Ukhel

Prologue
It was the 2nd of February 2012, and the time was 5:30 pm, as French trophy hunter, Valéry Gosse, explored the forests of India. He had been hoping to shoot a tiger, or at the very least, a leopard. Gosse’s hunting partner, Hamzah Hasan, had left on a quest of his own, to hunt a supposed man eater in the Gobi Desert. Gosse had asked Hamzah to come with him, but Hamzah wanted to go after something bigger and better than a tiger. Gosse sighed.
That fool, he thought, as he wandered through the lush jungle. Mosquitoes flew around him. That irritated him.
Gosse notices a sloth bear in the distance.
Jackpot he thought, as he loaded his rifle. Just then, he heard the sound of a branch snap. Gosse looked behind him, and saw a Velociraptor. It was Moguera, who pounced on to him, ripping his belly with her killer claw. The sloth bear, a naturally curious animal, rushed to where Moguera was, and slammed her claws on Gosse’s face. Moguera let go of Gosse, whose intestines were dangling. The sloth bear also stopped attacking, terrified of Moguera. Gosse grabbed his mobile phone, and dialed a number. It was Hamzah. And at that moment, Moguera pounced onto Gosse, grabbing him by the throat and suffocating him.
It was 8:00 pm in Mongolia while all of this was happening, and Gosse’s hunting partner, Hamzah, was wandering through the Gobi Desert. Hamzah’s phone began to ring. It was dark outside, and there was a strike of lightning. Behind Hamzah was a massive dinosaur, whose silhouette shone from the lightning. The dinosaur bit down of Hamzah, as he grabbed his phone. The phone fell on the ground, and soon, blood spilled on the cracked screen of the phone.
Moran
It was the 24th of February, 2012. Nevith Reginold Kodikara, a Sri Lankan photographer, was seated at the lobby of the Grand Rovinka Hotel, Madalgov, Mongolia, watching the news.
“Police are still investigating the disappearances at the Gobi Desert, which started on the 26th of January, 2012, where several people who were last known leaving to the Gobi Desert, never return. Among them was BioSyn CEO, Jeff Roister. Since then, several people have mysteriously disappeared at the Gobi Desert. A prominent theory is that these attacks might be caused by a dinosaur, perhaps escaped from Jurassic World at Isla Nublar” the news reporter read out. “However, the park owner, Mr. Simon Masarani, has dismissed this as absolute nonsense.”
The screen switched, to show Simon Masarani.
“If this is in fact a dinosaur from Isla Nublar,” Simon Masarani said, “then wouldn’t we have any reports of dinosaurs closer to Nublar, than in Mongolia? And the security is too tight. So it can’t be stolen from us.”
A montage of Jurassic World was shown on the screen, while the reporter’s voice returned.
“Jurassic World,” the news reporter continued, “has been open since 2005, and is known to house several individuals of the genus Ceratosaurus. The bite marks seen on a caravan found in the Gobi Desert resemble those of InGen’s Ceratosaurus. Other leading theories are that this is a supposed Kaiju, or a beast of extra-terrestrial or even celestial origin. Meanwhile, Scientists speculate that there might have been an undiscovered ecosystem in the Gobi Desert. There is still much speculation as to what this mysterious creature might be, but locals call it Ukhel, meaning death. Stay tuned for more on this creature.”
“You’re here to see Ukhel?” a man from behind asked Nevith. Nevith recognized the man immediately. He was Sebastian Moran, the manager of the Nestlé branch in Mongolia, and was supposedly a rather notorious figure. Moran had been known to contaminate the water supplies in various villages, forcing the villagers to buy Nestlé products. It was also noted that Moran had many unwilling laborers working for him, some of them being children.
“Sebastian Moran…” Nevith said. “As for your question, no.”
Moran chuckled. “I’m leading an expedition to capture him.”
“Ukhel?” Nevith asked.
