Chapter 23
Rain pounded the streets of Eluvia73Please respect copyright.PENANADW8QWRyMh5
causing its people to run for cover. Thunder rumbled across the sky as bolts of73Please respect copyright.PENANAmp61sSMfVb
lightning shot out illuminating the space above the city. Eluvia was in73Please respect copyright.PENANA5TdtnyLBAF
mourning, and it seemed to many that the Deities wept with them, but a select73Please respect copyright.PENANAZFIfl0L3PI
few knew the truth. There was a war coming one where both human’s and gods73Please respect copyright.PENANAVhpjDJTasU
would have to choose sides.
It had been three months since the73Please respect copyright.PENANAuyMfYl2W1Y
King’s murder and as the city wept a man hunt was underway to chase down the73Please respect copyright.PENANARuZdurHmT8
person many believed responsible while the true culprit stayed safe inside the73Please respect copyright.PENANA4klv2knq2y
castle, just biding his time until he could strike. Despite the circumstance,73Please respect copyright.PENANAMWk9LcuPhJ
Eluvia needed a new king. Although Cuvera was still in mourning, he bowed his73Please respect copyright.PENANA77sgSzwKsQ
head accepting the crown and the power that came with it. His new wife, Kiara73Please respect copyright.PENANAucazpQUUXh
stood by him, helping him through his pain while others plotted behind his back73Please respect copyright.PENANA775j2vZByM
to gain power in the wake of this tragedy.
Peyton stood at attention in front73Please respect copyright.PENANA1LWpqlvInZ
of the throne where Cuvera sat. His hair had grown long, his eyes bloodshot,73Please respect copyright.PENANA2jqQYjwolw
while his clothing hung loosely from his body. Since the death of his father,73Please respect copyright.PENANARPm5k7Z5y2
Cuvera hadn’t done much resting. He was too busy learning to run a country and73Please respect copyright.PENANA95DopC2JGE
dealing with intelligence as to where his friend had gone, searching for73Please respect copyright.PENANA7tuUo3kLc6
answers as to why he had killed his father and run away. No matter how hard he73Please respect copyright.PENANAqMlcHBKPad
tried, he just couldn’t understand. He longed to have a conversation with73Please respect copyright.PENANADwmwbv1I3Y
Vander, but he knew that wouldn’t happen outside of a jail cell.
“Any luck?” his voice croaked.73Please respect copyright.PENANAFE4DZbC6j1
Peyton’s heart was broken seeing his best friend’s son this way, but despite73Please respect copyright.PENANAB76AomcNb4
their plan, he couldn’t tell the young King why things had to happen that way.73Please respect copyright.PENANA8pBnQCUZDX
He wouldn’t understand, Peyton barely understood it himself.
“None.” Peyton shook his head.73Please respect copyright.PENANACzCE22il8a
“There have been a few sightings, but when we went to investigate, he was73Please respect copyright.PENANAJ2q0P0qZEv
nowhere to be found.”
“Damn it.” Cuvera slammed his hand73Please respect copyright.PENANAeXf1yIbRpP
on the arm rest. “Damn it, damn it, damn it.”
“We will double our efforts.”73Please respect copyright.PENANAKLNJdNAtNl
Peyton said. “If we ask the General’s for help…”
“No,” Cuvera interrupted him. “If73Please respect copyright.PENANAvPhJEicElL
Vander doesn’t want to be found, no one can find him. The Warden’s need to head73Please respect copyright.PENANAw21od2U3RM
back to their posts as do their Generals. This will be an internal matter, Lord73Please respect copyright.PENANAtKr3nUrOvq
Cranton. We must handle it ourselves.” Kiara walked over, placing a hand on her73Please respect copyright.PENANAmniA9OSGFR
husband’s shoulder.
“Is there anything else Peyton?”73Please respect copyright.PENANAgYt9FRaR1x
she asked softly, but the way she looked at him told him he had better end this73Please respect copyright.PENANArvf17kLBEp
meeting or there would be hell to pay.
