Sunlight filtered through the canopy, casting mottled patterns across the forest floor like a living landscape painting.
"Aunnng—"
An Apatosaurus tore a cluster of lush green leaves from a branch. Tilting her long neck back, she chewed contentedly while gazing at the distant scenery.
Today was another peaceful, serene day on Isla Nublar.
Rustle...
She lowered her head again, reaching for another bunch of leaves.
The towering trees swayed gently, and as the foliage shifted, the pools of light on the ground danced and changed shape. Eventually, a patch of light widened just enough to illuminate a patch of shrubbery that looked slightly out of place.
Huff—
An unusually large Utahraptor crouched low in the undergrowth. Her breath was steady, barely causing the tender leaves in front of her to tremble.
She moved like a seasoned hunter. When the Apatosaurus looked up, she crept forward; when the Apatosaurus looked down, she remained frozen. It was the proverbial calm before the storm, a delicate balance maintained by a thread.
Snap!
While feeding, the Apatosaurus accidentally applied too much pressure, snapping a branch that fell right beside the hidden raptor.
The long-necked herbivore followed the sound, her gaze meeting a pair of bright yellow pupils.
"Aunnng!"
She let out a startled cry, dropping her mouthful of leaves as she spun to flee.
The Utahraptor wasn't about to let this chance slip away. She accelerated instantly, closing the gap in a blur of motion as the giant turned.
To this Utahraptor, the bumpy, leathery skin of the Apatosaurus was like a climbing wall in an amusement park, easy pickings. She leaped, hooking her sickle claws into the herbivore's flank, carving shallow red furrows.
With a powerful kick and a pull of her foreclaws, she scaled the massive side and scrambled onto the Apatosaurus's back.
"Aunnng—"
Nearby members of the herd began to scatter. The Apatosaurus carrying the hitchhiker tried to run, but the stinging pain on her back forced her to slow down. She reared up her front legs, slamming them into the earth, then bucked her hind legs, swaying her entire body violently to dislodge the predator.
The Utahraptor was tossed by the motion. Just as she was about to go flying, she managed to dig her claws into the right side of the giant's body, hanging on precariously.
Seeing the raptor nearly fall, the Apatosaurus felt a surge of hope and doubled down on the swaying motion. But this time, she failed. The Utahraptor gripped the hide with grim determination until the herbivore's strength finally began to wane.
As the struggling slowed, the Utahraptor tentatively began to climb higher again. Hanging off the side was an immense drain on her stamina; if she didn't find a proper footing soon, she'd end up like the raptors that tried to challenge Rexy.
Squish...
Fortune favored the raptor. This Apatosaurus had near-zero experience dealing with small predators. The Utahraptor successfully sank her claws into the thick muscle on either side of the spine.
Now, she was firmly planted. All she had to do was deliver a fatal strike to the neck or head! She would surely go down in history as a "Super Utahraptor," a legendary solo kill! Score: 1/0!
But instead... she just lay there... motionless?
What was going on? Why did she have such a... satisfied expression?
…
I am a Utahraptor.
For the longest time, I believed that victory was all I needed in life.
But a few days ago, I saw it... the Ankylosaurus being trained. That was the first time I realized that besides victory, I needed "Teaching and Breeding"!
So-called victory is merely a service provided for the sake of Breeding!
I want to Breed!
…
As a female Utahraptor pinning a female Apatosaurus, another strange and delicate balance was achieved. The raptor stopped inflicting harm, and the herbivore no longer had the strength to resist.
Normally, this Apatosaurus would have ended up like the dozen or so dinosaurs this Utahraptor had harassed before: waiting for the raptor to finish her "fantasy," then fleeing in humiliation.
But just like the calm before a storm, an unpredictable variable was about to shatter the status quo.
"Roar—"
A Scorpios rex burst out from the same woods where the raptor had been hiding. Seeing this bizarre tableau, even the hybrid froze for a moment.
What the hell?
It couldn't comprehend why these two were just lingering there, but it didn't matter. They were both going to die anyway. It whipped its tail, launching a venomous stinger.
"Aunnng—"
The Apatosaurus felt the sharp sting in her side and let out a mournful cry, her will to fight completely broken. Before the toxin even took full effect, she collapsed sideways. The massive thud and the resulting cloud of dust momentarily startled the Scorpios rex.
The Utahraptor was bucked off the giant's back, tumbling several times. She scrambled to her feet, shaking her dizzy head, and locked eyes with the Scorpios rex.
"Roar—!"
How dare you interrupt my Breeding time!
Wait... I haven't seen you before? Then you have to Breed with me too!!!
The Utahraptor and the Scorpios rex squared off. One might think she was angry because the hybrid stole her kill. She's just angry... right?
The two charged head-on. Five meters from the hybrid, the Utahraptor leaped, aiming a dual-footed heavy strike to test her opponent's strength. It was a risky move; if she missed, she'd be a helpless lamb on the ground.
Fortunately, the Scorpios rex wasn't a tactical genius. Its brain was occupied only by how to stick its quills into things or how to peel skin with its claws.
THUMP!
The kick landed square on the hybrid's chest. The Scorpios rex couldn't withstand the force; it stumbled back several steps and fell.
The Utahraptor blinked, surprised by how "squishy" this newcomer was. Then, overjoyed, she lunged, pinning the hybrid to the ground. She used her legs and forearms to maintain top-down control. She might not be the heaviest dinosaur, but against a Scorpios, she was just right.
"Roar!"
Below her, the Scorpios thrashed, trying to lash out with its tail, but it was useless. It could only let out one screech after another, the sound of its tail hitting the dirt creating a frantic rhythm.
For some reason, its shrieks now held a very different cadence.
The Utahraptor didn't deliver a killing blow. She just stayed there, pinning the hybrid down, motionless, almost as if she were savoring the humiliation.
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