Dododex

ARK: Survival Evolved & Ascended Companion

Legend’s of Pandora

Chapter 7 ~ compys ~

Caesar and Salizar were given plenty of supplies, food, camping supplies, two bows and plenty of arrows, a cloak for Salizar and satchels for the both of them. and the sea serpent hunters gave them a map, detailing directions on how to make it to the edge of the ark without getting into trouble. As they set out Salizar pointe out something on the map he found worrisome, “look there, they’re having us go directly through the Rockdrake’s territory. “Good I’d like to see General Emerald again.” Caesar said. Salizar glared at him. “Oh calm down I’m just joking around, there was a time you appreciated my sense of humor.” Caesar said. “You aren’t my brother.” Salizar said indignantly. “I didn’t say brother. Obviously we’ll have to go around, but we should be careful, if the serpents said going through there was the safest way, straying too far from the path will probably be dangerous.” Caesar said. “If only you still had your enhanced arm.. could’ve come in handy.” Salizar said.

They trekked through the forest, it wasn’t tropical, but it was dense. Salizar got stuck in some quicksand at one point and Caesar had to pull him out, and another time a titanoboa nearly swallowed Caesar whole, only to leap out of the way at the last second due to Salizar’s warning. Salizar, not knowing how to shoot a bow, turned his arrowheads into makeshift throwing knives, Eventually when they reached the border of the Drake’s territory, Caesar looked to the map and asked, “Left or right?” “Left.” Salizar answered. “Why so sure?” Caesar asked. “Because that stone over there reads ‘danger allosaurus territory’.” Salizar said. “Then maybe we should go right, I bet you’d be delicious.” Caesar said. Salizar glared at him and snatched the map out of his hand, starting down the left path. Caesar saw another stone on the left path, it was coated in moss. “Salizar, Wait up!” He said, starting after him.

He finally caught up to Salizar and grabbed his shoulder, “there’s something down this path too.” He said catching his breath. “What?” Salizar said irritably. Caesar was beginning to say, “I don’t know” when they heard a rustling in the bushes. They both looked around them, “who’s there!” Salizar called out, him holding a knife at the ready and Caesar raising his bow, an arrow knocked. No response. “Come out into the light!” Caesar demanded. They heard another rustling behind them, Salizar turned on a dime, “I think we are surrounded.” He said quietly. “Get ready to run.” Caesar said. The rustling stopped. The two of them glanced around, weapons still raised, ready for anything. Anything except a tiny theropod leaping out of the brush, tilting its head curiously. “What do you want!” Salizar yelled. It backed up a step and growled. “It’s a compsognathus, they’re like other mesopithicus they’re wild, it can’t understand you.” Caesar said. But another jumped out of the bushes, followed by several more. They were completely surrounded by at least fifty of the little creatures. “Think we can take them?” Caesar said. “This many of them? No.” Salizar replied. One chirped and stepped forward. Salizar turned to it and threw one of his knives, intentionally missing by a few inches, trying to startle it away. It jumped back, looked at the knife and back at Salizar, then it snarled. The others joined in, growling and yipping at them. One jumped onto Caesar, nearly knocking him over before Salizar pulled it off, stabbing it in the ribs as he did. The others all gave nasty little roars, and attacked. “RUN!” Caesar shouted. The two sprinted away, kicking the compys in their path, the little beasts hissed at them and began chase, Caesar and Salizar ran, they shot and threw knives at a few of the compys every now and then, mostly missing on account of the tiny size, the dense shrubbery, the fact they were throwing or shooting behind them, and their high speed. Every once and awhile a compy would leap onto one of their backs, before getting shaken off, or shot. “We aren’t losing them!” Caesar said. “If anything we’re making them madder!” Salizar said. Just then, multiple compys leapt onto Salizar’s back, knocking him to the ground, Caesar following him down with three latching into his hide. They struggled on the ground, trying to shake them off or fight back, which Salizar had a better time at, his weapons doubling as close range. It felt like there was at least a couple hundred compys now, piling onto them and biting them viciously, they couldn’t hang on much longer, both screaming in agony. But then the whole pack looked up, and then turned tail and ran. the bushes rustling loudly and the pitter patter of hundreds of clawed feet sprinting away. Caesar could smell blood, and knew he had more than a few substantial bites. His vision blurred and right before he went unconscious he swore he an Angel, if angels had scaly toothy muzzles.

Caesar’s eyes drifted open hazily. He was laid down on an old human bed, his body was covered in bandages. “S-Sal, H-Hector. Where is Hector?” Caesar asked, hoping that maybe the alias would work. It didn’t. “Who’s Hector? You and that.. Salizar, were the only two we picked up.” General Emerald said. “Emerald, good to see you. Where is he.” Caesar asked. “Trial, don’t know why he needs one. We all saw what he did.. wielding that dragon against us. threatening our children?” Emerald spat all this in a harsh whisper. “But of course, the drakes and their rules.. maybe Darkhide was right- I’m rambling, why do you want to know?” Emerald asked. “Because, we can’t stay here. I need him.” Caesar said. “WHAT?! Why?! What could you possibly need him for! He deserves what he’s getting!” Emerald said indignantly. “You don’t understand, my friends. He’s the only way I’ll find them. I’m smart but not enough. Not enough to hack into the ark.” Caesar said. “You’re right, I don’t understand. I don’t understand how you could work with vile scum like the likes of him. There has to be another way to find your friends.” Emerald said. “It’s not just finding them, I don’t know what’s going on, why the sun won’t move, why we’re on earth, why it’s all ruled by some gang. I don’t know anything about this place. But somehow he does. He won’t tell me everything but he knows. I don’t know if he learned it from the arks or what, but somehow he knows more than anyone else. I hate him more than anyone, but for now. I don’t have a choice.” Caesar said. Emerald’s eyes dart around deep in thought, and then she grunts and leaves the room in a rush. Caesar sighs and lays back down, drifting to sleep.