For anyone who didn't recognize them, these creatures are based on Nemo Ramjet and Simon Roy's amazing take on the Dinosauroid, the "thought exercise" in which Dinosaurs might have taken a turn towards human-like intelligence had they not gone extinct. Originally, the concept was shown in the form of a creepy alien-like humanoid, but this take is far less anthro-centric, more bird-like, and way more awesome. My Dinosauroids are not quite the same as the ones shown in the links above (I wish they were that cool!) but I just couldn't resist integrating them in some manner. Hope you enjoy the story!