Shane eyeballed the thrashing, bleeding body of the Allosaurus, the great predator's life ebbing away slowly and consistently. Unwilling to be claimed by the claws of death, the carnivore tried multiple times to stagger up on its hind legs, but its efforts were futile.

Pterosaurs, small theropods and crocodilians were gathering round the dying creature, anticipating the moment its breath would be cut short. A few bold individuals even pecked away at the allosaur's skin. The once tranquil night was now aroused with the squawks, screeches and cackles of nocturnal critters.

"I-it's dead." Shane babbled the obvious, visibly shaken from earlier.

"Do we...um, celebrate?" Alan asked. A feeding Guanlong heard him, turning around to fixate its glowing yellow eyes onto his neck. "Cause I'm not gonna lie, you're a clever one, kid, and a saviour." he added, nodding at Jake. The teenager was still staring blankly at the dying predator, at its immense body flailing up and down in an effort to rise, and he was unable to fathom the fact that his rashness had preserved all four of their lives.

Alan then looked at the fallen giant. It was shaking. "Please don't." he muttered under his breath.

And as if these words commanded the animal, the Allosaurus's yellow catlike eyes bulged, its body trembling with the effort, and the four of them stared incredulously, the scavengers beginning to screech and snarl vociferously, many of them taking off as the great predator, fighting against the searing, torturous pain in its ankle, was once again getting back on its feet against the mountain of odds stacked against it.

The almighty sun was already rising in the distance, its warm glow lighting the sky in a spectacular orange sheen, darkness slowly fading away as dawn gave rise to the new day. The magnificence of the sunrise led all within the area to marvel at the incredible sight. Raising its head in the rising sun's direction, the now-fully risen Allosaurus channeled all its energy into its vocal cords, breathing heavily before a thunderous, triumphant, nerve-racking bellow exploded from its lungs, as if the booming sound was meant to salute the new day in its kingdom.

Limping painfully on its good foot, the allosaur slowly bent its head down to the group, the massive thing looming down, the famished look in its eyes having faded a little. All four dared not move a single muscle, not even blink despite their burning, exhausted eyes' protests. The hunter then expelled a blast of moisture from its flaring nostrils into their faces. Shane instinctively tried to wipe the sickening liquid off, but he resisted the urge, now that he was being confronted.

With a throaty rumble, the dinosaur rose its head, looking at them eye to eye for one last time, before majestically hobbling off into the horizon, and a flock of Darwinopterus squawked and soared above the carnivore's sunlight-outlined, slowly shrinking silhouette as it limped along the whispering, quietly lapping river.

An hour later

Alan stalked along the riverbank, picking himself along the thick clusters of reeds and other aquatic vegetation. He felt the viscous tendrils of mud seep up the length of his pants and creeping into his shoes, while particles of soil and plant matter clung to his skin. However, his mind had been voided of all thoughts of cleanliness long ago, and he merely swallowed it down with a gulp of air. Even if he did attempt to preen himself, his efforts would be fruitless; even his own hands had been lost in the sable blackness of the night. He had to carry on, procuring food for the group was his topmost priority at the moment.

Pulling himself out of the riverbank, he cursed not only the waterlogged weight of his pants, but also having undermined the past half-hour spent searching for fish to eat. He could not find even the smallest of fry, let alone a plump, prime specimen. The woods would have to be his next resort, yet he remained apprehensive. He slid a jagged stone off the ground, a crude but useful tool should he have to bludgeon some predator to death, before padding towards the trees.

Then he saw it coming.

The dinosaur charged from the bushes, an enraged howl escaping its mouth. Alan drew in a sharp breath, pivoting to the right as the animal darted past. Skidding to a halt, the creature planted its clawed feet into the damp earth, its red, ferrous eyes seemingly analysing Alan, as if sizing the man up. It was only then he could steady himself, regain his composure, and make out the features of the animal from what little illumination the mere moonlight supplied him with.

Considering it petite would be a relative statement, compared to the rest of the wildlife he had seen so far. The creature was about four metres in length and just under the height of Alan, with a compact head that ended in a stocky, slightly hooked beak. The neck was graceful and slender, as was the rest of the body. Overall, this was the body of an athlete. Perhaps having been spliced with the genome of a porcupine, the animal's frame was entirely studded with luscious quills. Those quills were now raised, bristling with undivided ferocity as the ornithopod barked a husky warning call to Alan, who was now subconsciously edging back towards the river. This was its vaunted territory, and now Alan had been registered as an intruder.

"Alan!"

