The Last Days of Pangea

Suddenly the canopy of the tent flew open, and an alarmed Tyrant flew into the building. He started rummaging around in his bags and pulling out lights. Gathering them in an armful, the Tyrant removed the burning torches that hung under the chimney and, again ordering Salas to remain in the tent and not stick out anywhere, jumped out.

***

Far away on the outskirts of the Bennettite field, on a sloping hill, the top of which bordered only on the starry sky, the Kindred saw the outlines of reptiles. The dark figures of the lizards were illuminated by the full moon, and the sight that appeared before the hunters was breathtaking. The long-necks humbly walked along the elevated plateau, and in front of them, judging by their excellent size and spiked back and neck, the Gigantosaurus walked majestically. The huge reptile, compared to the good-natured herbivores, was so solid even from a long distance that all the lizards behind it seemed to be its own brood. The hunters watched in amazement. Either five (it was hard to see exactly, since the black silhouettes merged with each other), or six Long-necks dutifully followed the ancient lizard.

On the eastern edge of the same hill, the outlines of the same Long Necks appeared. And with them, smaller individuals, apparently cubs. And even when the silhouette of the Gigantosaurus mingled with the outlines of palm trees, and the mighty reptile disappeared into the night against the background of other hills, the Longnecks did not stop appearing from behind the slope of the hill.

– I can’t believe my eyes! Kuhn was delighted. – Why so many of them? Gigantosaurus ahead?

The hunters stood with their mouths open.

«Yes, Kun, it’s him!» Iris replied.

«I’ve never seen a Gigantosaurus!» Rylan wondered.

«In all my moons I have lived, I have not seen so many giants as I see now,» said Taro.

«That’s what I told you about,» Vall said. – Flock!

– Where did they come from? Tris asked.

«I don’t know, my friend,» the leader replied. «Only Pangea knows. There is no need for unity here.

«It was as if all the giants of all the lands of the Great Volcano were gathered in one place,» Iris introduced. «And I haven’t seen a Gigantosaurus since Roshan was declared chieftain.

«They came from the direction of the liana forest,» said Vall. – But why did they gather in a herd?..

– Val, could you comprehend unity in a tent? Arwen asked.

The tribesmen muttered, disapproving of the young hunter’s idea.

Are you out of your mind, young man? I still lacked unity here! the shaman was outraged. – Salas, there, already visited the unity! We should get to the Great Volcano, but quickly. There have been too many disturbing events lately.

Experienced trackers roared, supporting the leader’s indignation, and then they looked at the outlines of reptiles on the horizon for a long time, suggesting the reasons for the possible accumulation of lizards. And when the last Longneck disappeared from sight on the hill, Taro offered to finally crawl into a lodging for the night and sleep. The hunters were about to go to the tent, but the groaning and roaring near the camp took the relatives by surprise.

– Bring it to life! Wall ordered. The rangers readied their weapons and turned their eyes.

To the right, ten or fifteen paces from the goads, the silhouette of Sharpthorn appeared, followed by several more similar lizards. And then more, and more! A huge flock of herbivores, which were bypassed not only by the Rasaurs, but even the lords of heaven did not dare to disturb, slowly approached the camp.

The tribesmen froze.

– Only Ostroshipov were not enough for us! Taro whispered.

Very unfriendly reptiles, almost up to the hips of an adult and five to seven steps in length, including the tail, lived in small families – seven to eight lizards. They moved, like all herbivores, except for the Thick Skins and Feathered jumpers, on four legs, and Pangea herself created strong growths on the wide backs of the reptiles. Shells – so the hunters called the growths. And these shells were completely strewn with sharp protrusions.

But the lizardmen were not called Razorthorns because of these appendages. At the beginning of the neck, from the shell of any Sharpthorn, even a newly hatched cub, sticking out in both directions – both to the left and to the right – two huge pointed spikes. And the thorns were shunned by every reptile that the Razorthorns had ever encountered along the way! By the way, the detachments of the Great Hunt did not deny themselves the risky business of poisoning these lizards. With hunting tricks, the beaters taunted the Sharpthorns, thereby forcing the herbivores to follow in the right direction and rush at the taunters. And other trackers at that moment were killing one of the lizards that had strayed from the flock. Razorthorn armor and spears were made to perfection not only from bones and spikes, but also from the spiked hide from the back!

– Tyrant? Wall said in a barely audible voice.

– Yes? whispered the Tyrant.

