Chapter 27
If you’ve never19Please respect copyright.PENANAMfHhJW91Oz
been inside the mind of a raven, you were missing out. They are one of the19Please respect copyright.PENANAtN9jSm3Vmf
smartest birds in the world capable of remembering faces and understanding a19Please respect copyright.PENANANSyG1Yc8FE
semblance of human speech. However, when Vander was inside, he understood19Please respect copyright.PENANABpsygv1K0a
everything around him, knew what the bird knew, and could get into places he19Please respect copyright.PENANAS35324Pze5
otherwise couldn’t. The only issue was if the consciousness of the creature he19Please respect copyright.PENANA9lc2SRuGGJ
was inhabiting decided to fight back, he could be forcibly shoved back into his19Please respect copyright.PENANAsL1WSt42w3
own body or, in a worst-case scenario, he could be lost forever. However it was19Please respect copyright.PENANAp73hz5rWcy
a risk he needed to take and so far, the raven wasn’t fighting him though he19Please respect copyright.PENANAM1WJybw0ju
was angry. Vander had to promise him some food before he would finally settle19Please respect copyright.PENANAcRAFImsjau
down.
Vander flapped19Please respect copyright.PENANAcFOptP6aU1
his wings then jumped from the rooftop. He caught an air current to glid over19Please respect copyright.PENANA5BXDcyVlwz
the heads of the gathered soldiers trying to keep the crowds back away from the19Please respect copyright.PENANAu4LiDdCIKG
crime scene. Some of them had taken their spears butts to the citizens to get19Please respect copyright.PENANAkz0YgMhM7p
them to stay away, but that made some of them angry. It took one of the Blades19Please respect copyright.PENANAWoatpVCf7L
to come over to calm the crowd down before they calmed down enough, but they19Please respect copyright.PENANAQ8V113HrST
were still near the edge peering through just to see what was going on.
He found a perch19Please respect copyright.PENANAWsgfCeTN33
on top of the house that would enable him to see his surroundings but also19Please respect copyright.PENANASdRrgYjNFE
listen to what was being said inside. He hopped forward, grabbing hold of the19Please respect copyright.PENANA4BG9Iig6lD
siding with his talons, and peered over the edge looking into the house via the19Please respect copyright.PENANAyUgbFQ3WJ8
window above the door. If anyone looked above, they would have seen just his19Please respect copyright.PENANAX1ee3McUVx
head and beady little eyes, but the occupants were too distracted by the19Please respect copyright.PENANA9PmujZNRFH
carnage he had left behind.
The blood had19Please respect copyright.PENANAImpROVs3wa
dried overnight, but the people inside walked over it as if it was. There was a19Please respect copyright.PENANAs50U3kLLzZ
medic inside making sure the bodies were dead. It wasn’t Topal, but one of his19Please respect copyright.PENANAXSoO6JJZz3
students that Vander didn’t recognize. He was carefully checking the bodies19Please respect copyright.PENANAzk299IcmQc
then would nod to one of the soldiers who would then grab a buddy and together19Please respect copyright.PENANARw8gJvxChp
the two of them would bring one of the bodies outside. Then they would bring a19Please respect copyright.PENANAaqsPN0zSjy
tarp to place over the dead to hide them from the crowd. It happened six times19Please respect copyright.PENANAK7CUk5qnVY
in total. Vander had to double take because he was sure that seven of them been19Please respect copyright.PENANAc9iNfkP6UE
killed, but after double counting then peering back inside, there was indeed19Please respect copyright.PENANA2dIEvk6JwD
only six bodies. He would have to investigate that later.
He heard some of19Please respect copyright.PENANAdy2SNvKEYa
the guards talking inside. “What a waste of life.” One muttered to themselves.19Please respect copyright.PENANAlyFdpQyyHC
“What do you think happened here?”
“We don’t get19Please respect copyright.PENANARPefufU9bY
paid to ask questions.” That other snorted. But he looked around nervously19Please respect copyright.PENANAE7Diy6ooo9
before whispering to his friend. “I bet it was that traitorous Blade that did19Please respect copyright.PENANAU9AmNsMiEv
this.” The other guard looked warily at his friend.
