by Korona Knight » Sat Jan 04, 2014 3:19 am
{Yikes, sorry this has taken me so long!}
Adriana slung the pack over her thin shoulder, her body slumping under the weight.
"You better watch out; crazy things out there," her father was muttering, his snow white hair giving away just how old he really was. Though Adri was 18 years old, her father was nearly 50. Her parents hadn't been able to conceive a child and had been trying for years. One day, about a year or so after they'd been given up, Adri's mother had found out she was pregnant. The poor old woman did not survive the birth of her daughter, though, and her father had had a little resentment towards her because of it; not to mention the fact that she was a daughter when he had wished for a son, and because of her origins.
Many said the reason Adri looked like she did was because her parents had gone and seen a witch or sold their souls to the devil in order to get her. Her creepy looks were enough to turn most away and only fueled the rumors.
"Father, I've been out there countless times before; I'll be fine," she purred, looking into her father's gray eyes and cupping his old, wrinkling face in her small hands. "I'll be back before supper."
Adriana had always admired the dinosaurs. They were tall and majestic, something she was not, and having one gave you honor and respect, something Adri did not have. This fueled her drive to have one; for both her and her aging father.
The day was hot and nasty, the air dry and dusty. Adri was used to the weather by now, and though she spent a majority of her time outside, her skin was still a pale white. She found a tree which she climbed up in, greedily soaking in the coolness its shade brought her.
As the sun climbed higher into the sky, the day itself looked less and less promising for capturing a dinosaur. A few more hours passed, and one or two dinosaurs were spotted on the horizon, but none that really caught Adri's eye. She didn't want just any dinosaur; she wanted one that would match her, and she felt she was allowed to be picky, especially since their bond would be a bond for life.
Another hour passed, and Adriana decided it was time to give up. As she jumped down from her perch, she looked up to see a dinosaur fight ensuing on the horizon. Her curiosity peaked, she skirted towards the commotion, getting close enough to see both dinosaurs involved.
They were two large males, though one was significantly bigger than the other. He was black with red and white tribal markings cascading down his back. His tail was webbed and spiked at the end, and extra spikes and sharp claws adorned the beast. Adri's heart thudded against her chest as she laid eyes on the merciless beast; this was the one she was destined to capture.
The smaller of the two was a plain brown male with a few colorful specks down his back and chest and dazzling red eyes. He was completely overcome by the sheer mass and power of the larger male, soon crumpling under in submission. After a few more bites and kicks, the larger stepped back, showing mercy. This was not something Adri had expected out of such a magnificent beast, but it was something she admired.
After a loud, thunderous roar, the loser scampered away, heavily bleeding and with a prominent limp. The larger male turned towards Adri at this point, noticing she was there. Adri froze where she was, heart pounding once more, as he came closer and closer to her. He bared his sharp, white teeth in her direction, drool slipping down his lip. In a feeble attempt to save her life, Adri held up her hand, palm towards him, a sign most animals understood as surrender, and squeezed her eyes shut.
She could feel the hot breath of the dinosaur on her hand as he sniffed her scent, deciding what her fate would be. Seconds passed, putting Adri in pure agony as she waited, not knowing if she would live to see her father again.
A minute passed, and suddenly Adri felt the warm scales on the dinosaur's nose press against her palm. She slowly opened her eyes to see that he was now laying in front of her, his own eyes closed in trust. Adri knew that things almost never went this easy, and it made her heart soar that not only had she found the perfect dinosaur, he too had chosen her as his rider as well.