I wake in darkness. I know to expect this by now. It happens every time. I sit up on the cheap bed, checking my body for bruises. There are scars crisscross about my arms and torso, and some of them weep with blood.

Nergal has plenty of troubadours, even some valkyries like Ursula. But I will receive no medical attention. Partially to teach me how to survive if I was wounded far from anyone who could help me, but mostly to punish me and make sure I learn my lesson.

I try to remember what I did wrong this time. Oh, yes. My target was not killed fast enough. He survived just long enough to send a final message, telling some fool about what he had learned about the Black Fang. Then I found and killed him, but first he had sent the message. I returned and somehow Nergal learned of the final letter, and I was punished for it. His morphss beat me senseless, and now I have to find the man who received the message, hopefully before he tells anyone else.

My next target's name is Geitz. I have no clue who or where he is, and I know that asking Nergal is out of the question. Showing my face in Nergal's presence for a while will bring only more pain, so I know I need to lay low for a few days.

I rise to my feet. I am shaking slightly from loss of blood, but I have experienced worse. I sink to my knees and grope under the low bed for the bandages I have. I stole them, knowing that they were my only chance for staying alive and well. I steal lots of things to survive, both from neighboring towns and the Black Fang itself. They won't miss it, as long as I don't take anything important.

A few minutes later all of my wounds have been tended to. I have done this so many times that I am skilled in treating injuries, almost as much as some of Nergal's newly recruited troubadours. Of course, I cannot perform magic, but still the skill is useful for when you are in enemy territory and bleeding to death.

I tuck the bandages back under my bed, but keep a few and some healing balms as well. I will probably need them later, and I won't have time to find a cleric. If I don't do this mission quickly, Nergal may not be quite as humane as he was before.

I dart out of the bedchamber, making sure to not be seen. I do not want morphs or other Black Fang members to catch me and ask questions. Although it seems that there are less and less human Black Fangs then there was before. The men and women seem to be slowly disappearing; yet the morphs seem to multiply. I notice that only the weak and unneeded humans are missing. It drives me to work harder and to succeed. If I become useless or some morph surpasses me, I will be worthless. Then I, too, will probably mysteriously disappear.

But the slowly vanishing men is not the only thing that is troubling me, but also the morphs. Morphs make my skin crawl. They are too eerie, to inhuman. Their golden eyes make them seem lifeless, although they move and breathe like humans. I do not know why, but one of the only emotions I feel even now that Nergal has fully trained me is the slight flicker of uneasiness when I am around morphs. But I take care not to show it. If I show any sign of emotion or weakness, then Nergal will beat it out of me. I have been beaten enough to learn what he wants out of me.

I hear footsteps coming down the hall. I tense. My eyes dart around the narrow hallway, looking for anywhere to hide. But it is bare, with no shadows or nooks to hide in. It is built that way for that exact reason.

My throat tightens as I hear the footsteps come closer. I listen closely, trying to tell if they are a threat or not. One is human, heavy and slow. It is a man, and obviously heavily armed by the sound of clanking armor. The other is quick and light. A morph. Female. The two talk in hushed voices, secret. I know I should not be here. I turn to flee, but run headlong into Maxime. I feel my eyes widen slightly to improvise for the emotions I am hiding.

"What are you doing here, Jaffar?" Maxime asks. His voice is cool and smooth, as if he says this just to bother me.

I try to push past him but he shifts casually, blocking my path again. "In trouble again, are we?" Maxime asks, a slow smirk crossing his face.

My gaze hardens as I try to walk around him again. But still he blocks me. My fists clench. After years of holding back emotions it is easy, but this man has always bothered me. His coolness and signature smirk makes it seem like he really knows what goes on inside my head.

The footsteps are coming closer. Now there is only a few moments before they turn the corner and see me.

"Let me through, Maxime," I say in the coldest voice I can. But Maxime is undaunted.

"What's this? The legendary Angel of Death running like a coward?" Maxime shakes his head in mock disappointment. "Tisk tisk, Jaffar. Didn't Nergal teach you better than that?"

"Let me through, Maxime," I say in an even colder tone. I spit out his name like it is a rude word.

Maxime just laughs. "Losing your temper now? You really are losing your touch, Jaffar."

I turn and check to make sure that the two are not upon us already. Not yet, but almost. It's just a matter of time until they turn that corner…

Maxime waits until the last possible minute before stepping aside. "What are you waiting here for, Jaffar?" he says, frowning in disapproval, pretending like I am the one blocking his path, not the other way around. "You're wasting my time. I have things to do, you know, unlike some."

