Chapter 34
Alex was standing at the door with7Please respect copyright.PENANA1g151388J4
a concerned, yet angry expression on his face. The relief he must have felt7Please respect copyright.PENANAflkmFsayac
when he saw Vander must have been enormous because he slumped against the door7Please respect copyright.PENANAFbhGhgdONr
frame as a breath, he likely didn’t know he had been holding, left his body.7Please respect copyright.PENANAyppH2hgt8f
Shea, in her excitement, jumped off the bed. She ran over to him and slammed7Please respect copyright.PENANAG4TrKw4ySt
her weight into his legs. If he had been leaning against the door, he probably7Please respect copyright.PENANAi8A4Vt4ndz
would have fallen over.
“So, this is where you’ve been7Please respect copyright.PENANADsqugdGzR4
hiding out.” Alex was rubbing between Shea’s ears as he stared at Vander.7Please respect copyright.PENANAZXm4MMjykR
Sighing, he nodded then stepped back, motioning for his friend to get out of7Please respect copyright.PENANAbbevhGl40z
the hall.
“I know you have questions, and I7Please respect copyright.PENANA4r2bDHxTob
will answer them.” Vander stopped as Alex took a step towards him. He flinched,7Please respect copyright.PENANA3KcZpKaXmH
but Alex just wrapped his arms around his friend pulling him into a hug.
“Not once for a second do I think7Please respect copyright.PENANAY01ShoRKUQ
you would have killed Malcolm.” Alex whispered. “None of us do, not even7Please respect copyright.PENANALncefjf8qm
Cuvera.” Vander blinked back the tears he didn’t realize he had been holding.
“It was Peyton.” Vander stepped7Please respect copyright.PENANACxTTqcRnmx
back out of Alex’s embrace. He sighed, finally willing to tell his friend7Please respect copyright.PENANAjfGp5BQZVb
everything, like he should have done in the beginning. Alex sat down on the bed7Please respect copyright.PENANACYweTTy1cF
before accepting a drink from Vander.
As his friend drank, Vander7Please respect copyright.PENANAATvPWXilzm
started from his first meeting with Veyar before they had even left the forest7Please respect copyright.PENANAdwDJjw1MCt
where he had been told about the Darkness returning. From there, from other7Please respect copyright.PENANA0iXqjKTOOM
visits with both Veyar and Unna hinting at his role of keeping the Darkness7Please respect copyright.PENANA9E0nULmPUc
sealed away. He explained his thoughts about the Serpents being behind7Please respect copyright.PENANAH3rcQT6JKi
everything, but the interview with the assassin shed some doubts of their7Please respect copyright.PENANAd6CASupPFk
involvement, even though Cuvera didn’t believe him.
After that he had been told to7Please respect copyright.PENANAPs7p0qo4tR
grab a book from the King’s study, one he had been shown one night that7Please respect copyright.PENANAFXlO3SQUAp
depicted the Gods and their abilities. That was the book Peyton had been after7Please respect copyright.PENANA6P33ivJjZi
when he killed Malcolm and framed Vander for it. After that, Vander took the7Please respect copyright.PENANAf0mvjYlbaf
book and gone on the run. He explained that Jeffery Jilena had stopped him but7Please respect copyright.PENANAm8d6aYWWgv
had let him go. Then he went to the only place he could stay safe, the Orange7Please respect copyright.PENANArcGZ25PWJR
Fox.
“Wait,” Alex held up his hand.7Please respect copyright.PENANAuE9B5apzGq
“Jeffery Jilena let you go? When we chased after you, we found him with his7Please respect copyright.PENANAC6dSbpdZco
body cut to pieces. His murder was blamed on you.”
“Murder?” Vander felt ill. “He let7Please respect copyright.PENANAsMh8uLuIMc
me knock him out so I could escape. He was alive when I left him.”
“Another piece to the puzzle.”7Please respect copyright.PENANAC0YGh6KQzW
Alex hadn’t thought that Vander was truly responsible for the murder, but it7Please respect copyright.PENANAlHhq5WCokI
just added another question to the long line of them.
“That explains why those guards7Please respect copyright.PENANAnQ9lpZtW2t
were so adamant to kill me.” Vander sighed. “Anna must have put a bounty on my7Please respect copyright.PENANATmqGd4sw2J
head in the underground.”
