A search

 Something strange had begun to happen upon the islands. An unwelcome tension clung to the air, and whispered upon the winds. Dinosaurs young and old preoccupied with fantasy and fiction as they described a new entity around. Fury had been told, though it was mostly speculation, about some odd.... land-birds roaming around. Though she wasn't the type to buy into hype and idle talk, even she knew these rumors were more closer to reality than fiction given the sheer number of dinosaurs she had encountered telling the same tale. They couldn't all be wrong, could they? 

And in part, some of it was true, something had been running wild lately. Fury didn't know about these supposed birds... but she had seen some new plants growing around that had appeared to spring up out of nowhere. That.. and for some reason these plants grew quicker than even weeds, strangling out any other plant life in the area as it quickly overtook the soils. She didn't fancy herself as any type of expert, but that wasn't really normal for her own experiences. 

Thus, her journey began. Traveling from the woods she frequented with her gang of retrievers to seek out this tall tale. She figured the proof of the matter would reveal itself quick enough and sure enough, it did. Fresh tracks, though they didn't match any creature she knew. Fury lowered her head, gaze locked on the puzzling imprint in the mud. Her nostrils widening to get a solid scent of this new arrival. It didn't disappoint. 

As soon as the scent hit her nose she realized this scent was a full trail, leading her out of the woods now and towards the bottom of the nearby volcano. It often had lava flow here, though eruptions were unlikely. It was a fun spot for Fury to explore- and unlike most, the smell of surfur didn't turn her away. Having managed to continue following the trail despite the smell made Fury thankful she had taken some rather risky adventures here in months prior. It was suddenly paying off big. 

Gracefully, Fury leap over a slow flowing river of lava. It sputtered a little here and there, smoke rising like dark phoenix's to block out the sky. It was beautiful, but not what she was here for. 

Focus. 

Fury dipped her head again, scanning the barren grounds for any sign of this creature - spotting another footprint. Unfortunately though, this one sat at the mouth of a deep cavern - one glowing dimly with more lava and reeking of sulfur. She'd be lucky to pick up a smell now- thus she'd have no choice but to rely on her eyes to find this mysterious ghost of sorts. How unfortunate. 

A little more cautiously, Fury advanced- her eyes flickering about the cavern in haste, noting the glow of her own markings playing tricks upon the walls too. She imagined that it would be easy for others to mistake some strange reflections and shapes in this dark place with an unknown beast... though the footprints alone were pretty damning evidence. Quite the convoluted prank if they weren't real. 

However, Fury's thoughts were interrupted as she heard footsteps up ahead. A little chirp all but solidifying that she was no longer alone. In anticipation her mouth widened, sharp teeth at the ready should she need to fight. Creeping in slower more calculated steps, Fury cautiously edged her head around the corner to get a glance at where the noises had come from- and sure enough, there it was. 

A golden bird, with brown stripes dawning its face. Though the strangeness only grew the more fury could see- as this bird looked part turtle with its odd markings along the body that almost mimicked a shell. Curious-

Fury watched anxiously now, not because she was afraid of such a goofy looking thing, but rather intent on figuring out what it was and what it was doing down here of all places. A volcano was no place for a silly bird. 

Squawk. 

It spoke, though Fury didn't understand it. It moving its head from left to right as if ensuring no one was watching before beginning to dig. It's feet flicking up dirt quickly before dipping its head down and filling the hole back in. 

And just as quickly as it had done so, the creature turned around and ran down another tunnel and out of view. 

Fury was dumbfounded, uncertain as to what she had just witnessed. It was all so odd. Why dig a hole only to fill it right back in? 

Careful not to get seen, Fury advanced, her eyes locked onto the freshly moved dirt like she had just found buried treasure. She glanced around quickly to ensure the golden bird was no where to be found before beginning to dig up the hole once again, not sure she'd find anything but unable to leave it alone. 

To her dismay, all she found was a set of seeds. 

Seeds? Really? Fury hissed with annoyance. What was this dumb thing doing planting some seeds down here!? What a waste of time! 

Between the sulfur and the smoke there was no way anything was going to grow. It made Fury angry, wondering why she had made this journey in this first place. So, she left the hole dug up before following after the bird again. This time less interested in stalking and more interested in a meal. She was going to catch this thing and drag it back as proof it was a dumb bird before eating a well earned meal. 

She could hardly stand that she had traveled all this way just for such a silly spectacle. 

Fury now confidently headed in the direction she saw the bird go, mouth drooling excitedly about the copious amount of food she was about to enjoy with her successful hunt.... however that idea was quickly dashed as she spotted the unthinkable. 

Down here, in the gloom and the dark - green things were sprouting all around. Plants, and lots of them, like the ones on the surface were growing down here- hundreds of vines grappling this way and that, climbing the black stone as it went. Fury couldn't believe it. How was this even possible? 

Her eyes continued to scan the dimly lit room, only to land on the golden bird once more who was again preoccupied with digging a hole before filling it back in before running off once more. However, this time Fury knew what she would find. 

At the bottom of the hole, freshly dug up earth was none other than a cluster of seeds. Leaving her with no questions answered, only more left lingering on her lips as the plants continued to grow in this impossible place, with an equally unbelievable beast responsible for it. 

Was this a conspiracy of sorts? Why was this bird preoccupied with planting seeds everywhere? Fury growled under her breath as her tail swished from side to side. She was curious to know, but ultimately she wanted something to let out her rage on.... so unfortunately for the bird, Fury was solely on the hunt and they were the gourmet meal.