I learned, for instance, that s.p.a.ce and time go hand in hand. When I slowed time earlier, I could create an area of effect roughly five feet around me. When I moved, the area of effect would move with me. Moreover, when I traveled back in time, I didn't stay in one spot. So I spent the morning practicing different alternative to the time deceleration spell.

I'd throw an object in the air and try to slow its descent down. I'd only concentrate on slowing the object down, not its immediate vicinity. If I failed, I'd repeat the exercise all over again. The more I retried, the more I could discern the object's specific time energy. This helped me greatly in isolating it and slowing it down alone, while leaving its surrounding intact.

It took me the better part of the morning, but I managed to do it. From there, I moved to tree leaves. I'd observe them as they fell, and try to slow down at least three at a time. It was trickier than I initially expected, but thanks to the third eye I've just learned to activate, I could predict each item's trajectory and act accordingly.

By noon, I could easily slow up to ten leaves at a time. It made for an enchanting scene, watching tree leaves float in the air while others flew past them at relatively higher speed. I wanted to experiment on live animals afterwards, but time had caught up with me. We had a plan to set in motion. I would have to figure out the rest once our upcoming fight started.

"I've found him." Raiya came to find us in the training arena by noon. "Bodrick's hiding somewhere south of Moida."

"It's our summer home," Beatrix commented. "I know how to get to it. If we move now, we will reach it by sundown."

I turned to look at her. I was concerned that she wouldn't accept to fight him alongside us. After all, he was her father. No matter how much she hated the man, she couldn't have wanted him dead.

"Are you sure you want to come with us?" I asked.

"There's nothing I want more than seeing that man suffer," she answered with a clenched jaw. The anger in her eyes was insatiable.

"You know that he won't give us the helm willingly, right?" I asked, still concerned about her.

"We'll do what we have to do Darkstar," she flatly answered. "Let's just get this over with."

"Beatrix…" I said.

"Don't try to dissuade me," she barked at me. "I'm not a child who needs protecting."

I took in a deep breath. There was no convincing a woman once she puts her mind into doing something. "As you wish," I said.

"We have to expect some form of resistance," Raiya said. "How about I go ahead and scout the area? Beatrix can come with me while you round up Elsa's men."

"Wouldn't it be better if we tried the silent method?" Beatrix asked. "We'll draw too much attention toward us if we go with the all-out a.s.sault."

"It's the only way," I said. "We've been through this B. If we allow Bodrick to escape, all our hopes to reach Milogac will vanish. We need that leverage against Stalwart. That's the only thing that would save us."

"Well, I still think it's a dumb idea," she said. "I can get in during the night, kidnap father and bring him out. We'd be long gone before anybody realizes he's disappeared."

"Your father knows you're the merchant robber," I said. "His men had seen us after the fight against Wanda."

"We also need the commotion to send a message to Hartwell," Raiya intervened. "We've been hiding for far too long. Hilda's convinced she can get the Church on our side. We need to draw Hartwell toward us while Stalwart deals with the Bishop."

"What if Hartwell comes to my father's rescue?" Beatrix asked.

"That's what we're relying on," I said. "He'll come looking while we infiltrate his fort and get Osgar out."

Beatrix kept asking questions about the plan until she was satisfied. Elsa came to meet us afterwards to tell us about the men she's selected for the mission. Despite the fact that we deliberately wanted our attack to draw attention toward us, we didn't want anybody to know of Lady Vogel's involvement in the matter.

After all, Elsa was our escape of jail card. If we managed to draw Hartwell toward us before the Church attacked, he wouldn't be able to lend his boss a hand against the Pontiffs and the Bishop. We'd be hitting two birds with one stone. The new leader of the underworld will help us escape from Merinsk, while Stalwart suffers a most probable defeat against the Church.

Oh how we overestimated the Church's powers at that time…

Night had fallen when Raiya contacted me through our psionic link. I was three miles away from Bodrick's summer home near Moida. Raiya and Beatrix had gone before us to scout the area.

'There are two guards at the main gate,' she told me. 'Three more are doing rounds around the walls, and two more are at the back door. Beatrix tells me there ought to be at least fifty men inside. Bodrick takes all the necessary precautions to protect himself."

Elsa gave me ten men. With Raiya, Beatrix and I, we were thirteen in total. We were fighting four against one. The odds weren't in our favor, but there were three of us that could use magic. That was enough to even the odds.

I gave the men the signal to follow me. While we walked toward Bodrick's summer house, I found myself thinking of Hilda and the meeting she had arranged with Utar. The Priest had been sighted in Rolar, the capital of Biarkh. He was accompanied by a young man, and together, they were asking about a boy by the name Myles Stalwart.

When Hilda sent us the news, I found myself stricken with this foreboding feeling. The young boy with Utar could only be Sam. The only reason they hadn't managed to find me yet was because I'd changed my name and my appearance to a certain degree. Utar's tracking methods relied on my energy signature, name, and previous exploits.

I'd left the name Myles Stalwart behind when I left the Sebyan underground city. If Sam and Utar had come to Merinsk instead of Rolar, I'd be a dead man already. Sending Hilda to meet them was perhaps the best option I had to escape the priest's clutches. Nevertheless, I couldn't help but think what if?

What if Utar brought the subject with Hilda? What if Hilda realized my ties to Theolonius Stalwart? Would she still be willing to help us?

Too many questions I couldn't answer popped up in my mind. I was thankful for the a.s.sault against Bodrick. Nothing would take my mind off these disturbing thoughts than beating some guards to death.

"Are you ready for this?" I asked Beatrix after me and the men joined them.

"Let's just get this over with," she said.

There was some hesitation in the way she spoke, but I didn't press the matter any further. After all, I knew all too well how it felt to want revenge. You get too hung up on the idea of revenge that you forget why you sought it in the first place. You become filled with anger to the point that you can't trust anybody else but yourself to do the deed.

"Once we're inside," I said. "Don't rush to see your father. We can't afford to split up."

Beatrix snorted. "Can we get going now?" she asked, impatient.

Raiya and I exchanged worried looks. We both knew Beatrix was bound to do something stupid. She seemed adamant on rus.h.i.+ng head on.

"Just make sure you stick to the plan," Raiya said. "Bodrick has nowhere to run to as long as we keep an eye on all exits."

"I know d.a.m.n well what I have to do," Beatrix said. "You just watch my flank and leave the rest to me."

"Are we going or what?" one of the men Elsa had sent with me asked. "It's getting late, and the rounds are about to change. We'll miss our opportunity if we stay here bickering."

"He's right," Beatrix said. "We all know what we need to do. Let's just get it over with."