Chapter 1.3

As the Drake charged its way down the streets, bounding across the sides of buildings and darting away past corners, it seemed as if the city itself responded to its attempts to cause chaos. Buildings became guarded by wards that flashed in hexagonal panels each time it impacted them, vehicles adjusted as the streets too shifted. Panels opened along the sides of each lane, the Drake crashing down onto a nigh-invisible barrier when it tried to come down as those panels flashed.

“And that’s the cue to let loose!” The Freelancer jumped to the air before the barrier finished forming his way, landing atop it as the Drake slammed its talons down trying to break the magical wall apart. “Don’t think so!”

The Drake spun around as the Freelancer threw a ball of fire at it, batting the weak spell aside with a swipe of its tail, its open maw burning red. A large ball of flame flew from the Drake’s jaws, rushing for the Freelancer. As the fireball neared, he took a swing with his sword, pulling the trigger at his index and middle fingers as he didn’t break stride. As light flashed from the exhaust ports and the swing was carried through, the blade cut right through the fireball as blue light flashed through the sword’s panels, severing it in one clean stroke.

Slamming his foot down and gripping the sword two handed, the Freelancer dashed forward as the Drake lashed one of its claws forward. As the blade came down to meet the claw, the trigger was pulled again. And the edge sang as it went crashing into the claw with a sudden burst of speed as it flashed once again. The Drake screamed as the claw was shattered by the blow, blood spraying from the broken appendage as it reared back.

Yet the Freelancer wasn’t letting his momentum go to waste. As his swing carried the sword downwards, he spun around and let the blade’s speed carry him through it. When the spin brought the blade back as the Drake lashed out with its tail, the air screaming as the blade-like tip of the tail slammed into the edge of the sword.

The two recoiled backwards from the blows, the Freelancer barely avoiding another swipe of the Drake’s claws as he flipped through the air.

As the Drake roared again, it was silenced by a conjoined blast of wind and fire slamming into it, sending the creature careening across the barrier with the scales on its left side smoldering. The Freelancer turned to the source, spotting the Alf dropping from the air. As she landed, her coat flaring as she rose, she twirled her staff around into a forward hold, aimed at the Drake as it rose back to its feet, snarling at the two.

“Figured you could use a hand,” said the Alf, giving the Freelancer a cheeky grin as he adjusted the grip on his blade. “Seen a few magitech swords in my time, but that one’s kinda new.”

“Chat for later,” The Freelancer said, lifting the blade to be level to his shoulders as he shifted into a ready stance. “Killing this thing comes first!”

“Aim for the scales just below its neck,” said the Alf, adjusting her staff to point it out as the Drake’s throat began to glow. “I know this type of Drake. Armaros types are meant to be physical fighters, but it leaves some scales weaker so they can move easier. The neck is a weak point, especially where the flames are generated.”

“So, they didn’t work that kink out, eh?” The Freelancer snickered, the two then diving as the Drake launched a larger fireball their way. “Then you keep on the spells so I can lay into it!”

“My specialty!” With a twirl of the Alf’s staff, swirls of water gathered around the glowing gem, loosing gouts of water as the Drake kept up the series of fireballs, filling the air with steam with each water ball she fired in counter to them. As the Drake then moved to charge through the steam, the staff began to spark with electricity. A thrust from the staff sent a bolt of lightning forth, cracking through the new cover of steam and right into the Drake.

As the Drake was left screeching from the electricity now coursing through its body, the Freelancer dashed through the still sparking mist, the wind enchantment still swirling around him casting the mist aside as the Drake tried to rear back around. The beast just managed to get a swing of its uninjured claws.

And yet it hadn’t seemed to learn the lesson from last time of what the Freelancer’s blade could do to it, losing two claws this time as the blade ignited with azure flames. Steam flew from the edge as it hissed through the still damp air, once again being carried on its own momentum as the Freelancer took aim for the neck of the Drake.

The blade itself seemed to roar as its exhaust ports burst with light, the edge crashing into the scales of the neck at the radius of it, the blade flashing through with a burst of flame. As the Freelancer spun to the side, bringing himself to a stop with his sword trailing fire and steam, the Drake let out an attempt at a roar, only getting a messy gurgle as it lurched to the side, scant amounts of blood oozing through the few bits of the large cut in its neck that weren’t cauterized from the heat of the blade. With a dull thud, the Drake collapsed onto the barrier.

Once the brief pause of the end of the action passed, some of the civilians on the street began cheering out in excitement now that their bated breaths could be let loose. The Freelancer waved down to some of the people as they hollered congratulations up at him and the Alf, who gave her own wave as she twirled her staff around.

“You definitely aren’t some newbie,” The Freelancer chuckled, the Alf smiling as she adjusted her hat. “Not a lot of people are that good at swapping elements on the fly. Wind, fire, water, lightning… impressive.”

“Oh, you don’t know the half of it, Sir Freelancer,” the Alf chuckled, then looking down as she saw the police vehicles on approach. “And on time. That must be the cleanup crew.”

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Considering it would make for an issue if the body of the Drake were to just be dumped onto the road with the removal of the barriers, after the police arrived with necessary equipment to take the body away, the first step was getting it moved from the segment of the barriers left raised that it was on. Which proved quite easy thanks to the Alf, who’s wind magic proved strong enough for her to lift the Drake onto the waiting flat-bed for transportation.

Which of course afterwards meant she and the Freelancer had to help in filing the incident report with their summary of the encounter.

“Do these kinds of things always happen?” The Alf asked, handing back the tablet device she had been filling the form out on.

“The document filing, or the random Magic Beast popping out of the ground?” The Freelancer joked, finishing up his own filling in. The miffed look he got from the Alf brought a laugh out of him. “Clearhabor can get pretty hectic what with all the stuff that gets brought through here. A smuggled Magic Beast like a Drake getting loose is hardly unusual. Plus, not like you don’t have the occasional creature getting ahead of itself y’know? I know for a fact Vanira isn’t that peaceful.”

“Well… you’re not wrong,” with a sigh, the Alf turned back forwards as the officers departed to leave them to their business. “Now, I believe you were guiding me to the guilds so I could handle my business?”

“Ahahaha, that I did!” Pulling out his Deck and checking the map, the Freelancer let out a sigh. “That damn thing pulled us way to the side while chasing it down. But we’re closer anyway… just gotta go a different direction now.”

“Where did we even end up?” The Alf looked around, noting to herself while the district was still generally one of high rises, the buildings had a far less… business-like feeling to them. Neon signs were plastered all over the place, large ad-blaring imaging screens near more of them and at street corners. It set in rather quickly this had to be some kind of entertainment district… but she wasn’t sure what kind it even was. If it even mattered, really.

“Just one of a few entertainment districts,” the confirmation more or less eased the Alf’s feelings about it. “We’re not that far, believe it or not. The Guild District is basically just a few hops over. So, let’s make it quick, yeah?”

“After that I’d be happy to just hole up in a hotel for the rest of the day.”

“Haha, you might find a Guild Hall more fun of a rest stop.”