Chapter 23
Rain pounded the streets of Eluvia100Please respect copyright.PENANAeGzIyHmYVB
causing its people to run for cover. Thunder rumbled across the sky as bolts of100Please respect copyright.PENANAgmLQUMRFK2
lightning shot out illuminating the space above the city. Eluvia was in100Please respect copyright.PENANAeKsmmMuifO
mourning, and it seemed to many that the Deities wept with them, but a select100Please respect copyright.PENANAjeLLS8D3Wj
few knew the truth. There was a war coming one where both human’s and gods100Please respect copyright.PENANA5F5fvx6eKL
would have to choose sides.
It had been three months since the100Please respect copyright.PENANAfwwpvRuLqo
King’s murder and as the city wept a man hunt was underway to chase down the100Please respect copyright.PENANAL3Jnh6Scr1
person many believed responsible while the true culprit stayed safe inside the100Please respect copyright.PENANAoqYe0AWKf0
castle, just biding his time until he could strike. Despite the circumstance,100Please respect copyright.PENANA0UeZuW38pt
Eluvia needed a new king. Although Cuvera was still in mourning, he bowed his100Please respect copyright.PENANArj7RcepWbw
head accepting the crown and the power that came with it. His new wife, Kiara100Please respect copyright.PENANA1cPxNLbGcY
stood by him, helping him through his pain while others plotted behind his back100Please respect copyright.PENANAtI02gf9f69
to gain power in the wake of this tragedy.
Peyton stood at attention in front100Please respect copyright.PENANAvkFmR73LDR
of the throne where Cuvera sat. His hair had grown long, his eyes bloodshot,100Please respect copyright.PENANA5usLeOgFyv
while his clothing hung loosely from his body. Since the death of his father,100Please respect copyright.PENANA8ldiEmJTmi
Cuvera hadn’t done much resting. He was too busy learning to run a country and100Please respect copyright.PENANA4yd1G61fmt
dealing with intelligence as to where his friend had gone, searching for100Please respect copyright.PENANAeoYyoK94QM
answers as to why he had killed his father and run away. No matter how hard he100Please respect copyright.PENANAC8FAyJHvGo
tried, he just couldn’t understand. He longed to have a conversation with100Please respect copyright.PENANA5HIYzDVIYK
Vander, but he knew that wouldn’t happen outside of a jail cell.
“Any luck?” his voice croaked.100Please respect copyright.PENANA4tbyG1Tg2H
Peyton’s heart was broken seeing his best friend’s son this way, but despite100Please respect copyright.PENANAdRa1HNfxah
their plan, he couldn’t tell the young King why things had to happen that way.100Please respect copyright.PENANAitlcMwt0kg
He wouldn’t understand, Peyton barely understood it himself.
“None.” Peyton shook his head.100Please respect copyright.PENANAsOsgbMXinx
“There have been a few sightings, but when we went to investigate, he was100Please respect copyright.PENANAUTY38OKNqQ
nowhere to be found.”
“Damn it.” Cuvera slammed his hand100Please respect copyright.PENANAQZmegCLM5v
on the arm rest. “Damn it, damn it, damn it.”
“We will double our efforts.”100Please respect copyright.PENANASInh9eicJy
Peyton said. “If we ask the General’s for help…”
“No,” Cuvera interrupted him. “If100Please respect copyright.PENANAsGbmXvCc6T
Vander doesn’t want to be found, no one can find him. The Warden’s need to head100Please respect copyright.PENANAwB6DUBViKc
back to their posts as do their Generals. This will be an internal matter, Lord100Please respect copyright.PENANAaX4sqI9gzO
Cranton. We must handle it ourselves.” Kiara walked over, placing a hand on her100Please respect copyright.PENANA3Ief4Aja4B
husband’s shoulder.
“Is there anything else Peyton?”100Please respect copyright.PENANAe94WVXyXvA
she asked softly, but the way she looked at him told him he had better end this100Please respect copyright.PENANAfhPufeg2tI
meeting or there would be hell to pay.