“Yes. I’ve hired a big game hunter from Tokyo, Mr. Nii Isao and a Turkish bounty hunter, Miss. Ajda Özbek arriving to help us” Moran said. “I plan to bring Ukhel to Madalgov later today.”
“That confident?” Nevith asked.
Moran chuckled. “You have no idea.”
Gobi Desert
That afternoon Sebastian Moran, Nii Isao, and Ajda Özbek lead their team through the unforgiving terrain, their eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of the elusive Ukhel.
Sebastian Moran wiped sweat from his brow, and spoke “Keep your eyes peeled, everyone. We're getting closer to the Ukhel's territory.”
Nii Isao and Miss Ajda Özbek nod in agreement, their expressions determined as they press forward. The team trudges on, their footsteps leaving faint imprints in the sand. As they journey deeper into the desert, they come across scattered signs of destruction: overturned caravans, abandoned campfires, and scattered debris. The unmistakable stench of the Ukhel's presence hangs heavy in the air.
Ajda Özbek examined the wreckage. “Looks like we're not the only ones searching for the Ukhel.” She said.
Nii Isao frowned. “This creature has left a path of destruction in its wake. We must proceed with caution.”
Undeterred by the ominous signs, the team continues their trek, their resolve unwavering. The sun beats down relentlessly, casting long shadows across the desert landscape.
Sebastian Moran gazed into the distance “Keep moving, everyone. We're getting closer.”
As they journey further into the heart of the desert, they stumble upon a pile of dung, unmistakably belonging to the Ukhel. Sebastian Moran examines it closely, his brow furrowed in concentration.
“We're definitely on the right track. The Ukhel can't be far now.” he said, proud and excited.
Unbeknownst to the team, the Ukhel watches them from a distance, its primal gaze fixed on the intruders in its territory. With a low growl, it slinks further into the shadows, biding its time.
Nii Isao, Miss Ajda Özbek, and Sebastian Moran exchange a determined glance, their hearts pounding with anticipation. With each step, they draw closer to their elusive quarry, unaware of the danger lurking just beyond their sight.
Sebastian turned towards two Nestle employees. “Get into the van, and send out one of those robotic car things. Follow it around. We’ll be here.”
The employees nodded. They drove the van off, while one of them piloted a robot.
About an hour later, the driver stopped the van. “Can you smell that?”
A foul odor of decay loomed in the air. The pilot of the robot nodded. “I’ll send the robot around” she said, and the driver nodded.
Just then the robot came flying on to the dashboard of the van, smashing the glass. The robot’s weight crushed the driver, killing him instantly. The pilot was severely injured, as she stared at the endless sand dunes.
A Ceratosaurus approached the van. It was Napoleon *(see: Vasiliev)* , only now his skin was coated with dust. The blood stains of his victims were still on his skin. Napoleon had grown larger in just a matter of weeks. He wasn’t Napoleon anymore. He was now the Ukhle.
“Ukhle!” the driver screamed.
Ukhle roared, charging towards the van, smashing the door with his weight, grabbing the pilot and pounding her body on the ground. After making sure that she was dead, he examined the body, sniffing it.
No, this body didn’t belong to Vsevolod Vasiliev either. The Ukhle roared again, before it began to rip into the flesh of the driver.
“There he is” Sebastian Moran said, grinning.
“Now what?” Nii asked.
“We capture him, take him to Madalgov, and release him there.”
“And why on earth would you do that?” Ajda asked.
“Well, for one,” began Moran, “the chaos caused by the dinosaur could create opportunities for financial gain. I have investments in security firms and disaster relief services that would profit from the resulting mayhem. Also, this is a good way to get rid of some rivals. And I could commit Insurance fraud from this. Also, this is a good method to distract the government of Mongolia from our scandals, such as contaminating the water of a village. Further, we are also helping other companies by giving them an opportunity to test out the latest weaponry. Yep, there are lots of reasons.”
“I won’t let you do that” Ajda said.
