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I didn’t know who was more shocked, me or the necromancer. Bartholomew had told me a great deal about his mentor and friend Maximus but I was not prepared to the amount of magical power that he wielded. The bovine punched his fist into his palm, creating a small shockwave of magic energy around him.

“Now,” said Maximus, cracking his knuckles together, “Let’s get started.”

The mage vanished and reappeared on his monster’s head and snapped his fingers. The giant beast suddenly swiped at the bull with its claw, sending him flying across the park. Or so I thought. Maximus had not even flinched from where he was standing and the beast’s claw was now bent at an odd angle.

“My turn,” said the bull calmly.

He grabbed the claw and ripped it off the creature’s wrist, making the beast scream in pain. The minotaur then hurled the torn appendage like a boulder and it smashed against its jaw, nearly knocking its master off. The necromancer sent a blast of black lightning at Maximus but the warrior merely gestured with two fingers and a thick stone wall blocked the attack. Another gesture created a fist of stone that rammed into the beast’s stomach and pushed it back. The bovine stomped his hoof onto the ground and several more rock fists attacked the creature. The beast and its master tried to flee into the air but Maximus merely laughed and crouched down.

The ground shook and the bovine took off into the air like a bullet, crashing into the dragon’s back and breaking its spine, sending it crashing into the earth. Two great tan coloured wings materialised on Maximus’s back and the bull hovered in the air. The creature and the necromancer tried to send one last combined attack of pure necrotic energy but Maximus drew a symbol in the air with two fingers, the Celtic symbol for Earth, and blocked the attack easily. Maximus then clapped his hands together and began a chant, summoning a large brown mystic circle of runes around his opponents which sent a blast of bronze light straight up into the air. When the light faded the dragon and its master were as black as coal. They both seemed to dissolve into the night wind, leaving black powder on the snow.

Maximus lighted down to the tree where I had left Bartholomew while I had made myself scarce during the Zodiac’s fight. The feline’s tonfa had vanished into by the time I’d noticed Arthur laying on the ground in his quadrupedal wolf form.

“One of the damned things got me,” he muttered as I approached him, “I think my ribs are broken.”

“I might be able to help with that,” I said, sitting beside him, “I have a lot of healing potions back at the flat.”

“I’m gonna have pass on that,” said the lupine, “I suggest we make ourselves scarce before the bull remembers we’re here. See you later, dragon dude.”

And with that, the wolf faded into the shadows. When I turned to leave a wall of earth rose and barred my path.

“I have a few questions for you, dragon.”

Maximus was flying just a few metres above me. I quickly shot into the air but he followed easily. I heard a rumbling sound and several boulders suddenly shot up from the ground, each moulding into the shape of a large hand, then they tried to grab me. I swerved and dived through the air to avoid them, the minotaur quickly closing the distance between us. I leapt onto the back of one of his stone hands and sent a fire blast towards him but the bovine just blocked it with his wings and continued flying. I kept moving but I noticed that my magic wasn’t recharging and that filled me with a new sense of dread. This only happened when I was about to revert to my beast form. I did a wide loop and concentrated my magic into two spells before making my aura glow brighter than a bonfire, nearly blinding Maximus. While the bull was distracted, I shot towards him and delivered a swift double kick to his chest, knocking him to the ground, then blew a blast of fire at him. When the dust cleared, I saw what looked like a stone statue of the bull in the rubble.

“Nice try,” said Maximus, appearing behind me, “but you’re not pulling the wool over my eyes.”

I turned and he grabbed my throat, his hand suddenly holding nothing.

My illusion evaporated, leaving the winged bovine alone in the air, his fist clenched tightly in front of him.

Now invisible, I sprinted through the city, not stopping until I could see the outside of Samantha’s dwelling. During the run, I had changed back into my beast form and clumsily flew onto the balcony, wincing from the pain in my wing, then walked over to the glass door. Lacking a key, I tapped the glass and traced over a hidden sigil by the door handle Samantha had shown me then walked through the door.

Fortunately, the apartment naturally shielded magical energy, so once I was inside I was able to relax. I promptly collapsed on the carpet when I heard something land heavily on the balcony and bolted for the kitchen like a startled rat. I peeked over to see Maximus step through the glass doors and set a semiconscious Bartholomew, now in his cat form, gently on the couch.

“There ya go,” said the bull, “I don’t know how you even managed to get this beat up. I thought I showed you and the bird how defend yourselves.”

“Maybe I’m just luck like that,” mumbled the cat, “Thanks for the save.”

“No problem, just glad to be back and feel something other intense fatigue.”

I heard his hooves fall gently onto the carpet, making soft clopping noises, as he slowly approached the kitchen doorway. Fortunately, he took a different turn and headed for the instead of the kitchen and I sent a silent “thank you” to the Ancients. The bull returned quite quickly and, after risking another look around the corner, I saw that he had gone to collect a small wash cloth from the lavatory so that he could cool down Bartholomew’s head.

