Chain Melody 20

(Why do people have to die?)

As she worked furiously to pursue the Bandit King and free the people of Bright Rift from Corvina’s control, Finch began to lose her thoughts to the sight of the carnage around her.

(I don’t understand. For as long as I can remember death and fear of it has controlled my life. The priest who left me in Misthead died from wounds that I’ll never know where they came from. So many traders who couldn’t afford airship passage died to bandits who had found ways to avoid the sight of the dragon. Countless adventurers down in the labyrinth seeking a life beyond their means. More soldiers than I can count under my command against the beasts of the Emerald Sea. And now the people of Aperture even as I try to save them. It all seems so pointless.)

A weak squeak from within her left arm where she cradled Matches pulled Finch from her disparaging thoughts with a start. Looking down at the spirit in the form of a rodent quieted Finch’s mind and a gentle smile found its way to the child Hero’s lips.

“That’s right. People die, but I’m sworn to save those that I can. I can’t worry about choosing who to save and who not to. I just have to try and save everyone.”

Gritting her teeth Finch looked out anew upon the city of Aperture. Entangled and enthralled by Corvina’s webs of shadow tendrils the normally colorful and lively city seemed a cruel parody of itself. Corvina was not the only Hero who marred Aperture however as barely keeping ahead of Uprooter’s stride before her was none other than the Bandit King who would risk freeing a Demon Lord of legend  for his hatred of Lewis Sycamore and all who shared his blood. Tightening the grip on her gun Finch took aim at the Hero before her and pulled the trigger. To no one’s surprise Roc easily fired off a shot of his hand cannon behind him and stopped the shot.

“You’re becoming tiring kid.”

“I won’t hear your hollow words Bandit King! Not when you’ll risk the whole word for your hatred!”

“Is that so? Then perhaps you are nowhere near as wise I thought you were for your years kid.”

Spinning around and coming to a stop Roc turned to face the eight meter tall Sentinel that dwarfed even his giant frame. His teeth bared in indignant fury the Bandit King hurled forth his spiked ball and took aim with his hand cannon for Finch upon Uprooter’s shoulder. Having already conceded to her fate Finch moved without fear and leapt from Uprooter’s shoulder as the Sentinel leaped up into the air and flipped over. Beneath her Roc’s chain whipped by and Finch fired off a shot that intercepted Roc’s own before it could be shaped by the Builders’ Song. Stretching out her legs Finch touched down on the chain beneath her and used it as a stepping stone to propel herself straight for the Bandit King as Uprooter fired off a number of shots as it twirled through the air above devastating Corvina’s web. Roc was unimpressed by Finch’s efforts to fight two Heroes at once and with a fierce yank of his chain pulled his spiked ball back into hand. Behind him Uprooter landed and opened fire upon him with its scale version of Finch’s own gun. The blue light of the gun could not reach the Bandit King as a shot from his hand cannon stopped the shot even as he shielded himself with his spiked ball from Finch’s rain of blue energy shots. Intending to hurl his spiked ball again Roc was forced to change his plans and continue blocking as Finch ended her prior leap in a powerful dive kick. Though blocked Finch did not back off and found her footing upon the spiked ball and took aim at the Bandit King’s head. Shifting just enough to avoid the shot Roc glared upon the child Hero with such abandon who stood upon his spiked ball.

“You know you can’t win, so why waste your time fighting me?”

“Because I swore to save as many people as I could. To protect those I care about and free my home from bandits like you! But you know what Bandit King? I keep failing. People keep dying and Misthead is bound to be indebted to a monster like the Chainmaid in one way or another. Killing you and the dragon that started all of this is all I have left!”

“And what about that spirit that you’re clinging to so tightly?”

“I can’t save Matches without protecting the Chainmaid. So like I said, killing you is all I have left that I can do!”

Gritting her teeth Finch opened fire anew upon Roc who easily dodged all of Finch’s shot even at such close range. He did not simply defend himself however and moved to attack. Hoisting his spiked ball aloft Roc proceeded to smash it into the ground along with Finch. Finch did not linger and quickly withdrew as she continued to fire. The Bandit King showed little concern for Finch’s continued barrage as he took a mighty step forward that splintered the ground into a rush of spontaneously formed columns that forced Finch to retreat even more. As she retreated and lost sight of the Bandit King from the fore she watched him from behind with Uprooter’s glowing blue eyes and took a shot at him with the Sentinel’s gun among the many she fired about the city to disrupt Corvina’s control. Finch was unsurprised by the ease with which Roc again stopped Uprooter’s shot with his hand cannon but the distraction still served her well as the giant could not put his full strength into his next ball and chain attack. Even without his full strength behind the attack it still easily destroyed the columns of stone that he had forged from the street they fought on forcing Finch to leap out of the way. For Finch this was not a problem but part of her larger strategy and she and Uprooter simultaneously opened up with enough shots into where Roc stood to have easily overwhelmed even most Heroes. Roc was not most Heroes though and his chain whipped up into the air around him in a devastating swirling vortex of destruction that deflected  every shot aimed for him. Protected at last within that vortex he at last fired off a shot that could be shaped by the Builders’ Song.

♪~ With bowstrung cries he would have wept, a shout instead for all his pain ~♪
♪~ His wish still hung on shooting star ~♪
♪~ Under fiery bloom made in salute, his tears still found their way to Niol ~♪

Rising up from within the chain made vortex a fiery streak of light tore into the sky above Aperture and exploded into a rain of fiery missiles. Finch’s eyes widened in horror as that destructive rain threatened to devastate the city but she was in no position to stop them. Before her the vortex held at Roc’s command suddenly expanded violently tearing apart building and street alike as it did. Not willing to give up Finch gritted her teeth even fiercer and leapt through the swirling chain, firing off shots into the heart of the vortex and the sky above. Uprooter was unable to join its master though as its size left it fully exposed to the vortex and the giant of steel was brutally shredded. Finch did not have time to worry about her steadfast ally though as another verse rose from the Builders’ Song in the air around her.

♪~ With all the Stormroot in his reach and a chain that binds the moon~♪
♪~ All who ventured forests low and high ~♪
♪~ In his trap they did walk ~♪
♪~ Face his might no choice they’d have ~♪

“Now!”

Finch let out a shout demonstrating her preparedness for Roc’s signature attack but did not take aim behind her where Roc appeared ready to strike with his fist. Instead she aimed for behind where her Sentinel once stood confusing and amusing the giant, drawing forth his toothy grin in a nervous light.

“Had my chain not already shredded your knight kid I would have been impressed by your decision to defend your greatest weapon.”

“And you should have Bandit King!”

With the time to respond due to Roc’s confusion Finch assured the giant that his claim of Uprooter being her greatest weapon was on the mark. His toothy grin dissipating the Bandit King heard the verse rising up from the Builders’ Song telling him of his mistake.

♪~ Once a toy for yet weaned girl ~♪
♪~ A comforter in times of tears ~♪
♪~ Now it stands her champion knight ~♪

Birthed from a blue flame that matched its eyes Uprooter emerged from within the dust of Roc’s vortex. In the moment that the Builders’ Song summoned the Sentinel anew it unleashed the punch that formed ready to throw and struck the unprepared Bandit King unblocked.

Copyright © 2018 Joshua D Tarwater