Darksage: Hello people! Darksage95 and Marc Ello Re-Yes here with the next installment of the DaPPA series!

Marc: Yup. Time for some intense action!

Darksage: This is probably going to be our biggest story yet. We've got a lot of action, drama, and character development in store for you guys. Oh, and fair warning, there will be some gore mostly involved in mother nature. So if you're a bit squeamish about that stuff, we'll alert you with a "WARNING: This chapter has decent amounts of gore" in it.

Marc: Now a couple of things. First, the characters. Some of the characters that we will involve here will be from different spots of time, but we're not going to make it too major like a mammoth in the Late Cretaceous. They will be from time periods that are close enough to when they lived. Second, as mentioned in the previous story, we'll be dulling down the humor from the Walking with Dinosaurs 2013 movie. Please don't be mad at us.

Darksage: Their jokes weren't that funny!

Marc: Right...anyway, the other thing is despite what the scientific community now says about theropods having feathers, we will adhere to those facts to an extent. If the characters from the media appeared a certain way, then we will stay true to how they looked like in the source media. Nevertheless, we will pay attention to other facts that science has given us.

Darksage: One last thing. If you haven't read the Prehistoric Christmas Bash story, we highly recommend you read it. It is canon to the series and is considered a prequel to this. You don't have to do it, but it's so that you can get a better understanding to some of the characters.

Marc: Well Sage, I don't think we've got anything else to say. Except for the disclaimer.

Darksage: Disclaimer: We don't own Prehistoric Park, Disney's Dinosaur, Dinosaur Revolution, Walking with Dinosaurs, or Walking with Dinosaurs 2013. We also don't own any music. They belong to their respective owners. The only things we do own are the characters we made.

Marc: Awesome. Now let's get this going!

Darksage: Enjoy!

***WARNING: This chapter has decent amounts of gore***

Soundtrack: Breaking Through by Audiomachine/Mum by Paul Leonard-Morgan/The Stampede by Tyler Hildebrand/Tragic (Choir cover) by Yasuharu Takanashi

Courage. Empathy. Humility. Wisdom. Respect. To be a leader, one must have those aspects ready. They must consider the perspectives of those around them. A leader is there to uphold the values of their companions. Leaders are looked up to, not feared. One that does not support the values and beliefs of others will only find themselves unable to face life. They must also consider their choices in life...no matter how high the price. There are times where one will have those values challenged. To turn away and refuse aid will lead to downfall. But those who stay and face those challenges will soar.

North Alaska

Late Cretaceous, 70 million years ago

Somewhere in the deep recesses of the past lay a lush hidden valley. It being a polar climate, seeing it in so much green would be odd. Yet this land was nestled in the middle of a snow-capped mountain range in the tail-end of the summer season.

Vegetation like conifers, elm, magnolias, cycads, and other greens spanned through the land. A powerful, life-giving river cut through the valley in its winding path south. Grasses that were soft and resilient to the cold were soft, providing a relaxing feel to those treading on it. The air was warm; a precedent to the oncoming cold winds that would come in the near future.

In this land, dinosaurs roamed free. Pachyrhinosaurus, which were the dominant species in the valley, carried about their days without a care, either by eating, doing mock battles, looking after their families, or sustaining themselves. But they were not the only ones. Other species have made their home here. Edmontonia, a spiky armored cousin to the future Ankylosaurus, would meander through the forest looking for tasty greens to eat. Some green-scaled Parksosaurus have made their home here too due to how sheltered the valley was from the outside. Most have already mated at this time and were awaiting the arrivals of their offspring.

While there were many herbivores living in this valley, there were also those who were not adapted to eat nature's bounty. The brown and orange plumed carnivore Hesperonychus prowled the landscape, looking for easy meals in the form of small prey wandering off from the protection of their herds. Then there were the pterosaurs that dominated the skies, alongside the primitive avians that would one day take their place. A group of Quetzalcoatlus, the kings of the skies, always flocked around the river to fish.

But even with the threat of being bothered by small carnivores, life in the valley went on, especially for a young Pachyrhinosaurus playing away from his family.

Taru was an energetic youngling. Barely into his first year, he was what most adults would call, a handful. His parents were well-known in the herd, his uncle was one of the strongest fighters, and he was the eldest son in a clutch of girls, the only exception being his older sister, Magnolia.

His species were coated in browns and topped with reds, with the females sometimes having a paler complexion while keeping to the color scheme. The only differences that give away the genders were the appearance of the horns, with the males having longer and curved horns than the females, and their muscle stature. However, Taru was different. His hide was more of a bright orange with light browns along his back; a trait coming from both of his parents. And while his horns had yet to grow in down the line, they would certainly sport an intimidating presentation. The bump on his snout would also grow in the years to come, becoming thicker and bumpier.

