by Dreagen
“Memories,” asked Rex. “What memories?”
“It will all come back to you in time, but now we have…he’s coming back. Please remember, Rex, that I am always near,” she said as she slinked back into the shadows. “Remember that.”
“Hey, wait! Where are you going? What am I supposed to remember?”
There was a massive tremor that shook the ground beneath his feet. Rex instantly went silent as he was filled with a sense of dread. “Damn,” he whispered in an anxious tone. “So it’s you again.” Rex slowly turned only to find the two eyes already there staring down at him. “Who are you?” he demanded. The eyes continued to gaze down in silence. “I asked who you are,” he repeated more forcefully, fear and frustration growing inside. The eyes began to lower and glide silently towards him. Rex could see that they were part of an enormous dark shape that seemed to exude raw power. As they came within two meters of him, he immediately felt weak in the knees as they seemed to pierce right through, burning holes in him. Looking deep into the great beast’s eyes, he found himself lost within bellowing plumes of red fire. It was like seeing the birth of the stars themselves and was unlike anything he had ever felt. So pure, so full of life…and then he heard them—cries of pain and horror. Despite the flames, Rex felt his body go cold, as tortured faces of an anonymous nature emerged from the fire, burning alive. Fear now gripped Rex in a predator’s grasp, preventing him from running away and forcing him to stay and watch as the horrible burning faces now called out to him, and a long skeletal clawed hand reached out to him from the flames.
Rex awoke in darkness, shouting franticly and flailing his arms. Sweat poured from his face as tears ran down his cheeks. He looked all around him but could hardly make out anything despite his now heightened sense of sight; only a thin sliver of pale silver light came from a slit in the darkness several meters off to his left. His breathing was heavy and labored, as if he had been running for his life. Had it been just a dream?Had everything been just a dream? Where am I now? Am I in my room back home? Wait…where is—?”
His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a soft gentle voice of a girl gliding out of the darkness. He felt her slowly easing him back down in bed, with his head cradled in her arms, her touch soft and tender. She gently caressed the side of his face, which was damp with cold sweat. Then she began to sing a hypnotic melody in a language he did not at first understand, then slowly, as he relaxed his mind, became clearer…recognizable. As if the words were a magical incantation, he felt all his fear slip away, and he drifted back to sleep. His dreams were filled with love and affection from a female figure he could not see but rather felt all around him, the warmth of her love keeping him safe and her sweet scent sweeping over his mind like a warm blanket. He felt the fire in his veins again, but this time flowing through him like a river, slow and everlasting. It was like the speed of the current was directly linked to him. Increasing in speed with every forward-thinking thought at the core of his being and slowing again every time they subsided. It was like sailing on the wings of a dream, his dream.
Rex awoke once again without opening his eyes. He could feel the warmth of the sun against his face as it bathed him in its light. Slowly, his eyes opened and he was greeted by an unfamiliar ceiling, one made of stone. No, he thought. A cave? He rose out of bed groggily and rubbed the back of his head, which felt a little sore but otherwise better than had remembered. Looking around the room, he saw that it was built partially inside of a mountain, or some other stone structure. The room was filled with beautiful plants and flowers of all different colors, some of which were growing straight out of the ground. To his surprise, several at the head of the bed were connected to his chest by long tendril-like vines. He at first pondered as to what their purpose was or what they were doing to him, when he noticed a soothing sensation emitted around the areas they were touching him. Slowly he sat up, and they immediately disconnected from him and recoiled back into the main body of the thick leathery stalk. He slowly scanned the room until he got to an open window, and he looked on in surprise. There, sitting at the sill, was a young woman who looked to be his age with long, thick, flowing auburn fur that elegantly draped over her shoulders and ran down to her lower back. She gazed out the window, lost in thought with the sun lighting up her face so it looked as if it glowed. She was beautiful. Never before had Rex seen such a girl. Not even Allison…wait…Allison? What felt like a memory slowly trying to claw its way back into his head was cut off by the sound of what he recognized as a familiar voice.
