Born of Fire: The Dawn of Legend (8 page)

He was on a high bluff overlooking an expansive mountain valley full of vibrant plants of all sizes and colors. The sky was the same as he remembered, full of stars despite being day, but fainter now. Huge magnificent orange clouds also filled the slightly tan sky. The sight that truly gripped him, however, was that of the inhabitants of this land. There, filling the fields, were dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes. Rex dropped to his knees as tears ran down his cheeks. “It…it wasn’t a dream,” he stammered in shock. “They weren’t a dream.”

Several of the larger long-necked sauropod species that resembled brachiosaurs turned their heads and looked up at the bluff, and soon all the others followed suit. Before Rex even knew what was happening, all the dinosaurs were staring up at him.
How could this be real?
he thought to himself.
How could any of this be real
? This was something out of a dream, a fantasy brought to life: a world where dinosaurs still lived. One of the brachiosaurs let out a low, powerful call, and soon all the other dinosaurs were roaring up to him. Rex was taken aback, and he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked back to see DiNiya standing behind him, smiling. Kneeling down beside him, she spoke softly, “Aren’t you going to say hello back?”

Rex looked at her, then, somehow understanding what she meant, turned and looked back at all the dinosaurs. All of their magnificent roars and cries flowed through him like blood coursing through his veins. From deep within, he felt his flame burn hotter, brighter. This time, though, he did not feel anger or rage, but rather a sense of peace. He closed his eyes and heard their voices, which spoke in unison,
Welcome
. Rex smiled as he was immersed in the warm, comforting feeling.

The two sat there for what probably seemed like an eternity. Not that Rex minded, for he could have remained there and watched these great lords of the land all day. He would have, too, had DiNiya not whispered in his ear, “Want to meet them?”

Rex turned and nodded with a dreamy look in his eyes. DiNiya led him down the path into the open field where all the dinosaurs, big and small, watched them with immense curiosity. DiNiya walked through the field casually, while Rex looked as if his eyes were about to fall out of his head from having them open so wide. “Father,” she called out to a man who was talking to a large and powerfully muscular-looking dinosaur that Rex instantly recognized as the one who had intervened between him and the saber-tooth. The man waved back, and then motioned them over.

“Come on,” said DiNiya excitedly as she wrapped her arms around the man.

“How’s my girl doing?” the man said as he hugged her back.

“Good, good,” she replied. “When did you get back?”

“Just now. I was on my way up to the bluff, when VayRonx caught me and filled me in on a very interesting story.”

Rex was trying to remain as quiet as he could, glancing up at the towering dinosaur, which he noticed was eyeing him in turn. “So this is our new arrival,” said DiNiya’s father. “BaRone of the KaNar tribe,” he said as he held up his arm.

“Rex of uhh…Merced,” he replied, forcing out a bolder voice as he awkwardly held up his arm.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rex,” BaRone replied with a smile, touching his forearm with his, resonating his flame with Rex’s. “I hear you already met VayRonx, our alpha.”

“He brought you here two days ago,” explained DiNiya. “You seemed to be in some sort of paralysis.”

“Two days ago?” replied Rex in surprise. “I’ve been asleep that long?”

She nodded. “We were worried that you may have gotten sick, so we kept you in bed and watched you closely. Fortunately, you seemed to have just suffered from a little bump on the back of your head, so we decided it was best just to let you rest until your strength returned.”

Just a little bump
, Rex thought as he recalled all the blood on his hand.

“By the way, how are you feeling now?” she asked with a sudden look of concern.

“Better,” he replied, rubbing the back of his head and feeling relieved to see no blood this time. Then a thought occurred to him. “Hey, uhh…wasn’t I…naked when I was brought here?”

“Yes, why?” she replied calmly. “Did you lose your clothes?”

“No. I mean yes, but…that’s not what I meant,” Rex struggled. “What I’m asking is, how did I get into these?”

“Oh, I dressed you,” she replied cheerfully, not aware of what was bothering him.

“You dressed me!” he exclaimed with a look of terror as his face began to turn red.

“You don’t like them?”

