Valley of the Dinosaurs

by Matthew Dennion

  The Harpy turned and glared at the young warrior who smiled in response. “That is unless, of course, if she has something intelligent to say that not only helps me but also promotes the success of the mission and lifts the spirits of our soldiers. Then man or woman can speak up as they see fit.”

  The Harpy smiled and nodded, before shifting her eyes back to the road ahead. When she turned her head away, the Behemoth Master smiled to himself.

  The Emperor walked side by side with the Harpy’s horse as they entered the imposing Alps. With each step the Emperor took, the Behemoth Master could feel the temperature dropping around him. When the mighty elephant walked beneath the first cliff, a freezing gust of wind whipped around it and struck the Behemoth Master. As acquainted as he was with both pain and discomfort, the chill of the Alps was enough to cause his body to briefly shudder. As his body shook, the snow started to fall.

  The path they were taking was narrow. The Emperor barely had room for the Harpy’s horse to ride next to him, let alone another elephant. The falling snow also made the path difficult to navigate, as it was slowly covering up the jagged rocks that stuck out on the thin path. After moving through the valley for six hours, the Behemoth Master’s body was becoming numb. He considered if a brief rest to build fires and allow the soldiers and animals to warm themselves would be beneficial.

  He looked down toward the Harpy who was wearing less clothing than he was and saw her sitting as still as a statue and staring straight ahead. Learning from his experience hunting with the warrior women, the Behemoth Master knew that it would be a mistake to ask her a question in the current state she was in. The young warrior shifted his eyes forward down the path they were headed on.

  As he looked forward, the Behemoth Master was able to make out two brown and red shapes lying on the ground in the middle of the path. At first, it was difficult to make out what the shapes were through the falling snow but when he focused his eyes, the nature of the shapes became clear. The red and brown shapes now being covered by snow were two dead bear cubs.

  The Harpy never removed her eyes from the road in front of her as she addressed the Behemoth Master. “Dead bear cubs. I am sure their mother is close by and that she’s not happy with the situation.”

  The Behemoth Master had the Emperor take two more steps forward. The elephant had to tread carefully to avoid the jagged rocks that jutted out of the path he was on. Now that he was a little closer to dead animals, the Behemoth Master could see the nature of the wounds on the cubs. He whispered to the Harpy, “Those look like stab wounds on the cubs. Men killed those creatures.”

  The Harpy nodded in reply. “Men killed the cubs and then purposely dragged them onto a path we are taking.”

  The Behemoth Master shrugged. “Why would someone do that?”

  The young warrior’s reply came in the form of an anguished roar echoing through the mountains. The Harpy pointed to a nearby boulder that seemed to be rising out of the ground. The Behemoth Master adjusted his eyes once more to see that what he thought was a boulder was in fact the largest bear he had ever seen. The bear roared once more and began approaching the war party.

  The Harpy pointed at the bear. “Look at its eyes. In addition to being enraged at the death of her cubs, this animal has also been drugged.” The she-bear roared once more and then charged toward the Behemoth Master and the Harpy.

  The Behemoth Master was about to direct the Emperor to engage the animal when the Harpy held up her hand to stop him. “No, look at this terrain. The Emperor can hardly fit in this valley, let alone fight in it!” The warrior woman drew her sword from its sheath. “I’ll put this poor creature out of her misery.”

  The Harpy yelled and then directed her horse to charge the oncoming beast. As the Harpy and the bear made their way toward each other, the warriors who were behind the Emperor walked up to the side of the huge creature to witness the Harpy in action.

  The Harpy and she-bear had nearly reached each other when the Harpy pulled hard on her horse’s reins, directing the animal to shift away from bear. As the horse’s body leaned away from the bear, the Harpy slid her body onto the side of the horse closest to the enraged animal. When the bear lifted its claw into the air to strike, the Harpy slashed at the appendage and sliced off its claw. She then quickly pulled her body back toward the middle of the horse, narrowly avoiding the jaws of the bear as they snapped shut mere inches away from the area where the Harpy’s head had been a few seconds prior.

