047 Those Who Watch the Sky - 47
47 – Children thrust Into the Sky 5
“So many distractions ~♪ So many curiosities ~♪ If only we
had time to satisfy all of our desires ~♪”
The once finger length mermaid
version of Link had grown to nearly double her prior size and was fully
distracted by her thoughts. Her size was not her only change as though she
still appeared naked for all extents and purposes, she had physically changed
to continue visually matching Link.
Link had not changed that much.
She was still short and very thin with long shapely limbs with a pronounced
bust and hips. Where she had really changed was in her face which barely looked
old enough to match her body as she stared out at the world with massive,
shimmering, sea gem green eyes from under the wild bangs of her long brown
hair. Most notably however was that the darkness that had been replacing her
skin was not visible for the chainmail she wore. From her jawline down she was
completely covered in a suit of chainmail that fit her as though it were her
own skin to about her hips where it became more like a very well fitted pair of
footed tights. In her chainmail-skinned hands she held up her sheathed sword
which she had just extracted from a storage crate.
“Hm? What do you mean we don’t
have the time?”
Looking at her blue mermaid
counterpart with a curious tilt of her head Link questioned it. Picking up a
blue blob of light that held a very primitive humanoid appearance the mermaid
Link held it up into the air.
“Two of these ones have been returned to Ambrosia ~♪ The
one who did so possesses much hatred for these ones ~♪”
“Hrm~ That sucks. I was hoping–”
- Attention all members of the
clergy, there is a heretic amongst our midst and they are likely in the company
of the Sycamore cursed girl. They can not be allowed to leave under any
circumstances. Contain them should you encounter them and then immediately send
for me -
Link did not finish her sentence
before the voice of the bishop crackled across the speaker system of the
labyrinth beneath Foothold. Pouting irritably at the interruption she flung her
sword over her right shoulder and gripped the strap comfortably in her right
hand. Speaking through her pout Link conceded her lack of time.
“Fine! I guess we really do have
to leave. Just make sure you tell these little guys to get back to Ambrosia
safely.”
Poking the belly of the humanoid
blob of light that her mermaid self carried, Link smiled despite her intentions
to keep pouting. Her smile was mirrored by her double who empathically agreed.
“Of course! ~♪”
Whispering into the blob’s ear
for a moment the mermaid Link let it go and watched it vanish into nothingness
with a playful spin. Both Links smiled before bolting out of the storage room
and past the disabled machine sentries that guarded it. Running down the
twisting labyrinthine corridors below Foothold, Link had yet another question
for her smaller self.
“I hadn’t thought about it, but
you can hide in me if you need to, right?”
“If this one hid in the beast maybe, but that sounds most
unpleasant ~♪”
“It isn’t that bad. Maybe a
little slimy if I stop and think about it. Hmm… Okay, how about just in my hair
for now?”
“That sounds much more agreeable ~♪”
“Then it’s decided! Hide away!”
At Link’s insistence her mermaid
double hid away inside of her hair. Her timing couldn’t have been better either
as not more than a heartbeat later Link turned around a corner and found herself
faced with a group of deacons and nuns. Skidding to a stop Link laughed
nervously and scratched her nose with her left hand.
“Eh, heh, heh… You wouldn’t mind
letting me by would you. I’m kind of in a hurry and I’d rather not have to hurt
anyone.”
Link’s choice of words along with
her appearance startled the deacon’s and nuns. From behind her head her mermaid
double whispered to her.
“Perhaps you shouldn’t have added that part ~♪”
“I think you’re right. It probably
would have been better just to apologize for squeezing past.”
“Talking to this one out loud probably wasn’t a good idea
either ~♪”
“Eh, heh, heh… nope.”
Agreeing with a nervous laugh,
Link watched the deacons and nuns all brace themselves to cast a spell. All at
once the incantation fell from their lips as Link felt their Ambrosial Gates
open.
“~ O Divine
Father Icarus
We plead of you, halt our enemies in your embrace–”
We plead of you, halt our enemies in your embrace–”
“That’s an awfully short
incantation, but I can’t let you cast it. Sorry.”
The deacons and nuns were caught
off guard by Link’s display of speed as she was amongst their ranks before they
could complete their spell. Smiling brightly as she apologized Link spun into a
flurry of strikes and kicks sending the members of the clergy flying into the walls
and robbing them of their consciousness. She wasn’t quite quick enough however
as at least one deacon completed their incantation.
“Earth Bind‼ ~”
“Eh–⁈”
At the deacon’s behest the floor
tore apart and a sheath of rock and dirt slid up and devoured Link up to her
bust.
“I did it! I captured the heretic!”
“I wouldn’t be so sure.”
