Chapter 27
If you’ve never89Please respect copyright.PENANAE7AaKmWWQv
been inside the mind of a raven, you were missing out. They are one of the89Please respect copyright.PENANA5byhfMfSbz
smartest birds in the world capable of remembering faces and understanding a89Please respect copyright.PENANAJjNELzl84x
semblance of human speech. However, when Vander was inside, he understood89Please respect copyright.PENANApImsKwfi8Z
everything around him, knew what the bird knew, and could get into places he89Please respect copyright.PENANA038uqXCmp1
otherwise couldn’t. The only issue was if the consciousness of the creature he89Please respect copyright.PENANAMOP0SJtrzC
was inhabiting decided to fight back, he could be forcibly shoved back into his89Please respect copyright.PENANAfF1cd5IBXm
own body or, in a worst-case scenario, he could be lost forever. However it was89Please respect copyright.PENANAYVbyxZhBp1
a risk he needed to take and so far, the raven wasn’t fighting him though he89Please respect copyright.PENANAiu4RmB8CNl
was angry. Vander had to promise him some food before he would finally settle89Please respect copyright.PENANAnXqWUhoDfq
down.
Vander flapped89Please respect copyright.PENANA7tEeuvdbu7
his wings then jumped from the rooftop. He caught an air current to glid over89Please respect copyright.PENANAd9wGLnoykF
the heads of the gathered soldiers trying to keep the crowds back away from the89Please respect copyright.PENANAUK9RPX9tNn
crime scene. Some of them had taken their spears butts to the citizens to get89Please respect copyright.PENANAShtwBwMRwe
them to stay away, but that made some of them angry. It took one of the Blades89Please respect copyright.PENANArv7GGNDDEd
to come over to calm the crowd down before they calmed down enough, but they89Please respect copyright.PENANAVko52W3lvv
were still near the edge peering through just to see what was going on.
He found a perch89Please respect copyright.PENANANuhLJY3hf7
on top of the house that would enable him to see his surroundings but also89Please respect copyright.PENANAihvINw8t7s
listen to what was being said inside. He hopped forward, grabbing hold of the89Please respect copyright.PENANAEUfN5vUJ9M
siding with his talons, and peered over the edge looking into the house via the89Please respect copyright.PENANAfHIAHAUfm5
window above the door. If anyone looked above, they would have seen just his89Please respect copyright.PENANAKcDgKcNOJx
head and beady little eyes, but the occupants were too distracted by the89Please respect copyright.PENANAelklNLyhdh
carnage he had left behind.
The blood had89Please respect copyright.PENANAYtvrHjf9Jb
dried overnight, but the people inside walked over it as if it was. There was a89Please respect copyright.PENANArnFFgUmnt2
medic inside making sure the bodies were dead. It wasn’t Topal, but one of his89Please respect copyright.PENANAXCALKcRHXY
students that Vander didn’t recognize. He was carefully checking the bodies89Please respect copyright.PENANA0m5VmI8oNJ
then would nod to one of the soldiers who would then grab a buddy and together89Please respect copyright.PENANAcrok8WCYIc
the two of them would bring one of the bodies outside. Then they would bring a89Please respect copyright.PENANAcNZXRElWMz
tarp to place over the dead to hide them from the crowd. It happened six times89Please respect copyright.PENANAf08HNtzLz5
in total. Vander had to double take because he was sure that seven of them been89Please respect copyright.PENANAi58mY7zHAQ
killed, but after double counting then peering back inside, there was indeed89Please respect copyright.PENANA4u88hKsR3y
only six bodies. He would have to investigate that later.
He heard some of89Please respect copyright.PENANAHoPuCaactQ
the guards talking inside. “What a waste of life.” One muttered to themselves.89Please respect copyright.PENANArCaa3PkSz6
“What do you think happened here?”
“We don’t get89Please respect copyright.PENANALY5UdmpQLC
paid to ask questions.” That other snorted. But he looked around nervously89Please respect copyright.PENANAzFxw2cgZvT
before whispering to his friend. “I bet it was that traitorous Blade that did89Please respect copyright.PENANAYbtLdgpc5n
this.” The other guard looked warily at his friend.