  The bear held its wounded arm up into the sky as it roared in pain and anger. The wounded bear then turned away from Harpy and toward the Emperor. The bear licked its bloody paw and then roared once more at the elephant. The wounded animal then began lumbering toward the elephant as best as it could on its injured paw. Seeing her chance to finish the beast, the Harpy jumped off her horse and ran toward the bear as it moved away from her. When she was within range of the beast, the Harpy used her sword to cut across the back of the bear’s left hind leg. With her hamstring cut in half, the bear fell to the ground and skidded to a stop.

  The immobile animal was still doing her best to move toward the Emperor when the Harpy walked up beside her, pulled her bow from around her back, and loaded an arrow into it. She looked at the bear’s face. “You have my sympathy. No mother should have to see her children dead.” She then fired an arrow straight through the bear’s eye, killing it instantly. The Harpy stared down at the dead she-bear as her blood turned the snow around it crimson.

  The Harpy was still standing above the dead bear when the Emperor walked over to her. From atop the elephant’s back, the Behemoth Master yelled down, “Who would set such a trap for us?”

  The Harpy looked back at the Behemoth Master. “Someone who knew we would be coming this way.”

  The Behemoth Master considered the amount of people who had seen the map they were using to find the hidden valley. He slid down off the elephant and walked over toward the Harpy so that the warriors they commanded would not hear them. The Behemoth Master whispered, “The only people who know of our plan beside the two of us, are Ferian, Birilus, Casrubol, and Hannibal himself. Of those people, Casrubol is the only one with a head start on us.” The Behemoth Master shook his head in disbelief. “Why would he leave a drugged and enraged bear here to ambush us? As a test or some kind of a joke perhaps?”

  The Harpy placed her sword back in its sheath and threw her bow over her shoulder, as the she-bear’s blood oozed onto her boots. “I don’t know why he would do something like this, but I suspect he will enlighten us as to his motivations when my sword is at his throat!”

  Chapter 8

  The rest of the trip through the mountains was slow and cold but uneventful. When the Behemoth Master saw two mountains close together with a narrow cave-like path between them, he called for the regiment to halt their movements. The passageway itself was breathtaking to behold. The two mountains were almost touching each other and their sides served as a wall that stretched to the very tops of the mountains themselves. The bottom portions of the walls were as smooth as glass, indicating that an ancient river had carved them out. The top half of the walls veered away from each other and gradually transformed into the rocky terrain of the mountain top.

  The passage was not very wide. As the scouts had indicated, two elephants at most could stand side by side when they were walking through it. It was difficult to tell how long the passage was as from the vantage point of the entrance, the Behemoth Master was unable to see the exit.

  After examining the passageway for himself, the Behemoth Master called for Birilus. When the scout came forward, the Behemoth Master climbed down from atop the Emperor and pointed at the two mountains. “Is this the entrance to the valley we are searching for?”

  The Behemoth Master could see the fear on Birilus’ face as he looked upon the valley where had experienced the horrors he spoke of before. To the scout’s credit, he quickly calmed himself and acted like a warrior of Carthage. “Yes, that is the pass
age we want.”

  The Behemoth Master nodded. “The Harpy and I shall lead the way through the passageway. What do you expect we shall find once we enter the valley itself?”

  Birilus shrugged. “The only creatures we saw were the feathered bird dragons that slew the majority of our first party. They were as large as a horse but far faster than even our fleetest steed and much more deadly. We encountered evidence of larger monsters, such as massive footprints and roars that would send a pack of lions running in fear. As we made our way along the side of the mountain and mapped out the valley, we tried to look for other creatures but the dense canopy of the jungle obstructed our view.” He turned toward the Behemoth Master. “We are entering into a valley with unknown threats. There is no plan or protocol we can use on this mission. The only other information I can give you is that the river which runs through the valley begins on the other side of this passage.”

