Melody of the Builders 19

“Link, no!”

Melody’s cry was not for Chain in response to the bullet. The bullet fired by Professor Beaks proved to be completely ineffective as when it struck Chain her chainmail began to shift and writhe and simply redirected the bullet harmlessly with its flow. Seeing Chain’s Relic so activated Melody clearly began to panic.

“Link stop! Please! You promised! Don’t you remember your promise?!”

In answer to Melody’s question Chain simply snapped the fingers of her left hand and the distinctive ringing sound it made rung out. In that moment Melody’s panic turned to terror.

“Someone, someone stop her please, before Link destroys everything again.”

“I don’t think you get it cutie. She’s up against the only Hero in the Stormroots who can probably best the Bandit King one-on-one.”

“You’re the one who doesn’t understand you northern savage. It should not surprise me however that this far north you would never have heard of the Black Mast incident.”

“~ That which upends the natural order, boil forth from the Seventh Well ~”

As the incantation spilled from Chain’s lips Beaks eyes alit with delight.

“So you really can call upon the Seventh Well. How utterly delightful. I didn’t think to waste anymore time here but seeing the Seventh Well in use is an opportunity I cannot allow to go unobserved. Now show me Chainmaid, the full extent of your power.”

“~ Let the strong be as the weak and the weak as the strong ~”

Melody’s terror and despair reduced her to simply whimpering her plea for someone to stop Chain over and over again as her eyes filled with tears. Ignoring the distraught harpy Wherks took what time he had from Chain’s slow incanting to explain the Black Mast incident to Kyte.

“To put it simply, the Black Mast incident is why the Chainmaid is so feared wherever she treads. To describe it in short the Rattama settlement of Black Mast was taken over by bandits, who deigned to start a sovereign state, two springs ago so the locals called upon the Soarmont Adventurer Company for assistance. Amongst their number was the Chainmaid and when it was all over she had single handedly removed the entire geography of Black Mast and its surroundings from the map.”

“What?”

Varen questioned what he heard and stared on in horror at Wherks but Mail offered her assurance.

“I’ve heard the stories myself. I never thought they were true but...”

Turning her eyes onto Melody who was paralyzed by her terror Mail could not deny the truth behind those tales.

“~ Let contradiction become balance where chaos is order ~”

“Dammit!”

“Varen, don’t.”

Varen found himself coming to a stop as soon as he began to move in response to Elliot’s order. Turning his eyes onto the young Hero Varen awaited what else Elliot had to say.

“I’ll stop Chain. You get the Melody and the others out of here.”

“Do you really think I’ll let you make it that easy Knight Prince Silverlance?”

As Chain held up her hand revealing the swirling mass of Chaos that it held Beaks also raised his hand. In response to the hand signal the airship in the sky above opened fire creating a barrier of cannon fire around Chain and Beaks. Kyte clicked his tongue and turned his eyes skyward.

“Those poor fools don’t realize they’re following the orders of a traitor. Guess I’ll have to set them straight, and maybe you’ll owe me a favor eastern Hero since this might be considered helping you.”

Offering Elliot a smile Kyte twirled his spear and hurled it at the airship. A moment later he vanished, a verse taking him to wherever his spear went.

“Now Varen! Get out of here while they’re distracted!”

“Be careful Lord Elliot.”

“Just go Varen! You don’t need to worry about me.”

Keeping an eye on Varen only long enough to see him pick up Melody, Elliot turned his full attention to Chain just as she closed her fist around the sphere of chaos in her hand. A shockwave of power rushed forth from the maid and Elliot had to shield his eyes with his hand as he watched her. Seeing Beaks lack of reaction beyond an ever wilder and wilder smile Elliot lowered his hand and took his sword in both. Charging the two he cut an opening in the barrier of cannon fire and slid to a stop between Beaks and Chain.

“Elliot, don’t be an idiot and get in my.”

“Chain do you even realize what you’re –?”

Elliot stopped mid-sentence as he looked back over his shoulders and saw Chain slowly open her eyes reveling the maliciousness held within the green orbs. Reevaluating what it was he was trying to stop Elliot tried a different approach.

