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Description
Skull Island, 2.5 million years ago...
Once again, Terakhir was hiding amidst the grasses on Skull Island's plains, but this time things were very different.
After Pelopor’s demise, things had only gotten worse for the beastfeet, not just Terakhir’s packs, but all packs. Pickings became slim as the hairy bipeds (which Terakhir now knew as the heu-heu) butchered the beastfeet’s usual prey. Any pack that dared challenge the heu-heu were forced into retreat, lucky if they had only one casualty. And nowadays the heu-heu didn’t even need to dismantle the beastfeet packs themselves: Hilang had just walked into the jungle one day and never came back.

Now only Sekarat and Penyiasat stood by Terakhir’s side, at least in terms of his original pack; with groups of beastfeet fracturing across Skull Island, what little remained of the old packs were allying with their former rivals, and one such beastfoot, Tersembunyi (the former leader of a pack who had previously competed directly with Terakhir’s), had now joined up with them. Though irritable and arrogant, he was more than willing to cooperate with his former foes for the sake of survival, and stood still against the grass just like his newfound peers.

Today’s hunt was going to be a difficult one. The heu-heu had even forced the beastfeet into pursuing new prey, and Terakhir’s current choice of quarry was one that he greatly feared: the longhorns, colossal tusked ceratopsians. Though smaller than, say, a twinhorn, the longhorns were far more aggressive, tearing up the Earth in search of roots and tubers and often eating smaller animals and violently goring predators to death. Right now they were doing the former, ripping into the ground with their horns and tusks and reducing it to a patch of mud.

Their main target was an old female, her horn, tusks and spikes worn down from years of fighting for survival and her body covered in scars from old fights. She was far away from the herd, and a lot older and weaker than any of her companions.

Terakhir was about to charge when Sekarat grunted at him.

Despite the pack’s lack of options, she clearly had her doubts, and not without good reason: the longhorns were amongst the most savage and ferocious of Skull Island’s wildlife, and Terakhir and Sekarat had even seen one of them face down a pack of deathrunners at one point.

Terakhir nodded, acknowledging her difficulties with the situation, but they didn’t really have any other choice. It was either bring down one of the biggest, baddest omnivores on Skull Island, or compete with a group of almighty invaders.

Sekarat grumbled, but ultimately went back into position.

Terakhir looked at his two other companions: Tersembunyi looked vaguely agitated but still focussed, whilst Penyiasat was clearly holding back his urge to run away.

He held his breath, waiting for what seemed like hours, before finally exhaling and beginning the charge.

Tersembunyi leapt forth from the undergrowth first, lunging right at the old longhorn’s neck and grabbing ahold of her wrinkly dewlap in his jaws. The ceratopsian briefly yelped in pain before Terakhir and Sekarat shoved into her head, pushing her over before she could release a full call of distress.

Penyiasat was last to join the fray, snapping and snarling at the longhorn and lunging onto her scarred flank.

For a terrifying few seconds the dinosaurs tussled and tumbled, rolling further into the jungle as the beastfeet pack narrowly avoided being crushed beneath the colossal body of the old longhorn. In her panic, the elderly beast had strayed far from her herd: the beastfeet could now attack with no need to be concerned about the rest of the herd charging in.

Eventually, the longhorn dug her feet into the ground and rose to her full height, bellowing angrily and shaking her neck in a desperate attempt to rip Tersembunyi free.

Terakhir lunged at the ceratopsian’s flank, digging his razor-sharp teeth right into the longhorn’s side and prompting a screech in pain from his brutish prey. Penyiasat and Sekarat mobbed their horned opponent’s frilled face, keeping the larger dinosaur preoccupied.

Unfortunately, the longhorn wasn’t simply going to lay down and die. She began bucking like a wild horse, trying her best to frighten off the predators around her face and to shake off the hunters from her body. Tersembunyi was torn free, taking a large chunk of the screeching longhorn’s dewlap with him, but Terakhir just about managed to hold on, his teeth and claws digging deep into his opponent’s flesh.

The ceratopsian charged right into a nearby tree, attempting to smash the abelisaur into the towering plant, but Terakhir managed to dodge just in time, desperately clambering forwards and awkwardly leaping onto the longhorn’s back as she bowled the tree over.

Once again, the tusked goliath crashed to the ground, trying desperately to get to her feet. This time, the pack were prepared, and mobbed their enemy, ripping and tearing at her scaly soles and clawed toes. The longhorn bellowed in pain as she tried to start standing up, her now bleeding feet a source of incredible agony.

