Order of The Seraphs - Barks and Growls Inn - Xander:

  ander pushed Dez off of him. She fell onto the floor and rolled into the wall with a loud thud. Blood gushed from Xander’s throat, spraying across the bed. Each heartbeat sent more blood gushing from the wounds. Frantically, his hands grabbed at his throat and chest.

  Fuck, fuck… I can’t stop the bleeding.

  Dez shook her head. How can he still be moving, let alone alive? As she looked at Xander, her eyes turned red. She slowly rose to her feet.

  Rolling off the bed, Xander felt blood continue to gush out. His body now covered in crimson, the slippery floor made standing difficult. Finally, he found solid footing.

  Dez leaped onto the bed, her legs wrapping around Xander’s waist. Repeatedly, she stabbed into his abdomen. Each hit created a wet thud, causing blood to splash across the floor.

  I got to get her off me. Grabbing her arm mid-strike, Xander flung her across the room. She crashed into a piece of furniture before slamming into the wall, momentarily stunned.

  Xander dropped to one knee and pressed both hands against his throat. The bleeding slowed, and some of the earlier wounds on his chest had already begun to heal. His throat, though clogged with blood, was no longer bleeding freely.

  What kind of weapon does she have? Rage twisted his features as he rose to his feet. He advanced towards Dez, leaving bloody footprints in his wake.

  Dez’s eyes fluttered open. She scrambled to her feet, gaze darting between Xander’s healing wounds and the purple blade lying across the room. As Xander drew closer, he noticed something different about her. Elongated canines, her skin is pale.

  “You’re a vampire?” he asked aloud.

  “You should be dead.” Dez’s eyes widened with disbelief. “You shouldn’t be able to heal after I cut you with that blade.”

  Xander advanced, muscles tensed. Dez lunged, her fist aimed at his face. Blocking with his forearm, he was still pushed back slightly. Surprise flickered across his features.

  “I forgot how strong your kind are.”

  She stepped back. You forgot a lot of things... His fighting skills are as they say. I wonder if I can get his heart... I have to end this now!

  Her nails elongated, becoming razor-sharp. She raced to Xander, raking her claws across his chest and drawing blood. Stopping, she stared at his wounds in disbelief. The wounds sealed almost instantly.

  “Who sent you!?” Xander demanded.

  Shit, why is he healing so fast? Dez made a sound of frustration.

  She struck again, but this time Xander was ready. He sidestepped and shoved her into the wall. A cloud of dust billowed from the impact.

  “I will kill you and complete my job,” Dez snarled, her eyes flashing with determination. “I won’t let you ruin my reputation!”

  Reputation…!? Xander scoffed internally. She can’t be a soldier, no. Her approach was too calculated, too precise. She manipulated me, took advantage of me. Even though she failed to kill me—her methods... No, she’s a hired assassin.

  Dez rushed forward. Xander slightly bent his knees. She thrust her blade—Xander sidestepped. His foot drove into her knee sideways. There was a wet cracking sound.

  “AHHHHHHH!” Dez screamed, her voice raw with agony as her leg buckled at an unnatural angle.

  Xander’s fist connected with the side of her jaw. She dropped to her knees, blood spilling from her mouth. Another kick to her ribs.

  Dez coughed, clutching at her side. Tears streamed down her face from the pain.

  “Who sent you?!”

  “Go swivel,” she gasped through gritted teeth.

  Mounting her, he thrust the sharpened wooden piece downward. Dez plunged her blade into his ribs as he descended. Xander’s momentum didn’t falter, the makeshift stake still aimed at her heart.

  “Wait! I’ll tell you everything!” Dez pleaded, gasping. “I can help with your memories!”

  At the last second, Xander redirected the wooden piece, driving it into the floor beside her shoulder. He removed the blade from his side. Blood gushed from the wound as he tossed the weapon across the room.

  Gritting his teeth, Xander pressed his hand to his bleeding ribs. He fell to the ground, crawling over to the bed and leaning against it. Dez crawled to the nearest wall, leaning against it as she caught her breath.

  “How did you get the purple blade? You came in with only a shift,” Xander demanded.

