The sound of heavy clomping steps assaulted Ratchet’s ears. A look of puzzlement crossed Sam and his face as they heard Piotr’s voice loudly trailing behind the ever nearing step descender. 

“Christi dear, please wait for just a moment, we can’t rush right into something like this blindly”.

Stomping into Sam and Ratchet’s vision was Christi, a fierce aura hung around the girl. A furrowed brow paired with tightly clenched fists, it was evident to see the girl was not in an agreeable mood. Her gaze maintained a cold and unwavering harshness. 

Ratchet’s body jerked erratically, the hairs on his forearm stood tall, the little girl he knew was nowhere to be found. Christi stopped momentarily, glared at the two men obstructing her path and huffed as Piotr finally caught up. Addressing the two men with a quick nod he attempted to converse with Christi. 

“Christi, listen to me for just-” “You promised Piotr!” she interjected, “don’t try and change my mind on this!”. 

Nearby patrons and bargoers started to take notice. Glances and low whispers began to arise. The dainty barmaid from earlier cautiously approached, Sam quietly reassured her everything was under control. 

Ratchet was stunned at Christi’s behaviour, he was lost for words. Sam and Piotr exchanged a worried look, Christi stepped closer to Piotr, sizing him up. 

“Four years ago you promised me that together we would seek out the monsters that destroyed my home and stole my brother Alex from me, am I not correct Piotr?”. 

Piotr stood his ground not giving an inch 

“You’re right Christi, I don’t plan on deterring you from your quest for retribution, but we need to be careful how we go about this, these machines are dangerous and you still haven’t progressed past the second stage in your affinity, one mistake could prove fatal for us or others”. 

Christi tightened the grip in her fists then slowly relinquished her anger, 

“Then what do you propose? As long as you can promise me that monster’s head I’ll listen to reason”. 

“We’ll do some scouting first, analyse the threat and then formulate an appropriate strategy that mitigates casualties but promises success, is that to your liking?”. 

Christi responded with a curt nod. “Then we’ll depart at once for the site from which the bull was spotted and ask around” the pair strode forward, 

Ratchet instinctively reached for Christi’s shoulder “Christi wait please, can we talk?”. Christi swept away his hand, flashed a mean set of burning eyes, 

“There’s nothing to talk about” his heart sank as he realised she was now dead set on this quest for retribution. 

Following Piotr, she thought about the course of action she was taking, she hated pushing Ratchet away but the mere sight of him dragged up those horrible memories of Chrodrift. The rage quelled that trauma. Ratchet was flabbergasted, Sam patted him on the shoulder 

“I’m sorry about that, she’s never been one to talk nor allow others in, it can be difficult, I’m sure you know that better than anyone. If you’d prefer we could stay here and-”. 

“No I’m coming along, I didn’t come this far to quit at the first hurdle”. 

A smile broke the surface of Sam’s face “I admire gentlemen like you, perhaps you’ll be the one to finally reach the girl who refuses to allow the world in”. The two men set off in tow after Piotr and Christi.

The group stood in the middle of a large green canvas field, ahead of them jutting out and representing one of the only forms of civilization in this great big plain was a small farmhouse, the air reeked of manure and petroleum. The four approached the farmhouse, Piotr stopped afoot the weathered and battered door. 

“This seems as good a place as any, now remember I’ll ask the questions, everyone else remain on your best behaviour”. Knocking thrice at steady intervals, Piotr awaited a response 

“Whose dat? Why ya knocking on me front door?!” a loud hoarse voice erupted from behind them.

Peeking out from behind the house trudged a hunched over elderly man. Boils and warts comfortably made their home and presence known across his creased leathery face. 

“Whatcha want?! I already told yas I ain’t paying for no taxes"

“I beg your pardon sir, do not fret we’re not associated with-”. 

The elderly man poked his face into Piotr’s “Why ya gotta clock on your face, can’t tell the time or something?!”. 

Piotr chuckled “Apologies for the unannounced arrival we came here to enquire about the large bull recently sighted in this area, I was curious if you knew anything about the recent attack on that farmhouse” 

Piotr pointed towards the ruins of where once stood a home similar to this elderly man’s, erect wooden pillars peeked out from the trampled earth. The tough exterior the elderly man had put on suddenly conceded, 

“Oh aye I can tell yas about dat thing, mean old monster so it is, never seen anything like it in all my years”. Borek used to live in dat house over yonder, den one day I saw it, a great big mound of metal in the shape of a bull charging towards it. Made a right mess of that place, poor auld Borek never stood a chance”. 

He stood eerily quiet before spinning around with fear illuminating his eyes. 

“Take it from dis auld man, stay far away from dat thing, no good will come of it”. 

