Scheme

Story by AnthroLover on SoFurry

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#31 of Out of the Shadows: AnthroLover's Version

Part 31


After the odd experience, Rex ran back to the cave to consult Sandstorm. He told the old veteran everything about what happened at the river. He described how the image shifted twice, first revealing a sailback, and then some unknown creature he's never seen. As he explained all of this, Sandstorm stood silent, almost emotionless. A few times he blinked in confusion. The concept of something like this he's never encountered before, but he's heard a few rumors from a pack of adult ridgeheads. Sandstorm wasn't sure to believe what they had said, or accept it as fact. There was no proof before of reincarnation, or the restarting of a life, and there still wasn't proof today.

Rex finally finished his story, panting a little. He still seemed scared from when he saw the reflection of the unknown creature. He was hoping Sandstorm might have an answer to what it was. Unfortunately, he did not. Sandstorm sadly shook his head.

"I'm sorry Rex, I never heard of such a creature before." His eyelids closed slowly. "Only things I can tell ya is that either you dreamt it up or you could try talking with Doc."

The dracovol snarled slightly. "I am not making this up!"

Sandstorm once again showed no signs of emotion. "Calm down. I didn't say you were."

Rex was about to say something, but he couldn't think of anything to say. Sandstorm couldn't provide any answers for him, apparently. He'd have to go to someone else. He wasn't so willing to speak with Doc. The dead-but-alive dinosaur creeped him out. He just couldn't register the fact that Doc was dead, and yet he was still moving, still breathing like the rest of them. Just something about him didn't feel right. He'd rather go to someone else, someone who was quite familiar with this magic stuff.

Rex turned around, putting his back to Sandstorm. "I'm going for a walk." He declared, folding his wings close to his back.

"Are you sure that's wise?" Sandstorm chirped. "What you saw may have been a prediction-"

"But I thought you said... Prediction...?" The dracovol's dark eyes widened at the very word. "Prediction?"

The sickleclaw noddled almost furiously. "It may be warning you of some ominous future for you. But I cannot be certain." He took a step closer. "Do you remember any other details about the creature? Anything you may have left out?"

Rex turned around and stared into Sandstorm's eyes. "Anything...I left out...? Let me think about it." He scratched his chin with his sharp claws as he thought about it. Suddenly a memory came back into his brain. "Oh yeah! The unknown creature looked as though it was breathing fire..."

No sooner had he said this that Sandstorm's pupils contracted into slits and color seemed to pale from his face. "I thought they were only a myth..."

"What was only a myth?"

"Y-You're reflection...was that of a...a..." Sandstorm seemed totally frightened now, stuttering like a little hatchling.

"Of a what?" Rex asked impatiently.

"A flamebreath..." Sandstorm mouthed the word silently.

Rex tilted his head to the side. "A flamebreath...? Never heard of those."

"You're lucky... When I was young my mother told me about them. She says they're quite nasty. They're large beasts to prowl the land, sea, and sky. Their ability to breathe fire makes them almost invulnerable. Their scales act like armor, impossible to penetrate with even the sharpest of claws. Their tails are like that of a clubtail, but even stronger." Sandstorm whimpered. "If you saw that in your reflection, and if that reflection was a prediction, then it means..." He couldn't bring himself to say it.

"But what if it was...me...a past life..?" Rex asked carefully.

Sandstorm's eyes leveled with Rex's eyes. "A past life...? What makes you think it was a...past life?" He asked just as cautiously.

"You see...there was something else I saw in the reflection." He gulped. "A third shift."

"What was it?"

"It looked like me...my adult self... I looked...so creepy...so evil... I...I don't wanna talk about it..." He could feel tears in his eyes. He looked at his hands, shaking. "I had blood in my claws...blood...from a friend..." Sandstorm couldn't figure out what to say. All he could do was watch as Rex trembled, staring at his white claws with shame, confusion, and anger.

Chomper shook his head furiously as he remembered how he was about to capture Rex, but the dracovol flew away before he could do anything. He snarled furiously. "I was close...I was so close..." The voice was once again not his own.

The horned sharptooth strolled along the forest, using his nose to try and catch Rex's scent. The possessed Chomper had seen the reflection, and he knew very well that it was a flamebreath. If he had a flamebreath, even a reincarnation of one, he could be unstoppable! Rex may even possess some of the dragon's powers, like the ability to breath flames without scorching their own mouths. If Rex at least had that ability, the weight of the war would dramatically be shifted in his favor. He smiled almost demonically as he thought of the victorous sharpteeth ruling the Great Valley.

"I must lure Rex onto my side..." Chomper hissed determinedly. "He must come to me."

"Any sign of him, sir?" Loc approached Chomper slowly. "I thought he..."

The blue sharptooth swerved around and stared at him straight in the eye. "I thought I told you to look for Gorjak! I've been told by one of the soldiers that he had come here."

"I-I was sir." Loc stuttered, afraid of the larger dinosaur in front of him. "But I saw you standing here and I thought..."

"Enough excuses!" Chomper snapped, pointing away. "Just keep searching for him!"

Without a word, the red horned sharptooth bolted away into the jungle. Chomper watched him leave, and turned his attention elsewhere. Loc was sometimes a pain, but that is to be expected from a preteenaged dinosaur. He shifted his thoughts back onto Rex. There must be someway to get Rex to come to him. There just had to be something he could do to convince Rex to leave the leaf-eaters' side to join the carnivore's side.

A thought crossed his mind. He had been told by Blueye and Claw that, in the past, they discovered that some of the plant-eaters in the Feeding Area would sacrifice themselves to save someone that they loved. And there were others who would boldy defend someone..for love. Love seemed to strongly bond two dinosaurs together, and they would loyally defend each other.

It seemed like a shrewd idea, an almost disgusting one. But he may be able to win Rex over, and if he could get him on his side, then he could bring forth more sharpteeth, and completely overwhelm the plant-eaters! Victory would be his!

"I'll find him...and I'll make him mine... Littlefoot, your days are numbered." The dark demonic voice growled as Chomper traveled on further, still looking for the dragon reincarnation.