fireballs roar past the massive bat, the monster proving extremely agile despite his size as he twists past them with ease. Another blast of sound forces Geist to conjure another gust of wind, but he quickly discovers his foe is something of a tactician, predicting the dodge and darting in to punish the obvious maneuver.
“Hugh!” The reaver grunts, avoiding the monster’s snapping jaws, but falling victim to a fierce kick from his hind legs as he passes. Spiraling back to the earth, the magi reclaims his bearings after a brief struggle only to find the dragon closing in for the kill. Forced to play his trump card, Geist spins in signature fashion, producing his spiked orbs and immediately launching them upward in rapid succession. One after another, the spheres are either dodged or batted away, but the beast is forced to slow its descent considerably to do so, lagging behind his prey’s accelerating descent. Another pillar of earth springs upward, quickly dropping back from whence it came as it gently receives the falling man. Scarcely allowed a deep breath, the magi crouches slightly, taking a more serious battle stance as Reek lands heavily a short distance away. A violent quiver of anger is quickly followed by an imposing gallop, the monster sucking in yet another deep breath as he approaches the paragon of his hatred.
“Think I see where this is going,” Geist breathes, his tattoo glowing a calm blue before fading into a blazing red. “Let’s finish this,” he declares, his voice utterly calm. Slapping his wrists together, the reaver unleashes an explosion of flame from his outturned palms, the concentrated vortex of fire colliding with Reeks relentless scream in an unnatural power struggle. Slowing to a crawl of exertion, the beast gradually gains ground, though the nexus point between the two discharges of force remains almost exactly halfway between the combatants. A nervous glance downward reaffirms the magi’s angst, the lantern clinging desperately to his belt slowly dimming as the hurricane of force threatens to rip it away. The consistent pitch of the screaming dragon’s attack suddenly dips drastically, the beast’s lungs all but empty as his opponent drops to a knee. Exhausting their strength simultaneously, the pair of warriors recoil as the power struggle subsides, Geist dropping to all fours as Reek gasps for air. All of his options extinguished, the magi sees his only opening, and final option to end the battle.
A section of earth twists out of the ground launching the Ikanian the short distance forward, the approaching man already upon the monster as he is unable to reel backward quickly enough in response. Thrusting a glowing palm into the mighty beast’s chest, Geist places his free hand to his own, the resulting flash of light eclipsing the enemies entirely for several seconds and replacing the last of the days light in the process. Momentarily confused by the unfamiliar sensations coursing through his body, Reek shakes his thoughts free, lunging for the man in an unstoppable, decapitating chomp. A smug grin is the magi’s only attempt at defense, and a sudden jolt of understanding causes the keeserroc’s body to cease up in a fit of horrified awe. His fang-laden jaws closing with contempt, the dragon’s shovel of a nose moves in close before it sucks in two quick sniffs, ruining what is left of the man’s somewhat kempt hair. The gesture confirms the beast’s suspicions, his own scent filling his lungs as the man smooths his hair back with a controlled agitation. Taking a step back, Reek drops to a seated position, teeming with anger as he attempts to understand what has happened, and decipher a way to kill the man he has hunted for longer than he can remember.
“You get it now, yeah?” Geist asks, his arms open as if he expects a response. “You can’t hurt me, and I can’t hurt you. I call it a heartbind,” he explains, betting it all on the hope that Reek isn’t deranged enough to kill himself simply to exact his revenge. “We don’t exactly have to be friends, but it’s certainly in our best interest to look out for one another from here on out,” he adds, taking an apprehensive step forward. Instantly deciding the magi is too close, the dragon jabs him in the chest with his nose in an instinctual attempt to establish dominance. Thrown off his feet, the reaver’s head bounces off the ground, prompting him to palm the back of his skull with a grimace before returning his gaze to the would-be alpha male standing over him. Groaning in pain himself, Reek realizes his mistake as he shakes his head, seeming to stare daggers at the grounded man before beating his wings rapidly, departing the scene in the dragon equivalent of an irritated tantrum. “Yeah, right back at you,” he coughs, taking his time to return to his feet.
