Chain Melody 17

Tendrils of shadow pulled Chain violently through the air and bridge bound neighborhoods of the chasm that held Aperture. The speed with which she traveled prevented Chain from even beginning to put together what was happening and as she smashed into and through buildings it became even harder to focus. The one thing that became obvious to her as she gritted her teeth against the battering she took was that the Heart of the Sacred Sword Shrine and what remained of its exterior quickly disappeared from view.

“Crap! This is not the time you idiot!”

Chain may not have known what was going on but it did not stop her sharp tongue from lashing out at her attacker. Not expecting a response though Chain instead focused on getting herself out of her current situation and let her cape dissipate into a shadowy mist and then nothing. The mist her cape became took a number of the tendrils that had entwined her with it as it vanished and Chain banished the spilling flame that had been in her left hand. Flying even more wildly through the air at the whim of the shadowy tendrils that still held her Chain snapped the fingers of her left hand a summoned forth a sphere of light that glowed intensely as she incanted a spell.

“~ From the Fifth Well I bid thee rise gentle light ~
~ Harmless motes that drift in the dark become as spears to pierce my foes ~
~ Lig Sher! ~”

In response to Chain’s incantation motes of light filled the air tracing her path through Aperture. They did not linger though and became as spear-like ribbons that chased after her and severed the shadowy tendrils that held her and any others that chased after her. Free of the tendrils Chain now flew through the air held aloft only by her own momentum but she was unbothered by that and put her acrobatic abilities to use. Twisting herself around into a spin Chain forced herself to change direction midair as her cape blew back into being creating drag to slow her down. Drawing her sword Chain stabbed it into a rooftop that she began to pass over to further slow herself down but her momentum was too great and she cut right through the roof top and tumbled through the air. Her violent tumble continued to the smooth stone street that offered her no cushioning as she crashed into it and between the steam vehicles that lined it. With a demonstration of her strength and durability Chain pushed herself off the ground and flipped over buying herself just enough time to stab her sword into the ground. Righted, Chain was able to finally slide to a stop, but not before leaving a long gash in the stone street with her sword. As she stopped her cape flared out behind her and Chain dismissed it again, the mist it transitioned through defeating the shadowy tendrils that attempted to snatch her from behind. Rising to her feet Chain pulled her sword free of the street and snapped it out to her side as she scanned the street. As she tried to evaluate her situation she was assaulted by the inhuman voice of the master of the tendrils that chased her and their larger counterparts which snaked through the entire city in the form of some grotesque web.

“Eh, he, he, he, he… What’s the matter southern maid? Was my invitation not to your liking?”

“Since it was more like an abduction; no, not really. Besides I was kind of busy trying to prevent a Demon Lord from waking up.”

Chain could not, or bothered trying to hide her irritation as she watched the swarms of unnaturally moving people that had begun to move towards from all around. The sight of their soulless black eyes told Chain they were not under their own control and as she made direct eye contact with one of them the Builders’ Song told her whose control they were under.

♪~ Actor garbed in obscurity~♪
♪~ Behind the stage and clear of sight ~♪
♪~ With fingers cold and tied in string ~♪
♪~ Motionless and silent both ~♪
♪~ The victim not the twisted shadow ~♪
♪~ With finger twitch they dance and fall ~♪
♪~ Life and death are but their stage ~♪
♪~ Never the prisoner the Puppeteer ~♪

“Still, considering who you are, I guess I can spare a minute to kill you just like your father, Princess Corvina of Highroot.”

Chain’s eyes narrowed as she spoke and her choice of words brought forth laughter from the unfortunate puppets under Corvina’s control.

“Eh, he, he, he, he. You killed him already? How wonderful. How wonderful! You’ve already begun then. How absolutely wonderful! You’re violent nature doesn’t disappoint at all southern maid. Not like that filthy bird maid.”

“You better be very careful what you say about Melody…”

“Or what, you’ll destroy all of Aperture? Please do, please do, please do! But don’t stop there. No, no, no… All of Bright Rift and Highroot and the Stormroots! Destroy it all and leave not a trace. Show me the monster that I should be fearing! EH~, HA, HA, HA, HA~!”

As Corvina laughed maniacally the masses under her control hurled themselves at Chain with a force and violentness that shattered and broke their bodies in ways they could never recover from. Whether out of sympathy or just to avoid being buried alive, Chain put her sword to brutal work and severed limb and life both. Just as her sword met flesh however the unfortunate victims of Corvina’s power and her sword were freed and the look of terror that appeared in their eyes made Chain grit her teeth. Regardless Chain could not afford to stop and continued to put her sword to terrible work as she made her way atop the steam vehicles that lined the street. Leaping from vehicle to vehicle Chain continued to press through the unnatural moving mass of people relying on her own speed to reduce the need to cut down Corvina’s victims. Despite her best efforts though, her sword flashed about in the reflected light that filled Aperture and the blood of her victims. Gritting her teeth harder Chain was mocked by Corvina with laughter and word both.

“Eh, he, he, he, he. What’s the matter southern maid? Are you not the monster who wiped Black Mast from the map? The monster that makes her living atop a mountain of corpses? These weak willed puppets shouldn’t bother you so. No, no, no, no, no southern maid. They shouldn’t bother you at all. You should be more violent, more ferocious, more destructive!”

“Will you just shut up already?”

Chain’s words were cold and harsh and just drew forth more laughter from Corvina. With a snap of her fingers Chain demonstrated her irritation as she again called forth the incantation that sent spear-like ribbons of light swirling out through the air. Unlike her last casting though this time the spears struck nothing near her and seemed to chase off harmlessly into the distance. The inhuman voice Corvina spoke with rose up again from her victims, but it was tinged with obvious dissatisfaction at Chain’s rather worthless spell.

“What was that southern maid?! What was it?! What was it?!”

“Don’t worry about it you annoying idiot.”

Chain still spoke coldly as she refused to answer Corvina and again snapped the fingers of her left hand calling forth the sphere of light that preceded her spells.

“~ From the depths of the Sixth Well I call forth your dark power ~
~ Rush forth from your prison and release you destructive will ~”

As Chain incanted the sphere of light became as shadow and swirled and writhed as her spell took form. Skipping from vehicle roof to vehicle roof as she cast, Chain built up speed before suddenly leaping an astounding distance in a blink. Clearing the immediate crowd Chain did not bother even looking back as it washed over itself to pursue her. Instead Chain focused on completing her leap and smashed the sphere of shadows she held into the ground as she landed.

“~ Dar Lat! ~”

As Chain completed her incantation and smashed the spell into the ground a sigil appeared underfoot along with a ring of light that spread at from the point of contact. An instant later Chain was consumed in a massive explosion as the shadowy mist of her cape appeared around her. When the mass of people under Corvina’s control reached the gapping maw Chain left in the road there was no sign of her, only a hole that clearly revealed the layer of city beneath the one she had occupied.

“Go ahead and run southern maid. There is no where you can hide though. This whole city is my stage. Mine, mine, mine! So you will play your role in my play! You have no choice at all! Eh, he, he, he, he.”

Copyright © 2018 Joshua D Tarwater