Chapter 32
“What do you mean you’ve been112Please respect copyright.PENANAc6lbKxUARk
expecting me?” Vander asked as he climbed the stairs. Shea followed a step112Please respect copyright.PENANAqFypyQyMG6
behind him unwilling to let him be alone with a man she didn’t know.
“It’s as I said.” Humi had a112Please respect copyright.PENANAirsk3UInMa
faraway look in his eyes. Humi was a strange man. He had short brown hair and112Please respect copyright.PENANAPR5A3jaQti
light blue eyes. He was a portly man, but Vander could feel a strength from him112Please respect copyright.PENANA3Qnpq3PH6N
he couldn’t quite place. He wore a long blue robe, different from the one he112Please respect copyright.PENANABuL1fcatoG
wore at the wedding. This one was light, made from simple cloth, with a moon112Please respect copyright.PENANANeNsAO49vM
stitched on his chest.
Despite being a112Please respect copyright.PENANAYpbhXnBRRo
member of Humjir’s temple, Vander didn’t know much about him other than the112Please respect copyright.PENANAtQYgU7Ryq1
fact that he frequented the castle to talk to the former King, but it was112Please respect copyright.PENANA8rUYmHbXOn
always behind closed doors away from prying ears. The wedding was the first112Please respect copyright.PENANA3LZxu3AydK
time he had seen Humi in years. There was a smell to him, like Malcolm, yet112Please respect copyright.PENANAscHXyGmp7A
different. However, Vander had difficulty explaining the feeling to himself.
“You can smell112Please respect copyright.PENANAgRarlUWqBL
the shard of Humjir inside of me, young Unna’tun.” Humi smiled as if reading112Please respect copyright.PENANAOa3XGdWSpr
Vander’s thoughts.
“I thought the gods only had one112Please respect copyright.PENANAp6bNtk8rUo
shard at a time?” Vander asked. “I thought Cuvera inherited it when his father112Please respect copyright.PENANApvLmTWOL1t
died.”
“That’s what you’ve been told,112Please respect copyright.PENANA85xZqfkhEb
but, like many things, it’s wrong.” Humi turned around then started to walk112Please respect copyright.PENANAT5nt3MzNOF
deeper into the temple. He didn’t speak to Vander, but Vander knew that he112Please respect copyright.PENANAbYCGinWmFN
should follow. Only then would he gain the answers he sook.
“Why aren’t you afraid of me like112Please respect copyright.PENANAVDs0RlYOeP
everyone else?” Vander asked him. Humi paused for a second but kept walking.
“Because I know you didn’t kill112Please respect copyright.PENANA1dHjBKxc8n
Malcolm.” He explained. He didn’t share112Please respect copyright.PENANAE1DEDdDrM5
how he knew, but Vander thought that it had something to do with why he had a112Please respect copyright.PENANAm7BHuXTJdR
shard inside of him. Another mystery he wanted solved.
Humi lead them deep into the112Please respect copyright.PENANAAi0zQtbZZd
temple. Despite the later hour, Vander expected other acolytes to be here, not112Please respect copyright.PENANAkxymDvvnrt
just Humi. However, he couldn’t smell or hear anyone else inside. He asked the112Please respect copyright.PENANAXbogzbLEqk
priest about it, but Humi kept walking, ignoring the question entirely. He112Please respect copyright.PENANAjLMHATf4vX
instructed Shea to keep her wits about her, but to stay close in case they were112Please respect copyright.PENANAm3flxGhve8
walking into a trap. Malcolm may have said to trust this man, but Vander112Please respect copyright.PENANAh9c9aqxQtW
trusted Peyton and had been betrayed. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.
They were taken down a long112Please respect copyright.PENANATDpfLfM9xK
hallway where it looked like portraits of all the past kings and queens were112Please respect copyright.PENANA8gY4nGUcUF
placed, however they looked slightly different than what he had seen in the112Please respect copyright.PENANAxQmTZia92t
castle. These people had pupilless eyes while their hair had a blue hue to it.112Please respect copyright.PENANAS79hIxwsSX
They must have been previous shards of Humjir, but why did they resemble112Please respect copyright.PENANACgwIZpIyKx
Eluvia’s monarchy? More questions with no answers, they pushed on.
After about ten minutes of112Please respect copyright.PENANAyIS1yNx3EQ
walking, they finally came to one of the paths that would lead them to Humjir’s112Please respect copyright.PENANAbb5zdxRtem
pool. Vander could smell fresh water, something rare within the city walls. The112Please respect copyright.PENANAsY90E0zKMX
fresh water he had ever smelled was in the middle of the forest, but somehow112Please respect copyright.PENANAgQmlLrm0oh
this was fresher than that. He wondered why that was, but before he could ask,112Please respect copyright.PENANAzcsrM2b8sP
Humi turned down the hall beckoning the two of them to follow.
