Another worm launched through the air.

"Not another one," Darktalon thought. "they just keep coming." His fist lunged out with the blinding speed of a rocket. He could feel the warm blood oozinng from its body and could hear the sound of tearing flesh as his claws ripped the creature in two. Both halves fell to the ground in a squirming, screaming heap. Naharud grimaced in disgust.

"Do you have to be so violent?" the Ripper asked. Suddenly ano ther monster leapt from the bushes that dotted the edge of the forest surrounding Monstria.

"No my friend, I don't have to." Darktalon let lose a raging torrent of flame, incinerating his foe into a pile of ash. The Ragnarocks smiled.
"I want to.

***

Long ago, before the grand city of Monstria was built, a large forest covered the area. For many centuries the dwellers of the forest lived in peace, until a group of foreign monsters began construction of the city by taking out a very large portion of the forest. Angered by the destruction of their home, the inhabitants of the forest faught back, yet couldn't handle the power of the "civilized" monsters and their efforts proved futile. When the city was completed,a large wall was built to keep out the forest dwelling monsters. After a few failed arrempts to breach the city's defenses, the monsters gave up and formed a silent and uneasy truce.

"Why would these monsters suddenly try to attack the city?" Naharud thought aloud as he watched Darktalon brutally kill another assailant. It didn't make sense.

"Who knows. Maybe they're just stupid." the black dragon answered as he amputated the arm from a Zuum.

"Perhaps..." the Ripper said doubtedly. Then his nose caught a familiar smell in the wind. Smoke! It was coming from the forest! "The forest! Its in the forest!"

"What is?"

"The crash! Our mission! Remember?!" the Ripper shook his head. In killing, Darktalon had forgotten the reason they had come out here in the first place.

"Oh right." Darktalon dropped the barely living Zuum. "Well get on." The dragon arched his back and spread his wings. "An arial veiw might serves us better." The Ripper climbed onto his back (not an easy feat) and the two took off into the smoke filled air.

***

"Darn those city dwellers! They shall pay for this!" a lone Datonaire said. He stood in a small clearing surrounded by a small ring of trees. Suddenly one stepped forward from its position.

"You are right Fluor." the "tree" said. He held up a small metal object, in the shape of the sun. "This object, or device, or what-ever it is is foreign to me, and cannot have possiblly been crafted by any of our people. Therefore it must come from the city, and I beleive the destruction it brought with it is no coincidance either." The object had been found inside a large crater in the heart of the woods. It had come crashing down from an unseen location, cengulfed by flames. This started an outbreak of fires that claimed a large percentage of the forest before they were all finally put out. "I beleive this was an attack!"

"But sir, what can be done? There is no way a few unarmed forest monsters can get past those city walls." the Datonaire Fluor paced back and forth. Then he reared back and began to growl.

"What is wrong?" the "tree" asked. Fluor sniffed the air.

"It smells like a Zuum, one of ours, but..." the tiger sniffed again.

"But?"

"But.. the smell has been tainted by another! It carries the tainted smell of a city dweller!" The bushes began to rattle and shake, and a Zuum limped out from behind them. It was a grusome sight. His right arm was gone, blood oozing from his shoulder. He barely stood, and miracally was able to limp from the forest edge to the clearing he now entered. The Zuum looked faint and began to fall. Fluor rushed out and caught him on his back. "Oh my god! Saurus! What happened?" The Zuum was panting heavily.

"T-two *pant* o-of them." Saurus managed to hiss.

"Two of who, of what? Come on speak Saurus!" Fluor tried to arouse him, uet he was begining to black out. His breathing grew fainter, The talking "tree" turned to another, rather large, "tree" standing in the circle surrounding the clearing.

"Rootwood, go and find Petal. Bring her here." The "tree" started to move and lumbered off deeper into the forest.

"Don't worry," Fluor said. "All will be well soon."

cool

Thanx Foxman, hope to bring you the next one soon. All of us seem to be writing less, and less nowadays. I hope to read your latest as soon as you write it. By the way, have you heard from sternum recently?