Brothers

Chapter 3: Not Safe

This beach was starting to really feel like home. I woke on the beach just as the sun was rising, my ears warming to the sounds of the waves. My nose was no longer bothered by the bitter scent, especially since it probably masked the rotten scent of that carcass. I turned to it and was disappointed to find it untouched. I could just hope that somebody would snag it soon.

I looked at the tower I was laying by. The poor thing was now shattered into even more pieces ever since I smashed it. I smiled, thinking about Tappy's joy. My claws really were powerful weapons. I never doubted it, Deinonychus praised them constantly. They were the only redeeming quality for a cowardly fish-eater.

I flinched at the memory and shook it out of my head. But he wasn't wrong, I am a coward. I won't even stand up to a tiny furry ape. I feared that some bigger carnivore would come lumbering out of the forest to claim the carcass and find me as a better prey. Then I remembered the ocean. I can swim, others cannot.

The thought made me turn back to the waves and prepare for my morning fishing and swim. I welcomed the precious water as it ran over my scales, filling my body with a cold, contrasted perfectly by the warming sun. Once I was deep enough, I began to fish, pleased that I would quickly gain all of my weight back with this bounty.

After fishing I simply swam about, making sure to not go too far from the shore. I didn't want to get lost in its vastness. As I stared at the shore, I noticed a small figure wandering about. I swam closer to get a better look and recognized the species. It was a tanystropheus, with light green scales on its back and a beige belly, examining the ape and tower carnage before splashing about in the waves.

I swam closer with a smile. I remembered those dinosaurs, they would often visit the lake I grew up on and I played with them all the time. They mostly dwelled in rivers, but would explore the lakes they flowed into. I quickly came to the assumption that he came from the stream I drink from. It must be attached to a river, and maybe even a lake.

This excited me further and I swam until my feet touched the sand, then I started walking towards it. Sadly, it noticed me and awkwardly ran off, squeaking in terror. I quickened my pace and called out to it.

"Wait, wait! I'm not going to harm you! I just wanted to say hello!"

It stopped at the tree line and hid behind a tree, peering out at me cautiously. My words finally reached its ears and it stuck its head out further.

"You're not some evil sea monster ready to devour me?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No, I'm a spinosaurus just wanting to make friends. Besides, I've already eaten."

He breathed a sigh of relief and came out of hiding. He studied me curiously. "Aren't you a little small to be a spinosaur?"

"I'm smaller than normal." I replied dully. I guess it was really that obvious.

"Oh, so you're a runt! Nothing wrong with that, my mother was one! In fact, I've never seen a spinosaur before, but I've heard tales of you giants."

"You've never seen another one of me?" I asked, concerned.

He shook his head, swaying his freaky neck. "But," he squeaked, "I don't explore past my stream that often. Especially here, with that crazy fuzz ball ruling the shore." he commented and glanced at both the corpse and tower. "But obviously, he's been taken care of."

"Okay, yeah, I was the one who ended its reign. So you live by a stream?"

He laughed at my comment about the end of the ape. "I thought as much when I saw you lumbering towards me. Oh yeah, of course! It's one not too far from here, flows right into the ocean. I know it's unusual for my kind to live by such small bodies of water, but I could ask you the same question about living by the sea."