The youngling usually would not play with others. He would always be off in his own world, though he can get along with others if they were nice enough. Engrossed with a small round boulder he found, Taru playfully kicked it with his hooves, all while avoiding the adults he passed by.

"Excuse me! Sorry!" he apologized as he weaved around a Pachyrhinosaurus couple coming back from a drink.

If there was one thing everyone in the herd knew about Taru, it was he would sometimes get himself into awkward situations if he did not pay any attention. In this case, it was him nearly getting sliced by an Edmontonia's tail when the rock went a bit too far.

Luckily, he had the quick thinking to duck, allowing the tail to go over him. It was also by luck that the armored herbivore was busy eating away at a bush rather than paying any mind to a youngling like him.

"Whoo!" Taru laughed as he ran off. "That was a close one!"

Taru's playtime was so engaging that he did not realize he was moving further away from the herd. In no time at all, he was already in the forest nearby, where barely any adults would go, at least, not alone. The conifers, oaks, magnolias, and sequoias stood like sentinels over a landscape that has changed over millions of years. Vines and mosses covered the rocks and logs of the forest floor. Bugs flocked to the tiny flowers that lasted for short periods of time before the winters. Unlike out in the valley, where the wind carried a warm breeze, the air here was still. The trees blocked out the wind like a natural wall.

It was when Taru kicked his rock a little too hard down to a patch of bushes further away that he realized where he was. He looked around, taking in the view of the drooping branches and prehistoric-esque plantlife. His parents warned him to never wander into the woods alone. There were many small carnivores that would see him as a tasty snack. And he was not big enough to fend them off. If his parents found him here, he would surely be in big trouble.

"Oh boy…Mom and Dad are going to kill me if they find out I'm here. And when did it get dark? It was bright a while ago."

The shadows cast down by the leaves above shielded the ground from the sun's rays. Or it would if the sun was even out. By the time Taru wandered into the forest, the sky turned overcast with gray clouds. Once he was about to turn around and leave, his attention was torn away by a small butterfly that fluttered in between his eyes. The beautiful orange and white speckled insect flew away, deeper into the woods.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Taru took off after it.

"Hey! Get back here!"

His little chase brought him deeper and deeper into the pines of the valley. The butterfly led him over logs, between rocks, over ditches, and through foliage. All of which he easily traversed nimbly thanks to his small size. Taru giggled as he imagined flying with the tiny insect. How wonderful it would be to have a pair of wings and be able to touch the sky. Why did they have such bright colors? Why were they so mesmerizing? For having a short life span, they were always fun to look at.

The butterfly then landed in the middle of a small clearing. The insect stood there, flexing its wings from its tiring flight from the tiny horned monster. Taru crept slowly, making sure his footing did not give away any sound.

Finally, when he was close enough, he jumped.

"Oof!"

The winged-wonder flew off as soon as he landed on the very spot it was on. His stomach hurt from the fall, and his head spun in circles.

"Aw…missed," he got up groggily. His vision soon returned to its normal state with a few shakes of his head.

Taru took another good look around. He had never been to this part of the forest before. The vegetation was bigger and there were far more debris than where he was at previously. The moss that hung from the branches drooped down like the tendrils of a hidden monster. No wind blew, which brought about an eerie calm that made Taru anxious.

"Great, I'm deeper in. Dad's really going to kill me now. I'd better head back before they realize I went too far."

Just then, he heard something low and soft nearby. The air, while most of the time is silent, whistled in a near-silent waft. No vegetation rustled from the wind. The only other sounds that the little Pachyrhinosaurus heard were the faint sounds of vocalizing bugs. But that was just it. The wind couldn't have blown into the woods unless it was strong enough. The trees were too clustered to allow that.

Taru froze. Thoughts of the other possibilities raced through his mind. He turned around, hoping that it was not something out to get him. Only, he found nothing. The vegetation and trees remained unmoved. Not even a scurry of a small mammal or another dinosaur confirmed his suspicion. He was all alone.

The youngling turned back around. His feet started to get numb, and he shook with fear. Something was here, watching him. And he didn't like it.

"Um...that was just the wind. Yeah! It was the wind!" he laughed nervously.

His own consolation became void when he heard a deep, guttural growl nearby. Taru, too afraid to turn around, resorted to thinking of another possible explanation to calm himself down.

"The wind moved some rocks... It must be some really strong wind."

He defiantly shook his head, putting on a brave face. "Argh! Pull yourself together Taru! There's nothing to be scared of! Mom and Dad said that this valley is perfectly safe! There's nothing to be afraid of! So long as I don't wander off...which I kind of did. Your uncle's not here either. If he saw me scared, he'd laugh at me like I'm some wimp. I'm not a wimp! What was it he always told you?"

Taru cleared his throat. His uncle taught him a little mantra regarding bravery. Naturally, he also taught him to say that whenever he felt scared. It usually worked, like that time when he experienced his first thunderstorm or when his herd fended off against a couple of Gorgosaurus during his first migration.

