Chapter 27
If you’ve never95Please respect copyright.PENANAOizDKBGONB
been inside the mind of a raven, you were missing out. They are one of the95Please respect copyright.PENANAthLhpuiqut
smartest birds in the world capable of remembering faces and understanding a95Please respect copyright.PENANAmoJmE1rkob
semblance of human speech. However, when Vander was inside, he understood95Please respect copyright.PENANA0TTIu9GJEv
everything around him, knew what the bird knew, and could get into places he95Please respect copyright.PENANAVHhqvKMADd
otherwise couldn’t. The only issue was if the consciousness of the creature he95Please respect copyright.PENANA9qVitrg0pP
was inhabiting decided to fight back, he could be forcibly shoved back into his95Please respect copyright.PENANAVHDyILBW8n
own body or, in a worst-case scenario, he could be lost forever. However it was95Please respect copyright.PENANAt904AVKCte
a risk he needed to take and so far, the raven wasn’t fighting him though he95Please respect copyright.PENANASyBxHZEqQC
was angry. Vander had to promise him some food before he would finally settle95Please respect copyright.PENANAQZ2SMMJ5sH
down.
Vander flapped95Please respect copyright.PENANAb1CT62h7lg
his wings then jumped from the rooftop. He caught an air current to glid over95Please respect copyright.PENANAL6ibJ2syjv
the heads of the gathered soldiers trying to keep the crowds back away from the95Please respect copyright.PENANA3cP5Rq4LqN
crime scene. Some of them had taken their spears butts to the citizens to get95Please respect copyright.PENANAQ8u2YGQ3AO
them to stay away, but that made some of them angry. It took one of the Blades95Please respect copyright.PENANAc4rqhD0q0P
to come over to calm the crowd down before they calmed down enough, but they95Please respect copyright.PENANA8wiCtsqoUR
were still near the edge peering through just to see what was going on.
He found a perch95Please respect copyright.PENANAkbMAFdETwA
on top of the house that would enable him to see his surroundings but also95Please respect copyright.PENANAwiHIwPyZd9
listen to what was being said inside. He hopped forward, grabbing hold of the95Please respect copyright.PENANAp3e7qgOA1y
siding with his talons, and peered over the edge looking into the house via the95Please respect copyright.PENANAnE0RfCNVPb
window above the door. If anyone looked above, they would have seen just his95Please respect copyright.PENANA4m0u7AGnG6
head and beady little eyes, but the occupants were too distracted by the95Please respect copyright.PENANAIRC8BfjGWg
carnage he had left behind.
The blood had95Please respect copyright.PENANAgpWGwDEaKj
dried overnight, but the people inside walked over it as if it was. There was a95Please respect copyright.PENANAkmYJcqEQMt
medic inside making sure the bodies were dead. It wasn’t Topal, but one of his95Please respect copyright.PENANAASg6WDzkvp
students that Vander didn’t recognize. He was carefully checking the bodies95Please respect copyright.PENANAI5uaBefQQG
then would nod to one of the soldiers who would then grab a buddy and together95Please respect copyright.PENANAS9UpGgsVzk
the two of them would bring one of the bodies outside. Then they would bring a95Please respect copyright.PENANAPn9sFg8inY
tarp to place over the dead to hide them from the crowd. It happened six times95Please respect copyright.PENANAsJnDSpTOng
in total. Vander had to double take because he was sure that seven of them been95Please respect copyright.PENANA7Xlt8WCzGa
killed, but after double counting then peering back inside, there was indeed95Please respect copyright.PENANAqU5UusthcU
only six bodies. He would have to investigate that later.
He heard some of95Please respect copyright.PENANAEBecDAhUIE
the guards talking inside. “What a waste of life.” One muttered to themselves.95Please respect copyright.PENANAOgajZvb3Y2
“What do you think happened here?”
“We don’t get95Please respect copyright.PENANAZiVI5VCABp
paid to ask questions.” That other snorted. But he looked around nervously95Please respect copyright.PENANA12GLTTA2nD
before whispering to his friend. “I bet it was that traitorous Blade that did95Please respect copyright.PENANA1QUVkXC4oD
this.” The other guard looked warily at his friend.
