The sun was setting by the mountains, as it had done for as long as anyone could remember. Pink clouds flared across the sky, contrasting with the molten orange rays the sun threw into the world. Fleet Claw, Black Talon, Thorn Tooth and Razor Feather all rested on the top of the hill, watching silently as the sky churned into a dark navy colour. Then, one by one, tiny lights began to appear- the stars. Black Talon had always loved the stars. They were mysterious, beautiful, and most of all, they made him feel like he wasn't alone. He had watched them for a long time, mainly on his own. But never had he felt like this- before, he understood that the idea that he was not alone was just an illusion to distract him from reality. But now, for once, he truly did not feel alone, and he understood why. It was because he wasn't alone. They barely spoke that night, they had just watched the lights silently, and he had loved it. From that day on, he would always associate the stars with his friends. He was not alone. He had them, and they had him. He had his friends, and his friends had him...

---

The night sky loomed above them. Stars glowed ominously, highlighting the twisted branches of the forest. Black Talon did not like the stars so much anymore. They made him realise how alone he truly was. They would never let him forget the wonder and warmth he felt on that one day- that was what made it so painful. It was the constant reminder that he would never experience such things with his treasured friends again. The thought scared him.

Much like before, everyone was silent. Walking through the shadows, Fern Foot, Sharp Claw, Midnight, Leafie and Fuzzy had not dared make a single peep. It only made Black Talon feel worse.

They had all feasted on the carcass of an Edmontosaurus a few hours ago. It was not a viral and had not been in contact with one, so it had been deemed safe to eat.

A lone insect chirped quietly. The wind was blowing north, in the direction they were moving in. They could sense whatever was behind them perfectly fine, but they were completely blind to whatever lay in front of them.

Fuzzy was awake, and trying to hide himself amongst Sharp Claw's many grey feathers. His dark eyes shifted around, and his blue-grey body was tensed, as if he was going to pounce at any moment. Sharp Claw himself seemed a bit scared, more of the dark forest than anything else.

Leafie was not as nervous. He was marching on as if he ruled the world, not afraid of anything or anyone. He had a defiant, confident look on his face.

Midnight walked near Black Talon. She would alternate between walking near him, and walking near Fern Foot. The long, thin spines on her tail twitched, ready to stab at any enemy who may come out of the forest to attack them without warning.

Fern Foot was alert, but was not showing any signs of anxiety. He shivered, though it was because of the cold wind blowing against them, not because he was afraid.

They could see the edge of the forest, though no one said anything about it. They were all tired, and Black Talon knew that soon he would have to rest.

Narrowing his eyes, he saw, beyond the edge, an open field of long grass. The long grass was tall enough to cover them.

The whole time, he had a strange, empty feeling in his chest, somewhere around the heart. It was hard to describe- like some kind of cramp. It beat a little faster than usual, and he knew it was not because of fear. . .

There were less and less trees as they moved closer to the edge. Moonlight slowly began to filter in, shining on feathers, scales, and fur.

'So,' Fern Foot said, slowing to a stop in front of the long grass. 'Do we go through it, or around it? It can provide safety, but it might also be very dangerous.'

Black Talon thought for a moment. He looked to the left, then to the right- the field seemed to go on forever. Who knew how long it would take to go around it? There was no way they could risk that- after all, if they didn't reach the canyon before the virals did, then everywhere beyond the canyon would be raging with infected creatures.

'Through,' He said. 'We don't know what's in there, so we'll have to split up. That way, if one is attacked, everyone will know and have a chance to escape, or help if they choose to do so.'

'But isn't that dangerous?' Sharp Claw said. 'Splitting up is never a good idea!'

If Black Talon could think as clearly as he used to do before everything happened, he would have agreed with the youngster. He would in no way even suggest splitting up- but, in his neurotic, confused state, he was completely incapable of thinking rationally. Reality had almost become warped to him. He wanted nothing more than to be left alone.

'It is dangerous. But it's worth it. What if we can't fight off whatever is attacking? Then we all end up dead. If we split up, then if one dies, the rest might survive.'

'And what if we don't notice when someone dies?' Fern Foot questioned.