"Don't run from fear. Roar at it. Okay…" he inhaled.

The little orange ceratopsian did a 180 and made the angriest face he could make. With everything he could muster from his innards, he let out a very loud bleat…a work in progress compared to an actual bellow his kind would make when they get older.

Taru exhaled. He did it. He matched fear in the face. Satisfaction went through his mind of the ordeal he overcame.

Well, that's what he would be thinking if the fear was not a speckled brown and cream-colored narrow muzzle with jagged rows of teeth.

Taru backed away slowly. Said muzzle snorted a huge waft of hot air on him. The owner of the maw stood up at its full height of 13 feet. Black, malicious eyes stared into timid blues. The creature was huge. Its whole body was covered in a brown feathered down with cream vertical stripes on its back. Its two-fingered arms, while not menacing due to their little size, flexed tentatively. A long, swooshing tail flicked quickly from side to side.

The youngling had never seen this creature before. It looked like a Gorgosaurus, except not. It was about the same size. The whole time he knew of this place, this valley never had any large carnivores. And never did one find this place. His parents said so! This was the safest place ever, save for their feeding grounds!

The Pachyrhinosaurus youngling whimpered as the huge maw split open, revealing a set of giant, sharp teeth. Pillars of saliva dripped down; a pink tongue licked those pointed bones in one swoop.

"Hehe. Oops?" he blurted lightheartedly despite the situation he was in.

*ROOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAR*

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Taru took off, running as fast as his little legs could take him. The predator, which was known as an Albertosaurus, followed close behind like a cat to a mouse.

He may be a child, but Taru had a few advantages on his side; speed and the cover of the foliage. And his fear of getting eaten motivated him to go even faster. As he ran, he crawled under logs, weaved in between rocks, and ducked under some foliage. He even ran through a decomposing log, hoping that it would provide him with some cover. That proved to be useless as the carnivore easily squashed the log in two.

His next close call came in when he hopped over another ditch. The predator, being larger and faster, tried to get an attack in. Taru managed to jump out of the way when the predator was about to chomp on his tail.

The Alaskan herbivore then found himself weaving around some trees. Using his size and speed, he used the giant vegetation to try to lose the carnivore. The hunter's size proved to be detrimental as the cluster of the trees slowed it down. The rex-relative roared in anger as the trunks were too thick to properly go through. Only did it squeeze through and cause the trunks to fall did it continue on.

Then, two trees that grew close to each other came into view. Taru saw this, taking it as his chance to escape. He dove in between the gap, the wood not touching his hide at all. At the last moment, the rex's head came through, but found that it could not move forward or backward.

It was stuck.

Taru looked back, his pursuer trapped in between two old elms. He panted, his lungs feeling like they were about to explode. His muscles ached from all that running. But his body condition mattered little as he finally escaped death. The rex roared angrily as it tried to get itself out.

"Ha!" he laughed tiredly. "Shows you! That's what you get for trying to eat me!"

He then approached it as it still struggled.

"Aw, what's the matter? You can't move? Looks like you're in a bit of a wooden pinch!" Taru taunted, kicking some dirt at it and finished with a childish raspberry.

However, this sort of action was one that should not have been done. Angered, the predators reared its head back, sliding its neck against the wood. Tiny splinters chipped off of the bark as the scaly hide rubbed against the trees. Horrible creaks and groans escaped the sentinel vegetation.

Then, almost instantly, the hunter pulled itself out of nature's grasp. An angry look shone in its eyes with the intent to kill.

"Heh…sorry," the little horned child said before bolting in the opposite direction with the tyrannosaur hot on his tail.

The hornless ceratopsian eventually made it to a small log that crossed over a small creek. He quickly traversed it, although slipping in the middle due to some wet moss. Taru then made his way to a steep, muddy bank, which led towards the edge of the forest.

The earth was too steep, but the rocks and roots at least provided him with some footing. He had to run up from side to side just to get himself up. His heart pounding in his chest was annoying enough, but the predator coming in close to him made him feel like he was going to explode.

Right when he was about to get up to the ledge, the root he stood on gave way. Taru screamed at the shock of the fall. But he did not want to end up at the bottom of the little gorge. He jumped up, the front of his body hanging onto the ledge.

Taru looked back, finding the predator at the foot of the muddy bank. To his horror, the carnivore was nearly as tall as the wall he was trying to overcome. The hunter snapped his jaws at the youngling, but once again bit into air. The Pachyrhinosaurus managed to climb up and run off before those teeth could pierce his skin.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he made it to the edge of the forest. He wanted relief to wash over him like a gentle wave, the promise of safety within his grasp. But he was not safe. Neither was anybody. His body wanted to stop, to rest and allow the muscles to recover. His brain said otherwise. As he ran towards his herd that meandered along the plains, going about their day, he screamed at his loudest, bringing about the worst thing they could possibly hear.

"RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!"

The herbivores in the valley looked over at him. Most of which accrued a sense of alarm while others had confusion. Neither of them had any time to process the information as a giant carnivore broke out of the forest edge; the trees and bushes getting uprooted from its monstrous rampage. The roar that escaped its maw sent chills down everyone's spine.

*ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR*

One minute the valley was peaceful. And the next, it was in chaos. Herbivores ran eastward, trying to escape the onslaught of the incoming beast. Younglings became separated from their parents due to adults and other dinosaurs barging in their way. The old and the sick lagged behind; their legs took them as fast as they could but just could not keep up. The giant Quetzalcoatlus that were busy fishing flapped madly as they took to the skies, safe from the reach of the incoming monster. Screaming and cries for help filled the air.

And to make matters worse, the predator was not alone. Within a matter of seconds, at least 20 more of them stampeded towards the herbivores from all directions; their numbers increasing steadily.

It was not very long before the sanctuary turned into a bloodbath. Those individuals who were unfortunate enough to lag behind were eventually caught in one of their jaws. The once-pristine grass turned into a hideous shade of red as blood was spilt. The agonizing cries of pain and shrieks of terror echoed into a hell bent symphony of horror. Here and there, carnivores grabbed onto victim. Bones cracking added onto the murder. The body count rose as the moments passed by.

Taru was unlucky enough to witness the death of an elderly Pachyrhinosaurus. The old female was surrounded by three of those monsters; two on her sides and the third behind. The one on her left, which seemed to be the biggest of the trio, bit its jaws onto her neck. The herbivore slammed onto the ground, dust flying in the air as she squirmed. Taru's could not see anything beyond the dust cloud, but the female fell silent right after a resounding crack was heard.

He looked away. His eyes and ears now stained by the shock of seeing someone die right before him. A poor child like himself witnessed death in the worst way possible. How could he live on knowing he just saw that? Everyone was dying all around him. Families were being torn apart. The valley was being destroyed by the blood of the dead. Murder was an understatement.

This was a massacre.

Those brave enough to stay behind succeeded in fending off a few of them, only they would allow others to take their place and overwhelm the warriors. Not even the eggs that were still incubating stood a chance. The parents that fought to repel the monsters were either chased off or died along with their developing families. The unborn children were quickly smashed to pieces under the feet of the hunters. The corpses of the stillborn embryos littered the nests in a bloodied heap.

Seeing all this death and destruction around him had left the youngling stranded from the rest of the herd. He had not been paying so much attention that he wandered off! Not to mention his aching muscles had bothered him so much that he started slowing down. By the time he realized his mistake, it was already too late.

One of the monsters had caught up to him on his right. The beast reared back its head and prepared to take him up in its jaws.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Get away from him!"

Something large had collided against the predator from the opposite direction. Taru had little time to process what had been happening at first. But when he did, he found his savior to be someone he both surprised and happy to see. It was one of the adults that he looked up to, and the one he idolized the most, for one day, he would be just like him. He dreamed of it.

His savior was the leader of the herd and his father, Patchi.

He watched his father tussle with the large carnivore. The tyrannosaur tried to get a good bite into the alpha, but could not as the amount of force that the herbivore dealt on his leg tripled. It soon let out a howl of agony as it fell onto the earth; its leg broken and bleeding from being crushed by horns and bone of the ceratopsian.

Patchi turned. His face relaxing from the battle he had. To anyone who knew of Taru and his family, it's that he was everything his father was when he was younger. And he even had his looks too. The youngling was like a miniature version of the alpha. When his eyes fell onto Taru's, he went up to the small child and nuzzled him affectionately.

"Dad!" Taru nudged his head against his father's leg.

"Taru, are you okay?" he asked quickly but with warmth.

"I'm fine. Kind of wet with fear since I stepped on some, but fine," the youngling replied nonchalantly. He had been running behind frightened adults and with all that was happening around him, he did not even think to react to how much crap he had been stepping on.

"Well worry about that later," the alpha nudged his son towards the direction of where the herd was running. The child obliged and followed with him. "Get to your mom and your sisters. They should be near the pass!"

"Okay!"

Both father and son darted along with the herd away from the predators, towards the pass leading out of the grounds. Even before he became the leader, back when he was young, Patchi had been taught by his father that in times of trouble, the herd would need to be led towards the exit of the valley should they need to make a quick getaway. Everyone would gather there, making the typical defensive formation where the young would be in the center and the adults would protect them on all sides. Not once did herds of time past flee from this place, but it was a precaution that was ingrained into their minds in case of emergency.

The pass was noticeable no matter where you were in the valley. It was marked by two twin mountain peaks and a rocky passage that looked like double doors parting ways, well, if doors existed in the Late Cretaceous. The valley was enclosed by the mountain ranges around it like a natural barrier. But while they provided protection from the outside, it also provided little escape routes should the danger fall within. This meant that the only way out would be they would come in.

