Primordial World: Book 3 (The Primeval Series), page 1
Baileigh Higgins
Primordial World - Book 3
Copyright © 2023 by Baileigh Higgins
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This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
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Contents
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Acknowledgments
Dedication
Prologue I - Shadow
Prologue II - Rupert
Chapter 1 - Ridley
Chapter 2 - Ridley
Chapter 3 - Ridley
Chapter 4 - Jara
Chapter 5 - Malcolm
Chapter 6 - Seth
Chapter 7 - Seth
Chapter 8 - Seth
Chapter 9 - Wayde
Chapter 10 - Aret
Chapter 11 - Rupert
Chapter 12 - Ridley
Chapter 13 - Jessica
Chapter 14 - Rogue
Chapter 15 - Jara
Chapter 16 - Dax
Chapter 17 - Ridley
Chapter 18 - Seth
Chapter 19 - Wayde
Chapter 20 - Seth
Chapter 21 - Seth
Chapter 22 - Aret
Chapter 23 - Rogue
Chapter 24 - Shadow
Chapter 25 - Dax
Chapter 26 - Ridley
Chapter 27 - Jed
Chapter 28 - Ridley
Chapter 29 - Jessica
Chapter 30 - Jessica
Epilogue - Ridley
Primordial Earth - Sneak Peek
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About the Author
Glossary
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Acknowledgments
A huge thank you to Alex for the stunning book cover design. You can check out his portfolio on Facebook at 187Designz. He’s an amazing artist!
Dedication
This book is dedicated to the many wonderful readers I’ve met over the years, be it on social media, via email, or in person. There are so many, I can hardly keep them all straight in my head. People who have supported me through thick and thin. Who cheer me on when I embark on a new project and faithfully read everything I produce. It’s people like you who make this job worth doing, and I hope you enjoy this book of prehistoric adventure. May you experience many more great stories and friendships in your lifetime. Happy Reading!
Prologue I - Shadow
The pack of Dakotaraptors moved with deadly grace, their sinewy bodies rippling with every step. The forest around them formed a dense thicket of pine and oak with a thick underbrush of ferns and shrubs. The air was redolent with the smell of pine needles and damp earth, and shafts of golden sunlight filtered through the canopy overhead.
The raptors moved silently through the trees, their sleek bodies crossing the terrain effortlessly. They were the lords of the forest, master hunters who had evolved over millennia to become the perfect killing machines. Their beady eyes gleamed with predatory focus, and they sniffed the air with distended nostrils. There was a new scent in the wind—a human scent.
Shadow, the pack leader and matriarch, stood six feet tall. She was almost three times as long from snout to tail and weighed nearly half a ton. She was a fearsome sight with only one eye, and a heavily scarred hide that bore witness to years of combat. Unlike other raptor species, she sported wings instead of front arms. The feathers were a mixture of black, dark brown, and tan, allowing her to blend seamlessly into the surroundings. The rest of the pack consisted of four males and three females, all smaller than her. They followed her without question, cowed into obedience.
They had been tracking the trade party for hours, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. They’d learned that humans were easy prey, their bodies slow and weak. Sometimes, they fought back with their long sticks that shot fiery rocks, but most of them wielded nothing more than spears and clubs—an easy target for a pack of raptors.
Shadow signaled for her pack to spread out, and they slipped silently through the trees. Hidden in the shade, they lay in wait for the unsuspecting humans and their pack animals to appear from around the bend.
It was the perfect ambush, and Shadow stared at the dirt road with her one good eye. Her leathery lips peeled back from her teeth, exposing her fearsome canines, and the sickle claws on her legs tapped the rocky ground with impatience. A stream of drool dribbled from her lips at the thought of the feast to come.
The first wagon trundled into view, its wheels bouncing on the rough track. A team of mules dragged the heavily laden cart, their hides darkened with sweat. The driver cracked a whip, and Shadow snarled involuntarily, her hackles rising.
A second and third wagon appeared around the corner, drawn by bullocks with their heavily muscled shoulders. More people followed, some carrying packs and others wielding spears, machetes, crossbows, and the occasional rifle. They were oblivious to the danger lurking in the trees. They laughed and chattered among themselves, unaware of their fate.
Shadow bared her teeth as the wagons drew closer and signaled for the pack to attack. The raptors burst from their hiding places, lunging towards the unsuspecting humans and animals. The humans screamed and scrambled for cover, but it was too late. The pack was upon them, tearing through their midst.
