Chapter 1

"There they are! GET 'EM!" A man shouted, his face morphing into a purple rage mask.

"Time to go, Fate!"

Twisted Fate gathered his deck and abandoned the poker game-in-progress, other players staring agape as cards were snatched from their hands. As TF jogged, he pulled the extra cards from his sleeves; you can never be too safe when it comes to your livelihood.

"C'mon Fate! That barkeep's got the cops!"

"Keep your pants on, Malcolm!" Fate retorted, catching up to his partner in an alleyway. The duo darted across the stone pavement, scurrying faster than the rats around them. Gunfire was heard in the distance.

"Damn, they're firin' on us already?" Graves exclaimed. He sounded more joyful than scared, though this didn't slow his pace.

Fate smirked. They were prepared for this: they had tickets to a one-way cruise all set up. The cruise liner was leaving that very morning, a grand ship aptly named The Lone Chance, docked in this little backwater Port Santorini off of the Bilgewater mainland.

"Ya just had to pull that last minute con, didn'ja?" Graves growled.

Fate's smile widened as he chuckled. "You know me Malcolm; I can't pass up a good set o' suckers like these!"

Their pace quickened as they heard rifle shots ricochet off the flagged-stone path. The Lone Chance was in sight—her smoke stacks billowed proudly as they spotted the gangplank being pulled away.

"Damn it Fate!" Graves hollered, "Damnit, damnit, damnit!"

Their footfalls thudded onto the wooden dock as Twisted Fate watched the liner float into the harbor. His eyes spun around the busy docks, spotting a crowd of sailors under a crane.

"Malcolm! This way!"

Fate dashed towards the crowd, shoving his way through the burly sailors, who scattered from the chaos of the pursuing mob. Fate grabbed the shoulder of Graves' poncho before making a mighty leap…

"Fate, what're ya—AAAAAAHHH!"

Graves was flung out over the open ocean as Twisted Fate swung from the chain on the crane. They thudded onto the shiny white deck, angry shouts echoing after them.

"YOU COME BACK HERE YOU TWO!"

"So long, Santorini!" Fate waved his hat in farewell.

"WOOOO-WEE" Graves called in agreement.

"So where're we headed next?"

Twisted Fate took a long swig from his beer, putting his feet up on the table. "Whichever port this takes us."

Graves scowled. His face sounded like sand paper as he scratched it. "We were just in Vilhellos, we should avoid that town until the heat dies down."

"Oh don't worry so much, ya old mother hen."

"Mother hen? I'm lookin' to survive Fate. I can only assume you are too." Graves took a drink from his own mug, and when his gaze returned to the card shark, his brown eyes were more relaxed. "Well, I suppose we can relax on the way."

Twisted Fate tipped his hat over his eyes as he leaned back, letting his mind wander. As crummy a town as Santorini had been, the haul had been more than enough to get them out of where ever they ended up, and fast. Fate had pulled a brilliant trick, and Malcolm had "acquired" their escape tickets just in the nick of time.

"It's too bad Old man Clive and the Missus couldn't make it," Graves had joked with a devilish grin.

As Fate reclined, he heard whispers from the only other group in the bar; a gathering of twittering ladies with oversized hats and far too much to drink.

"Oooo did you hear?"

"Yes, yes, that noble-man, in Villhellos of all places!"

"Oh his poor widow must be devastated…"

"If she isn't rolling in gold that is—"

"Rose!"

"I'm just saying is all…"

"How did he die?"

At this point, Fate had sat up. If there was trouble in Vilhellos, it might be better to abandon ship before port.

He turned ever so slightly to catch a plump woman in a lime green dress take a deep breath. "Well, he didn't so much as die as he was….murdered!" A chorus of gasps erupted.

"Oh-no…"

"In Vilhellos of all places…"

"Yes! No one knows by whom…but people are saying…it was an assassin!"

"Oh hogwash!"

"Rose!"

"What? I'm simply saying it would take a hell of an assassin to get past that guard of his. That Lord was more paranoid than the High Chancellor!"

"Well, the assassin didn't do a very clean job of it…very messy from what I heard. Even had to, er, ex the maid who witnessed it."

Fate's eyes met Graves'. Graves had obviously been listening as well. "What do you make of it Malcolm?"

He grunted. "Might be trouble…but it sounds like the jobs' done…so might be an opportunity. After all, no one's gonna deal with a coupla swindlers with a killer on the loose."

Twisted Fate smiled. "I'll drink to that." Their glasses clinked as they laughed.