Tersembunyi roared in triumph, and, after motioning towards Terakhir with his head, charged at the longhorn’s head, ripping and tearing at her neck with renewed ferocity.

The pack leader grunted, pleasantly surprised at how well the hunt was going, and leapt upon the ceratopsian’s great head too.

The two abelisaurs ripped and teared at their downed opponent’s head and neck, growing careless before her snapping beak. Terakhir was just starting to yank out the longhorn’s eye when Tersembunyi yelped in pain, falling back with a bloody ankle. The pack leader’s former rival had received a nasty bite.

Terakhir shrieked at Sekarat, gesturing towards the longhorn’s throat, before running over to his wounded ally.

The pack leader helped Tersembunyi up with his head, looking over his wound despite the arrogant dinosaur’s protests. It didn’t look like anything too serious, especially compared to the expected injuries from their quarry, but Tersembunyi would still struggle to walk for some time.

Sekarat cried out loudly as the loud thump of the longhorn’s legs hitting the ground filled the air.

Terakhir gave a growl of congratulations before turning to Tersembunyi, allowing him to rest on his back so the two could struggle forwards towards their prize.

Even with Tersembunyi’s injury, the hunt had gone shockingly smoothly. Sekarat screeched at Terakhir, half-triumphantly, half-apologetically, and the two nuzzled before allowing Tersembunyi to crouch down and take the first bites out of the carcass.

As the other pack members began to gorge on the corpse, Terakhir kept one eye frantically looking around the surrounding area as he ate. Tersembunyi’s wound had gotten him jumpy: they could not risk the arrival of anything untoward into the area.

As he peered into the misty darkness of the jungle, the pack leader made out a pale shadow amongst the trees, watching silently for a few seconds before vanishing back into the black.

Uh oh.

Terakhir raised his blood-smeared face and grimaced, gesturing for Sekarat to assist Tersembunyi, who was quietly growling with anger and annoyance. Penyiasat whimpered.

Intshabalalo lumbered threateningly into Terakhir’s line of sight, Inamba close behind. The heu-heu had evidently heard the scuffle, and were now closing in.

The beastfeet began to run through the undergrowth, Sekarat struggling along with Tersembunyi whilst Terakhir and Penyiasat held back, deliberately keeping slow to protect their pack-mates from any overconfident mammals. The hairy invaders were gaining on them fast, and if the beastfeet weren’t careful they’d soon be overtaken by the snarling horde.

For a few long and tense seconds, the beastfeet managed to keep ahead of the heu-heu, albeit barely. The first of the mammals to head in front of them made the mistake of attempting to swat Terakhir aside with a hairy arm, and received a nasty bite to said limb for its trouble before being thrown to the ground. Sekarat briefly stalled, debating on whether to turn around and help her mate, but Terakhir merely roared at her to keep going before resuming his own running.

After the first of the heu-heu had launched its attack, the others weren’t far behind. More and more of the bipeds emerged from the trees, leaping out and trying to pounce upon the beastfeet.

Sekarat stumbled briefly, long enough for a heu-heu to lunge upon her and Tersembunyi, but the wounded beastfoot leapt off of his would-be saviour’s back, striking down the mammal with his injured foot before landing back on the ground.

Sekarat shrieked in protest, but Tersembunyi was having none of it, and shoved her ahead with a grunt before turning to face a new duo of heu-heu. The dinosaur didn’t stand a chance: he was bowled over and dismembered by the mammals in seconds, barely even scratching the beasts before he went down.

Terakhir screeched in horror, but he could do nothing but run. Tersembunyi would not want his sacrifice to be in vain.

The pack leader called to his fellows, urging them to run faster. Both of them looked reluctant, but as more and more of the heu-heu leapt out at them they soon agreed to the order.

The dinosaurs hurried onwards as fast as their feet could carry them, their enemies speeding after them.

Despite Tersembunyi’s sacrifice, Sekarat was still bringing up the rear, and Terakhir couldn’t help but look back at his mate as the heu-heu closed in.

Just as they began to reach the edge of the forest, the mammals lunged upon Sekarat, wrinkled hands grabbing ahold of her and sharp teeth biting into her flesh.

Terakhir stopped as Penyiasat blindly dashed ahead, roaring in utter agony at the fate that had befallen his mate.

Sekarat roared back, gesturing madly with her head for him to move on. Though one or two of some of the more savage heu-heu continued their assault, the others began to back away, their faces contorting with guilt and horror at the situation unfolding before them.

