Happy New Year!

Time to start this year off with a bit of zest!

Chapter 78: We Are Making More Enemies Than We Can Kill. We Must Kill Faster

Drake sat on the bulwark at the bow of the ship, on the port side, watching the sky as the airship glided through the clouds.

What a wonderful week… he couldn't believe how ready, how energized he felt. His only real down point was wondering how long it would take for the moment to come where he could get his fight with Zidane… Waiting really was a killer.

Eclipse walked out onto the deck and Drake looked over.

"… Where is the horse?" Eclipse asked.

Drake choked back a laugh. "Stabled in the loading dock…"

"Good. I trust it won't get out again."

Despite the obvious threat, Eclipse seemed to be in a good mood, thus Drake wasn't too concerned about it. Besides, he had no intentions of letting her out again as there was little point in destroying the ship now.

Drake smirked and looked back at the sky, "She won't."

Eclipse nodded and was pleased enough with that answer. Drake had done well during this trip, so he wasn't going to press the matter about the stupid horse… though it very nearly had to swim back to Daguerreo…

Drake wouldn't have been at all pleased about that –heaven forfend something were to happen to one of his pets…

After a moment, Drake noticed Eclipse was still standing there, so he looked back at him. "… Something else?"

"Get off the ledge."

Drake rolled his eyes and stepped down onto the deck. Eclipse gave a faint nod and headed back inside.

Drake never could understand why he wasn't allowed to sit on the ledge, but he never was… he loved heights, hated chairs; it was the perfect response to both of those, but no he wasn't allowed.

He looked around at the sky once more before deciding to head into the cabin. He was tired anyway and really wouldn't mind the rest while there wasn't anything better to do anyway.

The dark Prince paused, briefly, to watch a small cloud float across the deck, separated from the rest on this cloudy day. It was fairly amusing to watch, but not entertaining enough to follow, so he stepped away from the ledge and walked toward the door leading inside.

Drake's hand flew out to catch the bulwark as the ship lurched backward. He could feel the heat, smell the fire… but it had all happened suddenly enough he couldn't figure out the cause. There were too many clouds blocking his view, but in a second that was no longer a problem as the clouds seemed to flee from the area.

Eclipse headed angrily toward the bow of the ship, intent on finding out what had dared attack. He headed into the cabin and clenched his teeth as he found most of the crew members as well as the pilot had been unable to stay on their feet from the attack. He cast a glare at them to inspire their haste in recovering from the blast and walked to the front of the cabin where a window allowed for a wide viewing of the front of the ship and surrounding sky.

Drake ran to the ledge of the ship and looked down. Below them were three airships all poised to fire and with a full crew.

The Prince growled at the sight and his right arm lashed out, toward one of the cannons just as it fired from the airship to the far right.

The fire fueling the blast died instantly and shortly after the entire cannon started turning a bright red; even its heat resistance was no match for an angered fire element.

The fools just aimed the few remaining cannons at him and Drake took them out quickly, wondering why they bothered just as the ship to the far left targeted its cannons.

"None of that!" Drake snarled, throwing his left arm toward that airship to help focus his power at stopping their attacks. The first cannot he'd attacked on the right ship exploded and he had to switch his attention briefly back to that ship to make sure of the damage before concentrating on the ship off to the left again.

It confused him as to why they were attacking like this even after they found their cannons were becoming useless, and he got his answer too late.

While he was focused on the two side flanking ships, he hadn't paid much attention to the ship in the center. There wasn't a flurry of soldiers setting up the cannon, there was only one, so he assumed the ship wasn't an immediate threat, but the few people by the cannon had slowly, precisely taken aim and lit the cannon Drake had assumed were empty.

He heard the blast of all that cannon firing, it was louder than all the others had been, and it took his full attention and nearly took the breath out of him.

Without a second thought, Drake ceased his attacks on the side cannons and reeled back, rushing to get away from the thousands of ice potions that were fired from the center ship.

The bottles and vials smashed against the bow and their contents quickly spread up the bow and across the deck,like frozen claws scratching and digging their way toward him with a violent desperation.

Drake very nearly panicked… in fact, now, for a few seconds he did panic when he saw the swift spread of that deadly tonic. He threw wave after wave of fire at the ice, and he was fast, yet the ice came faster than he could melt it.