“Good morning, Rex,” said the girl as she turned her head to him and smiled.
Whatever thought Rex was trying to recall quickly vanished as he took her in. She stood just a little taller than he did with a curvaceous frame and muscular build. She wore a tan, short-sleeved leather top with straps and beautifully embroidered dark-grey leggings that ran down just short of her knees. It was her eyes, however, that held his attention above all else. They were like his—scarlet red—or rather the way his used to be, for they did not have the same brilliant glow that his now possessed. Still, it was the first time in his life he had ever seen anyone else with eyes remotely resembling his. If that was not enough, her ears were also pointed; however, they stuck out horizontally rather than up, like his.
“How do you feel?” she asked, her demeanor changing to one of concern.
“I…uhh,” Rex stammered. “I…my head…it’s a little sore in the back.”
“Oh, I know,” she said, suddenly more serious as she walked over and quickly examined the back of his head. “You suffered a massive blow to it,” she continued as she ran her fingers lightly through his fur over the spot. “Can you remember what happened to you?”
“Not really,” he replied honestly. “I mean, I have a few images in my head, but nothing really clear…nothing that seems real, anyway.” Rex was, of course, referring to the saber-tooth and the dinosaur. Was it all a dream? he asked himself. It must have been. How could any of it be true, but then where was he now? “Where am I?” he asked as if the thought jumped out of his mouth. “And…who are you?”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” the girl replied, slightly embarrassed. “You must think me rude. My name is DiNiya of the KaNar tribe, which is where you are now.”
“KaNar?” he asked, looking confused.
Giving him a look of confusion in return, DiNiya explained, “You know, the home of the KaNar tribe, nestled deep within the Black Ridge Mountains.” She spoke quickly and cheerfully, and he could tell she was trying to be a good host. She had such a mature air to her that he almost forgot that she was as young as him. The growling of his stomach, however, quickly interrupted his thoughts. “You must be starving,” she said. “Here, come with me.”
She took him by the hand and led him out into a long corridor lined with wood and stone. There were three more doors further up, which they passed as they went down a staircase that veered a sharp left after seven steps. Descending the remaining ten, they entered into an enormous round room filled with a large round table in the center.
“Sorry, there’s no one else here at the moment,” DiNiya said as she went to a wooden cabinet and pulled out a plate before going to another and pulling out a cumbersome basket of something, which she brought to the table. “Here, come eat,” she insisted cheerfully.
Rex was at first unsure about the whole situation, but the overwhelming smell of food suddenly wafted over to him, and he heard his stomach growl again.
“See, I knew you were hungry,” she said with a laugh. “Come, sit down. I promise it’s not poison.” She took a bite to prove her point then held it out for him to try.
Rex made his way over to the table, eyeing the entire room as he did so. Looking down at the table, he glanced at the plate with uncertainty. “What is it?” he asked, looking up at her.
“Salted tow,” she replied.
Rex just stared at her with a blank expression.
DiNiya chuckled and clarified. “It’s
fish, salted fish.”
“Oh,” Rex replied as he looked back down at the plate.
“Oh, wait,” she suddenly said as she ran to the far right corner and grabbed a chair, which she brought back and set behind Rex, who watched her slightly scatter-brained behavior with unusual curiosity. “Here you are.”
Rex slowly sat down and grunted in surprise as she forcefully pushed the chair with him in it closer to the table. “Oops, sorry,” she blushed with a slightly embarrassed smile.
Rex stared at DiNiya for a moment, still not sure just what to make of her, before his attention was once again caught by the smell of food. Turning to the plate in front of him, he picked up a piece of fish and brought it close to his face, smelling it curiously. Seeming satisfied, he shoved the entire piece into his mouth and chewed vigorously. He must have been starving because the fish tasted like candy. One after another, all the pieces vanished into his toothy maw.
“Is it good?” DiNiya asked as she watched intently.
