We tried to sleep through to the next day. Sprinter slept well, but I couldn't sleep at all. The whole night, I couldn't stop staring at what the Deinonychus had done to my son.
Three scars, going across his face. An eyelid torn in half.
What a truly murderous, disgusting species the Deinonychus turned out to be.
Though I couldn't accept it at the time, I knew that no matter what I did to help him, sooner or later, Sprinter would die. There was no way he could survive in a world this cruel without his eyes.
The sun peeked through the horizon, slowly rising above volcanoes while radiating its bright light to the world.
'Sprinter. I am going to go hunt, but in your state, you cannot hunt with me.' I cooed, nudging him.
'But mother... I want to go. I want to show you that I am strong, that I can survive on my own, without my eyes to aid me.'
He reminded me so much of myself when I was younger. I knew how he felt, but I couldn't let him move from where he was.
'You could die if you come...' I said, shutting my eyes. I felt the liquid begin to form in my eyes again, as I imagined him living his entire life sitting around, waiting for me to bring him food... is such a life even worth living...? 'So you must stay here. Don't move from here. An Iguanodon herd is nearby, and you know how many times I have told you that they are dangerous.'
My son clicked in acknowledgment. With that, I knew he would not disobey my instructions. I trusted him.
'I will return soon.'
I turned, and left. Of course, I was extremely worried for him, but I knew that sooner or later, I would have to leave him to find food. Strutting off, I began to think... how long will he survive in such a state? If I were to die, or get hurt, no one would look after him. If starvation didn't kill him first, then a predator will devour him, or maybe some herbivores will attack as they see him as a threat. Even if another pack of Utahraptors were to come across him, they would have no remorse in killing him. After all, looking after him would be too much work, and he would be considered a waste of space in nature.
'Stop thinking like this! He is alive now, and that is all that matters. Don't focus on what could happen, but rather, what is happening now.'
I strode on, until I caught the whiff of some small rodent. It was of the same kind that my mother gave to my siblings, just before she told me of the disgusting abomination that is the Deinonychus.
I narrowed my eyes. 'Focus.'
I turned to my right, and saw that the mammal was hiding somewhere in a small burrow.
'I guess I'll just have to dig it out. It would be the perfect snack for my baby.'
Snarling, I began to dig into the hole, using my claws to sweep away the dust and dirt.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of Iguanodon bellowing... I could hear that they were coming too close to the place where my baby was hiding.
Without second thought, I instantly sprinted back. I could not leave my baby alone near such aggressive herbivores. Food could wait- if anything happened to my son, I wouldn't know what to do. I had been with him for so long, I could not imagine living my life alone, even for one second. He was all I had left...
I could hear the cries of some Iguanodon get more and more aggressive and loud. It was then when I knew, for sure, they had seen my Sprinter.
'NO!' I screamed, as I saw five of the four legged, beaked Iguanodon slowly move towards something in the horizon, leaving their herd to inspect something. Some were rearing up on their hind legs, moaning in a threatening manner. As I ran closer, I could see something small- my son- crouching, and crying out in fear. With no warning, I saw one of the Iguanodon who had reared up on its hind legs stomp towards Sprinter, and come crashing down, slamming its 4 ton body onto the small body of my son. Cracks of bones breaking echoed through the land, and his hair-raising screams for mercy filled my ears.
'Why can't I move faster!?' I snarled to myself. As I got closer and closer, another of those creatures stamped their foot on my son. He let out another shriek of pure agony.
'GET AWAY FROM MY SON!!!' I roared, and pounced in the middle of the circle. Five young, striped Iguanodon surrounded us, while the rest of the herd was feeding a hundred meters away.
These creatures showed no fear of me, for their teamwork actually stood a chance against my ferocity and ravenous nature. I snarled at them, glaring into their taunting eyes.
'Mother...' My son croaked.
I stopped snarling, and instantly looked down to Sprinter in response to his plea for my attention...
...Only to see his bloodied, broken body, laying at my feet. His bones stuck out through his flesh, dripping in red blood. He could barely move, for his back had been broken. I gasped in shock, and for a moment, I was distracted.
One of the Iguanodon charged forwards to headbutt me, but I quickly slammed my claws against its face, raking them across its skin. It groaned in pain, and quickly returned to its original position.
'Mother... please don't leave me here with them...' He cried, trembling in fear. 'I'm afraid, mother...'
'I will never leave you!' I snarled, not taking my eyes off of the Iguanodon. I must kill them... they have hurt my son, and have condemned my little Sprinter to death! They must pay!
I ran to the one who had tried to headbutt me, and jumped onto its head, hooking on with my claws. It shook violently, but my experience with the Acrocanthosaurus and other large prey items had slowly taught me how to hold on and never let go.
As it shook, my claws sunk deeper and deeper. Blood spurted out of its neck, and I knew the wound was deep enough to kill it in less than a minute.
The Iguanodon next to it ran towards me, raised up on its hind legs. As my victim collapsed, I jumped off of it and onto the next one. It tried to hit me with its thumb claw, but missed. I latched my jaws onto its neck, and it screamed as I ripped out its throat with one move with my head. It was moments like these where my name, The Merciless, truly made sense...
