Chapter 8
Bernard grumbled in the corner as79Please respect copyright.PENANA7Lt9dWnRJG
he cleaned the vomit from off his shoe. Another servant had been summoned to79Please respect copyright.PENANAWFBz6cTt2p
clean up the mess while Vander was given some water to drink. The rancid smell79Please respect copyright.PENANAxZVRAgnYcZ
from the King’s chest hadn’t left his nose and it was making him woozy.
“What happened in here?” Peyton79Please respect copyright.PENANAwscM4mm808
asked. Topal spent some time explaining everything that the two of them had79Please respect copyright.PENANABzeJuBhyMY
discovered while Vander hugged the bucket.
“So, there were two things put79Please respect copyright.PENANAVyWDEMVtVm
together that caused this mess.” Bernard sighed. “Is there anyway to cure him?”
“Doctor.” Vander closed his mouth79Please respect copyright.PENANAhNxDKWPxr6
to keep the bile from coming out. “I need you to start making the remedy for79Please respect copyright.PENANAmoH24B3Eg6
him, please.” He wheezed. “I don’t think I can take much more of the smell.” He79Please respect copyright.PENANAUszermRzWD
pulled a trash bucket closer to him just in case he needed it.
“I’ve never dealt with his kind of79Please respect copyright.PENANAHbAQgVMcSi
poison before.” Topal shook his head. “I have no idea how to fix it. You79Please respect copyright.PENANASAEuMn4qT3
figured it out, do you have any notion?” Vander closed his eyes allowing the79Please respect copyright.PENANA4TfO4Esikj
smell to envelope him. Despite being the Deity of Beasts, Unna’s gifts came79Please respect copyright.PENANAERMWo3xTC5
with another perk. It allowed him to work wonders with poisons and their cures,79Please respect copyright.PENANAR4ZzgiJWhB
a leftover from how close she is with her aunt, Lyshena.
“We need something to strengthen79Please respect copyright.PENANAa9h0N4LmSn
and clear his lungs.” Vander’s voice sounded far away. “Take some wild79Please respect copyright.PENANA2xGeJRh2xO
cherries, horehound, and mullein, then boil a pot of boiling sea water. All the79Please respect copyright.PENANATy88Ude6ye
King to inhale the vapors until he coughs out all the black goo covering his79Please respect copyright.PENANAD6f1UHMz9H
lungs. To wake him up, you will need to soak him in a tub filled with more salt79Please respect copyright.PENANAEHUpY8ZsEB
water and lavender extract. He should recover.” Vander slumped forward then79Please respect copyright.PENANAxxI2Ym2p4F
jerked to the left filling the bucket with more vomit.
“Are you sure?” Bernard asked.79Please respect copyright.PENANAWMoaPiJCvO
“That seems like a very simple remedy for something like this.”
“It’s not simple at all.” Topal79Please respect copyright.PENANAMvL036T8pQ
shook his head. “I never would have thought to sting these together to cure a79Please respect copyright.PENANANhlz2DFahx
poison. I would have looked for a cure all and likely would have flailed around79Please respect copyright.PENANAybvmyi00jb
while he died under my care.”
“Are you blessed by Lyshena?”79Please respect copyright.PENANAI0fgGHmkwk
Bernard asked. He checked over his shoe before grunting in appreciation. He79Please respect copyright.PENANAEfj8vPZibu
might have been a stick in the mud, but he knew how to clean up. “That’s the79Please respect copyright.PENANABLojUvqR15
only way this would make sense.”
“You can’t tell anyone about79Please respect copyright.PENANAVnf0mLPhpr
this.” Vander said. He shared a knowing glance with Topal. “He doesn’t want79Please respect copyright.PENANA0IXuvLeFvx
special treatment because of who he is blessed by, I hope you will keep the79Please respect copyright.PENANAW3ilecwJPu
secret.”
“If it helps me save Malcolm’s79Please respect copyright.PENANABeW6JdetZF
life, I will keep this secret to the grave.” Topal smiled. “And if Bernard79Please respect copyright.PENANAbvOZqkad37
doesn’t, I know how to get rid of a body.” Bernard choked on his saliva,79Please respect copyright.PENANA3LXHq1AvqB
coughing until his face turned bright red.
