Chapter 27
If you’ve never92Please respect copyright.PENANAHnIPmtAkLm
been inside the mind of a raven, you were missing out. They are one of the92Please respect copyright.PENANAsoj2GoFo7W
smartest birds in the world capable of remembering faces and understanding a92Please respect copyright.PENANAinhyFpeTEs
semblance of human speech. However, when Vander was inside, he understood92Please respect copyright.PENANAgmds0JzDWe
everything around him, knew what the bird knew, and could get into places he92Please respect copyright.PENANAbG7S1B86yH
otherwise couldn’t. The only issue was if the consciousness of the creature he92Please respect copyright.PENANAxiQnFCJira
was inhabiting decided to fight back, he could be forcibly shoved back into his92Please respect copyright.PENANAtkheL5fnpt
own body or, in a worst-case scenario, he could be lost forever. However it was92Please respect copyright.PENANABZjp1xvT9K
a risk he needed to take and so far, the raven wasn’t fighting him though he92Please respect copyright.PENANAWceboJWHFh
was angry. Vander had to promise him some food before he would finally settle92Please respect copyright.PENANAT517OVxZYZ
down.
Vander flapped92Please respect copyright.PENANAaOLrgL3BXB
his wings then jumped from the rooftop. He caught an air current to glid over92Please respect copyright.PENANAK0m9qRjIm7
the heads of the gathered soldiers trying to keep the crowds back away from the92Please respect copyright.PENANANlCCJQuyek
crime scene. Some of them had taken their spears butts to the citizens to get92Please respect copyright.PENANA2mlOJVWptp
them to stay away, but that made some of them angry. It took one of the Blades92Please respect copyright.PENANA8iiCTGnl2R
to come over to calm the crowd down before they calmed down enough, but they92Please respect copyright.PENANAn2kU3KLdIZ
were still near the edge peering through just to see what was going on.
He found a perch92Please respect copyright.PENANAClTxQEhpMs
on top of the house that would enable him to see his surroundings but also92Please respect copyright.PENANAY99u5looEz
listen to what was being said inside. He hopped forward, grabbing hold of the92Please respect copyright.PENANALcp2fNcaeC
siding with his talons, and peered over the edge looking into the house via the92Please respect copyright.PENANAsYNKShpTq3
window above the door. If anyone looked above, they would have seen just his92Please respect copyright.PENANAcUQw4QmRWZ
head and beady little eyes, but the occupants were too distracted by the92Please respect copyright.PENANAdROB4jbfaS
carnage he had left behind.
The blood had92Please respect copyright.PENANAIOTCiAf7VZ
dried overnight, but the people inside walked over it as if it was. There was a92Please respect copyright.PENANAYOoSOpTWIh
medic inside making sure the bodies were dead. It wasn’t Topal, but one of his92Please respect copyright.PENANAIol3yv0hSV
students that Vander didn’t recognize. He was carefully checking the bodies92Please respect copyright.PENANAUTirLwGhhL
then would nod to one of the soldiers who would then grab a buddy and together92Please respect copyright.PENANAEECGfOkT9n
the two of them would bring one of the bodies outside. Then they would bring a92Please respect copyright.PENANAn5tGTr5NLN
tarp to place over the dead to hide them from the crowd. It happened six times92Please respect copyright.PENANAd6tqSsJAja
in total. Vander had to double take because he was sure that seven of them been92Please respect copyright.PENANAUhrPWVokOR
killed, but after double counting then peering back inside, there was indeed92Please respect copyright.PENANAHTVeRpor13
only six bodies. He would have to investigate that later.
He heard some of92Please respect copyright.PENANAQOWt0pVnP6
the guards talking inside. “What a waste of life.” One muttered to themselves.92Please respect copyright.PENANAPBmoX8Id7X
“What do you think happened here?”
“We don’t get92Please respect copyright.PENANA4GKphZSRNX
paid to ask questions.” That other snorted. But he looked around nervously92Please respect copyright.PENANAYQBtzBRjHf
before whispering to his friend. “I bet it was that traitorous Blade that did92Please respect copyright.PENANA5I2eRRyLzH
this.” The other guard looked warily at his friend.
