Chain the Infamous Chainmaid 17

High above the Emerald Sea an airship raced south towards the distant Stormroot Mountains. It was of the typical Bright Rift design with a central zeppelin adorned with catwalks but it possessed only one external gondola and was significantly smaller than most military vessels. It was further defined by a series of triangular sails that had been erected around the zeppelin though if their purpose was decorative or practical was hard to tell. Regardless, the vessel was swift and in only a day had traveled a distance from Aperture that most vessels would require two. To the Bright Rift fisherman who claimed the vessel as his own then it was a great surprise when a far greater airship descended from the sky’s above and matched pace with his craft.

“What a monstrosity, and so swift. Could it be the Condor I wonder?”

The Condor was a vessel known throughout all of Bright Rift in part for its absurdity as well as being designed by none other than Professor Plume Beaks, Lead Researcher of the Bright Rift Royal Court. A massive nightmarish tangle of gondola cars, catwalks, cannon ports, and external decks wrapped around a core of five zeppelins it was impossible to mistake the airship for any other. That it was taking up course alongside the much smaller craft resulted in the question of the smaller craft’s captain more so in disbelief that he could be of any interest to Professor Beaks.

“Unless of course…”

Controlling the vessel from the single gondola car of his vessel the fisherman could clearly see the lower catwalks and deck of his vessel as well as the Emerald Sea below where his prey roamed. With such a vantage point it was easy enough for him to see the young man with blonde hair and emerald eyes garbed in silver plate and blue cloth who leaned upon the railing of the vessel’s single external deck. His features were easy on the eyes even as his gentle face wore a somber expression as he fingered the unusual hilt of a sword he carried in addition to the elegant silver long sword that hung at his waist. The rapier bladed sword with a two-handed grip and quillons that could also serve as grips must have held some value for the young man as he paid the Condor no presence. At least until the voice of Plume Beaks echoed out across the air.

“Attention captain of the fishing vessel Kingfisher, I Professor Plume Beaks of the Royal Court will be coming aboard your vessel. This is not an investigation or any other matter which concerns you so you are free to continue on your course as long as you make no attempts to interfere with my business.”

“What a surly man that minister is, but I’ve no reason to pick a fight.”

Grabbing a flare gun and loading it with a carefully selected flare the fisherman took aim out his window and fired. Streaking out towards the horizon a blue colored smoke was left in the wake of the similar colored flare and in response Beaks’ voice again filled the air.

“Your cooperation is delightful and will result in this encounter being naught more than a slight inconvenience.”

“Hrmph. Surly and full of himself but no matter, depending on how this goes I may find myself fishing before long.”

Having little reason to watch the boarding of his vessel the fisherman instead focused on maintaining a level and steady flight so as not to invite trouble. Without the fisherman’s attention it was only the young man who was his passenger that watched the deployment of a gangplank from the Condor to the single exterior deck where he stood on the smaller vessel. Pulling back from the railing and taking the peculiar sword he held in a reverse grip in his left hand he turned an emerald eyed glare down the gangplank to where Professor Beaks prepared to disembark.

“Such an uninviting look Knight Prince Silverlance of Lumirest.”

“My expression is uninviting because your presence is unwelcome Master Beaks.”

The young man’s voice was pleasing to the ear, but Elliot Silverlance did not speak with a kind tone as he addressed Professor Beaks. The professor was naught but amused and pulled a green apple from his coat as he crossed the gangplank, cleaning it on his sleeve as he walked. As he reached the end of the gangplank and boarded the Kingfisher he took a bite of the apple and smiled delighted as he leaned on the railing where Elliot had been doing so himself before the professor’s arrival.

“So what business do you have with me now Master Beaks? I’ve departed on your mad errand and am no closer to accomplishing my mission than when last we spoke.”

“On the contrary Knight Prince Silverlance, that you found so swift a vessel to ferry you to the Stormroots is a delight to see.”

“As much of a delight to your twisted sensibilities as sending a Knight Prince of Lumirest to kill a child?”

