Chapter 33
The sounds of battle echoed around57Please respect copyright.PENANA8HbzdQDVIj
him, but Vander kept running. He didn’t know about Humi’s abilities in a fight,57Please respect copyright.PENANAqd7Nts6Poh
but it seemed as though he was holding on. He couldn’t help, but wonder if the57Please respect copyright.PENANA22NDfeGNru
priest knew something like this was going to happen tonight which was why he57Please respect copyright.PENANAKQIGautuNS
was prepared or did he bring the assassin to the man’s doorstep? More answers57Please respect copyright.PENANA79II5okJJc
and no questions. However, his only goal right now was to get back to the57Please respect copyright.PENANAjVq1Mh27cG
safety of the warehouse, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t send Humi some help.
“Assassin at Humjir’s temple!”57Please respect copyright.PENANAeKXnyLawJQ
Vander shouted. He put a scared expression on his face, which wasn’t difficult57Please respect copyright.PENANA4ukCLq6E58
because he was scared, as he ran past the guards. Shea must have been a blur57Please respect copyright.PENANAF6lpGFcLkl
because they didn’t notice him. “Help, Humi’s in danger help!”
“Go to the temple!” A guard57Please respect copyright.PENANA3mkOlYbJUx
shouted. He turned to get Vander’s attention, but he had already slipped down a57Please respect copyright.PENANAKqCr2V16Yk
side street and was gone from sight. An alarm went out causing more and more57Please respect copyright.PENANA6Jfcy2Rzn9
guards to leave their posts to head towards the source. The attention made it57Please respect copyright.PENANAwLqUsUQurJ
inadvertently easy for him to slip through the district gates.
He didn’t stop running until he57Please respect copyright.PENANAF1FZFkDtx4
reached the Orange Fox. Despite badly needing to rest, he knew he had been gone57Please respect copyright.PENANA0m5JpsSedQ
for too long and eventually Ross’ two protectors would be in his room soon if57Please respect copyright.PENANAp8DLrPvIIw
they hadn’t been already. He climbed up the drainage pipe as Shea jumped nimbly57Please respect copyright.PENANAO6DL3JnHgc
on the fence then into the room. He quickly stripped off his nighttime outfit,57Please respect copyright.PENANAf0KcpSH0z8
changing into loose pants and shirt. He carefully placed the black book in the57Please respect copyright.PENANATw5c1ZBfWI
hiding spot along with the vial. Once he and Shea were alone, he would have to57Please respect copyright.PENANAEMeTnDsIog
see what that was about.
As soon as he settled into bed and57Please respect copyright.PENANA5LmJPMiDkL
closed his eyes, there was a knock on the door. Pretending to awaken, he let57Please respect copyright.PENANAHhaYMjgdv9
out a loud groan as he stumbled from the bed then shuffled towards the door.57Please respect copyright.PENANATeuPSv3p2l
Right and Left were standing there with the bartender and a different girl from57Please respect copyright.PENANAkg8qgr1nQo
last time. This one looked young, younger than she had any right to be.
“What’s this?” Vander growled, not57Please respect copyright.PENANA9CnH03FBAS
even bothering to hide his annoyance.
“A gift from Ross.” Left smirked.57Please respect copyright.PENANA5cnA73cvoi
“He wants you to break this one in for the others.”
“I think not.” Vander noticed the57Please respect copyright.PENANAkBDeBIeqdI
disappointment on the young girl’s face. “How old are you?” he asked her.
“Fourteen.” she muttered. She57Please respect copyright.PENANAraj1Wf6u2c
looked down at her feet. At least the blonde woman had the presence of mind to57Please respect copyright.PENANAy4vkwscE3a
be disgusted too.
“Fourteen?” she snapped. “You told57Please respect copyright.PENANAl3leGa4eJ6
me she was sixteen.”
“Age is just-“ Right ate a face57Please respect copyright.PENANA15xIiP4Dp5
full of the bartender’s hand.
“She is far too young for57Please respect copyright.PENANAfAjXJFghbm
something like this.” She snapped. “What the hell is the matter with you.”
“Boss’s orders.” Right stepped57Please respect copyright.PENANA9UpdQTNMgj
forward raising his hand to strike her, but Vander stepped in.
“That’s enough.” Vander said.57Please respect copyright.PENANAjEUHMEEoOH
“Take her downstairs, give her a different job until she is old enough. Do not57Please respect copyright.PENANAXfgK8AXetb
let anyone touch her or you will have to answer to me.”