“How do you92Please respect copyright.PENANAdKgBX9BzAN
figure?”
“One of these92Please respect copyright.PENANArXnSlULbV6
people had their throat completely ripped out.” The other explained. “That’s92Please respect copyright.PENANAS2pBlhbbT1
not possible without a lot of strength. I’ve only ever seen animals do that and92Please respect copyright.PENANARbOh9yzQdL
I don’t think a bear came into down, slaughtered six people, then left never to92Please respect copyright.PENANA3ihmdZigNu
be seen again.”
“I guess that92Please respect copyright.PENANAzRsefB8v0b
makes sense.” The second guard didn’t sound convinced, however. “But why would92Please respect copyright.PENANAzdanXZThld
he come here to kill these people? It makes no sense.”
“Like killing the92Please respect copyright.PENANAhiXQqdP5Ti
King made sense?” the first guard spat. “The sooner we find this guy, the92Please respect copyright.PENANAJ95qM4NfPV
sooner we can bury him. Bastard deserves to hang for what he did.” Unknown to92Please respect copyright.PENANAmhRLq7LDw1
all involved, they failed to notice a squad of Blades coming up behind them.92Please respect copyright.PENANA9HgdDXd9G7
Vander looked up to see Alexander coming with a few Blades Vander didn’t92Please respect copyright.PENANA9X0J3txvyU
recognize. They were likely from one of the squads that came with the Warden’s.92Please respect copyright.PENANAUgWG0KGlw6
He couldn’t help but wonder where the recruits went.
Alex looked like92Please respect copyright.PENANAL5ZSc4aiO1
shit. His eyes were sunken in, and he had allowed his beard to grow long and92Please respect copyright.PENANAjIH6DI1TSq
thick. His clothes were unkept, despite Blade regulation, but his eyes were92Please respect copyright.PENANA3TzTos6hyk
still sharp. He had come in at the tail end of the guard’s conversation, so he92Please respect copyright.PENANAmqNByiaYsA
let himself be known by growling right behind them.
“If you two have92Please respect copyright.PENANAEPFHstJDil
time to gossip, you have time to stand investigate the house.” He spoke.92Please respect copyright.PENANAktbmZQ2u4l
Normally his size and demeanor were enough to get most men to do what he92Please respect copyright.PENANAYLMvaJsTyq
wanted, but that didn’t seem to work here.
“You’re not in92Please respect copyright.PENANABn3VlE12NL
charge of us, Blade.” The first guard hissed. The way he said it made Vander92Please respect copyright.PENANAL8lZ4MUvaJ
angry. It appears he wasn’t the only one as the Blades with Alex went for their92Please respect copyright.PENANAEH1c3sUcd3
swords. They stayed their hand once Alex motioned for them to stop. “We don’t92Please respect copyright.PENANAolmsJahHwS
take orders from those who let the King die.”
“You’ll take92Please respect copyright.PENANAhDcgX2BSs2
orders from me whether you like it or not.” Alex’s voice was calm, but he was92Please respect copyright.PENANAdrUKHIAv8M
seconds away from violently lashing out. Vander could tell based on how he92Please respect copyright.PENANAFZz98IvTbN
clenched his hand. “Until the King decrees otherwise you will help us find92Please respect copyright.PENANABRGbBDDSMa
Vander and bring him in.”
“Our General says92Please respect copyright.PENANAYDU6AyEQpA
otherwise.” The second guard said. “We are only here as per our duty, but after92Please respect copyright.PENANAloZdcTZDzX
the bodies are taken out, you’re on your own.”
“Coward.” One of92Please respect copyright.PENANAXcsOIwMarz
the Blade’s spat. At that insult, the two guards drew their weapons as did the92Please respect copyright.PENANAQWI8kAzkjZ
guards who were supposed to be keeping the crowd back.
“That wasn’t very92Please respect copyright.PENANAV39o7gRMTz
smart of you.” The first guard growled. “You’re surrounded and outnumbered.92Please respect copyright.PENANAwGQhzfxvLQ
What’s another dead Blade in the grand scheme of things?”
