Dododex

ARK: Survival Evolved & Ascended Companion

Creatures of Nightmares

Chapter 12

Astra was slightly confused. “So.. Shadow made me a hyendaedon?”

“Yes,” the soft voice replied. “It wore off when he was away from you. But if he ever is close to you for a few days, I think it would happen again.”

“I wonder what I was like before..” Astra whispered.

###

Pax was waiting for Prince to arrive with the Dunkleosteus. When he finally did, Pax huffed. “Took you long enough.”

“Well, I’d like to see you dive deep in the water, dodge piranhas, hunt the Dunkleosteus, and drag it back to the surface,” Prince snapped.

Prince ripped the dead Dunkleosteus in half and walked away to eat his half.

###

“Can you tell me anything about who I was?” Astra asked softly.

The voice didn’t answer for a bit.

“I’m sorry, Astra. I don’t have that power. I can only show you what I know.”

“Who are you?” She said.

“I can’t say.”

There was silence. Astra still floated in darkness, and the owner of the voice was concealed.

“Anyways, there’s one thing.”

Astra nodded for the voice to continue.

“Pax.. he only knows a small amount of the prophecy. Even those parts he knows.. they are jumbled and mixed.” The voice paused. “He relies too much on it.”

Astra huffed. Should she believe this voice?

“Ridley is coming for you, Astra. He won’t stop until he gets you.”

“Why do you call him Ridley all the time?”

Astra still asked, even though she somehow knew the voice wouldn’t answer.

###

Pax and Prince finished the Dunkleosteus in minutes, but didn’t go back to each other. They stayed away, thinking to themselves.

-Why can’t Pax just leave?- Prince thought. -He isn’t much help.-

-Prince is too protective of Astra.- Pax thought.

The wolves finally went to each other. “I’ll stay with Astra,” Prince said. “You’ve been watching over her for the past couple days.”

“Yeah, you can just go ahead and keep her away from me, like you always do,” Pax snapped.

Prince huffed. “You’ve barely known her for a week.”

The tension between the two grew.

###

There was a whoosh and Astra finally was standing. On nothing. “Arrghh!!” She yelped.

“It’s ok,” the voice said with a small laugh. It was the first time the voice showed any emotion.

They laughed for a bit.

And then Astra asked again. “Who are you?”

The voice stopped laughing.

“I shouldn’t tell you.”

“Why?”

“You wouldn’t trust me, Astra. And if you don’t, I can’t help you.”

“Just tell me. Please,” Astra whispered.

“My name is Apollo.”

Astra perked her ears.

Then she heard footsteps.

“I have to go,” Apollo said.

“Can’t I see you? Or know anything else about you?” Astra pleaded.

And then she heard another voice.

“Apollo, get out of your daydreams. We have work to do.”

Astra was alone in darkness. But she knew the other voice. The only thing that shocked her was that Apollo knew Shadow.

-DiploLover24