‘I can’t believe I felt bad for you,’ she thought as she cursed herself. She pulled out her left arm from the swamp; the dagger was long gone, and grabbed the spear again. This time she was more patient and took small movements, and it seemed to work. Beki used the spear for support and leverage and twisted herself around so that she could pull herself up on one of the rocks. She grunted as she jumped up, only to realize that now the spear was just out of reach. She cursed herself again and slapped the mud off her, although some of it was caked deeply into her skin and clothes, and her hair was matted together in thick bands that would take ages to separate.
Despondent, she retraced her steps and trudged back to her camp. This time she had to brush away the annoying plants with her hands, some of them still snapped back to give her a painful reminder that dinosaurs weren’t the only dangerous things in the world. All she could think about while walking home was how disappointed her father would be and how everyone else would laugh at her. Not everyone had taken kindly to the knowledge that she would inherit the leadership of the tribe from Suton, especially some of the men. They all felt they were better qualified than her, and that it should be decided through ability and aptitude rather than blood. Part of this ritual was designed by Suton to show that Beki was a worthy leader, but she looked down at herself and she realized she was anything but.
For a brief moment she entertained the notion of running away to avoid the shame, but then she scolded herself, that’s not what Suton would do, and she reminded herself that she was her father’s daughter. ‘Besides,’ she thought with a grim smile, ‘it’s not as if you’d last for long in the wilderness.’
By the time she reached home dusk had set in. The sun was setting and the stars were beginning to twinkle in the sky. Suton was awaiting her return impatiently, pacing around, and ignoring everyone who told him to calm down.
“What if I was too hasty in sending her out alone?” he asked.
“She has your blood, she will not fail,” the others said, although some of them secretly hoped she would. Earlier they had all been standing on ceremony, ready to give Beki a strong welcome home, but it had been so long that now most of them were sat down, some were slouched against the wall and Suton was sitting in his chair biting his nails. When she came back barely anyone noticed, and it was only when she cleared her throat that people paid attention.
Suton raised his head but instantly his expression turned from one of delightful anticipation to disappointed confusion.
“Where is your prey?” he asked, his powerful voice almost shaking. Beki looked down and chewed her lip, visibly squirming.
“It didn’t exactly go as planned…”
“I think you were looking in the wrong place, dinosaurs don’t live in swamps,” Leco, one of her main rivals, said. She glared at him, but it didn’t dissuade his mocking grin.
“Leave us, now,” Suton sternly ordered. The audience filtered out of his hut, whispering barbs at Beki as they passed her. She remained stoic, for they meant nothing to her when compared with the disappointment of Suton.
As soon as the two of them were alone she rushed up to him and fell at his knees.
“I’m sorry father, I tried…I remembered everything you said but there was a stick and then I chased it for so long and then there was a swamp-” Suton cut her off.
“No daughter of mine should have to plead on her knees. Get up,” he ordered, his face an indecipherable mask. She rose slowly.
“Today was supposed to be the day you took your rightful place by my side. I took you with me, I prepared you. I thought you were ready.”
“I was! It just…it wasn’t my fault.”
“To be a leader you must accept that everything is your fault.” He sat back down and sighed wearily.
“I do not mean to be so harsh with you, it is just that I am getting old now, and I want to make sure you are ready to take over from me.”
“I’m sorry for ruining your dreams. I suppose someone else will rule after you now, Leco or Roet, or…”
“They can dream and clamor for it all they want but they shall not succeed me. You are the one, you are my daughter and it is your birthright to lead us.”
“But today-”
“Was just one day, it does not define you. I am not going to lie and say I am happy, but there will be other opportunities for you to prove yourself, and you will prove yourself.”
“Yes father.”
“Now go and get yourself cleaned up. We will talk in the morning.”
Beki walked out of the hut and to the bathing pools. Even though she had reached maturity, leaving her father’s hut after the way he spoke to her made her feel like a little girl again. The bathing pools were a series of small pits that were framed with rocks, they were built many years ago, and the water from the river flowed through them, giving them a constant stream of clean water, so they didn’t have to sit and fester in their own filth.
She peeled off her clothes and sunk into the warm water. Some of the mud was being washed away by the gentle current of the water but more had to be scrubbed away by her own hands. She watched the dirty stream run away from her as it left her body, and the water turned darker as she doused her hair. She began to sing, and her lilting voice wafted through the darkness like a sweet breeze, but then she heard a plop in the water, and then another, and then hundreds all around her. She cradled the edge of the rocks and guarded her head as small stones peppered the water around her.
Eventually the others revealed themselves, Leco and Roet and the others. They were singing the same song as she had been to mock her.
“Look at the greatest hunter the world has ever known,” Leco said.
“I am in awe,” Roet added.
“Leave me alone, it’s been a long day,” she pleaded. Leco came forward and perched himself on the edge of the rock. She saw him gazing at her body, trying to make out the boundaries of her voluptuous figure beneath the water. She was grateful for the darkness and the foamy surface of the water.
