Ark Survival Evolved: Legend of Shorty

“Aaah, where… am I?” This man was so confused, and very cold on the wet sands as green light overlooked the ocean just beside him on a starry night.

Shivering as the ocean breeze blew his way, he realized he was partially naked with ,to his astonishment, a pair of underwear protecting his dignity. As he got up, his feet felt the cool sand, looking up, there lit a bright green tower leaving a green haze apon a small raft just ahead of him. His shadow ran across the sands, the moon peeked just behind the tall tropical trees covering the inner land, then him, then the calm ocean waters beholding the possible way home. But something held him back, that mysteriously humongous glowing tower, the reason he is here, and not back in his hometown.

“And where do you think you’re going?” A deep rough voice came from behind him.

Facing the raft the young man answered, “I don’t know…” He turned around, seeing a large, hulking armored man in yellow pants, the moonlight shined on his purple cowboy hat, pointing a crossbow at the unarmed man. Behind him was a silhouette of a fortress on top of a cliff in the distance, not too far.

“Do you know what this place is?”

He lifted his hat, revealing his scraggly, yet purple beard? “You are in Shorty’s lands. Everything here is owned by me and Shorty.”

“Do you and... Shorty own that green tower?”

The big man heartily laughed, “He hah haa, here. Take these clothes.” He tossed a neatly tied box on the sand. The other man picked it up and found a homemade leather tunic, cloth pants, and a pair of worn leather shoes.

Gratefully, he put them on immediately. He wasn’t cold anymore. “Th- thanks. I shouldn’t have asked such a stupid question. You must be as lost as I am.

“I’m not lost, come on and follow me, I’ll tell you everything.” They both trucked along up the hill, his leather jerkin kept the cold winds off his back, and was secretly glad to have a protector in this mysterious place, at least he wasn’t alone anymore.

As they got closer to the fortress, the less grand it looked. The entire place was in ruin. It looked like it had seen better days before as the moonlight revealed crumbling walls and land catapults could be seen in the overgrown dewy grasslands on the hill. Black splashes covered the walls as if there were some fire ballistas as well, given from his experience in history classes. The entrance was wide opened and looked abandoned.

“Is this your home?”
“It used to be.” An armored hand felt the walls, his head lowered.

“You know, I haven’t caught your name. If I may ask-”

“SHHhh, get back!” He said in a hushed voice as they leaned against the wall, his crossbow in hand.

Shadows caressed the fortress’s overgrown courtyard, having almost no visibility. Listening more, he could hear strange hissing, like if a tiger could hiss. SNACH-Chch-ch, and a sound of an arrow whistles by with a small THWIK as if his bodyguard hit something. EEEeee-eh, a small screech broke the silence for only a bit.

“OOh hoo, got him! Uh, er. Annoying little pests.”

“What was that?”

“So you are new…” The large man whispered as he lit up a wall torch on the side of the ivy covered wall, lighting up the area revealing a lifeless dark-scaled creature with fanned out sails on the sides of its head. “It’s safe now, it’s too dangerous to be out here for too long, Detective. That creature I call a Dilophosaur, if they see you, you would’ve been dead, in fact, EVERYTHING here is out to kill you.”

“Detective? Why are you calling me Detective? My name is-”

“Because you ask too many questions about everything, just survive and watch your back, that’s all you can do here.” He sounded irritated, soon they walked in a clear patch without having to trudge through as Detective and his guardian have been doing. Detective was silent for the rest of the time being, he didn’t want to piss this guy off.

Another fire was lit on the wall of a broken stone keep, taller than any tower surrounding the courtyard, giving off some needed heat as Detective really needed it. He went in the keep last. The fancily colored, yet intimidating, man closed the door behind him, despite the giant hole that was blown next to the door.”

Detective held back his questions and would rather show some empathy,” I’m sorry about your house. It’s in ruin. I’m sure you had a lot of memories here.”

“Don’t give a man sympathy, if he doesn’t deserve it. This is all my fault, everything I have is gone. Shorty. He is gone.” He shuffled some broken furniture in the fireplace and illuminated what used to be a nice home. Trophy pedestals had no trophies. Tables had no food. Chairs had no people in them.

“Sit, please.” He sounded almost commanding.

They sat down on two old wooden chairs close to the fireplace. Detective sat in the off-balanced one, leaning towards the welcoming fire, which he didn’t mind. He was surprised the chair could hold the big guy’s weight, “I like you, Detective, you remind me of Shorty on our starting days, always cautious, and took the right approach for opportunity, you can call me Orion.”

Detective smiled, for once, almost forgetting why he was here. Despite Orion’s size, he too reminded him of a friend back home. “So what’s your story? You know. Where is Shorty?”

Orion sighed. Looking like he had to think for a moment. Were those tears? “Me and Shorty… appeared on The Island at the same time. Born to be shield brothers, we fought and even tamed giant beasts and used our cunning tactics to build a two-man Empire! Hhheh, but those days are gone now. Ever since we entered that volcano. Now, I have nothing. Nothing is here that I want. I feel he is still here sometimes, calling for my help.”

