The Virals

Chapter 8

Black Talon awoke to the sound of rustling outside the cave in the early morning. He flinched, thinking it was a viral at first, but quickly realised it wasn't when he took a sniff of the air.

Sharp Claw... Brilliant...

'H... Hello...' The young Acheroraptor appeared at the entrance of the cave, cautiously. On his back was the rodent, and hiding behind him was the baby Triceratops and Pachycephalosaurus.

Black Talon stared at him, somewhat irritated.

'Is... is it okay if we share some of the prey?' He asked, nervously.

Black Talon sighed. Sharp Claw didn't move from his place, shifting anxiously and not looking Black Talon in the eye.

Black Talon pulled a piece of flesh out of the chest of the Pterosaur he had caught. He felt its irresistible blood paint his jaws, but he resisted the urge to devour it. He threw the flesh to Sharp Claw, who looked up as he heard the splat of the muscles hitting the ground.

For a moment, all they did was stare at each other.

'Well, you're hungry, aren't you?' Black Talon grunted.

Sharp Claw quickly ran forwards, and began eating the flesh. The rodent, Fuzzy, jumped off the young raptors back and began nibbling on the meat as well.

Black Talon wasn't really in the mood to become responsible for a young raptor starving to death.

'Can the rest of my pack come in?' He asked, chewing hungrily. Black Talon nodded. He could smell the two herbivorous saurians outside the cave, he could smell their fear, their anxiety.

A young Pachycephalosaurus stepped in. It was covered in light brown scales, with a white underbelly and thin green stripes. It had a small domed head, four-fingered hands, and stood on two robust legs.

'That's who I named Leafie. He's quite brave,' Sharp Talon said through a full mouth.

Slowly, from behind Leafie, a baby Triceratops waddled out. It was a navy colour, with red stripes and a white underbelly. Its horns were short and blunt, but its frill was a vibrant green. On its tail were sharp quills, which Black Talon knew could slash painfully at any predators.

'That's Midnight. She's a bit shy.'

Black Talon felt a bit estranged by the presence of the two herbivores. They were nervous, but they weren't cowering in fear as he had expected. And that strange rat creature, Fuzzy? He was unbelievably trusting of Sharp Claw.

'And how is this your pack?' Black Talon asked, somewhat distastefully.

'... I know it's not very normal, but it's really nice, I promise! We all joined because none of us really had anyone else. I think we're all orphans. Except for Fuzzy, he's old enough to be on his own. But the others? They don't have anyone.'

'But they're not Acheroraptors,' Black Talon snorted. 'And even so, so what if they're all alone? Life is harsh.'

Sharp Claw frowned, and stuck his chest out angrily. 'Why are you so mean? The world doesn't have to be like that, we just need to help each other and it will slowly become a better place.'

'Sure it will...' Black Talon growled under his breath.

Sharp Claw seemed to have noticed. He inhaled sharply.

'You're really rude! It's creatures like you that make life so much harder than it should be! It doesn't have to be this way, and yet, you're so selfish that you can't empathise with anyone but yourself! That's really wrong!'

'Well, who just gave you that Pterosaur meat?'

'It means nothing to me if you're like this! Why? Why must you be so apathetic?'

Black Talon sighed.

'World's a cruel place, kid.'

'Well, it doesn't have to be!'

Sharp Claw stomped his foot angrily. Leafie and Midnight watched warily, while Fuzzy obliviously kept on eating the flesh.

'It's not like anything I do can help make it better,' Black Talon muttered.

'Yes, you can! Everyone and anyone can, they just need to understand that. Nothing is impossible.'

'I know it's hard to accept, but the world isn't the nice heaven that youngsters like you think it is. I used to be just like you, full of this hope. But when the suffering begins, that's when you realise it is hell. It is nothing but hell.'

'That's not true! Because the suffering has already begun, and I know what it's like. My whole pack is gone, I saw it all unfold right in front of me, but I keep going. I don't give up like you! I find reasons to stay alive, to hope! And you should too!'

He remembered Fleet Claw's final words to him. With a shiver, he turned away and shut his eyes, while Sharp Claw and Fuzzy continued feasting.