“That’s uncalled for.” He laughed.79Please respect copyright.PENANAFr0C1AKIYf
“I can keep a secret; you don’t have to worry about me.” There was quick knock79Please respect copyright.PENANA5vtyQOUlGs
before Charles opened the door to slip back inside.
“What did you find out?” Vander79Please respect copyright.PENANA6qo3QKLb9i
got up from the table to stand by his grandfather.
“No one has seen the taste tester79Please respect copyright.PENANAPGxu4hTNSF
since the night the King fell ill.” Charles explained. “We should go down to79Please respect copyright.PENANAH56g9UiC1Z
the servants’ quarters and check up on him.”
“I forgot,” Bernard snapped his79Please respect copyright.PENANAwLQl7HMpbM
fingers. “There was a third person with me to visit Malcolm, a new servant.”
“Why didn’t you mention this79Please respect copyright.PENANAh00Nv2cdNs
before?” Peyton turned to the man anger rising in his voice.
“I didn’t think he was important.”79Please respect copyright.PENANAZpMdS7JFbI
Bernard shot back. “I just remembered I left the tea in his hands while I79Please respect copyright.PENANAhyQPhxOylt
opened the door. I didn’t think there was enough time for him to slip something79Please respect copyright.PENANATArGSwNr3T
into it, but, thinking back on it, he had it long enough to slip something into79Please respect copyright.PENANAIb7Ryut7o8
it. How much was needed to poison the King?”
“A small amount, any amount.”79Please respect copyright.PENANAN0nIn1SPkd
Vander said. “As long as it was ingested at the same time as the ocecrest, it79Please respect copyright.PENANAsWDAISt5bF
would have done the trick.”
“Do you know who it was?” Charles79Please respect copyright.PENANAN47fCWTYk2
asked. “The name of the servant?”
“The king likes to meet any new79Please respect copyright.PENANAnhmGBXxcWq
worker to get their story as well as their struggle.” Bernard folded his arms79Please respect copyright.PENANAZwkq4S51WX
over his chest. “I believe his name was Nigel. He should be living in the same area79Please respect copyright.PENANAqjOSRKMxgx
as the tester who is named Ulysses. I will help Topal get the items needed to79Please respect copyright.PENANAv5Q4k7Guxw
cure the King, you find the people that could be responsible for this.”
“Let’s go, Vander.” Charles went79Please respect copyright.PENANAX7dqMrxKSa
to help Vander up, but he clutched the bucket and emptied the rest of his79Please respect copyright.PENANAwvoka9zaXW
stomach contents inside.
“Get him out of here.” Bernard79Please respect copyright.PENANAgvm1Z0aoTt
looked quite green himself, so Charles pulled Vander outside, making sure to79Please respect copyright.PENANAsbTdFbr942
leave the bucket in the room.
Vander was grateful for the fresh79Please respect copyright.PENANAOSJF3ZoVUI
air that being in the hallway brought. He leaned up against the wall breathing79Please respect copyright.PENANAmnZrYBRyjV
its cool crisp air. Charles looked at him sadly. “I never knew how much this79Please respect copyright.PENANAFiNWpXF5TJ
curse affected you. Seeing you like this just-“
“Don’t worry about it, Gramps.” He79Please respect copyright.PENANAywNPx3ujMB
pushed off from the wall then clasped his grandfather’s shoulder. “It has more79Please respect copyright.PENANAo08Zd19l2U
perks than drawbacks. Let’s get going.”
As he walked, the feeling of79Please respect copyright.PENANARU1n30m5NO
becoming himself gradually returned. Chanelling the abilities of Unna, no79Please respect copyright.PENANAZGxjxUbCya
matter how small, always took it out of him, but this was the first time he79Please respect copyright.PENANAUIzMpgM7Ap
felt quite so rough afterwards. He was going to have to do something that would79Please respect copyright.PENANAUmGHySlPE3
return the blessing she had given him, but she didn’t accept anything other79Please respect copyright.PENANAT5ihR7UeHv
than sex or a blood sacrifice. He didn’t want to bring Julianna back into this,79Please respect copyright.PENANAJnAU8UC4Sg
so the only other option was to visit the pits, something he avoided as much as79Please respect copyright.PENANAfcOwOMuw5r
possible, but if he didn’t he could lose more than just his mind by ignoring79Please respect copyright.PENANAQAdQHfucLR
the deities’ needs. It had happened before when he was younger, and it couldn’t79Please respect copyright.PENANA1Uwfn0eeyE
happen again.
