Chapter 30
The knocking continued before53Please respect copyright.PENANAj2UZoNMJTT
Vander got off the bed, slowly walking over. He couldn’t smell much through the53Please respect copyright.PENANA3CLPuCKBQ5
heavy door, but there was enough to know that both Right and Left were standing53Please respect copyright.PENANAiu6gUA11E6
there. He wasn’t sure what they wanted. It was still many hours away until he53Please respect copyright.PENANA5DjeFDvHGQ
had to get ready for his bout with whoever Ross had picked, so they must want53Please respect copyright.PENANAhZkf5QChsO
something else. Shea jumped down from the bed to join him. Her ears were53Please respect copyright.PENANAjUFH6Q59IK
sticking up, but he knew that she would be ready to protect him if he needed53Please respect copyright.PENANA1AnJNdOwXU
it.
He opened the door, slowly, poking53Please respect copyright.PENANAq6yj0EsSR8
his head out to see the two bouncers standing there with arms folded. One of53Please respect copyright.PENANAIUojA33Bwr
them was carrying a long, wrapped package in his hands. “I still have a few53Please respect copyright.PENANAVNR3GLpA7S
hours,” Vander said. “What can I do for you?”
“Ross sent word.” Right said.53Please respect copyright.PENANAPvRY77GMhl
“Something came up, so the fight won’t be for two more days. Make sure you are53Please respect copyright.PENANAwMTCDayOPb
well rested.” The news was a shock. In the entire time Vander had been here,53Please respect copyright.PENANAGTdXLOzOQA
not once had the boss pushed back a fight, especially not one he had been53Please respect copyright.PENANA1Y1r0UrIq9
looking forward to for years. He couldn’t help but wonder if it had something53Please respect copyright.PENANAQkKJi3ixlB
to do with him.
“Your weapon was finished.” Left53Please respect copyright.PENANA5XIh96bw9f
thrusted the package into Vander’s arms. “Not sure what you needed something53Please respect copyright.PENANAqRJnGJmGc8
like this for, but just don’t break it. It was expensive.” Thanking the two of53Please respect copyright.PENANA5QjbSKFKja
them, Vander ducked back into his room.
“What did you get?” Shea53Please respect copyright.PENANAI9O6qbNbn4
jumped back onto the bed folding her paws underneath each other.
“A special sword from Kolmijr,”53Please respect copyright.PENANAsgDXEO5Eyo
Vander tore off the packaging to show a scabbard sword. The sheath was ornate,53Please respect copyright.PENANAi7t38cbMQk
made from wood that had been painted black with white along the edges. “The53Please respect copyright.PENANATAqhHbD7A8
sword has a reverse blade, so I won’t hurt anyone if I come across them53Please respect copyright.PENANALZ7VP56EWw
outside.”
“If someone attacks you, you53Please respect copyright.PENANAMUyG0WDCqL
should strike them down, no questions asked.” Shea growled. “They blamed53Please respect copyright.PENANAtdKZ9sYVlg
you for something you didn’t do, they deserve no mercy.”
“Unless it’s Leon, I don’t want to53Please respect copyright.PENANAsvqAKCFuQJ
hurt them no matter your feelings on it.” Vander sighed. “They will be doing53Please respect copyright.PENANANDXJouCcMT
their job, there is no reason to lose their lives for it.” He placed the sword53Please respect copyright.PENANAbLSOo10YgY
on the bed before cupping his companion’s face in his hands. “It’s no longer us53Please respect copyright.PENANAZrcW3TP6g3
against everyone else, Shea. We have friends we can count on.”
“Then where are they?” Vander53Please respect copyright.PENANAmWc6P0M0D4
didn’t have an answer for that. He kissed the top of her head before heading53Please respect copyright.PENANAX8Z3UEJmi3
towards the desk against the wall.
With everything that had been53Please respect copyright.PENANA44zu8TmNhX
going on, he hadn’t had time to look at the book Peyton had been willing to53Please respect copyright.PENANAWMROnru7se
kill Malcolm to get his hands on. If this book was as important as everyone53Please respect copyright.PENANAPYR7Lfd8Jo
seemed to think, why had it stayed unknown within the royal library for so53Please respect copyright.PENANAURSLSHlMlE
long? And why wait until now to get it? No matter how long he thought it over,53Please respect copyright.PENANAExW3hiMQ1Y
he couldn’t get to an answer that made any sort of sense. Since he had the next53Please respect copyright.PENANAV88PWFy8jC
two nights off, now would be a good time to find out why.