“This should help a bit,” said Maximus, “but I’m afraid I can’t stay for long kid. I’m needed back with the other Zodiacs.”

“When did you even wake up?” asked Bartholomew lifting up his head, “and why did it take you so long?”

“I’m surprised you didn’t know. Thought you’d be the first to greet me when I woke up,” joked the minotaur, ruffling his apprentice’s head, “but I’ll leave the explanations to Sam. She’ll be able to dumb it down for ya.”

“Gee,” muttered Bartholomew, “Thanks for that.”

Still snickering a bit, Maximus headed out the way he came in, passing through the glass as if it were water, then flew into the night sky. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. The bovine hadn’t been able to recognise my magic yet, probably because of how brief our encounter was coupled with the distorting nature of my aura’s glamour.

“You mind grabbing crisps from the cupboard?” called out Bartholomew, “They’re the-”

“I know what crisps means,” I replied and snatched a large packet from the cabinet before making my way to the living room. I tore the bag open with a claw and offered it to the cat, who ate some quickly.

“Cheers” he said through a mouth full of food.

“You’re welcome,” I replied, “How did you know I was here?”

“You left tracks in the snow outside. I doubt Maximus saw them, bulls don’t have good night vision.”

We ate in silence for a while, not wanting to address one of the many elephants in the room. I had counted twenty-three seconds before Bartholomew said the thought floating conspicuously in his mind.

“What do you know of the Zodiac? And don’t tell me they’re constellations mate. I’m talking about the Zodiac that Maximus is a part of.”

I chewed on my meal for a while before answering, “They are the twelve mages chosen to protect the world. They each take the name of one of the monthly constellations or from one of the animals on the eastern calendar. I was told that they would occasionally work alongside the gargoyles and helped to maintain the balance between darkness and light. By any chance, do you know who represents them now?”

“Well,” said Bartholomew sleepily, “including Taurus, there are currently six named for the constellations; Leo, Scorpio, Libra, Capricorn and Sagittarius. While the other Zodiac are named after the years of the Dog, Rat, Dragon, Sheep, Monkey and Boar. If that’s all, I think I’m going to sleep now, too many Ascendances in one day often leaves a bloke feeling knackered.”

“What is Ascendance?” I asked but the cat was already asleep. I rolled my eyes and put the remaining food away in the refrigerator. As I entered the living area I noticed movement just outside the window. It was Arthur, he was standing just outside the door.

We need to talk, he mouthed and motioned for me to come outside.

I tapped a sigil on the door and phased through the glass before sitting down a few inches from the snow-covered terrace.

“First off, I owe you one,” said the wolf.

“If you’re talking about when I carried you out of the cavern,” I said, “then we are even. You saved my life before.”

“I’m talking about the when you two fought those bone creatures. You could just run and left me but you both risked your lives to help me out. I wanted to try repay the favour.”

He dipped his head into his shadow then drew out the small amulet that had stolen the powers of the two Zodiacs but I held up my paw before he could put it down.

“Thank you for the gesture but I doubt I’d get any useful information out of it.”

“That’s the thing. This isn’t what was stealing their powers.”

“What?!” I said, a bit loudly.

“Exactly,” continued Arthur after dropping the item back into his shadow, “it was designed to take magic only store it but I noticed something else. That binding spell they put on you wasn’t Alexander’s magic or else it would’ve worn off while that dead guy was stealing his powers. Someone else did this to you and whatever magic was used to bind you-”

“Was also on the amulet,” I finished, “So who did this to me?”

“That’s what I’m offering to find out for you. I just thought you should know.”

“Thank you, Arthur, but I don’t want you to go through any sort of trouble just for me. You could be killed, or worse.”

“Look, whoever did this to you is a powerful sorcerer and is a potential threat to all of us. I’m going to have to look into this sometime or another anyways.”

“Fine just, be careful. I’ve already lost enough allies as it is.”

The wolf nodded then faded away again and I returned to the apartment. As I pondered what had just transpired for a moment, the realisation of the gravity of the situation causing me to rethink everything that I knew about this world. When a large yawn escaped my jaws, I leapt onto the couch and followed the black feline’s example, allowing sleep to claim me once more.

***

Maximus walked on the terrace next to Big Ben, absentmindedly twirling his mace in one of his three-digit hands.

“You’re in a good mood,” noted Alexander, walking in pace with his old partner, “Let me guess, you found something to punch.”

“More like something to vaporise,” corrected the bull, “But don’t worry, I cleaned everything up before any humans could see. How’s Sammy?”

“Fine now, she’s staying over at a mate’s tonight. Robin’s, I think. Anyway, do you know what this meeting’s about?”

“Maybe, but I’m sure we’re going to find out soon enough-oof!”

A small grey creature had ploughed into Maximus’s chest and drove the bull a few inches backwards.

