Chapter 27
If you’ve never133Please respect copyright.PENANA4mvba7N0pw
been inside the mind of a raven, you were missing out. They are one of the133Please respect copyright.PENANAFtYD33SBL6
smartest birds in the world capable of remembering faces and understanding a133Please respect copyright.PENANAxtqpQM2Ntk
semblance of human speech. However, when Vander was inside, he understood133Please respect copyright.PENANAooH5ujyffk
everything around him, knew what the bird knew, and could get into places he133Please respect copyright.PENANAZVB6rE7Yfl
otherwise couldn’t. The only issue was if the consciousness of the creature he133Please respect copyright.PENANAs1K5jEsKEi
was inhabiting decided to fight back, he could be forcibly shoved back into his133Please respect copyright.PENANAtVs8t8Lx6d
own body or, in a worst-case scenario, he could be lost forever. However it was133Please respect copyright.PENANAJ8Vq32cyOG
a risk he needed to take and so far, the raven wasn’t fighting him though he133Please respect copyright.PENANAwceK2MSVg1
was angry. Vander had to promise him some food before he would finally settle133Please respect copyright.PENANA3fRayknb7j
down.
Vander flapped133Please respect copyright.PENANAasuByWw7ee
his wings then jumped from the rooftop. He caught an air current to glid over133Please respect copyright.PENANAkP0H0ePjRs
the heads of the gathered soldiers trying to keep the crowds back away from the133Please respect copyright.PENANAkdUpqiubLj
crime scene. Some of them had taken their spears butts to the citizens to get133Please respect copyright.PENANAljXJh7rfop
them to stay away, but that made some of them angry. It took one of the Blades133Please respect copyright.PENANApP7n1N0bSo
to come over to calm the crowd down before they calmed down enough, but they133Please respect copyright.PENANA7zIX9QVLI5
were still near the edge peering through just to see what was going on.
He found a perch133Please respect copyright.PENANA2JLp1CDXjR
on top of the house that would enable him to see his surroundings but also133Please respect copyright.PENANAlRVCNTULqu
listen to what was being said inside. He hopped forward, grabbing hold of the133Please respect copyright.PENANAOjsiMvGp1m
siding with his talons, and peered over the edge looking into the house via the133Please respect copyright.PENANAay09p1yPDD
window above the door. If anyone looked above, they would have seen just his133Please respect copyright.PENANAnvnik99qhl
head and beady little eyes, but the occupants were too distracted by the133Please respect copyright.PENANAngXiGde5Wp
carnage he had left behind.
The blood had133Please respect copyright.PENANA1L4pBAiDWV
dried overnight, but the people inside walked over it as if it was. There was a133Please respect copyright.PENANAkUg5Ga3xkI
medic inside making sure the bodies were dead. It wasn’t Topal, but one of his133Please respect copyright.PENANA25e39UUrFC
students that Vander didn’t recognize. He was carefully checking the bodies133Please respect copyright.PENANAwCAWgKLx0Y
then would nod to one of the soldiers who would then grab a buddy and together133Please respect copyright.PENANA46qyeFA3Mj
the two of them would bring one of the bodies outside. Then they would bring a133Please respect copyright.PENANA9mdK1ky7YZ
tarp to place over the dead to hide them from the crowd. It happened six times133Please respect copyright.PENANAXMsir2qAFm
in total. Vander had to double take because he was sure that seven of them been133Please respect copyright.PENANArFrzZXqBFJ
killed, but after double counting then peering back inside, there was indeed133Please respect copyright.PENANAKQJGGKg5NY
only six bodies. He would have to investigate that later.
He heard some of133Please respect copyright.PENANAg3rwTp7Ixv
the guards talking inside. “What a waste of life.” One muttered to themselves.133Please respect copyright.PENANAwqRYqAYJCl
“What do you think happened here?”
“We don’t get133Please respect copyright.PENANA59krXr9BMt
paid to ask questions.” That other snorted. But he looked around nervously133Please respect copyright.PENANAJvG4aONEpB
before whispering to his friend. “I bet it was that traitorous Blade that did133Please respect copyright.PENANAAigyszkUib
this.” The other guard looked warily at his friend.
