Whispers of Destiny – Ring of Fates FanFic

Chapter 1, Part 1 – Virus Introduction and the "Crimson Moon"?

The holy presence of the Great Crystal is all that shields the planet from the ominous glow of the evilCrimson Moon.

The villa was dark. Shadows loomed over the basic houses, being fought back by the small flickers of fireplaces that escaped out the window. Owls hooted, the light reflecting off their eyes, revealing a golden set of rings. The trees shifted in the rain, constantly being pelted by droplets of rain. The sky brightened for a brief second, lightning striking the ground somewhere. The explosion-like noise could be heard even from the small village, despite the distance. In the sky, for not even a millisecond, Damian swore he caught a glimpse of a crimson moon. Perhaps it was just his imagination. He had been boarding up the well so that it didn't overflow, all night. His clothes were drenched, dripping from head to toe. His medium-length brown hair fell over his stormy blue eyes. He was used to the rain. He noticed a quick light appear from the library.

"Damian!" The man appeared to have some sort of sallet on, but it covered his whole face.

He had never seen Al without that helmet on, as if it were his head in a whole. Damian nailed the last board to the stone well, covering the already full well from filling up anymore. He snatched the lantern that was under the roof of the well, dashing over to the library, retreating inside. Inside, the building was warm. In the middle, was a large fireplace which lit the entire area. Lining the walls were shelves of books, all containing vast amounts of knowledge. Damian had read a bunch of them in his spare time, but he knew he wasn't even close to finishing the whole collection.

"Working again, huh lad? What are you doing at this time of night, especially in this weather?" Al asked him, taking a seat in a chair with a book in hand.

"The thunderstorm worried everyone and we forgot to close the well in the panic of fortifying the houses." He replied, taking off his work boots, placing them by the door. His overalls were soaked with water, as well as his shirt, but hanging them out to dry once the storm passed wouldn't be too much of a problem.

"Your normal clothes are upstairs with Stiltzkin." Al looked towards the upper portion of the library. A little red ball could be seen moving around in joy.

"Thanks." Damian quickly ran upstairs, trying to take as few steps as possible to minimize the amount of water that fell off him.

His clothes were simple. A blue, sewed shirt that had sleeves as if they were ripped off. You could see the stitches across the shoulders as well as some on the collar, which could be propped up or put down. A black button was sewn onto the left hip of the shirt, just in case the one of the collar ripped off. Along with this was a pair of black traveling pants, seems were able to be seen. To finish it off, his black lace boots with a pair of long socks.

Damian took off his wet clothes, hanging them over the metal bucket in the corner. He slipped on his shirt, followed by his pants and socks. He rolled his pant legs up temporarily, putting his boots on. Damian stuffed the pant legs, which he unrolled, into the boot, to give a slim and slightly-poofy look. He tied the laces together tight, then returned to the large fireplace.

Al continued to read his book. He was talking to himself, sometimes laughing as he figured something out. He was much indulged in it. The library was filled with numerous kinds of books. History books, magic training books, swordplay books, and even fairy tales written for little kids. At his age, the fairy tale books weren't very enjoyable, but he mainly liked to read about the history of past kings. Awhile ago, Al offered to teach him magic, using the stones known as Magicites. Stones that when broken or casted through, would cast the magic stored in it. It was found out that the Yukes of the royal family found out how to extract magic from certain objects, and fortify them into magicite with the help of a their magical prowess. For example, a healing magicite is created using herbs and special potions. Antidote magicites were created using poison ivy, which had the opposite effect when its magic was extracted. Instead of being harm, it became a suppressant for the poison, until it eventually went away. How did Damian know all this? Al had been teaching him for quite some time now. The art of magic and the possibilities of using the magicites. One could even activate two fusible magicities at the same time to create a new spell. Yukes and their students had been using this trick to keep invaders from getting to their towns and cities.

Swordplay was also in his interest. Latov had been teaching him basic and advanced movements of using a sword, but he had also been reading the books to learn about other tricks that he could teach himself. Damian walked over to one of the bookshelves, running his finger across the spines to find a certain one. He silently smiled when he found the right one, taking it out by the top and placing a small piece of wood in its place. He was going to pick up from where he left off. The next technique.

The Art of Swordplay –

Technique Number Fourteen – Immobilize

The wielder backsteps away from a incoming attack, ducking down and slashes the target's legs.

The wielder can also duck instead of back stepping, but one must be wary of their opponent's maneuvers.

It showed a rough drawing of each step.

"You should get some rest." A man's voice told him, as the door opened and closed loudly. The library wasn't very big, but the slam still echoed a bit.

"Sir Latov!" Al was immediately away from his book, placing a bookmark in it. He set it on a nearby table, standing up from his chair. Damian stood up to greet him, placing the swordplay book on the chair he was sitting in. He remembered what page he was on, so a mark was not necessary.

