Protectors of Pandora

Chapter 46 ~the horrors of the swamp~

(No chapters in modded creatures I’m skipping them)

Nash and the serpents followed the river west, towards the amargasaurus camp. It was quiet and uneventful until they reached a swamp “I don’t like the lookss of thiss place…” Fin said. “Me neither, but we have to crosss it.” Seascale said. They entered the swamp, it was muddy and humid in the swamp and it smelled, well.. like a swamp… Lucky the serpents felt right at home in the water and they were great swimmers, they held their arms and legs to their sides and slithered like sea snakes through the murky water. Nash flew overhead, dodging the vines and branches of mangrove trees. “It’s quiet, too quiet…” Nash said ominously. “Yess it iss..” Seascale said. They stopped moving for a second and waited, then out of nowhere a kaprosuchus leapt out of the water at nash, it grabbed him and tackled him to the ground, he struggled to unsheathe his sword but when he got it out he stuck the kapro in the head, instantly killing it. He climbed out of its jaws and said, “Watch out, there could be more of them.” The serpents swam around the area and saw none, so they carried on. They hadn’t gone to far when a phiomia ran out of the forest. he looked sick. “Help… me..” he said, then he dropped to the ground and a juvenile rhynio burst out of his side.

(I was gonna say larva/pupa but apparently those are both before/during insects have metamorphosis and look like the adults. And Rhyniognatha babies in ark are just tiny adults already.. kinda lazy if you ask me 🙄)

It flew at Fin viciously and Nash glided down sword in hand and sliced the creature down the middle. “I hate Rhyniognathas.” Nash said. They were about done with the swamp and made haste to get out, but there were many other challenges they faced on the way such as; sarcosuchus, more kaprosuchus, rabid onycs, piranhas, swarms of bugs, etc etc. but the worst of these came for them when they reached the center of the swamp, where the mangroves grew to be entire stories high, and the fog was dense, the bloodstalker grabbed a serpent in it’s nasty claws and by the time they could slay the beast it had already finished with the serpent. Fin and the serpent called Coralfang carried the body so they could give him a proper burial. The serpents came to this ark as a squad of four. Now they were a trio. When they exited the swamp they dug a hole and Fang, (Coralfangs nickname) found a large rock, he used his knife and carved “Barnacle, loving father and friend. Rest in the deep.” The serpents filled the grave with rocks and water, as was the sea serpent way, then they placed the body in the hole, they covered the grave with long stones. And placed the carved stone on the top. Many random creatures noticed what they were doing and offered their condolences, Seascale came up to Fang who was sitting besides the grave, “I’m sorry, I know he was your friend. he was to all of us. But you most of all.” “What am I going to tell his kids…” Fang said. “Tell them, he was a hero.” Seascale replied. “If we ever even get back to the other serpents..” Fang said. “we will, I’ll make sure of it.” Seascale said, “And we won’t lose anyone else along the way…”