The insanity of what Kade was doing threatened to paralyze him, and as the towering Elder seemed to grow larger with each step Kade took, so too did the fear and madness. Still, something inside him felt unleashed as he charged head-long into a losing battle, as if doing anything else was wrong in some fundamental way. The feeling flooded through his body, seeming to lend strength to his limbs as he half-ran, half-slid down the incline toward the deadly battle.
Before he was halfway there he bowled into a small figure, then collapsed unceremoniously to the ground. Looking up, he saw a disbelieving Nicky standing over him, “What are you doing, new guy? What part of any of this makes you think you have any chance of surviving down here?” she seemed genuinely furious, and Kade could see it was coming from a powerful sense of protectiveness and worry he didn’t know she felt.
“The opposite, Nicky; please tell me I’m wrong, but it looks like we’re losing this fight,” he stared at her, pleadingly. Part of him genuinely hoped she’d let out a laugh and announce this was all business as usual, but instead…she looked scared.
“This is bad, Kade, but you’re only going to make it worse. Edwin will think of something, he always–” an enormous blur shot by them as the massive form of Eleonora crashed into the ground nearby, her body skipping like a stone before coming to rest in an unmoving pile of limbs and armor. Nicky looked from the ravaged body to Kade, then spoke, resigned, “You should run, Kade. You’re not a Keeper, you don’t need to die here with the rest of us.”
Kade forced himself to his feet, then passed three of his chains into Nicky’s hands, each ending in a comfortable handle. She looked back at him in utter confusion, “No, you should run,” he insisted, still pushing the chains toward her until she finally looked down at them, considering. “Can you get one to each of the diamond people?”
“The diamond people…Tal and Pel you mean? They’re a little busy fighting for their lives right now–which is exactly what I should be doing!”
“Please, Nicky, I know you don’t have any reason to, but trust me. Just make sure you’re all holding onto the handles and don’t stop running,” Kade stared into her dark eyes, and whether he communicated enough conviction in that brief moment to convince her, or if the hopelessness of the situation meant she just didn’t care, she gave a slight nod, and took off at a dead sprint, back toward the rapidly worsening battle.
Kade felt the chains flying off his belt, and started slowly feeding mana into them as he’d been practicing. It took surprisingly little to allow the chains to keep lengthening magically, as if there was an endless supply, though the cost would be drastically higher if he tried to shape the chains at all. Looking back to the Elder, he saw that Edwin was holding up surprisingly well without his shielded counterpart, at least for now. He was totally on the defensive, his conjured multitude of spinning axes replaced by two enormous ax-blades that he seemed to heave against each major attack, deflecting the Elder’s forelegs just enough each time that they would crash harmlessly to either side of the woodsman. Whether his luck or Graves’ energy would run out first, Kade couldn’t guess, but he knew what he had to do.
Trusting Nicky to do what he’d asked, he raced toward the fallen body of Eleonora, gesturing wildly at one of the brightly dressed healers as he did so. He wasn’t certain how he’d known she was alive, but sure enough she had already begun to stir by the time he was by her side. Kade let out a sigh of relief, as he doubted there was anyone else with the strength he needed–maybe Edwin, but he was understandably busy. Eleonora managed to turn her head to look at him, but her neck was clearly broken–as was every one of her many limbs. They were slowly popping back into place when one of the healers kneeled down next to her, the violet robes setting the woman’s bright yellow hair.
“What are you doing here, pup?” Eleonora managed to croak out. Kade ignored her for the moment and addressed the healer, grateful she’d heeded his desperate pleas for help.
“Can you have her back on her feet in a minute or so? There won’t be much time,” as he spoke, he was careful to keep a hand always on his chains, sensing that Nicky had succeeded in delivering the other two. Glancing back, he saw all three Keepers blur into motion at once, ducking back into the fray. While they all seemed hesitant at first, they found their rhythm quickly and were soon darting between attacks and even each other, making no effort to land any strikes.