  Dez met his gaze. “This has been my room for a couple of moons. It was luck that you came here. You made my job easier. I lied to the innkeeper, telling her that Carly had hired me to bed you. When you arrived, she gave you the key to my room, as instructed. I’ve been tracking you for some time now, waiting for the right moment.”

  Xander scoffed. “So bedding me was just part of your plan?”

  “Honestly, I was told you were experienced.” Dez chuckled darkly. “What I got was a boy becoming a man. I expected more time with the great Xander Blight.”

  “I didn’t ask for a report on our encounter,” Xander snapped. “Who sent you?”

  “Wally Braxton. He wanted you dead before the gathering. He knew Razlin wouldn’t give you up.”

  Wally’s hiring assassins now. “What is that blade?”

  “It’s made from thoruime. DOLL has been testing it—stops sigil users from healing for a few minutes. With you, it was only seconds. Wally’s men are mining thoruime for more weapons. The nodes are rare.”

  A blade that could hinder all sigil users. His wound knitted closed, leaving only a faint pink line.

  He stood, retrieving Dez’s shift from the floor and stepping over splinters of broken furniture. He handed it to her.

  Dez grabbed the bloodstained garment. As she stood, her fangs retracted with a soft click, and her nails dulled back to normal size.

  “Why are you being nice to me after I tried to kill you?”

  “Please put the shift on and button it up,” Xander requested, his eyes averted.

  As Dez complied, Xander studied her curiously. “Why are you warm? Vampires are supposed to feel cold.”

  Dez chuckled with pride. “Recently, vampires have evolved. Newer vampires like me are warm-blooded and can withstand sunlight. We feed more than the older ones. My old vampire lord—she can’t stay in the sun too long without a special necklace.”

  Vampires evolved in just fifty years. Xander’s mind raced with the implications.

  “You said you could help me with my memories. How?”

  Dez looked at him cautiously. “It’s a process vampires use to extract information from captured enemies. I can pull memories even if you don’t consciously remember them. It involves blood tainting—I’d need to dig my nails into your skull, then feed and inject my venom into your bloodstream.”

  If I allow this, I could get some answers. Xander weighed the risks. “I don’t trust you.”

  “Well, you’ll have to if you want me to retrieve your memories.”

  Xander’s jaw clenched. “You better not betray me this time.” He stood and walked over to the chair, lowering himself into it. His body tensed.

  As Dez finished buttoning the blood-soaked shift, she approached from behind. Her nails elongated, becoming razor-sharp. She positioned herself behind Xander and dug them into his skull. Then she leaned forward, her fangs extending as she bit down on his neck. Xander’s face contorted in pain, droplets of blood welling where her nails pierced his skin.

  An endless expanse of white stretched in every direction. Dez found herself in this featureless void, disoriented by the sudden shift. “Where the fuck am I?” she muttered, scanning the emptiness.

  In the distance, a pinprick of light caught her attention. The glowing orb grew larger as it approached, pulsing with white and yellow energy. As it neared, the air thickened, pressing down on Dez with an inexplicable weight. A creeping anxiety filled her, as if every instinct was screaming that she didn’t belong here.

  When it hovered mere feet away, a voice emanated from it—haunting and unearthly, sending chills down her spine.

  “This is your only chance,” the voice resonated from everywhere at once. Then, with terrifying intensity: “Get out!”

  An invisible force slammed into Dez, catapulting her backwards. In an instant, the white void vanished. She found herself airborne, crashing into the wall by the door and tumbling to the ground. As she scrambled to her feet, warm trickles ran down her cheeks. She touched her face—her fingers came away red with blood from her eyes.

  Dez’s body tensed, her eyes darting around the room before fixating on Xander. “What the fuck are you?” she gasped.

  “What did you see?” Xander asked urgently, leaning forward with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. When Dez didn’t immediately respond, he repeated, more insistently, “What did you see?!”

  Dez swallowed hard and shook her head. “Xander, I... I didn’t see any memories. There was this glowing white and yellow orb. It told me to get out.”

  Xander’s eyes widened slightly, a flicker of confusion crossing his face. Yellow orb? He rubbed at his temples.

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  Dez took a step back, keeping her distance while Xander seemed lost in thought.