“You’re back! You’re back!” said the furry little creature excitedly. It was a grey monkey the size of a small man, or a large child if you think about it. Despite appearances, the young primate was over two hundred years old and had been part of the council for a large majority of that time. His name was Jen Li Yong but everybody called him Jen, the Monkey Zodiac who held the eighth rank amongst the twelve.

“Good to see you Jen,” said Maximus, returning the excited primate’s hug, “where’s everyone?”

“They’re all waiting for us I suppose,” said a female voice behind them.

A tall dark skinned woman walked up behind the three Zodiac, her heeled boots barely making a sound as she trod across the terrace. She had a red winter jacket worn over a black top and tight jeans running down to just above her ankles. Her lips were as dark as blood and her light brown eyes showed no hint of compassion nor relief for her colleagues’ revival. She was known as the fourth ranked Zodiac, the Crimson Ram; Elizabeth Grace.

“Elizabeth,” said Alexander, giving her a small bow, “it has been too long. You needn’t have made such a journey on our behalf.”

“I had business town,” she replied, her French accent barely audible in her voice, “I’d assumed you two would’ve sat out this meeting but, judging by your appearances, you’re both as right as rain.”

“Good to see you too Elizabeth,” said Maximus sternly, “Shall we?”

She nodded and walked passed them into a swirling portal of white light that she conjured with a wave of her hand. As they entered, the four Zodiac found themselves in a dark circular room with a few braziers positioned around the perimeter. There were twelve circles placed evenly on the floor, encompassing a round table. The four mages each took a different circle and a chair appeared from thin air, each custom designed to meet the different Zodiac’s specifications. For example, Jen’s chair was higher than the others to make up for his short stature while Maximus’s chair was wider and had an opening in the back for his tail. The magic within the room also translated everyone’s words into their own native tongue, removing any potential misunderstandings from the language barrier.

Barely a second later, other mages teleported into the room and took their places at the table. As each of the twelve Zodiacs sat down the braziers around the room glowed brighter. Soon there were only four members left of the twelve that had not arrived but then four chairs suddenly manifested themselves in the remaining circles, each had an astral projection of the remaining Zodiacs seated in them. Two of the projections wore hooded cloaks while the others consisted of two Guardians, a lion in golden armour and a tall zebra in traditional Basotho attire, he long mane wrapped in a multi-coloured cloth.

“Why have we been gathered so early?” asked a lanky man in a business suit and glasses, “We were scheduled to meet on the 31st.”

“I asked for this to be moved up earlier,” said the Zebra, “Our current operations in the Gulf have been very difficult and I didn’t want to risk anything else happening to more of our members before we could all meet again. Apologises for any inconveniences Rat.”

The man inclined his head in understanding and Scorpius stood up to address everyone.

“Well then, let the final meeting of the sixteenth year commence,” he said, “Now to review the major events that have transpired this year.”

He tapped a symbol on the table and a holographic image appeared of Tezcatlipoca when he had first awoken.

“Yes, the revival of a Fallen One,” said an old woman with a rag wrapped around her eyes, “I am still worried about how we did not foresee this tragic event that left our dear friend Taurus incapacitated for so long.”

“Bah, that overgrown hairball should have been a push over for you,” said a grey anthropomorphic boar, “if it were me, I would’ve beaten that cat into the ground.”

“Enough Zodiac Boar,” said Jen sternly, “Maximus-I mean, Zodiac Taurus did his best. Keep in mind that the Fallen One also required the combined powers of both him, Dog and Scorpio to beat it.”

The Zodiac of the boar grunted and crossed his arms.

“I’m afraid Libra is right,” said the astral projection of the Zebra, “the forces of darkness seemed to have grown bolder these past few months. What could be the cause?”

“We cannot be certain about these things Sagittarius,” replied the astral form of the lion, “but we must remain vigilant in the coming year. Although, there is something else that concerns me.”

Everyone paid attention as the image on the table changed into a poor video of the battle on Christmas Eve. It showed a being wrapped in fire attack the Priestess and engage in a fierce battle against her.

“Who is this being?” asked a tall, sleek figured man in a suit, “they fight with the strength nearly equal to that of the Priestess and yet we have been unable to detect their magical power anywhere on the grid.”

“Rat has a point,” said Boar, “Who the heck is this guy anyway?”

“More to the question, what are they?” asked Elizabeth, “they fight using a level of fire magic I never thought possible for anyone not in this room. They are clearly well trained, even possessing the knowledge on how to banish a Fallen One.”

There was silence for a moment then one of the hooded astral projections turned to Alexander.

“Zodiac of the Dog, you have been uncharacteristically quiet for some time,” they noted in an unnaturally smooth voice, “do you not have anything to share with the council?”

Alexander’s ears twitched in annoyance then he replied coolly, “I don’t know what you’re trying to imply Capricorn but I have no idea of the exact location of this creature but I have heard from one of my sources that he has been instrumental in the return of the powers that Taurus and I had stolen from us. Until we learn more, I think that it is safe to assume that he is not on our enemies’ side for the moment.”

