Book 2, Chapter 52 - Atlas (1/2)

Dawn Polaris sat before Cloudhawk. The tattered shield she’d recently won at auction was on her back and her treasured sword was slung over a shoulder. She’d changed into her warrior attire and rested easily with her heels planted on a table between them. Her shapely legs were partially contained in high leather combat boots that revealed a hint of porcelain flesh.

She stretched those long legs and took a sip of tea without a hint of awkwardness, having selectively forgotten the embarrassing events of last night and this morning. She gave Cloudhawk the rundown of Skye’s latest mission.

“Wipe ‘em out?”

The news surprised him, but he had to admit it wasn’t unexpected. It would have been unusual for Skycloud to complete ignore hundreds of convicts hiding below the city.

“Yup, but I heard you had something to do with it so I wanted to come and ask you what you thought.” Dawn retracted her long legs and folded hem beneath her for a more comfortable posture. “But don’t misinterpret this as giving them a back door. These wicked men have to be dealt with or the city’s safety can’t be guaranteed. What’s more, it isn’t just me participating, I’m just one part. That’s going to make things more complicated.”

Actually Cloudhawk was quite pleased. Dawn put her cards on the table but she’d been straightforward with him. As far as he was concerned this showed that she was starting to look at him more as a friend than a servant. She wouldn’t have had the same consideration for anyone else.

Cloudhawk frowned, his brows wrinkled as he mulled the problem over. “I don’t care about the others, but there’s a group of a hundred or so from a merchant family that don’t deserve it. They were called Bloomnettle Company. Innocent bystanders, pious, who were caught up in the crossfire. If anyone else got hurt because of me… they have to be spared. The others are on their own, but those people – I have to find a way to get them out of here.”

“Showing humanity is the mark of a real man.”

This was something Dawn admired about him. Cloudhawk clearly had the ability to flee before, but had risked his life in order to make sure others got away safely. Even knowing it was a trap Cloudhawk did all he could to free Squall. Besides, all the noise he made was definitely Lady Polaris’ style.

“Miss, everyone’s been gathered!”

After the servant gave the report Dawn drained her tea cup and bound to her feet. She moved gracefully like none of last night’s antics were weighing her down. She jabbed a finger at Cloudhawk and spoke in a tone that left no room for argument.

“You’re coming.”

But it wasn’t a command, she was helping. In essence, this mission was a test.

Dawn would never allow herself to fail, whatever the challenge. However, she also owed Cloudhawk and she hated the idea of owing anyone anything. Two birds with one stone, she thought. As to whether it would make things more difficult, she wasn’t worried. ‘Too much to handle’ was a foreign concept to her.

Two hundred soldiers had been assembled. She was given an intelligence briefing and a map, then Dawn led them toward the tunnels in high spirits.

Skycloud’s tunnel system predated the city itself. At the time the area here was still in flux. Demons still roamed the land so these tunnels had been designed for the citizens to take refuge in. Once the warred had passed the tunnels remained as a way for the people of Skycloud to escape if some tragedy came their way.

Because it had to be big enough for everyone to hide in the tunnel system was absolutely enormous. It twisted and curved underground like a labyrinth. Maps of the system were also secret and tightly controlled, only a few people had been allowed to see one. It was good Dawn had one, otherwise the chances of them getting lost and dying down there were very high.

In times of peace the tunnels were sealed. No one was allowed in.

Dealing with the convicts wasn’t all that hard, in reality. Seal of the exits and without any food or water they were sure to perish in six months or less. Without maps – all of which were controlled by the highest levels of Skycloud government – they weren’t going to escape. Going in to wipe them out was more an exercise than having any sort of real significance.

It’d been years since the tunnels had seen occupants. It was dark and fetid, a foul scene that made Dawn scowl in distaste. But she wasn’t so spoiled as to detest getting her hands dirty, nor was she a clean-freak like Frost de Winter. She was used to it after a minute.

“Everyone, stay on your toes. If you find the convicts, make sure you spare anyone who surrenders. Kill those who resist!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Skycloud’s soldiers were equipped in standard gear with the addition of crossbows and poison-tipped bolts. A sort of spotlight was affixed to their weapons and they used them to search through the darkness of the tunnels.

They hadn’t gone more than a few steps when suddenly a small group of convicts scuttled past.

Soldiers pounced on them, a few were grabbed before they knew what was happening.

More people escaped from Skycloud’s prisons than Cloudhawk had thought because it had two levels. The upper level were typical jails where normal offenders were kept, while the level below were proper dungeons that housed more dangerous felons. When the dungeons emptied naturally the prisoners upstairs were freed as well, so with so many people in the tunnels they had spread out to all corners.

Of course the men Dawn picked for her team were elite soldiers of Skycloud’s army.

They followed even the faintest traces to another twenty or thirty convicts. Most were captured alive, a few desperate and reckless men tried to struggle but ultimately were killed. Some were put down by Dawn Polaris herself.

She was no doubt a product of her illustrious family. Dawn cut down the convicts as though culling weeds. She was ruthless, efficient, and her strikes were all decisive. None of her work was sloppy. As Cloudhawk watched her slay these men he knew her attack against him in the morning was half-hearted.

“Ugh, so boring! This doesn’t even feel like a fight!”

Dawn rested Terrangelica’s blade against her shoulder and looked down the route ahead. Deviously hidden traps, painstakingly placed along their path, peppered the way. Dawn saw them but paid no mind, deliberately stepping into danger.