“It’s been a long day for all of us. Look, why don’t you just admit that you’re not cut out for this life, tell your father that you don’t want to lead us and he can give it to someone who really deserves it.”
How she wished she still had her weapons. With a steely gaze and gritted teeth she locked eyes with him and said, “All my life I’ve had to hear you talk about how you would be the best leader for the tribe and I’m sick and tired of it. This tribe is my destiny and today only proved to myself how much I really want it. I will not let anything stand in my way, not even you.” Her words were laced with an icy determination that gave Leco pause. He looked at his cronies for a moment then smiled, and quick as a flash he grabbed her hair and pulled her head back, leaning in close so he could speak directly into her ear.
“You think you’re tough but you have no idea what it means to be a leader, to be a survivor. I could break you any time I want, and it’s only your father’s presence that protects you. Once he’s gone I will show you no mercy, so be prepared for that, for once he takes his last breath I will hunt you.”
He released her and she gasped in pain as she fell back against the rocks. Her neck ached from his iron grip, but the look in his eyes truly terrified her. She felt incredibly vulnerable in that bath, as at that point all the men had a greedy look in their eyes, but then they heard a loud cry in the air and a Pterodactyl swooped down. The mighty winged titan scattered the men, and then moved off to attack the rest of the camp.
Beki took the opportunity to gather up her clothes and run to safety, but she hadn’t gotten far when she saw the Pterodactyl come down and attack with its terrible talons. Its cry was bloodcurdling as it terrorized the camp, flying low to the ground to catch victims. Some it swiped at, others it carried high into the air and then let them fall helplessly to the ground. The air was alive with screams as everyone panicked, but Beki ran straight for the armory to find a spear.
However, while she ran, the Pter
odactyl continued its devastating attack, and in its sights stood Suton. He urged the monster to come and attack, and it did. He stood defiantly with a blade, and slashed at the beast when it came upon him, but alas he was not swift enough and one of the talons caught his gut, making a deep gash over his torso. He collapsed, screaming in agony as the blinding pain shot through his body. Beki came out of the armory just in time to see him fall to the floor. She screamed and rushed to his side, clutching his hand. Tears streamed down her face but he smiled at her.
“You are my daughter,” he said, “never forget that.”
She cried out to him not to leave her, but then the Pterodactyl swooped down again and Beki found herself being lifted through the air. Her father became smaller and smaller and then the camp became a small dot. She screamed out, and twisted in the talons, but they gripped her firmly. She’d seen what this animal had done to the other people it had collected, so before she was released she took the spear and threw it, it flew through the air and just caught the edge of a wing.
The Pterodactyl jerked and cried out in pain, but to Beki’s surprise it never loosened its grip on her. Unlike its other victims she was kept safe, and she found herself flying high through the air, over the nearby territory up to the heights of a mountain. The Pterodactyl kept rising, and Beki thought she was being taken so high she would be able to touch the stars, but eventually the ascent stopped. The winged dinosaur made a circular arc and then landed on a flat platform.
Beki was unceremoniously dumped out and she rolled across the floor. It was a barren place, although the view was astounding. There was a small cave knocked into the side of the mountain so she quickly ran to the darkness, and the Pterodactyl didn’t seem to mind. She looked around to see if there was anything she could use as a weapon, but nothing appeared to her. She would have to wait until the daytime, she concluded. She spent the rest of the time observing her captor. It waddled around on its legs, its great wings folded in on themselves, but it seemed to be pecking at the wound she had given it. As it moved around she noticed that it had torn more than she thought, and she smiled smugly. At least she had made it suffer a little bit, although it wasn’t enough, she had to find a way to avenge her father. She wondered if he knew she had been taken, or whether life had slipped away moments before. She hated thinking that his last sight was her being taken away.
As the night progressed she was fighting with herself to stay awake. The last thing she wanted was to be at the mercy of her captor. Her thoughts drifted back to earlier on that night, and how Leco had vowed to come after her when her father died. She’d like to see him come find her now, she morbidly thought. Eventually slumber did come upon her, though she tried to resist it with all her strength. Perhaps if she hadn’t expended so much energy on her first hunt she would have been able to remain awake for longer, as it was she entered the dream realm, and she was haunted by visions of Suton.
She awoke with a start. The morning sun was blinding and she had to squint until her eyes adjusted. Her captor was nowhere to be seen so she scrambled around to find a weapon, but nothing immediately revealed itself. She ran up to the rocky face and tried to pry away some of the sharper rocks she found, but they seemed to be rooted to the mountain. Her second task was to find an escape route. She warily tiptoed to the edge of the platform. It seemed to be a sheer drop down, but as her eyes wandered around she thought she might have seen a possibility to the right hand side, although it would be extremely risky.
