The headquarters of Skycloud’s expeditionary force .

Hammont Seacrest looked up at the gloomy sky with an expression of disquiet . He constantly wrung his pudgy hands and his palms felt clammy . It’d been a long time since he’d felt so nervous and uneasy .

A squad of airs.h.i.+ps appeared on the horizon .

From this distance they appeared to crawl across the sky but in fact they were moving quite quickly . It took only a little while before the s.h.i.+ps were hovering over the base and depositing their crews .

The first to disembark was Knight-Commander of the Demonhunter Corps, Oren Cloude . His naturally frigid expression looked dourer than ever, making the hair on Hammont’s neck stand on end . He was followed by a group of about two hundred more demonhunters in their standard white garb .

They were escorting a woman laden with chains . Her platinum hair was in a mess, and what had clearly been a face accustomed to n.o.ble disdain was now drawn and dirty . Skycloud’s once formidable devil woman now looked the part of a ragged traitor, a prisoner facing the prospect of execution .

Hammont scanned the group but saw no one else .

Just one? His emotions were difficult to describe . He couldn’t tell whether he was more relieved, concerned or regretful .

One of the soldiers of the newly formed Drake Corps saw the change in his commander’s expression . He’d never seen such worry in his face before so he had to inquire . “Are you alright, commander? What’s the matter?”

“Nothing . A moment of sentiment . ” The discomfort was pa.s.sing . He shared a sentence with the recruit that the soldier didn’t understand . “Men are blades of gra.s.s floating on a river . We have no control where the flow takes us . The sh.o.r.e we wash up on is always in the hands of fate . ”

But was fate a real thing? Maybe what they called ‘fate’ was really just a name for life’s unpredictability . Even a man like Arcturus, whose wisdom extended out into the heavens, couldn’t plan for everything . Mortals were forever at the whim of the unknown .

Cloudhawk . Such a controversial and legendary figure already . Not long ago he was one of the men Hammont respected most . But the decisions he’d made and the actions he’d taken led him down a path with no way to look back .

Though Skycloud did what it could to keep the information hidden, Hammont had learned some of the details .

Cloudhawk was being called a Defiler, a sinister agent of evil . Half a year ago, huge numbers of troops were deployed to try and hunt him down only to fail . Even Governor Arcturus himself took to the field . And yet, miraculously, Cloudhawk still managed to escape . The Dark Atom managed to spirit him away .

Cloudhawk could not, would not ever return to the Elysian lands after this .

He wasn’t alone, either . Hundreds of members of the Polaris family followed his lead and defected to the wastelands . The news was a tremendous shock to citizens of the realm . As far as Hammont knew, there were several other members of Skycloud who chose to side with Cloudhawk as well .  One of them was the formerly lauded War Saint .  

Hammont was struggling to understand . These were some of the most ill.u.s.trious names in Skycloud, men and women that Hammont had looked up to as idols . What could have happened to cause such a fracture?

His new recruits, of course, couldn’t know the conflict in Hammont’s heart . They looked at their general with envy and admiration, for his meteoric rise seemed to come without nepotism or manipulation . He was the perfect inspiration story .

From lowly villager to humble soldier; relying on nothing but his own power, he rose to prominence as a Magistrate . Now, by his grit and determination, he was a mighty figure of the expeditionary force .

“We have apprehended the fugitive traitor, Dawn Polaris . She is now remanded to your care . make sure you watch her carefully . Her presence here will certainly impact the expeditionary force’s future campaigns . ” Oren motioned and Dawn was marched over to Hammont’s men . “You should know how important this prisoner is . If she escapes under your watch, not even the Governor can protect you . ”

“Yes, sir . ” Hammont wasted no time in ordering his men to take her . Soldiers led Dawn toward the prison, never speaking a word, haggard and expressionless . Oren ordered several veteran demonhunters to remain behind as a precaution .

“What are you planning to do with me?” Dawn suddenly asked as she was being led away .

Hammont paused . He had no obligation to answer her question, but this was Dawn Polaris . A n.o.ble successor to a great house, now laid low .  What fools destiny makes of us, he thought . Moreover she was thick as thieves with Cloudhawk, so he decided to respond . “Last night, Knight-Commander Oren set a trap at a nearby base, using your capture as bait to lure out Cloudhawk . If he’s showed up empty-handed today, it means Cloudhawk escaped . Now you’re here, surrounded by some of the most exceptional troops Skycloud has ever produced . It would be suicide for Cloudhawk to try and free you . ”

Dawn shut her eyes and her face twisted into a bitter grin . “But he will still try . ”

“That’s right, we both know the sort of person he is . He will try . ” Hammont felt a slight pang in his chest . “Cloudhawk would never leave a friend to die . His only choice is to join forces with Nox . We’ve been posturing against one another for months now . Nox, Skycloud… this is the opportunity they needed to turn this into an outright war . ”

The wastelands plans were simple . Greenland was becoming famous for its wealth of capable members . With its connection to the Dark Atom and figures like Wolfblade, Autumn and Abaddon, this made for a frightening union . The Khan of Evernight saw the potential as well and knew that if they worked together, they stood a much greater chance of defeating the expeditionary force .