Pulling at his collar on the tunic, Detective gulped, “Is...Is there anything that I can do to help?”

Orion shimmed through his long weedy beard. “There is something you can do for me…”

Detective was the only one Orion had to make this work. He practically gave Detective his entire kingdom teaching him battle skills at the ruined fortress on the South Paw. Collecting sap and honey in a hidden oasis of stone strongholds and sap treehouses in the Red Woods. He taught Detective how to craft tools and mix medicines at the memorial temple of the fallen castle at the Eastern Forest, and taming wild Argentavises, a giant snow eagle, afoot the frozen bridge with the river connecting to the dock house at Winter’s Mouth. Detective was determined throughout his entire week of training. Orion had a look of satisfaction that final day, knowing he can now trust Detective. Knowing he doesn’t have to worry about leaving The Island.

“Woo Hooo! This is…” a very small man shouted with exhilaration at a distance,”...AMAZING!” A large fanned out shadow covered the sandy beaches, it was an Argentavis whose name was Sehrana, her brown feathers emphasized the tan tips on her wings. Her black talons carried an excited and frightened man, ridden by Orion, his purple hat reflecting off the sun’s intensity in the tropical heat.

“We’re almost to the obelisk.” Orion called out. Which Detective now knew why he was taught all of this and there were three large glowing towers called obelisks. One of them was their destination. Sehrana gently dropped Detective on an advanced metal platform holding a small terminal engulfed in red as the obelisk towered over everything on The Island. Orion hopped off the huge eagle, lurching her stooped neck and ruffling her brown and tan feathers as she usually does whenever she is told to land.

“It’s okay I won’t be gone for long. Just enough to find Shorty.”

“So. Is this goodbye? You are coming back aren’t you?” Detective was scared. Will he be able to take care of the Island all by himself?

“You made it this far, taming Sehrana all by yourself, I trusted your medical skills bringing my triceratops back to health, and don’t forget that thylacoleo incident! You will be fine on your own for a bit. I will be back as soon as I can.”

Orion stepped up to the terminal as he was engulfed in red. His bird was protesting, probably feeling the same uncertainty as Detective was. Despite the fact there's no going back home and the fact Orion is risking his life to find Shorty, whatever it takes. Detective will promise he will take good care of their home, and longly wait with open arms when the time comes. Orion looked at his left hand and a few moments later, he became ethereal, the sunset shined through him as the red light took his body.

“Take care, Detective…”

Detective and his argentavis were the only ones standing on the platform, staring at the once stood friend the Detective will never forget. He flew the skies once, then again. He looked everywhere. Every landmark. Every ocean cave. He even checked the volcano Orion mentioned. The unbearably heated entrance to the said volcano was blocked by a wall which looked similar to the metal platforms under the obelisks. When he turned his back on the entrance, he could’ve sworn he heard someone call out from inside the metal walls.

“Hello! Is anyone in there?”

No answer. Just the occasional sizzle of flowing lava, hardening into solid obsidian at the base of the chamber. Sehrana shreeked a bird call of excitement, as if she heard it too.

“It’s nothing. Let’s go home.”

They arrived home at the memorial temple in the Eastern Forest after a long way’s fly. The grand castle stretched at least two miles long and a tad bit taller than a brontosaurus. Orion’s favorite triceratops, Raven, ran around the forest opening, chasing dragonflies and occasionally knocking over a tree with her fortified crowned skull, her dark rough skin was covered in bright purple, green and blue colors, representing our tribe. Detective landed Sehrana on top of the main keep. Detective couldn’t stop thinking of what he heard as he sat on a ledge overlooking the graveyard in the center of the memorial keep. Sehrana looked out towards the ,now distant, volcano where she remembered hearing the voice. A thylacoleo head was mounted on the keep’s entrance, it’s bear/cat appearance snarled down at anyone who entered. The top was held up by some sturdy stone pillars. Some were broken, giving a crumbling sound every now and then. The sun shined on the pillars, as time passed by, the shadows collided with each other. Watching the grave stones, he sees someone kneeling at one of them.

“Who goes there?” Detective was unsure who that was. He took the flight of stairs from the rooftop down, stumbling over rubble and broken walls. Light shined through the cracks of stone and ivy, almost losing the mysterious person. Cautious, crossbow in hand, he aimed it at the blue and green armored man with a long blue ponytail overlapping his back. He was very short, shorter than the said gravestone.

“Who are… you?” Detective was mystified.

The man got up from kneeling, “What are you doing in my temple? Only the tribe of Shorty is allowed to enter here.” His aged, slim face was caressed in thick, blue mutton chops, looking up very seriously towards Detective.

“I was stationed by Orion to take care of this place, he didn’t tell me about you. What’s your name? My name is-”

“I know your name… Detective. Orion sacrificed his life for me… my name is Shorty.” He moved to the side, revealing the gravestone ‘Orion’.

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