He removed the book from the53Please respect copyright.PENANA1Ibv3aobBv
hidden drawer within the desk. Only two people knew it was there and with Shea53Please respect copyright.PENANATgH2yKxhRe
guarding the room, there was no way Ross would have come in there uninvited.53Please respect copyright.PENANA2U1r2h38mr
Friend or not, that would have been a one-way trip to the undertaker.
The book itself seemed to be very53Please respect copyright.PENANAuqn3hL4OVZ
old. The blackened leather was beginning to crack while some of the pages were53Please respect copyright.PENANAcwhoabRmN6
stuck a dark brown from years of sitting on dusty bookshelves. It was rather53Please respect copyright.PENANAir9IapMKdm
innocuous, if someone hadn’t been looking for it, there was a huge chance that53Please respect copyright.PENANAO1ddL1yUBS
they never would have found it. Vander hesitated before opening it. This was53Please respect copyright.PENANAqJo0MWiuka
something Malcolm had been killed for; what mysteries would be hidden within?
The first thing he saw was a53Please respect copyright.PENANAFXR7Ep0ECh
folded piece of paper inside of the front cover. Confusingly it had his name on53Please respect copyright.PENANA4138zlTXq3
it with the former King’s handwriting on the front. Frowning, Vander carefully53Please respect copyright.PENANAaCIPlXrOd3
removed the letter and unfolded it to read the contents:
Vander,
I53Please respect copyright.PENANAT3zZNlH7R1
am writing this letter shortly before my son’s, and your friend’s, wedding. If53Please respect copyright.PENANAmMEwLBDcON
you find this letter, then my life has been cut short and my plans have gone53Please respect copyright.PENANADHWBwe7TfJ
off the rails. Being the Ma’akti of Humjir has its challenges, but being able53Please respect copyright.PENANAtyz6JjdOHW
to see the future and doing nothing to change it tops the list. Just know you53Please respect copyright.PENANA9xegIRdyB7
have everything you need to find those responsible for my death and bring them53Please respect copyright.PENANALUNcWzOkUR
to justice.
In53Please respect copyright.PENANAyvIk1uSeNF
this book you will find some answers you need, but the rest you will need to53Please respect copyright.PENANAyInhGqa3bl
find on your own. I am sorry I couldn’t do more and I’m sorry that you must do53Please respect copyright.PENANAlDdJBlZscJ
this alone. He will listen to you; you just have to ask. Good luck kid, despite53Please respect copyright.PENANAEobcvKFUXy
the time we had together I wish we had more, but I know you will do everything53Please respect copyright.PENANAzsXUPtsTU7
you can to protect our home. You always have.
After53Please respect copyright.PENANAlu1nHd1aiU
you read, see Humi. He alone knows that you are innocent, and he will help you.
Good53Please respect copyright.PENANAZZpNy4Czqb
luck!
-Malcolm
Tears53Please respect copyright.PENANAiyvYL2534z
splashed down on the letter, but Vander quickly brushed them away. He knew he53Please respect copyright.PENANAIjddfJKwiG
should be angry at Malcolm for not letting him know ahead of time, but he knew53Please respect copyright.PENANAh2dVXidVi9
that if he had been told, he would have done everything in his power to keep53Please respect copyright.PENANAYeKssxtLxa
the king’s death from happening. That didn’t mean he had to like it, however.53Please respect copyright.PENANANm6ZfeEfva
And if Humi had known, that would have meant Malcolm trusted him enough with53Please respect copyright.PENANAm5YYSgpx6O
his secret, but did that mean Vander should trust him as well? There was only53Please respect copyright.PENANAqa6Hdov4Zp
one way to find out, but he would have to wait a couple more hours until it was53Please respect copyright.PENANAphXIAK81GG
dark. Until then, he would read.
He53Please respect copyright.PENANAGIhDp2VLUy
skipped past the creation myth of the first couple of chapters. Everyone in53Please respect copyright.PENANApc3vyANxD0
Eluvia knew about it, they were taught when they were small about the Gods that53Please respect copyright.PENANAARiLokdC7F
ruled their lives. Most of them anyway. He wanted to know more about Unna, the53Please respect copyright.PENANAjVOk5ozFlZ
one who had changed the course of his life. He wanted to know about the demon,53Please respect copyright.PENANASRDsCguPkM
what he could do to keep it from taking control.
