Idonea Argyris was livid .  [1]

Even to this day she couldn’t understand why her family would arrange this ridiculous marriage . Some dandy n.o.ble from Byzantium, the third son no less? She’d rather they asked her to jump off a cliff!

This never would have happened if her father was here . He would have fought for her, but it’d been two months since he left to fight the rebel realm with no word . She didn’t even know if he was alive or dead .

His disappearance had forced the family to seek out this political marriage in order to strengthen their position as leaders of the city . The Argyris family had to maintain their status in the Governor’s mansion and it just so happened that Lance’s brood – the Nilam family – was looking for a foothold in Fulmulta . Both sides saw an opportunity for mutual benefit, and Idonea became the bargaining chip .

Father would never have agreed to this if he were here!

When she thought about her father she felt a pang in her chest . He was the strongest man in the realm, now and throughout its history . She adored him and was convinced he had no equal .

But why had there been no word? He answered the call of the mighty Thunder G.o.d and left with other great warriors to defeat the heathens, a task which should have been easy for him . But it had been months of silence .

The disappearance of this pillar of their family was why they’d gone ahead with this farce of a marriage! News had started to spread across the realm that her father and the other three Masters had all died on foreign soil . A terrible, demon-like man had taken their lives .

Rumors claimed that this fiend was stronger than any other human in recorded history . Even the great Supremes were wary to face him . It was widely a.s.sumed, then, that the beloved Governor Bruno Argyrys had perished .  

Idonea couldn’t believe this, of course . Or perhaps she simply refused to .

Her vociferous objections were ignored by her family, so Bruno’s daughter was left with no choice but to take drastic measures . She gathered a small group of loyal followers and endeavored to eliminate the Nilam family dandy as he slept at the inn .

When she first learned of the marriage proposal, Idonea had sent someone to Byzantium in order to learn about her betrothed . She learned that the Young Master was not anything like the sort of man she would like . He drank like a fish, ate like a pig and gambled like an addict . As far as she was concerned, men like him were a waste of air . Erasing this idiot from the realm was doing everyone a favor .

Bruno’s rambunctious young daughter was in her seventeenth year . She was in her rebellious phase, where little thought was given to consequences . It didn’t matter – if father were here, he would have supported her .

“We have our target . Do it right, do it quick,” Idonea whispered to the group by her side . They nodded in understanding .

They were positioning themselves around the room when suddenly a fog appeared from nowhere, catching them unawares . It was so immediate and unexpected that they were left stunned .

“What’s going on?”

The demonhunters, whose skills were average at best, looked around to discover that the room they’d entered was gone .  Everything was gone – all the sights and sounds of the world vanished, as though erased by the fog .

One of the demonhunters voiced his concern . “Mistress, this is starting to feel like a trap . We should leave and rea.s.sess our plan . ”

Idonea was equally as confused . “Yes, let’s fall back . We can form a new plan . ”

The would-be a.s.sa.s.sins fumbled back through the mist, traveling a couple hundred meters before realizing something was very wrong . It was all the same, like they hadn’t moved at all .

s.h.i.+t! It was a trap… but what kind of setup is this?

Panic started to creep in . Idonea had brought only average protectors with her, a.s.suming her target was an easy one . Even this simple mental illusion was too much for them to see through, for though the illusion was simple the mind that commanded it was strong . They were caught .

“Split up!” She growled through gritted teeth . They scattered in all different directions . Idonea ran and ran but still didn’t seem to be getting anywhere .

Idonea was starting to lose her composure . She shut her eyes tight and tried to listen for any sort of clue . Taking a deep breath she launched herself forward, thinking that if her senses were closed off it might dispel the illusion . Several more minutes pa.s.sed until suddenly she crashed into someone .

Ah? Am I out?!

Her eyes popped open then widened in surprise . Wrapped in fog, she looked up to see the one she ran into . Attractive, golden hair . Deep blue eyes . A young man in his twenties .  

A few minutes before Cloudhawk had been crouched by the window with a simple relic in his hands . He watched the black-clad figures fumble around then scatter . As they fled a smile touched his lips .

In order to preserve this new ident.i.ty Cloudhawk had to limit what relics he used . It wasn’t much of a restriction, of course . He had hundreds of different tools hidden away . He’d gathered quite the collection after numerous run-ins with Skycloud’s army . Some he gave to members of the Alliance, some he kept for himself .

Most of these were lower-grade relics, but in his hands that didn’t make much of a difference .

During the battle for Sanctuary, Arcturus had fought off the Khan and the drunk with nothing but an exorcist rod . Cluodhawk was now slightly stronger than the late Governor, so he was more than the average person could handle even if he only used the basest relics .

