Dododex

ARK: Survival Evolved & Ascended Companion

The Arks: Over Heaven

Chapter 27: Crocodile Chaos

Original Post Date: Feb 19, 2024

Note: Story starts in Wyvern, Aerial ABC backwards filter and has a Prologue. Last chapter in Dimorphodon, next chapter in Desert Titan.

~

“Gosh, it’s so murky and disgusting here!” Gary complained as he walked through the murky swamp waters. After a bit of traveling, they had made it to the writhing swamps, where all sorts of disgusting critters hung out. It was absolutely riddled with algae-filled water, mangrove trees, and large dragonflies the size of their arms.

“Yeah, I know it’s pretty gross in here, but we just gotta suck it up. The faster we find this Kaprosuchus and tame it the faster we can get out of here, you know?” Ben replied while looking around cautiously. He could spot giant frogs leaping languorously from one part of the water to the other, and giant elephant-like beasts with droopy heads and floppy tails. While both seemed passive enough, who knew what other creatures lurked beneath the waters.

“What do those things look like anyway? All I remember was that Kaprosuchus from The Obelisk was red, or something.”

“I’m pretty sure they’re like crocodiles. Almost. Except they don’t have stubby legs and can jump and prance around like horses, or something,” Ben answered.

“Huh, so it wouldn’t be that giant thing approaching us right now?”

Gary pointed at the waters and Ben looked to see a humongous crocodile swimming toward them at an alarming rate. Ben aimed his arm at the crocodile.

“Darn it, prepare to engage!” Ben warned Gary. Gary reached for his sheath and pulled out a simple pistol. Gary aimed his pistol at the crocodile and began to fire away.

BAM BAM BAM BAM!

The crocodile let out groans of agony, but it didn’t stop its pursuit. It instantly leapt and grabbed Ben in its jaws. It began to twist, shake, and turn its snout, shaking Ben around like a salt shaker. Ben let out angry groans of annoyance, as he felt a flower sprout on his hand and shoot a green blob out, hitting the crocodile in the eye. It let out a roar and opened its mouth slightly, letting Ben roll out, panting for air.

Gary quickly helped Ben up, and Ben reached his palm out, making the tendrils of the mangrove trees interlap and hold the prehistoric lizard down. Ben could feel his heart racing, and his body ached.

“Are you okay?” Gary asked. Ben nodded meekly.

“I covered my whole body with vines before we left, just in case. But my plant powers can’t hold this thing down forever, we need to go.”

The two began to rush through the water, however it was clear that running through water was not exactly an effective way to run away. The giant crocodile burst from its prison and swam to the duo again, preparing for another assault.

“Let’s just,” Ben gasped as he felt mushrooms grow on his skin, “Do this!”

Clouds of spores shot out of his arms and Gary shut his eyes. As soon the crocodile leapt for an attack, it was blinded and it let out a fierce roar, splashing back into the water. Gary aimed his gun and continued to shoot at the crocodile, but its thick, leathery scales proved to be an effective shield against Gary’s gun.

“Arghh, it’s just too tough to kill!” Gary shouted as his magazine fell to the ground.

“We need help from another beast,” Ben said as he looked at the giant elephant things.

Before the crocodile could regain its composure, Ben clenched his fist and pointed at the elephant. Flowers began to grow all along the vines on Ben’s arm, and with a single thought, pollen shot out of the bud. Traveling along the gentle current, as it reached the giant elephant, it let out a roar of rage and began to stomp toward the two.

“Dive beneath the water!” Ben commanded. The two dunked their heads beneath the murky waters, and as the elephant approached the ground began to shake. Assuming the crocodile to be its attacker, the elephant lifted its legs and crushed the crocodile’s head.

Pleased, the elephant began to trot away, letting Ben and Gary submerge for a breath of air. The two coughed violently, but after a while they regained their spirits and stamina. Gary let out a sigh of relief as he saw the crushed crocodile floating eerily in the water.

“Whew, thank goodness that creature was around, we would have been its next meal if it weren’t.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Ben said. He placed his hand on the crocodile, inspecting the kill pridefully. This giant crocodile, they had taken down with their wits.

“Hmm. I think it’s a Sarcosuchus, or Deinosuchus, either of the two,” Gary hypothesized.

“Yeah. Yeah I think it is. Are we going to harvest it for his meat?”

“Of course man!”

The two took their picks out and began to hack away at the corpse, but as they did they realized that the skin still remained intact. Ben peeled away the skin like a wrapper and touched it gently. It was as hard as metal.

“Woah, that’s kinda cool,” Ben commented, “I think we should keep it.”

“Yeah, I bet everyone’s going to call us heroes or something! ‘Woah, look, Ben and Gary just killed a massive crocodile! Look how cool they are!’ Wouldn’t that be cool?” Gary grinned.

“I think it does. I guess we’ll keep it then. If you don’t mind, can I hold onto it?”

“Of course. Of course.”

“Thanks.”

The two walked away from the gravesite of the Sarcosuchus, but as they did, Ben waved goodbye.

“See ya later, alligator!”

Ba dum, tss.

Although Ben was kind of bummed no one replied with the infamous “In a while, crocodile!” it was in good spirits. The two still had a Kaprosuchus to tame.