Author: Jolene Steinard | Banner: Landon Soto

Gorosaurus stomped through the lush jungle of Monster Island, his muscular legs moving him through the tall trees. His olive green skin bathed in the sunlight. It felt good to the giant Allosaurus. He had come to this island in search for food. Gorosaurus sniffed the ground, smelling the scent of something. Not too far from him, he saw a small animal: a boar. The dinosaur quickly jolted forward, catching the boar with his teeth. Gorosaurus reared his head up and swallowed the hairy animal before licking the blood off his teeth and putting his head back down to look for more food.

The green dinosaur once again sniffed the ground before finding yet another boar. Licking his lips, Gorosaurus prepared to eat the small animal.

Suddenly, the boar squealed in pain as blood flew from its back, into the air. Gorosaurus widened his eyes and took a few steps back in surprise, looking down at the still squealing animal. He saw the boar begin to be lifted up into the air before disappearing into the leaves of the trees. The giant reptile cocked his head and gave a noise of confusion. He saw the blood of the boar also disappearing into the trees. Gorosaurus squinted his eyes and took a few steps forward to where he originally was, taking a closer look at the trees, trying to find where the boar went.

The sound of ruffling leaves was heard from behind the dinosaur. Gorosaurus turned around to see what made the noise. A chittering sound filled the area. Gorosaurus tried to find the source of the noise but couldn’t. The giant Allosaurus sniffed the air, catching the scent of something. It definitely did not smell like a boar. More leaves rustled from behind him, and the dinosaur once again looked to investigate.

Once more, he found nothing.

Gorosaurus squinted his eyes and leaned forward, trying to find what was making the noise.

A screeching roar was heard from behind the dinosaur before something latched onto his back, immediately battering him in the head. Gorosaurus roared in pain and surprise as he was attacked. The green dinosaur couldn’t reach his assailant, so he tried shaking it off. The thing wouldn’t budge: it was like it was hooked to him. Gorosaurus roared in pain again as he tried getting this thing off of him. He decided to take a different approach.

Gorosaurus fell on his back, nearly crushing his attacker with his weight, causing it to screech in pain. The saurian quickly got up and turned back to see his assailant on the ground. It was a giant, green praying mantis, its legs scrambling as it tried to get up. Gorosaurus licked his lips before lowering his head to make a meal out of the overgrown bug. He was about to put his jaws around its throat before the dinosaur felt something jab into his back, causing blood to spurt into the air.

Gorosaurus roared in pain as he spun around, hitting whatever attacked him with the trees around him. The dinosaur turned to face whatever stabbed him. In the trees, shaking its head was another mantis. It looked at its partner on the ground, chittering to it. The fellow bug chittered back, almost like they were talking. The two now looked at Gorosaurus, lifting their claws in the air, crying at the saurian with their screeching noises. Gorosaurus roared back, challenging the bugs to fight him.

The Kamacuras gladly accepted. They had been flying from island to island, eating anything they could find. Right now, this was their island, and they wouldn’t surrender it so easily.

The duo swiftly flew toward the dinosaur, attempting to slash him with their sharp claws, but Gorosaurus quickly turned around and smacked the giant bugs with his tail, causing the Kamacuras to crash into the trees, making the trunks break. The two insects shook their heads before looking back at their reptilian opponent, only to see that he was charging them. The Kamacuras quickly extended their wings and flew out of the way, leaving Gorosaurus to stop in his tracks. The insectoid duo circled around the olive green dinosaur before landing on the ground, screeching at Gorosaurus as he turned around. Spotting a small, nearby boulder, one Kamacuras had an idea.

The emerald green bug turned to her partner and chittered as she lightly tapped the boulder to show the other Kamacuras. The mantis nodded and chittered back.

