Predator and Prey

American West 150,000,000 BCE

Cerberus darted in and out of the Apatosaurus herd. His mate, Agaetha, was a giant compared to him. She was nearly a meter longer and more heavily built. Every time Agaetha moved, it was like watching a Pterosaur glide across the heavens.

Both the Allosaurs watched the herd with impatience. Cerberus had the temptation to jump out and frighten the herd. However, he could easily get trampled by the oncoming herd. There was probably at least 40-70 Apatosaurs migrating towards the north, and they seemed to never stop.

Both Allosaurs stayed their distance. It turns out both of them had been seen, and the adult Apatosaurs began calling that there was some predators near by. The calls were thundering, and permeated the tranquil valley in a form of chaos. The Apatosaurs began to “jog” along in an undistorted line.

Immediately, Cerberus and Agaetha parted. Cerberus headed towards the middle of the herd while Agaetha moved towards the rear of the herd. What the two Allosaurs were about to do now would become very complex.

Cerberus scampered under the mountains of moving flesh, quickly outmaneuvering the lumbering giants. He was heading towards an old Apatosaurus, who was probably succumbing to illness.

Agaetha decided that she would have to separate the other Apatosaurs if Cerberus was to separate the aging Apatosaur.

The Apatosaurs began to move more furiously, but their top speed was only a few kilometers at the most. The two Allosaurs were easily the most powerful sprinters, moving at speeds of 32 kilometers at the most.

Agaetha suddenly came face to face with a bull Apatosaur. The male was about 23 meters long and weighed nearly 20 tons. Instead of trying to escape, the bull stood his ground. The approaching Apatosaurs coming from the back just moved out of the way to avoid the confrontation. With the herd and the bull locking Agaetha in, there was no running away. There would be no hope of turning back.

Cerberus had little luck of trying to isolate the old Apatosaur. The old and ill stricken Apatosaur was so far ahead in the herd, Cerberus would have little luck trying to pursue it. Ignoring Agaetha, Cerberus decided to follow the herd from the outside.

Meanwhile, Agaetha lunged toward the bull Apatosaur’s neck. The bull dodged the ferocious Allosaur’s jaws by standing bipedal. When the bull stood on his two back legs, he seemed ever more Herculean.

On each of the bull’s front limbs, there was a long, dagger-like thumb claw. That claw could easily gash a giant wound in an Allosaurus like Agaetha.

This confrontation was getting no where; Agaetha needed support.

Hastily, Agaetha darted away from the bull Apatosaur and circled near the rear. Agaetha managed to bellow a loud roar that pierced through the entire valley.

Up ahead, Cerberus heard Agaetha’s distress call. Immediately he turned around nearly 180 degrees and ran backwards toward Agaetha.

The bull continued to make a defensive stance. Agaetha still kept her distance, but decided she would be killed if she did not take her chance. Agaetha ran for several paces and then flung herself off the ground, aiming her open jaws toward the bull’s neck.

Before Agaetha could bite, the bull stuck his dagger like claw into her neck. Agaetha was in complete shock. The bull then slammed the female Allosaur into the ground. The impact broke many of her ribs, her right arm, and crushed her lungs. Blood spilled out of Agaetha’s neck wound, flowing onto the soil.

The bull Apatosaur now found his chance to escape and began to jog his 20 ton body away from the dying Allosaur.

Before Cerberus could reach her, Agaetha was already dead. Her body lay lifeless, forever frozen in time. There was no indication that Agaetha was alive.

At first, Cerberus did not know what to think. What he did know was that his beautiful mate was killed by the ugliest, most cumbersome of creatures.

In anger, Cerberus roared a piercing shriek. He stomped around Agaetha’s body in a form of a demonic, ritual-type dance.

The male Allosaur tried controlling his anger, but his instincts would not allow him to calm down. He wanted to tear that bastard apart and watch him die, but there would never be revenge. Revenge was impossible on Mother Earth; Cerberus would probably never see the bull Apatosaur again.

Never again would Cerberus hunt the mountains of moving flesh.

He knew that Agaetha was in Eternal Freedom, and one day he would go there too. Then both of them could hunt down all the Apatosaurs they wanted.

After a matter of hours, Cerberus calmed down from his trans-like state. The anger was diminished to sadness, a sadness that would stay with him for the rest of his life. However, Cerberus had to move on. Soon the Pterosaurs would come and feed on Agaetha’s body. He did not want to be there to see that.

Cerberus followed the sun which towered over the valley. Slowly, his courage and bravery returned, and he was off to find a new mate.

End