In the end Nolan won.
"Yeah!" He yelled.
I lied down and dropped the cards in my hand.
"Good game." I groaned.
I heard singing but it sounded a lot closer. Intrested, I rolled onto my stomach and opened my eyes. Julie was at the giant window and the singing seemed to be coming from her. She didn't notice anyone was watching her. I lifted my head and looked back at Nolan. We smiled and I continued watching Julie. Nolan then quietly lied down next to me.
"Why not go and sing with her?" Nolan grinned.
"Nope." I shook my head.
He sighed and rolled away. Julie stopped singing and turned around looking satisfied with herself. She took notice of us and her face became red. I got up and walked over to her.
"Don't worry you sounded great. Nothing to be ashamed of." I looked out the window and started panicking.
"Wait?! Where is she?!" I turned around. "Guys! She is heading this way! Get ready!"
Everyone jumped out of their seats and rearranged themselves to prepare from her to come into the room. We cleaned up as we moved into positon.
"Aegis! Help Julie and fill her in on the situation."
Aegis nodded and took Julie's hand and arranged her the same as everyone else.
Nolan and I stood in front of the door. We looked at one another and nodded before turning our attention back to the door. The sound of someone running came from the other side. The rooms color changed to red velvet. The sound of someone running grew louder and louder. The door burst open, with a girl jumping through and her arms out wide. She started singing.
I grabbed the girl by the wrist and threw her into the wall. The room returned to normal and I sighed. I was able to see the girl better. She had blonde hair in a ponytail and light green eyes. I walked up to her as the door closed. I offered her my hand and pulled her up. I then kissed her on the cheek.
"Did you enjoy the show?" She asked.
I nodded and Nolan kissed her on the other cheek.
"Of course we did Yedda," He said as Yedda looked at me.
"So. Where were you and Keandra last time?!" She looked around the room.
"Wait where is she? She didn't come again but I wanted to show her this new room and wanted to go around the town."
Nolan nudged me using a stick.
"Where did you get that?" I asked.
He shrugged.
"Hey, Asher! Focus. Where is she? Where is Keandra?" I sighed as I looked down at the floor.
Out of all the things she could've said that was it, I thought to myself.
"I guess I should explain everything then." I said reluctantly.
I looked at Nolan and he just nodded. With Nolan guiding them, they both sat down.
"Let me start with the question you guys asked me long ago and that I kept on refusing to answer them." I pointed at my eyes.
"I can copy magic attacks, Arts, and other skills. Although I must meet the requirements in order to do so." I explained.
"What requirements?" Julie asked, tilting her head to the side.
I looked at Yedda.
"May I?" I said pointing at her necklace.
She nodded, removing the necklace from her neck and handing it to me. I stared at the necklace and smiled.
"Yeah, this will do perfectly. Now all requirements are met."
I focused flowing magic into the necklace. The necklace began to glow and float up to the ceiling. The entire rooms color changed to red velvet. I stopped and the room returned to normal. I opened my hand and the necklace fell onto my palms. I handed the necklace back and I tried doing the same thing again but couldn't. I showed them my palms and smiled.
"Okay then what are the others? It can't just be needing a certain object to use it?" asked Elijah.
"I don't always need a certain object, Yedda's art is a special case, but there is other requirement that I may have to meet. The next ones are that I must be physically and mentally skilled enough to be able to do them. Otherwise my entire body could be destroyed or I'll probably just pass out." I explained, keeping a straight face.
"Oh so that's why you were able to copy our spells," Lucas said with an annoyed tone.
"So then how'd did you know I was in danger on that day," asked Yedda.
"That right. I got to explain that too. This is what helped me find out you were in danger." I reluctantly snapped my fingers.
Cuffs appeared around my wrists, ankles, and my neck. They were connected by thick, heavy, black chains. Another chain that was connected from my neck went up to the roof before it disappeared into nothing. More and more chains wrapped around my arms and legs, at the end of them were heavy metal balls.
"Asher. What is this?" Julie asked, covering her mouth.
"I don't know much but a voice called this the 'Chains of Fates'." I answered.
"How long have you had this?" asked Yedda.
I stared at my chains.
There is more than before now, I thought to myself.
"My father told me I had these since I was 2 but they weren't as thick as they are now. They were visible at the time but now I can make them invisible." I sighed.
The chains grew heavier. I lifted a single finger and a tiny black orb appeared at my fingertips.
"This is something that came from a little girl not too far from here. This is her happiness. I can pull out things that play into what decides your fate, well it's more like making a copy in a way." I smiled.
I stared inside the girl who was laughing as she was running around with other children.
"Well anyways this thing has the strength to blow up a third of this room." I said as I shook my head.
"Okay impressive but that doesn't explain how you knew Yedda was in danger." Lucas said as he got up.
I made a fist and the black orb disappeared.
"Well to be able to pull out an emotion I need to be able to sense them. I am able to sense a trapped demon or angel and when they're sealed they give off a different emotion comparing from the ones given off by humans and can affect anything surrounding it whether it is alive or not," I pointed at Yedda, "I sensed that on Yedda."