Charles had told79Please respect copyright.PENANAWJUR2fgIaE
him what had been going on since the past month or so within the Kingdom. Many79Please respect copyright.PENANAR6lYKve7DS
of the Blades had been dispatched to the Warden’s to bring them here, which was79Please respect copyright.PENANACC8jETbcye
the main reason there were more soldiers guarding the keep recently. The soldiers79Please respect copyright.PENANAvMaX9tbNAk
were on high alert and were making everyone uncomfortable, but they were doing79Please respect copyright.PENANAifrgtbzWbf
their job, not willing to risk the wrath of the King if anything went wrong.79Please respect copyright.PENANAryHNaSRVW7
Merchants came from all over to offer their services to the crown ranging from79Please respect copyright.PENANA7EbTOUzchT
food to decorations and, in some instances, jewelry for the eventual Queen. A79Please respect copyright.PENANAFzG8Ex0rch
lot of those were centered within the Grand Ballroom.
They arrived at79Please respect copyright.PENANA8zqJ6RyhmZ
the Grand Ballroom where many of the servants were stationed for the next few79Please respect copyright.PENANAjuL2VKzppF
days as they prepared for the prince and his new bride’s arrival. It appears79Please respect copyright.PENANADYmt6NtPE3
the kingdom was spared to expense for this extravagant part as everyone of79Please respect copyright.PENANAgq5jPAGya2
importance from all over the Kingdom was visiting, The walls on the left half79Please respect copyright.PENANAQbXZGGnoZI
were being draped in brilliant red and gold banners with Atza’s symbol, the79Please respect copyright.PENANAzAWgEvN4dI
lioness with a golden crown on her head. The right half was being draped with79Please respect copyright.PENANAlq09riPZce
cool blue and white banners with Humjir’s symbol, and the Elan family crest, a79Please respect copyright.PENANAijT5nYdV9f
white dove with an olive crown on its head. The symbolic nature of the marriage79Please respect copyright.PENANAeDQ3MVLf08
between two rival countries wasn’t lost on anyone and they were taking great79Please respect copyright.PENANAF546bdstAI
care not to offend either deity.
“Where should we79Please respect copyright.PENANAj86tvWoqq7
start?” Charles looked around the room with a troubled expression on his face. There79Please respect copyright.PENANA0WkWBmf3NH
were too many people to question as they were looking for two people, albeit79Please respect copyright.PENANA8xOm31eY4i
important, but around here, anyone could disappear if they wished it. Vander79Please respect copyright.PENANA1foU7fpjXi
spotted the servant who seemed to be in charge, an older gray-haired woman79Please respect copyright.PENANAh0EZPHH4BT
holding a clipboard, quill, and bottle of ink. There were two other servants79Please respect copyright.PENANABU2ulKimVC
standing next to her ready to carry out her orders.
“We start with79Please respect copyright.PENANA5maN2Jh6pO
her.” Vander nodded towards his grandfather.
“With Beatrice?”79Please respect copyright.PENANAOAgU1cEk2i
Charles frowned. “She is Bernard’s right hand and his sister. If anyone knew79Please respect copyright.PENANAGTso4ZPqVH
where those two are, it would be here. Let’s go talk to her.” The two of them79Please respect copyright.PENANAUlzQavoDjz
walked over as she started yelling orders:
“Make sure those79Please respect copyright.PENANACztk8dMrxD
banners are crease free,” she snapped. “I won’t have this place looking unkept79Please respect copyright.PENANAPHmNuLAWy3
for when the prince and princess arrive.” She turned around to see two female79Please respect copyright.PENANA2kX7GAq79Q
servants leaning up against the wall whispering to each other. “You two, if you79Please respect copyright.PENANAt4iQsdev6i
are done for the day you can go home, and I’ll dock your pay!”
“Sorry ma’am.”79Please respect copyright.PENANAlHAFwdUzT8
They curtsied then went back to folding their napkins.