“How do you19Please respect copyright.PENANAmskdCQmnIO
figure?”
“One of these19Please respect copyright.PENANAO5mwFNHwXs
people had their throat completely ripped out.” The other explained. “That’s19Please respect copyright.PENANAOf6owlunEE
not possible without a lot of strength. I’ve only ever seen animals do that and19Please respect copyright.PENANAS7ct8iKFvc
I don’t think a bear came into down, slaughtered six people, then left never to19Please respect copyright.PENANAZp4BDvRdA6
be seen again.”
“I guess that19Please respect copyright.PENANAYDZqmRWNEH
makes sense.” The second guard didn’t sound convinced, however. “But why would19Please respect copyright.PENANAr7McqMB2TD
he come here to kill these people? It makes no sense.”
“Like killing the19Please respect copyright.PENANASpzC6atEoF
King made sense?” the first guard spat. “The sooner we find this guy, the19Please respect copyright.PENANAJQjWnWBbOW
sooner we can bury him. Bastard deserves to hang for what he did.” Unknown to19Please respect copyright.PENANAYT5Wj0DO5l
all involved, they failed to notice a squad of Blades coming up behind them.19Please respect copyright.PENANAdA0Eiim3f3
Vander looked up to see Alexander coming with a few Blades Vander didn’t19Please respect copyright.PENANArw3j6jZEkh
recognize. They were likely from one of the squads that came with the Warden’s.19Please respect copyright.PENANAPLiQDSoIm7
He couldn’t help but wonder where the recruits went.
Alex looked like19Please respect copyright.PENANAlbeKMRPKPp
shit. His eyes were sunken in, and he had allowed his beard to grow long and19Please respect copyright.PENANAvQXrfXr2Xx
thick. His clothes were unkept, despite Blade regulation, but his eyes were19Please respect copyright.PENANAFrWHQDOIUz
still sharp. He had come in at the tail end of the guard’s conversation, so he19Please respect copyright.PENANAjyK4OFMM5g
let himself be known by growling right behind them.
“If you two have19Please respect copyright.PENANAkbDQHqKxIq
time to gossip, you have time to stand investigate the house.” He spoke.19Please respect copyright.PENANAGbeQGXJIrk
Normally his size and demeanor were enough to get most men to do what he19Please respect copyright.PENANAW9i5IjeZbD
wanted, but that didn’t seem to work here.
“You’re not in19Please respect copyright.PENANAVbgpmYtMAE
charge of us, Blade.” The first guard hissed. The way he said it made Vander19Please respect copyright.PENANAZb0qfjGiaT
angry. It appears he wasn’t the only one as the Blades with Alex went for their19Please respect copyright.PENANANMzsppxQyM
swords. They stayed their hand once Alex motioned for them to stop. “We don’t19Please respect copyright.PENANAJw2i6uLwgE
take orders from those who let the King die.”
“You’ll take19Please respect copyright.PENANADWcAj2B3EI
orders from me whether you like it or not.” Alex’s voice was calm, but he was19Please respect copyright.PENANA3jijhbCcVP
seconds away from violently lashing out. Vander could tell based on how he19Please respect copyright.PENANAlIgBdsw8uq
clenched his hand. “Until the King decrees otherwise you will help us find19Please respect copyright.PENANAHRGxGSAKvh
Vander and bring him in.”
“Our General says19Please respect copyright.PENANASagbmmxYqc
otherwise.” The second guard said. “We are only here as per our duty, but after19Please respect copyright.PENANASoE444w3HC
the bodies are taken out, you’re on your own.”
“Coward.” One of19Please respect copyright.PENANA422GmcbWTE
the Blade’s spat. At that insult, the two guards drew their weapons as did the19Please respect copyright.PENANAn2gsQUkAFU
guards who were supposed to be keeping the crowd back.
“That wasn’t very19Please respect copyright.PENANAJXR2Re1uu2
smart of you.” The first guard growled. “You’re surrounded and outnumbered.19Please respect copyright.PENANA7mOQI4nYX5
What’s another dead Blade in the grand scheme of things?”