  The Behemoth Master nodded. “Very well. We shall have to address each threat as we come across it. At least we know we can provide the animals with fresh water once we enter the valley.”

  The Harpy rode up next to the warrior and the scout. “If we are unsure of what we are facing, we need to balance out our resources as much as we possibly can.”

  The Behemoth Master looked over his forces. “Only two creatures can make it through this entrance at a time. We shall have a horse and an elephant go through the valley side by side. Each group that goes through the valley will be a combination of speed and power.”

  The Harpy nodded in reply and moved her horse in position next to the Emperor. The Behemoth Master looked over the warriors standing behind him mounted on horses and elephants. Each of the warriors, male and female, had a look of determination on their faces. The Behemoth Master nodded in approval as he addressed his regiment.

  “The time has come for us to enter the valley and face creatures who defy our understanding. Each of you is a valiant and skilled servant of Carthage. It has been my honor to lead you thus far, and it will be even a greater honor to lead you through this valley and to victory against Rome!” The warriors cheered at the mention of defeating their hated enemy. The Behemoth Master took in their cheers for a moment before holding up his hand to silence them. When the crowd had calmed down, the Behemoth Master relayed his orders. “We shall enter the valley in rows of two, with one horse-bound rider next to an elephant. There will be 20 horses unaccompanied by elephants. Those horses and their riders will enter the passage once all of the elephants have entered the valley and secured the entrance. We will support each other by watching for attacks and moving to help our comrades as needed.” He pointed at the passage behind him. “On the other side of this passage, we will find a river to provide fresh water for us and our beasts. Once we are all in the valley, we will refresh ourselves and our animals.”

  The Behemoth Master then climbed back onto the Emperor and commanded the mighty elephant to walk to the entrance of the passage where the Harpy was waiting on her horse for him. When he was next to the Harpy, the Behemoth looked down at her. She shifted her gaze toward him and nodded. The Behemoth Master replied in kind and then the two of them urged their animals to enter the passage.

  The Behemoth Master had the Emperor maintain a slow but deliberate pace through the passage. The young warrior’s emotions were a mix of excitement, fear, and anticipation. His entire life, he had dreamed of attaining the role of Behemoth Master and bringing glory to Carthage. Now, as he rode into this valley, he was on the precipice of winning the greatest victory in the history of the city. Adrenaline was coursing through the Behemoth Master’s body, enhancing all of his senses to the point where his heartbeat sounded like a drum going off next to his ears.

  He quickly looked down toward the Harpy and saw the stoic face a woman who had been in countless battles. Even at a quick glance, he could see that the Harpy was in complete control of her thoughts and her feelings. The Behemoth Master silently chided himself for acting like a child about to receive a gift. He was a warrior and a leader just as the Harpy was and he needed to conduct himself as such, not only outwardly but inwardly as well. Not only his life but the lives of everyone under his command were his responsibility. If he was to meet that responsibility, the Behemoth Master knew he needed to be in complete control of his emotions. The young warrior closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself. As the air entered his lungs, he was surprised at how warm it was. The Behemoth Master opened his eyes to see a lush jungle spread out before him. The sight of the jungle was accompanied by a wave of heat that flowed over the Behemoth Master like the water of a heated spring.

  After spending time in the freezing Alps, the heat was a small but welcomed comfort to the young warrior. When the Emperor stepped out of the passage and into the jungle itself, the Behemoth Master felt the normally calm elephant tense up. Even when facing the enraged rhinoceros, the king of the elephants had remained calm. Yet now whatever his acute senses were detecting had the beast on edge.

  The Behemoth Master patted the Emperor on his head and said, “Steady, boy. You’re the most powerful animal walking the face of the Earth. Whatever foul creatures live in this valley, you are more than up to the task of dealing with them.” The Behemoth Master urged the Emperor toward the river where the elephant would be able to quench his thirst. The animal snorted and then started walking toward the water.