Alan whipped around, his arms already bracing themselves in a cross-shape. He could make out the faint outline of two other humans tearing across the riverbank towards him. Natalie, and the new kid...Jake? All of a sudden, both of them stopped dead in their tracks, taking a moment to register the situation. Alan could only wriggle his toes to relieve himself of some of his terror as the dinosaur continued to snap and bark.

"Shit," Nat breathed as she realised what he had gotten himself into. Then she noticed the animal's thick beak, before deciding to remain level-headed.

"Alan," she instructed, " back away, with no sudden movements. You hear me? No sudden movements. This thing's a herbivore, some sort of dryosaurid. Keep that in mind and you should feel...somewhat better."

The dryosaur chuffed, a harsh, feral exhalation of ragged breath. Quills bristling, the creature snapped its beak, a resounding clap bursting through the air as it darted to-and-fro as its bulging eyes screamed raw fury at him. A husky bark rang from its throat, the sound almost lupine in nature. The beak snaps amplified in volume.

"You said this was...a herbivore, right? It eats plants?" Alan asked, his breathing suddenly faltering.

"Yes, but I never meant that it was harmless, not at all," Nat seethed back. "Look, we've got a kid here, if this thing goes after us, I don't want him to be part of the collateral damage. We have to go."

Her words blew away with the midnight breeze. Alan swiped his fists up, his hands clenched into tiny boulders as he psyched himself up for the potential skirmish. Getting more aggravated by the second, the Valdosaurus chuffed again, ripping at the air with its beak.

"Jesus, you're pissing it off even more, you don't fight battles you can't risk!" Nat hissed.

Too late, they had incurred enough of the animal's wrath. Too much adrenaline had been pumped into too small of a body, and it had to be released. This was its turf. The Valdosaurus turned its head to Jake, claws scraping the earth like a lethal rake.

The dryosaur sprinted forth, beak gaped wide open.(edited)

Shane's eyes squinted open, the faint blueish hue of the early-morning daylight filtering into them, forcing him to awaken completely. The sounds of an agonised person filled his ears, and he scrambled up from the ground to investigate what had transpired while he was asleep. Jake, the newest addition to their group, was sprawled on the floor, right arm blood-soaked and limp, the red, raw flesh able to be clearly seen from the huge laceration while his clothes had been torn on several sides, revealing more injuries. Alan and Natalie were busy helping him cope with the anguish, pressing against his arm to halt the bleeding and using water cupped between their hands to cleanse his wounds.

Jake looked up, seeing Shane having awoken, and managed to breathe these words in his weakened state, "It'd be epic to have some Maccas before I die..."

"We got attacked while you were asleep by a teenage dino , with three younger ones behind it. The allo thingy, to be exact. Did some terrible damage to him." Alan told Shane, his signature grimace forming on his lips again

"Allosaurus." Natalie corrected, adding, " He's got major wounds, if we don't treat them in time, he's a goner. We scared them off with his torch, but goodness knows whether they'll come back. They've tasted human blood, and chances are, they liked it." She uttered the last few words while her eyes were darting furiously as they checked the surroundings.

Before Shane could comprehend what was going on, Alan cut him off swiftly, saying , "Aight, I got a plan. You know how forests always have these medicinal herbs, leaves with healing sap whatsoever?" The others nodded. "Good. One of us will go on a little 'adventure', to go find a plant that could possibly heal my guy over there." he said. "Natalie, you stay here to take care of Jake, while one of us men go grab some materials for a shelter. It's time we give ourselves some adequate living conditions", he said, squinting disapprovingly at the filthy earth they had been living on for the past few days, "plus it'll help with keeping the allosaurs at bay." Whilst Natalie was continuing with her duty, Alan pulled Shane aside with a rough jerk of his muscle-bound arms.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"Shane, I need you to toughen up a little. You can't keep going on like this, stuttering and jumping outta' your skin at the slightest sound if you're going to face what's outside your comfort zone. So to get your inner fight out, I'm gonna let you go on that adventure I was talking about and grab," The Navy officer hesitated, clearing his throat of phlegm.

"N-no-no!" Shane stuttered once again, dreading to know what his assigned task would be.

"the necessary plants to heal our buddy Jake." Alan said firmly. "I know, I know, you're scared, and it's for a great reason. There's fucking dinosaurs roaming this place, but to survive this place, ya gotta toughen up. Please, it's for his sake."

Of course, being the coward he was, Shane refused yet again. Time for bribes, Alan thought.

"Alright, let's strike a deal. Go find the healing plants, and I'll give you half my share the next time we have meat to eat." Alan said earnestly. Shane glanced at the river, continuing to diverge into several snaking paths leading to unknown danger and death, before looking at the vastness of the thicket, whose twisting vegetation and decaying trunks gave the illusion that everything was the same, making it incredibly easy to get lost there.