Taru stayed close to the herd. His father roared the other herd members along, like a dog would with pushing a flock of sheep towards a general direction. And like a guard dog, he would scare off any predator from the group. That was what Patchi did whenever a tyrannosaur came too close to the herd.

The first few were easy. It was when a large, male hunter, wizened by old age by just as fierce, decided to throw the alpha off guard. The carnivore came charging towards them from the east; completely unfazed by the roars of the alpha and the rocks that were apparently in his way. Patchi skidded to a stop and charged. The bull Pachyrhinosaurus shoved him away, ramming him many times like a mace to a shield.

Soon after, he was joined by three other bulls that had caught up to him. Patchi roared in gratitude at them before he rejoined the herd. The other males had told him to get to the others and lead them out of here while they kept the carnivore busy. Taru was saved by him from an adult that nearly stomped on him when he was pushed unceremoniously.

The two of them, along with the rest of the herd, made it to the rendezvous point. Already, the young were being corralled into the center, with the rest of the adults surrounding them. Squeals, bleats, and raspy shrieks echoed from inside the group; the children were crying out in fear from the ambush they were in. The adults, though experienced with handling predators before, stood vigilant and armed at the new threat they had to face.

Taru sped up his gait when he saw a familiar face in the crowd. He sprinted up to a certain adult, and nuzzled her in affection. The female, pale in color and possessed daintier horns, embraced him to her neck with one hoof. This was his mother, and his father's mate, Juniper.

"Mom!"

"Taru! Thank goodness you're safe," she breathed a frightened sigh.

Without another word, she motioned her son into the interior of the circle. There, he met several other younglings his age that rushed up to him, all of which were girls. The first one was larger than him by several inches. She sported a beige hide, much like his mothers, and had orange stripes along her back. Like him, she did not have the prominent horns on his frill, as she was not old enough to have them yet.

The others behind him looked more or less like the older female, except they had different color schemes. Two of them had the bright orange hides except with white stripes on their back. One was colored a light shade of green with the same orange stripes along the posterior. And the last one, who was the youngest of the group, had a bright reddish-orange with beige stripes. All of which looked upon him with slight relief.

Taru was met by a bleat of anger. He cringed at the earful he received by his older sister, Magnolia.

"Where the heck were you!?" the angered female roared angrily at her incompetent brother. While she was indeed worried about his safety, she was also angry that she was that worried thanks to him disappearing without a word. "We thought you were dead!"

"I'm sorry! I was off playing when that scary monster jumped me! Plus I was having a hard time trying to get to this place with all those predators after me!"

Maggie, as her family liked to call her, let out an exasperated groan. "Ugh! This is what happens when you don't listen to Mom and Dad! You always get in trouble! Now your problem just became everybody's!"

A roar interrupted her tirade from behind. All of the younglings, including Taru himself, huddled close to each other. Cries of fear escaped their throats as they prayed for the nightmare to be over. They were surrounded by adults, all of which were fit enough to drive off enemy attacks. There were at least 200 of them living in this valley. They couldn't possibly fail…right?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Patchi roared, his opponent stumbled back as his weight failed him from the shove. The Pachyrhinosaurus rammed again, this time causing more damage than the last time. The horns in the center of his frill pierced the monster's skin. The predator roared in agony as it was forcefully bowled onto the ground. Its legs squirmed in the air and blood seeped from its new wounds. The bones in its chest, which were already broken, now stuck up through the skin.

Before Patchi could deliver the finishing blow, two more of them surprised him from behind. One of them bit down onto his leg, sending jolts of searing pain through his body. Another one landed a clean bite on his neck, just behind the frill. The ceratopsian found himself trapped, and in pain, from two hunters that he did not anticipate.

As the alpha of his herd, it was his duty to ensure the safety of everyone, whether it was during a migration or not. He was the one that was supposed to make sure his extended family was safe. He was the one that was supposed to lead them away from harm. Not once did he ever think that his own herd would be attacked in their home; a place that was relatively safe.

Patchi grunted, refusing to fall. Before he could attempt to squirm free, something broadsided the one that grabbed on his neck. A green blur rammed its body against the leg, causing the predator to shriek in pain. Now released from its hold, Patchi turned and focused his attention on the one that held onto his leg. The predator did not stand a chance as his own leg was pierced by some very sharp horns through the neck. Its death was a quick one.

The Pachyrhinosaurus turned to his savior. His eyes widened when he took in the form of his brother over the now-limp body of the thing that nearly killed him.

"Scowler!" Patchi gasped before coughing out some dust.

The forest green ceratopsian shook his head annoyingly and stomped on a pile of dirt, showing his increasing distaste of his performance. "Geez Patchi! Did you really just forget what I just told you before? Always watch your back!"