“How do you133Please respect copyright.PENANA2MATklWjZX
figure?”
“One of these133Please respect copyright.PENANAhEqOD1JZgr
people had their throat completely ripped out.” The other explained. “That’s133Please respect copyright.PENANAu8z4ilf457
not possible without a lot of strength. I’ve only ever seen animals do that and133Please respect copyright.PENANAymDGxUgrB4
I don’t think a bear came into down, slaughtered six people, then left never to133Please respect copyright.PENANAri6BJI5d8H
be seen again.”
“I guess that133Please respect copyright.PENANAaMTOvtnKAF
makes sense.” The second guard didn’t sound convinced, however. “But why would133Please respect copyright.PENANAppOGkKTVXy
he come here to kill these people? It makes no sense.”
“Like killing the133Please respect copyright.PENANAGNryzd6g7m
King made sense?” the first guard spat. “The sooner we find this guy, the133Please respect copyright.PENANA6QFrQHyd93
sooner we can bury him. Bastard deserves to hang for what he did.” Unknown to133Please respect copyright.PENANAiwqsFmRpfQ
all involved, they failed to notice a squad of Blades coming up behind them.133Please respect copyright.PENANAQQGoFK7Qb8
Vander looked up to see Alexander coming with a few Blades Vander didn’t133Please respect copyright.PENANAQE0b2gfLqo
recognize. They were likely from one of the squads that came with the Warden’s.133Please respect copyright.PENANADX3Gks2Wz0
He couldn’t help but wonder where the recruits went.
Alex looked like133Please respect copyright.PENANAINq4KUVfRF
shit. His eyes were sunken in, and he had allowed his beard to grow long and133Please respect copyright.PENANAtLI8wl2mCc
thick. His clothes were unkept, despite Blade regulation, but his eyes were133Please respect copyright.PENANACbkhO9gfgL
still sharp. He had come in at the tail end of the guard’s conversation, so he133Please respect copyright.PENANA8RErAWHZBv
let himself be known by growling right behind them.
“If you two have133Please respect copyright.PENANAtS0vshob7E
time to gossip, you have time to stand investigate the house.” He spoke.133Please respect copyright.PENANA76bYjiMx81
Normally his size and demeanor were enough to get most men to do what he133Please respect copyright.PENANAWMvrZknV80
wanted, but that didn’t seem to work here.
“You’re not in133Please respect copyright.PENANAQBCHfT54Vc
charge of us, Blade.” The first guard hissed. The way he said it made Vander133Please respect copyright.PENANAdtVTu7UUOv
angry. It appears he wasn’t the only one as the Blades with Alex went for their133Please respect copyright.PENANAwsprP8Bs2n
swords. They stayed their hand once Alex motioned for them to stop. “We don’t133Please respect copyright.PENANAg0jiD0NvpX
take orders from those who let the King die.”
“You’ll take133Please respect copyright.PENANAMVzRWnuk7N
orders from me whether you like it or not.” Alex’s voice was calm, but he was133Please respect copyright.PENANAyvDnAeGRqT
seconds away from violently lashing out. Vander could tell based on how he133Please respect copyright.PENANAhZZ2E0MhWg
clenched his hand. “Until the King decrees otherwise you will help us find133Please respect copyright.PENANAylb3Mm8Mq4
Vander and bring him in.”
“Our General says133Please respect copyright.PENANAKQvU4PDcVU
otherwise.” The second guard said. “We are only here as per our duty, but after133Please respect copyright.PENANAh9ODf68m2S
the bodies are taken out, you’re on your own.”
“Coward.” One of133Please respect copyright.PENANAVMpjB20WIt
the Blade’s spat. At that insult, the two guards drew their weapons as did the133Please respect copyright.PENANAJKPNPAh4o1
guards who were supposed to be keeping the crowd back.
“That wasn’t very133Please respect copyright.PENANAABwGw5Ix5F
smart of you.” The first guard growled. “You’re surrounded and outnumbered.133Please respect copyright.PENANADZytXbw25X
What’s another dead Blade in the grand scheme of things?”
