Chapter 330 (1/2)

Book 3, Chapter 66 – Separate assignments

The wastelands were full of groups vying for power, quietly laying in wait and gathering strength All of them feared Skycloud and the destruction they represented, and so did whatever they could to avoid detection The Dark Atoanization to ever dare openly defy elysian supre destroyed

When not enacting grander plots, the Dark Atom harassed their foe with terrorist acts assassination attee… all the way down to petty theft But their dirty tactics were always sh to cripple the behemoth that was Skycloud domain On the contrary, it really only served to stoke the flames of hatred elysians had for wastelanders and made them a more unified enemy

More than once Cloudhawk suspected Arcturus was holding back, allowing the Dark Atom to keep up their antics The occasional threat froilant, united, and strong Peace made a population soft, but conflict ensured they were supplied with a steady streaood of the realoats

Cloudhawk learned the hard way back in hell's Valley, that there was a lot of bad hung around the Dark Atom's necks that they didn't do

Of course Cloudhawk didn't have any insight into what that lofty bastard really thought He was a worm by comparison Nor did he have the die-hard drive of Baldur He was content with a superficial understanding, living every day in ignorance That was his goal

The Warden thought on how to get inside the terrorist stronghold The Dark Ato style, and from what he could tell froerous territory His sneaky tricks et him in

What worried hiroup

Walking up and asking for help was the sa in their care only to not be cured and eat a bullet didn't sound like a good time

On the other hand, the Dark Atom wasn't your typical wasteland outfit Not just the peripheries, but at its core

Most wasteland crews, at the end of the day, were just a bunch of tough guys

The Dark Atoineers, hundreds of the people were sure to see things differently They were of a differently quality, at their core, an authentic Seeker powerhouse And from what he knew of Seekers, they tended to be calmer than sweepers and other sorts He just needed to find the right way, and maybe he could sit for a relatively friendly conversation

Well, there was no sense in sitting around Ti Adder led Cloudhawk to the door once all relevant matters had been discussed

As he was leaving, Cloudhawk felt a faure walked toward hied traveler's cloak Even in the dileam from her eyes

Adder stared at Selene as she approached She answered hilance of her own

When their eyesblades He narrowed his eyes, and gave a chuckle “Another friend of yours? You sure like to surround yourself with interesting characters I'll be here, waiting for news of your success”

With that, Adder stepped back into the bar and shut the door behind him

Selene watched hi

It was the first time the two met, but each could sense the power in the other immediately Adder hadn't expected someone of her caliber to travel in Cloudhawk's circles, and Selene hadn't expected a man like him to call this small border town home

“I'”

She didn't waste time with pleasantries or s them now seemed selfish That meant they only had the old drunk to rely on, and his former poas a memory He couldn't compare to the Bloodsoaked Queen

“Don't worry” Selene's posture said that his business was none of hers, and also that she saw the anxiousness in his face There wasn't anything this guy wouldn't do to save his own skin She explained herself “The Crimson One already had old wounds to contend hich hadn't healed, and now he gained new ones fro off after hi him any time soon”

“Really?” Cloudhaas skeptical, but Selene was ever the sort to speak her ave him cause to think otherwise “Then I'm not worried”

“But it's too early to take things lightly,” Selene said “There are irl, and the treasure she represents Those out in the open are nothing to fear – its the dark forces in the shadows you need to look out for If I were you, I wouldn't keep Autuer she'd by your side the more likely trouble will come to find you The sooner she'd back in her valley, the better”

Cloudhawk nodded, then asked, “You talk about dark forces Are you saying that other than the Highwayroups that pose a threat?”

“Be it the wastelands or Skycloud, there arefor their opportunity than you can iine If you think the ones you met are the only people interested in woodland valley, think again But I haven't been active in these parts for years, I don't knohat ht have cropped up in the interim But there is one man I can tell you to be very wary of”

“Who?”

“Zephyr”

The na in the back of Cloudhawk's ain in hell's Valley It was often spoken in connection with Dawn, Selene, Frost – that group of talents IT was safe to assume this Zephyr was like them

Selene sigh, like she'd just re, then continued in so's only child He's meticulous, careful, the people of Skycloud have always had high expectations of him Only, he disappeared from the public the same time his father did His whereabouts are unknown, even to this day Now that Sterling has been wounded, I wouldn't be surprised if he sends his son after you”

Here, Selene paused to heave a sigh

Zephyr was her cousin, and at one time was the closest me, lively and mischievous, and it was Zephyr as always there to stop her fro into too much trouble Her cousin always struck as a war breeze Handso

Where was he now?

Would he feel resentment for the actions of a past life?

Cloudhawk rolled his shoulder, suddenly unco as you are?”

“Last I kneas significantly belowthis, Cloudhawk's expression still wasn't pleased but he at least wasn't terrified Not being as talented as Selene didn't mean he wasn't a threat She then added, “But he is several years older than I aht I'm sure I could take him one on one”

“Fine, enough, I get it Your family is a bunch of o Geniuses apparently crop up in clusters like mushrooms now”