Valley of the Dinosaurs

by Matthew Dennion

  The Behemoth Master pointed at the map. “Birilus, you have been to the valley. What is the safest and quickest route for us to move through it?”

  Birilus sighed. “We will need to spend two days moving through the bitter cold of the Alps before we reach the valley’s entrance. The valley itself is very long. If we were to proceed unimpeded, it will take us at least six days to walk through it.”

  The Behemoth Master inhaled deeply. “At least six days. We will need water for both us and the animals if we are to walk that far, and the valley is hot and humid as you say.” He pointed at a line moving through part of the map. “This line represents a river, correct?”

  Birilus nodded. “When we had to make our way up the mountainside to avoid attacks from the creatures in the valley, we could see the river from about halfway up the mountains. The river is roughly a day’s walk from the mountainside. It runs the entire length of the valley going from entrance to exit. I have no idea if there is any other water source in the valley because it is so wide that we could not see the other side of it from the mountains.” The scout pointed to the mountains near the entrance of the valley. “I suggest that we avoid the river and stay near the mountains. If we need to, perhaps we can send a group of soldiers ahead and up the farther mountains to gather snow for water.”

  The Harpy moved closer to the map. “If the valley is as hot as you say without a ready water supply, that course of action will more than double our time in the valley.”

  Birilus shrugged. “We need to stay close to the mountainside in order to escape up it should the monsters attack us again.”

  The Behemoth Master turned to Birilus. “The last time you were in the valley you were but a group of scouts. This time, we will have a fully armed regiment, horses, and elephants! Surely we can handle whatever beasts you encountered. Besides, the horses and elephants would never make it up the mountainside.”

  Birilus shook his head. “Sir, if we see the creatures, I saw last time I was in the valley, our only hope will be to leave the horses and elephants at the base of the mountains as we make our escape into them.”

  Casrubol suddenly punched Birilus in the face and knocked him to the ground. “Coward! You not only lack faith in our soldiers and animals but you would leave them to die!” Casrubol drew his knife. “I will not tolerate such cowardice in the army of Hannibal.”

  The Harpy was reaching for her sword when the Behemoth Master wrapped his powerful arms around Casrubol. “As I said outside, all decisions made in regards to this mission shall be made by me!” He swung Casrubol around and away from Birilus. “Birilus is the only person who has been to this valley before. If we have any hope of our mission succeeding, we need him. There are also degrees between prudence and cowardice.”

  Casrubol was glaring at the Harpy’s hand on the hilt of her sword as the warrior woman returned his look with an icy stare. The Behemoth Master gestured for the Harpy to release her sword and she complied with her betrothed’s request. The young warrior nodded at her in response and then turned his attention to Birilus who was still sitting on the ground. “We cannot sacrifice the horses or elephants, and Hannibal is counting on us making it through this valley quickly.” He reached out his hand to Birilus in order to help the scout to his feet. When Birilus was standing up, the Behemoth Master looked into his eyes. “I understand you encountered something that was beyond your comprehension and it frightened you. As Hannibal said, I know you to be a brave man. Can you place your confidence in me and our forces and face your fears head-on? If you can do so, I can promise you that you will not only conquer your fear of these creatures but you will also conquer Rome.”

  Birilus nodded. “If I was unable to face my fear, I would not be here. I would have fled rather than coming this far. I am only trying to make you understand how deadly the creatures we will be facing are and offer you my opinion as to what provides us the best chance of traversing the valley.”

  The Behemoth Master nodded. “Your opinion and thoughts are understood and valued. However, the success and speed of this mission are my primary concern. We shall move along the river and make it through the valley in six days.”

  The Harpy spoke up. “Perhaps we should attempt to make our way along the river but fall back to the mountains if we do indeed find the beasts within this hidden jungle are costing us heavy casualties. Using this method, we need not abandon our animals because if we are near the mountains, we can use them to our advantage.” She ran her finger along the base of the mountains on the map. “If we set up archers several paces up the mountain, higher than our elephants, they will be able to see any approaching creatures. With the high ground, they will be able to use their arrows in an attempt to drive off the creatures before they attack our animals or soldiers.”

  Casrubol scoffed at the woman. “Assuming we are driven off by the creatures, we are to believe that we can battle them head-on while also scaling the mountain and gaining a significant foothold to defend ourselves? Allow my guards and me to move along the side of the mountain. We have no animals to concern ourselves with and will be able to do so easily. From the mountainside, we will be able to view your progress. As we move, we shall carry torches with us so that at all times you may see us as well. Should the need to fall back arise, you can move toward our torches. When you reach the range of our bows, we shall fire upon any creatures pursuing you. We shall effectively act as a living shield for your forces.”

  The Behemoth Master was considering the suggested course of action when the Harpy interjected. “A fine plan that would see both you and your guard sitting safely on the mountainside while the rest of us risk our lives against the creatures in the valley.” She turned her head toward Birilus. “Was it not only a moment ago that he accused you of cowardice and struck you to the ground?”

