YAY! Finally someone catches them in the act, and looks like those domeheads are f***ed! Good thing, I hope they get killed, especially by the adults whose hatchlings they murdered! Please update soon! I love this!
I've updated soon, now let's see if your hope becomes reality!! Here's the next chappy!!
Chapter 13
Cepher stood in the center of the Rock Circle with his arms crossed, wondering just how he was going to get out of this one. He's been caught harming a hatchling and it turns out, that's only the beginning. As he turned at the sound of some new arrivals to the Rock Circle, he saw Mrs. Maia return with Kosh, whom was holding the little sharptooth in his mouth. Pacia and Rus arrived immediately after and saw their leader in… Instantly a look of horror flickered on their faces as they knew something was
definitely not right. Unsure what to do, they stood frozen for a moment and didn't move until they saw Cepher nod them over with undisguised fury. They dashed over quickly and, not wasting a beat, Pacia whispered under her breath the only question residing in her mind in their current situation.
"What's going on?"
Cepher didn't answer as he watched Kosh place the sharptooth a ways next to them, Mrs. Maia reaching down to untie his bonds. Upon being freed, the child stood up and rubbed his snout and wrist, which were red with painful sores.
Chomper was never so happy to see the Valley residents. He was terrified of the Domehead's captivity, and was starting to lose hope when there were no signs of escape. Standing here now, he noticed that all the hostile attention was on the Domeheads instead of him and he wondered what had happened. He couldn't get the opportunity to ask when Mr. Threehorn started the meeting, voice heavy in rage.
"Tonight is different than all other nights as it was not Chomper that committed terrible crimes, but the Domehead leader known as Cepher. He has been caught red-handed chasing my children with the intent to kill and succeeded in harming my youngest, Tricia."
Mutters arose immediately from the crowd, filled with disbelief and anger for what they were hearing. Chomper himself could hardly believe it; his luck just couldn't be this good, could it? Finally, those Domeheads were caught doing something and this was the best opportunity he'll ever have to expose the truth, so he'll have to take full advantage of it. Poor Tricia, though… He looked over at the little hatchling that stood by Cera, nurturing leaves covering her injuries. He hoped she would be okay and he was about to voice his sympathies for the child when another voice cut in first.
"I had no intentions of killing anyone, horn-face." Cepher growled defiantly. "I admit to harming the child in a fit of rage, but next time, you should've been more careful in making sure your little brat didn't intrude on our territory."
"We weren't anywhere near your territory!" Cera exclaimed, feeling safe enough in the presence of her father to openly call out the larger dinosaur on his lie. "I saw you far from your stupid clearing and Tricia never runs away from anything!"
Unfortunately… she had the brief thought, but made no efforts to voice it.
"How do you explain that away?!" Mr. Threehorn demanded, glaring relentlessly at the offenders.
"Easy. Your pathetic excuse for a hatchling's lying, as kids always d-"
"No, I'm not! I would
never lie about this!" Cera retorted, cutting the Domehead off but falling quiet when Tria gave her a look that communicated for her to wait her turn before speaking again. Topsy, however, was a high authority figure in the Great Valley and he wasn't restricted on when to speak the way his daughter was.
"She would
never lie about this!" he repeated her words with a huff. "I taught her better than that!" He glanced over in Chomper's direction and continued, the anger never leaving his voice for even a second. "And it seems your colleagues have kidnapped Chomper while you were gone, or did you order them to do it?"
Before Cepher could respond, Chomper saw the opportunity and jumped on it with more intent than if it was the tastiest Crawler in the world, pointing a claw at the trio. "He told them to and they
wanted to follow his orders! They were going to frame me again and were trying kill Tricia to do it!"
This got gasps from the surrounding crowds, each not too sure how to react as the sharptooth's previous 'the-Domeheads-did-it' claim might actually have weight to it, much more weight than any of them has previously imagined. But the Domehead leader wasn't going to give in so easily and he growled out his words with an extremely hostile underlying hiss.
