Buzz—
Under the scorching sunlight, a tiny insect buzzed its wings and ducked into a pitch-black cave.
A faint scent of blood laced with the stench of rotting flesh wafted outward. The little bug twitched its wings, seemingly delighted by this unexpected windfall.
Buzz—
It kept beating its wings, flying toward the thickest scent of blood to indulge in a feast.
However... why was this particular rock rising and falling?
A heavy exhale*
Napping inside the cave, the Afrovenator felt an annoying itch on its cheek. Snorting a sharp breath through its nostrils, it slowly lifted its heavy skull.
Startled by the sudden, massive movement, the tiny insect frantically beat its wings and hid deep inside a crevice in the rocks.
The Afrovenator shook its head, forcing its groggy consciousness back into its body as it surveyed the surroundings.
The pitch-black cavern was stacked high with its "collected" skeletons. They came in all shapes and sizes; looking at the assortment, it seemed it had sampled nearly every species in the Mojave Sanctuary, save for the fully grown Dreadnoughtus.
If it didn't have such a penchant for swallowing small prey whole, there might have been even more skeletons decorating the space.
The highest point of this bone-filled cavern measured about five meters vertically. Combined with the fact that it blocked out the blistering sun and maintained a hint of damp humidity, it was the absolute perfect den for the Afrovenator.
Crack.
The Afrovenator stood up, accompanied by the crisp sound of a bone snapping beneath its weight.
It froze for a moment. Sensing an odd texture underfoot, it lowered its head to inspect the bone that had been crushed to splinters, then lifted its foot to check the sole.
Uh oh. It looked like a bone from the prey it had brought back yesterday.
Food in the desert wasn't exactly abundant, so it had always made it a point to eat as much as humanly possible in one go. Swallowing meat along with the bone was its way of maximizing satiety.
The bone it had just stepped on was one it had deliberately kept as a souvenir. Seeing its collectible reduced to dust, the Afrovenator couldn't help but look a bit regretful.
However, the sorrow lasted only a split second. Within a few breaths, the Afrovenator raised its head, smoothed its features back into a blank, expressionless mask, and walked toward the mouth of the cave.
Now that it was a fully grown adult, it had no time to waste fussing over little toys. Survival was the ultimate priority.
The exit of the Bone Cavern was situated on the rim of a small basin. Judging by the topography of the basin and the dead trees flanking it, this place must have been a small oasis once, though it had ultimately succumbed to the merciless, baking sun.
*Sniffing sounds*
The Afrovenator walked down to the lowest point of the basin, lowering its head and bending its body to catch the lingering traces of moisture still clinging to the earth.
The very last water source had completely dried up. Perhaps only a proper downpour could breathe life back into this forgotten little oasis.
The Afrovenator straightened its posture and looked up at the sky. There wasn't the slightest sign of rain anytime soon.
From its sheer audacity in choosing this place as its nesting ground, it was easy to see it was an absolute master of enduring thirst. Right now, it could either choose to wait it out, or set off to find a new water source.
*Heavy breathing*
Its breathing was somewhat labored. Dodging the oppressive glare of the sun, it squatted down at the entrance of the Bone Cavern, pondering its next destination.
If it were a bit younger, it might have opted for a safer, more conservative strategy. But now? It knew the Mojave Sanctuary like the back of her hand.
…
"Roar—"
Hello there.
Katyusha lowered her body, stealthily creeping up from behind Stego bro's back, clearly intending to give him a good scare.
Stego bro, who was in the middle of drinking water, paused his movements. He turned his head back to look at Katyusha. After a long, silent staring contest, Stego bro shifted his gaze over to Carlo, who was currently pretending to take a midday nap but was actually peeking at the scene. Seeing no reaction from the big guy, Stego bro simply lowered his head and went back to drinking his water.
Katyusha: ???
Did something just shatter? Was it my dignity as an apex predator?
This scene felt painfully familiar.
Carlo remained dead still, looking exactly as if he were asleep. However, the rising and falling of his snout had visibly accelerated, as if he were practically bursting to jump up and celebrate.