“No,” he said in a slightly higher voice as he looked down at his new attire. He was wearing a tight-fitting black knitted sleeveless shirt with laced up strings on the chest and brown pants that seemed to be made from some sort of thick woven material, with a loincloth over it. Lastly, he wore leather boots that came almost up to his knees. “I mean, yes…I mean, they’re fine. It’s just…you saw me naked.” The last part he said in a hushed tone.

“I know,” replied DiNiya in a manner that implied she saw nothing wrong in this. “You were unconscious and we couldn’t wake you, which meant that your flame couldn’t be used to warm you. I had to get some clothes on you to keep you from getting sick.”

“Don’t worry,” said BaRone as he slapped Rex hard on the back. “You’re in good hands with my daughter. She’ll take good care of you. Have you eaten yet?”

Rex nodded.

“He finished off the rest of the tow,” DiNiya replied happily.

“He did?” BaRone said, looking at Rex with a worried expression. “Do…you feel all right?”

“He’s fine,” DiNiya shot back irritably as she pulled her father along. “Come on, let’s head back to the house so you can tell us about your trip. How did it go, by the way?”

“Interestingly,” he replied before looking back at Rex and motioning for him to come along.

As Rex moved to follow them, he heard VayRonx call from behind. “Boy, are you truly all right?”

Rex turned to look up at the dinosaur, who was looking back down at him intently. “I’m not sure,” he replied, not taking his eyes off him.

VayRonx let out a heavy sigh. “I will come for you later. We will talk then. For now, go with BaRone and DiNiya. They are good people, so you can trust them. I give you my word.”

Rex looked down uncertainly, then back up and nodded. He turned and walked briskly after DiNiya and her father, who had stopped and called back to him to catch up.

VayRonx watched the three of them head back up to the bluff as another female of his kind walked up next to him. “Should I be worried?” she asked with a hint of concern.

“Still too early to know for certain.”

“Come,” she said as she nuzzled him affectionately. “We need to convene with NyRo.”

VayRonx looked up at the bluff for another moment before turning and joining his mate.

Back at the bluff, BaRone looked at the empty plate where the fish had been with his hands on his hips and an uncertain look spread across his face. “Well, you weren’t lying,” he said, shaking his head. “He really did eat all of it.”

“Of course I wasn’t lying!” DiNiya fired back angrily.

“Hey, Rex,” BaRone called back to Rex, who was standing in the corner observing both of them quietly. “Are you feeling—?”

“He’s fine,” DiNiya replied as she pulled him forward and pulled his mouth up into a smile. “See, happy and healthy.”

BaRone looked at Rex, then back at the plate. “Guess we’ll see,” he said with a grin and slapped Rex on the back.

“DiNiya, I’m home,” came a voice through the front door. “Caught us a great haul today!” In walked a young man in his mid-teens, with lightly tan skin and long, light-auburn hair. He was about the same height as DiNiya and was of a leaner frame than Rex. He wore dark green and brown garb similar to that of Rex, and carried a net, which he had slung over his right shoulder. He suddenly stopped when he noticed Rex. “Who are you?” he asked with a curious look on his face. “And why are you wearing my clothes?”

Rex looked down then back up, unsure what to say. Luckily, BaRone chimed in at that exact moment, sparing Rex the awkwardness of fumbling for an explanation. “This is Rex of Merced, the newest addition to the tribe.” Placing a hand on Rex’s shoulder, he smiled. “Rex, I’d like for you to meet my son, EeNox.”

“Uhh…hi,” Rex said as he once again held out his hand.

EeNox set the net down on the floor and walked over to Rex, where he looked at his awkwardly outstretched hand. Realizing his mistake, Rex immediately raised his arm instead, mimicking the gesture he had used with DiNiya’s father as best he recalled, hoping to quickly rectify his error.

EeNox glanced over at his father and sister, who nodded in turn, then back to Rex and smiled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rex. Welcome to our—hey, wait…”

Inside, Rex felt his stomach twist into knots.
Here we go again
…

“Your eyes,” EeNox said as he leaned in closer, causing Rex to take a step back. “They’re…red!”

Images of children he had known in years past, laughing and making fun of him, paraded through his mind. The throbbing in the back of his head was now returning, and he began to feel lightheaded. It must have been obvious to DiNiya, who quickly ran up and let him lean against her.

