Sorry for the extended hiatus, I encountered a massive writer's block last year but now I'm back with a new chapter of the story!
Night has fallen on the valley, Speckles was still staying in the cave where his mother asked him to stay at as he waited for her return. He heard nothing outside but the water running through the stream. Speckles was worried since his mother hasn't come back yet and it's possible that perhaps she was killed by One Eye.
He just hoped that wasn't the case since if she does, then how is he supposed to avenge his siblings? He'd have to train himself and that's not an easy task especially for a dinosaur like him who was barely two years old.
He remembered back then when Quicks used to tell him scary stories about things that lurk in the darkness of night. Of course he was just making those stories up but they did scare Speckles, the one story that scared him the most was about a predator falling off a cliff, it's quite ironic that Quicks made up a story about somebody falling off a cliff yet he himself would meet the same fate.
As Speckles had laid down to get some sleep he felt the ground shake, his heart was beating fast as he poked his head out of the cave and what he saw scared him.
It was a large silhouette of something, it certainly was a dinosaur but he couldn't make out what it was but what he could make out was a few smaller dinosaurs being carried in the mouth of the bigger one.
Speckles stood up and ran deep into the cave, if that is One Eye then the only option he has left is to stay inside of the cave until he leaves but that's very unlikely. He killed Quicks which means if he saw Speckles he wouldn't give him a chance to run away and would probably make him starve in the cave.
The young Tarbosaurus breathed heavily as he tried to stop himself from screaming. While he has no problem insulting One Eye when he's not around, if he tried to do that while One Eye was just a few feet away from him it wouldn't end nicely for Speckles.
But thankfully the giant theropod wasn't his brother's murderer.
"Speckles my dear? I'm back." Tania's soft voice called out to her son.
Without hesitation, Speckles ran out of the cave to see that his mother was indeed alive and there were only small scratches on her body and since he could see three Raptors on the ground, he assumed that they attacked her.
"Mom! You're okay!" Speckles exclaimed as he ran to his beloved mother.
"Shhhh, don't shout son, you might blow our cover." Tania whispered as she lowered her head.
"Oh, sorry." Speckles apologized as he rubbed his head against his mother's.
"See Speckles? Now you have enough food to last a week, and if we run out I'll just go fetch you some more, simple as that." Tania reassured her son.
The young Tarbosaurus started to eat the food that his mother had given him. It may not be the same amount of food they're used to, but Tania doesn't even care if she won't be able to eat tonight. All she needs to be happy is to see her son in a healthy state.
Tania walked over to the stream to wash off the scars inflicted by those pesky Raptors. They have quite the gull to fight against her. She wouldn't be surprised if they were allied with One Eye. They were there during the stampede.
It wasn't easy getting used to this new life. Being in the open like this meant that they'd barely have anywhere to hide other than the cave. And even then they'd still be spotted if their scent is smelled.
As much as he didn't her son to do it just yet, she herself couldnt lie and say that she too didn't want One Eye to fall off a cliff like what he did to her eldest son. It's only fair. Karma comes for everyone.
While his mother stared at the moon, Speckles looked at her and began to wonder about something. He's had a full family for as long as he's lived, a mother, a brother, two sisters. But there was always someone who was missing. Someone who Speckles has wanted to ask Tania about for years now.
"Hey mom?" Speckles called out?
"Yes, my dear?" Tania said softly.
"What was dad like? Quicks said he was gone before I was born." Speckles asked.
Tania froze. He's been out of her life for years. If she didn't thank him for giving her a family to be proud of she would've forgotten about him.
But a mate never forgets. Especially after what happened.
The mother Tarbosaurus sat down near her son and lowered her head to talk to him.
"You really wanna know about your dad?" Tania asked.
Speckles nodded.
Tania had a formed a faint smile.
"Okay. It's about time you knew." Tania whispered.
FLASHBACK.
A roar was traveling throughout the valley. It was an ominous call for some dinosaurs, but for one, it was an opportunity.
In the forest, beneath the trees. A young female Tarbosaurus at the age of twenty awoke when she heard the call. This was Tania, she looked far different back then. The brown on her body looked more saturated and she didn't look as stressed as she would later on. Life was easy for her since she was a Tarbo. She never had to worry about much.
Tania quickly rose up and began her trek towards the source of that roar. She made sure to not disturb any herbivores nearby. She knows this place well and is very aware of the Ankylosaurus who live in it. It's best not to irritate them unless she wants a broken leg.
She sniffed the air. What she found was definitely something of interest. The young female fastened her walking speed to see if she was right. If this goes wrong, then she might be in line to meet a potential rival. But if it goes right, she'll be the happiest Tarbo in this whole valley.
