Chain the Infamous Chainmaid 3

“What was that?!”

The question was asked by a girl of ten springs in response to a roar that shook the very air above the peaks of the Stormroot Mountains. If not for the way the girl yelped however it probably would have been impossible to realize that she was a girl. Her cherry red hair was worn short and her large blue eyes were not unusual for a child. That she was dressed in the typical attire of boys in the Stormroot Region, a garment consisting of puffy shorts with a gathered elastic hem and a short sleeve button up shirt with sleeves that gave way to form fitting fingerless gloves worn over steel toed tights, did little to help her look feminine. The gun she had holstered under her left armpit added to the look of boyishness even more so detracting from any feminine traits in the girl of only ten springs.

“No doubt about it IO, it could have only been the dragon god.”

“It’s just a beast, no god. I guess I’m in charge though so I better go see what has it throwing such a fit. Come on Matches, let’s go see what has the dragon so upset.”

As the child who was address by the abbreviation for an Independent Operator in the Bright Rift army made to leave the command tent they motioned to a small creature on the command table. The blue squirrel like creature with flamed tip rabbit ears and mouse tail squeaked and ran up the IO’s extended arm. Perching upon the IO’s shoulder the creature named Matches nuzzled against the child’s cheek. The child smiled brightly before donning a more serious expression as she left the command tent.

Sprinting across the military encampment that had been established within the grassy pass in the peaks of the Stormroot Mountains the child ran up a set of stone steps carved from the black rock of the mountains but light bleached white in color. Smooth columns of similar construction with bands of red paint rose out of the mountains revealing the presence of a ruin system so extensive it was believed to spread all throughout the Stormroot Mountain system and the surrounding environs. That mattered little to the IO as they made their way to the top of the stairs and the massive temple that possessed a view of the whole of the mountain range came into sight. The domed structure was reminiscent more of the top of a lighthouse than a temple but that was difficult to discern from without due to the canvas tarps that had been thrown over the temple to block out all view of the interior and the exterior from within. The IO was one of the few who could enter the temple freely but that had little to do with their military rank though they were saluted by the guards on patrol as they entered the temple.

“There had better be a good reason for your ruckus dragon!”

The IO drew their gun, revealing a strange shape reminiscent of a long flat box, and aimed the weapon at the creature within the temple. It was a sight to behold and most would have been amazed at the enormous pit that filled the majority of the temple interior and appeared bottomless alone but the beast held suspended above it in a web of chains dominated everything. There was no doubt that the creature was a dragon with its serpentine neck and tail sprouting from a muscular trunk that sported four clawed limbs and a pair of great bat-like wings that stretched nearly a third of the way down its tail. From it brow the regal beast was possessed of a single massive horn that glowed so brilliantly in emerald hues that its physical structure could not be seen past the light that bathed the interior of the temple. For all of the Dragon’s grandeur though there was no doubt that it had been held within the temple for some time as layers of dirt had built up over its body and the chains that held it so thickly that centuries of plant life had grown and died upon it. Before the IO however the dragon showed more energy than it had in many a lifetime and fought against its bonds dislodging dirt and plant alike filling the air with a show of tumultuous vegetation. As the dragon was possessed of teeth no shorter than a grown man’s leg and claws that could skewer many a man more its size should have made the spectacle one of naught but terror but the IO held their ground and furrowed their brow as they stared down their gun with narrowed eyes at the beast.

“It would be a good idea not to ignore me dragon!”

The IO yelled angrily at the dragon which seemed a futile thing to do but somehow their voice reached the wrathful creature. Ceasing their futile struggles the dragon turned a fiery green eye onto the IO and spoke in a deep voice that shook the earth and air alike.

“THE DEFIANT PRIESTESS WHO PRENTENDS TO BE A HERO. HOW OPPORTUNE YOUR ARRIVAL.”

“Watch your tongue dragon. I will never be your attendant. I am Finch Misthead, Independent Operator of Bright Rift. And even if I’m a pretender now my deeds will soon give the Builders reason to sing about me.”

“HRM, HRM, HRM, HRM, HRM. YOU DO AMUSE ME SO CHILD OF MAN. ENOUGH TO CALM ME FROM MY RAGE AT THE HATCHLING WHOSE FOOLISHNESS KNOWS NO BOUNDS.”

“Speak clearly dragon. I’m in no mood for your riddles.”

