Chapter 27
If you’ve never71Please respect copyright.PENANAh8V3Gs8fQ5
been inside the mind of a raven, you were missing out. They are one of the71Please respect copyright.PENANAIfCPrYZ1Pp
smartest birds in the world capable of remembering faces and understanding a71Please respect copyright.PENANAhsgzsorvJS
semblance of human speech. However, when Vander was inside, he understood71Please respect copyright.PENANAJuKiRyN6BF
everything around him, knew what the bird knew, and could get into places he71Please respect copyright.PENANAafuFmQk9N0
otherwise couldn’t. The only issue was if the consciousness of the creature he71Please respect copyright.PENANAi9OMlAQpgb
was inhabiting decided to fight back, he could be forcibly shoved back into his71Please respect copyright.PENANAUadc8Ilfcn
own body or, in a worst-case scenario, he could be lost forever. However it was71Please respect copyright.PENANAOzzh4N96iq
a risk he needed to take and so far, the raven wasn’t fighting him though he71Please respect copyright.PENANAc58CBVNL4A
was angry. Vander had to promise him some food before he would finally settle71Please respect copyright.PENANAxpG80ECfSr
down.
Vander flapped71Please respect copyright.PENANAk9NXpFLsYR
his wings then jumped from the rooftop. He caught an air current to glid over71Please respect copyright.PENANAgsJcE9UQJv
the heads of the gathered soldiers trying to keep the crowds back away from the71Please respect copyright.PENANAxLKiFXv8Sn
crime scene. Some of them had taken their spears butts to the citizens to get71Please respect copyright.PENANAojTDxiidwG
them to stay away, but that made some of them angry. It took one of the Blades71Please respect copyright.PENANAvCFKdtTUDE
to come over to calm the crowd down before they calmed down enough, but they71Please respect copyright.PENANA6hoKhogOB9
were still near the edge peering through just to see what was going on.
He found a perch71Please respect copyright.PENANAMFBLaNs9xR
on top of the house that would enable him to see his surroundings but also71Please respect copyright.PENANArxTMfcFsL4
listen to what was being said inside. He hopped forward, grabbing hold of the71Please respect copyright.PENANAGvv1SaAUhU
siding with his talons, and peered over the edge looking into the house via the71Please respect copyright.PENANAPteRtfINfd
window above the door. If anyone looked above, they would have seen just his71Please respect copyright.PENANAOv1BbNle4Z
head and beady little eyes, but the occupants were too distracted by the71Please respect copyright.PENANAtuWy229HXr
carnage he had left behind.
The blood had71Please respect copyright.PENANAkdWQivl4Be
dried overnight, but the people inside walked over it as if it was. There was a71Please respect copyright.PENANAnkK9PkaMI3
medic inside making sure the bodies were dead. It wasn’t Topal, but one of his71Please respect copyright.PENANAEQHhkE16EF
students that Vander didn’t recognize. He was carefully checking the bodies71Please respect copyright.PENANA70ioceTIkv
then would nod to one of the soldiers who would then grab a buddy and together71Please respect copyright.PENANAA27mZLRlvg
the two of them would bring one of the bodies outside. Then they would bring a71Please respect copyright.PENANAB2PxHk345Y
tarp to place over the dead to hide them from the crowd. It happened six times71Please respect copyright.PENANAjMnZHbco5o
in total. Vander had to double take because he was sure that seven of them been71Please respect copyright.PENANA8R6mMRjjUi
killed, but after double counting then peering back inside, there was indeed71Please respect copyright.PENANAtsnjMFuKEL
only six bodies. He would have to investigate that later.
He heard some of71Please respect copyright.PENANAsKbYFDemDl
the guards talking inside. “What a waste of life.” One muttered to themselves.71Please respect copyright.PENANA9kSiwBMzao
“What do you think happened here?”
“We don’t get71Please respect copyright.PENANAcTNs3jjbyv
paid to ask questions.” That other snorted. But he looked around nervously71Please respect copyright.PENANAE06q8frQSa
before whispering to his friend. “I bet it was that traitorous Blade that did71Please respect copyright.PENANAbIG2AUUHPu
this.” The other guard looked warily at his friend.