“As for you two.”79Please respect copyright.PENANAVlIEO8mUgh
She didn’t even turn around to greet them. “What can I do for the Blades this79Please respect copyright.PENANAkSr8dzfddo
morning? As you can see I am quite busy so make this quick.”
“We are looking79Please respect copyright.PENANAYb4w95UmpX
for two servants and we are wondering if you have seen them around?” She looked79Please respect copyright.PENANATMtBA63p5v
up at Vander from under her wire rimmed glasses.
“I’ve seen many79Please respect copyright.PENANAb5GVZofUmU
servants, be more specific.” She demanded.
“Nigel and79Please respect copyright.PENANAiMYzVePCj4
Ulysses.” She clicked her tongue, but then quickly scribbled a note then handed79Please respect copyright.PENANAoH5nt4E1Gk
it over to the servant next to her. “Bring this to the baker quickly. I forgot79Please respect copyright.PENANAIp5B8emKeO
she needed our order.”79Please respect copyright.PENANAXOxXI6xHAt
79Please respect copyright.PENANAtvKopl6oZ3
“Yes79Please respect copyright.PENANAPMlSfQiZIh
ma’am.” The servant bowed then scurried away.
“I haven’t seen79Please respect copyright.PENANAd7V7pUpX5X
Ulysses for a couple of weeks, something about being sick.” She explained. “I79Please respect copyright.PENANActwGzs0vfx
sent for the doctor, but there was nothing he could do for him. As for Nigel,79Please respect copyright.PENANAhYKLIRY7C3
he should be in the kitchen helping the cooks. Why?”
“Thank you.”79Please respect copyright.PENANA55PHbud2yD
Vander and Charles ran towards the door that would lead downstairs and towards79Please respect copyright.PENANAbpZJElOkle
the kitchen leaving a confused Beatrice standing behind them.
“Blades.” she79Please respect copyright.PENANApbO5g06QOJ
muttered. She looked around to see more of her servants standing around, so she79Please respect copyright.PENANACJShU75T5v
walked over towards them.
“Do you think79Please respect copyright.PENANA3vkJdX1yQG
Ulysses is dead?” Charles asked once he knew they were out of ear shot.
“He might not79Please respect copyright.PENANAsLdjXJkxce
have had enough of the poison to render him comatose, but he could still get79Please respect copyright.PENANAVw3fWlb7HJ
deathly ill from it.” Vander explained. “But let’s find Nigel first since he is79Please respect copyright.PENANAdXPobOieUc
the one we suspect of the poison.”
“How do you want79Please respect copyright.PENANAAv1qxKr4Rp
to handle this?”
“You go in and79Please respect copyright.PENANAA0uXu7rXpU
talk to him.” Vander said. “He should be a little intimidated of you and if79Please respect copyright.PENANA5WXfBGm3qY
cornered, he will likely try to run. I will be there to keep him from escaping.79Please respect copyright.PENANAVVBlyiwimP
There is no telling what he might do, so be on your guard.”
“I know how to79Please respect copyright.PENANAMJGEupjpk4
handle myself.” Charles scoffed. “You just worry about yourself.”
The two of them79Please respect copyright.PENANA8oaOffzpU1
made their way down towards the kitchens which you had to pass through to get79Please respect copyright.PENANA1s1SoTX4R7
to the servants’ quarters. There were other ways of getting there, but this was79Please respect copyright.PENANAiyupNgeEFI
the most direct way from the King’s quarters. Despite the castle being large,79Please respect copyright.PENANAeScWaeqzrN
based on the sheer number of servants required, it wasn’t feasible to give them79Please respect copyright.PENANAtL0IW3yZY7
their own room. Often there would be two or sometimes three servants per room79Please respect copyright.PENANAsf0WUIdYkl
segregated based on gender, thought nighttime activities between them wasn’t79Please respect copyright.PENANAPi38z58Cjr
uncommon.
As they made79Please respect copyright.PENANAq8BG4hakVt
their way into the kitchen, the head chef, known because of her oversized hat,79Please respect copyright.PENANAhFPufqyi9V
was looking down at a piece of parchment with a quill in her hands. The others79Please respect copyright.PENANAae7bmLlBS1
were bustling around her trying not to draw attention to themselves as they79Please respect copyright.PENANAUIeYiZh433
worked. It looked as though they were preparing for lunch as several of them79Please respect copyright.PENANAIHt6w3ATs4
were chopping up raw pieces of meat on the counter while others were collecting79Please respect copyright.PENANAuc2rYD8vEG
vegetables to go into a stew. The two of them walked straight through, not even79Please respect copyright.PENANAlOvDWALObi
bothering to greet the chef as they made their way towards the servant’s area.