“I thought as much,” Moran said, pulling out a pistol, and shooting Ajda. Ajda fell down, dead.
Moran turned towards Nii.
“Shoot him in the leg, Moran” one of the employees said.
“Well?” Moran asked Nii.
“You are crazy” Nii said.
Moran shot him as well.
The gunshots had attracted the attention of the Ukhel, that began to stare at the crowd of people. It came across a herd of animals, a mixed species herd made up of Saiga and Przewalski’ Horses. And also Bactrian and imported dormitory camels, that were once part of a tour, but had been set free after the Ukhel attacked their touring site.
“Why won’t the Ukhel attack those Mongolian wild asses?” an employee asked.
“Must be some sort of symbiosis, I think” Moran said. “The Ukhel protects them from people that he hunts down. This in turn provides him with a meal. Some villagers do hunt Mongolian wild asses. A herd like this could attract a good lot of people. And it is also how we will capture the Ukhel. Get the rocket launchers.”
The Nestle employees obey his orders, bring the rocket launchers. One by one, Moran fires at the herd, causing it to scatter. The Ukhel turned towards Sebastian Moran, and let out a thundering roar, before charging towards him.
“Get the stun guns and cattle prods! This is our moment of glory! We are shaping our own destiny!” Moran yelled.
The Ukhel stomped towards the people, confused as to why, instead of running away as people usually did, they charged towards him. Only when they began to electrocute him did it dawn upon him. The Ukhel roared, biting off many employees, while Moran stood from a safe distance. The employees were terrified, but they continued to electrocute the Ukhel, with some tying wires around the beast. In a matter of seconds, the Ukhel collapsed, unconscious. There were many injured people, and a few casualties, but that had been expected by Sebastian Moran, who had brought a bus with them to take the injured to the nearest hospital.
Moran smirked. He had done it. He had captured the Ukhel. Tomorrow was going to be a big day for him.
Zoo
The 25th of February, 2012, could not come any faster for Moran. He was like a child during Christmas Eve, or the night before his birthday. This could potentially be the greatest day of his life!
Nevith Kodikara was present at the zoo, seizing the opportunity to take some pictures. Sebastian Moran stood from a safe distance.
A crowd gasps at the Ceratosaurus. It had been sedated once again. The people had recognized that it was a Ceratosaurus, but had dismissed it being a Masarani Ceratosaurus. Jeff Roister’s genetic manipulations had caused the creature to grow in size, and was now almost double the size as it had been on Isla Sorna, just barely smaller than Rexy the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Plus, it was a different colour from the individuals displayed at Isla Nublar, where the males were red with black stripes, and the females were a shade of dark green that was almost black. This individual was pale.
The Ukhel had been chained, but Sebastian Moran knew that these chains would give way soon. It wasn’t a question of if, it was a question of when.
Nevith was zooming in at the Ukhel’s head, when the creature opened its eyes, and roared, slowly getting up. This terrified the audience. Nevith decided to back off, leaving into the distance. The presence of this creature had spawned many theories, about illegal cloning going around, or the fact that some dinosaurs might have survived the KPG mass extinction, and survived, and might now be out to reclaim the world. This was definitely one of the most haunting theories, but Nevith had already figured out that Hammond and InGen had already put the nail on the coffin when they brought the first non-avian dinosaurs back to life all those years ago.
Chaos
The Ukhel let out another roar, and charged towards the crowd. The chains gave way, and caused the Ukhel to collapse upon the crowd, crushing some under his weight. Using his massive jaws, the Ukhel tore off the chains that were still on his body, before letting out a thundering roar, rampaging around the zoo, killing people and destroying the fences and cages containing the animals. The rubble filled in the moats, allowing the animals to escape.
Nevith hid behind an ice cream truck, watching the chaos. He saw Sebastian Moran, watching from a corner, as Flamingoes flew past him.