“Wha–⁈”
Cutting the deacon’s celebration
short, Link, winked at him playfully. As he began to query aloud why Link was
so certain he had failed a sheet of shadowy flames flowed forth from Link’s
shoulder blades and settled into the form of a sheer black cape. As it fell Link
reached back with her left hand and grabbed the edge of the cape. Pulling it
around her in a sweeping motion she obscured the front of the column of earth
that had trapped her. With a flourish she threw her cape back and revealed that
the column of earth was gone. She then let out a tiny burp and covered her
mouth embarrassed. Fortunately for her the deacon seemed unconcerned by her burp
in comparison to her feat.
“Impossible‼”
“Sorry, but that’s a simple
trick for me. Now if you’ll excuse me.”
Flipping up and over the deacon,
Link smiled at them as they watched her before proceeding to score two quick
kicks to their back. The blows knocked them clear over and Link completed a
second somersault before landing and sprinting off. The blows did not knock out
the deacon however and they struggled to their feet with wild-eyed horror.
Stumbling along to a pipe on the wall the deacon lifted a flap revealing a built-in
two-way radio. Depressing one of the call buttons, they stammered into the device.
“T-the heretic… I’ve seen them.
T-they’ve the strength of a Sa·B·er… a-and are garbed in a suit of chainmail
most immodest… They are m-making their way to the west gate most likely…”
The deacon’s strength gave out
and they collapsed barely a heartbeat after finishing their report for the whole
labyrinth to hear. The person most interested in this news was none other than
the bishop and he stopped in the corridor he passed through to access a similar
radio as the one that the deacon had used.
“All priests proceed to the west
gate and prepare a barrier spell. We cannot allow the heretic to escape. All
other members of the clergy spread out throughout the city and those who can
prepare a barrier for the other gates and along the river. It is likely if we
corner them that they will attempt to defile the element of Lady Ocia to escape.
We can not allow that. Any Sa·B·ers present are to also divide between the city
gates and river as well to provide aid to the clergy in dealing with this
heretic. All militia personnel awaiting departure at the train depot are to
defend that location until you depart as part of your priority mission. However,
they are not to be killed under any circumstances without my direct order. Now
go forth with the blessing of Her Eminence and let us bring this heretic to
justice!”
The bishop’s orders had a
pronounced affect across the entire city and members of the clergy could be
seen rushing to the city gates from Melody’s vantage point above the city.
Elliot’s vantage point in comparison only allowed him to see the chaos that
erupted in the train depot, but as he was comfortably seated in the pilot’s seat
of his Dolmen he simply leaned back and smiled. Feast found Elliot’s amusement
curious and his face appeared in a cutout in the panoramic view of the Dolmen’s
surroundings within the cockpit.
“How unusual to see you smiling
at chaos. I feel hurt with the way you always chide me for doing the same.”
“This is a rare exception Feast.
I don’t really know what’s going on, but even with the word heretic being
thrown around I can’t help but feel like this is Link’s doing. And when Link is
the one causing the chaos, I just can’t help but smile. She has a way of
livening up even dour days like this. But I can’t worry about that now. I have
to go meet with Mr. Sycamore and hope things don’t go as bad as I fear.”
“Well, since you are allowing a
bit of relishing this chaos, I guess I ‘ll enjoy myself as much as I can before
the long boring day ahead of us.”
Elliot didn’t bother responding
as he had little interest in the chaos beyond hoping he was right that Link was
the cause. Knowing that she really was as well as the supposed heretic that the
clergy was freaking out over probably would have made him anxious however and
he was gratefully ignorant. As such he was able to focus on going over the mission
parameters in his head as he waited and Link in turn focused on her escape.
Link’s escape was not anything
at all like what was suspected and instead of continuing her way towards the city’s
west gate she instead detoured to circle back to the main cathedral. As she ran,
she dodged the attention of passing members of the clergy and desperately
prayed that she wouldn’t encounter any Sa·B·ers. She didn’t devote too much
energy to prayer as she put her memory to work recalling the directions that
Balgun had provided her for how to reach the upper parapets of the cathedral
from where she had been isolated in an operating room. Her memory did not fail her
and as the cathedral was left nearly abandoned she reached the highest point
and looked out over the city of Foothold without contest.
“W~O~W~‼”
Her eyes widening in amazement
at the view of the city Link took a moment to soak in the rain drenched city.
Naturally in the light of the sun the colorful city would have been far more
impressive than in the rain but for Link that didn’t matter. It was her first
time really seeing the city and she was amazed and could not hide the fact,
though she didn’t even try. Her amazement did not last for long however as it
soon gave way to a jealous pout.
“I can’t believe that Elliot and
Melody have been living here all this time while I’ve been holed up down in the
dark being tortured and lectured.”
“But we enjoyed learning magic spells from Balgun ~♪”
“They were still lectures
though. I didn’t get to even really practice them either because we needed to
use up the Nectar we could to summon enough water spirits for this storm.”
