Chapter 33
The sounds of battle echoed around69Please respect copyright.PENANAxIlrzNh9wy
him, but Vander kept running. He didn’t know about Humi’s abilities in a fight,69Please respect copyright.PENANA4frT3wA0qx
but it seemed as though he was holding on. He couldn’t help, but wonder if the69Please respect copyright.PENANAXwmfRnZ3Ys
priest knew something like this was going to happen tonight which was why he69Please respect copyright.PENANAZBTgKDgyLO
was prepared or did he bring the assassin to the man’s doorstep? More answers69Please respect copyright.PENANAHBd9nuKK9V
and no questions. However, his only goal right now was to get back to the69Please respect copyright.PENANAsN0BXzFgFY
safety of the warehouse, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t send Humi some help.
“Assassin at Humjir’s temple!”69Please respect copyright.PENANA6nmRBERIXh
Vander shouted. He put a scared expression on his face, which wasn’t difficult69Please respect copyright.PENANAhGuBQJtNiV
because he was scared, as he ran past the guards. Shea must have been a blur69Please respect copyright.PENANAUt8hnXUMOz
because they didn’t notice him. “Help, Humi’s in danger help!”
“Go to the temple!” A guard69Please respect copyright.PENANAsmQ4xZi2b3
shouted. He turned to get Vander’s attention, but he had already slipped down a69Please respect copyright.PENANAFCQqEQ9pRO
side street and was gone from sight. An alarm went out causing more and more69Please respect copyright.PENANAyGGuybi1DA
guards to leave their posts to head towards the source. The attention made it69Please respect copyright.PENANAh6ui2ZMagp
inadvertently easy for him to slip through the district gates.
He didn’t stop running until he69Please respect copyright.PENANAdsvTwzPr1f
reached the Orange Fox. Despite badly needing to rest, he knew he had been gone69Please respect copyright.PENANAIWxL9mEzCv
for too long and eventually Ross’ two protectors would be in his room soon if69Please respect copyright.PENANAiPNUXrV4Sh
they hadn’t been already. He climbed up the drainage pipe as Shea jumped nimbly69Please respect copyright.PENANAXWM52cq9ga
on the fence then into the room. He quickly stripped off his nighttime outfit,69Please respect copyright.PENANAo5FKDr1FDu
changing into loose pants and shirt. He carefully placed the black book in the69Please respect copyright.PENANAypGeWnjYSC
hiding spot along with the vial. Once he and Shea were alone, he would have to69Please respect copyright.PENANAxLEnIMkprK
see what that was about.
As soon as he settled into bed and69Please respect copyright.PENANAIi6LAeHUzL
closed his eyes, there was a knock on the door. Pretending to awaken, he let69Please respect copyright.PENANA54NbGa0ulz
out a loud groan as he stumbled from the bed then shuffled towards the door.69Please respect copyright.PENANANfQ4WZcncA
Right and Left were standing there with the bartender and a different girl from69Please respect copyright.PENANAVtY6xjOlLo
last time. This one looked young, younger than she had any right to be.
“What’s this?” Vander growled, not69Please respect copyright.PENANAMAwmbOk0q0
even bothering to hide his annoyance.
“A gift from Ross.” Left smirked.69Please respect copyright.PENANAcX8izT3SMv
“He wants you to break this one in for the others.”
“I think not.” Vander noticed the69Please respect copyright.PENANAuItOPYSI7E
disappointment on the young girl’s face. “How old are you?” he asked her.
“Fourteen.” she muttered. She69Please respect copyright.PENANAajmCal6ldz
looked down at her feet. At least the blonde woman had the presence of mind to69Please respect copyright.PENANAPvaaz1kjcC
be disgusted too.
“Fourteen?” she snapped. “You told69Please respect copyright.PENANAt28DdFPdcf
me she was sixteen.”
“Age is just-“ Right ate a face69Please respect copyright.PENANArzFHG73PcD
full of the bartender’s hand.
“She is far too young for69Please respect copyright.PENANAN1I7878gHB
something like this.” She snapped. “What the hell is the matter with you.”
“Boss’s orders.” Right stepped69Please respect copyright.PENANAnDwbbWZnHQ
forward raising his hand to strike her, but Vander stepped in.
“That’s enough.” Vander said.69Please respect copyright.PENANAad22zQFRzU
“Take her downstairs, give her a different job until she is old enough. Do not69Please respect copyright.PENANA6yYPhhoeIG
let anyone touch her or you will have to answer to me.”