“A soldier Knight Prince Silverlance, a soldier. While it is true that Misthead is only possessed of ten springs of life she has proven delightfully useful in most instances where the Dragon God of the Stormroots is not involved. However, her relationship with the dragon proved problematic and thus it was best to eliminate her.”

“Was?”

Elliot caught the use of past tense by Beaks and earned a delighted smile from the professor.

“You delight me nearly as much as the Chainmaid, Knight Prince Silverlance. You’re observancy is a boon that I believe will serve me better than the flailing Puppeteer.”

“So than this mad errand of yours was born of Highroot’s princess. A shame it does not absolve you of your affiliation with her.”

“No, but her likely forthcoming death will make it difficult to continue interacting with her. Just as she has predicted, the Chainmaid’s continued presence and the interaction of Heroes with her has resulted in a structural failure of any plans. According to reports that I have received from my agents in HIghroot and Aperture both chaos is tearing down the Puppeteer’s webs. In Highroot the Chainmaid has vanished leaving the Bandit King to do as he pleases while young Misthead squanders her talents in search of the maid. Bright Rift’s forces further suffer for this chaos as Highroot has deployed its antiaircraft defenses and our fleet of airships is brought to ruin. Back in Aperture your soldier with the Relic that can use verses has supposedly escaped and is causing quite the ruckus in my research facility despite knowing that your charges are at Bright Rift’s mercy. It would seem research on a live test subject has driven it mad and there is little the Puppeteer can do to contain it.”

“So why find me in the middle of nowhere and tell me all of this? In my position there is little I can do to either stop Varen or join the chaos in Highroot.”

“True.”

Though he agreed with Elliot’s assessment Beaks did not answer his question immediately instead choosing to take another bite of his apple. Chewing slowly Beaks carefully studied the Stormroot Mountains far in the distance before swallowing and returning his attention to Elliot.

“What I would like to propose to you is an opportunity to receive my personal assistance in getting you and your charges to Raptoria.”

“That’s a very strong change of position Master Beaks.”

“It is, but it is also a necessity. The Puppeteer’s obsession with the Chainmaid combined with her belief that the plans of all Heroes who involve themselves with her will like result in the failure of what should have been a simple coup. Now I must switch to my secondary plan and I have no backup to rely on with the Puppeteer’s powers being great enough to control the whole of the Bright Rift Military. Thus I turn to you Knight Prince Silverlance, as the armies that should be at my disposal have become the worthless toys of a maid lost to her obsessions.”

“You surely don’t expect me to agree so easily, Master Beaks. Not without something more to convince me at least. After all, if the princess of HIghroot has her attention so dispersed the possibility of Varen rescuing my charges exists and as you have admitted to treason I am politically able to cut you down and improve relationships between Lumirest and Bright Rift.”

“You could, but then you would squander the opportunity to save the Stormroots from the evil that faces them.”

“You mean the Demon Lord that Chain spoke of.”

“Of course. But what you do not realize is that the Sacred Sword that seals it has deteriorated to the point that it can no longer hold the Demon Lord on its own. The civilization that built the labyrinth underneath the Stormroots realized this and bound the Dragon God of Misthead to support the seal. To my knowledge the Bandit King has known this for some time and it is why he slaughters all Heroes who would take residence in the Stormroots.”

“So that they do not learn of it and attempt to face the Demon Lord of legend themselves.”

“Your quick thinking mind is utterly delightful Knight Prince Lumirest.”

“Yet that very mind believes that you are seeking to claim the sword yourself even knowing the Bandit King’s purpose behind the slaying of Heroes. I can only wonder if you’ve known this secret duty of his for as long as you have been trying to rid the Stormroots of his presence.”

“You should also ponder the knowledge of those who requested that you personally slay the Bandit King when it would be of greater benefit to use the talents of the Vanquisher against the Demon Lord. But none of that matters now. I believe the Puppeteer shall hang herself in the threads of her own web as she thrashes about to the tune of her obsession and that the Chainmaid will escape Highroot and find her way to me. Her reputation demands it after all but that will be to my advantage now that the Dragon God of Misthead is free.”