When Tania walked out of the forest, she saw a clearing. There was nothing there but a brown plain, and some grass. This is where the herbivores generally reside in but today it seems that the plants have been dying off and they've moved on to somewhere else.
Though there weren't any herbivores at the moment, that didn't mean there wasn't anybody present in the plain.
There, just a few feet away, stood another Tarbosaurus. A male with a dark faded green color scheme, dark green stripes, and black splotches on each side of his face.
She cautiously approached him. Not sure if he's going to challenge her or not. The male made his move and walked over as well. As she got closer, she got a look at his dark brown eyes. They were almost the same color as the trees. To her, those eyes looked wonderful.
They stood in front of each other. Part of Tania was tempted to take a step back just in case if he intends to harm her. But this male wasn't looking for a fight. At least, not at the moment.
"You're new here, aren't you? I haven't come across a Tarbo with your colors." Tania started.
"Oh, me? Yeah, I just moved here. My mother wanted me to go out on my own." The male replied.
"All mothers do that at some point." Tania responded.
"She could've been a lot less harsh about it. She straight up roared at me." The male retorted.
There was something about this male that was different from others that Tania has seen in the past. And it wasn't just his unique color scheme or his patterns.
It was his voice.
He sounded so gentle. As if he wasn't a Tarbo. His voice was so soft spoken it was relaxing. Usually when she saw a male, they'd rush to try to attract her. This one though, seemed like he's taking his time.
"You're different, I'll give ya that." Tania observed.
"Huh?" The male asked.
"You're not as tough as the other males I've met." Tania remarked.
"Well... I've never talked to girls." The male replied in an awkward voice.
"Ah... Makes sense." Tania said.
So far, even though he didn't seem as aggressive as other males. She didn't mind that. In fact, despite his soft spoken voice and his calm nature, his physique says otherwise.
He was bulky and looked like he's been in his fair share of fights. He looks more like what she'd expect a tough male to look like. Most of the others she's seen we're usually thinner than she was. And while that kind of thing appeals to some females, it doesn't appeal to her. She wonders how most females would accept a stick as a mate when they look like they're intentionally starving just to look good.
"That was you wasn't it? The call?" Tania wondered.
"Y-yeah. It's mating season so I thought I'd try my luck." The male responded.
"Who knows, maybe luck is on your side. Anyways, you got a name?" Tania queried.
"Um, P-p-patch." The male stuttered.
Tania giggled. She could tell he was nervous. He definitely was an oddball for sure but if anything, she didn't mind a male that acted like this. It's a lot better than one who acts tough just because he feels the need to be fearsome every single hour of the day.
"Well, P-p-patch. You know how this goes, right? You gotta impress me." Tania smirked.
"Impress? Eh... Alright." Patch gulped.
Patch started to swing his tail left and right in a continuous motion. He then bobbed his head up and down. As he did, he emitted a growl that sounded similar to how a cat would purr.
He then started to prance around Tania. She had a sassy smirk on her the whole time as she watched him with his mating dance. He then shook his head and started to stomp the ground constantly to give off a kind of beat.
He then roared once, then twice, then a third time. All three were done in a manner that would sound like a song and at the end, he'd push his face near hers.
"Um... is that good?" Patch asked.
"Hmm, decent. But you'll have to do more than a little shimmy sham to impress me. Let's just say I have specific standards." Tania said casually.
"Aw, man." Patch whined.
Despite her saying that, so far she was enjoying him. He had such a lively personality and she likes how relaxed he seems. Other males would've tried desperately to impress her and might have gotten angry if they failed. Patch however, didn't seem like the kind of Tarbo to do that.
"But I will admit. You seem fun." Tania complimented.
"R-really?! I mean... thanks." Patch replied.
His mother must've taught him proper manners when it came to how to treat females. Especially since he says this is the first time he's talked to one other than his mother.
Just as Patch was thinking of other ways to impress Tania. A distant roar could be heard in the background. And the sound of rapid stomping could also be heard.
Patch turned around and Tania looked over to see what was going on. It was clear to both of them that Patch wasn't the only one who set his eyes on Tania.
A second male approached. This one was a dull grey and didn't have any of the same patterns Patch did. He had rough looking skin and his upper lip had multiple scars.
He rushed over to the pair and focused his eyes on Patch. The younger male observed his opponent. By the look of his skin, and the scars adorning his lip, this new male must be slightly older than Patch.
"Buzz off, boy. This one's my quarry." The grey male spat.