“Enough of this.”19Please respect copyright.PENANAKtUA0qY3aC
Alex’s voice bellowed out. He turned towards the Blade who let his emotions get19Please respect copyright.PENANAHK9dbNWBzi
the better of him. “Apologize so we can get on with our days.”
“But…” Alex’s19Please respect copyright.PENANAbJ5IhuJF02
glare dried the excuse in the poor man’s throat. He lowered his head, but not19Please respect copyright.PENANAZ51DxCr91z
his eyes, and muttered a quick apology. Knowing better than to start a scene,19Please respect copyright.PENANAOPO3r3seyW
the guard accepted it, but kept his eyes firmly rooted on Alex as he sheathed19Please respect copyright.PENANAA8FS0Q0W1N
his Blade.
“You have minutes19Please respect copyright.PENANAULvD9tzuhZ
to get what you need the clear out.” The guard said. “This is our19Please respect copyright.PENANAJca1h82W4T
investigation, not yours.”
“I understand, we19Please respect copyright.PENANAWkB1b8EgLT
will be quick.” Nodding to the others, they dispersed. Some of them headed19Please respect copyright.PENANAdMnMO3DgC1
inside to look around while two of them checked the dead bodies. Alex stayed19Please respect copyright.PENANANlHBHMWsGP
outside surveying the crowd. Suddenly Vander was very happy that he had picked19Please respect copyright.PENANADjLji59lN7
the raven to take over instead of going into the crowd himself. He knew that no19Please respect copyright.PENANAZE091eiLmU
matter the disguise, Alex would be able to tell who he was.
One of the Blades19Please respect copyright.PENANAboYzWdc31Q
outside called over to Alex. He quicky rushed over. Vander could catch some19Please respect copyright.PENANAyONqggNioI
words of that passed between the two of them. They commented about one of them19Please respect copyright.PENANA2I0cYvLhGt
having their throat ripped out, which Alex admitted was likely Vander’s doing.19Please respect copyright.PENANAl8Trc2PB3L
However, the intriguing part was when the two of them discovered snake tattoos19Please respect copyright.PENANAOdWlc2a3PB
on all their arms. Alex nodded to himself before stepping away calling the19Please respect copyright.PENANAofgx8l6Xqc
guards back to take the bodies away. He then went inside to see what the others19Please respect copyright.PENANAwQkxcV0OwZ
may or may not have found.
Vander couldn’t19Please respect copyright.PENANAA2m7Xn3hM7
really tell what was being said inside. They were talking low to one another19Please respect copyright.PENANADrIQvpAmKF
while looking at a scroll that they discovered shoved inside the table. Vander19Please respect copyright.PENANAb4z1UycTWV
shifted slightly to get a better view. It looked like a map of the city, but it19Please respect copyright.PENANAndZoH0ZxhB
wasn’t anything that he recognized. He would need to get his talons on that19Please respect copyright.PENANAdXXe01GwIz
scroll, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He would have to try to19Please respect copyright.PENANAj6lsaCKOmv
take it from his friend at some point in time. Vander heard a squawk coming19Please respect copyright.PENANAZFQkSabfue
from behind him. He turned around to see a large, angry raven flapping behind19Please respect copyright.PENANAufrhVfhdHG
him. He was instantly filled with fear from the raven he was inhabiting. He19Please respect copyright.PENANAHuIjTFmJYa
guessed the two of them had an issue before which caused the raven, he19Please respect copyright.PENANAVCqMlRmhRL
inhabited to flee afraid.
As the other19Please respect copyright.PENANAmGSHrtH1Nq
raven attacked, Vander pushed himself out of the body and back into his own.19Please respect copyright.PENANATN3kyojjXE
The sudden jolt to being back in a human being, on the ground, caused him to19Please respect copyright.PENANA53Wc2AM6Hh
violently throw himself over so he could vomit onto the cobblestone instead of19Please respect copyright.PENANAqLBKPbKqMf
onto his clothing. He looked up to see the two birds entwined in a death grip19Please respect copyright.PENANAAirR6JDT9B
violently stabbing and clawing at each other. The smaller one he had been apart19Please respect copyright.PENANAgJ3NXAOVGw
from was losing, but his pride didn’t allow him to quit. He had to do19Please respect copyright.PENANA2Hi6TpEOXU
something, so he grabbed a rock.
