Dododex

ARK: Survival Evolved & Ascended Companion

The Arks: Over Heaven

Chapter 13b: Another Magnificent Character

Original Post Date: Jan 24, 2024

Note: Story starts in Wyvern, Aerial ABC backwards filter and has a Prologue. Last chapter in Pteranodon, next chapter in Pelagornis.

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“Who?” Samuel asked. He squinted his eyes at Ben and tried to pick up as many details as he could. He had long, thick yet straight hair that fell to his sides, and he was still wearing his graduation robe, just like Samuel. Unlike Samuel, Ben had his sleeves rolled up, and he had no graduation cap. Samuel took a smell of the air and noticed a nice smell coming from his arms. It was almost as if he was wearing perfume or cologne.

“What do you mean who? It’s me, Ben!” Ben shouted.

“Sorry, I don’t really think I know you,” Samuel apologized. Samuel eyed Ben’s belt and noticed he had a few stone tools.

“Hold on, how’d he get those? Only Ruby knows how to make them!” Samuel thought. Aurora scowled, still not trusting the newcomer.

“Who am I to trust you? You still haven’t answered my other questions.”

Ben’s facial expression suddenly changed, and he stared at Aurora with a dead serious look.

“Look. Me and my group found a way to tame the dinosaurs of this island. With the process you can make them your pets. You can make them your personal bodyguards. It’s only reserved for those who were strong enough to best them in battle,” Ben explained grimly.

“What? Tame dinosaurs? How’s that even possible?” Aurora said.

Ben put his arms up in the air, spinning around and showing all of the wonders of this forsaken place.

“Just look around. Dinosaurs, weird glowing obelisks, glowing supply crates which give knowledge, weird gems in our arms, don’t you think anything is possible? Like riding a T-Rex?”

Samuel eyed Ben’s wrist and saw an implant there too. It was glowing green, and Samuel looked at Ben’s rolled up sleeves. He could have sworn vines were poking out of them.

“Suspicious,” Samuel thought, “But I’m more intrigued than anything. How does he know about this dinosaur taming? How did he get those tools? Who is his group?”

Ben’s eyes darted to Samuel and he smirked.

“You must be REALLY suspicious of me right now,” Ben said with a sigh. He then gave a big grin, “Don’t need to be! I have no reason to be risking my life over this. But I did come trying to find people for a reason.”

“And what’s that supposed to be?” Aurora said.

“Well, to put it straightforward, the Book Club wants more members,” Ben explained, “A few others and I had found each other when we first woke up, some of the most prestigious writers and readers. Then one of us realized that the place we were in practically replicated the places of a book that they had read.”

“What?”

“That’s right. The island we’re on now,” Ben said, looking up at the rising sun, “Is the same setting as a book that someone had read.”

“And how are we even supposed to believe you?” Samuel laughed. Ben looked at the unconscious raptor, which was breathing faster and seemed close to waking up.

“I’ll prove it to you right now. Feed that raptor some meat.”

“Excuse me? Are you trying to order us around?” Aurora said with a scowl.

“No. Just trying to prove to you…” Ben said. Then a big smile grew on his face, and he laughed, “That this place is just like a fantasy, sci-fi story!”

Samuel and Aurora both dug around their pouches, but unfortunately had no meat.

“It doesn’t matter where it comes from,” Ben revealed. He and Samuel both looked at the other dead raptor corpses, and Samuel turned white. Samuel looked at Ben, and he nodded in affirmation. Samuel walked up to one of the dead raptors and dug his hatchet into it, cutting its torso into pieces for the raptor to feast upon. Samuel then took a few pieces and put them in the unconscious raptor’s mouth. It began to feed on them, and suddenly its eyes fluttered open!

“Oh, crap!” Samuel said, scurrying away. Aurora aimed her spear at the raptor’s skull, and Samuel looked back at Ben who stood as still as a rock, watching everything unfold.

The raptor’s eyes darted around for a moment, then got up onto its feet again. It eyed Samuel for a second, and then just blinked, and kept standing there like some machine.

“What the-”

“Look at that. It’s tamed now,” Ben said with a smirk. He smiled, “Heh heh. Try saying ‘Follow me’!”

Samuel said, “Follow me.”

Samuel began to walk away, and the raptor slowly walked behind him, its arms down and its eyes dull. Samuel turned around, his eyes widened, and impressed.

“So you are correct,” Aurora said in awe.

“I am. Believe me now?” Ben asked with a grin, “I’m not trying to be smug. I genuinely want to be friends with you both.”

Samuel smiled, a realization crossing his mind.

“If this island really IS based on a story, then that means the Book Club has information about it. Maybe there really is a way to escape this island,” Samuel thought.

“Okay then. We’ll join your book club,” Samuel declared.

“What?!” Aurora said, “But what if they’re dangerous?”

Samuel looked back at Aurora with a cheeky grin.

“Let’s be real. What are a bunch of bookworms going to do?”

Aurora sighed.

“I guess you’re right. But we still have people to find. We had two allies that we got separated from an hour or two ago. We need to find them,” Aurora explained to Ben.

“Perfect! I’ll help you,” Ben decided, “But before we even start, we need to go to that beam of light.”

“Oh really? We were planning on doing that before we got ambushed by the raptors,” Samuel said.

“Good idea. Those beams of lights lead to beacons which give loot,” Ben told Samuel. He pointed to the tools on his belt. “That’s how we even got these to begin with. Well, sometimes the beacons give knowledge too, but those are rare.”

“Knowledge too?” Samuel thought. He looked down at his sleeve, which was covering his left wrist, “Would I even have the ability to get knowledge without the implant?”

Aurora nudged Samuel, who looked back up.

“Come on. Let’s go, or that guy’s going to leave without us,” Aurora said. Samuel nodded.

“Okay. Coming.”

Aurora walked off with Samuel, and while the raptor followed behind, Star let out a scoff. Star grumpily trotted behind, ruffling her feathers and giving Aurora the stink eye- Woosh.

Samuel looked behind and saw some red plume of dust hovering in the distance, and as he squinted his eyes at it… he could’ve sworn he saw a raptor head. He blinked his eyes, and it disappeared.

“Must, must’ve been my imagination,” Samuel thought as he walked along. But even as he did, something kept gnawing at him, telling him to watch out. To be careful. And that feeling was fear.