“Moran!” Nevith yelled at him. Sebastian Moran noticed him, but he was too distressed. A helicopter was to appear and help him escape by now. Where was it?
It was then that Nevith heard a helicopter hovering above the zoo. Moran let out a sigh of relief, only for the Ukhel to grab him, and dive into a pool that housed penguins. The Ukhel bit off Moran’s legs, and released him. Moran gasped for air, and screamed for help, as the clean waters of the pool began to take the color of blood. The Ukhel rose up again, biting off Moran’s left arm, before diving down again. It swam down again, and waited until Moran passed out from blood loss. It rose up, grabbing Moran, who even in his unconscious state, screamed, before diving back into the water. The 4.8-meter-long beast then leapt out of the pool, and let out another roar.
Nevith watches from behind the ice cream truck as the Ukhel begins to charge out once again, in search of human prey.
The air crackles with tension as the Ukhel rampages through the zoo path, its primal roars echoing across the landscape. People scatter in terror as the massive predator charges forward, leaving destruction in its wake.
Meanwhile, a bull African Savannah elephant, towering and majestic, roams the zoo in search of food and water. Unbeknownst to the elephant, it is about to encounter a formidable adversary.
With a thunderous crash, the Ukhel barrels into the open, its sharp claws tearing up the earth as it charges relentlessly towards the scattered group of people. Panic ensues as they scramble for safety, their desperate cries drowned out by the Ukhel's bloodcurdling roars.
Just as the Ukhel reaches the outskirts of the group, a powerful rumble shakes the ground. The bull elephant emerges from the dense foliage, its massive tusks gleaming in the sunlight as it trumpets a warning to the approaching predator.
Undeterred by the elephant's warning, the Ukhel locks eyes with its new adversary, its primal instincts driving it forward with relentless aggression. The elephant braces itself, its ears flapping in determination as it prepares for the impending clash.
With a deafening roar, the Ukhel lunges at the elephant, its razor-sharp teeth bared in a fearsome display of power. The elephant responds in kind, rearing up on its hind legs and swinging its mighty tusks in a sweeping arc.
The two titans collide with earth-shattering force, their immense bodies locked in a fierce struggle for dominance. The Ukhel's sharp claws rake across the elephant's thick hide, leaving deep gashes in their wake, while the elephant's powerful tusks deliver bone-crushing blows to the predator's armored scales.
With each thunderous impact, the ground trembles beneath their feet, sending shockwaves rippling through the zoo. Dust and debris swirl around them as they continue their brutal battle, each refusing to yield to the other.
Despite its formidable size and strength, the elephant begins to tire under the relentless assault of the Ukhel. Blood drips from its wounds as it struggles to maintain its footing, its trumpeting cries echoing through the Savannah in a desperate plea for help. Sensing its advantage, the Ukhel presses its attack, its primal instincts driving it to deliver the final blow. With a savage roar, it lunges forward, aiming to deliver a fatal strike to the elephant's vulnerable neck. The Ukhel rips off the tusker’s head, causing the body to fall. It then drops the head, and roars.
The Ukhel charges about again, roaring. Most of the people have fled the zoo now, save for a few. The Ukhel approaches a child, no more than eight years old, frozen in fear.
Growling, the Ukhel prepares to lunge at the child, till it sees too people running and putting themselves between the child and the Ukhel. The parents had gone searching for the child amidst the chaos.
The Ukhel stopped. Seeing the parental love reminded him of his own past.
Flashback
The year was 2005, and a pale Ceratosaurus chick was feeding off of a carcass provided by its parents.
The juvenile Ceratosaurus didn’t know that this would be a day it would never forget.
Human poachers arrived, and fired at the juvenile Ceratosaurs’s parents, killing them. The female Ceratosaurus had ordered her son to hide in a burrow, where it witnessed the death of its parents.
