Dinotopia: Terrible Place of Peace IC

[Vonghese]

Djak stood rigid, back straight and hands at his sides, eyes locked coldly on the equally dispassionate left eye of the old Pachycephalosaurus. After a bit, the dinosaur turned his head so Djak could glare at his right eye, which Djak reckoned was wise on his part.

No sense in going blind in one eye.

“Warden Skirata,” the big Pachycephalosaurus said. “I’m not sure I understand correctly. You say you were assaulted by this man when you confronted him, that he was using a broken chair leg, correct?”

“Yes,” Djak did not even bother trying to keep the weariness out of his voice.

“How did the chair get broken?”

“He was startled when I came in,” Djak repeated. “Fell over. The chair broke.”

“That is highly doubtful,” Chipdome told him. “A furniture maker of very high repute lives but two streets over. I myself have owned a chair made by him. He makes the sturdiest joins one could ask for, I do not think that a leg would break off if someone knocked it over.”

Djak shrugged. “Maybe it had been broken before and poorly mended. Maybe he’d brought the chair from elsewhere. Maybe it was an old chair with beetles in it. I can’t speculate, only report the facts as I observed them.”

Chipdome eyed him from beneath the heavy ridge of bone. “We shall pass over the broken chair for now, in favor of more concerning facts. He attacked you with an improvised bludgeon, you say, whereupon you broke his knee and threw him out of a window.”

“Before that, he hit me in the head,” Djak tossed his hair back so all could see a goose egg forming. “I was on the ground. Kicked out to keep him from killing me, came up on my feet, and shoved him away. The window just happened to be there.”

“After being forced out the only window in the room, one fitted with excellently hardened glass from another reputable source, he fell two stories and landed across a low wall, breaking his back. His face was somehow slashed to the bone by the glass, and he died an hour later.”

Djak gritted his teeth. “I am unable to see where I have failed to clarify.”

The scarred head swung around to the other two council members, both dinosaurs. “This council feels you utilized excessive force.”

“He was trying to kill me.”

“You are well trained in the science of the body, Warden Skirata. You control others, they do not control you. Now, if the human members of the Wardens please lend me their ears. Warden Skirata was sent to deal with a human patriarch who was having intimate relations with his granddaughters. This is apparently taboo among humans, and a sign of untoward aggression. Hearing that such an offense is being perpetrated, what is your initial reaction?”

“Relations within a family is a human taboo,” the seniormost human Warden said. “Yet it provokes no especial reaction. How old were the girls in question?”

“Old enough to be my honorably-born daughters, Djak said quietly. "I'm twenty-eight years old."

There were angry mutters among the younger wardens, and the seniors pondered. Eventually, Old Tobi said, “I believe that Warden Skirata judged well. A human who takes such advantage of children, especially his family, is capable of any crime up to and including murder. He acted in self-defense, his violence of action was quite justified and well-advised.”

Chipdome blew out a sigh through his nostrils and looked about the assembly. “Is that the collective opinion of the humans present?”

A murmur of aye followed, and the old dinosaur bowed to the inevitable. “Warden Skirata, this council finds your actions in keeping with our appointed task. As such, you are found to be innocent of the crime of murder. Please take your place among your fellow Wardens.”

Djak bowed, turned on his heel, and stalked out of the circle. He didn’t wait for the thickskulled moron to dismiss the assemblage, but slipped out a side door and headed for the roof. There was a faint clicking of claws, and a slim head with jaws lined with razor teeth poked into view as Flint caught up to him.

“You did it on purpose, didn’t you?” the big Utahraptor asked, keeping pace easily. “I know your style, Djak. Before throwing him out the window, you ground his face along the glass frame. You were angry.”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Djak replied. “It happened just like I said. The only thing that would have set me off like that would have been if I’d actually caught him in the act when I came in. Which I didn’t, otherwise I would have dragged that poor little girl in here to testify, reliving that horrible experience over again and further engraining it in her memory when all she needed was closure and undeniable knowledge that he was unable to hurt her or anyone else again.”

He gave Flint a smile that was nearly as predatory as the one the Utahraptor returned. “Of course, we are speaking hypothetically.”

“I need a drink,” Djak said. “A stiff ale, spiked with fermented taus. And a bath in the waterfall.”