“She had been ordered to cancel7Please respect copyright.PENANAbqTWWN7CWm
it, but it looks as though that hadn’t happened.” Alex growled. “So, what were7Please respect copyright.PENANAzKuDFFAZgb
you doing at that house anyway?”
“That’s the other part of it.”7Please respect copyright.PENANAraNQvTQkmi
Vander explained that he had been under the impression that Peyton was working7Please respect copyright.PENANAmQI4Mc9W0u
with the Serpents to take over Eluvia. So, he used Ross’s vast network to help7Please respect copyright.PENANANpyjpD7Xgy
him find where they were hiding to discover their plan. That safe house was the7Please respect copyright.PENANASdQpnkIONq
latest clue, it was a meeting area where he also discovered someone else was7Please respect copyright.PENANAyTzWLZ8fyy
tracking him down, someone called Fang. He also told Alex that three people had7Please respect copyright.PENANA8YxNXbaBJj
escaped before Vander arrived. They may have gone on a mission, or something7Please respect copyright.PENANAfWoKcY1CDb
spooked him, of which he wasn’t sure.
“It’s a good start.” Alex sighed.7Please respect copyright.PENANA1WnYnqHj3E
“I met with the doctor who checked the bodies. Each one of them had a tattoo on7Please respect copyright.PENANA0UxdGPXimi
their wrist of a coiled snake. I went back to check on Ulysses and Nigel then7Please respect copyright.PENANAkyxrX68vHd
found the same on them. Seems to be their mark.”
“It won’t matter unless we check7Please respect copyright.PENANAZ8KbhEPRbZ
every single person’s wrist.” Vander shook his head. “We need a better way to7Please respect copyright.PENANAUzd3LKSrZp
check, but that’s something that won’t happen until I get to Cuvera.”
“Why not come back with me?” Alex7Please respect copyright.PENANAOKfqXIAttT
asked. The offer was tempting, but he couldn’t risk being thrown in the jail7Please respect copyright.PENANAvG8ievOFqD
cells right now, not when he was so close to unearthing who else was behind the7Please respect copyright.PENANABsBeJNPClH
conspiracy. He couldn’t risk it, not right now. And he told Alex as much.
“I understand.” He opened his7Please respect copyright.PENANAumIZhRGIX7
mouth to say something else, but he was interrupted by a knock on the door.7Please respect copyright.PENANAVDqrMIuAUJ
Both Left and Right were there. They had come to deliver a message. It was time7Please respect copyright.PENANAzfyd7bPNld
for Vander to chance then make his way down in the arena. Nodding his head,7Please respect copyright.PENANAyRSoYXAhLK
Vander accepted the package in their hands then closed the door.
“You’re fighting?” Alex’s jaw7Please respect copyright.PENANA2ps6umyofe
dropped. He was setting himself up to be seen, for his enemies to know where he7Please respect copyright.PENANALR5nITaGMU
was. This was insane.
“It was Ross’s payment for letting7Please respect copyright.PENANARTwQarhT1O
me stay here.” Vander walked into the bathroom to get changed. He had been7Please respect copyright.PENANAfqJ9yq0FXC
given a white tank top, some raggedy brown pants and a mask to put over his7Please respect copyright.PENANAVIZOPkoHCW
face.
Whoever crafted7Please respect copyright.PENANACt8EipRVRP
it was quite skilled: it was a white mask that had been painted to resemble a7Please respect copyright.PENANAIIuvufVWGQ
wolf’s face. He knew that the clothing was made on purpose. It would make him7Please respect copyright.PENANA00c2Z5I62h
look like someone who needed the money but would give to those watching a show.7Please respect copyright.PENANASYeYsMCR2o
With the white they would be able to see if he was injured and how badly. The7Please respect copyright.PENANAIR35MCHU38
crowds loved the sign of blood, they always did.
“Stay tonight.”7Please respect copyright.PENANAQbH9LyHVGH
Vander said as he walked from the bathroom. “I have a feeling I may need you7Please respect copyright.PENANAyiCb4VVDRu
there.”
“I understand.”7Please respect copyright.PENANACLLzEXzzpf
He could sense his friend’s reservations about letting him fight, but there was7Please respect copyright.PENANAvfY898Imnt
no choice, and he knew that. Right and Left were still outside the door waiting7Please respect copyright.PENANAEZu035SORC
to escort him downstairs. Vander slipped the mask over his face then followed7Please respect copyright.PENANAExe3OwIAN9
them down.
