Dododex
ARK: Survival Evolved & Ascended Companion
The Arks: Over Heaven
Chapter 7: Night Hunters Strike
Original Post Date: Dec 3, 2023
Note: Story starts in Wyvern, Aerial ABC backwards filter and has a Prologue. Last chapter in Summoner, next chapter in Sinomacrops.
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Both Neddy and Ruby arrived back at the campsite to the sight of Aurora staring at the stars and Samuel dozing away. Samuel’s dodo bird had her head perched on Samuel’s leg.
“Aurora,” Ruby called out softly. Aurora looked back at Ruby blankly. Neddy felt a chill go down his back, out of everything here on this island, Aurora scared him the most. Smarter, stronger, and better in every way, Aurora had the capability to turn her back on them all if she wanted to.
“I remember her in her freshman and sophomore years. So kind and generous. But now she’s… Different,” Neddy thought deep in his head as they approached Aurora, “I guess that’s what happens when the person closest to you is taken away from your life.”
“You have the materials, both of you?” Aurora asked with a raised eyebrow and a snidely look. Ruby reached into her pouch, but as she felt around her eyes widened. She gasped.
“OMG, I totally forgot about that! I was-”
“What do you mean you forgot?!” Aurora sneered, getting up from the ground and walking up to Ruby, “Do you not know how to follow directions? They were plain and simple. Collect firewood so we can start a fire to keep warm. Are you stupid?”
“She’s not stupid!” Neddy shouted, putting his arm out in front of Ruby. Aurora glanced at Neddy, and then back at Ruby with contempt. She took a step back. Neddy reached into his own pouch that Ruby had made for him and took out a few small logs of wood, and many handfuls of thatch.
“It’s fine anyway. I got the materials,” Neddy noted. Aurora grumbled and snatched the wood out of Neddy’s hand. She gave it to Ruby, who grabbed it complacently.
“You know what to do Ruby. Start the fire, and I expect you do what you’re told this time,” Aurora said. Ruby nodded sadly and knelt down to the ground, taking the firewood sticks and placing them in a certain order. Neddy seemed to be glaring at Aurora.
“What the heck’s your problem man? Can you not afford to be nice or something? Are you one of those emo girls or whatever they’re called-”
“I am NOT an emo!” Aurora screamed, “You wanna be nice and soft? Be my guest! We won’t survive if we act that way! You think I became valedictorian from being nice?!”
Neddy felt something stir within his mind. He clenched his fists- He almost knocked her out right then and there, but he stopped himself. If he did that, he wouldn’t know what would happen next.
“Just- Just I don’t know!” Neddy suggested, “There’s dinosaurs. Scary ones. I don’t want to draw any attention. Let’s stop screaming.”
Aurora rolled her eyes and turned around. A soft grumble came not from her mouth but from her stomach. She reached into her pouch and rummaged around for a bit, then swore to herself.
“Ran out of berries,” Aurora whispered to herself. Aurora’s eyes glanced at Samuel's dodo bird, and a strike of hunger hit Aurora in the stomach again. Neddy noticed what was going on, and a haunting thought crossed his mind.
“Oh no… If Aurora kills it, Samuel’s gonna freak out!” Neddy thought. He was about to run up to Aurora to stop her, to tell her that they already had meat, but he heard rustling coming from behind him. Neddy turned around slowly, his breath getting raggedy. And as he stared deep into the forest, he could see blazing orange eyes manifest within the darkness.
“What… Is… That?” Neddy whispered, his heart pounding against his chest. He felt his knees buckle. He wanted to run, but he didn’t want to abandon his allies. He couldn’t move at all.
“Finally. An excuse to kill this pest,” Aurora thought as she walked up to sleeping Samuel. She reached for her back and pulled out her spear, the stone tip gleaming under the moonlight. She twirled it around in her left hand, clutching it around tightly. Red filled her vision as the hunger continued to gnaw at her stomach.
“Yes, kill that damn bird. Get some meat, eat something for once. I’ve only eaten berries since I’ve been here, smoothies and salads back home.”
A smile crept up on Aurora’s face, and as she reached the two, she prepared to plunge her weapon into the defenseless dodo. She let out a soft cackle.
“TAKE THIS!” Aurora screamed as she slammed her spear into the dodo.