"Hey kid," a mellow voice called out to me. "Are you sure you're steering the right way?"

I nodded. We were in the middle of the Kozagan sea. Raiya sat next to me, wearing an emerald cloak. Her hair ruffled before her eyes in messy tangles. A terrible storm had just missed us. Early morning wind swept past our faces like sharp razors. I was used to it. I was a sailor after all, despite my young age.

"The wind is kind to us today," I said. "We'll reach the island by sunrise."

"I hope you're right," she said then rested her gaze on the horizon.

I shot a tentative side glance at her. I'd never seen such a beautiful woman in my life. Yanoku wasn't known for having pretty, curvy women like this one. No wonder the entire town rushed to win her good graces.

"There will be sea monsters ahead," I warned her. "I've never been this far, but I heard the tales."

"You worry about getting us to our destination," she said. "I'll worry about the monsters."

I steered the boat north. Despite the gray clouds above us, I could navigate this sea with my eyes closed. I've never ventured this far, but Raiya's proposal was too good to let go. She even paid in advance, soothed my mother's pain. Not even Agatha, the most famous apothecary in town, couldn't do what this witch had done.

Faint sun rays reached us from the east. And with it, the island peeked at us from the horizon.

"There!" I pointed toward it. "No one has ever come back from this kind of voyage though."

I couldn't help but complain. I've had a close encounter with death in this sea before. If it weren't for my sick mother, I would never take the witch to this cursed place.

"Just keep going," she said, clearly annoyed by my constant protests. "You'll get home to see your mother, I a.s.sure you."

"What are you looking for in there anyway?" I asked.

"An ancient book called none of your business," she replied. She turned to look at me, her expression dark. "Keep that rudder steady," she said. "We have company."

I looked around and saw gigantic fins circling the boat. Sharks didn't venture this far in the Kozagan Sea. These were something much more terrible. They were bad news.

"Fanghorns," I swore under my breath. "I knew this trip was too calm, too good to be true."

"Just keep the boat steady," Raiya ordered. "I'll take care of any who dare get in our way."

I gulped, hard, then looked at the horizon. The island was getting bigger as we approached it. Fanghorns were famous sea monsters that hunted bigger game. However, venture into their turf, and they won't show any mercy. The boat rocked left and right as a gigantic sea monster swam underneath it.

"Here they come," I shouted.

In a loud explosion, a beast three times bigger than a bull shark leaped toward us. It had long horns shaped like fangs. One hit could pierce our boat and sink us. One hit could end our adventure with our objective in sight.

"Watch carefully kid," Raiya told me as she stood on the rocking boat. "This is what power looks like."

She drew a dirk from her robes and met the leaping monster head on. As the beast got closer to her, it slowed down until it came to a near full stop. She positioned herself between the beast's horns, and slipped the dirk through its round eyes. Then, with quick, consecutive punches, she hammered the Fanghorn.

She turned away from it and sat beside me. The corners of mouth extended into a devilish, triumphant smirk. "Watch this," she said then snapped her fingers.

All at once, the punches and the stabs released on the monster. It emitted a sound no human or animal could ever muster. It was the sound of agonizing pain, as its body twisted left and right. Its previous trajectory changed, and the beast flew past our boat without as much grazing it with its tail.

"How did you do that?" I asked.

"They don't call me the time witch for nothing," Raiya answered, her smirk unfading.

"Can you teach me how to do that?" I asked.

She frowned. "Maybe," she answered. "This isn't the most powerful spell that exists either. I hear some people can manipulate time and s.p.a.ce with such precision, they can undo events, appear in two places at once. They end you before you even existed."

My eyes widened. "And you say I have the ability to use such powerful magic?"

"It remains to be seen," she dismissively said. "Power manifests itself on each of us in different ways. As soon as I unlock your conduits, we'll see what kind of power you harbor."

I smiled and looked at the approaching island. I couldn't wait to get back to the city. If I could do what she did, my sister would never have to work another day at that hateful tavern. My mother will be cured. We'll finally have a chance at leaving that hateful house in the slums.

***

"Wake up!" I heard a shrill voice shout.