“There’s a small barrel waiting for you,” Flint told him. “I suppose we should send Old Tobi something as well?”

“We’ll be travelling together all the way to Cornucopia,” Djak reminded him. “I’ll pick up something for him on the road, if not in the city. We’re going to be there a while. I hope we’ve got better rooms than last time.”

Flint chuckled. “Won’t be too hard to beat Volcaneum rocks.”

[Mtntopview]

Kuro was a natural born glider, he could stay aloft for days. His large wings weren't designed for flapping, but for long distances of gliding. Today he was on his way to the Cornucopia, to keep order and do what wardens did. However, he would have to resist the urge to eat the humans and small dinosaurs he saw there, and was already preparing his mind to deal with this. In his training, Kuro managed to overcome his primal urge to kill small things, and learned to eat fish more often than meat. Although he could now fly in a populated area without killing everything in sight, he still had to mentally prepare himself, millions of years of instincts were hard to suppress. His friend Tom flew with him, holding on tight. Tom could stay on Kuro's back without fear of falling thanks to the type of flight Kuro preformed. Because Kuro was a slow glider, the winds were less extreme, and therefore easier for a human to hold onto. Also Kuro's size helped, 50 feet from wing tip to wing tip, made it hard to fall off. So slowly but surely, Tom and Kuro made their way to the Cornucopia.

Tom was having fun, his view was beautiful, and he loved flying with Kuro. He and Kuro went whey back, all the way before he started as a warden. Tom had been essential in breaking Kuro from his carnivorous habits, even if it took several large of fish every 5 hours to keep his friend happy. Tom passed the warden program thanks to his strong sense of right and wrong, and his jolly attitude also helped. Tom couldn't help but shout with joy, this was his first mission, and he was exited to be a part of it. Although he did realise it's urgency, and quickly suppressed his euphoria.

[MarsAdept]

Rose adjusted her pack on her shoulders and leaned on her staff. Standing in the middle of the road she looked up at the clear blue sky. She raised her hand to shield her eyes as she checked for the location of the sun. She was happy. It was still just before noon. She should make it to the next settlement before nightfall. All around her was the Dinotopian country side and She had not seen another person all day which made her wonder if she had taken a wrong turn somewhere. To be honest she did not mind. She enjoyed seeing the prehistoric landscapes of Dinotopia by herself. It gave her a lot of time to think things. Things like what her life would have been like if she had not got on the plane that crashed and brought her here. Rose kept walking along the road.

It was a little bit after she checked the sun that she head a sound feet. She stopped by the side of the road. Those feet did not sound like humans but were not loud enough to be a full grown dinosaur either. Suddenly over the top of the hill ahead in the road popped a young Stegosaurus came charging over. It was small and barely stood higher that Rose's waist. It spotted Rose and came straight at her. Rose nearly climbed to a tree out of freight. A charging dinosaur is not a good thing normally and Rose was and is a dolphin back so a charging dinosaur would not be something she is used to. Before reaching Rose, the Stegosaurus slowed down and spoke, "Madam, you have to help me! My friend he fell of the road! he is hurt and in trouble! Please!" With that Rose's whole attitude changed. She nods and replies, "Then quickly lead the way!" Togather they run up the road. They pass a fork in the road and keep going. At the fork, a Triceratops leisurely walks as they run by.

Brutus was wandering the road to the City of Cornucopia like he was ordered to. He was happy to be out in the sun on a day like this but he was not happy that his partner did not show up in the inn last night. He needed to get to Cornucopia on time and he did not want to wait a few extra days for his partner. His partner and him did not see eye to eye so after the last mission they went there own way. Brutus went to Volcaneum and his partner when to Chandara. They were supposed to meet in treetown but the fool did not show up in time so Brutus continued on the Cornucopia on his own. Brutus walked calmly down the road. He was in no rush and their did not seem to be much traffic on the road. He looked at the Landscape as he walked by. It had been several hours since he saw anyone when he came to a fork in the road. This was where the road he was on merged with one coming from the Northern Plains to Cornucopia. At the Fork, Brutus watched a young Stegosaurus and a human woman run by in a hurry. Instinctively, Brutus looked to see if they were being chased by a Predator. From the expression of their faces, Brutus knew they were not running for the fun of it. He saw no predator so he concluded there must be trouble up ahead. He shrugged it off. He would see what the cause was when he got there.