As soon as the79Please respect copyright.PENANA73oKJPudcA
saw the first door, Vander knew they had hit a roadblock. The doors weren’t79Please respect copyright.PENANARnmNbWfvz7
labeled or named. They had no way of knowing which room belonged to Nigel or79Please respect copyright.PENANA1kZKTYOkxY
Ulysses. Charles stood there frowning; how did they not know the quarters were79Please respect copyright.PENANArUwRRomKEY
like this? It was a major blunder, but perhaps not all was lost. Vander tried79Please respect copyright.PENANAVFJuZToVC4
each door to see if it was locked. Servants weren’t allowed to lock their doors79Please respect copyright.PENANAbqsGmQ0xtM
if they were needed, but he figured if one of them needed to hide something,79Please respect copyright.PENANAAIw6ElQXlk
they wouldn’t leave the door open for all to see. It was a huge gamble, but by79Please respect copyright.PENANAZGDKSGjVrx
the time he got to the last door, it paid off. It was locked and he could smell79Please respect copyright.PENANA029IsdKUts
something rip coming from inside.
“Watch the79Please respect copyright.PENANAnjX5gVVL7K
kitchen for me.” Vander whispered to his grandfather. Charles nodded his head79Please respect copyright.PENANAmdh5XqheJo
then used his frame to block the view. Testing the door one more time just to79Please respect copyright.PENANAyebazRxgKy
make sure it was locked; Vander shoulder checked the door several times until79Please respect copyright.PENANAxpiAkCnLt8
he heard the latch break. Rubbing his aching shoulder, he kicked the remainder79Please respect copyright.PENANA65pM0GzsjU
open until it was hanging sideways. That’s when the full weight of rotting79Please respect copyright.PENANAxwHYGLBXZt
human hit him so hard he puked for the fourth time today. Charles heard him and79Please respect copyright.PENANAnQkr0hBmVv
came racing over.
“What in the name79Please respect copyright.PENANAYaZc1nIfjX
of Humjir is this?” Lying on one of the beds was a servant, Vander’s guess was79Please respect copyright.PENANAD5gNsGz02j
Ulysses, who didn’t fare as well ingesting the poison because no one was79Please respect copyright.PENANAg4d9VVVJ0o
looking for him. His body had swelled up in death and his face was deep purple.79Please respect copyright.PENANAQ2CAVLBpoz
He was shirtless showing off a physique that wasn’t normal for the serving79Please respect copyright.PENANAEaY8RzqSWU
class with scars crisscrossing his body. There still appeared to be evidence79Please respect copyright.PENANATe9EfYuqvK
that someone was still living in this room despite the stench due to the empty79Please respect copyright.PENANAZxfT33T18i
plate with food that had molded, and clothing rumpled in the corner. How anyone79Please respect copyright.PENANAiUxwi56FT4
could live like this was beyond him.
“Vander go get79Please respect copyright.PENANAusR2f4zIF3
someone to seal off this room before you puke over anything else.” Charles79Please respect copyright.PENANA83uZyFkBBS
ordered. Thankfully for being allowed to leave he did as he was asked. Some of79Please respect copyright.PENANA0UA57ahLIk
the servants who were on break were crowding the hallway curious to see what79Please respect copyright.PENANA9VC0Iem0hr
was going on.
“Clear out of the79Please respect copyright.PENANA388HIJz7mn
way.” Vander shouted. “Someone grab Blades who are walking around and tell them79Please respect copyright.PENANAU30n0Tkw9H
to come here.” When no one moved, he was forced to use his authority. “Now!” He79Please respect copyright.PENANA3rNjfTdUlF
screamed. They scattered to do as they were ordered, but one stayed behind. He79Please respect copyright.PENANAaVgrSSmOU7
was a tall man, muscular, with brown hair and green eyes. Upon seeing Vander,79Please respect copyright.PENANA6JzViHRtdJ
he froze.
