AAA 2024 – BATTLE 5
The Kelenken has decided that he likes hanging out in the late Cretaceous period. He is from the post-dinosaur Miocene, but is finding lots of yummy things to eat in this older, pre-dinosaur extinction world. He has developed a particular liking for baby dinosaur.
On this pleasantly warm evening, the Kelenken has managed to snag himself a baby Pachyrhinosaurus. Normally, these horned dinosaurs from northern Alberta are hyper-protective of their young. However, the sudden appearance of this unknown, terrifying bird-on-steroids had sent the herd into a panicked retreat. Snatching the baby dinosaur from the stampeding Pachyrhinosaurs had been child’s play. Using his razor-sharp beak, the Kelenken tears flesh from the carcass with gusto. Yum!
Hidden by a canopy of low-hanging rhododendron branches, the Concavenator watches this feast with great interest. The smell of blood has attracted him here. Although Concavenator is a theropod dinosaur, he is also not on his home turf. This is an animal from the steamy swamps of early Cretaceous Spain, and he has been finding it a challenge to hunt here in this new environment. He’s hungry. Concavenators are swift and agile predators, but they never say no to poaching a meal when the opportunity arises. He creeps further forward, sure the Kelenken has not seen him.
With an eruption of speed, the Concavenator bursts from the cover of the forest and charges at the Kelenken. The terror bird stands taller than he does, but stealth is on the Concavenator’s side. Before the Kelenken knows what is happening, the sneaky dinosaur has darted in and nabbed the remains of the baby Pachyrhinosaurus carcass.
The Kelenken screams in fury and kicks out at the errant thief with his terrifying clawed foot. Prepared for this, the Concavenator ducks neatly, lunging back up to snap at the terror bird’s leg. Despite its great size, the Kelenken has hollows bones, just like all birds. The terrible bite of the theropod dinosaur slices through the flesh of the bird’s leg and crunches down on its tibia, shattering the bone. The Kelenken screams again and stumbles away.
For a moment, the Concaventor contemplates trying to finish the terror bird off. The big bird would make a large meal. However, he decides the risk to life and limb is too great when he’s already scored a baby dinosaur to eat. He bends to pick up the carcass of the dead Pachyrhinosaur and drags it back into the cover of the trees. The Kelenken, stagging in pain, watches helplessly. He will probably survive the terrible injury but has decided he prefers a world where non-avian dinosaurs are extinct.
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Concavenator Wins!