  “I’m out of here,” Dez blurted, her voice shaky. “I don’t want to be near you anymore.” She bolted past Xander, but he quickly grabbed her arm, spinning her around.

  “Wait!”

  “Let go of me!” Dez demanded, her voice rising with panic.

  Xander’s eyes bore into hers. “You can’t tell anyone about this,”

  Dez scoffed, fear evident in her eyes. “Who in the gods would believe me anyway?”

  “You need to calm down and relax.”

  “Calm down?” Dez’s laugh was brittle. “You don’t know what I felt and witnessed in your head.”

  Xander’s expression hardened. “Dez, where are you going to go? If you return to Braxton and I’m still alive, Wally will kill you on the spot. Given it’s me, he won’t show mercy.”

  Dez’s shoulders slumped. “Where am I going to live, Xander? Here in a brothel?”

  Xander slowly released her arm. “No.”

  “Then where, Xander?”

  “Move to Ash, to my estate,”

  “No!” Dez recoiled. “I don’t want anything to do with you. You’re... You’re...” She trailed off, fear silencing her.

  Xander ran a hand through his hair. “I have my blood-brother here. He can take you—you’ll be safe with him. Trust him, if not me.”

  Dez chuckled darkly. “The man who was teasing you about your fear of women? I’m better off on my own.”

  “How about this—get some proper clothes on and follow us for the moon.” He glanced out the window. “It’s mid-morning already. Hurry and get dressed.”

  Dez looked confused and overwhelmed. “Why are you helping me?” she asked, opening a drawer where a few pieces of clothing lay folded. “I tried to kill you, and—”

  “I don’t trust you, but I can’t in good conscience let you go back to Wally. I might as well kill you myself. And you have a secret of mine that needs to stay that way.” Xander stood and walked over to where his clothes lay scattered, pulling on his shift and reaching for his trousers.

  Dez walked to the dresser, pulling out fresh clothes. “So you’re holding me against my will,” she scoffed while getting dressed.

  Xander whirled around, his face contorted with anger. “Holding you against your will, you say?” He yanked the door open, still pulling on his boots. “There. Go ahead, go back to Wally.”

  “Close the door and turn around, you ass. I’m half-naked,” Dez hissed quietly, her voice seething. She grabbed a cloth, wiping the dried blood from her face, then scrubbed her hands clean. “I really fucking hate you right now.” After a moment, she yanked on her trousers and boots. “Okay, let’s go.”

  Xander strode out of the room, Dez quickly grabbed her knapsack before following Xander. The hallway was eerily quiet, unusually so for a brothel. At the top of the stairs, Xander paused, seeing only Carly and Ambrose talking to someone below.

  As they descended, Xander called out, “Ambrose! Who are you tal—”

  “Xander, you have a visitor. She’ll only talk to you.” He hesitated. “Xander, I need you to stay calm.” He stepped aside.

  “Ambrose, what’s going on?” Xander peered past Ambrose.

  April...

  “April!”

  April, who was sitting next to Carly, lifted her head from the woman’s shoulder. She looked at Xander with bloodshot eyes, disheveled hair, and tears streaming down her face. Xander closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

  Dez watched his reaction closely, her curiosity piqued.

  Carly intervened, “Ambrose let’s go sit at the bar and let them talk.” She turned to Dez, “I’m sorry, who are you?”

  “My name is Dez.”

  Ambrose nodded, “Well, Dez, it’s best to let them talk.”

  “Who is she?” Dez asked, gesturing towards April.

  “That’s the daughter of one of Xander’s best friends,” Ambrose explained quietly.

  Dez nodded, settling at the bar to observe.

  Xander sat beside April, his voice gentle. “April, why are you crying? What happened?” He paused, his brows creasing. “And how did you know I was here?”

  “THEY FUCKING KILLED HIM!”

  April grabbed Xander’s arm, rubbing her tears on his shift and arm. Snot dripped from her nose, sobs intensifying. Xander brought her close and embraced her. Xander gritted his teeth. “April... Who died?”

  “MY DAD!” she screamed, her eyes beginning to stream blood. “He... sniff... Was arguing with The Order of the Seraphs knights about you.” Another sniff. “I looked in my dad’s book. It was Naru’s platoon.”

