[Trade] Cronchy

                The sounds of the ocean in the distant summer day, coupled with the warmth of the sun and the crying of the gulls, was enough to lull any creature into relaxation. It was blisteringly hot, nor was the gentle breeze even a tad bit cold. All together it was perfect, a perfect summer day on Isle Kela.

                Maybelle couldn’t help but yawn and shake her head afterwards, a desperate attempt at staying awake. She had been walking both Isles for some time at that point, and the constant travel was starting to catch up with her. It took a toll on her body, though she would not trade the experiences she had along the way for anything, or the friends she met.

                “I think I agree.”

                Maybelle couldn’t help but smile at her friend’s words. She’d met the other Parasaur not too far from where they currently rested in a forested meadow, on the beach where she distinctly remembered likening his coloration and patterns to the ocean itself. Her eyes peeked open so she could glance over at the male, finding he had the same sort of sleepy expression that she had. Keeping their eyes open was going to be a chore if they sat around and did nothing for much longer.

                “Then how about we go and stretch our legs a bit. When was the last time you found any bones around these parts?” Maybelle asked, her southern drawl only making the heat of summer sound that much sweeter. It somehow suited the temperature in a way that Driftwood was unable to describe in that moment.

                He got to his feet at the same time his friend did, the Para pair standing on their hind legs momentarily to fully stretch themselves out before dropping back down onto all fours. Driftwood had to think for a moment. When was the last time he’d found some bones to suck on, or some brittle enough to chew on.

                “Depends. What are you wanting? More of a sucker, or something brittle enough to chew? I haven’t found anything to chew in a while. But I know of a few places where I’ve seen things be hunted recently.” He replied, scrunching his nose at the thought of what he’d seen. The corpses had still been bloody but he knew at that point the scavengers should’ve picked them clean and dry.

                “Chew! That would be nice. Especially if you haven’t had any treat like that in a while. You know, I think I saw Ouranos not far from here. While I think of where we might find a place for brittle bones, let’s go and hit him up.” Maybelle replied and gave her friend a soft smile as she started walking, stopping only to look back at him and wait for him to catch up.

                Driftwood didn’t leave her waiting for long as he smiled back at her as he caught up with her, the pair walking side by side through the forest. The name rang a bell, but he couldn’t place a face to the name. Nor was he going to spend that long in thinking it over. While his nature was one of caution, he found it was easy to be around May. Over the course of their friendship he had also seen that others thought the same thing of her. She made friends easily, talking to everyone as if she’d already known them for years and just made conversation in general easy. Even to someone like him. He hated small talk and large groups of people but with Maybelle he didn’t need to talk. He could sit and listen as she told him about stories from all over the isles. The few times he had accompanied her around the area, she did her best to avoid bigger groupings of other dinosaurs as well.

                To his surprise, he had even heard a few stories of her meeting and befriend carnivores.

                An odd Cryo pair, and then an Albertosaur with a Tropeo life-mate were Driftwoods two more favorite stories she had told. The thought alone of befriending something that could, and would, eat them blew his mind. If he had not known her long before he had heard those stories, he would’ve thought that the woman was crazy and just spinning stories for the hell of it. But when he was told them, he knew they were true. Maybelle did not speak lies.

                Which was just one of the reasons why he found he could be relaxed around her.

                The pair walked a short while, May humming a tune that reverberated through her horn in a pleasing tone. And before long, the blue-green Parasaur spotted the distinct form of a Shuno ahead of them. The tan and brown feathered form easy to spot among the vivid green of the trees they were in, though the brown striped bands along his back almost looked like the trunks of trees from a distance. Given the right location, Driftwood had no doubt the male would be able to hide easily if he needed to simply by standing still.

                Maybelle smiled, forging ahead when she saw the male long-neck, extra pep her step as she quickened her pace and trumpeted a soft hello. Ouranos turned his head in her and Driftwood’s direction when he heard the call and smiled when he spotted the Parasaur that was as bright as a flowering rose.

