Chapter 24
Vander hated the rain. It had112Please respect copyright.PENANAwpvYhHwAX5
rained ever since the first night he had fled into the Orange Fox after the112Please respect copyright.PENANAm6BJnO61BQ
King had been assassinated by Peyton Cranton, but he had taken the fall. He had112Please respect copyright.PENANACbZVgjIdrq
been forced into hiding like a rat while the person who had gotten away with112Please respect copyright.PENANAplBaLyORLA
lived like a King, manipulating everything around him.
The council wasted no time dubbing112Please respect copyright.PENANA0TOxQiz8pI
him a criminal and giving him a bounty of five hundred thousand gold coins for112Please respect copyright.PENANAGERGG9CNcP
his capture. Wanted posters had gone up on every corner and every house within112Please respect copyright.PENANAgAFLv2aIvK
the outer ring. He was a pariah in his own city. Within the first few days he112Please respect copyright.PENANA0xQDZOCbZ4
had decided that he would take matters into his own hands. He would act and112Please respect copyright.PENANA4xE6d5Ggb4
gather the evidence he needed to clear his name then bring Peyton to justice.112Please respect copyright.PENANAnz3wvE1VHc
Weeks of careful investigation had brought him here, to a single story house112Please respect copyright.PENANAvrHjC8PDaQ
close to the Northern District.
Rain splashed112Please respect copyright.PENANA2UP2KU1MUW
down around him as lightning crackled above. The hairs on his arm rose due to112Please respect copyright.PENANADpwuTNUEZZ
the static in the air. Any wrong move could draw attention to where he was112Please respect copyright.PENANAZWIRH4cQqj
hiding, and he did not want Rolous to see him. He held his breath while112Please respect copyright.PENANAN8SM1uRLUQ
stilling his heartbeat hoping against all odds that he would stay unseen. He112Please respect copyright.PENANAAPoPdaVXsd
watched as people ran for cover, but his eyes were focused on one house where112Please respect copyright.PENANArYhEalBCUa
his intelligence told him a group of Green Serpents were hiding out. Over the112Please respect copyright.PENANApsn4Z3ExuF
past several nights he made a mental note of how many people entered the house112Please respect copyright.PENANAuJYIQWoPCX
as well as how many had left. Tonight, must have been a special night because112Please respect copyright.PENANAx02XmygJ45
ten people had gone into a house where only three would normally fit. It was112Please respect copyright.PENANA4R9g0jwUxx
time to move.
The man dropped down from his112Please respect copyright.PENANAUaY0SJYcwN
perch, the roof of the house opposite to his target, and landed on the ground112Please respect copyright.PENANAPaEolOcDIi
with barely a noise. The shadows clung to him as he crouched then ran his way112Please respect copyright.PENANAofQzcF5vVt
across the street. Luckily it was dark, and no one would be out on the street112Please respect copyright.PENANAKx2BB5Taap
this late at night. He didn’t want to have to ruin some poor soul’s night112Please respect copyright.PENANAOX1O84ksbR
because he was careless. He ran towards the door then placed his ear against112Please respect copyright.PENANAtoUZwasoQ8
the hoping to hear what was being said.
“We have new orders from Fang,” a112Please respect copyright.PENANAfRIHEY9yNi
woman whispered. She was a few floors down, but with his hearing he had no112Please respect copyright.PENANAeSe5f0o5Ma
problem making out what was being said. He had discovered Fang a couple of112Please respect copyright.PENANAU0Ys2unx1Y
weeks ago during his first raid, but he didn’t know who they were. However, it112Please respect copyright.PENANAxSXncvboLg
seemed as though they gave the orders to the Serpents in the city. They were112Please respect copyright.PENANAzVoIbEikU0
the ones he needed to reach to gain any information.
“What are they?” someone asked.
“Seems as though out benefactor112Please respect copyright.PENANAOtIGJBjZm3
has told them that we need to capture the missing Blade, Vander, alive.” She112Please respect copyright.PENANAdCLx3gcKEC
explained. “We only have a couple of weeks. What should we do?”