The Dark Prince had to strangle a scream that entered his throat as the ice managed to lash around one of his legs, then the other, trapping him as more of the frozen substance rushed forward.

Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic! He screamed, ordering himself not to break his training.

Panic leads to rash, unplanned and unthought-actions, which hardly every helped… but that was difficult to remember when every instinct was too busy screaming to give any helpful advice.

Stai! Stai! Drake shouted to himself. Nu panică! Faptă!

Stop, don't panic, act! It was hard to focus when being confronted by something that was so very deadly to you! Hard to fight from feeling torpid. He didn't know where the attack had come from! It was literally out of the blue… but something… a memory in his mind told him what it most likely was.

"You know… there are very, very few fire elements in the world…"

Drake's eyes shifted to look down at Steiner before he turned his head to face the knight. "There are very few elementals period…"

"I know." Steiner said, giving the slightest of shrugs. "But there are far less fire elements than any of the others. You're the only one I've even heard about in the last twenty-five years… Never have been as many of them as there were other elementals. Almost like they were a dying breed to begin with."

"So I've been told." Drake replied, "What are you getting at?"

Steiner shrugged again. "Just something I've noticed… It's like something is hunting them down."

"What…" Drake began, adjusting his shoulders a bit. "What do you mean?"

Steiner smirked, "It just occurs to me that you might benefit by being more cautious. You never know what might happen if it gets too cold."

Drake's eyes narrowed dangerously, his shifting ceased completely. "… Are you threatening me?"

"I am just commenting. Take of it what you will." Steiner replied, giving a cruel smirk.

Drake snarled and allowed the guards around his true powers to drop just a bit as he tore free of the ice fighting to trap him, in an effort to extricate himself. His whole body was freezing and it took a few seconds to break the ice surrounding him enough that he could draw his internal fire out to melt the rest into steams of vapors that were starting to fog the deck of the ship. Drake had to shield his eyes from the glare the ice was creating as is mirrored the sun, but the steam quickly took care of that problem

The Prince pulled his sword and it erupted into blue and black fire as he hacked at the ice. For a second, it flickered between a variegated array of colors before turning bright red and gold.

More ice kept coming! It felt like he was fighting something that was alive rather than a spell. He was forced back and really didn't like that! Drake was not sure it could possibly get worse than this, but he was wrong as he heard the cannons fire again.

More ice potions.

Căcat! He cursed. Ice formed behind him as the panic returned.

No, he wouldn't let himself panic! That would mean death and he wanted to avoid that for as long as possible. Instead, he kicked it up a notch and risked releasing even more of his power as the air around him rippled from the intense heat; the steam was suffocating, boiling in the air!

But he was alive… and as long as that remained true he was going to fight!

Wait… what happened to my bag? Drake vaguely wondered, remember it had been next to him… and where he'd left it was now completely iced over.

Drake growled louder at that just before he rushed forward. He had to stop and dodge more of the ice that was building faster than it was melting, but eventually he realized he could just crash through it after a second. It was cold, wet, sharp and stung, but it was faster than waiting and hoping it would melt completely.

The ice seemed to follow him as if it had a mind of its own! Drake's entire body erupted into flames and he strained, pushing it out further across the deck and attacking the ice there. The ship rocked as it was hit by the cannons again, and Drake slid on the slick surface below him. Luckily, he'd grown up surrounded by water and he wasn't going to lose his footing so easily, though even through the fight raging around him he could hear shouts from the crew as they lost their balance.

Incompetent fools! His stupid guards tried to follow him everywhere, but where were they now? Bah! Worthless!

A second hit threw the ship the opposite direction far sharper and the previous attack had left a chance for the ice to re-form around him. This time Drake did slip up, falling to one knee and being shocked enough his fire disappeared.

That was deadly and Drake knew it! This much ice, if it got over him…

Nu! He wouldn't allow it! He wouldn't! His fire formed again, stronger, brighter yet pitch black at the very core… what angered him is he knew he could do more than this, but he was forbidden from doing so…, this attack had to end!

