Chapter 34
Alex was standing at the door with62Please respect copyright.PENANAavj51M5xaR
a concerned, yet angry expression on his face. The relief he must have felt62Please respect copyright.PENANANg1k7ECLdY
when he saw Vander must have been enormous because he slumped against the door62Please respect copyright.PENANA8wLhpSHEn0
frame as a breath, he likely didn’t know he had been holding, left his body.62Please respect copyright.PENANAT0OFFm4xSx
Shea, in her excitement, jumped off the bed. She ran over to him and slammed62Please respect copyright.PENANAxNY2uqB4FQ
her weight into his legs. If he had been leaning against the door, he probably62Please respect copyright.PENANABX612BTDXG
would have fallen over.
“So, this is where you’ve been62Please respect copyright.PENANAcBkwPscK68
hiding out.” Alex was rubbing between Shea’s ears as he stared at Vander.62Please respect copyright.PENANAnXTqVzv1wY
Sighing, he nodded then stepped back, motioning for his friend to get out of62Please respect copyright.PENANAgQgZgARn8K
the hall.
“I know you have questions, and I62Please respect copyright.PENANAFuSAY0uKvE
will answer them.” Vander stopped as Alex took a step towards him. He flinched,62Please respect copyright.PENANALOGO9vzGgE
but Alex just wrapped his arms around his friend pulling him into a hug.
“Not once for a second do I think62Please respect copyright.PENANAiZl2T5K25i
you would have killed Malcolm.” Alex whispered. “None of us do, not even62Please respect copyright.PENANAlHQpwS7HiX
Cuvera.” Vander blinked back the tears he didn’t realize he had been holding.
“It was Peyton.” Vander stepped62Please respect copyright.PENANAXii4T0MaDl
back out of Alex’s embrace. He sighed, finally willing to tell his friend62Please respect copyright.PENANAYBMvabRF7Q
everything, like he should have done in the beginning. Alex sat down on the bed62Please respect copyright.PENANAHKKGpRj91r
before accepting a drink from Vander.
As his friend drank, Vander62Please respect copyright.PENANAXIU548Lt9Z
started from his first meeting with Veyar before they had even left the forest62Please respect copyright.PENANAKzk6N7TFE1
where he had been told about the Darkness returning. From there, from other62Please respect copyright.PENANAmhPdWiotgA
visits with both Veyar and Unna hinting at his role of keeping the Darkness62Please respect copyright.PENANA0P3n75P9Do
sealed away. He explained his thoughts about the Serpents being behind62Please respect copyright.PENANAd296wHPxn4
everything, but the interview with the assassin shed some doubts of their62Please respect copyright.PENANAMtIwiH80zD
involvement, even though Cuvera didn’t believe him.
After that he had been told to62Please respect copyright.PENANApBVf0wDTEn
grab a book from the King’s study, one he had been shown one night that62Please respect copyright.PENANAfvLQMD9IhD
depicted the Gods and their abilities. That was the book Peyton had been after62Please respect copyright.PENANAxgWNP9IcWT
when he killed Malcolm and framed Vander for it. After that, Vander took the62Please respect copyright.PENANAmdAEOhmz1C
book and gone on the run. He explained that Jeffery Jilena had stopped him but62Please respect copyright.PENANA83CugIQrA7
had let him go. Then he went to the only place he could stay safe, the Orange62Please respect copyright.PENANAefFQKiRkeu
Fox.
“Wait,” Alex held up his hand.62Please respect copyright.PENANAOqMCQLTuSB
“Jeffery Jilena let you go? When we chased after you, we found him with his62Please respect copyright.PENANA7DbBv8RwCH
body cut to pieces. His murder was blamed on you.”
“Murder?” Vander felt ill. “He let62Please respect copyright.PENANA7imOy4Occr
me knock him out so I could escape. He was alive when I left him.”
“Another piece to the puzzle.”62Please respect copyright.PENANAJAnWWZeIZS
Alex hadn’t thought that Vander was truly responsible for the murder, but it62Please respect copyright.PENANA8FZherHYrw
just added another question to the long line of them.
“That explains why those guards62Please respect copyright.PENANACKGGnR0GVB
were so adamant to kill me.” Vander sighed. “Anna must have put a bounty on my62Please respect copyright.PENANA3AJVtmgA9K
head in the underground.”
