The Orphan

EXT. SAVANNA - DAY

SUPER: East Plain, Branny Bay, Primeria

It is a lively clear morning like any other in the shrublands. While animals are going about their business, a tiny four-rotors DRONE hovers at a safe altitude and spies on a pack of little scavengers converging on the stench of recent death.

Through the artificial eyes of the drone we see at least 4 of them dart in the arid undergrowth by a large tree.

DRONE TV

The drone identifies them as REODON, bird-like hawk-sized creatures with a long tail, small feathery arms, and sharp claws on their hands and feet.

The LEADER, the biggest and most colourful Reodon, carefully approaches the large carcass beyond the tree. He pauses, glancing back to signal his PACK mates. They know each other by scent, feather colours, and voices. Since we don't speak their language, we will just call him STURDY.

The second biggest and most colouful Reodon - let's call him AZID - steps forward to contradict Sturdy. The other two shy away, anticipating another brawl.

The other two aren't trying to prove themselves. One is colourful but not as radiant as either Sturdy or Azid - we'll call him LEERY. The other one's plumage is devoid of vivid colours and blends well with the sorroundings - we'll call him SLY.

Sly takes advantage of the situation. As the burlier Reodon challenge each other, Sly sneaks around them using the bushes.

Leery is insecure. He can't make up his mind if he wants to watch the fight or follow Sly to the carcass.

Leery's excitement for the challenge wears off. He's bored and suddenly Sly's idea is way more interesting. He sneaks off and catches up with Sly.

EXT. SAVANNA - BY THE CARCASS - CONTINUOUS

While Azid and Sturdy escalate the challenge, Sly leads Leery at the carcass. They had smelled it as a SAIRASAURA grown female since first light. The animal is many times their size, quadrupedal, with strong legs and slim arms, and a robust tail.

They sneak in from behind the legs and tail. The Sairasaura has collapsed on her left side. The smell of fatal wound is sharp, but both Sly and Leery are increasingly confused by a faint hormonal scent under all that yummy feast-air.

Leery trusts Sly and they examine the dead Sairasaura. Leery is wary. He smells yummy blood from the front of the carcass, and he can see a nasty bite has ripped the Sairasaura's throat open. Sly gets closer to it.

Leery is put back in his place and turns to the Sairasaura's hips. He can smell hormonal blood. It is not yummy. He can see it: it even looks different.

Leery is startled both by the arguing pack mates and by a faint rustling on the ground, next to the Sairasaura's legs. He feels uneasy.

Leery looks at Sly for a clue and see him already biting on the prized throat flesh - his head red in blood. Leery hears the ground rustle again. He's putting two and two together.

He finally sees it: from under the Sairasaura's legs a BABY Sairasaura emerges, covered in the hormonal blood Leery has been smelling all along. Leery is bewildered.

Sly freezes at Sturdy's voice and squats. Can Sturdy see him? To be safer, Sly climbs down the Sairasaura's neck and hides under it, oblivious to the baby, until it cries.

Leery is petrified. To him the baby might as well be an alien. Sly peeks out from the carcass neck and puts his eyes on the cring baby. He doesn't lose his cool, he's more curious than anything.

Oh no. Sturdy climbs over the dead Saira's hips and scorns at Leery who snaps back.

Sturdy jumps down from the carcass and lands besides Leery, startling him.

Sturdy notices the baby and scorns at it. He ain't surprised nor interested. Sly is hiding from Sturdy under the carcass neck. Sturdy can't smell Sly with all the overwhelming scents of death and live birth, so Sly is safe, for now.

Sturdy seems to understand what is going on and calms down.

Sturdy ignores the baby and walks to the mother's neck, not yet noticing Sly hiding under it, and climbs over it to start chewing on flesh.

Sly peeks out to spy on Sturdy. Leery is scared of the baby and worried that Sturdy might get mad again.

Azid pops up from the carcass hips.

The baby Saira sits down and cuddles against the mother's legs. He sniffs her dirty skin and can finally smell her scent over the blood stench.

Both Leery and the baby flinch at Azid landing next to them. Azid glances at the baby but he is also not interested. He wants the prized mother's neck but he would have to challenge Sturdy again.

Sensing Azid's crave, Sturdy turns his bloody head to him.

Leery sits down on the spot. Azid doesn't submit but he is not willing to gamble with Sturdy again. Now Azid is suddenly interested in the baby.

The baby realizes Mama is lying dead right there next to him. The sorrow drains him.

Azid steps towards the baby. He feels insecure about pouncing him: might be weak and young but he is still twice Azid's size.

