The large male triceratops let out another deep, resonant bellow, its horns lowered and its body tense. The rest of the herd followed suit, their large forms shifting into a defensive formation.
The bear-like creature hesitated, its glowing eyes narrowing as it assessed the situation. The scent of blood still lingered, but the presence of the triceratops was a formidable deterrent.
The team had put some distance between themselves and the beasts, they crouched low in the tall grass, their breaths held as they watched the standoff unfold.
The bear let out a low, rumbling growl, its claws digging into the earth as it took a cautious step forward. The triceratops herd responded with a unified growl of their own, their horns glinting in the moonlight as they prepared to charge.
"This is our chance," Sam whispered, his voice barely audible. "Whilst they're distracted, we need to get out of here."
Victor spoke up. "We'll follow the river downstream. Put as much distance between us and this mess as possible."
They began to edge away, their movements slow and deliberate. The bear-like creature let out another growl, its attention still fixed on the triceratops herd.
The lead triceratops took a step forward, its large body swaying as it prepared to charge. The bear hesitated, its instincts clearly warring between hunger and self-preservation.
As the team slipped further downstream, the tension in the air began to ease. The sounds of the standoff grew fainter, replaced by the gentle rustling of the grass and the soft flow of the river.
---
They moved quickly but cautiously, their footsteps light and their senses on high alert. The riverbank provided some safety, but the open terrain made it difficult to hide.
Ethan, his axe in hand, glanced over his shoulder. "You think that thing's going to try following us?"
Sam shook his head, his eyes scanning the darkness ahead. "Doubt it. The triceratops herd should be able to push it back. We're not out of the woods yet, though. There could be other dangers out here."
Lily moved with quiet precision. "We need to find somewhere safe to rest. Somewhere we can defend if we have to."
AJ's form rippled uneasily as he extended his senses. "The river's... our best bet... for now. If we can... find a spot... with some cover... we might be able... to hold out... until dawn."
The team pressed on. The river continued curving back and forth ahead, its waters deceptively calm.
They remained on edge—they were in new, unknown territory in the darkness with god knows what kind of monsters lurking around.
Each twig crunching and rustling of grass made them pause and search for anything approaching.
As they rounded another bend in the river, Sam pointed ahead. "Right there looks like a good spot." He whispered.
Just in front of them was a cluster of large boulders, rising from the riverbank, their jagged forms providing some natural cover. They moved cautiously toward the rocks, their footsteps light and their senses on high alert.
As they reached the boulders, Sam turned to the others, his expression serious. "We'll rest here for now. Same again—stand guard in pairs and wake us up if something is happening."
The others nodded, their faces barely visible in the moonlight. They settled into the cover of the boulders, their weapons close at hand as they tried to get some shuteye.
The sounds of the plains were constant—distant growls, the rustle of grass, the occasional screech of an unknown creature. But for now, the immediate danger seemed to have passed.
Ethan continued his watch with Sam. He leaned back against a boulder, his axe resting across his lap. "You think we'll ever get used to this?" he asked, his voice low.
Sam shook his head, his eyes watching the riverbank. "We don't have a choice. We adapt, or we die."
Ethan sighed. "Yeah. I guess you're right."
---
The night wore on, the moon hanging high in the sky as the plains remained cloaked in an eerie silence. Lily stirred in her sleep there were faint vibrations of mana in the air.
Something was setting off her alarms—a large mana signature coming from a living creature, so strong it pierced through the chaos.
She sat up, eyes looking in the direction of the mana signature. "There's something coming. A mana signature—big, and it's moving toward us."
Ethan's grip tightened on his axe as he scanned the riverbank. "Where? I don't see anything."
Her expression was tense. "It's in the water, or near it. I can't tell exactly, but it's close."
Sam squinted, his eyes scanning the area. At first, he saw nothing—just the gentle sway of the grass in the breeze and the occasional ripple in the water.
But then, a faint movement caught his eye. Something large and dark was emerging from the river, its massive form barely visible in the moonlight.
"There," Sam whispered, his voice barely audible. "It's coming out of the water."
The creature moved slowly, its body low to the ground as it crawled onto the riverbank. Its scales glistened faintly in the moonlight, and its long, powerful tail dragged behind it.
