Dododex

ARK: Survival Evolved & Ascended Companion

Clans

Chapter 3

Finch turned away from the bustling group of Raptors and slipped into the camp. The home of Mountain Clan was a large, long clearing full of small dens and dug-out hollows in the foliage. Small hatchlings flitted about in the center of the camp, the fading daylight casting long shadows below them.

She breathed in the scent of the breeze and sat down somewhere in the shade. She noticed the others crowded around the fight begin to depart and shook her head slowly, rubbing her face with both talons and laying down.

“Hey!”

Finch tilted her head upwards to see her littermate, Tail, above her, leaning over a large rock. Finch smiled at the sight of her, her tail swishing.

“You wanna get outta camp?” Tail asked.

***

The stars began to slowly appear as the sun disappeared below the forest. Pale yellow grass shifted quietly, flattened as Finch and Tail sat down in it.

Tail gnawed on a stick quietly, her voice muffled as she spoke. “You hear about those Raptors we scented by the border?”

Finch glanced at her, her tail flicking in curiosity. “I did, yeah. You think it’s another pack?”

Tail rolled onto her back and looked up at the sky, tossing the stick away. “Maybe.”

“Father says we shouldn’t trust other packs,” Finch said quietly.

“Yeah, but wouldn’t it be so cool to meet other Raptors like us?” Tail asked. The growing moonlight shone on her monotone scales, Her light colors and her fading dark brown muzzle edged with silver.

“I suppose it would be,” Finch agreed, turning her head to gaze up at the night sky as well.

“Y’know, I think we’re super lucky to have someone like your dad as our leader.” Tail said.

“You think so?” Finch asked.

Tail nodded. “Definitely. He’s awesome! Do you ever wanna be a leader after him?”

Finch laughed. “No! I don’t ever wanna lead a pack. You can do all that.”

“Yeah, I’d be a great leader,” Tail boasted, sitting up with her eyes shining.

Finch huffed slightly, her pale salmon feathers ruffling in the cold air. “Are you sure about that?”

Tail growled mischievously and leapt at her, knocking Finch over in the grass. Finch yelped and hissed quickly, cuffing Tail’s stomach with her back legs softly and pulling her friend down to the ground with her. There was the faint call of a faraway owl as they squirmed and fought playfully. The claw-shaped moon shone down on them and they hissed challenges and jibes at each other, before Finch shoved her away gently and fell onto her side.

Tail flopped back down into the dry grass, and Finch rolled over next to her. “I like living in a Clan,” she said softly.

“Me too,” Finch said. “Remember the stories of the old packs, the ones that moved around all the time and only had about five to ten raptors in them?”

“Loners,” Tail said.

“Yeah,” Finch said. “Claustrophobia must have been a big thing or something back then.”

Tail laughed, and they stopped as a Troodon screeched in the distance. They smiled at each other.

“Let’s get back,” Tail suggested.

They padded down to the small clearing, emerging from under a half-fallen log. Finch could see most of the other Raptors were sleeping already, apart from a few who were awake like they were. She and Tail climbed up to the den they typically slept in with a few of the other raptors, then curled up to sleep.

Finch listened to the crickets and sounds of the forest, resting her muzzle under her talon and closing her eyes.

(Last chapter was in Andrewsarchus, will continue through all Rideables in alphabetical order!)

—Moon