Rex, suddenly remembering she was watching, turned his head and gazed up at her. She was smiling but seemed to be anxiously awaiting his response. “Uh, yeah,” he said, swallowing the piece he still had in his mouth. “It’s not bad.”
“Oh, I’m so glad,” she exclaimed, clasping her hands together. “I was worried that it would come out like it did last time.”
“Why, what happened last ti—”
“Nothing,” DiNiya quickly countered with a big, unassuming smile.
He noticed that, like him, she had sharp teeth, but only in the upper and lower incisors. Rex was about to say something else when he heard his stomach growl once more, demanding another offering. He turned and continued stuffing his face while DiNiya pretended to tidy up around what he assumed was a kitchen, but he could tell she was really trying to hide the fact that she was watching him intently. Rex began to feel a little uneasy. Who is this girl? he wondered. And why is she so interested in me? Still that was hardly the only thought he had of her on his mind. Her eyes, they are the same as mine. He found himself getting lost in thought, when suddenly he heard a voice call her name from outside.
“Coming,” she called back as she ran out the door; she then popped her head back in and said, “Keep eating, I’ll be right back! Promise!”
Rex was now thoroughly confused. What was going on here? Where exactly was “here,” for that matter? So many unanswered questions plagued his mind that he finally pushed his chair back and stood up. “I want some answers,” he said sternly and made his way to the door DiNiya had disappeared through. Pushing it open, he was instantly greeted by bright sunlight. Quickly shielding his eyes with an arm, he squinted and looked out where he found himself standing before a most incredible sight.
He was on a high bluff overlooking an expansive mountain valley full of vibrant plants of all sizes and colors. The sky was the same as he remembered, full of stars despite being day, but fainter now. Huge magnificent orange clouds also filled the slightly tan sky. The sight that truly gripped him, however, was that of the inhabitants of this land. There, filling the fields, were dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes. Rex dropped to his knees as tears ran down his cheeks. “It…it wasn’t a dream,” he stammered in shock. “They weren’t a dream.”
Several of the larger long-necked sauropod species that resembled brachiosaurs turned their heads and looked up at the bluff, and soon all the others followed suit. Before Rex even knew what was happening, all the dinosaurs were staring up at him. How could this be real? he thought to himself. How could any of this be real? This was something out of a dream, a fantasy brought to life: a world where dinosaurs still lived. One of the brachiosaurs let out a low, powerful call, and soon all the other dinosaurs were roaring up to him. Rex was taken aback, and he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked back to see DiNiya standing behind him, smiling. Kneeling down beside him, she spoke softly, “Aren’t you going to say hello back?”
Rex looked at her, then, somehow understanding what she meant, turned and looked back at all the dinosaurs. All of their magnificent roars and cries flowed through him like blood coursing through his veins. From deep within, he felt his flame burn hotter, brighter. This time, though, he did not feel anger or rage, but rather a sense of peace. He closed his eyes and heard their voices, which spoke in unison, Welcome. Rex smiled as he was immersed in the warm, comforting feeling.
The two sat there for what probably seemed like an eternity. Not that Rex minded, for he could have remained there and watched these great lords of the land all day. He would have, too, had DiNiya not whispered in his ear, “Want to meet them?”
Rex turned and nodded with a dreamy look in his eyes. DiNiya led him down the path into the open field where all the dinosaurs, big and small, watched them with immense curiosity. DiNiya walked through the field casually, while Rex looked as if his eyes were about to fall out of his head from having them open so wide. “Father,” she called out to a man who was talking to a large and powerfully muscular-looking dinosaur that Rex instantly recognized as the one who had intervened between him and the saber-tooth. The man waved back, and then motioned them over.
“Come on,” said DiNiya excitedly as she wrapped her arms around the man.
“How’s my girl doing?” the man said as he hugged her back.
“Good, good,” she replied. “When did you get back?”
“Just now. I was on my way up to the bluff, when VayRonx caught me and filled me in on a very interesting story.”