The healer was lost in concentration as energy poured into the enormous battle commander, and it was Eleonora who answered. “I’ve had much worse than this, and I’ll be back to Edwin’s side in moments, worry not,” her words were punctuated by sickening cracks and groans as her body put itself back together.
Kade shook his head vehemently, “You can’t go back yet, I need your arms–all of them probably, this is a two-cowboy steer if I’ve ever seen one.”
Eleonora glared, “I can’t move enough to see my bracer, but I sense you just said something foolish.”
Kade felt himself blush at the well-deserved admonishment, “I’m sorry, I’m trapped between panic and a disturbing sense of clarity. I just need you to pull really, really hard.” Kade could feel his meager mana supply dwindling, and added, “We’re going to need to do this soon or not at all.”
Looking back toward the battle, he saw that the three speedy Keepers had not just survived the ridiculous task he’d given them, but the complex commands he’d willed to them through his chains were being followed with surprising accuracy. It was still an unusual sensation, but the moment he’d first felt his chains after bonding the Mana Fragment, he’d known that he should be able to control them, but still lacked the ability. It was a revelation when he found that he could somewhat get around this by holding onto the chains with his hands. He couldn’t move them any practical amount, but he could make the handles twitch in specific directions as easily as he moved his own body. Also like his own body, he could feel where his chains were without looking.
He stared out upon the result with pride, grateful he’d been taught about different kinds of knots when he was a child. He remembered…someone…took the time to go over each knot and their purpose, but he couldn’t recall their face. Thankfully the skill remained even if the memory was unclear, and he watched the proof of that unfold. He’d used constrictor knots to bind each leg, which were a nightmare to untie, and the tangled mess dangling beneath the Elder’s body was a honda knot–something used in lassos. He was careful to keep the chains loose for now as he was certain the enormous creature could snap them–in fact it had done so numerous times by accident, but Kade had found that his chains simply let any broken links disappear, with the two links on either side snapping back together near-instantly.
He was running out of time though, as the chains were becoming taught now that his mana had nearly been spent. Thankfully, as the three Keepers dropped their chain handles and ran to safety, Eleonora managed to finally stand up behind him, meaning it was time for his plan. Despite Edwin instilling a sense of dread at even looking at the mysterious bracer, Kade had read the entry on his chains, which included a single interesting detail he might not have figured out on his own.
Chains of Fate, Soul Manifestation
Abilities: Variable
Mana Cost: Variable
Note: As a Soul Manifestation, abilities are non-standard, and Dalton’s Fabulous Bracer of Hope will not be capable of revealing them without outside intervention. Outside intervention may allow for the generation of new abilities!
Discovered Abilities: Bind, Chainsaw, Pierce, Grapple, Constrict.
*Generated Abilities: External mana absorption
While the abilities tied to his Chains didn’t have accessible descriptions that he could find, he’d still asked Edwin about external mana absorption, which had been a simple, but welcome discovery. It appeared that the majority of what his chains were capable of required a nominal amount of mana to function, but that cost scaled with the amount of chain he used. Thankfully Edwin confirmed that mana transference was a common, and intuitive ability, required for many practical tasks in daily life for a magic society, and was even more crucial in battle.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Kade was ready to put this to the test, as he handed the end of his chain to Eleonora, who looked at him with growing understanding, “You’re not even fully on the First Step of the Path, these chains are going to snap like twigs.”
Kade shook his head, “Not if you channel all the mana you can into them. I can use the mana to reinforce the chains, and it doesn't need to hold long–”
“Just long enough for that [bastard-coward-rat-cretin-vomit-beast] to fall. I get it, now move aside,” not wasting a moment, the enormous woman grabbed the length of chain in all four of her massive hands, before stunning Kade by sprouting two more arms from her back, each of which conjured large shields that tapered into sharp points. Those two shields she slammed into the ground before her, bracing for what she was about to attempt. Kade watched in fascination as a powerful green glow suddenly surrounded each hand, then poured directly into his chains, flowing outward with impressive speed, causing the glistening black chains covering the Elder to burst alight, the emerald glow contrasting sharply with the purple haze emanating from the monster.