"Roar—!"
Feeling her dignity inexplicably insulted, Katyusha let out an angry bellow, trying to let Stego bro know exactly who was the boss—wait, no, the co-boss of this territory!
This time, Stego bro didn't even bother to turn his head. He merely shifted a few paces away from Katyusha, graciously clearing a spot for her to drink water.
Yes, yes, yes! Just like that! Exactly like that!
Carlo looked like he was about to lose it; even his massive frame began to tremble slightly.
Go on, take a drink~ Go on, take a drink~
A force known as pure embarrassment urged Katyusha to do something, anything, to save face. Instead, she just raised her head and scanned her surroundings, seemingly trying to root out the culprit behind her humiliation.
Katyusha: Stare————
Carlo's body was as still and silent as a mountain. He hadn't budged an inch. Surely, it couldn't be him.
There weren't any other dinosaurs watching her around here. Hmm... excellent! If no other dinosaur knows about it, then it never happened!
Katyusha brought her gaze back to Stego bro. Giving up on her attempts to startle him, she turned around and walked away.
No fun. Going to find someone else to play with.
Stego bro looked even more baffled than he had back when he first faced Carlo. He lifted his head to watch Katyusha's retreating figure.
I even cleared a spot for you. Why aren't you drinking? What a goofy kid.
Snort.
Once Katyusha was gone, Carlo couldn't hold it in any longer and snorted out a heavy breath.
He finally understood why Kafka loved keeping tabs on everyone's embarrassing moments. This was simply too entertaining. Granted, it felt a bit like mocking his past self, but when Stego bro had ignored his past self, nobody had been around to witness it. Katyusha, on the other hand, had been caught red-handed by him!
Hearing Carlo's commotion, Stego bro turned his head to look over once more. Discovering Carlo having a grand old time by himself, the herbivore's expression grew increasingly strange.
Uh oh. Looks like the whole family is a bit special.
…
The Afrovenator strolled casually toward the edge of the massive artificial lake. To its surprise, the herbivores didn't get tense or panicked upon its arrival.
What was going on?
The Afrovenator was deeply perplexed. Usually, the herbivores reacted to its presence like it was a plague, either bolting instantly or forming a defensive wall. Why were they so incredibly calm today?
"Roar—"
It gave a soft rumble, testing the waters to see if these herbivores were plotting some kind of top-secret anti-carnivore conspiracy.
Hearing the sound, a few Edmontosaurus drinking in front merely shuffled a few steps to the side, showing absolutely no intention of fleeing.
The Nasutoceratops did the exact same thing, except they chose to ignore the Afrovenator entirely.
Weird. Everyone is being awfully polite today.
The Afrovenator took two steps forward, leaning down to drink water right in the gap between the Edmontosaurus and the Nasutoceratops.
*The rustling of leaves*
The Afrovenator instantly snapped to high alert. Judging by the racket, it had to be a big one. But why were the surrounding herbivores still acting so nonchalant?
Katyusha stepped out from the forest. Spotting the unfamiliar carnivore not far away, a spark of genuine interest lit up in her eyes.
"Roar—"
The Afrovenator issued a warning growl at her. Even though Katyusha's size significantly outmatched her own, it still let out a quiet sigh of relief.
As long as it isn't that terrifying monster from the badlands.
*A low growl*
The Afrovenator shifted its footing. Against an opponent like this, while it might not be able to win a head-on fight, it had total confidence in making itself a tough nut to crack, enough to make the other dinosaur think twice before messing with it.
"Roar—!!"
Katyusha tilted her head, looking at the Afrovenator, and then let loose a ringing roar.
Karl: ?
Kafka: ?
Two massive silhouettes rushed over almost instantaneously. Their large heads popped out from the trees directly behind Katyusha, staring in unison at the Afrovenator.
The Afrovenator: Welp, I'm dead.
Predators this big, and you guys pack hunt?! What is wrong with you people!
———————
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over here ——— pa-tre-on.c-om/AlexandrusTL [remove the hyphen for normal access]