As it fell, I jumped onto the ground, behind my son. Staring down at the other three Iguanodon, I could hear the rest of the herd beginning to look my way. I put my arms on the body of my dying son. He looked up at me with his big, blue eyes, as this strange water streamed out of them.
'I will protect him until the end of his life. As long as he is alive, I will never leave his side, I promise!' I growled, lifting my lips.
The other three Iguanodon, unable to understand my snarls, roared at me. This was a fight to the death.
'So be it...' I flexed my claws.
With a howling cry, I sprinted towards the one in the middle. The one to its left came in to its defense, and whipped its tail at me. I quickly ducked, then slid under my new attacker. I quickly stuck my sickle claw into its belly before it could attempt to crush me, and it roared out in pain. I sliced through its skin, and quickly scrambled out of its way. Guts hung out of the slit in its belly, as blood splattered onto the ground below, decorating the plants red. It collapsed onto the one that was originally in the middle, half dead.
The other Iguanodon bellowed, as its bones broke. It wriggled around, trying to break free from the body holding it down, only to discover that it was stuck.
I snorted in contentment. Only one was left. It reared up on its hind legs, and ran towards the herd, who were looking at us nervously. They saw the bodies of their dead, and what I had done. I turned to my son.
'Mother... the rest of the herd will come... please... don't abandon me...' He wheezed, coughing up blood.
'As long as you are alive, I will NEVER abandon you! I promise!' I growled.
The rest of the herd began to stampede towards me, furiously. They wanted to avenge their brethren.
I suddenly began to feel a tinge of fear- there were so many of them, around thirty. There was no way I alone could kill all of them, even though I was the most powerful predator.
Don't. Don't you DARE run. Fight until the end.
They reached us, angrily roaring. I snarled, loudly. Suddenly, one of them ran to me and headbutted me away. I skidded across the floor, but got up.
I saw how big they were. How aggressive. How determined. I began to tremble, intimidated. They reminded me of my brothers. I felt an instinctive urge to run, as I gazed into their merciless eyes. I knew how it felt, to become the prey.
'Please... leave my baby alone... don't hurt him...' I whimpered, almost inaudibly. Some other Iguanodons walked past my baby, towards me. They were much bigger than the ones I had killed.
Don't run. Fight back, even if they break every bone in your body.
I trembled more and more, as I stared up at the monsters.
Stop. Don't even think about it.
I could hear my baby screaming 'Mother!' frightfully. One of the Iguanodon did a mock charge at me.
I can't take it anymore!
To my horror, I felt myself sprint away. It was as if I had lost all control over my body- all my instincts were forcing me to keep myself alive, and let my baby die.
STOP! Go back! You promised you wouldn't leave him!
'Mother! Don't leave me with them... MOTHER! STOP! PLEASE! THEY'RE COMING TO ME, HELP ME PLEASE! DON'T GO! I DON'T WANT TO DIE! PLEASE COME BACK! YOU PROMISED!
Suddenly, his screams for my return were cut short as I heard a large Iguanodon stomp on his body. Even the horrific screams of my own child begging for me to return were unable to stop my instincts.
'MOTHER! THEY'RE HURTING ME! DON'T LEAVE ME!'
I heard another Iguanodon kick him, and he yelped in pain, weeping in sorrow. I only just managed to hear his final words to me.
'Mother... why did you abandon me...?'
I could hear the Iguanodon kill him with a crushing blow to the skull. Then, there was silence. I could only hear the sound of myself running.
You're nothing but a worthless coward... you left your own son to die, after all he had done for you. You truly have no right to live, after what you have done...
2 Hours Later
I stopped running, and waited for the Iguanodon herd to leave. Only then, did I know it was safe to approach the dead corpse of the only thing to have ever brought me love.
Nervously, I took small steps to the body of my son. His blood was splattered all over the ground, and his remains were a barely recognizable mess of crushed bones and organs.
I felt the liquid appear in my eyes again...
Stop. Stop it. I shut my eyes. This must be what is called... sadness, isn't it? And these droplets coming from my eyes must be tears...
I felt more of them stream out of my eyes. I didn't want to open them, for if I did, I knew that I would be brought back into a cruel world where I will be forced to live my life alone.
'I left him, even though I promised I would not abandon him... How could I be so disgusting? I abandoned my own son... He must think that I didn't love him...'
'I didn't even have a chance to tell him that I loved him...'
I opened my eyes, and stared at my sons body. I didn't want to leave him, but I knew I had to.
I knelt down, and grabbed his cold, grey hand in mine. I stared directly into his sad, lifeless eye-sockets, which had dried tears of blood coming out of them.
'There is only one way I can redeem myself. I know this all to well. The Iguanodon may have killed you, but it's only because the Deinonychus took your eyes. And so, my beloved son, I promise, that no matter what it takes, I shall grant you revenge. I will track down the pack that took your eyes, and I will kill every single one- young, old, male, female. I do not care how long it takes, or how painful this path shall be. I only care that you forgive me when we meet in the stars. I will not break this promise.'