Gorosaurus glared at the two, waiting for them to attack. The Kamacuras looked back at the dinosaur and roared at him. The bug on the right passed the other the rock she found, which the other Kamacuras caught it with the flat of his claw. Gorosaurus curiously, though cautiously, stared at the boulder, wondering when it would be thrown. The male Kamacuras rolled it back and forth amongst himself as the theropod’s eyes kept following the rock. The oversized bug backhanded the boulder to his partner who caught it with the flat of her claw before hitting it, causing it to hit Gorosaurus in the stomach.

The giant Allosaur roared out as he was hit with the rock, causing him to stumble back. This gave the Kamacuras an opportunity. The female flew into Gorosaurus, slashing at him with her claws. The saurian roared in pain as the bug’s claws tore into his flesh. Meanwhile, the male Kamacuras threw small boulders at their opponent, hitting him in the legs.

Gorosaurus roared in pain once more as the mantis cut his back, letting crimson blood trickle down his backside while rocks bounced off his muscular legs. The theropod decided to use his small, but effective arms and slash at the overgrown insect. The Kamacuras screeched in pain as Gorosaurus scratched her chest, his claws easily cutting into her weak hide. The Gimantis got off of her opponent and flew behind him to examine her wounds. The male was about to fly into the reptile, but Gorosaurus’ tail hit the bug as he turned around, causing the Kamacuras to fall.

Gorosaurus roared at the female Kamacuras hovering over the trees, motioning her with his head to come forward. He had a good plan. The Gimantis cocked her head and thought for a moment before raising her claws in front of her and flying toward the theropod. Gorosaurus quickly brought his tail down onto the grounded Kamacuras, crushing his back as the dinosaur lifted himself up, bringing his legs forward and kangaroo-kicking the oncoming Kamacuras. The kick sent the mantis flying into the trees on, skidding across the ground as she crashed, causing many trees to break off and fall. The Kamacuras struggled to breathe as she laid on the ground, her legs scrambling as she tried to get up so she could help her mate.

Gorosaurus turned around and looked at the downed bug. The male Kamacuras slowly got to his four spiked feet and turned to the dinosaur, hissing and clicking at him as he caught his breath. Gorosaurus roared back and began to charge at the Gimantis. The Kamacuras swiftly flew past the Allosaur before turning back and slashing at Gorosaurus, cutting his side. The saurian roared in pain before seeing the mantis flying at him once again. This time, Gorosaurus thought of something. The reptile lowered his head and charged toward the flying Kamacuras.

Gorosaurus’ head collided with the mantis’ chest, the head-butt sending the Kamacuras rolling in the air before crashing into the jungle, knocking the wind out of the insect. The Kamacuras coughed up yellow blood as he slowly got up to see the theropod running toward him, crushing every tree in his way. The mantis quickly flew away, evading the clutches of the predatory monster and landed behind Gorosaurus. His mate landed beside him, chittering to her partner. The saurian turned around and roared at the duo before charging at them again.

The insectoids roared back before flying toward Gorosaurus. The female swooped behind the saurian while the male took their adversary head on, slashing at his body. Gorosaurus roared in pain as the Gimantis left large scratch marks on his chest, responding by turning around and hitting the Kamacuras’ side with his tail, sending the mantis crashing into a group of trees. The other Kamacuras once again flew behind the dinosaur and latched onto his back before slamming her claws into his head. Gorosaurus bellowed in pain as the bug’s sharp claws caused his head to bleed, the red liquid trickling down the Allosaur’s face. Gorosaurus tried shaking the Kamacuras off like before, but once again, it was no use.

The reptile then turned his head toward his back, being able to reach the Gimantis. Gorosaurus clamped his jaws around her arm, causing the Kamacuras to screech in both pain and surprise before bashing the saurian with her other claw. Gorosaurus ignored the pain and spun around before bringing the mantis up and slamming her to the ground on her back, causing dirt to fly up. The Kamacuras laid on the ground, both dizzy and in pain. She let out a weak cry before the dinosaur lifted a foot up. Aiming for the abdomen, Gorosaurus was going to crush the overgrown insect.

