Chapter 23
Rain pounded the streets of Eluvia93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfHmzRU2lAq
causing its people to run for cover. Thunder rumbled across the sky as bolts of93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmeIfvteke
lightning shot out illuminating the space above the city. Eluvia was in93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg5PKmPVoJ4
mourning, and it seemed to many that the Deities wept with them, but a select93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKeEH57OXau
few knew the truth. There was a war coming one where both human’s and gods93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXWkzbQO2qW
would have to choose sides.
It had been three months since the93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhf9YKKQQU
King’s murder and as the city wept a man hunt was underway to chase down the93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHB5Jbuu9IK
person many believed responsible while the true culprit stayed safe inside the93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9qwHuVeVJ
castle, just biding his time until he could strike. Despite the circumstance,93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65rROJYyuD
Eluvia needed a new king. Although Cuvera was still in mourning, he bowed his93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZPVLkE7Bj
head accepting the crown and the power that came with it. His new wife, Kiara93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7t9jxJXQE8
stood by him, helping him through his pain while others plotted behind his back93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIwse81tjPS
to gain power in the wake of this tragedy.
Peyton stood at attention in front93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcI37K4Lh7Y
of the throne where Cuvera sat. His hair had grown long, his eyes bloodshot,93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4RKETxRJjZ
while his clothing hung loosely from his body. Since the death of his father,93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2y72lZGb7z
Cuvera hadn’t done much resting. He was too busy learning to run a country and93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfL5w1xlyGN
dealing with intelligence as to where his friend had gone, searching for93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1TrqATau2f
answers as to why he had killed his father and run away. No matter how hard he93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGCmyPJRlw
tried, he just couldn’t understand. He longed to have a conversation with93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXVubj0xD2n
Vander, but he knew that wouldn’t happen outside of a jail cell.
“Any luck?” his voice croaked.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1pWUTaulE0
Peyton’s heart was broken seeing his best friend’s son this way, but despite93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8CkiHuyNXy
their plan, he couldn’t tell the young King why things had to happen that way.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5U78IcUmn4
He wouldn’t understand, Peyton barely understood it himself.
“None.” Peyton shook his head.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFNBP5D7tWD
“There have been a few sightings, but when we went to investigate, he was93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3f7W13Ypdb
nowhere to be found.”
“Damn it.” Cuvera slammed his hand93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbh0jmwmgt
on the arm rest. “Damn it, damn it, damn it.”
“We will double our efforts.”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8Wv5NmnG0
Peyton said. “If we ask the General’s for help…”
“No,” Cuvera interrupted him. “If93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXdaQgIOy1
Vander doesn’t want to be found, no one can find him. The Warden’s need to head93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡduDFhwCUjz
back to their posts as do their Generals. This will be an internal matter, Lord93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYReqANUiQN
Cranton. We must handle it ourselves.” Kiara walked over, placing a hand on her93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV61zSo8VI8
husband’s shoulder.
“Is there anything else Peyton?”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡewUOWvaEI9
she asked softly, but the way she looked at him told him he had better end this93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbHGrYpgu6
meeting or there would be hell to pay.
“Just one,” Peyton grimaced. “Have93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAThET1Pctg
you given any thought as to who you would make Blade Commander? Since Charles’93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPT0jcIHHGj
was forced out, we need someone to…”
“Alexander and the other Captains93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCyBAd9wE3
have it well taken care of.” Kiara interrupted. “We understand that this is an93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoXCf2g4d5
important decision, but based on what has already transpired, this is at the93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75w40XOhZF
bottom of our list. Understood?”
“I do.” Peyton bowed his head. “If93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡblfEELQkUq
you will excuse me, I have some things I need to take care of.” He turned93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQGsDloCTx6
around shuffling off. His boots made clicking sounds as he walked down the93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTIqiKL6Dp3
cobblestone path and out the door.
As he walked down the dimly lit93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHS1RStwPE
hall, he could vaguely feel another set of boots walking in time with him. He93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpglcVupNb6
turned around to see a small, hooded figure wearing loose clothing to hide93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6nMCReQIM
their true gender. They wore gloves, likely with metal embedded inside, and had93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjLtH4lyqs
two twin daggers strapped to their side.
“Fang,” Peyton greeted. That93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpgpC3NTZW
wasn’t their true name, it was the code name given to the Serpents assassins.
“Councilor.” They spoke. “Why have93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Qak654PR8
you summoned me?”
“Because you failed in your93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFRbM04HbQ
attempt to kill the King and I had to clean up your mess.” Peyton said. “My93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRR9UgFDmDv
master needs Vander, your new task is to bring him to us. Alive.”
“He is a dangerous man,” Fang93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKw5XQ2Pwu
said, their voice not betraying any emotion. “He already beat us twice; we need93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuLwK6eeyq8
more time.”
“My master won’t wait for much93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQsfkxVUhfa
longer,” Peyton explained. “We only have a couple more weeks before things93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8QvfdejRY
settle, and we separate. Try and have it done by then, I don’t care about your93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrUDlBmDjev
methods. Just do it.”
“I understand.” With that, the93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMVvEvFlrq
assassin stepped into the shadows then disappeared. Peyton let go of the breath93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkBr03jN3h
he didn’t realize he had been holding. He placed his hand on the wall steeling93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9CtZldoxuK
himself for what was going on.
Was this what you wanted Malcolm?93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0koAqVPTNX
Was this what you had in mind when you want your son and his friend to bear the93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsz0GzRTCZ
weight of our choices on their shoulders? Peyton rued the day he had allowed93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNLbxqpaX0
his friend to talk him into such a crazy plan. He wasn’t sure what was going to93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkL6qo9VZE3
happen to him by the end, but his day of reckoning would come. He just hoped93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuNYpVDJ9JR
his penance wouldn’t be difficult.
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He walked towards a window where93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0krqygcJ5L
he could clearly see the storm brewing over his city. He was safe behind the93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4GzZseYB5
glass, but he was still afraid. He hoped Vander was doing well despite93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KZXTNZ9lR
everything that had happened. He hopes that one day he will be able to explain93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjlPE13UU3X
himself, but he should plan just in case he met his end beforehand. With a plan93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRgaadxxyPI
in mind, he shuffled off towards his office ignoring the sad expression of93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrY4d7xtje
Malcolm in his portrait.