He listened as they began112Please respect copyright.PENANAKtvWlLPSTC
brainstorming all the way they could find Vander. Some of the ideas were crazy.112Please respect copyright.PENANAOVoXus8ck3
Someone suggested they go door to door and threaten the lives of everyone112Please respect copyright.PENANAWh6WGgATHp
inside to see if they knew anything. Another mentioned going to visit Julianna112Please respect copyright.PENANARTzDy2OZMD
since the two of them had been close, she might have an idea where he was112Please respect copyright.PENANArMfwSN3uxT
hiding out. A third mentioned going to Ross and paying him for the information.112Please respect copyright.PENANAMpnhM2OlWI
Unknown to all inside, that was the only way they would be able to find Vander,112Please respect copyright.PENANA1HrqsPiiVV
but they would never get the chance to find out. He would deal with them right112Please respect copyright.PENANAYcT0EiFswP
now.
He quickly looked through the112Please respect copyright.PENANAtii3ac7ykR
cracks to find two guards standing there with their backs to the door. Only112Please respect copyright.PENANAkOQeuY1R5L
novices wouldn’t be outside to guard the door, even if they didn’t want to draw112Please respect copyright.PENANA2Ydgys7AP4
attention to themselves. This was foolish, so he decided to teach them a112Please respect copyright.PENANAvoUZipViAU
lesson.
He carefully walked away from the112Please respect copyright.PENANA8wfRZYOQHa
door then steeled himself as he charged forward. He shoulders check the door112Please respect copyright.PENANAC5bPNl4QgZ
causing it to fly off its hinges. Normally people would have shattered their112Please respect copyright.PENANACsxroqDl0w
shoulders, but he wasn’t normal. He was blessed with the powers of Unna and the112Please respect copyright.PENANA4OAe9JUzqq
demon inside craved blood.
“Intru…” One of the guards shouted112Please respect copyright.PENANA0DiPioojqg
out, but he didn’t get far. Vander shoved a dagger in his neck silencing him112Please respect copyright.PENANAnx0JpjwqX9
almost immediately. The other guard didn’t have time to draw their sword before112Please respect copyright.PENANApOKeb4LdbK
Vander was upon him tearing out his neck with bare hands. As blood dripped down112Please respect copyright.PENANAOU0yNrB3hm
from the cartilage, Vander threw it at the next person who came up the stairs112Please respect copyright.PENANA5usWIL8bDE
that had been dug through the floor. They cried out as blood splattered their112Please respect copyright.PENANArA08nHr95J
eyes, but they wouldn’t have the chance to wipe it off. Vander jumped, kicking112Please respect copyright.PENANAKDolE70Jp8
him down the stairs, sending them both into the darkness below.
He landed on the blinded man’s112Please respect copyright.PENANA5GVPQWbViz
chest. He heard the satisfying crunch as bone shattered, breaking his back. Vander112Please respect copyright.PENANA9eU8ghOsXF
heard the heart stop beating as the final breath left the man’s body. Vander112Please respect copyright.PENANAfvRWXhM8Tq
looked up at the Serpents who looked shocked, but it would wear sooner rather112Please respect copyright.PENANAVXCsOLwq7n
than later. He was lucky that they had cornered themselves into a very small112Please respect copyright.PENANA5UG05Pqyuu
room or this would have gone badly.
“Damn it.” The female speaker drew112Please respect copyright.PENANA2TRziAkjsT
her sword. “It’s him. Don’t just stand there, kill him!”
Vander lunged forward grabbing the112Please respect copyright.PENANA07kDXkLfug
closest person’s face then slamming them against the wall. He quickly removed112Please respect copyright.PENANAO05YhgJJT1
his dagger, gave three quick stabs in his chest, before tossing him into112Please respect copyright.PENANANf5zDfgRfm
someone else. The two bodies collided then fell onto the ground. He ducked as112Please respect copyright.PENANAntBrRyZkto
the female swung her sword at his head. The sword collided with a wooden shelf,112Please respect copyright.PENANA9gF7k8riLt
but she pulled it out rather effortlessly. He jumped forward, but she was112Please respect copyright.PENANAjgBzaKN7Kh
waiting for him. She dropped the sword then met him head on.
