The King of the Lizards (Flash Fiction)
The monstrous tyrannosaurus rex was the "King of the Cretaceous", but there was another beast eager to challenge for that title.
Author’s note: For this week, I had actually planned for a book review of an indie space opera book that I’ve enjoyed. Unfortunately, I had a lot on my plate right now. I realized that it’s been a while since I read that book and there was no way I could do that book justice in such a short notice.
Thus, I decided to dig up and pretty-up this flash fiction piece that I’ve been storing in my hard drive. Enjoy!
A giant monstrous lizard walked through the lush grasslands of the Cretaceous. It was a beast of massive proportions with a big head, an even bigger torso, some razor-sharp teeth, and two giant legs. These strong features were contrasted with its two tiny arms. It was a tyrannosaurus rex, the tyrant lizard king.
The monster walked proudly as its thundering steps were noticed by all the other creatures around it. The smaller lizards looked at the tyrant lizard king with apprehension.
The lizard king was hungry, after all.
There was an easier source of food for the monster, though. Nearby, a gargantuan lizard creature lied dead on the ground. Like the tyrant, it too was a monster. But this monster ate plants. In any case, the proud tyrant lizard was not above scavenging.
The tyrant moved quickly towards its meal. It took a bite out of the dead creature, but it wouldn’t be able to enjoy its meal in peace.
A loud shriek pierced through the skies. The tyrant looked up to see the source of that terrible noise.
A winged lizard creature descended down to the ground near the tyrant. Its size was comparable to that of the tyrant, though the winged creature was a little shorter. Possessing four limbs altogether, it was a dragon.
The dragon shrieked at the tyrant, laying claim to its rival’s meal. The tyrant roared back at the dragon. It would not give up its meal without a fight.
The tyrant made the first strike as it lunged towards the dragon. The dragon was hurt by the headbutt.
In response, the dragon flew up away from its opponent; not to run, but to fight. From the sky, the dragon brought its talons to bear against the tyrant’s head.
The dragon had drawn first blood!
The enraged tyrant lunged once more towards the dragon; not to bash, but to bite. The tyrant opened its mouth to get a hold of the dragon’s right wing with its sharp teeth. However, the dragon was swift and was able to evade the bite. It was close, though; the tyrant missed the dragon by mere inches.
So far, it had been an even battle. However, the dragon had one final weapon, one that its kind would rather use in a meal rather than a fight: fire.
From the dragon’s mouth, bright hot flame came out. Unable to withstand the burn, the tyrant fell back. But the dragon was not finished, it continued to use its flamethrower to drive back the enemy.
The tyrant had had enough. It retreated and withdrew from the fight. Meanwhile, the dragon ceased its pursuit; it would rather use its fire on the dead plant-eater.
The dragon was victorious. It had secured its meal for the day. More importantly, it had also secured the title of “King of the Lizards”. For the tyrant lizard king was nothing more than a pretender. The dragon was the true King of the Cretaceous!
Surely, the tyrant will be nothing more than a footnote. Surely, the dragon will never be forgotten.
Author’s note: I hope you enjoyed this one. I was big into dinosaurs when I was a kid, and the mockumentary ‘Dragons: A Fantasy Made Real’ made an impression on me. I definitely had it in mind when writing this story.