The Other Side

It was never fun when your party was split in half. At least that was the opinion of Mintee. The green parasaurolophus signed through the mouthful of sappy bark in her mouth, before turning around to face the rest of the gathering group. A small gathering of scouts milled around the clearing, chittering to each other and speaking so fast Mintee could barely understand. A wagon sat in the middle of the clearing, already partly filled with dirt and vegetation. Oviraptors ran back and forth from the area, depositing mouthfuls of seeds and vegetation into the wagon. Mintee and two others had been charged with protecting and guarding the scouts and their cargo in the harvest- but she didn't realize that meant she had to help gather as well! 

Snowshoe sat perched on top of the wagon, carefully shifting through the plants. “Hello Mintee!” The fellow knight chirped, quickly standing up and shaking the dirt off her feathers. “Drop that in here for me, would you?” She pointed at a specific part of the wagon, and Mintee was quick to drop it in. Several fruits attached to the branch bounced and fell from the side, but it was above her non-existent pay grade to care. Snowshoe nodded, before rustling in the branches above her caught her attention.

“How’r you doing up there, Bassoon?” The oviraptor craned her neck back, hollering up into the tree they were standing beneath. The purple tapejara poked his head out of the leaves, hanging upside down from one of the branches.

“No intruders spotted!” The third knight screeched, flapping his wings for balance. Several of the scouts shrieked in surprise and ran at the sound, deeper into the jungle. Mintee shook her head and sighed. You would assume by then they were used to the flyer… chickens. 

Snowshoe sighed as well, seemingly disappointed in her kin. The oviraptor had seemed… different since they had arrived in Atlantis. Snowshoe had been one of the first scouts sent out to spread seeds throughout the island, and had been near instantly attacked by islanders. The resulting experience had left her with amnesia, forcing her to rediscover her origins along with the islanders. Her personality seemed as fake as the sky above them now, masking something deeper within. Mintee opened her mouth, ready to ask if-

A scream split the air, causing the three knights to jolt and whirl around. Panicked oviraptors streamed through the clearing past them, trampling plants and almost tipping the wagon over in their stampede. “On it!” Bassoon took to the air without prompting, diving back the way the oviraptors came.

“You!” Mintee pointed at a white and pink oviraptor, using her foreleg to force her to pause. “What happened!”

“M-m-monster!” The scared dinosaur blubbered. “I-it got Supernova!” She bolted past the herbivore before Mintee could say anything, but she let her go. Snowshoe and Mintee shared a concerned look- before bolting after Bassoon.

As they approached, it became clear they were in the right place by the smell of blood that was quickly coating the air and the ground. The angry squawking of Bassoon was audible from a distance- as well as the snarling and stomping of something much larger and the whimpers of a hurt animal.

Mintee barreled into the clearing first, pausing at just what she came face to face with. Snowshoe followed slowly, gasping at what was before her. A carnotaurus was snapping at Bassoon, the purple tapejara boldly swooping around the carnivores face and snapping at its back whenever he could. The reason for his aggression was clear- a yellow and black oviraptor, blood streaming down its side, was attempting to slowly crawl away from the carnivore. Her eyes were wide with fear, and every so often a whimper would slip from her mouth.

“Snowshoe! Help them!” Mintee commanded, before charging forward just as Bassoon ran out of luck- the wildly waving head of the carnotaurus clipped his wing, sending the flyer off balance and causing him to drop like a rock. The tapejara managed to catch himself, but far too low for the ground. The carnivore approached, ready to bite down and end the fight in one go- when Mintee smashed into him with a triumphant bellow, using her superior bulk to knock the carnivore back. 

With a low growl the carnotaurus turned to face Mintee, slowly circling. The parasaur was distantly aware of Snowshoe encouraging Supernova to stand, guiding the injured oviraptor to dense bushes to hide- and Bassoon, flapping his way back into the air. She took a moment to observe her opponent- almost pure white, it was a miracle (or a huge sign that something was wrong) that he had made it all the way through the jungle without being detected. An orange, mottled face and bold black lines rimmed his head and horns. Red eyes stared right off Mintee- and that's what she wanted.

The carnivore feinted, turning swiftly and attempting to dodge for Mintees side. The parasaur bellowed, rearing onto her hind legs and kicking out- only for the carnivore to dodge again, suddenly biting for her other side before she could react. Mintee grunted as sharp teeth sunk into one of her forelegs, a strong tug pulling her off balance. She was in danger of falling if he kept pulling- and she would be done for if toppled.

Thankfully, Mintee had backup. With an angry cry Bassoon dove, landing onto the carnivores back and rapidly pecking at its head. The carnotaurus snarled, shaking itself rapidly and releasing Mintee. The tapejara was quick to jump off, leaving the white scales on the back of the carnivores head dotted with red.

Still, it seemed the intruder would not give up just yet. A loud roar came from its mouth, and its posture seemed to speak of an incoming charge. Mintee stood her ground, careful to keep weight off her injured leg. If it got past them, who knows who many would be hurt-

A sharp crunch filled the air, and Mintee and Basson stared in surprise as the carnotaurus began jumping around squealing. A look at its legs revealed Snowshoe- the oviraptor having sunk her beak deep into the thigh of the other. Bassoon winched. He knew from experience how deceptively powerful an oviraptor's bite was, easily able to crack both nuts and bone. Couldn’t happen to a nicer carnivore, though.

The thrashing carnivore finally managed to dislodge Snowshoe, kicking the oviraptor into a tree. Mintee tensed- ready to charge in and intercept a bite making its way for her friend- only for the carnivore to quickly limp from the clearing- seems it had finally learnt its lesson.

Bassoon was the first to reach Snowshoe, nudging at her feathers with his beak. The oviraptor was quick to stir, seemingly only dazed. “Check on Supernova..” She managed to get to her feet, leaning on Bassoon to not tip over. “She’s under there… I packed some leaves on her wounds, but she needs medical aid.”

Mintee quickly set off to where Snowshoe had pointed, pushing away foliage until she found the form of the yellow and black omnivore. Supernova was curled into a ball, a good portion of her side now green from the various leaves covering it. Mintee poked the ball of scales with her nose, getting a groan of pain but no response.

“We need the wagon.” Mintee reported grimly, backing out and heading towards the clearing they had previously been in. “She's unresponsive- and we need to transport her back fast. Get her ready.”

Bassoon and Snowshoe took over, crawling over to the injured oviraptor and propping her up between them. “Huh… what?... hurts…” Supernova muttered, long neck draped across Snowshows feathers. 

“Its ok… we got ya…” Bassoon soothed, before raising his head as a low creaking sound approached. “And look! Mintees here with the wagon.” Somehow, the wagon had survived the chaos- even if much of what had been inside it had not. Carefully the green parasaur stepped forward, using her crest to boost the yellow scout into the wagon. Snowshoe quickly climbed in afterwards, brushing plants and dirt aside to create a comfier spot for her to rest. 

The scent of dirt and crushed grass quickly covered up the scent of blood, allowing for a bit more peace of mind. “Alright.” Mintee took up position behind the wagon, Bassoon landing on her feathered back. “I hope you don't mind a bumpy ride.” But when was it not?