Chapter one

-Belladonna-

"OPEN THE GATES!"

The bellow came from outside thick, stone walls. Two guards grasped levers and shoved them down, causing the gate to come up. Three equus galloped in, making indents on the snowy ground.

On top of the lead equus was a huge, muscular woman. Her skin was as bright white as the snow beneath her, and as pale. She has a wide, broad face, scars slashing along her cheeks. Although her skin was old and ragged, her expression was hard as stone, revealing nothing about her personality. Her hair was light grey, indicating old age. In the back, two almost identical men sat expressionless.

They slowed to a halt. The riders dismounted, walking in their separate directions. The woman ran over to a small child, possibly seven or eight years. She looked like the woman, and was big for her age, with large emerald eyes and black hair. She wore fur clothing like the rest of the tribe. She looked masculine, with her short hair and tough muscles. The woman greeted her with a smile. "Belladonna! How was your day?" she asked, crouching down to look at her.

"It was GREAT!" Belladonna squeaked, jumping up and down. "I shot my bow and killed a dilophosaur all by myself and I skinned it and I took its crest and I put it on a table at home!" She beamed at the woman.

"That's good." The woman responded, standing up. With a more stern face, she turned her head to a black man standing nearby. "Retrieve Sol, Larkspur."

"Yes, Nightshade." Larkspur dipped his head respectfully and ran over to the equus Nightshade was riding, digging around carefully in its pouch. He grabbed something, and took it out. Trying not to harm the ball, he walked over to Nightshade and handed her the item.

Belladonna looked at the strange thing. It was HUGE, about three-quarters the size of her. It was shaped like the dodo eggs Nightshade would cook for her, but much larger. It was a vibrant shade of red, and had a tough layer of scales on its shell.

Nightshade grasped the egg, obviously it was very heavy if even she had trouble holding it. She bent down to Belladonna, showing her the object.

"This is for you. Belladonna. A spinosaurus egg," Nightshade said, "we saw the way you looked at spinosaurs; wether it be drawings or actual ones. This egg's name is Sol. Sol will be your primary tame, you will raise it with care. But be careful, spinosaurs are dangerous creatures that require a lot of care and responsibility. You will struggle, but trust me, the reward will be worth it."

Mauve pulsed with fear and anger as he made his way through the tight crowd and ran after his sister. But before he could get very far, a few guard deinonychuses strolled in and grabbed him, pushing him back.

"SCORCH!" He yelled, knowing that wouldn't help. Maybe he could get his parents to help him.

Mauve dashed back and tried to find his parents. *Where are they? They were just here a minute ago.* He thought with frustration.

*I'll have to make do without them.*

Mauve came up with a little plan; He'd circle around the crowd as it eased and went away, in the jungle. And then he'd follow the scent trail of Alpha. Quite simple, but maybe not that easy. He'd think of more once he had more information.

Mauve slipped out into the trees unseen, and ran in a circle around the Sacrifice Clearing. He got to a path with two pairs of talonprints, both fresh. Small and big. *Scorch and Alpha.*

He followed the scent and tracks silently, it took a few turns. Left, right, right, left. Which led the same way originally, but it's probably for Alpha to not be followed. *If that's the case, they do a horrid job at it.* Mauve thought.

Suddenly he heard screams and angry growls up ahead, both of which he recognized.

Mauve crouched down and looked through the ferns, seeing Alpha tying Scorch up a pole with a rope. They were at a clearing next to a river, and on the other side of the river a huge, dark hole sat. Mauve could smell weird scents of death, and something else, coming from there. It must be strong for him to smell it all the way across the river.

Mauve saw Alpha tie the last rope and he dashed away, not even looking in Mauve's direction. Mauve burst out of the ferns and ran to Scorch.

"Are you okay?" He whispered to her as he started untying the ropes and cutting the ones he didn't know how to untie. Scorch nodded, crying with both happiness and fear.

Mauve untied the last rope and grabbed Scorch. "Let's go!"

-Unknown

written at 3am yahoo

anyway

A Yuty’s Quest Part One aka a dumpster fire

I didn’t proofread this so sorry if it doesn’t make sense

join the discord for uncensored chapters, getting chapters early, extras etc

A roar and a crash.

That’s all Bicker remembered of when her father died.

