Dododex

ARK: Survival Evolved & Ascended Companion

The Riddles of The Phoenixes Series

The Lost World

Chapter eighteen: Stars

Rowan, Cedric, Kannon, Elayne, and Oliver lay on the ground outside the cave, trying to fall asleep. It was too dark and stuffy to be in the cave. They lay, looking up at the stars. Kannon was already asleep.

“Bro have you ever noticed that even though the stars are supposed to be “certain things” they look like different things to different people? Like that group right there, it looks like a giant sock.” Cedric asked Oliver. Oliver snorted. “I don’t know. It kind of looks like a bronco head to me.” He sighed.

“It looks like a ball gown to me..” Elayne sighed. “You know what it looks like to me? The words “shut up”!!” Rowan snapped. They all went silent.

“You know…I think Rowan’s got a point! Looks that one looks kind of like a S and the next one is a H and-” Cedric was interrupted by Rowan. “Shut up!!! I’m trying to sleep!!”

Oliver snorted and Cedric could feel Rowan glaring at them in the darkness. They sat in silence for a while. Cedric could hear Elayne’s breathing go heavy as she drifted off to sleep. And then Oliver.

Rowan’s breaths were unsteady, like she was nervous or impatient. “Can’t sleep?” Cedric asked quietly, breaking the silence. Rowan snorted. “No. Maybe I don’t want to go to sleep. Someone needs to stay up as guard anyways..” She whispered harshly.

Cedric rolled over to face her. Her back was to him. “What’s wrong?” He asked. “Nothing!”

“Why do you hate me so much?” Cedric whispered. Rowan sat up and turned to face him. “I don’t hate you. I just despise you and everything you stand for.” She said. Cedric sat up. “Why?” Rowan smoothed her hair down.

“You know why. You’re royalty. Y’all think that y’all are SOO much better than everyone else and that y’all can do whatever you please when in reality…y’all are nothing. Just a bunch of silly kids with necklaces.” Cedric grinned at her. “Riiight..” He said. Rowan glared at him. “You can’t take anything serious can you?” She scoffed.

“I can. I asked you a serious question right?”

“Ugh I guess.”

“Okay then ask me a silly question.” Cedric said. Rowan raised her eyebrows. “What?! Why?!” She whispered loudly. Cedric rolled his eyes. “To prove that you’re not always so serious. Duh.” Rowan scoffed. “I am always serious.” Cedric gave her a smug look. “Coward.”

Rowan gritted her teeth. “Fine!” They sat in silence for a few seconds. “I’m waiting..”

“Give me a second will you?!” Finally she looked at him, gritted her teeth angrily at having to do this.

“What’s the funniest, in your opinion, prank you ever pulled?” She asked, already blushing from the question. Cedric grinned. “Easy. It was the time I got my uncle Jay to help me prank my dad. You see my dad has the thing…about cats. He hates them. So much.

So we borrowed Brutus, my Aunt Josephina’s friend the talking hyenadon…” Cedric began. Rowan leaned in, looking slightly amused. Cedric scooted farther away from Oliver so that he was closer to her so he didn’t have to whisper as loud.

“My father went into the kitchen to get his annual morning cup of coffee and Uncle Jay opened a portal above the counter and Brutus dropped down on top of it. You see, Brutus had shrunk to the size of a kitten, That’s his ability, you know, and my dad legit freaked out.

He screamed so loud that he sounded like a pig and whirled around to run off. And then…Uncle Jay opened another portal that Brutus fell through in front of dad. And it continued on and on until we stopped. Dad kept running and Uncle Jay kept opening portals for Brutus. Ahh I got grounded for a whole month.” Cedric finished with a happy sigh.

Rowan let out a small chuckle then dropped her face as if embarrassed to be laughing with him. Cedric sensed that he should probably go away. “See it wasn’t that hard! Cheer up. We’ll get out of here. Goodnight.” He scooted away and laid back down.

Rowan sat against a boulder, watching him until she could hear him fall asleep and start to snore softly.

She pursed her lips and stood quickly and quietly, sneaking off into the forest.

Rowan walked until she came to a sloped hill. The moon shone its white beams down toward her. She stopped and stood there, tapping her foot impatiently. “Come on..” She muttered.

“Rowan..” A voice called. Rowan whirled around,,trying to find the unfamiliar person that the voice was coming from. “Who’s there? Show yourself!! I swear if that’s you Cedric—”

But she knew it wasn’t as soon as she saw it.

Dark amber colored eyes, glinting with a strange mysterious glow…

-SunnyFox57