“What are you79Please respect copyright.PENANA9Lg4NUX2yk
doing down there?” he asked.
“Are you Nigel?”
“What’s it to79Please respect copyright.PENANA2Js6LsSMIm
you?” he asked.
“As Captain of79Please respect copyright.PENANA39u9mheZi5
the Blades I am detaining you as a suspect in the murder of Ulysse’s.” he said.79Please respect copyright.PENANATaHvK7wJQv
“Stay right there.” As a surprise to no one, Nigel bolted back the way he came.79Please respect copyright.PENANARDaOVEFqnU
Cursing to himself, Vander vaulted over the counter to give chase leaving a very79Please respect copyright.PENANArzEZ4KF4Zw
irate chef picking up her paper covered in ink.
Nigel was fast.79Please respect copyright.PENANAyfQXwODVv2
He raced through the halls, ducking into doorways, and changing directions like79Please respect copyright.PENANAa3n0KoCFRp
some intimately familiar with the castle layout. It was one of the times Vander79Please respect copyright.PENANAAF4Q8RbCIr
wished he had brought Shea with him despite the risk, but for now he was on his79Please respect copyright.PENANAsKv3k6qeWB
own. He knew that he was faster, but all of today’s activities were beginning79Please respect copyright.PENANAGHH4JGn76R
to take its toll on him. He was feeling weak and sluggish, but he didn’t dare79Please respect copyright.PENANAzJpadkrDn2
let Nigel get away, not when he held such vital clues. But no one knew the79Please respect copyright.PENANAdwkBavdCcM
castle better than he did, so once he recognized where Nigel was going, the79Please respect copyright.PENANAMNUlNzI1F1
gardens, Vander took a left up a flight of stairs. It leads to a balcony with79Please respect copyright.PENANA3O1lxNXfkK
open space which would give him the opportunity he needed. Once he saw that he79Please respect copyright.PENANAr0eG2kdHn8
and Nigel were neck and neck, he willed his body forward, borrowing some energy79Please respect copyright.PENANAvBCl36rPTr
from Unna, then launched himself off the balcony and down towards Nigel.
The two of them79Please respect copyright.PENANANzDLIOLqxO
collided and Vander was sent flying into the garden itself landing on a bush.79Please respect copyright.PENANAJbaH4xOkzB
If it had been the ground he would have been in trouble, but the worst he’d79Please respect copyright.PENANAQCZ0jUuPOm
have now was a couple of bruises on his back. He got to his feet then placed79Please respect copyright.PENANAZXBR5mNiAf
his hand on the hilt of his sword. Nigel was groaning out in pain, slowly79Please respect copyright.PENANAsoJW8Y2Phv
trying to get to his, but the hit he had just taken must have taken all the79Please respect copyright.PENANAdxY8zskFs3
fight out of him.
“Alright, I’ll79Please respect copyright.PENANAMtGrGMIK03
come with you.” he gasped. Vander hauled him to his feet.
“Why did you have79Please respect copyright.PENANAIZ4OFVxB0F
to make this more difficult for yourself?” Vander asked.
“Because they79Please respect copyright.PENANAcjZFTjuLHa
will kill me if I talk.” Nigel groaned. Vander shoved him up against the wall.
“Who will?”
“You don’t know79Please respect copyright.PENANAKwpdyAsCnv
them.” Nigel grabbed his arm. “They will kill everyone I love, and they are in79Please respect copyright.PENANA0xI0oTWQc0
places of power you could only dream of.” His eyes widened as he stared at79Please respect copyright.PENANAJPnQGjCHne
someone standing behind them. “No.” Vander turned around, but something whizzed79Please respect copyright.PENANALWAbVanvrb
right past his face. He felt something wet hit the side of his face. He turned79Please respect copyright.PENANAkOGhgI7fJs
around to see Nigel gurgling blood with two knives embedded in his throat. His79Please respect copyright.PENANAPSBZFJSGrP
eyes grew wide as he mouthed the words: Run. He slumped to the ground dead.