“We don’t have to take orders from69Please respect copyright.PENANAPM1gSMYW8t
you.” Left stammered, but he seemed a little fearful as to what Vander could do69Please respect copyright.PENANAlZtw4NvLoa
if he had the mind to.
Vander let out a69Please respect copyright.PENANA8QaLR58KNS
mental order to Shea who walked up behind him growling, teeth bared. The two69Please respect copyright.PENANAJz3qlCw3eH
guards blanched as they looked at her before facing Vander and nodding their69Please respect copyright.PENANA46qgezX6KP
heads. He thought he saw a sigh of relief escape the young woman’s body.
“As for you,”69Please respect copyright.PENANApWtDO3j6Tq
Vander turned towards the blonde. “I don’t need you tonight. I’m tired so I’m69Please respect copyright.PENANApkWKVjhoPw
just going to sleep.”
“Alright,” she69Please respect copyright.PENANAfPb9AU13uT
grinned giving him a sly wink. She leaned over to whisper in his ear. “Thank69Please respect copyright.PENANA8l67X15RQg
you for that, I’ll treat you special next time.” She ended the promise by69Please respect copyright.PENANAAb1PkbFAtL
giving him a quick peck on the cheek. She wrapped her arms around the young69Please respect copyright.PENANAlXFd9MJGf8
lady and walked back down the hall with Left and Right running right behind69Please respect copyright.PENANAk37Bvi0fnf
them.
“You humans69Please respect copyright.PENANAt5NZV2Ae45
sure are disgusting.” Shea snorted as Vander closed the door behind them.
“You have no69Please respect copyright.PENANAzSC8yLfRzJ
idea.” After he was sure everyone was gone, he walked back towards the desk,69Please respect copyright.PENANABNO8pcDOCq
taking the vial out, then going to sit on the bed. He stared at it for several69Please respect copyright.PENANABkevANX0uR
minutes trying to figure out how to see what was contained within. His first69Please respect copyright.PENANAxPnC5tMj97
instinct was to fill the tub with water then pour it in, but that didn’t seem69Please respect copyright.PENANAv9taNkIC5w
right. The only other thing he could do was drink it, but that seemed69Please respect copyright.PENANAqBzpnBfjnH
dangerous. As if reading his mind, Shea said:
“I’ll watch69Please respect copyright.PENANAD2biREbfOu
over you.”
“Alright.” Vander69Please respect copyright.PENANAAARllaDnWl
popped the cork then raised the bottle to his lips. He drank the whole thing69Please respect copyright.PENANAWizg1BGRMJ
down and instantly felt drowsy. He placed his head on the pillows then fell69Please respect copyright.PENANAySvTpAYYU7
asleep.
…
When he awoke,69Please respect copyright.PENANA9vECB2j4pk
he could taste ash in his mouth. For some reason he was lying on Eluvia’s69Please respect copyright.PENANAxBh4Xc7LSY
streets, delirious and drowsy. All around him he could hear battle followed by69Please respect copyright.PENANA416LxO8QEM
the screams of those cut down. He got to his feet to look around. Eluvia’s69Please respect copyright.PENANAZACujuVLin
soldiers were fighting a large-scale battle in the middle of Eluvia, whose69Please respect copyright.PENANARCYpqo8V9H
walls were supposed to be unbreachable. They wore white cloth covering their69Please respect copyright.PENANAvwGhdhfvis
entire face, except for their eyes, and they wore loose scale mail allowing69Please respect copyright.PENANAIV8mPCDA0Y
them to outmaneuver Eluvia’s heavily armored soldiers. The weapons they used69Please respect copyright.PENANA55gzDkgl8L
were also foreign to him. They were curved blades, easily snaking their way69Please respect copyright.PENANA4Or9oulqXt
through the gaps in the armor.
Someone had69Please respect copyright.PENANALDemiuqA6P
set fire to the entire city. Buildings were engulfed in flames as people69Please respect copyright.PENANAA0BcKDi80p
screamed out for help. Those trapped tried to escape then flee but were cut69Please respect copyright.PENANAVq0t8KLh4S
down in the process of doing so. Those who stood there screaming were silenced69Please respect copyright.PENANAg2HJ0sPG5L
forever. It was a one-sided slaughter and Vander would like nothing more than69Please respect copyright.PENANAVnnOEpLn3K
to help, but his body wouldn’t obey his commands. Instead, he drew his sword,69Please respect copyright.PENANAYaj3vkQlxH
then rushed towards the castle.
