Chain the Wild Pawn 10

“Honestly, I thought you were supposed to be keeping our continued presence here a secret Sir Elliot.”

“I’m afraid that Chain is not one who secrets are easily kept from.”

“The Chainmaid is it?”

Ignoring the apologetic smile that Elliot offered him, a grey furred Rattama in a red robe adjusted his spectacles as he looked past the hero at Chain who stood with her arms crossed.

“You don’t have a problem with that do you?”

“Bar that I would feel more comfortable with Sir Elliot here protecting me and you out patrolling for any assassins beyond the one I heard shouted about.”

“That’s actually why I’m here. I need help tracking down the ring leader.”

“Ring leader?”

The Rattama gave Chain a quizzical look and the maid unfolded her arms and rested her hands on her hips as she explained.

“The whole reason I even got involved with the assassins that are on the prowl tonight was because I thought I could make some quick cash when Melody and I heard them use a Tuner to cast obscuring magic.”

“A Tuner? Not multiple?”

“I had thought at first it might have been until I killed one of our assassins and he didn’t have one on him. The logical conclusion from there–”

“Is that there was a single Tuner being used.”

Chain frowned at the Rattama’s interruption but did not dispute his assessment. Left to his thoughts by Chain’s silence the Rattama pieced together what was expected of him.

“Hmm. So you believe that if you can find the one leading the attack tonight and relieve them of the Tuner that it would expose any and all of the assassins about.”

“Is it possible Master Wherks?”

“Of course it is Sir Elliot. There is naught involving the technology that Automina used to control the Builders that a Rattama Song Smith cannot locate if it’s in use.”

Wherks the Rattama puffed up with pride in response to Elliot’s question but the display was short lived. Growing serious with surprising haste Wherks leveled the two humans asking of his services with a warning look.

“However, it is just as likely that the user of the Tuner could find me just as easily if I were to try. Regardless of the condition or functionality of the Tuner they have they are presumably skilled enough with it to affect multiple entities over a wide area. Activating a Tuner to track them down would create a dissonance within the singing of the Builders in our vicinity that someone of that skill could easily use to lead them right to our location.”

“But that shouldn’t be a problem as long as you have someone here to guard you, right?”

“That depends on how many assassins they have at their disposal Chainmaid, and how they are communicating if at all. If we were to simply wait out there attacks with you and Sir Elliot and his soldiers eliminating any assassin that comes the mastermind could likely just as well leave once they notice that their Tuner is no longer affecting anyone.”

“I personally see no problem with that Master Wherks. As much as I would like to be rid of a threat against my mission if we can but hold out till morning and make it safely to the Junk Birds’ air dock–”

“Except then you risk giving them the opportunity to devise a new plan of attack Elliot.”

“Perhaps, but in the open I believe it would be easier to defend my charges.”

Elliot looked off into space as he contemplated the wisdom of Chain’s words and crossed his arms in thought. Chain sighed exasperatedly and shook her head.

“Look Elliot, I don’t know how you were trained in combat but it should be obvious that in a city just because you are in the open doesn’t mean that your attacker is. Ugh, you may be great in a duel and on the battlefield but it looks like your training as a knight was lacking in some regards. But I’ll be nice and give you the benefit of the doubt and believe it’s just because you’re tired.”

Elliot’s eyes widened in shock as he was forced to realize the mistake he made by Chain’s words. The maid had little further interest in the Hero at that point and paid his reaction no heed as she took charge of the situation.

“Wherks was it?”

“That is correct Chainmaid.”

“Right. You said they could track you if you were using a Tuner to track them but what about sorcery?”

“Calling directly upon the Seven Wells? It is unlikely as the technologies of Automina were designed to control the Builders not the power which their song manipulates.”

“In that case I have a plan, but Elliot I’ll need you and your troops in top form to pull it off.”

“I may perhaps be more tired than I realized Chain but in battle I assure you that should make no difference.”

“Good.”

“And pray tell Chainmaid, what is this plan of yours?”

“Well in case you didn’t know I can cast quite a fair number of spells by drawing upon the Great Spirit Wells and my partner is out there right now hunting down any assassins that she can find. If I cast a communication spell between her and me as long as our target isn’t versed in sorcery I can have her track them down and clean up with them being none the wiser.”

Chain wore a confident smile as she explained her plan and it was Wherks’ turn to sigh as she finished. The Rattama did not sigh at the recklessness of the plan but rather at the fact that he could not put together an argument against it. Taking his spectacles from his snout he cleaned them with his robe as he vocalized his reluctant willingness to go along.

“Then you should engage your magic now Chainmaid before we begin so that we can work as fast as possible.”

“You should worry more about your role than in my plan than mine Wherks.”

Smiling chain closed her eyes as she prepared to cast her spell. Snapping the fingers of her left hand the distinctive ringing sound made by the motion filled the air and a soft light formed as Chain began an incantation.

“~ Gentle breeze of the Fourth Well, sweep across the land and carry my voice ~
~ Let whisper in the ear of my fancy, words meant only for them ~
~ Veirald! ~”

The light that had formed in Chain’s hand pulsed softly as she chanted and dissipated into motes of light like dandelion seeds on the wind as she finished. When the last mote of light faded from sight Chain spoke words that only her harpy companion should have been able to hear.

(Melody? Can you hear me?)

(Link!)

Any sense of satisfaction that Chain could have had from the successful casting of her spell was wiped away by the panic in Melody’s response. The furrowing of Chain’s brow alerted Elliot and Wherks to the fact that something was wrong but as Chain’s spell assured she could only be heard by Melody they could take no action.

(Thank goodness Link! I didn’t know what to do and just panicked and ran but–!)

(Melody, slow down. What’s wrong? What are you talking about?)

(The assassins Link! They weren’t what we thought! They weren’t what we thought at all. There was nothing fun about going after them! All we’ve done is get ourselves involved with another Hero!)

(What?!)

The sound of glass shattering and the surprised yells of the soldiers sharing Elliot’s hotel room pulled Chain out of her conversation with Melody. Her senses returning to her immediate surroundings Chain noticed that Elliot had already drawn his sword as he charged into the conjoined chamber of his hotel room. Drawing her own sword Chain hurried to the door that led out of the hidden room and peered out so as not to abandon Wherks. The efficiency of Elliot’s soldiers was on full display as what had broken through the window already lay dead on the hotel room floor. That what it was that they had killed in such short order appeared to be a dozen foot long, long legged, bat-winged centipede that was easily larger than everyone present made Chain grow very worried for her partner. Focusing on the last vestiges of her interrupted spell the maid gave her partner an urgent order.

(Melody, get back to Elliot’s room, now.)

Copyright © 2018 Joshua D Tarwater