Dododex

ARK: Survival Evolved & Ascended Companion

Pandora

• Chapter 7 •

Bria was still smiling as the others talked. Forn swished his tail in the air and gestured for the others lightly. “Let’s head back to the palace,” He said.

“I can’t wait to get back to my den,” Greenland sighed to himself.

The others were about to go when Bria felt a cold feeling run down her spine. Her pupils wavered as she paused in confusion, and Skua glanced back at her with a puzzled look.

Behind them, Twister turned his head slowly, looking at the sky behind the group. “Uh…”

There was a sound of heavy wingbeats. A faint honking, screeching noise filled Bria’s ears and she whipped around alongside Forn to the source of the sound, her eyes narrowed in apprehension.

A few moments of nothing passed. Then several shapes emerged from the clouds, honking loudly. A sense of panic enfolded over each Wyvern as the mob gradually flew towards them in a mass of wings and tails.

“Quetzalcoatluses!” Forn roared.

The Wyverns fumbled in the air and Bria reared backwards before turning and flying in the opposite direction, followed by the rest of the group.

The creatures let out loud and piercing bellows as they got closer to the Wyverns, and Forn lifted his head to yell out. “Dive, dive!”

Skua, who was right ahead of Bria, glanced back and let out a startled yell, her wings faltering.

Just then the mob caught up with them, Quetzals and Tapijaras flying past. Bria reached Skua quickly as they were engulfed and she shoved the Ice Wyvern downwards with her talons. Skua dropped into a dive with the others and Bria watched them glide down towards the forest.

She flew on as the heavy bodies of Quetzals flew past her, their wings and talons nearly smacking into her and pushing her out of balance. She flapped her wings and shifted left and right, practically stuck in place as the mob forced its way around her. She snapped at a Tapijara as it sped onwards, completely oblivious to her. Then she folded her wings in quickly and dove.

~

Pandora rushed out of the cave and looked up, her eyes widened in worry. A flock of creatures emerged from over the forest, soaring far above the kingdom in a messy and panicked form. Wyverns below all looked up as well, expressions confused and distraught.

Pandora’s eyes darted around the mass as they flew on, soon enough disappearing behind the mountains and to the coasts of Vardiland. She scuffled slightly on the stone path, watching the last of them disappear.

~

Bria crash landed on the top of a large pine tree that bent under her weight and creaked loudly. She gasped softly, trying to catch her breath as she looked up at the others perched on the trees as well.

Twister’s eyes were still lit with adrenaline as he blinked. “Holy–”

“Crap,” Skua finished breathlessly.

“Profanity, everyone,” Greenland pleaded with tired exasperation, closing his eyes.

“What was that all about?” One of the other hunters asked, his tail lashing nervously.

“We can’t be sure.” Forn said. “They were probably flying away from something, though.”

“I’m not exactly keen on finding out what that could possibly be,” Greenland said.

“Hopefully it’s nothing,” Bria suggested. Her heart was still hammering fast in her ribcage from the trepidation, her body slowly trying to calm itself back down.

“We’ll keep an eye out, though,” Forn said, rubbing the top of his head with one wing. “Someone will need to inform Izzabee of this as well, if she hasn't already seen the mob by now. I’ll do that.”

“Then quick, let’s get going already,” Twister said.

They lifted their wings one after the other and flew to the palace, dropping off what prey they had caught and going separate ways. Bria stood in place at the stone entrance as Forn left to look for Izzabee.

“Guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” Skua said from a few paces behind.

“Yeah.” Bria said. “It was fun getting to know you,” she added.

Skua smiled and said a few words of departure, before she was off, and Bria turned around to go find her sister.

***

The air felt colder, more comfortable, as midday ended and the sun began to lower from its high point in the sky. Clouds gathered around, carefully snaking around the sun as if trying to hide the fact they were there. Bria heaved herself up the stone path and called into the entrance of her home. “Pandora! I’m back, did you see those–”

“I’m over here,” Pandora said.

Bria twisted her head around to see her sister in the shade of the rocks, padding over with light talonsteps. “Hi,” Bria greeted her. “Did you see that mob that flew over past the kingdom? We nearly got caught in it.”

“I know,” Pandora said plainly. “You need to be more careful.”

“Of course, sister,” Bria said with a rambunctious look, scrunching up her snout in confidence. “I’m too fierce to get hurt, don’t worry.”

Pandora nodded her head slightly.

“You want to, um, show me that rock now?” Bria asked her.

She nodded again, her claws tapping on the ground. “Yeah. It’s somewhere by the river.”

Bria smiled and went to follow her as Pandora unfolded her wings and flew off the ground. She didn't fly like a Wyvern did. Even how her wings moved was different from anything Bria had known.