“That wasn’t79Please respect copyright.PENANALSkDgOUOOG
smart.” Vander turned to face the assassin. They were wearing all black and79Please respect copyright.PENANASV1O8osHCq
their faces were covered. They held two more knives in their hands along with a79Please respect copyright.PENANASKxayMUj3z
sword strapped to their backs. “Now you’re going to have to answer the79Please respect copyright.PENANAZYoscAm8Bx
questions meant for him.” They tilted their heads but gripped the knives79Please respect copyright.PENANAhywmwOXhiW
tightly. He made the first move. He drew79Please respect copyright.PENANA8aNFgNO1xV
his sword as he charged them. The assassin just brought their knives up to79Please respect copyright.PENANABkBKWdhQsl
deflect the shot. Their leg shot out hitting Vander in the knuckles causing him79Please respect copyright.PENANAKNwgImo3Lr
to yell out in pain then drop his sword.
He didn’t let79Please respect copyright.PENANAF0UsE4raZl
that stop him. He grabbed their wrist to keep one of the knives away from his79Please respect copyright.PENANANsNhNUE7LN
body. Using his strength, he squeezed the wrist until they were forced to let79Please respect copyright.PENANAj7C4eZDNRw
the knife go, then he brought his shoulder into their chest and threw them over79Please respect copyright.PENANACDxYVeGWW7
his back and onto the ground. However, their feet landed squarely protecting79Please respect copyright.PENANAFgwzajre63
them from hitting the cobblestone. In his surprise, Vander didn’t react quick79Please respect copyright.PENANAsKmwqtioON
enough when they flipped over him then wrapped their legs around his neck then79Please respect copyright.PENANAHq8e058rNj
began raining elbows on top of his head. He brought his arms up to deflect79Please respect copyright.PENANArkBzNjPEQj
before deciding to charge into the wall. The assassin didn’t let up even as he79Please respect copyright.PENANAa8ae4QR9fd
jumped off the wall and landed on the ground. He heard the crack of their back79Please respect copyright.PENANAG3uXrWH3JN
as they landed, and their legs eased up their assault. Vander coughed and79Please respect copyright.PENANAjn0uhQ0lAu
wheezed as he massaged his throat to breathe.
“Enough of this.”79Please respect copyright.PENANAJ7GkJMrEfo
The assassin groaned, but steadily made their way to their feet. They had a79Please respect copyright.PENANAEfbIdm0EMv
soft voice, almost feminine, which confused him. He remembered the voice, but79Please respect copyright.PENANAI4Tnfb3Xlf
he couldn’t tell from where. They drew the sword from their back and held it in79Please respect copyright.PENANAVo5sWmoNNZ
Vander’s face. “I was supposed to leave you, but you’ve pissed me off enough.79Please respect copyright.PENANAl1BTsgJF8s
Die.” They lunged at him, but they left an opening for Vander to roll to the79Please respect copyright.PENANAfEBHdBUYEw
side to grab his sword. He brought it up just in time to deflect the strike the79Please respect copyright.PENANA308ZWfjVhR
assassin aimed at him. He punched their ribs causing them to stumble sideways.79Please respect copyright.PENANAhCwukR7xXS
He then swept out their legs causing them to again fall on their back.
Two blurs sped79Please respect copyright.PENANAcnpD7KRQ3M
out from their hand, and he was barely quick enough to dodge. He could smell79Please respect copyright.PENANAt8d3Bjg6xw
the poison emanating from them and he knew those weren’t something he wanted to79Please respect copyright.PENANAUNQFZTxRwL
get hit by. They got to their feet, but he could tell that they had been79Please respect copyright.PENANAx79GoQTVhd
injured.
“Come with me.”79Please respect copyright.PENANAJQmnW5p79t
He said. “I can protect you.”
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“I don’t need79Please respect copyright.PENANASmebVS4xan
your protection, Blade.” They hissed. “Eluvia has taken everything from me and79Please respect copyright.PENANASMHHSwQ2OG
soon, we will take everything from you.” The removed a small capsule from their79Please respect copyright.PENANAvlXM6zhKMC
pocket and smashed it on the ground. Black smoke erupted from inside causing79Please respect copyright.PENANAYKfzwABYqu
Vander to violently cough and fall to his knees. He tried to run out of the79Please respect copyright.PENANAh6vEoAo9qk
smoke, but his legs were leaden. The last thing he saw before passing out was79Please respect copyright.PENANAXsTC9ALfYU
the assassin jumped into the garden and disappearing from the sight.