“How do you95Please respect copyright.PENANAeoxoOcJtV6
figure?”
“One of these95Please respect copyright.PENANAnYJ23lE6AT
people had their throat completely ripped out.” The other explained. “That’s95Please respect copyright.PENANA58oms94jsq
not possible without a lot of strength. I’ve only ever seen animals do that and95Please respect copyright.PENANAx5smHUwJtx
I don’t think a bear came into down, slaughtered six people, then left never to95Please respect copyright.PENANAfLRvS18nbI
be seen again.”
“I guess that95Please respect copyright.PENANAdj4z7jpAB7
makes sense.” The second guard didn’t sound convinced, however. “But why would95Please respect copyright.PENANAMYYBvxOPrV
he come here to kill these people? It makes no sense.”
“Like killing the95Please respect copyright.PENANAS57N25QLy4
King made sense?” the first guard spat. “The sooner we find this guy, the95Please respect copyright.PENANA1wH7L9lhgg
sooner we can bury him. Bastard deserves to hang for what he did.” Unknown to95Please respect copyright.PENANApnlml9xbWK
all involved, they failed to notice a squad of Blades coming up behind them.95Please respect copyright.PENANAwsTKYCCucf
Vander looked up to see Alexander coming with a few Blades Vander didn’t95Please respect copyright.PENANALs2RyixAln
recognize. They were likely from one of the squads that came with the Warden’s.95Please respect copyright.PENANADHCqEuczHh
He couldn’t help but wonder where the recruits went.
Alex looked like95Please respect copyright.PENANA4T69M84jph
shit. His eyes were sunken in, and he had allowed his beard to grow long and95Please respect copyright.PENANAuNggNQ3k2x
thick. His clothes were unkept, despite Blade regulation, but his eyes were95Please respect copyright.PENANA12tKNCRlSA
still sharp. He had come in at the tail end of the guard’s conversation, so he95Please respect copyright.PENANAvZ1nW5GaLj
let himself be known by growling right behind them.
“If you two have95Please respect copyright.PENANA0PCzFe7BjZ
time to gossip, you have time to stand investigate the house.” He spoke.95Please respect copyright.PENANA7SdVnxPwAK
Normally his size and demeanor were enough to get most men to do what he95Please respect copyright.PENANALqnOe8gx3Z
wanted, but that didn’t seem to work here.
“You’re not in95Please respect copyright.PENANANAjeTpX2Mk
charge of us, Blade.” The first guard hissed. The way he said it made Vander95Please respect copyright.PENANACLk43XRKO3
angry. It appears he wasn’t the only one as the Blades with Alex went for their95Please respect copyright.PENANAe5DgHqzTrh
swords. They stayed their hand once Alex motioned for them to stop. “We don’t95Please respect copyright.PENANAv8BAjEaHXp
take orders from those who let the King die.”
“You’ll take95Please respect copyright.PENANAeAgNP09WwB
orders from me whether you like it or not.” Alex’s voice was calm, but he was95Please respect copyright.PENANAKppbY8qSql
seconds away from violently lashing out. Vander could tell based on how he95Please respect copyright.PENANAd7PYatphvZ
clenched his hand. “Until the King decrees otherwise you will help us find95Please respect copyright.PENANAYHi5FEQlCo
Vander and bring him in.”
“Our General says95Please respect copyright.PENANAqbbFn0kIS3
otherwise.” The second guard said. “We are only here as per our duty, but after95Please respect copyright.PENANA6Tm73mV8UZ
the bodies are taken out, you’re on your own.”
“Coward.” One of95Please respect copyright.PENANAZqk8PmiKAK
the Blade’s spat. At that insult, the two guards drew their weapons as did the95Please respect copyright.PENANA4wwOIqABbV
guards who were supposed to be keeping the crowd back.
“That wasn’t very95Please respect copyright.PENANAwwSIABpU5f
smart of you.” The first guard growled. “You’re surrounded and outnumbered.95Please respect copyright.PENANAFyt9bjMZbO
What’s another dead Blade in the grand scheme of things?”
