FAMFRIT vs. Party One: Altair/Ofelia/Siana.
It was with relief that Altair re-wrapped his now sodden lyre back into the oilcloth and replaced it on his belt. It was obvious that Siana and Ofelia were able to take on the creature once again, though no doubt they would need to see a real healer when the fight was over.
His relief was short-lived, however, as the beast immediately spun into the sky. All was calm for the briefest of moments. Then, suddenly, an ominous sound seemed to come from every direction at once.
"Grab onto something!" he shouted at his two companions, and then quickly cast his eyes about for some way to do the same. His gaze lit on a pole sticking out of the ground not far from where he stood. It had once been a lantern, but the magic-powered bulb was nowhere to be seen. Still, it appeared sturdy: the fact that it was still lodged firmly into the ground was a testament to that. He wrapped his arms firmly around the pole, bracing his feet against the stone base, and he took a deep breath.
That was all the time he had before the water closed over his head. For an eternity, it was all he could do to keep hold of the pole. The water was an unending barrage that did its best to sweep him through the district, adding to the collection of corpses it already carried. Finally, the water receded, and Altair let go of the pole. He staggered a short distance, then vomited salt water into the street.
He didn't have time to be sick. He reached for his gun, and then suddenly patted his holster in alarm. His ivory-handled revolver wasn't there. He looked around desperately, and then nearly collapsed in relief when he spotted it in a puddle a few meters away. Grasping it up, he checked the chamber and aimed it toward the waiting sky.
It clicked.
"Damn," Altair swore. He dumped out the waterlogged bullets, did his best to wipe the chamber with the hem of his soggy shirt, and then reloaded it with six new bullets. It was a shame to waste such valuable ammunition, but this was no time to give in to disappointment. He aimed and pulled the trigger again, and this time, the weapon fired.
"Thank Faram and Ajora," he murmured. The monster showed no signs of returning, but he kept his weapon in hand and his eyes trained for the sky just in case.