He popped out19Please respect copyright.PENANAcHQh3gXBMK
from behind his hiding spot then launched the rock at the bigger bird. With a19Please respect copyright.PENANAI25NZlqcEq
cry, the big raven fell to the ground stunned, possibly dead. The sudden rock19Please respect copyright.PENANA4BbHlS6yNq
being thrown combined with the dropped bird causing some members of the crowd19Please respect copyright.PENANAP7ItrsTKvr
to turn towards him. Some were confused, but a couple recognized him.
“It’s the King19Please respect copyright.PENANAURHARRC9hC
killer!” one of them shouted, pointing at him. Some of the guards began19Please respect copyright.PENANASyMJN71y3Z
shouting to pass, but the crowd pushed forward.
“Someone grab19Please respect copyright.PENANAhsiItu8XPN
him!” Two citizens lunged forward, but Vander jumped backwards. He grabbed a19Please respect copyright.PENANAM2R8Ov4eNs
box then threw it at someone who had broken through hitting them right in the19Please respect copyright.PENANApyPVy08nhm
face. Vander backed up towards the wall then jumped up, grabbing the top with19Please respect copyright.PENANA0oCTLHl9Hn
his hand to haul himself over. Before he disappeared, he locked eyes with Alex19Please respect copyright.PENANAlS6HvrA11s
before disappearing.
He heard shouting19Please respect copyright.PENANA72ArK29cSt
coming from behind him, but he wasted no time running back towards the gate19Please respect copyright.PENANAcpOwJfh7NA
which would lead him into Lower Eluvia. He just had to make it there before he19Please respect copyright.PENANAjLKK4XPBBS
was caught then everything would be okay. What he didn’t realize though was19Please respect copyright.PENANAnLBi7svNYd
that the road he was running down intersected with the road that mob was coming19Please respect copyright.PENANAvyVHnoH1fj
down. He heard them running towards him, which caused him to run as fast as he19Please respect copyright.PENANA6UQlxuIibd
could. Tragically he ended up running into another group of guards who had19Please respect copyright.PENANAGltwr077j7
heard the commotion.
“Well look who we19Please respect copyright.PENANAHnAyouKsVm
have here?” One of them grinned. A metal fist came flying towards Vander’s19Please respect copyright.PENANAl5cBpsim1x
face. It hit his jaw sending waves of pain throughout his mouth, likely19Please respect copyright.PENANAnnkHfst6AH
knocking a couple of teeth loose. He fell to the ground, but scrambled19Please respect copyright.PENANAo5tnpS9PV5
backwards as the guards drew their swords.
“Did you know19Please respect copyright.PENANAjBmhvi323y
there is a bounty on your head?” one asked with an evil glint in his eyes. “The19Please respect copyright.PENANA54ujzKamy9
Jilena family has offered quite the reward for your head.” Vander looked at the19Please respect copyright.PENANA5uZ32BdiPl
group confused. He didn’t know why the Jilena family cared so much about the19Please respect copyright.PENANAttprZTbval
king’s murder that they would go against Cuvera’s wishes. He didn’t have to19Please respect copyright.PENANAL0moe03qZl
wonder long as the guards were apparently quite chatty.
“They are blaming19Please respect copyright.PENANAYM9pcnFF1b
you for the death of their youngest son.” Vander’s blood ran cold. Jeffery was19Please respect copyright.PENANAc45TimRVsj
dead? But he had let him go, there was no reason for him to be killed.
“I had no reason19Please respect copyright.PENANAc9LAku5eJZ
to kill him.” Vander argued.
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“Rumor has it19Please respect copyright.PENANAkZruxTwxFV
that he tried to stop you, so you ran him through.” The guard shrugged. “Makes19Please respect copyright.PENANAQankoahWB9
no difference to me. With the money we will finally be able to retire in19Please respect copyright.PENANAsicemF6jX2
peace.” Vander scooted backwards as the guards lunged towards him with their19Please respect copyright.PENANA1BQbEgCWba
swords readied to skewer him.