The older warrior ran off to chase away some more of the invaders before his younger brother could reply back to his criticism.

"Uh, thanks Scowler! Really appreciate the help!"

As always, he was met with silence from his sibling. Scowler was not much into showing appreciation unless it was someone he looked up to. The prime example was their late father, the previous alpha of the herd. There was that time when Patchi did save him from dying in the jaws of a Gorgosaurus, but that was a one-time thing. Scowler may have acquired more respect for his brother, but he still had that same pride he had when they were children…and when he was the leader for a time. It's not because he did not like him, it's because it made him have a backwards visage of the older sibling giving way to the younger. So much so that he viewed himself as being laughed at for a time even though that was not true. Scowler respected Patchi, but he did his best to not show that respect in the best of times.

To counteract that begrudging respect, he would lecture his brother on what to do as the leader. Scowler's tips on keeping his guard up, how to properly fight, or even what to find potential points of danger during migrations were drilled into Patchi's brain. Somehow, he found content in teaching him, but it was usually through a strict regimen; a remnant of his attitude from the past that he hung onto.

His brother's tips on fighting rung back in his memories as he fought against the invaders. Watch your blind sides, keep moving, anticipate the opponent's moves, and watch for weaknesses, all of that gave Patchi an edge while driving off the ones that were coming at him. Most of them fled the other direction, thanks to some help from the other bulls that came to his aid. Some of them were so stubborn that they found themselves with broken bones and squirming on the ground, or even dead.

A shrill roar pulled his attention from a near-dead beast he was about to off. Looking over, he found his mate squaring off against another one. Patchi ran to her aid when he saw two more of them come behind her. He slammed against them both, pushing them away like two dominoes caught in a stack. The two of them shrieked in surprise like an oddly discordant tyrannosaur in a movie.

Juniper, who quickly got the upper hand against her oppressor by breaking its ankle with a well-timed stomp, joined against her mate in fighting off against the other two. The two predators fled after they had sustained too many stab wounds to their undersides.

"Juniper! You okay?" Patchi inspected his mate for any sign of injury. Thankfully, she had none.

"I'm fine! Thanks," she gave him a reassuring nudge on the cheek. "What are these guys? Where did they come from?"

The alpha shook his head, clueless on how this came to be. "I don't know. Not once has this valley been invaded by large predators. At least, not from my knowledge."

After several minutes of fighting the invaders, the battle seemed to have turned to the herd's favor. The invaders fled, sustaining too many wounds and losing many of their own to their armored prey. The Pachyrhinosaurus roared in victory at the retreating tyrannosaurs, some of which left to chase them back to wherever they snuck through into the valley.

While Patchi and Juniper were happy that the fight was over, a sense of remorse and sadness overcame them when they looked upon the dead. Many of their kind died in the attack; bulls, cows, and younglings alike. The herd suffered a major blow in their numbers. Where once they thrived in nearly 400, now they were down by half that.

They wanted to mourn for the dead. They wanted to say goodbye to their loved ones. Some were elders that lived a full life and wanted to fight for the future of the herd. Others were young warriors that barely got to live in their prime. The younglings did not stand a chance at all against them. The children that had lost their parents in the attack were left as orphans. The ones that were not part of the herd, but were unfortunately caught in the attack, shared the same fates.

The sight was gruesome. Guts were spilled out, both prey and predator alike. Bones that were shattered shone in the overcast gloom like ugly white spikes that had globs of blood. Lifeless eyes stared into nothingness. Mutilated bodies, whether through the attack or from getting eaten, stained the once beautiful valley with blood and death.

"Patchi!" he could have sworn one of the fallen called him faintly. His eyes darted around, searching for the one that said his name. Had the dead come back? Were they crying out for help still? Or was one of them still alive?

"Patchi!" it went again. Where was it? Where was it coming from? If it was a survivor, he was going to find them and get them to safety.

"PATCHI!"

The alpha's trance was broken. He looked over and met his mate's distressed eyes. So it was her that was calling to him. At least what he was thinking before had not been real.

"What? What happened?" Patchi finally answered, shaking his irrational thoughts out.

"It's not over yet. There are more coming!"

His maw fell open in shock. Dread filled his heart like an ominous wave. "What!?"

That was when they heard menacing roars. The ground shook like an earthquake. Something large was coming for them. The surviving herd members braced themselves, pushing the younglings further into the circle as they prepared for the worst.

He looked in the distance and gasped in horror when they found an army of the same tyrannosaurs coming at them from the distance. The retreat that the others gave merely gave the herd a false sense of security. Those that ran after them had not returned; they were most likely trampled to death in the stampede or were shredded by the predators that killed them. Or it could have been that they were wounded and were just retreating to save their skin.

Either way, the herd had come out of the frying pan and into the fire.

