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Chapter 61
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2024-10-29 19:42:56The black mass of the western mountain appeared before Otis and me. It separated a narrow passage between Mirra and White Birch districts, leading to either the Spruce Cove or Willow regions. It wasn’t as tall as the other mountain ranges, but it was sizable nonetheless.
I dropped lower above the tree line and climbed the mountainside by flight.
“What are we looking for exactly?”
Near the top of steep cliffs, there was a tunnel that led inside the secret passages of the mountain. From what I had gleaned from the forest earth, there were a few, but that one had seemed unoccupied and our best chance at getting in undetected.
“A passage. We’re almost there, I think. It’s harder to spot in the dark.”
“Please tell me you have a plan,” Otis grumbled as I took more speed.
“I do, and I don’t. My plan was to get us here.”
I thought I heard Otis mumble, but I ignored him. M
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Rise of the cardinal Chapter 62
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Rise of the cardinal Chapter 63
Jordan used his nose to locate Xander, and once we heard a war horn echo faintly through the underground tunnels, the three of us froze.“It’s starting,” Otis whispered.The colours on my face drained, and I hurriedly grabbed Jordan’s arm.“Are you sure Xander is close?”“Positive. He’s down there somewhere.”“Good. We can take it from here. Find the Lycans and help the rebellion!”Jordan hesitated but accepted my orders. He walked away, then circled around and stared at me with nervous eyes.“What of Lynn? Where is she?”“She’s safe with the healers away from the battlefield.”Jordan nodded and doubled back, running into the darkness. Otis and I continued our way down the path until it forked, and not long after, there was a wooden door to our left. There weren’t any guards, but I could hear some discussing further away
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 64
Otis and Xander charged the guards that were looking out at the battle unfolding. They had not thought of being attacked from the back. They would have never suspected someone would have come through a different entrance than the ones at the base of the mountain. Xander was limited in what he could do, as he couldn’t fully transform into Lycan form, but he did his best with the situation and helped until I had regained a little of my strength. I had lost a lot of blood, and although I had healed myself, I still had slightly blurred vision and slurred movements. I thought I looked inebriated. The piercing sounds of clashing swords and dreadful screams resounded inside my ears. I placed a hand on a tree and worked hard to stay upright. I needed to get my head straight if I wanted to face Osprey, and trepidation spread over me like a cold shower. I squinted my eyes when I saw flashes of colour out on the battlefield. I momentarily wondered if I had imagined it,
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I woke up in the dark. The humidity had seeped through the walls, coating my skin and my now torn dress. My wrists were bound by metal cuffs hanging over my head, chafing my skin and making it raw. I could barely see the outlines of my confinement, and there seemed to be no windows that could let me know the time of day. I had no clue if they had trapped me there for hours, let alone days. My body ached. My muscles were numb, and my bones hurt like they had rattled me and tossed me on the ground multiple times. I tried to lift myself but slumped after my attempt. I felt my knees were too weak to raise myself. I tried to get up again, but the sudden rush of blood made my head ache, and the dizziness I felt made me retch the little content I had in my stomach. The bile burned my throat, making me gag, and I twisted my body sideways to prevent myself from spilling the coming up-chuck on myself. I had to admit that the smell inside the room was rancid, as if years of urine had never been
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Rise of the cardinal Chapter 64
Otis and Xander charged the guards that were looking out at the battle unfolding. They had not thought of being attacked from the back. They would have never suspected someone would have come through a different entrance than the ones at the base of the mountain. Xander was limited in what he could do, as he couldn’t fully transform into Lycan form, but he did his best with the situation and helped until I had regained a little of my strength. I had lost a lot of blood, and although I had healed myself, I still had slightly blurred vision and slurred movements. I thought I looked inebriated. The piercing sounds of clashing swords and dreadful screams resounded inside my ears. I placed a hand on a tree and worked hard to stay upright. I needed to get my head straight if I wanted to face Osprey, and trepidation spread over me like a cold shower. I squinted my eyes when I saw flashes of colour out on the battlefield. I momentarily wondered if I had imagined it,
