Melody of the Builders 15

“Everyone! Get down!”   

Melody screamed at Wherks and Mail who joined her on a path around the pit that Chain had stepped out onto a ledge in as a rain of cannon fire rained into the pit. In an instant the situation in the once beautiful pit beneath the gondola station changed as it was reduced to flaming ruin under the aerial assault. Melody could only marvel at the precision of the cannon fire as she and the two who joined her were untouched by all but the clouds of dust thrown into the air. Across the pit and above from where Melody was Kyte took advantage of the sudden assault to leap away from Elliot.

“As I said Chainmaid; had.”

Kyte twirled his spear around into a combat stance to accept Elliot’s eminent attack but grew distracted when he saw Chain’s cape disperse into a shadowy mist and then nothingness as she suddenly leapt from the ledge into the devastated pit.

“Is she crazy?”

“Lord Elliot! I’ll deal with him but Chain will need your help.”

“Of course Elliot. EQUALIZER!”

The short discourse between Elliot and Varen ended with Elliot shouting out the name of his verse which transformed steel into light and drew Kyte’s attention away from Chain. Before him he watched light form into the shape of a blade where Varen’s sword no longer had its own and the swordsman turned to face the Hero.

“Chain’s imitation wasn’t bad, but now it’s time you face the real thing, Hero.”

“And here I really thought we were becoming friends and that you’d help me be rid of the Bandit King once and for all.”

“Sorry to disappoint you. But don’t worry, we’ll deal with the Bandit King if we have to and then your betrothed can rest in peace.”

“Be careful Varen, you shouldn’t claim victory until your opponent lies dead.”

“I know that Lord Elliot. But let me worry about that. You just go and back up Chain. I know I should myself but I couldn’t begin to figure out how to fight cannon fire.”

“Fear not Varen, I will allow no harm to come onto Chain.”

“Only if I let you leave Hero of the east.”

“I already said that you were fighting me Hero.”

Varen intercepted Kyte as the Hero tried to go after Elliot. Clicking his tongue Kyte could only watch Elliot leap from the ledge after Chain from beyond the glow of Varen’s sword.

“You’re really making this unpleasant tall man.”

“So are you Hero.”

“Not before the Chainmaid already made a mess of everything. Imagine, if she hadn’t forced my hand the men on that airship wouldn’t have seen my life threatened and they probably would have offered you a ride.”

“A shame, really. But we were already trying to avoid Bright Rift as well as Highroot so I guess it’s par for the course.”

“Too bad tall man.”

Kyte donned a strained smile as he pushed Varen off of him in an attempt to go after Elliot. Empowered by Elliot’s verse Varen easily recovered and engaged Kyte in full allowing Elliot to pursue Chain into the pit as another round of cannon fire rained into the pit.

“LI~NK!!!!!”

Melody screamed as she watched Chain disappear within the second barrage. She attempted to run forward but was grabbed from behind by Mail.

“You can’t run into that Melody!”

“But Link!”

“Calm yourself harpy! We need to take cover before we become victims of that cannon fire.”

“But–”

“But nothing! I have no intention of dying here and you are charged with my protection!”

“Please Melody. Just have some faith in Chain.”

Melody looked back over her shoulder with a pained expression at Mail who fought with everything she had to keep the harpy from easily overpowering her and running into the cannon fire. The expression pained Mail but she and Melody both grew surprised as they heard the distinctive ring that accompanied the snapping of chainmail clad fingers as Chain’s voice rose up in incantation.

“~ From the Fifth Well I bid thee rise gentle light ~
~ Harmless motes that drift in the dark become as spears to pierce my foes ~
~ Lig Sher! ~”

At Chain’s command motes of golden light filled the dust clouds before transforming into ribbons that spiraled skyward like spears and intercepted the cannon fire. The resulting explosions overhead blew away all of the dust in the pit in a powerful gale revealing Chain to Melody, Mail, and Wherks.

“You see. She’s fine.”

“If you’re happy now harpy we need to take cover.”

“No… Link’s in trouble!”

Melody was not the only one who noticed as Elliot also watched the strain that Chain was under as her cape suddenly blew back into being as she clutched a mote of light out of the air before it could transform into a spear. As she clenched the mote of light in her left fist Chain’s eyes again turned green in color and she gritted her teeth as she channeled tremendous amounts of magic through her chainmail.

“What is this?”

Elliot looked on dumbfounded as Chain began to glow with a golden light as motes of light filled the air like raindrops held in time. Looking skyward as the airship began its next volley Chain released the motes as more spiraling ribbon like spears to intercept as she spoke through gritted teeth.

“You really shouldn’t have fired a second or third time.”

Melody finally pulled free of Mail as she stared in horror at Chain’s exertion.

“Link! No! You can’t use your Relic so recklessly! You promised!”

“Her Relic?”

Much as Wherks did not want to stay in the pit for any longer than he already had he could not deny his curiosity of what powers Chain’s chainmail granted her. Adjusting his glasses the Rattama peered out at the glowing maid. Wherks was not alone in his observation as Kyte also took note of the sight and blew a shrill whistle.

“Oh~ the Chainmaid is really going all out for an airship?”

