Chapter 448 (1/2)

Book 4, Chapter 66 – Power Discrepancy

Cloudhaas preparing to scout the tohen he heard the tell-tale fwip of crossfow fire His head swiveled toward the sound, where he discovered a wall of arrows headed his way Their tips gloith an oht

Green This hue of green represented death

It wasn't poison – Cloudhawk feared no poison But he did fear this

The arrows screaation fire The terrible energy needed only touch its target to infect them with the unholy flaulfed in it, burned down to their very bones until there was nothing left but ash

Cloudhawk narrowed his eyes, tian to ile as a cat, as quick as a falcon Not a single bolt careen payload Instead they clattered against the ground or the wall behind hiry sparks

His attackers wouldn't have time to fire a second salvo Before they could reload their crossbows, Cloudhaas on the into action in the middle of the ill-equipped crowd

These , but even if they werepower of Cloudhawk's Silver Serpents He dashed a to rest in the exact position where he started

Only now, in his hands were the lethal twin short swords Thin as a cicada's wing, the blades weren't stained by even a single drop of blood His ambushers all stood still as statues for a round, dead With a flick of his wrist, the Silver Serpents retracted back into Cloudhawk's sleeves

His ene bloay by an autumn breeze

For days he had been practicing the naht to hi had improved his body in every way It was a testahter and teacher that Cloudhawk should improve so much in so short a period

“You've grown stronger I can see how you defeated Adder”

A voice, calh the silence

When Cloudhawk looked to its source it felt like soers around his heart and started to squeeze For ae, had sneaked up and stood practically right in front of him

He was a e looks and soft expression Frown lines had etched themselves into the space between his brows, but his eyes were cal by appearances he looked to be in his fifties, though his hair was the silvery gray of a much older man

The red cloak he as e crosier was cradled in the gentle grip of his right hand, and green fire danced in and out of existence around the staff's apex He was none other than Skycloud's forment – The Crimson One

Just thefor, but without his allies Cloudhaas in no rush to start a fight

After all, in his fight against Adder Cloudhawk barely ed to survive by the skin of his teeth In the end luck played an i Only ten days after that deadly encounter and here he was, face to face with possibly the deadliesthi suicide

Cloudhawk hadn't planned on being discovered by the Crimson One What was he supposed to do now?

It wasn't like he could stride across dimensions at whim With how difficult it was to enact, it would be soain As for invisibility or teleportation, he was confident neither would protect him from a Master Demonhunter

However, the Crihlighted how confident theable to handle these invaders After all, he was one of the world's greatest demonhunters It didn't eneration possessed, they were not his betters

Back in Fishy In addition to his old battle wounds, and a fear of revealing his identity too soon, the Criht theth Circus were different this time

Nowould not be repeated

Cloudhawk looked back at the deadly man in a half crouch, eyes wary “You look like you've recovered well”

The Cri youth “Adder gave his life to make sure a particular medicine made its way back to me His death was not in vain”

His words were cold and dispassionate, however Cloudhawk felt the danger around hi a deadly viper slowly slither closer and begin to wrap around his leg He could feel the cold fingers of death brush the back of his neck, and the slightest ers to clamp down

“I do not hate you for killing Adder,” the Crimson One assured “It was his destiny He had thethe Crimson One's son If it wasn't you who took his life in Woodland Vale, it would have been one like Janus You gave him a proper death, in pursuit of what he believed in, like a true soldier As his father, I can appreciate the glory in his demise”

To Cloudhawk the demonhunter's words were odd However, he soon discovered the surprises did not stop there The Crimson One's next sentence astonished him even further

“In killing Adder you proved to be stronger than him I have never seen soe yourself to the Conclave, I will not seek vengeance for his death” His words were direct, and nothing in his bearing contradicted the promise of mercy “I should hope you consider the offer carefully You are, after all, a wastelander”

Cloudhawk could hardly believe what he was hearing Did the Crimson One care so little for his son?