On the third day…

Cloudhawk watched from the airs.h.i.+p’s cabin as the capital of Stormford pulled into view .

“Belial was pretty spot on . ”

Cloudhawk had spent two days in Byzantium before a way to the capital presented itself . That was too short for even Lance’s own flesh and blood to notice any difference . As for his sudden surge in ability? The Young Master’s family was surprised, certainly, but it didn’t rise to the level of suspicion .

So far as they were concerned, the lazy wastrel was finally showing some mettle!

Lance wasn’t born lesser than any other man . On the contrary, his potential was clear . But he squandered those talents by spending his days in decadent malaise, halting his progress . Now at last he appeared to be rising to his potential, a fact which pleased Byzantium’s Governor greatly .

Cloudhawk sat cross-legged on the small cot, watching the sprawling mountains and snaking valleys roll along below . He sighed at the sight and had to admit that it was only with Wolfblade’s help that he was able to find Stormford . Without the demon, it would have taken months of searching .

Who else, Elysian or otherwise, would know anything about this dangerous and complicated land? How would any outsider know that among the criss-crossing ranges was hidden an Elysian realm with tens of thousands of residents?

The world was so big . There were so many places he had yet to see . Every corner was flush with its own history, people and culture . Stormford, too, was sure to have countless stories of its own .

At one time Cloudhawk had wanted to be a wanderer, searching for an elusive paradise . That dream died a little while after he left h.e.l.l’s Valley . Since then he’d wanted to uncover the curiosities of the world because he had the ability to .

There was a saying: To live was to experience wanderl.u.s.t . The body and soul were always in search of a new path to trod .

Alas, it was an itch he could not yet scratch . Maybe one day when he was finished with it all . Maybe then he could take some time to explore .  

Be it this world or any of the others he’d encountered, Cloudhawk wanted to learn everything . The universe was vast, and out among the stars the greatest warrior and the humblest beast were all the same . To the world any single person didn’t matter, but the individual could know the world . Maybe if he went off to uncover these secrets he wouldn’t feel so… empty .

The mountains and valleys became less dramatic . A deep basin was revealed in the heart of the mountain range and nestled therein, a grand majestic city . Docks were arranged at different locations and airs.h.i.+ps were constantly coming and going . For a moment Cloudhawk felt like he’d been transported years into the past, on the day he flew into Skycloud city . He remembered how incredible it had all been, how the city seemed to be alive and vibrant . He remembered it like it was yesterday, but the knowledge of everything that followed afterward made it a bitter memory .

He wouldn’t let it happen again . No chaos this time . He didn’t want to keep bringing turmoil to places where peace reigned . No more innocent blood on his hands . Conflict meant bloodshed and that was a tragedy for everyone – the people and Cloudhawk alike .

Whether the future was bright or not, it didn’t matter to those who died before it was realized . The victims of change would know only darkness for eternity . It was the pain of resetting a break, but also confirmed the existence of heroism . Of course the heroes of some were the devils to others, for when a hero raised his sword it could mean tragedy to the common folk . That was the theory, anyway .

There were a lot of wastelanders who called Cloudhawk a hero, but to him the t.i.tle was not a lofty one . If he could pa.s.s the mantle on to someone else he would be ecstatic . Who in their right mind would want to be king of the wastelands? To lord over a sprawling, embattled alliance? What sane man wanted to be a hero?

Unfortunately there was no one but Cloudhawk to carry this burden . He was the only one who could . For all of the people around him and all the people he cared for, he had to shoulder this responsibility . It was what he had to do as a man .

“Young Master, we’ve arrived . We will spend the night at a hotel nearby and send someone to the Governor’s mansion to announce our arrival . I suspect tomorrow someone will come to invite us . ”

Byzantium’s Governor had sent a retinue of over a hundred people . No less than twenty of them were persona bodyguards and servants . The rest were responsible for transporting betrothal gifts . Although Byzantium’s Governor couldn’t visit the capital himself, he made up for it with the impressive treasures sent along with his son . These many heirlooms were intended to ingratiate their family and the groom to the capital’s leader . If they achieved that aim then it was well worth the expense .

It was very evident that their son and this wedding was of great concern .

After disembarking, Cloudhawk settled at a hotel near the dock . Fulmulta, like Skycloud city, was the heart of its respective realm . However, that was where the similarities ended .

It wasn’t unexpected . Even if they started from the same foundation, there were thousands of kilometers of distance between the two cultures . At the very least their customs and habits were different .

