As he looked back to see the mountains drawing ever nearer through the trees, he decided that the best way to interact with her would be to discuss how they should approach Casrubol given the uncertainty of their standing with the old general. The Behemoth Master opened his mouth to address the Harpy when the very ground around them shook.
Without a word from him, the entire regiment stopped moving. The warriors were all looking around as the ground continued to shake. The movement of the earth below them was not the somewhat steady tremor of an earthquake or an avalanche; rather, it was the measured fall of footsteps that was shaking the ground.
The Behemoth Master called out for Birilus. The scout rode his horse up to the Emperor and brought it to a stop directly below the Behemoth Master. The young warrior looked down at the scout. “When you were previously here, did you see anything that could account for the footfalls we’re feeling?”
The scout had to raise his voice as the sound of falling trees was drowning out his reply. “We saw the eaten remains of some large beast, but it was difficult to tell what it looked like prior to its death or how big it truly was.”
More trees were falling and then being crushed as the Behemoth Master shouted, “Could the creature have been larger than an elephant?”
Birilus didn’t answer. He simply looked to the sky, as did the Behemoth Master and every other warrior in his regiment. A massive head atop of an incredibly long neck suddenly appeared in the sky above them. The creature bellowed loudly as he looked down at the humans and their animals. The beast took one look at the strange creatures and once he considered them not be a threat, the dinosaur that would one day be known as a Brachiosaurus continued on its path to the river. With each step the massive creature took, more trees were crushed to pulp and the ground continued to shake. The imposing Brachiosaurus’ hind leg came within 30 feet of the Emperor’s head and the Behemoth Master was staggered to see that the largest elephant in all of Africa barely reached the leviathan’s knee.
The shaking of the ground increased as more sauropods followed the bull that was leading them toward the river. Realizing that there was no way to walk through the parade of giants, the Behemoth Master climbed down off the Emperor and stood next to Birilus and the Harpy, who had climbed off their mounts as well. The Harpy was staring up at the amazing creatures when the Behemoth Master approached her. The young warrior whispered to the Harpy, “Look at the size of these beasts. With only a few of them, we could trample Rome to the ground within a day. Our largest spears would barely even pierce their skin. I dare say that only fire would stay their progress.”
The Harpy shook her head in response. “You are correct. The power of these creatures is undeniable but look at them. Look at how peaceful they are. So far, in this valley, all we have found is slaughter and death, yet these majestic creatures roam the valley without fear.” She placed her hand on her horse. “These creatures are content as they are living in the manner in which the world intended, much as horses and elephants did before we forced them to stop being animals and to become weapons of war.”
The Behemoth Master was at first shocked by the Harpy’s words. He knew her to be a fierce warrior dedicated to the city and people of Carthage and yet with her last statement, she seemed to indicate as if she felt the greatest weapons in their arsenal should never have been used as weapons in the first place. In his short time as the Behemoth Master, the former heir had learned to think before responding to people and in particular before responding to the Harpy. A wave of cognitive dissonance was raging through the Behemoth Master’s mind as he considered the Harpy’s words. His eyes shifted away from the line of sauropods and to the Emperor.
The warrior looked upon the mighty elephant and considered its life. The Emperor is the ruler of his troop. He has his choice of mates and is supplied with ample food and water. Was it unreasonable for the beast to be expected to fight for the city that provided him with these amenities? The Behemoth Master shook his head as he pushed the thoughts aside and recalled his training as an heir. He had spent countless hours with the elephants. He had seen how well they were trained. No, the elephants’ lives are good. They were bred for this purpose. Fighting for the city of Carthage is what they were meant to do. The Behemoth Master let loose an audible sigh as his thoughts pushed back against the dogmatic teachings of his trainers. Yet is this the life the Emperor of any of the elephants would have chosen were they free? Or would he have the same benefits in the wild without the expectation of engaging in battle? He looked into the eyes of the mighty elephant. You are the ruler of your troop and yet your entire life is beholden to others. As magnificent as you are, you are nothing but a weapon of Carthage, forged as if you were a sword or spear.