Before something slammed into his body with great force.

Gorosaurus skidded back not far from where he was, almost falling down, but luckily, the saurian kept his balance. The female Kamacuras’ enraged mate now began attacking him, hitting Gorosaurus in the face with his claws while hovering in the air. The reptile roared in pain as his face was getting slashed at and clobbered at the same time, each hit leaving scratch marks and bruises. Gorosaurus lowered his head and marched forward before coming up and hitting the mantis in the jaw with his head. The Kamacuras’ head jolted up as he was hit. The Gimantis was about to continue his assault before Gorosaurus’ mighty jaws caught Kamacuras’ throat and slammed him to the ground on his back, causing the leaves in the trees around them to blow away.

The Gimantis was about to get up, but a pair of jaws once again clamped onto his neck. As the dinosaur lightly placed a foot on the Kamacuras’ abdomen, the mantis shrieked as he tried getting Gorosaurus off of him, using his claws to scratch his face. The Allosaur endured the pain and began applying pressure to the insectoid’s squishy abdomen, the claws on his foot easily cutting into it, causing yellow blood to spurt out. The Kamacuras roared in pain as Gorosaurus began squishing his lower half, still trying to get the saurian off of him, but it was useless. The Gimantis’ movements got weaker and weaker while his bulbous, yellow eyes began to dim.

Gorosaurus moved his head lower, near the Kamacuras’ chest and began pulling on the bug’s body while stepping harder on his abdomen. The Kamacuras’ screeches lowered and his strikes were much weaker. He hoped his mate would come and help him. Suddenly, the saurian’s claws went all the way through the insect’s abdomen. Gorosaurus brought his head up while dragging his foot away, successfully ripping the Kamacuras in half. Yellow blood poured out of the upper half while yellow liquid and guts seeped and moved out of the detached abdomen.

The Gimantis’ eyes turned dark forever as his body turned limp.

The dinosaur dropped the Kamacuras’ lifeless corpse. Gorosaurus took a breath as he looked at the dead bug. He raised his head and roared into the sky in victory. He had beaten one of these pests, and now to find the other one and kill her. The saurian had multiple cuts and bruises on his body, but he was still more than willing to fight. Gorosaurus looked at the corpse in front of him and cocked his head, licking his lips. Maybe eating the Kamacuras could provide him with more energy.

The dinosaur lowered his head and was about to dig his teeth into the body.

Until something stabbed the side of his throat.

Gorosaurus’ eyes grew wide as his throat was stabbed. There appeared to be nothing beside him.

Until a rippling effect next to the dinosaur revealed a green mantis.

The female!

Her claw clamped around Gorosaurus’ throat and pulled down, ripping the Allosaur’s throat out. Gorosaurus took a few steps forward with his mouth open, blood pouring down his body before the dinosaur fell to his side, spilling more blood onto the ground, turning the dirt red. Gorosaurus’ eyes shut forever as the bloody, scarred dinosaur became nothing more than fallen prey.

The Kamacuras chittered in victory before looking around, trying to find her mate. She looked beside the dead body of Gorosaurus and found him. The Gimantis walked toward her partner’s lifeless upper half. A sound of sadness escaped her mandibles. Her claws went under his neck and back as the female picked him up, almost like she was cradling him.

The mantis’ head touched his as another sad noise came out of her.

She then backed her head away and let the half of her partner down. The Kamacuras turned to Gorosaurus’ body. Walking up to it, she examined the lifeless dinosaur. It was much bigger than the boars and cattle that she’s been eating. Kamacuras picked up Gorosaurus’ ripped out throat and opened her mandibles before taking a bite out of it.

She was surprised. It was much better than she expected and with ravenous eyes she looked on to the Allosaur’s corpse with enthusiasm.

Time to feast.

Winner: Kamacuras (Universal)