“I OFFER YOU NO RIDDLES CHILD OF MAN, ONLY THE TRUTH TO MY IRE.”

Finch frowned further than she already had been and tried to reevaluate the dragon’s words. Only the mention of someone who had angered the dragon seemed a place to begin trying to make sense of what the beast was talking about. Settling on that point of interest Finch posed a question.

“You mentioned a hatchling before but the soldiers under my control have not reported the sightings of any dragons within the Stormroots. Even Professor Beaks weighed in on the unlikelihood of any other dragons being here in the Stormroots. Your kind are nigh extinct as far as can be told by the observations of the Five Great Theatres of Civilization.”

“FROM MY OBSERVATIONS AS WELL CHILD OF MAN. HENCE WHY THE STUBBORN FOOLISHNESS OF THE HATCHLING WHO HAS GARNERED MY ATTENTION IS NAUGHT BUT INFURIATING. MY KIND HAS SEEMINGLY LEFT THIS WORLD AND WHAT HOPE THERE IS SHOWS NO CONCERN FOR THEIR OWN LIFE.”

“I don’t feel bad for you at all. The people of Misthead have been beholden to you for generations so I would be nothing but glad to see your kind die out.”

“HRM, HRM, HRM, HRM, HRM. YOUR IGNORANCE IS FULLY ENTERTAINING CHILD OF MAN. BUT I WILL NOT SIT IDLE WHILE MY KIND FADE FROM HISTORY.”

“What choice do you have dragon? Your useless struggles should have made that clear again. But once I have slain the Bandit King I will return here and put you out of your misery.”

“SEEING YOU SLAY THE ONE YOU CALL TH E BANDIT KING WOULD PLEASE ME TO NO END CHILD OF MAN. HRM, HRM, HRM, HRM,HRM. YES… IF I COULD WITNESS YOU SLAY THAT MAN I WOULD GLADLY OFFER UP MY LIFE TO YOU TO DO WITH AS YOU SEE FIT.”

“I won’t fall for your tricks dragon.”

“THERE ARE NO TRICKS HERE CHILD OF MAN. MY WORD IS GIVEN AND IT SHALL BE KEPT IF YOU CAN DO THE IMPOSSIBLE.”

Finch gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on her gun. Matches on her shoulder squeaked worriedly but Finch ignored the peculiar creature as the dragon held all of her attention.

“Killing a Hero isn’t impossible. It can be done and even the Bandit King himself has already proved it over and over again.”

“YET NONE HAVE SLAIN THE BANDIT KING. SLAYING HIM IS AS IMPOSSIBLE A TASK FOR YOU AS IT IS FOR ME TO BREAK MY BONDS.”

“Don’t tell me it’s impossible. I’ll prove you wrong, I swear it.”

“AND HOW WILL YOU PROVE IT TO ME CHILD OF MAN. WILL YOU RETURN HERE TRIUMPHANT WITH A NEW SONG ON THE LIPS OF THE BUILDERS? I DOUBT THE EXISTENCE OF SUCH AN OUTCOME. I AM INFINITELY MORE POWERFUL THAN A PRETENDER WHOM THE BUILDERS ARE FORCED TO SING OF YET I CANNOT EVEN ESCAPE THIS SIMPLE PRISON.”

Another worried squeak that was as much a warning came from Matches but Finch was already too angry.

“That’s because you’re just a dumb beast. If it wasn’t for your horn the people of Misthead would have never come to rely on you. UPROOTER!!”

As Finch yelled out the air around her shimmered and she was pulled into the forming visage of an armored biped of steel and knightly flare. The biped stood nearly 8 meters in height and was armed with a massive gun similar to the one that Finch carried in hand. From within the stylized helmet of the biped a pair of blue eyes flared to magical life and a blue glow came from the geometric runes engraved into the biped’s armor. Hoisting the gun the biped aimed it the dragon and Finch’s voice filled the air.

“Now you dumb beast let me show you just how powerful I am. Just how unneeded you and that worthless horn of yours are.”

The biped pulled the trigger of its massive gun and the very air shuddered as energy was pulled from it into the barrel where it was compressed into a blinding blue light that challenged the green light of the dragon’s horn. Having no choice but to face that light the dragon glared down the metal biped that challenged it. The dragon’s glare was not one of rage however but satisfaction. A smile pulled at the dragon’s features even as the blue light in the gun became a shot of untold destruction.

Copyright © 2018 Joshua D Tarwater