The Godsfall Chronicles

One second . Two seconds . Three seconds!

Cloudhawk anxiously searched himself with his hands but found no wounds . The Lifedrinker arrow hovered in the air less than a foot away from his chest, frozen in air . Its razor-sharp tip was pointed directly at his eye .

The sanguine runes etched on its surface flickered then dimmed . As he watched, the possessed arrow turned and flew into the distance .

The Lifedrinker arrow deftly maneuvered through the ruins . It avoided obstacles, retracing its route back to where it’d come from . Eventually it found its way back to Raith .

He s.n.a.t.c.hed it from the air . With his chest puffed out the young demonhunter proudly proclaimed . “Moon, don’t worry . The traitor has already been dealt with . ”

Yet she peered at the arrow with doubt . “So quickly?”

“Don’t underestimate this relic! This is one of Skycloud’s greatest hunting relics!” Were anyone other than Luna to question him, Raith would have flown into an imperious rage . He might have even killed the offender . Yet before her there wasn’t even a hint of anger . On the contrary, he patiently explained the relic’s power . “This relic was created by a master demonhunter a hundred years ago . Shot from his hand, this arrow would hunt its target relentlessly for five days and five nights . Once his target was more than three miles away, but in the end the arrow still took the life it intended . ”

The others blanched at the story . It hunted its target for five whole days? Killed it from three miles away?

How could such a deadly tool exist in this world? Only the G.o.ds could have created such a righteous and powerful thing .

“This relic has three special qualities . First, it’s able to locate its target and attack with extreme precision . Second, it’s silent so as to take its target’s life before they even know what’s happening . And third, if somehow its first attack misses it will just keep coming . Either the relic’s holy powers are used up, or its target dies . Those are the only outcomes . ” He flicked his wrist and the arrow contracted, back to the small rod it once was . He slipped it back into his belt . “It had enough power to return to me, so that means the job is done . If you need confirmation you can use your perception to try and find him yourself . ”

Until a life was taken, the arrow would not come back . That was what made the relic arrow so special .

Raith did not possess the skill or power of a master demonhunter, but the ten minutes he could manage was more than sufficient . Actually only a couple of minutes had pa.s.sed since he fired the Lifedrinker arrow and it was back already . Their target had to be dead, Raith was confident of this .

Luna nodded then focused her psychic energy into the torque necklace around her throat . The tracking relic hummed to life . Just like her companion promised she could not find any sign of their prey . In all likelihood he was dead .

 “Do you believe me now?” He wanted to maintain a level of modesty before the girl he admired, but it was difficult for him to hide the arrogance behind his eyes . “Let’s hurry, before some monster makes a meal of our prize . ”

The twelve hunters from Skycloud picked up the pace toward Cloudhawk’s last known location .

Before long the terrain became a complex maze of buildings, thousands of them in various states of disrepair that towered like ancient sentinels . In the center was an enormous s.h.i.+p that had crashed to earth . It was phenomenally large, and half was buried in the rubble with parts strewn all around .  

So this was their prey’s chosen cemetery?

Luna shut her eyes and channeled her focus once again into her relic necklace . It s.h.i.+mmered in response to her call . Waves of invisible resonance reached out like a radar in all directions and in an instant she knew the terrain as well as if she’d walked the whole thing herself .

“There’s nothing dangerous nearby . ”

Strange . No corpse, either?

Both demonhunters were young and talented, outstanding members of their cla.s.s . Luna’s expertise was investigation and probing, while Raith was a gifted hunter and a.s.sa.s.sin . Together they were a frightening pair, made all the more formidable with ten Skycloud captains at their back . It was probably better for the traitor that he was already dead before they found him .

“He has to be nearby . ” Raith looked around the dilapidated surroundings . “This place is a mess . Spread out and search!”

Cloudhawk hid in a fissure along the mothers.h.i.+p’s hull . Once the girl’s probe swept by, he cautiously allowed the power of his cloak to fade . He perched amidst the ruins, so well matched that he might as well have been a chameleon . With slow, deliberate movements he pulled his rifle off his shoulder and loaded an armor-piercing round .

This guy is way too overconfident . Egotistical p.r.i.c.k .

He wasn’t downplaying how dangerous the Lifedrinker arrow was, but every relic had a weakness . Cloudhawk’s invisibility cloak masked everything; his sound, body heat, and aura just vanished . Any indication he was alive had vanished as well . Without any means to find its target, the arrow a.s.sumed its mission was complete .

Luna’s tracking was troublesome, too . It didn’t seem to tire her out too much but was very effective . All this time it was through her that they were able to pinpoint his location . However, with some effort and time Cloudhawk was able to find her weakness as well .

She couldn’t sustain the pulses for long . They came in waves, roughly three minutes apart .