“It is best if we talk here.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAnEa24uOAPA
Despite being outside, Vander had the sneaking suspicion that they were in an112Please respect copyright.PENANAv8nZqCA5BN
enclosed space, cut off from the rest of the city. The fact that Humi’s voice112Please respect copyright.PENANAlQXRPJLFlU
didn’t echo when he talked was further proof of that.
“Where is here?” Vander asked. If112Please respect copyright.PENANASpfwF8tGcq
Humi was impressed he had picked up on it he didn’t show it.
“A special area, even for Humjir.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAVrs7q6YWmH
Humi explained. “When he passed down the hall we entered this sacred space.112Please respect copyright.PENANAcErJn4HeuG
Only those with a shard, or who are bonded to a shard, may enter.”
“Then what is the pool anyone can112Please respect copyright.PENANA1YPp3HnJjg
enter to worship Humjir?” Vander asked.
“Just that, a pool.” Humi112Please respect copyright.PENANAPDlugv4yCH
explained. “A specially crafted pool which we clean daily to make it feel as112Please respect copyright.PENANAZ4S2jvGYgG
special as possible, but this is the true space that Humjir himself had created112Please respect copyright.PENANAXMitARQLGE
a long time ago.”
The pool itself was immaculate.112Please respect copyright.PENANAa2E8TPMKUl
There were no borders to keep the water in, however, it still stayed within a112Please respect copyright.PENANA324fCPsNZh
perfect circle. There was a large rock formation that poured ice blue water112Please respect copyright.PENANAedMNnYG1d4
into the pool. The area around it had a blueish hue, like it reflected the112Please respect copyright.PENANANqEABc1iPb
color of the water inside. Vander took a careful step towards the edge to peer112Please respect copyright.PENANANxCHUJFA7T
into the depths. He saw several large fish swimming around, but the biggest112Please respect copyright.PENANAHphC072XGQ
surprise was the full moon shining in the depths despite it only being a112Please respect copyright.PENANATzF6N6vubq
quarter moon in the sky. Vander felt drawn to the pool, but Humi grabbed his112Please respect copyright.PENANAMFWgqeU9eT
arm pulling him away.
“Many have lost themselves to the112Please respect copyright.PENANAgQrZFXjEyr
depth’s, Vander.” He spoke. “It’s best, especially for you, to stay away.”
“Why?” Vander asked.
“You know the story of Atza’s112Please respect copyright.PENANAeZVRfHm9lP
wrath because Humjir used his pool to spy on Unna?” Vander paled as he112Please respect copyright.PENANAXIMDMjN3It
remembered that story. He could hear Unna’s laughter in his ears when he read112Please respect copyright.PENANA879zVgt0VQ
about it. “If you peer inside, you could enter her realm and that would be very112Please respect copyright.PENANAkABlda3sYR
bad for you.”
“I wouldn’t let that happen.” Shea112Please respect copyright.PENANAzZ4wVCEuNw
growled.
“There wouldn’t be much you could112Please respect copyright.PENANAf3kw4FGcTP
do about it, little shadow beast.” Humi answered. “Yes, I can hear what you112Please respect copyright.PENANACrdUo44pdt
say, but that’s only because we are here where my powers are stronger. Now,112Please respect copyright.PENANAYEQxVjVMOr
let’s talk before we run out of time. You’re here because you read Malcolm’s112Please respect copyright.PENANATE2B8IiotU
note inside the book.” It was a statement not a question, so Vander answered by112Please respect copyright.PENANABbcyVrHBKd
nodding his head. “Where is the book now?” Vander pat his chest where the black112Please respect copyright.PENANAOdF3bgsYdG
book was sitting in his pocket. “Good, make sure you always keep it on you.112Please respect copyright.PENANAzI08PqKImD
Don’t let anyone near it unless you can absolutely trust them.”
“I understand, but why all the112Please respect copyright.PENANAkTYy0YyMHc
secrecy?”
“That tells me you didn’t read the112Please respect copyright.PENANA96Wi9HjIX1
book in it’s entirety, but I supposed that’s alright,” Humi smirked. “You were112Please respect copyright.PENANA6VyfIDN6nl
curious about Unna, so you likely read that first to pass the time until you112Please respect copyright.PENANAT4H5AHNZxe
came here. But to answer your question, I’ll have to ask one. Have you heard of112Please respect copyright.PENANA3yF4HceUbI
the Black Order?”
“No?” Vander frowned. In his112Please respect copyright.PENANAWMRjwfpGlm
entire time as a Blade and holding the shard of Unna, not once had anyone112Please respect copyright.PENANA15syu8PfEb
mentioned them. “Who are they?”