“What makes you so confident that it is a he?” asked Elizabeth and when several of them looked at her she said, “Don’t go off at me, you all know I like to be thorough. I want as much accurate information about this warrior as possible.”

Alexander swiped his hand across the table and the image changed to the part of the fight when the creature had just returned from the bottom of the Thames wielding a sword in his hands. There was a clear image of the creature’s face and frame for a moment, its eyes burning with an intense determination. Capricorn made an odd sound under his breath, something that even Alexander barely picked up with his enhanced hearing but he continued nonetheless.

“The stature of this warrior and the form of his armour does not suggest that they are female,” said Alexander, “what’s more, when he was near the clock tower, I heard his voice.”

“I heard his voice too,” said Maximus, “when I went to visit my protégé earlier I found him at the mercy of a skeleton beast and a dark mage. Our unknown warrior was fighting the mage but I stepped in before anything got too hairy. Granted, the place was a mess but I got it repaired before-”

“Why didn’t you capture him,” demanded Elizabeth, cutting him off, “don’t tell me he bested you?”

“Not at all,” said Maximus calmly, “he knew how to hide his aura and vanished moments after I confronted him, but I’m sure we will be able to find him again. I just need approval from all of you.”

“What are your thoughts almighty leader?” asked Boar and everyone’s gaze shifted to the last hooded astral projection. They raised a five-fingered claw from the depths of their cloak and pointed at Libra, the old women with her eyes bandaged.

“I cannot be certain of what the future holds anymore,” she said, “but I can tell you one thing. This warrior has not yet shown us his full power. Engaging him too soon would be unwise.”

After a few moments of silence Leo spoke up, “Shall we put it to a vote then? All in favour of intervention?”

Maximus and Boar raised their hooved hands along with Sagittarius and Jen. Even Elizabeth, Leo and, in a rare spectacle as he normally abstains from voting, the Zodiac leader raised their hands to carry the motion through.

“It has been decided then,” announced Leo, “if any of us sees this warrior, we must capture or detain him until we get answers. This meeting is adjourned.”

The Zodiac rose as one and disappeared into their separate portals back to their homes, leaving only Leo, Capricorn and the leader of the Zodiac alone at the table.

“Is there something on your mind Capricorn?” asked Leo.

“Why must we attack him?” asked Capricorn, “he did us a great service, so why don’t we just let him go?”

“Because he is a loose cannon,” snarled the leader, breaking his silence, “An unknown factor in our war. I’d rather we deal with him quickly and before the other side had has a chance to use him against us.”

And with that the hooded figure’s astral projection faded away into nothingness. Leo looked over at his friend and asked, “Why do you care for him anyway? Don’t act that you don’t, I heard you when we saw his face.”

“It’s nothing,” said Capricorn quickly, “our leader is right. We shouldn’t allow for this kind of uncontrolled power to run rampant. I’ve never seen him so angry before though. This is new.”

“Don’t let the elder Zodiac scare you,” said the lion, leaning back in his chair, “he may be called the Dragon but I assure you, he’s not so cold blooded.”

“You have no idea,” said Capricorn and his image faded away soon followed by Leo himself, leaving the room in near pitch darkness.

***

“Try it again,” said Archie, several oval shaped screens hovering in the air in front of him.

I nodded and closed my eyes in concentration then transformed into my warrior form but I was not in my armour, instead I was in the same garb as before, when Bartholomew and I had fought in the forest. I held this form for about a minute before reverting to my beast form once more.

“I still cannot access all my powers,” I noted, breathing heavily, “and I do not understand why.”

“At least you can still access the Link alright,” said Archie, moving his screens around to check their data, “so we know that you still possess them.”

We were back in the world of the Link, a place that existed between the minds of two capable mages where they can hone their skills and practice advanced magic without fear of damage to anyone or anything around them. Archie had showed me how to use the communications crystal to allow the two of us to enter the Link whilst we were both in separate locations so that he could analyse my powers.

“As far as I can tell,” said Archie, typing away on a grey holographic keyboard, “it seems like whatever has bound you only allows access to a certain amount of power for a limited amount of time. If Sam simply gave you permission to enter a small fight, like the one yesterday for example, then you would only have access to the minimum amount of power needed to keep you alive until you return to your beast form and transform again.”

“Well that’s a cruel design,” I said in an annoyed tone, “what happens if a new enemy enters the battle and they’re stronger than I am?”

“I can only give you the facts mate, not the answers.”

I growled in annoyance, small puff of smoke exiting my nostrils as I did so.

“What about that Ascendance nonsense Bartholomew was talking about?” I demanded, “His powers exponentially increased within a matter of moments. Perhaps one of you could teach me that trick.”

“It’s not a trick, Drake. Ascendance is something only those trained as Guardians can do, it is a complex skill that only they and, sometimes their Anchors, possess.”