Shadow targeted the second wagon, leaping onto the nearest bullock’s back and sinking her claws deep into its flesh. The panicked beast bellowed in pain and terror, and the wagon driver screamed as he was thrown from the cart. With a quick lunge and a twist of her head, she snapped the bullock’s neck before leaping onto the hapless driver. The sickle claws on her hind legs tore into the man’s abdomen, and his entrails spilled onto the ground.
A guard with a crossbow took a shot at her, and the bolt grazed her shoulder. Shadow pounced on the man with a snarl, her jaws snapping shut on his head. Biting down, she felt the bone crack between her teeth. Like an overripe melon, the skull exploded, filling her mouth with hot blood and brains. She savored the taste but dropped the corpse and moved on to the next fleeing human.
The rest of the pack followed her example, wreaking havoc. Screams filled the air, mules brayed, and guards shouted futile commands. A team of bullocks stampeded into the forest, bulldozing through the trees and undergrowth with a thunderous racket.
Two raptors gave chase, bringing the panicked animals to the ground in a cloud of blood and dust. The rest of the pack tore through the trade caravan, killing the scattered animals and their former masters with horrific ease. A handful fought back, tossing spears, shooting bolts, and hacking with their knives. A few blades and missiles found their mark, but the raptors’ hides were thick and tough. They shook off the flesh wounds like it was nothing but the sting of a gnat. Fast and agile, they ran circles around the slower humans and ignored any injuries they sustained.
Shadow looked around, her single eye glowing with triumph. When she spotted a small group of humans and two wagons making their escape, she jumped to intercept. But a burly man wielding a fire stick blasted stinging rocks at her, and she veered away with an angry snarl. A second shot tore into her shoulder, and blood spurted from the wound. Enraged but in pain, she beat a hasty retreat. Abandoning the fleeing humans, she turned her attention to the rest of the caravan. There was enough meat to feed her pack for days, and she wasn’t about to risk their lives for a few escapees.
Returning to her pack, Shadow attacked and killed two more humans and a braying mule. As the last trader fell beneath their vicious assault, she raised her head to the sky and let out a triumphant roar. Her pack echoed her cry, their voices rising in a deafening chorus. Corpses, scattered goods, and broken wagons littered the road, and crimson blood soaked the earth, a testament to their victory. The forest belonged to them and them alone.
With their dominance proclaimed, they gorged on the abundance of food a
Prologue II - Rupert
Rupert had been leading trade caravans for as long as he could remember. He knew the dirt track that led from the town of Sitka to Vancouver like the back of his hand. The trade route wound its way through the dense forests of the North, and the summer season had left the landscape lush and green. Trees towered above his head, forming a canopy that filtered the sunlight to cast a dappled shadow on the forest floor.
He surveyed the surroundings with a keen eye for travel, not allowing his guard to slip. He knew the dinosaurs were active during this time of year, and their breeding season meant they were even more protective and dangerous than usual. His caravan consisted of twelve wagons laden with supplies and goods. The mules and bullocks hauled the cargo, and the traders walked alongside the wagons, armed with crossbows, spears, and machetes.
Rupert was a sturdy man, his face lined and grizzled with a full beard that covered most of his chest. A long coat made from buffalo hide covered his body, and a necklace of Spinosaurus teeth hung around his teeth. He’d killed the beast, taking the dinosaur down with six shots from a high-caliber rifle. It was a man-eater, terrorizing traders to the south years before. Now, it was dead, its corpse returning to the earth in the cycle of life. The necklace served as a reminder of the dangers of the prehistoric world.
He rode atop his wagon, scanning the surroundings for any danger. He kept a tight rein on his animals, knowing that the slightest sound could startle them and cause a commotion. The din of the forest was all around him, but he was used to it. He knew how to differentiate between the usual sounds of the forest and the telltale signs of predators.
The caravan moved slowly, but it was steady progress. Rupert’s vast experience meant they could move efficiently, avoiding the pitfalls and dangers that lay in wait. The traders chatted and joked among themselves, but their eyes darted around, alert for any signs of trouble that might arise. Everything was going smoothly until they reached a bend in the road. That was when the raptors struck.
Chaos erupted as the pack descended upon the caravan, closing in from all directions. Their powerful hind legs propelled them across the open space with incredible speed, their reptilian jaws lined with vicious teeth. They reached for their victims with long feathered forearms tipped with razor-sharp claws, each capable of rending a man limb from limb. An enlarged sickle-shaped talon on each foot gleamed in the sun, ready to disembowel the unlucky.
To Rupert, they were a cross between reptiles and birds. A monstrous marriage of species that resulted in the ultimate killing machine. He’d seen his share of dinosaur attacks, but this was different. These predators were organized, their ambush coordinated and calculated as they ripped through the caravan, taking down man and beast alike.