“Not surprising,” Humi sighed.112Please respect copyright.PENANAF467VNxoTa
“Their name has changed over the millennia, but they have been around since the112Please respect copyright.PENANAiWVmFDHGK8
Great War. They were the human who were on Darkness’s side and vowed to one day112Please respect copyright.PENANAdwMkeFsCqr
return her to this realm.”
“Now that you mention it, they112Please respect copyright.PENANAk3hAFZJn8Z
sound familiar.” Vander explained. “I thought they were eradicated.”
“We thought so too, but for the112Please respect copyright.PENANA5Yyv1vOysY
past century we have noticed them appearing all over once again.” Humi said.112Please respect copyright.PENANAFCmMhC48IS
“We aren’t sure who they are, we have some suspects, but until Malcolm’s112Please respect copyright.PENANAFSchSElEwI
assassination, no solid proof. It appears Peyton could be our link.”
“Why would they kill Malcolm?”112Please respect copyright.PENANACraUvCnuNF
Vander asked. “He’s the King of the most powerful country, with an equally112Please respect copyright.PENANAgnktXP8T4w
strong successor. There would be no point on angering us.”
“Ah, but there is a point.” Humi112Please respect copyright.PENANAGXlOLwUZZ5
smiled. “Malcolm held Humjir’s shard inside of his body. They needed that as112Please respect copyright.PENANAtaq8edVpho
part of their plan to awaken the Darkness.” Vander shot him a quizzical glance112Please respect copyright.PENANAUne6qVPirK
causing Humi to sigh. Vander could feel the man’s impatience with him, but he112Please respect copyright.PENANAEpxhLeg2UE
couldn’t see what these facts had to do with each other. “They need the shard112Please respect copyright.PENANAnbdogrBCht
of each god to unseal her. It was their power that took her out and it will be112Please respect copyright.PENANA9xiGrqIFvv
their power to release her once again.”
“Wait.” Vander frowned. “If that’s112Please respect copyright.PENANAsg4cmvK2v3
the case, then why are shard holders running around amok? Why not place them112Please respect copyright.PENANA1HxGIjvz0K
under guard to protect them?”
“Would you be able to control112Please respect copyright.PENANAbusOWo5fbc
nobility and keep them confined?” Humi shook his head. “It was attempted many112Please respect copyright.PENANAZkZKSLRY0A
centuries ago, but it went about as well as could be expected. So, they came up112Please respect copyright.PENANARhoXme03LU
with an agreement. No one would know who the shards are, except for those in112Please respect copyright.PENANAC22SkQIBPm
the know. Each stronghold would have two within their walls, however Atza’s112Please respect copyright.PENANAd44ng271mW
shard didn’t trust that we could protect her, so she went somewhere else. They112Please respect copyright.PENANAVZyGtuuRnb
founded the country of Bricen, and only those in the royal family knew who it112Please respect copyright.PENANAXF2xgoXoP0
would be.”
“But why would the order act now?”112Please respect copyright.PENANArkH6ys7DMO
Vander frowned. He racked his brain to figure out why when the past events came112Please respect copyright.PENANAsG85t3LC3t
flooding into him. “Because all of the shards are together.”
“Correct.” Humi grimaced. “We are112Please respect copyright.PENANABtJcHFPuaj
all at risk, but no one knows it outside of our little group. Our little safety112Please respect copyright.PENANArlXVhhMcmk
net ended up dooming us all.”
“Not even the shards know who each112Please respect copyright.PENANA3oq2fzE4LE
other are?” Vander asked. “I thought we could all sense each other.”
“No, that’s why you are special112Please respect copyright.PENANAeRdUFNTxSq
and why Peyton likely wanted to ostracize you from everyone else.” Humi placed112Please respect copyright.PENANAYgSykbmLVI
his hand on Vander’s shoulder. “It hasn’t been much of secret when you became112Please respect copyright.PENANAzot7wonKuX
Unna’s shard, it hasn’t happened in many, many years and most don’t survive112Please respect copyright.PENANAaswLnuC9Ny
very long. The fact that you are still alive is testament to your willpower and112Please respect copyright.PENANAWhiS138x3R
Malcolm’s ability to keep it a secret, but it’s out in the open now. If they112Please respect copyright.PENANAMqd09vpdxq
get ahold of your gifts, it will doom us all.”
“So, what should I do?” Vander112Please respect copyright.PENANA1A8cGIEWNs
asked. “I can’t just abandon my friends and family to go on the run.”
“No, you can’t.” Humi sighed.112Please respect copyright.PENANAbWdhgX5HEL
“They know who you are and will go to the ends of the earth to find you. All we112Please respect copyright.PENANA8V3HcIzAzL
can do is protect those here until they leave, to give us time to think of a112Please respect copyright.PENANAMs3dbZdtXp
solution.”