"That's a load of sharptooth dirt!" he cursed, not missing a single beat as he continued, his companions barely restraining themselves from lashing out at the youngster. "The Threehorn hatchlings I attacked for intrusion. I admit, harming the youngest one was out-of-line and I wasn't thinking too clearly when I did it. But I had no intention to kill either of them. And the sharptooth wasn't 'kidnapped'. We merely took him under a stricter vigilance, as I doubt an old fool like Thickhead, or whatever his stupid name is, could be a sufficient guard."
There was incredibly thick silence as everyone was trying to comprehend the situation and make their judgment based on it. However, it wasn't over when Mr. Threehorn looked over to Cera.
"Cera, you told me you had something important to say in this meeting?"
The older child nodded and she looked around before piping up, her voice easily loud enough as she told what she felt was a very significant story. "I remember now, when I was much younger, my friends and I were on our way to the Valley for the first time. I found myself alone and I bumped into these three. They tried to kill me once they saw me and…" She looked over to her friends, pawing the ground a bit as she continued. "And I would've been dead by now if the others hadn't shown up, looking like a great big, black, gooey monster..."
More silence, broken only from the growing snarls of the Domeheads. The trio has killed and attempted to kill many hatchlings, so it was difficult to remember anyone specific. But now they recalled their encounter with this particular hatchling. They were sleeping after a satisfying meal and she literally slammed right into Cepher. Although they weren't particularly hungry, they attacked her anyways for their usual reasons of fun and hatred... although a snack wasn't entirely excluded as an option either. They would've gotten their toy/dessert when a huge…
something made its terrifying appearance. Up till now, they had no idea what that creature was, but hearing it was just a bunch of stupid kids made the anger almost too much to bear. And that anger was only going to get stronger when the young Threehorn added something else.
"There was a dead hatchling near them too! If what Chomper's saying about them is true, then I don't doubt they killed that one."
Chomper felt a swell of joy when he heard Cera back him up. Wasn't it not long ago that she openly accused him of being responsible for all this? And now… He would hug her, but now was not the time. Looking over to the Domeheads, he saw them looking absolutely infuriated and he was a bit reluctant to push on. But he knew he had to; the lives of every hatchling in this Valley depended on it!
"While I was sniffing for clues earlier, I noticed that every missing hatchling scent had yours intermingled with it. And that crevice I followed Thud in, it smells just like you," He glared straight at Cepher, his sharptooth instincts causing an angry-sounding growl to rise up as he thought of all the things those Domeheads did and what they no doubt will keep on doing if he doesn't confront them once and for all! "You know of that opening and you were going to use it as an excuse while I was gone, weren't you? Having used me up and thrown me out, I bet you three have all kinds of back-up plans, all so you can keep killing
babies like the cowardly monsters you are!"
"You good for nothing, carcass-crunching, son of a tar pit!" Rus practically roared right at Chomper, unable to take it anymore. The crowd gasped at the exceptionally bad language and some shielded the ears of the children present.
No longer tolerating such words especially in front of the young ones, Grandpa put on a reprimanding look as he spoke up. "There is no need for such harsh-"
"Oh, shut it, you old coot!" Rus snarled before charging right at Chomper, who cried out before Mr. Threehorn intervened and slammed the other dinosaur aside with his own charge. Once more, silence fell in the clearing as the Threehorn stood defensively in front of Chomper, glaring as Rus got back up to his feet. The other two Domeheads did nothing to help their companion and in fact, glared at him and his foolishness. Such a rash behavior could've made this whole thing worse and they didn't need that! So when the younger male joined up with them, Cepher gave him a reprimanding whack with his tail, done so strongly that it knocked the smaller dinosaur down. Not done with him, Cepher planted his foot on Rus' neck, leaning down to whisper softly through clenched teeth.