She was stronger than she looked.112Please respect copyright.PENANAKMwREO5N3y
She grabbed him by the shoulders and started to walk forward. He could feel his112Please respect copyright.PENANA8EzvrHhrXc
feet dragging backwards. She grinned at him, then taunted him by calling him112Please respect copyright.PENANAqLwWq1XyYl
weak and a pushover. The demon couldn’t stand being belittled so it whispered112Please respect copyright.PENANAxv8HDIg69F
into Vander’s ear telling him to tear her throat out. He ignored the whisper.112Please respect copyright.PENANAYiO3Jbar8W
Instead, he grabbed her then pulled her towards him knocking her off balance.112Please respect copyright.PENANA6PDxMkYnl2
He fell backwards, bringing his foot up into her stomach, then threw her over112Please respect copyright.PENANA1jbrGg6T7E
his head. She landed on the man Vander had previously knocked over.
“Bastard.” A sword swung down112Please respect copyright.PENANARUCLujlfaz
aiming to split Vander in half. He brought his hands up clapping down on the112Please respect copyright.PENANAT26RjAlFgI
weapon. He felt the edge bite into the palms of his hand, but the gift he had112Please respect copyright.PENANAq28pu0739A
would heal them with minimal scaring. Vander’s leg lashed out at the fingers112Please respect copyright.PENANA95xErjNQWU
holding the sword. He heard a satisfying crunch followed by a scream as the man112Please respect copyright.PENANAhU3hgCp1Lk
stumbled backwards holding his broken fingers.
Vander spun to his feet then swung112Please respect copyright.PENANANSSTaDPEVM
the sword hilt into the man’s jaw. He involuntarily spun around as pieces of112Please respect copyright.PENANAWV6C0RosJa
teeth flew from his mouth clattering onto the ground. He fell to his knees112Please respect copyright.PENANAWK8HhqCQIF
clutching his mouth as blood flowed freely between his mangled fingers.
He quickly surveyed the scene112Please respect copyright.PENANAelOZyH4BgM
around him. Two were still trying to get to their feet, four had been killed,112Please respect copyright.PENANA1EGfXnpix8
and one was out of commission for the time being. That left three unaccounted112Please respect copyright.PENANAyQA6zkQQBV
for. He could see them downstairs, but there was nowhere else they could have112Please respect copyright.PENANAIfCuec2UqX
gone unless there was another hidden path leading out of the house towards the112Please respect copyright.PENANAlUKO22KRWy
streets of Eluvia. He would have to see where the path led, but first he had to112Please respect copyright.PENANAVlFS7Q6ipL
deal with the survivors.
Vander flipped the sword around112Please respect copyright.PENANAT1iksVaxkJ
catching it out of midair. The man with the broken jaw didn’t put up a fight as112Please respect copyright.PENANArv3vwSM3vf
he shoved the tip through the man’s neck. Blood gurgled from his mouth as112Please respect copyright.PENANA9BcyZkVHh3
saliva and blood blended. Vander kicked the sword free ignoring as his enemy112Please respect copyright.PENANAijs1avOOLc
drowned in his own blood.
The two made it to their feet, but112Please respect copyright.PENANAandtbb7zOy
they looked nervously at each other as they looked over the carnage surrounding112Please respect copyright.PENANAwTL8cayw1u
them. He had only been down here for a few minutes, but five of them were112Please respect copyright.PENANAHsuXxH9eQ6
already dead. It didn’t bode well for them, but they would have been a disgrace112Please respect copyright.PENANAer6WRKSvjs
to their reputation if they surrendered. The two of them exchanged glances112Please respect copyright.PENANAdawYHgYqEC
before charging Vander.
He brought his sword up to block a112Please respect copyright.PENANAFSAzW0AhxE
strike then kicked the other person away from him. He lunged to the side making112Please respect copyright.PENANATNM3V5H0Zv
sure to keep both of his enemies either next to or in front of each other. They112Please respect copyright.PENANApb4MqpI3CG
were hesitant to attack while their partner was on the way, which made his job112Please respect copyright.PENANAGT9gW9YMVk
a lot easier. As he blocked another sword strike, he grabbed a dagger from his112Please respect copyright.PENANAklLgdOuNDI
belt and shoved it through her wrists sticking them together. She dropped the112Please respect copyright.PENANAjGiVXSax24
sword as she screamed in pain. He removed the dagger then jammed it through the112Please respect copyright.PENANAuc5JkgSjky
top of her head. Her eyes rolled back as she slumped over, dead.