Sly finally decides to come out of hiding. Sturdy snaps at him.

Azid uses Sly's distraction and makes a move on the baby. Leery doesn't help him.

The baby Sairasaura struggles up on his feet to fend off Azid.

Azid pounces the baby but the baby shakes him off.

Sturdy stands up to watch the fight. His head is drenched in blood, he is having a good feast and he even has entertainment.

Azid flinches. He is already unsure about his decision. Leery backs out completely and joins Sly in the bushes.

Azid jumps away from the charge with little effort, but realizes the baby is strong enough to knock him out if the charge connects. He doesn't want to risk it so he also backs out and joins Sly and Leery in the bushes.

The baby stands there panting but proudly scorning at the three coward Reodons, with Sturdy looking at him from atop the mother's neck. The baby suddenly notices Sturdy and fliches.

The baby doesn't relax at all. He smells his mother in the blood. The blood is all over the Reodon's face. The Reodon is standing over his mother's neck. His mother's neck is ripped open. Fatally.

The other three Reodon spy from the bushes, unwilling to get involved.

Sturdy jumps down all ready to fight the baby Sairasaura.

The other three Reodons chitter from the bushes.

EXT. SAVANNA - BY THE BUSHES - CONTINUOUS

The baby doesn't quite know what he got himself into, but he won't back down. Sturdy is feeling confident and also won't back down. They both know it, so Sturdy makes the first move without wasting any more time. He pounces the baby.

Sturdy clings on the baby's tender back with his sharp foot claws and grapples to the baby's shoulders with his clawed hands.

Sturdy can't hold on so he flaps his winged arms trying to regain balance. His foot claws are the only way he can still keep on top of the animal almost twice his size.

The rest of the packs keeps cheering Sturdy on with louder screams, but the baby seems to be getting the upper hand. Sturdy is getting tired.

Sturdy grapples with his hands on the baby's shoulders again and bites down on the back of his neck, making him cry in pain.

The rest of the pack cheers up even more. Has the table turned? Sturdy keeps biting down with all the strenght in his jaws and clings with his claws to the baby's flesh.

Suddenly the baby jerks forward and back, feinting charges. Sturdy loses grip. At the third feint Sturdy goes flying ahead over the baby's head and lands badly on the ground.

The baby is furious now. He charges Sturdy

The baby doesn't stop. He runs on his legs. Sturdy can't get back up in time and the baby headbutts him and punches him in the side. Sturdy screams in pain as he gets shoved and trips over a rock to add to the insult.

The pack stops cheering.

Sturdy struggles back up. He's in pain. His right arm is broken. It also hurts to breathe. Maybe ribs are cracked? He glances at the rageful Sairasaura baby and decides it's time to submit.

The baby understands the universal submission bow and untenses his muscles and lowers his stance, going on all fours again. He just stands there panting.

Sturdy gets the cue and, still bowing, limps away into the bushes.

The pack sneaks around the bushes and joins him far enough away from the baby's charging range.

The baby can finally relax. He tries to twist to reach the wounds on his back with his head but can't. He decides to walk back to his mother's corpse.

EXT. SAVANNA - BY THE CARCASS - CONTINUOUS

The baby lays against his dead mother's belly that had carried him until last night.

He has time to grief, now. He does so quietly. But if he could he'd surely shed tears. He licks himself, instead, to clean the blood off and get out of that scent.

He doesn't lay there too long. By noon he can hear chirps and chitter again from beyond the bushes and figures it's probably a bad idea to stay there.

He stands up and looks around. Where could he go? Hide in the bushes? Try borrowing by the tree? Take a hike?

SAVANA - BY THE BUSHES - CONTINUOUS

He tries walking. He is small enough that can hide in the bushes, but what about the endless arid prairie that lies beyond the bushes?

The baby Saira glances at the bushes. More trouble? They know he's here. He has to move.

He walks off. Glances back at the carcass: Reodons are claiming it for good. He marches on. If he sticks to bushes and underground but keeps moving he might lose them altogether and find peace.

EXT. SAVANNA - DAY

DRONE TV

The plain gradually dims down as the sun sets. The baby walks alone from bush to bush.

He is still unaware of the small herd of Sairasauras marching just beyond his sight, in the open prairie. But they know about him.

They can smell him.

And they are walking towards him.

BACK TO SCENE

The satisfied drone whizzes away in the twilight as if to chase the sun beyond the horizon. Gradually it becomes only a dot in the sky over the plain, until it is no more. It's bringing this hot footage back home for human eyes to enjoy...