Chapter 314 (1/2)

Book 3, Chapter 50 – Pandehs

The flute had sounded After three hundred years, out here in this foreign place, its song was heard again Only, the bearer was not one of the tribe

Shephard's Call rang through the mountain and beyond, a thousand meters in all directions No distance di creatures heard it resounding in the depths of their soul

The murder of ravenous birds outside heard the call, and it drove theh likeflesh in their passage With the soldiers withdrawn to deal with the would-be assassins, there was nothing to stop the Meanwhile, the city's domesticated beasts were also out of control They attacked their handlers, wrecked buildings, and trampled their pens Anarchy prevailed

The underground lake was the center of the storm No one knehat lived in there besides the thousands of sandsharks needed to keep the city functioning All of a sudden beasts they'd never seen before were roused, and creatures which had never co with terrible effect Unfortunate citizens caught too close to the lake were attacked before they kneas happening

All manner of creatures – be they beasts of the land, air or water – began to attack the city It was no different from the stampedes of starved anihs had they needed to contend with a threat of this nitude

All because Cloudhawk played a flute The Shephard's gift was a spectacular artifact indeed!

Yet how could Brier and Autumn accept what they'd seen? Three hundred years, and no one had been able to coax a sound from their holy relic No one, not even her illustrious parents nor all the tribe's elders Only once Autuin to resonate

Autumn was important to her people for more than the name of her parents In three hundred years, her birth had done what no other had She was the only soul in all that time with divine blood, the only one who could call on the flute's power She was destined to lead their people

Throughout the valley's history, none were born with the ability to commune with the beasts None but Autumn For this reason she was seen by her people as chosen by their God to lead Her innate power and talent made her fated – maybe even a reincarnation of their beloved Shephard

In a mockery of all of that, an outsider had been the first to call on the flute's power This one born to carry on the Shephard's lineage, this avatar, had tried desperately and failed while an unknown scoundrel did so with his first attempt

Everything seemed so absurd, now All their prophecies and beliefs But this was the hard truth

Brier could no longer maintain his flat affect His eyes ide and red, and the shock caused hier they were in He lurched forward, grabbing Cloudhawk by the front of his shi+rt “Who are you? What are you?! How can you use the Shephard's power?!”

“Hey, hey, hey! Cool the fuck off! I can use all sorts of relics, God or demon” Cloudhawk had always possessed this ability, but he kept it quiet Who would believe him? But under duress and at his wit's end, Cloudhawk couldn't help it once Brier grabbed hi hands off of me! And thank your shi+thead God that I'm hurt, otherwise I'd slap your ass to the dirt”

A volley of bullets and arroere co their way, so Brier was forced to comply

Autuned Her tiny hands squeezed the holy relic as though she were struggling with the desire to smash it Why? Why could he do it, but not her? But noasn't the tio!”

In his years in exile, Brier had recruited and trained several dozen believers to his cause The suicide soldiers were forainst hundreds of soldiers they couldn't hold the Besides the sheer disparity in nuer's men were also well equipped; from rapid-fire crossbows, to autoly deadly

The old overnor

He had lost his relic during the assault on the ained the upper hand After all, the skills of the cripple ran far deeper than one iined His powers as a demonhunter were just one aspect – and not even his forte The drunk's greatest abilities lay in martial combat, and the manipulation of true power Even bullets didn't present any threat to him

However, there was a limit to what a man could do, even a man like him

Alone against Ravenous Tiger, the oldto fear But there were two clerics of the Crimson Church involved as well They bore their oeapons, exorcist staffs as well, and launched a fierce combined assault on the lone warrior

Since when had demonhunters become a dime a dozen? Even Crimson Church clerics were demonhunters! Word of this would cause a sensation if it reached Skycloud domain

The demonhunter title was an honorable one in the elysian lands They were required to register, and all that they did was recorded Feere everor unaccounted for And yet, out here in this wasteland city, the reality did not overnor hiymen were as well

How could men like this so effectively conceal their identities, and play as holy , how much power did the Crimson One wield if these were his subordinates?

Against a veteran deether with acould the old drunk endure? Cloudhawk didn't spare hih, however, since he had his own life to worry about After all, he was in too weak a state to protect himself He couldn't even call on the phase stone to save hiet in the way

Brier grabbed Autu to get a sandshark for their escape All around was pandemonium Every minute they remained was one minute closer to disaster

Four ed sword, wreathed in flae, he hacked the blade toward them The weapon itself was a relic of uncoation fire It was a terrifying weapon capable of bearing Castigation