I ignore his words and dart past him, down the hallway and up the spiral staircase. I start to enter my bedchamber, but then think against it. They may be coming for me. If they are, then it probably isn't to congratulate me on my latest mission. The last thing I want is to be found by them. Instead I turn and slip into the room on the opposite side of the narrow hallway. It is a vacant bedchamber, probably owned by a member of the Black Fang that either that whelp Eliwood killed or Nergal murdered himself to make room for more morphs.

Sure enough, when the human and morph finally arrive, they walk right into my bedchamber. That proves they weren't just passing by and happened to check to see if I was there. It was deliberate. I open the door silently, but only a crack. I want to hear what they are saying, but remain unseen.

"Hm…. He's gone already. He recovered faster than I thought he would." I recognize the voice. It is Limstella, Nergal's most trusted morph. Of all his morphs, she has always been the one that I didn't mind much. She was still inhuman and cruel, but you could tell by looking at her that she would think twice before hurting you, unlike Sonia who would slay you as soon as looking at you.

The other grunts in agreement. He is one of Nergal's highly trained guards. Why did Limstella need a guard? Did they think I would put up a fight? Yes, I probably would, now that I think about it. But that would only be if they were taking me somewhere that I can't go and leave unscathed. So that would probably be back to Nergal. What did he want me for? Probably to make sure the punishment had been recognized and obeyed, and if not to beat me more. I shudder.

"Wait…. What's this?"

I hear Limstella walk across the room. Then there is scuffling as she knees down on the dirty floor. I tense. Did I put the bandages away well enough?

Obviously not.

The guard snorted in disapproval, probably reacting to something Limstella was showing him. "How did he get those? Nobody gave them to him."

"Stole them most likely," Limstella said in her placid tone. Her voice was emotionless, just like the other morphs. Many thought it was because they were trained like me. But with morphs, it was because they were not human. If you listened closely, you can hear a hint of emotion in their voice. But with me, there is no emotion. There hasn't been for years, and never will be.

More footsteps come up, but from the other direction. They are also a morph's. "What are you doing here?" a direct, stern voice asks. Sonia. "Are you looking for Jaffar?"

"Yes. But it seemed he fled, but not before helping himself to our supplies."

Sonia sighed. "Poor whelp," she said in a tone that meant she didn't mean it at all. "Nergal will have his hide for stealing those things. And he's on his case already."

"Yes, that is why we are here. It seems that Geitz, the man who received the message, is now traveling with Eliwood and his lordling friends."

I suddenly am completely interested in the conversation. With Eliwood? Maybe it is a good thing they came up to find me, after all.

"What? Why did he join sides with scrawny boy?" the guard asked, appalled.

Limstella sighed. "Our spies tell us that he was talked into it by Eliwood himself," she said. "They met him in Bern. It seems Geitz is looking for his destiny or something like that, and Eliwood promised to help."

"It sickens me how easily he finds recruits," Sonia groaned. "Next thing you know he will have members of the Black Fang fighting for him."

I hear them talk more about Eliwood as they walk away and down the corridor, but I don't listen. I know where Geitz is, and what to expect once I find him. Bern, protected by all of Eliwood's legion. This is going to be much harder than I had expected.

---

I finally made it out of the fortress by climbing down one of the outside walls. The bricks making the outside of the fortress are visible and easy to grab, so it wasn't too hard.

Now the only problem that lay before me was how I was going to get off this damned island. There were, of course, no ships that would come to drop off goods. After all, this is Dread Isle. There were a few ships that Nergal had so he could send some of his morphs or army to do his bidding. But none of them could be manned by one person, and there was no way I am going to get a group of Black Fangs to help me here.

Then I spot the ship through the fog. There is a group of men working on it, getting ready to set sail. Maybe I can bribe a sailor to get a ride on that ship. Or, better yet, sneak a ride…?

Suddenly there were footsteps behind me. I whirl around instinctively, braced to attack. Could the morphs had been wrong? Is Eliwood's legion here already, seeking revenge over the death of his father? But no, I am not so lucky.

Sonia stands before me, a cool smile on her face. "Jaffar. So tense. You don't have to be so cautious all the time here. Unless, of course, you're hiding something…?"

My fists clench and release again. They itch for my daggers. I don't feel secure around Sonia without them.

"What are you doing here, Jaffar? You didn't bother to tell Nergal goodbye."

My throat tightens. Now Nergal will be even harsher on me for trying to avoid him. I think frantically, searching for any way to get out of this.

"He was just going to tell you that he wants you ready for the ship that is setting sail soon," Sonia said, "so you can silence Geitz before he tells someone about our plans."

I relax, but only for a moment. So maybe she isn't going to take me to Nergal.

But it seems that luck is not with me today.

"But we found the supplies in your bedchamber that you stole from us," Sonia continued, searching Jaffar for any hint of emotion. "So now he wants to see you personally."