“You should be paying attention!”

Varen chastised Kyte with a shout as he came down on the Hero with his sword held aloft. Smiling Kyte stepped aside and put his twirling spear to use deflecting Varen’s barrage of strikes. If not for his footwork Kyte would have been easily overwhelmed though his footwork served to also change his circumstances. The verse he put to use went unheard by Varen and empowered by Elliot’s as he was he failed to notice the effect of the shockwave inducing power. To Varen it seemed an advantage to be able to ignore the shockwaves that grew stronger with each of Kyte’s steps but he forget where it was he fought the Hero and the ledge suddenly collapsed out from under him.

“Crap!”

“Too bad tall man.”

With a smile Kyte leapt skyward as Varen was consumed by the collapsing wall of the pit. Watching Varen’s desperate expression for only a moment Kyte twirled his spear into throwing position as he moved his attention to Chain.

“It would be best if you stood down Chainmaid!”

In punctuation of his advice to Chain, Kyte hurled his spear with all of his might at the maid who was fully occupied with stopping the cannon fire. She was not defenseless however as Elliot had her back and easily deflected Kyte’s spear planting the weapon in the ground barely a meter from where Melody stood.

“I think not. If she were to stand down now her life would surely be forfeit and I will not allow Varen to fail to repay his debt to Chain.”

Leveling his battle glare onto Kyte, Elliot was greeted by the Hero’s smile as a score of red spears of light appeared in the air around the airborne Hero. An instant later the spears plunged down upon Elliot. Unimpressed Elliot easily deflected the spears.

“Elliot! Grab Link and get her out of there please! We can’t let her exert herself anymore! If she does–”

“Oh~ What will happen if she does my cute little friend?”

“Eep!”

Melody squeaked in surprise as Kyte suddenly appeared before her gripping his spear.

“Considering that she already mentioned dangerous consequences I’d rather not let her!”

Kyte gritted his teeth in a strained smile as Varen suddenly burst out of the collapsed cliff side and reengaged the Hero.

“That verse is really proving to be something annoying tall man.”

“Too bad, Hero”

With great effort Varen threw Kyte away after having a series of lethal strikes deflected by his twirling spear work. Taking the short moment he had Varen turned his attention to Elliot who still joined Chain in the center of the pit and shouted out to him.

“If you heard Melody then grab Chain and get out of their Lord Elliot! I can handle things here so go!”

“Are you so sure tall man?”

Varen gritted his teeth as Kyte was already upon him again. Barely getting his sword into place to block Kyte’s attack it was Varen’s turn to be put off balance by his foe’s assault. Fast and powerful as Kyte was though Varen was able to recover and soon received help from an unexpected source.

“I don’t know who you are besides a Hero but you’re really starting to get annoying~♪”

“You foolish harpy!”

“Melody!”

Wherks and Mail could only stare helplessly as Melody suddenly charged Kyte. Kyte frowned as the harpy moved to interrupt his fight and verbally expressed his displeasure.

“Come now cutie, you really shouldn’t join fights that are above your head.”

Varen watched in horror as Kyte demonstrated amazing ability to both fend him off and skewer Melody. His horror turned to surprise that he shared with Kyte as Melody easily dodged the attack and perched herself upon the spear shaft. From her new vantage point Melody lashed out in a fierce talon led kick at the Hero. In an attempt to dislodge the harpy and throw Varen off balance again Kyte twisted himself and his spear in a way that put Melody between him and his original opponent. As he had hoped Varen backed off for fear of striking Melody but the harpy was not so easily dealt with. Releasing her grip Melody dropped to the ground and put her long legs and stilt-like feet to spectacular use in changing her position while laying down a flurry of talon-toed kicks upon Kyte.

“Oh~ Not bad cutie. But fighting monsters is a specialty of mine and the fishermen of the great kingdom of Bright Rift.”

“I’m not a monster! I’m Melody, an adventurer of Soarmont’s Adventuring Company and Swallow Martin’s number one disciple!”

“Tch. That name again.”

Kyte clicked his name in disgust as Melody spoke the name of a maid that Chain had claimed to him before was unmatched with the sword beyond even the mightiest of Heroes. He quickly found himself wondering about the truth of that claim though as Melody upped her pace and easily read Kyte’s attacks aptly avoiding every attack, feint, and bait as though the speed difference between the two meant naught.

“Not what I would expect from a monster. This Swallow Martin must be something else to train a harpy to the point of being able to fight a Hero.”

From high above the pit a man gaunt yet beautiful and youthful watched the spectacular display of the harpy who was shortly joined by Varen in keeping Kyte occupied. A smile spread across his face and he pulled a green apple from within the coat he wore like a cape that mixed military jacket and lab coat. Taking a bite out of the fruit he held up his left hand ordering the cannon barrage to cease. Back down in the pit the cessation of cannon fire was a relief to Chain who fell to her knees catching herself with her hands as the golden glow left her form. As blood began to flow freely through her chainmail all over her strained body she turned her eyes skyward as Elliot looked onto her with worry. With a wry smile Chain asked a question of no one in particular.

“Now what?”

Copyright © 2018 Joshua D Tarwater