"Do you have
any idea what you've just done? Thanks to your little stunt, I don't think we can get out of this mess. I swear, Rus, if we
live through this, I'm gonna make you wish these idiots have
killed you instead." Cepher snarled savagely. Rus didn't reply at all, stock still with his eyes firmly closed in pain, fear, and embarrassment, not wanting to do anything that might fuel his leader's rage. After that dark promise of future inflicted harm, Cepher lifted his foot off and roughly yanked Rus to his own feet. Keeping his gaze down, the humiliated Domehead wandered to Pacia's side, only to earn a hiss as the female stepped away from him. Looking around the observant crowd, Cepher knew that they weren't going to save themselves now, and prepared himself for the next move.
"I believe that speaks for itself." Mrs. Maia said, after a moment of tense and awkward silence. "It's clear that these three are certainly violent enough to kill our children, and would've done so both before and now if Threehorn hadn't acted so heroically."
"But why would you three do such a thing? Harming adults I could maybe understand, but
children?" Mrs. Swimmer said in true horror. "Have you no shame!?"
At this, Cepher snorted, knowing there was no use lying anymore. They were found out and he saw no further reason in keeping the charade up and bury themselves into a deeper hole of trouble. In fact, why should he lie to begin with? Everything, since the very beginning, has always been for their own survival and he saw nothing wrong with anything they had committed: killing hatchlings had always lessened the competition, eating those hatchlings is a natural diet for them now, and using the sharptooth as a shield had ensured they got everything they needed for life up to this point. And so, he replied with a haughty tone, standing tall in a defiant posture. "No, I don't feel shame, and neither does Pacia or Rus. We kill your stupid offspring simply because we hate them, and it's
fun."
The way he said that last part was so dark and sadistic, it sent chills down the spines of many. They couldn't believe what they heard, and their disbelief was only going to get stronger as Cepher thought to himself for a further moment, contemplating whether or not to let the entire truth out. Telling his audience would obviously enrage every single one of them, but perhaps sharing a true legitimate reason will make them see their logic and will lessen their sentence after hearing their story. It was a gamble, certainly, but it's one Cepher knew he had to make. And so he continued, speaking calmly and steadily.
"Several Cold Times ago, my companions and I were on the verge of death from the lack of food. There was not a single leaf, no Tree Fuzz, not even a shriveled up Sweet Bubble in sight no matter where we went. Absolutely nothing. Our only hope was our journey to this Valley and even that seemed like an impossible goal to reach with every passing day..."
He winced as his memories went back to that fateful night, how hungry and desperate they were for even a bite of something, -
anything!-, to eat. It seemed like a lifetime ago, and yet was so very clear and vivid that his stomach had to be convinced that it was all behind them. Glancing at his companions, whom stayed solemnly quiet in their own reveries, he continued.
"But then I had an epiphany and I realized we did have food...in the form of your hatchlings." He ignored the startled screams and cries the crowd expressed when he said that, their eyes wide and staring in horror, and he continued in an unwavering tone. "That was our saving grace and what allowed us to live as long as we did. We had no choice but to take every opportunity presented to us. And although we now have plenty of green food, we still choose to honor our decision by continuing it to this very day." He smirked as he crossed his arms, meeting the gaze of every parent whom has lost a hatchling, his mocking arrogance returning at full force. "Those missing hatchlings you keep making a big deal about? We ate them. And you know what else?
They all tasted. So. Good."
This got an incredibly disgusted and shocked response from the others and even Mr. Threehorn looked astounded by what he was hearing. Chomper certainly wasn't expecting it, and he let his mouth drop open. He thought he had them all figured out, but they were…
eating the hatchlings?! They were even more unnatural than he originally thought and he could barely wrap his head around it. It just wasn't right! These Domeheads had to be faking it, pulling some kind of weird, sadistic prank. They made that whole story up and now they're going to laugh and taunt the crowd for believing any of it, right? But the young sharptooth knew deep down that this was serious, that there wasn't a hint of deception in any of those words that obviously meant something to the Domehead trio.
Amused by everyone's stunned silence, Cepher glanced again at the other two before continuing, holding his head high as he indeed taunted his audience. "You all heard right. We've been eating your precious children and you were all so gullible enough to believe us when we blamed the sharptooth. Really, it was your ignorance that costed so many lives. How you all soooo easily turned on one of your own was simply priceless."
