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Blearily, Hank opened his eyes, before instinctively applying weight on his colossal feet and his small, but surprisingly strong arms to stand up fully. He made sure to look over at the carcass of the bull Triceratops that he had killed, to make sure it was still there and that no one had dared to eat from it, before letting off a crocodilian, hissing roar. The roar expelled whatever excess carbon dioxide in his body, and also allowed a much-needed inflow of oxygen.
Turning his massive head, he turned to look at the wounds on his right thigh, where the Triceratops had stabbed and slashed with its deadly brow horns during its battle with him. He had had to live with such injuries ever since he first reached adolescence, knowing that they would heal with time; but he was old now, and if not addressed, the wounds would be infected.
Hank was massive, even by the standards of his species. 45 feet long, 14 feet high and weighing 10.8 tons, Hank was a bull Tyrannosaurus Rex that dwarfed other bull Rexes. It was a miracle even to him how he had managed to survive this long, considering how many times he had gotten into near-death situations in hunts and in heated battles with other Tyrannosaurus. The numerous scars on his body testified to his decades of battling massive, and well-armored prey. Fully-grown adult Triceratops and Torosaurus that just wouldn’t go down without first raking his skin with their horns. Edmontosaurus that bit him and slammed their tails against him. The Ankylosaurus that he was desperate enough to tackle during lean times - he had managed to bring a handful of them down in his lifetime, by flipping them over and tearing into their soft undersides, but not without some agonizing blows from their tail club. He had lost the tip of his tail to a hot-tempered bull Torosaurus that knew to use his sharp, parrot-like beak as a weapon in addition to his horns. In short, even by T-Rex standards, he was a battle-tested veteran warrior.
But none of that mattered to him now as he ravenously dug into the Triceratops carcass, tearing off chunks of tender flesh from the Trike’s neck. Making sure to look up periodically, on the alert for any rival Tyrannosaurus that intruded into his territory and onto his meal. When he had eaten his fill for now, he made his way to the nearby river.
Letting off a deep rumble of relief from his gut, he dipped his blood-filled snout into the freshwater, letting the currents wash away the blood while also quenching his thirst. He thudded further into the river until his feet were almost fully submerged, letting the clear, cool water give him relief from the burning sun whilst cleansing the wounds on his right leg.
Just as he lifted his head from drinking, his eyes opened slightly in alarm as he caught the scent of another T-Rex in his territory. And it was coming straight for him.
Quickly, he got out of the water onto the bank, anxiously scanning the treeline for any sign of the intruder.
A rumbling roar reached his ears, announcing its presence. There was no hostility or challenge, merely a ‘I’m here!’
Hank answered with a rumbling roar in turn, his eyes fixed on the new T-Rex that had just appeared in his line of sight. As the newcomer drew closer, Hank’s eyes widened as he realized that the newcomer was a female. She stepped into the water, her eyes trained on him as much as his eyes were trained on her, and took cautious, slow steps towards him.
Eventually, Hank found himself just a few feet away from the female. By her scent, she wasn’t exactly young, but still in the prime of childbearing years. The two Rexes sniffed each other, checking each other out, not entirely sure how to respond. But from the way the female eyed him appraisingly, Hank suddenly understood, and let his instincts take over.
He lifted his head until he was looking vertically up, surprisingly, with grace comparable to that of a swan. A deep, rumbling mating call issued from his throat, the patch of deep red on full display for the female to assess. The female continued tilting her head as she examined him from every possible angle. Eventually, she too lifted her head, the same rumbling issuing from her - her indication of full, heartfelt agreement to be his mate.
Lowering their heads, Hank and the female took slow, gentle steps towards one another. Their snouts touched, then caressed and nuzzled, then nuzzled and caressed, left, then right, then center again.
Somewhat reluctantly, they broke apart. Issuing a rumble from her throat, the female started to walk into the forest, her hips ever swaying just a bit more prominently. Hank’s eyes remained fixed on her and her swaying hips, before he turned to follow her into the forest.
And so, they stay together…
And in the coming weeks, they mate frequently.
Eventually, she’ll lay up to fifteen eggs.
And with them, the promise of a new generation.