  The Emperor had covered nearly half the distance between the end of the passage into the valley and the river when his body suddenly went rigid. The Behemoth Master had looked around to see the other elephants which had exited the passageway also tensing up. During his time as an heir, he had seen this reaction from elephants several times before. He knew it meant only one of two things. The first possibility was an earthquake. The young warrior was considering the second possibility when he heard a sound equal to a dozen thunderbolts all striking the ground at the same time. He first looked up at the collapsing sides of the two mountains that made up the passageway and then at the half of his regiment that was beneath it.

  The young warrior screamed, “Avalanche!” As the ground shook, the jagged rocks and tons of ice which rested near the mountain tops above the passage came crashing down on the warriors still within the passage. The Behemoth Master urged the Emperor to charge toward the falling debris in order to help out those being crushed and buried beneath the ice.

  When the Emperor refused to follow his command, the Behemoth Master knew that everyone in the passageway was going to die. The elephants of Carthage were trained to protect their masters and to follow their commands without a second thought. The only time the elephants would refuse to follow an order was when a command would almost assuredly lead to their master’s death. The elephants were extremely intelligent animals. An elephant would never let his rider take him into water, that the elephant knew would wash the rider off his back and drown him. When the Emperor refused to move toward the oncoming avalanche, the Behemoth Master resigned himself to the idea that all of the warriors who were following him and were still in the valley were going to die.

  The Behemoth Master watched as the few riders on horseback who were near the exit to the valley rushed out ahead of the falling ice and rocks. The Behemoth Master’s mind wanted him to turn away from the carnage that was about to occur, but his sense of duty and responsibility kept his eyes locked on the men, women, and animals who were about to die. All of them were warriors of Carthage. Not a single human nor beast looked up at the landslide coming toward them. Not one of them screamed or bleated in fear. Rather, they all moved as fast as they could toward the exit to the passage.

  To the Behemoth Master, it was as if each and every warrior had their eyes fixed on him, and he intended to hold that gaze. If these warriors were about to perish, the Behemoth Master wanted them to know that their leader was with them until the end and that they died with honor. The Behemoth Master shifted his eyes to the rider on the elephant closest to the exit and he nodded at him. The warrio
r nodded in reply a split second before the fury of several hundred tons of falling ice crushed both him and his elephant.

  A gargantuan plume of ice particles and dust burst out of the passageway as the avalanche crushed the warriors who were still making their way between the mountains. The majority of the warriors who had made it into the valley, including the Harpy, averted their eyes from the maelstrom of ice, but the Behemoth Master kept his eyes opened and focused on the passageway. Despite countless ice particles stinging his eyes, the young leader was determined that if any of the warriors still caught in the landslide were looking at him, they saw him looking back.

  When the ice and dust settled, the Behemoth Master urged the Emperor to move toward what was once the passageway into the valley. The elephant hesitated for a moment, as a few more large chunks of ice and rock slide down the canyon walls but once the landslide had stopped moving, the elephant made his way toward what was now a mountain of death.

  Once the Behemoth Master had reached the mound of ice that had buried many of his warriors, he yelled out, “Harpy, get me a count of how many warriors and animals made it through the valley! The rest of you, help me dig through this ice and uncover any survivors!”

  The Behemoth Master grabbed the battle axe that was strapped onto his saddle atop the Emperor. He then climbed down and began hacking furiously at the ice. The remaining warriors were slowly making their way toward the newly formed wall of ice and rock when the Harpy held up her hand and stopped their movements. She quickly counted and then slowly approached the Behemoth Master as he hacked away at the ice.

  She placed her hand on his shoulder and whispered, “They’re gone. There’s nothing you can do for them.”

  The Behemoth Master growled. “They’re counting on me. If even one of them is still alive, it is my responsibility to get them out of there. It’s my responsibility to keep them alive.”