Log 3: Mischief

The bluish smoke swirled and cleared, revealing the ravaged battlefield left behind from the attack. Techno Dragons still circled overhead, the sun gleaming off their metal bodies as they laid waste to all below them. Massive, smokng black craters spotted what was once a grassy green field. Entire trees had been felled, branches that had, just minutes earlier, been filled with leaves now ablaze. Human and monster bodies were strewn everywhere, blood staining the grass red. In the middle of it all was the human that had once been her partner, now nothing more than scattered limbs and a smoking torso.

The Pixie hybrid wasn't sure it was the smoke that was choking her and making tears stream down her face or if it was the carnage before her. In either case, she couldn't move, every limb paralyzed with fear and horror, trembling from head to toe. Her wings were pinned, motionless, to her back, tail curled around herself, hands pressed firmly over her ears as she squeezed her eyes shut and crouched down low next to what was once her partner, just waiting for it all to be over.

She jumped nearly a foot when something touched her arm lightly, a squawking, high-pitched voice squeaking over the explosions for her to hear.

"Hey," the strange-looking ducklike monster quacked, eyeing her with bugging out, crimson eyes. She eyed him, terrified, static crackling in the air around her as her fear grew. The Ducken flailed stiff arms worriedly before patting her on the shoulder with one wing. "Hey, calm down, calm down, I'm on your side. Was that your human partner?" She nodded. "Ah, I thought so. Hey, deep breaths, okay? You'll make yourself pass out. In, out. Got it?"

She managed to take in a deep gulp of air, hiccuping lightly. The Ducken's bill twitched into a sort of smile. "Good job. What's your name, kid?"

"M-my name's Aya," she stammered, watching the Ducken with wide eyes. His awkward, round head was swept off in an overly dramatic bow, startling the half Pixie so badly that she let out a horrified squeak.

"Nice t'meetcha, Aya. Can you get up? I know it's scary, but we have to fight back and you Pixie-types are some of the best against those guys. You know all those wires and stuff in them? Your lightning attacks fry them good. Think you can manage?"

She shook her head, tears streaming down soot-darkened cheeks and leaving gleaming tracks behind. "N-no, I... I can't move..."

Before she could protest, the Ducken looped one wing around her, right beneath her wings, and slipped his skinny neck under her arm, hefting her up gently and grinning at her. She realized, with a start, that the flames around them were reflecting in his blood red eyes. Rather than scaring her more, it sparked hope deep within her.

"That's why I'm here," he quacked cheerfully, "to help you."

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"The fire's not hot enough!" Kohana shouted above the din of the battle, both of her Plant-type monsters hiding behind her as the Techno Dragon before them reared it mighty head back and let out a screeching metallic roar. Achika's little Draco Mocchi was panting, sweat rolling down its face as it slumped over in exhaustion. Achika snarled, taking a wild swing with her sword at the giant monster they were fighting, the blade pinging harmlessly off its metal hide.

Beside her, the Mocchi took a deep breath and blew out a long tendril of flame, enough to make both humans step back from the heat, but barely enough to char the Techno Dragon's steel sides. Achika swore loudly. "Hibana can't do much more than this! She's tired! And she's not full Dragon; those flames ain't gettin' any hotter!"

Emerald eyes lowered from far above their heads, glaring balefully at the five smaller creatures before it. Kohana fell into a defensive stance, managing not to even quiver at the monster before her. Achika just charged again, her Draco Mocchi following suit. Steel clanged off steel and cherry blossom petals spiraled through the air, quickly burning up before they even reached their target. One giant metal claw swung out, knocking Hibana aside easily before pinning her human partner to the ground.

Kohana winced, hearing her friend's ribs cracking beneath the monster's mechanical paw.

Both Plant hybrids swung vines out around the Dragon's wrist, trying to pull it loose as their partner charged in with her sword, knowing the effort was only going to get her killed. There was no point, but she wasn't going to die knowing she just abandoned her friend beforehand. The Joker could come and take her soul as soon as she was sure she had tried her best to get Achika free.

Her heart stopped dead in her chest when one sheet metal wing opened with a whoomph to stop her charge. Eyes squeezed shut as she braced herself for impact...

The smell of frying oil and a deafening screech made her open her eyes, just in time to see a tiny, half Pixie, half Ducken monster approaching, lightning coarsing from her palms and streaming over the surface of the Techno Dragon's metal body. Kohana could hear circuits popping within, heard the sizzling of the wires as they fried, and stared with wide eyes as the wing that had opened simply dropped off.

Electricity crackled along the frayed edge of the wing as the rest of the Techno Dragon's body crashed to the ground, the light in the emerald eyes faded. Kohana stared, stunned, over the crackling remains at the Pixie creature sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck.

Achika only groaned, weakly pushing the dead claw off of herself.

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The Zuum troops were shifting from clawed foot to clawed foot, heads low as the monsters chomped their bits, tugging reins idly. Their human riders swayed gently as their mounts moved around, all eyes turned to the skies over the hill and watching the Techno Dragon wing attacking the Tochikan troops. Flashes of green light occasionally flickered in the column of dark smoke rising from the field. The low murmur from the troops all amounted to one universal conversation: they were winning this battle. The Tochikans clearly hadn't expected the attack and had no way to counter it. Though there wouldn't be much left after the wing of Dragons had gone through, the Zuum cavalry was in charge of taking out whatever was left over.

Near the front of the lines, a Nagasaurian lifted his head, blinking golden eyes at another Zuum darting up the hill towards them. As the figure drew closer, he could see it was a ShellSaurian, its dark brown armor cracked and bleeding. One rein, leather frayed at the end, trailed behind it uselessly. Its saddle was missing.

"The wing is being defeated," the ShellSaurian gasped, slowing down to a jog before stumbling to a halt. Dark, almost black blood ran down one leg from a deep gash in its thigh. One man swung down from his mount, running over and kneeling down to investigate the wound. The low murmur in the crowd grew to loud outcries, challenging this new information, but a glance back up at the smoke cloud showed only the rarest flicker of green.

"They've found the technology's weakness," the injured monster went on. "We could go in still, but they've still got enough forces left to hold their ground. It's about a draw now, but we could potentially lose..."

"We can't lose to them!" somebody cried from a rank further back. "We're smarter and there's more of us!"

"Not many more," the ShellSaurian argued, shaking his head. "I mean, we probably will win, but it's not a wise choice to attempt..."

Before he could finish, a low hiss drifted out from the trees around them. Zuums' heads shot up in all the lines, nervously hopping from foot to foot, tails lashing. The ShellSaurian stumbled back a few steps as another Zuum melted out of the shadows and crept towards them, front claws held low to the ground in a dangerous crouch.

"Haven't forgotten us, have you?" the black-and-white striped monster hissed teasingly.

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Monster Guide to Log 3

Mischief -- Pixie/Ducken

Nagasaurian -- Zuum/Naga

ShellSaurian -- Zuum/Beaklon