Black Talon ignored him. 'Everyone be quiet. We're going in.'

Without caring whether the others followed him or not, he entered. The huge blades of grass brushed against his feathers uncomfortably, but he did not care for that either. In that moment, The Thoughts had gotten to him, and he barely cared about anything, not even his own safety. Not even his own life.

He heard the others reluctantly enter, one by one, going off into different directions.

Good, He thought to himself. They are obeying me.

He could barely see anything in front of him- all he knew was that he had to keep moving forwards. His eyes were essentially useless- he had to rely on scent and hearing. Eyesight had never been his best sense, though he felt completely useless without it. His pace slowed, as the idea that anything could be right in front of him reached his mind. It was a tiny dab of rationality, caused by his instinctive fear, appearing amongst an ocean of irrationality.

He tried to be quiet, though it was inevitable that the sound of rustling grass was to be emitted. The others seemed to be trying their best to be quiet too- even Midnight and Leafie, who the raptors had no way of communicating with, seemed to realise the potential danger of what they were doing.

Black Talon mentally tried to memorise their locations based on where he heard them.

This was not a good idea, He thought, when he realised how much harder it was to locate their exact places. What was I thinking?

But it was too late. There was no realistic way for him to get them out of the grass without alerting everything around him, which may or may not include virals. He couldn't tell what was in front of them because of the wind, so he definitely couldn't risk making the noise.

You pathetic idiot! You put them- and yourself- in danger, all because you can't control your stupid thoughts. Stop letting them get to you! Stop thinking so emotionally!

He felt a deep hatred for himself. This was all because of his irrational thinking. He had noticed how it came and went, increasing as the days went on, but this time, it was threatening their chances of survival.

There was a clicking sound, caused by something about 20 meters ahead.

His heart stopped.

It was not any of the others.

It was something else.

There were other clicks, rasping and low, in every direction. How could he not have seen this coming? How could he not have realised that Life had not finished with him yet?

They were surrounded by virals.

He felt his gut drop when he realised he recognised most of the calls.

Oh no . . .

Heads began to peer out of the grass. Black Talon could not see them- he knew better than trying to do so and potentially revealing his location- but he didn't have to. Long, thick, yellow spotlights shone above his head, multiple ones of them pointing in different directions like thick lasers. They slid around, scanning every nook and cranny.

Their eyes can glow with so much power...? He struggled to keep his breath silent, feeling his lungs beg for more air as fear overtook his body.

He couldn't hear the others- they seemed to realise what was happening as well.

I just sent them to their deaths...

He heard Acheroraptor-sized virals creep around. None seemed to be showing any signs of having detected him. There were two other virals in the grass which were too big to be Acheroraptors- about two times the size. Their growls were unmistakably the growls of a Dakotaraptor.

Black Talon trembled. He felt himself cramp up and freeze. He had lost the locations of where everyone was as his mind suddenly went blank.

Please Life why are you doing this to me? Why can't you just leave me to rest and stop tormenting me with my pack?

He shuddered- a part of him realised his thoughts were getting irrational again.

I need to keep moving... I can't go back...

He took a step forwards. Pausing, he waited for a response. Nothing.

Another step. The virals went silent for a moment, but then carried on their soft growls.

A third step.

He heard something clamber up a hard surface- a large rock. The virals went silent again.

At the corner of his eye, he could see it clearly- big and grey, just like the one in his packs territory which Quick Blade stood on whenever he waited for the hunting party to return. Last time that had happened, Black Talon had impatiently waited for his friends to return. Little had he known it was the last day they would be together.

The rock was huge, big enough to be in his sight without him having to raise his head above the grass. At the top, he could see, with flaring black-yellow eyes with blood streaming out of them, with ugly dark brown feathers covering his scarred body...

... Bark Scale.

Black Talon felt a surge of fury as he looked at the virals grotesque face. It looked around slowly, with the same disgusting expression it had always carried.

It's figured out that someone else is in the grass...

It's trying to find me!

Black Talon slowly lowered himself, resisting the temptation to run.

Please, please, don't let it see me, please...

He looked down, and ruffled the feathers on his back and neck, hoping the viral would mistake it to be part of the grass.