I flinch, but so slightly Sonia doesn't notice. Now there is no way out of this for sure. I am going to get beaten hard for this.

I don't try to escape while Sonia leads me through the fortress to Nergal. I know it will only make matters worse for me. Already it is impossible for me to avoid Nergal's wrath, but if I try to escape it his anger will only grow.

A few minutes later, I am standing before Nergal. He is at the Dragon's Gate, making some preparations with Limstella. It takes him a moment or two to notice me, because I don't speak. I am almost impossible to see, blended in with the shadows. It is a talent I developed, and it saved me on several occasions.

"Jaffar," Nergal said, finally noticing me and turning to face me. "You have made very few blunders in your past, but it seems that lately you have been losing your touch. You fail to kill your target quickly enough, and you steal from us."

I keep my gaze steady, staring unemotionally at Nergal. I know that now is the best time to hide all emotion. Now he is just waiting for me to screw up again so he can hurt me for it.

"Your punishment for the other day has already been given," Nergal said, gaze hardening, "and I am not disappointed that you stole. On the contrary, I find it impressive that you managed to steal from us for so long without you noticing. I am disappointed that you got caught." Nergal's gaze grew colder. "You are slipping, Jaffar. Your skill is becoming less and less. I don't know if you have enough to be a Black Fang."

I felt a flicker of alarm, but smothered it quickly. He was going to kill me, just like all the rest. I was of no use to him, so he would get rid of me to make room for better. But he wouldn't have me without a fight.

"But I am willing to give you one more chance," Nergal continues, studying me. "Kill Geitz before he tells others about our plans. If you don't…" He trailed off, leaving me to think of what he would do. I don't have to think long.

---

As I board the ship, I study the faces of the men around me. There is nobody I know, and that is fine with me. No conversations. Being Nergal's assassin, he keeps me solitary. If I grow too attached to someone, it can interfere with my work.

The next few days pass slowly. By day I wait, hidden from others. By night I wander the ship when most everyone is sleeping. I like night much better than day. It seems more mysterious, with shadows flickering around you. The moon lights everything with an eerie glow, making it a challenge to see. But then, nobody can see you. I pass the time at night by slinking through the ship, practicing my skills and stealing when I see something useful. I never get caught.

But on the third day, something new happened.

"Hey!"

That is the loud, shrill voice I wake to. I jerk upright, my cruel-looking daggers immediately in my hands. I hear a stifled cry, but the girl silences herself as well as I can.

I look down from where I sit on the crude bunk, and see a young girl. I do not know her name, only seeing her from a distance. She is said to be Sonia's daughter, but I suspect something different. I can tell by the way Sonia treats her. That is not a way a mother treats a child.

I leap nimbly down from the bunk and look at her with cold, emotionless eyes. "What do you want?" I ask. In my voice I make sure there is a hint of annoyance. Maybe it will make her leave sooner.

It is not that I don't like the girl. I have never spoken to her before, but I've seen her. She seems different than the other Fang members. I can tell she is probably one of the only Black Fang member that I could stand to be around for more than a few minutes. But still, I would prefer to be alone than with company.

"I know you! I've seen you fight. You're really good!" the girl exclaimed, energy returning to her voice. "Mother was sending me out to give missions to some of the Black Fang. Does that mean I have to tell you, too?"

"No. I know who I am after."

"Really? Well, if you need help, ask me! I really want to fight evildoers, but mother says that if I want to I have to do well on this job first. I can't wait!"

I nod in agreement, then push past her. Poor naïve child. She doesn't know what Nergal has done the Black Fang. Evildoers? We are the evildoers.

Then suddenly the girl's words process. Wait, mother? Sonia wasn't on this ship, was she? I whirled around to ask her, but ran right into Sonia herself.

"Ah, Jaffar. Well met," she says kindly. But there is a hint of venom in her tone.

A cold silence is my answer.

"Now don't tell me that you're mad that I turned you in to Nergal," Sonia says, a mocking hurt look on her face.

"I do not hold grudges, Sonia." I make sure to make a hint of accusation in my voice. I make it subtle, but enough to be recognized.

Sonia pretends not to notice, although I am sure that I see a flicker of anger in her eyes. She is fighting to hold her temper, and I see she is losing. I smirk, but not enough for her to see.

"Good. Because if you hold a grudge, you'll make a mistake. And when you do, Nergal will lose his temper," Sonia responds, an icy edge in her voice. I can tell by the way she says it that she is tempted to add, "And when he kills you, I'll be there to enjoy the show." But she doesn't, and instead walks off.

I resist the terrible urge to grin triumphantly. The one good thing about morphs is they have limited patience. I walk smoothly back to the bunk and climb on, falling asleep.