Travel of Kings

Chapter one: Tundra conflict

Frostbite walked across the wide, open tundra. There seemed to be no end to it, like an ocean. And he had already been here for three days. He was lucky to have just found a water source a few miles back. 

He noted how the creatures here were so odd. Most of them didn't have feathers or scales, but fur. Some had tusks and nasal horns, others had massive fangs or large body size. Another creature had a shell. The only animals close to the ones here were the leptictidiums, which he also saw from time to time in this wasteland of a tundra. 

He heard footsteps behind him. He swiftly turned back to see a Lateniventrix. A small one, but it was still big compared to Frostbite. 

"Oh, I'm not here to hurt you" the troodont said. "I don't trust you! My dad said he almost lost his brother to one of your kind" Frostbite said. "Oh, no! I would never harm you" the Lateniventrix said. "I'm going to leave" Frostbite said. The lateniventrix seemed to be very frustrated, as it was constantly twitching, staring intensely at Frostbite and had a look of anger in his eyes. 

"Hey" a loud, neutral voice yelled. "Oh shit" the Lateniventrix hissed. The Troodont backed up slowly. Frostbite looked back, and saw that a large bird was approaching them. It had a gray head with darker markings, a white underside and dark wing tips. It's beak and feet were blue. It had eyes that looked as though they were analyzing whatever it looked at. 

"I believe that young dinosaurs best be kept off your menu" the bird said. "Dammit, why can't I just have one good thing without you and your bozos ruining it" the Lateniventrix yelled. "Simple, we have morals" the bird said. "Who the hell needs morals in a tundra" the Lateniventrix asked. "They make one better. Do you want to be remembered as someone who ate young ones that got lost during a blizzard. Sounds like a story humans would've told to their children to keep them away from individuals like you" the bird said. "The humans are extinct! Have been since the revolution. They aren't relevant" the Lateniventrix said. "Getting off that topic, you know I can kick you twenty feet away" the bird said. "Fine, you can have him. Just expect me to have a pack next time we meet" the troodont said. The troodont turned and ran away. 

Frostbite looked up to the bird. "What are you" he asked. "I didn't expect you to know. I'm a Kelenken" the bird said. "What's your name" Frostbite asked. "My name is Cormorant. How about you" the Kelenken responded. "I'm Frostbite" Frostbite responded. "We have a group. That Troodont calls us the 'bozos', but in all actuality we are the reason not as many end up in his jaws" Cormorant said. "What about it" Frostbite asked. "Well, we can take you in if you want" Cormorant said. "I wouldn't have trusted that Megaraptor's offer, but I could use the help right now" Frostbite said. "Wait, a megaraptor? Well, we can get to that when we get to home" the Kelenken said. "So, I follow you" Frostbite asked. "Yes, if that's what you want" Cormorant said. 

The Kelenken began walking back the way he came. Frostbite followed. He felt some sort of comfort by Cormorant's side, even if this was a species he never saw before. He saw how small his footprints were compared to Cormorant's. 

"You see that" Cormorant asked, gesturing to a very faded, massive shape in the distance. "That's where I'm from" he said. "Is that a mountain" Frostbite asked. "Yes, it is" Cormorant said. "What if I'm not accepted" Frostbite asked. "Don't worry, we're all misfits" Cormorant responded. "You'll love it there".