Tragically53Please respect copyright.PENANAB5aCZiOzvh
there wasn’t much in her section. He shouldn’t have been so disappointed, he53Please respect copyright.PENANAHGuJKWAOOU
knew that, but it still hurt. Other than Aubum, Unna was the most secretive of53Please respect copyright.PENANAZPC9MzwpUU
the Gods, preferring to toy with humanity and their emotions. There was no way53Please respect copyright.PENANACcpKZ6KWV2
that she would spill her secrets on anyone who would ask and most of those she53Please respect copyright.PENANAxL3LyuClgk
chose to take her power didn’t live long anyway, but it was still worth53Please respect copyright.PENANA8SYAvKBEOA
remembering what was there in case he needed it.
Unna’s gifts are not for the faint of heart. She53Please respect copyright.PENANABAqtHwXpx2
gives her Ma’akti the power of the animals they bond with the strength of the53Please respect copyright.PENANAXNQeYeAM0m
bear, senses of the wolf, or sight of the hawk, but it doesn’t come without53Please respect copyright.PENANAufU9pyQDHN
cost. In each of her Ma’akti lives a more animalistic version of themselves, a53Please respect copyright.PENANAsxNSoo6r0U
demon as many called it. They embody what the person would be if they didn’t53Please respect copyright.PENANAituq0oQvEf
have morality and lived by the laws of the wild. Many can resist the urges of53Please respect copyright.PENANAXImLiDXlQo
their demon for years or even decades, but after awhile the walls in their mind53Please respect copyright.PENANA54sETlNf32
crack under the pressure. They go into a trace then kill without question. Many53Please respect copyright.PENANAUs2AIEGNbr
are killed once people know what they have done and have many centuries, people53Please respect copyright.PENANA6WpEnsB8gH
preemptively killed those chosen as soon as they found out causing many to hide53Please respect copyright.PENANAcuHnmFl9pw
their true nature until the end comes.
It is difficult to explain why these things53Please respect copyright.PENANAi8LGBRkha0
happen, why some can hold out longer than others. Many believe that it is based53Please respect copyright.PENANAXTPrm3WXjO
on Unna’s will. If she likes you, she makes it easier to resist. If she53Please respect copyright.PENANAGHk95cKHwZ
doesn’t, well, you wind up her dinner. Some believe that will is the driving53Please respect copyright.PENANAFWd1zTwoh6
force behind resisting the urges, but I’m not sure if that is the case. It will53Please respect copyright.PENANAGKwKguFrU2
be a true testament for someone to live more than two decades after being53Please respect copyright.PENANArFYovJuKKr
chosen. As of now that hasn’t happened, but I am hoping at some point it will.53Please respect copyright.PENANA8d83gUYqPK
These chosen can be a force for good in protecting us if Darkness ever makes53Please respect copyright.PENANAXyOkGW5uEp
her way back into our world.
Something of interest I have discovered after53Please respect copyright.PENANAjKTBs8Mp0z
years of research. Each of Unna’s Ma’akti has something called a mate. Unlike53Please respect copyright.PENANA9VQrJ20sUA
today’s term where someone’s mate is the person they spend their life with and53Please respect copyright.PENANAsEtCsoorbj
raise a family together, an Unna’s chosen’s mate is something a little more53Please respect copyright.PENANAqNE5VCicg0
primal. It tethers them to humanity, soothing the demon enough for them to get53Please respect copyright.PENANAHfTuXhFG13
a handle on who they are and who they want to be. It’s even stronger when their53Please respect copyright.PENANA8RRsbD326A
“mate” is another Ma’akti. They can feel an instant attraction to one another,53Please respect copyright.PENANARbQ29hlHQt
as if fate was guiding them. It’s only happened once before, if it can be53Please respect copyright.PENANAjCNdCziVic
believed. The only one in myth was Ritoru, Unna’s own mate. A large white wolf53Please respect copyright.PENANA0HT6HfJjgd
capable of killing anyone who dared messed with her. Quite a match.
