Chain the Infamous Chainmaid 21

“Don’t worry your Majesty, the Chainmaid can still be used to reverse this situation.”

“Can she now Highperch? From where I stand I see two Heroes who are ready to put an end to her.”

Speaking quietly Highperch and Stormflock exchanged words while the bandits who guarded them were distracted by the sounds of their brethren dying horribly coming across the Bandit King’s two-way radio. The animosity and doubt expressed by Stormflock did not have the usual effect on Highperch. It was perhaps the stress of the situation, or even its absurdity, but a smile lifted the bushy mustache of the leader of the Highroot Company House for the Soarmont Adventurer Company.

“Heh. That annoying girl barely turned maid is more terrifying than you can imagine. That she hasn’t already leveled the kingdom is telling me that she wants something from someone here and that’s what I’m betting on to get us out of this mess.”

“Yet she was bested by the Bandit King when she first came to my kingdom was she not Highperch.”

“Yet she lived through that fight and the only destruction in her wake was the lives of countless bandits. She was holding back you majesty. Just look at the Bandit King for your proof. I don’t see his typical grin and every meeting I’ve ever had with him he was wearing it sure as the Builders Tree stands.”

“You really think the Bandit King is scared of your little pawn? If this situation was not so dire I would be beside myself with laughter Highperch.”

“Believe what you want your Majesty, but know that I still have a way to get out of this mess.”

Highperch’s confidence was not infectious as Stormflock had too great of doubt as he could not ignore the presence of the two Heroes in his throne room. As the Heroes did have his attention though, he could not deny that Roc wore a grim expression. That expression grew more grim as Roc closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Opening his eyes again he dropped the two-way radio he held and rose to his feet.

“She’s here.”

The words the Bandit King spoke were spoken as though a dreaded battle was upon them and it was the truth. The towering doors of the throne room opened slowly and the winds that carried the parting storm rushed in whipping about the banners of green carrying the upside-down tree crest of Highroot that were draped from the balconies. In contrast to the wildness of the wind and frantic tension that emanated from all but the Heroes in the throne room what strode in was cold and lifeless.

“That… is the Chainmaid?”

Stormflock vocalized his shock at the sight of Chain but he was not the only one disturbed by the maid’s appearance. She walked slowly with her head hung, her bangs hiding her eyes and swaying in rhythm to her unstable steps. Behind her the spearhead of her spear dragged on the ground drawing a trail of red that drew on the abundant blood that drenched Chain from head to toe. Her hair and cape were matted to her body by the excess of the sticky red liquid that painted her chainmail a glossy red. She looked as though she had stepped out of someone’s worst nightmares and even the Bandit King acknowledged it.

“So there she is, her façade washed away in crimson; the Bandit Eater, the Bloodied Demon of Black Mast, the infamous Chainmaid.”

Though he spoke with a chilling calm Roc armed himself with the sureness of one who knew there was no avoiding battle. In his left hand he fingered the trigger of his dragon motif hand cannon and in his left he firmly gripped the chain that connected his hand cannon to the giant, spiked iron ball that fell to the floor at his feet. The tension in the air froze everyone in the room and surprisingly even Chain stopped just shy of the line of fire of the Sentinels in sniping position in the balconies above. Within Uprooter Finch gritted her teeth, but showed great restraint in not moving so as not to have the Sentinel reveal her plan. Whether Chain even noticed the eight meter tall, armored steel biped was another matter as she seemed to look right past it as she addressed Roc so quietly that she was almost inaudible.

“I don’t know why you’re here you grinning idiot, but I still have a use for you so you have no reason to be in this execution chamber. Now leave before I change my mind…”

“What the hell are you talking about Chainmaid?! He’s a damnable bandit and you’re an adventurer who’s responsibilities include bringing such fiends to justice or death!”

“Now that’s just unnecessary Highperch. You know even Soarmont himself has left me to my business and now you’re ordering the Chainmaid to kill me.”

“Now I get it…”

Again Chain spoke quietly but her words drew everyone’s attention with the weight and force they carried.