“Enough of this.”133Please respect copyright.PENANALWXP6orV6F
Alex’s voice bellowed out. He turned towards the Blade who let his emotions get133Please respect copyright.PENANAPte3xpDDeI
the better of him. “Apologize so we can get on with our days.”
“But…” Alex’s133Please respect copyright.PENANAb8rATDlLRR
glare dried the excuse in the poor man’s throat. He lowered his head, but not133Please respect copyright.PENANAkn9Y3U8ojm
his eyes, and muttered a quick apology. Knowing better than to start a scene,133Please respect copyright.PENANAF6ezr19Icz
the guard accepted it, but kept his eyes firmly rooted on Alex as he sheathed133Please respect copyright.PENANA1Uf0Bx52A3
his Blade.
“You have minutes133Please respect copyright.PENANAigAJ6NNovZ
to get what you need the clear out.” The guard said. “This is our133Please respect copyright.PENANAdjen99pNAM
investigation, not yours.”
“I understand, we133Please respect copyright.PENANAcvNi8H7kkI
will be quick.” Nodding to the others, they dispersed. Some of them headed133Please respect copyright.PENANA6kiGg9Xsqk
inside to look around while two of them checked the dead bodies. Alex stayed133Please respect copyright.PENANA6hlS2hcIRi
outside surveying the crowd. Suddenly Vander was very happy that he had picked133Please respect copyright.PENANAJxQ88qSWKR
the raven to take over instead of going into the crowd himself. He knew that no133Please respect copyright.PENANACFIzqzZBfO
matter the disguise, Alex would be able to tell who he was.
One of the Blades133Please respect copyright.PENANAjByCpr40Jb
outside called over to Alex. He quicky rushed over. Vander could catch some133Please respect copyright.PENANAkvpaAk9VO8
words of that passed between the two of them. They commented about one of them133Please respect copyright.PENANAr30A6sQyyM
having their throat ripped out, which Alex admitted was likely Vander’s doing.133Please respect copyright.PENANAxLuwHhNGKk
However, the intriguing part was when the two of them discovered snake tattoos133Please respect copyright.PENANAkqnXoK0QLy
on all their arms. Alex nodded to himself before stepping away calling the133Please respect copyright.PENANAruSHFB4DFj
guards back to take the bodies away. He then went inside to see what the others133Please respect copyright.PENANAOOej7Yw5a0
may or may not have found.
Vander couldn’t133Please respect copyright.PENANAH4ubcGrKaK
really tell what was being said inside. They were talking low to one another133Please respect copyright.PENANAvE6fdrWaeT
while looking at a scroll that they discovered shoved inside the table. Vander133Please respect copyright.PENANAB6SMtWYI6J
shifted slightly to get a better view. It looked like a map of the city, but it133Please respect copyright.PENANA7mriO7Cuo7
wasn’t anything that he recognized. He would need to get his talons on that133Please respect copyright.PENANATSXS4VfDQD
scroll, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He would have to try to133Please respect copyright.PENANAUmQOpiRuBj
take it from his friend at some point in time. Vander heard a squawk coming133Please respect copyright.PENANAoBwtPlZe8K
from behind him. He turned around to see a large, angry raven flapping behind133Please respect copyright.PENANApwcPb1ziu6
him. He was instantly filled with fear from the raven he was inhabiting. He133Please respect copyright.PENANAHFMuXGHBUn
guessed the two of them had an issue before which caused the raven, he133Please respect copyright.PENANApXnGTZaT5N
inhabited to flee afraid.
As the other133Please respect copyright.PENANAQdEJaZrTtT
raven attacked, Vander pushed himself out of the body and back into his own.133Please respect copyright.PENANAtCzdzRhP4D
The sudden jolt to being back in a human being, on the ground, caused him to133Please respect copyright.PENANA8FDFG0MF8E
violently throw himself over so he could vomit onto the cobblestone instead of133Please respect copyright.PENANAGFkG4uQ7aM
onto his clothing. He looked up to see the two birds entwined in a death grip133Please respect copyright.PENANAYoCqgs5svF
violently stabbing and clawing at each other. The smaller one he had been apart133Please respect copyright.PENANAaehNRSmf6k
from was losing, but his pride didn’t allow him to quit. He had to do133Please respect copyright.PENANA1NGqkREqGm
something, so he grabbed a rock.