Of the five Elysian lands, only Skycloud was nestled against the ruins of the ancient civilization . The Dark Atom and other nefarious groups were a constant threat, so the people were bred to be tough . They were more aggressive and less forgiving; soldiers were well trained and nationalistic . However cultural development in other areas was relatively weak .

This was not so for Stormford .

Such a peaceful, enlightened atmosphere had produced a renaissance of human culture . Music, theater, art and other sorts of performances were easy to come across . What’s more, the various G.o.ds presented their realms with varying heritage . There were differences in the tools they used – for instance, there was a collection of crystal boards in the lobby wall Cloudhawk had never seen before .

These smooth, translucent items were like living pictures . Touching one instigated a reaction, calling up text and images . Cloudhawk fiddled with one until a menu flickered into being . Prominently displayed was an option for ‘Realm Announcements,’ ‘Realm News’ and more . He pressed one at random and a deluge of information scrolled across the screen .

“Young Master, this is a Notice Board . You’ll only find them in Stormford and they conveniently provide the citizens with all the information they need . ”

They were like ancient touch screens from the bygone civilization, but not exactly . After all the technology of the G.o.ds was completely different from what man had achieved . There weren’t any ruins nearby for them to excavate ancient touch screens, anyway, and old tech was forbidden in every Elysian domain .

Cloudhawk’s curiosity was piqued . “Why are they only in Stormford? Can’t we buy a few and bring them back to Byzantium?”

His coterie was caught off guard by the question . One of the stewards shook his head and replied, “They only work in a very small scope . If we were to take it out of the capital they’d be no different than a pane of gla.s.s . ”

Why was that? Cloudhawk looked over the screen as a nonstop flood of information rolled by . It was a very useful item, especially since atmospheric distortion made long-distance communication impossible . Somehow these screens didn’t seem to be affected .

It didn’t appear to use any sort of energy, either . What he did sense was a very faint hum… 

Cloudhawk shut his eyes and focused on the resonance . Following the sound, he discovered that the information they provided was all being sent from one location . This had to be some kind of unfamiliar yet powerful artifact, one that was able to deliver information across the air . Wireless transmissions were sent to these crystal sheets and rendered for people to see .

Cloudhawk had no way to guess what this relic was or how it worked . One thing he knew, though, was that it was both powerful and precious . At the very least it was unmatched in the ability to quickly disseminate information among the public . If he could find a way to steal away the technology it would be a great benefit to his Alliance . He could build a wide-reaching public information network whose advantages were unimaginable .

Night fell .

Cloudhawk was back in his hotel room . He’d just returned from wandering the city, a journey which revealed a myriad of interesting things . For one, the city was not wanting for capable citizens . He didn’t need to fight them to know that some people were surprisingly strong . A handful at least even posed a slight threat to him .

That didn’t come as much of a surprise . A realm with a thousand years of stable history was sure to produce some gems . Of course, just how strong these people were or what powers they possessed was a complete mystery to him .

For the time being, the Supremes were playing by the rules of extreme caution . Every step was judged and measured for fear their plans would fall through .  

Cloudhawk was preparing to lay down when a sound caught his ear . It was the hum of relics . He’d heard them before when wandering the streets, as though he were being watched . Now he heard several closing in on the hotel . Demonhunters, closing in .  

Obviously they were here for him – but why?

He wracked his mind . The city’s public security was capable and its citizens were well-behaved . This seemed out of character . Who were they? He didn’t remember offending anyone .

Cloudhawk lay on his bed eyes closed, pretending to sleep . But even as his one sense was closed off he reached out with another .

Layer upon layer of spatial energy spread through the room . His vision was no longer constrained to his eyes, rather rippling outward three hundred and sixty degrees . It pa.s.sed through floors and walls, revealing everything to him .

This was vision based on dimensional presence . So long as it existed on this plane, even the tiniest insect in the smallest crack was clear to him . Even items inside of other living things were not hidden . He saw it all as his power reached through the all-pervasive domain of s.p.a.ce .

Figures in black masks . Demonhunters, closing in on his room . A number had already drawn their exorcist bows . Their deadly intention was clear – murder, not dialogue .

“Interesting . ”

Cloudhawk focused on their leader . Judging by her figure she was an attractive woman, and as his powers slipped pa.s.sed the mask concealing her face he saw her features clearly . A woman in her twenties, pretty, with skin the color of snow . She was alluringly delicate in appearance and had rare silvery hair . But her beauty was robbed by the ferocious look on her face as she peered into Cloudhawk’s room .

(Post Script from Tipsy: The last two chapters have been lackl.u.s.ter, not like the others . Lately I’ve had time but have been suffering from writer’s block . Don’t worry, the wanderer will soon be back to normal . )

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