“Chain, you don’t need to do this and break your promise to Melody. The Hero who had been accosting you has taken to the airship to inform them of the treasonous actions of Master Beaks. Once they are aware of the situation dealing with Beaks will be a political matter and one that I can intervene in.”

“I would not be so sure Knight Prince Silverlance. Unfortunately for Ardea he has learned of my corroboration with Princess Corvina much too late. In fact, I’m certain he is learning the truth of such even as we speak.”

Elliot would have been impressed with the accuracy of Beaks’ timing if the situation did not seem so desperate. Regardless he was ignorant to the happenings upon the command deck of the airship where Kyte was trying to get the crew to listen to him. When Kyte did at last get the crews attention he realized just how infected Bright Rift had become due to Beaks’ treachery. In unison every member of the command deck crew looked upon Kyte with soulless black eyes and spoke with an inhuman voice.

“Eh, he, he, he, he. My, you sound so desperate master Hero. Don’t tell me that you’ve already realized how hopeless your vain little struggle is. I wanted to see the despair you feel take root in your eyes.”

“Princess Corvina I presume. I hope you won’t take this personally but I’m going to have to ask you to leave, and if you don’t–”

“You will cut down your own countrymen whom you are a Hero to in both name and deed. Do please, I can only imagine how sweet your anguish will be as I release them just before you kill them so you can see the betrayal and despair in their eyes.”

Kyte found himself subject to the twisted giggle and machinations of the one who possessed the crew and proved himself powerless to help Elliot below. As if to prove just how powerless Kyte was to Elliot, Beaks gave another hand signal and the cannon fire was diverted from separating him and Chain to trapping Varen and the others.

“Do you see Knight Prince Silverlance? Between Princess Corvina and myself the Stormroots are already in our control. All that remains now is removing the obstacles to the princess’ rule and I was so hoping you would help. Though, if not, the Chainmaid should more than suffice.”

“The only thing I’ll be removing from this world for you is yourself.”

Having turned his attention back to Beaks, Elliot heard Chain draw her sword rather than saw. He did not have to wait long though to see Chain put her sword to use as Beaks had to block Chain’s attack with his gun. Though Beaks found himself surprised as his strength seemed to be as an infant’s before Chain he still smiled.

“How… utterly delightful… Chainmaid. You’ve… discovered a way to… use the Well of Chaos… too fight a Hero. How truly delightful, but attacking a man of my power in such a straightforward way will prove your downfall Chainmaid.”

♪~ The order comes and so we sing ~♪
♪~ About the earth and Yglas’ Flesh ~♪
♪~ Soon Niol jails more than one ~♪

Chain heard the verse but was too lost in her rage to react to it and was promptly consumed by the ground she tread.

“Chain!”

Elliot looked on in shock as Chain disappeared before his eyes. He was not afforded much time to look upon where Chain had been though as Beaks straightened out and dusted himself off and holstered his gun. Recognizing that the Hero before him was in total control Elliot turned a wrathful glare upon him but stayed his sword. Elliot’s restraint brought a smile to Beaks’ face and he complimented the Hero in the most condescending of ways.

“I’m delighted that you seem to understand the direness of the situation that you are in Knight Prince Silverlance. Even if you did not though it would still be hard not to see that I have the lives of everyone you desire to protect in my hands. Even the Chainmaid whose Relic may protect her from the Builders’ Song but not that which it manipulates. Now, I was intending to do business with the Chainmaid but since she seems to be having a temper tantrum you will have to do. But due listen and act quickly Knight Prince Silverlance for while the Chainmaid’s spell granted her tremendous strength I doubt it will prevent her from suffocating if you take too long. And don’t bother trying to find a way to save everyone beyond what I offer you because if you do I can guarantee you that only you will stand a chance at surviving.”

“So be it Master Beaks. I’ll listen to what it is that you have to say.”

Straightening up Elliot sheathed his sword and dropped his hands to his side though he did not relax his wrathful gaze. Beaks smiled gloatingly as he managed to come out the victor. Tossing aside the apple he had held for some time now he extracted yet another of the green skinned fruits from his coat and cleaned it on his shirt.

“How delightful.”

Gleefully, Professor Plume Beaks took a bite out of the fresh apple.

Copyright © 2018 Joshua D Tarwater