Land of Blood (SEQUEL to REIGN OF BLOOD)

Chapter 30

IVY'S POV

After running for an obscenely amount of time, dodging large flaming rocks and flowing lava, we finally made it to a landmark called Falls Tunnel, which was just a rocky bridge. We crossed it and made it to the safe zone - or, so the Magnatyrannus said.

After crossing the bridge, tensions started to cool. Instead of sprinting, we were now fast-walking through the forest. As I did, I felt someone slink to my side. I took a glance and saw Forest standing there, eyeing me submissively. It was a little fast when I rescued him, so I didn't have time to sit and tell him what I wanted to tell him.

"Uh..." Forest stammered, "Hey."

"Hello," I replied calmly.

"I... I'm sorry," Forest muttered, "For... everything. I don't know how to explain myself."

"You don't have to," I responded.

Forest gave me a look of surprise and growled, "Really?"

"Yeah," I said, "I don't mind."

"No offense, but it seems a little odd that I tried to take over your pack and joined a psychopath," Forest snarled, "And yet, you don't seem to bat an eye."

I took a deep breath as I prepared to tell Forest the truth.

"Do you..." I started, but trailed off. I had to think about what I was going to say without crying or having flashbacks.

"Do I what?" Forest asked.

"Nothing," I replied suddenly, "Sorry... I trailed off."

I took another deep breath, my composure coming back. I could feel the flashbacks crawling from the isolated bits of my brain back into my regular conscience. But, for some odd reason, I didn't shove them back in. I let them come.

I have to overcome my fears somehow, I thought, I have to tell them to someone. I cannot keep them secluded like this.

"This is... going to be hard to talk about," I warned Forest, "But... I was in your shoes once. 10 years ago, I usurped Mother for alpha because I was sick of her bullshit rules and because she kept the pack so isolated from everything. The first couple of days I was alpha, I didn't know what to do or how to do it. Then, we got attacked by this rex. We were unprepared and it killed half the pack. But then, he showed up."

"He?" Forest wondered.

"Yes," I continued, "This giga named Bloodbath came to Port, killed the rex, and gave us the promise of prosperity and ever-lasting food. So, we followed him. But the more we stood by his side and did what he asked, the more we realized that this Bloodbath was bad news. So, we left. And I gotta say, it was the best decision I've ever made. Because of that, I feel like I'm a better alpha."

"No way," Forest gasped, "The Bloodbath myth is real? It actually happened and you were part of it?"

I nodded.

"Damn..." Forest muttered, "I had no idea. The parallels, the decisions... I guess that's how you know we're siblings - we make horrible mistakes."

I couldn't help but chuckle at that statement. Forest was right - it made perfect sense that we would make the same silly mistakes.

As the volcano roared behind us, spewing lava and molten rocks, someone up ahead let out a call.

"We are here!" Jafar cried. As the pack and I ran out into the open, where we were suddenly greeted by the sun and the warm sand beneath our feet. Along with the pack, a large group of dinosaurs piled into the area, mainly around the giant boat that was left over from our trip from our island to here.

As we entered the beach, all heads turned to us.

"Julle het dit reggekry!" Grizzly cried.

"Ons het dit beslis gedoen!" Jafar roared.

Someone barked from the crowd. Medusa sprinted from the pack and jumped into Jafar's claws.

"O MY GOD!" she cried, "MOET JY NOOIT NOOIT VERWYN NIE, JAFAR! JY HOOR MY? EK WAS SIEK!"

"Jammer," Jafar hissed, "Maar ons het dit gedoen."

"Het wat gedoen?" Medusa asked.

"Die kultus is weg. Neuro is weg. Ek kan uiteindelik sy naam sê en dit nie agter my rug hoef voor te stel nie," Jafar explained.

I had never seen a large crowd of dinosaurs so happy.

"Uiteindelik..." Tamsah sighed, "Daai verdomde ding is weg. Ons kan uiteindelik in vrede leef."

"Dit is nie net dit nie," Jafar added, "Tenk is ook dood. Die kultus is ontbind."

"Wat?" someone whispered. The crowd parted to reveal a shocked Dreadhorn. Oh no.

"Ja..." Jafar repeated solemnly, "Jou pa... Hy het saam met Neuro in die lawa geval. Ek is jammer."

The crowd was silent as Dreadhorn looked at his hooves. Finally, he raised his head confidently and replied, "Moenie wees nie. Hy was 'n gebrekkige dino. Hy het gekry wat na hom toe kom."

"Hel ja!" Budso cried before being promptly slapped in the head by Tamsah.

"Te gou, man," Tamsah growled, "Te gou."

After that whole situation, Medusa turned to the pack and I.

"I know I say this a lot," she growled, "But I want to thank you guys again. You do not know how happy I am to see you guys accomplish something that was seen by most of us as impossible. Your deeds will not be forgotten."

"Thank you," I replied, "I hope you can rebuild when this destruction passes."

"Me too," Medusa mused, "Now, I think you should be getting home."

I nodded to her and started to walk towards the boat. As I climbed the stairs, I looked back and saw Jafar standing there.

"Good-bye, Ivy," he snarled, "I love you. I am going to miss you."

"You too," I responded, flashing him a smile. He returned it, his teeth shining in the sun.

With that, I jumped into the boat, waited for the rest of the pack, and climbed the tower to the control panel. Using my claw, I nudged the lever. The boat made a sputtering sound before going off to the ocean.

As the boat left the shore, I took one last look at the destroyed island and the mass of dinosaurs at the beach and waved my final goodbye.