Raziel’s fear faded as he ran down the dark alleyway, his heart pounding in his chest. He grabbed his bow and an arrow as he ran, the familiar weight of the weapon bringing him a small measure of comfort. He came to a sliding stop at the end of the alley, where four men were tying up a girl about his age.

“You are coming with us! Issac has ordered your capture!” one of the men snarled.

Raziel frowned. It had to be a different Issac, because his father would never order such a horrible thing. He nocked his bow, drawing the string taut. The runes etched into the bow began to glow, casting an eerie light in the dark alley. His eyes hardened with a determined glare.

“Leave her be!” Raziel commanded, his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at his insides.

The four men laughed. “Look boys, we have a young hero here. Get him! We’ll bind him and take him to the boss too!”

Two of the men rushed at Raziel. Out of fear, he let his arrow fly. Mid-arc, it split into four magical bolts of lightning, each one striking true and piercing the men’s hearts without mercy. They fell to the ground, lifeless.

Raziel looked stunned, but not as much as the young girl. “Thank you, but I think we need to get out of here,” she said, her voice trembling.

The two of them turned to exit the dark alley. She bolted past him and disappeared into the crowd. Raziel frowned as the bow’s energy faded.

“You need to get out of here.”

“But what about you?”

Her sapphire eyes glowed with ire, “I will be fine. I just like having a little fun.”

He frowned, “Fine, be careful.”

Realization hit him hard—his body count was going up. He didn’t know who these men were or why this magical bow had led him there. He felt sick to his stomach. Should he tell someone there were dead men in the alley?

He decided to just run away. He exited and turned left, back to where his father had left him.

“Well, that was entertaining, more than collecting mushrooms!” a familiar voice said.

Raziel froze. He knew that voice. He turned and saw the strange dog-like creature again. “What are you doing here?”

“I am always with you,” it said, wagging its odd tail.

“Did you see that? I… I did not mean to kill them.” His voice was shaky.

The little dog just laughed. Without warning, it lowered its ears and hid behind Raziel. “Do not let Issac find me.”

“But he isn’t—” Raziel was cut off by Issac exiting the building.

“Raziel, are you alright?” Issac’s expression was filled with concern.

“I am fine, Father,” Raziel replied, trying to hide his fear.

“Alright, what did you find to buy?”

“Um, nothing yet. There are so many people, Father. It’s kind of frightening.”

Issac chuckled. “It’s okay. Let me take you somewhere.”

“Hey! You! I bought that bow fairly! You stole my gold coins!”

An angry vendor came rushing up and grabbed Raziel by the wrist.

Issac growled. “What is the meaning of this!”

Raziel had a wicked expression on his face. “I um am guilty father. I sold this man my bow. Knowing it would not stay with him.” He dug his forty gold pieces out of his satchel and went to hand them back to the man.

Issac let a truly evil grin spread across his face. He forced the vendor to let go of Raziel and stopped his boy from giving back the money.

“Now, now, Flint, do you know what bow this is?”

The vendor paused with a guilty look in his eye. “Um, It is the Bow of the Gods.”

“So you know what it is worth?”

Guilt filled Flint’s eyes. “Yes Sir, but, I was buying it for you!”

Issac laughed with malice. “So you thought you would swindle my son to buy his bow for a pathetic amount of gold?”

Fear filled Flint’s eyes. “Your son?”

Issac smirked. “I will allow you to keep your life, but my boy is going to keep your gold.”

Flint’s eyes flicked to the ground. “Yes sir.” He turned and walked away.

He turned to Raziel. “That was a clever move, you just made forty gold coins.”

Raziel chuckled. “Shall we go then father?”

Issac nodded and together they walked through the bazaar. They came to a stand with elaborate robes in all colors.

“Now Raziel, I am going to wait back here. I want you to go and ask him for black and gold robes. Okay?”

The young boy nodded and walked up to the vendor. “Hello! I would like to buy some robes, please.”

The vendor looked the boy up and down. “Would you like peasants’ robes? If you do, I am afraid I do not carry those.”

Raziel frowned. “No, I need black and gold ones.”

The vendor laughed. “Those are only for nobles, boy. So, unless you are related to someone like Issac Wavelander, you cannot have them.”

It dawned on Raziel that he did not know his father’s last name, or his own for that matter. He turned to Issac and frowned. “He said I cannot buy them, Father.”

Issac’s gaze narrowed as it locked onto the vendor. Fear rippled through the man’s veins.

“I, um, I am sorry, boy. Here, take these. They are on me. You don’t have to pay for them.” He forced two sets of robes into the boy’s hands and slammed his windows and doors shut.

Raziel stared at the robes in shock. He turned to Issac, who only shrugged his shoulders.

“Today is really weird, Father.”

Issac just chuckled. “Come with me, boy.”

“Dad, um, I think I have made some big mistakes.”

A wicked glimmer came into Issac’s eyes. “Oh, got something you want to get off your chest, boy?”

“Yeah, can we go somewhere to talk?” Raziel asked, a hint of fear in his voice.

“Sure.” Issac nodded.

Together they walked through the bazaar when there was a scream. Raziel recognized it. Instinctively, he turned and grabbed his bow.

Issac stopped him. “Son, I don’t need any more of my men dead at your hands. Stop, please.”

Ice filled Raziel’s veins. “Your men?”

Issac let anger flare in his eyes. “Yes, boy. Now stop. I need this girl. I will not allow you to stop me again.”

The bow flared with anger, and Raziel could feel it. The volume of emotion that flooded him was almost more than he could bear.

The energy of the weapon forced him to aim it at Issac. Raziel’s eyes began to glow with a seafoam hue. He drew the string taut, ready to fire.

His voice was disconnected and disembodied. “Issac, you will let her go. You do not want My wrath turned on you.”

Issac’s expression shifted from anger to a mix of fear and resignation. “You are right, Aurelian. Let the girl go,” he gritted out.

His men let her go. The young girl disappeared into the shadows, and Issac knelt before his son. “Raziel, she is free.”

The color drained from Raziel’s face, and he passed out. Issac stood and caught his son before he hit the ground.

The young girl climbed a ladder on the side of the building to the nearest roof. She stared down at Issac, who was holding the unconscious boy. A wild expression danced in her cosmic eyes.

Issac growled as his eyes met hers. “I will capture you, Venus.”

She laughed, a sound that echoed through the bazaar as the sun began to set.