And as if this wasn’t enough, the two adults were decapitated, their heads to be mounted on the hunters wall. The juvenile followed the humans, as they stayed on Isla Sorna to taxidermize the heads. It fed off of the leftovers of the people, often coming and stealing their food supply. The hunters never made if off the island, as they were attacked by Sobk the Spinosaurus.
Following the attack, the juvenile survived living off of the leftovers of the Spinosaurus. It learnt to hunt by watching the Spinosaurus, and eventually began to battle other dinosaurs, becoming skilled in combat. The Spinosaurus had been an alien of sorts to the ecosystem of Isla Sorna, and the young Ceratosaurus often sparred against the Spinosaurus, which always ended with it being defeated by the much larger theropod.
Around early 2007, the Ceratosaurus, having won a battle against many males, started a family of his own. This family too, was lost both directly and indirectly by humans.
And that Ceratosaurus now stood, towering over the three people that looked back at it, utterly terrified. It let out a puff of air from its nostrils, before roaring at the group, and leaving. The Ukhel turned towards the entrance of the zoo, and charged, destroying the walls, and breaking out. And then it delivered another roar.
Carnage
Nevith stared into the distance. The Ukhel had charged into the open city. The townsfolk fled in terror as the massive predator rampaged through Madalgov, its powerful strides shaking the earth beneath its feet. Buildings crumbled in its wake as the Ukhel unleashed its fury upon the unsuspecting town.
The Ukhel walked towards a statue of Genghis Khan, and toppled it over.
The police of Madalgov arrived, determined to stop the Ukhel before it could wreak further havoc. Led by Sergeant Altan, they armed themselves with whatever makeshift weapons they could find and set out to confront the beast.
As they ventured deeper into the heart of Madalgov, they encountered scenes of devastation: overturned carts, shattered windows, and panicked cries echoing through the streets. But they pressed on, their resolve unwavering in the face of danger.
Finally, they came face to face with the Ukhel, its towering form casting a menacing shadow over them. Altan raised his weapon, a makeshift spear crafted from a broken fence post, and prepared to strike.
But before he could make a move, the Ukhel unleashed a deafening roar, sending a shiver down Altan's spine. With lightning speed, it lunged forward, its razor-sharp teeth bared in a fearsome display of power.
Altan and his companions fought valiantly, dodging the Ukhel's relentless attacks as they attempted to drive it back. But the beast proved to be a formidable adversary, its ferocity unmatched as it continued its rampage through Madalgov.
Just when all hope seemed lost, a sudden rumble echoed through the streets. The ground shook as a massive herd of wild horses thundered into view, their hooves kicking up clouds of dust as they charged towards the Ukhel.
With a mighty roar, the Ukhel turned to face its new adversaries, its primal instincts driving it to confront the threat head-on. It grabbed a horse amidst its jaws, and threw it in the air, before grabbing several other horses. And then it turned towards the police, and charged, grabbing several of them with its jaws, and crushing them. Altan ran off, and reunited with another team of police. They opened fire at the Ukhel, which was now on the open road. It rushed and hid behind a bus, before pushing the bus towards the Ukhel, and toppling it over the police. Several helicopters loomed in the air, firing at the beast.
The Ukhel growled, before grabbing a police officer and throwing her into the air. She screamed as she crashed onto a rotor blade, causing the helicopter to crash.
The debris had caused fire. The Ukhel rushed towards a nearby tree, ripping a branch off and setting the branch on fire. Then it turned towards the police and rushed towards them, before tossing the branch into a nearby building. The behemoth continued to go around the town, destroying everything on its path.
Altan stood, watching the path of fire. Nevith appeared behind him.
“What’s the plan, officer?” Nevith asked.
Altan looked at him. He sighed.
“The plan is to hope for the best. And to do everything possible to save the people. Even if it means making certain sacrifices.” Altan said, before running towards the station. There were bombs in the station. For his plan to work, he’d need one.