“Can I ask you something else?”112Please respect copyright.PENANAxP78PTtNut
Vander asked. Humi nodded. “How do the Green Serpents fit into this? I mean,112Please respect copyright.PENANAwGvh5Akpbj
they were the ones who poisoned Malcolm and tried to assassinate me. What is it112Please respect copyright.PENANAxebH93FJVD
they want?”
“The only thing Malcolm and I112Please respect copyright.PENANA9QiUwbf7Mv
could come up with was that they were hired to do a job.” Humi explained. “Lure112Please respect copyright.PENANA8TO1zpWVjY
you out of hiding so they can kill you and part of it worked. Now they must112Please respect copyright.PENANAOC8LoQdJtv
find you, but it looks as though you found them first.”
“Three escaped, but I’m sure they112Please respect copyright.PENANAn5LzBGRkRe
have a plan.” Vander explained. “But they have sent someone else after me. I112Please respect copyright.PENANAHecdNfkwBG
found a note in the house explaining that someone called ‘Fang’, has been sent112Please respect copyright.PENANADNjVck0BPG
after me. Have you heard of them?”
“No,” Humi frowned. “But they have112Please respect copyright.PENANAZuK2enGkrj
been especially sent for you, then you need to do a better job of hiding before112Please respect copyright.PENANAOZFam6HP1O
they find you.”
“Oh, it’s far too late for that.” Humi112Please respect copyright.PENANAqCEjq7mBcl
and Vander, startled by the noise, looked up to find a figure squatting on top112Please respect copyright.PENANAQwJS6EFzUM
of the fountain.
They were dressed112Please respect copyright.PENANAIEj8nh0VMS
in an all-black uniform that had a greenish hue to it. Vander could tell that112Please respect copyright.PENANALfK7fVQzZC
the armor was well crafted with metal plating underneath it. The leather112Please respect copyright.PENANAwbWAazwR1s
vambraces were holding numerous weapons, Vander could smell poison emanating112Please respect copyright.PENANAaBMSvCLme2
from them, and they had a sword slung across their back. The hood over their112Please respect copyright.PENANAQxKlkPV3ab
face obscured their looks, but despite that, they were still wearing a green112Please respect copyright.PENANAnThv8rAz8b
mask with a serpent painted onto it.
Vander went for112Please respect copyright.PENANAbLX5xMBg4U
his sword, but Humi stood in front of him. “It’s not your time.” He whispered.112Please respect copyright.PENANAbMQpf4osw0
He opened his robe and removed a whip that had been wrapped around his waist.112Please respect copyright.PENANAjxpfKNG0ZE
“The fact that they got into this sanctuary means Humjir’s power is weakening.112Please respect copyright.PENANAppLWHEQAdC
It will take time for the shard to take effect in someone new. You must be112Please respect copyright.PENANA7YwQYuRRxk
alive to protect them.”
“I can help you.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAjv0TcfS4E8
Vander hissed. Shea grabbed onto his pants to drag him back.
“Protect the112Please respect copyright.PENANALQ35ROW6tI
book!” Humi smiled. “This is not where you die young Vander. You still have112Please respect copyright.PENANAQeTa2d01GI
plenty to do, please allow me to see my friend in the afterlife knowing I112Please respect copyright.PENANAEndHrXfVKB
helped protect our home.”
“Can you take112Please respect copyright.PENANAuz1hUqrUO3
them” Vander hesitated.
“Never fear.”112Please respect copyright.PENANA6FRZU4whTj
Humi smiled. He cracked the whip as he stared down the assassin. “You’ll have112Please respect copyright.PENANA0JsMuHyiOo
to get through me to get to him.”
“No problem.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAEGW9H0Uty5
Vander thought he could hear the assassin grinning from behind the mask.
“Take this with112Please respect copyright.PENANAmuE351JdAw
you as well.” Humi held out a vial of water towards Vander. “Once you are safe,112Please respect copyright.PENANAXgmhLZLM51
drink that. Only then will you know what’s at stake.” Vander took the vial then112Please respect copyright.PENANA3Y3sQMgkSV
slipped it into his pocket. He opened his mouth to say more, but Shea once again112Please respect copyright.PENANAEGwsAg4Nam
pulled on his jacket.
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“We must go.”112Please respect copyright.PENANAfMXYrP8Kkf
Vander allowed himself to run as this was the only option available to him. He112Please respect copyright.PENANA1FJgd8Z2Rc
prayed that Humi would survive, but it was unlikely. Humi was right, however,112Please respect copyright.PENANAXsAk5EFNbr
he had to protect the book and the secrets that lay within. If it helped save112Please respect copyright.PENANAYpSMbEmVp1
this city, he would do whatever he could.