The Fight

The atmosphere was dense, as if a dense fog had fallen over the biodome. Despite the surrounding jungle being alive with noise, the dinosaurs stared at each other in tentative silence. A silence which said more than any words possibly could… Even the haughty iguanodons dared not to speak or make a noise, they simply stared in blooming hatred and disdain.

Nyx trailed through the brush, padded feet moving softly over the plant cushioned ground. Belly brushing against the cool earth, a welcome reprieve from the humidity which collected on her dark feathers-

From her position she could see them between the leaves, her ‘companions’. Velvet stood strong next to Aster, a brick wall next to a porcupine. Opposite of them she could see several iguanodons and a couple creatures which concerned her more, euoplocephalus. While the Sony guardians were smaller than the iguanodons, they were far more armored and sported heavy clubbed tails capable of snapping the bones of those who got too close. At the head of the rival group was a rather large male iguanodon with heavy scarring around his front, and if Nyx had any guess it was from other iguanodon thumb claws. His expression was carefully even despite the angry determination in his warm brown eyes.
“Velvet.” He all but growled at the dark and red iguanodon who narrowed his eyes and puffed his chest. “Back down or else-”

“Or else, what?” Snarled Velvet as he took several stalking steps forward, off pink eyes narrowed into slits. “You’ll exile me? Again?” He all but spat the words, earning a flinch from the seasoned warrior.

“Velvet-” He looked almost… Guilty. Anxious. However Velvet showed no such sentiments, the red patterned male moved forward on sturdy legs. Looming over Guerilla like a living vibrant eyed shadow. Both males stared one another down, one in hatred and the other in pure hesitance. Unfortunately for Guerilla, Velvet was not the one eager to cut the conversation short. 

Aster moved forward, tail swinging and head shaking to show her growing displeasure. Red eyes narrowed as she flicked her gaze between the two iguanodons.

“Get down to business, Velvet- before I bring us straight into a fight.” She snarled the threat, and Nyx knew that the herbivore was far from bluffing. While Velvet was calculated, Aster was unbridled rage in a spined package. She was volatile and dangerous. However, Guerilla did not seem to realize this and turned his burning glare to meet hers.

“Listen here-” Snorted one of the other iguanodons at his side, one covered in soft feathers and a distinct orange eye color. Angus, Nyx remembered Velvet calling her previously. “We are here on the Queen’s orders. Sow seeds and continue the push. So move.” The words were all but barked as her feathers bristled like an agitated bird. Fortunately for the trio, Aster really wasn’t a fan of taking such words.

Aster’s tail swung, arching through the air with a whistle and rattle of spines. However the surprised female iguanodon cried out and reared onto her hindlegs, just barely dodging a faceful of spines.
The fight began.
Aster tangled with the female iguanodon while both Velvet and Guerilla reared up onto their hindlegs, smashing their large bodies against each other. Thumb claws scrambled for purchase, crimson beaded down scaled hides as they scraped and scratched-
Guerilla bellowed in pain as suddenly a thumbclaw was suddenly jabbed into his side, blood pouring onto the spongy earth and staining dark colored scales.

Nyx turned her attention away from the fight, not even daring to look over at the fight Aster was having… She could smell the blood in the air, resting over the sharp scents of the surrounding jungle. Carefully, she kept her body low in the shrubs to hide from the prying eyes of the court and the stone guardians… Thankfully Velvet and Aster were keeping their opponents occupied enough that she could silently slip past. Nyx’s part of the plan had nothing to do with fighting, no. Her part of the plan was much more integral, her part was to target the oviraptors and nullify the seeds. She tracked them silently, following the footprints and breaks in the plants… The oviraptors had seemingly stashed themselves well beyond the walls of their defenders, where they believed they would be safe from the conflict.

After several minutes of silent tracking, she found them. Well. It. One oviraptor, small and pale… The same one they had captured last time. The one Velvet had brought them to explain what was going on. Nyx’s feathers bristled, but she remained low to the ground. Observing. She watched and waited, patient as a spider while the oviraptor set down their bag of seeds and began carefully checking through it. Not even silently paying attention to their surroundings.
Right into the web he fell.
Nyx lunged, a blur of shadow against the harsh green of the shrubbery, and collided against the oviraptor with a harsh *thump*. The smaller dinosaur squeaked and thrashed, only falling still when she trapped his delicate neck between her sharp teeth. His pulse raced as she lay there in her grasp, but she didn’t bite. No. Like said before, that wasn’t her job. With a toss of her head and a release of her jaw she threw the oviraptor against a nearby tree, hearing the soft gasp as the wind was knocked out of him.
He was briefly stunned.

Nyx used the opportunity to rush to the seed bag, easily dumping the contents onto the damp soil of the jungle. Pressing every seed into the soft earth to the extent that it would be damn near impossible to dig them all out, forcing them to once again find more to restock.
By the time she was finished the oviraptor was standing, and she was smiling back in pointed smugness.
“Everytime you try to bring plants, we will keep stopping you. Destroying your stock, wounding your guards. If you continue… You will have nothing left.”
The threat hung in the air as Nyx slunk back into the deep and dark shadows, waiting for the next conflict to arrive.