Bicker doesn’t really care, unlike her older brother. She’d never met him. She wants to meet him, sure, but it’s not at the forefront of her thoughts.

Her mother, Splinter, rarely talks about him, whether it be how he died or the adventures he went on. Bicker had tried to pressure her brother into telling her, seeing as he was a few years older than her and might have some memories, but he would always respond with “he was nice” or “I miss him” and never actually said anything about it.

The only things she knows about him are few; he was killed by humans, and he led the pack. However, nobody talks about what happened. It’s custom to let certain yutys remember the past, and advise the leaders in their decisions, but not even the leader’s children got access to that information. And that infuriates Bicker. She wants to know what happened.

Talking about the past was forbidden. Why? Nobody knew. You aren’t even allowed to talk to the archivists as they might slip up and reveal something. It was f*ing stupid! Whoever thought of this dumbass rule needs to be drowned. Beaten and drowned.

“Pay attention, s*head!!” A rock hit Bicker on the head.

“The f* was that for?” Bicker whipped around to see her little brother taunting her.

“Willow wants our help. You can’t just sit around and daydream all day.”

Bicker grumbled a response and shoved her brother with her tail playfully. “C’mon. What does he need?”

Although Bicker’s little brother, Argent, was only half her size, he acted like he made the rules. His energy had no bounds. He had no rules for himself; always getting into fights and stealing things. Bicker knew that she had taught him that. Even though it was annoying, she was proud of him.

Argent led Bicker to a clearing, where Splinter and Willow sat. “Found her!” He bounded over towards Willow, who had a poorly drawn map made in the snow, accompanied by the occasional rock or stick that Bicker thought was supposed to act as locations or landmarks.

“Bick! You’re here. Uh, we need help with this. You’re the one who’s supposed to know these things.” Willow gestured down to the map, his tail lightly thumping against the snow. He often did that to express a strong emotion, positive or negative. Usually it was worry.

Bicker looked down at the map. She could just barely make out a map of the northeastern sector of Valguero; Willow had placed rocks where important locations are and separated the snow zone from the tundra with a thin twig that was bound to blow away any second. A rock sat just above the stick, their pack’s camp. Smaller rocks were sprinkled across the makeshift map, Bicker didn’t know what most of them were but she could tell where the human tribe was located, somewhere at the southernmost region of the tundra, almost falling off the map. There were a few other things she recognized as well, a few rocks and pebbles indicating other yuty maps or even important camps of other species, such as the mammoths’. Though it was messy and a few of the locations were incorrect.

She looked up at Willow. “What’s this for?”

Willow shrugged and looked over at their mother, who was politely observing the situation. “Maybe I just wanted to create a map. For uh, someone.” His tail twitched. He always did that when he lied. “So, will you help me? You know all the routes for trading and such, can you draw those?”

“If you want to make a map, you’re going to have to do it better than this.” Bicker stomped on the map, the rocks scattering and some snow blowing away.

Willow pouted and looked up at Bicker. “That took me forever.”

Sometimes Bicker felt like she was older than Willow. He acted so stupid and childish. Most of the time, Bicker was jealous of him. He didn’t deserve the title of “oldest”, she did.

Bicker walked away, some snow that was matted on her fur falling and disappearing into the wind. She picked up a somewhat small and flat rock, setting it down near Willow and dusting the snow off. “Think you can work with this?”

Willow simultaneously nodded and shrugged, tilting his head to the side and inspecting the stone. “Yeah, seems easy enough. Thanks.” He stood up and strode over to a small dip in the rock where he stored his things, pulling out a bit of frozen dye (crushed berries scavenged from the northern part of the lake) and walking back to the stone. He scooped up a chunk of crushed tintoberry with his right claws and slapped it onto the stone, painting in the tundra. He grabbed some crushed stimberries and painted in the snow zone, then marked different important areas with narcoberries, azulberries and mejoberries depending on what it was, being guided by Bicker.

Bicker watched him. His movements were careful, his limbs stiff as if he even made one mistake he would go insane. At last he finished, setting it down like it was a priceless artifact. “Mind telling me what it’s for?”

Willow looked up and back to their mother, or where she was. She tends to disappear like that. It’s kind of creepy, Bicker noted.