“She had been ordered to cancel62Please respect copyright.PENANAQxvanFPakt
it, but it looks as though that hadn’t happened.” Alex growled. “So, what were62Please respect copyright.PENANAbwWh1MN3OC
you doing at that house anyway?”
“That’s the other part of it.”62Please respect copyright.PENANAwe4eIPXF6g
Vander explained that he had been under the impression that Peyton was working62Please respect copyright.PENANApVj2iO7T8I
with the Serpents to take over Eluvia. So, he used Ross’s vast network to help62Please respect copyright.PENANAIYKxXpnqjC
him find where they were hiding to discover their plan. That safe house was the62Please respect copyright.PENANANEuukLuuKD
latest clue, it was a meeting area where he also discovered someone else was62Please respect copyright.PENANAxw5qsfJRu7
tracking him down, someone called Fang. He also told Alex that three people had62Please respect copyright.PENANA9etDPfHtWV
escaped before Vander arrived. They may have gone on a mission, or something62Please respect copyright.PENANAoZPCDkMI6z
spooked him, of which he wasn’t sure.
“It’s a good start.” Alex sighed.62Please respect copyright.PENANAkb6Gnq2lmx
“I met with the doctor who checked the bodies. Each one of them had a tattoo on62Please respect copyright.PENANAwqDhBwJKUW
their wrist of a coiled snake. I went back to check on Ulysses and Nigel then62Please respect copyright.PENANAuAnmvet9YW
found the same on them. Seems to be their mark.”
“It won’t matter unless we check62Please respect copyright.PENANAodmdgG5HCK
every single person’s wrist.” Vander shook his head. “We need a better way to62Please respect copyright.PENANAuTfO9I6jkB
check, but that’s something that won’t happen until I get to Cuvera.”
“Why not come back with me?” Alex62Please respect copyright.PENANAwXMMuqn9ga
asked. The offer was tempting, but he couldn’t risk being thrown in the jail62Please respect copyright.PENANAi4DKYRbrfm
cells right now, not when he was so close to unearthing who else was behind the62Please respect copyright.PENANAwegQ0Eq92k
conspiracy. He couldn’t risk it, not right now. And he told Alex as much.
“I understand.” He opened his62Please respect copyright.PENANAvoZOacSsIe
mouth to say something else, but he was interrupted by a knock on the door.62Please respect copyright.PENANAQi6ZzTK6aO
Both Left and Right were there. They had come to deliver a message. It was time62Please respect copyright.PENANAfBDNTOOfkk
for Vander to chance then make his way down in the arena. Nodding his head,62Please respect copyright.PENANArGUQ6LusKf
Vander accepted the package in their hands then closed the door.
“You’re fighting?” Alex’s jaw62Please respect copyright.PENANAD6rZeUOQyr
dropped. He was setting himself up to be seen, for his enemies to know where he62Please respect copyright.PENANASZxqJLFIqt
was. This was insane.
“It was Ross’s payment for letting62Please respect copyright.PENANAnvfiNbZUgv
me stay here.” Vander walked into the bathroom to get changed. He had been62Please respect copyright.PENANAe0F1GRKPhR
given a white tank top, some raggedy brown pants and a mask to put over his62Please respect copyright.PENANAcLfDPHGBqi
face.
Whoever crafted62Please respect copyright.PENANAKdGNw02Ytc
it was quite skilled: it was a white mask that had been painted to resemble a62Please respect copyright.PENANAO9n0nlpFMA
wolf’s face. He knew that the clothing was made on purpose. It would make him62Please respect copyright.PENANA0AFwY5Jdiw
look like someone who needed the money but would give to those watching a show.62Please respect copyright.PENANAJZuP6D9w3j
With the white they would be able to see if he was injured and how badly. The62Please respect copyright.PENANAW9woiVyGeN
crowds loved the sign of blood, they always did.
“Stay tonight.”62Please respect copyright.PENANAaQJfN3IAP6
Vander said as he walked from the bathroom. “I have a feeling I may need you62Please respect copyright.PENANADA8hIJWeJb
there.”
“I understand.”62Please respect copyright.PENANAtnTfxm2okS
He could sense his friend’s reservations about letting him fight, but there was62Please respect copyright.PENANAnPlcrXUG5Y
no choice, and he knew that. Right and Left were still outside the door waiting62Please respect copyright.PENANAmsekJIiOCo
to escort him downstairs. Vander slipped the mask over his face then followed62Please respect copyright.PENANA9JcHucb6S9
them down.