As the last Serpent screamed,112Please respect copyright.PENANAY4N9oItYwe
Vander spun around and thrust the sword through the space between his arm and112Please respect copyright.PENANALzp7kwzDzK
ribs skewering the Serpent on the Blade. Something wet and sticky hit Vander’s112Please respect copyright.PENANAa3eHZYkiiB
back as the body fell into him. Sighing to himself, Vander removed the weapon112Please respect copyright.PENANAU2QIZUFu9E
from his enemy’s chest and stepped out from underneath him. The body hit the112Please respect copyright.PENANAS29qCSdcvo
ground with a splat. Now that there was no one around him posing a threat to112Please respect copyright.PENANA81PwUa0OK3
his safety he decided to look around.
Stepping over the fresh bodies, he112Please respect copyright.PENANA8bvbUsEYV2
started his search at the table they were hovering around when he entered.112Please respect copyright.PENANAjg54WswD2w
There was a smoothed out scroll lying there that seemed to have been undamaged112Please respect copyright.PENANAzO39JfPQsO
despite all the blood and fighting. He carefully picked it up to read the112Please respect copyright.PENANAhVf9NyX85J
contents in the low light of the candles. He wasn’t surprised at all when the112Please respect copyright.PENANAmaauiQYFv9
contents were just as he overheard. Someone wanted him brought to them alive.112Please respect copyright.PENANATjrnyMQoe1
He could only think of one person, by why alive? Why not dead? It would be112Please respect copyright.PENANABHBRO9tilF
easier for Peyton to control the narrative that way.
“You should strike first.”112Please respect copyright.PENANALGxkLUX8ZV
Vander ignored the chill traveling down his spine when the voice whispered in112Please respect copyright.PENANAneEAmeTK7I
his ear. He could always feel the demon trying to take control, even through112Please respect copyright.PENANAd6XISUW91n
all the mental barriers he had put up to protect himself, but it was only112Please respect copyright.PENANAue8axjwxlA
recently that he could hear him.
“No,” Vander growled. He rolled112Please respect copyright.PENANA9yANEaDeVQ
the paper up before sticking it into the pocket inside of his jacket. “We can’t112Please respect copyright.PENANAo7zVC3kQuZ
kill him until I clear my name.”
“Let me take control.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAYz74QkLCsB
Vander saw the shadows ripple along the wall. Two dark red eyes looked back at112Please respect copyright.PENANA6V12AZdIiP
him. He turned away, suppressing his fear. He couldn’t give the demon any more112Please respect copyright.PENANAzc2IPrbjKG
power over him, he had already become so strong.
“Begone.” He swiped at the shadows112Please respect copyright.PENANAl6Bh7chEVK
erasing the eyes from his mind. His head was filled with laughter that slowly112Please respect copyright.PENANAeNe9Y9NGow
faded. It was a promise that the demon would return to take control. It was112Please respect copyright.PENANAltNxErycIJ
getting easier to feel tempted ever since he fled, but he had to stay strong112Please respect copyright.PENANAWQeK6rvLut
until he could figure out how to remove him completely.
He took a quick look around but112Please respect copyright.PENANAdSjdU9X7NJ
didn’t see anything else worth grabbing. He went upstairs to check there, but112Please respect copyright.PENANA72hvZKA5bJ
he heard footsteps moving around. He froze as he recognized the sounds of heavy112Please respect copyright.PENANAResHxF0xtJ
armor clanging on the wooden floor.
“What the hell happened here?” a112Please respect copyright.PENANAJrVpD5s0WA
guard asked.
“I don’t know, but go get help.”112Please respect copyright.PENANADjp9Dnfysq
Another said. Vander heard him bent down to check the pulses of one of the112Please respect copyright.PENANAY7t6US7hxT
guards. “They’re dead. We will have to wait for backup.”
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“Understood.” One guard left while112Please respect copyright.PENANA1xrcfHJwrq
the other stayed behind. It wasn’t bravery, it was foolishness. You never knew112Please respect copyright.PENANAwm9xpAKpcs
if the culprit was still in the house. Someone who could kill at least two112Please respect copyright.PENANANPHWHeuRVf
people was not someone you want to be alone with. The guard overestimated his112Please respect copyright.PENANABZqyUvdMWn
abilities and part of Vander wanted to teach the man some hubris, but he wasn’t112Please respect copyright.PENANAgZwBNJihc5
here for them. As quickly and as quietly as he could he stepped away from the112Please respect copyright.PENANAQJio51m057
stairs and down the tunnel.