"Okay now that those are cleared up. Can you tell us why Keandra wasn't able to join us," Yedda asked.
I stayed silent for a bit trying to force words out.
"She...she," I took a deep breath, "Keandra isn't alive anymore."
Suddenly my head started to hurt as I heard a voice in my head.
"Stop and listen! Come. Come and accept our assistance for once master. We are still waiting for you."
I heard the sound of a door opening after passing out.
6 years ago?
"Hey Mr. Keith, can me and Asher go exploring in the woods?" I opened my eyes and saw my Father jumping onto the cart and kneeled to grab something.
"Sure but take these with you before you go." He handed both of us a sword.
"You're both good at combat. Just be careful. I heard there are some monsters running loose." He sighed.
"Who am I kidding? Just be smart about it, wait for the right time," I strapped the sword around my waist, "Then decide to gamble it all in that one moment," I said along with him.
Father smiled but for some reason tears formed in my eyes.
"You okay son?"
I wiped my eyes and nodded.
"Okay. I'll get everything packed then we can start heading back to Tippleton. Lina and Keandra will love the goods that were bringing them."
I nodded back in response
"Now go! Show those monsters whose boss." Me and Nolan laughed and made our way into the woods.
"Be back by sunset!" Father said in the distance.
Nolan and I ran around, climbing tree and slaying monsters.
"Is that the last of them?" Nolan asked, wiping his forehead.
I sat down and wiped the blood off my knife before retrieving my sword.
"Yeah that's all of them." I sheathed my sword and Nolan looked at the sky.
"What do you want to do now? We still got a lot of time left." He said
"I think all the monster are dead. I am not sensing any others that we can reach on foot in time."
He shrugged, "I guess we go back then."
He turned around and began walking back. As I began to follow him I felt a chill down my spine. It was so strong that it almost knocked me down. I turned around and ran in the opposite direction. I heard Nolan yelling and following but I was too distracted by my thoughts.
Why is it growing so fast? Why here? Why was I only able to sense it now? Why has the aura of death already appeared and why is it so powerful? Why now, I kept on asking those questions to myself over and over again.
I cut down whatever tired attacking me. Nolan was following me and I wasn't able to hear what he was saying but all I knew he was yelling. I jumped over things that looked like it was trap. After passing a tiny pond we reached a mansion with broken windows and parts of the roof where ripped out like something broke through it.
"What's a mansion like this doing in the woods?" I shrugged and tiptoed to the front door.
I put my ear next to the door. I tried opening the door but obviously it was locked. An ear-splitting scream came from inside causing multiple holes to open in the wall. Thankfully I was able to recover quickly and hear footsteps from inside.
"Hide!" I hissed at Nolan.
We ran and took cover into the huge trees. Two boys came out through one of the giant holes. They both looked like they were around 15 years old. I listened to their conversation.
"She's not getting any better Elijah. What will we do? It won't be long until the village hears her. We shouldn't have trusted that man." The one named Elijah looked inside.
"I don't know but others might see her as a threat now and try to kill her. We can't back out now. We are already too deep. Let's check on her again," The one name Elijah responded.
They both nodded and went back inside through a different hole. I waited a little bit longer to see if they were gone. Nolan tapped me on the shoulder.
"We are going to follow them aren't we," I nodded, "Well we definitely can't ignore that scream so I'll follow you. But first tell me everything I know your keeping me something from me. Or else I won't let you go in there."
I snapped my fingers and chains appeared around me. Nolan stared in shock. I pointed at the mansion.
"There is a trapped demon inside. It's sending out abnormal amounts out emotions. Specifically pain and agony. As well as an overwhelming aura of death," My vision went blurry for a second but I continued, "I need to free the demon and hopefully the death aura will disappear."
He lifted one of the chains.
"Okay then. How does this play into what you just said?" He let go of the chains and I felt relieved.
"Well I don't know really, a voice called them 'Chains of Fates' which made no sense to me at the time until when I was 4 I started to have nightmares." I lifted my one of my hands to the sky.
"Nightmares?" Nolan asked.
"Well more like watching people's fates. 2 years after the chains appeared, randomly, I would have nightmares and I would watch thousands maybe even millions die. Either by suicide, being killed mercilessly, tortured, or torn apart by humans and monsters. I tried helping but I couldn't. I failed each time. Of course I did it was just a dream after all. Everyday it's the same like there is no escape." I looked down and pickd up a chain.
"You're pretty strong to be able to go through that," He said.
"A strong person would have been able to save them," I replied.
"A normal person would've gone insane with watching that many deaths over and over, even if they are just dreams." He offered his hand.
"Most would've gave up, but you are still here, moving forward," I grabbed his hand, "Then whatever chained you won't be able to hold you for long."
"You're sounding like my Father now, but...thanks Nolan," I grinned.
"Now let's go inside this mansion." He smiled.