Chain Melody 6

“What is that?”

Melody could not hide her surprise as she looked out one of the front windows of the Company House in Aperture. Glistening in the reflected daylight countless strands of shadowy tendrils weaved a horrendous web through the city of Aperture. The threads were no mere spell however as Melody surely heard the Builders’ Song about the twisted decorations.

♪~ Stage and actor all, on string they are to dance and prance ~♪
♪~ The script is writ, performers cast ~♪
♪~ The Puppeteer controls it all ~♪

“That’s only part of the reason we’re going to hell, birdbrain.”

Looking behind her at Miss Down who had lead her to the front of the Company House, Melody noticed the maid’s finger pointing much closer to home. Following the direction of the finger Melody’s breath caught in her throat.

“No…”

Beyond the courtyard of the Company House throngs upon throngs of people shambled about with soulless black eyes staring off into nothingness. The garb of the people was distinctly unique to a the cliff side lives of the people of Bright Rift and assured the horrified harpy maid that the very citizens of Aperture were being held captive by Corvina and her power.

“I don’t know how dense you still are, birdbrain, but let me spell it out for you if you haven’t gotten any wiser. That mad witch has holed up in here because the agreements between Soarmont and the nations of the Five Great Theatres of Civilization prevent them from entering our Company Houses in any form of force. In turn though we can’t turn our weapons against the citizens of their nations in any type of concentrated front which means we would have to leave one at a time. Unfortunately if we tried that those crowds would rip us apart. And other ways out are off the table to because then she would just use those threads that you see to bring the whole city down. And if you don’t believe me that’s just because you weren’t awake to see her give her demonstration. She really has us trapped in her web and there’s nothing we can do. And now you’re talking about the damn Chainmaid coming here ready to bring her ire to bear against anyone who gets in her way, the consequences be damned.”

“I don’t understand. Even with her telling me that she wants to end everything if she has this type of power what is she waiting for?”

“Wait, she told you what it is she’s after?”

“Yeah. Pretty much she’s kind of throwing a temper tantrum like Link and has just decided that she’s going to destroy everything in the process. But, she seems insistent on having Link be the one who does the actual destroying…”

“If that’s the case and she’s aware of the relationship between you and the Chainmaid, then why did she let you go?”

“I kind of have a bad feeling about that actually~♪”

The song that returned to Melody’s voice was fraught with unease and that only made Miss Down more nervous herself.

“What else did she tell you birdbrain?”

“That she needed me to be Swallow Martin’s student…”

“So then she wants you to fight her?”

“Probably~♪”

“You can’t!”

To Melody’s surprise Miss Down suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her intently in the eyes.

“If you mess up and anything happens to you…”

“I know, I know… but… She’s right, I am Swallow’s student and there’s no doubt that Swallow would beat her with ease~♪”

“But she obviously has a plan if she’s bringing that up.”

“I know, but what else can we do. No matter what Link is out there and if I can’t get in contact with her who knows how far she’ll go. If only the radio phones were still working…”

“Like we would be so fortunate.”

Gritting her teeth Miss Down let go of Melody and stepped back. Melody looked away from the teacher and back into the Company House and new she was going to have to face Corvina.

“I guess not when you have someone like that making fools of us… But you know, I had Link promise me not to go wild like that ever again… But I’ve already seen that look in her eyes again so I know if I can’t get in touch with her…”

“We really are going to hell. Damn that witch.”

“Don’t give up yet Miss Down. I may not be a Hero and I may not have a Relic but I’ve resisted her power before. I’ve also held my own against a Hero from Bright Rift for at least a moment so I should be able to fight back. And for everything I’m not considering I have Swallow’s training and my ability to sing along with the Builders involving Bhrea’s Gifts…”

“Then…?”

“Uh-huh. I’m going to at least try~♪”

Giving Miss Down no room to offer any further arguments Melody made her way back into the Company House and began to seek out Corvina. She put on a brave face but her terror was palpable. Over the last few days the princess of Highroot had made Melody her plaything and Melody knew that she could just as easily bring that scenario about again.

“Stop it Melody~♪ It’s just like with Varen and the others~♪ I don’t know anything but what will happen if I don’t get in touch with Link~♪ Why Link hasn’t tried to contact me means that she knows that I’m a prisoner~♪ If that’s so then it’s only a matter of time before Link loses it~♪ So that just means it’s up to me to be good enough to beat this horrible, horrible princess and save everyone.”

“Eh, he, he, he, he. I never thought you were the type to play the hero my precious little harpy.”

Corvina’s voice froze Melody where she stood. Turning around slowly in the hall her wandering had taken her into she caught a full glimpse of the city beyond the floor to ceiling windows that ran the length of the hall. The sight of the threads that bound the city strengthened Melody’s resolve even as the fact that she was in a hall that no one in the Company House should have been using under the circumstances told her that she was only growing more entangled in Corvina’s web. That realization meant little though as she knew what it was she had to do and completed her turn.

Standing before Melody with an almost rapturous expression was surely enough Corvina in the flesh. She held her parasol open and stroked its shaft lovingly as she gazed upon Melody who readied for battle.

“I’m not a Hero at all~♪ I’m just an adventurer who has taken on the job of stopping you~♪”

“Eh, he, he, he, he. You’ll have to be so much more than an adventurer if you want to stop me my precious little harpy.”

Copyright © 2018 Joshua D Tarwater