GateKeeper Quest- (PA)

GateKeepers- Reaper

The dark tunnels and hallways never seemed to end as Reaper scanned the darkness with his red eyes. He felt like he had been going around in circles as the winding hallways seemed to only get longer the more he took pathways, and it was dark. Reaper grumbled to himself walking on the cracked damp floor, the tiles spotted a pattern but faded due to the age of them. Reaper had traveled the first zone first running into the large carnivore known as the Albertosaurus it was a task to get past as the guide was a little hesitant on letting the large cryo through but he worked through it. 

He sighed, swaying his tail behind him as he walked continuing down the large winding hallways. This was a new area and it seemed to be getting deeper and darker as he made his way almost looking like a black hole. Cracks could be heard as he kept walking, his claws crushing under his feet of the broken tile. The hallways felt cold against his scales, light breezes wafting by once in a while , Reaper sniffed the ground sensing an unusual scent he had never smelt before. 

He lifted his head looking down the hallway before making his way into an abandoned laboratory room. The counters filled with old equipment , Reaper jumped up onto the counters sniffing at old paperwork and old beakers curious of them before shaking his head as he stood up surveying the room, a room that seemed full of life at one point but now was at a stand still.

“ This place never seems to end” he grumbled to himself as he looked at the old paperwork that littered the desks and countertops he was standing on. How deeper can this place go he thought to himself before jumping down and entering the hallway again. This place seemed to only get bigger and bigger as he went how many more dinosaurs lived here that he had never seen before. First the albertosaurus but he was sure more could be hiding down here so he had to be on his guard. As he made his way back into the hallway a strange smell was faint in the air, it almost smelling rotted, his pupils becoming slits as the smell entered his nose. It seemed a predator was lurking around as something had died being there for a while due to the rotted smell it gave off. Reaper stared down the hallway following the smell as he walked quietly not to make any noise claws at the ready.

As he came to turn around the corner he let out a growl as he jumped around the corner to see an old rotted dinosaur body, files covering it making buzzing noises as they landed in different spots. He stepped back looking around making sure whatever that had been feeding on it wasn’t around, he leaned down sniffing it as it let off a gross smell before stepping back “ it's old” he mumbled to himself.  A red sign lit dimly at the end of the hallway consumed by the darkness as he tried to make out what it said at the top of the doorway. It was another large metal door but it looked like something had forced its way through it. Reaper walked over the rotted meat as he tried reading the sign looking at the ripped metal as he got closer it read Zone C. a cold draft hit is scales as he stood in the doorway looking down a even darker hallway, something seemed wrong as he felt chills go down his spine, it seemed dangerous here and a lurking one.

A black and white face lay lurking in the shadows of the hallways watching the intruder who had made their way and now stood at the gateway of zone c. its jaws coated in dried blood letting out loud breaths as it went to get up moving quietly stalking Reaper. Its black eyes follow the unwelcome cryo with every move he took, a large predator ready to attack. Reaper narrowed his eyes as he looked around the gateway trying to figure out where it went too before entering. The chills down his spine got worse as his survival senses began to give warning signs to him and that he was being stalked, he turned his back to the open hole now looking down the hallway he came from. The cold air hit his scales as he looked around trying to pick out his attacker but he couldn’t see anything as it was too dark, but the faint sound of large footsteps rang in his head as he honed in on them followed by low grumbles.

White teeth flashed from the darkness with the scent of dried blood and then a large figure being able to be made out from its shadows, a raspy voice soon began to speak.

“Well what do we have here…”  followed by a white and black face and black eyes, Seki a large female acrocanthosaurus. It was a large carnivore bigger than Reaper and she looked hungry. Her tail swaying behind her as she sized Reaper up, blood coated her snout and the scent was from her. This large of a carnivore Reaper and never seen and it seemed dangerous he had to be cautious. It was clear he was not welcome here from the posture she held over him.

“ I need to pass” he snapped, letting out a hiss, his red eyes scanning Seki, taking in her sheer size.  

“ Well that won’t be happening , as you look very tasty” she said licking her lips. Her large tongue wiping the dried blood of her white snout, her black pupils honed in on Reaper. She hadn’t eaten in days as this was a well needed meal unless he posed useful for her. The thought stirred in her head as she moved towards the Cryolophosaurus. Pausing for a second looking him over, she had never seen this type of carnivore down here so he must have come from somewhere on the surface.

“ You aren’t from here” she said slowly before letting her guard down, Seki said tilting her head and stepping backwards looking down at Reaper. Maybe this dinosaur knew stuff about the surface and she wanted to know about it, so toning down the big and scary act. She was wary of the newcomer but curious as to where he came from. Reaper was caught off guard from the large carnivore losing the big and scary attitude that he was faced with when he first saw her. Although he could feel that the acro was wary of his presence being down here. He looked back at the zone C door and the ripped metal door that had a large hole in.

“ Did you do that?” he asked, looking back towards Seki as he hinted towards the door. He needed to get past her so he needed to dial back the aggression and play it cool. Since he could sense the wariness from her posture and eye movement, she didn’t fully trust him but maybe she could be persuaded.

Seki looked past Reaper and at the door before letting out an answer “ we did it” she said slowly bringing up her other packmates that lived and guarded the zone c gateway. Reaper’s eyes widened as he heard the sentence leave her snout , there was more down here? “ Where did you come from?” she then added, tilting her head towards him. “ and why did you want to go into Zone c”.

Reaper looked behind him and then back to Seki “ I am from the surface and I am curious what is down there I have never been” he answered slowly looking around to see if any of the other acro’s she had mentioned were around them. Reaper stayed quiet waiting for a response from Seki, blinking slowly, his tail swaying behind him.

“ Well I am supposed to be guarding the gateway … but I could let you pass, but at a cost” she added looking at the smaller carnivore that stood before her. “ if you could find me some food when you're down there and bring it back for us that would be the payment for letting you pass”. She said, picking her teeth with her claws. If she could bring food back for her packmates and not do the work it seems like a win for the both of them. Reaper pondered the thought in his head; it seemed like an easy deal; he was good at tracking and hunting, and he would get past into Zone c. 

“ I could possibly work something out… as long as I can get past without any problems” he said, giving a slight grin to the acro making sure to seal the deal. Waiting for the go ahead from the much larger carnivore, the wariness seemed to leave her face but slightly lingerd but not much.

Seki looked at Reaper and back at the gateway” sounds like a deal but be careful down there , it's not a great place for surface dinosaurs like yourself, and i expect the payment once you are back” she growled before getting up and getting ready to walk down the twisted dark hallway “ meet me  back here once your back from zone c, and make it quick” she turned heading around the corner her tail being the last thing Reaper had seen. Reaper made quick work of the go ahead and peered into the gateways darkness taking a step into unknown territories.