                “Ouranos! It is good to see you! I had hoped you were still in the area.” Maybelle called, trotting the rest of the distance over and came to a stop in front of the Shuno with Driftwood in tow. He stopped beside her, eyeing the Shuno and trying to recall if he’d seen him now that he was closer. There was something familiar about his feathery hide, but it wasn’t until he looked up at his face that Driftwood remembered the man. They’d met once or twice in passing but had never stopped to chat for long.

                The feathered mutton chops were a dead giveaway, however.

                “Maybelle, you’re looking well since the last time we met.” Ouranos rumbled, amused at how excited she seemed to be. Though his attention moved to Driftwood, looking the male Parasaur over for a moment. It almost seemed as if the pair were on a quest due to the look of determination he could see in May’s eyes.

                “I am! Thank you. This is my friend, Driftwood. I wanted to treat him today with something he hasn’t had in a while. We were going to look for bones, Ouranos. Brittle ones that would be easy to chew. He didn’t know of a place but I figured you would know of one. You’re welcome to come along if you’d like, as well. The only place I know of is further up in the highlands, where it starts to become mountainous. But, for company’s sake I would like to avoid it if possible.” Maybe asked and tilted her head to the side slightly, the kind smile still spread across her face.

                Ouranos was quiet for a moment as he considered her question. She watched as his eyes drifted up and to the side, trying to search his vast memory for anything that would be useful to the pair. A moment later she was happy to see his features soften as his gaze returned to her. If the eyes were the windows to ones’ soul, Maybelle only ever saw kindness in the Shuno’s. That same feeling could be seen then in his eye as he offered his knowledge.

                “I do. There’s a fall not far from here where the bones have turned white under the sun. A fair amount all from creatures that have attempted to take the mountain pass.” He said. It was a place he’d seen several times in the past, and every time he walked through there seemed to be one more skeleton added to fall. Though, as quickly as one would be added, one would be taken. It wasn’t a death trap, but the area was known for its danger to those that weren’t careful. “I’ll take you there, if you don’t mind the company.” He added.

                May and Driftwood listened before the female gave a quick shake of her head.

                “I don’t mind the company at all. It would be a pleasure to have you! Lead the way, and we’ll follow!” Maybelle replied. Ouranos couldn’t help but chuckle at how quick she was to accept him into the temporary herd.

                The three started off, Ouranos leading the way while Driftwood and Maybelle flanked him on either side. Driftwood just smiled as he listened to May happily chat with Ouranos, the female asking him all sorts of questions as she caught back up with the Shuno. She spoke of some Atlanteans she had met, asking if he had seen any himself, and then asking about the new places that he had adventured to and seen. It made the transition from the beach and forest into the highlands tolerable. Driftwood would never willingly depart from what he knew so easily. The forests were safe and provided cover, the beaches were mostly peaceful. But the highlands? They were wide open and a prime spot for predators to stalk their pray from on high.

                Driftwood’s eyes had not stopped scanning the horizon, even as Ouranos brought them to the bottom of a steeply angled shale rockface, Driftwood still kept his eyes to the rocks above them. Something just didn’t feel right, but he couldn’t place his finger on it.

                Maybelle glanced over the bones that Ouranos had led them to, smiling as she saw the skeletons scattered out. Bones littered the ground and based on how shards of bone were scattered here and there, she thought it safe to say that it was a popular place to go for dinosaurs that needed a quick bone fix.

                “Thank you, Ouranos. It’s only fair you get first pick of what you would like, since you brought us here. I insist.” May said and turned her attention back to him

                “You’re welcome. I’m happy I could help.” Ouranos replied as he turned his head to scan the ground. There would be no use arguing with May over who got first pick, he knew she would simply not eat anything until he had picked at something first. He dipped his head down after a moment, spotting a smaller shard that looked easy enough to chew on. Sure enough, as soon as he had picked out his piece Maybelle had nudged Driftwood and motioned to the bones in front of them.

                His attention was taken from the rocks above them as May nudged him and before long the three were having their fill of bones. The age on the shards made it easy for them to crush and chew, a texture that Driftwood had long since forgotten. He had grown accustomed to more fresh bones that he could occasionally find on the beach or in the forest. Occasionally a bone would wash up from the ocean, providing a good snack as well as a salt lick if he ever needed a quick salty fix.