“Er, I just wanted to make a map. To donate to the archivists.” His tail twitched again. Willow knew she could easily pressure it out of him, but she decided not to.Usually she would poke and prod until he came clean, but today she didn’t. And she wasn’t sure why.

Bicker sighed and looked him in the eye. “You’re a horrible liar.”

Willow didn’t say anything and just looked to the ground. He mumbled something Bicker didn’t catch under his breath before he picked up the stone and walked back to where he slept. Was that all he needed help with? Literally just for her to stand there and tell him that he needs to put his work somewhere a bit more permanent? He really was stupid.

+Pov change

Willow sat down in his little cave, just a rock overhanging a small dip in the dirt. It was sheltered, and although it didn’t look like much it was comfortable. Most yuty’s dont get this pleasure, usually having to share nests in a larger cave, which ends up making everything annoyingly warm. But luckily he was the leader’s son. He would give this cave to another yuty if he could, and he’s tried, but turns out the archivists have more jobs than one. They also record your faults. You could steal prey from another yuty, and you’d get a strike. If you get too many, you’ll be banished. Plain and simple. And apparently trying to be helpful is against the rules, which got him a strike. Willow wondered how his father led in these conditions. It was painful.

He leaned back against the small walls of the cave. It may have been comfortable, but it was lonely. Apparently privacy is something most yutys want, but it leaves Willow nobody to talk to, to connect to. He hated that. Sometimes he imagined himself in a different pack, eating and talking with no restrictions and enjoying himself. But he knew that deep down, all of these crazy rules kept the pack afloat. That’s why their pack was so large and well-known, also thanks to the incredible feats of Furbeak, his father, and probably other leaders in the past. Probably. He wished he knew.

He looked down at the map he had created, it was messy and he wished he could redo it. He hated to lie to his family, especially his sister, but he knew it was necessary. Only he knew what happened to his father, and it hurt to think about. Only he knew that his father was still alive, waiting for someone to help him. He was tamed. Tamed! A dreaded possibility. To be trained and domesticated by humans, creatures even a hatchling could easily decimate, was not only humiliating but it was horrid. Willow imagined Furbeak heading out to war, killing yutys against his own will and a prisoner in his own body. He shuddered. Furbeak could have died, sure, but Willow knows that he’s too stubborn to. And of course, if he was planning on taking him back, then he would need the help of his sister. His mother and brother had to be left out, no matter how much Argent might plead, it’s not safe for him.

Willow thumped his tail softly against the frozen ground. He has a ton of memories of his father, more than most yutys think. He curled up to a ball and stuck his nose in his feathers, wishing that none of this had to happen, wishing that his father was still here to help him through this.

if you read this you're officially a god

A short story by a forbidden water noodle (only the OGs know who I am ¬‿¬)

The sun sat low in the sky as Mica's tail curled around the egg. Her mate, Talc, was already sleeping next to her. She rested her head on the other side of the object, feeling the calming touch of her unborn offspring's temporary vessel. Soon she would be teaching Copper, the name she planned for him, how to climb and hunt. Mica's mind swirled with these positive thoughts as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

---

Mica awoke to Talc prodding her shoulder. He had caught a juvenile jerboa, her favorite.

"I thought you'd might like this," he said, dropping the fluffy creature next to her.

"Thanks. But, you do realize I can still hunt, right?" Mica added lightheartedly, sitting up. She bit into the jerboa, relishing the juicy taste.

"Of course! But someone still has to watch Copper. You know about the recent raids on other nests. We can't let that happen to him," Talc replied, glancing down at the egg. He wrapped his tail around it, smiling warmly. "If you want, I can watch him while you hunt? I saw a few fat dodos near the cliff. I'd like some of that." He dragged his tongue over his lips.

"Sure! I hope Copper likes dodo as much as you do," mused Mica. "I saw a new clutch of eggs down by the beach yesterday."

She stood up and shook out her feathers. "See you later!" Mica bounded off, taking a glance back at her mate. Love filled her heart looking at him.

---

'It's almost sundown,' thought Mica as she picked her way back to her nest with a plump dodo dangling in her jaws. A bloodcurdling screech filled her ears, and at once she dropped her dodo and ran to her nest. Mica recognized the voice clearly; it was her beloved mate.