Terakhir wanted to stay, but he knew he couldn’t. He watched in silent horror as the love of his life crashed to the ground, starting to bleed out from her innumerable injuries as the last few heu-heu willing to prolong the attack delivered further blows.

Penyiasat’s broken-voiced roar snapped Terakhir back to the present situation. Though clearly horrified at the sight before him, the strategist gestured with his head. They needed to get moving.

Terakhir took one last forlorn look at the dying Sekarat, gave one last loving whimper at his perishing mate, and then ran away out onto the plains.

This was his fault. He should’ve been the one to take Tersembunyi. He should’ve died in Sekarat’s place. She had died right in front of him and there had been nothing he could do.

But there was something he would do.

Kill Intshabalalo. Kill the leader of the heu-heu.

Yes, that is what Terakhir had to do. For the heu-heu must feel the same pain that he now felt tearing his heart to pieces…

-------------------------------------------

Name: Longhorn
Scientific name: Triclonius exacutus
Height: 15 meters
Length: 37.5 meters
Diet: Omnivore
Affiliation: Minor Kaiju
Roaming Skull Island in destructive, marauding herds, the longhorns were a variety of ceratopsian rather akin to a boar on steroids. Equipped with vicious tusks and a monstrous horn, the longhorns used these sharp appendages both to attack their enemies and to tear roots from the ground, with many of their fossils showing violent breakages that were mostly likely caused by attacks on other creatures. Roaming in small groups, these violent omnivores would eventually be outcompeted by other, less aggressive herbivores, vanishing into the haze of extinction only shortly after the arrival of the Iwi’s ancestors on Skull Island.

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Main Character Inspirations: The Triclonius, a ceratopsian from the scrapped King Kong movie The Legend of King Kong, and the dubious dinosaur genus Monoclonius
Appearance inspirations: Concept art for the original Triclonius, Charles R Knight's paintings of Monoclonius, Sinoceratops skeletals, boars and my own imagination

The Legend of King Kong belongs to Universal
The deathrunners belong to Boom! Studios
This beastie was suggested by Ameroboto . One more entry and this arc is over! Apologies for the wait folks, been trying my best to write this one but have been rather busy lately.

Description
Skull Island, 2.5 million years ago...
Once again, Terakhir was hiding amidst the grasses on Skull Island's plains, but this time things were very different.
After Pelopor’s demise, things had only gotten worse for the beastfeet, not just Terakhir’s packs, but all packs. Pickings became slim as the hairy bipeds (which Terakhir now knew as the heu-heu) butchered the beastfeet’s usual prey. Any pack that dared challenge the heu-heu were forced into retreat, lucky if they had only one casualty. And nowadays the heu-heu didn’t even need to dismantle the beastfeet packs themselves: Hilang had just walked into the jungle one day and never came back.

Now only Sekarat and Penyiasat stood by Terakhir’s side, at least in terms of his original pack; with groups of beastfeet fracturing across Skull Island, what little remained of the old packs were allying with their former rivals, and one such beastfoot, Tersembunyi (the former leader of a pack who had previously competed directly with Terakhir’s), had now joined up with them. Though irritable and arrogant, he was more than willing to cooperate with his former foes for the sake of survival, and stood still against the grass just like his newfound peers.

Today’s hunt was going to be a difficult one. The heu-heu had even forced the beastfeet into pursuing new prey, and Terakhir’s current choice of quarry was one that he greatly feared: the longhorns, colossal tusked ceratopsians. Though smaller than, say, a twinhorn, the longhorns were far more aggressive, tearing up the Earth in search of roots and tubers and often eating smaller animals and violently goring predators to death. Right now they were doing the former, ripping into the ground with their horns and tusks and reducing it to a patch of mud.

Their main target was an old female, her horn, tusks and spikes worn down from years of fighting for survival and her body covered in scars from old fights. She was far away from the herd, and a lot older and weaker than any of her companions.

Terakhir was about to charge when Sekarat grunted at him.

Despite the pack’s lack of options, she clearly had her doubts, and not without good reason: the longhorns were amongst the most savage and ferocious of Skull Island’s wildlife, and Terakhir and Sekarat had even seen one of them face down a pack of deathrunners at one point.

Terakhir nodded, acknowledging her difficulties with the situation, but they didn’t really have any other choice. It was either bring down one of the biggest, baddest omnivores on Skull Island, or compete with a group of almighty invaders.

