"Slowly...carefully..." Gordon ordered as bits and pieces of rocks, stones, debris and sand flew about as an oversized drill that resembles a very large dolphin reaches its final point of contact with precision after drilling for almost an hour straight into the magmalite rock.

                   "Couldn't we just...wait for tomorrow? An hour more is not going to make a difference - when you have the whole day tomorrow. The sun is almost down guys." Mira Kershie's voice crackles through their radio.

               "We are almost there...this couldn't wait any longer...we will be done soon - I promise." Gordon assured.

               "Remember...my tracking device won't work in the fog."

             Gordon Anderson ordered the Dymac driller bot - a massive autonomous robot to retract its driller arms as the last layer of rock has been breached. The science chief soon ordered another bot - hundreds of them actually known as Excavors to extract the final remaining huge slabs of broken pieces of rocks and stones that strewn about - they lifted them up with ease and dump the rubble on the precipice with swiftness. Some of the Excavors also digs and drills smaller holes with great care.

                The group of 3 men and a woman - stands atop a large suspending platform that overlooks a large clearing - with flood lights streaming at it - awaits with supreme patience but with bated breathe. 

                  After what seems like the longest 30 minutes of their life - finally the rhythmic excavation of the Excavors cleared as they beholds a massive fossil of a gigantic winged monster - it lies twisted and contorted as if it suffered painfully in its final breathe or perhaps more like its final battle, judging from its rigid posture. If it was alive, it must have stood at least 80 feet tall.

                "What a monstrous creature this is..." Alysha Debbens stared in awe at the fossil as Kurasaki Futoshima - her apparent husband grabs her from behind and gives her a victory kiss as they hugged in agreement.

                "This monster...it's even larger than a Titanok...this is madness...how can such a creature even exist?" Jonathan Mafaya queried with awe at the sight - like a young boy who just discovers a pot of treasure. He then hastily pops open a champagne as the team cheered.

                "This definitely must be celebrated." Jonathan insists as he hands down the wine glasses to his smiling team.

                "Look at those bite marks" Kurasaki points at them. 

                "It seems to have died of a violent death...could those be what killed it? 

                "We won't be certain until we run some test on it." Jonathan suggests.

                "Look guys - there aren't any fossils within a 100 mile radius." Kurasaki hinted at his tab which displays a large map and several pings of possible fossils that are indeed scattered 100 miles apart.

                  "And here we are...we thought that the Titanok was the largest creature of all in Andonia...we are so totally wrong." Alysha addon.

                  "What shall we name it?" Jonathan asked.

                  "Let's call it a Tiamakian...in reference to a Tiamat." suggested Gordon.

                  "I like it...that sounds fitting actually for such a magnificent and terrifying beast." Kurasaki agreed.

                  The men took a few bone tissue samples while Alysha gets her camera buzzing. A thunder grumbled in the distance as flashes of lightning bolts soon follow after. They are in the middle of a jungle - surrounded by huge and towering trees and lots of mud everywhere as if a great flood has just happened. Many colorful trees of blue, red and green filled the area. A few large dragonflies - the size of an human arm flew by across them harmlessly being chased by larger birds.

                  "Ok...that is the signal to wrap it up guys. We have been in here far too long already." Jonathan implies.

                  "I concur...who knows what lies out here in the dark. Sunset will be in an hour's time." Kurasaki adds in.

                  Alysha agrees as well as she finishes taking the last photos of the gigantic fossil while she goes to a nearby video camera, turns if off and removes it from its extended tripod.

                  "OK...let's pack it up guys – we'll resume our work tomorrow then." Gordon ordered his crew.

                  As the crew packs their gear - suddenly they heard a loud roar from above and everybody froze in their tracks. Jonathan whispered. "What the hell was that?"

                  As in responds to the roar, they heard clicking sounds all around them - like some giant cicadas croaking.

                  "Nobody moves a single limb..." Gordon warned.

                    DEAD SILENCE follows for a while...not even a single sound can be heard.

                  And another roar breaks out as the clicking noises crescends louder and closer. They can see slight movement through the lush vegetation. A thick fog slowly seeps out of nowhere.

              Gordon silently radio back to their waiting shuttle. "Mira...prep the shuttle for launch and send your guards to our position...hurry." 

                  Alysha whispers to Gordon. "I feel like we are being watched."

                  "Quiet Alysha...I know."

                  After a moment, the intercom on Gordon's wrist responds.

                  "Roger that Gordon...she' firing up the thrusters now...I am sending armed guards to your signal...hang on mate."

                  "On the double Mira...we sense that we are not alo..."

                A Vyrene suddenly pops his head through the large fern leaf of an orange tree and another Vyrene does the same.

                  "Copy that - affirmative." Mira replies as the Vyrenes stares at Gordon’s radio and then it scrutinized the frightened group one by one.

                  "So what now? Do we run or not? Kurasaki asked as he draws his sidearm. Gordon and Jonathan soon followed.

                  "Just don't move yet..."Gordon ordered.

                  Another Vyrene also pops its head through the orange fern, there were three of them now as they stalks cautiously like a pack of wolves - ready to pounce on its prey.

                  "Drop them!" Gordon shouted.

                  The men blasted at the forefront Vyrene with their semi-automatic pistols. The Vyrenes are the smallest of the draconem species, standing no taller than 2 full grown men. They usually have wings as well while some not yet because they have not reached adolescent - like the ones that stood before them. 

                  Without warning, the remaining 2 Vyrenes charged at them in unison and the men fired a few more times before they dropped dead crashing right a few feet away from where they stood.

                  "That was close..." Jonathan wipes the sweat off his brow and reloaded his pistol.