Rupert’s heart pounded as he reached for his shotgun, aiming at the closest raptor. But as he pulled the trigger, his shot went wide, and the raptor turned on him, its eyes fixed on its prey. He scrambled for cover, hitting the ground hard, and crawled underneath the wagon. He could hear the screams of his fellow traders as they fought for their lives, but he knew he was on his own.
A set of jaws lined with teeth snapped at him, the raptor scrabbling at the opening with its hooked claws. Rupert jerked away and swung his shotgun into position. A pull of the trigger was followed by a deafening blast, and his ears rang as the shell tore into the raptor’s torso. It let loose a bloodcurdling screech before it wheeled around and disappeared in search of easier prey.
Shaking his head, Rupert crawled out from underneath the wagon and looked around. The scene that met his eyes was one of carnage. In the space of a few seconds, half of his men were down, their wagons and pack animals destroyed. His wagon listed to the side, the bullocks that pulled it dying in the dust from fearful gashes to their throats.
A couple of gunshots sounded in the distance, and he turned in that direction. Darting through the debris, he looked for the source, hoping against hope that some of his people were still alive. He spotted a tiny knot of humanity at the tail end of the caravan making their escape. They’d formed a circle around the last two wagons that were still intact and beat a hasty retreat.
Rallying at the sight, Rupert charged toward them, reloading his shotgun while he ran. He reached them just as a one-eyed raptor leaped across the open space to attack, but a blast from the gun sent it darting back for cover. A second shot punched into its shoulder, sending a fine crimson mist into the air. With a screech, the monstrous creature retreated, turning its attention to easier prey.
Rupert watched the creature go with a heavy heart, knowing he could do nothing to stop it or its pack mates. There were too many of them and too few of his people left alive to fight. The ambush had been a complete surprise, a testament to the raptors’ intelligence, and the traders had paid a heavy price.
Rupert spun around, his heart aching with grief. He looked at the meager remains of his people and shouted to the guards. “We’ve got to get out of here now. Move!”
They got the wagons turned around, setting a brutal pace. There was no time to waste. The night was falling, and they had to be far away by the time they made camp.
Along the way, he assessed the group and came to a grim conclusion. Only a dozen traders and guards survived the attack, but two would die before the morrow.
“I can make them comfortable, at least,” Eleanor said, whipping her mules to greater speed.
“Thank you,” Rupert said, hard put to keep up. His lungs burned, and his joints ached with every step. I’m getting too old for this shit.
By the time they stopped to make camp, he was exhausted. His chest heaved like a bellows, and Eleanor eyed him with worry. “Are you okay? Were you injured back there?”
“No. Just a few bumps and bruises,” Rupert said.
“Here. Drink this,” she said, handing him a bottle of tincture. “It’ll open your airways.”
“Thanks,” he said, tossing back the vile liquid. It worked, however, and he soon breathed easier.
“I’ll do what I can to treat everyone’s wounds and make the dying comfortable,” Eleanor said, unpacking her medicine chest.
“I’ll check our stores,” Rupert said, taking stock of their supplies while the rest pitched camp, made a fire, and prepared dinner.
Once everyone had settled down, he cleared his throat and said, “We only have enough food and water to last a few days, so we’ll have to supplement with hunting and gathering. We also have to take an alternate route to Vancouver now that the main route is compromised.”
“Can we make it?” Richard asked, his expression gray. He was one of the fatally wounded, though neither Rupert nor Eleanor had the heart to tell him.
“We’ll make it. That’s a promise. Now, eat and get some sleep, everyone. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.”
With the fate of his people weighing heavy on his shoulders, Rupert took the first watch. He was responsible for getting them to safety, and he’d make sure they did, even if he had to die in the process.
Chapter 1 - Ridley
Ridley woke long before the sun rose. One moment, she was asleep; the next, her eyes popped open, and she was wide awake. The room was dark and quiet except for Loki’s soft snores in the corner. Unable to sleep longer, she tossed aside her blankets and jumped out of bed. A strange mixture of anticipation and excitement bubbled within her chest, and she felt like she could burst with energy. “Do you feel like a run, Loki?”
Loki stirred in his warm nest of blankets but showed no inclination to get up. He didn’t share her early morning enthusiasm and shot her a baleful glare.
Ridley laughed. “Oh, come on, boy. It’ll do us good to get some exercise.”
Loki lifted his head and yawned, exposing his sharp canines. His tail thumped the floor, but he still refused to move.
