Chain Melody 8

“Remeber Melody, no matter what type of opponent that you’re facing, every action they take has an intention behind it. The easiest of these intentions to sense is their killing intent, but if you learn to sense the intention of every action they take you’ll always be able to hold your own no matter your opponent. For a harpy like yourself your natural instincts should help you learn to sense that intent and then it’s just learning to only use your energy to react at the last moment so as not to tire yourself out.)

“So what am I supposed to do Swallow when my opponent can take as many actions at a time as she can?~♪”

Questioning what she was taught by Swallow Martin sometime in the past, Melody evaluated the situation before her. Corvina may have seemed to be a part of the mess of shadowy tendrils she had summoned up but as she was not a part of them Melody knew that the Princess of Highroot could easily take actions independent of them. Digging her talons into the ground Melody braced herself for what would come next which turned out to be Corvina mocking her.

“What’s the matter my precious little harpy? I thought you said killing monsters was your specialty. Eh, he, he, he, he.”

“It is!”

Taking Corvina’s bait Melody hurled herself at the Hero and the crowds under her control that she surrounded herself with. No sooner than she had taken the bait was Melody’s concerns proven true as massive tendrils pulled out of the ground to strike at her as the tendrils that held the crowds whipped their prisoners about as weapons as well. Through it all though Melody proved astoundingly agile and dodged every attack at the last possible moment, tucking her wings tight against her body and pressing her knees to her chest to shrink her profile. Relying on powerful flicks of her ankles Melody used her stilt-like feet to not give up any speed and was arguably faster not putting the full length of her legs to work.

Emerging from the rubble of the destroyed face of the Company House the adventurers who made up the audience to the battle were again amazed by Melody as she danced amongst Corvina’s assault. Amongst the crowd Miss Down watched with a mix of fear and awe as Melody’s singing summoned blades of wind sharp enough to cut the tendrils of shadows that held the crowds captive even as more snatched the freed citizens back up. Grabbing a piece of rubble tightly Miss Down gritted her teeth and quietly cheered Melody on as she fought to make her way through Corvina’s mad web.

“Come on Melody, do it. Show that witch that you just can’t beat a birdbrain like you who isn’t smart enough to realize she should be losing.”

Miss Down was not the only one who started cheering for Melody and in short order all of the adventurers who watched the battle started cheering the harpy on.

“You can do it!”

“Put that witch in her place!”

“Show her that we adventurers aren’t to be underestimated!.”

The cheering of the crowds did naught but amuse Corvina whose red painted lips curled into an amused smile.

“I have to give this Swallow Martin maid credit my precious little harpy. That I haven’t been able to strike you yet is a testament to how well she taught you to fight. But don’t you think that you’re not making any progress?”

“I really would prefer it if you didn’t say anything~♪”

“But a fight is a conversation too, isn’t it my precious little harpy?”

“I’d rather think of it as a dance and right now it’s really too crowded to dance~♪”

“Hmm, it is a little crowded isn’t it? Perhaps if we were to thin out the crowd a little. Eh, he, he, he, he.”

“No! Don’t!”

Melody’s eyes widened in horror as a number of people from the crowd were lifted up high above by the tendrils that held them as they wrapped around the throats of their puppets. She wanted to act on it but could easily read the trap that awaited her if she did. Complicating matters she also noticed the tendrils racing under the surface of the courtyard that were obviously heading for the adventurers watching the battle. Then there was Corvina herself who suddenly disappeared from within her gown of shadowy tendrils.

“You really are too persistent!~♪”

Melody yelled out her complaint as Corvina had taken her back and brought her sword to bear. It was obviously another feint as Melody could clearly sense her intention but gambled on reacting to it anyway. Twisting out of the way of the attack Melody tightly gripped the ground with a talon and pin wheeled on her hip joint. As she turned over she grabbed Corvina’s wrist and leapt off the ground with a powerful flap of her wings. Corvina was obviously surprised as the grimace of pain that adorned her face was also one of rage as Melody dislocated the Hero’s shoulder.

“Don’t think you’re getting away that easily!”

Hissing through the pain Corvina brought her parasol around to act as an air break against Melody’s attempt to rapidly gain elevation. It was an obvious move on Corvina’s part and Melody twisted around again and with another powerful flap of her wings not only avoided the incoming attack from the gown of tendrils but tore Corvina’s arm clear off as she passed the aerially locked Hero.

“KYAAA~!!!!!”

Corvina’s scream tore through the air and her concentration was broken, every shadowy tendril she controlled bursting into harmless motes as blood gushed from her torn apart shoulder. Corvina’s scream was only cut short as her body slammed back down to the ground followed by that of the crowds who had been under her control. In that moment Aperture was free of her control, but the adventurers in the Company House and Melody were not ones to rest now and the adventures scrambled forth to join the harpy as she tossed aside the arm she had torn free. The sight of the charging harpy brought forth a collective panic in the now freed crowds and even the possibility of disappearing into the crowds was taken from Corvina. Faced with the shock of having lost her arm and the charging Melody, Corvina did the only thing her reeling mind could think of and attempted to shield herself with her parasol. Melody easily kicked the flimsy shield aside and looked down upon Corvina with every intention to kill her. Something about seeing the harpy looking down on her caused Corvina to snap and her powers manifested in a way that Melody could not react to quick enough as the Builders’ Song rose in new verse to meet her.

♪~ When strings are cut the play doth fail ~♪
♪~ Collapse necessitates a fierce improv ~♪
♪~ From tangled strings and fallen web ~♪
♪~ Hear it rise, the God Within ~♪

All throughout Aperture as Corvina screamed in defiance of her defeat massive spires of darkness comprised of the shadow tendrils she controlled erupted forth. Everything in their paths were immediately entangled within the tendrils and all that saved Varen, Wherks, and Mail was Kyte’s abilities as a Hero as his spear work fended off  the tendrils that would have consumed the conspiring group.

“What was that fur ball?!”

“How should I know?! Beyond it being the Builders singing all I can say for certain is that likely someone has pushed the Hero we have intended to do battle with beyond their limitations. This is nothing but trouble however since it potentially compromises everything we had planned.”

“No… We can’t give up now.”

“Don’t worry Lady Mail, I still have at least one more use of Lord Elliot’s Equalizer. If worse comes to worse than the Hero here and I will fight that monster alone.”

Melody and the adventurers of Soarmont’s Adventurer Company were not so fortuitous to have a Hero to save them and were ignorant to the schemes of Varen and the others. Instead, their attention was focused on fighting against being crushed to death. Without any Relics to battle the Builders’ Song however they stood little to no chance. Even Melody could only look on helplessly as Corvina glared at her with nothing but hatred.

“I was going to spare you and give you a place in my new world but that is now forfeit. The only reason I will keep you alive now is so you can see the southern maid destroy everything. Then I will make you watch powerlessly as I break her and make her my puppet. Then, then you will be allowed to die at the hands of your precious southern maid. Eh, he, he, he, he. EH~ HA, HA, HA, HA~!!!!!”

Copyright © 2018 Joshua D Tarwater