Archie traced a circle in the air, a thin grey line following his finger until he had a ring floating in front of him. The ring flipped on its axis, revealing the same rotating runes that had appeared on Bartholomew and Arthur two nights ago.

“They can summon what is known as the Ether Rings, there are five available for each trained warrior and they grant greater control over the elements. With each ring their elemental strength grows until they’re are able to merge with the elements.”

“So, when Bartholomew used the rings,” I began, “his powers were…what’s the term nowadays…amplified? So why didn’t he summon more?”

“Because it takes a toll on the user’s body. Barry can only handle three, anymore would risk his life and completely drain him of all his magical power within seconds. Even if he wanted to do it, the mere mental effort required to summon an additional ring would have rendered him unconscious.”

“I am still uncertain to why I cannot perform this,” I said, sitting on my haunches and folding my arms, “I know that I possess mental prowess that are, at the very least, equal to that of your twin.”

“Look, I’m trying to avoid any mishaps that could end up with you dying. I’m still trying to figure out how that Shadow Hound did it, he shouldn’t have been able to summon one ring let alone two. Oh, that reminds me, did you get the gemstones I sent?”

“Yes, although I’m still unclear on their purpose, your note said they’re, Spell Shards?”

“Think of them like ready-made spells. Pour some magic into them and they can function as spells, small energy bolts, etcetera. They’re crystallised magic that trainees use when they’re learning new spells. They’re to give you some breathing room in a fight until you get your powers back.”

One of Archie’s monitors beeped and he sighed heavily.

“I have to go,” he said, waving his hand across the screen to dispel them, “sorry I couldn’t help you more.”

“Goodbye,” I said and the Link shimmered away as if it were a mirage then I found myself back in Sam’s apartment. Bartholomew and Samantha were training at the academy so I was once again left on my own. My sessions with Archie could only last a few minutes as the Seeker could only see me during his breaks between classes and work.

I turned back to the experiments on the terrace, where I was attempting to brew an old potion from a book Bartholomew had brought me that could return things back to their original state. The brew required several rare ingredients that Samantha didn’t know where to find and she was adamant about me not leaving the apartment without either her or the cat supervising.

“Mix three almonds with mistletoe,” I read from the book propped up beside me, “then pour in the mashed turmeric and stir…”

“Trying to make a stew there, mate?”

Alexander appeared, perched on the top of the metal railing like a bird, making me jump and nearly spill my potion all over ground.

“What the hell?” I demanded, “are you trying to kill me?”

“I thought all you dragons were always supposed to be on alert and aware,” said Alexander, “I never took you for a scaredy-cat.”

“I’m am not a dragon,” I growled, “nor am I a frightened feline. What is your business here?”

“To warn you. The Zodiac convened and a vote was cast, we are to engage and capture you. Would have been here sooner but you’re not on the top of my priority list right now.”

“I can take care of myself. I did defeat the Priestess after all.”

“After Scorpio and I reduced her powers. Why else do you think she was in that Pentecostal? She was trying to regain her strength before summoning whatever demon the gargoyles trapped in there.”

I said nothing and Alexander continued, “The strongest members of the Zodiac have been ordered to find you now and they’re not going to be as kind as I am. You need to leave, now. Maybe go to that sanctuary place you mentioned, someplace where your magical power can’t be detected or else they’re going to find you.”

“Is this a threat?” I asked, “or a warning? This dwelling’s protection spells completely dampens all magical power, even yours! Regardless, why help me? You’ve made it perfectly clear that you do not care for my wellbeing in the slightest, so why the sudden change of heart?”

“My reasons are my own lizard and you should heed my warning.”

“It sounds as if you do not want your niece to get into trouble with the council,” I realised, “if they find me here, it will throw your allegiance into question and they’ll probably even remove Samantha’s status at the Academy.”

“It doesn’t matter,” said Alexander, his voice raising, “You need to leave, now!”

“No.”

“I’m warning you dragon,” Alexander’s blue aura was now visible and radiating with his power, “if you don’t leave now…”

“I am not leaving,” I said, my own aura bursting into existence as I prepared to transform. Barry and Samantha had both given me permission to defend myself against any threats, hopefully this included the Zodiac in front of me.

We stared at each other for a while, neither of us willing to back down, then Alexander exhaled loudly and his aura died down, my own fading soon after.

“Fine,” he said through gritted teeth, “but I want you to promise me something. If you see one of the Zodiac anywhere near here, run. Don’t stop until you’re sure they won’t see Sam’s place then, do whatever you can to escape.”

“You have my word,” I said and the Zodiac disappeared into the wind. I turned back to my project and resisted the urge to throw it over the edge of the terrace. Instead I neutralised the mixture and begun to clean up my mess before I felt a ripple in the mana field around the apartment, similar to when Archie had come to the apartment but this felt far stronger than the Seeker’s power. I rushed inside to grab the communications crystal the Seeker had given me to check the mana levels of the surrounding area. Archie told me earlier that the crystal could expand my senses so I used it to check the nearby area for that ripple I had sensed earlier.

