Melody of War 19

“Now that’s unfair of you Chainmaid.”

“What part; me jumping in or me putting you in your place?”

“Neither of those troublesome little things Chainmaid, but comparing yourself to the tall man there.”

“I told you before, it’s Varen Elcourt.”

“That you did tall man, but unlike the Chainmaid you didn’t force me to have to dance to the Builders’ tune.”

“Say what?”

“He means that I made him use a verse. And it was a cheap one at that.”

“Don’t be like that Chainmaid. You completely surpassed my expectations and proved that you are more than worthy prey. Tall man here isn’t so bad either but he’s like a guppy compared to a dragon.”

“Is that so? Then maybe it’s time I stop holding back before I get myself killed.”

“Wait a minute! You’ve been holding back?”

“Tall man’s right Chainmaid, it’s hard to think that you were.”

A cocky smile without equal spread across Chain’s lips as her ability in combat was questioned by Varen and Kyte both. Holding out her left hand she snapped her fingers and released the distinctive ringing sound and summoned forth a ball of light within.

“Do you really think I would just take on a Hero without believing I stood some sort of chance? Sure I get a little hot headed when I’m losing and forget to go all out but you don’t really know who I am.”

“Then why don’t you enlighten me Chainmaid.”

“I’m Chain, student of Swallow Martin and Sorcerer Balgun, the greatest swordsmaid and sorcerer respectively. And what you’ve shown me Hero wouldn’t be enough to beat either of them.”

“And you call me an idiot? What are thinking trying to aggravate a Hero?”

“Just shut up and be ready.”

“I’d take your own advice Chainmaid. Your words are far too large for your claims.”

“Prove it!”

“Gladly!”

“Idiot!”

The discussion between the three came to an end and Kyte was atop Chain in an instant a shockwave of force flattening the grass in all direction around from where the Hero launched himself. Varen was nearly taken from his feet from the shockwave but Chain held her ground and smirked confidently as she clenched her left fist tight around the magic held within. In the next instant a chorus of steal rang out as Chain blocked Kyte’s attack and then the Hero in turn blocked the flurry of blows unleashed by Chain upon him.

“What just happened?”

Varen could not help but stand dumbstruck by the display of ability from Chain but he quickly found himself transfixed by the green color her eyes had taken on. Kyte was not so dumbstruck as Varen but was suitably amazed by Chain’s performance.

“Oh~ Where was this when we fought in Nest Cliff Chainmaid.”

“Since you weren’t trying to kill me I didn’t feel a need to bring it out, but now that my pride’s been hurt.”

With a mighty swing of her sword Chain threw Kyte off of his block and several meters away and instantly pursued the Hero. A twisted smile of utmost glee adorned the Hero’s face and he stamped his feet into the ground as he brought himself to a stop. Varen was unaware of the verse in use and the shockwave underfoot promptly stole his balance from him. Chain was not caught off guard however as she had faced the ability before and easily kept her balance as she laid into Kyte with another flurry of blows.

“Don’t expect the same verse to work on me twice you muscle bound idiot!”

“Don’t worry Chainmaid. I’m just beginning to dance.”

A wild laugh escaped from Kyte as he easily parried Chain’s relentless assault and did indeed break into a jig with his every step creating a greater shockwave than the last. Varen admirably held his footing for as long as he could but when the force of the shockwaves began throwing from the ground it was all he could do to keep landing on his feet. Chain on the other hand took advantage of every shockwave that threw her from the ground to enter a jump and twirled about Kyte in an acrobatic whirlwind of sword work. Consequently the maid’s assault forced Kyte to demonstrate his brilliant foot work with every step creating greater and greater shockwaves. Still Chain persisted with her assault until at last she took advantage of a shockwave that split the earth asunder and rode it leaping high into the air, an incantation falling from her lips.

“~ 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! ~”

From around Chain a cloud of light motes came into being and drifted only long enough to become piercingly bright. In the next moment they fired forth as ribbon like spears of light that twisted and turned through the air as they descended upon Kyte with destructive intent. The Hero simply smiled as he twirled his spear about and easily deflected the attack even as it closed in on him from all sides. His smile did not last for long though as he quickly discovered the folly of his careless deflections amid the use of his shockwave inducing verse.

