Ark - Survivors Lost In Time - Exodus

Day Three

Skull had found his way to our camp at some point in the middle of the night, when I had finished my watch he was not back but when I woke at dawn he was asleep a few yards from our makeshift shelter. Cradix who had been up for a few hours on last watch, sat on a rock watching the valley. I stretched and tightened the belt on my tunic, I joined him, I place a hand on his shoulder, and when he looked up at me I nodded in Skull's direction.

Cradix shook his head and turned his attention back to the three fissures that lead into the valley. "He returned right after I took watch," He whispered, "I told him he could sleep here with us, but in his own space, he has to make his own shelter and provide for himself." I looked over at Skull he had a set of armor on and a crossbow next to him.

"You provided him with armor and tools I see," He looked over at the dozing man, and nodded.

"It would have been unfair to not provide for him when we have the spare supplies." I smiled down at the short man and messed his hair before going to check on Kabr.

Kabr was still asleep but his skin was pink, and he was not sweating, I put the back of my hand against his forehead and smiled when he felt normal temperature, I lifted the collar of his tunic to look at the wound, all that was left was a scar, jagged and white against his tan skin. He opened his eyes and looked up at me, he smiled and stroked his hand down my cheek, I flinched back, I was used to him coming on to me but I was not comfortable with him as to allow physical affection.

"Sorry," He croaked, I handed him a water skin, he took a drink and sat up. "When do we leave for the beach?" He called to Cradix, who looked over his shoulder at us and up at the rising sun.

"Now is probably a good time," He called back, we joined him, Kabr was rubbing his scar under his tunic and cinched the belt. As we were entering the fissure leading back to the beach, Skull joined us, he kept his head down and his mouth shut as we walked through the brush back to the beach, we climbed onto a large rock that had a good view of the entire beach, we sat with our back to each other and our bows cocked and loaded on our laps.

It must have been another hour before we heard the snap and swoosh of leather wings, we looked up as the Quetz topped the trees across the river. The Quetz was blue with a white belly and wings, its wings took a few seconds to complete a flap cycle. We followed its slow progress from the trees to the beach, with our eyes; and jumped from the rock, we went to the Quetz once it touched down, the large metal platform saddle on its back held the pilot and two other men armed with rifles.

"How have they progressed so far in only a few days?" Kabr whispered to Cradix.

"They have been here for a month not a few days, they have had more time to progress." Cradix said.

"What?" I asked in surprise.

"The Hosts sent them in first, I do not know why, but the entire Dino Knights organization has been here for much longer, we are the second tribe to arrive, the Divine and the Shadow will both arrive in a week." Cradix said.

"How do you know this?" Skull demanded, Cradix shot him a narrow glance out of the corner of his eyes, Skull shrunk away.

"The Hosts spoke to me in a dream last night explaining everything." I eyed Cradix he had received a vision from the Hosts, this was a rare gift that only a few on each ark could perform, these people were often called Admins, they were the excepted leaders of the Ark, we already knew that he was our leader but now he might gain the respect of the rest of the tribes as an Admin.

Ruin was one of the two men on the platform, he dropped down a rope ladder, we climbed up, the second man took our crossbows from us and told us to sit at the bench that had been built behind the pilot's seat, they took two seats to either side of the bench. Our crossbows were placed in a storage bin, in the back corner. The platform shuddered and screeched as the great behemoth Quetz forced himself into the air.