It was not long before Brutus got up to where to woman and Stegosaurus were. They were looking down over a steep drop down to a riverbed. It looked like 40 foot drop off. Before Brutus could ask if he could help the woman approached him and asked, "Greetings, I would like to ask for your assistance. It shouldn't take to much off your time and it is urgent. You look like you have the strength I need."
"What do you need?" asks Brutus
"I need to descend the drop here. A boy has fallen and it looks like he broke his leg at least. Can I use you as an anchor to try a climbing rope?" She says with a smile as she bends down to pull a rope out of her backpack.
"You carry a rope with you? Sure all I have to do is stand here right?" Brutus says with a laugh, "Yes you have my permission." The woman started to try the rope around Brutus's right foreleg and the Stegosaurus called down to his friend and pranced around.
"Yeah no, I actually bartered away some herbs for this rope from a traveler a few days back. I was hoping to barter it away again in the next settlement. It seems it was a good trade thus far." The woman pulled on the rope and moved towards the edge holding the rope, "The hardest part is always going over the edge." She throws the rope down and starts to go over without hesitation.
Brutus stands his ground but looks over at the woman, "My name is Brutus Trihorn. What is yours?"
"Oh sorry where are my manners? My name is Rose Elizabeth Andrews." She says as she descends.
"I once knew a human named Elizabeth. She went by the name Eli. Can I call you Eli?" Brutus says as he watches Rose descend.
"Sure if i can make up a nickname for you too." Rose says as she sets her feet down on the ground and moves to the wounded boy.

The boy was a human about the age of 12. He was leaning up against the slope with his broken leg in front of him. Rose approaches him, "Are you ok? I am here to help." The boy nodded and cries, "It hurts." Rose began to examine the boy. The boy had tumbled as he fell. It was clear the left leg was broken below the knee but luckily the bone had not broken the skin. His knee was dislocated. Rose gently grabbed the boy's right hand which the boy was holding like it was hurt. The boy reacted with pain as she moved his fingers to much and when she ran her hand gently up his wrist. She smiles sweetly at the boy, "I think you fractured your wrist. I have done the same before. Now," Rose pulls out some leaves from her bag and pulled out some leaves that had a red tint in it, "Eat this. It will help with the pain. and Drink as much water as you can afterword. I have a treat for you once we are done." Rose waited for the boy to finish eating before putting his arm in a sling. She then gave him a bar of wood to bite on as she explained what was going to happen next. She talked the boy through the fact she was going to pop his knee back into place and with a sickening pop She did just that. Then without any delay for the boy to squirm she pushed the bone back into a straight position. The boy screamed through the bar and nearly bite through it from the pain. She quickly splinted his leg tightly so it could not be moved.She tired the rope like a seat and then picked up the boy and tied them into it. She yells up to Brutus, "I cannot climb up and carry him up. I need you to pull the rope up." Brutus backed up pulling on the rope until She climbs over the edge with the boy. Brutus bows his head saying, "Eli, Let him ride on me and we will take him to town." Rose put him on Brutus and quickly packed her things. She pulled out a bar of chocolate and gave most of it to the boy and a part to the young Stegosaurus. Togather they started walking to town. Rose looked at Brutus, "Before I came to Dinotopia there was a fictional story about a triceratops. His name was Slag. He was a strong warrior but ultimately a hero. Since you call me Eli. Can I call you Slag?"
Brutus smiles, "Yes, Dolphinback Eli you may." They walked in silence until they reached the gates of Cornucopia.

[Vonghese]

The next sun saw Djak and Flint on the road to Cornucopia. Flint's powerful legs drove steadily against the road in long, loping strides while Djak resettled his aching buttocks in the saddle just over Flint's hips, trying to avoid saddle sores. Flint was strong enough to carry him if he rode well back, but he wasn't big enough to reduce the ache-inducing jounce in his step. Djak groaned inwardly, drank some water from his flask, and tried not to think about how many more leagues they had to travel.

As the day wore on, Flint stopped and allowed his friend to dismount so that he could walk and both could rest. When they walked, they did what any two friends did when stuck together--they argued.

