By mid-afternoon, the temperature across Ash Rift had risen dramatically. The gentle mountain breeze was replaced by a stifling, sulfur-scented heat that hung heavy over the primeval valley. On the forest floor below, herds of Parasaurolophus honked nervously, gathering their young and moving away from the foot of Mount Ignis. Up on the nesting ledge, Talon stood vigilant on his high rocky pillar.
Suddenly, a violent tremor shook the basalt cliffs with a deafening groan. Large boulders broke free from the canyon walls, crashing down into the jungle canopy below. The nesting ledge rocked beneath Talon's claws, sending loose stones tumbling over the edge. The fledglings squawked in terror, scurrying under their mothers' broad wings for protection. Astra spread her wings over her three young ones, her eyes wide with alarm.
"Talon!" Astra cried out above the rumble of the earth. "The cliff face is cracking!"
Talon looked up at the summit of Mount Ignis. A massive fissure had opened along the western flank of the volcanic cone. Dark grey smoke and bright orange embers began to spout from the crack, rising into the sky like a pillar of doom. The earth-shaking rumble grew louder, vibrating through the solid basalt until the entire canyon seemed to roar.
An eerie silence settled over the rainforest. Birds stopped singing in the tree ferns, and even the noisy cicadas went quiet. Talon stood on his pillar, his amber crest turned toward the volcanic summit.
A second tremor struck the valley — stronger and longer than the first. The ground shuddered beneath Talon's claws, causing deep fissures to open along the canyon floor. Dust clouds erupted from the forest as ancient conifer trees toppled into the ravines. A loud crack echoed across the rift as a massive basalt column split in two, crashing down into the river. The water boiled and steamed where hot volcanic rocks fell into the stream.
"Talon! Look at the mountain!" Astra screamed, pointing her long beak toward Mount Ignis.
A thick jet of black sulfurous gas shot out from the volcanic cone, reaching two thousand feet into the sky. Red embers rained down on the upper jungle, igniting immediate forest fires. The flock on the nesting shelf panicked, squawking loudly as the air filled with ash.
Talon stood firm on his rocky pillar, his talons digging deep into the limestone cracks. "The mountain is waking!" Talon bellowed. "Stay together! Hold your ground!"
A massive crack appeared along the side of Mount Ignis, spouting thick black smoke and orange fire. Smoke poured from the summit, painting the afternoon sky in dark red tones. Fresh rivers of lava began cascading down the slope.
The ground tremors grew stronger, shaking the foundation of Ash Rift. Talon spread his broad wings, commanding total attention from his colony. "Stay tight and follow my lead!" he roared above the earthquake. "We will face the eruption together!"
The volcanic fissure along Mount Ignis flared brightly in the twilight. Talon held his head high on his lookout rock, his wings steady in the mountain draft.
"We move on my signal!" Talon bellowed.
The volcano roared in the distance as the earth trembled underfoot. Talon led his flock into the air with courage.