Hearing a flapping of wings, she rushed back to the dark crevice, waiting to see what her captor would do. She had no idea why he was keeping her alive, and to her surprise he dropped down a dead animal. Beki hadn’t eaten since the hunt so she tore into the meat ravenously and the juice soaked her chin. After a few bites she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and watched the Pterodactyl, who again was sitting at the edge of the platform, gazing out onto the world.
She had an urge to run up to him and push him off, but she doubted she was strong enough. When flying, the dinosaur looked huge, but that was mostly due to its enormous wingspan. However, even when it was stationary on the ground it was still much taller than her. It’s long, thin head twitched as it scanned the horizon, its beady little eyes flicking this way and that. It barely seemed to notice her, and her heart was filled with loathing.
As she chewed the meat she noticed that some of the bones on the skeleton had been snapped, leaving jagged ridges at the tips. She knew then that she had found her weapon, but she knew it would be hard to take the dinosaur by surprise, and she was too weak to overpower him in normal circumstances.
This routine continued over the following few days. The Pterodactyl would hunt during the night and then bring her back another carcass in the morning. She would then strip the dead animal of its meat, leaving only the sharp, dangerous bones scattered about the platform. She did not know when she would strike, but she wanted to know that a weapon would always be nearby. During the day he would fly off again, leaving her to her own devices. She often wondered where he went, whether he had other hostages on other platforms, or whether he simply flew about exploring the world. Beki had a hard time imagining being that free. Her tribe was her whole life, and to be alone in this world seemed like a fate worse than death.
Still an escape plan did not present itself, and she was beginning to get frustrated. However, on one particularly hot day her clothes began to itch so she tore them off, and as she exposed herself the Pterodactyl swung its head around. She saw hunger in its eyes. Immediately her cheeks flushed red and she used her heads to cover herself, using one arm to press against her breasts and the other to cover her most intimate area. But in that moment she saw her chance, and knew how to manipulate the great beast.
Slowly, she revealed herself once more and was taken aback as the Pterodactyl reared back on its legs and spread out its wings, flapping them to cause a great gust of wind to wash over her. As it did so, Beki saw how hard he was, and her mouth dropped in shock, almost fearing the desire that crept in her loins. She had never been with a man before, and she had only intended to use her body as a weapon to slay this creature, but now that she saw it in all its glory she realized that she wasn’t doing it only because she had to, but because she wanted to as well.
The sun beamed brightly behind him, and as it hit his wings they looked like a beautiful fabric, and it was one of the rarest sights in the world. The sun kissed her skin too, but then the Pterodactyl moved forward and his shadow enveloped her, blotting out the sun, blocking out the world outside. His cock sprung forward from his thin, vulnerable body and as it came at her she got down on her knees and took him in her mouth. She sucked slowly and deeply, taking it all. One hand gripped the shaft to hold him steady, the other reached down and she massaged herself, enjoying the wet moistness that was flowing from her. She heard the Pterodactyl’s wings flap softly as she pleasured him and it made her smile. She leaned back, and watched as her saliva dripped down the thick, throbbing cock. She knew then that he was hers, and after pleasure there would come pain.
Beki released her grip on him and lay back, baring herself to him. The Pterodactyl moved forward and leaned down so that he could take her, and she adjusted herself so that he could get deep inside her. He began to rhythmically pump and Beki’s whole body began to shake, then the wings came over her, enveloping her as if she was in a warm cocoon. She was pressed closed against the body now, and the two of them were connected. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, and they became practically one entity.
His body felt rough against her soft skin but she held on tightly, and then she felt herself being lifted off. The wings released her and spread out, and she saw that she was flying through the sky. All the while the Pterodactyl remained hard inside her. He took her swooping through the cloudless sky; the air blew her hair back and felt refreshing against her hot, sweaty skin. The Pterodactyl glided softly through the air, and she knew that one move from her and she would fall to a painful and
grisly death, which only heightened her arousal. Even though he had killed her father she couldn’t help but enjoy the experience, so when the Pterodactyl eventually took her back to the platform it didn’t take her long to shudder with pleasure. He brought her down on the warm stony surface with a thud and she winced as the pain from the impact shot through her body, but now he resumed thrusting wildly as they were fully entangled in the throes of passion. He reared back again and spread his wings as he came, and she arched her back as she felt him come inside her.
Both their hearts were beating furiously, but she didn’t forget her true mission. The Pterodactyl remained above her, a towering presence, but wings were stretched out in a display of dominance. Without looking, she reached around frantically. Soon enough her hands fell on an errant ribcage. She raised it and plunged it into the chest of the great beast, and it screeched in agonizing pain. She pulled it out and stabbed him again, the jagged tips tearing at the dinosaur’s flesh. Red blood seeped out in great streams, and the Pterodactyl was flapping its wings, tumbling around the platform.
Beki let the ribcage drop to the floor and picked out a longer, sharper bone. This time she ran up to the dinosaur and slashed wildly. Its talons tried to retaliate but she was too fast, and dodged its blows.
Dinosaur Love (Story Collection #1) Page 7