He ignored69Please respect copyright.PENANAd2qDUSQPvY
everyone fighting down in the streets or getting slaughtered because they69Please respect copyright.PENANAQIDNWTr5Ns
couldn’t do much other than cry or scream. He ran past the gates that had been69Please respect copyright.PENANAVJELYZ0mcj
blown to hell allowing their enemies past the borders into the second ring.69Please respect copyright.PENANAfLf7jzSjsk
Some nobles did what they could to protect themselves, but many gathered up any69Please respect copyright.PENANAu0ptaOfZ7T
riches they could find before being torn apart. One female noble had been taken69Please respect copyright.PENANASBWGWuliqf
by a group of enemies and assaulted on her lawn. As he rushed past, they cut69Please respect copyright.PENANApHw0Ga5Vhg
her throat then moved on to the next house.
He came up69Please respect copyright.PENANAfE5Pd6alez
across a group of enemies who looked shock to see him, but they drew their69Please respect copyright.PENANAIKIySyZgnD
weapons and charged. His body moved on his own. He drew his sword to block the69Please respect copyright.PENANAyyS4m11jRK
strike from one soldier then stepped aside running another one completely69Please respect copyright.PENANAWLiVn83ps7
through. He removed his weapon to cut the throat of a third who had come up69Please respect copyright.PENANAJSC9OyM7yw
behind him. His body was a blur slicing those who attacked him to ribbons. He69Please respect copyright.PENANAnxrH6T0UxS
didn’t even give them a second look before heading towards the third ring.
The castle69Please respect copyright.PENANAJe6ZziHM0p
gates had been broken. Bodies of soldiers and Blades littered the battlements69Please respect copyright.PENANARjPfJN6jKh
and streets. Vander felt a rush of pride as he saw that the dead invaders more69Please respect copyright.PENANAjcloUsOMT7
than doubled the bodies of his former comrades, but that just meant they were69Please respect copyright.PENANA99ao3qluDZ
met with overwhelming force. They had no chance.
Now he had to69Please respect copyright.PENANAmjyam4IWLU
be careful entering the castle. He didn’t know where the enemies were or how69Please respect copyright.PENANAPGJ9ro8Uv6
many, but his body wanted him to rush in to find out of those he cared for were69Please respect copyright.PENANATOfV2qWZLo
still alive. Luckily, he knew all the secret passages as well as the smells of69Please respect copyright.PENANA1DYgnXFqGB
those he needed to find. So, he slipped down a hallway, pressed a random brick69Please respect copyright.PENANASRKkriWjtW
on the wall, which pushed back revealing a darkened staircase. Cuvera’s smell69Please respect copyright.PENANASNbT0inA7Y
filled his nose, so he followed it up the stairwell.
He came out of69Please respect copyright.PENANAMhr5HF93Qh
another hallway on the second floor. He didn’t recognize the space, but his69Please respect copyright.PENANAFrBciaDF83
body knew where to go. The smell of blood was strong here which filled him with69Please respect copyright.PENANAgOarHhxYZG
panic. Many smells fused together, but he pieced one of them out: Eliza. He69Please respect copyright.PENANAQebgwONY4y
rushed down the hall and into a room he didn’t even know existed. Inside was a69Please respect copyright.PENANAOQQzqidlGV
massive table which was covered with blood. Scattered around were members of69Please respect copyright.PENANAmcPZPW1rbx
the council, bloodied and broken. A couple had their eyes completely burned out69Please respect copyright.PENANAkdyZb5UBsL
of their heads. But the most important person was found lying on their back69Please respect copyright.PENANA2tYWTWMo2f
with a hole through their chest. Vander’s heart sank as he saw Eliza lying69Please respect copyright.PENANAOWyTBkwAXX
there, barely breathing. She looked up at him, confused as to why he was there.69Please respect copyright.PENANAeVNKC1gS0a
But she broke into a wide smile. Vander felt his body stumble as he dropped69Please respect copyright.PENANAOcOZK3x4PU
down to pull her body close to him.
It was then69Please respect copyright.PENANAFROZUCUYMD
that Vander saw matching silver bands on both of their hands. The way she69Please respect copyright.PENANAR3VSKUviD8
looked up at him with that smile on her face alongside the knot in his chest69Please respect copyright.PENANAYdWC2g5a71
when he realized that she was dying made him dizzy. The two of them had69Please respect copyright.PENANAO8VRC5ktHT
married, but when? Why? They were strangers. How far in the future was this?69Please respect copyright.PENANAbur9Gz9HW6
Vander’s body bent over to kiss her tenderly, but she whispered something in69Please respect copyright.PENANABlGJTJZFM4
his ear that caused him to stiffen. She promised that it was alright, that he69Please respect copyright.PENANAL4LwNufNAN
must go to protect the city. She cupped his cheek, told him that she loved him69Please respect copyright.PENANAJaGs1F4HQu
and always would, before her eyes closed forever.
