Melody of the Builders 8

“Hm, hm, hm, hm, hmmm… I shouldn’t have to ask ol’ Dandelion, but you can

hear it can’t you? The Builders singing like a bunch of excited children.”

The Rattama were known throughout the Five Great Theatre’s of Civilization for their technological knowhow and general reverse engineering of the Remnants of Automina that all major cities were built around. They had single handedly brought back civilization some centuries past after the Fall of Automina had nearly wiped it out but took little interest in politics. To the Rattama nothing was more important than controlling technology and preventing a repeat of such a drastic cataclysm but there were always those who would challenge their control of technology. One such group was the Junk Birds who had taken to also competing with the Soarmont Adventurer Company in search of ancient ruins and Remnants of Automina. From their finds and salvage taken from battlefields between nations they became a force to challenge the Rattama in technological control and influence of civilization. As the Rattama had feared however, technology controlled by man inevitably led to cataclysm.

Lewis Sycamore. He was a prominent engineer and all around scientist, scholar, and practitioner of magic who had elevated the Junk Birds to the heights they currently held. His greatest feat had come after leaving the organization as he had found a complete Tear of Automina, the celestial tower cities of the once glorious empire, and had raised it once again into the heavens. The flight of the Tear of Automina would not be long lived however and disaster followed as the tower that stood taller than the tallest of mountains returned to the earth and decimated the Western Kingdoms with its destruction. The Junk Birds tried to disavow themselves from the actions of Sycamore while the Rattama attempted to use the tragedy as proof that mankind should not control technology themselves. Despite the disagreements and tragedy however the status quo did not change and the Junk Birds continued to enjoy their role in the landscape of modern society. Having walked the devastated Western Kingdoms one Rattama was not prone to let the Junk Birds have their way.

Dandelion, a Rattama who would become Hero. Under the blotted out sky of the Western Kingdoms he wandered with his bow in hand, his arrows becoming as shooting stars to those saved by them and as blooms of destruction to those who sided with the Junk Birds. The Builders naturally took note of such an individual and raised him in song allowing the Rattama to become larger than life. Where most Ratama only stood to a man’s knee at full height Dandelion had grown to a height of six feet and was a sight wherever he wandered. That such a Hero could have had his head separated from his body in a most ghastly manner by a giant spiked ball spoke of the true terror of the man who killed him.

♪~ Under forest high and forest low rose man as giant tall ~♪
♪~ Skin black as ash from battle’s scorch ~♪
♪~ With envied purse for bounties won ~♪
♪~ Garbed for war for guarded coin ~♪
♪~ Left held dragon’s maw and right the moon in chain ~♪
♪~ Hailed as savior and sung as king ~♪
♪~ Ever nimble, the highwayman ~♪

To all who could hear it the verse of the Bandit King was unmistakable. The mighty Roc whose name brought fear for all goodly folk of the nations of the Stormroot Mountains was like no other Hero. If one visited the city of Highroot, between the river that separated the city from the farmlands were fields upon fields of weapons thrust into the ground by the Bandit King himself taken from the corpses of those who had challenged him. Be it soldiers, mercenaries, bounty hunters, adventures, armies, and even other Heroes, none had ever bested the Bandit King in battle. Now Dandelion, a light of hope in the devastated Western Kingdoms was yet another Hero to fall to Roc the Bandit King.

Attaching the giant spiked ball of iron to his waist and holstering the massive hand cannon at the opposite end of the connected chain Roc bent over and lifted the slain Rattama Hero’s head in hand. It was not a victory the Bandit King was pleased with as his characteristic toothy grin did not adorn his face as he lifted the head high.

“I know, that question was not in good taste, but a situation that left me laughing deserved a joke to justify the laughter. If you were still with me I know you’d hear them singing. A Rattama of your reputation would be hard pressed not to. But the problem is ol’ Dandelion I welcomed you into my kingdom to help me kill a Hero who was soon to tread upon the Stormroots. I simply could not allow that to come to pass. Your petty grudge with the Rattama who would share his knowledge with mankind was just a tool for me to use you like just another another. Hm, hm, hm, hm, hmmm. Problem is ol’ Dandelion, when a tool becomes both useless and dangerous it comes time to dismantle it. With the Builders singing and numerous Heroes about to descend upon the Stormroots I couldn’t risk having you join us. Since you’re too stubborn for your own good I couldn’t send you home to leave it to me. But don’t you worry ol’ Dandelion, I doubt the Rattama you wanted to kill will make it to his destination once I squash the boy Hero from Lumirest.”

