Dododex

ARK: Survival Evolved & Ascended Companion

Journey: Chapter 33

Forest had been running and gliding for an hour. He was following tracks that were from a small four-legged creature that was chasing a smaller two-legged creature. He assumed these were Crimson’s and Nightfall. He had only spotted them three times in the hour at far distances, and the last time he spotted them was over fifteen minutes ago. When he saw them, Crimson was still chasing Nightfall in full force. What was Nightfall thinking to get her this angry? If his kind knew about them. Wouldn’t he know that she would kill him? It seemed so stupid for a creature that considered its kind to be the smartest creatures in this place. He just couldn’t wrap his head around it.

The day was quickly becoming dusk, the sunset was eerily beautiful, but Forest knew it could come with dangers. Forest was afraid that the dangers of this desert would catch them all if they didn’t stick together or work together. Forest heard a sheep call out from the dunes. He began to ignore it when he heard dodo, quetz and gigantopithecus calls come from the same stretch of dunes in the distance. He stopped to listen for a moment. “FOREST!!” He heard plain as day coming from the dunes, but he couldn’t recognize the voice. But he could guess who it was. Forest began to sprint over in that direction, “FOREST!!!” He heard again. This time he recognized it as Nightfall’s voice. Forest jumped into the air and began to glide up to the dune.

When he got there, he saw that Crimson had caught Nightfall by the tail and was spinning in a death roll in the sands. He was spinning too, trying to keep up wither her spinning and screaming as he was.

“FOREST!! If you don’t help me now; you’re good friend is going to turn me into Troodon Cordon Bleu!!!” Nightfall screamed at the top of his lungs. Forest immediately panicked, his head feathers raised to attention as he lunged onto Crimson’s back and gripped her. Holding her still as he tried to wrap his claws around her muzzle.

“Crimson, let him go!!” Forest said as he tried to open her jaws

“Not til he’s Dead Neat For What He Said To Ne!!” Crimson snorted as she bit down harder. Nightfall squealed like a little Daeodon as she did.

“Look Crimson, I-” “SHUT IT YOU TINT SIZE, LOUD NOUTH FREAK!!!! YOU’RE NINE AND THAT’S THAT!! ANY LAST WORDS?!” Crimson growled while she held onto Nightfall’s tail.

“Crimson!! You need to stop!! Let him go!!” Forest said as he held Crimson’s snout.

“Crimson please let go!! I didn’t mean anything to what I said, I needed to say it to get Forest out of there in a hurry!!” Nightfall screeched,

“What??” Both Forest and Crimson said at the same time.

“Look, I- I needed to get everyone out of the area quickly before we were all going to meet raptor jesus in the sky. And with you and Forest bickering, and Forest being stupid thinking that we could somehow change the tide of the fight. We would’ve been goners.”

“Dut why NE!!! AND WHY SAY ALL THOSE THINGS!?!?” Crimson said,

“Look, between you and Forest, Forest is too stupid and too caring to take something like that as an offense to attack them. But you, from everything we know of you! You can go from 0- 100 in anger in no time flat!! So I had to use you!! I’m sorry!! But IT WAS TO SAVE YOU!!” Nightfall begged, Crimson stared down Nightfall. His eyes tearing up and puppy-eyed. She groaned as she opened her jaws and spat out Nightfall’s tail. Nightfall embraced his tail as he sat in the dune’s sand and started hyperventilating.

“You taste like a Dung Beetle anyway.”

“That’s because I buried myself in swamp mud before getting a pile of sand- ” “What do you mean I wouldn’t take those things you said as offensive!?” Forest interrupted as he got off Crimson’s back, Nightfall started brushing off the slobber on his tail.

“Forest, you are smart and a really good friend, but you're also incredibly stupid at the same time and too much of a punching bag for others.” Nightfall said as he brushed off the slobber and sand on his tail.

“I’m Stupid?! I mean, no I mean I am not stupid!? How, I am mean why would you even think that?” Forest said, his voice cracking as he did.

“Forest, you simply are. In all honesty, The Order is surprised you survived with all the events you went through. But even though you are stupid, you have a loving heart, and you're a tough Doed.” Nightfall said, Forest stared at him for a moment, being very irritated with him. But Nightfall seemed to be unaware. He looked over at Crimson.

“Hey, I’m really sorry about calling you names back there Crimson. I didn’t want ” Nightfall said genuinely and sincerely to Crimson.

“Now before you change your mind and eat me, I am going to see if I can find our way to the oasis.” Nightfall said quickly scampering off over to the top of the Dunes.

Forest walked up to Crimson and sat next to her. “How close were you to having him by the throat?” Forest asked, “If he had said one more word when he was in my mouth while begging for mercy.” Crimson said raising her head with eyes full of anger. Forest started to laugh hard, harder than he had in a while. Crimson looked at Forest confused.

“Why are you laughing?” Crimson asked.

“I haven’t seen you that mad with anybody since the first time I met Rust and saw you!” Forest answered.

“You're just exaggerating leech breath, it wasn’t that bad.” Crimson said, Forest looked over at her with great confusion.

“Wasn’t that bad? You were trying to kill him like you were with Nightfall just now. Over a piece of meat no less.” Forest said, Crimson scowled at Forest.

“You're blowing things out of proportion, I was only chasing him because he told me to chase him.” Crimson answered, Forest wasn’t believing that for a minute.

“And what, you get paid one piece of meat?” Forest said, Crimson looked away from him and huffed.

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” Forest started laughing at this and Crimson couldn’t help but smile hearing him laugh.

“I don’t wish to interrupt whatever it is you guys are doing instead of helping me look…” Nightfall said walking back up to both of them as the wind blew his feathers, “But ah, we’re lost.”…