Author's Note 1: Hey it's been a long time that I gone back to this story. So anyway, I've decided to tweek this story again by using inside conversation. These appear when the characters are speaking different languages and the parentheses ( ) are shown to decipher what's being said. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 3

The gang of six had followed a path that went through the rainy basin. Cara rode on the back of the Dacentrurus while Desmond was riding with the Saichania. Blake and Swiperclaw agreed to walk alongside the armored dinosaurs, knowing they had a good sense of sight and smell. At the moment, there were no signs of stray meat eaters. It took half the day, but they made it to a river near their destination.

"Good, thank you for your help," Swiperclaw said to the Thyreophorans.

"Why are we here, Swiperclaw?" Cara asked. "Don't you know that the river is where most of the carnivores will come to?"

"Yes. I know, and that is why we're here."

"You've lost me, brother," Blake said.

"All kinds of creatures come to these banks to drink and commerce. If we want to have clearance to their territory, we have to be near it, but not to close that it will cause panic."

"Are you sure this will work?" Desmond asked.

"Of course," Swiperclaw said, rubbing his clawed finger on his long snout. "Besides, we didn't have much of a choice seeing that our traveling company needed a drink anyway." As soon as Swiperclaw's speech ended, they heard a long growl. The armored dinosaurs went back to the hidden area that the others hid in.

"What was that?" Desmond said.

"I don't know," Cara said.

"Wait," Armorback whispered. The sound started to continue. "I know that growl." Across the stream, there was a rustle in the trees. In a few minutes, a large, powerful form emerged from the forest. It was a large meat-eater with a large head and three-clawed hands. It's massive built was held together by two large legs that were shaped like a bird. It was colored in blue with its underbelly in yellow and the top of its body in purple. "That's it," Armorback whispered. "That's a Giganotosaurus."

"It's enormous!" Blake said.

"That's not a big one, my friend," said Spiketail. "I'm pretty sure that only a 43 footer. The leader may be 49 feet."

"Okay, now I'm scared," Cara said.

"Don't worry," Desmond said. "They're noble animals that don't attack unless provoked."

"Look," Swiperclaw said, "I'll go to the and talk to it. Remember I can speak Allosauroid."

"I'll go too," Armorback said. The two dinosaurs walked out of the thicket and were still in awe at the drinking leviathan.

"Don't worry," Blake said. "We'll give you some moral support."

"Yeah," Desmond said. "We're watching your back."

"Thanks for nothing," the Deinonychus growled. As soon as the two dinosaurs got to the riverbank, Swiperclaw cleared his throught. The Allosauroid heard and set his attention on the raptor. In a few seconds, the little coelurosaur started roaring and growling like the creature might sound. ("Hey, excuse me." Swiperclaw growled.

"What?" the Giganotosaur roared. As soon as he saw the smaller raptor across the river, he was quite interested. "A Deinonychus speaking my language? Interesting."

"Oh good, I got your attention. Say, we're the new team that's here to pick up where the last one left. Do you mind if we can enter the your territory?"

"Ah, so you're the ones that deciphered the tablet! Amazing!"

"Well, it's not us really. My life partner was the one that read the text."

"A human? Now this is intriguing."

"Anyway, may we pass to your side of the river or no?"

"We've been expecting you guys. Of course you can cross.")

Swiperclaw walked back to the group. "Hey good news. We're in."

"Excellent work," the Borogovia said. The group got to their feet and walked across the river. As soon as they reached the Giganotosaurus, it made a shallow growl.

"It's safe to proceed," Swiperclaw translated. "Let us follow him." The Desmond and Cara got on the backs of the armored dinosaurs and followed the giant creature. A few miles away, they reached the nesting grounds. As soon as they entered, all activity ceased as they watched their fellow pack member lead the strangers to their leaders. Giganotosaurs of all ages watched as their pack member lead the six strangers to their leader. There were also other kinds of carnivores also at the site.

Desmond was amazed at the sight. "Unbelievable. There are all sorts of carnivores here. And yet it seems they're not competing for the territory."

