Melody of War 20

“This is?!”

“A little something I’ve been working on since we took on the Bandit King.”

Chain smiled broadly as her spell took effect and amazed Varen. Before his eyes the blade of his sword dissipated into nothingness revealing a shimmering blade of pure light. As Chain loosely explained it for him he turned his gaze back onto her and his look of surprise was replaced with one of concern.

“Chain–”

“Don’t worry about me. I said there were consequences for using my Relic but I’ll be fine. Right now I just need you to put that sword of yours to use because even though I know the rules it’s still a spell drawing on the Seventh Well and my first time actually casting it.”

“So I get to be your guinea pig?”

“Pretty much.”

Using the back of her left hand Chain wiped away the blood that was trickling from the corner of her mouth as she turned her attention onto Kyte.

“And I can’t think of a better test than against a Hero.”

“I fail to see what making the sword glow will accomplish Chainmaid.”

“Tell me Hero, have you ever bested the Bandit King?”

“No one has tall man, and this scar of mine is proof that I at least survived my encounters with him unlike the rest of the Heroes of Highroot and Bright Rift back during his purge.”

“Is that so?”

For the first time since engaging Varen, Kyte’s eyes narrowed as the soldier settled into a combat stance and smiled confidently.

“Then it’s already over, Hero.”

“?!”

Shock decorated Kyte’s face as Varen disappeared leaving not a trace of his presence. Combat instinct alone was all that saved the Hero as Varen appeared behind him bringing his sword to bear. Even for all of his strength as one elevated by the Builders’ Song he was forced to a knee and the ground splintered from the impact of the clash. With trembling arms and gritted teeth Kyte looked up into Varen’s mercilessly calm eyes beyond the blade of light he wielded.

“What… is… this?”

“The Vanquisher’s Sword of Hope; Equalizer.”

Chain smiled proudly as she answered and watched in relative safety as Kyte put all of his strength into holding off Varen.

“An ability that makes up for any difference of strength between that idiot and his opponent, and one he can unfairly share with anyone of his choosing. Admittedly, I don’t know the limit of people he can apply it to but I saw him apply it to at least a score of troops under his command. Coincidently, the idiot you’re fighting is one of the troops who received that power against the Bandit King and my little spell simply brought it back out again.”

Chain’s boasting should have annoyed the Hero but Kyte’s smile told Varen that he already found a weakness.

“Not knowing the full extent of a verse and using the Well of Chaos to force it back out of the Builders’ Song is a major mistake on your part Chainmaid. I have to wonder what will the consequences be when the rules as you’ve defined them fail to hold up.”

“I’ll just have to defeat you before that happens.”

“Oh~ I’d love to see you give it your all tall man.”

A bead of sweat ran down Chain’s face as Kyte showed a lack of fear yet a full readiness to take on Varen and the summoned effects of Elliot’s verse. Putting his own considerable strength to use the Hero push off Varen’s blow and leapt backwards out of the weapon lock. Varen was upon him in an instant yet Kyte was already climbing high into the sky having sprung up again as soon as his feet touched the ground. Twirling his spear about to hurl it downwards at Varen, Chain heard the inhuman voice of the Buidlers’ Song rise up in verse.

♪~ Across sea of stars thrown by gods unknown ~♪
♪~ A spear unmatched even by shooting stars ~♪
♪~ With icy form of crimson hue and greatest night~♪
♪~ Snatched by mortal hands now descends– ~♪

“COMEVELIN~!”

Shouting out the name of the spear he summoned the sky grey dark as though night had fallen and an icy pattern of crimson hue filled the sky behind Kyte. A look of horror gripped Chain’s features but Varen stood steadfast against the attack as Kyte threw the spear of crimson ice down at him with all of his strength. A crimson trail of brilliant light followed the spear in its descent like a comet streaking across the night sky and lit the battle field with a brilliant display that burst into a crimson flash as the spear met Varen’s sword of light. From that flash the spear disappeared into the distance as it was deflected with only the crimson streak that followed it giving away its path. Kyte did not falter even unarmed as he was and Chain heard a verse she heard during her recent clash with the Hero rise again from the Builders’ Song.

♪~ 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 ~♪

Varen’s eyes narrowed further as Kyte suddenly vanished from the sky above him. Turning his eyes to the trail of crimson light left by the spear Varen was greeted with the sight of an icy explosion as Kyte charged him a knew from where he rejoined his spear on a distant cliff. It was no normal charge as the collapse of the cliff face attested to and Chain’s ability to hear the Builders’ Song confirmed.