“Now it’s my turn to score a blow, Hero.

“~ Winds of the Fourth Well, rush forth to my call ~”

There was little Kyte could do to stop Chain from casting as his dance in conjunction with her spears of light destroyed his footing. It was not however that he could not simply throw his spear but if he did he would have been defenseless against Chain’s spears of light as they curved back up from underground to continue their assault upon the Hero. High above in the air and beginning her descent Chain continued her incantation as lightning began to crackle in her left hand.

“~ Gather storm and lightning as my fury aligns with the heavens ~”

“Impressive Chainmaid, but I can’t help but feel like your cheating and using your Relic to pull this off.”

Despite falling down backwards as the ground around him was completely destroyed and Kyte smiled as he twirled about his body and spear both again deflecting the spears of light. He was not content to just defend himself from the immediate attack however and used the built up energy from his twirling to hurl his spear at Chain. Chain had no way to defend herself against the attack but did not have to as out of nowhere Varen leapt through the air and caught her carrying her out of harm’s way. Below them the spears of light converged on Kyte and collided in a spectacular explosion.

“Did you get him?”

“Not yet.”

Varen looked surprised at Chain’s answer but he did not here the verse rising from the Builders’ Song like Chain did.

♪~ When fishing with spear it must hurled ~♪
♪~ But a javelin never returns on its own ~♪
♪~ To claim his prize to his spear must he go, the fisherman ~♪

Twisting out of Varen’s grip Chain kicked him to the ground below and turned her attention along the path Kyte’s spear followed. Sure enough she spied the Hero in the distance twirling his spear about in preparation for another throw and could not help herself but to smile.

“Bingo!

“~ Tri Bolt! ~”

Chain at last finished her spell and hurled the lightning she carried in her left hand at the Hero. Free of the maid’s hand the lightning tore through the air and along the ground devastating the landscape as it closed in on the Hero who finally had to take the blow and was summarily blasted across the sky.

“No way! Did she actually just beat a Hero?”

Varen could not hold back his surprise as he watched the outcome of Chain’s efforts. Chain herself could not help but smile as she watched her handiwork as she finally touched down on the ground again. Varen ran over to congratulate the maid on her victory but was forced to swallow his words as he saw Kyte’s spear descend from the heavens and imbed itself into the ground.

“Seriously?”

“You didn’t really think scoring one hit on a Hero would be enough to best them did you?”

“But you put so much effort into it.”

“That she did tall man.”

Varen’s disbelief spread from his words to his expression as he realized that Kyte had somehow appeared standing next to his spear. Pulling it from the ground the Hero twirled it about before settling on holding it behind his back. Turning around to face Chain and Varen the Hero revealed the reward for Chain’s efforts as his torso and arms were blackened and bleeding from where the spell struck him and was further decorated with remnant sparks of electricity.

“But I think you were cheating Chainmaid. The change in color of your eyes and your ability to cast multiple spells without opening a gate. Those are abilities related to your Relic aren’t they?”

“I wouldn’t call my eyes changing color an ability, more like a side effect. But yeah, my chainmail can hold an open gate allowing me to draw on the Great Spirit Wells with abandon as long as I leave the gate open. There’s obvious consequences but seeing you charred was worth it. Besides, I not only actually scored a blow, but I got you to use two verses against me. I couldn’t ask to do better against a Hero. Now that I’ve tended to my pride though I can gladly let this idiot finish you off.”

“And how do you expect the Tall Man to do that Chainmaid?”

Closing her eyes Chain smiled. Opening her eyes again the green color was gone and her normal brown hue was restored with her confidence on full display.

“With a spell, obviously.”

Snapping the fingers of her left hand Chain again summoned a small sphere of light within. Kyte knew he should have stopped her from casting again but his curiosity got the better of him and he held his ground as Chain cast her spell.

“~ Witness within the Seventh Well, behold chaos from without ~
~ See wind become light and light steel as history repeats without precedent ~
~ Re Iory! ~”

Copyright © 2018 Joshua D Tarwater