Panic raced through her, nose to tail-tip. She sped up and turned a corner around a rock, nearing the small clearing where her nest lay. The noise was clearer now, humans were definitely involved. She thought of her child, Copper, and all of the memories she could make with him. Mica could still make this happen, if only she got there in time.

She burst through the bushes, letting out a roar. There were three humans and a tamed ptera. Mica risked a glance at her egg, still safely tucked into her nest. Talc was nowhere in sight; she hoped that was a good thing.

Mica dashed to her egg, ignoring the unwelcome worries roaming in her head. What if Talc was dead? Would the humans kill her family?

She was dimly aware of the humans screaming at one another, barking orders. The smallest one set his sights on her, holding a long stick. She was familiar with those, they could kill a deinonychus in one shot.

Grasping the egg, Mica made a run for the bushes, spotting blood splattered all over them. Her mate's tail, stained red, was sticking out, still as a rock. Mica swallowed down a wail, grief and anguish flooding her head.

Fury shot through her. She set the egg down in a small hole and whipped around. Mica crouched, looking at the small human chasing after her. She pounced on his neck, her teeth sinking into the warm flesh. The human let out a squeal, cut short as he slumped to the ground.

Time seemed to slow down as she looked up from her kill. The largest human pointed the deadly stick at her, whilst the other made a run for the egg. She tried to stop the human going for the egg, although it was to no avail. The large human strengthened her grip on the stick and rested her finger on a button. A painful noise flooded her ears, but just as quickly as it came, darkness flooded her vision and she fell to the ground.

---

Chapter Two

-Bee-

(15 years later)

I wake up to the sound of a smashing building outside of my apartment.

Now, mind you, a lot of creatures have the ability to do this. But one, these buildings are completely smash-proof (trust me) and two, all creatures heavier than one ton by law are kept in cages, cryopods or on dino leashes unless being ridden. And the city of Sanctuary is VERY good at enforcing laws(again, trust me).

I groaned, not wanting to wake up. But I knew I had to work, and also, I did not want to be crushed under thousands of pounds of metal and tek. I climb out of my tek sleeping pod and walk over to the window, rubbing my eyes. The office building downtown was being demolished. You'd think they'd notify nearby people about CONTROLLED DESTRUCTIONS of LARGE AND HEAVY AND DANGEROUS FALLING BUILDINGS outside.

Lately they've been replacing tek buildings with this new glowy purple stuff. I don't like it.

I yawn angrily and wash up. I get dressed in my work uniform and snap on my cryopod belt, latching on my tames. I keep on marked "C" in my hand.

I look at the time. 6:42. I have to be at work by 7. I walk through my tek door onto the landing platform and toss my cryopod carelessly.

A male zombie fire wyvern appeared. He had a light azure body and an even lighter azure underbelly. His wings and finned spines were midnight blue and his long, windy tail was finned at the edges. Sparks shot from his nostrils.

Why sparks, you may ask? Well, my boy here Cyclone used to be a lightning wyvern, back when we lived on Scorched Earth. But alas, he died, and I trapped his essence. I went to the seasonal wyvern resurrection shop, but the only type of wyvern body they had was fire. So now I have a blue lightning-breathing zombie fire wyvern. A mouthful, I know.

I climbed up his wing and threw my legs around his shoulders. Cyclone understood, we've been doing this routine at the same time for years. He spread his wings and flew into the crowded traffic above. We flew north and landed outside of a building labeled "The Smoothie Place".

What, did you think I worked in some epic dino training facility? This is 2307, not the 2280's. Nothing is fun or nice since government has taken over. We just need something to end this misery. But for now, it's fine, as long as I had Cyclone with me.

I put Cyclone back in his cryopod and checked in.

"Good luck in there," my good friend Wilias mumbled to me, stumbling out of the store. He looked exhausted. I felt bad for him, but mostly wondered if I would be like that by the time my shift is over.

I looked at the large mirrors lining the walls, seeing myself in my reflection. I saw a 24-year-old woman, who looked ragged as always. My tan, dirty skin wrapped around my bones. I was very skinny, like my body couldn't produce enough muscle. About 7 foot 2 inches tall, I guessed. I never really checked, I mean, why bother? My hair was blond, going down to just below my shoulders. It was straight, always looking like it was dripping wet. I had a slight unibrow.

