Book 2, Chapter 31 - Hatred (1/2)

Book 2, Chapter 31 - Hatred

Within the mansion of Skycloud’s commander, a terrible scream rang out through the halls. It was like the rage-filled scream of a lion that made far away windows rattle in protest.

In the four-hundred-square-meter hall, a contingent of a hundred guards were arrayed in columns. They knelt with their heads bowed while a dazzling woman with golden hair stood among them. She did not wear armor, only the simple underclothes of a warrior, and a gem-encrusted sword was strapped to her waist. She was surrounded by the conflicting essence of grace and barbarity.

Before them was an elderly man, his face twisted in anger. A rosewood table lay in pieces, smashed to bits beneath his feet. He hovered over the others like a feral beast. “They’ll even steal from a commander’s home? Who would dare be so bold?!”

This stately, lion-like man was Skye Polaris. He had seventy years under his belt, but was still built like a bear and shivered with rage. His eyes were especially daunting, dual copper furnaces that burned as they swept over the house guards. They were so intense it was like a single glance could burn them all down to ash. With long silver-white hair and a curly beard, the elderly man gave precisely no impression of weakness. Every wrinkle oozed intimidation.

This was the man responsible for all of Skycloud’s armed forces, leader of its military. And the most explosive temper in all of Skycloud Domain.

The Skycloud military system was organized as follows; ten men made up a squad, fifty men were a platoon, two hundred made a company, and a thousand or more was a corps. Generals commanded corps, senior generals directed ten thousand men or more, and above them all was the Commander-In-Chief.

Even Governor Arcturus had to show respect to Skye Polaris, for who did not know that just the slightest implied disrespect could throw the veteran into a frenzy. Now he learned that a thief had snuck into his home – while he was inside – and managed to escape with stolen goods. Swaggered in and out, like he owned the place. How could anyone suffer such disgrace?!

“Dawn, how could this happen?” After the commander gave vent to his anger, it immediately started to melt away. He returned to his seat, mulling over the strange circumstances. “There are few in the city who could beat you, not to mention escaping right from under your nose.”

The commander had a high opinion of his daughter.

She was a particularly privileged girl, kissed by splendor from the moment she was born – a phoenix touched by the sun. Skilled with both pen and blade, brave and intelligent, she was considered the future of military command. There were only a few who could stand shoulder to shoulder with her throughout Skycloud. Besides that devil woman Baldur Cloude spawned, Selene, who else would have the gall to claim they were Dawn’s equal? Even Starlight’s disciple who he was oh-so proud of was inferior, or so the commander firmly believed.

With so few lacking the qualification to even stand before her, how could someone face his daughter and escape unscathed?

“The thief had strange powers.” Dawn stood before her grandfather with one hand on the pommel of her sword. Her temper was an inheritance from him, a staple of their family. She was a well-known mad woman among the citizens of the city, one who never accepted being taken advantage of. How, then, could she stand back and accept this tone? “I was about to behead him when the guy up and vanished.”

“How could he just disappear?! He had to have a concealment relic!”

“Grandfather, you insult me!” She stared back at him with wide anger in her eyes, puffed up with incredulity. “If it was just a concealment relic, do you think I wouldn’t be able to see through it? Dis-a-ppeared! Completely gone, like a snowflake under the sun.”

“Is that so?” The commander-in-chief ran his fingers through his beard, staring down his nose at her with a regal expression. “I have memorized every high grade demonhunter in the order and I’ve never heard of anyone with this power. Strange indeed. This matter won’t stop here, it involves the prestige of our army. Dispatch people to search for the culprit even if it means we tear this city apart. Get this thief, no matter what!”

Dawn immediately volunteered herself. “Don’t bother. I’ll handle this myself.”

Her grandfather nodded consent. “Very well, you handle it. The Polaris family has never been insulted without consequence. We won’t allow a thief to get the better of us. Take five hundred men with you, and don’t worry about anything else. You have my support.”

Five hundred men just to catch one thief!

If word of this got out it would do more than raise eyebrows, but this was the way the Polaris family did things. Not even the Cloude family would dare provoke them.

***

Lord Arcturus returned from the sanctuary.

Frost de Winter explained everything that happened once they were face to face. He spoke with downcast eyes and a guilty countenance. “Your disciple is useless. I’ve been unable to capture Cloudhawk.”

“You must learn something from this experience, an important lesson – never underestimate your opponent.” Governor Arcturus spoke with his student calmly and without reproach. He sipped at his tea like there was nothing to be concerned over. “When someone is thrust into a hopeless situation they will grasp at any straws that promise to save them. It is a natural reaction. He is unfamiliar with the city and can’t tell one street from the other, and what’s more he has hunters around every corner. It would make sense for him to seek out help from the Bloomnettle merchants that brought him here, but he did not. He must have known contact would implicate them, and what would happen if they were discovered. Using Bloomnettle to try and flush him out of hiding was the proper decision, however…”