The crocodile was enormous, easily over ten meters long. Its eyes reflecting the moonlight as it shifted about.
Lily's breath caught in her throat. "Just why does it have to be coming this way?"
Ethan didn't hesitate as he woke the others up once again. "Massive crocodile nearby, be ready."
They stirred, their movements slow as they grabbed their weapons and prepared for another fight. Sam's eyes narrowed as he watched the massive beast, his grip tightening on his spear.
"What's the plan?" Victor whispered.
Sam glanced around, his expression grim. "We can't do anything about it. We're going to have to run."
AJ's form rippled uneasily as he extended his senses. "It's not alone. There's... another one... in the water. Smaller... but still dangerous."
Ethan cursed under his breath. "Great. Just what we needed."
They crouched low behind the boulders, their weapons at the ready. The massive crocodile moved closer, sliding its large body across the ground.
Lily nocked an arrow. "I'm going to try to make it look away, then we run."
Sam nodded, his spear held at the ready. "Do it."
Lily took a deep breath, her bowstring taut as she aimed for the left side of the crocodile. She let the arrow fly, the twang of the bowstring cutting through the silence. The arrow struck the ground just in front of its head. The creature hissed, its massive body turning toward the source of the attack.
"Time to go folks," Ethan said as he started making his get away.
The crocodile moved in their direction, its massive body moving surprisingly fast despite its size. They ran, leaving the bank of the river but still following along it.
The crocodile grumbled again, its massive form crashing through the tall grass as it gave chase. The second, smaller crocodile emerged from the water, its eyes fixed on them as it joined the pursuit.
The team ran, their hearts pounding as they tried to put distance between themselves and the predators. The crocodiles were fast, their massive bodies closing the gap.
"Keep moving!" Sam whisper shouted, his voice strained as he glanced over his shoulder. "Don't slow down!"
Ethan, his axe still in hand, stumbled slightly as his foot caught on a rock, but he quickly regained his footing. "Easier said than done!" he panted, his legs burning.
Lily, her bow slung over her shoulder, moved with quick, precise steps, her sharp eyes scanning the path ahead. "They're gaining on us!"
AJ's form rippled he had attached himself to Ethan's shoulder. "They're fast... but they won't... be able to... keep this up... for long... crocodiles have... terrible endurance... on land... if we can... just outlast them."
They pressed on, their hearts pounding as they pushed their bodies to the limit. The tall grass ahead gave way to a rock formation with a seemingly flat top and a fairly steep slope to get up.
Sam pointed toward it, his voice urgent. "There! We can use the rocks to avoid them!"
They scrambled up the rocky slope, their movements frantic as they sought higher ground. The crocodiles hesitated at the base of the slope.
The smaller one let out a frustrated hiss, its eyes fixed on them, whilst the larger crocodile let out a deep, rumbling sound, its claws scraping against the rock as it tried to follow.
"Keep going!" Victor urged. "They can't follow us up here!"
The crocodiles roared in frustration, their massive forms thrashing as they tried to scale the rocks. Their energy and motivation were already waning, their movements growing slower and more laboured.
As the team reached the top of the formation, they paused to catch their breath, their eyes scanning the darkness below. The crocodiles had stopped their pursuit, letting out one final grumble before retreating back to the river.
Ethan collapsed, his chest heaving with every breath. "I think... I think I'm done with crocodiles. Forever."
Sam lay down next to him. "They're not built for chases on land. We got lucky."
Lily scanned the area below. "What are we going to do now?"
Victor spoke softly between breaths. "We'll stay up here for the night, figure things out in the morning."
AJ's gelatinous form rippled as he extended his senses. "Its relatively safe. If we stay here... we can see... anything coming... from a distance."
Sam spoke. "Let's try to actually get some sleep tonight. At first light, we'll move out."
Ethan groaned, rubbing his temples. "Worst. Night. Ever."
---
Ethan and Sam finally finished their watch as the others slept as much as they could, their weapons still held in their hands.
Ethan leaned back against a rock. "You ever think about how weird this all is? Like, a few weeks ago, I was just a regular guy. Now we're in a world straight from a fantasy novel with mana, dinosaurs and all this other weird crap. What even is my life anymore?"
"Yea, I wanted to try making sense of it at first but the more I see the less I understand." Sam replied.