  His fist clenched as blood began to stream from his hands. Why... Did that snake kill him? Why?! This anger... I... I’ve felt this way before.

  Ambrose and Carly whirled around. “Carly, Dez, go now,” Ambrose commanded. Dez and Carly both nodded as they left the brothel.

  Dez looked back at Xander before she exited the door. This isn’t good.

  I can’t control this anger... “I... I... AMBROSE, GET HER OUT OF HERE NOW!”

  Ambrose tried to move April but froze when he saw the veins bulging on Xander’s face, the way his jaw was clenched tight.

  “I got you, come on.” Ambrose scooped up April and carried her out of the brothel.

  Xander’s eyes became engulfed with purple and red zeal intertwining. The zeal slowly oozed out of him, and he crashed onto the floor, punching the wooden boards.

  “April, who told you he was here? Everyone get out of the area—the street isn’t safe!”

  Between gasps, she managed to choke out, “Tito... Tito told me... Where to find Xander.”

  Loss after loss after loss. Why…? Xander stood, picked up a table and threw it out the window of the brothel. I must control myself... I must see Razlin. I need answers... Wait... Is that why she left in a hurry yesterday…? NO!

  Xander dropped to his knees, hands on his head. “NOOO!” His voice echoed through the brothel and out into the district.

  Ambrose looked at the brothel, then back at April. “Hey.” He gently grabbed the side of her cheek. “How did it happen?”

  April began, her voice trembling. “I…” She sniffed, trying to compose herself. “I went out to check the traps. I was gone for a little while. When I came back, I heard a commotion.” She paused, sniffing again. “My dad—”

  “Okay, okay, shhh.” Ambrose cradled her head to his chest. He looked down at her. “Listen, grab tight—this may get bumpy.”

  April grabbed the collar of Ambrose’s leather jacket.

  You must save her, Xander! Save her... Your fate is intertwined for eternity and destiny is forever... You must not be afraid, Xander.

  Xander dropped to the floor, rolling around and yelling in agony. His purple and red zeal flowed more freely, creating an aura around him. The floor ripped around him each time he rolled.

  “I don’t like what’s going on in there,” Dez said, fear evident in her voice.

  “No shit, he’s losing it... GUARDS! Get everyone out of here now!” Ambrose yelled at the guards.

  “Sir... You are not a commanding officer. Why are you carrying her? Ma’am, are you okay?”

  Ambrose struggled not to drop April as he grabbed the guard’s collar plate.

  “Listen, the name is Ambrose Blight. This whole area is about to get leveled. Do you want that?”

  “Ambrose Blight? Why didn’t you start with that!” The guard started yelling for people to evacuate.

  “Dez, Carly, let’s go!”

  They rushed toward Ambrose.

  “What are we doing now?” Carly panted, out of breath.

  Ambrose looked around to the gate tower, pointing at it. “We go there, NOW!”

  Children, women and men ran in the streets, screaming as chaos ensued.

  Xander struggled to his knees from the floor. His hair flowed upward. His eyes were completely purple mixed with red. He began punching the floor, each punch leaving craters. The air crackled around him.

  Shut up! SHUT UP! I ca—

  A massive shockwave cut the brothel and surrounding buildings in half. Wood and concrete went flying through the air.

  A colossal burst of zeal erupted from Xander. The ground shook violently as chunks of stone and wood from the brothel and surrounding buildings went flying through the air. Windows shattered, rooftops collapsed, and debris from multiple structures spun wildly in all directions.

  His zeal shot skyward, colliding with the sigil dome high above. The entire dome lit up like a second sun as Xander’s zeal kept pulsing against it.

  Crack by crack, the dome shattered from the inside. His zeal continued traveling upward into the sky.

  The destructive energy expanded beyond the brothel into nearby buildings, laying them to waste as several more shockwaves rippled outward. The force broke any walls still standing in a widening circle of destruction.

  His zeal came crashing back down, slamming into Xander and cratering the ground around him. The ground shook and cracked near him. Dez watched, trapped in a mix of horror and awe.