“Just one,” Peyton grimaced. “Have100Please respect copyright.PENANA4t8ikfhIQS
you given any thought as to who you would make Blade Commander? Since Charles’100Please respect copyright.PENANAEd6hSNlePh
was forced out, we need someone to…”
“Alexander and the other Captains100Please respect copyright.PENANAnXmFcLTXy1
have it well taken care of.” Kiara interrupted. “We understand that this is an100Please respect copyright.PENANAilnTLlbOAV
important decision, but based on what has already transpired, this is at the100Please respect copyright.PENANA6H9oZUQSFO
bottom of our list. Understood?”
“I do.” Peyton bowed his head. “If100Please respect copyright.PENANAlpAbKoZ1lT
you will excuse me, I have some things I need to take care of.” He turned100Please respect copyright.PENANAAeWZBGiftK
around shuffling off. His boots made clicking sounds as he walked down the100Please respect copyright.PENANABnrVElqgJG
cobblestone path and out the door.
As he walked down the dimly lit100Please respect copyright.PENANAPOiAB1PZvK
hall, he could vaguely feel another set of boots walking in time with him. He100Please respect copyright.PENANActpHMP9IjD
turned around to see a small, hooded figure wearing loose clothing to hide100Please respect copyright.PENANAXy4hxPXNsX
their true gender. They wore gloves, likely with metal embedded inside, and had100Please respect copyright.PENANAAvkZEj1ziq
two twin daggers strapped to their side.
“Fang,” Peyton greeted. That100Please respect copyright.PENANA7p6DjFG3nw
wasn’t their true name, it was the code name given to the Serpents assassins.
“Councilor.” They spoke. “Why have100Please respect copyright.PENANA1n18hAzq4J
you summoned me?”
“Because you failed in your100Please respect copyright.PENANATix3MszJri
attempt to kill the King and I had to clean up your mess.” Peyton said. “My100Please respect copyright.PENANAwyVxedDubi
master needs Vander, your new task is to bring him to us. Alive.”
“He is a dangerous man,” Fang100Please respect copyright.PENANAhxJD8F6Miu
said, their voice not betraying any emotion. “He already beat us twice; we need100Please respect copyright.PENANAnmqfm8Gg1D
more time.”
“My master won’t wait for much100Please respect copyright.PENANAodXbID8NVJ
longer,” Peyton explained. “We only have a couple more weeks before things100Please respect copyright.PENANAipxEXYPYvx
settle, and we separate. Try and have it done by then, I don’t care about your100Please respect copyright.PENANArwDfzqFdf2
methods. Just do it.”
“I understand.” With that, the100Please respect copyright.PENANAkcTCVbB2eW
assassin stepped into the shadows then disappeared. Peyton let go of the breath100Please respect copyright.PENANADHBbFoleiD
he didn’t realize he had been holding. He placed his hand on the wall steeling100Please respect copyright.PENANArqisbeIHka
himself for what was going on.
Was this what you wanted Malcolm?100Please respect copyright.PENANAOPSvsNh9rD
Was this what you had in mind when you want your son and his friend to bear the100Please respect copyright.PENANAmVW9cMtcIA
weight of our choices on their shoulders? Peyton rued the day he had allowed100Please respect copyright.PENANAq5MAmfnKQ3
his friend to talk him into such a crazy plan. He wasn’t sure what was going to100Please respect copyright.PENANAT2MfUt3cUX
happen to him by the end, but his day of reckoning would come. He just hoped100Please respect copyright.PENANAWP7QY2cuaR
his penance wouldn’t be difficult.
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He walked towards a window where100Please respect copyright.PENANA40AL46exUL
he could clearly see the storm brewing over his city. He was safe behind the100Please respect copyright.PENANAISeyfeljss
glass, but he was still afraid. He hoped Vander was doing well despite100Please respect copyright.PENANAtuHoEADFDO
everything that had happened. He hopes that one day he will be able to explain100Please respect copyright.PENANAQpXTEuf5ye
himself, but he should plan just in case he met his end beforehand. With a plan100Please respect copyright.PENANAKvpCVJZL6Q
in mind, he shuffled off towards his office ignoring the sad expression of100Please respect copyright.PENANAxqz0Ql71dF
Malcolm in his portrait.