50 Million Years from Now

Act 3

A large animal was feeding on the tall grass, its grey body contrasting against the dark yellow of the fall vegetation. Its broad neck supported a mane of bristly hair that rolled down from the top of its head to its shoulder blades. A large elongated and flat snout, riddled with bumps and dips, made its head look like that of its ancestor, the warthog. Two small tusks poked out of its lower jaw, their white and yellow colour blending in slightly with the grass. Four sturdy legs that resembled those of a hippo kept its barrel-shaped body aloft.

Two tiny eyes scanned its surroundings, its large snout smelling the air for any possible danger. Its shovel-like head ploughed the dirt up and its wide mouth tore the plants from their roots. Unbeknownst to it, a flock of Black beaks was approaching downwind and quietly landed near its position.

"Okay, everybody, remember we are not training," Kay said, his spear clenched between his talons. "Zenith, Roc and Zgall will chase it out into the open."

"Hey, I don't know if you've noticed it, but everything out here is open!" Zgall hissed.

"Hey! Are you trying to get that plough-head's attention?" Roc whispered.

"Oh! Please! Those things are as deaf as those Scale worms."

"Everybody quiet down!" Kay shushed. "Now please, everyone listens. There's this large watering hole that's been dried up for a long time. Roc, Zenith and Zgall will chase it into that pit. There everyone else on the team will pop out of their hiding spot surrounding it. Then I, Vall, Toran, Baz and Toucal," Kay pointed at three other hunters, "will come down upon the Plough-head from above and ram our spears in its side before retreating. Did I make myself clear?"

Everybody seemed to get it except for Zgall.

"Oh! That is too complicated! Here is my plan: rush in, stab it, kill it. Simple."

"Zgall, this isn't like fighting off predators," one of the other hunters said.

"Oh! And you're the expert? And anyway, why do I have to chase that Plough-head into the open?" Zgall's voice continued to rise.

"Zgall, watch your tone," Kay whispered.

"Oh, what? Suddenly, you can just tell me what to do?"

"Zgall, quiet down!" Zenith hissed.

"I mean, if you didn't want me to help you in this hunt, why did you even bring me along?!?" Zgall shouted at the top of his lungs.

The Plough-head looked in their direction before letting out a loud bellow that sounded like a cross between that of a pig's and a bull's. The huge five-meter animal began to run away.

"Just look at what you've done Zgall!!" Kay shouted as he swung his body forward to take to the sky.

Everyone followed Kay. As they flew overhead, they could see the Plough-head's grey body push past the grass and ferns. A flock of Jumpers, startled by the rampaging hog, scattered in all directions.

"Okay, everybody, listen up! We must do this quickly. Vall, you take half the flock and keep chasing the Plough-head. The rest of us will cut it off at the dried-up watering hole."

"I understand Kay," Vall said as he flew lower toward the huge beast.

Kay and the others started flapping their wings harder, overtaking the Plough-head, and then getting ready to assault it. Suddenly, the large animal swerved off to the left. Thinking fast, Vall threw his spear. The sharpened point pierced the beast's shoulder blade, making it run back on course. This however made Vall lose his balance and crash-land to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Zenith asked.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Just keep chasing it," Vall replied while shaking himself. He took to the air and was able to quickly catch up to the others.

As the Plough-head got closer to Kay, the large Black beak thrust his spear forward, the wooden shaft digging into the animal's throat. It roared in agony, rearing up on its hind legs.

"NOW!" Kay shouted as two more hunters popped out of the tall grass and jabbed their spears, piercing the giant's belly as it fell over crashing into the ground. As soon as it was down, everyone began to pile up on the beast. They sank their spears as deep as possible. Finally, the giant ceased moving, blood pouring out of the multiple holes in its body. Kay walked up to the front of the beast, looked at its now lifeless eyes and then closed both of its eyelids.

"Thank you," Kay simply said as the rest of the flock began to pull out their spears. "Good job keeping it on the path," Kay congratulated Vall and the others. "Now everyone, you all know what we have to do."

Quickly they all began to sink their talons into the Plough-head's flesh, tearing out large pieces of meat and securing them on their retrieved spears.

"Remember, get as much meat on your spear as you can, but not to the point that you cannot fly," Kay reminded them. "As for you," Kay glared at Zgall, "you are lucky that we were able to catch up with the Plough-head."

"What? Why are you blaming me? It's obvious that Vall's white feathers gave us away."

"That is far from true," Kay growled, "It was your impatience and lack of silence which gave us away. If it wasn't for Vall, that Plough-head could have escaped entirely."

"Kay, stop. It's not worth it," Vall said with worry in his voice.

"Vall, I'm trying to stand up for you."

"Yah, get out of here albino," Zgall hissed.

Kay stared into Zgall's eyes, both daring the other to do something. Vall grabbed Kay and started to drag him away. Then someone shouted, "Watch out! Scale worm!" They all leapt backward as a black snake slithered out of the grass, its bright red tail signifying its venomous ability.

"Everybody, remember what we learned. Stand back," Kay shouted. "Vall, you know what to do."

Vall nodded slowly before grabbing a rock and flying up in the air. Once he was high enough, he took aim and dropped the rock. A sickening crack was heard coming from the snake. As its back was broken, it curled and twisted before it finally ceased moving. Vall then flew down, grabbed the snake by the back of its head with one talon and a shard from the broken rock with his other. He then smashed the snake's skull, making sure it was dead.

"That was too close," one of the hunters whispered.

Vall looked at the snake still in his talons, its skull caved in and an eyeball slightly dangling from its socket. Vall dropped the animal before running away. A foul odour soon rose from where Vall was. As he came back he said, "I'm sorry but I couldn't hold it. We should get our food quickly. I accidently gave away our position."

Zgall laughed, "What kind of hunter throws away their meal because of something like this?" He held up the snake.

"I never killed something like this before," Vall protested. "I didn't know its head was going to explode. And anyway, it was still looking at me."

"Oh, please! This thing couldn't look at you. It's dead!"

"Zgall, enough!" Kay ordered ripping the snake out of Zgall's talons. He then looked at Vall and sighed. "It's all right Vall. It happens to all of us when we must kill in that fashion for the first time. Even I lost my meal the first time I did this. It's a shock, but in the end, you will get used to it."

The hunting party finished skewering their chunks of meat and flew off. As they did, Vall looked back at the carcass of the massive Plough-head and noticed movement in the grass. He could see a greyish yellow outline. As they kept flying away, he whispered, "Grass stalker."