Rex was trying to remain as quiet as he could, glancing up at the towering dinosaur, which he noticed was eyeing him in turn. “So this is our new arrival,” said DiNiya’s father. “BaRone of the KaNar tribe,” he said as he held up his arm.
“Rex of uhh…Merced,” he replied, forcing out a bolder voice as he awkwardly held up his arm.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rex,” BaRone replied with a smile, touching his forearm with his, resonating his flame with Rex’s. “I hear you already met VayRonx, our alpha.”
“He brought you here two days ago,” explained DiNiya. “You seemed to be in some sort of paralysis.”
“Two days ago?” replied Rex in surprise. “I’ve been asleep that long?”
She nodded. “We were worried that you may have gotten sick, so we kept you in bed and watched you closely. Fortunately, you seemed to have just suffered from a little bump on the back of your head, so we decided it was best just to let you rest until your strength returned.”
Just a little bump, Rex thought as he recalled all the blood on his hand.
“By the way, how are you feeling now?” she asked with a sudden look of concern.
“Better,” he replied, rubbing the back of his head and feeling relieved to see no blood this time. Then a thought occurred to him. “Hey, uhh…wasn’t I…naked when I was brought here?”
“Yes, why?” she replied calmly. “Did you lose your clothes?”
“No. I mean yes, but…that’s not what I meant,” Rex struggled. “What I’m asking is, how did I get into these?”
“Oh, I dressed you,” she replied cheerfully, not aware of what was bothering him.
“You dressed me!” he exclaimed with a look of terror as his face began to turn red.
“You don’t like them?”
“No,” he said in a slightly higher voice as he looked down at his new attire. He was wearing a tight-fitting black knitted sleeveless shirt with laced up strings on the chest and brown pants that seemed to be made from some sort of thick woven material, with a loincloth over it. Lastly, he wore leather boots that came almost up to his knees. “I mean, yes…I mean, they’re fine. It’s just…you saw me naked.” The last part he said in a hushed tone.
“I know,” replied DiNiya in a manner that implied she saw nothing wrong in this. “You were unconscious and we couldn’t wake you, which meant that your flame couldn’t be used to warm you. I had to get some clothes on you to keep you from getting sick.”
“Don’t worry,�
� said BaRone as he slapped Rex hard on the back. “You’re in good hands with my daughter. She’ll take good care of you. Have you eaten yet?”
Rex nodded.
“He finished off the rest of the tow,” DiNiya replied happily.
“He did?” BaRone said, looking at Rex with a worried expression. “Do…you feel all right?”
“He’s fine,” DiNiya shot back irritably as she pulled her father along. “Come on, let’s head back to the house so you can tell us about your trip. How did it go, by the way?”
“Interestingly,” he replied before looking back at Rex and motioning for him to come along.
As Rex moved to follow them, he heard VayRonx call from behind. “Boy, are you truly all right?”
Rex turned to look up at the dinosaur, who was looking back down at him intently. “I’m not sure,” he replied, not taking his eyes off him.
VayRonx let out a heavy sigh. “I will come for you later. We will talk then. For now, go with BaRone and DiNiya. They are good people, so you can trust them. I give you my word.”
Rex looked down uncertainly, then back up and nodded. He turned and walked briskly after DiNiya and her father, who had stopped and called back to him to catch up.
VayRonx watched the three of them head back up to the bluff as another female of his kind walked up next to him. “Should I be worried?” she asked with a hint of concern.
“Still too early to know for certain.”
“Come,” she said as she nuzzled him affectionately. “We need to convene with NyRo.”
VayRonx looked up at the bluff for another moment before turning and joining his mate.
Back at the bluff, BaRone looked at the empty plate where the fish had been with his hands on his hips and an uncertain look spread across his face. “Well, you weren’t lying,” he said, shaking his head. “He really did eat all of it.”
“Of course I wasn’t lying!” DiNiya fired back angrily.