"How are they doing?" Damian asked the long blond haired man, who appeared to be worried.

"Nothing has changed." He scowled, but followed it up with a smile to try to keep the mood up.

"Those two have been sick for months now, are you sure there are no cures?" Al questioned Latov, who was usually the one to answer a question rather than ask one.

"I received a letter from an old friend in Rebena Te Ra, he said that he found an herb in the forest that he had never seen before." Latov pulled out the letter from a small cloth pouch he had slung across his chest. Damian took a closer look at it. The seal on it was definitely from the city, but it was also the royal seal. He pointed it out, showing it to the other two.

"Good eyes kid!" He laughed, knowing that Damian would be the first to notice.

"Who are we going to send? We can't send Stiltzkin. You need to stay with those two, and Al needs to constantly research." Damian said, trying to figure out who they could send to receive the herb.

"Can I trust you with this?" Latov looked at him, still managing to hold a smile.

"I mean, I don't really mind but, if this person's part of the royal family, do you really think they'll believe that I'm the one collecting it for you?" He asked. Yes, it was true. The royal family, no matter how kind their king was, would not let someone who just says they are there to get something, take it and leave without any proof.

"Don't worry! I'll write a response letter with our own seal on it! You just worry about getting some rest. You'll be heading out tomorrow, the next day if we have any problems though." Latov patted him on the back, taking the letter and putting it back in his pouch. He moved to the side with Al, whispering something in a serious tone.

"Alright! I'll get going then!" He waved goodbye, leaving the library. The rain sounded lighter. Al placed his book back on the shelf, as Damian did the same.

"Make sure that Stiltzkin doesn't keep Mog up all night." Al reminded him as he exited the library, most likely heading back to his home. Damian laughed, stretching. He wringed the water out from his clothes, using that water to extinguish the large fire slowly. The magicite lights were still on, but there really was no way to turn those off without removing the magicite, which would break it. Damian went upstairs, sitting next to the small fire pit in which Stiltzkin and Mog sat by.

Moogles. Small creatures with mouse-like faces and plump, furry bodies. They had varying sized ears and were a light tan color, similar to skin. They had a long, black, string-like piece coming off their head which held a red fuzzy ball at the end. Tiny bat wings sprouted from their backs as well. Stiltzkin was a traveling merchant moogle, who was known for moving from town to town, country to country. However, he had taking a liking to Villa, and had been staying in the library with Damian and Mog. Stiltzkin had large ears that were tipped with a brown, as well as a headband that was wrapped into yellow and blue circles. He carries a bag on his back, as well as has what seems to be a blue apron held to his body with two bands similar to his headband, except the bottom one being dark red and light gray, and wrapped into diamond shapes. He has two pieces of cloth falling from right below his head and from the bottom band of his clothes. Mog, unlike Stiltzkin who wore them for an appealing look to his customers, didn't have a need for clothes. Mog had ears similar to Stiltzkin, a little smaller, and had his small bat wings already. Mog had been attached to Damian for awhile, as if he were his pet. Damian patted Mog's head lightly, causing him to "smile". Damian opened the door behind him, it creaking loudly, the room becoming quickly illuminated by the fireplace outside the room. On top of the simple book case, lied an old stick. The end was slightly charred from all the times he lit a candle, and was stained black. Just like he had done numerous times, he snatched up the stick, lighting it aflame using the fireplace. He gently touched the wick of the candle, blowing the flame off the stick. An old closet, originally used for storing forbidden books. Or, at least, that's what it seemed like. He could not remember any of the names off the top of his head, but what he COULD remember was the brutality depicted in some of them. A chill ran down his spine just thinking about it. Priests torturing people for information. Crucifixion, beating, choking, all things he had never seen, but now learned about. However, the priests of churches were no longer allowed to do that by the order of the king, according to the history book. As King Kolka, the current king, who is ruling from the city of Rebena Te Ra, was the third king to place a law on the powers of priests. It had a special name, that law, but he couldn't remember it. He shook his head, wiping the horrible images from his brain. On his bookshelf, lied only a few books that he had taken a liking to. One, was a second copy of The Art of Swordplay. Second, was Magicite Combination Spells. Third, was—well, he didn't know for sure. The name was completely faded, and scribbled out with ink. The concept of the book was too hard to explain, even for Damian, who was pretty intelligent.

He glanced out the window. The moon was bright, and white in color. It must have been the fatigue that caused him to see that crimson moon. But, it flashed before his eyes again. A circle of terror, reigning in the sky. What was it? However, it quickly changed as the next cloud crossed it. His eyes grew heavier. He had been working for most of the night, as well as exploring the nearby forest for unknown herbs that they could use to conjure up something for Yuri and Chelinka. Was it hopeless though? Damian, at one point, thought it was impossible to heal the two twins, considering their conditions. Latov, however, continued to work hard, wearing smile as his two children may be on the brink of death.

