Dododex

ARK: Survival Evolved & Ascended Companion

Journey: Chapter 32

The Island’s swamp near the redwoods was quiet tonight, something that normally isn’t with all the dangers within it. Nectar flew over the swamp, high above the canopy surveying the area below. She was far out of her normal territory since she flew those two strange creatures up to the volcano, but she wanted to take things slow getting back.

She kept thinking on those two critters she saved. She didn’t quite understand or really listen to what all the one was saying or what was going on with those two, except there was something about the annoying one’s own kind. He was what, a troodon? Strange creatures, they usually kept to their own kind unless tamed. And even then they were quiet assassins. Nothing ever trusted those things because of that. It made the tamed were uneasy with them around and the venomous reptiles ran from wilds if they got too close to them. They just were too uptight and tight lipped of their lives. Which made it weird for one to be so, talkative and hanging out with the other one. She had never seen a wild one of them. Her owners had a couple of them. So it was even more weird with that one around.

Nectar flew for a while longer until she reached a plateau centered in the swamp where she decided to rest for the night. Close to the south side of the redwoods. Landing on the side of the large plateau with a loud, rhythmic hum of her wings. As she sat there looking at the night sky. She wondered why they wanted to go there. The place where her owner disappeared. It was where the humans went to either disappear or go in, and magically wind up back outside to only leave the volcano. But as she sat there, her mind began to wander on the first thing she saw when she was born. Her owner, she missed her, she was very kind to her and seemed to care for her a lot. But when she went to the volcano and into that cave. She never returned. Leaving her to starve for days. But Nectar waited, and waited. Until she couldn’t wait any longer. She was dying of hunger and thirst, and she needed to sustain herself. Souse tore off her saddle and killed a para in the field below. She flew for a while then before finding herself in that part of the swamp by the Green Obelisk swamp. And that’s where she had been ever since, at least until two days ago. Coming across those two brought back memories of her time as a tame.

As time passed as she sat there, she began to feel she wasn’t alone. First thinking it was some of the local wildlife, maybe an Achatina, maybe some Meganura or Titanomyrma. But as she began to look around for what was around her. She saw nothing, nothing but darkness. She then felt numerous vines or strands rope drop and land on top of her and several loud thuds on the ground around her. She looked around again, seeing nothing around her unusual around her but this time saw glowing eyes in the distant darkness. Immediately dozens of Troodons came out of the shadows and grabbed the ends of the rope and running back into the shadows. She began to feel the ropes tighten and saw more troodons coming out of the shadows and grabbing onto the ropes. Trying to pin her to the ground. Nectar was in shock at this, didn’t they know what she was? Nectar let out a loud roar that made the Troodons pulling on the ropes began to run away screaming, but more ran out of the shadows in place of the others. She tried to cut the ropes with her claws, but several more ropes came from above and wrapped around her claws.

“Capture the fugitive!!” They shouted.

‘Fugitive? How am I a fugitive? I really should’ve listened to that one.” She thought to herself, she needed to exit this, not fight or scare away by how their tactics were, one surprising thing was they didn’t tangle her wings in the rope. She quickly flew straight up in the air, she watched the Troodons jump back from the ropes. But the ropes remained tight, she watched as she continued to rise the Troodons jump on the ropes causing them to yanks she felt a weight on her other side of her she looked to see boulders start swinging around her and with each swing they got closer and closer until one smashed into her face, she crashed to the ground with a thunderous crash, she stared into the glowing eyes as they began to surround her, then she blacked out.

~

Nectar woke up completely tied down to the ground, even her tail. She felt pain of the side of her head where the boulder hit her in the head. But worse she felt pain in her wings. They had put her wings underneath two separate things from what she could feel. But she couldn’t see what they were. Troodons eyes’ glowed all around her from what she could tell. Whispers and noises came from all around her. Then she saw one Troodon in particular came walking straight to her face. It was gray feathered, old, and somewhat frail looking. But walked with determination, pride, and power in each step it took. Her glowing eyes stared at Nectar’s. And seemed to disapprove of her.

“Where are they?” she said, Nectar stared at her with no expression.

