[Trade] Scent

When you lived under constant danger and pressure, you were forced to grow up faster than others. When you lived in the Alpha Labs, you had to grow up even faster. Some were even born fully grown, out of the mysterious tubes and frozen dens that had been sealed away long ago and even now were slowly opening.

Shadestealer, Avati, and Jupiter had been some of the lucky ones. They were all either born to a pair of adults, or had been found soon after hatching from an abandoned egg and taken in. Either way, they were safe- or as safe as acrocanthosaurus hatchlings could be in an abandoned, dangerous lab full of prehistoric creatures that wouldn't hesitate to eliminate a future threat.

And today, Velvet had seemingly found it the right time to teach them one of the most important lessons in the alpha labs- how to find food. Food was an extremely limited and valuable resource, especially since so many of the inhabitants of the alpha labs were carnivores. 

The reactions between the three juveniles ranged as they trotted at Velvets feet, the pink acrocathosaurus occasionally looking back to make sure they were all there. Avati was the closest to Velvets heels, the green and piebald juvenile doing her best to stay as close to the adult as she possibly could- she already had a level head. Shadestealer and Jupiter, less so. They trailed a bit behind Velvet, silently nudging against each other in increasingly violent ways until Shadestealer took it a bit too far, sharp little teeth clamping down on the yellow juveniles neck and ripping off a chunk of feather in a nip that was far too harsh. Jupiter let out a squeaky roar in outrage, tackling Shadestealer onto the ground and attracting the attention of Velvet and Avati.

The boys thrashed around on the floor but were quickly separated by a long snout, a low growl coming from deep within Velvets throat as she scolded them. They were somewhere far too dangerous to be goofing off- any play fighting could risk drawing blood, which would attract other predators to their location and put them at risk. Avati mimicked Velvets scolding, bonking her head against Shadestealers in an act that would have started another fight if not for Velvets quick intervention.

Suddenly, the pink acrocathosaurus raised her head, nostrils flaring as she scented the air. Shadestealer, Avati, and Jutiper all copied her. Jupiter seemed to figure it out fastest as he caught the scent of something metallic that made his primal instincts flair, causing a soft rumble to come from his little chest. Shadestealer and Avati copied the actions, the three of them looking up at Velvet expectantly. It was the scent of the food- usually, when they scented it in the past, it had been Velvet bringing small chunks back to them. But now, it had never smelled so fresh.

Velvet snorted, motioning for them to follow her and to stay quiet and she moved in the direction of the scent. The juveniles trailed after her, much better behaved now that the promise of food was on the table (even if Jupiter rubbed his now bald spot grumpily.) 

As the scent grew stronger and stronger, Velvet became more and more tense. As they came upon the entrance to one of the larger testing rooms, she motioned at them to stay hidden as she approached. Despite the fact, Shadestealer was quick to pop his head over the side of the doorway in order to watch. Jupiter and Avati were quick to follow, their curiosity overwhelming caution.

In the testing room, a large carnivore that was not quite the right shape to be an acrocathosaurus was standing above the carcass of something spikey. It was a very fresh kill- the blood pooling on the ground was still warming, but the carcass had already been torn into and partially consumed. Still, a large amount was left.

Velvet and the strange carnivore were squaring off, sizing each other up as they walked around. Velvet popped open her jaw in a threat display, Jupiter quietly copying her from where the juveniles were hidden. 

The other carnivore did not seem too impressed, but also did not seem willing to engage in combat. They already had several bloody wounds all over their body, likely from the hunt. One last hiss and a mock charge from Velvet sent them running, quickly fleeing out of the other side of the room. A loud roar filled the air as Velvet laid claim to the carcass, before she turned around and called much more gently.

Sensing it was their queue, Juniper, Shadestealer, and Avati quickly ran into the room and started to approach the carcass as Velvet quickly started ripping into it on her own. While her teeth were sharp enough to cut through the strong scales, Shadestealer quickly found his own were not as he tugged and tugged at a patch of scales but was barely able to rip anything off. Even with Jupiter joining in his efforts, the two were unable to pull anything free.

A chirp from Avati caught their attention, as they turned to look at the green female. She was standing at an already open area of the carcass, mouth already coated red as she looked at them with a smug look. Without missing a beat the other two quickly ran in, sinking their own teeth into the finally reachable food. Hissing to herself a bit, Avati quickly ran over to where Velvet was eating to snatch up crumbs of food now that her spot had been stolen.

Only a few minutes had passed before a loud roar echoed nearby. The whole group flinched, Velvet instantly pulling herself away from the carcass as the juveniles crowded around her feet in fear. A green shadow appeared at the entrance of the room the other carnivore had left from- but this was an adult of their kind. A growl echoed, Velvet quickly responding by ducking her head and nudging the young out of the room. As Shadestealer, Avati, and Jupiter padded back to their little den, they were at least comforted by food in their bellies. Lesson unlocked: eat fast, because food did not go uncontested.