There was a large magical power source in the direction where Bartholomew, Arthur and I had fought that mage’s army. When I looked over the terrace but I didn’t see anything but before I left the flat I grabbed a small felt sack by the bookshelf then flew off to investigate. Stored within the bag were Archie’s gems, barely the size of a marble but still filled with magic. I had around thirty or so stored in the bag and each had enough energy to provide me with a good distraction. I only brought them along in case I needed to make a quick escape, I wasn’t sure if I was strong enough to defeat something this powerful on my own.

I glided down to the alleyway where the signal was strongest, using the same spell I used last night to hide from Maximus in case this was a trap. I carefully walked on the rooftops, using my Soul Sight to look for the mana surge I had sensed earlier but nothing seemed out of place. That is until I glided down to the ground then I felt my body lock in place and my magic was bound.

“Looks like I caught me a big one,” said a gruff voice.

A giant boar came strolling out from the shadows, wearing bronze armour similar to Maximus’s but he had his amber coloured crystal in his hand and he was twirling it around in his fingers like Samantha did with one of her pencils. As he walked, a heavy fog encompassed the alley, its mystic properties shrouding us from the view of nearby humans.

“Now, where are you?” he asked, his oddly brown eyes glowing, “You can’t run and you can’t hide from the Boar.”

I tried to move but the petrifying spell was sapping at my strength, slowly eating away at the invisibility enchantment keeping me from the boar’s sight. Thinking quickly, I dropped the sack in my mouth in front of me and I used my long tongue to fish out one of the gems. It glowed red, like a cherry, and I moved it to the back of my mouth then bit my teeth into it. My jaws crunched the gem as if it were a nut then, while resisting the urge to spit it out as the taste was foul, I felt magic flow through my body. I channelled it into the ground and the spell binding me shattered. My powers returned to me quickly and I grabbed the sack but before I could make my escape metal bars suddenly surround me until I was in a steel sphere.

“Found ya,” I heard the boar say, “Now that wasn’t so hard. Don’t know why the old bull found you a challenge.”

I ignored him and started to transform, my aura superheating the metal cage. I burst forth from the sphere and shot into the air before the boar knew what hit him. I took the sack from my mouth and secured it to my belt after noticing that I was back in the same clothes as yesterday except that I now had leather arm guards and a thin bronze chest plate over my torso.

“Now that’s more like it!” bellowed the boar, “So you are going to be a challenge for me.”

“What do you want?” I demanded hovering just above the rooftops, “I have done you no harm.”

“So, you can speak, huh? Well I don’t have to explain myself to you kid. All you need to know is that you’re messing with the Iron Boar now, and I’m not gonna take it easy on you like Taurus did.”

So, he’s a Zodiac, I figured, great. This day couldn’t possibly get any worse.

The boar tightened his grip on his gem and it transformed into a two-metre-long staff with a heavy crystallised hammer on one end. The Zodiac then slammed his weapon into the ground and made a “come here” gesture with his free hand, just like the characters in those fighting films Bartholomew liked to watch on the television.

I turned and tried to fly away but my wings suddenly felt like lead and I fell onto the rooftop. The Boar jumped up to meet me on the roof and circled me like prey.

“No dice dragon,” he said, “you’re not the first flyer I’ve fought. I know how to deal with your kind pretty well.”

I turned and ran off the roof, leaping to the next one and sprinting towards the edge again. The Zodiac laughed and followed, closing the gap quickly. Thinking quickly, I took out a gem then, just as I landed on the next roof, I slammed it onto the slates and continued running. The Boar landed on my trap and he was soon caught in an intense gravity well, stopping him in his tracks.

“Clever little drake, aren’t you?” he mocked before punching the slates with his hand and shattering the spell, moving forwards as if nothing had happened.

I kept trying to fly away but my wings still felt heavy and I only ended up losing ground each time. I took out another gem and envisioned a spell before throwing the shard at the Boar. There was a blinding flash of light and I disappeared into the street. Using a quickly cast invisibility spell, I tried to disappear into a nearby alley but then the swine suddenly appeared in the middle of the street and sent an energy blast straight at me.

I barely evaded the attack and fell to the ground, my spell dissipated but I noticed that none of the humans were paying any attention to our brawl, as if we didn’t exist.

“Cool huh,” said the boar, noticing my wonder, “I cast a glamour around us so that no matter what we do, the humans won’t so much as bat an eyelid.”

“You’ve thought things through,” I said, igniting my aura.

“Yeah, too bad for you though,” he replied before slamming his hammer into the ground, sending a tremor directly towards me. I leapt out of the way and threw a few shards at him, each turning into a miniature comet but the Zodiac crossed his arms and let his aura absorb the brunt of my attack.

