Chain the Bandit Eater 7

“GYAAAAGHHHH~!”

The screams of bandits echoed up into the afternoon sky above the burning wreck of the Brass Line. Reflecting the light of the flames for the moment before it fell blood filled the air as Chain set about her terrible work. From where she had stood upon the second-to-last train car Chain had hurled herself into the throngs of bandits with great force and spectacular speed. Even with a blade that seemed as though it were for a rapier Chain fatally maimed any bandit she came upon with a savagery that contradicted the gracefulness of her swordplay. There were none amongst the dozens of bandits who were the maid’s equal and so as she twirled her blade about releasing horrendous slash one after the other she demonstrated that with the attacker from the woods useless against her that the bandits’ numbers meant naught against her fury. One, two, four, the bandits fell in numbers unable to mount an attack or defense against the lethal maid’s sword. Had she not come to a stop as she reached Melody it seemed as though the bandits would fall by the dozen before her sword.

“Link!~♪ Thank goodness you’re alright!~ ♪”

“We won’t be for long. You heard the verse, right?”

“Yeah. I wouldn’t have thought that the bandits had a Hero on their side~♪”

“It explains the confidence of the man over the radio phone, but there’s still something bothering me about this mess.”

“Like how the bandits are trying to isolate us in a circle.”

Melody drew Chain’s attention from her thoughts and made the other maid aware of the change in tactics amongst the bandits. A frown fell upon Chain’s features as she took in the sight but she still took the time to answer Melody before taking action against it.

“Something like that, yeah. But for now let’s head for the front of the train before I go into details. The guards on the train were fairly confident about what was expected to go down today and those soldiers at the other end are still holding their ground so joining them is probably our best chance to get out of this alive. Of course since to get there we have to get past these idiots…”

A malicious smile twisted Chain’s face as she implied what awaited the bandits who stood between her and her goal. To the bandits’ credit they wearily held their perimeter and a few among them even shouted for the death of the Bandit Eater. For all of their courage however, they were lambs to the slaughter as the swordsmaid and her harpy companion set upon them.

With Chain at her side Melody upped the ferocity of her own attack leaving the bandits to choose between a bone crushing, limb rending death at her talons or to experience the savage swiftness of Chain’s swordplay and be granted a merciful death. Melody scarcely would have believed that the bandits would have chosen victory in consideration of how out classed they were by Chain. Even Melody was outclassed by her companion as the swordsmaid did not just dance amongst the ranks of the bandits who swarmed the belly of the Brass Line but also cut in and out of the train cars in a vain attempt to prevent any possible survivors of the wreck from being set upon by the bandits. With Chain expending so much effort to cover as much ground as she could it seemed unlikely that she would leave Melody behind but the harpy was aware that she was not keeping pace.

“And there goes Link over doing it again~♪ But moving like that she couldn’t possibly be able to listen for any more verses so I’ll have to watch her back~♪”

Concerned for the possibility of another attack against her and Chain from who they had earlier agreed upon being a Hero, Melody slowed her pace so that she might better listen out for verses rising up in the Builders’ Song. Splitting her attention so the harpy began to fall even further behind and found herself only doing battle with the stragglers who somehow avoided Chain’s blade. With so few opponents before her Melody chose to increase her pace lest she become the unseen Hero’s next target.

Devastated by the two maids as the bandits were however, those at the front of the train were hopeful that it was the soldiers that they did battle with who would be the next targets of the unseen Hero. As much concern as the bandits might have had for the adventurers who made up the bulk of the now deceased guard of the Brass Line, the blue uniformed soldiers who emerged from the cargo level of the private passenger car were far and away superior to them. Those bandits who did not group up were quickly cut down and as the bandits’ numbers were thinning grouping up was starting to become a necessity to survive. Choosing the space between the rapidly closing Chain and the impenetrable group of the soldiers who guarded the private passenger car the bandits prepared themselves to make an uncalled retreat.