“Enough of this.”92Please respect copyright.PENANAvYWmiYaU8A
Alex’s voice bellowed out. He turned towards the Blade who let his emotions get92Please respect copyright.PENANAm2eAc9lVe7
the better of him. “Apologize so we can get on with our days.”
“But…” Alex’s92Please respect copyright.PENANAAvPVNGD9c3
glare dried the excuse in the poor man’s throat. He lowered his head, but not92Please respect copyright.PENANAzVb8YQYVMf
his eyes, and muttered a quick apology. Knowing better than to start a scene,92Please respect copyright.PENANAIWpUlYL0TD
the guard accepted it, but kept his eyes firmly rooted on Alex as he sheathed92Please respect copyright.PENANApTIbokgn0v
his Blade.
“You have minutes92Please respect copyright.PENANAzZHzTiZtR6
to get what you need the clear out.” The guard said. “This is our92Please respect copyright.PENANAkGwLnZCImj
investigation, not yours.”
“I understand, we92Please respect copyright.PENANABov1N1bQap
will be quick.” Nodding to the others, they dispersed. Some of them headed92Please respect copyright.PENANAMo8MTdwyyl
inside to look around while two of them checked the dead bodies. Alex stayed92Please respect copyright.PENANAtj2A2eoAnD
outside surveying the crowd. Suddenly Vander was very happy that he had picked92Please respect copyright.PENANAvKA6XY0pqM
the raven to take over instead of going into the crowd himself. He knew that no92Please respect copyright.PENANAHe0g3NYnps
matter the disguise, Alex would be able to tell who he was.
One of the Blades92Please respect copyright.PENANAL1aljD9dWI
outside called over to Alex. He quicky rushed over. Vander could catch some92Please respect copyright.PENANA8Af7qggwbo
words of that passed between the two of them. They commented about one of them92Please respect copyright.PENANA6nTywJXbqX
having their throat ripped out, which Alex admitted was likely Vander’s doing.92Please respect copyright.PENANAjZv4FnUxx1
However, the intriguing part was when the two of them discovered snake tattoos92Please respect copyright.PENANAro5undRJR3
on all their arms. Alex nodded to himself before stepping away calling the92Please respect copyright.PENANAvYEQ2po0hS
guards back to take the bodies away. He then went inside to see what the others92Please respect copyright.PENANAwseZfAjhuX
may or may not have found.
Vander couldn’t92Please respect copyright.PENANA13mjdd2r6H
really tell what was being said inside. They were talking low to one another92Please respect copyright.PENANAsl7zFWqHH6
while looking at a scroll that they discovered shoved inside the table. Vander92Please respect copyright.PENANAqDm9J2kOgv
shifted slightly to get a better view. It looked like a map of the city, but it92Please respect copyright.PENANARM9ykSdQer
wasn’t anything that he recognized. He would need to get his talons on that92Please respect copyright.PENANAnfwlo9M4Qh
scroll, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He would have to try to92Please respect copyright.PENANALUkjGDUibZ
take it from his friend at some point in time. Vander heard a squawk coming92Please respect copyright.PENANAgUMf9YC5hI
from behind him. He turned around to see a large, angry raven flapping behind92Please respect copyright.PENANA8KqyjB3Y7Z
him. He was instantly filled with fear from the raven he was inhabiting. He92Please respect copyright.PENANAf981req1UD
guessed the two of them had an issue before which caused the raven, he92Please respect copyright.PENANAu5SOPgqu0n
inhabited to flee afraid.
As the other92Please respect copyright.PENANAkV41AdVi6D
raven attacked, Vander pushed himself out of the body and back into his own.92Please respect copyright.PENANAAJMv2BHoqA
The sudden jolt to being back in a human being, on the ground, caused him to92Please respect copyright.PENANApoSZ9v9WfV
violently throw himself over so he could vomit onto the cobblestone instead of92Please respect copyright.PENANAujNcZD7920
onto his clothing. He looked up to see the two birds entwined in a death grip92Please respect copyright.PENANAzi5KFwggOU
violently stabbing and clawing at each other. The smaller one he had been apart92Please respect copyright.PENANA2QbeuecYsf
from was losing, but his pride didn’t allow him to quit. He had to do92Please respect copyright.PENANA5HoMVwR4R8
something, so he grabbed a rock.
