50 Million Years from Now

Act 7

It was midday on the savannah. Clouds kept hiding the sun before the winds pushed them away revealing its face once again. As this cycle continued, unnoticed by any of the creatures, Vall and Zenith were scouting out the area. So far, they had spotted nothing of interest.

"Where are all the big creatures?" Zenith asked as the pair turned to the left.

"I don't know... It's not right... Usually by this time we should at least have seen something."

"Maybe we are looking in the wrong direction?"

"Zenith, this is the path we always take. I know for a fact that we are not going in the wrong direction."

"The path we always take?" Zenith enquired, confused by Vall's choice of words, having only ever used the word 'take' in its literal sense. The fact was Black beaks were straight to the point in their thinking. They did not have time for expressions or colourful language.

"I don't know. I have a lot to think about right now!" Vall answered with slight irritation.

"Yes, I can see that you're having much difficulty forming your sentences."

"I'm not... I don't... I mean... Oh! Who am I kidding?"

"Kidding?"

"I don't know! I can't think straight right now!"

"Think straight?"

"Listen, I just don't want to talk!"

"Wow! Okay! It seems like everyone I talk to has something bothering them," Zenith responded remembering his earlier conversation with Roc.

The pair kept flying until they finally arrived at the watering hole. As predicted, some creatures were there though no where near the quantity they had been hoping for. Most of the animals were small, except for one creature that towered above them all: the Giant strider.

A direct descendent of the modern-day ostrich, the Giant strider had hardly changed over the millions of years. It still had the black plumage of its ancestor and the featherless neck and legs. But unlike its ancestor, it supported a round sack beneath its throat. The pink appendage resembled a deflated balloon, and oddly enough, this extra piece of skin seemed to have no use other than for show. As its name implies, this species was enormous.

The extinction of giraffes left open an ecological niche which some species of ostrich quickly filled. As the Giant striders evolved to become tree-top browsers, they also became as large as the extinct mammal. Their sheer size was enough to deter most predators, but if they were attacked, their powerful kicks would usually be enough to discourage the carnivores. Thanks to the large muscles in their legs combined with their stature, it wasn't surprising that their kicks were also strong enough to kill a horse instantly and even topple over a buffalo. Overall, the Giant striders were generally safe from danger. Not even the Black beaks would attempt to take down a fully-grown adult.

"I guess the only choice we have now is to go hunt Hole jumpers again," mumbled Vall as he completed a U-turn.

"Not those again! I hate those little things! I swear they keep making fun of me every time I miss them," Zenith whined.

"Listen, I know that it's not fun hunting them, but they're the only food source we can reliably hunt no matter the time."

"Fine! But at least let's go get more Black beaks to help with this," Zenith grumbled.

"Alright, alright," Vall sighed as they headed back towards their home.

As they approached, Vall could see Moramma on lookout duty. He also noticed that she was busy doing something. As he got closer, Moramma called out to the other Black beaks to announce their return. As Vall got closer, he realized what Moramma had been doing. In her talons was a crudely made spear. When Moramma noticed that Vall had seen her work, she quickly tried to hide it, but her makeshift tool hit the branch she was standing on causing the spear to break in half. Moramma looked at it as she growled in frustration and tossed the remaining piece to the ground.