Obviously, all of it was just a brilliant staging devised by Sobek.

The hatzegopteryx that claimed to have come by order of the Lightning Lord was actually called Cobra, in honor of the military helicopter with the same name. He was one of the newest arrivals in his pack. He had been recruited by Apaches during his assignment and had arrived with a small flock of pterosaurs. His size was such that the other pterosaurs had looked like cleaner fishes around a great white shark. Given his greatness, Sobek had chosen him as the most suitable for that little play.

Sobek had no qualms about using every weapon in his power. Things like morality and respect for the adversary were trifles when talking about a war. Wars, real wars, were won only by the one who was willing to do anything to get the most resources and the most efficient weapons. Morality in warfare was nothing but an illusion, a pathetic invention. There was no honor or respect among soldiers: just like in nature, the only law was to survive. An animal would never have scruples about using every means at its disposal to survive; likewise, Sobek would have had no qualms about using any means to get what he needed to ensure the survival of the dinosaurs.

In the case of the Neanderthals, religion and superstition were a weapon, and an incredibly efficient one. A weapon that would have been useless against modern men, but not against a group of primitive people. Sobek didn't mind playing with their beliefs to advantage.

Sobek owed everything to those scholars who had come to the village in the past and had documented the Neanderthal culture: thanks to it, he knew broadly the religion of that people. It didn't matter if he didn't know it all: once he quoted the main passages, everything else could be invented. That's why he had come up with that play.

Neytiri obviously couldn't imagine all this, so it didn't even occur to him that Cobra was lying. However, this did not stop her from falling into a whirlwind of fear and dismay: if coming face to face with a deity was a terrifying experience, being summoned by one of them was even worse.

"Why does the Great King of the Forest want my presence?" she murmured in a faint voice almost without realizing it.

Cobra shook his head. "I'm not aware of it. I have no chance to know the wishes of the Great King of the Forest. I am just a messenger"

Sobek had instructed Cobra very well on what to say. He wanted to keep some kind of mystery towards the Neanderthals, because that was how the gods worked in the myths. He couldn't remember if he'd been an expert on mythology when he was human, but he knew a few things and that was enough.

"Right... I apologize, I'm sorry I asked you" Neytiri apologized, realizing her gaffe. The hatzegopteryx's words hadn't helped her at all: now her heart was pounding and her brain had gone completely to jelly.

"Neytiri...". The girl awoke from her trance when someone put a hand on her shoulder. It was Mo'at. "I know you're scared, but you have to go. When the Lords of the World ask for the presence of us mortals, we must obey". The face of the elderly Mana became inspiring: "The Great King of the Forest has personally summoned you: this is a great honor. Rejoice, because hardly anyone in the history of the world has had such luck"

Neytiri calmed down a little at those words. Although she was still afraid, as was right for a mortal who was about to meet a god, she was now more serene. "You are right, master. I'll go immediately"

"I'll take you". Cobra's announcement made everyone moan in amazement. "My wings can accomplish many leagues in just few minutes. And as long as you are on my back no creature in the sky and on earth will dare to attack you, because you will be under the protection of the Lords of the World"

A hatzegopteryx was about the size of an airplane. A human could easily climb on it and the animal wouldn't even notice. In Eden's History, there were a lot of humans who had tried to tame one of these giants for use it as a means of transport, but between saying and doing there was an abyss. Unlike a common mount like a horse, giant pterosaurs had to take advantage of currents to move, as a result while they were in the air they would often turn diagonally and sometimes even flip over. Not to mention the possibility that they could go wild at any time: since they were carnivores they would eat anything, including humans. It was as if some madman on Earth had tried to make a shark or a tiger a means of transport.

Neytiri felt her legs turn to stone at that proposal. Anyone in her place would have been terrified: climbing on the back of a reptile with a wingspan of twelve meters and weighing more than two hundred kilos was certainly not an attractive prospect, even if this one had expressed its consent. Also, even though flying was the forbidden dream of all humanity, many humans far preferred to stay grounded. After all, humans weren't made to fly, so they had a natural aversion to heights since they amounted to death.

However, Neytiri could hardly refuse: it meant offending the envoy of the Lightning Lord. So, with extreme reluctance, he leapt over its wings and grabbed the feathers at the base of the hatzegopteryx's neck. As she did so she noticed that many Neanderthals looked envious, but she was sure they would change their minds if they were in her place.

"Hold on tight!" Cobra exclaimed, and then took off. Neytiri instinctively wrapped her arms around the hatzegopteryx's neck as she saw the ground disappear under their feet.

Within seconds they were so high that the whole city didn't seem bigger than a coin. Neytiri nearly hyperventilated at that sight, but forced herself to keep a cool head because she knew that if she passed out she would fall, and there was no way she could survive such a height. By comparison, a ravine was flat terrain.

Cobra flew quickly west and soon the lake entered their field of vision; then he veered slightly to the right and reached a hill. Even though they were hidden by the thick of the trees, Neytiri could see thousands of dinosaurs of many different species resting under them; in addition, many flying reptiles occupied the airspace above the area. "What happens?" she managed to say, without even knowing where she had found the strength to speak.

"I told you, a great battle is looming. Therefore all the creatures of the sky, the earth and the water are responding to the call of the Great King of the Forest" the hatzegopteryx replied as he began the descent. It was much slower than the climb, since Cobra, like the planes, had to gradually descend by exploiting the air currents, or it would have crashed to the ground: for the giant pterosaurs to dive like birds was a suicide.

They landed slightly away from the pack. This was wanted by Sobek: he did not want Neytiri to meet the other dinosaurs, because it would have meant extending the play to the whole pack, and it would have been too complicated. After all, theaters worked precisely because there were few actors on stage.

When Neytiri got off Cobra she found that her legs were shaking like leaves. When he touched the ground he felt the urge to kneel and kiss him. However, a large shadow distracted her from her thoughts: she looked up and saw the unmistakable silhouette of a giant tyrannosaurus towering above her. "Are you the one the Great King of the Forest has summoned?" it asked.

"Y... Y... Yes, of course! It... It's me, oh great manhak!" Neytiri replied (for those who don't remember, manhak is the term by which Neanderthals refer to large predators).

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Buck, a humble servant of the ruler of all creatures" the t-rex said lowering his head as if it were a bow. "Let me escort you. The Great King of the Forest awaits you"

Neytiri let herself be guided by the tyrannosaurus. If anyone before that day, or even just an hour earlier, had told her that she would walk side by side with one of the most dangerous creatures in the forest to go and meet a god, she would have taken him for mad. Or maybe she was the crazy one and everything was happening in her head. He was seriously beginning to have doubts about what was real and what wasn't.

After a short walk the two arrived in a small clearing. Here, lying in all its might, a gigantic beast of titanic size was waiting for them, staring at them both with an eye that seemed to be made of ice.

"You have arrived" the creature murmured raising its massive head. "It's been a while, but you stayed the same"