“How do you71Please respect copyright.PENANAhivcCZIlhy
figure?”
“One of these71Please respect copyright.PENANAz1WYpsusC4
people had their throat completely ripped out.” The other explained. “That’s71Please respect copyright.PENANA7mbaKaVWXu
not possible without a lot of strength. I’ve only ever seen animals do that and71Please respect copyright.PENANAdELDZQZAHF
I don’t think a bear came into down, slaughtered six people, then left never to71Please respect copyright.PENANA1z3P3jC3sE
be seen again.”
“I guess that71Please respect copyright.PENANASXdbaIWCZf
makes sense.” The second guard didn’t sound convinced, however. “But why would71Please respect copyright.PENANAXB0NHZWy82
he come here to kill these people? It makes no sense.”
“Like killing the71Please respect copyright.PENANAztggB1jSkf
King made sense?” the first guard spat. “The sooner we find this guy, the71Please respect copyright.PENANA9Gi7x3rSfm
sooner we can bury him. Bastard deserves to hang for what he did.” Unknown to71Please respect copyright.PENANAsj4ZUwdD5w
all involved, they failed to notice a squad of Blades coming up behind them.71Please respect copyright.PENANAeVe9dbjvu1
Vander looked up to see Alexander coming with a few Blades Vander didn’t71Please respect copyright.PENANAWCGTMOWR9k
recognize. They were likely from one of the squads that came with the Warden’s.71Please respect copyright.PENANAuN9Cu5tVRu
He couldn’t help but wonder where the recruits went.
Alex looked like71Please respect copyright.PENANADeQKNQ2Egg
shit. His eyes were sunken in, and he had allowed his beard to grow long and71Please respect copyright.PENANAigXccGwXOo
thick. His clothes were unkept, despite Blade regulation, but his eyes were71Please respect copyright.PENANAA8FD9Z9UZx
still sharp. He had come in at the tail end of the guard’s conversation, so he71Please respect copyright.PENANAhUiMf1cS5v
let himself be known by growling right behind them.
“If you two have71Please respect copyright.PENANAvSLU6UoXj1
time to gossip, you have time to stand investigate the house.” He spoke.71Please respect copyright.PENANAdV7EYYAoKi
Normally his size and demeanor were enough to get most men to do what he71Please respect copyright.PENANAnPZESsW1Fy
wanted, but that didn’t seem to work here.
“You’re not in71Please respect copyright.PENANAP4llbMKj5p
charge of us, Blade.” The first guard hissed. The way he said it made Vander71Please respect copyright.PENANAKafRBPjT15
angry. It appears he wasn’t the only one as the Blades with Alex went for their71Please respect copyright.PENANAwhbeOuRykm
swords. They stayed their hand once Alex motioned for them to stop. “We don’t71Please respect copyright.PENANA4nr1rghpSf
take orders from those who let the King die.”
“You’ll take71Please respect copyright.PENANAwb5ZmTAQsv
orders from me whether you like it or not.” Alex’s voice was calm, but he was71Please respect copyright.PENANAxD1Easbc02
seconds away from violently lashing out. Vander could tell based on how he71Please respect copyright.PENANACYzF62sQZE
clenched his hand. “Until the King decrees otherwise you will help us find71Please respect copyright.PENANA7gecQ4AKfA
Vander and bring him in.”
“Our General says71Please respect copyright.PENANAW4sfXHdHUo
otherwise.” The second guard said. “We are only here as per our duty, but after71Please respect copyright.PENANAxeB5UAz2bd
the bodies are taken out, you’re on your own.”
“Coward.” One of71Please respect copyright.PENANAhCMQ5q3LbA
the Blade’s spat. At that insult, the two guards drew their weapons as did the71Please respect copyright.PENANAUluB1neCzy
guards who were supposed to be keeping the crowd back.
“That wasn’t very71Please respect copyright.PENANASNykAxuWD4
smart of you.” The first guard growled. “You’re surrounded and outnumbered.71Please respect copyright.PENANA0wUT55JMFW
What’s another dead Blade in the grand scheme of things?”
