Book 3, Chapter 115 - Swings and Roundabouts (1/2)
The disaster that had just befallen Skycloud killed at least ten times as many as the collapse of the market district. Cloudhawk was not one to gloat, but he had to admit this misfortune had saved his life. The cataclysm had at least postponed his date with the flames.
After two days, the order came down that Cloudhawk was to be brought to the Temple once again.
Soon after he found himself in the grand hall, only this time the atmosphere was even more solemn and grave.
Aside from the High Priest were two others. The first, in his simple gray robes, was Governor Arcturus Cloude. On the High Priest’s right sat a man who had the build of a crouched tiger. His hair was white but it only added to his commanding presence. Sitting there, unmoving, he gave the impression of a mighty beast waiting for the moment to strike. This was none other than the Commander General of Skycloud’s army, Skye Polaris.
Three great leaders; Spiritual, Political, Military. The three most powerful men in the realm. Besides them, all other notable members of Skycloud’s elite were in attendance.
After Cloudhawk, Dawn Polaris and Atlas Umbra were also conveyed into the hall.
Dawn was elated upon seeing Cloudhawk alive and well. In recent days, her mood had been gone through many radical fluctuations. Through it all, she came to realize how much she cared for her only friend.
That stuck up little shit is definitely something. He said there was a weapon that could destroy cities, and that prophecy was proven true just before his execution.
Her grandfather had only just returned to Skycloud, and already things were changing swiftly. There was still hope. The atmosphere in the room was oppressive, almost dire. Dawn – for the time being – kept her mouth shut in order to avoid further problems. Cloudhawk wasn’t out of the proverbial woods yet, and today might be his only chance. She absolutely couldn’t mess this up for him.
The recent disaster hadn’t just affected Skycloud city. Every city in the realm had experienced catastrophe, and turmoil had spread across every corner of the domain. There was no way for anyone to obfuscate and hide these troubles from the populace.
A discussion had been raging long before Cloudhawk had arrived. Right now, an old man who was mostly just skin and bones had the floor.
“This is the situation currently.”
“In short, the traitor Sterling Cloude and his son Zephyr fled to the wastelands, where they have been living in secret. Over the last few years they have worked to establish a cult of missionaries which they call the Sanctum of Judgment – referred to as the Crimson Church by the people. Assuming the title ‘the Crimson One’, Sterling has attempted to gather support and power among the wastelanders. Meanwhile, his son Zephyr has posed as a bar owner in Sandbar Outpost for five years under the name Adder. Using this new persona as cover, he spent that time plotting an elaborate attack on our realm.”
“Based on the intelligence we’ve managed to gather, Zephyr has extensive experience in military matters. His time among soldiers allowed him to cultivate a large number of sympathizers. It was certainly he who leaked the location of the Dark Atom’s headquarters to our border forces. After misleading General Aegir into attacking, as you know, the general’s forces were massacred in the Blisterpeak mountains.”
“As we are all aware, the border forces are powerful but spread thinly. Galvanizing such a large force would of course expose weaknesses, and after losing so many the acting general on the border could not discover and correct all of them right away. Zephyr, employing the aid of his confidants, exploited the situation to steal into the heart of the border wall and therein hide a weapon of mass destruction. Its detonation has led us to the situation we are in today.”
“Skycloud’s wall was a miracle of engineer created by the gods themselves. Not only did it protect our millions of god-fearing citizens, it also kept out the filth of the wastelands and whatever residual demonic power remains. It was also an important foundational structure for the domain. Once the wall was destroyed, it caused the internal energies of Skycloud to become unstable. The resulting disasters claimed many lives and inflicted tremendous loses. While we have reestablished order for the most part, there are still many places that are still in the midst of chaos. The most important fact to consider is that we have lost the protection of the border wall. We are now completely exposed to everything that lives in the wastelands.”
“...”
The old man was the director of Skynet, the domain’s primary intelligence service. All while he spoke sweat was pouring down his brow, for the disaster at the border was clearly part of his responsibility. It was a failure of Skynet’s ability to foresee and act on potential threats.
“Bullshit!” A voice like dull thunder doomed through the hall as Skye Polaris glared at the man. He was flushed with rage, only barely containing his anger from boiling over. His gaze was sharp enough to cut the old man in half. “Why the hell do we pay you people? The resources spent on keeping your so-called ‘intelligence community’ running have been a complete and utter waste of time!”
“The General should be careful with his words. Indeed Skynet failed to act in haste, but we should not forget that it was General Aegir’s folly that led to the defeat in the Blisterpeaks. If he had not, our borders would have remained secure.”
The biting words came from a man standing near Governor Arcturus, one of the representatives of the Cloude family.
Skye visibly bristled at the accusation, and he spat an angry response while glaring at the one who dared to speak it. “Have we forgotten who the traitor is who caused this? Hm? Who set this trap? Have we forgotten who is responsible for destroying the wall that has stood in our defense for a thousand years?! A man from your family, a Cloude! Our sorry state is directly tied to the traitor and blasphemer your family produced! Cloudhawk isn’t the one who should burn, it should be your whole contemptible, hypocritical bloodline!”
Everyone sat in dumbfounded silence. All the blood drained from the Cloude family representative’s face.
There was perhaps only one person in all of Skycloud who had the gall to speak like that to the greatest demonhunter family in the realm, and it was him. The general’s rage would not be contained. Nor was he wrong – who could have imagined that one day the illustrious Knight-Commander of the demonhunter forces would betray his country and orchestrate such a disaster?
Arcturus Cloude betrayed no hint of anger. “We all bear responsibility for the plight of our home, but that is not what we are here to discuss today. We have gathered to seek confirmation, and to formulate a plan.”
“I don’t care about any of that,” Skye replied without hesitation. “I only demand my people be released!”
Arcturus paid him no mind. From his high vantage overlooking the hall, the governor turned his gaze down unto one man. “Cloudhawk. Can you explain what happened?”
Cloudhawk recognized his opportunity, here at last.
When he was asked this question several days ago, with General Polaris out of the picture, it would have been a waste of breath to profess his innocence. His humble background afforded him no power to change his circumstance. All that mattered to them was finding a scapegoat to pin Skycloud’s troubles on, so he was marked for death from the start.
Cloudhawk hadn’t taken it too hard at the time. Hell, it wasn’t like he was leaving behind a happy life. But this experience in particular had been an enlightening one. He chose to accept this chance to keep breathing.
“Our noble general tasked me with finding information about the Sanctum of Judgment. I first met the Crimson One in the place known as Fishmonger’s Borough, and during a confrontation learned of his real identity. I was also able to uncover the Sanctum’s real aim. I returned to Sandbar Station immediately, and tasked its magistrate Hammont Seacrest with delivering the news to the border General. You can call on the Magistrate to confirm what I’m saying is true.”