“Rex, are you all right?” she asked worriedly. “Here, sit down.” She pulled out a chair and eased him down in it.

BaRone walked up and handed him a glass of water. “Here, drink this.”

Rex gulped the water down as if he had been parched but began to cough as some of it went down the wrong pipe.

“Easy,” DiNiya said as she used her sleeve to wipe water from his chin.

“I’m all right,” Rex said, looking a little embarrassed by her motherly behavior.

“Why don’t you get him back in bed, DiNiya,” her father said, eyeing Rex. “I’m sure he’s still worn out and could probably use a bit more bed rest before he’s back on his feet.”

“Come on, Rex,” she said as she took him by the hand and led him back to the room he had awoken in earlier. She helped him back into bed while gently cradling his head in her hand.

“You don’t have to do this,” Rex said. “I can take care of myself.”

“There’s no shame in getting a little help every now and then,” she replied, pulling the blankets up to his chest. “Besides, no one is doubting your…capabilities.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, raising his head.

DiNiya sighed as she stood in the doorway with her back to him. Then, standing in silence, she carefully thought about what to say next. Suddenly, she turned back to face him with a broad smile. “There’s nothing for you to be worried about, Rex. Just get as much rest as you need. I’ll be back to check on you soon.”

Rex watched her walk out of the room and gently close the door behind her. Slowly, he lay back down and stared up at the ceiling, which he noticed had carvings in it. He focused his eyes, which seemed to magnify the images until he felt they were right in front of him. The carvings depicted dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes intermingling with one another, much like he had seen earlier. His mind wandered, drifting through an endless sea of questions.
Dinosaurs. They’re alive. How are they alive
? He did not know if it had been the sudden rush of excitement he had just experienced from seeing actual living dinosaurs catching up with him, or his body simply giving out from fatigue, but soon he found himself slipping into a deep, dreamless sleep.

He awoke some time later, feeling groggy and once again needing several minutes to fully process where he was. He looked over to the window on his left and noticed that the light coming through the slit was now pale silver. He rose up out of bed and walked over to it. Quietly, he pushed them open and was immediately greeted by the cool night air. In the distance he could see the larger dinosaurs sleeping out in the valley, some doing so standing up. A gentle breeze glided across the open expanse, bringing with it the same sweet scent he had smelled several times before and that led him here to this place. He closed his eyes as it filled him, giving him visions of an open meadow filled with tall golden grass, and a beautiful luminous night sky filled with dancing light that seemed to go on forever. He found his nose drifting up in pursuit of the increasingly intense aroma. The next thing he knew, he was climbing out the window and up the side of the house, a faint red glow surrounding him as he did so. Higher and higher he went, watching as the top drew nearer.
What is this pull I feel?
he wondered. So strange was it, and yet so natural. He would have stopped to inquire had it not trapped him in its hypnotic pull. Whatever it was, something deep within him was telling him to trust his instincts and follow it. At last he placed one hand over the top and pulled the rest of himself up and over. Landing on his haunches, he immediately glanced around, not sure what exactly he was looking for. It was then that he saw DiNiya sitting several yards in front of him with her legs dangling over the other side. Hints of movements could be seen in her long beautiful fur as the gentle breeze swept through it. Wrapped around her was a dark red blanket to keep out the chill in the air, which did not seem to bother Rex, although he was aware of it. He stared at her back for a moment, not knowing how to break the silence. There she sat quietly, beautifully silhouetted in front of an enormous, full ringed moon accompanied by a second smaller one, in an endless sky of color and flowing light. He stared at her for what seemed like an eternity when she suddenly spoke, causing him to jump.

“Couldn’t sleep either?” she asked calmly before tilting her head back to glance at him. Another gentle breeze slowly blew several strands of her fur out of her face, and Rex was instantly taken aback by how different she seemed to look in the pale moonlight. Gone was the always-smiling, upbeat girl he had met earlier. Sitting before him now was an old soul whose face, despite its beauty, was scarred with sadness. “I often come up here at night when I have things on my mind.”

“I will leave you alone, then,” Rex said, turning to climb back down.

“No, wait,” DiNiya suddenly blurted out with a bit more intensity than she had planned or expected before quickly calming herself. “I mean…would you like to sit with me? Just for a little while, maybe?”