Again only silence as everyone exchanged glances at each other, everything finally beginning to sink in. And as it did, the hostility of the Rock Circle grew beyond any intensity it's ever reached before. Enraged parents began yelling in fury when Mr. Threehorn roared out for everyone's silence. Glaring so many thorns at the Domeheads that they might've turned into a thornbush if it was possible, he continued, struggling to keep his tone relatively calm.
"Never have I heard of such a disgusting and unnatural act. You three are abominations, freaks among Leaf Eaters. And if you wanna act like sharpteeth, then we'll treat you like sharpteeth, which is pretty generous as I believe you're even worse than they are. We will not banish you three as doing so will only spread the trouble to everyone else, as it's obvious you are all a danger to everyone that you meet. As such, I hereby sentence Cepher, Pacia, and Rus to death."
Before any of the three Domeheads could react, the crowd let out a unified cry and charged right for them. Tensing, each of the three had the urge to fight back, but the odds will be so heavily against them. So instead, they were forced to turn and run, the angry mob chasing after them.
Chomper lay curled up, trembling as the grown-ups stampeded above him. Some footfalls were too uncomfortably close to him, and he was afraid he'll get squashed in the mayhem. Luckily, as soon as a break arrived, he felt something gently grab his tail and lift him out of harm's way. It was Grandma, carrying the young sharptooth safely away and setting him down next to Littlefoot, to whom the youngster huddled against. That was way too close.
Cepher and his subordinates showed no signs of slowing down, frantically heading for the nearest Valley exit. Several Flyers had swooped down upon them, and they ducked to receive only stinging pecking wounds. Some of the smaller Feathered Flyers were bolder and fluttered all around the three Domeheads, clawing and biting as they hoped to slow the fugitives down. But all they really were was an annoyance and Cepher snapped his jaws at them. He succeeded in grabbing one, earning a squawk of pain and causing the rest to scatter. Killing his captive with a tensing of his jaw muscles and throwing the body aside, he glanced behind himself and barely avoided a swing from a Spiketail.
Snarling defensively, he charged at the attacking dinosaur as soon as an opening made itself available, slamming hard into the Spiketail's side and earning a cry as the four-footer fell to the ground, Cepher resuming his retreat immediately after. Quickly glancing about, he spotted Pacia and Rus attempting to evade some of the mob's faster members. Gaining a quick lead, several Rainbowfaces attempted to cut the two off, only to pay for such a move when the Domeheads relentlessly smashed into a few of them. Cepher would smirk in approval if the situation hadn't been so dire. And it was only going to get worse as another Leaf Eater made its attempt to cut him off in turn. Seeing what it was, the leader of the retreating trio skid to a stop.
It was a light brown-colored Domehead, one of the locals. The trio barely interacted much with Domeheads of the Great Valley, although they had certainly showed much friendlier behavior towards them, being the same species and all. Cepher recalled having a few civil debates with this particular individual, mostly on why the local Domeheads have abandoned their wild heritage and chose to live peacefully and without insult alongside the inferior Leaf Eaters. But those interesting and sometimes amusing conversations meant nothing now as it was clear Cepher wasn't about to get passed this point without a fight. Growling at his fellow Domehead, he knew he had no time for a ritualized fight and, although he was reluctant to harm another of his kind, he had no choice as he lunged for the other dinosaur. His opponent lunged in turn and a loud impact between the two practically echoed through the Valley.
Normally, two fighting Domeheads would either pull away for another charge or start pushing and shoving. But this was not a normal fight and Cepher added his claws into the mix, slashing at his enemy's body and earning a shriek of surprised pain as the other Domehead pulled away. Taking full advantage, Cepher charged, slamming full force into the other Domehead's underbelly and digging the horns on his nose as deeply as he could. He felt claws and teeth tearing at his back in retaliation and he hissed in pain as he stepped back and snapped around, slamming his muscular tail into his fellow Leaf Eater. This Domehead has obviously lived in this Valley for a long time, having lost the edge that comes with unrelenting aggressiveness that was necessary in the Mysterious Beyond. Not failing to notice that, Cepher didn't hesitate and tackled the slightly-dazed dinosaur before him.