Massacre
Later that evening, Altan walked into the road, with a bomb set to explode in fifteen minutes. He could see the Ukhel feeding off of a fish truck. He yelled at the Ukhel, which charged towards him. Altan smirked. The Ukhel’s end was near.
Just then a team of officers appeared, and began to fire. The Ukhel roared at them, swinging its tail and throwing Altan onto a building. Altan was killed upon impact, and his remains exploded thirteen minutes later.
The Ukhel began to attack the police officers, his jaws devouring anyone that was close enough. The Ukhel continued to attack, when the sky lit up.
The Ukhel turned towards the source of the light. Nevith stood on top of a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk. The Ukhel growled, and charged towards the jeep. Nevith climbed into the front seat. Nevith gripped the steering wheel of his 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk, his heart pounding with adrenaline as he stared down the beast known as the Ukhel. The creature's primal roars echoed through the streets of Madalgov, striking fear into the hearts of the townsfolk.
With determination in his eyes, Nevith revved the engine of his Jeep and prepared to lead the Ukhel away from the city and into the vast expanse of the Gobi Desert.
As the Ukhel charged towards him, its massive form casting a menacing shadow over the streets, Nevith gritted his teeth and hit the gas pedal. The Jeep surged forward, its tires kicking up clouds of dust as it barreled towards the creature with unwavering resolve.
With lightning speed, Nevith maneuvered the Jeep through the narrow streets of Madalgov, narrowly avoiding the Ukhel's savage attacks as he led it further and further away from the city. He could feel the creature's hot breath on his heels, its primal instincts driving it to pursue him with relentless fury.
But Nevith refused to back down, his eyes fixed on the horizon as he pushed the Jeep to its limits. The desert landscape stretched out before him, a vast and unforgiving wilderness that offered no refuge for either predator or prey.
As the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows across the desert sands, Nevith finally reached the edge of the Gobi Desert. With a final burst of speed, he raced ahead, leading the Ukhel into the heart of the wilderness.
The Ukhel roared in frustration as it realized it had been lured away from its intended prey, its primal instincts compelling it to pursue Nevith into the depths of the desert.
Just then the jeep stopped. It was out of diesel.  Nevith stared in horror. He had to act fast. He got off the jeep and ran deep into the Gobi Desert. From behind, he could hear the sound as the Ukhel destroyed the jeep in furry.
A pack of Dholes, having seen Nevith fleeing, rushed after him, their hunting instincts getting the best out of them. Nevith ran, panting. The Ukhel was after him again, roaring.
Nevith rushed towards a ravine. He was trapped now; he was sure of it. Nevith sighed, preparing for the worst.
The dholes approached him, growling. They too seemed terrified, having heard the Ukhels roars. Nevith stood, panting. The dholes growled, before rushing sideways. The Ukhel had arrived, and stood, growling. It slowly approached Nevith.
Nevith looked down at the ravine. There was a narrow ledge, and he could see that it led back to the surface.
“Here goes nothing” Nevith said, jumping off the cliff and landing on the ravine.
The Ukhel let out a frustrated roar. It looked down at the ravine, and the walls gave way.
It happened quickly, as the Ukhel tumbled down. It tried to bite in the air close to Nevith, either to grab him or to hold onto something to prevent falling.
Nevith looked down. A cloud of dust hung about, but in a few minutes, it cleared out. The Ukhel lay on a pool of blood. It lay motionless. Sighing, Nevith walked out of the ledge, and into the Gobi Desert. Hours later, around 2:00 AM the next day, Nevith arrived at Dalanzadgad, exhausted.
Epilogue
Three days had passed since the attack. The Ukhel had been proclaimed dead, with the body having being spotted on a helicopter.
No one knew that the Ukhel was just hibernating and regenerating.
That night, the traces of blood lay on the floor, but there was no body.
Towards the edge of the ravine, a massive figure stood, weak. It limped towards an oasis.
It was the Ukhel.
It’s still alive! 
THE END!
Category:Books
Category:Short Stories