Melody of the Builders 11

“I’ve heard you were crazy but I never thought you’d take on this job.”

“Oh~ is that a challenge I hear.”

In the bar carved right into the cliff side Kyte flashed the man whom he spoke with a smile. Downing a full tankard of ale before continuing Kyte smashed the empty tankard on the table and replaced it in his hand with the photograph that had been lying on the table. Looking at the picture Kyte smiled wider.

“I happen to like a challenge my good man. The bigger the better.”

“But this is–”

“A troublesome bastard right?”

“That’s–”

“Putting it lightly? I get that but what isn’t light is that if we can’t start mining the Stormroots things will start to get bad for us. This bastard is preventing that from happening and I hear the Soarmont Adventurer Company isn’t willing to help since they use those old ruins as a training ground of sorts and don’t want to have to give them up. Well, they may be a lot of cowards but that’s why you came to me isn’t it.”

“Still…”

“Nothing. I don’t care what they say about this bastard. He’s risking the well being of our great kingdom of Bright Rift and I won’t allow it. Consider the job done and don’t worry about payment. Ridding Bright Rift of this bastard is payment enough.”

Rising to his feet Kyte picked up his spear from where it leaned against the bar and strolled from the establishment with a swagger. The man who had been speaking with him followed him only with his eyes as his mouth hung agape in disbelief. The scene seemed to amuse the barkeep who felt enough sympathy to comfort the man.

“I wouldn’t worry about Kyte. The man’s full on crazy but just doesn’t seem to let himself die. Far as most of us are concerned these days the man is nigh invincible.”

“But still…”

The man was not comforted as he knew what it was he was hiring Kyte to do and it was surely suicide. Kyte was unconcerned for such things however as he was a fisherman of Bright Rift and suicidal action was his work. To him this was no different from any other hunt where he challenged humans instead of beasts. To all on the bridge of the airship that took him in pursuit of his mark however it meant that they had to listen to the complaints of the disgruntled Kyte.

“To think that they would think I was worried about getting myself killed. I’m a fisherman of our great kingdom of Bright Rift for crying out loud. If I worried about dying it’d be my kingdom that suffers. I’m a spear and as such I should be thrown at anything that threatens our livelihood whether it be beast or man.”

“That’s all well and good Ardea but you have to admit that it would be a loss if you were to actually die. There’s no other fisherman with your experience or skill and oil is about all that’s keeping Bright Rift afloat these days.”

“All the more reason for me to hunt this prey Captain. Success means the future of Bright Rift will look as bright as the rifts below or maybe even as bright as the Great Bird Sol himself.”

Kyte flashed the airship captain a smile as he laid bare his hopes for the future of Bright Rift. The captain sighed and tilted their cap down so that the brim hid their eyes. They were not fully exasperated though as a playful smile played at their lips.

“I’m sure if you had the chance you’d even try to strike his Holiness from the sky.”

“Are you kidding? Mine is a spear that will banish the darkness and allow light to return to Bright Rift. I’d never hunt the Great Bird so long as he’s our source of light. No, I’d rather be recognized by him for my work and awarded one of his feathers like the Feathers of Sol off in Raptoria.”

“That so? I guess I pegged you wrong for wanting to take on the largest of fish in the sky.”

“Oh~ you weren’t wrong Captain. It’s just that the Great Bird is deserving of reverence and not my spear. Not as an enemy anyway. If the Great Bird would share with us his many blessings I would be more than glad to offer my spear.”

The airship captain intended to further speak with Kyte but was cut off by the operator of the bridge radio terminal.

“Our target’s been spotted Captain. Coordinates being relayed as of now.”

“Provide them to the helmsman as they come in. We move to intercept as soon as the coordinates are confirmed.”

“Aye Captain!”

Turning their attention back to Kyte the captain tilted their cap back and smiled at the would be Hero.

“Well, your prey is waiting for you Kyte. Don’t let us down.”

A smile spread across Kyte’s lips as he did his best to stay humble.

“You should never ask a fisherman of our great kingdom of Bright Rift not to let you down Captain. Ours is a life rife with death.”

“In that case then; do your best and good luck out there.”

“Of course!”

With the airship captain’s encouragement Kyte ran out of the bridge and found himself a place on the myriad of catwalks that wrapped around the zeppelin. As the airship changed course he spied the horizon for signs of his quarry. Naturally even his eyes were not that good though eventually he spied the tell tale signs of a large contingent of people displacing the grass of the Emerald Sea. Training his eyes upon the disruption of the grass it was easy for him to pick out the black giant that he sought. With a smile he stepped up onto the railing of the catwalk and prepared to loose his spear.

“Hope I’m not interrupting anything important you bastard. For Bright Rift!”

With a shout Kyte hurled his spear with all his might and unerring accuracy. The element of surprise meant little however as his spear did not get anywhere near it’s mark or even the top of the grass. A shot from an oversized hand cannon intercepted the spear in midflight and sent it tumbling through the air and right back at Kyte. Bewildered as he was Kyte did not miss the opportunity to catch his spear though he looked down upon his mark with disbelief. His disbelief would become fear as the words of his prey reached him all the way up in the airship.

“I’ve been waiting for you fisherman. Your reputation far precedes you after all. But if that was all that you have I would be sorely disappointed. Why not come and meet me down here instead of hiding in the clouds like a coward? I would hate to kill Bright Rift’s greatest fisherman without ever laying eyes upon his face.”

“You bastard.”

Kyte gritted his teeth and prepared to leap from the airship but held his ground as he knew he could not make that jump with the distance between the airship and his prey. The next words that came to him from below however would encourage him to jump regardless.

“Perhaps I need to be more forceful fisherman. Allow me to help you down.”

Kyte’s eyes grew wide in horror and rage but he was powerless to do anything as multiple shots were fired from the hand cannon and impossibly struck the zeppelin from the ground. The shots did not just strike the airship however as they outright pierced the armor plating and ignited the airship in a horrendous blaze. Looking back at the burning airship he stood upon Kyte was left with little choice but to jump. Hoping he was right about the effects of the blaze upon the airship Kyte did not leap immediately and instead jumped down from the railing and sprinted a full lap around the airship upon the catwalks to build speed. As his lap reached its end he leapt from the ship as it exploded and rode the shockwave through the air. The blast should have killed him but this was Kyte Ardea and instead he used it allow himself to get into position to attack his prey. With rage in his eyes the fisherman descended to earth like a meteor and drove his spear straight into his prey. Or would have if he was not fully stopped by the barrel of the massive hand cannon that had somehow destroyed an airship.

“Hm, hm, hm, hm, hmmm. That’s better fisherman. That’s what I was expecting to see from Bright Rift’s greatest fisherman.”

“You bastard!”

“That’s what many in your position call me, but I think you would do well to remember the name Roc the Bandit King.”

Revealing his toothy grin to Kyte the Bandit King hurled him away off of his gun barrel and pulled free the spiked ball that hung from his waist. Having been thrown many times in his life by the great beasts of the Emerald Sea Kyte was unfazed by the throw and landed ready for battle. Before him the giant stood swinging his spiked ball by its chain overhead and aimed the hand cannon with the dragon motif he carried in his left hand. Tightening his grip on his spear Kyte suddenly launched forward in a charge.

“For Bright Rift!”

“Don’t take this personally fisherman, but it’s better that you die here. Hm, hm, hm, hm, hmmm…”

Copyright © 2018 Joshua D Tarwater