DinoMan stood before the secret entrance to the cave, a hulking silhouette in the moonlight. The red eyes of his helmet glowed, sensing the pure, living energy that hummed from behind the solid rock. This was the place. This was the source of the other power.
He didn't search for a secret switch or a hidden lever. Such things were for weaker beings. He was a force of nature, an echo of a time when power was absolute. He lowered his head, and in his mind, he pictured a Triceratops, a living mountain of bone and muscle, an unstoppable battering ram. He channeled its raw, charging power.
With a roar that was a mix of a man's shout and a dinosaur's bellow, he slammed his massive, armored shoulder into the rock face. The stone groaned, cracked, and then exploded inwards in a shower of dust and splintered rock. The ancient, secret entrance was gone, replaced by a gaping, violent hole.
Inside the glowing chamber, Simhavyagrah rose to his feet, his calm broken. He had felt the brute force of the attack, a power that was ancient and full of rage. He stood in the center of his sanctuary, a majestic, golden lion facing the darkness of the new entrance, his body tense, a low growl rumbling in his chest.
DinoMan stepped through the dust and rubble, his heavy green armor a stark contrast to the chamber's soft, golden light. He was the fossil, the echo of a dead world, invading the heart of the living one.
"I can feel it," DinoMan's voice rasped, a dry, ancient sound from behind his grilled mouthpiece. "The power of the new world. The mammals, the birds. The other stamp. Where is it?"
"It is not for you, you broken thing," Simhavyagrah's voice filled the chamber, not with fear, but with a deep, powerful anger. "You are a corruption. A ghost who should have stayed buried."
DinoMan took a heavy step forward. "I was buried. For twenty years. After gain power, I killed stamp protector. I will kill you to gain another. Tell me where the host is."
"The Stamp has chosen a new protector," Simhavyagrah growled, his body lowering into a fighting stance. "One with a pure heart. One who will stand against monsters like you."
That was the final word. With a terrifying roar, DinoMan lunged.
The fight was a clash of ages. Simhavyagrah was all speed and living power, a blur of golden fur and flashing claws. He was the king of the jungle, his every move filled with grace and deadly intent. He slashed at DinoMan's armor, his claws leaving long, screeching gashes in the mossy green metal.
But DinoMan was a fortress. He pictured an Ankylosaurus, and its thick, armored hide became his own. Simhavyagrah's powerful claws, which could tear through steel, glanced off the dinosaur-infused armor with a shower of sparks. DinoMan didn't even flinch.
He fought back with a savage, brutal cunning. He thought of a Raptor, and his movements became unnaturally fast and jerky. He slashed with his own armored claws, forcing the great lion to dodge and weave. Then, he called upon the crushing power of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. He caught Simhavyagrah's paw in a crushing grip, his armor groaning with the immense force.
Simhavyagrah was powerful, but he was old, his time fading as he had told Anmol. DinoMan was fueled by a younger, more savage, and unrelenting rage. The battle was short and brutal. DinoMan overpowered the noble lion, slamming him into the ancient stone walls of the chamber.
Simhavyagrah fell to the sandy floor, a deep wound in his side, his golden fur stained with blood. He tried to rise, but his strength failed him. He lay there, his breathing shallow, his great heart struggling.
DinoMan stood over him, his red eyes glowing. "It is over, old lion. Now, tell me. Where is the host?"
Simhavyagrah just looked at him, his golden eyes filled not with fear, but with defiance. He had failed to protect his home, but he would protect its future. He would protect Anmol. He closed his eyes, refusing to speak.
"It does not matter," DinoMan rasped, turning away from the fallen guardian. He could feel the lingering energy of the Animal Stamp's host, a faint trail leading back to the city. "I will find your champion. I will hunt him down. And I will take his stamp."
With one last look at the dying lion and the ruined chamber, DinoMan turned and walked out, his new mission clear.
But the battle had not gone entirely unseen. Hiding high in a dark crevice in the ceiling, a small, terrified bat had watched the entire thing. It was the same bat Anmol had calmed on his first visit. It felt the pain of the great lion, the protector of this sacred place.
As soon as DinoMan was gone, the bat flew frantically from the cave. It knew it could not reach Anmol on its own. It needed a messenger of the day, a creature that could cross the miles with speed and purpose.
It found what it was looking for perched on a high cliff, its sharp eyes scanning the moonlit landscape: a great Tawny Eagle, one of the many birds Anmol had befriended. The bat flew close, its mind screaming with a rush of panicked thoughts and images.
The eagle turned its head, its sharp eyes focusing on the tiny bat.
"Go!" the bat's thoughts shrieked, a chaotic flood of terror and urgency. "Find the boy who speaks our language! The one who smells of the jungle but lives in the city!". "The great lion has fallen! The fossil-man with the red eyes did this! He is going to hunt the boy! You must bring him here! Now! Call Anmol! Bring him back!"
The great eagle understood instantly. This was the boy who spoke to them, the one who carried the spirit of the wild. Their ally—their leader—was in danger, and their guardian had been struck down.
Without a moment's hesitation, the eagle let out a sharp cry of alarm, spread its massive wings, and launched itself from the cliff. It flew with a desperate, powerful speed, a living arrow aimed straight for the heart of Nagpur.
It was late. Anmol was in his room, trying to study, but he couldn't focus. He felt a strange unease, a cold feeling in his gut that he couldn't explain. He walked over to his window and looked out at the sleeping city.
Suddenly, a loud, frantic TAP-TAP-TAP on the glass made him jump.
He opened the window. The great Tawny Eagle was there, perched on the ledge, its feathers ruffled, its intelligent eyes wild with panic.
Before Anmol could even ask what was wrong, the eagle's terrified and urgent thoughts flooded his mind, a message of pure disaster.
"You must come now! The cave has been broken! The fossil-man was there! The great lion... Simhavyagrah has fallen!"
[To be continued…]
Support me: vanshbosssrahate@oksbi (UPI ID)
Author: Vansh Rahate
Editor: Vansh Rahate
Story by: Vansh Rahate
Under: Alaukika Studios