“We don’t have to take orders from57Please respect copyright.PENANAgyFc0uGZcQ
you.” Left stammered, but he seemed a little fearful as to what Vander could do57Please respect copyright.PENANAbueuQGYqDa
if he had the mind to.
Vander let out a57Please respect copyright.PENANAofKUuVxa2h
mental order to Shea who walked up behind him growling, teeth bared. The two57Please respect copyright.PENANAeEZ5XodiLu
guards blanched as they looked at her before facing Vander and nodding their57Please respect copyright.PENANAw3nBxrVRZn
heads. He thought he saw a sigh of relief escape the young woman’s body.
“As for you,”57Please respect copyright.PENANAt2M2DwQiEs
Vander turned towards the blonde. “I don’t need you tonight. I’m tired so I’m57Please respect copyright.PENANANg9FjjaQLS
just going to sleep.”
“Alright,” she57Please respect copyright.PENANAdHbIgfvCKk
grinned giving him a sly wink. She leaned over to whisper in his ear. “Thank57Please respect copyright.PENANA7DzHWsiibA
you for that, I’ll treat you special next time.” She ended the promise by57Please respect copyright.PENANAuhiKHyrkMV
giving him a quick peck on the cheek. She wrapped her arms around the young57Please respect copyright.PENANAPsomGMY5R9
lady and walked back down the hall with Left and Right running right behind57Please respect copyright.PENANAkbwjyodh57
them.
“You humans57Please respect copyright.PENANAhX67hS0Yhb
sure are disgusting.” Shea snorted as Vander closed the door behind them.
“You have no57Please respect copyright.PENANAb5eVuLh0mK
idea.” After he was sure everyone was gone, he walked back towards the desk,57Please respect copyright.PENANAKvfmimlWWj
taking the vial out, then going to sit on the bed. He stared at it for several57Please respect copyright.PENANATMWcW1uMS1
minutes trying to figure out how to see what was contained within. His first57Please respect copyright.PENANAhhBbU2fS5l
instinct was to fill the tub with water then pour it in, but that didn’t seem57Please respect copyright.PENANAoS7nh5xQWK
right. The only other thing he could do was drink it, but that seemed57Please respect copyright.PENANA5TzYjf9zp9
dangerous. As if reading his mind, Shea said:
“I’ll watch57Please respect copyright.PENANAXlalMnXNtv
over you.”
“Alright.” Vander57Please respect copyright.PENANA7Gauw0YazA
popped the cork then raised the bottle to his lips. He drank the whole thing57Please respect copyright.PENANACIiyP6dboC
down and instantly felt drowsy. He placed his head on the pillows then fell57Please respect copyright.PENANA1Y1igwRyei
asleep.
…
When he awoke,57Please respect copyright.PENANAQwNIJTSIu7
he could taste ash in his mouth. For some reason he was lying on Eluvia’s57Please respect copyright.PENANAefN1NTdEJ6
streets, delirious and drowsy. All around him he could hear battle followed by57Please respect copyright.PENANAQk95YAusdJ
the screams of those cut down. He got to his feet to look around. Eluvia’s57Please respect copyright.PENANAYNAqkruVXs
soldiers were fighting a large-scale battle in the middle of Eluvia, whose57Please respect copyright.PENANAwkifbOy2o1
walls were supposed to be unbreachable. They wore white cloth covering their57Please respect copyright.PENANAHLmBQpcWzS
entire face, except for their eyes, and they wore loose scale mail allowing57Please respect copyright.PENANAVtk1OCdUnd
them to outmaneuver Eluvia’s heavily armored soldiers. The weapons they used57Please respect copyright.PENANAnXFQWeboza
were also foreign to him. They were curved blades, easily snaking their way57Please respect copyright.PENANAPUD5ZC8ndI
through the gaps in the armor.
Someone had57Please respect copyright.PENANAhOfTE6mqzS
set fire to the entire city. Buildings were engulfed in flames as people57Please respect copyright.PENANAWzDw7vtgFM
screamed out for help. Those trapped tried to escape then flee but were cut57Please respect copyright.PENANApddb6dGy4p
down in the process of doing so. Those who stood there screaming were silenced57Please respect copyright.PENANA9s8X4e5F0U
forever. It was a one-sided slaughter and Vander would like nothing more than57Please respect copyright.PENANAEogllgCluL
to help, but his body wouldn’t obey his commands. Instead, he drew his sword,57Please respect copyright.PENANAdx6wnh3SaJ
then rushed towards the castle.
