The Isle

A Destroyed Nest

The night was eerie and shadowy. There was no wind blowing and the moon shone on the pine trees, giving them a white crown of glow.

Suddenly, the bushes below rustled. The rapid movement of a Theropod running filled the air. And, almost like a swift shadow, two raptors swung past the bushes, their skin brushing against the fragile leaves.

These raptors were part of a large raptor pack that lived in a large pile of ruins nearby. The female leading the pair was named Sky. The male was Rock. They were on a hunting trip and they were just bringing in their latest kill: a giant Psittacosaurus.

As Rock was carrying the meal and Sky was scouting their terrain, she heard a sound. It was faint, but she could still catch it. Then, she smelled it. The scent of blood.

"Sky?" Rock growled. He hadn't caught any of the senses that his comrade had gotten, but due to Sky's body language, he could tell something was wrong.

Sky's nose flared. She was trying to take in all the information she could. She definitely smelled blood. But she could also hear something. She heard large footsteps. She heard carnage at work. And then, she heard the sound of something wailing. 

She had to investigate the matter. Sky ran through the trees, all of her senses focusing on the faint sounds and her scent. The sounds were getting closer and closer.

"Sky!" Rock yelled. He was running right behind Sky, trying to figure out what exactly stimulated her senses. He still hadn't gotten a trace of the scent. Maybe it was because he was still holding the Psittacosaurus. That scent was probably filling his nostrils.

Then, Sky stopped. The trees ended and she entered a small clearing. The moon was at its fullest in this clearing. It gave the plain area a mystical glow. Right in the center of this gorgeous valley was a nest. But it didn't look like a nest. It looked like a bloodbath.

Sky walked slowly around the area, taking in every scent. Rock, confused, also surveyed the area, eyeing the nest suspiciously. The air smelled of yolk and rotting carcasses. It made Sky gag, but she had to power through.

"What is this place?" Rock asked.

Sky edged to the nest itself. It was now a flattened dirt mound. A giant footprint lined the center. Under the footprint were the shells of smashed eggs. The yolk smell lingered even more here. Sky found many figures in the ground and was horrified at what she realized they were: they were undeveloped babies that were unfortunately crushed.

"Oh, dang..." Rock grunted, "What happened?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out," Sky told him. It was the first time they had spoken since Sky found the nest.

"Where are the parents?" Rock continued to ask questions.

"I don't know," Sky answered earnestly, "I'm trying to seek them out, but their scent is gone. There's no trace here. They were probably killed elsewhere."

As Sky searched the area, she noticed something right in the middle of the nest. Something was shining in the light of the moon. The thing wasn't just shining in general - something was illuminated inside the thing.

Sky edged towards the shining thing and gave it a little sniff. Upon further inspection, she realized that the thing glowing was an egg. And this egg was perfectly intact. And alive.

"Rock!" Sky called, "Come over here! This egg is still alive!"

Rock's head, along with the rotting Psittacosaurus, appeared next to Sky. He stared at the egg for a long time for rearing back, his nose flaring.