The Behemoth Master’s eyes went wide as the full implications of his statement became clear. The Harpy was not merely speaking of the horses and elephants. She was speaking of herself! The Behemoth Master shook his head in disbelief as the next logical step to his line of thinking dawned on him. She is also speaking about me! Am I any different from the Emperor? Was I not bred to fight and die in battle? While I am provided with a mate, she is not here to increase my joy in life or provide me with a family, with an heir of my own. Our purpose is simply to breed new warriors.
While the Behemoth Master had been aware of his role in life as an heir, he now had a new perspective on his existence. He shifted his eyes to the Harpy and he continued his inner monologue. Prior to ascending to the role of Behemoth Master, my role in life was set. I didn’t even have a name. All I had was a chance at a name. A chance at being someone. Is this what the Harpy feels? Is this is why she is such a puzzle to me? She has had an identity much longer than I have, and yet she too was also an heir. Is this what it means to have a name, to be a person? Now that I have started defining myself, am I to question the path others have set me on?
As the last of the sauropods walked by, the Behemoth Master’s thoughts reverted back to his current situation and his desire to have his troops exit the deadly valley and resume their mission. He took one more look at the Harpy and at that moment, he knew exactly what to say to her and how to connect with the woman he longed for. “When we leave this valley, we shall tell Hannibal only of the ferocious creatures we encountered here.” He looked toward the gentle sauropods as they continued their march to the river. “They should be able to live their lives as they chose.”
The Harpy leaned over and hugged the Behemoth Master and as she did so, she whispered, “Thank you.”
The Behemoth Master hugged her back and then shouted to his regiment, “The beasts have passed. Return to your mounts! We shall reach the mountains within the hour!”
The Behemoth Master climbed back onto the Emperor with his thoughts now heavy on what his life would entail after he had completed his mission. He wondered were he to conquer Rome… Were Cesar to fall beneath his sword… Would he be allowed to live out his life or would there be another war to be fought? Were there no more wars, would the Harpy live out her life with him or without the need to produce an heir would she seek out a man she loved and not one she was betrothed to? The Behemoth Master reminded himself that all of these thoughts were pointless unless he could exit this valley alive and complete his mission. The contemplative warrior kicked his heels into the Emperor to instruct the elephant to move forward and then he forced his mind to focus on reaching the mountains and Casrubol. He shifted his gaze toward the mountains again and he shook his head when he saw no sign of torches. A sense of regret began to creep into the Behemoth Master’s mind. He had sent Casrubol ahead to enter the valley first, against the warnings of the Harpy. If the old general had caused the avalanche, was he as much to blame for the deaths of those warriors as Casrubol was?
Chapter 12
The heat was sweltering as the regiment continued to make its way through the jungle. The warriors passed several different species of smaller dinosaurs as they marched toward the mountainside and hopefully, the safety offered
by Casrubol’s spears and arrows.
The Behemoth Master’s mind was racing as the end of the jungle came into view. Between the enraged she-bear with the dead cubs and the avalanche, there was circumstantial evidence to suggest that Casrubol had been working against them. Despite the Harpy’s concerns, and Casrubol’s actions toward Birilus, the Behemoth Master still wanted to believe the she-bear was a test and the avalanche the actions of nature. As an heir, the Behemoth Master had idolized Casrubol. The older general had spoken to him and the other heirs on countless occasions. Casrubol had taught the heirs numerous battle tactics and fighting techniques. The old general was easily one of the most skilled and knowledgeable warriors in the world. If Casrubol had truly turned on Carthage, the Behemoth Master would find himself faced with defeating one of the most brilliant military commanders alive.
Aside from the potential of facing Casrubol in battle, the Behemoth Master was torn by his personal attachment to the general. The potential heirs had no family to speak off. From birth, they were trained to be weapons of Carthage. Heirs who come from a union between two warriors only stayed with their mothers until they were old enough to be weaned off her breast. Once they were pulled away from their mothers, they were raised alongside the other heirs with the trainers. The trainers were responsible for feeding the heirs, putting them through conditioning exercises, and training them to fight and work with the elephants. The heirs had no family. While the trainers met their needs, they provided no inspiration, compassion, or understanding for those in their care.