"Quarry? I am nobody's-" Tania was cut off as Patch stood in front of her.
"You heard her, the lady doesn't seem to be interested. So why don't you be a nice lad and buzz off yourself." Patch shot back.
The grey male sent a snap towards Patch which made him back up a little bit. This was the kind of male Tania didn't like. The type that was too forceful with their methods.
"Hey, pretty boy. There's tons of other females to go around. Take off or I'll make this your resting place." The grey male threatened.
"Pretty boy? That's your best insult?" Patch shrugged.
"You're testing my patience. I'm giving you three minutes." The older male growled.
Tania wasn't sure what to do. If this goes wrong, it could very well endanger her life. She knows how aggressive these males can be. One wonders how someone as soft spoken as Patch can still be able to stand up to him.
The more Patch looked at the older male the more he started to realize how odd his physique looked. He wasn't a stick for sure, but he wasn't perfect. In fact, Patch could barely make out his bones showing through his skin.
This gave the younger male an idea.
"We should just go." Tania suggested.
She then heard something she didn't expect from a Tarbosaurus as mild mannered as Patch. A cocky laugh.
His voice didn't sound as soft spoken as it did earlier. It sounded a little deeper and much more like what males are expected to sound like.
"Nah. I've been itching for a good fight lately." Patch spoke in a more confident voice.
"Your funeral, then." The grey male replied.
The female let out an irritated sigh.
"Boys..." Tania rolled her eyes.
Patch sent out a warning bite and slammed his tail on the ground as a form of intimidation. The grey male started to circle him and Patch did the same. All Tania did was watch. Maybe this was Patch's idea of impressing someone other than with a dance.
The grey male roared at him but Patch spat back with a roar of his own that sounded vaguely like an elephant, but much more deeper and it sounded like it was mixed with a tiger.
"Last chance to walk away, boy." The grey male snapped.
"Oh? I don't need to. All I have to do is make sure you don't walk away." Patch smirked.
"Overconfident son of a-"The grey male was cut off as Patch bashed him with his head and sent him back.
"Alright, that tears it. Nobody insults my mama." Patch lunged forward.
He clamped his jaws onto the grey male's neck and pushed him back. He lost his grip and the grey male managed to land a hit as he used his weight to push Patch.
Patch giggled. He was enjoying this. Being a Tyrannosaurid in this world often meant that they loved the feeling of battle. Especially the males.
Unfortunately for his opponent. That was the first and last good hit he'll land on Patch.
The young male boosted forwards, and landed a bite on the grey male's upper snout and began to thrash. Since that part was already damaged, Patch figured he would get an advantage by damaging it even further.
When Patch let go, he headbutted the grey male at the side of his belly. And quickly landed a bite on his belly. As much as he tried to resist showing weakness, the grey male screeched in pain as blood was pouring out of the wound Patch inflicted. It would only get worse once Patch pulled back and exposed even more flesh.
"And now for the messy bits." Patch grinned.
The grey male shook his head and tried to focus on Patch again by turned his head. The young male charged straight for him. The grey male tried to land a bite on his head. If he could get Patch on the ground, he won't be able to cause any more damage.
But the mistake he keeps on making is underestimating Patch.
The green male lowered his head over below the grey male's neck. He opened his mouth as hard as he can and closed them in a split second.
The special thing that Tarbosaurus have that not many other theropods do, is a jaw locking mechanism within their jaw structure. This kind of thing allows them to hold onto prey for an extended period of time if they manage to get a good bite. And as of right now, Patch just got a good bite on a part of the body that he knows will be extremely painful.
The arms of Tyrannosaurids have been ridiculed because of their small size. Even though they could actually lift a lot of weight. But what dinosaurs who made fun of their arms did get right was how fragile they were when put into a situation like this.
An agonizing scream came out of the grey male. He staggered backwards as he stared at Patch who had blood dripping from his mouth. That and Patch had the grey male's arms in his mouth.
Patch then spat out of the arms and approached the grey male in an intimidating manner.
"When a Bataar asks you to buzz off. Buzz off." Patch growled, referring to his family name.
The grey male nodded nervously as he limped away. He couldn't have ever imagined going up against an opponent as brutal as Patch. His calm, carefree attitude masked the viciousness from within. But is it much of a surprise? He's a Tarbosaurus. Their species name doesn't translate to "Alarming Lizard" for no reason.
"Move it! You're going too slow." Patch called out.
The grey male picked up his pace and ran away as Patch roared in victory. He hasn't had a fight this good in weeks. The last fight he had was with a Tsintaosaurus and even then that Hadrosaur went down within a few seconds after he gripped the neck.