Please, this day has been bad enough, PLEASE.

Black Talon saw the shining spotlight come, illuminating him.

PLEASE I DON'T WANT TO DIE.

The spotlight came and went. It did not stop, or pause, or anything of the like.

Bark Scale jumped off the rock.

Th... thank you...

He slowly took more steps, which the virals didn't seem to notice.

I now have a chance... that raptor is a moron, even as a viral...

As he placed his foot on the ground, he felt something snap loudly under it. In less than a millisecond, ten spotlights shone in his direction.

In that moment, every thought in his brain- rational and irrational, delusional and true, insecure and confident- disappeared. His entire mind was filled with only one thing.

Pure, primal fear.

Horror clutched him, as more and more spotlights began to look in his direction.

They... They're all looking at me!

He saw Bark Scale clamber up the rock again, emitting harsh clicks comparable to a snarl. Black Talon quickly ducked instinctively, making yet more noise. The clicks only got louder. He trembled furiously.

Drool dripped from its jaws, and its huge jagged teeth glared hungrily.

Bark Scale's intense spotlight reached Black Talon.

It stopped.

Black Talon could only hear the sound of his own soft whimper of fear. It was a dead giveaway.

Thundering footsteps came right for him, from the front. His horror grabbed him by the throat, as he instantly looked forwards, and suddenly...

...A red mass pounced from right in front of him, jaws open, talons at the ready. It missed him by only a few centimetres. For just a moment, his eyes locked with his attacker's. Even though the eyes were bloody, black, and pulsing with red veins, he recognised the face of the raptor.

Thorn Tooth.

But he did not wait. He did not freeze. His mind screamed only one thing at him.

For once, it was not self-hatred. It was not the wish to disappear. It was not a tragic claw to his heart as he processed just who it was that was trying to kill him.

Indeed, it was only one thing.

R U N.

Black Talon threw himself forwards, sprinting with all his might. Adrenaline pulsed through him, as to his horror, he realised:

My own friends  are trying to kill me.

He could hear the snarls of the virals, all coming his way. He could hear the surprised cries of the others, who also went running towards the other side. He could hear his heart, each thump chipping away at his ears.

I am going to die.

A huge Dakotaraptor came at him from the side, screaming furiously. Blood covered its entire body, seeping out from large open wounds caused by the virus.

Black Talon cried out in shock, and ducked. The Dakotaraptor flew right over his head, and fell onto the ground.

The grass blocked everything. He didn't know where anything was. All he knew was that his pack was coming for him.

Another screech from up front, and a forest-green coloured Acheroraptor ran towards him. Black Talon jumped to the side, and the raptor ran straight past him, still wailing in anger. He could not remember his name, he could not think any words, he could only run, for fear had swallowed him up.

A brown raptor suddenly appeared, running by his side, snarling and narrowing her cold, bloody eyes. One name broke through his mind, but only for a moment.

Fleet Claw.

Her eyes, which had once looked at him with so much kindness and warmth, now radiated with one thing and one thing only.

Empty hatred.

She sprinted at his speed, snapping her jaws, coming closer and closer. Black Talon whimpered as he realised who she was, and he slammed his tail against her, throwing her off balance and leaving her as he ran for his life. She screeched violently, thrashing savagely as she hit the ground.

Black Talon broke through the edge of the tall grass, and the world came into view, lit up by cold moonlight. It was a barren, open land, covered in soil and hills. He did not stop running- he could still hear them, coming for him, wanting to rip his throat out. The others had made it through- he could see them all, ahead of him. No virals were chasing them.

He sprinted, hyperventilating in terror.

They're coming for me! They're coming for me!

He heard them burst through the grass, thumping towards him, snarling mindlessly.

Up ahead was a river- it wasn't too wide, he had crossed it before. It was his only chance of escape.

He did not dare look back. He concentrated on his legs, moving them fast enough to stay ahead of the aggressive monsters chasing him.

He could smell them behind him- Quick Blade and Thorn Tooth were in the lead, gaining on him.

'Get to the river!' He shouted to the others, though he did not have to. They seemed to have the same idea as him, running without fear or hesitation towards it.