The crowd was7Please respect copyright.PENANA6TmQO1SBzq
already in full force, cheering for blood at the lower leveled bouts. The7Please respect copyright.PENANAzQS01NqUIN
drinks had already been flowing as some had passed out leaning up against the7Please respect copyright.PENANAQgCmV239Yl
wall with a drink still in their hands. The two bodyguards were immovable7Please respect copyright.PENANAZf41QkEFZM
objects surrounding Vander as multiple people were trying to get their hands on7Please respect copyright.PENANAD5rKHzW2Qq
him before his fight. Right pushed several people away then barked a warning to7Please respect copyright.PENANA7GrqPYJH3R
the others: Ross would skin them alive if anything happened to his fighter. A7Please respect copyright.PENANAA78adbo1UL
cold, calculated threat, but not one anyone would risk. So, they kept their7Please respect copyright.PENANAK3jT8Pd5bu
hands to themselves.
Suddenly a sudden7Please respect copyright.PENANAfHWeJVH69u
scent of blood hit Vander’s nose then the crowd erupted into cheers. He saw7Please respect copyright.PENANAO0SQR8E4qP
Ross standing up from his podium throwing his hands up into the air. “And there7Please respect copyright.PENANABTSpuivhza
you have it! You have your winner!” There was quite a bit of cheering, but7Please respect copyright.PENANAxc5tmJ3CPR
there was a lot of cursing involved. Seems as though a lot of people gambled on7Please respect copyright.PENANAUTyjreVLal
the opponent to win. Looking over the edge, Vander saw a young kid standing7Please respect copyright.PENANAzYW4gq0nF1
over the body of an adult. The adult was breathing as the medical staff ran out7Please respect copyright.PENANABGdNkEZXIG
to remove him, but Vander knew that man was likely going to die. The kid was7Please respect copyright.PENANAbizNisQ5TK
led out by one of Ross’s servants.
“And now for your7Please respect copyright.PENANA3Zukknt9Co
final bout of the night!” Ross motioned for Vander to get up next to him. The7Please respect copyright.PENANAARLQYNRORL
crowd grew quiet as he walked up to stand next to his protector. “He is a new7Please respect copyright.PENANA4NStz33Eyk
fighter, but still skilled. I bring you, the Wolf.” No one cheered for him,7Please respect copyright.PENANAYzD1n58W0b
just gave him curious glances. Vander felt a little self-conscious standing7Please respect copyright.PENANAmMAqeIsi2S
there, but this was all part of the show, he just had to do his part. “Now his7Please respect copyright.PENANAXkadh8lX0J
opponent has been thirsting for a worthy opponent and winning here would give7Please respect copyright.PENANAMqoyKMzXPK
him a chance to fight the bear, slaughterer of thousands. I bring you, the Sword!”
A door in the7Please respect copyright.PENANAEVcpl102mc
arena was thrown open and a large shirtless man walked through holding his7Please respect copyright.PENANAzsPSOzpOpo
massive sword above his head. The man was shirtless, wearing a similar ragged7Please respect copyright.PENANAbxgKPbNCfV
pants, and a mask with a sword painted on it. The crowd erupted chanting his7Please respect copyright.PENANAsjY5RWIyYj
name. Despite knowing that he would win, Vander couldn’t help but feel a little7Please respect copyright.PENANA9ik9sFZ4Nk
intimidated.
“This is a fight7Please respect copyright.PENANAnEVI8beHWz
to the death!” Ross shouted. Vander spun around as if this hadn’t been part of7Please respect copyright.PENANAmcrcvmJdMF
their arraignment, but all he got was an apologetic shrug and a smile. Vander7Please respect copyright.PENANAoKNhTSuVxr
vowed he would get Ross back for this, but for now he had to focus on the7Please respect copyright.PENANAo5lKrI47lW
challenge at hand. Without waiting for a prompt, Vander stepped off the podium7Please respect copyright.PENANACFzqv0fKxH
then jumped down into the arena below. Sword tilted his head in7Please respect copyright.PENANAQIOaZ2CYxx
acknowledgement. The crowd cheered as the two combatants circled each other7Please respect copyright.PENANAftcMKmSr38
warily.
“You don’t look7Please respect copyright.PENANAHm7QEcb4dt
strong.” Sword taunted. “In fact, you look like someone who prefers to lay on7Please respect copyright.PENANAE65oXkwWZf
their back all night. What do you think? Should I fuck you before I kill you?”