Starting the fight now was also in Skycloud’s best interests . It was better to suffer short-term pain from surgery than live in chronic agony . Already, Nox and the Dark Atom were thorns in their side . Greenland was just getting started, but had the potential to be a real threat to the Elysian realm . Better, then, to deal with it now .  

The last few months of brewing conflict had a visible effect on all aspects of Elysian life . If this were allowed to drag on for years order would begin to crumble . If a place like Skycloud was being affected, with its long and stable history, then Nox would surely feel the consequences as well .

It seemed all of this was designed to spur these wasteland forces to unite, but in truth Skycloud still held the initiative .  Not only did Skycloud control how and when the battle was being fought, they also had the advantage of a defensible position . They were confident they had the strategy and resources necessary to win this decisive conflict .

Dawn was awash in depression and bitterness . Once Cloudhawk agreed to side with the Khan of Evernight, there was no going back . The moment he took to the field his hands would be stained with Elysian blood . This was a sin he couldn’t wash clean .

Hammont, Selene and the other Elysians he considered friends still stood in defense of their realm . It seemed inevitable that they would be forced to stand against Cloudhawk and his chosen allies . What’s more, the pure land Cloudhawk had wanted so desperately to build would be forever soiled . His dream was dead just as it was barely getting started .

All because of me .  The anger within Dawn felt like a corrosive poison . Her chains rattled as she was tugged along .

“How don’t you see how contemptible and stupid you’re being? Cloudhawk had never done anything against Skycloud in all the years he lived there . All he ever wanted was a quiet, peaceful life . Instead, bit by bit and for no good reason, he’s been forced to turn against Skycloud . One day, you all will come to regret these choices you’re making . ”

She was right, after a fas.h.i.+on . Hammont didn’t understand it, either . Cloudhawk was young and had just as much potential as Frost de Winter or Selene Cloude, maybe even more . He was a little rough around the edges but never unkind . It made no sense .

With time Cloudhawk would certainly have grown to be a mighty champion for the Elysian lands .  But that chance now was gone . Now, he was forced to be an enemy of the state . Rather than fight for Skycloud, he was cast out and given an opportunity to create a force to challenge Governor Arcturus . It was a disaster, pure and simple .

This circ.u.mstance was the result of several powers, pulling and tugging .  Poor Cloudhawk… in so many ways he was merely a victim of powers greater than himself .

Governor Arcturus made a personal visit to the expeditionary force’s headquarters . Frost and Hammont were there to greet him upon arrival .

Arcturus addressed them with a nod . “I’ve been informed of recent circ.u.mstances . Dawn’s capture is certainly Inkspecter using us to do his foul work, but it serves our purposes as well . It provides us with a fair opportunity . ”

“This leader of the so-called Hand of Gehenna is a contemptible heathen!” Hammont couldn’t tamp the anger that fiend’s name evoked . “First they attack General Frost’s men, then try to use us for their own ends . Poor Augustus, murdered by that criminal Squall . We can’t let them get away with such an affront . ”

Frost’s face never flinched . As always, he had as much expression as an ice sculpture .

Arcturus, draped in long-sleeved robes, dismissively waved his hand . “Gehenna’s agents are clowns, nothing more . Nothing short of the Demon King’s return would convince those fiends to leave their hollow . As such, while they pose no serious threat, we can focus our strength against Nox . ”

Hammont asked something that had been bothering him . “What is this ‘Nox’ city? Aren’t they affiliated with Gehenna?”

“Yes, and no,” came the Governor’s paradoxical response . “Demons are not a unified front . Gehenna waits conservatively in the darkness for their king’s return . The more radical of their foul ilk choose to take action . Nox is a place where demonic followers have attempted to emulate Skycloud’s brilliance . At one point, the demon Abaddon was Nox’s greatest figure . The city is a dangerous foe which has festered in the southern wilds for some time, always beyond our reach . Inkspecter has delivered up a chance to deal with the problem once and for all . ”

In other words, the mystery power from the south was hardly a mystery . It was merely a city built by the black demonic hands hiding in the shadows . And what of the Khan? Was he one of those evil creatures? It didn’t matter . By any measure, be it in population or infrastructure, Nox was no match for the glory of Skycloud . If they were, they wouldn’t have remained hidden in darkness for so many years .

“Dawn’s execution will be the catalyst which will force our enemies to show themselves . ” Arcturus cast his gaze southward . “The battle to come will have truly far-reaching consequences . ”

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