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Jordan used his nose to locate Xander, and once we heard a war horn echo faintly through the underground tunnels, the three of us froze.“It’s starting,” Otis whispered.The colours on my face drained, and I hurriedly grabbed Jordan’s arm.“Are you sure Xander is close?”“Positive. He’s down there somewhere.”“Good. We can take it from here. Find the Lycans and help the rebellion!”Jordan hesitated but accepted my orders. He walked away, then circled around and stared at me with nervous eyes.“What of Lynn? Where is she?”“She’s safe with the healers away from the battlefield.”Jordan nodded and doubled back, running into the darkness. Otis and I continued our way down the path until it forked, and not long after, there was a wooden door to our left. There weren’t any guards, but I could hear some discussing further away
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 62
Silas POVThe tension in the air was palpable. Everyone was on edge, and the slightest noise made all the rebels jump. We had a restless night of marching before taking a break, and I feared it would not sufficiently prepare us for the battle to come.When we stopped, the rebellion leaders and I discussed the plan, and I thought it good. We had everything ready, and everyone present knew the risks they were taking. None of them left in the night, and everyone was accounted for in the early morning before the sun rose.A rebel woman brought everyone something to drink to help perk us up, but I just stared at the beverage and couldn’t find the will to swallow the hot drink. I didn’t have the stomach for it. What made me even more anxious was that I hadn't heard from Ida yet. She had left us in the evening the day before, and I wondered if she fared well with her wielder friend. I knew she could take care of herself, but if what the shifter that a
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 61
The black mass of the western mountain appeared before Otis and me. It separated a narrow passage between Mirra and White Birch districts, leading to either the Spruce Cove or Willow regions. It wasn’t as tall as the other mountain ranges, but it was sizable nonetheless.I dropped lower above the tree line and climbed the mountainside by flight.“What are we looking for exactly?”Near the top of steep cliffs, there was a tunnel that led inside the secret passages of the mountain. From what I had gleaned from the forest earth, there were a few, but that one had seemed unoccupied and our best chance at getting in undetected.“A passage. We’re almost there, I think. It’s harder to spot in the dark.”“Please tell me you have a plan,” Otis grumbled as I took more speed.“I do, and I don’t. My plan was to get us here.”I thought I heard Otis mumble, but I ignored him. M
Rise of the cardinal Chapter 60
Xander POV The silver shackles that bound my wrists and ankles burned my skin. I winced and shifted my weight, wanting to prevent the bindings from touching too much skin. I slowly opened my eyes. There was no difference between having them close or open. Complete darkness surrounded me. Only the scar of Ida’s blue mark left a dim glow on my skin. But it wasn’t enough to see anything clearly. The clinking of another set of shackles resonated in the space, and I heard a grunting sound coming from another person. The other prisoner coughed and hissed as the silver stung them. “Who’s still alive?” I asked in a hushed tone. “It’s me… Jordan.” Good. Jordan was still here. He was the strongest out of the ten Lycans that accompanied me on this mission. “Can you recall what happened to us?” “Some, not much. We went inside the village. It was silent. Shifters attacked us, but they weren't shifters. I tore a leg from one of them, but it
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I saw red and jumped off my horse.“Ida! Don’t do it. I know what you’re thinking!” Silas pleaded. His voice was frantic, and he followed suit, dismounting his horse to grab my arms and stop me.I shook my arm out of his insistent hold and jumped backward.“We waited too long. The plan won’t work. If Xander or any other Lycans have not returned, they were taken by Osprey’s men… or Osprey himself. Arm everyone, now! I’ll take Otis with me, and we’ll go straight to White Birch Castle. Keep moving in that direction and keep your eyes peeled. I have a feeling this fight will happen much sooner than expected.”‘Then I’m coming with you!”“Don’t be absurd.” I scoffed at Silas. “The rebellion needs you here. Who will lead them all once the battle starts? I can do it with Otis.”I tried to show him I was confident, but I only wanted to
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As soon as Roselin and Count Robin had produced and distributed the immunizing liquid against the incapacitating effects of the other, we quickly set for White Birch plain. All the shifters followed the moving party from the forest, while all the human rebels took the road with hundreds of wagons in tow. We needed to move the weapons, the armours, the food and water supplies.Only a handful of elderly rebels stayed in Perch. They would reroute any other rebels that arrived from farther districts. My heart broke when no wielders showed up, making me think that Otis and I were the only ones brave enough to show ourselves. I refused to believe we were the last two left.We had been on the road for over a week. It would take another day to reach the designated portion of the plain, where the rebellion intended to set up and prepare for the war. By my calculations, Junco had most likely arrived in Osprey City two or three days ago, which made me worry.I was atop my
