Chain the Wild Pawn 11

“Elliot’s room? Why did the spell have to break now?”

Melody’s song had long faded from her voice just as Chain’s words disappeared from the wind. The harpy was obviously on edge but she had naught but trust for her fellow maid and put her wings to work taking her above the building between her and the hotel, and right into a swarm of the same bat-winged centipede abominations that had sprung up from the shadows of Highroot.

“No…”

At a dozen feet long the monsters easily dwarfed the harpy in size and unlike the daylight reliant eyes possessed by Melody they were comfortable in the dark and saw the maid as prey. Fortunately for Melody she was trained beyond her base instincts in combat and was able to anticipate and avoid the first of the monsters to descend upon her. Not intending to give the beast a chance to double back after her Melody put her talons and monstrous strength to use and tore the creature’s head free of its body as it passed her. She would not have as much luck with the next few that descended upon her as they came in number forcing the harpy into retreat.

“I really don’t think I’d taste all that good!~♪”

Obviously still on edge Melody was significantly more at ease in battle with the monsters than the Hero she was sure controlled the assassins and was able to return the song to her voice. As she revived her own song so too did the wind once again heed her tune and Melody was able to put her magic to work. With the wind as her ally the monsters that pursued the harpy lost the means to keep with her aerial dance and found their own limbs of flight detrimental as unexpected wind buffets disrupted their flight. Taking advantage of the disruption of the monsters that pursued her Melody broke off and dove for an open window she spied on the street side of the hotel. As she threaded the needle of glass and wood and entered the room she popped her wings open to stop herself in an instant. She prepared to turn around to close the window but was distracted by the sight of her hair ornaments on the dressing vanity she had left them on earlier.

“Of course I’d end back in mine and Chain’s room~♪”

Melody could not help but laugh at herself and the absurdity of the situation she found herself in. Ironically amused as she was though she did not allow herself time to be humored further and spun around to shut the window before sprinting from the room and through the door out into the hallway. Her attachment to the cloth and beads she decorated her hair with was impressive however as the objects followed her on the wind and returned to their rightful places in her hair as she set to take in the scene in the hallway.

“Is this really the work of a Hero?”

Again Melody’s song left her voice as she saw that the Hotel had become infested with the monsters. The screams of unseen patrons chilled Melody to the bone and she could not find the strength to charge ahead to seek Elliot’s room. Gritting her teeth Melody shook her head and forced herself to find her resolve.

“I can’t help them but if I get to Link maybe she can do something. …Eh?”

Looking up as she finished talking herself into leaving the doomed hotel patrons behind Melody found herself looking into the face of one of the monsters as it loomed over her poised to strike.

“Oh, hi~♪”

Melody offered the monster a greeting as she again returned her song to her voice. The monster was not as civil as Melody though and lunged straight for the harpy in response to her greeting. The attack was straight forward and easy for the harpy to dodge by simply leaping up and back allowing the beast to pass under her. As it did she kicked out with a talon and smashed the creature’s head through the floor. Struck so the monster’s body arced for only a moment before it started thrashing about to free itself and in that moment Melody reached out with her other talon to grab the beast and hurl herself past it. Tucking her wings as tight against her body as she could and pressing her knees to her chest Melody relied on her stilt like feet and flicking her ankles to run while minimizing how much space she took up. Despite not using her full stride her monstrous strength and balance sustained by her feathered tail allowed her to sprint along at incredible speeds. Tucking herself down into such a small profile also allowed her to careen off the walls as she dodged around the plenitude of monsters that infested and slowly destroyed the hallways of the hotel.

“It’s not good Lord Elliot. Their numbers are sure to level the hotel before we can make any kind of difference!”

“Then we will have to retreat.”

“Not without Melody we won’t!”

“Link!~ ♪”

Lulled by the sound of Chain’s voice engaged with Elliot and one of his soldiers Melody sprinted around a corner and saw an impromptu ramp composed of rubble and writhing monsters. Looking up through the opening in the ceiling Melody caught sight of the familiar blue uniforms of Elliot’s soldiers and a wide smile spread across her face.

“Link!~ ♪ I’m right beneath you!~ ♪”

“Melody?!”

Pulled by the voice of her harpy companion Chain forced her way past the soldiers to look down the vile ramp that Melody waited for her at the bottom of. Catching sight of Chain the harpy’s eyes lit up and she made to ascend the dangerous ramp and was caught completely off guard as a monster burst through the wall beside her. She did not even have time to look surprised as the beast collided with her, but Chain had plenty of time for the look of horror that spread across her face at the sight.

“MELODY~!”

“Chain! Wait!”

Elliot tried to stop Chain as he saw her take her sword in both hands but was too late as she charged down the ramp. It was not for lack of speed on the Hero’s part for his failure but rather because the entire floor suddenly gave out and collapsed into the rest of the hotel below.

Copyright © 2018 Joshua D Tarwater