Both rolling along with ground with vicious snarls and screeches, claws slashing and teeth snapping, it became obvious that Cepher was the superior Domehead, his instincts complimented with something his opponent didn't have: Predatory experience. He knew how to go for the kill and he hardly needed a split-second's opportunity to clamp his jaws into the other Domehead's throat. The brown Domehead's cries were immediately cut off as he found he couldn't breathe and his struggles took on a more defensive and desperate state. Cepher didn't want to have to resort to this, but he knew that his attacker wasn't going to show submission no matter the circumstance; this Valley Leaf Eater was willing for a fight to the death and that's what he'll get. So Cepher tightened his jaws, holding down his struggling victim whose thrashes were weakening by the second.
Casting a glance, he saw one group of Leaf Eaters were closing the distance to him uncomfortably fast and he knew he had to end this quickly. Giving a vicious shake, putting all his upper strength into it, he felt the other Domehead's struggles die down to a complete halt and he released the limp and bleeding dinosaur, only having time to offer a sympathetic glance at the unmoving body before running off again. A jolt of pain wracked his body from his new injuries, but he ignored them as he continued his retreat, always keeping tabs on his companions.
None of the trio were not going to give in to their fate easily and it was only when an unexpected attack from above occurred that something happened.
Pacia suddenly found herself blinded when a small Flyer threw itself right into her face, hanging on and allowing its body and wings to block the female's vision. It was a risky move, but worth it when Pacia tripped over as a result. Instantly, she was engulfed in a furious crowd, their angry yells barely doing anything to muffle her screams.
Instantly, both Cepher and Rus froze in their tracks, knowing without even looking that one of their own has been caught. For Rus, the shrill cry was all that existed in the world, and defying every instinct to keep running, he made no hesitation in rushing back for her. No way was he gonna let her fall victim to this. It was all his fault anyways; if he hadn't tried to kill that sharptooth, if he had just controlled himself, then maybe this whole thing wouldn't have happened and they would've been saved with a less harsh punishment. Maybe they could've even been able to talk their way out completely and without having to tell everyone the truth if he hadn't been so…stupid!
Shoving passed the other Leaf Eaters in desperate fury, he winced as pain began to start all over his body as the crowd shared their attacks on him as well. Ignoring all this as best he could, he reached Pacia and grabbed hold of her bloodied form. Pushing his way towards the outer edge, he gathered his strength and shoved the nearly-unconscious Pacia free of the mob. Cepher hurried over to his injured comrade and pulled her to her feet before turning his attention to Rus, whom was now the very center of the crowd's attention.
The leader was about to rush in to grab him when the smaller Domehead's words rang out over the din of the mob. "Leave me! Get Pacia to safety!"
For a second, Cepher wasn't too sure how to respond. He had to save his companions, and choosing between them was not an easy decision. Go for Rus, he'll be leaving Pacia defenseless... Save Pacia, and Rus will be lost to them. But eventually, he reluctantly heeded Rus' word and sacrifice and he prompted Pacia to start running despite her condition. The female could hardly manage the feat and she was relying mostly on Cepher for support. The larger Domehead knew that they were still being pursued despite the majority of attention on their fallen comrade.
Spotting the Secret Caverns, he knew that if they could reach the crevice and squeeze out, they could avoid getting caught by the larger members of the Valley. The smaller ones, he can deal with on his own. Yes, he was injured from the persistent Flyer attacks and from that fight with the Domehead, but he was nowhere near the severity of Pacia's wounds. He'll just have to try his best.
Arriving at the Caverns, the two dinosaurs reached the crevice and Cepher encouraged Pacia to climb through on her own. Although she was barely able to keep awake, Pacia shakily squeezed herself through, holding in her cries of pain as the unpleasant walls scrapped her maimed body and grew red with her blood. Intent on earning her time, Cepher faced the oncoming mob and kicked up some dirt with a snort.
