Dink said, grinning, as he tossed the stone to her.
Just as Amber caught the stone, a loud, menacing screech echoed through the meadow. The group turned to see a sleek and deadly Utahraptor with dark purple skin, along with his pack, emerging from the nearby woods.
"Well, well, well", the purple raptor sneered, his sharp eyes fixed on Dink, "look what we have here. The little green dinosaur and his friends, having fun, like they don't have a care in the world".
Dink stood tall, his heart racing. "Who are you and what do you want?" he demanded.
"You'd better have a good reason for interrupting our game" Amber said.
The raptor's grin grew wider. "The name's Razor, and I think you know exactly what we're here for. We want that old turtle you're friends with, and our leader, Maximus, wants him dead, so you're going to tell us where he is".
Shyler the Edaphosaurus' gentle voice trembled slightly as he spoke up. "Crusty? We don't know where he is right now. He always goes for a swim or on long walks through the meadow".
Scat the Compsognathus, meanwhile, stood tall, his voice firm. "Scat doesn't know where Crusty is either. And even if Scat did know, Scat wouldn't tell you".
"In any case, neither you nor this Maximus fellow is going near Crusty. So if I were you, I would back off" Amber warned.
Razor's eyes narrowed. "Fine. Guess you leave me no choice. Attack!" he ordered the members of his pack, who then charged at the young dinosaurs.
But Dink and his friends were not going down without a fight. They quickly hatched a plan, using their unique skills to evade Razor and his pack. Dink used his speed and agility to dodge the raptors' snapping jaws, while Amber used her quick thinking to distract them. Meanwhile, Scat used his sharp senses, which he normally uses when going after honey fruit, to sniff out a safe route. Shyler hid in a nearby bush, and Flapper the Pteranodon perched himself on a branch high enough so that none of the raptors would be able to reach him.
Eventually they were able to make their escape, and at the same time Dink knew he and his friends had to warn Crusty about the impending threat. "We need to find Crusty and tell him about Maximus", he said, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
His friends nodded in agreement, and together they set off towards Crusty's usual place of shelter in order to warn him.
As the gang reached Crusty's cave, they found him sleeping soundly. Dink gently shook him awake, and Crusty's eyes snapped open.
"What's all the commotion?'' Crusty the elderly Proganochelys asked, his voice gruff from sleep.
"You're in danger, Crusty!" Dink exclaimed.
"Yeah, we were attacked by a group of raptors. One of their names is Razor, and he said someone by the name of Maximus is looking for you and wants to kill you!" Flapper said.
Crusty's expression turned serious, amd he sat up quickly. "Razor and Maximus? Those names sound familiar... Ah, yes. I remember now". He hesitated for a bit, then spoke up. "Young ones, I hate to say this, but we must leave Green Meadow at once".
The young dinosaurs exchanged worried glances. "Gosh, are you sure Crusty?" Shyler asked.
"But Crusty, we can't just leave our homes and families behind", Amber said.
Crusty stood up, his determination clear. "We have no choice. Maximus is a formidable foe, and we can't take him on alone. We need to find somewhere far away from here where Maximus is least likely to spot us".
"But where will we go?" Flapper asked.
Just then, a gentle voice spoke up from the shadows. "If you're looking for a safe haven, I might know of such a place. It's called the Great Valley. I've lived there before, and it's a wonderful place just like Green Meadow where plant-eaters don't have to worry about being attacked by predators".
The gang turned to see a tall, gentle-looking Iguanodon emerging from the trees. He remained partially hidden, his eyes shining with kindness.
"Who are you?" Dink asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
The Iguanodon smiled. "No names necessary, my young friends. I'll just say that I know the way to the Great Valley, and I can help you get there. I'll also be sure to alert your parents to your disappearance to spare them from extreme worry and guide them to the Valley so that you can be reunited with them. And, if you'd like, I can hide your tracks so that Maximus won't be able to follow you".
Crusty nodded, his mind made up. "We accept your offer. Tell us how to get to this 'Great Valley', and then we'll be on our way". Dink and his friends, although they still felt uneasy about leaving home, cooperated with the mysterious stranger and didn't feel the need to question their mentor any further.
The stranger smiled. "Good. Just remember that the journey to the Valley will be a long and perilous one, so be sure to stay together as a group".
"We will", Amber said.
As Crusty and the young dinosaurs prepared to leave after the Iguanodon mapped out the route for them, Razor and his pack, who had been hiding nearby, overheard the entire conversation. They quickly reported back to Maximus, an extremely large and muscular-built Carcharodontosaurus with the upper part of his body being dark green and the lower part a light shade of brown. A defining feature was that he had severe burns strewn across the right side of his face from a previous incident, which, although damaged his sense of pride, made him look even more menacing. Once Maximus heard from Razor about Dink and his companions running off with Crusty, he became hot with anger.
"Those fools!" Maximus snarled. "They think they can escape my wrath? Well, we'll see about that. I'm going to hunt down that pesky old turtle if it's the last thing I do, and I'll make sure he pays for what he did to me. And once I've had my revenge, I'll show everyone the true meaning of power by invading the land they call the 'Great Valley' and claiming it as my own".
Razor and his pack nodded, eager to please their leader. "Don't worry Maximus, we'll help you catch that pathetic old turtle and make sure he's put out of his misery", Razor said.
"Then let's move. Once we find that turtle and his underlings, I'll make them feel regret for undermining the immense terror that is Maximus!", Maximus said.
With that, Maximus, Razor, and his pack set off in pursuit of Dink, his friends, and Crusty, determined to catch them as well as seeking to gain control over the Valley. Meanwhile, the dinosaurs, led by Crusty, journeyed on, unaware of the danger that lurked behind them.
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