Pendulum

Ghost is terrified. It’s… Unusual. He’s so used to going about his life with dulled senses and emotions, meandering through the islands wherever his feet took him. But since the islands had begun changing, the variety of visions he experienced at night had become pinpointed on one incident, one group, and he was drawn towards it.

It’d started with the small creatures that looked like him, but smaller. ‘Oviraptors’ they’d called themselves, followed then by the large, lumbering creatures called Euoplocephalus–A mouthful for him, for sure–and finally the Iguanodons. He was unsure why they’d chosen only now to surface, after being hidden in their own world for so long. But now, as he’d ventured deeper and deeper into their kingdom, past deadly plants and into the cloying humidity, he’d learnt that they were suffering from the past earthquakes, much like the other island inhabitants had.

He’d been careless, tucking down when his legs threatened to fail him in a clearing. When he woke the next morning, ready to continue moving and heading deeper into the dome, he found himself trapped in a pit. Though his captors had underestimated his height, and Ghost was able to rest his head on the lip of the pit while sitting against the wall. He had begun looking around at his surroundings to try and gain an idea of where exactly he was and just who had taken him captive when he heard loud footsteps approaching from behind.

“Oh good, you’re finally awake.” The voice had a deep timbre, it sounded grumbly, like they had only just woken up themself. Ghost turns to face it. Before him stands a large male iguanodon, covered in scars. They stand out starkly against his black and grey hide, and Ghost feels almost intimidated.

“Queen Rhys would like a word. Are you able to stand?” Ghost nods, and though shaky from being stuck in the same position on the cold ground for so long, he makes it to his feet.

“Use that ledge behind you if you need. Though I’m not sure you will.” The male inspects him, noting his height now he was stretching and shaking off the sleep. “I’m Guerilla. You are?”

“Ghost.” He replies, heaving himself up onto the rim of the pit with little difficulty. He dusts the dirt from his chest carefully, and then turns to face the other male. Guerilla nods, then turns and begins trekking deeper into the jungle. Ghost follows close behind, grateful to have someone guiding him once again since Avow had gone missing.

The pair aren’t walking for very long before they break through the thickest of the jungle and come upon a clearing. In it stands a large but crumbling structure. High towers attach to a central building with tall ceilings and large, colourful windows adorn the front and sides. A grand castle in its own right, despite its deteriorating state.

Guerilla leads Ghost forwards and into the castle, heralding their presence. He was used to being a member of the largest species by far on the islands, but now surrounded by Iguanodons that rivaled his own size he was intimidated. The most influential of which was standing before him right now. The reason for his terror.

Queen Rhys was huge, she commanded attention without saying a single thing. The primates sitting on her back stared unnervingly, eyes far too intelligent.

“I hear you’ve been looking for me. Have you come to try and stop us or are you here to help? Choose wisely, you’re greatly outnumbered.” Her voice didn’t need to be loud, the second she’d opened her mouth to talk, all in the room fell silent. She spoke evenly, like she knew she’d get what she wanted in the end.

The two stood in tense silence, staring down at each other. Ghost adjusts his stance, his legs aching from standing in one place so long. He can see the court surrounding him, restless. They’re decked out head to toe in armour, some covered in spikes that scream danger and others forming an impregnable front against any attacks that might come their way. They all look ready for war, and Ghost isn’t sure he’s able to fight against them all, he’s alone here. That doesn’t mean he’s not willing to try though.

“You’ll kill so many of us. The plants you’re spreading, they’re deadly to us. We aren’t adapted to them, is there no other way? You’ve all lived so isolated down here for years, why now do you want to take over the islands? Can we not all just co-exist?” He can feel his hands shaking, the tapping of his claws together seeming to echo throughout the silent hall making him cringe.

Rhys huffs a laugh, eyeing him up and down. “If we’ve managed to adapt I’m sure you all can too. We’re not unfair, we just don’t deserve to be stuck in this dome until the end of time. Do we not also deserve to see the sun and feel the wind? We don’t want to take over the whole island, but why shouldn’t we be allowed to carve out our own space outside.”

Ghost has to admit she has a point. He hadn’t thought about the fact that just because they’d lived this way for decades doesn’t mean they wouldn’t want to grow and expand their range. He feels awful for having come here trying to convince them to continue living the way they have been.

“You’re right, I’m sorry. I was simply concerned at a mass casualty from the island’s current inhabitants with the introduction of the plants from down here. But I wasn’t taking into account the fact that this has been the way you all have been living for years. Would you perhaps be willing to share your knowledge with the rest of us so we know how to handle ourselves around the plants you’re planning to spread outside?”

The Queen hums in acknowledgement, turning to face another Iguanodon as it steps towards her and leans to whisper in her ear. She nods, then turns back towards Ghost. “If those of you who come down here are willing to help us in repairing Atlantis and willing to clear some land for us on the surface then I think it’s only fair for us to aid you in turn. We’ll fit you with armour and teach you which plants to avoid, but the rest must be learnt on your own.”

Ghost nods in return, and Rhys motions for someone in her court to step forward. A large purple and yellow Iguanodon approaches Ghost, she offers him a kind smile before turning to face the Queen again.

“Soraya here will show you an area of concern within the dome, it’ll be your job to help us fix it. She’ll help you fix it, of course. Good luck.” And with that, she waves the pair off. The Iguanodon next to him bows before turning towards the entrance to the hall, nudging him forward with her. The pair head out into the humid jungle, with Soraya explaining where they’ll be going and how she plans to fix the leak in the dome with Ghost. Ghost’s just glad to be getting out of the suffocating atmosphere and stretch his legs again.