Not bothering to choose any particular target, he lunged with unmatched ferocity, tackling down a Spikethumb and tearing into it with all the savagery of a cornered sharptooth. Of course, the other dinosaur fought back, driving his defensive weapons into his attacker, drawing long gashes from Cepher's body. The Domehead ignored this as he continued to rip at his target before spontaneously leaping for someone else, slamming his head full-force into a Fan-Back Swimmer. He was giving her the same treatment before he was hit alongside his head with an excruciating force, knocking him off his victim, and it was only his body's natural resiliency to impact that kept him from falling unconscious in an instant.
Recovering as quickly as he could, knowing that even a second's delay could spell his doom, Cepher rolled back to his feet and snarled at Kosh, whom was swinging his tail for the Domehead once again. Cepher jumped out of the way and backed against the crevice, listening for signs that Pacia had reached the other side. There were a few more crumbling sounds from within and Cepher snarled at the gathering crowd beginning to surround him. Baring his sharper teeth defiantly, he heard silence from the crevice before turning and squeezing inside himself. The instant he did, he heard and felt an impact against the wall and knew the other Leaf Eaters were trying to trap him in a cave-in, perhaps kill him with it. Rocks began tumbling from above and he disregarded them as he forced himself through a few more tugs and finally hit open air of the Mysterious Beyond.
Catching his breath and selectively ignoring as much pain as he could afford, he glanced around for Pacia to find her lying on the ground several feet away, motionless. His heart skipped a beat and he hurried by her side, leaning down to gently nudge her snout with his own.
"Pacia? Pacia, speak to me!" he commanded of her, shaking her a bit. She was still breathing, he could tell, though it was bordering nonexistent. He heard a few attempts to mumble and he strained his ears to listen. But it was useless as she began coughing out blood before finally going completely still, where not even her last breath was detectable.
Silence filled the thick air around him and Cepher, for once, was at a stand-still, physically and mentally stunned by what had happened right before him. In less than a few moments, he lost practically the only companions, the only friends he's had for the vast majority of his life; they were practically family to him. And now…
Feeling a tickle on his cheek, it took him a while to understand that a few drops of tears were tracing down his face. It's been a long time since he felt any of the sort, and he wasn't too sure if he should attempt to force them away or not. Regardless, he stepped closer to his deceased companion and softly began licking the blood from her face before laying himself down beside her, curling his tail around her gradually cooling body as he rested his head across her neck.
He was willing to stay like this for an indefinite amount of time, when he heard rustling vegetation nearby. He ignored it at first; if those Leaf Eaters were foolish enough to come out here after him, then they'll soon pay the price. But it was soon clear that it wasn't the Valley residents at all as a growl emerge from the concealing plants and a green Fast Biter emerged into view. Catching sight of the sharptooth, Cepher immediately growled out a warning, not budging from his spot as he held Pacia's body protectively close. For once, he was in no mood to fight, but he wasn't about to let the predator take Pacia away. Not while he was still breathing...
Pacing at a safe distance, Thud evaluated the Domeheads in front of him. It seems the little biter came through with his promise after all and Thud allowed a smirk to grace his features as he cautiously moved a bit closer to his potential prey. When he left the Valley and returned to his companions, he slept the rest of the night before waking and telling Redclaw that he was going to go off on his own for a while. The larger sharptooth didn't seem to particularly care and Screech asked no questions either as such a thing was not unusual. Scouting the Great Wall relentlessly all day, he's been searching for signs of the Domeheads, careful not to keep his hopes too high in case the little biter's plan failed.
