Chapter 499 (1/2)
Book 5, Chapter 4 – assembled
There were very few settlements in the southern wastes that could count as 'cities' None of them could compare to the power or scope of the Northern Barrens However, that didn't mean they weren't a potential threat, and if three of theanize this quickly itthis for some time
It n influence, and using the well-defended outpost they could build a fine foundation It was only a matter of time before these outsiders tried to extend their reach to the rest of the southern wastelands – which was exactly what Cloudhaas planning
Instead of waiting for that day to co on the wall, leaders froether
It'd been less than a week since the coup Cloudhawk had to assume there were spies, as that was the only way the cities could have learned Greenland changed hands so quickly Word was eons the moment Cerberus was killed The minute it was received, these vipers slithered fro to take advantage of their precarious status as new leaders, perhaps Greenland ain
The wasteland had its own rules, and when outsiders came to try and impose their own they had to be dealt with Even beasts protected their territory, to say nothing of grizzled wastelanders who fought and bled every day for what they earned They weren't about to tolerate a place as rich as Greenland City con control, not when they could have it for themselves
Cloudhaas both surprised and frustrated He'd just gotten back and assholes were already causing trouble Rather than sit around and wait for conflict, though, he gathered the four thousand strong warriors of Greenland City and organized a defensive line
Once again Cloudhaastelanders displayed i his orders
Just five days after Cloudhawk took control, Greenland City had a shi+fting black line appear at its borders Maybe ten thousand savage fighters were licking their chops and waiting for a cut of what Greenland City promised They were a motley creildly different equipanized, but there had to be close to ten thousand of them
Some of them rode twisted mutabeasts, others rode in vehicles Some wielded massive shi+elds and others crude buster swords Peppered a theear to appearance, there wasn't anything unifying these killers Strategy and unity was not a wasteland strong suit They fought for thes
“So many?”
Cloudhawk looked over thesoldiers with a scowl He used to live here, and never had he thought the barren and sparsely populated southern wastes could gather such a force
hellflower looked at the two sides and gauged their situation “Without Autumn's help and with you sick, I'm not sure we can rely on a few thousand half-assed troops Even with the advantage of our walls I don't think we'll be able to fend them off”
The creases in Cloudhaeathered face deepened He couldn't think of a way out
Froe e look about hilealance it was hard to tell if this was some sort of armor, or if he'd somehow absorbed a metal for protection
“I avoice felt so intense the soldiers could swear they saw sand being pushed by the sound waves “Listen up: This place belongs to me now Surrender and I let you live, otherwise you'll wish I let you die
“That's right!”
“Men go to the mines The women we'll have our ith 'till they're no more use!”
The wastelanders shouted and brandished their weapons,themselves look as fierce as possible It was like tild ani to back down, for if they gave in now they'd have lost before the fight even started
As the wastelanders shouted their curses and dark proure stepped into view, appearing fro
Gasps ensued and the wastelanders staggered back
He was a strange in a gray cloak, and those close enough could see that he was covered in bandages Such a strange figure, appearing out of nowhere, made them both wary and curious
Iron Grizzle glowered at hihost?”
Cloudhawk didn't respond immediately He slowly drew his eyes across the uncertain faces of his eneet here so fast, it couldn't have been easy Maybe you could use a rest We'll sit, have a talk Life is a precious and fragile thing and we can lose it in a blink if we aren't careful I'rand display today”
“You think you can intimidate me?!” Iron Grizzly spun around to his men “You sahat he can do This piece of shi+t must have come from the Elysian lands, a mutt in the service to those killers Demonhunter tricks! fuck, they think they can just walk into our territory and take control? What do you think about that?!”
“Kill! Kill! Kill!”
Many of them didn't knohat an Elysian was, but a feere more widely traveled and knehat the word represented Elysians and wastelanders mixed about as well as oil and water No way in hell they were going to let an Elysian set up in their territory!