The crowd was62Please respect copyright.PENANABG1q3FghP2
already in full force, cheering for blood at the lower leveled bouts. The62Please respect copyright.PENANAQejI9HXtll
drinks had already been flowing as some had passed out leaning up against the62Please respect copyright.PENANA2zdGlr6BsF
wall with a drink still in their hands. The two bodyguards were immovable62Please respect copyright.PENANARSKFAjyoTJ
objects surrounding Vander as multiple people were trying to get their hands on62Please respect copyright.PENANAhxKWjg4f6P
him before his fight. Right pushed several people away then barked a warning to62Please respect copyright.PENANADVplSrLlAm
the others: Ross would skin them alive if anything happened to his fighter. A62Please respect copyright.PENANAcPf9SK2rHP
cold, calculated threat, but not one anyone would risk. So, they kept their62Please respect copyright.PENANA41pOYfgWxX
hands to themselves.
Suddenly a sudden62Please respect copyright.PENANALqiakiqAKt
scent of blood hit Vander’s nose then the crowd erupted into cheers. He saw62Please respect copyright.PENANAOcfs8FMmrc
Ross standing up from his podium throwing his hands up into the air. “And there62Please respect copyright.PENANASKhy4aoyiA
you have it! You have your winner!” There was quite a bit of cheering, but62Please respect copyright.PENANAifNu2BldqY
there was a lot of cursing involved. Seems as though a lot of people gambled on62Please respect copyright.PENANAmmeq24GquX
the opponent to win. Looking over the edge, Vander saw a young kid standing62Please respect copyright.PENANAdVFLOau5Xx
over the body of an adult. The adult was breathing as the medical staff ran out62Please respect copyright.PENANA48aR6DPzoP
to remove him, but Vander knew that man was likely going to die. The kid was62Please respect copyright.PENANA9axFVuUaIu
led out by one of Ross’s servants.
“And now for your62Please respect copyright.PENANAAQkTVclTCs
final bout of the night!” Ross motioned for Vander to get up next to him. The62Please respect copyright.PENANA06EyoBVl0Y
crowd grew quiet as he walked up to stand next to his protector. “He is a new62Please respect copyright.PENANAqyNSluTQBf
fighter, but still skilled. I bring you, the Wolf.” No one cheered for him,62Please respect copyright.PENANASIVb5iJv94
just gave him curious glances. Vander felt a little self-conscious standing62Please respect copyright.PENANAlXwbhzjSOO
there, but this was all part of the show, he just had to do his part. “Now his62Please respect copyright.PENANADv2BLZtAC5
opponent has been thirsting for a worthy opponent and winning here would give62Please respect copyright.PENANA4MlLO5FYFj
him a chance to fight the bear, slaughterer of thousands. I bring you, the Sword!”
A door in the62Please respect copyright.PENANAtbXZJJZmsm
arena was thrown open and a large shirtless man walked through holding his62Please respect copyright.PENANAyh1vt5kJar
massive sword above his head. The man was shirtless, wearing a similar ragged62Please respect copyright.PENANAeNkTXV4G13
pants, and a mask with a sword painted on it. The crowd erupted chanting his62Please respect copyright.PENANAPq4kDK0FV8
name. Despite knowing that he would win, Vander couldn’t help but feel a little62Please respect copyright.PENANAdbt2fYpKeA
intimidated.
“This is a fight62Please respect copyright.PENANAyIkKDwxsA7
to the death!” Ross shouted. Vander spun around as if this hadn’t been part of62Please respect copyright.PENANAxZwvusv6D0
their arraignment, but all he got was an apologetic shrug and a smile. Vander62Please respect copyright.PENANAzwcxB9kBfb
vowed he would get Ross back for this, but for now he had to focus on the62Please respect copyright.PENANApURl6zIaPC
challenge at hand. Without waiting for a prompt, Vander stepped off the podium62Please respect copyright.PENANAAKjIwcv5K8
then jumped down into the arena below. Sword tilted his head in62Please respect copyright.PENANAIpMgnySenX
acknowledgement. The crowd cheered as the two combatants circled each other62Please respect copyright.PENANAPPLRQm76V5
warily.
“You don’t look62Please respect copyright.PENANAlWzTLH9nd1
strong.” Sword taunted. “In fact, you look like someone who prefers to lay on62Please respect copyright.PENANAvCyMZSGPBu
their back all night. What do you think? Should I fuck you before I kill you?”