“You can’t be serious!” The foreman of the carpenters bellows as he takes in the scene, his subordinates filing in behind him. Gradually, more members of the town make their way outside of the gate, surveying the damage.
“Dotour will want this cleaned up,” another carpenter adds, scratching his head.
“We’ve only got four days to rebuild the decorations now!” The foreman rants, working himself into a frenzy. “Guardians damn that overgrown keese! Where’s is gone?” He asks, rolling up his sleeves in preparation for a brawl while his workers do their best to pacify him. Chuckling to himself as he makes his way through the debris, Geist works his way through the growing crowd and back into town.
“Did you see that?” An onlooker exclaims, elbowing what must be his twin brother as the two gossip about what has transpired.
“It was a keeserroc! I thought they were extinct!” His brother insists excitedly.
“Such a waste,” a suspicious looking man mutters, standing apart from the crowd and staring at what remains of the constructed platform. Rubbing his almost completely bald head, he spots Geist approaching, adjusting his anachronistic sunglasses, and changing his demeanor as he rests his chin between his thumb and index finger.
“I’m sure they’ll get it rebuilt in time,” the magi shrugs, eyeing the archway leading into East Clock Town, and more importantly, to the inn.
“No, no,” the man corrects, his tone and mannerisms reminding the reaver of a salesman, and not the honest kind. “The animal. What’s going to happen to all that fur?”
“What?” Geist responds, eyeing the rubble more closely. Half buried beneath the wood and banners, the wolfos Reek sent on a one-way trip into town lies inert. “Oh, I see,” he admits, still unsure what the strange individual is getting at.
“Way I see it,” he starts, glancing around uneasily to be sure no one is listening in. “You’re some kind of hero. You deserve something for your trouble. I kid you not!” He proposes, adjusting his vest and looking over his shoulder once again. “You seem like a man who’s no stranger to style, am I right?”
“I suppose you could say that,” the magi agrees, raising an eyebrow.
“Tell you what,” he starts, leaning in close. “You help me get this thing over to my shop, discretely,” he pauses to highlight the point, “and I’ll make it worth your while.”
Dawn of the First Day
“You’ve met with a terrible fate, haven’t you?” A woman mutters, causing Geist to spring to life in a panic. Seemingly lost in thought, an attractive woman stands near the foot of his bed, staring at the lantern residing on his bedside table. A kind face within a frame of red hair, she suddenly shifts her glance over to the formerly sleeping man as if he has snuck up on her. Quickly realizing she is the innkeeper, the magi’s fight or flight response fades away with a deep breath as he composes himself.
“Can I help you?” He must ask, the woman simply staring in silence for several seconds.
“Oh,” she blurts out, becoming quite flustered as her cheeks turn red. “I’m so sorry. It’s um,” she stammers, unable to construct a meaningful sentence.
“No worries, love,” he grins, all too familiar with this sort of attention from the fairer sex. “Have a seat,” he insists, tapping a hand on the edge of the bed. “Get comfortable.”
“Oh my, no,” she gasps, holding a hand to her mouth. “It’s just,” she starts, her overwhelming politeness restraining her ability to communicate the problem. “You were talking in your sleep, and,” she pauses, glancing a
t the lantern and quickly becoming lost in thought again.
“Apologies, sweetheart,” he halfheartedly conveys, rubbing his eyes with a yawn.
“Oh, it’s quite alright,” she insists, taking an apologetic tone herself. “Where is my head today?” She mutters under her breath, adding, “a curious man dropped off this package for you.” Eyeing the meticulously wrapped box lying next to the bed, Geist is able to put the pieces together quickly enough.
“Thank you,” he starts, unsure if he should ask what he is really thinking.
“What is it?” The innkeeper asks, oddly drawn to the enigmatic man.
“What was it you said earlier? Something about fate?”
“Oh, it was nothing!” She vows, suddenly very embarrassed. “I’m so sorry to have barged in on you,” she continues, bowing as she quickly backs her way out of the room. “Please stay as long as you like,” she adds, beginning to shut the door as she remembers what else she’d like to say. “Thank you for protecting the town. It was very brave,” she declares, badly blushing before pulling the door shut. “Bye.”
“Don’t mention it, love,” he sighs, knowing she cannot hear him now. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he