“It’ll be over soon too ~♪ This one hopes that before then
our winged friend who partakes in the song of the wind will find us and ferry us
away ~♪”
“Well, let’s go give her a
chance.”
Dashing from the parapets Link
leapt out onto the rooftops of the cathedral. Scampering along and practically
dancing in the rain she hurried across the rooftops and made her way to the main
steeple of the cathedral. Why Balgun had not given her instructions on getting
to the top of the steeple itself was a reasonable question and might have
annoyed her if she had thought about, she was having too much fun just running free
under the open sky to care. She should have though as the Mouser brothers had
not yet left their patrols of the Cathedral and spotted her movement. They were
not the only ones though as Melody had been watching them from above and as a result
spotted the chainmail skinned Link. She wasn’t entirely for certain though if
she was really looking at Link due to how much she had changed and she
questioned her vision.
“Is that really you Link? You
look so much younger somehow… I’m not just imagining it am I? Wait…!”
Noticing the sword slung
comfortably over Link’s shoulder, Melody recognized it instantly as Link’s and
her eyes widened.
“It really is you Link! ~♪ L~I~N~K‼”
Crying out in unfettered joy
Melody descended from the skies straight for the main steeple of the cathedral.
Her cries rang down for all on the cathedral grounds to hear and served as a
momentary distraction for the Mouser brothers who had been waiting for her
arrival. Link took advantage of their momentary lapse of focus on her unknowingly
and scrambled up the spire of the steeple where she stood up tall and held out
a hand for Melody. Melody’s diving speed was incredible and there was literally
nothing that the Mouse brothers could do to stop the harpy from scooping up Link,
grasping her dear friend’s outstretched hand with a talon.
“Hi Melody! Miss me⁈ Heh, heh!”
“Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha! ~♪ It’s you Link! ~♪ It’s you!
~♪ It’s you! ~♪ It’s you! ~♪ Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha! ~♪ ”
Giddy with joy, Melody laughed
and cried all at once completely overwhelmed to have Link clinging on to her
foot. Her laughter, tears, and joy were almost enough to wash away Link’s anger
with her dear friend but as the storm clouds began to part the city below
became bathed in light and shimmered like a jewel. Link’s eyes widened in awe
at the sight and she was speechless for a moment until she realized that Melody
had no reaction to it and she finally pouted.
“It is me Melody, and I’m mad at
you and Elliot for getting to experience this city while I was locked up!”
“Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha ~♪ Sorry Link ~♪ But you
know~ pretty as this city is, it’s been nothing but mean to you, so I say we
just get Elliot and go find a new adventure ~♪”
“That sound’s great Melody, but
we have to meet up with Balgun first.”
“Huh–⁈ But Elliot’s going to be sent off to some city in the
south to go after your father if we don’t do anything.”
“That’s the plan. We’re going to
join him there after we meet up with Balgun to rescue my father.”
“We aren’t going to fly all the way there are we? ~♪ This one
feels like a raindrop waiting to fall up here ~♪”
“Huh⁈ Who’s there and how can you be here⁈”
“It’s just me Melody.”
“How can it just be you Link⁈ You don’t talk like tha–…”
Looking down at Link in her talon
Melody trailed off and she scrunched her face up trying to comprehend what she
was looking at. Poking up out of Link’s hair and resting atop her head was her
mermaid double who seemed less impressed with the view then her larger
counterpart. She did not need to look up to address Melody due to Link already
leaning her head back to do exactly that. Confusing Melody even more though was
that it was the mermaid who answered her question.
“Sorry to confuse you Melody, but this one is us as much as
this one is ~♪”
“Li~nk…”
“Sorry Melody, I’m still a little
scrambled so I can’t really explain it well. I get it, but it’s like the knowledge
is on a library shelf and I can’t quite get the book. Balgun can explain it
better than I can right now so we’ll have to go catch up with him, okay.”
“Um… if you say so Link… you are
Link still, right…? …and maybe okay…?”
Unable to cope with what she was
seeing Melody sought confirmation that Link was indeed who she should have
been. Link didn’t seem bothered at all and simply offered Melody a bright smile
with her answer.
“Yup! And while I’m still a
little scrambled and kind of in pieces, my memory is still working perfectly so
I can guide you to where Balgun is waiting, no problem.”
“Ah! ~♪ Then we are going to fly all the way ~♪”
“Eh, heh, heh. Come on, it’ll be
fun to travel like a cloud does!”
“Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha…”
With a nervous laugh at Link
trying to convince herself that something she always enjoyed was enjoyable, Melody
put her wings to use leaving the city of Foothold far behind. She couldn’t help
but worry if everything would be alright and would had pouted like Link if she
knew that Elliot was completely at ease as the military train he waited in his
Dolmen upon departed Foothold as well.
Copyright © 2019 Joshua Tarwater
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