Vander sat69Please respect copyright.PENANAqCpxq20O7A
there for several minutes before steeling himself. He rose to his feet, took69Please respect copyright.PENANAlsJTUtwW8F
one long look at Eliza, before running from the room. He followed Cuvera’s69Please respect copyright.PENANA6T8Us0SJTy
scent towards his room. There the door had been blasted off its hinges leaving69Please respect copyright.PENANA55Fjdk2oMC
burn marks all over the frame. Vander drew his sword before stepping inside.
Standing in69Please respect copyright.PENANABxAV2Dglme
the center of the room was a tall pillar of light. He could vaguely see a69Please respect copyright.PENANApxay8oM3rl
figure of a man standing inside, but he couldn’t make out who it was. Kiara was69Please respect copyright.PENANAKFPxhDqBm4
draped over the couch, her body badly charred. He could hear Cuvera in the69Please respect copyright.PENANAMN4YcXFiCX
other room gasping for air. His friend was his priority, so he rushed to the69Please respect copyright.PENANAQt2Gp8z7Kg
room ignoring the pillar of light.
He saw his69Please respect copyright.PENANAEkuw44u3w0
friend lying in front of a crib with a sword held in his hand. The other half69Please respect copyright.PENANAn2c6qCUx6t
of his body was blown apart leaving him on death’s door. Cuvera was happy to69Please respect copyright.PENANA4cQ6Bz8Wv7
see Vander, but now wasn’t the time for happy reunions. He shouted, but Vander69Please respect copyright.PENANALlF3KJqjZF
couldn’t hear the words, but somehow, he knew what was being said
“Save my69Please respect copyright.PENANAsPdnHIOTH7
daughter!” Vander rushed towards the crib to see an infant lying there69Please respect copyright.PENANAqCQditfo4i
sleeping. Vander quickly scooped her up and ran from the room. He could sense69Please respect copyright.PENANA16tiAqmmk8
Cuvera die just before leaving the castle. It was up to him to raise and69Please respect copyright.PENANAr6Fh2KBuPt
protect his friend’s legacy. He vowed to return to set things right, but he69Please respect copyright.PENANA0lPzsKP2Tq
would have to wait and bide his time. They would be avenged, every single one69Please respect copyright.PENANAaetyfoSrdi
of them.
…
Vander woke up69Please respect copyright.PENANAhROQhYPRXV
covered in sweat. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but his mouth was69Please respect copyright.PENANABTruj4UMUb
dry, and his body was sore. Upon noticing his movements, Shea bolted up from69Please respect copyright.PENANAdJ0NqcApHi
her spot by the door.
“You’re69Please respect copyright.PENANABur7DtAlI0
awake!” she exclaimed. “You’ve been asleep for two entire days.”
“Really?” he69Please respect copyright.PENANAeeEt8rhKFc
groaned. “Is there any food? I’m starving.” Shea said that they had brought a69Please respect copyright.PENANA2O4Iigt4CN
tray a couple of hours ago. It was still there in front of the door. Vander69Please respect copyright.PENANATkJXycPcUd
stood up, instantly grabbing the wall until the feeling could make their way69Please respect copyright.PENANAGvnFL8Q89z
back into his legs. He stumbled towards the door then grabbed the tray. He69Please respect copyright.PENANAm3zHaEChd3
didn’t bother with a fork or knife; he tore right into the steak, thankfully to69Please respect copyright.PENANAf0mnnqGryG
have something to eat. While he did so, he told Shea what he had seen in the69Please respect copyright.PENANAl3kULiMEhd
vision.
“Any idea when69Please respect copyright.PENANAeowM6nm2aK
that will happen?” He didn’t, but he would begin making plans to make sure69Please respect copyright.PENANAg4n2aTk51S
something like that never came to pass. He would do everything in his power to69Please respect copyright.PENANA7vNL2bP7g8
protect the Kingdom, no matter what, but for now he would keep this a secret.69Please respect copyright.PENANAHYbAu5C5sk
He didn’t want people to panic so soon after Malcolm’s assassination. However,69Please respect copyright.PENANAN3RcE6zGnQ
one question still lingered in his mind: what was that pillar of light in the69Please respect copyright.PENANANyd2cOSZ1u
center of the room? That would take some time to ascertain.
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As he sat there69Please respect copyright.PENANADKA4v6Etfx
thinking, he didn’t hear the footsteps coming up to the door. There was a loud69Please respect copyright.PENANAHzj0YKvdnh
knock then, it began to open.