Vander53Please respect copyright.PENANACQQdYiS9pH
leaned back into the chair after rereading that part several times. The writer53Please respect copyright.PENANAwwjsdA8OBo
said it had only happened once, if mythology could be believed, but if that was53Please respect copyright.PENANAmT1ht23Tvh
true, how did Eliza know about it? Were things taught differently in Bricen53Please respect copyright.PENANAC8a5ovZsGX
than they were here? But at least now he had his answer. The creature53Please respect copyright.PENANAl2BK5hqw6Y
whispering in his ear was his more animalistic side, the one that just wants to53Please respect copyright.PENANApywXcO5jcW
kill and survive. He would have to fight with everything he had to keep it at53Please respect copyright.PENANAMX3sugwHgE
bay, but what would happen if he was forced to give in? It was something he53Please respect copyright.PENANARXsPZwDbOC
really didn’t want to think about. Shea must have sensed his distress because53Please respect copyright.PENANAWI9pWIj6iO
she walked over to him placing her head on his leg. He rubbed the top of her53Please respect copyright.PENANAYPUBjqtsZR
head deep in thought. Perhaps Humi would have the answers he needed.
“Do53Please respect copyright.PENANAKkdOPadsZG
you fancy a stroll?” He looked down at Shea.
“Do53Please respect copyright.PENANAx1FXnkHZ2R
you mean it?” Her53Please respect copyright.PENANAvOY0gS4kj4
tail was wagging as she looked up at him. The only time she went out was to use53Please respect copyright.PENANAF1f12jJGd3
the bathroom, other than that she was forced to be in this room. Someone like53Please respect copyright.PENANAtPDra6PBgG
her should be stuck behind the walls of some warehouse, she should be free to53Please respect copyright.PENANAc21vzHcMuy
explore the streets. Since it was late enough and people were inside, he53Please respect copyright.PENANARrEF9VJXap
figured why not allow her some freedom?
“I53Please respect copyright.PENANAWEmaHpyXUv
do.” He nodded. He stood up from the desk, making sure to take the black book53Please respect copyright.PENANA6WDsn6COJ0
with him when he got changed. Regardless of this place being under Ross’53Please respect copyright.PENANAvVtHLeoLqR
protection, he didn’t trust the man not to go through his belongings once he53Please respect copyright.PENANAEXKRqskLox
and Shea were gone. He would do whatever he could to get one over on anyone he53Please respect copyright.PENANA9BPszLIXpU
thought he could use, no matter their position.
Vander53Please respect copyright.PENANANX2UXtOJgN
got dressed in his outfit he had used to cut down the Serpents the other night.53Please respect copyright.PENANAGbQLIPKl24
He had been up late cleaning all the blood of it then allowing it to dry. He53Please respect copyright.PENANAglfW2l7TkH
didn’t want anyone to question him because it would be bad for all involved. He53Please respect copyright.PENANAk7l4XGU1WN
reapplied some of the dye to his hair before strapping his sword onto his53Please respect copyright.PENANASpXscOOIqr
baldric. The two of them walked over to the window that overlooked an alley. He53Please respect copyright.PENANAyxEZEggU1S
pushed his hood up to cover his face then jumped, landing heavily on the53Please respect copyright.PENANA1TTjzM848z
cobblestone road. Shea landed lightly behind him.
The53Please respect copyright.PENANAokJXo8VnU7
Orange Fox was booming tonight. Patrons were disappointed that a fight wasn’t53Please respect copyright.PENANA3JExpJsj4A
happening so they were drowning their sorrows in booze, gambling, and it was53Please respect copyright.PENANApaGlCgYt4g
likely that more than a few of Ross’ girls would get a hefty payday once53Please respect copyright.PENANAWIHD7JsYwU
tonight was done. Right and Left were guarding the door dealing with people53Please respect copyright.PENANAzxotpmQsz1
wanting to get in, so they weren’t paying attention to the alley. Giving an53Please respect copyright.PENANABCOPuB1LtE
all-clear signal, Vander moved out from the shadows.
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For53Please respect copyright.PENANA7RqsTKrJyl
tonight he said goodnight to the Southern District. Hopefully by the time he53Please respect copyright.PENANASYSXekuQza
came back he would find the answers he needed. If not, then he just might be53Please respect copyright.PENANA1fIt7CeCKi
doomed.