The Secret Zoo; Obscurities & Magic

Chapter 3; Descenders on the Attack

It was early morning, in a place known as the Secret Zoo. It was a place where Towering skyscrapers melded effortlessly with spiraling trees, city streets running parallel with rushing rivers and animal can live together in harmony with man. Four teenagers, two boy and two girls walked down these same streets unfazed by the beauty and magic that was round them.

Each the teenagers had thin velvet strips stitched to different spots on their clothing. The velvet stripes accented each of their own uniforms in unique ways. Three had the velvet on their jackets on their collars, wrists and shoulders and on the back of the gloves they wore. One of the girls had large leather boots covered in velvet. One of the boys has a cape with velvet interwoven in it over that covered his ears.

One boy had ebony skin that was a contrast to his bright eyes, he played with his scraggy beard as he seemed deep in thought. "So, what do you think about the information the Scouts gave us Sam? It's all unsettling "

"Not sure, if it was anyone else I wouldn't believe them at all." The other boy with deep, green eyes and long, sloppy, brown hair answered.

"I know it's a scary thought Tameron, but at least we know the sickens has a cause now." A girl with long hair with a lovely sheen that reached down to her lower back and her warm eyes shifted between her friends. "I here that the Scouts are going to began Cross training again."

A girl with olive skin and wild blond hair with her bangs dyed red popped a bubble. "Still, Bug-ponies?"

"Hannah has a point, Solana." Tameron said. "It does sound crazy. If it's true how do we find these things if they can become animal?"

The air around them sifted suddenly the calm and harmonious natures seemed be replaced a unnerving and paranoia feelings. The four teenagers looked around trying to find the sours, a small group of black creatures zoomed past them. They were black insect like creatures with equine like features. They couldn't make out any of the finer details, but they got the gist of it. The four teenagers looked paused for a moment, they still were processing what they saw. "Were those?" Hannah started.

"It looked like?" Tameron asked.

"Bug-ponies." Sam stated flatly.

The four teens then saw a group of men and women dress in white lab coats trying to chase after the bug-ponies. The teenager knew who they were, they were Magic Scientist of The Secret Zoo. The Scientist stopped in front of the teenagers some collapsed panting hard. "What's wrong?" Tarmeron asked the group.

"Those, those bug-ponies!" A man started and he struggled to get his breath.

"They stole materials we use to make magic support devices and portals!" A woman shouted at them.

"Including the materials that we use to make your gear as well." Another man added.

The four teenagers looked at each others and then looked in the direction of the bug-ponies. "Well, let's do what we do best..." Sam began.

"And Descend!" Solana finished.

The four teenagers activated their magic.

Sam swatted his wrists against his hips, and with two loud clicks, the buckles on his jacket latches onto the zippers at the end of his sleeves. He raised his arms out to his sides, spreading the feathers from inside his jacket. Thin rods shot out from his cuffs, Crouching low he sprang into the air.

Hannah started to run, she jumped and tugged the pull-loops on her boots. Her rubbery soles bulged to ten inches thick.

Solana took the zippers on her jacket and pulled them down slowly rows of white quills with black tips grow out of her jacket. Her jacket was soon covered with quills that laid flat and were ready to used.

Tameron pulled a strap on his large backpack, the canvas bottom dropped and released his tail. It uncoiled on the ground and dragged behind him living swirl patterns on the ground. His low brim-cap became like an armored pit helmet.

Sam took to the air with his wings as he ready his talons to grapes his pray, Hannah shot forward with her puma like feet trying to catch up with them fast. Solana's porcupine aspect was ready to go, she pulled some quills out of her jacket and ready them to throw. Tarmeron was the slowest with her heavy armored body and trailing tail. The slowest of the other three Tarmeron's Pangolin aspect made up for it with strength and defense.

Sam and Hannah were the first to confront their enemy. The creatures were not turning around or trying to face them. Sam talons were inches away from grabbing the slower and Hannah shot into the area to strike another. Moments before the two could connect with their targets they felt the air pushed out of there bodies and they were knocked away.

Hannah go up from the ground and readied herself to attack but before she could a bug-pony dropped to the ground in front of her. It was a big as the bug-ponies that were getting away but it was covered with thick blue armor around it's legs, back, neck and head. A jagged black horn was sticking out of the armored head, it's legs had evenly spaced holes, like they were tiny letters. Hannah shot back into the air, the bug-pony mirrored her and they collided, quickly, causing each other to hit the ground again. "Well isn't this convenient." Hannah hissed as grinned her gum.

"Tell me about it." The bug-pony rasped back at her.

Hannah was surprised to say the least. She remained silent and charged forward and the bug-pony did the same. With a short bound she launched herself forward the bug-pony did the same, they collide knocking into each other before backing up and trying again.

Sam righted himself in the air and looked for his attacker a black-green blur that slammed into him again and again before stopping floating in front of him.

It paused for a moment for him to get a good look at him. This bug-pony was small then it's partner with large, dragonfly wings with jasper-green armor that looked over size an ill fitting for it's body. "Funny, funny, funny" The bug-pony chattered at him, it's blue eyes glinted mischievously at Sam.

Sam tightened his talons and shot into the air. "Not really my idea!" He dived again towards his enemy but it avoid him. "Funny, funny, funny." It charged again.

By the time Solana and Tarmeron joined their friends two more had joined in. One was a bulky and overly muscular bug-pony with a jasper-green armor, it's legs were jagged, it's jaws had jutting fang out. The second was long and elegant with the more famine blue armor, while the others had frills this one seemed to have a mane like a natural horse, it had light green eyes.

The bigger one slammed the ground. "Finally! Time to Fight!" It roared. He charged Tarmeron with his horn down like a rhino. Tarmeron spun around swinging his armored tail, sending it crashing into the big one's face. Throw sideways the creature quickly righted itself, stomping the ground it charged again.

The Famine one nodded and shifted it's eyes around to look at its opposites then to the others. "Indeed it's been a while since we had a good tussle." She said elegantly.

Solana pull some of her quills out and threw them towards the new arrivals. The Famine one raised an eyebrow opened her mouth and let out a volley of green slime. It caught her quills in midair sent them back in her direction. Solana threw more quills, the female's horn flashed again and let loose a volley of green energy blasting each quill away. The female spat out more green goo but Solana redirected it with her quills.

"Well, this is quite interesting," the female said with a laugh. "So you're worriers of this land? I'm Nymph." She pointed towards the muscular one. "This one is Spider Eater, and the small one is Grig, the last is Stirge. I'm having fun with you but I think it's best that we leave. We did what we came her to do, lets get out of here." The four of them stopped fighting and shot off quickly. The Descenders chased after them as they quickly ducked into the nearest curtain. Before the Descenders could crash thought a green wall of slime covered the curtain and they could not enter it.

"We lost them!" Sam shouted. "That green slime stopping us."

"Even if that stuff was not block our way the Scouts did say that the one that attracted them became a pigeon, so maybe they changed into animal?" Hannah questioned.

"So even if we got through they may have turned into animals and blend in. I can't see how they got out any other way." Solana added.

"I think those other four were diversions for the others to get away." Tarmeron said aloud.

"We know two things," Sam said. "One, there are bug-ponies and Two, they have worriers too."