Dododex

ARK: Survival Evolved & Ascended Companion

The Arks: Over Heaven (by Ben)

Chapter 53: Deja Vu

Original Post Date: Apr 13, 2024

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

~

Giant, tall sequoia trees loomed above Samuel, Aurora, Neddy, Ruby, and Star along with their mounts as they traveled into the Redwood Forests. After careful consideration by the team, they had decided to explore this mystical lands in search of Tiffany and her book.

The ground had no grass whatsoever, and the dirt was a crimson red. There was a waft of sodden wood in the air, and Samuel could spot many creatures in the area. There were weird cat-like things staying idle on the trees, and Raptors roamed the area, chasing down the many dinosaurs that inhabited the Redwood Forests. There was a small mountain up ahead that looked like it would have been fun to hike.

“So this is the Redwoods, huh?” Aurora said, looking up at the sky. Something seemed to be sparkling in her eyes.

“It’s pretty nice, but there’s lots of dangerous things here,” Ruby noticed, spotting the Raptors. She took her crossbow out, just in case. Neddy scratched the back of his head.

“Don’t sweat it Ruby. We have three very strong beasts on our side,” Neddy said, pointing at their tames. Blueblaze, Goofy, and their newly tamed Baryonyx, Fish Eater.

Star clucked her beak in frustration, and Neddy gulped.

“Uhh, FOUR, strong beasts.”

Star grinned, and Samuel took a quick glance at her. He put a hand in his graduation robe pocket and rubbed the note that Star had given him gingerly.

“Who are you, Star? What are you trying to ask me?”

Samuel spoke up to take his mind off the matter.

“Ruby is right though. We should all be on guard, we may run into a throat we can’t stand off against unprepared. So I suggest we all take our weapons out.”

Aurora nodded.

“Totally agree. So, weapons out!” Aurora ordered, grabbing her spear and twirling it in her hands. Neddy gulped and took out his own spear. Samuel clenched his fists tight. He brought his spear out and rested it on his shoulder.

“Let’s move forward and clear out the area as fast as possible. This place is dangerous.”

The two continued to travel through the Redwood Forests. Luckily with Aurora’s implant attribute, getting lost wouldn’t be possible. Samuel was glad to have made her an ally. But at the same time, Samuel kept on getting reminded of that night where Aurora had tried making a move on him.

“Those two must be in love or something,” Aurora had whispered as she took note of Neddy and Ruby’s romance, “They’ve been chatting away ever since… we ran away. I was just thinking… We could be the same?”

She scurried her sleeping bag closer to Samuel, but he jolted away.

“How dare you,” Samuel had snarled.

Aurora frowned, sighed, and then turned away. Samuel fell asleep then.

Was that how it went?

Samuel couldn’t remember, but he couldn’t fathom the idea of ever getting romantical with someone as flawed as Aurora.

“That’s unbelievable. I sure do hope she puts her feelings away or else this will just make things more difficult than they have to be,” Samuel thought.

A weird buzzing noise began to fill the air, and Neddy looked up to see a giant beehive nestled in one of the sequoia trees. Even though the bees were not outside of their nest, they could still hear them from down below. Neddy paused for a moment, forcing everyone to stop.

“Hey, look, a beehive,” Neddy said, pointing at the hive. Everyone looked at it earnestly, “Mmm, y’know I’ve always loved honey. Hey Ruby, wouldn’t it be cool to snatch some honey for a recipe?

Ruby licked her lips in agreement.

“Yeah, totally! I LOVE honey!”

“Hmm, I wonder how we’d get that honey though.”

“Yeah. It’s a bit high up. Maybe we can ask Bobby to build a staircase there.”

“PSHH HAHAHAHA! No way you’re serious about that!”

“I’m being for real! I bet he’d be willing to.”

“I know he’d be willing to but would he even be able to?”

“Of course, he’s a builder, why wouldn’t he be?”

But unbeknownst to the two scholars, the sounds of footsteps pounding on the soft dirt was starting to also fill the air. And Samuel and Aurora seemed to be the only ones to notice. Samuel turned around and he turned white as he saw a flock of five Terror Birds making their way toward them. They were running at full speed, and seemed eager to kill.

Neddy sensed the unease and turned around, and he began to scream frantically.

“UH OH WE’VE GOT COMPANY.”

“Please shut up,” Aurora kindly requested in a not-so kind tone.

Ruby quickly took aim and shot an arrow at one of them. It moved to the side. Ruby grimaced, and pointed her finger at them.

“Goofy, get them!”