Dropping the head of the slain Hero Roc looked up at the Stormroot Mountains in the distance beyond the forest he stood in. Clearly he could hear the Builders singing and at last he flashed a toothy grin. Looking down upon the bandit army that had gathered at his call in the woods the giant read the look in their eyes and liked what he saw. Admiration, fear, disgust, horror, reverence, and hope. What brightened the Bandit King’s smile was none other than faith and he rose his voice to give that faith reason.

“We’ve been underestimated. The fools of the Stormroots think us their lessers. They think us nothing more than common thugs in the woods who survive only by praying on the unfortunate we meet on the road. Somehow these same fools have forgotten that I once slew every Hero who would walk in my kingdom. Every Hero who would turn their blade on those who were so well off that they had to resort to this life to survive. But survive you did. Thrive you did. Even without the expensive schools and the fancy homes you took their technology and you made it your own. You’ve bettered it so we can listen to their idle chatter and learn their secrets and where and when to strike. And you’ve heard it now. That these fools would send their Hero’s into my kingdom, your home, and try to knock me from my throne.

“Yet I know there are those amongst you rank who question if I still can defend my kingdom. I see the doubt in your eyes. You know of what happened when the Brass Line entered my kingdom carrying a Hero from Lumirest and none other than the Bandit Eater herself. You know only I walked away from that encounter and that your brothers and sisters lie dead and soon to be forgotten by the fools who would disrespect their strength and hardships. But they were cowards who could not even keep themselves organized long enough for me to save them from such a fate. They had no faith and let the Bandit Eater feast of their weakness. Well I fought her and she fell like a rotted post. That is my strength. Even ol’ Dandelion here could land not one arrow upon her but before me she was naught but a mewling babe. A whimpering mutt. That shouldn’t surprise any of you when you look upon ol’ Dendelion here though. One blow, was all it took for me to fell a Hero as renowned in the broken west as him. So when you ask if I can still purge my kingdom of these unwanted Heroes I tell you to look upon this corpse. I tell you not to fear the Bandit Eater. I tell you not to fear armies that you can easily disarm of their armaments and make your own. I remind you who it is who gave you a home. Who it is who took from being only half a step ahead of the guard. Who it is who gave you a kingdom to call your own. Don’t let tales of bogeymen steal from you that which you have won through your hardships. Look up to your Hero. To your King!”

Thrusting a meaty fist at the end of a muscular arm into the sky Roc drew thunderous applause and shouts from the army of bandits who listened to his words. His toothy grin growing ever wider the Bandit King further addressed his followers, their enthusiasm becoming his own.

“Mark my words! We are bandits and we shall, steal, pillage, and take what they refuse us! We shall remind them whose kingdom this is! And to those who would challenge us in their foolishness we shall ask of them this riddle; what can be stolen but not held?! What has only value for its first owner and is as naught to the thief who takes it?! What is so valuable that it would make all men thieves?!”

“LIFE! LIFE! LIFE! LIFE! LIFE! LIFE! LIFE!”

The shouts of the bandits became as thunder that shook the very woods. Drawing his hand cannon from its holster Roc hoisted it high and pointed towards the Stormroot Mountains.

“We know where they are. We’ve listened in on their radio phone conversations. We know what they are planning and the size of their forces. We know what has their sway. Now, let us march and steal from them our kingdom. Let us steal from the Heroes their songs. And let us steal from the Bandit Eater her fangs.”

At the Bandit Kings command the army of bandits marched forth unified in single purpose under their king. Towering above the bandits the giant strode in their midst and held his toothy grin giving life to all under his command. Looking back with only his eyes to where Dandeliion’s corpse was gathered up for future use Roc spoke under his breath to persons not present.

“Soon you’ll see boy. I am no hollow leader only in name. Bandits from all corners of civilization come to me for salvation and I shall steal it for them. On the backs of Heroes like you who would only take from them their lives. And maybe just maybe, as I take from you your life I will tell why I chose the Stormroots as my kingdom. Why I can let no Heroes walk in their majesty.”

Roc closed his eyes for a moment in quiet contemplation as the weight of a great responsibility settled upon his massive shoulders. When he opened his eyes again his toothy grin returned bright as ever.

“As for you Bandit Eater, I look forward to our rematch. Whether you disappoint me or not I will make you heel like the whimpering dog you are. Hm, hm, hm, hm, hmmm…”

Copyright © 2018 Joshua D Tarwater