This... this can't be right...
Carnotaurus Two stared at Carlo, who loomed before her. She was spent; she had no strength left to run.
A Giganotosaurus in front, a Tyrannosaur behind... who was setting her up like this?
The chromatophores in her skin flickered erratically between dull grays and frantic patterns. The Scientificus Tyrannosaurus that had been behind her didn't seem to be giving chase, but Carlo's keen sense of smell told him the "Rex" was nearby, watching the scene unfold from the shadows.
However, Carlo hadn't come for the Rex. He was here for Carnotaurus Two.
Filtering the scents of an entire island was no small feat, so Carlo usually tuned out the background noise. But the moment the scent of Carnotaurus Two reappeared in the old Carnotaurus territory, he had made a beeline for it.
For the female Carnotaurus, this was anything but a happy reunion. Years ago, she could have pinned a young Carlo down to teach him a lesson; now, his shadow alone was large enough to swallow her whole.
She kept her head low, frozen in place, terrified that the slightest twitch would provoke the titan.
Carlo wasn't surprised by her reaction. He simply lifted his massive right foot and, with a touch of playfulness, nudged her own right foot.
You stepped on me once, remember?
Seeing her brought back a flood of interesting memories. It was a strange sensation... "childhood nostalgia," perhaps?
In any case, Welcome back.
Carlo didn't press her further. He turned his mountain-sized frame around and began the trek back toward the Great Lake.
As if a breeze had finally broken the tension, Carnotaurus Two looked up, watching Carlo's retreating back until he vanished from sight. She remained motionless for a long time.
Rustle...
Suddenly, the brush behind her stirred. She spun around to find another massive head peeking through the leaves.
It was the Scientificus Tyrannosaurus again.
The shock in Carnotaurus Two's eyes instantly sharpened into wary defiance.
"Roar—!"
She let out a high-pitched bellow, striking a posture that screamed, "I'm tough, don't mess with me!" Then, without looking back, she bolted in the direction Carlo had gone, straight toward the Great Lake.
Crap! Carlo, save me!
…
"Purr... rumb... "
Faint, rhythmic breathing mingled with low growls as Katyusha prowled through the jungle.
Crunch.
Her foot pressed into the grass with surgical precision, making only the slightest sound. Karl followed close behind, mimicking her low-slung, prowling gait.
The "three little ones" (though not so little now) didn't seem to have inherited the "miracle growth" genes common in Jurassic World's clones. After several years, they had only reached a height of about 3.5 meters.
Only the legendary "King of Sleeping In," Kafka, had managed to slack her way to a height of 4 meters.
The wind suddenly died. Katyusha froze. Behind her, Karl did the same, remaining perfectly still.
What kind of creature could force such massive predators into a stealth?
Katyusha carefully raised her head just above the line of the bushes. Karl stayed put; the last time he had peeked, he'd spooked the prey and ruined the hunt.
A herd of Pachyrhinosaurus was foraging on the nearby plain. These dinosaurs resembled Triceratops, but instead of three massive horns, their snouts were topped with thick, bony bosses.
One would be a fool to underestimate them. They might struggle to pierce a predator's hide, but they could shatter a carnivore's bones with the ease of breaking dry twigs.
After assessing the situation, Katyusha ducked back down. She mapped the herd's distribution in her mind. She tilted her head toward Karl, who waited silently for her signal.
"Purr..."
Katyusha let out a low vibration hidden within her breath. The two sat as still as statues, waiting for a gust of wind or some other distraction.
The blue sky above was like a polished sapphire, reflecting the vitality of the earth, but the black smoke rising from the volcano's maw stained the atmosphere. It was a silent herald...
A declaration of death.
Rumble...
The earth groaned. To the Pachyrhinosaurus, this was a routine occurrence. A few of the more alert individuals looked up, but only toward the volcano.
Using the sound of the tremor as cover, Katyusha launched herself from the forest like a catapult! Karl, who had been focused entirely on her, was only a split second behind, surging out after her!
One Pachyrhinosaurus noticed the thunderous footsteps closing in. It stopped chewing, preparing to bellow a warning to the herd, but its voice was drowned out by a much louder, more terrifying sound.
"ROAR—!"
Karl, trailing slightly behind Katyusha, unleashed a booming war cry.
This was a tactic he had learned from his parents. Most herbivores instinctively call out to warn the herd upon spotting a predator. But if that warning is smothered by the predator's own roar, the herd falls into an information vacuum. Even a few seconds of confusion was all the cover Katyusha needed.
"Aunnng—!"
Cries of panic finally erupted as Katyusha and Karl tore into the herd.
The Pachyrhinosaurus abandoned their defensive formation, scattering in all directions, though the bulk of the group still fled toward the same horizon.
Katyusha roared again, not to intimidate the prey, but to signal a change in strategy to Karl.
Karl didn't hesitate. He broke away from his parallel course with Katyusha, veering to the left. They moved like two converging lines, forcing the herd to split.
Katyusha had targeted a section with many juveniles; they only had to deal with inexperienced targets.
"ROAR—!"
Katyusha gave a long howl as she reached the center of the stampede. Both she and Karl turned inward simultaneously, cutting off the fleeing young Pachyrhinosaurus.
One predator might not be enough to stop a panicked herd, but two certainly were.
The young herbivores, realizing they were the targets, lost all semblance of composure. Some turned back, others veered wildly to the sides, leaving several individuals isolated and vulnerable.
Karl moved to surround the entire splinter group, but a sharp bark from Katyusha stopped him.
One is enough. Don't be greedy.
Her target was clear: the largest sub-adult in the group. She lunged, her teeth grazing the creature's bony head boss to force it to slow down. She knew she couldn't stop it alone while moving at high speed, so she focused on creating an opening for Karl to move in for the kill.
However, the Pachyrhinosaurus, feeling the bleeding wound on its head and flank, suddenly planted its feet. It swung its massive head to the right, bucking Katyusha off, then lowered its boss and charged, slamming into her from below and knocking her flat.
It then spun around to face Karl. A long strip of hide and blood dripped from Karl's jaws, he had just torn it from the Pachyrhinosaurus as it charged Katyusha.
"Aunnng—!"
The Pachyrhinosaurus let out a low, furious rumble and charged at Karl with suicidal ferocity.
"ROAR—!"
Karl braced his massive frame, standing his ground to meet the impact.
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