Improvised Amusements

“A... skill?”

“You mean like foraging, or crafting?”

“What about swimming?”

The euoplocephalus gave a single nod of his green-spotted head.

“Yes,” he answered laconically. “Show me something interesting, and you may pass.”

He didn't seem particularly inclined to elaborate further, merely standing there unmoving with a waiting looking in his gaze, so the trio of styracosaurs consulted amongst themselves.

“Have you got any ideas?” Cama asked, the gray tip of her tail flicking in only slightly anxious thought. They'd come so far already, after all, the idea of turning back now simply didn't sit well.

“That I can do here?” Haize gave a soft snort. “Doubt it. It's all jungle, no mountains to climb or forage on.”

The two of them cast only a slight glance at the third member of their group, but that didn't discourage Doog in the least from speaking up anyway. “I'm pretty good at swimming and diving...”

“Doog. Just where do you plan to do that?” Haize's words were simple and to the point, the dark gray styracosaurus staring the sand and green one in the eye as she spoke. Doog cocked his head in a puzzled expression.

“But, we went way under the water, didn't we? So...”

Cama sighed heavily, and even Haize looked like she wanted to.

“Let's just try to think of something all of us can do,” Cama interjected before things could continue further down this fruitless vein. Fortunately, it was a reasonable enough excuse to get Doog to drop the matter of showing off swimming, and the discussion moved on to hopefully more promising options.

Unfortunately, that continued to be far easier said than done. Ideas were suggested, and just as quickly shot down. Less because of one or more of their group being unable to participate in a given suggestion, and more that they tended to require things that simply weren't present. Or perhaps even were, but would inevitably require entering the jungle they were being blocked from to get to.

And so the discussion continued, and all the while the tan and green euoplocephalus—Simo, he had said his name was, after being directly asked—simply stood and watched. He didn't say a word, nor even really react. Unless, of course, any of the styracosaurs seemed to be making a move for the jungle beyond. At that point the squat-looking dinosaur would move to block their passage with remarkable speed and agility for his short and stout legs.

“There has to be something...” Cama muttered irritably as she paced back and forth. Haize merely turned her head as she watched, having opted to relax and lay down in the lush if somewhat unfamiliar plants that covered the ground.

“Maybe if each of us can come up with something simple, as long as we all make it...”

“Wait.” Cama stopped abruptly and spun around. “What was it you said before?”

Haize tilted her head to one side. “Something simple?”

“No, no. Earlier, why we couldn't just do—” the cloudy styracosaurus paused, glancing meaningfully over at where Doog was sprawled out on the ground, himself, “—you know, the thing with the water. Maybe we can just do something together. Yes, you too, Doog.”

“Do what?”

“We don't know yet.”

“Oh.”

“But if you can think of anything all of us can do together...”

All three of them fell into thought once again. Only briefly, though, as it didn't take long for Doog to speak up.

“Like helping lift someone to get food from a high place?”

Silence fell once more. Cama and Haize looked at each other before the coal-colored styracosaurus spoke. “That... might work. Two of us working together should be able to hold up the third, at least for a little while...”

“It would combine strength and... Balance, I guess? That should probably be good enough, right?” Cama glanced at Simo as she spoke, but the euoplocephalus remained as stoic as ever.

“It's worth a try, at least. Doog, come over here and listen carefully. First, you'll need to crouch down like this, and then...”

Haize gave simple and clear instructions, leaving as little room for doubt or forgetfulness as possible. That she didn't want to repeat herself certainly helped. After a moment, Doog nodded his understanding, and took a crouching position as he'd been told. Haize walked around until she was standing alongside him, then rolled down halfway onto her side, herself.

“Now, Cama, you should be able to climb over me until you're on both of us. Then, we'll—”

“Wait, hang on, why am I the one climbing? Aren't you the one who does that all the time?!” To say Cama was surprised and dismayed would be an understatement, her eyes so wide the whites were easily visible. Haize just cocked her head.

“But you're the smallest. Now hurry up.”

Cama looked at the other two styracosaurs waiting for her, the euoplocephalus blocking the way, the jungle beyond him, and back. Then she squeezed her eyes shut, pawing at the ground in frustration, and opened them again.

“Fine, fine!”

She walked over to the other two and carefully stepped onto Haize's back. The other styracosaurus grunted, but held still. One foot, then another onto those soft, coal-black feathers. Then one of her hind legs, and reaching forward to put one of her forelegs onto Doog's sandy and green feathered back.

“Don't look down, don't look down...” Once Cama was fully standing across the pair, Haize slowly, and with effort, rolled fully upright again. The action forced Cama to shift her weight more on to Doog just to keep her footing, but the bulky styracosaurus didn't even flinch.

Then, it was time to stand. Haize first, slowly rising to her feet while Doog continued to bear most the weight of their companion. Once this was done, on her signal, it was Doog's turn, and he practically heaved up abruptly to his feet, sending Cama scrambling to keep her balance with a slight squeal.

A highly unstable pyramid of living styracosaurs achieved, Haize tilted her head as best she could toward their euoplocephalus guard.

“Well?” she panted, clearly straining to bear the weight. “What do you say to this?”

“P-please say it's good enough!!” Cama squeaked from above, her whole body trembling from both the strain and sheer nervousness.

Simo slowly looked the three of them over, then gave a snort.

“Not much of a skill...” he said. “But you're funny. Good enough.” And then he turned and simply walked off.

“Oh, thank goodness! N-now let me down!”

Several tense moments and a narrowly-avoided fall later, Cama was back on solid ground again, and all three of them were on their way through the mysterious jungle. Though as they proceeded, Doog remarked:

“I still think swimming would've been easier, though...”