I walked over to the manager. "What station am I working today?" I questioned, since they didn't really have a schedule for that. Also, I was proud of the fact that I could work all stations.

"Fly-through." She responded, distracted.

"Aight.. any new, well, news?" I asked.

"New person named Belladonna. Has a mutated spinosaurus," she added, "now go to your station or you won't have one."

I didn't say anything to that, although I wanted to kick her. I went over to the window where people could order from their tames and put on the mic.

Hours later, at 14:00, I finally got out of work. I got Cyclone out and mounted him.

"How would you like to go to the Capital?" I asked him after I changed, knowing full well he wouldn't know what I was saying, although he still looked enthusiastic. We flew up to the top of the Capital building, which was basically an aerial park. Cyclone landed gracefully at the edge of the park. I dismounted him, my shoes sinking into the moist dirt. I walked up to the fence-line and gazed at the city. We were currently on the tallest building.

The domes ahead looked beautiful. I envied anyone who could go out of the city boundaries. I always had a dream of being an explorer, ever since I was a kid. I always wanted to see wild tames and roll in the snow of the Arctic Dome or walk in the sand of the Desert dome, or splash in the rivers of the Forest Crater. But no; us humans have destroyed all wildlife. We have tamed and taken over the earth. Soon nature's going to take its revenge.

I felt an overwhelming sense of foreboding as I viewed the city. It wouldn't be a Sanctuary for much longer.

"Mauve! Scorch! Wake up!"

Mauve heard his mother call. He dashed out of his hole with his little sister trailing behind. She recently learned to walk.

Mauve looked back and Scorch tripped on the rocks. "Are you okay?" He asked as he helped her up. She was so tiny, and her orange-black feathers were still fluffy. Scorch stood up and nodded, waddling towards their parents.

They walked out to see mother dealing with an ovi raptor. She snorted as it tried to grab the egg, but then father ran up to it and scared it off.

"Well, who wants to come hunt it? If so, we have to go now before it's gone." Father said. "This would be Scorch's first hunt.

Scorch stood up to him and puffed out her chest. "I'll rip its face off!" She said loudly, but it was more like a squeak.

"I want to come." Mauve decided. Mother nodded. "I'll come too," she said.

"Then, let's go!" Father pushed his way out of the small cave and dashed across the wet grass, the full-grown deinonychus disappeared within seconds of entering the jungle. Mother followed behind, carrying Scorch. Mauve ran after.

*That oviraptor will pay for trying to eat my little sibling!* Mauve thought, going in after. He ran close to his mother, following her tail.

"Yes! I got it!" Father bellowed triumphantly as the rest of the family slowed to a stop. He came out of the bushes with the limp ovi in his jaws as a loud roar echoed through the trees.

Unmistakably, that was the horn for the Sacrifice Announcement.

-Unknown

Everyone in the nesting grounds dreaded this day, but it always came. Once a month they sacrificed someone to satisfy beasts that they weren't sure even existed.

Anyone who knew what they were was long dead. "Welcome everyone...w- we all know what today is." Said the alpha as everyone gathered around. Mauve looked at his tail feathers self consciously. "Do I look ok?" He whispered to his parents. Everyone knew that the alpha usually chose those that he liked the least, but nobody spoke about it because it could mean an instant sacrifice.

"Well...let's see..." said the alpha as Scorch nervously huddled against Mauve. "It's ok...nobody your age is ever chosen." Mauve lied, trying to calm her. "How about...you!" He heard the alpha yell, pointing.

Mauve knew where the alpha was pointing, even before he looked. The alpha's talon was pointed at Mauve. Scorch and Mauve's parents were speechless. Mauve began to walk forward, but to his suprise, the alpha told him to go back. "No, not you...her. the little one." The alpha said. "NO! SHE'S AN INNOCENT HATCHLING, SHE DID NOTHING WRONG! TAKE ME INSTEAD!" Mauve yelled, only embarrassing himself as the others ignored.

"Well everyone...let's not delay this any more than neccesary." The alpha said surprisingly calmly, like sacrificing innocent children was no big deal and he had done it many times before. "Come on!" The alpha growled, pulling Scorch, who tried desperately to free herself from his grasp. Mauve couldn't just let them sacrifice his little sister. After all, she was his responsibility.