“You must be7Please respect copyright.PENANAHhTr3vJXM9
nervous if all you can do is talk.” Vander snorted. “Now let’s get this done,7Please respect copyright.PENANATyN1gSDAmT
I’m getting bored.”
“You’ll regret7Please respect copyright.PENANA5ry5NlBRbQ
that runt.” The man shouted then charged towards him swinging his sword.
One of the7Please respect copyright.PENANAt6m3RSaQNP
instructions Vander had given before his bout was that he had to drag it out as7Please respect copyright.PENANAWoWTH5QHnM
much as possible. No one liked a quick fight. They wanted blood and a lot of7Please respect copyright.PENANAwpC6yh6NuT
it. He would have to hold himself back as this was a regular human. He would7Please respect copyright.PENANAGG4Qos8SHf
fold like an omelet if Vander hit him with his powers. This would prove to be a7Please respect copyright.PENANA9eYNVUYCpo
challenge, which was why he found himself unarmed.
Vander ducked7Please respect copyright.PENANAR2PrN9sTeb
under the sword swing, but the man’s knee came up catching him in the chin.7Please respect copyright.PENANAHl40oO6I20
Vander stumbled backwards as the other foot caught him in the stomach knocking7Please respect copyright.PENANAInfnGvD1BK
him to the ground. He quickly rolled away as the sword pounded the ground where7Please respect copyright.PENANAGSKW9h97Ci
he had just been. Vander got up, grabbed a fist full of dirt, then tossed it at7Please respect copyright.PENANAnUQZ9aMs2q
his opponent. As he struggled to remove the dirt, Vander tackled him around the7Please respect copyright.PENANAj14acwIasA
stomach bringing them both to the ground. He began punching down at the face,7Please respect copyright.PENANAp1KKRB3x7R
but he was purposely going slow. Sword was able to block most of them before7Please respect copyright.PENANAdHi0boTXnR
bucking Vander off and into the ground.
“You’re good I’ll7Please respect copyright.PENANAfHIlXCD7b7
give you that, but this is where it ends.” The man lifted his sword and went to7Please respect copyright.PENANAD3hGFvaU36
stab down at Vander, but before either of them could move, three daggers flew7Please respect copyright.PENANAuFr3oHzIxR
from the crowd and hit him in the chest. “What?” Blood spurted from his mouth7Please respect copyright.PENANACABs3CxKXb
as he fell over backwards, dead. The crowd muttered to themselves wondering7Please respect copyright.PENANAKRktiXikt2
what the hell had just happened. The smell of Applewood filled the arena, and7Please respect copyright.PENANAuIGXVl3BW3
he knew what was going on.
“Ross, you need7Please respect copyright.PENANAtOcknuITP3
to get everyone out of here.” Vander shouted. He scrambled for the sword as7Please respect copyright.PENANA2jCCl9w9jj
three people jumped down in the arena with him. Each of them was heavily armed7Please respect copyright.PENANA9hzg33Xmsm
and wearing leather armor. He didn’t recognize either of them, but if they were7Please respect copyright.PENANAaAeXye2l3l
here, they were probably Serpents.
“Vander, the7Please respect copyright.PENANA28kHuaAk8f
Blade Captain.” One of the Serpents said. They had hoods pulled over their7Please respect copyright.PENANAbplNROJuUd
heads, but it wouldn’t be enough to keep him from seeing their faces.7Please respect copyright.PENANA0QwGsozyYj
Tragically he didn’t know any of them.
“You’ll pay for7Please respect copyright.PENANA88ZC1SV5vk
what you did to our comrades.” Said another. “Then our contract will be7Please respect copyright.PENANAqUHq1QnVSB
complete.”
“Who hired you?”7Please respect copyright.PENANAP83VC1ussR
Vander shouted. He eyed the sword his opponent had been wielding. He wouldn’t7Please respect copyright.PENANAQ7cxNm9xhF
be able to survive without it, but it was so far away. He would have to be7Please respect copyright.PENANAdtmomRyxsx
careful.
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“No reason to7Please respect copyright.PENANAaATFpQuxQD
tell a dead man.” The Serpents drew their knives and lunged at him. Vander7Please respect copyright.PENANAdbQsnVlesJ
brought his arms up to protect himself. This was going to be tough.