The Isle (Short stories)

1, Legacy.

The sun rose upon a herd of Pachys that danced across the open fields. Grazing and paying no attention to those around them. The lead stallion brought their head up from the grass and watched as the sun peeked from the hills, it swung its head into the air and bellowed loudly as their females followed along. The male lowered their head again, preparing to graze before a call rang out. They shifted their head up to see another male with a blood red on their armored head, swinging it side to side in challenge as they brushed their feet along the dirt. The stallion walked over with their head high and was now a few feet only away from the other male, they snorted in warning for them to retreat. Flinching forward to try and scare them away.

The fugitive stamped their feet on the ground and pushed their head forward, pushing them to fight. This caught the female's attention as they circled around the potential battle ground, the stallion looked at their female's before lowering their head and bellowing to the fugitive. Accepting their challenge. 

The males began to walk in circles as the females stood high and began roaring loudly as they chanted for their stallion, stamping their feet and brushing their heads along the grass and dirt. The fugitive swung their head up and roared loudly before charging at the stallion. They pushed their head against the others and began shoving force on one another, making them have to stand their ground as their feet slipped along the floor. The stallion yanked their head away and ran to the fugitive's side then swung their head, hitting them just above the stomach. The blood armored male hissed and nipped at the stallion's tail catching it right in between their teeth. The stallion shrieked as they were yanked forward and tussled onto the ground. They then slammed their head onto the stallion's side as they bellowed in pain, squirming and kicking under the fugitive's rock-hard head. They eventually managed to kick them in the stomach and shift away as they stumbled back. The females continued to make loud noises as they stamped their feet. The males were back to circling each other, stopping one another from hitting them on the flank. This time the stallion made the first move.

They ran forward and attempted to hit them on their neck or above their armored head, but the fugitive was ready for such an attack. They ducked their head under the other as they ran over, the stallion slammed their head onto the back of their neck once causing the fugitive the roar in pain. They brought the stallion up balancing them on the head and slammed them down on to a medium sized boulder, the stallion began to push themselves into a standing position before the fugitive shoved their head into their side. They shrieked in pain as the boulder jabbed into their side and caused them to bleed onto it, practically impaling the young stallion. The fugitive stepped back with their head rising just a bit as it looked, they had won. The stallion flipped over, showing their rather large hole in their side. They were struggling to stand. The females had gone silent in waiting for their formal stallion to get up and continue the battle, it was only right for their females. 

Then multiple calls could be heard in the air, and they weren't Pachys. Just above the hill were 3 Utahraptors most likely in search of a meal. And all the noise along with the fighting probably triggered their senses. The herd went into a state of panic as more Utah raptors emerged from the hill above, maybe they could take 3 but their numbers were way over that limit. They all scattered and ran away into the trees, the blood headed male staggered back and bounded away. Fleeing with the rest of the herd. The stallion crouched down and began limping as a trail of blood poured from the gash in his side, he bellowed out to them as their retreating calls faded away. He roared even louder but this time all he got in response was the pachys  shouting and chanting for their new stallion as his voice rang louder than the others.  The male was furious but also desperate as he began to shift himself where the herd had gone, trying to get them to know that he's still alive as he pleaded for help. But one of the Utah's blocked his way as the others approached and began nipping at his wounds, he hissed and swung his head at them but alas. He wasn't strong enough.

He shrieked loudly to the direction the herd went in, one of the Utah's took this as an opportunity and lunged to the male's side. They then bit into the wound and ripped flesh as blood began gushing out of their side, they had failed. And the fugitive was now the new stallion and the owner of his females. He thrashed and called out, desperate for his herd to return.

But they never came....