Chapter 329 (1/2)

Book 3, Chapter 65 – Tasks That Must Be Taken

Night crept over Sandbar Station The borderlands toas a sea of twinkling laht

Ever since elysian soldiers were stationed in the outpost things had become calm and stable Morale was better, and the markets had become a safe and lively place even after dark

A withered and unobtrusive figure sat in a corner, cradling a bottle of alcohol with an iron walking stick resting by his side He took gulps of the foul liquid while keeping hi comically as he did so His bloodshot eyes, diht of a fire in front of him

Passersby hardly looked at the pathetic beggar as they walked the market

There was nothing strange about a crippled drunk in the wastelands You could throw a rock and hit six just like him The old drunk sloshed the bottle's contents in frustration, thenthrew his head back and drank its contents, all whilebackwards When it caainst his teeth to draw out its savory contents

It would be unthinkable if the truth was sitting right there This sad drunk was the sao, shook heaven and earth hat he could accomplish Noas a casualty of the wastelands, like so many others He chucked the empty bottle away and had another handed to hiulps, sure who had coed cloak that hid her face, but her ratty clothes couldn't hide her ht and clear as the fullemotion

“Thank you” The old ed to say He spared her a brief look “Do you knohat you're gonna do next?”

“Continue,” Selene replied

It didn't really answer his question Hoas she supposed to continue? Continue tracking down her father's murderer? Continue her father's search for answers?

The old drunk didn't ask, he already guessed the answer She was so much like her dad He opened his mouth and another slurred ht be where Baldur's reht as well look for your answers there After all, you've gotten strong… but you haven't inherited his full legacy yet”

Selene turned the question back on him “What's your plan?”

“Me?” The drunk chuckled, revealing his yellow teeth to the firelight The mirth died away just as fast as it cao back Nothin' back in the elysian lands forinvolved in your ht idea Gotta say I'h”

Selene looks him over for a minute then continued in her soft voice “You of all people should know sometimes destiny makes a quiet life impossible Cloudhawk is one of those people The ets He tried to escape the wastelands by going to Skycloud, and this is where that brought him He ran away from the elysian lands for the comfort of the wastelands, but found us instead”

He filled his er to see how he fucks both places up, hehehe…”

Selene wasn't here to convince hied him into it How else could one of the most illustrious characters in Skycloud end up drunk and despondent on a wasteland street corner? This old rand Warrior Saint any around for ti to help him, except himself

Selene returned to the shop When she got back Cloudhaas already gone

Gabriel was in a corner, absorbed in his knitting when she walked in He didn't even raise his head “He went to Adder's bar for a drink”

Cloudhaalked through the streets with a belly full of bitter complaints He was surrounded by freaks and psychos!

An insufferably stubborn woe, a down and out drunk, a literal psychopath, and a scramble-brained nitwit The only one even halfway nors were unbearable!

Cloudhaasn't sure what life had in store for hi hie off at Adder's bar and speak with Luciasha

She was a good, normal, common woman She wasn't involved in any crazy shi+t so Cloudhawk hoped spending some time with her would make him feel better No burdens or pressure to deal with

He was looking forward to a quiet drink when he walked into the bar The scene he was met with almost made him jump back

Luciasha was tending bar while a fa merrily with her

The two seeon the bar with his right arlass of alcohol

“Squall!”

“Cloudhawk, you're back!” Luciasha was excited to see hione she'd missed his presence She was surprised when Squall arrived too out of the blue, and predicted Cloudhaould be showing up Noas here, just as he said “What a coincidence you tould show up together We should all have dinner together!”

Cloudhawk stared at Squall his eyes narrowed His face betrayed nothing, but he walked in a way to make his weapon more easily accessible If it was just Squall, Cloudhaas confident he could handle him, but the Warden had already spotted the ave him away immediately The pulses of resonance Cloudhawk felt from him just confirmed it Blackfiend

Cloudhawk had walked in to a circumstance he was ill prepared for

Luciasha, happy and oblivious, bounded off to prepare so out of the ordinary

The two men, meanwhile, sized each other up for a second Squall finally smiled “Think we can talk over a drink?”

Cloudhawk shrugged “I can't refuse Asha when she looks so excited”

Squall nodded “Take a seat”

They chose a nearby table and sat across from one another

Inwardly Cloudhaorking out Squall'sharder and harder to see through Was he here to try and abduct Autumn? Was he here to show that he had access to Asha? But he had to know his Highwaymen didn't have any power in the Sandbar