  Casrubol roared. “No one, and especially not a woman, shall call me a coward and live!” Casrubol drew his sword as did the Harpy. Casrubol moved toward the Harpy when the Behemoth Master once more grabbed the older warrior and hurled him to the ground. He then screamed, “That is enough from both of you! The Romans are the enemy here! If we are fighting against each other, how are we to defeat the oppressors who threaten our nation? You are all fine warriors and I need us united in our cause if this mission is to be successful!”

  He turned to the Harpy. “I believe in the merit of Casrubol’s suggested course of action. He and his guard shall advance along the mountainside and offer us refuge from any attacks we may incur from within the valley.”

  Casrubol laughed. “You see, whore? A well-devised plan stated while two men are standing eye to eye outweighs any argument made while you were on your back.” He then pointed to the scars on the Harpy’s legs from her various battles. “Or while on your knees.”

  The old warrior had no sooner finished his sentence than the Behemoth Master struck him in the face and knocked him to the ground. “I said that we will have no more in fighting! The Romans are the enemy! They are both skilled and devious and if we are to defeat them, we must stand together.” He glared down at Casrubol. “I will not repeat myself again on this matter.”

  The Behemoth Master then turned to the Harpy. “You and I shall move our forces along the river. If we are attacked by creatures we cannot fend off, we shall move back toward Casrubol’s position on the mountainside.” The Behemoth Master shook his head. “I thought I was the inexperienced youth here and yet you two cannot see that it was input from both of your plans that have come together to form our course of action.”

  The young warrior gestured toward the entrance to the tent. “Go, all of you. We shall enter into the mountains as soon as we break camp. I need a few moments to myself to regain my composure prior to leading the troops on this mission.” He looked to Casrubol. “Have your men make their way into the mountains now. The rest of us will break camp and enter the mountains roughly a day behind you. You need to be ahead of us in order to scale the mountainside and keep an adequate distance in rel
ation to us as we move through the valley.”

  Casrubol stood up, nodded, and left the tent. Birilus followed shortly thereafter.

  The Harpy was walking toward the tent when she stopped in front of the Behemoth Master. “You appear to be growing as a leader as this mission progresses. Let me offer you one small piece of advice, however. The greatest threat to a leader’s position comes from within his own ranks as often as it does from his enemies.” The Harpy then turned and stormed out of the tent.

  The Behemoth Master sighed and shook his head. While he had made progress in developing a plan to move through the valley, he had also driven a deeper wedge not only between the Harpy and Casrubol but also between each of them and himself. He had struck a man he idolized in the face. He had also seemed to gain a small amount of approval from the Harpy only to lose it when he agreed with Casrubol’s plan. Then there was the suggestion from the Harpy about a threat from within his own regiment toward him? The question the Behemoth Master was unsure of was if the threat was meant to be wary of Casrubol or of the Harpy herself?

  Chapter 7

  The night had been long and restless for the young warrior. The Behemoth Master entered his tent to find the Harpy lying within it. As they were closer to the Alps, she was no longer sleeping naked. Additionally, she paid little heed to the Behemoth Master when he entered the tent. When he had initially corrected Casrubol outside of the command tent and he saw the Harpy give him a slight smile, the Behemoth Master had briefly entertained the idea that he had won the Harpy over. The idea that he might find some comfort in the arms of the warrior woman were quickly dashed to pieces after the tension during the confrontation with Casrubol. The Behemoth Master had entered the tent to find the Harpy once more rolled on her side and facing the side of the tent.

  Reserving himself to another night of doing nothing but sleeping next to the woman, the Behemoth Master laid down and tried to sleep but his ability to rest was overwhelmed by his concern for his mission. His top officers clearly had a long-standing grudge against one another, and there seemed to be nothing he could do to quell the hatred the Harpy and Casrubol had toward each other.

  He also knew there to be dangers in the valley they were heading into, which only a handful of living men had encountered and which had claimed the lives of over a dozen men in one night. To make matters worse, the men who were attacked had only spent a few hours in the valley. His current mission would require him to march across the strange jungle for nearly a week. While he was confident his forces could fend off any foe, the Behemoth Master was concerned about exiting the valley with enough forces to still pose a viable threat to Rome. Soldiers were a foe the Behemoth Master was more than ready to deal with, but the dragons, Rocs, and leviathans Ferian spoke of were something else. They represented a foe which no known man had ever faced. Still, he knew his warriors and elephants could overcome the foes ahead; what he was unsure of was how costly the battle would be.

  He spoke softly to himself lest the seemingly sleeping Harpy were to overhear him and think even less of him than she already did. “The animals spoken of by Ferian are simply that, mere animals. No matter how quick or powerful they are, they are still dumb beasts. With the strength of my warriors and animals focused through the direction of my mind, we can defeat these creatures if we need to.” After finally coming to this conclusion, the Behemoth Master drifted off for four hours of light sleep.

  He arose nearly an hour before dawn to find that Casrubol and his guard had left the campsite seemingly hours ago. The Behemoth Master wondered if Casrubol leaving early was simply the grizzled warrior trying to get a head start on his mission, or if it was to avoid him and the others after the confrontation in the tent, or a combination of both. The Behemoth Master waited in the center of the camp as the warriors exited their tents. Each warrior that exited a tent made sure to bow to the Behemoth Master and he returned the show of respect in kind.