He popped out133Please respect copyright.PENANA1V045tCQOs
from behind his hiding spot then launched the rock at the bigger bird. With a133Please respect copyright.PENANAc6pIxPU1zH
cry, the big raven fell to the ground stunned, possibly dead. The sudden rock133Please respect copyright.PENANAjavr52hGYj
being thrown combined with the dropped bird causing some members of the crowd133Please respect copyright.PENANA9ugwerbNkM
to turn towards him. Some were confused, but a couple recognized him.
“It’s the King133Please respect copyright.PENANAYHfihswHTT
killer!” one of them shouted, pointing at him. Some of the guards began133Please respect copyright.PENANAWbaw6CX4Qw
shouting to pass, but the crowd pushed forward.
“Someone grab133Please respect copyright.PENANAuOJUGBNRy3
him!” Two citizens lunged forward, but Vander jumped backwards. He grabbed a133Please respect copyright.PENANAcirs0jdfDA
box then threw it at someone who had broken through hitting them right in the133Please respect copyright.PENANAbsaxQ96TSA
face. Vander backed up towards the wall then jumped up, grabbing the top with133Please respect copyright.PENANAvhGSXKRQo0
his hand to haul himself over. Before he disappeared, he locked eyes with Alex133Please respect copyright.PENANA6UjoI7vsjj
before disappearing.
He heard shouting133Please respect copyright.PENANAorIlcBSlBG
coming from behind him, but he wasted no time running back towards the gate133Please respect copyright.PENANATrAKb87v5S
which would lead him into Lower Eluvia. He just had to make it there before he133Please respect copyright.PENANA8BoSx6wBmW
was caught then everything would be okay. What he didn’t realize though was133Please respect copyright.PENANAKLMT6oqCbK
that the road he was running down intersected with the road that mob was coming133Please respect copyright.PENANA4vk7byWIXp
down. He heard them running towards him, which caused him to run as fast as he133Please respect copyright.PENANAMx2G3j6Hc9
could. Tragically he ended up running into another group of guards who had133Please respect copyright.PENANAmfpE34zt4R
heard the commotion.
“Well look who we133Please respect copyright.PENANAw8rjlG9uBj
have here?” One of them grinned. A metal fist came flying towards Vander’s133Please respect copyright.PENANAIPPsdjddih
face. It hit his jaw sending waves of pain throughout his mouth, likely133Please respect copyright.PENANAsMFqUhRck4
knocking a couple of teeth loose. He fell to the ground, but scrambled133Please respect copyright.PENANADDbV2tQ1Ak
backwards as the guards drew their swords.
“Did you know133Please respect copyright.PENANAjx9wGp4sTK
there is a bounty on your head?” one asked with an evil glint in his eyes. “The133Please respect copyright.PENANAYqYh6JQXtt
Jilena family has offered quite the reward for your head.” Vander looked at the133Please respect copyright.PENANA0inUqgULfP
group confused. He didn’t know why the Jilena family cared so much about the133Please respect copyright.PENANAszqcfk8LyH
king’s murder that they would go against Cuvera’s wishes. He didn’t have to133Please respect copyright.PENANA9iA9WqXDx7
wonder long as the guards were apparently quite chatty.
“They are blaming133Please respect copyright.PENANAneghMtxSua
you for the death of their youngest son.” Vander’s blood ran cold. Jeffery was133Please respect copyright.PENANAQefzbO0rlJ
dead? But he had let him go, there was no reason for him to be killed.
“I had no reason133Please respect copyright.PENANAckGju5Eohg
to kill him.” Vander argued.
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“Rumor has it133Please respect copyright.PENANAjl3akQWMOZ
that he tried to stop you, so you ran him through.” The guard shrugged. “Makes133Please respect copyright.PENANA4wpqhBlQfd
no difference to me. With the money we will finally be able to retire in133Please respect copyright.PENANACGIOkc0tV3
peace.” Vander scooted backwards as the guards lunged towards him with their133Please respect copyright.PENANAPbkNgXy6UJ
swords readied to skewer him.