“… you caught Highperch and the King and came here to reaffirm your rule over the Stormroots. Well, you can leave now because you don’t have to worry about them anymore. Seeing Highperch coddling the King of Highroot tells me the both of them are just as responsible as that idiot princess and the idiots of Bright Rift for Melody being a prisoner.”

“What the hell are you saying Chainmaid?”

Highperch could not hide the fear in his voice as he was crushed by the meaning behind Chain’s words. Even as a veteran adventure who had lived long enough to be too old to continue adventuring he had never felt such fear for his life. Seeing Chain lift her foot to take her next step convinced Highperch he had to flee and began to turn to accomplish just that. He would not complete his turn however as Chain’s step took her into the line of sight of one of Bright Rift’s Sentinels.

“NOW!”

Finch cried out the order to fire and the Sentinel pilot did not waste their opportunity.

“That was foolish…”

Roc’s solemn words would go unheard by any present as they were spoken in regards to what happened in that instant. As the shot of magical energy was fired from the shoulder mounted cannon of the Sentinel traveled for Chain she swayed with her step and her cape even matted down with blood swung opposite of her. In that motion Chain managed to avoid being struck at all as the energy was absorbed by her cape and disappeared. It would return immediately however with Chain’s next swaying step as her cape again swung opposite of her and it released the shot back at the Sentinel.

“No…”

Finch could no longer hold herself or Uprooter still as she turned back fiercely to look over her shoulder causing the Sentinel to do the same. Through Uprooter’s eyes she bore witness to the remnants of the Sentinel that had fired upon Chain and the devastated balcony they had occupied. Shock gave way to rage and Finch turned around and clenched her and Uprooter’s fists as she faced Chain.

“Everyone stand down! She’s mine!”

Drawing Uprooter’s gun Finch took aim at Chain and fired. To the surprise of all but Highperch and the Bandit King Chain easily jumped out of the way of the attack with a methodically slow leap that seemed to taunt Finch. As she landed she still seemed off balance as she swayed again and used her spear to catch herself but Finch did not take another shot yet having already seen what happened to the Sentinel pilot.

“You, know, I was ignoring you on purpose because to the best of my knowledge you’re Melody’s friend. But the thing is, right now I don’t care. Back in Nest Cliff you took responsibility for that muscle bound idiot who’s probably to blame for what happened in the Stormroots. That means your inability to rein him in makes you just as responsible as everyone else involved.”

“I don’t see how a monster like you could possibly be friends with someone as kind as that harpy. If not for her and her kindness and encouragement I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

“Yeah, that sounds like Melody alright.”

As she responded to Finch, Chain dropped the head of her spear to the ground again and began her swaying walk again with Finch and Uprooter as her destination.

“But that’s the thing, nice little girls like you who are too stupid to see how ugly this damn world is can never give her the place in the world that she desires. Only a monster like me can. That’s the only gift I can give her for being there for me since I lost everything; to be a monster so horrid she looks like any other person in comparison despite being a harpy.”

“That’s just wrong! She said so herself all those springs ago to me that you don’t give up who you are to fit in! If you don’t fit in or like the world as it is you make a place for yourself or rebuild the world itself!”

“You really are a stupid little girl. You think you know who I am. Well no one but Melody does. No one but Melody knows that I already have the blood of the most horrid of beasts running through my veins. Then again, I guess even Melody doesn’t realize just how much of a monster I am…”

As Chain spoke those words she stopped and lifted her left hand up, staring at the blood soaked, chainmail clad hand. The motion caught Roc’s attention and his eyes widened with realization. Looking down at his weapon and the chain that held its two distinct ends together the Bandit King’s toothy grin at last returned to his face.

“Well now, you may have an opportunity to atone for your crimes Bandit Eater.”

His grin growing wider the Bandit King looked up to see that with Chain distracted by her hand Finch had taken aim anew. Pulling the trigger of Uprooter’s gun Finch opened fire and discovered that Chain was anything but defenseless. As before Chain easily dodged the shot but she did not simply dodge as she hurled herself past the shot straight for Uprooter’s chest with spear tip leading.

“No way! She shouldn’t be able to jump like that!”

Finch’s surprise caused her to tense up to prepare to avoid Chain’s attack but she was in for another surprise.

Copyright © 2018 Joshua D Tarwater