Edge of Great Eastern Forest

Central Core, Nimbor

Alex still hadn’t called forth his weapons, attempting to show his best friend that he wouldn’t engage her in a pointless fight. Elizabeth on the other hand was blinded both by her love for her childhood crush as well as rage at having her dream stolen from her. Shifting her weight forward, Elizabeth launched herself spear first at the man before her.

Alex lunged for his twin sisters wrapping them in his protective arms and drove to the ground. Alex returned to his feet and showed his speed by side-stepping an attack, before jumping back to increase the distance between them. At last, Alex called forth his spear and shield, Elizabeth wheeled around just as quick to bring her deadly spear blade hard against the protective barrier that was Alex’s shield. Alex in turn thrust his spear out around his shield’s edge, forcing Elizabeth to retreat beyond the weapon’s long reach.

“So that’s how you want to play this is it?” Elizabeth asked.

“Liz please, we can talk about this…”

“NO! No more talking lover, as of this moment you are my prey and I am the hunter.” Elizabeth said before charging in again.

Elizabeth’s spear made contact against Alex’s shield, but due to the angle of the attack, her weapon was deflected. Twisting on her heel, Elizabeth brought the shaft of her spear around forcing Alex to jump. At that moment Elizabeth slammed her shield against the unprotected side of her former friend.

Alex impacted the ground hard, forcing him to drop his spear and shield, seeing him disarmed Elizabeth capitalized by slamming the spear blade into the ground only a couple of inches from Alex’s unprotected head.

“Let this be a warning lover, we…are…no longer friends.” Elizabeth said with a mixture of love/hate-filled eyes, “Next time we cross weapons, I will make you submit to me.” Elizabeth finished before freeing her spear from the ground.

The blonde youth spun on her heel and stormed off towards the city, leaving the three Forrester siblings in a stunned and confused state. Kate and Lara rushed to their brother’s side, and help him to his feet. Holding a hand to his right where Elizabeth’s shield had made contact, Lara collected his weapons where they had been dropped and handed to her brother.

“What a bitch!” Kate stated. “Are you going to be okay big brother?”

“In time, yeah, but we will need to be careful from now on.” Alex said as his sisters help him sit back down against the large conifer, “best make camp and get some sleep while we can. I have a feeling that the coming days will be the longest we ever experienced.”

Using their cloaks and spears, the siblings make a makeshift barrier so that the twins could undress out of their armour. Once they were left in their knee-length tunic and leather sandals, making use of their cuirasses as pillows, while they pulled their cloaks off their spears to use as blankets. It wasn’t the most comfortable way to sleep but it was all they had.

Soon the siblings fell asleep listening to the bird-like calls of the numerous dinosaurs as they too settled in for the night.

***

Alex was the first to wake, sitting up and stretching only to grab his side as his body reminded him of yesterday. But his attention was quickly drawn to a nearby small herd of Triceratops that had come close to feed, from his position Alex could make out several tiny versions of the adults running around and playing.

Alex looked up to the top left corner of his vision.

Time

0545 (5:45 AM A.E.S.T.)

Day

2 (Sunday 23RD, September 2063)

Location

Edge of Great Eastern Forest, Central Core

Wind/Temp:

SSE at 24 km/h, 16 degrees Celsius

Player:

Alexios Forrester

Mount:

None

Alex was just about to stand when a pale light orange and parchment coloured blur brushed past him, knocking him off his feet. Turning to see what had just mowed him down, Alex saw standing just a few feet away was a juvenile triceratops with jade-coloured eyes staring back at him.

“Hello there, little one. Aren’t you a brave one,” Alex said in an attempt to sound as non-threatening as possible.

The 5 meters long, 1.3 meters tall, and about 2,000 Kilogram in weight animal snorted at Alex, its chest expanding and subtracting as it breathed. The three-horn had a familiar look that Alex remembered from his childhood when he and his sisters would spend time with their grandfather.

“You look very similar to my sister’s favourite little three-horn called Cera, but your horns are longer,” Alex said before rising to a crouched position.

Seeing a small bush about a meter away, Alex slowly made his over to it as not to spook the young triceratops. Freeing close to half the bush Alex turned to face the animal, and held out the piece of the plant as a peace offering. The triceratops snorted a little, before cautiously stepping towards Alex, soon he watched as one of the most well-known dinosaurs wrap its beaked mouth around the leafy greens and started to chew.

Taking a chance of a lifetime, Alex moved closer and hesitantly stretched out his hand towards the flank of the wild little animal. The three-horn jerked a little at Alex’s touch against its leather-like but warm skin, in a moment of pure joy a smile formed as Alex stroked the animal’s flank.

Wanting to share this moment with his sisters, Alex picked a small marble-sized stone and careful tossed it at Kate. The stone struck his sister in the chest, making the eighteen-year-old redhead sit up.

“What the Bloody…” Kate started but quickly clapped a hand over her mouth as she took in the scene before her.

Alex mouthed ‘I know right’ still feeding a petting the young triceratops, Alex pointed to Lara and Kate nodded in agreement.

Kate slowly leaned over her twin, and gently rocked Lara in an attempt to wake her.

“What Katelynn… five more minutes… okay,” Lara answered in her half sleepy state.

Kate leaned in closer so that she was close to Lara’s ear and whispered, “Lara you need to see what our dear brother is doing. And it involves your number one favourite dinosaur.”

At the mention of her favourite dinosaur, Lara instantly sat up her hazel eyes had grown to the size of small dinner plates as they took in the scene before them.

“That… that’s a… tri…triceratops,” Lara said doing her best not to hyperventilate.

“Well Little Bird, would you like to feed it,” Alex said still stroking the animal’s right flank.

All Lara could manage was a comical nod of her head, before crawling carefully over to sit next to her brother, then she reached out slowly to have her finger gently brushed against the Three-horn’s skin. The contact made the animal shiver under her hand, making Lara giggle, a sound that neither solder sibling had heard from their young sister since before their mother passed away.

They were enjoying the moment they were having, each taking turns to feed and pet the young triceratops. That the siblings were shocked when the three-horn was engulfed in a shower of ever-changing colour pixels and a notification flashed into Alex’s vision.

Name your Triceratops Horridus

Accept

Cancel

Alex already knew what name to give their newest family member, and quickly entered said name. Again the young three-horn was engulfed in pixels as the name took hold, once the pixel had disappeared the newly named Cera bounced from left to right happily.

“Cera?” Kate asked.

“Yes well, it was the only name that fits. Plus it was one of our favourite movies with grandpa, and look at you twin and the smile upon her face.” Alex said simply.

Kate looked to her twin, the truth of her brother’s words as plain as the smile upon Lara’s face. The youngest of the Forrester siblings by 12 minutes was truly in her element bouncing back and forth along with Cera as they mimicked each other between giggles and snorted.