One week after the Scorpios rex incident.
"Remember to grab everything useful, guys. This is our last time staying in this treehouse," Darius instructed as he carried a crate of supplies down the stairs, looking back at the group.
"Ahem... guys? Are you forgetting something very important?"
Kenji used an exaggerated tone and dramatic gestures to command everyone's attention. He was wearing a stylish white captain's hat that, on anyone else, might have looked professional, but on him just looked flashy.
He was fishing for compliments, a fact not lost on Brooklynn. She looked up from repairing a portable camcorder and rolled her eyes, offering a reluctant pat on the back.
"Yes, yes, 'Mr. Forgot-The-Password.' Finding gas in the garage was a huge help. Also, you've said that about a hundred times already."
Kenji chose to hear only the praise. Satisfied, he grabbed a grocery bag filled with his personal belongings and headed down to the ground level.
"Canned goods, compressed biscuits... Yaz, do you have anything else... Yaz?"
Sammy was tallying their daily necessities and food reserves. She had meant to consult Yasmina, but her friend was nowhere to be found. Leaning over the railing, she called out to the group below:
"Hey! Has anyone seen Yaz?"
"She said she had to go to the Great Lake one last time," Ben called back from a distance. His attention was fixed on Bumpy, his voice tinged with the sadness of an impending goodbye.
…
By the lakeside, the tallest of the sub-adult Parasaurolophus, the last offspring of the "Parasaurolophus Mom," stood face-to-face with Carlo. The atmosphere was thick with tension, as if a fight might break out at any moment.
The low-hanging foliage around the Great Lake had long been depleted by the previous generation of Parasaurolophus. After six months of the current generation living here, their favorite food sources were nearly exhausted.
The "Sub-Alpha" of the herd had "proposed" a migration several times, wanting to lead the group to areas where low-lying leaves and shrubs were more abundant.
Carlo, however, didn't understand the nuance of the request. He simply thought the youngster was hungry and would dutifully "borrow" a cluster of leaves from a nearby tree for him. For Carlo, the safety of the Great Lake was paramount; as long as the youngsters stayed here, the risks of the island were minimized.
Their perspectives had reached a crossroads. The Parasaurolophus leader leaned forward, lowering its head to display its impressive crest to Carlo.
Carlo lacked a crest of his own, but seeing the display, he had a rough idea of what was happening.
The little ones have grown up... is this... a 'rebellious phase'?!
Carlo's first instinct was one of pride and relief that a member of the herd was brave enough to challenge him, but that was quickly followed by a wave of maternal, or paternal, worry.
Mimicking the youngster's posture, he leaned down and swayed his head, showing off his own... horn-crests.
The young Parasaurolophus took a step forward, pressing its forehead against Carlo's. The massive disparity between the two heads created a striking contrast, yet the smaller dinosaur did not flinch. It pushed with all its might against the mountain-like head of the Giganotosaurus.
Carlo could have ended the contest with a simple flick of his neck, sending the youngster stumbling back dozen paces.
The stalemate lasted a long time. The red orb of the sun climbed from the horizon to the zenith of the sky. Finally, the unyielding Parasaurolophus pushed forward into empty air.
Carlo didn't engage in the final ritual of the duel. Instead, he proactively lowered his head.
Though it was hard to tell from his sheer size, this was the first time the Lord of the Primeval Zone had acknowledged that another creature could hold a status above his own. And that creature was merely a Parasaurolophus.
A moment later, Carlo stood up and walked to the shore, the same spot where he and the hatchlings used to nap, and lay down. He no longer concerned himself with the movements of the herd.
So be it.
He closed his eyes, savoring a long-overdue peaceful afternoon. There were no longer noisy youngsters surrounding him; there was only the sound of the wind rippling the surface of the lake.
"Aunnng—"
After an unknown amount of time, the new Alpha, who was supposed to be leading the migration, stopped in the distance. He turned back and let out a long, high-pitched call toward Carlo.
The entire herd stood still, waiting.
They gave Carlo ample time, hoping he would continue to walk with them. But until the shadows shifted their orientation, Carlo remained lying there, motionless.
As time slipped away, the members of the herd turned one by one and resumed their trek.
Carlo opened his eyes and watched the silhouettes of the Parasaurolophus family fade into the distance. A thought occurred to him, and the corners of his mouth quirked up slightly.
You tell me... does this count as finding them a warm, harmonious family?
Glug, glug...
The sound of Stegosaurus drinking water broke the silence, drawing Carlo's attention. He let out a helpless, silent laugh.
Even though it was finally quiet, he found he couldn't sleep.
…
The sun began its slow descent, its fiery afterglow peeking through the gaps in the Diplodocus skeleton, illuminating the faces of the "Dino-Dad" and "Dino-Mom."
The three little ones were no longer as fragile as they once were, but they still thrived in the literal shadows of their parents. They looked up at the setting sun, noticing two large silhouettes and several smaller ones passing across the horizon in the golden light.
…
Rustle...
The wind shook the trees, sending a few leaves fluttering down to cover the scattered white bones of Carnotaurus One.
Carnotaurus Two had carved out a territory for herself in the jungles outside the Primeval Zone. Yet, during the nights when she could only manage a light doze, she found herself reflexively looking back toward the Zone.
…
"Aooo!"
In the dark woods, Blue tilted her head back, calling out to her sisters.
Delta, her wounds long since healed, was the first to bolt from the brush. Charlie and Echo followed close behind. They looked at Blue, tilted their heads, and followed her lead, moving from the old park's garage into the main rotunda of the Visitor Center.
On this island of monsters, this was one of the few places they truly called home.
Blue picked up several empty tin cans in her jaws, placing them carefully at every entrance and exit.
…
"Yaz, what exactly did you do at the Great Lake today?"
"Um... I left a friend a... gift?"
"Why does that sound like a question?"
"Because I'm not sure he'll find it."
Isla Nublar had become a tiny black speck on the horizon. The teenagers steered the yacht away from that unforgettable world. Yasmina and Sammy leaned against the railing, the day's events still feeling like a dream.
"So... we finally made it off?"
"I think... yeah?"
————— End of Volume 2 [ Jurassic World & Camp Cretaceous] —————