Whether it sensed the energy now surrounding it, or noticed the impressive light show, the Elder seemed to suddenly become aware of what was happening, and it halted its attacks in confusion. It was just enough of a break for other keepers to catch on to what Kade was planning, and several more rushed to grab the chain and pour their own mana into it. In seconds there was a rainbow of light overtaking the towering monster, and it began to howl in confusion and rage; Edwin clearly understood what was happening as he went entirely on the offensive, axes slashing into the beast from every angle.
At last Eleonora glanced at Kade, and gave a single nod. Kade spoke the command quietly, but it seemed to echo across the battlefield.
“Bind.”
The chains suddenly snapped tight, the momentum pulling Eleonora forward a step, before she gathered the chain more tightly and bellowed, “HEAVE!” with a cry so loud Kade felt it like a physical force. The results were everything Kade hoped, as the three incongruously large legs were suddenly forced together, their thin, bladed ends not able to find any purchase at the extreme angle. Kade was certain he saw shock on the thousand, horrific eyes dotting the Elder’s massive head, as it slowly, ponderously began to collapse forward.
The results were mixed, as everything seemed to happen at once. First the crushing sensation returned as the purple fog of power came slamming toward the ground, and Graves let out a pained cry as his own strength finally gave out. Eleonora and the few who’d grabbed the chains were sent flying in different directions as those chains finally snapped in hundreds of places at once. When the Elder’s chest at last crashed into the ground, the purple glow of it pulsed once then stopped, though the telltale glow of power was still clearly gathered around the creature’s core. Seeing his moment, Edwin didn’t hesitate, and as the crushing weight lifted off of him, he charged forward, his massive ax raised in a tremendous swing, glowing with its own dark, earthy energy.
It connected with the Elder’s chest, and purple energy exploded outward in bursts, the creature howling in pain and rage. But Edwin never slowed, the ax tearing into the creature over and over, every bit as methodical and precise as ever, but with a speed and fury Kade hadn’t witnessed before in the man. He was a beacon of hope that renewed the group of fatigued warriors, and soon countless blasts of various attacks joined him, a wild display of light, fire, and projectiles making it almost impossible to see as the Elder’s Core was hit from every angle at once.
The purple light began to flicker and spark ominously, and just as Kade began to fear another attack, Edwin’s voice rang out over the battlefield, “It’s time, get it contained! Now!” At his words, several Keepers sprang into action, charging toward the Elder as they each brought out what appeared to be plain white spears. Without waiting and heedless of any danger, each Keeper savagely buried their weapon into the angrily glowing Core, which pulsed with fury as each connected.
Rather than a terrible counter attack or another surprise attack, the Elder let out a pained wail, and its thrashing desperation slowly became a resigned acceptance as it collapsed to the ground. The Keepers halted their attacks at the sight, and some even began to openly celebrate as if victory was assured. Kade felt a heavy hand on his shoulder, and turned to see Eleonora giving him a slight smile, before moving forward to join Edwin.
Kade took this as the sign he was waiting for, and let the tension slowly drain from his body, no longer able to hide his grin. Whatever the Keepers had done with the strange spears, the Elder was clearly no longer in the fight. Edwin didn’t appear to be taking chances, as he stood like a sentinel before the massive creature, ax still held at the ready. Kade looked around and saw that most of the Keepers were now collecting themselves and checking each other for injuries. Kade was happy to see that Graves was sitting up, alive if not well. The taciturn man didn’t invite easy friendship, but Kade owed him his life, and the man’s heroics in battle couldn’t be denied.
Spotting a lone Keeper who appeared uninjured and not busy, Kade approached. He realized the man had been one of those who’d lent his own strength to Kade’s chains, and he smiled in greeting, “A bold plan, Awakened, and not one I think I’d have been willing to risk at your age, but one we are all grateful for nonetheless. You have my thanks.” He was of average height, and seemed to be one of those who manipulated the earth, given his stoney appearance. Kade nodded appreciatively.