“What?! How?”

“It does not matter Knight Prince Silverlance. What matters is that only you likely can face the Demon Lord should it waken and that I shall take the Sacred Sword and build my new empire wielding it.”

“And what does Chain have to do with any of that? Is she to slay the dragon for you?”

“Such a violent use of her will only be needed if I have underestimated her and yourself, Knight Prince Silverlance.”

“Do you really believe that I can slay a Demon Lord? Have you never heard the legends? Do you not know that their very existence is the reason that mankind escaped the rule of the Builders in the first place?”

“I am well aware of all of that Knight Prince Silverlance, but I am also aware that you are said to be blessed by Cardinal herself, the goddess who bested the Crimson Comet God of Destruction Cometia before mankind opened the Great Spirit Wells and paved the way for the arrival of the Builders.”

“So you mean to trust in her Eminence’s Blessing.”

“Her power is evidently far greater than that of the Builders who cannot even best a servant of Cometia so it seems a logical decision to make use of it if you truly possess it. And if not, and all you can manage is to delay the Demon Lord then perhaps the Puppeteer’s belief in the Chainmaid will provide me with my last chance.”

“I don’t understand, what makes Chain so special?”

“Tell me Knight Prince Silverlance, have you ever heard of Sycamore?”

“Who has not heard of the madman who dropped a Tear of Automina upon the Western Kingdoms.”

“Who hasn’t indeed, but I speak instead of his once more well known younger brother.”

“His brother? I was not aware that he was possessed of one.”

“It seems few do anymore, perhaps a matter of disassociation after the rise of Lewis Sycamore’s rival organization to the Junk Birds; Arc Eden. But this is no time for history lessons, not anything so in depth at least. No, the history lesson here is that Sycamore’s younger brother also left the Junk Birds but instead of becoming an even greater engineer he became a rather legendary swordsmith. So legendary in fact, it is believed that after he helped the Maiden of Ash fell his brother that he was tasked by the Great Spirits to travel the world and restore the full strength of the Sacred Swords in atonement for the crime of his blood.”

“Then the slaying of the Bandit King was little more than a means for those who know of him and his duty to clear a path for him to the Sacred Sword Shrine beneath the Stormroots. To think that so many in power know of it.”

“Of course Knight Prince Silverlance. The labyrinth were it rests is used after all as a training ground by Soarmont’s adventuring Company, Soarmont himself being a Hero of no small repute. Alas, without knowledge on Sycamore’s location and time so short I am forced to rely on the Chainmaid should your might not prove enough.”

“And again I ask my unanswered question; what makes Chain so special?”

“Nothing to my knowledge, but what she knows may be the key to repairing the Sacred Sword.”

“You’re still delaying Master Beaks.”

“Then allow me to reveal the secret of my story Knight Prince Silverlance.”

“Please do Master Beaks.”

“A swordsmith as legendary as the brother of Lewis Sycamore can be identified through his works. He would have a most distinctive technique in his crafting that any aware of it would be able to recognize, and I found that technique present, or at least imitated, in that sword you carry that belongs to the Chainmaid.”

“What?!”

Elliot’s eyes widened in surprise as Beaks smiled and pointed with the apple he carried to the sword Elliot held in his left hand. Lifting the sword up as Beaks took a bite from his apple Elliot’s mind raced back to when he was being guided through the labyrinth by Chain’s partner, the harpy Melody. He clearly remembered the familiarity she had with the name Sycamore and her skillful use of words to steer the topic away from him out of fear of Chain’s ire. The realization that coursed through Elliot’s being was reflected in his eyes as he looked back upon Beaks who smiled triumphantly.

“You do delight me Knight Prince Silverlance. Now we need only have your agreement to save the Stormroots.”

Copyright © 2018 Joshua D Tarwater