“How do you89Please respect copyright.PENANACI7STYR2cX
figure?”
“One of these89Please respect copyright.PENANAU4omi5SArc
people had their throat completely ripped out.” The other explained. “That’s89Please respect copyright.PENANAIY7vBgxcYp
not possible without a lot of strength. I’ve only ever seen animals do that and89Please respect copyright.PENANAbtzdWNgxPQ
I don’t think a bear came into down, slaughtered six people, then left never to89Please respect copyright.PENANA8fBdhDsUmw
be seen again.”
“I guess that89Please respect copyright.PENANAbDwkLsh8kp
makes sense.” The second guard didn’t sound convinced, however. “But why would89Please respect copyright.PENANAcrP3ipw1cv
he come here to kill these people? It makes no sense.”
“Like killing the89Please respect copyright.PENANAmMeHqax4n2
King made sense?” the first guard spat. “The sooner we find this guy, the89Please respect copyright.PENANAXu0gxb2WOi
sooner we can bury him. Bastard deserves to hang for what he did.” Unknown to89Please respect copyright.PENANA6KoSkpK37R
all involved, they failed to notice a squad of Blades coming up behind them.89Please respect copyright.PENANAL2a4rvfr1m
Vander looked up to see Alexander coming with a few Blades Vander didn’t89Please respect copyright.PENANAJpRNhN24HI
recognize. They were likely from one of the squads that came with the Warden’s.89Please respect copyright.PENANAWdoJ47m3XJ
He couldn’t help but wonder where the recruits went.
Alex looked like89Please respect copyright.PENANA22l4VXy7Yb
shit. His eyes were sunken in, and he had allowed his beard to grow long and89Please respect copyright.PENANArIeT20zRkA
thick. His clothes were unkept, despite Blade regulation, but his eyes were89Please respect copyright.PENANAg1GcS4JMRu
still sharp. He had come in at the tail end of the guard’s conversation, so he89Please respect copyright.PENANALNMsRIQ9mo
let himself be known by growling right behind them.
“If you two have89Please respect copyright.PENANAXajeQho2qT
time to gossip, you have time to stand investigate the house.” He spoke.89Please respect copyright.PENANASjY3W7EgLT
Normally his size and demeanor were enough to get most men to do what he89Please respect copyright.PENANAKtzEDQIP9V
wanted, but that didn’t seem to work here.
“You’re not in89Please respect copyright.PENANAaoipzFdCQp
charge of us, Blade.” The first guard hissed. The way he said it made Vander89Please respect copyright.PENANAyBCLIaUMRJ
angry. It appears he wasn’t the only one as the Blades with Alex went for their89Please respect copyright.PENANAtY9RAuWC5t
swords. They stayed their hand once Alex motioned for them to stop. “We don’t89Please respect copyright.PENANANpox07tUOj
take orders from those who let the King die.”
“You’ll take89Please respect copyright.PENANALdWrGCrPGJ
orders from me whether you like it or not.” Alex’s voice was calm, but he was89Please respect copyright.PENANACebOh6K5px
seconds away from violently lashing out. Vander could tell based on how he89Please respect copyright.PENANAwNdCwDjXcw
clenched his hand. “Until the King decrees otherwise you will help us find89Please respect copyright.PENANAA78XdEVyMi
Vander and bring him in.”
“Our General says89Please respect copyright.PENANA1JaoOzczH2
otherwise.” The second guard said. “We are only here as per our duty, but after89Please respect copyright.PENANA3N2sE40WK1
the bodies are taken out, you’re on your own.”
“Coward.” One of89Please respect copyright.PENANAQmaqK571YI
the Blade’s spat. At that insult, the two guards drew their weapons as did the89Please respect copyright.PENANA98TjgUGOHb
guards who were supposed to be keeping the crowd back.
“That wasn’t very89Please respect copyright.PENANAEZyXCz8JVY
smart of you.” The first guard growled. “You’re surrounded and outnumbered.89Please respect copyright.PENANAlNGzc5AmxI
What’s another dead Blade in the grand scheme of things?”