He walked off behind the house, and Piotr turned in the direction of Borek’s demolished home. 

“I suppose we should best see if we can gather some intel on this monster, shall we?” 

As they set off Ratchet took one last glance at the farmhouse, heeding the old man’s words before following after the group.

The trampled grass and smell of death was a stark contrast to the pungent and vibrant field beforehand. Ravens circled above cawing loudly. Where once stood a farmhouse and cattle shed now remained a congregation of brick, mortar and splintered pillars of wood. Large imprints of what resembled hooves lay scattered about the ruins. 

Piotr studied the flattened grass behind each print. 

“Looks like our monster is dragging quite the load”. 

Christi observed the ruins, glimpses of the bull rampaging through Chrodrift flashed through her mind. The rage inside flared higher than before. From where they had just come from they heard a loud bellow, in the distance just like the elderly man had described was the bull. 

Descending rapidly from the jagged precipice that loomed tall above the open plan was the Twenty feet tall monster they had been searching for. It stood out immensely against the simple backdrop, Christi saw red, she burst into a sprint igniting her flame affinity from her metallic arm. 

The flame huffed and puffed to life as cogs and gears clicked in tandem. Then she suddenly felt her left leg grow heavy and rigid, she turned to see Piotr’s right hand outstretched, a small light blue glow encapsulated his lower forearm and hand. A rudimentary construction of a ball and chain was clamped to her leg, the obstruction held fast.  

“What are you doing?!” she screamed “Are you just gonna let that old man die?!”. 

“Christi, I’m sorry but there’s no saving him, we can’t close that distance in time and I won’t have you endangering yourself”. 

“Let me go!” she yelled, another bellow reached their ears. Christi snapped her head around, she watched as the bull bulldozed through the house then stamped and violently jerked its immense frame about. 

The farmhouse they had only stood at half an hour ago crashed to the ground exploding into pieces at the sheer magnitude of the bull. Then with one more bellow it galloped off into the ridge it had appeared from, rapidly ascending before retreating over the horizon. 

Christi felt the heavy weight that had been imposed on her left leg dissipate, the ball and chain disassembled into smaller tractable pieces of metal. 

Surrounded in a small light blue glow, they collectively flew back to the inner pocket of Piotr’s large trench coat. Ratchet was taken aback, he’d never seen an affinity quite like Piotr’s before, was it the ability to control metallic elements? 

Christi marched up to Piotr, grimaced at him “I don’t need you babysitting me, if I want to fight that thing, then I can fight that thing”. 

“I won’t let you throw away your life so carelessly” Piotr retorted. 

“You just threw away someone else’s” scoffed Christi, she stormed off. 

Piotr stood silent for a couple of moments before turning to Ratchet and Sam 

“Let’s go investigate” 

Christi had already gone on ahead, they followed her. 

The farmhouse like Borek’s before was unrecognisable. Razed to the ground it was hard to believe someone had resided here only a mere forty minutes ago. The old man was nowhere to be seen but he was likely buried beneath the pile of rubble. 

“Let’s go,” Piotr said solemnly.

He heard a low groan as he motioned to leave, he turned to see Ratchet was digging up the rubble. Picking apart and dissecting the mound, Sam joined him in his endeavour 

“What are you doing?” Piotr enquired. 

“Giving the man a proper burial, everyone deserves one at the very least” Piotr stood silent, then sat down and watched as they continued to dig. 

Ten minutes later they had recovered the body and constructed a makeshift grave, large chunks of bricks blanketed the deceased farmhand they had conversed with earlier. The group stood silent and sombre duly paying their respects. 

Christi couldn’t help but seeth with frustration, not only had Piotr prevented Christi from attacking the Bull but he had also allowed an innocent life to be extinguished in the process. How could he just stand there and give his faux payment of respects? 

She had enough of this, unfolding her arms she ventured back in the direction of Barakat. Noticing this the group collectively gathered themselves and too returned to town.

Watching from afar, hiding inside a compact room was the bushy bearded hooded stranger from before. He closely observed Christi, Piotr, Ratchet and Sam enter ‘The Traveler’s Refuge’. 

“Well, Kydin? What of our esteemed guests?” a monotone voice enquired. 

Turning to face the origin of the voice the hooded man was dwarfed by a tall man who clad a tarp like his own over his lean frame. A low set of ticking, clicks and clacks hummed beneath his poncho. 

“My men informed me that they left to investigate the nearby farmhouses which had been ravaged by the second hour, The Bull.” 

Drawing back the hood from his head he revealed the marvel that lay beneath. A metallic helmet that fiercely resembled a knight’s, he clutched at his sword’s hilt, gazing out at Christi and her group he spoke, 

“Well I suppose the time for action bodes nigh does it not?”.