“Enough of this.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAE7ISSsxso7
Alex’s voice bellowed out. He turned towards the Blade who let his emotions get95Please respect copyright.PENANAIAlGbl3Om7
the better of him. “Apologize so we can get on with our days.”
“But…” Alex’s95Please respect copyright.PENANA6KFfMUe6GX
glare dried the excuse in the poor man’s throat. He lowered his head, but not95Please respect copyright.PENANAFW9rFKlNN5
his eyes, and muttered a quick apology. Knowing better than to start a scene,95Please respect copyright.PENANAVjXXqq2YlS
the guard accepted it, but kept his eyes firmly rooted on Alex as he sheathed95Please respect copyright.PENANAmwuWz9p9Uj
his Blade.
“You have minutes95Please respect copyright.PENANAci2YSNwzxj
to get what you need the clear out.” The guard said. “This is our95Please respect copyright.PENANAdYqpTb0z0f
investigation, not yours.”
“I understand, we95Please respect copyright.PENANAgorxXxo1dS
will be quick.” Nodding to the others, they dispersed. Some of them headed95Please respect copyright.PENANA1twiAqBS1K
inside to look around while two of them checked the dead bodies. Alex stayed95Please respect copyright.PENANA8qTbzfC1av
outside surveying the crowd. Suddenly Vander was very happy that he had picked95Please respect copyright.PENANAE4uIDM1edS
the raven to take over instead of going into the crowd himself. He knew that no95Please respect copyright.PENANAH41seZgf6L
matter the disguise, Alex would be able to tell who he was.
One of the Blades95Please respect copyright.PENANAqgWgesngR4
outside called over to Alex. He quicky rushed over. Vander could catch some95Please respect copyright.PENANA0t6gwRdhnM
words of that passed between the two of them. They commented about one of them95Please respect copyright.PENANA00ligUXqkM
having their throat ripped out, which Alex admitted was likely Vander’s doing.95Please respect copyright.PENANA4iUdBMrIbp
However, the intriguing part was when the two of them discovered snake tattoos95Please respect copyright.PENANArziVG5FawN
on all their arms. Alex nodded to himself before stepping away calling the95Please respect copyright.PENANAFRV8dmznd7
guards back to take the bodies away. He then went inside to see what the others95Please respect copyright.PENANAYDx77fF1Nd
may or may not have found.
Vander couldn’t95Please respect copyright.PENANAM03qlVtvuv
really tell what was being said inside. They were talking low to one another95Please respect copyright.PENANABz68YqAQ8z
while looking at a scroll that they discovered shoved inside the table. Vander95Please respect copyright.PENANAQ0WRJ67Cb9
shifted slightly to get a better view. It looked like a map of the city, but it95Please respect copyright.PENANAU8hYtKWbJc
wasn’t anything that he recognized. He would need to get his talons on that95Please respect copyright.PENANA4E5YV0hnv6
scroll, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He would have to try to95Please respect copyright.PENANANlMk1xJUI7
take it from his friend at some point in time. Vander heard a squawk coming95Please respect copyright.PENANAGrvIPWITLO
from behind him. He turned around to see a large, angry raven flapping behind95Please respect copyright.PENANAEvS3aX9vPT
him. He was instantly filled with fear from the raven he was inhabiting. He95Please respect copyright.PENANAIo0piMk2m7
guessed the two of them had an issue before which caused the raven, he95Please respect copyright.PENANAr9w7ta2kkf
inhabited to flee afraid.
As the other95Please respect copyright.PENANAt0QlfnijV7
raven attacked, Vander pushed himself out of the body and back into his own.95Please respect copyright.PENANASLnCh6MNsT
The sudden jolt to being back in a human being, on the ground, caused him to95Please respect copyright.PENANArBN4gSpH6y
violently throw himself over so he could vomit onto the cobblestone instead of95Please respect copyright.PENANAqRAX9kEuI4
onto his clothing. He looked up to see the two birds entwined in a death grip95Please respect copyright.PENANAxas9wefhCU
violently stabbing and clawing at each other. The smaller one he had been apart95Please respect copyright.PENANA7NvmCj24Uj
from was losing, but his pride didn’t allow him to quit. He had to do95Please respect copyright.PENANA1XLTg2CaZE
something, so he grabbed a rock.