“Enough of this.”89Please respect copyright.PENANAe7ren4agxd
Alex’s voice bellowed out. He turned towards the Blade who let his emotions get89Please respect copyright.PENANAuISbnaPXYO
the better of him. “Apologize so we can get on with our days.”
“But…” Alex’s89Please respect copyright.PENANA3w6LDrFFQm
glare dried the excuse in the poor man’s throat. He lowered his head, but not89Please respect copyright.PENANARBDSgUCwMi
his eyes, and muttered a quick apology. Knowing better than to start a scene,89Please respect copyright.PENANA369KIMI2zx
the guard accepted it, but kept his eyes firmly rooted on Alex as he sheathed89Please respect copyright.PENANAfGCqKFE2OX
his Blade.
“You have minutes89Please respect copyright.PENANApYzmnErVvc
to get what you need the clear out.” The guard said. “This is our89Please respect copyright.PENANArYGJ8CPzJF
investigation, not yours.”
“I understand, we89Please respect copyright.PENANAWVIWl6q0ap
will be quick.” Nodding to the others, they dispersed. Some of them headed89Please respect copyright.PENANAMFOvDC1uri
inside to look around while two of them checked the dead bodies. Alex stayed89Please respect copyright.PENANAH4xfxYjkvp
outside surveying the crowd. Suddenly Vander was very happy that he had picked89Please respect copyright.PENANALdLpky3Av4
the raven to take over instead of going into the crowd himself. He knew that no89Please respect copyright.PENANAZX0SZcjfhV
matter the disguise, Alex would be able to tell who he was.
One of the Blades89Please respect copyright.PENANAXKqmRsLIl2
outside called over to Alex. He quicky rushed over. Vander could catch some89Please respect copyright.PENANAutgePXh4WJ
words of that passed between the two of them. They commented about one of them89Please respect copyright.PENANALKSlCY3pOs
having their throat ripped out, which Alex admitted was likely Vander’s doing.89Please respect copyright.PENANAmeOI9El9dD
However, the intriguing part was when the two of them discovered snake tattoos89Please respect copyright.PENANAhJ2UuVA2h8
on all their arms. Alex nodded to himself before stepping away calling the89Please respect copyright.PENANAa2FIYm3iuT
guards back to take the bodies away. He then went inside to see what the others89Please respect copyright.PENANAmYgx4xmIuB
may or may not have found.
Vander couldn’t89Please respect copyright.PENANA0qRNFsNb55
really tell what was being said inside. They were talking low to one another89Please respect copyright.PENANAMn8GQ0Q1db
while looking at a scroll that they discovered shoved inside the table. Vander89Please respect copyright.PENANA6A8cdk7jKs
shifted slightly to get a better view. It looked like a map of the city, but it89Please respect copyright.PENANAEQZl65vaAI
wasn’t anything that he recognized. He would need to get his talons on that89Please respect copyright.PENANAnpspKaxkyr
scroll, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He would have to try to89Please respect copyright.PENANATdHykw9GUH
take it from his friend at some point in time. Vander heard a squawk coming89Please respect copyright.PENANAMZLSjqVEAR
from behind him. He turned around to see a large, angry raven flapping behind89Please respect copyright.PENANA673r2hj79X
him. He was instantly filled with fear from the raven he was inhabiting. He89Please respect copyright.PENANARhgydYTHeY
guessed the two of them had an issue before which caused the raven, he89Please respect copyright.PENANAwPBaNJMaV9
inhabited to flee afraid.
As the other89Please respect copyright.PENANArVnh4rN4vi
raven attacked, Vander pushed himself out of the body and back into his own.89Please respect copyright.PENANAFRiumpbFou
The sudden jolt to being back in a human being, on the ground, caused him to89Please respect copyright.PENANAbhJvETWYlW
violently throw himself over so he could vomit onto the cobblestone instead of89Please respect copyright.PENANAJcyjBhL8k8
onto his clothing. He looked up to see the two birds entwined in a death grip89Please respect copyright.PENANAuQNbJ5UoTV
violently stabbing and clawing at each other. The smaller one he had been apart89Please respect copyright.PENANAItckF6PBEX
from was losing, but his pride didn’t allow him to quit. He had to do89Please respect copyright.PENANATGYmi9Cd2l
something, so he grabbed a rock.