“Hold your ground! They mean to retreat and ‘twould be folly to pursue them in these wilds!”

“I don’t think so! I’m not letting even one of you bandits go!”

The barked orders from amongst the soldiers gave away the intention of the grouping bandit survivors and stirred a further anger in Chain. Even with her skill with the sword however she could scarcely crash the ranks of so dense a group and emerge unscathed. The fact that she continued to charge at full speed confounded the bandits and so, to better protect themselves and possibly discourage the charging maid they huddled even closer together at her approach. The sight brought a confident smile to Chain’s face and holding her sword back in her right hand she snapped the fingers of her left calling forth a most distinctive ringing sound. The sound was not all the snap called forth for in the same hand a small spark of light came to life. Not all in the bandit ranks recognized what the light meant but to those who did a terrified whisper rose from their lips.

“Magic…”

“That’s right you idiots; I’m not just a great swordsmaid but I know a spell of two as well. And I know just the one to send you on your way!

“~ From the depths of the Sixth Well I call forth your dark power ~
~ Rush forth from your prison and release you destructive will ~
~ Dar Lat! ~”

As Chain chanted the incantation the spark of light in her hand became a sphere of darkness that she held aloft. Calling forth the name of the spell Chain turned her feet and slid to a stop smashing the sphere of darkness into the ground. As the magic energies met the ground a bolt of shadowy power tore through it erratically towards the bandits. The bandits had no time to react and as the bolt of magic reached the center of the group it came to a sudden stop, an ominous ring of light washing out from where it did before a massive explosion liberated the bandits of their lives.

“So the stories of you being more than your swordsmanship and fancy mail were true.”

“What?!”

“Link!”

Chain barely had time to question the sudden arrival of the deep voice that Melody recognized before a gigantic spiked iron ball at the end of a massive chain burst through the ranks of blue uniformed soldiers and the remnants of her spell. Still kneeling where she had finished casting her spell Chain was forced to awkwardly roll to the side to avoid the attack. Thrown off balance Chain barely pulled her cape up in time to catch a fiery shot marked with a fierce explosion that came her way from the same direction.

♪~ Under ashen sky were no stars hung to grant his wish ~♪
♪~ From bow string true did he shoot his own ~♪
♪~ A shooting star of blood red hue ~♪

“Damn it!”

“Link it’s that verse again!”

Chain’s oath barely had time to escape her lips as she reacted to the verse rising up from the woods and threw out her cape with her sword arm releasing the fiery shot into the wood to meet the incoming attack. To the surprise of Chain, Melody, and the blue uniformed soldiers, who had not yet recovered from the ball and chain attack, the redirected shot cancelled out the attack of the unseen hero with a great explosion. The sound of a chain pulling through the air accompanied by the deep voiced man’s words however reminded Chain that she did not have time to marvel at the unbelievable sight.

“Don’t be so surprised maid. If I couldn’t handle ol’ Dandelion I wouldn’t be able to accomplish what I came here to do.”

Chain had little time to spend on being surprised as she was unable to rise to her feet in time to leap out of the way of the massive chain as it was whipped about smashing into her. She rather unfortunately managed to stay on her feet against the blow allowing the weight of the spiked iron ball at its end to wrap the chain around her pinning her arms to her side. With spectacular agility and balance however Chain was able to lift up a leg and kick the iron ball bracing it against her foot before it could smash into her. While she saved herself from further harm her position was compromised more than ever and it was all she could do to hold on to her sword as a fierce yank pulled her through the air and over the blue uniformed soldiers. Exploiting the slack generated from the chain being pulled back in from its source Chain kicked away the giant spiked ball and spun out of her tethers. As she did she caught another fiery shot, this time off her sword letting the force raise the weapon into striking position for her. Descending upon her assailant Chain’s brow furrowed in concentration even as her eyes widened in disbelief as a verse of the Builders’ Song rose up to meet her.

Copyright © 2018 Joshua D Tarwater