Drake was up after a second and plunging forward again, he punched through the ice surrounding his bag rather than attempting to melt it and pulled the black leather free. He pulled a dagger from it and tossed the bag toward the door leading off the deck.

He could see the ships again and, as his predictions were correct, he saw Steiner on the one to the left.

Drake glared at him and then noticed the center ship loading its cannons again.

"Nu!" Drake decided, hissing. No. That wasn't going to be permitted!

They expected him to retreat again as he ran back toward the door, but halfway to it he stopped and turned around. Then he rushed the edge. It would take a fair amount of momentum to go against this wind and that's what he was giving himself.

Drake jumped up onto the bulwark and then pounced off it. He caught hold of the cathead for the center ship and pulled himself up onto the deck, stalking past the cannon.

He heard shouts, yells, screams of fear, but he paid them no attention. His right arm struck out and a massive fireball flew into the hull of the ship to the right, causing it to sway and then plummet from the sky, hesitantly and breaking as the pilot fought to keep them alive. Who knew, perhaps they would survive the fall… it was hard to tell and Drake did not greatly care at this point.

Before he could get the slip on the left, people attacked him. Trying to stop him and they felt his burn for it. Drake didn't know who they were, but they obviously weren't trained fighters… They rushed forward, he swept his hand across the air in front of him and sent a strong enough fire wave it blew them backward and he walked forward.

Enough fires started in enough places and they became too panic-stricken to do anything intelligent enough it would matter. Cheap airships made of easily destroyable wood. They couldn't determine what would be smarter, putting out the fires or attacking him again. He decided to give them some inspiration by drying out the air surrounding the ship.

Water was a funny thing. Can't live in it, but you need it to survive. Too much and you drown, too little and you dehydrate. You can't breathe it, yet you need it to breathe. The appearance and disappearance of the substance fairly ever goes un-noticed by the humans. They really noticed it this time as they gasped for breath and apparently weren't intelligent enough to know why it was so hard to breathe. Drake's right arm snaked out as he approached one of the would-be attackers and batted them out of the way, as if they were just toys.

Drake started walking again, staring directly into the eyes of the pilot hiding behind that fragile sheet of glass separating the deck from the cabin, when he was stopped by a spear and a lance forming an X in front of him.

"Sir Fratley, Madam Freya… How interesting it is to meet you here…"

"You need to stop, Prince Drake!" Freya ordered.

Drake glanced at her, "Oh? Now why would I do that?"

"What you're doing is wrong!" Fratley insisted, growling.

"And you are up against two of the strongest Dragon Knights Burmecia has." Freya added, her voice having a bite to it.

Drake, however, didn't show even the slightest signs of caring about a word of it. "… And?"

Fratley was slightly thrown off by that.

"How am I in the wrong? My ship was attacked. You cannot honestly expect me to just allow that." Drake explained, smirking faintly.

"Then how about you stop because we will not allow you to continue?" Freya asked, snarling.

"You say that like I'm supposed to be afraid!" Drake lashed out and his sword seared through Fratley's spear, slicing off the blade. Then Drake leapt into the air.

Drake knew about Freya's attacks… being on the ground would mean more time dodging than anything and that wasn't favorable.

Fratley seemed first to go into shock. Surprised at having his sturdy spear sliced through and at the fact that someone who wasn't a Burmecian could get air time like Drake could.

Freya didn't hesitate at all, save to risk a glance to be sure Fratley was alright—that was admirable. She was living up to her reputation as being brave and wise. While she did go after him, she did keep a slight distance in case he had any short-range attacks he was trying to lead her into.

Very smart.

A moment later, Fratley joined them in the air and was instantly greeted with an elbow into his throat, throwing him into Freya.

"Hey!" Freya screamed as Fratley coughed, trying to regain the ability to breathe.

"Oh relax," Drake smirked. "I'm sure that, at most, it's just a fractured wind pipe— I'm sure he'll recover in a few days… unless I'm wrong, and he'll die, but either way… entering the center of a battlefield was rather stupid of him; he'll learn from the pain if he lives."

Freya Tranced, then, as Fratley dropped down onto the ship to the far left. Unexpected, Drake assumed it would take a few hits… Though, fury was supposed to be a great inspiration for a trance.