– Slowly and without a single rustle, you go to the tent and bring here all the torches that we have. And those that burn under the chimney, you also take with you.

The tyrant nodded and, backing away, silently moved towards the building.

The razorthorn that had gone ahead of them all stopped near the stakes and stared at the first people, roaring. Other reptiles slowly began to go around the goats. Among the lizards – so the hunters noticed with embodied eyes – there were also their cubs. And Ostroship, of course, when he saw the people, it was not for nothing that he stood on the lookout. Watching the brood and family, he felt threatened and watched the behavior of the pathfinders he met on the way. And the trackers, in turn, knew that if the lizard wanted to get to them, then the horns were unlikely to stop him. And it would be fine if there was one or several Sharpthorns – in the event of an attack on the camp, they could still be driven away or even defeated. But such a number – a whole herd – and would not leave a wet place from the detachment!

«In the name of Pangea, where are there so many of them – can anyone tell me?» Kuhn asked indignantly.

«I have no idea,» Taro replied. «Probably from where the Longnecks come from…»

«Did they also come out of the liana forest?» Tris asked.

«From the woods, apparently,» Vall suggested.

The hunters, standing on edge and looking at the reptiles, began to whisper to each other and discuss the very strange appearance of the Sharpthorns, and as soon as the brood went around the camp, the lizard that was on guard rumbled again and, turning around, went after the cubs. The rest of the Razorthorns walked serenely around the outpost, paying no attention to the first people at all.

«They don’t seem to be afraid of us,» Arwen said in bewilderment. – Where are they going?

«I can’t imagine,» said the shaman. «I’ve seen everything beyond my moons, but this is the first time!

«They’re going west, Vall, the same way the Longnecks were on the hill,» said Kun confidently.

Meanwhile, the Tyrant came out of the tent with torches. The reptiles, seeing the element of flame, stopped for a moment and turned their faces towards the sources of light. After snorting a little, they again moved on to their needs.

Vall returned the eyes of a human being and began to light the lights brought by the Tyrant. The hunters followed the example of the leader, and soon the camp of the first people was lit up with bright lights.

The spiked herbivores no longer reacted to the flames. Then the trackers climbed onto the ends of the goads to highlight what was happening better and take a closer look at the lizards, suspiciously calm that night. And to their surprise, the relatives, at a distance from the Sharpthorns, saw the running Jumpers.

– You just look! – Iris was surprised in a full voice. – And the birds are here!..

– Wall? Tarot? – At that moment, Salas came out of the halabuda and stood at the horns that were directed to the south side of the Bennettite plain. – What’s going on here?!

The light of the moon in the eyes of the young man brightly illuminated the vastness of the distance, as if twilight had just come, but Salas understood that it was long after midnight, and such a light surprised him. In addition, tiny green light sources flickered everywhere among the vegetation. They either were motionless, then flew in the air from place to place, then crawled on the ground, grass and leaves of shrubs. Immediately, about fifty paces from the camp, in a south-westerly direction, naked – without skin – silhouettes of reptiles flashed across the meadow, and the rumble that the youngster heard in the tent instantly turned into dozens of heartbeats. Shocked, Salas looked at what was happening, and at one moment he recognized the Vultures in the coherence of the lizards. A teenager had never seen so many scavengers. Their flesh raced across the field as fast as if they were being chased by hungry Rasaurs! Beyond the Vultures, other reptiles could be seen, huge herbivores treading among the cycads and palm trees. They were Fatskins and Tailtails. And between the thickets, the silhouettes of Piskunov were sometimes visible.

The hunters ran up to the young beater and climbed onto the goads. Illuminating the area with torches, the relatives tried to see what the youth saw there, but there was not a single lizard near the camp.

– What? What’s there? the Tyrant asked.

«Salas, are you imagining things, or what?» What did you see there? Wall turned his eyes. – There’s no one here!

The teen pointed into the distance. Meanwhile, Kun put out the torch and, incarnating the ghost of a hunter, pricked up his ears.

– Shh! – the shaggy man waved his hand to his relatives and froze.

The others also hid, still not understanding what Kun was up to. After a moment, the shaggy man said:

– I hear them! I don’t see it, but I hear it!

– Whom? Lizards? asked the grey-haired tracker.

«Yes, Magnar,» whispered Kun. «They are out there in the thicket. And a lot of them. So many!

The hunters, one and all, turned their eyes and began to listen.

– I can hear it too! Tris screamed.

– Yes Yes! the others chirped.

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