Ceratosaurus Two passed by Carlo, giving him a second look.
Has this guy grown a bit?
However, the injured female was in no position to overthink things; she was in dire need of energy replenishment.
As Carlo watched the two Ceratosauruses gorge themselves, he couldn't help but feel a sense of confusion. According to the data in his head, the Ceratosaurus was often nicknamed the "miniature T-Rex" of its era. How did they end up living such a pathetic, scavenge-reliant life?
Then again, he couldn't really blame them. Among modern animals, even the highly skilled Cheetah only has a hunting success rate of about 58%. It was even harder in the chaotic, "demon-dance" world of dinosaurs.
Carlo stopped focusing on his Ceratosaur friends and returned to the back of Miss Diplodocus to resume his work. Two different species from two different eras had reached a bizarre equilibrium, harmoniously sharing a kill.
About thirty minutes later, Ceratosaurus Two sat down to rest. A striking wound marked her side, freshly made. Based on Carlo's limited experience, it looked like the handiwork of a ceratopsian.
Wait, where did Ceratosaurus One slip off to?
Carlo scanned the area. He had been so focused on the butchery that he hadn't noticed Ceratosaurus One's disappearance.
Ceratosaurus Two's eyes shifted stealthily between the Diplodocus carcass and Carlo.
He killed this?
No, it seemed unlikely. While she was eating, she noticed the carcass was far too young; this wasn't a death from natural causes. If she were picking prey, she'd go for sub-adults or hatchlings... or maybe an elder about to keel over. But this one? It was a prime adult, strong, energetic, and at its peak. Not a target easily taken down.
Therefore... something much larger had killed this Diplodocus. Something bigger than that Carnotaurus from before, and likely working in a pair.
She recalled the wounds she saw on the Diplodocus's legs and made a mental note. Sigh, life is just too hard here. Ceratosaurus One didn't have much of a brain; it was a good thing she had a double portion of wits, or they'd have starved long ago.
As for this guy...
She watched Carlo, who was busy doing... something, and sank back into thought. Less fighting was always good, but...
Wait, did he really get taller?!
Before she could investigate further, Ceratosaurus One came trotting back, looking rather pleased with himself, carrying a bundle of plants in his mouth. He dropped them in front of her.
Ceratosaurus Two carefully inspected the greenery, then gave a soft huff and a nod of approval.
This made Ceratosaurus One ecstatic, and it also caught Carlo's attention.
Ceratosaurus One: I finally found the right one! It wasn't easy! Three days! I finally know how to identify plants!
Carlo watched them intently, curious about what they were up to, but he stayed back to avoid interrupting. He saw Ceratosaurus One pin the plants down with his right foot, then lean down to bite and tear them into smaller pieces.
Ceratosaurus One began chewing the greenery. His movements were exaggerated, and his teeth clearly weren't designed for grinding foliage. As Ceratosaurus One moved, Carlo noticed the scars covering the predator's body. Strangely, he couldn't quite identify the nature of those wounds; they seemed blurred, as if censored by a mosaic filter.
Ceratosaurus One continued to masticate the leaves, occasionally adding more, letting the plant juices mix thoroughly with his saliva. Feeling the bitterness in his mouth, he couldn't help but think that life for herbivores must be miserable.
Once he decided the consistency was right, Ceratosaurus One gathered the herb-paste onto his tongue and gave Ceratosaurus Two's wound a long lick. The green mash coated the injury, masking the blood.
A flash of very human-like pain crossed Ceratosaurus Two's face. Though she tried her best to restrain herself, she couldn't help but let out a muffled, low roar. To Carlo, it sounded a bit like a purr.
But that didn't matter, because Carlo couldn't sit still anymore.
He had suspected it from the moment Ceratosaurus One started "eating" grass, but he hadn't expected the two Ceratosauruses to actually use herbal medicine to treat wounds.
Doesn't that mean Mom's wound can also be...
Ceratosaurus Duo: We might get hurt a lot, but our medical tech is top-tier.
Carlo bypassed Miss Diplodocus's carcass and approached the two, closely examining the plant Ceratosaurus One had brought. Deep green leaves... and that was about it. It looked exactly like every other blade of grass to him. After all, he was a carnivore, not a botanist; plant identification wasn't exactly on his curriculum.
Carlo felt a surge of frustration for not noticing which direction One had come from. However, he committed the appearance of the herbs to memory and turned to trot off to find some.
After a few steps, he doubled back and nuzzled the two Ceratosauruses. Yes, a nuzzle, not a nudge.
Ceratosaurus! I respect and love you all!!
A meal in exchange for knowledge, too cool!
The Ceratosauruses had been wary when Carlo approached, and they remained utterly baffled as he ran off, ran back, nuzzled them, and then sprinted away again. They had no idea what kind of "insanity" had gripped him.
Ceratosaurus Two felt there were still many mysteries surrounding Carlo. He was such a big dinosaur, yet he acted like a hatchling. She gave a soft roar to call Ceratosaurus One, only to find him frozen in place.
Ceratosaurus One was currently breaking out in a cold sweat, thoroughly spooked by Carlo's sudden display of affection.
…
During the construction of the Primeval Ecological Zone.
"Dr. Sattler! Dr. Sattler!"
A female researcher under Dr. Wu, also an expert in botany, came jogging toward Ellie Sattler while clutching a tablet.
"What is it?" Ellie turned to face her. She was currently busy analyzing the dietary preferences of the dinosaurs to determine where certain flora should be planted.
"I noticed you put in a massive order for Mugwort on the procurement list. That's not on the dinosaurs' feeding schedule. I recall those are used primarily for hemostasis and pain relief."
The researcher posed her question with more curiosity than accusation. Ellie Sattler looked at her and gave a gentle smile.
"You know, plants are an indispensable part of the natural world." Her tone was warm, perhaps influenced by the fact that she was now a mother of two, providing a sense of absolute security. "Unfortunately, we often forget their importance."
She turned her head, a slightly bitter expression flitting across her face.
"But the animals don't. They never forget the utility of any plant, whether they are carnivores or herbivores. Even if they've never seen them before, even if they know nothing about them scientifically, they will experiment with new flora. They learn to respect them, and they learn to overcome the toxic ones."
Ellie's smile returned as she looked back at the researcher.
"They need medicine, too. Not the human-made kind packed into a dart, but nature's own, organic medicine."
The researcher blinked, then gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Forgive me, Dr. Sattler. I've been so focused on studying what these dinosaurs like to eat that I forgot such a simple truth."
Ellie responded with a smile and then turned her gaze to the monitors for the Triceratops paddock. She saw an adult Triceratops give a low call to the calf behind her, steering the youngster away from a cluster of toxic West Indian Lantana berries.
———————
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over here ——— pa-tre-on.c-om/AlexandrusTL [remove the hyphen for normal access]