The topics ranged from birthing rituals to whether or not the BlastBacks would win the hum-ball championships, from gambling strategies to art appreciation, till Flint brought it to the topic they always ended on.

"I'm not growing old," Djak growled. "Not for another ten years at least. I have plenty of time before me."

"That's what you'll say in ten year's time," Flint pointed out. "You're not drinking the tea, Djak. Time is slipping past. You need to find companionship."

"No I don't," Djak said. "In fifty years I'll be an old man, and she'll be just reaching middle age and wondering what's wrong with me. And if she foregoes the tea as well, she'll die early like me. I can't ask a girl to do that."

"If she loved you, she wouldn't care how age took you early," Flint replied. "And she'd still be young and vigorous for you, hey? Don't tell me you wouldn't appreciate that."

Djak punched the dinosaur, who largely ignored it. "She'd be innocent like any of the other human civilains. I don't want to date one of those, they're too... I don't know, but it seems too easy, you know?"

Flint didn't, but didn't bother asking for clarification. "You could date one of the Wardens. Shai Yong was looking at you last night."

The human scowled as he tried to remember. "Shai Yong, Shai Yong... what does she look like?"

"How should I know? You all look alike to me. Female, smaller than you, with dark hair."

"That narrows it down to exactly... all of them."

"Her clothes were cut in the mountain fashion, and her companion is a Sabertooth."

"Oh, her... her? Seriously? That girl's like, eighteen or something. I'm far too old for her, and she's far too pretty for me."

"You like ugly females?" Flint asked. Djak could only hear the mirth in the deep gutteral language of the predator therapods because he knew Flint so well. His second punch had no more effect than the first.

"No, no, no. A girl like that can have any man she wants. There are more desirable men out there than me. Why would she settle for me?"

"Well, I'm no judge..."

"Speaking of you," Djak jumped in, "What about your love life, hey? Are there any long lovely Megaraptor women in your life? When was the last time you thought you'd found love?"

"Three weeks ago," Flint replied smugly. "Megaraptor mating rituals are much easier than you human's. All I have to do is bite her on the neck under the right tree."

"I... I... I think I hate you."

"Mount up," Flint ordered, crouching down. "I'll settle any doubts."

Muttering to himself, Djak swung up for another few miles' lope.

[Mtntopview]

Kuro slowed down considerably as he neared his destination, his full attention was to flying now. He may he been graceful when gliding, but when it came to landing and taking off, he looked quite clumsy. Due to his clumsiness, he asked that Tom jump off before he landed, so that he could focus on landing and not on keeping the little human on his back. So he flew in low and slow, barely fast enough to keep aloft. He felt the weight of Tom go way as the human jumped off his bak and into the grass. He then pulled up, and flew in a hovering action for a few seconds, lowering in altitude. Has soon as he was only a few feet from the ground, he stopped flapping and let himself fall. He hit the ground with a large rumble, as the ground shook under his weight. Composing himself, Kuro started nervously preening his short flight feathers, trying to consentrate on something besides the hungry growl in his stomach. He mumbled to Tom as the human approached, "A nice landing, if I do say so myself."

Tom was aware of what he needed to do, and as soon as he knew that his friend was flying low and slow enough for him to jump he proceeded to launch himself over the side of the Quetzalcoatlus. Falling only a meter or two, he rolled when he hit, and used the momentum to end up standing vertical in the tall grass. Watching his friend land, he walked over to Kuro, and looked up at the towering animal. When Kuro spoke to him, he laughed, "Arrogant as ever, eh Kuro?" He said with a hint of irony "Don't worry, those silly Skybax couldn't beat your skill in landing. But remember, keep it together, we don't wanna skrew our first mission up."

[MarsAdept]

Rose and Brutus walk into Cornucopia with the young Stegosaurus and the boy. Once inside the Stegosaurus runs off to find the boy's family while the boy points out the Doctor's office. Rose carries the boy into the office and spends some time explaining what she does. The doctor who was on duty was actually impressed by Rose's action and accepted the boy. The doctor even offered Rose a position on his staff but she refused. Brutus watched to see that the boy was in good hands then turned and started moving through the streets looking for his partner. It was likely his partner would already have gotten his message or just came to Cornucopia without him. Brutus saw the young Stegosaurus run by him with a older woman who he assumed was the boy's mother. They did not stop to thank Brutus but thanks was not really what he needed. Brutus was ordered to come here and he began his watch over the humans of Cornucopia. With or Without a partner, he would need to ensure the peace remained. He started to look for other warden members maybe they would have better information.