“You must be62Please respect copyright.PENANAY0hfpYmdBz
nervous if all you can do is talk.” Vander snorted. “Now let’s get this done,62Please respect copyright.PENANAqqovDehFup
I’m getting bored.”
“You’ll regret62Please respect copyright.PENANA96kNgYg9fw
that runt.” The man shouted then charged towards him swinging his sword.
One of the62Please respect copyright.PENANAyucOpa7Lvp
instructions Vander had given before his bout was that he had to drag it out as62Please respect copyright.PENANAOzkcOj6p0P
much as possible. No one liked a quick fight. They wanted blood and a lot of62Please respect copyright.PENANAy2ySxwqJHI
it. He would have to hold himself back as this was a regular human. He would62Please respect copyright.PENANAAr4O8dagZz
fold like an omelet if Vander hit him with his powers. This would prove to be a62Please respect copyright.PENANABPrjP5SHy0
challenge, which was why he found himself unarmed.
Vander ducked62Please respect copyright.PENANAxTaVgqaTTQ
under the sword swing, but the man’s knee came up catching him in the chin.62Please respect copyright.PENANA3wQP9myM12
Vander stumbled backwards as the other foot caught him in the stomach knocking62Please respect copyright.PENANAqwBsblsBZV
him to the ground. He quickly rolled away as the sword pounded the ground where62Please respect copyright.PENANAazEUnIul4Z
he had just been. Vander got up, grabbed a fist full of dirt, then tossed it at62Please respect copyright.PENANAhVSV82on0j
his opponent. As he struggled to remove the dirt, Vander tackled him around the62Please respect copyright.PENANA8UIHvaFPKP
stomach bringing them both to the ground. He began punching down at the face,62Please respect copyright.PENANAJZQiedJ30T
but he was purposely going slow. Sword was able to block most of them before62Please respect copyright.PENANA8JtBmoUwoL
bucking Vander off and into the ground.
“You’re good I’ll62Please respect copyright.PENANAo9si63cT1a
give you that, but this is where it ends.” The man lifted his sword and went to62Please respect copyright.PENANACCbRBQPSV3
stab down at Vander, but before either of them could move, three daggers flew62Please respect copyright.PENANAQCdRrwmK5o
from the crowd and hit him in the chest. “What?” Blood spurted from his mouth62Please respect copyright.PENANAgRgbaFfpUJ
as he fell over backwards, dead. The crowd muttered to themselves wondering62Please respect copyright.PENANAIimt0XMncE
what the hell had just happened. The smell of Applewood filled the arena, and62Please respect copyright.PENANAFYHSLTAOtK
he knew what was going on.
“Ross, you need62Please respect copyright.PENANA553AEkLrtK
to get everyone out of here.” Vander shouted. He scrambled for the sword as62Please respect copyright.PENANASVGlFWm2CD
three people jumped down in the arena with him. Each of them was heavily armed62Please respect copyright.PENANALXtOwTfLIm
and wearing leather armor. He didn’t recognize either of them, but if they were62Please respect copyright.PENANAgEQGLBETDv
here, they were probably Serpents.
“Vander, the62Please respect copyright.PENANAT0s6bUVUlT
Blade Captain.” One of the Serpents said. They had hoods pulled over their62Please respect copyright.PENANAk2V7p0pXKg
heads, but it wouldn’t be enough to keep him from seeing their faces.62Please respect copyright.PENANA5JO9SX1Hdg
Tragically he didn’t know any of them.
“You’ll pay for62Please respect copyright.PENANA3JE6e22mpV
what you did to our comrades.” Said another. “Then our contract will be62Please respect copyright.PENANAVYsZSkWpiz
complete.”
“Who hired you?”62Please respect copyright.PENANAqWM6ZfI3p7
Vander shouted. He eyed the sword his opponent had been wielding. He wouldn’t62Please respect copyright.PENANAg2UYugEcjW
be able to survive without it, but it was so far away. He would have to be62Please respect copyright.PENANA524c5auWTC
careful.
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“No reason to62Please respect copyright.PENANAx23caizZgK
tell a dead man.” The Serpents drew their knives and lunged at him. Vander62Please respect copyright.PENANAd38S5g1n3L
brought his arms up to protect himself. This was going to be tough.