"W-what if I die?" Shane stammered, his lips quivering. "There's n-no insurance in the forest." Scratching his chin, Alan knew his plan to convince Shane had backfired. He had a good point to avoid venturing away from the group.

The Navy officer sighed, before relenting. "I'll have to." It seemed like it was fate, that the tough and the soft, the courageous and the timid would gravitate towards one another, to depend on each other's strengths to achieve their common goals. Both men gazed at the winding, whispering river, not only marvelling at this primeval world, but also shaking at the thought of moving away from the comfort of being in a group and having just the two of them in this land. Their hearts hammering like a jackhammer, Shane and Alan set out, wondering what new experiences and danger were awaiting them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

An Iguanodon was pacing about the forest, its large thumb spikes raised in the event of a predatory assault. Its small eyes, swimming in the thick folds of skin in its sockets, were ever vigilant for impending danger. The faded green and brown on its barrel-shaped body, patterned in a way such that they resembled the camouflage patterns of army uniforms, hid it from any predator that it could not fend off with its weaponry. The two men noticed it, seeing its alert posture, and decided to sneak behind a large, mossy boulder to avoid alerting the beast. They decided that they'd look along the edge of the forest, which was not teeming with dangers unlike the deeper regions of the thicket. The fact that it was early morning did not make it better however.

Just as they had sneaked past the Iguanodon, Alan turned round to inspect if the dinosaur had noticed them. It hadn't, and he let loose a sigh of relief. Shane was cowering behind him all along, always a few steps behind his braver companion.

Then, they heard the sound of water running down from somewhere, splattering into the ground. Shane turned to see the Iguanodon that they had just passed urinating, and he stifled a gag. Alan, on the other hand, had his eyes lit up, as if sensing an opportunity.

"Alright, this may sound stupid, but it'll probably save our lives if we do it." Alan whispered to his companion. Tiptoeing gingerly towards the bulky herbivore, he sneaked up to the puddle of foul yellow liquid the beast had just expelled. He cupped his hands together, before scooping up the urine in his bare palms, before splashing it over himself, bile rising in his throat as it's unendurable taste trickled into his mouth, but he refrained from releasing it.

Shane was peering from over the rock, feeling a mixture of disgust and bewilderment as to why a sensible guy like him would coat himself in some beast's urine. After covering himself head to toe in the urine, Alan began to gesticulate, again careful not to aggravate the Iguanodon, beckoning him to come over. Not wanting to wear thin his companion's patience, Shane went over, halting abruptly at the urine puddle. "Soak yourself in this, but remember to close your mouth." Alan gruffly said, pointing at the puddle. "These dinos may be wild, but that doesn't mean they'll eat anything and everything, 'specially if it's covered in piss."

"G-good l-lord..." Shane mumbled, a ball of rage, disgust and irritation forming inside of him. Why did he have to go through the indignity of washing himself in the waste matter of an animal? "N-no!" Shane suddenly flared up.

"Look, you wanna' get your guts spilled out by a raptor or cover yourself in urine? Your survival, your choice, my friend." Alan admonished him. The distant snarl of an Allosaurus made his warning all the more stern.

Then, an alien rumbling hiss came from behind the rock. "Fuck." Alan cursed bitterly, his green eyes squinting as the animal advanced. The creature's intimidating shadow cast from behind the rock gave it an even more terrifying profile. The shadow grew in size,

Scrambling in sudden panic, Shane fumbled with his fingers, swiftly grabbing a handful of the revolting yellow liquid and, with a gulp, poured it over himself. "Don't worry, you'll thank me later." Alan said. "Just in time to be eaten..."

While it had the features of a typical theropod, a reptilian head positioned on a graceful neck, connected to a lean body supported by two strong hind limbs, it had a number of more peculiar body parts.

A haunting, cooing sound like that of an owl resonated in the atmosphere, coming from a large throat sac that hung underneath its neck. At the tip of its tail were lilac-coloured feathers arranged in a paddle shape, small bumps positioned on its snout. Black stripes ran down from its spine like a zebra's, and when it opened its jaws to croak shrilly, the men saw that it had the same dagger teeth as the Allosauruses did.

But the animal's most prominent feature were the two large, greyish-brown, miserably droopy sacs that were attached to the sides of the dinosaur's head by cartilage. They shook and jiggled at the slightest movement of the animal's head, which arose the tiny critters in them from their slumber. In both of the sacs sat feathered, bulgy-eyed living stomachs: the creature's offspring cheeping incessantly for food. Their screeches were the only sound in the thicket, still not having stirred from the night before. "Uh-uhm!" Alan cleared his throat, looking rather uptight.

