Dododex

ARK: Survival Evolved & Ascended Companion

The Arks: Over Heaven

Chapter 8: Little Star

Original Post Date: Jan 17, 2024

Note: Story starts in Wyvern, Aerial ABC backwards filter and has a Prologue. Last chapter in Snow Owl, next chapter in Scout.

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“TAKE THIS!” Aurora screamed as she slammed her spear into the dodo.

Thwack.

“What the?!”

Samuel’s eyes were wide open, and his hand was gripping the spear’s shaft so tightly that his veins were bulging. A bead of sweat dripped down from Samuel’s forehead into the moist grass.

“What are you doing?” Samuel asked, “You and Neddy’s screaming woke me up, you don’t think I was actually asleep do you?”

Aurora snarled like a wolf and tried to overpower his strength and kill the dodo anyway, but she couldn’t.

“Just let me kill it!” Aurora screamed, “WE NEED FOOD!”

“Aurora, please!” Ruby cried out, “Stop screaming! I- Neddy and I have meat! I killed a, a pegomastock, or something, when we were searching for firewood!”

“I don’t care! I want that pest dead!”

A bright, orange-red light suddenly burst from the dodo and everyone gasped. The dodo bird squawked at Aurora angrily, and Samuel began to chuckle.

“I think she’s scoldin’ ya, Aurora,” Samuel chuckled.

“Is NOBODY going to mention the glow coming from her chest?!” Ruby exclaimed.

“AHHHHH! NO TIME TO QUESTION ANYTHING!” Neddy screamed. He began to run up to the three in a panic, and Samuel raised his eyebrow in surprise.

“Wow Neddy, you got yourself some clothes, finally,” Samuel smirked.

“Shut up Samuel… There’s dinosaurs in the bushes, and they have glowing orange eyes!” Neddy said as he gasped for air.

“Do you know what they are? Aren’t you like a dinosaur geek or something?!” Samuel said, a look of worry plastered on his face.

“I don’t FREAKIN’ know! But it’s watching us right now!” Neddy shouted back.

Samuel snatched Aurora’s spear away and got up from the ground.

“Why the hell didn’t you tell us earlier?! We gotta bounce right now-” Ruby was cut off when the growls of the orange-eyed beasts made their way to the graduates’ ears. There was a blur in the air, and a gray, hairy, ugly creature pounced on Neddy’s back. Neddy let out a shrill scream, and he collapsed to the ground. The orange-eyed beast dug its teeth into his neck, and before it could tear off his flesh, Samuel swung his spear and hit the creature, making it fly away into the grass. Samuel threw the spear and it ended up hitting it right in the heart, causing blood to pour out into the grass. Samuel noticed giant, arm-sized ants pour out from the forest and drag the body away.

“Okay we need to run!” Neddy said as he got up and brushed the dirt off his arms. Samuel’s eyes pierced the forestline, and soon he could see more orange eyes manifest in the darkness.

“I think that creature’s buddies are here,” Samuel pointed out. Aurora grabbed Samuel’s arm and began to run away with him in tow.

“Then stop gawking and let’s get outta here!”

Neddy slowly got up from the ground, but he had a groggy look on his face.

“Guys… I feel a little… Sleepy…” Neddy muttered. Ruby looked at Neddy worryingly.

“Neddy?”

“Oh,” Neddy murmured as he let out a ghastly grin, “Looks like I’m boutta pass out.”

Neddy collapsed to the ground, and his tongue popped out of his mouth and his eyes rolled up to the back of his head.

“Neddy!” Ruby cried as she rushed over to check on him, “Damn it Neddy! What the hell did that thing do to you?!”

Ruby looked at the creatures that had decided to emerge from the bushes. Alone and with no one else to help but a useless dodo bird, the odds definitely weren’t in her favor. Ruby unhooked her bow, mocked her arrow, and aimed at the creatures.

“Damn it, there’s so many of them…” Ruby whispered to herself.

Aurora looked back as they were running away and noticed the situation Neddy had gotten himself into.

“Ruby! Just leave him, he’s not worth dying over!” Aurora screamed out.

Ruby didn’t respond to Aurora’s words, and she let out a muffled scream of inner rage.

“This stupid girl! What is she even fighting for? That bum does nothing but run around butt-naked in his underwear!” Aurora swore under her breath.

“You’re not just gonna leave them, right?” Samuel wondered, “I mean she’s your friend-”

Aurora suddenly began to run, all whilst holding onto Samuel’s arm, and Samuel let out a cry of surprise.

“Hey hold on a minute! Why are you leaving them! WHY ARE YOU LEAVING?! WHAT ABOUT STAR?!”

“Who’s STAR?!” Aurora spat as she dragged Samuel along.

“My dodo bird-”

“Oh for crying out loud your stupid little star is the one who got us in this situation anyway!” Aurora yapped.

“No, YOU are the one who got a little hungry and decided you wanted to eat some bird meat!”

“SHUT UP! You don’t understand what I had to go through at home! The struggles, the smoothies, the salads that I could only eat!” Aurora wept. The moment was silent, and Samuel attempted to speak but Aurora shushed him.

“Shut up, or I’m going to stick my spear into your tongue,” Aurora said.

The two ran down a dirt pathway on the cliffs and ended up on the beaches again. The water from the waves of the ocean splashed onto the two as they ran and ran, and it seemed they were finally safe. There were no creatures except those weird Lystrosaurus in sight, and there were a barren amount of bushes. No place for anything to ambush them.

“Good, we’re finally away from the danger,” Aurora said, as she slowly sat down onto the sand.

But Samuel could only do but look on at the people they’d abandoned, and Star.

“But why was she glowing? It was almost like the implants that the others have… but Star can’t have an implant, right? That makes no sense she’s a creature, not a human like the rest of us,” Samuel pondered. He pried his eyes away from the Star he’d abandoned and to the ocean.

A chuckle came from Aurora, and Samuel felt her hand on his shoulder.

“Guess you’re just like me, Samuel,” Aurora said, “If you really were crazy you’d go running back, but you didn’t.”

“What are you trying to prove?” Samuel asked back, looking at Aurora. Aurora put her left hand out to Samuel.

“Come on, you’re smart and know what needs to be done to survive. Let’s be a REAL team, you and I."