Banished to prehistoric times

Plains of Plenty

The sun was high in the sky when the rebels had reached the end of the forest. The day had just started, but they felt like they could fall asleep right away. The chase had exhausted the companions and left them troubled for what may come next. However, new adrenaline flew through their blood when they had finally arrived at the forest's border, for an enormous plain stretched out before them. The vast expanse of green vegetation emerged from the thickness of the trees, revealing the most magnificent piece of land the rebels had ever seen. But it wasn't the plain itself that had amazed them; it was the creatures in it. Many herbivore dinosaur species roamed in it, creating an extraordinary view. From the Triceratops, Stegosaur, Parasaurolophus and the omnivore Gallimimus to the Diplodocus and Ankylosaurus; even the carnivore Pterosaurs showed themselves by flying overhead. A Diplodocus grazes the thick, juicy vegetation of the swampy plain while the flock of Pterosaurs swooped overhead and descended onto the giant ferns nearby. A pack of Gallimimus skittered across the grassland, over the brow of a hill, avoiding the swishing tail of the giant Diplodocus. More dinosaurs grazed in the open plain, like Parasaurolophuses, Triceratops and Stegosaurs, who all had remarkable features. The Parasaurolophus, the herbivore, duck-billed dinosaur, had a large head crest which it used for trumpeting, and a fairly short tail which made it quite robust. Its neighbour, the Triceratops, drank peacefully from the river. The herd was a combination of well-built bodies and huge skulls, together with the three horns located on each large head. They had long snouts, with massive, upward-curving sheet of solid bone behind; the neck frill. The Stegosaurs, however, looked very different. They were also very large, but these dinosaurs had large, shield-shaped plates coming out of their high arched backs, like tail spikes. They had very stocky feet and tails that were extremely tough. The ostrich-like Gallimimuses ran past them with their long necks, short arms, long legs and long tails, disrupting their peace. The Ankylosaurus, on the other hand, was a heavily armored dinosaur with a large club-like protrusion at the end of its tail, so the Gallimimus stayed out of its way, despite the fact that it was a herbivore. The creature's armour protected the dinosaur and consisted of thick and oval shaped plates that were within its leathery skin. In the middle of it all stood the great Diplodocus, grazing together with the rest of its herd. The plant-eater had a long neck reaching around 26 feet, but had significant short front legs when compared to its back ones, unlike the ones of the Brachiosaurus, who were the exact opposite. The creature was much like the Brachiosaurus that the rebels had seen before, only the Brachiosaurus was heavier and much taller than the Diplodocus. The Diplodocus was longer, however, and held its head horizontally with its body, and therefore grassed on low-growing plants and bushes instead of in tree tops as the Brachiosaurus did. The gentle giants made the ground shake with every step they took and were awe-inspiring from the end of their snouts to the tip of their tails. "Wow..." Nathan said, who was just as astonished as his fellow exiles when they stepped onto the plain. From the moment the dinosaurs had appeared into their sight, the rebels were bewildered and it took a few moments for it to sink in. But when it had finally hit them, they could not believe their eyes. "Incredible..." Victoria said as she stared at the amazing creatures. The Diplodocus growled once while swishing its tail, moving its long neck towards the rebels. All the dinosaurs continued with their daily lives while their silent observers stood in awe, admiring what was right before their eyes, larger than life. After a while, Kathryn asked: "Do you think we'll ever get back?" "What?" Victoria replied vaguely, still captivated by the ancient life that had appeared in front of her. "I mean," Kathryn continued, "do you think that we will ever get to go home?" "I don't know," Victoria replied. "But the chances are small." "Honestly," Jack responded, "I don't care. Who would want to go back to that world when you can be here? I mean, apart from the man-eating dinosaurs, it's pretty amazing." "You don't mean that Jack," Nathan replied. "You and I both know that you don't give up so easily." "I don't know man," Jack said, "humankind messed up pretty big, I don't know if we can undo that." "We have to," Victoria added. "Our ancestors took part in climate change, and they didn't do anything about it. At least, not enough. We have to right their wrongs." Jack sighed in response, but agreed. "It may be hard, yes," Victoria continued, "but there is still a possibility of a better future. I know it." "Nonetheless," Jack replied, "we still don't know how to get out of here." "He's right, you now," Nathan said. "We may want to change the future, but if no one's going to come, it all won't matter." Victoria looked up at the sky, where she could see a flock of Pterosaurs, flying overhead. Her gaze was then drawn by the herd of Triceratops, who were softly roaring and heavily sniffing. They were protecting their youngsters, who were in the middle, making sure they had a bright future ahead of them. Every threat that they were about to face, the adults would always try to eliminate them, no matter the cost. It was something Victoria was moved by, for it reminded her of her parents, who had died while trying to do the very same thing for her. "Jack was right about one thing, though," she said and turned around. "It is pretty amazing here." Jack smiled in response, but his smile faded when they suddenly heard a mighty bellow, coming from the forest on the other side of the plain. The companions stared into the distance where they could see the trees starting to move slightly, figuring that their adventures here probably hadn't ended just yet. Then, all of a sudden, a humongous Tyrannosaurus rex emerged from the trees, searching for prey. "Yeah...apart from the man-eating dinosaurs..." Jack whispered wide-eyed.