  A few minutes prior to dawn, the Harpy exited the tent and walked over to him. She once more grabbed him by his lapels and drew him close to her and whispered, “Kiss me and make it look passionate. Both the male and female warriors look to us and our relationship as a source of inspiration.”

  The Behemoth Master kissed the Harpy and while his kiss was full of lust, it was devoid of passion. His physical attraction to the warrior woman would always be there but he would have no passion toward her until he felt as if she both admired and desired him.

  When they released their lips from each other, the Harpy held the Behemoth Master’s hand high into the air. “May your ferocity in battle match that of the passion we have for each other!”

  The crowd cheered and inwardly the Behemoth Master hoped the Harpy’s statement was not true, because if the warriors’ ferocity were to match the passion between he and his betrothed, he doubted they would last more than a minute in the valley, let alone against the Roman legions.

  The Behemoth Master slowly pulled his and the Harpy’s hand down as he yelled, “Break camp and mount up. I want us making our way through the mountains within the hour!”

  The warriors cheered and got to work. He was trying to let go of the Harpy’s hand when she leaned in and whispered, “Next time, make it look better. These warriors look to us for strength, courage, and passion. If they perceive that you have no passion for your mate, how can they think you have passion in battle? If you want to help these warriors survive the Alps, at least learn to act as if you are attracted to me.”

  The Behemoth Master nodded in reply. As the Harpy walked away, he whispered to himself, “Attraction is not the issue.” He then turned and walked toward the elephants.

  The young warrior approached the mighty Emperor and signaled for the giant to allow him to climb onto its back. The elephant complied with his master’s request. Once the Behemoth Master was riding the Emperor, all of his other concerns slid out of his mind like water off his back. Mounted atop of the colossal elephant, the Behemoth Master felt as if he could crush any dragon or Roman.

  Knowing that the sight of the Emperor inspired the troops as much as any gesture he could make, the Behemoth Master began to direct the great beast to walk through the campsite. As the mighty elephant strode through the campsite, each and every soldier turned his or her head to behold the magnificent creature. The next largest elephant in the regiment barely reached the shoulders of the colossus that was the Emperor. As he rode the elephant through the campsite, he could hear the warriors below whispering to each other.

  “It’s strong enough to level a forest if it wanted to charge right through it.”

  “The creature’s girth alone can block out the sun if you stand beside it.”

  “We should all climb aboard that beast. He looks as if he could cross the Alps in two massive steps.”

  As the last soldier finished breaking down her tent, the Behemoth Master looked over the campsite to see the entire regiment staring at him and the Emperor. The young warrior heard approaching hooves behind him, and he looked down to see the Harpy pulling her horse to a stop beside the Emperor. As the warriors looked on in awe, the Behemoth Master thought to himself while he may have lacked skill at inspiring the warriors through his interactions with a woman, his skill at commanding such a powerful creature as the Emperor surely gave hope and courage to his regiment.

  The Behemoth Master drew a deep breath as he looked over his regiment and did his best to gather the words to send his warriors on the most dangerous and pivotal campaign of their lives. “Today is a day which will live on in history long after we have perished and our sons have perished. Today, we begin our attempt to complete three separate feats of which no warrior has accomplished one of them. We will cross the freezing Alps. We will move through a strange valley which contains deadly creatures. Finally, we will battle Rome head-on at their doorstep and win!”

  He took another deep breath. “As we ride into the mountains, keep this thought in the forefront of your mind. Succeed in this mission and ride tog
ether, not only today, but forever! Cross the Alps, traverse the valley, and defeat the Romans! If we are to accomplish these three tasks, our names will be legend! We shall be spoken of in the same breath as warriors such as Hercules, Achilles, and Alexander!”

  He took one more deep breath and repeated, “I say to you again: succeed in this mission and ride together not only today but forever, into the annals of history!”

  As one, the regiment cheered. “Ride together forever!”

  As the warriors repeated the chant, the Behemoth Master directed the Emperor to trumpet. As the magnificent elephant let out his cry, the other elephants followed his lead. As the sound of the trumpeting elephants echoed across the campsite, the warriors cheered once again.

  The young warrior looked down from atop his elephant to see the Harpy nodding in approval as she sat upon her horse. He was thinking about what to say next when the Harpy shouted, “Now follow the Behemoth Master first into the unknown and then onward to untold glory!” When she had finished her call to arms, the Harpy spun her horse around and began moving toward the Alps.

  As he saw her turning, the Behemoth Master immediately had the Emperor do the same. A second later, the Harpy and the Behemoth Master were riding side by side toward the Alps with the most skilled warriors in Carthage following them.

  The Harpy looked up at the man she was betrothed to. “Your speech was good. It was short and got the warriors’ blood flowing. Having the elephants call out was a nice touch as well.” A small smile crept across her face. “I know that I cut you off from saying whatever you were going to say next but sometimes less is more. You had already accomplished your goal of inspiring the warriors. I wanted to get us moving before you started talking about battle tactics and lost them.”

  The Behemoth Master nodded. “I shall let your lack of decorum go this time, but I do not expect to be cut off by a woman again when I am speaking.”