He popped out95Please respect copyright.PENANA4hsEZ7wYlv
from behind his hiding spot then launched the rock at the bigger bird. With a95Please respect copyright.PENANAABUfJAVGrG
cry, the big raven fell to the ground stunned, possibly dead. The sudden rock95Please respect copyright.PENANAF9yP6QSSxn
being thrown combined with the dropped bird causing some members of the crowd95Please respect copyright.PENANA8Idgn25VIw
to turn towards him. Some were confused, but a couple recognized him.
“It’s the King95Please respect copyright.PENANA7vPG2pnQPf
killer!” one of them shouted, pointing at him. Some of the guards began95Please respect copyright.PENANAhJyW31CWMV
shouting to pass, but the crowd pushed forward.
“Someone grab95Please respect copyright.PENANAC9puggDUZG
him!” Two citizens lunged forward, but Vander jumped backwards. He grabbed a95Please respect copyright.PENANAYuDzIu07og
box then threw it at someone who had broken through hitting them right in the95Please respect copyright.PENANA7ksmV9t33C
face. Vander backed up towards the wall then jumped up, grabbing the top with95Please respect copyright.PENANA5pPtXlIEcB
his hand to haul himself over. Before he disappeared, he locked eyes with Alex95Please respect copyright.PENANAJVPUEerMc7
before disappearing.
He heard shouting95Please respect copyright.PENANALUN0sQrIL2
coming from behind him, but he wasted no time running back towards the gate95Please respect copyright.PENANAeCAIpwdf9H
which would lead him into Lower Eluvia. He just had to make it there before he95Please respect copyright.PENANAjhbdrojuYB
was caught then everything would be okay. What he didn’t realize though was95Please respect copyright.PENANAWzhvi7q0gx
that the road he was running down intersected with the road that mob was coming95Please respect copyright.PENANAesLhwDSmZh
down. He heard them running towards him, which caused him to run as fast as he95Please respect copyright.PENANAUks1Gc2PBg
could. Tragically he ended up running into another group of guards who had95Please respect copyright.PENANAhhzq5C0KMV
heard the commotion.
“Well look who we95Please respect copyright.PENANA0Gab4RBV1L
have here?” One of them grinned. A metal fist came flying towards Vander’s95Please respect copyright.PENANA86GgKzLDNN
face. It hit his jaw sending waves of pain throughout his mouth, likely95Please respect copyright.PENANAT2QdZmunOc
knocking a couple of teeth loose. He fell to the ground, but scrambled95Please respect copyright.PENANAsevMEuprod
backwards as the guards drew their swords.
“Did you know95Please respect copyright.PENANA4zegZypNYP
there is a bounty on your head?” one asked with an evil glint in his eyes. “The95Please respect copyright.PENANA9AF3sFiDZA
Jilena family has offered quite the reward for your head.” Vander looked at the95Please respect copyright.PENANA92Ge5KjMXB
group confused. He didn’t know why the Jilena family cared so much about the95Please respect copyright.PENANANCo9qzgA1f
king’s murder that they would go against Cuvera’s wishes. He didn’t have to95Please respect copyright.PENANADhvZot6YLh
wonder long as the guards were apparently quite chatty.
“They are blaming95Please respect copyright.PENANARhcYsfdAaK
you for the death of their youngest son.” Vander’s blood ran cold. Jeffery was95Please respect copyright.PENANAUUtZOn79Ck
dead? But he had let him go, there was no reason for him to be killed.
“I had no reason95Please respect copyright.PENANAfKrZC7X8wK
to kill him.” Vander argued.
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“Rumor has it95Please respect copyright.PENANArQt7G7aFAl
that he tried to stop you, so you ran him through.” The guard shrugged. “Makes95Please respect copyright.PENANAvGbouaeUPV
no difference to me. With the money we will finally be able to retire in95Please respect copyright.PENANABSk1AtnegC
peace.” Vander scooted backwards as the guards lunged towards him with their95Please respect copyright.PENANAgGu6GqG4Oy
swords readied to skewer him.