Dododex

ARK: Survival Evolved & Ascended Companion

Under Nirvana - An ARK

Chapter 7: Daytime Danger

Story by Bria!

Find the last chapter in SUMMONER and the next chapter in SINOMACROPS!

Both Ruby and Neddy arrived back at the campsite to the sight of Borealis staring at the sunset and Nova dozing away. Nova’s dodo bird had his head perched on her leg.

“Borealis,” Neddy called out meekly. Borealis looked back at Neddy without even a hint of care. Ruby clenched her fists at the look on Borealis’ face. Seeing it much more clearly now, she recalled just how much she hated him, not just for what he did to her friend, but for how little he really cared about her.

If she could abandon him now, leave him to rot, she would. And nothing would change her mind.

“He’s even worse than back in his freshman and sophomore years. At least he could pretend he was human,” Ruby thought deep in her head as they approached Borealis, “I guess all that happened was him showing his true colors.”

“You were given aid from Ruby, which I should have expected, so be it,” Borealis continued, looking him up and down. “So tell me. Where is the firewood?”

Neddy’s eyes widened, patting his underwear.

“Oh no, I completely forgot! I—”

“Unacceptable,” Borealis sneered, standing up and looking down at Neddy, “You are not only weak, but you are plainly incompetent. Gnats like you serve no purpose on the path to survival.”

“You shut it!” Ruby shouted, taking a step forward. Borealis shot a snideful look at Ruby.

“Watch your mouth around me, woman.”

Ruby reached into her pouch and took out a few handfuls of thatch along with the firewood she’d collected after killing the Ichthyornis.

“If you’re so good, you could’ve just gotten this yourself, or assigned me to do the job,” Ruby declared, chucking the logs one by one at Borealis’ head. He catched it with ease.

“You just want to bully him. So I’m not gonna watch my mouth, you hear me?”

Borealis grumbled in annoyance. His grip on the wood became tighter.

“Neddy. Ignore her. You start the fire and prove your utility. Now.”

He dropped the logs near his feet. Ruby looked over at Neddy.

“Hey, don’t—”

Too late. Neddy already scurried off, kneeling down to pick up the firewood. In a scramble, he rushed to the side and began arranging the logs in a circle. Ruby looked over at Borealis with a glare of hatred.

“You really are a monster, aren’t you?”

“I am not a monster!” Borealis huffed, “You know nothing, and I say, NOTHING, of my own troubles. What I’m doing with the boy? It’s barely the surface of what I had to endure.”

Borealis turned away.

“You will understand one day, Ruby Wright, how necessary this will be for our survival, both here and in the real world.”

Ruby felt something stir within her heart. She forced herself not to shoot him in the head with an arrow. The gall of Borealis was unreal to her.

“You really are a narcissist,” Ruby spat, “Just because you have a sappy backstory doesn’t mean you can force it onto people like Neddy.”

Neddy looked up slightly at Ruby as she spoke out against him. He aimlessly rubbed wood together, watching her speak with great interest.

“That makes you a villain too.”

Borealis froze up. He let out a deep breath. Ruby wasn’t sure if Borealis liked that title— but she wasn’t too sure if she should keep pushing it. She glanced over at Neddy, who was still struggling with getting the fire started.

“Neddy,” Ruby whispered loudly. Neddy looked up again. Ruby did a rubbing motion with her hands rapidly. Neddy bit his tongue, shaking his head. He already tried that. Ruby gritted her teeth, forming a thin cylinder with her hands and then rubbing it again. Neddy snapped his fingers, giving her a thumbs-up. He tried doing the same motions, and a few sparks began flying after a few moments.

~

Borealis was losing control. And he wasn’t sure he liked it.

Neddy was under his thumb just fine. He knew the boy wouldn’t talk back even if it meant his life. He was completely loyal. And he was fine with that. He was fine with that as long as it meant staying alive.

But Nova and Ruby? Neither of them were compliant. They were anything but that.

“I have nothing against Ruby,” Borealis thought. He looked over at Nova, still sleeping. The pathetic bird was off in la la land too. An idea came to him just then.

“You, however…”

Borealis smiled at the thought, walking over to Nova softly, his footsteps crunching against the grass. Ruby noticed what was going on, and a haunting thought crossed her mind.

“What does he think he’s doing—” Ruby’s thoughts were interrupted by a rustling that came from behind her. Ruby jerked her head back, reaching for her bow. As she stared deep into the forest, she could see large, bipedal birds with small wings watching from the tree branches…

“What the…” Ruby whispered, her heart pounding against her chest. “Archaeopteryx? No… Microraptors?”

“Are they friendly?”

~

“I’ll get a hold of the bird,” Borealis thought as he walked up to the sleeping Nova. He held his hands out, prepared to snatch it. “I’ll show you what’s necessary for a better world.”

A smile crept up on Borealis’ face. The dodo’s eyes fluttered open. Borealis’ eyes widened in panic.

“No, no! I have to—”

He lunged his hands forward toward the animal’s neck.