Rose was speaking to the Doctor when she was suddenly pushed back by a woman. Rose stumbled but managed to stay on her feet. She looked at the woman and almost spoke back at the insult of being pushed. If the woman was not so focused on the boy as he sat on an examination chair, Rose would have spoke. She looked around and sees the Stegosaurus so she concluded the woman was the boy's mother. She motions to the Doctor, "Well, I am sorry I will not take your offer but If i ever find a place to settle i will consider joining your practice. Farewell." Rose turned and left. No sooner than she stepped outside the mother of the boy stops her and shakes Rose's hand feverishly. The woman looks Rose in the eyes and says, "How can I repay you for saving my boy? I will give you anything you ask for."
"That is far from necessary. I am not looking for anything from you. I am a simple wanderer and I helped because it was the right thing to do." Rose replies. She felt bad saying that because she would love to replenish the herbs she used but it would not be right.
"If you are a wanderer, would you not at least spend the night with us before you leave town. Please? You can bring your Triceratops friend by too." The woman pleaded.
Rose debated for a moment then smiled politely, "It would be my pleasure then. I will find you come nightfall. Speaking of the Triceratops, where did he go?"
"I saw him heading to the center of town" replied the Stegosaurus from the doorway.
Rose waved good bye after learning the directions to their home and headed toward the center of town. She did not get a chance to thank Brutus and frankly she was a little sad that he wandered off without saying goodbye. Then again, she would have probably done the same. She hoped she would actually remember that he looked like. Other than a giant four legged lizard with horns she could never tell dinosaurs apart. She was trying to recall any identifying marks on Brutus, when she stopped and checked her surroundings. Once again she wandered in a new town without paying attention to where she was. She smiled to herself. Now she was lost and she caused it herself. It would be harder to find Brutus now.

[Vonghese]

Djak limped through the market, eyes flicking about. Behind him, Flint drew only a few cautious looks, predators were much more common in Cornucopia than elsewhere. Following their noses unerringly, they found the fishmonger beside a Saltosaurus, the aroma of smoked fish combining with the fruits slung on the sides of the mid-sized sauropod. Djak picked through both sets of wares, coming away with a basket of apples and oranges and two bags of fish fillets which Flint carried in his foreclaws. Then they found a map of the local neighborhoods, with red pins marking vacant houses.

"This one looks good," Djak said, squinting at a description. "Twelve foot ceilings, minimum inner walls. Last owner was a Corythosaurus. Still furnished. Close to the city gates. What do you think?"

"I like it," Flint nodded. "As long as our neighbors aren't more hadrosaurs."

Djak grimaced, remembering the saltwater marshes. "Gods, no. Doesn't bear thinking about... my head hurts just remembering. All right, let's roll."

They headed through town, hitching a ride on the back of an empty slag cart towed by a Brachiosaurus to the right street, then walking two more blocks. It seemed a nice enough neighborhood, the house still stood vacant, so Djak and Flint moved right in and took down the Vacancy sign. While Flint fiddled with the couch to adjust it to his height, Djak put away their groceries, tossing his friend three fillets before putting one over the fire for himself. He ate meat, a socially frowned upon practice, but one that he practiced anyway. He liked meat, and if there was nothing ethically wrong with Flint eating it, Djak reckoned that he could as well.

After dinner, they sat in the doorway together, watching their neighbors arrive and introducing themselves.

[Mtntopview]

Kuro was uncomfortable going into a populated area for numerous reasons, one of them being the attention he was getting. It was uncommon to see a pterosaur taller than an adult Rex, and he was getting much unwanted and negative attention. Children hid when he went by, he could understand that, but the adults cold stares were a little but too much for him. He shook himself in discomfort, and saw several smaller humans running off in terror. He was some sort of evil monster to them, coming to eat them up. He was half considering it until he remembered to suppress the idea. "I'd like to not go into the town, you go in, but I'll stay outside" he said to Tom. Based on the reaction he was getting from outside the town, he assumed it would be twice as worse in the more populated area, if not even more.