                A few pieces of shale falling down the cliff was what brought Maybell’s attention up and away from the bones. Her chewing slowed as she beheld the creature that was perched far above them, watching with cold, dead, eyes. And as she fell silent and still, it was enough for the two men with her to realize something was off as they looked up to see what had her attention.

                She knew the black and white hide, the crusted blood-colored  tear marking that marked the flank of the Parasaur that stared down at them. His stare was something she could feel. If she was a mile away she could feel that stare just as well as she could feel it now with him looking down from above. Argent simply sat.

                Waiting.

                Maybelle knew the man’s master. The one she had been hoping to avoid just so that she could treat Driftwood to a snack of bones fragile enough to chew on. Something he hadn’t enjoyed in some time. If Argent was there, then any number of beasts were possibly near as well. More noteworthy would be Blight and Relic, though there was also the slim chance that the Pale One himself was stalking nearby. The presence of the harbinger looking down on them from his hillside perch made her skin crawl while alarms blared in her head.

                She carefully got to her feet, moving slowly so as to not come across as a threat to the ever watchful Parasaur above them. “I think maybe we should take our leave.” There was no joy in her tone, her rich southern drawl from only a half hour ago was gone, her voice quiet as the feathers along her spine started to stand on end.

                Driftwood felt cold fear trickle down his spine as he looked up at Argent. There was something not right with that creature. He was a parasaur in body but his eyes…Maybelle would get no argument from him when it came to her suggestion of leaving. He wanted to return to the safety of what he knew, the forests below them that offered protection and shelter. He moved back to his feet as well, moving as slowly as Maybelle had as if they were suddenly walking on eggshells. One wrong move and he wasn’t sure what would happen, but it wouldn’t be good.

                Ouranos had turned his gaze upwards as well to the waiting parasaur. He’d heard the shale start to fall before it had alarmed Maybelle, though it hadn’t felt like any of the carnivores on the isles. But as he looked up at the grayscale parasaur, the eyes told another story. He was no different than the carnivores in spirit but the fact that he had simply been watching was also what had caused Ouranos to dismiss the male. His intention wasn’t to harm them, as far as Ouranos could tell. Just…watch. Or possibly the male knew he wouldn’t win any sort of fight if he had come charging down at them. Though the presence and feel of the Parasaur didn’t point at that being the case. The creature was just odd, in all the wrong ways.

                The shuno gave a soft sound to agreement to what May had suggested. “I’ll take us another way.” He said, lowering his head closer to the others and kept his voice quiet so that their overseer couldn’t hear them. “Our paths do not need to cross if you prefer it.”

                May needed no further coaxing and gave a nod. “Let’s go. We’ll stick close.” She whispered back. Ouranos gave a nod, bringing his head back up and turned in a way to keep an eye on Argent while he led the pair of Parasaurs away. Driftwood and Maybelle staying closer to his front half as they all started away.

                None of them spoke as they walked, peeking back here and there to keep an eye on the distant Para who remained on the steep cliffside, his head the only thing moving as he watched them leave. And once they were out of eyesight, Driftwood sighed heavily.

                “How much worse was the place you were thinking of?” He asked and looked over at May.

                “It would’ve been rich in bone. But we most likely would’ve met that one’s master. An Acro that is…fickle. I’ve seen that Para a few times now. He’s never attacked but wherever he goes, accidents happen. I would probably avoid that place for a while, Ouranos.” Maybelle replied and looked over at the Shuno who still had his head turned slightly to keep an eye out behind them. Though he could no longer feel the gaze of the creature from the mountain.

                “I will take note of that, thank you for the warning. I was going to head out tomorrow anyway. I’ll keep an eye out now for a new place to find bones. A place that doesn’t involve mountains.” Ouranos replied.

                “Preferably a place in the forest around here.” Driftwood muttered.

                “Your request has been noted.” The Shuno replied with a gentle smile.