Book 3, Chapter 56 - Returning the Favor (1/2)

Selene was as strong of body as she was of resolve. She never backed down in the face of a threat!

Even with sour odds she was more than willing to give her all and fight for victory. Blindly rushing into the wastelands to kill a demon all on her own was proof of her determination. Even a fool knew that only a master demonhunter could face a demon alone, and she was still a novice at the time. Strong for a novice, yes, but not nearly capable of killing a demon, much less trying to defeat it on its own turf.

Selene had strode off full of grim determination like it was a decision based in logic. It wasn’t, she was a font of emotion. Cloudhawk was surprised, then, that she’d changed so much. The old Selene would have balked after suggesting they flee, but this time she didn’t protest. Unthinkable!

The two briefly shared what they’d been doing for the last stretch of time.

Cloudhawk learned why Selene was looking for the Crimson One. The Caliph of the Sands was not her father’s killer, contrary to what she believed, but the master of the Crimson Church might have had something to do with his demise. All these years she’d been searching, hunting, tracking. What a hard life for a young woman to choose.

Things had gone better for Cloudhawk. He had earned a title as demonhunter, officially, and the backing of the Polaris family. If he kept with this trajectory he had a bright future to look forward to.

Wasn’t that just what she’d hope would come to him?

She kept a straight face as he described what he’d been through. Why would Cloudhawk choose to align himself with the general’s family, and not the governor? Her recommendation had been to present himself to Arcturus Cloude. Her uncle’s keen eye for talent and depth of wisdom certainly would be able to recognize Cloudhawk’s worth. Coming under his tutelage, there was no limit to what the wastelander could accomplish. So why Skye Polaris?

“You say the general has asked you to look into the Crimson One?”

This piece of information stuck out. She knew who Cloudhawk was and where he came from. A wastelander, who had from the start pursued a life of freedom and self-determination. He cared about his own life, and not much else. He certainly wasn’t the sort to risk his life for others, or for power. So why would he agree on such a dangerous mission on behalf of Skye Polaris?

Cloudhawk went on to explain his situation. He went over his trek through the wastes, finally arriving at Skycloud city only to be met by Frost de Winter. He described the conflict that followed, his brief struggle against the governor, and ultimately how the Polaris family stepped in for his protection. Part of the deal, he explained, was that he had to undergo training in Hell’s Valley and work for the general until his debt was paid.

Hearing this, the old drunk felt some relief. No wonder he’d never heard of the boy. Autumn, however, was not pleased by his tale.

Although the signs were there, she would not have guessed that this rapacious, despicable, flippant scoundrel had been born in the wastelands. The torturous journey he’d gone through to get where he was today was awful, but he was still such a hateful person!

He lied to me!

She thought Cloudhawk agreed to help because she appealed to his better nature. All of a sudden she was confronted with how stupid she’d been. The asshole never had a shred of conscience to appeal to! None of the fortune of eboncrys she’d offered had convinced him to go on the journey, it was all because it happened to coincide with his mission to learn about the Crimson One.

Bastard! Asshole! To think she’d felt guilty!

Autumn thought Cloudhawk had shouldered the dangers of Fishmonger’s Borough and gotten injured to help with her quest. In reality, he did it to himself. The gods couldn’t take him soon enough. Every minute he lived was a scourge on humanity!

The small group traveled as fast as they could, reaching the elysian border by the fourth night. The only place they’d be safe was here near that mountain range. It wasn’t Skycloud, but it was close enough that it was under their protection. Wastelander cities and their hunger for that ten thousand gold reward wouldn’t dare reach so close to the elysians. In addition, Skycloud had strengthened its hold over the borderlands lately, flooding it with more soldiers and clamping down on lawlessness.

Oddball flapped back over to Cloudhawk after scouting around. It made sure they were safe for the time being, and picked out a good place for them to rest.

“There’s a settlement ahead. The lizards are tired, let’s bunker down for a while and get ourselves together before we press o. Sandbar Outpost is still about a day away, by the time we get back it won’t matter if they catch up.”

Cloudhawk’s condition was going from bad to worse as they traveled. He felt much stronger – in fact every facet of his physical body was improved. Some parts of him were even beginning to show mutation, proving that he didn’t have time to lay around. He need to find a way to stop the process before it was too late.

“Boss, we found the targets!”

“It’s definitely them. Go after them!”

A group of several hundred capable soldiers were lying in ambush. They saw the group of weary travelers approach on tired mounts and their eyes gleamed dangerously. Hands gripped tight to swords and bows, and they gathered themselves to attack at a moment’s notice. All they needed was the order.

In the dark room in which they waited was a particularly dark silhouette. He was a handsome, dark-skinned man seated with his eyes closed. Beside the valiant figure was another, a young fellow with delicate features and wearing a headscarf. A stalk of withered grass jutted from one corner of his mouth, and his hand lay idly on the shaft of an exorcist staff looped through his belt. The hand was covered in bandages that reached all the way up his arm. He stood there in the darkness, calm as a lake surface.

Two others stood behind the young man. One, a swordsman with a pallid face. The other was a boy clutching tight to a gourd. They were an odd pair.

“They’re close!”

“Boss, give the order!”

Squall clenched his jaw and crushed the stalk of grass between his teeth, but he did not act. The towering black-skinned man finally opened his eyes before finally offering an emotionless response. “There are more of them. Spread the order – no one moves. Wait and watch.”

The boy-like fiend with the gourd spoke up. He looked like a boy, but he spoke with the authority of an elder. “Now is the best opportunity. Why are you hesitating? We have our best people here, it doesn’t matter how strong they are. We need the treasure of the Millennium Vale and the key to it is right there. I’m sure our illustrious leader knows how important that is.”