Walking with Arices
A small tribe of five Arices appeared over the top of a hill. The largest one, apparently a leader, paused and craned its neck upwards, surveying the landscape. Nothing but hills, ferns, and Zeeboos as far as the eye could see. Its central eye continued to gaze around, as
The leader was rather large for an Arix, 70 centimeters tall at the shoulder. While this was not an impressive size for an Audorix, who frequently stood over a meter tall, the lack of food had reduced the size of many animals significantly. Three other Arices ranged from 50 to 60 centimeters tall, while the final Arix was only 20 centimeters tall, little more than an infant, born recently to one of the midsized Arices. It was the sole survivor of a birth of four. One had been stillborn, another had wandered away and been eaten by a Sextupler before its shell hardened, while the third had been only recently taken, ambushed by a starving Mouthvalion.
The life cycle of the Arix is a rather interesting one. Following intercourse, gametes from each animal fertilize in each others bodies, impregnating both. However, chemical signals given off by the tribe prevent a large number of Arices from becoming simultaneously pregnant. If an unsustainable number of animals are expecting, a number of animals will naturally abort, reabsorbing the nutrients into their systems. Typically, the healthiest individuals will continue to develop the fertilized egg cells, while the less strong or healthy will not.
The surviving egg cells quickly develop into small larvae, then nymphs, freely swimming around in the nutrient-rich womb of their parent. The metamorphoses before birth are believed to be an evolutionary relic, from the days when they were born in a hostile, outside environment which required several stages of development.
After roughly two months, when they have developed into miniature adults, roughly the size of a balled fist, the group is born. They start off soft shelled and clawless, but immediately after birth their exoskeleton begins to thicken and harden, and their claws begin to grow out of the stubs present as newborns.
Fed collectively by the tribe, the young Arices mature after roughly a year, though they continue growing throughout their lives, which can last up to two decades.
Now, where was I? Ah, yes.
The leader flashed its large, yellow-orange crest and set off on its, quick, smooth walk downhill, followed by the others.
Out of the corner of its eye, it saw something. Its central eye extended and gazed around. A group of two Cronodids, consuming the rich and wet interior of a Zeeboo. The Arix leader ducked down, and flashed its crest to its tribe several times, in a complex pattern. The others responded with a similar, slightly different pattern.
With utmost caution, the four mature animals began to move out, spreading out in a hunting pattern. The juvenile hid itself in a particularly thick dry fern, where its coloring camouflaged itself brilliantly.
Quickly, the silent hunters were into place. The leader made the first move.
It crawled up as close as it could, until one Cronodid froze and turned its head, having heard a noise. The Arix leapt, and the two animals fled in different directions. The leader focused on one, but the prey had a lead on it. But out of the brush, a second Arix burst out, clambering onto the grazer's back and hacking at its neck joints. The terrified Cronodid snapped its claws at the predator, but missed. A third Cronodid emerged from cover and broke the animals leg, the fourth broke two others. Soon, all of the animals moved into kill the animal, brutally hacking at its weakest points on the joints, shell and face. Soon, the animal was nothing but a broken shell, and fresh meat. The animals let out a long victory call, warding away all rivals, as they were the indisputable dominant predators of the land.
The smallest Arix emerged from cover near the corpse. It made a cooing sound. The other members of its tribe responded with a soothing, warbling whistle, and several crest flashes. The infant advanced, and dug in to the meal alongside its family.
OOC: One issue that has not been brought up is that of gender in the animals. I've always pictured the descendents of the Scuteryte to have only one sex. In fact, the only place where gender has been mentioned has been in NK's late line of amphibians before the first Mass Extinction. Anyone want to elabourate on their species?
which is good, need something to try and eat them so they would become better... And i loved your land animal. I hated when it went extinct... Bugs ruled the world 