Luckily, though, it seems the plan went through and the exiled Domeheads now made for such tempting targets. One was dead, obviously, and the other was heavily injured with bleeding gashes along its body. But he wasn't going to let his guard down as these types of Leaf Eaters should never be taken lightly even when wounded; just one well-aimed hit from that skull could kill him, or at the very least incapacitate him. No, he'll be needing back-up and he lifted his head to let out a loud call for assistance from his pack-mates. Knowing they'll be here any minute, the Fast Biter bided his time, beginning to test how much he can get away with regarding his prey's limitations. Staying low to the ground, Thud slunk closer, acknowledging the Domehead's angry snarls with the occasional pause. He was highly interested in the dead female and he was willing to take a risk for just one bite.
Judging the Fast Biter has come close enough, Cepher stood up and stepped defensively in front of Pacia, tail swishing in a clear show that he was pissed. The sharptooth hesitated once more, before walking a bit off to the side. Cepher kept an eye on the carnivore as it stared at Pacia's body with obvious hunger. Lowering his head, he charged straight for the sharptooth, ignoring the pain brought up from the action. Instantly, the Fast Biter dashed off, the enraged Leaf Eater stopping at the spot the carnivore once stood. With his injuries, chasing the Fast Biter away completely was next to impossible and it seemed the sharptooth knew that as it too came to stop a short distance away, looking back at him.
Clenching his claws, Cepher glared death at the predator, never taking his eyes off it as it began to circle him again. It began making mock attacks, but the former leader was an experienced fighter and was not fooled by any of those pseudo-charges. Standing his ground firmly, he was practically daring the sharptooth to launch a direct attack on him. He may be in pain, but he was more than willing to tear into the Fast Biter for the sake of protecting what remained of his herd. But the Fast Biter held no true interest in him just yet and has actually managed to get within feet of Pacia, those mock charges a mere distraction rather than a way to get him to drop his guard. Clearly, he's underestimated this sharptooth. Cursing under his breath, Cepher made another full-on charge, intent on flat-out killing the sharptooth for daring to get that close to his fallen comrade.
Thud saw the charge just as he was leaning over to take a bite out of the tempting corpse, and having no time to turn and run, he jumped straight up into the air in an attempt to avoid a direct hit. Feeling a flash of panic, he felt the powerful blow grazing his underside and as he landed atop the Leaf Eater's head, he dug his claws into the Domehead's back to avoid stumbling over completely and making himself an easy target. A sharp pain erupted from his belly as the Domehead hooked his twin nose-horns into the Fast Biter's skin and threw him off violently. Flying through the air, Thud twisted his tail to right himself before landing on all fours, standing and dashing off as he heard the Domehead charge again. Knowing he wasn't going to get chased, he only retreated a safe distance before stopping and turning back to face his prey.
Stupid Leaf Eater; its friend was dead and there was no point in protecting her like this. Growling in irritation, Thud was about to try his luck again when he felt rumbles underfoot. Something large was coming and judging from the strides, it was his back-up. Grinning at the Domehead, he looked over as his pack-mates came into view.
Glaring over in the direction the rumbles were coming from, Cepher felt a spike of panic when he saw two more sharpteeth stalking towards him. One of them was another Fast Biter and the other... Snarling menacingly, he began kicking up dirt, ready to charge at an instant as the new arrivals cautiously began pacing a distance away, sniffing in his direction as the green Fast Biter called out to its companions. The larger sharptooth accompanying them seemed rather pleased and Cepher stood up straight, glaring at the trio with every last bit of anything he had…
The blue Fast Biter sped over to take up position on the opposite side of the Domehead from its green counterpart, the largest sharptooth in the group coming to rest a reasonable distance in front of the Cepher, cornering him against the wall and the now blocked crevice. With nowhere to run, Cepher stood protectively by Pacia's side, clenching his claws as the sharpteeth began closing in for the kill…
END OF CHAPTER 13
Whoooooooooooooooo! Almost done! Just gotta short epilogue to submit! *starts dancing like a dork!*
:
I feel bad though. Believe it or not, I do love the Domeheads very much (they're in my top three fave LBT characters of all time; right below Sierra and just above Thud), and doing this to them made me sad.
Don't worry though! I've intended this fate from the very beginning, so none of your desires to see the trio dead influenced me! Though that ending does seem a
tiny bit open, doesn't it
?