-Unknown

Chapter 6: Sneaking In

Zahra padded nervously to the huge spikes of ice marking the border. Already she felt cold! Thoughts came back to her about what might happen if they found her. Killing, shaming, torturing..

In the distance, Zahra heard claws tapping. She hid in one of the ice spike crevices and saw four shapes go along the border.

*A patrol. That's Agiad, Oka, Frigusfur, and Jahausgs.* She observed, tucking her tail in.

They passed her, too intent on talking to notice Zahra.

She leaped out of the cracks and turned invisible.

Zahra quickly dashed to a tall forest of pines and tracked the scent of where the patrol came from, leading to a frozen lake. It became more cold, but she quickly got used to it.

Padding silently onto a field, she brushed small, frosted plants, many of which she has not seen before. The sun sank below the rocks, turning the sky to a dark blue.

The scent led along a trail lined with whitish brambles, covered in freezing stones. Zahra shivered, looking at her visible breath. She realized that could easily be seen. She trotted deeper into the bushes and came to a small circle of ice spikes. Behind it was more ferns. A strong scent - the scent of Icefurs - hung in the midnight air.

Zahra climbed up one of the bigger spikes and hid behind it, hardly poking her transparent snout to face the clearing of snow. Almost nobody was around, except one who was guarding the entrance, although Zahra couldn't remember his name. She pricked her ears and heard faint snoring from a couple of dens.

Lightly jumping down, making sure to make no noise, Zahra went behind a small hut-like den to rest, and to hear any conversations. She would be staying here for a day or two, or so she was told.

She was getting comfortable when a pain hit her skull, and the world turned dark.

Chapter 3: A Claw on the Rocks

Nix yawned. It was a few years after the nursery incident, and he and Sejuk were almost Trainingfurs, if they *ever* got their assignments.

He decided to explore behind the Nursery, because what he had saw was strange. It looked like the Fireclaws, or as described, but with fins, and it was green.

Nix padded silently behind the crowd of Icefurs. He slipped behind the little hut made of frosted over ferns and saw a small, hardly noticeable hole. He could definitely fit, and who would notice he would be gone anyways?

As Nix clawed his way through a small tunnel, he felt himself become incredibly hot. His spine scraped across the ceiling of the dirt tunnel.

He clawed through a small pile of rocks and felt the tunnel open, although he could not see it. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, Nix saw more of the creatures; but a lot of them. He dove into a sticky bush crawling with bright green bugs and looked around the cave. Forest areas were scattered near a pool of water, flanked by a lava lake that was dripping from a hole.

Nix heard rustling from the bushes.

"Hi! I'm Enum."

Chapter 1

(Beware of me losing motivation like always. If no more chapters come out you know why. And yes, I know Icebreaker died, but let's pretend that never happened.)

The rain lashed against the roof of the cave. Luckily, they hadn't travelled deeper, because deeper meant flooding.

"I TOLD YOU THIS WAS A BAD IDEA!" Silentstrike grumbled, her dark brown talons flexing with anger. She HATED water. WHY MUST HER BROTHERS MAKE HER DO THIS AGAIN?

"Calm down, Silentstrike. The rain will ease off." Silentstrike's eldest brother, Moon, mused. He poked his spotted head out of the cave entrance and pointed his muzzle up. "See? The clouds are already starting to part."

"Forget it already. I'd rather starve in here than walk out in that marshy soil!" Silentstrike shivered. She wasn't sure if it was because of the thought of touching water ANYWHERE except her mouth or because of her frustration.

Her other brothers were already outside, splashing in the puddles. Her twin, a dark brown (almost black) yuty named Narco, sat inspecting The Lake nearby. Moon started playing with their youngest brother, Raincloud, who was spotted like moon, but a lighter gray shade. Silentstrike scoffed, thinking of the idiots prancing around outside.

The weather had been unpredictable- rainstorms, thunderstorms, snowstorms in the redwoods! Even hail had penetrated the place they live in, a quiet area abandoned by humans they called "The Farm" because it housed crops, not like they'd use them though. The farm was on a hill, separating a forest and a field that touches the lake. The field is where most activities took place, the traditional naming of a SharpClaw their elder Icebreaker had told them about before she died in a terrible flood.

The same flood had scarred Silentstrike. She almost drowned, but her parents hadn't been so lucky. Now only Moon was left to take care of them.