Sekarat grumbled, but ultimately went back into position.

Terakhir looked at his two other companions: Tersembunyi looked vaguely agitated but still focussed, whilst Penyiasat was clearly holding back his urge to run away.

He held his breath, waiting for what seemed like hours, before finally exhaling and beginning the charge.

Tersembunyi leapt forth from the undergrowth first, lunging right at the old longhorn’s neck and grabbing ahold of her wrinkly dewlap in his jaws. The ceratopsian briefly yelped in pain before Terakhir and Sekarat shoved into her head, pushing her over before she could release a full call of distress.

Penyiasat was last to join the fray, snapping and snarling at the longhorn and lunging onto her scarred flank.

For a terrifying few seconds the dinosaurs tussled and tumbled, rolling further into the jungle as the beastfeet pack narrowly avoided being crushed beneath the colossal body of the old longhorn. In her panic, the elderly beast had strayed far from her herd: the beastfeet could now attack with no need to be concerned about the rest of the herd charging in.

Eventually, the longhorn dug her feet into the ground and rose to her full height, bellowing angrily and shaking her neck in a desperate attempt to rip Tersembunyi free.

Terakhir lunged at the ceratopsian’s flank, digging his razor-sharp teeth right into the longhorn’s side and prompting a screech in pain from his brutish prey. Penyiasat and Sekarat mobbed their horned opponent’s frilled face, keeping the larger dinosaur preoccupied.

Unfortunately, the longhorn wasn’t simply going to lay down and die. She began bucking like a wild horse, trying her best to frighten off the predators around her face and to shake off the hunters from her body. Tersembunyi was torn free, taking a large chunk of the screeching longhorn’s dewlap with him, but Terakhir just about managed to hold on, his teeth and claws digging deep into his opponent’s flesh.

The ceratopsian charged right into a nearby tree, attempting to smash the abelisaur into the towering plant, but Terakhir managed to dodge just in time, desperately clambering forwards and awkwardly leaping onto the longhorn’s back as she bowled the tree over.

Once again, the tusked goliath crashed to the ground, trying desperately to get to her feet. This time, the pack were prepared, and mobbed their enemy, ripping and tearing at her scaly soles and clawed toes. The longhorn bellowed in pain as she tried to start standing up, her now bleeding feet a source of incredible agony.

Tersembunyi roared in triumph, and, after motioning towards Terakhir with his head, charged at the longhorn’s head, ripping and tearing at her neck with renewed ferocity.

The pack leader grunted, pleasantly surprised at how well the hunt was going, and leapt upon the ceratopsian’s great head too.

The two abelisaurs ripped and teared at their downed opponent’s head and neck, growing careless before her snapping beak. Terakhir was just starting to yank out the longhorn’s eye when Tersembunyi yelped in pain, falling back with a bloody ankle. The pack leader’s former rival had received a nasty bite.

Terakhir shrieked at Sekarat, gesturing towards the longhorn’s throat, before running over to his wounded ally.

The pack leader helped Tersembunyi up with his head, looking over his wound despite the arrogant dinosaur’s protests. It didn’t look like anything too serious, especially compared to the expected injuries from their quarry, but Tersembunyi would still struggle to walk for some time.

Sekarat cried out loudly as the loud thump of the longhorn’s legs hitting the ground filled the air.

Terakhir gave a growl of congratulations before turning to Tersembunyi, allowing him to rest on his back so the two could struggle forwards towards their prize.

Even with Tersembunyi’s injury, the hunt had gone shockingly smoothly. Sekarat screeched at Terakhir, half-triumphantly, half-apologetically, and the two nuzzled before allowing Tersembunyi to crouch down and take the first bites out of the carcass.

As the other pack members began to gorge on the corpse, Terakhir kept one eye frantically looking around the surrounding area as he ate. Tersembunyi’s wound had gotten him jumpy: they could not risk the arrival of anything untoward into the area.

As he peered into the misty darkness of the jungle, the pack leader made out a pale shadow amongst the trees, watching silently for a few seconds before vanishing back into the black.

Uh oh.

Terakhir raised his blood-smeared face and grimaced, gesturing for Sekarat to assist Tersembunyi, who was quietly growling with anger and annoyance. Penyiasat whimpered.

Intshabalalo lumbered threateningly into Terakhir’s line of sight, Inamba close behind. The heu-heu had evidently heard the scuffle, and were now closing in.

