Chain the Bandit Eater 13

“How could you?! You monsters!”

“Try not to take it personally; it’s just that you were closest to the hatch.”

“Besides, one of us should more than suffice for just one stray harpy.”

“I hope the rest of the beasts of these valleys have their way with the lot of you!”

“Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha~♪ It’s funny how cute Rattama always are, but your words really, really hurt~♪”

Though Melody mostly laughed it off the scene at the roof hatches of the engine car she stood at was rather misleading. A single hatch stood swung open and the harpy stood just before it with a curious creature clinging on with all its might to the interior of the hatch. A ball of fluff garbed in colorful robes about the size of a grown man’s shin with short spindly arms and a cute fluffy head reminiscent of a domestic mouse stood on the toes of a pair of very long, bowed, and bare feet that disappeared into their robes and fluff. A whole series of the peculiar creatures tumbled suddenly out of the hatch as the lead’s grip finally gave way resulting in a pile up of fluff, colorful robes, and long, well groomed, cat-like prehensile tails. Melody was quite smitten with the adorableness of the scene and squatted down to take a closer look. It was at that moment that Elliot came around the engine car.”

“Don’t even think about it.”

The young Hero was barely able to even make a wrong assumption about the scene before Chain’s hand appeared on his shoulder. Looking back to explain himself to Chain, Elliot froze and felt a most unnatural fear of the maid he had just saved from another Hero. There was something about the way she hung her head and hid her eyes behind her hair combined with her tone of voice though that made the young man question if it was all but a ruse.

“I don’t care if you’re a Hero or not; if you harm even a hair on Melody’s head I’ll make Hell itself look like a paradise.”

Elliot could not find any words to explain himself and simply answered with terrified silence. Seeming pleased with that answer Chain released his shoulder and strode past him to the scene with Melody and the odd creatures known as Rattama.

“Alright, you idiots can stop panicking now. Someone with some actual intelligence is here to put the world back in order.”

The return of Chain’s more typical self important tone allowed Elliot to relax and question if he had simply imagined the aura that came off of the young maid.

“Oh, Link!~ ♪ I got them to come out but I don’t think they’re happy to see me~♪”

“Don’t worry about it Melody. It’s probably my fault anyway.”

Chain’s apology only extended to Melody and the harshness with which she handled the Rattama seemed unnecessarily cruel. Grabbing one of the writhing tails that emerged from the pile of fluff and robes the maid extracted a singular entity that started flailing about as it seemed they had been selected first to serve as the harpy’s dinner.

“Wait! Please! Spare me! I’m too stringy and nutritionless from having to take care of a wife and two liters!”

“Sounds like being eaten alive then might actually be a mercy.”

“What?!”

The unfortunate Rattama that Chain had pulled from the pile was so surprised that they actually stopped struggling to take a look at who could be so callous. As they turned their large mouse-like eyes upon the chainmail clad maid they widened to even greater sight.

“A human maid clad in chainmail… Oh! An adventurer. I’m saved!”

“Wait!”

A sudden exclamation from the pile of Rattama put a stop to all other statements as the pile was scattered by a single Rattama violently standing up while throwing their arms out.

“Did you say a human maid clad in chainmail?”

Barely having gotten the question out of their mouth the Rattma adjusted their crooked spectacles and studied Chain with an intense look. When they spoke again their voice was filled with pleasant surprise.

“Well, I’ll be, if it isn’t the Chainmaid in the flesh.”

“You’ve heard of her?”

Having finally joined the rather pitiable scene Elliot found himself surprised by the Rattama’s recognition of Chain. He would not be able to hear the answer to his query however as his pleasing voice had quite the effect on the scene and drew the attention of all the Rattama.

“Oh! It’s the Hero!”

“Finally! We’re saved!”

“Thank goodness! I never wanted to be harpy food.”

“Now you’re all just being mean~♪”

“Shut up! All of you, just Shut up!”

The sudden and furious yapping of the Rattama that recognized Chain brought a new stop to the scene and all present gave them their undivided attention. Liking that they had complete control the Rattama took a moment to clean their spectacles before answering Elliot’s question.

“Ahem. Excuse my outburst Sir Elliot. I’m afraid that I let myself go there. But to answer your question; of course I know of the Chainmaid. There isn’t a single song smith who works the Brass Line who hasn’t heard of the Bandit Eater. Not that I ever thought a train Id’ be working would become one of her meals. Though looking at you Chainmaid it seems it was a hard earned meal.”

Chain dropped the Rattama she held aloft as she offered the one who addressed her a shrug before placing her hands on her hips.

“What can I say; I wasn’t even working or expecting to come under attack from two Heroes.”

“And you survived?!”

“Thanks in part to this idiot here.”

“Idiot?”

Elliot’s surprise at Chain’s casual insult of his intelligence as she pointed him out to the Rattama was expressed with a spontaneous echo of the maid’s choice of word. The Rattama however seemed unbothered by Chain’s brusque manner and only gave Elliot a momentary glance before resuming conversation with Chain.

“I’ll take it then since you two are here that we are safe for the moment?”

“How long that will last though is anybody’s guess. Between the fires, monsters, and possible return of the idiot Heroes who attacked us we would be better off getting out of here in an attempt to not find out. That is if the sentinels you typically keep on the Brass Line are still in working order.”

“Even if they’re not as Rattama song smiths and engineers it won’t take us long to get them going regardless.”

“That’s good to hear. So since we shouldn’t have any survivors or stragglers to worry about we should be out of here before that stupid bird disappears out of sight leaving us to find out what horrors dwell in the darkness of the Builders’ Tree.”

“I will have to correct you on a one point there Chain.”

“What?”

Chain was not fond of being corrected so it was natural that she would sound irritated as Elliot stated he would do just that. Having her attention though the young Hero motioned with his head towards the far end of the train where a small group of blue uniformed soldiers escorted a very alive, but obviously wounded, individual to them. Chain’s eyes widened in surprise as she set sight on the bandit survivor but her expression quickly became one of disbelieving amusement as she lowered and shook her head. Lifting her head back up she offered the bandit a warm and victorious smile.

“Well I’ll be. Looks like I might just get more out of this mess than I thought.”

Looking up as he felt Chain’s eyes upon him, Bearings donned a look of despair as a chill ran down his spine at the maid’s all too pleasant smile. Chain could not help but smile though, she had survived the trap she had walked into and bar any further complications would soon be back on her way north with barely any time lost. Even not knowing what awaited her did not weaken her smile for that was all part of the adventure.

Copyright © 2018 Joshua D Tarwater