“Just one,” Peyton grimaced. “Have73Please respect copyright.PENANAR6TWExswpT
you given any thought as to who you would make Blade Commander? Since Charles’73Please respect copyright.PENANATNaQngC538
was forced out, we need someone to…”
“Alexander and the other Captains73Please respect copyright.PENANAsONbYtMbpf
have it well taken care of.” Kiara interrupted. “We understand that this is an73Please respect copyright.PENANAcCQaaEYAls
important decision, but based on what has already transpired, this is at the73Please respect copyright.PENANA9Z8obDZc4A
bottom of our list. Understood?”
“I do.” Peyton bowed his head. “If73Please respect copyright.PENANAC01ELElsBm
you will excuse me, I have some things I need to take care of.” He turned73Please respect copyright.PENANA8LqN53yhHB
around shuffling off. His boots made clicking sounds as he walked down the73Please respect copyright.PENANAlAvGv3J6Kr
cobblestone path and out the door.
As he walked down the dimly lit73Please respect copyright.PENANAXiNWJ9VNup
hall, he could vaguely feel another set of boots walking in time with him. He73Please respect copyright.PENANAmeRVg5wzxJ
turned around to see a small, hooded figure wearing loose clothing to hide73Please respect copyright.PENANAg0WZvvDqve
their true gender. They wore gloves, likely with metal embedded inside, and had73Please respect copyright.PENANAOM6cISuaOO
two twin daggers strapped to their side.
“Fang,” Peyton greeted. That73Please respect copyright.PENANAli6i9P9EzT
wasn’t their true name, it was the code name given to the Serpents assassins.
“Councilor.” They spoke. “Why have73Please respect copyright.PENANAn9iGHTar1y
you summoned me?”
“Because you failed in your73Please respect copyright.PENANA3lhMRasO6T
attempt to kill the King and I had to clean up your mess.” Peyton said. “My73Please respect copyright.PENANAHyHfbASORR
master needs Vander, your new task is to bring him to us. Alive.”
“He is a dangerous man,” Fang73Please respect copyright.PENANAGQQiercfxt
said, their voice not betraying any emotion. “He already beat us twice; we need73Please respect copyright.PENANAkDVQGEZpOn
more time.”
“My master won’t wait for much73Please respect copyright.PENANAlMGkHfX89C
longer,” Peyton explained. “We only have a couple more weeks before things73Please respect copyright.PENANAP4ZN9TeRqh
settle, and we separate. Try and have it done by then, I don’t care about your73Please respect copyright.PENANAAXMuoLgHNK
methods. Just do it.”
“I understand.” With that, the73Please respect copyright.PENANAQeoWNcT8NF
assassin stepped into the shadows then disappeared. Peyton let go of the breath73Please respect copyright.PENANAVggS7HpZN6
he didn’t realize he had been holding. He placed his hand on the wall steeling73Please respect copyright.PENANAiqhLC4iSYY
himself for what was going on.
Was this what you wanted Malcolm?73Please respect copyright.PENANANBKurWh8hv
Was this what you had in mind when you want your son and his friend to bear the73Please respect copyright.PENANABsMoTc6zrC
weight of our choices on their shoulders? Peyton rued the day he had allowed73Please respect copyright.PENANAVo02AoSJOg
his friend to talk him into such a crazy plan. He wasn’t sure what was going to73Please respect copyright.PENANASId6Wq4f6M
happen to him by the end, but his day of reckoning would come. He just hoped73Please respect copyright.PENANAwMrZjrKID1
his penance wouldn’t be difficult.
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He walked towards a window where73Please respect copyright.PENANAJHB6GO3uLQ
he could clearly see the storm brewing over his city. He was safe behind the73Please respect copyright.PENANAx02hWyRpOz
glass, but he was still afraid. He hoped Vander was doing well despite73Please respect copyright.PENANAitx3fI5adu
everything that had happened. He hopes that one day he will be able to explain73Please respect copyright.PENANAive1c7psnv
himself, but he should plan just in case he met his end beforehand. With a plan73Please respect copyright.PENANA3mUrttKfd2
in mind, he shuffled off towards his office ignoring the sad expression of73Please respect copyright.PENANA8JFCEAzDfP
Malcolm in his portrait.