It was only after his recent realization of his role in Carthage that the Behemoth Master came to understand how lacking in fulfillment his life as an heir was. It was this same realization that allowed him to admit to himself how much Casrubol meant to him. The heirs had no idea who their fathers were. They were simply warriors of Carthage. To many of the heirs, Casrubol and Hannibal were the only male role models they had as children. Hannibal was occupied with matters directly involving Carthage and was typically unable to visit the heirs, but Casrubol would visit frequently. While Casrubol was never given to showing affection to the heirs, he did provide a role model for them. The old warrior represented the pinnacle of what it meant to be a warrior in the service of Carthage. As much as the heirs aspired to be the Behemoth Master, they desired to be like Casrubol. As much as the Behemoth Master dreaded facing Casrubol in battle, he dreaded even more losing his idealized concept of who and what Casrubol was.
From atop the Emperor, the Behemoth Master could see the edge of the jungle before him. Once they exited the treeline, there was a strip of grass and moss several hundred feet in width to the base of the mountains. The Behemoth Master stopped the regiment several feet from the treeline and then he climbed down from atop the Emperor. When he touched the ground, he gestured for the Harpy and Birilus to dismount and approach him. The two warriors did as he bade as the rest of the regiment stayed in their current positions behind the Emperor.
When the Harpy and Birilus were close enough for the Behemoth Master to speak quietly to them, he whispered, “Let us approach the mountainside on foot. We will represent a small contingent and should our fears about Casrubol prove true, three people on foot can escape back into the jungle quicker than what’s left of our regiment.”
Both the Harpy and Birilus nodded in reply when a deafening roar echoed across the sky. The trio turned around to hear screaming as they saw the massive jaws of a Tyrannosaurus rex burst out of the jungle and close on the back of one of the elephants at the rear of the party. The elephant trumpeted in pain as the tyrannosaur forced it to the ground. Once the elephant was on the ground, it tried to fight its way back to its feet but the tyrannosaur was almost twice the size of the pachyderm. With one turn of its powerful jaws, the tyrannosaur snapped the elephant’s neck.
The theropod was reaching down to take a bite out of its kill when dozens of arrows and spears were hurled at it by the Carthaginian warriors. The tyrannosaur roared in anger at the attack and then turned toward its attackers. When the tyrannosaur was fully facing the Carthaginians, the rider of the nearest war elephant ordered his mount to charge the dinosaur. The elephant bravely followed its master’s orders, but the beast was sadly unequal to the task it was given. The tyrannosaur roared and charged the oncoming elephant. When the two massive creatures collided, the tyrannosaur clamped its jaws around the elephant’s right tusk and then in show of its strength, the theropod forced the charging elephant backward until it stumbled over, crushing its rider beneath it. With the elephant on its back before it, the tyrannosaur opened its fearsome jaws and ripped out the animal’s stomach. The dinosaur lifted its head into the air as it chomped down on a mouthful of organs and flesh all while the Carthaginians continued to attack it with ineffective spears and arrows.
A third elephant rammed its head into the tyrannosaur’s side, causing the monster to take several steps back to regain its balance. Once the creature had righted itself, it sprang forward and closed its jaws on the elephant’s head, crushing it in the process.
The Harpy was firing arrow after arrow at the beast as she yelled, “We need to do something fast! Our elephants are taking heavy casualties and it’s only a matter of time before warriors start dying off in large numbers.”
The Behemoth Master looked to the mountainside to see Casrubol and his guard standing there, bows in hand. His heart lifted at the thought that not only would Casrubol save them but that the old warrior was indeed still on their side.
The Behemoth Master yelled out, “Exit the trees and make for the mountainside! Casrubol and his men are there! When the demon is within range, they shall unleash a deluge of arrows upon it!”