  This is what Wally sent me to kill... Do they know what they’re dealing with?

  “My brothel!” Carly cried out, staring in shock at the destruction.

  “I’m sorry, we’ll make it up to you,” Ambrose apologized hastily, still carrying April.

  Carly stood frozen, watching the chaos unfold as debris continued to rain down around them. “But... But everything I worked for...”

  “CARLY! We need to MOVE!” Ambrose yelled over the noise of crumbling buildings.

  Dez grabbed Carly’s arm, pulling her toward the tower. “He’s right! This whole area is coming down!”

  Ambrose led the way toward the gate tower, April clutched protectively against his chest. Behind him, Dez dragged the stunned Carly, who kept looking back at the devastation.

  “My customers’ rooms... The furniture... Twenty years of work!” Carly wailed.

  “You can rebuild!” Dez shouted back. “You can’t rebuild if you’re dead!”

  They reached the base of the tower just as another shockwave rippled outward, sending more debris flying past them.

  Xander’s zeal slowly absorbed back into him. He stood, the red and purple zeal emanating from his now-glowing eyes.

  Guards flooded the area, checking on and evacuating citizens who survived the blast amidst screams and chaos. People ran for cover as debris continued to rain down, crushing market stalls and shattering against the streets. Terrified shouts and the sound of crumbling buildings could be heard all around.

  ◆◆◆

  Order of the Seraphs - Chamber Room - Razlin:

  The chamber room shuddered, the floor trembling beneath their feet. Pictures fell off the walls as books slid off their shelves, crashing to the floor.

  Razlin stopped writing as her desk started to shake, purple and red light flashing through her window.

  “My queen, do you see this?” Liz pointed out the window, her voice trembling as they steadied themselves. The purple and red energy lit up the chamber room, casting eerie shadows as debris continued to rain across the city.

  Razlin rushed to the window. How did he find out already?

  The sigil dome pulsed dangerously with each strike of Xander’s zeal.

  The sigil dome isn’t meant to keep zeal in—it’s meant to keep it out. Razlin looked at Liz. “Get all available generals and vice generals in the throne room now,” she commanded, her knuckles white as she gripped the windowsill. Fuck!

  She ran to her desk, snatched her crown, and stormed toward the throne room.

  ◆◆◆

  Order of the Seraphs - Brothel Area - Xander:

  Xander began walking toward the General District. Each step he took left a crater in his wake, the ground cracking beneath his feet. The air pressure around him dropped, making it difficult to breathe for anyone nearby.

  Guards and civilians continued to scatter as Xander made his way through the destruction toward the General District.

  From the tower, Ambrose watched the terrifying display. “We have to follow him—I know where he’s going. Let’s go the back way,” he called out.

  ◆◆◆

  Order of the Seraphs - Throne Room - Razlin:

  Naru rushed into the throne room. “My queen, there’s chaos at the Bark and Growl brothel.”

  Razlin didn’t turn from where she sat on her throne. “I know this Order like the back of my hand—every business, every location.” Her voice was tight with emotion. “I’m witnessing the destructive power of a man I once married. A man I just pardoned of all crimes.” She turned to Naru, her eyes glistening. “Do you know why, Naru?”

  “No, my queen.”

  “Enough with the formalities. Speak freely.”

  Naru hesitated. “I think he should have been handed over to Wally—”

  “You have no idea what Xander has done for many countries, the sacrifices he’s made,” Razlin's voice softened.

  “My queen, I’ve only heard stories and rumors.”

  The door burst open as Tito, Mithaos, Septon, Teresa, and Percival rushed in. “He’ll be here in moments,” Tito warned. “It seems his sigil powers have awakened.”

  “I know, Tito.” Razlin’s voice was heavy. She stood and addressed the group. “Since it’s only us five, we will not engage or act aggressively. No one speaks but me.” She pointed out positions for each general.

  Xander neared the throne room gate. Guards whispered nervously, their hands trembling as they watched him approach.

  “Should we... Should we stop him?” one guard stammered.

  Before anyone could answer, Xander grabbed the nearest guard and hurled him into the gate. The impact shattered the heavy doors, sending wood and metal flying. The guard crashed to the ground, unconscious.