50 Million Years from Now

Act 1

Fifty million years have passed since that day and a new island was formed. There was no real name for it and as far as the inhabitants of the island were concerned, they only called it home. A vast expanse of tropical grassland covered this island. Not too different from the Serengeti of the twentieth century.

In the southwestern area of the island, a very small patch of tropical rainforest stood, snuggly nestled in a mountain range of hills and valleys that covered that entire side of the island, reminiscent of the volcanic activity and tectonic plates that had been colliding and pushing against each other for millions of years. And at the most northern side of the island, a very small desert stood, the winds blowing particles of dust all around in a never-ending blizzard.

But this is not where our story begins. None of these places are in fact. Our story begins in a small cove on the western end of the island. In the waters, a strange octopus swam. At first glance it may not have looked much different from the ones we know today, but it was only when you looked closer that you could truly see what it was. A pair of protrusions above its eyes gave it the appearance of having horns. But except for that, it resembled a perfectly normal octopus. The cephalopod slowly swam around the cove getting closer to the shallows. The nearer it got to its destination, the closer its prey was. It was merely a few inches away from a bed of clams when it reached out with one of its tentacles.

"Almost there... Got you!!" A wooden spear pierced through the horned octopus as it was pulled out of the water.

A strange creature held the wooden spear with his prize on the end. His body was almost completely black apart from his legs which at the time were more a shade of grey. At first, he looked like a bird, and you would be right in assuming so. Covered in black feathers, he slowly grabbed the horned octopus and pulled it off his spear. He held himself in an odd fashion, using his forelimbs as legs and his hindlimbs as arms that swept under his body and thrusted forward. He had three large toes though they acted more like fingers with the fourth backward facing one having changed to be a thumb.

Five-centimeter-long claws, each as sharp as a shark's tooth, easily pierced the horned octopus' soft flesh. As a red viscous liquid flowed out, the creature walked toward a basket made from reeds and grasses tightly woven together and proceeded to drop his catch in it. Turning around, he began his strange walk toward the water's edge, his body seeming to constantly rise and fall in his gait. From his forelimbs, two large fingers acted like toes, each splaying out in an opposite direction providing him with the needed support and balance to move. As the creature took his place on the rock once again, he readied his spear for the next creature to come. Rapid jabs in the water were heard only two meters away.

"You can't do that. You'll scare everything away," the first one said in his native tongue.

"It's not fair! I almost had it!" a smaller creature squawked.

"How many times must I tell you this Zenith? You cannot rush it. You must be patient."

"It's easy for you to say Roc. You've been doing this for years," Zenith grumbled.

"Will both of you just shut up!!" a loud screechy voice chimed in.

A large creature stood on a rock in the middle of the cove. This one towered over the other two. At seven feet tall, he looked like he wouldn't be able to walk, let alone fly, but in a single motion he swung his body forward and leapt spreading his forearms and flying towards the pair. Thanks to their hollow bones and powerful chest muscles attached to their wings, they were still able to fly like their ancestors, though not as gracefully. The large creature landed between Zenith and Roc.

"You two fighting won't solve anything," the largest grumbled, holding his spear tightly.

"Sorry Kay," both Zenith and Roc said bowing their heads in shame.

Kay sighed although it sounded more like a raspy cough and said, "Come on you two. Let's go get the others."

Roc picked up the basket and soon followed Kay and Zenith.

"All right everyone, we have enough. Let's go before those Rock-backs come."

The hunting party took flight at Kay's order, all except one. He was smaller than the rest of the flock, only at three feet in height and having a strange look to him. This Black beak was an albino.

"I said let's go," Kay said, but the albino didn't seem to hear him. He still stood there on the edge of the shore. Kay sighed and told Zenith and Roc to catch up with the others. As they flew off, Kay walked over to the albino.

"What is it this time Vall?" he asked.

"That," Vall said as he pointed to the edge of the cove.

At the other end, right at the entrance where the cove meets the ocean, something was lying on the rocks. A large Rock-back lay there, sunning itself. The large crocodile seemed to be oblivious to them, its grey scales slightly shining in the daylight. Two large flipper-like feet splayed out on each side. Tiny black claws poked from where its toes had once been. Its back legs, now just flippers, were completely useless on land.

"I see what you mean," Kay said.

"How long do you think it was there?" Vall asked.

"I don't know," Kay replied. "All I do know is that we're lucky it's still warming up, and we should keep moving before more arrive. The heat orb is almost at its peak, so more Rock-backs will surely appear. Now come on. Let's go."

Both Vall and Kay took to the air and began heading back toward the flock. As they flew off, another Rock-back, merely two meters away from where they had been, let out a low bellow of disappointment.