                  More clicking sounds now can be heard as suddenly a large pack of Vyrenes appeared right before them.

                  "Runnnn!" Alysha screams as the group drops all their gear and run helter-skelter.

                  They dashed off - not knowing which direction to go as the pack of Vyrenes are closing in from behind. Kurasaki fires his pistol randomly as he run...before a Vyrene appeared from behind a tree and snaps at his head with its razor sharp fangs. Kurasaki screams in pain as the group rushes back and attempts to pull him out from its snapping and clutching jaws.

                 Too late - with a powerful grip, the Vyrene rips his head apart as Kurasaki body falls disembodied to the ground. The pack of Vyrene behind are closing in now for the kill.

                 Alysha screams in shock at her deceased spouse. She falls to her knees as Gordon rushes forward to grab her.

                 "No time to mourn now! Save our lives first!"

                 "What’s the point of living anymore...let go of me...let me die with him!"

                 "John! will you help me!"

                 "Let go off me! I want to die with him!" Alysha begged again.

                 Both men struggled in a tug of war with Alysha as she seemed not to mind being torn apart by the voracious and fast approaching Vyrenes.

                 Jonathan gave her a tight slap. "Wake up! Save yourself for him...it’s the least you can do."

                 Alysha looks sternly at Jonathan as she regained her composure.

                 "They are gaining on us Alysha...don't let us die in vain for you!" Gordon fires his pistol as he drops two more Vyrene a hundred yards behind them.

                 Alysha reluctantly agrees as they sprint out again - running  in a zigzag fashion...then they heard the unmistakable roar again, so loud that they realized that some large creature is right above them. A Titanok breaks through the thick fog and landed not far from them. Three distinctive white stripes runs down its forehead.

                The Vyrenes stop in their tracks as they look upon the huge winged reptile before them. The Titanok gave a challenging roar to the pack and the Vyrenes acknowledges it - as if they seemed to understand each other. The Vyrenes now forms a circle and slowly tip toe forward in an attempt to tighten their grip on the survivors from their back while the Titanok stands towering over them from the front - all exits are blocked and the group realizes that they are about to become dragon's menu for the day.

                "Well at least before we die...we finally get to lay our eyes on a live Titanok." said Jonathan sarcastically with awe at the same time.

                 "Will you stop the nonsensical?" Alysha shouted apparently troubled by her teammate remarks.

                 "Where is your position Mira...come in Mira! We are about to become dragon's fodder...Mira!" Gordon shouted through his intercom but all he hears are static buzzing back.

                 Without warning, the large Titanok lunges forward and grabs Jonathan with its claws and threw him in the air - right before its snout - SNAP - Jonathan's body broke into half by its mighty jaws.

                 Alysha screams again and Gordon had enough...he reloads the last clip in his pistol as he take aim at the monster's eyes and fires at it.

                   The monster roars in pain as one of the bullet managed to strike the right eye. At that moment - a STRYKER rocket flew across from a distance and hit the Titanok squarely in its chest - sending it roaring in pain as .50 caliber bullets flew about and strike the encircling Vyrenes. 

                   Four heavily armed guards in black and red exoskeleton appeared from the bushes as another fires another STRYKER missile at the Titanok.

           "Get behind us!” one of the guards shouted.

Suddenly a Z-43 Armored shuttle appears from among the tall trees and lands at the center of the clearing. Gordon and Alysha rushes forward and boards the shuttle through the opened hatch doors while the guards keep firing at the Vyrenes. Some of the smaller beast ran away while the others bravely gallop forward to attack the guards. Two Vyrenes jumped and lands atop one of the guards and succeeded in overpowering him as they bite and rip through his flesh with their fangs and claws amid the thick but exposed exoskeleton.

           "Jango! No...!" one of the guards utter in horror.

           "Fall back...fall back now!" Mira shouted through her intercom.

           THUMP THUMP THUMP - their heavy cannons fires indiscriminately at the Vyrenes - one by one they fell to the ground. The Titanok managed to claw back to its feet before it is being dropped for good this time by the thin but armor penetrating red lasers from the shuttle. It gave a loud moan as a large gaping hole forms in the center of its chest before it crashes through the trees and finally...it lies motionless from its fatal wounds.

           "Hurry up guys...we don't have all day." Mira communes with the guards through their headsets.

                 The shuttle hovers a few feet above the ground as the last guards jumps in right before it closes its hatch as it zips off through the air - still firing at the flying Vyrenes with its powerful lasers. It finally stopped shooting when the Vyrenes couldn't keep up with the speeding shuttle as it flew towards the clouds - Gordon could still see the dead Titanok on the back windshield.

                  "Damn it! We lost 3 people today...where the hell were you Mira!" Gordon demands an answer.

                  She flicks a couple more switches on the cockpit console - set the shuttle in autopilot mode before turning her cockpit seat to face Gordon, apparently in a very upset mode.

                "You guys dropped your transponders while you were at it. My men have to guess in the blind where you guys were."

                Gordon looks very displeased with her answer.

                "I told you to leave earlier while you still can...but you insisted on drilling that damn fossil and pop the damn champagne...funny...you guys just can't wait for another day...couldn't you."

                "We needed to see what it was...we have made an astounding discovery!"

              "Yeah at what price? One of my men is down now because of your god damn impatience...one more day Gordon – just one more day damn it!"

               Gordon gave in as he realizes his mistake. He knew he should have left earlier when they had a chance. He knew they should resume the drilling the next day when it’s much safer in daylight. Gordon muted as Mira shouldered him and walks down to the mess hall.

               Alysha is still on tears as she broke down - sobbing loudly. All this for what - for some god damned fossil...