There were 20. No, 30. No no…there was more! The numbers kept increasing the more he kept staring at the incoming mob. There could be at least a hundred of those bloodthirsty beasts out for their flesh! If they stayed and fought, chances were they would not make it out alive. Defeating this army was getting thinner by the second. These were no Gorgosaurs. They were bigger and just as fast. They had power and a killer bite in their arsenal.

One alone they could take on. A few of them was not much of a problem. But a pack this size? They were out of their league.

Patchi looked upon the dead; the ones that fell to this attack and were eventually swallowed up by the incoming wave of feathered-flesh eaters. Countless corpses lay in the field like morbid decorations. None of them survived from the invasion. He was not there to help them. He did not get to either of them in time. Had he known how strong these monsters were, he would have just told them all to flee with the herd rather than stay and fight. But no, they went on their own accord. All he thought about was getting those that were not able to fight to the safe zone.

For the first time since he became the leader, Patchi was at a loss. He let most of his herd die. The leader was supposed to be the one with all of the answers and the best solutions. He was the face of the herd, the one they looked up to when they were in danger. He was the one they went to for guidance, for hope, and for support. Patchi's mind was blank. Had he known of this attack any sooner, he would have saved them all.

The sound of a faint caw drew his attention skyward. Coming towards him in rigorous flaps was another feathered being. But unlike the ones that killed most of his kind, this one was small, nimble, and possessed the power of flight. Black feathers covered this creature's body like an ebony coat. Red plumes and an odd beak with sharp grooves adorned this thing's face. The same red coloring surrounded its eyes and parts of its wings, along with hints of white in the interior. Two long plumes trailed behind like flowing ribbons.

Any other creatures would view this one as a nuisance. But to Patchi, this was Alex, an Alexornis that had been with him since his childhood.

"Oi! Patchi! Tenemos un problema!" Alex hovered over them with his usual foreign accent. Had humans lived in this time, they would identify it as Hispanic.

"If it's the incoming army of whatever those things are, then I'm already aware!" he gestured to the incoming mob.

"How many are there?" Juniper asked the bird.

"Ay yi yi! There's too many for me to count! They just keep coming!" Alex flapped frantically; a few of his aged interior down fell off from the outburst.

"What!?" they both jumped in upset.

"I really don't want to state the obvious, but I don't think fighting all these guys at once is un buen idea. Es malo!"

Patchi roared in defiance. One of his hooves met the earth hard, sending a cloud of dust and dirt up in a small cloud. "No! We can take them! We just need a plan!"

"Patchi!"

He looked over at his mate. There was fear in her eyes. Patchi had seen that look before, but never at this level. She was trembling, her breathing was ragged, and was backing away slowly. Where once the brave female that fought to help keep the vulnerable safe was now replaced by a coward that had seen the horrors of battle. She was like a youngling to his eyes now. He wanted to console her, protect her from whatever was coming. When he looked in the direction she was seeing, he began to feel something he hadn't felt since the day his brother beat him in a battle for leadership of the herd.

Helplessness.

Patchi watched as a female Pachyrhinosaurus charged up to one of the tyrannosaurs. Her bony knob made contact with the creature's abdomen, but missed on the vitals. The predator was pushed back, but not before it managed to deliver a devastating blow to her neck with a savage bite. The female screamed in pain, and could do nothing as three more of those monsters came for the kill.

He then saw two more to his left. This time, it was a male that was trying to protect a wounded female behind him. Her wound was that of a broken leg, her hoof bent back in a way that it nearly met the knee. The two of them quickly got surrounded by five of those beasts. Their fate could not be seen as the predators converged. Their screams filled the air, adding to the cacophony of despair and chaos.

Then, Patchi saw something that would haunt him for the rest of his days. He saw three younglings, all of them were about the same age as his own children. Three of those tyrannosaurs picked them up in their jaws. Their blood trickled down their lips as their teeth did what they were made to do. The last child met the same fate, but in a more gruesome way. One grabbed it by the tail while another by the other half. The screams of the youngling turned into shrieks, which then became quiet. His life ended instantly before both halves of his body made it to their stomachs.

Patchi shuddered as he looked away from the gore. He had never seen this much death in his entire life. The predators that his herd managed to take on before were not as big as these. These weren't as numerous either. But this…this was at a whole new level. One that was not only horrifying, but scarring.

He stood there, watching as his herd died fighting these invaders. Here he was, doing his best to fight them all off, to protect the weak and vulnerable, and yet, unable to get to the others. The ones that do get to their wounded comrades end up getting killed themselves. The lucky ones that did escape would retreat into the inner portion of the protection circle.

Patchi was at a loss. Going after the wounded would mean his own death, thus leaving his family to their fate. Staying would mean he would live, but everyone else that wasn't in the protection circle would die. Staying silent was not helping either. Without any orders, the herd would lose their morale…and soon their lives.

Patchi failed them all.

