For the longest time, the Great Lake had been the recognized sanctuary for the herbivores of the Primeval Ecological Zone. Even monsters as formidable as Carlo respected the unspoken rules of this place.
But as the saying goes, "A forest large enough draws all kinds of birds." Among the dinosaurs released during the closure of Jurassic World, not all were inclined to follow the local etiquette.
No hunting at the watering hole? But what if I want fish?
The Baryonyx was the textbook example of this defiance. The last time one had followed the Camp Cretaceous group to the lake, it had realized what a prime piece of real estate this was, only to be chased off by Carlo.
This time, however, Carlo was away investigating the headless dinosaur corpse. Taking advantage of his absence, the Baryonyx had brought two of its kin along to "inspect" whether the water quality of the Great Lake was suitable for their permanent residence.
"Roar!"
Two of the Baryonyx took point, scattering the stray dinosaurs drinking at the water's edge.
Splash—
The trio waded into the lake, sending ripples across the surface. Fish darted playfully through the water; having never known the cruelty of the world, they paid the predators no mind.
Excellent fish. Makes my claws twitch.
One Baryonyx lunged into the water, its long, crocodile-like snout snapping up a fish before sliding it down its throat. Seeing this, the other two submerged their heads as well, churning the water into a muddy mess as the fish scattered in a panic.
"Aunnng—"
The scent of blood began to drift through the lake, sending tremors of alarm through the surrounding herbivores, who responded with chorus after chorus of warning cries.
Baryonyx are creatures that cannot live without water, but they have no desire to share it with anyone outside their own species. They immediately began to drive the local inhabitants away.
"Aunnng—"
A Parasaurolophus toddler reared up, let out a bleat, and squared off against a Baryonyx.
The predator, insulted that this tiny morsel wasn't trembling, and was actually challenging it, immediately gave chase.
The little Parasaurolophus was incredibly cunning. Having spent every day "battling" Carlo's tail, its agility was beyond imagination. It could practically predict the predator's strikes just by watching the sway of its body. The toddler bolted, ducking between the legs of a massive creature and diving into the safety of the Simosuchus den.
Another one who isn't afraid?
The Baryonyx skidded to a halt, staring at the "rude" individual before it, one that hadn't even deigned to look its way.
It recognized this creature: the massive pentagonal plates, the thick tail armed with spikes, and that notoriously tiny, "stupid-looking" head.
Hmph. Just another cowardly plant-eater.
"Roar—"
The predator let out a deafening bellow, attempting to intimidate its mark.
Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle.
Brother Stegosaurus remained unmoved, continuing to gulp down water.
The other two Baryonyx noticed the standoff, placing the first, overconfident hunter in an embarrassing position. It felt that if it couldn't drive this herbivore away, its status among its pack would plummet.
Snapping its jaws, it lunged straight for the Stegosaur's neck!
Hmph. Silly child.
Brother Stegosaurus didn't even lift his head! He pivoted his body 120 degrees on the spot, swinging his massive tail toward the predator's skull!
Unfortunately, his aim was slightly off; the thagomizer spikes only grazed the back of the Baryonyx's head.
Splash!
The Baryonyx tumbled sideways into the lake, sending up a massive spray. Seeing things take a turn for the worse, the other two predators quickly moved in, attempting a pincer maneuver to take down the arrogant herbivore.
Gulp.
Brother Stegosaurus didn't retreat, and he didn't run. He simply finished swallowing the mouthful of lake water he'd been enjoying.
Mistaking his stillness for paralysis, the Baryonyx looked to its companions to coordinate a strike.
But in the next heartbeat, Brother Stegosaurus went on the offensive! He lunged forward, swinging his relatively small head to clamp his beak onto the lead Baryonyx's arm while simultaneously using his tail to ward off the threat from behind.
The lead predator hissed in pain and bit down on the Stegosaur's plates. Brother Stegosaurus didn't let go; he spun his body, dragging the predator through a 180-degree turn and slamming it into the Baryonyx behind him!
The two predators lost their footing, collapsing into a tangled heap on the ground.
Brother Stegosaurus wasn't finished. He spun again, driving the spikes of his tail deep into one of their thighs!
"Aunnng-roar—"
The Baryonyx shrieked. The Stegosaurus reversed his rotation, ripping the tail free and painting a crimson arc in the air.
Did you really think... I survived the Indominus rex's massacre by sheer luck?
Ten days ago, you were still hothouse flowers. I have survived alone in the Primeval Zone for months. What makes you think you can defeat me just by shouting?
Brother Stegosaurus looked at the wailing Baryonyx and sighed inwardly. Silly children. Your killing intent is far too obvious.
Splash!
Without even looking back, he gave his tail a casual flick, knocking a Baryonyx that had crawled back up for a sneak attack right back into the lake.
Too much noise, kid.
The three Baryonyx slowly retreated to the side. One of them had to lean on its companion, standing precariously on three legs. Their will to fight was broken; they turned and limped away. Seeing them flee, Brother Stegosaurus didn't pursue. He turned back to the lake and resumed drinking.
The surface of the water gradually smoothed over. The herbivores that had been chased off began to drift back, some bedding down in the grass, others lowering their heads to drink.
…
"Aunnng—"
A Brachiosaurus raised its head from the brush, letting out a resonant call.
Darius had become the unofficial guide for Mitch and Tiff, showing them the wonders of Isla Nublar.
"If you think this is cool, we can go to another place."
Darius showed Mitch his field guide, filled with his own notes and Yasmina's sketches.
"The watering hole..."
Mitch muttered to himself, looking at the notebook in shock. Darius explained:
"It's my favorite place... I mean, there are tons of herbivores and carnivores there. They get really close, and they don't fight."
Sammy wanted to add something, but Mitch caught sight of the Giganotosaurus in Darius's notes and cut her off.
"The Giganotosaurus is there?"
Darius hesitated for a moment but answered, "If you mean the biggest one, then yes. That's where he lives."
"That's... fantastic!"
Mitch looked genuinely excited. He patted Darius on the head and turned to Tiff.
"Honey, what would we do without this kid?"
"I'll go tell Hap we're changing the itinerary."
The two played off each other perfectly, praising Darius until his face turned red. But as the excitement faded, a seed of doubt began to sprout in Darius's mind.
Why don't they know where the Giganotosaurus lives?
It might sound like an exaggeration, but any true dinosaur enthusiast would have heard of the "Primeval Live" streams. Mitch and Tiff had top-tier gear; they didn't look like they were short on cash. Why wouldn't they pay for a VIP sub to watch the Primeval Zone?
Even if they weren't into live streams, they were on the island with the specific goal of photographing dinosaurs. How could they not have done their homework?
Had they left the route entirely up to Hap? No, the man looked more like a survivalist; he seemed to know very little about the island itself.
To Darius, the Great Lake was an unmissable landmark for anyone visiting the island. And yet, they knew nothing about it?
Suddenly, Tiff came jogging back, calling out to Mitch.
"Dear, I think we need to pack up and head back to camp."
Yasmina, though more relaxed than before, was still wary of dinosaurs and remained on high alert in the wild (except for Carlo, because he could draw).
"What happened?"
Tiff was vague. "Nothing, really. Hap is just acting... strange."
The group didn't press further, helping to pack the gear and following the couple back.
Walking at the back of the line, Darius watched Mitch's retreating figure and took a deep breath.
I hope I'm just overthinking this.
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