“Enough of this.”71Please respect copyright.PENANAMSA5ViVK4E
Alex’s voice bellowed out. He turned towards the Blade who let his emotions get71Please respect copyright.PENANA4lEZxJlUKM
the better of him. “Apologize so we can get on with our days.”
“But…” Alex’s71Please respect copyright.PENANAIxWKRV2J4g
glare dried the excuse in the poor man’s throat. He lowered his head, but not71Please respect copyright.PENANALNpP0oD5XD
his eyes, and muttered a quick apology. Knowing better than to start a scene,71Please respect copyright.PENANA4vSRJpSySi
the guard accepted it, but kept his eyes firmly rooted on Alex as he sheathed71Please respect copyright.PENANA3doNXZ87jN
his Blade.
“You have minutes71Please respect copyright.PENANAf2qdgqhFeH
to get what you need the clear out.” The guard said. “This is our71Please respect copyright.PENANANSswaa547f
investigation, not yours.”
“I understand, we71Please respect copyright.PENANAaXRILGjvJ2
will be quick.” Nodding to the others, they dispersed. Some of them headed71Please respect copyright.PENANAAuYWaz1mW8
inside to look around while two of them checked the dead bodies. Alex stayed71Please respect copyright.PENANAHuPuBcSTUF
outside surveying the crowd. Suddenly Vander was very happy that he had picked71Please respect copyright.PENANAZ7OABUTIak
the raven to take over instead of going into the crowd himself. He knew that no71Please respect copyright.PENANAtmPeNbaXhd
matter the disguise, Alex would be able to tell who he was.
One of the Blades71Please respect copyright.PENANA1FuATjBoyv
outside called over to Alex. He quicky rushed over. Vander could catch some71Please respect copyright.PENANAi8Bi9F3f4o
words of that passed between the two of them. They commented about one of them71Please respect copyright.PENANAAo3quLUy3X
having their throat ripped out, which Alex admitted was likely Vander’s doing.71Please respect copyright.PENANAm0ozlKvtny
However, the intriguing part was when the two of them discovered snake tattoos71Please respect copyright.PENANAfigd8HGlH0
on all their arms. Alex nodded to himself before stepping away calling the71Please respect copyright.PENANAgFXDf5bvB3
guards back to take the bodies away. He then went inside to see what the others71Please respect copyright.PENANAG74NpK2Q7w
may or may not have found.
Vander couldn’t71Please respect copyright.PENANAmnYmmmemC6
really tell what was being said inside. They were talking low to one another71Please respect copyright.PENANAZOZIuioUEF
while looking at a scroll that they discovered shoved inside the table. Vander71Please respect copyright.PENANAEKbdFhxH9p
shifted slightly to get a better view. It looked like a map of the city, but it71Please respect copyright.PENANA0RBR1bUv8d
wasn’t anything that he recognized. He would need to get his talons on that71Please respect copyright.PENANAFW1Zogdz31
scroll, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He would have to try to71Please respect copyright.PENANA4dulgVUJpw
take it from his friend at some point in time. Vander heard a squawk coming71Please respect copyright.PENANAKJ8fEcsS2K
from behind him. He turned around to see a large, angry raven flapping behind71Please respect copyright.PENANARQDqnSXhCd
him. He was instantly filled with fear from the raven he was inhabiting. He71Please respect copyright.PENANAvtDeOf12yF
guessed the two of them had an issue before which caused the raven, he71Please respect copyright.PENANAaLuKogLSGI
inhabited to flee afraid.
As the other71Please respect copyright.PENANAq8QK5xFhvM
raven attacked, Vander pushed himself out of the body and back into his own.71Please respect copyright.PENANALhKZJ6eRLY
The sudden jolt to being back in a human being, on the ground, caused him to71Please respect copyright.PENANAPLaQ83bM6H
violently throw himself over so he could vomit onto the cobblestone instead of71Please respect copyright.PENANAx4PliEpbvN
onto his clothing. He looked up to see the two birds entwined in a death grip71Please respect copyright.PENANABSQhdr0cnQ
violently stabbing and clawing at each other. The smaller one he had been apart71Please respect copyright.PENANAMKve9GbPU6
from was losing, but his pride didn’t allow him to quit. He had to do71Please respect copyright.PENANAxUYDghmSz5
something, so he grabbed a rock.
