Chain the Wild Pawn 7

“Even for a great city like Highroot nightfall under the boughs of the Builders’ Tree was a time of fear and trepidation. With no starlight only darkness existed under the great tree after the Great Bird Sol had long since disappeared over the horizon. In this darkness monsters thrived and preyed on those who strayed too far from the light. It thus came as no surprise that the streets were empty at night, save for those tasked with patrolling them for any monsters that somehow slipped into the city. Though they hid in the safety of their homes the citizens of Highroot would like to think that such an eventuality was unlikely as countless streetlights and spotlights kept the city lit even well after Sol left the skies visible from the city. In the royal castle of Highroot, high up beside the waterfall that fed the river that served as the city’s moat, a terrace garden wreathed in strings of lights provided a place of sanctuary for the relatively brave to await the Great Bird’s eventual return in the eastern skies.

“So soon-to-be Lord Highperch, was the maid everything you believed her to be?”

Kneeling beside a raised bed of luminescent flowers an old, yet regal, balding man with long grey hair looked up towards a doorway onto the terrace. Having no reason to hide himself Highperch stepped out into the terrace garden. He openly avoided looking at the old man however and turned his attention instead to the spotlight illuminated waterfall in the distance beyond the castle walls. Narrowing his eyes he spoke a single word with utter dissatisfaction.

“No.”

“Oh~ Really now. This surprises me greatly Highperch. You had assured me that she would be a most useful and wild pawn.”

Standing up, the old man dusted himself off and offered Highperch a most wry smile.

“She should still prove a useful pawn; it will just take more effort to make use of her than I had hoped. She may be short tempered but she is also extremely quick on the uptake. Not a one of my spies was able to stay on her for long as she partook in her mindless revelry during the day as she was quick to notice all of them. Additionally, from their reports she is fully aware that I have every intention of making use of her.”

“But not why I would hope.”

Stepping past Highperch the old man placed a hand on his shoulder and stopped. Applying just the slightest pressure he forced Highperch to lock steely eyes with him as he offered him a disquieting smile.

“It would not do to have our pawn know her role prematurely. We can ill afford to throw away potential soldiers after all Highperch.”

“Of course your majesty.”

“Good. I will leave it to you then soon-to-be Lord Highperch…”

Removing his hand from Highperch’s shoulder the king of Highroot left the terrace and his schemes to the Adventurer Company House head. Highperch watched the king only long enough for him to disappear into the shadows of the castle.

“You will not be disappointed for that decision either your majesty. I shall feed the fires of the Chainmaid’s ire at any cost so that she can be forged into a most useful of pawns.”

Stepping out further into the terrace garden Highperch turned his gaze back onto the city below where Chain and Melody resided in a hotel room for the night. Standing before a dressing vanity Melody softly sung a wordless song and in response a gentle wind stirred around her and the air itself seemed to work to undo her hair decorations. Half watching the harpy from where she sat on the bed, ever dressed in her skin of chainmail, Chain cleaned her sword carefully. As though she could feel Highperch watching her from the castle Chain turned her gaze onto the hotel room window.

“Is something the matter Link?”

Noticing Chain’s distraction Melody ceased her song and gave the other maid a quizzical look. Chain remained quiet for a moment before turning away from the window and returning her attention to her sword.

“Probably just me being jumpy. Between all of the people watching me today and now ending up in a hotel instead of an inn because of that idiot Elliot I’m probably just on edge.”

“Getting into a hotel is pretty amazing though~♪ I never thought it’d happen again after we set out on our own, but Elliot is pretty amazing~♪ I’ll never forget the face the clerks made when he asked for a hotel room for a harpy, or for that matter the faces he made watching us eat!~♪ Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha~♪ You’d think he never saw someone eat before~♪”

“Not the way you and I indulge ourselves anyway. Remember, he’s a knight so everything has to be proper and so seeing a couple of pretty maids like us eating like starvelings probably knocked him silly.”

“But eating is supposed to be enjoyable and the meat they served here was so~ good~♪ I don’t see how some people can be so stiff and uncomfortable while they eat~♪”

“It’s because being nobility means you have to be stiff and uncomfortable all the time.”

“That sounds horrible~♪ I’m glad I’m not a noble~♪”

“Same here.”

Chain offered Melody a smile and the two maids shared a laugh at Elliot’s expense.

“Achoo!”

“Are you alright Lord Elliot? Now would be a horrible time to catch a chill.”

“Agreed, but it would seem to have been nothing.”

Elsewhere in the hotel Elliot was left to ponder if someone was thinking about him as the sneeze came upon him unexpectedly. Shaking the thought from his mind Elliot ceased his pondering much as Chain’s thoughts of him ceased. Whereas Elliot’s clearing of his thoughts was free of worry Chain ceasing her thoughts of Elliot were accompanied by the maid donning a most serious expression. Melody was incapable of donning as serious of an expression as Chain but there was no doubt that she noticed what had set Chain on edge as well.

“Was that someone using a Tuner?”

“Probably. And from the sounds of it they’re aiming to go unseen, kind of…”

“Kind of?”

What seriousness Melody had was lost to her confusion as she tilted her head in question.

“This hotel is pretty high class and seems to be frequented by important people like Elliot and even some Rattama alike. That means it should be obvious that using a Tuner in such a conspicuous way is bound to give them away to high class bodyguards and the like.”

“Does that mean they want to be noticed then Link?”

“I’m guessing so. There’s someone here who they want to know that they’re here. The question is who.”

“You don’t think it’s us do you? I mean a harpy staying at a hotel without someone like Balgun vouching for her is sure to cause a fuss~♪”

“Except Elliot is a foreign dignitary and a Hero besides. I don’t think we’re the targets or even considered a mark tonight. It would be too spontaneous anyways and would seem like it was Highperch going after us. Much as the man doesn’t like us I don’t think he would risk it after we survived our encounter with the Bandit King yesterday and the results of my sparring match with Elliot earlier.”

“You know Link, it worries me that you honestly think the head of a Company House would try to have us killed just because he doesn’t like us~♪”

Though Melody sung her words it was a nervous song as she obviously did not want to think about the implications of Chain’s thoughts. Chain seemed more concerned about the immediate situation however and was already on a different line of thought.

“But plenty of people here who are under the thumb of the Bandit King would have reason to try and kill Elliot. Especially after he failed to kill that grinning idiot.”

“Do you think we should warn him?”

“I have a better idea.”

Chain laid her sword down on her bed and opened the window beside it fully. A cool night breeze blew in from the street and she basked as she snapped the fingers of her left hand summoning a faint light in it.

“How about we go meet our purposely bald stalker and deal with him personally.”

“Sure thing Link~♪ That sounds like fun!~ ♪”

“Glad you think so.

“~ From the darkness of the Sixth Well, I call forth you incorporeal shadows ~
~ Shroud that of light in darkness and smother all song ~
~ Shae Al! ~”

With a smile Chain spoke forth her incantation and the light in her hand became a sphere of darkness. Retrieving her sword from the bed Chain released the spell as Melody joined her at the window. An instant later the two maids disappeared out the window and from sight both.

Copyright © 2018 Joshua D Tarwater