What would happen if he were to disappear? Damian thought. He couldn't imagine what would happen to the two, as well as to the whole village. Everyone trusted Latov, and he seemed to be the leader of the place too. Villa wasn't just some random doodle on a map, it was his home, as well as everyone's who lived here. Yuri, Chelinka, Al, Meeth, and the other villagers, even Stiltzkin was included, despite his mischievous merchant offers. He didn't know when it happened, but he dozed off on the small bed. Damian wondered what tomorrow would be like. He had never really been to the city, maybe once or twice, but he only got a brief look at the outside. It would be his first time actually entering the place, let alone the castle. At least, that's what he was expecting. He didn't think someone that's part of the royal family would be walking around the city without any guards. Thunder seemed to shout at him, as if it were trying to interrupt his sleep. Lightning strikes lit up the sky. But, he slept through it. I just hope I don't wake up too late, he thought to himself before he actually did fall asleep.

Chapter 1, Part 2 – Preparation and Departure

Damian yawned as he woke up. He went down the steps to the main area of the library. The doors had not been touched, or so it seemed. He could tell only because Al's bookmark was in the same place as it was last night. Judging by that, he must've woken up pretty early. Al usually arrived before he woke up, and Stiltzkin was upstairs on the floor, lying on his back asleep along with Mog. The sound of grindstones filled his ears. Damian opened the large doors with two hands, the sun basking the entire library in a fresh light. Not too far away from the library, Latov sat at a log, sharpening a sword with a special kind of rock. Damian could see the small orange sparks fly off and disappear into the green grass, which waved slightly in the gentle breeze. Al was still nowhere to be found. Someone already unbarred the well, leaving him with one less job. The sound of his boot stepping against the mud was loud, causing Latov to look up from his work. He greeted Damian with a wave, returning back to sharpening the blade. It was a long sword. The blade was thin, a glorious silvery shined blade. The hilt was made of sturdy dark wood wrapped in cloth. The pommel was a circle which was carved to make it seem like there was a gemstone socket, but just the wood carved into a wooden ball. The guard was straight, again carved intricately with lines and curves. Some of the other villagers passed him, giving him a smile and a wave like they always did, but he could still tell they were worried about the twins. If he said he wasn't worried, he would be lying. The villagers proceeded to their jobs, some cutting already cut down trees into separate logs while others sewed inside. Right now, Meeth was with the two, watching over them. Damian spun around in a circle, looking at the damage from last night's storm. Two houses had caved in roofs, some had broken walls. However, a day's hard work would fix that up in no time. Latov held up the sword in front of his eyes, the rays of light bouncing off the shiny blade like a mirror. He nodded to himself with a smile, putting the sword away into a strong leather sheath with a strap attached to it. He put it down next to him, which also caused Damian to notice another item, seeming to be a bag. He would be going soon. It wasn't likely they'd have him do any work for the moment. He would be leaving soon. Damian walked around the village, surveying the damage. Everything was fine, except those few houses, but luckily there were no casualties. Time passed.

"Damian!" A voice called to him. He was leaning against the library wall, under a small wooden hang over. He pushed himself off with his arms, heading towards the entrance/exit of the village. Everyone was waiting there, except Meeth, who he assumed was still on watch duty.

"Are you ready to go?" Latov asked him as Damian stood, staring at the exit. Yes, he was a little surprised to actually be leaving for awhile, especially by himself. Latov handed him the sheathed sword, along with a bag with another strap connected to it.

"Inside the bag is some food and water, along with my letter to the royal family." Latov told him, which Damian had already guessed what was in there. He pulled the bag and the sword over his head, the point at his left side, the hilt up at his right shoulder. The strap of the bag was strongly sewed to bag so that it didn't dangle down, closed shut by a simple latch. Al handed him a small yellow bag, a black zigzag going around it.

"A magicite bag?" Damian asked him, holding the pouch in his hand. He could feel the magicites click as they rummaged around.

"You never know what could happen." Al pointed out, as he pulled the small strap through one of the loops on his pants. He was ready. A sword, magicites and the letter. Time to get moving.

"I'm ready." Damian turned towards the exit, a small dirt hill leading up and then down.

"Good luck!" Everyone called out to him as he began to walk off into the wilderness. He waved and turned his head as he walked on.

It was time. He had no clue what he would encounter. Creatures? Caravans? It was all a mystery. But, that's what was so exciting. Latov forgot to mention it, but he had a drawn map of the path. The piece of paper was pretty large, but was folded up small. He also had written out what land marks he should look for. Just by looking at it, Damian could tell the trek may take two days, three at most, one if he has no delays. Delays were inevitable though. Damian walked into the open plains, watching as numerous bugs and wildlife ran around. It was the start of a new adventure.

One he would never forget.