Melody of the Builders 12

“My first battle with that bastard didn’t end well at all. My betrothed died on the bridge of her airship and all I could do was throw myself at the Bandit King. That fight didn’t last long at all and I should have been dead by all rights. But that verse I sung for you, that day it went from being sung in jest about me to being sung in awe. It’s my trump card. It was my first verse and the one that transformed me into a Hero and one that would never die.”

“Who found you?”

Varen’s question was one of honest curiosity and the hint of sympathy in his voice brought a certain joy to Kyte’s smile.

“Professor Plume Beaks. He’s a scientist of sorts that I’m certain would make even the infamous Sycamore of the Junk Birds blush. That bastard watched the entire exchange and only came down from his airship to see if I had truly been felled. I remember it clearly, the way he stood over what should have been my remains, my spirit holding on only by me shear rage at that bastard Roc for what he had done and myself for arrogantly giving him the opportunity. I remember the way he way he said it was so disappointing that I failed to delight him as he took a bite of an apple amidst the grass of the Emerald Sea. In that moment I found I could hate my own countrymen even more than my country’s enemies and I forced that wreck of flesh that should have been dead to move if only so I could throttle so vile of a man. Heh. You should have seen the look in his eyes tall man. What I wouldn’t give to see that look again.”

“Then you intend to kill him.”

“Not until after I’ve brought him the head of the Bandit King. It wouldn’t do to kill him without first wiping the delight from his face.”

Varen crossed his arms as Kyte spoke with such hatred for the man who had allowed him to become a Hero. Varen knew that hatred too well and Kyte caught sight of the weight that hatred carried in the tall swordsman’s eyes.

“Oh~ there’s a look I didn’t expect to see. Tell me tall man, what do you think of Heroes?”

“What I think of Heroes?”

“That’s what I asked tall man. You can’t tell me it’s nothing either, I clearly heard you accuse me of not deserving the title when we fought. Thing is tall man, I returned to fishing after my first battle with the Bandit King and my newfound strength as a Hero took any joy from the hunt. But that didn’t stop me from fishing anyways tall man. The Kingdom of Bright Rift has to survive on our oils unless we can take the Stormroots as our own and begin mining them in earnest. Sure when that bastard came calling again because I wasn’t dead and he was killing every Hero around the Stormroots I challenged him again and every damn time after. But that’s my selfishness and my duty. I took that job and until that bastard Roc lies dead I have to fight him. That I’ve got a personal grudge against him besides is what drives me to seek out strong opponents because to him I have to be the strongest. Yet here I lost to you and the Chainmaid, tall man. But when I look in your eyes I see a hatred for Heroes that matches my own hatred of the Bandit King. That makes me want to know tall man, especially with how much you’ve been praising that Hero whose power you used to best me with the Chainmaid.”

“Lord Elliot is different. He didn’t become a Hero because of his feats; he became a Hero because he took an oath to carry the wishes of the people. To be their defender and champion, the link between man, god, and Builder all. But Heroes otherwise…”

Varen closed his eyes and clearly saw the smile of a beautiful man with long flowing blonde hair. It was from his knees and the end of a rifle barrel though that he looked up at that all too familiar smile that filled him with naught but rage. Not desiring to linger on that feeling of rage Varen opened his eyes and found Kyte looking right into them seeking the answer to his curiosity. A smile spread across Kyte’s lips as he saw exactly what he expected and placed a comforting hand on Varen’s shoulder.

“Then we’re kindred spirits after all tall man. We’ve both been treated unfairly by those who carry a title implying that they should be our saviors but you’ve had the good fortune of apparently meeting an actual good man.”

“That depends on who you ask you muscle bound idiot.”

Varen and Kyte were surprised to hear Chain’s voice and both men turned to look in the direction they had last seen the maid walk off. Leaning against the wall with her arms crossed Chain looked down on the two men beneath where the tunnel they occupied had climbed some distance. Neither man missed that Chain’s eyes had returned to their naturally brown hue but the maid gave them no time to think on it as she berated Kyte.

“The thing about a Hero is that we only call them Heroes because the Builders sing about them due to the wonder they inspire in people. The truth is though; the savior aspect of the word that you speak of is only relevant to those who the Hero fights for. For example, you fight for Bright Rift obviously but as it seems you idiots are getting ready to go to war with Highroot, and over these stupid mountains at that, in the eyes of the people of Highroot you’ll be nothing but a terrifying foe. Not one soul in Highroot will see you as a savior.”

Kyte had no rebuttal for Chain’s words and pulled his hand away from Varen’s shoulder as he clenched it into a fist. Varen was confused by Kyte’s actions but Chain simply donned her typical cocky grin.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m far from condemning you. I don’t have the right to anyway since I make my living mostly by exploiting the misfortunate. The thing is though, the word Hero is synonymous with villain. If you fight for one group you invariably fight against another. Where one group sees a savior and a champion the other sees a villain and conqueror.”

“So what does that make you Chainmaid.”

“I’m an opportunist. So if we were to classify me in such black and white terms I’d be a villain.”

The smile Chain flashed as she freely declared herself a villain sent a chill down the spine of Varen and Kyte. Closing her eyes for a moment though Chain exchanged that smile for another.

“But I don’t think you’re any better either. While I doubt your story has any lies in it using your own sob story to try and get Varen to join your fight with the Bandit King was almost a joy to watch. But don’t let me criticize you. If that idiot wants to fight Heroes he’s more than welcome to give it a go. Just let me get him back to Elliot first so I don’t get blamed for him running off and getting himself killed.”

“Seriously?”

Varen could not hide his disbelief at Chain’s callousness but Kyte was impressed and blew a shrill whistle followed by a hearty laugh.

“You just keep on impressing me Chainmaid. But the truth of the matter is I was just trying to buy him time to let you cool your head before you really did try to kill the both of us. My little sob story, as you call it, resonating with him is only because he understands the pain of losing things important to him to a Hero. Oh~ I bet he has quite a sob story of his own to tell.”

“It’s not happening. Maybe if you offered your spear one day I’d be willing to share, but right now I am sworn to Lord Elliot’s service and duty bound to repay Chain for saving my life.”

“A debt I could do without. Having Elliot in my debt is more than enough for me and he isn’t following me around like a lost puppy.”

“Seriously?”

A boisterous laugh burst out of Kyte as Varen exclaimed his disbelief at Chain’s dismissal of his life debt.

“You really are special Chainmaid. But I’m guessing you didn’t come back to argue about Heroes.”

“Nope. I came to collect the idiots who were supposedly following me. Sure you could have tracked me down easily enough since I doubt someone of your skill has missed that I’ve been following animal trails through this place but the idiot you were trying to get to join you in going after the Bandit King would have probably missed that. He’s been distracted by a certain muscle bound idiot this whole time after all.”

“I guess he has.”

Kyte laughed some more and Varen sighed and hung his head as his shoulders slumped. Chain was amused by the whole scene but did not intend to spend what daylight they had left chatting. Stepping away from the wall Chain uncrossed her arms and placed her hands on the back of her head and began back down the path she had walked down before.

“Alright you two, or at least Varen, let’s go. There’s something you should see.”

Copyright © 2018 Joshua D Tarwater