"Sure, I'll go in and find out what's up, you can find a nice cave to settle down in, meet me back here in a bit when you do, I'll join you." Tom continued on as Kuro turned about and flew off, no doubt to find some food by a river or stream, plucking some unlucky fish to its death. Tom walked alone into the Cornucopia, feeling a bit overcrowded. He was used to being alone with Kuro, and some of the Pterosaur's antisocial tendencies must have rubbed off on him as well.

[MarsAdept]

Rose wandered around Cornucopia like she wandered Dinotopia. Wide eyed and taking in all the sights and smells, She wandered with a smile on her face. She did make an effort of remembering where she had wandered as not to get lost again. She checked out the market place for Brutus but did not see him. She got distracted however by several of the shops. Rose bartered away her rope for a full supply of herbs and other travel materials. She bartered away some of the herbs she gathered in her travels for a necklace of turquoise and silver that caught her eyes. Rose smiles that she had a full pack. If she wanted, she could leave tonight but that would be rude to the family who invited her to dinner and Rose did not enjoy the roads after dark. Rose turned a corner and spotted Brutus or she thought it was Brutus. Normally she would not start a conversation with a stranger, but here she felt she needed to. She walks up to the triceratops and cautiously asks, "Brutus...? Brutus Trihorn?" The triceratops turns and looks at her, "Eli, how may I be of service?"
"You left without saying goodbye, Slag, which i cannot blame you. I would have done the same." Rose replied, "We have been invited to dinner by the mother of the boy we saved?"
"You mean the boy you saved Eli" Brutus says with a smile.
"I could not have done it without you. Do you think that Stegosaurus would have been able to pull me and the boy up?" Says Rose.
"True, true, That Stegosaurus was small. And if i had not come along at the time, you would have had to come to town and go with a group to get him. Maybe if there was a Skybac rider around... Either way, you had the skill to save the boy and the know-how of how to do it quick." Brutus looks away and under his breath, "If only my partner was like that..."
Rose was not an expert of dinosaur body language and she hear Brutus's comment but she felt it wise not to comment on it. Rose smiles, "So you want to come have dinner with the boy's mother. She is offering and I already turned down her other compensation offers. I feel it would be rude to turn her down for dinner and I do not want to be alone for this."
Brutus laughs, "Eli, you are hilarious for a dolphinback. You feel obligated to help like you were a native born Dinotopian, yet you are not greedy like outsiders. I wonder why are you a wanderer, Eli?" Brutus starts to move and walk with Rose.
Rose smiles nervously, "Not an easy question. I find several things about Dinotopian society odd. While I like most of it... yeah. I wander because I feel more comfortable on the roads of Dinotopia... Lets go get a meal."
Brutus and Rose walk and arrive at the house of the boy's mother and there they spend the night.

[Vonghese]

"So, when are we going to do something?"

It was the third week they'd been in Cornucopia, and already Djak was getting stir-crazy. He sat on the floor cross-legged, one hand holding his knife, the other splayed out on the floor. As he spoke, he darted the point of his knife down between his fingers in a quick rhythm, coming as close to his fingers as he dared.

"Depends," Flint replied. "The Rymphadons arrived already, it's just a matter of time. We could get our first crazy any minute."

"If only someone would kill someone already," Djak grumbled. "I need a good investigation, or else I'm going to kill someone myself."

"You could finish that carving on the table leg," Flint suggested. "It seem like it could use a little thinning. It doesn't appear to accurately represent the human figure."

"It's a caricature," Djak explained. "It's supposed to be exaggerated."

"Indeed?" Flint squinted at the carving. "It must be very difficult being a human. How do you keep track of so many cultural oddities?"

"Clean living," Djak swore as his knife drew blood. "And a lot of self-deception."

A tapping came at the door and he bolted upright, sheathing his knife and crossing the room. "What is it?" he asked, opening the door.

One of the Streetrunners, a messenger service run by boys and small therapods, stood panting. "Sir, mister Skirata sir, something's going on. There's an argument in the market."

Flint was already shrugging into his saddle. Djak nodded. "Fun, fun, fun. Here," he tossed the kid a Volcaneum-made top. "Good job. There's more where that came from."

The kid was off like a shot and Djak swung onto Flint. "Hopefully we've got our first clients," he said. "Let's scamper."