Pounce

As Fulcher walked down the hill to the market Arrow marched along his side, smelling the air. Fulcher was not sure how best to acclimate to this climate. He had not traveled much outside the city when he was growing up, but he had played plenty of games involving survival in the jungle.

The market at the edge of the village was busy and loud. Fulcher was quick to pick up a thinner layer of clothing he could wear instead of his royal outfit. He also purchased a basket he could wear like a backpack, a fitting way for him to bring an egg back to the King. Despite his recent arrival, it seemed the townsfolk already knew why he was there. Many touched his shoulders as he passed, smiling at him and speaking in a language he simply did not understand. He assumed they were prayers or wishes of good fortune.

Finally they stopped at a river that ran down the hill along the side of the market. A lightly dressed woman sat within the rocks of the riverbed, her flowing clothing adorned with small bones and the shells of freshwater mollusks. As Fulcher approached with Arrow’s water pack she waved him into the river. He stepped in as she waved her arms above the water’s surface and uttered their foreign tongue. As Fulcher lowered the pack in to collect their drinking water, he watched as the water changed to a glowing teal color. The teal swirled around the river against the current and under the woman’s hand where it rippled. It made its way back down the river to Fulcher, sliding easily into the water pouch without much fanfare. He peered into the pouch as the teal water shifted back to being colorless. As hard as he looked, he found no evidence of sediment or any other particle floating in the pack. He smiled up at the riverwoman, and dipped his head to her in thanks. Whatever she had done had given them clean drinking water for their mission.

Magic really is wonderful. I’ve got to figure out if I can use it beyond the ringcasters, he thought.

As they breached the trees around the village Fulcher’s excitement grew. He had always liked dinosaurs as a kid, and the idea of seeing more filled him with childlike wonder. He turned to look back at Arrow and paused. Through the trees and beyond the brush he had walked through, he saw no evidence of the village he had just left. No busy market, no trails of smoke leading into the sky, not even the sound of the village river made it to his ears. Arrow emerged from the brush by his side as Fulcher began to wonder.

Maybe it’s some kind of cloaking spell. Something to keep the predators away, he thought.

As they continued to move through the trees, the heavy brush gave way to a larger clearing. Immediately his eyes trained to the large beast that stood guard at the forest’s edge, as well as its rider. At first Fulcher thought it was a triceratops, but the smaller size as well as the curled horns around the frills proved the identity to be a different ceratopsid entirely.

What was this one called… styra? Styracosaurus? Fulcher thought, I’m gonna need to write down all the dinos I remember whenever I get my hands on some paper.

Atop the styra was an Ubuk soldier, holding a spear at his side. He looked down at Fulcher with a knowing stare, and clasped his hand over his heart. Fulcher poorly mirrored the motion before making his way into the plain. As he and Arrow walked along the ancient grass he could hear the calls of dinosaurs behind him. Turning around he noticed several other styras gathered at the edge of the jungle, their riders waving. It seemed they had gathered to offer Fulcher a farewell. Fulcher rubbed Arrow’s side and began jogging into the wide grasses.

“Come on boy! Let’s fetch us a dinosaur!”