You are in the deserts of Mongolia, Asia, 70 million years ago.

The Cretaceous sun beat down on the red sandstone, creating a shimmering haze over the arid Mongolian landscape. Crouched behind a low sandstone ridge, you watched a Rinchenia—a feathered oviraptorid—navigate the harsh environment.

Roughly five feet long, the creature was a beautiful, bird-like blur of mottled grey and pale blue feathers, designed for both camouflage and heat management. Its most striking feature, a tall, cassowary-like casque or crest atop its head, shimmered slightly as it moved. It looked less like a monster and more like a massive, ground-dwelling bird from a forgotten world.

The Rinchenia stopped, its slim, toothless beak probing the sand near a sparse tuft of desert vegetation. With swift, jerky motions of its head, it dug quickly with its three-fingered hands, revealing a small, oval-shaped egg from a buried nest—perhaps belonging to a smaller theropod, or perhaps one of its own.

As you shifted to get a better view, a small pebble dislodged from your hiding spot, clattering down the rock face.

The creature froze instantly, its large, intelligent eyes locking onto your position. It didn't flee immediately. Instead, it arched its back, its feathers raising to make it appear larger, and issued a low, throaty hiss combined with a shrill, warbling cry—a threat display.