For several uncomfortable moments it was just them and the dinosaur. The Eustreptospondylus was big, no doubt, slightly longer than a grizzly bear, but just tall enough to look a grown man in his eye. The dinosaur did not move a muscle, instead regarding them with a fixed state that none of the men could pinpoint whether it was one of curiosity, fear, anger or a combination of all three. However, the beast kept its distance. Perhaps the urine was working, the odour discouraging the dinosaur and forcing it to stay away.

It was almost hypnotising, until the beast moved. It began to advance steadily towards them, not in a predatory burst of speed, but a form of brisk walking.

"What's up with that?" Shane asked rhetorically.

"Well, as a kid, I learned that if someone, or something, isn't chasing you even when it's intent on nabbing you, it's because it has no reason to do so," Alan rasped.

The dinosaur put a foot forth. The men took a step back.

"S-so now what?" Shane questioned, wringing his hands with anxiety. The beast rumbled gutturally.

"We still run.

They fled from the undergrowth, sprintingout of the blanketing canopy and out into the open, before it dawned on them. The roar of the river currents nearly deafened their ears.

"Shit, we're trapped!" Alan whisper-shouted, looking at the murky delta in front of him, and whirling around to come face to face with the strange-looking dinosaur, the creature still not showing signs of active pursuit, instead still staring at them with its piercing, carnivorous eyes.

It was two men trapped between Hell and high water. Shane tried to escape by fleeing to his left, but the Eustreptospondylus, with its superior agility, was not going to let this happen. Again came the hooting, cooing call, as if it was signalling to a pack member of some sort. "Hooooooo....!" The sound, now having increased in intensity, made them shudder, and a freezing chill sliced down Shane's spine, which was marked out by a black line on his torn clothing by fear-induced perspiration.

Alan began to take two steps back, now dangerously close to the riverbank. So occupied was he on the creature cornering him at his front that he did not notice the long black shadow sliding through the water like a torpedo.

And it was then a hundred knives sank their lethal edges into his skin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~It happened in an explosion of water. the second Eustrepto punching through the surface, water jetting all over the place, the animal simultaneously locking its cage of teeth around Alan's beefy arm, and the beast dragged the Navy officer down with it. The poor guy did not even get to feel any emotion, in a nanosecond he was torn from the safety of the land and forcefully plunged into the delta's green depths, and the one on land diving headfirst into the water teeth snapping with rapacious intent, and foam dribbling through the gaps between its fangs as the dive's impact caused yet another sheet of water to spray into the air. Alan tossed and thrashed, his eyes showing unmasked, genuine terror, but the strange dinosaurs were unaffected.

"OH JESUS!" Shane shrieked madly, feeling confusion, terror and surprised all at once. His face was aghast, and he stumbled back, tripping over and falling onto his rump. Sharp rocks poked it hard, and new pain coursed through his bottom.

But it was not over yet. Alan's knack for getting out of sticky situations had served him well, but his luck had unfortunately run out. Water was splurging and splashing wildly in all directions possible, the aquatic dinosaurs having secured their teeth's grip on the thrashing Alan. Even the youngsters, once hidden inside their mother's sacs had jumped out to join in the feeding frenzy. All Shane could see from the riverbank were glistening teeth, claws, flailing limbs and jets of liquid, all stained crimson red with blood. Shane, being the coward that he was, turned away from the brutality of the carnage happening right in front of him. He heard his companion's panicked, tortured cries for salvation, muffled by his head being underwater, but knew he had neither the strength Nor the courage to save him from his fate.

Then, Shane heard nothing more...not a sound, not even a whimper or a yelp from the water. The air became devoid of screams or hollers for help. But then he heard another, much more sickening sound, the noise of a neck snapping in half, bones breaking slowly, the fragile vertebrae giving way before the ribcage did, the jugular penetrated, and he turned around to the water...

And he saw something brownish, covered with black fuzz on its top, with something reddish flowing down from its bottom. Shane was almost shell-shocked by what happened earlier, the gnashing fangs, the spurting blood, it was too much for him. He was stunned. No, not just stunned, pretty much traumatised from what had just transpired before him, and in his scarred state of mind he had no idea what that brown thing was.

It was then the thing flipped over on its side by the rippling water. Shane blanked out for a second on seeing what it was.

It was a head. A scratched up, abused head whose entrails were dangling right below it in the water, the thick blood tainting the already reddish water with a dark maroon. But this was not just anyone's head. The green eyes, even though they'd lost their radiance, were still unmistakable. The tanned face, the scrapes, the bushy eyebrows...

"A-Ala..."

And the man fell to the ground onto his grazed knees, weeping his broken heart out bitterly at the water's edge, his salty tears pelting the water like bullets, the bullets that had wounded him so badly.