“Who? I’m sorry, I don’t tell strangers-” “My name is Mira, and I’m he leader of of my group here. And I want to know where you hid the fugitives?”

“Fugitives? I ju-” “The young Rock Drake and miniature Troodon are fugitives to us. We need to know where they are because they are a danger to this place.” Mira said,

“I don’t know, I didn’t hide them. I got them out of your hands and dropped them off in the swamp.” Nectar said, Mira shook her head.

“Look Nectar, we know that is a lie so spare yourself the pain. Tell us where you hid the fugitives, now.” Mira said, Nectar was confused.

“How do you know-” “That is none of your concern how we know Nectar. What matters is telling us where the fugitives are. Telling us will gain your freedom and we will never bother you again, doing otherwise will cost you your life. Are we clear on this? If so, tell us where they are.” Mira said as she got closer to Nectar’s face, expressing her irritation as she said this. Nectar sighed.

“I didn’t hide them, they asked me to take them somewhere.” Nectar said,

“Where then?” Mira said,

“The Volcano. They wanted me to take them to the top of the volcano.” Nectar said, Mira looked at her with a perplexed expression, before her eyes widened with realization.

“They escaped.” She said, she turned away to one of the other troodons. “We need to call an emergency meeting.” She said to him,

“I will call an meeting with the other districts.” He said,

“Not with the districts, with the other Orders. We have fugitives that have escaped the Ark.” Mira replied, he looked at her with shock.

“We haven’t called one in over a century. Is that even possible they escaped?”

“One of them was the leader of The Five. If wasn’t possible, he wouldn’t have been here. Call the meeting.”

“Yes Madam District Leader, but what do we do with her.” He said pointing to Nectar. Mira looked at at her with an expressionless look. She walked over to her and lowered her head in what seemed like disappointment.

“We had agreed that you would be released for sharing that information, and I wanted to. But we can no longer afford that now. I am sorry for what we have to do, but it is for the greater good of this Ark that no one knows what you or the fugitives know. Your death should be swift and painless” Mira said, Nectar closed her eyes hearing this.

“Madam District Leader, your command?” The one Troodon said, she stayed silent for a moment before sighing.

“Execute her.” she said, she look back at Nectar as they strapped rope. Around Nectar’s head and neck.

“I assume you can feel the large boulder on you wing closest to the edge of the plateau. In order for you to have a swift death. We will be serving your head from your body by us pushing the boulder off of your wing and off the cliff. Due to insects weak external joints, your head should pop off without you ever feeling it. Do you have any last words?” Mira said, Nectar looked at the feathered dinosaur. She wished she could use her tail.

“I hope you die a painful death, and I hope those kids get away.” She said, Mira looked at her and shook her head with distaste.

“My dear, they will not get away from the Order. I can promise you that.” She said, she nodded to one of the Troodons and Nectar began to feel tension of her neck. She tried to let out a roar quickly, but it was too late. She felt a yank and then darkness.

~

Mira stood at the platform for the Green Obelisk waiting as several troodons messed around with the terminal and platform as the tried to make contact with the other Arks in the cover of darkness. Several hours had pasted since they had to execute the Rhynio. This mess was getting out of hand with her son. She should’ve sent a large number of men that day instead of only two. Now they had a Rock Drake who was considered by the Order one of the most dangerous creatures out there for them. But they had no reason to go after him if he wasn’t dabbling into the Rune’s, o the Ark’s power. But if he wasn’t, he and his friends were all considered fugitives of the Order and had to be terminated. If they weren’t contained, chaos would plant it’s feet into the Ark and could cause countless cataclysmic events. And with the knowledge her son knew of the Arks. They had the means and the power to do so.

Mira was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard others conversing. She looked at the terminal and saw it glow with power and started to hear audible voices coming from the terminal.

“This is Ark 865, codename Crystal Isles. Reporting in for this meeting” a voice said,

“This Ark 488, codename Scorched Earth reporting in.” Another voice said,

“This is Ark 322, codename The Center reporting in.” Another said, one after the other did more Arks report in for the meeting. Mira sighed as everyone quieted done to let her announce herself.

“This is Ark 43, codename The Island, we have called this meeting for a Multi-Ark threat that originated from this Ark.”