†††
"I guess you're stuck with saving the forest and destroying the beast, master. Just know that we are still using 3% of your power. Would you like me to add the supply of your mana?" She sounds very determined. I looked at her as I evaded the fire cyclones and kept on attacking the fire drake while its flame cyclones were tailing me. She asked me again, "Master?"
I gathered all the water mana to extinguish all the fire that swept the trees to save the rest of the forest from burning. Looking at the portion of the charred-black forest that I chose to defend before, what I can see now is a hideous burnt lodge that resembled the darkness of the night covering the skies with ambers that destroyed it. I flooded the portion of the forest that is affected by the fire magic while the fire drake is still creating another fire vortex. I didn't answer Sprigg right away since I still want to continue the plan.
Swimming to the depth of Sprigg's information bank from her mind. I looked for knowledge on how to strengthen the magic that I am using. I don't really understand the strange names she uses but the basic of it is she laid out the plan and I will just gather the necessary things to make it work. I heard her mumbled strange words again which I didn't mind, I already have known her to mention plenty of those while we are hunting these monsters and I get used to it after I gain access to her information bank. I think my manner of speaking is gradually changing too just like how she is talking to me. Well. Not that I should be the one saying that. Even in my town, I was regarded as the odd one because of the words I use although I am a commoner.
Getting back to the current battle, I continued creating icicles that looked like spears and launched it again but this time I didn't aim for the fire drake but on the ground. Now that I have realized it, although this beast is flying and chasing wherever I went, it can't go away farther from the artefact just like the stone drake. That is why I am flying in circles, aiming at the edge of the charred area forming ice fences.
"Formulating ice prison magic." Now starts the declaration of war from Sprigg to the remaining drakes that are getting her way. I totally understand that she dislikes those beasts. After all, these strategies are from her.
I bolstered all the ice magic with moisture and hardened it while Sprigg removed the necessary material from its very core to create - what she called - dry ice. I let her do her stuff while I focused on gathering all that she needs, whether the mana within the elements or the smoke from the burnt lodge. All I understand is that when it solidifies, it does not melt into a fluid when agitated with flame instantly; instead, it changes directly into a fume and becomes deadly when inhaled or something along those lines. I guess I need to learn from this knowledge of hers if I want to use this magic myself.
Hovering just right above the middle of the ice magic that imprisoned the fire drake, I spread my hands and have the moisture gathered at the top of each ice reinforcing its viscosity inserting more spear icicles. Now, since the fire drake isn't escaping, I gather that it's hard for it to escape far from the artefact it guarded for some sort of reasons. Slowly, piece by piece of ice shards, I was able to create an ice prison just for the fire drake to immobilize it. As I see it, the air drake is still not separating from the fire drake as it still hovers around the prison walls evading all the sharp spikes of the icicle spears inside.
"Please stop playing with your opponent, master!" she glided down to face me while crossing her arms.
"I'm not playing with my opponent, Sprigg. I just can't hit the drake." I said.
Although I was able to imprison the fire drake, when you have this entire area made out of ice crystal occupied, there is still a lot of room inside which makes it hard to hit it.
"Let's limit its movement, then. Shrink the ice prison." she chuckled.
You're really nasty and brutal, Sprigg. I thought. Then I started reducing all the air pockets from the ice prison making the fire drake more alert and act violently. It then started another fire vortex to create another fire cyclone to offset the temperature and remove the spikes but the coldness of my prison is restricting its purposes making it more agitated. I created more ice spikes inside to truly limit its movement as I shrink the ice prison. However, the air drake isn't letting a single drop of its strength to back down by pushing the icicles back with her strong breath separating it from the fire drake as well. I know you're thinning out your mana but I know that your true body isn't one with the wind. Just like my battle with the stone drake before. I can feel the living things within my magic. I heard someone giggled at my back with her high-pitched voice but I didn't mind her. Allowing these two drakes escape from here will be a lot of trouble.
I flooded more water inside while freezing it at the same time creating more icicles of spears and spikes to hinder the movement of the drakes. After a while, I heard the sound of the fire drake wailing, screaming as it felt the agony of having the spikes penetrating its skin. I can feel how it struggles from having multiple spikes crushing and piercing its flesh. When the air drake blew another hurricane of air bullets the fire drake isn't moving at all as if devoid by its anger from before. Ending it with a barrage of spikes discontinued the fire drake's life and it's annoying fire cyclones. Yet, the air drake still lives. I looked at the floating Sprigg worried and asked, "What now?"
"It seems the air drake is much more resilient than the other drakes, master. But isn't really tough." she answered me with her serious tone and added, "Its physical body is inside. Thus, making it killable."
I continued shrinking the ice prison magic while the air drake's violent barrage of hurricane bullets are nowhere near the level of destruction the other drakes have caused in the area. I simultaneously supplemented the doom-like structure of the ice prison where it causes the demise of the fire drake and as I continually inserted more icicle spears breaking the air barrier of the air drake and finally killing it.
"And that concludes the fight! Good job!" she happily descended on my shoulder while I plummeted near the artefact. It still glows dimly the same as before but the seven crystals that I used are not here. No matter. I have already won. I crouched carelessly on the charred soil since there are no enemies at the moment and slowly laid down. I sighed heavily as I answered Sprigg, "Yes. You can have the artefact now."
She giggled and as she threw herself to rest at my chest. "Right," she replied.
We rested for several minutes until the heat of the first light shone down on our face. The whole evening has passed and the morning has come. I got up and told Sprigg to continue what she planned in getting the artefact used to stabilize my core. I removed all the dirt and used the water magic to wash. This magic is really convenient, huh. Not only can you use it to defend and attack, but you can also use it as leisure magic, privilege as I call it. Then I blew a little hot breeze to dry myself and brushed up my hair which seems to have grown a little since the last time I got here. I walked near to the artefact and touched it. Sprigg instructed me to feel the mana inside and manipulate it as I did with the ice prison. However, the mana inside the artefact is different than the usual mana outside. It's much stable but elusive. If I haven't known, one will mistake it as a living force.
"What's wrong?" Sprigg asked.
"I don't think it acknowledges me," I answered.
"No. You just need to feel everything the force underneath the artefact and make it submit to your might and show you are superior. It's like your Origin Magic, you need to introduce yours." she showed a very strange excited face as her gorgeous wings fluttered.
I shouldn't think about anything else and proceed with using the Origin Magic. Of course, it will need an Origin Magic. How naive of me. I closed my eyes and focused on slowly opening the core which imprisoned the Origin Magic that gradually embraced the magic within the artefact, just like the pressure of a reservoir of water releasing to a void, occupying everything, yet empty.
Also, the vastness of the artefact felt like my magical power is only a single drop of water on an enormous lake. Such a tremendous space! I understand now why it's used to stabilize the Origin Magic.
No matter how you put things into a different angle, this is on a different scale. After completely releasing the Origin Magic to the artefact, I felt a little discomfort comparable to how I exhaust my body and then I heard Sprigg's worried voice.
†††