The boar then charged at me but I leapt onto his head and used him like a springboard to fling myself toward the roofs but then he grabbed my tail and swung me into a brick wall. The Zodiac then raised his hammer to swing at me but then I yelled, “Stay away!” and a torrent of flames spewed forth from my mouth.

The blast sent the boar flying into a passing bus.

I took the chance and tried to fly away but the blasted pig’s spell was still in effect so I landed on my face. Then my world spun and I had spots in my eyes.

When they cleared, I realised that the Boar must have hit me with his weapon and sent me flying towards the bridge. I turned around and got another blow to the side from the hammer, sending me backwards, nearly knocking me off my feet. Neither my aura nor my current armour wasn’t going to hold up to this type of punishment for much longer so I blasted him again with fire but he merely batted away the flames by spinning his hammer in front of him.

“Time to say bye-bye,” taunted the swine before taking another swing at me.

“Enough!” I bellowed and let my magic flow into my arms. I stopped the hammer with my hand, catching it in mid-swing and nearly breaking my arm. I then stepped forwards and punched the boar hard in the snout, stunning him.

I took his hammer and swung around myself, delivering a rock-hard blow to his torso. The Zodiac’s hooves left grooves in the road as he slid to a halt.

“You’ve got quite a pair kid,” said the boar, “using my hammer against me.”

“Glad you approve,” I snarled, readying for another swing but then the weapon grew heavier in my hands. I forgot that I couldn’t use Guardian weapons and the pig obviously knew that.

I dropped the hammer and it flew right back into its owner’s three digit hands. I leapt backwards, jumping off the bridge and onto the banks of the river below before retreating under the large structure. The Boar Zodiac landed on the other side, cutting off my initial escape.

“Well,” said the pig as he twirled his hammer around his body, “I’m done messing around. Time to get serious.”

A copper coloured energy ring appeared on one side of the head of his hammer and he rushed forwards, suddenly a great deal faster than before. I charged my aura again and focused on increasing my speed, barely dodging his attacks as they came raining down on me.

I sidestepped, leapt away and even considered blocking it again but when I saw the damage it was doing to the river bank whenever the hammer made contact I thought against it. I took out two more gems and crushed them in each hand. I willed the magic to mould around my fists so it looked like I was wearing a pair of red gloves.

I took a stance like a boxer and hopped from claw to claw, dodging the boar’s swings then jumping in close to deliver two swift jabs to his jaw. The magic in my fists increased the strength of my attacks, making each attack match his in strength, which sent the boar reeling backwards. He wiped off some of the dust from the damaged bridge off his snout and spat onto the ground.

“You’ve got moves kid,” he sneered, “let’s turn this up a notch.”

Another ring appeared on the other side of hammer, making it look like a sledgehammer rather than a block of crystal. The boar’s attacks came raining down faster and harder than before, leaving me no room to counterattack. I channelled the remaining energy from my fists into my armguards just before I blocked a heavy strike aimed at my face. I was sent flying backwards into the wall, leaving a rather large dent in it, and my aura started to flicker. I was losing power, fast, and I wasn’t gaining any ground. I charged up my speed again and ran forwards, sliding under the hammer and delivering three strikes to the boar’s head before flipping backwards to avoid his attack.

Suddenly, another ring appeared on his hammer and I felt his power pulsing through the ground like an earthquake. The Zodiac of the Boar spun his weapon with a crazed grin on his face, amber lightning sparking between the weapon and the ground. He was pouring everything into this fight and my available power was close empty.

I patted the pouch at my side to check my gems, and estimated I had about fifteen or so left. I took three out and laced them between my fingers then I jumped in the air, closing the distance between me and the Zodiac within seconds, before spinning around to smack him with my tail. Needless to say, it hurt, a lot, and I doubted I even made him flinch at this point.

I leapt around, narrowly avoiding the swings from the hammer and blasting the boar with fire from my mouth. Suddenly his hand smashed through my flames and he grabbed me by my snout before slamming me into the ground, causing my aura to flicker out, now at its limit.

“What was the point of that, huh?” he demanded, his demeaner changing as he kicked me into the wall again, “cuz if you were trying to annoy me, then you definitely succeeded.”

I coughed up blood and turned on my side. I was pretty sure that my ribs were broken and I suspected that I had some internal bleeding. I muttered something under my breath that I knew the boar wouldn’t hear.

“What was that punk?” he demanded.

“I wasn’t trying to,” I wheezed, “annoy you. I was trying to…*cough*cough*…distract you.”

“Oh yeah, from what?”

I clicked my fingers. Three sets of three gems each, arranged in a perfect triangle, started to glow brightly then a red energy field appeared. The field pushed us apart, leaving him stranded inside and while I slowly rose to my feet. My last resort had been to cast a powerful barricade to prevent the Boar from attacking and cutting of his connection to the spell he had placed on me. I spread my wings wide, enjoying the fact that they were no longer so heavy, then I flew weakly into the sky but collapsed from my many injures. I doubted I had the strength to run away let alone continue the fight.

