To Control Beasts

Myron Wade – God bless that man – didn't disappoint and fulfilled his end of the deal that night.

"Get your ass here right now and help me with the boat!"

Heon wondered how that man could be so loud. Although, years of being in the sea to give commands probably answered that particular question.

"I used to sail in the Arres Belt, you know." Myron said to him, broad shoulders almost touching and Heon held back his grimace. He was covered in something dark and gooey. "It's one hell of a journey. One wrong move and you'll end up at the end of the world with no way back."

"What, is the Earth flat or something?"

"What?"

Heon waved him off, "Nothing."

Myron looked at him. He fidgeted under his scrutiny, fearing that the burly seaman would really take him seriously and announced to the whole ship that he was, indeed, the one being accused of murdering the king.

"How did you meet Sunny again, by the way?"

Heon shrugged, "I took shelter and it turned out to be his house."

"That crazy boy has no house."

"Yeah, that's what I thought too."

"Let me guess," Myron nodded, "He tried to kill you, didn't he?"

He almost sweat-dropped. "So, that's a normal thing with him?"

"Pretty much so. But you don't look surprised."

Heon frowned then, sensing that the burly seaman was holding something back from him. "Don't tell me he's a real killer."

"You already know," Myron chuckled, much to his shocked horror. He turned his attention to the two newcomers. "We'll leave now."

Heon's ears perked at that. Finally, It had been hours since he got on the boat and tried to keep himself under the radar. Thankfully, Sunny strolled somewhere with a promise to be back before they sailed.

It would be a real ass if that manic boy stayed with him and told every passerby that he was the most wanted criminal in the entire kingdom.

"Ssst!"

He turned to face the hissing voice. The earth mage had her hood on, shielding her green hair from view as she crouched behind a barrel of what he assumed to be rum. "What are you doing?"

"Get here, dumbass!"

Heon decided Azran was too demanding today. Did she have PMS or something?

Did PMS even exist in this parallel world?

"Sssst!" Azran called again, now completed with a glare.

Heon sighed and went to crouch by her side. His heart skipped a beat. For all of his pathetic life in her true world, he never was this close to a girl – aside from that one time he was forced to hide with his classmates from their teacher, the rush hour on the train didn't count.

"What?"

"Lower your voice," Azran chided.

He kindly did not point out that she was louder than him. Instead, the supposed kingslayer muttered softly, "What are we doing here?"

Azran looked at him as if he grew a parasite dragon on his forehead. "Hiding, what else?"

"Do you think there's city guards here?"

"No, but many bounty hunters are."

"Aren't they your friends?"

The green-haired girl looked offended. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, and Heon deliberately looked up at the vast blue sky above them.

"Wait," he saw something in the sky, "Is that a giant bird?"

Azran looked up, following his pointing index finger. She huffed, "Are you stupid? That's a dragon, idiot. Where did you live before now?"

"Uhm … in another world that is really different from here, obviously."

"… right. How could I forget."

"But, dragon?" Heon repeated, "Real dragons where you can see and touch them?"

"See, yes. Touch? I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Oh. No touch, noted. I guess I'll be fried alive if I do that, huh?"

"Fried? Why?"

Heon frowned again, "You said not to touch them."

"Yeah, but not because they will breathe fire and burn you to a crisp, idiot." Azran rolled her eyes. "They'll swallow you alive, that's for sure."

"Huh?! They eat humans?"

"Of course, they do. It's common knowledge."

They were silent for a while. Until Heon slowly muttered, "You're joking, right?"

"Why would I joke? That's a question you should ask if I were that crazy friend of yours."

Sighing, Heon would keep that information in his head. He'd ask Sunny about it when he joined them.

"Where is he, by the way?"

"Sunny?"

"He better nor do something funny and get us caught by the city guards."

"I don't think Myron is the type of person who lets a city guard get on his boat."

He didn't really know the burly seaman, but Heon got enough glimpse that he was a man who dealt with the illegal side of things. Obviously, only if what Sunny told him was true.

Right then, the boat swayed and Heon rose to his feet.

"Stay here," Azran told him, very much like those loving girls in the romance film just before the lead male character boarded on the plane.

"I just want to see the sea."

"You can do that later when we are in the middle of nowhere."

Huffing, Heon chose to ignore her. He hurried to where Myron's towering figure was standing. Right on the foremost center of the boat, hands spread wide in the air. He didn't move for about five seconds, but then he pulled his right arm down, and raised it again like a clock.

Correction. He moved as if he was swimming in the water. In turn, the sea water moved in waves. Pushing and pulling. A rhythm so calm, yet so strong that it moved the boat.

Aside from Myron, the two newcomers earlier were also near, standing a little behind him. They moved in unison.

It didn't take long for them to leave the harbor. They were surrounded by sea water. It was the first time Heon boarded a boat like this.

He was also interested in how Myron and the others kept moving to use their water magic. It was unlike Azran who only muttered something under her breath and moved her hands slightly to use her magic.

Having nothing else to do, Heon mimicked Myron's movement. Push and pull. Push and pull. Over and over again.

But then, he felt something on his hand – even though there was nothing.

Push.

And pull.

A human adult-sized fish with sharp teeth suddenly lurched from the water. Landing in front of him.

"Huh?"

Azran appeared puzzled, mirroring his own confusion.

"See, I told you he can control beasts!"