He popped out92Please respect copyright.PENANA8h0hqOg7FD
from behind his hiding spot then launched the rock at the bigger bird. With a92Please respect copyright.PENANAuaep3AuWgL
cry, the big raven fell to the ground stunned, possibly dead. The sudden rock92Please respect copyright.PENANAvEke9unmCh
being thrown combined with the dropped bird causing some members of the crowd92Please respect copyright.PENANAz2oKkSTCPJ
to turn towards him. Some were confused, but a couple recognized him.
“It’s the King92Please respect copyright.PENANAYV19x4m7Ce
killer!” one of them shouted, pointing at him. Some of the guards began92Please respect copyright.PENANAXfe0kfjFgw
shouting to pass, but the crowd pushed forward.
“Someone grab92Please respect copyright.PENANAjQC9u8TQyk
him!” Two citizens lunged forward, but Vander jumped backwards. He grabbed a92Please respect copyright.PENANAL1tk5kQFUB
box then threw it at someone who had broken through hitting them right in the92Please respect copyright.PENANAlfJtVn1nGX
face. Vander backed up towards the wall then jumped up, grabbing the top with92Please respect copyright.PENANAObYoyX59Ei
his hand to haul himself over. Before he disappeared, he locked eyes with Alex92Please respect copyright.PENANA4B5UHZunAv
before disappearing.
He heard shouting92Please respect copyright.PENANA2ilqfbQEb6
coming from behind him, but he wasted no time running back towards the gate92Please respect copyright.PENANAple330oE6m
which would lead him into Lower Eluvia. He just had to make it there before he92Please respect copyright.PENANAhsHcFk2CPb
was caught then everything would be okay. What he didn’t realize though was92Please respect copyright.PENANAg1pgH2P4yt
that the road he was running down intersected with the road that mob was coming92Please respect copyright.PENANAfd7UiStJFA
down. He heard them running towards him, which caused him to run as fast as he92Please respect copyright.PENANA7WsnbQn5Nf
could. Tragically he ended up running into another group of guards who had92Please respect copyright.PENANADw8z3SL9yB
heard the commotion.
“Well look who we92Please respect copyright.PENANAaFsg7LUR0T
have here?” One of them grinned. A metal fist came flying towards Vander’s92Please respect copyright.PENANAXlpeybtV1I
face. It hit his jaw sending waves of pain throughout his mouth, likely92Please respect copyright.PENANAhIWRko5sBb
knocking a couple of teeth loose. He fell to the ground, but scrambled92Please respect copyright.PENANA1XxlpHX12n
backwards as the guards drew their swords.
“Did you know92Please respect copyright.PENANA2EwldZP86L
there is a bounty on your head?” one asked with an evil glint in his eyes. “The92Please respect copyright.PENANAJfQQ900VfT
Jilena family has offered quite the reward for your head.” Vander looked at the92Please respect copyright.PENANA2jcF1TK7A5
group confused. He didn’t know why the Jilena family cared so much about the92Please respect copyright.PENANAZ4CYen0MXr
king’s murder that they would go against Cuvera’s wishes. He didn’t have to92Please respect copyright.PENANAK5MLsk1voQ
wonder long as the guards were apparently quite chatty.
“They are blaming92Please respect copyright.PENANAIdjhJoMeWH
you for the death of their youngest son.” Vander’s blood ran cold. Jeffery was92Please respect copyright.PENANAmuymwIEAPL
dead? But he had let him go, there was no reason for him to be killed.
“I had no reason92Please respect copyright.PENANASOY5wtx6VN
to kill him.” Vander argued.
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“Rumor has it92Please respect copyright.PENANATJV7nkQcvz
that he tried to stop you, so you ran him through.” The guard shrugged. “Makes92Please respect copyright.PENANAn0UTzefTmx
no difference to me. With the money we will finally be able to retire in92Please respect copyright.PENANAgyAbJJbxHm
peace.” Vander scooted backwards as the guards lunged towards him with their92Please respect copyright.PENANA5yiuDmzbjZ
swords readied to skewer him.