Indeed, even without these tools he could ravage a group with the power of his will alone . Releasing tongues of flame, spikes of ice and blades of wind, many were not his equal . Though he looked like an ordinary man, Cloudhawk was very nearly the pinnacle of human capability .

Playtime was over . Cloudhawk put the relic away and strode into his own illusion .

A fatigued young woman with silver hair was running in circles . Fear, anger and confusion danced in her eyes . Never in her life had this young n.o.ble encountered such a harrowing experience .

It was clear to her she’d fallen into a trap . It felt like she’d been caught in the mist for hours . Only once she shut her eyes did she encounter another soul .

“Ah! Y-… what are you?!”

Cloudhawk looked over the girl . She was a clever kid, maybe sixteen or seventeen years old, with a good figure . She was also immature and guarded . He was immune to womanly charms, of course, and had been for some time . For years the likes of Dawn, Selene, h.e.l.lflower and Autumn had been by his side .  

Idonea tightened her grip on her own relic . “Who are you? Speak! Or I’ll make you talk!”

“No need . I’m here to help you . ” Cloudhawk said once he was revealed . “With your abilities you can’t escape this place on your own . You will die of exhaustion before finding your way back to the real world . Unless you follow me . ”

With that said, Cloudhawk turned and walked into the swirling mists . Idonea didn’t know what was happening, but she had to trust him . Gritting her teeth, she and her co-conspirators followed .

Cloudhawk surrept.i.tiously continued to control the relic while stringing Idonea along . She fumbled behind while he guided her from the inn and out into the city . They traversed the busy streets yet she had no clue, for the illusion made it seem as though she were still lost in fog . The only thing that existed in this world was the man with golden hair, tall and imposing .

With every step she grew more perturbed . She was not convinced this stranger was a friend . “Tell me your name so I can pay you back . ”

Cloudhawk glanced over his shoulder . “You were planning to kill Lance Nilam, weren’t you?”

The accusation caught Idonea by surprise . She was suddenly vigilant, almost hostile . “Kill? Absolutely not . ”

Was this man one of the sissy boy’s guards?

“Relax, I’m on your side . ”

“Oh, so you’re also…” Was he also here to deal with the Byzantium n.o.ble? If that was the case then they were indeed allies .

Information pa.s.sed slowly through the ruined world, so while Idonea knew of Lance she had few details to go by . For instance, what he looked like . Her a.s.sumption was that the gluttonous pig was a fat waste of s.p.a.ce and so didn’t suspect this new stranger of being her target .  

They continued to talk as they made their way through the city . Gradually, the girl’s wariness began to subside . Meanwhile he was gathering precious information .

Idonea was the daughter of Bruno Argyris – the very same master of spatial power he fought back home . He may have been defeated by Cloudhawk, but a man with his skills was a rare treasure all throughout the world . Quite the surprise that he should run into the man’s daughter here .  

The more she spoke with this strange man, the more evident it became that he was a mature and experienced figure . A man with a story . Women were empathetic and she could feel how life had left its scars on this youth . He was exactly the sort of fellow that attracted young girls like her .

He was also rather good looking .

When the conversation turned to Bruno, he shared something with her . “Don’t worry, your father is fine . You’ll see one another again someday . ”

She took his words as nothing more than an attempt to comfort her . However, there was something about the way he said it that calmed her heart and made her think it was true .

“We’re out . ”

As soon as he said the words Idonea saw the mist before them part . A quiet residential area of Fulmulta surrounded by towering buildings was revealed .

“Oh… how did we get all the way out here?”

Idonea looked around and noted this area of the city was at least three districts away from the inn . They had to have been walking for several hours . A direct path back at a quick pace would have taken only half an hour or so .

Dawn’s light was beginning to peek over the horizon .

“It’s too late . Too late…” Disappointment marred her pretty features . With the sun, any chance to kill the Byzantium dandy was gone . By now her family was probably already looking for her .

Cloudhawk’s tones were calm . “You’re so against marrying this man?”

She bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on . “I would rather die!”

He nodded . “You’re right, it’s too late . Better get back . I’m sure a solution will present itself with time . I’ll continue to help you . ”

“Sir, I still don’t even know your name . ”

“You’ll know the next time we meet . ” In almost theatrical fas.h.i.+on, Cloudhawk turned away . He waved over his shoulder, clasped his hands behind his back, and meandered back through the streets from whence they came .

“Well, if I can’t get rid of him before marriage then there will be other chances . I won’t even let him touch me . ” She made the promise while watching Cloudhawk wander off . She’d been lucky he had been there to save her from such a vicious trap .

But who was he?

1 . Her last name, meaning ‘silver’ should sound familiar . Her first name means ‘proper, upright, suitable’

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