"For centuries," Spiketail started, "many the Giganotosaurus have prowled these jungles. The smaller meat eaters have hunted in these lands as well. The Giganotos are a honorable species and have been more than happy to share this region with their carnivorous comrades. In time, a pecking order was established and the creatures now live amongst these giants. They don't see themselves as different species, but as individuals in one pack."

"So you're saying that these carnivores have reached a certain civilized manner?" Cara asked.

"You can call it 'civilized' if you will, young female," Armorback said. "To them, it is just a way of life."

Suddenly, a growl from the large carnivore snapped them back to recent time. "We're here. In a few moments, we'll in the presence of his excellency." In a few minutes, large footsteps were being heard coming toward them. The shape and colors of an even larger Giganotosaurus had towered over them. The dinosaur they were brought by bowed his head in submission and gave low growls. "You are in the council of his eminence; Steelfang." Desmond and Cara stepped off their rides and along with the rest of their dinosaurian comrades, bowed down to the massive beast. The towering titan looked down upon the minute creatures. He than started to growl. "So you are the ones that the earlier researchers have retrieved," Swiperclaw translated from the sounds of Steelfang's language.

"Yes, that is us. I am Desmond Tammersfield. My friends and I were sent from Waterfall City to research the strange artifacts found near the Palace of Kings. They were in Chandarian font."

"Ah yes. Though how did you know that it was of Chandaria? There hasn't been anyone able to read its scriptures since the fall of the kingdom."

"As true as that sounds, I have been able to read both the tablet and the sword." As soon as Desmond said that, all kinds of sounds have been heard. The dinosaurs were all confused at what they heard. Steelfang couldn't take no more of the growls and gave a loud roar. The sound of his majestic call was heard throughout the area. Birds had flew off in all directions and the council of carnivores were silent.

"You say that you can read Chandarian?"

"Yes, your excellency. I've been taught the language since I was a young lad of 5 summers."

"Interesting. So you're able to read its font. Alright then. You have my permission to carry on with your excavation."

"Thank you, great and noble Steelfang." Desmond bowed down to the large Giganotosaur.

As they were about to leave, another growl came from him. Swiperclaw quickly translated the sounds, "To help escort you to the temple, I shall come with you as well as two members as guards. The area is full of Tyrannosaurs. Come Curlcrest. Enter Swiftstrike." From both directions, a Cryolophosaurus and a Aliwalia arrived at the scene. "Now let us begin, young Desmond and company."

"I again thank you, o' powerful Steelfang."

"I see something special in you Desmond. Now, let us go." The leader, his guards, Desmond and his entourage started traveling through the dense covered swamp to enter the sacred treasure trove.

Definitions

Thyreophorans: A group of dinosaurs that have evolved their own version of armor plating. They first started their rise in the Early Jurassic and their outfits had advance as time went by. These were some of the most elaborate designs in the Animal Kingdom and ranged in many different shapes, sizes and designs in many different species.

Allosauroid: A group of large carnosaurs that have dominated the Late Jurassic till the Early Cretaceous. They are distinguished by their sharp, three fingered claws and small horns over the eyes. They ranged in sizes from nearly 40 feet to the most recently found, at around 50. Giganotosaurus is the largest of this clade.

Steelfang: The largest Giganotosaurus and leader of the pack. He is the descendant of Fireblood, who in turn was the son of Stinktooth. He has a sense of nobility and honor that has made him the pride and joy of the clan. He also possesses wisdom passed down from generation to generation. He is very protective and is also in charge of guarding the Palace of Kings.

Cryolophosaurus: A fierce predator from Antarctica during the Early Jurassic. What sets this meat-eater apart from other species isn't just it's location (being the first large carnivore found in Antarctica) or the size for its time (around 20 feet), but a strange, curled crest on its head. This may have been used as a way to tell the male (crested) from the female (uncrested). This is how it got its name: the frozen crest lizard. It is still under debate about which group the theropod falls under as it shows features of both, primitive and advanced forms.

Aliwalia: A creature found in the Africa during the Late Triassic, it is the largest carnivorous dinosaur found at this time. This carnivore was 38 feet long and pretty quick. I was named after the paleontologist that first unearthed this colossal creature. Scientists are still puzzled at how a dinosaur like this has grown to such a length at such a short time when the predator-prey ratio was about the same.