Days continued to pass as Mike ventured deeper into the mountains. Navigating steep slopes and jagged rocks, he entered a small valley surrounded by trees and a lake shimmering under pale sunlight.
As he stepped into the forest, his instincts screamed.
A deep growl vibrated in the air, followed by the heavy beat of wings. Without waiting to identify the threat, Mike sprinted back toward the rocks for cover. A gust of wind slammed into him, and razor-sharp claws grazed the scales along his back.
He didn't look back.
He ran.
Another roar shook the valley, sending a chill down his spine. Finally reaching a cliff face, he collapsed beneath the overhang, pain flaring across his back. He couldn't see the wound, but he could feel the blood running down his side.
Peering beyond the edge of the cliff, Mike saw the source of the attack: a massive shadow passed overhead, followed by another guttural roar. He pressed himself deeper into the stone, as wind whipped down from above, dislodging loose rocks and debris.
I can't even see it, let alone fight it, he thought. I need to wait until it's gone. I'm not going to be someone's meal.
He waited.
An hour passed. He heard nothing but the wind and the occasional creak of tree limbs. Blood dried along his side, the wound tightening uncomfortably. Cautiously, he crawled forward and looked out from the cliff.
In the valley below stood a massive silver dragon, its wings outstretched, its frame easily the size of a small building. It stood in the open, powerful and still, as if daring the world to challenge it.
A cold, primal fear crept into Mike's gut.
I am nowhere near the top of the food chain here, he realized. There's always something stronger.
How could he possibly fight that?
The dragon launched into the sky with another roar. Mike retreated into the shadows beneath the cliff and watched as it flew away from his position.
Once it was gone, he seized the chance to leave. Sticking close to the cliffs and keeping his eyes skyward, he followed a longer route back to the dome. Along the way, he discovered a lake surrounded by herds of strange creatures.
A group of four-horned, cow-like beasts grunted as he neared the water. Smaller hooved animals scattered at his approach, but the lead cow stood firm, stamping a hoof into the ground while staring him down.
His injury limited his movement, and Mike decided not to push his luck. He backed off and circled around the lake.
In the distance, he saw even larger creatures in a herd resembling brachiosaurs from dinosaur books. Towering, slow-moving giants.
There are far more creatures here than I thought. I'll have to pick a direction and start expanding my territory.
Until now, he had stayed relatively close to the dome, avoiding long excursions out of fear of what roamed at night. Even with his growing size and strength, he wasn't sure he could survive the creatures that came out at night. Everything seemed more violent when the sun went down.
Until I find my place on the food chain, I'll keep killing what I can and growing without dying.
He reached familiar ground and encountered a few more of the coyote-like creatures. With his flame breath, he dispatched them quickly and consumed them to speed the healing of his back.
Smaller, weaker prey can heal me but they don't help me grow.
He returned to the dome and collapsed in his stone room, exhausted. The image of the silver dragon haunted him. He thought about its claws, how easily they had sliced through his thick scales.
I need to prepare for that fight. If I can find a flying creature I can actually kill, maybe I'll grow wings of my own...
But the pain from the dragon's strike reminded him how far he still had to go.
First, I'll take down one of those horned cows to see if they help me grow. Then I'll push farther north and look for manageable prey.
I want to know why I'm here. But I can't find answers if I'm dead.
The next morning, Mike set off early toward the lake. Spotting a small herd near the water's edge, he emerged from the grass and charged, unleashing a stream of flame at the lead cow. Fire scorched its face and shoulder. It reared back instead of charging, dazed by the heat.
Before it could flee, Mike pounced, slamming it to the ground. His jaws clamped down on its neck until the creature stopped moving.
After devouring the kill, he felt the usual warmth of transformation spread through his body. He was slightly larger now. More importantly, two rough black horns had grown from the back of his skull, facing backward away from his head.
This could help if I'm attacked from above, he thought. But it won't protect my back from that dragon.
He considered returning to the lake where he had first seen the spined dinosaur.
I'm almost half its size now. Maybe I can attack its belly like I did the first red lizard.
Still deep in thought, Mike turned north, toward an area he had yet to explore.