One of the virals- Thorn Tooth- jumped forwards an amazing length, and snapped his jaws onto the tip of Black Talon's tail. With a scream, Black Talon pulled his tail out of Thorn Tooth's mouth, ripping out part of the fan of feathers at the end of it. He was lucky his friend had not managed to sink his teeth into his flesh.

Run faster you idiot! RUN!

He thrust his feet into the ground, trying to pick up his pace, urging his muscles to work faster. It wasn't much more until he would reach the river. Already, Sharp Claw (with Fuzzy hanging on) pounced in, making a splash and heading for the other side.

Only ten seconds until he would reach it.

10...

Midnight was next, sliding into the water alongside Leafie.

9...

Black Talon turned his head to the side as he noticed something at the hill by the corner of his eye.

8...

He did not see Fern Foot jump in and join the others.

7...

On the hill, he saw a multitude of virals of different saurians and other animals swarm towards him, all snarling and glaring.

6...

He could only stare with wide, terrified eyes. They frothed at the mouth, and all had their glowing yellow eyes on him. They wanted to kill him.

5...

As fear filled his heart, he tore his eyes away from them.

4...

He could hear them come closer and closer. He prepared himself to jump.

3...

He reached the bank of the river.

2...

He lowered himself, readying for the jump. He could feel the hot breath of a viral wash over his tail, though he could not tell who it was.

1...

He threw himself forwards, before the viral bit down on his tail. He felt himself fly through the air, crying out in fear.

He hit the water, and felt the liquid envelope him completely. The surface was above him, and he quickly swam up, and broke through it. He inhaled air sharply, and saw the virals all watch him and the others angrily.

He used his wings and tail to propel himself, moving his limbs against the water trying to slow him down. Some of the virals jumped in after him, the blood from their bodies diffusing out into the water, painting it red.

Sharp Claw, Fuzzy, Midnight and Leafie had all reached the other side, and Sharp Claw was trying to help Fern Foot up from the bank. They seemed afraid of something that was not viral, their eyes following something in the water.

I must reach them! Black Talon thought to himself, nostrils flaring as he took in a deep intake of breath.

He turned to look behind him. The virals were surprisingly good swimmers, catching up to him with ease.

I'm not going to make it! He quickly turned back to look at the others with fear in his eyes. They all stared back, terrified.

'Look out!!!' Sharp Claw screamed.

Without warning, a huge, toothy head shot out of the murky water, as long as Black Talon himself. It opened its jaws- for a moment, Black Talon thought it was going to attack him, though to his relief, it collapsed onto the virals behind him.

He swam to Sharp Claw, who grabbed his clawed wing. He quickly peered through the water- he saw the serpentine, finned reptile swim angrily with the virals underwater, circling it.

A Mosasaur! Black Talon watched in wander, as the dark grey marine reptile quickly swam to a viral Acheroraptor with open jaws. He caught a glimpse of the glinting second row of teeth on the roof of its mouth.

Suddenly, the Acheroraptor spat blood from its mouth, into the Mosasaur's. The Mosasaur stopped instantly as the red liquid wafted into its throat, and the viral Acheroraptor swam away before its jaws closed around it.

The virals watched intently.

'Come on!' Sharp Claw urged Black Talon, though he was frozen, looking with sick interest at what was about to happen.

The Mosasaur began to shake furiously, as if it was having a seizure. Its tail thrashed, and its eyes rapidly moved directions, giving it a wild look.

Suddenly, as if it was being eaten from the inside, its skin gave way and tore open. Though, it was not like normal symptoms of the virus, where the slash looked grotesque but did not kill the host.

Black Talon could see, inside the Mosasaur, the guts, flesh and bone were disintegrating away into nothingness. Its blood spurted out into the water, and the virals simply watched.

The virus must affect certain species in different ways...

The viral's glowing sparks of eyes looked up at Black Talon. They began to swim up to him, lifting their lips to show their teeth.

'Pull me up!' He cried suddenly, and Sharp Claw did so, hauling him up from the water.

'Let's get out of here!' Sharp Claw exclaimed, and they all ran, not looking back at the other virals swimming through the water to come after them...