The warriors of Carthage heeded their leader’s words and made for the mountainside as the tyrannosaur ripped a chunk out of the back of another elephant. The Behemoth Master and the Harpy stood their ground as horses, elephants, and warriors moved past them. The Behemoth Master stood with his axe in hand as he stared at the awesome sight of the tyrannosaur. The theropod’s body was littered with arrows and spears and yet the creature moved around as if it was totally uninjured. The creature’s face was smeared with blood and entrails and still the beast acted as if its hunger was far from satiated.
The last of the remaining elephants were racing for the treeline with the tyrannosaur behind it when Birilus grabbed the Behemoth Master and the Harpy and shouted, “We need to run for the mountain now or that monster will swallow us whole before we even leave the jungle!”
The Harpy and the Behemoth Master turned and ran for the mountains. The Behemoth Master surmised that within twenty steps, they would be within range of Casrubol’s arrows. While he doubted that the arrows would be enough to kill the vile creature, he hoped they would drive him back into the jungle to feast on the elephants he had already killed. When the Behemoth Master felt the air vibrate around him from the tyrannosaur’s roar, he doubted he would live to see Casrubol’s arrows fly above him.
The Behemoth Master felt the tyrannosaur’s foot come down behind him and he knew that his death was at hand. He quickly looked at the Harpy who was running next to him and he focused his last thought on the hope that she would live.
There was a loud crashing sound behind the Behemoth Master and he turned around to see that the Emperor had slammed into the tyrannosaur and knocked the beast to the ground. While the other elephants had proven to lack the physical might to battle the dinosaur, their leader was closer in size to the theropod.
The theropod rolled over several times before it was able to regain its footing. When the monster stood up, it roared at the Emperor who was standing between the tyrannosaur and the Behemoth Master. While the Behemoth Master knew that no animal in the African jungle or the fields of Europe could match the Emperor’s strength, the warrior doubted if even the Emperor could survive a head-on battle with the tyrannosaur.
The Behemoth Master looked at the position of the dinosaur and then he looked up the mountainside at Casrub
ol and his men. The tyrannosaur was well within range of the warriors’ arrows, and yet they stood still. The Behemoth Master shouted, “Casrubol, have your men unleash their arrows upon the monster! Drive it away before it kills us all!”
The old general did not reply. Rather, he simply looked silently at the battle taking place below him. The Behemoth Master sighed briefly as he understood that his hero was leaving him to die. While the thought crushed him, the young warrior pushed the emotional pain he was feeling aside and focused on the saving not only his warriors but the loyal elephant which had now twice saved his life.
The tyrannosaur ran toward the Emperor with his jaws wide open. As the beast approached the Emperor, the intelligent elephant stepped to the side and lowered his head. When the tyrannosaur reached the Emperor, the demon’s jaws missed most of the elephant’s body and clamped down on his left ear. With one pull, the tyrannosaur ripped the Emperor’s ear off. Blood gushed down the Emperor’s face as the elephant swung his head and trunk into the tyrannosaur, knocking the dinosaur away from him.
Seeing his mount injured, the Behemoth Master lifted his battle axe above his head and charged. The tyrannosaur was about to attack the Emperor again when the Behemoth Master ran up to the theropod and drove his axe into the beast’s toe. The tyrannosaur roared in pain and looked down at the Behemoth Master. Before the dinosaur could attack the warrior, the Emperor charged from the tyrannosaur’s left and drove his tusks into the theropod’s side. The tyrannosaur roared in pain as it fought to free itself from the elephant’s tusks.
Blood was raining down on the Behemoth Master as he continued to hack at the tyrannosaur’s foot and toes. He soon found himself joined by the Harpy who was slashing at the beast’s other foot with her sword. With the tyrannosaur impaled on the Emperor’s tusks, the monster was unable to reach down and bite them. Despite the blood it was losing and the pain it was in, the tyrannosaur continued to battle the Emperor. The mighty elephant moved with the tyrannosaur as it tried to free itself from his tusks so the demon made little progress in freeing itself. As the two giants fought, the Behemoth Master and the Harpy continued to slash and hack at the monster’s toes and ankles all while constantly avoiding being crushed by its feet.
Valley of the Dinosaurs Page 10