50 Million Years from Now

Act 2

A flock of Black beaks fluttered in and around a large cave protruding from the savannah, providing shelter from the blistering sun. Inside a grove of trees next to the cave, Moramma was perched on a tree branch looking down at the rest of the flock who were waiting for the hunters to come back. It didn't take long for her to grow bored and glide down to the ground. Besides someone else had arrived to replace her as the lookout. As she entered the large cave opening their flock called home, she was stopped.

"Where are you going?" a voice asked.

Moramma hissed. She knew exactly who that voice belonged to. "What do you want this time Zgall?"

"Oh, come on. Is that how you talk to me?" Zgall asked with the slightest hint of annoyance.

"You know why everyone talks to you like that."

"I still thought you might have had a little more respect. And you never answered my question."

"I'm going back inside."

"Listen, you're the lookout so get back to your position."

"Someone already took my position. I can go and rest now."

With that Moramma flew off, leaving Zgall in an even worse temper than before. Zgall then stormed out of the cave and rushed into the long grass. As he did so, a flock of Jumpers leapt out of his way, hopping, running and skipping around, scattering in fright. Zgall was always grumpy in one way or another and lost his temper easily which also made him a poor hunter. Instead, he was tasked with protecting the cave from predators, a good use for his hostile personality.

As Zgall was blowing off steam, back at the cave Moramma carried out one of her favourite pastimes. Dipping one of her claws into a bowl of red dirt and mud, she hummed to herself as she began painting the cave wall. Many other Black beaks were in the midst of doing the same. For them, it was a way to connect with nature and their ancestors as well as an attempt to remind themselves to keep their lives in balance.

Suddenly, the lookout began to screech, "They're back! They're back!" Most of the Black beaks rushed towards the cave entrance. As their excitement grew, they could start recognizing individuals.

"Welcome back," one of the elders said greeting the party. "Were you successful?"

A few, including Roc, raised their baskets full of fish, squid, horned octopus and crustacean. "You bet we were," Roc declared.

"Say, where are Kay and Vall?" Zenith asked noticing the two were missing.

"Albino finally got eaten?" Zgall asked as he came back from his rampage.

Before anyone else could answer, the lookout yelled, "Wait! I see two more coming!" Zgall growled, knowing exactly who those two were.

Kay and Vall landed. "Sorry for the delay," Kay bluntly said. "We had a little trouble with some Rock-backs."

"It's because of that white plumage!" Zgall yelled. "That albino sticks out like a gigantic beacon."

Vall took a few steps back, bowing his head.

"He was the one who spotted the Rock-backs," Kay stated, looking down at his companion.

"Oh, and that makes him a better hunter than me?"

"The fact that he is much more patient than you are Zgall makes him much more likely to catch something. And, may I also add, he has the best vision out of all the Black beaks in this flock," Kay said, the strength in his voice showing no hint of wavering.

"Kay, stop it. It's not worth it," Vall quickly said grabbing Kay's left wing and attempting to drag him away. Kay complied, walking off with Vall. "You really didn't need to do that," Vall whispered, his head hanging very low.