He ignored57Please respect copyright.PENANA4sLN8VlsFB
everyone fighting down in the streets or getting slaughtered because they57Please respect copyright.PENANAFwFEPoFbSa
couldn’t do much other than cry or scream. He ran past the gates that had been57Please respect copyright.PENANAGsuBS4YVrg
blown to hell allowing their enemies past the borders into the second ring.57Please respect copyright.PENANAH9CIu1uCSs
Some nobles did what they could to protect themselves, but many gathered up any57Please respect copyright.PENANAxRdMm3YXFn
riches they could find before being torn apart. One female noble had been taken57Please respect copyright.PENANAv7uwTmpnZL
by a group of enemies and assaulted on her lawn. As he rushed past, they cut57Please respect copyright.PENANA6CDEtqHQj2
her throat then moved on to the next house.
He came up57Please respect copyright.PENANA32t5keBqCD
across a group of enemies who looked shock to see him, but they drew their57Please respect copyright.PENANAq8vrfdsvKl
weapons and charged. His body moved on his own. He drew his sword to block the57Please respect copyright.PENANAMAoDnjXZBi
strike from one soldier then stepped aside running another one completely57Please respect copyright.PENANABQ1yWLxoH2
through. He removed his weapon to cut the throat of a third who had come up57Please respect copyright.PENANAm9oFWYrOgQ
behind him. His body was a blur slicing those who attacked him to ribbons. He57Please respect copyright.PENANAZ4bVm8M8rd
didn’t even give them a second look before heading towards the third ring.
The castle57Please respect copyright.PENANARE2d7YskWz
gates had been broken. Bodies of soldiers and Blades littered the battlements57Please respect copyright.PENANAIO0BYsqE1f
and streets. Vander felt a rush of pride as he saw that the dead invaders more57Please respect copyright.PENANAn9wlcgMh5x
than doubled the bodies of his former comrades, but that just meant they were57Please respect copyright.PENANAAV46eDIMPu
met with overwhelming force. They had no chance.
Now he had to57Please respect copyright.PENANA57jP2KC6Ze
be careful entering the castle. He didn’t know where the enemies were or how57Please respect copyright.PENANARXQ6TbaVOh
many, but his body wanted him to rush in to find out of those he cared for were57Please respect copyright.PENANADydapv8oYl
still alive. Luckily, he knew all the secret passages as well as the smells of57Please respect copyright.PENANAOICZUadpgs
those he needed to find. So, he slipped down a hallway, pressed a random brick57Please respect copyright.PENANAL0sfnkhHQX
on the wall, which pushed back revealing a darkened staircase. Cuvera’s smell57Please respect copyright.PENANAeS5rO75ZBI
filled his nose, so he followed it up the stairwell.
He came out of57Please respect copyright.PENANAPJynfwHWZQ
another hallway on the second floor. He didn’t recognize the space, but his57Please respect copyright.PENANA03BGI1JTfB
body knew where to go. The smell of blood was strong here which filled him with57Please respect copyright.PENANANld6f9xp7x
panic. Many smells fused together, but he pieced one of them out: Eliza. He57Please respect copyright.PENANAeyKUmlmEkB
rushed down the hall and into a room he didn’t even know existed. Inside was a57Please respect copyright.PENANAc72vHRldgS
massive table which was covered with blood. Scattered around were members of57Please respect copyright.PENANApGMp319PTa
the council, bloodied and broken. A couple had their eyes completely burned out57Please respect copyright.PENANAiPknmNao1X
of their heads. But the most important person was found lying on their back57Please respect copyright.PENANA4vtG2Fw25Z
with a hole through their chest. Vander’s heart sank as he saw Eliza lying57Please respect copyright.PENANAH6yZ2RUsDs
there, barely breathing. She looked up at him, confused as to why he was there.57Please respect copyright.PENANAtS3KqYmGhV
But she broke into a wide smile. Vander felt his body stumble as he dropped57Please respect copyright.PENANARcnW3jqLKK
down to pull her body close to him.
It was then57Please respect copyright.PENANAKKDnhZ6Cv1
that Vander saw matching silver bands on both of their hands. The way she57Please respect copyright.PENANAOMF0k0SgQN
looked up at him with that smile on her face alongside the knot in his chest57Please respect copyright.PENANASO2Za6vGmP
when he realized that she was dying made him dizzy. The two of them had57Please respect copyright.PENANA9WxZxGRuG6
married, but when? Why? They were strangers. How far in the future was this?57Please respect copyright.PENANADjw5YInLPk
Vander’s body bent over to kiss her tenderly, but she whispered something in57Please respect copyright.PENANAPeJE61BqQx
his ear that caused him to stiffen. She promised that it was alright, that he57Please respect copyright.PENANAC9YcO3xY9z
must go to protect the city. She cupped his cheek, told him that she loved him57Please respect copyright.PENANAeHMFzOYmfX
and always would, before her eyes closed forever.
