Book 4, Chapter 67 (1/2)
Cloudhawk’s body was covered in burneven as he scrambled back onto his feet He had to adht Without the timely arrival of his two friends, he definitely would have been put down
With the sudden change to their conflict, the Crimson One did not immediately make any further attacks
The day finally ca fruit Baldur’s daughter and his best friend stood shoulder to shoulder, facing their shared enemy in solidarity
The Crimson One first turned his eyes to Selene
In her left hand she clutched Baldur’s weapon, Transcendence In her right, the holy crossblade One radiated with holy energy, and the other glittered with crystalline beauty She stood with her shoulders back and head high, a blade in each hand Her white vestreen fires that surrounded theht to her shoulders like a silken waterfall The contrast between her pale skin and dark hair was especially striking Her gradually hted the beautiful woman she had becoacy” While the Crimson One’s face had a natural air of coht of his brother’s daughter “Like father, like daughter, it would seem Both such incredible people A pity you do not come to me now as a friend”
Deadly ferocity overtook Selene’s moon-like eyes like an eclipse She becaeance Slowly her right arht toward the man “You are unworthy to even mention my father”
“Whether you believe ret inI ever had to do I did it anyway, and if you knew the truth you would rejoice in his death Otherwise-” He paused for a moment “Otherwise it would not be me you face today It would have been hi the words hang in the air
Anger overtook Selene’s senses She threw herself at hihteous light burned the pupils, but for all its fury the blow suffered the saolden aura around the Crimson One, the sas easily deflected, like a toothpick trying to pierce a diamond The shell was left unscathed while her crossblade shattered into pieces
Immortal Defender! One of the Cloude fa their battle in the wastelands, the Crimson One had been beaten to the point of exhaustion Injured and spent, it was this relic that saved his life and allowed him to escape Since it came into possession of the Cloude faest relics to have ever been unearthed It was capable of deflected any attack thrown at it so long as the Cri
“You all know in your heart that the order to kill Baldur ca as I was commanded!”
The stones scattered around the Crie city was already weaker than the world outside, and under the influence of the Crimson One’s power it failed entirely Stones rose like they had a life of their own Flecks of sickly green Castigation fire also eht-Commander’s words
Rock and fla tide The stones caught fire and gliht sky, everywhere they looked
“If you respected your father, if you loved your friend, then you would not stand inthat Baldur went through will be for nothing Raising your swords against eance for Baldur, it insults his memory!”
Selene slowly raised the crystalline blade in her other hand Transcendence, the sword of her father The air around it warped threateningly, and as she hacked it at their foe the ground split before a treainst the Crimson One’s defenses with so much intensity that it splintered stone Still it caused him no harm
Inwardly Cloudhawk cursed their continued failure His defenses were too strong!
Sterling wasted no un to doubt, but nothing he said would push them beyond questions They suspected that the Elysian leaders weren’t as righteous as they pretended to be They doubted this Elysian cause they championed was as noble as they were lead to believe Perhaps – perhaps – their holyto do with divine justice after all
But it was all just suspicions At the end of the day, all of the tragic things humans had suffered at the hands of the Gods were tes Others were forced to live in squalor, but not them They were the fruit of Skycloud, the Elysian lands were home
They’d never truly experienced the blood and death and violence How could they understand the Crimson One’s position? How could they join hi She could lift her hand against the Criht even be able to make Arcturus nervous But the Gods? No – she was no threat to the Gods
For all her doubts, Selene knew one thing; that her father was the greatest deing justice where there was none A prideful, powerful defender of the righteous!
The drunk felt sione to Skycloud, and it was unlikely he would ever go back But it was a place that still held sway, and the ties he felt to it would remain forever IF ever the Elysian land came under dire threat and his service was needed, he would be the first to stand before their enemies
This was the pride of a warrior, and the commitment he had made It was a responsibility that he orn to bear For her