"Patchi, we have to go!" his mate finally had the courage to tell him.

"What?" he roared in defiance. "No! No we can't leave!"

"We have to," she tried to reason while hiding her own fear. "Otherwise we'll all die!"

"This is our home! We can't leave it!"

"I know, but we don't have a choice!" Juniper argued. "If we don't go now, they'll kill us! We go and attack them now, we're dead anyway! We sit here and defend, we're dead regardless! We have to leave!"

"But-" His retort was cut off by Alex's frightful caw from above.

"Sorry Patchi, but your esposa is right! We need to get moving now if we are to stand a chance!"

The bird's argument was supported by Scowler's addition. He did not have to look over to see that he had rejoined his brother by his side. His body had been covered by bite marks and scratches. The blood from them ran down like ugly red streaks.

"Hey Patchi! Not sure if this is a no-brainer, but we're getting overwhelmed!"

Patchi shook his head. This was their home, the only thing they've known since childhood. This valley was their sanctuary, away from the dangers outside. He was born here, raised here. Other than his brother, Alex, and his herd, this place was the only reminder of his late parents and other siblings. Without this place, they would have nothing. This was their home. Home was where they go to escape the dangers, where they could safely raise their families and reconnect with the ancestors that left them via being with the place. This valley is a reminder of all that was good in the world.

Or…in the perspective of Juniper, Scowler, and Alex, it WAS a reminder of all that was good.

"Patchi, the valley is lost," Juniper tried once more to reason with him. "There's nothing left for us here. We need to go."

The panic-stricken male growled. His conflicted gaze met his mate's once frightened eyes. Where once she had fear was then replaced with determination. Juniper was scared, but schooled herself for this moment. They were all in danger. For one of the leaders to be frightened would cause everyone to lose it. Juniper could have turned and run, taking the children with her. But she did not want to leave anyone else behind.

In Patchi's experience, his mate was always right. This irritated him for this moment. He wanted to stay and fight. He wanted to protect his home, even if it would kill him.

But she was right. The herd needed him. His friends needed him. And his family needed him.

His heart tugged painfully in his chest. With a reluctant groan, he whispered the one thing he never thought he would say.

"Fall back."

His mate gasped, surprised at the response she got.

Patchi turned around, proclaiming his order before making his way around the circle. The herd members watched in surprise and confusion as they processed the new order that was given to them.

"Everyone, fall back! We need to get out of here! If we don't go, we'll die!" he told all of them.

"You heard the leader! You stay, you become part of a predator's buffet! Now let's go!" pressed Scowler.

To see their leader flee from the battle towards the valley entrance was appalling. To hear him say to retreat was…most unlike him. Not once did Patchi flee from battle since he became leader. He always looked out for the herd, making sure that nobody was left behind. Seeing him retreat with his tail between his legs was like seeing a coward win an internal battle against the resolute and strong leader they knew.

But he was the leader. They could not defy his command. They were about to object when they saw their alpha female follow along with him. Even Scowler, their most powerful bull next to the leader, was following the alphas. A proud warrior such as himself would never flee a battle. Scowler would always stay and fight. Nothing would make him turn once he made a decision. To say that he was a hardhead would be an understatement. Determined and arrogant would be better terms. Their former leader following Patchi out of the valley was unlike him.

Reluctantly, and fearfully, the herd followed the alphas and his brother. The younglings stayed close to the adults; being urged along by their bellows and nudges like a flock of sheep. Alex, who did not have that much of a problem with the crowd, merely flew higher and sped forward through the prehistoric sky.

Patchi made it to the wall of the valley. He watched as his herd ran through the passage. Bellows, groans, and screams echoed down the large gap. His head moved from left to right, making sure that nobody was being left behind. Juniper was already at the front, so she could lead them out of there. Once he was certain that no one was left, he would take the rear.

A series of menacing roars brought his attention towards the back of the herd. His eyes widened in horror when he saw the predators following behind them. Their mouths and teeth were coated in blood.

Fortunately, they were far enough away from any lethal hits. In fact, it almost looked like they were not even interested in coming for another kill.

Were they…slowing down?

Patchi wasted no time in thinking about that. Once the last youngling and adult made it through the passage, he took up the rear. He ran as fast as he could down the gap. Making it through the first creek that surrounded the valley, he turned around, his gasps escaping him in pained heaves. If dinosaurs could sweat, then it would be falling in globs on his face.

The valley entrance, which once was a welcoming sight with the greenery and fresh water glistening under the sun, became a gate of death. The tyrannosaurs that followed them roared up in the air victoriously. The valley they ambushed contained hundreds of dead prey that would support them for many moons.

Patchi briskly turned away, hiding the tears that began to fall. He needed to get back with the herd. He ran up to his herd, fleeing towards the darkening sunset that shone through the dark foreboding clouds.

The home that he once loved was no more.