Commander Anna, the general of Askr’s military commandment, had summoned the raptors and some of the other Heroes in the meeting room. She was discussing some very serious issues happening around Askr, most notably, the changes to the entire ecosystem done by what the scouts can only describe as “aberrant forms”. Anna was collecting herself, and she listed so far the aberrant forms identified:
Basilice.
Sobek and Gorgonorhea.
Henoka.
Styracostegas.
Emmatross.
One of the effects that Anna had said was already happening was the fact somewhere up in Nifl, the sun-god Helios was frozen solid by a “giant icicle-covered serpent.” Blue snarled. Unlike the medieval warriors she was with, Blue and her sisters knew that these aberrant forms were heinous-hybrids created by the controversial Henry Wu, and she needed to destroy them quickly. Her life was already fried by those red-eyed mangled-tooth fatherf**kers and she didn’t want anyone else to suffer the same fate.
And coincidentally, outside the meeting room, Askr’s summoner and tactician Kiran shrieked out a macaw-style gasp. Lucina and the raptors rushed out.
And there, above the groveling,thirsty, pathetic form of Kiran, was a goddess in a pelagic-blue yukata, waving her shark-like crocodilian tail in patience like some Hoshidan deity. Blue didn’t had to blink her eyes to find out who that woman was.
It was the Island Goddess Ryukami, the mosasaurus who not only protected Nublar(before she swam out into the open sea), she was also the heroine that leapt out of her lagoon, pulled the Indominus rex into the water, and devoured her like a roast chicken.
.“Hunh. I was quite busy tearing apart a Chinese shark-finning vessel and I was just about to swallow the last fisherman when you pulled me to this strange dimension,” Ryukami said. “Tell me, human. What reason do you have for interrupting my meal?”
Kiran formed his words meekly. “P-please....Please...H-help me l-land....Vel-velouria and....and....Leanne....”.
Ryukami ignored him. She fixed her gaze on Blue, Lucina, Echo, Delta, and Charlie.
“Hmm. Oh. Hello, little lizards.” the crocodilian whale greeted. “I didn’t expect to see you girls. Especially to you, blue one-” she paused. “Wait, wasn’t there only one raptor left on Nublar? Particularly a charcoal one with a blue stripe?
Blue smiled.”It’s okay Ryu. I think I can explain things along-”
“Oh wow! It’s Ryukami from the Mosasaurus Feeding Show! Look at those sharp teeth of yours! Can i have your autograph?”
For the first time in 80 million years, a velociraptor has tackled a mosasaur. Specifically, Charlie had sprung unto Ryukami, face pressed against the goddess’s chest, and shaking her hands.
“Well, dear child, do you have anything I can sign my name on?”
Charlie brought out her Nintendo Switch. “Sure! You can sign on the back!”
*********
When the meeting had ended and the raptors explain the situation to Ryukami, the mosasaur agreed to ferry them to the icy isle of Nifl. But they were some hurdles to overcome.
First was Teba and Warbler. After the incident in which the two criminals attempted to run-off with the frozen embryos, they were thrown in the cellar awaiting judgement. Lucina and Blue had some very powerful urges to mangle the already injured mercenaries, but Anna wouldn’t allow it presently and declared that Teba and Warbler shall not be executed until they scrutinize the morals of the formers’ agenda. Besides, no one exactly knew how to deal with dilophosaur that spat venom out of its beak and an amphibian with katana-sharp dorsal spines. And as such, as much they’d like to accompany Blue and Lucina on their mission, Echo, Delta, and Charlie decided to stay watch and monitor the samurai and the drunk dilo.
“If they pull something I’m going to tear them apart bit by bloody, bony bit!” Echo cracked her claws in anticipation.
“When Askr finds out what these belligerent iguanas are really up to, then yes.” Delta replied.
“Um, I understand I am in no position to ask, but may I have some water?” Teba requested from within the cell. Warbler lay at the back corner, dozing off.
“You just answered your own question Pouter-Flounder,” Charlie answered back. “it’s called drinking pee.”
And second, as much of a kind reptile Ryukami was, a deity didn’t grant a wish for free. If you wanted a god to grant your wishes you had to offer up a payment.
And by payment, I mean a person or several to sacrifice to the mosasaur.
Initially, Lucina tried to process everything down. Sacrificing people to the dragon-gods can’t be good, she thought, until she considered that in order to obtain the “Good Ending” in Awakening, the Shepherds chopped up and raped, and devoured every last denizen in Plegia. After all, humans, both good and bad, loved to end chaos by BRINGING FORTH chaos. A negative factor multiplied by a negative factor always lead to a positive. Therefore, Lucina decided to sacrifice Henry and Tharja, as well as male Robin to Ryukami.
“Aaaaaaaah, this is the happiest day of my life!” Henry chirped as the mosasaurus crunched downed on his ribs and slurped up his intestines like sausage pasta.
As an added bonus, Ryukami had blessed both Lucina and Blue with water-magic, which not only increased their vitality and endurance, it also allowed them to convert the surrounding water into atmospheric air in case shit happens and the two raptors find themselves 30 meters below the surface.
“The trip to Nifl will take about a two or three days by me so you ought to be thankful for my gifts,” Ryukami said. “Now, is everyone ready?”
********
The night sky was a deep-blue color, a gorgeous complement to the turquoise waters. The air was cool and kind to the skin, which would have been perfect for relaxation.
But there was no time for relaxation. For the past several days(or lacking thereof) there was no sunlight. As Helios the sun-god was turned into a kakigori, an icy cold night was spreading from Nifl to Askr, placing photosynthetic activity in jeopardy.
Blue and Lucina were perched on Ryukami’s head and hand, respectively. When asked why she couldn’t have simply used her Dragonstone to morph into her crocodilian-whale form, Ryukami claimed she had left it at the bottom of Dragon’s Reef.
Even gods have accidents, I suppose, Blue thought.
Lucina broke the silence. “Hey Sole Survivor, have you killed your own parent?”
Blue perked her head.”......Why do you ask?”
“I know I had to kill my previous mother in order to save my father and country. What about you?”
“That’s a very morbid question Future Witness. Were you part of the tiger-raptor tribe on Site B? Did you cannibalize your own sibling as well? To answer your question though, I did not. But that’s not to say I didn’t put Papa and his friends’ lives in danger multiple times.”
“I nearly killed my father as well-in fact, the world where I’m from, I had to detonate my re-animated father like the walking flesh-grenade he was.”
“You know, if I died, my ghost would be more than happy to tell my daughters to eat my body,” Ryukami joined in. “There will be times when children will literally want a part of their parents-at least physically.”
“Well, my ex-mother’s flesh tasted rather like lobster and centipede mixed with sperm-covered pants,” Lucina said.
“Okay Future Witness, can we talk about something else? We already had a chapter dedicated to your hobbies.” Blue remarked.
“Alright,” Lucina answered. “I’ve always wanted to ask you this anyway. What is your papa like? I’ll take note if there is a slight,slight,slight chance I’ll meet him.”
“A nice guy. A bit of a jerk who only goes by his own rules, drinks beer, and lives in the most beautiful shack on the outskirts of the jungle. But as someone who’s raised me and my sisters ever since we were hatchlings,he is the best person in my entire world, so much so I’ll slice up security guards for him.”
“I see.”
Just then Ryukami had stopped at a large ice-floe. “We’re here.” Ryukami announced.
