A young kendyll was currently feasting on its first prey in days, tearing into the flesh of the shiyaro which had been too slow to react. It had quickly ended the pbotovore's life, sinking its razor sharp teeth into the shiyaro's thin wings. It was barely a meal at all - I mean - who ate that little? Someone determined to starve to death? Yeah, I wasn't one of those creatures. I was defenseless at this age, even though my mother had always told me I would grow up to be an apex predator. She had been with me and my brothers for a bit of time after we hatched, hunting for us, migrating for winter, and nearly making it back for the trip to the hot springs for summer. She had been killed by a protector of the Oasis, though, a gramoss. What kind of protector killed? I snorted loudly, startling an alkaksu out of its hiding place as I quickly lunged for that, but it dove into the lake. Ugh. Even if I was a semi-aquatic (which I was, actually) I would never be able to catch up to it. I looked down into my reflection. I was bare of spikes at the point of time, but I was dark brown with greenish yellow eyes, along with black tail stripes. Today wasn't the best, but at least he wasn't being chased by a syroudon while trying to hide from a gramoss or being stomped on by a family of lmakosauradons.
It wouldn't matter, when I was an adult. I would get a pack, maybe even make one myself, and roam the world, following herbivores, like a kendyll - a true apex predator. I would fight off gyroudous, like a real apex predator. I would dominate the food chain, like an actual apex predator. I swam through the waters of a lake, looking for fish to hunt and a place to stay for the night. My stomach growled again as I frowned, gingerly touching it. Apex predators certainly needed tons of food. Apex, eh? Maybe apex predators wouldn't be apex predators if they weren't so hungry. Even at the dunes, my old home, the fish had died out due to overhunting. I still felt guilty about that. But me? I was an apex predator. This is what we did! We wiped out creatures, not promote their living! But if that was true . . how would we eat after we wiped out all the creatures? I should really stop thinking about this.
I felt a shadow loom over me as I looked up hastily. Gramoss! my mind shrieked as I scrambled away at top speed (which arguably wasn't very fast) and dodged a few trees that were probably going to hit me on the way before the gram shouted "GET BACK HERE!" in its deep, overly-confident voice. One day I'll be an apex predator! Then I can get this foolish gramoss back! HAH! It doesn't know what its messing with. as I attempted to dive in the water. My tail, though, was stopped my the gramoss, who impaled it with his horn. Yes, close up I could see this was a male.
But the agony was too much to dwell in that as his horn tore my tail in two as I shoved myself away, deep red washing me in its bold color. I struggled to stand up, so I used my talons to crawl into the dark abyss below me. The water seemed to turn a slightly less powerful red too as I tried to control myself underwater. But . . I . . couldn't? As I hastily turned my neck around and swished my now split tail, I rushed around - or so I tried. I was being dragged down deeper than intended, as I feebly waved my talons around, in hope I would resurface. But, unfortunately, that was not the case. I forcefully shoved myself up to the surface, spashing every creature in my range of grabbing (mostly fish, but one nimoona was petrified in fear).
A gyroudus snarled, diving in the water and picking me up. I struggled feebly, still bleeding. It had not yet been 20 minutes since my tail was split. Bones were visible, as I got a better look at it. My stomach lurched in disgust as I growled at the gyro, who snapped to silence me. But not my mind. It was still bumbling and yammering with possibilities of what might happen - would this gyro eat me? Would it give me to its pack alpha? Use me as a trading chip? I shuddered, making me nearly slip out of the gyro's grip, but it caught me in its talons as I looked down, and then up at the gyrodous. Was I going to be bigger or smaller than her? This one had nothing on the bottom of the tail, so therefore I could tell she was female. Roaring at me, she dropped me into a nest . . presumably hers. Which meant . .
A baby gyro looked up at me curiously. He seemed to be about my age. "Eat." the far - larger one above me said, as the gyroudus instead declared "Friend." as his mother sniffed, and said "Prey." Did gyros use full sentences, or was it just one word per statement? Maybe they were communicating some other way, too. Both were banging their tails, which seemed odd and made me curious - was tht the gyro's secret language? Maybe my pack had underestimated them . . calling them dumb when they were actually rather clever. They had a reputation for being foolish . . but this reputation seemed to be wrong. And sice the yros had never corrected it, maybe they wanted to be thought of as dumb - so when prey tried to trick them they could snp it up easier.
Sheesh. And I thought Cantapodis were smart. It was a bit stupid to think decades of rumors had all been incorrect, and gyros were able to keep their stereotype considered true this whole time . .
|*~1 Year Later . .~*|
"Atromitos! Catch!" I banged, throwing the prey to him, as he laughed "Go get this, Koryfi!" he smashed back, headbutting the now absolutely dead Kriffin as I banged my tail loudly, as a sign of playful laughing, but not too loud for it to sound threatening as we grappled for it. "If I win, we play Truth or Dare!" Atro declared challengingly with his tail as I used my own, pierced tail to bang back "And if I win you need to jump into the river!" and smirked at his upset face "Fine. Lets do this." my gyroudus friend continued, before I asked "Wait, what game are we playing again?" as he sighed visibly, not with his tail this time, before speaking in my language "We're trying to see who can get the first prey." as I responded, using the same, nw unfamiliar language with "Can I go in the river?" as he banged his tail again "No. We both know you'll drown before my mother can drag you to the depths of the underworld instead." as I snorted, banging "I'd like to see her try." as he grinned, but his mother peeked out from the darkness of the den as we froze, worried she'd heard us. That gyro could get pretty mad, and I wasn't going to be the one causing her wrath.
She slowly disappered back into the shadows, eyeing us suspiciously. "Moons, can that gyro hear the kemotis chirp, too?" I tapped quietly as Atromitos nodded, but grabbed a kiiwin and cheerfully tapped "I win! Truth or Dare?" as I responded "Truth." "Why is your tail pierced?" as I kept silent for a moment, looking down at it wistfully. "You dont need to answer, if its a sensitive question . ."as I sighed and retold "A gramoss . ." as I cut off before asking "Truth or dare?" with a series of bangs, too, as he responded "Truth. I remember the time you made me jump in the river - I am not falling for that again!" he declared, a bit too loudly, but thankfully, his mother didn't seem to be bothered as she didn't come outside again.
"Do you have a crush?" I asked. This was a very popular question, but it was still funny as he admitted "Yes." as I asked "Oh! Who is it? What's she like?" as he facepalmed and said "That's more than one question. Truth or Dare?" he continued, as I said "Truth." once more as he asked "Do you have a crush?", smirking as I said "No! I mean - maybe! I mean - yes." I finally admitted, after bunches of stuttering. He laughed and banged "Not so tough now, are you?" as I playfully headbutted him with a grin.
"I love you, you idiot." Atro said as I bonked his head saying "I love you too, you big baby." as he yelped "You're ruining the moment!"