Patch turned to walk over to a nearby stream to wash his mouth. From what his mother taught him, if he really wants a mate, he has to look presentable. Having the blood stains of his enemies would diminish that.
Patch shook his head and finished washing himself as he turned to face Tania who approached him.
She couldn't believe what she saw. He felt so awkward that even though she was starting to like him, she thought he'd get shredded by other males considering he seemed to have been less aggressive than they were.
"Bataar? You're a Bataar?" Tania asked.
"Wait, are we popular or something?" Patch's voice reverted back to it's usual soft spoken tone.
"If you're a Bataar, you must know The Blood Queen, Regine Bataar." Tania clarified.
"Oh, my mama? I didn't know they called her that." Patch replied.
Tania's eyes widened. No wonder he had such a taste for battle.
"They called her that since she was the fiercest Tarbosaurus in the Greenlands. Nobody wanted to fight her. And it's because she'd gore her opponents to the bone." Tania continued.
"Huh, definitely sounds like my mama." Patch said.
Tania didn't know if he was joking or his mother just happened to share the same name. But there's no way it's a coincidence. She's never seen a male in a mating rights battle cause that much damage to his opponent. They'd usually just push each other until one of them lets up. Or they'd try to see who could roar louder.
But the way Patch fought didn't seem like he was in it for just mating rights. She was sure of it that if the circumstances were different, he would've done even more to that grey male instead of just tearing his arms off.
The female Tarbo moved over to Patch. Though he was a very fierce dinosaur under that calm composure, he froze. He didn't know what to do when confronted by a female other than his mother.
She then nuzzled his nose and smiled.
"Let's just say I'm more than just impressed. And it's not just because you're a Bataar." Tania whispered.
"R-really?" Patch stuttered.
"Why don't we get away from here? Doesn't seem like an appealing place. I know one. Up there, it's called Tarbo Mountain. I've been waiting to make it my home for months." Tania suggested. She looked over to a mountain with an cave entrance at the bottom.
"Then why didn't you?" Patch wondered.
"Just been waiting for someone like you." Tania replied.
Patch blinked. Was he having a dream or something? Whatever it was, he was going to savor this feeling. He then moved his head over to Tania's and nuzzled her nose.
"Well, looks like that wait was worth it." Patch said in his more confident voice.
END OF FLASHBACK
Tears flowed down Tania's eyes. Just saying his name out loud is enough to break her.
"Mom? What happened to him?" Speckles asked.
Tania snorted.
"Back then we actually had more kids than just you, Zira, Zing, and Quicks. One of them went missing after being chased by a Raptor. He got lost and was killed by a Therizinosaurus and your dad was there to see it. And this was enough for your father to snap. By the time I got there with your siblings, your father was already done for." Tania's voice cracked.
She thought it was a shame that Speckles never got to meet his father. Patch would've loved him. And if Patch was still here, One Eye wouldn't have been able to pull his merciless stunt.
"Did he say something to you before he..." Speckles trailed off. He didn't want to think about the concept of death. Sometimes it takes too much of a toll on his mind.
"All he asked me was to make sure that if we ever had a kid that looked like him, he told me to name them Speckles. Well, at least I fulfilled his last wish." Tania closed her eyes.
"Wait, dad looked like me?" Speckles asked excitedly.
"Yes. You look exactly like him. The only difference is that you have my eyes. Other than that, you are your father's son. He still lives on through you." Tania nuzzled Speckles.
Though Patch is long dead. A spark of his legacy lives on through Speckles as his last surviving offspring. Tania couldn't have asked for a better family with Patch.
Speckles wasn't just like his father in appearance, his innocent and calm nature reminded Tania of him as well.
"Don't worry mom. I'll get back at One Eye someday when I'm as big and as strong as dad. Then we won't starve ever again. Promise it with my heart." Speckles spoke proudly.
"Hope you'll be as handsome as him too. You know, you can't get girls off of skills alone. You have to have looks too." Tania giggled.
"Mom! I'm just a kid!" Speckles whined.
"I know, I'm just saying." Tania smiled.
Not long after that, Tania and Speckles returned to the inside of the cave where they would rest. The young Tarbo was fast asleep, clutching a bone in his mouth as he slept.
Tania looked at the moon and to the stars. She does this every night because in her mind, those stars weren't just shiny lights in the night sky. There must be at least one of them who was watching over them.
"Thank you, Patch." Tania sobbed.
TO BE CONTINUED.
What do you think?
@PowerLord23
@TurdGrabber2005
@SiatsPyro07
@11duckhunt
@Ankysareawesome
