Book 3, Chapter 110 - Layers Within Layers (1/2)

No more than two minutes after some semblance of calm returned to Skycloud, another loud rumbling shook its foundations. This time the quakes were more intense than the first. The whole city seemed to undulate from it.

Chasms appeared down quaint neighborhood lanes. Their scope and range were orders of magnitude greater than the last disaster, splitting apart islands of land. They jostled and bucked, spreading toward the horizon like a sea of shattered ice. Buildings toppled, and dust hung over everything.

A group of figures appeared through the haze. One of them was dressed in a plain grey robe. It was the city’s governor, together with the head of the Court of Shadows, Janus. Behind them were the heads of many prominent families and military leaders.

It was the greatest tragedy to have ever struck the city, in its thousand years of history. A response had to be immediate.

Governor Arcturus surveyed the destruction, brows knit close. He spoke to the people standing on either side. “This is undoubtedly the result of some foreign power. Mobilize all of our public safety officers and deal with the casualties. The rest of you, come with me. We must find out what happened.”

Frost de Winter sat astride his horse, dazzling spear in one hand and the snow white cape that was his staple flowing behind. He was a gallant figure, stark against the destruction that surrounded him. In his left hand he lightly held the reigns of his unicorn mount, a mystical white beast which stood majestically above the rubble. Frost dismounted, rubbing the knuckles of his fist. “We seized a number of people found underground. Cloudhawk, Dawn Polaris, Atlas Umbra and others.”

The other officers and heads of house were alarmed by the news.

Few if any of them knew Cloudhawk, or what he might be doing caught up in this mess. Dawn and Atlas, however, were pillars of Skycloud’s next generation of rulers. How did they play into this tragedy?

Janus felt their eyes fall upon him, to which he offered a tepid explanation. “Atlas and the Court of Shadows were hunting the fugitive, Cloudhawk.”

Had their underground struggle caused the calamity suffered on the surface? Were they really capable of such destruction?

A slight frown creased Arcturus’ already glum features. “Where are they now?”

Frost replied. “It is confirmed that they were all directly involved in the incident. I’ve had them sent to the Skyden, and have them under watch by my own men.”

The situation was bad. Whole blocks had been reduced to ruin.

It was no exaggeration to say that what happened to Skycloud caused more panic than the massacre at the Blisterpeaks. Arcturus guessed that the death toll here would be in the thousands – a far cry from the tens of thousands who lost their lives in the mountains, but this happened here, in their own city, before their very eyes. A strike at the heart of Skycloud domain.

How could such a dramatic catastrophe go unnoticed?

Arcturus ordered the entire area locked down while they dug for bodies and survivors. Meanwhile, he and the other important members of city leadership left for the Skyden. When they arrived they found Cloudhawk, Dawn, and Atlas still breathing, though badly wounded from the affair. Their equipment had been confiscated, and they were being kept in a cell while the situation was being looked into. All of the prison guards had been replaced with soldiers, obvious to ensure they could not escape.

The cell door open, and the room was suddenly crowded with people.

Cloudhawk was laden with countless chains and locks, keeping his hands firmly fixed behind his back. He couldn’t even move his head. But he didn’t need to, he felt the aura that filled the cell the moment they entered. These people were the true masters of Skycloud domain.

This time, Cloudhawk really didn’t know where his antics were going to land him.

Arcturus Cloude stared at the young man, a face he hadn’t seen for more than three years. There was a flash in his eyes, but his features remained calm and genial, without a hint of anger. “Is there something you wish to say?”

A smirk split Cloudhawk’s face when he heard the governor’s voice. “Would you believe me?”

Arcturus’ response was even, unhurried. “If it is the truth, why should I not believe it?”

With no better option available, Cloudhawk shared his unlikely story in full.

“Who could believe such an absurd excuse?!” One among the crowd bit back with a hard, incredulous voice. “If the city was in danger, why didn’t you go directly to the governor? The city was threatened with destruction, and you three children thought you were saviors? Absolutely ridiculous! Sheer nonsense!”

Cloudhawk tried to defend himself. “We were dealing on a lightning fast timetable, here. We didn’t have the luxury to do it the right way. Besides, I was locked up as a felon right when I got back. The only person willing to believe me is General Polaris, and he isn’t here. I was out of options.”

“Pure sophistry!”

“Alright, enough. This is a grave matter that requires serious investigation.”

With that said, Arcturus and the others left, locking the cell behind them.

That same day excavation crews picked through the ruins, down into the chasms where they found proof of Cloudhawk’s claims. At least some of what he’d told them was the truth.

“There was a cavern this large, here underneath Skycloud and nobody knew.

“Governor. Judging by the debris we found there were a lot of protections in place to keep them hidden. It would have been difficult for anyone to know it was here.”

Arcturus looked over the parts of the caverns they’d managed to clear, and said nothing.

Frost de Winter hurriedly approached. “Master, we’ve found something. You should come see for yourself.”