But soon that would change.

Silentstrike, who had been looking down at her talons, lost in thought, heard a faint rumbling. She had the best ears in the tribe. It was constant, low at first but gaining in volume. Glancing up at The Lake, a huge wave was rumbling into sight. How had Narco not seen it?

Looking back at Narco, Silentstrike saw that he sat stiffly now, frozen in fear. He was facing the wave.

Silentstrike screamed a warning, dashing outside. The moist soil sunk under her weight, the mud clinging to her talons. "ANOTHER FLOOD IS COMING!"

Narco raced over. "GET HIGH GROUND!"

Everyone knew where the nearest high place would be.

'The Farm!' Silentstrike thought, panicked. Her breathing was uneven, her heartbeat fast. Her legs, weight down by the stupid mud, were getting slower and slower.

She risked a glance back at the wave. It was coming, and it was coming fast. Silentstrike recalled the day when her parents and so many other yutys drowned in a horrid flood. She didn't want to end up like them, or her moronic brothers to end up like them either.

Moon held Raincloud in his jaws, Narco glued to his side, as he raced past Silentstrike. She was not built for running, especially in soggy ground!

Slowing to a stop now, Silentstrike looked back at the wave. It crashed into the field, easily flowing over every single object and creature in its path. Soon she would be one of them if she didn't get up to The Farm, where her brothers had already reached it and were climbing up the stone remains.

Determined now, Silentstrike shook off the mud on each of her feet. She clambered up the hill, dashing towards her brothers, when something hard smashed against her tail. With an surprised yelp, she got unbalanced and fell, being carried away with the rest of the wave. 'It hadn't been that close!' She thought. Then the reality hit her like the wave itself; if she couldn't find a way out of the water, she would end up dead.

In shock, she reached out her claws to find something to get a firm grip on, but everything was too fast. Branches, rocks, and even creatures whipped around and hit her in every place possible. The water stung, like a thousand bees piercing her flesh. She let out a wail instinctively, which only got water in her mouth.

Silentstrike's lungs needed air. Blinded, she tried to find something to pull her up, but instead her leg smashed against a tree. Agony seared through her, even more than before, but she somehow managed to find a grip on the tree. She climbed up on a sturdy branch, flopping down, and gasped for breath, exhausted. Silentstrike just wanted to give up, but she new she couldn't. She had brothers to take care of.

Battered, bruised and bleeding, she sat there, waiting for someone, something to come rescue her. But deep down, she new that wasn't going to happen. She was on her own.

Daring to open her eyes, Silentstrike looked around, realizing she could only see through one eye. All of the pain in every part of her limp body kept her from seeing (or not seeing..) the fact that her left eye had been damaged severely.

But the worst part of it all?

Silentstrike couldn't see anything she recognized in sight. She had arrived in a forest of blood red trees.

Panicked, shocked, confused, and losing blood, she passed out.

mm drama

Chapter 4: A Twisted Fate

Zahra was sunning in the camp clearing when the patrol to the northern border dashed into the clan, ruffled and stained with new, wet blood.

"What happened?" Fallfeather, the leader, demanded. His deputy, Jahosu, flicked her tail with irritation.

"The Icefurs! They.. They ambushed us!" Laok yelled from the patrol. Akuana, Lohuag, Juaguf, and Okahala murmured in agreement. They were also from the patrol. Akuana shook her feathers.

"What do you suppose we do?" Kamanal asked Fallfeather. Kamanal was another Trainingfur.

Zahra thought of the weird thing she found in her nest last night. It was a white glowing diamond, and immense energy radiated from it. She had hid it under a tall tree's roots near the Edge.

"We need to send someone small," Fallfeather ordered. "There isn't any spies - in - training, so I guess Zahra will do."

Jahosu started ordering patrols. She sent Kamanal, Haugag, Crookjaw, and Kaiiha. The medics, Jujar and Poalar, started gathering their herbs in the store and handed them to the wounded. Akuana was the most wounded, with scratches all along her sides and frost-burns near her neck. They started with her.

"Okay, come with me." The voice startled Zahra. She jumped around to see Jahosu gesturing her to follow. "I need for you to train a little bit before you go. Now mind you, this is going to be a very dangerous mission."