♪~ Sleeping fish beyond sight ~♪
♪~ A bounty earned they will not yield ~♪
♪~ For the fisher’ to skewer have them dance he must ~♪

With the shockwave inducing verse in play again Kyte took as many short steps as he could as he charged at incredible speed to maximize the effect of the verse. So spectacular was his use of the verse that the very mountain side including the ledge that the road was on began to be torn apart and pulled heavenward.

“Crap!”

Chain was forced to fight for her footing on a large such chuck of earth as it rose up beneath her but Varen had little such trouble as he raised his sword above his head and brought it back down in a powerful strike. Splitting the earth between him and the charging Kyte asunder countless motes of light rose up and filled the sky and not another of the Hero’s steps shook the earth. Kyte was unbothered however and simply leapt the reaming distance between him and Varen leveling his spear in a two handed grip at the soldier’s exposed head. Varen easily deflected the attack as he raised his sword again though the force of Kyte’s charge caused both combatants to fly away from where Varen had been holding his ground. As booth opponents found their footing again and skidded along the ground, with Varen going backwards, Kyte used the momentum of his deflected spear to twirl the weapon into his next attack. Varen again easily deflected the attack and Kyte repeated his twirl and entered a different attack. Again Varen deflected Kyte’s attack and the Hero was only able to continue an offensive against the swordsman due to the nature of his weapon twirling combat style taking advantage of every deflection to build strength. Determined to overcome the swordsman Kyte did not settle on a straight forward assault and attempted dancing around Varen to expose openings in the straight forward style that he used. Bolstered as he was by the sword of light he wielded Varen easily had the speed to keep up with Kyte’s assault with his skill as a swordsman assuring he did not fall behind a step.

The exchange of furious blows between the Hero and the soldier eventually came to an end as Varen took advantage of a peculiar deflection angle to strike against Kyte’s exposed body. With gritted teeth and tremendous effort the Hero managed to get his spear back around just in time to block the attack. Though he was blocked Varen did not let that stop him and followed his strike through throwing Kyte away once again. Sensing that he was about to be stripped of footing yet again the Hero exploited the opportunity and leapt just at the moment of loss traveling far further than he should have from Varen’s attack alone. Twirling his spear about as he travelled backwards through the air the Hero again hurled his spear a trail of crimson light following it. Varen deflected it mid-stride but Chain heard a new verse rise up from the Builders’ Song that the soldier would soon have to face.

♪~ Against a beast of peerless might, suffice it won’t a single spear ~♪
♪~ So a throw second, a third, a score ~♪

“If this is really what a battle between Heroes looks like than every one of these idiots has been holding back. I never stood a chance. But maybe…”

Even as she marveled at the battle before her Chain eyed the blade of light that Varen wielded as he deflected the score of crimson hued spears of light that launched like missiles at him out of the air. As he was still pursuing Kyte he did so mid-stride but consequently ended up taking himself even further away from the Hero. The verse that allowed him to teleport directly to his spear was only heard by Chain but Varen recognized what happened having seen it now for a third time. Skidding to a stop Varen spun around in time to see Kyte was already prepared to throw his spear anew.

“I never thought I’d be pushed so far tall man. You and the Chainmaid have naught but impressed me even if you did cheat to pull it off. But now, this truly is the end tall man. Sorry that it’ll cost you your life.”

Varen only heard the words that Kyte spoke but Chain heard yet another verse rising from the Builders’ Song singing the truth of the Hero’s claimed attack.

♪~ The greatest of prey, a challenge unequaled ~♪
♪~ No spear would do, no blow great enough ~♪
♪~ Even with a comet in hand only one thing would do ~♪
♪~ A single throw of unerring aim, to pierce the heart and end it all ~♪

“Varen, you idiot! Run!”

“There’s no point Chainmaid. This is the end!”

Claiming victory once again Kyte threw his spear, the weapon engulfed in a plume of crimson light as though it truly was a comet. Chain watched on in horror understanding the meaning of the words of the verse which Varen had not, could not hear.

“YOU MUSCLE BOUND IDIOT! WHY KILL HIM?!”

“The way you spoke to him Chainmaid I wouldn’t have thought you would care.”

Kyte’s answer to Chain’s yell was too quiet to hear under the roaring sound of the hurled spear. Now knowing that Chain seemingly put some value in Varen’s life Kyte donned a solemn expression as he watched his spear travel straight for Varen’s heart. Then his eyes widedned in shock.

Copyright © 2018 Joshua D Tarwater