[Trade] A Battle To Be Remembered

Northstar came to a halt, staring intently at the ground ahead of her. The dark, grey earth rarely had anything of interest to offer – for the most part, when travelling through these arid lands, one could see nothing but dust swirling above the ground or numerous clusters of angular stones. This time, however, yellowish, bushy twigs covered in tiny leaves were protruding from a narrow crack in the sun-baked ground. The female lowered her head, pleased by the sight of this meagre yet intriguing little plant. Though the stem of this small shrub was woody and the round leaves rather dry and fleshy, Northstar appreciated even such a meal. In this place, hostile to all life, every mouthful of food was worth its weight in gold.

In places like this, teeming with danger, a good herd was also worth its weight in gold. The vast, almost completely barren ashlands offered little chance of finding cover, so the herbivores living here were constantly exposed to predators. Lone individuals rarely survived long here – anyone with even a modicum of sense knew that strength lay in numbers. Despite this realisation, Northstar could not boast of the large herd she was part of. The young female was still inexperienced, and her small, family-based herd had recently been decimated by a ravenous pack of albertosaurus. Since then, she had had to face the challenges fate threw at her alone. And to tell the truth, she’d had more than enough of it.

Since morning, Northstar had been following a route frequently used by her species, hoping that she would eventually encounter another styracosaurus – preferably one with good intentions. Although the ashlands stretched for many miles, most herbivores lived only in a certain part of them, so encountering another ceratopsian seemed a certainty. Star would have preferred a small herd consisting mainly of females, similar to the one she had been part of until recently, but to tell the truth she wasn’t too fussy – beggars can’t be choosers.

So far, her plan had only been half successful – with every step she took, she could smell another styracosaurus more and more strongly, but, to her slight disappointment, it was a male.

The barren ashlands, covered mainly in sand and stones, had a way of making other dinosaurs visible from a distance. This was the case this time too – before Northstar could find another bush to give her even a little energy, she spotted a dark brown shape several dozen metres ahead.

The sound reaching her on a breeze that was not particularly strong but nonetheless harsh left no room for doubt – it was the bull she had been tracking. He looked like an adult, probably not much older than her, but he was definitely larger than her (Northstar was rather petite, even for a female). Although the male had his back to her and was clearly lost in thought, the quilled styracosaurus had no intention of risking a stealthy approach – he might mistake it for a trick and attack. So the female roared, loudly announcing her presence.

Ifrit almost jumped in surprise, turning towards the sound. His consternation lasted but a moment – as soon as he saw that he was dealing with a solitary female, he immediately relaxed. Not only did the stranger pose no threat to him, but she was actually welcome company. He responded with a joyful, loud neigh, signalling that he, too, meant no harm. Seeing that Northstar had reacted positively to this greeting, he set off towards her with a surprisingly light and graceful trot.

The male’s excitement was impossible to hide; in his joy, Ifrit almost collided with the stranger, avoiding the incident only because the prudent Northstar had moved slightly out of the way just in time. Well, it wasn’t the best start, but the brown bull wasn’t about to give up so easily – he circled the female and rubbed against her side in a friendly manner, trying to win her favour. North was a little sceptical, but she wasn’t about to write off her new companion straight away either. She couldn’t really afford to return to a dangerous, solitary life.

This introductory dance, full of uncertainty and excitement, continued for a while, and it had to be admitted that the two Styracosaurus were clearly warming to each other. Suddenly, just as they were almost ready to set off together, something changed in the dusty, hot air – as the wind shifted, a new scent reached the nostrils of Ifrit and Northstar. The scent of another bull.

Ifrit snorted loudly, jerking away from the female. His dark pupils dilated, revealing blood-red irises. He hadn’t expected competition, but clearly he’d been mistaken – he could never let his guard down.

The newcomer spotted the brown styracosaurus before it had a chance to work out where he was. No wonder – he had been aware of the pair’s presence even before he came into their line of sight, so he chose an unconventional route leading over a rocky hill covered in almost black gravel. During his journey, he was too high up for Ifrit, preoccupied with his new companion, to spot him. Eventually, however, the moment came when further concealment was pointless – Varigen announced his presence with a loud roar that echoed across the stony desert.

Northstar immediately backed away, knowing, despite her limited experience, that a confrontation was imminent. The female had no intention of getting between the two enraged bulls – she knew their strength could be deadly.

Ifrit, still unsure of his rival’s position, began to throw his head aggressively in all directions, displaying his long, almost black horns. His flanks, covered in dark, long-healed scars, bore witness to the fact that he had already taken part in more than one fight – and won many of them. His display certainly made an impression on most potential opponents.

Varigen, however, did not flinch. He had reasons not to feel fear – despite being of a similar age to the other bull, he boasted even greater size. The grey-black male was enormous for a styracosaurus, towering over most individuals of his species. What’s more, adrenaline was coursing through his veins, and his red eyes blazed with pure fury. He wasn’t even particularly interested in Northstar – his aggression stemmed from a pure desire to fight.

Infrit continued to circle round and round, continuing his display of strength. Varigen therefore had to make the first move – the male began to dig at the ground with his front legs, like a bull preparing to charge. And then he charged.

The brown, spiked male, though unaware of it until then, realised just in time from which direction his opponent was approaching. He lowered his head, pointing his sharp horns towards him – he was ready to take the blow.

The males collided with a loud bang. The impact was so great that they almost bounced off each other. Northstar moved back even further, frightened by the clash. Varigen stepped back to gather momentum and charged the other male once more. This time, Ifrit was slightly less prepared – he took the blow at a slight angle, causing the grey-black male’s largest horns to strike him painfully on the neck and knock his head to one side. Ifrit tried to press forward against his opponent, but in this unnatural position he had no chance of fending off the attack. He could only retreat, hoping that luck would soon be on his side.

The males attacked simultaneously, despite the short distance between them, striking so hard that their massive necks could barely withstand the painful force. Their horns became entangled, locking the two bulls in a dangerous grip. Although both were jerking their heads, they could not break free – they had to start fighting in a different way. Both Varigen and Ifrit pushed forward with all their might, trying to shove their rival aside. At first, the battle was fairly even, and every step backwards was countered by another step, this time forwards. It soon became clear, however, that Varigen had the upper hand in terms of both strength and stamina. The black-and-grey figure braced himself against the unstable ground, then began to plough forward with the force of a steam locomotive.

Ifrit tried to resist, but he couldn’t manage it – his feet left deep furrows in the grey sand. Finally, they encountered a greater obstacle – the male struck a large rock, stumbling over it. Varigen did not allow his opponent to regain his balance. Ifrit crashed to the ground with a thud, slipping out of his rival’s grip. The impact nearly knocked the wind out of him.

Varigen planted one foot on the side of the brown male, pinning him to the ground and preventing him from rising. Once more he let out a guttural roar, fixing Northstar with a gaze full of aggression. The female took a step back, cowering in fear.

Fortunately for her, Varigen was also worn out by the fight. It wasn’t just his rival who had suffered – the black-and-grey male’s ruff was also covered in scratches and wounds. Varigen stepped back, allowing Ifrit to catch his breath.

The battle was over.

1521 words