The drawynn put her hands on her hips and studied the pistols that Dreas had suddenly brought out. Guns, she thought, Why does every guy I fight have guns? Why can’t any of them practice magic or somthing? I don’t like being shot at... “Hey,” she asked quickly, pointing a finger at him, “You wouldn’t happen to be from the future, would you?”

“No,” he said flatly, “I’m from another world, not that you need to concern yourself with that. Why do you ask?”

“Because the last I guy I fought had three guns and he was from the future. And now I’m fighting a guy with guns from another world...” she replied. Why can’t I fight anyone from my world and time. I feel picked on!

Ummm, Metanth interrupted, You should be concentrating on the battle at hand.

Oh right, she said thoughtfully, I almost forgot. She heard a mental sigh from the dragonlit but ignored it, he was usually sighing at her. Still, even though she returned her attention to the ranger, the mage was having trouble thinking of a way she could at least hurt him. At least his pride if not a physical injury. He had already done both to her. The spell-caster moaned at the thought. Boy, if it wasn’t the middle of the night, I might not be having as many problems, Summer imagined, though she had a feeling it would probably be turning out the same way if it was the middle of the day. Then, a though occurred, Nighttime? I have another idea! Calling out the dark element, she focused on Dreas and shouted, “Dark Decay!” The sniper tensed his body, ready to spring at any moment. However, nothing seemed to happen, except that the area around Summer grew brighter as she harnessed the dark magic. His intense red eyes stared deep into her pink ones, finally making the mage ask, “Can you read minds?”

For the first time, he smiled, “Maybe.”

Summer didn’t believe him at all and, instead, closed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him. At the same time, the ground beneath his feet shifted. Sensing danger, the ranger made another attempt to either leap back or at her to stop whatever she had done. However, as he put his weight down to launch upwards, the additional weight caused the ground to collapse into a small sinkhole with him falling down it. “Yay!” the mage shouted in a squeaky voice, for she had used the Dark Decay spell to weaken the ground.

What did you accomplish with that? the metal dragon asked.

It was funny, the spell-caster replied with a large grin. Then, she dropped to the ground, Be ready, Metanth, and called, “Earth Shatter!” The spikes came from the sides of the pit but Dreas was suddenly in the air, his blasters pointed straight at her. However, the dragonlit also took to the air, ready to attack the ranger or protect his drawynn if necessary. Summer again cast another spell, “Water Surge!” and a pillar-like vortex rose out of the river and streaked towards the PKM Ranger, ready to be dissipated if Metanth somehow got in the way.