Goofy complied and quickly charged at the Terror Birds. The Terror Birds weaved out of the way of the hulking bull beast, and Goofy ended up smashing his head into a tree. Goofy shook his head in distraught, shaking his head dizzily.

“Ugh, guess that didn’t work…”

“There’s no time to be thinking that, they’re coming right at us!” Aurora shouted. She ran forward, and one Terror Bird tried to bite at her, but Aurora sidestepped and quickly slammed the spear right into its gut. It let out a cry and blood spewed onto her clothes, but the other Terror Birds quickly began to swarm Samuel and the others, ignoring their wounded friend.

“Crap,” Samuel swore. He leaned forward, and Star jumped right on his head. One Terror Bird tried taking a bite at Star, but Samuel quickly leaned backward. Star let out a squawk and pecked at the Terror Bird. It let out a cry and backed away.

The other three Terror Birds were circling around Neddy and Ruby, who were face-to-face. Alongside each other, they didn’t seem so scared. Neddy grinned, his spear gripped tightly.

“Heh. You three look really dumb. You know that, right?”

One of the Terror Birds began squawking at him, and Neddy began to laugh, but then gulped as he turned white.

“Um. I don’t understand Terror Bird language, but I think that means he’s going to rip our guts out.”

Samuel inserted the spear into the Terror Bird he was fighting, and it was defeated. Samuel looked at the beehive that hung in the tree, and an idea grew on him.

“Ruby, shoot that beehive down!”

Ruby looked at the beehive and began to sweat.

“But that thing’s so high up!”

“That doesn’t matter… Just focus on your breathing, clear your mind!” Samuel cried out. Ruby took a deep breath of air silently, closing her eyes and concentrating on her surroundings. Samuel’s eyes darted up to Star, and she nodded. Her chest began to glow, and suddenly… Ruby’s mind was cleared!

“I feel enlightened,” Ruby whispered. Ruby aimed her crossbow at the hive and pulled the trigger.

Pew!

The arrow soared through the air, and after some descent it hit its target! The beehive shook back, and the buzzing began to outgrow the Terror Birds’ cries. The Terror Birds jolted their heads back in fear, and giant bees began to swarm outside of the hive, making their way to the five.

“Uh oh, here they come! I think it’s time to go,” Neddy stated the obvious. Neddy began to make a mad dash for it, and Ruby followed, but not before whistling to Goofy. Goofy shoved himself off the ground and started running after them. Fish Eater began to flee as well.

Aurora hopped on Blueblaze and began to run. Samuel gritted his teeth and began to run after her.

“What the hell are you thinking? That’s my raptor-” Samuel was interrupted as he felt something sharp prick his heel. Then, the prick began to grow in pain. Then it began to swell and vibrate throughout his entire leg. Samuel let out a roar of frustration and turned around to see a giant bee’s stinger had made its way into his heel. The bee was much larger than the others, and its buzzing was so loud that was all Samuel could hear. Star quickly made a decision and hopped off Samuel, diving right into the stinger. The stinger snapped in half, and the pain began to loosen. The bee began to buzz loudly, flying away, and spitting out more bees, somehow.

Samuel looked out to see his allies slowing to a crawl, and looking back was Neddy. Samuel could spot Neddy hop on Goofy, and Goofy made his way back to Samuel.

“Oh my goodness Samuel!” Neddy gasped, seeing Samuel’s state, “Don’t worry, I got you!”

Neddy reached his hand out, and Samuel grabbed onto it. Neddy pulled Samuel up, and now the two were making their way back to the others.

“Woah, uh,” Samuel said, speechless, “Thanks for helping me. Back there.”

“Yeah, of course, no problem,” Neddy said, “Even though we AREN’T friends… I’m still going to help you. Because I believe we CAN be friends, if you just try a little harder!”

“Hmm.”

Star looked at Samuel a bit, and nodded along. Star seemed to be telling him something. And even though Samuel wasn’t too sure what, he had a brief idea.

“I guess we can be friends.”

Neddy pumped his fist in the air briefly, calling out into the forests.

“Ha ha ha ha, I knew I could get to you! Woo hooooo I did it! YEAH!”

Samuel could feel a smile grow on his face involuntarily, as the screech of a bird echoed off in the distance. The distant cries were drowned out by the chatter of his allies, no, maybe not allies…

Friends.

“Are we really friends though?” Samuel asked himself in thought, “Probably not. I don’t intend to be. But, anything to make sure they comply, right?”

“Right.”

But even so, Samuel was beginning to doubt himself. Doubt himself, and his ways.

Did he truly have to be this way to escape? Or was he doing it out of plain cruelty?