Vander sat57Please respect copyright.PENANAfEALgJt7fl
there for several minutes before steeling himself. He rose to his feet, took57Please respect copyright.PENANABfei2Kdqrr
one long look at Eliza, before running from the room. He followed Cuvera’s57Please respect copyright.PENANARaOSMGKh3h
scent towards his room. There the door had been blasted off its hinges leaving57Please respect copyright.PENANAEk1dzc3Abs
burn marks all over the frame. Vander drew his sword before stepping inside.
Standing in57Please respect copyright.PENANA87LZkmiAWf
the center of the room was a tall pillar of light. He could vaguely see a57Please respect copyright.PENANAmB1B6QGRoB
figure of a man standing inside, but he couldn’t make out who it was. Kiara was57Please respect copyright.PENANA6oiu0ExFx2
draped over the couch, her body badly charred. He could hear Cuvera in the57Please respect copyright.PENANAZ46LHc86Wi
other room gasping for air. His friend was his priority, so he rushed to the57Please respect copyright.PENANAgyIvwrqrUK
room ignoring the pillar of light.
He saw his57Please respect copyright.PENANArs2A5ezEBC
friend lying in front of a crib with a sword held in his hand. The other half57Please respect copyright.PENANAE6C7MJzXH6
of his body was blown apart leaving him on death’s door. Cuvera was happy to57Please respect copyright.PENANAQLPSEs6YS6
see Vander, but now wasn’t the time for happy reunions. He shouted, but Vander57Please respect copyright.PENANAN4cszfFIxb
couldn’t hear the words, but somehow, he knew what was being said
“Save my57Please respect copyright.PENANA7dNTYMJ6Vs
daughter!” Vander rushed towards the crib to see an infant lying there57Please respect copyright.PENANAE6OSVAUAp6
sleeping. Vander quickly scooped her up and ran from the room. He could sense57Please respect copyright.PENANAJxQcb29eeT
Cuvera die just before leaving the castle. It was up to him to raise and57Please respect copyright.PENANAsKN3mW1Zo7
protect his friend’s legacy. He vowed to return to set things right, but he57Please respect copyright.PENANAU5fGjykT4Z
would have to wait and bide his time. They would be avenged, every single one57Please respect copyright.PENANATEIOh0c76h
of them.
…
Vander woke up57Please respect copyright.PENANALWISu4NkAt
covered in sweat. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but his mouth was57Please respect copyright.PENANAPZ2Rzbzp96
dry, and his body was sore. Upon noticing his movements, Shea bolted up from57Please respect copyright.PENANA3E1UV94nad
her spot by the door.
“You’re57Please respect copyright.PENANAnI5JTXcKM5
awake!” she exclaimed. “You’ve been asleep for two entire days.”
“Really?” he57Please respect copyright.PENANAYhKnlKV48O
groaned. “Is there any food? I’m starving.” Shea said that they had brought a57Please respect copyright.PENANAidFmk6yS4e
tray a couple of hours ago. It was still there in front of the door. Vander57Please respect copyright.PENANAJCR79BS9rV
stood up, instantly grabbing the wall until the feeling could make their way57Please respect copyright.PENANA7hXckKWrAC
back into his legs. He stumbled towards the door then grabbed the tray. He57Please respect copyright.PENANA73MpePYYt3
didn’t bother with a fork or knife; he tore right into the steak, thankfully to57Please respect copyright.PENANA75GJsXjNUn
have something to eat. While he did so, he told Shea what he had seen in the57Please respect copyright.PENANAmI1z0Tr49b
vision.
“Any idea when57Please respect copyright.PENANASSzO1FxD8H
that will happen?” He didn’t, but he would begin making plans to make sure57Please respect copyright.PENANAmigyx4Sm2G
something like that never came to pass. He would do everything in his power to57Please respect copyright.PENANA2RzUqbg2ae
protect the Kingdom, no matter what, but for now he would keep this a secret.57Please respect copyright.PENANA6YoaWmh7xH
He didn’t want people to panic so soon after Malcolm’s assassination. However,57Please respect copyright.PENANAmFSXgp2B8n
one question still lingered in his mind: what was that pillar of light in the57Please respect copyright.PENANA3EwxJqrKKS
center of the room? That would take some time to ascertain.
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As he sat there57Please respect copyright.PENANAGNYeg1HS2U
thinking, he didn’t hear the footsteps coming up to the door. There was a loud57Please respect copyright.PENANAC0Ug2CUqcC
knock then, it began to open.