A ‘film’ comes down over my eyes and the vague shadow resolves into the largest bird I’ve ever seen. A very strange bird. The thing has an extra pair of feet, two smaller talons on its upper chest. Its brown feathers have a metallic sheen to them, like polished bronze, except for the white feathers along its face. Its dark, beady eyes are trained on our group, filled with malice.

“Cloud!” I shout, blinking away my ‘film’. “You know anything about a bronze bird the size of a small bear?”

“Yes.”

“Are you going to tell us anything?”

“No.”

“Great.” I turn to Alana. “I got a good look at the thing and I’d wager hostile.”

It’s a credit to her belief in me that she doesn’t stop to question how I got said look or if I’m sure. She moves to Arthur’s side. “How good are you at hitting moving targets?”

“Raahhh! Don’t underestimate me woman. I’ve been spearing fish since I was a shrimp.” He frowns in contemplation. “But the sky is not the ocean. I don’t know how that creature moves.”

She claps his shoulder. I want to give the bastard praises myself. To think he would readily acknowledge a weakness. I suppose he knows this isn’t the time for showing off. “We’ve got a possible monster fight,” she shouts. “William, Marthe, stay close to Arthur. Stay alert. We need to see what this thing can do.”

The team is tense as they follow her order. We wait with baited breaths as the bird comes closer. A shadow sweeps over us as it passes beneath the sun, flying past us and circling back. Then it dives, incredibly fast.

“Move!” Alana barks, pulling her sword from its sheath. William, Arthur, and Marthe runs as the bird drops toward them. Once it’s close the ground, it wraps its wings around itself, turning into a large ball. It hits the ground with a heavy thump and rolls forward. The wings unfurl and the bird leaps toward the closest target.

William screams but its snapping beak is knocked aside by a pillar of earth rising from the ground. The next second, Alana is bringing her sword down on its neck but her blade is deflected with a loud clang.

The bird screeches, knocking her aside with a wing. A gust of wind kicks up a cloud of dust as it lifts into the air, shooting straight up before circling us.

Alana moves toward me, eyes on the sky. “Are you going to help?”

“Have to give my team a chance to shine.”

“I’m thinking wind affinity, metallic feathers?”

“I’d say so. Can you handle it?”

“We’ll see.” She moves away from me as the bird dives again. It dives for the three again, forming a ball as it hits the ground. It unfurls, once again going for poor William. Another pillar rises but the bird is smart enough to learn from its mistakes. It grasps the pillar with its smaller talons, climbing atop it. It’s ready to pounce but a beam of bright light shines on its face.

The bird screeches in pain, falling backward.

“Pin it!” Alana yells as another gust of wind throws up a cloud dust.

“Ask for the fucking moon!” Arthur growls. His eyes glow with channeled mana and the dust dissipates. Earthen spikes come up from the ground but fail to pierce the feathers, simply tossing the bird around.

“That’s not going to work,” Alana shouts as she runs toward the thrashing monster. She leaps onto its belly, ducking a wing meant to knock her off as she runs for its head. Her sword shines with a brilliant light as she brings it down but she’s blown back before she can make contact. She hits the ground hard, but rolls to her feet, a hand going to her shoulder.

“Fucking monsters and their stupid pure affinities,” she mutters under her breath as the bird finds its feet and once again launches itself into the sky.

This is a terrible opponent for them. William and Marthe are useless since Arthur can’t pin the creature down. Its wings counter Alana who is weak in ranged combat. She might be able to cut through its defense if she could get close but it also has a wind affinity. A quick use of magic and she’s back where she started.

That thing is going to keep swooping down on them until they either make a mistake or it decides they’re not worth the trouble.

Hm. This will be a much more even fight if I clip that bird’s wings. They should be able to handle it from there. It’s not flying too high either. “Bell. Geo.”

My precious imp scampers over to me along with Geneva, tail swinging. “We need to bring down that bird,” I say to them. “I’d do it myself but I’m a little preoccupied.” I raise my little cutie that’s still snacking on the smashed scorpion. I’m amazed she can still eat. The thing is her size but she’s not showing any signs of slowing down.

Geneva hums. [In this disguise, I am a circle four thrall with a physical, mental, and undeveloped fire affinity. That leaves me only brutish methods.] “Here, Bell.”

She opens her arms and Bell jumps into them. Geneva grabs her by the neck tightly. She pulls her arm back, going still with her eyes trained on the circling bird. Then she launches my imp like a stone.

“Lou,” Alana yells as Bell soars through the sky. “The hell is that?”

“Wait for it!” I shout back.

In the sky, a small shadow meets a big one. The bird screeches, flapping its wings frantically. One of its wings bends to an unnatural degree and it descends with all the grace of a pig.

“That’s your cue,” I shout.

“You don’t have to tell me,” she shouts, already running toward the injured monster. “Arthur, I’ll draw its attention. Bash its head.” Mm. If you can’t pierce it, crush it to death.

“Damn woman,” Arthur growls to himself. “Oi! You two get behind our so-called leader. This thing wants a bite out of Will’s ass and I can’t attack and defend at the same time.”

William hesitates but Marthe is quick to drag him toward me as the earth around Arthur begins to rise, forming a growing ball.

Alana duels with the bird but she isn’t getting far. She is a fighter that prioritizes speed, relying on a sharp blade to get the job done. She effortlessly weaves around the talons trying to shred her but she can’t get close. Her efforts are keeping the bird contained.

“Hey, Arty! Might want to wait for it to blow her away before trying your luck!” From what I’ve seen, the bird can’t use its gust attack consecutively. His best chance of getting a hit is right after it’s forced to push Alana away.

“I’m not blind, rahhhh!!!”

Alana gives up trying to get close. Her shining blade cuts into the large wings, spreading the smell of cooked meat. The bird’s screeches are a mix of anger and pain. It throws its body forward after she dodges a slap of its wings, snapping its beak.

I’m tense, ready to save her, but she doesn’t need it. She jumps up, landing on its head and mercilessly stomping on its eye. A gust of wind is meant to knock her away but she only stumbles, having already moved backward. She stabs her sword through its beak and into the ground, muffling its shrieks. “Arthur!” she shrieks, as she’s blown off its body. Guess it can use it twice.

Not three times though.

The bird struggles frantically as a large boulder appears over it. Those struggles come to an abrupt halt as the rock falls with crushing force.

As blood begins to pool beneath its head, Bell leaps off its back. My little saint is considerate enough to pull Alana’s sword free before scampering over to me. Its owner is slower to follow, along with Arthur. His lips are pressed in a thin line and his face is pale. “Mana strain?” I ask.

“Moved a little fast,” he grunts. “Still got half my mana. Just give me a few breaths before you ask me to crack another skull.”

“Alana?”

She grabs her sword with a grunt.

“I guess we can count this as a success.”