Primordial and Beyond #1: The Divided Ones

Chapter 9

Trex stood beside the stream of water that surrounded the borders of the Confinement Territory. He stared at his reflection with a forlorn expression, and gave a sigh.

Great....I'm struggling with these stupid impulses for the first time, and I've already wound up in this imprisoning territory.

"Trex!"

Trex looked up to see Bronto coming over. The orange Sauropod was accompanied by the two Flesheater Assassins who were guarding the Confinement Territory: Stegosauruses Old Herman and his son, Blind-Eye Frazer.

Bronto gave his friend an urgent but sincere look. "Hey, don't stress yourself out over this! Flesh-eating impulses are supposed to get stronger as you get older, right? Zara says the juvenile years are when dinos really struggle to suppress the cravings— but if you haven't had problems until now, then your willpower must be super strong! You'll easily get over this!"

Trex huffed. "It won't be 'easy.' I have two weeks here and if Zara doesn't see that I can keep my flesh-eating impulses properly controlled by then, she's gonna....banish me from Saurotopia. UGH! The pressure is just gonna make it WORSE!" He kicked at a tree, causing it to topple over.

Blind-Eye Frazer gave a grunt.

Trex gasped. "Oh...I'm sorry, Frazer! I forgot about your heightened senses...." He recalled that Frazer's other senses were extra sharp to compensate for his blind, single eye.

Bronto gave his friend a nudge. "You're not going to get banished. You will overcome your flesh-eating impulses." He gave a teasing smile, his upbeat voice returning. "Plus, I'll make sure Zara cuts you some slack! You've lost your family....the stress is just making it easier for your impulses to resurge. You just need more time."

Trex huffed. "Well it sucks that suppressing flesh-eating impulses get stronger, the older we get. It's as if our purpose in this world is simply to be killing machines."

Old Herman gave Trex a warm smile and spoke in his gentle tone. "You are not defined by all your natural impulses, Trex. Just because you feel the natural urge to kill—even if it's for survival—that does not mean you are meant to be a killer."

Trex gazed at the old Stegosaurus's eyes. He recalled that this was the first leader of the Flesheater Assassins, before Zara became leader. He also recalled....Old Herman was known as the Assassin with "endless energy". No matter how many Flesheaters he fought, or how old he got, the Stegosaurus never seemed to tire.

Trex blinked at Old Herman. "How can I become who I'm meant to be if some of my natural impulses hold me back?"

Old Herman gave a quiet chuckle. "You can't do it by fighting yourself. Fighting your nature is a difficult—merely impossible—feat. Instead, you must learn how to adopt a new nature....one that aligns with your identity, one that aligns with who you are meant to be."

Trex felt like he wanted to ask this Stegosaurus a flood of questions. He needed all the help he could get. However, he didn't even know what to ask, or how to frame his burning inquiries.

Trex turned to Blind-Eye Frazer, who was looking rather grumpy. For a moment, Trex wondered if the Stegosaurus was angry with him for attacking one of his fellow Stegosaurus members. But then he recalled that Frazer always looked cranky.

Trex then sighed. "Thanks, Old Herman. I'll be thinking about that."