He popped out71Please respect copyright.PENANA9lh8Yy2046
from behind his hiding spot then launched the rock at the bigger bird. With a71Please respect copyright.PENANA92IEFT6NtI
cry, the big raven fell to the ground stunned, possibly dead. The sudden rock71Please respect copyright.PENANAGZHdyeZVrH
being thrown combined with the dropped bird causing some members of the crowd71Please respect copyright.PENANApvdYzm4G7o
to turn towards him. Some were confused, but a couple recognized him.
“It’s the King71Please respect copyright.PENANARKUFcWjNPu
killer!” one of them shouted, pointing at him. Some of the guards began71Please respect copyright.PENANAYljtW8PzA1
shouting to pass, but the crowd pushed forward.
“Someone grab71Please respect copyright.PENANAgTrRNPXCcs
him!” Two citizens lunged forward, but Vander jumped backwards. He grabbed a71Please respect copyright.PENANAIu4EJIbDlO
box then threw it at someone who had broken through hitting them right in the71Please respect copyright.PENANAuaBUOvJM0k
face. Vander backed up towards the wall then jumped up, grabbing the top with71Please respect copyright.PENANAs5Qjxo86Ob
his hand to haul himself over. Before he disappeared, he locked eyes with Alex71Please respect copyright.PENANAWvBWeIwyFQ
before disappearing.
He heard shouting71Please respect copyright.PENANA0OlRefsyUy
coming from behind him, but he wasted no time running back towards the gate71Please respect copyright.PENANAaYSWegIiD6
which would lead him into Lower Eluvia. He just had to make it there before he71Please respect copyright.PENANAKUOWecH4uS
was caught then everything would be okay. What he didn’t realize though was71Please respect copyright.PENANAUzvEkRm4bj
that the road he was running down intersected with the road that mob was coming71Please respect copyright.PENANAVzhsasyDRx
down. He heard them running towards him, which caused him to run as fast as he71Please respect copyright.PENANAiY0bAtmovY
could. Tragically he ended up running into another group of guards who had71Please respect copyright.PENANAnxF6bbxTIa
heard the commotion.
“Well look who we71Please respect copyright.PENANAQiONNz7LFv
have here?” One of them grinned. A metal fist came flying towards Vander’s71Please respect copyright.PENANAehSU36p4kC
face. It hit his jaw sending waves of pain throughout his mouth, likely71Please respect copyright.PENANAjBKIXxSD5W
knocking a couple of teeth loose. He fell to the ground, but scrambled71Please respect copyright.PENANAwPjzJAFOzc
backwards as the guards drew their swords.
“Did you know71Please respect copyright.PENANABKZ10G1LAl
there is a bounty on your head?” one asked with an evil glint in his eyes. “The71Please respect copyright.PENANAK9zFpl40Up
Jilena family has offered quite the reward for your head.” Vander looked at the71Please respect copyright.PENANAdaTZwW2o6O
group confused. He didn’t know why the Jilena family cared so much about the71Please respect copyright.PENANAWKEQO3g4Y6
king’s murder that they would go against Cuvera’s wishes. He didn’t have to71Please respect copyright.PENANAkg956kIlna
wonder long as the guards were apparently quite chatty.
“They are blaming71Please respect copyright.PENANAfQXKWfVrXh
you for the death of their youngest son.” Vander’s blood ran cold. Jeffery was71Please respect copyright.PENANAYpVAcnN4hn
dead? But he had let him go, there was no reason for him to be killed.
“I had no reason71Please respect copyright.PENANA8IzWowr9Mn
to kill him.” Vander argued.
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“Rumor has it71Please respect copyright.PENANAC74q1HIjAE
that he tried to stop you, so you ran him through.” The guard shrugged. “Makes71Please respect copyright.PENANA86183qZyox
no difference to me. With the money we will finally be able to retire in71Please respect copyright.PENANAWlyhjLJd2g
peace.” Vander scooted backwards as the guards lunged towards him with their71Please respect copyright.PENANAMpTHP2W4Pj
swords readied to skewer him.