The beastfeet began to run through the undergrowth, Sekarat struggling along with Tersembunyi whilst Terakhir and Penyiasat held back, deliberately keeping slow to protect their pack-mates from any overconfident mammals. The hairy invaders were gaining on them fast, and if the beastfeet weren’t careful they’d soon be overtaken by the snarling horde.

For a few long and tense seconds, the beastfeet managed to keep ahead of the heu-heu, albeit barely. The first of the mammals to head in front of them made the mistake of attempting to swat Terakhir aside with a hairy arm, and received a nasty bite to said limb for its trouble before being thrown to the ground. Sekarat briefly stalled, debating on whether to turn around and help her mate, but Terakhir merely roared at her to keep going before resuming his own running.

After the first of the heu-heu had launched its attack, the others weren’t far behind. More and more of the bipeds emerged from the trees, leaping out and trying to pounce upon the beastfeet.

Sekarat stumbled briefly, long enough for a heu-heu to lunge upon her and Tersembunyi, but the wounded beastfoot leapt off of his would-be saviour’s back, striking down the mammal with his injured foot before landing back on the ground.

Sekarat shrieked in protest, but Tersembunyi was having none of it, and shoved her ahead with a grunt before turning to face a new duo of heu-heu. The dinosaur didn’t stand a chance: he was bowled over and dismembered by the mammals in seconds, barely even scratching the beasts before he went down.

Terakhir screeched in horror, but he could do nothing but run. Tersembunyi would not want his sacrifice to be in vain.

The pack leader called to his fellows, urging them to run faster. Both of them looked reluctant, but as more and more of the heu-heu leapt out at them they soon agreed to the order.

The dinosaurs hurried onwards as fast as their feet could carry them, their enemies speeding after them.

Despite Tersembunyi’s sacrifice, Sekarat was still bringing up the rear, and Terakhir couldn’t help but look back at his mate as the heu-heu closed in.

Just as they began to reach the edge of the forest, the mammals lunged upon Sekarat, wrinkled hands grabbing ahold of her and sharp teeth biting into her flesh.

Terakhir stopped as Penyiasat blindly dashed ahead, roaring in utter agony at the fate that had befallen his mate.

Sekarat roared back, gesturing madly with her head for him to move on. Though one or two of some of the more savage heu-heu continued their assault, the others began to back away, their faces contorting with guilt and horror at the situation unfolding before them.

Terakhir wanted to stay, but he knew he couldn’t. He watched in silent horror as the love of his life crashed to the ground, starting to bleed out from her innumerable injuries as the last few heu-heu willing to prolong the attack delivered further blows.

Penyiasat’s broken-voiced roar snapped Terakhir back to the present situation. Though clearly horrified at the sight before him, the strategist gestured with his head. They needed to get moving.

Terakhir took one last forlorn look at the dying Sekarat, gave one last loving whimper at his perishing mate, and then ran away out onto the plains.

This was his fault. He should’ve been the one to take Tersembunyi. He should’ve died in Sekarat’s place. She had died right in front of him and there had been nothing he could do.

But there was something he would do.

Kill Intshabalalo. Kill the leader of the heu-heu.

Yes, that is what Terakhir had to do. For the heu-heu must feel the same pain that he now felt tearing his heart to pieces…

-------------------------------------------

Name: Longhorn
Scientific name: Triclonius exacutus
Height: 15 meters
Length: 37.5 meters
Diet: Omnivore
Affiliation: Minor Kaiju
Roaming Skull Island in destructive, marauding herds, the longhorns were a variety of ceratopsian rather akin to a boar on steroids. Equipped with vicious tusks and a monstrous horn, the longhorns used these sharp appendages both to attack their enemies and to tear roots from the ground, with many of their fossils showing violent breakages that were mostly likely caused by attacks on other creatures. Roaming in small groups, these violent omnivores would eventually be outcompeted by other, less aggressive herbivores, vanishing into the haze of extinction only shortly after the arrival of the Iwi’s ancestors on Skull Island.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Main Character Inspirations: The Triclonius, a ceratopsian from the scrapped King Kong movie The Legend of King Kong, and the dubious dinosaur genus Monoclonius
Appearance inspirations: Concept art for the original Triclonius, Charles R Knight's paintings of Monoclonius, Sinoceratops skeletals, boars and my own imagination

The Legend of King Kong belongs to Universal
The deathrunners belong to Boom! Studios
This beastie was suggested by Ameroboto . One more entry and this arc is over! Apologies for the wait folks, been trying my best to write this one but have been rather busy lately.