As you looked up to the sky, the flying figure closed the distance with breakneck speed. It appeared as a tall human adult with nightdark wings, and it took a nosedive right. At. You.
"Take cover!" Annie throw herself against your legs, and you fell to the ground. The attacker zoomed past, brushing past a nearby hedge. You saw branches fall, thick as your arm, evenly cut.
"What the frick!"
"He is turning on us, Lucas!"
You came back to your feet, searching for the threat. "Where is it?"
"Right there!" Annie took breath, then blew a Flame Spit at the opponent, who avoided the fire by swooping higher. He took aim for another nosedive. His feet owned daggerlike claws, way more dangerous looking than the sharp nails on Racer´s delicate feet.
"Puff away!", you directed, and Annie released smoke, bathing the area in grey stinky fog. The birdman plowed right through, blowing away the smoke cover, then hitting your Heatguana, kicking her into a hedge. Lastly, he turned at you.
There were not many moves for a trainer to do, expect this one: You threw a Cube at his face! He zapped in, but broke out, the Cube not even reaching the ground. He jabbed with his wings, hitting you. You fell again, but got grabbed at your arms, and he took flight, with you as his prey. The grassy green ground vanished way too fast under you, your stomach dropping.
You saw Annie´s tailflame like a beacon as she crawled out of the bushes. She followed you as fast as possible.
Your abductor said something, and you could at least make out his species. A Vultarrow.
"Look, Mister Blackbird", you mustered your willpower, being way to high and without way to few airplane around you. "You surely have a great evil speech there, but I cannot understand you! I could, if you would be nice and go into one of my Cubes, just for a moment of three, four beeps, pretty-please?"
The Vultarrow gave a rough laugh at that.
This was bad, way to bad. Deep down at the ground were kid-trainers, pointing at you. Some of them summoned their bird-children, but the small flock was no match, speedwise. And even if the little birdies reached you, what should they do? Grabbing you in a tug-of-war with this vulture-guy? That sounded lovely, but seemed not realistic. Or entirely good for you.
Then, there was a yell. "BAD GUY!" Racer zoomed out of nowhere, passing the children-flock. The little birdies began an enthusiastic clapping in midair, of course sagging as a result.
The Vultarrow grinned at her and shouted a threat, as Racer was about to attack him. She hesitated, wide-eyed and biting her lip.
You tried to sound calm, failing at that. "He will let me fall if you attack, right?" She just nodded.
Out of the corner of your eye you saw a small crossbow appearing in the Vultarrow´s hand, crawling out of his feathers. The arrow tip had the form of a hawk´s beak. He aimed.
"No!" You jolted. The arrow buzzed past Racer, who dived in surprise. "Don´t you dare shooting my bird!"
The Vultarrow snarled now angry down at you.
"I will send her away. Don´t shoot." You saw his grin. "You know? I could trash around and you would have a hard time fighting, right? You could drop me, but I´m sure you want me untouched." He thought about that, then he nodded.
"Racer, please go!", you shouted, as she came back in reach. "Go and find Annie, now!"
"But I can fight! I am your strongest of us!"
"You heard me. And remember, I´m not alone. I still have one of you with me!"
Racer wasn´t as convinced, but she nodded. Without another word, she turned back.
The Vultarrow gave a snark comment at that. Maybe telling you, this was the right call. Or just calling you stupid.