Then a bucketful of cold water washed over me. I shuddered and opened my eye. I was still in Fischer's private office. A woman, neither tall nor short, was frowning at me. Her large eyebrows were dark and arched, as though she had a habit of scowling all the time.

She was wearing an azure vest on top of a brown s.h.i.+rt. Her leather trousers emphasized her strong legs and wide hips. Fischer stood behind her, smirking. He was wearing a violet silk caftan. Its sleeves were long and large. They covered his wrinkled hands. His belly was so inflated it threatened to tear his expensive looking kaftan.

"So this is the famous Zedd Darkstar," he said in a raspy, venomous voice. His eyes narrowed to slits as he circled around me. I was bound to a chair, naked as my mother bore me. "You thought you could outsmart us, eh?" he said then hurled a heavy punch at my stomach that knocked the wind out of me.

"Careful sir," the woman warned. "The boss wants him alive."

"I don't care what the boss wants," he hissed at her. "He's as good as dead now. n.o.body steals from me, murders my men, and expects to get away from this." His saliva showered me. I wrinkled my nose in disgust.

"But–" the woman protested.

"I didn't hire you to be my voice of reason!" he screamed. "This piece of filth has to pay."

"I didn't think I was worth fighting over," I said, smirking.

"Shut your d.a.m.n mouth," the woman screamed then punched me in the left rib. I groaned, but still gave an insolent smile.

"You think you got me now that you stripped me of all my weapons?" I hissed at them. "I have friends outside, ready to destroy this warehouse if I don't come out by nightfall."

Fischer started laughing, a raspy, wheezy, disgusting sound. "Your friends, like the merchant robber?" Fischer asked. "They ran as soon as the shadows outnumbered them."

I sighed in relief internally. Beatrix made it out.

"f.u.c.k!" I whispered loud enough for the old man to hear me.

"You're all alone now, Zedd Darkstar!" the old man said. "How does it feel to work with cowards? If you approached me before all this; I could have given you a great seat in my house."

"I don't work with a.s.sholes who disown their daughters for answering nature's call," I hissed at him.

Fischer's face contorted into a wrinkled grimace of rage and frustration. "You are an insolent fool," Fischer said. "I wonder why the boss wants you alive."

"Maybe," I said, meeting Fischer's angry eyes with an insolent gaze, "he thinks I'm a better fit to rule this part of town. Maybe he's tired of old fools ruining the underworld's plans."

"Leave us," the old man told his female body guard.

The woman tried to protest, but Fischer gave a stern scowl that made her swallow her words.

"Sir," she said then bowed.

We were left alone. Me, naked and tightly bound to a chair, the old man, pacing around the room and eyeing me with calculating, angry eyes.

"You think you know me," he said. "You don't know what I had to do to get here."

"You stole from Bodrick and backstabbed him," I said. "You killed, bribed, stole. There was no line you didn't cross old man. You're the worst sc.u.m this sad earth has ever bore. You think you're special?" I scoffed. "If you were, why are Konig and Kohler playing you like a puppet?"

"What are you talking about?" Fischer asked. He leaned in. His face was inches away from mine. I could smell his putrid breath. I struggled not to look the other way when I spoke next.

"Kohler and Konig had a secret meeting without you, not too days ago," I said. "Why do you think they didn't show up for the Wolf-Fights when Lady Vogel's champion claimed the trophy? I mean, Konig controls the fights, he wouldn't miss it."

"What are you getting at?" Fischer asked.

"You're the useless one," I said. "They don't include you in the decision process. I bet you've never even met that mysterious boss you all talk about."

Fischer snorted. "I know what you're doing," he said. "You're trying to turn me against them."

I smiled. I already had him in my pocket, the insecure b.a.s.t.a.r.d!

"I bet Bodrick didn't tell you his darkest secret, did he?" I said. "He got desperate. He knew you wouldn't like the news. So he met with the two men who he knew, would tolerate his foolish mistakes."

Fischer frowned. His gray, disheveled eyebrows almost hid his eyes. "Enough with this s.h.i.+t Darkstar," he said, growling. "What do you know?"

"If I told you," I said. "Will you let me go?"

I knew he wouldn't, but I needed him to get angry.

He nodded.

"The merchant robber I work with," I said, smirking. "I can tell you who she is. And believe me sir. The answer will make your knees weak."