“This can’t hold me forever!” shouted the Boar, pounding at my spell with all his strength, “You and your friends are mine dragon!”

My friends, _I thought, _what friends?

Samantha, Bartholomew, Archie, these were the names that came to mind when I heard that word and I realised that that was who they were to me. Friends, not wardens or my jailers. I gave Alexander my word that I was going to keep them safe and giving up like this wasn’t going to save anyone.

I needed the Zodiac to believe I was not an adversary to be taken lightly, or else he would just keep coming after me again and again. The barrier started to crack under the Zodiac’s onslaught but I wasn’t so scared anymore. There was still one more tactic I could use to keep on fighting although I was not looking forward to the backlash I’d feel for the next few days.

I got to one knee and spread out my wings, placing my hands onto the Thames riverbank, letting my remaining power seep through the stones and connect with the earth. As the spell began to flicker, I focused all my power into my palms, moulding it into what I needed. By the time the Zodiac had broken a hole in the barrier, I had completed my task and my hands were practically leaking glowing red energy, letting it bleed into the earth. My magic sent waves of energy through the earth, connecting with its power as I yelled, “I ask for your strength, Master of the earth. Grant me the means to protect those I love!”

I released all of my power at once and for a moment I feared that it had not worked and I nearly collapsed onto the ground. Then a raging surge of power hit me like a tidal wave, flooding my body with new strength and hardening my spirit. A bronze light covered my body, shining threw the area were my power connected with the earth, adorning me with the Ancient’s strength. My arms were now adorned with two bronze gauntlets, the symbol of earth burning in red on the back of each hand. It wasn’t an Ether Ring but it definitely restored some of my magic reserves and reinforced my regenerating aura.

“What?!” yelled the Boar, “How did you do that?! Who trained you use that magic?!”

He swung his weapon but this time I caught it with my left hand and shoved it back. While he was off balance I punched him into a wall. This power felt amazing, it was as if I had unbridled strength swirling inside of me.

The Boar burst from the rubble of the wall and gave a hearted roar. Another ring formed around his hammer and this time his entire body changed until it looked like he was made of molten bronze with some of his head fur sticking up like a hedgehog. I returned with a roar of my own, letting my magic wreath around my body as burning red flames.

The water bubbled and boiled as our powers grew. A glowing crimson aura burned around me like flames and when the two of us clashed, our combined powers sent gigantic ripples through the mana field. Every strike he made I countered, every spell I cast he shattered, it was as if we were evenly match in strength, despite both our power boosts.

My previous wounds had rapidly healed themselves and my wings were strong enough to take me to the skies with little effort. I summoned three different runes in the air in front of me and one of them fired a beam of red light which the Boar blocked directly with his hammer. Then I was behind him, aiming a punch at the rune I had moved between us, using it to boost my strength to unimaginable levels. The pig flew forwards into my beam then I used my last rune to create a huge explosion just underneath him.

The Boar fell to the ground. his weapon now a few metres away. The hammer suddenly split open and all the rings encircled the Zodiac. A fifth ring floated like a halo above his head.

“Now I’m gonna kill ya!” screamed the boar, “Earth arise! Aid your master!”

The ground trembled and cracked beneath us as chucks of stone covered the swine until he was inside an oddly shaped humanoid creature made entirely out of the surround earth. The earth titan struck the ground where I had been standing but I moved out of the way.

I took a deep breath and focused my remaining magic into the small spheres now in my palms, each with a gem floating in its centre. As the stone avatar lumbered towards me I charged forwards, throwing the spheres on either side of him. Each gem suddenly became a copy of myself and each copy jumped onto the Boar’s avatar, blasting him with fire or punching him.

“Blasted dragon!” yelled out the Zodiac, “Fight me! Stop hiding behind your tricks!”

But, sadly for him, I was already gone. Like my fight with Maximus, I had used the illusions to cover my escape, having reached the peak of my borrowed power. I was already back in my beast form, the remaining embers of the Earth Ancient’s magic already beginning to fade, running through the streets away from Samantha’s flat.

After a few minutes, I found myself back in the alley where I first arrived to this time. I slowed down and took a breath behind the dumpster, not even daring to try sensing if the Guardian was still following me. I waited for a few minutes before I risked searching for my attacker’s aura. When nothing came up and I let out a sigh of relief before recasting my glamour. Before I left, I looked at the brick where I had hidden the remains of Gabriel’s sword, the blood sigil having remained untouched since I first made it.

You and your friends are mine dragon!

The Zodiacs words had made me realised what I could lose in this time and the very thought of losing anyone else terrified me. However, nothing he’d said would make me risk using that blade. Even if I re-joined it with the blade, an unstable magical weapon like that might do more harm than good if I dared to use it again.

“Guess I’m finally taking your advice Thorne,” I muttered under my breath before leaving the alley and making my way back to the flat.