He popped out89Please respect copyright.PENANAycmKShOjkM
from behind his hiding spot then launched the rock at the bigger bird. With a89Please respect copyright.PENANAOjugyDljNB
cry, the big raven fell to the ground stunned, possibly dead. The sudden rock89Please respect copyright.PENANAOaItCrwhDl
being thrown combined with the dropped bird causing some members of the crowd89Please respect copyright.PENANAiSHqC86Vu6
to turn towards him. Some were confused, but a couple recognized him.
“It’s the King89Please respect copyright.PENANA82i4Haneoj
killer!” one of them shouted, pointing at him. Some of the guards began89Please respect copyright.PENANA84GwvP48gO
shouting to pass, but the crowd pushed forward.
“Someone grab89Please respect copyright.PENANAdeM32rodtm
him!” Two citizens lunged forward, but Vander jumped backwards. He grabbed a89Please respect copyright.PENANAkaWPwzLpmT
box then threw it at someone who had broken through hitting them right in the89Please respect copyright.PENANAZ1drZOChqN
face. Vander backed up towards the wall then jumped up, grabbing the top with89Please respect copyright.PENANASRS8Yqi2HW
his hand to haul himself over. Before he disappeared, he locked eyes with Alex89Please respect copyright.PENANAThIQ7aYVMV
before disappearing.
He heard shouting89Please respect copyright.PENANAnJ4DC5BNZF
coming from behind him, but he wasted no time running back towards the gate89Please respect copyright.PENANA9hz9sddxaG
which would lead him into Lower Eluvia. He just had to make it there before he89Please respect copyright.PENANAmETseIf6jP
was caught then everything would be okay. What he didn’t realize though was89Please respect copyright.PENANAJULCBYHKH8
that the road he was running down intersected with the road that mob was coming89Please respect copyright.PENANA7PWZlDC7CK
down. He heard them running towards him, which caused him to run as fast as he89Please respect copyright.PENANA4pf1aBE6sN
could. Tragically he ended up running into another group of guards who had89Please respect copyright.PENANAEN6sjQDO3M
heard the commotion.
“Well look who we89Please respect copyright.PENANAapuPlgl8Na
have here?” One of them grinned. A metal fist came flying towards Vander’s89Please respect copyright.PENANAMCF24EFvP5
face. It hit his jaw sending waves of pain throughout his mouth, likely89Please respect copyright.PENANAUYrcbJK83x
knocking a couple of teeth loose. He fell to the ground, but scrambled89Please respect copyright.PENANAVCTHBNJG6h
backwards as the guards drew their swords.
“Did you know89Please respect copyright.PENANANrpDlO8TDB
there is a bounty on your head?” one asked with an evil glint in his eyes. “The89Please respect copyright.PENANAZkNvZTfFeN
Jilena family has offered quite the reward for your head.” Vander looked at the89Please respect copyright.PENANAurIPl05tCU
group confused. He didn’t know why the Jilena family cared so much about the89Please respect copyright.PENANAl21V0poLuJ
king’s murder that they would go against Cuvera’s wishes. He didn’t have to89Please respect copyright.PENANAyFTfUANAPl
wonder long as the guards were apparently quite chatty.
“They are blaming89Please respect copyright.PENANAP7QTCBgjTM
you for the death of their youngest son.” Vander’s blood ran cold. Jeffery was89Please respect copyright.PENANAmBxOX1cIn3
dead? But he had let him go, there was no reason for him to be killed.
“I had no reason89Please respect copyright.PENANAY6jxLPYyXK
to kill him.” Vander argued.
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“Rumor has it89Please respect copyright.PENANAwDVbdYmeQj
that he tried to stop you, so you ran him through.” The guard shrugged. “Makes89Please respect copyright.PENANA5maiWDh2Ba
no difference to me. With the money we will finally be able to retire in89Please respect copyright.PENANAOqtfCqyf74
peace.” Vander scooted backwards as the guards lunged towards him with their89Please respect copyright.PENANAeYmdSxIYBq
swords readied to skewer him.