2. The Dino Nest

If they couldn’t swallow her in one quick bite, Mami would have found the dinosaurs beautiful.

In the Dino Nest she was surrounded by bright colors. By giants that hid the sun, but also babies, just hatched from their eggs, trying to play. How can a creature start so small and grow so gigantic? she wondered. The gods must have something to do with it.

Their teeth could be larger than entire animal species. Their feet big enough to crush a whole Gosti family at once. And sometimes she had to play the game: “is that a tree or an extremely long dinosaur?”

The dinosaurs with feathers amazed her the most. One had a small body but a high, round tail with alternating red and white rings. If it wasn’t wandering the Dino Nest she would have mistaken it for a squirrel she wanted to cuddle.

But Mami always thought their front legs gave them the biggest advantage. She needed all four of her paws, always. Now that one was broken she was helpless. Powerless.

A dino, however, could break a front leg and still be just as fast and frightening. Though she did see some with very tiny front legs sticking out on the sides. What use are those?

She clung to Donte’s warm back, like a tree she had climbed from which she absolutely did not want to fall. A group of red-yellow dinosaurs shot past his feet. From Mami’s height, even these beasts looked like dwarves. Do dinosaurs even see Small Ones? she wondered. Or do they think we’re grains of sand?

“Donte! I’m proud, little brother! Finally you’ve learned to hunt.” A dark blue dinosaur, slightly bigger than him but with the same round spikes and light belly, bounded toward them.

“Oh, no, no! This friend of mine. Bring terrible news.”

“Indeed! Friendship between Dinosaurs and Small Ones is ridiculous!”

A pink dinosaur, with a back like a hill and head held low, spit right past Donte. “Get thing off your back. We no Taxeies.”

“What’s that?” Mami whispered.

“Foolish creatures that carry Small Ones on backs. Like cowardly porters.” The pink tongue emerged again, nearly licking Mami’s fur.

They drew more and more attention, as a sea of bared teeth surrounded them.

“You bring tasty morsel to our nest, my son,” said a heavy voice hidden behind the thick tree trunks. “No friend, not now and not ever. Give her to us.”

“Already have enough food,” said Donte. “No need to devour every creature you meet.”

“But it is delicious.” The dinosaurs laughed.

Finally his father came into view. The jet black fur was already invisible in the shadows of the trees—at night no creature would spot this danger approaching. His head was four times bigger than Donte’s and his spikes genuinely had points.

Donte stepped backward. “Doesn’t be like this, Rexes. I dream of time when—”

“Perhaps you should dream of hunting and helping your herd. Or stop dreaming altogether.” Mami closed her eyes. Rexes’ breath blew over her entire body. His breath was searing hot; she got goosebumps.

“But I bring warning!” Donte yelled. “Asteroid coming for us and will destroy!”

“And why do you think that?”

Rexes circled around them. Mami only dared breathe when he was on the other side. At least then Donte was a shield between them.

“Cloudbeing heard it from panda.”

Rexes bellowed with laughter. “Then it must be true! Of course!”

He slowed and looked away. “Oh, but that’s peculiar. Just now another cloud was here too. And it said we should punish our underlings more when they don’t obey our rules.”

Mami didn’t know the word underlings, but the way he pronounced it didn’t sound good. She tried hiding completely behind a spike, eyes still closed. Let it be over. Let it be over.

“We are rulers, Donte. Don’t let anything scare you.”

Rexes lifted his left front leg into the air. Donte followed, but Rexes’ head stayed put. “We don’t look up, only look down. Any danger we can defeat. If that danger even exists … "

A shudder passed through Donte’s body. Rexes had pressed his head against his son’s and didn’t let go. “One last chance. Give us your little friend and stop your strange dreams.”

“Don’t do it,” Mami whispered. She trembled from head to toe, and even her broken leg briefly returned to life.

“I will show so doubt disappears,” Donte said quickly.

“Prove,” Mami whispered, “you’re looking for the word prove.”

“Yes, I will prove! Who knows such things? Ask the gods.”

“Gods?” Rexes laughed. “We no longer listen. Only help Small Ones. Even steal our eggs!”

Rexes pushed harder. Even big Donte couldn’t withstand it and slid backward, leaving tracks in the earth.

“Give us food.”

“No.”

Rexes pulled his head back. His eyes looked sad for a heartbeat, his front legs dangling loosely.

“Then you are banished from the herd, my son. Lose your protection. I declare you outlawed.”

Mami quickly learned what that word meant. Donte didn’t waste a second, spun around, and raced from the nest. Most watched sadly or went back to tending their children.

But ten hunting dinosaurs licked their teeth and rushed after him.

Donte ripped a small tree from the earth with his large jaws and flung it over his shoulder. A few hunters stumbled, but most gracefully leapt over it.

Mami wanted to help but could do nothing except hold on tight and hope she didn’t fall off. The hunters grew closer. Donte was big, but not in the slender way that makes you fast, more like a round stone that can roll well. That’s it!

“Start rolling!”

“Have you broken your brain too!?”

“I’m serious! Roll along the edge of Longneck!”

As soon as they reached the river, Donte bent his neck and legs until he was nearly round. Only then did Mami realize she’d be crushed, so she quickly slid to a new spot on his warm belly.

And they rolled.

Sometimes splashes covered them, and Donte knew to turn the other way. Sometimes they slid over a rock and flew as if performing a stunt. But with each roll, the hunters’ volume grew softer, until they heard nothing at all.

They kept on rolling anyway. Just to be sure. Until it felt like the sticky ground sucked them in, accompanied by smacking sounds, and shortly after a big splash. Donte could stand, but Mami had to swim back to shore with three paws.

“I told you so!” she cried. “It was dumb to bring me along.”

“I thought … I think we herd-merge. That be the dream.”

“Herd-merge?”

Donte searched for other words Mami might understand. “Live together?”

“Oh. Well, you’re thinking wrong.”

Footsteps came from the trees surrounding the Wise Sea. They were far too soft for a dino. They didn’t need to ask if someone was there, because a voice sneered: “What buffoon nearly rolls over a goddess?”