“Thank you for taking a chance and helping, I know it was a gamble,” the man acknowledged both points with a half-smile, before turning back to the sight of the Elder, still writhing slowly where it had fallen. Kade gestured at the spears, now glowing brightly, “What are those spears, do they paralyze the Elder somehow?”
The man considered the question, “You have it slightly backward. When Great Keeper Edwin called for aid, it was because the Elder had been defeated. So many direct strikes to its Soul Core after it had gathered such tremendous energy destabilized its mana channels. Had we simply backed away, the Core would have ruptured; the destruction would have been immense. The spears are a containment device, which channel that excess energy safely; it also allows us to create something more useful than an explosion, which you’ll soon see.”
Kade was grateful for the explanation, and the man seemed to catch his surprise. “Great Keeper Edwin mentioned you may have questions, and that we should indulge you if we could,” he smiled reassuringly.
“So we won then, it’s time to celebrate?” the man’s face fell.
“Such celebrations will come later, this battle was not without casualties,” Kade realized his mistake as he recalled the burning Keeper who had fallen, what felt like a lifetime ago.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t–I’m sorry,” the man made a dismissive gesture.
“You’ve given no offense, and you deserve to feel pride at this victory. My name is Zander, and you may seek me out in Karthas if you have need. I suspect you’ve made many friends today, Kade, friend of Edwin.” Kade smiled awkwardly and promised to share a drink to the fallen Keepers memory when they had a chance, then he returned his attention to the massive Elder, its thrashing becoming infrequent.
Finally he approached Edwin, still standing before the now dimming core, his focus unbroken. He spoke without turning as Kade approached, “You did well, even if you shouldn’t have done anything at all. I’d lecture you sternly, but I have the unusual experience of owing you my life.” Kade grinned in return, trying to be aware of the grim nature of the situation, but unable to contain some pride from Edwin’s acknowledgement.
“It wasn’t all that clever, really, the list of things you can do with a pile of chains is pretty short.” Edwin made a dismissive gesture before responding.
“You’ve barely scratched the surface of their potential, trust me on that. Today’s spoils will help with that considerably. I’ll show you soon enough, but it’s important not to become complacent yet, it’s too easy to give into–” he was interrupted by a perky voice shouting nearby.
“That’s what you get, you horrible, disgusting eye-monster!” Nicky was by the Elder’s eye-covered head, kicking it joyously as she taunted the beast. “I thought you were supposed to be fourth generation, but you’re every bit as disgusting as any sixth generation I’ve seen. What could you possibly need that many eyes for anyway?” Kade couldn’t help but smile as the tirade continued, and he moved away from Edwin as the man shook his head in disapproval.
Nicky looked up as he approached, and he could sense the quip coming to her lips. She had turned to face him, hands on her hips and a broad grin on her face; with the horrifying face of the Elder directly behind her, it made for an odd tableau. He opened his mouth to try to get his own quip in first, when he noticed some unexpected movement.
Behind her, the massive, eye-covered head was slowly, ponderously rising. He watched in frozen, rapt fascination as each of the eyes closed, and it was only once they had that he realized how distracting they were. With hundreds of eyes of varying sizes, it was easy to miss something as comparatively innocuous as a seam running vertically down the center of the Elder’s immense head. Conversely, it was impossible not to notice as the seam slowly parted, revealing that the creature did indeed possess a mouth. It took only seconds for the entire head to appear to split down the middle, completely bisecting, and revealing row after row of jagged, glistening teeth.
Kade opened his mouth in warning, and he saw Nicky’s face fall slightly as she recognized his terror. She was turning even before his cry reached her, but it was already too late. With a burst of speed it hadn’t appeared capable of mere moments before, the mouth snapped forward, completely engulfing Nicky’s small, wispy frame. Kade heard a single, sickening crunch as the jaws closed, and he knew with a crushing certainty that Nicky was gone.