"How dishonorable to go for Blood in the beginning of a battle!" She sneered.

"What an irony coming from a filthy rat who fired ice spells at me. That wasn't very nice." Drake reasoned, readying his attack.

Freya glared, fighting not to let her rage overpower her as she fired her trance ability and shot multiple lances at the Prince.

He dodged them like it was a game. He was further from her now, but Freya could swear she saw a playful smile on his face.

What could do this? What could jump this high? What could walk on the air beside a Burmecian? What would even know the basics of aerial combat off an airship? Freya had traveled far and wide… heard stories, read legends; never had she seen any other species able to use the sky like this.

Kuja had… to a degree, she forced herself to remember. Don't panic… if Kuja could do it, obviously others are capable of the same thing.

… He'd taken out Fratley in one hit. One hit she hadn't even seen coming.

Once her attack ended, she found herself being thrown back.

"My turn!" Drake said and she was stunned to see he was in front of her with his hand around her throat.

He brought his leg up and released her throat, kicking off against her collarbone and sending her rushing backward. The pain from the attack had shocked her. It was a sensitive area full of vital tubes and pipes; anyone would be insane not to react! She recovered, though, and sliced her claws through the slowly re-appearing clouds, panting for breath and slowing her momentum.

Oh, gods… that's what he's doing! All his attacks… He's making it so we cannot breathe! These were Blood attacks; attacks that were rarely taught once HP battles took over.

Blood battles were primal, vicious and there was rarely a need for them; even her guards were taught to diminish the opponents HP and have them arrested. If they were to be put to death that would come, but not on the battlefield. When a battle was fought for Blood… only despair could come of it. It was only done in this day and age as a last resort; in the fiercest of battles where you just cannot let your opponent live! The great wars had used it… but she hadn't expected it from the young Prince…

Drake readied his next attack while Freya was still panting for air. He admired her determination as he saw her swiftly get to her feet.

Then he found himself unable to move as a painful sting erupted from his back. The paralysis ended in a fraction of a second, but the surprise from the attack remained, he turned to see what had happened, but no one was behind him.

Another flash of pain! Cold, freezing, burning, agonizing pain! It felt like acid eating away at him and it stopped his own ability to breathe and he swiftly lost a great deal of altitude, but the attack was frontal and let him see the cause…

That damned, worthless knight was throwing ice potions!

"Băi găoază! Du-te dracului!" Drake shouted down at him as soon as he had the air to.

There was a whistling sound and a 'thwack' as a lance hit him. It hurt for a second then faded completely as he registered the decrease to his HP. Drake looked back, annoyed, at Freya who leapt toward him.

Her lance went right through where he was—or rather, where he had been. Again, Freya cursed to herself; she hadn't seen him move and that put her in danger.

Drake grabbed the lance and flung it, and Freya, down onto the ship to the far left before he dropped back down into the center ship. He grabbed one of the crewmembers and used them as a meat-shield against the barrage of ice potions that went flying at him.

"Oh, enough of that!" He snarled, discarding the frozen human shield.

Drake held his hands out in front of him, aiming at the left ship. He was running low on energy for the day—the air had become too cold from all the ice tonics and just breathing was beginning to sting.

He built up most of his remaining energy, pulled it into his chest, then his arms and then his hands. Finally, he released it.

"De Bazã Flacãrã!"

And now to answer the number one question I expect to be asked about this chapter…

What did Drake say? (Say, not thought… though, that one word he thought also wasn't very polite… started with a C but means a 4 letter word starting with S)

Well, the last one, right above this, is one of his fiercest attacks "De Bazã Flacãrã" means "Primary Flame". What did he yell to Steiner? Something not at all nice :) Don't worry, I know you guys! Now you REALLY want to know what he said. BASICALLY, he say "Hey, you –explanativeexplanative (2 words made into 1. First word has 3-4 letters depending if you're American or British)-! Go to –explanative meaning hot, fiery underground world where Hades hangs out-!"

Fun, no?

Reviewer Rewards this week's Trivia is on the forum in the News section!

I will say EVERYONE got Friday's trivia question correct! Everyone who gave an answer, anyway!

Reviewers, review! Oh, and post your New Years Resolution!