Once Cloudhawk saw the pattern he started to take advantage . When the pulses were due to come he hid beneath the power of the cloak . Her powers seemed to act similarly to the Lifedrinker arrow, so once he was safely erased by the cloak her tracker relic was rendered effectively useless . He knew their tricks, and because of his cloak these demonhunters were lulled into a false sense of security . Now was the time to strike back .

Cloudhawk tentatively crept out from his hiding spot and inched forward, using the ruins as cover until he found a good spot . A choke point where both demonhunters would have to cross .

He was ready, but who was his target this time?

The girl’s relic could pin him down, and she had a strong awareness of danger . If Cloudhawk chose her she would be able to feel it, so he wasn’t absolutely sure his sneak attack would land . The boy was quick, nimble, and well trained . After using the arrow he would be physically and mentally drained . He was at his weakest… making him the right call .

Both of the young demonhunters had made a fatal mistake . They shouldn’t have left their entourage behind . They were scattered around the complicated terrain and couldn’t quickly reorganize if something happened . It gave Cloudhawk all the time and opportunity he needed .

He saw them coming, still vigilant . They thought Cloudhawk was dead, but this sort of place was the perfect hunting ground for other beasts of the wasteland . They were on high alert for any danger that might be lurking around the corner .

Three hundred feet .

Two hundred and fifty feet .

Cloudhawk slowly exhaled, then held his breath . He controlled every pore, controlling his body to the point where he was practically stone . Below, the demonhunters picked their way through the ruins slowly, carefully examining everything they came across . Meanwhile Cloudhawk’s focus was running short . Deal with one, then face the other, that was the plan . He had to save as much energy as possible for that fight, or an escape if he failed .

Closer .

Closer .

Demonhunters had to be more than just excellent warriors . They were relentlessly trained to be killers . Even against two relatively young and inexperienced members, Cloudhawk didn’t dare underestimate what they could do . Every ounce of concentration, every bit of power had to be put into these critical seconds .

A hundred and fifty feet… A hundred thirty…

Cloudhawk remained still . He had one chance . He had to wait for the perfect moment .

Something must have seemed off, for both demonhunters stopped suddenly . They held tight to their weapons and scanned their surroundings .

They somehow felt the danger .

Suddenly a series of shrieking barks echoed off the crumbling walls as six or seven mutated rats slithered through the cracks . Their beady red eyes glared at the two intruders, ready to tear them apart with their dagger-like claws .

That was what they sensed, the monsters!

Luna brandished her exorcist staff which hummed with power, then launched at their attackers . She moved with incredible speed . Before the rats could get close a blast of power knocked them into the air and ripped their hairy bodies apart . A rain of blood and gore showered the area .

The moment the rats appeared Raith felt a frigid sensation bubble up from deep inside .  

It caught him off guard for it was the first time he’d felt something like that . By sheer coincidence he turned his head, and a hundred feet away he could clearly see a figure rising from the ruins . Time slowed, he saw every grain of sand as it fell off the figure’s shoulders . His gun was the same color as the grit around them, except for the dark maw of the barrel . A magnificent bloom of fire reached for him from that darkness .

No! He went cold, all over his body and deep into his soul . He could even feel the friction of the thick bullet as it ripped through the air, the sound of it leaving the barrel, the promise of death in its wake . Raith tried to get out of the way, but the sneak attack was too sudden, his murderer too close . He couldn’t escape .

He watched in excruciating detail as the bullet entered his chest . It slipped through his cloak before collapsing his leather armor . Although it was of the best quality, there was nothing his armor could do to stop the bullet . Skin split, muscles tore, bone shattered . A spray of blood followed as the bullet exited his back .

“RAITH!!”

It all happened in the blink of an eye . Pieces of mutant rat still fell around them .

A wail, filled with inconsolable anguish, spilled from Luna’s mouth as she watched the bullet pa.s.s through him . She reached out and grabbed him, almost immediately drenched in something hot and slick . The wound in Raith’s chest was the size of a fist, gus.h.i.+ng like a fountain of blood .

Cloudhawk reloaded the rifle with his left hand . His window was mere seconds as he aimed for another shot toward the fallen demonhunter . He was not the target, however . Cloudhawk was hoping to hit the girl behind him .

Cloudhawk was fast but his luck was limited . Luna sensed the bullet coming and leapt into the air to avoid it, but so far things were still under his control .

He flung the rifle to the side . It was too slow for his needs . He reached back and pulled two revolvers from his waist, then fired a series of shots at the surviving demonhunter . Each bullet exited with a spat of fire and traced a blazing line through the air . Each one was aimed at Luna, who would find it difficult to dodge while in midair .

In this fatal moment Raith summoned the last of his strength to throw himself at Luna . He shoved her out of the way, but not before two of the bullets struck her, though neither hits were effective . Cloudhawk’s revolvers weren’t strong enough to get through her armor .

Raith took the rest of the shots . One hit him in the side of his face and blew off his ear . Another hit him in the throat and tore out a huge chunk of flesh .

Failure! Cloudhawk scowled and made to flee .

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