Wadria looked out across the meadows of Virtwyn territory. The breeze it brought, usually filled with the smell of freshly bloomed blossoms and wet grass, was filled with the scent of blood and death. She could see the flashes of battle from here. Already, the Virtwyn had to defend themselves.
After the Chrysalis' base had been destroyed, and later the Pariah, the Chrysalis held a deep grudge against the Virtwyn. As they hid in the jungles and licked their wounds, their hatred grew, and they plotted in secret. No one paid them mind, because they were few in numbers and had little strength. So, they were little threats to the Virtwyn.
Until now.
It was five years after the war had ended. They kept creating their monsters, with new twists and old faces, and making them stronger and faster. The regular Oculus was now a killing machine, still better at long-range tactics, but it could hold its own in one-on-one battles. The Ulumander, too, was upgraded; it was created into an indestructible creature that could dive as fast as lightning, and its breath was turned into lightning strikes that couldn't be dodged. They thought of every loophole and cranny and made them almost invincible.
But that didn't mean the Virtwyn wouldn't try.
They had received a warning from scouts right before the first wave hit, and their best men were out in a matter of minutes. But that was enough for the Chrysalis to observe the area and map it completely, possibly an advantage for future pillages. They used the environment to their advantage, squeezing into tight spaces to lose pursuers, looping over trees and diving into their branches to come out unscathed, and barrel rolling from towers so their chasers would crash into them. They were skilled to the extreme, although few in numbers.
Now, it was Wadria's turn to fly. She was still in-training, only about sixteen years of age, but that was enough of an excuse to send her into battle. She knew the basics, so she might last a minute out in the fray. They needed all the help they could get.
Swifttail, her Roc companion, ruffled his feathers and looked down at the rider on his back. "Shall we?" He jerked his head towards the battlefield.
The teenager looked up at his feathery head and stared at his intelligent eyes. After a moment, she nodded. "As shall." Taking the signal, the Roc screeched towards the battlefield and leapt off of the tower of the castle and into the grey sky. He flapped his giant feathery wings and lifted them into the air, towards their fate at the edge of the battleground.
They were unprepared for the sudden attack. They were at the very edge of the combat zone when they were suddenly surrounded in a dense green fog. The air was overwhelming, and Wadria held her arm over her mouth as she coughed and commanded, "Rise, Swifttail, rise!"
The Roc struggled to fly above the choking gas, but suddenly something shot and hit his side. He cried in pain, blood dripping down to the ground hundreds of feet below. His rider quickly turned to examine the area, and she commanded, "Barrel right!"
Swifttail obeyed and rolled to their right, and a whistle beside them alerted a diving Oculus just missed them. The Roc twisted his head and snapped his beak at the monster, but it wriggled out of reach and hissed at him. It was a grotesque beast; it had a handful of eyes staring at the flyers, and tentacles that wiggled in the air under a pair of huge bat wings. It also, after being upgraded, had four legs with very sharp claws for close-combat, like right at that moment.
Immediately, Wadria reacted, "Loop and sky shield!" Swifttail snapped his wings as they flew over the swipes of the Oculus' claws and rose above the gas cloud. With a glowing golden shield around them, he quickly used his Sonic Screech, resonating throughout the cloud, and the Oculus shrieked in pain as it was confused by the sound. It fell from the cloud, its rider yelling harshly at it.
Wadria sighed in relief and patted Swifttail encouragingly. He shrieked triumphantly and turned towards the other battles going on. He homed in on another Oculus and swooped in for the kill.
Suddenly, a bone-chilling shriek made both rider and flyer turn in unison. They had both heard that screech before, about five years ago.
A Warloth.
Wardia quickly yelled, "Loop and shield! We can't handle this one!" Even as she said that, however, he was glowing as the shield appeared and the world spun around them. The Warloth, however, kept tailing them, screeching at them and revealing its bloody fangs. It shot its Blood Screech, trying to absorb his health, but Swifttail was more agile and dodged in a split-second. He twisted in the air, using its shield to keep the Pariah monster away, but it kept chasing eagerly, screaming for blood.
Then, an Ulamander loomed over them, and it seemed to be ready to dive. Wardia quickly commanded, "Shield and barrel left!" Swifttail responded promptly, and the Warloth cried as it was struck by the Ulamander's dive. It clawed at the Chrysalis monster, and it zoomed away shrieking in protest. With a new target, the Warloth took off after it, leaving Wardia and Swifttail alone in the air.
As they had a moment's peace, Wardia pondered what a Pariah monster was still doing alive. Hadn't the Virtwyn forces destroyed them years ago? What was a Warloth doing still alive, and with the Chrysalis as well. It had no rider, so it was obviously wild, as its change in interest showed. But, did that mean the Pariah still existed?
She didn't have much time to think, however, as another Ulamander spotted her floating there. It screeched loudly, and she was brought out of her thoughts as the Roc was rammed by the Chrysalis monster.
It was going to be a long day.
How do you like it? It's a sequel to the video game Savage Skies. If you don't know about it, ask about it in your review. Also, I forgot in the story to describe the Warloth. It is a giant vampire bat, but after being improved it is a lot faster (yet still no match for a Roc!) Please R&R!